LE KAP - Spring 2015 edition

THE LEOPARD 58 LE KAP LIFESTYLE FAIR A BURST WITH COLOUR S PRING 2 0 1 5

R40.00

MAGNIFICENT AMAN MUSE IN GOLD GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED

SOUTH AFRICA’S PREMIER LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

®

Lamborghini South Africa

Lamborghini Cape Town Authorised Dealer 10 Hospital Street, Harbour Edge Building Phone 021 419 0595 Fax 021 419 0596 www.lamborghini.com

Lamborghini Johannesburg Authorised Dealer Corner William Nichol and Bryanston Drive Phone 011 361 6500 Fax 011 361 6547 www.lamborghini.com

C RA F T I NG E T E R N I T Y S I N C E 1 755 260 years of continuous history is reflected in the Harmony Collection.

A new legacy has dawned.

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Geneva official watchmaking certification

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editor-in-chief l Steve Swanepoel automotive lifestyle editor l Richard Webb creative l Le Mag Publications Group proofreaders l Moira Theart l Marion Pfeiffer photographers l Various wine route correspondent l Margi Hoffe international research & correspondents Howard Linsee-Tutill l Liz Webber advertising enquiries l sales@lemagpublications.com editorial enquiries l info@lemagpublications.com event enquiries l info@lemagpublications.com website l Warren Richardson

editorial contributors l Richard Webb, Liz Webber, JT Foxx, Daniel Snyman, Steve Swanepoel, Jean-Vincent Ridon, Kobus Wilmans, Sarah Woods, Moira Theart, Marion Pfeiffer, Matthew Campaigne-Scott, Sean O’Toole, Dean Mccoubrey publisher l Le Mag Publications Group editor l editor@lemagpublications.com email l info@lemagpublications.com web l www.lemagpublications.com tel l 021 829 7120 l 021 829 7205 fax l 086 554 5580

FRONT COVER l GEORGE CLOONEY 08 FROM THE EDITOR 10 GEORGE CLOONEY 16 THE MARINE COLLECTION - BREGUET 20 THE MAGNIFICENT AMAN

COPYRIGHT © 2015 - LE MAG PUBLICATIONS GROUP The opinions and views expressed herein are not necessarily those of the Le Mag Publications Group. The publisher and editor regretfully cannot accept any liability for omissions or errors contained in this publication. The ownership of registered trademarks is duly acknowledged. No part of this publication or any of its content may be reproduced, digitally stored or transmitted in any format without the express and written permission of the publishing editor.

28 GUSTAV KLIMT 34 VACHERON CONSTANTIN CELEBRATES

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CONTENTS 38 LUISA SPAGNOLI - A BURST WITH COLOUR

70 THE STAR OF THE VENICE FILM FESTIVAL

44 THE MANIFESTATION OF LIGHT

74 LIQUID GOLD

50 ARE LUXURY & SUCCESS CRIMES

78 A MOTORRAD LIFESTYLE

52 HERMÈS

82 ONE GOOD REASON TO GO

60 THE IMPOSING LEOPARD 58

88 GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED

66 ERIK LAUBSCHER, THE TOAST OF THE TOWN

96 QUALITY AND CRAFTMANSHIP

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SPRING 2015

From the Editor With Spring finally arriving in South Africa, after what has seemed to be an extra cold winter, we present you with the Spring 2015 edition of Le Kap. Spring is the season of rejuvenation, but it is also the ‘busy season’. National retailers are beginning to stock up in anticipation of the onslaught of the Christmas rush, whilst the work force is in the throes of planning for their December holidays. If one takes into account that December, for most, is only a two-week month, clearly 2015 is coming to its conclusion at an alarmingly rapid rate.

However, at Le Kap magazine, we do not benefit from the luxury of a short December, as it is at this time of the year that our entire focus falls upon the preparation of Le Kap Lifestyle Fair, our opulent annual lifestyle event.

Anticipated as one of the most prestigious luxury lifestyle events in South Africa, the annual Le Kap Lifestyle Fair is an event not to be missed. Le Kap Lifestyle Fair, now in its third year, offers a ‘best-in-class’ experience with a rich tapestry of design and couture, a selection of SA’s finest wines and an assortment of scrumptious dining and picnic options.

All of this is complemented by live music and entertainment, a VIP and celebrity lounge, musical dressage, a 6-bar horse jumping competition, a fashion show by leading designers and much more. Made for socializing, this event is synonymous with luxury, fashion and style, celebrity spectacle and a jubilee of multimedia recognition.

We are equally delighted and proud to announce that in 2015 we present Le Kap Lifestyle Fair in association with Lamborghini, the iconic Italian supercar manufacturer. Event attendees will be able to see these magnificent machines on display on the 5th of December 2015. The 2015 hosting of Le Kap Lifestyle Fair takes place on the picturesque Webersberg Wine Estate, located at the foot of the Helderberg mountain range in Stellenbosch.

For our readers who have not experienced Le Kap Lifestyle Fair, we invite you to peruse the website www.lekaplifestylefair. com to secure your tickets as soon as possible.

We trust you like the compilation of editorial content in this edition of Le Kap, under the watchful eye of George Clooney, our man on the front cover.

Enjoy the read.

Steve Swanepoel Founder & CEO - Le Mag Publications Group

Rendez-Vous Moon watch Carmen Chaplin, Actor and Director

Open a whole new world

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George Clooney

BY MATTHEW CAMPAIGNE-SCOTT

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f asked to identify a celebrity whose face was paralysed with Bell's palsy in high school, dropped out of two universities, who started out selling ladies shoes and whose maternal great-great-great-great-grandmother was the half-sister of the mother of President Abraham Lincoln, one may be a tad flummoxed.

George Clooney is a wealth of fascinating trivia: born in Lexington, Kentucky he is now a household name. Women and even men have feasted their eyes on Clooney ever since the days of his appearance on the Television medical drama ER, although he has been treading the boards since 1978.

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There is more to George Clooney than just the movie industry Most of us do not know that Clooney has a dog, named Eistein, that he rescued from a shelter. 'Einstein has been studying acting for many years now as you can imagine. I think he's concerned that I am in his shot and he thinks that perhaps you can airbrush me out if it. That's his hope.' said Clooney during a photo shoot with Einstein for Omega where he sports an 'OMEGA Seamaster Aqua Terra Gents’ Collection wristwatch'.

If we look back at some of the roles Clooney has played, there are some that he may prefer us to forget, such as a simpering supporting role in the trashy sitcom ‘Roseanne’, acting as a ‘down to earth’ handy man in ‘The Facts of Life’ and a role in a sitcom that took a nasty dive with the prophetic name of ‘E/R’. (Not to be confused with ER!) George has certainly paid his dues.

Then came along that famous episode of ER, one of the most viewed in US TV history, where Clooney’s character, Doug Ross emerges from a flooded storm-water drain carrying a hypothermic boy under the glare of lights, cameras and howling helicopter blades over his head. Fellow ER actress, Gloria Ruben is quoted as saying that every woman watching was wringing her hands, crying out: ‘oh George, SAVE ME, let it be me!’ For his role in ER, he received two Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series in 1995 and 1996, as well as three Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Actor – Television Series Drama in 1995, 1996, and 1997.

It’s been happy hunting for Clooney since then - in more ways than one. Scripts have fallen into his lap, most famously and lucratively the ‘Oceans Eleven’ trilogy. His first movies include some not so Thespian, including ‘Return of the Killer Tomatoes’ (1988) to the commercially pleasing ‘Batman and Robin’ (1997) - a movie that he openly advises people not to watch. In later years, his maturity as an actor became obvious in movies like the critically acclaimed war satire, ‘Three Kings’.

In 2002, George decided it was high time to take his place on the opposite side of the camera as director with the movies ‘Confessions of a Dangerous Mind’ and the political drama ‘Ides of March’. Last year he directed/produced and starred in ‘The Monuments Men’, which grossed $155 million at the box office while receiving mixed reviews.

The 2000s through to the present have been kind to George. He is the only person ever chosen for Academy Awards in six categories.

He received Best Actor in a supporting role for ‘Syriana’: a 2005 geopolitical thriller loosely based on the Robert Baer’s work ‘See No Evil’.

Then in 2012, as the producer, he received Best Picture Oscar for ‘Argo’ - the political thriller about the iconic US embassy in the Tehran debacle and the related political fallout. These very challenging movies revealed a greater depth to George Clooney than just charm and good looks. Other Oscar nominations were for Best Director for ‘Good Night, and Good Luck’ as well as Best Original Screenplay. He was nominated for Best Actor in Michael Clayton’s ‘Up In the Air’ and ‘The Descendants’. ‘Ides of March’ was selected for Best Adapted Screenplay.

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There is more to George Clooney than just the movie industry. The CFR or Council for Foreign Relations is an august body that influences US foreign policy. Its fellows include CIA directors, bankers, lawyers, senior politicians and one George Clooney. They have clearly had their eye on George and his political activities.

Clooney has been vocal about a few issues. He has also made it clear that he opposed the War in Iraq and is pro Barak Obama and pro-Gay Rights (for example, Clooney took an auction winner out to lunch to benefit the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) in September 2001).

George has found his political voice with the Not On Our Watch Project; a body co-founded with Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, David Pressman and Don Cheadle. This organisation focuses on providing nongovernmental, international relief and humanitarian aid. In this capacity, he raised donations for the 2010 Haiti Earth Quake victims and went on a factfinding mission to Chad, as well as drawing world attention to human rights violations by Burma’s (Myanmar) brutal military regime. The organisation says on their website ‘Our mission is to focus global attention and resources towards putting an end to mass atrocities around the world’.

Clooney and the American human rights activist, John Prendergast, initiated the Satellite Sentinel Project (SSP) after an October 2010 trip to South Sudan. The SSP monitors armed activity for signs of renewed civil war between Sudan and South Sudan, to detect and deter mass atrocities there.

Clooney spoke at a Save Darfur rally in Washington, D.C. when he and his father returned from Darfur after having made the documentary, ‘A Journey to Darfur’, which exposed the Darfur refugee crisis.

In March 2007, Clooney sent an open letter to German Chancellor Angela Merkel calling on her to use her influence with the European Union to take ‘Decisive action in Darfur’.

Also, in 2007, he narrated and was the co-executive producer of the 2007 documentary ‘Sand and Sorrow’.

Clooney appeared in the documentary ‘Darfur Now’, which aimed to activate people the world over to help stop the human rights abuses in Darfur.

In December 2007, Clooney and Don Cheadle received the Summit Peace Award from the Noble Peace Prize Laureates in Rome. However, Clooney expressed how much he felt his and other’s efforts were for naught in his acceptance speech: ‘Don and I … stand here before you as failures.

The simple truth is that when it comes to the atrocities in Darfur … those people are not better off now than they were years ago’.

In March 2012, he whet his theatre acting appetite by starring with actors Martin Sheen and Brad Pitt in a performance of Dustin Lance Black’s play, ‘8’, a re-enactment of the US trial that overturned California’s ban on same-sex marriage. The production raised money for the American Foundation for Equal Rights. In the same month, Clooney was arrested for civil disobedience during a protest outside the Sudanese Embassy in Washington, D.C. The man gets around.

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It's no wonder that George Clooney was included on Time Magazine's top 100 'Most Influential People in the world.'

Speaking of getting around; long considered as Hollywood's most eligible bachelor, George has had his fair share of exotic beauties on his arm, from the talented Talia Balsam and Italian stunner Elisabetta Canalis to popular actresses Krista Allen and Renee Zellweger.

However, 53-year-old George has shown his class by wedding the highly acclaimed British-Lebanese human rights lawyer, Amal Alamuddin, at the 'Aman Canal Grande' hotel located in the 450-year-old Palazzo Papadopoli in Venice on the 27 of September 2015. They subsequently recently did a 'royal tour' of the Italian countryside visiting the Chianti Hills on a vintage Vespa Piaggio. George, who has a passion for motorcycles as well as beautiful women, has taken his bride for further tours on an assortment of bikes throughout Italy last month.

But movies is what most of us love about George, so we look forward to his latest offerings. This year saw the launch of a science fiction adventure: ‘Tomorrowland’. The movie is all about memory, destiny and time, so he appropriately dons a masterpiece of retro timekeeping: the vintage 1958 Omega Automatic Chronometer in his role as Frank Walker. Regarding time, Clooney's character says, ‘With every second that ticks by, the future is running out’. Profound words from the man who has made good use of his time.

What does George have in store for us in the future? He is currently working on two productions: a comedy with Josh Brolin, Channing Tatum, Tilda Swinton, Alden Ehrenreich and Ralph Fiennes called Hail Caesar. He has also teamed up with Jodie Foster and Julia Roberts to make a thriller called ‘Money Monster’. So George continues to do what he is arguably best at doing, making movies and keeping us entertained.

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Marine 5857

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HAUTE HORLOGERIE

The ‘Marine Collection’

by Breguet

BY SARAH WOODS

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he name Breguet certainly conjures up images of aristocracy and royalty, and one marvels at the fact that some of the inventions of Abraham-Louis Breguet dating back more than two centuries, still underpin modern-day watch making principles.

Central to the aesthetic design style of all Breguet time pieces

Breguet design disciplines draw

is its ‘coin-edged’ fluted case bands, its unique guilloche dials

inspiration from the original designs

and the iconic ‘pomme hands’, generally referred to as ‘Breguet

of Abraham Breguet for the French

hands’, even when other watch manufactures use this design.

navy in 1815.

In true Breguet tradition, all the models in the Marine Collection adhere to these traditional Breguet design disciplines and moreover draw inspiration from the original designs of AbrahamLouis Breguet for the French navy in 1815.

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Marine 5847

Breguet introduced the Marine Royale 5847 alarm watch, waterresistant up to 300 metres, subsequent to the launch of the first tourbillon-equipped chronograph with silicon escapement in 2007.

Central to the design of the 5847 is that the case has been enlarged to 45 mm to achieve a sportier look. The articulated lugs have also been widened to appear more prominent. Although the production process of the luminous dials is the same as for the watches in the ‘Classique collection’, the Marine Collection watches have their own distinct guilloche patterns.

The Marine Royale 5847 boasts an effective alarm function. It is interesting to note that sound travels approximately four times faster under water and as the underwater milieu is normally less noisy, alarms offer effective and superior clarity.

The alarm setting crown and on-off ‘push piece’, in gold, are covered in rubber to facilitate easier handling and adds an additional touch of sporty elegance. The Marine Royale has the usual ‘diver-watch’ features, including a one-way rotating bezel and luminous markers.

The bezel’s unidirectional rotation is secured by a blocking pawl, conveniently located between the two winding crowns on the case flank. Shaped like a wave, it accesses the essential functions of the watch. To improve legibility, even in the murkiest water, the minute markers and hour hands are coated with white luminous superluminova, while the alarm markers glow blue. Represented by a blue triangular pointer at 10 o’clock, the alarm’s power-reserve indicator is also luminous.

The Marine Royale 5847, with its finely fluted case band, is available

Marine 5847

in either a white gold or rose gold case. Its 18 kt gold dial, beautifully finished in black rhodium, is manually engine-turned with the Marine Collection’s signature wave pattern. A stunning, manually engine-turned case back is fitted with a sapphire crystal.

The 5847 is available with either a beautifully finished stainless steel bracelet or a rubber strap fitted with a stainless steel folding buckle.

An interesting fact regarding the deployment buckles on all Marine Collection watches is that a tang buckle has been incorporated into the design. This can be removed for those who prefer to wear their watches with a simple tang buckle.

The Marine Royale 5857 benefits from an additional dial located at the 2 o’clock position, which shows the time in 24-hour format. This small, but impressive dial has two distinct contrasting patterns for added effect.

Another interesting feature of the 5857 model is that the main dial has Roman numerals whereas the ‘reference-time’ sub-dial, located at the 6 o’clock position, has the classic Breguet Arabic numbers.

The hands of both these dials have superluminova in the ‘pommel’.

Another handy feature of the 5857 is that the hours can be adjusted, forward or backwards via the crown, as one crosses through time zones. The date is also located at 6 o’clock.

As with all Breguet time pieces, the watches in the Marine Collection are individually numbered and signed Breguet. All the models in the Breguet Marine Collection are equally impressive and they are a ‘must have’ item for the discerning watch connoisseur to add to their watch collection.

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Marine 5837

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‘The Magnificent Aman’ Grand Canal Venice

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Reception Hall

Piano Nobile Lounge

BY STEVE SWANEPOEL

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enice is home to some of the best-known examples of Byzantine architecture, such as the Piazza San Marco and Saint Mark’s Basilica, but it is probably the Grand Canal, which is this city’s most iconic feature. Meandering through the heart of Venice, the Grand Canal is plied by gondolas and vaporetti (water buses) and lined with historic buildings between 200 and 700 years old.

The magnificent Aman Hotel is housed inside the 450-year-old ‘Palazzo Papadopoli’ and overlooks the Grand Canal in San Polo, the oldest of the six districts of Venice.

Located between the Rialto and Accademia Bridges, the palazzo was built in 1550 by the famed architect, Gian Giacomo dé Grigi, for the affluent Coccina family of Bergamo. After the death of Francesco Coccina, the Palazzo was sold to the Tiepolo family in 1718. The Tiepolos added an impressive library to the palazzo, which they filled with a collection of treasures. They also commissioned Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, the 18th-century Venetian master, to decorate rooms with frescoes, some of which remain in place today.

Between 1837 and 1846 the palazzo had several owners before being purchased by two immensely wealthy Greek brothers, Count Nicolò and Angelo Papadopoli, who moved to Venice from Corfu.

Nicolò married Maddalena Aldobrandini, who came from a wealthy family of intellectuals. The Papadopoli and Aldobrandinis bought

the palazzo in 1864 and set about a grand renovation. The internal decoration of the piano nobile - the main living area - they entrusted to Michelangelo Guggenheim, a leading advocate of the NeoRenaissance and Rococo styles. Guggenheim reinvented the space, which resulted in the palazzo becoming one of the most noteworthy examples of these styles. To add to the opulence, the brothers also bought two adjacent buildings, which they demolished to build two gardens, very unusual features in Venice. The palazzo also featured one of the first elevators in Venice, as well as electric powered chandeliers and an internal phone system. By 1882, the Papadopoli Brandolinis were entertaining the highest echelons of Venetian society in ‘Palazzo Papadopoli’.

Today, the palazzo continues to live up to its past grandeur. The Venice Aman attracts a very discerning clientele. Earlier this year, George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin decided upon the ‘Aman Grand Venice’ as the ultimate wedding reception venue for their much-publicised marriage.

Guests usually arrive at the Aman Grade Canale Venice by boat docking at a private landing that leads into the palazzo’s reception hall. The elevated ceilings, historic frescos and reliefs of the hall are all reminiscent of a bygone era of opulence and luxury.

A sweeping staircase rises through two levels to the piano nobile,

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Grand Stairway

the most elegant area of the palazzo. Guests are welcomed into the Vestibule, which leads to an elegant lounging area in the ballroom.

The Yellow Dining Room and the Red Dining Room are adjacent to the ballroom, with views over the Grand Canal and the resort’s Garden Terrace respectively. Named for their colour schemes and featuring ceilings painted by the renowned 18th-century artist Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, each room provides an intimate setting for fine dining within the grand surrounds. The bar is also accessed from the ballroom and provides a cosy setting with canal views.

Ascending from the Vestibule is a second staircase leading to the fourth level of the hotel. This houses the Salon – a regal lounge and relaxation area featuring a grand piano. The Salon is divided into two large areas with expansive windows providing commanding views of the Grand Canal. Similar views are enjoyed by the historic library situated adjacent to the Salon.

Also, on the fourth level are the Stanza del Tiepolo, the hotel’s games room and Stanza del Guarana, which can be used for private dining and meetings. The Stanza del Tiepolo features elegant chess and backgammon boards, as well as card and jigsaw tables.

An elevator provides access to the Roof Terrace, which is best visited early in the morning or at sunset to view the rooftops of the city. On a clear day, the Alps are visible in the distance.

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Sansovino Stanza Del Tiepolo Game Room

Fronting the Grand Canal is the Garden Terrace, one of the few private gardens on the canal. Mature trees and a quadrangle of verdant green grass provide the ideal setting for a relaxing, or an al fresco meal in the warmer months. A second hidden private garden with soaring trees provides a serene setting for guests as well and gives walking access to San Polo.

The property has a small gym located on the fourth level. The facility offers aerobic and strength-conditioning equipment, an area for free weights and stretching while enjoying the commanding views over the city’s roofline. A dimly lit Spa with low ceilings located on the third floor exudes the atmosphere of a sanctuary and provides three single treatment rooms, each with a dressing area and bathroom. One of the treatment rooms has a soaking tub to be used in conjunction with body scrubs.

Unusual for a hotel in Venice, almost all of the resort’s suites offer views over the Grand Canal. The Aman offers a total of 24 suites with unique layouts and design. Most suites provide combined living areas and bedrooms, as well as linked dressing areas and bathrooms. Each suite provides a television offering local and international channels, as well as movies and documentaries on demand. A docking station is also included in the suite. All rooms offer a king-sized bed, an armoire with personal bar, a writing desk and either a sofa or twin lounge chairs.

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There are a total of four suite categories, the ‘Palazzo Bedrooms’, the ‘Palazzo Chambers’, the ‘Palazzo Stanzas’ and the ‘Signature Suites’, all differentiated by design, floor area and view. The ‘Palazzo Bedrooms’ looks onto the private garden while the ‘Palazzo Chambers’ and the ‘Palazzo Stanzas’ have beautiful views of the Grand Canal.

Each of the five ‘Signature Suites’ has its unique architectural features. The high ceilings of the bedroom and the bathroom of the ‘Papadopoli Stanza’ suite are decorated with frescoes and this suite offers views of the garden terrace and the Grand Canal.

The ‘Maddalena Stanza’ suite features silk wall coverings, high frescoed ceilings and a chandelier in the bathroom. The tall windows also offer wonderful views over the garden terrace and the Grand Canal.

The architectural details of the ‘Sansovino Stanza’ suite include wood panelling, a painted frieze around the walls and a carved ceiling. It also has the most historical fireplace in the palazzo, designed by Jacopo d’Antonio Sansovino, one of Venice’s most famous architects in the early 16th century.

Located above the front door of the palazzo, the ‘Canal Grande Suite’ looks directly over the Grand Canal. The superb sitting room has an imposing arched window through which the full spectrum of the canal’s activities can be viewed.

Library

Yellow Dining Room

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Alcova Tiepolo Living Room Alcova Tiepolo bedroom

Last but not least, the ‘Alcove Tiepolo Suite’ offers a Chinese painted sitting room and a bedroom ceiling by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. Tiepolo has been described as the greatest decorative painter of 18th-century Europe, as well as its most able craftsman. The ‘Alcove Tiepolo Suite’ is regarded as the best suite in the Venice Aman hotel and it is priced at an appropriate premium.

This is also the suite where the man on our front cover spent his wedding night with his lovely bride.

The next time you are in Venice, consider the Aman, as this is as close to Venetian noble living as it can get.

Alcova Tiepolo Bathroom

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GUSTAV KLIMT AND HIS MUSE IN GOLD Our journey is the story of an artist, a socialite and a painting that would in later years be referred to as the ‘Viennese Mona Lisa’.

BY KOBUS WILMANS

Adele Bloch-Bauer I

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The Kiss , 1907

A

ustrian painter and Vienna’s most renowned advocator of Art Nouveau, Gustav Klimt, is remembered as one of the greatest decorative painters of the twentieth century and is remembered for one of the most significant bodies of erotic art of the century.

Born in Baumgarten, near Vienna, he was the second of seven children. His father, Ernst Klimt, originally from Bohemia, was a gold engraver who married Anna Finster whose unrealised ambition was to be a musical performer. Klimt lived in poverty for most of his childhood, as work was scarce for immigrants in an ailing economy.

As a young man, Klimt was enrolled in the Vienna School of Arts and Crafts (Kunstgewerbeschule), where he studied and received training as an architectural painter until 1883.

Klimt began his professional career painting interior murals and ceilings in large public buildings on the Ringstraße, including a successful series of ‘Allegories and Emblems’. He received the Golden Order of Merit from Emperor Franz Josef I of Austria, for his

his contributions to art. He also became an honorary member of the University of Munich and the University of Vienna.

In 1892 tragedy struck the Klimt family when both his father and brother Ernst died. The tragedies affected his artistic vision, and he soon veered toward a new personal style. In the early 1890s Klimt met Emilie Flöge, who, notwithstanding the artist’s relationships with other women, was to be his companion until the end of his life.

It is debatable if his relationship with Flöge was romantic or not, but being the proverbial womaniser, it is rumoured that Klimt had fathered fourteen children in his lifetime.

At the beginning of the twentieth century Klimt became acquainted with Adele Bloch-Bauer, a wealthy society woman and hostess of a renowned Viennese Salon. Adele was refined and a great lover of art; her salon regularly attracted the most prominent artists of the day, including Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss, Johannes Brahms and Otto Wagner.

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Her husband, Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer, was a wealthy industrialist who had made his fortune in the sugar industry and he favoured and supported Gustav Klimt.

The Bloch-Bauer family was a well-known Viennese family and renowned for their lavish lifestyle. Their villa, not far from the Vienna State Opera, was filled with many works by prominent artists of the day, and they hosted some of Vienna’s most sought-after social events.

Adele lived a charmed life and her beauty inspired Klimt to do two paintings of her. His famous work, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, also called Woman in Gold, was completed in 1907 as a gift to the Bloch-Bauer family. It took three years to complete, and comprised of elaborate ornamentations in the ‘Jugendstil’ style. He would become a close friend of the family and enjoy their patronage. .

The portrait, Woman in Gold, shows Adele sitting on a golden throne, the modern icon of a grande dame, with a golden starry sky background complementing her rich golden robe. The movement of erotic symbols such as triangles, eggs and eyes, in the flow of her gown hints at an intimate relationship between the artist and his model.

Another indication of their relationship can be found in Klimt’s 1901 portrayal of Judith as a femme fatale, in which Adele is presumably recognised through her similarities in facial features and flashy neck-band to the subject in the later painting. Adele was the only model whom Klimt had painted twice when he completed a second painting of her in 1912. The rumours about an affair between her and Klimt were never confirmed, and in addition to the two portraits of Adele, the Bloch-Bauers also purchased four landscapes and numerous drawings by Klimt.

Pallas Athena, 1898

Music I , 1895

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When guards at the Vienna National Gallery wanted to stop Maria Altmann from having her photograph taken next to the painting of her aunt, she loudly proclaimed; ‘This painting belongs to me’.

It was claimed that, in her Will, Adele had asked her husband to donate the Klimt paintings to the Austrian State Gallery upon his death. She died in 1925 from meningitis.

In 1938, when Austria was annexed in the Second World War, the widower Bloch first fled to Prague and then to Zürich. His properties in Austria, including the Klimt paintings were looted by the Nazis and disposed of in 1941. It was during this period that their artworks were acquired by the Austrian State Gallery and installed in the Belvedere Palace in Vienna.

Like countless other people in fear of their lives, Maria Altmann, the niece of Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer, and her husband also fled from Europe during World War Two. Unfortunately her father was too ill to travel so he and her mother remained in Vienna.

For them it was quite a feat to be able to leave, as at that stage the family was under house arrest. They lost their home and lavish lifestyle to endure a struggle for survival in America. When Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer died in 1945, his nephew and nieces, one of which was Maria Altmann, became the heirs to his estate.

Years would pass before Maria Altmann unsuccessfully attempted to negotiate with the gallery and Austrian government to regain ownership of the paintings. She was keen on settling the matter out of court and in doing so ensure that the paintings of her aunt Adele remain in Vienna. However, the Austrian government and the gallery were so confident of their legal position, that they refused an out-of-court settlement. It also meant they would have to admit that they had obtained the Klimt works in a questionable manner. This would have made them vulnerable to other claims based on similar merits.

Suing the Austrian government seemed an impossible task, as at the time there were no previous cases in which anyone had successfully reclaimed their belongings. However, a new restitution law passed in 1998 made it possible for Maria to institute proceedings in an attempt to reclaim the paintings.

During 1999 she instituted proceedings against the Austrian government, but due to the extensive filing fees required she had to withdraw the court application. Adding to the problem was that the lawyers for the gallery in Vienna did everything possible to prolong the proceedings, in the hope that Maria Altmann would die before the case was settled.

Altmann decided to withdraw the case, but she was convinced by her lawyer Schoenberg, a grandson of the great Austrian composer Arnold Schoenberg, to persevere. Schoenberg was of the firm opinion that the Austrian government could be sued in the United States of America under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA).

He furthermore contended that the FSIA laws could be retroactively applied to events pertaining to the looting of art by the Nazis. Two federal courts agreed with Schoenberg that Altmann, an American citizen, could sue Austria under the FSIA

Klimt’s 1901 portrayal of ‘Judith’

act. At first the Austrian government refused to negotiate with Altmann and they unsuccessfully appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court for relief.

With the Austrian government forced into arbitration, the gallery felt assured that they had a good chance to resolve the matter on Austrian soil. But they were wrong; in 2006 the restitution panel concurred with Schoenberg that Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer rightfully owned the works and had left them to his heirs. The panel therefore ruled that Altmann was the rightful owner of The Woman in Gold, as well as four other Klimt paintings and that these were to be returned to her. What the gallery failed to take into account was the fact that the Klimt works were not the property

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Lady with Fan - 1917

of Adele and that her request that Ferdinand should donate them to the gallery upon his death was invalid.

Another point in Altmann’s favour was the fact that the gallery was selling books in the United States of America featuring photographs of the Klimt works. This paved the way for Maria Altman to sue the Viennese gallery from America, instead of undertaking a lengthy and costly court case in Austria.

on display since July 2006. In November of the same year the Adele Bloch-Bauer II sold on auction at Christie’s in New York for nearly 88 million USD. In total the five paintings achieved approximately 325 million USD. Today, the Woman in Gold is admired by countless visitors every year, but very few of them know the history of Klimt and Adele Bloch-Bauer and the epic struggle Maria Altmann had to endure in restoring The Woman in Gold to its rightful place.

After the court’s decision the gallery attempted to negotiate with Altmannto keep the paintings in Vienna, but because of the way they had treated the matter, she refused their offer. She is quoted as saying; ‘they had loaned them enough, there will be no more lending.’

The story of Maria Altmann and her struggle, with seemingly insurmountable odds, is told in a new film with Helen Mirren portraying Maria Altmann.

In witness to her unselfish nature and because of her advanced age, Altmann had decided to sell the painting and donate the proceeds to a few charitable foundations. In June 2006 Ronald Lauder, the Estee Lauder cosmetics heir, purchased The Woman in Gold for 135 million USD for the Neue Galerie in New York City, where it has been

The film, Woman in Gold, is a beautiful portrayal of a part of history not many people who visit the Neue Galerie would be aware of. It documents Altmann’s struggle to reclaim the paintings that rightfully belonged to her family and that served as a reminder of the times she spent with her beloved Aunt Adele.

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Vacheron Constantin celebrates Bespoke Swiss watch manufacturer, Vacheron Constantin, is celebrating its 260th anniversary with the introduction of the Métiers d’Art Arca collection, consisting of 12 unique crystal table clocks, as well as introducing a new contemporary timepieces collection called Harmony.

BY LIZ WEBBER

The unique Métiers d’Art Arca collection of crystal table clocks, resembling luminous arches, demonstrates Vacheron Constantin’s artistic mastery of ‘Haute Horlogerie’. Spanning over a period of approximately two and a half centuries, it has become a prominent ambassador over successive generations.

The popularity of the wristwatch resulted in the progressive decline in the production of table clocks over the decades. However, the latter have nonetheless found their place as mechanical works of art, providing a broad field of expression for various artistic techniques.

The generous dimensions of the clocks were an ideal medium for Vacheron Constantin to convey its cultural commitment in the realm of the decorative arts.

Inspired by a model dating back to 1933, Vacheron Constantin has chosen to explore the many facets of crystal; translucent crystal for its purity that lends itself admirably to being enhanced by artistic crafts and rock crystal for its natural rarity and its mineral richness.

The generous dimension of the the Métiers d’Art collection was an ideal medium for the watchmaker to convey its cultural commitment in the realm of the decorative arts. The size of the clocks was a wonderful playground for the craftsmen and allowed them to explore the numerous facets of crystal.

As usual, the exterior of the clocks is the combined creation of numerous artisans; master-watchmakers, crystal-glassmakers, stonehunters and stone-cutters, guillocheurs, engravers and enamellists.

While the 12 table clocks in the collection all benefit from the similar movement, each crystal arch reveals a unique expression. Four of the clocks celebrate the natural beauty of rock crystal, naturally shaped by nature over endless ages.

To achieve perfection exceptional stones were selected for their optical quality, colour, radiance, their refractive index and the aesthetic harmony of their ‘inclusions’. The rock crystals all have mineral variations, revealing an evanescent white, an amber-tinted shade, fascinating black tourmaline ‘inclusions’ - known as ‘Arrows of love’

- or stunningly beautiful golden titanium inclusions referred to as ‘Venus Hair’.

The other eight clocks, in translucent crystal, revisit a variety of architectural movements: Orientalism, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Op Art, Post-Modernism, Deconstructivism, Green Architecture and Utopianism. These decorative themes adorn the crystal arch of the table clocks.

The decorated translucent crystal clocks pay tribute to an ancient artistic craft. Using a metal cane, the master-glassmaker ‘gathers’ the molten crystal from the crucible within the furnace in order to shape a 60-kilogram block, using methods that have remained unchanged for centuries. The block is then left for around three days to allow it to cool progressively, before being entrusted to a master-cutter who slices it into several blocks. Five faceted, polished and engraved blocks eventually form the crystal arch, while a last crystal slab is prepared to support the clock movement.

Besides the creative work on the crystal, two decorative techniques, ‘Grand Feu enameling’ and ‘guillochage’ are applied to adorn the chapter ring and the feet of each table clock.

The 12 satin-brushed silver Roman numerals are individually crafted and coated with black Grand Feu enamel. The faceted silver feet, upon which the clock stands, feature 12 hand-guilloché motifs that shimmer with the translucent colours of Grand Feu enamel.

The transparency of the stunning clock cabinet provides a delightful view of the new Vacheron Constantin ‘openworked’ Caliber 9260, which delivers exceptional performances) and requires winding just once a month. This ‘openworked’ construction reveals the interior beauty of the movement, which is constructed around seven patiently hand-bevelled bridges. By combining a 30-day power reserve and a constant-force mechanism, Caliber 9260 displays exceptional functional qualities, entirely in keeping with the horological traditions of Vacheron Constantin. The constant-force mechanism of Caliber 9260 has a remarkable rating precision of less than one minute deviation per week, which is an impressive feat for a caliber with such a low frequency (2.5 Hz).

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Also in celebration of the 260th birthday, Vacheron Constantin unveiled the first seven models of a limited anniversary edition, the Harmony collection.

a resolutely modern design, while the generous lines of its cushion-shaped case lend themselves to accommodating medium complication and grande complication calibers.

With the Harmony Collection, Vacheron Constantin has devised an innovative construction of the cushion-shape that has been part of its range for almost a century. A curved case middle, a square bezel and a round watch glass meet and mingle in an elegant interpretation of one of the brand’s first wristwatch chronographs introduced in 1928.

Representing elegant horological complications, which are some of the most sought after and highly complex to produce, the monopusher chronograph models are complemented by a ladies’ double-pusher chronograph. A trio of dual-time watches, housing a new in-house movement, rounds off this unusual range of timepieces.

Like the other most recent creations from the manufacture, these special editions bear the prestigious ‘Hallmark of Geneva’.

While the inspiration derived from the 1928 model is immediately noticeable, every detail has been infinitely re-thought, right through to the way that light reflects off the case, in order to offer an unprecedented shape. In a similar manner, each element of the dial and hands, also inspired by the original watch face, has been reinvented to guarantee perfect readability of the functions.

At the heart of these magnificent timepieces, with their re-invented aesthetics, beat entirely new in-house designed, developed and produced calibers, with an evolved version of an existing chronograph movement. A first version, equipped with a splitsecond function sets slimness records with its ultra-thin 5.20 mm thick self-winding movement, while a second model stages a fascinating tourbillon and the third variation is equipped, like the original, with a pulsometric scale. This sculptural collection displays

In addition, and to single out the seven inaugural timepieces in the Harmony collection, issued in limited editions, a scrolling motif inspired by the balance-cock on the oldest pocket watch belonging to the Maison and signed by Jean-Marc Vacheron in 1755, adorns the oscillating weight, the chronograph bridge or the balance-cock of these models.

Also known as ‘fleurisanne engraving’, this refined ornamentation is reserved for the Vacheron Constantin 260th anniversary special editions and a commemorative inscription is duly engraved on the back of each of these highly exclusive timepieces.

For more information on the timepieces or to find your closest Vacheron Constantin boutique: www.vacheron-constantin.com

DESIGN ON APPEL 14 APPEL ROAD KRAMERVILLE TEL: 011 262 0401

SHOP 2 30 4TH AVENUE PARKHURST TEL: 011 268 0139

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A burst with colour and femininity

BY MOIRA THEART

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The new Spring Summer 2015 fashion collection from Luisa Spagnoli bursts with colour and femininity. It is a triumph of delightful temptations to appeal with hyper-coloured dresses and accessories for a candy bon ton spring and a striking summer.

Sparkling, romantic and delicate, colours range from soft pastel hues such as candy pink, peach, lemon or anise to shades of green, from mint, pistachio to lime green to intense shades such as electric blue and turquoise, with brushes of bright strawberry red, banana, yellow and orange.

The ingredients of the stylistic brand from Perugia are present in the colours, precious details, lace, quality materials and exclusive treatments. Luisa Spagnoli wisely interprets the tastes of contemporary women, colouring everyday life with versatile proposals leaving room to dream and fantasise.

This exclusive Italian brand has a rich history. Luisa Spagnoli’s entrepreneurial spirit led to an extraordinary journey starting circa 1928. She was the first to introduce Angora yarns in knitwear, creating a homogenous and lighter yarn.

During World War II the company closed, but thanks to the entrepreneurial zest of Mario Spagnoli, the son of Luisa and Annibale, the company reopened its doors again in 1944. Mario passed the company on to his son, Lino, who contributed to the family business focusing on innovation and growth of sales. In 1986, his legacy was handed to Nicoletta and Mario Spagnoli, whose knowledge of the changing trends and markets makes them well placed to adapt and face new challenges.

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In 2007, Ilsje Crots De Beer from Franschhoek fell in love with the Luisa Spagnoli fashion brand during a visit to Milan and she decided to introduce Luisa Spagnoli to South Africa. During 2011, Ilsje started trading with Luisa Spagnoli in the family owned boutique, Isabella Charlotte, in Franschhoek. As Ilsje envisaged, the South African market immediately took to the brand and stores opened in the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town and at the Hyde Park Corner shopping centre in Johannesburg. ‘Luisa Spagnoli is the best kept Italian secret, meaning that it is not very well known in South Africa, but in Italy it is a household name. Many Italians see Luisa Spagnoli and Armani at the core of Italian fashion. Luisa Spagnoli started 10 years before Chanel and is still a family-owned and managed company’, says Ilsje.

The key strength of the brand is knitwear produced with the utmost care and research. From the pique pattern to the mesh effect, from perforated lace to Full Milano stitching, from lurex interlacing up to micro jacquard giving movement to single colour items demonstrating refined weave designs.

The sartorial line epitomizes elegance and refinement for an impeccably dressed woman, ranging from bouclĂŠ sheath dresses with matching small jackets, in perfect Fifties style with rounded outlines and three-quarter length sleeves to rigorously-fitting business suits embellished with frivolous touches. The ornamental details include buttons in mother-of-pearl or shaped like coins, sorbet nuances or striking hues to dare on institutional occasions, surprising everyone with a bon ton electric blue dustcoat or a formal blazer-orange pants suit.

Day fashion focuses on trousers: flared, slim-fit, ankle pants, very trendy with the new, wide and calf-length model, or another must-have, namely charming Palazzo perforated pants on a scalloped basis inspired by hippie chic. These items are matched with soft tunics and loose shirts in fluid fabrics, either in solid colours or enlivened by diverse printed patterns.

Denim is the star of free time, with five-pocketed skinny or boyfriend jeans, shirts and jackets finished off with coloured stones and raw cut edges.

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Designs in soft Nappa leather or suede, convey a striking personality, like the jackets with lasered embroideries or the sexy dresses with trapezium-shaped, 70s style cuts, in tobacco and orange.

The range of spring outerwear items, ideal for the increasingly variable summer weather allows for lightweight down jackets, coloured trench coats and husky jackets softened by feminine touches. These details include ribbons, jewel buttons, refined cuts with a trapezium-shaped line with three-quarter sleeves and ring-shaped necks, spring printed patterns evoking flowery meadows and adrenalin colours daringly contrasting on the same items.

Cotton and broderie anglaise dresses are once again essential for bohemian holidaymakers, as well as large ethnic skirts with Kelim rug patterns, perfect for exotic adventures. A variety of Bermuda shorts and small tunics in macramé lace are ideal for habitués of the Côte d’Azur and the Balearic Islands for a boat trip or an aperitif on the beach at sunset.

Lace characterises the special events line: romantic lace on the bodices of small dresses in cotton-silk, on jackets and evening blouses, embellishing the memory of important moments.

Impeccable elegance has a primary role with silk and cotton sheath dresses with a mother-of-pearl shimmering effect and a slightly retro allure, matched with ton-sur-ton dustcoats, stoles and shrugs in pastel colours in pure Ascot style. Long richly embroidered dresses are perfect for grand soirées with an exclusive limited edition item in emerald green and cobalt blue available exclusively at the flagship stores of the brand.

The range of bags and accessories important to the collection has been carefully designed. Handbags, trunks and spacious shopping bags in soft coloured or laminated Nappa leather will be essential for hectic daily lifestyles. There are shoulder strap bags in leather, either with a reptile-effect or laser-perforated and a variety of clutch bags will sparkle at the most exclusive events.

The new handbags in coloured straw feature a leather handle with an ethno-chic feel and are unique and fun, breaking the monotony of the city with items recalling far-away countries. Exotic combinations for necklaces and bracelets in semi-precious stones, reconstituted turquoise, jade and bamboo coral, India-inspired agates and quartzes for trips to the most trendy destinations on the coast.

There are the not to be forgotten accessories such as belts, soft pashmina scarves in linen with fancy patterns and beads. Silk scarves worn like hair bands for a super chic, Diva-like effect and an à la ‘Breakfast from Tiffany’ hat for those who love a timeless class style.

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The manifestation of light as colour ‘If art is the transmission of feelings the artist has experienced, then Dale Chihuly has a riotous, colourful and inspired life’.

BY RICHARD WEBB

It’s a beautiful sunny June afternoon in London, and I am in search of a bit of colour and culture. There is so much to distract me in this city, but I head to the Halcyon Gallery – that champion of world-class painters and sculptors.

The gallery in New Bond Street is at the centre of the fine art world, and plays a key role in London’s creative and cultural landscape, so the Chihuly exhibition was a natural fit. Chihuly was born in 1941 in Tacoma, south of Seattle, and lived in a tough working-class neighbourhood.

It was through sheer entrepreneurial endeavour and a

considerable artistic skill that he steadily overcame setbacks that would have stunted the progress of many.

An earlier car accident resulted in the loss of sight from one eye, and a subsequent bodysurfing mishap dislocated his shoulder, so he now directs the complicated process of his art, rather than blowing the glass himself. The heat from the furnace is immense. The lumps of molten glass (attractively known as a ‘gob’) on the end of the blowpipes can weigh more than 20kg, so it’s more than one person alone can handle.

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Chihuly works with a team of up to twelve craftsmen who help him get the breathtaking results for which he is universally admired for.

His large installations sell for tens of millions of rands, – depending on their complexity and how many were made.

“When I was studying interior architecture and playing around with glass, there was one night when I put a pipe into the glass I had melted and blew a bubble. From that moment, I wanted to be a glassblower,” he said.

His team spent seven days installing a magnificent 1,500

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piece chandelier in Harrods, and also putting together the exhibition at the Halcyon Gallery.

“I’m an artist,” he says, “a designer, a craftsman, interior designer, half architect. There’s no one name that fits me well.”

If I don’t have to consider the meaning of art too much, and I don’t really have to figure out what it’s trying to convey, then I consider that to be accessible art. Chihuly’s work works for me, and it makes me want to be rich so I can buy a few pieces simply to reflect on the riot of colour.

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‘Glass is the most magical of all materials. It transmits light in a special way.’

An earlier car accident resulted in the loss of sight from one eye, and a subsequent bodysurfing mishap dislocated his shoulder, so he now directs the complicated process of his art, rather than blowing the glass himself. The heat from the furnace is immense, and the lumps of molten glass (attractively known as a ‘gob’) on the end of the blowpipes can weigh more than 20kg, so it’s more than one person alone can handle.

when I put a pipe into the glass I had melted and blew a bubble.

From that moment, I wanted to be a glassblower,’ he said.

Chihuly works with a team of up to 12 craftsmen to help him get the breathtaking results he’s universally admired for. His large installations sell for tens of millions of rands –depending on their complexity and how many were made. ‘When I was studying interior architecture, and playing around with glass, there was one night

If I don’t have to consider the meaning of art too much, and I don’t really have to figure out what it’s trying to convey, then I consider that to be accessible art. Chihuly’s work works for me, and it makes me want to be rich so I can buy a few pieces simply to reflect on the riot of colour.

His team spent seven days installing a 1,500-piece chandelier in Harrods, and also putting together the exhibition at the Halcyon Gallery. ‘I’m an artist,’ he says, ‘a designer, a craftsman, interior designer, half architect. There’s no one name that fits me well.’

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Are Luxury And Success, Crimes in South Africa?

BY JT FOXX

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hat makes any country great is not its natural resources, but its people. South Africa is a third world country with first rate people. I have been coming here for the past 2.5 years for speaking, coaching, buying companies and getting involved in various charities. There is an old saying in this country, ‘if you are successful they are going to want to chop your head off above the weeds.’

The sad story is that this is in fact true. In a country where we should celebrate and look up to the Patrice Motsepes, Robert Gumedes and Cyril Ramaphosas for their amazing business accomplishments and charity contributions, some instead point the finger and shame them because they assumedly only made it because of BEE. Then we have the Johann Ruperts, Nicky Oppenheimers, Christo Wieses and Sol Kerzners who are brilliant businessmen and should be hailed and appreciated in the likes of Richard Branson and Donald Trump. Yet, when is the last time you heard someone say that their hero is one of the entrepreneurs listed above? Perhaps the biggest tragedy of them all is Elon Musk, who is South African and gives this country zero credit for his success other than tales of being bullied in Pretoria when he was young.

Luxury is not cool, being an entrepreneur is not cool and having wealth is almost shameful. The only way this country is going to get out of its economic mess, high unemployment and lack of direction is by promoting more small businesses. Small businesses need heroes, models and coaches and although I have changed the lives of thousands of people in this country, the inspiration from the richest in this country is not only needed, it’s essential for its survival.

If no one wants to say it, then I will, ‘it’s okay to be rich, it’s okay to live a life of luxury and you do not have to apologise for being successful.

I encourage you all to speak out more, pass on your wisdom to future generations of entrepreneurs and create a new rainbow nation.’

Under Madiba, the vision was to bring all races together in one

country, now this new rainbow nation has been built around Small Business Entrepreneurs who are the ones who will put people back to work, create more manufacturing within this country, import less and become less dependent on mining, so that when America sneezes, South Africa doesn’t catch a cold. Madida left a huge leadership void when he left us, but know that it’s time for our entrepreneurs to stand up and lead us out of this economic crisis.

John F. Kennedy once said, ‘Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country’.

Luxury and success shouldn’t be looked upon the same way as crimes are, but rather used as a bench mark of opportunities.

Love him or hate him, Trump has resonated with the American public because they are tired of the BS talk, tired of the lies and the excuses. America wants results and based on the latest polls, Americans think it is an entrepreneur who can fix and bring back the American Dream which has been dead since the recession of 2008.

One of my most favourite quotes is, ‘When you want to breath as badly as you want to succeed, then you know you have what it takes.’ South Africa has often been seen as the underdog, as we experienced when winning the Rugby World Cup of 1995, securing the bid to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup and even the odds that Madiba would live as long as he did, but in the end South Africa always finds a way to win.

In my new book ‘Millionaire Underdog’ that will be available during October, I mention that South Africa is an underdog, and I will never bet against it. That’s because when its people are united under one cause, nothing is impossible.

I guess that is why my heart bleeds green and gold and why I am committed to creating the next generation of Elon Musks, who will remain in this country. Together we will make all of South Africa proud and the whole world will know......those are South Africans.

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THE HISTORY BEHIND A SILK SCARF From hand-crafted luggage and handbags, to the finest iconic silk scarves and men’s neck-ties, it all starts at 24, rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, Paris

BY KOBUS WILMANS

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The Hermès philosophy - “leather, sport, and a tradition of refined elegance.” Émile-Maurice Hermès

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he year was 1828 when Thierry Hermès moved from Germany to France. The need to support his family was the motivation behind establishing a workshop in the Grands Boulevards quarter of Paris, and to do what he did best: handcrafting bridles and harnesses for the carriage trade. Thierry was driven by a subconscious need to share the passion for his trade with the world, and his dedication to serving European nobility; winning several awards including the first prize in its class in 1855 and again in 1867 at the Expositions Universelles in Paris.

Thierry Hermès was determined to instil the same passion for his craft in his son. Charles-Émile would spend years in the business before taking over management from his father in 1880 and moving the shop to 24, rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, where it remains to this day. Charles-Émile’s two sons, Adolphe and Émile-Maurice, would later join the company as well. Together they introduced saddlery and started selling their products retail, whilst also actively starting to court the élite of Europe, North Africa, Russia, Asia, and the Americas.

After a trip to Argentina in 1892, where Emile-Maurice saw gauchos carrying their equipment in tote bags, he introduced the Haut à Courroies bag. At the time there was nothing stylish and functional on the market. The bags that were available were of inferior quality and hardly good enough for Hermès equipment. The bag is still one of their best sellers, and has been produced in various sizes over the years, from 40-60 cm. It is now used primarily as a travel bag.

When Charles-Émiles retired his sons took leadership and renamed the company Hermès Frères. The company had become renowned for the quality of their craftsmanship and superior leather they were using, and Émile-Maurice began furnishing the Czar of Russia with saddles. The demand for Hermès saddles grew to such an extent that by the early twentieth century the company employed up to 80 saddle craftsmen. Émile-Maurice was also granted the exclusive rights to use the zipper for leather goods and clothing, becoming the first to introduce the device in France. In 1918, Hermès

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introduced the first leather golf jacket with a zipper. Edward, Prince of Wales, was among the first to buy one.

It wasn’t long before combining their love for fine leather goods with a love for fashion catapulted them onto the ramps of an exploding fashion industry, and transitioning their brand to include an accessory and a clothing collection. When Mme. Émile-Maurice Hermès complained of not being able to find a handbag to her liking, the first leather handbags were designed and introduced, her husband being solely responsible for the design of the range.

From then on Thierry Hermès’s passion swept across the world as they continued producing the finest handmade luggage and handbags. Sourcing leather from all over the world, a single bag takes 18 to 24 hours to produce; and customers may wait from six months to one year for delivery of one of the signature bags.

As the Hermès brand grew, the items became the must-have accessories of royalty, celebrities and well-heeled socialites.

In 1956, a photo of Grace Kelly, who had become the new Princess of Monaco, was shown carrying the Sac à dépêches bag in a photograph in Life Magazine. Purportedly, she held it

and Artistic Director - complained that her Kelly bag was not practical for everyday use. He invited her to France where they co-designed the bag, and named it the Birkin bag.

It may have been envy on her side, as Grace Kelly not only married Prince Rainier III, but was also the first celebrity to have had a sought-after Hermès item named after her.

Birkin would eventually stop carrying her namesake bag, saying it contributed to her tendonitis.

During the latter part of the 1930s the elite ladies of Europe needed clothing items – other that hats – to keep their wellcoiffed hair in place while driving in topless sports cars. The company decided to introduce the Hermès carrés (scarves) in 1937.

in front of herself to cover up her pregnancy. The public began calling it the ‘Kelly’ bag and Hermès adopted the name, every fashion conscious lady this side of Havana wanted one, and the bag became outrageously popular.

Not to be outdone by Grace Kelly, English actress Jane Birkin at a chance encounter with Jean-Louis Dumas – then Chairman

When scarf production first began a dedicated scarf factory was established in Lyon, France. During the same year the company celebrated its 100th anniversary. The establishment of a dedicated factory, for scarf production only, continued the vision Thierry Hermès had when he founded the company, as each scarf is completely produced by one person. Hermès oversaw the production of its scarves throughout the entire process, purchasing raw Chinese silk, spinning it into yarn and weaving it into fabric twice as strong and heavy as most silk available at the time. The company’s scarf designers spend years creating new print patterns; they are individually screenprinted, and designers chose from over 70,000 different colours.

As exclusive as all items Hermès, each scarf is meticulously handcrafted and woven from the silk of 250 mulberry moth cocoons and printed side by side on 100 meter-long sheets of silk.

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Once the last colour layer has dried the sheets are washed, ironed and cut out. The edges are then hand-rolled toward the design and hand-stitched by a seamstress, which takes about 40 minutes per scarf. The scarves are then scented before packing.

Since 1937 Hermès has produced over 2,000 unique designs with the horse motif being particularly famous and popular. The “Brides De Gala” version, introduced in 1957, has been produced more than 70,000 times. A Hermès scarf is sold somewhere in the world every 25 seconds, and by the late 1970s more than 1.1 million scarves had been sold worldwide. Because of the artistry of the designs and the detail to craftsmanship, the scarves became a French icon almost immediately. They have become a rite of passage for women who can afford them, and they are handed down from generation to generation.

Hermès scarves have been worn by royalty and celebrities. A few that come to mind are; Queen Elizabeth II, in a portrait for a 1956 British postage stamp and Princess Grace Kelly, who became an avid supporter of the brand for their superior quality and timeless designs, in a photograph on the cover of a 1956 issue of Life magazine. She also used one as a sling for her broken arm.

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In 1938 the men’s neck-ties were introduced and over the years a huge array of motifs, ranging from bunnies to confetti,have been used. The men’s neck-ties are made from the same silk material as the scarves.

By 2008, the Hermès brand had expanded into a full range of fashion items, with 14 product divisions ranging from women’s fashion, perfume, watches, stationery, footwear, gloves, enamel, decorative arts, tableware and jewellery.

From humble beginnings in the Grands Boulevards quarter of Paris, this was an extraordinary feat, but one that was inevitable. Driven by their passion, the quality behind each product is what lead Hermès to being one of the most sought-after brands in the world today. The way in which Émile-Maurice summarised the Hermès philosophy during his leadership, ‘leather, sport, and a tradition of refined elegance’ is still what differentiates the company today.

A world of luxury and performance that you can call home.

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+27 21 200 1825 www.leopardcatamarans.com southafrica@leopardcatamarans.com

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The Imposing

Leopard 58

BY STEVE SWANEPOEL

T

he luxurious and magnificent Leopard family, constructed by the internationally accredited boat builder, Robertson and Caine, stays true to ‘Leopard Catamarans’ sleek and innovative style. The design team, under the leadership of Alexander Simonis, have incorporated more than 40 years of customer feedback when they started developing the supersized Leopard 58. The ever evolving and creative thinking of South Africa’s largest boat builder makes each Leopard unique, with the Leopard 58 being no exception.

The 18 metre Leopard 58 was launched at the United States Boat Show in Annapolis, Maryland during October 2012 and has impressed the multihull yachting fraternity to such a degree that it went on to win the 2013 Consumer Choice Award, for ‘Best Boat Over 30’ at the Strictly Sail Miami boat show during February 2013. This Consumer Choice Award was established by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) earlier this year. It is important to note that the NMMA does not select the winners; boat show attendees do the voting. Therefore, the award is a true testament to the Leopard 58’s appeal within a most discerning and experienced class of reviewers and potential yacht owners.

The 58 has a magnificently sized flybridge with comfortable seating for up to 12 people and is ideal for lounging, enjoying cocktails or meals. There is a well positioned wet bar and a gas barbecue to cater for guests. Also located on the flybridge is a state-ofthe-art helm station equipped with some of the latest boating technology including a Plastimo Offshore 75 Compass. The location of the flybridge affords the helmsman a 360 degree view and exemplifies the outstanding and unique combination of comfort and performance. >

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Like her award winning sister, the Leopard 44, which made her debut in 2011, the Leopard 58 benefits from a forward cockpit design with direct access from either the saloon or the owners’ cabin, depending on which of the interior layout options is selected by the respective owners. This feature, which characterises Leopard Catamarans, allows for ease of flow and even more outdoor living space. The forward cockpit, first seen on the Leopard 44, received a significant amount of positive recognition from judges in both Cruising World’s Boat of the Year 2012 and SAIL Magazine’s Best Boats 2012.

The Leopard 58 features a generously sized aft cockpit with an open layout and seating for up to 12 guests at stand-alone tables and chairs. These tables and/or chairs can be stored in the cockpit locker when preparing for a voyage. This versatile area provides an expansive amount of flexible space for entertainment or alfresco dining. The aft cockpit leads to the hydraulically operated dinghy and swim platform which allows for easy access to the water. The flybridge, the aft deck and forward cockpit are all covered in Tek-Dek, which is a high impact lightweight simulated teak.

Below deck functionality is given priority and the yacht offers superb

on-board accommodation. Prospective owners can select from a variety of cabin layout options ranging between 2 to 5 cabins and also 2 to 5 shower rooms and heads. The Leopard 58 is designed to accommodate groups with typical family getaways in mind, or a couple that desires to sail the world. The interior, which is equally as aesthetically pleasing as the exterior, is completed with cherry wood finishes, wood trim, and plush faux leather seating. Large windows let in an abundance of natural light. The state-of-the-art galley is designed to cater for all culinary requirements, with ample counter and prep space, a large double sink, oven, fridge and a plethora of cabinet space.

The 58’s interior offers abundant space with either a huge saloon with multiple seating areas, or a spacious saloon and large owners’ cabin, depending on the layout that is selected by the buyer.

Equally impressive are the large in-hull state rooms, available in various configurations, as well as the interior details such as wood trim, the cherry wood finishes, the large windows, the comfortable and attractive seating areas and the modern galley.

At a base price 1 219 000 USD the Leopard 58 is very affordable.

The Leopard 48 is currently listed at the base price of 569, 00 USD, >

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which is extremely well priced in my opinion. A variety of upgrades or additional features are available upon ordering your yacht. As an example, the engines can be upgraded from the standard 75hp to 100hp; or something as basic as a convertible saloon table can be selected - the options and choices are multiple.

I was recently invited to join the 58 for a sea trial. I decided to take my two teenage children along to experience the catamaran.

Upon arrival at the marina at the Cape Grace Hotel it was easy for for for us to spot this impressive looking yacht. We hastily joined 25 other guests already on board and we were soon under way.

The skipper masterfully navigated her out to sea under engine power amidst the admiring stares and frantic waving of crowds lining the harbour walls. It was as if the QE2 was leaving the harbour.

A number of yachts ahead and behind us, also heading out to sea, did not even attract a second glance. The 58 was visibly in a league of her own.

I was rather disappointed as there was very little wind and assumed that, due to the size of the Leopard, the skipper would not bother to

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deploy her sails and would rely on the two 100hp diesels. However, I stood to be corrected as we left the boundaries of the harbour and the sails were hoisted with little effort. I was suitably impressed that, with the very moderate wind, we were soon heading towards Robben Island at a steady 8 knots. I took the opportunity to thoroughly familiarise myself with the quality offerings of the catamaran above and below decks. An ‘abundance of space’ is an understatement: the 25 guests did not even make it feel crowded.

The Leopard Catamaran collection is internationally renowned for its superb quality. The multiple award winning sailing range consists of the innovative Leopard 44 (Boat of the Year 2012 in multiple categories), the all new, agile Leopard 48 (Boat of the Year 2013) and of course the flagship of the fleet, the Leopard 58. Leopard Catamarans also offer some of the best power catamarans in the industry, with the new Leopard 43 and 51 Powercats! To date more than a thousand Leopard catamarans have sailed in excess of ten million miles.

EDITOR’S NOTE: For more information on the Leopard range of catamarans, please contact Daniel Snyman on 021 200 1825 or visit; www.leopardcatamarans.co.za

DIMENSIONS L.O.A. 17.56 m L.W.L. 16.50 m Beam 8.45 m Draft 1.72 m ENGINE Engine 75 hp x2 or 100 hp x2 Fuel 900L LAYOUT Cabins Showers Heads

2 to 5 2 to 5 2 to 5

EXTRA DETAILS Water 1,560L Mast height 27.5 m Sail 187 sq m Displacement 24,000 kg Load Carrying Capacity 9000 kg

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Erik Laubscher,

The toast of the town

BY SEAN O’TOOLE

Rejection can be a motivating force in an artist’s life. Take the definitive ‘no’ that prefaced the start of much-loved painter Erik Laubscher’s prodigious career. In 1946, Tulbagh-born Laubscher, whose work is now highly sought after, knocked on a door at the Michaelis School of Fine Art and enquired from a secretary about his application to study at this prestigious Cape Town art school.

The secretary relayed the prof’s withering verdict that Laubscher couldn’t draw to save his life. ‘Well, I’m here now, I’ve got to study,’ insisted Laubscher, who had travelled from Port Elizabeth.

Sensing desperation, the kind secretary referred him to a fledgling art school on Bree Street, run by Maurice van Essche, a Belgian painter who had moved to Cape Town from Congo in 1940.

Laubscher hightailed down Orange Street into the CBD. A few years later, at an exhibition of Laubscher’s work in Cape Town, Van Essche recalled a teary young man arriving and pleading with him to be accepted. Laubscher later only denied the tears.

Laubscher’s story is one of overcoming early setbacks and finding greatness. This is no hyperbole. In 2009, six decades after Michaelis

rejected him a repatriated Laubscher still life from the early 1950s was sold at auction in Cape Town for R1.2 million. Laubscher was personally “thunderstruck” by the result, which at the time was the highest amount yet paid for a work by a living South African artist in South Africa.

Laubscher’s early wilderness years are once again the subject of focus, this after Strauss & Co, South Africa’s leading auction house, secured an outstanding work representative of Laubscher’s youthful Parisian period. Titled Women Arranging Flowers, this large oil painting from 1951 will go under the hammer at the company’s spring auction in Cape Town (on 12 October). Painted shortly before he returned to South Africa with his future wife, French painter Claude Bouscharain, this domestic scene is exemplary of Laubscher’s newfound optimism and confidence as a painter, following a protracted period of wandering.

It was Van Essche who urged his young protégé to study in London.

Laubscher arrived in war-ravaged London in 1948. He briefly studied portrait drawing under Frank Slater, a student of Walter Sickert, but

Still Life with Coffee Pot, recto; Abstract, verso, signed and dated '50, oil on canvas 49 by 60cm - Sold R 612 700, October 2012

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‘Women Arranging Flowers’ signed and dated 1951 April - oil on canvas, 115,5 by 88,5cm, R1 200 000- R1 600 000 - To be sold by Strauss & Co in Cape Town, Monday 12 October 2015

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‘Landscape’ signed and dated 64, oil on canvas - 85 by 101cm R 350 000 - R 500 000 To be sold by Strauss & Co Cape Town, on Monday 12 October 2015

then enrolled at the Anglo-French Art Centre, a newly opened institution based in the old St John’s Wood Art School. His teachers included John Berger, now a celebrated art critic. Laubscher, who at the time painted in a mannered style that reflected his youthful interest in pre-war Parisian modernism, made numerous worldly connections. His flatmate, for instance, was artist Breon O’Casey, son of Irish playwright Sean O’Casey and later a member of the celebrated St Ives School.

‘In 1949 my parents told me I should come back, get some decent home-cooking, and see how I would do as an artist,’ Laubscher recalled in a 2008 interview with Cape Town dealer Baylon Sandri.

A riotous farewell party prefaced his return to Port Elizabeth on a small freighter.

Laubscher did not stay long in Port Elizabeth. On the advice of friends, Laubscher in 1950 moved to Paris to further his tuition at the Académie Montmartre. Cubist painter Fernand Léger was the school’s best-known faculty member, although Laubscher initially favoured the expressionist Bernard Buffet, a key figure in the voguish ‘miserabilist’ school of French postwar painting.

Laubscher’s infatuation with Buffet, who was a year his junior, was however short-lived. ‘In the last few paintings I did in Paris there was a big shift towards more colour, away from the subdued, Buffet-type greys and greens of the New Realists,’ said Laubscher. The painting offered by Strauss & Co. suggests just how quickly Laubscher synthesised the various influences of his French education to produce a confident if mannered painting that is nonetheless a marvel of colour and mood.

Upon returning to South Africa, Laubscher’s talents were immediately recognised by Walter Battiss, then an influential critic and member of the New Group of painters. Writing in Londonbased art magazine The Studio, Battiss stated: ‘Cape Town is still the home of Impressionism, but the new and compelling work of

Erik Laubscher at a recent Art Club exhibition is a challenge to stale ideas in the Cape.’ He also praised Laubscher’s ability to ‘paint big canvases with satisfying assurance.’ .

The jouissance and vigour that marked Laubscher’s early work was no flash in the pan. After a ‘period of adjustment’, in which he continued to paint in a Parisian style, Laubscher discovered his true and abiding subject; the South African landscape. It was a trip to Bushman’s River, near Kenton-on-Sea, that set him off on his decades-spanning trajectory describing the land in geometrical bands of colour. Laubscher once described the challenge he set himself as creating ‘the illusion of the landscape having continuing vastness and the painting being part of the whole, instead of something complete and contained’.

The success with which he met the challenge is evidenced by his selection to represent South Africa at the São Paulo and Venice biennials. Early on recognised as a ‘promising young experimental’ artist, by the early 1960s Laubscher was hailed by the literary magazine, Contrast, as one of South Africa’s ‘leading abstract painters’. It is an assessment that still holds true, insists Sandri. ‘He found his own voice in that period and combined European influences with the South African landscape, with astonishing results,’ says Sandri, who sponsored a 2008 monograph on the artist. ‘He was a great friend of Stanley Pinker, and together with Peter Clarke they were possibly the most important Cape Town artists of their era.’

This potted history tends to make Laubscher’s journey from art school reject to toast of the town sound easy. It was anything but.

Laubscher supported his family by working as a colour consultant and paint salesman for Plascon for 15 years. In 1970 he switched from salesman to educator when he founded the Ruth Prowse Art Centre in a dilapidated building in Woodstock. Laubscher was the school’s first principal. Around this time his celebrated hard-edge style softened, but never his commitment to making work, to being what he was very nearly denied early on, an artist.

IRMA STERN (1894-1966) Still Life of Fruit and Lilies in a Jug • signed and dated 1962 • 86 by 67,5cm R4 000 000 – 6 000 000

Important South African & International Art, Furniture, Decorative Arts & Jewellery Auction in Cape Town • Monday 12 October 2015 Venue

Viewing

Enquiries

The Vineyard Hotel Newlands

9-11 October

021 683 6560 ct@straussart.co.za

The global leader in the South African art market

www.straussart.co.za

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Jaeger-LeCoultre, the star of The Venice film festival

BY MARION PFEIFFER

The 72nd Venice film festival, which took place between 2 and 12 September 2015, never fails to impress and lives up to its reputation as one of the most glamorous dates on the A-list calendar. The festival aims to raise awareness and promote features of international cinema as art, entertainment and industry, in an atmosphere of freedom and openness to the exchange of ideas. Retrospectives and tributes are included to major figures as a contribution towards a better understanding of cinematic history.

The Venice film festival, the oldest film festival in the world, was first presented in 1932 and forms part of the ‘Venice Biennale’, founded by the Venetian City Council in 1895. The Biennale is made up of an assortment of separate events including the International Art Exhibition; the International Festival of Contemporary Music; the International Theatre Festival; the International Architecture Exhibition; the International Festival of Contemporary Dance; the International Kids’ Carnival and of course the highlight, the annual Venice Film Festival.

Numerous sought after awards in the various categories are central to this event. These include the ‘Leone d’Oro’, the Golden Lion as the highest prize for best film, ‘Leone d’Argento’ Silver Lion for the best director, best actor and actress and the coveted ‘Jaeger-LeCoultre Glory to the Filmmaker Award’ in honour of the filmmaker who has brought great innovation to contemporary cinema, creating and bringing life to the art of filmmaking. This year the Glory to the Filmmaker award was presented to the American director, Brian De Palma.

Since 2006, this occasion has been organized in collaboration with the exclusive Swiss watch manufacturer, Jaeger-LeCoultre.

The official partner of the Venice International Film Festival for over a decade, Jaeger-LeCoultre annually confers the Glory to the Filmmaker Award on a filmmaker chosen by the director of the festival. Jaeger-LeCoultre’s affinity with the 7th Art is all about two worlds infused with the same creative effervescence, inspired by longstanding tradition and the absolute quest for excellence.

Jaeger-LeCoultre supports all those who daily contribute to creating and bringing life to the art of filmmaking and attaches great importance to the preservation of its heritage.

Jaeger-LeCoultre CEO - Daniel Riedo & Nadezhda Mikhalkova

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Since April 2013, as part of the actions of the ‘Film Society of Lincoln Center’ in New York, Jaeger-LeCoultre has launched the Filmmaker in Residence Program, an initiative that supports a filmmaker in the realisation of his future projects. On the occasion of the Shanghai International Film Festival, Jaeger-LeCoultre worked to protect the Chinese cinematographic heritage by funding the restoration of old movies. At the same time as sponsor of the films festivals of San Sebastian, Toronto and Los Angeles, Jaeger-LeCoultre is committed to support cinema in all its diversity by standing behind the camera, alongside the artists.

The Opening Ceremony, always one of the highlights, took place at ‘Palazzo del Cinema’ at the Venice Lido on the 2 September 2015.

Elisa Sednaoui hosted the ceremony looking radiant and wearing a Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous Ivy Secret watch.

Amongst the many celebrities and icons of the cinema was German actress and model, Diane Kruger alongside Elizabeth Banks who together stole the spotlight as they dazzled in white gowns. Diane looked stunning in her Prada embellished frock, accessorised with a miniature diamond-set Jaeger-LeCoultre 101 Joaillerie watch while Elizabeth wowed all with a white Dolce & Gabbana backless gown.

Maria Grazia Cucinotta

Elizabeth Banks, Pawel Pawlikowski, Diane kruger and President Alfonso Cuaro

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Many of the stars and celebrities adorned their red carpet look with watches by Jaeger-LeCoultre, the main sponsor of the festival.

The actress, Radha Mitchell from Australia chose a vintage JaegerLeCoultre gold watch, while the Italian actress Maria Grazia Cucinotta chose a Reverso Cordonnet watch and another Italian actor, Alessandro Preziosi sported the Grand Reverso Ultra Thin watch.

The man of the moment - Jaeger-LeCoultre CEO - Daniel Riedo, also attended the ceremony and appeared with actress Nadezhda Mikhalkova, with a vintage Jaeger-LeCoultre watch adorning her wrist.

For these 10 days, the Venice Film Festival, the stateliest of the international film festivals, produced its annual parade of red carpets, flashbulbs, parties and premieres in the canal-crossed city.

This international competition of feature films presented as world premieres, like other international film festivals, celebrated the best of global cinema and in doing that attracted many of the beautiful and famous icons, dressed in the most stunning apparel with a view to promoting their particular creation to the film world. Finally, it should be mentioned that the five highlights from this event included High Altitude Openings, Hollywood Heavyweights, Global Giants, Real Life Drama and Cinema controversy, the latter of particular importance as no festival worth its salt would have been complete without a soul-searching debate over the future of cinema.

Designer Sara Cavazza

Radha Mitchell

Ekaterina Mtsitouridze

Elisa Sednaoui

Actor Alessandro Preziosi

Johnny Depp, Dakota Johnson, director Scott Cooper and Joel Edgerton

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Liquid Gold

BY JEAN-VINCENT RIDON

Every time the financial markets see trillions disappearing overnight, investors look at alternative investments that would firstly safeguard their assets, and secondly, offer a more generous return on investment than the historically low-interest money markets. Shares and bonds offer the fluidity of ownership, but they are often just a line of code stored somewhere on a computer hard drive. Successful investors know that to stay wealthy one has to apply diversity to an investment portfolio. It can take the form of exclusive real estate, art and antiquities, vintage Lamborghini, racehorses or rare wines.

the Blue Chips of wine investment, making one wonder if anyone considers drinking these bottles at these prices.

The Mouton-Rothschild 1982 that I bought at the release for 30 euros never fails to reach 1000 euros per bottle at an auction these days.

This return of 900 per cent would make any financial manager dollargreen with envy. This is not an isolated trend. It is a pattern among the most sought-after wines of the world, as what was once just a beverage in a bottle becomes a tradable commodity with market indexes published by auction houses and professional traders.

International auction houses such as Christies or Sothebys are not present in South Africa. As a consequence, the South Africa wine industry created its own platform. The Nederburg Auction is the oldest auction in the ‘New World’ of wine and the best way to buy South Africa’s most rare and sought-after wines. It is a unique, exclusive opportunity for local and international buyers to experience the pinnacle of the country’s finest matured vintages, many of which are not available on the open market. The annual auction is the reference in terms of collectable wines in South Africa.

The rarity of the bottles is guaranteed and the wines offered at the auction have a sure origin. So, if one spends thousands of rand on a bottle of the legendary 1966 GS or a few hundred rand on a carefully selected younger wine, one is assured that the wines are kept in ideal cellar conditions dedicated to maturing wines.

Is it a safe market to invest money? Is it a sustainable market and can South African wines play a part in a game dominated by French, German, Italian or Californian wines?

This year ‘wine-searcher.com’ published the list of the most expensive wines traded in the world and France tops the list with a bottle of Burgundy from Henri Jayer at USD 13 700. The first nonFrench wine comes 4th with a Mosel wine from Egon Muller, and one has to scroll down to the 13th position to find Screaming Eagle from California, the first non-European wine on the list. These are

South Africa does not even feature in this 50 wines list! Can South African collectable wines become the next hot trend and attract global investors in search of a high return and limited risk? It is still too early to answer, but clearly South African wines are gaining high-end market shares and starting to attract serious collectors, if not investors.

Considering that not many of South Africa’s older vintages were made for the intention of ageing, at least not for 40 or 50 years, meant that very little was kept for maturation and investment. Perfectly

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stored vintage South African wines are, therefore, extremely rare, adding to the mystique and auction value of those vintages sold via the Nederburg Auction.

South Africa is beginning to have ‘Blue Chips’ in term of longterm wine investments. Classic wines such as the 1974 Nederburg Cabernet Sauvignon, the 1982 Rustenberg or the Pinotage Lanzerac from the 60s always command high prices due to a combination of rarity and maturity. And every bottle opened reduces the already depleted pool of available wines, pushing the prices up.

Should you want to start a wine collection to achieve a good financial return over an extended period, you always have the option to purchase younger wines through a reputable channel. The company, The Wine Cellar, is focussing on the ‘hot wines’ available on the market and secures allocations of such rare releases. The Wine Cellar’s manager, Roland Peens declares that ‘Not all wine is investment quality. Of the wine that is, the supply will constantly reduce while the demand is growing, so, as a consequence, the value increases.’

However, to become a stable investment, it is crucial that the wine has a proven track record to attract investors. As much as new producers can offer very exciting wines, it takes more to become a classic. The market requires decades of proof using documented evidence to accept a Blue Chip wine. As an example, the only Australian icon is the ‘Penfolds Grange’ and it is been the flagship cuvee of the

winery since 1951! The maiden vintage, now more than 60 years old, is traded at auctions at over 40 000 Australian dollars!

South African Classics, such as Meerlust or Kanonkop, have also started to attract wine investors because the wines have not changed much in style over the last decades and proved to be very good ‘keepers’. Open a bottle of 1995 from these estates, now 20 years old, and you will see wine clearly produced to age and blossom with long cellaring.

Investing in wine sounds easy, but one of the key points it to find the right bank to protect your investment. You need ideal storage conditions; otherwise your precious bottles will quickly turn into worthless brownish vinegar. How many bottles of Petrus or Romanée Conti have been sacrificed to the ego of their owners, being displayed in cabinets in full light with fluctuating temperatures?

Internet-based fine and mature wine merchant MyVinos has been using the temperature-controlled vault of the former Reserve Bank to keep its finest bottles under the ideal conditions. This is an example of the extreme possible to protect an investment. As a private collector, you can either rent space at a reputable wine storage company, like Wine Cellar or Great Domaines or purchase one refrigerated wine cellar for a home. But the temptation might be too great actually to drink your investment.

Subscription to a wine fund is also an option, as this investment vessel purchases and stores wine on your behalf; these wine funds offer the possibility of co-owning 1/3 share of a bottle of Chateau Lafite, or 5/16 of a coveted bottle of Yquem.>

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However, such investment schemes should be considered with great caution as many ‘fly-by-night’ companies offer shares on wines that never existed, or even worse, bottles that proved to be counterfeits.

The last option is to purchase rare bottles of wine on the open market. Great deals can be found, if the wines have been stored correctly. However, it is always advisable to ask an expert to value the wine or wines in question. The South African Sommelier Association will also assist in assessing the collection you want to acquire.

Blue Chip wines are often considered as solid as gold, but these bottles have a shelf life unless the rarity factor makes the owner disregard the actual drinkability of the wine. However, modern winemaking tends to make the wines ready more quickly, although sometimes at the expense of its age ability. Combined with lower acidity from global warming, it is more than likely that the modern wines might not age as well as wines from the 20s, 30s or 40s.

This reality must be kept in mind when purchasing wines, as your financial planning can be for 30 years and not over 50 years, as used to be the case.

The burgeoning market of rare and mature wines in South Africa is becoming a good investment platform for wine lovers. On the pro-side, South African wines offer real value for money and a true rarity factor, but on the downside the market still lacks fluidity and international buyers are not yet playing South African Blue Chips.

South African wines may well be a good investment for those looking towards a longer-term investment and wishing to diversify their portfolio, providing proper storage has been secured.

Unlike shares or bonds, wines are tangible assets. If you have invested in Enron shares, all you will have at this stage is a relatively depressing printout of your portfolio. However, if you invest in a 1972 Rustenberg and the market crashes, you could still drink the wine out of despair! Something to keep in mind when you plan for your future wellbeing!

Webersburg invites you to experience our exclusive 5-star guesthouse, wedding venue and boutique winery in the lower valley of the Helderberg mountain in the heart of the Stellenbosch Winelands

EVENTS

WEDDINGS

CONFERENCES

ACCOMMODATION

WINES

LUNCH

Annandale road, Stellenbosch l info@webersburg.co.za l tel +27 21 881 3636 l www.webersburg.co.za

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A Motorrad Lifestyle ...

Travel, and the voyage that never ends Y

ou can turn left, or you can turn right, or you could just go straight ahead. Every moment is a crossroads, says Richard Webb.

There are a million paths laid out ahead you, each of them better than the last and none worse than the next. You could go back to where you came from and just keep on riding. You could find the closest meridian and follow it until you reach the sea. Or you could choose a new path every second and never look back. One such path leads to the Clarens Valley in the Eastern Free State Highlands, nestled about 20 km from Golden Gate, about 40 km from Bethlehem and at the northernmost point of Lesotho. Known for its spectacular sandstone mountains and wonderful climate, it is one of the most picturesque spots in South Africa.

The village has become known as the ‘Jewel of the Free State’ – rich in beauty, with an near tangible aura of peace, tranquility and a thriving cultural scene.

Clarens will see a radical transformation on the weekend of the 6th to the 8th November 2015 when BMW Motorrad Days South Africa pulls in for its inaugural music and motorcycle festival. ‘The objective of BMW Motorrad Days is to create a festival celebrating the BMW Motorrad brand and to showcase all the facets of the brand as well of the motorcycle lifestyle. While this is a BMW Motorrad event, it is open to all motorcycle enthusiasts no matter what their brand preference is,’ says Alexander Baraka, General Manager of BMW Motorrad South Africa.

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BMW Motorrad Days BMW Motorrad Days is Europe’s premium motorcycle event that celebrates the BMW rider lifestyle, but is open to all riders from all walks of life. The South African edition is based on the internationally successful BMW Motorrad Days that have been held in Germany for the last 14 years and attracts over 40,000 people annually. Since 30 May, eight Regional Qualifiers of the GS Trophy 2016 South Africa Qualifier were hosted across South Africa and Namibia, with the top three contestants from each region making it to the national qualifying round.

Participants went through three days of rigorous challenges designed to test skills such as endurance, teamwork, technical skills and mental tenacity. Team South Africa for GS Trophy 2016 participants are Byron Coetsee (Western Cape), John Harris (Free State) and Charl Moolman (Western Cape), with Eugene Fourie (Mpumalanga) as the reserve.

Aside from infusing an eclectic vibe and energy of all things motorcycling into Clarens’ streets, shops, restaurants and town square, a diverse programme of events and activities will ensure that everyone, from the seasoned motorcyclist to the novice enthusiast or anyone keen for a great weekend away, is thoroughly entertained.

‘The calibre of all the riders who took part in the national qualifying round was world class. This was not an easy competition, but the team South Africa finalists stood head and shoulders above the rest. We are proud of what they have achieved and I am confident of their success at the 2016 International GS Trophy to be hosted in South East Asia,’ says Alexander Baraka, General Manager of BMW Motorrad South Africa.

‘You won’t want to miss any of the action. Motorrad Days will feature everything from incredible live motorcycle stunt shows to a variety of riding activities. People who want to experience our motorcycles will have the opportunity to sign up for a day-trip test ride or browse and purchase any model from the BMW Motorrad retail store,’ explains Baraka.

World-ranked Street Bike Freestyle Rider Mattie Griffin, who is flying to South African especially for the festival, will treat festivalgoers to a performance. But it’s not all about motorbikes. In between the motorcycle buzz, there will be a host of craft beer gardens and gourmet food stalls on offer. Festivalgoers can also expect fashion shows showcasing the BMW Motorrad lifestyle clothing range. A stellar line-up of live bands and DJ’s will keep the party going well into the night.

Getting to Clarens is a major part of the fun, though. ‘Clarens is the perfect location for an event like this because it offers scenic mountain passes that will make for extraordinary riding, great weather and a thriving social life that will complement BMW Motorrad Days South Africa. I encourage anyone who is interested to come and join us make life a ride,’ adds Baraka.

(left to right) Byron Coetsee, John Harris and Charl Moolman, GS Trophy 2016 Team South Africa

We should not be afraid of becoming lost, because the journey back always reveals something new, and that is ultimately good for the soul. So whether you turn left, or you turn right, it is the actual journey that matters in the end

Finalists of GS Throphy 2016 SA Qualifier

BMW Motorrad

bmw-motorraddays.co.za

The Ultimate Riding Machine

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One Good Reason To Go!

BY DEAN MCCOUBREY

‘Lighter. Brighter.’ This was the promise that accompanied a stunning image gallery of golden Instagram-filtered whimsy on the LUX* Resorts & Hotels website. With a tagline this bold in its simplicity, I was a little cynical. It’s hard to differentiate one luxury experience from another - I can barely recall a tagline from a single hotel where I’ve stayed. Furthermore, Mauritius’ top properties have had an overhaul in the last five years in a bid to keep up or get left behind, but they remain a largely homogenous set. So what could LUX* ‘Belle Mare Hotel’ possibly conjure up to catch my attention?

Located on the East Coast and an easy 45-minutes from the airport, it’s a midsize hotel with 174 rooms and 12 villas. The resort sits between the smaller 60-key boutique hotels you can expect to find in the Indian Ocean and far from the 300room machines where water sports lead in luring holidaymakers. At face value, the hotel is everything it promised to be - all things white and wonderful, and impeccably well kept.

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It’s to be expected from such a slick outfit – the hotel group had picked up three five-star locations on the island for an overhaul. They have three others in the Indian Ocean, plus one in China and Dubai on the horizon. In the words of Elvis Follet, their PR Manager, ‘our goal is to re-define luxury, not just hotels’.

To achieve the objective they merged three of the industry’s finest talents, CEO Paul Jones (formerly of One and Only), world-renowned interior designer Kelly Hoppen and Piers Schmidt, kingpin of branding some of the finest residences, into a venerable dream team.

Between them, they tackled the challenge to reimagine contemporary luxury by infusing your stay with signature moments - which they call ‘Reasons To Go’ - unique experiences that will touch your rested soul and raise a smile. It starts as you step out of the airport shuttle and walk through the thatched walkway to reception - you know you’ve arrived somewhere special. The green tea scent seems to hang in the air, holding you until you leave. The foyer plays host to a magnificently styled Cafe, where barista Fabrice will make you almost any coffee concoction you can imagine from their organic beans, freshly roasted on-site.

Their signature craft beer is available in the resort and on tap at the K-Bar, a microbrewery conveniently situated by the pool. The Scrucap wine label, a LUX* ‘own brand’, offers Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling,

Shiraz, Pinot Noir and Chenin Blanc, which are carefully selected from various Western Cape wine estates.

‘ICI’ is a sorbet and fresh smoothies parlour by the pool for the morning, which promptly changes to an ice cream stand in the afternoon. An uber-cool lunch trailer, ‘El Jeffe’, inspired by Jon Favreau’s cult art movie Chef, offers a stylish take on hot dogs, nachos, burgers and freshly prepared salads. The Tree of Wishes is a living art installation to which hotel guests tie their personal hopes and dreams with a ribbon. Another concept they plan to launch is your own personalised Panama hat delivered within a matter of hours.

The hotel essentials also surpass the benchmark. The pool is the largest on the island and can be heated to suit the climate of the day. In Mauritius, that is surprisingly rare. The beach, voted one of the best in the world by CNN, is powder-soft immaculate and without that stinging coral that creeps onto the shoreline. Hotel staff occasionally breeze past with an ‘Orange Blossom Spritz’ to keep you hypnotised.

Rooms are generous with Junior Suites starting at 60m2, Ocean and Honeymoon Suites at 90m2, and villas from 160m2 to 255m2. Space matters on a family holiday. We opted for an all-inclusive package, worthwhile if you bring your family with you who don’t want to be monitored at every turn.

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Our exceptional 2-bedroom villa, serviced by three butlers, included a dining room, lounge, pool and outdoor deck. An iPad acts as the launchpad for anything one might need and one phone call directs you to one of the butlers.

Warm and discreet, the butlers allowed us to have our holiday but maintained a watchful eye for anything we might require - driving us about, delivering canapés before dinner and offering solutions to arbitrary questions.

The hotel caters for a wide variety of cultures - Mauritian, The East and Indian – best demonstrated in their four restaurants. Each is entirely different in their cuisine, decor and atmosphere. There is enough here to make one feel like you have been fortunate to experience a ‘gourmet city break’ over a 7-night stay.

Amari by Vineet, the resort’s new Indian restaurant is a clean-lined but opulent space for the Michelin-star chef’s scintillating fare.

Beach Rouge occupies a prime spot on the sand with spectacular views of the Indian Ocean for lunch and dinner - here a hint of Ibiza meets French Riviera in the airy white, light and bright decor. Duck Laundry is the top table in Mauritius today, offering contemporarystyle Chinese dishes, featuring duck in many guises including the crowd-pleasing Peking duck with steamed pancakes.

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Finally, the main restaurant, M.I.X.E. which takes the quality over quantity approach to buffets with its nuances; these include a Chinese and Asian Corner, a Curry Corner, a glass tandoor, a saj oven for oriental bread-making and a Japanese area. Also, there is a pastry counter that serves up carefully crafted works of cake art.

The ‘K-Bar’ entertains with its dragon-inspired cocktails and there is a microbrewery feature in this ‘gastro-pub’, where an exclusive range of craft beers are available on tap. .

Great websites, photography and taglines are a dime a dozen. But the ‘Lighter. Brighter.’ proposition stands out, the warmth of the staff shines and the fine detail that was present in every dimension of the experience is branding at its finest. As you have your ‘ahaaa’ moment, you give credit in full because the idea was theirs from beginning to end.

I requested some interviews with the LUX* ‘Belle Mare Hotel’ team and each handed me their business card. On one side was simply the contact’s first name, ‘Elvis’ for example, taking up the whole of one side, bright white on a turquoise background. The generosity given to their first name and the boldness and informality immediately pop. It’s bold, memorable and yet wonderfully personal. And that for me was a fitting description of this experience in its entirety.

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At the annual Goodwood Festival of Speed, heritage racing cars and motorcycles scream, throb, bellow or whisper up the twisting hill to take centre stage.

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t the genteel Goodwood House estate, about 7km north of Chichester in England, there is an extraordinary driveway, unlike any other. This curvaceous drive belongs to Lord March, the son of the tenth Duke of Richmond, and leads from the main road into his Goodwood estate, and it becomes the racetrack artery for four days of the year at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

‘Hill-climbing’ is a totally different concept from other motor racing, because racers are primarily racing against themselves – up a hill. Unlike a circuit, the Goodwood course isn’t very wide and it is lined with trees – a danger for the unwary. The Festival was inaugurated by Lord March in 1993 because he wanted to bring motor racing back to the historic Goodwood circuit. The necessary permits to host a race there were not forthcoming, so he simply hosted it on his own grounds.

Lord March

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The classics, the racers and the special guests

BY RICHARD WEBB

Now, with more than 200,000 visitors, it has become a huge open-air motor show and historic hill climb event that draws automotive enthusiasts from all over the world. Although participants are competitive and try their best to score fast times, the overall atmosphere is basically a huge party, with spectators being treated to seeing unusual and surprising vehicles.

There is also plenty of reward to be had in far-flung areas away from Lord March’s driveway. The Festival of Speed prides itself on bringing its audience something new every time and this year was no exception. With unparalleled hospitality and stalls and exhibits in their hundreds, there is something for everybody. It is the world’s biggest and most diverse celebration of not just the history of motor sport and car culture but all things luxury, and a truly unique event.

Suzi Perry with Valentino Ross

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This year’s festival theme ‘Flatout and Fearless: Racing on the Edge’ was an extravaganza of fuel induced exotica - and the most actionpacked Goodwood Festival of Speed yet for fans of automotive endeavour. Motor sport fans, especially motorbike enthusiasts, had their hero and MotoGP racing legend Valentino Rossi on hand for his debut at Goodwood.

Five of the pre-eminent Formula One racing teams turned up to showcase their latest championship racing cars: Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes, Red Bull and Williams. F1 racers Felipe Massa, Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Räikkönen were part of the action.

Bentley Continental GTR

Nico Rosberg with Sir Stirling Moss

Le Mans Endurance prototype cars from Audi, Nissan, Porsche and Toyota were on display, along with a colourful and riotously noisy display of NASCAR racers through the ages, including those from legends Richard Petty and Bobby Labonte.

Sir Stirling Moss celebrated the 60th anniversary of his landmark victory at Mille Miglia in 1955. Seven of the historic Mercedes 300 SLR racers gave the hill climb a blast. Staring number 722, which is not just the Holy Grail for any car collector, but it would also be the world’s most expensive car - if you could buy it. The 300 SLR Roadster driven by Stirling Moss and his co-driver, Dennis Jackson, in the 1955 Mille Miglia started at 7.22am, April 30, in Brescia and crossed the finish line - also in Brescia, ten hours, seven minutes and 48 seconds later. In that time they had driven more than 1,000 miles, to Rome and back again in a record time, and at an average speed that has never been beaten: 156.9kph.

Ken Block in his Hoonigan

Sir Stirling Moss in the Mercedes 300 SLR

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Valentino Rossi

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Lewis Hamilton

This year's festival theme ‘Flatout and Fearless: Racing on the Edge’ was an extravaganza of fuel induced exotica - and the most action-packed Goodwood Festival of Speed yet for fans of automotive endeavour.

Sebastiaan Loeb, Citroen DS3

Jess Button

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1911 Fiat S76

For some, the main draw card is a bottle of champagne and a chat, or a bout of sunbathing in the splendour of Goodwood House. For others the day is all about the cars and the heritage. A network of paths enables spectators to get close to a special rally stage in the woods above the hill climb circuit to watch classic and modern cars as they tackle the stage. The paddock area is an opportunity for enthusiasts to inspect the cars and famous drivers in that friendly spirit rallying does so well.

Natalie Anderson

Meanwhile, the Brooklands paddock is a celebration of the older machine. From the huge Edwardian pioneers of motor sport, via relatively svelte machinery such as the Bugatti Type 35, to the likes of the Jaguar E-Type and AC Cobra. The Cartier Style et Luxe concours d’elegance is a celebration of fine automotive design, where hugely valuable cars compete for titles including goddess of the highway and sweeping statements.

The 1937 Talbot-Lago T150 CSS ‘Goutte d’Eau’, also known as the Talbot Teardrop, was the overall winner of this year’s concours. It is one of five Figoni et Falaschi-bodied cars of the 1920s and ’30s exported to California, where they have become a huge hit with Hollywood stars of the era. Ken Block brings some American show business to the very genteel world of Goodwood by doing doughnuts on the tarmac in a custom 845bhp all-wheel drive 1965 Ford Mustang monster called the Hoonigan.

The Red Arrows are a regular fixture at Goodwood, utilising the aerodrome for a spectacular display. Being a huge commercial motor show, as well as an enthusiast’s event, all the major manufacturers build elaborate displays and showrooms to woo the motoring public and display their latest models.

1927 Bugatti Type 39/35B

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The Jaguar Land Rover stand was marked by the debut appearance of a very special version of marque’s flagship, the Jaguar XJR Rapid Response Vehicle (RRV) for Bloodhound SSC. A selection of Jaguar’s most iconic heritage cars including XJ13, Group 44 E-type, Long Nose D-type, TWR XJS and Broadspeed XJ12C rounded off the heritage collection.

Aston Martin was keen to treat fans to something special with a cornucopia of ‘firsts’, starting the debut of the race track-derived Vantage GT12, as well as the luxurious new Lagonda Taraf super saloon. Aston Martin Racing was also represented by the 2015 Le Mans 24-hour Vantage GTE #97 Art Car, which also made spectacular trips up the famous Goodwood Hill.

Joining it on the Hill was the most dynamic Mercedes-AMG currently on sale – the GT S. But the quickest Mercedes-Benz of all at Goodwood was the Mercedes AMG Petronas W04 V8 Formula One car driven by World Endurance Champion Anthony Davidson on Friday and Saturday, and then on Sunday by Nico Rosberg.

Valentino Rossi, Nico Rosberg, Jenson Button, Kimi Räikkönen, Ford rally legend Ken Block, the Kaiser Chiefs and Jamiroquai lead singer Jay Kay were among the celebs enjoying the jaw-dropping supercars being maxed out on the hill.

The Red Arrows

Lewis Hamilton

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Mazda giant sculpture

The giant sculpture that served as the centrepiece of this year’s Festival of Speed was the 18th to be created on the lawn outside Goodwood House by the London-based sculptor, Gerry Judah.

Each year Goodwood’s mighty installation celebrates the spirit and values of a single automotive brand. This year Mazda was honoured in the central display feature in front of Goodwood House. It showcased all of its latest production models and heritage vehicles, including its Le Mans-winning 787B racer, which took on the hillclimb. A celebration of hypercars right up to the present day also saw the first vehicles to top 320kph making their mark on the famous hill Lord March’s penchant for blending tradition, vintage couture, extravagance and enthusiasm has helped revitalise the Goodwood Estate as a prestigious site for horseracing, golf, cricket matches and the Goodwood Revival, a 50s period costume motor sport extravaganza held in September.

It’s often the rarity that makes something so precious. If I were to have such extravagance daily, then I might begin to think that the world should be just like Goodwood. But the bonhomie and the heritage would seem rather ordinary rather than a treasure. And that’s exactly what it needs to stay – a treasure.

Mercedes Benz giant sculpture during 2014

images courtesy ‘Goodwood Festival of Speed’ and Graeme Webb

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Quality and FEW PEOPLE REALISE how important it is to get quality uninterrupted sleep in order to wake up feeling refreshed and energized. An imperative part of getting a good night’s rest depends on your bed. There is nothing worse than waking up feeling tired and groggy, the consequence of not having enough good quality sleep. Hästens has made it its mission to change this.

Hästens is a Swedish sleep retailer that handcrafts a range of bespoke beds which unlike mass produced beds, are made to last a lifetime.

Since 1852 Hästens has been committed to crafting beds for the best sleep using skilled craftsmen who have been refining their trade for generations. Every bed is created by hand using traditional methods, and only the finest natural materials, such as flax, cotton, wool, quality Swedish pine and genuine, hypoallergenic horsehair. These natural materials are the key to having a restful night and are ultimately better for your health, allowing the mattress to breathe naturally and providing you with a supportive bed for deep sleep.

No machine can surpass the skills of the Hästens master craftsmen and even though machines do it cheaper, hands always do it better. Attention to detail and uncompromising quality is central to the Hästens promise.

At Hästens, their mission is to change the way people think about and prioritise sleep. We might all at some point splash out on material objects and lose sight of what is important. Cars, clothes and holidays do serve an important purpose and provide a higher sense of wellbeing; however the difference between sleeping on a good bed and a bad one can have lasting effects on your life. Tiredness, grouchiness and general lack of energy can be the immediate reactions, however the long-term damage that you could be doing to your health and body is far greater. The beds are an investment for life, and Hästens are on a mission to provide better sleep, one bed at a time. Hästens clients find that their sleep is more restorative and

rejuvenating, they have a lot more natural energy, an improved mood, greater health and happiness and a more youthful appearance.

The joy of having a Hästens bed is that you can tailor it to your own specifications. The mattresses are all pocket sprung which provide you with the right support and if your partner gets into bed or gets up earlier, you will not be disturbed. Another great feature is that you can specify the firmness or softness of your mattress to cater to your needs.

In terms of the aesthetics there is a selection of materials to choose from, including the iconic

craftsmanship EXPERIENCE THE NECESSARY LUXURY OF A HÄSTENS BED

blue and white check. The top mattress gives you that little something extra you need for fresh, healthy and superior comfort, improving both the hygiene and longevity of your bed.

Hästens beds are held in high esteem as the company has had the honour and privilege of being an official supplier to the Swedish Royal Court since the 1950s. Hästens beds are built to last for at least 25 years and are just as comfortable 25 years on as they were on the very first night; an investment surely worth making. As well as the beautiful beds Hästens also creates a stunning range of the finest linen, luxurious sleepwear and travel accessories.

Experiencing a Hästens bed is imperative to educating oneself about sleep. Visit one of the Hästens Sleep Stores today and discover what the difference is between ordinary sleep and good Hästens sleep. The only regret you will have is that you did not do it sooner.

HÄSTENS SLEEP STORES CAPE TOWN Green Point, Cape Town - 021 418 0434 JOHANNESBURG Kramerville, Sandton - 011 262 4431/2

Breguet, the innovator.

Extra-Thin Self-Winding Tourbillon 5377 The complexity of an extra-thin movement is equalled only by the elegance and slenderness of the watch itself. The Extra-Thin Self-Winding Tourbillon 5377, a complex yet delightfully uncluttered creation, is endowed with an 80-hour power reserve thanks to a patented high-energy barrel. It is a true testament to the daring and creative spirit of Abraham-Louis Breguet, inventor of the tourbillon. History is still being written...

E L E G A N C E J E W E L L E R S G R A N D B O U T I Q U E , M E L R O S E A R C H , J O H A N N E S B U R G , S O U T H A F R I C A + 2 7 11 6 8 4 13 8 0 T A N U R J E W E L L E R S S H O P 14 7 , V I C T O R I A W H A R F, V & A W A T E R F R O N T, C A P E T O W N , S O U T H A F R I C A + 2 7 2 1 4 18 5 5 2 4