AIR Gama Aviation Feb'14

Page 1

2014

Produced in International Media Production Zone

IS SU E THIRT Y THR EE | FEBRUA RY

THE STONES As they roll into town, we chart the sartorial swagger of Jagger & Co

THE COLLECTABLES The new limited edition timepieces you really need to know about

KATE MOSS Still in vogue at 40, we ask why the model bucks the trend for innovation

HIGH ROLLER John Simister on why there’s nothing quite like the Rolls-Royce Wraith

CABIN ALTITUDE: 1,189 M* PASSENGERS: 14-18 SIGNATURE OVAL WINDOWS: 14

Large-Cabin | Ultra-Long-Range

A

RRIVE IN STYLE

Style is personal. That’s why the Gulfstream G550™ offers a variety of seating and berthing options that can accommodate up to four living areas and still has room for the largest, fully accessible baggage area in its class. Every aspect of the exquisite interior is designed to maximize the comfort of ultra-long-range travel, so you can arrive feeling like you just left home.

ALLAN STANTON | +971 50 653 5258 | allan.stanton@gulfstream.com | GULFSTREAMG550.com *At the typical initial cruise altitude of 12,497 m

CONTENTS / FEATURES Fifty

Long Live The King The story behind the never-before-seen photographs of Steve McQueen.

Fifty Eight

There’s Something About Kate The fashion world still adores Kate Moss. AIR considers the reasons for her enduring popularity.

Sixty Two

The Family Way We meet Silvia Venturini Fendi, the woman behind the world’s most indemand accessories.

Sixty Eight

The Style Of The Stones Throughout their 50 years together, The Rolling Stones have adopted myriad styles, AIR looks back at the PRVW LQÀXHQWLDO

The Style Issue -5-

CONTENTS / REGUL ARS

Eighteen

Radar David Bailey’s biggest exhibition to date and the Bugatti up for auction.

Twenty Nine

Timepieces The pick of the limited edition models from last month’s SIHH.

Thirty Three

Jewellery Meet the woman with an eye for vintage gems from the leading maisons.

Thirty Eight

Interiors

Managing Director Victoria Thatcher

A day in the life of Michael S Smith, interior designer to a slew of stars.

Forty Six Editorial Director John Thatcher Business Development Director David Wade david@hotmediapublishing.com

Art & Design The incredible photo-like paintings of New Yorker Sally Jane Fuerst.

Seventy Four Senior Designer Adam Sneade Designer Andy Knappett

Motoring Our man takes the Rolls -Royce Wraith for a spin and loves its swagger.

Illustrator Vanessa Arnaud

Seventy Eight

Production Manager Chalitha Fernando

Appetites at the ready for the world’s most creative chefs.

Gastronomy

Advertisement Manager Rawan Chehab rawan@hotmediapublishing.com

Eighty Four

Advertisement Manager Sukaina Hussein sukaina@hotmediapublishing.com

Dubai stages its annual Boat Show next month what’s in store for buyers?

Tel: 00971 4 364 2876 Fax: 00971 4 369 7494

Travel

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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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GAMA AVIATION

February 2014

WELCOME ONBOARD

I’m delighted to welcome you to the February HGLWLRQ RI $,5 *DPDœV LQ ÀLJKW PDJD]LQH 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 80 business jets operating all around the globe. Established in the United Kingdom in 1983, we’ve grown to have bases throughout the Middle East, 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 ÀHHW KDV JURZQ VLJQL¿FDQWO\ RYHU WKH SDVW 12 months with the arrival of a number of aircraft, along with the continued development of our regional footprint and services. This LQFOXGHV WKH RSHQLQJ RI RXU -HGGDK ṘFH DQG 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 LQ FKDUWHU ÀLJKWV ¹ WKH ZRUOG LV WUDYHOOLQJ IRU 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 -9-

GAMA AVIATION NEWS

New Beechcraft King Air 350c Available For Charter From Glasgow

Gama Aviation has a newly-delivered Beechcraft King Air 350C multi role business turboprop aircraft, now available for charter from Scotland. The aircraft will be popular with local executives seeking easy, reliable access to the more remote parts of Scotland, along with R̆HULQJ D FRVW H̆HFWLYH DQG ḢFLHQW mode of transport for trips to the UK and Europe. It will also serve as an ad-hoc additional aircraft to support the Scottish Air Ambulance. The King Air 350C features a large cargo door, making it suitable for rapid response cargo missions servicing the need of the oil and gas industries in particular. Speaking of the delivery, Gama Aviation CEO Marwan Khalek said: “We are delighted to complete WKH ÂżUVW SKDVH RI WKLV VLJQLÂżFDQW investment project, which is a great showcase for our wide ranging aviation capabilities – all under one roof. We are extremely proud to have been here in Scotland for over two decades and this new facility underlines our long term commitment to this region. We are also delighted to announce the creation of new jobs here in Glasgow as we look towards Phase 2 of our investment programme, when we will double the hangarage and

handling capacity of our new facility in 2014.â€? He also thanked Glasgow Airport Ltd, the Scottish Ambulance Service, NHS Scotland, the many local partners and contractors and Gama Aviation’s investors for their support and co-operation in the accomplishment of this project. Amanda McMillan, Managing Director of Glasgow Airport, said: “This new facility is a fantastic vote RI FRQÂżGHQFH LQ WKH FLW\ RI *ODVJRZ and the airport. Gama Aviation is making a considerable investment, creating jobs and new business, and the announcement of a second phase of investment underlines this commitment. By using local suppliers right through the design and construction process it has also ensured the economy in this area EHQHÂżWV HYHQ IXUWKHU “Glasgow Airport has always been home to a wide range of aviation services and this new facility is a fantastic addition, which provides more scope for dedicated business Ă€LJKWV DV ZHOO DV WKH KXJHO\ important Scottish Air Ambulance service. The airport is investing heavily to improve our facilities ahead of the Commonwealth Games this year and this aviation centre is a hugely welcome addition.â€? - 10 -

Gama Aviation Inaugurates £3.8 Million Landmark Facility At Glasgow Airport Gama Aviation, the global aviation services company, has inaugurated a brand new 2,480 P PDLQWHQDQFH KDQJDU ṘFHV and executive aircraft handling facility in Glasgow, Scotland. The centre, representing an investment of £3.8 million, FUHDWHV D QXPEHU RI QHZ ÀLJKW crew, engineering, operations and customer service jobs. The new landmark facility was designed and built by a number of 6FRWWLVK ¿UPV Not only does the new facility provide a modern and convenient aircraft charter base for Gama Aviation’s Scottish based customers, but the Gama Aviation Executive Terminal (FBO) will be operational in readiness for the prestigious golf tournament, the Ryder Cup and the Commonwealth Games, when the city expects to handle a large volume of business and VIP visitors. Gama Aviation will provide full base and line maintenance in the new hangar, to support the Beechcraft King Air 200s operating an essential service for the Scottish Air Ambulance. In addition Gama Aviation DQWLFLSDWHV VLJQL¿FDQW WKLUG SDUW\ aircraft maintenance activity coming to Glasgow. Gama’s long association with the Scottish Ambulance Service and NHS Scotland commenced in 1993. The air ambulance service is an essential component of the provision of healthcare in Scotland. These specially equipped aircraft together with the highly trained medical and ÀLJKW FUHZV SURYLGH URXQG WKH clock cover for routine and urgent patient transfer.

WITH US TIME IS ON YOUR SIDE From the moment you touch down at Gama’s Sharjah FBO you’ll know that time is working for you. On average, six minutes after you land you’ll be in your car and on your way. Only 10 minutes from Sharjah itself and a mere 20 minutes (or less*) from Dubai means you’ll be productive before others will have even picked up their bags. Gama Aviation is the exclusive FBO provider at Sharjah, call us for all passenger services and aircraft handling on +971 6557 0177, email fbo.shj@gamaaviation.com or visit www.gamaaviation.com for more information *Helicopter transfers

available

• Aircraft & passenger arrival and departure services • Customs & Immigration preclearance services • Private Majlis and First Class lounges • Chauffeur and crew transport options available • Flight Planning Services • Hangar, Fuelling, Aircraft Parking & Maintenance services • Hotels at preferential rates • Car ramp access

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GAMA AVIATION NEWS Challenger 604 Flying High in Charter Market Gama Aviation’s Sharjah-based Challenger 604 has experienced a surge in charter demand during over the last quarter. With requests ranging from idyllic holiday destinations such as the Seychelles and Maldives, to the ever-popular European cities of Geneva, Paris and Nice, the Challenger 604 combines luxury and long-range capability in style. This aircraft is a true intercontinental business jet that provides spacious, plush transportation for up to 10 passengers, with the very latest aviation technology from the Bombardier group. The Challenger

family have long been known for their roomy and comfortable cabins, which make the travel experience both relaxing and productive. The cabin layout allows for

executive meeting facilities en route, and when matched with the Challenger 604’s high cruise speeds, there is no better business tool for PD[LPL]LQJ SURGXFWLYLW\

European growth Gama Aviation adds a Gulfstream G550 to its European based charter fleet Gama Aviation has announced a further expansion of its European based charter ÀHHW ZLWK WKH DGGLWLRQ RI D Gulfstream G550 to its UK Air 2SHUDWRU &HUWL¿FDWH With its long-range capability, Gama’s G550 (pictured below) easily links Europe with Los Angeles, Tokyo and Johannesburg at a cruising speed of Mach 0.80. The G550 will cover shorter distances at a speed of Mach 0.87. With a cabin length of nearly 44 feet and seating for up to 16 passengers, it is FRQ¿JXUHG WR DOORZ IRU D JURXS of travellers to work or hold DQ LQÀLJKW FRQIHUHQFH ZKLOVW elsewhere on the aircraft other passengers can enjoy a more restful experience. Productivity is assured through the aircraft’s Wi-Fi and SatCom phone capability whilst leisure passengers can enjoy an inÀLJKW HQWHUWDLQPHQW V\VWHP - 12 -

that includes a large 24� LCD widescreen TV, DVD and CD players. Other highlights of Gama Aviation’s G550 interior include its ergonomically designed, handcrafted 28� berthable club chairs with electronic lumbar supports and telescoping footrests, a four place conference group seating DUHD DQG FUHGHQ]D DORQJ ZLWK two four place berthable divans. With ultra-long-range capability and short range ḢFLHQF\ WKH * SURYHV its time saving abilities with ease. This new addition to the *DPD ÀHHW LV EDVHG DW /RQGRQ Stansted Airport in the UK, ensuring 24 hour availability. Gama Aviation’s European main operating base at Farnborough in the UK is host to a number of other corporate jets, including Lear Jet 45’s, Hawker 1000’s, two Challenger 604’s and also a Dassault Falcon 2000.

Find out why. Scan the code. Or visit falconjet.com/dna

DNA. It Matters. Examine each and every aspect of a Falcon and you’ll find genius at work. But what makes a Falcon a Falcon is in its genes. Lightweight strength and maneuverability, battle-tested in Mirage and Rafale jet fighters. Unrivalled credentials for engineering excellence and technological innovation. And generation after generation of business aircraft that consistently prove best in class for performance and efficiency. And for pure genius.

> Star photographer David Bailey is staging one of the largest exhibitions to open at the National Portrait Gallery in London. Named after his favourite song, Bailey’s Stardust will feature 250 handpicked photographs taken by the Brit-photographer during his career behind the lens. The collection includes an extraordinary range of subjects such as actors, writers, musicians, designers and models, and runs from February 6-June 1. npg.org.uk - 18 -

Jack Nicholson by David Bailey, 1978 Š David Bailey

RADAR

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RADAR

> Emerging Emirati artist Maitha Demithan has opened her solo exhibition in Dubai’s Tashkeel. The exhibition, curated by Dr Alexandra MacGilp, will see Demithan present a series of experimental installations and new media pieces inspired by local culture, including scanographies and thought-provoking portraits of garments. Mutajadid runs until February 27. tashkeel.org

> In terms of automotive history, the Bugatti Veyron is a landmark achievement, having set the bar for which all other 21st century supercars will be judged. This spectacular Grand Sport features as part of RM Auctions’ Paris sale on February 4, and carries an estimate of ₏1,100,000. rmauctions.com

COURSE you CAN Should your partner suggest, tongue in cheek, that you spend so much time at the golf course you should perhaps live there, here is your answer: Hamilton Grand, a collection of 26 private residences overlooking the 18th hole on the St Andrew’s Old Course, Scotland, R̆HULQJ WKH PRVW FRYHWHG DGGUHVV LQ WKH ZRUOG RI JROI $PRQJ WKH UHVLGHQFHV is a unique penthouse, its balcony boasting 180-degree views across St Andrews, the Old Course links and the coastline. All the apartments feature individual characteristics that have been painstakingly preserved from the RULJLQDO WK FHQWXU\ EXLOGLQJ DQG HDFK R̆HUV KRXU EXWOHU VHUYLFH DQG DFFHVV WR WKH DPHQLWLHV DW WKH DZDUG winning Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa. Prices vary from £1.26M-£7.58M GBP) hamiltongrand.co.uk - 20 -

RADAR

A new jet for the new year?

> Few fashion items have maintained a following like Diane von Furstenberg’s wrap dress. And to celebrate 40 years of this stylish wardrobe staple, the Belgianborn designer has launched an initiative designed to collect wrap dress stories from women all over the world. On the dress she made in 1974, when she was aged just 26, von Furstenberg says: “That simple little dress was a major milestone in my life. Its success allowed me to become the woman I wanted to be.”

If you’re in the market for a jet, the likes of Dassault, Gulfstream, Hawker and Embraer will exhibit at this month’s Abu Dhabi Air Expo, which spans three days from February 25 at Abu Dhabi’s Al Bateen Executive Airport. The event, billed as the Middle East’s only general aviation show and home to the region’s grandest display of static aircraft, is now in its third year and has grown bigger each time, with this year set to be the largest yet.

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CRITIQUE

Art February is the last opportunity to catch Yoko Ono’s War Is Over! (if you want it), a retrospective exhibition at Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art. Ono, who celebrated her 80th birthday last year, was a controversial artist long before her relationship with John Lennon thrust her into mainstream media in the 1960s. Here, her work shows no sign of mellowing - with whimsical, poetic pieces displayed alongside her politically-charged oeuvre - although her outlook has altered slightly. “[At the exhibition launch], Ono was full of compassion for males, whom she now realises KDYH KDG WKHLU VKDUH RI VX̆HULQJ alongside women,â€? writes John McDonald in Sydney Morning Herald. “She also announced that we are all activists today [and showed] an acute appreciation of the local political climate.â€? Those familiar with Ono’s work will enjoy the eclectic gathering of interactive and stand-alone pieces, such as Play it by Trust (1966), a chess board with all-white pieces (designed so that players will get confused and declare D ÂľFHDVH ÂżUHÂś DQG :LVK 7UHH IRU which visitors are invited to write their own wishes on scraps of paper and attach them to a sculptural tree. All that idealism left a cynical taste in McDonald’s mouth, however: “War is Over! is as idealistic a slogan today as it was in 1969, [but] the big question is whether we are amenable to such utopian sentiments any more. Many young people are far more concerned with their careers and lifestyles than with changing the world. One suspects this exhibition will provoke equal degrees of nostalgia and scepticism, but not inspire visitors to become politicised.â€?

At London’s Sackler Gallery, aging enfant terribles Jake and Dinos Chapman have received mixed reviews for their bounteous retrospective entitled Come and See - which has now HQWHUHG LWV ÂżQDO PRQWK 7KH EURWKHUV have been creating controversial, often grotesque pieces for over 20 years, majoring in politicallysensitive subject matter and grossout sculptures. Everything from mini mangled corpses to tableaux of war victims is fair game - but after two decades do they still have shock value? The Telegraph’s Louisa Buck thinks so: “The Chapman brothers continue to be accomplished, obsessive artisans, and their painstaking labour cuts through the SRVWXULQJ DQG ERPEDVW DQG FRQÂżUPV that when they turn their impressive skills to the

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underbelly rather than the jugular, the pair can still cut to the quick.â€? A reviewer in Time Out London ÂżQGV MR\ LQ WKH EURWKHUVÂś ÂłVFKRROER\ puerilityâ€? as well as their artistic precision: “[The exhibition] would make for a closed loop of cynicism were it not for their slavish attention to detail, so fantastical it leaves you feeling heady.â€? One name to keep an eye out for this year is Mary Sibande, a South African artist whose recent exhibition The Purple Shall Govern met with great acclaim during its run at Iziko South African National Gallery last month. Sibande is a regular on South Africa’s gallery circuit, focusing on the legacy of colonialism and the diaspora of her home country. Her artistic alter ego is Sophie, a black cleaner whose fervent imagination transports her to the upper echelons of high society in 18thcentury Europe. We see her photographed in arresting African-style adaptations of aristocratic dress. Writing for the Guardian Africa Network, Joyce Bidouzo&RXGUD\ LV FRQÂżGHQW WKDW Sibande is one to watch: “The art of Sibande sheds new light on issues of race and gender. Her battle against injustice and ignorance through art is in itself a triumph over prejudice.â€?

Film Summer in February Dir. Christopher Menaul As WWI looms, a group of artists in rural England try WR FXW WKHPVHOYHV R̆ IURP the ever-turbulent world but are drawn increasingly deeper into the impending war. A poignant story of duty, loss, and the devastation of early 20thcentury Britain. AT BEST: “The dramatic

FOL̆V FUDVKLQJ ZDYHV and oppressive clouds gloriously captured gathering overhead create the perfect setting for this heartbreaking lovetriangle.â€? Radio Times AT WORST: “The actors do what they can, but are constantly undermined by clunky direction and dialog.â€? Shadows on the Wall

Grand Piano Dir. Eugenio Mira When world-famous pianist Tom Selznick returns to the stage after battling years of stage fright, his public are expectant. But a scribbled note on his score has him playing for his life. AT BEST: “A brilliantly simple concept and nimble, elegant style.� The Playlist AT WORST: “The pleasures are of a technical nature, with the screenplay too contrived.� Sight & Sound

The Wind Rises Dir. Hayao Miyazaki This animated historical IDQWDV\ ÂżOP LV DOVR D loose biography of Jiro Horikoshi, the inventor of planes that were used as bombers by the Japanese in WWII. Throughout his life, Horikoshi yearns to build aircraft, yet is haunted by his role in the war. AT BEST: Âł7KH ÂżOP has wonderfully soaring sequences.â€? USA Today AT WORST: “Its questionable subtext is less problematic than the fact that it simply isn’t that moving.â€? LA Weekly

A Fantastic Fear of Everything Dir. Chris Hopewell, Crispian Mills British crime writer Jack is haunted by his research into Victorian murderers, and is paranoid he’ll meet his own sticky end. Just as a Hollywood executive

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takes a shine to his longabandoned script, the rest of Jack’s life crumbles around him. AT BEST: “Smart nods to Psycho and Kubrick.� Total Film AT WORST: “Embarrassing for its lead Simon Pegg.� What Culture

CRITIQUE

Books Sisters Violet and Kate are clairvoyant: the former has embraced her gift, and makes a living from reading fortunes, but the latter strives for a ‘normal’ life, and is married with two children to a dull but steady university professor. When Violet predicts that a devastating earthquake will strike their home town of St Louis, their lives are swept up in a media frenzy - and Kate’s quiet suburban life begins to unravel. This is Sisterland, a kooky departure for Curtis Sittenfeld, who is renowned for her characterful yet more realist ÂżFWLRQV 7KH ,QGHSHQGHQWÂśV (PPD Hagestadt is smitten: “This assured DQG FRQÂżGHQW QRYHO VXFFHVVIXOO\ combines the high-concept fantasy of Bewitched with the high-brow realism of Updike or Tyler,â€? she ZULWHV Âł5HDGHUV ZLOO ÂżQG WKHPVHOYHV generously entertained as they await the seismic shift that will shake up the interconnected worlds of Sittenfeld’s all-seeing sister act.â€? But New Statesman’s Sarah Churchwell thinks that Sittenfeld’s imagination runs too wild: “She throws in a plot twist that is, as Kate herself says,

‘a situation from a soap opera’. The problem is not only that what happens to Kate is improbable but that the woman we have come to know is precisely the person who would never make the choice that drives the story to its conclusion. The shift from the all-too-believable to the implausible is too abrupt.â€? Don Tillman - employed, intelligent, and looking for a wife - is the hero of Graeme Simsion’s novel The Rosie Project. Don should be an eligible bachelor, but he’s also DQ XQGLDJQRVHG $VSHUJHUÂśV VX̆HUHU who struggles to form relationships. He has just two friends - a colleague and his wife - and his love life is a non-starter, restrained by his unreasonable ideals and stilted communication skills. He has designed a detailed questionnaire to identify prospective matches - and although he’s not short of interested parties, no woman has ever passed the test. Enter overweight, chaotic Rosie, the antithesis of Don’s fantasy wife but just as lonely as him, and you have a recipe for cocklewarming love between two lost souls. So, sickly or sweet? “Warm-hearted and perfectly pitched,â€? writes Sophia Martelli in The Guardian. In The New York Times, reviewer Gabriel

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Roth is less charmed: “This is the kind of Panglossian comedy in which everything is foreordained to work out for the best. That’s not a genre that comfortably accommodates things like autism spectrum disorders.â€? Wolfgang Herrndorf’s Why We Took The Car was a bestseller in the late writer’s native Germany when LW ZDV ÂżUVW UHOHDVHG LQ DQG WKLV WKH ERRNÂśV ÂżUVW WUDQVODWLRQ into English, promises to be just as positive. The plot follows rich but bored schoolboys Tschik and Mike as they ride through Europe in a stolen Lada. “You’re in for a bumpy, exhilarating ride,â€? cries Mary Quattlebaum in the Washington Post. Owen Richardson of Sydney Morning Herald is drawn to the novel’s escapism: “[This] is a dreamlike journey through the backwaters of Europe. The novel is full of odd landscapes and even odder people.â€?

Theatre Even with 15 hit musicals under his belt, retirement isn’t beckoning for Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber: his most recent production is proving that the composer (along with longstanding sidekicks Don Black and Christopher Hampton on book and lyrics) remains keen to reinvent the musical genre’s often tired-buttested recipe. Stephen Ward (The Musical), at London’s Aldwych Theatre, is a loosely biographical show that tells the story of its eponymous character, the central ÂżJXUH LQ D V VFDQGDO WKDW URFNHG the British government. Ward was an osteopath (his clients included Winston Churchill, Ava Gardner and Gandhi) who was unwittingly drawn into - or a key part of, depending on whose testimony you believe - a hot-blooded Cold War debacle. But does Ward’s life really yield enough material for a full-blown musical? The Telegraph’s Tim Walker doesn’t think so. “[This show] can be relied upon to close very swiftly indeed,â€? he writes. “Stephen Ward has about it the same self-indulgent and decadent feel as Lloyd Webber’s last big work, Love Never Dies. Like that show, it is short on memorable tunes. [And] how many people these days have even heard of Ward?â€? Mark Shenton of The Stage is kinder: “There’s an undeniable fascination to seeing [Webber] and his creative collaborators creating a piece of varying textures and moods that moves between song and speech so freely, instead of being locked into the sung-through imperatives of most of the composer’s previous oeuvre. The show has an earnest heart and is written with real sincerity.â€? Go now, in case Walker’s prophecy comes true. Over 65 years after it opened on Broadway, Rodgers and +DPPHUVWHLQÂśV 6RXWK 3DFLÂżF still has buckets of energy and charisma. The show has been on tour throughout Australia, and closes

later this month at Adelaide’s Festival Theatre - after rave reviews. Set on D 6RXWK 3DFLÂżF island in WWII, the show tells the tale of a young American nurse who falls for and re-educates - an inherently racist French plantation owner, and includes nowclassic ditties such as There is Nothing like a Dame! and Bali Ha’I. “This musical survives with the excellence of its music, and the strength of its themes,â€? writes Peter Bleby in Australian Stage. Âł6RXWK 3DFLÂżF VWLOO FDSWLYDWHV audiences, and retains a lot of its relevance about race, prejudice and the futility of war and the power of love.â€? AussieTheatre. com’s Ben Nielsen is less ebullient: Âł6RXWK 3DFLÂżF LV FRQVLGHUHG DV a high point of the golden era of musicals, but it now mainly relies XSRQ QRVWDOJLD DW WKH ER[ ṘFHÂŤ Admittedly, this production is well executed and enjoyable on a VXSHUÂżFLDO OHYHO EXW XQOLNH RWKHU texts that handle similar themes in a more sophisticated manner, [its] narrative, along with its humour and inconsequential resolution, simply perpetuates racist, sexist and classist stereotypes.â€? Irish Playwright Conor McPherson is renowned for his bleak, poetic narratives, and his new production The Night Alive (at New York’s Linda *URVV 7KHDWHU UL̆V IXUWKHU RQ KLV favoured themes of isolation and desolation. One night, in Belfast, - 27 -

Tommy - a slobbish odd-job man - stumbles across a young woman covered in blood. He brings her back to his shambolic rented room, and she gradually assimilates a place in his hopeless, hapless life. It’s a pallid premise, but critics have lapped it up: “Something bright and beautiful pulses in the [play’s] shadows,â€? writes Ben Brantley in The New York Times. “The Night Alive might register as a sitcom uncomfortably spliced into a tragedy, except for that underlying and connective sense of the numinous. Whenever you think you’re settling into a familiar groove of dialogue, with eccentric losers engaged in antic bickering, the play ascends to a plane that can only be called transcendent.â€? Hollywood Reporter’s David Rooney agrees: “[McPherson] explores these people’s lives and their solitude with FRPSDVVLRQ DQG PDWXULW\ ÂżQGLQJ SRHWU\ LQ WKHLU HYHU\GD\ ODQJXDJHÂŤ This is a captivating play, rich in tenderness.â€? An unlikely hit - and a refreshing alternative to Broadway’s razzle dazzle.

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TIMEPIECES

FREDERIC WATRELOT Christie’s watch specialist on the charm of minute repeaters

In today’s world of illuminated electronic clocks, one may easily forget that round-the clock timetelling was not always this easy. Before the invention of electricity, when night fell, there was no way to learn the time in the darkness. The minute-repeating complication for watches and clocks solved this dilemma by making time not only seen but heard. The simple press of a button or slide of a band in the case activates a mechanism within the device that chimes at varying pitches to indicate the hour, half quarter hour, and even minute. By becoming attuned to these sounds, one could tell the time in the dark. The minuterepeating mechanism was first

patented by English clockmaker Daniel Quare in the late 17th century, with the first minute-repeating wristwatch produced in the late 19th century. Minute-repeaters are probably the most desired complication amongst today’s wristwatch connoisseurs - collectors see it as the ultimate luxury complication. They recognise that it requires incredible technical skill to create the variety of sounds and movements within the confines of the incredibly thin case. Because of the mechanical precision required, makers like Patek Philippe never release their minute repeating watches without testing each by hand. There is an extreme level - 29 -

of quality control that give buyers confidence that they are acquiring a watch of the utmost precision and refinement. Two supreme examples were offered in a sale in New York at Christie’s in 2009. The first a Patek Philippe, 18-carat gold minute repeater, perpetual calendar and showing the phases of the moon on the face was sold for $488,500. Two gongs could be activated by a slide in the band of the watch. By Audemars Piguet for Cartier, made in 1927, was a platinum minute repeater which sold for $194,500 and is one of around 35 minute repeating-watches produced by Audemars Piguet from 1906 through the 1920s.

TIMEPIECES

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Show Business

AIR picks out the limited edition models that took our eye at last month’s SIHH

Métiers d’Art Fabuleux Ornements Vacheron Constantin For its latest foray into the world of decorative timepieces, Vacheron Constantin asked ten GL̆HUHQW PDVWHU DUWLVDQV to reinterpret worldrenowned crafts, and so we have four ladies watches channelling respectively Ottoman architecture, Chinese embroidery, Indian manuscripts (pictured) and French lacework. Each has its roots in the highly skilled art of open working and numbers just 20 pieces.

Hybris Mechanica 11 Jaeger-LeCoultre The slimmest minute repeater in its category at just 7.9 mm thin, this Master Ultra Thin Minute Repeater Flying Tourbillon ZDWFK LV WKH ¿UVW XOWUD WKLQ Grand Complication in the Hybris Mechanica series, and the eleventh model in all. Its ingenuity is highlighted by the fact that eight separate patents, six of which are entirely new, were issued to enable its making, and it’s available as part of a 75-piece limited edition, crafted in ultra-white 18-carat gold.

Villeret ExoTourbillon Rattrapante Montblanc

Midnight Planétarium Poetic Complication Van Cleef & Arpels

Montblanc is billing this as a world premiere in the world of watches, comprising as it does complications which include a large balance positioned outside the tourbillon’s rotating cage, a chronograph with splitsecond function, and a three-dimensional regulator dial in gold and grand feu enamel. It comes as a limited edition of eighteen watches, each with an 18-carat white gold, 47mm case.

This fascinating timepiece provides a miniature representation of the movement of six planets around the sun and their position at any given time - Earth, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. What’s incredible is that the representation is true, and so it will take Saturn over 29 years to make a complete circuit of the dial, while Jupiter will take almost 12 years. The complex movement responsible has 396 parts.

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JEWELLERY

I

t’s a grey, rainy Wednesday afternoon on Portobello Road. The world-famous market stalls have been packed up, the tourists have vanished, and the record shops and vintage emporiums look decidedly drab in the drizzle. But there’s a glint in the window display at number 79, enough to make even the most weather-beaten shopper stop and stare: handfuls of chunky gold Chanel costume jewellery bask in the wan sunlight, Chopard and Cartier sunglasses peer out optimistically, and a Larry Vrba neckpiece of Smarties-hued gems teeters over Yves Saint Laurent clip earrings and Givenchy brooches. That’s it – I’m going in. Charli Evans is inside, enjoying a rare quiet moment. That eyepopping display is her work: she’s the entrepreneur behind This Old Thing London, a vintage costume jewellery business. But this is no run-of-the-mill second-hand store. In a levelled London accent, Evans lists her specialities: “Chanel, Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior…” – all of the leading French fashion-led marques, sourced from around the world. “Good costume jewellery is all about instant appeal,” she says as I eyeball a 1970s Chanel charm bracelet. “I mainly deal in French brands because they make interesting, fabulous quality items.” The bracelet is a chunky piece of Chanel history: each charm represents one of the brand’s key motifs or themes, and it positively screams Seventies glamour. But it’s gold plated – and priced at around £2,500. Do people really spend big money on costume jewellery? “Some clients come into the shop and get it straight away – they see the value that vintage has. It’s expensive because it’s rare, and has historical value. Other people don’t understand

THE

TREASURE HUNTER Charli Evans scours the world for unique vintage costume jewellery by the most luxurious marques. Hazel Plush visited her characterful boutique in fashion-forward West London

why you’d want to pay so much for a gold plated necklace.” For those in the know, says Evans, the rarity of vintage costume jewellery is the key to its appeal. “You own something that is fundamentally unique – say maybe only 1,000 were made, and who knows where the rest of them are now?” She reaches into a cabinet to extract a Chanel East West 2.55 - 33 -

bag from a nest of logo earrings and bolshy gold bangles – all also Chanel. “Coco Chanel grew up in an orphanage, and this bag’s chain was inspired by the chains that the guards’ keys were kept on,” she says. “Essentially, you own a piece of fashion history.” Trading is in Evans’s blood. When she was a child, she slept under her mum’s antique silver stall at

JEWELLERY

‘You own something that is fundamentally unique’ Portobello Market, and she learned the ropes as she grew up. That stall grew into a shop, TJ Evans Antiques, which Evans now helps to run alongside her sister and parents. This Old Thing London occupies part of the shop, as well as a concession in Dress Box Vintage at London’s Liberty store.

She’s been trading in fashion-led costume jewellery for two years now, and is entirely self-taught: “When , ÂżUVW VWDUWHG , LQYHVWHG KHDYLO\ LQ myself. I read a lot, went on trips just to look rather than buy, researched on the internet, and met some great people. One day, a lady came into the shop and told me that her step mum - 34 -

created the ‘CC’ logo for Chanel – she put me in touch and we had the most fantastic conversations about how she worked with the brand.� To authenticate pieces, Evans looks for ‘marks’ – small design quirks that only clued-up traders can recognise. “With the older brands, the marks are very subtle. On a

1920s Cartier watch for example, the logo is carved into one of the numbers. A Chanel handbag has to have a unique serial number stitched in.� Despite her research, Evans was caught out by fakes a few times in the early days. “It’s the only way to learn,� she says with a rueful smile. “I would sometimes assume something was genuine, without looking at it as a whole. A Givenchy necklace will usually have a ‘GG’

clasp, so I’d see that and buy it, but when I got home I’d see that it didn’t have a mark. I would never ever sell a client a fake – I couldn’t sleep at QLJKW ´ (YDQV JRW R̆ OLJKWO\ WKRXJK she recalls a toe-curling tale of a New York handbag dealer who put down $38,000 on Hermès Birkin EDJV RQO\ WR ÂżQG RXW WKH\ ZHUH forgeries. Occasionally, Evans takes a chance on her eye for the genuine article – like when she stumbled upon a - 35 -

curious black crystal necklace and earrings set in New York, branded ‘Mitchel Maer for Dior’. “It was in the middle of a market – but I took a punt and bought it. When I got back, I found out that Maer made for 'LRU EULHĂ€\ LQ WKH V DQG WKH VHW was authentic. We sold it to a lovely man who wanted a present for his wife.â€? Add those kinds of stories to the tales that a piece tells about its brand, and you’ve got the real magic of vintage. thisoldthinglondon.com

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INTERIORS

> Elevate your bathroom with a set of bespoke taps from Ritmonio. The Peter Jamiesondesigned Nastro taps will add a contemporary splash to any modern-day bathroom.

> Catapult your garden into the 21st century with Fiore Rosso’s imaginative new outdoor furniture collection. Designed in Italy, Germany and America, the Lavanda collection sees the furniture maker introduce outdoor leather for the first time to its wares. The Santorini lounger is a chic piece worth placing in your back garden.

> Rarely do sofas combine comfort, character and class successfully. Unless, of course, you’re Ferruccio Laviani and you’re working with upscale furniture company Molteni&C. The Italian designer has introduced to the world his new concept sofa, Holiday: evocative, less basic, more decorative and based on emotional comfort. It’s time to take a holiday.

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Like many professionals in the modern world, I tend to spend much of my time travelling around the JOREH ZKHUH , ¿QG P\VHOI KDYLQJ WR VWD\ DW KRWHOV LQ PDQ\ GL̆HUHQW destinations. Having adapted to this kind of lifestyle over the years, I have used the time to carry out a little personal research, taking hints and tips from the places I have stayed. Hotel design has come on leaps and bounds in terms of the level of quality and attention to detail, and , GRQœW NQRZ DERXW \RX EXW WKH ¿UVW thing I do as soon as I arrive at a new hotel is head straight for the bathroom! For me a hotel’s bathroom design is where you can really judge the depth of the design as a scheme. One could probably assume that a hotel that has commissioned over 300 bathrooms must have done their homework to make sure they get the design just right throughout. Here are a few of my top tips for creating a bathroom in your home that emulates one you may see in a luxurious hotel. Firstly you have to think about WKH VHOHFWLRQ RI ¿QLVKHV 7KH XVH RI marble in bathrooms is the ultimate

SARA COSGROVE Harrods’ head of interior design on how to create a beautiful bathroom

luxury and exotic marbles with unusual veining in stunning bookmatched or slip-matched marble can really help to achieve that hotel look. Obviously, the bigger the slab you FDQ ¿QG WKH EHWWHU $GGLQJ PDUEOH bench seats within a spacious walkin shower would add to the feeling of glamour or, for a more classic look, you could use mixed marbles, GL̆HUHQW FKHYURQ SDWWHUQV RU D selection of mismatched tiles. %HDXWLIXO VDQLWDU\ ZDUH ¿WWLQJV can provide the accents that really ¿QLVK D EDWKURRP R̆ LQ VW\OH Lalique have developed stunning miniature crystal panels set into beautiful chrome or polished brass which give an ultra-luxurious feel.

For a more simple style, Phillipe 6WDUFN KDV FUHDWHG WKH $[RU 6WDUFN Collection for Hansgrohe which ZKHQ XVHG LQ D XQLTXH ¿QLVK VXFK DV copper or matt brass, can result in a slightly edited feel. It’s crucial to include a large bathtub in a luxurious spa-bathroom scheme, and it’s important to have one that is comfortable and supports your neck and body and, ideally, enables you to turn the tap RQ DQG R̆ ZLWK \RXU WRH :KHQ LW comes to showers, it is best to add elements such as jets, a head spray, a hand-held spray and perhaps a rain shower. Steam showers are becoming increasingly popular too but you have to make sure that they are sealed correctly. Ultimately, your bathroom should be a place for indulgence where you can take time to make sure that you look and feel your best. There are many inspiring bathroom designers EXW VRPH RI PLQH DUH $OH[DQGUD Champalimaud who has designed some absolutely stunning examples DW SODFHV LQFOXGLQJ +RWHO %HO $LU and The Dorchester. Steve Leung Designers has provided beautiful bathrooms at Hyatt Regency in Hong .RQJ DQG ZLWKLQ D QXPEHU RI : Hotels. These designs, along with those produced by The Studio Harrods, are leading the way in creating really beautiful bathrooms.

> Brighten up any room with a selection of luxury handmade Murano mosaics from Andretto Design. These beautifully crafted glass tiles are created by skilled Italian artisans using the ancient technique of melting layers of this famous glass. Look out for the Terra collection. - 39 -

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INTERIORS

Most of the projects we do are for private houses, although being asked to work on something like the White House is a broad interpretation of the word ‘private’

Words: RIA HIGGINS

The American interior designer, Michael S Smith, 48, whose clients include Steven Spielberg, George Clooney and the US president, talks about life in LA and working on the White House

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INTERIORS We live in Holmby Hills, in west Los Angeles, and our house was originally built in the 1990s for an art collector to display his work. So LW KDV ORWV RI KLJK FHLOLQJV R̆ ZKLWH ZDOOV DQG OLPHVWRQH ÀRRUV EXW LWœV modest compared to many of the houses along here — including the one across the road from us, which is now owned by Petra Ecclestone. I’ll then get ready and drive to WKH ṘFH ZKLFK LV LQ D FRQYHUWHG warehouse by the ocean in Santa Monica. I’ve had my own company now for 23 years and have about 30 people working for me. We’ve always

‘I suppose my signature style is a mixture of European classicism and American modernism’

A

t 6.45am, the dogs start telling me they want to go out into the garden and annoy the birds. Lily’s a bedlington terrier, Jasper and Sport are labradoodles, and they are impossible to ignore. My partner is a HBO executive and regularly in New York for work, so it’s often just the four of us.

got several projects on the go, so things are pretty crazy all day and lunch will usually just be a kale or chicken salad at my desk. The work on the White House began about four years ago when President Obama appointed me onto

7KH ¿UVW WKLQJ , GR LV VZLWFK RQ WKH percolator — the only thing that PDNHV FR̆HH UHDOO\ KRW ,œP D IDQ of a brand called Equator, which is used by a famous restaurant here called the French Laundry. While ,œP RQ P\ ¿UVW FXS RI WKDW ,œOO HLWKHU make scrambled eggs on wheat toast or have Greek yoghurt. I’ll also grab DOO WKH SDSHUV :H JHW ¿YH GHOLYHUHG every morning — The New York Times, New York Post, Financial Times, Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal, and I still love the feeling of poring over them. Having said that, I’ll also go online and have a quick look at Bloomberg, Politico, The Daily Beast and The Real Estalker — a gossip site about real estate. - 44 -

the committee for the preservation of the White House — originally conceived of by Jackie Kennedy in the 1960s. Our remit was to do a makeover of just one room, the 2YDO 2̇FH EXW DV LWœV WKH PRVW photographed room in the world, it was a rather daunting task. Of course, with such an iconic room, the changes had to be subtle, but by introducing a slightly less IRUPDO WRQH WR LW ZH FRXOG UHÀHFW Obama’s personal style. So now it includes a handmade wallpaper from Long Island, new light brown sofa covers woven in Pennsylvania, and four pieces of Native American pottery. We also had a rug made by a company in Michigan, with quotes from Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D Roosevelt, JFK and Martin Luther King Jr. All chosen by Obama himself. One of the things I love about my job is commissioning traditional crafts people; I also have my own fabric and furniture line, which I’ve named after one of the dogs. I suppose my signature style is a mixture of European classicism and

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American modernism. I love the HDUO\ WK FHQWXU\ (QJOLVK FRXQWU\ house. Really though, I’m interested in all periods. At home, we have everything from 1930s Hammond Kroll chairs to a late Louis XIV EURQ]H FORFN DQG DQ WK FHQWXU\ Japanese screen. Funnily enough, as a boy growing up in Newport Beach, California, I was always VXSHU LQWHUHVWHG LQ KLVWRU\ ,œG UHDG a book about Japan, say, and become obsessed with it, to the point where I’d only eat their food, listen to their music, and so on. In a way, what I do now taps into that same obsessional side of me. ,œP XVXDOO\ ¿QLVKHG E\ SP DQG I love nothing better than going home, having a few friends around and getting our chef, Chris, to rustle up something healthy and organic. Or maybe I’ll just crash out on the sofa with the dogs, and watch TV. Then I’ll go upstairs and sink into a warm bath before climbing into my FKURPH IUDPHG FDQRS\ EHG Building Beauty: The Alchemy of Design by Michael S Smith with Christine Pittel (Rizzoli)

ART & DESIGN

Words: LEAH OATWAY

star

AIR catches up with the New York-born, Londonbased artist whose unique blend of Pop and classical art is creating a stir in the art world‌ - 46 -

clad in fancy dress costumes and FOXWFKLQJ LQĂ€DWDEOH WR\V 7KH SURSV VKH LQVLVWV DUH D EHWWHU UHĂ€HFWLRQ RI KHU FKDUDFWHU WKDQ WKH SRLVHG SURIHVVLRQDO PRGHOV IHDWXUHG “The women in my paintings have D FRQÂżGHQFH DQG HOHJDQFH WKDW , JUHDWO\ DGPLUH EXW WKRVH TXDOLWLHV GHÂżQLWHO\ FRPH IURP WKH PRGHOV WKHPVHOYHV ´ Âł7KH RYHUVL]HG LQĂ€DWDEOH WR\V and funny costumes are things that , JHQXLQHO\ ORYH DQG JHW H[FLWHG DERXW ´ VKH DGGHG Âł7KH PDVV produced elements are what inspires me to paint and what each painting LV UHDOO\ DERXW ´ ego sailors, pirates, )XHUVW GHVFULEHV KHUVHOI DV ÂłD 3RS LQĂ€DWDEOH ]HEUDV DUWLVW ZKR XVHV ÂżJXUDWLYH SDLQWLQJ and mermaid oil DV D IRUP RI H[SUHVVLRQ´ 6KH FDQÂśW VSLOO YLFWLPV 6DOO\ UHPHPEHU D WLPH ZKHQ VKH ZDVQÂśW -DQH )XHUVWÂśV ZRUN FUHDWLQJ WKLQJV Âł0\ PRP LV DQ KDV WR EH VHHQ WR EH artist so, growing up, paints and art EHOLHYHG (YHQ WKHQ LWÂśV GL̇FXOW WR UHFRQFLOH materials were always around and VRPHWKLQJ , ZDV IUHH WR H[SHULPHQW ZKDWÂśV EHIRUH \RX ZLWK WKH PHGLXP ZLWK 6HHLQJ P\ ORYH IRU LW P\ WKH 1HZ <RUNHU XVHG WR GR LW Âą RLO parents encouraged me to pursue SDLQWV DQG QRW SKRWRJUDSK\ ÂżQH DUW ´ $W MXVW )XHUVWÂśV SL[HO SHUIHFW $W VKH EHJDQ WDNLQJ OLIH EOHQG RI FODVVLFDO SRUWUDLW SDLQWLQJ and pop art is already creating a stir drawing classes in pre-college DPRQJ FRQWHPSRUDU\ DUW DÂżFLRQDGRV SURJUDPV DW 3DUVRQV 1HZ 6FKRRO LQ 1HZ <RUN $ PDMRU LQ SDLQWLQJ DW ZRUOGZLGH Âą SDUWLFXODUO\ ZRPHQ 3UDWW ,QVWLWXWH LQ %URRNO\Q IROORZHG ZKR GRPLQDWH KHU ZRUN EHIRUH )XHUVW KHDGHG WR )ORUHQFH Âł, VHH WKH ZRUOG IURP D ZRPDQÂśV ,WDO\ WR OHDUQ FODVVLFDO GUDZLQJ SHUVSHFWLYH VR ZKHQ , FRPH XS WHFKQLTXHV Âł>3UDWW ,QVWLWXWH@ with an idea it feels most natural SDLUHG ZLWK D IHPDOH PRGHO ´ )XHUVW provided a fantastic art foundation DQG WDXJKW PH DERXW FRQWHPSRUDU\ H[SODLQHG ZKHQ ZH FDXJKW XS ZLWK painting and the importance of the DUWÂśV QH[W ELJ VWDU LGHD EHKLQG WKH ZRUN +RZHYHU , Âł, WKLQN P\ SHUVRQDOLW\ SURMHFWHG UHDOL]HG WKDW LI , ZDQWHG WR IRFXV RQWR D PDQ ZRXOG IHHO RXW RI SODFH

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‘The idea for each painting starts with finding a toy or costume that I connect with’ +RZHYHU ,ÂśP VXUH DW RQH SRLQW ,ÂśOO have an idea for a painting that ZRXOG EH EHVW H[SUHVVHG ZLWK D PDOH PRGHO ´ )RU QRZ WKRXJK )XHUVWÂśV ZRUN (some of which you can still catch DW /RQGRQÂśV 6FUHDP JDOOHU\ XQWLO )HEUXDU\ LV D IXQ DQG FRORXUIXO FROOHFWLRQ RI HQWLUHO\ IHPDOH VXEMHFWV - 47 -

intensively on learning to draw and SDLQW WKH ¿JXUH , ZRXOG QHHG WR DWWHQG D FODVVLFDO $WHOLHU , OHIW DIWHU WZR \HDUV WR VWXG\ LQ )ORUHQFH , loved the romantic idea of learning FODVVLFDO GUDZLQJ WHFKQLTXHV LQ FLW\ DV EHDXWLIXO DQG KLVWRULF DV )ORUHQFH ´ After two years, Fuerst yearned

ART & DESIGN KXQGUHGV RI SLFWXUHV DQG , ZRUN IURP WKRVH WR FUHDWH WKH SDLQWLQJ ´ 7KDW VKH LV LQVSLUHG E\ IDVKLRQ SKRWRJUDSK\ LV RI OLWWOH VXUSULVH ³, HVSHFLDOO\ ORYH WKH ZRUN RI $QQLH /HLERYLW] DQG 7LP :DONHU ´ VKH VDLG ³7KH EHDXWLIXO DQG RIWHQ surreal feel of fashion photography LV VRPHWKLQJ , WU\ WR LQFRUSRUDWH LQ

is another reason why they feature H[FOXVLYHO\ LQ P\ ZRUN ´ ,I \RXœUH TXLFN \RX FDQ VWLOO FDWFK )XHUVWœV ZRUN DW 6FUHDP JDOOHU\ /RQGRQ $ VHOHFWLRQ RI KHU SDLQWLQJV IHDWXUH DORQJVLGH RWKHU H[FLWLQJ contemporary artits, including :HOVK QHRQ VLJQ VWDU &KULV %UDFH\ LQ 7HOOLQJ 7DOHV ¹ D VHOOLQJ VKRZ

‘It’s difficult to believe they’re paintings, not photographs’ P\ ZRUN ´ Other sources of inspiration LQFOXGH DUWLVWV VXFK DV -H̆ .RRQV DQG 7DNDVKL 0XUDNDPL DV ZHOO DV -RKQ 6LQJHU 6DUJHQW :LOOLDP %RXJXHUHDX DQG -RKQ :LOOLDP :DWHUKRXVH $QG WKHQ RI FRXUVH there are her powerful female UROH PRGHOV Âł, KDYH ZRQGHUIXO relationships with my mom, sister, DQG EHVW IULHQGV 3HUKDSV IHHOLQJ PRUH FRPIRUWDEOH ZLWK RWKHU ZRPHQ

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WKDW H[SORUHV KRZ VWRU\WHOOLQJ DQG ODQJXDJH LV SUHVHQWHG LQ DUW Âł$OWKRXJK ZH DOO ZRUN LQ GL̆HUHQW PHGLXPV WH[W LV DW WKH KHDUW RI HDFK SLHFH LQ WKH VKRZ ´ VDLG )XHUVW Âł)RU WKH WZR SDLQWLQJV , KDYH LQ WKH VKRZ 3RS DQG <2/2 WKH ZRUGV DUH vital to the concept and are the focal SRLQW RI HDFK SDLQWLQJ 7KH SDLQWLQJ <2/2 IRU H[DPSOH ZDV LQVSLUHG E\ WKH SRSXODULW\ RI WKH DFURQ\P <RX 2QO\ /LYH 2QFH /RYH LW RU KDWH LW <2/2 LV VWURQJO\ URRWHG LQ WRGD\ÂśV SRSXODU FXOWXUH ´ Despite an already impressive, and ZDFN\ DUUD\ RI ZRUN XQGHU KHU EHOW )XHUVW is not short of inspiration for IXWXUH SURMHFWV Âł, ZRXOG love to paint 3DQGHPRQLD the seven-footWDOO ODWH[ 3RVW 3RS DUWLVW ZLWK LQĂ€DWDEOH KDLU ´ VKH VDLG Âł, FRXOG SRUWUD\ KHU MXVW DV VKH LV PD\EH paired with the LQĂ€DWDEOH YHUVLRQ RI 9DQ *RJKÂśV 6WDUU\ 1LJKW ´ :H FDQÂśW ZDLWÂŤ

Text: Leah Oatway Images: Supplied

IRU WKH EX]] RI ELJ FLW\ OLIH DQG contemporary art: she moved to /RQGRQ WR ÂżQLVK KHU WUDLQLQJ DW WKH London Atelier of Representational $UW Âł+HUH , IRXQG WKH SHUIHFW PL[ RI WKH WUDLQLQJ , ZDQWHG EXW VXUURXQGHG E\ DOO IRUPV RI FRQWHPSRUDU\ DUW DQG FXOWXUH ´ VKH UHFDOOHG Âł, WKLQN LWÂśV LPSRUWDQW WR KDYH FODVVLFDO WUDLQLQJ LI WKDWÂśV WKH NLQG RI DUW \RX DVSLUH WR EXW QRW limit yourself to only traditional art LQĂ€XHQFHV , IHHO YHU\ OXFN\ WR KDYH EHHQ H[SRVHG WR ERWK ´ 7RGD\ VWLOO OLYLQJ DQG ZRUNLQJ LQ /RQGRQ )XHUVW FRPELQHV WKH EHVW RI KHU WUDLQLQJ WR FUHDWH ZRUNV WKDW DUH VR OLIHOLNH LWÂśV GL̇FXOW WR EHOLHYH WKH\ÂśUH SDLQWLQJV DQG QRW SKRWRJUDSKLF LPDJHV “The idea for each painting starts ZLWK ÂżQGLQJ D WR\ RU FRVWXPH WKDW , FRQQHFW ZLWK ERWK YLVXDOO\ DQG FRQFHSWXDOO\ 1H[W , ÂżQG D PRGHO ZKRVH ORRN VXLWV WKH LGHD , KDYH IRU WKH SDLQWLQJ ,ÂśOO KROG D SKRWRVKRRW ZLWK WKH PRGHO ZKHUH , WDNH

K . I . N. G Long live the

Never-before-seen photographs of Hollywood’s King of Cool, STEVE McQUEEN, have been unveiled for a new book, enhancing the actor’s enduring legacy Words: CHRIS ANDERSON

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A

pparently, Steve McQueen once said: “I’m not sure whether I’m an actor who races or a racer who acts.â€? Given that he seemed to spend equal amounts of time either on a movie set or the track – at least that is the impression given ZKHQ Ă€LFNLQJ WKURXJK 8QVHHQ McQueen, a new book featuring rare photographs by Barry Feinstein – then it is understandable where the confusion may lie. His movies, such DV 7KH 0DJQLÂżFHQW 6HYHQ 7KH *UHDW (VFDSH DQG %XOOLWW ZHUH DOO DERXW DFWLRQ ZLWK McQueen essentially playing the same character each time – the tough, uncompromising alpha male. With his interests and participation in such daredevil sports as car and motorbike racing, it became evident over the years that McQueen was simply playing himself, and he was that action hero in real life. This PDGH KLP D ELJ ER[ ṘFH GUDZ DQG E\ KH ZDV WKH KLJKHVW SDLG movie star in the world – and yet he

and Charlton Heston, but was always PRUH LQWHUHVWHG LQ UHEHOOLRXV ÂżJXUHV like Marlon Brando and Marilyn 0RQURH ,Q WKH V KH EHFDPH prominent in the world of music, shooting numerous album covers, including the portrait of Bob Dylan IRU ÂśV 7KH 7LPHV 7KH\ $UH $ &KDQJLQÂś DQG *HRUJH +DUULVRQ VDW ZLWK JDUGHQ JQRPHV IRU ÂśV $OO 7KLQJV 0XVW 3DVV ,Q WZR years before his death, Feinstein said of his work: “I wanted my pictures to say something. I don’t really like VWDQG XS SRUWUDLWV WKHUHÂśV QRWKLQJ there, no life, no feeling. I was much more interested in capturing real moments.â€? Feinstein nurtured a reputation for being an unconventional photographer, in the same way that McQueen had become an unconventional Hollywood star. While McQueen had earned the nickname ‘The King of Cool’, Feinstein had similarly been dubbed Âľ+LV 7ULSOH +LS 1HVVÂś E\ FRPHGLDQ Lord Buckley in light of his FRQQHFWLRQV $GG WR WKLV D FRPELQHG love of all things motorsport –

'It was unusual for McQueen to allow others to get too familiar with him, even his wives from three rather turbulent marriages' still toyed with the idea of giving it all up to become a professional racer, ULJKW XS XQWLO KLV GHDWK LQ 3KRWRJUDSKHU %DUU\ )HLQVWHLQ may be a name not as famous these days as McQueen, but his life was no less colourful. Despite having no formal training, he embarked upon a long and varied career involving presidents, rock stars and movie legends, with his work appearing in PDJD]LQHV VXFK DV /LIH 1HZVZHHN Rolling Stone and Esquire. He photographed JFK, Judy Garland

Feinstein owned a scarlet vintage ,QGLDQ 6FRXW DQG 7ULXPSK %RQQHYLOOH PRWRUF\FOHV PRGL¿HG E\ Bud Ekins, the stunt rider who stood in for Steve McQueen in The Great Escape – and it was inevitable that the two would become friends. 7KH ERRN SXEOLVKHG E\ 5HHO $UW 3UHVV LV DV PXFK D UHFRUG RI WKDW relationship as it is an intimate look at the life of Steve McQueen. Spanning a period of eight years, EHWZHHQ DQG WKH collection is one of two halves –

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starting earlier in the decade, when McQueen would invite Feinstein on rides across the Californian desert and to race meetings, where he competed in his Lotus Eleven, and ODWHU LQ D )- &RRSHU 7 ¿QLVKLQJ LQ ZKHQ WKH VWDU EURXJKW his friend to San Francisco for the ¿OPLQJ RI %XOOLWW GRFXPHQWLQJ WKH antics in front of and behind the FDPHUD $V D UHVXOW WKHUH LV D EURDG mix of images, many of McQueen in his racing overalls wiping oil from his hands, others sat quietly at home with his son’s head in his lap, and a

printed before and, if left to Barry’s critical eye, would probably have remained unseen.â€? Brolan describes Feinstein’s archive as “a treasure trove of negatives, slides and prints‌ staggering in depth and scopeâ€?, and reveals that the photographer had mellowed in his later years with regards to releasing outtakes, enabling the two to work on the Bob Dylan book and paving the way IRU 8QVHHQ 0F4XHHQ Âł$ EULOOLDQW documentary photographer with WKH H\H RI D ÂżQH DUWLVW %DUU\ ZRXOG

'We are looking at photographs that would have remained unseen' QXPEHU LQ IXOO RQ PRYLH VWDU PRGH chatting with the director about D VFHQH RU JHWWLQJ UHDG\ WR ÂżOP D segment of a car chase. 3DUWO\ EHFDXVH RI KRZ PXFK he respected McQueen, and also because of how critical he was of himself – “I’m only interested in printing great photographs,â€? he would say, discarding any he deemed merely good or unusual – Feinstein never exploited these images, keeping them in his archives for his own private enjoyment. It was only when working on a book about his friendship with Bob Dylan, Real Moments, with editor Dave Brolan, shortly before his death, that the photographer decided to mention his other famous acquaintance, LQVSLULQJ %URODQ WR ZRUN RQ 8QVHHQ McQueen with Feinstein’s estate. “The term ‘unseen photographs’ is generally misleading and overused,â€? says Brolan in his introduction. “It usually means the next frame on from the one always shown, or a SRRU TXDOLW\ LPDJH UHMHFWHG WKH ÂżUVW time round. Here we are looking at photographs that were not only unpublished but mostly never

work almost unnoticed and be at the centre of the action for the vital moment,â€? Brolan continues. “It was about knowing exactly when to press the shutter, and more importantly, as he said himself, ‘knowing when not to’.â€? $V SDVVLRQDWH DERXW FDUV DQG motorbikes as he was about photography, Brolan believes that Feinstein was the perfect choice to be the onset photographer for Bullitt. “The cars are from another era, but McQueen is timelessly PDJQLÂżFHQW LQ HYHU\ SKRWRJUDSK carefully chosen and perfectly framed using available light and uncanny timing,â€? he says. “Barry RIWHQ VKRW LQ D VHTXHQWLDO PRYLH like way, never cropping the frame in print. But typical of the man, he never revealed just how many pictures he had taken of McQueen, or explained how close they were.â€? The truth is, it must have been very close. It was unusual for McQueen to allow others to get too familiar with him, even his wives from his three rather turbulent marriages. His troubled upbringing, abandoned at an early age by his

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ww. Š Photographs Judith Jamison/Barry Feinstein Photography, Inc. Unseen McQueen is published by Reel Art Press. Order online at reelartpress.comm

father who was a stunt pilot for a circus, left with a young mother who IRXQG LW GL̇FXOW WR FRSH 0F4XHHQ spent his time in gangs, reform schools and even living on the streets. He was always the outsider, and this feeling stayed with him DV KH WRRN KLV ¿UVW VWHSV LQWR WKH PRYLH LQGXVWU\ 3URIHVVLRQDOO\ KH ZDV QRWRULRXVO\ GL̇FXOW WR ZRUN with, falling out with the director, VFUHHQZULWHU DQG FR VWDUV RQ PRVW RI KLV ¿OPV ¹ WKLV RQO\ LQFUHDVHG LQ OLQH with his success, but studios would apparently tolerate it because of his ER[ ṘFH GUDZ In his book, Steve McQueen: $ %LRJUDSK\ UHOHDVHG LQ writer Marc Eliot discovered many anecdotes surrounding the star’s behaviour. Incredibly insecure, he became angered by the advancements of his rivals, and when he learned that James Garner – who had starred alongside McQueen in The Great Escape and at the time lived in an apartment beneath the actor – had beaten him to his own ambition of making a movie about motorsport with

DQG FRPSOLFDWLRQV DPSOL¿HG DV D result of the star taking the movie on via his own production company. $FFRUGLQJ WR (OLRW WKH ¿OP LV PRUH representative of the actor’s vision WKDQ LW LV RI GLUHFWRU 3HWHU <DWHV $W 0F4XHHQœV LQVLVWHQFH WKH VFULSW was altered dramatically, including WKH QDPH FKDQJH WR %XOOLWW DQG WKH decision to move the action from 1HZ <RUN WR 6DQ )UDQFLVFR ,Q OLQH with his interests in motorsport, McQueen was determined to include D PLQXWH FDU FKDVH DQG IHOW WKDW San Francisco made the better race track. <HW VRPHKRZ )HLQVWHLQ ZDV allowed into this world, with his photos showing clearly just how comfortable the actor must have felt in his presence. The two were friends, and unlike his colleagues in WKH ¿OP LQGXVWU\ 0F4XHHQ WUXVWHG Feinstein to deliver, portraying him in a way that he admired. Looking at the images in the book, there is a clear friendliness in some of McQueen’s facial expressions. It was unfortunate that Feinstein was not with his famous friend in

'He may have had trouble deciding if he was an actor or a racer, but McQueen will forever be an icon' œV *UDQG 3UL[ 0F4XHHQ ZRXOG HYHQWXDOO\ PDNH WKH SRRUO\ UHFHLYHG /H 0DQV LQ VSHQW years dropping household waste and cigarette ends onto Garner’s balcony. On making Towering Inferno in 0F4XHHQ LQVLVWHG WKDW KH ZDV given the exact same number of ZRUGV DV KLV FR VWDU 3DXO 1HZPDQ EXW WKDW WKH ¿QDO VKRW DQG ODVW OLQH spoken would be his. Even Bullitt, where Feinstein had been so warmly welcomed on set, did not escape McQueen’s diva tantrums

KLV ÂżQDO GD\V ZKHQ GLDJQRVHG ZLWK mesothelioma, a type of cancer, McQueen had gone to Mexico in search of alternative treatment, which is where he died. He was DJHG DQG KDG PDGH DURXQG ÂżOPV RYHU WKH FRXUVH RI \HDUV %\ allowing someone to share his life and interests for even just a short period, his legend is secured for many more years to come. He may have had trouble deciding if he was an actor or a racer, but McQueen will forever be an icon.

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Words: LEAH OATWAY

There’s something about Kate Kate Moss by David Bailey, 2013 Š David Bailey. Part of the exhibition BAILEY’S STARDUST, which runs from February 6-June 1,2014 at National Portrait Gallery, London npg.org.uk

Last month Kate Moss turned 40 and graced magazine covers across the globe. Her enduring appeal in an industry fixated on championing the next big thing is remarkable. So what is it that marks Moss as different?

S

he’s the face that launched a thousand collections. The beauty that has graced more than 30 Vogue covers. She is a muse for the best artists in the world, having been tattooed by world-famous artist Lucien Freud and cast in gold by sculptor Mark Quinn, and has sung on tracks by the likes of Oasis, Primal Scream and Babyshambles. Her forays into fashion design have led to lucrative, best-selling collaborations with the likes of Longchamp, and she continues to set, rather than follow, the style agenda. Kate Moss is a modern phenomenon. A one-woman VXSHU SRZHU ZKR KDV DUJXDEO\ ZLHOGHG PRUH LQÀXHQFH over popular culture in the past 26 years than anyone else on the planet. And she’s done it all while barely saying a word. Moss entered the public consciousness as a skinny teenager. The daughter of a barmaid and a travel agent, she was just 14 when she was spotted at JFK Airport, New York, by Sarah Doukas, the founder of Storm Model Management. Black-and-white photographs taken by the late great fashion photographer Corrine Day for a grungy anti-fashion feature called The Third Summer of Love showed a carefree freckle-nosed 16-year-old Kate in an Indian headdress and not much else. One of the shots found its way to the cover of The Face magazine that month, catapulting Moss into the limelight – where she’s remained ever since.

“She’s endured particularly well, and her career has had a longevity that I think most people didn’t think it would have when she was discovered at 14,â€? remarked Chris Roberts, author of a new Carlton book about her life (called Kate Moss). 5REHUWV ZKR VWUXJJOHG WR ÂżQG SHRSOH FORVH WR WKH model who would speak to him about her, attributes some of Moss’ long-standing allure to the veil of silence she and those around her shroud themselves in. “She’s got this sphinx-like quality in that apart from her circle of celebrity friends, and business friends, no one really knows what she’s like,â€? he told the Britain’s Daily Mail. Âł<RX ZRQÂśW ÂżQG DQ\RQH ZLWK D EDG ZRUG WR VD\ DERXW her who knows her because a) they are friends, and b) WKHUH LV WKLV NLQG RI ÂżHUFH OR\DOW\ DURXQG KHU WKHUH LV D protective circle. “There’s a very kind of defensive, loyal circle to whom she is loyal to in return as long as they don’t air her dirty laundry.â€? When Moss arrived on the scene in the early 90s, she was everything her peers at the time were not: unpolished, shorter than most models at 5ft 8in, and far less curvaceous. But the fashion world adored her and her star was quick to ascend. Before she knew it, Moss was being collected by limousines for Calvin Klein shoots in her underwear with Mark Wahlberg. While incredibly exciting, it was, she later admitted in

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a rare interview with Vanity Fair, all very overwhelming for the working class Londoner. “It didn’t feel like me at all,â€? she said. “I felt really bad about straddling this EX̆ JX\ , GLGQÂśW OLNH LW , FRXOGQÂśW JHW RXW RI EHG IRU WZR weeks. I thought I was going to die‌ It was just anxiety. Nobody takes care of you mentally. There’s a massive pressure to do what you have to do. “I was really little. It was just really weird—a stretch limo coming to pick you up from work. I didn’t like it. But it was work, and I had to do it.â€? In the summer of 1993 Moss’ super-slim frame in underwear, for a Vogue shoot, prompted scrutiny about her weight and whether she had an eating disorder, and led to emotionally-charged debates on ‘size zero’ in the international press. Cosmopolitan’s then editor, Marcelle d’Argy Smith, famously labelled the images of Moss “hideous and tragicâ€?. Even Bill Clinton, then President of the United States, weighed in on the debate. It seemed Moss’ socalled ‘heroin chic’ look – pale skin, androgynous and sharp features along with negligible body fat – was not popular with everyone. “It was just the time,â€? she later said. “It was a swing from more buxom girls like Cindy Crawford and people were shocked to see what they called a ‘waif’. What can you say? How many times can you say ‘I’m not anorexic’?â€? Moss has never been afraid to court such controversy though. Amid the size zero furore, while obviously slighted by the harsh criticism she found herself under, she uttered the now immortal line “nothing tastes as good as skinny feelsâ€?. She’s smoked cigarettes on the catwalk, worn see-through dresses to parties, and when Courtney Love stood on her vintage Dior gown at the opening night of the Victoria & Albert Museum’s 2007 H[KLELWLRQ WKH *ROGHQ $JH RI &RXWXUH VKH VLPSO\ WRUH R̆ the bottom section and wore it short for the rest of the night. When friends have gone out with her and ended up staying far later than expected, they refer to it as ‘getting Mossed’, and when she turned up at a German nightclub and was told she was too modestly dressed, VKH VLPSO\ WRRN R̆ KHU WRS DQG ZDONHG ULJKW LQ 1RWKLQJ it seems, stands between La Moss and a good knees up. “She is to be credited, simply, for surviving itâ€? wrote The Guardian’s Tanya Gold. “For promoting high-street fashion over the depravities of couture; and now, it seems, for being very old while in possession of a career in fashion. I know nothing of the intricacies of her soul – why should I? – but she has a self-possession that is, in a

professional object, very likable, and almost amounts to an antonym for fashion.â€? Of course, it’s not just her sartorial triumphs that have made the headlines. Romantically, Moss has been OLQNHG WR D VWULQJ RI EDG ER\V WKH PRVW KLJK SURÂżOH being Johnny Depp. The couple’s chiselled cheekbones, Ă€RSS\ KDLU DQG H̆RUWOHVVO\ FRRO VW\OH PDGH IRU SDSDUD]]L picture gold. And they were rock n’ roll, too, famously trashing a US$1,200-a-night hotel rom in 1994. While the relationship didn’t last, Depp’s advice to her in handling press attention did: “never complain, never explainâ€?. “There’s nobody that’s ever really been able to take care of me. Johnny did for a bit. I believed what he said,â€? Moss told Vanity Fair. “Like if I said, ‘What do I do?,’ he’d tell me. And that’s what I missed when I left. I really lost that gauge of somebody I could trust. Nightmare. Years and years of crying. Oh, the tears!â€? The early years of the Noughties appeared to bring with them a calmer period for Moss though. It was then that she began a long-term relationship with Dazed and &RQIXVHG HGLWRU -H̆HUVRQ +DFN ZLWK ZKRP VKH ZHQW RQ to have daughter, Lila Grace. The pair later split though, and it was at the model’s 31st birthday party that she met the then Libertines frontman Pete Doherty, a talented but tortured musician whose apparent drug use showed no obvious sign of DEDWLQJ 7KH SDLU HPEDUNHG RQ D WXPXOWXRXV D̆DLU that signalled a darker period in Moss’ private life and career. It was then that pictures of her allegedly taking cocaine surfaced, making front page news and causing KHU WR ORVH VHYHUDO KLJK SURÂżOH FRQWUDFWV LQFOXGLQJ Burberry. Speculation was rife as to whether Moss’ career would survive the fallout, but, in her own inimitable (and silent) way, she bounced back. By the following year she was back in the fold of the fashion world’s biggest players, with new contracts and better money. ,Q VKH DQG 'RKHUW\ ÂżQDOO\ VSOLW DQG WKH following year Moss met the man she would later marry, The Kills frontman Jamie Hince. Today, at 40, while most of her peers – Linda (YDQJHOLVWD 1DRPL &DPSEHOO DQG &ODXGLD 6FKL̆HU WR name but a few, have faded from the limelight, Moss remains the fourth highest paid model in the world according to Forbes, her face still selling the dream to women in magazines around the world. It’s unlikely her recent landmark birthday will signal her slowing down any time soon.

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‘Moss remains the fourth highest paid model in the world, her face still selling the dream’

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7+(

FAMILY WAY Under the direction of Silvia Venturini Fendi, the fashion house created by her grandparents has produced some of the most coveted accessories in the world. It’s all in the DNA, she tells Sophie de RosÊe

S

LWWLQJ LQ KHU ṘFH DND WKH WK century Palazzo Fendi in the heart of Rome, Silvia Venturini Fendi is explaining that she KDV H̆HFWLYHO\ EHHQ DW IDVKLRQ college since the day she was ERUQ 1RZ LQ KHU ¿IWLHV VKH UHSUHVHQWV WKH third generation of the Italian female fashion dynasty and is the only member of the family VWLOO ZRUNLQJ DW )HQGL ZKLFK ZDV DFTXLUHG E\ WKH OX[XU\ JRRGV JLDQW /90+ LQ She is the creative director of accessories, PHQVZHDU DQG FKLOGUHQVZHDU ZKLOH KHU ORQJ WLPH FROODERUDWRU .DUO /DJHUIHOG ZKR MRLQHG WKH KRXVH LQ GHVLJQV ZRPHQVZHDU DQG furs. Despite being in recovery from a bout RI ÀX 9HQWXULQL )HQGL LV XSEHDW UHFRXQWLQJ colourful stories of a childhood among matriarchs: her grandmother Adele (who founded the house with her husband, Edoardo, LQ PRWKHU $QQD DQG IRXU DXQWV 3DROD Carla, Franca and Alda.

Though she admits to being scared of her authoritarian grandmother, ZKR GLHG LQ Venturini Fendi has inherited some of Adele’s traits: her particular taste and her sense of style. Adele wore nothing but blue, right down to her MHZHOOHU\ VDSSKLUHV RQO\ Âą HYHQ WKH GHFRU in her bedroom. Today Venturini Fendi is GUHVVHG KHDG WR WRH LQ EODFN VDYH IRU DQ DUUD\ RI KHU GDXJKWHU 'HOÂżQD 'HOHWWUH]ÂśV MHZHOOHU\ The only deviations from her Fendi wardrobe (“They have all of my measurements, and I never try anything, so everything arrives. It’s D GUHDP´ DUH SDSDO VKLUWV ERXJKW IURP WKH 9DWLFDQ (YHQ KHU VKRHV DUH XQLTXH VKH ZHDUV RQO\ RQH VW\OH LQ EODFN PDGH E\ DQ LQ KRXVH FREEOHU Âł0\ SHUVRQDO VW\OH LV EDVLF EXW JRRG TXDOLW\ 7KDWÂśV LW ,ÂśP ÂżQH OLNH WKLV ,Q \HDUV , ZLOO VWLOO EH OLNH WKLV ´ Growing up among Adele and the legendary ÂżYH )HQGL VLVWHUV ZDV DQ HGXFDWLRQ 9HQWXULQL )HQGL ZDV DOZD\V LQ DQG RXW RI ZRUNVKRSV DQG ṘFHV ZDWFKLQJ WKH VLVWHUV ZRUNLQJ ÂłOLNH crazyâ€?. They were unstoppable within the house, but outside it was still a man’s world. 5XVVLDQ IXU DXFWLRQV ZHUH D FORVHG D̆DLU VR WKH\ VHQW PHQ WR EX\ WKHLU IXU 0DQ\ KDYH GRFXPHQWHG WKH VLVWHUVÂś LQIDPRXV LQÂżJKWLQJ but Venturini Fendi is only complimentary. Âł7KH\ DUH ÂżYH YHU\ GL̆HUHQW ZRPHQ ERWK physically and in their attitudes. When they XVHG WR ZRUN WRJHWKHU WKH\ VDZ WKH SUREOHP IURP GL̆HUHQW DQJOHV VR LW ZDV YHU\ FUHDWLYH 7KLQJV WRRN ORQJHU WR DFKLHYH EXW LW PDGH PH grow up with a very open mind and the ability WR OLVWHQ WR ORWV RI YHU\ GL̆HUHQW RSLQLRQV 7KH\ trained me to be as strong as they are.â€? In her teenage years Venturini Fendi (the Venturini comes from her father, who died ZKHQ VKH ZDV \RXQJ ZDV WKH ZLOG FKLOG RI WKH )HQGL FODQ D TXHHQ RI WKH 5RPDQ VRFLDO scene along with her sisters, Ilaria and 0DULD 7HUHVD 'LG VKH KDYH PRPHQWV of rebellion? “Of course. I tried to escape my destiny.â€? She travelled extensively and lived in Brazil with her then partner, Bernard Delettrez, the father of two of her three - 63 -

‘I’m not attached to anything. My favourite bag is the next bag’

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fashion rules, and Venturini Fendi changed the evolution of handbags at a time when everything was becoming more compact, from mobile phones to household goods. “It was a big surprise, even for me,â€? Venturini Fendi says. “Fendi was a small IDPLO\ FRPSDQ\ ZLWK RQO\ ÂżYH VWRUHV DQG WKH Baguette instantly became an international phenomenon, so we weren’t prepared to satisfy DOO WKH UHTXHVWV :H KDG SHRSOH ZDQWLQJ WR buy versions that had sold out, so we said, OK, let’s get their names and when it arrives we’ll call them.â€? And so the waiting list was born. “Everyone in the industry thought it was D PDJLFDO PDUNHWLQJ VWUDWHJ\ GUHDPW XS E\ WKHVH PDJQLÂżFHQW ZRPHQ VR FOHYHU ´ 6LQFH PRUH WKDQ YHUVLRQV RI WKH Baguette have been made, from new seasonal GHVLJQV WR EHVSRNH FUHDWLRQV WR RQH R̆V GHVLJQHG E\ 'DPLHQ +LUVW DQG -H̆ .RRQV &ROOHFWRUV LQFOXGH D ZRPDQ LQ /RQGRQ ZKR RZQV EXW WKH FXUUHQW UHFRUG EHORQJV WR D -DSDQHVH ZRPDQ ZLWK PRUH WKDQ )RU VSULQJ VXPPHU 9HQWXULQL )HQGL GHVLJQHG DQRWKHU ZLQQHU WKH 3HHNDERR EDJ $ return to the more classic heritage of Fendi, its shape is more structured, but with a twist of KXPRXU WKH VLGH SRFNHWV FRPH DZD\ WR UHYHDO lining in contrasting colours, conveying the sentiment that “sometimes the inside is more important than the outsideâ€?. In the fast and furious world of fashion, Venturini Fendi believes it is the house’s DNA and familial heritage that set it apart from the competition. With this in mind she has revived Fendi’s Selleria leather series, RULJLQDOO\ FUHDWHG E\ $GHOH LQ WKH V ZKR admired the leather saddlery on passing KRUVH GUDZQ FDUULDJHV IURP WKH RULJLQDO )HQGL shop on Via del Plebiscito. Adele was resolute LQ DGRSWLQJ WKH VDPH DUWLVDQDO WHFKQLTXH IRU her handbags and employed local saddlers ZKR XVHG ORFDO 5RPDQ 6HOOHULD OHDWKHU NQRZQ IRU LWV JUDLQ\ WH[WXUH DQG KDQG ÂżQLVKHG WKH bags with the tools and “ton sur tonâ€? stitching used on their saddles. Today the Selleria bags are made completely by hand, using the same WHFKQLTXHV E\ D WHDP RI PDVWHU - 66 -

Text: Sophie De Rosee Images: Corbis / Arabian Eye; Supplied

FKLOGUHQ *LXOLR DQG 'HOÂżQD The day she had KHU ÂżUVW FKLOG VKH accepted her destiny. 0LVVLQJ KHU IDPLO\ VKH PRYHG EDFN WR Rome, and since ṘFLDOO\ MRLQLQJ WKH FRPSDQ\ LQ as the head of the MXQLRU )HQGLVVLPH line, she has surpassed her predecessors’ success despite having no formal training. The education paid R̆ )HQGL QRZ KDV RYHU ERXWLTXHV LQ PRUH WKDQ FRXQWULHV DURXQG WKH ZRUOG LQFOXGLQJ DFURVV WKH *&& 6LQFH 3LHWUR %HFFDUL WKH FKDLUPDQ DQG &(2 MRLQHG ODVW \HDU IURP /RXLV 9XLWWRQ WKHUH KDV EHHQ D surge in business, with new stores opening in 6mR 3DXOR 3DULV DQG 0LODQ DV ZHOO DV D QHZ /RQGRQ VWRUH WKLV VSULQJ ,Q -DQXDU\ )HQGL announced its funding of the restoration of the Trevi Fountain. ,Q -XO\ ODVW \HDU LW VWDJHG DQ H[KLELWLRQ LQ 3DULV RI .DUO /DJHUIHOGÂśV SKRWRJUDSKV RI 5RPHÂśV IRXQWDLQV $OVR LQ -XO\ WKH EUDQG ODXQFKHG RQ QHW D SRUWHU FRP $QG WKHQ PRUH UHFHQWO\ LW ODXQFKHG WKH H[KLELWLRQ 0DNLQJ Dreams: Fendi and the Cinema, celebrating LWV ORQJ WHUP FROODERUDWLRQ ZLWK FLQHPD 7KHQ WKHUH LV LWV GLJLWDO SODWIRUP )HQGL /LIH a website with exclusive videos, plus Twitter and Instagram accounts. As for annual sales ÂżJXUHV WKH /90+ JURXS UHPDLQV WLJKW OLSSHG ,W ZDV EDFN LQ WKDW 9HQWXULQL )HQGL KLW WKH MDFNSRW ZLWK WKH FUHDWLRQ RI WKH Baguette bag. In contrast to the formal, functional bags of the time, the Baguette, named for its “carried under the DUP OLNH D EDJXHWWH´ style, was compact, fun and available in every colour and material imaginable. The baguette EURNH DOO the

saddlers based in Florence. There are eight VW\OHV NQRZQ DV LFRQV VL[ RI ZKLFK KDYH EHHQ named after a woman in the family plus the number of stitches used to create it. Four of these are updated versions of Adele’s original PRGHOV $GHOH LV WKH PRUH WUDGLWLRQDO GRFWRUœV EDJ 3DROD DQG 3DROD DUH HOHJDQW WRWHV ZLWK UHLQ OLNH OHDWKHU VWUDSV DFURVV WKH WRS )UDQFDV DQG are based on the classic Fendi model with a IURQW FODVS DQG &DUOD LV WKH PRVW SUDFWLFDO WRWH EDJ IRU WKH GD\ ZLWK D ORFNHW FODVS Venturini Fendi’s newest designs are Anna D VRIW IHPLQLQH WRS KDQGOH WRWH ZLWK D VKRXOGHU VWUDS DQG $OGD D PLQLPDOLVW FOXWFK ZLWK ORFNHW FODVS 7KH ¿QDO WZR LFRQV DUH WKH %DJXHWWH DQG 3HHNDERR ZKLFK DUH QRZ available in the Selleria leather and stitching. 0RVW RI WKH LFRQV FRPH LQ VHDVRQDO IDVKLRQ styles as well as in Selleria leather. (DFK VW\OH UHÀHFWV LWV QDPHVDNH ³, NQRZ my aunt Carla is a big fan of the tote, so I said RI FRXUVH WKDW LV JRLQJ WR EH KHUV 0\ PRWKHU was very happy with the Anna because it’s the newest style. Since she is the most creative, I thought that the new style is for her. Then Franca chose her favourite. Paola is more classic, and since she is the eldest I thought it was good to give her an important classic bag. Alda is the youngest of the sisters, so I chose

‘My personal style is basic but good quality. That’s it’ for her the little clutch: the little one for the little one.â€? New styles are in the pipeline, and there are plenty of names to go around. Adele would KDYH PRUH WKDQ JUHDW JUDQGFKLOGUHQ ZHUH she still alive. “There are a lot of girls who will be proud to have their style and they can’t ZDLW 0\ \RXQJHVW GDXJKWHU /HRQHWWD LV DQG VKH LV DOZD\V DVNLQJ IRU KHU WXUQ ´ Yet to have her own bag is Delettrez, who dropped the Fendi part of her surname for her MHZHOOHU\ EUDQG 'HOÂżQD 'HOHWWUH] 6KH GLG however, collaborate with Fendi on the fur MHZHOOHU\ VKRZFDVHG LQ WKH VSULQJ VXPPHU FDWZDON VKRZ And what about Venturini’s personal favourite Fendi bag? She must carry one. “No no, I’m not attached to anything. I don’t have RQH 0\ IDYRXULWH EDJ LV WKH QH[W EDJ ´ - 67 -

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The

of the

Stones

As well as creating their own sound, the Rolling Stones have carved out their own style over the decades. To celebrate the legendary rock band’s appearance in Abu Dhabi, AIR looks at the changing face of the Stones’ wardrobe

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‘With stardom came confidence, and with confidence came a new wardrobe: one inspired by the Jumpin’ Jack Flash era’

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1.

2.

3.

Preppy

Swinging London

Hippie

Fresh on the music scene and the Rolling Stones play it safe, copying fellow Brit-band The Beatles with their mop tops, mod-style suits and winklepickers. The years following, KRZHYHU VDZ WKH WKHQ ÂżYH PDQ EDQG self-curate a style never before seen in music.

A style perfected by the Stones’ guitarist Brian Jones especially was the Edwardian-meets-Carnaby Street look. Fur, double-breasted suits and straight-legged trousers ZHUH ZRUQ ZLWK ÀDPER\DQW VFDUYHV lace shirts and wide-brimmed hats. The fabrics and bold patterns were indicative of things to come.

The late 1960s saw yet another side to the group’s image: one of bellbottoms, buttoned-down shirts and tight T-shirts. For the Stones, their bohemian phase was all about cloaking themselves in a vibrant mix of ethnic and vintage clothing; one of the band’s more conventional looks throughout their 50 years together.

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Images: Getty Images; Corbis / Arabian Eye

4.

5.

6.

Glam-rock

Androgynous-bohemian

Full circle

:LWK VWDUGRP FDPH FRQ¿GHQFH DQG ZLWK FRQ¿GHQFH FDPH D QHZ wardrobe: one inspired by the Jumpin’ Jack Flash era. From jumpsuits and ringmaster hats to outrageous makeup and oversized KDLU WKH 6WRQHV¶ WUDFN EURXJKW ZLWK LW D QHZ FRQWURYHUVLDO ZD\ RI dressing.

7KLV FRFNWDLO RI IDVKLRQ UHVXOWHG LQ DQ XQNHPSW XQWDLORUHG ORRN IRU WKH 6WRQHV ZLWK WKH PHQ VSRUWLQJ WXQLFV SULQWHG QHFN VFDUYHV ZRUQ DURXQG WKH QHFN KHDG RU ZDLVW and wide-legged denims or velvet WURXVHUV ± FORWKLQJ ZRUQ FRQ¿GHQWO\ ZLWK D VOLFN RI NRKO OLQHU FRXUWHV\ RI WKHLU JLUOIULHQGV

)URP 5LFKDUGV¶ ORYH RI D VWDWHPHQW 7 VKLUW DQG VFDUI WR -DJJHU¶V IRQGQHVV IRU D ÀDVK\ EOD]HU DQG WLJKW WURXVHUV ORRNLQJ EDFN RYHU WKH 6WRQHV¶ \HDUV LQ PXVLF LW VHHPV SDUW RI WKHLU ZDUGUREH KDV JRQH IXOO circle. And during this year’s tour the band will undoubtedly rock one RU PRUH RI WKH LWV VLJQDWXUH ORRNV

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MOTORING

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In Good Wraith Words: JOHN SIMISTER

Rolls-Royce Wraith has a sporty swagger, but does this beast roar?

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MOTORING

I

f Rolls-Royce and Bentley ZHUH VWLOO GL̆HUHQW IDFHWV of the same company, as they were from 1931 until the beginning of this century, this car would probably not exist. For the Wraith is that unlikely creation: a sporting Rolls – an idea which treads quite heavily on Bentley’s former domain. By ‘sporting’, I don’t mean you would take a Wraith on a track day, nor indeed scoot along backroads

early on a weekend morning. But LW GRHV R̆HU WKH SRVVLELOLW\ RI YHU\ considerable pace, retaining its dignity and poise even when hurried through the mountain passes of Europe that are its imagined habitat. This is a Rolls-Royce GT, a Grand Tourer. And there really isn’t anything else quite like it. Not even a Bentley Continental GT? Well, that is the closest in concept, but it costs a lot less than the Wraith and is merely large, not

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vast. In the Wraith, a car launched to ghostly allusions of dark, silent power and a strong aura of, er, ‘noir’, we have a car which weighs 2.36 tonnes, is more than 17ft long, and can reach 100kph in 4.4 seconds. :LWK D VPRRWKO\ SURÂżOHG EXW crisply edged body, as with the yet-larger Phantom CoupĂŠ, the two doors are hinged on their rear edge, which obliges entry bottom ÂżUVW %XW UDWKHU EROGO\ WKH UDGLDWRU grille plays down the notion of a

Greek temple that was once a Rolls motif, and is instead set into the surrounding bodywork with the slats recessed, as though air intakes for a jet engine. As you settle behind a steering wheel with an unexpectedly thick rim, you can’t help but admire the acreage of shining wood. It covers a substantial part of the doors with your choice of grain iridescently ¿JXUHG ¹ WKRXJK \RX PLJKW SUHIHU the dashboard in shiny piano black,

WR VHW R̆ WKH VKLQ\ RU VDWLQ ¿QLVKHG PHWDO ¿WWLQJV 7KLV LV EURDGO\ WKH interior of the Ghost saloon, from which – via a seven-inch chop in the wheelbase – the Wraith is derived, but here it is cosier, more intimate. It’s time to move the mighty beast‌ but is the engine actually running? It’s hard to tell, there being neither a rev counter nor detectable sound. I aim the immense nose into WUḊF ZRQGHU DW WKH SUHFLVH ORFDWLRQ of the extremities, and wait for the Wraith to shrink around me, as large but responsive cars are supposed to do. Its engine does have a voice when URXVHG DFWXDOO\ ¹ D GHHS ZRRÀLQJ beat more like a V8 than a V12. And once out on open roads, that shrinking feeling starts to emerge. This is a very accelerative motor car, and its speed-gathering happens in one glorious surge with almost no impression of automatic shifting through its eight gears. Those JHDUVKLIWV DUH IXUWKHU UH¿QHG E\

‘The transmission predicts corners and chooses the gear’ constant reference via satellite to a built-in map of the terrain, so the transmission predicts corners and gradients and chooses the optimum gear. Extraordinary. Similarly extraordinary is that, once you’ve adjusted to the size, the Wraith proves entirely happy to be hustled through corners via its precise steering and tidy demeanour, while also soaking up most bumps and dips as if they truly were not there. The seats are fabulously comfortable, and the whole car feels perfectly planted on the idealised, blemish-free remake of the road you think you are seeing. This is the grandest grand tourer in the world. Of course it’s an absolute indulgence, but it’s always nice to indulge‌ - 77 -

GASTRONOMY

Words: OLIVER ROBINSON

The World’s Most Creative Chefs

Massimo Bottura Osteria Francescana Modena, Italy For Chef Massimo Bottura, the creative process behind many of the dishes served at three-Michelin-star restaurant Osteria Francescana is intensely personal – none more so than his playful take on traditional Italian dish pasta e fagioli: “I take the best of the past and bring it into the future,â€? explains the 52-year-old chef. “Here, I have taken a simple bowl of beans and transformed it into a symbol of my gastronomic history – at the base there is a crème royale of borlotti beans [and foie gras] – the ‘royale’ represents my FODVVLF )UHQFK WUDLQLQJ ÂżUVW ZLWK Georges Cogny and then with Alain Ducasse. Floating on the top of there is an air of rosemary, which represents my culinary experience at El Bulli with Ferran AdriĂ . In the middle there is the cream of beans with faux pasta squares – thinly sliced Parmigiano-Reggiano crusts. This is the part that represents my culinary heritage and my childhood memories.â€? osteriafrancescana.it

Fine dining is a product of big ideas, which makes these six chefs some of the biggest thinkers in the business

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Alex Atala D.O.M SĂŁo Paulo, Brazil Chef Alex Atala is the poster boy of Brazilian cuisine. When he opened D.O.M (an acronym of the Latin ‘Deo Optimo Maximo’ – ‘God is great and H[FHHGLQJÂś LQ KH ZDV WKH ÂżUVW chef in SĂŁo Paulo to focus purely on local Brazilian ingredients. ‘We needed a pride in our cuisine. The way the Brazilian composer VillaLobos was proud of our music,’ said Atala at the time. Fifteen years and two Michelin stars later, Atala is still using local ingredients to push culinary boundaries. Recent tasting menus have featured exotic concoctions such as oysters, cupuaçu, whiskey and mango; sea snail with mandarin and seaweed; boar with farofa and plantain purĂŠe; and green tomato gelatin. domrestaurante.com.br - 79 -

GASTRONOMY

‘Carrots are ground tableside, then presented with a collection of garnishes for guests to mix’

Margot Janse Le Quartier Français Stellenbosch, South Africa “For the last 18 years, I have been championing a cuisine that is, in many ways, wild. I don’t like bland food. I don’t like safe food. This sums up my approach,â€? says Janse. Indeed, the Dutch-born chef’s African Surprise tasting menus push culinary boundaries hitherto unseen in South Africa. Janse is dedicated to using home-grown produce from her adopted continent – for example, the quail in her dishes comes from QHDUE\ 3DUDG\VNORRI WUXĚˆHV DUH gathered in the Kalahari, cocoa is sourced from Madagascar, and FR̆HH IURP (WKLRSLD +RZHYHU KHU creative credentials are enforced by her reinterpretation of indigenous dishes and ingredients such as spekboom and baobab. Tellingly, Janse’s work has been compared to that of Alex Atala’s in Brazil – both chefs are putting their national cuisines on the global map by way of an imaginative fusion of past and present. relaischateaux.com - 80 -

Ben Shewry Attica Melbourne, Australia %HQ 6KHZU\ GHÂżQHV KLPVHOI DQG his cooking, by foraging ingredients from the urban wilderness – begonia petals from the local garden centre, KROO\ Ă€D[ IURP $WWLFDÂśV VWD̆ FDUSDUN turned-garden, wild onions and fennel from beside the nearby train tracks. Shewry’s cooking technique, meanwhile, ranges from ancient Maori hangi (cooking ingredients in a pit in the earth – see ‘Potato cooked in the Earth as it was grown’) to sous vide. In fact, Attica was one of the ÂżUVW UHVWDXUDQWV LQ $XVWUDOLD WR XVH the method (where food is sealed in an airtight plastic bag and cooked in a water bath). attica.com.au - 81 -

GASTRONOMY

Davide Scabin Combal.Zero Piemonte, Italy Despite attending catering college, Scabin initially worked as a cosmetic salesman. Perhaps it was this somewhat unusual route into the world of high-end gastronomy that explains the chef’s less than usual approach to food. Needless to say, Scabin soon swapped make-up for 0LFKHOLQ VWDUV ÂżQGLQJ KLV FXOLQDU\ calling at Combal in Turin, Italy, and later the two-Michelin-starred Combal.Zero in Piemonte. The chef ODWHU EHFDPH WKH ÂżUVW WR WLFNOH WKH taste buds of astronauts, when he was commissioned by The European Space Agency to produce sustainable (and tasty) space food. Back on HDUWK 6FDELQÂśV VFLHQWLÂżF JDVWURQRP\ continues with the same intensity as ever, though he’s quick to point out that he should not be pigeonholed as a ‘molecular’ chef: “I don’t like the term molecular gastronomy. It has been used in the wrong way. Molecular can be taking a pan with butter and frying an egg in it.â€? combal.org

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Daniel Humm Eleven Madison Avenue New York, USA Many of the dishes served by Humm at three-Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Avenue are accompanied by a theatrical twist. This isn’t to say that Humm condescends his guests with gimmickry – on the contrary, the interactive dining experience lends an insight into the creative process behind his menu. The carrot tartare, for example, is a relatively simple concept, but never fails to render guests awestruck: “Carrots are ground tableside,â€? explains Humm. “The ground carrot is then presented with a collection of garnishes: mustard oil, spicy carrot vinaigrette, quince mustard, WRDVWHG VXQĂ€RZHU VHHGV SLFNOHG TXDLO HJJ \RON VPRNHG EOXH ÂżVK chives, pickled mustard seeds, fresh horseradish, poached quince, and Long Island sea salt. Guests get to mix in all the elements and it makes [the dish] very interactive and experiential. The meatiness of the carrot combined with the other elements makes it surprisingly similar to a traditional beef tartare – it’s amazing to see people’s reaction.â€? elevenmadisonpark.com - 83 -

TRAVEL

B

oats have always played an important role in the region. Long before there were roads, it was easier to carry goods along the coastline than the desert, with large wooden dhows a familiar sight, often bringing their wares from far away to sell in the local souks. These could be seen navigating WKH GL̆HUHQW KDUERXUV weaving around much VPDOOHU ¿VKLQJ ERDWV RU those taking pearl divers out to sea – the Gulf’s main source of income in the days before oil. These days the water remains just as much a cause for celebration, although increasingly as a means of demonstrating wealth, with grand superyachts that help its owners to relax or entertain. The Dubai International Boat Show (DIBS), held every spring and now in its 22nd year, is the place to see the very best of these, with the latest models from the biggest brands on display. Organised by the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), the 2014 event is being held from March 4-8,

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Some like it

yacht

Next month will see the region’s largest gathering of luxury yachts in Dubai for the city’s annual boat show, with plenty of visitors eager to make a purchase

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TRAVEL

in its usual location of the Dubai International Marine Club, next to Le Meridien Mina Seyahi. A company at the forefront will be ART Marine, which is also one of the show’s sponsors. Recently-appointed CEO Greg Stinner explains why this year’s event will be of particular importance for this 360-degree leisure marine enterprise, as well as the four brands it oversees. “It is a chance to showcase the new business model we have been working on, focusing on a high-end product for our client base of VIPs, celebrities, trendsetters and royalty,” he says. “Our spectrum is large enough to cater to every need, and we will demonstrate this in the models we are launching – our main focus is Riva, a name in the yachting industry on par with Rolls-Royce for automotive, and we will have a couple of examples there, from 27 up

Sunseeker will show its 80 Sport Yacht for the first time in the Middle East to 75 ft. The Ego Super 68 is the star of the Boat Show for us, and we will also have designs from our Itama, Custom Line and CRN brands.” For Stinner, this will be an exciting, busy time. “We are at the beginning of a new era in boatbuying terms,” he says. “It was stale for a couple of years, there was the economic crisis, and the yacht market wasn’t as popular as it should or could be. But in Dubai especially, it is a place where people are not afraid to show what they have – there are big spenders – and with the pre-owned market now - 86 -

exhausted, people are turning to new yachts once again where they can specify exactly what they want. But it isn’t bigger and better that is popular, it’s more about exclusivity, ZKLFK LV ZK\ ZH R̆HU QLFKH products, with high quality, and as we make them in low numbers they retain their value for longer.â€? A more buoyant market will no doubt please some of the show’s other exhibitors. Local boat builders Gulf Craft and Al Suwaidi Marine ZLOO ERWK EH SUHVHQW R̆HULQJ WKH latest models to emerge from their workshops, while other international names will include Sunseeker. )RU WKH ÂżUVW WLPH LQ WKH 0LGGOH East, Sunseeker will show its 80 Sport Yacht, designed for high performance and available with a number of engine options, with an elaborate stateroom and intimate guest cabins below deck. Its design - with large, hullside windows and full height sliding doors as part of the main saloon, where guests can dine in the open air or spread out and enjoy the sun - seems to follow a current trend in the market for helping passengers form a closer connection to the outside world, and of course the water. “People are asking for beach club-style areas at the rear, with swimming pools and all of the features you might expect,â€? adds Stinner. The world of boating has changed since the time of dhows and pearl divers, and can now see big sums changing hands in the hope of ÂżQGLQJ WKH SHUIHFW YHVVHO (YHQ LI you are not planning to buy, and curious to see what your money could get you, the best advice is to get on board. Dubai International Boat Show runs from March 4-8 at Dubai International Marine Club, next to Le Meridien Mina Seyahi. boatshowdubai.com - 87 -

LIFE LESSONS I was an interior designer for many years and, having always loved fashion, ZRXOG RIWHQ ¿QG ZRQGHUIXO pieces of vintage clothing and make them a gift to my interiors clients. After some years of being urged to do it more formally, when I wanted a fresh challenge in life I decided to throw my hat into the ring and that is really the genesis of WilliamVintage. I never had a mentor or teacher per se, but rather I’m a fashion nerd so it’s all selftaught.

WHAT I KNOW NOW

William Banks-Blaney Founder of WilliamVintage williamvintage.com

I think in any business, and particularly in retail, you have to make the process fun and friendly. As a vintage buyer I had grown annoyed by rather judgmental VDOHV VWD̆ or by vintage dealers with no grasp of making the process enjoyable for the client. I really think success is a happy customer. I strive to take business seriously but never myself, and I try to separate life from work a little more. However, when you are the founder of a company, you live it and, in my case, I’m obsessed by it; it’s a passion as well as a profession. My working life has always been varied, having been an art dealer, furniture

designer and now running WilliamVintage, so I’ve had the challenge of total change several times and I try to embrace it and learn from it. Since founding WilliamVintage there have been numerous challenges as the company has grown very organically, but very

quickly indeed. I think the key is knowing when you need to bring in the troops or acknowledge when you need to bring in skills you personally do not have. Nothing gives me a greater thrill than seeing someone carrying a WilliamVintage

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bag or hearing of someone that enjoys the company I started. I think a key to longevity is to accept that there will be a great deal of hard work, long hours and tough months, but you must never lose sight of the prize. Keep to your initial vision and hold on tight.

Discover Luxury

The largest selection of genuine 19th century French antiques in the region, 19th Century Antiques includes rare furniture, bronzes, paintings, clock sets, and vases of exceptional quality and taste.

JUMEIRAH EMIRATES TOWERS, BOULEVARD | DUBAI, UAE TEL: +971 4 3887000 FAX: +971 4 3887111 | WWW.19CENTURYANTIQUES.COM

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