SUMMER 2014
Some Some family family secrets secrets are are worth worth talking talking about. about. Ferry FerryPorsche Porschehad hadaafundamental fundamentalbelief beliefthat thatperformance performancecould couldbest bestbe beachieved achievedthrough throughefficiency. efficiency.It’s It’saabelief beliefthat that remains remainsatatthe thecore coreofofevery everycar carwe webuild, build,and andevery everytechnology technologywe wedevelop. develop.More Morepower, power,with withless lessweight, weight,improved improved performance performanceand andaamore moredynamic dynamicdriving drivingexperience, experience,with withlower loweremissions emissionsand andbetter betterfuel fueleconomy. economy.With Withnew new technologies technologiessuch suchas asDirect DirectFuel FuelInjection Injection(DFI), (DFI),the thePorsche PorscheDoppelkupplung Doppelkupplung(PDK) (PDK)gearbox, gearbox,the thefuel-saving fuel-savingauto auto start/stop start/stopfunction functionand andparallel parallelfull fullhybrid hybrid-- --getting gettingmore morefrom fromless lessjust justruns runsininthe thefamily. family.
PORSCHE PORSCHECENTRE CENTREVANCOUVER VANCOUVER
VANCOUVER’S VANCOUVER’SEXCLUSIVE EXCLUSIVEPORSCHE PORSCHESALES SALESAND ANDSERVICE SERVICECENTRE CENTRE 688 688TERMINAL TERMINALAVENUE AVENUE VANCOUVER VANCOUVER BC BC V6A V6A2M5 2M5 (604) (604)736-7911 736-7911 www.porschevancouver.ca www.porschevancouver.ca
publisher’s LETTER
and into our third! year, that is. this edition is our 8th, the first one was launched with friends and clients in june 2016 at bauhaus restaurant in gastown. time flies, and we are now heading into our third year. a big thank you to you, our readers, and to our clients, many of who are with us from the first edition on. it’s been quite the experience and we are thrilled with all the progress and excited about upcoming projects. stay tuned... and make sure to follow us on instagram or facebook for updates! for this edition, our epic journeys brought us to cuba. havana, to be exact, and it was quite the experience. having a cigar with che guevara’s son was a very exciting highlight, but there were many more. check out our in-depth travel guide and if you haven’t been to cuba yet, you should really go (just don’t book the ‘all inclusive’ resort).
olaf robrecht publisher olaf@iconic-concierge.com
i am writing this letter just a few weeks before we will join the annual diamond rally. spring has sprung, and we can’t wait to join our fellow supercar enthusiasts on this opener to the season. you will find us at several other great events, including the grand opening of victoria’s new luxury marina, so don’t be shy and say hi! now, as always, enjoy the magazine! we hope we found another good mix for you.
what else? ... They say that the winter months are the slowest ... well, we have been busy. From the photoshoots for our cover story with Riley Ryen in Miami, to our epic trip to Havana, Cuba, the Vancouver International Auto Show and several other cool events, Vancouver was not slowing down over the past couple of months. We would also like to reach out to the ‘Show of Hearts 2018 - Variety Children’s Charity’ and Global TV and say ‘thank you’ for having us on the show helping to raise money for children in need. In the end $5.5M were raisded - thank you all for your support!
6
ICONIC CONCIERGE
DUSTIN JOHNSON GOLF'S WORLD NUMBER 1
T
H
E
A
Big Bang Unico Golf. Very light texalium case. UNICO column-wheel chronograph, equipped with a unique additional mechanism dedicated to golf scoring. Leather strap stitched on rubber.
R
T
O
F
F
U
S
I
O
N
vol. 8 [2018]
ICONIC CONCIERGE
www.iconic-concierge.com
On the cover: Riley Ryen
PUBLISHER:
OLAF ROBRECHT olaf@iconic-concierge.com
AUTOMOTIVE EDITOR: FASHION EDITOR: WINE EDITOR: FOOD & BEVERAGE EDITOR: CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:
PHOTOGRAPHY:
COPY EDITOR: DESIGN/ LAYOUT: ADVERTISING SALES:
ROBBIE DICKSON JASON SARAI BARRY MCNABB KEITH TRUSLER JASON BOUDREAU, NATALIE LANGSTON, AMANDA WOOD, JESSE DEAN COOK, OLIVER FINLAY, JIM GORDON, JASON SARAI, DR. CHRISTIAN BRIX DAVE HAMILTON, TODD DUNCAN, KEVIN UY, CAITLYN VAN NICE MIKE STRAUS YADA-YADA MEDIA please contact iconicconciergemagazine@gmail.com
iconic_concierge Iconic Concierge is published by
Printed in Canada.
Grooming Supplies + Barbershops barberandco.com
10
ICONIC CONCIERGE
barberandco
All rights reserved. No part of Iconic Concierge Magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the expressed written consent of the publisher. The publisher reserves the right to accept or reject any editorial or advertising material. The views expressed in Iconic Concierge are those of the respective contributors and not necessarily those of the publisher or staff. Although all reasonable attempts are made to ensure accuracy, the publishers do not assume any liability for errors or omissions anywhere in the publication or on the website. Iconic Concierge reserves the rights to ads produced for advertisers.
dreamT E A M
OLAF ROBRECHT publisher
An entrepreneur who is always on the lookout for new projects he is passionate about, Olaf has run several businesses since he came to Canada 16 years ago. These days you will find lifestyle and car magazines as well as a design & marketing company connected to his name, although he might be better known for his little collection of spirited automobiles.
ROBBIE DICKSON chief gear head
Born in England, Robbie is a selfstyled entrepreneur with a passion for exotic cars, boats and watches. He owned pretty much every car you can imagine although he still calls a Lotus Elise he once owned his favourite. Tracked extensively, Robbie claims it was “the most affordable fun you can have with your clothes on ...”
JASON SARAI
bespoke stylist & fashion editor When Jason found the world of bespoke suiting and styling, he had little choice but to turn it from a passion project into his life’s work with Style by Sarai. He has gone from being fashion advisor for family and friends, to the trusted bespoke stylist for professionals and grooms-to-be, by enhancing their confidence and helping them become their own style icon.
CRAIG STOWE luxury events
Craig is recognized as Vancouver’s #1 creator and producer of luxury events bringing together affluent buyers and sellers of luxury brands in an engaging business social event setting. He is the President of Luxury Alliance Group, Luxury & Supercar Weekend, Porsche Rally, Hublot Diamond Rally and VP of Partnerships for Pacific Polo Cup.
12
ICONIC CONCIERGE
NATALIE LANGSTON
AMANDA WOOD
lifestyle editor
creative muse
Natalie is an accomplished Canadian TV Host and Lifestyle Expert for Global BC, Breakfast Television + JRfm. Fitness & Health Reporter for BC Living. Freelance journalist and Emcee with a passion for all things Fitness, Fashion and Fun. Volunteer and Spokesperson for Dress for Success Vancouver, member of Ladies Who Lunch Global Network for female entrepreneurs and Style Ambassador for the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards.
Amanda Wood is a professional jazz and pop singer, social influencer and real estate assistant to Jesse Dean Cook. She is soulful, sexy and sophisticated with a passion for travel and living life to the fullest. Amanda contributes to Iconic Concierge in many forms from writing, editing, modeling and general creative input.
JESSE DEAN COOK
JASON BOUDREAU CFP, CLU
luxury real estate specialist
wealth advisor
Having worked as a Global Executive for a multi-billion dollar corporation, Jesse has a decade of international business experience and is now one of the top luxury real estate agents based in West Vancouver. He truly cherishes the relationship he has with his clients, helping them navigate the process of selling and buying their spectacular residential properties.
As the founder of VELA Wealth, Jason is fuelled by watching clients fulfill their vision of life success for their family, community and legacy. Focusing on inter-generational wealth transfer, life insurance, legacy and estate planning, he advises successful entrepreneurial families on how to make meaningful choices at the intersection of their life and their wealth.
KEITH TRUSLER
BARRY McNABB
imbibing authority
wine expert
The Brand Ambassador for The Glenlivet and Aberlour for several years now, Keith is a veteran of the restaurant industry in Vancouver and has extensive experience as a bartender, mixologist and chef. As a Connoisseur of single malt whisky he tirelessly pursues the finest dining and imbibing experiences the city has to offer.
It was a bottle of 1989 Robert Mondavi Reserve Cabernet that changed his life. That was in 1990. The addiction to wine was set. And the journey to know everything and anything about wine. Today, after many travels to all notable wine regions in the world, Barry has a broad knowledge of the nuanced interplay between food and wine.
sport, health & fitness
OLIVER FINLAY
JIM GORDON LEETA LIEPINS
Having traveled the globe, working with pro teams & athletes in sports environments as diverse as F1, EPL soccer, NHL & ATP tennis, to attain peak performance, Oliver arrived in Vancouver for his PhD, exploring how the World’s best sports teams manage change initiatives. Passionate about human performance & sport’s impact on community, he highlights the industry’s latest & greatest developments.
They are the hosts of the weekly, national TV show “Our City Tonight”, covering Vancouver’s entertainment, fashion, nightlife, food & wine events, interesting people and exciting places. Jim is also the co-host/producer of “The Travel Guys”TV show and a film/ TV critic. Leeta is also a columnist for several other publications.
city experts
ICONIC CONCIERGE
13
CONTENTS COVER
FEATURES
AUTOMOTIVE
46
24
18
Riley Ryen
SIHH & Baselworld
The David Brown Speedback
26
46
6
Inside The Race
Riley Ryen
22
36
The Art of Writing
40
How the Pen Industry Survives in a Digital World
Happy Wife - Happy Life
The Need for Speed
COLUMNS
Publisher’s Letter
The Specter Journal You Want This!
33
Financials
The 5 C’s of Family Wealth
34
The Gentleman
They Should Have Taught You This In School
40
Head2Head
Happy Wife - Happy Life
78
The Dapper Gent The Right Scent For You
94
What Women Want
Forget Chocolate and Roses!
98
Real Estate
Live the Way you Play!
100
Real Estate
Vancouver Dream Estates
112
Our City Tonight The Victor at PARQ
Swiss Novelties
Chopard
50
Suspicious Minds
The Craziest Conspiracy Theories
58
Magical Havana
Experience Cuba the Iconic Way
68
The Daiquiri
The Hemingway Cocktail
74
How to Travel - Wrinkle-Free
76
Men of Style
Trending this Season
82
SoulMates
Customizing Shoes
90
MAN UP!
Society Needs Male Role Models
102
Conquer the Ocean New Yachts
108 Tech-News
DESTINATIONS
58
Magical Havana
Experience Cuba the Iconic Way
IMBIBE
68
The Daiquiri
The Hemingway Cocktail
ICONIC CONCIERGE
You Only Live Twice
The Need for Speed
Head2Head
PERSONALITIES
46
Riley Ryen
Riley Ryen Racing
86
Skylar Sinow
Kids Can Cook Gourmet
Carry On!
Total Cycling
14
/ spring 2018 /
EVENTS
20
Surmesur Vancouver
44
MindFlow Performance Gala
70
Stefano Ricci Belts & Cufflinks
72
Night of Wonders Gala
94
Fendi Casa & Bentley Home
110
Cogs & Canapés
CONTENTS
46 18
24
102 58
112
ICONIC CONCIERGE
15
The Culmination of a Lifelong Dream!
A coachbuilt Grand Tourer, taking inspiration from icons of the Sixties. The Speedback GT ‘Silverstone Edition’
18
ICONIC CONCIERGE
You Only Live Twice We have a feeling that you’re confused. Don’t worry – we were too. Actually, twice. First it was the car. At a first quick glimpse we thought “DB5,” and it is a DB5. But not an Aston Martin DB5. Although it has a strong resemblance to one of the most iconic automobiles in history, this is actually a Jaguar. But more about that in a minute. Let us confuse you a bit more. The builder of this car is David Brown. Wait, didn’t we just say this isn’t an Aston Martin? But David Brown was the legendary tractor manufacturer and post-war rescuer of Aston Martin, who bought the company in 1947, and helped create some of its best-remembered cars by donating his initials to them. Thus “DB” 5, 9, 11 .. you name it. Right? Yes, but then again, no. The David Brown who builds this Jaguar DB5 (man, it is confusing), is a different David Brown. Although he’s from Yorkshire, as was the ‘real’ David Brown, the two are not related in any way, and this Jaguar-making David Brown is not connected to the century-old Gaydon-based sports car maker. Instead he has founded his own company, creating a super-exclusive (and super-
expensive) sports car, using the contemporary underpinnings from one of Jaguar’s finest, the XK-R. Ok, now that we settled that, let’s have a closer look at the ‘Speedback GT - Silverstone Edition.’ Silverstone is the new home of David Brown Automotive, thus the special edition to celebrate it. There is a regular version of the Speedback GT, but the Silverstone adds a more assertive bodykit and some bigger (and quite flashy) 20in wheels. Inside, you find jetinspired air vents, and they have even circuit maps stitched into the seats. (You know - in case you get lost mid-lap on the racetrack.) Next - the performance. While still based on an old XK-R, it has a lot more power. The 5.0-litre supercharged V8 got an additional 90 horses, bringing it to 601bhp. Torque is also up around 100lb ft, to 565lb ft. It is still a rather heavy car, so 0-100 is in the very low 4 second range at 4.2 secs. The top speed is 250 km/h - which, in today’s supercar standards, is pretty slow. But don’t forget, we are talking about a British Grand Tourer, not a sports car. Just ten Silverstone Editions will be built, which brings us to the price. The Silverstone is £100,000 more than the regular GT, and sits at £620,000, which is around CDN 1,150,000. Questions?
for more information: www.davidbrownautomotive.com
ICONIC CONCIERGE
19
out & about GRAND OPENING SURMESUR VANCOUVER
Surmesur was launched by brothers Vincent and François Thériault in a 300-square-foot store in Quebec City in 2010. 2012 saw the opening of a second store in Montreal, and the Grand Opening of the new Vancouver boutique in Yaletown adds the 9th store to the growing list of stores and in-store locations. On March 23rd, Jonathan Richard and his team welcomed their guests and clients to the official Grand Opening of the stylish store on 1012 Mainland Street. “We create made-to-measure clothing based on your unique tastes, styles, preferences and needs,” Richards explains, “and with a catalog of over 10 000 fabrics, and additional customizable options, the possibilities of what you can create are almost limitless.” Surmesur also offers accessories such as pocket squares, cufflinks, socks, ties and bow ties, as well as a line of customizable shoes. An evening with great cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, provided by The Vancouver Club, as well as live music by DJ Chloé, it was the perfect opportunity to find out what the Surmesur experience is all about.
20
ICONIC CONCIERGE
PUIFORCAT COGNAC BEAKER
JACOB & CO CUFFLINKS Jacob & Co’s Emerald Cut Canary Diamond Octagon cufflinks are crafted from 18-carat white gold, with a centerpiece made up of 20-carat and 21-carat canary yellow diamonds, surrounded by 10.76 carats of additional white diamond baguettes. The price? US$$4.2 million a pair. A bit more affordable: the Jacob & Co Diamond Skull Cufflinks, constructed with 18k white gold featuring a 8.20ct total carat weight of white diamonds, will set you back US$ 28,500 ($31,500 in rose gold, chocolate and multi colored diamonds). www.cufflinks.com
Luxury French silverwork company Puiforcat launched a “Cognac Beaker”, a sterling silver receptacle lined on the interior with gold which turns red when splashed with the alcohol and preserves the aromas of the beverage. Designed in partnership with École Boulle and student Léo Dubreil, the beaker is priced at €1,900 (appr. US$2,350) a piece. www.puiforcat.com
THE FIFTH ELEMENT
LOUIS VUITTON / DOM PÈRIGNON CHAMPAGNE & CAVIAR TRUNK A ‘must’ for any champagne and caviar connoisseur: Dom Pérignon and Louis Vuitton have created the P2 Caviar Trunk, a smart made-to-order piece housing Dom Pérignon’s P2 Champagnes of 1998, 1999 and 2000 vintages, matched to caviar. The trunks are limited in quality and take Louis Vuitton’s artisans eight months to create. The price? POA. www.domperignon.com
22
ICONIC CONCIERGE
This new MB&F mechanical sculpture masterpiece is a thermometer, a barometer, and a hygrometer. All mechanical of course. And since this is once again a co-creation with L’Epée, a mechanical clock. The Fifth Element’s curves are sculpted by science-fiction: each of the four Elements is “modelled after the quintessential 1950-60s UFO.” The Fifth Element (total weight 15 kg) is available in 3 limited editions of 18 pieces each in Black, Silver and Blue. www.mbandf.com CHF 52,000 (appr. US$54,400).
RIPSAW EV2 EXTREME LUXURY TANK Have you been looking for a classy luxury vehicle to go to war, but are unimpressed with how few tanks currently meet your expectations? Well, look no further! The Ripsaw EV2 Extreme Luxury Tank (yes, that’s the official name...), is probably the world’s first luxury tank-type vehicle. Originally designed and built for the military as a light weight, go fast super tank, Ripsaw has spent thousands of man hours developing the EV2 for the high end luxury market and extreme off-road enthusiast. From 16 inches of suspension travel, to luxurious interiors and up to 1500 horsepower, it will take up to 6 months to fabricate and can cost well over half a million dollars. www.ripsawtank.com
SHERP - THE RUSSIAN ATV With the Sherp ATV nothing will stand in your way. It will not only dominate over rugged environments, it also plows through water, snow and ice. This real life Tonka truck pairs gigantic low-pressure custom tires with a tiny cab and a pneumocirculation suspension that propels the machine over obstacles as tall as 27.5 inches. The Sherp comes with an indestructible diesel 15.3 gallon 44 horsepower engine from Kubota. It weights 1,300 kg and tops out at 45 km/h on land and less than 6.5 km/h in water. Starting at US$75,000 for the “more luxurious” www.sherpatv.com version.
XILO F1 EXHAUST SPEAKER
BOTTEGA VENETA DUFFLE BAG
The racing-minded Italian audio wizards at iXoost have masterfully crafted the more grounded XiLO, a Formula One-inspired wireless audio system made from handcrafted tubes that pump out 5.1 channels of pure awesome. Starting at around US$5,700, you can go for an oak or mahogany base and silver or red accents, whichever revs your engine best.
Available at Lux Auto Art 778.387.2886
Bottega Veneta is one of the world’s most recognised premium luxury brands. It has upheld its philosophy of discreet luxury and craftsmanship since its conception in Vicenza, Italy in 1966. The company’s famous motto is “When your own initials are enough”, and the new line of bags are designed to include monogrammed initials (either embossed, stamped, which are both complimentary, or stitched). Pictured: Dark camel terracotta Vialinea double suede duffle bag. US$4,700. www.bottegaveneta.com
ICONIC CONCIERGE
23
Frederique Constant Hybrid Manufacture US$3,495
PANERAI Luminor Base Logo 3 Days US$4,750
swiss novelties Every year, two big watch fairs are held in Switzerland. One in Geneva, the other one in Basel. Baselworld was first held in 1917 (as “Schweizer Mustermesse Basel”) the first watch show in Switzerland, it wasn’t until 1986 that non-Swiss exhibitors could join the fair. Today, around 1,300 brands from various countries showcase all the novelties for the coming year, and over 150,000 people from 100 countries visit the show. Baselworld is open to the public. SIHH, the Salon Internationale de la Haute Horlogerie, was started in 1991 by Baume & Mercier, Cartier, Piaget, Gerald Genta, and Daniel Roth. It was mainly a Richemont Group fair with some independent brands like Audemars Piguet, Richard Mille, MB&F, and H. Moser & Cie., but is steadily growing. SIHH merely focuses on retailers and journalists, but was this year opened to the public for one day for the first time in its history. The fair draws around 15,000 visitors from all over the world. We took some time and picked our favourites for 2018 ...
Breitling Navitimer 8 B01 US$7,600
Arnold & Son Globetrotter US$16,995
24
ICONIC CONCIERGE
TAG Heuer Monaco Bamford US$8,100
Hermès Slim d’Hermès GMT (EUR 12,000 appr. US$14,750)
Girard Perregaux Neo Tourbillon with Three Bridges The first ever skeleton version of its historic Neo Tourbillon with Three Bridges is made of titanium and comes with an automatic caliber with white gold microrotor. Girard-Perregaux has been producing the tourbillon with three golden bridges since 1884 and skeletonized versions of the movement since 1998. This is a way for them to marry both techniques in an interesting way. US$138,000
Richard Mille Tourbillon Pablo Mac Donough The second polo watch Richard Mille produced in collaboration with the popular South American polo player is by far the more interesting one: the case has been made out of Carbon TPT, a composite that looks like forged carbon, while the movement suspension system uses a series of two tiny metal cables on 10 pulleys, held tight by four “suspensioners” to - according to Richard Mille - enable the movement to withstand shocks exceeding 5,000 G’s of force.
The Hublot Big Bang Unico Red Magic, limited to just 500 pieces, marks the first time the brand has used the polished ceramic on the main case of a watch. 45 mm diameter with a a skeletonized dial and a 72-hour power reserve. US$26,200. The Rebellion T2M is manufactured from a single block of titanium and pulverizes the world endurance record with its 1400-hour power reserve, an equivalent of 2 months. CHF 150.000 (appr. US$156,000)
US$900,000
A. Lange & Söhne Triple Split The “mighter than mighty” version of its rattrapante chronograph, the TRIPLE SPLIT benchmarks the current state of the art in rattrapante function developments. Additional rattrapante hands on the minute and hour counters make it possible to stop lap and reference times that last as long as twelve hours. EUR 139,000 (appr. US$172,000)
ICONIC CONCIERGE
25
INSIDE THE RACE ‘People say that lovers of fine cars also have a great weakness for fine timepieces and vice versa. In both cases, sporting elegance and outstanding performance are especially important.’ Karl-Friedrich Scheufele
A Historical Collaboration fuelled by Passion. Created in 1927 by two aristocrats so as to compensate for the loss of the Italian Grand Prix by their hometown of Brescia, the Mille Miglia took the original option of having racing cars compete on roads rather than tracks. Discontinued in 1957 for safety reasons, it was revived 20 years later under the name Mille Miglia Storica and became the world’s most prestigious classic car endurance race. Reserved for models of which at least one had taken part in the original race between 1927 and 1957, the Mille Miglia today is synonymous with exclusivity, since only 450 handpicked teams can take part. The race nonetheless remains a dream event
26
ICONIC CONCIERGE
that is the biggest date on the Italian sports calendar and attracts impressive crowds lining the sides of the roads. Only original cars produced between 1927 and 1957 (a prerequisite for the event) are proudly exhibited and protected as if they were Arabian steeds. Glossy, sparkling like jewels, gears like clockwork. Just like the watches made in Fleurier in Geneva, where Chopard has its Manufactures. The Swiss house joined up for this race, in the wake of the Scheufele family’s passion for vintage cars, for Italy and the heady scent of petrol. From 1977 to the present, the Mille Miglia route has varied many times, although some locations will never change. In 1988, Chopard took on the twin roles of partner and official timekeeper to the famous Mille Miglia race. These now inseparable ties were born from Karl-Friedrich Scheufele’s own passion for classic cars. Under his impetus, Chopard became the main sponsor of the legendary Mille Miglia and one of the first watch brands to associate its name with the automobile world. For Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, this came about very naturally: “Lovers of fine cars often have a weakness for fine timepieces and vice versa. In both cases, extreme precision and sporting elegance are especially important.”
Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph
Chopard is one of the last family-run watchmaking and jewellery company. It all began with Louis-Ulysse Chopard, the son of a farmer from Sonvilier, quickly conquered Switzerland and the world at the age of 24. The artisan watchmaker created works of art with innovative designs, which early on helped him export to such illustrious places like the court of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. Qualities like precision and reliability were very soughtafter characteristics in watches, dating all the way back to the 19th century. With unique chronometers and pocket watches, Louis-Ulysse Chopard aimed to fulfill and exceed these desires. With the transition of Chopard to Louis-Ulysse’s son Paul-Louis, a wind of change swept through the family business. In 1937 he took the far-sighted step of relocating Chopard to Geneva, the internationally renowned capital of Haute Horlogerie, or Fine Watchmaking, thereby bringing it closer to its cosmopolitan clientele. Chopard became known for producing exceptionally accurate watches with a high degree of technical sophistication. With Paul-André, the third generation of Chopard took over. After prosperous years under Paul-Louis and Louis-Ulysse, the company began to face challenges. At age 70, Paul-André was looking for someone to purchase Chopard, as none of his sons were interested in continuing the business. This is when he met Karl Scheufele III, the owner of the Germany-based watch and jewelry company bearing his name, with whom he shared similar interests such as the love of fine craftsmanship and creativity. As a descendant of a dynasty of watchmakers and jewellers from Pforzheim, Germany, Karl Scheufele III fulfilled his father and grandfather’s wish of buying a Swiss manufacturing company by acquiring Chopard. Karl wanted to gain independence from their Genevabased supplier of movement blanks, who also delivered to Eszeha’s competition.
Superfast 8 Hz Power Control Porsche 919 Only Watch 2017
Since the 1980s, Karl and Karin’s children Caroline and Karl-Friedrich have played an active part in the company. Caroline and Karl-Friedrich are Chopard’s current copresidents. They each showed their independence: Caroline Scheufele, who is responsible of the ladies’ collections, developed the jewellery section and later the high-end jewellery department while her brother Karl-Friedrich, who managed the men’s collections, developed sports watches during the 1980s and the Chopard Manufacture in Fleurier, which produces the L.U.C movements, in the 1990s. Grand-Prix de Monaco Historique Chopard Boutique Vancouver | 925 W Georgia St | Vancouver | (604) 684-6515
ICONIC CONCIERGE
27
492 kilometers. 89 crossroads. 14 hairpins. 5 on-ramps. 3 detours. 1 drive.
MAKE THE DRIVE AS MEMORABLE AS THE DESTINATION. START YOUR JOURNEY AT BC.DILAWRI.CA
MoonMachine2 As strange as it might sound, moonlight doesn’t exist. It is an illusion, and even the word “moonlight” is misleading. The moon gives off no light of its own, it only reflects light from the sun. In effect, moonlight is sunlight, projected onto Earth via the moon. If there’s one person who can be relied upon to thoroughly grasp this concept, it’s Stepan Sarpaneva, the independent Finnish watchmaker whose work has become synonymous with the moonphase display. Little wonder, then, that the second collaboration between MB&F and Stepan Sarpaneva has resulted in a horological creation that occupies the same elusive space as moonlight, somewhere between illusion and reality. The MB&F MoonMachine 2 brings us the world’s first projected moonphase display. MoonMachine 2 comes housed in the case of Horological Machine Nº8, the first MB&F creation to possess two design icons of the Horological Machine collection: the battle-axe rotor, and the heads-up time display first seen in Horological Machine Nº5. The stripped-down case construction of HM8 emphasised the illusory nature of the projected hours and minutes, and MoonMachine 2 uses the same mechanism to highlight the visual impact of a moon disc appearing in a space too small to fully contain it. The projection is accomplished via an optical prism, which refracts the hours, minutes and moon discs in their flat positions to appear as if they are perpendicular to the engine. The prism is cut to magnify the hours and minutes by 20 percent for greater readability, but not for the moonphase display, which is at risk of distortion if magnified. The case of MoonMachine 2 is 0.5mm thicker than that of HM8, to accommodate the additional moon disc, and has a pusher on the side for quick adjustment of the moonphase display. The battle-axe rotor of HM8 has been transformed into an openworked radial web of titanium, echoing the design vocabulary of Stepan Sarpaneva’s best-known work. The sapphire crystal pane framing the top of the MoonMachine 2 engine has been metallised in a similar pattern and draws focus to the variable sheen of the brushed titanium rotor as it rotates. MoonMachine 2 is available in three limited editions of 12 — one in full titanium with white gold moons and a light-blue sky, one in blackened titanium with white gold moons and a dark-blue sky, and one in red gold and titanium with red gold moons and an anthracite sky. CHF 88,000 for the titanium editions, CHF 95,000 for the red gold edition (appr. US$92,000 - US$99,000).
ICONIC CONCIERGE
29
Unparalleled performance, for all of life's roads. Bentayga. Introducing the extraordinary SUV. Visit Bentley Vancouver or call 604.730.8998
BENTLEY VANCOUVER
1770 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6J 3G7 Canada For information call 604-730-8998 or visit bentleyvancouver.ca The name ‘Bentley’ and the ‘B’ in wings device are registered trademarks. © 2018 Bentley Motors, Inc. Model shown: Bentayga.
30
ICONIC CONCIERGE
THE GOLFERS DREAM OLD COURSE PACKAGE
Are you looking to tick that much awaited Old Course tee time off the bucket list? Well, now is the time! Enjoy luxury accommodation, unlimited golf, warm Scottish hospitality and of course, that guaranteed tee time on the Old Course! With guaranteed tee times still available for 2018 and 2019, we are confident that you will experience the best of Scotland in luxurious surroundings with outstanding service. • • • • • • • •
Old Course tee time (for 2 players) Castle Course tee time (for 2 players) Golf transfers (to/from Old Course and Castle Course) Unlimited Golf on Fairmont St Andrews courses (2 golf courses) Three nights luxury accommodation in a Deluxe Sea View Suite Full Scottish breakfast Dinner on two nights at Fairmont St Andrews Airport transfers (to/from Edinburgh Airport)
FROM
$4850.00
PER PERSON
BOOK NOW
Terms and conditions apply: This offer is subject to availability. This offer is based on two people sharing a deluxe sea view suite. From rate subject to currency exchange rates. Other terms and conditions may apply, please speak with the hotel reservations team for more details.
FAIRMONT.COM/STANDREWS For reservations contact standrews.scotland@fairmont.com +44 (0)1334 837000
The 5 C’s of Family Wealth by Jason Boudreau
When business owners are asked about what motivates them, common responses are: ‘to provide for my family, to help others, to transform the lives of my customers or even, the world’. Driven by these ‘whys’, entrepreneurs work tirelessly to satisfy these objectives and to leave lasting legacies through their accomplishments.
W
When passing a legacy between generations, it is important to remember that a meaningful family-focused wealth plan extends beyond our personal wishes alone. Below are some of the ways that stewardship of family wealth can succeed. CONNECT YOUR PURPOSE No family wealth plan can begin without a focus on purpose. Ask yourself questions and lots of them. These probing questions should focus on what concerns you most: your values, goals, ambitions, hopes, fears and motivations. Think beyond yourself to your family, business, giving and community to truly get to the core of your vision and your “whys”. Every choice you make affects your ecosystem and it is important to ensure your intentions reflect the trail you are blazing. COMMUNICATE Communication is the key to success in any relationship. Open communication allows the opportunity to share your core values and wishes and also hear and acknowledge your family members and stakeholders. With all perspectives on the table, one or more parties may end up adjusting their original positions, coming to a new common ground. COMMIT Commit to your vision. Built on the foundation of your beliefs, values, and aspirations this vision for your family plan must be
worked towards day in and day out. Work with your advisors at all levels to ensure you are optimizing your planning, making confident choices and taking the most effective steps to achieve your vision. Look to your extended network for support; share your goals and seek guidance. CLARIFY Expectations can often result in disappointment, especially when individuals believe they have a right to a particular outcome, and that outcome does not happen. When expectations are not met, resentment can set in and conflict may arise. Many families attempt to avoid conflict by not discussing important and contentious issues. If a conflict is going to arise, burying the difficult discussions will often cause larger long term issues, at which point historic decisions may be irreversible. COACH Coach your children, heirs and other strategic parties around how to steward the family’s wealth plan. This coaching is a process and beginning the journey as early as possible will allow your family to understand the legacy being created, what responsibilities each family member has and ultimately, how their actions support the goals, as well as current and future generations.
Jason Boudreau CFP, CLU Wealth Advisor Principal & Founder - VELA Wealth Management www.velawealth.com
ICONIC CONCIERGE
33
The Gentleman
They should have taught you this in school....
by Dr. Christian Brix
16 THINGS A GENTLEMAN SHOULD NEVER HAVE ... Now that we have evolved past of our college “frat boy” view of the world, some things might have to change. This list is a great start to shedding your youth, moving past your insecurities, and making sure you aren’t “that guy.” We don’t make the rules...we just share them, and some of these might make you mad. You should not have any of the following: BOTTLE OPENER KEYCHAIN – By now we should all have developed way cooler ways to open a beer (lighter, counter top, eye socket, etc), so don’t advertise for your favorite beer company as it dangles from the ignition of your H2...unless they are paying you. MOBILE PHONE HOLSTER – This one actually has a caveat: if you have kids, or if you have a genuine fear of testicular cancer, then it is fine. Otherwise put the phone in your pocket! TRANSITION LENSES – They get darker in the sun? Really? Good sunglasses would be much better, so please spend the money and get them. In fact, even the giant sunglasses that cover your glasses and most of your face would be better. “GOING OUT” SHIRT – No need for expansion
BLACK EYE – Okay so by now, you should be able to talk your way out of a black eye. I won’t be at the bike racks at 3:30, and you shouldn’t be either. EMPTY FRIDGE – At the drop of a hat, you should be able to whip up a delicious and healthy meal for the surprise visit from that special lady. Pizza pops, condiments and spoiled milk do not a well-stocked fridge make. Be ready at all times!
married, were married, have a girlfriend, or have kids, your dog must reach (at least) your knee when
A TREE FORT – Actually never mind. A tree fort would be awesome. BACK-UP GIRLS – If you are in a relationship, you owe it to your girl to be fully in the relationship. If you have back burner girl “friends” hanging around in case things don’t work out, you aren’t ready. She should dump you. Go all-in or go away.
standing.”
A DESIRE TO CHEAT ON YOUR WIFE, OR YOUR GOLF SCORECARD – Both are horrible. NAME FOR YOUR “UNIT” – If any of these rules are set in stone, this is the one. We’re sure you have been truly blessed, but telling a lady the name cannot end well for you (assuming we are dealing with a “lady” of course). JEWELLERY FROM YOUR TRAVELS – That Puka shell necklace and the friendship bracelet you bought on vacation looked awesome while you were away. Now they just look out of place while you’re playing solitaire on the computer in your suit at work. JOHN MAYER CD – Compliments to you however, for actually
ICONIC CONCIERGE
“TEACUP” DOG – Unless you are married, were married, have a girlfriend, or have kids, your dog must reach (at least) your knee when standing. I’m sorry.
“Unless you are
FUTON – It worked great when you were in college because it folded into a couch! No girl has ever said “take me on your futon.” Mattress time.
34
purchasing music instead of stealing it.
FILTHY CAR – You don’t necessarily have to drive a nice car, but that thing better be clean. Coffee cups, food and your dirty gym clothes don’t make for a comfortable ride on a date. I don’t care what anyone says, but the condition of your car reflects the condition of your life. Remember to never swap horses while crossing a stream. It is important to know that change can take time, and it must happen only when it is the right time. If that bottle opener key chain holds a piece of your soul, then by all means hang on to it for now.
Dr. Christian Brix Writer – Chiropractor - Broth Baron - Gentleman www.brixfamilychiropractic.com
THE ARCHETYPAL HUNTER For information on the New Vantage, contact: Aston Martin Vancouver 1770 Burrard Street, Vancouver BC V6J 3G7 604-734-2905 or visit astonmartinvancouver.ca Š Aston Martin 2017. Vehicle shown for illustrational purposes only.
The Art of Writ in g How the Pen Industry survives in a Digital World
Y
ou would think that, in our digital era where email and text reigns supreme, demand for pens is falling. And in a way, it is true. Gone are the days of specialized pen stores. The few remaining ones see their numbers going down year by year. It seems that the art of writing has become obsolete.
But like many art forms – and isn’t writing by hand an art in its own way? - there has been a metamorphosis in the market. Pen sales over the last few years have been growing: Pens and other writing tools generated a revenue of almost $18 billion worldwide in 2016, up from $15 billion in 2014, and are expected to reach $20.2 billion by 2019. Says one report: “Due to the increasing brand awareness and high disposable income of people (especially among young adults), the luxury pens market is witnessing a decent growth.” The research also suggests that, in addition to the general backlash against technology - or perhaps as a result of it - there is a counter-movement taking place that sees traditionalists taking up the pen in increasing numbers. The reason is quite simple: The demand for basic writing instruments is very high in Asia, Latin America
and the Middle East, due to the growth in population and increasing literacy levels, while in Europe, North America and main cities in Asia Pacific the demand for luxury pens is steadily increasing. We don’t sign a contract or cheques with the disposable BIC pen, but with a nice and stylish luxury pen. Many of us still prefer to write down notes, or to send real cards for birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays instead of using emails or text messages. There simply is something incredibly intimate about receiving handwritten notes. Writing something by hand also suggests that time, effort and care has gone into its creation. It is something we want to do in style, and, if done in public, the writing tool becomes a statement. Expensive fountain and ballpoint pens are perceived as fashion accessories, similar to high-priced watches. A cheap watch tells time equally well as a luxury watch, and quite often even when wearing a watch we would use the cellphone to check time. The watch becomes jewellery, a statement piece, an accessory, and the same has happened in the world of handwriting tools. A beautiful fountain pen can put the polish on your appearance and it can make a bold statement about who you are. Many people collect pens, again, the same as with watches. It’s the craftsmanship, the materials, the different styles. The fountain pen that sits in a nice case on the desk, or the slim ballpoint pen we carry in our briefcase or the pocket of our jacket. Luxury pens, gifted or bought, can range in price from several hundred dollars to several thousand, and, if precious metals and diamonds are involved, into the hundreds of thousands. They are pens that people will keep for a lifetime, sometimes passing them on to their children. Let us show you some very unique, very stylish and very expensive examples.
36
ICONIC CONCIERGE
HUBLOT Although more known for their luxury watches, S w i s s manufacturer Hublot also offers a line of very exclusive pens. Pictured is the newest addition. Using carbon panels, this ballpoint pen is extremely lightweight and well balanced. You can find it at the Hublot Vancouver Boutique. C$2,300 . Montblanc Montblanc is a German manufacturer of luxury writing instruments, watches, jewellery and leather goods. Their tale began with the creation of the Meisterstück fountain pen in 1924. Today, pens with the white stylized six-pointed star with rounded edges, representing the Mont Blanc snowcap from above, are synonymous with luxury and communicate values such as quality and traditional craftsmanship. Prices start at around $260 and go up to $8,000 for the regular collections. Limited edition models such as the Mystery Masterpiece, a collaboration with Van Cleef and Arpels, can be as much as $730,000. Caran d’Ache Located in Geneva since its inception in 1915, the Maison Caran d’Ache is committed to creating and developing writing and drawing instruments, combining the finest materials with the most advanced, innovative skills. The masterpiece in the picture is the Caran d’Ache 1010 Diamonds Limited Edition Fountain Pen, a tribute to fine Swiss watchmaking. It has 1010 diamonds on a body that is made from white gold. With exquisite workmanship, the pen contains some of the rarest stones in the world, putting the retail price at $1 million.
Faber-Castell Collection is inspired by writing instruments produced throughout the history of the company, brought back up to date with timeless design and the use of modern technology. Pictured is the latest edition of the Pen of the Year-Serie, the ‘Imperium Romanum’. It is made with black marble from the Iberian Peninsula. The deep colour has pronounced white veins that complement the anthracite grey titanium PVD coating on the metal components. This pen features a segmented barrel and a cap decorated with an engraving of the Colosseum and crowned by a coin. The fountain pen is fitted with a ruthenium-plated 18-karat gold nib available in four sizes. There are 330 fountain pens and 100 rollerball pens in the black version. Euro 4,500 (appr. US$ 5,500). Looking to buy it in Vancouver? Try Atkinson’s on W 6th and Granville. Montegrappa
Founded in Bassano del Grappa in 1912, Montegrappa is the first Italian pen manufacturer. Montegrappa pens embody traditional Italian flair, creativity and style. Today, Montegrappa is renowned for producing daily writing fountain pens for the luxury market - and some of the most beautiful (and expensive) limited edition fountain pens available. Pictured is the Bruce Lee Dragon Fountain Pen in silver, an homage to the legendary Bruce Lee, with a reinterpretation of one of the most coveted pens. Appr. US$5,200. The Viva La Grappa is another masterpiece of which only 1912 were created. With some luck you can still get one at Atkinson’s on W 6th and Granville. Tibaldi Tibaldi is the current title holder for the world’s most expensive pen, the Fulgor Nocturnus. This fountain pen sold for $8 million in a 2010 auction in Shanghai, China. Tibaldi introduced Italy’s first fountain pen in 1916. Ever since, people from all walks of life have savoured Tibaldi’s precious, reliable and collectible writing instruments. Tibaldi for Bentley Limited Edition Pens are the result of a creative and exclusive collaboration. Available in several collections, each dedicated to particular models of the iconic luxury cars, the Bentley pen collections are among the most exclusive and luxurious pens to ever created honour of a automotive marquee. Prices range from US$750 to US$45,000.
Romain Jerome Another manufacturer who is better known for their watches is Romain Jerome. Established in 2004 and based in Geneva, Switzerland, the brand creates highly emotional and addictive timepieces such as the legendary Titanic DNA watch collection, where each timepiece has a little bit of metal recovered from the sunken RMS Titanic in the case. Lesser known are their pens, such as the pictured Moon-DNA Moon Fighter Black Metal Fountain Pen, made of vintage steel from the Apollo 11 spacecraft. The cockpit bubble contains genuine moon dust collected from the first moon landing. This Romain Jerome pen comes with a carbon-finished docking station for storage, and is limited to 888 pieces. US$ 2,800.
Stefano Ricci The luxury brand recently introduced their new roller pens in crocodile leather. Available in several coloursm, this pen elevates the simple writing instrument to new heights of luxury, finesse, and taste. Available at the Vancouver boutique for C$5,400.
Faber-Castell Faber-Castell, established in 1761, is one of the world’s largest and oldest manufacturers of pens and pencils. The luxury Graf von
ICONIC CONCIERGE
37
Hosted by Dilawri Group of Companies, Canada’s largest automotive group. Presented by AllWest Insurance
Ride & Drive Gala:
Thursday, June 14, 2018 7:00 pm–10:00 pm Location: Audi Downtown Vancouver: 1788 West 2nd Ave, Vancouver Dress Code: Cocktail Attire Tickets: bit.ly/galaridedrive We warmly welcome you to a luxury evening in support of The Ride to Conquer Cancer. Hosted by Dilawri Group of Companies and presented by AllWest Insurance, we bring you the second annual Ride & Drive Gala, a fundraiser event in which 100% of the proceeds, including ticket sales, donations, and silent auction items will be donated to the BC Cancer Foundation. Purchase your tickets today and help support the cause. Visit bit.ly/galaridedrive or search Ride and Drive Gala on Eventbrite
Sponsored By
Happy Wife - Happy Life! How To Pick The Right Supercar... photography: Kevin Uy
W
cars: McLaren Vancouver
model: Nicole Hombrebueno
hat would you do if someone gave you $400,000 to buy a supercar? A nice briefcase, filled with 4,000 hundreddollar bills, all 100% legal. For this edition of Head 2 Head, this was the challenge we gave Robbie and Olaf. Well, nobody actually handed them a cool 400 grand, but they did have to find the car they would buy IF they were given that kind of money. We gave them 24 hours to think about it, survey the options, and present their pick. And did they ever surprise us...
Both picked a McLaren! The only difference: Robbie brought his own 720S (“Why do you think I bought it? It’s the best supercar you can buy for under $500k!”), while Olaf showed up in a 2013 MP4-12C Spyder, with a gorgeous woman, dressed up for some gala, in the passenger seat, with the car full of shopping bags. What in the world?
40
ICONIC CONCIERGE
ICONIC CONCIERGE
41
McLaren Automotive: Taking “Road Racing” to a Whole New Level McLaren Automotive was established in 1989 with only one purpose: To cram as much Formula 1 tech into a production road car as possible. In that regard, McLaren hasn’t been very productive, but the few production models they came up with changed the course of automotive history. Their first consumer production car was named the McLaren F1, keeping close ties to their Formula 1 origins. The F1 was a true supercar, especially as it came with a one million dollar-plus plus price tag. The three-seat coupe had a V12, 6064 cc engine built by BMW, and from 1998 to 2005 the F1 held the title of the world’s fastest production car, capable of reaching 386.4 km/h with the limiter removed. Only 100 models were made between 1992 and 1997. After a short collaboration with AMG-Mercedes, which saw the birth of the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, the arrival of the MP412C marked the start of a new era in 2011. While the famous
42
ICONIC CONCIERGE
F1 had used a BMW engine, the MP4-12C road car came with an in-house developed and built engine. The first true McLaren road car was born! Full of technological wizardry, such as a carbon fibre composite chassis, a brake-steer system, and hydraulic cylinders in the suspension in place of shock absorbers, it was a lot faster than McLaren claimed it to be, with a recorded 0-100km/h sprint in 2.8 seconds and a top-speed of 346 km/h! The car went out of production in 2014 when it was replaced by the 650S. A year prior, in 2013, McLaren unveiled the F1’s successor, the P1. The first hybrid in the company’s history, this HEV supercar cost US $1.35 million and set a new record reaching 300 km/h in just 16.5 seconds. But back to the 650. Although introduced as a brand-new model, the 650S was actually an update and refresh of the MP4-12C, with a styling paying homage to the P1. A year later, in early 2015, McLaren introduced the 675 LT, or Long Tail, which features elongated bodywork over the 650S, even more power and a lighter kerb weight. The so-called “entry-level McLaren range,” also known as the
Sports Series, was launched in 2015. The 540 and 570 models are still in production to this day, but they got a bigger brother in 2017. The second all-new car in the McLaren Super Series, replacing the 650S, is called the 720S, and is built on a modified carbon chassis that is lighter and stiffer compared to the 650S. It accelerates from 0–100 km/h in 2.7 seconds (0.3 seconds faster than the 650S and 0.2 seconds faster than the 675LT) and 0–200 km/h in 7.8 seconds.The top speed is 341 km/h. So there it is, your little McLaren Automotive history lesson. Now back to Robbie and Olaf’s challenge... Olaf’s pick: 2013 MP4-12C Spyder
“400,000 dollars can buy you a really nice car, no doubt! And as a fan of McLaren, who conquered the supercar world in almost no time, I knew it should be one of their models.
more”, and I like more. Now, there may not be any money left over to buy the girlfriend a new watch, but I stand by my choice of spending all my money on me, and if she wants a new watch then she can buy her own damn watch and stop eating into my car money for one. So yes I know the 720S is about $200k or so more than a used MP4-12C but it should cost more, because it’s that much more of a car. It’s brilliant in every way, and those F1 doors that we haven’t seen since the original McLaren F1 in the 90s (that now sell for $10m plus) puts this car in the hypercar territory for supercar money, and how is that ever a bad thing? The MP4 is still an amazing car for the money, and it still looks amazing 7 years post-release, but what I have found having now owned 5 McLarens is that every new model is always a huge leap forward. I thought the 650S was unbeatable, until the 675LT came out, and then I had a 570GT which is probably the best value-for-money car on the planet, and it was still crazy fast. But
I checked out the 720S, which, nicely equipped, comes to pretty much that amount, and then the 540 and 570. But let me be honest – I like things that are a bit unique, especially since here in Vancouver we see those models all the time. So walking through the local dealership I found this bright orange 2013 MP4-12C in the back. And I remember that when the 650 was introduced, I thought the 12C looked so dated – but now, some years later, I can’t get my eyes off of it. Such classic lines, and so iconic – the first real McLaren (I don’t count the F1) road car ever! But there’s more. The 2013 MP4-12C is a hardtop roadster, and, compared to the modern line-up, fairly basic. Pure. I love it. You open the roof, you hear that engine sound, and you can’t wait for the next corner. It handles so well! And – for just $220,000 with less than 20,000kms on it, it’s almost a bargain! And leaves me with $180,000 in my pocket.
then the 720S just blew me away yet again. I don’t know how this car could get any better, but I am sure McLaren has something in the pipeline that’s going to force me to trade in my 720S, because these cars are addictive.
So, Robbie – here it is. I got the supercar, and I had enough money left to buy myself and the lady some sweet diamond watches, and go on a big shopping spree with her. There’s actually almost 6 grand left, so I think we’ll go on a nice weekend trip now. Cheers buddy, and enjoy the 720S!”
But if $400k is just a bit of a stretch for you, maybe opt for the MP4. $220k still gets you a lot of car, with crazy performance to match.”
Robbie’s pick: 2018 720S
So who wins the competition? Robbie definitely got one of the best brand-new supercars that $400k can buy. But nobody ever said you have to buy brand new, and Olaf might have made the smarter decision here. It’s “Happy wife, happy life” after all, right?
“So I chose the McLaren 720S for the same reason I’ve mentioned before many times in this magazine: “more is always
ICONIC CONCIERGE
43
out & about MINDFLOW PERFORMANCE GALA AUTOFORM | VANCOUVER
MindFlow Performance held its inaugural International Scientific Symposium on Mindfulness and Flow in Performance Environments and celebrated the occasion by hosting a gala dinner to raise funds for Big Brothers, Vancouver and HeadStart, a not for profit supporting mental health in youth athletes. The event, produced by BluePrint Events, took place amongst a collection of classic and iconic cars at Autoform Performance. Guests were entertained by improv comedy collective, The Sunday Service, whilst internationally renowned deejay, Chloé Morgan, provided an upbeat soundtrack, ensuring the dance floor stayed lively until the lights came up. Fable Kitchen, Savory Chef and Bella Gelateria joined Flow Water and Central City Brewery, represented by award-winning mixologist, Christos Kalaitzis, in providing a fantastic array of refreshments. Event host, Oliver Finlay was delighted, saying “I would like to thank Lana and Natasha (BluePrint Events), Dave and Aaron (Autoform), Trevor (Fable), Geoff (Savory Chef), Trevor (Flow Water), Christos (Central City Brewery) and Eric (Bella Gelateria) for all their support, along with the volunteers for helping put on an exceptional evening”.
44
ICONIC CONCIERGE
RYEN RACING
Riley Ryen is the business minded, driven, and tenacious owner of Epic Celebrations party
RILEY
rentals. Aside from this, Riley Ryen is also the first woman to complete the Ferrari Corso Pilota Challenge Series Program! Riley makes things work. She talks the impossible and then she actually does the impossible. She states that this tenacity is what makes her unique. She started off small and then she clawed her way up. After being accepted into the Corso Pilota Program, she graduated at the top of her class. I was able to sit down and have a chat with Riley about her past, how she achieved these incredible goals and her future plans. As Riley confidently tells me throughout our interview, she “always goes on to prove people wrong.�
46
ICONIC CONCIERGE
words: Natalie Langston
photography: Jonathan Camere
Hublot Big Bang Gold White 41mm Price: CAD$ 36,800 Hublot Boutique Vancouver 1080 Alberni Street
ICONIC CONCIERGE
47
You seemed to be quite interested in your father’s car-related work from an early age on, did this contribute to your inclination to race? I grew up racing horses and as I got older I was always a good driver. From a young age, I was used to having my father say that he didn’t want me around cars, he felt as though it was dangerous. I grew accustomed to hearing everyone say that “girls can’t race.” In spite of this, I started going to local tracks to practice. Afterwards, I decided to enter myself into racing school and racing courses to prove EVERYONE wrong. I showed not just myself, but everyone else, how capable I was. What were your early plans for your career? Were they always something automotive, or did you ever lean towards a 9 to 5 office job? I was an artist growing up, which meant that I was always involved in projects like designing a room for my friends. When I was growing up, my teacher would ask me, “Riley, what do you want to be when you graduate?” and I replied “A party producer”. She laughed at me. So even from a young age, I had crazy dreams that I wanted to do - like becoming a professional race car driver or professionally hosting parties. I’m happy to say that I’ve created all of that over the years - I’ve created a brand about myself and for myself. When you first established your company, what was it on and what was it based on? I created the company Epic Celebrations and Event Rentals. I was always kind of a wild child, throwing parties. My company is based on hosting. I’ve been hosting corporate events in Calgary for the past 6 years and before that, I was hosting red carpet events in Vancouver. I’ve always been in this industry. One day, I actually just decided to start my own company - I had already been hosting corporate events and supplying event rentals. From there, I had used my ability to host, my corporate events planning skills, and other my event specialization skills. I would plan the event, I would host the event and then I would take care of the clean-up. When did you realize that you wanted to purse an auto-based career? This is a funny story! It all started one day on Main Street in Vancouver. I was with girlfriend, it was pouring rain, AND my GPS kept failing me. I ended up having to do 3 speedy u-turns on Main Street. We were laughing SO hard and she was like, “You should be a professional race car driver!” After that trip, I didn’t talk to her for about
48
ICONIC CONCIERGE
a year and returned back to Alberta for work. One day and I messaged her and said “Guess what I did?” She replied immediately and said, “You’re going to be a race car driver. You’re going to sign up for a race.” My local dealership wanted me to get into the Ferrari Corso Pilota Challenge Series Program. I actually started out by racing Lamborghini locally, I was tracking my own personal car. However, the Ferrari dealership found out about it and asked me to meet with them. After a short interview I was told that Alberta’s never had a female driver - let alone Canada. I can go on the record now and quote that I am the first female in Canada in fact. Said the Director of Motor Sport for Ferrari. I literally just made history. I took it upon myself to do a fitness competition to get ready and to be considered an athlete for this program. At the end of the day, racing is a sport. The Ferrari program has four courses and I learned from professional race instructors. When did racing become a prominent part of your career? I’ve always been racing for fun, but after I did that Ferrari program to receive my license -that’s when it was real. I was actually fully certified and licensed through the most prestige program that there is - through Ferrari. I received my license with honours and then I started touring across North America to find a race team. It’s not easy to just join a team. You have to like the people obviously, and vice versa. There were a lot of drivers who had wives that didn’t like me because of my fitness and modelling background. This was one of many factors that made it hard for me to actually pick a team. I travelled for a really long time trying to find a team when Vancouver found out about me. After I was asked to join their team, they mentioned that their team is based out of Miami. Initially I thought that it would be a problem. However, I ended up coming out to Miami and I loved it there! My best friends actually moved out there with me. It was fate at the end of the day. It all worked out. I moved to Miami full time to pursue racing. I left everything back home to just be here and follow my passion. I continue to inspire people as I do it. I actually sold my house in Vancouver to buy a house here in Miami and buy a race car. I’ll be here for 6 months out of the year until I get kicked out and back to Canada. What were your ambitions when you initially joined the automotive/racing industry and how have they changed?
I don’t think that they’ve changed at all. Everyday I go out there and I race, it’s not just about winning for me. It is about proving it to myself, not to anyone else. For me it’s a very rewarding and a powerful feeling when I can go up against the big and the rich. It’s an outlet for me. I feel like I’m in control when I’m in a race car. Tell us about the underestimated you?
time
a
man
When I first went into my course at the Corso Pilota program, I entered at the advanced level and there are three courses that you need to do. As I walked into my first meeting at the champagne reception, a man asked me who my “plus one” was. I laughed because I get that all the time. I looked at him and I giggled and said “I’m here to drive” with a big smirk on my face. He stopped smiling as soon as I said that, and he didn’t take me seriously. He asked me, “Are you for real?” and I said “Yeah, I’m here to race. I’ll see you on the track tomorrow,” and I walked off. The whole time I was racing I had a big X on my back. No one wanted to let me pass them, or maybe just thought I didn’t deserve to be there. On our last day, we got the green flag to pass cars and he was one of the people that I passed. I passed two cars going into turn one, and that was an incredible feeling. That’s what I’ve always been waiting for. In that moment itself, I felt like I achieved life. When I graduated they saved me for last. When they gave me an award, they started laughing and clapping and then they said “Riley Ryen come up here, you killed it.” I had a tear in my eye. I said “I finally fucking did it.” In that moment, I had achieved everything I had ever wanted to do. After the ceremony, the same guy came up to me and he put his hand out and said to me “I didn’t think you deserved to be here but you have proven yourself. I don’t know if it means anything but congratulations.” I thought that was the worst backhanded compliment ever, but I appreciated it. Everyone in the room was shocked. There were 12 professional race instructors there and half of them came up to me and said that was a huge moment - he doesn’t talk to anyone. So that was another moment for me that I thought wow I have finally proven myself. To me that was a moment of huge accomplishment for me. That’s when I knew I wanted to pursue this. How did that feel? It was just incredible. It’s a hard feeling to explain, you just have to know the passion of racing. For car enthusiasts, it’s a feeling like no other. It’s a very rewarding feeling. That’s probably why a lot of older men do this. It’s a male gentlemans club. It’s a very power
inspired sport. People do it for the thrill, the power, and the rush of it. You are clearly very business-minded, what did you do to find such success in your companies and enterprises? I just turned 31 last week. This all happened within a year. March 19th is my official birthday. The show was one day before that. That year I did all three programs through Corso Pilota for Ferrari, got my license, bought a race car, joined the team, and had my first race before I was 31.
racing playlist and then I put my earphones on. When I go out there, it’s the world and me. I don’t want to focus on your personal life, but I do want to ask, are you going to slow down at all to start a family?
I was like “boom!” That’s my hashtag.
No I’m going to be completely selfish about myself right now. Having a family is not on my agenda. I’m focused on my career and expanding the enterprise.
Is it tough finding time to date in the racing industry? I’ve heard that men can slow you down! ;)
Do you have any advice you’d like to share with other individuals who are trying to follow their dreams?
I don’t date, I just do me. I meet a lot of people along the way, but it’s not what I’m looking for right now. My life is on my business and my racing, 100%.
If there is something that you really want then it doesn’t matter what anyone else says - just be true to yourself and be open to your attitude. If you really want something bad enough, you can get it. Just be very grateful. You have to live in the moment and enjoy everything as it comes. In life you’re only going to get one opportunity, one chance.
That must have felt like an accomplishment?
Riley, as a business woman and as a racer, how do you manage to run your business(es) while simultaneously doing all of the testing, PR, AND racing? You must have the best time management skills, share your secrets please! Honestly, I never sleep. I’m so hungry, hungry for success. My team is 100. I don’t know what I would do without them. I’ve spent a lot of money developing apps where all of my stuff is online and where people can just book me through my websites and through social media. I have stuff linked to my manager who takes care of everything. When I need to host an event I will be there, other than that I’m racing and my company runs itself. This allows me to focus on my racing and my training.
I want people to know that this isn’t daddy’s money. I don’t have a rich boyfriend that helped me do this, I did this. I have no one to thank but myself. Do you like how that makes you feel, knowing that you did this on your own? It’s very empowering. I’ve always grown up hearing that I must have a rich dad or a rich husband. That is so annoying to me - why can’t a female be treated with the same respect that a man is? Riley on herself:
How do you stay focused when you’re racing, you haven’t slept, and you have a lot on your plate? Going into race weekend, I take sleeping pills for sure. I don’t drink coffee, I have a very clean diet, and I do a lot of speed bank training. I go to the shooting range just to keep my eyes super sharp. There’s a lot of things that I like to do to get ready for a race weekend. I’ll definitely clean up my diet and be super focused. Working out is a great way to relieve stress. I just go in a zone. I tell my managers to take care of everything - it’s my race weekend. Do you have any rituals or routines before race weekend? I always listen to good music, that’s really what gets me in the zone. I put on my
I have a huge female following. What I do at the end of the day inspires people and I motivate people so that’s very rewarding to me. One thing that really motivates me is when people message me and they tell me that I’m an inspiration to them. I always say that that is more rewarding than getting any paycheque. Racing is an expensive hobby, I don’t make money doing this. I mortgaged my house to be able to do this and put money into my business. At the end of the day, I sponsor myself. At points like that when you’re gambling on yourself on a career that’s not even a career at the moment, is the scariest thing in life, because it’s not a guaranteed thing. I’ve always just believed in myself and my company and I look at myself as a brand, so I took that gamble and it’s
ON THE COVER Riley’s watch of choice is the iconic Hublot Big Bang Ceramic “Black Magic”. Price: CAD$ 18,300 Hublot Boutique Vancouver 1080 Alberni Street
been very rewarding. As a business woman, you must have some BIG plans on the horizon. Can you give me a little insight into what you’re planning, or what’s next for you? I would like to expand more into my racing career compete further in rally racing and world wide racing. Nascar is definitely a goal of mine! I still want to do Lamborghini Super Bao Racing in Las Vegas as I have a great relationship with them. I really want to make a career out of my racing and expand my event company internationally. There’s always a plan in place. I’m always 5 steps ahead. I’m just working on executing it right now, which is coming along nicely. You have to work extremely hard to get to where you want to be in life. If you’re willing and you can stay focused, determined, and driven, you know that achieving your end goal will make everything okay. For someone who is young and who has created a business like this, where does your drive and determination come from? My father did not provide for me very well when I was younger. I’ve had fate help me get through life. I’m very focused and driven - trying to prove people wrong is probably one of my best assets. I like being able to do things that the ordinary person won’t do. It makes me feel accomplished and at the end of the day, that’s what’s important. Riley concluded the interview with some words of wisdom for us all. She stated that in order to succeed in life “you’ve gotta envision yourself at the finish line, no matter what it is that you’re doing.” *** The questions and responses have been lightly edited for clarity.
ICONIC CONCIERGE
49
50
ICONIC CONCIERGE
THE CRAZIEST CONSPIRACY THEORIES THAT JUST WON’T GO AWAY
SuspiciouS SuspiciouS SuspiciouS MindS MindS MindS From the assassination of John F Kennedy to the sudden death of Lady Diana, from Roswell, New Mexico, to the moon landing, from the ministry and crucifixion of Jesus Christ to the death of Elvis Presley, every major event to have ever taken place over the last 2,000 years has given rise to at least one conspiracy theory.
ICONIC CONCIERGE
51
A
merican psychologist Rob Brotherton, author of Suspicious Minds: Why We Believe Conspiracy Theories, says as many as 90 per cent of people acknowledge entertaining one conspiracy theory or another:
“Given a handful of dots, our pattern-seeking brains can’t resist trying to connect them.”
funeral procession; John represents Jesus, Ringo is the undertaker, and George the grave digger. And Paul? He wears no shoes. He didn’t need them; he was dead. His eyes are closed and he walks out of step with the others. And the VW’s licence plate shows ‘28IF’ - McCartney would have been 28 IF he’d lived... There are many (many...) other clues, and photographs of a baby faced Paul before 1966 and then many from 1967 on that suddenly look nothing like the baby faced boy prior to 1966. So, what do you think?
Another study indicates that half the American public believes in at least one conspiracy theory in any given year.
REPTILIAN ELITE
So why do people believe in conspiracy theories?
Surveys indicate that 12 million Americans believe the United States government is run by lizard people. (Yes, 12 million. You read that right.)
A conspiracy theory doesn’t necessarily have to be untrue, but by definition it contradicts the generally-accepted version of events. Once a conspiracy theory becomes the accepted explanation, it stops being a conspiracy theory and becomes historical fact. Which might be the explanation, or at least one reason why, people continue to believe they hope their views will eventually be proven right. We have put together some well-known – and some lesser-known – conspiracy theories for you. Which of these theories are laughable in their insanity, too far out there to be taken seriously? And which of them are surprisingly grounded and actually somewhat plausible given what we already know? You be the judge.
PAUL MCCARTNEY Did you know that when Queen Elizabeth knighted Paul McCartney
The story, popularized by conspiracy theorist David Icke, a former BBC sports writer and self-proclaimed “son of God,” is that, thousands of years ago, reptilian beings intervened on planet Earth and began interbreeding with humans through the manipulation of our DNA. Icke says that these alien lizards placed a limit on our consciousness, preventing us from using our brains to their full potential and making us easier to control. Icke points to the fact that we have reptile genes within our brain as evidence for his theory. Today, Icke claims, royal families throughout the world and many politicians and world-leaders are, or are possessed by, the reptilians. And it gets crazier: Suspected of being Reptilians are the Rockefellers in the United States, the Rothschild family from Germany, and the British House of Windsor. It’s also believed that Bill and Hillary Clinton are lizard people, and Hillary is higher than Bill in the Reptilian Hierarchy. (Wonder what Donald Trump thinks about this, eh?)
in 1997, she was actually knighting someone else? Well, according to one conspiracy theory, Paul McCartney secretly died in 1966 in a gruesome car crash in his Aston Martin. It happened in the midst of The Beatles hype, when the sensation band from Liverpool conquered the world, making a fortune. This theory says that Paul McCartney died in a car crash, and the other three Beatles members covered it up by hiring a very convincing doppelganger to replace him. Beatlemaniacs say that the Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album contains numerous “Paul is dead” clues, such as the lyrics to A Day in the Life, which features the line “He blew his mind out in a car.” In the song Taxman, George Harrison gave his “advice for those who die,” meaning Paul, and then there is the recorded phrase “Paul is dead, miss him, miss him,” which only becomes evident when the song is played backward. Lennon also mumbled, “I buried Paul” at the end of Strawberry Fields Forever, although he later denied there was any hidden meaning in the lyrics and what he was actually saying was “cranberry sauce”. And let’s not forget the Abbey Road cover. The cover is symbolic of a
52
ICONIC CONCIERGE
Other alleged Reptilians are Barack Obama and both Presidents Bush. The Bush family actually plays an important role in this conspiracy theory, as its adherents say the Bushes are related to some very famous and high-profile people. Buckle up for this one: These conspiracy theorists believe that George W. Bush and Barack Obama are 11th cousins, and that Dick Cheney is Obama’s ninth cousin once removed. Other blood relatives that these conspiracy theorists say are directly related to the Bushes include Abraham Lincoln, Marilyn Monroe, Pocahontas, Hugh Hefner, John Kerry, Vlad the Impaler, and Princess Diana. So they may be (or may have been) Reptilians as well...
JESUS CHRIST It was most likely author Dan Brown who brought this theory back into the spotlight with his blockbuster novel The Da Vinci Code. Those who believe in this, the most likely oldest and farthest-reaching of all conspiracy theories, think that Jesus married Mary Magdalene, had one or more children, and that those children or their descendants emigrated to southern part of France. Over time this divine bloodline would become the Merovingian dynasty, whose special claim to the
NEW E-PACE ALL WHEEL DRIVE
AND THE WEATHER FORECAST TODAY IS… IRRELEVANT.
The perfect drive doesn’t require perfect driving conditions. Not when you have the All Wheel Drive technology from Jaguar. Engineered for performance, the intelligent system constantly monitors and adjusts the balance of torque between front and rear wheels providing optimum traction for the ultimate drive, no matter what the weather conditions. Seamless composure in the blink of an eye, at all times. Perfect. For more information visit jaguarvancouver.ca
JAGUAR VANCOUVER 1730 Burrard Street Vancouver, BC V6J 3G7 604-738-5577 jaguarvancouver.ca
JAGUAR VANCOUVER
DILAWRI GROUP OF COMPANIES
53
throne of France is championed today by a secret society called the Priory of Sion. According to this conspiracy theory, among those directly descended from Jesus are Charlemagne the Holy Roman Emperor and Earl of Orkney & alleged Knights Templar founder Henry Sinclair.
JOHN F. KENNEDY Fatally wounded by gunshots, the 35th President of the United States died on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas at 12.30pm. Doubts about the official explanation - that the President had been assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald (who was himself shot dead by Jack Ruby while in police custody) surfaced soon after the commission report. Footage of the motorcade supported the growing belief that at least four shots were fired - not the three that the commission claimed - and that at least one of the shots came from a completely different direction to those supposedly fired by Oswald. The assassination is still the subject of widespread speculation and has spawned numerous conspiracy theories, though none of these have been proven.
THE ILLUMINATI AND THE NEW WORLD ORDER
opened 16 months behind schedule, reportedly saw evidence of bunker entrances and unexplained tunnels. Conspiracy theories say they are designed to house billionaires and the global political elite in the event of an apocalypse. Others believe they house aliens. Inside the airport one can find a plethora of creepy art and strange décor, including a terrifying, 32-foot-tall statue of a giant horse with fiery, glowing eyes, murals of a devil jumping out of a suitcase, as well as a statue of Anubis, the ancient Egyptian god of death. Some of the most controversial murals, however, have been removed: They featured a character that resembled a Nazi officer in a gas mask, children in front of a burning building, and kids gathered around a knife. And, if seen from the air, the runways and taxiways resemble the shape of a swastika. One question remains, though, and it does so for many other conspiracy theories – if it took decades and billions of dollars to hide a secret in this airport, why jeopardize it by putting so many obvious clues in plain sight?
ELVIS PRESLEY We all know it- Elvis is alive! Well, when most of us say that, what we
This one proposes that a secret group called the “Illuminati” (“hi” to the Dan Brown fans) has been controlling the world and is looking to create a one-world government. Another version of this conspiracy theory includes groups in a similar position of world domination – the Freemasons, the Bilderberg Group, or the “globalists.” Their end goal is to dissolve national boundaries and identities, allowing for total authoritarian control of society. Many historical events are said to have been engineered by these groups, with international organizations such as the World Bank, the IMF, the European Union, the United Nations, and NATO alleged to be founders and financiers. Signs are said to be the pyramid on the reverse of the Great Seal of the United States, strange and disturbing murals at Denver International Airport, and pentagrams in city plans.
DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT This airport is the subject of countless conspiracy theories, and the stories could easily fill a book. To start with, people don’t understand why DEN
mean is that his music lives on after him. But there is the conspiracy theory that “the King” did not die in 1977. The claim is allegedly backed up by thousands of sightings, but the main reason is that, on his grave, his middle name was intentionally misspelt as Aaron, instead of Aron, because the superstitious singer wouldn’t want his real name on a fake grave. If you dig deeper into this subject, one name will appear quite often: Gail Brewer-Giorgio, the author of the 1988 bestselling book Is Elvis Alive? “Do I know if Elvis is alive today? No, I don’t know,” she says. “But I know he didn’t die on Aug. 16 (1977).”
airport was built in the first place, since there was a fully functioning one closer to downtown. Then there is a dedication plaque at the airport’s south entrance, which contains a time capsule and bears the symbol of the Freemasons, as well as a reference to the New World Airport Commission. The airport is also twice the size of Manhattan, and contractors who originally worked on the airport, which went $2 billion over budget and
54
ICONIC CONCIERGE
One of the conspiracy theories on why Presley may have faked his death is because he was on the run from the mafia. According to this conspiracy theory, FBI documents show that Presley was an American hero who had to go into witness protection for his own safety. Brewer-Giorgio said in an interview with TIME that the FBI enlisted Presley as an undercover agent in 1976 to help the agency infiltrate a criminal organization. Another version of this theory is that Elvis now works as a groundskeeper in Graceland, while a third says that a mysterious black helicopter landed at Graceland just before his body was discovered, and flew him to Bermuda to fake his own death because he got fed up with fame. Elvis would be 82 years old today.
THE MOON LANDING One of the most significant scientific and political achievements of the last century, landing on the moon, is also one of the most discussed conspiracy theories. The claim: The moon landing did not happen, and its appearance was orchestrated by NASA/the US government to raise
warning of the attacks but did not do enough to stop them. Others say the Bush administration deliberately turned a blind eye to those warnings in order to justify starting wars in the Middle East. The most prominent conspiracy theory is that the collapse of the Twin Towers and 7 WTC were the result of a controlled demolition rather than structural failure due to impact and fire, and that the Pentagon was hit by a missile launched by elements from inside the U.S. Government. “Evidence” is said to be video footage which seems to show smoke emerging from the Twin Towers at levels far below the aircraft impact zones and prior to the collapses. Conspiracy theorists also claim that on the day itself, the US air force was deliberately stood down or sent on exercises to prevent intervention that could have saved the lives of nearly 3,000 people.
HAARP
national pride and to show its technological supremacy over the Soviet Union. “Proof” is the flag appearing to move in photos, something that should not happen as there is no wind in space (scientists point out that the flag only appears to move during the moment of unfurling, something which would happen even without wind), camera crosshairs partially hidden behind rocks, the lack of stars over the lunar landscape, and shadows falling in different directions.
AREA 51 We will keep this one short: Area 51, a detachment of California’s Edwards Air Force Base, was founded in 1955 to test the Lockheed U-2 reconnaissance plane. What exactly goes on inside of Area 51 has led to decades of wild speculation, from the alien conspiracies that galactic visitors are tucked away somewhere inside, to the stories that it houses studios where the U.S. government filmed the 1969 moon landing, to the more believable ones that the government uses the base to develop advanced aircraft and weapons systems.
This one was actually real: More than 200 miles east of Anchorage, Alaska, is the Pentagon’s controversial ‘High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program’. Officially an enormous experiment that studies an energetic and active region of the upper atmosphere, sending radio beams into the ionosphere to study the responses from it, conspiracy theorists believe the project is a weapon designed to to bring down aircraft and missiles, cause earthquakes, or even change the weather. It isn’t just conspiracy theorists who are concerned about HAARP. In 2010, Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez claimed that HAARP or a program like it triggered the Haiti earthquake, and the European Union called the project a global concern and passed a resolution calling for more information on its health and environmental risks. In May 2014, it was announced that the HAARP program would be permanently shut down, and ownership of the facility and its equipment was transferred to the University of Alaska Fairbanks in August 2015.
CHEMTRAILS
9/11 - SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 Despite repeated claims by al-Qaeda that it orchestrated and carried out the attacks, conspiracy theories around 9/11 continue to grow. The
Many consider the streaks billowing from airplanes beautiful against a bright blue sky, but others are alarmed. Chemtrail - a portmanteau of the words “chemical” and “contrail” - conspiracy theorists believe that some trails, which consist of ice crystals or water vapour condensed behind aircraft, actually result from chemicals or biological agents being deliberately sprayed at high altitude to exacerbate global warming or to dump harmful substances on people and land. Believers argue that normal contrails dissipate relatively quickly, and therefore contrails that do not dissipate must contain additional substances.Scientists and government agencies around the world have repeatedly explained that the supposed chemtrails are in fact normal contrails. collapse of both World Trade Center towers—and the smaller 7 WTC a few hours later—initially surprised even some experts.
DIANA, PRINCESS OF WALES
Some conspiracy theorists believe that the US government had prior
Despite an official inquiry that found no evidence of a plot by the British
ICONIC CONCIERGE
55
Secret Service or any other entity to murder the princess and Dodi Fayed on the night of 31 August, 1997, fevered speculation continues. Many people still don’t believe the official explanation that Diana’s driver was drunk and that her death was an accident. Their theory is that someone wanted to kill Diana, and this person helped orchestrate that night’s fatal crash. An investigation was launched to establish whether there was any truth in the theories. It lasted years, cost millions – and found that the theories were entirely without foundation, and that all that happened that night was indeed an incredibly unfortunate accident. Still, however, those conspiracies rage.
World Order, a world government organized according to Masonic principles and/or governed only by Freemasons. They state that some Founding Fathers of the United States, including George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, were having Masonic sacred geometric designs interwoven into American society. They point to the Great Seal of the United States, the United States one-dollar bill, the architecture of National Mall landmarks and the streets and highways of Washington, D.C., as part of a master plan and a model for the coming New World Order. These days the Freemasons have around five million members globally, making them the world’s largest international secret society. Women have traditionally been barred from joining and participating, so to many they are just a gentleman’s club devoted to charitable giving, whose members engage in odd but harmless fraternal rites.
GOTTHARD BASE TUNNEL We have confirmation: The Gates of Hell are located in Switzerland! Just kidding. But when after 17 years of construction, the 57km Gotthard
FREEMASONS A “secret society that hides in plain view,” conspiracy theories and controversy have dogged the Freemasons throughout their existence. The society evolved out of Scotland after stonemasons working on the country’s public buildings in the 1500s banded together — in a similar way to modern trade unions — in a bid to protect the secrets and interests of their trade.
Base Tunnel opened on June 1, 2016, many spectators were wondering about the big ceremony. Conspiracy theorists immediately described it as a Satanic ritual with “a giant mechanized worm that eats deep into the bowels of hell to the delight of a half-naked demonic angel, Lucifer, lesbians, pagans, demons, goat gods and catatonic orange zombies in front of the delighted elite of The New World Order.” You can watch it on YouTube, and you, too, may say that “it will probably rank highly in the top 10 weirdest opening ceremonies ever.“
BITCOIN Wait, what? We told you we have a few surprises here, and it shouldn’t be surprising that the online crypto-currency Bitcoin is a prolific generator of rumours. Nobody knows who developed it, few people understand how it works, and its value swings wildly due to nebulous factors controlled by unknown forces. The perfect breeding ground for conspiracy theories!
Speculations were fuelled by their secretive image, and one of the most intriguing aspects is the Freemason initiation ceremony — something so shrouded in mystery it has never been filmed, even to this day. Current members are sworn to secrecy and details of what happens during a ceremony are murky. Over the years a number of allegations and conspiracy theories have been directed towards Freemasonry, including that Freemasons have a hidden political agenda and are conspiring to bring about a New
56
ICONIC CONCIERGE
One of them is that governments are in the process of vetting the cryptocurrency space and using Bitcoin as its primary test case before crushing private cryptocurrencies altogether then replacing them with one government-sanctioned “Bitcoin.” Or, that that an advanced artificial intelligence created Bitcoin to take over the world. And, of course, some say it was all Elon Musk. There are, of course, many, many more conspiracy theories out there, each one wilder and more insane than the last. And these conspiracy theories will never go away. People are going to believe whatever they want to believe, evidence or no. But one thing we can all agree on? The X-Files was right – the truth is out there.
MAGICAL HAVANA EXPERIENCE CUBA THE ICONIC WAY words: Olaf Robrecht
58
ICONIC CONCIERGE
ICONIC CONCIERGE
59
We loved the Skybar on Hong Kong Airlines. So much that we took over!
I
The El Capitolio (the National Capitol Building in Havana), is now home to the Cuban Academy of Sciences.
It was about time for a visit to Cuba! Havana, to be specific. Cuba’s capital city, with Spanish colonial architecture lending character and culture to the 16th-century Old Havana core, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982 and has been on our bucket list for many years. A bustling city in a communist country trapped in time where faded glamour meets careful colonial-era reconstruction, an eclectic combination of old and new, calm and movement, all mixed together and surrounded by the soundtrack of jazz and the smell of cigars drifting out of the open doors of bars, and the dull rattle of the engines of colourful 1950s cars. No doubt, Havana captures the imagination like no other city, and when we saw Vin Diesel’s character Dom Toretto rolling through the town and along the famous Malecón in the latest
You may have some time on your hands at the airport depending on whether you decide to hop on your private jet or fly with one of the airlines that connect Vancouver to Havana. Before your flight leaves, it might be useful to read up on Cuban history so that you can better understand the local culture today. But in case you were out sick the day they covered Cuban history in school, we’ll give you a brief summation of the most important points in the history of Cuba.
A BIT OF HISTORY In 1898, at the end of the Spanish-American war, a defeated Spain signed the rights to its territories — including Cuba, Puerto Rico and Guam — over to the U.S., which then granted Cuba its independence with the stipulation that they could intervene in
The iconic Che Guevara face that is seen just about everywhere in Havana.
60
Fast & Furious instalment, The Fate of the Furious, we knew we finally had to see and experience it for ourselves.
the country’s affairs if necessary and that the U.S. be granted a perpetual lease on its naval base at Guantánamo Bay.
It was also the perfect time to leave Vancouver behind .. the snow was coming down heavily on the cold late February day, making our flight one of the few that didn’t get cancelled...
This worked fairly well for the next 50 or so years. The two countries more or less cooperated, the U.S. invested in the economy of its tiny island neighbour, and Ernest Hemingway,
ICONIC CONCIERGE
ICONIC CONCIERGE
61
Enjoying a good cigar with Don Alejandro Robaina, Cuba’s most revered tobacco grower.
who lived there for 22 years, wrote The Old Man and the Sea at his villa just outside of Havana. Then came the Cuban Revolution - and everything changed. The Cuban Revolution was an armed rebellion against the extremely unpopular corrupt and oppressive military regime of Fulgencio Batista in the 1950s. In 1956, Fidel Castro and Che Guevara gathered a force of 82 guerrilla fighters and sparked a revolutionary war against the Cuban government. By 1958, the revolution had spread throughout Cuba, and in early 1959 the rebels took Havana. Batista fled the country, and Castro formed a liberal nationalist government to free Cuba from the influence of the U.S. He nationalized American-owned property, allied himself with the Communist Party and grew friendlier with America’s Cold War enemy, the Soviet Union. As a result, the U.S. severed diplomatic and economic ties with Cuba and enacted a trade and travel embargo that remained in effect until December 17, 2014, when Raúl Castro and U.S. President Barack Obama appeared before national television audiences to announce the restoration of diplomatic relations between their countries. Local artists present their work on the Paseo del Prado.
62
ICONIC CONCIERGE
Just a few months later both countries officially reopened their embassies in each other’s capitals, and Obama visited Cuba in March 2016, the first trip to Cuba made by a sitting U.S. president in nearly 90 years. However, with the election of Donald Trump as president in 2016, saying he would like to again tighten restrictions against Cuba, the future between the two countries seems unclear.
A LOCAL EXPERIENCE You know how we often say “it was meant to be?” Well, just a few weeks before we left for Cuba, actually days after we made the decision to go, I was sitting at a bar in Yaletown. A rainy night, the place was busy. The typical socializing, and so I started a conversation with the person sitting next to me. Chris, tall and with some resemblance to Alec Baldwin, tells me he is Canadian and comes to Vancouver on a regular basis. However, turns out he lives in ... Havana! And operates a bespoke VIP service (check out www.CubaWild.com) for those who want to experience Havana and Cuba with a twist! Life, eh? Needless to say, we stayed in touch, actually met up a few more times, and the morning we left the airport building in Varadero, Che Guevara’s son, Ernesto, has inherited his late father’s love of motorbikes.
Formula E - Hong Kong
The Gran Hotel Manzana Kempinski is the first true luxury 5-star hotel in Cuba. Indulge yourself while staying in one of the suites with extra high ceilings and French windows. Experience the restaurants and bars, the cigar lounge and the roof top pool with its panoramic restaurant and bar with spectacular views over the old city.
Cuba, Chris was waiting with our personal driver with a bright red 1955 Pontiac Star Chief, and a local guide for the time of our stay. It took us around two hours, including a stop for a welcome drink, to get to ...Havana.
largest city, with a population of 2.1 million people. It’s also the seat of the Cuban government, and home to various ministries, business headquarters, and over 90 diplomatic offices. And .. our home for the next 6 days! A Luxury Experience in Havana
WELCOME TO HAVANA The city of Havana was founded by the Spanish in the 16th century and due to its strategic location it served as a springboard for the Spanish conquest of the Americas. Today, Havana is Cuba’s
One of the things we had heard the most when we mentioned the planned trip to Havana was the accommodations. “Don’t expect anything luxurious,” they said. “A 5-star hotel in The Gran Hotel Manzana Kempinski.
ICONIC CONCIERGE
63
Cuba is more like a 2-star hotel back home,” they said. Well, fellow travellers, this may have been correct in decades gone by, but we can say from experience that it is no longer the case today. Let us introduce you to the brand-new and ultra-luxurious Gran Hotel Manzana Kempinski La Habana, a spectacular hotel in Old Havana that we will never forget. Originally built between 1894 and 1917 as the first European style shopping arcade in Cuba, Gran Hotel Manzana Kempinski La Habana is situated right in the heart of Old Havana amidst a variety of UNESCO World Heritage sites. With a direct view of the Capitol and the Great Theatre of Havana, it is the first true luxury hotel in Cuba, offering 246 large rooms or suites with extra high ceilings and French windows opening out to the old city. A variety of restaurants and bars, including a one-of-a-kind cigar lounge and a rooftop Panoramic Restaurant and Bar with spectacular views over the old city, a luxurious spa with state-of-the-art equipment and exclusive treatments never before experienced in this part of the world, an outstanding concierge service, a breakfast-buffet that has been unheard of in Cuba, and staff that will make you feel at home at once - the Kempinski sets a new standard and has to be your number one choice on your next trip to Havana.
The colourful Mezzanine Bar at the Hotel Saratoga with its palm trees, capturing all the romance of old Havana. Tropical, lush, decadent, luxurious, spirited.. Enjoy their signature Mojito or sample some of the best of Cuba’s famous cigars.
64
ICONIC CONCIERGE
HIRE A GUIDE! Havana is a city with lots of wondrous little surprises in store, tucked away in unexpected places. While you can explore the city on your own, hiring a guide for a day or two is a great way to familiarize yourself with the area and the people, and to learn about the local culture and hotspots. We had dinner with Chris, our guide, on the first day, so we could give him a good idea of what we were hoping to experience. The next morning, he was already waiting for us when we left the hotel, together with our driver and the local guide. “I’m sure you had the best breakfast Cuba can offer,” Chris laughed, pointing at the majestic entrance of the Kempinski. “And I thought you might enjoy an open-air experience..” He had asked the driver to bring a very cool purple 1957 Ford Fairlane convertible. Yes, he already knew us well! We spent the next 6 hours together and learned a lot about Cuba and Havana. Chris had also made arrangements for the evening. It was because of him and his connections in Cuba that we met some very interesting people, went to unique places, and really got the most out of our 6-day trip. If it’s your first time to Havana, it definitely pays off to hire a personal guide – at least
This is what happens when you have a local guide! One of the many unbelievable hidden gems that we found. There were no real signs pointing to the La Guarida restaurant with its stylish rooftop bar. A must when you visit Havana!
IL
TH A ST CUBAN TWI
OP
I C C O C K TA
WI
DR
A C LASS
I
S
E 7Y
S R A
AY
ST
H
W
AL
S
E
G
UN YO
'S 7 A N A V A
All but bland! We had some of the most amazing dishes in Havana. Fresh seafood such as a green lobster ceviche and grilled lobster with pernod sauce is truly delicious.
for a day. You want to hire Chris Wild? Check out his website www.CubaWild.com or email him: cubachriseild@gmail.com
GO, EXPLORE! The Kempinski is centrally located in the core of Old Havana, next to Central Park and within a stone’s throw of both the Capitol and the Great Theater. It’s also a mere 15-minute walk from the Malecon, the 7km esplanade that runs along the Gulf Coast. Walk down the ‘Paseo del Prado’ promenade with the bronze lions, lamp-posts and marble benches, to the Castillo San Salvador de la Punta, a fortress in the bay of Havana. Walk through the streets of Old Havana, enjoy a coffee, beer or one of the famous cocktails in one of the many bars or outsideon a patio. Stroll along the Malecón to the Almacenes San Jose Artisans’
surprise: Delicious and fresh food! And we’re not talking about hotel restaurants. No, Havana has many real gems, some of them we were told about by friends, some recommended by our guide, and some we learned about from the hotel concierge. But if you want to find the best food in Havana, it’s essential that you keep an open mind. Expect the unexpected. In Havana, appearances can be deceiving, so don’t let first impressions dictate where you eat. Several times we thought we had the wrong address, only to find the coolest ever rooftop bar or restaurant tucked away behind the ordinary exterior. Also, don’t ask for anything other than local cuisine. You won’t find a great Italian or Mexican restaurant. You are in Cuba, so enjoy seafood, yuca, tamales, black beans - the Spanish influence is prevalent in most dishes.
“The birthplace of...” is something you will hear a lot in Havana. La Bodeguita del Medio lays claim to being the birthplace of the Mojito cocktail, so make sure to try it!
Market in the huge harbourside warehouse, or spend some time in Havana’s most architecturally eclectic square, Plaza Vieja, where Cuban baroque nestles seamlessly next to Gaudíinspired art nouveau. You’ll find several new bars, restaurants and cafes there, the plaza even has its own microbrewery, and a beautiful fountain. It’s also a sociable buzz in the evenings.
66
CUBA LIBRE, DAIQUIRI, PIÑA COLADA
There’s a lot to do in Havana, just check our little guide of the ‘must-dos’ at the end of this article.
Even if you’ve had these drinks anywhere else in the world, most of them have undergone dozens of international variations. Forget about the international variations. You are in Cuba, so try the authentic flavours made with 100% Cuban ingredients. Cuba is famous for its cocktails, and not trying one (or two) is like leaving Cuba without having smoked a cigar. Which brings us to...
CULINARY EXPERIENCES
CIGARS
Yes, Havana will surprise you! If you haven’t been to the island in the last year or so, or if it will be your first trip, you are in for a
Ok, is there anything cooler than having a cigar with Che Guevara’s son? Yes, that is exactly what we did! Ernesto,
ICONIC CONCIERGE
on Calle Obispo, where a seductive musical soundtrack and spontaneous streetside grooving provides some of the city’s best free entertainment. But there are many more such spontaneous parties all over the city.
Che’s youngest son, shows some strong family resemblance, and has inherited another trait from his late father: his love of motorbikes. “I’ve always liked mechanics, speed, motorbikes, cars,” he explains while we are enjoying a good cigar. We are standing outside one of his favourite cigar lounges, looking at his own pride and joy, a beautiful Harley Davidson, which is not just his passion but his business. Just recently Ernesto started his own motorbike tour company, La Poderosa Tours (www. lapoderosatours.com), which he named after La Poderosa, the famous Norton 500cc on which his father crossed the Americas in the Motorcycle Diaries. If you would like to experience Cuba in the saddle of a Harley, check their website. They offer two tour options, a six-day or a nine-day tour. Ernesto then introduced us to the son of the legendary Don Alejandro Robaina, Cuba’s most revered tobacco grower, who showed us his unbelievable assortment of fine cigars. Havana is the birthplace of premium cigars, and the city is dotted with cigar factories of all shapes and sizes. Touring one is a journey back in time. You will most likely see photographs of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara covering the walls, before the smell of unlit cigar tobacco, earthy and pungent and remarkably intoxicating, hits you. The galera is a huge room, and the main rolling room of the fabrica. Here you will see the workers, making cigars entirely by hand, in the same antique and artisanal process that has been unchanged for hundreds of years. Wait, you don’t smoke? Well, we are pretty sure you will try one when you visit Havana!
SUNSET AND NIGHTLIFE Even if you’ve never been to Havana, you probably have an idea of what evenings in Cuba look like. There are one or two high-end nightclubs in the city, but the nightclub experience isn’t really what you ought to do when you’re in Havana. In many respects, Havana is a great party destination, but since the average Cuban does not make a lot of money, budgeting is of major importance when planning a night out. Cubans have perfected the art of casual, free hangouts. At night the streets come alive with people looking to have a great time without spending a lot of money on club entrance fees or expensive drinks. They buy a bottle of rum, meet up in a breezy, outside location, play some music, and dance the night away. We found many cool places around our hotel, such as
If you still want to go to a club, just remember that the bars close at midnight, which is when the clubs get into full swing. Vedado, a neighbourhood a few miles west of Old Havana, has the lion’s share of clubs and musical venues. Thanks to Chris, we made it into Cuba’s #1 VIP club, Fantaxy, owned by one of Fidel Castro’s grandsons, where famous musicians can be seen hanging out in the VIP section, partying until 5 in the morning. The club also enforces a strict dress code, and if you don’t have connections, don’t even try: On weekends the line to get in stretches far down the block, as everyone from Miramar to Vedado waits their turn.
CUBA AND ITS CARS Brightly coloured classic cars are as much a part of Havana and Cuba as is the likeness of Che Guevara. Cuba is literally a rolling car museum. Wherever you look you’ll see a few old-school American cars, ranging from Oldsmobile to Chevrolet, Buick to Ford and Plymouth. We even spotted some old Mercedes and Volvos, and, believe it or not, a Porsche 356! In Cuba, vehicles that most car lovers would spend a lot of money for are used as everyday transportation, and a lot of them are taxis and available for city tours. But there’s just one catch: Not a single one of them is an original. Castro placed a ban on foreign vehicle imports in 1962, making it nearly impossible to buy a brand-new, foreign-made vehicle or the parts it takes to maintain them. So what may look like a 1956 Chevrolet is likely a Chevy body with a Peugeot diesel engine in it! Cubans often nicknamed the cars “Frankensteins,” referring to the many Chinese and Russian parts used in the past, but over the last few years and with loosened restrictions, more and more mint-condition beauties roam the streets. And it is a must to hire a driver with a car when you visit Havana. You will find them everywhere, but a good spot is around Central Park, right between the Gran Hotel Manzana and the Gran Teatro. At times you will see up to a hundred cars around the park - just pick the one you like best! Or, just ask the concierge at the hotel, who will arrange for tours as well as individual transfers to and from the airport.
HASTA PRONTO, HABANA! We spent 6 days in Havana, and when we left we almost felt home. We knew the main streets by name, never needed a map, met wonderful people, stayed at the best hotel with the friendliest staff, ate some delicious food and pretty much had all the cocktails Cuba is known for at least once (ok, that’s per day...). We drove in the classic car, smoked the cigar, learned about the culture and the history. Mission accomplished. Thank you to all who made this such an amazing experience!
ICONIC CONCIERGE
67
"Always do sober what you said you would do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut. " -- Ernest Hemingway
The Daiquiri The greater the person, the more mythology surrounds him/her. On our recent trip to Cuba, three names came up all the time: Che Guevara, Fidel Castro - and Ernest Hemingway. Gentlemen - you can learn about drinks and cocktail etiquette many ways and from many sources, but for what it is worth, there is no better mentor than Ernest Hemingway. It’s no secret that booze was Hemingway’s life-blood, for himself as much for his fictional characters. Philip Greene, a Hemingway expert and co-founder of the Museum of the American Cocktail in New Orleans, even wrote a book about it, “To Have and Have Another: A Hemingway Cocktail Companion,” mentioning that ‘Hemingway’s acquaintance with booze was quixotic and nearly spiritual.’ By the way - we were surprised to learn that Hemingway enjoyed some fairly un-manly drinks like the White Lady (gin, Cointreau, and lemon juice). Apparently he enjoyed champagne cocktails, too — “He adored champagne,” Greene writes. Hemingway loved his drinks. Negronis (he always had a bottle of Campari close at hand), martinis, mojitos and, the famous daiquiri. And although he used to include his favouriter drinks in his books, the daiquiri only made a single appearance in ‘Islands in the Stream’ — but he liked them enough to have 17 in one sitting at its birthplace, the El Floridita bar in Havana. Legend has it that Hemingway loved it so much that he always ordered a double, lending the cocktail its nickname of Papa Doble.
We enjoyed ‘a few’ on our stay. Simple, classic - As any Cuban will tell you, you don’t need fancy gadgets to make fantastic cocktails. And here’s how you mix the perfect classic daiquiri: • • • • •
2 Teaspoons white sugar 0.5 Lime 50 ml Havana Club Añejo 3 Años 3 Ice cubes 1 Cocktail shaker or large jar with a lids
Put the sugar in a shaker or large jar with a lidf and gently squeeze in the lime juice. Next, add the Havana Club 3 and ice cubes. Shake it like you mean it! Strain into the cocktail glass ... and enjoy!
68
ICONIC CONCIERGE
ICONIC CONCIERGE
69
out & about BELTS & CUFFLINKS STEFANO RICCI | VANCOUVER images by: The Collective You, Alfonso Arnold
It’s definitely not a bad thing when you have to make the decision whether to buy that new Jag F-Type R ... or a new belt. Well, not just any belt. A Stefano Ricci belt in crocodile leather with diamonds. Both the Jag and the belt will pretty much set you back C$95k. Decisions, decisions! On March 13th, Manuel Bernaschek and the team of the Stefano Ricci Boutique on 1139 West Georgia St. welcomed their VIP guests for an exclusive unveiling of the new precious belts and cufflinks collection. And with most of Vancouver’s gentlemen fashionista in attendance, it turned into quite the fashion show. Cocktails, wine and champagne, paired with the new collection of exotic leather and diamond belts and some amazing diamond cufflinks - it never fails! And with most of the new SR Spring Fashion collection on display, we will see even more ‘sharp dressed men’ in the weeks and months ahead.
70
ICONIC CONCIERGE
Super Series Diamond Rally Package. Purchase a 650S Spider and receive complimentary entry to the Diamond Rally, cocktail reception and livery package, and McLaren celebration dinner during the rally.
Super Series 650S Spider
2016 McLaren 650S Spider Stock #VU0322 $319,985
2016 McLaren 650S Spider Stock #VU0315 $299,900
2015 McLaren 650S Spider Stock #MV0147A $289,985
2015 McLaren 650S Spider Stock #AT0006 $279,985
2015 McLaren 650S Spider Stock #VU0339 $299,900
2015 McLaren 650S Spider Stock #VU0292 $279,985
2015 McLaren 650S Spider Stock #AT0012 $290,980
2016 McLaren 650S Spider Stock #VU0180 $319,985
2015 McLaren 650S Spider Stock #MV0183A $300,980
2017 McLaren 675LT Stock #VU0219 $420,785 USD
2016 McLaren 675LT Stock #VU0357 $434,335 USD
2016 McLaren 675LT Stock #VU0223 $465,885 USD
McLaren Vancouver 1711 West 2nd Avenue Vancouver, BC V6J 1H7 888-595-9023
mclarenvancouver.ca
out & about NIGHT OF WONDERS GALA LONDON AVIATION CENTRE
72
ICONIC CONCIERGE
images by: Jamie-Lee Fuoco Photography
The annual Night of Wonders gala took place on March 8, 2018 at London Aviation Centre. It is the premier event of Children’s Wish, BC & Yukon Chapter, bringing together 350 of Vancouver’s business and cultural luminaries to help grant wishes for dozens of seriously ill children. The airport hanger was transformed into a beautiful skylike scene, picking up the gala’s “Wishes Take Flight” theme celebrating the vastness of a wish and paying homage to the number of travel wishes Children’s Wish grants. Fred Lee and Global BC News Hour anchor Sophie Lui emceed the gala. Guests were treated to wines by Liquidity Wines, cocktails from the Liberty Distillery and a three-course dinner prepared by the Lazy Gourmet. Thanks to the generosity of sponsors, donors, and guests, $550,000 was raised this year to grant the heartfelt wishes of BC & Yukon children. Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada is the largest and only all-Canadian wish granting charity dedicated to granting wishes to Canadian children between the ages of 3 and 17 who are diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. For more than 30 years, Children’s Wish has worked tirelessly to grant heartfelt wishes to nearly 25,000 children and their families.
ICONIC CONCIERGE
73
Carry On!
D
on’t you hate it – your plane is late and your meeting starts in less than an hour, which only gives you a few minutes to change into your suit, and of course the garments in your carry-on are wrinkled. No matter how carefully you fold and pack your clothes, they still come out of the suitcase looking less than presentable. This is not only annoying, it looks unprofessional, especially when your boss or client is focusing more on your disheveled appearance than they are on your presentation.
There are many carry-ons and garment bags on the market designed to hold formal and business clothing, but so far none of them have really done the job. But we’ve finally found the perfect carry-on luggage to keep your clothes wrinkle-free! Well, actually, Jason did. Jason Sarai travels a lot. The owner of Style by Sarai and our fashion editor doers a lot of 2- or 3-day trips, only taking carry-on luggage to avoid delays waiting for checked-in suitcases. A spotless appearance is his business card, which means his shirts and suits have to be smooth and wrinkle-free. Jason says that his experience with garment bags has been mixed at best: “I have had so many different carry on garment bags, some were better, some worse, but depending on how long the flight was, or how stuffed the overhead compartments are, I usually had to quickly steam or iron my shirts at the hotel.”
The F-35 is a timeless classic bag, designed for quick business trips. It offers the same “ZeroCrease system” as the F38 carry-on but in a more compact size. This travel bag fits comfortably in overhead compartments and in the trunk of most sports cars.
74
ICONIC CONCIERGE
It was last year, in Florence at “Pitti Uomo,” where he met the CEO of Austriabased company Vocier, a luxury luggage manufacturer. Vocier patented the “ZeroCrease system,” which bends garments instead of folding them.
How to travel – wrinkle-free! photography: Envizion Media • styling: Style by Sarai • clothing: Sarai Bespoke | Bertacchi Hatcrafters | Kingsley Eyewear Rolls-Royce: Upper Echelon Chauffeurs • Plane: Aurora Private Jets
According to Vocier, wrinkles in your suit are caused by two factors: pressure and tight corners. Like creasing a piece of paper, fabric gets wrinkled when pressure is applied to a fold. Their system, so they claim, resolves the problem. And not just that - despite the compact dimensions of their stylish luggage, they say you can pack a week’s worth of clothing and accessories, including up to two suits, shirts, shoes, underwear, and a wash bag.
So when Jason told us about Vocier, and that he was about to test it over the next few months, we made sure to follow up. That was a few months ago. The result? Vocier now has a few more customers in Vancouver, and the number is growing! Yes, this luggage system really works!
Let us show you how to pack smart to make the most of the available space. 1) Place your shoes at the closed side of the center compartment. Insert the toiletry bag from the open side and fill any remaining space with your underwear. Lay knitwear and shirts on top. 2) Lay your pants into the jacket with the waistband touching the bottom of the compartment. 3) Close the jacket and lay the suit flat. 4) Insert the center compartment. 5) Bend the outer shell with the suit around the center compartment. 6) Close the zippers – done! A few more tips: If you are carrying two suits on a single hanger, hang the suits sleeve-in-sleeve. • Always ensure that your suit is dry before packing. Damp suits, especially when put straight into the luggage after being worn, are less likely to arrive free of wrinkles – no matter how the suits are packed. We recommend hanging and drying a suit for at least 24 hours before packing. • Avoid over-packing your luggage. This creates pressure on the garments, which may result in wrinkles.
ICONIC CONCIERGE
75
SPRING HAS SPRUNG 1012 Mainland Street Vancouver T 604-425-8555 www.surmesur.com
76
ICONIC CONCIERGE
menof style
S.N.S. HERNING SAMSØE & SAMSØE JOSEPH CHEANEY & SONS PAIGE AND MORE.
BLUE INDUSTRY L.B.M. 1911 ANDERSON’S PAIGE AND MORE.
IT’S TIME TO DRESS LIKE EMIL. 100 - 1062 HOMER ST. VANCOUVER +1 604.662.4343 EMILCLOTHINGCO.COM ICONIC CONCIERGE
77
The
Dapper Gent! Get yourself a Signature Scent – The Secret Style Weapon. It tells people who you are!
Versace Man Eau Fraiche by Gianni Versace for Men This new Versace Man version is fresher and more aquatic with a Mediterranean quality with some woody notes.
Only The Brave Tattoo by Diesel A fresh, mysterious woody sensuality around a water-pipe tobacco accord, with a modern touch of mandarin. Molecule 01 by Escentric Molecules Molecule 01 contains only the aroma chemical Iso E Super which gives it an almost pheromonic effect. Notes of sandalwood and cedar. Whiskey by Commodity Inspired by American bourbon casks and rare Irish whiskies, this blend is filled with flavor. Layers of mahogany, American oak and vanilla create a warm, spicy scent Original Vetiver by Creed Original Vetiver dramatically reinvents the traditional vetiver scent, infusing all three parts of the plant: the earthy root, the verdant leaves, and the rich heart to freshen the blend.
78
ICONIC CONCIERGE
menof style
2018
The Porsche Weekend September 22 nd & 23 rd
Visit www.PorscheRally.com to register your 911
QUORUM
Jacket by Sand
Unique Men’s Fashions Since 1990 | 525 West Georgia
Sole Ma Unleash your creative genius by customiZing shoes as authentic and utterly unique as you are!
82
ICONIC CONCIERGE
T
They say you can tell a man’s character by looking at his shoes. Or, they used to say that. Back in the old days. It was most likely our grandmothers who told us that a scuffed shoe denoted a chap of chaotic domestic habits, while a well-worn but highly polished brogue suggested a man both professional and practical, able to take care of the things he loves. But these days, when pretty much everyone, regardless of their income, loves their sneakers, it can be harder to interpret the language of footwear.
So can you still tell a gentleman by his shoes? Absolutely! It is actually fascinating how many men take pride in their footwear. Several members of our DreamTeam have quite the collection of unique and often bespoke shoes, and gone are the days when men would only discuss politics at social functions. These days the newest watches, trends in fashion and, yes, shoes, are discussed. A shoe can really tell a story about a man. At work, a nice leather shoe tells both the position of the man and that he understands the impression he makes is important. At formal occasions, nothing still beats the leather soled click and the brogue understated details. And then we have those modern gents that decide to make a shoe a bolder statement, adding colour and different materials to the classic styles. This is where “Made To Order” or even “Bespoke” comes into play. Let us explain ...
Ready To Wear Shoes While most people would interpret the term RTW (Ready-ToWear) as shoes that you can buy at your local department store, it actually refers to shoes designed and made by small, specialist artisanal manufacturers around the world, mainly from England, Italy and Spain. The biggest difference from bespoke shoes is that RTW shoes are not made to fit your feet – and that means they will not be as comfortable as a pair of bespoke shoes.
ates ICONIC CONCIERGE
83
Bespoke Shoes The comfort that a bespoke shoe can offer can’t be fully appreciated until it is worn. Bespoke shoes are made by a shoemaker for a specific individual customer as a special order. The bespoke shoemaking process starts with measurements. The shoemaker measures your feet and creates a “last” for each foot – a wooden mould or copy of your foot. Just like with a bespoke suit, getting bespoke shoes requires you to come in for a fitting. Your fitting starts by trying on a prototype pair of shoes made out of an inexpensive material. The shoemaker checks the prototype for fit, makes adjustments if necessary, finalizes the lasts, and starts creating your new shoes out of precious leather. After the final lasts are created, the customer can order more pairs of shoes without more measurements and fittings. Needless to say, bespoke shoes have their price, and you will have to invest at least $3,500 or more depending on the leather and the reputation of the shoemaker. You will also have to wait for up to a year, again depending on the reputation of the shoemaker.
Made To Order Shoes Now this is where it gets really interesting. “MTO” shoes are handcrafted custom-made shoes. Every element of your footwear can be adapted to you, including fit, function and style. You choose the shape, the colour(s), the materials and create your very own unique pair of shoes. Made to Order is where RTW meets bespoke, without breaking the bank. It is a service that many boutique labels - as well as some of the most renowned brands in the world - offer.
Introducing: Undandy Undandy is a custom, handcrafted dress shoe brand for the “sartorially inclined modern gentleman,” founded in 2015 by two Portuguese entrepreneurs. The concept of creating made to order shoes that are utterly authentic in design is at the heart and “sole” of their mission, initiating each client into the time-honoured art of shoemaking. Undandy makes elegant but masculine shoes and boots designed for the city slicker who is equally comfortable roaming the polished floors of gentleman’s clubs as he is taking his motorcycle on a weekend adventure through the countryside. Each pair of Undandy shoes is handcrafted by dedicated third generation artisans in Portugal’s footwear capital Sao Joao de Madeira, tailored to each client’s specific desires using the finest quality French leather and suede. Rafic Daud, co-founder of Undandy, believes this to be the bedrock of the brand: “We are proud to be supporting the community in Portugal that has hundreds of years of accumulated knowledge and
heritage of working leathers, of tanneries, of craftsmanship. Each pair of Undandy shoes are handcrafted and made with love that truly translates into the final product.”
Be Your Own Designer Undandy delivers on the promise of signature style, daring men to step out of their sartorial comfort zone with outrageous ease. Guided by an online 3D designer, you can choose from a varied and sophisticated selection of materials, styles and finishing. Attention to detail is evident throughout the process, and you can even opt for an engraving on each sole for a truly inimitable pair of shoes. The first step is to choose a base model. Are you looking for sneakers, a shoe or boots? Puff toe, round toe, claw toe? Next, start customizing - be your own stylist, your own designer. Feeling a bit overwhelmed? Not a problem - you can get some “inspiration” looking at shoes designed by other customers. Undandy also offers a live chat where your personal assistant will be happy to help you creating that perfect pair of shoes just for you. Once you’ve picked the basics and decided what style and type of leather you would like to have, it’s time to go into the
details: The decoration, the stitching, the patina. You can pick the colour of the laces, of the sole - and more! What artist paints a masterpiece and doesn’t sign it to show the world it’s his? The same can be said of your custom created shoes. Whether it’s your favourite quote, a special anniversary date or simply ‘designed by yours truly’, let your sole do the talking - Undandy can engrave up to 14 characters on two lines onto your footwear. Once you’re done, you place the order, and the skilled shoemakers start handcrafting your shoes. This process takes approximately 14 days. While personalization is at the heart of the Undandy brand, clients can also choose from their Ready-To-Wear collection, or use it as a basis for their own custom made designs. The prices may actually surprise you: The ready-to-wear models start at C$215, while your own custom-made shoe begin at C$245. New to online shopping? Worried about whether you’ll be satisfied? Undandy’s guarantee is quite impressive – if you’re not completely happy with your final purchase, Undandy will arrange to collect your shoes for free and issue a full refund or exchange. www.undandy.com
ICONIC CONCIERGE
85
KIDS CAN COOK
GOURMET! 86
ICONIC CONCIERGE
THE NEXT GENERATION VANCOUVER’S YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS
T
SKYLAR
SINOW IC: In ten words or less, who are you and what do you do? SS: Skylar Sinow, student of life, ethical entrepreneur, foodie. IC: Tell us about the products you have created. SS: In 2015, my sister and I created a line of 3 pasta sauces made with all-organic, locally sourced ingredients that support local charities. IC: When did you start developing your own recipes, and what factors encouraged you to develop this into a business? SS: We originally developed the recipes for an event called Cook For the Cure. The idea was, if you could raise enough money for the Canadian Cancer Society, you would get the opportunity to cook alongside some of Canada’s top chefs on a stage. Not only was this an exciting prospect for me, but I also have a deep love for the cause, having directly seen the effects of cancer through my family and loved ones. IC: You ran a chef station at last years Vancouver ‘Eat!’ event and have been involved at the Sea to Sky Gala event. You’ve created a cookbook and developed product lines that are now available in stores like Wholefoods, Urban Fare, and Choices. So it’s safe to say you’ve seen a lot of different sides of the food industry. What aspect of the food industry interests you most? SS: I love talking and I love sharing. Retail has allowed me to reach the most people, and I love doing different events that enable me to talk directly to the people that I would like to meet. I can’t say I truly have a favourite - I love it all. IC: How do you balance your school and work commitments?
words by Oliver Finlay photography by Todd Duncan
SS: There is no such thing as balance. If you think about it, say you want to get from A to B by foot, walking is just perpetual falling where you catch yourself with your foot just in time. My life often seems like this, taking on challenges and progressing, one step at a time. If you love what you do, why you do it, who you do it for, or how you do it, you will never be concerned with balance. IC: How supportive have your teachers been with your business demands? SS: I have had some amazing teachers within the public school system. When we were in the start up stage, my grade 7 teacher was the reason I was able to get off the ground, through her continual support, as well as understanding that education is a holistic process, not solely pursued in the classroom. IC: How do you intend to shape your education to best serve the needs of running and developing your own business?
ICONIC CONCIERGE
87
SS: I will to continue to self-educate on topics that I am passionate about and that will make me the best, most productive, and most fulfilled person I can be. I will also utilize coaches, classes, and mentors where need be, because I believe that 4 hours spent picking the mind of someone you aspire to be like can provide the value of 40 or even 400 hours spent on your own.
SS: Headstrong, driven & selective.
IC: From a business perspective, what opportunities does being based in Vancouver give for you at the moment? SS: Vancouver is an amazing city abundant with wealth, influence and an incredible culture of entrepreneurs and foodies. If you have ideas and drive, Vancouver offers a great opportunity to launch new ventures.
SS: Born ready…
IC: How do you promote and market your brand, and who is involved in that? SS: I love doing different trade shows and I try to do any sort of public display. My sister has an important role with the social media, which we are also in the process of upgrading. IC: What have been the biggest challenges you’ve overcome in your business so far? SS: The biggest challenge has always been the financial side of the business. Not having previous experience, I feel like I am studying this as much as working on anything else. IC: You pitched to, and received, investment from the Dragons’ Den. What were the biggest takeaways from that experience? SS: The biggest takeaway was having two amazing new mentors and their teams of whom I can now ask advice. IC: What are your ambitions for the business over the next 1, 5 and 10 years?
IC: Thank you for an enlightening insight into your entrepreneurial journey, to date, Skylar. But, we aren’t done there - are you ready for Iconic Concierge’s ‘Completely Unrelated, but Nevertheless Entertaining Standard 10 Questions’…
IC: You lose everything you own. How do you rise like a phoenix from the ashes? SS: I surround myself with people better than me. IC: We finish this interview and as you step outside, you find a lottery ticket that ends up winning you $20 million. What do you do? SS: Buy real estate first and then think later. IC: You can invite 5 people for a dinner party…and the guest list isn’t restricted by the confines of time and mortality. Who joins you for dinner and why? SS: Steve Jobs, Grant Cardone, Jim Rohn, Andrew Carnegie and Jeff Bezos…and probably a film crew because that would be amazing! IC: What is your dream car? SS: I am sure there will be something cooler when I go to get one but right now it is the current AeroMobil. IC: What’s the best piece of advice you have ever received? SS: Embrace failure. IC: Who would play you in a movie about your life?
SS: To scale it up, add more lines and have a better reach across North America.
SS: Jim Carrey because I am not so serious and not so smart, but I’m not afraid to fail and want some good laughs along the way.
IC: Who are your mentors? IC: What is your favourite travel destination and why? SS: My father has provided the most insight and support along this journey. I am also extremely fortunate to have access to Jim Treliving and his team, as well as a number of chefs who have coached me, including Trevor Bird and Darren Brown.
SS: I love Lisbon, Portugal, because I have spent enough time there that it feels like a home away from home. IC: Tell us your favourite joke…
IC: Who has been the biggest inspiration in your life to date and why? SS: I admire many people, notably my father but my biggest inspiration in life is my potential and how far I have left to go. IC: Are there any other businesses that you look at and take ideas from, to incorporate into how you run Kids Can Cook? SS: I am constantly trying to expedite my work and increase my leverage. There are a lot of people doing this better than me, notably Trevor Bird, with multiple restaurants and a retail line, which must be impossible to maintain on your own. IC: How do you keep yourself fit, both physically and mentally, to enable you to give your best in your personal and business life? SS: Cycling for me puts me in a mental state akin to a deep meditation, where my brain is functioning at a higher level, but is silent. This allows me to not only clear my head and digest thoughts or events when life is busy, but also process and develop new ideas as I am preparing my game plan. IC: What 3 words would your closest friends use to describe you?
88
ICONIC CONCIERGE
SS: My favourite joke is any joke that I don’t tell, because once I tell it, it is no longer funny. IC: Where is your favourite Vancouver restaurant? SS: Fable Kitchen. IC: Complete the sentence: “Vancouver is a great place for entrepreneurs in 2017, because…” SS: …of the culture of driven achievers. IC: It seems Fable Kitchen is fast becoming the go to dining experience for the great and good of Vancouver’s entrepreneurial community! Skylar, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to chat with us. Iconic Concierge and our readers are looking forward to following your progress and wish you all the best for your future endeavours.
www.kidscancookgourmet.com
MAN UP! Why Society Needs Male Role Models & Leaders to Redefine Masculinity. words by Oliver Finlay
W
hilst much is rightly made of the many challenges women face at work, such as attaining equal access to C suite role appointments and remuneration parity, scratch below the surface and it becomes apparent that men are struggling to adapt to the societal changes that have been brought about in recent times, mainly due to the feminist movement, which has totally re-defined traditional gender roles both professionally and socially. Michael Reist, a classroom teacher for over thirty years, has spoken across Canada on gender differences in learning and the emotional health of children. Reist believes that men have been left confused, disoriented and often angry as a result of these huge social changes, and have been further impacted by the technological revolution, which has left many men looking for new avenues of work. Reist explains, “Quite simply, women have taken on a whole range of social roles and behaviours that were previously only possible for men to assume. Men need to do the same but in the other direction. Men need to become more nurturing, more empathetic, more emotionally literate. This is not to say that men need to become more feminine‌but they need to accept and live out parts of themselves that were previously denied. Many of us grew up with a silent, distant, emotionally blocked father. This is not the kind of man we want to be, and it is not the kind of man our children need.â€?
90
ICONIC CONCIERGE
The stark reality is, however, that in contrast to the direction provided to women by the feminist movement in addressing their societal challenges, men currently have little guidance or leadership available to make sense of all these changes. Reist continues, “Women have had very vocal and articulate leaders within feminism, who were able to explain what needed to change and how to go about changing it. Men have had no such leadership. They have been left to make it up as they go along. They are doing their best to react to a situation they didn’t create and didn’t see coming.” Having already written four books based around the issues of raising children through the modern schooling system (‘The Dysfunctional School’, ‘Raising Boys in a New Kind of World’, ‘What Every Parent Should Know About School’ and ‘Raising Emotionally Healthy Boys’), Reist decided to tackle the topic head on and has recently completed his latest literary contribution, ‘The Code: A Book of Wisdom For Men’. The aim of this book is to help start the discussion amongst men about where we go from here. The symptoms of this dysfunctional male identity are easily identified by a sobering set of statistics that paint a dark present day picture for men. The trends start from a young age, with more boys than girls dropping out of school, then continue through the education system, with women surpassing men in educational attainment levels. The situation doesn’t improve, once in the workplace, with the number of women in the workforce now surpassing the number of men and unemployment rates reflecting higher numbers of male unemployment. Socially, addiction rates in men are higher and worryingly, men make up 75% of all suicides (510,000 men die each year, which averages out at around one suicide per minute). For the past 13 years, Michael Reist has been an educational consultant in private practice, specializing in working with children who struggle with ADD/ADHD, high sensitivity, bullying and learning difficulties in school. The fact is, the vast majority of his clients have been boys, who seem to have much more difficulty thriving in the current education system. As an educator, Reist sees school as one of the greatest causes of the problem and the place where significant changes need to happen. Reist observes that there are two main times in male’s life when he is ‘shut down’. Firstly, during the first few years of school, when ‘boy energy’ is seen as a problem to be solved. He says, “The squirming boy soon gets labelled in a number of ways – none of them positive. Boys are much more likely to be diagnosed with a learning disability or ADD/ADHD than girls are. They soon learn that school is not a very hospitable environment for them, and they shut down. This is one of the biggest issues I saw as a teacher and continue to see as an educational consultant.” Secondly, in adolescence, boys are forced to conform to the boy code. Reist expands, “no emotional expression, no behaviours that might be deemed ‘feminine’ (‘gay’ is the pejorative put-down word for this)…boys need to be allowed a broader range of emotional expression and behaviour”. Reist’s experience in the education system has led him to believe that there needs to be more teacher training about how boys learn differently from girls and the way boys feel in school. He suggests, “school needs to become more ‘boy-friendly’. We need more male teachers in middle school when boys are separating from mother and looking to define themselves as men. We need these male teachers to be strong, compassionate, empathetic men who are capable of demonstrating a range of behaviours and emotional life”. Beyond the schooling system, there are issues with the way society continues to socialize boys, with a notable lack of positive male role
models. One concerning example of this, is Donald Trump, who, in his role as President of the United States, is behaving more like a child than the wise leader we have every right to expect from someone elected into such a position of responsibility and authority. To illustrate this point, Reist highlights the tweet sent out by Trump in March 2018, which stated “Crazy Joe Biden is trying to act like a tough guy. Actually, he is weak, both mentally and physically, and yet he threatens me, for the second time, with physical assault. He doesn’t know me, but he would go down fast and hard, crying all the way. Don’t threaten people, Joe!”. The tweet received 222,000 likes. This is hardly presidential behaviour and yet Trump is abusing a unique position that has the potential to assert such widespread, positive influence. Meanwhile, many men are not publicly engaged in current social issues and as such, are stuck in a kind of eternal adolescence, with no mentors to lead the way. The affects of technological advances on social norms are also having a detrimental impact on healthy male development, with video games dominating unlimited screen time, which promotes a kind of hyper-masculinity that is not transferable to society. As such, many men and boys have retreated into an alternative world of cyber-space where brute force, aggression, lack of empathy and competition are rewarded. Reist comments, ‘the stereotype of the twenty-something living in his parents’ basement, playing endless video games is more true than we would like to believe and many young males report that they prefer pornography to dating”. Reist insists, “we need to change the way we socialize boys and male role models are vital in this process. There needs to be a broader range of activities, outside of just video games and hockey for young boys. They also need to learn and practice emotional intelligence. At home, fathers need to model a broader range of masculine behaviour, especially in terms of emotional expression.” Aside from both schools and parents, organizations such as Next Gen Men and Big Brothers are working hard to engage with and provide positive influence for the young men in our society. But the reality is, there are not enough organizations or charities working in this area. Next Gen Men is a non-profit organization that focuses on engaging, educating and empowering boys and young men to promote healthy masculinities and gender equity. They seek to start open and honest conversations around “what it means to be a man” and to tackle some of the significant issues facing today’s society, from gender-based discrimination, to violence, social isolation, unhealthy relationships, poor mental and poor physical health, and wellness among boys and men. Meanwhile, Big Brothers’ vision is to put a mentor into the life of every child and youth who needs one and has the mission to support child and youth development through essential volunteer-led mentoring programs. Iconic Concierge supports the drive to raise awareness of the issues surrounding male identity and hopes that by keeping the conversation going around redefining masculinity, that our community can start to provide more positive male role models and mentors for the young men who look up to us. Online Resources: https://nextgenmen.ca | www.bigbrothersvancouver.com | https://goodmenproject.com | www.michaelreist.ca | Pre-order Michael Reist’s new book now, on Amazon, ahead of its November 2018 release date, ‘The Code: A Book of Wisdom for Men’ (Dundurn Press)’.
ICONIC CONCIERGE
91
92
ICONIC CONCIERGE
man about town FENDI CASA & BENTLEY HOME GRAND OPENING GASTOWN, VANCOUVER The new Fendi Casa showroom opened its doors on February 20th. The 5,000-squarefoot open concept showroom at 300 West Pender Street combines an industrial look with exposed brick with some luxury furnishings collections from the Fendi Casa collection and Bentley Home, which is inspired by the British luxury car company. Both Fendi Casa and Bentley Home are made in Italy by Luxury Living Group. The Fendi Casa showroom features an array of Fendi Casa products, most of which can be customized in various materials, textures, and colours. From furniture to accessories, if you want to bring a bit of fashion into your living room, bedroom or den, you will feel right at home. You will also note some Versace Home plateware and crystal decor in the displays, as the Versace Home store is part of Major Interiors as well. Major Interiors is your destination for luxury Italian furniture and home decor. And gentlemen - if you want to add some style to your office or man cave, look no further: Bentley Home offers some very cool desks and chairs, reminiscent of the interior of some of their cars.
“IF YOU THINK CHOCOLATE AND ROSES ARE GOOD ENOUGH, THINK AGAIN !”
by Natalie Langston www.natalielangston.com
W
WHAT WOMEN WANT...
Although it’s still chilly on the coast, springtime is right around the corner! Spring is often accompanied by parties, galas, and banquets. Warm weather is the perfect excuse to celebrate! Not that we need an excuse. ;) In order to celebrate the special woman in your life, we’ve sourced a few luxury items that will surely spoil your better half!
SOMETHING SPARKLY I adore anything that’s made by Royal De Versailles. Their pieces are of the highest quality and make any girl feel like a princess! I always recommend their bracelets they’re so sleek and will provide the perfect finishing touch for any outfit! Nothing says “I love you” like jewelry that’s picked especially for the special person in your life. To discover the prices of jewellery that can match the sparkles in her eyes, phone 416-967-7201. www.royaldeversailles.com
CHIC OUTERWEAR Keep your special lady warm in the Sentaler Long Coat. This coat has a cruelty-free collar and is worn by celebrities such as Gigi Hadid. Sentaler creates coats that compliment everyone and their designs are favourites amongst Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle! These quality pieces will surely be a hit with everyone. I’m loving this ivory long coat - it’s so fresh and chic! Each SENTALER coat is made from the world’s best material - Peruvian alpaca! Due to the high altitudes of the cold Andes, the Peruvians alpacas have microscopic air pockets in their hair. Utilizing these special fibres results in a coat that is incredibly warm and insulated. You can pre order this coat now for September of 2018 for $2,195.00 - warmth is invaluable!
94
ICONIC CONCIERGE
LUXURIOUS SKINCARE Luxury skincare is a must for any woman! Let the special lady in your life put her BEST face forward and gift her the Blue Diamond Collection from Omorovicza. My award-winning luxurious skin care recommendations from this collection include: the Concentrate, the Super Cream, and the Resurfacing Peel. The blue diamond Super Cream was awarded ‘Best Night Moisturiser’ in Vogue India’s 2017 Beauty Awards. This special formula repairs DNA chains and is cruelty free. The Blue Diamond concentrate promotes elasticity while the Blue Diamond Resurfacing Peel gently exfoliates. These products capitalize on the amazing healing properties of the Hungarian thermal baths. The Super Cream is $390 USD, the Resurfacing Peel is $195 USD, and the Concentrate is $410 USD - rubbing diamonds into your skin is an essential part of any luxury nighttime routine.
THE LATEST FOOTWEAR TREND The latest fashion trend is socks and shoes! Yes, you read that right! The latest trend being featured in many high fashion magazines is a set of sleek heels paired with patterned socks. Try matching a black or solid toned shoe to a plaid or printed sock - you want a balanced and playful look! If you treat your lady to a pair of Prada pumps and socks, she’ll be incredibly impressed with your savvy sense of style. A trend like this will let the wearer look - and feel - stylish for the starting price of $200 USD (for Prada socks) and $825 USD (for Prada heels).
Unwind & Escape this Spring TIGH-NA-MARA
To spend quality time with your loved one, treat yourselves to a GETAWAY SPA RETREAT at Tigh-Na-Mara and the Grotto Spa in Parksville, BC. This unique resort was created above miles of beautiful beach. Recently, the Grotto Spa was voted the #1 Spa in Western Canada as well as the #1 spa in North America! Tigh-Na-Mara is a partner of Helijet and together they created a package that is perfect for a romantic getaway! The flight to Nanaimo is just 18 minutes, and from there, you can contact one of the numerous car services to bring you to the luxury resort. We highly recommend LimoRide.com for your luxury car service. Their limo rates are $95.00 per person, based on groups of 10-12 people. If you choose to embark upon the Ultimate Tigh-Na-Mara Escape, your visit can include: 3 nights of accommodation in a Deluxe Suite, a round trip Helijet service from Vancouver to Nanaimo, a limo service, a Rose Petal Turndown, 3 daily meals, a Grotto Spa Ultimate Couples Experience valued at $1700, AND a VI Expeditions Tour or Scenic flight or Helicopter. This retreat has limited cell service and allows you to truly unplug and immerse yourself in nature. Starting at $5,059. www.tigh-na-mara.com
ICONIC CONCIERGE
95
An Unparalleled Experience Awaits You
WINERY | RESTAURANT | EVENTS Set in the heart of Okanagan Wine Country, 50th Parallel Estate is one of North America’s most stunning destination wineries. The name itself was chosen to represent our unique geographic location which draws attention to the exceptional terroir of our place. Our focus is to deliver Unparalleled wines and one-of-a-kind guest experiences from the moment you arrive. Enjoy our new regional seasonal restaurant, BLOCK ONE which features locally sourced ingredients and showcases fresh produce grown in our onsite culinary garden. Our focused farm to table approach will deliver a memorable food and wine experience while surrounding guests with panoramic lake views and world class architecture.
Meet Me at the 50th 50thParallel.com 50thParallelEstate
250-766-3408
50thParallelWin
50thParallelWine
Do You Need a Wellness Getaway? Everyone is relying on you. Although you work on maintaining balance in your life, keeping up with the demands of work, family and community are taking their toll on your mind and body. You’ve seen burnout and illness wreak havoc on lives, and you can’t afford for it to happen to you. You need to recharge. You don’t need a vacation - you need a wellness experience.
Imagine waking in your open-concept guest room and letting the Okanagan’s natural beauty stream in. Donning your robe and slippers, enjoy the complimentary hot European-style buffet breakfast as you prepare for your day of rejuvenation.
Imagine returning home with a renewed spirit, body and mind. Located in BC’s Okanagan Valley, Sparkling Hill believes each guest follows their own path to whole body wellness.
Picture embracing the serenity of the 40,000 sq. ft. KurSpa, taking advantage of over 100 services and treatments designed to improve and maintain overall health.
Whether it’s just a getaway or a more guided experience with one of our wellness packages, Sparkling Hill Resort and Spa provides you with the opportunity to invest in your most important asset – yourself.
Spend your day experiencing the 7 themed aromatherapy steams and saunas, outdoor infinity pool, indoor salt-water float pool, Kneipp waterway, and tranquil relaxation rooms.
Learn more at www.sparklinghill.com/icon
Experience Whole Body Wellness Located in the heart of B.C.’s Okanagan Valley. INCLUDED IN YOUR STAY • Daily full hot European-inspired buffet breakfast for two
• 4 nature themed experience showers
• Valet parking
• Indoor salt water pool and hot pool
• Complimentary WiFi
• Kneipp hydrotherapy
• Access to our 40,000 sq.ft. KurSpa
• Keiser-equipped fitness studio
• 7 uniquely themed steams and saunas
• Tea and serenity relaxation rooms
Book now: 1.877.275.1556
• Heated outdoor infinity pool
www.sparklinghill.com/icon
LIVE THE WAY YOU PLAY! Quality, Design, Elegance
by Jesse Dean Cook
I
“Create what you can’t find and never compromise.”
I had the chance to sit down with Adil and Kuldeip Chagani, the wonderful homeowners of 4391 Rockridge Road, West Vancouver to speak with them about their incredible property that is coming to market this Spring. We discussed the process of building and what it’s really like to work with their realtor Jesse Dean Cook. Upon taking my first steps through the impressive front door I quickly realized that I was stepping into the imagination of the homeowners. Every single detail and choice was made with purpose and passion. Inspired by their global travels and with a keen eye for design and attention to detail. They started their research for this dream project quite organically while traveling. As a family they came to a decision… they wanted to live the way they played. “We realized that we expect and enjoy uncompromising quality from the resorts, cars and boats we enjoy so much. We came to expect the exact same or higher from the place we live. Our advice to others is that you don’t have to compromise elegance,
98
ICONIC CONCIERGE
Written by Amanda Wood & Jesse Dean Cook
quality and taste because you have a family. You can accomplish the same thing through a property like this. If you love to stay at five star hotels, you should not compromise when you come home.” From the elegance of the Four Seasons Maui to the Fairmont in Santa Monica, California, to the glamour of the Plaza Hotel in New York, the charm of the Rosewood Hotel Georgia…these all played a major role in creating the palate of colours, fabrics and design choices that all went into this amazing home. This linear masterpiece with incredible curb appeal is 4,679 sq/ ft and sits perched atop a private, sunny, 15,247 sq/ft lot on a very quiet street, surrounded by a tranquil, forested park. The homeowners first started working with their realtor Jesse Dean Cook two and a half years ago when he helped them to find and purchase this excellent lot. “Jesse has been an integrated partner in this entire project. Integrated in the sense that he helped us pick the lot, helped us put together a
“We are very pleased with the Master Suite because it’s truly an “oasis within an oasis”. It’s a unique experience from the body jet steam shower, to the custom closet and luxury chandeliers. Even the garage has motion-sensing pendants! The luxury touches were deliberate.” list of “must haves” including items such as an elevator, large wok kitchen, en suites for every bedroom, Miele luxury appliance package, suggestions for how to maximize square footage with things like the dimensions of the garage… the list goes on. He was an intricate part of the design, build and implementation of the house. He was here every single month for a year and a half as we built the house and advised us on every major decision. His fingerprints are all over this house. Now where do you find that in a realtor? That’s quality and that’s important to us!” Something else that’s important to these homeowners is staying true to their vision and not compromising. That’s why they came up with three key principles that helped guide them with every decision.
3 KEY PRINCIPLES: QUALITY “We simply chose uncompromising quality over everything. Quite frankly, it began with what you can’t see, what’s between the walls and in the DNA of the framing. All too often, builders compromise quality for the sake of potential profit, which we feel hurts the final product and compromises integrity. We simply chose quality over everything.”
DESIGN “The design was a linear feel and we used very modern fabrics and innovative materials while still keeping a sense of usability and warmth. The large-scale windows and green belt in the front help to create a 360 degree feeling of being surrounded by nature. It was important to not be divorced from it with too much concrete.” ELEGANCE “The places that we go, the things that we experience… we want people to have an experience of wealth. The experience of wealth is aspirational. Your home should be aspirational. We were so impressed with the expressions of elegance that one sees while traveling in Sorrento on the Amalfi Coast that we incorporated a lot of that same feeling into the build of this house.” One of the highlights of this property is that it provides serene privacy in a park like setting without sacrificing community. “We feel that sense of community on our street, we feel it at Caulfield Village and we also feel it when we are walking in the Rockridge area.”
The journey of building a luxury home leads you to learn a lot about yourself. It’s evident that these homeowners have learnt a lot about what’s important to them and at the end of the day this is a very, very accurate expression of their values. 4391 Rockridge Road, West Vancouver $5,495,000 Please visit www.JesseDeanCook.com for full details.
ICONIC CONCIERGE
99
EXCLUSIVE VANCOUVER DREAM ESTATES
A MAGNIFICENT LUXURY ESTATE IN WEST VANCOUVER WITH OCEAN VIEWS
T
This exceptional newly completed grand-scale luxury estate residence is situated on a prized ocean view property and located in the confines of West Vancouver’s ultra- exclusive and most prestigious Westmount neighborhood just steps to West Bay Elementary School and only minutes to the beach.
100
and spectacularly beautiful.
The architectural elegance and grandeur with its bold European Classic exterior and beautiful landscape create an impressive majestic presence and features over seven thousand two hundred square feet of formal and informal living on three expansive levels.
Enter into an impressive Grande marble reception hall leading to entertainment size formal living and dining rooms, a private study, large international, gourmet kitchen with adjoining daily eating area and generous family room all providing a wonderful indoor outdoor lifestyle with level, direct walk-out access to a private heated view-side terrace with fireside lounge, poolside entertainment area, fabulous resort style heated swimming pool and built in BBQ.
Exquisite design, master craftsmanship and opulent finishes blend seamlessly to create an international masterpiece while embracing the security and convenience of today’s most up-todate technology. Generous in scale and intimate in comfort, this is an estate designed foremost as a home: inviting, warm, private
A sensational lower level is ideally designed for entertaining and includes a fabulous wet bar with feature glassed wine display and storage for a 1000 bottle collection, a fabulous Games Recreation room and state of the art Hollywood Theater room that is truly in a class of its own.
ICONIC CONCIERGE
MALCOLM HASMAN www.malcolmhasman.com
VANCOUVER’S TOP SELLING LUXURY AGENT Angell Hasman & Associates (Malcolm Hasman) Realty Ltd.
1555 Marine Drive, West Vancouver
604.290.1679
The home offers seven full Bedroom Suites and eight and two half bathrooms including a lavish Master Suite with private view-side terrace, walk-in dressing rooms as well as a gorgeous master bathroom. A private guest suite and nanny accommodation are ideally situated on the lower level and complete this truly incredible family estate residence.
Many additional features of this exceptional luxury residence include a private elevator to all three levels, integrated lighting, security and smart home automation, air conditioning and three car garage.
By any measure its location, size, stunning interior, exquisitely landscaped grounds, or impeccable materials and craftsmanship sets this luxury estate in a class of its own!
The entire property has been professional landscaped and is beautifully illuminated at night with dramatic effect.
6,958 SQ FT | 7 Bedrooms | 10 Bathrooms $10.58 MILLION
ICONIC CONCIERGE
101
MCY 96
PURE OCEAN PLEASURE At 30 meters, the MCY 96 takes the second spot on the Monte Carlo Yacht’s size podium. It has been designed and developed for extended ocean voyages according to both Pleasure and Charter Yacht Rules. Upon boarding, an instant sense of spaciousness becomes apparent. The new MCY 96 makes the most of the layout concepts currently found on larger models in its class: incredible volumes are obtained positioning the master cabin forward on the main deck, and as many as four guest cabins, all equally sized, located on the lower deck. New design and technical highlights include bulwarks that are sensibly higher than the current fashion and the wide overhanging side deck that gives good coverage from the natural elements.
102
ICONIC CONCIERGE
Conquer the
Ocean
ICONIC CONCIERGE
103
ARRIVE IN STYLE. LEAVE AN IMPRESSION.
VAN DUTCH YACHTS
V
anDutch combines great performance with award winning design. The company’s avant-garde approach pushes the boundaries of what is accepted as normal or status quo, raising the bar for modern design and advanced technology. Quite simply – it is like no other. Arrive in Style, Leave an Impression.
The VanDutch 55 was first introduced in 2012, and only one year later was awarded Best Design Up To 24 Meters at the World Yacht Trophies.
In 2008 the challenge was to build a fast, lightweight VanDutch with timeless design and impressive performance for the yacht world’s elite. It was the year when the unique style of the modern VanDutch 40 was introduced to the yacht world – designed for life, with unlimited flair. Since that time, VanDutch has expanded its production capacity, growing from its birthplace - a single facility in the Netherlands – to 6 VanDutch Centers in the continental United States and 5 others around the globe. Several years and many prestigious awards later, VanDutch has become a synonym for luxury boating.
The 56 carries the same great design and simplicity as its predecessor, while also offering a number of upgrades to improve your experience. Some of the new features include a cockpit wet bar with a high-capacity refrigerator, icemaker, secure bottle storage, hideaway sink and large counter space, as well as adjustable aft lounge seating to perfect your cruising experience. With plenty of cup holders, speakers and a comfortable chair, the VanDutch 56 is a socialite’s dream. An automated swim platform now provides ease of access when using water toys or returning from a swim. Activated at the push of a button, this automated platform will change the way you enjoy the water.
As the successor to the popular VanDutch 55, the VanDutch 56 is paramount in leisure, entertainment & performance. Its style is like nothing else available from South Florida to the South of France.
VanDutch also offers a ‘bespoke service’ to build your personalized boat. Just google “VanDutch 55 Ghost” and you’ll see... Length overall (incl. platform) Beam (maximum) Draft Accommodation Berths Maximum Speed (up to) Engines Fuel Capacity
104
ICONIC CONCIERGE
16.50m 54’2” 4.50m 14’10” 1.15 m 3’7” up to 12 2+ 34-38 Knots 2x Volvo Penta D13 900HP 660G/ 2500L
SUNSEEKER PREDATOR 74
IMPOSING ON ANY VISTA
T
he new Predator 74 has all the hallmarks of greatness. Striking style, remarkable power and an innovative use of light and space.
This latest Sunseeker can accommodate whatever your lifestyle desires. Lazy afternoons soaking up the sun on her spacious exterior decks or putting her through her paces at speeds up to 40 knots across the blue waters. The new Predator 74 has been built without compromise and without equal. Perhaps most breathtaking is the exterior, with sleek yet oversized pillarless windows down to the side deck. Providing uninterrupted views of your surroundings and letting natural light completely flood the interior. On top of this, you’ll find a cleverly engineered cockpit door mechanism which opens conventionally, or lowers itself completely into the sole of the yacht – all at the simple flick of a switch. So offering the best of both worlds; to suit you and the environment you’re travelling in.
Inside, the generous saloon proves to be the perfect spot for entertaining, with a sumptuous seating area, ample storage and comprehensive portside bar console; all below an extraordinary panoramic glass sliding roof. Every cabin is equipped with state of the art entertainment and the attention to detail is flawless. Guests will feel truly pampered in whichever one of the guest cabins they dwell with the master stateroom offering exceptional space and the flexibility of either a walk-in wardrobe or office area. Length overall (incl. platform) Beam (maximum) Draft Accommodation Range (up to) Maximum Speed (up to) Engine options (up to) Fuel
22.82m 74’10” 5.38m 17’8” 1.83m 6’0” 6 – 8 Guests plus 2 Crew 350 Nautical Miles 40 Knots 3,800PS (total) Diesel
ICONIC CONCIERGE
105
TOTAL CYCLING The Trek Madone 9.5 is a nocompromise race bike. It checks all the boxes in the high-performance road bike category; it’s light, aerodynamic and comfortable. It’s built for flat-out speed, with electronic shifting, carbon wheels, and a road-smoothing IsoSpeed decoupler that makes the Madone the first fully aero road bike that’s also comfortable to ride. Project One also allows you to customize the paint scheme. It was outfitted with Shimano’s top of the line C60 race wheels and it is predicted that future road bikes will all use disc break technology and electronic shifting. www.trekbikes.com
The Shimano FC-R9100-P power meter: the essential performance tool for every cyclist who wants to achieve their true potential. By gathering real-time accurate and reliable power output data, you can track and analyse every detail of your ride. You can then use this potent information to tune your training and racing for maximum results. www.shimano.com
(left to right) - The Shimano S-PHYRE SH-XC900 is a dedicated X-Country and Cyclocross no compromising racing shoe, while the SH-RC900 sets a new level of fit, pedaling stability, rigidity and weight reduction. Both feature the Dual independent Boa® IP1 dials, which allow quick and precise micro-adjustments. www.shimano.com
108
ICONIC CONCIERGE
TECH-NEWS There’s always some new invention just around the corner, and 2018 has already seen some pretty exciting changes in the ever-shifting world of cycling. So, what’s there to know about for the cyclists of the world? Former national team rider Mark Ernsting, named one of Canada’s most influential people in cycling, and director of the H&R Block Pro Cycling Team, introduced some very exciting new cycling technology at the Iconic Concierge ‘ Cogs & Canapés’ event this March. In case you missed it...
Three LAZER race helmet models were showcased: (top to bottom) -- Z1 (lightest and most vented); Bullet (aerodynamic road helmet also for sprinting use); Victor TT for time trail use. It delivers great aerodynamic performance, but features a shorter tail to allow head movement with minimal effect on the drag coefficient. Purely designed for speed. www.lazersport.com
The Norco Search XR is simultaneously non-conformist yet familiar, pushing the limits of what you’d expect from a drop bar bike. With tire clearance up to 700 x 45c (or 650B x 2.1”), rack, fender and bottle mounts, and a lightweight carbon frame, the Search XR is an all-new breed of adventurer that takes you off the beaten path and allows you to ride every road and trail your heart desires. www.norco.com Pictured: SEARCH XR APEX 1
TOTAL CYCLING ICONIC CONCIERGE
109
I
n recent years, cycling has soared in popularity, with Vancouver’s streets representing those of mainland European cycling strongholds on the weekends, as lycra-clad residents of all ages mount their twowheeled steeds to burn off the week’s frustrations.
Whilst the participation in mountain-biking has enjoyed a steady rise, as the trails in North Vancouver, Squamish and Whistler have been expanded, road biking has really taken off in the young professional population. Not only have daily commutes been turned into twice-daily training sessions but this group of urban, wheeled-warriors have fuelled the demand for events such as the fondos that reach out into the Okanagan or along the Sea to Sky highway and the street races such as the tours of Gastown, Coquitlam and New Westminster. According to the popular press, cycling is the new golf, as business networking and meetings take place from the saddle. With spring approaching, Iconic Concierge decided the time was right to invite a group of local professionals and entrepreneurs to take a sneak peek at the latest tech that the cycling companies have lined up, to tempt the MAMILS (middle-aged men in lycra) into parting with their hard-earned cash. Cogs & Canapés was on!! Mark Ernsting, former Team Canada track cyclist and Director of BC-based professional road-race outfit, H&R Block, was invited to join us for the evening and share his knowledge of the exciting advances that are being made in the field for 2018. Mark has close relationships with many of the manufacturers and is tasked each year with researching the moves each make in the technological arms race, in order to equip his team’s riders with the tools required to take on their tour rivals. But what is an evening in the company of Iconic Concierge, without good food and liquid refreshment to lubricate the engaging conversations, that always ensue when we open up our rolodex and assemble some of Vancouver’s most engaging
110
ICONIC CONCIERGE
Cogs & Canapés A NIGHT AT THE BREWERY
characters? On this occasion, Central City Brewery opened their doors for the evening and after a tour of their impressive facility, laid on several courses of tasty appetisers and samples of their wide array of beers. As ever, Christos Kalaitzis was on hand to conjure up a couple of crafty cocktails, incorporating CCB’s award-winning Queensborough Gin and Lohin McKinnon Whisky and before long, the room was buzzing with chat. Between each course of food and paired libation, Mark presented offerings from companies such as Trek, Norco, Shimano and Lazer. From gadget-laden frames that are stronger and lighter than their predecessors; to helmets that greatly reduce drag, whilst monitoring heartrate; and cleats that take comfort to another level, we had it all on display for the assembled enthusiasts to paw over. The trend is definitely moving towards more electronic components, that not only improve the speed of gear change and braking execution but also enable the rider
words by Oliver Finlay
photography by Todd Duncan
to monitor and record their critical performance metrics. Given the exclusive access to both the equipment and the experience, Iconic Concierge asked Mark to summarize and review some of the items shared at Cogs & Canapés with the wider audience. And so, on page 108 (yes, right before this article!), several of the components are showcased along with a brief overview of their novel qualities. A fun and interesting evening, with great food and drinks provided by Central City Brewers & Distillers. And don’t worry - there was no drinking and driving as a shuttle service was provided. We can’t wait for our next event, which will be held at ... well, you will have to wait for the next edition to find out!
ICONIC CONCIERGE
111
CITY tonight!
O ur
by Jim Gordon & Leeta Liepins
The Iconic Concierge Magazine version of the weekly TV show, “Our City Tonight”, which can be seen Saturdays at 9:30am and 12:30am Sundays on JoyTV. Follow them on Twitter, FB, Instagram & YouTube @Ourcitytonight
AN EVENING IN THE PARQ THE VICTOR
39 Smithe St | Vancouver | parqvancouver.com
Parq Vancouver is our city’s newest destination for dining, cocktails, and entertainment. It offers 2 luxury hotels and 5 different dining experiences, including The Victor, which officially opened earlier this year. “Our City Tonight” TV was part of the spectacular opening night party at The Victor, capturing festivities for the show. We recently returned to sample some featured items which are helping to make The Victor a very popular spot. We started the evening with cocktails. The Victor has categorized their superb list into “Diplomacy” (light & delicate) and “Campaign” (bold, strong). We decided to take the diplomatic route – the “Port Royal”, a delicious blend of Bacardi white, lime juice pomegranate & pear, and an “Emperor’s Sour”, which is becoming one of their most popular libations. This unique blend of Empress 1908 Gin, lavender syrup lemon juice & crème de violette left a memorable impression. While waiting for our first course – Shrimp Tempura with Spicy, Creamy Ponzu sauce and braised & charred BC Octopus with salsa verde, merguez sausage and preserved lemon – our server brought over a mouth-watering plate of Japanese-styled milk bread with caramelized onions and cheese. The small portion was just the right size. For wine, we asked our server to recommend a wine-by-the-glass pairing with each of our chosen steaks. His selections – an Antinori Peppoli Chianti Classico 2015 & Penfold Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet 2016 - were a perfect complement to a 6 oz. filet mignon and the 10oz rib cap, both Angus reserve beef. For our sides, we went two ways: healthy (charred broccolini with chili flakes and shallots, a delicious Vegan dish) and decadent (the mac & cheese waffle; a five cheese blend with a side of cheese fondue, one of their top menu items).
112
ICONIC CONCIERGE
After a superb meal and attentive service, the General Manager, Grant Nelson, invited “Our City Tonight” over to the cozy lounge for a “sneak peek” tasting of a few cocktails which will be available just in time for patio season. The first tasting was a twist on the traditional “Tom Collins”, which was based on their house-infused mint cucumber basil vodka. Created by Brice, one the very talented bartenders at The Victor, the “Cleo’s Day at the Spa” was delightfully refreshing and will be a perfect summer sipper! Another future cocktail we tried was created by Dario and had gin, coconut water, coconut milk, and unique, simple syrup made with Thai chili and burnt peppercorn. This yet unnamed and delicious cocktail was finished with a mist of lychee. Comfortably settled in the lounge, we sampled one more cocktail, this one created by Jack. “Sailor’s Sour” is a dark rum based cocktail mixed with Chambord liqueur, lime juice, simple syrup, and egg white. Once again, Parq Vancouver and its restaurant, The Victor, exceeded our expectations. The food, the wine pairings, the creative cocktails, and of course, the exquisite service, all contributed to a dazzling night on the town!
ICONIC CONCIERGE
113
P. 2 0 0 2
exclusive , strong and rigorous in precise timekeeping, the hand-wound p. 2 0 0 2 c a l i b E R h a s a p o w e r r e s e r v e o f e i g h t d ays w i t h l i n e a r i n d i c ato r on
the
dial ,
d at e ,
second
time
zo n e ,
seconds
reset
and
quick
a dj u st m e n t. s i m p l i c i t y, i n t e c h n i c a l e x c e l l e n c e .
hour
LUMINOR 1 950 8 D AYS G M T A C C I A I O - 4 4 M M ( R E F. 2 3 3 )
PA N E R A I B O U T I Q U E
VANCOUVER - 1008 ALBERNI STREET
PA N E R A I . C O M
•
+ 1 604 207 5528