ISSUE 42

N° 42

NOV

Winter’s Dream

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20 Chairman SHAHAB IZADPANAH

EDITORIAL

PUBLISHING

Editor in Chief MOJEH IZADPANAH

Publishing Director RADHIKA NATU

Associate Editor SHERI IZADPANAH

Senior Publishing Executive DESIREE LABANDA-GAVERIA

Managing Editor KELLY BALDWIN

Junior Publishing Assistant kisada hurin

Senior Writer Mary KeEnan

Advertising Manager Sian Hayes

Fashion Writer Laura Beaney

Paris Representative GHISLAIN DE CASTELBAJAC

Junior Writer Annie Darling

Advertising Inquiries Tel: +971 4 553 90 49 Email: advertising@mojeh.com

Senior Editorial Assistant Sophie pasztor

Subscription Tel: +971 4 553 90 49 Email: subs@mojeh.com

Guest Fashion Stylists Alba Melendo Camille Josephine Teisseire Joana Figueira Jean Charline Tomlinson

Online Division ALI ROMAN Afreen Khwaja

MOJEH Men Group Peter Iantorno Dmitri Ruwan

LOUIS FOURTEEN FOR MOJEH Concierge Service Management daisy marchant

ART

Corporate Manager JUBRAN HAMATI

Producer LOUIS AGENCY

Published under HS Media Group FZ LLC Registered at Dubai Design District Building No. 8, Offices 212 P.O.Box 502333, Dubai, UAE.

Art Director AMIRREZA AMIRASLANI Deputy Art Director Richard Lee Graphic Designer Balaji Mahendran Contributing Photographers Laura Marie Cieplik Luc Braquet Greg Adamski Anthony Arquier Catherine Louis

Cover photographed by Anthony Arquier, model wears Play of Lights earrings by Piaget.

WWW.MOJEH.COM Louis Fourteen for MOJEH Follow us on Twitter @MOJEH_Magazine MOJEH Swiss Representative Office: Rue de Rive 4, 1204 Geneva, Switzerland Average qualified circulation (January-June 2015): 13,306 copies.

For the UAE printed by Emirates Printing Press LLC. Distribution- UAE: Al Nisr Distribution LLC. Qatar: Dar Al Sharq. Bahrain: Jashanmal & Sons BSC (C). Oman: United Media Services LLC. Lebanon: Messageries Du Moyen-Orient The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessary those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the readers particular circumstances. The ownership of trademark is acknowledged, therefore reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. All credits are subjects to change. Copyright HS MEDIA GROUP FZ LLC 2011

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Abu Dhabi Piaget Boutique: Avenue at Etihad Towers, 02 667 0044

22

M o j eh C o ntent s

seasonal Style 72. The Runway Rebel Bochert embodies Brooklyn’s bohemian dream. We speak to the muse, musician and media-shy enigma, who makes modelling her sideline.

76. Style Notes Wrapped up details, Rykiel revisited, and the perks of a pared back capsule closet, MOJEH shares a shift in style for autumn/winter.

86. Velvet Vision Rosemin Manji balances success and style with her signature smile. Here, she shows us how to costume one of the season’s most challenging fabrics.

94. Couture in Focus Couture celebrates a new era as its styles transcend to the streets, Bouchra Jarrar takes the lead at Lanvin, and Chanel’s craftsmanship is as impeccable as it is practical.

© 2016 CHLOE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Fashion Avenue, The Dubai Mall - Dubai chloe.com

Avenue at Etihad Towers - Abu Dhabi

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MOJEH Women 50. My Stylish Life What do you do during a volcanic eruption?

In Daniela Karnuts’s case, you start a fashion label. We discuss literature, lipstick and the Dalai Lama with the SAFiYAA founder.

230. Revealing Razan When she’s not summering on the Almalfi coast or exploring Italian markets, she’s crafting couture for celebrities. MOJEH finds out what makes Razan Alazzouni tick.

Talking Points

68. The Cost of Creativity All too easily, the notions of creativity and sanity are connected as one.

MOJEH explores fashion’s internal fight.

217. Leading Lady Age is just a number, but the career of a ballerina is a tangible one. MOJEH speaks to the Royal Ballet’s returning prima ballerina, aged 53.

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Photoshoots 118. Winter’s Dream Winter’s crisp skies are referenced in ice white gold, while floral forms take us back down to a jewelled earth.

128. A Dramatic Debut A production of our most precious pieces, couture shapes the state of the season’s evening affairs.

148. Changing Lanes Sequined flora and powerful prints set the tone for night’s finery, while winter’s penchant for opulence is balanced by simplified outerwear.

158. Scorched Soul Materials stake their claim for our attentions as mohair, luxe leather and knits collide.

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Jewellery & Watches 44. Five Minutes With A story that started in Ancient Greece and found favour in the Middle East, MOJEH speaks to the jewellery designer, Liana Vourakis, who’s reinventing the rules with her offbeat aesthetic.

182. Wearable Art MOJEH shines a spotlight on the rarefied reality of exhibit-worthy adornments.

190. Dare To Shine With no formal design training but the belief in the beauty of a black diamond, Fawaz Gruosi became a global reference point.

192. Just An Illusion The celestial call of Cartier’s latest collection is deceptive to the eye.

MOJEH unveils Magicien’s secrets.

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Health & Beauty 198. Beauty And Body Secrets The face of Bottega Veneta’s latest fragrance, Nine d’Urso, discusses the art of application and her enduring love for the crimson lip.

206. Liquid Gold Facial oils, festive palettes and dairy-free living – NARS international makeup artist, Anna Priadka, breathes life into our beauty routine.

MOJEH Culture 212. Screen Savers Shattering stereotypes one film at a time, as we approach Dubai International Film Festival, we share the stories of the Emirati women shaping the silver screen.

220. On The Frontline When war is waged, these women capture the chaos. MOJEH speaks to the female war photographers calling the shots.

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E d i t o r ’s L ette r

Photographed by Laura Marie Cieplik

A Couture Lifestyle Couture is currently a hot industry topic. What defines the highest accolade in fashion today? Does it make money, or rather, bleed the maisons of their resources? How many still buy in to it? Yes, it might be true that the fairytale visions of haute couture’s past – where only princess-worthy gowns, mountains of sequins and pearls and Marie Antoinette-esque hair lined the runways – are now sharing the limelight with the unconventional, the avant-garde and in the case of Vetements and Alexander Vauthier (as just two examples), the street-worthy. But, isn’t this what fashion is about – exploration and experimentation, especially at its highest level?

Regardless of sales (where the clandestine nature of the business means they remain private), haute couture is a showcase of the truly exceptional craftsmanship and talent that still exists in the world today. Hours of work, intimate techniques that can never be shared or replicated and ideas that quite often blow your mind, all go in to the painstakingly perfect pieces – even more so for the unconventional and imaginative newcomers we saw on the 2016 lineup, who don’t have decades of practice to lean on. But, freedom of course, breeds creativity, which is celebrated through the course of this issue, from a look at the designers expanding out from ready-to-wear and the styles trickling down to the street, to the pieces perfect for any occasion this festive season in our photoshoot, A Dramatic Debut.

With this issue and through the foundations of Haute Couture, we encourage you to slow down and appreciate the craftsmanship behind everything in life. The festive season moves at the speed of light and it’s easy to get carried away in its joyous intensity, but there’s thought and craft behind everything we see and experience – in the clothing we fashion and the beauty looks we covet, at the basic level, to the more artistic via the high jewellery we invest in, and the less tangible, such as the people we meet and share festive moments with. These are your months to move slower and take it all in.

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @Mojeh_I and write to me at editor@mojeh.com

Mojeh Izadpanah Editor in Chief

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E d i t o r ’s SN A P SHOT s

Understated Opulence 1

2

3&4

5

Opulence need not be explicit. Take a subdued approach and subtract brazen colour, replacing with gracious monochrome. Refined tailoring can be paired with embellished sneakers and flawless stones for understated glamour.

1. PRADA | 2. GIUSEPPE ZANOTTI | 3. ALEXANDER MCQUEEN | 4. BURBERRY | 5. ROGER VIVIER | 6. CHANEL | 7. DE GRISOGONO | 8. MATICEVSKI

8

6

7

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Adorn yourself with Christian Dior’s striking Dior VIII Grand Bal Cancan watch for an elusive form of wristwear. Beautifully decorated with a two-layered black and yellow feather, its marquetry delicately dances around the dial.

Dior VIII Grand Bal Cancan Watch, CHRISTIAN DIOR

Photographed by Rhys Simpson-Hopkins, styled by Sophie Pasztor

S t yl e N ote

©2016 COACH®

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S t yl e N ote

B irds o f Prey An heirloom favourite has become the season’s most coveted accessory. The brooch makes a big return with affluent embellishments and artisan detail. Worn best when strewn onto a monochromatic satin fit-and-flare evening dress, for a strong sartorial statement.

Photographed by Sarvenaz Hashtroudi, styled by Sophie Pasztor

Bird brooch with diamonds, pearl, multi coloured sapphires, amethyst and tanzanite in 18 karat white and rose gold, LA MARQUISE

www.adler.ch

Photographed by Sarvenaz Hashtroudi, styled by Sophie Pasztor

40 S t yl e Note

G o l d e n

Touch Gilded shades transcend time and exude regality.

Circle this month’s social happenings with extravagant panache and enlist accessories that are golden.

Pick up items similar to those from Dolce&Gabbana or Jimmy Choo that can be worn singularly or layered, depending on the level of luxe desired.

Left to right: Shoes, JIMMY CHOO | bag, MARK CROSS at Harvey Nichols-Dubai | sunglasses, CHANEL | belt, DOLCE&GABBANA

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Pearl Pl ay In a hybrid of timeless style and contemporary design, pearls position themselves as a season favourite. Their polished appearance keeps them refined, while edgy construction gives them a new purpose.

Clockwise from the top: Earring, BALENCIAGA | bracelet, CHANEL | hair comb, DOLCE&GABBANA | shoe, CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN

Photographed by Sarvenaz Hashtroudi, styled by Sophie Pasztor

S t yl e N ote

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M OJEH I nter v i e w

A fusion of Greek heritage and influence from faraway lands Liana Vourakis pairs precious and semi-precious stones with symbols of protection. The collection is available at S*uce Rocks

Five Minutes With

aesthetics. Marble and diamonds are one of my

Liana Vourakis

favourite combinations; I’m also currently working

Working with exquisite and unusual material combinations that reflect the mystique of her native Grecian culture, Liana Vourakis calls out to the woman that likes to mix things up.

this as many people told me my combinations

on a collection that pairs wood with diamonds.

You took a risk and decided to move away from the traditional direction of your family business. How was your new approach received?

You have to have a certain kind of courage to do would not work or be popular. Some prefer traditional designs, but I believe if you surprise people, they have an opportunity to be different and unusual. Ultimately, your jewellery becomes a part of you, so it’s important to invest wisely.

has your heritage influenced your collection?

Your work has a strong Grecian influence;

My family started its jewellery business in Athens,

how do the designs appeal to the Middle

in 1926. I’m the third generation of jewellers

Eastern woman?

from my family and each member has been

There’s actually a strong relationship between

involved. The designs of my ancestors were

the Mediterranean and the Middle East. We share

very high–end, but when I set out to create my

some of the same values, imagery and dress

own collections, I added my personal touch.

codes. The evil eye is present in the symbology

I wanted to make pieces that were different,

of both cultures, it’s all about protection and

but easy to wear.

positivity. We also share the belief that jewellery is not just decorative and ornamental, it’s about

And, what makes your designs different?

memories. Buying jewellery is not like buying a

Imagination, fantasy and the element of the

bag; it’s buying a piece of life.

unexpected! Take my evil eye pieces, for example – they are unusual because of the

How do you style your jewellery?

colour. We are used to seeing the evil eye in

I dress very simply. I believe everyone’s style has

bright blue, but I have switched up the concept

an obsession and mine is the colour blue. I opt

and created pieces in black and white. I also

for high quality materials but for me, clothing is

play with different materials and experiment with

a backdrop for my designs.

Interview by Laura Beaney. Images courtesy of S*uce Rocks

You come from a long line of jewellers – how

46

FA SHION IN F O C U S

1 9

2

LISA HAHNBUECK

8

3

Fit & Flare Embrace individuality through distinctive details, from fine-tuned ruffles and flairs to figure altering fringes. Keep to a warm palette of emerald green and jewelled

7

plum for heightened sophistication.

1. BVLGARI | 2. MADIYAH AL SHARQI | 3. CINDY CHAO | 4. STELLA MCCARTNEY | 5. GIVENCHY | 6. SALVATORE FERRAGAMO | 7. MATICEVSKI | 8. POCA & POCA | 9. MARCO DE VINCENZO @net-a-porter

4

6

Compiled by Sophie Pasztor, Image courtesy of Christian Vierig at Getty

5

1

2

Twofold

ADA KOKOSAR

9

8

Whether through symmetric pleats or tie waist trousers, origami-inspired garments are bringing Eastern flair to an international stage. Opt for satin fabrics, like that found on Michael Lo Sordo’s jacket, revealing a pleasant sheen when folded.

1. Dsquared2 | 2. FRAME @net-a-porter | 3.

BALENCIAGA | 4. ROGER VIVIER | 5. SAINT LAURENT | 6.

SALVATORE FERRAGAMO | 7. POCA & POCA | 8. CÉLINE | 9. MICHAEL LO SORDO @net-a-porter

3

Compiled by Sophie Pasztor, Image courtesy Christian Vierig at Getty

5 4 6 7

48

9

1 2

Chiara Ferragni

8

3

Midnight Hour Awaken your imagination with fantastical embroidery and dreamy fabrics. Azure velvet

7

provides a soft touch that is both on-trend and whimsical, while Mary Janes and feminine embroidery highlight a youthful spirit.

1. CÉLINE | 2. RED VALENTINO @stylebop | 3. CHLOÉ | 4.

ROLAND MOURET @net-a-porter | 5. ALEXANDER MCQUEEN | 6. GIUSEPPE ZANOTTI | 7. ELISABETTA FRANCHI | 8.

CLAUDIE PIERLOT | 9. SAINT LAURENT

5

6

Compiled by Sophie Pasztor, Image courtesy of Timur Emek at Getty

4

1

9

8

2

Underground Muse Artfully don a moody palette with the zest of cool-girl style. Exaggerated silhouettes and edgy bags provoke an attitude of rebellion, while gold jewellery maintains

7

the level of sophistication you require.

1. ELISABETTA FRANCHI | 2. DIANE VON FURSTENBERG | 3. CÉLINE | 4. GUCCI | 5. FENDI | 6. SALVATORE FERRAGAMO | 7. MATICEVSKI | 8.

STELLA MCCARTNEY | 9. CHRISTIAN DIOR

Compiled by Sophie Pasztor, Image courtesy of Edward Berthelot at Getty

4

3

5

6

50

S o c i ety W o m en

Daniela Karnuts Daniela Karnuts first begun her label SAFiYAA in 2010, after finding herself stranded in India during a volcanic eruption – where, by default, she created an emergency wardrobe that sparked her passion for design.We caught up with the style maven as she dishes out her best-kept beauty secrets and must-haves for the month ahead.

Treat others how you like to be treated | Who has taught you the most: My mother and grandmother | What inspires you the most: Passion, literature, intellect, and art | Person you’d most like to meet: The Dalai Lama | On the bucket list: To learn how to meditate and experience each moment to the fullest | Most cherished possession: My family and Blue Weimaraner | Most exciting event in your diary for November: Our event at the Taj Hotel in Dubai, hosted by Rosemin Manji | Last book that you read: Shaolin – Bernhard Moestl; an essential read to consciously define your life path | Song on repeat: Florence and the Machine – Delilah | Favourite beach destination: Maldives | Ideal holiday: Anywhere that I can achieve mind, body and soul relaxation, time for reflection and lots of sleep | Favourite place in the world: Bavarian Alps | Favourite travel partner: My husband | Where were you this summer: Monaco, South of France | Favourite fashion brands: Azzedine Alaia, Christian Dior | Favourite British designer: Lucas Hugh Activewear | Heels or flats: Heels | Style icon: Cate Blanchett | Signature style: Chic timelessness and modern elegance | Best denim brand: Frame | Bag of the moment: Céline TriFold Shoulder Bag in Black | Favourite place to shop: The Internet | Trend to covet for A/W16: Harness | Go-to hairdresser: Josh Wood | Blowdry or au naturel: For every day, au naturel | Best hair treatment: Kerastase | Favourite beauty brand: Rodial | Staple lipstick and shade: ‘Chihuahua’ by Nars | Nail colour for November: Malaga Wine | Best health tip you’ve been given: Eat organic | Favourite at-home beauty solution: Ginseng Extract Tea every morning | Signature scent: Tom Ford Café Rose | Daily beauty regimen: Deep face cleanse with Rodial Skincare | How do you stay in shape: Pilates, yoga, spinning | Favourite supplements: Ginseng Extract, Probiotics, Iron | Any natural remedies that you swear by: Classic homeopathy | Best workout: Sunrise Yoga | At-sea or inland: At-sea.

Interviewed by Sophie Pasztor

My Stylish Life:

Motto to live by: “No risk, no fun” | Best advice:

Daniela wears Safiyaa Omera Velvet Cape in navy, Washed Silk Bow Blouse in navy and Adriana Trousers in black, Gianvito Rossi shoes and Rolex watch.

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M OJEH N ew s

Modern art firsts and fine fragrance launches. As our calendars continue to fill with event season’s pressing schedule, look no further as we guide you between November’s most notable happenings.

As the eighth edition of the revered arts fair gets underway, the capital welcomes both innovative and established galleries from around the world. The artworks are accompanied by a programme of dynamic and interdisciplinary talks from the experts at Louvre Abu Dhabi and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. Highlights include the exhibition on Modern Arab Art, curated by Catherine David, Deputy Director of the National Museum of Modern Art at Paris’s Centre Georges Pompidou.

Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi

Acclaimed calligrapher and Abu Dhabi Art participant, Wang Dongling at the China Academy of Art.

LE66 Champs Élysées Launches in Dubai Known for its youthful energy and ever-changing array of on-the-pulse offerings, the diverse and dynamic Parisian concept store, LE66 Champs Élysées, brings a plethora of eclectic international and regional talent to Dubai. The store stocks womenswear, menswear, fashion accessories, home items and technology from labels like Maison Kitsune, Finders Keepers and T by Alexander Wang, as well as local talent including Reemami and AKS. City Walk 2, Dubai LE66, Av. Des Champs Elysées, Paris.

Words by Laura Beaney. Images courtesy of Abu Dhabi Culture and Tourism Authority, Christian Louboutin, Fondation Louis Vuitton, LE66 and Bil Arabi

New For November

Abu Dhabi Art, 16–19 November

Henri Matisse, Red Room (Harmony in Red).

Christian Louboutin Launches Perfume Oils As with everything he touches, Christian Louboutin has elevated fragrance application to the realms of an art form. Already realised as perfumes, Bikini Questa Sera, Tornade Blonde and Trouble in Heaven are now available as three highly concentrated oils. Conveying Christian’s obsession with the rituals surrounding beauty, the oils are applied with a glass dabber contained within the bottle, allowing the wearer to ‘stroke’ on the fragrance with a highly feminine and elegant gesture.

Icons of Modern Art: The Shchukin Collection, Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris, October 22, 2016 – February 20, 2017 Offering a rare glimpse into one of the greatest gatherings of modern art, Sergei Shchukin’s collection is being shown outside of Russia for the very first time. The patron’s personal friendships with Monet and Matisse shaped the basis of this radical 130-piece exhibit that includes both their works, as well as those of Gauguin, Picasso, Van Gogh and, Toulouse-Lautrec, amongst other major Impressionists, Post-Impressionists and Modern Masters.

Louis Vuitton Fondation, Paris

The Ashra Collection, Bil Arabi.

Trouble in Paradise, Christian Louboutin Fragrance Oil.

Celebrating 10 Years of Bil Arabi Nadine Kanso’s Bil Arabi cements its tenth year in jewellery with two anniversary collections. Celebrating the decade that saw the Beirut-born designer work with the likes of the Victoria and Albert Museum as well as with international brands like Louis Vuitton and Gucci, the Ashra collection uses an endless, circular motif to represent the timeless nature of her elegant and eclectic pieces, while the Mina collection emphasises words such as ‘love’, ‘light’, and ‘willpower’ with the brand’s signature stamp of Arabic calligraphy.

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S t yl e N otes

G

i

l

d

e

d

In the season of opulence we shower our eyes with a sheer wash of gold and coat our lips in high shine gloss. Pare back the rest of your look for fresh and contemporary radiance.

Photographed by Greg Adamski Styled by Kelly Baldwin

A power suit should be everything but bland. Look to designers like Gucci who offer luxe sophistication through gilded brocade and jewelled crimson hues.

Suit and shoes, GUCCI

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Elevate your black dress with touches of metallic and play with the skin’s luminosity by mirroring bronzed undertones from your wardrobe into your complexion.

Face throughout: Orchidee Imperiale Black, Meteorites Perles Light-Diffusing Perfecting Primer, Fluid Foundation Lingerie de peau N03, Lingerie de peau 03, Parure precious light pink pearly illuminator, GUERLAIN | Lips: KissKiss liplift, KissKiss Pretty Pink562, GUERLAIN Top, STELLA MCCARTNEY | Dress, VERSACE

Let tresses fall with nonchalance. Further your look and team an opulent evening dress with a demure camel coat for effortless elegance.

Dress, DOLCE&GABBANA | Jacket, CHANEL | Earrings, CHRISTIAN DIOR

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Perfecting a high ballerina bun is key for the season. The structure emphasises the face’s natural angles and light fly-aways offer a touch of nonchalance. A light dusting of gold on the eyes is the new way to channel smoky.

Eyes: Eyeshadow 2 shades Shalimar, Mascara Maxi lash So Volume Black, Eyeliner Shalimar Khol 06 Gold’n Eyes, Eye pencil Katy Navy 04 | Lips: KissKiss liplift, La petite Robe Noire Beige Lingerie 11, Maxi Shine gloss 401, GUERLAIN Dress, TEMPERLEY LONDON

60 Warm up your winter with melting metallic hues from head to toe.

Add a flush of pink to the lips and cheeks for a radiant pop.

Dress, ROBERTO CAVALLI

Add a stroke of illuminator to the cheeks to reflect the natural light. Accessorise with this season’s statement jewellery.

Eyes: Eyeshadow 2 shades Shalimar, Mascara Maxi lash So Volume Black | Lips: KissKiss liplift, La petite Robe Noire Beige Lingerie 11, Maxi Shine gloss 401, GUERLAIN Earrings and necklace, MARNI

62 Take a light approach to winter’s berrybitten beauty note. Choose a soft pink lipstick base and then bleed a light dab of scarlet onto your inner lips.

Eyes: Eyeshadow 2 shades Shalimar | Lips: KissKiss liplift, Rouge G 821, GUERLAIN

Make the most of those warm winter days and costume a whimsical dress that moves with you. Incorporate a pair of statement boots to add a seasonal element.

Dress, VALENTINO | Boots, SAINT LAURENT | Earrings, DIOR

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The juxtaposition between hard and soft provides the perfect balance for your evening look. Go bold with framed eyes and let wispy hair and mountains of feathers nod towards femininity.

Eyes: Eyeshadow 2 shades Shalimar, Eye pencil Katy Navy 04 | Lips: KissKiss liplift, Rouge G 821, GUERLAIN Feather collar, ALEXANDER MCQUEEN

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Various shades of purple on the eye perfectly offset gentle layers of glitter on demure knitwear.

Eyes: Eyeshadow 2 shades Shalimar, Eye pencil Black Jack 01 | Lips: KissKiss liplift, Rouge G 821, GUERLAIN Top, Balenciaga

Layering might be an important take home for the season, but texture is key. Look to embroidered jumpers, beaded collars and coarse trousers to add opposing dimensions.

Top, MARNI | Cardigan, ALEXANDER MCQUEEN | Trousers, MAX MARA

Model: Natalia Uliasz at MMG Makeup artist: Alexandra Lynn using Guerlain Hair stylist: Manuel Losada Stylist’s assistant: Sophie Pasztor Set designer: Lauren Haslam

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t al k ing p o i nt

Alexander McQueen’s autumn/winter14 runway was dramatically dark, not unlike the late designer himself, who committed suicide in 2010.

Vera Wang has spoken out about childhood anxiety and has been lauded for her work involving mental illness among young people.

Pierre Bergé, who cofounded YSL with Saint Laurent in 1961, revealed that his partner was committed to a mental hospital for electric shock treatment.

The Cost of

Words by Annie Darling

Fashion Week spring/summer17 collection, Tom Ford gave an honest and devastatingly painful account of his ongoing battle with depression, describing how he thinks about death every day. The Texas-born designer candidly told the Hollywood Reporter that he began experiencing these thoughts as a young child and admitted that he still struggles with self-destructive feelings.

On February 11, 2010, Alexander McQueen committed suicide, aged 40. The housekeeper found his body hanging in his London home days

The notorious poet Lord Bryon once said: “We of the craft all are crazy.” Creativity has long been associated with mental disorder, but has the link between the two been heavily embellished?

after the death of his beloved mother, Joyce, who had lost her battle with cancer. Could McQueen not bear to attend the funeral, which was organised for the next day? Maybe death seemed like an escape – a blessed relief.

Images courtesy of Reg Lancaster, Frazer Harrison, and Catwalking at Getty

Creativity?

A few weeks before unveiling his New York

artists is that their work allows them to act out in a way that is constructive.”

Violence and distress dominates McQueen’s collections. Models walked the runway with brown-red mud splattered across their chest as if victims of some terrible violence. As his career developed, he pushed fashion imagery further into the realm of fantasy: Women were caged in padded cells; half smothered or drowned, masked and tethered. Current creative director of Alexander McQueen, Sarah Burton, has stayed true to the late designer’s distraught aesthetic, recognising his dark dynamism and genius.

McQueen epitomises the ‘tortured artist’, a concept that has long been debated and an archetype Dr Arutt strongly disbelieves. “One does not have to be self-destructive in order to create. This is a myth. So many artists carry around a deep fear that if they ‘get well’ – master their inner critic, learn to self-soothe – they will lose whatever makes them special.”

Albert Rothenberg, professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, agrees. “My specific research findings are that the three main cognitive psychological processes responsible for creative effects and creativity are all healthy ones. They require freedom from impedance by Or perhaps not: In 2004, Joyce was invited by

Many of her patients suffer the same “garden-

mental illness symptoms in order for creation

a British newspaper to interview her famous

variety issues” the rest of the population has,

to operate effectively.”

son, by then at his own label. In a quick-witted

but there are significant differences. “It takes

So, it’s reasonable to conclude that people who

exchange, she asked him to name “his most

tremendous courage to make something from

suffer from mental disorders are more likely

terrifying fear”. Without hesitation, he confessed,

nothing and this is what artists do every day.”

to pursue creative careers because of their

“Dying before you.” One can’t help but wonder

She continues, “It’s not unusual for people who

idiosyncrasies; however, their symptoms are

if, for his own mother’s sake, McQueen had just

are ‘outliers’ and don’t fit neatly within the bell

not inherently linked to their capability. “Both

been biding time.

curve to also have accompanying traits like

solving and working through mental health

For centuries, there has been speculation over

emotional intensity, a voracious appetite for

problems, with and without medication, facilitates

whether there’s a correlation between mental

learning things that interest them, a powerful

creativity,” concurs Professor Rothenberg.

disorder and creativity. There’s no shortage of

ability to focus on preferred tasks and a feeling

“Needless suffering can be averted by

designers who openly suffer for their art and,

of being different somehow… while these traits

separating out the thing we can help from

for many, art stems from their suffering. Were

are not inherently self-destructive, they can be

the traits that make a person creative,”

the likes of Aristotle and John Milton right:

exquisitely painful.”

adds Dr Arutt. “A safe space can be created

Does angst really have creative perks? And,

McQueen had a history of depression (he had

internally... rather than diminishing the artistic

is it true that creative people are more likely

attempted two overdoses prior to his death),

ability, this becomes a place to recharge, so

to be mentally ill?

as well as anxiety and insomnia, but he was

the artists can visit those edgy places in their

Clinical psychologist Dr Cheryl Arutt works

confident in his phenomenal instinct and ability.

work without getting trapped there.”

with artists to increase their confidence, while

This ballast freed him to improvise and take

Medical treatment also helps addiction, which

identifying and modifying detrimental behaviour.

chances, says Dr Arutt. “The beauty of creative

can be both a symptom and cause of mental

70

illness. Yves Saint Laurent, Donatella Versace and Calvin Klein have all admitted substance abuse. Versace’s collections, in particular, feature clashing colours and eccentric patterns, which reminds one of a frenzied manic episode – or high. Such behaviour, including mania, is often thought to increase a person’s productivity, which Professor Rothenberg believes to be incorrect.

Fashion commentator Carla Mouton disagrees.

She’s been diagnosed with schizo-affective bipolar mood disorder and started her blog, Diary of a Warrior, earlier this year while undergoing treatment in a psychiatric hospital.

“When I’m manic, I’m extremely creative. I can write the craziest things and I’m extremely productive and energetic.”

If mental health can, in fact, be detrimental to creativity, how are afflicted fashion designers, including McQueen, so successful? “Mental illness symptoms in the mentally ill do not operate all the time,” clarifies Professor Rothenberg.

“Those modern creative persons who have been mentally ill were not symptomatic during the times of their really creative work.”

Take Balmain’s former creative director, his strong-shouldered jackets and embellished

They’re offered illimitable budgets; appointed to

place? Professor Rothenberg is adamant that

mini-dresses, the French fashion designer left

inject attitude into otherwise dusty international

there is no genetic link between inventiveness and

the label in April 2011 and was reportedly

heritage brands.

mental health. “Creativity is developed starting in

hospitalised following a nervous breakdown.

But, these impassioned artists are usually

adolescence through nurturance and experience.

His resignation followed John Galliano’s alcohol-

used to working isolated in their atelier. As

Intelligence is transmitted genetically.”

fuelled anti-Semitic rant, which he later attributed

aforementioned, creative types are impulsive and

Mouton, on the other hand, believes “mood

to addiction and depression.

audacious, yet in this circumstance, responsible

disorders are definitely connected to creativity”,

Three years later, fashion designer L’Wren Scott

for millions of dollars worth in sales, as well as

while Dr Arutt says that environment factors

committed suicide in her Manhattan apartment.

the livelihoods of thousands who depend on

relating to creativity can trigger a dormant gene.

There was also, of course, freelance stylist

their every creative urge and whim. In an industry

“For example, you may have the genetic potential

Isabella Blow, who bought McQueen’s graduate

based on perpetual judgment, it comes as no

to be seven feet tall, but if you are malnourished

collection in its entirety. Her spontaneous sense of

surprise that the pressure becomes too much.

that will never come to be.”

style and unconventional wardrobe reflected her

Mouton can sympathise with couturiers like Blow,

One thing’s certain: We need to encourage

chaotic, and somewhat tumultuous, personality.

Scott and Decarnin. She, too, has been suicidal.

discussions about mental health. Mouton is

The two were inseparable for a while; then, as his

“Sometimes I would be too cheerful, and other

already frustrated with the stigma and statistics.

fame increased, less so. She also suffered from

days I cried myself to sleep,” she admits. “Your

“It [mental health] needs to stop being a hush

depression, and killed herself in 2007.

mind takes over, it’s like you’re thrown into a

subject. One in every four people in the world

What does this tell us? The fashion world can

room and your dark side takes over your life. Not

has a mental illness. Talking about it helps, and

be wondrous and liberating, but ultimately, a

caring about your work, family, being aggressive

when you feel like you’re not allowed to talk about

designer’s role is to sell. Gifted designers are

or doing stupid things.”

it, it become you and takes over.”

quickly elevated to lofty heights by big name

Is there evidence that creative minds are more

In a 2016 survey for Parent Zone, rates of

brands, often very early on in their careers.

likely to develop mental disorders in the first

depression and anxiety among teenagers have

Images courtesy of Antonio de Moraes Barros Filho, Ian Gavan and Venturelli at Getty

Christophe Decarnin, for example. Renowned for

At the height of her 18-year drug addiction, Italian designer Donatella Versace unveiled countless collections on behalf of her namesake fashion brand.

Tom Ford spoke openly about his battle with depression for the first time earlier this year, which is often portrayed in his dark collections.

After spending 16 years as the creative director of Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs later revealed he became depressed after leaving the fashion house in 2013.

increased by 70 per cent in the past 25 years.

The number of young people turning up in accident and emergency departments with a psychiatric condition has more than doubled since 2009 and, in the past three years, hospital admissions for teenagers with eating disorders have almost doubled.

Fashion designers, as well as celebrities, are increasingly talking about their own mental health problems and there’s already much greater understanding. But, with awareness comes controversy. Known for its provocative branding, Moschino’s spring/summer17 collection features various prescription pill-themed accessories.

Creative director Jeremy Scott has drawn fierce criticism for glamourising addiction, and Nordstrom subsequently pulled the line from its department stores.

Meanwhile, Pyer Moss’s autumn/winter17 collection examined mental disorder within the African-American community. A male model carried a sign reading, “My Demons Won Today Im [sic] Sorry” in reference to Black Lives Matter activist MarShawn McCarrel, who wrote the same message on Facebook before committing suicide in Ohio earlier this year.

Psychologists have been fascinated by the potential link between creativity and mental disorder for centuries. While it would be inaccurate to argue that all creative types run the risk of mental illness, we also need to ask hard questions about why the industry’s stars feel so at odds with a world that ought, after all, to be their inspiration. “We’re all warriors,” says Mouton, “fighting our demons every day, so we should unite.”

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M o del M o m ent s

The Runway R

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b

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She’s Marc Jacobs’ muse, plays music with Patti Smith and shuns the press and social media. A meeting with the rulebreaking model and musician, Jamie Bochert.

Backstage at the Elie Saab autumn/winter show Bochert channels deep eyes, her trademark fringe and a black bohemian style dress.

“I’m not a huge fan of fashion shows,” declares Jamie Bochert, model, musician, and Marc Jacobs’ muse. “I’m claustrophobic and I don’t really like being touched. I’m a germaphobe, so that’s not fun when people are coming at you with fingers, makeup….” She shivers.

“I’m like, ‘No!’ I actually try to bring my own makeup whenever I can.” Yikes — the prospect of fashion weeks must have her quaking in her bovver boots. How does she prepare? “There is no way. It’s like walking into a hurricane.”

She’s certainly not in it for the fame, either.

Among fashion insiders, Bochert, 33, has amassed a cult following — besides her longstanding collaboration with Jacobs, the Olsen sisters, Karl Lagerfeld and Riccardo Tisci are also fans. Her Instagram feed, meanwhile, is peppered with messages of love and support from influential editors, as well as fellow models Carolyn Murphy and Agyness Deyn. With her sculpted features and string-bean limbs, Bochert’s look is an androgynous and unique one that has turned her into an unexpected icon.

Yet, she’s also an enigma. There are hardly any interviews with her online, and she physically recoils when we ask about her rumoured partner, actor and musician Michael Pitt. “It’s personal.

Yeah, please don’t write about any of that,” she implores, when we ask if the rumours that they

Ruby Warrington / Evening Standard / The Interview People

recently wed, following a lengthy engagement, are true. She doesn’t even have a Facebook

Army, endless legs lugging a pair of well-worn

he watches her for me”). In other words, she’s

profile. “I’m not very good on the computer.

lace-up biker boots, she is a vampish wisp of

somehow still living the bohemian Brooklyn

Instagram is the only thing I know how to use,

a woman. But, with the take-me-or-leave-me

dream we all assumed had been steamrolled

besides email,” she says. “It’s actually scary. I

demeanour of a seasoned New Yorker.

by the billionaires and the shiny new condos

miss when all of that didn’t exist….”

She’s tired. It is the build-up to the next round

that have descended on the borough over the

We’re perched on the edge of a leather sofa,

of fashion weeks, and she was in fittings until

past decade. But, you soon get the impression

her nails being painted a shade of storm-cloud

gone midnight last night. “And then, the traffic

that Bochert, as raw and vulnerable as she is

grey for her next fitting. Bochert arrived on set

this morning killed me,” she says. She’s travelled

deadpan, possesses a finely honed ability to

moments earlier, blown into the studio like an

in from Williamsburg, across the river, where she

create her own reality.

early autumn leaf on an unseasonably soggy

lives in a sprawling artists’ loft with her piano

Born in the nondescript town of New Brunswick,

Manhattan morning. Dressed in a black-and-red

and her rescue cat, Sid (“Who my dad calls Sid

New Jersey, Bochert travelled around a lot as

chiffon cheongsam picked up at the Salvation

Vicious, because she beats up his cat when

a child with her parents’ work, spending a few

74 years down in Louisiana. “Everyone always

you just assume you’re anorexic, or have other

assumes it was the army, but my mother worked

issues”. After all, “Nick Cave for example, he’s

for the company that made parts for the space

really skinny. Do I think he’s anorexic? No, he’s

shuttle,” she says. Yes, she has siblings, “But

just a beautiful man, and an amazing artist.”

I don’t get along with them.” That’s a shame,

And sure, she may have shunned breakfast

I suggest. But she just shrugs: “It’s not even

in favour of a black coffee this morning (“I’ll

something that comes up, really.”

just pick throughout the day,” she tells an

It doesn’t sound like the most idyllic upbringing

assistant who offers to bring her a croissant),

— but then she discovered ballet. “I wanted to

but she also tells us that she loves food and

be a cheerleader, but I auditioned and didn’t

is a keen cook — her current favourite dish is

make it. So my mother took me to a dance

salt-baked sea bass, after she discovered the

studio instead. I was like, ‘I’ll try it’, and then I

Mediterranean speciality on a summer holiday

became obsessed. Like completely obsessed.

in Formentera. Indeed, dinners at home with

I just danced. I didn’t have boyfriends, I didn’t

friends — other Brooklyn musicians and artists

do anything. I just went to ballet and then I went home.” What did she love so much about it?

“It felt like an escape from myself, and that felt really good. Like an out-of-my-head kind of high… it taught me a lot about hard work, and focus, obvious things. But I really loved going there. I craved it.”

A few years down the line, having discovered artists such as Nina Simone and Duke Ellington, she found a similar sense of escape with music.

“My best friend in Louisiana had a piano, and her mother would just let me come over and play,” she remembers. “I don’t know… I just lost myself, and it felt so good I wanted to stay. Same story.”

Her first foray into modelling came after she was scouted in 2002 while she was bartending in LA. “But it was all too… ‘maybe you’ll work, maybe you won’t’. I needed to make money, so I thought I’d get a keyboard and a guitar, make music, and work in a bar. Which is what I did for about five years, until I met Marc.”

She was introduced to Jacobs when he was looking for a new fit model in 2008, and the connection between them was instant. He cast her to open his show that season, and the rest is fashion history. Why do they get on so well?

“The same things amuse us... I guess it’s just why anybody would connect. But, I like that he sees beauty in things that you would never... I don’t know. He’s just a really special person.”

Needless to say, with Marc’s blessing, doors that were previously closed to Bochert began to open, and she’s since worked steadily and at the very highest level, having walked for all the greats and booked campaigns for the likes of Balenciaga, Calvin Klein, Valentino, Lanvin, Christopher Kane and Gucci.

Her weight — she is very slim, in a lean, androgynous way, but not, in the flesh, unhealthily so — has been something of a controversy.

“People [on Instagram] say really strange things, like ‘oh you’re too skinny, eat a hamburger’.”

It’s something she’s got used to, and “it doesn’t piss me off. I’m happy with my body. But it is annoying when people who don’t even know

Bochert goes by the stage name Francis Wolf when pursuing her passion as a musician. Here she walks for Emanuel Ungaro.

Bochert has enjoyed a long-standing collaboration with Marc Jacobs after being introduced to the designer in 2008. Here she walks in his most recent autumn/winter show.

— are her favourite way to socialise outside

voice reminiscent of a feminine Lou Reed. It’s

amazing… authentic and honest.” And they

of work. Meanwhile, she’s currently reading

unsurprising that none other than Patti Smith –

could be sisters, I tell her, they look so alike.

Teleny, or The Reverse of the Medal, an obscure

with whom she jammed at an all-night concert

“No, we don’t. I wish I looked like her, she’s so

pornographic novel from 1893 that’s said to

in Paris in 2009 after they were introduced by

beautiful.” Her 10-year plan, meanwhile, is “to

have been written by Oscar Wilde (“A friend got it

their mutual friend, the fashion designer Ann

finish the album I’ve been working on forever!”

for me at Shakespeare and Company in Paris”).

Demeulemeester – has said of Bochert that

And, of course, she still loves to dance. “The last

But, music is still her true passion. “One pays

she “somewhat resembles my younger self”.

time I went out dancing was to the Goth night

my rent and the other I can’t live without,” she

Meanwhile, she cites PJ Harvey as her chief

at [East Village institution] Pyramid,” she smiles,

once said, when asked to describe the roles

inspiration and all-time girl crush; she once

inciting ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ from our makeup artist

of fashion and music in her life. She performs

said that Harvey would be her ultimate dinner

(“Wow, is that place still there?”)

under the stage moniker Francis Wolf. Her

date: “We’d have to go out, though, because

Snapshots of a very bohemian existence, indeed

songs are languid and melancholy, her singing

I’d be too nervous to cook. I love her. She’s

— with a fabulous life in fashion on the side.

76

T h e R es u r g ence

Prada

Designers sought inspiration from the indoors, sending out opulent wallpaperinspired ensembles that are set to transform daywear dressing this fall.

Interior Motives

Prada

Oscar de la Renta

The autumn/winter16 runways were awash with brocade and jacquard-style fabrics.

Seen everywhere from Dolce&Gabbana, Gucci and Etro, to Ralph Lauren, Roberto Cavalli and Prada, colourful garments in rich hues were emblazoned with oversized blooms and foliage, accentuated by gilded embroidery in shades of gold, copper and silver. While these types of fabrics date as far back as the Byzantine Empire and the Middle Ages, they gained popularity in modern culture through wallpaper and upholstery trends during the Seventies and Eighties. Traditionally used on eveningwear, this season sees these elaborate prints used to update daywear silhouettes. Introduce an element of luxury to your working wardrobe with Oscar de la Renta’s gleaming tulip skirt or invest in one of Prada’s short-sleeved jackets to bring a refined aesthetic to off-duty denim. Stick to simple cuts and clean lines to avoid overcomplicating, or opt for a pair of brocade slippers or loafers for an injection of subtle sumptuousness.

78

T h e Ic o n

Rykiel Revisited We applaud the womenswear pioneer who brought knitwear close to our skin and revolutionised ready-to-wear.

Words by Laura Beaney

A sea of fire swept Paris Fashion Week S/S17. But, the throng of redhead models was about more than just costuming the trademark satsuma frizz of Sonia Rykiel. This was the first show since the founder of the eponymous fashion house passed away, and creative director Julie de Libran paid homage to the woman we fondly knew as ‘The Queen of Knitwear’.

Not just the name behind the fashion house, Rykiel was an author of novels and the architect of her own philosophy, ‘la démode’. Her neologism communicated her intention to fit the garment to the desires of the woman, not to the will of its maker.

In spite of her nickname, Rykiel was never taught to knit; she didn’t plan nor train to set up as a designer, but was one of a new wave to shape the format of the fashion industry. Part of the ready-to-wear revolution that shook Seventies Paris, Rykiel pioneered a new direction away from the established system of couture. A trailblazer for the emancipation of women, what we can learn from Rykiel is not to settle for the status quo. In her own words, “What counts is the attitude.” And, she had plenty of that.

Images courtesy of Getty, photographed by Eric Ryan

Rykiel’s Paris Fashion Week A/W08 collection called upon the fashion house’s signature sequins and stripes.

Creative Director De Libran continues to reference the house’s heritage in her A/W17 collection that saw Rykiel’s face and famous stripes woven into her work.

Alexandre Vauthier

All Wrapped Up French designer Alexandre Vauthier utilised wrap-style details to enhance and abate the sharp and structured cuts of his most recent couture collection.

Alexandre Vauthier’s autumn/winter16 haute couture collection Alexandre Vauthier

embodied a distinct military theme. Angular mini dresses cut to resemble oversized army jackets and officer-style trench coats had a commanding presence on the legion of models that came marching down the runway. However, there was nothing utilitarian about this collection – the predominantly khaki green and black colour palette was harmoniously balanced by glossy shades of champagne and amber that conjured up an air of feminine sensuality. This juxtaposition of hard and soft was emphasised further through the seductive dresses and thigh-high splits that have become Vauthier’s signature, although they were toughened slightly and cinched at the waist with canvas wrap belts studded with metal hardware. The wrap detailing made its way onto other accessories, too – sandals with thick satin ribbons had a polar effect to the belts, winding their way around feet and over ankles to tie loose, ballet-style bows at shin height.

80

T h e M o v em ent

A tightly edited capsule wardrobe could be the solution to each season.

A Minimal Existence It’s safe to say that when most women

multiple sclerosis a year earlier, she wanted to

an interview with Vanity Fair in 2012, Barack

visualise their dream wardrobe, more often

discover the art of living simply and place less

Obama said, “You’ll see I wear only grey or

than not, it’s packed full of clothes, shoes and

emphasis on material goods. Carver started

blue suits. I’m trying to pare down decisions.

bags. However, what if the key to the perfect

Project 333, a minimalist fashion challenge in

I don’t want to make decisions about what

wardrobe is to have fewer items?

which participants create and implement a

I’m eating or wearing, because I have too

As women, we’re no strangers to the concept

capsule wardrobe consisting of 33 items that

many other decisions to make.”

of the capsule wardrobe. Coined in the

are to be worn for three months. The 33 items

While the ideal number for Carver was 33, it is

Seventies by London boutique owner Susie

are to be made up of clothing, outerwear,

possible to create a capsule wardrobe with a

Faux, the term refers to a core collection

shoes and accessories - sentimental jewellery

lower or higher number of items. The key is to

of essential clothes and accessories that

such as wedding rings are not included in

choose high-quality, practical pieces that can

are supplemented with seasonal clothing

the edit, neither is underwear, sleepwear and

be mixed and matched easily. Consider the

items. Donna Karan developed the concept

workout clothing. The exercise is meant to

seasonal climate, social engagements and

further in 1985, with her Seven Easy Pieces

show the participant how much they really

professional commitments before beginning,

collection popularising the idea on a global

need and demonstrate the benefits of smart

and make sure that the pieces you select will

scale. Today women such as Courtney Carver

shopping over impulse buying. For Carver,

cover all of these things. Form a solid base of

are reinterpreting and redefining capsule

the less-is-more approach has had a hugely

versatile separates that can be interchanged

dressing for the modern woman.

positive impact. “I am so much happier living

with other items in neutral colours easily, and

In 2010 Carver, an advertising sales executive

with less because I now live with only my

then build printed and brightly coloured pieces

for a luxury publication in Salt Lake City,

favorite things and have the freedom to

into the mix. A streamlined, well-curated

US, started a blog to document the de-

choose how I spend my time and money

capsule wardrobe will not limit or inhibit your

cluttering and simplifying of her life in order

instead of feeling the pressure to consume

style; it will take the stress out of day-to-day

to be happier. Having been diagnosed with

more.” Carver isn’t alone in her thoughts; in

dressing, saving you time, money and space.

Antonio Ortega Haute Couture

We live in an era obsessed with excess, a time where an increasing amount of value is being placed on how much we own. But could we be happier living with less?

Block Work

Photographed by Sarvenaz Hashtroudi, styled by Sophie Pasztor

Compact and durable, the brick clutch boasts both style and practicality. Nathalie Trad is calling the tune with her myriad sophisticated exemplars, crafted from natural materials. However, if you have a penchant for glitz and glamour, elaborate embellished varieties are also in plentiful supply.

Top to bottom: NANCY GONZALEZ at Harvey Nichols-Dubai | EDIE-PARKER at Harvey Nichols-Dubai | DOLCE&GABBANA | JIMMY CHOO | NATHALIE TRAD at Harvey Nichols-Dubai

82

Ralph and Russo haute couture

T h e Hu e

Icy blue established itself as the season’s shade du jour, across both the ready-towear and Haute Couture autumn/ winter16 runways.

Glacial Grace

Words by Mary Keenan

Vionnet

It’s something of an unwritten rule that when winter’s colder climes set in, we tend to be predisposed to selecting items of clothing that are darker in colour. This is, perhaps, due to the fact that a lot of designers are drawn towards moodier hues for their autumn/winter16 collections,which causes our wardrobes to fill with a heavy rotation of black, navy, oxblood, forest green and burnt orange. However, this season, frosty shades of blue brought a refreshing blast of colour to many haute couture and ready-to-wear collections. The vast array of shapes, silhouettes and cuts in ice blue that appeared on the runways exemplified the versatility of the colour not only for day and eveningwear, but also for

Carolina Herrera

casual and formalwear. Over the course of the ready-to-wear shows, Balmain, Carolina Herrera, Rochas and Vionnet all debuted daywear dresses in a spectrum of cool blues, while during couture week in July, Ralph and Russo, Alberta Ferretti, Fendi, and Atelier Versace sent out elegant, pale blue evening gowns.

To incorporate into a working wardrobe, consider crisp cotton shirts, tactile cashmere knits and textured midi length pencil skirts that can easily be mixed and matched with pre-existing wardrobe staples. A lightweight belted trench makes a strong statement when it comes to outerwear, while accessories can be updated with satin or suede pumps, a leather shopper or a backpack in blue.

Drome

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S t yl e N ew s

Carolina

a t T h irty - F iv e

American-Venezuelan designer Carolina Herrera celebrates 35 years of timeless elegance.

When it comes to the fast-paced and ever-changing world of fashion, 35 years is a very long time. Since launching her eponymous label with a runway show at New York’s Metropolitan Club in 1981, Carolina Herrera has established her brand as one of the key global players in the luxury goods industry and has played a significant part in dressing some of the world’s most iconic, notable and stylish women.

Herrera’s dramatic and refined personal style catapulted her into the innermost circles of New York’s high society scene in the 1970s, and at the suggestion of former Editor-in-Chief of Vogue, Diana Vreeland, she began designing clothes. The rest, as they say, is history. Adopting a calculated and measured approach to growth, the designer has steadily increased her brand’s offerings over the last three decades to encompass bridal In 1986, Herrera was asked to design Caroline Kennedy’s wedding gown – a year later, she introduced her own bridal line, which the house still carries today. The following year saw the launch of the brand’s first eponymous women’s fragrance, followed shortly by the house’s first men’s fragrance, Herrera for Men, in 1991. In 1999, the brand launched its iconic 212 Men’s fragrance. 2001 saw the launch of CH Carolina Herrera, a lifestyle collection complete with ready-to-wear and accessories for men, women and children. In 2004, Herrera was awarded the CFDA’s Womenswear Designer of the Year, followed by the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award four years later. 2015 saw the launch of the house’s first fragrance collection, Herrera Confidential, made up of six rich and luxurious fragrances.

An extension of Herrera’s impeccable personal style, the house’s chic, elegant and contemporary aesthetic has made it a firm favourite with glamorous women the world over.

GREGORY HARRIS (STYLING BY ELIN SVAHN) LEILA GOLDKUHL FALL 1991

wear, fragrances, accessories, menswear, childrenswear and eyewear.

Fall 1991, photographed by Gregory Harris, as featured in Carolina Herrera: 35 years of fashion.

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S t yl e I ns ider

V

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l

v

e

t

Vision Businesswoman, presenter and founder of PR&Co, there isn’t much that Rosemin Manji can’t do. The Canadian-born beauty shows us how she takes on one of the season’s most challenging fabrics, and makes it wearable for the Middle Eastern climate.

Rosemin is photographed at the TAJ Dubai wearing ThePerfext dress, Ayesha Depala jacket Kenneth Jay Lane choker and Roberto Coin ring.

Photographed by Julia at Factory ME, Hair styled by Andrea at Be Bar Blow Dry Bar, Makeup by Saba at Be Bar Blow Dry Bar, Interviewed by Sophie Pasztor.

Rosemin wears Elie Tahari suit, Reiss top, Jimmy Choo shoes and Roberto Coin jewellery.

Rosemin wears Elie Tahari top, Cushnie Et Ochs trousers and Roberto Coin jewellery.

Why did you choose to team tailored trousers with velvet?

The core of me is very classic. I love the loose straight-leg trouser and the loose top. It’s really effortless chic. Also, as a look this is easy to transition from day-to-night, just by adding a clutch bag or jewels – it’s very versatile.

Out of all the head-to-toe looks available, why did you choose the one featured here in particular?

This is modern take on the tuxedo. I would definitely wear this at home, to a dinner party I am hosting. The velvet is so soft and comfortable.

Tell us about your final look.

This outfit is perfect for the UAE weather. The velvet maxi dress is on-trend for the season and the cropped, embellished linen jacket gives it the perfect balance of feminine rocker chic. It’s also lightweight, so you can achieve the ‘biker’ look without melting.

How would you describe your signature style?

I am definitely classic feminine, with a twist of trend.

What do you believe are the biggest misconceptions about donning velvet?

Who is your style icon?

That it’s only fashionable to wear black. I love shades of burgundy

I don’t have one, but there are women who I think have great

and navy.

personal style, such as Aerin Lauder, Tory Burch, Queen Rania and Olivia Palermo.

Which designers are you most looking forward to for autumn/winter16?

Velvet can easily look dated. How do you avoid this?

Burberry, for its olive green trench with stud accent; Gucci,

Steer clear of super-thick velvet fabric. Modern fabrics are usually

because it’s fun and colourful; and, I can’t resist Chanel.

softer and flatter on the body.

How do you change up your beauty look to complement What do you love about this fabric?

the trend?

Adding velvet instantly adds a winter feel – it’s a luxurious fabric.

By adding strong lips.

I love a nice velvet blazer with jeans and heels.

What are your must-haves for the season ahead?

What are some of your go-to accessories to help complement

Roland Mouret’s cocktail dress with bi-colour, Aquazzura heels

the trend?

with mink, Gucci’s whimsical and feminine skirts, dresses and

Gold accessories and a neat clutch.

their evil-eye bag, and finally, a cape dress by Valentino.

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Formation

se a s o n al s ty le

Abstraction and obscurity merge to custom a uniquely beautiful method of expression. Don Johanna Ortiz’s one shoulder top that sculpts the body and Poca & Poca’s cream trousers with architectural pocket detail, for couture-like construction.

Compiled by Sophie Pasztor

IRIS VAN HERPEN

1

1. VERSACE | 2. GORGIO ARMANI | 3.

ADLER | 4. JOHANNA ORTIZ @net-a-porter | 5. FENDI | 6. L’AFSHAR @modaoperandi | 7.

MATICEVSKI | 8. CÉLINE | 9. POCA & POCA

4 5

New Flora

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RALPH & RUSSO

Preserve the beauty of nature’s sacred blooms through autumnal hues, such as those found on Giuseppe Zanotti’s ankle boots and Zimmermann’s lace-panelled dress. Adorn with golden metals and warm-hued stones for seasonal charm.

1

1. CHLOÉ | 2. CARRERA Y CARRERA | 3. CINDY CHAO | 4. ZIMMERMANN | 5.

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN | 6. SANTONI | 7.

GIUSEPPE ZANOTTI | 8. CLAUDIE PIERLOT

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Regal Allure

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ELIE SAAB

A season spent circling social gatherings and evening soirĂŠes demands a wardrobe of ultimate glamour. Embellished accessories and beaded blouses keep emphasis on the details, while a luxurious palette of imperial gold and pure white promotes impeccable style.

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1. NEEDLE & THREAD @net-a-porter | 2. SALVATORE FERRAGAMO | 3. ROSANTICA @net-a-porter | 4. OSCAR DE LA RENTA | 5. GUCCI | 6. CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN | 7.

GIUSEPPE ZANOTTI | 8. MADIYAH AL SHARQI

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C o u tu r e in F o cus

The Season Takes Shape As autumn/winter16 gets underway, MOJEH takes an in-depth look at some of the highlights from July’s couture shows, examining the ways in which designers are revitalising and rejuvenating the art of haute couture, to increase its appeal away from just eveningwear. We sit down with Bouchra Jarrar to discover how she is steering the house of Lanvin in a new direction, identify the key up-and-coming designers to have on your radar, and track the powerful influence couture is having on street style across the globe.

Models line up backstage at the Armani PrivĂŠ haute couture show.

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Iris van Herpen leads the wave of new designers fusing cutting-edge technology with traditional couture techniques.

Courtesy of Getty Images photographer Edward Berthelot

Co u tu r e in F o cus

The

Changing of the Guards Words by Gillian Brett

As the fashion world spins faster and faster on its axis, haute couture has reestablished the significance of its painstaking creation.

With a blithe refusal to hit the gas, couture has embraced new ways to connect with its customers at a level ready-to-wear wants a piece of. MOJEH considers haute couture in the digital age.

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20,000 clients worldwide. Today, an estimate of that number is in the low thousands. In his book, The Fashion Conspiracy, novelist and President of Condé Nast International, Nicholas Coleridge, estimates that the entire couture industry actually relies on the whims of less than 30 vastly wealthy women. But, these numbers are growing, with the new prosperity of markets in Asia, South America and here in the Middle East.

It isn’t just the customer base that’s growing – an increased number of contemporary designers are knocking at the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture’s door, eager to be accepted into fashion’s most prestigious club. “Haute couture is what gives our business its essential essence Russian couture designer Vika Gazinskaya dons one of her own designs during Paris Fashion Week.

of luxury,” Bernard Arnault, the CEO of LVMH explained to The British Telegraph. “Set against the money we lose has to be the value of the image couture gives us. Look at the attention the collections attract. It is where you get noticed.

Haute couture has become a sartorial

Increasingly, opinion pieces question the need

You have to be there. It’s where we set our

anachronism in an industry that values speed,

for such an archaic mode. For the couturiers,

ideas in motion.” In the post-democratisation of

livestreams its once clandestine shows to the

it’s a labour of love; a cathartic outlet to present

the fashion industry, the only way to stand out

whole wide world, and trades off the impulsivity

their most lavish ideas. But, beyond the creative

on a crowded catwalk is to create something

of see-now-buy-now. Rapid ready-to-wear

prospects, is it a savvy business decision? Few

completely unique. Something so rarefied that

and the mid-season lines, from resort to

people are willing to talk figures when it comes

even the most skilled counterfeiter would baulk

cruise, lap at couture as it slinks along slowly,

to couture, other than to relay the astounding

at the challenge.

deliberately painstaking in its conception; its

hours of work involved — Valentino even

Take British designer Giles Deacon, who has

otherworldliness is the very receptacle of its

publishes them in the house’s show programme

gone from designing irreverent pink Pacman

superiority. But, could Couture’s elusiveness

— but costs are rarely disclosed. It’s widely

heads to working with the Gainsborough Silk

soon become the source of its irrelevancy in

considered to be a negative profit pursuit, often

Weaving Company in England on bespoke

the digital age? Modern couture certainly hasn’t

costing more to produce than it does at retail.

materials to reinterpret Fabergé eggs and

lost its craftsmanship or exclusivity; however, it

Plus, it’s audience has changed immensely.

Lucio Fontana canvases as couture gowns.

has been forced to keep up with much greater

During its golden era, following Christian Dior’s

Most unexpected at the autumn/winter 2016

demands from the hungry millennial appetite.

New Look of 1947, couture catered to around

couture season was the invasion of label-du-

A dress made from thousands of glass balls coated in transparent silicone at Iris van Herpen.

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A crystal encrusted body suit is further embellished with flamboyant feather fans at Serkan Cura.

jour Vetements. Invited as official couture week ‘guests’, the controversial collective known for turning out viral trends called the conventions of traditionally top-tier, luxury couture into question by showing a collection consisting of elevated athleisure, haute hoodies, denim and thigh high boots, presented in a shopping mall – albeit the Galeries Lafayette.

In total opposition to the meticulous handiwork dedicated to every couture piece, the semianonymous French collective teamed up with no less than 18 brands to turn around the collection quickly. Each label saw their signature pieces given the ‘Vetements’ treatment; Manolo Blahnik had his designs washed, burned and boiled while Juicy Couture’s famous velour

At Vetements, Demna Gvasalia’s grungy, streetwear aesthetic has revolutionised the world of haute couture.

tracksuits were re-spun as eveningwear, complete with elbow-length velour gloves. It was, in co-creative director Demna Gvasalia’s own words “a modern idea of couture” – one that focused on product over prestige. “The idea was always to take the iconic, the most

to Snapchat the proceedings to the punky boot

At Atelier Versace, it was no coincidence that

recognisable product from their brand, and put

brand’s loyal following. “By opening the doors

immediately following the show, the models

it into a Vetements frame, whether in terms of

of their ateliers on social platforms, couturiers

with the most social followings were all pictured

shape or construction,” Gvasalia explained in

have the opportunity to engage with a younger

wearing the new collection to the annual amfAR

an interview with Cathy Horyn for the New York

audience, which in turn makes couture more

dinner in Paris. “Versace couture ladies! It’s

Times. They were, of course, also putting the

relevant and acts as compelling gateway to

been a LONG time since I’ve walked on the

Vetements label in a couture frame in front of

the brand’s contemporary collections, or their

runway and I’m NERVOUS,” Karen Elson

the most influential press, buyers and wealthy

even more affordable beauty products. I think

captioned a backstage Instagram, posing

fashion clients in the world.

it’s very clever.”

with model of the moment Bella Hadid, and

“With the advent of social media, access to

Vetements’s move was indeed a clever one, but

then borrowed the same Atelier Versace

couture has adjusted, but for the most part

they weren’t alone this season in using social

couture gown that Hadid wore on the runway

only at surface level,” says Sarah Whelan,

media as a platform to flex the brand’s sartorial

to wear to the dinner.

global consumer marketing manager at Dr

credibility to the cool crowd. Established couture

Last year, Giorgio Armani told WWD: “At one

Martens – another of the 18 brands to work with

houses also utilised the major benefits of digital

time, couture was, so to speak, for mothers.

Vetements for couture – who attended the show

communication at couture week this season.

Today, their daughters are starting to appreciate

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Secret models parade down the runway in.

Then, there’s Dutch designer Iris van Herpen, whose previous shows have included the use of robots to live 3D-print and weave-a-dress.

This season’s standout piece from Van Herpen was a dress created using thousands of tiny hand-blown glass balls. To craft the utterly unique dress (which is underselling it, frankly), Van Herpen coated thousands of glass balls with transparent silicone, which enabled them to stick together in a solid structure. She then shaped them into a sculptural high-necked, sleeveless bodice, which extended out from the waist into a skirt. Van Herpen also experimented with organza that was woven from silk threads five times thinner than human hair to create Karen Elson opens the Atelier Versace show in an ornately draped trench-style dress.

circular patterns inspired by sound waves on fluid surfaces. She used an innovative Japanese resist-dying technique known as Shibori to create the distinctive patterns.

Other promising newcomers include Yiqing Yin,

this particularly exclusive and high-level form

As well as established RTW designers looking

Ulyana Sergeenko and Vika Gazinskaya – the

of fashion. It is a cosmopolitan audience that

to infiltrate the couture realm, with a younger

Russian designer who has built a reputation

is demanding and informed, that doesn’t see

and more sartorially ambitious couture clientele

for combining demi-couture techniques with

itself in the old mould of haute couture, which

to cater to, there has been a subsequent rise

whimsical details, such as hand-drawn prints

was static and rigid.” Valentino, another storied

in emerging couture designers, who are using

and embroidery. This idea of ‘everyday couture’

Italian fashion house, blurred the boundaries

traditional techniques as well as innovating

has become an important niche that attracts

between the past and the future when it shared

new ones to create very modern wares

not only new customers, but also the archetypal

an insight into the process and techniques

indeed. Take the young Belgian designer of

ones, who continue to expect something

behind their Elizabethan-themed AW16

Turkish origin, Serkan Cura, who spent all his

astonishing; something new.

couture collection via Instagram. Established

savings on most of the stock of feathers at

In an era where time is the ultimate luxury,

couture houses are also reaching out in a more

Parisian plumassier (feather specialist) Maison

haute couture now embodies the significance

tangible way to their new clientele. Chanel now

Fevrier’s closing down sale. And now, during

of stopping and smelling the roses once in

showcases its couture collection to select

his ‘down time’ after the couture shows in

a while. Or, to hand-make one of Chanel’s

clients in a more intimate environment in cities

January and July, he creates the elaborate

trademark camellia flowers which, though

from London to Dubai.

feather wings which the lingerie-clad Victoria’s

minuscule, take roughly 30 minutes each.

Intricate silver sequins adorn a V-neck wrap dress from Ulyana Sergeenko’s autumn/winter16 collection.

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D e sig n er I nter vie w

Lanvin’s New Language Straight after her runway debut for Lanvin at Paris Fashion Week, we spoke to Bouchra Jarrar about the house’s new look and her vision going forward.

and cropped leather jackets, but she also showed off a much softer, more romantic side. Ornately draped dresses made from silk and organza floated and flowed gracefully down the wooden parquet runway of the Hôtel de Ville in striking shades of azure blue and billowing floral prints. The varying lengths, proportions and silhouettes within the collection offered up versatile dressing options not just for many different types of occasions, but for a

Interview by Mojeh Izadpanah, words by Mary Keenan

wide range of women, too, something Jarrar confirms was at the forefront of her mind while designing the collection.

“The editing of this collection ensures that every woman is going to be able to find something that works for her.”

The garments that were presented in the collection are a natural representation

Bouchra’s black fringe and uniform of sharply tailored jackets has become her style signature.

fundamental pieces of a woman’s

Hôtel Saint Dominique in Paris, she’s

wardrobe should be. “Every woman

instantly recognisable by her flat cut

needs a sublime trench that she will

fringe, shoulder length black hair

keep forever, a series of day dresses and

and wide smile. Impeccably chic and

a good pantsuit that will give her a lot

quintessentially French, the designer’s

of confidence for important meetings.

minimal and contemporary approach

She also needs a series of accessories,

to dressing revolves around an arsenal

evening gowns and to be herself.

of sleek blazers and tailored jackets.

I know the power of garments and

As we settle down to chat, the first

how on certain days they can really help

topic of conversation is inevitably about

women.” She flashes a smile and adds,

her time at the house so far. “It’s been

“Every woman needs a Lanvin wardrobe!”

all about discovering the house and

Born to Moroccan parents in Cannes amid

six months of really intense work,

the Seventies, Jarrar’s earliest memories

but I absolutely love my work and I

of fashion are of accompanying her

absolutely love to create for women

mother to buy fabrics as a child. “I used

– this is my job, to create fashion for

to go with her and touch everything – I

universal women,” she smiles. The love

loved it,” she recalls. “We’d go back

Jarrar speaks of was evident in the

home and the couturier would come

collection she showed on September

over and my mum would tell him that

28. Her signature razor sharp tailoring

she wanted a dress or a skirt. The idea

and exacting cuts not only materialised

that you can give life to a piece of fabric

in the form of chic monochromatic

lying on the table with imagination and

biker-style vests, wide-legged pantsuits

transform it into a piece of clothing was

Images courtesy of Lanvin

of Jarrar’s own thoughts on what the When we meet Bouchra Jarrar at the

The collection’s opening look.

The colour palette consists of mostly monochromatic looks.

that undoubtedly played a large part in her appointment as Artistic Director of Lanvin, which came earlier this year in March. “The name Jeanne Lanvin inspires me a lot – I appreciate and admire that she was a modern woman in her time, so the proposition to join Lanvin surprised me in a good way because I didn’t expect it. It was a great pleasure to say yes, I was at the right point in my life as a woman and at the age where I was ready to open up my creativity and serve a great name. I was just ready.”

Curious

as

to

whether

Jarrar’s

background in couture has had any influence on her ready-to-wear offerings for the brand so far. “I just came as myself,” she explains.

“The techniques I’ve learnt during my 20-25 years in fashion are why I’m here – to work, create, imagine and communicate and to bring a coherence to the Lanvin message. I fuse both couture and ready-to-wear techniques, because it’s important for me to understand how we dress and what it feels like. I’m here to create desire and give creation to women, that’s my mission.” There’s been a lot magical for me. It’s something that still

of discussion about the wearability of

fascinates me today. ”After studying

couture at the moment and its place

at the École Duperré in Paris, Jarrar

in daywear; does she think couture

began her career at Jean Paul Gaultier’s

can be mixed with ready-to-wear

jewellery department before serving as

garments and worn on a daily basis?

Studio Director for Balenciaga under

“I think that it mixes very easily, it’s

Nicolas Ghesquière for 10 years. This

very possible to mix daywear couture

was followed by a comparatively brief

pieces and ready-to-wear without any

three-year stint as Head of Haute

problems.” An interesting perspective,

Couture at Christian Lacroix, before

considering Lanvin actually began as a

starting her own brand which offered

couture house – perhaps under Jarrar’s

both ready-to-wear and haute couture

direction, the brand may return to its

in 2010. It was there that she really

couture roots and start producing

came into her own, developing the

haute couture collections in the future.

sharp, minimal and well-cut clothes

“Things have to go step by step,” she

A cropped biker jacket toughens up a sheer gown.

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Ornately draped gowns provide elegant eveningwear options.

for Lanvin because of who I am and what I do, I’m not going to reinvent myself.”

As we reflect on her appointment, we mention the fact there has been a lot of celebration regarding the recent selection of female creative directors at heritage French brands. Does she believe gender makes a difference in design? “No,” she replies resolutely.

“There is no gender in fashion – for me, creation is universal. What I know is that as women, we know each other well and that is the main difference between a woman and a man. We know ourselves by heart and we know how we grow. I’ve always worked with male designers and I have a lot of respect for them.” Our conversation then turns to her spring/summer17 collection – did any of her predecessor Alber Elbaz’s design elements come into play when designing the collection? She shakes her head. “Alber wrote a wonderful story at Lanvin. It was fantastic for me to start after such a great designer.

But, there is a past and a present, and I’m the present. I have so many ideas that I don’t need to go there, out of respect to him and his work. I’m here to bring a new signature to the house.”

She pauses briefly before adding, “The birth and history of this house is an muses. “Building with the house is very

exceptional source of inspiration and,

important, so we’ll work hand-in-hand

always, the fabrics. I cut and I mold,

together. My collections for Lanvin are

that’s how the idea starts. Then I

very much couture, so I hope that one

design and explain to the team. I need

day we’ll get there.” It’s a little known fact

to put my hands on the fabrics because

that Jarrar closed her own brand shortly

the most important thing for me is to

after accepting the job at Lanvin, a move

bring the best possible proportions

that has allowed her to place her focus

to the silhouettes. I’ve been like that

squarely on her new role. But, is there any

since I was a child… I know where

difference between the clients she was

I’m going when I touch the fabrics.”

designing for at her eponymous label and

Our meeting with Bouchra takes place

the ‘universal women’ she is designing for

at the very end of Paris Fashion Week,

now? “No,” she demurs, “I was chosen

which was an event that saw a number

Bouchra takes her bow with Karlie Kloss.

A chic wristlet clutch accompanies one of the evening looks.

of other newly appointed Creative Directors also make their runway show debuts at storied Parisian fashion houses. From Maria Grazia Chiuri at Christian Dior to Anthony Vaccarello at Saint Laurent, the buzz surrounding the revelation of these collections was palpable throughout the French capital in the lead-up to the shows. None more so than at Lanvin, where the anticipation surrounding the direction of Jarrar’s spring/summer17 collection made it one of the season’s most talked about, before the show had even been unveiled. With her runway debut now behind her, what is her vision for the brand moving forward. “It is to work on the artistic coherence – the window into the house that we give to the outside world. For the first show, it was very important for me to settle the basics and establish the vocabulary of the house and its core message.

Going forward, we are going to see women wearing Lanvin and be able to identify that what they are wearing is Lanvin. That is my goal for the house.”

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The Structured Street Constructive details are making their way from the world of haute couture into the daily wardrobes of some of the world’s most stylish women. MOJEH explores couture’s growing influence and how it’s taking shape on the streets.

Lena Perminova and Ulyana Sergeenko tap into the reverse layering trend with waist-enhancing structured corsets.

Images courtesy of Getty, photographed by Christian Vierig, Edward Berthelot

St r e et S ty l e

110 Lena Perminova emphasises the clean lines of a Christian Dior coat dress with a sleek white turtleneck and ankle strap stilettos.

A thick waist belt and athleisure style turtleneck defines proportions and counterbalances the relaxed fit of an oversized shirt.

Giovanna Battaglia adds a touch of modernity to her full black skirt and peplum jacket with Aquazzura’s Disco Thing sandals.

The length of this white dress keeps the shape modern and renders its full skirt daywear-appropriate.

A deconstructed jacket brings an avant-garde edge to this crisp shirt and miniskirt ensemble.

Ulyana Sergeenko accentuates a lace midi dress with a statement red lip, nude sandals and chic black headscarf.

112 Ornate embellishments and delicate draping soften the sculptural bodycon silhouette of Olga Kurylenko’s Dior dress.

Architectural folds and layers lend a sharp elegance to Anna Brewster’s striped full-length dress.

Zina Charkoplia layers a dramatic black dress over vintage denim cut-offs and allows oversized pearl earrings to take center stage.

The structural cut of this off-shoulder top prevents its sweetheart neckline from being too feminine.

Taylor Tomasi Hill gives a streetwear edge to her structured jacket by wearing off-shoulder and rolling up the sleeves.

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Images courtesy of Chanel

Co u tu r e in F o cus

Form Meets Function Words by Mary Keenan

Chanel’s autumn/winter16 haute couture collection fused versatile silhouettes and impeccable craftsmanship, creating clothes as beautiful as they were practical.

The collection was comprised of dresses and separates in angular cuts and softly rounded edges.

When one envisions the type of women who wear couture, images of immaculately groomed society belles making their way to a glamorous event in a stunning gown is generally what springs to mind. However, as of late, there has been a marked change in the types of silhouettes shown in collections on the haute couture runways. Yes, the exquisitely beautiful, show-stopping gowns are of course still very much a part of these collections, but there has been a noticeable gravitation towards more wearable and functional garments that can be incorporated into a daywear wardrobe. From Armani Privé’s silky houndstooth cigarette trousers and Dior’s reinvented Bar Jacket to Jean Paul Gaultier’s cognac leather pencil skirt and Vetements’s athleisure-esque hoodies, this season saw many designers embracing and including silhouettes that can be easily paired with ready-to-wear items and worn on a day to day basis. This was particularly evident in Karl Lagerfeld’s collection for Chanel.

Set amidst the backdrop of his atelier, complete with sewing machines, irons, mannequins and close to 80 seamstresses from his team, all of which Lagerfeld had transported to the Grand Palais for the show, the collection championed incredibly wearable dresses, separates and jackets in the house’s signature tweed. While suitable for day or workwear, the looks were

The embroidered flower garlands took Chanel’s ateliers a painstaking 341 hours of work to create.

116 Sleek and structured silhouettes finished at a midi length formed the running thread of the collection.

One of the house’s seamstresses hems the finishing touches on an item from the collection.

anything but perfunctory. Intricate beading and Simple black suede accessories ensured that the clothes were the focal point of each look.

embellishments in shades of peach, orange, bronze and green were embroidered into garlands of sparkling flowers, while twisted fringe braids worked to define proportions and outline edges of garments. Structured jackets with Mandarin collars and three quarter length sleeves were styled with trousers and skirts for the show, but could just as easily be paired

The collection’s most versatile offering was definitely the cropped, wide-legged trousers that swept out from under chic tailored jackets and tunics in an A-line shape.

with dark denim for a slightly edgier look.

The collection’s most versatile offering was definitely the cropped, wide-legged trousers that swept out from under chic tailored jackets and tunics in an A-line shape. Their midi length enables them to be dressed up or down for almost any occasion. Wear with a pair of pumps for a polished look or play down their formality with minimal white sneakers or a pair of pointed flats or brogues.

Needless to say, Lagerfeld didn’t fail to acknowledge and cater to his society clientele. His final 12 looks were made up of a series of dramatic floor length gowns with a combination of wide sweeping skirts and cocoon-like hoop skirts, embellished with feathers, frothy tulle and meticulous ruching.

It’s refreshing and exciting to see designers retaining the grandeur and tradition of haute couture while producing collections that contain cuts and shapes that are far more inclusive and transitional than ever before.

Clever stitching and beveled cuts created the illusion of raised shoulders without any padding.

This ensemble was beaded with over 30,200 stones and beads, and 25,000 sequins.

Winter’s Drea m Caught in the cold, bright whites and sharp silvers reflect winter’s crisp skies, revealing radiance. Juxtapose minimalistic tailoring and a pared-back palette with jewels that command attention in rich hues, set against ice white and pink gold.

Photographed by Anthony Arquier Styled by Camille Josephine Teisseire

Play Of Lights Earrings in white gold, PIAGET | Jumper, STELLA MCCARTNEY

Golden Palm Bracelet in pink gold and Palm El Dorado Necklace in pink gold, PIAGET | Coat, ROCHAS | Belt, BOTTEGA VENETA

Palm Sensation Necklace in white gold, PIAGET | Coat, ELLERY

Bluetiful Necklace in white gold, PIAGET | Dress, LOUIS VUITTON

Life Is A Party Manchette in white gold, PIAGET | Dress, DIOR

Royal Palm Tree Earrings in pink gold, PIAGET | Dress, GIAMBATTISTA VALLI

Sunny Getaway Manchette in pink gold and Sunny Getaway Bracelet in pink gold, PIAGET | Dress, ROCHAS

Radiant Sunset Ring in white gold, PIAGET | Jacket, JULIEN FOURNIER HAUTE COUTURE

Model: Stefania Ivanescu at IMG Models Makeup artist: Laurence Maestrello Hair stylist: Rimi Ura Manicurist: HanaĂŤ Gyumri Styling assistant: Heidi Feldman Set designer: Sylvain Cabouat Production: Louis Agency

A Dramatic Debut Our evening affairs call out to couture’s definitive details. Embroidered stories are handsewn into our most precious pieces with fine furs, outsized volume and artisanal cuts coming into play.

Photographed by Laura Marie Cieplik Styled by Alba Melendo


She wears: Jumpsuit and jacket, CHANEL HAUTE COUTURE | Earrings, ring and bracelets, CHANEL HIGH JEWELLERY He wears: Suit, ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA HAUTE COUTURE

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Skirt and jacket, CHRISTIAN DIOR HAUTE COUTURE | Rings and bracelet, CHRISTIAN DIOR HIGH JEWELLERY

132

Dress, MAISON MARGIELA

Top and dress, ARMANI PRIVÈ | Jewellery, CHAUMET HIGH JEWELLERY

Dress and Coat, ASHI STUDIO HAUTE COUTURE

She wears: Dress, ELIE SAAB HAUTE COUTURE He wears: Suit, ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA HAUTE COUTURE

136

Dress and shoes, STEPHANE ROLLAND HAUTE COUTURE

Dress, slip, tie, shoes and earrings, GIVENCHY HAUTE COUTURE

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Dress, VALENTINO HAUTE COUTURE | Necklace and bracelet, CARTIER HIGH JEWELLERY

Dress, VALENTINO HAUTE COUTURE

140

Dress, RALPH & RUSSO

Dress and collar, VALENTINO HAUTE COUTURE

Dress, JEAN PAUL GAULTIER HAUTE COUTURE

She wears: Dress, ELIE SAAB HAUTE COUTURE He wears: Suit, ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA HAUTE COUTURE

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Dress, ATELIER VERSACE | Rings, REPOSSI

Dress and coat, FENDI HAUTE COUTURE

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Dress and shoes, MAISON MARGIELA

Dress, SCHIAPARELLI | Rings, REPOSSI

Models: Lera K at Next Models Paris 
 Renata at Metropolitan Models Sarah at Metropolitan Models Benjamin at Premium Models Anthony at Premium Models Creative director: Kaduri Elyashar Fashion collaborator: Maki Kimura Hair stylist: Yumiko Hikage Makeup artist: Lamia Bernad
 Photography assistant: Ilan Zerbib Production: Louis Agency

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Lanes A winter’s garden of fine flowers adorns printed and embroidered finery for day and night. Outerwear takes a turn towards the scrupulously simple, with jackets and coats letting the silhouette speak.

Photographed by Luc Braquet Styled by Camille Josephine Teisseire

Wool coat, boots, Diorever bags and Wild in Dior bracelets, CHRISTIAN DIOR

Wool coat and boots, CHRISTIAN DIOR

Multi-print silk dress and boots, CHRISTIAN DIOR

152 Embroidered dress, CHRISTIAN DIOR

Embroidered dress, CHRISTIAN DIOR

Jacket, trousers and boots, CHRISTIAN DIOR

Wool coat and boots, CHRISTIAN DIOR

156 Wool coat, shorts and Wild in Dior bracelets, CHRISTIAN DIOR

Model: Kiki at Viva Model Makeup artist: Aude McGill Hair stylist: Taan Doan Local production: Ka2 Production Production: Louis Agency

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Knitwear jumper and skirt, LOUIS VUITTON

S c o r c h e d

S o u l Materials sculpt their moment. Mohair is emblazoned with athletic stripes, while high gloss red leather and colour blocked knits cut across cultures and times.

These diverse directions are grounded by lace-front combat boots, which guide us on the search for solace.

Photographed by Greg Adamski Styled by Kelly Baldwin

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Knitwear jumper and city trunk, LOUIS VUITTON

Dress, skirt and star trail ankle boots, LOUIS VUITTON

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Knitwear, dress, star trail ankle boots, city cruiser bag, LOUIS VUITTON

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Dress, ID gloves and star trail high boots, LOUIS VUITTON

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Dress, trousers and star trail ankle boots, LOUIS VUITTON

Jacket and trousers, LOUIS VUITTON

Model: Arianna at MMG Hair and makeup: Annesofie Begtrup Styling assistant: Sophie Pasztor Set designer: Lauren Haslam

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Laid Bare Wheat, nature’s good luck charm captures our magpie sensibilities as glittering white gold and brilliant cut diamonds pay tribute to the sheaf motif.

Photographed by Catherine Louis Styled by Joana Figueira and Jean Charline Tomlinson

Face throughout: Complexion, Le Blanc de Chanel, Les Beiges Healthy Glow Foundation N°10, Correcteur Perfection N°10 Beige Clair, Éclat Lumière N°20 Beige Clair | Eyes, Architectonic Eyeshadow Palette, Dimension de CHANEL N°40 Subversif | Lips, Rouge Allure Ink N°140 Amoureux, CHANEL BEAUTY

Nails, Le Vernis Velvet N°542 Pink Rubber, CHANEL BEAUTY Champ de Blé ring, CHANEL FINE JEWELLERY

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Plume de CHANEL watch, CHANEL FINE JEWELLERY

172

Brins de Printemps rings, CHANEL FINE JEWELLERY

Brins de Diamants earrings, CHANEL FINE JEWELLERY

174

Premiers Brins ring and Premiers Brins bracelet, CHANEL FINE JEWELLERY

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Champ de Blé earrings, CHANEL FINE JEWELLERY

Model: Sofie Theobald at Women Makeup artist: OphĂŠlie Secq Hair stylist: Andre Cueto-Saavedra at Saint Germain Manicurist: Beatrice Eni Photography assistants: Mylene Rouveure and Corinna Schulte Digital: Fred Bergues Casting director: V&Y Casting Production: Louis Agency

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Compiled by Sophie Pasztor

HIGH NOTES

JASPER CONRAN

1 2

3

4

Full Circle Alluring shapes in meticulous formations set the tone for the season.

Let polished pearls set against glistering diamonds shine as you partake in an evening of social happenings, while moodier hues such as opaque silver and midnight black gleam toward ethereal beauty.

1. FABERGÉ | 2. CHRISTIAN DIOR | 3. CHANEL | 4. DE GRISOGONO | 5. YOKO LONDON

5

Compiled by Sophie Pasztor

180

ROCHAS

1 2

Green With Envy Conveying a sense of balance and harmony, green is a colour of self-reliance. Allow the mesmerising hues of enigmatic emeralds to guide you on a path of self-discovery, where serpent rings and animated foliage blur the line between reality and fantasy.

1. FABERGÉ | 2. SUTRA | 3. DE GRISOGONO | 4. BVLGARI | 5. GHIRLANDA ELIZABETH

3

4 5

182

H i g h J ewel s

Chimera Ring, GIAMPIERO BODINO.

W e a r a b l e

Art? MOJEH examines the blurring boundaries between artwork and fine jewellery, discovering that your decorative adornments can be exhibit-worthy and, perhaps, a sensible investment.

Words by Annie Darling

With This Rock, photographed by Federico de Angelis.

184 It’s not uncommon for a jeweller to craft small

precious jewels involved – Afghan emeralds,

necklace shaped like a light bulb by Michael

objets d’art for a coterie of high-society friends.

Ceylon sapphires and Persian turquoise; as

Craig-Martin, as well as a strawberry-shaped,

Lotus Arts de Vivre co-founder Helen von Bueren

well as items that are more obscure, whose

diamond-encrusted pendant by sculptor Marc

began with gem-set knitting needles and hand-

value hinges on the owner’s understanding

Quinn. James Taffin de Givenchy, Manhattan

carved coral tongue scrapers. Her interest in

of their cultural context or inspiration. For

jeweller and nephew of the famous couturier,

sculpture subsequently flourished and Lotus’s

London-based gallerist Louisa Guinness, it’s

places a special emphasis on a company’s

jewellery became more bold and distinctive.

an important distinction. As the only dealer in

artisans. This is important, he argues, when

Von Bueren’s ornate and adventurous designs

Britain specialising in jewellery designed by

deciding whether a creation can be considered

soon became a favourite among European art

artists, as opposed to professional jewellers,

art. “What we [craftsmen] do is art.”

collectors, including a furled black diamond

she appreciates “deeply unconventional” pieces

He continues, “You have a personal vision and

dragon with piercing blood-red Burmese

“that appeal to wearers with avant-garde tastes

it doesn’t matter whether you use someone

rubies for eyes and a gold-plated sterling silver

and an eye for the unusual”.

else to make it happen or whether you create

peacock necklace, which drapes its abalone

Creations that possess sculptural qualities or

a piece by hand yourself. You are ultimately

shell feathered tail around the wearer’s neck.

an elaborate structure are more likely to be

involved at every step and you make it exactly

The world of jewellery has two kinds of treasures:

accepted by the art world. An avid collector,

the way you want. It’s art. It’s a passion.” Sean

Items whose value is obvious, given all the

Guinness has previously commissioned a

Gilbertson, CEO of Fabergé, concurs. “Jewellery

Metallic-coloured wings of scarab beetles are trimmed and affixed with rose-cut diamonds and facetted rubies. Photographed by Yuriko Takagi, LOTUS ARTS DE VIVRE.

While artists creating jewellery is nothing new – Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali and Max Ernst are just a few of the celebrated names to dabble in ‘wearable art’ – tension between material value and conceptual rigor remains fierce between traditional artists and craftsmen.

In response, American sculptor Alexander Calder adopted ambivalence towards the commercial appeal of jewellery, as well as a disregard for wearability, opting for aluminum, iron wire and copper rivets when handcrafting his one-ofa-kind splendid jewellery creations. Calder’s work set the stage for the post-World War II art jewellery movement, while critically acclaimed

Alexander Calder, Untitled Brooch, 1940, silver, 11.5 x 5.5cm, unique, image courtesy of the Calder Foundation and Louisa Guinness Gallery.

constructivist Margaret de Patta experimented with jewellery as a form of expression, as well as constructivism. These industry leaders popularised modest jewellery that could be both worn and appreciated for its artistic merit.

The 20th Century also had its share of master jewellers. Peter Carl Fabergé, Verdura and designers are artists in the sense that they

Suzanne Belperron began producing jaw-

paint with the finest coloured gemstones and

droppingly spectacular items. Their legacy, as

vibrant enamel palette, using precious metals

well as that of the era, continues to influence

and skillful techniques to create impeccably

contemporary jewelers, who unleash their

detailed works of art.”

creativity using more abstract, albeit bejewelled,

After all, to master contemporary jewellery

designs today. More recently, the late architect

design, an artisan must become an expert in

Zaha Hadid turned her hand to fine jewellery

nielloware, stone-setting, metalsmithing and

on behalf of Swiss maison Caspita, as well

enamelling. There are additional similarities, too.

as Lebanese jewellers House Mouzannar.

“Jewellery designers, similar to conventional

Meanwhile, Stephen Webster’s collaborative

artists, draw on inspiration from varied sources,

collection with British artist Tracey Emin was

such as nature, culture, and history.”

released earlier this year.

Nonetheless, it takes an exceptional jeweller to

Hong-Kong based artist Wallace Chan grew

be endorsed, let alone accepted, by art industry

up in extreme poverty and now designs some

giants, largely because of the ingrained and

of the most expensive jewellery in the world.

somewhat outdated notion that an artist should

Neither the financial value nor an artisan’s

be a garret-dweller: Someone who struggles to

background, he argues, should impact whether

acquire even the most inexpensive materials.

a jewellery creation is considered art. “Art is

186

free. Art embodies the true, the good and the beautiful.” In fact, Chan argues that jewellery can be considered a higher and more intricate form of art. “It is easier to create a painting, a sculpture or a conceptual art piece than a piece of jewellery art, because for an art piece to function as a piece of jewellery, it has to be wearable. “The materials, the weight, the size and shape, the light and colours must all be considered. There are a lot of practical constraints and only through repeated practices and constant innovations can the process of creation become free.”

Kunzite Floral Bangle.

Gilbertson agrees that there are significant differences. “Artists generally work alone and produce their pieces as a form of self-expression.

Creating a piece of exquisite jewellery requires teamwork.” Artisans do “impart a sense of their own self into the designs”, he adds, but functionality must also be carefully considered.

This idiosyncratic approach to jewellery – treating it as both a personal adornment and sculpture – is part of a creation’s allure and artistic merit.

Chan believes that educating people about the intricate world of stones is key to how jewellery

The Art Jewel 2009 Royal Butterfly.

is perceived worldwide.

“Some people collect jewellery out of their passion for gemstones, colour and light. They may see jewellery as an emotional embodiment, something that nurtures their spiritual being.”

But ultimately, for Chan, jewellery is a selfexisting form of art, because of the message and symbolism each piece represents. “Painters use paint, musicians use notes, and jewellery creators use gemstones,” he reveals. “Like paintings, sculptures, music and poetry, jewellery is a form of expression.” Originally a carver, Chan is proof that a varied career and background adds to a craftsman’s skill, which in turn, adds

Kunzite Floral Earrings.

artistic value to his or her creation.“I apply my experiences and knowledge as a carver and sculptor on my jewellery creations and constantly nurture my skills and think through the learning of other art forms.” Chinese ink paintings, music, poetry and architecture are particular inspirations. “I believe that all art forms share a common origin.”

Throughout history, jewellery has been largely defined as personal adornment. This may seem obvious. After all, the sole function of jewellery is to be worn. But, in the last century, more people are choosing instead to purchase ‘vault

The Art Jewel 2010 Crimson Rose Butterfly Brooch, all CINDY CHAO.

pieces’, items that are bought and stored as a financial investment. It seems that while

Rise of the Heart sculpture featuring rubies, citrines, amethysts and yellow diamonds, WALLACE CHAN.

some are hesitant to admit jewellery can be considered art, many agree pieces have an obvious decorative function. Chan’s jewellery is often accompanied by sculptured carvings, which function as display cases, while Cartier’s rock crystal platforms transform opulent items into ornaments. “True to its legacy, Fabergé today creates pieces to be collected as future heirlooms,” admits Gilbertson. “Importantly,” he adds, “Fabergé jewellery is designed to be worn, cherished and admired, rather than merely put in a vault.”

Jewellery worn in medieval Europe reflected an intensely hierarchical and status-conscious society. Historically, royalty wore gold and silver, while lower ranks wore base metals. It seems a shame that in today’s day and age, many view high jewellery in a similar way – as a soulless object. “The fact that jewellery creators use gemstones also makes it easy for people to overlook the value of creativity, cultural stories and craftsmanship – very often, the high value of the gemstones outshines other elements,” explains Chan.

Despite worldwide financial insecurity, Haute Joaillerie is thriving; much of it is one-of-akind and can cost millions, largely because of expensive gems and rarity, which Givenchy says is key to a piece’s worth, both financially and as artwork. “In this day and age, how many things in the world are one of anything?” Gilbertson agrees. “Rarity is, of course, a key driver in drawing the link between art and mere jewellery.”

At Boodles, for example, sales of jewellery valued at more than AED 264,000 have tripled in the last five years. The average price of an item from Chanel’s Fine Jewellery collection has risen to about AED 1,612,000 from AED 1,007,000, while Piaget has raised the value of its high jewellery collection by 30 per cent.

So, do jewellers belong to the world of art or craft? A recurring question; a topic frequently visited. If money’s an indicator, one can logically assume the former. There has been an explosion of activity in the market for art and collectables, including the likes of musical instruments and classic cars, as well as fine jewellery. But perhaps, rather than the artwork, the answer lies in the intentions of the artist or craftsman. Art is boundary-pushing, meaningful and memorable. To achieve this, there must be emotion and passion behind its creator. If a jewellery designer possesses these qualities, why can’t his or her work be considered art?

188

T h e C o llec tio n

Mesmeric

Utopia Enter into Roberto Coin’s secret garden, where opulence is met with the whimsical.

Known for larger-than-life, phantasmagorical jewellery, Roberto Coin has gained an ardent following through his use of precious stones. His latest Garden Collection sees nature take an expressive turn towards enchantment, where charmed creatures nestle between jewelled foliage and stately gems. “Gardens are part of my life – they provide me with great internal peace, and give me joy and hope,” explains Coin. Diamonds, tsavorites, citrines, rubies, black spinels and green garnets are just a few of the stones used to create his mesmeric collection. Coin elaborates, “I do not put boundaries on the choice of stones. I prefer to keep my imagination open.” Artfully positioned flowers, lush foliage, playful dragonflies, enthralling butterflies and the odd spider can be seen throughout the collection. Ideal for the free-spirited woman with a penchant for opulence, the Garden Collection is the ultimate in statement jewellery.

Top to bottom: Earrings in satin yellow gold with diamonds, topaz, tsavorite and green amethyst, Ring in satin yellow gold with diamonds (colourless and brown), amethyst and tsavorite, Ring in satin yellow gold with diamonds (colourless and brown), topaz and tsavorite, Ring in satin yellow gold with diamonds (colourless and brown) quartz and tsavorite, ROBERTO COIN

Over The

Ra i n b o w The Trend: Say goodbye to the traditionally demure and welcome a colourful future for fine jewellery.

A maximalist spirit and a kaleidoscope of colour presented a cheerful disposition to the typically mellow mood embraced during autumn/winter16. Designers Mary Katrantzou and Anya Hindmarch were among the many opting for multi-hued dresses and technicolour accessories. The fresh change presented a new vitality that has since translated into the world of fine jewellery. Lydia Courteille looked to Native American tribes for her Rainbow Warrior Prophecy collection, where she delved into indigenous beliefs that see past warriors return and unite as the Words by Sophie Pasztor

colours of the rainbow. Franck Muller also took on a multi-coloured approach, incorporating a plethora of variegated stones. The wide spectrum of colours maybe off-putting to some, but by keeping your accompanying wardrobe subdued, the trend becomes far more wearable. Shimmering metallics in block colours complement these statement jewels best, and will enhance their fantastical allure.

Watch, FRANCK MULLER | Necklace, LYDIA COURTEILLE

190

M OJEH M em o i r

Dare To

Shine Founder and designer of De Grisogono, Fawaz Gruosi, shares the story of his biggest passion: the black diamond.

Earrings: The mesmerising allure of black diamonds is given new life with 9.41-carat radiant-cut yellow diamonds, 40 baguette-cut yellow diamonds, 534 yellow diamonds and the 614 black diamonds that form these earrings.

Necklace: 477 icy diamonds make up the ‘Bella’ necklace, as worn by the model Bella Hadid at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival. Amplified by 170 blue sapphires, 1012 white diamonds, 6 pear-cut white diamonds and 1 pear-cut blue sapphire.

It was 1993 and everything was very minimal, nobody wanted to show off. But my designs were bold and voluminous: I liked to mix a lot of colour and different stones and I’d place precious stones with semi-precious – really breaking the rules. I looked like a crazy designer to everyone else. Then, I discovered the black diamond, and it was the biggest risk I had ever taken. Up until then, no jewellery house had worked with or even spoken about it. Women’s eyes had been completely shielded from it. But, I recognised its beauty and truly believed in its qualities and ability to make a jewellery piece magnificent. I was criticised, called an idiot, told I was selling terrible things, but I wouldn’t let go of the dream. It was as though the black diamond was my partner in life, my true love, and I was saddened that people hadn’t spoken about it. Eventually, I wrote a book to accompany my pieces. It was very technical, so I added glamour through Carla Bruni and Naomi Campbell wearing the diamonds.

Suddenly, it exploded. Women’s eyes adapted and the black diamond became famous in its own right. It changed my life – success came for both the diamond and me. Since then, I realised that the market needs novelties, it’s always thirsty for something different, so I continued to design with unexpected materials and colours such as the icy diamond and brown gold. I’ve never wanted to stop innovating, to stop being snobbish. In a way, I always want to create something fresh and new. Of course, the more you produce, the more challenges you find, but today these are all good challenges. Freedom in creativity is the biggest gift one can ask for and that’s what I have.

It gave me luck – a quality people didn’t know existed in the black diamond – and, had I never met with the stone, the jewellery pieces you see in front of you today would never have existed.

Ring: Opulent colour tones merge to form a 19.36-carat rubellite ring with 175 white diamonds, 253 black diamonds and 21 rubies encased in white gold | Earrings: Mr Gruosi showcases his drive for innovation through unconventional shapes playing focus in these white gold and titanium earrings encrusted with a rectangular-cut white diamond, 855 blue sapphires, 882 emeralds and 542 white diamonds | Necklace: 1350 bedazzling black diamonds of 32.89 carats glisten against 1534 white diamonds in this necklace.

192

J e w ellery N ot e s

Just An Illusion Cartier Magicien, the French Maison’s latest High Jewellery collection, is mesmerisingly beautiful. Concentric patterns and glittering prisms of diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires create visual trickery through streams of light.

Words by Annie Darling

Cartier Magicien experiments with light, as well as playful designs, which run in rolling waves along rows of pavéd diamonds, until the eye reaches the majestic and ornate central stones.

Triangular diamonds are used because of the jewel’s brilliance, which is further enhanced by faceted mirroring. Spaces between each triangular diamond and the lower white gold pavé frame increases the interplay of light.

Cartier Magicien is absolute magic: entrancing

The collection’s name, Rainero explains,

and bedazzling. The French atelier, one of

honours the incredible skill and ability of

the world’s most esteemed and respected

Cartier’s artisans. “There is something

Maisons in the luxury goods industry, has

mysterious about it [the collection], and that’s

once again done the impossible by trapping

something we get in the jewellery pieces in

and taming light, which is, in a very real

general. So, we thought about who does that.

sense, the essence of life. Sublime stones

When you think about it, there’s something

and precious jewels are moulded, matched

magic about that ability… that’s why we called

and massed into what can only be described

it Cartier Magicien,” he smiles. “After all, if

as otherworldly creations. Dazzling diamonds,

you’re not knowledgeable [about the craft]

viper-green emeralds and navy sapphires

and the skills required, you won’t know how

are combined and the dramatic finale is

the overall aesthetic is achieved.”

mysterious, dark and seductive.

The collection boasts around 100 phenomenal

But, what’s truly remarkable are the line’s solar

pieces, all of which are meticulously designed

diamonds, which warmly glow when basked in

with absolute precision. To achieve the

the gentle kiss of light. Inspired by the graceful

fantastical illusion of movement and energy,

delicacy of a dainty dandelion clock, rose-cut

which pulsates through each invention, every

diamonds are arranged in briolettes, pavéd

stroke must be mastered and each line exact.

circles, or studded around a sphere. Rays of

“The work of a designer working together

light are captured by the yellow gems, which

with a jeweller is important to achieve these

are subsequently diffracted and refracted. The

elements and effects,” asserts Rainero. “Not

result, says Pierre Rainero, head of heritage

only do these pieces boast an element of

and style at Cartier, is a constant brilliance

beauty when there’s a photo of a person, but

that bounces from facet to facet. It is a

I also think visually it perfectly fits the body

painstaking process that “requires many

and that’s really very important.”

hours of work, because each little element

The majority of the collection’s designs

must be assembled”.

“radiate from the central stone”, whether

194 an Afghan emerald or blood-red ruby. The

profusions of precious materials. Cartier

precise and intricate, yet formulaic, weaving

has undeniably injected movement into the

of each piece’s diamond structure make

very heart of this collection and the design is

some creations reversible – many of Cartier

exceptionally well thought out, so much so

Magicien’s necklaces can be worn both

that the jewels move as one, truly breathing

ways. “We had to actually invent this system.

life into the inanimate.

We are used to creating necklaces that can

Triangular diamonds are shrewdly used;

become tiaras, for instance, but in that case

each gem’s brilliance is enhanced by faceted

the system is quite easy. You put something

mirroring. The spaces between each triangular

solid onto the necklace to maintain it on

stone and the lower white gold pave frame

the head. It becomes quite still. But, in this

increase the interplay of light and the sensation

case with the two forms, each piece must

of volume, a technique the brand first

be fluid.” A thread of platinum is inserted to

experimented with in the Twenties. “Volume

enable the seamless transition from front to

was less important in the Twenties and really

The collection’s solar diamond clusters are spherical nuggets of breathtaking briolettes, pavéd circles or yellow diamonds studded around a sphere. Each gem boasts an eternal brilliance that bounces from facet to facet.

back, proving the collection groundbreaking not just aesthetically, but innovatively, as well.

“We can do many, many things in many, many different ways,” says Rainero with pride. “You can endlessly play with different colours and different stones.”

This rich accumulation of gemstones creates a real euphoria of flashing lights, which explode in vibrant bursts of sparkling stars. Cartier Magicien is tantalising; an irresistible game, a flirtatious dance of never-ending reflections.

One can’t help but hark back to a clairvoyant’s hall of mirrors. “I encourage you to look into the reflection of the mirrors of a piece, or the back of the piece,” insists Rainero, to inspect the jewellery’s mechanisms. “When the lady wears the piece, you have the impression that the light radiates from the centre. There’s a movement there and this exaggerates the light, which plays with the object.” Light ripples of diamonds flow through each item, boasting

Parallel shapes and asymmetric details bring a sublime tonality to the collection, while unusual shapes hypnotise and hold one’s gaze. Powerful lines and each piece’s geometric design conjure the illusion of movement.

up until the second half of the Thirties, which

“I think the black and white association in

able to create something to put them in,” says

is when we started to give each piece more

jewellery design can be very confusing,” says

Rainero. “We’ve done it in the past. At the

volume,” says Rainero. “In the Twenties, we

Rainero. This is further enhanced, he adds,

Biennale two years ago, we created a box in

started experimenting with bracelets, which

by the collection’s entrancing triangular-

rock crystal with beads, and on the top there

were built in very vigorous parallel lines. It’s

cut diamonds. This manipulation of colour,

was a sitting panther, which could be removed

only in the Thirties that the atelier went further

light and patterns is somewhat psychedelic:

from the box and worn as a brooch. This is

and produced more exuberant shapes.”

whimsical, yet dark.

really something very special.”

By adding volume, visual trickery’s hidden

A rock crystal plaque also comes with some

Cartier Magicien proves that magic isn’t

in each seemingly conventional piece.

of Cartier Magicien’s pieces. One of the

limited to spells and supernatural powers.

Geometrical motifs, as well as black and white

collection’s rings comes with a sculpture,

Breathtaking stones and exceptional

designs, enable the seamless transformation

designed to display the piece when the

design can create ingenious creations that

from ordinary to extraordinary. One touch or

owner isn’t wearing it. A work of art: When

seem implausible. But, as Harry Houdini

gesture casts a glimmer of light, which produces

the accessory’s not worn, it becomes part of

once said, “What the eyes see and the

a curve of shudder down its whole structure.

the interior décor. “Even for brooches, we’re

ears hear, the mind believes.”

196

J e w el l ery N ot e s

Livia Firth, Eco-Age creative director [left] and Caroline Scheufele, co-president and artistic director of Chopard [right] have formed a partnership that commits to the sustainable mining of gemstones.

In The Precious Zambian emeralds of exceptional quality are partnered with white pear-cut diamonds, as Chopard take the next step in its audacious journey to sustainable luxury.

Words by Annie Darling

Image courtesy of Andreas Rentz at Getty

Spotlight

Chopard’s co-president and artistic director Caroline Scheufele [pictured] devotes a great part of her energy to creative design.

Caroline Scheufele, co-president and artistic director of Chopard, and Livia Firth, Eco-Age creative director and founder of the Green Carpet Challenge, are proving formidable. In 2013, the pair formed a partnership that commits to the sustainable mining of gemstones, which they evocatively named ‘The Journey’. The result: An exquisite collection of entirely ethical Haute Joaillerie.

The elegant duo is comfortably perched side-by-side on a sumptuous sofa in Dubai Mall’s opulent Chopard boutique. Legs crossed and stilettos dangling, they sip sparkling water amid several decadent tiered cake stands that are brimming with pastel-coloured pastries. Both are, unsurprisingly, smothered in the most sensational diamonds that sparkle with the dazzling flash of a photographer’s camera.

“We were grabbing coffee,” recalls Firth with a captivating smile, when asked about the origin of their partnership. “I always say that the best things in life always happen when two women meet for coffee around a kitchen table.” Except, she quickly admits, they didn’t meet in a kitchen, but rather a luxury restaurant in Los Angeles. They weren’t drinking coffee either, Scheufele shrewdly adds.

By working with Eco-Age and trusted suppliers like Gemfields, Chopard is setting global standards by supporting local communities in the most remote regions where extremely rare raw materials are mined. “We called it ‘The Journey’ because what we’re doing takes a long time,” reveals Firth, as she readjusts her scintillating necklace.

“The jewellery industry is not famous for being regulated, transparent, or traceable.”

Initiated at the 66th Cannes Film Festival in 2013, a Green Carpet collection has since been introduced within Chopard’s Red Carpet collection. Each piece is crafted exclusively with Fairmined-certified gold – a label guaranteeing that gold has been mined and processed in compliance with environmental and ethical standards. The collection is additionally notable because of its phenomenal Zambian emeralds.

Their peerless colour makes them Scheufele’s favourite stones, with which she’s designed an exuberant jewellery set that brings together ethics and aesthetics.

“The first green pieces have been produced completely separately from the others,” she explains. “It’s like a VIP line going through the factory, never touching the other products.”

She affirms, “All of our pieces at Chopard are ethical and certified and everything.

The only thing you don’t know with the traditional pieces is exactly how all the raw materials are sourced.”

Sourcing responsibly, however, isn’t easy. “You have to start the process with partners who are just as committed as you are to change,” explains Firth. “A lot of jewellery brands still don’t ask the important questions that Chopard asks. They don’t impose certain,” she pauses, “not restrictions, but perimeters to their suppliers.”

Chopard has demonstrated its commitment to responsibility in business for many years – it has been a certified member of the Responsible Jewellery since 2010.

As Scheufele puts it, with Firth’s laughter resonating around the room, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” She compares the situation to attempts at regulating the Internet, reminding that, “This is a system that has lasted for thousands of years, ever since the Ancient Egyptians.”

According to Firth, the Swiss-based maison has already begun to transform the lives of artisanal gold miners in small, remote communities. “They know now that they can count on Chopard buying their gold. They can count on that financial support so that their kids can go to school. It’s not volatile anymore – there’s a fixed price for the gold. It’s had a gigantic impact on the ground in terms of the community.”

Is it not overwhelming? “Yes,” nods Firth, but she’s already witnessed an improvement. “In the last year, there has been a massive change.” After all, she asks, who wouldn’t want to know the illustrious story behind their own jewellery piece?

The Green Carpet challenge has “an extra story, an extra value, and an extra depth”.

Scheufele agrees. “It’s true luxury, to know how your piece has been produced.”

By working together with Eco-Age, and trusted suppliers such as Gemfields, Chopard uses fabled emeralds in the Green Carpet Collection.

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B e au ty M o m en t s

Beauty and Body Secrets with

Nine d’Urso Nine d’Urso, daughter of Inès de La Fressange, was gifted with naturally good genes. But, the Italian-French model and the face of Bottega Veneta’s latest fragrance still has a few tricks up her sleeve.

products, because generally speaking, I end up going out with a little bun or ponytail – I don’t have very thick hair!

Fragrance choice.

I don’t really have a favourite type; I prefer subtle perfumes in which the notes develop in time and the different levels are revealed. I’m not so keen on fragrances constructed around a single note,

The first thing you do in the morning is…

such as vanilla or rose.

I’m a heavy sleeper. I sometimes wake up just 15 minutes before leaving the house, so

The new Eau Sensuelle from Bottega Veneta.

each second counts! However, two things are

It brings a younger, more floral character

absolutely essential: clean teeth and clear

than the first fragrance, which is still very

skin. Before I moisturise, I cleanse my skin

recognisable in its original notes. I love the

twice – first with a cleanser and then with a

idea of developing the story of the fragrance:

micellar water.

The perfume is resolutely new, yet its origins are instantly identifiable.

Best beauty tip you’ve ever been given.

“There’s no point wearing the most beautiful

Favourite Eau Sensuelle note.

lipstick in the world if you have dirty teeth.” – Inès

I’m not a very good nose, I’m afraid I might say

de La Fressange. Thank you, Mum!

something wrong!

Statement lip colour.

The story of Nine and Bottega.

I love wearing crimson lipstick. I used to wear it

Five years ago and still to this day, I’ve felt very

a lot a few years ago, but now, I’ve gone back

honoured to have been chosen by Creative

to a more natural makeup look.

Director Tomas Maier as the face of their signature fragrance. Even before working

Go-to makeup look.

with the house, I had a deep respect for both

I wear very little makeup, only a touch of

Tomas Maier as a designer and Bruce Weber

mattifying powder and a little mascara.

as a photographer.

Thing you have too many of.

Difference between then and now.

My younger sister and I are the proud owners

I’ve always loved it, but five years ago, I thought

of an impressive nail polish collection, some of

it was a little too “grown up”. I liked the perfume,

which we’ve never used and never will, but we

but I didn’t wear it very often. Over time, I

don’t want to let go of them. It’s our little treasure!

learned to master it. I still don’t consider myself fully an adult, but I wear it more easily, I get the

Beauty obsession.

impression it suits me better. That’s why I don’t

I have quite an obsession with my hair. My

feel as if I’m “taking up the role”, it’s more a

flatmate teases me on my collection of hair

question of a role that’s taken me time to get into.

Best moment.

At the time I had very little experience in the modelling world, and I was very shy; the whole team managed to reassure me, the photoshoot was fun, we enjoyed ourselves very much! I remember taking my best friend along with me and we couldn’t stop laughing. Although the photos look quite serious, some even said I looked severe, they really don’t reflect what I remember of this experience.

Five years later…

I’ve grown up, of course! We’ve taken photos again, yes, but the objectives are different, as is the team. I see it more as a continuation: The fragrance and I never actually left each other.

Applying perfume.

“She wears nothing other than a little essence of Guerlain in her hair.” This sentence has always struck me when I put my perfume on the nape of my neck and hairline. Each person smells different there, so the skin is very reactive to the scent.

Beauty is.

Feeling happy and at ease in one’s skin.

Relaxation is.

I watch a TV series until I’m exhausted, I sleep in way too late, then I take the time to do the things I never have time to do as much as I’d like , such as going to a museum, or drawing.

Favourite pastime.

I’ve been passionate about theatre forever; I try to go as often as possible and I’ve now bought a projector, so I’m building up my cinema culture, too.

Plans for the future.

To be happy. A good start, don’t you think?

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B e a u ty n ote

The Bee’s Knees Get the latest buzz in beauty with a luxurious dousing of honeyinfused skincare. Try Laura Mercier’s Crème Brûlée Honey Bath for a relaxing way to unwind and look to Rodial’s Bee Venom Super Serum to lift and plump your skin.

Photographed by Sarvenaz Hashtroudi, styled by Sophie Pasztor

Left to right: Bee Venom Super Serum, RODIAL at Harvey Nichols-Dubai | Abeille Royale Daily Repair Serum, GUERLAIN at Harvey Nichols-Dubai | Crème Brûlée Honey Bath, LAURA MERCIER at Harvey Nichols-Dubai

Elie saab

The

Faces of Fall

As we head into event season, MOJEH explores autumn’s best beauty trends and identifies the high-impact looks that are most ready to make a statement.

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S e a s o nal B eaut y

3

2

A broad shadow base fanned out over eyelids in a sweeping cat-eye at Daks, while tidy updos set a polished tone.

Fall’s femme fatale makes her return, but she’s more nuanced than ever before. Think sensual, smoky eyes with a metallic edge, paired with lightly bronzed cheekbones that emanate a warm glow. To channel this mood, it’s crucial to keep accompanying makeup to a minimum as this look is all about the eyes.

1

4

Elegant Rebellion

Heavy dustings of sparkling pewter shadow were gently smudged over lids and paired with au naturel lips and hints of bronzer at Elie Saab.

5

At Alexander McQueen, thin traces of dark liner framed the base of the eye, while champagne coloured shadow had a highlighting effect.

6

1. Waterproof Extreme Mascara in Noir, TOM FORD | 2. DAKS | 3. Dior Addict Hydra-Gel Core Mirror Shine in 553 Smile, DIOR | 4. Elie Saab | 5. Alexander McQueen | 6. Nail Varnish in Fusion, ILLAMASQUA | 7. Ombre Blackstar Eyeshadow in Bronze Moon, BY TERRY

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2

1. Paris After The Rain Eye Colour Collection, LAURA MERCIER | 2. Guo Pei | 3.

Ruby Glitter Nail Varnish, BURBERRY | 4. Emily Ratajowski | 5. Street style | 6. Vintage Metallix Eyeliner in Bibelot, ILLAMASQUA | 7.

Eye Duo Pencil in Midnight Sale, ELIZABETH ARDEN

Opulent shades of jade green glittered and liner matched the feathered hair pieces at Guo Pei’s Haute Couture show.

3

Heavy eye makeup in gleaming jewel tones forms a look that will become a go-to for the events season. Enlist one main colour and finish with metallic accents in other jewel tones – don’t be afraid to match your makeup to your outfit, especially for a black tie event.

4

This look from Milan Fashion Week sees teal liner smudged into a messy cat eye.

A slight touch of magenta creates a refreshing contrast.

6

7

5

Jewelled Gaze

Emily Ratajkowski’s makeup for the Emmy Awards saw a light green shadow outline the inner eye and blend into a deeper green.

204 1

Defined lips in rich,

2

Deep burgundy lips offset against porcelain complexions and high volume Blade Runner-esque coifs made a dramatic statement at Gareth Pugh.

lustrous berry tones exuded sophistication on the runways. For a powerful statement look, line the parameters of

3

the lip before applying a high-shine liquid lipstick.

Alternatively, use a deep berry gloss over an oil-based lipstick – pair with an elegant updo or poker straight hair for full-blown glamour.

4

Polished Perfection

Unruly 80s style updos and super shiny red lips created an air of retro rock and roll at Sibling.

5

Minimal makeup and sleek, straight hair provided the perfect neutral backdrop for the heavy plum lipstick used at Max Mara.

7

1. Velvet Lip Glide in Unspeakable, NARS | 2.

Gareth Pugh | 3. Lip Definer in Maya, CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN | 4. Sibling | 5. Max Mara | 6. Sunset Bronze Prismatic Highlighter, ELIZABETH ARDEN | 7.

Finishing Treatment, RAHUA

6

1

3 2

The traditional ballerina was reinvented at Dior, where glossy locks were twisted into tight double buns secured at the nape of the neck.

Science fiction influences created some of the season’s most playful looks, with everything from space buns to intergalactic-style eye makeup making an appearance on the catwalk. To ensure that this trend looks age-appropriate, harness one youthful element, such as hair or eyes, and keep the rest of your look refined.

5

At Giambattista Valli, slickedback hair fell in structured waves, keeping the silvery swipes of liner that held otherworldly appeal in check.

Black eyeliner accented with gold shadow and paired with untamed wet-look hair was both dramatic and futuristic on the street at London Fashion Week.

6

1. Face Illuminator in Indiscretion, LAURA MERCIER | 2. Dior | 3. Dior Addict Ultra Gloss in 929 Scandalous, DIOR | 4. Street style | 5.

Giambattista Valli | 6. Sequin Eye Shadow in Moon Rock, BOBBI BROWN | 7. Ombre Couture Eyeshadow in No. 15 Bleu Celeste, GIVENCHY

7

Space Age

4

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B e au ty F o cus

Anna Priadka demonstrates how to apply the new product range.

What are your thoughts on contouring?

It depends on preference, but it’s become important for women lately because they think they should be doing it. It’s a bit of a shame. I feel like women are losing their individuality and starting to look like carbon copies of each other.

For women who do like to contour, what are your tips?

It is important to give some definition to your

Liquid Gold MOJEH talks to Nars’ international makeup artist, Anna Priadka, about the season’s key makeup trends and the secrets to healthy skin.

features and make the most of your bone structure, but don’t overdo it – that’s the key to getting it right. Do some research by going into a store and asking a professional makeup artist how to best apply it for your face shape and with what shades.

The new Nars Sculpting Multiple Duo is for contouring. Why is it so unique?

It’s derived from the Original Multiple, which was an innovative first-to-market, multiple use product by Nars. It all started out when François Nars used a single lipstick to do a model’s full makeup on a shoot. The Sculpting Multiple Duo is an extension of that – it follows the highlighting and contouring trend. It’s portable, easy to use, and is a great starting platform for people who haven’t contoured before.

What trends are you looking towards for

amazing in humid climates because they can’t

We’re fast approaching the festive and

autumn/winter16?

melt. Over the last two years, there’s been a big

events season, so what’s the easiest way

My favourite trend is the deep, bold lip, but

surge in the liquid lipstick trend – women lead

for a woman to revitalise her beauty look

a slightly updated version that has different

busier lifestyles and are looking for longer lasting

without having to do a total overhaul?

layers and dimensions. Use a burgundy lip

formulas, which is why they are so convenient.

For a quick turnaround after work, spritz your

liner, put a purple lipstick over it and finish with

makeup with a face spray and then use a

a cherry gloss on top of that. It’s a bespoke

Should we use a lip liner before applying it?

concealer – like our Radiant Creamy Concealer

and multi-dimensional lip that is really unique

I would recommend that, but it depends on

– to touch up. That will give you an easy, flawless

and individual.

what look you’re going for. If you want a more

finish over the top of your makeup. Adding a

defined lip, then always use a lip liner regardless

bold lip is always the easiest way to revitalise

of what products you use.

a look or even just using a liner and smudging

Playing with different effects – for example,

it around your eyes to create a smoky look.

using a semi matte finish down the centre of the

What is your favourite Velvet Lip Glide

face and then an intense dewy highlight on the

shade?

What does your personal skin-care routine

cheeks. It’s all about a juxtaposition of textures.

Area, which is a rich chestnut brown. It’s going

entail?

to be the next deep lip colour trend! It’s really

I’m obsessed with face oil at the moment. I

And the eyes?

versatile because it works on porcelain skin

use a night face oil that I massage into my

Unexpected eyeliner; try a wing that starts

right through to really dark skin.

skin before bed and then I spritz a water spray

halfway in and extends upwards or an accent in the very corner of the eye.

on top of it before I sleep. In more humid It contains the Nars Oil Infusion Complex;

weather, I just use an intense serum for the

what benefit does that have for the lips?

day, something lightweight that moisturises

Nars recently launched the liquid lipstick,

It has lots of different oils and peptides that plump

and still delivers everything my skin needs.

Velvet Lip Glide. Why liquid?

and hydrate the lip and deliver highly saturated

When travelling, I use a face spray every hour

I find they work better than a regular lipstick

colour. It’s the best of both worlds, a really

throughout the flight to keep my skin hydrated,

as they tend to last a lot longer; plus, they’re

comforting finish with a high intensity pigment.

so that it doesn’t feel tired or dry when I land.

Images courtesy of Nars

What about the skin?

Nars’ new season launches are the Velvet Lip Glide and Sculpting Multiple Duo.

A bold, statement lip backstage at Marni.

What foods do you believe help keep your

A good lip balm, as there’s nothing worse than

skin healthy?

chapped, sore lips – it’s so important to keep

I don’t eat dairy because I believe there’s a

them conditioned. Also, a brow pencil should

very big link between dairy and your skin.

always be at hand, too.

Anything green is always good – especially juices. Spirulina and chlorella powders make

What do you love about the fashion week

a huge difference, they give your skin such a

season?

glow. I take a lot of supplements, too, and it’s

I love the experience. There’s something very

not just about topical products these days – the

addictive about working backstage and I love

more natural, the better.

the artists that we work with. It’s less about your own creativity and more about executing the

Any beauty secrets?

vision of a lead creative artist and bringing it to life.

I’m going to go back to the face oil here! I use Kiehls’ Midnight Recovery Concentrate and

What is your source of inspiration when

Bio Oil, which really works. I also use a Lumie

trying out and creating new beauty looks?

lamp to help with acne, and it helps to stimulate

Music, films and books. I’m obsessed with the

collagen production, too.

70s and 80s, because I love bold makeup looks. My first inspiration for makeup came

Essential makeup bag items?

from a book my mum had when I was growing

A concealer to improve skin tone and an eyelash

up, called The Beauty Book. My work can

curler, because whether you’re young or old,

be quite emotional sometimes, as I develop

curling your lashes really opens your eyes up.

looks from a feeling.

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B e au ty F o cus

Grown organically without the use of fertiliser or pesticides, 800 rose plants grow in the Dior Garden.

A pioneer in the field of inflammaging, Dior Science has been studying this phenomenon for over 10 years.

Christian Dior’s childhood villa in Granville was home to a magnificent rose garden. It was here that he developed his love of roses and laid the foundations for the future House of Dior.

Ode Rose An

to a

A decade of diligence in the quest to pair science with beauty is finally realised in Dior’s La Cure, an extract that promises to repair our skin like never before.

Rose de Granville Oil is an exceptional raw material produced just two times each year and picked within one hour.

Each of the three oils delivers the full power of Rose de Granville Oil to reset, renew and perfect the skin.

created for maximal cosmetic activity,” says Jarvis. Designed to withstand harsh and intense environmental conditions, the flower provides intense soothing to the skin. Targeting inflammation, which is said to be a key contributor to stressed-out or aging skin, the elixir, comes in three amber coloured vials to be used over three weeks, each designed to counteract the aggressors that we encounter in our everyday environment. “La Cure is designed to tame micro outbursts of inflammation,”

Thibaut de Saint Chamas for Parfums Christian Dior

says Jarvis. “This can occur in moments What’s in a rose? More than meets the

has been selected and created for more

when the skin’s natural resistances are

eye, if we are to consider the cold-pressed

than 10 years through a crossbreeding

lowered by different circumstances, such

oil produced by Dior’s own gardens,

process based on two criteria: resistance

as brutal changes of climate as seasons

Rose de Granville. A cultivated creation

and vitality,” explains Edouard Mauvais

transition, work overload or childbirth,” he

and the culmination of 10 painstaking

Jarvis, Dior’s Environmental and Scientific

continues. Suitable for each type of skin,

years, the extract signals an advance in

Communication Director. “The Rose de

the 21-day programme is apparently all

the increasing synergy we see between

Granville has twice more vitality than classic

that’s needed to reverse the inflammation

the worlds of science and nature. The

roses; its cells regenerate twice as fast.”

process. It’s the speed of cell rejuvenation

two are at a crossroads as public tastes

Quite a feat, but how does this decade

that sets Dior’s roses apart from the

veer towards natural resources like never

of development translate into our beauty

rest – they accelerate skin healing. “It

before. And, this penchant is none more

regime? The secret is in the extract.

contains elements to favour an increased

apparent than in the beauty industry,

Harvested just twice per year, when the

regeneration in the skin through the

with pared-back formulations and raw

roses bloom, they have to be collected

boosting of its main constituents, such as

ingredients acting as staples that are now

and cold-pressed within one hour to obtain

collagens and elastin,” notes Jarvis. Dior’s

uplifted by science’s latest innovations.

the true potential of the fresh petals, and

rose garden reveals a secret. More than

Dior’s aforementioned rose extract is one

La Cure is the precious produce that

just a flight into fancy, what we can see

such example. “The Rose de Granville

comes from these roses. “The rose is

in La Cure is a new direction in skincare.

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B e au ty D es tinat io n

Beauty product: Orchidée Impériale Black, the French house’s latest skincare launch.

Main image: The Guerlain Spa, located at the Palm’s One&Only, Dubai.

Out of the Dark The Guerlain Spa celebrates a year as the region’s definitive beauty destination, while launching its next beauty revolution, Orchidée Impériale Black.

Entering the Guerlain Spa at The One & Only Palm is a delight

treatments, each stage within the 90-minute ritual serves

for any woman, beauty obsessed or otherwise; the familiar

its own real purpose – from the cleansing of pores and the

smell of cult classic La Petite Robe fuels the air and three

firming motions to the relaxing hand and arm massage –

of the industry’s most successful beauty ranges – Orchidée

and the effects begin to show soon after. Unsurprising from

Impériale, Abeille Royale and Super Aqua – greet us upon

elixirs that were decades in the making.

arrival; tall white walls with orchids in each corner set the

Similar to the treatments offered at the spa, the next chapter

tranquil tone. This is a haven of solace and serenity, and

in the maison’s history, Orchidée Impériale Black Cream, is

has been since its inception in late 2015. After listening

just as revolutionary and dutiful as its predecessors. After

to your beauty needs, a Paris-trained specialist pieces

more than 15 years of research, the cream comes with all

together a unique blend of rare and natural ingredients to

the strength and power of the Black Orchid and works by

match your skin requirements – from anti-ageing solutions

rebuilding and strengthening the layers underneath the skin’s

and stopping time to healing aggravated or combination

surface. A beauty masterpiece, the potent and thick cream

skin. We chose the Prestige treatment, a facial that is slow,

combats signs of ageing, refines contours and repairs daily

soothing and engulfs you in a sheath of serenity as various

damage to the face’s surface.

layers of creams and serums are meticulously massaged

Out of the black orchid, one of nature’s finest floras, comes

into the face, décolletage and chest. Unlike many modern

renewed grace and agility for skin.

Photographed by Sarvenaz Hashtroudi, styled by Sophie Pasztor

Decadent blends of emerald, deep berry and gold will ensure vitality is reserved throughout the cooler months. Let your sinister side take hold with a moody plum polish or find beauty in obscurity and opt for sleek shades of azure.

Clockwise from bottom left: Lady Twist The Noirs, CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN | Light My Sapphire, OPI | La Petite Robe Noire, GUERLAIN | Nail Lacquer Carnal Red, TOM FORD | Diorific Vernis - Holiday 2016 Limited Edition, CHRISTIAN DIOR | Le Vernis Longwear Nail Colour, CHANEL

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M OJEH C ultu r e

S c r ee n

S av e r s

As Hollywood raises questions over gender equality, we speak to the Emirati women who are reversing the stereotypes of their region, one film at a time.

“We are a storytelling nation,” muses Nayla Al Khaja,

not so. “Around 40 per cent of our directors are

who is counted amongst the 50 most powerful Arab

female,” notes Shivani Pandiya, Managing Director

women. “And, cinema gives you the privilege of

at Dubai International Film Festival. “Film is a great

telling your story visually.” As a female, in 2005,

avenue for women to express themselves and the

Al Khaja was alone. A pioneer, she was the first

women of this region are leading this area forward.”

Emirati woman to direct a film – but today, she’s

This strong female presence is, in part, thanks to

in good company.

relative infancy of the film industry in the Middle

Despite being a first for her gender, the decades that

East compared with the established systems in

preceded Al Khaja’s initial steps into cinema saw

Europe and the US. Rather than having to break

the filmic efforts of her region rise from strength-

into the male-dominated institutions like Cannes

to-strength. A medium rampant with conflict and

and Sundance, the Middle East offers women the

contradiction, while Hollywood captured the Arab

chance to be a part of a new system.

world in a sequence of clichés during the Twenties

Rarely have the cultural stereotypes assigned to

with films like The Sheik (1921), the Middle East was

Arab women been contested as much as they have

busy sculpting its own cinematic style.

in their own films. The first feature film to be shot

Today, Middle Eastern cinema is ubiquitous with

entirely in Saudi Arabia was also the first film to be

both production and creativity. Iran, for example,

directed by a Saudi woman. Wadjda (2012) tells the

produces around 100 feature films each year. To

story of a 10-year-old student who enters a Qur’an-

put that figure into perspective, it’s around the

reading competition to raise funds to buy a bike. On

same number that comes from the UK. One of

the film’s message, director Haifaa Al-Mansour told

his country’s greatest exports, Iranian director

Neeraj Khanna in MOJEH Issue 18, “It’s art’s role in

Mohsen Makhmalbaf established his own film

society to create an atmosphere in which change can

school, while the late Abbas Kiarostami, known for

happen, where people can question things and talk.”

putting Persia on the cinematic map, sat among

Wadjda’s appeal extends across borders; receiving

the panel at Cannes. And, this year, the French film

international critical acclaim, it ultimately became

festival saw a significantly higher number of Middle

the first Oscar entry for the Kingdom. More crucially,

Eastern entries with Oscar-winning director Asghar

Wadjda’s acceptance also paved the way for more

Farhadi competing for the Palme d’Or and Mohamed

Arab females to share their stories on screen.

Diab’s feature about the Egyptian revolution opening

In countries with larger film industries, creativity

the Un Certain category. But, amidst the Middle

is often stunted by commercial motives, but the

Eastern moments of acclaim, 2016 was also the

topics tackled by the female filmmakers of the

year that saw just three female film directors out of

Middle East are packed with purpose. Steering away

21 competing for the Palme d’Or.

from political clichés, the subject matter is diverse

Amongst industry scrutiny surrounding gender

and daring, from child abuse and female genital

balance, one might assume that women in the

mutilation to flights into sci-fi fantasy. We speak to

Middle East face their fair share of challenges, but

the three Emirati female filmmakers that have helped

according to those the behind the scenes, this is

to shape this silver screen.

Amna Al Nowais, Nayla Al Khaja, and Aisha Alzaabi photographed at INTERSECT BY LEXUS by Julia at The Factory ME. Main image courtesy of Dubai International Film Festival

Words by Laura Beaney

The Idealist – Amna Al Nowais

214 Amna Al Nowais. Photography at INTERSECT BY LEXUS by Julia at The Factory ME, throughout.

“The way we experience stories is through the same neurological pathways that experience emotions, so films can lead to greater understanding, ” says Al Nowais. From both sides, documentaries are a channel of communication, opening discourse around the subjects they detail; film as a medium can act as a catalyst for change. Emotionally charged, Omnia offers an insight into an area often shrouded in secrecy and shame, but if her story resonates and motivates, then it is a film that creates awareness.

A student of Hebrew and Politics from the School of Oriental and African Studies, the 28-year-old has always been drawn to concepts surrounding conflict resolution, but fell into film quite by accident. By the time Al Nowais returned to Abu Dhabi postgraduation, the film scene in her home city had transformed, flush with opportunities that had not previously been there. “They were really trying to grow the industry with a strong emphasis on training,” she recalls.

Supported by local platforms like Image Nation and the Arab Film Studio, Al Nowais maintains that as a female, she felt nothing but supported in her entrance into film.

Omnia’s story has a global reach; a matter of grave concern for the UN, there are 200 million women in 30 countries that have endured the same, harrowing experience as In Egypt, there are 27.2 million women

trauma she endured after undergoing

Omnia. Al Nowais’s film was selected for 21

affected by Female Genital Mutilation

FGM as a child in Egypt. “I didn’t want

film festivals, including Hot Docs, Toronto,

(FGM) – Omnia Ibrahim is one of them.

to make a film about an Arab woman as

Melbourne International Film Festival, and

A n i n t i m a t e m a t t e r, w h i c h i s s t i l l

a victim,” she says. “So, much about film

Dubai International Film Festival, as well as

regarded as taboo by some, Amna Al

relates to empathy, and that can lead to

winning five prestigious awards including

Nowais’s documentary, Omnia (2015),

conflict resolution.”

the ‘Best Muhr Emirati Short’ at the Dubai

lifts the veil on her story.

For some, film is synonymous with escapism

International Film Festival.

“I visited several psychotherapists in search

and switching off, a form of entertainment

But, despite the international success of

of a story,” shares Al Nowais. “I found one

and, at times, an education. Like all good

Omnia, Al Nowais’s next venture will, in

that used creative therapy for her patients

documentaries, Omnia educates, but

fact, step away from reality in favour of

and in Omnia’s case, she said she would

films like Al Nowais’s also play a greater

fiction. “With fiction everybody is in on

really like to express herself.” Bringing light

role within society. By bringing a human

the lie, but with documentaries it’s difficult

to a topic often imagined as far-removed,

face to FGM, Al Nowais plays a part in

to tell how much you’re manipulating the

the young Abu Dhabi-based receptionist

questioning the structures that allow this

situation,” she reflects. “When you make

reveals the psychological and physical

heinous practice to take place.

a cut, you’re imposing an idea.”

The Pioneer – Nayla Al Khaja

Nayla Al Khaja.

“In one decade, the change has been huge,” enthuses Nayla Al Khaja. “The amount of filmmakers appearing [in the UAE] has quadrupled.” If there’s one person to consult on the state of play within her industry, it’s Al Khaja. For the UAE, she’s a cinematic reference point, not only the first female Emirati film director, but also the founder of her region’s first film club, The Scene Club, a venture that today attracts more than 9,000 members.

A winner of multiple-awards, she now counts Mercedes, Nike, Gucci and Canon among her client list, but Al Khaja’s ascension was not without its troubles. “My parents were completely opposed to it,” she admits. In some ways, it’s understandable; Al Khaja’s designs to establish herself as a film director did not follow the set path that many parents associate with the safety and success of their offspring. Nonetheless, she moved forward, jumping through various social hoops in order to secure a place on a four-year filmmaking course in Toronto. She returned to her home country in 2005 as its first female filmmaker, a feat that attracted media attention with accolades from the Washington Post and BBC. Despite her merits and recognition, it took time to reverse the resistance that Al Khaja faced from her family. Today, she sits among the Emirati women shifting stereotypes and conquering careers in military, ministry and as pilots and judges. “My films are geared towards social awareness, so now my

no acting experience and to get the best

of youth. A pioneer much like Al Khaja, Raha

parents are more accepting – but, it took

out of them as a director.” Indeed, social

Moharrak, one of her six profiles, was the first

a whole decade to turn it around,” she

commentary has been a recurring narrative

Saudi woman to conquer Mount Everest. “As

says. Ultimately, it was Al Khaja’s family that

within Al Khaja’s work. Her first short film,

a UAE national, all of my own stereotypes

afforded her with her first glimpse into foreign

Arabana (2006), dealt with the subject of

regarding Saudi were broken down,” says Al

cinema, with pre-Bollywood Indian films

child abuse; it premiered at the Dubai

Khaja. “I found the girls and guys to be very

resonating at a time when Disney absorbed

International Film Festival in 2007 and Al

relaxed, especially in Jeddah, a city which

her peers. “My father was an avid collector

Khaja was subsequently awarded the title

also has the most street art I’ve ever seen!”

of films from all over the world,” she recalls.

for ‘Best Emirati filmmaker’.

For Al Khaja, the discussion over gender

In later years, another filmic influence came

Her most recent venture afforded her with a

doesn’t carry as much weight as one might

from time spent with the celebrated Abbas

new first, the chance to film in Saudi Arabia.

expect. “Film doesn’t understand gender,”

Kiarostami. The Iranian director usually

In a series of short films titled HAKAWI:

she notes. “It’s a very forgiving medium

worked with ‘real people’ that came without

Ambitious Saudi, Al Khaja shined a spotlight

that carries longevity and flexibility. You

prior acting experience. “He taught me

on KSA’s regional talent, reflecting the

can copy it and share your story across

to have the guts to cast someone with

passions and interest of the next generation

every country in the world.”

The Rising Star – Aisha Alzaabi

216

Aisha Alzaabi.

In recent years the romantic comedies and

For the front-runners like Al Khaja and Al

fact, a far cry from the societal rejection that

political produce that have previously typified

Mansour, producing films in a Middle East

Al Khaja faced a decade before. Instead,

Arab cinema have made way for a new wave

that was perhaps unequipped for them

the support she received throughout her

of genre-based film. In September this year,

surely posed challenges. But, for today’s

community was instrumental, with many

Beirut saw the Maskoon Fantastic Fest open

aspiring filmmakers like Alzaabi, resources

taking an avid interest in her projects. “When I

– the Middle East’s first film festival to cater

and opportunity are theirs for the taking.

filmed my most recent work in my hometown,

exclusively to the horror, fantasy, action,

“After attending several workshops with

Ras Al Khaimah, everybody around me was

and sci-fi categories. The festival was also

TwoFour54, I realised that I was really

helping. They all wanted to contribute to make

a reflection of the changing nature of the

interested in filmmaking. It was with their

the film a success.”Alzaabi, who credits the

films produced in the region. Aisha Alzaabi

support that I directed my first film,” she says.

success of her casting calls to social media, is

is part of this new wave. At just 21 years

It is, of course, still early days for Alzaabi;

today riding the wave of greater acceptance

old, she directed her first film, The Other

she’s becoming accustomed to the art of

paved out for her by the women before her.

Dimension. Her thriller used the parallel

interviews and is quietly evaluating her own

Indeed, Middle Eastern cinema has undergone

worlds of reality and imagination to provide

sense of filmic style. “I’m still discovering

many changes with new techniques tried

a platform for penance. When her lead, a

everything,” she admits. “I really want to

and applied, as the region continues to fine-

20-year-old troublemaker, has an accident,

reach a point where people start knowing that

tune its industry. And, as the UAE strives

he views himself from an alternative reality,

this is me.” Inspired by the success stories of

to amp up the pace with more and more

and from this perspective he realises his past

Ali Mustafa (City of Life) and Asghar Farhadi,

directors emerging each year, the thirst for

mistakes. “When I started, people didn’t take

her next moves will see her complete her

film reveals just as much about the mindset

me particularly seriously,” Alzaabi admits.

masters in film studies and journey to film

of its punters. “It’s the audience that’s

“But, after I won the Muhr Emirati Prize at

festivals across the globe.

changed,” Alzaabi reasons. “Nowadays,

Dubai International Film Festival, they began

A sign of a cultural shift in attitudes as well

more people understand and appreciate

to understand my potential as a filmmaker.”

as in tastes for genres; Alzaabi’s story is, in

cinema – that’s been the biggest change.”

Alessandra Ferri was only 19-years-old when she was made a Royal Ballet principal in 1983. Photographed

by Lucas Chilczuk for DanceMedia LLC.

L ea d i n g

Lady Time passes quickly for a ballerina. Alessandra Ferri was once the youngest principal dancer at the Royal Ballet. Now, aged 53, she has returned as its oldest prima donna.

Words by Annie Darling

218

Wo m en W h o I nspir e

Alessandra Ferri and Herman Cornejo in Martha Clarke’s Chéri. Photographed by Robbie Jack/Corbis at Getty.

Earlier this year, Alessandra Ferri pulled off an almost inconceivable feat. She returned to New York’s Metropolitan Opera House and danced the teenage heroine in Romeo and Juliet at the age of 53. Her cascading waves of chocolate brown hair were let loose, falling just shy of her waist, while her heart-shaped face and saucersized eyes swarmed with sentiment. After the final curtain, the audience rose as one and cheered for 20 minutes.

Born in Milan, Ferri was first cast as Shakespeare’s leading lady in 1984 by Royal Ballet choreographer Kenneth MacMillan. That following year, the 21-year-old was summoned from London to become a principal dancer for the American Ballet Theatre, where she made her company debut as Juliet. So when Ferri, by then a mother of two, retired in 2007, there was no doubt as to whether Juliet should be her soulful farewell role. “Juliet has always been with me,” she says fondly in an irresistible, rolling accent.

“I never got tired of her. Every time I perform Juliet, I find a new emotion or new detail.”

From the moment Ferri rushes on stage, she is unstoppable. There’s a raw and overwhelming surge of emotion, which pulsates through each

magnetic impetuousness. “I rehearse a lot,”

training, which is emotionally and physically

performance. Barely skimming the ground, her

she beams, before adding, “but technically, I

demanding. It’s unsurprising that the retirement

featherweight frame dramatically leaps through

never worry.” A victory for freedom of expression

age hovers around 40, despite ballerinas

the air, landing almost silently, except for the

onstage, Ferri’s spontaneous and carefree

reportedly having a pain threshold three times

muffled thud of her pointe slippers. There’s a

attitude is part of her entrancing charm. “I don’t

higher than the average person.

sense of certainty to her dancing, and after

want to think about anything when I go onstage.

It’s ironic that the crucial time at which dancers

all, why wouldn’t there be? Ferri’s played Juliet

I just let it happen, whatever comes to me. It’s

are maturing as artists is also the time at which

her entire working life and knows the character

really special to be able to go onstage like that.”

their bodies begin to decline in strength. Despite

absolutely. “It’s a role that has always been a part

But, while she retains a dramatic flair, Ferri is

this, Ferri argues that aging performers are

of me. I honestly don’t know how to explain it,”

all too aware that only a handful of ballerinas

able to continue dancing professionally, but

she laughs incredulously. “Maybe I’ve danced

are given the opportunity to dance into their

only “if they are willing to put the work in”. This

her before. You know, in a previous life.”

fifties. She enjoys her job, admitting that she

can be further complicated if a dancer wants

The response to her return has been wildly

loves to travel with the dance company, but

marriage and a family. Mature performers are

positive, but critics have commented that her

feels compelled to remark, “I do understand

often forced to choose between their career

footwork, nine years on, lacks precision. Still in

that I’m not in the general rule.” Dance as a

and motherhood, which can be as complex and

proud possession of implausibly arched insteps,

career requires an extraordinarily high level of

emotionally exhausting as the dancing itself. Ferri

this ‘weakness’ merely adds to her already

commitment, as well as extensive periods of

describes having children as “really amazing”.

Alessandra Ferri and Gary Avis in Woolf Works, The Royal Ballet. Photographed

by Tristram Kenton.

“You have to take the time to understand your body. You must accept what is getting weaker and what you feel needs more work.”

Dancers shouldn’t feel disappointed at being compared to their younger self, insists Ferri, who proved herself correct in a television advert for No7 Lift and Luminate earlier this year. The commercial makes no effort to conceal her age; instead, she is seen dancing with a hologram of her younger self, proving that age really is just a number. Ferri’s recent performance as Juliet also proves that a mature female dancer can have charisma. Unfortunately, financial restraints within the industry often prevent the casting of these women. “When you have a big company, you need to have young dancers who are able to do everything. You don’t have a big budget. It would be amazing if you had, so that you could keep talented, older dancers in the company.”

Artistic directors and choreographers also have a duty to nurture the younger generation of performers, argues Ferri. “You need to train these dancers, so that they are able to fulfill all of the roles and succeed in the future.” Perhaps Ferri is right. Ask any young ballerina what role But, balancing work and her responsibilities at

her morning dance rehearsal in Manhattan,

she’d most like to play and the answer is almost

home became troublesome. “At one point, it

during which time she undoubtedly warms up

always the same: Juliet. A role Ferri has played

[her career] created a lot of stress that stemmed

at the ballet barres. Tendu and demi-pliés are

for decades, since she herself was 19 years old.

from me having to leave my children when I

practiced daily, as well as pirouettes and swan-

There is something tragically relatable about the

was going on tour, which I did a lot. I have an

like grand jetés. A woman’s physical capability,

character, not to mention the powerful cinematic

international career so I was travelling a lot and

or lack thereof, underpins tacit gendered and

score by Prokofiev.

often had to leave them behind.” She had not

ageist assumptions in this industry. Like any

The exquisite brunette’s closing words were

intended to perform again after 2007, instead

championship-level sport, ballet favours the

more encompassing. “It’s important to not

wanting to spend time with family. But Ferri, one

young. “All of us have injuries; wear and tear,” says

lose contact with the original reason why you

of the most admired ballerinas of her generation,

Ferri. “This is natural, not just among dancers,

wanted to dance,” she concludes. People with

did not have much patience for retirement. “It

but for anybody who uses their body intensely.”

an overriding desire to be widely known to

[dancing] never leaves you,” she smiles. “Even

And yet, she refuses to accept that a ballerina’s

strangers are different from those who primarily

when you give it up professionally, that passion

age should force her to change careers. “It’s no

covet happiness. “That’s the great pleasure and

is always there.”

secret that as you get older, it’s a little harder to do

great fulfillment in dance. It’s not about achieving

And, it’s essential if you’re to maintain the

certain things. But, you just need to train more….”

success. A lot of dancers, and a lot of people in

exercise regime of a professional ballerina.

She tails off, almost wistfully, before robustly

different fields, want to achieve fame. It’s not fame

MOJEH spoke with Ferri moments before

adding, “Actually, not more, just differently.

you should be seeking, that’s a consequence.”

220

E xt r a o r d ina ry Phot og r aph y

On The Frontline MOJEH speaks to five of the world’s leading female photojournalists covering war and conflict in different regions of the world. They talk about fear, violence and the stories that their male counterparts can’t get.

Words by Annie Darling

Women are coming to the fore in a profession long dominated by men, but while female photojournalists are a relatively new development, particularly in war reporting, they have already played a vital role in the world of photography.

From Britain’s first female press photographer Christina Bloom, who took startlingly sinister pictures of First World War soldiers leaving for the front, to the famous portrait of Vogue correspondent Lee Miller naked in Adolf Hitler’s bathtub, female photojournalists have helped change the public perception of what it means to be human.

While women remain a minority in this precarious industry, more are choosing to put their lives, and cameras, on the frontline to show what life is like in conflict zones. Diana Zeyneb Alhindawi works in areas that experience political unrest and at the time of print was documenting social turmoil in the Democratic Republic of Congo. “People think more women don’t do this type of work because of the challenges and obstacles presented in the field,” she explains. “But, I’ve found that most of the obstacles come from our own homelands – from our own society’s expectations from a woman.”

These expectations, says Alhindawi, include a woman’s responsibility to remain at home or an editor’s assumption that they are better suited to soft news or female-centric stories. They’re subsequently more likely to cover issues that are hidden from a male’s eyes, which would otherwise never be covered, including child marriage or female genital mutilation. “I think people relax easier around a female, they so ‘no’ less often, and they forget about our presence quicker which allows us to get candid shots faster,” she confirms.

“We can push boundaries and bend rules more than men can before we’re reprimanded. And, even then, because they don’t take me as seriously as they would a male, I’m merely scolded.”

Alixandra Fazzina, who specialises in under-reported conflicts and the humanitarian consequences of war, agrees. “There are times when I’ve worked with people involved in people trafficking and smuggling, when I definitely feel that working alone, and being a woman, has maybe played to my advantage.”

Fazzina has worked extensively in the Middle East and has won several awards after covering the plight of Somali refugees in East Africa. In 2010, she won the UNHCR Nansen Refugee award, becoming the first journalist to win the humanitarian prize. “As with many young photographers, when I first started my career some 20 years ago, I started out thinking I was a bit of an activist,” she reveals. “You want to really get across and show people something they can’t see.”

Being a woman has previously helped her gain prohibitive access, but when it comes to a photographer’s employability, Fazzina believes gender shouldn’t be relevant. “I don’t understand why it matters whether my pictures are taken by a man or a woman. There are lots of men who work in the field who are incredibly sensitive and lots of women who are incredibly tough. It’s very much down to us being regular human beings.”

And, why shouldn’t it be? When it comes to danger, violence doesn’t Hunger Overcomes Fear. Photographed by Maggie Steber.

discriminate. At least 109 reporters died in targeted killings, bombs or crossfire in 2015, according to the latest survey by the International Federation of Journalists. “Unfortunately, history keeps repeating itself when it comes to conflict,” explains Alhindawi. “Humanity makes the same mistakes over and over again.”

News publications are closing down their foreign bureaus because of shoestring budgets, while more independent photographers are reporting conflicts without the backing of a large organisation. Yet somehow, a handful of women are refusing to let these ever-presents threats deter them from, what is for many, their life calling. “My main challenge is finding how to visually tell an old story in a novel way, so that I can ensure that the story will get out,” says Alhindawi, “so that I can ensure that the story behind the people who allowed me into their lives, and allowed me to photograph them, does get out to the rest of the world.”

Laughing Girl.

222

Maggie Steber When I set foot on African soil, no matter where, I feel this silent thunder or roar move up my body from my feet to my head. When I went to Haiti to cover food riots in 1986, I felt the same way. I am besotted by its history: wild, violent, mystical, powerful, and tortured. Working in Haiti is like walking in a dream, a dream that alternates between being a nightmare and a blissful image.

I took my most memorable photograph in January 1986. After a full day of riots and demonstrations, starving Haitians ransacked a huge food depot for CARE, an American aid organisation. People covered the building like ants on candy, despite the efforts of soldiers, seen here [previous page] chasing a boy who tried to pull a box of food from beneath the door.

Another time, I was in Haiti working on a story in a church. After everyone was inside, young men locked and chained the doors shut. There were suddenly loud explosions and a gang of about 20 to 30 men burst through the doors with machetes, machine guns and clubs. It was chaotic: people screaming, people running, pews crashing. I was trying to photograph the chaos, when I realised that I also had to get out, but the only door was blocked by dozens of people who were trying to escape. I ran right down the middle of the church into the arms of a man with a machete. In our minds, these things play out in slow motion, even if they only last seconds. I looked into the man’s eyes and saw nothing, just emptiness.

Sometimes, we find ourselves in unfriendly areas Eagle Feather Dance.

and it’s important to sense that danger by paying attention. In Tahrir Square during the Egyptian Spring, many women journalists were groped and worse by the men in the crowds. The New York Times team were arrested and imprisoned for several days.

Photography is memory: It’s there for us to see and remember, to be moved, changed, terrified, heartbroken, saved, and delighted. To be able to see the beauty of the world, from fashion to obvious pride in a Haitian peasant, alongside the most fearsome and heartbreaking acts committed by mankind.

Photography has no limits. It is we who limit it and we do ourselves, as well as others, a disservice by not being open to all methods of storytelling.

Mother’s Funeral.

Lynsey Addario I work and live in a career with incredible highs and lows, and I have learned to embrace them as part of being a photojournalist. That said, some of the most indelible professional memories for me stem from bearing witness to history in the making: The fall of the Taliban in Afghanistan during 2001; the invasion of Iraq and the ensuing chaos; interviewing and photographing the young survivor of a war crime or rape, which has been used as a weapon of war in South Sudan. In those moments, I truly feel the importance of documenting war and its consequences, as well as its toll on civilians. I can only hope this makes a difference.

My most challenging moment came when I was kidnapped in Libya in March 2011. I was held for a week by forces loyal to Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi. The kidnapping was difficult – we were tied up, blindfolded, beaten and threatened with Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Lynsey Addario in Afghanistan.

execution over the course of the week. And, in that difficulty, I had to ask myself the hard to answer question of why I do this work, and whether I would return to it if and whenever we were released, knowing the toll our absence was taking on our families and loved ones. It’s always in the moments when I am eye-to-eye with death that my work is the most challenging.

Lynsey Addario is renowned for her striking images of war zones.

224 Nathalie Daoust I’ve learnt that things are never as they seem and that I shouldn’t judge anyone until I’ve walked in their shoes, or at least taken the time to get to know them. When I first went to North Korea, I couldn’t understand why the whole country didn’t just rise up and fight for their rights to freedom after so many years of oppression and pain. After visiting, however, I now completely understand why they can’t. The travel agency told me to not talk back or question anything the regime said otherwise I could get into trouble, or deported. So, when someone told me that no handicapped children have been born in North Korea since the Fifties because, “we are such a strong country”, I had

Education.

to smile and agree. In reality, I wanted to scream, “What have you done with them?” I felt like everyone I met wasn’t really there; they were absent. They were following orders and I didn’t feel they were living freely and happily. This is why I developed a darkroom technique to instill my images with this same feeling. This involved exposing and peeling the prints over and over again until they captured the way that I felt when that photograph was taken.

Things are often not as they appear and I want my photographs to reveal what’s beneath the lies.

Arirang.

Photographs.

Images courtesy of Alberto Zanetti.

Armani’s A thletes

Giorgio Armani brings muscles to Milan – Emotions of the Athletic Body is the luxury designer’s third curatorial testament and latest exhibition devoted to sport.

An inspirational print of a bright-eyed Serena Williams is

image is printed onto giant slabs that echo against dimly-lit

showcased alongside commanding images of a muscular David

concrete walls, while floors are smothered in the royal-red

Beckham and a strapping Rafael Nadal, all of whom Giorgio

material used for running tracks.

Armani has recruited for advertising campaigns over the years.

Video projections feature previously unseen sports footage

Emotions of the Athletic Body is the Italian fashion designer’s

while, in the central atrium, a larger than life model of an athlete

latest exhibition dedicated to celebrating those who compete

balancing on a globe looks as though it’s been taken from

in sport – and, by doing so, he proves once again that athletes

ancient Greek mythology. An exhausted boxer’s sharp breaths

are not only role models, but fine subjects for photography.

while he throws a strike and a punching bag’s clinking chain

MOJEH visited the Armani/Silos art space during Milan Fashion

resonate from loudspeakers. Armani has always followed a

Week, when Armani was scheduled to unveil the display,

vigorous exercise regimen, even now that he’s in his eighties.

which he’s personally curated to reflect his namesake gallery’s

“Sport has always been one of my passions,” he reveals. “I

minimalist architecture and powerful subject matter. Various

believe it represents the qualities that improve us as people:

thought-provoking photographs, which date from 1985 to

dedication, sacrifice, perseverance and willpower.”

the present, have been selected from the extraordinary

Emotions of the Athletic Body is open to the public until

collection Armani has commissioned over the years. Each

November 27, 2016, at Armani/Silos, Milan

226

M OJEH C ultu r e

V u itto n ’ s

Voyage In this flight into fashion, we discover Fashion Eye, Louis Vuitton’s photographic series revealing destinations through the lens of a fashion photographer.

Words by Laura Beaney

Kourtney Roy uses self-portraiture and artifice to create her own, off-kilter universe.

It’s hard to recall a time when Louis Vuitton was

Best known for their work in the field of fashion,

not part of the travel vernacular. Exploration

the contributors bring a rare and visually stunning

has, of course, been at the heart of the brand

perspective to the world of travel photography.

DNA since 1854, its rich leather trunks calling

Each destination compiles around 100 images,

to a certain type of intrepid adventurer, one

expanded upon with biographical information

that makes his or her movements with an equal

and a photographer’s interview or critical essay.

element of luxury. The Louis Vuitton City Guides

Offering unique pictorial insight into India,

of 1998 were a natural progression. From Paris

Miami, California, Paris and Shanghai, both

to São Paulo, Mexico City and Easter Island, the

rising stars and industry reference points

carefully curated collection showcases world

take ownership of a single destination. Guy

cities through Vuitton’s artistic lens and also

Bourdin’s Seventies Miami is as bold and

through the eyes of insiders, who speak from

stylised as one might imagine. Through lurid

their personal experience of their home cities.

candy colours and subversive shots, the familiar

And later, in 2015, came Vuitton’s award-

aesthetic of the fashion photography legend

winning app, the digital counterpart to the

communicates the dark and delicious side of

kaleidoscopic City Guides, the digital translation

the East Coast city. “It’s interesting to look at

signalling that the brand’s destination was in

the world from a background like mine, versus

line with that of its audience.

that of Guy Bourdin,” says Hong Kong native

But, Vuitton’s latest voyage moves us back to

Wing Shya, who is known for communicating

paper. Fashion Eye is the visual accompaniment

Asian spirit in a rich and revealing manner. “He

to the existing Louis Vuitton Editions lineup.

represents the growth of glossy pop culture,”

Through large-format photographs, a region

he continues. Shya shows his part-time

is discovered via the narrative of both

home, Shanghai, through his own, personal

contemporary and established photographers.

archives. Juxtaposing the intimate nature of a

228 private photograph with fashion photography commissions, the hypnotising and dreamy works of this contemporary fashion favourite deliver fragments of the East-meets-West city from conflicting angles. “Travel is an interesting topic and it gives great opportunity to tell stories,” he says. “Hong Kong has a deep influence

Jeanloup Sieff produces powerful yet restrained black-andwhite images with an eye that’s keen for tonal contrasts, humor and sensuality.

on Shanghai. The relation between the two is intangible and insatiable.”

As we move from city to city, the compendium of individual perspectives both cooperate and collide. “It is a culture built on the idea of the open road – motels, gas stations, lost places in the middle of nowhere. It is magical,” says Kourtney Roy of her dystopic Californian story.

Moving through San Francisco and Downtown Los Angeles, the world of the Paris-based Canadian photographer shares a certain amount of Bourdin’s humor and the Seventies aesthetic. “I am a big fan of films, and I spent a lot of time looking at American cinema – Electra Glide in Blue, Bad Day at Black Rock, and Badlands,” she recalls. The result is both surreal and sumptuous.

Like the destinations that differ greatly so, too, do the snapshots and understandings of the environment. The contemporary components from Shya and Roy afford us with something

Images courtesy of Kourtney Roy, Wing Shya, Jeanloup Sieff and, Guy Bourdin - Louis Vuitton, Fashion Eye

current, but Fashion Eye also draws together

Wing Shya’s photographs rest at the crossroads of art, fashion and cinema, with an aesthetic approach that is all about sensuality and style.

rarely or never before seen images from the collections of the previous century’s fashion photography leaders. American photographer Henry Clarke’s series, shot over several trips to India, draws together, for the first time, his iconic sense of style, composition and staging in an exotic experience. And Paris, again, offers a new perspective.The tonal style that typifies the eminent Jeanloup Sieff is the pulse of moody, Parisian sensuality, but his previously unreleased set of colour photographs were a privileged surprise.

“The photographers in the series stand for different eras and cultures, but ubiquitously they tell a Vuitton travel story,” says Shya. And, more than a series of high gloss snapshots, Fashion Eye establishes a meaningful dialogue between rising stars, seasoned pros, and household legends. “I think that the photographers published for this project are so diverse and unique that each book is it’s own little world,” says Roy. What Fashion Eye has managed to do is seamlessly sew together contemporary creation and lesser-known archival treasures in a collection like no other. As fashion, art, travel, and time fuse, we are left with a fresh perspective on cities widely travelled, but seldom communicated in such style.

Guy Bourdin is still regarded as the supreme master of bold, stylised images, a virtuoso in the dramatic use of shapes and colours.

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M OJEH C ultu r e

Razan Alazzouni SS17.

Revealing

Razan Fusing fashion with art, you might expect Razan Alazzouni’s designs to err on the side of theatricality. Instead, her showstopping dresses and intricately embroidered heels are both feminine and light, combining couture sensibilities with a contemporary aesthetic. Before she launches her GCC popup, we catch up with the Saudi designer to discover the art of the perfect detox breakfast and the most stylish way to travel.

Erchie, Campania, on the Amalfi Coast.

Razan Alazzouni SS17.

Best place to shop for unusual clothing: Italian Sunday markets! I love exploring them and interacting with the locals in the different Italian towns | Favourite item for autumn/ winter16: My Razan Alazzouni mink coat with mink pattern on the bottom; I am in love! | Next purchase from your own collection: The multi-tiered SS17 strapless gown – it’s feminine and edgy at the same time | Most cherished

Interview by Laura Beaney. Images courtesy of Razan Alazzouni and Getty, Smith Collection and Archives

possession: My diamond studs! They are my essential earrings to match every outfit | Inspirational person: Karl Lagerfeld. A constant motivation | Favourite place to eat: Scalini London, best Milanese ever! | Favourite place to vacation: Capri and the Amalfi coast. My time there was truly magical | Best place to unwind: The spa at Mandarin Oriental, Knightsbridge, London | Go-to workout spot: Light Centre Belgravia, London. I love their Yoga and Pilates classes | The only way to start the day: A hot cup of coffee, and a detox breakfast of beetroots and cherry tomatoes with balsamic vinegar | Guilty pleasure: Nutella | In the diary for November: Watch out for our pop-ups! | Most read book: The Jungle Book. My old copy is totally damaged from re-reading so many times | Travel tip: Always pack lots of accessories, they can make your outfits and transform them | Skincare saviour: Facial cream by Galenic | Favourite scent: Poison by Dior | What’s next: We plan on having pop-up shops throughout the GCC, introducing our new shoes, embroidered high heels, elaborate flats and amazing accessories | Best piece of advice: Always be true to yourself, in your actions, your choices, and the way you live your life.

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Fuzzy Feeling While Gucci may have first provoked our furry feet fetish with their hirsute loafers last year, there were no shortage of new styles introduced to us for a/w16. Warm up your feet with Dolce&Gabbana’s fur-lined ankle boots for daytime bliss, or channel old Hollywood glamour with Salvatore Ferragamo pointed toe varieties.

Top to bottom: DOLCE&GABBANA | STUART WEITZMAN | SALVATORE FERRAGAMO

Photographed by Sarvenaz Hashtroudi, styled by Sophie Pasztor

F i n al N ote

Photographed by Anthony Arquier

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