AIR Gama Aviation Oct'14

Page 1

"PLUME DE CHANEL" RING AND JEWELLED HEADPIECE WHITE GOLD AND DIAMONDS

DUBAI MALL +971 4 382 7100/06 www.chanel.com

Piuma bed. Designed by Claudio Bellini. Made in Italy.

We all have the desire to dream. Natuzzi Italia gives shape to that desire, with a new collection of beds, bedroom accessories and bedlinen featuring our exclusive comfort and craftsmanship. Visit our stores and discover a world of dreams made real.

DREAMS THAT LIVE IN REALITY.

Natuzzi Store:

Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, Tel 04 3380777 Abu Dhabi Mall, Tel 02 6444048 Natuzzi Gallery: Dubai, Western Furniture, Tel 04 3377152

natuzzi.com

Dubai Mall | Dubai Marina Mall | Mall of the Emirates | Wafi | Gold Souk

AVAILABLE AT - BURJ AL ARAB, WAFI CITY, MALL OF EMIRATES, MINA A’SALAM, DUBAI MALL, ZABEEL LADIES CLUB, ZABEEL SARAY, JEBEL ALI GOLF RESORT AND SPA, LE MERIDIEN JUMEIRAH, JUMEIRAH BEACH HOTEL, ROYAL MIRAGE HOTEL, MADINAT JUMEIRAH, WWW.DAMASJEWELLERY.COM 04-4270336 FACEBOOK.COM/DAMASJEWELLERYARABIA DAMASJEWELLERY TWITTER.COM/DAMAS

CONTENTS / FEATURES

Managing Director Victoria Thatcher Editorial Director John Thatcher Business Development Director David Wade david@hotmediapublishing.com Editor Tracey Scott tracey@hotmediapublishing.com Deputy Editor Richard Jenkins richard@hotmediapublishing.com Features Editor Lara Brunt lara@hotmediapublishing.com Senior Designer Adam Sneade Designer Andy Knappett Illustrator Vanessa Arnaud Production Manager Chalitha Fernando

Sixty

Liv For The Moment

Senior Business Development Manager Rawan Chehab rawan@hotmediapublishing.com

The movie star talks about her switch to the small screen and her unusual family life.

Sixty Six

The Enfant Terrible Truman Capote was one of the world’s most controversial writers. AIR explores his literary legacy.

Seventy Six

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

The reinvention of George Foreman after losing to Ali in the greatest boxing match of all time.

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.

- 13 -

CONTENTS / REGUL ARS Twenty Two

Fifty Six

Radar

Interiors

Bettina remembered, a stylish travel bag and a book of boys’ toys.

Is Latvian design the new Nordic? AIR examines this stylish new region.

Thirty Four

Eighty Two

Art & Design

Motoring

Ai Weiwei curates an art exhibition while under house arrest in China.

Aston Martin reveals a new saloon exclusively for the Middle East.

Forty Four

Eighty Six

Timepieces

Gastronomy

Parmigiani’s 10 years of success with Bugatti, and up in the air with Breitling.

Paolo Sari on the world’s ¿UVW RUJDQLF 0LFKHOLQ starred restaurant.

Fifty Three

Ninety

Jewellery

Travel

)UDQFHVFD $P¿WKHDWURI is Tiffany’s newest and brightest jewel.

A luxury submarine has launched in the Caribbean, taking travel underwater.

- 14 -

Between the Finger Ring Captivating Flying Butterfly Ring, Mystery Set sapphires and diamonds.

Haute Joaillerie, place Vend么me since 1906

DUBAI: Dubai Mall +971 4 339 8001 - Mall of the Emirates +971 4 347 2487 ABU DHABI: Marina Mall +971 2 681 1121 - Etihad Towers + 971 2 681 1919 The Galleria, Al Maryah Island +971 2 643 2088 www.vancleefarpels.com

THE BRIDAL COLLECTION Constellation Setting

T H E G A L L E R I A S O W WA H S Q U A R E 0 2 - 6 7 4 3 6 6 6 W W W. G R A F F D I A M O N D S . C O M

GAMA AVIATION

October 2014

WELCOME ONBOARD

I’m delighted to welcome you to the October 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 RI¿FH 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 - 17 -

GAMA AVIATION NEWS

Gama On Course

Gama adds the King to its fleet Gama Aviation has expanded its charter Ă€HHW RIIHULQJ ZLWK WKH DGGLWLRQ RI D PXOWL role Beechcraft King Air 350C . The King Air 350C, is being offered by Gama Aviation for both utility and corporate use. It will be available in RQH RI IRXU RSWLRQDO FRQÂżJXUDWLRQV Executive, Commuter, Cargo and Medevac. The latest addition to the Gama $YLDWLRQ Ă€HHW ZLOO EH EDVHG DW WKH company’s landmark Glasgow Airport facility, which formally opened in November 2013. The aircraft is also expected to run regular charters to Europe out of Gama Aviation’s Farnborough Airport HQ. Paul Cremer, Commercial Manager, for Gama Aviation says: “We have received considerable interest for the aircraft in its cargo FRQÂżJXUDWLRQ DV FXUUHQWO\ WKHUH LV UHVWULFWHG DFFHVV WR DLUFUDIW RI WKLV VL]H for cargo and freight missions. We expect it to be very popular with existing clients as well as encouraging a new client base to work with us.â€? Owing to its intelligent GHVLJQ D PHGHYDF FRQÂżJXUDWLRQ LV DOVR quickly achievable and can be ready with in a short time of a request. Cremer adds “The double Lifeport facility in WKH 0HGHYDF FRQÂżJXUDWLRQ SURYLGHV \HW DQRWKHU RSWLRQ IRU WKLV Ă€H[LEOH SODWIRUP ´ In its Executive and Commuter formats, Cremer anticipates the aircraft will be in high demand from travellers seeking

easy access to the more remote parts of Scotland, for example, for either business or pleasure. With a range of up to QP LW DOVR SURYLGHV D FRVW HIÂżFLHQW transport mode for European charters only requiring a 1000 metre runway. 7KH DLUFUDIW MRLQV D YDULHG 8. Ă€HHW ZKLFK include types such as theChallenger 604, Learjet 45, a Gulfstream G550, and a Hawker 1000. Cremer adds, “Our mixed Ă€HHW PHDQV ZH FDQ IXOÂżOO D YDULHW\ RI clients’ mission requests. However, the addition of such a versatile aircraft brings an extra dimension to our offering and with the multi-use options we expect it to be popular across a number of sectors.â€? Gama Aviation already operates King Air aircraft on behalf of the Scottish Ambulance Service and this latest addition can also serve as an ad-hoc additional aircraft to support this or other emergency requirements. As a Beechcraft Authorised Service Centre providing maintenance for King $LU %DURQ DQG %RQDQ]D DLUFUDIW *DPD $YLDWLRQ ZLOO EHQHÂżW IURP EHLQJ DEOH WR maintain its own aircraft through its engineering and maintenance division. Paul Bristow, Engineering Director for Gama Aviation adds: “We have been involved with the King Air range of aircraft over the last 30 years, so it is ÂżWWLQJ WKDW ZH QRZ KDYH WKLV DLUFUDIW LQ RXU Ă€HHW :H DUH DOO ORRNLQJ IRUZDUG to the potential this aircraft brings.â€? - 18 -

Gama Aviation is supporting the Simpson Cup as a new sponsor of The Ryder Cup-style golf tournament sees teams of injured servicemen representing the UK and the USA competing for the SUL]H ,W LV WKH ÂżUVW WLPH an aviation company has supported the event, which is now in its third year and being held from October 5-8 at The Congressional Country Club, Bethesda, MD. All proceeds go to the On Course Foundation in the UK, and its sister Foundation in the USA, which uses golf to help injured service members and veterans recover physically and regain the FRQÂżGHQFH WR JHW EDFN WKHLU lives `back on course`. It provides them with opportunities to play and improve their skills and connects them with work experience and training opportunities within the golf industry. “Gama is delighted to support the valuable contribution the On Course Foundation makes to the recovery and future prospects of our service men and women who have given so much for our safety and security. This sponsoring demonstrates our commitment to the military community and aligns with our growth strategy in the military support services marketâ€?, said Duncan Daines, Gama’s Chief Marketing 2IÂżFHU

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

- 19 -

GAMA AVIATION NEWS

Gama Aviation opens private aviation terminal at Sharjah International Airport

G

ama Aviation has opened its exclusive executive terminal (FBO) at Sharjah International Airport, creating a full service private aviation hub serving Sharjah, Dubai and the Northern Emirates. The facility at Sharjah International Airport is already performing above its target for weekly movements as operators and owners seek to cut the transit time of principles and crew to the Northern Emirates. The new lounge facility complements Gama Aviation’s dedicated hangars, maintenance facilities and fuel services in Sharjah. Further development is to commence shortly with the construction of a new hangar which will incorporate an expanded

maintenance facility as well as a much needed increase in aircraft storage capacity. Although last month marked the ceremonial opening of the facility, the lounge has been fully operational since mid-June. Feedback from principles, their HQWRXUDJHV DQG ÀLJKW FUHZ KDV EHHQ ³LQFUHGLEOH´ according to Richard Lineveldt, General Manager at Gama Aviation MENA. He said: “We have a world-class product, with a great strategic location. Downtown Dubai is a mere 30 minutes away. We have few slot or airways restrictions, facilitated by our strong relationship with Sharjah Aviation Authority and Sharjah Department of Civil Aviation. This translates LQWR WDQJLEOH FOLHQW EHQH¿WV SDUWLFXODUO\ VSHHG DQG privacy that few others can match.” - 20 -

RADAR Bettina in Place Vendôme, Paris 1953 © Jean-Philippe Charbonnier/Gamma Rapho.

>In the 1940s and ‘50s, Bettina was one of the most photographed women in the world of couture. Muse to designers like Givenchy (whose first collection contained a blouse called the Bettina, named in her honour), Balmain and Dior, the siren was the subject of countless photographic sessions, many of which are represented at the exhibition Bettina, at Galleria Carla Sozzani in Milan, until November 2. galleriacarlasozzani.org

- 22 -

- 23 -

RADAR

> What do you get the man who has everything? A book about men who have everything. Luxury Toys For Men is a new hardback from teNeues that contains irresistible images of the most stunning cars, technology and boats on the planet. Each product, from Hermès yachts to limited edition motorcycles, is lovingly photographed and exhaustively detailed. teneues.com

> For autumn/winter, dunhill has released a range of handcrafted leather bags designed to make travelling a more pleasurable and luxurious experience. The Boston leather holdall uses fine grained tan calfskin and its design reflects the leather dashboards found in motorcars of the early 20th century. dunhill.com - 24 -

CRITIQUE

Film Gone Girl

Dir: David Fincher A tight missing-person whodunit based on Gillian Flynn’s hit novel. AT BEST: “Sharply made, perfectly cast and unfailingly absorbing.” Hollywood Reporter AT WORST: “Flynn instilled panic in the hearts of Gone Girl fans when she said she’d changed the ending ‘drastically’.” The Guardian

Men, Women & Children

Dir: Jason Reitman Adam Sandler stars as a browbeaten suburban father in a study of how the internet affects family life, often for the worse. AT BEST: “There isn’t a weak link among the actors, some of whom seem to be striving to do more.” Variety AT WORST: “Its scope is too big, his [Reitman’s] ambition too high.” The Guardian

One Chance

Dir: David Frankel James Corden stars as Paul Potts, a mobile phone salesman with an unlikely talent for singing opera. AT BEST: “Corden exudes a singular sweetness which does not pall.” The Telegraph AT WORST: “Directed with professionalism but no real personality.” Variety

Fury

Dir: David Ayer A labour of love for star Brad Pitt, Fury tells the story of a platoon of Allied tanks behind enemy lines at the end of WWII. AT BEST: “A relentlessly authentic portrayal.” New York Times AT WORST: “Ayer’s Fury screenplay looks as though it strays away from the facts, in order to stack the odds DJDLQVW WKH ¿OP¶V SURWDJRQLVWV ´ Screenrant.com - 27 -

CRITIQUE

Books You might think you know the law, having watched a few episodes of CSI or Law & Order – but unless you’re D ODZ HQIRUFHPHQW RIÂżFHU \RXUVHOI you won’t know it as well as a cop. New author Adam Plantinga takes his 13 years as sergeant with the San Francisco Police Department and pours every lesson he’s learned – all 400 of them – into his debut book, 400 Things Cops Know: Street-Smart lessons from a Veteran Patrolman. It’s endlessly engaging and answers many questions you may have wondered – like should you really put a severed limb on LFH LI \RX ÂżQG RQH RQ WKH VWUHHW" (This actually happened, and no you shouldn’t – it needs to be kept as dry as possible in order to be reattached.) Former policeman turned writer Peter Moskos was delighted with the honesty in the book, saying: “I couldn’t believe how good it was. I teach a lot of students ZKR ZDQW WR EHFRPH SROLFH RIÂżFHUV and I can’t think of any other single book that would so well prepare them for what the job is actually like.â€? Book critic Warren Bull says: “As a writer, my next manuscript ZLWK D SROLFH RIÂżFHU DV D FKDUDFWHU will be checked against this book to see if I have avoided the errors that pop up so frequently when the uninformed try to write about the uniformed.â€? Plantinga offers straightforward anecdotes that illustrate perfectly what life on the street for a policeman is like. From the relationships between beat cops and private investigators, to how long it really takes to get DNA results back from the laboratory (it’s not three days, more like six PRQWKV 3ODQWLQJDÂśV ÂżUVW ERRN LV D thrilling starting point. Goodreads says: “400 Things Cops Know deglamorizes police work, showing the gritty, stressful, sometimes disgusting reality of life on patrol, from the possibility of infection (criminals don’t always practice - 28 -

good hygiene) to the physical, and emotional toll of police work.â€? )DQV RI PRUH ÂżFWLRQDO DQG traditional storytelling, meanwhile, will be more inclined towards a brand-new novel featuring Agatha Christie’s most beloved creation, Hercule Poirot. Commissioned by the Christie estate, bestselling author Sophie Hannah, known for her taut psychological thrillers such as The Carrier, has bravely taken on the mantle of the “Queen of Crimeâ€? with this new tale, The Monogram Murders. Set in 1920s London, Poirot is called in to investigate a triple murder at a plush London hotel, where three guests have been found dead in their rooms, their bodies laid out identically, and each one having KDG D FXIĂ€LQN SODFHG LQ KLV RU KHU mouth bearing the monogram “PIJâ€?. One thing the critics all agree on is that the new novel will be a sales sensation. The Telegraph’s Jake Kerridge says: “Poirot purists will be in seventh heaven.â€? Hannah has done well to portray Poirot “exactly as Christie created him, with a vitality that recalls her very best novelsâ€?. Hannah’s ability to provide possible solutions throughout the novel, leaving only one that seems psychologically right for both killer and victims “mirrors Christie at her bestâ€?. He add: “It is a measure of Hannah’s skill that despite the LQKHUHQW DUWLÂżFLDOLW\ RI WKH IRUP she makes her characters seem like living, breathing people: especially a certain preposterous Belgian with an absurd moustacheâ€?. The Guardian’s Laura Thompson, however, feels Hannah’s Poirot “does all the right thingsâ€? yet he is, somehow, “oddly lifelessâ€?. The novel is a “complicated, vaguely old fashionedâ€? detective story, containing the diluted essence of Poirot. “The plot is ingenious, and the clues are reminiscent of Christie. What is not there, crucially, is her sublime simplicity.â€?

CRITIQUE

Theatre

The debate over Shakespeare’s most iconic work is one that scholars have argued for centuries. From the intricate deviations of Othello to the doomed romance of Romeo and Juliet, the Englishman’s work has been remastered and reworked countless times. However, it’s widely accepted that the tragedy of Hamlet is 6KDNHVSHDUHÂśV PRVW SRZHUIXO DQG LQĂ€XHQWLDO 7KH character is an absolute dream for an actor, taking in the rage, revenge and ultimate insanity that leads to his downfall. Or, in this case, her downfall. The titular character in the Royal Exchange Theatre’s tight and lean production is played by Maxine Peake, recently nominated for a BAFTA for her television work in The 9LOODJH 3HDNH UHWXUQV WR WKH VWDJH ZLWK D Ă€RXULVK 6LPRQ Tait of The Stage says that the performance is “another arrow in Manchester’s cultural quiverâ€?, and that the star presence of Peake can only mean good things for Manchester tourism. Tait also notes that Peake has a history with Hamlet, having played Ophelia in the play 12 years ago. As for the performance itself, The Other Bridge Project says that it is “fearless, personal and closer to the heart than possibly any other Hamlet I have seenâ€?. Running until October 25. Shakespeare doesn’t have the monopoly on historical performance. Mike Bartlett’s King Charles III, now running at London’s Wyndham Theatre, has grown in stature since its debut at the Almeida in April. The play touches on the loneliness and solitude that can be found at the very top end of monarchy, and covers WKH WLPH ZKHQ .LQJ &KDUOHV ,,, VHHV ÂżW WR UHIXVH UR\DO assent to a parliamentary bill restricting press freedom. While not being utterly convinced of the premise, The *XDUGLDQÂśV 0LFKDHO %LOOLQJWRQ ÂżQGV QR IDXOW ZLWK WKH SURGXFWLRQ +H ZULWHV Âł&KDUOHV UHĂ€HFWV RQ WKH FODVK between the private man and the public role in the

manner of Shakespeare’s kings, ghostly predictions remind us of Hamlet and Macbeth, and there is even an allusion to Hal’s rejection of Falstaff on the threshold of his coronation. But the play transcends spot-the-bard jokiness to explore the unresolved contradictions of monarchy even in an age when it is largely ceremonial.â€? London’s Evening Standard, meanwhile, praises lead DFWRU 7LP 3LJRWW 6PLWK VD\LQJ Âł7KDW ÂżQH DQG PRYLQJ actor Pigott-Smith suggests a man who has spent too long in the wings watching, worrying and waiting for power and is over-eager to make his mark. There are FRQÂżGHQW SHUIRUPDQFHV DOO URXQG LQ 5XSHUW *RROGÂśV stylish production, not least from James’s dynamically front-foot PM. This is undoubtedly one of the most stimulating plays of the year.â€? Running until November 29. More stardust sprinkles down upon New York’s Broadway in You Can’t Take It With You, which is running at the Longacre Theatre. Tony, Emmy and Golden Glove winner James Earl Jones makes his return to the stage in a touching and comedic play by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman. He’s supported by big names Rose Byrne, Kristine Neilsen and Byron Jennings in a storyline that on the surface sounds like a typical boy-meets-girl plot, but is thrown off course by the addition of one very unconventional family crossing paths with a family beset by unhappiness. 7KH SOD\ ZDV ÂżUVW UXQ DV IDU EDFN DV ZKHQ LW ZRQ the Pulitzer Prize, and the new performance aims for VLPLODU KHLJKWV 5RVH %\UQH WROG 5HXWHUV DERXW KHU ÂżUVW Broadway appearance: “It just felt really right. It’s a period piece. It’s a classic, beloved play that hasn’t been done in since the ‘80s. The themes and the sentiments behind it are still relevant and kind of radical.â€? Running until January 4.

- 30 -

Art

doubt, and Dorment says he would be “very careful about suggesting old age as the cause of a picture’s success London’s Tate Britain has two or failure because Turner had hits exhibitions dedicated to 19thand misses at every period in his century British landscape painter careerâ€?. The Evening Standard’s J.M.W. Turner, who was known for his technical brilliance and startling Ben Luke says it is a “startlingly beautifulâ€? show and “the best of the use of light and colour. Late Turner very many Turner shows I’ve seenâ€?. – Painting Set Free is devoted to his The highlight is the display of 10 work from 1835 until his death in D SHULRG ZKHQ KH SURGXFHG ÂżQH of Turner’s experimental square canvases, which “spot-lit and shown paintings, although many were met with derision by conservative critics on deep indigo walls in a darkened room, they glow spectacularly, in their time, labelled specimens of with Turner’s vivid colour and a “slapdash schoolâ€? and evidence daring brushwork at their most of “a diseased eye and reckless exhilaratingâ€?. Running concurrently handâ€?. While Turner’s advancing is Olafur Eliasson’s Turner Colour age undoubtedly affected his later Experiments. Inspired by the Colour paintings, Richard Dorment of the Wheel, the Danish-Icelandic artist Telegraph says the question to ask has made a new series of paintings as you walk through this ambitious in response to the work of Turner. show is “at what point that physical The Telegraph’s Mark Hudson says deterioration can be detected and “it would have been interesting to how that affects our understanding see Turner’s originals displayed of his work?â€?. A tricky subject, no - 32 -

beside Eliasson’s interpretations, but that might have made this an academic rather than an imaginative exercise�. These works require concentration, “but they make you realise how much of our experience of colour remains unconscious�. On show until January 25. In New York, meanwhile, the Guggenheim has a new exhibition of the work of Vasily Kandinsky. While the Russian-born painter is credited as one of the founders of pure abstraction in painting in the early 20th century, the exhibition deals with his earlier works. The 16 paintings and woodcut prints in Kandinsky Before Abstraction: 1901–1911, highlight the decade during which he began testing the boundaries of his aesthetic credo and barreling towards the heady realm of pure abstraction. Margaret Graham of Art Critical says the small show “offers an intimate, insightful glance� at the more formative years of this celebrated artist’s career. “Although the low ceiling, low lights, and somewhat disjointed hanging scheme do not quite do them justice�, the works themselves are “a joy to behold: not only are they lovely and challenging, but they reveal a great mind on the verge of genius� who “would change the face of art and the modern paradigm forever after.� The New Criterion’s Brendan Dooley agrees the show is “worthy of attention and consideration�. While the earliest works on show “look like the work of a somewhat skilled amateur – very far removed from what most people think of Kandinsky�, they do not prepare you for the second half of the exhibition, paintings from 19081911 including a brilliant selection of smaller landscapes and two large canvases. The main shortcoming of the exhibition, however, is that “it never really explains how or why Kandinsky made such extraordinary leap� from the capable but unremarkable early paintings to the fantastic works he produced from 1908 onwards. On show until March 31.

You can seek the help of one doctor.

Or you can turn to Mayo Clinic.

At Mayo Clinic, a team of experts works together for you. No wonder Mayo Clinic’s collective knowledge and innovative treatments have been a shining light to millions around the world. Visit mayoclinic.org or mayoclinic.org/arabic to learn more.

ROCHE STE R, M I N NE SOTA, U SA

| P HOE NI X /SCOTTSDALE , ARI ZONA, U SA |

JACK SONVI LLE , FLORIDA, U SA

ART & DESIGN

Art in absentia Words: Lara Brunt

- 34 -

Unable to leave his homeland, Ai Weiwei has collaborated on a major new exhibition of his work. AIR chats to curator Michael Frahm about the challenges they faced

H

ow do you curate an art exhibition when your subject is under house DUUHVW PLOHV DZD\" 7KDWÂśV exactly the challenge Michael Frahm, director of the Blenheim Art Foundation in England, faced when creating the inaugural contemporary art exhibition at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, England. Opening on October 1, Ai Weiwei at Blenheim Palace will showcase PRUH WKDQ DUWZRUNV SURGXFHG E\ the Chinese artist and activist, who remains unable to leave China more than three-and-a-half years since he ZDV ÂżUVW DUUHVWHG Âł7KH ÂżUVW WLPH , YLVLWHG :HLZHL in Beijing was a decade ago and since then I have been going back to see him on a regular basis as we have been building our friendship,â€? says Frahm. “For this exhibition I spent a lot of time in China and the

experience of visiting Weiwei is H[DFWO\ WKH VDPH DV WKH ÂżUVW WLPH I saw him. I am always moved by his calm presence and intriguing ability to challenge conventions in H[WUHPHO\ GLIÂżFXOW FLUFXPVWDQFHV ´ Despite Weiwei never having set foot in the 18th-century country pile of the Duke of Marlborough, the parties have still managed to curate the largest exhibition to date of the artist’s work in the UK. Frahm says continuous communication, and a bit of technical ingenuity, was the key. “We worked very closely with him to provide a visual representation of Blenheim Palace and the spaces we are working with,â€? explains Frahm. “This was done through extensive documentation, including laser scans and elevation plans of the entire palace.â€? Featuring early photography dating to Weiwei’s time spent in New York in the 1980s through to QHZ VLWH VSHFLÂżF ZRUNV FRQFHLYHG in China especially for the World Heritage-listed palace and its grounds, the show will allow visitors to experience the breadth of the artist’s career. “We believe that Ai Weiwei is one of the most important DQG LQĂ€XHQWLDO DUWLVWV ZRUNLQJ WRGD\ and strongly believe that he will hold D VLJQLÂżFDQW SODFH LQ WKH KLVWRU\ RI contemporary art. He is an artist with many dimensions touching people from all walks of life and his relevance today is stronger than ever,â€? says Frahm. Seminal artworks on display include Marble Surveillance

- 35 -

Camera (2010), a poignant reminder of Weiwei’s current situation, and Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads: Gold (2010), the artist’s reinterpretation of the legendary bronze zodiac head statues that once surrounded the fountainclock at Emperor Yuanming Yuan’s Beijing imperial retreat. “The idea with the exhibition has very much been to integrate Weiwei’s works seamlessly into Blenheim Palace, juxtaposing the historical and the contemporary,â€? he says. ,W LV WKH ÂżUVW WLPH WKDW D PDMRU contemporary art exhibition has been presented in the historic building. “Weiwei has been extremely mindful of the surroundings that he is working in, and the history of the palace has added another element to the works exhibited there,â€? continues Frahm. “His new work Soft Ground (Great Hall) for example, a siteVSHFLÂżF FDUSHW PHDVXULQJ FP by 200cm, will be displayed in the *UHDW +DOO ZKLFK LV D PDJQLÂżFHQW room with a ceiling painted by James Thornill; the painting depicts WKH SDODFHÂśV RULJLQDO RZQHU WKH ÂżUVW Duke of Marlborough, presenting his battle plans to Britannia.â€? 'HVSLWH WKH GLIÂżFXOW FRQGLWLRQV facing the Chinese artist, Frahm is hopeful that he will one day welcome Weiwei to the stately home. “We would of course love to share the experience of the exhibition with Weiwei in person, so yes, I remain hopeful that he will be able to come and stay with us,â€? he says.

ART & DESIGN

)LOP LQ WKH 0LGGOH (DVW DQG 1RUWK $IULFD KDV QHYHU EHHQ PRUH SRZHUIXO LQĂ€XHQWLDO RU UHVSHFWHG $KHDG RI WKLV PRQWKÂśV $EX 'KDEL )LOP )HVWLYDO $,5 H[SORUHV the upward trajectory of Emirati cinema

A

merica has Hollywood. India has Bollywood. The UK had Ealing Studios, and Italy had its Cinecittà . So many different parts of the world, so many famous movie studios. But ZKHUH DUH WKH 0LGGOH (DVWHUQ ¿OPV" When will this part of the world, already making such a name for itself in the worlds of fashion and gastronomy, begin to compete worldwide with the quality of its FLQHPD" $FFRUGLQJ WR PDQ\ WKDW WLPH LV QRZ 7KH $EX Dhabi Film Festival, now in its eighth year, falls this year on October 23, and is a glittering showcase for the YLEUDQW DQG HPHUJLQJ ¿OP FXOWXUH IRXQG LQ WKH UHJLRQ 7KLV \HDUœV IHVWLYDO ZLOO EH RSHQHG E\ $OL ) 0RVWDIDœV VHFRQG IHDWXUH OHQJWK PRYLH $ WR % – WKH ¿UVW WLPH D ORFDOO\ SURGXFHG ¿OP KDV RSHQHG WKH IHVWLYDO With an Emirati father and English mother, 32-yearROG 0RVWDID JUHZ XS LQ WKH 8$( ZLWK D ORYH RI FLQHPD $V VRRQ DV KH ZDV DEOH KH HQUROOHG DW WKH /RQGRQ )LOP 6FKRRO LQ RUGHU WR JDLQ D 0DVWHUV GHJUHH LQ ¿OPPDNLQJ In 2009, he released the biggest cinema achievement RI KLV OLIH DQG RI WKH 8$( ¿OP VFHQH DV D ZKROH &LW\ RI /LIH D FKDUDFWHU VWXG\ VHW LQ 'XEDL WKDW ZRQ SUDLVH for the way it tied the kaleidoscope of social life into an DFFHVVLEOH DQG KXPDQ PRYLH 0RVWDID WHOOV $,5 DERXW PDNLQJ WKH ¿OP ³7KDW ZDV D IRXU \HDU VWUXJJOH $IWHU JUDGXDWLQJ IURP ¿OP VFKRRO , ZRUNHG P\ ZD\ XS LQ WKH

FRPPHUFLDO LQGXVWU\ EHFDXVH WKDWœV DOO ZH KDG LQ WKH 8$( ¹ ZH GLGQœW UHDOO\ KDYH IHDWXUH ¿OPV $OWKRXJK WKH\ ZHUH EHLQJ PDGH LQ (J\SW RU /HEDQRQ ZH GLGQœW UHDOO\ KDYH DQ\ IHDWXUH ¿OPV EHLQJ VKRZQ WKHDWULFDOO\ 7KDW KDG DOZD\V been a dream of mine, so when I established myself as a commercial director, I told myself it was time to take that next step.� &LW\ RI /LIH ZDV D VWUXJJOH WR PDNH EHFDXVH LQ WKH PLG V WKH ¿OP FXOWXUH LQ 'XEDL VLPSO\ ZDVQœW VHW XS IRU

‘Without City of Life, the industry here would be three or four years behind’ SURGXFWLRQ RI IHDWXUH ÂżOPV 0RVWDID VD\V Âł)LQDQFLQJ ZDV a huge struggle. But the good thing about this country is that people might not know a lot about investing in ÂżOPV EXW WKH\ GR NQRZ DGYHUWLVLQJ <RX FDQ GULYH HYHU\ two metres and see a billboard the size of a building. So I approached it in that way, that brand placement and SURGXFW SODFHPHQW LV D GLIIHUHQW IRUP RI DGYHUWLVLQJ $QG , managed to actually raise about 30 per cent of the City of /LIH EXGJHW WKURXJK SURGXFW SODFHPHQW 7KDW WRRN DERXW D year. Eventually we had an investor that got involved, and ZH VWDUWHG PDNLQJ &LW\ RI /LIH ,W ZDV GHÂżQLWHO\ D ÂżOP WKDW really made a difference for me, and I’m very proud to say made a difference to the industry here. It really helped

- 36 -

0,''/( ($67(51 3520,6( Words: RICHARD JENKINS

ART & DESIGN

Clockwise from left: Ali F. Mostafa; ADFF director Ali Al -DEUL 7KH ÂżOPLQJ RI &LW\ RI /LIH 7LOGD 6ZLQWRQ DW $')) 0RYLH VWLOO IURP $OL ) 0RVWDIDÂśV QHZ ÂżOP $ WR %

moved things a lot quicker. I feel that without City of /LIH WKH LQGXVWU\ KHUH ZRXOG EH DERXW WKUHH RU IRXU years behind.â€? )XQGLQJ LV RQH RI WKH GLIÂżFXOWLHV WKDW IDFH DQ\ ÂżOPPDNHU ,PDJLQH DOO WKH XQWROG VWRULHV ORFNHG LQ laptops around the world simply because the writer GRHVQÂśW KDYH WKH IDFLOLWLHV WR JHW WKH ÂżOP PDGH ,Q $EX 'KDEL )LOP )HVWLYDOÂśV IXQGLQJ DUP 6$1$' ZKLFK LV WKH $UDELF ZRUG IRU ÂľVXSSRUWÂś DOORWWHG 86 LQ JUDQWV WR ÂżOPPDNHUV OLNH +LQHU 6DOHHP ZKRVH ÂżOP 0\ 6ZHHW 3HSSHU /DQG ZDV LQFOXGHG LQ WKH Âľ8Q &HUWDLQ 5HJDUGÂś FDWHJRU\ DW &DQQHV WKDW \HDU 0RVWDID ZKR SURGXFHG KLV ÂżUVW PRYLH LQGHSHQGHQWO\ VD\V KH GLGQÂśW JHW DQ\ VXSSRUW IURP 6$1$' IRU RQH UHDVRQ LW GLGQÂśW H[LVW DW WKH WLPH Âł:KHQ , ZDV UDLVLQJ PRQH\ LW ZDV RQ WKH FXVS RI WKH ÂżQDQFLDO FULVLV ´ VD\V WKH GLUHFWRU Âł:H ZHUH WKDW FORVH WR QRW PDNLQJ LW KDSSHQ , ZLVK LQVWLWXWLRQV OLNH WZRIRXU DQG 6$1$' ZHUH DURXQG DW

the time but they did not exist. When I say we helped the industry, I mean it in several ways. Not least censorship. &LW\ RI /LIH ZHQW WKURXJK VR PXFK WR DFWXDOO\ JHW WKH VFULSW DSSURYHG 7R SXW LW LQWR SHUVSHFWLYH &LW\ RI /LIHÂśV script took me eight or nine months to even get semiDSSURYHG $ WR % WRRN PH OHVV WKDQ D ZHHN %HFDXVH WKH VWXII SRUWUD\HG LQ &LW\ RI /LIH ZDV VR QHZ WR WKH JHQHUDO public, nobody knew how to react. So when I say we helped the industry, a lot of these things didn’t exist SUH &LW\ RI /LIH $QG KRSHIXOO\ WKLV ZLOO PDNH LW HDVLHU IRU WKH ÂżOP LQGXVWU\ WR JURZ ´ 7KH $EX 'KDEL )LOP )HVWLYDO LV MXVW RQH VXFK VKRZFDVH in the region. The eleventh edition of the Dubai International Film Festival takes place in December, DQG DOVR VKRZV RII WKH H[SDQGLQJ KRUL]RQV RI *XOI ÂżOP from student-made shorts to feature length movies from GLIIHUHQW SDUWV RI WKH UHJLRQ LQFOXGLQJ WKH 8$( .XZDLW ,UDT DQG 6DXGL $UDELD )DU IURP EHLQJ ULYDOV 'XEDL DQG - 38 -

$EX 'KDEL¶V ¿OP IHVWLYDOV ZRUN WRJHWKHU DQG XQLWHG HDUOLHU WKLV \HDU WR SURPRWH WKH HPHUJLQJ 8$( ¿OP LQGXVWU\ DW &DQQHV $OL $O -DEUL GLUHFWRU RI $EX 'KDEL )LOP )HVWLYDO VD\V ³&DQQHV LV DQ H[FHOOHQW SODWIRUP WR EXLOG DZDUHQHVV RI ZKDW LV KDSSHQLQJ LQ WKH 8$( DQG by working together we can show that the emergence of D UHJLRQDO PHGLD DQG HQWHUWDLQPHQW KXE LQ WKH 8$( LV not just an idea – it’s already happening. We take pride in highlighting to the world that our leadership and the entire country are behind our talent and production, WKURXJK WKH 8$( 3DYLOLRQ &DQQHV LV D JUHDW RSSRUWXQLW\ IRU DXGLHQFHV WR H[SHULHQFH $UDE )LOPV ´ So why is Middle Eastern cinema becoming so SRSXODU" $V ZLWK ¿OP LQ PDQ\ DUHDV WKH SUROLIHUDWLRQ RI WHFKQRORJ\ LV SDUW RI WKH DQVZHU $OPRVW DQ\RQH FDQ JHW access to professional standard recording equipment, DQG HGXFDWLRQ LQ ¿OP LV DOVR LQFUHDVLQJ LQ SRSXODULW\ 7KH 0DQKDWWDQ )LOP $FDGHP\ LQ 'XEDL DQG WKH 1HZ

<RUN )LOP $FDGHP\ LQ $EX 'KDEL DUH MXVW WZR RI PDQ\ GHGLFDWHG FHQWUHV RI OHDUQLQJ DERXW ¿OP PHDQLQJ WKDW DVSLULQJ GLUHFWRUV GR QRW KDYH WR WUDYHO WR /RQGRQ RU 1HZ <RUN WR DWWHQG D KLJK OHYHO ¿OP VFKRRO :KDW ZLOO WKH QH[W ¿YH \HDUV EULQJ IRU ¿OP LQ WKH 0LGGOH (DVW" :RUOGZLGH IDPH DQG UHFRJQLWLRQ" $OL ) Mostafa’s answer is an impassioned monologue about WKH SRVVLEOH IXWXUH IRU KLV DQG KLV SHHUV¶ ZRUN +H VD\V ³6RPH RI WKH ¿OPV ZH KDYH EHHQ IDFLOLWDWLQJ KHUH DUH incredible, and this is just the start, this is the beginning of what we can achieve. From Hollywood to Bollywood, they’re starting to realise this. The more this industry grows, the better we’ll become, the better facilities and infrastructure we’ll have. The Film Commission over here has grown. We’ll have sound stages of the highest quality. I predict that this part of the world, from Dubai, WR $EX 'KDEL WR HYHQ 'RKD ZLOO EH WKH SRZHUKRXVHV RI WKH ¿OP LQGXVWU\ YHU\ VRRQ ´

- 39 -

ART & DESIGN

H

UBERT’S OUSE

The first retrospective of Hubert de Givenchy’s work shows how the art world influenced some of his most celebrated designs

T

here are numerous exhibitions devoted to the world of haute couture, but a new display opening this month at the Museum Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid, Spain, has an ace up its sleeve. Its curator is none other than its focus, fashion legend Hubert de Givenchy. Since founding his own fashion house in Paris in 1952, the French designer’s collections have enjoyed continuous success; even after the man himself retired in 1996. Inspired by the work of Cristóbal BalenciDJD *LYHQFK\œV FORWKHV DUH GH¿QHG E\ SXULW\ of lines and volume, and his gowns have dressed some of the most iconic personalities of the 20th century, including the Duchess of Windsor, Caroline of Monaco and, of course, his muse Audrey Hepburn. A special section of the exhibition will be devoted to the creative friendship between the designer and the

actress, who wore Givenchy in Sabrina and Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Givenchy was also an avid collector of art, and has amassed a stunning collection of paintings from the 17th, 18th and 20th centuries. He frequently acknowledged the LQÀXHQFH RI SDLQWLQJ LQ KLV ZRUN ZKLFK is evident in the fact that his creations combine the elegance of haute couture with the daredevil spirit of avant-garde art. The colouring and lines of his sketches point to a GHVLJQHU WKDW SXWV WKH GHVLJQ ¿UVW Over the last half-century, Givenchy has SLRQHHUHG PDQ\ WKLQJV )URP EHLQJ WKH ¿UVW designer to launch a luxury prêt-à -porter line to understanding the power of celebrity association, it’s thrilling to see that even at the age of 87, this doyen of design can still surprise the world. Hubert de Givenchy runs from October 22 to January 18, 2015; museothyssen.org.

- 40 -

- 41 -

ART & DESIGN

This piece, a tube evening dress of black charmeuse satin, embroidered with small diamonds on wide black velvet shoulder pads, represents Givenchy muse Audrey Hepburn’s love of simple black dresses.

- 42 -

Givenchy’s penchant for art gave him extra insight into the female form. His modern, ladylike styles earned him many loyal clients. Even in a blockbuster dress such as this, the cleanliness of the design is evident.

- 43 -

TIMEPIECES

Words: RICHARD JENKINS

A Very

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY Parmigiani Fleurier celebrates 10 years of partnership with Bugatti by unveiling limited edition timepieces

D

aring, elegant and with the utmost respect for design. Do those words describe car manufacturer Bugatti, or timepiece pioneer Parmigiani Fleurier? The answer is both, ZKLFK LV ZK\ ZKHQ WKH DXWRPRWLYH ¿UP ZDV ORRNLQJ IRU a horological partnership 10 years ago, it landed on the 6ZLVV ZDWFKPDNHU DIWHU DQ H[KDXVWLYH VHDUFK 7KH FRPSDQLHV ¿UVW EHJDQ GLVFXVVLRQV DV IDU EDFN as 2001, when the Molsheim-based car manufacturer ZDV ORRNLQJ WR EXLOG D VWURQJ SDUWQHUVKLS ZLWK D ZDWFK FRPSDQ\ WKDW IXO¿OOHG WKH SUHFLVH FULWHULD LW ZDV ORRNLQJ for – the aforementioned daring design, technical

H[FHOOHQFH DQG D ÀDLU IRU WKH XQH[SHFWHG 7KH SDUWQHUVKLS ZDV ¿QDOLVHG LQ DQG WKH WLPH had come for Michel Parmigiani to begin creating. When he visited Bugatti’s manufacturing facility in 0ROVKHLP IRU WKH ¿UVW WLPH KH ZDV VKRZQ WKH %XJDWWL 9H\URQ :KDW VWUXFN WKH ZDWFKPDNHU ZDV WKDW the car is essentially one immense engine – an eightlitre, quad-turbocharged W16 cylinder engine, at that – which had a car wrapped around it. Everything that IROORZHG IURP WKH VQRXW OLNH JULOOH WKH JOLWWHULQJ DOOR\ ZKHHOV WKRVH VFRRSV LQ WKH GRRU WR WKDW ÀDSS\ VSRLOHU FDPH DIWHUZDUGV 3DUPLJLDQL WRRN LQVSLUDWLRQ IURP WKLV imposing automobile and decided that his watch would EH DQ HQJLQH EORFN ¿UVW DQG D ZDWFK VHFRQG ¹ H[DFWO\

- 44 -

WKH NLQG RI EROG FUHDWLYLW\ WKDW %XJDWWL ZDV ORRNLQJ IRU With this fundamental design ideology in place, WKH UHVW RI WKH ZDWFK EHJDQ WR WDNH VKDSH \HDUV RI ZDWFKPDNLQJ FRQYHQWLRQV ZHQW RXW WKH ZLQGRZ DV Parmigiani Fleurier assembled the main plates and gears of an immense movement along a horizontal UDWKHU WKDQ YHUWLFDO D[LV WKDW ZRXOG JR RQ WR EHFRPH the “Bugatti Type 370â€?. What resulted was a movement ZRUQ OLNH DQ HQJLQH EORFN RQ WKH ZULVW ZLWK WKH WLPH displayed laterally. This would allow racing drivers, with WKHLU KDQGV ÂżUPO\ SODQWHG RQ WKH VWHHULQJ ZKHHO WR VHH the time clearly without having to adjust their driving position. For 10 years, this car reborn as a watch astounded owners, and this year Parmigiani Fleurier revisited the timepiece by unveiling three limited editions to celebrate a decade of partnership with Bugatti. The three new editions are the Bugatti Mythe, the Bugatti Victoire and the Bugatti RĂŠvĂŠlation. The three pieces

‘The movement is as refined as the exterior, using the PF370 calibre’ share an aesthetic that moves away from the futuristic VSLULW RI WKH HDUO\ %XJDWWL FUHDWLRQV DQG EDFN WRZDUGV the artisan’s traditional techniques. It could be said that ZKHUH WKH 7\SH ZDV D ZDWFK EXLOW WR UHĂ€HFW %XJDWWLÂśV YLVLRQ WKH QHZ YHUVLRQV DUH ZDWFKHV WKDW H[SUHVV WKH aesthetic of Parmigiani Fleurier. 7KH ÂżUVW RI WKH $QQLYHUVDU\ (GLWLRQ WLPHSLHFHV LV the Bugatti Mythe, which is based on an emblematic %XJDWWL FRPSRQHQW WKH OHJHQGDU\ 7\SH JULOOH 7KH lined structure of the grille was found on the very ÂżUVW %XJDWWL FDUV DQG LV UHSOLFDWHG LQ WKH ZDWFK GLDO H[SDQGLQJ GRZQZDUG EH\RQG LWV SHULPHWHU LQ D FODVVLF art deco style. The dual-colour effect represents the marriage of industrial and artisan traditions in both WKH ZDWFKPDNLQJ DQG DXWRPRWLYH ZRUOGV WKH PRWWOHG anthracite grey surface reinforces the industrial DSSHDUDQFH DQG WKH EXUQLVKHG JROG UHĂ€HFWV WKH UHÂżQHG OX[XULRXV DQG DUWLVDQ VLGH 7KH PRYHPHQW LV DV UHÂżQHG DV WKH H[WHULRU 8VLQJ WKH 3) FDOLEUH MHZHOV DQG FRPSRQHQWV SURYLGH KRXUV DQG PLQXWHV IXQFWLRQV with the power reserve indicator engraved on the drum. Parmigiani’s tradition of using precious metals is intact, with the dial made up of rose gold and ruthenium. $V FROOHFWRUV DZDLW WKH 9LFWRLUH DQG 5pYpODWLRQ Editions, the world waits to see what Bugatti – and 3DUPLJLDQL )OHXULHU Âą ZLOO FRPH XS ZLWK QH[W

- 45 -

TIMEPIECES

TARIQ MALIK

TO DIVE FOR

How the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms became a prized collectable In 1953, Blancpain became the first watch manufacturer to create a commercially available diving watch (yes, a full year before Rolex officially launched the Submariner). The history and variations of this watch have created a dedicated fan following. The Fifty Fathoms defined the requirements of the modern diving watch, and preceded ISO 6425 (modern diving watch standards) by nearly 40 years. In the wake of WWII, Captain Maloubier and Lieutenant Riffaud, two heroes of the war, were tasked by the French military to create an elite combat diving group, also known as Frogmen. A precise and reliable watch was critical to accurately accomplish their mission. Unable to find any suitable watch on the market, Maloubier drew up a list of detailed specifications. In approaching various watch executives, his request was refused. Finally, he got in touch with Jean-Jacques Fiechter, Blancpain’s CEO from 1950 till 1980. Fiechter was passionate about watches and diving; so the idea of developing a diving watch for the French Navy was a challenge he accepted with excitement. The key requirements for the watch were an exact measurement of the

time of a dive, perfect legibility of the dial under all circumstances, and robust construction to ensure reliability. Maloubier described some of the key design features that he needed, “a black dial, bold large numerals and clear markings… a rotatable exterior bezel…” He also said: “We wanted at the start of the dive to be able to set the bezel opposite the large minute hand in order to mark the time. We wanted each of the markings to shine like a star for a shepherd.” Fiechter, a diver himself, realised that the bezel should be uni-directional in order to avoid a diver unintentionally adjusting the bezel and thereby extending the duration of the dive. The Fifty Fathoms was the first diving watch to use a rotatable bezel. Blancpain created a double O-ring on the crown to ensure appropriate water resistance. Fiechter also realised that a manually-wound movement would cause wear on the crown, so an automatic movement was used – this also being covered by a solid case to provide an antimagnetic frame as much of the military equipment used would create strong magnetic fields. Blancpain added a final touch; a humidity indicator in the shape of a small circle at six o’clock. If the case were dry, it would show blue; if water entered, it would turn pink. And at a size of 42mm, this was a far larger watch than most on the market at 32mm-36mm. The French Navy sourced all diving equipment through Spirotechnique, a business located in Paris. Jacques Cousteau also purchased his equipment from Spirotechnique, and the Fifty Fathoms made

- 47 -

an appearance in his Oscar awardwinning film, The Silent World. In addition to the French, other navies chose to use the Fifty Fathoms, most famously the U.S. Navy. During the time, there was a pricing benefit for American-made products. Blancpain partnered with Allen Tornek to sell products under two names, ‘Blancpain Tornek’ and ‘Rayville Tornek’. It is estimated that 1,000 watches were made for the U.S. Navy, with many of them destroyed after decommissioning, making these some of the most rare and collectable of the Fifty Fathoms. When considering any modern diving watch, you can easily find signs of the innovation brought about through the creation of the Fifty Fathoms. In over 50 years of production, nearly 50 different variations of the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms have been released, making this one of the most collectable of vintage watch models. Tariq Malik is co-founder of Momentum, the UAE’s first and only vintage watch boutique. momentum-dubai.com

AIR PROMOTION

THE LAWS OF

PERSPECTIVE

The Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle 14-day tourbillon openworked represents the pinnacle of watch design

- 48 -

W

atchmaking is a thrilling blend of the past and the future, of the marriage between ancient traditions and inspiring modernisations. Vacheron Constantin illustrates an unexpected encounter between tradition and modernity in its Traditionnelle 14-day tourbillon openworked model, the company’s latest milestone in its illustrious history of haute horlogerie. $OWKRXJK WKH ¿UVW WRXUELOORQ LQ watchmaking circles appeared in 1801, the ability to develop and craft this complication in-house has only been mastered by an extremely rare circle of manufacturers. One that is also openworked, and also endowed ZLWK D GD\ SRZHU UHVHUYH QDUURZV WKH ¿HOG to pretty much one watchmaker – Vacheron Constantin. In order to create items of such beauty, the artisans must be prepared to fail, fail and fail again before perfecting the measurements needed. The openworking, although stemming from purely aesthetic considerations, makes each stage of production doubly complex compared to a solid calibre. The operations, which take the masters at Vacheron Constantin months to prepare, require nimble ¿QJHUV DQG LQ¿QLWH SDWLHQFH 7KH &DOLEUH SQ found inside the Traditionnelle 14-day tourbillon openworked is no different in ethos WR DQ\ RWKHU SURGXFHG LQ WKH FRPSDQ\œV year history. Everything begins with a lengthy consideration of the movement that is to be openworked, in order to best reveal its inner beauty. The balance of how best to lay out these internal jigsaws to maximise visibility within, while still remaining readable, LV ZKHUH WKH \HDU H[SHULHQFH RI WKH Manufacture Vacheron Constantin’s master watchmakers is utilised to its fullest, achieving a subtle equilibrium between keeping the material as hollow as possible while ensuring the pure functionality of the calibre. Once the balance between form and function has been found, the artisans take over. The mainplate, bridges, barrel and other mechanical parts are pored over by practised ¿QJHUV WKDW SROLVK FKDPIHU DQG HQJUDYH until each piece is the physical embodiment of perfection. Assembling an openworked calibre is a particularly complex task. Each of the hundreds of parts must be retouched again and again until the interaction

EHWZHHQ WKHP DOO LV PHFKDQLFDOO\ ÀDZOHVV The watchmaker must also ensure that no dust is allowed to settle in the hollowed-out surface of the interior. Finally, the movement is cased up in precious platinum. The openworking is a double-edged sword – it allows the proud display of the inside of the calibre, but increases the pressure to ensure that everything on display is at the required standard. The Traditionnelle 14-day tourbillon openworked model takes all of this painstaking tradition and modernises it effortlessly. Dispensing with a central dial, the watch instead features an elegant slate-grey ring around its inner rim, graced with white gold hour markers. The tourbillon carriage at six o’clock spins over a Maltese Cross, sweeping the small seconds hand in its wake. Delving deeper into the watch, the Gothicinspired ribbed vaults, disrupting lines and destructuring curves add up to create a threedimensional construction of the calibre, where light and structure, depth and height joyfully intermingle. The contrasts between the matt DQG SROLVKHG ¿QLVKHV LQIXVH WKH PRGHO ZLWK D unique radiance. 7KH ¿QDO VWHS EHIRUH DOORZLQJ WKH ZDWFK WR market is to stamp the prestigious Hallmark of Geneva, the highest benchmark of Fine Watchmaking testifying to the quality, craftsmanship and reliability of an exceptional WLPHSLHFH EXLOW ZLWKLQ WKH FRQ¿QHV RI &DQWRQ Geneva, seamlessly combining the crafts of the past with the designs of the future. - 49 -

TIMEPIECES

Air Time Richard Jenkins joins Breitling as the Chronomat celebrates its 30th birthday, 35,000 feet in the air – where else?

The word “Breitling” immediately conjures up a very specific image: a dashing pilot, clad in flight leathers, performing acts of derring-do in a jet plane. The brand is extremely proud of this carefully honed brand identity, and with good reason – it’s largely what Breitling wearers actually do. Since 1884, the company has been crafting “instruments for professionals”, perfecting the art of aviation timepieces in 1984 with the Chronomat. It heralded the rebirth of the mechanical chronograph – a pilots’ favourite that combined rugged good looks with Swiss precision and functionality to a terrifyingly high standard of performance. Designed specifically with aviation professionals in mind, the Chronomat made its debut around the wrists of the world-famous Italian Air Force aerobatics team, Frecce Tricolori, after the flying aces voted it higher than any other as their chronograph of choice. Now, pilots around the world put their faith in the brand that puts flying functionality first. Three decades later, the company is making history once again. I’m waiting for the cover to be taken off a display case that houses a special anniversary edition of the watch, the Chronomat Airborne. So far, so standard for a watch reveal. The difference here is that I’m in the business lounge of an Emirates Airbus A380, the

world’s largest passenger aircraft, 35,000 feet in the air. No company has ever announced a new watch while airborne, and there’s no denying the appropriateness of it – after all, the Emirates pilots might very well be wearing Chronomats themselves. The new Chronomat Airborne keeps everything that was perfect about the original – ease of reading, unfussy operation of the dial and crown – and adds a few neat touches like a satin-brushed rotating bezel with four raised rider tabs, a classic Breitling idea that aids functionality in two ways: the tabs can be used to count off flight times, and also facilitate dial rotation while wearing flight gloves. The steel case comes in 41 or 44mm options, with either a silver-on-black or blackon-silver dial. The Airborne comes with a military strap as standard, but can be equipped with a steel bracelet if preferred. Also present and correct is the Manufacture Breitling Caliber 01 self-winding high performance movement. Built exclusively in the ultra-modern Breitling Chronométrie factory in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Breitling’s trademark in-house movement is chronometer-certified by the mercilessly tough Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC). The Breitling Chronométrie is the jewel in the company’s crown, a high-tech wonderland of watchmaking. Each movement that passes through the production chain is individually monitored by an ultrasophisticated computer program that automatically directs it towards its next workstation, be that having jewels hand-fitted, or being blasted clean with high-pressure water jets to remove any imperfections. Vice president of Breitling, Jean-Peal Girardin, took me on a tour of the facility, mentioning with pride that along with Chopard and Patek Philippe, Breitling is one of the only privately-owned luxury watchmakers in Switzerland, having had just five CEOs in the company’s 130-year history. Girardin also reveals that Breitling was among the first watchmakers to control the air inside its facilities, monitoring dust, humidity and temperature to ensure the most precise measurements possible – an idea, he tells me, he got from a visit to a pacemaker factory in 2009. After conquering the skies, Breitling’s future is about maintaining its reputation for aviation tools that remain utterly desirable. Watch lovers like myself can’t wait to see what the 50th anniversary of the Chronomat will bring. - 51 -

JEWELLERY

Words: LARA BRUNT

TIFFANY’S NEW JEWEL

With the launch of her debut collection, AIR chats to design director FR ANCESCA AMFITHEATROF about taking on an American icon

- 53 -

JEWELLERY

I

I )UDQFHVFD $PÂżWKHDWURI appointed design director of Tiffany & Co. last September, is nervous about taking on the jeweller’s 177-year legacy, she doesn’t show it. Immaculate in monochrome and adorned with pared-down SLHFHV IURP KHU ÂżUVW FROOHFWLRQ 7LIIDQ\ 7 WKH dark-haired gamine – who has more than a passing resemblance to Audrey Hepburn – looks relaxed and radiant in her “dreamâ€? role. “With such a rich heritage and design legacy, I cannot think of a more exciting place to be as a jewellery designer,â€? she says. :KLOH ÂżUPO\ URRWHG LQ $PHULFDQ WUDGLWLRQ Tiffany is an ever-growing global brand with 300 stores – including six new stores opened ODVW \HDU LQ &KLQD DV ZHOO DV ÂżYH VWRUHV LQ WKH UAE – in 24 countries. “Tiffany & Co. has always been a company of great innovators and risk takers who are constantly pushing the boundaries of what is possible,â€? she continues, referencing founder Charles Lewis Tiffany who started the company at just 25 and, in a series of bold moves, quickly established himself as America’s ‘King of Diamonds’. “We carry forward that spirit of risk and vision instilled by our founder. There is a freedom to make – and break – our own rules.â€? True to her word, the globetrotting designer is already making waves. While designers Elsa Peretti and Paloma Picasso have been part of WKH 7LIIDQ\ VWDEOH VLQFH WKH Âľ V $PÂżWKHDWURI LV WKH ÂżUPÂśV ÂżUVW IHPDOH GHVLJQ GLUHFWRU 7KH daughter of an American journalist and an Italian publicist, she was born in Tokyo, spent her childhood in Moscow and Rome, and

attended boarding school in England. “I PDGH P\ ÂżUVW SLHFH RI MHZHOOHU\ ZKHQ I was 15. I was in school one day and my teacher brought a jeweller to speak to our class and I was completely fascinated,â€? she recalls. $PÂżWKHDWURIÂśV IDWKHU ZKR worked for Time magazine, wanted her to go to university in America, but she was adamant about art school in London. After graduating from Central Saint Martins, she then obtained her masters in silversmithing from the Royal College of Art in 1993 and subsequently trained with a master craftsman LQ ,WDO\ +HU ÂżUVW VKRZ featuring both jewellery and silver work, was at Jay Jopling’s White Cube Gallery, ZKLOH KHU ÂżUVW SRVW FROOHJH JLJV were creating tabletop designs and gifts for Italian brand Alessi, and furniture and lighting for interior designer Muriel Brandolini. After launching her own line of jewellery, for which she has designed on and off over the years, she went on to create - 54 -

jewellery collections for Chanel, Fendi, Alice Temperley and Marni; jewellery and silverware for Asprey & Garrard; a men’s collection for Kauffman Stanley in Switzerland; china and crystal for Wedgwood; and fragrances for private clients and Claridge’s hotel in London. She also found time to launch RS&A in the early 2000s, a London-based agency representing artists such as the Chapman brothers and Oliver Clegg, and work as an art consultant and curator for museums and private collectors across the globe. But KHU ÂżUVW ORYH KDV DOZD\V EHHQ MHZHOOHU\ Âł(YHQ when I’m on holiday, I will spend as much time visiting jewellery stores as I would visiting museums and galleries,â€? she says. After relocating from London to New York ODVW \HDU RQH RI $PÂżWKHDWURIÂśV ÂżUVW SULRULWLHV was to immerse herself in the vast Tiffany archives. And while she undoubtedly brings (XURSHDQ GHVLJQ VHQVLELOLWLHV WR KHU QHZ UROH she’s also inspired by the spirit of American design that thrives on a bold approach to HVWDEOLVKHG WUDGLWLRQV Âł,Q P\ GHVLJQ SURFHVV I like to start with a dream. I love the journey of taking a bold idea and doing all the practical and technical thinking that makes a piece possible to produce beautifully,â€? she VD\V Âł, OLNH WR VWDUW ZLWK D KDQG GUDZLQJ DV , feel it gives your design a more human element DQG PDNHV DQ\WKLQJ SRVVLEOH , DOVR ÂżQG JUHDW VDWLVIDFWLRQ LQ GLVWLOOLQJ DQG UHÂżQLQJ D GHVLJQ until it is just exactly what it needs to be, nothing more, nothing less. Simplicity is often the ultimate goal.â€? Her debut collection, Tiffany T, made in 18-carat rose, yellow and white gold and sterling silver is unapologetically modern, with graphic angles, clean lines and a striking Âł7´ PRWLI 7KH FROOHFWLRQ LQFOXGHV PLQLPDOLVW bracelets and cuffs, chains of varied lengths and pendants, rings and earrings meant for layering and daily wear, along with a number of diamond pieces inspired by archival VNHWFKHV IURP WKH V Âł7KH GUDZLQJV showed diamonds set in a very crisp and UHÂżQHG ZD\ WKDW PDNHV WKHP IHHO LPPHGLDWHO\ contemporary, and so it seemed like a natural ÂżW IRU WKH VSLULW RI WKLV FROOHFWLRQ ´ VKH VD\V 7KH FROOHFWLRQ LV ÂłMXVW WKH EHJLQQLQJ RI ZKDW I hope to accomplish,â€? she adds. As well as getting to grips with Tiffany’s US$4 billion

EXVLQHVV HPSLUH $P¿WKHDWURI KDV DOVR EHHQ ZRUNLQJ RQ GHVLJQV IRU KHU ¿UVW KLJKO\ anticipated Blue Book collection, the jeweller’s annual publication that showcases the latest DQG PRVW PDJQL¿FHQW MHZHOV 8QGDXQWHG DV ever, she’s looking to her new home and the ZRUOG DURXQG KHU IRU LQVSLUDWLRQ ³, EHOLHYH \RX

‘I love the journey of taking a bold idea and doing all the practical and technical thinking that makes a piece possible to produce beautifully’ have to be curious about your surroundings. You are exposed to so many different arts and cultures around the world so you have to have an open mind and a curious eye, [have] a lot of energy, and [be] on the lookout for what’s next, what’s new, what’s on the edge. And you need to be forever excited about what’s possible,â€? VKH VD\V -XGJLQJ E\ KHU ÂżUVW IRUD\ LQWR WKH glamorous world of Tiffany & Co., collectors and connoisseurs have a lot to look forward to. - 55 -

INTERIORS

BALTIC BOOM

From Arne Jacobson’s Egg to Hans J. Wegner’s Wishbone, Scandinavia has dominated design for decades. But, with Latvia selected as the visiting pavilion for this month’s Downtown Design fair in Dubai, can this Baltic state become as big as its European neighbours and make a splash on the international design stage?

- 56 -

Latvia is not a country you would instinctively think of when exploring furniture design, yet it is the nation of choice for this month’s Downtown Design fair in Dubai, a four-day event dedicated to original design. Geographically speaking, it’s crammed with cultural references. Its capital, Riga, was named European Capital of Culture for 2014, while the city’s ‘historic centre’ has been inscribed on the World Heritage List for the quality of its art nouveau architecture (“unparalleled anywhere in the world,” says UNESCO) and 19th-century wooden structures. Such recognition hasn’t gone unnoticed, particularly with Cristina Romelli Gervasoni, Downtown Design fair director. “As we are an emerging fair we wanted to keep the same concept and exhibit something that was new and not known,” says Gervasoni. “And Latvian [design] is something that is really new and not a lot of people know it. They have amazing products and we think there is great potential.” While Gervasoni agrees that Scandinavia, the “school of design”, dwarfs most other regions with its simple and minimalist design, she’s quick to praise Latvia’s unique style. “Latvia and its culture, and consequently, Latvian design, have been influenced since the late 13th century by the Baltic Germans and later on from the early 18th century, by Imperial Russia,” she says. “The key words for me are: heritage and crafts translated in a contemporary

- 57 -

way. And Latvian taste in colours and materials is rooted in the historic necessity to use home-grown fabrics and dyes, harvested from nature.” For Agne Araka of Design Isle, the firm behind the Riga International Design Fair, which takes place in the capital from October 2 to 5, Latvian design is “simple yet complicated”, and full of “creative and witty ideas”. “The fact that Latvian designers can surprise is no longer a secret and they are looking for more and more new, non-standard solutions. Latvian designers’ work represent enjoyable shapes, lines and materials, while tradition, uniqueness and true quality make their work excellent,” she says. Does Gervasoni think Latvia can become as big as design heavyweight Scandinavia in the creative arena? “When we talk in terms of becoming the new Scandinavia it’s quite ambitious but at the same time we can see that there are opportunities to be recognised.” Said opportunities could well arise later this month as five Latvian designers roll in to the UAE for Downtown Design, which takes place at The Venue from October 28 to 31. What can visitors expect? “What they’re going to do as a booth is quite interesting. You can see from the designs that it’s quite catchy and the way they exhibit is very contemporary,” concludes Gervasoni. Here, AIR picks three designers set to showcase at this month’s event, and explores the methods behind their design magic…

INTERIORS 1. ARS TELA Specialising in natural, hand-woven fabrics produced on traditional hand looms, Ars Tela has designed premium class interior textiles, carpets and even clothing fabrics. The team comprises of a young and energetic design arm, whose ideas are given life by the more experienced craftspeople, who pour their years of weaving experience into the new designs. Incomparable in quality to any machine-made products, the Ars Tela weavers can produce only two metres of hand-woven fabric per day. Simple, comfortable and stylish, the natural Latvian style is evident in the textures and fabrics the company uses. arstela.lv

1. - 58 -

3. MAFFAM FREEFORM As the only workshop in the world manufacturing furniture from volcanic basalt fibre, Maffam Freeform has put itself in an enviable position of uniqueness. Latvian designer Raimonds Cirulis has created a distinctive furniture manufacturing technology, whereby dark basalt fibre “hairs” and natural resin are combined by hand to create forms that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. By nature of the method of production, no two pieces are completely alike – therefore every item that comes out of the studio is totally original. Cirulis’ revolutionary production methods create pieces of furniture that are light, sturdy and perfect for indoors or outside. They combine lighthearted designs with industrial materials, in a way new to furniture manufacturing. maffamfree.eu

2.

3. 2. AN&ANGEL Creating minimalist and functional glassware, An&Angel is unique by virtue of its handcrafted nature. Each bowl is expertly mouthblown and contains three to five layers. Each layer is rigorously checked for perfection in standards before the next can be added, ensuring 100 per cent quality that is just as usable as it is aesthetically pleasing. For its - 59 -

2013 DECO collection, the brand was conferred the highly regarded “red dot award”, beating off competition from over 1,900 manufacturers from 54 countries. Creative director Artis Nimanis agrees with Audrey Hepburn’s famous maxim that “elegance is the only beauty that never fades”, which is why the company strives for simplicity in the shapes of its works. angel.lv

Liv For The Moment AIR shares a sofa with the surprisingly grounded daughter of rock ‘n’ roll royalty Words: JANE MULKERRINS

- 60 -

“A

nger is not an emotion I feel very often; it takes a lot to p--- me off,â€? Liv Tyler is telling me. “But if I do get angry, I go into this whole other mode, and I almost black out.â€? The actress was recently required to channel that fury for an enraged, RQ VFUHHQ IDFH VODSSLQJ LQFLGHQW Âł, ZDV WHUULÂżHG because I didn’t know what was going to happen,â€? she confesses, her big, blue Disney eyes widening. “It’s not something that you can rehearse. “Perhaps it’s been lying dormant, like a dragon in the centre of the Earth, because it’s pretty wild when it comes out,â€? she says. It’s almost impossible to imagine 37-year-old Tyler, with her breathy girlish voice and her other-worldly beauty, playing host to any sort of dragon, dormant or otherwise. But that’s a common misconception, apparently. “I have a lot of opinions and I’m pretty bossy,â€? she says. “I guess it’s because I have a soft speaking voice. But I’m trying to speak up more.â€? We’re in the living room of a hotel suite in Manhattan’s SoHo and Tyler, having kicked off her very high heels, is lying on a sofa as we sip pink champagne. She is concerned, however, that her horizontal position – and the aforementioned softness of her voice – might mean my Dictaphone fails to catch every word, so she has thoughtfully perched it, with a giggle, on her bosom. We are here to talk about The Leftovers, the HBO series currently screening on OSN that is based on a book by Tom Perrotta. Tyler plays Meg, a troubled young woman dealing with a devastating loss‌ but she’s far from the only one. So is the rest of the town of Mapleton, and beyond, after the sudden, unexplained disappearance of two per cent of the world’s population. “This terrible event has happened, but it’s three years later, and the story is not really about the event itself,â€? Tyler says. “It’s about human beings and their journey and their pain.â€? The 10-part drama, which also stars Justin Theroux and Christopher Eccleston, has a surreal quality that has led to comparisons with Twin Peaks. But the grief DIĂ€LFWLQJ WKH WRZQÂśV SRSXODWLRQ LV ERUURZHG IURP D PXFK more grim reality – 9/11. “Like other huge world events, it seems to divide history in two; there is the life before it, and the life after it,â€? says Perrotta. So the unravelling of relationships and family bonds in The Leftovers can be read as metaphors for the social and political fracturing of American society after 9/11. And when it came to adapting the story for television (Perrotta co-wrote the script with Damon Lindelof, co-creator of Lost), another, more recent tragedy strongly informed the mood of the show: the Sandy Hook school massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, in December 2012, which left 20 children and six teachers dead. “For those people, in that town, it feels as if life will never, ever be the same again,â€? says Perrotta.

0HJ GHDOV ZLWK KHU JULHI E\ DEDQGRQLQJ KHU ÂżDQFp DQG joining a mysterious sect called the Guilty Remnant, who dress all in white, don’t speak, and chain-smoke as D PRUWLÂżFDWLRQ RI WKH Ă€HVK 7\OHUÂśV RZQ ZD\ RI GHDOLQJ with grief is “very quiet and sad and rational. I feel a lot. But I’m also very resilient,â€? she says. It’s a television debut for Tyler, whose acting career VR IDU KDV EHHQ FRQÂżQHG WR WKH ELJ VFUHHQ ,Q KHU WHHQV VKH VWDUUHG LQ LQGHSHQGHQW ÂżOPV LQFOXGLQJ WKH FRPHG\ Empire Records and That Thing You Do before making her name in Bernardo Bertolucci’s dreamy, Tuscanset Stealing Beauty. In her twenties, she was perfectly cast as Arwen, the Elf maiden in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and appeared in other big-budget hits, such as Armageddon and The Incredible Hulk. In her thirties, however, she has seemed to step back somewhat from the screen. “Ever since Milo was born, I haven’t really been making many movies because I just can’t imagine being away from home for long periods of time,â€? she says. Milo, her son with her former husband, Royston Langdon, of the British band Spacehog, is now nine, DQG 7KH /HIWRYHUV ÂżOPV LQ DQG DURXQG 1HZ <RUN &LW\

‘I have a lot of opinions and I’m pretty bossy’ PHDQLQJ 7\OHU KDV EHHQ DEOH WR IXOÂżO KHU GRPHVWLF GXWLHV at home in Manhattan’s West Village, as well as work. “It’s a steady job, and that’s something I’ve never had before. It feels like such a luxury.â€? Her decision to put her home life ahead of her career in recent years is a direct reaction to Tyler’s own early experiences. “From a very young age I had this idea that if you are very successful in your career and you’re giving all of your attention to that, then your family OLIHÂŤ SRVVLEO\ ZLOO QRW Ă€RXULVK DV LW PLJKW ´ VKH VD\V Tyler was raised by her mother, the model and groupie Bebe Buell, who was the inspiration for Kate Hudson’s character in Almost Famous, and whose close friends included Mick Jagger and John Lennon. Famously, Tyler only discovered at 10 years of age that the Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler was her father, after meeting him backstage at a gig and noticing a resemblance between herself and his daughter, Mia (her likeness to Tyler – with the same pillowy pout and dainty ski-jump nose – is glaringly obvious, too). Until then she had believed her father to be Buell’s on-off partner Todd Rundgren, DOVR D PXVLFLDQ :KHQ %XHOO FRQÂżUPHG KHU GDXJKWHUÂśV suspicion – while Tyler was onstage – she recalls that the 10-year-old simply smiled and said: “Christmas is going to be really fun this year.â€? It was not the most ordered of childhoods, however. “My mum was very young [24] when she had me, and she didn’t necessarily have all her tools in her toolbox,â€? Tyler says. “We kind of grew up together, which was a

- 62 -

- 63 -

- 64 -

beautiful thing. But we moved around a lot, too, between Maine and New York, and it was hard for me.â€? As for her newly acquired rock star dad, she has said in the past that “I don’t think he was in any position to be a fatherâ€?. When she was born, Steven Tyler was in the throes of his well-documented drug excesses. Rundgren was apparently aware of her paternity but, believing she needed a father, agreed to participate in the deception. “What an amazing thing Todd did for me. Luckily it just made me feel more loved. I had two dads instead of one.â€? Tyler began modelling in adverts at 14, though, she says, she loathed it. “I just didn’t like being told what to do,â€? she says. “It was silly and rebellious of me – I should have enjoyed it more. But I have a very hard time with authority.â€? She has no problem respecting her directors on set, she says. “But when I was 14, I had so many ideas, and I just had to stand there, and look pretty, and not talk a lot. I didn’t like that very much.â€? For the past decade, having overcome her dislike of the job, she was contracted to the cosmetics giant Givenchy. “I love modelling these days, and I miss doing it now that I’m not. I was always popping over to Paris,â€? she says. Unusually for a model, she confesses to “alwaysâ€? being on a diet, but today looks svelte, in the tightest of skinny jeans, a peach blouse and white tuxedo jacket. $W 7\OHU ZRQ RQH RI KHU ÂżUVW DFWLQJ UROHV FRXUWHV\ of her father, alongside Alicia Silverstone in the video IRU $HURVPLWKÂśV &UD]\ +HU ÂżUVW ÂżOP UROH FDPH D \HDU later, in Silent Fall, followed by Empire Records. “I started really working right at the point when I probably would have become a screw up,â€? she says. “In those last three years of high school, you get really naughty and everything can go wrong. I’m grateful to my mother because, instead of that, I started travelling all over the world and working with incredible people, and I became very focused and disciplined. When everybody was doing acid and partying like crazy, I was at work on a movie in Tuscany.â€? 7KDW ÂżOP SURYHG WR EH KHU EUHDNWKURXJK Âł1RWKLQJ KDV HYHU FRPSDUHG WR WKH H[SHULHQFH RI PDNLQJ WKDW ÂżOP ´ she says with a sigh. “I graduated from high school the day before I went away, and turned 18 that summer. For my birthday, they laid on a roast for me, in the middle of a Tuscan farmhouse, with peacocks on the roof and bowls of cherries everywhere, and I was barefoot all the time.â€? Lucy travels to Tuscany desperate to discover who her father is. Tyler has admitted that she attempted to separate herself from that particular storyline. “I tried my damnedest not to think of my own situation,â€? she has said. “But at one point, after a take, I just started to cry and cry. I remembered when I found out about my dad and how we just stared at each other from head to toe taking in every nook and cranny.â€? Stealing Beauty premiered at Cannes, where Tyler’s face was plastered across billboards around the town,

catapulting her into the limelight. “When you start working at such a young age, everything is accelerated, and by the time you get to your mid-twenties, you feel what most people probably feel in their mid-thirties or early forties,â€? she says. She married Langdon at 25, and gave birth to Milo a year later. “In my twenties, I GHÂżQLWHO\ KDG D VHQVH RI ZDQWLQJ WR FUHDWH VWDELOLW\ IRU myself,â€? she says. 7KH FRXSOH GLYRUFHG LQ DIWHU ÂżYH \HDUV RI marriage, but Tyler is impressively sanguine about it. “The idea that we can share a roof with someone else forever is a beautiful notion, but it’s much harder to actually do. I grew up in a very bohemian environment, and I always knew that it doesn’t mean that you don’t love that person, or that they’re not important to you,â€? she says. “But I’m completely devoted to Milo and our little family, no matter how eccentric it might seem to others.â€? ,Q IDFW 7\OHU KDV VSHQW VLJQLÂżFDQW SHULRGV RI WLPH ZLWK Langdon’s family in Leeds. “We had the best Christmas last year, it was so under the radar,â€? she says. “And I’m so happy that Milo gets to have that in his foundation – the humour and the groundedness, those northern English qualities.â€? These days, she is close to both Rundgren and Tyler, and sees them regularly, as does Milo. “He has a ton of grandparents – semi-normal ones in England, and

‘When I was 14, I had so many ideas, and I just had to stand there’ then totally bonkers ones on my side,� she says. She also believes strongly in “the family you create for yourself�, which in her case means a close network of girlfriends including Kate Hudson, Gwyneth Paltrow and Stella McCartney. She does, however, have a certain degree of fatalism when it comes to her career. “I believe that everything happens when it’s meant to happen and you can’t force that hand,� she says. By Tyler’s belief system then, Meg came along just when she was supposed to. “This year, I’ve been so happy just being home and being a good mum and going to work – my plate’s been perfectly full, I haven’t wanted any seconds.� She admits to considering seconds when it comes to her family, however. “I hope I will have more children,� she says. “I’m 100 per cent planning on it. If the stork could just drop it off on my roof, I’d be so happy – I’d have, like, 20.� She is in a relationship now, but whether she’ll marry again is uncertain. “There’s something interesting that happens in your thirties. You’re not in the stage anymore of princes and happily ever after. It’s a different stage of acceptance and realisation about the realities of love and relationships,� she says. “Forever is a long time.�

- 65 -

Enfant Terrible ***

This month marks 90 years since the birth of Truman Capote. AIR examines the life of one of America’s most celebrated and controversial writers Words: Lara Brunt

- 66 -

- 67 -

O

n November 28, 1966, the most alluring and powerful ÂżJXUHV IURP WKH worlds of politics, showbusiness, fashion and the arts descended on New York’s Plaza Hotel for Truman Capote’s lavish Black and White Ball. The guests “rolled off the assembly line like dollsâ€?, Enid Nemy wrote in The New York Times, “newly painted and freshly coiffed, packaged in silk, satin and jewels and addressed to Truman Capote, the Plaza Hotelâ€?. If you weren’t invited, you simply left town. The masked ball – ostensibly held in honour of Washington Post publisher Kay Graham but really to celebrate the phenomenal success of In Cold Blood, Capote’s H[WUDRUGLQDU\ ÂłQRQ ÂżFWLRQ QRYHO´ about the brutal murder of a Kansas family – was declared “the party of the centuryâ€? by an enraptured press. At the peak of his artistic and social potency, few could guess that the darling of high society Âą D Ă€DPER\DQW FKDUDFWHU ZLWK D childlike voice and viperish wit – would eventually expose the secrets of his rich and powerful friends LQ SULQW DQG QHYHU ÂżQLVK DQRWKHU QRYHO QRQ ÂżFWLRQ RU RWKHUZLVH In an interview with America’s National Public Radio, friend and biographer Gerald Clarke said: “Capote could write sentences that could make you laugh or could pierce you to the heart. No one of his generation had as good an ear for the music of the English language, its cadences and its rhythms. `The most perfect writer of my generation’, Norman Mailer called Capote after reading [his 1958 novella] Breakfast at Tiffany’s.â€? He saw Capote as a triumphant, rather than tragic, ÂżJXUH Âł+RZ PDQ\ >SHRSOH@ FRXOG have started off with such heavy burdens and yet achieved so much?â€? Born Truman Streckfus Persons in New Orleans in 1924, Capote was the son of Archulus Persons, a salesman who was usually busy concocting get-rich-quick schemes,

‘The most perfect writer of my generation’, Norman Mailer called him after reading Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Lillie Mae Faulk, a small-town beauty who, by her own account, was unsuited to motherhood. His parents divorced when he was four and he was raised by eccentric maiden aunts in Monroeville, Alabama. An effeminate and odd child, he lived a lonely existence, turning to writing for solace and forming a lifelong bond with neighbour Harper Lee, who many years later modelled the precocious character of Dill Harris on him in her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. “You see,’’ Capote once remarked, “I was so different from everyone, so much more intelligent and sensitive DQG SHUFHSWLYH , ZDV KDYLQJ ÂżIW\ perceptions a minute to everyone HOVHÂśV ÂżYH , DOZD\V IHOW WKDW QRERG\ was going to understand me, going - 69 -

to understand what I felt about things. I guess that’s why I started writing. At least on paper I could put down what I thought.’’ In his early teens, Capote was sent to New York to live with his social-climbing mother, who now went by the name Nina, and her new husband, a wealthy Cuban businessman named Joe Capote. So concerned was Nina by her son’s unmanly mannerisms that she shipped him off to military school. Several private schools followed, but he was a poor student and eventually dropped out. Capote’s love-hate relationship with Nina would continue through the decline of his stepfather’s fortunes and his mother’s growing alcoholism, until she abandoned him

for the last time with her suicide in 1954. At 17, Capote got a job at The New Yorker. “Not a very grand job, for all it really involved was sorting cartoons and clipping newspapers,’’ he wrote years later. “Still, I was fortunate to have it, especially since I was determined never to set a studious foot inside a college classroom. I felt that either one was or wasn’t a writer, and no combination of professors could LQĂ€XHQFH WKH RXWFRPH , VWLOO WKLQN I was correct, at least in my own case.’’ During his two-year stint at the magazine, Capote had several short stories published in other minor PDJD]LQHV DQG ZURWH KLV ÂżUVW QHYHU published novel, Summer Crossing. In 1945, his haunting tale, Miriam, won a prestigious short story award, which led to a contract and advance from Random House. Even before KLV ÂżUVW QRYHO 2WKHU 9RLFHV 2WKHU Rooms, was published in 1948 and KDLOHG DQ LPSRUWDQW ÂżUVW ZRUN E\ D talented new writer, Capote found KLPVHOI D SRSXODU ÂżJXUH DPRQJ Manhattan’s social elite, who were fascinated by his boyish looks, acute intelligence and amusing, sometimes outrageous, stories. In 1948, Capote met author Jack Dunphy at a party and the two embarked on what was to be a 35year relationship. Together they travelled to Europe and met fellow writers such as Evelyn Waugh, Noel Coward and Jean Cocteau. Returning to New York, Capote published a collection of short stories, A Tree of Light, in 1949 followed by Local Color, a book of travel essays, in 1950. His muchanticipated second novel, The Grass Harp, was published in 1951 and praised by the critics. Broadway producer Arnold Saint Subber convinced him to turn the novel into a play, which opened with much fanfare in March 1952 with sets designed by close friend Cecil Beaton and congratulatory messages from acting luminaries. Despite this, the show closed a month later.

During the next two years, Capote wrote a couple of screenplays and adapted a story into a Broadway musical, which again failed to attract enough critical and commercial attention. By the mid-1950s, he had ZRQ WKH DIIHFWLRQV DQG FRQ¿GHQFHV of a number of wealthy women he called his swans; his inner circle would eventually include Gloria Guinness, Marella Agnelli and Jackie Kennedy’s younger sister, Lee Radziwill, among others. Once an outsider, Capote was welcomed into their jet-set world of society parties and scandalous gossip. In 1958, Capote scored another hit with Breakfast at Tiffany’s, a short novel about a loveable New York party girl, Holly Golightly, who many of his female friends thought themselves to be modelled on. Three \HDUV ODWHU WKH ¿OP YHUVLRQ ZDV released, starring Audrey Hepburn

‘Capote found himself a popular figure among Manhattan’s social elite’ as Holly. Capote had wanted Marilyn Monroe in the lead role, and was disappointed with the adaptation. Next up, Capote embarked on In Cold Blood, his painstakingly researched and chilling account of the senseless slaughter of a Kansas family of four in 1959 and the capture, trial and execution of the two killers, Richard Hickock and Perry Smith. Originally conceived as an article for The New Yorker, Capote spent the next ÂżYH \HDUV ZRUNLQJ RQ ZKDW ZRXOG become his greatest critical and commercial success. The experience took its toll psychologically and physically. Capote began taking pills and drinking heavily in the later stages of writing his masterpiece. Despite being billed as a factual account of the crime, critics have accused Capote of becoming so close to Smith that it affected his judgement. - 70 -

Following his triumphant Black and White Ball, the writer was the toast of New York for nearly a decade. He continued to cultivate ZHDOWK\ DQG LQĂ€XHQWLDO FRQÂżGDQWV all the while publishing little. Clarke UHFDOOV PHHWLQJ &DSRWH IRU WKH ÂżUVW time in the late 1960s at a party that was packed with celebrities. “But when Truman walked in, they all parted. Truman was a star, a genuine star,â€? he says. The success of In Cold Blood afforded him the luxury of time to work on Answered Prayers, a novel based on the high society world he inhabited. Capote’s famous friends, however, were in for a shock when, in 1975, he decided to print a chapter from the long-awaited novel in Esquire magazine. In the chapter, La CĂ´te Basque, 1965, Capote divulged the secrets of his adored swans and high-class acquaintances as pieces RI WKLQO\ YHLOHG ÂżFWLRQ VHQGLQJ shock waves from New York to California. Many of his friends, hurt by his betrayal, abandoned him. In public, he regretted the loss of his coterie, but declared himself otherwise unaffected by the havoc he had unleashed; privately, he often mourned his lost friendships. By the late 1970s, Capote underwent treatment for alcoholism and drug abuse. “When he wasn’t drinking too much, Truman was more fun than anyone else I’ve ever known. He had an eye for the absurd, and when he told a story, he would laugh so hard that tears would come to his eyes,â€? says Clarke. “When he was drinking too much or when he was depressed and lonely – and there were many such times – it was painful to be in his company.â€? His last work, Music for Chameleons, a collection of nonÂżFWLRQ DQG ÂżFWLRQDO SLHFHV ZDV published in 1980 and sold well. After battling health problems and continuing addiction, Capote died on August 25, 1984, at the age of 59. Answered Prayers, the infamous manuscript that resulted in his social suicide, remained XQÂżQLVKHG

- 72 -

T HE

YOU NG MASTER

It’s been over two years since Berluti added the highly sought after bootmaker Anthony Delos to its bespoke team. How is he coping with almost 120 years of tradition? Words: RICHARD JENKINS

- 73 -

First, it’s necessary for me to see your feet – to touch your feet – and then I can tell you what kind of shoe I can make for you.â€? Interviews don’t normally involve the journalist hopping around in socks while the subject prods at his toes, but then again Anthony Delos isn’t a normal interviewee. In 2004, the then 28-year-old artisan was one of the hottest shoemaking properties in France after setting up Delos Bottier & Cie in 2004, swiftly building an upscale clientele thanks to KLV Ă€DLU IRU GHVLJQ DQG painstakingly honed mastery of his craft. In 2012, to the despair of a certain number of critics, Delos allowed his company to be purchased by Berluti – and WKH ELJ ÂżVK MRLQHG WKH ELJJHVW pond as second-in-command of their bespoke workshop. AIR meets Delos at the Berluti boutique in The Dubai Mall, where the bootmaker is seeing his creations on display in the UAE for WKH ÂżUVW WLPH 1RZ WKDW VRPH \HDUV have passed since his controversial decision to join Berluti, has it been everything he had hoped? “Yes, yes. Berluti is a big name in my work, and I am very happy to work there,â€? Delos says immediately, in heavily accented English. “When I was an apprentice, my professor worked for Berluti. It’s very good, I travel a lot. It’s very exciting and I see a lot of customers. My areas are Japan, Dubai and the Emirates, London,

and Milan. It’s a lot of areas but it’s very good.â€? The reasons for Delos leaving his own studio and joining forces with Berluti are multiple, but the main motive for the move according to the man himself was personal. Delos says: “The manager of the bespoke team is my friend and said to me, ‘do I want to come and work for Berluti on some big projects. And if you want, you can work with your team.’ It was a very good project and it is exciting for me and for my team to be at Berluti now. We were a team RI ÂżYH DQG DW WKH PRPHQW ZH DUH 18. We also have four apprentices. It is quite a big team. For me it’s very simple, I do my job if the team - 74 -

is small or big – I do the same job. I’m a bootmaker, and for the moment my activity is very much meeting a lot of customers and making shoes.â€? It’s obvious that Delos is less interested in talking about his business plans than he is the art of shoemaking – perhaps this is why he chose to let a bigger company take care of the overheads while he got back to doing what he does best. ,V LW GLIÂżFXOW though, for him to work within WKH FRQÂżQHV RI Berluti’s 120-year KLVWRU\" 1RW DW all, he says. “The tradition is always in the shoes, but there’s more to it. I can customise with the leather, with the design. In my job, if the customer is happy, I am very happy. My job is to understand the spirit of the customer and what he wants.â€? It’s at this point that I ask the energetic Frenchman to describe the process of designing a pair of shoes from scratch. Immediately he’s on his knees untying my shoelaces. Âł7KH ÂżUVW SDLU ZLOO FRUUHVSRQG WR your anatomy,â€? he says, placing my foot on a lined piece of sketch paper. “If the shoes do that, the shoes will be exactly the same after 10 years. If you tell me you want a different kind of last [than one built to your foot], the shoes will not move over time with your foot. The anatomy of WKH IRRW LV WKH ÂżUVW WKLQJ WKHQ WKH '1$ RI WKH %HUOXWL EUDQG 0\ WHDP is advising the customer. If he says, ‘I love this type of shoe’, I will try, but also recommend a more suitable shoe. The idea is that the customer

will keep the shoe for life and that starts with the anatomy of the foot. The trust between the customer and me has to be there. There is a human dimension. It’s tailoring for the foot.â€? 7KLV Ă€XUU\ RI FRQYHUVDWLRQ LV matched by a blur of activity. Delos is a whirlwind at my feet, taking his stubby pencil to create an outline – then gently kneading every bump to get a feel for the topography of my toes. He takes his pencil outline and shades in the semi-circle where the arch lies, and marks with crosses where a lifetime of tight football boots have pinched the bones into peaks under the skin – “I have the same thing,â€? he grimaces. Delos tells me that he loves sport, and as well as football practises judo and jiu-jitsu. Berluti has recently been embracing modern styles with the launch of the Alessandro Sartori 'Playtime' sneaker – the brand’s ÂżUVW :KDW GRHV 'HORV WKLQN RI

the new technologies available in shoemaking? “The technique has not changed, but the evolution is with the material because the leather is not exactly the same as it was 20 years ago,� he says. “A lot of people want to evolve the technique, but it’s not good. If you change the technique, the result is not the same. We are very traditional, one of a few companies to make lasts [the wooden model of a foot that shoes are built around] by hand. Some companies make their lasts with computers, but I worked three years with that system 10 years ago but I was not happy with the system. It’s not very artistic or adaptable for bespoke. When we do the lasts, it is done by hand.� Delos has reached a point in his career where if he is not happy with something, it’s going to change. He was awarded with the MOF (Meilleur Ouvrier de France) in 2011, which is

a highly prestigious award given in France to the very highest operators of different trades. His work overalls EHDU D VXEWOH )UHQFK Ă€DJ RQ WKH ODSHO that denotes his status. However, he is modest about his achievements. “To become a bootmaker, I say that you need 10 years,â€? he says. “To become a bootmaker who makes lasts, you need 10 years more. One old bootmaker said to me, ‘Anthony, you will be very good when you are 40-years-old’. I am 38 now, so in two years I will be very good,â€? he laughs. “Even if I am at the top, I can do better. If one day you say ‘I am the best’, you are not the best. It’s like in judo – if one day you think you are the best, the next day‌â€? and he mimes falling to the Ă€RRU DV LI NQRFNHG RXW DQG ODXJKV uproariously. It’s time for me to do up my laces and leave the young master to his work – where he’s happiest.

'My job is to understand the spirit of the customer and what he wants'

- 75 -

As the 40th anniversary of the greatest boxing match in history approaches, AIR explores George Foreman’s side of the story

Relentless

Words: RICHARD JENKINS - 76 -

- 77 -

O

ctober 30, 1974. The air in Kinshasa, =DLUH LV KRW DQG WKLFN 7ZR ¿JKWHUV WUDGH EORZV ZKLOH D SXOVDWLQJ FURZG screams “Ali, boma ye!” (Ali, kill him!). Muhammad Ali, the smaller, older title FKDOOHQJHU DEVRUEV SXQFK DIWHU SXQFK IURP WKH IDQFLHG IDYRXULWH DQG FXUUHQW FKDPSLRQ *HRUJH )RUHPDQ 5RXQG DIWHU URXQG )RUHPDQ VZLQJV ZLOGO\ IDWLJXH DQG GHVSHUDWLRQ EHJLQQLQJ WR VHW LQ RQO\ WR VHH KLV RSSRQHQW GDQFH DQG MDE KLV ZD\ RXW RI WURXEOH %\ WKH HLJKWK URXQG VRPHWKLQJ KDG WR JLYH $ OHIW KRRN IURP $OL LV IROORZHG E\ D KDUG ULJKW WR WKH IDFH DQG *HRUJH )RUHPDQ LV RXW IRU WKH FRXQW 7KH WDOH RI 7KH 5XPEOH LQ WKH -XQJOH KDV EHFRPH SDUW RI ER[LQJ IRONORUH DQG *HRUJH )RUHPDQ¶V SDUW LQ LW KDV EHFRPH VRPHZKDW RYHUVKDGRZHG E\ WKH VXEVHTXHQW DFKLHYHPHQWV RI 0XKDPPDG $OL %XW WKH VWRU\ RI µ%LJ *HRUJH¶ LV MXVW DV LQWULJXLQJ DV WKDW RI KLV RSSRQHQW %RUQ LQ LQWR D IDPLO\ RI VHYHQ FKLOGUHQ LQ D VWUXJJOLQJ KRPH E\ WKH DJH RI )RUHPDQ XVHG KLV VL]H WR LQWLPLGDWH EHFRPLQJ D VWUHHW KRRGOXP DQG PXJJHU LQ +RXVWRQ¶V QRWRULRXV WK :DUG ,Q KLV ODWH WHHQV WKH ZD\ZDUG \RXWK OHIW $WODQWD WR JR ZHVW WR &DOLIRUQLD LQ VHDUFK RI HPSOR\PHQW DQG GLVFRYHUHG ZKDW ZRXOG EH KLV ¿UVW WUXH ORYH ER[LQJ 2SSRQHQWV FRZHUHG EHIRUH KLV UHOHQWOHVV SUHVVLQJ LQ WKH ULQJ DQG NQRFNRXW DIWHU

WKDW PXFK ELJJHU WKDQ HYHU\RQH HOVH WKRXJK +H KDG ZKDW KH EHOLHYHG ZDV D VXSHUQDWXUDO JLIW DQ DELOLW\ WR KLW SHRSOH WKDW SURGXFHG UHVXOWV WKDW KLV SK\VLTXH GLGQ¶W UHDOO\ DFFRXQW IRU +H KDG WKLV WUHPHQGRXV SRZHU DQG KH UHOLHG RQ WKDW SRZHU DQG UHDOO\ GLGQ¶W QHHG PXFK HOVH +H GLGQ¶W UHDOO\ GHYHORS PDQ\ RI WKH QLFHWLHV RI ER[LQJ KH ZDV UHDOO\ MXVW WKLV GHVWUR\HU RI D PDFKLQH ´ $OL¶V SDWK WR WKH 5XPEOH ZDV PXFK OHVV VWUDLJKWIRUZDUG ,Q KH KDG EHHQ VXVSHQGHG IURP ER[LQJ IRU WKUHH DQG D KDOI \HDUV IRU KLV UHIXVDO WR MRLQ WKH 8 6 $UP\ GXULQJ WKH 9LHWQDP FRQÀLFW $IWHU UHJDLQLQJ KLV OLFHQVH $OL IRXJKW ± DQG ORVW ± D KRWO\ FRQWHVWHG ERXW ZLWK -RH )UD]LHU LQ ZKR WZR \HDUV ODWHU ZRXOG JR RQ WR ORVH WR )RUHPDQ 7KH PXFK anticipated Foreman/Ali showdown was scheduled ¿UVW IRU 6HSWHPEHU EXW ZDV WKHQ SXVKHG EDFN to 2FWREHU WR DOORZ )RUHPDQ WR UHFRYHU IURP D FXW KH KDG HQGXUHG QHDU KLV H\H GXULQJ WUDLQLQJ 7KLV KDG D GRXEOH HIIHFW RQ WKH ERXW ¿UVWO\ )RUHPDQ KDG WR VSHQG KLV UHFRYHU\ PRQWK XQDEOH WR VSDU HIIHFWLYHO\ IRU IHDU RI UH RSHQLQJ WKH ZRXQG 6HFRQGO\ $OL XVHG WKH VSDUH WLPH LQ =DLUH QRZ WKH 'HPRFUDWLF 5HSXEOLF RI WKH &RQJR WR GR ZKDW KH GLG EHVW ± WRXU WKH QDWLRQ HQGHDULQJ KLPVHOI WR WKH ORFDOV DQG WDXQWLQJ )RUHPDQ DERXW KLV WUDLQLQJ PHWKRGV KLV ER[LQJ VW\OH DQG KLV FUHZ $FFRUGLQJ WR +RIIHU ³$OL ZDV YHU\ DGHSW DW VHWWLQJ WKH DJHQGD

‘Ali had a way of making himself the hero and Foreman the heel’ NQRFNRXW IROORZHG FXOPLQDWLQJ LQ DQ 2O\PSLF *ROG PHGDO LQ 0H[LFR &LW\ LQ ZKDW ZDV RQO\ KLV WK DPDWHXU ¿JKW 7KH \HDU ZDV DQG )RUHPDQ ZDV QRW \HW 5LFKDUG +RIIHU DXWKRU RI %RXWV RI 0DQLD $OL )UD]LHU DQG )RUHPDQ ± DQG DQ $PHULFD RQ WKH 5RSHV WHOOV $,5 ³,¶P QRW VXUH WKH JROG PHGDO PHDQW WKDW PXFK IRU KLP EHFDXVH KH GLGQ¶W LQWHQG WR JR LQWR SURIHVVLRQDO ER[LQJ DIWHU WKDW DW OHDVW QRW DW ¿UVW +H ZDV PRUH LQFOLQHG WR VWD\ RXW RI WKH ULQJ DQG UHPDLQ D YROXQWHHU , WKLQN +H ZHQW EDFN LQWR WKH -RE &RUSV >IUHH HGXFDWLRQ DQG WUDLQLQJ SURJUDPPH IRU \RXQJ SHRSOH@ DIWHU WKH JROG PHGDO DQG WKHQ WKDW FORVHG GRZQ ULJKW EHIRUH KLV H\HV VR KH WKRXJKW µ,¶OO WU\ ER[LQJ , NQRZ KRZ WR GR WKDW¶ ´ 6R LW ZDV QRW WKDW ORQJ DIWHU KLV 2O\PSLF VXFFHVV )RUHPDQ WXUQHG SURIHVVLRQDO LQ RUGHU WR FKDOOHQJH KLPVHOI DQG DOVR RI FRXUVH WR JHW D VKDUH RI VRPH RI WKH VWUDWRVSKHULF SXUVH PRQH\ %\ KLV UHFRUG ZDV ZLQV XVXDOO\ E\ NQRFNRXW WKH ER[HU¶V ORQJ DUPV DQG VKHHU VL]H JLYLQJ KLP D IHURFLRXV SXQFKLQJ SRZHU DQG QR ORVVHV ,W ZDV WLPH WR WDNH KLV VKRW DW WKH ELJ WLPH E\ FKDOOHQJLQJ -RH )UD]LHU IRU WKH WLWOH RI +HDY\ZHLJKW &KDPSLRQ RI WKH :RUOG 6XFFHVV DQG WKUHH GHIHQFHV RI WKH WLWOH GXO\ IROORZHG XQWLO KH FDPH XS DJDLQVW 0XKDPPDG $OL LQ WKDW VWRULHG ¿JKW ODWH LQ +RIIHU VD\V RI )RUHPDQ¶V ¿JKWLQJ VW\OH WKDW ³,W ZDV SUHWW\ RQH GLPHQVLRQDO +H ZDV D ELJ PDQ KH ZDV VWURQJ KH ZDVQ¶W

GHWHUPLQLQJ WKH QDUUDWLYH DQG LQ WKLV FDVH KH GLG WKDW DV VRRQ DV KH JRW RQ WKH WDUPDF +H SURQRXQFHG KLPVHOI DV WKH WUXH $IULFDQ DQG KH FDOOHG )RUHPDQ D %HOJLDQ ZKLFK ZDV WKH FRXQWU\ WKDW KDG RSSUHVVHG =DLUH EHIRUH WKHQ $OL KDG D ZD\ RI PDNLQJ KLPVHOI WKH KHUR DQG Foreman the heel, and Foreman had no way to combat WKDW VRUW RI UKHWRULF ´ 7KH ¿JKW LWVHOI ZDV RQH RI WKH PRVW K\SHG RI DOO WLPH ODUJHO\ GRZQ WR LWV SURPRWHU ± 'RQ .LQJ QHZ RQ WKH VFHQH DQG ZLWK DOO WKH ¿]]LQJ WKHDWULFDOLW\ QHHGHG WR UDPS WKH H[FLWHPHQW DURXQG WKH ERXW WR IUHQ]LHG OHYHOV +H SHUVXDGHG ERWK $OL DQG )RUHPDQ WR VLJQ FRQWUDFWV VWDWLQJ WKH\ ZRXOG ¿JKW LI KH FRXOG JHW WRJHWKHU 86 PLOOLRQ IRU WKH SXUVH ZKLFK ZDV ¿QH LQ WKHRU\ ± LQ SUDFWLFH KRZHYHU .LQJ VLPSO\ GLGQ¶W KDYH WKH PRQH\ +H EHJDQ WKH VHDUFK IRU DQ RXWVLGH FRXQWU\ LQ QHHG RI SXEOLFLW\ WKDW ZRXOG VSRQVRU WKH ¿JKW 7KH SUHVLGHQW RI =DLUH MXPSHG DW WKH FKDQFH DQG .LQJ EHJDQ RUJDQLVLQJ RQH RI WKH PRVW VSHFWDFXODU IHVWLYDOV WKH FRXQWU\ KDG HYHU VHHQ 7KUHH GD\V RI PXVLF LQFOXGLQJ VHWV IURP -DPHV %URZQ DQG %LOO :LWKHUV VHW WKH VWDJH IRU WKH ELJ ¿JKW ± VFKHGXOHG IRU DP ORFDO WLPH WR EURDGFDVW DW SP RQ WKH (DVWHUQ VHDERDUG RI WKH 86 $V )RUHPDQ ZDV \RXQJHU WDOOHU DQG VWURQJHU KH ZDV WKH ERRNLHV¶ IDYRXULWH IRU YLFWRU\ DQG PRVW H[SHUWV H[SHFWHG $OL WR NHHS KLV GLVWDQFH DQG VWD\ RXW RI UDQJH

- 78 -

- 79 -

RI WKH \RXQJHU PDQÂśV KD\PDNHUV /LNH DOZD\V $OL GHÂżHG expectations, starting aggressively and throwing rapid combinations close-in to Foreman, who could not extend his arms quickly enough to do his rival any damage. Soon, 32-year-old Ali realised that at this pace, he would tire before 24-year-old Foreman, and moved into the next phase of his tactical masterclass – ‘the ropea-dope’, whereby he would lean into the ropes (which Foreman later claimed were looser than usual) to allow himself to get away from Foreman’s swings, and grab Foreman behind the head and into a clinch, from which the taller man would have to expend energy extricating himself. Round after round, Ali allowed Foreman to land blows onto his body, while protecting his head. The

taunts and psychological blows on the young champion were as painful as the return punches that Ali would occasionally land. Foreman later recalled that in the seventh round: “I hit him hard to the jaw and he held me and whispered in my ear: ‘That all you got, George?’ I realised that this ain’t what I thought it was.â€? Late in the eighth, enraged by Ali’s taunts, Foreman swung a left-handed haymaker and caught nothing but fresh air. Ali took his chance, and while Foreman was off balance, set him up almost tenderly with a left to the ear, before a smash of a straight right sent his opponent down to the canvas. Foreman managed to stagger to his feet at the QLQH FRXQW EXW WKH UHIHUHH VWRSSHG WKH ÂżJKW $OL ZDV WKH winner, and life would never be the same for Foreman again.

- 80 -

‘I realised then that this ain’t what I thought it was’

For the whole of 1975, the defeated champion did nothing. Then, in 1976, he decided to get back in the ring. Unable to secure a rematch with Ali, he fought (and beat) second-tier contenders like Ron Lyle, an aging Joe Frazier and Scott LeDoux. Hoffer says of the proposed Ali/Foreman rematch: “I don’t think the public demanded the rematch; it wasn’t a popular idea at the time. In any case, Foreman wasn’t so much devastated E\ WKDW ÂżJKW DV KH ZDV GHFRQVWUXFWHG E\ LW +H GLGQÂśW even know what he was made of any more and had to put himself back together, and that was a slow process before he could get himself back up to speed.â€? 7KH HQG RI WKH ÂżUVW HUD RI KLV ER[LQJ FDUHHU ZRXOG FRPH LQ KLV ÂżJKW ZLWK -LPP\ <RXQJ )RUHPDQ Ă€HZ WR 3XHUWR 5LFR ODWH MXVW WKH GD\ EHIRUH WKH ÂżJKW

– giving himself no time to acclimatise. Struggling in the heat, Foreman boxed cautiously. During the second KDOI RI WKH ÂżJKW )RUHPDQ ZLOWHG <RXQJ NQRFNHG KLP GRZQ LQ WKH WZHOIWK URXQG DQG WKH ÂżJKW ZDV ORVW RQ points. In the dressing room after the match, suffering from heat stroke and exhaustion, Foreman became ill and convinced he was about to die. Finding himself in D SODFH RI ÂłQRWKLQJQHVV DQG GHVSDLU´ WKH SUL]HÂżJKWHU pleaded with God to help him. He felt a sense of peace, and of God telling him to change his life. Foreman did exactly that. He quit boxing and for the next decade, just as relentlessly as he’d hounded opponents in the ring, he preached the word of God. Out on the cold streets of Houston, in the rain and the snow, and at a church in the 5th Ward in which he’d grown up, Foreman evangelised to troubled and under-privileged \RXWKV ,Q KH IRXQGHG WKH *HRUJH )RUHPDQ <RXWK and Community Center, which offered young people outlets for scholastic and athletic activities – including boxing. After 10 years of being a rich preacher, Foreman made an uncomfortable discovery. His well of wealth had almost run dry. Nearing the end of his thirties, Foreman decided to rejoin the boxing world for an unprecedented comeback, in order to fund his youth centre. With DJH WKH ÂżJKWHU KDG PHOORZHG 7KH VWDQG RIÂżVK DORRI sportsman of the past was gone, and in its place was the new George Foreman – gregarious, joyful and able to sell himself. The boxing community welcomed him back, and after a string of victories, George Foreman regained his place as Heavyweight Champion of the World in 1994, aged 45. Michael Moorer was his opponent, 19 years Foreman’s junior and a comfortable favourite. After 10 rounds of a thrilling slugfest, Foreman caught Moorer with a short right to the chin, bursting his lip open. The young man went down and stayed down, and Foreman regained the title he’d lost to Ali 20 years previously – becoming the oldest Heavyweight Champion the world had ever seen. Half-a-dozen further ÂżJKWV IROORZHG XQWLO D ORVV RQ SRLQWV WR 6KDQQRQ %ULJJV At the age of 48, George Foreman retired from boxing for good. Of course, what Foreman is most recognised for today is the grill that bears his name. A shrewd piece of marketing (Foreman claimed that healthy eating is what allowed him to return to the ring, and that the grill encouraged a healthy diet), has seen the George Foreman Grill sell over 100 million units, and earn the former champ more than US$200 million, far more than he ever made as a boxer – and probably more than Muhammad Ali made, too. Hoffer says: “He became much more famous as an entrepreneur and now there’s an entire generation of people who see that Jack-o-lantern grin and the apron instead of the satin shorts, and that’s what we think of as Foreman these days. He’s richer and healthier than any of the people he fought, so he did something right.â€?

- 81 -

MOTORING

Back to the Future

Aston Martin brings back the historic Lagonda nameplate for a Middle East exclusive

- 82 -

A

s far as an ethos towards building automobiles goes, ³7KH ¿QHVW RI IDVW cars� is a pretty good one. It tells you everything you need to know about a vehicle: it will be stylish and comfortable, yet it will also perform to standards comparable with the best in its class. This is the ethos that Aston Martin was working towards when it produced the William Towns-designed Lagonda in 1976 – a square, wedge-shaped slice of luxury that was available until 1989. After that point, the Lagonda name appeared to have sunk without

trace – until now. The new Aston Martin Lagonda super saloon is being released exclusively in the Middle East, and it is something quite special. But the story of the Lagonda name is one that goes back over a hundred years, and is one that is worth exploring. In 1906, an American named Wilbur Gunn was living in Staines, Middlesex, in the UK. But he was thinking about the town of his birth, which was Lagonda Creek QHDU 6SULQJÂżHOG 2KLR *XQQ ZDV trying to come up with a name for the small motorcycle company he had set up in the garden of his house in Staines, and “Lagondaâ€? offered

a touch of exoticism to the success his motorcycles had found. In 1907 *XQQ ODXQFKHG WKH ÂżUVW /DJRQGD FDU a 20hp, six-cylinder vehicle he called WKH 7RUSHGR 2YHU WKH QH[W KDOI decade further success came, mainly due to exports to Russia where his cars won many racing trials. Then WWI happened. During WWI, Lagonda made artillery shells, and when Gunn died in 1920, control of the company was put into the hands of three company directors headed by Colin Parbury. Parbury launched a series of sports models with varying success until ZKHQ ÂżQDQFLDO GLIÂżFXOW\ VDZ the company enter receivership.

Words: RICHARD JENKINS

- 83 -

MOTORING

- 84 -

It was bought by Alan P. Good, who outbid Rolls-Royce and also SHUVXDGHG : 2 %HQWOH\ D 5ROOV Royce designer, to come and join the Lagonda company and design a new type of engine. History intervened once again when WWII turned the

renewed optimism about its future. Aston Martin prided itself on its Lagonda cars being among the most expensive saloons in the world, rivalled only by automotive royalty like the Rolls-Royce Silver Spur and Bentley Mulsanne. Hand-built

Martin’s manufacturing facility in Warwickshire in the UK, the new Lagonda is for sale by invitation only and will be offered exclusively in early 2015 in the Middle East – ZKHUH WKH HWKRV RI Âł7KH ÂżQHVW RI fast carsâ€? is more important than anywhere else. Aston Martin recognised the need in hotter parts of the world for reliable yet sporty luxury, and put the Lagonda through its paces with a revolutionary new type of “Hot Environmental Testingâ€? to ensure the Lagonda is perfect for ÂżHUFH GHVHUW KHDWV (QJLQHHUV KDYH covered as many as 14,000 miles in the car over a four-week test period in temperatures up to 50°C, and left the car to a thermal “heat soak,â€? in which the vehicle is positioned in the

and featuring state-of-the-art electronics, it was truly a vehicle for the bold and wealthy. A mere 645 Lagondas were produced over four series of the Lagonda’s 12-year run, making them extremely special and highly sought after when in good condition. Fast-forward 24 years, and after the longest hiatus in Lagonda history, it’s back. Drawing inspiration from the 1976 model and updated for 2015’s driver, the stunning reinterpretation is the most exciting new Aston Martin in \HDUV 2QFH DJDLQ KDQG EXLOW E\ WKH ¿QHVW FUDIWVPHQ DQG ZRPHQ DW $VWRQ

full sun for several hours to generate cabin temperatures as hot as 80°C, with engineers feeding information IURP WKH WHVWLQJ JURXQG LQ 2PDQ back to the team in Warwickshire. The Lagonda’s engine is based on the Aston Martin VH platform found in all of the company’s cars (except WKH 2QH VR LWÂśV QR VORXFK RQ WKH road, and the interior is a a tapestry of supple leather. But what Lagonda owners will truly enjoy is the fact that this new take on a classic name is not only a piece of automotive art, it’s a piece of history – bearing the iconic Lagonda nameplate and doing its predecessor proud.

saloon, and the result he came up with in 1976 divided opinion, to say the least. However, as soon as the Lagonda was introduced it drew hundreds of deposits from potential customers, giving the company a much-needed injection of cash and a

Images: Supplied

‘The stunning reinterpretation is the most exciting new Aston Martin in years’ manufacturer into a supplier of 50,000 25-pound tank shells a day, DV ZHOO DV GHYHORSLQJ Ă€DPH WKURZLQJ equipment for armoured vehicles. Post WWII, the Lagonda in its most recognisable form began to take shape. In 1947 the company was taken over by David Brown and moved in with Aston Martin, which he had also just bought. Several Lagonda saloons came out of the door of Aston Martin-Lagonda (as it was then known) during the 1950s and ‘60s, until, eventually, dwindling sales saw the Lagonda marque quietly disappear, and Aston Martin became known for producing racy 2x2 sports cars. However, the Lagonda name was about to make a spectacular comeback. Aston Martin ZDV IDFLQJ ÂżQDQFLDO SUHVVXUH LQ WKH mid-1970s, and its traditional 2x2 cars were not bringing in enough revenue. The company recruited William Towns to design a bold new

- 85 -

GASTRONOMY

F

ew chefs can claim to have spent three months in a monastery to study vegetables. Paolo Sari, executive chef at the world’s ÂżUVW 0LFKHOLQ VWDUUHG organic restaurant, can. His reasons? To develop “mens sana in corpore sanoâ€? – a healthy mind in a healthy body, a motto the Venetian chef uses to steer his culinary agenda from his base LQ 0RQWH &DUOR Âł,ÂśYH spent the last 10 years of my career ÂżQDOLVLQJ WKH LGHD of organic and trying to convince the people to go back 40 or 50 years when you knew where your vegetables were coming from, where your chicken was coming from and who was cooking it,â€? he says. Âł, VSHQW IRXU \HDUV in Asia, in Japan especially, where food is pretty much based on preserved YHJHWDEOHV DQG ÂżVK )URP WKHUH , VWDUWHG to develop how to take the good from food. , UHLQYHQWHG WKH ZD\ gastronomy was 50 years ago.â€? 6R JUHHQ LV 6DUL Âľ&DSWDLQ Planet of the kitchen’ seems like D ÂżWWLQJ ODEHO WR JLYH KLP ZKHQ we meet in Elsa, said restaurant with the sparkly, and relatively QHZ 0LFKHOLQ VWDU 1DPHG DIWHU WKH American society chronicler Elsa 0D[ZHOO ZKR ODXQFKHG WKH 0RQWH &DUOR %HDFK +RWHO LQ WKH restaurant’s home), Elsa is 100 per cent organic. Here, red meat is out, SRXOWU\ DQG ÂżVK DUH LQ SHVWLFLGHV are vetoed in favour of natural - 86 -

For Paolo Sari, executive FKHI DW WKH ZRUOG¶V ¿UVW 0LFKHOLQ VWDUUHG RUJDQLF restaurant, cooking is all about the ingredients. $,5 ÀLHV WR 0RQWH &DUOR to sample how this ,WDOLDQ ERUQ JRXUPDQG is changing the way 0RQHJDVTXHV HDW – forever

Fresh is best - 87 -

GASTRONOMY VSURXWLQJ DQG ORFDO IDUPHUV DUH WKH preferred produce partners. “We have 15 gardens just producing for us,â€? beams the chef, proudly, over RXU WDEOH Âł5LJKW QRZ ZH VRXUFH 100 per cent of our produce from ,WDO\ DQG )UDQFH DSDUW IURP WKH cocoa which comes from the organic Fairtrade market. Each partner has WR JLYH PH D FHUWLÂżFDWLRQ DQG EH FHUWLÂżHG RUJDQLF ,ÂśP UHDOO\ UHDOO\ strict with that. There’s really no kitchen without transparency and consistency.â€? Sari admits, however, that he UHFHQWO\ FDVW KLV QHW OLWHUDOO\ a touch farther than Europe, to 0DGDJDVFDU ZKHUH KH LV FXUUHQWO\ ZRUNLQJ ZLWK ÂłYLVLRQDU\´ 0DWKLDV ,VPDLO WKH RQO\ RUJDQLF VKULPS producer in the world. “What he did, which was amazing, is he completely developed a region in 0DGDJDVFDU ZKHUH KH KDV EXLOW D school, a hospital, everything. That’s ZK\ ZKHQ , VDZ WKDW >, WKRXJKW@ ÂľZH must be connected’. And once again, it’s direct.â€? While Asia ignited his passion for organic, Sari’s interest in TXDOLW\ LQJUHGLHQWV JRHV EDFN WR KLV childhood, where he’d spend his days watching his mother prepare ,WDOLDQ IDUH XVLQJ SURGXFH IURP 5LDOWR PDUNHW WKH 9HQHWLDQ ODJRRQ DQG WKH OLWWOH LVODQGV DURXQG Venice. A spell at culinary school duly followed, before Sari packed his bags for London, where he joined the kitchen at the Dorchester with $QWRQ 0RVLPDQQ )URP (XURSH WR Asia then back to Europe Sari went, where he worked in various kitchens DFURVV ,WDO\ +RWHO 9LOOD &LSULDQL LQ $VROR +DUU\ÂśV %DU LQ 9HQLFH DQG &OXE GHO 'RJH DOVR LQ 9HQLFH EHIRUH MRLQLQJ (OVD LQ 0RQDFR KLV RUJDQLF “prototypeâ€?. On the menu today is a kaleidoscopic line up of dishes FUHDWHG E\ 6DUL DQG KLV WHDP Âł, DOZD\V VD\ , KDYH WZR WHDPV Âą RQH WHDP ZRUNV LQ WKH ÂżHOG WKH producers who give me the product, and the other team is in the kitchen.â€?) First up, the signature %LR 6DPD VDODG D ZRUN RI DUW

starter that looks more like a Philip Treacy hat than fodder – think YLEUDQW FDUURW ULEERQV VWDWXHVTXH OHDYHV DQG WKH RGG ERUDJH Ă€RZHU GUL]]OHG ZLWK RUJDQLF H[WUD YLUJLQ ROLYH RLO DQG &DUPDUJXH VHD VDOW Âł7KH %LR 6DPD RXU WUDGHPDUN UHĂ€HFWV SHUIHFWO\ RXU FXOLQDU\ DQG life philosophy: focus on simplicity, ZKLFK LV SHUIHFWLRQ ´ VD\V WKH FKHI Âł, don’t make the menu and look for the - 88 -

ingredients, we go exactly the other ZD\ DURXQG , SXW WKH LQJUHGLHQWV WRJHWKHU DQG SOD\ ZLWK QDWXUH , GRQœW SXW DQ\ OLPLWV LQ SODFH DQG ,œP YHU\ ÀH[LEOH :KDWHYHU QDWXUH JLYHV PH , XVH LW DQG WKDWœV WKH ZD\ LWœV supposed to be.� $V , VKRYHO WKH VHFRQG FRXUVH LQWR my mouth – gold risotto with black FXWWOH¿VK UDJRXW IUHVKO\ FDXJKW IURP WKH 0HGLWHUUDQHDQ ORFDWHG

right outside Elsa’s windows – Sari shares his plans for the resort and its three other restaurants. “Elsa is a small restaurant so it was more easy to manage,â€? he says. “Elsa is like a prototype, everything is happening here, afterwards it will spread to all the other restaurants. For example, last year was just Elsa using organic fruit and vegetables, this year the whole site is organic fruit and vegetables. Now, Elsa is 100 per cent organic, and the rest of the site is 80 SHU FHQW FHUWLÂżHG RUJDQLF ´ Calling organic a trend agitates Sari ever-so-slightly. “Let me ask you a question, ‘do you think it’s a trend to eat vegetables sprayed with chemicals and poison?’ It can be a trend or good for your health,â€? he says, before reeling off various illnesses he claims are a result of poorly prepared food. “Organic is not a follower of the moment but a conscious and responsible attitude,

‘I put the ingredients together and play with nature’ a true lifestyle.â€? Agreed. Time for dessert. $ Ă€XIIHG XS 6LFLOLDQ DOPRQG VRXIĂ€p ODQGV RQ RXU WDEOH ZREEOLQJ lightly from its outsized ramekin. With my spoon in one hand, pen in the other, I ask chef if he can envisage a fully-organic future? “Everybody has to do their own part,â€? he says. “Altogether we can change it. What I suggest is go back to local produce and recognise from previous generations what you used to eat and create something modern – use imported goods as a plus, not as a substitute to your traditional foods. You have to protect the planet and really go back and preserve it. Start to give back what has been taken over so many years otherwise nothing is going to be left for the future generations,â€? concludes Sari. This Planeteer couldn’t agree more. Check please. - 89 -

TRAVEL

Olivers Travels is offering a luxury hotel suite like no other – below the waves of the Caribbean in a private submarine

LUXURY HOTELS ARE GOING DOWN

- 90 -

S

ituated just off the coast of the Caribbean OLHV D VPDOO ÀHHW RI submarines that weren’t built for military operations or for underwater exploration – they exist purely for the pleasure of holidaymakers searching for the ultimate in a private getaway. Known as Lovers Deep, the submarines can be moored 200 metres below the waves at a location chosen by the customer, be that a coral reef in the Florida Keys or surrounded by icebergs in the Arctic. Private speedboat transfers come as standard, but can be upgraded to a helicopter if so desired. Designed as a destination for honeymoons or romantic occasions, the luxury experience comes with its own on-board captain, butler and chef who has developed a specialist aphrodisiac tasting menu including oysters, caviar and chocolate with essence of pomegranate. High-grade thickened windows have been added in most of the living spaces of the submarines so that the underwater world is very much part of the experience – but trips to the surface for sunset strolls along the beach before retiring below the waves for the night can also be planned using the company’s dedicated concierge team, who are RQ KDQG WR IXO¿O DQ\ UHTXHVW At a price point of $US282,380 per stay, this is one travel destination that most people won’t have even considered – let alone been able to book space on. And if you book the honeymoon package any time in 2014, they even throw the aphrodisiac tasting menu in for free. oliverstravels.com

- 91 -

LIFE LESSONS

WHAT I KNOW NOW

David Rosenblatt CEO of 1stdibs.com

I started my career in investment banking but realised after three years WKDW , GLGQ¶W ZDQW D FDUHHU LQ ¿QDQFH ± , MXVW ZDVQ¶W SDVVLRQDWH DERXW LW 0\ MRXUQH\ LQWR WKH LQWHUQHW DQG H FRPPHUFH EHJDQ LQ ZKHQ .HYLQ 2¶&RQQRU WKH IRXQGHU RI 'RXEOH&OLFN KLUHG PH DERXW D \HDU DIWHU WKH FRPSDQ\ ZDV IRXQGHG , ZDV SURPRWHG WR &(2 LQ DQG ZH VROG WKH FRPSDQ\ WR *RRJOH LQ DQG , VWD\HG RQ DW *RRJOH WKURXJK ,Q ODWH , UHFHLYHG D SKRQH FDOO IURP RQH RI VWGLEV¶ LQYHVWRUV %HQFKPDUN &DSLWDO DVNLQJ PH WR FRQVLGHU MRLQLQJ WKH FRPSDQ\ DV &(2 DQG LW ZDV ORYH DW ¿UVW VLJKW :KHQ VWGLEV ZDV IRXQGHG LQ VRXUFLQJ SURGXFWV RQOLQH LQ WKLV LQGXVWU\ ZDV SUDFWLFDOO\ XQKHDUG RI ,W KDV EHHQ D FKDOOHQJH WR EULQJ WKLV SODWIRUP IURP D XWLOLW\ EXLOW IRU WKH WUDGH WR D FRQVXPHU IULHQGO\ IXOO\ WUDQVDFWLRQDO H FRPPHUFH VLWH EXW WRGD\ ZH DUH VHHLQJ PDMRU FROOHFWRUV PDNLQJ SXUFKDVHV WKURXJK RXU SODWIRUP IURP GHDOHUV DOO RYHU WKH ZRUOG 7KH ELJJHVW LQVSLUDWLRQ WR PH SURIHVVLRQDOO\ LV .HYLQ 2¶&RQQRU +H LV D YLVLRQDU\ ZKR IRXQGHG WZR FRPSDQLHV LQ WKH HDUO\ µ V HDFK RI ZKLFK FDPH WR EH ZRUWK ELOOLRQV RI GROODUV 7KH WHPSODWH IRU HYHU\WKLQJ , GR DV D PDQDJHU DQG D OHDGHU LV GHULYHG IURP KLV H[DPSOH +H WDXJKW PH WR IRFXV RQ UHFUXLWLQJ WRS WDOHQW LUUHVSHFWLYH RI WKHLU EDFNJURXQG KRZ ZHOO WUDLQHG WKH\ DUH RU KRZ PDQ\ \HDUV RI H[SHULHQFH WKH\ KDYH -XVW EHFDXVH VRPHRQH ORRNV JRRG RQ SDSHU GRHVQ¶W PHDQ WKH\ DUH ULJKW IRU WKH MRE DQG YLFH YHUVD +LULQJ LV OLNH KLWWLQJ D EDVHEDOO ± LI \RX GR ZHOO D WKLUG RI WKH WLPH \RX DUH EHWWHU WKDQ HYHU\RQH HOVH , OLNH WR think that my batting average is substantially better than that! 7KH PRVW LPSRUWDQW OHVVRQ , KDYH OHDUQHG LV µOHVV LV PRUH¶ )RFXV RQ GRLQJ D IHZ WKLQJV UHDOO\ ZHOO DQG \RX¶OO FRPH RXW EHWWHU IRU LW ,¶OO JLYH \RX D VWRU\ WKDW LOOXVWUDWHV WKDW .HYLQ 2¶&RQQRU RQFH DVNHG PH WR ZULWH GRZQ P\ WRS WKUHH SULRULWLHV ZKLFK , GLG +H WKHQ threw me a marker and asked me WR FURVV RXW WKH VHFRQG DQG WKLUG SULRULWLHV 7KDW OHVVRQ KDV UHDOO\ stuck with me. ,I , JDYH P\ \RXQJHU VHOI RQH SLHFH RI DGYLFH LW ZRXOG EH WR FKDVH \RXU SDVVLRQ 'R ZKDW \RX ORYH DQG ZKDW \RX¶UH JRRG DW DQG WKDW¶V ZKHUH \RX¶OO ¿QG VXFFHVV $QG LI \RX ¿QG \RXUVHOI GRLQJ VRPHWKLQJ WKDW \RX HLWKHU GRQ¶W ORYH RU DUH QRW SDUWLFXODUO\ WDOHQWHG DW VWRS - 92 -

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

Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.