AIR Magazine - Al Bateen - August'22 by Hot Media

AUGUST 2022

GUGU MBATHA-RAW

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Contents

AIR

Credit: Miss Sohee supported by Dolce&Gabbana

AUGUST 2022: ISSUE 131

FEATURES Thirty Six

Forty Two

Forty Eight

Why actor Gugu Mbatha-Raw’s ever-growing Hollywood profile is matched by her highfashion credentials.

His death last year was unexpected, but Virgil Abloh had also been secretly planning an exhibition about his life.

How South Korean designer Sohee Park weaves couture magic with the help of Dolce & Gabbana and a white rabbit.

Dressed To Thrill

Abloh and Behold

Park’s Life

RM 72-01

Contents

AUGUST 2022: ISSUE 131

REGULARS Fourteen

Radar

Sixteen

Objects of Desire Eighteen

Critique Twenty

Art & Design Twenty Six

Timepieces Fifty Six

Motoring

EDITORIAL

Sixty Two

Editor-in-Chief

Gastronomy

John Thatcher john@hotmedia.me

Sixty Six

Ultimate Stays

ART Art Director

Kerri Bennett

Sixty Eight

What I Know Now

Illustration

Leona Beth

COMMERCIAL Managing Director

Victoria Thatcher General Manager

David Wade

david@hotmedia.me

PRODUCTION Digital Media Manager

Muthu Kumar Thirty

Jewellery Boucheron’s lastest high jewellery collection is a remarkable homage to the poetic power of nature, as its creator, Claire Choisne, outlines.

Tel: 00971 4 364 2876 Fax: 00971 4 369 7494 Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from HOT Media is strictly prohibited. HOT Media does not accept liability for any omissions or errors in AIR.

Welcome Onboard AUGUST 2022

Welcome to AIR, the onboard private aviation lifestyle magazine for Al Bateen Executive Airport, its guests, people, partners, and developments. We wish you a safe journey and look forward to welcoming you back to Al Bateen Executive airport – the only dedicated business aviation airport in the Middle East and North Africa – to further experience our unparalleled commitment to excellence in private aviation.

Al Bateen Executive Airport

Contact Details: albateeninfo@adac.ae www.albateenairport.ae

Cover: Gugu Mbatha-Raw by Art Streiber/AUGUST

Al Bateen

AIR

AUGUST 2022: ISSUE 131

Summer Boost In Passenger Traffic At Abu Dhabi International As many as 2.8 million passengers were expected to use the airport across the peak summer months Latest passenger estimates announced by Abu Dhabi Airports anticipate a boost in traffic at Abu Dhabi International (AUH) during the summer season as 2.8 million passengers were expected to use AUH before the end of August this year. Francois Bourienne, Chief Commercial Officer, Abu Dhabi Airports commented: “We are excited to keep the momentum going as the industry continues to recover and consumer confidence rebounds. Traffic during this upcoming peak season will ultimately have a positive impact on our 2022 traffic estimates of over 13 million 10

Al Bateen Executive Airport is the ﬁrst dedicated private jet airport in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Our exclusive status offers ultimate and prestigious luxury with several enhancements currently underway. We offer: The

Al Bateen

AUGUST 2022: ISSUE 131

are excited to keep the momentum going as the industry ‘We continues to recover and consumer confidence rebounds ’ Francois Bourienne, Chief Commercial Officer, Abu Dhabi Airports

passengers passing through Abu Dhabi International by the end of this year.” Passengers flying from AUH are encouraged to benefit from the online/ remote check-in, baggage drop-off points and other services provided by airlines to ensure a smooth airport experience and avoid potential delays. 12

The airport’s PCR Test facility also remains available as an optional service at AED 40 for passengers who would like to activate their Green Pass on Al Hosn App, which is mandatory to enter public places, tourist attractions, commercial centres and other facilities in the emirate of Abu Dhabi.

Radar

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AUGUST 2022: ISSUE 131

With the continued success of Stanger Things making everything 80s fashionable again (save, yet, for spiral perms, thankfully), the decade’s decadence was epitomised by the Lamborghini Countach, a car that was the archetypal poster image on the bedroom wall of teenage boys. Forever a collector car icon that pushed the envelope of both performance and styling, this 1984 model goes under the hammer at RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction this month with an estimate of $700-900k. RM Sotheby’s, Monterey, August 18-20, rmsothebys.com

OB JECTS OF DESIRE

OBJECTS OF DESIRE

Master craftsmanship, effortless style and timeless appeal; this month’s must-haves and collectibles

OB JECTS OF DESIRE

AR M ANI PR IVĒ

F W 2 2 -2 3

Reflecting on what it is he feels is missing from our lives today, Giorgio Armani settled on ‘sparkling’, and used his Privē collection to inject a dose of it into the world, channelling nightclubs of the 1920s in a set that hinted at a cabaret club. Sophisticated,

elongated jackets were adorned with embroidery, while long strapless dresses were gleaming under the spotlights. Elsewhere, references to the Eastern world were abundant in details, with splashes of colour igniting day suits. 1

OB JECTS OF DESIRE

CI N DY CH AO

2022 BL ACK L ABEL MAS TERPIECE VII One look at Cindy Chao’s creations and you’ll likely declare that they belong in a museum — and you’d be right. One of her creations, an incredible butterfly, has been inducted into the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, while other pieces have been exhibited

at Beijing Today Art Museum, Tokyo Mori Art Museum, and Masterpiece London. The latest addition to her Black Label Masterpieces collection is this Gentlewoman Ribbon Cuff, which features two intense yellow diamonds of 6.85 and 6.03cts. 2

OB JECTS OF DESIRE

ELLIE SAAB

FA L L 2 0 2 2 C O U T U R E Ellie’s Saab’s couture shows are always noteworthy affairs, but in featuring a couture collection designed for men for the very first time, July’s show in Paris will go down in the history books. “They want to show off, to be visible, to

get the attention,” Saab said of men, prior to his runway show. Cue the most flamboyant menswear you’ll find anywhere outside of Elton John’s closet. Across both men’s and women’s pieces, Saab hit notes of high drama that barely wavered. 3

OB JECTS OF DESIRE

S C H I A PA R E L L I

FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 2 -2 3 C O U T U R E In his collection notes, Schiaparelli’s Creative Director, Daniel Roseberry, bemoaned how in recent years fashion’s want to answer criticism that it is ‘silly’ has sometimes seen it succumb to selfseriousness, stripping the joy and, indeed, the occasional silliness from it. In a bid

to bring back that creative innocence, Roseberry’s couture collection hit the mark, not least in the pieces that sprouted extravagant floral displays of roses, sunflowers, and lavender fronds, courtesy of hand-painted and sequined silk, and leather moulded into petals. 4

OB JECTS OF DESIRE

MESSIK A

AKH-BA-K A The spectacular highlight of Messika’s latest high jewellery collection, the Egyptinspired Akh-Ba-Ka necklace features a magnificent 33-carat diamond at its heart, a stunning stone cut from a single rough 110-carat diamond, along with 14 others, all used in a set that also features earrings and

a beautiful ring. It took as many as five full-time jewellers six months to craft this masterpiece necklace, painstakingly piecing together 2,550 diamonds totalling 71.49 carats. In a further feat, the centrepiece stone fitting can be detached and worn as a brooch. 5

OB JECTS OF DESIRE

RAMI AL ALI

FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 2 -2 3 C O U T U R E Twisting influences from the 1960s into the modern day, Rami Al Ali’s latest couture collection comprises 26 pieces, which fluctuate from midi and floor-length gowns to sleek cocktail dresses, all the while showcasing the detailed handwork that’s a trademark of the house. Luxurious fabrics

including taffeta, satin, and double-faced silks are incorporated with delicate silk muslin and tulles, while striking embroidered elements include soft ostrich and coque tail filoplume striped feathers. The likes of old rose pink, lavender, and copper orange added further colour. 6

OB JECTS OF DESIRE

CHANEL

1 9 32 H I G H J E W E L L E R Y C O L L E C T I O N Gabrielle Chanel may have only produced one jewellery collection in her stellar career, but her celestial-inspired suite just so happened to be the world’s first high jewellery set. Ninety years on, its enduring legacy has inspired Chanel’s Fine Jewellery Creation Studio to create a stunning

77-piece collection that pays homage to the original across three chapters — the comet, the moon, and the sun — and includes this magnificent Allure Céleste necklace, the collection’s signature piece, at the heart of which is a stunning 55.55-carat sapphire. 7

OB JECTS OF DESIRE

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

LEGEND OF DIAMONDS the decades, and this time it is employed again across an entire 25-piece collection for the very first time. Here, rubies act as ribbons to tie an 18-carat oval diamond, with the swirls echoed on the earrings, encircling 1.60 and 1.59-carat oval diamonds.

Revealed across two chapters, Mystery Set Jewels and White Diamond Variations, Van Cleef & Arpels’ latest high jewellery collection shows the storied house at its dazzling best. Its Mystery Set technique has given rise to a number of spectacular pieces through 8

OBJECTS OF DESIRE

Critique AUGUST 2022 : ISSUE 131

Film Tin Can Dir. Seth A. Smith A scientist on the brink of discovering a cure from a deadly plague suddenly finds herself imprisoned in a small metal chamber. AT BEST: ‘The term science fiction is too easily associated with empty-headed blockbusters, but this is the real thing.’ — Jennie Kermode, Eye for Film AT WORST: ‘Gets off to a strong start, but fails to tie all of its loose ends in a coherent conclusion.’ — Molly Henery, The Blogging Banshee

Bodies Bodies Bodies Dir. Halina Reijn

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A party thrown by a group of young adults takes a turn for the worse, as backstabbing and fake friends come to the fore. AT BEST: ‘The deadliest yet most fun falling-out between a group of friends ever.’ — Rendy Jones, Rendy Reviews AT WORST: ‘Allows its talented cast to dig themselves into a gloriously silly (and bloody) hole’ — Abby Olcese, rogerebert.com

The Legend of Molly Johnson Dir. Leah Purcell An unlikely bond begins to form between a heavily pregnant woman guarding an isolated property in Australia and a shackled Aboriginal fugitive. AT BEST: ‘A redemptive story that gives power to a perspective and experience that has been marginalised for too long.’ — Wenlei Ma, news. com.au AT WORST: ‘Full of tension, beauty, and pathos. Tonally, however, it often goes awry.’ — Hilary White, Sunday Independent

We Are Living Things Dir. Antonio Tibaldi Two fugitives with a shared history of purported alien abduction help each other find the proof they seek. AT BEST: ‘Quietly lovely, it is immersive primarily because of the lead performances.’ — Kristy Strouse, Film Inquiry AT WORST: ‘While there are several problems with the film, it is a partial success due to the freshness of the story.’ — Carey-Ann Pawsey, Orca Sound 18

Critique AUGUST 2022 : ISSUE 131

Books

Hermione Hoby’s Virtue tells of youth, desire, and moral conflict, in which a young man’s seduction by the mirage of glamour comes at terrible cost. “Intense and addictive… With a touch as light as a single match, Hoby scorches the earth beneath hollow social activism and performative outrage,” says The New York Times Book Review. Says fellow author, Leslie Jamison: “Hermione Hoby’s Virtue kept me rapt from the very first page, intoxicated by the richness and surprise of its language, its wit, its keen attention to the layers of friction and attachment lurking beneath the surface of every conversation. Hoby’s gaze is both cutting and generous: razor-sharp about social pieties without ever stooping to caricature. More than anything, Virtue illuminates the messiness of being human and trying to be good.” Meanwhile, Publisher’s Weekly notes that, “Hoby’s writing sparks with inventiveness… and she offers insights on the damage of power imbalances in relationships. [Virtue] speaks volumes on the shallowness of white privilege.” Dead Souls by Sam Riviere, tells of one

poet’s spectacular fall from grace when he is convicted of plagiarism. “One of the wittiest, sharpest, cruelest critiques of literary culture I’ve ever read,” hails Ron Charles of The Washington Post. “Riviere unleashes a flock of winged devils to tear apart the hermetically sealed world of privilege, praise and publication in which a few lucky writers dwell… An astute, wildly original novel that talks trash about everyone whose success galls you. And there’s nothing quite so delicious as that.” “The sheer brio and tumbling intelligence of Riviere’s narration lift almost every page. Once you catch the spuming surf of his prose — and, it does take a little time — you’ll want to ride the wave to the shore,” says Boyd Tonkin, writing for The Arts Desk. Equally enthused was Sammi Gale of inews: “By stepping through Dead Souls’ funhouse mirror, we see the current normal reality is as absurd and empty as an email. Yet, running through the novel is a skein of hope; stealing might not be as antisocial as it is usually made out. In fact, a little bit of plagiarism might be one of the

most communal acts of all.” As Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis biopic continues to churn out big bucks at the box office, the story of The King also enters the bookshelves, albeit a wholly reimagined story. Just Can’t Help Believing, by John Paul James, tells of a down-on-his luck gossip magazine owner who faces a race against time to discover his grandad’s connection to Elvis Presley — and the shocking scoop it promises to deliver — in order to save his ailing business. “There’s so much to like! It’s got an Elvis mystery. It’s got an Elvis impersonator. It’s got gangsters. It’s got intrigue. It’s got humour. And it’s got heartbreak,” reviewed Tess Quinn for Reedsy Discovery. “This was a great book. It was funny and it was fun. Jimmy is the straight man for all the madness that surrounds him. He is surrounded by a quirky cast of unlikely characters, many of whom are not who they pretend to be, and years-long secrets are revealed. There is mayhem and intrigue swirling around Jimmy, but all he wants is to find out the truth about the books that his grandad gifted him.” 19

Art & Design AUGUST 2022: ISSUE 131

Best Of The Munch AIR

Alastair Smart explores why the Norwegian artist Edvard Munch is having a moment

t’s said that, in old age, the artist Edvard Munch (1863-1944) used to keep the radio on in his house in Oslo 24 hours a day. Often two or more radios played in each room, tuned to different stations – such a dread did he have of silence. This seems apt, given that Munch’s best-known painting by far is The Scream. That one image has been so easily assimilated into mainstream popular culture – inspiring everything from a well-used emoji on your phone to Macaulay Culkin’s pose for the poster of Home Alone – that it has, to some extent, overshadowed the rest of the artist’s career. Thankfully, an exhibition at London’s Courtauld Gallery is offering a look at Munch that will go beyond his most recognised image. It shows the artist in the round, featuring 18 works from the marvellous Munch collection of KODE museum in Bergen, Norway’s second city. These were purchased in the artist’s lifetime by the Bergen-born mill owner and art collector, Rasmus Meyer, and donated to the city after Meyer’s death. The pictures range across the 25 years generally accepted to represent Munch’s peak: the mid-1880s to 1909 (the latter date marking his nine-month stay in a sanatorium after a nervous breakdown). This quarter-century covers his early flirtation with Impressionism through to finding what became his signature style, Expressionism. The Scream does fall pretty much into that same period, but it’s not part of KODE’s collection. (Munch actually painted two versions of the work: one in 1893, the other in around 1910.) Fast forward a century and a bit, and the artist is having something of a moment. The Courtauld show comes in the wake of a 2021 exhibition at the Royal Academy, in which a selection of the Norwegian’s art was shown alongside a selection of Tracey

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Emin’s. The British artist calls herself Munch’s “number one fan” and says that, before coming across his work, she hadn’t been “aware there was art where people could express their emotions”. Last year also saw impressive auction results for Munch, most notably the sale of his 1904 painting, Summer Day or Embrace on the Beach (The Linde Frieze), for the small matter of £16.28 million at Sotheby’s in London. What’s more, in October 2021, an enormous new Munch Museum opened – spread across 13 floors and 26,313 square metres – on the Oslo waterfront. It is about four times the size of the original Munch Museum, which opened in the 1960s and was located in a less accessible part of the city called Tøyen. How to explain this popularity? Well, in part, it’s down to the fact that, like Van Gogh, Munch painted arresting pictures that reflected his equally arresting life. His childhood was marked by tragedy: he lost both his mother and elder sister Sophie to tuberculosis when he was five and 13 respectively. He could never bear to part with the chair on which

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Sophie died, and today it can actually be found in the Munch Museum. Edvard’s father was a penniless army medic of strict Pietist faith, who beat his children for even the most minor infraction. Munch’s adult years weren’t much happier. He suffered with lung problems, alcoholism, agoraphobia and much else besides, including a string of infelicitous romances (he never married or had children). One relationship – with a woman called Tulla Larsen, the daughter of a wine merchant, to whom he was briefly engaged – even ended in a gunshot wound. The details aren’t clear, but in her biography of the artist, Edvard Munch: Behind the Scream (2005), Sue Prideaux suggests that Tulla fired a pistol at him during a quarrel, resulting in the loss of a good chunk of his left middle finger. Munch’s personal struggles infused the art throughout his career. Not necessarily in an obvious transcription from life to canvas, but more in his works’ general mood. A fine example from KODE’s collection is Melancholy (1894-96), a painting in which a

dispirited male figure, seen in profile, sits broodily on a Nordic shore that sweeps far into the distance behind him. The artist always insisted that he did “not want to paint pretty pictures to be hung on drawing room walls”, but to produce “an art created of one’s innermost heart”. More often than not, this entailed a simplification of forms and a highly expressive use of colour. Western art had never seen an emotional outpouring quite like it, and the work derives no little power from the viewer’s knowledge that it was rooted in the artist’s own woes. (It should be pointed out that Munch wasn’t perfect, and his art did occasionally slip into melodrama – at his best, though, he avoided that slip.) In truth, even those who know nothing of the artist’s life can still appreciate his imagery, concerned as it is with universal themes such as love, sex, jealousy, illness, isolation, guilt, anguish, despair and death. As Stein Olav Henrichsen, the director of the Munch Museum, put it at the opening of his new building:

What Munch represents is an artist for the age we live in

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Opening pages: Edvard Munch, Self-Portrait in the Clinic, 1909 These pages, clockwise from left to right: Edvard Munch, Summer Night. Inger on the Beach, 1889; Edvard Munch, Morning, 1884; Edvard Munch, Evening on Karl Johan, 1892

“You don’t need a PhD to enjoy Munch… He is dealing with the [things] that we all have to face in life”. All of which may be true, but it doesn’t explain why the artist is so favoured right now, in the 2020s. Another major exhibition is on at the moment, incidentally – Edvard Munch. In Dialogue at the Albertina Museum in Vienna – which focuses on the Norwegian’s influence on several present-day artists, such as Peter Doig, Marlene Dumas and Georg Baselitz (as well as Andy Warhol). Perhaps part of the explanation for Munch’s current popularity is that it’s a knock-on effect of The Scream’s own. In 2012, a pastel version of that work from 1895 fetched $119.9 million at Sotheby’s in New York: at the time, the highest price ever paid for an artwork at auction. The Scream has taken on new life in the 21st century. Its subject howling in distress has become shorthand – in cartoons and memes – for conveying all manner of contemporary troubles, from climate change to Brexit.

More than that, though, one wonders if the coronavirus pandemic hasn’t given Munch’s art “whole new meaning”. Those were the words of Simon Shaw, vice chair of Sotheby’s fine art division, ahead of Summer Day or Embrace on the Beach (The Linde Frieze)’s sale last year. “Munch is there with us, in the death and disease”, Shaw said – as well as in the solitude and sadness. “The pandemic… has been good for Munch, in that it pushes us back to the issues which were important to him, back to the very stuff of life… It has drawn a greater appreciation of his work.” The artist actually contracted Spanish flu in the pandemic of 1918 and depicted his condition in a wellknown painting from the following year, Self-Portrait with the Spanish Flu. What Munch represents, then, is an artist for the age we live in. A visit to his Courtauld Gallery exhibition should be a scream. Edvard Munch. Masterpieces from Bergen is at the Courtauld Gallery, London, till September 4.

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Stylist Chloe Bosher Hair and Make-up Yulius, Bareface Model Maria, MLN Model Management Clothing Pages 1 & 2 Dress: Acler Shoes: The Attico Page 4 Dress: Huishan Zhang Page 5 Dress: L ‘Agence Page 6 Dress: Greta Constantine Page 8 Shirt: MSGM Trousers: Harmur All available at Bloomingdale’s Main Furniture Adriana Hoyos: sofa, armchairs, ottoman, beds, bedside tables, chest of drawers Eichholtz: coffee table, dining table, dining sideboard, dining chairs, rug, terrace table, terrace chairs All available at Bloomingdale’s Home Store

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Timepieces

AUGUST 2022: ISSUE 131

Driven By Passion As a loyal partner of Le Mans Classic, Richard Mille celebrates the past as much as its timepieces drive the future of watchmaking

t has to be one of motorsport’s most iconic sights. At the drop of the starter’s flag, the long line of drivers at the edge of the tarmac suddenly sprint across it to climb (in the literal sense in some cases) into their prized race cars, the inevitable jam as they pull away amid the thundering roar of engines only adding to the visual thrill. This is Le Mans Classic, the tenth edition of which took place last month on the same Circuit de la Sarthe track where its elder sibling, 24 Hours of Le Mans, will celebrate its centenary next year. Over 200,000 were in attendance across the weekend of the bi-annual Classic, a number swelled by the anticipation amassed over a pandemicinduced hiatus, but for one spectator in particular the return of Le Mans Classic would prove particularly thrilling. “My passion for cars dates back to 1966, when I attended the Monaco Grand Prix with my father for the first time. Everything about that race fascinated me. It is one of my greatest memories and a life-

changing experience,’ Richard Mille told The New York Times in 2018. Often when people speak of lifechanging experiences it comes with a helping of hyperbole, but not so Richard Mille, whose fascination with motorsport led to the formation of his eponymous watch brand and the creation of timepieces that reside at the very pinnacle of watchmaking expertise. Indeed, motorsport is imbedded in the brand’s DNA. “As a youngster I would spend hours at motor shows looking at the cut-away views of engines, which gave you an insight into their complex mechanics,” Mille conveyed to AIR the last time we spoke, knowledge he used to develop his ‘racing machines on the wrist’, the first of which, the RM 001 Tourbillon, left the starting grid in 2001 in an initial series of just seventeen watches, with a six-figure price tag that propelled it to the front row of luxury brands. Driven by motorsport, yes, but Richard Mille also helps to drive motorsport — the brand’s sponsorship of Le Mans Classic is only one stitch in a close-knit relationship. In addition 27

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Driven by motorsport, yes, but Richard Mille also helps to drive motorsport

to ongoing partnerships with F1 titans McLaren and Ferrari and its own LMP2 racing team, the brand also has a vested interest in the Chantilly Arts & Elegance Richard Mille concours and the Rallye des Princesses Richard Mille, a femaleonly event dedicated to drivers across the world who share Mille’s passion for motorsport and collecting classic cars. In fact, Richard Mille has led from the front in terms of advancing the prospects of women in motorsport. The 2020-2021 championship seasons and 24 Hours of Le Mans saw the Richard Mille Racing Team comprised of an all-female trio of drivers, a first for the sport. “Our initial aim was to call attention to the lack of opportunities for women,” says Amanda Mille, Richard’s daughter and an integral part of the brand alongside her fellow siblings. “It was important for us to start with an allfemale team to make our intentions known, compel people to think and challenge biases. However, all the female drivers say they want more 28

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inclusivity by finding their place in mixed teams. Their dream comes true when men want to drive alongside them in the same team, and this is now our case with a trio promising a fulfilling season, both from a human and sporting perspective,” she said of this year’s Richard Mille Racing Team, which features Lilou Wadoux, the first woman to have won the Alpine Elf Europa Cup. As ever at such events, Amanda was a warm and welcoming fixture in the Richard Mille VIP lounge which overlooked the legendary racetrack’s pit lane at Le Mans Classic, the cars screeching to a halt beneath us not for a change of tyres but driver, with the race roaring on through the night. In a colourful celebration of 24 Hours of Le Mans races of yesteryear, the most famous endurance race in the world, Le Mans Classic saw 750 cars compete, which had previously taken to the track between 1920 and 1980, with another 8,500 vintage vehicles on public display off-track. Legacy brands Lotus, Jaguar, Bugatti, Porsche

and Ferrari (eagle eyes will have noted the Ferrari 312 P — one of only two left in the world) all took part, fathers and sons often sharing driving duties for what is very much a family event, the Milles at the very heart of it. Richard Mille’s own celebration of an event it has sponsored since its inception in 2002 comes in the form of the RM 029 Automatic Le Mans Classic, produced in a numbered limited edition of just 150 pieces. Driving it is a skeletonised automatic movement, with a 24-hour display at 2 o’clock mirroring the length of the event. The eighth model Richard Mille has issued in homage to the world’s greatest historic racing event, this latest iteration is clad in the green and white colour combination Le Mans Classic is famed for. While the sound of roaring engines on our roads will soon be muffled in the inexorable charge towards electric vehicles, at Le Mans Classic it will reverberate for decades to come. Much to the aural delight of one man in particular.

Jewellery

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AUGUST 2022 : ISSUE 131

Nature Reimagined Diamonds meet pebbles and burnt wood, gold is paired with shells, and platinum married with meteorite in Boucheron’s latest high jewellery collection, where five unique worlds celebrate the raw poetic power of nature WORDS: CLAIRE MALCOLM

onfined to travel within her own mind, lockdown proved to be a liberating creative catalyst for Claire Choisne, Boucheron’s artistic director. While the world retreated behind closed doors, she journeyed through a series of imagined worlds where “everything is possible”. The result is Ailleurs — a high jewellery collection that harnesses nature’s beauty in its most visceral form and transforms elemental

materials into multi-sensory expressions of art. Says Choisne: “Inspiration, for me, is very visual. Travel is where I get ideas, and I wanted to be free. This collection enables us to escape to a place without borders, where nature exists in a raw state: from the desert and oceans to mountains and rainforests.” A recurring thematic anchor for Boucheron, nature has been celebrated in various collections over the decades,

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I wanted to pay homage to nature in its purest form

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but this is perhaps the house’s most ambitious iteration to date. Choisne elaborates: “I wanted to pay homage to nature in its purest form and, from the beginning, I thought why not use the magnificent raw materials found around the world?” Five reimagined worlds come together in a contradictory yet delightfully collaborative way, each introducing unique natural elements that underpin their chosen emotional universe within the collection. Diamonds meet pebbles and burnt wood, gold is paired with beach shells and rock crystal, and platinum married to meteorite. Sand Woman issues an invitation to step onto soft undulating desert sands. A diamond rattan necklace uses sustainably-sourced fibres for the collar — and presented Choisne’s team with one of many design challenges. “Our jewellers are used to working with hard materials like gold, whereas rattan is very flexible. We had to humidify it to be able to sculpturally shape it,” she says. One of Choisne’s favourite pieces is the magpie ring: a hollowed-out rock crystal block inserted with a diamondencrusted white gold skull set, while a pair of earrings seamlessly fuse real shells with a spiral of glittering gold and diamonds. In contrast, Leaf Woman is a vibrant tropical world that evokes instant 32

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It’s important to call into question what we mean by the word precious

rainforest vibes. Here, the inspired use of aluminium in a diamond leaf cuff bracelet adorned with a 37.97 carat green tourmaline renders an unbelievably authentic finished piece “A very light sculptural metal, we were able to play around with both colour and texture to make it look as woven leaf-like as possible,” she remarks. This featherweight effect is also used to full effect on the butterfly brooch, as Choisne explains: “We’ve been trying to work with real butterfly wings for the last six years. Extremely fragile, we had to find a way to protect them and preserve the powder-like pigments, so we created a frame, and this allowed us to inset stones at the tips.” The toucan bracelet, which is set with citrines and rubellites and paved with white and black spinels in titanium, is yet another technical marvel. “The beak is an example of perfect 3D marquetry, rather like a multidimensional multitoned citrine puzzle” she notes. Innovation abounds throughout the different worlds and Earth Woman taps into the primal geology of our environment. A santos rosewood and diamond shoulder brooch looks like it has been freshly picked from the garden. A smiling Choisne explains: “In our archives we have a scanned database of real flowers and these were used as the basis to sculpt each individual petal, emphasising the illusion of realism.” Illusory realism also turns expectation on its head with a white gold and pebble necklace set with pearshaped diamonds. “One would think, that this necklace is very heavy, but our jewellers were able to painstakingly

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hollow out the pebbles to create a very fine, sparkly finish that is very light and easy to wear.” The Pebble Woman world also features a frosted polar bear ring set with 246 rose-cut diamonds and a stunning diamond-paved white gold and titanium elephant ring set with “very gentle” onyx eyes. Choisne is adamant that the fiveworld collection is not gender rigid. “The fifth world is Volcano Man, and I had him in mind from the very beginning, but all of these worlds are inherently interchangeable, and if you fall in love with a piece then you should simply enjoy wearing it.” Even if it is emotionally anything but, this final world explores the magmatic power of black and white. The howling wolf ring is symbolic of protection and is a standout for its use of real meteorite, along with diamonds, white gold, platinum and onyx. A diamond and burnt wood necklace is equally symbolic with 3,000-year-old marsh oak charred using an ancient Japanese technique to ensure long-term resilience. This one-of-a-kind alliance between natural raw materials and traditional ones has been a labour of love for Choisne, and the precious nature of Ailleurs is one she believes deserves explanation. “It’s important to call into question what we mean by the word ‘precious’. With this collection I was focused on the precious beauty of nature itself and on creating five distinctive sets wherein each piece was linked to the mood or atmosphere of that world, which you choose according to how you uniquely feel on any given day.” 35

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Actor Gugu Mbatha-Raw has come a long way since her days as a girl from the country, running around in jeans. Now her Hollywood profile is matched by her high-fashion credentials

WORDS: TAMARA ABRAHAMI

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elfast, where Gugu Mbatha-Raw is currently filming Lift with Kevin Hart, is a fantastic place to work, but it comes with a hazard for actors. “It’s one of my favourite accents,” says Mbatha-Raw. “It’s very sexy yet warm and grounded... But I don’t want to be mimicking people, so I have to watch myself.” A Northern Irish accent isn’t actually required for the heist comedy, although she will still get a chance to flex her linguistic muscles when the production moves to Venice. “I get to speak some Italian and a bit of Arabic as well,” she explains. “I’m working on it now, with my coach — but if something isn’t right, the Italian crew will definitely let me know.” Accents come naturally to the British actor. Although she was born and brought up in Oxfordshire and trained at Rada, Mbatha-Raw has ‘broken Hollywood’ thanks, in part, to playing very convincing Americans — a skill that she acquired watching Friends as a teenager. She played a sexual assault victim alongside Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon on the Apple TV+ hit The Morning Show. She appeared in Motherless Brooklyn alongside Edward Norton and Bruce Willis (in what was one of his last performances, due to his recent aphasia diagnosis), and, completing the ‘made it’ trifecta, in the Marvel series Loki as Judge Renslayer. Mbatha-Raw is, like any actor with enduring success, a chameleon. She adopted a Caribbean lilt when she played Jennifer Hosten, the first black woman to win the Miss World pageant, in the 2020 film Misbehaviour, and a soubrette purr as Plumette in Disney’s 2017 live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast. Her credits also include the period drama Belle, Black Mirror, and Marple. When she was appointed an MBE for services to drama in 2017, the Prince of Wales revealed himself to be a fan of her portrayal of Tish Jones in Doctor Who. Mbatha-Raw is, at the age of 39, fast becoming a household name. Yet she can still fly under the radar in London. She walked to meet me for coffee at Soho House, arriving make-up-free, hair tied back, in an oversized blue jumper and Chloé trainers. It’s the uniform of the creative professionals who populate the members’ club, and 38

In the entertainment industry, you need as ‘much grounding as you can possibly get ’ unless you look closely, she could pass as just another freelancer doing an early meeting over a flat white. She’s slender, well spoken, and chooses her words carefully. Her skin is almost glowy, although she doesn’t break a sweat as she bounces up the stairs to the top floor in search of a quiet table. And she seems surprised when I ask whether she is recognised in the street. “I never really think about being recognised,” she confesses. “I walk when I’m in London. I haven’t been on the Tube very much, but mostly because of Covid, not to say that I wouldn’t.” Face masks have helped, of course, but I suspect her days of getting on with her errands unnoticed are numbered. It’s not her fame or body of acting work we’re here to discuss, though. Mbatha-Raw has been making an impact for her style, too. A regular on best-dressed lists and on the front row at fashion shows, she has now teamed up with Giorgio Armani, joining the likes of chef Vicky Lau and feminist activist Kristina Lunz as one of the talents celebrated in the label’s Crossroads video series, which sees inspiring women talk about their lives — all clad head-to-toe in Armani, naturally. It’s easy to see why. She

is the embodiment of Mr Armani’s three rules of good style: ‘First, know yourself and don’t disguise yourself. Second, know what to wear and when. Third, never let the clothes wear you, you’re the one who’s wearing them.’ In the video, Mbatha-Raw talks about her position in the industry as a biracial actor. Her father is a black South African doctor and her mother a white British nurse. She didn’t focus on what this meant for her career when she was starting out. Today, she says, “Representation is everything to me. As a biracial person it’s something that’s always been within me, in terms of this duality of cultures and heritage. Different roles are available to me, and I think maybe I grew up somewhat in denial of that fact. Now I’m embracing it because it allows me to tell culturally specific stories.” To work with a megabrand such as Armani is a coup for any actor, yet Mbatha-Raw came to fashion almost by accident. “I wasn’t a born fashionista,” she admits. “I was just a girl from the shire, running around in jeans and a T-shirt, loving my ballet and my theatre. Initially, I just needed a dress to wear for a premiere.” Since then, she has partnered with

has affected me in many ‘Elvis positive ways, including the cautionary tale of his life ’

Previous pages, from left to right: still from period drama Belle (2013); still from Irreplaceable You (2013)

Representation is everything to me. As a ‘biracial person it’s something that’s always been within me ’ public eye when I was a teenager,” she replies. “I think I’ve had the time to figure out what works for me and be comfortable in my skin without feeling majorly insecure, or like I needed to fit into any kind of mould.” It’s the demands of a role, rather than a desire to fit into sample sizes, that dictate her body image. “I’m always aware that, especially on a TV series, you have to look the same for the duration of filming,” she says. ”If you start a project, and then you lose a lot of weight, or you put on so much weight by the end of it, a director can’t cut it together. So I just try to be healthy and consistent. I think that keeps me on an even keel. I’ve always been relatively health conscious, but more for energy. I love my yoga and got into my trampoline in lockdown — it’s a fun way to stay fit, but also uplifting.” In terms of work, she believes her best is yet to come.”I feel like I’m just getting started, really. I’m on a roll career-wise, and I’m getting to a point where I feel more assertive and confident in what I’m doing — not just as an actor, I think I’ve always been confident as an actor, but in my place within the industry, and in my understanding of how the business works.” It was working with Witherspoon and Hart that inspired her to get more involved in the early stages of a production, choosing the talent involved and pitching to networks and streaming

platforms. “Seeing first-hand how actors and entertainers run their companies is invaluable,” she says. “[TV drama] The Girl Before was the first time I was an associate producer, but I came on board when a lot of things were already in place. It was a different process for Surface, because of the relationship with Hello Sunshine [Witherspoon’s production company] and The Morning Show; they came to me with the pilot. That was a brand-new experience, being part of a pitch on Zoom with a big group of commissioners.” One lasting ambition is to play Cleopatra. “That’s a role I’ve wanted to play since I was 19,” she confesses. “But it’s also a role that I could play when I’m 50, probably, so no hurry.” The only topic strictly off-limits for Mbatha-Raw is relationships, and she’s always managed to keep her love life under wraps. But she does drop a hint that she has a partner whose star sign is Scorpio. That’s as far as she’ll go. For herself, she’s a Taurus, which means: “I’m very family oriented, I like comfort, luxury, and I appreciate the finer things in life. But it’s an earth sign. So I feel it’s grounded.” As an actor, she says, “If there is any truth to it, I feel very grateful. In the entertainment industry, you need as much grounding as you can possibly get. Because it can be such a roller coaster. You need to be able to know how to use common sense and not get too swept away.” Long may it last.

Credit:: © Tamara Abraham / Telegraph Media Group Limited 2022

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celebrated stylists Leith Clark and Cristina Ehrlich, who dress her in It labels, including a gold caped gown by The Vampire’s Wife, a shimmering taupe gown by Galvan and impeccable Gucci tailoring. And, of course, Armani. At Milan Fashion Week in February, which took place just as Russia began its invasion of Ukraine, Mbatha-Raw was among the guests at the Armani show, and it was an unsettling feeling. “There’s a fine line between celebrating life and having a grounded foot in the real world,” she says. “Anne Hathaway was also there, and we talked about how it feels strange to be at a fashion show when the world is in such chaos. She said, ‘You have to celebrate what freedom looks like.’ That’s something I’ve held on to, because we still need the light, we need creativity and joy, and that’s a huge balm for the soul. I’m less judgmental about celebrating that now. I appreciate what a privilege it is to be able to have these experiences.” She was in Los Angeles when the world went into lockdown in March 2020. “I ended up there for five months,” she says. “I was really lucky because I had a housemate and she had a dog, so I wasn’t losing my mind in isolation.” In an only-in-LA twist, she found herself stacking shelves at her local grocery store. “A few friends and I went after hours because the store was just so overwhelmed,” she explains. “At the time, no one could get loo paper and you had to queue for hours to get into a supermarket, and this independent place was really struggling. It was a sort of war-effort spirit.” It was a relief that her parents, who separated when she was a toddler, are both retired. “I would have been very worried if they were frontline workers during the pandemic,” she says. “My mum was out there clapping for the NHS. Having worked for them for 25 years, it’s her community, so very, very meaningful.” Although she’s nearly 40, MbathaRaw could easily pass for 25 and tells me her secret is sleep and drinking lots of water, but Hollywood has been notoriously ageist when it comes to women. I wonder how she stays grounded in an industry where talented and accomplished performers feel compelled to fit into a narrow beauty ideal. “I feel quite fortunate that I wasn’t thrust into the

Abloh & AIR

His death last year was sudden and unexpected, but fashion designer Virgil Abloh had also been secretly planning an exhibition about his life – now open to the public

Behold WORDS: CHRIS ANDERSON

Previous page: Autumn–Winter 2019. Off-White Womenswear Runway Show, photo: Bogdan “Chilldays” Plakov) These pages, clockwise from left to right: Off-White x Churches campaign; Virgil Abloh at work, photo: Hanna García Fleer; photo: © Juergen Teller, All Rights Reserved

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o say that the death of fashion designer Virgil Abloh last November was a shock is something of an understatement. Aged just 41, barely a decade into his career, the African-American creator had not made his illness widely known, even surprising those close to him, including his celebrity friends and colleagues at Louis Vuitton. That he was taken so young, at the height of his success, made his passing difficult to accept. But despite suffering from cardiac angiosarcoma, a rare form of heart cancer, Abloh continued to work in the build-up to his death, with his creations still emerging now. His final menswear collection for Louis Vuitton — which appointed him artistic director in 2018 — will be available this autumn, and there are even new items from his Milan-based label, Off-White. Collaborations with Mercedes-Benz, including an off-road electric concept car, Project Maybach, and a custom G-Class, were also revealed recently. This volume of work, and the fact that Abloh was only given increased creative responsibilities across the Louis Vuitton brand in early 2021, make his death even harder to believe. But there is at least somewhere that fans, followers and fashion aficionados can share their collective grief. This summer, the Brooklyn Museum in New York is hosting a posthumous retrospective, Virgil Abloh: Figures of Speech, with the designer’s fashion pieces, collaborations, inspirations and artwork collected under one roof. And while the exhibition might be new, it does have history — one involving Abloh himself, as curator 44

Antwaun Sargant explains. “I first met V, as he was known to those who worked closely with him, on a call arranged by the Brooklyn Museum’s director, Anne Pasternak, in the autumn of 2019,” he recently revealed to GQ magazine. “She told me that she wanted to bring Virgil’s ‘explosive creativity’ to the museum. At the time, he had a travelling exhibition, and it would be my job to guest-curate the show’s final iteration.” The travelling exhibition, also called Figures of Speech, had originated at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, and even visited Qatar. Chicago was a fitting starting point, with Abloh himself born in the nearby city of Rockford, Illinois, to Ghanaian immigrants in 1980. Just two-and-a-half months after the show first opened in Chicago, more than 100,000 visitors had attended, with calls for the dates to be extended, and the organisers realising this could be of significant interest. Originally intended as a mid-career survey, the show has grown and been expanded for Brooklyn, and adopts new meaning posthumously. Abloh wanted to spotlight New York in particular as the source of his streetwear inspiration, and the visual language of hip-hop, graffiti and skateboarding he was known for. In addition to his fashion pieces, the New York exhibition has installations, neon artworks, and a sculpture by the artist himself. Much of it reflects Abloh’s background, earning a degree in civil engineering and training as an architect before pivoting into fashion. His stellar career began with an internship at Fendi in 2009 alongside rapper Kanye West, with the two becoming friends and collaborating

He blurred the ‘boundaries of

different mediums to make something entirely his own

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on clothing, merchandise and album covers. This also built the foundations for Abloh to launch Off-White in 2013. An affection for streetwear, merging it with high fashion, and a distinctive use of wording and pop culture references, became Abloh’s calling card, and eventually paved the way for his role at Louis Vuitton. Rapper pal West described this appointment as a “breakthrough”, with the first AfricanAmerican artistic director of a French fashion house as important as Barack Obama becoming US president. Time magazine responded also, naming Abloh one of its 100 most influential people in the world. Mannequins adorned with garments from Off-White and Louis Vuitton form part of the exhibition, along with video footage from Abloh’s runway shows, other design examples, including furniture and graphics, and examples of his many collaborations, such as those with Japanese pop artist Takashi Murakami. Display cases are in the form of architectural tables — a nod to Abloh’s studio practice and training as an architect. “Even in the weeks before his death, V was messaging about the works he wanted in the show,” Sargant adds. Despite the two working closely together, the curator was unaware that Abloh was ill. “The exhibition includes objects and materials from his archive that touch on the ways he blurred the boundaries of different mediums to make something entirely his own,” Sargant continues. “The sculpture he created emphasises how his creativity made space for young people to explore their own ideas in ways that re-centre art and design.” The ‘social sculpture’, designed by Abloh, is used to anchor the exhibition in the central atrium of the museum’s Great Hall, and is said to offer a physical space for gathering and performances. Channelling the designer’s background in architecture, it serves as a statement to counter the historical lack of space afforded to black artists and black people in cultural institutions. More can be learned from the accompanying book, featuring essays, interviews and behind-the-scenes photos, available from the exhibition shop, which also offers associated merchandise, such as T-shirts, tote bags and postcards. 46

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Even in the weeks before his death, V was messaging about the works he wanted in the show

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Now that the exhibition is opening, it is hard not to wonder how Sargent himself feels, having befriended Abloh and even attending his memorial service in Chicago. Surrounded by celebrities and familiar faces from the fashion industry, he realised the full extent of the loss of talent and influence. “I sat a few rows behind his family,” Sargent recalls. “V’s wife, Shannon, read the eulogy, wearing a black silk dress that her late husband had designed, with the word ‘woman’ emblazoned across the back. For me, the service represented a coda — the epilogue of my two-year journey to package the work of this unorthodox genius into a museum exhibition, getting to the heart of what drove V as a creator, to understand his impulses and concerns, and to catalogue his prolific output.” ‘Virgil Abloh: Figures of Speech’ runs at the Brooklyn Museum, New York, until January 29, 2023

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Park’s life How South Korean designer Sohee Park weaves couture magic with the help of Dolce & Gabbana, Instagram, and a very important white rabbit WORDS: ALEXANDRA ZAGALSKY

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hey say that pet-friendly workplaces can lower stress levels and improve morale. Sohee Park should know. The South Korean fashion designer — better known as Miss Sohee, after her namesake brand — has a fluffy white rabbit for company at her north London studio. “He’s my emotional support,” she says, giggling as her beloved Moongchi suddenly flops to one side. “I look at him and I’m relaxed.” Apparently, this is how bunnies power nap. Having only recently turned 26, Park, who was brought up in Seoul, has achieved global success in what seems like the blink of an eye. No power naps for her. Since graduating in 2020 from Central Saint Martins (CSM) with a BA in fashion design with marketing, Park has enjoyed a meteoric beginning to her career. Her skill lies in creating lavishly embroidered dresses that push fairy-tale fashion towards the furthermost reaches of what’s possible on the red carpet.

For a start, three flower-inspired sculptural dresses from her graduation show appeared on the cover of cult fashion compendium Love magazine. “On my very first day at CSM, our tutor told us to buy Love. To be on the cover four years later was definitely a ‘wow’ moment,” she says. Unsurprisingly, her front-page glory has garnered her an A-list following, with fans including Miley Cyrus, Gemma Chan, Ariana Grande, Bella Hadid and Rita Ora. All have worn her opulent hand-stitched, handembroidered gowns, throwing an international spotlight on the designer’s demi-couture practice with its expert craftsmanship and ‘wearable art’ edge. Most recently, she aced the Met Gala’s Gilded Glamour theme with a voluminous royal-blue gown worn by Dolce & Gabbana muse Taylor Hill. Heavily ruffled and cleverly cut to swish like a cape, the dress had a majestic train decorated with floral beaded swirls. Hill paired it with

matching lace-up, thigh-high boots. In February this year Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana offered to help Miss Sohee stage her first Fashion Week presentation in Milan inside the Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda premises. It was, according to Dolce, a serendipitous meeting of minds. “It all felt like a flashback,” he says. “Besides being very young and having studied hard, which always makes a difference, Miss Sohee’s curiosity and craving for learning and experimenting is something that has won our hearts, a trait in which we have seen our younger selves.” Park sourced eco-friendly plantbased fabrics including a fine ramie cloth known as Hansan Mosi. (The weave is recognised by UNESCO as part of Korea’s cultural heritage.) The designer was also invited to explore the Alta Moda archive, and she made use of a selection of luxurious upcycled materials from its treasure trove of textiles. Her Italian debut featured 16 opulent

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dresses with imaginative silhouettes and sumptuous embroideries of floral and animal motifs inspired by Minhwa, a traditional form of Korean folk painting. Her models transformed into shimmering sea nymphs, futuristic harpies, feline goddesses and warrior empresses in painstakingly crafted creations festooned with thousands of paillettes, beads and Swarovski crystals. “My mother is an illustrator for children’s books, so ever since I was really little, I’ve been sketching characters of my own,” says Park. “I started drawing at the age of three.” Her parents (her father is a professor) hoped that she would pursue an academic path. Park’s love of couture was so strong, however, that she dug her heels in until they agreed to support her move to London. It was Chanel’s underwater-themed spring/summer 2012 runway show that did it. “It was just so beautiful, there were corals and giant shells everywhere,” says Park. “I’d been expressing the world in my head as 2D, on paper and canvas, and all of 52

a sudden there was this 3D version that people could touch, feel and wear.” Miss Sohee’s supersized satin crinoline dresses are heavy, not least because they are encrusted with gems; yet they are not as bone-crushingly weighty as you might imagine, since the billowing petticoat volume is achieved with layer upon layer of gossamer tulle. Like all the great couturiers, Dolce & Gabbana among them, Park is a meticulous perfectionist. “I was super specific about the embroidery because I wanted my sketches to come to life in the most precise way possible,” she explains. For example, a dramatic green dress featuring embroidered tigers and magpies (a popular motif in Minhwa) was forensically colour-coded inch by inch. “The white stripes I wanted in pearls, the black ones in bubble beads, but there are so many hues of black… sometimes it had to be one with a specific grey shine,” says Park. Remarkably, the needlework wasn’t undertaken by a team of expert French

bedroom was ‘tinyMybut I figured

out a way to hang two dresses from the ceiling while I worked on the others

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believe in my own vision, and so ‘ I justfarreally people seem to understand that ’

‘petites mains’ but by a rotating squad of nibble-fingered, young, Londonbased helpers. “People find it hard to believe that the collection was so immaculately made here in my studio, especially since there are hardly any couture houses in London. I got my friends and other CSM students to sew and then I called on their friends, too,” she explains, laughing. Park, who has had no formal training as a seamstress, says she honed her needlework skills at Marc Jacobs in New York, where she worked as a university intern. “I was in a small team whose job it was to embroider flowers on to collection pieces, which I found really exciting. But I also love YouTube tutorials, especially when it’s older ladies teaching you amazing techniques from scratch,” she enthuses.

Of course, the pandemic brought its trials and tribulations. The biggest blow for Park was the cancellation of her Central Saint Martin’s graduate fashion show in the spring of 2020. Her fellow South Korean students returned home during the first lockdown, but Park stayed in London. “It was so scary, so many people were dying but I just had to finish my collection,” says Park. “My bedroom was tiny but I figured out a way to hang two dresses from the ceiling while I worked on the others,” she adds. Confined to her student digs with her six dresses complete, Park then substituted the live show with an Instagram reveal. Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana recognise Miss Sohee’s grit and determination, but above all they admire her craft. “We like the way

she finds inspiration from the culture and art of her own country,” says Gabbana. Dolce adds, “For us, Italy is our inspiration, and this project represented a beautiful juxtaposition of two countries coming together in the name of fashion, art and beauty.” Like her Italian mentors, the designer also wants to apply couture finesse to a ready-to-wear line. As such, she has drawn up a prêt-à-porter collection, which is due to launch at the end of the year. “I’m not aligned to what’s trendy or ‘hot’ right now,” she says, smiling. “I just really believe in my own vision, and so far people seem to understand that, which is really good.” With her white rabbit, her make-believe embroidery and her couture wizardry, Miss Sohee won’t have any trouble pulling her latest vision out of a hat. 55

Motoring AUGUST 2022 : ISSUE 131

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On Top Of The World The romantic hilltop villages of the French Riviera set the scene for a love-in with the latest Rolls-Royce Phantom

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ever mind flying onboard your own jet, this is what the term ‘the high life’ was coined to define. At the wheel of a gleaming, purple-hued Rolls-Royce Phantom, Monte Carlo an ever-decreasing speck in my rear-view mirror, the narrow, hilltop roads of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin wind their way onwards and upwards through spellbinding French countryside. It’s the global launch of the new look Rolls-Royce Phantom II and my passenger and I were the first to drive out from The Maybourne Riviera, the Maybourne Group’s (Claridge’s, The Connaught…) newly opened high-design hotel that’s cut into a rocky outcrop high above Monaco. We’re also the first of eight groups of journalists to fly in from throughout the world for a series of drive events across the month of June. Which means we’re also the first behind the wheel of this inimitable motorcar. No pressure, then. It’s one of ten Phantoms in the Riviera for the launch, all of them lined up to bask in the early morning sun (and spotlight) outside the hotel. But it is the only one coloured purple, on account of it being christened The Extrovert. I’d consider myself slightly more reserved, but it’s hard to come across as such when you’re driving a car that starts at close to half a 58

million dollars, weighs around 5,600 lbs, measures just shy of six metres, and is the colour of Sesame Street’s Count von Count. But then standing out from the crowd is the Phantom’s raison d’être, instantly recognisable as one of the world’s finest symbols of both extravagance and status. On paper, its price tag (before RollsRoyce’s bespoke team have tailored it to an owner’s exact, and often exacting, requirements) puts it far ahead of its rivals, yet such details count for little. Truth is, this car really doesn’t have any rivals in the automotive world. The Phantom is your private jet on wheels — minus the turbulence. Which brings us to the Phantom’s weight – on paper, hefty. On road, slight. It really does glide across the road (possibly even levitates), its steering feather-light and its engine, 563-hp twin-turbo V-12, as quiet as a church mouse that has taken a vow of silence. Put your foot to the floor and you’ll shift from standing to 100 km/h in a shade over five seconds, but why bother? This is a car that demands you are lazy at the wheel, ordering you to deliberately stretch the length of your journeys so you can extract the utmost pleasure from driving (or being chauffeured) in it. The eighth-generation Phantom II

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This is a car that demands you are lazy at the wheel, ordering you to deliberately stretch the length of your journeys

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The Phantom is built for bespoke alterations, to fully express the personality of its owner

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made its debut back in 2017, so this latest ‘expression’, as Rolls-Royce terms it, is more midlife tweak than makeover. Most of those tweaks are only visible face on, where the ‘RR’ Badge of Honour and Spirit of Ecstasy mascot appear more prominent due to a slight geometric change to the Pantheon Grille, which is also illuminated for the first time. Illumination is also a feature of the new decoration on the headlights, an ensemble of scattered, laser-cut bezel starlights designed to match the signature Starlight Headliner inside the cabin. These designs are born from the ideas of people like Henry. Like all Rolls-Royce employees who swapped the gloomy skies of Goodwood for the warming sun of the French Riviera for a week or so, Henry speaks of his work with unbridled enthusiasm. Over dinner at the original (and food wise, by far the best) La Petite Maison in Nice, Henry talks of how he and his colleagues from the design team begin to work on models some five years out from their launch dates. Which means the Rolls-Royce he’s currently working on may look very different to the one we’re here to celebrate in France – and it will certainly be electric, which throws up intriguing design possibilities for what can be done with something like a Phantom when you don’t have to factor in space for an engine. And yet, despite the time gap, Henry’s enthusiasm for seeing

his ideas birthed is never dimmed. The Phantom is built for bespoke alterations, to fully express the personality of its owner, and from the images we’re presented with one evening before dinner it would appear that the limits imposed on one’s imagination are few. That is why it’s only ever a tiny percentage of Phantom customers who buy their cars as seen. And why Rolls-Royce point out that the eighthgeneration Phantom was deliberately designed to offer a ‘blank canvas’, ripe for expression. Up until recently (before European customers embarked on a post-covid spending spree) the UAE was RollsRoyce’s biggest market for bespoke adaptions. Chances are it will be so again. Last month, Rolls-Royce selected Dubai as the location for its first ever Private Office (at One Central) in what is an extension of the client offering at the marque’s Goodwood HQ. It means clients can now commission their bespoke creations without the need for flying to the UK, a game-changing move for luxury in the Middle East market. Whether we’ll see another purpleclad Extrovert on Sheikh Zayed Road is unlikely (nobody likes a copycat), but what’s not in doubt is the fact that the Phantom transcends the motoring world to stand alone as an icon of pure luxury. However you like yours. 61

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Gastronomy AUGUST 2022: ISSUE 131

The North Star How Simon Rogan ended London’s monopoly on three Michelin stars WORDS: TOMÉ MORRISSY-SWAN

aris, Tokyo, San Sebastián, Copenhagen, New York, London. Each is a centre of fine dining. Now you can add rural Cumbria in the north of England to the list. In February, L’Enclume, in the medieval village of Cartmel on the fringes of the Lake District, became one of only eight restaurants in the country currently to hold three Michelin stars – the rest are in the south, six of which are in London. Some modern chefs downplay Michelin’s importance but, for Simon Rogan, L’Enclume’s chef-owner, this is the pinnacle. “I became a blubbering wreck,” he says the day after the news was announced. “It’s a dream come true. Every chef worth their salt’s ambition is to obtain three Michelin stars. But they’re not my stars, they’re L’Enclume’s.” After over a decade working for some of the biggest names of the 1990s, including Marco Pierre White and Jean-Christophe Novelli, by 2002 Rogan had decided to go solo. With his wife, Penny Tapsell, he focused on the New Forest, near where both grew up and conveniently close to London. Rogan’s main goal was to shun external investment, believing it stifled creativity. “We couldn’t find anything, we had no money. To have something like we’ve got here would have cost millions in the south.” Via a tip-off from a recruitment consultant he knew, Rogan found a 13th-century former forge in Cartmel, a place he’d never even visited. The small, well-to-do village has a grandiose 12th-century priory, diminutive stone cottages and a picturesque bridge over the River Eea. It resembles the kind of fantasy land in which Americans think Britons live. With a racecourse and proximity to the Lakes, it was popular primarily with coach tours and walkers. “The product we proposed might have been a little alien,” Rogan admits. “Whenever you open a restaurant, you’re 63

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worried about whether it’s going to work. I was confident in my vision to make it a destination. Maybe there was more of a risk because of our location, but I was so desperate to have my own restaurant that I was confident I could make it work.” After a lengthy refurbishment that caused noise and traffic and annoyed locals, L’Enclume (French for ‘the anvil’) opened in August 2002. It wasn’t an immediate hit. There were few guests during the week; perhaps a dozen on weekends. But locals were curious, making up most of the early clientele. “I was this youngish upstart who’d come into this sleepy northern village in the middle of nowhere, doing this weird stuff. There were always going to be a few people that put the mockers on it,” says Rogan. Overall they embraced it, but a rural fine-dining restaurant relies on tourism. “Looking back on those times I think, ‘How did we manage?’” A first Michelin star arrived in 2005. “It was a big relief,” Rogan remembers. “It gave us a real leg up and opened people’s eyes to where we were and what we had.” Success fuelled expansion. Next to L’Enclume he opened Aulis, a sixseat experience where chefs prepare dishes in front of guests. Around the corner is the Michelin-starred Rogan & Co, and the company has 16 bedrooms around town. Locals, on the whole, are positive. And whereas in the early years most guests were from the north-west or London, people now visit from all over the world. Rogan was born in Southampton in 1967. His father, a greengrocer, would bring home produce and, since both parents worked, Rogan cooked family meals from his early teens. At 14 he got a part-time job in a Greek restaurant, eventually accepting a career in football was unrealistic (“I wasn’t good enough, I lacked the discipline [and liked] girls and booze too much”). “I really enjoyed it, they paid me well,” says Rogan of working in the restaurant. “I was probably one of the richest guys in my year. I liked the latest fashion, Armani jumpers and all that.” By the mid-2000s, Rogan “became known as the Heston [Blumenthal] of the north”, says food writer Andy 64

I was this youngish upstart who’d come ‘into this sleepy northern village in the middle of nowhere, doing this weird stuff ’

Lynes. “He hated that.” It may have been reductive but, inspired by the avant-garde Spanish scene, Rogan’s gels, powders and foams were causing a stir. Yet there was a sense that L’Enclume was just one among many; top-quality but not era-defining. “When you’re starting off you chase things and try too hard,” Rogan admits. The food was “too complicated, fussy, overdressed, not as cohesive as things should be. I moved away from the natural style and became a little bit more molecular.” The key to reaching the next level seems obvious in this age of sustainable fine dining but, 15 years ago, was quietly radical. In the early days Rogan asked local organic farmers to grow specific vegetables, then in 2005 he took matters into his own hands, renting a local farm. In 2011 he upsized to the now-12-acre Our Farm, a mile from Cartmel. Today, under the stewardship of head grower John Rowland, it provides 75 per cent of the produce used across Rogan’s five British restaurants. When I visited L’Enclume in February, before the third star was announced,

several things stood out. The food was unfailingly superb. Foams and gels were never superfluous. A seaweed custard with beef broth and bone marrow was beautifully unctuous; the famous savoury truffle pudding, here with local birch sap, stout vinegar and Berkswell cheese, was excellent. Each dish looked reassuringly simple, yet tasted complex. Most impressive was the lack of pretension. It was formal, but not stuffy. There were no tablecloths. You could wear a T-shirt and trainers. According to Rogan, it can even get “a bit rowdy” on certain nights. There was a true sense of place; at some finedining spots you could be anywhere. It felt like the future of fine dining. It was in 2010 that L’Enclume went mainstream after featuring on Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon’s gastrotour comedy The Trip. The duo traded Ray Winstone impressions while discussing an appetiser. “The consistency is a bit like snot,” whispered Coogan. “But it tastes great.” “I would probably say The Trip was more important [than the extra star],” Rogan admits. “We still get people wanting to sit on that table, re-enacting

the journey… [asking for] green snot.” Having conquered Cumbria he had other destinations in sight. In 2011 there was a first foray into London with Roganic (it won a Michelin star, but closed partly due to the pandemic), and he opened Aulis in Soho in 2017. In 2018 and 2019 he took Aulis and Roganic to Hong Kong, gaining a Michelin star at the latter. Many believe L’Enclume has been at the highest level for years, so why now for that third star? Perhaps he has the pandemic to thank. “For the first time since Roganic opened in London, I haven’t been gallivanting around the country but in the kitchen with the team, shoulder to shoulder, every day.” Rogan considers his current crew his ‘dream team’, and still spends almost every day in the kitchen, whether at L’Enclume or his other restaurants. Scanning today’s key trends – farm-to-fork; foraging; fermenting; Japanese influence; plant-centric dishes; sustainability, seasonality and zero-waste; chef’s tables – Rogan has always been at the forefront, if not necessarily first. “I’d put him on

the same level as Marco. He’s more important in a culinary sense than Gordon Ramsay, who has not ever really done anything original,” says Lynes. For many, his greatest influence has been to redress an imbalance. “At a time when Michelin and the media had a London-centric view of good food, he showed it could be done [elsewhere],” says Thom Hetherington, CEO of the Northern Restaurant & Bar show. As L’Enclume’s 20th anniversary approaches, Rogan’s thoughts turn to the next 20 years. He has a popup planned in Singapore, hopes to bring something to Shanghai and wants to reopen Roganic in London. “Hopefully [there will be] lots more restaurants, with lots more turnover, but me not doing any of the work – that would be nice,” he jokes. Opening L’Enclume was a risk but, although he has spent much of the past decade travelling, he is never happier than when back in Cartmel, which he now firmly considers his home. “Moving north,” he says, “was the best thing we ever did.”

Travel AUGUST 2022: ISSUE 131

ULTIMATE STAYS

Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai, Hoi An Vietnam

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n a land of mystery, beauty and enchantment, the extraordinary Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai, Hoi An stands at its heartland, granting guests easy access to a trio of spellbinding UNESCO World Heritage sites, Hoi An Ancient Town, My Son Sanctuary, and The Imperial City of Hue. Yet this is an all-villa resort that houses more than enough attractions to keep you on site – it’s even home to an age-old traditional temple that’s still used by members of the local community of fishermen. Here, immersing yourself in local culture comes laden with rewards. Welcomed warmly by Vietnamese staff who hail from Hoi An and Danang (as many as 98 per cent do so; a real rarity at an international-brand resort), the sense of place they help convey is heightened by villas, designed in the style of traditional abodes, for which architecture is elevated to an art form. Through a combination of structure, landscape, and Feng Shui, each villa features internal columns, a multifunctional central sleeping platform, and a wide space for natural ventilation. This harmonious set up is best exemplified by the outstanding Five-Bedroom Beachfront Pool Villa. Its grand proportions afford guests the opportunity to entertain 30 friends or family, with room to sleep as many as half that number. A lanternlit garden replete with a heated pool leads to a glorious swathe of beach, at which the ocean laps invitingly. With complimentary daily and weekly activities including local arts and crafts, practices and peaceful rituals – Good Night Kiss to the Earth sees you float a traditional Vietnamese wishing lantern on the water in an act of mindfulness,

while the Thap Nen Candle Lighting Ritual is heart-stirring – cultural charms run right the way through the resort. Head to the award-winning Heart of the Earth Spa for a range of treatments (some specifically for kids) grounded in mindfulness that embrace the teachings of Vietnam’s Thich Nhat Hanh, a revered Zen master and peace activist. Grouped into three wellbeing categories: stability, designed to nurture the body; creativity, unblocking the pathways to possibilities; and non-judgmental, promoting inner peace and compassion, a stay here bids that you embrace the benefits of life at a snail’s pace. And while the resort’s culinary journey will transport you through the flavours of Europe via India, it’s Vietnamese cuisine that you’ll desire come dinner time. An on-site farm yields more than 40 varieties of herbs, vegetables and

fruits, used daily by the brigade of hugely talented chefs. Our tip? Treat yourself at least once to a private ocean-side barbecue, for which your personal chef will curate a menu of local flavours of your preference, enjoyed under the light of lanterns and the star-peppered night sky. It will no doubt see you acquire a taste for more, so sate that appetite by enrolling in the resort’s cooking academy (there’s also one tailored to kids) to sharpen your skills by learning to perfect authentic Vietnamese recipes. For further indulgence, hop on the resort’s vintage Vespa for a guided tour of the best local outlets and their specialist dishes. This is a resort rich in everything that makes Vietnam unique, a luxury gateway to a land and people you’ll come to cherish through a stay you’ll remember for a lifetime. fourseasons.com/hoian

What I Know Now

Joanna Flint

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CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER, MANDARIN ORIENTAL HOTEL GROUP

The best piece of advice I’ve ever received is: “It’s not about you”. In my mid-30s, I was at a career crossroads and a colleague reached out telling me to put myself forward for a top position. I pushed back, saying that if they wanted me, they should have tapped me as they know where I am. My friend challenged me and said: “It’s not about you”. She went on to say that, “You’re here to send a signal and a voice for all the amazing women that work with us”. Suddenly, I realised that I had a collective responsibility to take a stand. She was right, it wasn’t about me, it was about that collective. Yes, I put myself forward and yes, I got the job. But it was a great reminder and great advice that as we get more senior, we have a duty and responsibility to be a voice for others. I don’t chase job titles; I chase interesting problems and challenges which leverage my best self and the people around me. When I look at ambition, I think more about passion and purpose. Someone once 68

told me that life has broadly three stages — learning, earning, and giving. My next phase is to shift to this third stage of giving; to find meaningful ways to help others, to make a difference and to give back. My definition of personal success is that at the end of your life you have no regrets. That you’ve lived your best life. One thing I do every day is check in on my parents to see that they’re fine. Living overseas can be hard, and for a remote family it can be very lonely. I never take it for granted. I know that it means a huge amount to them to have that daily check-in, to know that they’re not alone and that I’m only a call away. And it always brings a smile to my face! At the very least, it reminds me of the importance of empathy and kindness. The great outdoors inspires me. I love the natural world; whether that’s seeing a beautiful frangipani flower falling off a tree or being at the top of a mountain looking down a ski descent.

I’m inspired by space, shapes, colours, patterns, sounds, birds, animals, and flowers, all going about their business. When I visit our [Mandarin Oriental] properties, where possible, I’ll ask to visit the key local sites. Most recently, I was stunned by the majesty of The Edge of the World in Saudi Arabia, just a 90-minute drive from Riyadh. The natural world is precious and exploring it is one of the most joyful things — being close to it is my happy place. I would tell my younger self that “It’s a marathon, not a sprint”. Slow down and be kind to yourself. I have a tendency to run fast at things, always pushing myself and putting in the extra hours. Whilst that’s paid dividends, and there is something Gladwellian and 10,000-hour rule about it, it has also meant that I’ve not always enjoyed the moment. Great runners know how to pace, to take it in, regroup and rebuild. They know how to be kind to themselves whilst keeping an eye on the long game, and that starts with self-compassion.

Illustration: Leona Beth

AUGUST 2022 : ISSUE 131

Escape to Dubai’s only

MOUNTAIN RESORT

For the ultimate escape from the city and plenty of space to roam, Dubai’s first and only mountain resort, JA Hatta Fort Hotel features 53 rooms nestled amidst the majestic Hajar Mountains. Located a mere 90-minute scenic drive from central Dubai, the hotel also offers sumptuous dining experiences, two outdoor pools and a range of activities including animal life encounters, perfect for both laid-back relaxation and exciting exploration.

Book direct on JAresorts.com

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