Air Magazine - Al Bateen - Mar'16 by Hot Media

Issue FIFty eIGHt MARCH 2016

Ben Affleck Luxury • Culture • People • Style • Heritage

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Contents MARCh 2016 : ISSUE 58

Managing Director

Victoria Thatcher

AIR

Editorial Director

John Thatcher Group Commercial Director

David Wade

david@hotmediapublishing.com Commercial Director

Rawan Chehab

rawan@hotmediapublishing.com Business Development Manager

Fifty Two

Rabih El Turk

Bat to the Bone

rabih@hotmediapublishing.com

christopher@hotmediapublishing.com

Ben Affleck has taken on a monumental role, and it seems he wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need much work to get into character...

Art Director

Fifty Eight

Editor

Chris Ujma

Strike a Pose

Andy Knappett

What went into Chanelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eyecatching beige chiffon Look 33 collection? (Spoiler: it took 200 hours of pleating)

Features Editor

Annie Darling Designer

Emi Dixon

Sixty Four

The Eyes Have It

Illustrator

Andrew Thorpe

Her arresting looks defined a generation, but for all the success, supermodel Twiggy is living for the present

Production Manager

Muthu Kumar

Contents MARCh 2016 : ISSUE 58

Twenty Two

Seventy

British Polo Day means gentlemanly competition astride horses and, â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it being the UAE â&#x20AC;&#x201C; even camels

BMW reaches a century of engineering excellence; we accelerate through the highlights from 100 years

Thirty Three

Seventy Four

A bumper A&D section looks at three fascinating Dubaibased events, set to wow the emirate throughout March

With historical and culinary foundations in Venice, Cipriani exports its menu of Italian fare with an aura

Forty Four

Seventy Eight

From New Bond St. to onscreen with James Bond, David Morris jewellery stirs temptation in the observer

Take your jet to St. Moritz, where the luxurious Carlton Hotel awaits, overlooking the majestic Swiss Alps

Radar

Art & Design

Jewellery

Motoring

Gastronomy

Travel

Forty Eight

AIR

Timepieces The Italian Royal Navy entrusted Panerai with time itself; these are watches that can withstand the pressure

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

NICO ROSBERG Global Citizen

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Al Bateen MARCH 2016 : ISSUE 58

Welcome Onboard MARCH 2016

Welcome to the March 2016 edition of AIR Magazine, your personal guide to Al Bateen Executive Airport, its developments, people and latest news. This issue previews Abu Dhabi Air Expo 2016, which will be held from March 8-10 as an integral part of Abu Dhabi Aviation and Aerospace Week, held under the patronage of His Highness General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. The event will feature two new elements for this fourth edition: Abu Dhabi Heli Expo – showcasing all that the helicopter industry has to offer; and the first Middle East Aviation Careers Conference and Exhibition – an event aimed at developing human resources for the aviation industry. We are looking forward to welcoming over 20,000 visitors to the region’s only dedicated business aviation airport for the biennial event, which brings leading industry players, decision makers and key stakeholders together on one runway. Through world-class events like the Abu Dhabi Air Expo, Al Bateen Executive Airport is delighted to invite visitors and business leaders from around the world to enjoy its top quality facilities and offerings, tailor-made for its diverse and evergrowing customer base. On behalf of AIR Magazine and Al Bateen Executive Airport, we wish you a safe and pleasant onward journey.

Ali Majed Al Mansoori, CFA

Chairman of ADAC

Contact Details: albateeninfo@adac.ae albateenairport.com 17

Al Bateen MARCH 2016 : ISSUE 58

Abu Dhabi Air Expo moves Onwards and Upwards

Abu Dhabi Air Expo, one of the most successful general and business aviation exhibitions across the Middle East, returns to the tarmac from 8th to 10th March 2016, as part of Abu Dhabi Aviation and Aerospace Week, which is held under the patronage of His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. Al Bateen Executive Airport, the only dedicated business aviation airport in the Middle East, will host the eventâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fourth edition and emphasises Abu Dhabiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s position as a leading global hub of aviation, as well as aerospace. 18

In 2014, Abu Dhabi Air Expo welcomed an unprecedented audience of over 13,700 stakeholders and spectators from across the region. The 67,000 square meters of space at Al Bateen Executive Airport hosted a record 195 exhibiting companies across several aviation sectors, including aircraft, manufacturing, support services, insurance and airport technology. 110 aircraft catering to all facets of the business aviation industry were also proudly on display. Delegates from 47 countries and 350 accredited media members attended the 2014 edition, which provided a prime opportunity for leading

Al Bateen MARCH 2016 : ISSUE 58

business and aviation stakeholders from across the industry to discover its latest developments and most exciting innovations. Fast-forward two years and the 2016 Abu Dhabi Air Expo is expected to reach greater heights as business aviation across the region continues to grow at a rapid pace. Over 20,000 visitors from the aviation and aerospace industries will be in attendance, alongside an exhibitor line-up of 300 manufacturers, as well as suppliers. Furthermore, organisers have integrated two new events that will run in parallel with the program: the Abu Dhabi Heli Expo, which will

showcase the latest developments across the helicopter industry; and the Middle East Aviation Careers Conference and Exhibition, which provides a platform for business stakeholders to share the best practices on connecting with industry professionals. To facilitate Abu Dhabi Air Expoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s remarkable growth, host venue Al Bateen Executive Airport has expanded in tandem. Located strategically within reach of major business and leisure attractions in the UAEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s capital, the airport can now accommodate up to 90 aircraft and features a fixed base operations (FBO) service provider. 20

In the near future, the airport will secure additional land to create new airside and landside facilities. Al Bateen Executive Airport will also manage key investments in upgrades and retrofits across the board, infusing world-class quality into a facility that strives to match the needs of the ever-evolving industry it serves. With matching ambition, Al Bateen Executive Airport welcomes guests, professionals and exhibitors to the fourth edition of the Abu Dhabi Air Expo and looks forward to continued collaboration and growth for years to come. abudhabiairexpo.com

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Radar

AIR

MARCH 2016 : ISSUE 58

The UAE plays host to a real highlight of the social calendar this month as it stages the opening two global events of British Polo Day. The private royal polo ground of HH Sheikh Falah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan at Ghantoot Racing & Polo Club, Abu Dhabi, takes centre stage on March 19, where a game of camel polo featuring the British Army Guards starts proceedings. A week later on March 25, invited guests in Dubai will see the likes of Royal Salute Oxbridge and home team Habtoor Polo compete in traditional matches at The Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club. Applications for invitations can be made at britishpoloday.com. 22

Critique MARCH 2016 : ISSUE 58

Film Knight of Cups Dir: Terrence Malick Screenwriter Rick [Christian Bale] is on an odyssey through the desire-laden playgrounds of Los Angeles and Las Vegas AT BEST: “This starstudded, never-a-dullmoment cinematic oddity represents another... fascinating reframing of man’s place”. Variety AT WORST: “His [Malick] style is stagnating into mannerism, cliché and selfparody.” The Guardian

Cemetery of Splendor AIR

Dir: Apichatpong Weerasethakul Soldiers are plagued with a mysterious illness and barriers between reality and the imaginary dissipate AT BEST: “So serene, so perfectly meditative, that it puts the viewer in precisely the same hushed reverie to which its characters eventually submit.” Slant Magazine AT WORST: “The story… may give admirers of his work a strange sense of déjà vu.” Variety

Midnight Special Dir: Jeff Nichols A father and his young son go on the run after they realise the latter possesses special powers AT BEST: “Midnight Special confirms Nichols’ uncommon knack for breathing dramatic integrity and emotional depth into genre material.” The Hollywood Reporter AT WORST: “There’s an absence of fun here… a severe lack of pace.” The Guardian

The Clan Dir: Pablo Trapero The thrilling true story of the Puccio family who kidnapped and killed people in 1980s Argentina AT BEST: “Effortless tracking shots, spasms of sickening violence and a perfectly pitched jukebox soundtrack are all conspicuously and stylishly deployed”. The Telegraph AT WORST: “The work of a filmmaker clearly in love with his craft – and a flavour for the darker side of human nature.” Miami Herald 24

Critique MARCH 2016 : ISSUE 58

Theatre

AIR

om Stoppard’s much-loved Arcadia narrates parallel stories that, despite being set two centuries apart, are forever intertwined. Recognised as one of the twentieth century’s greatest plays, this production’s a ravishing comedy, laced with romantic complications and scientific discoveries. In the early nineteenth century, at a grand English country estate, an intellectually brilliant teenager and her tutor investigate algorithms and the second law of thermodynamics. However, it’s not smooth sailing! Indiscrete affairs, mistaken identities and duels may get in the way of a happy ending. Directed by Richard Cottrell, Sydney Theatre Company’s Arcadia plays at the Sydney Opera House drama theatre until 2 April. “A story of infidelity and duels, loaded letters, wounded egos and the interfering hand of Lord Byron,” excitedly exclaims Kate Hennessy of The Guardian. “His [Stoppard] dialogue is abstract and his action is light on but the Cluedo-esque modern plot invests the audience absolutely in the nineteenth century plot, which would otherwise seem like a period drama parody, written far beneath Stoppard’s talents.” She goes on to write that this “dazzling play” has an achilles heel: “Arcadia has a flatness, a quietness, an inexorability and a lack of climactic peaks. From the back of the large drama theatre it must have been even more pronounced.” John McCallum of The Australian described the latest production as a “intellectually exhilarating and emotionally involving play, and it is the combination of mind and heart, which no one does as well, that makes it so thrilling to listen to”. This “clear and faithful” production pleased him, but “the marvellous intrigue of this production is in Stoppard’s gloriously intricate writing, which draws together all the strands — the ideas, the emotions, the lust for other people and the lust for understanding.”

Above: Josh McConville and Andrea Demetriades in Sydney Theatre Company’s Arcadia © Heidrun Löhr

“While many of the performances are excellent – Corr, notably, and Demetriades – others are strained,” said Jason Blake of The Sydney Morning Herald. “Neither of the play’s main pairings generates much in the way of heat.” Elsewhere, Matt Trueman of Variety called director Robert Icke “the great hope of British theatre.” Commenting on Uncle Vanya, which is running in London’s Almeida Theatre, he says, “the 29-year-old has a rare talent for tapping into a text’s driving forces,” before adding that “the production is exquisitely acted.” “Robert Icke seems on a personal mission to renovate the classics,” mused Michael Billington of The Guardian. “It worked with Oresteia. In the case of his modernised version of Chekhov’s masterpiece, the approach yields a wealth of illuminating detail and fine performances.” 26

The Telegraph’s Ben Lawrence writes that “the performances are strong, with Downton Abbey’s Brown Findlay (who also appeared in Oresteia) skillfully showing the tomboyish Sonia as someone who, despite being ground down by hardship, exists in a suspended state of adolescence.” However, The Independent’s Holly Williams regretfully explains that unlike Icke’s previous productions, “Uncle Vanya doesn’t startle”. It does, however “clarify the play: it’s clear and fresh as a draught of water.” “At nearly three and a half hours, with three intervals, this is a deliberately unhurried production,” comments Henry Hitchings of The Evening Standard. Quentin Letts for the Daily Mail agrees, saying that the length of the play, which is running until 26 March, is “usually worth it for the closing scene...”

Critique MARCH 2016 : ISSUE 58

Art

AIR

ou can’t leave London’s National Gallery’s Delacroix and the Rise of Modern Art exhibition without realizing Eugène Delacroix’s “Bowielike status”, says Jonathan Jones of The Guardian. “There is a wonderfully nutty quality to some of the homages the French pioneers of modern art paid to him,” he continues, “[the] art is so tough, so intellectual.” French Romantic artist, Delacroix, was famous for his optical effects and intense brushstrokes. The exhibition features major works by van Gogh, Gaugiun, Cezanne, Matisse and Kandinsky, alongside the painter’s own entertaining art. However Jones argues that “the failure to borrow at least one of the Louvre’s stonking Delacroix masterpieces makes this an exhibition without a hero. There are lots of interesting works by him here and some lovely ones, too: his faintly decadent still life A Basket of Fruit in a Flower Garden (1848) oozes a heady scent of overripeness. But the final insult comes when you are obliged, right in the middle of the exhibition, to watch a boringly shot film about mural projects in Paris.” He concludes that Delacroix’s “sensuality is dulled by this overworthy exhibition… without it his modernity is killed”, and that “it fails to communicate the sensationalism and excitement of Delacroix himself”. However, Delacroix and the Rise of Modern Art, which runs until May 22, received an overwhelmingly positive review from Matthew Collings of the Evening Standard, who said: “Trembling contours and smouldering colour dominate this exquisite show that highlights the French master’s sheer visual restlessness”. Jones did, however, praise the Hieronymus Bosch – Visions of Genius display at the Noordbrabants Museum in the Netherlands. “An astonishing homecoming for this madly inventive artist sets the grotesque against a deep but compassionate melancholy that burns into your soul,” he proclaims. The sixteenth century painter crafted the world’s most

Above: Frédéric Bazille (1841-1870), Young Woman with Peonies, 1870. Image courtesy of the Board of Trustees, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.

fascinating artworks, including the Garden of Earthly Delights; “a triptych, a three-part painting whose side panels can be closed like doors.” Jones goes as far to claim, “the Noordbradbants Museum in Den Bosch has put on one of the most important exhibitions of our century.” The “deeply absorbing” showcase runs until May 8 and marks the artist’s 500th anniversary. Alternatively, KAWS is the first UK exhibition of the renowned American artist’s work, which features painting, sculpture, graphic design, toys and prints. The Telegraph writes that there’s something “hypnotically compelling about seeing his monumental cartoon sculptures in the historic, bucolic YSP [Yorkshire Sculpture Park]”. The Guardian, meanwhile, has reviewed the latest Tate Modern display, Performing For the Camera, which runs until June 12. “From a femmed-up Marcel Duchamp to Joseph Beuys in a fisherman’s vest, there is plenty of humour in this survey of artists acting up for the 28

lens,” says Adrian Searle of The Guardian. “It’s about self-exposure and self-dramatisation, the dynamics of confrontation... There is a great deal of humour and inadvertently stupid self-aggrandisement in Performing for the Camera, but there is also much that is poignant, confrontational, painful and joyful.” Mark Hudson of The Telegraph seems quite fascinated by the concept of the exhibition: “That the presence of a camera changes our behavior is one of the most basic truths not only of photography, but of life itself.” Nonetheless, he remains largely critical, commenting that, “there are too many rooms of black and white images, all a very similar, relatively small size.” He goes on to conclude that “while it [the exhibition] struggles to find an overarching message, it’s the strength and detail in these often obscure stories that keep us absorbed. It isn’t great themes, that make a great show, but great images, and this exhibition undoubtedly has an abundance of those.”

Critique MARCH 2016 : ISSUE 58

Books

AIR

arly on in her memoir, A Mother’s Reckoning, Sue Klebold recalls the last time she saw her 17-year-old son, Dylan. He’d left for school that morning and had called out one word: “Bye.” There was something unusual in his tone – something that bothered her. She was worried, and she was right to be. On April 20, 1999, Dylan and his friend Eric Harris walked into Columbine High School in Colorado. Within minutes, they would kill 12 students, as well as a teacher, and wound 24 others, before committing suicide. Goodreads writes that the book is “filled with hard-won wisdom and compassion. A Mother’s Reckoning is a powerful and haunting book that sheds light on one of the most pressing issues of our time… never has the need for understanding been more urgent.” Susan Dominus of the New York Times believes Klebold “earns our pity, our empathy, and, often, our admiration; and yet the ultimate purpose is to serve as a cautionary tale, not an exoneration.” She explains that Dylan had “fallen off an emotional cliff; his parents never even saw the ledge”, despite having “a home life that was, if not perfect, better than ordinary.” “Klebold is articulate, thorough and thoughtful,” asserts Dinah Lenney of the Los Angeles Times. She addresses the author directly: “I wish I could offer redemption. I can’t - it isn’t mine to give (and even if it were I know it wouldn’t help). What can I say? Just this: I believe you, I believe you, I believe you.” Elsewhere, the ambitions, as well as desolation, of Jean Stein’s five larger-than-life characters vividly capture the empty promises of Los Angeles. West of Eden: An American Place is “one of the best books ever written about Hollywood,” declares Gaby Wood of the Telegraph. Stein, the daughter of a talent mogul, grew up in Hollywood, and according to The Independent’s Christopher

Fowler her latest release makes “for uncomfortable reading. There’s a sense of lurking dread in these sunlit pages, so that even recollections of happy occasions feel off-kilter.” Victoria Segal in the Sunday Times writes of a “haunted tone”, with “stories full of lost boys and girls.” “Wealth, fame, beauty and status are a heady mix,” agrees Fiona Wilson of the Times, however the structure “means you’re essentially reading large chunks of interview transcript… Hollywood aficionados may enjoy the minutiae of famous people’s lives; others, I suspect, will tire of looking for gems among the banal recollections.” Nonetheless, Judith Freeman of Los Angeles Times describes West of Eden as “compulsively readable”. “It’s like being at an insider’s cocktail party where the most delicious gossip about the rich and powerful is being 30

dished by smart people... The result is a mesmerising book.” Vogue’s Megan O’Grady writes that it’s “enthralling” and “brings some of [Los Angeles] biggest personalities to life”. A new book by Pulitzer Prize winner Elizabeth Strout is cause for celebration. Her protagonist, Lucy Barton, is recovering from an operation when her mother, to whom she hasn’t spoken for many years, visits her.” “There is not a scintilla of sentimentality in this exquisite novel. Instead in its careful words and vibrating silences, My Name is Lucy Barton offers us a rare wealth of emotion,” says Claire Messud of The New York Times. Marion Winik of Newsday agrees with Messud’s praise, writing that the characters are so “profound” that the book “seems to be a kind of scripture or sutra, if a very down-to-earth and unpretentious one.”

OB JECTS OF DESIRE

OBJECTS OF DESIRE

Master craftsmanship, effortless style and timeless appeal; this monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s must-haves and collectibles

OB JECTS OF DESIRE

VA N C L E E F & A R P E L S

T H E Y YA M R I N G

As part of its high jewellery exhibition, Spirit of Nature, which takes place during this monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Design Days Dubai (March 14-16, The Venue, Downtown Dubai) Van Cleef & Arpels will showcase a dazzling array of jewels for sale, including this Theyyam Ring from the Seven Seas

Collection. The ring takes its admirer on a poetic voyage, with a resplendent cluster of Yellow gold, pink gold, diamonds, yellow sapphire, spessartite garnet and ruby gradation, pink sapphires, and one, cushion-cut rubellite of 11.68 carats. vancleefarpels.com 1

OB JECTS OF DESIRE

E R M AuC t ioNS , A M E L i A iSL A N d, F L oR i dA

1 96 0 A u S T I N - H E A l E Y 3000 Mk I BN7

Introduced in 1959, the British Motor Company launched the Austin-Healey 3000, which would quickly become the marque’s defining model. As the most powerful ‘Big Healey’ it helped establish the Austin-Healey name in the burgeoning sports car industry worldwide. 2,825

Mk I BN7s were built from 1959 to 1961, this one restored in 2009 at the marque specialists Kurt Tanner Restorations. In fact, this particular Austin-Healey 3000 Mk I BN7 was Mr. Tanner’s personal car. It’s offered at auction on March 16 with no reserve price. rmsothebys.com 2

OB JECTS OF DESIRE

BERLuti

G A S PA RD S H O E

The design of these shoes was inspired by the penny loafer, so named because the wearer would place a penny in the shoeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s panel which they believed would bring them good luck. Venezia leather, which allows exquisite visual transparency

and an exceptional depth of colour, was carefully chosen, as-ever. The panel on the Gaspard shoe is also unmistakably Berluti, bearing the brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trademark incision, a tribute to Italian artist Lucio Fontana who slashed at the canvas. berluti.com 4

OB JECTS OF DESIRE

BuLGARi

BEJEwEllED SERPENTI FORE vER

The inspiration for the bejewelled pattern on this limited-edition bag (only 68 have been made) is a 1968 emerald, diamond, ruby and sapphire-encrusted necklace from the brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s high jewellery archive. Screen-printed onto the bagâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hand-

polished python skin, the rich-coloured floral pattern is set off by an enamel snake-head clasp in black and white, the eyes of which twinkle via a semi-precious deep blue gemstone. Each bag took three months to craft. bulgari.com 5

OB JECTS OF DESIRE

HuBLot

BIB BANG uNICO SAPPHIRE A first for watchmaking, the case middle, bezel and back of this transparent timepiece are all cut from blocks of sapphire (almost as tough and as scratch resistant as diamond), in such a scale as to be used to create 500 limited-edition pieces â&#x20AC;&#x201C; incredibly hard to cut, before now sapphire has only ever been used to create

one-of-a-kind or bespoke-order watches. There is the presence of platinum in the spine of the 45mm timepiece, such as the screws and crown, which is over-moulded with silicon. This is the Big Bang baring its soul, achieving a sense of invisibility: an ethereal silhouette that took 4 years of intensive research to develop. hublot.com 6

OB JECTS OF DESIRE

SA i N t L Au R E N t

lE SMOkING TuX A signature piece of the house and a standout of Saint Laurent’s permanent collection, Le Smoking Tux is one of fashion’s genuinely iconic items. Dating to 1966, the classic dinner jacket was the crowning glory of the first tuxedo for women, created by Yves St Laurent. This modern interpretation, courtesy of Hedi

Slimane, sees the exact same methods and materials utilised to create both the male and female versions: replete with satin shawl lapel, flap pockets, and welt breast pocket. Buy it (in a beautiful blue hue) from Saint Laurent’s new, suitably stylish flagship store in Dubai’s Mall of the Emirates. ysl.com 7

OB JECTS OF DESIRE

CHRiStiE’S duBAi

HERMÉS BIRkIN To mark its tenth year in the Middle East, Christie’s Dubai will host its inaugural Elements of Style sale on March 17 at Jumeirah Emirates Towers, at which lifestyle objects including handbags, jewels and watches will go under the hammer.

The lots include this 2015 Hermès Birkin, a stunning iteration of the iconic handcarry crafted from chevre leather in vibrant colours of anemone, rose confetti and bleu azteque. The bag has never been used and has an estimate of $35k-40k. 8

Art & Design MARCH 2016 : ISSUE 58

Picture Perfect

Explore the past, examine the present, and look to the future at Dubai Photo Exhibition. A global perspective on photography will inspire art enthusiasts throughout the UAE, as Dubai prepares to showcase outstanding international artworks

AIR

hotography undoubtedly plays an essential role in the modern day world. In fact, there’s hardly an aspect of human activity in which it’s not used in one form or another. It’s become indispensable to both science and civilisation; it also provides a basis for the world’s mass media. Thousands of publications print millions of photographs daily. However, it’s so much a part of our lives that we’ve become complacent and neglectful. Our familiarity causes us to overlook its enormous significance, which ultimately lies in its universal appeal. Dubai Photo Exhibition is set to provide a distinctive platform for

photography to stand on its own as an art form. For the inaugural edition, Dubai Photo Exhibition will present a showcase of museum quality international artworks, which will be held in the Dubai Design District (d3), and is supported by the World Photography Organisation. Zelda Cheatle, head curator, is renowned for her pioneering work in establishing photography as an art form and first became involved in Dubai Photo Exhibition in August 2015. “The exhibition was to have an educational as well as aesthetic purpose,” she says. “Each curator has an incredible and vast knowledge of photography.” 34

Each moment in history has its own form of artistic expression

Opening page: Lubna Abd El-Aziz ‘Searching, Self-Portrait’. These pages, clockwise from far left: David Moore, ‘Outback Children’; Mohamed El Ghazouly ‘Nile Floods... ‘(1923); Héctor Garcia, ‘Atisbando el porvenir’; José Yalenti ‘Evanescent’ (1945).

The exhibition will bring together artworks from 23 countries, selected by 18 curators, and will celebrate the harmony and diversity of global photography on an unprecedented scale. “Each curator has something unique that they have contributed to this exhibition. The burgeoning success of the medium as an art form and as a means to express ideas can be traced through the works in this exhibition.” Visitors will experience the evolution of photography through a selection of artworks from the twentieth and twenty-first century. His Excellency Ali bin Thalith, secretary general of HIPA, describes Dubai Photo Exhibition as “a

true passion project” that will “explore diversity and commonalities in global photography over the decades.” Each moment in history has its own form of artistic expression, one that reflects the political climate and that time-period’s interests. Photography is a key player in how artistic expression and social structures continually influence and reshape each other. Each society develops characteristic forms of expression that are born from the needs and traditions of each culture. “We knew that we wanted to feature photography from the UAE, but we also wanted to do something more than that – we wanted to foster dialogue 35

between photography from different countries around the world,” explains His Excellency. “This is why we decided to involve a variety of curators from so many different countries, so that the geographical diversity represented in the exhibition would highlight the cultural exchanges that define a global perspective on photography.” He adds: “With such a large selection of artwork on show, visitors will also inevitably note an evolution of the medium over time.” Throughout the years there have been tremendous advances in technology, including the emergence of digital photography. The camera has become

AIR

an instrument of real significance. More so than any other art medium, photography is able to express the values of society and interpret events from a broader perspective. “So many digital effects can be used now that just weren’t available in the past. There are countless ways to manipulate an image,” explains His Excellency. The camera lens, also known as the ‘impartial eye’, ironically permits every possible distortion of reality: the photographer often determines the message of the image. Such methods are discussed in a series of public lectures and workshops, as well as a thought-provoking symposium led by international curators. “Photography deserves its own platform,” insists His Excellency. “We also wanted to promote Dubai as a hub for local and international artwork, and to nurture photographic excellence through

These pages: Sulaiman Bin Eid ‘Our Life’.

We’re one of the world’s most artistically conscious cities, this exhibition will highlight our commitment educational programmes, events and workshops. We want photography to have a home here in Dubai,” he smiles. “We’re one of the world’s most artistically conscious cities, this exhibition will highlight our commitment to supporting art and innovation. By creating an exciting new moment on the international art calendar, we will support Dubai’s vision of becoming a highly creative, connected and cultural city.” Photography began modestly as a means of representation, but has quickly become a powerful industry that’s penetrated all aspects of society. Despite this, it’s helped man discover the world from alternative angles; we would have never seen the moon’s surface without it. Dubai Photo Exhibition’s the latest development in Dubai’s ongoing quest to develop the UAE as a prominent art destination. Dubai Photo Exhibition 2016 will be held from March 16-19 at Dubai Design District (d3) 36

Art & Design MARCH 2016 : ISSUE 58

Going Global AIR

Art Dubai celebrates its 10th anniversary this month as it turns its focus to the Philippines WORDS : ANNIE DARLING

“I

t is timely that Art Dubai is giving focus to the Philippines,” said Marker 2016 curator Ringo Bunoan, whose thematic programme accompanies the contemporary and modern gallery halls of the wider fair. This year’s Marker exhibition is the first such showcase of Filipino artwork at any major international art event, as well as the Middle East. “By selecting the Philippines for Marker 2016, Art Dubai highlights Filipinos for their artistry and creative talent and provides an opportunity

for global cultural connections and exchange,” says Bunoan, who’ll be offering daily tours during Art Dubai. As with previous years, Marker 2016 aims to nurture cultural dialogue between its focus country and the Middle East. The exhibition brings works together that in some way build bridges and make connections between the Philippines and the Arab World. Additionally, it’ll expose artist-run spaces from Metro Manila, the capital of the Philippines. These independent galleries are essential for the development of Manila’s contemporary 38

art scene and allow artists to showcase their work outside the conventional frameworks of commercial galleries. Bunoan works closely with these

An opportunity for global cultural connections and exchange spaces and has developed a collective that showcases a new generation of artists from the region, in all its diversity. Why the Philippines? “Dubai

Previous page: Rajni Perera, Greed, Courtesy of Saskia Fernando Gallery. These pages: Ahmet Doğu İpek, Second Harvest VII, Courtesy of SANATORIUM (Left); Rana Begum, No. 607 Mesh, Courtesy of Jhaveri Contemporary (Right).

has one of the biggest Filipino migrant communities in the Middle East,” explains Bunoan, “and Filipinos have long contributed to the economic development in the region, serving various sectors and industries.” The exhibition highlights a new generation of around 20 young contemporary artisans and features artwork by 98B, Post Gallery, Project 20, and Thousandfold, among others. Wide-ranging multidisciplinary artwork includes paintings, soft sculptures, works on paper, textiles, photographs and films that address a diverse range of social and political issues. This is an extraordinary sneakpeek into the interests and practices of a new generation of ideas. Serving as an anchor to the exhibition is Roberto Chabet (1937-2013), a pioneering Filipino conceptual artist, teacher and curator who played a decisive role in several artist-run spaces throughout his lifetime. A major installation by Chabet will showcase alongside contemporary artwork, as will a selection of books, monographs, 41

zines, and other independent publications from the Philippines. More established international names will also be exhibited throughout Art Dubai’s contemporary gallery halls. The annual extensive nonprofit programme presents a select, and yet diverse, line-

Art Dubai has become a significant and celebrated event up of around 90 galleries from the UAE and around the world. Since its inception a decade ago, Art Dubai has become a significant and celebrated event in the development of the region’s ever-evolving art community. It’s a premier platform for worldwide galleries to showcase their most inspirational work. Renowned as one of the most influential meeting points in the art world today, there’s no doubt about the power of Dubai’s emerging creative movement. Art Dubai takes place March 16-19 at the Madinat Jumeirah

Art & Design

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MARCH 2016 : ISSUE 58

Cliché

Hosting the best limited edition and collectible works from leading international design galleries, Design Days Dubai challenges perceptions with ‘Orientalism Reinterpreted’

ubai’s not short of elaborate and feminine homeware brands, however, Cities Boutique, the region’s quirkiest and leading art, design and lifestyle store, is breaking the mould with a refreshing collection of limited edition pieces. Offering a vast variety of creative luxury design products, Cities Boutique will be participating in Design Days Dubai for the second time. This year’s collection will be presented under the theme ‘Orientalism Reinterpreted’, which was conceived to reclaim ownership over the term. Each designer participating in the exhibit has chosen a recognisable design, structure, or motif that’s been traditionally associated with Eastern culture. A reinterpretation will then be displayed, to challenge conventional perspectives that are inherent to the original object. By pushing the boundaries of conceptualised art and design, Cities Boutique will present a satirical and bold collection that tells a forgotten story. “We have taken an approach that is more conceptual and narrative, and we feel that each of the designs in our exhibit has a story to share,” explains Hazem Aljesr, owner of Cities Boutique. Cities’ designers argue that the term ‘Orientalism’ has come to denote a patronising and prejudiced depiction of Middle Eastern, South Asian, African and East Asian cultures. Furthermore, they suggest that these stereotypes have appeared in countless designs and artworks, reinforcing an erroneous understanding of these cultures. Returning for its 5th edition, Design Days Dubai is the region’s leading annual fair, dedicated to the most exclusive furniture and design objects. “Reflecting Dubai’s unique position as a global meeting point, it will showcase design from around the world, in addition to design from the region,” says Cyril Zammit, Director of Design Days Dubai. “For the upcoming edition, we keep the diversity of the design

It’s vital that we all give our support to the art and design movement in the region creations as one of our main features.” Aljesr believes that, “it’s vital that we all give our support to the art and design movement in the region and Design Days Dubai provides a strong platform for stores, galleries, designers and artists to exhibit their diverse creations and share their perspectives with a wider audience.” Featuring an exciting roster of new and returning exhibitors from 19 countries, Design Days Dubai presents highly collectible, modern design pieces from the world’s established and emerging galleries. “We have a unique format which positions young emerging galleries alongside the renowned, providing a first-time opportunity to exhibit at an international level.” There’s already been plenty to whet the appetite, with artists having teased works pre-show, providing a glimpse into their inspiration. A cluster of them, such as Amsterdam-based Lex Pott, have been conceptually influenced by 43

nature, using it as a material or point of reference; given how the event has grown over the years, nature is an apt metaphor, as Dubai Design Days showcases the blossoming of the region’s design landscape, and continues to promote the Middle East as a cultural polestar, where design enthusiasts are offered “the opportunity to meet designers from all over the world and acquire collectible design not seen anywhere else.” By also redefining the connotations associated with concepts like ‘Orientalism’, it’s hoped that Design Days Dubai will drive home the point that art has always developed. By pushing back against the norm, as well as focusing on innovation, perhaps it’s possible to embrace a fresh perspective and work together to positively influence a new generation. Design Days Dubai will be held from March 14-18 to coincide with Art Week at The Venue, Downtown Dubai

Jewellery MARCH 2016 : ISSUE 58

Diamonds Are Forever They’re the London Jeweller, whose pieces have seduced Bond girls, silver-screen stars and royalty alike. The name’s Morris. David Morris

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WORDS : CHRIS UJMA

he Duchess of Cambridge, crisp white wedding veil perfectly placed, gave a regal wave to the packed crowds, as her Prince Charming-husband guided the vintage Aston Martin down The Mall. While many eyes would naturally fixate on the smiles of the fairytale newlyweds, eagle-eyed observers would spot a small dragon proudly mounted on the bonnet of the classic car, an ornament commissioned decades prior for the Prince of Wales, the Duke’s father. The presence of a David Morris piece at such a prestigious event seems almost second nature: the brand is woven into the fabric of many a memorable high-society occasion. A turquoise, lapis lazuli and diamond crown for Miss World; a bespoke sapphire and diamond tiara for Countess Kinsky of Austria; immortalised with an item in the Jewellery Room at the Victoria and Albert Museum… and, of course, eternally entwined with the on-screen universe of James Bond. For the

latter, David’s client Roger Moore and set-designer Maurice Pinder were an in-road to Eon Productions, and the opportunity to supply jewellery for the film series. The glittering opening sequence of Diamonds Are Forever was followed by appearances draped upon the sirens of multiple movies, most-notably a seductive Teri Hatcher in Tomorrow Never Dies. Away from spies, collectors and clientele read like a ‘who’s who’ of aesthetic taste, such as Elizabeth Taylor, Gianni Versace, Barbara Streisand, Oprah, Catherine Zeta Jones, and Queen Rania of Jordan. Yet the company’s resonance is deeper than association with the social elite, and the substance behind the style is equally impressive: Morris opened his eponymous Mayfair boutique in 1962, having gained acclaim by winning back-to-back De Beers Diamonds International Awards with his design partner. Since 2003, the brand has been under the direction of Jeremy Morris as Managing Director and Principal Designer, with the emphasis 44

remaining on handpicked stones – diamonds in particular – a lightness of precious metals, and “creativity with a twist”. David’s son creates pieces like a painter, considering the colours on a palette before creating jewellery that is “a marriage of beauty and technology”. A prime example is the centrepiece of a bangle that was showcased at La Biennale des Atiquaires in Paris. A 120ct rough gem was procured from South Africa’s Cullinan mine, and took eight months of graft to shape a 59.89ct cushion-cut diamond. It is care for a craft that is evident in such signature collections as Rose Cut Diamond and English Garden, and the glittering creations await your discovery in such luxury thoroughfares as Hong Kong, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Baku and Moscow, with Paris and Doha expected this year. Find yourself in London? Aside from at Harrods in Knightsbridge, you can find 007th heaven behind the cast-stone façade of the historically-listed flagship store located, fittingly, on New Bond Street.

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Timepieces March 2016 : ISSUE 58

When Every Second Counts TARIq MALIK

arch 26 is a prestigious day: the Dubai World Cup takes place, and centre stage are thoroughbred horses, glamour, Longines watches, and of course, large sums of money. 2016 marks the 21st anniversary of the world’s richest race day, where the winner’s purse bulges with an eyewatering US$30 million. Prestige and horse racing are inseparable, as are timepieces. Frenchman Nicolas Mathieu Rieussec built the first commercially-available chronograph in 1821, commissioned by King Louis XVIII. The King then urged Rieussec to develop the complication in order that horse races could be timed, and records set, challenged and broken in his favourite past-time. Allowing time to be accurately recorded was a revolution, and changed the racing world immeasurably. The glamour aspect can be tied back to one of the premier partners of the event – Longines. The brand’s fine chronographs have long been popular among racing enthusiasts, enabling owners to time races with precision. Longines is the official time-keeper for the World Cup, and fine watches of all fascinations will provide the perfect accessory to immaculately-dressed individuals attending the races. With this in mind, I want to spotlight a few special creations, aided by Adriano Davidoni (arguably the region’s most knowledgeable Longines collector). First off, the Czech Aviator, which was produced for the Czech Air Force around 1948, and is also known as

the ‘Tartarugone’. The Air Force was continually involved in World War II, and its 67 regiments were seen as one of the best-equipped forces in Europe, right down to their watches. There were three historic series made of these exceptional aviator pieces. The first features the caliber 15.94, the second series the 15.26ABC, and the third, 15.68z. The iconic Tartarugone’s most memorable feature is the fine stainless steel casing, giving it an enduring look and superlative durability. Combined with its outstanding accuracy, it truly is a fine piece of history. The Longines 18k Gold with Enameled dial, meanwhile, is a refined timepiece which in 1947 was the very first to be equipped with the bi-directional automatic movement created by the masters at Longines. It has a 34mm case with wonderfully decorative lugs. One of the most striking features of this piece is the 47

ornate enameled dial in spectacular purple and the fine ‘perlage’ or pearled outer ring. This true beauty dates its origins and influence back to South America, circa 1953. A highly sought-after chronograph is the Longines Gold 13zn: a magnificent addition to any collection. Originally sold in Switzerland during 1937, this makes it one of the earliest 13zn, and a rare find. The oversized case is 37,5mm in diameter, and manufactured out of 18kt Gold. The timeless design features square buttons and bluish leaf hands. The heavy patina on the two-tone silver dial gives this model the particular essence of its era, and is certainly going to catch the eye. Lastly, the Longines Waterproof 13zn is perhaps the best Swiss timepiece ever produced. It’s one the most iconic watch that Longines ever designed, machined, produced and sold. Only 10,000 were ever produced, between 1936 and 1947, and only a handful were waterproof. They were already far ahead of their time when they were crafted: the 34mm case is in two parts, sealed with a high-pressure o-ring backing, and the two-tone dial features both an inner and outer helicoidal tachymeter. As for Dubai, the World Cup Carnival Programme is already underway, with regular races building up to World Cup night on March 26, where riders, owners and spectators will all have their eye on the clock… as will we, at Momentum (as ever). Discover Tariq’s co-founded vintage boutique at momentum-dubai.com

Timepieces MARCH 2016 : ISSUE 58

Military Precision A Panerai thrives under extreme pressure: it’s the watch the Italian Royal Navy wouldn’t leave home without WORDS : ANNIE DARLING

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arefully crafted from the finest raw materials and manufactured with scrupulous attention to detail, every component of a Panerai timepiece is developed to the most specific standards. Since its 1860 inception in Ponte alle Grazie, Florence, the company has strived to meet the military needs of the Italian Royal Navy. Originally established as a waterproof diving instrument company, Panerai has since emerged as a cult watchmaker with an unmistakable design and distinctive elegance. Nowadays, the majority of the company’s manufacturing activities occur off the lake in Neuchâtel, a city with one of the oldest horological traditions in Switzerland. “We’re Italian and we’re Swiss,” explains managing director Milvin George. “We’re the best of both worlds. As we say in Europe: ‘It’s a perfect marriage.’” George is proud of the Florentine brand’s impeccable combination of tradition and innovation. Each exclusive timepiece features a strapping aesthetic and functional identity found only in the finest of Swiss watchmaking. An insatiable desire for technical superiority is evident in every collection. “We consider ourselves to be a niche brand,” says George. “We don’t produce many watches and we give each an identity.” He proceeds to take off his own handsome Luminor 1950 10 Days GMT Ceramica. “Do you like it?” he asks. His question is answered with a resounding 48

Motoring

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FEBRUARY 2016 : ISSUE 57

yes. He hands me the timepiece and I’m taken aback by its graceful weight. Its minimalist design is surprisingly captivating, but the open back takes its beauty to an entirely new level. While examining the extraordinary detail of the P.9100/R calibre, it’s obvious that Panerai values technical solutions that are capable of combining simplicity with the highest technical standards. He turns the watch over, pointing to a fragile inscription: L1. “The letter L represents the year 2015,” he explains, “and we only produce 500 watches of each model. Therefore, the one I’m wearing was the first made out of 500.” To meet the military needs of the Royal Italian Navy, which it had already been supplying with high precision instruments for a number of years, Panerai created Radiomir, a radiumbased powder that gives luminosity to the dials of sighting instruments used

underwater. “The Panerai family were working on torpedo compasses and devices that could help the navy read their instruments in darkness,” says George. “This relationship later evolved into a watch project.” Years later, on the eve of the Second World War, the brand created the first ten prototypes of the Radiomir watch. Today’s models retain many of the prototype’s features: a large, 44mm cushion-shaped steel case, overlaying plates, a hand-wound mechanical movement, and a water-resistant strap. “We had to make sure that the officers and navy staff could read the time easily without being seen. Obviously they cannot use a torch if they’re on a diving mission,” George laughs. As the years progressed, the navy’s requirements became even more specific: watches had to remain underwater in extreme conditions for 50

Our success stems from having artisans who are second or third generation watchmakers. They are artists

Previous & these pages: Radiomir 1940 3 Days GMT Power Reserve Automatic Acciaio - 45mm

long periods. Panerai had to guarantee their product’s resistance to extreme tension. Consequently, a crownprotection device – a sort of steel half-moon – was incorporated in 1940; designed to prevent infiltrations of water. “From 1938 to 1993, we produced only 300 watches exclusively for the Italian Royal Navy. Everyone knew that we produced watches that you couldn’t just buy off the shelf.” It wasn’t until September 1993 that Panerai presented a collection of three series to the public: the Luminor, The Luminor Marina and the Mare Nostrum, which drew inspiration from the historical models created for the Second World War commandos. They immediately became highly soughtafter items. “We produced a couple of thousand watches in 1993 and they were sold within two weeks.” Panerai has become a pioneer in 51

the development of the wristwatch, however, each model is designed to ensure that every timepiece complies with original functional and aesthetic specifications. These developments have consolidated Panerai’s reputation as quality watchmakers. George trusts this is largely due to the craftsmen themselves: “Our success stems from having artisans who are second or third generation watchmakers. They are artists, skillfully working with their hands on the smallest of components.” This precision’s clearly evident in the Luminor 1950 Sealand 3 Days Automatic Acciaio, a special edition timepiece launched to celebrate Chinese New Year – with only 99 produced. Each watch has an exquisite engraving of a monkey on the stainless steel cover of the dial. It’s such attention to detail that is the reason why once you’ve owned a Panerai, nothing else will do.

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BACK BLACK “I

’m reluctant to complain about something that brings with it so many boons,” Ben Affleck says. He’s talking about his fame. “I get to work with David Fincher. I get to direct movies. These are all dreams come true for me”. Affleck sits on a two-seater couch in a plush hotel, red T-shirt over bulging bat-ready biceps. His chest is emblazoned with the white letters of DETROIT, assembled in a word cloud the shape of a heart — solidarity with the run-down city where he shot Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which hits cinemas this month. Although he’d acted for years, it was 1997’s Good Will Hunting that propelled Affleck to international prominence, playing the dim but genial best friend of Matt Damon’s janitorgenius in a script the pair won an Oscar for. Their real-life relationship

appeared to mirror the fiction. Damon went on to be feted for work with Spielberg, Minghella and Greengrass; Affleck seemed to react more as any of us might if we became famous overnight. He started dating movie stars and working with the blow-it-allup action director Michael Bay. Media affection soon turned to irritation, and by the time he made Gigli with Jennifer Lopez — and the pair, known as ‘Bennifer’, became engaged — Benbaiting was a national pastime. “Gone Girl [in which Affleck starred in 2014], in part, borrows from the Scott Peterson case,” Affleck says, referring to the Californian man whose wife, Laci, went missing in 2002. (He was convicted of her murder in 2004). “I remember, when [that case] was happening, I thought, ‘He and I are getting about the same degree of negative publicity and he killed his 52

TO He’s the latest caped crusader, but with a real darkness of his own to unleash, Ben Affleck might be the best-suited ‘Dark Knight’ of all… WORDS : NEV PIERCE

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wife!’” That this may seem like a crass comparison is more damning of the media than it is of the actor. Television, especially in America, has turned crime and punishment into entertainment, while condemning entertainers as if their artistic sins are actual ones. There’s a loss of proportion in how we treat ‘celebrity’. The parallels with Affleck’s own experience were only part of the appeal of Gone Girl for him, though — the primary attraction was working with Fincher. He wanted to do it so badly that he delayed production on his next film as director, Live by Night. “I watched Se7en before all three movies I directed,” Affleck says of Fincher’s serial killer classic. “Because to me Se7en is the perfect movie. Every shot, every line... the script is perfectly, mechanically constructed. It’s like a Swiss watch. It just moves with precision, doing exactly what it wants to do to the audience. Even down to the inserts [the close-up shots of key props/ story elements]. I told David, ‘Se7en has the best inserts I’ve ever seen in a movie.’ And he looked at me like I was saying, ‘Your movie is the world’s tallest midget.’ But I really meant it! They’re hard to do. I’d be doing inserts on The Town, or maybe Gone Baby Gone, and I just kept on going back — I so nakedly ripped off the Se7en inserts.” In short, despite being a pretty accomplished filmmaker himself, Affleck felt he could learn from the director. Unlike, probably, anyone since Stanley Kubrick, Fincher is known for repeating takes — going over and over the same material until he is satisfied. Affleck acknowledges that “it was routine to do 20, 30, sometimes 40 takes”, but rejects the idea that it was a problem. “It does an interesting thing,” he says, “which is that now there’s sort 55

of this undercurrent of irritation or impatience or something in the scene. When I watch the movie, I see ones where I was more exhausted.” This plays well with the trials and tribulations of his character, but he would have welcomed the process anyway. “My theory before I worked with David, and it was really reinforced by working with him, was that the first seven takes are kind of to relax. Because there’s a self-consciousness we can’t get rid of, that somebody clacks the slate and says ‘Action!’, and now, all of a sudden, you’re supposed to be acting... It just lets the actor breathe.” It’s interesting that Affleck, as experienced as he is, still feels that tension and, before jobs, that fear.

Television... has turned crime and punishment into entertainment “That terror when I’m about to start something can be motivating,” he says. “It helps me kick my ass into gear, because I think, ‘Oh my God, I’m gonna ruin the movie, I’m gonna not know what to do.’ That’s definitely a good, driving factor for me. My theory is that once you lose that, you’re kind of going downhill.” He’s had this fear on each of the films he’s directed, even the almost universally acclaimed, and Oscarwinning, Argo. Affleck talks of learning from most film-makers he’s worked with — from the British director Roger Michell (Changing Lanes) through to the enigmatic American maestro Terrence Malick (To the Wonder). He has also deliberately sought to inform himself about film-making and directors

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For me, anger is so deeply buried and contained that when it does kind of come out, it comes out in stronger bursts

outside his experience, from John Huston (The Treasure of the Sierra Madre) to Jean Renoir (The Rules of the Game). “I had an uneven cinematic education, and I just thought, ‘I’m gonna take three years, see everything. I’m gonna get this book that says The Thousand Best Movies Ever Made and I’m gonna get all the DVDs. There is no excuse for me now. And I found myself really getting into directors,” he says, enthused. “Renoir was really interesting. The humanism was what I grasped onto the most. And that he had a sense of ambiguity and irony that was sort of emerging when he was making movies. I stole a line from The Rules of the Game for Gone Baby Gone, where Casey [Affleck, his brother, who plays a morally conflicted private eye] says, ‘Everyone has their reasons.’” Ask Affleck about why he said yes to playing Batman, and he gives an answer, again, related to learning. “To get the exposure to a movie of this scale is an education.” Push him further, though, and he admits there’s a degree of strategy involved. After all, when George Clooney played Batman (and subsequently starred in the Ocean’s 11 trilogy) for Warner Bros, he was then able to fund his tricky political oil picture Syriana. Clint Eastwood played Dirty Harry at the studio for nearly 20 years while they bankrolled his more left-field directorial choices. Surely playing Batman will make it a bit easier for Affleck to direct thornier movies,

aimed at adults? He gives a half-smile. “I hope it’s true,” he says. “You’re always thinking about the momentum you’re trying to build in your career. There are dual thought processes — on the one hand, you’re going, ‘What’s interesting to me?’ On the other hand, you’re thinking, ‘How do I give myself the opportunity to do those things?’ And that calculus, I think, consciously or subconsciously, is part of any career thought process.” He emphasises, though, that he is not looking down on playing Batman. “My taste runs from Gone Baby Gone to Ocean’s 11. And I don’t think one is inherently any more virtuous than the other. You know, for guys like us — and younger — if you grew up in the 1980s, almost anything looked like an art movie!” He goes on to talk of how few of those 1980s pictures stand up, but those that do, he adores. Raiders of the Lost Ark, Midnight Run: “The best version of popcorn movies. Being raised in that cinematic environment, I viewed those movies as just as interesting as any. I got a little older and sort of developed different tastes, but I still like a really good commercial movie as much as I like [Michael Haneke’s austere film] The White Ribbon.” He talks more about why this new take on Batman excited him. It isn’t just a money job. And while he’s aware of the internet furore that followed his casting, he lets it slide off him. Having been through one media maelstrom he appears immune to such criticism. 57

“I don’t worry too much about what other people say about me versus my own ideas and standards, what I’d like to do,” he says. “Particularly given that when I set out, in 2002 or so, to be a director, if I had listened to all the things people said about whether or not I’d be successful and what kind of movies I’d make, I never would have done it. Never. It was a really good lesson in self determination and trusting my instincts.” Still, at first it seemed a bit of an odd choice by the director Zack Snyder to cast him as Batman, given that he’s physically quite similar to the lanternjawed, straight-arrow Henry Cavill, who plays Superman. In fact, Affleck once played the actor who was the original Man of Steel, George Reeves, in the murder-mystery Hollywoodland. But if you look more closely at Affleck’s work, it makes more sense. Not because he’s been at his best in blockbuster parts, but because, in everything from the indie comedy Dogma to the domestic thriller Changing Lanes, he is exceptionally good at the one thing that defines Batman: rage. “I think it’s a necessity, historically, in the tradition of these films,” he says, reflecting on the character’s combustible temperament. “For me, anger is so deeply buried and contained that when it does kind of come out, it comes out in stronger bursts. I tend to be respectful, polite, get along, put up with, put up with, put up with... then, when it finally emerges, it’s not something I have a ton of control over. I’m not gonna go into a Wolverine berserker rage, but I do have a, I do...” He trails off, thinking — perhaps a little surprised — before murmuring: “That is an interesting thing that you point out. That’s my personality.” He quickly clarifies, in case this seems like a boast: “By the way, that’s a character flaw, I think. I should sit down and say ‘Listen, I just wanted to let you know what happened there wasn’t OK’, instead of going, let it go, let it go, let it go... ‘Ah, that’s not a big deal’, until finally you just pop!” The idea of anger in the everyman bodes well for his interpretation of the Dark Knight. As the poet John Dryden once had it: “Beware the fury of a patient man.” Or Batman. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is released on March 25.

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THE MAKING OF LOOK 33

Chanelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s SS2016 Haute Couture show saw natural colours and materials to the fore. AIR takes an exclusive in-depth look at Look 33, where beige chiffon, pleated for over 200 hours, formed the canvas for a remarkable creation

Sewn by needle, the plastron for the top is made from beige leather lozenges, lasercut oak and mahogany strips, tubes and crystal rhinestone 60

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Embroidering the plastron and the braids for the top and the skirt requires 176 hours of work, 1,800 wood and leather pieces, 11,400 rhinestones and crystal beads, and 5,400 tubes

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Influential partly for her extraordinary looks, but also for the speed with which she shot to fame, Twiggy became the face of a decade overnight. The frecklepeppered, doe-eyed, cockney sparrow was declared ‘The Face of ‘66’ aged just 16-years-old. 50 years on, she opens up to AIR about celebrity, family, and what the future holds WORDS : ANNIE DARLING

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elen of Troy might’ve been a tantalising enigma with a face that launched a thousand ships, but Twiggy’s singlehandedly triggered the Youthquake movement. An overnight sensation, the then 16-year-old became the darling of editors and photographers alike – instantly recognisable with thickset spider eyelashes, a constellation of freckles, and boyish cropped hair. Of course, there were others: Brigitte Bardot had the beehive; Mary Quant had geometric prints; Jean Shrimpton had the thigh-high boots. Every style icon contributed their own signature look to the Swinging Sixties, however none more so than mod ‘it girl’ Twiggy, who introduced the fashion industry to a fresh new look entirely. Her thin silhouette and androgynous, yet delicate, appearance was a striking contrast to the haughty-looking mannequins of the day. It all began with a cut above the rest. Twiggy’s boyfriend-turnedmanager booked an appointment for the aspiring model with one of the poshest hairdressers in town: Leonard of Mayfair, Upper Grosvenor Street. Leonard Lewis, the maestro himself, was curious about whether the whippet-thin, innocent beauty would suit a shorter, and more extreme, cut he’d wanted to experiment with. During the eight-hour salon session, she allowed him to chop off her long locks in favour of an Eton-inspired crop that transformed Lesley Hornby into the icon we know and love: Twiggy. Commenting on her unusual nickname, she explained: “My boyfriend’s brother nicknamed me ‘Twigs’, because of my skinny legs. This was before I had even started modelling.” After perfecting the razor-sharp bob he’d envisioned, Lewis mounted some portrait photographs of Twiggy and her new ‘do on his salon’s wall. The close-cropped hair elegantly framed pretty pixie features and bee-stung lips, catching the attention of regular customer and fashion editor Deirdre McSharry, who quickly crowned her ‘The Face of ’66’. Within weeks the schoolgirl became a star, soon appearing on the covers of Vogue, Tatler and Elle. “It was all very exciting and new,” Twiggy says of those early days. “I loved it. I met and worked 67

with extraordinary people and travelled the whole world. It was very flattering. After all,” she guffaws, “I was only 16-years-old!” She may have been young, but Twiggy was very different from anything that had been before. Fifties superstars looked like voluptuous, long-limbed, aristocratic amazons, whereas Twiggy was working-class, waiflike and comparatively short. As a teenage model, she weighed just six and a half stone. Was she comfortable with her figure? “No,” is the answer. “I was always very shy about being so skinny,” she says. “But in the end it became my fortune. I was naturally skinny,” she insists, “and I always ate well.” There’s not been a shortage of memorable models since the sixties, yet it’s hard to think of a name that has so fully embodied an entire era. Years before Cara Delevigne’s full brows or Naomi Campbell’s lithe legs made headlines, Twiggy’s infamously big, Bambi-esque eyes captivated the world. Her dramatic lashes and fearless use of eyeliner influenced London’s mod

I was always very shy about being so skinny... but in the end, it became my fortune scene indefinitely, but how did she do it? “My eye makeup was just how I always did my eyes,” she insists, despite my disbelief. “We didn’t have makeup artists.” When she first started modelling, Twiggy would set her alarm for 90 minutes before she had to leave for a photo shoot to hone her beauty regime. She’d layer three pairs of false eyelashes on her top eyelid, in addition to multiple coats of mascara, before painting on each chunky lower lash individually. “I actually got the idea from a rag doll with painted eyes,” she smiles, wistfully. A self-professed mod, Twiggy’s A-Line dresses and tweedy tomboy style has been immortalised on everything from Andy Warhol screen prints to worldwide advertising campaigns. Her awkward poses, vulnerable stare and oversized accessories were quickly popularised and remain a touchstone

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for designers. “I loved my boyish clothes and wearing men’s tailored suits and jackets. It became my signature look, along with the miniskirt.” Mod emerged during a time of significant social change, particularly in London, which witnessed a youthdriven shift in culture. The city transformed from a gloomy post-war capital into a kaleidoscopic epicentre of style. By the mid-sixties, 40 per cent of the population was under 26 and with the 1960 abolition of National Service, young people had more freedom and fewer responsibilities than their parents’ generation. Chichi men flocked to Carnaby Street and Soho for the latest high-fashion trends, while sought-after miniskirts flew off the rails. Even rockers, who cringed at their stylish adversaries’ obsession for expensive trimmings, enjoyed splurging on a quality leather jacket every now and then. No matter which tribe you belonged to, fashion and leisure were suddenly available to the majority. A golden age for music, design and fashion; a time of great change as Britain – and the world – shed its post-war austerity and looked forward with a new daring confidence. Twiggy, who was born in northwest London and enjoyed “a very happy suburban home life”, had plans to study fashion design in art school before she became known internationally as the world’s first supermodel. “I learned to knit and sew from my mother,” she explains. “She made a lot of my clothes for me when I was little. Most girls learned this craft in the fifties... I still love to knit and sew today.” Twiggy was able to fulfill that dream after she was recruited by Marks & Spencer [M&S] to front an advertising campaign in 2005. “It was initially supposed to be only one commercial,” she says, “but we ended up doing it for five years. This then led to M&S asking me to design my own range, which we launched in 2012 [Twiggy’s SS16 collection’s out now]. It’s very exciting for me as it’s what I originally dreamed of doing. It keeps me very busy but I’m very proud of the collection.”

Despite being one of the most successful and iconic British models to date, Twiggy retired from modelling in 1970, just four years after her big break. She explains that it wasn’t “a conscious decision” but rather because her “career naturally changed course”. Her work in music, television, publishing, activism (animal welfare and breast cancer), film and theatre has continued unabated for five decades. “I made the decision that I wanted to follow other career paths, and many opportunities opened up,” she explains. Twiggy went on to become a successful actress by starring in Ken Russell’s film The Boy Friend, for which she won two Golden Globe awards – most promising newcomer and best actress in a musical. While in Los Angeles to promote the movie, aged just 21-years-old, she had the extraordinary opportunity to meet her “idol” Fred Astaire. He invited her for tea at his Hollywood home and during a later visit, they went out to dinner and he tap-danced up Rodeo Drive. She’s since recorded several music albums, which have earned her two silver discs. Despite the aforementioned, many will always know Twiggy as the scrumptious ingénue with matchstick eyelashes. Nonetheless, she says her proudest moment came in the eighties with the outstanding success of Tony Award-winning My One and Only. The Gershwin musical ran for nearly two years and she was nominated for a Tony Award because of her performance. “Although I’ve done lots of fabulous things, for me performing on Broadway… was the most wonderful experience. I learned so much.” Nowadays, Twiggy lives a “very lucky”, but relatively normal, life in England with her second husband, actor and writer, Leigh Lawson. Although she admits that her “career is very important,” she ensures that her “personal life always takes precedence”. Last year, she became a grandmother twice in the space of two months. “I feel very blessed,” she smiles, “especially now with our gorgeous grandchildren. I work hard but it’s very important to me 68

Twiggy conquered London with her cockney charm and good-girl image that I also make time and room for my family.” Fifty years ago, a 16-year-old long-necked and wide-eyed beauty graced the cover of every high-society magazine in Britain. The swinging sixties are widely regarded as the most defining decade of the twentieth century. While mods and rockers fought over territory, the Tinkerbellsized Twiggy conquered London with her cockney charm and good-girl image. Her big eyes and even bigger voice, combined with lashings of eyeliner and disco ball earrings, won the hearts of the people. Twiggy is one of the greatest fashion influencers of all time, let alone a decade.

Motoring MARCH 2016 : ISSUE 58

Fasterpiece Ideas + innovation + individuality = BMW. 2016 marks a century of engineering excellence for the market-leading marque

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WORDS : CHRIS UJMA

t is fascinating: browse online how the logos of power-hitting brands have evolved over their time in business. By 2016, most companies have ensured their branding is sleek and symbolic. Look back at the early iterations of those trademarks though, and it is amusing to see the basic-ly drawn and rough-around-the-edges efforts of companies still finding their way. That is, until you settle eyes on

BMW. Since 1916, their iconic blue and white roundel has been a constant: a mainstay that exudes confidence, conviction, almost saying ‘direction from day one’. It is bold, memorable, and reflects their Bavarian origins. Analyse the past 100 years though, and the recognised logo is the about the only thing that has remained constant; this is not a company that rests, as its foot is firmly on the pedal of progress. 70

“We at BMW do not build cars as consumer objects, just to drive from A to B. We build mobile works of art,” proclaimed then Head of Design Chris Bangle, an instrumental creative mind behind the BMW silhouettes for 17 years from 1992-2009. It is a claim that is apt for their entire lifespan, as Bavarian Motor Works has been a pioneer since its first revs of an engine (which were, at first, whirring engines

We at BMW do not build cars as consumer objects, just to drive from A to B. We build mobile works of art

within aircraft, developed at factories of aviation pioneers Karl Rapp and Gustav Otto. Then, by 1923, within motorcycles, when the elegant and sporty R 32 roared into life). It was 1929 when the first Beamer-badge adorned 4-wheeled machine emerged, in the shape of the 3/15 PS (the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Dixiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;), an Eisenacher Fahrzeugfabrik development that BMW took over. The first wholly solo effort was the 303, 71

in 1933, where the now-synonymous twin-kidney-shaped radiator grille and inline-six cylinder power unit made their first on-car appearances. For any company with a narrative spanning the century-mark, the test of endurance lies in how they deal with a crisis. BMW has suffered its own devastations: the World War left operations dismantled and the company almost restricted from

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Since 1916, their iconic blue and white roundel has been a constant: a mainstay that exudes confidence and conviction

reforming in the 1940s, while an Annual General Meeting in 1959 saw the company veer close to being sold off, saved only by small shareholders and dealers who ensured BMW became an independent mobility enterprise. Ultimately, they prevailed to release kickass collections that left the doom in the dust. In 1952, the motors that emerged from the Munich plant made an emphatic engineering statement:

large saloons, coupés, convertibles and roadsters, in the shapely form of nowclassics the BMW 501, 503, and the design-icon 507. The similarly rousing response in 1962 was sporty mid-sized saloons with instant appeal. Oh, they kick-ass when the economic sun is shining too: the aluminiumframed Z8; the edgy M1 from ‘78; the 333 horsepower E46 M3; the E30 M3 race-machine (nicknamed ‘God’s 72

Chariot’); the lightning fastest-ever BMW M6 Gran Coupe; the people’s champion Series M Coupe… how about the new-icon – the i8 – a hybrid plugin dream-machine. Traffic-jamming model names into a brief sentence feels a criminal act - as does accelerating through the years (and technical achievements). But BMW has so much history worth mentioning. Expansion led to the building of the four-cylinder

headquarters in time for the ’72 Olympic Games, a landmark on the Munich skyline. There was the gamechanging inception of BMW Motorsport GmbH, in order to craft exclusive, high-performance, customised cars, that has evolved into the modern-day BMW M, ‘the most powerful letter in the world.’ The company developed BMW CleanEnergy, later becoming their EfficientDynamics division:

sustainability is as essential to their conquering ambition as a verve for ideas and innovation. Yes, BMW has made it to the century mark, and built quite the loyal following with exquisite autos; sheer class in every Class. For all the sophistication and suave, it is easy to forget that this is a luxury brand with a sense of humour, and a certain swagger to their marketing game. Of late, they’ve engaged in full73

on billboard-poster banter with auto rivals, and over the years, wordplayed in eye-catching adverts; ‘Lose Your Innocence In 3.9 Seconds’. ‘You Don’t Have To Trade In Your Family To Own A Sports Car.’ ‘My Bonus is Faster Than Your Bonus’. Seems you can have a bit of self-assured fun, when the serious end-result is ‘the Ultimate Driving Machine’, and you’ve decades of excellence under your (seat)belt.

Gastronomy MARCH 2016 : ISSUE 58

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For The Love Of Food The sun is shining, life is good, and Giuseppe Cipriani has platefuls of fare that will nourish your soul WORDS : CHRIS UJMA

elving into the fine nuances and uncharted frontiers of molecular gastronomy can be an exciting affair, but after making more trips around the globe than the moon, sometimes you just crave something… familiar. Time-honoured excellence and elegance; classic, bold, established flavours (not science); laidback surroundings that never concede sophistication. Enter: Cipriani. Refreshingly pure, pretenses are left on the other side of town. For example, I ask the owner what he thinks sets them apart in a flourishing industry, and he answers honestly and emphatically that, “I don’t think our goal is to be ‘set apart’ from other

restaurants: we’re happy to offer food and attentive service to a demanding clientele, and contribute to achieving excitement in the culinary arena.” For starters, history is firmly on the side of this now-fourth generation family business. The place where it all began, Harry’s Bar, is found in a discreet stone building perched along a canal just off Piazza San Marco, Venice, and the Italian Ministry for Cultural Affairs declared it a national landmark. It is an accolade bestowed not for the décor or furniture, but for being witness to the events of a century. Explains Giuseppe: “If you consider that Harry’s Bar in Venice has been open since 1931, you can imagine the 74

quantity of anecdotes and human life vignettes that have happened in that room. One such moment led to the creation of the dish Carpaccio, now known all over the world, created as a quick last-minute fix for a Countess whose doctor had put her on a specific diet. An entire cast of interesting, famous characters have given soul to the establishment, from Hemingway to Maria Callas, Orson Welles, Truman Capote, and the height of royalty.” That they have bottled this essence and exported it to major cities is testament to the hard-work that Giuseppe cites, and an uncomplicated blueprint for success. But beneath the humility is an exceptional dining

Image by Matteo Prandoni

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experience set in distinguished venues, each enclave exuding distinct character. There is a private members-only club in Hong Kong; a grill terrace with views of the harbour from the east wing of the Gran Hotel in Downtown Ibiza; in Monte Carlo, placement at the foot of the prestigious Mirabeau; a commanding Murano chandelier in Masaryk, Mexico City; overlooking Wall Street in New York at Club 55, or the dramatic Dolci with its design touch from Arturo di Modica (creator of the Wall Street Bull); unique artwork to muse on in Los Angeles, Moscow and Miami… “We open in locations that for business and pleasure are on the world map and are visited by our international clientele. I love historic buildings and I have to say, especially in New York we were able to secure some fantastic landmarks. Other times, elements like a beautiful view, or the

A really great risotto or classic baked taglionlini always puts a smile on my face perfect corner of an up-and-coming area or a unique modern building can determine our location choice. Inside, we try not to overwhelm the restaurant with décor that is too-heavy; we want to achieve an elegant, timeless and warm environment, that is effortless and understated – which is contrary to attention-to-detail we pour in.” For all the intricate peripherals detailed above, there is a reason patrons keep returning: great Italian cuisine, for a special occasion (or indeed, any and every occasion). Prompted for menu highlights, he shares, “Since I grew-up in Venice I have a soft spot for some wonderful humble dishes that you find in many small Venetian osterie, like baccala mantecato with polenta, or seppioline in tecia. A really great risotto or a classic baked tagliolini always puts a smile on my face. I am not particularly a sweet tooth but our guests love the vanilla meringue and our signature chocolate cake that my father likes to call “schockolate”. Other restaurant aromas may originate from a plate of 76

These pages, clockwise from left: Spaghetti with verace clams; Pappa al Pomodoro; vanilla meringue; the interior of Cipriani Dubai

homemade veal tortellini with cream, calves liver alla veneziana, or perhaps it was a filet mignon alla Cipriani that the waiter whisked by with. Middle Eastern cravings for such fare can be settled at Cipriani on Yas Island Abu Dhabi, overlooking the yacht-filled Marina and the F1 circuit. On the back of its success, a just-opened Dubai locale is set in the heart of DIFC. The location in the UAE capital seemingly chose him. “When I saw Yas Island for the first time I felt immediately that it was a special place, a striking modern building, incredible views both of the beautiful marina and the racetrack, and a destination with a lot of potential. Dubai, meanwhile, has seen a lot of development, including the blossoming of great restaurants, entertainment and cultural celebration.” With a brand presence in the Middle East, Far East, Europe, and the Americas, Giuseppe and his sons are obviously not omnipresent, but family tradition and sumptuous recipes are in safe hands. “In every kitchen we have chefs who have truly grown with the company and honed their expertise in our different restaurants around the world. Our cuisine is simple, authentic Italian, and the kind of food that you could eat every day, many times a day, without any risk of getting bored. There is no room for complicated experiments or an unusual combination of ingredients. Just great dishes, and a lot of love.” 77

Travel MARCH 2016 : ISSUE 58

journeys by jet

Carlton Hotel, St. Moritz, Switzerland

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arch 28 marks the end of the winter season in St Moritz, wrapping up a period of highprofile events on the ‘white turf’ of the frozen lake, principle among them the brilliant St Moritz Polo World Cup. Of course, this is an area known chiefly for its peaks and powdery pistes, yet such are the off-piste attractions – sublime restaurants including the redoubtable La Marmite, renowned for its truffles and caviar (the latter best sampled as part of the mash-based dish corviglia snow), luxury boutiques, and climate (300 days of sun) - that it’s estimated only 40 per cent of visitors to St. Moritz actually strap on skis. The reason for this anomaly becomes all the more apparent should you be a privileged guest of the Carlton Hotel, which towers majestically above the lake, from where it has surveyed all below since 1913. It used to be something of a rabbit warren of rooms, but following its time in the hands of masterful Italian designer Carlo Rampazzi, this select hideaway now houses only suites, 60 in all.

The top suite, in every sense, is the Carlton Penthouse. It’s not the mountain-facing master bedroom and two other large bedrooms which mark this out as the must-book suite, more the fact that it boasts five terraces and balconies from where you get a panoramic view of the Swiss Alps. Once suitably chilled, a roaring log fire welcomes you indoors. You’ll love the private lift that whisks you here, and the entrance reserved for your butler. The ultimate indulgence at the Carlton, however, is booking the hotel in its entirety, giving you and your guests full run of the property and its fabulous facilities – the spa, with both indoor and outdoor pool, is the finest in St. Moritz. Access by jet is simple. You’ll land at Samedan private airport, also commonly known as Engadin, from where a complimentary chauffeured car will take you to the Carlton Hotel, a mere six kilometres away. To enquire about booking the Carlton Penthouse or the hotel in its entirety, call +41 81 836 70 00, or visit carlton-stmoritz.ch.

What I Know Now

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MARCH 2016 : ISSUE 58

Tyrese Gibson actor / musician

t’s not lonely at the top if you help somebody else get there. I never look down on someone who looks up to me. I’ve never been afraid to boldly walk into the unfamiliar, confident with my goals and visions. Once I was told that to every level there’s another devil. I’ve come to expect challenges and obstacles when trying to accomplish things in my life and career. I remember to keep going and steadfastly pursue my dreams, as there are blessings and opportunities waiting on the other side. I’ve also

learnt over time that ‘you’ll grow through what you go through’.

committed to their visions; these are the people who will be rewarded.

There’s a lot of power in a smile or a hug. People don’t always have to talk to make your life better. Sometimes just physically being there, whether it’s in your car or house, will be enough.

I try to be around like-minded people, because if things don’t happen as fast as you’d like them to, you’re not going to give up if everyone around you is just as focused and driven as you are.

Seeing good people win is something I love. People who go to school and that are smart. People who are willing to work and pay one’s dues. People who aren’t looking for a hand out, or looking to cut corners. People who are fully

I have a lot of respect for those who are successful, not necessarily financially, but have decided not to forget those who originally believed in them. Sometimes all people need is that one opportunity to get a foot in the door.