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contents
summer 2010
INTERNATIONAL LIFE
6&7 8/10 11/17 18&19 20&21 22&23 24 26&27 28&29 30
cosmopolitan insight luxury inspiration glamour
Issue III
best of london: Andy Willetts collates an essential selection of the flamboyant, the sophisticated and the simply unmissable
Watch gallery: What all the coolest wrists are wearing this summer, courtesy of the Watch Gallery
Fantasy Portraits: Photographer Yves de Contades’ project involved forty-five top creatives and one leading psychologist and a big exhibition space in London SW6 TRAVEL: Arizona Dreaming. International Life’s Damien Gabet loves the ancient lands and modern hospitality, but still can’t hit the fairways hotels: Undiscovered Italy. International Life’s Damien Gabet spends time in La Marche, in the company of artists and his ‘Italian family’ luxury brands: International Life’s Peter Doherty discovers that one of the forgotten jewels of the British Empire is alive and well and about to launch in London’s Mayfair film: Helen Mirren interview. There is nothing like a dame. Dame Helen tells International Life’s Martin Gutteridge-Hewitt about her Russian heritage, her laziness and feeling intimidated by Christopher Plummer Film: International Life’s Martin Gutteridge-Hewitt catches up with Nick Mason Pearson, (press at the world’s premier motion picture archive) to discuss the uncertain future of the BFI’s new film centre Jewellery Gallery: The endearing romance of Van Cleef & Arpels. Summery, sophisticated and sensual. Complemented by the words of William Shakespeare Jewellery Gallery: Highlights of the Treasure exhibition from Jewellery Week. Natalie Wallace does her own bit of talent spotting www.internationallife.tv
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The French Riviera; Monaco: We recall our fantasy journey, cruising down a magical coastline in our sumptious Bentley Continental GTC Speed Convertible. From Monte Carlo to St Tropez via Nice, Cannes and Antibes. Is there a more glamorous stretch of coastline in the world? We doubt it The French Riviera; ST TRopez Property: Welcome to second home paradise. Choose from charming Ramatuelle, secluded Gassin or glamorous St Tropez. We ended up drawing straws The French Riviera; Monaco Part II: A night at the opera, but not just any opera, it’s Monaco for heaven’s sake. On board the luxurious Christina ‘O’ yacht, scene of that fascinating tryst between Onassis and opera’s grand diva Maria Callas Interiors: Salone de Mobile. The Milan furniture expo. The future is here. You’ll be sitting on it soon. LOndon property: What’s really happening to high end property? Just ask the experts. We did. Savills, Knight Frank and Hamptons International offered their thoughts on London and the international market ART: Is this the future of music promotion? International Life’s Gavin Haines talks to ‘Digital Queen’ Imogen Heap about the innovative ways she interfaces with her audience ART: ‘Hero, God, King, Scoundrel, Rogue, Brute, Bad Boy’. A nice selection of insults and compliments every man has received, not always with a welcoming smile. Artist Rudy Belgeonne interprets them literally in his typographical, Warholesque paintings. You’re all in there somewhere… globespotting: Letter from New Delhi. Local girl Priyadarshini Kohli enchants us with details of ayurvedic massage, silk pashminas, sumptious hotels and the (Bill) ‘Clinton’ table. fashion: Chelsea Girl could comfortably be Eastern European, African, Asian or South American too. Latvian beauty Sanita, proves the point. beauty Gallery: Katie Service insists that girls should have a ‘Summer Beauty Wardrobe’. Here’s her tips for summer and her shortlist of personal favourites that work! London villages: They’re all unique with their own rhythm, energy and sub-culture. International Life makes some recommendations on what’s worth ‘crossing the border’ for. City Diary: International Life tells you why the launch of London’s highest and most exclusive, private members club, Searcys at The Gherkin and the Canary Wharf Jazz festival is music to our ears. Food & drink: Rebecca Gonsalves takes us through the eternal struggle… The Cocktail wars. Classic vs Contemporary. Round one… Freddy Fudpucker’s Frabjous vs Mint Julep. Food & drink: In these ‘leaner’ times what’s on the grocery list of world’s celebrities? Levanah-Reyes-Wainwright tells us that £5,000 a jar marmalade and £3,000 Melons are still rolling through the checkout. BOOKS: International Life’s Peter Doherty recommends an easy read, bluffer’s guide to Philosophers, showcases the illustrious Secret Archives of the Vatican and tries to convince you why it’s worth persevering with ‘Speeches that changed the World’
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masthead
The Fantasy & Escape Issue. Summer 2010
You. London. The World
Cosmopolitan Insight Luxury Inspiration Glamour We champion: originality; adventure travel; the bespoke and hand-made; entrepreneurial spirit; unique creativity; beautiful things; trend spotting; targeted philanthropy; quirky and intelligent comment; ethical luxury; good humour; the power of cities; new experiences and psychological insight The International Life brand is expressed through multiple media: quarterly magazine, website, e-newsletter, social media and video Publishers Photography and Art Direction: Yves de Contades yves@publishingsociety.com Design & Creative Direction: Peter Doherty peter@publishingsociety.com www.twitter.com/luxurybrand Editorial team Editor in Chief: Peter Doherty peter@publishingsociety.com Editorial Director: Yves de Contades yves@publishingsociety.com Editorial: Damien Gabet damien@internationallife.tv Editorial (Film): Martin Gutteridge-Hewitt martin@internationallife.tv Fashion Fashion: Sara Darling Photographic Assistant: James Nixon Hair & Make up: Jennie Lam Advertising Sales Director: Riz Ababou riz@internationallife.tv 07809 602000
Editorial Specialists London: Andy Willetts Art: Gavin Haynes Travel: Damien Gabet Psychology: Dr Cecilia d’Felice Arts/Travel/India: Priyadarshini Kohli Food & Drink: Levanah-Reyes-Wainwright Drink: Rebecca Gonsalves Scent: Celia Lyttelton Beauty: Katie Service Property: Rachel Newcombe Film: Martin Gutteridge-Hewitt Luxury Brands: Peter Doherty Jewellery: Natalie Wallace Boats and Sailing: Laura Aitken Fashion: Sara Darling London: Kris Griffiths Arts/Travel: Lucy Howard Books: Peter Doherty Books: Yves de Contades
Office: 020 7932 0802 Front cover jewellery courtesy of Van Cleef & Arpels: Dentelle earclips, white gold and diamonds £27,300 Dentelle pendant, white gold and diamonds £32,600 Dentelle ring, white gold and diamonds £9,100 Van Cleef & Arpels boutique 9 New Bond St, London W1 020 7493 0400 www.vancleef-arpels.com cover model: Sanita at M & P Models International Life is published quarterly by International Life Magazine Ltd., 35 Morland House, Marsham St, London SW1P 4JH. Registered Company No: 06532821. Telephone: 020 7932 0802. Nothing in this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of the publishers. Transparencies and other material submitted for publication are sent at the owner’s risk and, while every care is taken, neither International Life Magazine Ltd nor the Publishing Society nor their agents accept any liability for loss or damage. Although International Life Magazine Ltd has endeavoured to ensure that all information inside the magazine is correct, prices and details may be subject to change. Opinions expressed are those of the contributors. Always seek independent advice before making any investment which is at your own risk. For subscriptions and back issues: email subscriptions@internationallife.tv for details.
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best of london International Life’s Andrew Willetts finds summer’s best events that not only exude class and exclusivity, but also can be considered uniquely London
top left: Saatchi Gallery, Chelsea left: Florence and the Machine below: Somerset House bottom: Lords Cricket Ground © Sarah Williams top right: The Chap Olympiad bottom right: Opera Holland Park
Opera Holland Park It is impossible to spend an evening here without at least once rubbing your eyes and asking “Am I really still in London?” in disbelief. The bucolic surroundings place your senses in the grounds of a Jacobean country mansion while your body remains firmly in zone two of the tube.
of a shrinking language. The exhibition features a bevy of young and not-so-young British artists including Ged Quinn, Phoebe Unwin, Scott King and Karla Black, among whom Charles Saatchi hopes to find the new Damien Hirst and Tracy Emin.
offer an impressive hospitality package that is reputed to be the best on the international circuit. 26th-30th August.
Saatchi Gallery Belvedere Road, Southwark London SE1 8XT www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk
The Chap Olympiad
MCC, Lord’s Cricket Ground, St John’s Wood, London, NW8 www.lords.org
The best of London Opera Holland Park put on a mixture of impeccably performed classic operas and less well-known works. The highlights of the 2010 season include Mozart’s iconic Don Giovanni, and Verdi’s La Forza del Destino. Opera-goers can reserve picnic tables, although also in the Park is the Marco Pierre White-owned Belvedere, which has a three-course pre or post-opera menu for £25. Holland Park Theatre, Ilchester Place, London, W8 6LU www.ohp.rbkc.gov.uk
Newspeak: British Art Now The Saatchi Gallery tries to repeat the success it had in introducing the YBAs in the early 90s with an exhibition featuring the pick of new British artistic talent. The title references the truncated language used by the totalitarian regime of George Orwell’s novel, 1984, claiming the visual art displayed disproves Orwell’s concept
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England v Pakistan Final Test at Lord’s While the final game of a series is always a special occasion and never more so than when it is the last test of the season, the game is particularly notable as the last before England travel to Australia in the winter to defend the Ashes. The Home of Cricket is the perfect venue for the final test match of summer 2010. The last game against Pakistan is likely to be poised as the series decider between two evenly matched sides nestled, as they are, side by side in world rankings. The MCC
Since 2005, London has played host to one of the world’s most unusual yet utterly charming sporting events. On 17th July, Belgravia will be descended on by a throng of tweed-wearing, pipe-smoking, G&T sipping English gents to take part in the annual Chap Olympiad. Run by The Chap magazine, this rather splendid neoWodehousian tournament celebrates the best of English eccentricity. The Olympiad features various disciplines that will test the mettle of the most debonair dandy, including Cucumber Sandwich Discus, Moustache Tug o’ War, and Umbrella Jousting on Bicycles with only a reinforced copy of the Daily Telegraph for defence. Tally Ho! 17th July Chap Olympiad Bedford Square, Belgravia, London, WC1 www.thechapolympiad.com
best of london Film4 Summer Screen at Somerset House Ten nights of film, with Behind the Screen talks, discussions and special screenings, in collaboration with Film4 and BAFTA. www.film4.com Friday 30 July 19.00 Behind the Screen: Movie Mix Tapes Whether it’s Kill Bill 1. and Bang Bang, Easy Rider and Born to be Wild or Mean Streets and Jumping Jack Flash, the right song on a film’s soundtrack can have a massive impact. In this discussion a panel of music supervisors, including Ian Neil (Ashes to Ashes, Kick-Ass, 4.3.2.1.) and Nick Angel (Hot Fuzz, The Boat That Rocked) will look at the creative choices that go into making a great soundtrack.
Somerset House Somerset House offers al fresco entertainment with a more contemporary flavour. Their Summer Series concerts in mid July feature open-air performances by acts such as Florence and the Machine, The XX, and Gallic chill merchants, Air. Late July and early August bring the annual Film4 Summer Screen, showing a week of films projected in the Somerset House Courtyard. Highlights include David Lynch’s unsettling masterpiece Mulholland Drive, and a double-header of martial arts movies featuring Tarantino’s Kill Bill vol. 1 and the seminal Bruce Lee Kung-fu flick, Enter the Dragon. Somerset House, Strand, London, WC2 www.somersethouse.org.uk
Kill Bill Vol. 1 & Enter the Dragon Somerset House cour tyard becomes an arena for savage stand-offs, kung fu carnage and mar tial-ar ts mayhem. Tarantino sends Uma Thurman on a roaring rampage of revenge, before Bruce Lee takes over as the big boss of our big-screen in a 1970s cult classic. Black belts on and assume pose. Saturday 31 July 19.00 Behind the Screen: Satirical Cinema There’s a rich history of political satire on film: Chaplin’s The Great Dictator, Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove and Altman’s M.A.S.H. , for example. Writer Jesse Armstrong (In The Loop, Four Lions), will be joined by colleagues as they examine this history as well as looking at the current crop of satirical film and television, from Team America to The Thick of It. 21.15 Team America: World Police & A Town Called Panic (Premiere) A plastic-fantastic double-bill with outrageous humour that could make a marionette blush from the South Park gang, followed by a very special preview of a brilliantly bonkers new toy story that’ll have you grinning and giggling long into the night. Sunday 1 August 19.00 Behind the Screen: Bright Lights Big City The Third Man, Manhattan, Children of Men, 28 Days Later: for better or worse, films have immor talised some of the world’s iconic cities. In this event, we’ll be joined by filmmaking talent and critics to explore cinema’s best examinations of the modern city from romantic to dystopian, from clinical to fantastical. Manhattan A rapturous love letter to New York from its most famous fan, Woody Allen. This wise and witty comedy brings you romance, hear tbreak and fireworks in luminous black-and--white – a perfectly orchestrated city symphony.
Black Narcissus One of the most vividly colourful and deliriously beautiful films ever made blazes its way on to the bigscreen at Somerset House, as visionaries Powell & Pressburger tell the tale of nuns going mad up a mountain. Wednesday 4 August 19.00 Behind the Screen: Kubrick’s Camera Jack Nicholson’s face through the bathroom door in The Shining, The War Room scenes in Dr. Strangelove, the airplane scenes in 2001: A Space Odessey: Stanley Kubrick’s camera has provided some of cinema’s most memorable images. In advance of a screening of Paths of Glory, join Kubrick’s producer Jan Harlan (The Shining, Eyes Wide Shut) and friends to explore some of maestro Kubrick’s most mesmerising and unforgetable images. Paths of Glory The sheer cinematic mastery of Stanley Kubrick is very much on display in this riveting and emotional war time drama, a film powerful enough to bring any audience together in awestruck silence. Thursday 5 August 19.00 Behind the Screen: Dance on Film The past few years have seen a great many dance related films hitting the big screen, such as Step Up, Stomp the Yard and StreetDance 3D. Prior to our screening of Bob Fosse’s Cabaret, filmmakers Max Giwa and Dania Pasquini (StreetDance 3D) will be joined by a panel of choreographers, dancers and directors to discuss the challenges associated with representing dance, of all kinds, on screen. Cabaret “Willkommen” to Somerset House! Liza Minnelli steps into the spotlight as high drama, dazzling musical setpieces and the decadence of 1930s Berlin make for a real Summer Screen show-stopper. Friday 6 August 19.00 Behind the Screen: Celluloid Dreams Luis Buñuel stated that the cinema was ‘the best instrument through which to express the world of dreams…’ and many f ilms, from Hitchcock’s Spellbound to Lynch’s Mulholland Drive, have utilised this instrument to great, fantastical, effect. This panel, featuring writers and f ilmmakers, will look at the longstanding relationship between the world of dreams and the cinema. Mulholland Drive Sit back under the stars and succumb to this dark dream from director David Lynch. Mystery, magic, fear and desire swirl together to create an intoxicating and troubling adult fairytale.
Monday 2 August 19.00 Behind the Screen: All that Glitters is Goldfinger Whether it’s for John Barry’s stunning music score, Ken Adam’s BAFTA-nominated design or Ian Fleming’s wonderfully witty characters (thank you, Ms Galore!), Goldfinger remains one of fans and critics favourite Bond films. Bond Composer David Arnold will lead a cast of Bond collaborators in this event which celebrates and recalls the stories behind some of the best moments in the film.
Saturday 7 August 19.00 Behind the Screen: The Immortal Appeal of the Vampire Let the Right One In, Twilight, True Blood… The appeal of the vampire appears to be at an all-time high. Why do they continue to have such a hold on the public’s imagination? Sinking his teeth into this question will be film critic and novelist Kim Newman (Anno Dracula) who’ll be joined by writers and filmmaking talent for what promises to be a fascinating look at the on-screen legacy of the vampire.
Goldfinger The 007 series at its sensational best, as Sean Connery’s James Bond mixes it up with memorable characters such as Oddjob and Pussy Galore. Incredible sets, a belting theme song and plenty of swinging ‘60s style.
Let The Right One In & The Lost Boys It’s bite-night at Summer Screen with two very different vampire tales - a moody modern masterpiece of Swedish-style bloodsucking, followed by cool Californian creatures of the night in a guilty pleasure from the ‘80s.
Tuesday 3 August 19.00 Behind the Screen: BAFTA winning short films This year’s Programme highlights from this year’s nominations for BAFTA shor t film and shor t animation award including the winners in each category: I Do Air (dir. Mar tina Amati) and Mother of Many (dir. Emma Lazenby).
Sunday 8 August Master & Commander You’ll be out in the open and feeling like you’re par t of the action for this stirring tale of naval warfare, a spectacular high-seas adventure that really benefits from the huge screen and awesome sound at Somerset House.
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feature | fantasy portraits
Fantasy
MAGAZINE
presents
Yves de Contades photographed forty-five leading creatives from the design and advertising industries on the new Leica S2. International Life Magazine hosted a magnificent exhibition party, showcasing the prints, at the famous Works Studios. Sponsors Chivas Regal, served up some seductively smooth summer cocktails and Mayfair’s king chocolatier, Jeff de Bruges delighted with a dazzling array of fine chocolates. Audio maestros Absolute Sounds provided the acoustic magic with their much admired, state-of-the-art music system. Check out the video & images: www.internationallife.tv/AllInternational-Life-Videos www.allaboutyves.com
How many of us would be so daring as to get their ‘fantasy’ portrait taken and have it analysed And Deconstructed by a leading psychologist and THE RESULTS put on public display?
With special thanks to our sponsors:
P
hotographer Yves de Contades asked a number of creative figures from the UK’s Advertising & Design fraternity to devise their own Fantasy Portrait and put down their reasons as to their desired profile. He then captured each idea in a single photographic image and placed their written commentary alongside the shots. Renowned psychologist, Dr Cecilia d’Felice offered her perspective on each portrait and summary. The shots were then exhibited by International Life Magazine at a generous gallery space at The Worx Studios in London in front of two hundred and fifty leading figures from the creative industry, luxury brands, psychology and assorted media. There was no airbrushing, revisions and rewrites here, as the exhibition offered the first opportunity for the creatives to see their portraits, comments and psychological evaluations laid bare in front of this specially invited audience.
Raks Shah at Jeff de Bruges, Laura Bresadola at Chivas, Ken Sethi at Genesis, Make-up Artist: Jenny Lam, Michelle Henochsberg at The Worx and Pedro Jorge-Luis at Absolute Sounds
Here’s a small selection from the forty-four portraits taken with the sitter’s commentary and accompanying thoughts from Dr d’Felice. www.internationallife.tv/fantasy-portraits
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feature | fantasy portraits
We are offered a fantasy portrait of a man at the height of his powers: physical, intellectual and sexual. Dr. Cecilia D’Felice
His eyes are shaded. Hidden from our view, we wonder what does he not wish to reveal to us? His hands in pocket, relaxed, effortless, not poised for action, Dr Cecilia d’Felice are nonchalant. Without them deflecting Quentin Mackay’s portrait plays on ambiguity and intrigue. His beautiful wife, attack, he is open to our projections, there Vija, naked and hidden, adjusts his tie as he is nothing to defend him other than his presence, which is commanding. stands - seemingly arrogantly - before us. Quentin Mackay, MD of Quentin Mackay Discovery
Are we being asked to envy him? Is he telling us that his success is all about money and power, denoted by his suave black tie and his glamorous ‘assistant’? Or is he asking us to look beyond the obvious interpretation of this portrait and ask more difficult questions about our experience.
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Quentin’s achievement is in making us think in response to being challenged. We are offered a fantasy portrait of a man at the height of his powers: physical, intellectual and sexual. He has worked for this position and he is not ashamed to let us know it. He is uncompromising,
driven, seductive and - are we to suppose - not a little ruthless? Yet he is loving too, as there his wife is, he has not chosen to be photographed alone. Her presence suggests a very human vulnerability: to be in relation to another. Yes, she is part of the James Bond image, but she is also taking care of him and he shields her from our prying eyes, protecting her from us. His mouth is turned down, yet there is a hint of a smile. Is he laughing at us, or with us? We cannot be sure. What we do know is that we are being provoked and in provocation, ideas are born.
feature | fantasy portraits
Did she go too far, we wonder? Does he feel emasculated? The sex that was assumed to follow may noW be in question. Is this what she really wanted? Dr. Cecilia D’Felice
With thanks to Brown’s Hotel, London, M and P models for Brian Shimansky, Jennie Lam: Make Up, Franco Vallelonga: Hair Stylist, Fashion Stylist: Sara Darling, Clothes: Military Jacket - Rokit, London, Hosiery - Aristoc at Mytights.com. Photographed by Yves de Contades
Linda Burrows, CD, Sunday Times When I think of the word fantasy, images of being with a heroic man come into my head, it’s the power and sexual energy that they project. Doesn’t everyone love a man in a uniform! The play fighting is really more about me grabbing some of that power, the Samson and Delilah effect. Dr Cecilia d’Felice This sexually charged image is evocative of a high fashion shoot, with partially unclothed glamorous models in juxtaposition. Following her gaze, we
confront the bare torso of a man whose uniform she appears to have appropriated. The ambiguity of the power imbalance draws us closer into the narrative. He looks a tad put out; she looks victorious but concerned. Did she go too far, we wonder? Does he feel emasculated? The sex that was assumed to follow may now be in question. Is this what she really wanted? We can’t be sure.
voracious. Having taken something from him, it rather looks as if she would like to give it back now. The subject of this fabulous fantasy portrait, Linda Burrows, in half profile, leaves us intrigued, wanting to know more. Her beautiful hair and cheekbones offset her gorgeous femininity perfectly and her lovely naked legs make her appear quite vulnerable despite her killer heels.
Yet we know she doesn’t really want to be him: she is so exquisitely female and appears more quizzical and caring than
You get the impression, to use an old fashioned expression, she is rather too good for him but doesn’t realise it. www.internationallife.tv/fantasy-portraits
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feature | fantasy portraits
Frank Miller’s Sin City is the basis of my Fantasy portrait. I have been a fan of his devilish imagination and his merciless, film-noir style for many years. LIz SIVELL
with thanks to Jennie Lam: Hair & Make Up, Clothes: Kimono - Fred & Ginger. Hosiery - Levante at Mytights.com. Photographed by Yves de Contades
Nothing will prevent her from achieving her objective: Do or Die. What fiery passion lies beneath? What steely determination? This woman is unstoppable. Dr. Cecilia D’Felice Liz Sivell, CD, RGA: Deadly Red “This is blood for blood and by the gallon. These are the old days, the bad days, the all-or-nothing days. They’re back! There’s no choice left. And I’m ready for war.” (Sin City, 2005) Story telling at its best, four bold and brilliant stories inter-weaved. Frank Miller’s Sin City is the basis of my Fantasy portrait. I have been a fan of his devilish imagination and his merciless, film-noir style for many years and wanted to capture this within the stories of my fantasy portrait.
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The Slayer: Passionate, driven, on a mission. The Boarder: Freedom, excitement, adrenaline, no limits. The Dragon: An old legendary creature behind many myths. The ending is undecided. Dr Cecilia d’Felice A portrait rich in mythical narrative and comic book irony. Our heroine, flying on her snowboard, determined to slay the monster wearing nothing but her revealing kimono and delicious high top boots. Her
fiery red hair crowns her head like a bloody halo. She seeks revenge - there is no doubt. A lethal sword held aloft, unafraid, her sweet face, large eyes and glowing skin give her an innocent child-like Manga appeal. The backdrop of snow covered mountains and billowing clouded pale blue skies take us to the ceiling of the world creating a dream like quality where anything can happen. Nothing will prevent her from achieving her objective: Do or Die. What fiery passion lies beneath? What steely determination? This woman is unstoppable.
feature | fantasy portraits
This is a face of man who has a vision, who is not afraid to push boundaries, yet is also at ease with his introspection. Dr. Cecilia D’Felice
Tim Cole, Head of Photography, Saatchi and Saatchi Design I am a huge lover of photography and work with imagery on a daily basis; for me, a great portrait captures a brilliant moment of honesty. Often with visual simplicity but incredible emotional complexity a great portrait has an almost hypnotic tension drawing a viewer in. I wanted my portrait to be raw, simple and an authentic expression of my mood on that day. At the time of the shooting I’d just been to see the Irving Penn exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery. It is an astounding body of work; I was in complete awe that a photographer could
take such a simple approach but yet create the most insightful of portraits, constantly working in the same way over an entire lifetime. The singlemindedness alone of his approach is truly inspiring. The image that Yves has managed to beautifully capture is really about stripping back photography to its purest form, the subject, the light and the emotion. Dr Cecilia d’Felice This is a beautiful portrait imbued with emotion. The simplicity of the composition heightens the complexity of its subject, Tim Cole. What is so striking is how intimate it feels, as if Tim has opened himself completely
to the process. The immediacy of his sensitivity point to a man who at core is unafraid of who he is and his potential. This is a face of man who has a vision, who is not afraid to push boundaries, yet is also at ease with his introspection. The portrait combines strength and vulnerability in an extraordinary way. Horn-rimmed spectacles frame Tim’s face, denoting his intellectuality while also hinting at his human frailty. His beard suggests a lack of narcissism and a desire to remain hidden - not to be fully exposed - that is in contradiction with his openness of expression. The eyes have it. A haunting and moving exposition of great depth.
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feature | fantasy portraits
One suspects there is a very interesting and lively conversation to be had here, one that will challenge the status quo and demand boundaries to be extended. Dr. Cecilia D’Felice
Ideas are dangerous things. They solve problems, transform environments and inspire people to act. TOM HUDSON Tom Hudson, Executive CD, Lowe & Partners Ideas are dangerous things. They solve problems, transform environments and inspire people to act. The spark of an idea can create change from thin air. So that’s my job.
know? Is he burning his retina and why?
Get up, go to work, start a fire.
The subject, Tom Hudson, appears impervious to risk. I love the way his eyes are so different, the eye on fire more distant - the pupil smaller - making him appear somehow less accessible, more introverted, caught up in the flame of an idea. His other eye is intense, more human and aware.
Dr Cecilia d’Felice This arresting image creates mayhem in the mind. Is he mad, bad or dangerous to
His casual but stylish clothing suggests he is more comfortable informally. There is something uncompromising present,
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however, as if a search for truth is underway. Truth in possibility: in potential, in difference, in innovation and change? The masculine firmness in the jaw and the well proportioned face, suggests strength while the high dome of his forehead speaks of intelligence. There is a flicker of humour captured in the flameless eye that gives the game away. One suspects there is a very interesting and lively conversation to be had here, one that will challenge the status quo and demand boundaries to be extended.
feature | fantasy portraits
It is also imbued with obvious phallic qualities. Who after all, would not want a penis, if only for a day? Dr. Cecilia D’Felice
Photographed by Yves de Contades
In advertising they say the pen is mightier than the sword. I’ll take on anyone armed with a pen. VICTORIA GALLARDO Victoria Gallardo, Founder & Creative Partner, Creative Orchestra In advertising they say the pen is mightier than the sword. I’ll take on anyone armed with a pen. And watch them run! Dr Cecilia d’Felice This fantasy portrait allows Victoria to explore her shadow side. A woman holding a sword, reverses stereotypical power differentials. The ‘katana’, the technical name for a Samurai sword is renowned for its curved slender appearance, a little like Victoria’s own physique. It is also imbued with obvious phallic qualities.
Who after all, would not want a penis, if only for a day? Katanas are also reputedly the sharpest of swords with unique cutting abilities. One suspects, from the strength of expression on Victoria’s face that she too is razor sharp in her ability and drive. The reference to ‘Kill Bill’ is apparent, Victoria taking on the role of Beatrix Kiddo, ‘The Bride’, in Tarantino’s epic revenge drama. A little known fact is that women are as aggressive as men in the domestic arena but because of our smaller size and power we tend to cause less damage.
Victoria’s stance is interesting in that she faces us obliquely, her katana points down, intimating that it is not us she wishes to attack, rather she approaches with her weapon of choice as protector rather than aggressor. The flames that surround her do not scorch her, they seem instead to blaze at her command. Her femininity is heightened provocatively by her red finger nails and lipstick and her long glossy black mane of hair. A woman not to be messed with but to be treated with respect. www.internationallife.tv/fantasy-portraits
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travel
O
ur nation’s favourite BA, amidst marauding strikes and volcanoes, were typically excellent in delivering me to my location. Phoenix from above looked like a semi-arid grid of human success; a concise square of prosperity in the desert. This square was big though, we were going to need some wheels. At Enterprise cars we met Ryan, who with his pleated-chino charm informed us of our awaiting car. I looked at the menu, it was at the bottom. After some brief but effective male flirting we were free-upgraded - from economy to monster truck in the wink of an eye.
International Life’s Damien Gabet explains how not to get killed playing golf, whilst telling of an otherworldly land, once the home of dinosaurs, now the backdrop of a quite unique holiday experience.
Arizona Dreaming case, the concierge team were already at the bottom, waiting to stop him being the victim of a cactus attack. I’d call that above and beyond. Golf was fun, then dangerous, and then fun again. Our course, Troon North, was impeccably kept and implausibly scenic. The atmosphere, true to form, was stuffy and elitist, but then isn’t that one of golf’s primary charms? The incongruity of the lush, sporting lawns in the middle of the
changes in topography and geology the rock became a deep, dusty maroon. We spent time imbibing the artisan qualities of Sedona and then via route 89a - a true driving highlight - we ascended 2000ft to find out where Pluto was discovered in Flagstaff. Then at the very top of the state there was Lake Powell. A man-made reservoir the length of Wales, it has over ninety canyons and two thousand miles of shore line. Our
And so with our petrol punishing behemoth we steered towards Camel Back Mountain and our hotel, The Sanctuary. After failing to re-enact the Love Actually Colin scene at the bar of the adjoining restaurant, Elements - one of the city’s finest - we hit down town Scottsdale Phoenix’s upmarket suburb - to observe and document its lauded nightlife. Very nice, is as far as I shall take this matter. To expatiate would be dangerous. Our second stay was with hotel heavy weights the Four Seasons, again in Scottsdale. This chain, as I have experienced, are very good at what they do. The fervent maintenance of their global brand rivals that of Disney and for such, they deserve
Sonoran desert would have passed me by were it not for the eighth hole, when by slicing a shot into the rough, I came head
base was one of the lakes few marinas, Antelope point. Rusty, our skipper and lake expert was going to show us around
to head with a Diamond Back rattle snake. With its rattle working at full pelt, I later learned it was pretty miffed. I was in his way I suppose. After tempting fate with my camera, I left it to its golf watching.
a little. Home for the three of us during the stay was seventy five feet of luxury floating house. Marvellous.
the views were unrelenting... we caught one of the
commercial respect. In this setting, the desert cottages / village theme, if somewhat architecturally contrived, worked well. The service was as good as I have ever seen. So good in fact that when my chum, subsequent to one cocktail too many, fell down the main stair
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As we trickled our way upstate the drama of the land heightened. We saw acute
Using a speed boat - something I’d strongly advise - we managed three canyons, one of which is home to the sacred Rainbow Bridge, a national monument. Sitting
travel
Travel information British Airways offers a seven night fly-drive to Arizona from £620 per person, based on Sept. 2010 departure. Price includes return BA flights from Heathrow to Phoenix and Avis car rental for the duration. Reservations www.ba.com/phoenix or call 0844 493 0758 For more information and to book accommodation at Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa, Scottsdale visit www.sanctuaryaz.com For more information and to book accommodation at the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North, Scottsdale visit www.fourseasons.com/scottsdale For more information and to book accommodation at Best Western Arroyo Roble, Sedona www.bestwesternsedona.com For more information and to book accommodation the Little America Hotel, Flagstaff www.littleamerica.com/flagstaff For more information and to book accommodation at docked houseboat with Forever Resorts, Lake Powell www.antelopepointlakepowell.com For more information and to book accommodation at Canyon Plaza Resort www.grandcanyonplaza.com
Troon North Golf Club, Scottsdale May 31, 2010 - September 26, 2010 For course rates and rental of clubs visit www.troonnorthgolf.com For more information about holidaying in Arizona visit www.arizonaguide.com or call 0207 3670 938
at the foot of Navajo Mountain, it is the jewel in the lakes crown. A close second was the chance to see dinosaur
guitarist was a regular on the lake. The calendar of Christmas 97’, all the way to Lake Powell Arizona here and now – the
footprints. Complimenting the already spectacular scene were a number of buttes dotted around the lake. One of which had particular significance - Jon Bon Jovi filmed his seminal single Blaze of Glory atop of it. Yes it is true, I am a fan. As I extracted more from Rusty on the subject he explained how the band’s
very thought catalysed the pleasure of my stay. An Arizona rock’n’roll moment.
most exhilarating panoramas you are likely to see By now my mind was saturated, but the views were unrelenting. It was dusk and from the top of our boat we caught one of the boldest and most exhilarating panoramas you are likely to see. Triassic
formed, serrated rocks jutting out of the water were made blood red by the setting sun. From there, a red stone vista went all the way to the curvature of the earth. International Life Mars, that’s how it felt. The next day was the Grand Canyon. Where do I start? www.internationallife.tv/travel
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hotels
Borgo Storico Seghetti Panichi
International Life’s Damien Gabet finds out how Italy’s East coast la Marche region is not for everyone. For those who revel in the coupling of bucolic cottage-industry tourism, and a passion for high-culture though, this might be one fantasy escape worth reading about
S
ometimes I think you can tell a lot about the psyche of a people by the look and feel of their petrol stations. In Vietnam, it’s perfectly common to see schools of party seekers using forecourts as dance floors. In small town USA, I’ve seen the stuff of diabetic’s nightmares, sponsored by Hershey’s. The respective significances I shall leave for you to infer. Of these sociological microcosms though, it is Italy’s Benzinaio, that I prefer. Having endured another laughably poor flight with Ryanair to Ancona, we spent a comparatively idyllic hour or two being driven through the rolling hills of the La Marche region. A landscape, on first glance, not dissimilar to that of Tuscany, but found on the lesser known side of Italy’s topographical backbone, the Apennines. Mid-route we stopped for refection and petrol. I ate a sandwich. In London, the only possible way you’d get a sandwich this good is if you saw a Fortnum and Mason sellotaped to the side of an Esso. I saw unhurried, seated customers being served by quiescent staff. Espressos, logoed sunglasses and filter-less cigarettes: my mind caught up with my
senses; the disparate entities concurred. We were in Italy. After a drive just the right side of lengthy, we arrived in La Marche’s Tronto valley and began ascending one of its many lush, pudding-shaped mounts towards our hendecasyllabic guest house, the Borgo Storico Seghetti Panichi. Upon this apex once stood a medieval watch tower used in times of conflict between the various factions of what we now know as the Italian republic. Today an 18th century villa is beset by a botanical garden in a combination that has immediate visual impact. The Borgo is owned and ran by Giulia Panichi Pignatelli and daughter Stefania. This artist-come-hotelier duo has rather an interesting provenance; they both are owners of the titular prefix, Princess.
The property’s embellishment is its garden. A space of considered beauty, it was designed in the 19th century by the revered botanist, Ludvig Winter. As to offset the building’s stylistic austerity, the encompassing romantic space is replete www.internationallife.tv/travel
The austerity I mentioned is in everyway antithetical to the interior. Each guest room is an individual take on chic, Italian classicism. The effect is a design that, through the personality of its owners, bypasses the antiquated feel of some larger - and often more expensive - hotels. Pictures of aristocrats - and the odd king I presume - are coupled with family art. The patina of authenticity over the Borgo
The La Marche region as a whole offers a different take on the Italian holiday as we know it... the food is infinitely better and the scenery makes the Cotswolds shudder with fear It didn’t take me long after meeting them to abandon social grace and ask a little more about their regal background. My question was met with a polite reluctance, which looking back, served to example our host’s approachable nature and comforting modesty.
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with mitigating curves and some of natures more exotic shrubbery. The valley’s unique micro-climate - almost perennially clement - allowed Winter to express his passion for palm trees and place plants that, via electromagnetic energy, are said to have salubrious effects on those exposed. Health-giving I cannot vouch for, but catharsis, oh yes.
is palpable and uncontrived. Belongings tarnished by their use over centuries – I like stuff like that. And so, might I say, does Robert Zemekis. The director of Back to the Future is a regular here. I like stuff like that too. The La Marche region as a whole offers a different take on the Italian holiday as we know it. Yes of course, the food is infinitely better and the scenery makes the Cotswolds shudder with fear, but in comparison, La Marche has a history of art and culture that is quite
hotels The ‘Borgo’ at a glance This luxurious Borgo, once a medieval watchtower and then an 18th century summer retreat, nestles in lush hills beside the Tronto Valley. Views from the sea to the mountains. The early 17th C historic villa, frescoed chapel and conver ted buildings are surrounded by an exotic 19th C. garden and olive grove. Privately owned and managed by the ar tists Princess Giulia Panichi Pignatelli and her daughter Stefania A chic boutique retreat with just 6 gorgeous guest rooms in the Villa and 5 apar tment suites near the pool – considered to be one of the finest small luxury hotels in Italy. Fantastic service levels. ‘You are a guest of the family’. High levels of cuisine blending local and contemporary inspiration. Facilities include a secluded pool, well being area with sauna and a set of rooms that can be used for exhibitions and meetings. Getting to La Marche International air services – flying to Rome, Ancona and Pescara airpor ts Culture & Nature No fast food outlets, outlet and boutique shopping, limited nightlife and no traffic For cultural and eco-tourists and those who enjoy magnificent natural beauty Cultural tours for individuals and groups Food and wine experiences with cooking courses and wine tastings Walks and bicycle rides in the mountains Weddings & Corporate events Activities in the Local Area top: The majestic Borgo Storico Seghetti Panichi top right: Bridge across idyllic 19th C. gardens middle: Secluded outdoor pool bottom left: The Borgo’s chefs prepare local and contempoary dishes bottom right: Beautifully appointed apartments
disproportionate to its size. Furthering the un-Starbucks-ified theme, there are as many as 73 historic theatres, most of which are found in small villages. I went to see a rehearsal at one such playhouse in the hilltop town of Offida; it would be like putting The Prince’s Theatre in Biggleswade. In explanation of the region’s highlights our princess host managed quite without my realising, to switch her Anglo-Italo tongue back and forth. The result for me the recipient, was a bizarre one.
I remember thinking, “cool…this Italian nonsense is easy, I’m a ruddy linguist aren’t I”. Ah, hindsight. Nonetheless, it felt like a deftly exercised process of inclusion and served to add to the romance of the setting. Keep an ear out for it when you go. If you want to escape, or elope, or eat well, or imbibe high-culture or just hang out with royalty somewhere where you definitely won’t find a 24hr PC World, you’ll like it here. www.seghettipanichi.it
Visit Ascoli Piceno, a little known jewel of medieval and Renaissance Italian architecture. Tour the local medieval hill towns of Offida, Fermo and Loreto, seeking out paintings by Renaissance masters and eighty old opera houses. Relax on the beaches in San Benedetto del Tronto and Grottammare and eat local seafood specialities. Hike in the Sibillini Mountains, including the notorious Gorge of Hell and Monte Vettore (2476m). Shop for local crafts such as lace weaving and leather work or for known local labels as Tod’s, Cesare Paciotti, Prada. Borgo Storico Seghetti Panichi Via San Pancrazio, 1 63031 Castel di Lama – Ascoli Piceno T: 0039.0736.812552 F: 0039.0736.814528 info@seghettipanichi.it www.seghettipanichi.it. www.internationallife.tv/travel
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luxury brands
right: Mustards of the world. A selection from France, England and Japan
How do you BEcome the owner of the world’s oldest trading company? International Life’s Peter Doherty talks to Sanjiv Mehta about his four hundred year old odyssey
and artisans wasted little time locating to the main hubs of Bombay, Calcutta and Madras to do business with the Company and the colonials.
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n the early 17th century the Mughal Emperor Nuruddin Salim Jahangir happily signed a commercial treaty that gave the East India Company exclusive rights to reside and build factories in Gujurat. In return, the Company offered to provide the Emperor with goods and rarities from the European market. The deal was highly successful. The British got their foot in the door and never closed it again until 1947. Moral of the story: beware strangers bearing gifts.
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The East India Company transacted commerce by royal grant at its foundation in 1600, monopolising all English trade to Asia. The Company’s commercial might involved three thousand shareholders with over twenty ships a year sent to Asia. Annual sales in London were worth up to £2 million. Elected shareholders ran the Company’s operations from its headquarters in the City of London. Very organised. How British. India, with its sophisticated economy, raw materials and skilled workforce became the focal point of the Company’s trade with woven cotton, raw silk, sugar, tea, indigo dye and even opium all primed for export to Britain. Indian merchants
Somewhere along the line its commercial core got hijacked to meet British military objectives and by the start of the 19th century the East India Company’s influence and stranglehold over India had extended northwards to Delhi and ultimately, was to consume the entire nation. It wasn’t until 1858 that the company was eventually absorbed into the Raj and finally extinguished in 1873. What started out as a series of trading outposts grew into a mighty trojan horse for the titled British and their imperialist agenda. Now the legendary East India Company is to make a glamorous return with its flagship store opening in Mayfair in 2010 and with its intentions solely on the trading side in line with its original ethos.
luxury brands
When I say unknown and exotic I mean... cinnamon leaf milk chocolate or milk chocolate with sea salt, cherry chocolate and chilli biscuits, peach and armagnac marmalade
his family diamond trading business. But jump to 1988 and Sanjiv’s enthusiasm goes into overdrive as he recounts setting up a commodities trading house in London with a special interest in metals, crude oil, plastics, sugar, coffee and tea. This prompted an encounter with dormant giant; The East India Company. It’s a brand that is embedded in the consciousness of the British and Asian populace throughout the world. Let’s do the maths... that’s one in three people on the planet. The dynamic, driving force behind this visionary concept is Sanjiv Mehta, an unashamedly ambitious entrepreneur from India. He exudes a cosmopolitan air which gives you the impression he could assimilate just about anywhere. His comments are informed and intelligent. He’s a straight ‘A’ student on his brand and converses with the authority of a professor. Sanjiv is building the East India Company’s legacy of bringing the unknown and exotic to the UK in the form of fine foods from around the world; luxury teas, coffees, chocolate, marmalades & chutneys, spices, biscuits and sweets. When I say unknown and exotic I mean combinations like cinnamon leaf milk chocolate or milk chocolate with sea salt, cherry chocolate and chilli biscuits, peach and armagnac marmalade. Intriguing. So how did Sanjiv Mehta come to own the world’s oldest trading company? He recalls graduating from Mumbai University in finance in 1982 and studying Gemmology in preparation for a role in
Having grasped the nettle, he spent eighteen months acquiring the brand with assets including a book publishing business and tea packaging facilities. In 2005 Sanjiv became the sole owner of The East India Company, travelling the world in search of first hand information about his acquisition. What distinguishes Sanjiv, is his understanding of the machinations of luxury brands. He is animated talking about values like authenticity and innovation and dispels the idea of any power trip by astutely describing his role as ‘custodian’ of this evolving brand and its four century old story. When Sanjiv talks about bringing together ‘passionate pioneers and artisans from around the world to deliver outstanding products with remarkable connections at its heart’, I find myself reaching for the blueprint of the original company. The difference now is it’s under Indian proprietary. So why did this once mighty entity languish for so long, relegated to the pages of school history books. I’m all too aware that because of the East India Company’s complex colonial past
below: Sanjiv Mehta, owner of The East India Company left: Proposed instore layout with tasting area far left: An extensive range of exotic blended tea
it is only in recent years that the dust has settled sufficiently for it to be evaluated in a more measured way. In fact, having lived in India myself, I can only imagine an Indian or expat residing there, being able to fully grasp its significance and realise its incredible potential. In my experience of working with luxury brands, launching the right brand at the right time with a solid team is key. After that an element of good fortune is required. It appears that Sanjiv has all three and global brand recognition even before he’s started. That’s pure gold. He believes the brand ‘is capable of bringing together origin, product and historical connections like no other organisation in the world’. That’s quite a claim but can be supported vigorously with its colourful history and Britain’s abiding fraternal relationship with India which manifests itself not only through the Indian diaspora but through words, customs and cuisine that both countries share and embrace as their own. This is a business with the weight of history and empire behind it. With that comes the weight of expectation. It’s something this shrewd operator is very conscious of. One might say at this point, having got so far without even opening a store, it’s his to lose. Before our meeting concludes I’m treated to a display of product packaging and an exciting array of visuals mapping out his vision for the store. It will be an assault on the senses with images, textures, colours, sounds and food tastings. It’s hugely impressive. The narrative and heritage is communicated with modernity and clarity. The East India Company has real soul and that core has been nurtured rather than submerged like so many makeovers. This is a human brand. A brand with a million stories, spanning four centuries. The next chapter continues in Conduit St, Mayfair in August 2010. www.internationallife.tv/business
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film
Dame Helen Mirren is a thespian heavyweight on both sides of the Atlantic. Needless to say, her diary is as packed as her trophy cabinet, so it’s any wonder she ever has time to be interviewed. She did, so here’s what she has to say about movie legends, Russian novelists and great scripts.
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t’s a career punctuated by spellbinding roles in Cal, The Madness of King George and Gosford Park – with Oscar nominations for the latter two. Her eponymous performance in The Queen brought her both a Best Actress BAFTA and an Academy Award, while her television oeuvre is defined by Emmy victories and yet more BAFTAs. In 2003 the wife of film director Taylor Hackford was made a Dame Commander for her services to drama. Seven years later she picked up a Golden Globe nomination for her potent performance as Leo ‘War and Peace’ Tolstoy’s spouse, Sofya, in Michael Hoffman’s acclaimed film, The Last Station. Obviously then she’s the epitome of screen royalty, whether sitting in Steven Frears’ Buckingham Palace or engaging with Peter Greenaway’s extra-marital Thatcherite allegory; The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover. So, with the red carpet rolled out, International Life welcomes Dame Helen Mirren to its pages… Was your own Russian heritage in any way integral to the decision to take on this role? HM: No, what was integral to me becoming involved in this film was a wonderful script that Michael Hoffman sent me. It’s not often that you receive a script that you don’t have to fiddle with. It was a great role, I just said yes immediately. I think it was subsequently, especially when I started shooting and I found myself on the set kind of standing [as if] in one of the photographs I had from my family in Russia, that it really came home to me. But before, no. You share a wonderful chemistry with Christopher Plummer as your screen husband. How easy was that to bring to the screen? HM: Well I was quite intimidated by the thought of working with Christopher, although he had been in a film of my husband’s called Dolores Claiborne so I
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A royal engagement had met him. Taylor and I would always go and see him when he was in the theatre, because I think he is one of the great living actors. But because of that, because of his history, I was intimidated. I made sure that I sat and chatted with Christopher during all my spare time on the set. And as with all great actors he’s incredibly modest and humble and communicable and un-egotistical so it was very easy to get to know him. I love him very much. And I think his performance is extraordinary. I think of it as a towering performance delivered in such a minimalistic way, an amazing piece of work.
HM: I warmed to Michael’s version of Sofya, definitely. I never saw that archive footage of them that we see at the end until I saw the movie. I thought ‘oh my God, maybe I’ve missed something there,’ because she has such an amazing presence in that little film. She’s like a big ship travelling through everything. Maybe I missed that out, I don’t know. I just did what Michael gave me, along with Jay, and portrayed it truthfully and honestly.
What research did you do into the character, of Sofya, and how close to Tolstoy’s wife is this interpretation?
HM: Yes, the trick or the necessity is to make the people – these iconic, historical people that we’ve all read reference books about – real. Whether human or silly, absurd or emotional or moving, just to make them as real as possible.
HM: I’m afraid to say I did absolutely no research whatsoever, partly because I’m extremely lazy, and also because I was working right up to three days before I started shooting so I really had no time. I trusted that Jay [Parini, author of the source book] and Michael [Hoffman] had done the research and I treated the script as a piece of fiction, if you like. Sometimes if you research things it can really throw you off course.
Is the way in to playing iconic characters, people who are real, finding something you can relate to in their lives?
With things like The Queen you have to research. But I think sometimes it throws you off course because you’ll see something that’s anomalous in the research to the work that you’re doing, and you’ll go to the director and say ‘I didn’t think she’d do that because I read this and she wasn’t like that’. Better to have a really good script, as we did, and take from what’s on the page.
My character is without doubt an operatic character, that’s what she is and that’s how she operates. The irony is that while a lot of people ask me about my Russian ancestry and how it influenced me, Sofya is a lot more like my English working class mum from West Ham than she is like my old Russian dad from Smolensk. People are people the world over, and the necessity was not to present these characters in such a way that you don’t identify with them and you don’t feel alienated by them, like you were watching some weird historical film. One of my favourite lines in the film is; ‘of course it’s work. I’m the work of your life and you are the work of my life’. I think that’s such a wonderfully truthful statement about marriage and relationships.
Did you warm to Sofya during the course of the shoot?
The Last Station is out now on DVD and Blu Ray, courtesy of Optimum Releasing.
film
The budget is out, the battle lines have been drawn and the BFI’s new film centre on the Southbank has lost its government funding. international life’s martin gutteridge hewitt caught up with Nick Mason Pearson, the man responsible for press at the world’s premier motion picture archive to ask what happens next…
Our policy of digitising film is…groundbreaking. We …restored a 1903 Cecil Hepworth version of Alice in Wonderland, and put …it on you tube… within a week 800,000…had downloaded it. Nick mason pearson The £45 million investment from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport has gone. How can you adapt to deal with this?
and providing roots in to understanding film in different contexts from both a British perspective and World Cinema point of view.
NM: Well, we had anticipated the cuts to come our way, but when you see the extent of the cuts on paper, it’s still a real shock. The film centre had been planned, and worked on by many people, with serious investment already having taken place, so obviously it’s a big blow.
So how can the BFI prove itself to be worthy of public spending?
For now we face much tougher challenges, so we need to get ready for those. Ongoing cuts in public spending will no doubt continue to effect us, so really we’re looking forward and thinking about what the BFI needs to be, what kind of shape do we need to be in to secure our future. We can lick our wounds over the film centre, or move forward and identify our current priorities. There are significant concerns that film is taking the brunt of the Department’s cuts, what are your thoughts? NM: These cuts have to be made. That’s obvious, but it’s also obviously a major concern for us. We have focused on what Ed Vaizey has alluded to with regard to his and the new government’s commitment for and to film. We absolutely want to be part of that, and we want to see the best possible outcome for the film industry, and film culture. It has been implied in interpretations of the government’s current strategy that it’s really just support for the industry. But film culture must be a part of that. We are a bedrock in terms of inspiring creativity
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NM: Before you might have thought the BFI was primarily driven by the archive, which was very much about protecting and
storing work like a repository. But what’s the point if you can’t take anything out? We’ve spent a long time ensuring that we point outwards, giving people access to the archive. Look at things like Screen Online, which is freely available in over 40,000 schools, colleges, universities and public libraries. We were the first archive to give people access to materials online in this way. After four or five years this is now being copied internationally. Our policy of digitising film is also groundbreaking. We recently restored a 1903 Cecil Hepworth version of Alice in Wonderland, and put a snippet of it on You Tube. The New York Times featured it on the front page, and within a week 800,000 people had downloaded it. So there is an audience out there, and we are directly catering to them. The London Film Festival is a great example, where every year we act as a
barometer for World Cinema. In many cases this is the first and last time British audiences will have the chance to see a film, because without our intervention a lot of international films would not be distributed here in the UK. That’s what we are and have always been about. What do you hope for the BFI’s future? NM: Mainly more cinemas taking and exhibiting our films, and materials from the BFI. We have probably the busiest film archive in the world, and certainly the most significant in terms of holdings. Around 12,000 prints are loaned from us each year to 640 or 650-odd cinemas in the UK. We would like to see this grow, and bring cultural, historical, World and British cinema to wider audiences for more to appreciate.
film As the voice of a generation he was a rebel, a liberal, a revolutionary thinker and substance abuser. International Life’s Rhiannon Williams pays tribute to the original Easy Rider, Dennis Hopper, and explores the troubled life of a true cinematic icon.
Born to be Wild
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hen the unconventional, iconoclastic director and actor passed away aged 74 in May after battling prostate cancer he no longer represented the archetypal ‘cool’ rebel. He was now a man falling apart, a mess motivated by drugs and alcohol.
Coming from a formal Shakespearean background, Hopper spent his early career enamoured by his Rebel Without A Cause co-star James Dean. In the wake of Dean’s tragic 1955 death in a car crash, Hopper returned to acting education and in 1969 directed and starred alongside Peter Fonda and a young Jack Nicholson in the infamous Easy Rider. Now regarded by many as the ultimate social commentary on ‘60s non-conformity and ingrained American prejudice, Easy Rider cost around $360 000 to make but took over $19 million on release. It remains Hopper’s innovatively directed swansong to those left angry and disillusioned by the vacuous lie that was the American Dream, and it struck a chord with the young revolutionary audience. Even the very outfits of Fonda’s Wyatt and Hopper’s Billy represent polar opposites of American culture. Moustachioed Billy, clad in buckskin and cowboy hat, is symbolic of a crushed Native American Indian culture. And then there’s Wyatt, whose resplendent stars and stripes and emblazoned leather are endemic amongst the US’s patriotic oppressors. Hopper rejected the American Dream vehemently, living by his own rules at his own expense. John Wayne famously masterminded Hopper’s re-induction into Hollywood after hiring him for a role in The Sons of Katie Elder. A brave gamble given that Hopper had alienated and angered many with his increasingly erratic and tempestuous drug fuelled behaviour. In 1986 he won the role of Frank Booth, the nightmarish addict, pervert and rapist in David Lynch’s Blue Velvet. Hopper
reportedly phoned Lynch after reading the script, stating: “You have to let me play Frank Booth. Because I am Frank Booth.” Given the huge acclaim the film received and the once-flagging career that it revived, it was a point well made. Hopper’s cinematic career was a notorious mixed bag, from mainstream successes like Speed, Blue Velvet and True Romance to high-octane flops Waterworld and Super Mario Brothers. His role as a crazed photojournalist documenting the Vietnam War in Apocalypse Now was based on real life journalist Sean Flynn, son of Errol, who was captured by guerrilla forces in Cambodia in 1970 never to return. Hopper brought a frenzied energy, often grappling the inner demons of the many disturbed characters he portrayed with such measured assurance, suggesting their problems became his own. As an uneasy icon, he will be remembered for his problematic nature and difficult relationships with women and intoxicants almost as much as for his presence that penetrated our screens. It’s arguable, without too much imagination needed, that if it weren’t for Easy Rider, road movies would have left their contemporary, psychedelic tendencies unrealised, such is the impact of the film. And the link goes much further than this. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Terry Gilliam’s cinematic retelling of Hunter S Thompson’s semi-autobiographical, cult 1971 novel, is perhaps the ultimate ‘trip’ to take, in or out of a vehicle. Prior to the 1998 film, when asked who would play Thompson in a film version, the author himself expressed his desire for Hopper to play the role that Johnny Depp bagged. Thompson recalls the ‘60s as “fast and dangerous times” where people “lived in fast and dangerous ways.” This also provides some summary to a life built on, and in perpetual pursuit of escapism. Dennis Hopper, a man truly born to be wild, we salute you.
Love Child: Rushes Short Film Festival
Film festivals. The ones to watch Rushes Short Film Festival; Soho, London, UK; July 21st-30th 70 films from 23 countries, each costing between £50 and $2.5 million, showing at 55 screenings is great. Running 40 events in the background is even better, and making most of it free is the icing on the cake. Add a postcode shared with major international distributors and you realise Rushes is an instant nominee for Britain’s coolest cinematic celebration. www.sohoshorts.com Detours Super 8 Film Festival; Oia, Santorini, Greece; August 27-29th The Super 8 camera revolutionised filmmaking at the grass roots level, and is still used today by directors looking for a natural look unaffected by digital trickery. So where better to watch their work than on a sun baked island with a population of roughly 10,000? A timeless location, perfect for the appreciation of film’s somewhat simpler side. www.festivaldetours.org Venice International Film Festival; Venice, Italy; September 1st-11th It’s still a few months away but by booking now you’ll guarantee yourself a place. One of Europe’s premier film festivals, Venice celebrates 67 years of red carpets and champagne par ties this year, so expect the usual Venetian sophisticates attending the plethora of screenings on offer. Quentin Tarantino is the 2010 International Jury chair, and John Woo will be graciously accepting the Golden Lion Lifetime Achievement Award. www.labiennale.org/en/cinema Melbourne International Film Festival; Melbourne, Australia; July 22nd- August 8th One month after the city bids farewell to its animation festival the cinema doors are again flung open to welcome an estimated 190,000 cinephiles to Australia’s largest and most acclaimed programme of film. After 59 successful years it’s one of the oldest majors in the world, though its spirit remains youthful. Chris Morris’ controversial comedy Four Lions and a documentary about international techno DJ Ricardo Villalobos both feature, proving this point. www.melbournefilmfestival.com.au/index.php
The Road Home: Rushes Short Film Festival
www.internationallife.tv/film-movies
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jewellery
Perlée ring, pink gold £1,200
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate: Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer’s lease hath all too short a date
Dentelle ring, white gold and diamonds £9,100
JewellerY BY
Van Cleef & Arpels WORDS FROM
Sonnet 18 Perlée bracelet, pink gold with diamond Alhambra £14,300
BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
Rose de Noël earclips, white mother of pearl, yellow gold and round diamonds £12,700
Magic Alhambra 6 motif necklace, white gold and diamonds £4,500
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jewellery All jewellery Van Cleef & Arpels Van Cleef & Arpels boutique 9 New Bond St, London W1 020 7493 0400 www.vancleef-arpels.com Dentelle High Jewellery watch white gold and diamonds Price on Application
Magic Alhambra, 3 motif earclips, yellow gold, white mother of pearl, grey mother of pearl and onyx £3,850
Magic Alhambra, 4 motif earclips, yellow gold and white mother of pearl £5,750
Cosmos clip, white gold and diamonds £34,100
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jewellery
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he Treasure exhibition in Victoria House, Bloomsbury showcased the wares of some ninety innovative designers to London’s jewellery enthuisiasts and glitterati during Jewellery Week. Defined as a platform for the very best in British contemporary jewellery design, this was a selection of some of the most innovative work around.
Wrapping up the success of London Jewellery Week this June, was a unique selling exhibition highlighting creations by up-and-coming BRITISH designers and brands. Treasure, was this year’s show stopping event and gave its 5000 plus revellers and International Life’s Natalie Wallace, a unique shopping experience…
Highlights were design collective, Design Space, a group run by the City Council in Birmingham involving jewellery artist Penelope Batley, whose large Big Bling necklace sculptures were playful. Her work serves to remind us that jewellery can blur lines between fashion and art.
‘a phoenix taking off, leaving a trail of feathers in its wake’, it conveys a feeling of elegance and mystery.
In the world of couture, Swarovski Runway Rocks presented catwalk jewellery
Furthering the aviation theme Selwood’s Butterfly Effect range is centred around the
pieces by designers such as Christopher Kane and Manish Arora. The two examples serve to highlight the pleasing eclecticism of the exhibition.
idea of butterfly’s wings creating ripples across the world.
Yumeko Yamada, part of the JeDeCo collective displayed her quite stunning collection Wings of Desire, inspired by the different stages of flight. The collection included feather cuffs with elegant but realistic detailing and art deco style earrings with a constructive edge, inspired by the wings of propeller aircraft. Just as impressive were the collections by Kimberley Selwood who last year was a finalist in the UK Jewellery Awards. Inspired by natural forms, Selwood pays particular attention to texture and pattern. This is superbly executed in the Float Away sterling silver necklace, part of her Plume collection. Described by the designer as
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Exploring the concepts that inspire the work engenders a greater appreciation of jewellers creations beyond the mere aesthetic. This is where Treasure excels, allowing the buyer to find a piece that is pertinent and meaningful to them and thus helping to build an understanding and relationship with its creator. Paying homage to this notion was Mah Rana’s exhibition entitled Meanings and Attachments which aimed to portray the emotional bond between jewellery and the wearer. For the aesthetes, there was fabulous sculptural jewellery by Ute Decker, with her rings being the statement pieces. Made from ethically sourced silver and the least
toxic chemicals, the rings are structured pieces of metal, bent into shape to curl around the fingers or effortlessly stand on top of the hand. At first glance one wonders how the pieces are supposed to be worn as one grapples with the minimalist,
functional style and eccentric edge. For the traditionalists, diamond grader and designer Cindy Dennis Mangan, from Dennis and Lavery, showcased a pendant inspired by the Royal Ballet’s Swan Lake. The combination of the grace of the dying swan with the elegance of the ballerina, (Darcy Bussell) made for quite an emotive piece. Treasure is an eclectic platform for the visionaries, traditionalists, minimalists and conceptual thinkers of jewellery. What makes it so important is its willingness to showcase the ‘new’ and emerging talent that is the lifeblood of this industry, thus helping to reinforce the (deserved), international status that British Jewellery Design has for so long enjoyed.
ADVERTORIAL
THE ULTIMATE IN
ITALIAN STYLE This year PAL ZILERI, the well-known international tailoring brand, celebrates its 30th anniversary
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his year, Pal Zileri, the Italian menswear label, known for its classic styles with a contemporary edge, celebrates its 30th anniversary. As their creative design director, Yvan Benbanaste, explains, ‘Pal Zileri is all about tradition, quality and a certain nostalgia for an era of exquisite tailoring. We bring these core values into a diverse and understandable range of everyday suiting, casual-wear and tailoring.’ Professional ethics, passion and skill create clothes that faithfully interpret the style of their international customers: these are the qualities that characterise the business vision that aspires to the excellence that comes from a tailor’s workshop. The key to Pal Zileri’s success lies in the balance of these two elements to be a brand that fully expresses Italy’s dominance and confidence in the arena of classic tailoring. Pal Zileri’s Concept range interprets menswear for outside the office, where the designer’s hallmark is combined with a structure characterised by innovative details. Here, the high quality of the materials is matched by the quest for new colours and new finishing treatments in the cloth. Quality and refinement find their most effective means of expression in the Sartoriale collection. The application of the collar, the top stitching on the inner lining and open cuffs and the camel underlining are all details that have been created and developed through meticulous traditional workmanship, done entirely by hand.
These elements produce garments that are quite perfect to wear. Only the finest materials, such as cashmeres, silks, linens and wools are used. Pal Zileri thinks of the finishing touches too, and to complete the look, provides an extensive leather luggage range, handmade leather shoes, Murano glass cuffl inks and fine wool and cashmere scarves. There is also a Pal Zileri fragrance line with four scents – Viaggio d’Africa, Cashmere e Ambra, Colonia Purissima and Blu di Provenza; all enhance the effortless understated chic so natural to Pal Zileri. THE STORES Pal Zileri has many international followers such as Daniel Dubiecki, 44 HANS CRESCENT Mickey Rourke, Michael Owen, London SW1 020 7225 2999 Tom Chambers and Ben Barnes, to 125 NEW BOND name but a few. STREET Pal Zileri is now distributed in Mayfair, London W1 over 70 nations with more than 140 020 7493 9711 flagship stores and premium stores CERIMONIA 16 Brook Street, across the world. London W1 020 7493 2280
HARVEY NICHOLS London, Leeds, Manchester and Edinburgh WESTFIELD LONDON The Luxury Village, White City PAL ZILERI AND LAB.PAL ZILERI 020 8749 2820
www.palzileri.com
international property | french riviera
S t T R O P E Z - F re n c h R i v i er a
St Tropez
Ref VANILLE
FOR SALE : €8.4 M
Stunning 350m² Villa with a generous 4,000m² of land The villa is composed of: • large living room (with sea view) • dining area • equipped kitchen • large master suite at the first level with bathroom
• 4 guest bedrooms with bathrooms ensuite and dressings • Garage : 100 m² • Laundry room • Wine cellar • Security system (outside and inside)
Tél : 33.(0).6.88.03.57.01 Fax 33.(0).4.94.97.76.52 www.jetset-agency.com thierry@jetset-agency.com R.C.S Saint-Tropez n° : 411 793 367 6 rue de l’annonciade & 10 Z.A Saint-Claude – 83990 Saint-Tropez Carte T n° : 4696 Carte G n° : 1965 Garantie S.N.P.I
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O MONACO!
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Navy Collegiate knit bomber £297 by McQueen from mywardrobe.com White fitted shirt by Helmut Lang £162 from mywardrobe.com SOUPOLAI blue/white striped trousers £250 by Paul and Joe, www.paulandjoe.com, 33 Floral Street, London WC2 0207 835 3388 White with brown brown leather cut out detail loafer £330 by Canali, 121-122 New Bond Street W1 Photographed by Yves de Contades
It’s the way a man chooses to limit himself that determines his characteR. Luke Rhinehart, The Dice Man
We’ve been on a journey. A fantasy journey that weaveD unerringly down a magical coastline. We gambleD in Monte Carlo, partied in Nice, hovered above Antibes, cruised the beNtley into st tropez harbour to our private mooring, set sail, then house hunted in gassin. merci LA Côte d’azur
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hat mesmerising odyssey that navigates Monte Carlo, Nice, Antibes, Cannes, the almost mythical St Tropez, idyllic Gassin and Ramutuelle has been dubbed ‘millionaires playground’, ‘the garden of the rich’ and is sanctuary to many a Formula One racing driver and tax exile. We know it as the French Riviera. The lucky ones simply call it ‘home’. In just under two hours we arrived at Nice airport, the change in weather could not be more dramatic, rain in Heathrow, cloudless sunshine in the South of France. We were escorted swiftly to the waiting helicopter >> www.internationallife.tv/travel
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Red/white checked wool silk jacket £700 by Canali, 121-122 New Bond Street W1. Multi coloured striped cotton shirt £185 by Etro, 0207 495 5767 Light pink 4 pockets cotton suit trousers £450 by Salvatore Ferragamo, 24 Old Bond Street W1. 0207 629 5007 Orange patent lace up leather brogues £265 by Salvatore Ferragamo, 24 Old Bond Street W1. 0207 629 5007 Black plastic sunglasses with gold band by Marcolin Photographed by Yves de Contades
Heliport de Monaco
Basically, my life is so boring, it’s embarRassing. I would love to be a jet-setter, flying off to parties in New York and Monte Carlo. Hugh Grant >> after some very minor formalities, very different from the bureaucracy and procedure of Heathrow.
landed at the heliport where our car was waiting. We took the fabulous Bentley Continental GTC Convertible, roof down, gleaming in the sunshine, sitting majestically The pilot is an old friend and very charming yards from the helipad. so the flight was delightful. He took us along the coastal scenic route and we It is the ultimate marriage of luxury and
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speed. The design is understated for a sports car but the subtle shape conveys quite clearly you are in one of the most powerful cars in the world. Ignition on, I’m hooked. We cruised into Monte Carlo, along the familiar Formula One racing route, great to
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Navy cotton chine pullover £102 by John Smedley, 0870 803 7737 Blue/white stripe jacket by Huntsman, www.h-huntsman.com Photographed by Yves de Contades
The Monte Carlo Casino refused to admit me until I was properly dressed so I went and found my stockings, and then came back and lost my shirt. Dorothy Parker
do even if the local speed restrictions have to be obeyed. We booked into the Hotel Metropole, just off the Place de La Casino, one of the finest hotels on the Cote D’Azure. You turn into a long cobbled drive lined with fountains
and trees which belies its placement at the centre of town. The staff are waiting to park the car in a secure underground car park and bags whisked off the room. The Metropole Hotel itself is classic Monaco, the perfect set for Audrey
Hepburn or Brigitte Bardot, with exquisite architecture that enshrines the 50’s and 60’s immortalised in so many films from that period. It is a quintessential high life hotel. Bond would stay here, no doubt. You could party and gamble at the Fairmont but you would stay at the Metropole, though >> www.internationallife.tv/travel
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When I photograph women… my philosophy is … background, she has a world of her own that is sea or wherever I fancy to put her… Basically Helmut Newton >> I doubt if Her Majesty’s secret service would foot the bill. After a relaxing spa appointment we had drinks at the hotel bar in the company of a crowd that were pure Euro trash - ages from twenty to eighty were represented, often in one couple…
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We then took our places at the Joel Robuchon Hotel Restaurant. Robuchon, the world renowned chef and Christophe Cussac, head chef, prepared culinary delights, cooked in authentic mediterranean style. One of Joel’s signatures is the Pomme Puree “mash potato”, which many swear is the best in the world. We were
tipped off about his special ten course menu Decouverte; a heavenly journey through all the incredible flavours of the meditarranean. Recommended. On to a little debauchery, we strolled out to the Place de La Casino and tried out the Casino de Monte Carlo. The place to go
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left: Red Classic Mesh Polo £39.00 Lyle & Scott @ mywardrobe.com Navy Theodo Waffle knit cardigan £160 by Veloure @ my wardrobe.com Cream wool/silk trousers by Canali, 121-122 New Bond Street W1. White spotted silk scarf £87 by Paul Smith @ mywardrobe.com Silver with grey design and leather lace up shoe £295 by Etro, 0297 495 5767 Sunglasses from a selection by DSquared, 01635 277 299 photographed by Yves de Contades
above: Metropole Hotel top floor Sky blue fine canvas cotton trousers £125 by Gieves and Hawkes No1 Savile Row, London W1. 0207 434 2001 www.gievesandhawkes.com Grey with deep v silk jumper £159 by Salvatore Ferragamo, 24 Old Bond Street W1. 0207 629 5007 Brown belt £359 by Salvatore Ferragamo, 24 Old Bond Street W1. 0207 629 5007 Dark brown crocodile leather loafer £969 by Salvatore Ferragamo, 24 Old Bond Street W1. 0207 629 5007
a woman doesn’t live against a white paper studio either in her house, in the street, in a car, by the Monte-Carlo and it’s surroundings are my studio. and be seen, built by the architect Charles Garnier who also created the Paris Opera. The gambling and socialising combined to form an electric atmosphere that rounded off the evening perfectly. The next day we drove the Bentley Continental GTC Speed Convertible
around the cinematic hilltops of Monte Carlo. It was extraordinary how each view point recalled a classic film panorama.
He’s a great chef and infamous raconteur, imparting outrageous stories with great warmth and humour.
Lunch was preceded by a calming dip at the hotel. L’Argentin restaurant was our destination, run by the colourful Maryon Gandon, at The Fairmont Hotel.
After lunch it was off to the museum Oceanographique founded by Albert the 1st of Monaco. His biggest prize is on display, caught rather impressively in the >> www.internationallife.tv/travel
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feature international | french property riviera | french riviera
ST TRopez - French Riviera
Gassin
Ref BOUGAINVILLIER
FOR SALE / FOR RENT
Large property with an incredible sea view overlooking the famous village of Saint-Tropez... Villa: 450m2 Land: 1,750m2 The villa is composed • of: • large living room with dining area • full equipped kitchen • 3 master suites with dressing and bathroom ensuite (one with hammam) • 2 guest bedrooms with 1 share shower room • Extra outside room with summer dining area and bar • 2 extra rooms + study + 1 bathroom under the roof and with balconies • garage, parking for 2 cars • security (outside / inside)
Tél : 33.(0).6.88.03.57.01 Fax 33.(0).4.94.97.76.52 www.jetset-agency.com thierry@jetset-agency.com R.C.S Saint-Tropez n° : 411 793 367 6 rue de l’annonciade & 10 Z.A Saint-Claude – 83990 Saint-Tropez Carte T n° : 4696 Carte G n° : 1965 Garantie S.N.P.I
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Cream with front pocket stretch cotton buttoned cardigan £750 by Canali, 121-122 New Bond Street W1. Cream wool/silk trousers £180 by Canali, 121-122 New Bond Street W1. Multi cotton striped belt £48 by Anderson @mywardrobe.com Cream with brown leather band panama straw hat by Lacoste (£80 available directly from Lacoste) Dark brown crocodile leather loafer £969 by Salvatore Ferragamo, 24 Old Bond Street W1. 0207 629 5007
I couldn’t really see the point of having lunch unless it started at one and ended a week later in Monte Carlo. Arthur Smith
>> days of old fashioned wooden harpoons and rickety wooden long boats. We stopped at the port of Monaco for tea on a friends chrome super boat and watched in fascination as four of his staff
spent twenty five minutes discussing the plumping of six cushions out on the deck seats. That’s detail. Now we’re off on a personal treasure hunt to St Tropez to fulfill the primary purpose
of this trip, which is to find a fabulous second home. Synonymous with 70’s glamour, St Tropez is now enjoying its own little renaissance after influential A-listers returned, like P. Diddy who moored the ‘Christina O’ back in 2005. >> www.internationallife.tv/travel
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feature international | french property riviera | french riviera
ST TRopez - French Riviera
Ramatuelle
Ref Girelane
FOR SALE €4.75M
Villa near Club 55 with sea view, at only 800 metres from the beaches of Pampelonne Villa: 180m2 + garage 100 m2 and possibility to extend 50 m2. Landscaped garden: 1,975m2 with swimming pool The villa is composed of: • entrance - living room opening on to a covered terrace • full equipped kitchen with cellar • BBQ area on the terrace • 4 bedrooms • 4 bathrooms
Tél : 33.(0).6.88.03.57.01 Fax 33.(0).4.94.97.76.52 www.jetset-agency.com thierry@jetset-agency.com R.C.S Saint-Tropez n° : 411 793 367 6 rue de l’annonciade & 10 Z.A Saint-Claude – 83990 Saint-Tropez Carte T n° : 4696 Carte G n° : 1965 Garantie S.N.P.I
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feature | french riviera >> Locals talk ‘discreetly’ of Eva Longoria and Tony Parker’s pre-wedding bash, Sir Elton and partner David Furnish lunching at the fashionable Club 55 and thoroughly modern trio of Liz Hurley, ex-partner Hugh Grant and husband Arun Nayer, pitching up. There were also chuckles at Roman Abramovich’s yacht being too big to moor at the harbour. But conspicuous celebs mean this is July and August and high season. Away from the celeb spotting, I recommend cultural gems which include the Musee Naval in the 16th century citadel or the stunning collection of works by Signac and Derain at the Musee de l’Annonciade. We based ourselves at The Villa Marie in Ramatuelle, just above St Tropez, a haven of calm away from the hustle, set within three-hectares of pine forest and overlooking the Bay of Pampelonne. Pampelonne beach itself seems a world away from the formality, security and decadent glamour of St Tropez. It’s almost the antithesis with its shroud of vineyards and farms and easy going natural landscape. But wait, it still attracts the A-list sans the velvet rope. You’ll be mixing it with die hard visitors Robert De Niro, George Michael or Paris Hilton. Very recently Prince Albert II of Monaco and fiancée Charlene Wittstock were ‘papped’ taking a stroll along the nudist beach of Pampelonne (clothed). We spent our first day house hunting, looking at one gorgeous property after another with a quick stop for lunch at the Cinquante Cinq on Pampelonne beach. George Clooney at the next table kept the ladies very happy, simply as a view of course, rather than anything more involved.
top three pictures: St Tropez’s stunnimg waterfront, a beacon for the glamorous middle right: People watching on the promenade in St Tropez above: The secluded intimacy of Gassin village with vistas across St Tropez right: Mooring the yacht in St Tropez photographed by Yves de Contades
The next stop was charming Gassin, a beautiful hilltop village that overlooks St Tropez and the sea. I’ve spent many vacations there with friends growing up and acquiring a second home would be a thrill. The area has so many incredible restaurants and bars and a marvellous pace of life, offering calm relaxation and glamorous excitement in equal measure.
with your pad in the capital is pointless. The sheer amount of living space is quite overwhelming for any city dweller.
In Gassin, extravagantly spacious villas (450 m²) with land spanning 1,750 m² were priced well under €5 million. There seemed to be panoramic sea views as standard and even vistas down on to the picturesque village of Saint-Tropez. At this point making mental comparisons
I was trying not to marvel at the large vast rooms with generous dining area, familiar country style kitchens and three or more master suites with dressing and bathroom ensuite. The thought of entertaining friends never seemed so much fun when I saw the accompanying guest bedrooms. Ramatuelle and St Tropez give you easy access to the beach, whereas Gassin is slightly inland and may offer more seclusion and intimacy. Villas typically range from €4 million with the amount
of accompanying land one of the main factors driving prices. We ate in the main square in Ramatuelle that evening and relaxed with some great local red wines. It was back to Monaco to pick up some friends at the Novotel Hotel, which is just up the road from the Place du Casino, without doubt the best value for money in Monte Carlo, and had a few drinks by the pool and then on to the surprise I had arranged to finish off the weekend. www.internationallife.tv/travel
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feature international | french property riviera | french riviera
ST TRopez - French Riviera
Ramatuelle
Ref Grandescale
FOR SALE / FOR RENT
New build villa of 276 m² with an amazing view on the sea from all the rooms and walking distance from a sandy beach This modern style villa with 1,600 m² of garden comprises: • entrance - large living room with an incredible sea view • dining area • small full equipped kitchen • 5 bedrooms • 4 bathrooms or shower rooms • parking • overflow system swimming pool • large terraces
Tél : 33.(0).6.88.03.57.01 Fax 33.(0).4.94.97.76.52 www.jetset-agency.com thierry@jetset-agency.com R.C.S Saint-Tropez n° : 411 793 367 6 rue de l’annonciade & 10 Z.A Saint-Claude – 83990 Saint-Tropez Carte T n° : 4696 Carte G n° : 1965 Garantie S.N.P.I
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>> It’s a night on the La Divina, the legendary Super Yacht ‘Christina O’ to enjoy a spectacular opera evening with dinner. La Divina is an hour long recital interweaving the tragic story of Maria Callas’ life and doomed love affair with Aristotle Onassis, with her signature arias from the great operatic roles for which she was most famous. Previous guests onboard included Sir Winston Churchill, the Aga Khan, President John F. Kennedy, Jackie Kennedy, Prince Rainier & Princess Grace of Monaco, Greta Garbo, John Wayne, Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Eva Peron, John Paul Getty, Marilyn Monroe and Frank Sinatra. The love affair started when both were on the superyacht with their respective partners at the time. Check out the website below for new dates. On the flight home I deliberated between the natural beauty of Ramutuelle, the intimate charm of Gassin and the eternal glamour of St Tropez. I can only choose one. Then again, why not all three? I like pushing the boat out. Decision making has never been so wonderfully tortuous. A bientot!
Key Contacts: Heli Air Monaco: www.heliairmonaco.com/home.html Metropole Hotel: www.metropole.com/ Fairmont Monte Carlo: www.fairmont.com/MonteCarlo Novotel Monte Carlo: www.novotel.com/ gb/hotel-5275-novotel-monte-carlo/index. shtml Riviera Property: www.jetset-agency.com thierry@jetset-agency.com La Divina Opera: www.mariacallasladivina.com
First I lost my voice, then I lost my figure and then I lost Onassis. Maria Callas www.internationallife.tv/travel
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interiors
what you see at The annual milan furniture fair, you are likely to be sitting on, eating from and switching on in the near future. international life brings you a few of the many highlights
below: Moroso’s styrofoam divider walls proved very popular
Salone Internazionale del Mobile Salone Internazionale del Mobile: photos by Saverio Lombardi Vallauri
In addition to these, I Saloni included various other shows and attractions. Two highlights were Tutti a Tavola which took place in the Villa Reale gallery of Modern Art in the centre of Milan, and the Celestial Bathroom exhibition which used a video installation to celebrate the bathroom and the female form. Accompanying the fair, for the first time, was a special app which visitors could download to their iPhones, iPads and Blackberries. Developed in partnership with technology firm Neos, the app helps visitors navigate I Saloni and gives them real-time information on the various exhibits that are on display.
O
ne of the most memorable incidents of 2010 was undoubtedly the giant ash cloud that seemingly covered most of the Northern Hemisphere at one point or another. The Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokul caused many problems to people all over Europe, not least of all the hardworking journalists who had to try to spell it. However, natural disasters and acts of God are mere trifles to those in the world of interior design. This was proven by the 330,000 who braved closed airspace and grounded flights to travel to the 2010 Salone Internazionale del Mobile. Now in its 49th year, I Saloni is the world’s premier interior design trade show and is held annually at the Fiero Milano exhibition centre in the town of Rho, near Milan. Included in the fair are Eurocucina, the kitchen exhibition; Euroluce, the lighting exhibition; Salone Internazionale de Bagno, the bathroom exhibition; and SaloneSatellite, a showcase for young and student designers. SaloneSatellite is of particular interest as it was there that
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names such as Matali Crasset, Paolo Ulian and Harri Koskinen first came to prominence.
Preparations for next year’s exhibition are already well underway and the organisers are hoping to ensure that I Saloni’s 50th birthday goes with a bang – although hopefully not the bang of another volcanic eruption!
london property
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International Life sat down with industry heavyweights Savills, Knight Frank and Hamptons recently and asked the experts…
The prime London markets have rebounded strongly over the past year with overseas demand and that from equity-rich domestic buyers chasing constrained levels of stock. Prime market property; take it from us, things aren’t as bad as you think. On home turf the luxury homes market is bouncing back quicker than most expected. With a weakened sterling many are saying the time to invest in London is now. We agree, albeit tentatively.
The exchange rate continues to make London attractive for overseas buyers and although a weakening euro may erode some of London’s advantage, the economic turmoil in the eurozone will drive some demand for what is seen as a relatively safe haven.
Abroad the exchange rate is again favourable and our traditional predilection for western European markets remains strong. Some of those annoyingly successful friends - we all have them - are still likely to buy that vineyard they’ve been harping on about.
That said we expect to see some of the heat come out of the market in the second half of the year, so we cannot rule out the possibility of secondary price falls especially in the middle and lower tiers of the prime market.
Russians and most other nationalities buying in London are fairly unaffected by political upheaval and have remained by far the most confident and proactive buyers in the market Liam Bailey. Head of Residential Research, Knight Frank 46
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Lucian Cook. Residential Research Director, Savills
The high-end luxury market in London is a serious place to invest at present. The sheer variety of luxury homes on offer in such a major city makes London an unrivalled destination in which to buy property. The current value of the pound has attracted a large number of overseas buyers keen to capitalise on the investment opportunities available since the start of the year and as housing stock levels in the prime London property markets improve, quality luxury property is generating
london property a great deal of interest from international buyers. Andrew Phillips. Regional Sales Director, Hamptons International
The London residential market is continuing to lead the wider UK market. The weak pound is having the effect of pulling in demand from overseas buyers, who view London as offering good value, with prices still 34% lower in dollar terms from the 2008 peak. House price growth in Chelsea, Kensington, Notting Hill and Knightsbridge has led the market over the past 12 months, but now Mayfair, Kensington and Knightsbridge are rising strongly - with price growth of 14% across these locations over the last six months. There has been fairly consistent price growth across all the price ranges. Russian buyers have become very noticeable over the past two months and have bucked the trend set by domestic buyers who became less committed in the run up to the election. Russians and most other nationalities buying in London are fairly unaffected by political upheaval and have remained by far the most confident and proactive buyers in the market. Liam Bailey. Head of Residential Research, Knight Frank
The International Market The latest figures from Knight Frank show a sharp contrast in performance around the world during 2009. Boosted by China’s quick recovery from the global recession, the price of prime property in cities like Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong rose at a phenomenal rate last year. Although some are now predicting that another serious bubble is starting to emerge, it appears that prices can be sustained at current levels. We will begin to get more concerned if growth does not start levelling off at some point in 2010. Outside Asia, a number of other cities around the world, such as Johannesburg and Rio de Janeiro also showed strong growth in 2010, but there remains a significant performance gap between those locations at the top of index and the rest. If we break the index down by region, it is
clear that the world’s emerging economic powerhouses, such as Asia Pacific and South America, are seeing an earlier market recovery than the traditional areas of wealth like Europe and North America. Average prices were pulled back in Europe by the lacklustre performance of popular second-home destinations where many house purchases are considered discretionary and get put on hold during periods of economic turbulence. Many of these markets, such as Tuscany in Italy and The Dordogne in France, are popular with UK buyers who have been hit by the euro’s relative strength against sterling. This year, we expect positive annual growth in many more of the locations. We are already seeing prime property prices start to recover in places like New York as confidence returns to the market. Those markets that could continue to struggle for a while longer are those like Dubai, that were primarily driven by investors, and those like Dublin where the credit crunch still continues to bite. Liam Bailey. Head of Residential Research, Knight Frank
At Hamptons, we are seeing an influx of luxury properties for sale in destinations such as Morocco, Italy and the Caribbean. The quality of developments on offer are most definitely in the luxury end of the market, with managed resorts by high profile brands a real draw, particularly at the more exclusive residences in the likes of Thailand and the Caribbean. The sterling’s current trading value against the euro is certainly making overseas investments more affordable. A property costing €500,000 just a few months ago, would now be approximately £40,000 cheaper at the current exchange rate. This means that traditional overseas markets within the EU remain popular and the top four locations of Spain, France, Portugal and Italy continue to attract UK buyers with a solid reputation for high quality homes and shorter travel distances. Dean Foley. International Sales Manager, Hamptons International
Global recessionary pressure has created challenges; however, our research shows that major city centres, financial hubs, and destinations combining lifestyle and
business, continue to hold high values. In parallel, it also reveals how the changing fortunes of the international property market have created some surprisingly affordable locations. While 2010 will not witness the high volume of overseas second home purchasing seen in the mid 2000s, it is likely to be characterised by transactions in the high-end market, as lifestyle buyers choose quality properties at moderated prices among the world’s top destinations. Every cloud has a silver lining. Florida and the Algarve, for instance, are suddenly within the reach of many and there are absolutely stunning homes ready for buyers who regard the current financial climate as an opportunity rather than a constraint. Mallorca has a large gene pool and this gives it a resilient market. It draws buyers from Britain, but also from across all of northern Europe and even the United States. Wealthy Spaniards buy there too. As a result, demand has remained strong and values for the best properties are still high possible future hotspots. There are two places to watch for the year ahead. One is Sardinia. Hitherto it’s been plagued by poor communications and planning rows stopping tourist facilities, but is now more accessible with many more beachfront properties and that relaxed Italian lifestyle. The second new trend is what I call ‘Affordable France’ in the likes of Languedoc and Biarritz. Buyers have realised that classic French properties there are half the price of the Côte d’Azur. The demand for these locations is emerging from what is fast becoming the new powerhouse of the overseas holiday home market – maturing British baby boomers. Despite the economic big picture, they’re well positioned. Many have inherited their parents’ homes which they’ve sold or moved into. Many have children successful enough to have left home and have independent means. So these baby boomers now have time, money and inclination so it is not unusual for this group to downsize their UK home, sometimes buying just an apartment or small house in London or near a convenient airport. Then they buy their ideal home overseas, in which they may spend anything up to 50 per cent of their time in the latter years of work or early years of retirement. Charles Weston Baker. Head of Savills International www.internationallife.tv/property
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Move over Ga Ga, Imogen Heap is the queen of garish garb, as she proved at the Grammys earlier this year.
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ith her audacious apparel and outlandish style Imogen Heap cuts quite a figure. The singer songwriter’s delicate and pale features provide a striking contrast to her garish getup; she could almost be the lovechild of Marilyn Manson and Keira Knightley. Yet despite her flamboyant appearance, Imogen’s dark and heavily produced brand of electro pop points towards a quieter, more sensitive soul. It’s the latter on the phone to me today. Polite and well-spoken, Imogen certainly doesn’t sound like your archetypal Essex gal; going to boarding school in Cambridge probably ironed out any regional dialect she might have had. However, the same boarding school also helped to cultivate Imogen’s talent for music and, 20 years on, the polyinstrumentalist is touring the world. “I’m trying to juggle lots of things at the moment,” she says, nonchalantly. No kidding. Amongst said “things” are a two month tour of the US and Canada, followed by festival slots at Glastonbury and V. Yet while there’s no doubt these are busy times for Imogen, it hasn’t always been that way. Since the release of her debut solo album, iMegaphone, in 1998, her rise in popularity has been sluggish to say the least, especially on home soil. “Over here if you don’t get on the radio it’s very difficult,” she concedes. “In the States there are a lot more angles to get in radio wise; college radio is really good and there are independent radio stations who play what they want to play, not what they are told to.”
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Collecting her award for Best Engineered Album, she wandered on stage in a Twitter-inspired outfit that was not only a fashion statement but an amazing feat of engineering. Thanks to a wireless router hidden in her dress, Imogen was able to receive live Tweets from fans, which were displayed on a handbag that doubled up as a small television screen. Good job it didn’t rain en route to the ceremony.
International Life’s Gavin Haines talks to the “Digital Queen,” Imogen Heap ahead of her UK festival slots. It was frequent airplay on such stations that helped steer Imogen into the limelight in the US, where her music has been used as soundtrack to a plethora of mainstream television shows, most notably The OC
them throughout the making of it,” she admits. “I became slightly addicted to their feedback actually, I really needed to know that they were still with me.” Proving their canine like loyalty to Imogen,
and Heroes. However, her biggest success to date came earlier this year when Imogen’s third solo album, Ellipse, scooped Best Engineered Album at LA’s Grammy Awards – a success she shares with her fans, who had a hand in the production of the record.
her fans also helped prevent Ellipse being leaked on the Internet before release.
Digital “It didn’t occur to me until I started blogging that I could have this connection with fans,” says Imogen, who is known as the “Cyber Queen” thanks to her love of online communication. “I can get feedback the same day from people who are actually interested in my music rather than from record companies who aren’t interested in listening to it but in making money out of it.” As a result Imogen “doesn’t have an A&R man,” turning to her fans for feedback instead. She insists their validation during the production of Ellipse gave her the courage to release something a bit “stranger.” She adds “I would have been nervous [releasing the album] if I hadn’t have had that interaction with
“About two weeks before the record was due to come out we sent copies to journalists and one of them ended up on ebay,” says Imogen, who was alerted when a fan Tweeted her. “I was mortified – the fact that it wasn’t even opened annoyed me, they hadn’t even listened to it.” So Imogen rounded up her followers to try and stop the album being flogged by the devious journalist. “Fans went onto ebay and started bidding for it - it went up to £10 million,” she says. “It would have been the most expensive record ever bought.” Happily, however, ebay pulled the copy from their site and it remained under wraps until it was released two weeks later and to critical acclaim. “My fans were keeping a little eye out for me,” says Imogen, proudly. Keep an eye out for Imogen yourselves when she appears at V Festival and Glastonbury this summer or on her UK tour in the winter.
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I can get feedback the same day from people who are actually interested in my music
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reator Rudy de Belgeonne is a Slade School of Art graduate with a fascination with puzzles and game play that led him into a career as an interactive games producer. This exhibition witnessed a return to his painting roots as Rudy grappled with the various terms and descriptions used to define ‘man’. The main installation depicts a thousand individual hand-painted panels with words articulating ‘man’. This acts as the centrepiece of the exhibition. Like Rudy himself, so many men can relate to the colourful terminology on display from Hero, God, King, Scoundrel, Rogue, Brute, Bad Boy, Love God, Fancy Dan, Mama Man, Sonofabitch, Sonofagun, Bloke, Joe Schmoe, Golden Boy, Nancy Boy etc.
Hamilton or the array of fashion designers who’ve employed one word descriptors across their creations from Westwood to Moschino to Hilfiger.
right: Rudy Belgeonne with centre piece artwork above and bottom right: further works from Who’s the Man?
‘Who’s the Man’ has an encyclopaedic and decorative texture with seductive visual appeal and humour. It also had a totally interactive dimension as the compositions give the viewer free reign whether to read them right to left, left to right, up or down or to interpret them as witty poems or even narratives. The entire work (5m x 4m) were accompanied by a limited-edition series of hand re-touched prints of each of the various subsets including good guys, bad guys, role models, gay guys, insults and big shots.
Exhibition Review Who’s The Man? Rudy de Belgeonne
To see a selection of Rudy’s work visit, www.mrwoowoo.com
Spotting the generational slang is quite amusing from the victorian ‘scoundrel’ to the Americanised all-in-one endearment, ‘Sonofabitch’. Rudy cleverly plays with the ever-changing identity and categorisation of the modern man by creating definitions of masculinity packaged as products, as each word becomes a logo in glossy seductive enamel colours. The variety of typography employed embellishes the visual rather than clashes, giving different terms a retro, modern, historical or post modern dimension. The way he packages each word certainly echoes Warhol and the simple use of typography has one thinking of artists as diverse as Robert Indiana, Richard
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June 2010 | The Future Gallery | London
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Every type of man you’ve ever been called, ever felt like, ever known
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globespotting
Letter
Imperial Hotel www.theimperialindia.com Connaught Circus www.connaughtplacemall.com ITC Maurya Sheraton www.itcwelcomgroup.in Oberoi www.oberoidelhi.com Cottage Emporium www.cottageemporiumindia.com Asian Roots Spa 00 91 11 41652576/77
from New Delhi The history of India flows through every street of Old and New Delhi. With an eclectic past, monuments that stand testimony to the city’s glorious and colourful past, Delhi is a destination for any traveller thirsty for a cultural, exotic and fun holiday experience.
Timing The best time to visit the country’s capital, which has recently seen rapid infrastructure development - a gear up to the Commonwealth Games in 2010 - is November to March. Winter and spring see the city’s gardens resplendent with colourful blooms. In the wedding season, you’ll see the locals dressed up in their finest silks and most expensive pashminas. This and the wider festive season attracts locals and tourists alike to the gardens of India Gate. Found near the Rashtrapati Bhawan, this is not just the residence of the Indian President, but also the venue for the Republic Day Parade, every year on the 26th of January. Hotels A stay at the Imperial Hotel is a must if only for Sunday brunch. With its mix of Victorian and Art Deco architecture you’ll find its entrance at the periphery of the bustling Connaught Circus. One of the major remnants of India’s colonial past, it is now a major shopping, tourist and office hub. Shopping Close by is the Cottage Emporium where you’ll find arts and crafts, handlooms and jewellery from across the country. Connaught Place, South Extension and Khan Market (popular with the expatriate community) are great shopping centres to purchase high street fashion garments, silks, shawls, carpets and fabrics. Raymonds - www.raymondindia.com - do
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tailored, custom made suits. International brands like Jimmy Choo, Cavalli, Louis Vuitton, Cartier and Dior, as well as internationally acclaimed Indian designers, are available at the Emporio Mall at Vasant Kunj, India’s only designer branded mall.
Particularly popular amongst visitors and my personal favourite is the open air bazaar, Dill Haat. Tucking into steamed chicken or vegetarian momos (stuffed dumplings), whilst perusing the beautiful wares of central India’s finest artisans, is an incomparable shopping experience. Find the best in silk, wool, carpets, pottery and souvenirs, all under one sky. Must see Don’t leave the city without seeing the Jama Masjd and the Red Fort in Old Delhi. Hotels will help book tours to see these as well as the Qutab Minar, Bahai Temple and Akshardham Temple complex. Other options, depending upon the duration of the stay are also available at www.incredibleindia.org. If you have the luxury of time, have your hotel book a luxury tour to Agra to see the magnificent Taj Mahal, an offering of love
if you want to know anything about a city ask a local. PRIYADARSHINI KOHLI reveals all, from ayurvedic massage to mixing pashminas with jimmy choos and sitting at the ‘clinton table’ the best in the world for Indian cuisine and heads of state from across the world have been served their finger licking fare. I advise advanced reservation; you may even be lucky enough to get the Clinton Table. Most Hotels like the Oberoi and the Taj offer delicious Chinese fare. If you need something to suit a group palate though, head to the Three Sixty restaurant at the Oberoi. Dakshin at the Marriott is a must for those wishing to sample delicious South Indian food, but once again making a reservation is imperative. Relax Exclusively for the ladies, head to the Asian Roots Spa for Balinese massages and a La Praire facial. Or rejuvenate in one of the world’s top spas, Ananda in the Himalayas, with their Ayurvedic massages,
In the wedding season… see the locals dressed up in their finest silks and most expensive pashminaS from a Mughal Emperor to his wife. The Golden Temple in Amritsar, a holy place of worship to the Sikhs, is definitely worth a visit as well. Food North Indian hospitality is the most well known in the country and I have to admit, being a Delhi loyalist, we love to eat and entertain. Bukhara and Dum Pukht at the ITC Maurya Sheraton are amongst
salt rubs, herbal and rose baths. Then wake up to dancing peacocks, a peaceful atmosphere and crisp mountain air. I live and work in Bombay but if there is a complete holiday experience that any city in India can offer - history, culture and modernity, it has got to be Delhi. top left: Hospitality at the Imperial Hotel top right: Ananda in the Himalayas
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Sloane Square, Chelsea SW3 Duchess Satin Dress with leather lace and tulle by Jacob Kimmie Made to Order, Price on request www.jacobkimmie.com Feather hat (Stylist’s own) by Phillip Treacy from a selection at Fenwick Department store (020 7629 9161) Multicoloured Swarovski Crystal & Feather Ankle Boots - Swarovski / Feathers by Bernard Chandran £1,960; www.bernardchandran.com Photographed by Yves de Contades
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right: Maroon crop jacket with heavy embellishment by Qasimi POA www.qasimi.com Feathered singlet from Bondi markets (stylist’s own) Oval acetate frame with graphic design sunglasses (boutique exclusive) from Chanel www.chanel.com £180 top right: Black structured dress with Nude Plastic Down Front by Irina Shaposhnikova POA www.irinashaposhnikova.com Orange Leather cap by Freddy (Stylist’s own) www.freddy.it Jewellery: Folie des Prés necklace by Van Cleef & Arpels boutique, POA 9 New Bond St, London W1 020 7493 0400 www.vancleef-arpels.com above: Vermillion patent leather and tangerine silk crepe full length dress £2275 by Jasper Conran, made to measure at London boutique www.jasperconran.com White Dior graphic sunglasses by Dior (Stylist’s own) Jewellery: Magic Alhambra bracelet, yellow gold, white mother of pearl, grey mother of pearl and onyx £2,950 from Van Cleef & Arpels boutique, 9 New Bond St, London W1 020 7493 0400 www.vancleef-arpels.com left:“AW” Avant-Garde top by Anya Wilkinson POA anyawilkinson@mail.com; 07788 723 702 +44(0)2086972858 Black and white acetate graphic sunglasses by Chanel £180 www.chanel.com Jewellery: Magic Alhambra 6 motif necklace, yellow gold and white mother of pearl £4,500 and Magic Alhambra 3 motif earclips, yellow gold, white mother of pearl, grey mother of pearl and onyx £3,850 from Van Cleef & Arpels boutique, 9 New Bond St, London W1 020 7493 0400 www.vancleef-arpels.com
Stylist: Anne Look. Hair & Make up: Jenny Lam
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beauty gallery Katie Service’S summer beauty wardbrobe When the sun starts to shine everything that was so glamorous in the winter becomes cumbersome and awkward. Spicy browns look drab and stale and woody fragrances become a cloak of heaviness that we long to shake off.
version of the perfume that you wear all year round. Whether your preference is oriental, floral, citrus or chypres, look for an eau de toilette or a splash that mimics your signature scent. Try Marc Jacobs’
Chanel Rouge Allure Lipstick
Summer beauty is all about throwing off those layers and showing a little leg, so show some skin. Use a lightweight tinted moisturiser and apply only to the areas
For lipstick and mascara switch your colour palette to bright pop shades. When it comes to statement lipsticks, it’s Peter Philips for Chanel. My favourite is Rouge Allure Lipstick in 167 Super (Rose) (Limited Edition), £22.50. Summer Treatments For the perfect spray tan in the week prior to your holiday, (www.jamesharknett.com). James will come to your office or home with his pop up tanning kit and, after a skin consultation, will bronze you beautiful in minutes.
Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge
Oribe Supershine
Summer
Shimmer
myface.cosmetics mymix foundation
Nars Burn It Blue Eyeshadow Duo
where it is needed. Whilst many choose the Laura Mercier classic, I opt for myface. cosmetics mymix foundation, £12.99, which has a water-based formulation and with impressive coverage.
The perfect summer flush should look as if you have been spent the day basking in the sunshine. I recommend Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge, £16.50 blended with my thumbs into the apples of the cheek, right on the point of the cheekbone. When the weather gets hotter, try wearing a lighter, fresher
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Splash Collection, (£45 each), of three fragrances that are lighter and fresher than a regular perfume; quite literally, they are designed to be ‘splashed’ on.
Marc Jacobs Splash Patisserie fragrance
Nails Inc Crystal Pedicure
If it is something a bit more glam then visit the Nails Inc Salon at Harvey Nichols for the Nails Inc Swarovski Crystal Pedicure. After a luxury pedicure and foot massage, individual Swarovski crystals are applied to you toe nails in a honey comb lattice. With over 300 crystals on each foot, whatever you wear on your holiday, you will certainly never look under-dressed. Nails Inc Swarovski Pedicure, starts from £110, South Molton Street/Harvey Nichols
london villages London goes beyond any boundary or convention. It contains every wish or word ever spoken, every action or gesture ever made, every harsh or noble statement ever expressed. It is illimitable. It is Infinite London Peter Ackroyd, London: The Biography
London Villages
Knightsbridge | Mayfair | South Kensington | Notting Hill | Fulham | Westminster & Pimlico | Canary Wharf above & left: 5fth floor restaurant and cake selection. Absolute Taste at Harvey Nichols
Knightsbridge Business One Hyde Park is officially the most exclusive address in London. With a £100 million penthouse and other homes selling for a record £6000 per square foot, these are some of the most expensive properties in the world. Designed by world renowned architect Richard Rogers and built on the former site of Bowater House this luxurious development of 80 apartments is set to be complete this year. Bars and Restaurants Absolute Taste – Harvey Nichols. For those who like to snack whilst they shop the first fully branded Absolute Taste restaurant is now open at Harvey Nichols. Located on the popular fifth floor, the new restaurant will offer a select menu of world wide signature dishes that are served to a devoted celebrity following. Absolute Taste at Harvey Nichols, 109-125 Knightsbridge, London SW1 Kumo An Opulent basement bar, restaurant and club, Kumo is a hot summer setting with a fresh and funky vibe. Boasting modern Japanese food and an extensive drinks menu, the cocktails are a house speciality created by award winner Douglas Ankrah.
Motcomb Street Party above l-r: Laura Jane Butler - Amy Winehouse tribute act. Queen tribute act - The Bohemians. George Michael tribute act - Rob Lamberti
11 Beauchamp Place, Knightsbridge, London SW3 Fashion If the designer price tags are taking their toll, why not head to the newly launched Topshop flagship store for some flirty fashion fun. Located opposite Harrods, (recently bought from Mohamed Fayed by Qatar Holding for £1.5 billion) this latest venture is the highest-profile opening for Topshop in the UK, attracting a stampede of shopaholics to this stylish part of town. Events London Intn’l African Festival of the Arts LIAFA 2010 - London’s premier carnival on diversity is a three day festival held from 20-22 August. Artists from over 100 countries will gather to celebrate the
best of African and International music, dance, drama, film and visual arts with appearances from music legends Elton John, Beyonce, Sade and more. www.liafa.org The Motcomb Summer Street Party Motcomb Street is renowned for its top of the range fashion, beauty, art, interior design and gourmet restaurants. But on the last day of June, this charming, cobbled street will transform into The Motcomb Summer Street Party. Attracting numerous celebrities and thousands of visitors, the festival will raise funds for children’s charity Honeypot and the Household Cavalry Operational Casualties Fund. www.motcombstreetparty.co.uk www.internationallife.tv/london
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london villages top left: Vanquish Wine (Armand de Brignac, Champagne) and below left: (Nicholas Abbey Rum) below: The Mayfair Hotel, Berkeley St right page, bottom left: Interior of Portobello Star right page, left: Wolf & Badger store right page, middle: Wolf & Badger ‘8’ Ball pepper grinder by Alex Bernard £450 right page, top left: Shabby Chic Couture, Simple five light Chandelier right page, middle: Shabby Chic Couture Chair £275, Shabby Chic Couture Photoframe £61
hedge fund husbands who enjoy a power breakfast. And there’s a treat for coffee connoisseurs; they’ll be serving a Sicilian brand so good - some say the World’s finest - that it’s even drunk at the Italian embassy. See you there.
Mayfair Business A survey by empty office enthusiasts, Regus, found Mayfair’s Berkeley Square to be the most wanted office address in the UK, for small business owners. The prestigious London address beats Canary Wharf into second place and the über cool Mayfair Hotel is in nearby Berkeley St. Food & Drink More wine anyone? Vanquish Wine, who moved to Mayfair a few months ago, distribute champagne and spirits to many of the top Mayfair night spots. What might interest the epicureans amongst us, is that they also have a fine wine division where they source rare and fine wines for private clients.
The Mount Street Deli, 100 Mount Street, London W1 HIX at The Albemarle restaurant at Brown’s Hotel celebrates British art and cuisine. Mark Hix and Lee Streeton offer an extensive menu of great British classic dishes, using exclusively local, seasonal ingredients which can be enjoyed whilst admiring an amazing collection of British art including pieces by Tracey Emin, Rankin and Bridget Riley. www.brownshotel.com/dining Fashion Women in Savile Row! Savile Row have broken with patriarchal tradition in appointing a woman head cutter for the first time. Kathryn Sargent was recently appointed to the position at legendary tailors, Gieves & Hawkes, having worked for the company for 14 years. Well done Kathryn. www.gievesandhawkes.com
www.vanquishwine.com Here’s one for the Hedgies... If you get the chance, check out the Mount Street Deli, which launched in Mayfair in June. This one isn’t just for the ladies who lunch, but for their respective/prospective
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Mulberry on the Move Luxury handbags firm Mulberry is moving to a new flagship store in Mayfair in the latest signs that the luxury goods market is booming – thank heavens for that. The company today signed a 25-year lease for 50 New Bond Street, just around the
corner from Claridge’s. Annual rent on the property clocks in at a paltry £1.4 million. They hope to be in by Christmas. www.mulberry.com
South Kensington Fashion It has been announced that the wardrobe of the late Isabella Blow is to be sold by South Kensington auction house Christies. The former Vogue and Tatler editor’s iconic collection contains more than 90 Alexander McQueen outfits and 50 Philip Treacy hats. The auction will generate massive interest as fashionistas from all over the world bid to own a piece of British fashion history. There will be a coffee table book published to accompany the auction. 15th September 2010 85 Old Brompton Road, London SW7 www.christies.com Design A new exhibition of contemporary architecture will be held at the Victoria and Albert museum from mid-June. The museum has commissioned a group of seven international architects to devise and build a selection of small spaces to explore the concepts of ‘refuge’ and ‘retreat’. With installations from the Japanese architects Sou Fujimoto and Terunobu Fujimori, the exhibition offers an immersive experience, is this the architecture exhibit of the year? 15th June – 30th August 2010 Cromwell Road, London SW7 www.vam.ac.uk
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Notting Hill Art Portobello Market has long been the goto place in west London for antiques and quirky fashion but from mid-June, it will also become a new destination for art. The Portobello Art and Design Market will run on Saturdays and Sundays under the Westway flyover and will feature work from several emerging names. International Life will be keeping an eye out for pieces by Dorka Zgrzeba and Carrie Reichardt. Saturdays and Sundays: 10am-5pm Portobello Market, London W11 Fashion In the three months since it first opened its doors, Wolf and Badger has been lavished with praise by the fashion press and London’s most stylish. Building on its model of showcasing up-and-coming designers rather than relying on established labels, the Ledbury Road boutique is holding graduate design awards to find Britain’s most exciting young talent. The winning designers will receive a cash prize and, more importantly, have their work sold in the shop. 46 Ledbury Road, London W11 www.wolfandbadger.com Interiors For the past 20 years, Rachel Ashwell has been making good use of the things that she finds - things that the everyday folk leave behind. However, unlike the output of the Wombles, her iconic Shabby Chic Couture furniture brand is loved and admired by the likes of Johnny Depp, Katie Holmes and Mariah Carey. Ashwell’s Manhattan and Santa Monica shops are now joined by a Notting Hill branch offering bespoke pieces in her vintage style. 202 Kensington Park Road, London W11 www.shabbychic.com Bars Portobello Star’s resident mixologist, Jake Burger, has developed a new cocktail menu combining contemporary cocktails with historically influenced drinks. The new menu is notable for the £100 Brandy Crusta cocktail. The drink’s card-meltingly high price is due to the 128-year-old recipe
which requires a specific brand of bitters last made in 1903. Fortunately for us, Jake has sourced one of the last surviving bottles and is able to serve a genuine Crusta. Was it your round? 171 Portobello Road, London W11 www.portobellostarbar.co.uk
Westminster & Pimlico Food Michel Roux Jr of Le Gavroche has opened a new restaurant in the heart of Westminster. Set in the Georgian opulence of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors building, Roux at Parliament Square is poised to become one of Westminster’s most exciting restaurants. Head Chef and protégé of Roux Jr, Dan Cox, offers classic European cooking in a modern style using seasonally sourced ingredients. Expect it to become a firm favourite among the new MPs. RICS, Parliament Square, London SW1 www.rouxatparliamentsquare.co.uk Meanwhile on the South Bank, the return of Joël Antunes to Britain is being celebrated by all who remember his Michelin starred Les Saveurs from the early 90s. In the following years he spent in the US he experienced mixed reviews, including two high-profile maulings by prominent New York food critics. Despite this, we feel that America’s loss is undoubtedly London’s gain. Brasserie Joël‘s menu comprises of traditional brasserie dishes cooked with Antunes’ trademark flair. Brasserie Joël, First Floor, Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London SE1 www.brasseriejoel.co.uk Property Here at International Life, we have long been admirers of Christian and Nick Candy. The brothers are behind some of London’s most desirable property developments in recent years including the eagerly awaited penthouses at One Hyde Park. However, it is now possible to buy a Candy and Candy apartment without the £20m price tag the Hyde Park properties demand. Pimlico’s Peel House comprises of 14 Candy and Candy designed apartments that are surprisingly affordable. Peel House, Regency Street, London SW1 www.octaviahousing.org.uk www.internationallife.tv/london
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london villages below: Circa Vintage, Fulham below, middle: Volcano. Blown Glass Sculptural Vessel. 35 h. x 37 w. x 9 d. cm. © Photo: Lainie Sless below, right: Wahaca Mexican Bar, Fulham
has already seen huge critical acclaim for South African play, Dream of the Dog. However, the stand-out production of the season is undoubtedly the world premier of Peter Nichols’ new play, Lingua Franca. Set in the 1950s, it follows Steven Flowers from Nichols’s prior play, Privates on Parade, as he tries to make sense of his place in the post-war world. Fast-paced and sexually-charged, this play promises to make the Finborough’s 30th birthday go with a bang.
Food and Drink The Parlour Visit The Parlour for some alfresco bites on their terrace overlooking Canada Square Park. This stylish setting has been short listed for best individual design by the Restaurant and Bar Design Awards. With an extensive seasonal menu and skinny cocktails at less than 100 calories you can have a day off the Special K breakfast bars. A great summer venue for Canary Wharfers and visitors alike we say. www.theparlourbar.co.uk
13th July – 7th August 118 Finborough Road, London SW10 www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk
Fulham Food What’s new? Fulham’s newest restaurant comes in the shape of Mise en Place on the Fulham Road. The restaurant, whose name refers to the practice in professional kitchens, of having all ingredients at your fingertips, serves modern European cuisine and also has an appealing Sunday brunch menu. Another point of interest is the Enomatic wine serving and storage system that’s installed. The pioneering Italian machine uses inert gases to prevent deterioration of wine, which means an opened bottle can be stored for upwards of a month. By consequence, Mise en Place offers every wine on their extensive list by the glass, and at exactly the correct temperature. Mise en Place, 58 Fulham Road, London SW3 Theatre Sexually charged. The Finborough Theatre has long been a favourite of International Life for the unremitting quality of its productions and the charm that pervades the building. Their 30th anniversary summer season
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Art A glass of his own British artist Adam Aaronson has been one of the leading lights in the world of glass blowing for over 25 years. Fulham’s ZeSt gallery is showcasing some of his latest free-blown work in a compelling solo exhibition. The exhibition, entitled The Imaginary Landscape explores the relationship between glass and artist with Aaronson’s trademark challenging and poignant pieces. Runs until 17th July ZeSt Contemporary Art Gallery, Roxby Place, London SW6 www.zestgallery.com
Wahaca Mexican Bar We like Wahaca Mexican Bar. Its got a fresh and lively atmosphere and menu to match. With no formality and no need to book, Mexico is brought to the city with freshly prepared dishes that arrive as they are cooked. Enjoy the roof top terrace bar, where you can enjoy delicious tequila cocktails while admiring the views. www.wahaca.co.uk
Fashion & Shopping An insider secret for you fashion strumpets, Circa Vintage is a bazaar of antique, designer garments. A favourite amongst celebrities, designers and stylists, Circa stocks a cornucopia of handpicked vintage clothing and accessories from 1920’s to 1970’s.
Fashion Get fashion savvy with this A-list accessory - no not a micro-sized canine, a personal shopper. The Canary Wharf Personal Shoppers, created by stylist and former VIP personal shopper Carlene Noel, offer services from personal shopping to shopping sprees accompanied with a stylist. From £80 per hour (min of 2 hours). Clueless to Kudos for under £200.
64 Fulham High Street, London SW6 www.circavintage.com
www.canarywharfpersonalshoppers.com
Canary Wharf Business Boris Johnson has sold the naming rights of his new London cycle hire scheme to Barclays for £25million. The bike scheme, innovatively branded, Barclays Cycle Hire, will launch in central London on July 30. Barclays are keen for the scheme to expand to Canary Wharf, location of its world HQ.
Events Summer Screen If you’re looking for a different kind of viewing experience head to Canada Square Park for the home of the Canary Wharf’s Summer Screen. Broadcasting many of the major sporting events and more. Highlights include; Royal Ascot and The Proms. Enjoy with a bottle of fizz and summer fruits. July 18 - September 3
City Diary
city diary the Gherkin, with the most impressive 360 degree views of London. 40|30 is not open to the general public thus ensuring a discreet and private atmosphere is rigorously maintained. Offering a fine dining experience in the restaurant and a relaxed bar menu for more casual occasions, 40|30 is open for lunch on weekdays and available for exclusive hire during evenings and at weekends. We also have two private dining rooms located on Floor 38 adjacent to the club
The city is buzzing this summer with London’s highest new members club, most exciting young architects, coolest jazz festival, stylish cycle club and ironic artist operating in and around the square mile
prints from British artist Keith Coventry’s Copper and Silk portfolio. Coventry uses devices such as a deconstruction of the McDonald’s logo and overhead plans of estates to take an astringently ironic look at the modernists’ idealised visions of urban utopia. Keith Coventry: Copper and Silk Museum of London, London Wall, London EC2 www.museumoflondon.org.uk One of London’s most exciting young architect firms has designed an exhibition for the Barbican which looks at surrealism in the context of architecture. Winners of Building Design’s 2007 Young Architect of the Year Award, Carmody Groarke have created a labyrinthine house which contains paintings, sculpture and film by noted surrealists such as Dali, Magritte and Giacometti. The Surreal House Barbican Art Gallery, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London EC2 www.barbican.org.uk
launch night; Searcys Club at The Gherkin
Business Rising 180 metres above London, the Gherkin personifies modern London. Searcys Club | The Gherkin is not only London’s highest private members club, but a relaxed oasis of tranquility, a world away from the cut and thrust of the City. There’s no greater advantage than to be able to conduct meetings and entertain clients in such a rarefied atmosphere. Searcys Club | The Gherkin offers members exclusive use of the club lounge, which is open weekdays from 7.30am to 11.00pm, delivering an exceptional all day menu.
lounge available for members to hire. The private rooms are ideal if you are looking for a private space for a business lunch or a meeting where you need to impress. Finally, in the true tradition of 5 star service, a dedicated concierge service will be at your fingertips for everything from reservations, to flowers, to tickets, to the unexpected. All you need to do is ask. Membership Searcys Club | The Gherkin is £750 per annum with a joining fee of £250. Corporate memberships are also available.
Membership also allows access to the Searcys 40|30 Restaurant and Bar located Keith Coventry: Copper and Silk on the top two floors of
Membership is by invitation only but as the Searcys Club | The Gherkin has only recently opened we are inviting a limited few to apply for membership. Art The Museum of London is exhibiting a new selection of
Music Now in its fourth year, the Canary Wharf Jazz Festival brings a weekend of cool jazz and hopefully hot weather back to Canada Square Park. The festival features a plethora of top names in jazz, jazz-funk and soul. International Life is particularly excited by the presence on Sunday of Pee Wee Ellis, whose long and illustrious career has seen him playing with James Brown and Maceo Parker. Canary Wharf Jazz Festival 2010 13th-15th August Canada Square Park, Canary Wharf E14 Sport Since May, top-of-the-range US cyclewear label Rapha has run the pop-up Rapha Cycle Club in Clerkenwell, offering London’s most stylish cyclists somewhere to share their passion for cycling. From the 3rd to the 25th July, they invite you to watch Le Tour de France with them and sample their own special blend of coffee, made for them exclusively by Hanbury Street’s Nude Espresso. Who knows, you may even bump into International Life’s very own Damien Gabet as he prepares to ride to Barcelona for charity… Rapha Cycle Club 146-148 Clerkenwell Road, London EC1 www.internationallife.tv/london
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Contemporary: Oh My Gosh Juan in Rome Freddy Fudpuckers Frabjous Friends
food & drink
Classics: Mayflower Mint Julep Negroni
Cocktails Classic vs Contemporary
Rebecca Gonsalves addresses the eternal bar Dilemma, Classic ‘old school’ or flavours of the month
T
he sun is valiantly trying to burn through the cloud clogged skies over London and each evening the city unites in a collective sigh of contentment as the cocktail hour stretches languidly into the night. Ludovic Miazga, Global Ambassador for Bacardi, knows what makes a great cocktail: “Simplicity! Less is always more. And quality. The spirit that you use, the fresh ingredients, the ice, the type of glassware and most importantly the attitude. Indeed, a cocktail is also a great story. Each spirit has a meaning and each cocktail has a feeling.” So this summer, now you can tell a different story with these classic and contemporary drinks. Whether a Martini should be made with gin or vodka is a perennial dispute, but everyone can agree that this classic is as sharp and sophisticated as its most famous fan. Pure alcohol can cut to the quick on a warm summer night so why not try a Mayflower instead? Callooh Callay in east London mixes Plymouth gin, La Ina sherry, Benedictine and grapefruit bitters for the drink Bar Manager Andrea Montague is nicknaming, as simply the Summer Martini. The Daiquiri has something of a naff reputation. The holiday resort addition of sweet fruit to mask the taste of cheap rum while pleasing the Brit abroad’s predilection for sweet flavours and something “exotic” may be responsible. However, this started as a serious drink; just a teaspoonful of sugar, fresh lime juice and rum. At Calooh Callay the team wanted to celebrate the drink’s refined flavours while jazzing it up for the modern
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drinker. The resplendent Oh My Gosh is a bright blue disco daiquiri made with Wray and Nephew’s overproof Jamaican rum. The Freddie Fudpucker, a tequila twist on the Harvey Wallbanger, combines the Mexican spirit with orange juice and Galliano. Its popularity in the 70s isn’t necessarily a sound endorsement. However, Andrea’s updated Freddy Fudpucker’s Frabjous Friends combines El Jimador tequila, Italian aperitif Aperol, homemade redcurrant jam and orange juice to create a fun and refreshing long drink. Sunset glow in every sip. The Negroni is a true bartender’s favourite. Equal measures of Campari, gin and sweet Vermouth must be pin-sharp precise, and reputations often rest on perfection. Callooh Callay’s Juan in Rome pays homage to the Italian roots of Count Negroni’s original concoction but mixes things up by replacing gin with Ocho Blanco tequila, Aperol for the bitter notes and a grapefruit twist rather than orange. Sometimes you just can’t beat a classic. The Mint Julep has its roots in the stifling summers of America’s Deep South and it’s powerfully good at kicking thirst to touch as spearmint and sugar temper down the heat of the bourbon base. Here they use Kentucky bourbon Maker’s Mark, but you won’t find a Julep on the menu. As Andrea carefully explains “Callooh is a bar for cocktail lovers and our staff are happy to make classics for customers. But we prefer to experiment with the menu and spend months coming up with future classics.”
Classic Mayflower
Simplicity! Less is always more. And quality. Ludovic Miazga, Global Ambassador for Bacardi
food & drink
contemporary juan in rome
Contemporary oh my gosh
Classic Mint JULEP
CONTEMPORARY Freddy Fudpucker’s Frabjous Friends
The Mint Julep has its roots in the stifling summers of America’s Deep South and it’s powerfully good at kicking thirst to touch as spearmint and sugar temper down the heat of the bourbon base. www.internationallife.tv/food-drink
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food & drink
Recession? What Recession? For us mere mortals, food shopping whilst coming out of the ‘credit crunch’ has taken on a ‘best you can afford’ quality. What’s on the grocery list of the world’s celebrities? Pretty much...anything.they.want. Levanah-ReyesWainwright explains all…
The
best thing
since sliced bread?
R
ecession? Yes, I think the ‘r’ word has impacted on our lifestyles in some way or another, but what about the world’s celebrities and über wealthy? It seems it’s business as usual as old habits and comforts certainly do ‘die hard’. Liz Hurley and Prince Charles are a sandwich short of a picnic, or not as the case may be. They are prepared to pay £21 for a loaf of bread. In their defence, because I know right now your mouths are hanging open in disbelief, this loaf takes two days to make, requires both hands to lift and can last up to two weeks, with the flavour maturing into an even better tasting piece of bread. The baker who makes this loaf from a family recipe that’s over half a century old is Tom Herbert. So what’s in Britain’s most expensive loaf of bread? Locally grown organic spelt flour, sea salt harvested in the far west of Cornwall since the Iron Age and a sourdough mixture that has been glugging away for 55 years in a 100-gallon tank. Working out at £1 per slice, it would have to be one heck of a nice piece for me to part with that kind of money. Want some marmalade on your bread? F Duerr & Son has created a marmalade of Epic proportions containing edible 24-carat gold leaf, vintage 62-year-old Dalmore Whisky and Pol Roger Vintage Champagne. This jar of 125th anniversary Seville Orange Marmalade will cost you £5000 a jar.
Bling H2O: £1,750 per 750ml bottle
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When the likes of Liz or Oprah get a craving for chocolate, they buy the world’s most expensive truffles: La Madeline au
Truffle. That’s French for ‘costs £170 for one piece’. This exquisite creation by Danish chocolatier Fritz Knipschildt is handcrafted with 70% French Valrhona chocolate blended into a creamy ganache with pure Italian truffle oil, infused with vanilla and fresh cream, rolled in cocoa powder and tucked into its own gold box. And if you want some water with your truffles, look no further than Bling H2O. This designer mineral water from the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee that endures a nine-step purification process costs £35 a litre, but if you want the bespoke limited edition, corked 750ml reusable frosted glass bottle exquisitely handcrafted with Swarovski crystals that will set you back a cool £1,750. Having a dinner party with very special guests? At these prices the food could be counted as guests themselves. Here’s your occasion menu. Starter: Melons, Densuke to be precise. The most sought after in the world where only three melons are allowed to grow on each vine and the best one gets left alone after the other two are chopped off to suck all the nourishment from the vine. They’re described as having ‘a different level of sweetness’ than regular watermelons and have jet black skin. Price: £3000 each. Main Course: Wagyu Beef from Japan renowned for its fat marbling which melts as it cooks. The cows are massaged, fed the finest grain and beer, and played classical moo-sic. Price: £300 a fillet. Dessert: Pule Cheese, made from the milk of Balkan Donkeys who live on a Nature
food & drink
Wagyu Beef from Japan: £300 a fillet
Reserve North of Belgrade. According to the Nature Reserve, nothing special other than the milk contributes to the cost of the cheese, as the Donkeys only number about 100. Price: £829 per 1kg. Drinks: Carlsberg Jacobsen Vintage No 3 Beer, made in oak barrels. It has a jet black colour and espresso-like foam and apparently ‘tastes as wonderful as the angels sing’. I say it’s probably the most expensive beer in the world. Price: £209 per bottle. As you can see for the stars, Tesco’s Finest just won’t do.
Carlsberg Jacobsen Vintage No 3 Beer: £209 per bottle
When the likes of Liz or Oprah get a craving for chocolate, they buy the world’s most expensive truffles: La Madeline au Truffle. That’s French for ‘costs £170 for one piece’. Tom Herbert’s bread £21 per loaf
F Duerr & Son marmalade: £5000 a jar
Densuke Melons: £3000 each
Useful contacts water: www.blingh2o.com/ marmalade: www.duerrs.co.uk/ truffle: www.knipschildt.net/la-madelineau-truffe.html beer: www.jacobsenbeer.com/ The Shepherd Loaf can be mail-ordered online in a special presentation box from www.hobbshousebakery.co.uk www.internationallife.tv/food-drink
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books
I
always find it rather odd that when cultured types quote their favourite speeches, they’re often taken from the imagined world of films and plays. I did it myself recently when recalling Karl Malden’s despairing plea from the bowels of a container ship in the magnificent ‘On the Waterfront’. He’s certainly the sort of priest the Catholic Church need now.
Philosophers, Orators and Secret Archives
International Life’s Peter Doherty believes he’s found at least one book that would fit the bite-size generation and another that may need more than a starbucks stool and large latte to tackle The general perception of the Vatican is one of shrouded mystery, confused conspiracy theories (stand up Dan Brown) and poor communication on their part. So its quite timely that they’ve allowed a publisher to enter the Secret Archives.
On the other hand, the ‘gimme, gimme’ generation of skim readers and the digitally dependent, want something that would take no longer than two lattes worth.
What this collection of speeches brings to the table is the added dimension of context with biographies helping to position each one on its particular turn on the hinges of history. I did find some pieces laborious and inordinately complex and I question whether readers used to the bite size, digital world will persevere. I applaud the inclusion of the words of Jesus Christ and the Prophet Muhammed. Jesus’ sermon is wonderfully engaging and jumps to the heart of Christianity. The Prophet Muhammed interestingly makes the link with the Judeo-Christian tradition that encompasses Moses, Jesus and Abraham. The book progresses as a history timeline spanning Bonaparte, Lincoln, Pankhurst, Hitler and Stalin and at first glance, oddly veering off to Earl Spencer but those handy contextual notes help justify and underpin each choice. Interesting editions to this revised volume are George Bush’s address after 9/11 to Kevin Rudd’s historic apology to the Aborigines of Australia and Barrack Obama’s speech on winning the 2008 presidential election. Award winning author, Simon Sebag Montefiore pens a succinct introduction and adds ‘A great speech does not just capture the truth of its era; it can also capture the big lie.’ Speeches that changed the World Quercus. Hardback £9.99. 2010
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I always think you’re on a hiding to nothing, writing on Philosophy. People expect serious, heavyweight tomes and wordy, worthy compositions, so they can studiously thumb them and return them to the shelf (without purchase). You’ll see hundreds of such books in places called ‘libraries’.
The result is quite intriguing; letters from Michelangelo Buonarotti, Tintoretto Voltaire and Mary, Queen of Scots, to the Pope and Acts of the Process conducted against Galileo Galilei. Not quite a warts and all insight but a lavishly illustrated book, containing over 100 unseen documents, providing a chronological journey, weaving through the history of the Church, Europe and beyond. The detail is painstaking and quite wonderful and it manages to convey the church’s influence and position at pivotal times in history in a palatable and engaging way. You do get a sense that you’re slipping the lock, to roam the private chambers of the Vatican, spying such fascinations as the (16th C.) Tower of the Winds which is adorned with frescoes from Pomarancio and I’m informed is usually closed for public viewing. The sheer diversity of imagery included really helps communicate the richness and diversity of the subject. Your tour starts on page one. The Vatican Secret Archives VdH Books. Hardcover. 249 page. £60 Over 200 full colour photographs
Jeremy Harwood has found a fine balance with one hundred easy-to-read biographies, accompanied by illustrations, at-a-glance fact panels and thought-provoking quotations. Starting with the ancient world’s altruistic, heavyweights; Buddha, Confucius and Socrates, it chronologically makes its way through the centuries and includes the much lauded ‘schemer’, Machiavelli (a 21st Century philosopher, if ever there was one) and retro man of the moment, Adam Smith. He stops short on todays thinkers, with only two still living. I do wonder if that’s because we’re going to be presented with Part Deux sometime soon by this astute publishing house? This book is not frivolous, but relevant, as it knows its market. Purchasers will be people genuinely interested in the subject and will want insights and information on a greater number of thinkers, without buying individual volumes. It will also attract the speed read (Philosophy for Dummies) set, who would use it on a pitch presentation or to appear interesting over dinner, either way I’d recommend it. Philosophy. A Beginner’s Guide by Jeremy Harwood Quercus. Paperback £6.99. 2010 100 illustrations
open up to e xtreme thinking.
Wind. Sky. The open road. Nothing beats the able 590lb ft (800Nm) of torque, propelling you from a standstill to 60mph in just 3.9 seconds feeling of open-top motoring in a supercar. If you’re also attracted to the extreme driving (0–100km/h 4.1 seconds), with a top speed of of our Continental Supersports, you’ll love the 202 mph. But more than raw figures, it affirms new convertible. A muscular four-seater with our commitment to develop the world’s highestdistinctive exterior and interior styling, it is the powered FlexFuel production car: a 6-litre epitome of open-top motoring. Power up the engine that runs on biofuel, gasoline or a mix roof and experience the sumptuous comfort of both – all in a Bentley way. For details on the extreme open-top Bentley, and refinement of the driver-focussed environment. Or lower it in just seconds and enjoy the please go to www.bentleymotors.com rush of wind and glow of the sun – all in a car that can still power effortlessly past 200mph. Fuel economy figures for the Continental This is the extreme Bentley open-top driving Supersports Convertible in mpg (l/100km): experience for those who demand supercar per- Urban 11.1 (25.5); Extra Urban 24.3 (11.6); formance with exquisite Bentley craftsmanship. Combined 17.0 (16.7). CO2 emissions (g/km): 388. The 621bhp (630PS) engine provides a remark-
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