AIR Magazine - Empire Aviation - December'22

Time travels the world.

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TIME, A HERMÈS OBJECT.

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FEATURES

Forty

Eight Licence To Thrill

Lashana Lynch hit the big time as the first female 007. Now she wants to be the role model she never had.

Fifty Four Suits You, Madam

Why master Italian tailor Brioni is now turning its peerless expertise to flattering the female form.

Sixty Two Life Behind The Lens

Gideon Lewin, former righthand man of Richard Avedon, recalls the thrills of their life on the road.

Welcome Onboard

DECEMBER 2022

Welcome to this issue of AIR our private aviation luxury lifestyle magazine.

This is a special edition marking our 15 years of service excellence and we take a brief look back on our journey and the achievements along the way. It’s also the theme of our presentation at the MEBAA 2022 business aviation show in Dubai, where we will meet face-toface with our clients, partners and industry colleagues, providing an opportunity to celebrate the milestone with our team on site.

One significant announcement we can share at MEBAA and in this issue is the induction of our latest and unique business aircraft that adds a new dimension to our managed fleet. The Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) is an ultra-large-cabin, long-range aircraft perfectly suited for business, private, charter, corporate and headof-state operations. Our BBJ is already under management and operating on behalf of its owner from its base in Dubai.

Over the last 15 years, Empire Aviation has inducted over 70 aircraft (in total) into our managed fleet, based across the Middle East, Asia and Africa, including business jets from most of the leading aircraft manufacturers, and helicopters, seaplanes, air ambulances and super-sized corporate jets.

It has been a fantastic journey and we have been fortunate enough to be recognised several times with various industry awards that we proudly highlight in this issue. This always gives us enormous pride and motivation to look ahead to the next 15 years with even greater optimism and anticipation.

We have many people to thank managed aircraft partners, staff, suppliers, manufacturers, brokers and many others from the supportive aviation authorities. I hope we will have the chance to meet you at the MEBAA show in December so we can thank you face to face.

Enjoy the read.

Paras P. Dhamecha Founder & Managing Director

Empire Aviation Roll of Honour: 2007-2022

• Double winner at the Middle East Aviation Achievement Awards 2021, where the company picked up the ‘Business Aviation Operator of the Year’ and ‘Aircraft Management Service Provider’ awards.

• Winner of ‘Business Jet Operator of the Year” at the 14th annual Aviation Business Awards, held in Dubai, in December 2020.

• Winner of the ‘Aircraft Management Service Provider of the Year’ award at the 11th annual Aviation Business Awards, held in Dubai, in October 2017.

• Empire Aviation was also the winner of the best ‘Aircraft Management Service Provider of the Year’ award in 2015 and 2016.

• Empire Aviation was named winner of the Service Excellence Award for Aircraft Sales and Aircraft Management Services at the Gulf Aviation Networking Event (GANE) 2015

• Empire Aviation was ranked 22 in the Dubai SME 100 ranking for 2013 – our first ranking and the only aviation company in the top 100.

Contact Details: info@empire.aero empireaviation.com

Cover : Lyshana Lynch by Rosaline Shahnavaz

Celebrating 15 Years of Excellence

How Empire Aviation Group developed into a successful global private aviation business

Since launching in Dubai in 2007, Empire Aviation Group has developed into a global private aviation business integrating a comprehensive range of services, based on a distinctive asset management approach and personalised service, ensuring aircraft owners and charter clients enjoy all the privacy, safety, comfort and convenience of private aviation.

Empire Aviation operates one of the Middle East’s largest managed fleets of business jets, with aircraft from all the major manufacturers based in global locations. The company operates in the key regions for private aviation, covering the USA, Europe, India, Africa and the Far East, in addition to the Middle East. The Empire Aviation team comprises 130 aviation

specialists across the globe with branch offices in India and San Marino and aircraft sales representatives in the US. Today, Empire Aviation holds AOCs (Air Operator Certificates) in the UAE and San Marino, an NSOP in India (through affiliate partner –EAMSPL), and private operations approved in the Cayman Islands.

The Empire Aviation team provides all the major services associated with private aviation – aircraft management, flight operations, charter, as well as aircraft sales and CAMO. It’s the integration of these comprehensive services and the expertise and experience of the team that enables Empire Aviation to provide a high degree of personalised service.

We are always looking to innovate and enhance our services and

operations through potential opportunities, such as expanding the markets in which we operate. Our team monitors global markets for potential opportunities to upgrade our product and service offerings.

Recent notable milestones include completing the first two Gulfstream aircraft sales in India after being appointed by Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation (one of the world’s leading business aircraft manufacturers) as the authorised Independent Sales Representative. Under the agreement, Empire Aviation Group is responsible for promoting and supporting Gulfstream business jet transactions.

Most recently, Empire Aviation has taken the first Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) under management on behalf of the owner, adding a new

dimension to the managed fleet. Empire Aviation already has around 20 business jets under management and we complete several business jet transactions each year.

Empire Aviation Group’s ‘Luxury Partner’ programme is designed to combine the unique benefits of private jet travel with award-winning luxury travel partners in response to the growing demand from affluent leisure travellers for highly personalised private travel services and associated luxury leisure experiences. The latest Luxury Partner to join the programme is COMO Hotels & Resorts and features properties in Fiji, Thailand and the Maldives.

Our location, specifically our base in Dubai, is central to our success in delivering a one-stop shop service to our aircraft owners and charter

EMPIRE AVIATION

clients. Dubai and the UAE are at the heart of a significant regional aviation sector, which has also driven regional economic growth. It has an outstanding aviation regulatory environment and world-class aviation infrastructure, with the talent, professional services and technical support that enable us to deliver services across the Middle East and other fast developing regions for business aviation from India to Africa and Asia. Our aircraft owners and charter clients have access to truly world-class facilities that compare very favourably with the best in the world. Looking ahead, we expect the region to continue to grow and for business aviation to flourish here in the region, helped by the strong business and tourism opportunities and major global sporting events hosted in the region.

These pages, clockwise from left: Paras P. Dhamecha, Empire Aviation Founder & Managing Director, and Steve Hartley, Group Executive Director, receive the UAE Air Operators Certificate, 2007; newspaper clipping announcing Empire Aviation’s commencement of flights from Dubai; Paras P. Dhamecha onboard one of Empire Aviation’s Hawker Beechcraft 800XPs, 2009

Empire Aviation has taken a BBJ 700 under management – a 2010 model with exceptional features and providing a super luxurious and spacious experience for up to 18 passengers. The interior is designed by Alberto Pinto and has a low cabin altitude with three cabin humidifiers and a host of features – from an onboard server and Airshow 4000 with customised graphics and Airshow on mobile devices, to an inflight entertainment system offering video on demand and 5.1 surround sound speakers, and equally well-equipped galley with steam oven, microwave, espresso machine, large fridge/freezer and ice compartments. The BBJ really adds a new dimension to our managed fleet.

Boeing Business Jet 700 joins Empire’s Managed Fleet Meet Us At MEBAA 2022

Dubai and the UAE are at the heart of regional and global aviation; what happens here is significant to the worldwide industry. So, we attract interest and talent from around the world, which is evident when we host major aviation industry exhibitions and conferences.

Like most industries, private aviation is a people business and it is essential to have face-to-face contact with industry professionals and all our friends within the business aviation world at important international shows like MEBAA.

At this event, we will be celebrating our 15th year operating in private aviation, so we look forward to meeting with our customers, suppliers and partners – many of whom we have known from the very beginning – and marking this milestone together at the region’s leading private aviation show.

Technology is disrupting many industries but private aviation is still

a ‘people business’. Empire Aviation’s aircraft management service has been built on close working relationships with aircraft owners to develop a high degree of personal trust, openness and transparency. The team builds this trust and manages expectations by looking after every operational and maintenance detail of their aircraft. This includes the negotiation of all contract services with supplier companies and tracking all costs to ensure owners are receiving the best deals with open books at all times.

We continue to see opportunities across all our business segments and have added new managed aircraft in Egypt, Indonesia, and West Africa, where we are active. In India, more companies are expanding their operations domestically and internationally and we believe we can help owners with professional aircraft management services, through our local partners. India is

also a significant part of our charter business and there’s a growing interest in aircraft acquisition – we are working on several transactions for aircraft to join our managed fleet and we are now working with Gulfstream in India.

We believe the future for the sector looks very positive across the Middle East as the market evolves and develops quickly and we are well positioned to support business aviation in the region and beyond, from our base in Dubai.

So, MEBAA provides the perfect meeting place at the perfect time for the industry – we hope to see you there.

Super luxurious aircraft can accommodate up to 18 passengers

Empire to celebrate 15th year at significent event while meeting customers, suppliers and partners

Dating back to its foundation in 1854, Louis Vuitton has a long history of creating bespoke travel trunks, including one to carry the typewriter of Ernest Hemingway. In all, the atelier takes on around 450 individual commissions each year for such trunks, but only one is crafted to cradle the world’s most recognisable sporting trophy – the 18-carat gold and malachite FIFA World Cup™. The trunk – currently in Qatar ahead of its presentation this month to the World Cup winners – is fashioned from laser-engraved Monogram Titanium and natural cowhide leather, an objet d’art that’s coveted almost as much as the trophy it holds.

OBJECTS OF DESIRE

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

OBJECTS OF DESIRE

PORTS 1961 SPRING-SUMMER 23

Working to a brief to make the familiar look a little unfamiliar, artistic director

Karl Templer did so through a process of deconstructing and reassembling pieces to add layers of texture or expression, an idea of broken classicism – tailored blazers have dematerialised

second layers; trousers are split vertically, with linings and underlayers being constantly revealed; while a cricket jumper is applied with a 3D texture. Above all else, however, this is showcase of genuine sartorial expertise.

OBJECTS OF DESIRE

FERRAGAMO SS23

Ferragamo debuted not only a new collection for SS23 but a new designer, too – Rhianna’s favourite, Maximilian Davis, taking his bow. The brand’s brave, new, Salvatore-less dawn did however look to its past for inspiration: “I wanted to pay tribute to Salvatore’s start by

bringing in the culture of Hollywood, but new Hollywood,” said Davis, who in addition to dropping Salvatore from the name ensured that Ferragamo also has a new font for its colourful new era, characterised by sunset- and sunriseinspired colourways.

OBJECTS OF DESIRE

DIOR PRINT HIGH JEWELLERY

Victoire de Castellane has always dazzled through her extraordinary use of colour, never failing to turn the contradictory into the coherent. With this stunning 137-piece collection (part of which debuted in Dubai) she adds further life by creating the likes of

three-dimensional earrings, wave-like ribbons, and flowers that have bloomed into rings and necklaces. It was long Castellane’s wish to “draw prints on jewellery,” and she does so here, leaning on her love of couture to imprint checks, stripes, and tie-dye.

RICHARD MILLE RM 07-01 INTERGALACTIC

Richard Mille’s ever-ambitious development department has a habit of reaching for the stars when thinking up new designs. This time they’ve stayed there. The RM 07-01 Intergalactic collection comprises four pieces, each set with diamonds and striking red-

gold prongs to evoke a constellation of sparkling stars set against the pitchblack of space. It’s the Bright Night (pictured) that shines brightest of all, Richard Mille’s expert gem-setters using 228 diamonds and 849 red gold prongs to craft a masterpiece of invention.

OBJECTS OF DESIRE

HARRIS REED MISE EN SCÈNE

There was a sense of the theatrical as Harris Reed explored the performative nature of dress through the demicouture Mise En Scène collection. The debutante ball was the source of its inspiration, where corsets, headpieces and embellishments abound. In the

1800s, however, men would also wear such items, a feeling of fluidity that Harris continues to tap into. Proportions are exaggerated and distorted, creating shapes like upturned ballgowns, fishtail skirts, and oversized bustles that drape across the hips.

OBJECTS OF DESIRE

ALAÏA BLACK DRESSES

The late couturier Azzedine Alaïa was always dressed in black. Little wonder, then, that it enjoys special status at the house. Creative director Pieter Mulier has turned to it for a capsule collection of eleven individual black dresses, reinterpreted to

champion diversity and wearability – though each one is sculpted in pure Alaïa style. As such, the designs are suited for multiple body shapes, and cut in way that allows for them to be worn from day through to evening. Effortlessly stylish.

OBJECTS OF DESIRE

RAMI AL ALI

WHITE

The Dubai-based couturier headed to the Big Apple in October, where at New York Bridal Fashion Week he dropped the fourth instalment of his seasonal ready-to-wear evening and bridal collection. The sixteen new looks comprised a palette of whites

– ivory and pearl through to classic shades of snow and off-white – and, as is always the case with Al Ali’s work, craftmanship was to the fore. Defined, elegant structures are adorned with an artful touch in the form of ostrich feathers, beading, and delicate lace.

OBJECTS OF DESIRE

Critique

Film

Women Talking Dir. Sarah Polley

Based on a novel, the women of an isolated religious community grapple with reconciling their reality with their faith.

AT BEST: “The film is beautifully performed and gripping in a chewy, nuanced, contemplative way.” — Robbie Collin, Daily Telegraph

AT WORST: “Undermined by Polley’s monotonous cornering of her own arguments.” — Adam Nayman, The Ringe r

Four Samosas Dir. Ravi Kapoor

A jilted, wannabe rapper attempts to win back his ex when he learns that she is now engaged to his nemesis.

AT BEST: “The fast-paced storytelling is top notch and the characters are a fun group to watch.” — Nathaniel Muir, AIPT

AT WORST: “If it were an actual meal, it would be junk food that leaves a bad taste.” — Carla Hay, Culture Mix

Empire Of Light Dir. Sam

Mendes

Set during the 1980s, the magic of cinema is explored as romance develops in a beautiful old cinema set by the sea.

AT BEST: “A heartwarming reminder of the joy, comfort and necessity of the big screen experience.” — Luke Hearfield, London Evening Standard

AT WORST: “This was a waste of everyone’s time and talent.” — Dwight Brown, dwightbrownInk.com

Hunt Dir. Lee Jung-jae

Two agents are tasked with uncovering a North Korean spy, who is deeply embedded within their agency.

AT BEST: “A kinetic, truly thrilling and delightfully operatic espionage tale.” — Josh Slater-Williams, Little White Lies

AT WORST: “An increasingly frustrating movie that loses its way amid a dense thicket of plot complications.” - David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter

‘Tis The Season At The Bicester Collection

Christmas is a time of wonder and merriment, a feeling brought to life across The Bicester Collection this holiday season by the enchanting designs of awardwinning creatives Wanda Barcelona. Having created concepts for the likes of Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior and Cartier, the trio of architect, designer and artist – who fashion unique large-scale, handmade creations from biodegradable cardboard and paper – has transformed The Bicester Collection’s Europe-wide set of shopping villages into mesmerising winter wonderlands, beneath star-filled skies. The perfect environment to soak in the seasonal spirit, each village will stage its own festivities, through engaging pop-ups, art, and music, while granting visitors a genuine wish-list of world-class shopping and gastronomy to enjoy. The latter is particularly true of the UK’s Bicester Village, where the legendary Cecconi’s has opened an outpost of its celebrated Mayfair restaurant. Join the

style-set here for a winning mix of the decadent (lobster spaghetti) and casual (perfectly crisp wood-fired pizzas, served up from a dedicated Pizza Bar). Further indulgence awaits at the bespoke Moet & Chandon and Veuve Cliquot champagne bus. It’s the sweet stuff that will see shoppers flock to Ingolstadt Village near Munich, where the heavenly macarons of Ladurée provide the perfect mid-shop pick-me-up. Back at Bicester Village, Richemont is offering the gift of time at its newly opened Watchfinder boutique, home to storied brands like Rolex, Cartier and Patek Philippe, while fashionistafavourite Maison Margiela has also opened to cater to both men and women and Neom joins Jo Malone London and Charlotte Tilbury to delight beauty aficionados.

With its pioneering mix of luxury fashion houses, up-and-coming designers, and of-the-moment streetwear brands, finding the perfect gift this Christmas at a Bicester

Collection village – whether fashion, beauty, homeware, or delicacy – is easy, particularly so if you ask Santa’s little helpers (known as expert personal shoppers out of season) for tips. They’ve curated gift guides filled with ideas for everyone on your list.

The Bicester Collection knows that giving is at the very heart of Christmas, that’s why it’s launched the DO GOOD charity programme to help those in need. It will see initiatives rolled out across the villages throughout the festive season: Ingolstadt Village and Wertheim Village have partnered with Samaritan’s Purse, inviting guests to drop off a shoebox filled with presents for children in need, while Kildare Village grants the opportunity to sponsor and plant a tree-for-life at Barretstown’s Enchanted Forest. Meanwhile, Fidenza Village, La Roca Village and Las Rozas Village will support children’s charity Make-A-Wish.

Christmas is a magical time, and Bicester Collection has magic in abundance. thebicestercollection.com

The award-winning creative studio Wanda Barcelona has transformed the Europe-wide collection of luxury shopping destinations into star-filled winter wonderlands

Critique Books

John Straley’s So Far And Good tells of an imprisoned private investigator who, much to his chagrin, sees his daughter launch her own detective agency. “A romantic view is that we would die for our children, but the more compelling story is how one man chooses to live for his child; a harrowing look at the lengths a parent will go to for the child he loves,” reviews fellow author Marcie Rendon.

Particularly enthused by the book was another author, James W. Hall: “There’s no one writing crime fiction quite as lyrical, twisted, and funny as John Straley. I’ve been a fan of his work from the start and I’m never disappointed… Straley summons his exceptional skills to keep us engaged and speeding through the heart-stopping (and sexy) twists and turns to one hell of a satisfying conclusion. One of his very best.” It’s a view shared by Anchorage Daily News: “The story twists and turns in mostly believable and sometimes horrifying ways that will keep a reader

turning pages into the night.”

In the psychological thriller The Collector, Anne Mette Hancock explores the nature of truth and what it means when we can no longer trust what we know to be real. “Intricate, well-constructed suspense, with a sophisticated premise,” praises New York Journal of Books, while Kirkus Reviews hails it as “A suitably nightmarish snap.” Fellow author Harlan Coben is also a fan of Hancock’s work: “Gripping, endearing, dark, and funny, Anne Mette Hancock has written the best series I’ve read this year. Kaldan and Schafer are my new favourite crimesolving duo. Highly recommended.” Publishers Weekly agrees , praising Hancock’s prose, particularly how she “does a good job portraying her leads’ complex motivation.”

Sleep is as essential as food, water, and oxygen, yet many of us struggle to get enough of it. However, renowned

sleep scientist Dr Aric Prather is so convinced he can guarantee anyone a sound sleep by following a simple seven-day plan he was written a book about it, The Sleep Prescription. Says The Boston Globe: “For each of seven days, the book guides you to focus on one aspect of building a good sleep routine, paying attention to how your mind works in concert with your body and the sleep habits you’ve built over your lifetime… the first book that showed me it’s possible to understand the science behind it, and find a way to unlock those perfect, restful hours.” The New York Times also hailed “Science-backed tips for sounder sleep,” while fellow doctor Sara Mednick calls it “a game changer. It’s an original and effective take on how we sleep and why so many of us struggle to do it well. A must-have for anyone looking to improve their waking life by fixing their sleeping one.”

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Lost In Music

For Lynn Goldsmith, the music industry has been a constant source of inspiration throughout her life, with a new book showcasing her photography of ’80s legends

WORDS: CHRIS ANDERSON

To call Lynn Goldsmith a photographer is a huge simplification. Yes, she takes photographs. A lot of them. With a large proportion featuring well known singers and bands, winning awards, appearing on magazine covers, in books, galleries and museums, and on more than 100 album sleeves. But her CV shows that the music industry has impacted her creativity in other ways.

Now aged 74, US-born Goldsmith graduated from college and landed her first job at Elektra Records. By 1971, that role had transitioned into that of film director, Goldsmith making TV shows and documentaries about famous musicians and becoming the youngest woman to be inducted into the Directors Guild of America. Then she switched lanes again, moving into music management. But by the mid-’70s Goldsmith found herself leaning more heavily

into photography – even launching one of the first agencies to specialise in celebrity images, LGI, which by the mid-’90s had been sold to Corbis. She became a musician herself for a time in the ’80s, signed to Island Records, writing and performing under the name Will Powers.

It’s a long, varied music-shaped career, which Goldsmith is happy to discuss as she talks about her latest book from her home in the musical hotspot of Nashville, Tennessee. “There’s a lot of people in the music industry that are also photographers,” she says. “Graham Nash, Bryan Adams, Patti Smith, Moby… Like them, I don’t classify myself as one thing or the other. I’m an artist who has different tools to manifest their ideas. So the camera is another piece of equipment that helps me connect with the world and the individual.”

This artist who is not a photographer has a new book of photography out, Music in the ’80s, published by Rizzoli.

How did it all come about? “I really love doing books,” Goldsmith admits. “When I put any kind of book together, I always learn something. It’s like making a documentary, where you start off with an idea, and it grows and expands, and takes all these different directions.

“So I had just put out a book about Patti Smith, and I was discussing with the publisher what the next one should be. I love my photos of the B-52s, but they wanted to do a single subject and suggested the ’80s. At first I said, ‘Really? The ’80s were all big hair bands.’ But then I thought, well I’m having a pretty strong reaction to this, maybe I should look into it, and from my archive I realised that a huge range of music styles evolved over this period. There was electronica, new wave, rap, metal, ska, pop stars like Michael Jackson and Madonna, rock bands like Thin Lizzy, and even reggae. I started to think, this is amazing, and if you organise the artists alphabetically,

Opening pages, from left to right: B52’s, 1980; Alice Cooper, 1989

This page, from top to bottom: Pretenders, 1980; Tom Petty, 1981

‘ It was a time when it was more about the artistry than making money’

the appearance and style of each changes so dramatically from one image to the next.”

A fun exercise for Goldsmith was to ask the artists featured in the images for a short entry on their top ’80s memories, alongside words from today’s celebrities who might have grown up during the period. “It was so funny, because Chris Stein [guitarist in Blondie], for example, says in his quote that the ’80s murdered what was left of the ’60s, which was very similar to my initial reaction,” says Goldsmith. “But then you’ve got actor Ben Stiller, who was in his early teens, and it was such an informative period for him. It shows how we all experience the music differently.”

Huge artists such as Tom Petty, Iggy Pop, Tina Turner, Elvis Costello, Keith Richards and Van Halen are among those featured, sparking many memories for Goldsmith. “I used to do what I call guerrilla photography,” she laughs. “So I’d ride around with a band liked Van Halen in their van, and if we saw something interesting we’d pull over and shoot them in front of it. I used to have contacts at the labels sending me demo tapes, and if I thought the artist had potential I’d ask to photograph them. Van Halen was one of those. And Cyndi Lauper. The first time I heard Girls Just Wanna Have Fun on the radio, I knew it was going to be huge and immediately called her management.”

So what were artists such as Alice Cooper or Michael Jackson like to work with? “Alice is a gentleman, really nice, and Michael was really shy, but incredibly sweet and trusting,” Goldsmith reveals. “Someone who was really chatty was Chrissy Hynde of The Pretenders. I photographed the band in my New York studio and on the street outside. She kept asking me if I knew Ray Davies of The Kinks, and wanted to see pictures I’d taken, really squeezing me for information. I thought it was odd, but next thing I knew they were dating and had a daughter together.

“But I remember, I’d been taught by Debbie Harry in the ’70s how to apply make-up, as she used to be a cosmetologist, and in those days artists didn’t have anyone to style them, not like now, and it was all left to the photographer. So I asked Chrissie to wear make-up, and she didn’t want to – like a lot of artists, she thought it would make her less authentic. I knew she was a fan of Patti Smith, so I told her, ‘Patti lets me

do it.’ She immediately said, ‘Give me that black pencil.’”

G oldsmith is still working today, pointing her camera at modern artists. “I just shot Kelly Monrow, who’s also an actress, and next week I’m with country singer Rodney Crowell,” she says. “I like to meet people I think I might be helpful to, with all of my industry experience. And then I’m working on a book of my Bruce Springsteen photos.”

So how much did piecing together a book on the ’80s change her view of the decade? “It was a time when there was so much creativity, and I think it was more about the artistry than just making money,” Goldsmith concludes. “I think the book sends the message that if a time like that existed before, then there’s hope it could do again.”

Music in the ’80s by Lynn Goldsmith is published by Rizzoli rizzoliusa.com

Below: Pat Benatar, 1980

How Andy Warhol’s richly illustrated festive greeting cards for Tiffany & Co. inspired this season’s most spectacular holiday campaign

Andy Warhol and Tiffany & Co. are as synonymous with New York City as yellow cabs and the ever-bustling Times Square. But the two also shared a deeper, artistic connection, with Warhol invited each holiday season to illustrate Tiffany & Co.’s greeting cards in his signature style. Those cards – vivacious, with birds, stars, shoes, trees, and other themes evocative of the season – were

sold every December at Tiffany’s Fifth Avenue flagship store from 1957 until 1962 and are now treasured keepsakes.

In homage to that artful collaboration comes another for this year’s holiday season: an exclusive Tiffany & Co. x Andy Warhol limited-edition collection inspired by the artist’s original greeting cards; and a spectacular fourfeet advent calendar, each piece crafted for over 50 hours from sustainable

wood and designed as a stack of iconic Tiffany blue boxes which open to reveal 24 actual boxes, one to open each December morning during the run up to Christmas Day.

As to what will be inside each precious blue box, that’s for you to decide – the calendar can be filled bespoke with items from Tiffany & Co.’s myriad collections, with a personal client adviser on hand to help your Christmas wish come true…

The 2022 Tiffany & Co. x Andy Warhol Advent Calendar

AIR

Tiffany Edge Hinged Bypass

Bangle in Platinum and Yellow Gold with Diamonds

Tiffany True® Engagement Ring with a Tiffany True® Diamond and a Platinum Diamond Band; Tiffany T True Wide Ring in White Gold with Pavé Diamonds

AIR

Tiffany T Wide Diamond Hinged Bangle in Yellow Gold

Tiffany HardWear Link Bracelet and Earrings in Sterling Silver

Tiffany Soleste® Fancy Yellow Diamond Ring in Yellow Gold with White Diamonds

Tiffany & Co. Schlumberger® Croisillon Azure Blue and Red Enamel Bracelets with Yellow Gold

Tiffany Lock Bangle in Yellow Gold

Tiffany & Co. x Andy Warhol

limited-edition collection: Tiffany & Co. X Andy Warhol

Limited-Edition Dessert Plates in Bone China, Set of 6

Tiffany & Co. X Andy Warhol

Limited-Edition Ornaments in Bone China, Set of 3

Tiffany & Co. X Andy Warhol

Limited-Edition Playing Cards

Tiffany & Co. X Andy Warhol

Limited-Edition Ring Dishes in Bone China, Set of 6

The Second Coming

Two new versions of the uniquely designed Zeitwerk are further proof that A. Lange & Söhne does things differently. AIR meets CEO Wilhelm Schmid to talk scarcity, craftmanship, and a love of mechanical things

WORDS: JOHN THATCHER

Wilhelm Schmid has always been fascinated by mechanical things. Indeed, the one-time car mechanic, now CEO of A. Lange & Söhne, will freely admit to being at his happiest on the days when his product development director, Anthony de Haas, shows him a finished piece for the very first time.

He has particularly fond memories of the day in 2009 when the now iconic Zeitwerk was placed in his hands. “I was simply stunned by the large format of the digital display featuring oversized jumping numerals for the hours and minutes, as they are 2.9 millimetres high and 2.3 millimetres wide,” he remembers. “Its harmonious arrangement and sheer size ensure superb legibility that is peerless to this very day. Not only does the aesthetically original and technically elaborate layout endow the dial with vibrancy, but the underlying constantforce mechanism switches the three dials within fractions of a second. I knew that both the design and technology would create a stir, and indeed they did.”

So much of a stir, in fact, that the mechanical watch with a digital display rightly ranks among this century’s finest models. However, always keen to adhere to the philosophy of its founder Walter Lange, who professed the need to ‘never stand still’, A. Lange & Söhne has unveiled two new versions of the awardwinning watch, one in platinum and other in pink gold. Inside is the new calibre L043.6, designed to double the power reserve and simplify the setting of the hour for anyone travelling through time zones.

“When we rework an existing product, the focus is always on improving its details and evolving its inner workings,” reveals Schmid. “It is a task that we approach with the same respect as when we create a completely new watch. In addition to subtle changes in design, we have focused on increasing the power reserve and ease of use in the new Zeitwerk. Thanks to a patented barrel design with two mainsprings,

it was possible to double the power reserve from 36 to 72 hours. This is a great challenge for a watch featuring a jumping numerals mechanism which requires a considerably higher amount of energy than a classic time display. The second characteristic our watchmakers are very proud of is the possibility to separately advance the hour indication, performed by an inverted pusher at 4 o’clock.”

It is those jumping numerals that grant the Zeitwerk its unique character. The design inspiration for the two equally large displays of the hours and minutes dates to 1841, when the five-minute clock (a clock that displayed the time digitally in fiveminute steps) was invented to hang in the Semper Opera House in Dresden, its numerals large enough to give the opera’s audience a clear view of the time regardless of where they were sat. Recreating that design and mechanism in something as small as a wristwatch, and ensuring that the time displayed changes every minute, was a technical challenge that required particular skills, particular people. Something that Schmid is acutely aware of. “We see it as our task to do everything we can to preserve our watchmaking art and the associated craftsmanship, and to continue it with the help of the next generations,” he states. “The very existence of our manufactory depends on highly skilled watchmakers. For this reason, Walter Lange initiated the training of apprentices as early

as 1997. In October, we celebrated the 25th anniversary of this commitment, and are proud to have trained 228 watchmakers in that time.”

Those predominately young watchmakers are part of a company that has always blazed its own trail. Unlike many other watch brands marketing in the modern era, you don’t see A. Lange & Söhne employ ambassadors, stage or sponsor largescale events. So why does Schmid like to do things differently? “I believe that the secret to our success also stems from the fact that we don’t let ourselves be guided by others. Our focus has always been on the watches that we believe speak for themselves. We consider our ambassadors to be the connoisseurs and collectors who understand and appreciate our approach to watchmaking. That’s also why we choose partnerships very carefully. The majority are classic car events [the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, being one], where we can exhibit our timepieces and give people with a passion for mechanical elegance a sense of our brand.”

With a reported annual output of only 5,500 hand-finished watches, those who share that passion may well find themselves on long waiting lists. Does Schmid feel they are attracted, in some part, through familiarity? The idea that the designs of A. Lange & Söhne’s signature pieces actually change very little and are therefore always ‘classic’? “Yes, I do. The best example is the Lange 1, with its then

groundbreaking innovations such as the off-centre dial configuration and the outsize date. These two instantly recognisable hallmarks have continued to distinguish this award-winning icon of modern times. The same rings true for all our product families and special editions, which, by the way, often differ significantly in terms of design. Each collection has its own geometric codes for the dial layout. However, there definitely are signature aesthetic features of A. Lange & Söhne timepieces, including the typical case shapes, the precisely defined arching of the lugs, the striking hands, and the exclusive typography. With every new watch we develop, we place great importance on harmonising technology and aesthetics, tradition, and modernity in the best possible way.

“Our watchmakers craft each and every timepiece with the same attention to detail, regardless of how many complications each model has. Therefore, the most important lesson I learned when I joined was to have patience. I had to learn that it is not possible to simply ramp up our production because it is not a question of facilities, machines, or financial investments. It is the people that are at the heart of our manufacturing process. It’s their hands that decorate, engrave, finish, assemble, and regulate.”

In other words, the best things come to those who wait. Just like the second generation Zeitwerk, revealed thirteen years after the original stunned this most passionate of watchmaker CEOs.

Previous pages The new Zeitwerk in pink gold

These pages, from left to right: The new Zeitwerk in platinum; Calibre L043.6; the new Zeitwerk in pink gold; Wilhelm Schmid

‘ We consider our ambassadors to be the connoisseurs and collectors who understand our approach to watchmaking’

The Butterfly Effect

AIR

As Mariah Carey launches a range of butterfly-themed diamonds with Chopard, she speaks to Priya Elan from her bath — where else? — about love, life and being a diva

WORDS: PRIYA ELAN

It’s 9.10pm and Mariah Carey is late. I’m in a phone-interview queue, waiting to chat with la diva about her latest collaboration: a jewellery line with Chopard. “It seems that MC is talkative. It should be in about 20 minutes,” her French representative tells me. “Hope you are not sleepy,” she adds, worryingly.

It’s Carey’s first jewellery line since a range with the Home Shopping Network 12 years ago (her appearances on the channel were so extra, an edited video of them in which she says the word “moment” 35 times in a minute and a half went viral). This time round, the Happy Butterfly collection, co-designed with Chopard’s artistic director, Caroline Scheufele, has 12 pieces of jewellery and three high jewellery pieces. And butterflies feature heavily. The symbol has become synonymous with Carey — now 53 and worth an estimated $320 million — since her 1997 album, Butterfly. But just as famous as her biggest songs (Vision of Love, Hero) is her image.

From the urban legends about her (“I don’t do stairs!”) to the episode of MTV Cribs where she showed viewers her lingerie cupboard and tried to exercise in stiletto heels, Carey has become known for being a diva, the Marie Antoinette of big ballads. Recently she surprised the Duchess of Sussex by calling her a diva on Meghan’s podcast, Archetypes; Carey later clarified on Twitter: “Yes! I called her a diva in the most fabulous, gorgeous, empowering sense of the word.”

After a 40-minute wait (10 minutes in “diva” time), Carey’s distinctive voice resounds over an audio Zoom link. With her video turned off, she is visually represented by a perfect azure blue and gold butterfly emoji and the legend “Mimi” above it (one of her many nicknames). It is… very Mariah.

As I follow her zigzaggy, stream-ofconsciousness chat, I can hear drops of water in the background. Is she taking her calls from the bath? Of course she is. “Working with Chopard was a humongous honour,” Carey says (splash, splash) from her New York penthouse. “The pieces are major, daaaaahhhhling,” she sings/speaks. “I first spoke to Caroline [Scheufele]

and we got into a detailed conversation about butterflies and she started sketching [the pieces] with three diamond strands on either side.”

Carey is quite a collector of jewellery herself — she started her own collection early on, encouraged by a matriarch figure she doesn’t want to name. “She was fabulous and knew all the icons. She said, ‘You need to be wearing more diamonds!’ So I bought myself a tennis necklace — it’s still in my collection. So that was quite the moment!”

“Moments” are quite a big thing in Carey-world and there are more happening. As well as the jewellery line, in September she released a special, 25th-anniversary version of Butterfly, which kicked off with a remastering of the video for the lead single, Honey You know, the one where she did a ‘Jane Bond’, escaping from the clutches of a lookalike of Tommy Mottola, her first husband and the boss of her record company at the time, Sony, then jetskiing into the arms of a male model. (She is currently with the dancer Bryan Tanaka and has two children — 11-yearold twins Moroccan and Monroe — with her second husband, Nick Cannon.) All the while dressed in Dolce & Gabbana and Gucci by Tom Ford. “In

the video I was clearly inspired by Ursula Andress and all the Bond girls. It was fun to swim in Gucci heels,” she says (splash, splash).

By the time Butterfly came around, Carey had gone from wearing cardigans, pearls and jeans to tube dresses and slips while baring more flesh than she ever had before. In her 2020 memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Care y, she details how strongly Mottola controlled her image: making her wear a more demure wardrobe and signing off on imagery that kept her mixed-race heritage more “ambiguous” in order to appeal to a larger demographic. “It was the first video I had fun making,” she says now of Honey. Considering it was her 26th single release and seven years into her career, that is wild, to say the least. “You can really tell, if you watch the other videos, that I was more free and more obviously ‘me’.” (Splash, splash.)

Carey notes there has often been much ambiguity around her image. Growing up, she often felt out of place, something that she articulated through her hair. “I grew up thinking hair was supposed to look a certain way,” she says now. “As a mixed-race person with a black father growing up in predominantly white neighbourhoods, it was difficult. My black friends were able to do different types of treatments on their hair from the ones who were mixed. My white friends didn’t have to do anything — they just woke up and their hair was fabulous. We didn’t have conditioner in our house because my mother was like, ‘Whatever, it looks fine.’ Now I’m never far from a bottle of conditioner. I travel with one.”

As our interview wraps up (“That’ll be your final question!” barks a faceless black square from my Zoom screen), I ask the All I Want for Christmas Is You singer if the Carey household has gone seasonal yet. “Christmas never ends for me,” she says, slightly manically. “But… it does really. I refuse to listen to Christmas music before a certain date and then, you know, it’s the day… it’s time,” she sings in a highpitched voice. “I try to savour every moment when I can. Moments only.”

The mantra of Mariah? We can see it catching on.

‘ This campaign is an exploration of fearless creativity’

Opening

These

pages, from left to right: Chopard X Mariah Carey ©Federal Studio; Mariah Carey ©Koto Bolofo

pages, from left to right: Mariah Carey ©Koto Bolofo; Chopard X Mariah Carey ©Federal Studio

WALK OF LIFE

Live it up in the heart of Dubai’s design-led neighbourhood at City Walk And Residences by Meraas

ART

DIRECTOR: KERRI BENNETT PHOTOGRAPHER: SAM RAWADI

LOCATION: CITY WALK AND RESIDENCES BY MERAAS

Stylist Chloe Bosher

Hair and Make-up Elena, Bareface Model Vitaliia, signatureelement.com

Page 1

Dress and jacket: Etro Boots and bag: ByFar Necklace: Swarovski

Pages 2-3

Dress: Etro Shoes: Jimmy Choo Bag: ByFar Earrings: Swarovski

Page 4

Suit and top: Marella Bag and shoes: Jimmy Choo Earrings: Elisabetta Franchi Watch: Missoni

Page 5

Dress: Tommy Hilfiger Boots: ByFar Earrings: Elisabetta Franchi

Page 6

Dress: Purification Garcia Shoes: Rene Caovilla Earrings: Elisabetta Franchi Watch: Missoni

Page 7

Beret and shirt: Brunello Cucinelli Watch: Missoni Necklace: Swarovski Skirt: Purification Garcia

Page 8

Dress: Elisabetta Franchi Necklace and bracelet: Swarovski Shoes: Rene Caovilla Bag: Jimmy Choo

After years working as a temp, Lashana Lynch hit the big time when she became the first female 007. She tells Ellie Austin why she wants to be the role model she never had

WORDS:

ELLIE AUSTIN

As an MI6 agent in No Time to Die, the latest instalment in the James Bond franchise, Lashana Lynch karate-kicked villains and somersaulted in mid-air while firing a machinegun.

Neither of these accomplishments, however, prepared her for the physicality of her most recent role in The Woman King, the stirring historical epic focused on a real-life troop of elite female warriors, known as the Agojie, who defended the West African kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s.

“I had a dream of completely doing my own stunts,” says Lynch, 34, over a herbal tea. It’s a sticky September morning and we’re sitting outside a nondescript café in London. Lynch — tall and impeccably poised — is dressed for comfort in all black (a baggy jumper, sweatpants, a Champion baseball cap) and delicate gold jewellery.

“Gina [Prince-Bythewood, the film’s director] had thought the same thing for me… When a director tells you that you can do your own stunts and you’re highly competitive,” Lynch says, her eyebrows arched in self-mockery, “there’s absolutely no way that you’re not going to be interested in pushing your mind and body to a place it has never been before.”

In The Woman King, Viola Davis plays Nanisca, a fearsome, battlescarred general whose job is to knock a new intake of recruits into shape. Their goal? To defend their king (John Boyega) against the dual threat of European colonisers and a competing African empire. Lynch plays Izogie, an experienced soldier with fingernails sharpened to bladelike points, who helps Nanisca ruthlessly drill the trainees. “When I read the script I could see myself, which doesn’t always happen,” says Lynch, who speaks precisely with a slight London twang. “I connected with Izogie energetically through other people that I’ve met in my life. The strength of women I know. And somehow she came really naturally.”

Even though Lynch felt an instant connection to Izogie, the character’s more physical traits required months of work. In No Time to Die, Lynch played Nomi, an intelligence officer who inherits Bond’s double O designation following his retirement. To prepare for the role she received what she has previously described as “lifelong ninja training”. However, there was also a stunt double on hand to step in at particularly precarious moments. “There are a lot of dangerous stunts in the Bond film [but] there were some things I was literally not allowed to do, nor would I want to do.” Not so in The Woman King, which sees Lynch execute every stunt herself. “We started with basic core exercises, then we moved to stunts, and we had to incorporate martial arts and weapons training,” she says of her time learning to wield spears, swords and machetes. “I want to vomit thinking about what we would do in the gym!”

Many of these sessions took place in the evening as, during the days, Lynch was filming scenes as the big-hearted Miss Honey in Netflix’s musical adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Matilda , which is out this month. “I was sweet and adorable Miss Honey until 6pm,” she laughs. “And then from 7pm until 10pm I had to find Izogie.”

The result of this training is a series of battle scenes that, in the context of big-budget action movies traditionally built around men, feel revolutionary: row after row of muscular women fighters spinning spears and slicing

Below: still from The Woman King (2022) Next page: still from No Time To Die (2021)

off heads. Shot in the blistering heat of South Africa, the film offers a powerful depiction of the female form at its fiercest and most raw.

Born in Hammersmith, west London, to Jamaican parents — her father is a social worker and her mother a housing manager who took cleaning jobs for extra money — Lynch grew up in a home where she was constantly reminded of her worth. “The repetition of ‘Don’t listen to them … ask questions, don’t take no for an answer.’ All of those things just seep in.”

Her parents split up when she was still small and Lynch, the youngest of three siblings, remembers afternoons and weekends spent with her grandmother watching Disney cartoons and TV talk shows. At school she won the lead in a production of Pinocchio and excelled on the netball court. From “really early on” Lynch’s parents recognised that their daughter’s future career would be either “creative or sporty”. After a stint at the Sylvia Young Theatre School, she chose the former.

Her first big screen acting gig was in Fast Girls, a 2012 film about elite women sprinters. In 2017 Lynch teetered close to a big break when she was cast in Still Star-Crossed , a Romeo and Juliet spin-off made by

Shonda Rhimes, the brains behind Grey’s Anatomy and Bridgerton. The show was cancelled after one series. During this time she worked a range of temp jobs — including as a doctor’s receptionist — to pay her bills. “It was excellent foundational work, being able to work in clinics and read scripts under the desk,” she says with characteristic buoyancy (Lynch is energetic, quick to laugh and emits a competent, head girl energy). “I’ve been traipsing up and down London, having to try and be happy with the job that I have, knowing that it’s not the career I want, even though I’m really helping people.”

At times, though, she grew frustrated by the entertainment industry’s narrow definitions of beauty and ability. “I felt like I was being robbed of being able to show my talent because they would want to go for an A-lister or a white woman, or someone with a little more experience, or a little bit shorter.” Did she ever contemplate abandoning her ambition to act? She answers indirectly.

“I’ve never worried about my career.

I’ve always thought, ‘I’m choosing to be an actor today. Tomorrow I might want to be a poet or build houses.’ As long as I’m a creative for the rest of my life, I’m deeply happy.”

‘ I don’t like reading about people’s personal things that I shouldn’t be privy to ’

Mainstream recognition came in 2019 when she landed the role of Maria Rambeau, a single mother and fighter pilot, in Captain Marvel. The film starred Bie Larson and was a runaway success, positioning Lynch as a bold talent capable of holding her own in a blockbuster. Yet it’s only since No Time to Die, which saw her make history as the franchise’s first black and first female 007, that Lynch feels truly respected by Hollywood decision-makers. Earlier this year she won Bafta’s EE Rising Star award — previous winners include John Boyega, Kristen Stewart and Tom Hardy — and her speech about her “supportive parents” whose own parents came from the Windrush generation garnered wild applause from the audience and went viral online. “People in the industry now seem to have realised I exist,” she says drolly. “I enjoy the level of trust that some film-makers and producers have with me now.”

She would consider returning for a second Bond film, but only “if it makes sense” to her character’s storyline. “Anything I want to return to has to make my heart sing. I’m not just excited by something because everyone loves it.” Does she follow the chatter about who will play the next incarnation of Bond now that Daniel Craig has concluded his run as the spy? “I’m way off grid with that,” she says with an eyeroll. “I’ve had conversations with producers and much of it [the speculation] doesn’t come from them. It’s just the world wanting something to talk about.”

Lynch’s self-assuredness extends to her approach to fame, which she is determined to navigate on her terms. Questions that nudge at the personal are answered politely but vaguely. “It’s no one’s business,” she says, explaining her refusal to discuss her love life. “I mean, you’re not going to tell people the colour of your underwear, are you? I don’t like reading about people’s personal things that I shouldn’t be privy to. I don’t live in their house and they don’t live in mine.”

In interviews she sometimes references her future children and grandchildren. Does she feel the societal pressure often exerted on women in their thirties to combine a thriving career with marriage and childbearing? “I genuinely try to remain as present as I can to what’s going on now,” she says with the serenity of a yoga instructor. “I’ve spoken to enough women in the industry about how life and career can coexist and I’m not worried. I’m not saying it won’t be a struggle, but I’m not worried that I’m going to leave the industry or come back into the industry and be like, ‘Oh my gosh, where am I?’ ”

Still, Lynch’s awareness of what her trajectory could symbolise for others — particularly the young black girls who look up to her — is a constant refrain in our conversation. It’s one of the reasons she has recently signed on to a Bob Marley biopic to play the legendary reggae star’s wife, Rita. “I never dreamt that me, as a Jamaican woman, would see the name Rita Marley in my email inbox, but when it did land there it made complete sense … that I’m able to use my career to gift to my country, my culture hopefully the best representation of this woman that I could possibly give.” That sounds like a lot of pressure to put on yourself, I say. “Honestly,” she replies with a grin, “Jamaicans — we’re a force.”

An alarm buzzes on Lynch’s phone to signal that our time is up. As she stands to leave, we return to The Woman King and what it would have meant to her, as a young Jamaican girl growing up in west London, to see films where women — specifically black women — were depicted as warriors, rather than wives or girlfriends or mothers. “I would be a completely different person,” she says without a beat. “Knowing that these women existed would have given me confidence as a young teen… I would have been able to really put what people think of me into perspective.”

Lynch has always known who she is. She was simply waiting for the rest of us to catch up.

‘ I felt like I was being robbed of being able to show my talent’

Made-to-measure outfits in exceptional fabrics by master Italian tailor Brioni are no longer the preserve of men — now the brand’s atelier in Abruzzo is turning its peerless expertise to flattering the female form

WORDS: MELISSA TWIGG

AIR

From September, Brioni and its softly-spoken Austrian creative director, Norbert Stumpfl, have been making equal-opportunity garments, with made-to-measure formal suits in exceptional fabrics now available for the feminine form. So flattering is its cut — leaner and sharper than English or American styles — that since the 1950s, the Rome-based brand has been dressing the world’s most discerning men. And, at last, women can join the privileged ranks.

“It felt like the natural next step,” says Stumpfl. He joined the house in 2018 after cutting his teeth first under Haider Ackermann at Berluti, then with Kim Jones at Louis Vuitton. “During the pandemic, comfortable clothes reigned supreme, but once the world re opened, people wanted to dress up again and have their clothes properly tailored, but with a focus on comfort that wasn’t there before,” he adds. “This is a major playing card for us, as Brioni is all about soft fabrics in wearable cuts, and with more and more women asking for made-to-measure suits, we knew it was time to make it official.”

This move into womenswear fills a gap that Brioni has known about for years — not least because it already has a sizable female client base. “Often, we will have a male customer who loves our evening jackets, and then a few months later his wife will come in and buy something similar for herself in an extra small,” says Stumpfl.

A plan that would work if only it weren’t for women’s pesky shoulders, which according to Brioni are the major point of difference between the sexes. Trousers can be altered easily, particularly when it comes to tightening the waist, but if a jacket is too broad, then it’s difficult to adjust seamlessly.

“Always, always the shoulders,” says Stumpfl. “Because the shoulder is connected to the collar, changing the size is a big alteration as it means lengthening the sleeves. We have our own tailors, but if a woman wants to buy a man’s piece, we have to take the whole jacket apart. And while our female clients like the masculine look, they still generally want a silhouette that is narrower — all of which is a long way of saying that the shoulders leave us with a lot of problems.”

Hence Brioni taking the decision, when creating a small capsule

collection of menswear last year, to cut six outfits in women’s sizes, which were then shown at Milan Fashion Week. The response was immediate — the house had identified an area of womenswear that was poorly served.

“Women’s suits are largely made from either viscose or crepe but with very little wool or silk or even handstitching at a high level,” explains Stumpfl. “The wool used for men is so

soft to touch that women will often be surprised if they lean in to hug a man — and that’s our wow factor.”

Much of this softness is due to how the garments are made. Brioni uses 95 per cent natural yarns (“you could bury a suit in the earth and it would eventually disappear,” points out Stumpfl — although you’d be mad to do so), most of which are sourced and spun in Italy. Added to this are

‘ While our female clients like the masculine look, they still generally want a silhouette that is narrower ’

Opening pages: Brioni FW22 These pages, from left to right: Brioni FW22; Norbert Stumpfl

a few specific fabrics from Japan and Britain. “There are some wonderful English materials you can get from English mills, but I would say 80 per cent of our yarn is Italian.”

The material is then taken to Penne, Abruzzo, to a workshop in the hills two hours from Rome, where both the men’s and women’s collections are made. The town is a place steeped in history for Brioni — in 1959, nearly 15 years after it opened its first Roman boutique, the brand founded an atelier here. It was from this rural site that the company revolutionised high-end tailoring, quadrupling output while maintaining its distinctive handmade quality.

Today, amid olive groves and vineyards, the Brioni workshop still remains. With more than six decades of tailoring experience, this small atelier produces collections on a grand scale. Much of this is thanks to streamlined production: when the material arrives, it is ironed and stretched to create a perfect line before being cut.

Throughout the entire process — as the lining is added, for example — it is constantly ironed, never using too much steam as that can damage the fabric. “It is closer to sculpting with an iron than anything else,” says Stumpfl.

Next, one of the thousand tailors that Brioni employs takes over to hand-stitch the suits: 75 per cent of the work is invisible, inside the lining. The all-important shoulders are the starting point, followed by the sleeves and the waist.

The fabric stays on a hanger throughout the process — sometimes the craftspeople will realise it’s too long and then recut it, but there is always an individual working on it, rather than a machine. “This is a garment, for me, which you can never throw away as there’s so much beauty in handcrafting, particularly in a world where everything is industrialised,” says Stumpfl. “It has a soul because so many hands have touched it. No corners are cut — you can see it in

the hand-stitching, which is slightly irregular — that’s the beauty of it.”

Shirts, which are made from a double-faced wool-and-silk material, are almost as complicated to make. They are meticulously cut by hand before being sewn, piece by piece, into shape — a process Stumpfl says can be even more complex than constructing a suit jacket because of the lightness of the fabric.

Due to Brioni’s determination to keep its pieces handcrafted, each classic jacket takes about 15 hours to make, while the tuxedo takes 21. “Anyone who says our pieces are expensive should compare it with the amount of time it takes to make a handbag,” says Stumpfl.

“That process is automated and takes about 30 minutes on average,” he adds. “Our tuxedos cost the same and take days of work — and as a result no two suits are identical. That, in my opinion, is real luxury.”

‘ There’s so much beauty in handcrafting, particularly in a world where everything is industrialised ’

Previous pages: Brioni SS23

These pages, from left to rigt: Brioni’s tailors at work; Brioni SS23

Gideon Lewin – former right-hand man of Richard Avedon, the great American photographer – recalls the thrills of their life on the road

WORDS: LUCY DAVIS

Gideon Lewin still dreams about Richard Avedon. Between 1964 and 1980, Lewin was the late American photographer’s right-hand man – the “nerve centre” of his midtown Manhattan studio. “Sometimes we have a conversation about work… sometimes he just guides me,” Lewin says. “Now I think of it, I wonder, did he dream about me too? Maybe some kind of nightmare, where he was trying to call me in the middle of the night – ha!”

Lewin, who is 83, and an established New York photographer himself, has published a visual memoir of his years with Avedon. His enchanting pictures grant rare behind-the-scenes access to a critical moment when Avedon was, more or less single-handedly, spearheading a revolution in fashion and magazine photography.

In his poignant account of their friendship, Lewin recalls how, in 1964, he arrived at Avedon’s studio on East 58th Street to be interviewed for the position of studio assistant. He was 24, a recent graduate of art college in California, and, though he’d come across Avedon’s work, he says, “I did not realise the magnitude of his reputation.”

The interview was a matter of minutes: Avedon leafing through Lewin’s portfolio while on the phone, handset cradled under his chin. “Then he looked up and said, ‘You’re on. Call me Dick.’ Right away there was some kind of a connection. He said, ‘You can start tomorrow.’”

‘ What he brought into this world of ours, I have total admiration for ’

New York in 1960s was a merry-goround, with Avedon at its centre. First at Harper’s Bazaar , then Vogue , he introduced a new fashion photography that conveyed impulsiveness and informality, as if at any moment the model might run breathlessly out of the picture.

He captured all the era’s biggest stars, from Twiggy, Audrey Hepburn and Catherine Deneuve to Rudolf Nureyev and Barbra Streisand. He also, quietly, earned his political stripes, taking portraits of civil rights leaders, Vietnamese napalm victims, and the American political elite post-Watergate.

“He was constantly creating new standards,” writes Lewin, in the book.

“His determination to leave a legacy that surpassed other photographers’ accomplishments is what set him apart.”

Lewin, who grew up in Jerusalem, learnt the ropes quickly: a year after he joined Avedon, he was made studio manager, running a team of assistants, interns and — once — a supposedly rehabilitated former convict who cleaned them out overnight. “I had the reputation of being demanding,” he says, “but it was demanding work.”

Days were varied: department-store catalogues or ad campaigns for fashion designers and the likes of Revlon, Clairol and Max Factor paid the overheads. Work for Harper’s Bazaar or Vogue , meanwhile, provided the most fun, “and probably the longest days”, Lewin recalls.

There was no overtime. “We worked until we were done: I gave up many theatre and opera tickets and stuff like that, because film had to be processed at night and contact [sheets] on his desk in the morning. Or I would deliver them to his home, so he could look at the images while he had dinner. He really worked almost 24 hours.”

Lewin tells me he heard his name called “maybe 200 times a day… Gideon this, Gideon that, Gideon, where are you? Sometimes he’d phone in the middle of the night, saying, ‘Gideon, I’m sorry, but I have an idea.’ ‘Tell me in the morning,’ I’d say, and he’d say, ‘No, no. I’ll forget and I want you to hear it.’”

In 2002, more than 30 years after Lewin had left the studio, one of Avedon’s assistants came up to him

Opening pages: Richard Avedon

©Gideon Lewin

These pages, clockwise from top left: Richard Avedon, first portrait, 1965; Lauren Ara in dressing room;

Joanna Mastroianni; Veruschka Polly Ara; Richard Avedon with an eagle in Ireland. All © Gideon Lewin

These pages, clockwise from above: Richard Avedon with his portrait of his father; Polly Patti on set; Richard Avedon at the Marlborough show, 1975. All © Gideon Lewin

at an exhibition. “He said, ‘You’re the Gideon, aren’t you? Even this morning, he was calling me by your name.’ It was the best compliment one could have, you know?”

Lewin makes the briefest reference to “the complexity of Avedon’s personality”. Alongside his tremendous, contagious energy, he says, “he could be manipulative when he needed to be, vindictive when he did not get his way”. There were dark days when Avedon was “totally remote and self-absorbed, deep in thought”, but also lighter days when Avedon, a practised dancer, was “playful, almost like a kid... He’d say, ‘Let me show you a Fred Astaire move,’ or a Charlie Chaplin. He’d have the cane and hat and do his walks.”

Before a sitting took place, Avedon would entrust Lewin with his ideas. “Carrying them out was my responsibility. On set, we would have very few conversations. He rarely had to direct me. His focus was totally on

the subject, and my contact with my assistants was through hand signals only.”

Lewin developed a particular way with light – one that Avedon cherished. Attaching an umbrella light to the end of a long pole, he moved with the models who were running and jumping, sometimes experimenting by shifting the light in different direction to dramatise or enhance. “It took total coordination and anticipation,” he says. Polly Mellen, fashion editor at Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue, called Lewin “le roi de la lumière” – the King of Light. When Lewin decided to set up on his own, all the models wanted to work with him because they knew he’d light them well. It must have been a colossally difficult decision to leave Avedon in 1980 – to end that relationship. “I was ready,” replies Lewin. “The time was right, but yes, it was difficult. It felt like leaving home.”

A few days after Lewin opened his own

studio, “I got a call from Dick’s secretary saying, ‘hold time next Tuesday’, and the whole team showed up, with a new set of dishes, the same as [Avedon] had, and food and champagne, and a big package wrapped in brown paper.” Inside was a huge print of Avedon’s 1955 photograph, Dovima with Elephants, “the one that had hung in his studio”. Avedon had signed it: From my studio to yours.

Avedon died of a brain haemorrhage in 2004, while on assignment. The last time Lewin saw him was at the theatre: “walking down the aisle”, he tells me. “He was alone, and I went up to him, we hugged, and he looked at me and said, ‘I want to go to Iraq. Would you come with me?’ I said, ‘Dick, I didn’t go to Vietnam with you. I’m not going to Iraq – I’m sorry.’ ‘Ah, terrible, terrible,’ he said, but it was really a warm moment. We always stayed close at heart. What he brought into this world of ours, I have total admiration for. I don’t regret a minute working for him.”

‘ I did not realise the magnitude of his reputation ’

Where Science Meets Art

When the Mayfair-based aesthetic clinic Ouronyx decided to open its first international outpost this year, they couldn’t have found a better home than the Zara Hadid-designed Opus Tower in Downtown Dubai.

T he late, visionary architect pioneered change in her field, setting new boundaries for possibility.

It’s a path keenly followed by Ouronyx’s co-founder Ida Barek, a renowned thought leader in the areas of psychology and behavioural science, who has bold aspirations for the state-of-the-art aesthetic treatments she offers through her newly-opened Dubai clinic. “Our unique approach to aesthetics prioritises our client as an individual and their motivations, along with the highest quality medical skill and cutting-edge technology with exceptional attention to detail,” she details with conviction. “We deliver the very best natural results, which celebrate and enhance individual beauty.”

T he Dubai clinic’s interiors are certainly beautiful, featuring plush seating, hand-picked accessories and an eye-catching feature artwork, All That Flutters Turns To Gold , made specially for the clinic by renowned British artist Dominic Harris. In fact, you could easily mistake the space for a discreet private members’ club.

Upon arrival here, clients are greeted by a personal concierge and encouraged to relax and enjoy the clinic’s five-star hospitality before their treatment.

A ppointments are purposefully long, with detailed questionnaires designed to pinpoint each client’s individual motivations for making changes, and groundbreaking 3D scans taken so that doctors can assess the face holistically, leading to a care plan being designed bespoke for each client.

The clinic focuses on subtle results that work to clearly enhance someone’s looks, a non-surgical, turn-back-theclock approach that seeks to refresh rather than change an individual’s appearance. To do so, Ouronyx boasts

How Ouronyx is redefining the medical beauty space by focusing exclusively on non-surgical treatments

an incredible team of experienced and inspiring facial aesthetic doctors, hired from around the world to offer treatments which include bespoke facial injectables and the latest microneedling treatments.

Ouronyx also specialises in the pioneering, FDA-approved hair loss prevention treatment, AMT (Autologous Micrografting Technology).

AMT is a non-invasive treatment which is suitable for clients with early-stage hair loss or thinning. Not only is it incredibly effective, but it also comes with absolutely no downtime — a gamechanger for busy clients who want to make discreet changes. What’s more, high-fliers don’t even have to delay treatments during their busy summer travel season, as Ouronyx’s individualised plans can be shared across both Mayfair and Dubai locations.

Beauty has power, and Ouronyx knows the secret of how to harness it. ouronyx.com

Revival Mode

While carmakers gear up for an all-electric future, Bell Sport & Classic have been busy reviving past glories for owners. Next up, an award-winning Ferrari 330 GT from the 60s

WORDS: CHRIS ANDERSON

When it comes to classic cars, there are companies now offering electric conversions, or the promise that as well as a full restoration, the vehicle will be improved using modern technology and building techniques. But some may believe that there is a reason these cars were popular in the first place, so isn’t there an argument for just finding something interesting, restoring it fully to its former glory, and making it the best possible version of what it was the day it rolled out of the factory?

Bell Sport & Classic, which has a showroom in Hertfordshire in the UK, makes the point rather well, most recently with a stunning 1966 Ferrari 330 GTC. It has the car’s original colour, Verde Chiaro Metallizato (a gorgeous light green metallic), with the tan leather interior looking completely immaculate, and the company claiming to have set a new benchmark in terms of restoration. In September, the Ferrari took the top spot at the prestigious Salon Privé

Concours d’Elégance, its first public appearance, with the judges suitably impressed. Though with the work taking an incredible three years, anything less would be a not-so-subtle disappointment.

As a general rule, Bell Sport & Classic will look for something rare, unusual, and with as many original parts as possible, giving its 20-plus team of restorers plenty to go on. “Ferrari built 600 of these between 1966 and late 1968, and this example was early on in the run,” says Managing Director Tim Kearns of the 330 GTC. “It first came to us six years ago, having clearly had a good amount of use. The car initially sold into Switzerland, had spent time in the US, and was eventually found in Venezuela. Although the engine wasn’t running, and the elegant Pininfarina body had been repainted blue, literally every nut and bolt was original, so it was a good example to start with, and we knew we could make it as close to perfect as possible.”

The current iteration of Bell Sport &

Classic came together just five years ago. Previously, it had been known as Bell Classics, started by Peter Bell in 1989, indulging his passion for classic cars as a complementary business to his manufacturing of plastic fuel cans. The new owners took over in 2018, tweaking the name and nature of the company to signal its heavier focus on classic and modern performance models, including Aston Martins, Lamborghinis and Ferraris.

Some truly amazing cars have passed through its showroom in the years since, including a one-of-kind aluminiumbodied Aston Martin V12 Zagato from 2011, three lightweight, rare V8-engined Ferraris from 2003 onwards, and a restored 1969 Ferrari Dino 246 GT with low miles, unveiled earlier this year.

With the new 330 GTC, however, the company has showcased the lengths that it will go to in ensuring the quality of its work, which it refers to as “beyond obsessive”. Every component has

been restored, overhauled or reverseengineered, with two weeks spent removing the interior components, and more time stripping parts, such as the bumpers, headlights and glass. Another month was taken to disassemble the suspension, with each nut and bolt sandblasted, and repainted or replated as required. Even parts that would not be visible received the same level of care and attention.

Looking at the car now, there are no clues whatsoever as to how damaged or corroded the 14in cast magnesium wheels once were, with the original shock absorbers, suspension arms and springs refurbished and retained. “We worked tirelessly on parts that we knew might never be seen again,” Kearns

continues. “But with our restorations, everything matters, even if it’s really time-consuming, as it gives our customers complete confidence that any car they buy from us will be perfect in every detail.”

The process of restoring the body was so involved preparations began a whole two years before it even saw a drop of paint, when it was blasted with crushed walnut shells, which Kearns describes as gentler than sand on potentially fragile areas.

Paint was then matched to the colour listed on the original factory build sheets, with the thickness of each coat carefully considered, so that all of the parts fitted perfectly during the reassembly process.

Fine-tuning the car’s Colombo V12 engine became the work of Attilio Romano, once part of the Ferrari factory technical

team in Maranello, who also ran luxury car dealer H R Owen’s Ferrari technical department, now employed by Bell Sport & Classic. The fully rebuilt engine was revived, producing the same 300hp at 7,000rpm it did originally. As a finishing touch, the wooden veneer dashboard was restored, and a period radio installed.

The 330 GTC was sold to its new owner during the three-year restoration process, who was no doubt eager to finally drive it. “If you took the car apart, every component would look new, even though it’s 56 years-old,” Kearns concludes.

“Our restorations tend to take a while, depending on the condition of the donor car. It’s the authenticity and detail that’s our benchmark and sets us apart. Like our customers, we expect perfection.”

‘ All of our restored cars are perfect in every detail’

Plate Of Mind

Inside the mind of Yann Bernard Lejard, creator of the Middle East’s most creative dining experience – with a little help from France’s legendary vineyard

WORDS: JOHN THATCHER

The notion that we eat first with our eyes may not be new –those words were purportedly spoken by Apicius, a lover of the finer things first century Rome had to offer – but it’s fair to say that Yann Bernard Lejard’s interpretation of that age-old concept is somewhat novel.

As the creative spark behind La Table Krug by Y at The Ritz-Carlton Bahrain – the first fine dining restaurant of its kind in the Middle East and just the fourth Krug dining concept in the world – Lejard creates what can rightly be described as culinary masterpieces, inventive plates that look like they have arrived at your table via the brushstrokes of Picasso and Pollock.

“My work is an entire experience that must lead to the recognition of food as a primary art,” says Lejard, whose unique skillset has taken him to twenty countries and multiple Michelin-starred restaurants. “We can see that creating emotion with food is easy, but not enough if we talk about a food and art movement. I need to

build a comprehensive message and relationship that can be understood by a large population, knowing that we all have our own sensibility, understanding, and attraction to art. Ultimately, my goal is to deliver a tailored experience that brings my clientele to the ultimate level of satisfaction. We can all understand that food is part of it, but it is not only food, it is more than that. Food can be the cornerstone, and additional elements related to the art world falls within it.”

It is a mission rooted in Lejard’s childhood. Born in Paris, he fondly recalls spending time at his grandparent’s house in the south of France. “My grandparents inherited from my great-grandfather an art collection. The entire house was furnished with art pieces everywhere, in all the rooms and different salons, and it always mesmerised me. I was fascinated with the prowess and power of the handcraft, the specificity and complexity of the work, the elaborate process… I believe I was living in

this art world since then. I never received any art education; it was a natural, emotional discovery, where I felt art touching my sensitivity and capturing me for the rest of my life.

“Every chef has his own calling with food and related stories – there is no food love story for me. I did receive a great food education in my family, where the pleasure of dining was omnipresent, as well as all the ceremony included in it, but never the will to participate in the elaborate process. My existence took a dramatic turn between the ages of eight and thirteen, when my world collapsed and my parents divorced. Art became a refuge and, in loneliness, a strength. At thirteen years old I had to stop school due to my very poor performance. My father decided that I should enrol at catering school, and after graduating aged sixteen I started my life in the hospitality world, with no idea of the journey in front of me. I did not know this world, no one around me knew anything, I started alone with only

an intense fire lighting my instinct.”

It’s a fire that continues to burn, a light that continues to guide. “It is a fire which cannot be extinguished. I am subject to eternal consciousness, with things to do. The more creative those things, the better I am.

“Food is endless, the ingredients, the taste, the techniques, food offers you a world of undefined cultural opportunities. It brings your emotions to unexpected locations; food can cover all the feelings and sensations that your body and soul can understand.”

As you would expect from someone who channels such emotion into their work, Lejard does not follow a particular process. “I never draw in advance; I do not think on the plating, it is a natural internal psychological process. I first choose the ingredients; taste, absorb, and understand the flavours, then associate the colours. I feel also my current emotional status –what I observed recently, which details caught my attention, the last song I listened to. I recall memories and

try to foresee future ones. I assemble all the elements following my pure instinct and natural inspiration and intuition. I also let a wild flow cross my mind to disrupt the comfort that can catch everyone’s creativity. I always look for difficulty and unexpected actions that will challenge my thinking process and make the difference to find a new angle of execution and result.” The result is often a visual feast, perfect fodder for Instagram, where Lejard commands an engaged audience of fascinated followers. At the cutting edge of the modern

fine dining experience, how does Lejard see it evolving from here?

“The use of technology will be one of the main components. Paradoxically, authenticity, another component, will be key. This is where your guest identifies their deep connection and relationship between your products and their needs. In this fast-changing world, a return to an understanding of our elementary and essential needs appears to be the source for solving our struggles, and human interaction reflects and wins over complicated scenarios. Back to basics is the future. Let’s recollect our memories and patrimony, which is our link to the fundamentals of humans living in harmony with nature.”

As for Lejard’s own evolution, it’s clear. “I learned that this is not about work, it is bigger than work, and I realise now in the direction that I take that I am only at the beginning and at the most important and interesting moment.”

A moment we can all revel in.

‘ Ultimately my goal is to deliver a tailored experience that brings my clientele to the ultimate level of satisfaction’

The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah, Al Wadi Desert UAE

Ashort drive from the sprawling, bustling metropolis of Dubai lies the perfect restful respite, The RitzCarlton Ras Al Khaimah, Al Wadi Desert. An instant favourite when it opened, this enchanting desert resort has further enhanced its reputation down the years to firmly establish itself as the ultimate weekend getaway.

Set within the expansive Al Wadi Nature Reserve, a stay here is all about the enjoyment of singular experiences — so much so that an Experience Concierge is on hand to guide you through the abundant options. They include a guided trek across the rolling dunes on foot, horse, or camelback; taking to two wheels to explore your serene surrounds on a desert bike; trying your hand at archery and falconry; and feeding the resident Oryx and graceful gazelles on a nature drive. But it’s at night that this magnificent setting really shines. As the blank canvas of pitchdark sky fills with twinkling stars, the constellations and visible planets are pinpointed by the resort’s resident astronomy experts.

Kids, too, are encouraged to enjoy their environment, whether by becoming budding bird watchers or fine fishermen — the nature reserve’s man-made watering hole allows for catch-andrelease fishing. Wellness aficionados will find sanctuary in The Rainforest, a magnificent, mapped journey through sixteen hydrothermal stations that treat your body to rejuvenating warm and cold sensations, via saunas, steam rooms, showers, and an ice igloo. A Vitality Pool, that has six jet stations of its own, will further soothe tense muscles and improve blood circulation.

Suitably relaxed, dinner options are headed by signature restaurant Farmhouse, a wonderfully homely setting where meats are treated in a smokehouse, vegetables are homegrown, and seafood options include fantastic fire-grilled tiger prawns. For a taste of Morocco, head to the stylish Moorish, while a wider menu of worldly flavours awaits at Kaheela — everything from expertly spiced curries and noodles, through to crisp pizzas and salads fashioned from the resort’s garden-grown ingredients.

The sweeping desert sands make for a fine vista whichever category of villa you opt for at this all-villa resort — each also has a private pool. Maximum privacy comes as standard in an Al Rimal Enclosed Pool Villa, while the trio of outsized tented villas are suitably luxurious — amenities at the superb Al Sarab Tented Villa run to complimentary sunset cocktails, a bottle of Champagne, a spa service upgrade, and butler service. Best, though, to drink in your tranquil surrounds from the open-air Moon Bar, the perfect setting as the sun slips away to reflect on a weekend to remember.

Lee Broom

DESIGNER AND FOUNDER OF LEE BROOM

I sketch every single day. It is something that I’ve done since I was a child. I remember my dad teaching me how to draw in my bedroom when I was growing up and ever since then I don’t recall many days where I haven’t sketched something. Even if it was just something ridiculous. It’s how every single one of my products begins its life, through a sketch from myself.

A lesson I learned the hard way was not to give people what you expect them to want. Any time I have ever released a product that I think is in line with what people need, or what people want, it never completely works. You are better off staying true to yourself, true to your vision and ultimately designing and creating what you want to. That way it’ll

be authentic and different. Also, people want to see work which is a reflection of you, not a reflection of themselves.

I worked in fashion back in the day and I am still incredibly passionate about clothes and style in general. I love to see fashion presentations and shows and what new designers are doing — I find it very inspiring and feel that clothes are an extension of your character.

My definition of personal success is to feel happiness and fulfilment from what you have achieved or created. I tend not to think too much about what other people view as successful or not successful within my work — for me, it is more important that I am happy and content with what I have created. I am without doubt my

own worst critic, so I don’t want to take on anybody else’s criticism if I don’t have to.

I would tell my younger self to relax a little more; it will all fall into place. I was often in such a hurry for things to happen when I was younger that I was often very stressed. It is hard when you first start out. You feel like doors are not opening quickly enough, but eventually they do if you continue to work hard and stay focused.

I still have so many things that I would love to design and create that I haven’t explored yet. Given my trajectory from theatre to fashion to interiors and then product design, I do feel like I can explore other mediums of design without any major doubts. It is just time constraints that prevent me from exploring that more.

Illustration: Leona Beth