AIR NasJet June'15

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WWW.DASSAULTFALCON.COM I FRANCE: +33 1 47 11 88 68 I USA: +1 201 541 4600

“Ladies and gentlemen. This is your captain speaking. Today we will be landing at London City Airport. We’ll find heavy rain and low ceilings. Crosswind is 18 knots and moderate turbulence is reported. Of course, your Falcon 7X will handle these conditions with ease, so sit back and enjoy your flight. We’ll be on the runway shortly.”

With over 200 aircraft in service and more than 250,000 hours in the air, the 7X has demonstrated time and again it is the most versatile long-range business jet, flying farther from challenging airports. Additional reasons to sit back, relax and enjoy the flight.

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CONTENTS / FEATURES

Managing Director Victoria Thatcher Editorial Director John Thatcher Group Commercial Director David Wade david@hotmediapublishing.com Commercial Director Rawan Chehab rawan@hotmediapublishing.com Editor Richard Jenkins richard@hotmediapublishing.com Features Editor Lara Brunt lara@hotmediapublishing.com Senior Designer Andy Knappett

Sixty Two

A True Legend

Fifty Eight

Jurassic Pratt Chris Pratt came from nowhere to become Hollywood’s new hero.

On the 40th anniversary of Jaws, AIR celebrates the blockbuster.

Sixty Six

Designer Emi Dixon

Master Director Alfred Hitchcock changed cinema history with Psycho.

Business Development Manager Rabih El Turk rabih@hotmediapublishing.com Illustrator Andrew Thorpe Production Manager Chalitha Fernando -8-

CONTENTS / FEATURES Eighteen

Thirty Six

Forty Eight

Seventy Four

Radar

Style

Timepieces

Gastronomy

Unseen photographs of Audrey Hepburn make up a new London exhibition.

Sotheby’s gets set to auction Didier Ludot’s haute couture gems.

H. Moser & Cie are bullish Jean-Georges Vongerichten in the face of adversity, chats to AIR about his and on the advance. Dubai debut.

Twenty Six

Forty

Seventy

Seventy Eight

Art & Design

Jewellery

Motoring

Travel

Celebrating the work of Holz Hollywood and Eve Arnold.

Wartski celebrates 150 years, and Victoire de Castellane comes to Dubai.

Is it really possible to Ultra high-end wellness improve the Jaguar E-type retreats in New Zealand and and Porsche 911? beyond.

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

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A LEVEL ABOVE

BREATHTAKING

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NASJET

June 2015

WELCOME ONBOARD

Greetings and welcome aboard NASJET. I am sure you will be pleased to know that we are currently expanding our quality department to enhance our service levels, while at the same time we are conducting our regular review of NASJET safety procedures, which we do periodically to ensure our safety levels are always in accordance with the highest international requirements. Your safety is the number one priority for NASJET. All our crew members undergo extensive training at internationally accredited centers and our aircraft are maintained either by the manufacturer or by factory-approved service centers. NASJET applies the highest global standards in the aviation industry and is in full compliance with the rules and regulations of the International Civil Aviation Organization. Our close and constant attention to service and safety is one way by which NASJET counters the infamous grey market that regrettably exists in the private aviation sector. Not only do we operate at the highest safety standards, but we take care to advise our esteemed clients about the risks of FKRRVLQJ WR À\ ZLWK JUH\ PDUNHW RSHUDWRUV because in most cases their aircraft are not well maintained, their pilots are not well trained and their services are not up to the standard expected by private aviation clients. With NASJET you can rest assured that \RX DUH LQ WKH VDIH KDQGV RI WKH ¿QHVW DYLDWLRQ H[SHUWV DQG ÀLJKW FUHZV ZKR DUH FRPPLWWHG to ensuring we deliver the highest levels of sumptuous luxury and impeccable service on the ground as well as in the air. I trust you will enjoy this month’s issue of $,5 DQG ZLVK \RX D YHU\ SOHDVDQW ÀLJKW

Saad Alazwari CEO

Contact Details: clientservices@nasjet.com.sa nasjet.com.sa T. +966 (0)11 217 2070 - 13 -

NASJET NEWS

Nasjet thrived towards becoming the global leader in full-service business aviation sector

Tools in place to extend company’s reach and bolster international brand presence Riyadh, June 2015: As part of the strategic development and business continuity, NASJET, the largest private aviation operator in the Middle East, is continuing with its sights set on setting new standards for the business aviation industry. Plans are to make the company an industry-leading full-service RSHUDWRU ZLWK D VLJQLÂżFDQW SURÂżOH ZRUOGZLGH Âł:LWK WKH LQFUHDVHG Ă€HHW VL]H and the new alliances, NASJET is strongly positioned to move forward in 2015,â€? said Engineer Saad Al Azwari, CEO of NASJET. “We expect to extend our leading position regionally while expanding our networks globally to become a WUXO\ IXOO VHUYLFH RXWÂżW ZLWK D VWURQJ global brand presence.â€? ,Q DGGLWLRQ WR DXJPHQWLQJ LWV Ă€HHW with the recent addition of three new aircraft under its management, NASJET has formed a strategic partnership with The Jet Business, Europe’s leading business aviation broker that is also known for its strong sales operations. Meanwhile, NASJET also renewed its longterm contractual relationship with Jeppesen, the leading international Ă€LJKW SODQQHU DQG IDFLOLWDWRU ZKLFK ZLOO DOVR LQFUHDVH Ă€LJKW GHSDUWPHQW RSHUDWLRQDO HIÂżFLHQF\

The service contract underscores Jeppesen’s dedication to serving not just the key Saudi Arabian market but the entire Middle Eastern region. Jeppessen is also providing NASJET ZLWK Ă€LJKW SODQQLQJ UXQZD\ analysis, charting and navigation data services, to fully support 1$6-(7ÂśV Ă€LJKW RSHUDWLRQ QHHGV ,Q DGGLWLRQ 1DV -HW KDYH ÂżQDOL]HG an agreement with international SURYLGHUV IRU DGYDQFHG Ă€LJKW training of NASJET pilots on a wide range of aircraft. NASJET also joined forces with Luxembourg-based Luxaviation in a strategic agreement signed in December 2014 targeting Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The alliance will create the secondODUJHVW Ă€HHW LQ WKH JOREDO SULYDWH aviation industry, offering a FRPELQHG Ă€HHW WRWDO RI PRUH WKDQ 150 business jets to customers on three different continents. “Our new identity is the basis of which we offer new, dynamic and innovative services to all of our clients. It also manifests the company’s strategy that aims to develop and improve our services and entrench NASJET’s status as a pioneer in the region’s private aviation industry.â€? said Mr. Abdulelah Al Rasheed, Marketing - 14 -

and PR Manager of NASJET. Already the only private jet operator in the Middle East able to provide a complete range of corporate aviation services including Aircraft Sales, Completions, Flight Support, Management, Charter, and Fixed Base Operation. NASJET H[SHFWV D VLJQL¿FDQW HQKDQFHPHQW of these activities globally as it expands its network of international partnerships and strengthens its brand presence internationally Based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, NASJET manages and maintains D ÀHHW RI ¿[HG ZLQJ DLUFUDIW with an insured value in excess of ELOOLRQ DQG ÀLHV KXQGUHGV RI VIPs to more than 10,000 airports around the world. The NASJET core ÀHHW LV FRPSULVHG RI $LUEXV %%- Gulfstream, and Hawker aircraft, DQG LQFOXGHV WKH ODUJHVW ÀHHW RI Gulfstream aircraft in the Middle East.

For Sale: 2010 Falcon 7X (SN 82) on exclusive with NASJET/TJB aircraft sales This Falcon 7X has the latest stateof-the-art EASY II cockpit which enables pilots to monitor and control WKH SURJUHVVLRQ RI WKH ÀLJKW XVLQJ Dassault’s highly optimized version of Honeywell’s Primus Epic digital ÀLJKW GHFN This one owner from new aircraft KDV DOZD\V ÀRZQ SULYDWHO\ ZLWK its own dedicated and experienced FUHZ ,W FDQ À\ QRQ VWRS IURP 1HZ York to Riyadh; Riyadh to Perth; and Abu Dhabi to Tokyo. It can land at airports with restricted runways, such as London City. The

luxury 14-seat cabin boasts multiple options including high speed broadband enabling passengers to stay connected while relaxing at 41,000 feet. It also includes Satellite TV that can be watched throughout the cabin ensuring you never miss \RXU IDYRXULWH 79 VKRZ ,I \RX ÂżQG yourself stressed at the end of a busy day then you can unwind listing to music through the multiple ipod docks while the EMTEQ Quasar full spectrum lighting system relaxes with mood lighting of your choice. The Dassault Falcon 7X is also a - 15 -

very strong competitor in the market place due to its much lower fuel burn (7X burns 380 GPH and Gulfstream’s G450 GPH) and lower maintenance costs (2.62 SAR maintenance hours SHU ÀLJKW KRXU FRPSDUHG WR 6$5 for Gulfstream’s G550). The aircraft is also enrolled on Falcon Care and ESP platinum elite engine and APU pay by the hour programs providing peace of mind that all schedule and unscheduled future maintenance is budgeted for. For further information please email sales@nasjet.com.sa

NASJET NEWS

OUR SERVICES $ KRVW RI VHUYLFHV DZDLW \RX ZKHQ À\LQJ ZLWK 1$6-(7

AIRCRAFT SALES Buy from the best. As a worldclass owner, operator and manager of private aircraft in the middle east since 1999, we offer real-time market pricing analysis, aircraft ÂżQDQFLQJ ZLWK SUHIHUUHG OHQGHUV aircraft inspections, sales and marketing collateral, and assertive price negotiation.

COMPLETIONS-ADVISORY %HQHÂżW IURP RXU H[SHULHQFH. We have the advantage of a close working relationship with many of the leading business jet manufacturers, including Boeing, Airbus, Gulfstream, Bombardier and Hawker Beechcraft. Over the years, the team has successfully completed over 45 new aircraft deliveries, working with owners to ensure their aircraft is completed to the highest VSHFLÂżFDWLRQ DQG ZLWKLQ EXGJHW

AIRCRAFT MANAGEMENT +DYH WKH H[SHUWV GR DOO WKH work. Owning a private jet is certainly a pleasure, but it’s also a major undertaking. NASJET can take that stress away and give you peace of mind knowing that an established and experienced international operator is able to PDQDJH \RXU DVVHW HI¿FLHQWO\ NASJET has in excess of 70 aircraft

under management. Aircraft owners gain many privileges DQG ¿QDQFLDO EHQH¿WV E\ EHLQJ ZLWKLQ D 1$6-(7 PDQDJHG ÀHHW including economy of scale on IXHO ÀHHW LQVXUDQFH WUDLQLQJ DQG maintenance.

FRACTIONAL $FFHVV D ÀHHW RI MHWV ¹ ZLWK guaranteed availability. With the NASJET fractional program you buy a share in a jet, ranging from an eighth to a half. You can have all the advantages of aircraft ownership for a fraction of the cost. Your share guarantees you a FHUWDLQ QXPEHU RI ÀLJKW KRXUV SHU year in your jet or in a comparable aircraft. Fractional ownership costs DUH SUH DJUHHG DQG ¿[HG DQQXDOO\ ¹ QR HQG RI \HDU ¿QDQFLDO VXUSULVHV just seamless international access WR D ÀHHW RI DLUFUDIW <RX FDQ DOVR HQMR\ DOO WKH EHQH¿WV RI WKH fractional program without the long-term commitment, with the 12-month lease program.

FLIGHT SUPPORT ([SHUWLVH DQG SXUFKDVLQJ SRZHU. Using NASJET’s unrivaled regional operational expertise and purchasing power, aircraft managed either by the principal’s FUHZ RU DQ LQWHUQDO FRUSRUDWH ÀLJKW - 16 -

department can access a menu of services provided by the NASJET ÀLJKW FHQWUH

GROUND SERVICES In 2013 NASJET, and their partner ExecuJet, launched ground services IRU SULYDWH DLUFUDIW À\LQJ LQWR WKH Riyadh private aviation terminal, Saudi Arabia. The collaboration builds on the two partners’ reputation for providing a superior and competitive level of service.

ON-DEMAND CHARTER 7KH EHVW RSWLRQ IRU XOWLPDWH ÀH[LELOLW\ without the commitment. Chartering with NASJET gives clients access to the largest and most closely-managed ÀHHW LQ WKH UHJLRQ :H DUH IRFXVHG entirely on safety, service and value. By owning many of our aircraft, we are able to make an immediate decision on aircraft availability. NASJET’s dedicated 24/7, 365 days a year charter department, based in Riyadh, are able to provide instant competitive quotations. The NASJET block charter program has all the EHQH¿WV RI DG KRF FKDUWHU EXW ZLWK JXDUDQWHHG DYDLODELOLW\ ÀH[LEOH payment terms and billing based on DFWXDO ÀLJKW WLPHV Visit nasjet.com.sa for information.

RADAR

> 35 important photographs of Audrey Hepburn from the personal collection of her sons, Sean Hepburn Ferrer and Luca Dotti, are to go on a rare UK display in this summer’s National Portrait Gallery exhibition, Audrey Hepburn: Portraits of an Icon. The major display explores the life and career of one of cinema’s most enigmatic stars, and is the first to be organised with support from the Audrey Hepburn Estate. Audrey Hepburn: Portraits of an Icon runs at London’s National Portrait Gallery from July 2 - October 18, 2015

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Audrey Hepburn on location in Africa for The Nuns Story by Leo Fuchs, 1958. Š Leo Fuchs

Film Jurassic World

Dir: Colin Trevorrow 7KH GLQRVDXU IUDQFKLVH UHWXUQV DIWHU D GHFDGH DZD\ AT BEST: “&DQ ZH DOO VWRS IRU D PRPHQW DQG WDON DERXW KRZ LQFUHGLEOH &KULV 3UDWW LV"´ Cinemablend AT WORST: “7KHUHÂśV QRWKLQJ ZRUVH WKDQ ZDWFKLQJ D PRYLH DQG NQRZLQJ WKDW QR RQH LV LQ DQ\ UHDO GDQJHU ´ Cinemablend

Son of Saul

Dir: LĂĄszlĂł Nemes An excoriating debut about a prisoner in a World War II concentration camp. AT BEST: “$Q\ ÂżUVW IHDWXUH WKDW PDQDJHV WR ODQG GLUHFWO\ LQ WKH FRPSHWLWLRQ LQ &DQQHV KDV GRQH VRPHWKLQJ ULJKW ´ Hollywood Reporter AT WORST: Âł,WÂśV DOPRVW WRR UXWKOHVV DQ DFKLHYHPHQW IRU LWV RZQ JRRG LQ D ZD\ ´ Telegraph

Inside Out

Dir: Pete Docter 3L[DUÂśV UHWXUQ WR IRUP VHHV WKH FRQĂ€LFWLQJ HPRWLRQV DW SOD\ LQVLGH D OLWWOH JLUO ZKR PRYHV VWDWH AT BEST: Âł,Q WHUPV RI LWV DPELWLRXV XQGHUO\LQJ FRQFHSW ,QVLGH 2XW EORZV RWKHU 3L[DU PRYLHV ZD\ ´ Variety AT WORST: Âł,W KDVQÂśW DQ\WKLQJ DV JHQXLQHO\ HPRWLRQDOO\ GHYDVWDWLQJ DV 8S RU WKH VXEWOHW\ RI 0RQVWHUV ,QF ´ Guardian

The Sea of Trees

Dir: Gus van Sant 0DWWKHZ 0F&RQDXJKH\ SOD\V D VXLFLGDO VFLHQWLVW ZKRVH OLIH LV FKDQJHG LQ WKH -DSDQHVH ZRRGV AT BEST: ³7KH ¿OP KDV DQ DJUHHDEO\ GDUN JUHHQ GRPLQDWHG ORRN WKDW LV HDV\ RQ WKH H\HV ´ Variety AT WORST: ³7KH 6HD RI 7UHHV LV DQ H[DVSHUDWLQJO\ VKDOORZ ¿OP RQ DQ LPSRUWDQW VXEMHFW ´ Guardian - 21 -

CRITIQUE

Photo (c) ENO / Tristram Kenton

Theatre

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JDEEOLQJ´ ZKLOH WKH 56& UHYLYDO LV ³ E\ WXUQV DEVRUELQJ LUULWDWLQJ LQYHQWLYH DQG VFUDSS\´ +HDWKHU 1HLOO IURP 7KH 6WDJH DOVR FRQFXUV WKDW WKH 56& RXWLQJ LV LQIHULRU WR LWV SUHGHFHVVRUV ³$IWHU 5XSHUW *RROG¶V H[XEHUDQW /DV 9HJDV 0HUFKDQW DOEHLW ZLWKRXW D URPDQWLF HQGLQJ DQG -RQDWKDQ 0XQE\¶V EROG KDQGOLQJ RI DQWL 6HPLWLVP DW WKH *OREH WKLV LV DQ LQWHOOLJHQW EXW GRZQEHDW UHDGLQJ ´ VKH VD\V Until September 2. 3LTXLQJ WKH LQWHUHVW RI RSHUD IDQV PHDQZKLOH LV 0LNH /HLJK¶V QHZ SURGXFWLRQ RI *LOEHUW DQG 6XOOLYDQ¶V 7KH 3LUDWHV RI 3HQ]DQFH IRU WKH (QJOLVK 1DWLRQDO 2SHUD DW WKH &ROLVHXP LQ /RQGRQ :KLOH WKH ¿OP GLUHFWRU VZRUH KH ZRXOG QHYHU GLUHFW DQ RSHUD KH LV D NQRZOHGJHDEOH DQG GHYRWHG *LOEHUW DQG 6XOOLYDQ IDQ $FFRUGLQJ WR WKH ,QGHSHQGHQW¶V 0LFKDHO &KXUFK /HLJK¶V RSHUDWLF GHEXW LV D ³YHU\ HQMR\DEOH´ SURGXFWLRQ KRZHYHU ³LWV WDVWHIXO HI¿FLHQF\ PDGH PH QRVWDOJLF IRU WKH FRQYLYLDO VODSVWLFN RI WKH GHDU ROG '¶2\O\ &DUWH FRPSDQ\ ZKLFK FRXOG EH VR PXFK IXQQLHU´ 7KH )7¶V 5LFKDUG )DLUPDQ IHHOV WKH SURGXFWLRQ ³RIIHUV D UHWXUQ WR WKH VDIHW\ RI WUDGLWLRQ´ IRU WKRVH DXGLHQFHV ZKR PD\ KDYH EHHQ DOLHQDWHG E\ WKH (12¶V FRPPLWPHQW WR FXWWLQJ HGJH WKHDWUH GHFODULQJ LW WKH ³YHU\ PRGHO RI DQ XQ PRGHUQ´ *LOEHUW DQG 6XOOLYDQ UHYLYDO ³7KH trendily minimalist set designs by $OLVRQ &KLWW\ VXJJHVW ZH DUH ORRNLQJ WKURXJK DQ RQVKRUH WHOHVFRSH DW WKH SLUDWHV¶ VKLS 2WKHUZLVH WKH VWDJLQJ ¿WV WKH SHULRG ´ KH VD\V 7KH VDWLUH ³IHHOV TXDLQW UDWKHU ÀDW FRPIRUWDEO\ (QJOLVK´ UDLVLQJ RQO\ WKH ³RFFDVLRQDO KDOIKHDUWHG VPLOH´ IRU WKH FULWLF :KLOH )DLUPDQ TXHVWLRQHG ZK\ JURZQ PHQ DQG ZRPHQ LQ WKH VW FHQWXU\ ZRXOG ZDQW WR ¿QG WLPH IRU D SLHFH ³DV LQVLSLG DQG PXVW\ DV WKLV IHHOV KHUH´ LW VHHPV QRW HYHU\RQH VKDUHG KLV YLHZ ³$URXQG PH WKH DXGLHQFH ODXJKHG FKRUWOHG FKHHUHG ´ Until July 4.

CRITIQUE

Curated by Rinaldo Rossi and Corinna Turati, Order and Disorder is a new exhibition of Italian conceptual artist Alighiero Boetti’s works. Running at London’s Mazzoleni Gallery from June 5 to July 31, the show offers a chance to see works from some of the most important stages of the artist’s life. Boetti died in 1994, and his work has become steadily more popular DQG LQĂ€XHQWLDO LQ WKH WZR GHFDGHV since. The exhibition presents an in-depth examination on the work of Boetti as well as the codes and mechanisms used in his work. It also presents a rare opportunity to view works from several important stages in the artist’s life, including iconic works such as embroideries, ballpoint pen drawings and further works on paper. Highlights include Mappa, 1979; the three panels Smettere in Moto, 1978-79; a large 7XWWR DQG D UHÂżQHG selection of works on paper. The Guardian writes of the artist: “Boetti could not be pinned down. In his comparatively short life he sent back such a variety of work from so many different places – Ethiopia, Japan, Pakistan, Guatemala – that he was rumoured to be not one man but two: Alighiero and Boetti, just as his (self-adapted) name implies.â€? What is the measure of a man? The Pompidou Centre in Paris asks the question in their exhibition Le Corbusier: The Measures of Man, which runs until August 2. Time Out writes: “The show also puts architecture at the centre of a larger artistic philosophy – as well as the pure beauty of Corbu’s building designs, models and theoretical discourses (he was devoted to addressing issues of inner city KRXVLQJ DQG KXJHO\ LQĂ€XHQWLDO on urban planning), we are also shown his striking paintings, which move from elegant geometric LPDJHV WR D PRUH ÂżJXUDWLYH VW\OH that recalls Fernand LĂŠger. As with his buildings and prototypes, the

Alighiero Boetti Accanto al Pantheon, 1988, eembroidery on fabric, Courtesy Mazzoleni London

Art

SLHFHV EULQJ KRPH WKH LQĂ€XHQFH WKDW the great man has over our living environments even today. “Sadly, the search for a pertinent angle obscures some of the more uncomfortable elements of &RUEXVLHUÂśV OHJDF\ KLV ÂľUDEELW FDJHÂś designs for an Indian city and his fascist connections, which imbue his obsession with cleanliness, modernity and order. They’re more than mere biographical detail, so it’s a shame to miss out on a full picture of Corbusier’s worldview.â€? New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art explores Maurice Prendergast: Boston Public Garden Watercolours from June 1 to September 7, capturing incidental pastimes in one of America’s most famous urban parks. Prendergast has been called the poet laureate of the picnic, the artist’s lightLQĂ€HFWHG VKHHWV FKURQLFOH WKH leisurely life of a bygone era. The Boston Globe says, “Like all good - 24 -

retrospectives, it poses questions. 7KH ÂżUVW ² Âľ+RZ JRRG UHDOO\ ZDV 0DXULFH 3UHQGHUJDVW"Âś ² LV unavoidable. What’s curious is that no one has ever quite known how to answer it. That’s partly because this most consistent of artists was in reality a slowly moving target. If Prendergast kept painting the same VXEMHFW ² UHYHOHUV E\ WKH ZDWHU ² E\ the second half of his career he was using that subject to articulate a very different vision.â€? The New York Times writes: “Prendergast comes across as an American original, an artist who eagerly absorbed the latest in French painting without losing his head. This is rare for turn-of-the-century American art, when so many American painters produced belated reprises of French Impressionism. And it is all the more impressive considering that he was a man of limited education who supported himself as a commercial artist until he was 32 years old.â€?

Books With historical detective stories enjoying something of a renaissance at the moment, MJ Carter’s second outing for her Victorian sleuths, Blake and Avery, should go down well with audiences. Set in the slums of London in 1841, The ,QÂżGHO 6WDLQ VHHV -HUHPLDK %ODNH and William Avery, returned from their adventures in India (detailed LQ KHU ÂżUVW QRYHO 7KH 6WUDQJOHU Vine), struggling to adapt to life in England. Moreover, time and distance have weakened the close bond between them. Then a shocking series of murders in the world of London’s gutter press forces them back together. With the police mysteriously unwilling to investigate, Blake and Avery must UDFH DJDLQVW WLPH WR ÂżQG WKH FXOSULW before he kills again. The Guardian’s 6WHSKDQLH 0HUULWW VD\V 7KH ,QÂżGHO Stain is “a richly detailed and VPDUWO\ SORWWHG QRYHO´ WKDW ÂżUPO\ establishes Carter as “an authentic voice in the world of historical crime.â€? While the relationship between the odd-couple sleuths “grows deeper and more nuanced in this book, even if it is transparently

a Holmes and Watson dynamic, it’s no less enjoyable for that, perhaps because it’s so reassuringly familiar.â€? The Telegraph’s Jake Kerridge, meanwhile, believes the sequel “has lost a little of the sparkle of Carter’s debut novelâ€?, due to its change of setting from India to London and its more conventional plot. “But it is still an entertaining stew of blackmail, murder, cross-dressing and incomprehensible slang,â€? he adds. The Independent’s Amanda Craig disagrees, believing the London setting works perfectly, as the previous novel “occasionally became bogged down in the complexities of imperial India.â€? She also hopes the detective series will make it to the small screen, declaring if it were not ERXJKW IRU ÂżOP ÂłLW ZRXOG EH DQRWKHU mark of the corporate stupidity that lost the BBC Ripper Street. It is, however, far more pleasurable and impressive to read.â€? Another historical novel, this time set in WWII Estonia, is also garnering praise. Acclaimed )LQQLVK (VWRQLDQ DXWKRU 6RÂż Oksanen’s fourth novel, When the Doves Disappeared, explores the small Baltic Sea state’s terrible wartime history of mass human displacement, occupation and collaboration. (In 1940, Estonia was invaded by Stalin, and the following year by Hitler. Then, in 1944, the Soviets returned, and stayed for half a century.) The Independent’s Rosie Goldsmith says When the Doves Disappeared is “a thrilling pageturner but it is equally a shattering family drama and an unsparing deconstruction of history.â€? Oksanen is also a playwright and this shows - 25 -

in “her tight control of the shifting timelines and viewpointsâ€?, while the writing is “sensual and visceral with great descriptive rangeâ€?. :KDW DW ÂżUVW VHHPV D FKDRWLF mix of dates, names and events “settles into a multi-layered novel where everyone and everything is ZHLJKWHG ZLWK VLJQLÂżFDQFH ,W LV a rich and sometimes heavy feast Âą WHQVH GHQVH DQG LQWHQVH 6RÂż Oksanen is a serious novelist in all ways,â€? concludes Goldsmith. The Telegraph’s Ian Thomson is also impressed with Oksanen’s “superbâ€? fourth outing, declaring it equally as good as her last book, Purge, a thriller also set in Estonia that won her numerous international awards. “Over it hangs a Graham Greene-like atmosphere of human wretchedness and compromised political faith,â€? Thomson says. “Humiliated and GHÂżOHG E\ +LWOHU DQG 6WDOLQ DIWHU the war Estonia virtually fell off the map of Europe. Oksanen, a great post-Russian-Empire writer, has helped to return Estonia to the consciousness of the West.â€?

ART & DESIGN

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HOORAY FOR

LLY O WOOD H FOR OVER 30 YEARS, GEORGE HOLZ HAS PHOTOGRAPHED TINSELTOWN’S BIGGEST AND BRIGHTEST STARS

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Nicolas Cage © 1999 George Holz. Kevin Spacey © 1999 George Holz. Morgan Freeman by George Holz. © 2000 Paramount Pictures. Used with permission.

ART & DESIGN

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hen George Holz, a protĂŠgĂŠ of Helmut Newton, got a call from a friend at Warner Bros. Records in 1983 asking if he’d be interested in photographing an up-and-coming young singer named Madonna, his curiosity was piqued. “I had already heard some buzz about her, loved KHU QDPH DQG ÂżJXUHG VKH FRXOG EH intriguing to shoot,â€? he recalls. While the shoot in a small basement studio near Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, was basic – Madonna wore her own clothes and Holz drafted in his friend, makeup artist Barbara Farman, to help on set – the resulting images were anything but. “This unassuming young woman was simply amazing in front of the camera: sexual, charismatic, full of energy, and incredibly photogenic,â€? he says. The photos were used for the 1985 re-release of Madonna’s debut DOEXP KHOSLQJ WR GHÂżQH WKH IXWXUH Queen of Pop’s bad-girl image.

“Little did I know that these photos would become so iconic,â€? he says. Kevin Spacey is another memorable subject. Holz photographed the actor in 1999 for New York magazine, as Spacey’s new ÂżOP $PHULFDQ %HDXW\ ZDV ZRZLQJ critics and audiences alike. While shooting atop an open-air tour bus in Times Square, Spacey picked up the microphone and performed an impromptu stand-up comedy routine that was “wickedly funny,â€? recalls Holz. “It was the one time in my life when I became so wrapped up in my subject’s performance I forgot I was a photographer.â€? These are just two anecdotes from the many shoots featured in a new book celebrating the snapper’s three decades of celebrity portraiture. Published by Daab, Holz Hollywood: 30 Years of Portraits is a virtual who‘s who of popular culture, including Nicolas Cage, Morgan Freeman, Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson, Salma Hayek and Will Smith, among others. According to photography commentator Renate Gruber, who wrote the foreword to the book, Holz’s images have an “unexplainable eleganceâ€? that convey his “intense admiration of and respect forâ€? his subjects. Singer Mariah Carey agrees. “George is always focused on making me look the way he sees me when the camera isn’t rolling – capturing the essence of the real person, not just a persona,“ the diva once remarked. Tennesseeborn Holz got his big break in 1979 when he met - 29 -

Helmut Newton while studying at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. Together with fellow students Mark Arbeit and Just Loomis – now successful photographers in their own right – Holz was one of only three assistants to the legendary Vogue contributor, who died in 2004. “You learned by osmosis,â€? Holz told the Los Angeles’ Times in 2012. “There is a little of that Helmut DNA ingrained in all of us. For him, there was no difference between KLV FRPPHUFLDO ZRUN DQG KLV ÂżQH art work. He approached every photograph the same.â€? At Newton’s encouragement, the young photographer travelled to Europe and spent several years working in Milan and Paris, where he shot fashion editorials for

‘Holz’s images convey his intense admiration of his subjects’ magazines such as Italian Vogue and French Elle. In the mid-1980s he moved to Manhattan, travelling frequently to Los Angeles and Europe to shoot fashion, advertising and portraiture for top magazines DQG OX[XU\ EUDQGV +RO]ÂśV ÂżQH art nudes, meanwhile, have been exhibited in galleries around the world. After moving to a farm in the rustic Catskill Mountains of New York a few years ago, Holz says the focus of his personal work has changed. “I turned from engaging supermodels in exotic locations to photographing the-girl-next-door in a natural setting. And thus, location itself became a character in each piece of work,â€? he says. “Looking to the future, I will be drawn to work in colour, a consequence perhaps of living... in an environment saturated by continually changing colors, light, shadows, texture.â€? Holz Hollywood: 30 Years of Portraits is available now from Daab, daab-media.com

ART & DESIGN

SOMETHING FOR THE WEEKEND Art aficionados will decamp to London’s Mayfair in July, where its most iconic hotel will host the second annual Brown’s London Art Weekend - 30 -

L

ondon’s ever charming district of Mayfair has long been the epicenter of a gravitational pull from the Middle East during the summer, as the well-heeled arrive to take up residence in its slew of iconic hotels. 3HUKDSV WKH ÂżQHVW RI VXFK KRWHOV LV Brown’s, which stands proud as the oldest hotel in London, one street back from New Bond Street. This year Brown’s Hotel offers the additional enticement of its second Brown’s London Art Weekend, taking place from July 3-5. Over the course of it, 100 galleries and auction houses will open up to the public, granting them a unique opportunity to explore London’s greatest private galleries. For 150 years Mayfair’s galleries and auction houses have welcomed the world’s greatest art collectors, and this event is the ultimate celebration of this London heartland. “The idea for Brown’s London Art Weekend grew from the success of the Brown’s Hotel monthly Saturday art tours, hosted by the gallery owners, which continue to be very popular,â€? says Sophie Darley, director of communications at the hotel. “Brown’s Hotel is championing a stronger community spirit amongst the Mayfair galleries and Brown’s London Art Weekend, whilst a celebration of the art scene, also aims to highlight the diversity of the

art available in this cultural hub of London.� Such diversity includes offerings from the Middle East. Ayyam Gallery, which has branches in Dubai, will show the work of Samia Halaby, the Arab world’s foremost abstract painter. The exhibition will include rarely seen works from the ¿UVW WZR GHFDGHV RI KHU FDUHHU D time when she taught at universities throughout the United States, and created a groundbreaking curriculum that was implemented LQ WKH ¿QH DUWV SURJUDPPHV RI institutions such as the Yale School of Art. Over at Rossi & Rossi, Iranianborn, New York-based artist Samira

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Abbassy will debut her solo show, which features oil paintings on canvas or gesso panel, accompanied by works on paper. Brown’s Hotel will host a programme of specialist art talks over the weekend, covering a range of topics including ‘how to start your art collection’ and ‘fashion and art’. Meanwhile, celebrated chef Mark Hix has collaborated with artists whose work is displayed at his restaurant HIX Mayfair at Brown’s Hotel to produce a dedicated and highly creative menu to accompany the event – so there’s your excuse to stay on for lunch. “There really is something for everyone, from old master paintings at Bonhams to modern sculpture at Gazelli Art House. That is what makes this event so exciting�, enthuses Darley. “All the galleries are close together so we recommend that guests to the area make a weekend of it, and take time to explore the wonder of this artistic heart of London. “ Each participating gallery will be open from 11am-5pm on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 July, many of which will host talks. Those keen to hear them are advised to sign up at londonartweekend.co.uk. To book a room at Brown’s Hotel, visit roccofortehotels.com.

ART & DESIGN

All about Eve As a new book celebrates the work of Eve Arnold, AIR looks at her journey from housewife to acclaimed Magnum photographer Words: LARA BRUNT

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hen Eve Arnold ¿UVW YLVLWHG 'XEDL LQ VKH VWUXFN XS D IULHQGVKLS WKDW ZRXOG VHH KHU JDLQ XQSUHFHGHQWHG DFFHVV WR D GH¿QLQJ PRPHQW LQ WKH KLVWRU\ RI WKH WKHQ VKHLNKGRP $V SDUW RI DQ DPELWLRXV DVVLJQPHQW WR GRFXPHQW WKH ZRPHQ RI $UDELD ZKLFK EHJDQ LQ DQG ZRXOG FRQVXPH KHU IRU WKUHH \HDUV $UQROG JDLQHG SHUPLVVLRQ WR SKRWRJUDSK LQVLGH WKH KDUHP RI 6KHLNKD 6DQD %LQW 0DQD %LQ 5DVKLG $O 0DNWRXP WKH QLHFH RI WKH 5XOHU RI 'XEDL 7KHLU FORVH ERQG UHVXOWHG LQ $UQROG¶V DFFODLPHG LPDJHV RI WKH ZHGGLQJ FHOHEUDWLRQV RI 6KHLNKD 6DQD¶V GDXJKWHU 6KHLNKD $OLD WR WKH &URZQ 3ULQFH RI 'XEDL +5+ 0DNWRXP ELQ 5DVKLG 7KH SKRWRJUDSKV DQG VXEVHTXHQW GRFXPHQWDU\ %HKLQG WKH 9HLO ³LV SDUW RI RXU KHULWDJH ´ VD\V 6DHHG $O 1DERXGD DFWLQJ GLUHFWRU RI WKH 'XEDL &XOWXUH DQG $UWV $XWKRULW\ ³,W FHOHEUDWHV DQG SD\V WULEXWH WR WKH FXOWXUH RI RXU QDWLRQ ´ 7KH LPDJHV DUH MXVW VRPH RI KXQGUHGV FRQWDLQHG LQ D QHZ ERRN DERXW WKH $PHULFDQ SKRWRJUDSKHU :ULWWHQ E\ -DQLQH GL *LRYDQQL WKH DZDUG ZLQQLQJ 0LGGOH (DVW HGLWRU RI 1HZVZHHN DQG D FRQWULEXWLQJ HGLWRU WR 9DQLW\ )DLU (YH $UQROG 0DJQXP /HJDF\ LV WKH ¿UVW YROXPH

LQ D PDMRU QHZ VHULHV RI LOOXVWUDWHG ELRJUDSKLHV RI WKH OHJHQGDU\ 0DJQXP SKRWRJUDSKHUV )LOOHG ZLWK ERWK FRORXU DQG EODFN DQG ZKLWH LPDJHV DV ZHOO DV SUHYLRXVO\ XQVHHQ DUFKLYDO LPDJHV WKH SDJH ERRN LV WKH ¿UVW VWXG\ RI $UQROG¶V ZRUN WKDW UHOLHV RQ KHU PHWLFXORXV GLDULHV QRWHERRNV DQG OHWWHUV UHODWLQJ KHU EROG LPDJHV WR WKH IDVFLQDWLQJ VWRU\ RI WKHLU PDNLQJ GL *LRYDQQL DOVR LQWHUYLHZHG DURXQG RI $UQROG¶V IULHQGV IDPLO\ DQG FROOHDJXHV KHOSLQJ WR EXLOG DQ LQWLPDWH SLFWXUH RI WKH UHPDUNDEOH ZRPDQ EHKLQG WKH FDPHUD :KLOH $UQROG LV SHUKDSV EHVW NQRZQ IRU KHU SKRWRJUDSKV RI IDPRXV ¿JXUHV VXFK DV 0DULO\Q 0RQURH 0DOFROP ; DQG 4XHHQ (OL]DEHWK ,, VKH LV DOVR UHYHUHG IRU KHU SKRWRMRXUQDOLVP RI WKH SRRU DQG GLVSRVHG ³, GRQ¶W VHH DQ\ERG\ DV HLWKHU RUGLQDU\ RU H[WUDRUGLQDU\ , VHH WKHP VLPSO\ DV SHRSOH LQ IURQW RI P\ OHQV ´ VKH RQFH UHPDUNHG %RUQ WR D SRRU 5XVVLDQ LPPLJUDQW IDPLO\ LQ 3KLODGHOSKLD LQ $UQROG EHFDPH D SKRWRJUDSKHU E\ FKDQFH 6KH KDG EHHQ JLYHQ D FDPHUD E\ D ER\IULHQG DQG ZDV D SUR¿FLHQW DPDWHXU EXW LW ZDVQ¶W XQWLO DJHG WKDW VKH HQUROOHG LQ D VL[ ZHHN SKRWRJUDSK\ FRXUVH OHG E\ $OH[H\ %URGRYLWFK WKH DUW GLUHFWRU RI +DUSHU¶V %D]DDU +HU WDOHQW IRU ERWK SKRWRJUDSK\ DQG ¿QGLQJ D VWRU\ ZDV LPPHGLDWHO\ REYLRXV )RU KHU ¿UVW FODVV - 32 -

DVVLJQPHQW VKH KHDGHG WR +DUOHP DIWHU KHDULQJ DERXW WKH EODFN IDVKLRQ VKRZV WKHUH ZKLFK OHG WR KHU JURXQGEUHDNLQJ SKRWR HVVD\ RQ $IULFDQ $PHULFDQ PRGHOV ,Q MXVW D IHZ VKRUW \HDUV $UQROG ZRXOG WUDQVIRUP KHUVHOI IURP /RQJ ,VODQG KRXVHZLIH ± VKH PDUULHG $UQROG $UQROG DQ LQGXVWULDO GHVLJQHU LQ DQG JDYH ELUWK WR D VRQ )UDQN ODWHU WKDW \HDU ± WR VHDVRQHG SKRWRMRXUQDOLVW ,Q WKH HDUO\ ¶V VKH EHJDQ ZRUNLQJ IRU SXEOLFDWLRQV VXFK DV 3LFWXUH 3RVW 7LPH DQG /LIH E\ VKH ZDV WKH ¿UVW ZRPDQ SKRWRJUDSKHU WR MRLQ WKH SUHVWLJLRXV 0DJQXP 3KRWRV DJHQF\ ,Q $UQROG DQG KHU IDPLO\ PRYHG WR (QJODQG ZKHUH VKH ZRXOG OLYH IRU WKH UHVW RI KHU OLIH DOWKRXJK KHU PDUULDJH ZDV QRW WR ODVW 6HSDUDWHG IURP KHU KXVEDQG DQG ZLWK KHU VRQ LQ ERDUGLQJ VFKRRO VKH EHJDQ ZRUNLQJ IRU WKH 6XQGD\ 7LPHV PDJD]LQH ZKLFK RYHU WKH QH[W WZR GHFDGHV ZRXOG WDNH KHU WR PDQ\ FRXQWULHV ³6KH ZURWH D ORW RI KHU RZQ VWRULHV IRU WKH 6XQGD\ 7LPHV ZKLFK ZDV UHDOO\ XQXVXDO ´ UHFDOOHG IHOORZ 0DQJXP SKRWRJUDSKHU 6XVDQ 0HLVHODV ZKR ZURWH WKH IRUHZRUG WR WKH ERRN GXULQJ D GLVFXVVLRQ ZLWK GL *LRYDQQL DW /RQGRQ¶V )URQWOLQH &OXE $UQROG ZHQW IDU EH\RQG WKH ERXQGDULHV RI PRVW SKRWRJUDSKHUV SDUWLFXODUO\ IHPDOH SKRWRJUDSKHUV RI KHU WLPH WUDYHOOLQJ WKH JOREH

1.

2.

1. Egypt. Valley of the Kings. Egyptian woman. 1970. Š Eve Arnold/ Magnum Photos USA. 2. Nevada. US actress Marilyn Monroe on the set of “The Misfitsâ€? by John Huston. 1960. Š Eve Arnold/Magnum Photos 3. USA. District of Columbia. Town of Washington D.C. 1961. Malcolm X at a Black Muslim rally. Š Eve Arnold/Magnum Photos

3. often alone, to document the Islamic world, communist Soviet Union, political America and postrevolution China. A diminutive and elegant woman, “Eve used her size and her femininity to get things that she might not have been able to get,â€? di Giovanni remarked at the Frontline Club. “And this, combined with her persistence and determination – and of course god given talent – was a big part of it.â€? +HU ÂżHUFH GULYH ZDV DSSDUHQW LQ her quest to visit China in the 1970s. Arnold spent nine years trying to get a visa when, in 1979, the Americans established diplomatic relations and she was allowed a visa for two threemonth-long trips to the communist state. “Eve would go to theses places – Russia, China – [where] she didn’t speak the language; she was a tiny woman, and this is before digital cameras so she had huge amounts of gear,â€? said di Giovanni. Her remarkable empathy for her subjects is evident throughout the book, none more so than in the passage where she remarks: “I must look at China in her own perspective, remembering her history, trying to understand her character, and being totally aware of her needs. I must try and not judge by my Western eyes,

but must try and think in Chinese, look in Chinese, while still retaining my own point of view.â€? During one of these visits, Arnold contracted pneumonia. “She ended up in a clinic in a remote part of China, completely by herself, cut off from the world,â€? di Giovanni recalled. “This is a time before internet, before cell phones, so her letters home would arrive months after what she was going through. You have to put yourself in her shoes and imagine the absolute tenacity, courage, bravery and fearlessness of doing this at a time when women didn’t do that.â€? Between these long and arduous trips she carried out her more glamorous assignments, photographing movie stars such as Marlene Dietrich, Joan Crawford and Marilyn Monroe, gaining their trust by treating them with the XWPRVW FRXUWHV\ +HU ÂżUVW HQFRXQWHU with Crawford in the 1950s was fraught; the actress arrived drunk, stripped naked and demanded to be photographed. Concerned that Crawford would ultimately be furious with the images, Arnold GHPXUUHG DW ÂżUVW EXW WKHQ ZHQW ahead with the shoot. A few days later, Arnold gave the negatives to Crawford, assuring her - 35 -

they would never be published. This act of loyalty was rewarded three years later when Crawford asked Arnold to photograph her for a very personal story for Life magazine, depicting the star’s intensive physical preparation for a role. In an interview with the Independent some years later, Arnold said she had never been tempted to make the nude photos public. “I didn’t think they would do me credit,� she said. “I had in mind a long career.� She achieved just that, capturing some 750,000 images and publishing a number of books. Arnold died in 2012, aged 99, believing she had experienced the best of serious photojournalism. “There was an innocence in our approach,� she wrote in 1994, “especially in the 1950s and 1960s when we naively believed that by holding a mirror up to the world we could help – no matter how little – to make people aware of the human condition. Now I question whether we were a combination of voyeur and exhibitionist as well as witness and crusader.� Eve Arnold: Magnum Legacy, published by Prestel in association with the Magnum Foundation, is available now.

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HISTORY FOR SALE

For over 40 years, Didier Ludot has bought and sold the world’s most covetable haute couture. Ahead of next month’s sale in Paris, auctioneer Kerry Taylor shares her highlights WORDS: LARA BRUNT

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o connoisseurs of vintage haute couture, Didier Ludot needs no introduction. For more than 40 years, the fashion antiquarian has bought and sold exquisite pieces by the world’s top designers, owned by some of the world’s most stylish women, at his legendary Palais-Royal gallery in the 1st arrondissement of Paris. Next month, Sotheby’s Paris, in association with Kerry Taylor Auctions, will auction 150 garments and accessories from his private collection, including pieces by Paul Poiret, Madame Grès, Christian Dior, Cristobal Balenciaga, Azzedine AlaĂŻa, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, Yohji Yamamoto, John Galliano and Comme des Garçons. “It’s an interesting collection because it’s been put together by someone who deals in the subject,â€? says auctioneer Kerry Taylor. “Some people just collect and never sell anything, whereas Didier Ludot is one of the most famous dealers; he’s been very well placed in his shop in Paris to source some of the most beautiful things from some of the most beautiful, wealthy French women over the years. He’s had the pick of quite a lot of special things. “And obviously he sells a lot of these things to his customers, so the pieces [in the auction] are a little bit special because he’s wanted to hang on to them, rather than just sell them again. He’s really well-known for haute couture and red carpet dresses and I think WKDW WKLV VDOH UHĂ€HFWV KLV LQWHUHVWV ZKLFK UDQJH from quite recent pieces by John Galliano to an early dress by Paul Poiret from 1924. He’s got very eclectic tastes,â€? she adds. The collection is a vibrant tribute to French haute couture and the time-honoured expertise of its craftspeople, including tailors, embroiderers, leatherworkers, feather merchants and lace makers. Ludot selected each piece for its technical skill, its beauty, the trademark style of the couturier who created it, or the elegance of the woman who wore it. The pieces, adds Taylor, “illustrate the breadth of his taste and his interest.â€? ‘There’s the wonderful haute couture that you’d expect from Didier but there’s also unexpected things like a Jean-Charles de Castelbajac jacket that looks as though it’s made from pasta; a lovely Yohji Yamamoto cage bodice; and a fabulous Thierry Mugler moulded green leather breast plate with chiffon skirt,â€? the auctioneer remarks. Highlights of the sale include Chanel’s

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ST YLE

‘Ludot’s had the pick of quite a lot of special things’

sequinned “little black dressâ€? owned by actress Romy Schneider; the Duchess of Windsor’s psychedelic ‘60s dress; legendary muse Loulou de la Falaise’s Yves Saint Laurent safari jacket; American socialite Mona Bismarck’s Balenciaga cape; the sculptural dresses AlaĂŻa created for model Bettina; an Ungaro minidress and coat worn by Catherine Deneuve; a dress made for Princess Caroline of Monaco by Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel in 1985; Barbara Hutton’s Cartier jewel box – and so the list goes on. “I think my favourite piece is a Balenciaga haute couture black wool suit, which Irving Penn also photographed in 1950. It’s got buttons that emphasis the shape and cut of the waist and hips – very simple but very classical,â€? says Taylor. “Another personal favourite is a Schiaparelli Circus Collection bodice and skirt, which has this wonderful print of rearing circus horses. Unfortunately, the lady who owned it cut and altered it so it has an estimate of â‚Ź3,000-5,000; if it hadn’t been altered it would be more like â‚Ź50,000.â€? Taylor expects the July 8 auction in the French capital to attract a mix of international museums, vintage haute couture dealers and private collectors. “When the museums and those who wish to buy-towear are going for the same lot, that’s when you see spiralling prices,â€? she says. “I think what’s also interesting to note is that, although these are very collectable pieces, they’re also very wearable because Didier is unusual in the sense that he always looks for things that are not just beautiful, but can be worn because that’s the business he’s in.â€? Private collectors tend to hail from America, France and England, she says. “I think there’s a huge resistance is places like the Middle East, China and Russia – they just haven’t quite got their heads around >YLQWDJH@ \HW ´ 7D\ORU UHĂ€HFWV Âł, WKLQN people in the region may think of selling, [rather than buying]. I do have some [clients who are] Middle Eastern royalty and occasionally they’ll want to make room in their wardrobes and will sell things very discretely. In terms of a fashion museum, I can see a Middle Eastern museum being set up at some point.â€? If Ludot is the King of Vintage, then Taylor is undoubtedly the Queen. After joining Sotheby’s in 1979, she rose rapidly through the

ranks to become the youngest auctioneer in the company’s history, aged just 21. After being appointed director and head of the Collector’s department in the early 1980s, Taylor re-established costume and textiles auctions at the New Bond Street saleroom and was responsible for QXPHURXV KLJK SUR¿OH VDOHV including the wardrobes of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and Maria Callas. In 2003, Taylor set up her own business, which is widely recognised as the world’s leading auction house specialising in vintage fashion, ¿QH DQWLTXH FRVWXPH DQG textiles. Since then, she has auctioned garments belonging to some of the most fashionable women of the 20th century, such as Princess Diana, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor and Daphne Guinness, among others. And business is booming, she says. “For buy-to-wear [garments] it’s still very good value, but for the museum quality pieces the prices have escalated. I recently sold a jacket by Elsa Schiaparelli for £110,000. It was from her winter 1938 Zodiac collection – midnight blue silk velvet, covered in shooting stars, comets and signs of the zodiac, and embroidered by Lesage. In perfect condition, it was a thing of great beauty and something that lots of museums would want. You don’t normally get people spending that kind of money if they’re going to wear it,” she says. As for the collection she would most like to auction one day? “I’d like to get my hands on Kate Moss’s wardrobe,” she says without hesitation. “That would be the one.” The Didier Ludot Collection auction takes place on July 8 at Sotheby’s Paris.

1. Balenciaga – 1965 Evening dress in point d’esprit tulle by Brivet, entirely covered with appliqué pink feathers by Albert. Provenance: Francine Weisweiller. Estimate: €8,00012,000 2. Yamamoto – Winter 2006 Cage corset in black jersey. This model was worn at nearly every moment of the Winter 2006 show. Estimate: €1,5002,000 3. Christian Dior – Fall / Winter 1988-1989 Dé d’or Collection by Gianfranco Ferre for Dior Woolen tailleur with houndstooth motif and large gazer bow. Estimate: €2,0002,500 4. Chanel – Spring / Summer 1963 Short evening dress with black sequins Marescot. Provenance: Romy Schneider. Estimate: €4,0006,000 5. Alaïa – Summer 1992 Evening outfit in black cotton satin and white broderie anglaise. Provenance: Bettina. Estimate: €3,0004,000

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The wonder of Wartski As Royal jeweller Wartski celebrates 150 years, managing director Geoffrey Munn explains what makes the British firm so unique

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hen the British Royal family requires a wedding band crafted from the Queen’s supply of Welsh gold, there’s only one place they turn: Wartski. The family-run store, just off Bond Street in the heart of Mayfair, has served six generations of Royals, including Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth II, and more recently, the Duchess of Cambridge. As Wartski celebrates its 150th anniversary, managing director Geoffrey Munn, who began working for Wartski in 1972, aged 19, has written a book detailing WKH IDVFLQDWLQJ KLVWRU\ RI WKH ÂżUP WKDW VSHFLDOLVHV LQ goldsmiths’ work, antique jewellery and the exquisite treasures of Carl FabergĂŠ. Munn likens the store to an archaeological site. “There’s no brush or trowel but we have no idea what’s coming next. The door can open and it can be a medieval jewel – for instance, we’ve got a little 15th century gold heart that was discovered by a man with a metal detector. Like archaeologists, our job is to put the context back onto these objects,â€? he says. Wartski made headlines last year when it was instrumental in identifying the long lost Third Imperial FabergĂŠ Egg (pictured). Made for the Russian Royal family in 1887, the egg was seized by the Bolsheviks after the 1917 Russian Revolution, along with the other 49 intricate eggs owned by the Tsars, and mysteriously made its way to the United States. An antiques dealer bought the gold egg, studded with diamonds and sapphires, at a bric-a-brac market for $14,000 with the intention of selling it for scrap. After VWUXJJOLQJ WR ÂżQG D EX\HU D *RRJOH VHDUFK OHG KLP WR :DUWVNL 7KH ÂżUP SXUFKDVHG WKH PDVWHUSLHFH DQG VROG it to a collector for a reported ÂŁ20 million. “It was a sensational discovery,â€? says Munn. The Wartski family founded the business in North :DOHV LQ DIWHU Ă€HHLQJ DQWL 6HPLWLVP LQ 3RODQG Thanks to a chance meeting with a local landowner, WKH IDPRXVO\ H[WUDYDJDQW ÂżIWK 0DUTXHVV RI $QJOHVH\ 0RUULV :DUWVNL ZDV DEOH WR RSHQ D VWRUH ÂżUVW LQ %DQJRU followed by Llandudno.

7KH ÂżUP Ă€RXULVKHG RSHQLQJ D VWRUH LQ /RQGRQ LQ 1913, and the rise of Soviet Russia in the 1920s provided a unique opportunity. “It was simply a business decision for Morris Wartski’s son-in-law, Emanuel Snowman, to buy the treasures that the Revolutionary government ZHUH VHOOLQJ ZKLFK KDG EHHQ FRQÂżVFDWHG IURP WKH church, aristocrats and Royal family,â€? says Munn. The treasures included pieces by Carl FabergĂŠ, considered out of fashion at the time thanks to the clean lines of Art Deco. “They were valuable of course, as they were made of gold and enamel, and they were still beautiful, but they were available at a fraction of the cost,â€? explains Munn. One of the most fascinating chapters in the book is devoted to Wartski’s famous customers, such as John F Kennedy, Margot Fonteyn, Elizabeth Taylor, Barbara

‘Like archaeologists, our job is to put the context back onto these objects’ Hutton, Frank Sinatra and Elton John. “Our customers and collectors have varied enormously over the years,â€? he says, “following the peaks and troughs in the graph of international wealth.â€? They include customers from the Middle East who “are different in that they are more eclectic in their taste. In Qatar, for example, where museums are being made by the Al Thanis, they are buying all manner of good things, whereas perhaps other countries are more focussed on their own heritage. One of the great compliments to the Middle East is that their connoisseurship is all embracing,â€? Munn says. 'HVSLWH ÂżHUFH FRPSHWLWLRQ IURP WKH PDMRU DXFWLRQ houses, Wartski has survived because of its narrow focus and willingness to pass on its knowledge to employees outside the family, he believes. “I think the great thing is that nothing is really static – except for Wartski and the Royal family,â€? he adds with a laugh. Wartski: The First 150 Years, published by ACC, is available now from accdistribution.com

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JEWELLERY

FRENCH F ¡ A ¡N ¡ C ¡Y

AIR chats to Victoire de Castellane about her fantastical High Jewellery collection, available for a limited time in Dubai Words: LARA BRUNT

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ith her high cheekbones, poker straight hair and polished Parisian style, Victoire de Castellane FXWV D VWULNLQJ ÂżJXUH DPLG WKH UHÂżQHG surroundings of One&Only, The Palm Dubai. Yet, surprisingly, the statuesque designer Âą FUHDWLYH GLUHFWRU RI 'LRU ÂżQH MHZHOOHU\ since 1998 and known for her big, bold and brilliantly coloured creations – admits that she often forgoes statement jewels. “I think that rings and bracelets are the easiest things to look at on yourself and WKH PRVW Ă€DWWHULQJ WR D ZRPDQÂśV JHVWXUH ´ she muses. “But I also like to not wear any jewellery, especially when I’m working in RUGHU WR QRW EH LQĂ€XHQFHG E\ DQ\ H[LVWLQJ pieces, colours, shapes or memories.â€? The designer is in town to discuss her eponymous, one-of-a-kind haute joaillerie pieces, which can be viewed by private

appointment only at Harvey Nichols Dubai and Bloomingdale’s Dubai until the end of the month. Made up of pieces from her two collections – Fleurs d’Excès and animalvegetablemineral – the jewelled, lacquered and enameled rings, bracelets and necklaces are intended both as personal adornment and stunning objets d’art, each coming with a pedestal to display the piece when not being worn. “My jewels are propositions,â€? she says, “speaking about concept and form as opposed to objective value. They become sculpture.â€? Inspired by sources as diverse as the natural world and the synthetic wonders of Technicolor; the Brothers Grimm and Walt Disney; Hollywood screen idols and Japanese manga characters; pop culture and the darkest depths of the subconscious, de Castellane PL[HV SUHFLRXV DQG VHPL SUHFLRXV VWRQHV ÂżQH and futuristic-looking materials (think gold masked in bubblegum pink lacquer). “I like all

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JEWELLERY

coloured stones but my favourite is the opal,â€? VKH VD\V Âł%HFDXVH RI LWV ÂżUHV LW VHHPV WR EH alive. Like Monet’s Water Lilies; it possesses every colour as if a genie was living inside it.â€? Letting the genie out of the bottle is something she clearly relishes for her own line. “For Dior, I develop the various house codes, which I use as a starting point to produce the themes for new collections. For my personal work, I enjoy the freedom to exclusively draw LQVSLUDWLRQ IURP P\ RZQ ÂżHOG RI LQWHUHVWV VXFK DV DUW H[KLELWLRQV ÂżOPV SKRWRJUDSK\ the street, the female world, love, sexuality, psychoanalysis and life itself‌â€? she says. The jewels on show include four pieces never before seen in the Middle East, such as the Amanita Satana Diabolus necklace (pictured on page 43) from the Fleurs d’Excès collection, a lacquered silver, white and yellow gold creation featuring diamonds, opals, sapphires, garnets and spinels, and the Opiom Velourosa Purpra necklace (opposite) of silver, diamonds and rubies. Meanwhile, the Lunae Magic Lumen ring, crafted from white and pink gold, diamonds and coloured lacquer, makes its worldwide debut. Each piece is fully formed in the designer’s mind before she commits it to paper. “It’s like Ă€DVKHV ZKHQ , KDYH DQ LGHD ´ VKH H[SODLQV Âł7KH SLHFH LV DOUHDG\ GHÂżQHG LQ P\ KHDG , see the stones, the volume, how the woman is going to wear it. And I write it down on a Post-it. Then I usually create a wax model and directly brief the workshops. It’s an exchange between them and me. I show them exactly what I want until the end. It usually takes EHWZHHQ WR PRQWKV WR ÂżQLVK HDFK SLHFH ´ Born into one of the most illustrious families in France – her aristocratic family tree includes princes, bishops and generals – de Castellane is pure fashion royalty. As a teenager during the early ‘80s, her uncle, designer Gilles Dufour – Karl Lagerfeld’s

right-hand man for decades – often took her out clubbing to famed Parisian haunts such as Le Palace. It was during this time that she ÂżUVW H[SHULPHQWHG ZLWK GUHVVLQJ XS LQ SOD\IXO Ă€DPER\DQW DQG XOWUD IHPLQLQH VW\OHV RIWHQ sporting Mickey Mouse ears and wearing lingerie as outerwear. After joining Chanel in 1984 as a studio assistant, Lagerfeld soon asked her to oversee the development of costume jewellery designs. Self-taught, for the next 14 years de Castellane created bold pieces with playful cartoon and pop references, before moving to Dior in 1998. Since then, she’s been celebrated for pushing WKH ERXQGDULHV RI ÂżQH MHZHOOHU\ When it comes to designers she admires, de Castellane cites Lalique “for his love and respect for women and Boivin and Belperron for their creative freedom.â€? Her love of extravagant jewels, meanwhile, stems from her glamorous grandmother, Sylvia Hennessy. Âł6KH ZRUH MHZHOV PDWFKLQJ KHU RXWÂżWV DQG could change them up to three times a day,â€? de Castellane recalls. “She was impeccable, lipstick and nail polish forever on her hands and feet. She was a true vision of loveliness and she was fascinating. She wasn’t a grandmother in the classic sense of the term. She was a bit like a Hollywood heroine. “She was a close friend of Barbara Hutton, the American millionairess married to Cary Grant, who wore emerald tiaras during the day and lived in a palace in Tangiers. She lived in a totally eccentric world peopled with a mix of writers, Hollywood stars and fashion designers. This was the real jet set. Through the eyes of a child, her stones, mounted in a very classic manner, seemed enormous to me,â€? she says. Without doubt, de Castellane’s dazzling pieces inspire similar wide-eyed wonder. Available at Harvey Nichols Dubai and Bloomingdale’s Dubai until June 30. - 44 -

‘The piece is already defined in my head. I see the stones, the volume, how the woman is going to wear it’

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TIMEPIECES

TARIQ MALIK If you bought a Rolex Daytona with a Paul Newman dial in 1970, looked well after it over the years and are still in possession of it today, then you might have a good chance of making a killing at auction.

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few highlights since 2013 include the rare 1942 Rolex SplitChronograph (of which only 12 were ever made) which sold for $1.17 Million at Christies or the 1971 Rolex Daytona Ref.6263 Albino that belonged to Eric Clapton and sold for over $1.5 Million at Christie’s in Geneva. Results from the Phillips Day Date Auction also shout for a new world record, a Day Date for over $500,000. Now if that applied to all Rolex watches, we would not be that excited about it. The secret is to know what makes these watches so special: when and how does a Rolex qualify as collectible and become expensive, sought after and, last but not least, an investment? At Momentum we take a personal interest in this topic, and we’d like to share a few insights. The value of rare vintage timepieces has continued to grow, despite the worldwide economic pressures. Rolex is one of the most consistent brands when it comes to the having the power to maintain its value, and show good return, as far as investments go. The brand has established itself through innovation DQG LQWURGXFWLRQ RI ¾ZRUOG ¿UVWVœ VXFK DV WKH ¿UVW ZDWHUSURRI ZDWFK WKH ¿UVW ZDWFK ZLWK D GD\ DQG GDWH

window on the dial and many more. Collectors and connoisseurs appreciate the milestones the company has reached over the years and, most importantly, there are stories behind the watches, important ones at that. Each model has its own background and was produced with a special need in the market, paired with a consistently high quality throughout the years since the 1920s. The most important factors LQĂ€XHQFLQJ WKH YDOXH True Vintage: The question here is, what is vintage? It is not only the era (1920s-1990s) which makes a watch vintage, it is the story behind it, the collectability and rareness. Even slightly newer watches qualify as vintage if they are ‘important’ watches, if they are iconic. History: One of the most important aspects affecting selling price is the unique history of the watch. If someone famous owned it, gave it as a gift or wore it on a movie set or a race track, you can be sure that the value will go up. Rolex has featured in the lives of many famous personalities, and in plenty of newsworthy events – this was part of their marketing strategy all along. A Rolex with historical provenance will be among the most important. Condition: Often Rolex produced timepieces using only the highest quality of materials, including gold, silver and diamonds, but this isn’t always the case. In fact, some of the priciest Rolex models ever sold were made from steel. It’s vital to have a watch in good and, most importantly, original condition. The replacement of original components affects the value and collectability immensely. Paperwork: Original documents and packaging, including - 47 -

FHUWL¿FDWLRQ DUH VXUH WR LQFUHDVH the value of the watch tremendously. Look after these as carefully as the timepiece itself. Rarity: The fewer watches released to the market originally, the more valuable the watch tends to become after time. Some models were made in very limited numbers, making them all the more rare and valuable to the collector. Complications: The more intricate the design, and the more complications, the pricier the watch – generally speaking. Rolex Split Seconds Chronographs and Perpetual Calendars are the rarest, hence skyrocket the value. In conclusion, it is wise to be educated on the subject when purchasing a vintage Rolex as an investment. Not all Rolex models will turn out to be equally lucrative deals but most of them will retain their value at best. It’s always wise to

get some expert advice on the topic and to spend time researching before you purchase. But then, of course, buying a watch is often more of an emotional thing than an intellectual one –why not get the best of both worlds? Tariq Malik is co-founder of the UAE’s only vintage watch boutique, Momentum. momentum-dubai.com

TITLE TIMEPIECES

THROUGH THE

WIRE H. Moser and Cie have battled through adversity, and are leading the charge for ultrarare Swiss watches Words: RICHARD JENKINS

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t’s an ambush. I’ve been sent to interview one watchmaker, and I’ve had two sprung on me without warning. Edouard Meylan is the suave and urbane CEO of H. Moser & Cie, one of Switzerland’s most valuable H[SRUWHUV RI ÂżQH WLPHSLHFHV DQG WKH man I’m expecting to meet. GeorgesHenri Meylan is his imposing father and chairman of the group, and his presence is something of a surprise. A welcome one, but a surprise nonetheless. I’ve come to the headquarters of Seddiqi and Sons, the Middle East’s largest distributor of Swiss watch brands, to talk with Edouard (and Georges-Henri) about WKH GLIÂżFXOW \HDU WKH FRPSDQ\ KDV faced, and the infamous open letter Edouard wrote to the president of the Swiss National Bank. While Moser doesn’t have an HQRUPRXV SURÂżOH LQ WKH 0LGGOH (DVW WKH ÂżUP LV FHUWDLQO\ QRW QHZ to the area. Georges-Henri says: “I’ve been in this region for a long WLPH , ÂżUVW FDPH KHUH ZKHQ LW ZDV really a village. I was here doing after-service. There were only a few - 48 -

buildings, a lot of sand, at the end of the ‘70s and the beginning of the ‘80s. It was completely different. It’s grown up and gone through some big changes.” Edouard interjects: “We’ve been for many years kind of a niche brand. That has changed recently. People see us less as the biggest of the niche brands, and more as the smallest of the established brands. It gives us more visibility, more traction. We’re quite well established in Asia and Europe, and there is a lot of potential for growth in the Middle East. We believe the market is ready for Moser, and that Moser is ready for this market. We see more and more people going back to watches that are more classic, less bling. Maybe people want to show off a little less, and at the same time we have become a little bit less understated, fresher, sexier, sometimes a little bit

agreement with its terms. Georges-Henri exhales, and says: “Sitting here today, it was more of a positive than a negative for us. Edouard’s letter made so much noise for the brand, it was perfect. It’s millions in advertising that we saved. But the day they announced that news, we were very upset. Our work from the last two years was destroyed, orders were cancelled. But six months on, for us, it was a good decision because of that letter. It was big news on Bloomberg and CNN, asking us about our business. Suddenly we were in front of the scene and it brought us a lot of visibility.” It’s clear that Edouard’s passion for watchmaking was poured into that letter. He says: “I was really upset. My father said, ‘I was here in the ‘70s when the digital revolution came. Let’s just wait and see where it

‘We believe the market is ready for Moser, and that Moser is ready for this market. We see more and more people going back to watches that are more classic, less bling’ bigger. Not ostentatious, but it’s kind of the two opposite ends meeting in the middle, so we think there is a lot of potential.” Expansion in the Middle East is a challenge borne out of necessity. In January 2015, the Swiss National Bank announced plans to remove the cap of 1.20 Swiss Francs per Euro, plunging local business into disarray. Stocks plunged, and the export-heavy Swiss economy (of which timepieces make up 10 per cent) reeled. It destroyed Moser’s plans to expand their facilities, and almost sent the company under. Edouard immediately penned an open letter to the President of the SNB, Thomas Jordan. The letter spoke honestly and humorously about the challenges this new ruling would create for H. Moser & Cie, and swiftly went viral, with the watchmaking world in strong - 49 -

goes.’ But I was really upset. I was on the train and listening to the radio, and it’s always the same people you hear from the big watch brands using strong words, saying they were upset. And I was thinking, ‘You JX\V DUH JRQQD ORVH SUR¿WV <RX¶UH not gonna die from this.’ For brands like ours, we are talking survival. I wanted people to hear what the situation meant to us. I said ‘Ok, I could move to Germany.’ Of course I don’t want to, we’re Swiss made and have history here, but I was really upset. And a lot of people asked me if I did the letter for marketing reasons, but for me it was a scream from the heart.” That scream may have saved the company, and watch collectors should be grateful. As Edouard Meylan said in his letter, H. Moser watches were at risk of becoming much more rare than planned.

A CLASS OF ITS

OWN The Mercedes-Maybach S-Class melds the perfection of the MercedesBenz S-Class with the exclusivity of Maybach. The S600 provides a level of executive luxury unparalleled anywhere else in the market

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t an imposing 5453mm long and with a wheelbase of 3365mm, the ÀDJVKLS RI WKH Mercedes-Benz range with the exclusive Maybach marque is a full 20cm larger in both dimensions than the next-largest Mercedes S-Class saloon. Its exterior design combines effortless, stylish superiority with trend-setting exclusivity. In keeping with modern tastes for subtlety, there are few hints about the specialness of this

car. Discreet additional vertical chrome trim appears, as does the famous Maybach logo on the tail end. Inside the cockpit, passengers are enveloped in lounge style, modern luxury. A clear architecture, created ZLWK WKH PRVW UH¿QHG PDWHULDOV ÀRZV IURP WKH IURQW WR WKH UHDU RI the car, swathed in soft white nappa leather. For those that wish to drive the car themselves, rather than be chauffeured, the experience is one of intense pleasure. Mercedes’ classleading entertainment console and - 52 -

executive seats make journeys of any distance completely gratifying. It’s in the rear of the vehicle where RZQHUV ZLOO WUXO\ IHHO WKH EHQH¿WV of the extended wheelbase. Head clearance has also been raised, and the executive seats on the left and right welcome their owners with warmth and softness. Each element of the seat can be fully adjusted, with an extendable footrest akin to WKDW IRXQG LQ D OX[XU\ MHW WKH ¿QDO ÀRXULVK RI FRPIRUW &RQWLQXLQJ WKH theme, like an aircraft seat, the centre console is available with two

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The Mercedes-Maybach S-Class cannot be categorised in terms of other vehicles in its class, as it creates a class for itself

adjustable tables which can easily be folded in or out with one hand. The table surfaces have leather inserts to provide a comfortable writing or dining surface. Passengers can also enjoy a drive in style with the two silver plated glasses that lock into place, or use the innovative thermo-cup holders that use Peltier technology to either cool or warm drinks. Furthermore, passengers in the rear will notice that the S-Class is the world’s quietest production saloon vehicle. Alongside Mercedes AMG, Mercedes-Maybach is the second lavish sub-brand to reach the

market, designed to provide Mercedes-Benz vehicles in evermore exclusive forms. It would seem that some of AMG’s expertise in engines has found its way into the S600’s V12 biturbo engine, as well. With an output of 530hp, it completes the sprint from 0-100kmh in exactly 5 seconds, and has a maximum torque of 830Nm – an impressive amount of power. The Mercedes-Maybach S-Class cannot be categorised in terms of other vehicles in its class, as it stands alone and creates a class for itself. The benchmark for luxury has been raised to a phenomenal level.

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‘Mercedes-Maybach is the second lavish sub-brand to reach the market, designed to provide Mercedes-Benz vehicles in ever-more exclusive forms’

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BOX OFFICE

DINOMITE Words: Richard Jenkins/ The Interview People

With one blockbuster opening this month, 2014’s two biggest films behind him, and his name in the mix for some of the highest-profile roles in the world, it’s no wonder Chris Pratt is feeling good.

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ife could hardly get better for Chris Pratt. In February 2014, The Lego Movie (in which he voiced the lead character, Emmett) was released. It swiftly became one of the most successful ¿OPV RI WKH \HDU DQG JURVVHG KDOI a billion dollars worldwide. Pretty good going for a relatively unknown actor. Then, six months later, Guardians of the Galaxy hit cinemas. Analysts were wary: although it was a Marvel movie, hot on the heels of The Avengers Assemble, this was a new property. Its characters weren’t Iron Men, or Hulks, or Captain Americas. They were a talking tree and an anthropomorphic raccoon, led by one human – Pratt. But

Guardians of the Galaxy, with its zippy dialogue, space-hopping action and charismatic new leading man took in three quarters of a billion dollars across the globe. Cinema had a new hero - and then things got even better: Pratt landed a role that Bradley Cooper, Eddie Redmayne and Aaron Paul couldn’t – the lead in the Jurassic Park sequel, Jurassic World, due to hit theatres this summer. “I’m so happy to be part of this ÂżOP ´ 3UDWW VD\V Âł7KH RULJLQDO Jurassic Park was one of the most LQĂ€XHQWLDO PRYLHV RI P\ FKLOGKRRG and it’s so surreal that I’m getting to EH SDUW RI WKLV KLVWRULF IUDQFKLVH ´ Success has been a long time coming for the 35-year-old Minnesotan. At the age of 19, he - 59 -

was working as a waiter at a Bubba Gump shrimp restaurant in Hawaii, and living in a tent popped up in the cark park. He took small roles in a variety of TV shows, and auditioned unsuccessfully for parts in Star Trek and Avatar before landing the character that would make his name: Andy Dwyer, the lovable idiot in Amy Poehler’s smash US sitcom Parks and Recreation. Dwyer was a roly-poly funnyman, a slacker and a goof, and a comfortable gig. For Pratt to kickstart his career, he needed to change his mindset. He says: “I had to change my whole way of thinking. I had gotten into a frame of mind on Parks and Recreation where I saw my character as someone who would just let himself go and party. I had gotten used to

‘I’ve gone from being a guy living out of a van in Hawaii with not a cent to my name to becoming a movie star with a beautiful wife and child’ the idea of making a living as an actor by playing the fat friend who makes you laugh. That works for some roles but you begin to realise how many parts you will never be able to get because you’re out of shape. But at some point I saw that if I wanted to have a serious career and play serious characters that I needed to get into shape and look after my body. I’ve had to work very hard and maintain a good training regimen for the last year and a half and I have no intention of ever letting myself slide again. I’m eating good food, I’ve cut back on drinking (alcohol), and I have a different mindset now. It’s a matter of having discipline and knowing how much better you feel and the impression you create when you’re SK\VLFDOO\ ÂżW ,W ZRXOG DOVR EH KHOO to have to lose that weight again. I never want to go back to being the IDW JX\ ´ The gym beckoned, and Pratt heeded the call. Within a year, KH ZDV LQ ÂżJKWLQJ VKDSH Âą DQG Instagramming a picture of his newly buff body that caught the attention of the Guardians of the Galaxy producers, who were

looking for the ideal candidate to play Peter Quill, AKA Starlord. The movie was a runaway success, and Pratt stepped through the door into the big time. He says: “It’s been beyond anything I had a reasonable right to dream about. I’ve gone from being a guy living out of a van in Hawaii with not a cent to my name and no real idea about what I was going to do with my life to becoming a movie star with a beautiful wife DQG FKLOG ,ÂśP D YHU\ KDSS\ JX\ ´ Most of Pratt’s interviewers agree on at least one thing: success hasn’t changed him. Not yet, anyway. And it’s something the actor has considered too. He says, thoughtfully: “I sometimes worry that it might make me be less open and enthusiastic when it comes to meeting people or doing interviews. I don’t want to change who I am to present a different kind of image of myself. Even though things are going very well now I don’t want to become the kind of guy who takes himself so seriously simply because he’s suddenly found some success. I want to be able to enjoy the kinds of opportunities that have opened up to me lately and take that as far as I - 60 -

can. I love being able to reach a big DXGLHQFH ZLWK D ÂżOP OLNH *XDUGLDQV DQG ZLWK -XUDVVLF :RUOG ´ The future is bright for Pratt. He’s shown a different range with his character in Jurassic World, Owen Grady, who is, in Pratt’s words: “In some ways a cross between like Sam Neill’s (Dr. Grant) and Jeff Goldblum’s (Dr. Malcolm) characters, but I saw Owen as more RI D -RKQ :D\QH W\SH ÂżJXUH +HÂśV pretty no-nonsense, and although there’s some humorous moments, there’s not much to laugh about when people are getting eaten and I KDYH WR VDYH WKRXVDQGV RI OLYHV ´ Pratt’s also hotly tipped to step into Indiana Jones’ fedora in the forthcoming franchise reboot, giving him the chance to live out a million more fantasies. But for the down-toHDUWK DFWRU DOO KLV ÂżOP ZRUN SDOHV in comparison to spending time with his new son. He sweetly says: “I’ve done all kinds of cool stuff as an actor. I’ve gotten to jump out of helicopters and do daring stunts and play baseball in a professional stadium, but none of them mean anything compared to being VRPHERG\ÂśV GDGG\ ´

THE DAWN OF THE

BLOCKBUSTER Jaws, Steven Spielberg’s seminal summer film, first roared onto screens 40 years ago, and was the original event movie. But its production was not a straightforward one. WORDS: RICHARD JENKINS

Roy Scheider on the set of Jaws

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laws�. That’s what the crew of Steven Spielberg’s 1975 creature feature nicknamed the movie they were working on. Its headline attraction, a 14-foot long mechanical shark, couldn’t swim. And that was just one of a hundred problems facing the ¿OPPDNHUV RQ D JUXHOOLQJ VKRRW WKDW VXPPHU of 1974. The book on which Spielberg’s most famous movie was based was itself only released in 1973. Producers Richard D. Zanuck and David Brown had gotten access to a pre-release copy, and immediately saw its potential on screen. The book was an instant success on publication, and Universal gave the green light to the movie adaptation. Steven Spielberg, just 26 years old, was signed up to direct, and Peter Benchley – the author of the original book – turned in his screenplay ready to start ¿OPLQJ LQ 0D\ LQ 0DUWKDœV 9LQH\DUG 0DVVDFKXVHWWV 7KLV ZDV WKH ODVW WLPH DQ\ part of the shoot could be described as straightforward. Immediately, Spielberg had a problem

‘Amendments were made right up until the minute of filming’ with the script. Peter Benchley’s novel featured several adult elements that Spielberg wanted excised, like an affair between PDULQH ELRORJLVW 0DWW +RRSHU DQG WKH WRZQÂśV SROLFH FKLHI 0DUWLQ %URG\ DQG D VOLJKWO\ undercooked story whereby mobsters forced the town’s mayor to keep the beaches open even as the ocean was terrorised by the great white. Spielberg wanted to get back to an HWKRV PRUH LQĂ€XHQFHG E\ 7KH 2OG 0DQ DQG WKH Sea: men versus shark, as simple as possible, and with a lighter tone than Benchley had provided. Immediately, a series of rewrites took place, with Benchley eventually ceding the script to a team of screenwriters including 79 FRPHG\ ZULWHU &DUO *RWWOLHE 7KH VFULSW LWVHOI ZRXOG QHYHU WUXO\ EH ÂżQLVKHG ZLWK QRWHV and amendments being made right up until WKH PLQXWH RI ÂżOPLQJ Âą DQG VRPHWLPHV HYHQ EH\RQG 7KH ÂżOPÂśV PRVW LFRQLF OLQH Âą Âł<RXÂśUH gonna need a bigger boatâ€? – was ad-libbed E\ 5R\ 6FKHLGHU (YHQ FDVWLQJ WKH ÂżOP ZDV problematic. Roy Scheider was in place early as police chief Brody, but Robert Shaw and - 64 -

American Director Steven Spielberg on the set of his movie, Jaws

Roy Scheider and Robert Shaw on the set of Jaws

Richard Dreyfuss both initially rejected the chances to play grizzly Quint and enthusiastic 0DWW +RRSHU UHVSHFWLYHO\ ,Q WUXWK WKH GXR never saw eye-to-eye in real life either, their animosity towards each other plainly visible on screen. It wasn’t just the human cast that Spielberg VWUXJJOHG WR PDQDJH HLWKHU 2ULJLQDOO\ WKH director had wanted the shark to be the star of WKH SLFWXUH +RZHYHU WKH QDwYH GLUHFWRU GLGQœW UHFNRQ ZLWK WKH GLI¿FXOWLHV RI ¿OPLQJ DW VHD 3URGXFHU 'DYLG %URZQ VDLG LQ 7KH 0DNLQJ RI -DZV ³, UHPHPEHU EHLQJ RQ VHW IRU WKH ¿UVW shark test, and it simply sank. We thought our careers in motion pictures had gone with it. Everything that could go wrong with the shark went wrong.� The salt water eroded the delicate internal operations of the shark, which had been hastily put together in just six months. It was meant to be waterproof, with jaws that opened and closed on demand, and of course look totally realistic. And on dry land, the shark (which Spielberg nicknamed %UXFH DIWHU KLV ODZ\HU ZRUNHG MXVW ¿QH ,W ZDV only when Bruce was submerged in water that he steadfastly refused to operate correctly, DQG RQ RFFDVLRQ HYHQ ÀRWDWLRQ SURYHG WRR much for him – sinking like a stone instead of remaining level with the surface of the water. $V D ¿QDO LQVXOW WKH PHFKDQLFDO VKDUN ZDV D mere 14 feet in length, and in order to make it appear 25 feet long, as per the story, Spielberg used little people in underwater scenes to distort the perspective of its size. - 65 -

Forced to improvise further methods of dealing with his temperamental star, Spielberg struck on the idea that would turn Jaws from a run-of-the-mill horror movie into a suspenseÂżOOHG FODVVLF +H ZRXOGQÂśW VKRZ LW 7KH mechanical shark isn’t shown in full until deep LQWR WKH VHFRQG KDOI RI WKH ÂżOP ZKHQ +RRSHU Quint and Brody are out at sea trying to hunt it down. This teasing of the beast kept audiences on the very edge of their seats, and when the VKDUN ZDV ÂżQDOO\ UHYHDOHG Âą LQ WKH IHZ VKRWV Spielberg was able to take – the effect was extraordinary. Photography on Jaws was supposed to take 55 days, long enough for a shoot at sea. It ÂżQDOO\ ZUDSSHG DIWHU KDYLQJ ORQJ VLQFH raced beyond its $3.5 million budget. In the ÂżQDO ZHHNV RI WKH VKRRW 6SLHOEHUJ KDG WR MXJJOH a mutinous crew, openly hostile actors and of course that infuriating mechanical shark. Âł+DG ZH UHDG WKH VFULSW WZLFH LQ P\ RSLQLRQ ZH QHYHU ZRXOG KDYH PDGH -DZV ´ UHĂ€HFWHG %URZQ Âł%HFDXVH DQ\ERG\ ZLWK D PRGLFXP of production knowledge would know there was no way to get a shark to leap onto the stern of a boat and swallow a man.â€? But, in a once-in-a-lifetime twist of fate, all these seemingly bad ingredients came together to produce something perfect: a tense, tight and FUHDWLYH ÂżOP WKDW SDYHG WKH ZD\ IRU \HDUV RI summer blockbusters to come (traditionally, VWXGLRV VDZ VXPPHUWLPH ÂżOPV DV D GHDG WLPH WR UHOHDVH ÂżOPV -DZV LV VWLOO NHHSLQJ SHRSOH out of the water to this day.

HOLD ME, THRILL ME, KISS ME – KILL ME Alfred Hitchcock set the template for suspense in cinema – and broke plenty of taboos along the way. On the 55th anniversary of his most talked-about film, Psycho, AIR examines the man’s legacy

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C

inema today doesn’t have to play by any rules. There are examples too numerous to mention of gratuitous scenes of violence, sex and substance abuse, that have served to thoroughly desensitise YLHZHUV RI PRGHUQ ¿OPV ,Q things were different – and one man pushed the envelope more than anyone. Alfred Hitchcock was an auteur, a genius and an unrivalled showman – and he knew how to push the general public’s buttons, QHYHU PRUH WKDQ LQ KLV GDULQJ classic, Psycho, which celebrates its 55th anniversary this month. Born as the centuries changed, RQ $XJXVW LQ /H\WRQVWRQH England, Alfred Hitchcock grew up in lower middle class surroundings with two siblings. His comfortable home, however, did not mask the

discomfort he felt within himself. Hitchcock often described a lonely and sheltered childhood, exacerbated by his obesity. An anecdote about his childhood UHYHDOV WKDW ZKHQ KH ZDV ÂżYH KH PLVEHKDYHG DV ÂżYH \HDU ROGV DUH wont to do. His father, a strict Roman Catholic, sent the boy to the local police station with a note requesting that the constabulary ORFN KLP DZD\ IRU ÂżYH PLQXWHV DV a punishment for behaving badly. This instilled a lifelong fear of the police, and sowed the seeds of what would become recurring motifs LQ KLV ÂżOPV SDUDQRLD ZURQJIXO accusations and draconian authority ÂżJXUHV 7RQ\ /HH 0RUDO LV WKH DXWKRU RI WKUHH ERRNV RQ $OIUHG +LWFKFRFN 7KH 0DNLQJ RI +LWFKFRFNÂśV 7KH %LUGV +LWFKFRFN DQG WKH 0DNLQJ RI 0DUQLH DQG $OIUHG +LWFKFRFNÂśV 0RYLH 0DNLQJ 0DVWHUFODVV +H WHOOV $,5 Âł+LWFKFRFN ZDV DEOH WR - 67 -

use all his phobias, such as the law, domineering mothers, and DEVHQW IDWKHU ¿JXUHV LQ KLV DUW DQG ¿OPV 0DQ\ RI WKH VXEMHFW PDWWHUV in Hitchcock’s movies include the wrongfully accused man, running away from the police and interfering PRWKHUV +LV PRVW SHUVRQDO ¿OPV VXFK DV 9HUWLJR DQG 0DUQLH UHÀHFW his innermost feelings, such as illusory beauty, unrequited love and traumatic childhood.� +LWFKFRFNœV ORYH RI ¿OP EHJDQ DW WKH DJH RI $IWHU OHDYLQJ school and beginning working for his father’s business, the young man would spend as much time as possible in the cinema, devouring ¿OP IURP DURXQG WKH ZRUOG ,Q KH JRW KLV ¿UVW MRE LQ WKH ¿OP LQGXVWU\ DV D GUDIWVPDQ IRU D ¿OP studio. His prodigious knowledge of the medium saw him quickly work his way up to scriptwriter, then art director, and then assistant director,

EHIRUH KLV GHEXW IHDWXUH ¿OP LQ 7KH 3OHDVXUH *DUGHQ ZDV D modest success, and although it was something of a screwball comedy, also featured several elements of crime and drama that would go on to become Hitchcock hallmarks. 7KH ÀHGJOLQJ GLUHFWRUœV UHSXWDWLRQ JUHZ ZLWK KLWV OLNH 7KH 0DQ :KR .QHZ 7RR 0XFK LQ 7KH 6WHSV LQ DQG 7KH /DG\ 9DQLVKHV LQ +LWFKFRFNœV ODVW ¿OP PDGH LQ WKH 8QLWHG .LQJGRP ,Q WKH QRZ HVWDEOLVKHG GLUHFWRU PRYHG WR WKH 86$ DQG LWœV KHUH his career truly took off. Despite a solid reputation at home, Hitchcock knew he had to produce something special to immediately announce KLPVHOI WR KLV QHZ 86 DXGLHQFH 7KDW something was Rebecca, a starring YHKLFOH IRU /DXUHQFH 2OLYLHU DQG Joan Fontaine, which was a huge success and earned its director a %HVW 3LFWXUH $FDGHP\ $ZDUG ,W ZDV DOVR WKH ¿UVW VWRU\ WKDW +LWFKFRFN DGDSWHG IURP D 'DSKQH 'X 0DXULHU QRYHO DQ DUHD KH ZRXOG UH YLVLW ZLWK The Birds over a decade later. 2YHU WKH QH[W WZHQW\ \HDUV Hitchcock would cement his place as RQH RI WKH DOO WLPH JUHDWV RI FLQHPD 6XFFHVV IROORZHG VXFFHVV WKURXJKRXW WKH V FXOPLQDWLQJ LQ D TXDUWHW RI ¿OPV WKDW ZRXOG FKDQJH WKH KLVWRU\ RI ¿OP 5HDU :LQGRZ Vertigo and North by Northwest are all masterful examples of suspense, EXW LW ZDV LQ WKDW WKH PDQœV masterpiece was unveiled. 3V\FKR LV +LWFKFRFNœV EHVW NQRZQ ¿OP EXW LW ZDV QHDUO\ QHYHU PDGH ,WV JHQHVLV FDPH ZKHQ WKH GLUHFWRUœV assistant, Peggy Robertson, read $QWKRQ\ %ORFKœV QRYHO RI WKH same name, and passed it on to Hitchcock. The novel was loosely based on the case of convicted :LVFRQVLQ PXUGHUHU (G *HLQ ZKR had a psychopathic obsession with his mother. Paramount’s executives were reluctant to fund this creepy new LGHD ,PLWDWRUV DQG FRPSHWLWRUV KDG sprung up in the wake of Hitchcock’s success, and the director had been forced to abort his two most recent

SURMHFWV IRU WKH VWXGLR +LWFKFRFN RIIHUHG WR ÂżOP 3V\FKR TXLFNO\ DQG in black and white, using the crew from his Alfred Hitchcock Presents television series, but was again UHEXIIHG 7KH VWXGLR ÂżQDOO\ DFFHSWHG an offer whereby Hitchcock would SHUVRQDOO\ ÂżQDQFH WKH PRYLH DQG Paramount signed up solely to distribute it. 7KH ÂżOP ZDV LPSRUWDQW WR Hitchcock because he felt like he needed to differentiate himself from the spate of directors that

LQĂ€XHQWLDO ZLWK ZDV WKH SRZHU RI suggestion to convey fear, such as the mass bird attack on the house in The Birds. You never actually see the birds attacking, as Hitchcock uses sound and the characters’ reactions. 7KLV LQVSLUHG 5LGOH\ 6FRWW WR QHYHU quite show the creature in Alien, and 6WHSKHQ 6SLHOEHUJ WR RQO\ UHYHDO WKH full sighting of the shark at the end of Jaws.â€? Hitchcock’s, and Psycho’s, LQĂ€XHQFH LV IHOW DV NHHQO\ WRGD\ DV \HDUV DJR 0RUDO VD\V Âł$IWHU 3V\FKR QRQH RI +LWFKFRFNÂśV ÂżOPV ZHUH DEOH WR PDWFK WKH ÂżQDQFLDO VXFFHVV RU DSSHDO ZLWK WKH DXGLHQFH 7KH ÂżOP tapped into the public’s fears and consciousness and foreshadowed a decade of riots, wars, public unrest and random assassinations.â€? $QG GHVSLWH KLV GLIÂżFXOW aped his style with something bold, childhood, and the unpleasant new and distinctive – something VXEMHFW PDWWHU RI PDQ\ RI KLV ÂżOPV that would push the boundaries Hitchcock’s personal life had a happy of acceptability in cinema, but HQGLQJ 0RUDO VD\V Âł+LWFKFRFN ZDV ZLWK KLV GLVWLQFWLYH ÂżQJHUSULQWV a family man, who loved his wife, DOO RYHU LW +RZ PXFK GLG WKH ÂżOP children and grandchildren. All LQĂ€XHQFH PRYLHPDNHUV RI WRGD\" WKH FROOHDJXHV , LQWHUYLHZHG KDYH 0RUDO VD\V Âł3V\FKR GHÂżQLWHO\ ZDV described him as generous, family the forerunner of today’s slasher oriented, and traditional who loved movies, but Hitchcock actually used order and routine. He described his YHU\ OLWWOH YLROHQFH LQ KLV ÂżOPV PRVW idea of perfect happiness as a ‘clear of which was suggestive. The most horizon’ with nothing obscuring the violent sequences in Hitchcock future and no problems. He was able DUH WKH JDV RYHQ PXUGHU LQ 7RUQ to use all his fear and repressions &XUWDLQ DQG WKH VWUDQJXODWLRQ UDSH and turn them into an art form that LQ )UHQ]\ :KDW +LWFKFRFN ZDV PRUH has withstood the test of time.â€?

‘Hitchcock knew he had to produce something special’

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1. Alfred Hitchcock and Janet Leigh during the making of Psycho (1960) 2. Hitchcock on the set of Psycho (1960)

3. Anthony Perkins on the set of Psycho (1960)

5. Anthony Perkins and Janet Leigh in Psycho

4. Hitchcock in the studio (1955)

6. Hitchcock hiding while on set (1966)

MOTORING

Improving

Perfection

When car designers get it right, some models become iconic works of art. So how can they be improved? A pair of brave companies have tried to do just that. - 70 -

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MOTORING

W

hat’s your all-time favourite car? To drive, to look at, to revel in its sheer perfection? There’s a very good chance that it’s either the Porsche 911, or the Jaguar E-Type. Two companies looked at those cars and thought: They’re good, but they could be better. Eagle E-Types was formed in the early 1980s as Eagle Racing, a classic car business developed from founder Henry Pearman’s obsession with classic cars. Paul Brace, the company’s director, tells AIR: “The ( 7\SH LV VXFK D GH¿QLWLYH DQG ZHOO recognised British classic, plus it is actually a fabulous all-round sports car in all respects, even in standard form. The design and engineering is so good that it responds very well to IDLUO\ VXEWOH PRGL¿FDWLRQV DQG ZH can more than satisfactorily address every weak element, if the customer requires, making it an exciting, reliable and comfortable sports car to use even factoring in the sky high expectations of supercar owners today. And, of course, it is gorgeous.” Eagle offers three different options for those looking to reclaim a slice of automotive history. Firstly, customers can simply buy from Eagle’s stock list of original or restored E-Types. Second, there are roadster models built from the ground up and made completely individual to their buyer. Eagle GB only has the capacity to produce two per year, and are made around an entirely new steel body. Third, Eagle GB also offer two new additions to Jaguar’s original range of Coupe, 2+2 and Roadster, which is the Speedster and Low Drag GT models. They are built to order and are the most exclusive hand-built car in the world with prices starting at £650,000. As with many things in life, customisation is crucial, and car HQWKXVLDVWV ÀRFN WR (DJOH *% IRU personalisation with a personal touch. Brace says: “People love the

fact that we are a small, personal and passionate company working IURP D TXLUN\ PRGL¿HG IDUP LQ WKH country - a far cry from industrial estates, factories and faceless corporations. We build a very modest number of Eagle E-Types

passion is noticeably as strong for what we do today as it was at the start, and people appreciate the difference here.” Across the Atlantic in Los Angeles, California, the Singer Vehicle Design company is hard at work modifying

‘We appreciate other cars, but while the others come and go, the E-Types remain’ and so each and every project, and customer, means a lot to us. We do everything in-house and have been dedicated to the Jaguar E-Type for nearly thirty years - nobody else can offer that. The core team; Henry Pearman, myself and Mathew Dewhurst have been working together since the start and the - 72 -

the Porsche 911. Only founded in 2009, Singer believe that the Porsche 911 is the most important sports car of all time, and deserves to be celebrated, though they are coy about making claims to improve it, their website reading: “By performing restoration and stateRI WKH DUW PRGL¿FDWLRQV WR FOLHQWV¶

vehicles to update performance, aesthetics and modern day usability, we attempt to optimise the strengths while preserving and perhaps enhancing the essence and magic of this incredible machine.” Singer strips a 911 down to its very core, before slowly adding layer upon layer back, as per their customers’ VSHFL¿FDWLRQV 7KH\ UHSODFH electrical systems, cooling systems, lighting, exhausts, glass and engines (using Cosworth developed 3.8 litre QDWXUDOO\ DVSLUDWHG ÀDW VL[HV ,Q short, it all gets worked on. Rob Dickinson, the leader of the company, told Total 911: “I’ve been obsessed and haunted by the 911 VLQFH , ZDV ¿YH , ZDV LQWURGXFHG WR it on a wind-swept autoroute in the south of France in 1970 by my father.

We were travelling along in our VW Beetle on holiday and he pointed out this 911 and I’ve been smitten ever since. “It was purely Porsche 911 that led this thing. It wasn’t like, ‘Oh, I want to start a company.’ I had some 911s in England that I sold when I moved to America, and I funded my own special hot rod build here in 2003. It’s certainly not revolutionary or original (I certainly don’t pretend the concept of what we’re doing here LV UHYROXWLRQDU\ DV UHVWRUHG DQG PRGL¿HG FDUV KDYH EHHQ DURXQG IRU many years. “Maybe we have taken it to its logical zenith, especially with the 911, and that was enabled because we knew that the services that would result in the car would - 73 -

be unavoidably expensive. We embraced immediately the sense that, if this is going to be done properly, and when I say ‘properly’ I mean every single millimetre of the car would be evaluated. ‘Do we just leave well enough alone here, or can improve this?’” Judging by the testimonials on Singer’s website from people who VKRXOG NQRZ ³-XVW WHUUL¿F´ ± -D\ /HQR ³$ ORYH OHWWHU WR WKH ´ ± -DPHV 0D\ ³7KH ZRUOG¶V ¿QHVW 3RUVFKH ´ ± 7RS *HDU LW ZRXOG seem that yes, Singer, and Eagle, can improve on perfection. Paul Brace of Eagle GB neatly sums up their obsession: “We all appreciate and own all sorts of cars for their different merits, but while the others come and go, the E-Types remain.”

GASTRONOMY

The

Time Now is

Three Michelin-starred Jean-Georges Vongerichten runs 26 restaurants in 10 cities around the world, and is about to open his first in Dubai. He spoke with AIR ahead of the opening of JG Dining Room and JG Kitchen

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GASTRONOMY

N

ew York, Chicago, Las Vegas, Miami, Bahamas, Shanghai, Paris, St. Barths, Tokyo, Los Cabos. Not an average week’s work for a pilot, but the glamorous locales around the world that three Michelin-starred chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten has opened restaurants. And now he’s set to add Dubai to the list as lucky number 27, when he opens a new eatery at the palatial Four Seasons in Dubai. So why now? Vongerichten tells AIR: “My partner here was a very good friend of mine in New York, he said ‘you should come here, your food would do very well here.’ We had a discussion several years ago, he showed me the plans for the Four Seasons, and it’s a great site. There’s already a Coya there, and it was a good size and a good location, and it all sounded good so we decided to have this adventure together, and we’re opening now. It’s very exciting. To come out now at this time is very exciting.â€? Of course, Dubai’s hotels are studded with restaurants that have Michelin-starred chefs’ names over the door. The key, says Vongerichten, is to provide something a little different. “It’s one place with two different areas,â€? he explains. “We have a casual side, and a smaller VHDW DUHD WKDWÂśV ÂżQHU GLQLQJ with a bar in the middle that’s for both sides. We also have a beautiful terrace outside. In the fall and winter, it will be really cool.â€? -* 'LQLQJ 5RRP LV WKH ÂżQH GLQLQJ venue, and JG Kitchen, on the other side of the space, is a more relaxed, all-day environment. This is smart on the chef’s part. Many restaurateurs open franchises in Dubai and get the delicate balance wrong between stuffy and suffocating, or too relaxed without proper emphasis on the food and service. By ambitiously tackling both ends of the spectrum, Vongerichten has found the sweet spot. And with as much experience of opening restaurants as he’s got, you’d expect

him to. Having opened so many restaurants around the world, what other place does Jean-Georges compare to Dubai? “It’s really unique,� he replies. “There are a lot of farms and local things growing

compare it to any other city, though, wouldn’t be fair as it’s so different to anything else.� Vongerichten’s success in the kitchen stems from a desire, like fellow star-collecting chef

‘To compare Dubai to any other city, though, wouldn’t be fair as it’s so different to anything else’ here now, but you can still get the best ingredients sent in from around the world and the restaurants here DUH UHDOO\ WHUULÂżF QRZ 7KH GHPDQG of different food and different experiences is very exciting. To - 76 -

Heinz Beck, to use lighter, fresher ingredients and move away from the very rich and heavy fare that still comes to mind when the term ¾¿QH GLQLQJÂś LV XVHG Âł, WKLQN ÂżQH dining has changed a little bit,â€?

Vongerichten says thoughtfully, “Where before it might have been 90 per cent meat and 10 per cent vegetables, maybe it’s changing now, I don’t know. Fine dining has also become a little bit more relaxed, less pressure. I’ll be there for the opening, for a few weeks. We have an executive chef in place already, but after that I’ll be there as much as I can to work on menus. When you look at all the restaurants in Dubai, it’s pretty amazing for a chef to be here.” There’s no denying that the market for high-end eating in Dubai is growing faster than ever. For discerning diners, there’s more

choice than ever about where to enjoy a meal. One-off guests visiting the city aren’t so important as the crucial repeat visitors. Vongerichten agrees, saying: “When I eat out, I want something a little bit different. You go to Zuma, you go to a Souk, everything is different. You get your food out, and of course the décor comes into it. Great service. People remember that. Any restaurant exists on its personality. Food today from chef to chef is very personal, and we all want to create something that makes people come back. If people have that good memory, they will come back.” Success in ten locations, decades - 77 -

of glory, and the undimmed respect of his peers and critics have done little to quell Vongerichten’s desire to improve. But it’s when asked about the very favourite part of his job that he reveals a surprising answer. “I feel like I’m a frustrated designer,” he sighs, “So working with the designers on this restaurant has been amazing. For me, designing the place, everything’s fresh, everything’s new, and seeing it go from the plan to being actually built has been really special. Everyone’s doing their best to make it so amazing. But the hard job is to keep that going for the next ten years. That will be the challenge.”

TRAVEL

WORLD CLASS WELLNESS This New Zealand retreat takes health and fitness to a whole new level

,I \RXU EXV\ OLIHVW\OH LV WDNLQJ LWV WROO WKHQ $UR +Ĺ… Wellness Retreat is the ideal elixir. Set on the shores of Lake Wakatipu in New Zealand’s sigh-inducing Southern Alps, just 40 minutes drive from the private jet WHUPLQDO DW 4XHHQVWRZQ $LUSRUW $UR +Ĺ… LV GHVLJQHG IRU those seeking a truly transformative shift. Established by Damian Chaparro, a former software consultant turned yogi, and Chris Madison, who made his fortune in hedge fund management in New York, the resort combines detoxifying vegetarian cuisine with resultsoriented programmes to sculpt body and mind. With D PD[LPXP RI JXHVWV $UR +Ĺ… HVFKHZV FDIIHLQH alcohol and tobacco, and while the 6am wake-up calls are tough, the combination of yoga, sub-alpine hiking, strength training, meditation, massage and mindfulness produces great results. “Nothing will change without change,â€? says Chaparro. “Change is only change during the change, then it becomes habit.â€? aro-ha.com - 78 -

3 MORE HOLISTIC HIDEAWAYS Ananda, India

Situated on the estate of the Maharaja of Tehri, this Himalayan retreat mixes the traditional Indian regimes of Ayurveda, yoga and Vedanta with Western health and spa expertise. The result? An experience that is as emotionally uplifting as it is physically effective. anandaspa.com

Canyon Ranch, USA

The iconic retreat just outside of Tucson, Arizona, has led the way in luxury wellness for over 35 years. Choose from over ÂżWQHVV FODVVHV a day, while new programmes incorporating yoga, dance, meditation and drumming focus on teaching guests to live a more meaningful and stress-free life. canyonranch.com

COMO Shambhala Estate, Bali

Located near Ubud, this tranquil resort offers wellness programmes designed by its resident experts, including a yoga teacher, Ayurvedic doctor and dietician. Combined with outdoor activities such as hiking and climbing and clean cuisine, you’ll leave feeling lighter and brighter. comohotels.com

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LIFE LESSONS

WHAT I KNOW NOW

Gordon Campbell Gray Hotelier

Stick to your initial instincts, whether it be about people or situations. When you’re younger, you run the risk of being thrown off course, either through insecurity or lack of experience. I know now that if you believe in something, be FRQ¿GHQW DQG DV P\ IULHQG WKH ODWH $QLWD 5RGGLFN XVHG WR VD\ ³-XVW 'R ,W ´ , FDQ WKLQN RI QR EHWWHU DGYLFH WKDQ WKDW DQG , WU\ WR XVH LW DOZD\V Over the years I have learnt that ZH PXVW ERWK SHUVRQDOO\ DQG professionally, make wise choices with whom we choose to work or play. As you progress through life it is essential to make sure that you are FRQVWDQWO\ OLYLQJ ZLWK KRQHVW\ DQG integrity, because without these you

are nothing. It is often easy to let this slip, but we cannot let this happen. I have also learnt that when we DZDNHQ HDFK GD\ ZH FDQ FKRRVH ZKR we are going to be. You can choose to EH KDSS\ RU VDG SRVLWLYH RU QHJDWLYH angry, generous or mean - these DQG PDQ\ RWKHU HPRWLRQV DUH DOO SRVVLELOLWLHV DQG ZH FDQ PDNH our selection! , DP IDVFLQDWHG E\ SHRSOH DQG love observing how we all tackle WKH FRPSOH[LWLHV RI OLIH GLIIHUHQWO\ DQG GHDO ZLWK WKH VXFFHVVHV DQG GLVDSSRLQWPHQWV WKDW LW EULQJV ,W LV VDG WR VHH SHRSOH ZKR KDYH QRW OHDUQW WKDW ZH FDQ RIWHQ WUXO\ GHWHUPLQH RXU RZQ FRXUVH QRW DOZD\V HDV\ DQG I realise, certainly easier for some - 80 -

than others. It therefore becomes GRXEO\ LPSRUWDQW WR FKRRVH FDUHIXOO\ ZLWK ZKRP ZH GHFLGH WR VSHQG RXU WLPH RQH RI P\ UHFRPPHQGDWLRQV LV WR DYRLG QHJDWLYLW\ DQG ZKLQJHUV 'HVSLWH KDYLQJ D JUHDW IDPLO\ DQG IULHQGV DV ZH WU\ WR PDQRHXYUH through an increasingly hostile, DJJUHVVLYH DQG VRPHWLPHV XWWHUO\ EDIÀLQJ ZRUOG , ¿QG P\VHOI LQ WKH SHUSHWXDO SXUVXLW RI VROLWXGH D UDUH FRPPRGLW\ LQ WKLV WLPH RI HQGOHVV PHDQLQJOHVV DQG RIWHQ pointless communication. , VD\ ULVH DERYH LW SDGGOH \RXU RZQ FDQRH DQG VWD\ RQ \RXU RZQ SHUVRQDO course. We surely all want to be KDSS\ DQG VSUHDG KDSSLQHVV DV DIWHU all, it is one of the magic LQJUHGLHQWV RI OLIH

The E xc e ℓ ℓ e n c e o f It a ℓ i a n Design Fur n i t u re

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