AIR Gama Aviation Aug'15

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Marked by footsteps in the white sands, your journey of personal paradise begins. Secluded, secret and serene, Coco Privé Kuda Hithi Island is one of the world’s most exclusive private islands. There’s nowhere in the Maldives,

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Features AUGUST 2015 : ISSUE 51

Managing Director

Victoria Thatcher Editorial Director

Forty Eight

Sixty

Cate the Great

Cara’s World

Cate Blanchett on motherhood and her new movie

Is Cara Delevigne turning her back on modelling for good?

John Thatcher Fifty Four

Fun House

Group Commercial Director

David Wade

Cliveden House has a fascinating and colourful history

david@hotmediapublishing.com

Commercial Director

Rawan Chehab rawan@hotmediapublishing.com

Business Development Manager

Rabih El Turk rabih@hotmediapublishing.com

Editor

Richard Jenkins richard@hotmediapublishing.com

Senior Designer

AIR

Andy Knappett Designer

Emi Dixon Illustrator

Andrew Thorpe Production Manager

Chalitha Fernando Editorial Intern

Leyla Yilmaz

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Dual Time Manufacture Self-winding manufacture movement with Silicium technology. Patented unique time zone quick setting.

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Contents

AIR

AUGUST 2015 : ISSUE 51

Eighteen

Forty Four

Radar

Timepieces

Salon Privé showcases exlusive automobiles

An interview with the CEO of Vacheron Constantin

Twenty Six

Sixty Four

Art & Design

Motoring

Chinese fashion and London’s alternative art scene

Onyx Concept produces high-calibre customisation

Thirty Six

Sixty Eight

Style

Gastronomy

Aruna Seth is at the forefront of shoe design

Inaki Aizpitarte talks about his culinary cornerstones

Forty

Seventy Two

Jewellery

Travel

Stunning new pieces from Chanel and others

London’s exclusive members’ clubs open their doors

Tel: 00971 4 364 2876 Fax: 00971 4 369 7494 Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from HOT Media Publishing is strictly prohibited. All prices mentioned are correct at time of press but may change. HOT Media Publishing does not accept liability for omissions or errors in AIR.

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A LEVEL ABOVE

BREATHTAKING

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Gama Aviation AUGUST 2015 : ISSUE 51

Welcome Onboard AUGUST 2015

I’m delighted to welcome you to the August edition of AIR, Gama’s in-flight magazine. I hope you’ll enjoy learning more about our global business aviation group and the services we provide as you browse through the pages. Gama is one of the world’s largest business jet operators – we have nearly 150 business jets operating all around the globe. Established in the United Kingdom in 1983, we’ve grown to have bases throughout the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe and North and South America, as well as operating licences issued by the UAE, UK, US and Bermudan Authorities. In addition to providing aircraft management and charter services, the group also provides aircraft maintenance, avionics design and installation, aviation software, aircraft cleaning, and leasing services to a wide range of clients. Gama’s expansion in the Middle East continues to progress well; our regional fleet has grown significantly over the past 12 months with the arrival of a number of aircraft, along with the continued development of our regional footprint and services. This includes the opening of our Jeddah office and Abu Dhabi base. Also, Gama is now operating the only business aviation FBO at Sharjah International Airport, which is proving to be a very popular facility for Sharjah and the Northern Emirates, as well as a practical alternative to Dubai International Airport. Business aviation remains one of the best tools available to corporations and individuals who want to make time for themselves and it’s been pleasing to see a continued resurgence in charter flights – the world is travelling for business again and developing much needed revenue for the global economy. Thank you for choosing Gama – welcome onboard.

Richard Lineveldt General Manager Gama Aviation

Contact Details: charter.mena@gamaaviation.com gamaaviation.com 13

Dubai Hong Kong Las Vegas New York

THE INTELLIGENT GATEWAY TO DUBAI AND THE NORTHERN EMIRATES.

Palm Beach London Geneva Moscow

Our Sharjah FBO is just a 30 minute drive from downtown Dubai. Whether you require long term parking and hangar space, a fast fuel stop or business jet maintenance, our state-of the-art facilities make Sharjah International Airport the only destination to choose. For detailed handling and maintenance information or to ďŹ nd out about our other services on offer at Sharjah, please contact our FBO team on +971 6 573 4371.

Charter. Management. Maintenance. gamaaviation.com

Gama Aviation AUGUST 2015 : ISSUE 51

Hangar8 and JetClub consolidated Gama Aviation plc, one of the world’s largest business aviation service providers, has announced it’s to phase out the Hangar8 and JetClub brands with immediate effect

From the end of this week the brands will start to disappear on all non-regulatory items; the first manifestations being the closure of the Hangar8 group websites and the rebranding of the new Group’s Oxford Airport facilities. Regulatory documentation and approvals (aviation & maintenance) will begin to transition over the coming months in line with the Regulator’s requirements. DUNCAN DAINES, CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER, GAMA AVIATION PLC, COMMENTED: “First of all, this change in no way effects the underlying legal entities that will continue to trade under the Gama Aviation brand; nor, in the short term, will changes be made to regulatory documentation without the Regulator’s full approval. Moving towards a single brand allows us to deliver a single, recognisable service standard across the world. Strategically this is important, as we believe the market requires scale, breadth and depth, driven through a singular focus that is unencumbered by managing multiple brands or service styles.” 15

This announcement comes shortly after a positive trading update from Gama Aviation announcing that the two businesses have successfully integrated, and that the Group is delivering on its planned strategic objectives. Overall trading performance across the Group is also in line with management expectations. MARWAN KHALEK, CEO OF GAMA AVIATION PLC COMMENTED: “I am, of course, very pleased with our positive trading update and that our performance remains in line with expectations. However, for me the most pleasing aspect of the last six months has been our ability to deliver against all the key objectives that we set ourselves in January. Chief amongst these has been the integration and re-organisation of the business post-merger. We are now a single entity that operates with a class-leading platform of infrastructure and management around which we can now drive our scale, breadth and depth. Six months into our journey I am very pleased that both our strategy is firmly on-track.”

Gama Aviation AUGUST 2015 : ISSUE 51

Gama Aviation expands business aviation estate at Sharjah International Airport and reviews handling rates

With the support of Sharjah Airport Authority, Gama Aviation has acquired additional aircraft parking space to ensure continued space availability for business jets as Sharjah Airport gets busier. Gama Aviation’s FBO and MRO teams will be personally supervising the business aircraft left in their care. Gama Aviation has also conducted a review of the Sharjah FBO handling rates, and as a result, the basic handling prices have been reduced by 20%. This places the Sharjah FBO in an extremely competitive position when compared to similar offerings in the region. The new prices will 16

take effect from 1st August 2015. Gama Aviation’s Managing Director for the Middle East region, Martin Ringrose, said: “The Gama Aviation FBO at Sharjah is now very much a mature business, providing an offering distinct to other FBOs in the region. Sharjah offers convenience in terms of slot availability, and through quicker onward ground transportation to many locations in the UAE from central and downtown Dubai, Northwards. All this is achieved with the high quality, client focused service, that you are used to from Gama Aviation worldwide.”

Radar AUGUST 2015 : ISSUE 51

AIR

> Salon Privé is one of the world’s most exclusive automotive events, the UK’s version taking pride of place amongst leading shows like the US’s Pebble Beach and Italy’s Villa d’Este. Now in its 10th year and enjoying a new home at the stately Blenheim Palace, this year visitors will have the chance to see some of the world’s rarest vehicles on the Palace’s South Lawn. This year also sees a duo of Spanish hypercars debuting, in the form of the outrageous Tramontana R and GTA Spano, as well as classic Ferraris, Porsches and many more. salonpriveconcours.com

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Critique AUGUST 2015 : ISSUE 51

Film Fantastic Four Dir: Josh Trank Four super-powered outsiders use their incredible abilities to save the world. AT BEST: “With a talented young cast and Josh Trank at the helm, expectations for the new movie are high.” The Guardian AT WORST: “Fantastic Four is not a bad movie, but it is a film likely to alienate the fan base of the comic book on which it is based.” CinemaBlend

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Dir: Guy Ritchie Reboot of the classic spy series. At the height of the Cold War, the CIA and KGB face a common enemy. AT BEST: “From the word go, the overwhelming impression here is that everyone involved is having the time of their lives.” GamesRadar AT WORST: “Things started to go sideways when first George Clooney and then Steven Soderbergh left the project.” CinemaBlend

Straight Outta Compton Dir: F. Gary Gray In 1980s California, the hip-hop group N.W.A revolutionise popular music and culture. AT BEST: “ Music, like cinema, is a universal language that can help people decode the human experience” CinemaBlend AT WORST: “Many NWA members and affiliates noted the script’s historical inaccuracies.” The Guardian

The Gift Dir: Joel Edgerton Actor Edgerton’s first directorial effort is a tight suspense thriller starring Jason Bateman and Rebecca Hall. AT BEST: “I found myself thinking back to my adolescence and praying I hadn’t annoyed any psychopaths.” Slashfilm AT WORST: “The Gift trots out well-worn ‘creepy acquaintance’ tropes from movies like Single White Female.” AV Club 21

Critique AUGUST 2015 : ISSUE 51

Theatre

AIR

M

easure for Measure, one of Shakespeare’s heavier plays is in full swing this August at Shakespeare’s Globe theatre, Bankside in London. Time Out writes glowingly: “At the heart of ‘Measure for Measure’ is a pretty horrendous conundrum: will the virtuous Isabella (Mariah Gale) sacrifice her honour and sleep with Angelo (Kurt Egyiawan), the corrupt, deputised governor of Vienna, to save her brother Claudio (a suitably tense Joel MacCormack) from execution? Justice, in all its forms, is front and centre here, as Shakespeare’s debates its role in public life and its abuse – countering the hollow Angelo’s heartless following of the law in condemning Vienna’s citizens with the hypocrisy of his private actions. This colourfully presented cast of characters serve to bring warmth to the play’s musings. Rather than jarring with its darker themes, they are the tumble of life missing from Angelo’s suffocating rules and strictures. Measure for measure, laugh for laugh, they are the ones that carry us along.” One of Oscar Wilde’s notorious works hits the stage at the Vaudeville Theatre, Covent Garden running till November this year. The Guardian writes: “There is little doubt as to the impulse behind this production. The image of a berouged David Suchet as Lady Bracknell, gazing at us from under a tilted, feathered hat, dominates the posters. He gives, as you would expect, a majestically funny performance in an Adrian Noble production that plays up Wilde’s farcical exuberance at the expense of his running commentary on Victorian life. As Lady Bracknell, Suchet does not so much enter a room as occupy it totally. He is also a master, like Donald Sinden, of the frozen stare of distain. On his first encounter with Jack Worthing, he briskly surveys him as if he were a superfluous item of furniture. His interest quickens only when he realizes Mr Worthing is a prospective suitor to his daughter, Gwendolen; the resulting interview 22

scene is the highlight of the evening. Even if occasionally the mood seems closer to Charley’s Aunt than Oscar Wilde, this is a thoroughly enjoyable production and, at its centre, lies a superb performance by Suchet that reminds us that even Lady Bracknell contains a certain impishness beneath her elegantly frocked hauteur.” Meanwhile, London’s Lyric Hammersmith’s classic crime caper Bugsy Malone is running to the 5th of September this summer. Set in Chicago, the play is loosely based on events from the early 1920s to early 1930s during Prohibition and is specifically directed at real life gangsters like Al Capone. Time Out writes: “Lyric boss Sean Holmes is the perfect director for the job, bringing a ruthless lack of sentiment and a gift for metatheatrical schtick to the table as he helms his theatre’s big comeback show after a two-year refurbishment. Full of fourth wallbreaking nods, his ‘Bugsy’ is aware of its underlying absurdity, yet also played with a gleefully straight bat. Sure, the ‘deaths’ are inflicted by machine guns firing pink goo, with the vague suggestion that the victim is merely ‘out’ of some elaborate game, but when a character is shot, they ain’t coming back. When mob boss Fat Sam gives us a nod of satisfaction as he trundles on stage in a pedal-powered car, it’s not the child actor soliciting an ‘aaaaaw’ for how adawable this is, but Sam acknowledging how awesome his ride is. And he’s right. In an entirely winning production, a solid backline of older actors play the mobster’s goons, with a rotating cast of tweens in the lead roles. Of those present on press night, Max Gill is an entertaining, at ease lynchpin as the old-before-his-time Fat Sam, but it’s the ladies who are the real finds: as femme fatale Tallulah, sultry, coquettish Samantha Allison is a terrific actor, while Thea Lamb, as good gal Blousey Brown, surely has a big singing career ahead of her.”

Critique AUGUST 2015 : ISSUE 51

Art

A

nish Kapoor presents his latest pieces of contemporary works at the Palace of Versailles from the 9th of June to the 1st of November. A variety of themes such as heaven and earth, visible and invisible, inside and outside and shadow and light will be available for visitors to embark on this summer. President of the Palace of Versailles, Catherine Pégard writes: “The originality of this exhibition, what makes it unique, even to those who have long been familiar

with Kapoor’s work around the world, is that in Versailles his vision meets an imagination set in stone by history. The very controlled landscape of Versailles is drawn into instability. The grounds become within the garden’s labyrinths. The mirrors that are so central to Versailles now distort it. This world is perhaps about to tip over. It is not by chance that Anish Kapoor was the first to push open the door to the Jeu De Paume, which he considers as a work of art 24

itself, to exhibit his installation. Anish Kapoor draws us into a hidden history, within the boundaries of Versailles.” Displaying the diverse forms of tattooing from three destinations; Japan, North America and Europe, their histories and when the art form of tattooing began is presented in the exhibition ‘Tatoueurs, Tatoués’, which comprises of 300 works making it one of the most significant tattoo shows in the world. The works of tribal, traditional, ethnographic and more are available for inspection at this unique display running up to the 18th of October 2015 at the Quai Branly museum in France. Time Out writes: “A great foray into the world of tattoo artists and tattooing which, since the eighteenth century, have fought with their skin, their needles and their willingness to enter their art in the mores.” Tattoo artists such as Horitoshi 1 and Filip Leu’s works will be among many other artists’ displayed. Pascal Bagot, journalist, film director and curator of the Japan section for the Tatoueurs, Tatoués exhibition states: “It wasn’t until I saw Leu’s dragon on a woman’s arm that something clicked. When I saw the images of Tokyo-based master tattooist Horitoshi 1’s work, I decided I wanted to be tattooed.” The Roundhouse, Chalk Farm, is holding its annual array of creative events this summer including Penny Woolcock’s innovative exhibition; Utopia. Presenting inequality, consumerism, housing, education and crime among many more, looking into personal anecdotes from London’s residents. Londontheatre1.com writes: “Woolcock’s curiosity and craft for storytelling underpins all her work and for Utopia, she spent many months uncovering the stories of Londoners from the most wildly diverse of backgrounds to reveal the hidden narratives of the city. Her work has regularly focused on social cohesion, leading her to collaborate with young inner-city gang members and street hustlers.”

Critique AUGUST 2015 : ISSUE 51

Books

T

he House at the Edge of the World written by Julie Rochester is a cleverly written novel displaying twins, Morweena and Corwin, their mother, father and grandfather, Matthew. The Guardian writes: “It grips, and its strength lies in the understanding of human behaviour that underlies the unexpected twists and turns, each one of which moves from romanticism to credibility in a bracing way, so that the book’s charm resembles that of a building such as Brighton Pavilion: engagingly fantastic in appearance but structurally sound. I have read so much fiction in a long life that I can only too often see, after about 50 pages, where a novel is going, which diminishes my enjoyment of it – sometimes even makes me put it aside. That, with ‘The House at the Edge of the World’, would have been quite impossible.” Salman Rushdie’s latest novel, Two

Years Eight Months and Twenty-Eight Nights, blends a classic love story with history. Penguin Random House states: “A lush, richly layered novel in which our world has been plunged into an age of unreason, Two Years Eight Months and Twenty Eight Nights is a breath taking achievement and an enduring testament to the power of storytelling. In the near future, after a storm strikes New York City, the strangenesses begin. A down-toearth gardener finds that his feet no longer touch the ground. A graphic novelist awakens in his bedroom to a mysterious entity that resembles his own sub-Stan Lee creation. Abandoned at the mayor’s office, a baby identifies corruption with her mere presence, marking the guilty with blemishes and boils. A seductive gold digger is soon tapped to combat forces beyond imagining.” Joshua Cohen’s most recent novel Book of Numbers is “fascinating 25

and frustrating” according to The Guardian who wrote: “Joshua Cohen’s new novel, arriving with much giddy praise following its American publication, is alternating fascinating and frustrating. It is a tale of two Cohens: one, the author, Joshua Cohen, who is hired to ghostwrite an autobiography for his tech billionaire namesake, largely referred to as “the principal”. The novel blends autobiographical elements with mock-memoir over its near 600 page length. It is insanely self-indulgent but that is, of course, the point. Cohen wants the reader to luxuriate in the mad world of technology and the Internet that we are all slaves to. Ultimately, it is hard not to feel that the final product is less than the sum of its multi-layered parts, and that this is little more than a retread of the works of Williams Gibson and Self. Still, for chutzpah alone, Cohen’s chaotic fantasia certainly impresses.”

Art & Design AUGUST 2015 : ISSUE 51

AIR

Life After Banksy Banksy kicked the grit of grafďŹ ti in the face of modern art – enthusing and enraging critics, and redeďŹ ning a whole artistic genre. A decade on, can anybody ďŹ ll his shoes? Hazel Plush meets the man who’s helping collectors ďŹ nd the next big thing

I

’m thinking of buying a hand grenade. It’s hand-painted, with Chinese blue dragons prettifying its pearly white steel – like a mini Ming Dynasty vase. If you didn’t know it was a bomb, you might think it was twee – EXW WKRVH ÂżUH EUHDWKLQJ JLDQWV KLQW DW its lethality. It’s defused, but it would still cause a stir on my mantelpiece. I don’t often go for upcycled World War Two memorabilia – but in this FDVH ,ÂśP WUDQVÂż[HG , SKRQH /LDP West, the CEO of Beautiful Crime – the /RQGRQ JDOOHU\ ZKHUH , IRXQG . 7HHÂśV ‘Ming Grenade’ – but I’m too late. It’s VROG Âł7R 7RP .HUULGJH ´ KH VD\V ÂłWKH Michelin-starred chef. He bought it ZKHQ KH FDWHUHG RXU ODXQFK SDUW\´ ,ÂśP disappointed, but at least I’ve got great taste. Beautiful Crime only opened in March, and it’s already grabbed collectors’ attention. As well as GHFRUDWLYH KDQG JUHQDGHV \RXÂśOO ÂżQG surrealist photography, huge street art-

style canvases, and bronze sculptures hewn into eerie bodily forms. The art is arresting, hypnotic – and at times, a little bizarre. “We always try to push WKH ERXQGDULHV ZLWK RXU DUWLVWV ´ ODXJKV West when I confess my surprise. “We aim to pull them out of their FRPIRUW ]RQHV ´ Beautiful Crime’s forte is turning unknown artists into stars. West tracks down promising new names, and builds XS WKHLU SURÂżOH WKURXJK H[KLELWLRQV DQG word of mouth – raising their stakes as well as their selling price. “When I started Beautiful Crime, I was working ZLWK DQ XQNQRZQ /RQGRQ VWUHHW DUWLVW FDOOHG $GDP 1HDWH ´ VD\V :HVW Âł+H couldn’t afford canvas, so he would just paint on cardboard he found in the street – I started selling his pieces for ÂŁ100, but they quickly rose into the thousands‌ Now, all of his work sells for over ÂŁ50,000. Finding artists like WKDW LV RXU VSHFLDOLW\ RXU VWUHQJWK ´ Before the gallery opened, Beautiful 26

Beautiful Crime’s forte is turning unknown artists into stars &ULPHœV H[KLELWLRQV ZHUH KHOG LQ KLUHG VSDFHV DOO RYHU /RQGRQ EXW WKHVH temporary digs didn’t hurt business. Since 2006, West has grown the business from a street art sales start-up to a leading contemporary gallery – racking up sell-out shows every season. Today, he works in partnership with creative director Ruthie Holloway, a former art journalist; the pair met when she interviewed him for a magazine. As well as work by its own stable of artists, Beautiful Crime is East /RQGRQœV JR WR JDOOHU\ IRU KLJK SUR¿OH FRQWHPSRUDU\ DUW <RXœOO ¿QG SLHFHV E\ the likes of Tracey Emin and Banksy ¹ QDPHV WKDW KDYH UHGH¿QHG WKH

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AIR

Opening page: Serpent by Beth Kerridge Left: Collage by Wildcat Will Right: John Lennon screenprint by Russell Marshall

contemporary ethos and aesthetic. Of course, East London is already renowned for its love of contemporary art, and Shoreditch has an underground energy like nowhere else in the capital. “It’s probably the most creative part of London,â€? says West. “There are still artists painting on ZDOOV DQG WKDW DHVWKHWLF UHĂ€HFWV ZKDW we’re about.â€? That aesthetic has been at the heart of West’s career since he was a teenager, when he worked as an assistant in a printing company. “It was when the likes of Damien Hirst, Emin and Sarah Lucas came on the scene – we did all their show catalogues and some prints. They were all coming into the print studio and working with us.â€? Did that ÂżUVW JOLPSVH RI FRQWHPSRUDU\ÂśV QHZ stars give him the edge years later,

There is no ‘urban art’ now. It’s modern contemporary ZKHQ VSRWWLQJ QHZ WDOHQW" Âł'HÂżQLWHO\ You have to have a good eye for that. It was very inspiring.â€? In 2002, while West was working at the print company, a renegade street artist from England shot to fame for KLV ZLWW\ SURYRFDWLYH JUDIÂżWL 7KDW JX\ was Banksy, and his style captured the imagination of people all over the ZRUOG 6XGGHQO\ JUDIÂżWL DUW ZDVQÂśW MXVW a colourful nuisance – it had poise, aplomb, and (most shocking of all) it had big commercial appeal. Everyone wanted a piece of Banksy and co – and West had all the contacts to make it happen. Today, West manages the art portfolios of some of London’s most discerning collectors, and Banksy’s

name still keeps cropping up. “We’ve made a lot of people happy by investing in Banksy,� says West. “In the last two years, the value of his work has risen by 60% – that’s unheard of for any other artist. He’s probably in every major collection now. All the serious collectors, everyone who collects Warhol, Lichtenstein – they’ve all probably added a Banksy to their collection.� Will the value continue to rise? “100%.� But in gaining such vast commercial appeal, urban art has lost its edginess. “There is no ‘urban art’ now,� say West. “I was in Christie’s the other week, and it wasn’t called street art or urban art, it was called ‘modern contemporary.’ There were Warhols, and then there were Banksys, D*Face, and people like that. They’re going in with classic artists from the ’50s now.� So what does that mean for Beautiful Crime? “We started out as a street art company, but 29

we re-branded as contemporary – like everything else, it moves on.â€? The genre may have evolved, but I’ll wager that the search for the next Banksy is never far from West’s mind. Does he have any tips for investors? “We’re working with an artist called Chris Moon, but we haven’t actually got any of his pieces for sale now – everything has sold. He isn’t a household name yet, but this is the right time to buy his work. He’s just sold a piece for $56,000, but I think he’ll EH JRLQJ IRU VHYHQ ÂżJXUHV LQ WKH QRW WRR distant future.â€? When I hang up the phone, I abandon all thoughts of that beautiful hand grenade and Google Chris Moon instead. His oil paintings are hazy, dreamy; tableaux of real life viewed through a greasy lens. Paul McCartney, Gemma Arterton and Michael Fassbender have invested in pieces. Is Moon the next Banksy? I’m not sure. But with West’s seal of approval, I don’t doubt I’d be onto a good thing.

Art & Design

AIR

AUGUST 2015 : ISSUE 51

Return of the Dragon This month marks your last chance to catch the Met’s highly acclaimed look at China’s hold over the world’s biggest fashion designers. AIR reveals the everlasting influence of the Orient WORDS : HAZEL PLUSH

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AIR Opening Page: Evening coat, ca. 1925, Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Mrs. Robert S. Kilborne, 1958 This Page: Evening dress, Roberto Cavalli, fall/winter 2005-6. Courtesy of Roberto Cavalli.

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DQ &OHHI $USHOV &RFR &KDQHO &ULVWREDO %DOHQFLDJD 7KH OLVW RI GHVLJQHUV IHDWXUHG LQ WKH QHZ 0HWURSROLWDQ 0XVHXP RI $UW H[KLELWLRQ LV SUHGLFWDEO\ WRS GUDZer. What more did you expect from the ZRUOGÂśV OHDGLQJ IDVKLRQ DQG FRVWXPH UHSRVLWRU\" %XW ZKDW LV VWDUWOLQJ DERXW WKH 0HWÂśV VKRZFDVH LV WKH OLQN EHWZHHQ each atelier and fashion house. They DUH XQLWHG E\ RQH VXUSULVLQJ WKHPH their ties to China and the Far East – a FRQQHFWLRQ WKDW JRHV IDU GHHSHU WKDQ you realise. 2Q YLHZ DW WKH 0HWÂśV &KLQHVH *DOOHULHV DQG $QQD :LQWRXU &RVWXPH &HQWHU &KLQD 7KURXJK WKH /RRNLQJ *ODVV IHDWXUHV RYHU KDXWH FRXWXUH DQG UHDG\ WR ZHDU SLHFHV LQVSLUHG E\ WKH 2ULHQW 6W\OLVHG *LYHQFK\ JRZQV Christian Dior jackets and Valentino HYHQLQJ GUHVVHV DSSHDU DORQJVLGH treasured examples of traditional Chinese art and craft: antique jade MHZHOOHU\ 0LQJ '\QDVW\ SRUFHODLQ YDVHV DQG WK FHQWXU\ VLON FRXUW UREHV WR QDPH EXW D SULFHOHVV IHZ ,WÂśV WKH ODUJHVW JDWKHULQJ RI LWV NLQG LQ WKH world, and it has caused quite a stir in fashion circles worldwide. Âł&KLQD KDV IXHOOHG WKH IDVKLRQDEOH LPDJLQDWLRQ IRU FHQWXULHV ´ WKH H[KLELWLRQ QRWHV GHFODUH Âą D ZLOG FODLP DW ÂżUVW JODQFH EXW WKLV LVQÂśW MXVW Ă€LPV\ IDVKLRQ UKHWRULF 7R Ă€LFN WKURXJK WKH JORVV\ SURJUDPPH LV PHUHO\ WR VFUDWFK WKH VXUIDFH RI &KLQDÂśV LQĂ€XHQFH RQ ZHVWHUQ GHVLJQ /RRN FORVHU VFUXWLQLVH Âą RU SUHIHUDEO\ YLVLW WKH H[KLELWLRQ LQ SHUVRQ LWÂśV RSHQ XQWLO $XJXVW Âą DQG \RXÂśOO EHJLQ WR VORZO\ XQGHUVWDQG &KLQDÂśV OHJDF\ “From the earliest European contact with China in the 16th century, the west KDV EHHQ HQFKDQWHG ZLWK HQLJPDWLF REMHFWV DQG LPDJHU\ IURP &KLQD ´ DQQRXQFHG $QGUHZ %ROWRQ FXUDWRU RI WKH H[KLELWLRQ DW WKH H[KLELWLRQ SUHYLHZ LQ $SULO Âł&KLQD KDV SURYLGHG LQVSLUDWLRQ IRU IDVKLRQ GHVLJQHUV IURP 3DXO 3RLUHW WR <YHV 6DLQW /DXUHQW 7KH\ KDYH FUHDWHG D SDVWLFKH RI &KLQHVH aesthetic and cultural traditions.â€? When displayed next to contemporary ZHVWHUQ KDXWH FRXWXUH WKH LQĂ€XHQFH of those traditional Chinese artefacts EHFRPHV VWDJJHULQJO\ FOHDU 7KLV LVQÂśW MXVW WKH RFFDVLRQDO GHVLJQ QRG WR 2ULHQWDO DHVWKHWLFV Âą WKH LQĂ€XHQFH of the Far East has permeated so far

China has fuelled the fashion imagination for centuries and so deep into the modern fashion consciousness that in some cases it ORRNV OLNH GRZQULJKW GHVLJQ SODJLDULVP +RZ FRPH ZH GLGQÂśW QRWLFH EHIRUH" <RX QHHG WR WDFNOH HDFK GHVLJQHU LQGLYLGXDOO\ WR JHW D KDQGOH RQ WKH VFDOH RI &KLQDÂśV LQĂ€XHQFH RQ FRQWHPSRUDU\ FRXWXUH &KULVWLDQ 'LRU LV D JRRG SODFH to start. The white silk of his 1951 Quiproquo cocktail dress is decorated ZLWK EODFN LQN EUXVKVWURNHV Âą WKH dress is displayed next to a piece of WK FHQWXU\ &KLQHVH FDOOLJUDSK\ and the aesthetic connection is clear HYHQ WR WKH XQWUDLQHG H\H %XW 'LRUÂśV IDVFLQDWLRQ ZLWK &KLQD JRHV PXFK further: few people know that in the DWHOLHUÂśV LQDXJXUDO \HDU 'LRU FRLQHG QDPHV IRU KLV ÂżUVW PRGHOV Âľ&KLQHÂś Âľ3pNLQÂś DQG Âľ6KDQJKDLÂś ZHUH KLV IDYRXULWH RQHV ,Q ODWHU \HDUV KH GXEEHG RWKHUV Âľ1XLW GH &KLQHÂś Âł%OHX GH &KLQHÂś DQG Âľ+RQJ .RQJÂś 7KLV SUHRFFXSDWLRQ with China would further continue to LQĂ€XHQFH WKH GHVLJQHUV DW WKH KHOP RI 'LRU ORQJ DIWHU LWV IRXQGHUÂśV GHDWK Âą EXW PRUH RI WKDW ODWHU <YHV 6DLQW /DXUHQW WXUQHG WR &KLQD IRU 33

colour and luxury – pieces from his autumn 1977 collection, displayed in WKH 0HWÂśV ÂżUVW Ă€RRU JDOOHU\ DUH KHDY\ ZLWK JLOGHG PRWLIV DQG VFDUOHW DQG SOXP KXHV ,WÂśV D YLVXDO IHDVW EXW LWÂśV QRW WKH RQO\ LQWR[LFDWLQJ LQVSLUDWLRQ WKDW <6/ took from the Far East: he also looked WR LWV GDUN VLGH ZKHQ FUHDWLQJ 2SLXP KLV VLJQDWXUH VSLF\ IUDJUDQFH 3HUKDSV WKH PRVW UHVRXQGLQJ SUHVHQFH LQ 7KURXJK WKH /RRNLQJ *ODVV KRZHYHU LV -RKQ *DOOLDQR )URP KLV V GUHVVHV IRU 'LRU WR KLV RZQ ODEHO FUHDWLRQV KLV PRVW VLJQLÂżFDQW ZRUN LV RQ YLHZ $QG LW LV SRVLWLYHO\ ODGHQ ZLWK &KLQHVH PRWLIV Âą D KRPDJH SHUKDSV WR his mentor Christian Dior. )RU WKH H[KLELWLRQÂśV DFFRPSDQ\LQJ ERRN %ROWRQ LQWHUYLHZHG *DOOLDQR DERXW KLV ORQJ VWDQGLQJ ORYH RI Chinoiserie: “My initial interest LQ &KLQD ZDV IXHOOHG E\ PRYLHV E\ IDQWDVLVHG DQG URPDQWLFLVHG SRUWUD\DOV ´ *DOOLDQR DGPLWWHG LQ FRQYHUVDWLRQ Âł, ZDV IDVFLQDWHG ZLWK the culture. In retrospect, I think it ZDV EHFDXVH , NQHZ YHU\ OLWWOH DERXW LW %HIRUH , YLVLWHG &KLQD LW ZDV WKH

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fantasy that drew me to it, the sense of GDQJHU DQG P\VWHU\ WKDW ZDV FRQYH\HG WKURXJK +ROO\ZRRG ´ It’s no accident that the Met’s Chinese *DOOHULHV DUH DGRUQHG ZLWK PLUURUV <HV WKH\ HQFRXUDJH \RX WR JD]H DW HDFK H[DPSOH LQ PLQXWH GHWDLO EXW FRXOG WKHLU SXUSRVH DFWXDOO\ EH PRUH PHWDSKRULFDO" 7R HQFRXUDJH WKH YLHZHU WR UHÀHFW RQ *DOOLDQR¶V URVH WLQWHG VWHUHRW\SHV SHUKDSV ± SHUVSHFWLYHV WKDW PDQ\ RWKHU IHDWXUHG GHVLJQHUV DSSHDU WR VKDUH 2Q UHDGLQJ KLV ZRUGV LW¶V HDV\ WR DUJXH WKDW KLV LV D UHGXFWLRQLVW YLHZ RI &KLQD ± DQG \RX¶G EH ULJKW %XW ZKHUH¶V WKH EHDXW\ in reality? The lie – an exotic, lotusEORVVRP VFHQWHG XQWUXWK ± LV PXFK PRUH VHGXFWLYH WKDQ UHDOLW\ <RX FDQ LPDJLQH KRZ LQ WKH V DQG µ V WKH DOOXUH RI D IDU ÀXQJ ODQG IXHOOHG WKH FUHDWLYLW\ RI ZHVWHUQ GHVLJQHUV ± DQG

No aspect of Chinese culture is exempt from the Hollywood treatment ZK\ VKRXOGQ¶W ZH ORVH RXUVHOYHV LQ WKH fantasy too? 7KLV SLFWXUHERRN YHUVLRQ RI $VLD LV ODGHQ ZLWK URPDQWLF PRWLIV FUXPEOLQJ rows of Terracotta Warriors, intricate EOXH DQG ZKLWH SRUFHODLQ SDLQWLQJV the splendour of an Emperor’s court. ,W¶V LUUHVLVWLEOH $QG WKH PRVW VWULNLQJ HPEOHP RI IDLU\WDOH $VLD LV WKH GUDJRQ – so it’s little wonder that the motif is DOO RYHU WKH 0HW¶V H[KLELWV <RX¶OO VSRW GUDJRQV LQ .UL]LD¶V JROG VHTXLQHG PLQLGUHVV LQ *LYHQFK\¶V ELOORZLQJ VDWLQ JRZQV LQ 7RP )RUG IRU <YHV 6DLQW /DXUHQW LQ %DOPDLQ MDFNHWV ± indeed, once you notice that toothy ÀDVK RU YLVFRXV VWDUH \RX¶OO VWDUW WR VS\ GUDJRQV HYHU\ZKHUH ³'UDJRQ UREHV ZHUH H[DPSOHV RI courtwear which denoted rank and VWDQGLQJ ´ QRWHG /DLUG %RUUHOOL 3HUVVRQ LQ 86 9RJXH DIWHU WKH H[KLELWLRQ SUHYLHZ ³7KH\ DFKLHYHG IDVKLRQ VWDWXV LQ ZKHQ +ROO\ZRRG FRVWXPH GHVLJQHU 7UDYLV %DQWRQ FUHDWHG WKH DUFKHW\SDO GUDJRQ GUHVV IRU DFWUHVV $QQD 0D\ :RQJ WR ZHDU LQ >WKH ¿OP@ /LPHKRXVH %OXHV ´ 2I FRXUVH WKH %DQWRQ GUHVV LQ TXHVWLRQ LV RQ VKRZ DW WKH 0HW ± D ¿HU\ UHG DQG EODFN QXPEHU

WKH FODZV RI WKH GUDJRQ UHPLQLVFHQW RI :RQJ¶V RZQ VFDUOHW SDLQWHG WDORQV ,QGHHG :RQJ KHUVHOI WURG WKH ¿QH OLQH EHWZHHQ EHLQJ SRUWUD\HG DV D GHPXUH ORWXV ÀRZHU DQG D WHQDFLRXV GUDJRQ ³,PDJHV RI $QQD 0D\ :RQJ KDYH DSSHDUHG IUHTXHQWO\ LQ P\ VFUDSERRNV ´ UHYHDOV *DOOLDQR LQ %XUWRQ¶V LQWHUYLHZ “The allure and mystique she projects DUH H[WUHPHO\ SRZHUIXO DQG VHGXFWLYH ´ 6KH LV DW RQFH XQDWWDLQDEOH DQG GHPXUH \HW ULVN\ DQG ULVTXp ± HFKRLQJ WKH GHVLJQHUV¶ GUHDP\ YHUVLRQV RI $VLD itself. The forms and functions of traditional &KLQHVH FORWKHV KDYH EHHQ VWURQJ LQÀXHQFHUV WRR 7DNH WKH TLSDR WKDW LQVWDQWO\ UHFRJQLVDEOH &KLQHVH GUHVV VW\OH FDS VOHHYHG DQG EXWWRQHG PRGHVWO\ DW WKH QHFN LWV ORQJ VLONHQ IROGV EUXVKLQJ WKH ÀRRU ³7KH\ ZHUH VR LQVSLULQJ ´ VD\V *DOOLDQR RI WKH LPSDFW of qipaos on his 1997 ready-to-wear collection for Dior. “That collection was LQVSLUHG E\ &KLQHVH SLQXSV 6KDQJKDL FDOHQGDU JLUOV RI WKH V ´ $XWKHQWLF TLSDRV DUH ORRVH ¿WWLQJ DQG FXW VWUDLJKW EXW *DOOLDQR¶V FUHDWLRQV ZHUH much more sensual: “I cut them on the ELDV ZKLFK H[DJJHUDWHV WKH FRQWRXUV RI D ZRPDQ¶V ERG\ 7KH IDEULFV , XVHG ZHUH H[WUHPHO\ EHDXWLIXO EURFDGHV OLJKW VLONV ZLWK ODFH LQVHUWV DQG KHDYLHU silks traditionally used for men’s ties DQG FUDYDWV 6RPH RI WKH GUHVVHV ZHUH VODVKHG VWUDWHJLFDOO\ DW WKH KLS VR ZKHQ WKH JLUOV ZDONHG WKH VODVK RSHQHG DQG FORVHG UHYHDOLQJ WKH ÀHVK EHQHDWK ,W was like a wink.” No aspect of Chinese culture is exempt from the Hollywood treatment – LQGHHG WKH 0HW¶V H[KLELWLRQ LV DOO WKH EHWWHU IRU UHYHDOLQJ WKH SRZHU RI WKRVH URVH WLQWHG JODVVHV $QG LQ LWV PRVW VXUUHDO PRPHQWV 7KURXJK WKH /RRNLQJ *ODVV HYHQ WRXFKHV RQ WKH SROLWLFV RI &KLQD H[DPLQLQJ LWV YLWDO SRUWUD\DO LQ ZHVWHUQ GHVLJQ The different interpretations on display of the iconic ‘Mao jacket’ – Mao =HGRQJ¶V VLPSOH XQLIRUP RI FKRLFH ± VKRXOGQ¶W EH PLVVHG ³7KH 0DR MDFNHW LV WKH ODVW VDUWRULDO V\PERO RI &KLQD ´ %ROWRQ VDLG DW WKH H[KLELWLRQ ODXQFK ³6XEVHTXHQWO\ QR RWKHU LWHP RI FORWKLQJ VFUHDPV &KLQD WR WKH ZHVW ´ 7KH YDULDWLRQV RQ VKRZ DUH VWDJJHULQJ 9LYLHQQH :HVWZRRG¶V FULVS FRWWRQ YHUVLRQ VKH KDLOHG LW D ³IDVKLRQ EDVLF´ VLWV DORQJVLGH 'LRU¶V JUHHQ VLON DQG UHG VDWLQ GHVLJQ 7KLV HPEOHP RI 34

This page: Evening dress, Valentino SpA, “Shanghaiâ€? collection 2013; Court of Valentino SpA. All photos courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Photography Š Platon

&RPPXQLVW &KLQD KDV EHHQ UHLQYHQWHG DV DQ REMHFW RI GHVLUH Âą D IHDW WKDW surely only the fashion industry could FRPH WR DFKLHYH 6R VKRXOG ZH EH LPSUHVVHG E\ WKH ZLOOLQJQHVV RI ZHVWHUQ GHVLJQHUV WR WDNH RQ WKH OHJDF\ RI &RPPXQLVW &KLQD RU GLVWXUEHG E\ WKHLU URVH WLQWHG JD]H" 7KURXJK WKH /RRNLQJ *ODVV LV EOLVVIXOO\ DPELJXRXV UHIXVLQJ WR DQVZHU any awkward questions – it merely VXJJHVWV WKDW ZH VKRXOG EH DZDUH RI WKH aesthetics. Âł:H KRSH WR FUHDWH D VKRZ WKDW LV ÂżOOHG ZLWK PHDQLQJ IRU ERWK HDVW DQG ZHVW WR GHFLSKHU ´ VDLG &KLQHVH ÂżOPPDNHU :RQJ .DU :DL ZKR FUHDWHG IRRWDJH WR DFFRPSDQ\ WKH H[KLELWLRQ Âł7KHUH KDYH EHHQ PDQ\ FDVHV RI EHLQJ ÂľORVW LQ WUDQVODWLRQÂś Âą ZLWK JRRG DQG UHYHDOLQJ results.â€? 3HUKDSV EHLQJ ÂľORVW LQ WUDQVODWLRQÂś ZLOO HQFRXUDJH RQORRNHUV WR HPEUDFH WKH GUHDP\ $VLD SDVWLFKH RI ZHVWHUQ FUHDWLRQ Âą RU PD\EH LW ZLOO OHDG WKHP WR TXHVWLRQ LW 'RHV LW UHDOO\ PDWWHU" <RXÂśOO KDYH WR FRPH WR \RXU RZQ FRQFOXVLRQV EXW 7KURXJK WKH /RRNLQJ *ODVV VKRXOG JHW \RX WKLQNLQJ (YHQ VR LQ D ZRUOG ZKHUH UHDOLW\ RIWHQ ELWHV WRR KDUG WKRVH IDLU\WDOH YLVLRQV RI ORWXV Ă€RZHUV WHD ULWXDOV DQG ÂżUH EUHDWKLQJ GUDJRQV DUH still hard to resist. 35

Style AUGUST 2015 : ISSUE 51

From A Cocoon To A Farfalla AIR

Shoe designer Aruna Seth makes her entry into Dubai’s Shoe Level District this month. Here she tells Nicola Monteath of her journey so far, the Royal Wedding shoes, and what’s next for her burgeoning brand

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runa Seth, the IndianJamaican shoe designer born and bred in London, hadn’t slept in about 48 hours when I met her. Her lack of energy didn’t come through in our chat though; in fact, she was as energetic as a bunny, plucking pair after pair of shoes from her bag to show us her favourites from the gorgeous new collection, soon to hit Level Shoe District at The Dubai Mall. Most ladies will know that a pair of VKRHV FDQ LQVWDQWO\ JLYH DQ RXWÂżW WKDW je ne sais quoi and that’s one of the main reasons why we have so many. “There’s no such thing as too many VKRHV ´ DV &DUULH %UDGVKDZ FRQÂżUPHG That legendary line has been quoted an endless number of times, resonating with women worldwide. Sure there are options aplenty for fashionable, drop-dead-gorgeous creations, but does their comfort factor hold up to the

style calibre? Enter Aruna Seth’s label, her namesake brand making waves not just for its stunning designs but also comfort levels. If you haven’t heard of the shoe label before, here’s a refresher: Seth’s shoes DUH D ÂżUP IDYRXULWH ZLWK DFWUHVVHV OLNH Goldie Hawn and Katherine Heigl, and can be found in Blake Lively and Cheryl Cole’s closet too. Pippa Middleton also wore them for the royal wedding; “I was actually surprised to see Pippa wearing them. They were initially sent over for Kate, but I was excited that her sister decided to wear them,â€? says Aruna. For Aruna, getting into the shoe business was a bit of a given. Her father’s company, Ascot Trainers, has been operational for over 25 years now, and that’s where her successful journey began. Her work experience commenced at the tender age of six, 36

when she helped with everything from packaging to accounts during her summer holidays. “I’ve grown up around shoes and I always knew this is what I wanted to do,� she says, “Even when I was younger, I designed shoes and told my father about designs I’d sketched, and each time he would tell me my time would come. It’s in my blood.� The graduate in Business Studies with French and Spanish has the entrepreneurial streak running through her blood. Her brothers are both entrepreneurs themselves – one works with her father, while the other is the founder of the popular GMOfree protein powder company, Protein World. While chatting about her rise to her current state, Aruna tells us she always knew she would end up working in the shoe business, either with her father or on her own. But

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before launching her line six years ago, the designer worked at Morgan Stanley for two and a half years. “When I left to design my shoe line, my dad actually said ‘don’t do it!’â€? she says. “He wanted me to do mass-market, cheaper shoes and told me to make it easier for myself.â€? For Seth, though, it was all about the passion. “You need to be into your product or business 100 per cent. That’s life, why do something you are not passionate about?â€? But how did the line come about? Aruna studied a footwear design course at London College of Fashion and travelled to New York, Singapore, DQG ,QGLD IRU LQVSLUDWLRQ IRU KHU ÂżUVW collection. “I took the city vibe from New York, colour from India, and bling from Singapore, and put all these aspects together to make luxury shoes that are comfortable and have a wow factor,â€? she says. Take a look at any Aruna Seth shoe, and you will notice a few key elements – the gold lining on the sock inside, the padding for comfort, and a Swarovski FU\VWDO EXWWHUĂ€\ RQ WKH VROH Âł,W WRRN D good four months to make the padding on the inside. The sock is made of Napa lining, and where the gold bits are, at certain points around the sock, lies the padding,â€? she says. “I’ve always been IDVFLQDWHG ZLWK EXWWHUĂ€LHV , ORYHG WKH book, the Secret Garden, ever since I was a kid, and I think it all stemmed from there,â€? says Aruna. “Initially I PDGH D IHZ VKRHV ZLWK WKH EXWWHUĂ€\ design, and people liked it the most.â€? She tells us that the little Swarovski FU\VWDO EXWWHUĂ€\ RQ WKH EDFN RI WKH VKRH adds instant glam and even people who aren’t a fan of Swarovski, or crystals, immediately gravitate towards it EHFDXVH LWÂśV VR EHDXWIXO Âł%XWWHUĂ€\ is called farfalla in Italian,â€? says the designer who speaks the language, amongst many other languages like Russian and a little bit of Arabic. A number of other shoes in the line are also referred to as farfalla, declaring her love for the creature. When it comes to business, the lady knows her stuff. She’s more an entrepreneur than a shoe designer. Sure, she loves designing and has been doing so since the age of six, but nowadays she has little time to actually design shoes, with her trips to Italy, New York and Middle East taking

up most of her schedule. “Running a FRPSDQ\ LV GHÂżQLWHO\ PRUH WKH EXVLQHVV side than design,â€? she says. “I think all designers will tell you they have to foresee everything else like the sales and PR, and there’s like two per cent for design.â€? Aruna is not only the founder but also the creative director of the brand, and works with one trusty designer. The shoes are made in a factory in Venice where renowned brands like Manolo Blahnik and Dior are also created. “Venice is known for its craftsmanship, and they really do know their trade well there. The shoes are made with the softest leathers,â€? Aruna tells us. Not everything comes out of these factories though, the sourcing of fabrics takes place from shows all over the world. Aruna points to the shoes she’s wearing, a gorgeous Tiffany-blue VQDNH VKRH FDOOHG WKH %XWWHUĂ€\ ZLWK D

Running a company is deďŹ nitely more the business side than design EROG FU\VWDO EXWWHUĂ€\ RQ WKH WRS Âł)RU materials like these, we had to head to shows in Italy to source it.â€? The shoes pair beautifully with her electric blue MXPSVXLW DQG ZKLWH DQG EODFN EXWWHUĂ€\ print scarf, and Aruna tells us that the best part about a pair of shoes such as the one she’s in, is that it is glamorous and comfortable enough to be worn from day to night. You can see her passion for her label as she speaks fondly about it. While she enjoys the designing and creating aspect, she tells us it’s the end result she loves the most. “I think the best part of the job is seeing your vision come to reality. When you see that the factory can make it the way you want, it’s great, because that’s the hardest part. If it was so easy obviously everyone would do it.â€? Aruna also HQMR\V PHHWLQJ ZLWK FOLHQWV DQG ÂżQGLQJ out that they truly love her shoes. It’s no surprise that the Chinese and Middle Eastern market adores her creations, which is why the designer is now entering these markets in full 39

force. “Most of our clientele at Harrods (a stockist of Seth’s shoes) are the Chinese and Arabs, and I had been getting multiple requests on Instagram, asking for my shoes to be stocked here,â€? she says. “My shoes are stocked at Frost Boutique in Dubai and now at Level Shoe District. We’ll also open a standalone boutique in Dubai, and Abu Dhabi the following year.â€? The designer is also setting up shop in Beijing. The Level Shoe District opportunity was a long time coming. A friend introduced her to the buyer, who was already well aware of the demand in the region for Seth’s shoes. Her bridal shoes are what she is most known for. Currently, they are stocked at 30 boutiques worldwide including 51 East in Qatar, three stores in London, and now Level Shoe District - where personalised services are offered for brides looking to buy. “Here the market is great. In Level Shoe District, when you want to buy bridal shoes they give you a foot massage and offer you tea and stuff, whereas in London they would never do that,â€? she tells us. “I think it’s because the market is small and there are lots of returning clients here, which is why it makes sense.â€? At the moment, the one thing on Aruna’s mind is the new collection. Pink and gold, blues, and bright vibrant colours are seen in the shoes she picks out from her large tote, each more stunning than the other. The shoes are bang on trend with this season’s colour EORFN WUHQG WRR Âł3HRSOH ORYH WKH Ă€DW DQG KHHO EXWWHUĂ€\ VKRHV ´ VKH VD\V 7KH best selling ones are shoes in hues of blue – electric, light, or Tiffany blue, and emerald green as well. “I think this market loves bright, pop colours,â€? she says. The new collection shoes have already been receiving rave reviews on Instagram, and once it retails, Aruna is guaranteed it will sell out immediately. For the record, her favourite pair from the 60 shoes in the collection is the 110-millimetre shoe called Colourblock Farfalla. While Aruna has only store openings and new collections on her mind at present, the future of the brand is already mapped out: scarf, handbag, and jewellery lines will be revealed soon, just in time to go with my new shoes‌

Jewellery AUGUST 2015 : ISSUE 51

Seven Up

The ever-changing spectacle of the sea inspires Van Cleef & Arpels’ spectacular new high jewellery collection

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hroughout history the craftsmen of Van Cleef & Arpels have always drawn their design cues from the natural world, and in the maison’s latest high jewellery collection it’s the seven seas which provide the stimulus. From rolling waves to the myriad colours they UHÀHFW DQG IURP VWRQHV DQG VKHOOV WR WKH FUHDWXUHV ERWK UHDO DQG P\WKLFDO WKDW VZLP WKHVH YDULHG ZDWHUV WKLV LV D collection designed to represent a travel memoir composed of aqua treasures. It’s a collection that fully demonstrates WKH LQFUHGLEOH VNLOO DQG LPDJLQDWLRQ RI 9DQ &OHHIœV DUWLVDQV DQG WKH ERXQGOHVV LPDJLQDWLRQ WKH\ LPSDUW RQ WKHLU ZRUN vancleefarpels.com

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Brace Yourselves This trio of beautiful bracelets feature as part of Chanel’s colourful Les Talismans de Chanel high jewellery showcase

MystĂŠrieuse Bracelet in 18K white and yellow gold set ZLWK GLDPRQGV FXOWXUHG SHDUOV URFN FU\VWDO FDERFKRQV DQG EODFN ODFTXHU

Hypnotique Bracelet in 18K white and yellow gold set with D FDUDW EULOOLDQW FXW EOXH YLROHW WDQ]DQLWH EULOOLDQW FXW GLDPRQGV IRU D WRWDO ZHLJKW RI carats and multicolored lacquer

Charismatique %UDFHOHW LQ . ZKLWH JROG VHW ZLWK D FDUDW VXJDUORDI FXW EOXH WDQ]DQLWH EDURTXH FXW SLQN VDSSKLUHV EDURTXH FXW YLROHW VDSSKLUHV EULOOLDQW FXW GLDPRQGV DQG -DSDQHVH cultured pearls

Vintage Aviator Watches TARIQ MALIK

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all me nostalgic or oldfashioned, but I remember the thrill of reading about Lindbergh’s 1927 Trans-Atlantic flight as a youngster, and feeling a shudder of the spirit of adventure flowing through my veins. It was almost as if I was there in the cockpit, with goggles on, teeth chattering, struggling to stay awake, and free as a bird. There is something of that same spirit in my adult fascination with watches, especially the vintage variety, and to share a little of this with you, I would like to dedicate this article to three of the best vintage Aviator watches, spanning more than two decades of early aviation history.

But first things first: What exactly is an Aviator Watch? Although many watch brands sling the term “aviator” or “pilot’s watch” into their advertising, the true aviator watch has a couple of features designed specifically for accurate navigating. They tend to have a large dial, with plenty of numbers and markings, as well as a rotating outer bezel, and if you’re not technically-minded, the whole thing can be a little confusing. The vintage aviators often had extended straps to fit comfortably over a jumpsuit. They also kept very accurate time in more than one time zone. Pilots used them to multiply, divide, and work out relative speed using the numbers on their dials

and bezels. Early aviator watches tended to be chunky, easy to operate while wearing gloves, and easy to read in poor light. Today you can find ‘aviator’ watches that have all kinds of functions, even allowing you to calculate fuel consumption.

LONGINES LINDBERGH 1930S Lindbergh landed safely at Le Bourget Field, near Paris, on May 21st, 1927 at 10:21 P.M. Paris time. He was an instant celebrity. Soon afterwards he partnered with Longines to design the ultimate Aviator watch, and his flying experience together with his newfound fame made him the perfect match. The result was the Longines Hour Angle. It was an improvement on an earlier Longines model developed together with Navy Captain Phillip Weems, (who incidentally, was also a tutor of Lindbergh’s). The new watch allowed the user to set the seconds of their watch to a radio time signal, without influencing the sweep of the seconds hand, all of which made the calculation far more accurate. It also added degrees of arc on three separate scales which simplified the calculation of the Hour Angle.

pilots to check the time in multiple time zones simultaneously, using an ingenious fourth hand complication. Perhaps not as complicated as some of the other aviators, it certainly lives up to the Rolex seal of quality. Interestingly enough, it also has the nickname “Pussy Galore” because it was seen on the wrist of the Bond girl in the 1964 film Goldfinger.

BREITLING NAVITIMER 1950S

ROLEX GMT MASTER 1950S

Like the two watches we have already considered, Breitling also has a rich history in the aviation niche. In 1934, Willy Breitling invented the dual pusher chronograph – one to start and to pause the chronograph and one to reset timing. It is a feature we’ve seen copied many times. Today these are quite rare, and fetch a tidy sum at auctions, if you can find them. No doubt about it, the Navitimer is a true vintage aviator that likewise stood the test of time. So there you have it – the most important aviators of all time. Whether you really have the skills to pilot an aircraft, and work out your position on the globe, or if, like me, you’re simply fascinated by this kind of watch, these fine timepieces have just what it takes. If you don’t have the wings, at least you can look the part on the wrist.

Next on the list is the GMT (Ref 6542), taking its name from the time zone. This watch was developed for Pan Am, as the story goes, allowing long-haul

Tariq Malik is co-founder of the UAE’s only vintage watch boutique, Momentum. momentum-dubai.com

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Timepieces AUGUST 2015 : ISSUE 51

In Perfect Harmony AIR

With Vacheron Constantin’s CEO Juan-Carlos Torres in Oman to personally debut the company’s new line to collectors, John Thatcher was invited to conduct a rare interview with the Barcelonaborn, Swiss-based head of the brand

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uan-Carlos Torres’ eyes divert from the timepiece laid across his palm and toward the framed poster hung on the wall to his right. It depicts a standout piece from Vacheron Constantin’s newest collection – a piece which also adorns the CEO’s left wrist, incidentally – but it’s the words the poster states boldly that he wants me to note. ‘260 years of continuous history is UHĂ€HFWHG LQ WKLV ZDWFKÂś LW VD\V He’s asked me to look at the poster in answer to my question of how important a marketing tool Vacheron’s heritage has become for the brand in light of what’s an increasingly competitive market. “Vacheron is the longest watch manufacturer without interruption,â€? says Torres, emphasising those last two words. “It’s not important that we’re the oldest. What’s important is that there has been no interruption. The knowledge has always been passed on from watchmaker to watchmaker, across 260 years, so that the next person is always up to date. For sure it’s a marketing tool, but we don’t always want to play on that. It’s not that we have been around for 260 years, but what we have done in that time. We are crafting eternity.â€? We are in a private room just off the main lobby of Oman’s The Chedi Hotel,

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encircled by softy-lit display cases ZKLFK KRXVH WKH ÂżQHVW H[DPSOHV IURP Vacheron’s latest line, Harmony. This LV WKH ÂżUVW WLPH WKH ZDWFKHV KDYH EHHQ seen anywhere in the Middle East, and as we talk, a select number of invited VIPs and collectors are gathering outside. Soon, Torres will treat them to a private viewing. Issued in limited editions on the occasion of the 260th anniversary of the brand, the Harmony pieces are GHVLJQHG LQ WULEXWH WR 9DFKHURQÂśV ÂżUVW wristwatch chronographs from 1928, and feature a reinterpreted cushionshaped case. Light played a prominent role in the design process, more VSHFLÂżFDOO\ KRZ LW UHĂ€HFWV RII WKH FDVH when viewed from different angles WKDWÂśV ZK\ WKH ZRUG ÂľUHĂ€HFWHGÂś LV XVHG on that aforementioned poster). The case backs, meanwhile, are sculpted to ÂżW VQXJJO\ LQWR WKH VOLJKW KROORZ \RX can feel on your wrist. This means the watch never slides from its position. It’s a wonderful piece of detailing. At the heart of these watches are four new calibers, each entirely designed inhouse and each bearing the Hallmark of Geneva. During an interview last year Torres had stated that within two years all of Vacheron’s movements would be 100% manufactured in house, so is the brand on course to achieve its aim? Âł:H DUH VL[ PRQWKV DZD\´ FRQÂżUPV Torres, smiling. “In six months all of our movements will be manufactured in house, and all, 100%, will carry the Hallmark of Geneva. It’s a fantastic achievement.â€? The Harmony Ultra-Thin Grande Complication Chronograph is notable for encompassing a world record, that of the slimmest automatic movement. Is it important for a brand such as Vacheron to set records for its inventions? “I’m happy for the watchmakers to set records, for them it is important,â€? says Torres. “But we do not wish to make too much of records, as they are temporary. For our watchmakers it is very important to them to be the best, even if it’s just the once.â€? 2I WKH ÂżUVW VHYHQ ZDWFKHV LQ WKH Harmony line, two are made for women. Did Torres foresee the appetite that ladies are now showing for complicated timepieces? “Yes and no. You know, I have had a lot of people

asking me to create complicated watches for ladies, but most of the people who ask this question are nearly always male,� laughs Torres. “We do have complications for ladies and they love learning of the technicalities and are knowledgeable of them, but the lady will actually wear what is the most aesthetically pleasing. They jump on our patrimony line. For me, it is the best.� Given how other brands are producing more and more watches for ladies, a fact most notable at this year’s SIHH, will there ever be a time when ladies’ watches outsell those of men? “Do you know how many ladies watches we sell, the proportion?� asks Torres, to which I shrug in response unable to make an educated guess. “One third. A third of Vacheron’s entire watch sales

The Harmony pieces are designed in tribute to Vacheron’s ďŹ rst chronographs are to ladies.â€? I wouldn’t have guessed DQ\ZKHUH FORVH WR WKDW ÂżJXUH , WHOO KLP “It’s a lot, for sure. For a real masculine brand it’s a lot.â€? Some Swiss watchmakers have gone RQ UHFRUG WR FRQYH\ WKHLU ÂżQDQFLDO struggles as the Euro fell sharply. How has Vacheron risen to this unique challenge? “The relationship between the watchmaker and the customer is changing,â€? begins Torres, as he shifts in his seat to fold his legs. “I think watchmakers in general make too much, maybe - too much product, too much brands, everything. There needs to be more of a concentration on steady growth. That’s a very general overview. But for Vacheron that is not the case. We have a lot of market share to gain, and we are gaining every year, everyday against our competitors. It’s not a question of the economy for us. It’s a question of the value of Vacheron Constantin against our competitors.â€? In the Middle East market, particularly in Dubai, the customer base for Vacheron’s watches is split distinctly between locals and tourists. To ensure tourists are au fait with the brand, Vacheron likes to reach them 46

LQ WKHLU KRPH FRXQWULHV ÂżUVW EHIRUH reinforcing the message on arrival in Dubai. You’ll see the brand advertised prominently along the walk to the arrivals hall at Dubai International Airport’s Terminal 3. To target locals, however, the approach has to be very different. “With locals, we always have to be honest and available in terms of our relationship with them,â€? states Torres. “One mistake in this country could be the death of a brand. That’s the philosophy.â€? As our conversation draws to a close I’m reminded that it’s now ten years since Vacheron issued the Tour de I’lle, one of the most complicated watches ever produced. It took over 10,000 hours to design. What will be the next landmark piece for the brand, I ask? “Wait ‘til Septemberâ€?, says Torres, as his lips part in a smile before widening into full laughter. “How about a sneak preview?â€? I probe, more in hope than expectation. “No! We have been working on this project for the past seven years, so we can’t make a mistake now. You will see,â€? he says, eyes alight. We will indeed. After all, September will be with us in no time at all.

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CLASS ACT Cate Blanchett is set to sweep the next award season with her turn as a New York socialite in the movie Carol. She tells AIR about the ďŹ lm, as well has her role of mother to young children. WORDS : RICHARD JENKINS/ THE INTERVIEW PEOPLE

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ew actors exemplify grace, beauty and mastery of their craft better than Cate Blanchett. 6KH KDV VXFK D SUHVHQFH LQ ÂżOP DQG on stage that simply putting her name on the poster is a reliable indicator of quality. Whether playing an ice queen in a Hollywood blockbuster or Bob Dylan in a shape-shifting biopic, Blanchett brings focus and elegance WR HYHU\ UROH +HU QHZ ÂżOP &DURO time-travels back to the 1950s to tell a very unusual love story. Blanchett’s WDNH RQ WKH HUD LQ ZKLFK WKH ÂżOP LV VHW sums up her unique and thoughtful acting process. She says: “[Knowing the social and legal context of this story was] absolutely vital. We did a political timeline and a social mores timeline from the end of the Second World War until the beginning of the Sixties. You are dealing with a decade. The 50s is not a homogenous blob. In the Second World War women took on a lot of masculine roles they didn’t previously get the opportunity to do and then they were back in the kitchen and then you got the Cold War and nuclear technology, you’ve got the subterranean

People praise me to my face. I don’t know what they are saying behind my back nature of American politics. Even WKRXJK WKH ÂżOP LV QRW RYHUWO\ SROLWLFDO the conversation that may come out around it may very well be.â€? Carol was a huge success at Cannes in May (despite losing out on the Palm D’or to Jacques Audiard’s surprise hit Dheepan) and many critics are suggesting that Blanchett will be a frontrunner for Oscar glory in February. Blanchett, however, bats away the suggestion, saying: “That’s what they say to my face. I don’t know what they are saying behind my back. But it is really lovely that people are receiving it warmly. It has been a long labour of love for Phyllis Nagy, the writer, in particular. I have also been attached to the project a long time. And also working like someone with Todd, it UHDOO\ EHFDPH D ÂżOP ZKHQ KH FDPH RQ board. It’s a collaborative process. But

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If you believe the good, you also have to believe the bad

if you believe the good, you also have to believe the bad.â€? Of course, part of the circus that comes with being a Hollywood superstar is press intrusion into one’s private life. Blanchett knows this more than most, as her husband Andrew Upton is intrinsically linked with her career. He is the executive producer of Carol, and the pair also ran a theatre company together, while simultaneously raising their young family. Blanchett says: “A lot of people looked at us in horror when we said we wanted to run a theatre company together. But it seemed like a natural extension. When I met him, I felt I FRXOG ÂżQDOO\ WDON WR VRPHRQH DERXW P\ work and work generally. And you are only as interesting as the pickle you are talking with. Just talking to him, I found him fascinating. And also we don’t judge each other’s adventures, creative adventures. I love working with him. Initially we tried to quarantine the children from the unpredictability and vagaries of creative life. But running a theatre company – being back stage is like a big sleepover. They love it. If

I was a lawyer, people would think: of course my children are going to be at the bar. – In my case people are saying: Your children want to be actors? They have to really want to do it. There has to be a vocation, because there are a lot of pitfalls and rejections along the way.â€? For someone who is widely considered a master of her craft, Carol director Todd Haynes has suggested that Blanchett can be overly tough on KHUVHOI RQ VHW %ODQFKHWW UHĂ€HFWV DQG says: “It’s sometimes when you think: ‘I can sense what it is but I haven’t quite got there,’ and you don’t want that to get in the way of anyone else’s work. Sometimes you’ve to just let it go. We haven’t got any more time. That has to be it. But that’s what maybe spurs me on – the thinking ‘I screwed that up’. But that’s not to a neurotic degree. I am quite practical about my work, but that’s what I love about the theatre. You get a go at it every night and get to closer to something that is perfect. That’s the one dissatisfaction I have ZLWK ÂżOPPDNLQJ WKDW LWÂśV RIWHQ ZKHQ \RX UHDFK WKH HQG RI ÂżOPLQJ ZKHQ \RX think: ‘Now I know how to do it.’â€? 52

One of Blanchett’s strengths is moving seamlessly between screen and stage. She says: “It’s been a big help for me as an actor to have been able to move between the two. Without sounding too banal, I think, working within a big proscenium arch I understand better how to use a wide shot and also being in big cast on stage I understand better how to be intimate. But also the theatre makes you accountable in an immediate sense to the audience. And that’s a really important thing for me as an actor to constantly reengage with that energy. Because you do get quite dislocated from that in the cinema. [Some characters are a challenge because] There is a little residue of a character that stays with you. I can’t say what it is. But that’s what the pleasure of being an actor is, you get a little bit expanded. It’s like the more novels of great writers that you read, the more your sense of the world expands, the more great roles you get to play or the people you get to be in creative conversation with, the more your sense of the world gets expanded and the residue stays with you.�

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TO THE HOUSE OF

Today, Cliveden House is a privately-owned hotel in Berkshire, England. But its history is one of 300 years of power, politics and scandal. Christina Patterson tells the story

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VD\V DQG , WU\ YHU\ KDUG WR ORRN SOHDVHG IRU KHU KDV EHHQ ³KRQH\PRRQ HQRXJK´ ,W LV WLPH IRU RXU WRXU ,Q WKH *UHDW +DOO ZH JD]H DW 3HWHU /HO\¶V SRUWUDLW RI $QQD 0DULD $W WKH WRS RI WKH JUDQG VWDLUFDVH DUH SRUWUDLWV RI $XJXVWD DQG )UHGHULFN ORRNLQJ HQLJPDWLF LQ WKHLU SRZGHUHG ZLJV ,Q 1DQF\ $VWRU¶V EHGURRP , VWDUH DW KHU HQRUPRXV EHG DQG LPDJLQH KHU ELWLQJ RQ DQ DSSOH $ QLJKW LQ WKLV VXLWH ZLOO VHW \RX EDFN DERXW WRGD\ *RRGQHVV RQO\ NQRZV ZKDW DOO WKRVH GHDG DULVWRFUDWV ZRXOG PDNH RI WKH IDFW WKDW DQ\RQH FDQ QRZ VLW LQ WKHLU *UHDW +DOO IRU WKH SULFH RI DQ DIWHUQRRQ WHD <RX FDQ DOVR E\ WKH ZD\ JR IRU D VZLP ,I \RX SD\ WR JR WR WKH VSD \RX FDQ WDNH D GLS LQ WKDW IDPRXV SRRO 7KH EHDXWLIXO DQG VXUSULVLQJO\ GRZQ WR HDUWK QHZ ³PLVWUHVV´ RI &OLYHGHQ KDV VZXP LQ LW 6R GRZQ WR HDUWK WKDW DW OXQFK RYHUORRNLQJ WKH SDUWHUUH VKH DVNV IRU WRPDWR NHWFKXS ZLWK KHU URDVWHG ZLOG VHD EDVV 2Q D VXQQ\ GD\ WKH SRRO LV JRUJHRXV -XVW PDNH VXUH \RX NHHS \RXU VZLPVXLW RQ The Mistresses of Cliveden: Three Centuries of Scandal, Power and Intrigue, is out now, published by Hutchinson.

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CARA DIVINE Model/Actress? You might think you’ve heard it all before, but Cara Delevingne is out to prove there’s more to her than a pretty face WORDS : RICHARD JENKINS/THE INTERVIEW PEOPLE

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aydreaming her way through another day of classes at Bedales, the elite British girls’ academy where she was educated, future supermodel Cara Delevingne wasn’t fantasising about life on the runway – she was thinking about the stage. “I never aspired to be a model and as a child I was always dreaming of becoming an actress, even at age 4,” she says plainly. “I started working as a model because it was a way of earning money and getting to travel but I never expected to become famous. It’s been an amazing experience modelling and

I know that there’s a stigma attached to models who turn to acting. But I’m ZRUNLQJ KDUG DW LW DQG , KDYH ¿YH ¿OPV coming out and I’m having so much fun doing what I’ve always aspired to.” As well as a curious role in The Face of an Angel, a movie based on the famous Amanda Knox trial, 'HOHYLQJQH¶V EUHDNWKURXJK ¿OP LV OLNHO\ to be this summer’s highly anticipated romantic drama, Paper Towns. In the screen adaptation of John Green’s eponymous best-selling young adult novel, Delevingne gives a highly engaging performance as Margo, the

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cool high school girl who mesmerises nerdy Quentin (Nat Wolff). When she disappears Ă la Gone Girl, Quentin sets out in an obsessive search for her and in the process gains greater awareness about himself, relationships, and the nature of true love. It’s the kind of FRPLQJ RI DJH ÂżOP WKDW SHUIHFWO\ VXLWV Delevingne’s uncanny sensual appeal. Delevingne says of the role: “I saw a lot of myself in her. I wanted to be that girl. She had this very carefree attitude, which is very close to how I feel. I thought the story was very moving and spoke to young people about what they are going through and the kinds of emotions they experience. She has a strong character and she likes taking risks and living very fearlessly. I like to see myself like that, too, although I’m still afraid of a lot of things. What I really love about Margo is how she wants to experience life and understand who she really is.â€? The path of the successful model who wants to become a serious actress is one that’s well-trodden, with varying

I love being able to throw myself into dierent characters and feel free degrees of success. Delevingne has spoken in the past about the pressures placed on models, despite her success LQ WKH ÂżHOG 6KH VD\V Âł, ORYH WKH ZD\ LWÂśV opened up so many opportunities for me and given me a career. I wouldn’t be DFWLQJ LQ WKHVH ÂżOPV LI LW KDGQÂśW EHHQ IRU the attention that modelling has given me just the way I wouldn’t have had the kind of career I’ve had as a model if it hadn’t been for social media. I’m glad to be able to get into acting in a serious ZD\ EHFDXVH WKDWÂśV DOZD\V EHHQ P\ ÂżUVW love. I love being able to throw myself into different characters and feel free from my own worries and doubts.â€? Let’s get back to that little girl, who dreamed of becoming a famous actress. &DQ VKH UHPHPEHU KHU ÂżUVW DFWLQJ experience? Cara smiles, and says: “I UHPHPEHU WKH ÂżUVW WLPH , ZDV RQVWDJH It was a Christmas jazz musical. I was Mary and I had a really long solo. And I just loved causing a reaction, smiling, laughing or crying. It made me feel 63

alive. From that day, I was like, “I want to entertain people.â€? Acting is something I’ve always tried WR GR VLQFH , ZDV IRXU 7KH ÂżUVW WLPH , went on stage, I just wanted to be an entertainer, a performer. I prefer acting to modelling.â€? With almost 15 million followers on Instagram, Delevingne is at the peak of the modelling profession at a time when privacy and intimacy are, due to modern technology, almost impossible to achieve. So much of her life is spent in the glare of the camera – either for the world’s most famous SKRWRJUDSKHUV RU WKH VHOÂżH FDP RI her own smartphone, that sometimes the level of attention must become overwhelming? As always, Delevingne has a diplomatic answer, saying: “I try to handle it as well as I can and have as much fun with it as I can. Yeah, getting chased by the paparazzi is not that great but there’s not much I can do about it! (Laughs) You try not to take yourself seriously because then you put too much pressure on yourself and I like having fun and not taking life so seriously. Privacy is important, but if you’re going to be in this business you have to be willing to accept being photographed and being recognised a lot. I try to use social media to stay in touch with people and try to be as open and honest as possible. My parents and close friends have always been there for me and helped me deal with everything. I’ve also found so much comfort and peace of mind in practicing yoga and meditation. Yoga has taught me to look inside myself and it’s changed my life. What’s surprised me is that I started taking yoga as a way RI NHHSLQJ P\ ERG\ YHU\ Ă€H[LEOH EXW what has been much more important is how yoga has taught me to be attuned to my emotions.â€? Delevingne turns 23 this month, and has already achieved more than most will in a lifetime. As well as acting, in the future she wants to continue making music (she’s a talented drummer) and spend more time exploring the world, learning about different cultures. But for now, it looks like the path from runway to silver screen is clear. If her 15 million Instagram followers hadn’t seen enough of her before, they’re about to see a whole lot more.

Motoring AUGUST 2015 : ISSUE 51

Transformers

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Onyx Concept is re-writing the rulebook when it comes to luxury customisation. Its founder, Trevor Musgrave, tells Richard Jenkins what it takes to stand out in the UAE.

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he summer heat in Dubai is almost unbearable, even on the short walk between the car park and Onyx Concept’s Business Bay showroom. Pushing gratefully through the glass door into air-conditioned paradise, it takes a second to re-adjust. When my eyes regain focus, I’m standing in front of one of the most immaculate Range Rover Evoques I’ve ever seen – and in Dubai, that’s high praise. The Âł5RJXH´ LV ÂżQLVKHG LQ D EXUQLVKHG URVH JROG WKDW looks both feminine enough for ladies to enjoy, while remaining aggressive and sporty to please the most testosterone-fuelled of gentlemen. Onyx Concept has seen which way the automotive winds are blowing, and swept into Dubai at a very smart time. Even though they’re coming into the Middle East later than Brabus, Ares Performance and West Coast Customs (the Onyx Concept showroom has been open for just four months), what they’ve got behind them is an unparalleled international reputation from their facilities across the world, from California to Hong Kong via England and Portugal. The concept is the brainchild of Trevor Musgrave, notorious Irish playboy and manabout-town. In an exclusive interview with AIR, Musgrave talks of the company’s beginnings, saying: “As a young boy my biggest interest was in cars, especially luxury models and sports cars. I spent many hours studying different aspects of car design and what intrigued me most was how exterior components work together in unison to create sleek, innovative and timeless models. From an early age I always favoured European car brands, due to their diversity in their exterior designs. What is most remarkable is the fact WKDW WKHVH EUDQGV DUH DEOH WR GHÂżQH WKHLU RZQ expression in such a way that they are celebrated around the world and are easily recognisable no matter the model.â€? At Onyx Concept Dubai, the showroom is snug – just three stunning Range Rover models are tucked into the sleek surroundings. The work on the vehicles is done at a facility in Al Quoz, EHIRUH WKH ÂżQLVKHG PRGHOV DUH WUXFNHG WR WKH showroom ready for sale. The company currently RIIHUV ÂżQLVKHG YHKLFOHV IURP WKH ZRUOGÂśV PRVW luxurious marques, but can customise almost anything. Musgrave says: “Individuality is what everyone is looking for and this is the ethos of Onyx Concept. Our bespoke vehicles have many luxury and cosmetic styling upgrades over the standard models by Range Rover, Rolls-Royce, Bentley and Porsche. Our designs heavily focus on not only a unique aesthetic but also increasing WKH SURÂżFLHQF\ RI WKH FDU :H DOZD\V DLP WR H[FHO clients’ needs and imaginations by using only the best materials on the market and we constantly strive to be the leaders in technical advancements. We provide something different from what main manufacturers can offer and customers can 67

be assured that Onyx will take time to create something special.â€? The motoring industry in the Middle East, unlike many other areas of the world, is booming. For Musgrave, although it’s a long way from Ireland to Dubai, the decision to open here was a simple one. He says: “Dubai appealed to us for many reasons as it has transformed itself into one of the most successful and innovative cities in the world. Its strategic location also gives us access to the largest consumers in the luxury sector, this being the most successful economy within the GCC region, after oil. Dubai has become one of the world’s most preferred expatriate locations, so having a presence here has worked well for us, and remarkably we have also noticed more brand awareness on a global scale.â€? The core of Onyx Concept’s business is selling kits to augment existing vehicles, but they also do EHVSRNH ZRUN DQG RI FRXUVH VHOO WKH IXOO\ ÂżQLVKHG cars from new. Musgrave says: “If someone wants

Every one of the favourite cars I’ve had, I’ve created an Onyx kit to modify it something a little different to what’s on the market they can opt for a pre-customised package on a car we have available in the showroom, or they are able to bring in a car they own and we ZLOO Âż[ D NLW RI WKHLU FKRLFH RQWR LW :H FDQ DVVLVW clients in achieving a level of exclusivity that is unprecedented within the automotive sector by designing them one of a kind custom cars.â€? As for Musgrave himself, life is good. Onyx Concept is destined for success in the region, the brand’s reputation sure to attract discerning FXVWRPHUV ORRNLQJ WR XSJUDGH WKHLU Ă€HHW +HÂśV hard to pin down to exact answers, though – a question about his favourite car of all time elicits the following slightly vague response: “Every one of my favourite cars I have ever had, I have created an Onyx kit to modify it. Such remarkable and innovative car models are constantly produced in the world today and the only shame is that they are mass-produced; this makes them lose some of their appeal and aspirational qualities. This is why I created Onyx; my true passion in life is creating the best and most unique product possible.â€? And what’s the most outrageous request he’s ever built? “We have created some exceptionally exclusive pieces for some very important clients,â€? says Musgrave, “Most of these requests having been within reason. We haven’t seen anything particularly outlandish yet. Perhaps our customers in the Middle East will help us - but not so easily, as we are always up for a challenge.â€? Readers – it’s your move.

Gastronomy AUGUST 2015 : ISSUE 51

Some People Say I’m Not A Chef At All AIR

Inaki Aizpitarte hates food snobbery, white napkins and Michelin stars. Yet his Paris restaurant is fêted by France’s top critics. Stefanie Marsh meets the rebel French chef to find out why

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unday August 10, 2003: a very bad day for French chefs. Inaki Aizpitarte remembers it well. “How Spain Became The New France”, the words read in cruel, giant letters on the front cover of The New York 7LPHV 0DJD]LQH WKH\¶G UXQ D SUR¿OH RI some chef from outside Barcelona who was doing big things in the “molecular gastronomy movement”, a “fad” that French chefs, then as now, refused to take seriously. “The best chef in the world was suddenly Spanish,” remembers Aizpitarte. “That was a shock in France. Because, at the time, we assumed we were the best cooks in the world. After that, everything was turned upside down.” 2003 was also the year that the distinguished French chef Bernard Loiseau shot himself after a newspaper article hinted that the Michelin Guide was threatening to remove one of his restaurant’s three highly coveted

stars. The story became big news internationally: the tragedy became a yardstick, not just of how seriously food is taken in France, but of the staid, smothering and unyielding stranglehold the Michelin star system seemed to have on the way restaurant food was prepared in the country. Aizpitarte’s rise in the culinary arts has had food writers reaching for their book of best clichés. He’s described as “trop cool” and, borrowing from the English, “eye-pleasing”. He is a “philosopher-chef,” and a “rock’n’roll” one, too. His restaurants - as well as Le Chateaubriand, he runs Le Dauphin, a Paris tapas bar - don’t have a dress code, rather a “non dress code”, which is shorthand for, “Come in whatever you happen to be wearing provided you look cool.” One of his signature desserts comes from Andalusia - it is an egg yolk crystallised in sugar for 24 hours, and served with salted caramel. When you 68

bite into it, the yolk explodes in your mouth. Any other chef might do some TV work around his favourite recipe. Aizpitarte doesn’t like television, doesn’t have one and refuses to go RQ 79 +H KDV PDGH D VKRUW DUW ¿OP DERXW WKH VSLULWXDO VLJQL¿FDQFH RI WKH Andalusian egg yolk instead. His gaze is, naturally, reportedly “intense”. “Neo-chef”, “Power-chef”, “Rebelchef” - such are the 43-year-old’s nicknames. Are there people, I ask Aizpitarte, ZKR VD\ \RX¶UH QRW +H ¿QLVKHV P\ question for me: “... a chef at all? I think there are. Yes.” “When I was younger,” he adds. “I was afraid of this world.” He means the world of French cuisine. Why? “It is super-hierarchical. I was afraid because I was a little bit ‘rebel’: skateboarder, smoker of things.” His brothers and sisters were good

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at school. But Aizpitarte disliked studying. As a teenager, he feared he lacked the academic rigour to train as a top chef, and decided to be a landscape gardener instead. Recently, bistronomie arrived in London; some aspects of it, anyway. $L]SLWDUWHÂśV QHZ SODFH KLV ÂżUVW RXWVLGH France - is called Le Chabanais and is run by Le Chateaubriand’s head chef, Paul Boudier. But it is in Mayfair. Will SHRSOH ÂżQG LW YHU\ H[SHQVLYH" “I hope so. I have to make monnnaaiee.â€? Good, primarily organic ingredients cost, he says. He’s yet WR ÂżQG D GHFHQW %ULWLVK FKLFNHQ IRU example. “Sorry,â€? he apologises. Âł3HUKDSV LQ D PRQWK ZH ZLOO ÂżQG D good English one.â€? Meanwhile, he’s importing free-range poultry from the Loire. What do the French think of British food? “I think the French people who haven’t been to England think that English people know almost nothing about food.â€? What do they think we eat? “Fried chicken? Mint sauce?â€?

We’re in the opposite of Mayfair today, in the grubby streets of the 11th arrondissement, on a Monday afternoon - when restaurant food is never served in France - and Le Chateaubriand and sister restaurant Le Dauphin are closed and dark and empty except for me and Aizpitarte rattling around the two empty premises,

For me, from the ďŹ rst day, running a restaurant is like having a family squaring in our minds Chateaubriand’s “rock’n’rollâ€? reputation with this desolate little Monday afternoon scene. He was born in Besançon, eastern )UDQFH RQH RI ÂżYH FKLOGUHQ KLV IDWKHU was a thermal engineer, his mother, a Spanish teacher. But both his parents are Basque, and that’s how he describes himself. When Aizpitarte was nine, the 70

family moved to Bordeaux due to his father’s ill-health. And it was growing XS WKHUH WKDW KH ÂżUVW IDQWDVLVHG DERXW and then gave up all hope of, becoming a chef. The gardening didn’t take off either, and, at the age 23, a lack of work plus the end of a love affair redirected Aizpitarte abroad: “A friend told me there was work in Israel.â€? He got a job washing dishes and found his calling. 'RHV KH UHPHPEHU WKH ÂżUVW UHVWDXUDQW meal he made? “Of course!â€? he beams happily. He’s not really “intenseâ€?, merely serious. “It was a salad. A very EHDXWLIXO RQH , ÂżQLVKHG P\ VDODG DQG then...â€? He imitates the young, hopeful chef he was then, peeking through the kitchen doorway to survey how his salad is going down with the person who ordered it. I return to the question of whether or not other people consider him to be a chef. “Sometimes difference can frighten you. I don’t have a problem with whether or not people think I am a 71

proper chef or not. We are talking about a question of taste. If you talk about cinema - there will be people who say that certain directors aren’t directors at all, they’re psychoanalysts. It’s the same in cuisine. People have different ideas and opinions. It’s normal.â€? I like Aizpitarte a lot. But he makes a bad interview. Serious people often do - they see no need to impress and, because he has no intention of carving out a media career, there’s none of the annoying but headline-yielding antics of the British celeb-chef chestthumpers. Was it a risk opening his own restaurant? “A risk? I didn’t think of it like that. I opened a restaurant because I wanted to decide everything. My organisation, the food, the people.â€? Why does he think Le Chateaubriand has done so well? “Me? Mine? Pfff. I don’t know if it’s special.â€? Why do some people prefer to go to Le Chateaubriand than to another restaurant? “It’s not better. It depends on the people, non?â€? OK, then. Why does he think Le Chateaubriand made it into the World’s 50 Best Restaurants? “Because you cannot have only threeMichelin-star restaurants. That’s not a UHĂ€HFWLRQ RI KRZ SHRSOH HDW ´ Was he surprised when Le Chateaubriand became a success? “It’s not about other people’s opinions. A place is not successful because it’s in the newspapers. That’s not the thing you do it for, or what makes you happy. It takes years to do this - to keep improving, improving, improving. )RU PH IURP WKH ÂżUVW GD\ UXQQLQJ a restaurant is like having a family. You don’t one day ‘arrive’ and you’re successful and that’s it.â€? Why did he decide to open a restaurant in London? “Because I was working for a long time with two people and it’s an opportunity for them. So we did it to keep the team.â€? Aizpitarte will be in London overseeing his new project once a month, but he will continue to live in Paris, where his girlfriend, also a chef, and young son live. The menu at Le Chabanais is “totally differentâ€? from anything he’s done before. Lunch and dinner are served every day. “It’s not a French restaurant. It’s a restaurant in London with a French team contributing. That’s it. This is the East London of Paris.â€?

Travel AUGUST 2015 : ISSUE 51

Join The Club AIR

As London’s infamous Groucho Club unveils a substantial redesign, a host of other Soho members’ clubs are also smartening up their acts. Henrietta Thompson checks in

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ast your mind back to those heady Cool Britannia days when Liam and Patsy reigned and you’ll recall that when it came to nightlife in London nothing ruled quite so hedonistically as the private members’ club. The Met Bar or Pharmacy aside, Soho was at the heart of the action and now it’s busy renewing itself once more. New contenders are opening annually, while the established Soho institutions are expanding, revamping and refurbishing, from the House of St Barnabas to The Union, via Century and the Hospital (which has added guest rooms), the Groucho, Blacks and beyond, not to forget the Soho eateries Quo Vadis, The Ivy and L’Escargot who have all got in on the act too. Once upon a time members’ clubs were for “gentlemen” only. A place to puff on a cigar, escape the wives and network with a strict dress code and an even stricter door policy (apart from of course the artists’ hangout – the dearly departed Colony Room). But the sea change in the capital’s social scene can be traced back to 1985, when a tight-

knit group of 15 agents, authors and publishers rallied round their friends to raise funds to refurbish an old Italian restaurant. The address was 45 Dean Street in Soho (just next door to the Colony), and the institution they ended up building set Soho – and the rest of London – alight with a new concept. The Groucho was the original media members’ club – a cabal of eccentrics, hearty drinkers DQG LQÀXHQFHUV ZKRVH $ OLVW DOO nighters became the stuff of legend. An attitude and an ability to live up to the club’s name (a reference to a telegram Groucho Marx is reputed to have sent: “I don’t want to belong to any club that will accept me as a member”) were the main criteria for joining. In fast and furious succession, Soho lit up with alternative establishments. The original Soho House, Blacks, Century and Union soon set up shop and the cult of the members club grew and grew, until its tentacles were not just gripping the seedy heart of the capital, but had the whole world in its wraps. In the 30 years since, did Soho ever 72

lose its edge? Certainly, but the embers somehow stayed warm, despite the endless string of cooler, contemporary competition opening across town acting like a magnet to the newer generations. Cut to 2015, however, and Soho is once again aglow with promise. With major works, reopenings and refurbishments reinvigorating several of these now seemingly ancient institutions, London’s media scene, the cultural curators of the hyper-connected new FHQWXU\ DUH ÀRFNLQJ EDFN WR the borough. The draw? At a time when members’ FOXEV DUH PRUH SUROL¿F WKDQ /RQGRQ bars, opening and closing before memberships have even been approved, clientele understandably have more FRQ¿GHQFH LQ WKH ORQJHYLW\ RI WKH ROG guard. Authenticity, originality, and quite possibly the experience that comes with age – what these clubs have in spades cannot be replicated. The Groucho is celebrating its 30th birthday this year with a complete (and long overdue) overhaul. Michaelis Boyd Associates, initially just briefed to integrate a lift into the centre of the

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Previous Page: Union Club terrace This Page: Blacks

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aged building, widened the scope of the commission bit by bit until they were looking at a cohesive reworking of the entire layout of the club, which had grown organically over the years. The new Groucho Club design, which has taken two years to execute, uses a subtle new architectural plan to knit the entire rabbit-warren space together in a more natural way. That scheme then became a catalyst to refurbish the interiors of all the main rooms, and then it seemed like a good idea to give a little life to some of the less used rooms in the process. Along the way, Boyd has brought back to life much of the original charm of the building. The Groucho’s incredible ever-changing art collection remains the highlight of every room. Many of the building’s original features have been restored: including an antique stained glass window, now

Today, it seems every doorway in W1 is an entrance to a relaxed, open late new world installed in a former light well. The main staircase and the timber panelling on the walls have been stripped back to reveal their original beauty. Elsewhere QHZ ÀRRUV IXUQLWXUH DQG ¿UHSODFHV throughout complete a rich and comfortable, fresh yet informal new feel. Characterful and charismatic, with no snobbery or pretentiousness – the GHVLJQ LV D MXVW UHÀHFWLRQ RI WKH club itself. Just down the road, the building that once housed champagne bar Kettner’s on Greek Street is soon to reopen as Soho House II – merely metres from the original location which will close for a major refurbishment to mark its 20th anniversary. Soho Estates is said to have spent more than £10 million restoring the Georgian townhouse, which was almost GHVWUR\HG E\ ¿UH D IHZ \HDUV DJR ¹ DQG the new site will have a roof terrace, all-day brasserie, three bars, drawing room, open courtyard and 42-seat screening room in the basement when complete. And when the original reopens? Well, then there’ll be two 75

Soho Houses. With ever more members internationally to accommodate (and a waiting list that stretches to the moon and back) as the group opens more and more properties across the world this can surely be no bad thing. Unless of course, you prefer your clubs cosy. In which case perhaps the newly revitalised Blacks Club over on Dean Street is more your style. Occupying a Georgian townhouse built in 1732 by John Meard (apprentice to Sir Christopher Wren) and once home to Charles Fortnum, grandson of one of the founders of Fortnum & Mason, Blacks club was founded in 1992 by Tom Bantock, a famous Norfolk poacher. Its name was a poke at White’s club, London’s oldest gentlemen’s club, a place many of its members had been blackballed from. Over the next 20 years, Blacks developed its own special fame and notoriety, until it fell into rapid decline after Bantock’s own indulgent habits caught up with his health. More happily today, the new owners are dedicated to preserving and restoring the historic building with love and care. $V WKH FRQ¿QHV RI WKH EXLOGLQJ and its elderly status would restrict anything other than it being what it is, a dark coloured Georgian house with a series of small rooms over three ÀRRUV QRWKLQJ ZLOO EH FKDQJLQJ WKHUH 7KH RSHQ ¿UHV DQG OHDWKHU VRIDV DQG wood dining tables are all remaining, as is the famous boudoir, the ultimate romantic spot for dinner for two. And meanwhile The Union is expanding into the neighbouring building to meet the needs of its LQFUHDVLQJO\ SHULSDWHWLF :L¿ KXQJU\ PHPEHUV 7KH DGGLWLRQDO WZR ÀRRUV ZLOO comprise a working area on the second ÀRRU DQG D EDU ORXQJH RQ WKH ¿UVW ZLWK a relaxed Shoreditch-meets-Soho feel. Owner Peter Cross, who created the original club’s cosy interior with its vintage furniture and deep red walls lined with photographs, bric-a-brac and SDLQWLQJV VRXUFHG IURP ÀHD PDUNHWV LV overseeing the design and it’s currently slated for a spring 2016 completion. Today, it seems every other doorway in W1 is an entrance to a relaxed, open late, laptop-friendly and crucially – freshly updated – new world. The biggest problem now? Which one to join.

What I Know Now

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AUG 2015 : ISSUE 51

Giulio Zauner

GENERAL MANAGER, FERRARI MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

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rom a young age I have always been interested in automotive. 0\ SDVVLRQ ¿UVW VWHPPHG from a love of music and painting which led to me studying engineering at University in Milano, Italy. My colourful journey and career then began at Ferrari. I have travelled all over the world working in both the factory and as CEO and GM. If I could go back and talk to my 16-year-old self, I’d say that you can learn so much from travel. Firstly, you learn that you’re not alone. Secondly, to always embrace languages and cultural habits. If you don’t use your life to travel, it is like looking at all the books in a library and never reading them.

Once you begin to travel, you start reading all the pages, unlocking the stories, and if you have an open mind, free yourself from judgment and are open to life’s amazing daily experiences. I think the attribute that Ferrari and I both share is luxury. Firstly, luxury is not something you can just buy, it isn’t something that others can necessarily recognise on you, it’s something that you cannot touch, it is intangible. To me, this is the true sense of luxury. Family is luxury. And, yes Ferrari is luxury. We have created the best products in history, the most incredible cars built on tradition and innovation. %XW ZH PXVW ¿QG WKH EDODQFH EHWZHHQ 76

both the intangible and the tangible to create the dream that is Ferrari. The best piece of advice I have ever been given is to always have an open mind. Particularly when you are working long days and dealing with pressure. You need to free yourself to be open to new experiences. Ferraris are not only timeless but unique and innovative. All our models DUH UHPDUNDEOH DQG VSHFL¿FDOO\ LQ WKLV region the California T, F12berlinetta and FF have been incredibly popular. However, what always generates the most excitement and anticipation for me is the release of a new model, and 2015 marks the arrival of the 488 GTB.

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