Men's Passion #70 - September 2015

Uncompromised Luxury “Take the best that exists, and make it better.

When it does not exist, design it” - Sir Henry Royce

IFCS 1st Half

IFCS 2nd HALF

ISSUE NUMBER 70 - SEPTEMBER 2015

JUST A THOUGHT Dear Passionate Readers, Passion....

Throughout the years, there were many events that threatened to diminish my passion...

Personal events, life events, world events… Indeed on one occasion, during a World Congress of Psychology, I got lectured about the ill effects of passion!!

But what is life if the fire is gone?!?

We all need passion in our lives if we are to seek beyond, don’t you think?

In this issue, we reveal the new Rolls-Royce Dawn.

A testimony to Sir Henry Rolls Royce’s eternal passion, and one which has been passed from generation to generation throughout the years.

You’ll be proud to know that MEN’S PASSION was selected as the only media representative from Kuwait to attend the sneak preview that preceded the car’s launch at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

May you, my passionate readers, always maintain your passion regardless of all events, and despite ill-judged threats to diminish it.

For only then is this life worth living.

Till the next issue,

Zeina Mokaddam Managing Director

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ON THE COVER: September 2015 The launch of a new Rolls-Royce is a very rare occasion. And the launch of this new model, the Dawn, sees the addition of a very special car to the Rolls-Royce stable.

MEN’S PASSION was honoured to have been the only Kuwait media to have been present at the reveal. With exclusive images, we’re proud to present the new Rolls-Royce Dawn.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Amera Al-Awadhi LEGAL CONSULTANT Khaled Al-Kandari Al-Kandari Law Firm PUBLISHED BY

MANAGING DIRECTOR Zeina Mokaddam ACTING MANAGING DIRECTOR Nouf Al-Hajri MANAGING EDITOR Simon Balsom EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Kamakshi Handa

30 Harvey Nichols Kuwait

The Menswear Designer Hub

CONTRIBUTERS Yasmine Bandar (Editorial) Zeina Al-Ayoub (PR) MaryAnn D’Souza (PR) Cityscape (Real Estate)

34 The Store Directory

Where we’re shopping this

season, and why

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Tarek Kabbani

40 Lookbook

Our picks for the best looks for

Fall 2015

HEAD OF PHOTOGRAPHY Maher Al-Nouri

CONTENTS 12

The Sartorialists Faris AlObeid Moath Alkandari Hussain Jassim

24 Rami Rahal

Partner, Serb Fashion 28 Morgan Wa tkins

Face of Pal Zileri AW 2015 campaign

PRODUCTION MANAGER Jad Nahas PH7 is a specialized publishing house based in Kuwait.

Telephone +(965) 2572 0810 Fax +(965) 2572 0860 Website www.ph7-kw.com To maintain the desired quality of our publication, your contribution and feedback are welcomed.

Please email your suggestions to zeina@ph7-kw.com For advertising, do not hesitate to contact info@ph7-kw.com For subscription, please email your details to info@ph7-kw.com PH7 wishes to state that the opinions expressed in MEN’S PASSION are those of the authors concerned and not necessarily those of the publisher.

BPA Worldwide Consumer Publication Audit Membership Applied for September 2014.

Tod’s Boutique • Kuwait: Salhiya Complex - Prestige - The Avenues

THE LUXE REVIEW 54 Rolls-Royce Dawn Uncompromised

Drophead Luxury 62

Powerful Performance Perfected for the Road The new Mercedes-AMG C 63 & C 63 S arrive in Kuwait

64 McLaren Special Operations

Unique 570S 66 Acura

Performance, contemporary

design and luxury 68 The All New 2016 Acura RDX 70 Infiniti continues to build

on success 72

86 Jaeger-LeCoultre

10-year partnership with

the Venice Inter national

Film Festival 87 Rado DiaMaster

Grande Seconde

Be the master of your time 88

Azimut Yachts At The 2015 Cannes Boat Show Two World Premiere And A Fleet Of Fifteen Yachts

90 Gulf Craft Unveils

Majesty 155 92

The 2015 Monaco Yacht Show 25 Years in the Making A tale of one city and its great expectation

Pebble Beach 2015 Bugatti presents successful

super sports cars from the 96 Investing in Dubai company’s history 100 Une Nuit de Rêve 76 Daniel Riedo

The 6th ‘Night of Dreams’

Jaeger-LeCoultre CEO

featured ‘The Act’ 78 James H. Ragan

NASA’s man behind

the MoonWatch

104 Awake in the Game

of Pretending

with author Nejoud Al-Yagout

82

84

106 Urban Briefing to London

36 hours in London. Where to

go, what to do, and how to do it

Rolling and ticking works of art TAG Heuer signs with the Bundesliga

85 Pathos in rose gold

A new dimension of passion

110 Zeitgeist

The HM6 ‘Space Pirate’

strikes gold 112 Events

BAROMETER

ALTIMETER

C O M PAS S

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THE SARTORIALISTS

Sartorialist (noun) a person who practices or is interested in sartorialism (of clothing or dress, esp. men’s) Fashion is one thing; style is another. The former is transient, the latter endures. We could have filled this magazine with quotes from the great and the good of the style world, instead we went to three of our favourite sartorialists: Faris Al Obeid, Moath Al Kandari and Hussian Jassim. They each have their own unique expressions of sartorial eloquence, and their own way of delivering. Meet MEN’S PASSION’s sartorialists….

Faris AlObeid

F

a ris, a Kuwaiti born in the world’s fashion-capital of Paris, was perhaps always a natural for the world of diversity and style. Today his life compromises two distinct roles. Well connected throughout the commercial and diplomatic sectors through his role as Advisor, to His Excellency The Secretary-General of The Supreme Council for Planning and Development - State of Kuwait, he also heads Quattro International LLC as Managing Partner and CEO. Through Quattro he has launched ‘So Jennie - Luxury Bubbles’. Branded as the world’s first luxury non-alcoholic sparkling drink. Currently available on Qatar Airways First and Business class, as well as Michelin rated restaurants, 5 star hotels and luxurious spas and establishments around the world, he’s permanently attached and attuned to the world of style and luxury.

THE SARTORIALISTS

How would you describe your favoured style?

It really depends when you are asking the question on weekday, weekend or a formal event. I usually like to wear something presentable but the emphasis is on comfort and functionality.

I usually go for “dishdasha” when I am in Kuwait on any given day. It’s simple yet sophisticated; you can always play around with the type of colors you pick and the cloth quality to show out your character and confidence. On weekends I’d describe my favorite with the following: tanned loafers, shorts and a linen shirt. When I travel for work on official missions or for pleasure, I like to try out new styles and dress up. I love my suits, I try to get a new a tie every once in a while it plays a key role in the bringing out a suit. In addition I have come to love pocket squares, I really tend to mix them up with a semi casual and formal wear when wearing suits, pocket squares project strong confidence specially when your about to close a deal or during a special event.

What’s your key item of clothing – which you feel says most about a man’s grasp of the sartorial?

A pocket-square. It says so much about the man wearing a suit. I can’t imagine wearing a suit without any sort of pocketsquare, you can play around with the shapes, contours and colors. More importantly it’s a way of turning a dull suit into a powerful one.

Are you a ‘brand’ man? If so, which do you favour, and why?

I don’t know much about brands, but I know quality when I see it. So I tend to focus on quality always, that’s my approach in life and in a shopping sense. A “brand” or a high price tag does not necessarily equate to high-end quality. You have to do your research and know what it’s in the market and what works for you best.

There’s a general movement away from formal to casual.

A good thing?

Are you happy to match a $250 shirt with a $75 pair of jeans?

Dressing up takes time, money, and energy. It makes sense; I believe more people tend to focus on wearing things that they feel comfortable in and most importantly confident even if that means sticking to the same attire for some time. They know what’s good on them and they stick to it.

Sure, as long as there is a balance. That shirt could be a highlight piece in the whole attire. I think one just needs to focus on the coherence of what he’s wearing, as long as you feel confident and it looks decent, why not? The key point is to look presentable and sharp.

When you’re looking for trends, do you have a favourite city where you feel style stays one step ahead?

Do you have one single epitome of elegance? Who is he, and why?

Born and raised in Paris, and having lived there for 20+ years, it’s simple - Paris is the fashion capital. I don’t know much about fashion, but having lived in the most beautiful city in the world you tend to mingle with a lot of fashionable people that are always avant-garde when it comes to style and trends.

That’s a tough question, I don’t really have one single epitome of elegance per-say. But I have a few key people I admire their sense of sharpness when it comes to dressing up: Roberto Mararo, Johannes Huebl, David Beckham, Tom Claeren just to name a few, the problem with looking sharp all the time is maintaining consistence.

12 13

‫‪THE SARTORIALISTS‬‬

‫ّ‬ ‫المفضل؟‬ ‫كيف تصف أسلوبك‬ ‫يختلف ذلك بحسب إذا ما كنت أرتدي مالبس للعمل أو أليام‬ ‫اإلجازة األسبوعية أو حتى إلحدى الفعاليات الرسمية‪ .‬أنا في العادة‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫أفض ل ارتداء ما هو أنيق ولكن آخذ بعين االعتبار الراحة في األزياء‬ ‫ومساعدتي على القيام بواجباتي‪« .‬الدشداشة» هي لباسي المعتاد‬ ‫ومنم ق‬ ‫عندما أكون في الكويت في األيام العادية فهي ثوب بسيط‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫دوم ا تغيير نوعية األلوان التي أختارها أو‬ ‫في الوقت عينه؛ وباإلمكان‬ ‫ً‬ ‫المتمي زة والواثقة‪ .‬في أيام اإلجازة‬ ‫جودة األقمشة إلبراز الشخصية‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫األسبوعية‪ ،‬أفضل ارتداء أحذية خفيفة مدبوغة وسراويل قصيرة مع‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫أم ا في رحالت السفر الرسمية أو للترفيه‪ ،‬فأنا‬ ‫قميص من‬ ‫الكت ان‪ّ .‬‬ ‫أحب‬ ‫أتشوق لتجربة الموضة الجديدة والظهور بمظهر أنيق بها‪ .‬أنا‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫بزاتي الرسمية وأحرص على اقتناء ربطة عنق جديدة من فترة أخرى‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫متمي ز‪ .‬كما ّأن ني‬ ‫بمظهر‬ ‫ة‬ ‫البز‬ ‫إبراز‬ ‫في‬ ‫دور‬ ‫من‬ ‫لها‬ ‫لما‬ ‫أخرى‬ ‫إلى‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫مؤخ ًرا‪ ،‬فأنا أضيفها إلى مالبسي‬ ‫أصبحت من هواة مناديل الجيب‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫رسمي ا فهي‬ ‫مظهرا‬ ‫البزات‬ ‫قليل أو إلعطاء‬ ‫لكسر الطابع الرسمي‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ً‬ ‫خصوص ا عند إبرام صفقة ما أو في أي‬ ‫تعكس ثقة كبيرة بالنفس‬ ‫ً‬ ‫خاص ة‪.‬‬ ‫مناسبة‬ ‫ّ‬

‫تبرز موجة الرتداء اللباس غير الرسمي بد ًلا من األلبسة‬ ‫إيجابيا؟ أليس هناك ما‬ ‫امرا‬ ‫الرسمية‪ .‬هل تعتبر ذلك‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ً‬ ‫يدعونا للتأنّق على الدوام؟‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫تضح ي بوقتك ومالك وجهدك الشخصي‪.‬‬ ‫لتتأل ق يعني أن‬ ‫تتأن ق‬ ‫أن‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫منطقي ا؟ أنا أعتقد أن الناس في العادة يحاولون‬ ‫أليس األمر‬ ‫ً‬ ‫واألهم من‬ ‫التركيز على ارتداء المالبس التي تشعرهم بالراحة‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫معي ن‬ ‫نوع‬ ‫على‬ ‫ذلك هو شعورهم بالثقة حتى إذا عنى ذلك البقاء‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫من األلبسة‪ .‬فهم يعرفون ما يناسبهم ويثابرون على ارتداء تلك‬ ‫المالبس دون غيرها‪.‬‬

‫ّ‬ ‫مفضلة‬ ‫تتتبع صيحات الموضة‪ ،‬هل يوجد لديك مدينة‬ ‫عندما‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫بحيث تشعر ّ‬ ‫سباقون مقارنة بغيرهم؟‬ ‫مصمميها‬ ‫أن‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫شخصي ا ُو لدت وترعرعت في باريس حتى ّأن ني قضيت هناك أكثر‬ ‫أنا‬ ‫ً‬ ‫من عشرين سنة؛ ببساطة‪ ،‬باريس هي عاصمة الموضة‪ .‬ال أعرف‬ ‫الكثير عن الموضة‪ ،‬ولكن بحكم مكوثي في أجمل مدينة في العالم‪،‬‬ ‫متتب عي الموضة الذين‬ ‫أتيحت لي فرصة االختالط مع الكثير من‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫تلق ف ّ‬ ‫يحرصون على ّ‬ ‫كل ما هو جديد في عالم األزياء وصيحاتها‪.‬‬

‫ما هي القطعة األساسية من اللباس برأيك؟ أ ّيها‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫أدق عن ذوق الرجل في الموضة؟‬ ‫انطباعا‬ ‫يعطيك‬ ‫ً‬ ‫برأيي ّأن ها مناديل الجيب‪ .‬فهذه القطعة رغم صغر حجمها‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫البز ة‪ .‬ال يمكنني أن‬ ‫تبرز الكثير من صفات الرجل الذ ي يرتد ي‬ ‫أحد ا يلبس ّ‬ ‫بز ة بدون منديل للجيب بأشكالها ومعالمها‬ ‫أتخي ل‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫البز ة من‬ ‫تحو ل‬ ‫القطعة‬ ‫هذه‬ ‫أن‬ ‫ذلك‪،‬‬ ‫من‬ ‫واألهم‬ ‫وألوانها‪.‬‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫قوي ا‪.‬‬ ‫انطباع ا‬ ‫ممي زة وتعطي‬ ‫عادية إلى‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ّ‬

‫خاص ؟ إذا كان‬ ‫هل تستهويك عالمة تجارية ما بشكل‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫كذلك‪ ،‬أ ّيها يستهويك؟ وما السبب يا ترى؟‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ولكن ني أستطيع‬ ‫خبير ا في العالمات التجار ية‬ ‫في الواقع‪ ،‬لست‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫أرك ز على‬ ‫بمجر د النظر إلى القطعة‪ .‬ولذلك فأنا‬ ‫تحديد الجودة‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫حس الموضة‬ ‫وفي‬ ‫الحياة‬ ‫في‬ ‫فلسفتي‬ ‫هي‬ ‫وهذه‬ ‫دوم ا‬ ‫الجودة‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫التبض ع‪ .‬فالعالمة التجار ية أو بطاقة السعر العالي‬ ‫لد ّي أثناء‬ ‫ال تعطي بالضرورة الجودة الفاخرة‪ .‬يجب على الشخص البحث‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫واالط ال ع على ما يوجد في األسواق وما يناسبه أكثر من غيره‪.‬‬

‫هل تكون مسرو ًر ا بارتداء قميص سعره ‪ 2 5 0‬دوالر مع‬ ‫بنطال جينز سعره ‪ 75‬دوالر؟‬ ‫طبع ا‪ ،‬لطا لما كا ن هنا لك نو ع ما من ا لتو ا زن ‪ .‬فا لقميص‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫كل ه‪ .‬و أ نا أ عتقد‬ ‫يمكن أ ن يكو ن ا لقطعة ا ألبرز في ا لمظهر‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫يرك ز على مال ء مة ا لقطع ا لتي يرتد يها‬ ‫أ ن ا لمرء يجب أ ن‬ ‫و تنا غمها مع بعضها‪ .‬فإذ ا كا ن ا لشخص و ا ً‬ ‫ثق ا من نفسه‬ ‫ويظهر بمظهر الئق فلم ال؟ ا لهد ف ا أل سا سي هو أ ن يتا ّن ق‬ ‫مرتب ا‪.‬‬ ‫ا لشخص ويبد و‬ ‫ً‬

‫من هو رمز األناقة بالنسبة إليك؟ ولماذا؟‬ ‫أحد ا على غيره كرمز‬ ‫أقد م‬ ‫ليس سؤالك بالسؤال السهل ‪ .‬ال‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫حس هم‬ ‫مم ن يعجبني‬ ‫للموضة ولكن هناك عدد من األشخاص‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ً‬ ‫مثل ‪ :‬روبيرتو مارارو ويوهانس ويبل ودايفيد بيكهام‬ ‫باألناقة‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫التأن ق‬ ‫وطوم كالر ين باإلضافة إلى غيرهم‪ .‬المسألة بخصوص‬ ‫على الدوام تكمن في الثبات وعدم تجربة ما هو جديد وصعب‬ ‫للتعامل معه‪.‬‬

‫‪THE SARTORIALISTS‬‬

‫السيما الرجالية)‬ ‫يتتبعها باهتمام (خاص باأللبسة والثياب‬ ‫صانع األلبسة‪( ،‬اسم) الشخص الذي يمتهن صناعة األلبسة أو‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫تتبد ل‪ .‬كان بمقدورنا‬ ‫يختلط مفهوم الموضة واألناقة أحيا نًا ولكن الموضة شيء واألناقة شيء آخر‪ .‬فالموضة عابرة‪ ،‬بينما األناقة راسخة وال‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫أن نتحفكم في هذا العدد باالقتباسات من أسماء كبيرة وعظيمة في عالم الموضة غير أ نّنا اخترنا أن نستقي الخبر اليقين من ثالثة من‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫المفضلين لدينا وهم‪ :‬معاذ الكندري وحسين جاسم وفارس آل عبيد‪ .‬هؤالء يطبعون األناقة في عالم األلبسة بطابعهم‬ ‫صانعي األلبسة‬ ‫تعر فوا إلى صانعي األلبسة من ‪...MEN’S PASSION‬‬ ‫المميز في تقديمها‪.‬‬ ‫الخاص والفريد وأسلوبهم‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ّ‬

‫فارس العبيد‬ ‫التنو ع واألناقة‪ .‬واليوم يقوم‬ ‫فارس‪ ،‬كويتي مولود في عاصمة الموضة باريس‪ ،‬ولطالما اعتاد على هذا العالم من‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫أساسيين في حياته‪ .‬ينشط في اتصاالته في القطاعات التجارية والدبلوماسية من خالل دوره كمستشار‬ ‫بدورين‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫لمعالي األمين العام للمجلس األعلى للتخطيط والتنمية‪ -‬دولة الكويت‪ .‬كما يرأس شركة كواترو العالمية ذ‪.‬م‪.‬م‪.‬‬ ‫أو ل‬ ‫كشريك مدير ومدير تنفيذي‪ .‬قام من خالل كواترو بإطالق العالمة التجارية‪ ”So Jennie-Luxury Bubbles”s‬وهو ّ‬ ‫الجو ية القطرية بتقديم الشراب في الدرجة األولى ودرجة‬ ‫فوار فاخر وغير كحولي في العالم‪ .‬وتقوم الخطوط‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫شراب ّ‬ ‫يتم تقديمه في المطاعم الحاصلة على نجمة ميشلين وفنادق الخمس نجوم ومراكز االستجمام‬ ‫رجال األعمال‪ ،‬كما‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ومعتاد ا على عالم األناقة‬ ‫دائما متع ّل ًقا‬ ‫الفاخرة باإلضافة إلى مؤسسات من حول العالم‪ .‬بالنسبة إلى فارس‪ ،‬تراه‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ً‬ ‫والرفاهية‪.‬‬

‫‪14 15‬‬

THE SARTORIALISTS

Moath Alkandari

C

utting a stylish figure wherever he goes, Moath Alkandari is a constant traveller.

Through a career in property, and in his role as editor of a luxury magazine, Alkandari’s second home was most likely to be an airport lounge. Today he’s swapped those roles to launch his own menswear and accessory brand – MoeStash. As a man who’s long had his finger on the region’s style pulse and is now investing himself in the business of style, who better to get a personal view of sartorial elegance from?

Venue Credits: Caffeine Coffee Shop

THE SARTORIALISTS

How would you describe your favoured style?

I deliberately avoid anything that could be construed as being seen as a ‘favoured style’. To me it seems that style is a commonly misunderstood idea, it’s less complicated than it often seems. Overall I see style as a reflection of one’s personality traits, and something which also matches a specific fashion theme. To me, style is individual, it’s what you most feel comfortable wearing. It’s something that fits your life style and personality. For me this is most likely to be casual and chic.

There’s a general movement away from formal to casual.

A good thing? But it’s always good to have a reason to get dressed up?

Modern life is all about being practical, this is something many designers and stylists noticed and reacted to. People are getting busier, they want to keep going yet still keep a smart stylish look. The good thing about modern style is we can all very easily can do that now. For sure there will be always a reason to dress up – if one day there isn’t a reason then I’ll invent one!

With your own label, what do you hope to establish as its style signature, and who are your ideal demographic?

Essentially I’m producing what I like, it’s a reflection of what my closet is full of. MoeStash is relaxed casual chic daywear. It’s for any adult male who takes a pride in the way he looks, yes, but also in the way he lives. He’s also likely to take care of what he eats, his fitness and his intellect Do you have one single epitome of elegance? Who is he, and why?

Not one, but two. Firstly, American singer-songwriter I must say John Mayer. Secondly, the lamented Gianni Agnelli – he was always impeccably stylish. They both have a style of their own and know their watches.

Moath Alkandari is a real estate developer and International real estate consultant with various disciplines in investments.

Passion for Fashion, media and publishing. He is also an adventurous and savvy traveler. Instagram: @moath9.

When you’re looking for trends, do you have a favourite city when you feel style stays one step ahead?

I have always looked towards Florence and the street of New York’s Manhattan as the places where trends are born. More recently I have begun to look little further north, most often towards Stockholm’s street-style.

What’s your key item of clothing - which you feel says most about a man’s grasp of the sartorial?

Easy. A good sports-jacket and the right shoes.

Are you a ‘brand’ man? If so, which do you favour, and why?

I’m not a slave to any brand. I shop everywhere and I always mix. I like Loro Piana, Brunello Cucinelli, Tom Ford and Ralph Lauren. I’m a sucker for their combinations of cuts and fabric.

Are you happy to match a $250 shirt with a $75 pair of jeans?

I would rather match a $250 pair of jeans and $75 shirt – definitely not the other way around.

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‫‪THE SARTORIALISTS‬‬

‫ّ‬ ‫المفضل لديك في الموضة؟‬ ‫ما هو األسلوب‬ ‫أنا أتفادى ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫مفض ل في األزياء‪ .‬بالنسبة‬ ‫خاص أو‬ ‫كل حديث عن أسلوب‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫علم ا ّأن ه أقل‬ ‫إلي‪ ،‬أعتبر أن األسلوب مفهوم ال يفهمه الكثيرون‪،‬‬ ‫ً‬ ‫مم ا يبدو‪ .‬بشكل عام‪ ،‬أرى أن أسلوب الشخص هو انعكاس‬ ‫ً‬ ‫تعقيدا ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫شخصي ا‪،‬‬ ‫الموضة‪.‬‬ ‫اتجاهات‬ ‫لبعض‬ ‫انعكاس‬ ‫ه‬ ‫أن‬ ‫كما‬ ‫لشخصيته‪،‬‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫لكل شخص فرادته‪ .‬بمعنى آخر‪،‬‬ ‫عم م‪ ،‬بل‬ ‫أعتبر أن األسلوب ال ُي ّ‬ ‫أسلوب الشخص هو ّ‬ ‫كل األزياء التي يرتاح فيها وتناسب أسلوب‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫المتكل فة ّإن ما‬ ‫مثل األزياء غير‬ ‫حياته وشخصيته‪ .‬ما يناسبني أنا‬ ‫األنيقة في آن‪.‬‬

‫يتزايد ابتعاد الناس عن اللباس الرسمي واتّجاههم إلى‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫المتكلفة‪ .‬هل هذا أمر ّجيد؟ أليس ضرور ًيا أن‬ ‫األزياء غير‬ ‫تبقى هناك مناسبات تدعو الرتداء المالبس الرسمية؟‬ ‫تتمحور حياتنا في هذا العصر الحديث حول ّ‬ ‫كل ما هو عملي ويتيح‬ ‫المصم مين‬ ‫التحرك بعمالنية‪ ،‬وهو ما استرعى انتباه العديد من‬ ‫لنا‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫والعناوين الكبرى في عالم الموضة‪ ،‬فاستجابوا لهذا المطلب‪ .‬لقد‬ ‫ازدادت انشغاالت الناس مقارنة بالسنوات السابقة‪ ،‬فباتوا يريدون‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫يؤخ ر لباسهم الرسمي إنتاجيتهم‪ .‬وهكذا‪،‬‬ ‫إنجاز العمل من دون أن‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫المتكل فة‪ .‬وأجمل ما في‬ ‫ميل إلى المالبس األنيقة وغير‬ ‫بدأنا نلتمس‬ ‫الموضة العصرية هو سهولة اعتمادها من ّ‬ ‫كل الناس‪ .‬بالتأكيد ستبقى‬ ‫هناك مناسبات وأسباب تدعونا الرتداء المالبس الرسمية بين حين‬ ‫وآخر‪ ،‬وإن بطلت هذه المناسبات سأكون أنا ّأول َم ن يعيد ابتكارها!‬

‫يسرك ارتداء قميص ثمنه ‪ 250‬دوال ًرا مع سراويل جينز‬ ‫هل‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ثمنها ‪ 75‬دوال ًرا؟‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫دوالرا وثمن القميص ‪ ،75‬وليس‬ ‫أفض ل لو يكون ثمن السراويل ‪250‬‬ ‫ً‬ ‫العكس بالتأكيد‪.‬‬

‫ّ‬ ‫الل مسة‬ ‫بالعودة للحديث عن عالمتك التجارية‪ ،‬ما هي‬ ‫ومن هم األفراد الذين‬ ‫ستميز‬ ‫الفريدة التي‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫دوما أزياءك َ‬ ‫تتوجه لهم بأزيائك؟‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫أصم م األزياء التي تروق لي بالدرجة األولى‪ ،‬وتصاميمي تعكس‬ ‫أنا‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫للرد على سؤالك‪،‬‬ ‫أساس ا في خزانة مالبسي‪ .‬ولكن‬ ‫األزياء التي أقتنيها‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ً‬ ‫يسعني القول إن عالمة ‪ MoeStash‬هي عالمة ألزياء نهارية أنيقة‬ ‫متكل فة يمكن ارتداؤها ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫تتوج ه‬ ‫كل يوم‪ .‬وهذه العالمة التجارية‬ ‫وغير‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ً‬ ‫أيض ا بأسلوب‬ ‫يهتم ون بمظهرهم الخارجي ّإن ما‬ ‫الذي‬ ‫الرجال‬ ‫إلى‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫حياتهم ونوعية غذائهم ولياقتهم البدنية والفكرية‪.‬‬

‫هل لديك قدوة في األناقة؟ َمن هو ولماذا تراه كذلك؟‬ ‫لدي قدوتان في األناقة وهما المغني والشاعر األميركي‬ ‫في الواقع‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫جون ماير‪ .‬وكذلك‪ ،‬الراحل جياني أنيلي فأناقته كانت تفوق الوصف‪.‬‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ً‬ ‫أيض ا‪.‬‬ ‫ممي زة من الساعات‬ ‫ولكل من الرجلين أسلوبه الفريد وخيارات‬ ‫ّ‬

‫عندما تلقي نظرة على صيحات الموضة‪ ،‬هل‬ ‫تستهويك إحدى المدن أكثر من غيرها من حيث‬ ‫تفو قها في عالم األزياء؟‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫لطالما لفتت نظري فلورانسا وشارع مانهاتن في نيويورك؛‬ ‫مؤخرا بمتابعة موضة‬ ‫ثم بدأت‬ ‫فهناك أبصرت الموضة النور‪ّ .‬‬ ‫ً‬ ‫وتحديد ا أسلوب الشارع في ستوكهولم السويدية‪ ،‬أو‬ ‫الشمال‪،‬‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ما ُي عرف بالـ ‪.street style‬‬

‫بالنسبة إليك‪ ،‬ما هي أهم قطعة في اللباس وتعطيك‬ ‫حس الموضة واألناقة لدى الرجل؟‬ ‫انطباعا عن‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ً‬ ‫سؤال سهل‪ .‬بالطبع هي األحذية العصرية وسترة «باليزر» الفتة‪.‬‬

‫صح ذلك‪ ،‬أي‬ ‫هل تستهويك العالمات التجارية؟ وإذا‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫تفضل؟ ولماذا؟‬ ‫العالمات التجارية‬ ‫أتسوق في جميع المتاجر‬ ‫ال تستهويني عالمة تجارية دون غيرها‪ .‬فأنا‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫وغالب ا ما أمزج بين العالمات التجارية‪ .‬تروق لي أزياء لورو بيانا‪،‬‬ ‫ً‬ ‫وبرونيلو كوتشينيلي‪ ،‬وطوم فورد‪ ،‬ورالف لورين‪ ،‬وتبهرني نتائج‬ ‫القص ات واألقمشة المختلفة لدور األزياء هذه‪.‬‬ ‫الجمع بين‬ ‫ّ‬

‫‪Venue Credits:‬‬ ‫‪Al-Hamra Tower‬‬

‫‪THE SARTORIALISTS‬‬

‫معاذ الكندري‬ ‫حيثما ّ‬ ‫ومحر ر في مج ّلة فاخرة‪.‬‬ ‫حل معاذ الكندري‪ ،‬ستجده بمظهر معاصر‪ .‬هو من هواة السفر ويعمل في العقارات‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫وبطبيعة الحال‪ ،‬أصبحت صاالت المطارات بيته الثاني‪ .‬لكنّ نا نراه اليوم يبتعد عن عمله المعهود ليطلق عالمة تجارية‬ ‫حاليا‬ ‫متتبعي الموضة في المنطقة‪ ،‬وهو‬ ‫خاصة به ألزياء الرجال وقطع الزينة‪ ،‬وهي عالمة ‪ .MoeStash‬معاذ أحد أكثر‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ً‬ ‫يستثمر هذا الشغف في عالم أعمال الموضة‪ .‬ولذلك‪ ،‬لم نجد أفضل منه للحديث عن األناقة واألزياء العصرية للرجال‪.‬‬

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THE SARTORIALISTS

Hussain Jassim

W

ell-known internationally as a style-leader and opinion-former through his online presence at @StyleScandals, Hussain lives his life on the move. Acutely aware of the nuances of style, he’s adept at combining details to deliver a seemingly effortless look. Tirelessly honing the art of the sartorialist, he’s rarely happier than when sharing his thoughts and experiences, and is a passionate advocate of individual style. A much-respected gentleman of fashion, here he delivers his personal view of style today.

How would you describe your favoured style?

I think my style can be described in two words: comfortable and neat. I usually tend to wear clothes that match my personality and lifestyle in general, I am on the go all the time from one place to another and I would rather wear things that make my day easier and also at the same time something stylish and could catch the eye. Most of the time people see my style as casual chic or sport chic.

There’s a general movement away from formal to casual.

A good thing? But it’s always good to have a reason to get dressed up?

For me it’s a good thing for sure, I only dress in formal wear for my meetings during the day, at galas or for evening formal events. I was never a formal wear guy not because of anything is specific. I feel there’s a great movement towards mixing formal with casual – this is a good thing because it allows the wearer to express themself.

When you’re looking for trends, do you have a favorite city where you feel style stays one step ahead?

I always tend to look at the London and New York fashion shows, and also their street style. I never stop looking at pictures, videos and magazines and try to adapt new ideas to my look book. What you see out there is only a little of what a man can do with his style.

THE SARTORIALISTS

What’s your key item of clothing – which you feel says most about a man’s grasp of the sartorial?

I focus on accessories. Add bracelets, rings, scarfs, jewels and belts - I think such things can change a style from normal to something with an edge or competitive advantage.

Are you a ‘brand’ man? If so, which do you favor, and why?

I am definitely not a brand man. I do like getting branded items when I need to, whether it’s a specific kind of shoe that I like, a bag or T-shirt, but I tend to focus more on how to wear things and what to wear rather than who am I wearing. Also I have to make sure if I am spending some money on an item I don’t want to see 100 people around me wearing the same thing.

I prefer that it will be unique, limited edition and available in certain numbers only.

Are you happy to match a $250 shirt with a $75 pair of jeans?

I love to mix and match. I think it’s the technique that people need to learn and follow if they want to look neat, trendy and stylish all the time. There is a lot you can do with only a few items by just changing the way you wear them, or by just adding a few accessories here and there. I appreciate the style and creativity that comes from people who have used this approach in life.

Do you have one single epitome of elegance? Who is he, and why?

I have a lot of names in fashion that I look up to and for their style, but the single biggest epitome of elegance to me is David Beckham. The way he dresses down or dresses up used to amaze me because it is so simple, comfortable and to the point.

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‫‪THE SARTORIALISTS‬‬

‫خاص؟ إذا كان كذلك‪،‬‬ ‫هل تستهويك عالمة تجارية ما بشكل‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫أ ّيها يستهويك؟ وما السبب يا ترى؟‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫أفض ل أن‬ ‫معي نة على اإلطالق؟ فأنا‬ ‫متعل ًق ا بعالمة تجارية‬ ‫لست‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ً‬ ‫أشتري القطع ذات العالمات التجارية الشهيرة حين أحتاج ذلك‪ ،‬مثل‪:‬‬ ‫أحب أو حقيبة ما أو قميص‪ ،‬ولكن عادة‬ ‫معي ن من األحذية التي‬ ‫نوع‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ما ّ‬ ‫بدل من‬ ‫أرك ز بشكل أكبر على كيفية ارتدائها وماذا أرتدي معها‬ ‫التفكير في العالمة التجارية نفسها‪ .‬كما ّأن ني أحرص على أن أشتري‬ ‫ً‬ ‫مبلغ ا ال بأس به على‬ ‫القطع المحدودة العدد في حال كنت سأصرف‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫خاص ة ومحدودة العدد‪.‬‬ ‫ممي زة وبنسخة‬ ‫أفض ل أن تكون‬ ‫شرائها‪ .‬فأنا‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ّ‬

‫هل تكون مسرو ًرا بارتداء قميص سعره ‪ 250‬دوالر مع بنطال‬ ‫جينز سعره ‪ 75‬دوالر؟‬ ‫أحب المزج بين القطع وأن أناسب بينها‪ .‬برأيي‪ ،‬هذه تقنية يجب على‬ ‫أنا‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫وممي ز‬ ‫ق‬ ‫ومتأل‬ ‫أنيق‬ ‫بمظهر‬ ‫رغبوا‬ ‫ما‬ ‫إذا‬ ‫عليها‬ ‫والمثابرة‬ ‫إتقانها‬ ‫الناس‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫على الدوام‪ .‬هناك خيارات غير محدودة لما يمكن فعله بقطع ثياب‬ ‫قليلة من خالل تغيير كيفية ارتدائها أو من خالل إضافة عدد قليل من‬ ‫وأقدرهما عندما أرى‬ ‫األكسسوارات إلى مظهرك‪ .‬أنا أحترم األناقة واإلبداع‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫تتب عهم للموضة‪.‬‬ ‫ً‬ ‫أشخاص ا يعتمدون هذا األسلوب في ّ‬

‫من هو رمز األناقة بالنسبة إليك؟ ولماذا؟‬ ‫في رأسي الكثير من األسماء في عالم الموضة ويمكنني ذكرهم‬ ‫تمي ًزا بالنسبة لي هو دايفيد‬ ‫بفضل أناقتهم ولكن رمز األناقة األكثر‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫حد سواء يدهشني إذ‬ ‫بيكهام‪ .‬أسلوبه غير‬ ‫المتكل ف أو الرسمي على ّ‬ ‫ّأن ه بسيط ومريح ومناسب‪.‬‬

‫‪THE SARTORIALISTS‬‬

‫حسين جاسم‬ ‫عالميا وهو ناشط إعالمي مؤ ّثر من خالل ‪ .@StyleScandals‬هو دائم الترحال‬ ‫حسين جاسم هو رائد الموضة المعروف‬ ‫ً‬ ‫يتميز حسين بحرصه على مزج التفاصيل للظهور بمظهر غير متك ّلف حيث‬ ‫التغيرات في عالم األناقة‪.‬‬ ‫ومتتبع ألبسط‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫التميز والفرادة في األسلوب‪.‬‬ ‫حد كبير‬ ‫يعزف على وتر ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫فن التأنّق كما يسعد بمشاركة تجاربه وآرائه وهو يساند إلى ّ‬ ‫ويقد م لنا بين ثنايا هذه الصفحات نظرته الفردية‬ ‫متتبعي عالم األزياء‬ ‫يحظى حسين جاسم باحترام الجميع بين‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫لألناقة في يومنا الحاضر‪.‬‬

‫الخاص في األزياء؟‬ ‫كيف تصف لنا أسلوبك‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫بإمكاني أن أختصر الموضوع عن أسلوبي بكلمتين اثنتين‪ :‬مريح وأنيق‪.‬‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫شخصي تي وأسلوب‬ ‫أفض ل ارتداء المالبس التي تناسب‬ ‫في العادة‪،‬‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫أتنق ل على الدوام من مكان إلى آخر؛ ومن‬ ‫حياتي بشكل عام فأنا‬ ‫يسه ل يومي وفي الوقت ذاته يساعدني‬ ‫الطبيعي أن أميل الرتداء ما‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫غالب ا ما يصف الناس أسلوبي‬ ‫على الظهور بمظهر أنيق وملفت للنظر‪.‬‬ ‫ً‬ ‫باألنيق غير الرسمي أو باألنيق الرياضي‪.‬‬

‫تبرز موجة الرتداء اللباس غير الرسمي بد ًلا من األلبسة‬ ‫إيجابيا؟ أليس هناك ما‬ ‫امرا‬ ‫الرسمية‪ .‬هل تعتبر ذلك‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ً‬ ‫يدعونا للتأنّق على الدوام؟‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫جي ًدا‪ ،‬لم ال؟ ولكن أنا أرتدي اللباس‬ ‫إلي‪ ،‬فأنا أعتبر‬ ‫أمرا ّ‬ ‫التأن ق ً‬ ‫بالنسبة ّ‬ ‫الرسمي في اجتماعاتي في خالل اليوم أو في الحفالت الراقصة أو في‬ ‫ضد اللباس الرسمي‬ ‫لدي شيء‬ ‫الفعاليات الرسمية المسائية‪ .‬ليس ّ‬ ‫معي ن ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫بالتوج ه نحو المزج بين اللباس‬ ‫أشعر‬ ‫ولكن ه لم يستهويني قط‪ .‬بالفعل‪ ،‬أنا‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫الرسمي وغير المتكل ف وذلك على نطاق واسع – هذا أمر إيجابي كونه‬ ‫يسمح للشخص بالتعبير عن مكنونات ذاته من خالل ألبسته‪.‬‬

‫ّ‬ ‫مفضلة‬ ‫تتتبع صيحات الموضة‪ ،‬هل يوجد لديك مدينة‬ ‫عندما‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫بحيث تشعر ّ‬ ‫سباقون مقارنة بغيرهم؟‬ ‫مصمميها‬ ‫أن‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ً‬ ‫متوجها إلى عروض األزياء في لندن ونيويورك‬ ‫دائم ا ما أجد نظري‬ ‫ً‬ ‫عدا عن الموضة في الشوارع لديهم‪ .‬فأنا أمعن النظر في الصور‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫وتكرارا وأحاول إضافة أفكار جديدة إلى‬ ‫مرارا‬ ‫والمجلت‬ ‫والفيديوهات‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ً‬ ‫مم ا يمكن ألي‬ ‫مفهومي لألناقة‪ .‬وما يراه المرء هناك هو نذر يسير ّ‬ ‫شخص كان استيحاءه وإضافته ألسلوبه الخاص‪.‬‬

‫ما هي القطعة األساسية من اللباس برأيك؟ أ ّيها يعطيك‬ ‫انطباعا ّ‬ ‫أدق عن ذوق الرجل في الموضة؟‬ ‫ً‬ ‫أنا ّ‬ ‫أرك ز على األكسسوارات‪ ،‬أي على إضافة ربطات المعاصم والخواتم‬ ‫بأن هذه‬ ‫شخصي ا أعتقد‬ ‫واألوشحة واألحجار الكريمة واألحزمة‪ -‬أنا‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ً‬ ‫تحول الذوق في األلبسة من االعتيادي إلى األنيق أو تعطي‬ ‫األشياء‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫انطباع ا أفضل عن ذوق الشخص مقارنة بغيره‪.‬‬ ‫ً‬

‫‪22 23‬‬

THE PROFESSIONAL

Rami Rahal Partner, Serb Fashion

A

s customers, we reap the benefit of many hours of international travel endured by the nation’s style professionals and store buyers. Kuwait is well provisioned in terms of global brands, and our malls compete favourably when set against those of the world’s most stylish cities. Amongst those leading Kuwait’s sartorial offer is Serb Fashion. Having started operation in 1985 it currently employs 70 people in Kuwait and manages operations in Lebanon, Algeria, and Ghana. The company operates in the retail and wholesale garment business in the men’s, women’s, and children’s sectors. Serb Fashion’s Managing Partner, Rami Rahal, gives us an insight to the life and work of a style professional.

THE PROFESSIONAL

Where do you visit to select the collections for your Kuwait stores?

I travel to Germany, Italy, France, and Turkey. I buy for brands like Hugo Boss, Pal Zileri, Daniel Hechter, Roy Robson, Bugatti, Brax, Lufian, among others. We also have our own private label brands which we carry in our Concorde multi-brand stores under the name of Graffiti and Zinc. We produce these labels in China, India, and Turkey. I travel on a seasonal basis and spend a couple of weeks placing the orders. The Boss order for example takes around three full days to place.

How much of the global collections are able to be represented in the store at Avenues Prestige?

A large portion of the Hugo Boss range is presented in Prestige as it is considered a large format store totaling 360sqm. We run four Boss stores in addition to many menswear multi-brand stores.

Are you able to work with the brand designers to provide feedback to ensure there are elements within the seasonal collection that reflect the demands of the Kuwait market?

We give our input as to which are the best sellers and which are the worst. This input helps give them a better insight as to what the local market needs. But the brand has a global image it wants to present and usually it is one that is considered commercially viable across many markets.

What is the extent of the working relationship with your major brands? Do they have regional offices? Do they visit Kuwait to experience the market for themselves?

and Butter in Berlin for casualwear; Micam in Milan for shoes; Premiere Vision in Paris for the latest trends in fabrics and colors; and Euroshop in Dusseldorf for the latest in retail technology, visual merchandising, lighting, shop fittings, and store designs.

Where do you see trends taking menswear over the next two or three seasons?

Yes. Some have European agents that represent them and some are regionally based in Dubai; others are just based in their home country. We also receive many visitors from the brands; such visits help them stay up to date as to what is going on in the local market with respect to their competition and the customers’ needs.

Slim fits and ankle short trousers have been dominating menswear classic and casual collections for the last several years. But there is a direction towards the fashionable 1970’s with floral prints and wider legged trousers. Nevertheless, things move slowly in the menswear sector and I expect the slim look to continue its dominance for a while.

As a buyer of leading global brands, which of the seasonal trade shows and fashion weeks do you regard highest and prefer to visit?

Where do you pitch Kuwait buyers amongst fashion forward societies? Would you agree we are amongst the most ready adopters of evolving style and fashion within the region?

It’s a little different for the menswear business. Most of the well-recognized and famous brands have stopped showing in trade fairs due to the attributed higher costs of presenting in such shows and because they simply don’t need to anymore.

They prefer showing their products on their own and are usually contacted directly and not through trade shows. Nevertheless, going to trade shows is still important in order to stay up to date and to scan potential rising stars. The ones I try to always go to are Pitti Immagine Uomo in Florence for menswear; Bread

We cater mainly to the businessman in Kuwait. As such, most of the consumers in this category are usually within the early-late majority group when it comes to fashion. It takes 2-3 seasons before we see a specific fashion picking up. And usually the changes are modest; a slight change in the length of the trousers or jacket for example. With other target groups, on the other hand, especially the younger ones and women in particular, fashion is surely being adopted at early stages in Kuwait.

24 25

‫‪THE PROFESSIONAL‬‬

‫أين تسافر لتختار مجموعات األزياء لمتاجرك في الكويت؟‬ ‫أ زو ر أ لما نيا وإ يطا ليا و فرنسا و تركيا‪ ،‬و أشتري عال ما ت تجا ر ية‬ ‫مثل هو غو بو س وبا ل ز يليري و د ا نيا ل هيشتر با إل ضافة إ لى‬ ‫رو ي روبسو ن وبو غا تي وبرا كس و لو فيا ن و غيرها ا لكثير‪.‬‬ ‫يد ا «غرا فيتي »‬ ‫كما نملك عال ما ت تجا ر ية خا ّص ة بنا‪ ،‬و تحد ً‬ ‫و «ز ينك »‪ ،‬و نعرضها في محال ت كو نكو رد إ لى جا نب عال ما ت‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫نصن ع هذ ه ا لعال ما ت ا لتجا ر ية في ا لصين و ا لهند‬ ‫أخر ى ‪.‬‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫كل مو سم و أ مضي‬ ‫و تركيا‪ ،‬و أ نا أ سافر في ا لعاد ة عند بد ا ية‬ ‫ً‬ ‫فمثل ‪ ،‬يستغرق طلب مجمو عة‬ ‫أ سا بيع في طلب ا لبضا عة‪.‬‬ ‫من أ ز يا ء « بو س » نحو ثال ثة أ يا م عمل ‪.‬‬

‫كم مجموعة من العالمات التجارية العالمية ُتعرض‬ ‫في متجركم في منطقة برستيج في اآلفنيوز؟‬ ‫كبير ا من مجموعة هوغو بوس‬ ‫قسم ا‬ ‫نحن نعرض‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ً‬ ‫يتمي ز بمساحة كبيرة تبلغ ‪36 0‬‬ ‫حيث المتجر‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫خاص ة ببوس والعديد‬ ‫كذلك ندير أربعة متاجر‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫متنو عة ألز ياء‬ ‫ية‬ ‫تجار‬ ‫لعالمات‬ ‫المخص صة‬ ‫األخرى‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ّ‬

‫مصممي‬ ‫هل يتسنّ ى لكم التنسيق مع‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫التجارية إلطالعهم ر ّبما على تصاميم‬ ‫معينة يطلبها السوق الكويتي؟‬ ‫ّ‬

‫في بر يستيج‬ ‫مربع ا‪.‬‬ ‫متر ا‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ً‬ ‫من المتاجر‬ ‫الرجال ‪.‬‬

‫العالمات‬ ‫موسمية‬

‫ما نقو م به هو إ طال عهم على ا أل ز يا ء و ا لتصا ميم‬ ‫على‬ ‫يسا عد هم‬ ‫فذ لك‬ ‫مبيع ا ‪،‬‬ ‫و ا أل قل‬ ‫مبيع ا‬ ‫ا أل كثر‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ً‬ ‫تكو ين فكر ة أ فضل حو ل ا حتيا جا ت ا لسو ق ا لمحلي ‪.‬‬ ‫و لكن بشكل عا م ‪ ،‬يكو ن للعال مة ا لتجا ر ية تصا ميم‬ ‫لب ا ما تكو ن هذ ه ا لتصا ميم قا بلة‬ ‫عا لمية‬ ‫تمي ز ها ‪ ،‬و غا ً‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫للتسو يق في ا لعد يد من ا أل سو ا ق ‪.‬‬

‫ما هي طبيعة عالقة العمل التي تربطكم مع العالمات‬ ‫الكبرى التي تأتون بها؟ هل لهذه العالمات مكاتب‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ممثلوها الكويت لمعايشة‬ ‫إقليمية؟ وهل يزور‬ ‫السوق عن قرب؟‬ ‫نعم‪ ،‬بعض العالمات التجار ية لها وكال ء أوروبيون لتمثيلها‪،‬‬ ‫وبعضها لديها تمثيل في المنطقة‪ ،‬عبر مكاتبها في دبي ‪.‬‬ ‫ً‬ ‫أيض ا‪ ،‬بعض العالمات التجار ية متمركزة فقط‬ ‫وفي المقابل‬ ‫في بلد المنشأ‪ .‬ولكن الكثير من ممثلي العالمات يزورنا‬ ‫لمواكبة آخر المستجدات في السوق المحلي‪ ،‬لناحية‬ ‫المنافسة واحتياجات العمال ء‪.‬‬

‫تاجرا للعالمات التجارية الكبرى‪ ،‬ما هي العروض‬ ‫بصفتك‬ ‫ً‬ ‫التجارية الموسمية وأسابيع الموضة التي تعتبرها األرفع‬ ‫مستوى والتي تحرص على زيارتها؟‬ ‫األمر مختلف في تجارة أزياء الرجال‪ .‬فمعظم العالمات التجارية‬ ‫المشهورة لم تعد تعرض تصاميمها في المعارض بسبب التكاليف‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫وألن ها ببساطة لم تعد بحاجة إلى مثل هذه المنصة‬ ‫العالية للعرض‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫تفض ل عرض منتجاتها‬ ‫التسويقية‪ .‬اليوم‪ ،‬باتت العالمات التجارية‬ ‫بنفسها وفي العادة يتواصل التجار مباشرة معها وليس من خالل‬ ‫هام لمواكبة‬ ‫المعارض‪ .‬ومع ذلك‪ ،‬ال زلت أعتبر أن زيارة المعارض أمر‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫آخر التصاميم واكتشاف العالمات التجارية الناشئة ّرب ما‪ .‬أنا أحرص‬ ‫على زيارة «بيتي إيماجيني» و «أومو» في فلورنسا ألزياء الرجال‪،‬‬ ‫و»بريد آند باتر» في برلين ألزياء الرجال غير الرسمية‪ ،‬و»ميكام» في‬ ‫أم ا في باريس‪ ،‬فأقصد معرض «بريميير فيزيون»‬ ‫ميالنو لألحذية‪ّ .‬‬ ‫ألتعرف على آخر صيحات األقمشة واأللوان‪ .‬ولالطالع على آخر‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫العروض في تكنولوجيا تجارة التجزئة والتسويق المرئي واإلضاءة‬ ‫وتجهيزات المتاجر وتصاميمها‪ ،‬أزور «يوروشوب» في دوسلدورف‪.‬‬

‫كيف ستكون اتّجاهات موضة الرجال برأيك للموسمين أو‬ ‫المواسم الثالثة المقبلة؟‬ ‫حد الركبة تطغى‬ ‫أن‬ ‫نجد ّ‬ ‫القص ات الضيقة والسراويل التي تصل إلى ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫عدة سنوات على مجموعات أزياء الرجال الكالسيكية وغير‬ ‫منذ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫جديدا نحو موضة السبعينيات من‬ ‫جاه ا‬ ‫الرسمية‪.‬‬ ‫ولكن نا نشهد ّات ً‬ ‫ً‬ ‫أن الحركة‬ ‫خالل طبعات الورود والسراويل ذات‬ ‫القص ات الواسعة‪ّ .‬إل ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫القص ات‬ ‫هيمنة‬ ‫استمرار‬ ‫ع‬ ‫أتوق‬ ‫بطيئة في قطاع أزياء الرجال وأنا‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫الضيقة لفترة من الزمن‪.‬‬

‫المتسوقين في الكويت مقارنة مع غيرهم‬ ‫كيف تصنّ ف‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫متتبعي الموضة في بلدان أخرى؟ هل توافق على أنّنا‬ ‫من‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫دوما لتبني الصيحات الجديدة في عالم‬ ‫األكثر جاهزية‬ ‫ً‬ ‫األزياء مقارنة بغيرنا في المنطقة؟‬ ‫فإن‬ ‫نحن نستقبل بشكل أساسي رجال األعمال في الكويت‪ .‬ولذلك‪،‬‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫معظم المستهلكين في هذه الفئة ينتمون لمجموعتي «السابقين»‬ ‫معي نة تستغرق‬ ‫و»الالحقين» في ّات باع الموضة‪ .‬ونالحظ أن أي موضة‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫وغالب ا ما تكون التغييرات‬ ‫بين موسمين وثالثة ليعتنقها العمالء‪.‬‬ ‫ً‬ ‫كتغي ر بسيط في طول السراويل أو السترات على سبيل‬ ‫طفيفة‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫وخصوص ا‬ ‫أم ا بالنسبة للمجموعات األخرى المستهدفة‪،‬‬ ‫ً‬ ‫المثال‪ّ .‬‬ ‫الفئات العمرية األصغر والعنصر النسائي‪ ،‬فنجدها أسرع في تبني‬ ‫الموضة ما إن تُ طرح في األسواق‪.‬‬

‫‪THE PROFESSIONAL‬‬

‫رحال‬ ‫رامي ّ‬

‫شريك في السرب فاشن‬

‫نحن العمالء نقطف ثمار أسفاركم المضنية إلى ّ‬ ‫وتجار في محالت األلبسة‬ ‫كل بقاع العالم كاحترافيين في قطاع األزياء‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫في بلدنا العزيز‪ .‬فالكويت تنعم بوفرة العالمات التجارية العالمية فيها‪ ،‬وعندما نقارن المراكز التجارية لدينا مع أكثر‬ ‫تتب ًعا للموضة‪ ،‬نجد أنفسنا على قدر المنافسة‪ .‬ومن بين الشركات الكويتية الرائدة في هذا المجال‪ ،‬نذكر‬ ‫المدن‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ً‬ ‫موظفا في الكويت‪ ،‬كما لديها فروع عاملة في لبنان‬ ‫حاليا ‪70‬‬ ‫تأسست سنة ‪ 1985‬ويعمل فيها‬ ‫السرب فاشن التي‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ً‬ ‫تختص السرب فاشن في تجارة مالبس الرجال والنساء واألطفال بالتجزئة وبالجملة‪ .‬في هذه المقابلة‪،‬‬ ‫والجزائر وغانا‪.‬‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ُيطلعنا الشريك اإلداري في السرب فاشن‪ ،‬السيد رامي رحال‪ ،‬عن نظرته للحياة ولعمله كاحترافي في قطاع األزياء‪.‬‬

‫‪26 27‬‬

THE FACE

Morgan Watkins Face of Pal Zileri AW 2015 campaign

Having had the opportunity to attend UK’s prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, in what way has it helped form the foundations for your career?

RADA allowed me 3 years of intense studying of my craft. We would spend the days studying Classic Text, Voice, Dialect, Movement, Poetry, Singing, Dance etc. It gave me a technical foundation to build my career upon. I think it is especially important for when you do Stage roles, as sometimes you are performing live to hundreds of people and you need the technical apparatus to fill the theatre. Screen is a bit different, but ultimately acting is acting. Trainitng allows you to begin your career with a solid foundation.

When you first appeared as mugger no.2 in Peep Show (2005), did you ever think you would be sharing screen time with the likes of Colin Firth and Meryl Streep?

I was always ambitious, so had dreams of playing alongside the greats. Yet sometimes on set when amongst Oscar winners etc you can feel a little overwhelmed. But you have to remember that they all started somewhere and learnt the craft. You have to trust in your abilities and try and give what you can. It’s important to always learn and it is wonderful when you get the opportunity to learn opposite some of the greatest screen actors on the planet!

As an actor, do you prepare differently for stage as opposed to screen?

With stage you usually have a 5 week period of rehearsals. Which allows you, the other actors and Director to really work out what is going on in the script. You spend weeks preparing and then put it on stage and hope the audience enjoys. You learn every night on stage and the play usually changes as the run goes on, but it is always rooted in the foundation of the rehearsals.

With screen you often don’t get the luxury of rehearsal and you have to turn up and deliver. On screen the tiniest details of your performance are picked up and the subtleties of the performance are often very important, on stage you don’t quite have that. You need to give the play to the audience and it require more gusto at times and technical work. Preparation is generally similar though, you break down the script, work out the psychological truth of moment to moment and you build your character. I enjoy them both for different reasons.

THE FACE

How did the Pal Zileri campaign happen and how was the experience?

Well, my agent was approached and Pal Zileri expressed interest in connecting with me. They wanted to use a personality and a character to front the brand. It seemed like a great job. It wasn’t a conventional shoot as they wanted it full of life and character. This gave me the opportunity to express myself more and hopefully make the photos seem a little bit more interesting than your average ‘Fashion Shoot’. I loved working with the guys there and the clothes were beautiful, entirely produced in Italy, either locally in the Quinto Vicentino manufacture or by a network of Italian craftsmen selected for their excellent workmanship.

Do you see yourself as a man of fashion and what is it about the Pal Zileri line that makes you identify with it?

Your character ‘Rottweiler’ in Kingsman was always seen in a tracksuit. What would his reaction be if he was asked to wear a Pal Zileri suit?

Oh! I don’t think he would wear suits... not unless he had to go to a funeral and then I think he would still probably prefer his tracksuit! Although I guess he might be swayed by Pal Zileri... perhaps wearing these clothes would make him change his life around and pull him away from crime! :) Which other celebrity do you idolize for their style?

I like lots of the famous actors from the 50s and 60s...

Marlon Brando and Paul Newman. I like classic, timeless and effortless style.

I wouldn’t call myself a man of fashion if I am honest. I like simple classic style. However I like the stylish feel of Pal Zileri. They made me feel exquisite and I think the clothes have character. I guess this hopefully why I identify with them! :) How would you define Pal Zileri? In the film you mentioned momentum can you elaborate more on that?

I think Pal Zileri is classic yet modern. However I like the stylish feel of Pal Zileri. They made me feel exquisite and I think the clothes have character. I guess this hopefully why I identify with them! :) What type of man do you think Pal Zileri speaks to?

I would say Pal Zileri is for all but not everyone : ). It is for the modern yet contemporary man, for someone who is not afraid to experiment yet stays fiercely loyal to his cultural roots, just like PAL ZILERI : an urban mix with great personality.

How different was it to work with Axel Lindahl? Was he able to bring out something new in you?

He was a great guy. He made me feel relaxed and inspired to produce something of content. He has a great energy and treats people well. I think that is important and makes everyone more passionate about their work.

28 29

THE STORE

Harvey Nichols Kuwait The Menswear Designer Hub

W

hether it’s your Valentino’s or your McQueen’s, Harvey Nichols Kuwait is surely the place for your favourite designer brands. With the ongoing growth within their brands and their familiarity with their male customers’ preference, it has been a successful journey of building a relationship between their brands and their gentlemen. Some of the brands have been around since the birth of Harvey Nichols, whilst others have joined throughout the years. How many are you familiar with? Harvey Nichols Kuwait would like to support your fashion knowledge!

Dries Van Noten From structured to languid all is layered, a lot is reversible and combinations show a disregard for rules of association. Kilts are casual or sartorial and superimposed on narrow leg suit trousers. Bermuda’s in camel canvas or knit are worn over quilted satin faced sweats. Coats are double layered - the outer removable layer, held in place by militaristic epaulettes, may be worn separately. The capes of trench coats can be jettisoned to purify the silhouette. Forms oscillate from ample to narrow.

Reversed coats and jackets sport their quilted colour blocked linings and tightened by gros grain binding.

THE STORE

Valentino Progressive aesthetics. Personalities sharing a vision.

Imagining the new Valentino collection, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli were inspired by moments of non-conformist ar tistic movements, presenting a contemporar y synthesis of seminal experiences. The point of depar ture is the Ballets Russes, an experiment of total creativity during the 1920s in which Djagilev worked with the most famous ar tists of the time, from Picasso to Bakst, moving from naturalism to mysterious simultaneous geometr y.

30 31

THE STORE

Guiseppe Zanotti Aristocratic elegance and nonchalant street-style fuse together to form the Giuseppe Homme F/W 2015 Collection. The two opposing worlds bring out a thousand facets of a constantly evolving man who is both sophisticated and smart but also edgy and adventurous. The F/W Collection offers the Giuseppe Zanotti Man a shoe for all occasions; a pair of elegant loafers, innovative desert boots, and irreverent combat-sneakers, all worn with the same ease.

THE STORE

Lanvin The Lanvin Man is full of good humour, which is nothing less than the very first elegance. Of his work Lucas Ossendrijver says “It’s not just a matter of looks, textures, fabrics or colours.

It’s above all a matter of pleasure.” Faced with this offer it’s the man who makes his own choice, giving birth to something better than fashion - his own style.

Harvey Nichols Kuwait is located at Grand Avenue – The Avenues. Opening hours are from 10 am till midnight on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and 10 am to 11 pm from Sunday to Wednesday. Please call 22283008 for more information. You can also get social with Harvey Nichols Kuwait by following them on Facebook.com/HarveyNicholsKuwait and Instagram @HarveyNicholsKuwait

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The Store Directory Where we’re shopping this season, and why MULTIBRAND Harvey Nichols Dananeer BOUTIQUE Versace Ermenegildo Zegna Hugo Boss

Harvey Nichols Kuwait Harvey Nichols embarked on its seventh international venture with the opening of The Avenues store in Kuwait, in the autumn of 2012. The store is spread across 10,000 square metres of retail space, bringing together many exclusive brands under one roof.

Whether it’s your Valentino’s or your McQueen’s, Harvey Nichols Kuwait is surely the place for your favourite designer brands. With the ongoing growth within their brands and their familiarity with their male customers’ preference, it has been a successful journey of building a relationship between their brands and their gentlemen.

Some of the brands have been around since the birth of Harvey Nichols, whilst others have joined through the years. How many are you familiar with?

LOCATION Grand Avenue, The Avenues Al-Rai, Kuwait Tel: +965 2228 3008 OPENING HOURS Sunday - Wednesday: 10am - 11pm Thursday - Saturday: 10am - midnight

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Versace “Versace stripped,” Donatella declared dramatically before her Fall 2015 Menswear show. “No decoration, no color, no print.

Just the soul of Versace: silhouette and cut.” She envisaged the collection as a kind of ground zero, leveling the playing field for the future. It wasn’t quite that radical, but it was certainly a step away from excess and ambiguity and gladiatorial camp, as Versace’s menswear eases on down the rocky road to a stable identity. The colour palette is a banquet of soothing neutrals.

For all the designer’s insistence on cut, it was softness that dominated. “Comfy…but sexy,” Donatella insisted - though not as sexy as the body-conscious cashmere knitwear in long cabled cardigans and even longer rib-knit tops, layered over leggings.

The look is lean and athletic with a touch of Peter Pan, but it takes on an impressive masculine heft with oversize outerwear. And the tailoring is similarly balanced, between single-button jackets and Charlie Chaplin pants - utility and aesthetics.

LOCATION Phase 3 - Prestige, The Avenues Al-Rai, Kuwait Tel: +965 2220 0572 OPENING HOURS Saturday – Thursday 10am – 10pm

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Brioni

Dananeer Luxury Fashion The Al-Azems are fashion connoisseurs, dedicated to the world of luxury fashion, where quality and craftsmanship matters and is of the highest importance. Eager to please their customers, trying to meet all of their fashion needs and exceeding their expectations to make shopping at Dananeer, the Kuwait home of Paul & Shark, Brioni and Corneliani, an unforgettable experience.

This experience is delivered by offering their expertise in helping clients to learn how to make their clothing choices work for them and discover which accessories compliment their favorite outfits.

They offer fashion advice through certified fashion consultants.

Together, the Al-Azems at Dananeer live and breathe fashion.

LOCATION Brioni, Corneliani, Paul & Shark Arraya Centre, Ground Floor Shuhada Street, Sharq, Kuwait Tel: +965 2299 7662 Façonnable 360 Mall, Level One 6th Ring Road, Zahra, Kuwait Tel: +965 6583 4395 OPENING HOURS Brioni, Corneliani, Paul & Shark Saturday - Thursday: 9:30am – 9:30pm Façonnable Saturday - Thursday: 10am – 10pm

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Corneliani, Paul & Shark

Faรงonnable

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Ermenegildo Zegna Everything in this season’s collection was designed to elegantly blend into city surroundings. Familiar and yet inventive designer Stefano Pilati has brought something new and desirable to each ensemble. From classic, checked outerwear coated in a shimmering sliver treatment and brushed velvet corduroy suiting, to the must have knit sweaters with built in hard cap hoodies and jackets with zipper openings sliced in at an unusual few inches below the elbow. With each look, Zegna once again balance eyecatching design elements with sophisticated tailoring.

In keeping with all Ermenegildo Zegna Global Concept Stores, the Salhia space is the result of the fruitful partnership with Peter Marino, the world-renowned architect of luxury. Peter Marino has successfully designed the stores echoing Zegna’s brand values and history through quality materials, integrity and modern style throughout the space.

LOCATION Al Salhiya Mall, Unit No. 24/25 Salhiya, Kuwait Tel: +965 2299 6444 OPENING HOURS Saturday – Thursday 9am – 1pm & 5pm – 9pm

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Hugo Boss Distinctive modern tailoring for business and events; elegant casual wear for the weekend. The BOSS man is per fectly dressed for ever y occasion. Each collection is defined by under stated luxur y, superior design and fine workmanship.

The BOSS Menswear Fall/Winter 2015 collection is inspired by the world’s greatest luxury resorts. Innovative, lightweight fabrics feature throughout, while the colour message is tonal and restrained.

LOCATIONS Phase 2, The Avenues Al-Rai, Kuwait Tel: +965 2259 7570 Mariam Complex, Salem Al Mubarak Street Salmiya, Kuwait Tel: +965 2574 7840 Marina Mall, Salmiya Tel: +965 2572 3763 OPENING HOURS Saturday – Friday 10am – 10pm

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THE LOOK

Lookbook

Our picks for the best looks for Fall 2015

Salvatore Ferragamo For the Salvatore Ferragamo Autumn-Winter 2015 collection, Massimiliano Giornetti explores tactile elegance to stimulate the senses. Different elements are mixed to create a fabulous design: a fairy tale story made up of fantasy and creativity.

His narrative framework, fashioned by an intriguing language of symbols, animal motifs, stitches, and ties, is combined into a pristine men’s wardrobe. The centre of this universe is filled with positive resilience and virile sensuality.

Silhouettes are soft with relaxed and voluminous profiles. Surfaces owe their treatments to a skill of concentration and precision.

Key pieces lay the blueprint for his wardrobe: tailored suiting, double-breasted jackets, blousons and outerwear including duffel coats. The tailoring is neat and light. Against this backdrop are unexpected flashes of surprise; multi-coloured embroidery and leather patchwork create surreal animal motifs: zebras, flamingos, monkeys. Unshakeable, traditional leathers and fabrics are permanently altered, transformed by artisanal handwork.

An emphasis on experimental craft techniques underlines and updates one of Ferragamo’s founding principles, a unique vision transcending time, with a foundation built by invention and innovation, rigorous methods and free associations.

THE LOOK

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Coach Relaxed and effortless. Remixes of American originals, made personal. Cult wardrobe pieces, with tradition and authenticity, modernised with a playful attitude and curated for a new audience, with an individuality born of New York.

We’re talking The Beastie Boys, the Kennedy boys, Steve McQueen, Gus Van Sant.

A sense of freedom inspired by a cinematic vision of the American landscape.

Elevating the elemental and familiar, exploring the tension between utility, functionality and luxury.

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THE LOOK

Pal Zileri The Fall-Winter 2015/16 Collection is an innovative take on sartorial standards, with contemporary sensibilities, proportions and techniques executed by the hands of Italian craftsmen. Internationally cultured in outlook, Italian in tradition.

Autumnal, discreet, with forays into the unexpected. A true green enlivens blue and brick red. Subtle hues pair with greys and browns whilst yellow ochre illuminates various shades of black.

Drawing on inspiration from the archives of PAL ZILERI’s parent company Gruppo Forall, each motif has been reinterpreted and restructured. Houndstooth and Prince of Wales patterns, as well as other geometric designs are presented as prints and jacquards. Each element is presented with a discreet contemporary sensibility. Modern alchemic layering blends the finest yarns - alpaca, cashmere, superfine wool, silk wool blends, mohair, angora - and man-made fibres. Leather outerwear is structured yet wonderfully soft.

HEARING CARE CENTER - SALMIYA Tel. 25714573 - 97234752

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- Sharq

- Kuwait City

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- Fahaheel International intoptique Optique

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Tod’s The Tod’s collection for men for autumn/winter 2015-16 shows how technical flair can be applied to the house spirit of Made in Italy to create a new, contemporary luxury aesthetic. In particular, by combining tailoring and technical flair with the Tod’s shoe collection, the house presents a remarkable take on stylish, easy-to-wear functionality for a modern man’s lifestyle.

The Tod’s luxury aesthetic has always been founded on an intelligent fusion of forward-thinking design and technology with artisanal skill and heritage, and this is clearly apparent not only in the shoes for this season, but also in the clothing and bags.

The Tod’s menswear collection features a selection of welldesigned cornerstones of the male wardrobe in muted, natural tones and exquisite materials. Central to this season is the Parka, a coat which here has been conceived with a distinctive ‘aviator’ spirit in mind. Sporting, utilitarian and yet also peculiarly formal in waxed leather or with a grisaille texture reminiscent of Italian tailoring fabrics, the Tod’s Parka is set to become a timeless classic of the future.

THE LOOK

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THE LOOK

Versace Absolute luxury - the pieces that a man needs, Versace style.

The introduction of the new Versace suit, with a neat constructed shoulder and a sharp shorter jacket length, in a variety of styles and cloths. A sporty energy comes from hooded tops, knit leggings and second-skin trousers that zip at the ankle.

Cashmere knitwear is a focus, whether it’s fine-gauge long rib knit tops, or chunky knit sweaters and cardigans that sit below the hips. Tone-on-tone dressing gives a fine look, especially when it’s a single-button suit worn with matching shirt and tie.

Fur is an essential, with full or cropped hooded coats in mink, plus a bomber of intarsia mink. Fur also trims coat collars and the inside of hoods. There are plays on silhouettes and proportions, like the fitted blousons worn with matching oversized pants.

The classic Versace sneaker is remade entirely in leather, from the laces to the soles, revealing the underlying craft of the collection.

THE LOOK

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THE LOOK

Paul Smith For Autumn/Winter 2015, Paul Smith glances back to an early catwalk show he held in Paris’s Andrée Putman gallery which saw an innovative use of colourful tailoring set against an austere concrete backdrop. Now presenting a confident and contemporary reinterpretation; tonal suits have an updated feel with exaggerated shoulders and high waists but are consistently wearable.

Colours are influenced by artistic adventurers Josef and Anni Albers. References come both from their work and their travels through Mexico; muted tones of oatmeal, grey and light peach sit beside more sun-drenched hues of orange and green. Shades combine in a striped triangular motif on silk scarves, jacquard knitwear and light cotton shirting. The geometry is developed in a recurring use of blocks on wool outerwear, cashmere blankets and tailoring constructed with especially fabricated cloth.

Reminiscent of a 70’s silhouette, familiar shapes are reenergised; wide shoulders, peak lapels and high breaks in suit jackets are matched by cinched waists on trousers and either slight flares or cropped legs. In all instances tailoring is functional with a distinctive silhouette to complement.

THE LOOK

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The Horyou Foundation relies on the generosity of individuals, institutions and corporations. Donations are combined and channeled to where they will have the greatest impact in creating a more harmonious world.

E: contact@horyoufoundation.org T: +41 (0) 22 321 98 20

THE LUXE REVIEW FUTURE LEADING PROJECTS

THE LUXE REVIEW Our exclusive guide to the finest from the spheres of horology, automobiles, style, travel, design and much more.

In the Luxe Review we look at the best, and meet the people that are making it happen.

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Rolls-Royce Dawn Uncompromised Drophead Luxury

C

ompromise is not a word recognized in the Rolls-Royce lexicon. Indeed the company continues to live by the clarion cry of co-founder Sir Henry Royce to “Strive for perfection in everything you do. Take the best that exists and make it better. When it does not exist, design it. Accept nothing nearly right or good enough.�

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The first part of this maxim – “Strive for perfection in everything you do” - guides the company’s every action particularly during the creation of a new motor car. The second – “Take the best that exists and make it better” - has been clearly evidenced in the success of both Phantom and Ghost Series II as they were carefully updated in 2012 and 2014 respectively. And when Rolls-Royce judged that it was time for an authentic gentleman’s Gran Turismo to return to the world stage, it was guided by the third part of Sir Henry’s maxim: “When it does not exist, design it.” And thus, Wraith was born.

Now, the final part of this maxim has guided the RollsRoyce design and engineering teams as they have worked to initiate a new age for open-top, super-luxury motoring. In a sector exclusively populated by the biggest of automotive compromises – the 2+2 seat configuration - Rolls-Royce has chosen to “accept nothing nearly right or good enough”.

Contrary to media speculation, the new Rolls-Royce Dawn is not a Wraith drophead. 80% of the exterior body panels of the new Dawn are newly designed to accommodate an evolution of Rolls-Royce’s design language and to encapsulate highly contemporary, four-seat super-luxury drophead architecture.

The aim was clear. To do what no other car manufacturer had achieved so far – make a car that looks as beautiful with its roof up as with it down. One could almost say that the result of the design team’s restless endeavours has been to make the new Rolls-Royce Dawn two cars in one.

And so, the new Rolls-Royce Dawn, the world’s only true modern four-seater super-luxury drophead, is born.

Design Studying the open-top motor car sector, and specifically its high-value luxury niche, it became apparent to Rolls-Royce’s designers that customers were being short-changed. The myopic focus on one specific configuration – the 2+2 setup – was, in the view of Rolls-Royce, a compromise too far.

Commonly held, a 2+2 is a configuration with seating for the driver and one passenger in the front plus two smaller seats for occasional passengers or children in the rear. Space in the rear is most noticeably absent in terms of longitudinal leg-room, thereby reducing the comfort and practicality of the car. In the case of a convertible body type, this reduction in space is often the result of the manufacturer’s inability to package the convertible roof together with boot and rear passenger space. The result is a sector populated exclusively by open-top cars that Rolls-Royce would consider compromised and “anti-social”.

A striking, seductive encounter The new Rolls-Royce Dawn greets the observer with a striking yet elegant exterior design with classic Rolls-Royce appearance and presence. It is the most vibrant Rolls-Royce yet with charming and alluring qualities that bring a new level of finesse, sophistication and refinement in a drophead coupé - a serene yet exhilarating sense of uncompromised freedom.

It offers a new level of effortlessness and a relaxed sensory experience with an underlying exhilaration and dynamism.

All this without a single compromise to comfort and space.

This new Rolls-Royce embodies dynamic and social qualities that will attract a broader, younger and more socially-aware audience around the world.

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Exterior design The Rolls-Royce Dawn maintains timeless Rolls-Royce design principles - 2:1 wheel height to body height, a long bonnet, short front overhang, a long rear overhang, an elegant tapering rear graphic and a high shoulder line.

All this tradition is delivered in a beautiful and thoroughly contemporary design.

Like an athlete, Rolls-Royce Dawn appears poised, taught and ready to go. The latent acceleration and tension in the surfaces are increased through completely new panels which evince curvature that creates a tighter surface and a more powerful silhouette which hints at what lies beneath.

Dawn’s powerful and striking front end gives it a sensuous yet edgy, almost masculine look whilst the bold sweeping shoulder-line becomes more sensuous as it flows over the swell of the rear wheels, accommodating a wider track. A tapered ‘wake channel’ on the bonnet, emanating from the Spirit of Ecstasy’s wings, evokes the sight of a jet’s vapour trail, hinting at the car’s dynamism. With its high shoulder line, massive C-pillar and horizontally narrow side window aperture, when viewed from side-on and roof up, the car looks akin to a low-slung ‘hot rod’.

At the front the grille is recessed by approximately 45mm whilst the grille surround has been lengthened by 40mm compared to a Wraith, and it now stops above the number plate which becomes part of the lower valance. This has been done to focus the eye on the jet air intake face and to make the car feel focused, even when standing still.

The grille design helps accelerate the tension of the car towards the rear shoulders, again emphasising the unique elegance of Dawn.

The grille and bumper focus attention on the horizontal lines of the car rather than the traditional vertical lines of the other members of the Rolls-Royce family. The bumper now incorporates the number plate surround and a new focused lower air dam. The mesh in the lower valance is recessed and black in colour, helping create a sense of depth which supplements the depth in the grille. Also, chrome ‘blades’ act to plant the car while also complementing the horizontal lines and accelerating the flow of the eye around the car thus increasing the impression of power and width.

When viewing the Rolls-Royce Dawn in side profile, one’s eye is instantly drawn to the elegant profile of the car. The soft top shape is completely harmonious and homogenous without the ugly concave areas or sharp struts seen in other manufacturers’ soft tops. In addition, new 21” painted 21’’ and 20” wheels ensure Dawn remains a perfectly executed, contemporary expression of Rolls-Royce luxury.

The rear end of the car, having swelled over the feminine ‘hips’ of Dawn, tapers in towards the rear, echoing the elegant design of early ‘boat tail’ Rolls-Royce drophead coupés and indeed the beautiful motor launches of the early 20th Century that inspired them.

The silent lowering of the soft top transforms the Rolls-Royce Dawn, delivering a true Dawn moment. In hero specification of Midnight Sapphire exterior and Mandarin leather interior, night becomes day as rays of sunshine and then a burst of light bursts forth, bringing the inside out, joining this social space with the wider world of possibilities.

Roof down, the sexiness of the Rolls-Royce Dawn is even more apparent. From the side the steep rake of the windscreen, the swage line that flows over the rear haunches plus the high beltline that rises along the profile give the impression of effortless swiftness. The very same rising beltline wraps around the rear passenger cabin akin to the collar of a jacket pulled up to protect the neck.

The stainless steel waist line finisher that wraps around the cabin encompasses the deck that covers the soft top when stowed, and integrates the high-level brake light. This beautiful metal feature works in harmony with the stainless steel door handles, polished wheels, visible exhausts and front and rear bumper jewellery, to create a priceless look and feel.

The deck itself is an amazing work of modern craftsmanship.

Clothed in open-pore Canadel panelling that traces the horse-shoe shape of the rear cabin, it demonstrates the great advances that the craftspeople in the Woodshop at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood have made in wood crafting technology and techniques.

The wood on the deck, chosen by the customer to suit their individual taste, flows down the ‘Waterfall’ between the rear seats, and around the cabin clothing the interior door panels and enticing the owner to enter Dawn.

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Interior design Once again Rolls-Royce’s unique coach doors come into their own in a drophead format. The coach doors are impressive and graceful. The doors complement the long front wings and relaxed waft line, creating a long body profile and a cosseted cabin.

Evocative of the classic sports car profile, they add considerably to the easy entry and egress of rear passengers from Dawn’s luxurious embrace. The rear passenger do not merely “get out” of a Rolls-Royce Dawn, but rather stand and disembark as if from a Riva motor launch onto a glamorous private jetty in Monaco or on Lake Como.

Of course as one would expect of a Rolls-Royce, the coach doors also serve a more fundamental purpose than simply a means of access. Perhaps just as importantly, they also add significantly to the overall strength and stiffness of the body as they allow the construction of an uninterrupted A-pillar.

The first impression upon entering Dawn is of the four separate bucket seats set in the midst of a sumptuous and sartorial slingshot of wood and leather. The slingshot concept runs from the driver’s A-post towards the rear of the car, around the rear seats before returning to the passenger A-Pillar.

The slingshot form is reminiscent of a barchetta, pulled back, poised and ready to launch the occupants of the car to the

horizon, even whilst stationary. This design complements the accelerated tension seen in the exterior of the car. The interior complements the exterior, a place of opulence, security and presence.

The Rolls-Royce Dawn offers four very individual, cosseting seats. The vehicle is a full four seater and so there is no compromise in comfort wherever you sit. The seats have been designed to help emphasise the energetic, yet elegant intent and sense of purpose of the car, complemented by an intersecting full length centre console. The upper seat back houses the seat belt harness, which together with the pillarless bodywork enhances and emphasises the slingshot of wood or leather with no breaks in the flow-lines. The wood on the surfaces of the trays are also book-matched down the centre console in a chevron pattern pointing forward providing an accelerated feel.

All four seats have three-level heating, ventilation and massage function as standard. Chrome surrounds to the sun visor lights and a new soft-feel dashboard treatment enhance the car’s luxury tactility.

The instrument dials have also undergone subtle enhancements with individually applied polished metal chaplets around the dials evoking the precision design of hand-made, luxury wrist watches, whilst the matt chrome centres ‘float’ in the middle of each instrument. In addition, a new clock design featuring the new motor car’s name has been introduced.

THE LUXE CARS

ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY The Silent Ballet Without question, the engineering highlight of the new RollsRoyce Dawn is the new roof. To be a true Rolls-Royce, Dawn had to deliver the hushed driving experience associated with all Rolls-Royces, as well as privacy for the rear passengers, when the roof is up. At the same time the only choice for a RollsRoyce was a fabric roof for reasons of aesthetics, romance and brand appropriateness. There is nothing more romantic than driving a convertible in the rain at night and hearing the drops pattering on the roof. In conversation with its customers, RollsRoyce realised that they felt the same way.

Working with a fabric roof configuration, the Rolls-Royce engineering team set themselves a challenging goal which they were unwilling to compromise on – to make the quietest convertible car in the world today. This quest for silence applied to all aspects of the engineering of the new roof and by extension the new motor car.

Firstly, the passengers’ on-board aural experience roof up and roof down while in motion had to be pure Rolls-Royce. The design of the roof had to be graceful, beautiful and sensuous whilst remaining one of the largest canopies to grace a convertible car.

Of particular note is how the canopy wraps around the rear

seats and down over the window tops of Dawn to deliver the maximum privacy to rear seat passengers while also optically lowering the roofline of the car to contribute to its low-slung appearance.

Another point to note is the small size of the rear glass – a carefully-judged proportion which safeguards the occupants’ privacy and heightens the sense of a private sanctuary when motoring with the roof up.

Two key techniques were employed to ensure the roof not only appears beautiful and sensuous in its form, but also contributes to the silence of the car in its function. A perfectly smooth surface, combined with an innovative tailored ‘French Seam’ ensures that the air flow over the car with the roof up creates no noticeable wind noise. Inside, the Rolls-Royce Dawn is as silent as a Rolls-Royce Wraith – a first in convertible motoring.

Secondly, the actual opening and closing of the roof mechanism had to be both beautiful and unobtrusive at the same time. The engineering team even went so far as to invent a phrase for what they wished to achieve with the roof mechanism. The Silent Ballet.

And a silent ballet is what they achieved.

Operating in complete silence in just 22 seconds, and at cruising speeds of up to 55kph, this ‘Silent Ballet’ engages the majority of one’s senses as silence and seclusion are exchanged for the

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sounds, light and aromas of the outside world. As if opening an airlock Dawn lifts the lid on the outside world and its cabin becomes a wider part of the owner’s social space.

Bespoke Audio For those not so worried about silence and more interested in sharing music and entertainment with their friends, RollsRoyce’s Bespoke Audio system has been specially calibrated for the unique configuration of the Rolls-Royce Dawn. Finely tuned by expert Rolls-Royce audio engineers, Bespoke Audio is the most exhaustively designed automotive hi-fi system ever developed and has been minutely calibrated to compensate for the dual personality of Dawn. Whether the roof is open or closed, Bespoke Audio ensures perfect acoustic balance and performance. Audio engineers were consulted throughout the design process of the car on the effect proposed changes may have had on the performance of the audio system – a practice unparalleled in the automotive world.

Eighteen individually-tuned speakers, with both theatre and studio settings, deliver a pure ‘larger than live’ sensation.

Two bass speakers located in the boot complement seven tweeters meticulously placed throughout the cabin. Two ‘exciter’ speakers in the roof-lining bring the sound to occupants’ ear level creating a completely unique listening sensation. The system utilises a highly sensitive microphone to constantly monitor ambient exterior noise, subtly adjusting the volume and tone settings accordingly to ensure the system delivers consistent perfection. The technology complements this, with frequency and phase correction for individual speakers eliminating potential loud and dead spots caused by outside influences.

Discreet technology for an effortless drive In common with the entire Rolls-Royce family of fine motor cars, the new Dawn is at the very vanguard of automotive design and technology. Dawn presents drivers with a suite of discreet technologies that ensure their leisure time in the car is a superluxurious effortless experience. Key is the discreet placement of the car’s technological functions. Dawn is therefore fitted with the Spirit of Ecstasy Rotary Controller, an intuitive, onetouch solution that allows the user effortless access to media and navigation functions.

For example, characters for navigation input or media searches can be finger-drawn onto its surface, echoing seamless smartphone functionality. A one-touch call button located conveniently on the steering wheel allows users to summon the car’s functions using simple voice commands. Both features remove the need for superfluous buttons and ensure absolute ease of use. For example, simply press the button and say the command: “Navigate to St. Tropez” and the car’s Satellite Navigation system will plot the fastest possible route.

This Spirit of Ecstasy Rotary Controller presents a touch pad (rather than a touch screen which might leave unsightly fingerprints at driver and passenger eye level), with the ability to

THE LUXE CARS

write characters by finger, as well as the ability to scroll through function menus by turning the chrome dial and pressing down to select its functions.

The system recognises Latin and Arabic characters as well as Mandarin.

The Rotary Controller’s touch pad also allows ‘pull and pinch’ features, replicating intuitive smart phone functionality.

These help the user pinpoint chosen areas on the screen or make them larger.

Information from the significantly updated Multimedia Interface and Navigation system is displayed beautifully on a new 10.25” high definition screen, whilst hardware and software changes have improved processing speeds for faster route calculations.

Safety is of course a pre-requisite for the Rolls-Royce Dawn’s valuable occupants, and is taken in hand by RollsRoyce’s “On-board chauffeur” which coordinates several cutting-edge on-board systems to deliver an effortless driving experience.

An Automatic Cruise Control system helps to reduce constant small precision adjustments of distance and speed, reducing continuous creep, stop and start. The driver can now move along in city traffic in a confident and relaxed manner relying on the system to monitor conditions and react to changes in traffic patterns - for example when entering a new road or slip road.

New software for the radar and camera - located in the front bumper valance and centre upper windscreen respectively – provides faster system response times, including faster pre-conditioning of the brakes to expect emergency pressure.

Should the worst of circumstances arise, Dawn will deploy a concealed roll-over protection system from behind the rear head restraints in just a fraction of a second. A ratchet system then locks them in place. This roll-over protection system also encompasses the entire windscreen surround of the car.

Satellite Aided Transmission The Rolls-Royce Dawn’s effortless dynamism is augmented with the addition of Satellite Aided Transmission, a technology that made its global debut on Wraith in 2013.

Satellite Aided Transmission utilises GPS data to allow the car to see beyond what the driver sees, anticipating their next move based on location and driving style. It uses this information to select the most appropriate gear from the Dawn’s 8-speed ZF gearbox to ensure the driver is able to appropriately exploit the power from the Rolls-Royce 6.6 litre twin-turbo V12, ensuring an effortless and seamless drive experience.

For example when approaching a sweeping bend, the car will predict how you wish to drive through it. When the driver lifts the accelerator it will hold the lower gear to ensure maximum power is available on accelerating through the exit of the corner.

Satellite Aided Transmission comes as standard on Dawn.

From dusk ‘til dawn - Illuminating technology shows the way The most recent developments in LED lighting technology have also been applied to the Rolls Royce Dawn. Managed of these lights is significantly enhanced by adaptive technology.

Electronically controlled reflectors move in the direction of travel in response to wheel turns to give a greater depth of vision when cornering.

A whiter, brighter light ensures effortless and safe driving on dark roads whilst helping reduce driver tiredness.

In addition, automatic dipping of full-beam headlights has been replaced with revolutionary new glare-free technology. When a car approaches, light is deflected to ensure the oncoming driver is not dazzled. Dawn drivers therefore enjoy the safety benefits of constant full-beam visibility. A day-time running bar frames Dawn’s contemporary front light graphic, giving the car a distinctive signature whilst augmenting safety at the same time.

Night-time driving safety is boosted by the head-up display and heat detection system that detects both human and animal heat signatures, and issues an audible warning to the driver of possible danger.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Dimensions Vehicle length Vehicle width Vehicle height (unladen) Wheelbase Turning circle Boot Volume (DIN)

5285mm / 17.34ft 1947mm / 6.39ft 1502mm / 4.93ft 3112mm / 10.21ft 12.7m / 41.7ft 244ltr - 295ltr / 8.6 ft3 - 10.4 ft3

Weight Unladen Weight (DIN) 2560kg / 5644lb Engine Engine / cylinders / valves Fuel management Power output @ engine speed Max torque @ engine speed Fuel type

V / 12 / 48 Direct injection 563bhp / 420kW / 570PS @ 5250rpm 780Nm / 575lb ft @ 1500rpm 10:1 / Premium unleaded

Performance Top speed Acceleration 0 - 100km/h

250kmh / 155mph (governed) 4.9sec

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Powerful Performance Perfected for the Road The new Mercedes-AMG C 63 & C 63 S arrive in Kuwait

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nadulterated performance, motorsport-influenced design and breath-taking dynamics the new Mercedes-AMG C 63 and C 63 S have officially arrived in Kuwait. Abdul Rahman Albisher & Zaid Alkazemi Company announced anticipation is high for the new AMG models, setting benchmarks in innovation, speed and power. The high-tech drive, signature AMG handling and high level of individuality in equipment choices guarantee an utterly unique driving experience.

The top model in the C-Class line-up is driven by a newly developed 4.0-litre V8 biturbo engine that is compact, responsive and the most fuel-efficient eight-cylinder, high performance vehicle in the world. It is also the only V8 in the segment with an output of up to 510 Hp in the C 63 S and 476 Hp in the C 63.

Driving dynamics plus long-distance comfort – the new Mercedes-AMG C 63 delivers compelling performance with efficient fuel consumption, outstanding design dynamics and a high level of everyday usability. The interior and exterior design is more distinctive than ever before.

“The new Mercedes-AMG C 63 embodies every facet of the brand ‘Driving Performance’ promise. Offering more power with its newly developed eight-cylinder biturbo engine, impressive innovation with its high-tech package and increased comfort inside the luxurious four-door sedan, we fully expect it will continue on with the success enjoyed by its predecessor, the Mercedes-Benz C 63 AMG, which has sold more than 40,000 units worldwide to date,” said Michael Ruehle, CEO, Abdul Rahman Albisher & Zaid Alkazemi Co. “With a car as dynamic and aesthetically impressive as this, the driving performance benchmark has been raised to all-new heights in this segment.”

Performance exhaust system available as an option Featuring a sports exhaust system with exhaust flap, both models emit an engine sound that is emotive and distinctive.

Depending on the AMG DYNAMIC SELECT drive programme, the engine sound varies between low-key for long-distance travel and raw emotionality.

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C 63 S comes as standard with dynamic engine mounts Easing comfort and handling by reducing vibration from the engine/transmission unit, the dynamic engine mounts used on the Mercedes-AMG GT come as standard in the C 63 S. These can adapt their stiffness smoothly and in fractions of a second to the prevailing driving conditions and style. Soft engine mounts improve comfort by better decoupling noise and vibration. Handling and agility, on the other hand, benefit from slightly stiffer mounts. When driving dynamically, the driver feels more closely connected to the vehicle as a result of increased feedback, while steering response is more direct.

The driver benefits overall from a more precise driving feel.

Minimized movement of the drivetrain mass calls for less correction on turn-in.

AMG RIDE CONTROL sport suspension with 3-stages for a precise driving feel Fascinating agility, high cornering speeds and optimum neutrality – the C 63 is equipped with the AMG RIDE CONTROL sport suspension, enabling the driver to vary characteristics in three stages between maximum sporting performance and good long-distance comfort, benefitting at all stages with a more precise driving feel.

The most fuel-efficient eight-cylinder, high-performance vehicle in the world The C 63 is at the forefront of the competitive field being the only ones in the segment to be equipped with an eight-cylinder engine that features bi-turbocharging, with the two chargers located within the cylinder V – specialists refer to this as the “hot inside V”. The benefits are compact engine dimensions; optimum responsiveness and low exhaust emissions.

The C 63 not only holds the top position in terms of engine data and performance, it also sets new benchmarks in fuel consumption. With a figure of 8.2 litres per 100 kilometres (NEDC combined, equating to 192 CO2 g/km), the new C 63 demonstrates exceptional efficiency that puts it at the top of the segment. And it does not stop there – the C 63 is the most fuel-efficient eightcylinder, high-performance vehicle in the world.

As always in AMG philosophy, AMG engines are produced by hand in the Affalterbach engine shop under the “one man, one engine” principle.

Design inspired by Motorsport and enhanced by technology The design of the powerful V8 top model is influenced by motorsport and reflects its fascinating technology. The exteriors of the C 63 and C 63 S are differentiated by specific design elements.

Mercedes-AMG sets clear accents in sporting character– gracing the long aluminium bonnet are two distinctive power domes. Together with the wider wings, they guarantee a particularly muscular look. Positioned low down and with a characteristic arrow form, the “twin blade” radiator grille with AMG lettering lowers the vehicle’s visual centre of gravity.

Stunning interior design Every detail in the interior of the C 63 contributes to a stunning overall effect. The careful choice of select, first-class materials, their lavish tactile qualities and their precise craftsmanship deliver a sense of quality that is seldom seen even in higher vehicle classes.

The dashboard is finished in black ARTICO man-made leather, with the premium look-and-feel further enhanced by stitching in crystal grey, the wing-like trim element in aluminium and the AMG-exclusive, IWC-design analogue clock (depending on equipment choice). Performance seats are also available as an alternative to the standard sports seats in ARTICO man-made leather / DINAMICA microfibre. They give occupants a lower seating position and ensure increased lateral grip due to their more powerfully contoured form.

A range of further optional equipment means the MercedesAMG C 63 can be extensively tailored to individual preferences.

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THE LUXE CARS

McLaren Special Operations Unique 570S

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our years on from its global launch, McLaren Special Operations (MSO) returned to the manicured lawns of the USA’s famous Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance with a selection of distinctive and beautiful commissions.

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The bespoke division of McLaren showcased some of the individualisation options it will make available on the forthcoming new 570S Coupé, the first model to join the McLaren Sports Series. Two examples have been created. The first 570S Coupé ‘by MSO’ features the uniquely formulated Mauvine Blue paint finish coupled with a bespoke interior finished in Carbon Black leather with co-ordinating detailing, carried through from the exterior colour. A second 570S Coupé, finished in Ventura Orange and fitted with a selection of styling details from the MSO Defined range of options, will take up position on the popular Concept Lawn at the event. The highly-prized location has previously played host to the 12C, 12C Spider and, most recently, the McLaren P1™ GTR Design Concept.

The core McLaren range, the Super Series, were represented by two limited edition models. The 675LT is the lightest and most track-focused, yet road legal, model in the Super Series.

Production of the coupé-only model is strictly limited to 500 examples worldwide all of which have now been assigned to customers. With a clear focus on light weight, optimised aerodynamics, increased power, track-focused dynamics and driver engagement, the model re-establishes the ‘Longtail’ heritage. With a top speed of 330km/h (205mph), the 675LT accelerates to 100km/h (62mph) from standstill in 2.9 seconds, and hits 200km/h (124mph) in just 7.9 seconds.

Alongside the most track-focused model in the Super Series was the even more exclusive 650S Le Mans. Created by MSO to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the now legendary victory at the famous French endurance race, the 650S Le Mans is limited to just 50 examples – all sold – and features design aspects taken from McLaren F1 GTR chassis #01R which took victory two decades ago. A fully functioning roof-mounted ‘snorkel’ air intake, front wing louvres and lightweight alloy wheels are styled around the design of the iconic 1995 racer. In a change to the standard offering, which was finished in Sarthe Grey – inspired by the livery of the race-winning model – the car has been finished in the famous McLaren Orange, originally used

by Bruce McLaren on his racers of the 1960s.

Completing the line up of McLaren models on display during the weekend was a 1996 McLaren F1 GTR. Being displayed by McLaren Automotive, on loan from BMW North America who sponsored the car during its debut season, chassis #17R was campaigned by Team Bigazzi and competed at various races through the season including finishing eighth at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

In addition to the models on public display, McLaren was also represented at the RM Auctions sale taking place during the Concours d’Elegance proceedings. The sale saw two of the most exclusive McLaren models ever produced going under the hammer with a McLaren P1™ and the penultimate McLaren F1. The Volcano Red example of the limited edition McLaren P1™ is one of just 375 models, and represents the McLaren Ultimate Series at the pinnacle of the three tier model range.

The 1998 McLaren F1, chassis #073, is in a highly sought-after specification with a number of ‘LM’ upgrades.

HISTORY OF McLAREN SPECIAL OPERATIONS The history of McLaren Special Operations is unique. Officially MSO was launched at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 2011 to provide a bespoke personalisation service for McLaren customers. In fact, the origins of MSO date back over 20 years, as the division grew out of the McLaren Customer Care Programme.

The dedicated Customer Care team was set up to service, maintain and personalise the McLaren F1 for owners, and today those duties continue at McLaren through MSO Heritage, which offers unrivalled knowledge and levels of expertise to its discerning clientele. Whether a scheduled service, routine maintenance, or the desire for a re-trimmed interior, repainted exterior and bespoke High Downforce aerodynamic kit, the history and experience held by MSO with the McLaren F1 is unmatched. MSO Heritage also provides a brokerage service for both McLaren F1 and McLaren P1™ models.

Today, in addition to offering an unrivalled level of knowledge and exper tise on the McLaren F1, MSO provides a unique tailoring service for McLaren customers. This continues to expand and the division embraces an unprecedented period of growth, and MSO Defined and MSO Bespoke outline the levels of work available from McLaren Special Operations.

McLaren Special Operations is able to offer the complete tailoring of any McLaren model. Whether it is a custom paint colour with matching stitching for a 650S, the personalisation of a McLaren F1, a dream to build a one-of-a-kind vehicle using the unique carbon fibre chassis, or a wish to experience the most powerful model ever produced by McLaren, the new McLaren P1™ GTR, McLaren Special Operations can accommodate every customer request.

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THE LUXE CARS

Acura Performance, contemporary design and luxury

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stablished three decades ago as the first Japanese luxury car brand, Acura, the luxury division of Japanese automaker Honda, maintains its place as a leader in the luxury performance automobile market. The brand’s standout feature is the combination of technological innovation with world-class performance, contemporary design and luxury.

History shows that Acura not only redefined the luxury car, it permanently changed the luxury marketplace from a slow evolution among a handful of brands to fierce competition between many.

Al Mulla International Auto Trading, the exclusive dealer for Acura in Kuwait, has launched the brand here with the largest and most advanced Acura Center in the world. Today, Acura boasts the strongest, most extensive product line in the division’s history. The Acura brand appeals to customers whose sense of prestige comes not from traditional status symbols, but from the true sense of being ahead.

For Imad Mla’eb, Al Mulla’s Acura General Manager, the introduction of the marque to Kuwait has been a fascinating challenge. “It’s been a very positive start. We’ve found that there’s already a great awareness of the brand and its quality and class, particularly from those who travel to the States where Acura is well established”.

For those to whom Acura is less known, Imad and his team at the Acura Center have engaged their public by taking the cars to the heart of city and showcasing the new models in malls across Kuwait.

There’s a guaranteed high level of interest and intrigue wherever they show. The 2015 models of MDX and TLX cover a wide demographic, be they male or female and across the age spectrum.

The MDX is developed on the image of an ‘Executive Family Jet. Sleek, refined, prestigious and powerful, this seven-seater luxury performance SUV delivers with unique performance and functional needs of the luxury SUV driver and passengers.

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The TLX achieves its dual mission of even sharper sports-sedan performance and increased luxury refinement by employing a host of new technologies, including two new high-output direct-injected i-VTEC engines, advanced transmissions and the latest iterations of Acura precision-handling technologies.

Doubtless the arrival of Acura in Kuwait is long overdue. For a luxury segment that is already somewhat overcrowded with the likes of Lexus, BMW and Mercedes challenging for a share of business, Acura brings its own unique element of Japanese style and technological prowess to the table. With a pedigree stretching back three decades the marque, although new to Kuwait, has already proved itself time and time again within the most competitive of global auto marketplaces. It looks set to continue its success here too.

The Acura Center is located in Al-Rai right next to Xcite Electronics. Their opening hours are from 8:30am to 8:00pm.

The Cars The 2015 Acura TLX

An all-new midsize sports sedan, developed under the theme of ‘Red Carpet Athlete,’ the all-new TLX is designed to deliver a unique and compelling blend of sports-sedan athleticism and premium (red-carpet) luxury refinement, while delivering on Acura’s ‘Synergy Between Man and Machine’ product direction – characterized by vehicles that perform “at the will of the driver” with intuitive, exhilarating and confidence-inspiring driving dynamics.

The 2015 Acura MDX The 2015 MDX is the third generation of Acura’s sevenpassenger luxury performance SUV, the first to be developed from the ground up using an all-new, purpose-built platform (body and chassis) fully optimized for the needs of today’s luxury SUV buyers.

The new MDX, offers a higher levels of luxury, quietness, comfort and prestige in a vehicle that performs “at the will of the driver” with intuitive control and exhilarating dynamic performance.

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THE LUXE CARS

The All New 2016 Acura RDX

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he All New 2016 RDX is a great addition to the lineup of the Acura Brand in the region. The second generation of Acura’s five-passenger SUV which focusses on prestige, performance, luxury and sportiness, considered as the right sized SUV, harnesses a host of Acura signature technologies to deliver on Acura’s product direction of “Synergy between Man and Machine” All New 2016 Acura RDX boasts of smooth and a sleek aerodynamically efficient body, Jewel Eye LED Headlights, leather interior, remote engine start and a power packed 3.5L i-VTEC Engine with Variable Cylinder Management. The Acura Jewel eye LED headlights are complimented by a 3 Dimensional grille and rear LED taillights with light pipe design.

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Powertrain

Safety

The 2016 Acura RDX is powered by the 3.5-liter i-VTEC V6 engine with Variable Cylinder Management™ (VCM™), producing 278 horsepower @ 6200 rpm and 342 N-m @4900 rpm of torque to ensure exhilarating performance. The Variable Cylinder Management™ allows for deactivation of three of engine’s six cylinders under light engine loads, helping the more powerful 2016 RDX increase its fuel-economy. The RDX combined fuel economy is 11.3 km / L which is excellent considering RDX is equipped with a 3.5L engine. Employing a 6-speed Sequential Sport Shift Automatic transmission, the new RDX will be offering All-Wheel Drive™ with intelligent control.

Based on Acura’s “Safety Through Innovation” initiative, RDX incorporates leading safety technologies including Acura’s renowned Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure, a wide array of airbags (including front, side and side curtain airbags), Vehicle Stability Assist ™ (VSA™), ABS with Brake Assist, and front seats with active head restraints. In addition to that, RDX is strengthened to earn top NCAP safety ratings. The class leading safety performance is appreciated

by NHTSA with overall 5 star safety performance to strengthen Acura safety leadership.

Body and Styling The All New 2016 Acura RDX exterior styling emphasizes the SUV’s sporty athleticism. It has a muscular presence with standard 18-inch alloy wheels and tires that work together with large wheel arches. Exciting Alloy Wheels for Kuwaiti customers keeping their preferences in mind. The new RDX boasts of a smooth aerodynamic exterior design that lends it a sleek, tailored, sporty and sophisticated appearance. The All New 2016 Acura RDX also hosts a number of exterior standard features that such as fog lights, sun roof with one touch operation, tail gate spoiler, and hood dampers.

Interior The All New RDX exuberates luxury with leather interior seats as well as leather steering wheel and gear knob. Up front, there is an 8-way power adjustable and ventilated, climate controlled driver’s and passenger seat with memory along with Navigation in English and Arabic on an 8”touch screen. The RDX’s luxury quotient is further boosted by its interior appointments with new luxury features, such as Smart Entry, second-row sunshades, GPS and climate-linked air conditioning, rear ventilation ducts.

Acura Signature Technology In addition, the all new 2016 Acura RDX harnesses a range of Acura signature technologies, such as Acura Jewel Eye™ LED headlights and powerful Acura/ELS Studio premium audio system with 9 speakers and a subwoofer. The All New Acura RDX offers a host of innovative driver assistive and visibility technologies, including a Multi-Angle Rearview Camera, Cruise Control, heated as well memory door mirror with LED Turn Signal, auto dimming rear view mirror.

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THE LUXE CARS

Infiniti continues to build on success

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nfiniti in the Middle East continued to build on its Q1 success registering an impressive first half performance for 2015. As one of the fastest growing premium automotive brands in the region, Infiniti delivered 4,200 vehicles to customers at a growth rate of 24.6% - which is four times the pace of the premium automotive market.

“Our numbers are testament to the premium motoring experience that our vehicles continue to deliver to customers across the Middle East,” said Juergen Schmitz, Managing Director, Infiniti Middle East. Numbers for the month of June were of particular note as Infiniti delivered 825 vehicles to customers at a comparative growth rate to the previous year of 63% - making it the best June in the history of Infiniti in the Middle East.

“We recently launched our new Q70 luxury sedan which we believe will help further these impressive results. In addition we will also look to focus on our network expansion with a couple of exciting new announcements in the pipeline. At Infiniti we are confident that we will continue to deliver great results, but more importantly ensure that our customers truly enjoy Infiniti’s promise of a premium motoring experience,” added Schmitz.

Infiniti’s all-new Q50 has been a resounding success here in the Middle East. Equipped with two new world’s first production performance technologies – Infiniti Direct Adaptive Steering™ technology and Active Lane Control™, 889 units were delivered to customers in the first half of 2015 at a growth rate of 314%. Infiniti’s SUV line-up continued to build on its regional successes. The Infiniti QX50 led the way with a growth of 60%, whilst the QX60 accounted for a growth of 29%. The iconic QX70 and full-size QX80 continued to improve on year on year performance with increases of 7% and 5% respectively.

The network expansion into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia last year has also started to show dividends with sales in the market increasing by 322% compared to the same period from the previous year. Globally, Infiniti sold a record 103,500 new vehicles around the world in the first half of 2015, up 13% over the same period last year. On the back of a best-ever sales performance in 2014, Infiniti delivered another all-time-high result and for the first time sold more than 100,000 vehicles in the first six months.

Infiniti has laid out plans to further expand its portfolio based on the much acclaimed concept cars that had been introduced during the last two years: Q30 Concept, Q60 Concept and QX30 Concept. The Q30 production version will be unveiled at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September this year. The car will go on sale in Europe towards the end of the year with other markets following shortly after. Q30 will mark Infiniti’s first-ever entry into the compact segment.

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Pebble Beach 2015

Bugatti presents successful super sports cars from the company’s history

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ugatti staged a parade of special vehicles from its history as part of this year’s Monterey Car Week (10 to 16 August). The French luxury brand presented two record holders at the prestigious automotive events “The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering” on Friday and “Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance” on Sunday. The first is the Type 35, which is the most successful racing car of all time with nearly 2,000 victories and podiums. The second is the Veyron 16.4 Super Sport, which drove 431.072 km/h (268 mph), making it the fastest production car in the world.

Another two exceptional examples of Bugatti’s super sports car heritage were also included: a Type 57SC Roadster and a Type 55 Super Sport Roadster.

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The French car maker’s attendance at this event underlines its commitment to the ideals of company founder Ettore Bugatti, which finds a modern interpretation in the brand values of “Art, Forme, Technique”. In keeping with tradition, all vehicles will be exhibited in blue, the historic racing colour of France. Bugatti has also shown its commitment to preserving the Veyron’s status as a coveted collector’s item and investment through the “Bugatti Certified” program.

“Monterey Car Week is an event that Bugatti will not miss under any circumstances,” according to Wolfgang Dürheimer, President of Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. “Bugatti is one of the acclaimed highlights of the annual event, which features the most exclusive and valuable classic automobiles in the world.

We meet a huge number of customers and admirers of our brand. North America is one of our key markets.”

Bugatti successfully completed the first chapter of its recent history with the sale of the 450th and final Veyron earlier this year. When Bugatti introduced this vehicle full of superlatives a decade ago, it created a new vehicle segment. Never before had there been a production sports car with more than 1,000 horsepower under the hood and a top speed in excess of 400 km/h (248 mph). Bugatti currently holds two world speed records, one for the fastest production car at 431.072 km/h, set in 2010, and another for the fastest production roadster, which reached 408.84 km/h (254 mph) with its roof down in 2013.

The market segment that Bugatti created was also new, because the starting price of €1 million was a real sensation at the time.

The average price of the vehicles sold to date was €2.3 million.

“The Veyron is an amazing success story in the automotive world”, said Dürheimer. “Now, having sold all 450 vehicles, a new chapter has begun for the Veyron fleet, which we will actively support with the “Bugatti Certified” program. It will enable us to achieve our commitment to maintaining the high standards of Bugatti for the complete lifecycle of a Veyron, both for the brand and for our customers.”

Bugatti launched the “Bugatti Certified” program in 2014 as a way to provide a full service for owners of a new or used Veyron. This includes the technical inspection and preparation of vehicles, technical updates and an extended warranty of at least one year. With the “Bugatti Certified” seal, the vehicle owner is not only guaranteed visibly and technically flawless condition of the vehicle, but also the certainty of having contributed to the long-term value of the car.

In addition, the French luxury brand is using its appearance in Pebble Beach to look to the future. Dürheimer continues, “Bugatti showcased amazing vehicles to represent its impressive super sports car tradition. We intend to continue this tradition as a matter of course.”

“The next Bugatti will once again be the epitome of a super sports car and will redefine the segment”, Dürheimer announced. “The vehicle will be in a class of its own, with impressive power statistics, performance and design. We plan to stay at the top.”

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THE LUXE CARS The Bugatti line-up in Pebble Beach – a parade of superlatives Type 57SC Corsica Roadster – one of the fastest roadsters of its era Bugatti has undoubtedly brought a highlight of its history to Monterey in the shape of the Type 57SC Corsica Roadster (chassis 57531). The two-seater roadster, whose body was engineered by renowned French company Corsica, belonged to Sir Malcolm Campbell, who played a key role in co-designing the body and took ownership of the car on 22 April 1937. The model is the sporty version of the standard Type 57 touring car and was launched at the Paris Motor Show in 1935.

The chassis was 32 cm shorter and sat lower, the “S” in the model name stands for “Surbaissé”, which is French for “lowered”. The “C” stands for “Compressor”. As a successor to the Type 55, the last of which was delivered in July 1935, only 43 Type 57S vehicles were manufactured until production ceased in 1938. The most interesting detail of this car was undoubtedly the rear axle, which passed through the chassis rather than riding under the longitudinal frame members, as in the standard Type 57. The front axle was also new. It was split down the middle and can be considered a precursor of front single-wheel suspension.

In terms of powertrain technology, the S-versions differ from the standard versions as the 57S engines have dry sump lubrication. Instead of a standard coil ignition with a vertical distributor, a Scintilla magneto driven by the left camshaft was housed in the bulkhead. The Type 57S engine also had a higher compression ratio of 8:5:1 rather than 6:7:1, resulting in greater power. With a displacement of 3,257 cm3 at 5,500 rpm, the engine delivered an impressive 170 PS. The top speed was 200 km/h, which was extremely impressive for a roadster at the time. The car nicknamed “Bluebird” has been in the possession of a Californian car collector since October 2002.

Type 55 Super Sport Roadster – the acceleration marvel Bugatti also showcased a Type 55 Super Sport Roadster (chassis 55208) at the Pebble Beach weekend. The Type 55 succeeded the Type 43 in 1931 as a touring car with a Grand Prix engine. Ettore Bugatti used the relatively lightweight Type 51 engine and the extremely rigid chassis from the Type 47, which was capable of holding a heavy engine. In the process, he combined the ingredients to create one of the most finely honed Bugatti chassis. The brakes and wheels on the 55 were identical to those of the Type 51. The transmission was carried over from the Type 49, but the Type 55 had a newly developed housing featuring long cantilevers mounted on the side members to further increase the rigidity of the chassis.

The acceleration of the Type 55 was impressive, taking less than ten seconds to get from 0 to 100 km/h. At 5,500 rpm its 10-cylinder engine achieved a solid 135 PS. This vehicle is still considered to be an unbeatable combination of Grand Prix racing car performance with the luxurious and comfortable driving characteristics of a touring car. A total of 38 Type 55s were built between 1932 and 1935, of which 28 are still in existence.

THE LUXE CARS The displayed chassis 55208 was ordered by Parisian Bugatti agent Dominique Lamberjack in February 1932 and delivered in April of the same year. The buyer was the amateur racing driver Charles Brunet, who commissioned a “Roadster Luxe” body by coachbuilder Georges Gangloff and actively competed in races with it. The vehicle has been in the possession of the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, California since 2012.

Type 35 – the most automotive histor y

successful

racing

car

in

The third vehicle in the Bugatti parade is a Grand Prix racing car in its purest form: a Type 35 from 1926. With over 2,000 victories and podium positions, the Type 35 is one of the most successful racing cars in automobile history. Between the mid-1920s and 1930s, it won all the major races, including five consecutive victories in the Targa Florio, which was the toughest road race in the world at the time. In keeping with the philosophy of “Race on Sunday, sell on Monday”, company founder Ettore Bugatti sold countless Type 35s directly to wealthy customers following successful race weekends. This business idea brought commercial success for the Molsheim car maker. In its time, the Type 35 was the only car that could be driven both on the race track and on the roads.

The Type 35 is powered by a 120 PS 2.3l in-line eight-cylinder engine. Its 750 kilogrammes are distributed perfectly across the axles (50 to 50 per cent), giving the car incredible dynamics.

The vehicle on display in Monterey comes from the car manufacturer’s own archive.

Veyron 16.4 Super Sport – the fastest production car in the world Bugatti will also showcase the Veyron 16.4 Super Sport, the youngest member of the super sports car range. The car was manufactured at the company’s historic Molsheim headquarters in 2011. In 2010, the 1,200 PS Super Sport set a world record for the fastest production car with a top speed of 431.072 km/h, and remains unbeaten to this day. The Veyron 16.4 Super Sport is the 1,200 PS derivative of the 1,001 PS Veyron 16.4, which marked the beginning of Bugatti’s most recent success story in 2005. Only 450 Veyrons were built, of which 300 were coupés and 150 were roadsters. As of the start of this year, all vehicles have been sold. No other automotive manufacturer has previously managed to sell an exceptional vehicle of this kind in a comparable price/volume range.

The development of the Veyron was one of the most significant technical challenges ever undertaken by the automobile industry. It was the first production car with over 1,000 PS, the first to exceed 400 km/h and accelerate from nought to one hundred km/h in less than three seconds – while remaining suitable to drive to the opera in comfort and style in the same configuration. Even ten years after it was launched, the Veyron is a superlative in every respect. When developing the Veyron, the designers also strove to continue the aesthetic tradition of Ettore Bugatti. And they certainly succeeded. The exterior has a modern style which incorporates Bugatti’s classic design features. The Veyron is an example of timeless automotive design and at the same time an automotive work of art. The vehicle shown here is on loan from a customer in the USA.

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THE LUXE WATCHES

Daniel Riedo Jaeger-LeCoultre CEO

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aniel Riedo came to Kuwait for the first time this summer on a short and busy trip giving Jaeger-LeCoultre’s guests the privilege of seeing the latest collection in Kuwait’s 360 Mall boutique.

Over fifty clients and collectors attended the event to celebrate the legend-filled journey of Jaeger-LeCoultre from its origins over 180 years ago in the Swiss Jura Mountains, to an integrated Manufacture that continues to deliver on a unique tradition in fine watch making: the tradition of invention, precision and refinement. During the event, Yasmine Bandar sat down with Daniel Riedo to reflect on his visit and thoughts regarding the brand’s development.

What sets Jaeger-LeCoultre’s watches apart from others?

It is the level of creativity that we have continued to put in to our watches for more than 180 years. Equally, it is the level of development. Since the beginning, we have developed more than 1500 calibers. Creativity, innovation and exclusivity definitely set the brand apart and make it unique.

What changes did you apply when you first joined Jaeger-LeCoultre?

My ideology was not to change anything since we had a great team. As I explain often, it is not a question of “who is the CEO?” it is a question of “who does the team consist of?” The brand was there before I joined and it will be there after I leave, what we are trying to do is maintain and develop the creativity and the innovation in order to provide the brand with the necessary tools to develop in terms of production, shops and locations as well as gaining the best status in the market. In addition, we are developing our advertising campaigns and trying to become more inspirational than technical. Our customers now know that we are experts in developing technical movements.

What can you tell us about this development in specific?

At the beginning we introduced Rendez-Vous with quartz as well as mechanical. We saw that the figures were balanced.

We asked many customers why they chose quartz and not mechanical, and often the answer was because the mechanical version was not available. So we pushed the production of mechanical movements and decided to cut the quartz. Today the Rendez-Vous line is entirely mechanical. Also, ladies have been wearing men’s watches for many years now, and they are more focused on what is inside than they used to be.

We know that the tastes of watch collectors differs from region to region, how does the Middle East market of Jaeger-LeCoultre influence the overall performance of the brand?

The taste is not so dif ferent from a countr y to another; the people who know what is inside the watches are really focused on the technical development and the same questions are arriving from customers from all around the world.

The perception of the quality is the same. In the Middle East, we find that people have a good knowledge in terms of what is inside the case of the watch and what is the legacy of each brand, that is why we put a lot of ef for t into organizing events to expose the brand to the customers in the best ways possible.

What do these events usually focus on?

We like to show the customer s the watch and let them feel it. We care to connect with our customers and answer their questions as well as giving them the oppor tunity of seeing the latest collection first.

Do you plan to launch more boutiques for Jaeger-LeCoultre?

S o f a r, n o. We h ave to f a c e t h e d eve l o p m e n t of t h e b r a n d wo r l d w i d e; we h ave b e e n f o c u s i n g o n t h e Eu r o p e a n a n d U S m a r ke t s .

We f e e l t h a t f o r t h e exc l u s i v i t y of t h e b r a n d , we n e e d to t a ke i t s te p by s te p.

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James H. Ragan NASA’s man behind the MoonWatch

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hen James H. Ragan retired from NASA in 1999, he closed the door on a 36-year career in aerospace engineering which included the testing of the astronaut chronographs used on NASA’s manned missions. These were, of course, the OMEGA Speedmasters. Mr. Ragan was also a Group Leader responsible for the testing and preparation of flight hardware for the Apollo program and a senior aerospace engineer and system manager in support of Shuttle. In this interview he recalls the chronograph tests, reflects on life at NASA in the sixties and seventies, and thinks about the future of space exploration.

You played a key role in the approval of the OMEGA Speedmaster for all of NASA’s manned spaceflights. Could you comment on NASA’s long relationship with OMEGA? The relationship started as a business relationship between NASA and OMEGA. OMEGA was acting essentially as a contractor to NASA. NASA procured the chronographs directly from OMEGA and performed all the qualification testing and work required to insure that they were safe and would fulfil the requirements of the astronauts. The long-term relationship that has existed over the years between NASA and OMEGA turned out to be fantastic. OMEGA was an ideal partner in the quest for space. OMEGA was always ready to perform testing, provide maintenance on the astronaut chronographs and suggest improvements. OMEGA strived to provide NASA with the best chronographs and insured that NASA got the most reliable and safe chronographs possible. They also developed chronographs for commercial sales which incorporated all the requirements NASA had for its chronographs. In terms of longevity, I believe that OMEGA has been the longest-serving single provider of hardware to NASA. Were any changes in the Speedmaster (related either to comfort or engineering requirements) mandated by NASA? No, NASA never mandated any changes to OMEGA. However, the first chronographs that NASA bought were model 6049 (USA designation). These were to be used for the Gemini program. I found during crew usage for training and flight that it was very easy to bend or break the chronograph function buttons on the side. The case did not provide any protection for them. I asked OMEGA to consider redesigning the case to provide a little recess to better protect these buttons. OMEGA willingly redesigned the case and this configuration became the new version of the chronograph. It has the exact same movement – just a different case. This model was designated 6126 (USA designation). The model 6049 was used throughout Gemini and I started using the model 6126 model for Apollo and beyond.

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The OMEGA Speedmaster X-33 was created in such a way that it could be handled by astronauts wearing their bulky gloves. Was it also possible to manipulate the Speedmaster Professional with gloves?

Yes the crew was able to push the buttons but it was not easy. For EVA (suited) operations the crew usually started their chronograph when were ready to go out and let them run without using the buttons again until they returned.

Is there still important work to be done in the design of chronographs for manned space flight?

OMEGA will continue to design better chronographs using the latest technology for the future with always keeping NASA’s requirements in mind. In its history, NASA has always used commercially available chronographs and will continue to use commercially available chronographs in the future.

NASA has announced its long-term intention to send a manned mission to Mars. When the first NASA astronaut sets foot on the Martian surface, will he or she be wearing a Speedmaster? Will it have to be adapted to any special needs generated by the climate extremes on Mars?

Yes, I believe there will always be a requirement for a personal chronograph on all future manned missions. I also believe that when the first astronaut sets foot on the Martian soil the chronograph that will be worn will be an OMEGA. Additional thermal protection may be required. Extensive testing will be required to verify how much protection will have to be provided.

Do you think that we will ever experience another era whose enthusiasm for space exploration will match that which we had in the 1960s and 1970s?

Yes, I do believe we will see and experience another enthusiastic space exploration that will match and probably exceed the 1960s and 1970s. Human beings are the only explorers on our planet. History has shown that it is mankind’s destiny to explore new places and open new frontiers. We continue to have that desire. It has to be a goal that has never been achieved before. It is paramount that it literally be beyond our current terrestrial experience.

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There was a sort of “we-can-achieve-anything” mentality in those days, particularly in scientific, medical, and technological areas. Are we too jaded and cynical now to return to that mindset?

The world has changed since the 1960’s and 1970’s but the desire to achieve has not. I think that the “we-can-achieveanything” mentality is still alive and well. If a new national or international priority goal is set, the best of the best will again assemble to achieve this goal. It is passed time we return to this mindset.

The Mercury, Gemini and Apollo years must have been particularly intense times for those of you working at NASA. How would you switch off your engineer/system manager brain and re-enter “the real world”?

Most of the people who worked for NASA in the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo years were totally consumed with the safety of the astronauts and to providing the astronauts with the best possible vehicle and equipment in able to achieve our national goal of putting a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth within the decade of the 1960s. It was basically a 24/7/365 job. As an engineer it was almost impossible to switch off NASA and your projects. Failure was not an option; therefore, it was necessary to leave nothing to chance. I took very little leave and was away from home more than 50 per cent of the time. Many times at the Kennedy Space Center it was necessary to work many long hours to meet the scheduled launch dates. Only after the start of the Shuttle program did it become possible to re-enter the real world.

What do you miss most about working at NASA? I miss the camaraderie of being part of a highly skilled team of individuals working toward a common goal of exploring space.

Being part of the team that provided hardware and support for a journey that had never been made before has no equal that I have found.

Could you share a couple of the highlights of your long career?

As you can imagine, there were many, but I’ll name three: Playing a part of this new history-making frontier was one of the highlights of my career. It was truly a unique experience that only a few were afforded the opportunity to experience.

Providing hardware to and having a part of man’s first lunar landing and then five additional successful landings and safe returns of the crew.

Working as System Manager for Crew Accommodations for the Shuttle program was also particularly gratifying.

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Rolling and ticking works of art

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he “40 Years BMW Art Cars” exhibition was one of the highlights of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, which is taking place in Como earlier this year. For the fourth time now, A. Lange & Söhne sponsored the prestigious competition for classic automobiles and futuristic concept cars. In Munich, just a few weeks prior to the event, a special model of the LANGE 1 TIME ZONE – created exclusively for the winner of the Concorso – was showcased together with Frank Stella’s 1976 BMW Art Car 02.

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The BMW Art Car Collection is an ensemble of extraordinary works of art on wheels. Between 1975 and 2010, internationally renowned artists customised 17 unusual racing and production cars. With body colours and graphics, they developed new ways to express the fusion of art, design, and technology.

The prize for the winner in the “Best of Show” category is a ticking opus: yet again this year, the LANGE 1 TIME ZONE “Como Edition” is the horological counterpart of the most stunning vehicle in the competition. The hand-engraved caseback of the white-gold watch displays the coat of arms of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. On the city ring of the time-zone watch, Como – the venue of the event – stands for Central European Time.

In a photo shoot that took place at the BMW Museum in Munich in early May, the asymmetric dial of the watch entered into an artistic dialogue with the dramatic lines of Frank Stella’s BMW Art Car. At this year’s Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, five of the automotive oeuvres were on display within the scope of the “40 Years BMW Art Cars” exhibition. It includes Frank Stella’s BMW 3.0 CSL, the second Art Car in the collection. In 1976, the American artist created a black-and-white grid for this limited-edition model of which only about one thousand units were built. Like an oversized graph paper, the geometric pattern extends across the entire body, emphasising the sheer power of this 750-HP racer, which in the same year competed in the 24-hour Le Mans competition. “My design is like a blueprint draped over the body,” said Stella, explaining the intention of his work.

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TAG Heuer signs with the Bundesliga

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ne of the world’s most powerful football leagues was given an enormous boost by Germany’s victory in the World Cup. Bundesliga matches are followed by a TV audience of hundreds of millions every week, not only in Germany but throughout 208 countries in the world.

TAG Heuer CEO Jean-Claude Biver, and Christian Seifert, CEO of the Bundesliga

Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of TAG Heuer & President of the Watch Division - LVMH Group, and Christian Seifert, CEO of the Bundesliga (Deutsche Fussball Liga), announced the partnership for three years, in a spirit of keen cooperation and brimming with new ideas. Jean-Claude Biver announced: “The Bundesliga is one of the most powerful and comprehensive platforms imaginable.

It will allow us to pursue a different perspective in terms of our sponsorship, with huge new possibilities, particularly in the digital arena. We are preparing for the future.” “We are delighted to have found in TAG Heuer a partner whose commitment to quality and international outlook are a perfect firt with the Bundesliga.

Especially since signage sponsoring offers such high visibility

on a global scale. We are more than confident that both sides will benefit from this partnership over the coming years,” said Christian Seifert. This is a unique partnership which you could call a “futuristic sponsorship contract” in that it offers huge, new and innovative possibilities. Beyond the stadium advertising boards and the traditional event communication methods, websites and social media… Together, TAG Heuer and the Bundesliga aim to create a new world in the sporting arena, a creative, cutting-edge partnership using brand new digital media. The brand motto, #DontCrackUnderPressure, will be incorporated at all levels, from the highest and most visible to the promotion of young talent and the upcoming generations. Let the games begin!

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Pathos in rose gold A new dimension of passion

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arl F. Bucherer presents a new highlight in the extraordinary Pathos collection: Pure rose gold lends a warm elegance to a delicate ladies’ watch.

M u l t i f a c e t e d a n d i n d i v i d u a l – t h e C a r l F. Bucherer Pathos collection is a tribute to the fascinating character of ever y woman. The Pathos model in pure rose gold is the latest creation by the traditional Lucerne watchmaker: a refined and captivating timepiece that unites g l a m o r w i t h g r a n d e u r.

Charismatic design The Pathos collection successfully launched in 2 0 14 , f e a t u r e s a u n i q u e l y e x c i t i n g d e s i g n . N o w comes the latest addition to the impressive Carl F. B u c h e r e r P a t h o s t i m e p i e c e c o l l e c t i o n : t h e Pathos Rosegold, made entirely of warm and g l a m o r o u s 18 - k a r a t r o s e g o l d . T h e p r e c i o u s metal accentuates the distinctive aureole design, which is the mark of the Pathos collection.

Artfully embedded in the case, the filigree halo of the aureole reflects the light in countless fascinating facets.

Ve r s a t i l e fe m i n i n i t y The Pathos collection is as multi-faceted and unique as ever y individual woman. The new rose gold models are delightfully diverse; the Pathos aureole comes in two dif ferent versions, with a wave design or filigree grid. The exquisite dial excites in precious, scintillating mother of pearl or with delicate ornamentation on pure white. The case shines in clear rose gold or with sparkling diamonds.

Made of finely craf ted pure rose gold elements, the Pathos bracelet harmoniously rounds off the composition of the timepiece.

The Swiss watchmaker Carl F. Bucherer presents a new dimension of passion with the Pathos Rosegold.

For the individualistic woman.

One eclectic collection. Pathos.

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Jaeger-LeCoultre 10-year partnership with the Venice International Film Festival

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aeger-LeCoultre’s affinities with the 7th Art stem from the inherent kinship between two worlds infused with the same creative effervescence, inspired by a longstanding tradition and the absolute quest for excellence. To commemorate a decade of its commitment to cinema and to honour the artists who have made an original mark on contemporary filmmaking, Jaeger-LeCoultre is presenting a special photographic exhibition on Lido Island during the Venice International Film Festival, from September 2nd to 12th 2015.

The Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Behind the Scenes Exhibition gives visitors an insight into the filmmaking process of such diverse artists as Takeshi Kitano, Abbas Kiarostami, Agnès Varda, Sylvester Stallone, Mani Ratnam, Al Pacino, Spike Lee, Ettore Scola and James Franco. Each of them has contributed to creating and bringing life to the art of filmmaking and has been rewarded by the Jaeger-LeCoultre Glory to the Filmmaker Award, the annual prize established by Jaeger-LeCoultre in association with the Venice International Film Festival.

Jaeger-LeCoultre attaches great importance to supporting a unique artistic vision. Daniel Riedo, CEO of Jaeger-LeCoultre, emphasises that “Haute Horlogerie and cinema share common values: both create dreams and a sense of wonder through aesthetic and technical mastery. Jaeger-LeCoultre draws upon the talent of its many artisans to create exceptional watch objects, just as it takes talented writers, directors, actors and technicians to produce a work of filmmaking art. It is all about two worlds infused with creative ingenuity.”

As Alberto Barbera, director of the 72nd Venice International Film Festival points out, “In the 10-year partnership between the Venice International Film Festival and Jaeger-LeCoultre, The Glory to the Filmmaker award has acquired increasingly substantial significance and importance. Above and beyond the official prizes awarded by different juries, the choice of annually celebrating filmmakers appreciated for their personal contribution to the development of film art represents a gesture designed to highlight values and to mark differences. The honour roll of the winners signifies a strong and lasting bond between the artists and the Venice International Film Festival, strengthened by the encouragement of such a prestigious partner as Jaeger-LeCoultre. “

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Rado DiaMaster Grande Seconde Be the master of your time

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ime is precious, something we often feel is in short supply. With the new Rado DiaMaster Grande Seconde on your wrist, however, you can be sure that every second counts and you won’t miss a beat.

A monobloc high-tech ceramic case houses a large open dial presenting two overlapping sub-dials, one for hours and minutes and one for seconds. The striking look of a separate seconds dial, marked at intervals of 5 in Arabic numerals, while the minutes and hours are marked with slight yet striking indexes, reminds the wearer that time is of the essence. Beautiful to behold, the new Rado DiaMaster Grande Seconde collection is made of four eye-catching models, two in plasma high-tech ceramic with brown leather straps that exude a vintage look, whereas the two black versions have an edgy futuristic feel to them This collection focuses on leather straps with only one model featuring the famous DiaMaster five link bracelet. With its edgy yet retro design the Rado DiaMaster Grande Seconde is perfectly paired with a business suit or dressed down with casual weekend wear. The unconventional dial makes this timepiece, as well as the man wearing it, stand out. A watch to be worn with confidence, this is the ideal model for the man who dares to be different.

Modern Alchemy A brilliant warm metallic shine emerges from white ceramic when treated in a plasma oven where gasses activate at 20,000ÂşC. This magical transformation is achieved thanks to a patented process first used by Rado. Without the use of any metal the unique plasma colour emerges from each piece of ceramic and will not fade over time. Although the colour only changes on the surface of the ceramic piece, it will not fade.

With this process Rado is able to offer metallic looking watches with all the comfort of high-tech ceramic. Scratch-resistant, light and hypoallergenic, the benefits of high-tech ceramic remain unaffected by the transformation. Be the master of your time with the Rado DiaMaster Grande Seconde.

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Azimut Yachts At The 2015 Cannes Boat Show Two World Premiere And A Fleet Of Fifteen Yachts

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zimut Yachts will open the International Boat Show season in style. The events will start with the Cannes Boat Show, which will run from September 8th to September 13th. The Italian shipyard will present a fleet of fifteen yachts, two of which will be a world premiere: the Azimut Magellano 66 and the Azimut 72.

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For the Azimut Magellano 66, a 20-meter megayacht that offers the freedom of longrange cruises surrounded by the elegance and comforts of a real house, the first renderings are already available. Fifth model of the Magellano Collection, shares with the previous the Dual Mode hull, which ensures comfortable sailing whatever the sea conditions are. Surprisingly spacious interiors and a spectacular terrace on the flybridge are the most striking features on a yacht that promises to combine the adventure of a long cruise with all the domestic comfort. Available also in her Navetta version, main salon and dining area can be separated - if required - from the kitchen and the steering area, so to ensure a total privacy, while the entire main deck extends on one level with huge windows overlooking the sea. The usual very large storage spaces inside and outside makes it possible to keep everything in order. A true sophisticated, timeless interior style.

Yet to be discovered is the Azimut 72 totally new, starting from the concept itself to the use of highly technical construction methods with extensive use of carbon fibre. This model, however, will amaze for her proportions: sleek exteriors spaces perfectly harmonized with spacious interiors.

Among all the models that visitors will find moored at the dock, representing the entire Azimut fleet and its five Collections, special consideration will be given to the new Atlantis 43 premiered at the DuĚˆsseldorf Boat Show in January 2015. Sleek with sporty lines, the new model truly represents not just the design flexibility of Azimut but also the genuine “Made in Italyâ€? style: owners have the option of customising the interior with prestigious Italian-made fabrics by Missoni Home and Loro Piana Interiors.

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Gulf Craft Unveils Majesty 155

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he unveiling at the Majesty Yachts shipyard in Umm Al Quwain, UAE proved to be a welcome addition to the ever-expanding Gulf Craft portfolio, and served as further testament to the company’s decades-old, trust-based consultative approach to growing its business.

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Gulf Craft’s largest and latest addition to its Majesty Yachts brand also clearly demonstrates the company’s continuous dedication to the luxury yacht market.

“Gulf Craft’s track record has been consistently recognized on a global level. The conception and creation of the Majesty 155 has further pushed our capabilities as a company, creating even higher expectations from our customers around the world,” said Mohammed Hussein Al Shaali, Chairman of Gulf Craft.

“With visionary leaders and a globally competitive mindset, the UAE makes it possible for us to further expand within an increasingly competitive industry, as well as establish the country as a global player in the leisure marine sector,” added Al Shaali.

“We are very grateful toward all those who have contributed to our success, and who have supported us throughout our journey. We would also like to extend our sincere gratitude to our valued customers without whom, Gulf Craft would not have reached this high international ranking,” concluded Al Shaali.

Erwin Bamps, CEO of Gulf Craft, believes the unveiling of the Majesty 155 is significant for a number of reasons.

“This important milestone demonstrates our commitment to exceeding the ever-evolving needs and wants of global yachting enthusiasts,” said Bamps. “We understand that our customers have a genuine appreciation for opulence, and would like to experience the same lavish lifestyle and entertainment on water that they do on land. The Majesty 155 was crafted to provide a truly deluxe experience that has never before been available from Gulf Craft, as we continue our drive to gain market share” The Guest Experience in Fine Detail The pioneering Majesty 155 is Gulf Craft’s first displacement superyacht. At 155 feet (47 meters),the Majesty 155 offers owners the experience of luxury and comfort at its finest, from an ornately designed fountain on the sundeck, surrounded by a spacious seating area where passengers can enjoy breathtaking views of the water, to a beautiful waterfall that cascades from the rear sundeck into the Jacuzzi situated on the upper deck.

The elaborate and sophisticated detailing of the Majesty 155 provides owners with an unsurpassed luxury experience in both style and functionality. The owner’s first-class stateroom is furnished using only premium fabrics and leathers, with countertops constructed from Cappuccino Onyx and CremaMarfil marble, further emphasizing the room’s supreme elegance.

The dedicated cigar lounge within the owner’s stateroom features a ceiling crafted from genuine cigar leaves, adding a delicate yet artistic touch to the room’s alluring design. The owner’s stateroom balcony is another distinct feature of this superyacht, allowing owners to enjoy the panoramic seascapes from the privacy of their own room.

Guests will be charmed by the eloquent design of the lower deck guest staterooms which are finished using the finest Red and Green Onyx and Botticino Royal Marble. Those looking to spend time under the sun’s golden rays will find comfort in the superyacht’s dedicated beach club situated at the rear entrance, fully equipped with a pantry, a retractable television, and a spacious lounging area. The lower deck also features a spacious garage behind the beach club which can house a tender and two jet skis, all easily moved in and out by crane.

An elevator that carries guests between the lower, main and upper decks offers added convenience, and a second balcony in the main saloon, along with a custom-made television – built to withstand all types of weather conditions – outside the upper deck seating area, further bolster the capacity to entertain.

Guests will also find the upper deck’s indoor lounge to be quite remarkable, with its huge windows affording all inside unparalleled panoramic views.

Onlookers of the Majesty 155 will be dazzled by the underwater lights that surround the entire base of the superyacht, illuminating its commanding presence as it sets sail into the open seas, while maintaining a majestic night time stature within its berth.

Majesty 155 Performance Opulent in style and elegant in design, the Majesty 155 also boasts exceptional performance. The power of twin 2,011 hp MTU 12V 4,000 M63 engines provide excellent fuel efficiency and an ability to cover a range of over 4,200nm with an approximate maximum speed of 16 knots.

Massimo Gregori Grgič, of Yankee Delta Studio in Italy, is responsible for the naval architecture of the Majesty 155.

The Majesty 155’s hull design allows for low fuel consumption, long-range capability, and incredible comfort. The 9.60 m beam gives large space inside and allows for an even greater stability. The hull design was tank-tested in Italy, and the actual ship proves to perform above all expectations. She is easy to handle, stable, and quiet, leaving minimum wakes behind.

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The 2015 Monaco Yacht Show 25 Years in the Making A tale of one city and its great expectation

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he show that will open its doors to visitors on 23rd September 2015 will be a celebration of the events quarter century. For twenty five years the Monaco Yacht Show has been the tale of one city; Monte Carlo and throughout its history, it has always successfully developed great expectations.

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Twenty five years ago, the Principality of Monaco had no flagship yachting event of its own, despite already being the international meeting point for large yacht owners and their broker agents who arrived in Port Hercules to discuss sale, charter and refitting. Deals were struck, contracts signed and new yachts were built as a result of those meetings and the local authorities realised they should develop yacht business activities around this iconic venue.

Those who attended the very first edition of the Monaco Yacht Show in 1991 recall that the entire event was staged along Quai des Etats-Unis with around fifty exhibiting companies, mainly from Monaco and the French Riviera eager to show their wares.

Just a handful of foreign companies, took stands and 30 yachts whose average length was just 32 metres were made available to those who sought to inspect them.

Two plus decades later, the show has moved on some! The same Monaco-based yachting businesses have grown as the Show developed into the world’s premier superyacht event. Few can argue now that Monaco is the world hub of the superyacht industry and the jewel in the industry’s crown is undoubtedly the Principality’s annual yachting show.

In September 2015, the Monaco Yacht Show will deliver its largest ever event unveiling a record-breaking showcase of 120 spectacular superyachts afloat. The expected average size of these yachts, this year exceeds 47 metres. Five hundred exhibiting companies will display their most innovative, tailor-made products and services lying at the pinnacle of luxury yachting.

What to expect in Monaco next September Much has changed since MYS first opened, but there are similarities. Back then, as now, the world was on the road to recovery following a slump in financial markets. The conviction that now buoys up the superyacht industry in todays commercial climate, resembles that same buoyancy encountered in the early part of the 1990’s. Then, as is happening now, there was a new air of confidence, orders are being signed, designers are talking of ever larger tonnage and the myriad of service industries that surround the building of yachts are flourishing as a result. Visitors to this year’s show

will have every reason to notice a spring in the step of those walking the docks.

Improved Layout Extra berths for larger yachts and the need to accommodate essential public works scheduled to transform and improve the port over the next three years means the 2015 edition of the show will sport a different look.

There has been an exciting reorganisation of the exhibition area, relocating much of the historical exhibition area that, in the past, occupied the Darse Nord at Quai Antoine 1er. A new zone, able to accommodate most of the exhibitors from the former Darse Nord tent will offer 2,825 m2 of surface area divided into two air-conditioned tents. The first; Quai Antoine 1er A will have an area of 2,425 m2 and the second known as Quai Antoine 1er B given over especially to the members of HISWA, will be smaller offering 400 M2 of space.

Quai Rainier III, usually utilised by cruise ships during the show, has been specifically set aside to berth three of the show’s largest superyachts this year and will even be able to receive up to four megayachts in excess of 100 metres in the next few years and will become a new and exciting focal point of the show.

Extending the show along Jetée Lucciana down to Quai Rainier III, has given organisers the opportunity to enhance the reception, information and transportation services area.

This reorganisation has enabled them to plan for a more homogeneous traffic flow between all of the existing and newly created exhibition areas.

The Entrance at Darse Sud will no longer exist and visitors and exhibitors will use the new entrance at the end of Quai Antoine 1er or the one closest to their stand for accreditation.

Both the VIP courtesy car service and the welcome desk will also be located beside this entrance. The entrances at Parvis Piscine and Quai Louis II remain as before.

While the show will still provide a fleet of shuttle boats crisscrossing the busy harbour, a new golf cart service will offer visitors the opportunity to sedately ride in comfort inside the show venue.

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With improved transportation services and the addition of two car parks offering 600 spaces located close to the new entrance, accessing the MYS and reaching the whole exhibition areas in a few minutes has never been so easy!

Attracting the UHNWI Being part of the enjoyment of the Monaco Yacht Show is attractive to many in the industry and as the industry expands so there are many new faces eager to share in that same excitement. In recent years there has been a surge in the younger buyer entering the superyacht market. Now instead of flying in from the USA or driving in from mainstream Europe, wealthy visitors are flocking to Monaco from all over the world. They bring not just their money, but also a new enthusiasm for tasting the good life of luxury on the water. For many years the world of superyachting had been one of the world’s best kept secrets, but the bubble has burst, and this new blood is not only keen to taste the adventure but is also hungry enough to devour it.

Much of this new wave of excitement has come about following an awareness programme devised and implemented by show organisers working with partners in the Far East. It has created a better understanding by introducing the superyacht concept to an awakening audience. Organising events like Monaco Week in Shanghai and Beijing during June 2015 did a great deal to promote Monaco as a destination and also the superyacht industry to a Chinese social elite. Working with the Monaco Embassy in China and Chinese Media Partner; Blu Inc Media has done much to attract the visitor from the Orient. China Night in Monaco and the visit to the MYS by those VIP guests encountered in China will do much to cement a relationship with this burgeoning superyacht owning elite.

Specifically catering to that marketplace the organisers have created the Sapphire Experience Pack. This limited edition series of just 100 packs has been reserved for the most illustrious of clients visiting the show. It allows them to enjoy an all-inclusive visit to the show that will include the boarding of superyachts, with lunch and champagne offered at the Upper Deck Lounge and notably includes and invitation to the MYS Gala Inaugural Party.

25th Monaco Yacht Show: • From Wednesday 23 to Saturday 26 September 2015 • Port Hercules, Boulevard Albert 1er – Principality of Monaco • Opening hours: from 10 am to 6.30 pm • Official sponsor: Ulysse Nardin.

• All information: www.monacoyachtshow.com

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REAL ESTATE REPORT

Investing in Dubai

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s a safe haven within a volatile region, Dubai cements its place as the Middle East’s preferred real estate investment market whilst maturing market conditions bode well for more sustainable real estate growth. By Anna Amin, Editor, Cityscape magazine.

REAL ESTATE REPORT

With Cityscape Global 2015 taking place this month, it is time to take an in-depth look at current market conditions in the event’s host city and birthplace - Dubai. The 14th edition of the Middle East’s largest and most influential real estate event, taking place from 8 – 10 September at the Dubai World Trade Centre, this year shows a 30% growth in exhibition space on last year, underlining the continued confidence in Dubai’s maturing market. Over 300 exhibitors from the UAE, Turkey, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and many other countries from around the world will showcase their projects to an audience of real estate investors, professionals and government authorities in the three day show which is viewed as the barometer of the region’s real estate industry.

INVESTOR SENTIMENT First of all, let’s look at Dubai in its regional context from an investment perspective. In 2013, the emirate was tipped as one of the world’s hottest real estate investment markets. Two years onwards, Dubai continues to maintain this status, which is evidenced in JLL’s latest MENA Investor Sentiment Survey which has found that Dubai remains the preferred destination for foreign investment in the Middle East. According to the survey, key attraction points for investors include the UAE’s political and economic stability and market transparency which has been further fuelled by the favourable performance of the real estate sector over the past two years, particularly in Dubai.

Ian Albert, Regional Director Colliers International MENA, adds that further key attraction points for investors currently looking at Dubai are yield appreciation, reasonable service charges and a good standard of property management. “Investors in Dubai now consider long term strategies rather than short term gains,” Albert says.

Mat Green, Head of Research & Consultancy UAE, CBRE Middle East, agrees saying that although the Dubai market has cooled off slightly during the past year (due to a combination of government intervention, global economic uncertainties and looming new supply), “Dubai still remains the most attractive investment market in the region, with continued interest from local Real Estate funds, REITs, as well as institutional investors.”

HAS THE MARKET BECOME ‘SMARTER’?

Looking at the Dubai market recovery and the rapid price growth over the past two years, the inevitable question is: are today’s market conditions fundamentally different to those of the pre-crash times?

“Yes, conditions are now fundamentally different,” says Craig Plumb, Head of Research at JLL MENA, as do all of our other experts.

Plumb identifies five major areas why JLL believe the market is ‘smarter’ the second time around and why another bubble will probably be avoided:

Prices have stabilised without crashing “Following unsustainable levels of price growth (average residential prices in Dubai increased by 56% in the 2 years to July 2014) the market has stabilised over the past 9 months – with a decline of around 5% since July 2014 peak. This stabilistaion is certainly good news for the overall market and has resulted in much more sustainable conditions and removed all the previous discussion of another bubble. JLL believe prices will continue to decline and have forecast a price decline of around 10% for 2015,” Plumb says.

According to JLL, there are three major reasons for the stabilisation of prices. Firstly, buyers have recognised that prices had risen too quickly and that there were no prospects for short term capital gain. Secondly, the strength of the US dollar reduced the attraction of Dubai real estate for the 75% of overseas buyers – especially those from Russia, India and the Eurozone. Lastly, government regulations to reduce speculation have taken effect and “taken the heat out of the market.”

Reduction in off-plan sales According to Plumb, today’s market is less dependent on presales than it was during 2007 and 2008. “While there have been a number of well publicised projects released on a pre-sales basis over the past few months, most of these projects have been from well-respected developers such as Emaar and Damac and there are far fewer secondary developers announcing projects on a pre-sale basis than in 2007/08. There have also been no recent announcements of master developers selling land plots to sub developers, which was one of the major reasons for the previous crash as these sub-developers faced funding issues following the impact of the global financial crises,” he explains.

For Colliers’ Albert, the nature in the change of transactions is one of the primary differences between the 2007/2008 market and the 2015 residential market in Dubai.

“Today the majority of transactions are for completed properties, purchased by investors and increasingly end-users. Both groups require a much greater level of due diligence as they pay a full asset price and not a proportion of it, as in off-plan sales.

In the pre-crisis era the majority of transactions were for offplan units, as the majority of the market we see today was still under construction, or in the early phases of planning.

“In addition to this, the ease and speed at which a transaction could be made (few regulations were in place at the time, and little if any paperwork or registration was required) all contributed to the creation of a speculative environment,” Albert says.

Better regulations As previously mentioned, new government regulations have also contributed to stabilisation of the market, JLL say. These

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include new mortgage regulations (limiting the maximum LTV available to borrowers) and the increase in the transfer fee for real estate from 2% to 4%.

Furthermore, RERA now requires developers to lodge between 30% and 40% of the total construction costs of projects in a project specific escrow account, before any presales can be launched. “This should help reduce the level of highly speculative construction that fuelled the previous unsustainable bubble,” says Plumb. Going forward, the Investor Protection Law and the Code of Corporate Governance for Developers were announced by the Dubai Land Department in 2012. “While neither has yet been enacted as law, [these regulations] show a clear shift in government thinking towards better investor protection and the avoidance of another real estate bubble,” says Plumb.

Colliers’ Albert adds that an overall effect of the new regulations is an increase in the time required to complete a sale, significantly reducing the opportunity to “flip” a property. With the new mortgage law and the increase in property transfer fees, costs for entry into the market have also risen, limiting the number of investors entering the market. Today, “speculators are focusing on a single asset rather than spreading their risk over several different off-plan products,” Albert says.

Funding For JLL, funding of real estate is another major thing that has

changed following the crash, based on lessons learnt from the past. “Given experiences of the previous boom/bust cycle, there remains caution towards the real estate sector from both banks and potential off-plan purchasers. Banks remain wary about lending on real estate developments at a time when they still have to make major provisions against nonperforming real estate loans from the last development boom. Given this and the tighter restrictions on ‘off plan’ sales being imposed by RERA, the level of available finance is likely to act as a natural anchor, limiting the number and timing of the announced projects that actually proceed,” Plumb explains.

‘Smarter’ developers Lastly, JLL notice a more balanced proportion of supply and demand in today’s market than in previous boom times. “Encouragingly, there are indications that developers have recognised the need to adopt a more long term and coordinated approach, with far more emphasis on phasing supply in line with levels of real demand, rather than developing too much real estate too quickly,” Plumb says.

Mat Green from CBRE agrees that the demand and supply fundamentals are also very different, with occupier demand remaining buoyant despite a slowdown in residential sales activity. “Whilst residential supply levels are increasing, they are still a fraction of the supply that was delivered during 2007 and 2008 when around 90,000 new units were handed over during just a 24-month period.

REAL ESTATE REPORT

On a broader scale, Green says that today’s local economic environment is far stronger, with forecasts of around 3.5 % GDP growth for 2015, while it is also necessary to consider the global context, “which, whilst not without challenges, is certainly far more positive than during the pre-crash environment,” he says.

In the words of Colliers’ Albert, “the lessons learnt by the crisis have created a more cautious investment environment, while supportable demographics, demand and a strong GDP, have replaced speculative optimism.”

NEW IMPETUS FOR OFFICE MARKET Dubai’s office market is being driven by the continued expansion of the local economy, most importantly by growth of the non-oil sectors.

Furthermore, the emirate is also benefitting from its position as the headquarters location of choice for global corporates servicing the wider Middle East region, says CBRE’s Green.

JLL’s recently published MENA Occupier Sentiment Series report states that, amidst recent political and social turbulence across MENA, the UAE has emerged as a ‘safe haven’ within a volatile region. Consequently, “Dubai has cemented its place as the preferred business and financial centre within MENA” and is “expected to consolidate its position as the favoured location for corporate occupiers in the MENA region over the next three years.”

According to JLL, the expansion of the financial services sector will act as a further driver of Dubai’s office market with the DIFC having recently announced an aggressive expansion plan, namely to triple its office space by 2030, which is “based on aggressive expansion of Dubai’s role as financial centre for the ‘global south,’” so Plumb.

Interestingly, JLL tip potential for new business in Iran likely to be the major driver of office demand over the second half of 2015: “Corporates position themselves to take advantage of the business opportunities created by the relaxation of sanctions [in Iran]. Dubai will be a major winner from this trend,” says Plumb.

OUTLOOK According to CBRE, occupier demand in the residential and office sectors remains quite strong which is a positive indication for the market and broadly reflective of the economic situation, which still portrays positive GDP growth for 2015.

Colliers anticipate a further softening of residential property prices in 2015, particularly in the properties priced over AED 5 million, says Albert.

Speaking about challenges, Albert says these constitute the impact of oil prices, the fall of the Russian Ruble and the impact of the continued conflict in the region. On the positive however, “the potential lift of sanctions on Iran may have a positive effect on the property market,” Albert adds.

CBRE’s Green adds that despite the external challenges such as low oil prices, regional conflicts, and currency fluctuations, “the overall outlook for the medium term looks more positive, with any downturn viewed as relatively short term and certainly not comparative to events during 2009.”

This article is supplied by Cityscape Magazine.

Cityscape magazine is the Middle East’s leading monthly real estate investment title and is owned and published by Informa Middle East Limited. For more information, please visit www.cityscape.org

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Une Nuit de Rêve

The 6th ‘Night of Dreams’ featured ‘The Act’

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ecognized as an annual favorite amongst Kuwait’s musical events, Lina Bakir’s “Une Nuit de Rêves” returned most recently in May for its sixth magnificent version. A full house of 750 enjoyed a magical fusion of well-known classics and contemporary music with song from the Arab and western worlds this year adding more to its glorious status. Who could speak better of the event than Lina Bakir herself? And who could deliver an adequate speech about music more plainly than a music devotee? Yasmine Bandar met Lina Bakir and indulged in a very good conversation about her passion as a pianist and her pride in taking the show to higher levels this year.

THE LUXE ARTS

Can you give me a brief about the event?

First of all, my company’s name is “Une Nuit de Rêves” which means “A night of dreams”. It’s a title that I gave my concert because, all along, I’m the one who has always wanted to become a singer, I wanted the limelight, the red carpet, and the glamorous life that a lot of us cannot achieve when you have come from a conservative background where it is believed that the higher you go in your social structure, the harder it becomes for you to carry out what you really want to do when it comes to the artistic side of life. As a concert pianist, I was encouraged to produce something special in Kuwait and so we started as “Une Nuit de Rêves” six years ago, it was a fusion of all kinds of music like jazz, blues, opera and classic performed in different languages. I was sure that the public in Kuwait will love to hear something as special as this. Over the years, we grew bigger and bigger and people would wonder what we might present every year.

I have always wanted to do something between “burlesque” and “Moulin rouge” and there has been continuous selfpressure to meet with the public’s expectation that was growing every year in parallel to our success.

How did you deal with the growing success?

We received remarkable feedback from the public, attesting that the concert is by far the best they have seen in their life – it was both flattering and challenging at the same instance. I had to always be careful enough to present a step higher yet maintaining the respect of the culture.

Why did you call the concert “The Act” this year?

We live in a world of dreams; every one of us has an act within them. When you sit with someone, you may not necessarily be yourself because you have to portray yourself in a certain status. What makes us travel the world to see different shows around the world? I think a part of us always wishes that it was us on stage; we as humans have the tendency to relate. There is always an act within us that we like watching someone else perform, in other words, we always are keen to turn the dreamed world we have in our minds into a reality that we are part of. Moreover, every song I chose to include in the concert told a story.

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THE LUXE ARTS Did you face any changes in terms of culture and taboos?

We have been told that we exceeded all the expectations projecting the act in the best way possible. It is the responsibility of the producer and the director, being me, to face those challenges and project all that I want in a very presentable, respectable, and decent way. I always make sure that I deliver a respectful show to the public because the point is to make people love what we do and always be there on our journeys.

How many attendees were at the show this year?

We were total 800 – we had 750 attendees and we were 50 on stage.

Did the number grow over the years?

We definitely could go for a lot more, but we don’t have the room in the ballroom. I still don’t know how to market for my concert as I’m an artist whose major concern is to present a good show. We also had some issues with the concert as far as people telling us that our concert should be extended up to 4 or 5 days. I think every person in Kuwait would love to come to this concert if they knew about it. Yet, we are satisfied that we always have a full house.

Do you feel ready to get this concert to a level where everything is bigger?

I’m definitely ready if we get sponsors who are eager to sponsor the show. We have been told that we don’t compare to many famous concerts because we go way beyond them according to people who attended our show. We are not giving a concert but a concept; it is not just about the concert and the good voices nor about the choice of songs performed during the concert, it is rather about Lina’s little details from the napkins to the chocolate to the program – it’s truly a concept that portrays my personality.

How do you feel about such feedback?

I love hearing it but I always like to stay humble; I’m always protective of my baby. I’m not sure how well I adjust to the fact that some people steal our ideas, a lot of people take pictures of the show and post them on their own sites.

You as an artist might overlook those hazards because you are a pure artist who is merely delivering a good show, right?

Although I’m an extravert as a person, I’m pretty private when it comes to my own show. Was I ready to expose my show before?

Yes, because I’m 100% sure of what I’m doing and that if you have come to my concert you would attest that you have not seen anything similar in your life. The pressure is definitely on but I never realized that people would come specifically from outside Kuwait to see our concert. We are happy about this the most.

Moving on to your love for music, when did you know you had something for music?

When I was a child, I always wanted to become a singer.

Coming from a certain background, I know it was impossible that my parents would allow me to pursue a career in that area.

THE LUXE ARTS The second dream was to become a concert pianist and teach piano, I even remember when graduating as a pianist I was offered a job to play piano in a hotel lobby for three hours – it was a good pay, but when my parents heard that, it was their worst nightmare since I was allowed to teach and play piano privately only. I was discovered when I was 16 in Marbella at a pool by the producers of famous singers, my father never wanted me to take it out professionally because of the fear of what could come next, society, culture and so on.

What happened?

The public started pushing me to expose my talent and I thought why not? It’s like I needed that push to get going. That push was very well deserved and very well received because we got to have amazing sponsors. I am a little snobbish when it comes to who comes as a sponsor, major companies are also very protective, so when I approach my sponsors it’s because I’m protective of my project just as much as they are protective of theirs and that’s where we are today.

Are you a self-taught artist or did you study music?

I took piano classes all my life and got my bachelors in piano pedagogy. I started teaching ever since. I knew that this was going to be my path – I love children and I love teaching and this is how it started.

Did you grow up listening to certain artists and admiring certain voices?

My favorite ever since I was a little child was Charles Aznavour, Shirely Bassey, Tom Jones, Michael Bublé and many others.

Do you have a favorite piece of music?

“If you go away” by Shirley Bassey, “Hier Encore” by Charles Aznavour and “Historia de un Amor”. I like diversity in music and this is why I believe people like my concert – there is the fusion factor in my concerts.

Besides piano, do you have other favorite instruments?

I have always loved the violin when I was younger but I believe I’m leaning more towards loving the cello because it’s a sad and dramatic instrument. I have appointed an instructor to teach me the cello and the hope that maybe I can perform something during my upcoming concert playing the cello, and I hope I would fulfill this because I’m always teaching and I have noticed that I never take time for myself.

What would the best description that you can put for music?

Music is a language and it’s through language that you express yourself and everything else.

The event was made possible through the generous sponsorship of several of Kuwait’s leading companies. Platinum Sponsors: DHL, Trafalgar; Gold Sponsors: Al Ostoura; Silver Sponsors: Hartmann, Porsche; Other Sponsors: PH7 Publishing House, 4 Films Printing Group W.L.L, Fauchon Paris, Tony & Guy. And Al Yousifi for providing a Grand Piano for the evening.

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Awake in the Game of Pretending with author Nejoud Al-Yagout

I

n a world that too often vibrates on the lower frequencies of fear, grief and confusion, love guides mankind to enlightenment. And in awakening, one searches for a more solid place in the human game. Pain and suffering; the cycle of life and death - they appear to be necessary struggles in the quest for self-realization, though perhaps they are not. Who knows? In her latest book ‘Awake in the Game of Pretending’, Nejoud Al-Yagout continues the spiritual exploration begun in ‘This is an imprint’, connecting readers on a collective scale. Nejoud Al-Yagout talks here to Yasmine Bandar as she continues the spiritual exploration begun in ‘This is an imprint’, connecting readers on a collective scale.

Tell us the story behind the new book. How did “Awake in the Game of Pretending” come to be?

This book is a reflection of what it means to embark on a journey from the self to the self. Although it is written from a unique perspective, it borrows matrices of perception from the unified field of consciousness.

What led up to this book?

This book was written after a spiritual crisis. When I became aware of my conditioned mind, the words appeared accordingly.

The story of my life led up to this book and then it evolved into something that was not my story or your story but our journey, individually and collectively. So many factors lead up to a book, so it can be described as a manifestation of stored energy and thought patterns. There are also sections of this book that involve awareness of the concept of mind-dissolution.

What were your biggest learning experiences throughout the writing process?

One of the things I learned is that writing is the formless manifesting as form. It is surreal that we can pick up words and ideas from what we would normally define as nowhere.

Everything we do connects us to others, so part of the learning experience was realizing that the heart is never overloaded with love. There is always room for more and more love. When I published my first book my heart welcomed many new people into its realm. What a blessing! My prayer is that with this new book, more love will seep into my paradigm, your paradigm and our paradigm.

What was the most challenging aspect of writing the book?

The editing process is brutal. Thankfully, there are deadlines.

Otherwise, it could go on ad infinitum.

What was the time frame for writing this book?

This book must have already been written inside me because it only took a few months to write it.

Would you have done it differently if you could do it again?

Of course. Everything is dissected into infinite pieces retrospectively, until we reach the place where everything is accepted as it is in this moment.

Is there a message that you want readers to take away from your book?

There is no obvious message. Those on the quest for the divine will surely relate to the essence of the book, since there are traces of the collective shift in the book.

What are you currently reading?

I feel that if I mention the book I am currently trying to read, it would not do it justice because I can’t seem to get through it.

The book itself is superb. I want to say to it: “It isn’t you. It’s me.” But I don’t know if it will believe me. That line no longer works even when it is true!

What are you working on now?

I have a book launch for ‘Awake in the Game of Pretending’ around the corner, so my energy is currently invested in preparing for that.

What is your advice for aspiring writers?

Get out of the way. You are merely the vessel. We go around labeling ourselves as writers but we are borrowing everything from an unseen realm! Nobody talks about this. It begs the question: Who is really doing the writing?

THE LUXE ARTS

“Although it is written from a unique perspective, it borrows matrices of perception from the unified field of consciousness.�

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Urban Briefing to London

36 hours in London. Where to go, what to do, and how to do it

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n the first of our series of urban guides we encourage you to take a different view of a city we’re sure you already know well – London.

THE LUXE TRAVEL Do – explore the parks. Known as ‘the lungs of London’, whether it’s Hyde, Green, Regent’s, St James’s, or further out at Richmond and Bushy, London’s Royal Parks cover more than 2,000 hectares of land in the greater London area. (royalparks. org.uk) Run - like a local. London is one of the most run-friendly cities.

Whether it’s street, trail or cross-country you’re never far from a great route or a fellow runner. (runnersguidetolondon.co.uk) Drink - a coffee at TAP. We judge our cities largely by the life lived within their cafés. This places London right at the top of our global scale. Don’t miss out on TAP Coffee, Wardour Street – a local café, in one of the world’s greatest cities. (tapcoffee.co.uk) Ride - a ‘Boris Bike’. Named after London’s Mayor at the time of their introduction, Boris Johnson, they are officially known as ‘Santander Cycles’ (for the current sponsor of the scheme, the bank Santander). With more than 11,500 bikes at 750 rental stations across the city, the network of well-maintained bikes provides a zippy way of hopping around. (tfl.gov.uk) Soak - up the culture. Even the most ravenous of culture-vultures won’t manage to devour all that London has to offer during a single sitting. The Tate’s two venues, Modern and Britain, offers a tasty smorgasbord to those pressed for time. (tate.org.uk) Stay - at Jumeirah’s Carlton Tower. Whichever city you’re in you’ll need a home-from-home if you’re going to make the best of everything it has to offer. The Jumeirah Group, through its three locations of the boutique Lowndes Hotel, their Grosvenor House Apartments by Jumeirah Living and our choice of the five star, 216-roomed Carlton Tower, have London covered.

A beacon of luxury situated on Cadogan Place – handily located for Harvey Nichols, Sloane Street and Brompton Road’s fine retail delights as well as Hyde Park - Jumeirah Carlton Tower delivers the essence of Knightsbridge throughout its twelve floors and superb views of the city’s skyline.

Home to three of the city’s favourite restaurants and one of London’s most exclusive health clubs – The Peak Health Club & Spa (offering its own panoramic views of the city) – the Jumeirah Carlton Tower offers the ideal retreat in which to recharge at the end of a day of travel, shopping or business.

Dining The Rib Room Bar & Restaurant is an elegant setting to enjoy the best of British cuisine. Located on the ground floor in the Jumeirah Carlton Tower overlooking Cadogan Place, The Rib Room features a number private dining rooms, a destination bar and the iconic artwork by Feliks Topolski, this culinary institution remains one of the best restaurants in London. Head chef Ian Rudge’s menu showcases the best of traditional British cuisine using fresh, seasonal produce. The menu features The Rib Room’s renowned roast rib of beef. (theribroom.co.uk)

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Concierge Tips: Every experienced traveller knows his best friend in any new city is the hotel concierge. Who better to get tips from Jason Laker-Jones, Head Concierge at Jumeirah Carlton Tower? He comes with all the right credentials too: Jason began his career in 1996 as a Bell Attendant at the then Carlton Tower Hotel, before joining the Concierge desk in 1998. Jason remained an integral part of the team during the Carlton Tower Hotel’s transition to Jumeirah International’s management in 2001. He was promoted to Assistant Head Concierge in 2007. In January 2015 Jason was appointed to the role of Head Concierge.

Q : A r e t her e any hid d en t r easu r es we r eall y s hould n' t mis s?

London has some wonderful hidden gems here are a few of my favourites. Firstly, Chelsea Physic Gardens which is very local to the hotel - this tranquil green space is often forgotten by tourists and Londoners. The gardens themselves were established in 1673 and contain a host of botanical plants ranging from the edible to the medicinal and historic.

A wonderful escape to from the hustle of London’s fast paced life. If you’re looking to avoid the long queues and plodding tourists altogether, hop on to the Jubilee line to Bermondsey where Maltby Market has settled in amongst the railway arches of southeast London in the Ropewalk.

There is no bet ter way to see and hear about London’s hidden treasures than a good old fashioned walking tour, with so many options to choose from whether it be London’s Lost River s, taking you back in time where a net work of River s ser ved the Capital to London Street ar t where by the end you will know your Roas from your Malark y’s and your Sweet Toofs from you Banksy’s.

THE LUXE TRAVEL

Q Are you able to recommend a private tour guide who can show us the best of the city?

I cannot really highlight one but more the company they work for.

British Tours are at the top of list when delivering professional, knowledgeable and truly unique Tours of London. Their Guides have spent years of dedication and commitment to achieving the coveted Blue Badge.

Q: Can you help us book the best restaurants or secure the impossible theatre or sporting ticket? Help much notice would you typically need?

In one word “YES�. This is where the team I and really excel.

There is nothing more satisfying or motivating than to exceed our guests expectations. Our job is to unlock the door that most cannot and the contacts that we have built over the years enable us to achieve the impossible.

Q: How many languages are spoken by staff in the hotel?

We are very proud of our cultural diversity at Jumeirah Carlton Tower. We have many colleagues who are bilingual and this provides our guests with a true understanding of their requirements. At the concierge alone we have colleagues who are fluent in the following languages; English, Arabic, French, Polish, Hungarian, Croatian, Greek Sudanese, Pilipino, Italian, Bulgarian, Spanish, Romanian, Hindi and Portuguese.

Q: What, to you, is the extra quality that makes the difference between a good concierge and a great concierge?

A good Concierge is one that provides his guests with the service requirements they need. A great Concierge has the ability and skill set to take an ordinary guest request and elevate it to a level that is considered to be an art form. It is the ability to anticipate desires and needs before the guest is aware himself.

Partly down to experience but an innovative and dynamic mindset is key to becoming a great concierge.

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ZEITGEIST Good design, where form and function come together so exquisitely, should always be celebrated.

This month Men’s Passion features some of the most desirable and well executed products that define the times in which we are living.

The HM6 ‘Space Pirate’ strikes gold

THE LUXE ZEITGEIST

The “Best of the Best” prize at the Red Dot gala ceremony in Essen, Germany – one of the most famous international design competitions went to MB&F’s Horological Machine No.6 ‘Space Pirate’, one of only 81 products to obtain the highest-ranking award, among some 5,000 submissions.

In the jury’s own words, “…this wristwatch stages its own cosmos. It dissolves the boundaries of classical wristwatch design and advances it through an exciting futuristic approach.

The distinctive shape of the clockwork simply fascinates and its mechanism mesmerises. Featuring the appearance of a friendly being from another world, this wristwatch seems to tell its own tale – a world of adventure for the beholder”.

You could say the HM6 struck gold… and by a lucky turn of events, this coincides perfectly with the introduction of a new limited edition of Space Pirates: HM6 RT. Only 18 pieces in 18K red gold, which follow the first 50 pieces in grade 5 titanium presented last year. As you may recall, the HM6 range will be limited to 100 movements in total.

This is not your usual “5N” red gold however. MB&F has crafted this new edition from solid blocks of “5N+” red gold, and that little plus makes a big difference. In addition to the usual gold and copper, a small amount of palladium has been added to the mix. The palladium “fixes” the copper, which otherwise has a tendency to oxidise and tarnish over time. 5N+ red gold will thus retain its colour for many years.

Inside the 5N+ red gold case, visible through no less than 10 sapphire crystals, lies the radical 475-component HM6 engine.

Displaying time via revolving hour and minute spheres, it also features dual turbine regulators which act as shock absorbers for the automatic winding rotor, as well as a 60-second flying tourbillon – protected when necessary by a titanium “hyperspace shield”.

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Final of Jaeger-LeCoultre Gold Cup

M o r e t h a n 14 , 0 0 0 s p e c t a t o r s w e r e a t C o w d r a y P a r k P o l o C l u b i n We s t S u s s e x o n S u n d a y 19 t h J u l y t o w a t c h t h e F i n a l s o f t h e 2 015 J a e g e rLeCoultre Gold Cup for the British Open C h a m p i o n s h i p s . Tw o a m a z i n g t e a m s , K i n g Power Foxes and UAE fiercely competed for the most coveted Gold Cup, with King Power Foxes ultimately claiming victor y with a comfor table m a r g i n o f 14 - 8 .

2 0 15 a l s o m a r k s t h e f i r s t y e a r f o r J a e g e r- L e C o u l t r e a s T i t l e S p o n s o r, f u r t h e r s t r e n g t h e n i n g o u r l o n g standing relationship as the Of ficial Timekeeper

of Cowdray Park Polo Club, the most prestigious a n d o l d e s t p o l o c l u b i n t h e U K . J a e g e r- L e C o u l t r e CEO Daniel Riedo and UK Director Zahra KassimL a k h a w e r e d e l i g h t e d t o p r e s e n t t h e Tr o p h y t o the winning team King Power Foxes, a specially engraved Reverso to the Best Patron and special gif ts to the finalists and the umpires.

Ta k i n g o n t h e B r i t i s h C h a m p i o n s h i p t h i s y e a r and for many years to come marks a new level of our commitment to Polo at the ver y highest level, alongside our Of ficial Timekeeper role at the Palermo Open.

THE LUXE EVENTS

Study for a domiciled gallery

Study for a domiciled galler y is a site specific installation in the Museum of Modern A r t, Kuwait composed of a living room, glass, steel. This work is a study to examine the relation or disconnect bet ween bet ween private spaces and public, the possibilities of regional homes to be domiciled in public galleries and museums. Will regional museums receive the collections of citizens and residents?

If the museum plays a role in the communit y, will the communit y, citizen and resident be able to reciprocate and play a role in the museum? Communities are usually the main stakeholder s for public spaces.

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Al Mulla & Behbehani Motor Company presents full products and services at Business Partner Event

Al Mulla & Behbehani Motor Company (MBMC), the sole distributor of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep®, Ram, Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Mopar® in Kuwait held a special event prior to summer at the Salwa Sabah Al Ahmad Theater & Hall, with a VIP audience that included leading Government and Ministry officials, fleet customers and key business partners as well as the Kuwaiti media. At this event the company also revealed the new Chrysler 300 C and Chrysler 300 Limited.

“The Chrysler 300 as well as the Dodge Charger and have enjoyed remarkable success in the Kuwaiti fleet sector, and this occasion gave us the opportunity to showcase our full, expanded range, consisting of Jeep, Ram as well as Alfa Romeo, Fiat and our commercial range of Fiat Professional vehicles” said Oscar Rivoli, General Manager at MBMC. MBMC also outlined the ways in which it can help businesses through a comprehensive product range that is supported by a dedicated infrastructure and service that is designed to improve efficiency and contain costs.

“The success of our customers is our success, and that’s the reason why we have invested and introduced changes to create an infrastructure that is designed to comprehensively support our fleet and business customers at every level,” added Rivoli.

MBMC and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles offer an unrivalled range of cars that encompasses everything from compact city cars like the Fiat 500 range through to the affordable luxury of the Chrysler 300 and the high performance SRT models.

There’s also a full line up of Jeep models, including the Wrangler, Cherokee and Grand Cherokee. The Jeep brand has been synonymous with unrivalled off-road capability for over seven decades and continues to strengthen its position as the benchmark for off-road vehicles whilst adding even more on-road refinements.

MBMC’s range also includes a wide range of dependable, adaptable commercial vehicles for every business need.

Everyone knows the Ram 1500 Laramie, one of the most luxurious and well-appointed trucks available in the market, but the Ram range also includes heavy-duty workhorses like the 2500, 3500 and chassis cab, which are available to suit multiple applications. Add to that the Fiat Professional range, which includes the Doblo, Fiorino and Ducato Vans with many different specialist applications including chiller units, ambulances, disabled transport and passenger transport, offering more functionality, performance and value.

Adding value to customer relationships - continues to be a central pillar of MBMC’s long-term objectives. This passion runs right throughout the company, which continues to work hard to instil the mindset that the customer is king to every member of the MBMC team.

With a reputation for high levels of specification, total commitment to the highest build quality, consistently strong residual values and absolute determination to deliver customer service, MBMC constantly develops and expands its delivery of promises to individual and business customers.

THE LUXE EVENTS

Kawasaki unveils Ninja H2 and H2R in Kuwait

In an event eagerly anticipated and attended by owners and enthusiasts of the Kawasaki Ninja, Kawasaki Middle East - Zed Motorz launched the much-awaited Supercharged Ninja H2 and H2R in their Kuwait showroom Bike Zone. MD Elias Jabbour and GM Ghassan Doueihy attended the ceremony and introduced the phenomenal Ninja H2 and H2R. Only a small number of this handmade bike are available at the showroom.

The Ninja H2 and H2- R we re develope d with the crossover technologies of the Kawasaki Group, and are hand-built by senior engineers.

Equipped with a 998cc liquid cooled 4-stroke inline 4 cylinders supercharged engine, they deliver power ful acceleration never seen before.

With limited numbers of Ninja H2 machines a v a i l a b l e f o r t h e 2 015 s e a s o n , o r d e r b o o k s a r e filling fast.

The inevitable talk is of both machines being seen in the ver y near future as Kawasaki icons. Kawasaki ‘s dedication to providing “ F u n t o R i d e ” m o d e l s i s f a r f r o m o v e r. I f anything, the Ninja H2 is a testament to the b r a n d’s c o m m i tm e nt to c o nti n u e c h a ll e n g i n g conventions, searching for new technology in their ongoing effor t to provide enthusiasts with ever greater levels of riding exhilaration. The audience had an opportunity to pose beside the new Ninja H2 and H2R at the showroom.

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THE LUXE EVENTS

New Lexus Quick Service Center

Mohamed Naser Al Sayer & Sons, one of the Al Sayer Group Holding Companies announced the commencement of operations of the new Lexus service center facility located at Shuwaikh.

Mr. Faisal Bader Al Sayer, Vice Chairman of Al Sayer Group cut the ribbon marking the inauguration of the brand new facility.

Main attendees of the event were Mr. Simon Frith Business Director Lexus Division, Eng. Sherief Sabry Deputy GM Lexus Service, in addition to representatives from other business divisions of the Group and distinguished members from the press and media.

Lexus vehicle maintenance is carried out by highly qualified and trained staff, they have been handpicked to meet Lexus advanced technology standards. Lexus Service Centers are committed to delivering highest levels of customer satisfaction and peace of mind.

All Lexus facilities in Kuwait embeds the philosophy of “Customer as No.1” that was nurtured over the half century history in all related elements around auto business being sales, service, parts and second hand car at a very high level and it conveys the sense of “Top of Hospitality” grounded on the values of 7 star customer service that penetrates throughout each corner of the facility.

Through the 7 star customer service model, Al Sayer Lexus commits to relentlessly pursue customer service perfection in every endeavor, and as a team aim to provide our customers with a rewarding personal ownership experience that continually exceeds their expectations.