Issue no. 9 by IN Magazine

EDITOR’S

LETTER When IN Magazine was first conceived, like any other nascent company, our chances of success were somewhat unpredictable. The competition was fierce; there was fear that our target audience wouldn’t be quite receptive to something so edgy and daring, and our fan-base was yet to be established. Releasing the first issue was like taking your child to his first day of school, a mixture of emotions boiled up in the pit of your stomach: anxiety, nervousness, and excitement. By February 2012, IN Magazine was celebrating a few memorable milestones. Our two-year anniversary was at the helm, featuring the sensational Haifa Wehbi on the cover followed, and having more than 45,000 fans on IN Magazine’s facebook page was the cherry on top. The success became overwhelming and extremely flattering, however, like any success story; we’ve paid our dues along the way. There’s an entertainment industry aphorism that says, “Any press is good press,” (bad press included of course). Celebrities have been taking comfort in this saying for so long. Being famous puts your every move under the spotlight, open to scrutiny. And any wrong move will send the paparazzi running to scoop the scandal, and haters filing their teeth ready to tear away at your flesh. Marilyn Monroe aptly put it when she said, “Success makes so many people hate you. I wish it wasn’t that way. It would be wonderful to enjoy success without seeing envy in the eyes of those around you.” And we at IN Magazine are not immune to the haters. We’ve had our fair share of scrutiny, let’s face it, no two readers are the same, some will like something that others won’t. Isn’t diversity the spice of life after all? But it is this and any other form of feedback that drives our hunger for success, and our thirst to keep topping our own achievements. THE BIG BREAK. Our focus this issue is on ‘The Big Break’ that we achieved for ourselves with IN Magazine, and ‘The Big Break’ that so many in the region are achieving for themselves with talent, innovation, and creativity. So ‘The Big Break’ became our theme this issue. We feature the best trends of the spring/summer 2012 collections and we focus on the latest achievements born from the womb of the Arab Spring. As part of the press, we reflect the society we live in. We will always address bold issues, exciting new events, and groundbreaking news in the world of fashion and culture. Friends that believe in us even when we don’t, fans that support us better than a push up bra, and a staff that gives it 200% are all part of the success behind IN Magazine. We, the team of IN Magazine, would like to sincerely thank you and promise you that the best is yet to come. Dare to be different!

Ahmed R. Abou Naja IN

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IN.SIDE IN.NEWS

IN.SHOOTS

IN.BEAUTY

20 JUST IN BREAKING STORIES

96 FASHION GLADIATOR 102 LEVATHIAN 112 WANDERING HEROES 128 GEOMETRY 134 WAITING & HOPING 140 ARISTA DECO

200 MAKEUP & BEAUTY ALL NEW MUST-HAVE PRODUCTS 204 SEPHORA PRETTY IN PINK 206 FRAGRANCES TOP SCENTS THIS SEASON 210 CAMILLE ROWE POURCHERESSE THE NEW FACE OF CHLOÉ

IN.SUPERCOOL 30 LOVIN! EDITOR’S PICK

IN.FASHION 34 CHRISTIAN LACROIX LEGENDARY HAUTE COUTURE 44 RACHEL ZOE FASHION ROYALTY 46 DARK AND NAUGHTY FIXATIONS NAZ CANNON’S LATEST COLLECTION 54 IVANA KANOVSKA BRINGING FASHION & TECHNOLOGY TOGETHER 60 INGIE CHALHOUB DESIGNER, BUSINESSWOMAN & TASTE-MAKER 64 WILDE HOT NEW DESIGNER 70 IRIS APFEL THE 90 YEAR-OLD STYLE ICON 72 MADONNA TALKING FASHION & FRAGRANCE 74 DSQUARED² MEN SS 2012 78 THE BOW-TIE ENIGMA UNTYING THE MYSTIQUE 80 POMELLATO THE 2012 COLLECTION 82 RUNWAYS SPRING/SUMMER 2012 91 BEST OF THE COLLECTIONS SPRING/SUMMER 2012

IN.FEATURE 148 DUBAI’S IN CROWD AND THEIR BIG BREAK

IN.ARTS 174 BOXES, CERAMICS, & TV NIJAD ABDUL MASSIH DOES IT ALL 176 THE THIRD LINE FIVE YEARS AT ART DUBAI 178 BEIRUT DESIGN WEEK 2012 THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN THE REGION. 180 MATTEO EL KHODR ON OPERA, FASHION & FAMILY

IN.FOCUS 188 CHANEL AT WORK SAFEGUARDING THE VOHIMANA FOREST 192 THE POWER OF ARAB YOUTH UPRISINGS & REVOLUTIONS 194 RIO CARNIVAL THE EVENT IN REVIEW 196 AHLAM VS JLO IDOLS APART?

IN.DESIGN 214 UNDER CONSTRUCTION ASTRUP FEARNLEY MUSEUM BY RENZO PIANO 215 ‘EXCENTRIQUE(S)’ BY DANIEL BUREN FOR MONUMENTA

IN.LOCATION 216 PORT ADRIANO MARINA BY PHILIPPE STARCK 218 ZAITUNAY BAY SPLENDOR BY THE SEA

IN.TALKS 224 ALI DEDIANKO THE BELVEDERE AMBASSADOR TELLS ALL 230 WADIH ELNAJJAR LIFE THROUGH A LENS 234 KIMBERLY WYATT SIZZLING IN THE CIRQUE 236 TASH GROUNDBREAKING MUSIC

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IN.NEWS MARC JACOBS’ NEW GIRL: DOT FRAGRANCE UNVEILED

Marc Jacobs has built a fragrance empire by focusing on what he calls “his girls” — Daisy, launched in 2007, and Lola, which bowed in 2009. Move over, ladies: There’s a new upstart in town, and her name is Dot. According to her creator, she’s charming, spirited and energetic and driven by a fanciful red bottle. “We keep calling them sisters. Lola is Daisy’s sister, and now Dot is their sister,” says Jacobs, speaking with WWD during an interview in his Soho studio. “There’s beginning to be a sort of vocabulary [within the fragrance collection]; even within the variety, there’s a similar handwriting — something that just feels like us.” Dot’s fanciful red bottle, which resembles a ladybug with butterflies alighting on it, “just seemed right to me,” says Jacobs. “I asked myself, what would this Dot be? And for me, it would be something that was chic, something that was charming. A dot is timeless and a pattern I always love, and round shapes are always beautiful. I liked the idea of these hybrid butterfly-ladybugs, which suggest a sort of free spirit and femininity and playfulness. And, of course, ladybugs mean good luck.” As well, Jacobs says he has long felt strongly about the classicism and elegance of a polka-dot motif, a recurring pattern in his collections and a major focus of his fall 2011 ready-to-wear line. “One design that I always go back to in some way is the dot,” he says. “I felt like this was something I’d never get tired of, and I’ll always find a new way to interpret.” He’s practical enough to have flankers (stepsisters?) in mind, too: “I felt this bottle would open itself up to many, many permutations and we can have a lot of fun with it. The visual is always very important.” Jacobs wanted the scent, which he created with Firmenich’s Annie Buzantian and consultant Ann Gottlieb, “to feel like it was coming out of this bottle,” he says, noting that the juice was intended to be, like the bottle, charming and spirited. It has top notes of red berries, dragon fruit and honeysuckle, a heart of jasmine, coconut water and orange blossom and a dry down of vanilla, driftwood and musk. The collection includes eaux de parfum in three sizes, as well as body lotion and shower gel. As first revealed by WWD, Jacobs is also working with Sephora to create a color cosmetics collection with a yet-to-be-determined launch date. The designer noted that he’s not yet done building his fragrance empire with Coty, Jacobs’ stable of fragrances grew 37 percent in the U.S. in 2011 alone. But give Jacobs a breather first. “For now, my head is in my next [rtw] collection, and the wonderful and colorful world of cosmetics,” he says. Any previews of the rtw collection? Jacobs laughs, “I never know what it’s going to be until the first girl’s on the runway,” he says, “it changes up until the last minute. It’s a process, not a recipe. It starts somewhere and ends up somewhere else.”

LADY GAGA

GOES ARMANI

There is no Bad Romance between Lady Gaga and Giorgio Armani. The Italian designer created new looks especially for the flamboyant singer, who is embarking on her Born This Way Ball tour starting April 27 in Seoul, Korea. “Collaborating with Lady Gaga is always an exciting experience for me,” said Armani, who has dressed the singer on numerous occasions, including the Grammy awards in 2010. “I admire the way she uses fashion as a scenic element and as a means to build a character. She is an artist of many talents and great intelligence.” Lady Gaga’s custom Armani wardrobe includes gloves with mirrored nails, a black bodice with transparent Plexiglas, black crystals and studs in an abstract composition of guitars, and plenty of fringe, Swarovski, spikes and latex.

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CAROLINA HERRERA

JOHN LOBB

CH Carolina Herrera launches the Mini Matryoshka Handbag Capsule Collection. A Limited Edition created especially by Carolina Herrera de Báez, that will be on sale at the Carolina Herrera New York & CH Carolina Herrera flagship boutiques starting this spring 2012.

Iconic British brands John Lobb (shoes), and Aston Martin (cars), have joined forces to create the John Lobb for Aston Martin Winner Sport shoe. Both brands have a history submerged in rich heritage, dedicated to producing the finest products in their respective field.

MINI MATRYOSHKA - LIMITED EDITION

“Colour, colour and more colour. I wanted to enhance one of the brand’s most iconic bags with striking colour combinations. I have always liked the Matryoshka bag for its simple and clean lines, which means you can play with powerful colour contrasts. I took as a starting point the Carolina Herrera New York Spring Summer 2012 collection, which is inspired by Bauhaus’ aesthetic trends and preference for geometric lines. I concentrated on the smallest one of the Matryoshka, because as a person who usually carries large bags, I think that the mini version portrays a relaxed, sophisticated and very feminine lifestyle. It is a truly chic accessory for carrying the essentials”. Seven different models made in Goya leather, a fabric exclusively created for CH Carolina Herrera and has only been used on the most emblematic pieces of the brand. The possibilities with this model are unlimited, because of its carefree, easy, and unstructured shapes.

MARC JACOBS

PLANNING MAKEUP LINE While Marc Jacobs continues to add to his fragrance empire, he has a new beauty project going as well: color cosmetics. Jacobs, who is working with Sephora to do the line, noted that, while it’s in its early days, he’s pleased to delve into the makeup world. “Anything to me that is part of the joy, the ritual, of getting dressed — things that women enjoy like bags, shoes, fragrance, clothes, makeup — that’s what fashion’s about for me,” says Jacobs, “I love the opportunity, wherever there is one, to adorn, to decorate, to scent, to dress. That’s what fashion’s all about. It’s not necessary, it’s something you want — it’s a fancy and a whim.” “I see makeup, fragrance — everything, really — as an opportunity. The idea of choosing a color for your lip, or eyeliner is just such a delight. The ritual of waking up and making those choices is something people really enjoy. We currently are working on defining what Marc Jacobs cosmetics will be, what they’ll say, what makes them distinctive. I think that will take some time, but the first meeting was good.” A target launch date has not yet been identified, Jacobs added.

FOR ASTON MARTIN

The Winner Sport is a very sleek, aerodynamic driver’s shoe co-designed by Marek Reichman, Design Director at Aston Martin, and Andrés Hernández, Creative Director at John Lobb. “Aston Martin makes the finest cars in the world,” says Hernández, “With John Lobb for Aston Martin, we have a beautiful product, the Winner Sport, that reflects the statement.” The Winner Sport is a lightweight aerodynamic shoe that is the result of meticulous research, creation, and attention to detail. It is currently available at John Lobb Jermyn Street London, and Aston Martin Park Lane, London, but will soon be available at other locations of both brands.

KARL LAGERFELD

TO DESIGN VIP HELICOPTERS To spy Karl Lagerfeld’s latest surprising collaboration, listen to the skies. Agusta Westland has tapped Lagerfeld to design VIP helicopters, both the interiors and exteriors. The Anglo-Italian Company, controlled by Italy’s Finmeccanica, is to initially focus on its AW139 twin-turbine helicopter, though the partnership may be extended to other commercial models. Agusta Westland says Lagerfeld’s “creativity and sophisticated style” would allow it to “introduce a new, limited edition, customized solution” for its growing customer base. The company’s Web site notes that the AW139 is able to carry up to 15 passengers with plenty of luggage at “very high speed.”

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IN.NEWS ABU DHABI TENANTS CONFIRMED FOR MALL Luxury is coming to Abu Dhabi, and in a big way. The Galleria at Sowwah Square has lined up more than 80 brands, filling in more than 70 percent of the leasable space well ahead of its planned August or September 2013 opening.

FERRAGAMO’S NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM

What made the Mona Lisa smile? It could well have been Hilary Swank, among VIP guests as Salvatore Ferragamo hosted a gala evening at the Louvre. The bubbly actress gamely posed for countless photos in front of the famous painting, displaying her own endearing, albeit more toothy, grin. She also snapped scores of photos of artworks on her iPhone, dazzled at the opportunity to roam the world’s largest museum with only about 60 other people. Ferragamo chairman Ferruccio Ferragamo took Swank by the shoulder to show her the reverse side of The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne, painted with oils on wood between 1503 and 1519. “It’s stunning. I’m speechless,” Swank exclaims of the exhibition. She was without words too at the flurry of flashbulbs as she posed in front of the newly restored masterpiece, the focus of a Ferragamo-sponsored show on through June 25.

H&M PLANNING LUXURY BRAND? Following its recent foray into red-carpet dressing, Hennes & Mauritz is rumored to be planning a luxury brand that would be more expensive than its high-end COS brand. H&M neither confirms nor denies a report in the Swedish financial daily Dagens Industri (DI) that it was working on the new concept. “We are constantly looking at new ideas; it’s a natural part of our work. However, there is nothing new that we can [talk] about for the moment,” spokeswoman Charlotta Nemlin says. The project is said to involve designer Behnaz Aram, who previously designed women’s ready-to-wear for Swedish brand Whyred. In August 2011, Aram joined the design team at H&M New Business, the division in charge of the COS, Monki, Weekday and Cheap Monday brands. Michelle Williams wore a custommade H&M dress to the British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards in London, and the retailer will make its red-carpet creations available to the masses with the April 12 launch of the Exclusive Glamour Conscious Collection in around 100 stores worldwide. The line is made using more sustainable materials, and features items worn by stars including Amanda Seyfried, Viola Davis and Kristin Davis. IN

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Among the confirmed tenants are Louis Vuitton, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Brioni, Boucheron, Bulgari, Marc Jacobs, Christian Louboutin, Prada, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi, Gucci, Harry Winston, IWC, Jimmy Choo, Lanvin, Tom Ford, Van Cleef & Arpels, Paul Smith and Ermenegildo Zegna. Other tenants signed on are Celine, Diane von Furstenberg, Mulberry, Tory Burch, Michael Kors, Miu Miu, CH Carolina Herrera, Coach, Diesel, Hackett, La Martina, Kenzo, Lacoste, Longchamp, Sephora, Superdry, Swarovski and Vilebrequin. The two-level, 355,000-square-foot retail and restaurant project is being developed jointly by Mubadala Real Estate & Hospitality, an arm of the Abu Dhabi government, and Gulf Related, a unit of Related Urban. Chalhoub Group, Al Tayer Insignia and Richemont Group executed the leases. Additional retailers, as well as restaurants, will be named soon.

DIOR

‘STARS IN DIOR’ EXHIBIT Christian Dior is set to celebrate its illustrious link with the movie world with Stars in Dior, an exhibition and accompanying book that highlight the outfits worn by some of the world’s most famous actresses, both on and off the screen. From May 12 to Sept. 23, the Christian Dior Museum in Granville on the Normandy coast, housed in the designer’s childhood home, will host an exhibition of gowns and accessories worn by stars of the silver screen, including Marlene Dietrich, Olivia de Havilland, Elizabeth Taylor, Penélope Cruz and Marion Cotillard, set off by documentary evidence of the designer’s links to the film world from the 1940s to the present day. The ground floor of the museum will be dedicated to actresses wearing Dior in everyday life, as well as an exhibit dedicated to Dietrich, who was a fan and a friend of the designer, explains associate exhibition curator Barbara Jeauffroy-Mairet. When asked to act in Alfred Hitchcock’s Stage Fright, Dietrich famously replied, “No Dior, no Dietrich.” Her wearing Dior in the movie was subsequently written into her contract, JeauffroyMairet said, despite the fact that Hitchcock generally kept firm control on costumes, favoring designers like Edith Head.  For the show, a room on the museum’s ground floor will be dedicated to Dietrich and set up to look like an apartment, including her luggage, accessories and beauty products. “It will feature around 10 different outfits, some of which, like the Salamalec dress, have never been shown before,” Jeauffroy-Mairet says.  Dietrich’s effects are on loan from the Berlin Film Archive. The second floor will highlight Christian Dior’s role as a costume designer. Before creating his couture house in 1947, he designed clothes for the cinema, collaborating with directors including Claude Autant-Lara and René Clair. Among the earliest designs featured will be sketches for Roland Tual’s 1942 film The Four-Poster, in which Odette Joyeux appeared dressed by Dior. This part of the exhibit also features a velvet dress worn by Elizabeth Taylor in the 1968 movie Secret Ceremony. The top floor will be dedicated to the house’s red-carpet designs, as well as its more commercial collaborations with the movie world through its fragrance advertising.

The brand’s ads by high-profile directors, like Jean-Jacques Annaud and Wong Kar Wai, will be highlighted, grouping together the films created, their storyboards and the specially designed gowns. Three of the gold gowns as well as a collar sported by Charlize Theron in ads for the fragrance J’adore will be featured in the exhibit.  The Stars in Dior show coincides with the French release of a book of the same name in May, published by Rizzoli. SPRING/SUMMER 2012

IN.NEWS DROR BENSHETRIT FOR TUMI

Tumi, the leading international travel, business and lifestyle accessories brand, debuted Dror for Tumi—their first ever collaboration with an external designer, this past April in Milan. Developed by award-winning designer Dror Benshetrit, the eleven-piece collection incorporates groundbreaking features that adapt for multiple uses and respond to the multifaceted lifestyle of today’s traveler. With several new patents pending—from design to materials—and a sophisticated new look, Tumi is once again poised to change the way we travel. Seeking to develop a series of long-lasting, versatile products in which purpose and function are paramount without sacrificing elegance or aesthetic detailing, Dror and Tumi spent 18 months conducting extensive research and prototyping. Pushing the boundaries of engineering and manufacturing further than ever before, the resulting collection includes hard-side cases and soft travel and business bags capable of dynamic “transformation.” With this in mind, eight of the bags transform in some way—expanding or literally changing shape to accommodate different functions or modes of use. The International Carry-On, the first-ever expandable zipperless hard-side, is a model of versatility and ingenious engineering. The revolutionary two-wheeled case allows for four different size options through a two-stage expansion via a “living hinge” that makes it possible to adjust the bag’s depth from 9 inches to 14 inches, increasing its overall capacity by 45%. A highly versatile backpack easily shifts to a tote or brief, simply by adjusting the straps to carry by hand, on the back, or over the shoulder. A briefcase offers two bags in one—a workaday medium capacity bag slims down to a sleek, elegant case suitable for a slim laptop. Even the travel kit has been re-imagined for various packing and usage styles. When opened it can be packed flat or hung from a fixture; when closed it takes on a more traditional shape that fits snugly in packing cases and sits easily on vanities. While the four-wheeled hardside cases do not transform, like the other pieces in the collection they represent top-ofthe-line industry upgrades in quality and styling.

CHANEL’S NEW MAN Brad Pitt’s certainly never been above plying his wares on Asian TV — remember the 2008 spot for Japanese denim brand Edwin Jeans, where he invited spectators to check out his backside, or perhaps the Wes Anderson-directed Japanese spot for Softbank mobile phones in which he resembled a giant banana? — but he’s now coming Stateside with his power of persuasion. Chanel confirmed Wednesday that it has signed the actor as the face of its No.5 fragrance. Over the years, Chanel has chosen a host of celebrity faces to front the 91-year-old scent — from Ali McGraw, Catherine Deneuve and Candice Bergen to Nicole Kidman, Audrey Tautou and Vanessa Paradis — but Pitt’s signing marks the first time a man has been tapped to represent the brand.

Pitt dabbled in the beauty business in August 2008 with Kiehl’s, inking a deal that benefited his Make It Right organization, which funds construction of environmentally sustainable and affordable housing in New Orleans for the displaced victims of Hurricane Katrina. Pitt handwrote part of the bottle’s label, and the deal was said to have garnered $1 million for the charity. Chanel declined to discuss the length or terms of the contract, who is shooting the ads or when and where they will appear. However, industry sources familiar with the celebrity endorsement mill speculate the megastar is being paid at least $7 million a year. Some estimates go as high as $10 million annually, while others range down to $5 million. IN

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HARRY WINSTON BRINGS ‘GOSSIP GIRL’ STARS TO CHINA The jeweler celebrated the opening of its first freestanding pavilion in Shanghai and flew over Ed Westwick and Leighton Meester, actors who play Chuck and Blair on the hit TV series Gossip Girl, to participate in the festivities. It was the first time the stars had ever visited the country. It is not an understatement to say that Gossip Girl is insanely popular in China, where countless fans watch episodes via pirated DVDs sold on the street or online video Web sites. Masses of young Chinese women swarmed the new two-story, 5,800-square-foot Harry Winston flagship, which was designed by New York architect William Sofield of Studio Sofield and is located in Xintiandi, a high-end shopping district, to see the actors during a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Barricades surrounding the store almost collapsed as a wave of women screaming “Chuck! Blair! Chuck! Blair!” heaved in towards Westwick and Meester when they appeared outside. Within half an hour of the event, photos and comments about Westwick, Meester and Harry Winston had been forwarded thousands of times on Sina Weibo, which is China’s top microblog. In February, the jeweler opened its own branded account on Sina’s microblog, which now has around 30,000 subscribers.

H&M

TAPS ANNA DELLO RUSSO TThe Italian fashion editor and style blog fixture unveiled her latest collaboration, a line of accessories for Swedish highstreet retailer Hennes & Mauritz AB that will go on sale in about 140 H&M stores worldwide this coming October.

The brand has had an almost secretive presence in China for four years with a by-appointment-only boutique in Beijing in the Peninsula Hotel. In January, it opened a small store in the Peninsula in Shanghai. The executive said there are plans to open a location in Hangzhou next year as well as a select number of other second-tier cities. During the next four years, Harry Winston will grow its retail presence from its current 24 stores to 50 locations globally.

In a video released by H&M, Dello Russo offered a glimpse of the collection, which includes gold and turquoise minaudières, cuffs and necklaces, and an oversize gold chain bracelet festooned with charms, including a reproduction of her famous bunch-of-cherries hat. “They make a sound,” she said, dangling the bracelet. “This sound, ‘bling bling,’ is a great sound because it’s a therapeutic sound.”

The gala dinner that followed the frenzied ribbon cutting ceremony was attended by Westwick and Meester along with a presence of a slightly older and arguably more sophisticated set of Chinese women dressed in understated evening gowns and noticeably large jewels.

The collection will consist of some 50 items, including jewelry, sunglasses, shoes, bags and a trolley, a spokesman for H&M said. Prices will range from 19.95 Euros for earrings, to 149 Euros for shoes, he added. Dello Russo, who is fashion director at large and creative consultant at Vogue Japan, noted it was the first time H&M had worked with a fashion editor.

The dinner, held in a massive tent alongside a lake in a park nearby Xintiandi, was one of opulence and elegance. The walls of the structure were lined with small exhibits aimed at illustrating the history of Harry Winston and the evolution of its high jewelry collections, with a specific focus on pieces from Ultimate Adornments, the New Yorkbased house’s exclusive collection of 40 one-of-a-kind diamond and platinum necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings. The brand has also introduced a limited edition watch collection for Shanghai, which will be featured in the flagship’s timepiece salon, which is the first designated watch gallery Harry Winston has created within one of its own stores. The evening also featured a performance by Jay Chou, a Taiwanese musician and actor, who is a notorious heartthrob among young Chinese.

ARMANI JEANS X RIHANNA SPRING/SUMMER COLLECTION

Armani Jeans launches its second capsule collection with pop sensation and Spring/Summer 2012 campaign star Rihanna. The collection features three pieces of denim including a denim all-in-one, four t-shirts, a cropped leather jacket and two vintage-feel canvas bags. Whilst the Emporio Armani underwear range comprises of everyday wear such as a tank top and shorts with Rhinestone, push-up bra and thong/ panties with glitter logo and lightweight micro-fibre styles. SPRING/SUMMER 2012

IN.NEWS bought Prada’s 25.5 percent holding for about $260 million and has subsequently bought out all minority shareholders. Beccari noted that Fendi never stopped selling the Baguette, and has since turned out more than 1,000 versions of the style, in materials ranging from fur and sequins to crocodile skin. The re-editions include a denim style embroidered with flowers, and another pavéd in colorful embroideries and small mirrors. He credits the handbag’s diversity for its longevity. “The fashion world is right now saturated and bombarded by real or presumed ‘It’ bags,” he said. “But for a long time, the Baguette has abolished the ‘fashionable’ handbag convention, the one that provided the same handbag for everyone, a coveted object to be flaunted in its uniformity.” Venturini Fendi recalled that she approached the Baguette bag like the Roman house does its furs: with an eye to high craftsmanship, surprising techniques and being “a bit subversive.”

FENDI’S BAGUETTE TAKES CENTER STAGE

Fendi’s Baguette — the shoulder jewel that helped ignite the luxury handbag craze and propelled a bidding war for the Roman house — is back in the spotlight. Next month will see the launch of a 345-page Rizzoli tome chronicling the Baguette’s history, and limited editions of six of the bag’s most famous iterations are slated to arrive in Fendi boutiques worldwide, followed by a series of in-store events. The initiatives, marking the bag’s 15th birthday, also signal a strategic thrust for the company, where new chairman and chief executive officer Pietro Beccari is putting Fendi’s iconic products at the forefront of development. The move echoes some of the work he did in his previous role as executive vice president at Louis Vuitton, where a Core Values ad campaign lit a flame under Vuitton’s historic monogram leather goods. “In this time of a quick-changing, fast-paced world, it is important to remain close to one’s roots and values. The Baguette represents the perfect expression of this and of Fendi’s DNA,” Beccari said. “It’s probably true that the Baguette was the bag that invented a fashion for bags and probably initiated the so-called ‘It’ bag phenomenon. But thanks to its unique shape that embodies the whole history of a maison, the Baguette has evolved into a timeless piece.” Although Beccari declined to talk numbers, market sources estimate Fendi has already sold close to a million units of the slim-lined purse, small enough to tuck under the arm like a loaf of French bread. Fendi Baguette bags retail from about $1,000 up to $3,000 and more. “It was very spontaneous. There was no marketing plan around this bag,” Silvia Venturini Fendi recalled about her 1997 invention, characterizing it as a reaction to minimalism. At the time, she recalled that handbags were mainly functional objects, frequently black and often boring. “They were treated like accessories and very separate from fashion. You didn’t see many bags on the runway, only in the showrooms,” she said. In 1999, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton and Prada teamed at the height of the luxury acquisitions boom to take a 51 percent stake in Fendi, valuing the company at $950 million. In 2001, LVMH

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She attributes the success of the Baguette to multiple factors. Its short strap and diminutive size were counterintuitive to the functional, even ergonomic approach of what was on the market in the Nineties. The fact that it came with a multitude of embellishments was a welcome reprieve from the monotony and uniform nature of fashion then.“We were all dressed like black spiders,” Venturini Fendi recalled. Scarcity helped, too. “Fendi was small at the time. You couldn’t find the bag so easily and that made it precious. It started to become like a fever,” Venturini Fendi explained. “I always say: It was the right bag at the right moment.” The Baguette also foreshadowed the use of celebrities as marketing vehicles for leather goods, although Venturini Fendi insisted all of its famous devotees came calling, not the other way around. Among the first was Madonna, snapping up several Baguettes at the Rome shop. Then came a call from Patricia Field, who asked if she could borrow some for Sarah Jessica Parker’s new series, Sex and the City. “It’s like a marketing case study, but really it wasn’t,” Venturini Fendi marveled. Parker, among contributors to the Rizzoli tome, notes that Fendi was the first big design house to loan the show items for her character. “It really opened the floodgates and influenced the story line — especially Carrie’s habit of spending more on fashion than her home,” she writes. “Once Fendi loaned us items, everyone was more willing to do so, which helped us dramatically in conveying Carrie’s decadence.” The consequence? “We want real bags again. We’re going back to leather,” said Venturini Fendi, noting this impulse yielded the Peekaboo bag, a discreet framed handbag she likes best in handstitched Selleria leather. “I think we are in a moment where we want simple or very, very high design…the most exquisite leather…or something surprising, colorful, crazy and different.” To that end, Fendi in 2008 mounted a design competition in Asia called “Design Your Dream Baguette” and commissioned one-off versions from famous artists, including Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst and Richard Prince, that were auctioned off for charity. “I’m not so obsessed by the next ‘It’ bag,” said Venturini Fendi. “I just want to follow the same path: doing things with freedom, and experimenting a lot. It’s the only good recipe.”

HERMÈS

PUTS THE SPOTLIGHT ON LEATHER Hermès has unveiled its Leather Forever exhibition at Mayfair gallery 6 Burlington Gardens, a show designed to explore the house’s “very special relationship with leather,” according to Thierry Outin, managing director for Hermes U.K. The exhibition is an expanded version of a similar exhibition that the house has shown in Shanghai and Rome. The show makes a feature of Hermès’ craftsmanship and artistry. In one room, two artisans from Hermès’ workshops in Paris are installed at work benches, crafting Hermès handbags as visitors watch, while in another, vast leather skins in a rainbow of colors are on display. The house’s famed handbags also take center stage — one room shows off different versions of Hermès and Kelly bags displayed in a giant Perspex Birkin, while in another there are vintage examples of Hermès’ creations, such as a Constance bag from 1973, an Arceau handbag from 1954 and an Elan Verrou clutch from 2009. “We’re celebrating our 175th anniversary this year, and I think [many] people don’t know that we started as a saddle maker,” said Outin. “This technique and this craftsmanship is something that was developed in the early days [and] that we have kept and nurtured to make the quality of the bag that we propose today.” Outin said he hopes the exhibition will reach the general public. “The idea is really to treat the relationship we have with leather in a very light-hearted way,” said Outin. To wit, there are also plenty of whimsical pieces on show — they include a winged saddle in red and orange calfskin and yellow lambskin created by Hermès in 2005, a Kelly bag fashioned into a rocking horse and a black calfskin wheelbarrow commissioned by the Duke of Windsor as a present for Wallis Simpson in 1949. “It’s very important that beyond the usual perception of Hermès we can share our culture, our values, really who we are with the general audience in England,” said Outin of the house’s decision to stage the exhibition. He also noted that 2012 is “the year of London.” “With the Queen’s Jubilee and the Olympic Games, we thought it would be the perfect timing to own our own little event,” he said. The exhibition runs through to May 27. During the time the show is on, Hermès will auction four one-off versions of its Passe-Guide handbags, designed to celebrate England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The online auction will begin on Christie’s Web site May 14 and will run to May 31. The proceeds from the auction will be donated to London’s Royal Academy of Arts and the four bags are on display as part of the exhibition.

CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN VENTURING INTO BEAUTY Christian Louboutin is making the leap from red soles to red lips. Embarking on his first major brand extension, the Paris-based designer of shoes and handbags has established a joint venture with New York-based Batallure Beauty LLC to enter the beauty category. The newly formed company, Christian Louboutin Beauté, plans to launch multiple, unspecified classifications, with the first products slated to arrive on the market in late 2013. The positioning will be luxury, the distribution global. “Very constructed, quite different and unexpected,” Louboutin teased in an exclusive interview, skirting questions about specific categories he is plotting. Yet it’s clear he’s thinking big and unconventional. Asked to name a beauty icon past or present that he finds inspiring, Louboutin cited one from 3,300 years ago: Nefertiti, whose painted limestone bust, now housed at the Neues Museum in Berlin, captivates the designer. “It’s the most beautiful thing. I stayed like an hour just looking at the bust,” he enthused. “It’s a perfect beauty and the makeup is quite perfect.” For his part, Louboutin said his “detail-oriented” approach to shoes should translate well to beauty products and their packaging. What’s more, he spies direct links to his sexy, high-heeled designs. “Beauty products also have to do with empowering women,” he said. “That’s very much the job of the shoes I’m designing.” He added that the beauty venture “has to mirror the quality of the shoes, of the bags, of all the DNA of the brand.” Louboutin said he has resisted licensing any category in order to maintain tight control of his brand image, and he opted to partner with Batallure because its chairman and co-founder, beauty veteran Robin Burns, understood his entrepreneurial spirit and design mission. Burns said she was attracted to Louboutin because his designs are “extremely aspirational to women” and “most beauty products that are successful have an element of aspiration to the consumer.” “He was really the only fashion designer with high success and high visibility that has not yet entered the beauty arena,” she said, adding that “his understanding of women and femininity, and their desire to be sexy and beautiful” will translate well into beauty products. Louboutin, celebrating his company’s 20th anniversary this year, takes on the beauty project as the brand continues to enjoy strong momentum. Last fall, Louboutin opened his first dedicated men’s boutique, in Paris, and the category has proven a strong growth sector. The company plans to open a men’s boutique on Washington Street in New York this summer, and a third location in London before the end of the year.

SPRING/SUMMER 2012

IN.NEWS GWYNETH

PALTROW NEW FACE OF BOSS SCENT Gwyneth Paltrow has a new fragrance deal under the belt of her little black dress: Boss Nuit Pour Femme. Hugo Boss announced that the London-based American actress will star in the TV, print and online campaigns for its latest women’s fragrance, inspired by the elegance and sensuality of the little black dress. “We are [pleased] to welcome Gwyneth Paltrow to the Hugo Boss family as the face of our new Boss Black female signature scent,” said Gerd Von Podewils, global marketing director for Hugo Boss Fragrances, P&G Prestige, who is in London for the press launch today. “She is the perfect complement to Boss Fragrances.” Prelaunches are slated for August, with a global rollout in September. “I was honored and very happy to be chosen as the face of Boss Nuit Pour Femme,” said Paltrow, who presented the fragrance at Sanderson Hotel in London. “To me, the Boss woman is driven, ambitious and goes after what she wants, but she balances being strong and very feminine at the same time — characteristics that I strive toward in my own life.”

OMEGA’S

OLYMPIC RECORD OF TIMING INVENTIONS When a tenth or a thousandth of a second can make or break a career, timing is everything. Ever since the first modern Olympic Games, held in Athens in 1896, time measurement has been the pivot around which the event turns. It’s a serious job for serious timekeepers. A few watch brands have taken on the task in the hundred-odd years of the event’s history. Swiss motorsports timer Heuer (it acquired the TAG prefix in 1985) was a natural partner in the 1920s, while Seiko has also been timekeeper for several Games. But it is the Biel based brand Omega that has had the most consistent link, and London 2012 marks its 25th outing as Official Timekeeper. It’s no mere brand-endorsement exercise, either: the pursuit of ever more precise timing is what makes the watch world tick, but the Official Timekeeper is under scrutiny to develop equipment that is not just up to the job but that is better at it. Hence, affiliated watch companies have always poured huge resources into sports-timing technology. And, because Omega has presided over a century of change - when stopwatch holders at the touchline reluctantly gave way to electronic timers then digital methods – the company’s role as a technology pioneer is pretty impressive. Its engineers have spent decades developing a kit that is not only elegantly designed – so as not to impede audience views of athletes crossing the finishing lines – but that performs and concurs with the demands of athletes, officials and the millions of people who watch the Olympic Games on television. Take the Omegascope, which launched in 1961. By enabling live running times to be relayed on television for the first time, it directly engaged audiences, enhancing viewer experience, and making broadcasting history. Naturally, Olympics timekeeping is computer-based now, but Omega continues to accelerate change, propelling the future of sporting performance along with it. Practising swimmers at Zaha Hadid’s Aquatics Centre in east London were recently asked whether improvements in Omega’s touch-pad technology – a system that responds to a swimmer’s touch but not the movement of the water – would pass muster.

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VIDAL SASSOON

HAIR STYLING LEGEND DIES Vidal Sassoon is perhaps best known for the sharp, asymmetric five-point haircut he introduced in 1963. At a time when the women’s liberation movement was in full swing, the wash-n-go haircut embraced by Mary Quant, Grace Coddington and Mia Farrow became a symbol of women’s rejection of restrictive beauty regimens. A STAR FADES OUT The London-born hairdresser revolutionized hairstyling by creating the geometric bob. Sassoon died of leukemia at age 84, a disease he was diagnosed with in 2009. In an interview with the LA Times in 2001, Sasson said, “My idea was to cut shape into the hair, to use it like fabric and take away everything that was superfluous.” He continued, “Women were going back to work, they were assuming their own power. They didn’t have time to sit under the dryer anymore.” Bumble and Bumble founder Michael Gordon, who produced the documentary Vidal Sassoon: The Movie, spoke with him the morning before he died, shortly before Sassoon was scheduled for a chemotherapy session. “He said, ‘I’ve lived with dignity, and I’d like to die with dignity,’ and he did,” said Gordon. Gordon said that Sassoon made hairdressing cool, but he stressed Sassoon’s legacy extends beyond the hair industry. “Anybody can become hugely important if they really have the drive, and he had the drive. He’s an inspiration in general. It doesn’t have much to do with hairdressing, that’s just what he ended up doing,” he said.

Sassoon’s geometric wash-and-wear hairstyles drew lots of attention, as they were so perfect they required little to no styling-ideal for the women’s liberation movement going on at that time. In his book, Vidal: The Autobiography, Sassoon recounted, “There were times in the Sixties and Seventies when the press were literally camped outside my Bond Street salon, snapping the new haircuts as they walked out of the door, even photographing the staff themselves wearing the latest looks. In our heyday we were chased down the street, followed by a pack of screaming girls.” In 1967, Sassoon was notoriously paid $5,000 by Roman Polanski to cut Farrow’s hair for Rosemary’s Baby, giving her a cropped look that her then husband Frank Sinatra didn’t like. By then, he had built a string of salons in his native country and decided to open in New York. His Beverly Hills salon came in the Seventies, when Sassoon also settled in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, he was growing a hair care line that, in the Eighties, became known for the television tag line, “If you don’t look good, we don’t look good.” Today, there are 14 Sassoon Academy locations and 32 Sassoon salon locations. Mark Hayes, creative director of Sassoon International, said. “Our industry has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. The world rarely encounters someone who had the profound impact that Vidal has had, and everyone in the industry is indebted to Vidal’s courage and singleminded vision, the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come.”

SASSOON’S BEGINNINGS Sassoon was born in England in 1928, and after his father’s early death, his impoverished mother placed him and his brother in a Jewish orphanage for seven years. Upon his return to London he left school at the age of 14 and began a hairdressing apprenticeship at his mother’s request. Later he fought in the Israeli army before fulfilling his mother’s dream and becoming a hairdresser. “I thought I’d be a soccer player but my mother said I should be a hairdresser, and, as often happens, the mother got her way,” he told the AP in 2007. Sassoon opened his first salon in London in 1954, and in 1963 he revolutionized the current popular hairstyles with modern, angular bob cuts. This style was made famous by British designer Mary Quant, the woman responsible for popularizing mini skirts. SPRING/SUMMER 2012

IN.FASHION The Revival of Christian Lacroix Legendary Haute Couture Words by Pratyush Sarup

The new creative director at Christian Lacroix is poised to return legendary French haute fashion house Christian Lacroix to its rightful place in the fashion pantheon. And Sacha Walckhoff has the design DNA for it! The art of fashion is of timeless beauty and love. When you get it right, fashion has the power to create life moments, memories even. The business of fashion however, can be very ruthless and dark. French fashion icon Christian Lacroix saw both sides of the fashion beast and in a way; it left him heartbroken. His avantgarde, often over the top haute couture collections were unanimously loved and sought after by affluent fashion lovers like Madonna, Daphne Guinness and the late Isabella Blow, but critics saw that the designer was not in touch with what the working woman needed. Lacroix spent almost 20 years on the haute couture runways of Paris, and yet never turned a profit. In 2009, Lacroix put out his last collection, which was self-financed, and it was even rumoured that models were paid 50 Euros each. Soonafter, Lacorix resigned. As the brand filed for bankruptcy, only a handful of old employees were retained and a Lacroix favourite, Sacha Walckhoff was entrusted with the responsibility of reinventing this ailing fashion giant. It was a bittersweet moment for Walckhoff, “I have learnt so much from Christian Lacroix, it was painful to see him leave this brand he so loved and nurtured,” he remembers. To be named the new Creative Director was a huge responsibility, especially given the circumstances. “Well, at that moment, we had all been through tough times in the company. Six months after Christian left the brand new role was officially announced - so I had been doing ‘the job’ for a while. I was just relieved that the Lacroix House could still exist and that we could go on with my small team that had been with me for many years already,” explains Walckhoff. Sacha Walckhoff

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After 17 years at the fashion house, there could have been no person better than Walckhoff to carry the brand into the future, “I always had interest in design and culture thanks to my mother who made me discover museums and exhibitions during my youth,” he says of what inspired his career choice. Even as a teenager his inspirations were very eclectic, “David Avedon, Antonio Lopez, Nina Hagen, Grace Jones, Jean Paul Goud, I love them all for their unique styles. Then there were John Travolta, Marvin Gaye, Boy George, Audrey Hepburn, and the Bee Gees!”

life. I guess that got me the job!” The Lacroix aesthetic was the exact opposite of Walckhoff’s personal style, “I was more drawn to the minimal: clean and pure and simple. Lacroix was about opulence.” That’s when he received a piece of advice from Christian Lacroix himself that has kept him going ever since, “He told me not to take anything for granted and to be as open minded as I could possibly be. It helped me immensely to find my feet in the maison,” recalls Walckhoff. Today, as he takes the fashion house into a new direction, his mentor’s words ring true even more.

Born in France, Walckhoff studied fashion in Spain’s acclaimed Escuela De Artes Y Tecnicas De La Moda, “Barcelona in the 80s was quite wild! It was an amazing time: school until ten in the evening and partying till the morning. I met some very interesting, unique and talented people like Bibi Anderson, Helmut Berger and Montesinos, the Spanish ‘Galliano’, he did skirts for men way before Gaultier!”

“Lacroix is a brand which creates emotions, customers are attached to it. It is not a ‘power brand’. It’s is more of a ‘love brand’ with character and an appetite for the pleasures of life which is really French,” says Walckhoff of the Lacroix fashion identity. Walckhoff is working hard at re-invigorating the Lacroix brand with new sensibility, and has his task cut out for him.

Walckhoff’s first collection consisted of geometrical overalls with hoods and gloves attached; it made the right kind of noise in the fashion circles. Constructed out of stretch velvet and felt, the collection for men and women won the young Walckhoff two awards in Spain, and then he met Lacroix. “It was in July 1992. We just talked about Barcelona and the author Jean Genet,” he remembers fondly of their first meeting. “We talked about his book, Journal Du Voleur in which he wrote about his hard city

His first task, as he took over the reins from his mentor was to develop a furniture collection, Christian Lacroix Maison, “The rich patrimony of the brand was begging for a home collection. Then, we met with Tricia Guild, my godmother in the decorating world I did not really know, and the rest just happened!” Given his fashion background, how was the experience working on interiors? “Not so difficult. There are some similarities yes, but the proportions are quite different and in a way you might do wild things and still be commercial which is not the case in fashion!” SPRING/SUMMER 2012

Walckhoff’s Debut Menswear Line for Christian Lacroix Last Year.

Walckhoff’s own home in Paris, which he shares with his partner, is a rich sometimes overwhelming composition of eras, textures, styles and patterns. Clearly Walckhoff has embodied the Lacroix spirit and taken it to heart. With fabrics, prints, wall coverings, even accessories, the first Christian Lacroix Maison collection follows the journey of a young Lacroix girl, someone who has the spirit to wear Lacroix couture, “For the first collection she was in Arles, south of France, and wants to move to Paris as she is attracted by the ‘Fashion world’ of course,” explains Walckhoff. The response was unanimously positive. With that step, the house of Lacroix was back in business, “Well as you know, Haute Couture is on hold since 2009, we have been developing a lot of new activities since then in order to attract a new crowd around our house,” he says. His efforts are bearing

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fruit; very recently the brand’s Facebook account got its 50,000th fan, “It is quite nice to see so much interest in our work and the new direction we are giving to the brand. There is still a lot of work to do, but we are in no rush.” With the interiors line moving from strength to strength plans are afoot to open the first Christian Lacroix Maison Boutique in Paris during ‘Design Days’. Walckhoff debuted his menswear line for the label last year and wowed everyone, critics, buyers and fashion lovers alike. There was buzz around the Lacroix label again. Even the Middle East could not resist the charms of the Lacroix Man, “The Middle East has been a historically strong market for our label and given the response I have received for our home fabrics and our men’s line, we are seriously looking into expanding our presence in the region.”

â&#x20AC;&#x153;His first task, as he took over the reins from his mentor was to develop a furniture collection, Christian Lacroix Maisonâ&#x20AC;?

“As the brand filed for bankruptcy, only a handful of old employees were retained and a Lacroix favourite, Sacha Walckhoff was entrusted with the responsibility of reinventing this ailing fashion giant” As the brand tries to make it-self heard again, it helped that Lady Gaga chose to dress in an Lacroix Couture wedding gown in her video ‘Judas,’ “We picked out a stunning gown from our archives for the ‘Judas’ video, but it makes me happier to see her wear Christian Lacroix men’s line in her real life!” he says. Clearly Walckhoff has much love for the irreverent pop star, “I think she is really a symbol of what is happening today, a kind of modern eclectic and quickness in changing images. She is a modern chameleon. Thanks to Nicola Formichetti, her talented artistic director, she is always ahead of the trends. They are both mixing pop culture, references of MTV history and contemporary art, like nobody today.” As is always said, before Gaga, there was, and is Madonna. The pop supernova famously wore the ‘red bride’ wedding dress from the house’s couture collection for an art exhibit with ace photographer Steven Klein.

The hedonist, beast like quality of the images and Madonna in Lacroix had fashionistas cooing in unified love. A video version of the exhibition was the opening montage for her Reinvention Tour as well. What does he think of the icon for whom Christian Lacroix often designed? “I do love the pictures Steven Klein did with Madonna wearing couture back in early 2000s, but for me Madonna is a kind of Cher today. I love Cher but I do not think either of them influences the young crowd nowadays. They look at them like amazing and wonderful grandmothers and aunts!” Presently, Walckhoff is focusing on his upcoming men’s collection and once again, it is about fashion with a story, “For this summer, the concept is about 3 good friends spending their holidays together,” he says. “One is a young Spanish bullfighter, the second one is a British ‘Mod’ and the third one is a Californian surfer. As boys are quite messy, after a while they are mixing and matching all their clothes. This is why you will see this very preppy look mixed with used denims and embroidered torero-like jackets!” As Walckhoff slips Lacroix back into fashion mode with greater confidence, how has it been till now, being the one chosen to revive the fortunes of a brand that has been his home for almost two decades? “Both easy and difficult,” he says, “easy as I personally knew Christian Lacroix very well and of course, the brand history; difficult for exactly the same reasons.” “I do think that the values of the brand such as tolerance, juxtaposition, singularity and joie de vivre, are and will always be relevant. It is in the way you express those qualities that must evolve.” Of that, Sacha Walckhoff is doing a phenomenal job. IN

IN.FASHION The woman, the passion and the fashion, Hollywoodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest style star talks about things close to her heart.

Rachel Zoe Words by Pratyush Sarup

Last year, she topped The Hollywood Reporter’s annual list of Hollywood’s most powerful stylists. This list was not based on who put out the most fluffed out gowns on the red carpet; it was a measure of stylists who influence not only the trends eventually seen on the streets, but also effect the pecking order of designers and celebrities with their carefully edited fashion choices. In 2011 Rachel Zoe was the undisputed No.1. This year, her name was nowhere to be seen in the list released in March, sending tabloids and gossip sites into overdrive – ‘is this the end for Zoe?’ “Rachel Zoe has become just too big to number,” said The Hollywood Reporter to squash speculation. “Thanks to a hot runway show, a multi-million dollar fashion empire, successful TV show and a possible toddler’s line, her success has been so beyond what anyone thought a stylist could achieve.” Who would have thought this Jersey girl would take the fashion world by storm in the way she has. Interestingly enough, it was her early days in the rather plain New Jersey that shaped her fashion consciousness. “I grew up in Short Hills with my dad Ron, my mom Leslie and my little sister Pamela,” she remembers with a smile. “I loved it – it’s a quiet, beautiful suburb just a quick train ride away from New York City.” Zoe often experimented on her school friends – her earliest memories of styling date back to when she was eight. “I began to style my neighbour for school. I feel it’s something that has always come so naturally for me. I found myself subconsciously offer styling tips to people all the time”. “I think a part of me always knew this is where I would ultimately end up. Growing up, I constantly played dressed up in my mother’s closet, and I could recite every issue of Vogue. I was and still am completely fashion-obsessed,” she says. Zoe took a slight detour to George Washington University to study psychology and sociology and then moved to New York. Her first job as a fashion assistant at YM magazine earned her $18,000 a year. At 25, she became a full-time freelancer and moved to Los Angeles.

better to do it with? Annie is so professional and had so much fun with it. She’s as talented as she is beautiful. We’ve had so many great moments on the red carpet together, so it’s like, how do we top this moment and how do we top that moment? You have to know who your audience is when you’re doing something like the Oscars. But it’s hard to please everyone all the time. What we tried to do was be super diverse in the choices,” she later told Entertainment Weekly. Anne’s hosting may have come under criticism, but no one could find fault with her impeccable on-stage style that included powerhouse names like Vivienne Westwood, Armani, Givenchy couture and Oscar de la Renta. And then there was the Tom Ford, “I can’t even talk about. It still leaves me speechless,” says Rachel. Soon after, Zoe gave birth to Skyler, her son with husband (and business partner) Rodger Berman, “It sounds clichéd, but motherhood has changed my perspective, different things are important now,” she says as she replies semail with Skyler on her lap. “Every morning as soon as Skyler wakes up I am up! The mornings are my favourite time of day - total bliss – lying in bed with my husband and son.”

“I was never driven by money.” Says Zoe of her success, “it’s always been about passion. I am a huge believer that you must love what you do in order to be successful. And of course, determination and commitment, it’s a very long process, nothing happens over-night. And of course a great team, I know I could never have done this alone. I am a very lucky girl!”

It was at the 2003 Emmys when the spotlight was firmly trained on Rachel’s craft when she dressed Jennifer Garner - her first bonafide A-list celebrity client, and now close friend, in a Narciso Rodriguez. She has never looked back since. Growing client list, accolades, famous fall-outs and harsh criticism on promoting the anorexic look, nothing has fazed Zoe from achieving what she set out to do as a little girl. Clients like Kate Hudson, Demi Moore, Liv Tyler, Keira Knightley, Cameron Diaz and Eva Mendes continued to wow at the red carpet, and yet her biggest fashion moment came when she was pregnant with her first child.

Another big change? Zoe has opened up about her personal life, and even if it’s just a tad bit, it’s a huge deal given how Rachel has previously maintained stoic silence in face of biggest media storms, always preferring to let her work do the talking. Coming from a reality TV star - The Rachel Zoe Project airs on Bravo TV - this shyness has often been misunderstood. “For television, of course a number of things are exaggerated,” she protests. “No one wants to watch me sit around and paint my nails or scroll through emails all day. We have an incredible team at my office right now, the best it has ever been. There really is no drama. We love each other so much and you must remember, the show is about fashion – not so much me. My goal for the show was to offer fashion devotees, like me, a behind the scenes look at the world of high fashion, give them a glimpse of both the harshness and the glory,” she explains.

Anne Hathaway, her loyal client, was chosen to host the Oscars in 2011. “It was exciting because this was the ultimate project and who

Letting her guard down, Zoe gives us a glimpse into a part of her life not many know about: the magical times when it was just her and

Rodger and no paparazzi in sight, “We met while I was in college and he was in business school. We were both working at a restaurant, I was the hostess, he was a waiter, and the rest is history,” she remembers fondly. As their respective careers took off they decided to make things official, the lovebirds married in 1996, “I wore a dress by Isaac Mizrahi, I originally saw the gown on the cover of Vogue it was in red. Isaac is a dear friend of mine, so I called him up and asked him to make it for me in white,” says the fashionista. “Our reception was at the Rainbow Room in New York City. It was small, intimate, and completely romantic, with views overlooking the entire city. It was dreamlike!” Today they even work together; Rodger is the CEO of Zoe Media Group and President of Rachel Zoe Inc. “My husband is my rock. He is a brilliant businessman and an incredible husband and father, I am so blessed!” What hasn’t changed, only amplified, is her passion for her craft. After the 2011 launch of her eponymous clothing line, she made her runway debut at the New York Fashion week earlier this year to thunderous applause. “For the Fall 2012 collection I was inspired by old films, music and books. Actors, actresses and fashion icons of the 60s and 70s, like Brigitte Bardot and Bianca Jagger played a huge role as did modern influencers like Carine Roitfeld and Marc Jacobs,” explains Zoe. Then there is The Rachel Zoe Report, her daily digital newsletter with a readership of 250,000, managed by 14 fulltime staffers. Capitalising on its success, she recently expanded her ventures to include a media group; “This fall I launched my jewellery, cold weather accessories, leather gloves and belts for my collection. But I have a feeling there will be a lot more to come, you will just have to wait and see,” she says about her plans for the future. The Rachel Zoe Collection is currently in stock in Dubai at Saks Fifth Avenue, Harvey Nichols, Symphony boutique. IN A fail proof party frock? Always a black dress – with a little something unexpected like sequin, ruffle or brocade detail. And a killer accessory. Favourite piece of jewellery? The Niel Lane diamond ring Rodger gave me in the hospital after I gave birth to Skyler – it marks the single greatest moment in my life. I will cherish both the ring and the memory forever. Favourite perfume? I love all of Tom Fords fragrances, especially Jasmine Rouge. Favourite book? Twilight – I’m completely obsessed! Repeating outfits – no or yes? I think it’s totally fine and completely unrealistic to expect anyone to wear something only once. I think it’s just about creativity – changing it up the second time around whether it’s through your glam with a bold lip or messy bun, or changing out your accessories. I think half the fun of fashion is re-inventing new looks with old pieces. SPRING/SUMMER 2012

IN.FASHION

D N A Y T K H R S A G N D A U IO N XATANNON FI Z C la ah N by rds o W

a ah m Sa

NA His sartorial debut poked at our fashion sense with spikes, studs and draping… for men. His latest collection showcases chainmail headgear, human leashes, and mesh muzzles, ehhm, also mostly for men. The designer behind the dark and naughty fixations is none other than Emirati designer Nasser Mohammed Al Midfa with his über cutting-edge men’s fashion label Naz Cannon. The youngest of seven children, Al Midfa never had to fight his way into the spotlight, au contraire, his siblings always made way for their talented brother to shine, “My siblings have supported my design career ever since it began,” he boasts. The hardworking designer is not only breaking with convention, and shattering taboos; even stranger is the fact that he is quite committed to a “regular” job, (and a government one at that), while developing his fashion label, “I’m using my income from my job to support my fashion business and production, and I divide my time equally between them,” explains the designer. “However, I am planning to soon focus on my fashion designs only.” The label has quite a catchy name: Naz Cannon. It’s young, urban, and memorable. Naz sounds like a confident stud, living somewhere metropolitan, with a killer wardrobe and a killer pad. And Cannon as a last name? Come on! Who can resist the charms of that combo? At a closer look, you’ll find that Naz Cannon is actually the designer’s name! “Naz is what my friends call me and Cannon is just a pure translation of my family name into English.” Simple yet incredibly impactful in an industry where a significant label name like that can be indelible. The Naz Cannon collection is carried at the Bullets and Butterflies boutique. Emirati entrepreneur sisters Alia and Hind Bin Kharbash, owners of the shop discovered the designer and his fashion-forward collection through the local media and offered him a platform to showcase his designs in their contemporary boutique: a partnership that has proven to be quite successful. Al Midfa’s latest collection is featured in a very riské fashion shoot, one that can raise a few eyebrows given its cultural context. The S&M and fetish-y themes the photos seem to be conveying was intended to make the label stand out, and stand

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out it does! “The inspiration for the collection came from various pop artists,” explains Al Midfa, “and I wanted something that is edgy and impure. So, the idea of S&M came to mind, I also wanted a shoot that was different in editorial value and that would stand out as a new endeavour in the region.” There is no question of the shock-value of the spread; after all, a designer needs to be striking and distinctive to carve a spot in the fashion industry. While Al Midfa was experimenting with women’s pieces a while back, Naz Cannon now offers women’s wear as well. Whereas before, it was only a men’s line, or as Al Midfa more aptly refers to it, “an androgynous line.” Al Midfa plans to collaborate with a different designer each year on the women’s line, “Starting this year with local designer Suhail Matar.” With inspirations like Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Grace Jones, and Karl Lagerfeld behind his work, you’d think Al Midfa would be rushing to go global, but the 27 year-old has a good level-head on his shoulders. “I am focusing on establishing myself locally and in the region first and then venture into Europe,” he says, “I have declined to showcase my designs [in] Europe this year, but I will hopefully show them in the upcoming years.” Given the constraints preset in our Middle Eastern culture, Al Midfa is not deterred, “I have developed a multicultural background rather than a Middle Eastern one through my travels. Which has helped me ignore the cultural stigmas and develop my own little cultural world,” he says. You would think that his fashion journey was one full of hurdles to overcome and obstructions to slow him down, but the designer maintains, “I always think of myself as unbreakable, after all I am Cannon and I don’t think I have faced any major obstacles,” a testament to Al Midfa’s graceful endurance, and his passion for his art.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have declined to showcase my designs [in] Europe this year, but I will hopefully show them in the upcoming years.

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I would love to vacation in Istanbul. My favorite movie of all time isThe Devil Wears Prada. Right now the music playing on my iPod is ‘Turn Me On’ – David Guetta Ft. Nicki Minaj. I would drop anything I’m doing in a second for Design inspiration. I would love to have dinner with Angelina Jolie. When I’m down or upset I call I pray to God. The sexiest character trait isQuietness. What turns me on is Spikes.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wanted something that is edgy and impure. So, the idea of S&M came to mind.

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IN.FASHION

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A K S N V O IO N A SH Y K A G A F O N S OL A G V I N N R I H R B TEC H E & G ET TO

SK MU A R K Á AL S ICH ÁN KOV M Y M I APH AŠ OG R KAM I L T H P EUP MAK

Fashion is a universal language, and we at IN Magazine strive endlessly to scour the globe for what’s hot and haute in the dynamic and unpredictable world of fashion. This issue we visit the old communist block and witness an inspiring renaissance of creative freedom with textile and fashion designer Ivana Kanovska.

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Tell us a little bit about your background, where you were born and where grew up, how you first became interested in fashion design, etc… I was born in The Czech Republic, specifically in South Moravia. It is a specific area of The Czech Republic with a rich cultural platform, popular folklore and good wine. You can find a lot of creative people there. Women in my family dealt with the production of folk costumes and folk embroidery. I began to draw early on in my childhood, and then moved on to painting, then sewing. When I was very young I was interested mainly in graphic techniques, and I began to study toy design and product design, not long afterwards I started to study textile design and fashion design. Now I logically connect all my experience together in my work. You are currently a post-grad student of textile and fashion design at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design is Bratislava, Slovakia, is the fashion scene prominent there? What is the fashion scene like in Slovakia? I am actively collaborating with various industrial companies in The Czech Republic and thanks to my current studies; I can devote time to creating my own designs. The situation in the Czech and Slovak fashion scene is not easy. We must also take into account the fact that the former Czechoslovakia was as a communist country for a long time, separated from the influence of fashion in the world. Since then, of course, many years have passed and the situation today is quite different, but thanks to the expansion of Asia, there is almost no textile industry in The Czech and Slovak Republics. We don’t have fashion houses but you can find many young creative fashion designers who offer their collections at a very high level. Unfortunately people in The Czech Republic are very conservative and reluctant to experiment, so the young designers go abroad where they have more options and opportunities to work. What are some of your biggest influences? My study of toys and industrial design influence my work. Also my passion for diverse forms of art and design inspire me. I like to mix and match different techniques and technologies in my work. I learned to control the materials and crafts I work with, and in recent years I was devoted to experimenting with materials and bringing them into my fashion collections, which creates more objects and sculptures on women’s bodies. Where do you look for inspiration? My life is very inspiring. I believe that each person creates inspiration and creativity in their own self through their perception of the world. As a fashion designer I have the opportunity to constantly meet new creative people from all disciplines of art, not just fashion design. For me it is necessary to travel and explore new places and cultures, to read good books, to be surrounded by good friends, good quality of art, music, food and nature. Thanks to my post-graduate degree as a teacher I am in constant communication with inspiring young people. My eyes are open wide. You take on big themes in your concept designs, themes like the modern day woman as warrior, androgyny, and sexual fetishes, among others. Why these subjects? What attracts you about them? I have worked with materials such as plastics and silicones for some time now. I was preparing a collection of experimental structures and new surfaces for the car industry and I discovered new and innovative structures with outstanding aesthetic quality. So there was an idea of turning them into 3D objects designing a fashion collection created from non-traditional materials. The world of latex and fetish is a very attractive topic for many designers. That was a challenge for me to create a collection reflecting contemporary issues of sexuality and the lifestyle of modern women. The issue of beauty, style, sexuality and plastic reconstruction of the body is a very hot topic. Many fashion critics would argue that the use of industrial materials in clothes is not practical, that it is appealing on the runway, but a “real” woman would never incorporate it in her wardrobe. Do you agree? Why or Why not?

Of course, fashion creations and collections made of industrial materials are designed for show on the runway. My ‘Tension’ collection is not a wearable collection, and it is not intended for consumers. Fashion in this sense is emotive self-expression; it is the art that communicates with the viewer. Bringing new ideas and technologies into fashion has profound implications. The future of fashion is now fully focused on the synergy of fashion and technology. These new tendencies and significant advances in technology and material enables the creation of what I like to call ‘Fashion Wearables’ that work in their proposed context of use and balance aesthetics and function.

“In the ‘Tension’ collection I used a special material I created myself. I work with industrial materials such as silicone, plastics, fiberglass, plastic foils, etc.” How big of a role does technology play in fashion today? This area – the intersection of design, fashion, science, and technology refers to ‘Fashionable Technology’. The manufacturing of so-called “smart clothes” or “intelligent clothing” has ushered in a textile revolution. What makes these clothes “intelligent” is the integration of electronic components. Through the use of special new fibers and yarns, functional textiles are being produced which can integrate for example cosmetic and medical systems. The “smart clothes” are items that can “think” and “act”, thus protecting the people wearing them. A synergy between the fields of fashion, design, science and technology are the future of fashion. These tendencies were already envisioned in movies and science fiction stories, one that is rapidly becoming a reality. The year 2010 marked the beginning of a new decade in fashion technology with the launch of numerous commercially successful products and commissioned projects.

“The issue of beauty, style, sexuality and plastic reconstruction of the body is a very hot topic.” You are clearly inspired by the sci-fi heroine, what are some of the strong female characters in sci-fi films that have inspired your latest ‘Tension’ Collection? I have always been a fan of science fiction. As a child my favorite female heroine was Barbarella. I also like the music video ‘All is full of love’ by Bjork, which was directed by Chris Cunningham and featured two intimate robots. The female heroines in general were the inspiration for my collection and the strongest inspiration was probably the movie Tron: Legacy. The collection is the result of my long-term work and my own perception of the super-women in my own imagination. Tell us about the materials you use, and why you use them. In the ‘Tension’ collection I used a special material I created myself. I work with industrial materials such as silicone, plastics, fiberglass, plastic foils, etc. These materials have completely different properties than the materials commonly used in tailoring, and allow me to create a volume and architectural shapes on the body, and have excellent aesthetic quality. I also create prints on the transparent plastic. All this work is based on an active search for new materials and techniques, which is evident in my infatuation with technologies. What do you wish to accomplish in your career as a designer? Working for companies in the industrial sector is often difficult because there is not much room for creativity. Over the next few years, I would like to be at the point where I am a member of a dynamic, creative team of people. I believe that new experiences and possibilities of collaboration with other creative people should provide me the means to learn more about new technologies, textile, fashion and myself. IN

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IN.FASHION

IRIS APFEL THE 90 YEAR-OLD STYLE ICON “My mother worshipped at the alter of accessories and I got the bug. She always said, if you have a good, little, simple black dress and you have different accessories, you can have 27 different outfits.” This is just one of many bouts of wisdom the 90 year-old fashion icon Iris Apfel is famous for. The other thing she’s famous for? Her oversized spectacles for one, but let’s just say she has often defined and redefined fashion. And that is no understatement.

restoration projects, including work at the White House for nine presidents: Truman, Eisenhower, Nixon, Kennedy, Johnson, Carter, Reagan, and Clinton.

In 2005, the Metropolitan Museum in New York staged an exhibition of her wardrobe. This included some of Apfel’s collection of exquisite pieces by rarified Paris and New York designers: there was a coat of multicolored rooster, duck and fowl feathers by Jean-Louis Scherrer from 1962, and an orange jumpsuit by Geoffrey Beene from the early 80s. The unique way Apfel wore these pieces was recreated on the mannequins. Always ahead of the crowd and unconventional in her fashion choices, Apfel once said, “When you don’t dress like everybody else, you don’t have to think like everybody else.”

Inspiring many women, and proving that old age should not get in the way of pursuing goals, Apfel continues to lecture on style and fashion, “Coco Chanel once said that what makes a woman look old is trying desperately to look young. Why should one be ashamed to be 84? Why do you have to say that you’re 52? Nobody’s going to believe you anyway, so why be such a fool? It’s nice that you got to be so old. It’s a blessing.”

This New Yorker is a fashion industry muse. Ralph Lauren based a 2006 collection of upholstery fabrics as a tribute to Apfel’s work as a textile designer; Joanna Mastroianni created a line inspired by Apfel’s style. In 2012 MAC cosmetics launched a range of Iris Apfel colors, including Pink Pigeon and Scarlet Ibis, referencing the name of the Met show – Rare Bird – and Apfel’s penchant for bright colors. Apfel stars, along with Anna Wintour, as a New York grande dame in the documentary Bill Cunningham New York, having been a regular in Cunningham’s photos for several decades, and is set to be the subject of her own documentary by Grey Gardens filmmaker Albert Maysles. The only child of Samuel Barrel and Russian-born Sadye, Apfel spent her childhood at her mother’s fashion boutique. She studied art history at New York University and attended art school at the University of Wisconsin. As a young woman Apfel worked for Women’s Wear Daily and for interior designer Elinor Johnson. She also was an assistant to illustrator Robert Goodman. Apfel married Carl Apfel in 1948 and together they launched the textile firm Old World Weavers and ran it until they retired in 1992. During this time, Iris Apfel took part in many design

Apfel has described herself as “the world’s oldest living teenager.” That is why at age 90, the fashion icon has launched a jewelry line, proving that it is never to late to explore a dream.

Iris Apfel For MAC Cosmetics MAC Cosmetics has had quite a few celebrity endorsements lately but none can compare to their latest collaboration with style icon Iris Apfel. In January 2012, MAC Collection launched IRIS for MAC, a 21-piece collection with names inspired by birds. Often herself dubbed, “The rare bird of fashion,” the Iris Apfel MAC collection is a collaboration with Ms. Apfel who has always been ahead of her time. The makeup collection features Lipsticks, Beauty Powder and Eye Shadows with as much flair and joie de vivre as the woman who helped create it. The British newspaper The Daily Mail’s website Mail Online said, “The range proves, yet again, that the wonderfully outspoken nonagenarian is beyond compartmentalising - falling far outside the usual fashions associated with those old enough to be great grand-mothers.” The palette Ms. Apfel has chosen for the line comes as no surprise given her love of bright colors and attention-grabbing styles. A hot pink, gemstone-green, blue, orange, and scarlet are just a few of the unambiguous bold colors she is best known for. Taking a lead from her Rare Bird exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the 20-piece line is mostly named after birds. An example of the cosmetics: Toco Toucan, Pink Pigeon, Diamond Dove and Scarlet Ibis. IN

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IN.FASHION 9 MINUTES WITH

MADONNA

TALKING FASHION AND FRAGRANCE She may be sporting Gaultier and Givenchy — as well as her first fine fragrance, Truth or Dare — on her upcoming tour, but Madonna hopes there’s one thing she won’t be wearing as she travels the globe to promote her new album Injuries.

Madonna’s fingerprint goes on anything that bears her name, “I don’t take the job of creating anything — whether it’s fragrance, or beauty products, or clothes — lightly, and I need a lot of time to do stuff. I don’t like it when other people create for me.”

The MDNA tour, in support of her 12th studio album, is requiring some physically intense moves. At Macy’s Herald Square in New York, making an appearance in support of her scent, Madonna was nursing what she called “a big old cut” on her leg. Motioning to her black lace Dolce & Gabbana dress, she laughed, “I take these clothes off, and I’m covered in bruises. It’s very sexy.” Why? Wait and see, she said, but promised it will be intense.

That was definitely true when it came to her debut scent.

The tour kicks off on May 20th, 2012, wending its way around the Middle East and Europe before the first North American date, August 28 in Philadelphia. South American dates are expected to be revealed soon. “It’s crunch time for me getting my show ready, so after this I have to go back to the dungeon,” she told WWD during an interview after the Macy’s appearance, “I call it the dungeon, where we work. In a room with no light. It’s kind of our factory, but I have a lot of work to do.”

“I love musk and amber and woody kind of fragrances on men. I love the smell of whiskey — we should make a men’s cologne that smells like whiskey. I can’t drink it, it’s too strong, but it smells amazing — a really good old whiskey.”

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As for the show’s couture, “I worship and adore [Jean Paul Gaultier]. He’s creating one of my costumes, and kind of godfathering the costumes for a section of my show, with all my dancers. I’m really happy he’s doing it, because he’s such a genius. And I’ll probably wear something that Riccardo [Tisci] from Givenchy makes. But the rest of it is going to be what my costume designer Arianne Phillips creates with me.” If her Super Bowl XLVI costumes, which included a glittery Egyptian caftan, fanciful Philip Treacy headpieces and a priest’s robes, are any barometer, those MDNA costumes will get people talking. Madonna called the Super Bowl show, “one of my most favorite and most treasured performing experiences, for sure. That was amazing.” But next time she may opt for flats instead of heels, “The dance that LMFAO does, the shuffle, was really hard to do in heels. I have to say, I would prefer to do the shuffle in sneakers. If you want to drop it like it’s hot, it’s good to wear flats, because then your booty gets really close to the floor, but then there are things you can do in heels that you can’t do in sneakers.”

“The time was right,” she said of partnering with Coty Prestige. “I’ve been working off and on on various fragrances over the years, and [have been] approached by a lot of companies and have tried to create fragrances. They were always abandoned projects. I’ve always loved perfume; it’s always been a big part of my life. But every time I tried to create the scent I was looking for, it never reached the stage where I thought it was good enough or I was told that the ingredients would be impossible to re-create in a mass way. Then I’d say, ‘let’s try and do a synthetic version,’ and it never smelled as good as I wanted it to. And if I’m not going to wear it, I’m not going to sell it. So, I finally was able to create, with my partners [MG Icon and Coty], a fragrance that I could stand behind. We tested a lot of things over the past few years, and [Lourdes “Lola” Leon, her 15-year-old daughter] has told me what she likes. She is a very opinionated young lady, and she likes this perfume.” She had her late mother, also named Madonna, in mind when creating the scent, too. Her mother, she recalled, wore Fracas, “I wanted to create a fragrance that would remind me of her.” She shrugged off the brewing controversy about the sexy TV campaign for Truth or Dare, a black-and-white spot that features her writhing in lingerie — and reportedly censored by ABC, “I don’t understand. It was perfectly innocent,” she said with an arch look, “I just touch my cleavage once or something. I think it’s dreamy and sensual, and I think it perfectly conveys the feeling I’m trying to evoke with the perfume. It’s a perfume for a woman.” With her Material Girl line, also for Macy’s, Madonna has dabbled in body sprays and nail polishes, and would like to extend her Truth or Dare fragrance franchise with Coty Prestige into additional categories. But first up are lingerie and footwear under the Truth or Dare name, “Once again, time-consuming.

I want it to be good. [More beauty categories are] something I’d like to develop, but I need to get past all of my other responsibilities and commitments like my tour. So, sometime in the future, yeah.” Madonna has a second fragrance, a companion to Truth or Dare, in the works; it is due out “sometime next year. I think it would be good to do a men’s fragrance, as well,” said Madonna. “My daughter thinks so. She wants to wear it. She likes to wear men’s cologne — don’t ask me why.” If she does do one, “I love musk and amber and woody kind of fragrances on men. I love the smell of whiskey — we should make a men’s cologne that smells like whiskey. I can’t drink it, it’s too strong, but it smells amazing — a really good old whiskey.” Before heading upstairs to speak to WWD, Madonna answered a handful of preselected questions for the first 300 people who had purchased a $151 gift set of her new fragrance. “That was fun — I like talking to my fans,” she said later. “They’re real. I can play with them and have a laugh.” And laugh she did at some of the queries, especially when one fan asked, “Are you planning on coming to a gay nightclub for this album?” Madonna shot back: “Are you inviting me? The thing is, I’m really busy rehearsing and I’m so tired at the end of every day that the only thing I could do would be to hang out. Would that be OK? Have a cocktail? Get a little tipsy?” A Brazilian fan asked what Madonna would do if she could change the world. “Let’s start with the way everyone smells, that’s the frivolous answer. But if I could change the world? I would like to live in a world where there is no prejudice, where people have the freedom to be who they are, to believe what they want to believe in. That would be a good start.” An Israeli fan asked, “How was your seder?” Madonna, who practices Kabbalah and took the Jewish name Esther, answered, “Long.” Yet another fan asked if she could sign his arm so he could get a tattoo. “Are you kidding me?” she asked. When he replied that he’d been a fan since 1982, she obliged, “He’s stuck with me forever.” She also told the crowd she wants to learn to snowboard, “I learned to ski this year and that was the most thrilling experience, and my children got really good at snowboarding and I was really jealous of them, so that’s my next goal in life. I want to learn how to snowboard. I hope there are no paparazzi there to catch me falling on my ass every two seconds.” A 12-year-old asked her what she’s afraid of, “Not being in control. Not knowing what lies ahead. And also, meeting people who are ignorant and prejudiced and judgmental.” But the question she said she found the strangest was “What are you addicted to?” The crowd, as one, shouted, “LOVE!” IN SPRING/SUMMER 2012

IN.FASHION

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DSQUARED² MEN SS 2012 THE AMERICAN TOURIST: A TRAVELLER’S JOURNEY FROM DEAN TO DAN TO DAWN SPRING/SUMMER 2012

For his stay in Scandinavia the Dsquared² American boy has chosen to adopt a sporty look, layering multi-coloured must-have garments to protect himself from the wind: parkas, light jackets, knitted sweaters and hats, ankle length pants and thick socks peaking out of colourful boots.

AN AMERICAN TOURIST LANDS IN EUROPE AND IS READY TO TAKE OVER THE OLD CONTINENT, DSQUARED² STYLE. A FULL BLOWN SUMMER EURO TRIP TAKES THE AMERICAN TRAVELLER FROM SCANDINAVIA TO LONDON, PASSING BY THE SUNNY ISLAND OF MYKONOS WITHOUT FORGETTING THE MAGNIFICENT FLORENCE. OUR TOURIST HAS DECIDED TO PACK WISE: PIECES EASY TO MIX AND LAYER, READY FOR ALL LATITUDES AND TEMPERATURES.

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Charmed by the crystal clear water of beautiful Mykonos beaches, our American tourist leaves behind the Norwegian fjords and the aurora borealis. The change of scenery brings a change of wardrobe: the Dsquared² tourist becomes sexy and summery as he is sipping fresh cocktails to the beat of music. An explosion of colour takes over; hot pants, bathing suits, towels, hats and flipflops in orange, blue, fuchsia, green… After a while the boiling heat and the sea bore the American boy who decides to leave behind the island and to head towards Florence, the inevitable “art and culture infused” moment of the Euro trip. Florence is mesmerizing with its marble churches, palaces, museums, amazing cuisine and one special bridge! Our traveller glides around the city on a red Vespa in colourful, chic and refined tailored suits, double breasted jackets, and handmade leather sandals. Precious fabrics such as linen and silk grant an additional touch of Italian elegance. As the clock is ticking, the journey continues and the Dsquared² tourist is ready for his last stop:London. Italian tailored suits are replaced by a contemporary mod style where skinny silhouettes, studs, leather and animal prints give a rock glam touch. The predominant colours are now red white and black, complemented by vintage sunglasses. As the journey has come to an end, it is time to salute the Old Continent: Goodbye Europe! The American flag peaks out, flaunting at the horizon. IN

SPRING/SUMMER 2012

ALBERTA FERRETTI

This Spring Summer 2012 the Alberta Ferretti woman is elegant, delicate and timeless with the dress playing protagonist of the collection. The shapes are simple and geometric with significant embroideries and detailing that enrich these dresses whilst cuts, inlays and overlays give the collection

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an infusion of a new minimalist vision, clean line which are enriched and therefore more contemporary. Vibrantly coloured evening dresses such as the electric yellow and green floor length gowns were interspersed with the total chic of black evening dresses constructed entirely from crocheted beads.

CHRISTIAN DIOR As the entire fashion world knows, it’s Bill Gaytten’s unenviable responsibility to keep Christian Dior in a holding pattern until a successor to John Galliano finally lands in the house. This season, then, the most sensible corporate route was to stick to the most familiar Dior patterns—the roundshouldered, peplum New Look Bar jacket, the full skirts, the feminine cocktail and evening dresses—and then simply produce something contemporary from them to fulfill a regular customer’s summer needs.

So the fact that there were no surprises, and no alarming swerves in any novel direction as this show took its course, meant Gaytten and his team acquitted themselves as well as could be expected under the circumstances. In fact, for those kinds of occasions where out-there fashion statements don’t really work (those formal summer parties, family events, and weddings which can cause a meltdown in the search for “suitable” things), there could be plenty of saving graces here for the jolie maman and her daughter. The grown

lady can nod to trend by wearing a skirt with volume under a jacket, the young girl with a need for a 21st-birthday party dress would look sweet in a roseprinted dance frock, and, for actresses vying for pretty dresses for Cannes, there will be lacy, lingerie-influenced ones to fit the bill. Of course, Christian Dior needs a far more assertive pair of hands at the controls, and quickly. But in a season when the making of a real fashion statement must have been actively discouraged, it was good enough to keep the engine idling.

EMILIO PUCCI BY PETER DUNDAS Haute Gypsy boys and girls heat the Emilio Pucci Spring Summer 2012 collection by Creative Director Peter Dundas. Dundas takes the Pucci Girl into a darker Latin atmosphere. Brigitte Bardot’s Les Années Gitanes is celebrated in a collection bursting with rich colors, prints and texture for a smoldering hot summer. Passion red, venom yellow and fragile nude are framed by stark white and burnt gold. Full and generous skirts accent infanta-like ankle lengths, bohemian scarf patchwork combine length with

transparent asymmetries. The vibe is rich and effortless. At night they are part of ensembles in breezy cotton voiles of appliqué motif or sequin embellished silk tulles. Fluid yet androgynous jackets in tropical wool tailoring play with delicate ultra feminine lingerie in Pucci patterned dentelles, embroidered guêpiere and liquid charmeuse. The silhouettes are extreme in contrast but surprisingly complimentary. High waist-trousers, scarf belted Bermuda shorts, and skirts with micro brassiere tops and crop bomber jackets suggest

new proportions. Pucci archive prints are protagonists: mixed, matched and presented in a myriad of colors. They are also patched over dyed and embellished transcending the idea of the print. Reinvented in eyelet embroideries, organza appliquees, transparent devorées, the luxurious handicraft, of the Italian Maison, is for the haute bohemian. Embroideries of naive motifs, heart and cross trace patterns on transparent “resille” bases decorating the body like tattoos and giving a touch of rock attitude to a romantic at heart.

JEAN PAUL GAULTIER Jean Paul Gaultier wanted a live reality show feel, and for this he put his backstage at centre stage, a stadium scaffold where the audience could see the girls being dressed. Photographer Miles Aldridge was also on hand working for the upcoming campaign in a studio in the middle of the venue. No music for this old school presentation, just narration from Charlotte Lebon - a French television self-styled “weather girl” - and models with victory roll hairdos carrying cards with their look numbers.

“Gaultier is what I do best,” said the designer who revisited many of his icons – reworking the trench, the matelot sweater, corsetry, and tattoos. Classic men’s striped cotton shirts are turned into draped bodices that bared a shoulder or gathered into a front-jutting peplum. The trench is softened by liquid jersey, sailor pants are opened revealing bloomers beneath. But the star of the collection is the tattoo print, which was climbing up the stockings as well as on leather evening pieces, on nude tulle

bodices of draped gowns; and going down the arm of a one-sleeved cocktail dress. The collection featured classic pinstripes, strong orange dubbed “Mimolette” for the collection, evening gowns in liquid jersey, and a flowery print suggesting an artist’s messy palette. That print was was used for ensembles entitled “I Spoiled Everything,” and “I Spoiled Everything Again.” After audiences were treated to the bridal look called “Yes, I Do Not”, Jean Paul Gaultier sent out the models at the end in his La Perla lingerie underpinnings.

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN

This collection proved how hot-wired into the core of McQueen Burton truly is. The color palette—as translucent as the inside of a shell—had the kind of unambiguous prettiness that McQueen himself might have felt inclined to disrupt in some way. Burton duly injected the glossy black leather—a sinister barracuda slipping through the shoals of shimmer, like the spirit of her erstwhile mentor. She’ll never escape him; nor, it seems, does she want to.

The raised waist here was an exaggerated Empire line of ruffles, which undulated as the models walked, “like a jellyfish moves in the sea,” said the designer. It was most striking in an apricot baby doll, one of Burton’s personal favorites. In the same vein, she compared the movement of a trapeze dress to swimming. Another dress, as pale, ruffled, and fragile as a peignoir, rolled like surf.

DOLCE & GABBANA BREAD, LOVE ANDâ&#x20AC;Ś â&#x20AC;&#x153;Italian Beautyâ&#x20AC;? The imaginary movie created to describe the Dolce&Gabbana Spring Summer 2012 collection is set up in a small town in the South of Italy, decorated for festivities. Everything recalls the typically Italian joyful spirit: from the distinctive illuminations that adorn every street and the fragrances and tastes of Mediterranean food, down to the crochet that embellishes tablecloths. Tomatoes, aubergine, courgette, onions and hot pepper prints brighten up the

classic sheath dresses or dresses cut at the waist and ruched, tops, shorts and deconstructed jackets. All clothes are made in organza or cotton, mixed with crochet in pastel colours such as light blue, peach, beige and nude. The exuberant sensuality of the Italian culinary culture and of the traditions are also expressed in the accessories made of pasta and little tomatoes, onions and small Madonnas that decorate shoulder bags, earrings, necklaces and bracelets. On the other hand, bags and shoes are made of that typical intertwined plastic that recalls

the chairs one can find at the bars in all the small towns in the South of Italy, where friends gather. Come the night, the black brocade dresses and jackets are covered with shiny stones of the same colour, while the sparkling geometries of the illuminations that decorate the streets are recreated through embroideries made of multicoloured crystals on lace dresses. For the finale, bodysuits embroidered with glittering multi-coloured stones that shine like fireworks.

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN

Tailoring is key, with a graphic play on checks and stripes. There is an emphasis on sharp Savile Row tailoring combined with a softer approach. Jackets are either canvassed or deconstructed, worn with neat trousers or looser pyjama shapes. Shirting comes with floral embroidery or pleating, they are either worn pristine or undone. Fine mesh knits also complement softer looks. Fire jacquard and print are mixed with voodoo-inspired accessories â&#x20AC;&#x201C; tooth pendants and shell embellished belts and cuffs. These complement the rock and roll spirit of the collection.

DOLCE & GABBANA

The collection is built around one idea: “THE NET.” It is presented in different sizes, colours and materials and used either in transparent or lined in washed cotton poplin for jackets, trousers, Bermuda shorts, T-shirts, bomber jackets, tracksuits and sweaters. In addition to the “NET,” the presence of silk/wool mohair tailored suits is still strong and characterised by new proportions for the lapels, the length and the construction. Shirts are rigorously white. The colours used are: greys, burgundy, bottle green, coffee brown, white and black. Shoes and bags in leather “NET.” Sicilian hats.

CHRISTIAN DIOR The tailor’s art meets the contemporary world. The toile is reinterpreted to see the new light of day. Stylish accents, luxurious details and little stitches created at the heart of the house’s ateliers, enrich a silhouette that’s pared down and natural. Comfort is the watchword, striking the balance between formal cuts and sportswear. Volumes are carefully controlled. Shoulders and waists are perfectly judged. From this foundation fabrics hang with their own inherent

ease. Lightly-handled restraint. Jackets have a raised collar held by a detachable button borrowed from uniforms. Summer coats have a double overlap, front and back. Shirts are twisted toward the back. Silk taffeta parkas and trenches have the same sportswear volumes. Shirts dip to the back. T-shirts strike a luxurious note, given a tailor’s touch in layered cotton voile, a fine band of leather trimming the neckline.Inserts, facings, lapels and waistbands come in contrasting washed lambskin. The selvege of the

fabric is transformed into braid and layered for effect. Basting stitches become finishes. The detachable button is a registration point. Natural and noble fabrics were developed and woven exclusively in order to preserve the rare and luxurious quality of the raw materials.Ecru, linen and camel shades outweigh black which is kept solely for some timeless items. Verdigris and petrol punctuate the palette of calme, serene shades. White triumphs at the end.

IN.FASHION

LOUIS VUITTON

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THE BEST OF THE COLLECTIONS

The sexy summer season has landed, and fashion editor Racha Abou Naja has picked her favorite items and looks for this season.

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COACH MEN’S COLLECTION

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ALEXANDER MCQUEEN

KENZO

DIOR HOMME

BVLGARI STELLA McCARTNEY

DOLCE & GABBANA

GUCCI LUGGUAGE

MARNI

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NINA RICCI

LOUIS VUITTON

ARMANI JEANS

MICHAEL KORS

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COACH

HOGAN

COACH HANDBAG

BVLGARI SPRING/SUMMER 2012

Fashion Gladiator Photographer BERNHARD MUSIL Stylist FRANK WILDE Hair & Makeup CHRISTIAN FRITZENWANKER Website WWW.PERFECTPROPS.DE Model WILL HELM - LUCAS ENTERTAINMENT

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Knitted Jaquardjacket CLAUDIA SKODA BERLIN Nylon Swimshorts AMERICAN APPAREL Metal Hood And Metal Legprotectors THEATERKUNST BERLIN Metalnecklace With Glass BCBGMAXAZRIA

Golden Hooded Sportsjacket MARC JACOBS Silver Metalmeshshirt BUTCHEREI LINDINGER BERLIN Metalarm With Leatherstraps THEATERKUNST BERLIN Metalnecklace STYLISTS OWN Sandals ALL SAINTS

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Knitted Top DAMIR DOMA Jerseypants With Print KOKON TOO ZAI Armpieces BUTCHEREI LINDINGER Sneakers JEREMY SCOTT FOR ADIDAS

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Sequinned Wrapblouse ALL SAINTS Shoulderpiece COMME DES GARCONS VINTAGE Drapped Jerseyshorts WESTWOOD MAN Fingerless Sequinned Gloves CLAUDIA SKODA BERLIN Studded Leggings STYLISTS OWN Sandals JEREMY SCOTT FOR ADIDAS Helmet THEATERKUNST BERLIN Belt HELMUT LANG VINTAGE

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LEVIATHAN Photographer NIKOLAI DE VERA Website WWW.NIKOLAIDEVERA.COM Stylist FRANCIS URRUTIA Makeup IMANE Hair STEFANI ANNALIESE Models IGGY- Q MODEL MANAGEMENT NY

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Body Armor KRISTIN COSTA Jewelry MADAME GOT ROCKS

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Jacket KRISTIN COSTA Dress IENDAY SNIPES Dress KRISTIN COSTA Jewelry MADAME GOT ROCKS Shoes JEFFREY CAMPBELL

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Blouse KRISTIN COSTA Dress IENDAY SNIPES Jewelry MADAME GOT ROCKS IN 108 | SPRING/SUMMER 2012 Shoes MISSONI

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Headbands KRISTIN COSTA Jewelry MADAME GOT ROCKS Corset KRISTIN COSTA Dress IENDAY SNIPES Shoes MARNI

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Corset KRISTIN COSTA Dress IENDAY SNIPES Blouse RALPH LAUREN Jewelry MADAME GOT ROCKS Shoes MARC JACOBS

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To wander: To ramble here and there without any certain course or with no definite object in view. This photo shoot took place at a construction site. The unfinished and raw location was the perfect backdrop for a deconstruction of social constraints and the theme of liberation in several scenarios. The structural elements gave the pictures an edgy and geometric feel, and played up to the structural roles one is often pigeonholed into in society. The juxtaposition of hard (the construction site), and soft (the models’ expressions, and garments made of feather), is a daily struggle many of us can relate to. The shoot explored our instinctual animalism, self-expression, as well as self-emancipation. The conceptual photography adds a depth to this fashion spread, in which the ‘hero’ is qualified as such by successfully expressing his true self. The androgyny of the male models takes the theme of liberation from social constraints further by blurring the lines between strictly defined gender appearances. Their playfulness translated in the choice of outfits: vintage items from the street to high-end fashion brands ranging from Givenchy to H&M. They stand still on unfinished grounds, between eccentric levels of desertion – closer to the unknown; the sky is their limit.

Photographer MOKHTAR BEYROUTH Website WWW.MOKHTARBEYROUTH.COM Art Director JEAN PHILIPPE NAIM Fashion Stylist OLA ACHKAR Styling Assistant SHADY HASSANIEH Assistants ALAIN ROUKOZ, KRYS COMATY Models: RONY KHOUBIEH, MOHAMAD KARIM BOURAYOU, MAHMOUD EL ABED AND PETER BEJJANI Special Thanks TRACCS & RODEO DRIVE - LEBANON

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Beige Poncho AMERICAN APPAREL Torn Jeans CHEAP MONDAY Vintage Leather Boots ASSISTANT STYLIST

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From Left to Right Aqua Tights ZARA Red Lace up CONVERSE Mustard Jeans ZARA Vintage Leather Boots ASSISTANT STYLIST Maroon Jeans ZARA Leather Platforms CREEPER Bailey Hat VAN LAACK & ZIMMERLI Sleeves TWELVE ELEVEN Strip T-shirt H&M Navy Short ZARA White Shoes ZARA Vintage BLACK HAT

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Denim Vest STYLIST’S OWN Leather Tights STYLIST’S OWN Leather Shoes CREEPER

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Feather Piece ASSISTANT STYLIST

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White Short H&M

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Boots MODEL’S OWN Sherwal Pants ARMANI EXCHANGE IN

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Denim Vest STYLIST’S OWN Leather Tights STYLIST’S OWN Leather Shoes CREEPER

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GEOMETRY Photographer CHRIS DAVIS @ SPECULAR Website WWW.SPECULARWORLD.COM Stylist ADRIAN MANUEL Models NICHOLAS MADRID - MAJOR MODEL SHOT IN BROOKLYN NEW YORK

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Y Dress Shirt TIM COPPENS Coat STYLIST’S STUDIO Shorts CHEAP MONDAY Shoes CHEAP MONDAY Dress shirt TIM COPPENS Coat STYLIST’S STUDIO Shorts CHEAP MONDAY Shoes CHEAP MONDAY

Dress Shirt TIM COPPENS Coat STYLIST’S STUDIO Shorts CHEAP MONDAY Shoes CHEAP MONDAY Dress Shirt TIM COPPENS Coat STYLIST’S STUDIO Shorts CHEAP MONDAY Shoes CHEAP MONDAY

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Dress Shirt TIM COPPENS Sweater CHEAP MONDAY Pants SIMON SPURR

T-shirt STYLIST’S STUDIO

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Sweater ZARA MAN Cropped Pants +J JIL SANDER FOR UNIQLO Wool Pea Coat +J JIL SANDER FOR UNIQLO

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Jacket CALVIN KLEIN Pants CALVIN KLEIN

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Vintage Coat CALVIN KLEIN COLLECTION

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Jacket CALVIN KLEIN COLLECTION Shorts CALVIN KLEIN JEANS

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ARISTA DECO

Photographer BELINDA MULLER bdstudiophotography.com Make-up & Hair MICHELLE WALDRON michellewaldron.biz Stylist CHRYSTEL PLISCHKE- LIVOLSI chrystellivolsi.com Stylist’s Assistant PERLE BATTISTELLA Models KRISTINA STEIS & JO HEISMAYR AT BAREFACE Photographer Assistants MARIE HELLBRUGGE & EVELYN GARCIA

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Dress MATTHEW WILLIAMSON Vintage Coral Necklace STYLIST’S OWN Earrings DOLRIS PETUNIA Zulu Hat PHOTOGRAPHER’S OWN

Dress FURNE ONE FOR AMATO HAUTE COUTURE Headpiece JENNY PACKHAM Necklace SWAROVSKI

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Dress FURNE ONE FOR AMATO HAUTE COUTURE Bracelet as Necklace NINA RICCI

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Dress TEMPERLEY Bag SARAH’S BAG Neclace DOLORIS PETUNIA Hair Bows & Vintage Lace Gloves STYLIST’S OWN

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Dress EMMA COOK Silk & Sequins Necklace/Coat REGINE L. Sequins Gloves REGINE L. Hairband as Necklace JENNY PACKHAM Shoes VERSACE SPRING/SUMMER 2012

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Necklace & Coat as Hat REGINE L. Feathers Skirt as Collar FURNE ONE FOR AMATO HAUTE COUTURE Dress EMMA COOK Pearls STYLIST’S OWN

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Dress TEMPERLEY Feather Zulu Hat PHOTOGRAPHER’S OWN Pearls STYLIST’S OWN Long Chain, Ribbon & Crystals NINA RICCI Fabric, Bullets & Crystal Necklace GAOWEI+XINZHAN Crystal Pendant SWAROVSKI Scarf as Belt EMILIO PUCCI SPRING/SUMMER 2012

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IN CROWD Our theme this issue is The Big Break. To celebrate anyone who is striving to make their mark in the world, we have brought together a group of inspirational figures who have, after much perseverance, had their own big break. The Big Break issue showcases a mix of fresh faces that are re-defining Dubai’s ever-evolving contemporary culture. As a melting pot, Dubai’s culture mix makes for exciting and innovative forms of expression, be it in art, fashion, music, design or the world of business. As advocates of success, each of our IN Crowd guests this issue has an interesting tale, set against a playful and relaxed photo shoot. This issue we are celebrating innovation, perseverance, originality, strength, and joy. All things that come with The Big Break. Say hello to Dubai’s IN Crowd.

Photographer ELMER AMURAO MAGALLANES JR. Make-Up DAMIAN GALEA / VMON TUERO Accredited Looks SAKS FIFTH AVENUE DUBAI Special Thanks AMER at LA GRETA ENTERTAINMENT

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This charismatic and witty 29 year-old UAE national from Sharjah is a staple on the UAE social circuit. Known for his quirky sense of humor and debonair style, Mohamed Bin Mayed has been an airline pilot for over 12 years. Bin Mayed has flown nine different aircrafts, which are the Piper Cherokee, Grob G115, Cap 10, Aerobatics, 76 Duchess, Airbus A330200, Airbus A340-300, Airbus A340-500 and the Airbus A380, and relishes the constant travel that his job requires. An all-round â&#x20AC;&#x153;Homegrown talent,â&#x20AC;? Bin Mayed is one of the youngest UAE nationals in the air at the moment.

Blazer KENZO Shirt JIL SANDER Pants DSQUARED2 Belt DOLCE & GABBANA

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Sharif Saci was born and raised in Paris to Algerian parents. He has enjoyed a globe-trotting lifestyle that has seen him working and living in Ibiza for five years, in the South of France, Australia, Los Angeles, and now Dubai. Saci worked as the Lifestyle Manager for a wealthy businessman, a career that took him all over the world in a jet-set manner to the most exclusive of places. He graduated with a degree in Marketing & Event Management from a college of Hospitality Management in Paris. Saci is currently PR & Events Manager for Atlantis, The Palm Jumeirah, and has recently brought the luxurious Nikki Beach brand to Nasimi Beach for one night only. It was in fact the opening of the Cavalli Club that originally brought him to Dubai where he worked on the PR and events team.

With a background in Visual Communication & Graphic Design, the Iranian native chose to take on a career in events allowing her to express her creative abilities and her passion to turn simple ideas into magical and memorable experiences. This cherubic princess is currently pulling the reins of the Dubai office of Chic Alors!, a hip and quirky event management company based in the Middle East and London. Responsible for the execution of some of the UAE’s most bespoke and prolific events, Moones counts the Dubai Film Festival charity event, The Cartier Polo Cup and Christian Louboutin’s 2012 party at the One & Only Royal Mirage among the most memorable. Since she and her twin sister thought to venture out and pursue their education in Dubai, they’ve been calling it home and have never looked back. “I’m relentless in my pursuit to connect with people whether personally or professionally, it gives me continuous energy to perform better. I love experimenting with fabrics, colors and accessories, [and] I have found myself many a times making my own outfits. I am known amongst my close friends to have somewhat of an eccentric taste in fashion, always a maverick never a follower,” boasts Moones.

A self-proclaimed “Jack of all trades,” this Somali born, international child has worked in events PR and fashion and feels fortunate to have travelled extensively and interacted with people from all over the world. “I like the fact that many people know me but few know who I really am,” she says assertively. Kooky is the co-founder of Espresso Events, with a self-professed eye for detail and flair for fashion, “I feel naturally at home on the dance floor,” she says. She describes herself as, “An old skool Dubaian who has seen it grow and proud to say owe my cultured personality to that.” As for Espresso Events, well they “Will throw your engagement party or if your marriage has taken its toll will throw your divorce party, we are quirky, quick, boutique and bespoke!”

Shorts HAUTE HIPPIE Necklace SHOUROUK

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This hunky Lebanese native has had a single goal since arriving to Dubai: to become his own boss. Having worked in the fashion industry, and in real estate, Labban was adamant on one day owning his own business. Currently holding a senior position in advertising with a leading publication, Labban and his Partner are also running their own restaurant and catering company, Bayti (meaning My Home in Arabic). Their tantalizing menu specializes primarily in Lebanese cuisine. With the promise of good food and charming service, the Bayti boys can take us home any time they please!

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Art director, stylist, and actor Nour Aldin Alyousuf is a renaissance man who has also been a TV presenter since 1997. Alyousuf is UAE-born, of Syrian origin, and currently works as a TV presenter for Sama Dubai, and well as keeping busy as a freelance art director. In 2006 Alyousuf was the youngest TV presenter on Al Jazeera TV, and in 2008 had a great experience with Al Arabiya TV shooting a documentary about the life of Middle East youth. Alyousuf also hosted three special events for Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rahsed International Photography Award.

NOUR ALDIN ALYOUSUF

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ASMA SAIF

Asma Saif is an Emirati fashionista at heart. With a long stint at Saks Fifth Avenue Dubai, Saif is a lover of all things fabulous and glamorous. This fun-loving young lady is currently taking some time off in pursuit of the next fashion adventure that will allow her to do what she does best. Saif admittedly has a deep understanding of fashion and trends, and prides herself on being known as one of the most fashion forward women in her country. With secret projects in the pipeline, Saif plans to take her love of fashion to a whole new level. Watch this space.

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CAMELLIA BOJTOR

Affairs of the heart are what brought Camellia from her native London to the sunkissed shores of the UAE. As a Humanities graduate from the University of Brighton, social-chameleon Camellia Bojtor has always had a passion for people. The perfectly suited world of PR beckoned. Having initially worked on a number of retail fashion brands in the UAE, Bojtor quickly bore the fruits of her labor when approached by hospitality giant Pragma Group to run its PR activities. Bojtor deftly became the name behind luxury entertainment venues Cavalli Club, the uberdecadent Cirque du Soir and the hippy-chic BO House Café. Among Bojtor’s most memorable experiences of her time at Pragma Group, were the occasions when Mr. Roberto Cavalli himself would drop into his signature nightclub along with his entire entourage, for a quick bite and a glass of vino. Bojtor has now ventured it out alone, fulfilling her long time ambition of running her own company, Two Black Sheep, a new boutique PR agency. When asked to give a message to our readers, Camellia promptly assured: “I think we can all be fabulous. We just have to believe in our own potential.” We couldn’t agree more.

Shoes ALAIA Dress DESIGNER REMIX COLLECTION IN

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HMED EL GAMA

Jacket JOHN GALLIANO T-Shirt CHRISTIAN DIOR Pants DOLCE & GABBANA Belt DOLCE & GABBANA

This Egyptian-born nomad who has lived in Saudi, Greece, and the UAE, holds a Bachelor’s Degree in architecture, with a minor in design management. “At one point I was selling loans for plastic surgery in the UAE. Fun times!” he fondly remembers. El Gamal has previously worked with IN Magazine on what he says were “Cool projects,” and is currently working in advertising at Proximity Worldwide. El Gamal has been in the UAE since 1995 where he went to school and attended university. He recently started a blog www. sliceovlife.wordpress.com where he shares his insights into the world! “I’m a walking concierge,” remarks El Gamal, my friends call me El-Google as opposed to my name. I have a knack for discovery in any city: where to wine, dine, shop etc.” El Gamal is also really big on social media, music, TV shows and “everything and anything techy or digital,” he exclaims.

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Among Adrian Grech’s first forays into the club scene was the opening of the exclusive FashN’Bar, a concept designed to quench the thirst of the House-music loving fashionistas of his native Malta. Here in Dubai, Grech went on to organize events under the Kazeen brand, and was the founder of the Plus Minus Sessions originally held at the legendary Club Submarine. As the Plus Minus Sessions brand grew, a more accommodating venue was needed and has found its home at M-DEK in Dubai Marina where it is now held periodically. Six years since his Dubai debut, Grech, along with partner Louise Davies, are bigger than ever. Plus Minus Sessions has hosted names such as Matt Tolfrey, Manu-L, Simon Baker, and many more. Perhaps best known for their annual Halloween costume party, Grech and Davies’ company Loud IN Promotions has also brought the Hat Club and Circoloco brands to Dubai. British-born Louise Davies’ mission in Dubai is to showcase amazing music from across the globe through different brands and artists, or “bringing people on-the-minute dance… bouncy-tech with a dirty-house beat”, she chuckles. With her cute blonde pixie-cut hair, the quirky Louise has been in Dubai for three years, during which time she has witnessed the music scene dramatically evolve, “different styles are starting to creep in, free to what we are traditionally used to seeing here… people are becoming more receptive”, she happily explains. Together, Grech and Davis co-own Loud IN Promotions, a comprehensive event company. Since joining forces they have enhanced the Dubai nightlife with energetic parties where the sole focus is on the music, changing our weekends for good.

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The Gniewek siblings, who hail from Poland, are the founders of the fresh Dubai-based fashion label POCA&POCA. Despite launching only last year, the label has already released four distinct collections garnering an increased amount of interest from the media and fashion-forward public. Their extensive repertoires and creative edge combined make them quite the multi-faceted duo. The fun-loving Wiktor who moved to Dubai as a table-tennis coach at a local sports club, is not only a managing partner at POCA&POCA, but holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Tourism, a Master’s Degree in Marketing and PR, is a successful international fashion model, and also a consultant for the UAE’s National Table Tennis Team. Privately he admits to being ambitious and creative, and an admirer of sport and a born traveler. And his sister’s resume is no less impressive. Holding three Master’s degrees in Strategic Management, Diplomacy and Contract Negotiations, and International Management respectively, Karolina is POCA&POCA’s Founder and Creative Director, a title not to be underestimated. Not only does Karolina design all of the unique pieces herself, but runs the brand’s development both regionally and internationally. Having spent much of her time absorbing the Parisian feel, Karolina’s designs entail a distinct European influence. Largely inspired by the 50s and 60s, POCA & POCA pieces are hand-made using the finest quality fabrics, making an impact time and time again. IN Magazine captured the stylish pair wearing pieces from POCA & POCA’s Spring/Summer ’12 collection. It can be found in the UAE at O-Concept Store, United Designers, Bullets & Butterflies in Dubai and at Maison Sez, in Abu Dhabi. To view their full collection logon to www.pocaandpoca.com

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Selina Dixon came to Dubai in 2009, “Looking for fresh opportunities in an exciting and vibrant economy,” she says, where she can make and impact. This Surrey, UK girl was born in Nigeria, and is a graduate of London College of Fashion. She has worked for 10 years in luxury fashion for the likes of Matches, Diane von Furstenberg, Celine, LVMH and Tanner Krolle. Dixon is currently working as a Lifestyle Manager for Quintessentially, but her ultimate dream is to develop her own fashion label and fashion consultancy company.

Top DVF Jacket IRO CARDI AGNETTE Short DOLCE & GABBANA

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In 2009, brother and sister duo Zeina and Ahmed Abou Chaaban founded Palestyle, a fashion label inspired by the beauty of the Arab Heritage. Known for its’ own brand of Arabic calligraphy, Palestinian embroidery, and cultural inspirations, Palestyle empowers female Palestinian refugees by providing paid work opportunities. One hundred per cent of the Palestyle profits go to development projects in the Palestinian refugee camps. As managing director of Palestyle, Zeina was nominated in 2011 for the Olay Arabia “Power Seven Women Award” with 6 other inspirational women from the region, and her brand was also nominated for the International “Freedom to Create Award” 2011. While acquiring a bachelor’s degree in E-business from the American University in Dubai in 2004, Zeina was awarded the “Who’s Who International Award,” which recognizes campus leaders for their social and academic achievements. Ahmed Abou Chaaban spent two months in Thailand training to become a professional Muay Thai Boxer, one of his many interesting dimensions as creative director and co-owner of Palestyle. Ahmed also completed his postgraduate studies in Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London, where he was the youngest professor on campus teaching graphics and media. Interestingly, Ahmed is also a certified trainer with Apple.

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JESSICA GLUNZ

Originally from South Africa, the inimitable Jessica Glunz moved to Dubai in 2005 after spending five years embedded in the London nightlife scene. “The move to London was prompted by an urge for the ‘big city lights’, and as it is one of the fashion, entertainment and social capitals of the world, when the opportunity came to relocate I was more than happy to go,” explains Jess. After hearing many outlandish stories painting Dubai as a “wonderland of pleasure and luxury,” Jessica paid the city a short trip to see what all the fuss was about. “The growth potential in the nightlife scene was evident since at that time there was only several clubs; a far cry from the Dubai we know today,” Glunz explains. “The opportunity to bring some of the European nightlife culture to Dubai and create something new and unique to the region was something I wanted to be a part of; the exuberant plans for the city to build the biggest and be the best was also an element I felt I just had to be a part of.” In her signature red lipstick, little black dress and trademark pearls, Glunz is best known as the glamorous Madame pulling the reins behind Giorgio Armani’s signature nightclub Armani/ Privé. As club manager Glunz explains that not only is Armani/Privé located in the world’s tallest building, but it also features the region’s largest LED wall standing at an impressive two stories high. The club hosts exclusive weekly club events and regular special events around theme concepts with International DJs flown in from around the globe. Having worked in the marketing and PR field for some of the world’s most exclusive and bespoke venues, Glunz loves meeting new people and counts herself fortunate to work in a role where this is a given. IN

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Jordanian artist Mohammed Hindhash studied Fine Arts in The Academy of Arts University in San Francisco, California, U.S.A, and continued his studies in Visual Communications Studio Art at the American University in Dubai. His work has been exhibited in over 10 galleries and spaces such as Tashkeel Gallery, DIFC, Bloomingdales, Sauce, Virgin Megastores, and SIKKA as part of Art Week and Art Dubai in Bastakiya. Hindhash won the Sheikha Manal Young Artist Award under the Fine Arts category in 2010. He was selected from among several artists to create a painting to celebrate Virgin Megastores 10 year anniversary in Dubai, which is currently held at The Dubai Mall. Hindhash’s ultimate dream is to become a gallery curator and art educator. “I have an obsession with monochrome, 90’s love songs, and good coffee. Golden Retrievers are my ultimate weakness. Trends confuse me. I find society’s obsession with beauty fascinating and that has been the inspiration to some of my recent work,” says Hindhash.

Shirt CHRISTIAN DIOR Jeans CHRISTIAN DIOR

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HMED AL SAWALH

Born and raised in Dubai, Ahmed Al Sawalhi, known among his friends as ‘Armface’, works in middle management for Etihad Airways. The managerial prepping program he’s a part of allows him to choose which department he wants to manage after immersing himself in all the departments and learning their inner workings. With degrees in graphic design as well as business management, Al Sawalhi plans on pursuing a career path straddling both disciplines with Etihad Airways. Al Sawalhi’s greatest two passions in life are fashion and food, both of which are central to projects currently in the pipelines set to roll out within the next two to three years. “I’m social,” professes Al Sawalhi, “too social sometimes, but I just love people. Being genuine in a city like Dubai is hard, but I think one of my best qualities is that I am 150% genuine. If I compliment, I mean it, and if I say I want to have dinner, I also mean it,” he boasts. Although Al Sawalhi likes to stand out through his fashion style, he finds that difficult to do with men’s clothing which isn’t as varied as women’s. The solution? “I always make sure I have at least one item of clothing that will make people look twice, all within reason of course, as a man should always look like a man.”

Jacket DOLCE & GABBANA Top DOLCE & GABBANA

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With a career that has taken her all over the globe, Simonne Cooper’s education is deeply rooted in music, “After studying performing arts full time from a very young age, I went to university in London to obtain a Diploma of Education in Popular Music Performance.” This Australia native hails from Sydney, and has accomplished much to be proud of as a singer, whose voice has taken her to the biggest clubs in New York, Ibiza, Miami, Sydney, as well as other cities in Europe, Asia, and the U.S. “Some highlights of my career include singing at the legendary club Space in Ibiza over many years,” she says. “Singing at The Sydney Opera House was also another amazing moment in my career as it’s my home town, and such an iconic world landmark. The main stage at Creamfields in Abu Dhabi for Flash Entertainment last year was also an amazing feeling, and I felt honored to be sharing the stage with such world-class artists.” Writing and singing the vocals for the Subliminal hit “Feels Alright” with Richard F which was licensed to Hed Kandi’s Beach House and also featured on the Hed Kandi Anthems Album this year was another proud achievement for Cooper. This singer/ songwriter/entertainer, DJ and TV presenter loves fashion “with extreme passion,” as she says, “I always aim to create individual quirky outfits tailored specifically for each and every performance to ensure an ever evolving diversity to my image.”

Pants MANISH ARORA Tank IRO ROMPER DOVER

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His unique artistry and signature style is what catapulted Alducente to new levels of achievement in his career, often drawing an exclusive clientele of international celebrities and elite regional socialites, and collaborations with top figures in the industry. He believes what gives him edge over the competition is his fearlessness and risk taking with his art. A lot of research and planning goes into his work, and he keeps himself updated with the latest news and trends of the industry.

Shirt ALEXANDER MCQUEEN Jeans DOLCE & GABBANA Jacket DOLCE & GABBANA

INNO ALDUCENTE

Ginno Alducente started out as an haute couturier in Qatar. Although passionate about makeup, cultural restrictions in Qatar did not allow him to practice what he loves best. Now in Dubai, Alducente is mainly a freelance hair and make-up artist, who still dabbles in high fashion styling and costume styling for some exclusive clients.

Shirt DSQUARED2 Jeans DSQUARED2

Hailing from Russia, Dmitry Dolhzanskiy’s lifelong dream is to become a world-renowned photographer and a multilingual one at that. Currently a fashion photographer for Elle Arab World, and Mondanite, Dolhzanskiy is no stranger to capturing the faces of celebrities, models and society’s glitterati. Having previously worked with some of the world’s leading fashion magazines Dolhzanskiy is a force to be reckoned with. A globe-trotter, he is admittedly “in a constant creative state” and is passionate about capturing rare views of memorable sights on his camera.

DMITRY DOLHZANSKIY

PAULINE RADY

Behind the sugar sweet exterior of Pauline Rady lays the spirit of a shrewd and discerning business woman. This Lebanese powerhouse is currently a Media Manager at Starcom MediaVest, representing many of the Worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top luxury retail brands. Rady, ever-seeking new channels to direct her buzzing energy, founded Kami Sushi a delectable sushi restaurant located in the idyllic Mediterranean seaside town of Byblos. The busy career woman has meanwhile won several awards such as Effies and MENA Cristals, and also publishes her bimonthly regional newsletter Luxury Arabia. Rady takes pride in working out every day, and plans even bigger things in her career in the future.

Dress DOLCE & GABBANA

Dion Mavath is a half-Australian half-Malaysian DJ and music producer from Perth, Australia. Initially visiting Dubai on a three-month work contract, Mavath has now lasted 12 years. Since the age of 14, Mavath has been passionate about music. One of Australia’s more refreshing exports, Mavath’s love of the precision mix has seen him leap between genres with finesse. Although his music has taken him on global tours, it is in Dubai where Mavath has gained ultimate fame, turning the very glamorous Peppermint Club into Dubai’s hottest spot. As resident of one of the world’s largest beach clubs, Barasti Beach, and the DJ behind the launch of some of Dubai’s favorite venues including 360, The Apartment, Blush and C Bar, Mavath’s schedule is packed. With his debut album Warrior, Mavath has added another chapter to an already impressive biography with tracks consistently being played by “A list” DJs and radio stations. The first track off the album “Keep on Loving Me” was signed to the world’s biggest house music label Defected, after landing in the top 3, (out of over 15000 tracks), in the Big New Producer Competition 2009. Another track, “Refugee” quickly gained fame as a summer anthem, with a supporting music video by Sony Music. Having worked with Christina Aguilera, Taio Cruz, and Beyonce, Mavath along with Clarita de Quiroz now forms SickAsSwans, a new band pinned to become one of the all-time great dance acts. Hailing from Edzell, Scotland, Clarita de Quiroz has Irish, Dutch, Spanish and Filipino in her ethnic background. With several accomplishments under her belt like F1 Abu Dhabi 2010 and 2011, Young Musician of the Year in Scotland, Support Act for Elton John 2012 in Abu Dhabi, and the 2012 Best Singer in UAE Award, perhaps her most valued achievement was finding the love of her life, her husband Yann. De Quiroz holds a Master’s Degree in Economics and Business, along with her grade eight degree in percussion and piano. De Quiroz initially came to Dubai as a full time model where her UK model agency had sent her on a twomonth assignment, since then, she’s never looked back. As the face of Val Saint Lambert, she has also worked as Dove Ambassador in the UAE, and has offered her vocal support in performance with Kelly Rowland, Sugababes, Gabrielle, Akon and Elton John. “The name SickAsSwans came about really because of a joke that I told Dion, and it pretty much cemented our relationship,” explains de Quiroz. With a similar in sense of humor, work ethic and musical creativity it wasn’t long before the duo put their strengths into a music team. Their debut album “These Words” was released with DAXAR and Blush Records on May 15th, storming up Virgin’s International Charts beating names such as Madonna, Adele, David Guetta, Tiesto and One Direction to the number one spot. IN

IN.ARTS BOXES, CERAMICS, AND TV NIJAD ABDUL MASSIH DOES IT ALL Words by Alia Fawaz

Nijad Abdul Massih’s emotional and thoughtprovoking photography has artists and art aficionados alike buzzing with excitement. IN Magazine has a sit down with this visionary and gets into the nitty gritty of his work, his inspiration, and aspirations. The Lebanese born artist has always wanted to follow his dreams. Every since he was a young boy he would spend hours in front of the television being inspired by the powerful visual medium. Television also served as an idyllic escape from the perilous streets during the enduring Lebanese civil war and helped fuel his passion for storytelling. Abdul Massih’s love of visual arts eventually led to a successful TV career spanning nearly two decades. While he worked for various high profile Pan Arab networks, he also dabbled in many other personal art projects. In 2008 Abdul Massih ended his full time television career and devoted his time to create art in the form of digital photography. His distinctive form of photomontage has captured the interest of audiences from Italy, Los Angeles, Madrid, Rome and the Middle East leading in multiple international exhibitions in a short span of time. His canvases are made up of layers

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of contrasting images that are thought provoking and moving. They often depict people, architecture, everyday objects, and even a mannequin which he has endearingly penned Mary. Appearing in many of his works, Mary is something of an alter ego or a muse and is often shot against the backdrop of various different images to further enhance the irony and contrast of innocence versus destruction, beauty versus hideous etc., as the stories unfolds. “It’s the small details that interest me,” he explains. “I like to capture abandoned buildings, the lost glory of things that are often ignored. I want to immortalize the moment.” Depending on the theme and message he wants to convey, Abdul Massih may occasionally add acrylic drawings, sketches, or materials like beads to the canvas, making masterful mixed media pieces. The photography, which is all shot using natural lighting have an ethereal quality about them.

“Renaissance art inspiration is not hard to come by for Abdul Massih who lives half the year in Rome, and the other half in Beirut.”

Mary and Hollywood

Fueled with emotion, the images seem to all have a story, “I leave it to the audience to interpret the story. I simply provide the images,” he says. Abdul Massih cites the Renaissance artist Caravaggio as one of the painters he admires most because of his gritty realism and dramatic lighting effects, “I wish to give my canvases that natural light that Caravaggio so cleverly did with his painting,” he says.

When Cedars Look Over Beirut

Renaissance art inspiration is not hard to come by for Abdul Massih who lives half the year in Rome, and the other half in Beirut, “I love both places equally,” he confesses. His next exhibition will be held at a gallery in Rome’s prestigious Piazza Farnese and he recently held one in a contemporary art gallery in downtown Beirut, and some of Abdul Massih’s current work is also available on light boxes. His upcoming project takes photo art to the next level: video art. Still in its early stages and full of technical details, he is not keen to reveal too much yet.

Mary and the Mosque

Abdul Massih may have found his artistic niche but he also wears many hats when he creates. He still consults for TV and will do the occasional video for Arab artists if he believes in the project. He loves ceramics, and has a collection of hand

painted bowls and unique animal figurines, which he is constantly producing. Abdul Massih is also working on a collection of exquisite hand painted decorative boxes made from walnut wood. This series called Mybox will include custommade cigar boxes, jewelry boxes, tea boxes and more.

“Abdul Massih cites the Renaissance artist Caravaggio as one of the painters he admires most because of his gritty realism and dramatic lighting effects.” To consolidate his work and artistic services, Abdul Massih has a multimedia production house/atelier appropriately named Busy Bee, “It is my design gallery and office at the same time.” Abdul Massih does not lose sight of his current success and is humbled that people have responded to his photography so well. “I am really blessed and I am living my dream.” As for his advice to young artists, he says, “Whatever you do, believe in your ideas. Follow your heart and dreams. IN

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IN.ARTS

The Genius Countertenor

Matteo El Khodr

On Opera, Fashion and Family Words by Nahla Samaha

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“I was born to a joyful family in a huge house in Beirut.” That is how Matteo El Khodr begins our meeting. Giving credit to his first and foremost influence: his family. The lyrical opera baroque singer is a genius countertenor, a talent that only comes along once every decade. Growing up in what El Khodr refers to as a “melting pot,” varied artistic influences were everywhere, “I was surrounded by art in all its forms: paintings, furniture, music, architecture,” he says, “my parents were very involved in my artistic education with their multi-cultural and multireligious ideologies.” Born to a half Greek father, and a Lebanese mother with Turkish ancestry, gave El Khodr insight into various cultures and musical traditions. With a degree from Ecôle Normale Superieure de Musique in Paris, El Khodr’s musical education began at a very early age, “My parents were dragging me to festivals such as Bustan, and I was a member at age eight! As well as Beiteddine and Baalbek!” It’s important also to mention that El Khodr holds degrees in both Interior Architecture/ Design as well as Graphic Design. Making him a true renaissance man. The only countertenor from the Middle East, and one of 52 in the world, El Khodr grew up listening to the likes of The Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky, Requiem by Mozart, Magnificat by Bach, Gloria by Vivaldi, and even some Mussorgsky, Ravel, and Rossini. His unconventional musical influences did not stop there; the six-year-old was also listening to songs like Daret El Ayyam, Ya Msahherni and Enta Omri by the Egyptian powerhouse Oum Kalthoum, an acquired musical taste that usually comes with age. “When I first heard and re-heard Carmen by Georges Bizet, I started imitating Maria Callas’s voice,” this was at age eight. Needless to say, his parents and friends were shocked. “I didn’t know that I had a voice,” he remembers, “they told me I did.”Growing up in such an eclectic city as Beirut gave El Khodr the chance to explore many interests. “My thoughts were scattered around painting, dancing, being a teenager, school, trying to be cool, and sometimes singing. So, opera wasn’t my priority back then,” he says, “I’ve always done it for my personal satisfaction.” El Khodr remembers singing one of Bach’s most difficult cantatas Jauchzet Gott in Allen Landen, in its entirety, in his own solitude. Not something every regular young boy strives to do. He knew he was special.

As for musicians he admires, El Khodr stipulates that the music of an artist “has to move me or change something in the world to make me realize that this artist could influence me.” Some of the musicians he deems worthy of admiration are Madonna, Michael Jackson, Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Luz Casal, Sarah Brightman, Maria Callas, Dalida, Lady Gaga, and Klaus Nomi. El Khodr has released two albums with the record company he is signed to, Universal Music France. The first, Matteo Haute Contre, was designed to make opera appeal to a younger generation, and so he and the record company agreed to make a pop-opera album. When making his first album, El Khodr was inspired by Klaus Nomi, Emma Shaplin, and Sarah Brightman. His second album release is a live concert from Moscow. As for dreams of collaborating with another artist, El Khodr does not hesitate to blurt out, “Lady Gaga!” One of the artist he admires, El Khodr believes that, “We could make fabulous music together.” After all, he already paid tribute to her, (and Klaus Nomi), in an especially dedicated show last year in London, Paris, and Beirut. His second choice for a musical collaboration would be Sarah Brightman, “It could be a classy recital with a vintage look!”

The only countertenor from the Middle East, and one of 52 in the world, El Khodr grew up listening to the likes of The Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky, Requiem by Mozart, Magnificat by Bac Having performed in such legendary and historical venues in Moscow, Paris, Beiteddine in Lebanon, the Royal Chapel of the Tsars in St Petersburg, and the Gasteig in Munich, perhaps El Khodr’s most memorable performance was his first ever. “My first real performance was the launching of my first album. The first appearance was at Queen Club Paris on the Champs Elysees in front of 1200 people condensed in one closed space. That night I danced, stripped, sang and was absolutely fabulous! Before the show, I was nearly shaking and had a huge fight with my manager!” he now recalls lightheartedly. His first show featured a set of his remixed songs including The Cold Genius and Roxanne, mixed by DJ Offer Nissim.

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“Fashion and I are brother and sister. I have worked for Paris and London Fashion week several times, I’ve been on the Sartorialist and other famous fashion blogs several times, I was an icon for Gaultier in 2007 for l’Homme perfume.”

The most dialed number on my mobile belongs to my baby love. Right now the music on my iPod is Madonna: Girl gone Wild. My favorite film of all time is First wives club. When I have free time I love to shop and have coffee in the sun. What I find sexy is a little bit of belly and ass. My best quality is generous and welcoming. My worst quality is possessiveness. When I’m down the first person I call is my bestie Zallouf. My favorite vacation spot is Mykonos. The last book I read was The Hare with Amber Eyes by Edmund De Waal.

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Three backing dancers performed a choreographed piece that combined cabaret with baroque elements, a show that El Khodr fondly recalls as “Sexy stuff!” Having been widely received in opera circles in Europe, and Russia, El khodr was at first skeptical of how his home country of Lebanon would react to his music. During the release of his first album, he was slated to make several appearances, one of which was in Beirut. “I was so surprised when I saw the queue for my signing session at Virgin Megastore in Beirut, and the album was sold out, completely!” he enthusiastically says. “Even for my classical and baroque recitals, it’s always fully booked! Since I am the only countertenor in the region, I somehow, created a genre of my own! That’s really great!” El Khodr has been based in Paris for almost ten years, he lives in the quaint district of Saint Germain des Pres in what he describes as his, “Cosy and Matteo-ish flat.” He is able to make trips back home mostly for work. It also helps that his current manager is his mother, and his accountant is his father. On these trips back home he also gets to see his siblings and friends. “Without all these people, I wouldn’t make it long!” he asserts. “My friends are one of the most important things to me. It took me a while to understand that without them, I am lost. With Skype, and Facetime and all this excellent technology, we’re always connected, and due to my frequent concerts around the world I always manage to see them or even meet in Berlin or Amsterdam for a quick chill session,” he tells us with

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a cheeky wink. Despite his busy schedule, El Khodr is able to sustain a love life, “I maybe one of the busiest people on earth but love for me is capital! It’s been 3 years, never been happier!” His busy schedule doesn’t keep him from one of his passions however: Fashion. “Fashion and I are brother and sister. I have worked for Paris and London Fashion week several times, I’ve been on the Sartorialist and other famous fashion blogs several times, I was an icon for Gautier in 2007 for l’Homme perfume.” Not only that, but El Khodr’s fashion sense is very important to him, “Because I’m a stage person, every detail counts. Mix and match is my motto. I actually wear basics but accessorize with a baroque touch. Always.” As for this summer’s must haves; El Khodr advises us, “A tank top from American Apparel with flashy colors, an exclusive Nubuck jacket by Hermes, very short shorts and French espadrilles that go with the famous Rive Gauche bag from Loft Design By.”

“Since I am the only countertenor in the region, I somehow, created a genre of my own!” El Khodr will be performing at the famous Chateau de Versailles on the 13th of July under the direction of Daniel Baremboim, and then he’s off to a masterclass in baroque music in Sablé with world renowned baroque music teachers. This unstoppable renaissance man of our age is one to keep an eye out for, draw inspiration from, and most importantly, watch with great admiration. IN

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IN.FOCUS

CHANEL AT WORK

SAFEGUARDING MADAGASCAR’S VOHIMANA FOREST

Vohimana Landscape

Rhizome

Laboratory

The Franco-Madagascan NGO, Man and the Environment, in partnership with Chanel, has been working with local peoples of the Vohimana reserve to restore the Vohimana rainforest, and to develop the local community’s living standard since 2009. Located in the eastern part of Madagascar, between forests and high plateau, the humid primary forest of Vohimana is a corridor of vegetation unique in the world, home to many treasures of biodiversity including hundreds of medicinal plants. About 80% of the plants here are endemic to the island and cannot be found anywhere else in the world. THE MAGIC OF VOHIMANA The forest is now threatened by harsh reality: fire, poverty, etc. Slash-andburn cultivation has created sparse areas as a result of a process, which gradually burns the forest and depletes the soil. Between 1960 and 2000, the area covered by the Vohimana forest was almost halved. With the support of Chanel, the NGO set up several programs to help restore the forest while providing

Biodegradable pot

sustainable income for its inhabitants, while creating awareness among how best to safeguard the forest. Within the next ten years, the inhabitants of Vohimana should (once again) become masters of their destiny. Following a study supported by Chanel, aimed at investigating the interaction of the fauna and flora, the NGO identified bio-indicators of the state of the Vohimana forest. These bio-indicators correspond to “benchmark” animal or plant species, which make it possible to observe how the forest “behaves” and follow its “temperature curve” on a daily basis. Forest guards have been trained to keep a close eye on these biological markers, to identify native species in disaster stricken areas, and to monitor the growth of young plants. On each of their visits, the Chanel researchers can see that progress has been made and the landscape is changing. Each year, ten hectares have been saved from burning. In 2009, 50 hectares of land were reforested. In 2010, this number was up to 75.

“The Franco-Madagascan NGO, Man and the Environment, in partnership with Chanel, has been working with local peoples of the Vohimana reserve to restore the Vohimana rainforest”

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BLUE GINGER Chanel research has unearthed Vanillia planifolia, after which they discovered another Madagascan miracle: blue ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe). In China and India, the stimulating, antiseptic and antioxidant properties of this rhizome have been known for thousands of years. Chanel Research could not miss these qualities, and used Polyfractioning to isolate the plant’s active molecules: Gingerols and Shogaols – antioxidants with “super powers”. These molecules are at the heart of Blue Ginger– an active ingredient at work in the Hydra Beauty formulas.

Thanks to the School Canteen program, supported by Chanel, over 900 free meals are given to the children otherwise suffering from malnutrition each school day.

School

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EMPOWERING LOCAL WOMEN Since March 2010, women have eagerly come to the Maison des Femmes in the village of Ambavaniasy – a women’s center founded by the NGO, with the support of Chanel. The center educates women on cooking, market gardening, basic rules of hygiene, and traditional skills and crafts such as basket making, sewing, etc. All these activities can help women to become more autonomous and

make their everyday life easier. For the women of the village, this is also an opportunity to meet each other, to talk and exchange ideas, while their children attend the nearby school. Thanks to the School Canteen program, supported by Chanel, over 900 free meals are given to the children otherwise suffering from malnutrition each school day. This ensures that they eat a balanced lunch and get enough protein. TAKING AND GIVING BACK Chemists from the Chanel Research formulation laboratory helped perfect a recipe for two balms – a recipe that was then entrusted to the Madagascan villagers. Now, once a month, five women make these balms, using local products, beeswax and essential oils. To re-establish the forest corridors of the Vohimana Reserve, plantations and nurseries are needed. Chanel Packaging Development department developed a biodegradable pot, made from compacted local plant waste simply by using a hand press. This practical, low-cost, 100% ecological solution is one that the villagers can work with easily. IN

School Canteen

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IN.FOCUS The Power of

Arab Youth

The Uprisings and Revolutions of the Arab Spring Words by Suzanne El Wattar

“Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed” – Martin Luther King Jr.

For the remained ashes of a once desperate man… for the heart wrenching tears of a mother crying over her son’s disfigured and tormented corpse… for the hope of diminishing the malevolence in a child’s eyes after watching his father’s murder… The oppressed have finally revolted! The Arab world is a region known for its ancient history of civilizations, historical accomplishments in the sciences, and literature; and for its critical and complex politics. Many stereotypes have attached themselves to the word “Arab”, but one thing is a certainty, Arabs are freedom fighters. History has proven this, and now, the Arab Spring has reiterated it as well. The year 2011 marked a new history for the Arab world, as a wave of contagious revolutions struck the region. Tunisia. From Ashes to Jasmine! He became the man of the house at age 10. His father had died, his mother remarried a sick man, and his elder brother moved out. He pursued his education, and sold fruits and vegetables to support his family. At age 19, it was clear to Mohamed Bouazizi, continuing his education was now a dead dream. He had 5 younger siblings to take care of, and so he did. Bouazizi’s reality became bitter, unlike the sweet fruits he sold on his wooden cart. Every day, he would wake up early, drag his cart to the local souks, ignoring police bullying, people’s ignorance, and life’s trouble, until he couldn’t anymore. On December 17, 2010, a policewoman confiscated his cart and produce. Reports vary on the next set of events, some say the policewoman slapped him and offended his father, while she denies it. After the incident, Bouazizi, humiliated and raged, tried to pay the fine (a day’s wages) and retrieve his cart and produce but

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bureaucracy seeped in corruption prevented him. Bouazizi became more furious, desperate, and hopeless. This was finally the straw that broke the camel’s back. In a life of struggle, poverty, illness, lack of opportunities, corruption, and injustice, Bouazizi had been pushed over the edge. He poured flammable liquid on himself, and set himself on fire in front of the police station.

“Bouazizi was not the first to set himself on fire; but he was the first to attract widespread media attention due to overwhelming exposure of the tragic incident on the Internet” Bouazizi was not the first to set himself on fire; but he was the first to attract widespread media attention due to overwhelming exposure of the tragic incident on the Internet. The 26 year-old vendor changed the world; he acted out of desperation but brought hope to all oppressed nations. His tragic suicide set the stepping stone for the Tunisian ‘Jasmine Revolution’, and later, the Arab Spring. The Tunisian people were provoked by the incident and demonstrated across the country in protests against the ruling system headed by then president Zine El Abedien Bin Ali. The now overthrown president threatened the peaceful protesters, and later promised to apply reforms across the country. The Tunisian people have been suffering under Bin Ali’s unjust ruling for over twenty years, and their demands where clear, they wanted him out of the country for good. In January 2011, Ben Ali fled the country and landed in Jeddah, proving the will of the Tunisian people.

Egypt. Click…Send…Revolt. In Egypt, the people suffered under thirty years of injustice, oppression, and a State of Emergency. Egypt, a country that was once a vast resource of agriculture and trade, became a country of misery after thirty years of a tyrant’s ruling. Illiteracy, malnutrition, and poverty are only a few of the countless problems that the country of 85million in population suffered from. A Facebook page, a twitter hashtag, and the incensed youth of Egypt unleashed the January 25 revolution in Egypt. Wael Ghonim, an Egyptian revolutionary and online activist, had a successful career in Dubai, UAE as the Head of Marketing for the Middle East and South Africa at Google. A tragic incident in which police brutally tortured and murdered Internet blogger Khaled Said provoked Ghonim into starting a facebook page called “We are All Khaled Said”. Pictures and videos of the horrific incident spread through the Internet and the reactions were diverse and intense.

one of them. Shortly afterwards, the opposition became strong and armed and was presented as the National Transitional Council. Several battles between Gaddafi’s regime forces and the forces of the National Transitional Council took place, whereas the United Nations’ Security Council passed a resolution to freeze the accounts of the Gaddafi family and restricting their travel, and another one to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya.

In January, Ghonim took a personal leave from Google to participate in the protests against the oppressive system in Egypt, protests that he invited people to take part in via facebook and twitter. Two days after the notorious protest in Tahrir Square on the 25th of January 2011, Ghonim disappeared. His family and friends notified officials and media outlets of his disappearance. On the 7th of February 2011, Ghonim appeared in a live televised interview on an acclaimed Egyptian show with Mona ElShazly (a famous Egyptian reporter). He was hosted on the show after a short period of time from his release from detention.

“On the 20th of October, the Libyans took justice into their own hands. They had found Muammar Gaddafi hiding in a large drainage pipe along with some of his remaining bodyguards”

The thirty year-old activist broke down in tears while mourning the martyrs of the Egyptian revolution. Overwhelmed by the attention given to him, he insisted that those martyrs deserve more attention than he does, and that the Mubarak regime had to end. On 11th February, Ghonim got his wish and so did the free people of Egypt. Mubrak stepped down and he is now undergoing trial along with fellow members of the same political regime. Libya. The “Rats” that killed the Tyrant! By this time, every tyrant feared for his chair, while the people of the Arab world plotted their spring. Next was Libya. In 1969 Muammar Gaddafi became the de-facto ruler of Libya after her led a military coup, overthrowing King Idris. In 2011 Gaddafi’s turn had come. Protests started in January 2011; the Gaddafi regime arrested and killed protestors and children in attempts to quell the uprising. Gaddafi had been known for his unique lifestyle. He had women as bodyguards, dressed as the “political lady Gaga”, and spoke in an even more peculiar accent. He had two wives, eight sons, and a daughter. The Gaddafi family lived a life full of scandals and controversies. Amid the Libyan revolution, Muammar Gaddafi gave public speeches calling the protesters, “rats”, and “spies”, threatening to kill every last

In September 2011, the United Nations recognized the National Transitional Council as the legal representative of Libya. On the 20th of October, the Libyans took justice into their own hands. They had found Muammar Gaddafi hiding in a large drainage pipe along with some of his remaining bodyguards. Bleeding from his wound due to grenade shrapnel (according to the UN report, March 2012) thrown by one of his own men; Gaddafi sat on the floor dazed in shock and shouted his last words to the men he called “ rats and spies, don’t shoot!” Gaddafi’s life and death became a true tale of the magic turning against the magician. The revolution was later labeled as a civil war due to the divisions that occurred in the country, whereas chaos adhered and rebels still refuse to surrender their weapons. People might speculate around the achievements of the Libyan revolution, but the certain thing is that the will of the people is now stronger than ever. The Mother of Peace. Ali Abdullah Saleh, the former president of Yemen, was another corrupt tyrant overthrown by the will of the people. In parallel with the protests in Tunisia and Egypt, Yemeni protesters rose to the occasion and protested against the regime that had been ruling for over thirty years. On the 3rd of February 2011 thousands of Yemenis protested in Sana’ during the “Day of Rage” called for by the mother of the revolution, Tawakul Karman. She led her people to salvation, and urged the country to revolt against the tyrant. On February 2012, Yemen was announced free of Ali Abdallah Saleh, that’s when a fair election took place and the unjust ruling that lasted for 33 years came to its end.

Tawakul Karman became the source of pride for women, Arabs, and Yemenis. She was born on the 7th of February 1979, in Ta’izz province, which happens to hold the highest rate of education in all of Yemen. She grew up in a political environment with her father as a lawyer and politician. Karman’s education was as diverse as her personality, she graduated from the University of Sciences and Technology in Sana’ with a degree in Commerce, and another in Education, in addition to a masters degree in Political Science. She also graduated from the University of Cambridge with a degree in Investigative Journalism. Since the year 2009 and until today, Karman had led over 80 protests against the ruling system, demanding rights for women and the people of Yemen. Karman also co-founded the human rights group Journalists Without Chains in 2005, that fought for the right of freedom of expression despite personal threats to Karman’s life. Karman followed in her father’s footsteps and participated in the political scene in Yemen. She is a member of the Shura Council of Yemen (which is a party position and not a parliamentary seat), and a member of the Islah Political Party. Karman directed several documentaries that examined issues related to the suicide rate in Yemen, women’s participation in the political arena, child trafficking and others.

“Day by day people wondered about the loud woman behind the veil, and then the world watched as she was crowned the youngest person and the first Arab women to win a noble peace prize” Day by day people wondered about the loud woman behind the veil, and then the world watched as she was crowned the youngest person and the first Arab women to win a noble peace prize. In a speech she gave after winning the prize on December 10th 2011, Karman said, “To all those women, whom history and the severity of ruling systems have made unseen, to all women who made sacrifices for the sake of a healthy society with just relationships between women and men, to all those women who are still stumbling on the path of freedom in countries with no social justice or equal opportunities, to all of them I say: thank you ... this day wouldn’t have come true without you.” IN

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Words by Suzanne El Wattar

The mention of “Brazil” usually conjures stereotypical notions: Victoria’s Secret models, a sky-high crime rate, and most notably the Rio Carnival.The Rio Di Janeiro Carnival is the biggest party in the world, gathering millions of fans, hundreds of sun-kissed, half-naked, dancing Brazilians, all carrying on the tradition of one of the oldest nations on Earth. Often airline tickets must be booked at least six months ahead due to a high influx of tourists during the Carnival. Celebrities, politicians, and the average Joes gather in Rio de Janeiro every year to spend a marvelous time, and a handful of money. The festival takes place in Brazil’s second largest city of Rio de Janeiro on an annual basis and forty six days ahead of the Easter holiday. Millions of people from all around the world attend the Carnival every year and millions of dollars are spent before, after, and during the festival. The Rio Carnival has been so successful and influential over the years, imprinting on the Brazilian culture and representing all its aspects in the best form. IN

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History Some people show gratitude by a simple bow and the word “Thank you”, others celebrate it by cooking a turkey and sharing it with friends and family every year, while the ancient Greek and Roman cultures celebrated their gratitude at the spring festival where slaves and masters exchanged clothes during a day of drunken revelry. The festival was later modified by the Romans into a festival leading up to Ash Wednesday.

“The word “Carnival” comes from the Latin expression: Carne Vale or farewell to the meat, alluding to the need of eating meat before lent.” The word “Carnival” comes from the Latin expression: Carne Vale or farewell to the meat, alluding to the need of eating meat before lent. Ash Wednesday marks the first day of the 40-days of liturgical period of fasting and prayer. According to the west Christian Calendar, Ash Wednesday could occur between February 4th and March 10th, depending on Easter date. This Carnival soon became a sort of last gasp on life’s different indulgences, from music to sex. Before the 40 days of abstinence, fasting, and personal reflection, people enjoyed a few days of dancing, drinking, and practically sinning. In 1850 the Portuguese brought the concept to Rio, the city’s bourgeoisies (emerging from

Paris) imported the masquerade parties to Rio, and the festival soon developed into something more unique by combining elements deriving from African and Amerindian cultures. During the festival, revelers paraded the streets of Rio, dancing, and singing. Everyone joined the festival, the rich dressed as poor and the poor dressed as princes and princesses, even the slaves were allowed to join the party. By the end of the 18th century the festivities were enriched by competitions. People would not just dress up in costumes but also perform a parade accompanied by an orchestra of strings, drums and other instruments. These ever more organized competitions became the main attractions of the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. At the beginning of the 20th century, the street carnival in Rio became the bride of Europe, capturing attention from across the continent. The emerging working class in Brazil (made up mainly of Afro Brazilians, along with some gypsies, Russian Jews, Poles etc.) developed their own music and rhythm. This working class of people was based in what came to be known as “Little Africa”, the cradle of samba, located in central Rio on a land unwanted by the rich. During World War II, and like everything else, the Rio Carnival was halted; but resumed after the war in 1947 were the competitions took place in Avenida Rio Branco. Nowadays the Rio Carnival takes place in the purpose-built Sambodromo or The Sambadrome Marquês

de Sapuca (in Portuguese), which was built in 1984 with a capacity of 90,000 seats on both sides for spectators from all over the world. The seats vary from grand stands to luxury suites with prices adding up to thousands of dollars, depending on the seat, day, and event. What happens in Rio Carnival? Perhaps one of the most involved groups of people in the Rio Carnival, are the Favelas. The Favelas are the slums of the country, where people live in terrible conditions, suffering from poverty, malnutrition, and shelter crisis. However, once a year the Favelas residents forget their sorrows and dance like there is no tomorrow, competing with other samba schools, or just attending the festival. The samba schools are either actual schools or just collaboration amongst friends or neighbors competing at the carnival’s parade. Some of these famous schools are: Uniao de Sonhadores, Mocidade Independente, Imperio Serrano, Academicos do Salgueiro, Unidos da Tijuca, and Beija-Flor de Nilopolis. Each school practices all year long for their theme at the festival, they write music, design costumes, and choreograph dance moves; in order to compete with fellow rivals at the carnival. Each school presents multiple floats and thousands of participants. The show starts with the first wing or the Comissão de Frente and it’s usually made up of ten to fifteen people only, which sets the mood and introduces the school. This is followed by the floats and the show designed and performed the school’s members.

“This year’s carnival witnessed a lot of high-end personalities at the VIP section. Jennifer Lopez and Fergie were among the celebrities spotted.” Each year a samba school is crowned the best of the carnival, and a man is crowned the king of the festival. King Momo is a traditional theme, and one of the most important elements of the Carnival. The mayor of Rio de Janeiro hands the key of the city to a tall, fat man representing the mythical King Momo. Thousands of candidates compete for the title and the winner gains 12,000 reais, which is equivalent to almost 7,000 US dollars. Same thing applies to a woman, crowned the queen of the festival also winning the same amount of money. The Rio Carnival represents the pinnacle of tolerance, everyone participates, from the homosexuals to the cross dressers, and from the Ferrari owners to the slum residents. The Carnival in 2012 This year’s festival marked the biggest and brightest Rio Carnival yet. The festivities began on Friday the 17th of February and carried through until Ash Wednesday on 22nd of February. According to Brazilian police figures, reported by the IBtraveler.com on the 20th of February 2012; a sum of 400 street parties were scheduled for the year’s carnival, where an estimated record of 2.3 million revelers attended the five-day event. A staggering 640 million dollars were spent during the carnival and 250,000 temporary jobs were created. The website also reported that, “Rio officials predicted that this year’s Carnival would be an even bigger blowout than usual, with 20 percent more tourists expected than in 2011. Brazil’s federal aviation authority

estimated three million people would shuttle in and out of airports during the week of Carnival, 13 percent more than last year. Thirty percent more federal police were also on hand to handle last-minute questions at the airports.” Despite the fears of an unstable domestic security situation, due to the recent events of police strikes at the northeastern city of Salvador, the Rio Carnival pulled through and proved even more successful. However, the execution was not an easy task, Brazilian officials sought through adding extra precaution in order to avoid any disturbing events, whereas 5000 cameras, an additional 1,000 traffic guards, and the increase of paramedics, which was all added and controlled from a new central command for monitoring the whole event.

“A staggering 640 million dollars were spent during the carnival and 250,000 temporary jobs were created.” In order to make the year’s event the biggest possible, a reported one million reals ($582,000) were paid by the Rio City council, and a further 400, 000 reals ($233,000) were paid by the state government, to insure the best quality of performances in the event. This year’s carnival witnessed a lot of high end personalities at the VIP section. Jennifer Lopez and Fergie were among the celebrities spotted aside from Brazil’s most famous artists. Other celebrities that attended the recent carnivals in Rio, included: Madonna, Beyonce, Jude Law, Paris Hilton, Pamela Anderson, Kevin Spacey and many others. Aside from the annual spectacle, Brazil is currently preparing to host the 2014 world cup and the Olympics in 2016. The next few years could help the country establish a new economic position and rise above issues and conflicts amongst its people. They may try to organize it, glamorize it, televise it, even industrialize it but Rio Carnival is something that comes deep from the fun-loving soul of the Brazilian people. IN SPRING/SUMMER 2012

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IN.BEAUTY HYDRA BEAUTY Two sources of pleasure

Chanel introduces two skincare formulas to dress your skin every day. Hydra Beauty the camellia with blue ginger from Madagascar. The camellia was Coco Chanel’s favorite flower. The two formulas Hydra Beauty Crème and Gel Crème moisturize, and protect against damage and pollution.

Clarins Ever Matte Skin Balancing

Foundation SPF 15

Bourjois Paris Flowers

The lightweight fluid provides a natural finish for oily and combination skin types that doesn’t compromise on longevity. Containing an innovative complex of minerals and plant extracts that provide all day protection from shine and oiliness, including the exclusive ‘Skin Detox’ with Tanaka Powder. This eradicates excess sebum for a more uniform and comfortable complexion all day - Ever Matte! Carthusian Pink and Chrysin target the pores to tighten them up and regulate oil production.

DIOR SET TO LAUNCH DIORSKIN NUDE FOUNDATION Bourjois celebrates the beauty of tropical flowers with a palette of colors: bouquets of hibiscus, nasturtium and bougainvillea. Bourjois created a combination of bold colors: spicy orange teamed with tropical blue. Sensual and vibrant, the lips are dressed in a saturated coral with sheer radiance with delicately sun-kissed cheekbones lightly enhanced with bronzing powder. Nails match the lips and for the first time Bourjois features transparent grenadine shades.

Clarins

Extra Firming Night Cream All Skin Types The Clarins Extra Firming Cream - All Skin Types is an innovative Formulation for women around the age of 40 that combines cutting edge skin care with the genius of nature. With its soft, melting texture and comfortable feeling, this cream is perfect for all skin types. The Extra Firming Day Cream helps skin maintain its defense mechanisms and enhances vitality to keep skin looking fresh, younger-looking and velvetymatte. The Extra-Firming Night Cream works at the most important time of skin renewal - the time when you sleep. IN

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The introduction of Diorskin Nude foundation comes three years following the initial launch of the franchise, whose product formula contains mineralized water said to have skin care benefits and allow for a light texture and transparency. The foundation formula also includes “nude glow” pigments with transparent qualities thanks to a glass coating, a new red pigment, “skinmatching” shades and photosensitivity, so hues remain stable in all types of light.

Guerlain Rouge Automatique Rouge Automatique draws inspiration from the original Art Deco wonder that was Guerlain’s 1936 Rouge Automatique. It was the first lipstick that allowed women to apply their lipstick with just one hand. Today’s Rouge Automatique builds upon that illustrious heritage by revamping the mechanism. The color is vibrant with a made-to-measure sheerness thanks to the Crystal Pigment, a color booster that makes lips luminous. Combine this with immediate comfort, feather-proof, stay-put color, and exceptional shine, and you’ve got Guerlain’s greatest achievement yet!

IN.BEAUTY

Make Up For Ever

100 Shades, 100 Choices

Play with colour and let your creative side shine with Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Campaign, the movement of colour which revolves around an array of 100 lipsticks in every shade to offer you any smile your heart desires. From the most classic to the most extravagant colours, this fabulous collection adapts to every fashion trend and mood. Rouge is fun, creative, edgy and definitely an art so let your creativity glow with Rouge Artist. For women that are looking for a moisturising lipstick in natural shades, then Rouge Artist Natural is perfect for them as it is a hydrating lipstick that colours the lips naturally while enhancing its radiance. Inspired by the return to naturalness and freshness, Rouge Artist Natural is available in 50 luminous shades and 3 finishes (Satiny, Iridescent, Diamond) to offer you an eye-catching smile while delivering 8-hour hydration to your lips.

SALLY HANSEN

THE MANICURE AND PEDICURE ESSENTIALS COLLECTION Already the color authority and USA’s #1 nail expert, Sally Hansen now leads an at-home manicure and Pedicure revolution with the new Sally Hanson Manicure and Pedicure Essentials Collection. Salon results at home? That’s Beauty that Works. The fast absorbing and non-greasy Manicure Essentials Collection includes: Firming Hand Creme: Packed with firming Peptides, conditioning shea butter, and Sally Hansen’s groundbreaking Moisture Complex, this multi-tasking hand crème visibly lifts, firms and brightens hands, making them feel deeply hydrated. A blast of nourishment from this skinquenching crème will have your hands looking up to 10 years younger in 4 weeks. Nails & Cuticles Hand Creme: Formulated for dry, rough hands and cuticles, this ultra-hydrating hand creme features nourishing Ceramides, rich shea butter, and 24-hour Moisture Complex. With high-tech ingredients that work in combination, feel the smoothing effects of the formula to moisturize nails, cuticles and hands while locking in moisture for the foundation for a perfect manicure. This non-greasy formula is easily absorbed and won’t wash away. Stop living with dehydrated skin and say hello to intensely rich hydration. The new range of treats for your feet from Sally Hansen Pedicure Essentials: Revitalizing Foot Soak: The first step to experiencing a pedicure at-home, this soothing, Lavender-enriched soak revitalizes and relaxes tired feet while cleansing and softening weary soles. Pumice Foot Polish: Made with lavender and tea-tree oil, this gentle yet effective formula diminishes rough patches and calluses, revealing soft, touchable skin. Take dry, tough spots off your feet and bare your most beautiful sole. Moisturizing Foot Creme: This vitamin-enriched formula smoothes and softens, so feet feel supple, pretty and pampered. Saturate your feet from your heels and toes with a blast of rich conditioning that will leave them glowing. IN

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MOLTON BROWN LAUNCHES FIRST ANTI-AGEING SKINCARE COLLECTION AND BODYCARE RANGE

March 2012 sees the launch of Molton Brown’s first Anti-ageing Skincare and Bodycare collection. Offering low maintenance, high performance products with clinically proven results, the new range is engineered to help significantly improve the skin’s health and ageing process. Visibly effective and honestly explained with no ‘miracle cure’ claims or exaggerated promises, Molton Brown’s innovative no-nonsense capsule skincare collection offers four daily steps to naturally balanced, beautiful and radiant skin. Molton Brown’s innovative new anti-ageing collections promise time-poor women a touch of luxury with a simple regime that works. This is skincare as it should be - targeted, effective and intelligent.

IN.BEAUTY

SEPHORA

PRETTY IN PINK - LOOK 2012 Colors as sweet as candy – sugary white, marshmallow pink and pistachio green – make for the prettiest way to chase away a dull, gray complexion. Miss Pretty in Pink knows exactly how to work these soft hues. Smart and sassy, she dares to doll herself up in perky pinks. Before we know it, her eyes are made up with pastel shadows and her nails have turned into mouthwatering candies. And with just a hint of a rosy flush on her lips… she’s radiant!

AIR PLUMP

LIP BALM

The secret to her perfect pout is Color Reveal Lip Balm, which colors and hydrates lips and adds volume. The formula is powered by an active ingredient that adapts to the pH of lips. The result? Lips gradually take on a unique rosy tint.

Eyes are highlighted and volumized with a dash of Lash Plumper mascara. The “Air Plump” brush acts as a precision tool to coat, sheathe and separate lashes all along the length.

BASE LISSANTE For peaches-and-cream or a velvet touch complexion, it all starts with the skin. Miss Pretty in Pink has just the thing to retexturize and unify her skin tone: Sephora Smoothing Primer. This clear, textured gel is a must to leave skin soft and deliver an ultra-chic matte finish.

CANDY NAILS

SEPHORA EYESHADOWS Lids are livened up with funky Sephora eyeshadows, either layered or applied alone: metallic pink (sweet candy 28) and soft ‘n’ sassy pink (lesson of seduction 89) to add shine, pale pistachio green to refresh (lime green 42), and pink-white to add light (pop the question 64). We’re at the mercy of our every springtime whim!

SEPHORA MAKEUP BAG Surrounded by cute accessories, Miss Pretty in Pink quickly becomes Happy in Pink! Which is why Sephora has come up with three makeup bags, a set of makeup brushes and nail files to suit every whim. Can’t wait to pack up and go? Whether sprinting off for a romantic weekend break or partying the night away, she can travel light and carefree… IN

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VALENTINE 07

Baby Showerafternoon 62

Sugar Coated 08

Clear 31

Last but not least, this beauty never gets tired of showing off her pretty pearly nails, gleaming like seashells in sweet-ascandy shades: pale pink (sugar coated 08), shimmer pink (baby showerafternoon 62), and fuchsia lite (valentine 07)! And of course if she prefers a natural look, she simply sticks to clear polish (clear 31).

SMART MAKEUP Lips wear a plumped-up pout or a just-bitten glow, the complexion is healthy and hydrated, and never-before-seen lush lashes have the power to bewitch. Sephora has us all kitted out for beauty this season... It’s rockin’ and outrageously glam!

DRAMATIC VOLUME MASCARA

LONG LASTING

EYELINER

Blast eyes with a jolt of electricity. In two new high-drama colorblock shades – emerald green and fearless turquoise – this ultra-hip eyeliner creates the perfect look in a single stroke. Color that’s not for the faint-hearted! THE SECRET. A unique, long, slender, flexible tip that delivers the exact quantity of product, ensuring a full, precise, fine line. The smooth, paraben-free formula is highly concentrated in pigments. Sephora proudly presents its first outrageously glam mascara, offering volume and magnificent full-lash curve. No need to lay it on thick: Outrageous Volume Mascara does the work for us!

NANO EYE PENCIL Eye pencils to bring out our inner artist in three new “So Spring 2012” shades: eggplant, frosted brown shimmer and deep sapphire blue. THE SECRET. The naturalwax formula, which glides effortlessly onto lids for wow-factor color. Shea butter extract, known for its hydrating properties, and rosemary extract with recognized antioxidant properties.

GLOSS SERUM This brand new Volume Booster Gloss Serum insures we’ll never again have to choose between volume and conditioning! All the high-shine highperformance plump of a gloss with all the hydrating power of a serum. The result: Volume-boosting effect and 47% more hydration. Available in no less than 10 high-wattage pigmented shades, this is a volume booster that’s not afraid of color. THE SECRET A gentle, soothing formula that’s easy to wear and high on shine. Two details we love: Ultrachic packaging and a super-handy applicator that coats lips in just the right amount of gloss.

BRIGHTENING & HYDRATING

FOUNDATION

The borderline-indecent formula glides on with a triple-reservoir brush to plump, prime and dramatically build lashes with every stroke. The ideal mascara whether we want divine diva or sumptuous temptress! THE SECRET. The lush, creamy formula is enriched with hyaluronic acid, known for its hydrating properties, which leaves lashes looking plumped and pretty. The unique eyecatching push-up packaging makes us want to doll up our lashes with biker glam.

VOLUME BOOSTER

NUDE PRO LESSON

EYE PALETTE

If eyes are the windows to the soul, we’re baring all this season! Green, hazelnut, blue and smoky eyes have been done to death. The spotlight is on nude eyes in the very latest Sephora Pro Lesson Eye Palette, which contains six eyeshadows and one eyeliner. This made-to-measure palette offers all the makeup essentials plus step-by-step illustrations to create two looks worthy of makeup artists. From glittering brown to delicate taupe, the hardest part is picking just one. Sophisticated results that are just right every time!

Sephora’s latest foundation is enriched with hyaluronic acid, making for a magical formula that adds radiance to the complexion, provides all-day hydration, evens out skin tone and covers up imperfections. Plus, this foundation smoothes the texture of the skin! THE SECRET. Hyaluronic acid restores suppleness and a healthy, light-reflecting glow. An energizing pick-me-up cocktail of pomegranate and kiwi extracts – packed with enough Vitamin C to trump the orange – promises to wake up sleeping beauties to a beauty-filled spring. Light-reflecting pigments to deflect signs of tiredness and conceal imperfections have been added to this light texture with easy to blend coverage. The non-comedogenic, fragrance-free formula is dermatologically tested. SPRING/SUMMER 2012

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IN.BEAUTY

MARC JACOBS

SPLASH TROPICAL COLLECTION 2012 RAIN – KUMQUAT – HIBISCUS This summer Marc Jacobs transports you to a warm island oasis with the Marc Jacobs Splash Tropical Collection. Experience the lush feeling of rain – a fan favorite from summer’s past – plus two new coastal concoctions: the juicy and sunny kumquat, and the subtle, sensual hibiscus. This season, the splash tropical collection is packaged in a new shape: colorful 100 ml cubes. The Simple, clean, elegant glass bottles are perfect for traveling to summer seaside escapes. The cartons mirror the bottles in bright, tropical pops of blue, orange, and pink.

Guerlain Idylle Duet Jasmin-Lilas Guerlain has launched Idylle Duet Jasmin-Lilas, the second in the series that began with last year’s Idylle Duet, which focused on rose and patchouli. Both fragrances are flankers to the original Guerlain Idylle, which launched in 2009. Idylle Duet Jasmin-Lilas was developed by Guerlain house perfumer Thierry Wasser; in addition to the flowers in the name, the notes for the chypre floral perfume include rose and woody musk.

Roberto Cavalli Eau de Parfum Spray

Indulge in wild and luxurious sensuality with the Roberto Cavalli Eau de Parfum, an intense floral oriental fragrance that won’t let you go unnoticed. Roberto Cavalli couture is all about excess, confidence and seduction. His flagship fragrance captures that same allure, with seductive floral notes, velvety fruits, and a caramelised dry down. The Eau de Parfum is designed especially to suit the colourful temperament of the iconic Cavalli woman, whose strong-willed, sexy and glamorous personality instantly attracts attention wherever she goes. A seductive wink of pink pepper with a twist of green mandarin sets pulses racing; a voluptuous heart of orange flower and Mirabelle plum draws you closer; an intensely sensual dry down of roasted tonka beans and Laos benzoin leave an unforgettable trail of sensuality.

Miroir des Majestés created exclusively for the Middle Eastern market After the Miroir des Voluptés (Mirror of Delights), a spellbinding creation specially developed in 2010 for the Middle East, the Mirror Collection unveils a new scented emotion: Miroir des Majestés, a sumptuous, deep, enticing perfume. Miroir des Majestés (Mirror of Majesties) is a new addition to the Miroir Miroir Collection. It offers women the possibility to take center stage and reveal the queen of the thousand and one nights hidden in each one of us; an invitation to discover a world of opulence, dedicated to the exhilaration of the senses, where golden mirrors meld with the most precious objects.

LOVE & LIGHT THE fragrance by Jennifer Lopez Love & Light is a sparkling floral woody fragrance. The romantic scent opens with iridescent notes of pure Italian mandarin and luscious pomegranate, blooms with a luminous floral heart of rose crystal absolute and jasmine petals, and wraps you in a sensual signature of luxurious woods. The bottle is a sculptural beauty, inspired by the curves of a radiant woman. A pearlescent finish, with pale mint and gold accents, showcases its luminosity. The dazzling jewellike cap adds a touch of luxury. The carton is illuminated with sparkling stardust in a complementary palette.

IN.BEAUTY Guerlain Homme

L’Eau Boisee Eau de Toilette Experience the tactile and organic Guerlain Homme L’Eau Boisee Eau de Toilette, a resonating blend of dense woods coupled with L’Eau brightness. This incandescent interpretation of Guerlain Homme L’Eau is premised upon the vibrating clarity of a citrus harmony discreetly infused with rum, together with an overdose of fresh vetiver. This new Boisee (woody) harmony captures the purity of natural materials, and breathes new life into the iconic citrus, mint and rum blend of Guerlain Homme. Homme L’Eau Boisee is a true celebration of vetiver, from the eco-friendly sourcing of the scent to its organic packaging. The fragrance is a life source; an instinctual essence that invigorates and restores balance. A trail that remains fresh and is more long lasting than L’eau.

Bulgari

Adding to Jasmin Noir Fragrance Family

GUESS

Seductive HOMME Legendary players will enjoy gracing pulse points confidently with this allure de passion in a bottle. Building a reputation as the elixir worn by sexy and sophisticated men who live by a credo of being playful and charming, GUESS Seductive HOMME is made of three handsomely orchestrated notes: Top Notes include Cardamom, mandarin pulp and pink pepper. Middle notes include vanilla orchid, crushed violet leaves and vertiver. Base notes include amberwood, creamy sandalwood, skin musk and patchouli.

Bulgari’s Jasmin Noir family is bringing a third fragrance into the fold: Mon Jasmin Noir L’Eau Exquise.The eau de toilette, which will arrive in Europe and the United States next month, will hit the Asian market in September. In the U.S., the fragrance will be available in approximately 3,000 doors, including department stores and select retailers. Noting there is a “common thread” among the original Jasmin Noir (2008), Mon Jasmin Noir (2011) and the new Mon Jasmin Noir L’Eau Exquise, all of which contain jasmine and almond traces, Labbé nevertheless pointed out that the latest fragrance uses Moroccan Jasmine, whereas the previous fragrances used an Indian version of the flower. “This fragrance is more tender, creamy,” she explained, further describing it as “sensual, sparkling and crisp.” said Sophie Labbé of International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. Pink pomelo and fresh green almond form the top notes, while the heart contains grandiflorum jasmine blended with sambac jasmine white tea and the base of the fragrance contains cedar and white musk notes. Labbé, who has worked on developing Bulgari fragrances since 2007, said creating the Jasmin Noir fragrances was like “transposing fine jewelry into perfume.” A new ad campaign reunites photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott with American actress Kirsten Dunst, who also was the face of Mon Jasmin Noir. Thomas Thurnauer created the set and Julia Von Boehm handled styling for the shoot, which took place in Los Angeles. The campaign will air in May. IN

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IN.BEAUTY

Camille Rowe Pourcheresse

The Face Of L’Eau De Chloé Talks To IN Magazine IN

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Last September, the Chloé fragrance ad campaign broke out worldwide with Camille Rowe Pourcheresse as the face behind L’Eau De Chloé. Rowe, a 22 year-old French model and actress was chosen as the new face of the fragrance, taking over from Chloé Sevigny, Clemence Posey, and Anja Rubik. IN Magazine spoke one on one with the French sultry beauty about her new venture with Chloé, and what it means to represent the French label. “It is such a lovely brand,” says the leggy blonde of Chloé, “it perfectly represents the feminine and modern woman of our time.” The French fashion house has been synonymous with femininity since its inception in 1952 by the Egyptian-born Parisienne Gaby Aghion. Rowe has been herself a true and loyal fan of the brand since her teen years, “I would say that what I love the most about this house are the fragrances,” she says, “I wore the signature fragrance [when] I was 17 and [have been wearing] it ever since,” she proudly proclaims. Quite conscious of how fortunate she is to have been hand selected by the label, Rowe concedes that, “It is a real honour for me to represent this brand, I am very flattered to be the face of the new Chloé fragrance. Now the story continues with L’Eau De Chloé,” she says. Aghion’s vision of the Chloé woman was that of one not constricted or restricted by conventional fashion ideals, but rather one that celebrates her femininity in all its softness and strength, freedom

and sensuality. Rowe agrees that the Chloé woman is one who “has a timeless, elegant and feminine style.” She sees the Chloé woman as one who “embodies the idea of the woman I would like to be.” One who admittedly calls her style “casual”, and prefers comfort to anything else, Rowe has always found fashion to be quite fascinating, “I love the movies and I remember lusting over Bonnie Parker’s outfits at a very young age,” she recalls. Rowe also idolizes Edie Sedgwick, Patti Smith and Margot Tennenbaum, “I love their style, very inspiring for me,” she says.

Herself quite famous for her freshfaced beauty and youthful allure, Rowe is a great advocate of natural beauty, “Beauty comes with simplicity,” she says. Not one to take natural beauty for granted, the model maintains her beauty with a strict routine.

Aghion and her business partner Jacques Lenoir chose the name “Chloé” in 1952 to represent their brand because both felt it perfectly conveyed the warmth, youthfulness, and femininity they wanted to communicate through their designs. Similarly, Rowe feels the new campaign of the Chloé fragrance is “fresher, and younger, and perfectly matches the two facets of my own personality,” she says. Of L’Eau De Chloé, Rowe feels “it is vey subtle, more than the signature [fragrance],” she says. “It is lighter, fresher, very feminine. Youthful but still sensual,” she continues. Rowe then definitively proclaims, “It is really good for summer days, very cosy.” The fragrance ad campaign was shot in a meadow-like field, to Rowe, the location perfectly translates the mood of the fragrance, “It just feels very light, breezy and feminine.” If she were to describe the fragrance in three words only, Rowe would choose, “Feminine, Fresh, Beautiful.” Mario Sorrenti, the Italian-born photographer and director famous for his work with the biggest fashion labels like Calvin Klein and Lancôme as well as celebrities like Shakira and Kate Moss, directed the TV ad of L’Eau De Chloé. Rowe was ecstatic to work with Sorrenti as she had always admired him and his work. “He’s just such a cool person,” she says, “he is very famous, [yet] he is nice and friendly.”

In the morning, she drinks a large glass of water with lemon, a pinch of baking soda, and maple syrup. She then rinses her face with water and applies either Embryolisse Orange Cream, or Welda Rose Moisturizer. Before going to bed, Rowe gives her face a good wash using Bioderma Crealine and then applies either Estée Lauder’s Night Repair Serum, or Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Oil.

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When she’s not working Rowe prefers not to wear make-up. But if make-up is called for, she uses Dior Skin Nude on her face if she needs concealer, Bobby Brown Transparent Eye-Brow Mascara, and sometimes Dior Lip-Gloss on her lips and cheeks for a rosy colour. Despite the access she has to all the beauty and make-up products in the industry, Rowe is a strong supporter of water, passionately proclaiming, “The most important [industry tip] is to drink a lot of water! I know everyone says that but it really does work.” Given the nature of her work, the globetrotter has learned to travel extremely light. On her travels, the French beauty makes sure to bring along hand cream, declaring that it is “THE must-have product on a plane.” She also applies a generous amount of moisturizer to her face before she boards and drinks a lot of water. One who is prone to catching colds on airplanes, Rowe is always sure to take scarves and sweaters on her flights. As for her luscious mane of dirty blonde hair, Rowe uses Kérastase shampoos, and once a week applies a lot of Shu Uemura hair oil to her hair and leaves it all night or all day if she’s not working. Rowe’s thriving career leaves her with no time to relax, however when she manages a break here and there, she heads straight to Corsica, a favourite spot for her. A self-proclaimed beach-lover, Rowe’s second choice would be to lounge at a park, or treat herself to a massage, “I am completely addicted to massages, I go at least once a week,” she says. However, when she’s not working, she will opt for sleep over anything else, “I like to sleep a lot!” she declares. Rowe is also a food aficionado, so she enjoys gourmet restaurants, and is passionate about film and music and is keen on making time to go to the cinema as well as music shows whenever she can, that is if she’s not out and about walking everywhere, another passion of hers!

“The most important [industry tip] is to drink a lot of water! I know everyone says that but it really does work.” Her busy work schedule leaves her with no time to do all the things she loves, but one who is big on exercise; Rowe makes sure to practice yoga when she’s not running or power-walking. The blue-green-eyed beauty grew up with a family that owned a restaurant business, so she didn’t get a taste of fast food until the age of 13. “I don’t eat junk food,” she says, “my parents taught me to appreciate good food,” she continues. “I remember my parents were kind of obsessed with organic food, and I like cooking for myself. I have to admit that I have a massive weakness for Italian food, which is not very light but so good!”

The Chloé woman is one who “has a timeless, elegant and feminine style.”

Her native Paris will always be her most special spot, despite where all her travels may take her, “In Paris there are neighbourhoods I really like,” she reminisces, “the Quartier Latin, and Le Marais.” When it’s time to shop she heads to Carven, and when it’s time to eat, it’s straight to Le Comptoir De L’Odéon. When she’s in NYC, Rowe likes hanging out at The Barry Hotel for drinks, and says that, “the restaurant [there] is amazing.” Her good friends recently opened a French restaurant in Nolita called Tartinerie that is always bustling with French patrons, so when she’s feeling nostalgic for her home, she heads there for a dose of French everything. Rowe also visits the Jones Spa on Orchard Street quite often, “It’s right below my apartment and the ladies there have magic fingers.” So what’s next for the face of L’Eau De Chloé? “I am mostly focusing on modelling at the moment,” she says, “although I am reading some scripts, I guess it will be a surprise!” For now Rowe is quite fulfilled as the international face of a prestigious global French label, and with her modelling career, to her the best part of her job is, “the people I meet and the places I go, and never knowing what I’ll be doing tomorrow!” IN

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IN.DESIGN UNDER CONSTRUCTION:

ASTRUP FEARNLEY MUSEUM BY RENZO PIANO

Somehow, despite being responsible for London’s Shard - the tallest, sharpest, shiniest tower in Europe - Renzo Piano has escaped the tag of the ego-architect. Famous instead for an approach that prioritises people and places over statements and grandeur, burying and blending even the most significant, vast buildings into their surroundings, Piano was the perfect choice for Oslo’s newest architectural attraction. Spacious yet low-lying, solid yet exploiting every inch of light available, understated in its materials yet meticulously detailed throughout, the new buildings set to house the Astrup Fearnley Museum of Contemporary Art are a reflection of the city’s psyche - indeed the wider Norwegian one, which is also typically informal and modest. Swiftly taking shape at the up-and-coming new waterfront district, Tjuvholmen, the museum is set to open at the end of September this year. The Museum, which first opened in Dronningensgate in 1993 to house and display the Astrup Fearnley Collection, closed its current premises on 1 January in preparation for the move. The new space has cost some 650 million NOK (around 80 million euros), and covers an area of 7,000 sq m at the end of the Tjuvholmen strip, already lined with high end restaurants and private galleries. In contrast, the Astrup Fearnley is

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designed to attract a wider audience, and unlike many landmark contemporary new museums whose architecture competes with the content, here the focus is very much on the art displayed and engendering a lightness of experience within the space. The most striking views of the building itself are from the water, from which the double curved roof construction in glass slopes elegantly upwards. Filtering daylight into the main exhibition space for temporary exhibitions, the art on display is lit exceptionally well - something that can be really appreciated when standing on the mezzanine in the main exhibition space. Concentrated on individual works and artists, rather than on movements or historical periods, over the years the Astrup Fearnley Collection has amassed some major pieces, including Jeff Koons’ sculpture of Michael Jackson and Bubbles (bought in 2002 for $5.1m), and works by Richard Prince, Cindy Sherman, Doug Aitken, Olafur Eliasson and Cai Guo-Qiang among many others. Like many buildings by Piano, this is architecture with a beauty that creeps up on you - something that should comply well with the museum’s aim ‘to present international contemporary artists in illuminating depth’ while still communing happily with Norwegian art scene and the city of Oslo. IN

‘Excentrique(s)’ by Daniel Buren for Monumenta Creating an installation for Monumenta in the nave of Paris’ Grand Palais is just about the most prestigious commission any artist can win in France. This year, the honour has gone to French grand master Daniel Buren, who follows Anish Kapoor to become the fifth artist ever to fill the dazzlingly glamorous and grandiose space. Titled Excentrique(s), Buren has conjured a giant cluster of plastic circles, which overlap to form a colourful canopy. You can wander among them, watching how the light, shadows and reflections change with the weather. At night, roving spotlights bounce off the green, blue, yellow and orange panels, discostyle, while an on-a-loop sound track (of a text read in 37 different languages) ensures you won’t start dancing.

His circles, held up with trademark black and white steel poles, come in four colours only, assembled on site in a repeat pattern, which began alphabetically, with b for the colour blue. You feel safe walking under them, and the reflections create rainbow like patterns under your feet, making you want to linger.

‘When the sun comes out, everyone is upside down,’ says Buren, pointing upwards to our reflections on the circles. ‘In the beginning, I was impressed by the building, and didn’t know how to compete with its extravagance. But it’s rather alienating. So I set about providing a human scale by creating a kind of shelter.’

At the centre of it all are mirrored glass circles that you can walk on, to witness the top of the roof, which Buren has covered with intermittent blue panels. It creates a clever contrast between old and new, colour and transparency, pomp and simplicity. Buren, who is 64, is known for his exquisite and masterful use of space, and here you can see why. IN

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IN.LOCATION

PORT ADRIANO MARINA

BY PHILIPPE STARCK

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“It is almost invisible,” says Philippe Starck, of the new Port Adriano marina in Mallorca. “The architecture exists only on the second view. When you first arrive, you don’t notice anything and after a while you start to see.” So don’t expect a grand architectural statement then. It may have been designed for mega yachts, but there’s nothing bling about Starck’s design. Instead he has opted for a pared down, low slung and elegant structure that is home to restaurants, bars, a car park, fashion and nautical stores, as well as a marina. The architect was brought on board by Antonio Zaforteza, owner of Ocibar – the island’s flourishing nautical-management company. Starck’s love for all things oceanic and his experience in yacht design, however, ensured he needed little coaxing. “I cannot survive without the sea,” he explains, adding: “I design mega yachts for other people, but I only have a small boat. It’s grey and incredibly ugly with lots of boxes of wine and mattresses for the children.”

Located on the south-west bay of Palma de Mallorca, the capital of the Balearic Islands, the marina has up until now been a functional docking space for yachts and speed boats. Inspired by his intense dislike for onsite car parking spaces, Starck’s mission was to create a structure that artfully concealed an underground car park below sea level. “I’ve seen a lot of harbours - they are all horrible. And there is worse - there are marinas. Marinas for me are basically huge parking lots.” Instead Starck has created a clean, linear, two-level structure featuring concrete columns, topped off with a slatted wood roof and a striking staircase lit from beneath. Design details include street lights modelled on standing lamps, handsome numbered steel mooring plates and chic bollards. “When I design something I try make it so that it doesn’t become obsolete in 20 years,” says Starck. “We are stuck in a ‘Kleenex’ society and the only way to work is to create timeless design.” IN

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