Jplus 2015 09 20 lores

Vol. 2 No. 41 I September 20-26, 2015

BEAUTY ONLINE

the jplus BEST-OF LIST

TABLE MANNERS

A FINE-DINING MISFIRE

CROSSING CONTINENTS LUXURY RAIL ODYSSEYS

Turning a Page

DEWI SANDRA TALKS MUSIC, the HIJAB and her latest film

Editor's note

Check List

flair and passion As you can see from our cover featuring the luminous Dewi Sandra, we’ve got an excellent issue for you.

Note our two food articles, both penned

by Kevindra Soemantri, who wants Jakarta’s restaurateurs to take the idea of fine dining seriously, as is evident in his “At Your Leisure” article.

Then check out Kevindra’s take on menus in the monthly food focus of the “Mark My Words” column below.

Also take a look at the articles from Fedina S. Sundaryani, who’s crafted a nifty top-5 list of the best of beauty websites, and Willy Wilson, who uses the story of

Or kindly reach out to us on Twitter (@ JPlusSunday) or Facebook (sundayJplus) for updates throughout the week, along with some extra content – a little “lagniappe”, as they say in New Orleans.

If one of our stories resonates with you, please share it with a friend.

Enjoy your Sunday!

94-year-old model Iris Apfel to look at the connections between age, fashion and style.

The best part of my job is sharing with you stories that have been penned by smart people who write with flair about their passions.

It was a pleasure to work with the writers behind this edition. I hope you enjoy their works.

A final note: We all want to be liked – on social media, I mean. Not in the existential, is-this-all-I-am? way.

So please find us online. We post articles from the most recent JPlus to jakplus.com on Sunday mornings.

The Menu Madness THERE'S MORE TO A MENU THAN WHAT TO ORDER. WORDS Kevindra Prianto Soemantri

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typically work robotically, taking reservations and orders without spirit.

Humble questions asked regarding the menu are met with answers such as “I don’t know”, “Maybe it’s still available” and, most annoyingly, “I’m still new here”.

My father, a former restaurateur and an avid gourmand, couldn’t be bothered to show how annoyed he was when a server could not answer a single question about a dish he wanted to order.

To him, such lackadaisicalness was unforgiveable and prompted him (to my disdain) to play dumb.

He’d cast out simple, Cooking-101 questions, such as “How were your French fries made?” or “What is the difference between sirloin and tenderloin?”

I used to respond by covering my face in shame. I thought at the time that he was humiliating himself, but now, I clearly understand what was going on.

My father was testing the servers on their understanding of menu.

The global food renaissance that began in Indonesia in 2010 has its epicenter in Jakarta, which has a legion of cafes, bistros, restaurants and even fine patisseries.

Unfortunately, all too many of those establishments are focused on things like decor, music or even detailed gimmicks, such as take-away boxes with vintage typography or chairs made from secondhand old houses painted in purposely blurred colors.

Fellow restaurateurs, remember: After

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style counsel Older doesn’t mean unfashionable

Chris Razukas jplus@thejakartapost.com

mark my words

As a diner and consumer myself, one of the most prominent things I note when I visit a restaurant is the clarity of what is written on each page of the menu.

A menu, and the knowledge of the servers about it, is at the core of great service for any establishment.

Sadly, the perk of genius waiters and waitresses only exists at fine dining restaurants. (See page 9 of this issue for more on this matter. ) However, a lack of good service is a calamity for other establishments. I’m not sure why – perhaps the staff has been intoxicated by a lethargy that has seeped into their skin, thanks to lackluster management.

For example, at one specific restaurant in Jakarta, an incredible number and the variety of dishes are listed on the menu. It’s as if the place wants to amaze customers with its vast “knowledge” of regional and international cuisines.

However, instead tipping the costumer into delight, the practice leads to a painful time reading the menu, complete with under-whelming descriptions.

When I visit these kinds of establishments, the waiters and waitresses

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firm favorites The JPlus Internet beauty guide

all of your creative effort to astonish us through ambiance, our final judgement will be on your service – and your food.

If restaurants let this "menu madness" become the norm, it will lead to the end of urban food culture in Jakarta.

Restaurants and cafes that represent billion-rupiah investments will shut and owners will welcome each new morning with intense frustration, wondering how this could have happened.

They should know that before you recruit for the front of the house, there needs to be some serious though given to training.

Naïve would-be waiters and waitresses need to understand what that green stick is that accompanies the buffalo wings Or even which sauce pairs best with the grilled steak.

Other than that, servers should understand the proper details of each and every dish, down to the level of provenance.

I’m not saying that every waiter needs to be as fancy or as sharp as Monsieur Gustave from Wes Anderson’s film The Grand Budapest Hotel.

Just give them an intuitive and slightly entertaining spirit – and a proper knowledge of the menu – to brighten our eating experiences.

Hidden in the menu is the difference between a good restaurant and a great one.

Mark My Words focuses on food, fashion, travel and parenting on a rotating basis each week.

JPlus Team Editor Christian Razukas Art Director Budhi Hartono Marketing & Advertising Sales & Marketing Director Ady P. Pamungkas

ady.pamungkas@thejakartapost.com

Marketing Executive Deasy Rasjid

deasy@thejakartapost.com

@JPlusSunday JPlusSunday

SundayJplus jakplus.com

ON THE COVER Dewi Sandra Photographer Meutia Ananda Stylist Ananda Adityasanti Wardrobe NurZahra Location Club Olympus at the Grand Hyatt Jakarta

table of friends

A Life well @A57on

It is a big world out there, so don’t just stay in one place. Go explore!

Whether going halfway across the globe or road tripping to neighboring cities, travelling always ends up enriching our minds and bodies in ways we never expected. For this week’s Table of Friends, we asked five luminaries about their travel experiences and the kind of traveler they see themselves as. +Dian Arthen

@autan1

Entrepreneur & Barista When it comes to travelling I’m city-hopper for sure, But sometimes I dabble in the Eat Pray Love/ finding yourself kind of trip. aston An always-memorable trip for me was to San utan Francisco. Ever since I was a child, I’ve traveled to the city because I have family there. Each time I go back, I feel like a kid again!

The last trip I took was about a month ago, when I went to Sydney, Australia.

I had a breath-taking view of the circular quay and the opera house where I stayed.

Waking up in the morning will never be the same.

@rahung

@tehniadinata

@kokigadungan

Chef

Film Director When I travel with my kids and husband, I'm a cultural traveler. We have a huge nia dinata interest in exploring a new place's cultural and historical sites. Whenever I travel alone, I always go to spiritual places, as well as practicing yoga [...] an "Eat Pray Love" kind of thing. As a working mother, I need to have a balance between having a meaningful time on a journey with my family and having a quality time by myself.

My memorable travel experience was a journey to Greece with the boys. It was also a moment for them to get to know their paternal roots. (My husband’s father is Greek.) We had the best road trip, visiting remarkable mountain areas in the mainland and ancient temples as well as having the most awesome island hops in the clear blue Aegean Sea. My most recent trip was to Poland, just last August, together with Joko Anwar. We made a pact to treat the trip as "our quality"time. We went to a small idyllic town near the Ukraine border called Zwierzyniec. The town has yearly summer film festival. This year, the focus was on Alexander Sokurov, Lee Chan Dong and Joko Anwar. So, I was honored to accompany Joko as the producer of his first and earlier works. We did not make any plans and just went with the flow. The funniest story happened at the big luncheon hosted by the mayor of Zwierzyniec and he kept pouring his staple homemade organic vodka. The 75-year-old film maestro, Alexander Sokurov kept holding my hand (maybe he was finding his balance, I have the picture of this ) and Joko passed out after the lunch.

I prefer to be called a social traveler. When I travel, location isn’t on the top my list. [Instead, it's] getting rahung to know the locals, their culture and social conditions nasution are what interest me the most – and how do all these Rio Simatupang elements help in shaping them as a community with many cultural diversities, including its culinary tradition.

Every journey that I’ve taken always leaves an impression on me, but the most memorable one was a trip to Mentawai a few years back. Tourists, journalists and researchers alike see this place as an exotic place to go, which then makes the locals in the southern Siberut area perceive visitors as people who always take something from them. When we were there, we wanted to take photos of someone’s house or even a backyard and they would ask us for money, but after we gave them explanation about who we were and what we were doing there, the locals treated us as their longlost relatives.

I recently visited Lembata, a small beautiful island in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).

Lembata is a regency famous for its whaling tradition. It’s easy for those who don’t understand their culture to condemn the act, but if we just sit down, listen to their story and see for ourselves we will get to see the tradition from a different point of view.

@boywilliam @boywilliam17 Actor & TV host I don’t consider myself just a city hopper or a backpacker. I like to travel differently from time to time to see the world from a different angle.

My most memorable travel experience would be leaving my passport on the plane! I was flying home from Dubai. When I woke up I was excited to get off the plane and I took everything except my passport, which I had left in the seat pocket.

We walked all the way to Immigration and waited in line until I realized my passport was missing. I ran all the way back to the plane and luckily they found my passport. Imagine if they didn’t, and the plane took off again!

For my most recent trip, I went to London and cruised around Europe with my family. Family time is always fun!

boy william

@trinitytraveler Traveler & Writer ​​​​​I don’t like to be boxed as a certain type of traveler. Traveling is Trinity about going to places that you’ve never been before. It can be a backpacking or a luxurious trip. I do everything, as long as it’s going to someplace new. But if you ask me about what my holiday preferences are, I like going to the beach. I’m more of an into-nature type of person.

Every trip is always memorable. The most memorable [trip] was probably in 2012 or 2013, when I took a roundthe-world tour for a year. It was me and my best friend. We

visited 22 countries, to be exact, and most were in South America. We went to places where Indonesian tourists rarely visit. This trip was inspired by Europeans. They usually have this gap year or career break where they go around the world for a year. [The trip] became a source of inspiration for my book, actually.

Before Idul Fitri, I went to Bali and Lampung. It was purely a vacation. I’ve visited Lampung and Bali numerous times before, but for this trip I decided for an off-the-beaten path adventure. I went island hopping, where I visited a few islands in Lampung. The city really caught my attention. It has such a huge potential, but unfortunately it’s lacking human resources. People there still do the mark-up price for tourists and litter is visible everywhere. As for Bali, the place is very modern now. I even encountered traffic jams there and ended up missing my flight.

JPlus September 20, 2015

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talk of the town JAZZY WEDNESDAYS AT RAFFLES

Kuningan, South Jakarta The Raffles Hotel Jakarta recently launched its weekly “Jazz and Tapas” night, to be held on Wednesdays at the hotel’s storied Writers’ Bar. For the inaugural event, the crowd noshed on tapas topped with salmon, caviar, crab and truffles while grooving to the stylings of songbird Sherly O, backed by a duo from her regular band, The Quatro: Eka Dewanto on stand-up bass and Donny Prasetyo on piano.

Also on the menu was the hotel’s signature Jakarta Sling, which offers a unique take on the Singapore Sling, the cocktail that celebrates its centenary anniversary this year.

The local version, crafted by Raffles F&B director Yusmaini Jasni,features passion fruit, infused with Grenadine syrup, apple sour liqueur, sweet vermouth, dry gin, a splash of soda water and star anise.

GIK PRESENTS JEGOG DANCE, BAMBOO ORCHESTRA

TIM HO WAN LAUNCHES SPECIAL DINNER MENU Pantai Indah Kapuk, North Jakarta Michelin-starred dim sum restaurant Tim Ho Wan is ready to surprise customers with its latest menu offering this month of September.

The new menu is composed of 14 unique dinner selections. They include all manner of rice, noodle and porridge dishes – among them, Hong Kong style boat congee, garlic fried fish skin, beef brisket and tendon noodles, and yang chow fried rice.

“These creations are our way of answering customer demand for a richer variety of menu choices,” said Michael Goh, operational director of Tim Ho Wan in Indonesia.

Originally from Hong Kong, the Tim Ho Wan series of restaurants is known for its combination of simple restaurant settings and top-class meals. It is popularly known as the world’s least expensive Michelin-starred restaurant.

Grand Indonesia Shopping Town, Central Jakarta The Galeri Indonesia Kaya cultural center, in cooperation with the Sanggar Seni Sukarya community, has just presented a jegog jejogedan dance performance accompanied by a bamboo orchestra. This artistic tradition comes from the Jembrana district in the west of Bali.

During the 50-minute event the classical bamboo orchestra music performed a piece infused with modern eleements. Aside from the jegog jejogedan dance, two other Balinese choreographies, namely the “Taksuning Makepung” and “Galang Kangin”, were also performed.

travel tips

more field reports on what to do and where to go on the road NY OPENS 1ST SUBWAY STATION IN 26 YEARS The Metropolitan Transportation Authority of New York City recently opened the city’s first new subway station since 1989. The new subway stop at 34th Street-Hudson Yards connects Times Square to 11th Avenue and opens up the far west side of Manhattan.

This means an easier time getting around for conventioneers at the Jacob K. Javits Center, tourists on the High Line, and forthcoming businesses and residents at the under-construction Hudson Yards mega-development project.

It is designed to handle 25,000 riders during peak hours. Once completed, the station is expected to become the busiest single-line station in the subway system.

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MICHITO KANEKO NAMED WORLD’S BEST BARTENDER

FIND A FRIEND in mallorca

MARRIOTT INTRODUCES IN-ROOM Virtual reality

After triumphing over four days of challenges, Michito Kaneko from Japan won the title of the world’s best bartender at the recent Diagio Reserve WORLD CLASS Bartender of the Year 2015 awards in Cape Town, South Africa.

Michito’s victory saw him beat 54 top performers, such as Kenneth Bandivas of the Philippines, who took judges on a flavor journey around the world, and Israel’s Ariel Leizgold, who captivated judges with what they described as a “sensory joy and a cocktail paradise”.

Michito became a bartender 13 years ago after tasting cocktails in his home region of Nara, Japan. He can be found at The Lamp Bar, which he founded three years ago.

Social networking has long been an essential part of today’s new generation of holiday makers.

Sol House is capitalizing on widespread enthusiasm for using technology to improve the holiday experience with a new app.

“Flirtie”, as the app is called, gives guests at the hip Sol Wave House and Sol House Trinidad hotels in Mallorca the chance to meet kindred spirit also staying in their hotels. Guests can create their own profiles and have the app suggest similar people, giving you the chance to meet them.

From there on out, it’s a brand new way of creating new friendships and relationships. Flirtie is only available through the hotel’s WiFi network.

A new brand of hospitality experience is being tested out at Marriott Hotels. This concept, called VRoom Service, allows guests at select Marriott properties to order inspiring virtual reality experiences in their rooms.

Created in collaboration with Samsung, the service is a first in the travel industry and is currently being tested at the New York Marriott Marquis and the London Marriott Park Lane.

Guests there are invited to try out a VR headset for up 24 hours to take virtual tours of the British Museum and the Natural History Museum in London.

VRoom was launched earlier this month in conjunction with Marriott’s new virtual travel content platform, the “VR Postcard”, which allows guests to experience travel virtual journeys to destinations like the Andes Mountains in South America and the streets of Beijing.

firm Favorites

Beauty and the byte JPlus’ favorite websites for those confused when at the cosmetics counter WORDS Fedina S. Sundaryani

femaledaily.com

Female Daily is the OG of Indonesian beauty websites.

It’s also a great source if you’re not sure what product you need. When you first land on Female Daily’s home page, you’ll be greeted by a search bar called the “Beauty Finder”. Enter your skin type, skin tone, skin concern, body concern and even hair concern to find the perfect products for you.

If that’s not up your lane, then just click on the kind of product you’re looking for, whether lip gloss or perfume, and you’ll be greeted by an array of products, complete with reviews that will tell you whether or not that lip gloss or conditioner is really worth it.

Moreover, the website has a forum where you can exchange thoughts and crowd-source some advice on beauty-related concerns from a fellow Indonesians who are also passionate about the subject. Female Daily also has a blog chronicling tried-and-tested beauty products and the latest updates on trends.

zalonku.com

One of the newest operations among the five mentioned here, Zalonku is a great site to explore –and to decide where you can get the best haircut, manicure or waxing treatment in Jakarta, given the constraints of your purse strings.

The website also provides reviews and tips written by established Indonesian beauty bloggers such as Ucita Pohan (ucitapohan.com) and Agnes Oryza (thecurlygirljournal.blogspot.co.id), whose words are honest and well-researched.

findation.com

thehoneycombers.com

Still having trouble finding your perfect foundation shade within different makeup lines? Who doesn’t?

Findation is a snazzy website that helps you find that shade without having to visit the makeup counter, making a mess of your hands and possibly breaking into a stutter when the salesperson approaches you.

All you have to do is fill in an online form with the foundation and shade that you currently use. With the click of the (virtual) button, Findation will show you all the different foundations that have similar shades. If you’re looking for a specific brand then just click on the filter and you’ll be presented with foundation matches only in that range.

The only downside to this website is that it won’t show you any matches for local beauty brands, such as Martha Tilaar or Wardah.

makeupalley.com

Although not exclusively about beauty, The Honey Combers is another great website to search for salon reviews. It is written in English, so those who have yet to master Indonesian can find the quality service they need.

Since the website is run by and targeted at foreigners, most articles take note if a salon is English-friendly, so there’s no chance of misunderstanding, or worse, of getting a bad haircut.

The Honey Combers does not limit its reviews to salons in Jakarta, going as far afield as Bali and Singapore.

Like other lifestylebased websites, The Honey Combers also offers tips and tricks for meeting your beauty goals – as well as guidance on beating the heat while looking good.

Every beauty maven knows Makeupalley. If you don’t, go to your computer or get out your smartphone right now!

If you’re looking for honest reviews from normal, everyday people (and a few professionals, here and there) then Makeupalley is a dream come true.

Not only does it cover the most complete range of makeup products, the site makes sure each item is reviewed by at least a couple of dozen people who have different skin types and tones. So if you’re looking for a trustworthy review, just find one from a reviewer with a similar skin type and tone to yours!

Makeupalley also indicates which makeup products have been reformulated or rebranded, so that you don’t need to be confused when purchasing your dream lipstick only to find that the quality is not as good as it was before.

JPlus September 20, 2015

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coverstory

On the Right Path Singer and actress Dewi Sandra talks about her new movie – and her spiritual journey.

Words Aulia R. Sungkar Photos Meutia Ananda

D

ewi Sandra beams as she meets us at Club Olympus at the Grand Hyatt Jakarta hotel for a photo shoot, going through several camera setups and wardrobe changes in a recordbreaking time of about half an hour.

The photographer, stylist and the editors from JPlus were uniformly dazzled by the images, which reflected Dewi's beauty and obvious ease before the camera –something that's not always been easy for her to cultivate.

“It was in December 2012 when I first started wearing the hijab, but my spiritual journey started three or four years before that. It’s when things started to fall apart,” Dewi says during an interview after the shoot. “I lost my mother, the second parent that I’ve lost. I was going through my second divorce, and there were many unexpected events that tore my life apart.”

It was time for her to reflect.

“I started thinking, ‘Where am I going wrong here?’ I looked at myself in the mirror and I didn’t feel like I was a bad person,” Dewi says. “It was a lot of challenging God and questioning Him. I eventually found the light in the darkness. That’s when I started feeling the power of the supreme divinity at work on me.”

She says that every journey is part of a progression.

“I translate the process as doing something until it eventually clicks […] You go to another level of being alive and understanding your purpose.”

The roles that Dewi has chosen since her decision to wear the hijab, such as her reality show, Catatan Harian Dewi Sandra (Dewi Sandra’s Diary), reflect her change in spirit.

This includes her latest movie, Air Mata Surga (Tears

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of Heaven), which is scheduled for release soon.

Silver Screen

Dewi says that she thought of leaving the entertainment industry, but called those plans off when she received an offer to star in Air Mata Surga.

The film is based on a true story that was turned into a novel titled Air Mata Tuhan, written by Aguk Irawan.

“I was touched by the script. The movie depicts the ‘heavenly tears’ of an extraordinary woman who had to go through a difficult test in life,” Dewi says. “I first thought that the movie would talk about something quite sensitive, but when I opened my mind and heart to understand the background of the story, there were a lot of virtues behind it.”

She continues. “It's based on a true story of a couple who go through such difficulties to find love, to fall in love and to let go of love. We’re talking of an amazing big love that sometimes humans don’t want to see, because we all have different perceptions of what love is."

Directed by Hestu Saputra, Air Mata Surga also stars

Richard Kevin and Morgan Oey. In the film, Dewi plays Fisha, a devoted wife who miscarries after she is abused by her husband.

“I play the character of a wife who had to make an extremely hard decision, because she’s also in a very difficult position that leads to self-sacrifice. She does it because of love. I think it’s a beautiful story,” she says.

The film will not be the first time that Dewi has played a woman in an unfortunate marriage. She also appeared in Catatan Hati Seorang Istri (Diary of a Wife), a television series that aired last year.

Dewi also starred opposite Abimana Aryasatya in the well-received film Haji Backpacker, released in October 2014 and which was based on the novel by Aguk Irawan; as well as 99 Cahaya di Langit Eropa (November 2013), opposite the starlet Raline Shah and Nino Fernandez.

“All the movies have religious themes and I enjoy being part of the movies, as they inspire my life as a Muslim,” says Dewi, who is currently the brand ambassador for Wardah cosmetics.

coverstory

I started thinking, ‘Where am I going wrong here?’ I looked at myself in the mirror and I didn’t feel like I was a bad person.

JPlus September 20, 2015

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coverstory

if you get out of your car and take a 5-minute talk with a random stranger, you can see his life is so touching, so inspiring and so beautiful. Everyone is fighting in a different battle in life.

close up Haji Backpacker also featured “Aku Pulang” (I'm Home), a single that Dewi, who has five albums under her belt, recorded for the film’s soundtrack.

The song marked her first return to the recording studio after a 2-year hiatus. “For me, music was and is still my passion, but sometimes you have to get away from it to refresh yourself,” Dewi said. “You know that feeling of missing something? I needed to miss music. I needed to do something else with my life. I think soon I’ll be going back to the studio. In other words, I’m taking a break.”

Family values

The 35-year-old, born to a British father and an Indonesian mother, is the wife of Agus Rahman. The couple will celebrate four years of marriage in November.

Dewi describes herself as a normal housewife with an extraordinary job, saying that despite a busy daily routine, she always squeezes in some quality time for her family.

Weekends involve hanging out with her husband, nephews, nieces and in-laws. “My mother in-law really knows how to cook delicious food. I also love cooking, but I enjoy eating her food more,” she says, laughing.

On plans for children of her own, Dewi smiles. “If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, life goes on. Always say Alhamdulillah [praise God] for all the things God has given you.”

Dewi has been busy shooting Catatan Harian Dewi Sandra. Exploring various themes of everyday life, the reality show features Dewi directly speaking with different person from different backgrounds.

“The show has opened up my mind, eyes and heart to see that everyone, even a homeless person on the street, can be inspiring,” she says. “Sometimes, our ego creates such stereotype that this person is lazy, he’s not working and not doing something with his life. But if you get out of your car and have a 5-minute talk with a random stranger, you can see his life is so touching, so inspiring and so beautiful. Everyone is fighting in a different battle in life.”

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JPlus September 20, 2015

On Indonesia’s Islamic fashion industry

Oh my goodness. I think we’re already on the international radar. With so many inspiring designers and many ethnic groups from across the archipelago, the Islamic fashion scene here is very colorful and happening.

Color choices

It’s not what you see on me now. My favorite is black.

You cannot go wrong with black. It’s a very basic color that can go with others. But I also like white. I like the combination of black and white because of its simplicity.

Favorite designers

At the moment, I’m loving Norma Hauri. This year, she’s been producing a lot of very interesting Muslimwear.

I also like Dian Pelangi for her colorful designs, Ria Miranda with her soft and feminine side and there’s Jenahara, who is very strong with black and white.

On my travel bucket list

Bali for its beaches, nice folks and culture. India is so chaotic, so messy yet it’s so beautiful and colorful. On the top of my list is Mecca. I want to go back there. I want to do my hajj [pilgrimage].

Speaking of food

Sometimes you can taste what a country would be like just by sampling its food. I must say that my favorite will be Indian food. I can’t get enough of it.

On the shelf

Everything written by Brazilian novelist Paulo Coelho and Canadian writer Robin Sharma -– and the Koran.

It is a very powerful book for me. It has some different meaning in every sentence you read.

The illusion of

fine dining WHEN FLAWLESSNESS AND FINESSE ARE off THE MENU WORDS & PHOTOS Kevindra Prianto Soemantri

A

majority of Jakarta’s diners had never heard of “fine dining” ten years ago, when only the great and powerful had the luxury to enjoy the sensuous delights of the gastronomical treats available in the city’s (few) prime restaurants.

At its best, fine dining is a sensory experience, where flawlessness and finesse are not just evident in the ingredients shown on the plate.

The concept should be embodied in every aspect of an establishment, beginning from the first step through the door.

It should evoke a feeling of excitement for the adventure of finding the delicacies inside. A warm welcome from a greeter and an enthusiastic escort to the table are also important, as is ambiance – ah yes, the restaurant’s ambiance – and decor, which should make our eyes travel along the room.

Fine curtains and tapestries, works of art hanging from the wall, warm lights, beautiful table settings and a creative interior in line with the restaurant’s concept also have roles to play, as does music, to build the atmosphere and to help diners settle in with ease as their senses of smell are teased by fragrance aromas.

Fine dining should give patrons a comprehensive experience, full of surprises so that a diner will not expend a single breath, save without uttering words of praise.

What I experienced at the Mockingbird Fine Dining restaurant in Pondok Indah, South Jakarta, however, did not meet my expectations of what

such an establishment should be.

As I entered, I noticed the interior, which seemed composed of easily assembled material. It gave the impression that the restaurant could easily be dissembled and relocated, should disaster strike in South Jakarta.

The menu was a table d’hôte, or set menu, that was divided into three seasonal sets: Chicken, duck or beef.

While the restaurant might offer the most affordable set menu in the city, let’s consider the key question of fine dining: Were the dishes made with tactful handling and presented with great finesse?

To be fair, the asparagus and poached egg was quite decent. It had a perfect ooze of creamy rich yolk over the tangy boiled asparagus with sprinkled herb crumbs.

But instead giving diners between courses fresh and golden warm artisanal bread (or at least a supermarket-bought baguette), we were abandoned to ourselves, gazing at the zombie-like servers, one of who, in careless innocence, played with his smartphone in the middle of dinner service in front of us.

The Thai beef salad itself was good, with a nice tangy dressing over the salad and a perfect mediumrare beef that was drizzled with the same tangy dressing as the salad.

Also good was a 200 gram steak: Nicely

seasoned and cooked to a perfect medium-rare, according to my taste.

However the blue cheese butter was tasteless, definitely craving a touch of salt and more cheese for the maître d’hotel butter.

The other main course, crispy sous vide duck breast was not crispy at all. The barley was edible, and the chestnut sauce and red cabbage also helped to cheer the spirit.

The dessert, mango trifle, was flat and less than sweet. The amount of the rum-infused whipping cream provided overpowered the freshness of the mango.

The only pleasant thing about the other dessert ordered, the apple crumble, was the vanilla ice cream.

The crumble was way too thick and

at your leisure

killed the apple filling, even though I would love the crumble if it was served by itself. It’s buttery and instantly disappears inside your mouth.

What I took real issue to was the appetizer that they proudly described on the menu as crispy duck-skin pancake.

It was not crispy at all. The sauce was clearly store-bought Chinese hoisin – blasphemy against the fine art of sauces at fine-dining establishments. There is a reason why the saucier of a fine-dining establishment is considered the most elite in the kitchen.

Mockingbird, however, clearly had no idea about this – or perhaps they are clueless about the concept of fine dining.

Their vision of being “the most affordable fine dining in the world” is not an excuse for creating an experience notably lacking in flawlessness or finesse.

Part of a restaurant’s duty is to educate the palate of local diners.

Do you realize what you are doing, Mockingbird? You’ve created a misleading benchmark for fine dining, especially when compared to Sriwijaya, Emilie, Oasis, Amuz and other dining legends in Jakarta.

I have a few suggestions.

Replace the phrase “fine dining” in your name with something more general or that will not lead to great expectations, such as “restaurant” or even just “dining”, and create high service standards for the front of the house and the kitchen team for at least a month. Have the front-of-the-house team watch a few episodes of the BBC series Michel Roux’s Service to learn about flawlessness in fine dining.

Also, recheck your menu and the portioning. The presentation was better suited for a cafe, like the gargantuan beet on the chicken breast with herbs crust.

And please do check the air conditioner for the sake of comfort.

Mockingbird Fine Dining Jl. Metro Pondok Indah Kav. III B&C Telp. 087882756850

JPlus September 20, 2015

9

wanderLUST

From Beijing To

St. Petersburg

BY TRAIN, 2 CONTINENTS WORDS JEREMY HAINSWORTH PHOTOS AP, trans siberian railway

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wanderLUST Later, we slept in a yurt on the steppes (Mongolian plains).

A stove for heating needed stoking in the middle of the night. Cows meandered through the camp, the twilight on the distant hills making it seem like a scene from Middle Earth.

Boarding the train again, we readied ourselves for Russian border officials. Passports were taken, bags searched and sniffer dogs led through the train.

After 51 hours, we arrived at Irkutsk, touring with a guide whose grandparents had been given 15 minutes to pack and leave for a collective farm in Stalin’s era.

Then on to a guest house in the village of Listvyanka on the edge of Lake Baikal, the world’s largest freshwater lake.

Our host took us into a traditional Russian banya.

Bathers sweat it out in a sauna, then jump in a cold pool.

Back inside, we were thrashed with birch leaves before jumping in the pool again. Then another scrub with coarse sponges, a warm rinse and surprise cold dousing – brutally

I

t was the realization of a dream from a childhood obsessed with trains: taking one of the world’s longest train rides, on the Trans Mongolian Express and Trans Siberian Railway.

The trip went from Beijing, China, via Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, and across Russia to Moscow and St. Petersburg with whistle stops in between.

It spanned two continents, seven time zones, many cultures and more than 7,900 kilometers.

The logistics are hard to organize on your own, so I traveled with G Adventures. Arriving several days early in Beijing to sample the city, I munched on deep-fried scorpion in a market, climbed ancient drum and bell towers, explored the sprawling Forbidden City and saw the preserved body of Mao Zedong in a mausoleum more resembling the shrine of a deity. Then our tour group – six in all – met for our 3-week adventure, led by guide Aleksandr Paramanov.

A week was spent in close quarters aboard trains. Each car had a hot water boiler, but you had to bring your own food, water and tea and get into the right mind-set: Relax, chat with TRANS SIBERIAN RAILWAY: new friends or just gaze at the Can be taken east to west or ever-changing landscape. Or vice versa: http://bi t.ly/1JnmjmV befriend the carriage attendant, buy a few things from her and VISAS: Require ments vary by get on her good side. country.

Consult the C hinese, Mongo lian The Trans Siberian is not a and Russian co nsular sites. Le tters of special train with specific runs. invitation may be needed fo r visas. Tour It’s a regularly scheduled train; companies ca n assist. you book sections and get on TIPS: Beware of and off as you wish. pickpockets. M oney belts are a mus Our first run, departing t. Don’t carry al l your credit and de city, comes into view as the train the madness of Beijing’s bit cards toge th er .

Pa ck efficiently – yo rounds a bend. Yurt tents dot the main station for Ulaanbaatar, u carry everyt hing you bring. Brin hills around the city of 1.1 million was filled with Chinese and g an e-reader for long stretches on th where more than 100,000 nomads Mongolian travelers heading e train. still live under canvas. home. After Chinese officials FOOD: Some tra We explored the Black Market, a searched the train and ins have dining cars but don’t count on massive jumble of stalls containing it. Pack tea or stamped passports in the late instant coffee to shar e with fellow tra everything from horse blankets to evening, the train was taken velers. Buy fruit, instant no odles, vegeta antique Nazi bayonets. Beware of apart. Carriages were moved bles, dried meats and brea d for days you’ pickpockets not only in the market into sheds, giant jacks raised ll be on the train. but throughout the city. I lost my them six feet and wheel credit cards in a brief bump with bogeys were replaced to someone. handle Mongolia’s gauge rail system.

We stood amid Buddhist ceremonies with monks We awoke to see the sandy-brown, scrub-dotted wastes chanting and sampled horse cooked on flat metal grills.

Gobi Desert. Ulaanbaatar, the world’s most remote capital

If You Go...

refreshing.

On to Yekaterinburg, a city on the dividing line between two continents, a two-day ride through forests and rolling hills on rails that once carried Soviet exiles heading the other way to the gulag.

In another compartment, strangers fed my travel-mate caviar, crab meat, eggs and vodka.

Yekaterinburg’s highlight is the Church of the Spilled Blood, the golden-domed sanctuary built on the site where the last tsar, Nicholas II, and his family were massacred by the Bolsheviks. A chapel marks the execution spot.

On May 9, we chanced to see the parade marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. Tanks and missiles rolled through the streets as fighter jets roared overhead.

Back aboard bound for Moscow, we were split between compartments, attempting communication with friendly but frustrated Russians.

In the Russian capital we explored Red Square, the Kremlin as well as Soviet monuments and art galleries.

Then, more than two weeks after departing Beijing, we boarded a night train for St. Petersburg.

Leaving that final train was hard. We’d all lived a dream.

JPlus September 20, 2015 11

a la mode

Age Appropriate Fashion?

When it comes to fashion, does age really matter?

S

tuff Christy Turlington and Elle Macpherson in a blender and flip the switch, and you’ll get Karlie Kloss, a 23-year-old supermodel du jour who reportedly made US$4 million last year.

Kloss stands out among the beautiful crowd that she surrounds herself with, not the least because she is the tallest working woman model, standing 1.85 meters.

The only one who could steal the spotlight from Kloss was Iris Apfel, who starred alongside the statuesque beauty in a spring 2015 ad campaign. Apfel, a pintsized retired interior designer, turned 94 last month.

The Washington Post describes Apfel as a cross between a peacock and an owl. She dresses in colorful layers that that consist of designer trousers and ecclesiastical robes, her arms and neck piled with chunky accessories. A pair of round, black-framed eyeglasses is her signature.

She is the main subject documentary titled Iris, released in May, by the famed late filmmaker Albert Maysles. In it, she talks about curating her own style, which combines flea market finds and high fashion items, with no regard to trends or age brackets.

The documentary made her a bona fide fashion icon, and she soon found herself striking a pose alongside Kloss for Kate Spade’s Spring 2015 campaign, followed by yet another campaign shoot

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for jeweler designer Alexis Bittar.

Apfel said she has never imagined public attention – or affection – on this level. Not in the fashion world, and certainly not at her age.

But Apfel is not the only senior who has been fronting a major ad campaign as of late.

A number of industry insiders have been pushing the idea of ageless, timeless fashion since last year, pioneered

by Marc Jacobs who cast 64-year-old Jessica Lange for his cosmetics line and 71-year-old Catherine Deneuve for the Louis Vuitton Spring 2014 campaign.

In September, Charlotte Rampling, 68, struck a pose for cosmetics brand NARS. The following month, GAP signed Anjelica Hudson, 64, for its “Dressing Normal” campaign.

Meanwhile, Dolce & Gabbana jumped to the bandwagon, featuring three unnamed grandmothers in their Spring 2015 campaign. Last but certainly not least is Madonna, who fronts Versace’s 2015 campaign.

Is the notoriously youth-obsessed world of fashion and beauty finally embracing women of a certain age?

Well, it’s all about the money.

“Fashion has this youth mania.

But 70-year-old ladies don’t have 18-year-old bodies and 18-year-olds don’t have a 70-yearolds’ dollars,” Apfel told The Washington Post.

Brands know that along with age comes buying power.

Worldwide, consumers over 50 spent more than US$8 trillion in 2010; in 2020, the figure is projected to rise to US$15 trillion. This spending power is especially true in the high fashion market, according to New

York Times fashion columnist Vanessa Friedman.

Similar trends have emerged in our own backyard. Dewi, the most influential fashion magazine in Indonesia, put 50-year-old Sarita Thaib on its September cover. (In case you didn’t know, September is the January of fashion, and landing a September cover is a big deal for any model.)

“I asked (Dewi managing editor Syahmedi) Dean ‘why me?’,” said Sarita via email, “He said that at 50, I still looked very model-esque. He reckoned I would make a good cover for the magazine’s ‘age’ issue.”

Taking cues from fall collections that will soon hit the stores, the magazine discusses trends for women in their 20s, 30s and 40s. Ironically, Sarita doesn’t subscribe to the idea of age-appropriate dressing. Why should she? After all, she wears both a classic evening gown and a leather-jacket-and-dress combo better than most women half her age.

And this is perhaps why she sympathizes with Madonna, who claims that she has been

discriminated against due to her age.

At the beginning of this year, BBC Radio refused to air her latest single, arguing that the 56-year-old was irrelevant to their listeners.

Her on-stage antics – from falling off the stage during 2015 Brit Awards performance to smooching Drake at Coachella - garnered harsh criticism centered around her age. In a typical Madonna fashion, she hit back at her critics by performing in her panties. Her in-your-face attitude, though, doesn’t sit well with the millennials; apparently, her army of online haters is bigger than that of Bieber’s.

What seems to outrage people about Madonna isn’t so much her outfits.

Fashion, in its essence, extends beyond dresses. It has to do with ideas, the way we live and what is happening.

Madonna argues that Mick Jagger has never been criticized for wearing leather pants and tight shirts. By that logic, those claiming that her outfits are age inappropriate are indeed sexist – a point that earns a nod from Sarita.

“To be able to have a stamina and posture like Madonna’s isn’t easy, especially if you are 56. I think she manages to look maintain her youthful quality in both her appearance and physical endurance, which is commendable,” says Sarita of Madonna.

But Sarita wouldn’t even dream of dressing like Madonna. Her personal style, the mother-of-two says, is “masculine, but always elegant”.

Last year, she launched a readyto-wear line called ATTA INDONESIA. Sold on Instagram, the collections are androgynous and cool.

Shirt dresses with bias cut and big collar; cotton draped dresses that cuts around the knee; and maxi dresses in loose silhouettes – the kind of clothes appropriate for women of any age and any size.

Photos: AFP, AP, he.socialites.blogspot.com

Words Willy Wilson

style councel

How Hermès makes its legendary silk ties WORDS Maura Walters

PHOTOS Bloomberg/Céline Clanet

The Hermès necktie has been the anchor of respectable business suits since its introduction in 1949. Christophe Goineau, artistic director of men’s silk, explains the labor-intensive process of creating the brand’s signature neckwear.

4 Printing

3 Mixing the Hues

Hermès has 40 “mother” colors that combine to form more than 75,000 hues.

The silk design is then delivered to the printer. “Rolls of silk twill are printed from the smallest to the largest motif and from the darkest to lightest colors,” he says.

1 Designing

Fourteen graphic designers work on the pattern and color. Once they finalize the look, they hand-stencil it onto silk.

Each tie has 10 different colors. “We’re the only house to incorporate such a large variety of shades,” Goineau says. “Color is the first, and most important, element of selection.”

5 Keeping It Aligned

6 Cutting

Prior to assembly, the tie parts go through a printing ream so the elements are perfectly lined up. “Every 10 meters, the printer pulls at the tie frame to make sure the design stays consistent,” he says.

7 Sewing

Seamstresses, using a single piece of thread per tie, hand-stitch the larger panel onto the smaller one. They create the trademark, triangular dovetail by folding and stitching the fabric five times over. “We believe the back of the tie should be as nice as the front,” Goineau says.

The panels are cut one by one. Unlike makers of mass-produced ties, which have three parts (a large panel, a smaller panel, and a collar), Hermès cuts its ties into just two panels from the same piece of silk.

10 Finished Casse-Noisette (Nutcracker) Tie

8 Checking the Work

Workers remove excess fabric, test for color and size, and iron the tie. After a final inspection, it’s dispatched for sale. From concept to creation, the process takes two months.

2 Choosing Colors

9 Finishing Touches

US$180, hermes.com

The Hermès label is 8 inches from the bottom of the tie, sewn with four stitches to ensure it stays put.

Buy This Now

WORDS: Kurt Soller

PHOTOS: Via Bloomberg

THE BOSSEST WHITE SHOES

It began with dudes taking off their ties.

Then they started wearing hoodies and growing beards. And now pristine white kicks—worn with navy suits by managers, or with jeans by the coder bros—are the latest office-casual standard.

The style came off the tennis court in the early 1960s, when Steve McQueen made Keds famous. In recent years, hundreds of brands have pushed them, from Italian-made Common Projects down to Adidas, whose iconic Stan Smiths covered tons of trendy commuting feet this summer. Their popularity helped the sneaker industry grow to $55 billion in 2014,

according to Forbes.

So go ahead and wear white shoes after Labor Day. Actually, K-Swiss released its Washburn (US$85) in September for that purpose. They’re slightly heavier than other trainers, with a thick rubber sole and cap-toe detail that riffs on the look of dress shoes.

The upper, made of smooth nubuck, features minimalist details and the shield logo the company revised last year. They’re also just incredibly comfortable. A month of regular wear passed by pain-free; the shoes molded into pillows for my feet but never started looking soft. Keeping them white is on you, though.

JPlus September 20, 2015 13

good living

The Queen of Victorian Wines

[something] for the benefit of the wine.”

Wineries now rank alongside animal sanctuaries, golf courses and chocolate factories at Yarra Valley as prominent tourist destinations. Landing in Melbourne, tourists can either take a scenic drive down to Yarra Valley – or book a helicopter ride straight to Yering Station.

For wine, the strategy focuses on the brand, Gordon says. It’s not enough just to remember Shiraz, the wine that has made Australia famous. A budding oenophile must also note specific vineyards and production years.

“If you enter a restaurant and they serve Australian lamb, you know the lamb is Australian. But with the wine industry, I’m representing a wide variety of Australian wines and they all can be a Shiraz,” he

WITH WINE, YOU CAN’T BE GREEDY AND PLANT EVERYTHING IN YOUR BACKYARD. WORDS Ruth Ninajanty PHOTOS Courtesy Yering Station

Y

ering Station, the first vineyard in the Australian state of Victoria, dates to 1838.

Spread over 43,000 acres in the scenic Yarra Valley, the award-winning winery was purchased by the Rathbone family in 1996.

Since then, Yering Station has made a name for itself at international competitions, including snatching the title of “Winemaker of the Year” at the International Wine and Spirit Competition in London in 2004.

“We’re very proud because we’re probably one of the first small wineries to win the award,” said Gordon Gebbie, commercial director of the Rathbone Wine Group, during a recent trip to Jakarta.

Excited by the developments at Yering Station, and in the Australian wine industry in general, the Rathbone family added to its portfolio Mount Langi Ghiran in the Grampians, which is known for its iconic Langi Shiraz.

“Rather than having the brands competing with each other, we offer a difference in the marketplace,” Gebbie says. “When we come to present our wines to the importers, we don’t say ‘we only take Pinot’ or ‘we only take Shiraz’. We cover the different aspects of Australian wine.”

With wine, you can’t be greedy and plant everything in your backyard. Different regions of Australia yield different wines. Yering Station, for example, boasts its Pinot Noir, while Mount Langi Ghiran serves Australian’s well-known Shiraz.

Meanwhile, the Rathbone Group purchased Xanadu, its first winery outside Victoria, in 2005. Xanadu, which sits about 400 kilometers south of the metropolis of Perth by the Margaret River, concentrates on Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Yering Station’s long history of wine making underscores its quality, according to Gordon. “The most important part for us is to grow good grapes, but it’s good to have the pedigree. Back in 1870, Yering Station wine, which was predominantly Shiraz, won a grand prix in Paris. So that made us confidence that a hundred years ago, this station produced good wine.”

His personal favorite wine, however, has changed over time, Gebbie said. “My preference, if you’re talking about grape varieties, in a white would be Chardonnay and in

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says. “We’re competing with each other when it comes to the positioning in restaurant shelves.”

Gebbie advised lost souls to venture out and ask for advice in rural areas. “It can be confusing to people. We had people coming in to the shop not knowing what to buy. If you go to wineries, you will have someone walking down the wine selection with you. In the city, they are limited to what they have in the shop. At Yering Station Cellar Doors, for example, there are wines we don’t distribute anywhere else.”

The wine you’re looking for might be just around the corner. a red would be Pinot Noir – but if you had asked me that question when I first started wine making, it would have been Cabernet Sauvignon.”

Gebbie says that family-owned wineries have a distinct advantage in the current market, which is dominated by larger entities.

“Because we’re so small, we can be contacted directly by suppliers and distributors and we can make changes that can satisfy the customers’ needs,” he says.

“We view the wine industry as a long-term one. The Rathbone family has been in the industry since 1996.

Most of the bigger wineries are listed on the stock exchanges. They want to retain shareholders and they might have to make decision to go with that instead of

tasteBUD

Vegetarian Japchae WORDS & PHOTOS THEODORA HURUSTIATI

J

ust like many Indonesian families, mine is also prone to type-2 diabetes, which is easily prevented or controlled if we eat correctly and carefully – and limit our sugar intake to what’s strictly necessary for our bodies to function.

The problem is that as we get older, our metabolism slows and it takes longer for our body to burn excess sugar. Unutilized glucose eventually transforms into fat, causing not only diabetes but obesity. Glucose is omnipresent in food, you can’t always see it with your naked eye or taste it.

Many of our everyday staple food items are naturally high in sugar content – like rice and wheat, for example.

Until I went to culinary school nine years ago, I didn’t really take this into account and didn’t really watch what I ate. As an Asian, rice and noodles are in my DNA. I can’t help craving for them.

However, ever since I started school, I’ve been trying to look for healthier alternatives to starches – and came across dangmyeon, a grayish Korean noodle made from sweet potatoes.

Its texture is a cross between the crunchy Japanese shirataki noodles made from Konjac yam and the slippery mung bean glass noodles that Indonesians are more familiar with. Both are good alternatives.

Here’s my version of japchae using dangmyeon noodles.

Traditional recipes for japchae use raw garlic and include sugar in the condiments. I omitted the latter for the obvious reason I’ve been blabbing about and stir-fried the garlic. Raw garlic is just bad for your social life!

Serves 3 150 g Dangmyeon noodles 1 egg 1 clove of garlic, chopped 1 carrot 50 g mung bean sprouts 50 g baby spinach 3 mushrooms (shiitake or champignon) 10 common or garlic chives 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds 2 teaspoons sesame oil 3 tablespoons soy sauce 3 tablespoons vegetable oil Salt

• Beat eggs with 2 tablespoons of water and a pinch of salt. Heat a touch of oil in a non-stick pan and fry the egg to a thin crêpe. Roll and slice into fine strips.

• Boil noodles by in salted simmering water for 2-3 minutes until softened, but not mushy.

Drain and transfer to a bowl.

• Cut with scissors into shorter strands and season with soy sauce, sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds while they’re still hot.

• Clean mushrooms from dirt using a dampened kitchen cloth. Slice thinly. Cut carrot and spring onions into fine matchsticks.

Simply wash spinach and mung bean sprouts.

• Fry garlic with a touch of oil in a pan until fragrant. Toss in the carrots quickly and stir-fry for one minute before adding the mushrooms.

• Cook for a minute or so until they’re starting to wilt before adding the spinach, bean sprouts, and spring onions. Cook for further 30 seconds until all the vegetables are tender but still retain their crunch.

• Combine stir-fried vegetables into the noodles. Serve warm or at room temperature with the fried egg and extra sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds.

Jakarta-born chef Theodora Hurustiati, a 12-year resident of Udine, Italy, was the runner-up in the TV cooking program La Scuola – Cucina di Classe (The School: Classy Cooking) in 2011.

JPlus September 20, 2015 15

trendDIAL

APPLE & HERMES

Merging function and fashion, Apple and Hermes are teaming up in releasing the Apple Watch® Hermès. The new collection is a combination of elegant design and purpose-built devices. The Apple Watch is available with finely crafted leather bands in distinctive styles: Single Tour, Double Tour and Cuff, or in stainless steel in two different sizes, 38mm and 42mm. The leather straps range from fauve Berunia, noir Box, capucine Swift, fauve Barenia leather and "bleu jean", to capucine and étain Swift leather. Across the collection, each stainless steel case has an engraved Hermés signature that includes a customizable face with three exclusive dial designs.

BURBERRY

It’s windy and Angelina Jolie was spotted wearing the Burberry Trench Coat! Representing timeless British style, the trench collection is available in five colorways: honey, stone, black, navy and parade red.

For its Autumn/Winter 2015 collection, Burberry is releasing its Cashmere Coat Collection to include the iconic Kensington and Sandringham heritage trench coat for both men and women. Burberry is offering more than 10 colors that are suitable for almost any situation, from basic Black, White and Parade Red, to a softer color palett.e such as Dusty Peony Rose, Pale Orchid and Dusty Mint. As the coats were originally created to protect officers from wind and rain, there’s no need to doubt the finishing process, which has made them more water-repellent than ever before.

LENNY KRAVITZ's ECLECTIC DESIGNs

Rock icon Lenny Kravitz is serious about his furniture company, Kravitz Design. In a recently announced collaboration with home decor brand Crate & Barrel’s younger counter part, CB2, Kravitz will launch a West coast living and California vibrant music-inspired collection that is so in line with how one considers Kravitz’s personal tastes. There will be 20 retro pieces in all, from wall decor, rugs, furniture to pillows, with a lavish colortone evoking the New York 1970s club scene, playing around with blacks and golds along with a tad of red brick. +Banyubening Prieta

fashionable

exellencies Your master’s class in style

AMBRE IMPÉRIAL BUGABOO

Who knew a stroller could be so funky? Far from a typical collaboration, lifestyle brand Diesel is joining forces for the second time with baby goods company Bugaboo in releasing the all-terrain Bugaboo Buffaloo and a tailored fabric set for the convertible Bugaboo Donkey. Emphasizing the rebellious spirit of both brands, the stroller has a tagline that reads “Born to #BeBrave”. Just as in the case of Diesel’s jeans, the strollers will take on new characteristics as they age. The collection also features a matching denim bag with functional inside pocket for parents on the go. While a special-edition Bugaboo by Diesel Seat Liner, Footmuff, Parasol and Mosquito Net in camouflage print are set to complete the rebellious experience for your stroller.

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The latest from Van Cleef & Arpels exclusive fragrance Collection Extraordinare is set to bring back original perfumery materials through its Ambre Impérial. Composed

by Quentin Bisch, the nose behind La Fin du Monde by Etat Libre d’Orange, the perfume takes a familiar amber accord and accents its natural pleasantness with tasty gourmand substances, such as pillowy vanilla and salted caramel. Bisch describes Ambre Impérial as a perfect authentic blend of amber that features sweet and spicy sensations. Spritz it on your neck and savor some bergamot and pink peppercorn scents followed by a heart centering on an amber accord while underneath rests some vanilla and woody scents.