Featuring
Paul Smith John Lennon Hedi Slimane Monica Bellucci Jeremy Hackett James Dean Omar Sharif
NËš5
Spring–Summer
2015
SHOPPING BAG
ABU DHABI DUBAI AL AIN KUWAIT CITY AL MANAMA DOHA RIYADH JEDDAH AL KHOBAR BEIRUT NEW YORK LONDON PARIS MADRID TOKYO Sﾃグ PAULO SHANGHAI CHICAGO
BARCELONA SINGAPORE SAINT TROPEZ LOS ANGELES LISBON SEOUL MIAMI SEVILLA ALA MOANA
Some things in life are better when they are made to measure... Choose your membership and book your bespoke experience now
T: +971 4 4257979 | W: louisfourteen.com
Chairman SHAHAB IZADPANAH
EDITORIAL
PUBLISHING
Editor in Chief MOJEH IZADPANAH
Publishing Director RADHIKA NATU
Associate Editor SHERI IZADPANAH
Publishing Assistant DESIREE LABANDA-GAVERIA
Assistant Editor jake hamilton
Paris Representative GHISLAIN DE CASTELBAJAC
Editorial Assistant Christopher Prince
Senior Advertisement Manager Pamela Bayram Cleave
Contributing Copy Editor matt fleming
Advertising Inquiries Tel: +971 4 454 20 50 Tel: +971 4 425 79 79 Email: advertising@mojeh.com
Mojeh Group KELLY BALDWIN susan devaney CHarlotte codd Natalie Trevis
Subscription Tel: +971 4 454 20 50 Email: subs@mojeh.com
Guest Fashion Stylists guillaume boulez gregory wein
LOUIS FOURTEEN FOR MOJEH Concierge Service Management ASSMA AHMED
ART
Head of Lifestyle OLGA KOVALCHUK
Producer LOUIS AGENCY
Corporate Manager JUBRAN HAMATI
Art Director AMIRREZA AMIRASLANI
Senior Stylist MARIAN GIRGIS
Senior Graphic Designer rasoul Ahadi borna
Manager IT Division ALI ROMAN
Digital Strategy LOUIS AGENCY
Published under HS Media Group FZ LLC Registered at Dubai Design District Building No. 8, Offices 212 P.O.Box 502333, Dubai United Arab Emirates
Contributing Photographers Matthew Scrivens nicolas valois david de vleeschauwer Contributing Dubai Photographers richard hall Sarvenaz Hashtroudi
Cover shot by Matthew Scrivens | Styled by Gregory Wein | Model: Nathaniel Visser wears a suit and shirt by Ralph Lauren Purple Label, a tie and a pocket square by The Tie Bar.
WWW.MOJEH.COM Louis Fourteen for MOJEH Follow us on Twitter @Mojeh_Men MOJEH Swiss Representative Office: Rue de Rive 4, 1204 Geneva, Switzerland 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
- 8 -
CONTENTS
FEATURES 34
44
The Dossier - 18 From fashion, art and film to cars, books and trends, these are the hottest items to see and own this summer. Man of Style: Jeremy Hackett - 44 We interview the owner and founder of Hackett London and ask his priceless advice on how to dress (and act) like a modern man about town.
46
The Enduring Appeal of the White Suit - 46 Pure yet decadent. Innocent yet devilish. The classic white suit is a genuine paradox of the gentleman’s wardrobe. But it’s back in fashion in a big way.
62
Legends of the Desert - 54 The Arabian horse is the subject of many Middle Eastern myths and legends, but this former warhorse is quietly becoming a racing breeder’s favourite. Hedi Slimane: Walk on the Wild Side - 62 Saint Laurent’s creative director, Hedi Slimane, is fashion’s brightest star. He’s also a devoted photographer of California’s underground surf and psych rock music scene.
54
70
The Rise of the Raging Bull - 70 The history of the supercar is nothing without Lamborghini. We test-drive their latest incarnation, and take a walk through their high-performance back catalogue.
86
78 Lose yourself in Marrakech - 78 The famed Moroccan city has a secretive and seductive past. We spend a week inside (and outside) its inner walls.
Welcome to Fantasy Island - 86 Why is Saadiyat Island, in Abu Dhabi, set to become the creative heart of the Middle East? Because a cluster of billiondollar art galleries are nearly due for completion.
94
Extreme Shark Dives - 94 Want to know where to swim safely with the ocean’s top predators? We show you the globe’s greatest shark locations.
- 10 -
CONTENTS
REGULARS 110
124
Style - 104 The latest trends, accessories, footwear and clothing guides. Plus a rare interview with Dior Homme boss Kris Van Assche.
In Praise of Paul Smith - 124 With more than 30 years in the fashion business, we interview this British knight about staying at the top of the style game.
126
Fashion - 130 The best new looks for summer start here.
172
156
Urbane - 154 Follow our guide to the best restaurants, saloons, private hideaways, business matters, aviation moves and luxury tech.
Watches - 164 The latest reviews, profiles, interstellar timepieces and evergreen watch classics at your fingertips.
158
Grooming - 180 All you need to know about men’s spas, gentlemen’s shaving, new skin products, fragrances and mindful wellbeing retreats.
200
190 Adrenaline - 190 The latest Porsche, the world’s fastest street bike, the most expensive 4x4, the coolest personal drone, plus the largest sailing yacht on the planet.
192 Culture - 200 The rise of UAE filmmaking, the legacy of Elvis, the business of private museums and the largest man made structure in the world… outside of Abu Dhabi.
- 12 -
How far would you go for a Nespresso?
Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates
Go further on www.nespresso.com/howfar
EDITOR’S NOTE
Think Like an Icon, Act Like an Idol
T
he ancient Greeks had a saying: ‘The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing’. This expression means to explain how a fox, for all his cunning, could be defeated by the hedgehog’s one unique defense. However, it soon became a clever way of dividing great men into two categories: foxes were icons who viewed the world from a wide variety of experiences (Shakespeare, Leonardo da Vinci) while hedgehogs were idols who viewed the world through one single defining idea (Socrates, Michelangelo). This fox and hedgehog metaphor is a big favourite with today’s motivational business speakers, where a good example of a fox would be Bill Gates or Richard Branson, while the hedgehogs would be Mark Zuckerberg and Larry Ellison. But what makes a truly great fox, or a truly great hedgehog? Rather than dividing our icons and idols into one of two groups, it seems perfectly obvious that our heroes should be
both ‘a fox by nature, but a hedgehog by conviction,’ as Isaiah Berlin famously noted. Our latest issue celebrates the heroes we consider to be equally a fox and a hedgehog, from lost idols such as John Lennon and James Dean (both of whom still massively influence the modern world) to current style icons Paul Smith and Hedi Slimane. Moreover, we’d like to think our magazine is also part-foxy, part-spiky. We’re all about the central idea of delivering to the modern Middle Eastern gentleman the most sophisticated magazine possible, but we’re equally committed to a cunning selection of thrilling stories for him to explore, be that an adventure in the Moroccan desert, swimming with Tiger sharks in the South Pacific, braketesting the fastest motorcycle in the world, or uncovering the legendary history of the Arabian horse. In other words, we think like a hedgehog but act like a fox. Enjoy the issue.
Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @Mojeh_I and write to me at editor@mojeh.com
Mojeh Izadpanah, Editor in Chief
- 14 -
THE WRITERS
JOSH SIMS
CHRIS ANDERSON
YIXUAN FAN
Josh Sims is a UK-based style writer and editor. The author of several books, he has written for the FT, The London Times and The Wall Street Journal among other newspapers. For this issue, Mr. Sims focuses on the pleasures (and perils) of the gentleman’s white suit. Living in London, he has yet to find either the confidence or the climate to wear a white suit, but is ever hopeful that one day he can channel his inner Alex Guinness.
Based in London, but previously a resident of Dubai for seven years, Chris Anderson is our go-to-journalist for gadgets, culture and especially movies. For this issue he heads back to the UAE to talk with Michael Garin, CEO of Abu Dhabi’s Image Nation, about the rise of local filmmaking.“Directors don’t have to fly to New York for great backdrops anymore,” says Mr. Anderson. “The best scenery is already here.”
A former TV director, Yixuan Fan is a television director and seasoned travel journalist who has lived and worked in some of the most far-flung places on the planet, including the Tibetan Plateau, Wallis Island and the Kingdom of Tonga. For her feature on extreme shark dives, Ms. Fan recalled her days of swimming in Fiji’s Savusavu Bay, where she had ‘a very close encounter’ with an oceanic white tip.
Contributors SIMON HULBER
DUNCAN FORGAN
Simon Hulber is the Publishing Director of Singapore’s evo magazine and spends a lot of time test-driving the world’s fastest cars (someone has to do it). For his feature on the Lamborghini Huracán, Mr. Hulber told us: “It’s so complete a supercar that it flatters the most inexperienced and hardcore drivers in equal measure. That’s some double-act to pull off.”
After arriving in Asia on a whim, Duncan Forgan has spent the past six years in the region working as a news journalist for Time, CNN and the BBC, among many others. He is also the editor of various travel guides in the Middle East. When not comparing exotic dining menus, he concentrates on culture. In this issue, Mr. Forgan presents a wry retrospective on the legacy of Elvis Presley.
- 16 -
DEBBIE PAPPYN & DAVID DE VLEESCHAUWER This writer and photographer duo have been traveling the world for more than 10 years while documenting their adventures for National Geographic Traveller, among others. For this issue’s special feature on Morocco, Ms. Pappyn says fondly: “Everything is possible in or around Marrakech, but guilt-free dolce far niente is completely accepted!”
TRENDING
Dossier The
Gentlemen, welcome to the good life. As you move into spring, we’ve compiled the hottest new trends for your perusal. From style and travel to books, cars and restaurants – the best of the best starts here...
Bomber
19
Trend
20
grand design
21
wearable tech
22
comeback
24
concept car
26
event
27
anniversary
28
restAurant
30
sunglaSses
31
suite
32
city
33
destination
34
timepiece
35
retrospective
36
Selections
38
Opinion
40
Signature
42
- 18 -
The
Bomber
Saint Laurent Leather Jacket Channel your inner James Dean
ysl.com
Synonymous with rugged individuality and rebel rock ‘n’ roll, the leather bomber jacket is the sartorial embodiment of a wardrobe classic. And creative genius Hedi Slimane at Saint Laurent knows it. Our Icons issue would be nothing without this jacket. Undeniably cool, supple yet robust, simplistic but unbelievably detailed, it exudes everything associated with rebellion in the most luxurious of ways. Crafted in Italy from the softest lambs leather, the archetypal jacket features a smattering of press stud-fastenings, a three-zip front pocket enclosure and a practical one stud-fastened coin pocket. Don this bomber and vibe your inner Hell’s Angel.
- 19 -
The
trend
White Suit Wipeout Pure yet decadent – the classic white suit is riddled with contradictions. But it’s back in fashion in a big way With a whiter-than-white disposition, this summer’s desire for pristine threads is a blinding new addition to the high street. The staple suit takes its cue from crisp layered whites while branching further to footwear for a total head-to-toe look. Designers have offset the monochromatic palette with hints of bold brights (see Alexander McQueen’s scarlet lined jacket pockets or Burberry’s charming bucket hat and bag combination in turquoise). Louis Vuitton called on classic double-breasted tailoring complete with handkerchief and roll neck, while at Neil Barrett the look was sportier with separates zippered and cut sharp, save a sumptuous leather jacket reworked in, of course, white. For a traditional take on the virginal hue look to Corneliani, whose three buttoned jacket and trouser combination in shades of bone are an ideal transition for the earlier summer months. However, nothing beats a suit cut by Giorgio Armani. With contrast button jacket and room-cuffed trousers you’ll be especially careful to avoid any spillages attending an evening occasion. For a closer look at the history of the white suit, read our feature on page 46.
- 20 -
The
Grand Design
T
he fabled Tribeca neigbourhood of New York’s Lower Manhattan has recently witnessed a remarkable design overhaul at the hands of Belgian designer Axel Vervoordt and Japanese architect Tatsuro Miki. At the peak of the Greenwich Hotel sits the TriBeCa Penthouse, owned in collaboration with business partners Ira Drukier and Hollywood’s very own Robert De Niro. The 6,800-sq ft space was inspired by the industrial past of the Tribeca region, fused with the sympathetic Japanese aesthetic of Wabi. The Wabi philosophy expresses beauty in imperfection and acknowledges Artempo, an understanding that the passing of time can produce eternal art. Through sustainable design Vervoordt utilised the penthouse interior to showcase many reclaimed materials. The use of 17th century stone and repurposed 19th century wood furniture is juxtaposed with minimalist steel and chrome. The five-bedroom space with open plan living quarters features a smattering of specifically crafted artworks by Vervoordt and Miki. The tiniest detail, a bronze door handle for example, is shaped from a clay mould of different hand positions from Vervoordt himself. The original roofing from the Greenwich space was repurposed back into the interior, acknowledging both the past and the future in one bespoke industrial space within one of New York’s trendiest neighbourhoods.
Transcendental Tribeca A new penthouse in one of New York’s most stylish neighbourhoods has been given a minimalist (and monastic?) overhaul
- 21 -
The
Wearable Tech
Ralph Lauren’s Smart Shirt Will this be the year when gadget-clothes finally make their breakthrough?
ralphlauren.com
Forget smart watches; smart clothes are the future. The classic sporty WASP look normally associated with Ralph Lauren has been given a technological overhaul at the hands of Montrealbased design company OMsignal. The Ralph Lauren Polo Tech Smart Shirt was designed specifically to provide real time biometric stats for its wearer. Debuted at last year’s US Open as a prototype uniform for the tournaments many ball boys, the smart shirt monitored respiration, heart rate and stress levels thanks to an ingenious in-built gadget system. The shirt was uniquely crafted with silver conductive thread woven into the machine washable fabric, whilst its casual style had the smarts to transcend from tennis court to high street. Released this spring, Ralph Lauren hope to debut more colours and sizes so that gents have the opportunity to sport wearable tech all year round.
- 22 -
.com
Coming Soon...
A Brand New Website Dedicated to
the Modern Gentleman mo j e hme n. c o m
The
Comeback
Monica Bellucci The best thing about the Italian actress appearing in the new 007 film? She’ll be the first ‘Bond woman’, not ‘Bond girl’
F
irst things first. Calling Monica Bellucci a Bond ‘girl’ is a huge disservice. “I’m a Bond woman,” the 50-year-old Italian movie goddess recently informed the adoring press at the production launch of the 24th installment of 007’s continuing adventures, enticingly called Spectre, thus making her the oldest ever love interest in the film franchise’s history. Among the world’s most beautiful women, the actress and former model is renowned for her huge ‘bee-sting’ lips and raven hair, as well as her electrifying intensity on screen. Legend has it that Bellucci was so beautiful as a child that waitresses used to give her free food in restaurants, and it seems her incredible Italian allure has remained undiminished in all these years. Still breathtakingly beautiful, the mature Bellucci is certainly something of a coup for the Bond producers. The fact that her name is attached to such a mainstream project, and that she will star opposite a James Bond who is actually younger than her (Daniel Craig, 47) suggests the spymaster may finally have grown up, along with his screenwriters. Bond fanatics have given her an unconditional thumbs up, but there is still some mystery as to whether her character, who is called Lucia Sciarra, will be a femme fatale villain or something much more engrossing. Let’s hope for the latter. Spectre will be released in the UAE in November.
- 24 -
- 25 -
Image: Corbis
The
Concept Car
W
ith enough metallic sinews and hunkered-down body style to make even an Aston Martin DBS owner take a second envious look, the stunning Audi Prologue concept car is so much more than just the shape of the next generation A9 super-saloon it’s expected to become. While the star of the 2014 Los Angeles Motor Show certainly makes a dramatic styling departure from anything the Ingolstadtbased company has ever done before, it also forms the blueprint for the world’s first OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) hi-definition touch panel dashboard that stretches from passenger to driver. The widescreen panel lets the front passenger search through their own navigation menu and then send route information directly to the driver’s own ‘virtual cockpit’ by simply swiping it over to them, à la smartphone or tablet. This über dash takes away the need for the driver to mess with a Sat Nav, and now makes any passenger your official co-pilot. Another flexible touch screen that features hand-writing recognition and operates most of the Prologue’s other settings, lays flush on the centre console tunnel until the ignition goes on and then whirs into action towards the driver, Star Trek style. With the exception of a few small selection nodes on the steering wheel, this is a button-free car. Powered by a 4.0-litre V8 that pushes out 605hp, the Prologue’s bodyshell is an amalgamation of hightensile steel and lightweight aluminium. The doors have no handles – to cut down on drag – and are opened electromechanically when a sensor surface is touched. In addition to the upcoming A9, the Prologue concept will be the new look for future big to mid-sized Audis such as the A6, A7 and A8.
Audi Prologue Meet the car of the future – a button-free, touch panel ‘swipe ‘n’ go’ dream machine
- 26 -
The
event
Dubai World Cup The planet’s most lucrative horserace reaches the 20-year mark, and the stakes are higher than ever
Images: Corbis
Though still a relatively new organisation for a sport dating back many generations, the Dubai World Cup will be celebrating its 20th anniversary come 28th March with a record-busting purse. The 11race, three-month season will climax at the headlining US$29.25 million Dubai World Cup day housed at the city’s fabled Meydan Racecourse. With prize money at an excess of US$38 million following a purse increase to mark the anniversary, jockeys will be given the opportunity to showcase their competitive prowess on the stage of the world’s richest race. The Dubai World Cup Carnival, held prior to the big race, will offer course preparation programmes to racehorse trainers at the Meydan’s dirt and turf tracks. Last year the event attracted huge headliners, playing host to racing prodigies Gentildonna and Just A Way, whilst Godolfin’s African Story claimed the coveted top prize at the World Cup and was awarded a US$10 million payout. Expect another big surprise this year.
- 27 -
The
anniversary
Eternal Twins Identical brothers, Dean and Dan Caten, celebrate 20 years at their global fashion label, DSquared2 By Jake Hamilton
Dean and Dan, how do you manage each other’s expectations? We are in tune with each other and we generally have the same expectations, so that means doing our best and being appreciative of one another. But who has the stronger design aesthetic? We both do! Your jumping off point for your new collection is Andy Warhol. Why is he still such a strong source of inspiration? Because he was so revolutionary and innovative. He was always able to impress and make everything he created so iconic. And how did you translate Warhol’s work into your designs? We don’t try to translate exactly the Warhol work but we let ourselves be inspired by it. We’ve come to expect showmanship at Dsquared2. Do you think it’s an element lacking on the menswear circuit? We actually don’t think like that. The menswear fashion circuit is always amazing. Each fashion show tells [something] about designers and their personal fashion stories and vision. So who is the ideal Dsquared2 man? The Dsquared2 man is definitely metropolitan, self-confident and positive. Basically, the ideal man is someone who is not afraid to mix and match casual and elegant items; the man who wears clothes with personality and who feels comfortable with different circumstances.
- 28 -
What advice would you give to men over 40 willing to buy into the Dsquared2 label? [Our] clothes are for everyone who wants to be different and stylish, so there’s no specific age to put on a glamorous tuxedo or a sporty jacket. Is it true you only wear clothes you design yourselves? Honestly, we love what we create and we are comfortable with it. We create clothes that definitely represent our style and our personalities. You are identical twins and inseparable. How long can you stand to be apart from one another? Well, we are so close and generally we don’t spend so much time apart from one other. Honestly, it happens so often so [now] we stay like this! How can men be encouraged to be more daring? The only thing that we can say is: be yourself, wear clothes with personality, and focus on the details! What items of clothing should be in every man’s wardrobe? A white shirt, a pair of denims, and definitely a black tuxedo. So what is the benefit of working with a twin brother? Being twins is definitely our strength. We complete and totally understand one another. It’s like being two different people but with one mind. Thus, everything comes naturally to us. And our brotherly complicity makes everything easy.
Image: Dsquared2
Finally, this is our Icons issue – who are your own personal heroes? Honestly? Our grandparents.
- 29 -
The
Restaurant
Catch
New York’s Catch restaurant has shifted continents and set up shop on Dubai’s established Sheikh Zayed Road. For their transition to the Middle East, the team at Catch, headlined by celebrity executive chef Hung Huynh, are showcasing a host of marine delights as part of their specialist seafood menu for the region. Already a massive hit in the Big Apple and supported by celebrity faces such as David Beckham, Jay Z and Beyoncé, Catch have relocated from their trendy Meatpacking District location to branch out into new exotic markets. Replacing the legendary Spectrum On One at The Fairmont, they will provide diners with innovative shared-serving and an open kitchen within its wood and metal lined interior. It’s an ideal location for those willing to revel in familiar surroundings and take signature orders of bourbon miso sea bass, salmon belly carpaccio or the ever popular crispy whole red snapper from the hot, cold, raw, rolled and grilled menu. If fish isn’t on the agenda then opt for their many vegetarian dishes, from truffles or shiitake mushrooms to miso honey served with peppers or chilli garlic sauce. There’s a whole underwater feast just waiting to be explored, and it’s right on your main drag.
- 30 -
emmgrp.com
The darling of the Big Apple dining scene arrives in Dubai, with a specialist seafood menu on their hook
The
Sunglasses
The Wayfarer Once a classic, always a classic
ray-ban.com
In honour of our Icons issue, what better example of an evergreen classic than the Ray-Ban Wayfarer? First introduced in 1952, the Wayfarer found legendary status as part of the rock ‘n’ roll style arsenal, breaking free from the archetypal metal eyewear of decades past in favour of more durable plastic. The brainchild of American optical designer Raymond Stegeman, the Wayfarer provided a new mid-century shape that challenged vintage tail fin designs of the early 40s. A new millennium redesign in 2001 reducing the frame size and angle revived the Wayfarer from its 90s decline. Today, the frame is still as popular as it was during its 50s heyday. This stylishly updated, Italian-made version arrives with fitted grey gradient lenses. The Wayfarer suits almost any face shape and can be styled from season to season with absolute ease.
- 31 -
The
Suite
Presidential Suite, The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai
Those busy perfectionists over at The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai have finished renovating two new presidential suites on the fifth and sixth floors of the ‘Ghoroob’ wing (sunset in Arabic) at their Jumeirah beach premises. This renovation is clearly the jewel in the crown of a much a larger restoration project at the resort, which was completed near the end of 2014 and incorporated 146 new rooms, and a new restaurant as well as a revamped lounge and bar. But it’s the Presidential Suites that will draw your gaze. At a supremely spacious 2,368 sq ft, the suites feature a vast array of stylishly modern facilities with a trademark dash of Arabic finesse. There’s an opulent master bedroom with floor-to-ceiling windows, a twin bedroom, a separate dining room, two marble bathrooms, a superb living room equipped with a home cinema, a beautiful balcony with ample outdoor seating overlooking the Arabian Gulf (hence the sunset motif) and even a dedicated work zone. The key standout feature, however, is the glorious ‘Hammam’ and steam room, offering three choices of rejuvenating body treatments and enabling guests to experience their very own wellness and spa journey without ever leaving the suite. Now that’s presidential for you.
- 32 -
ritzcarlton.com/dubai
Ever dreamt of a luxury hotel room with its own in-house spa facilities? That dream is now accomplished
The
city
Milan Expo 2015 The fashion capital of Italy prepares to host the world’s largest economic street party, Ciao, Bellissima!
I
Image: Corbis
taly’s most fashionable city will undergo a gigantic surge in visitors this May when the Universal Exposition opens its doors. Milan Expo 2015 will play host for a second time (after a century-long wait) by welcoming a record 144 participating nations. An astonishing 2.6 million tickets have already been sold, with this year’s event focusing on global food conservation. Themed somewhat ungrammatically ‘Feeding the planet, Energy for Life’, Milan’s Expo will attempt to build dialogues about nutrition, pollution and sustainable agricultural techniques. The site itself, designed by architects Stefano Boeri, Richard Burdett, Mark Rylander and Jacques Herzog, will act as a massive mingling zone for scientists, futurologists and the general public to share ideas, not to mention Italian cuisine. Spread over one million square metres, and not without criticism from the city’s residents, the site is split into seven sections covering technology, lifestyle, science and innovation. It will also sit adjacent to Italy’s most important trade fair, Fiera Milano in the municipalities of Rho and Pero in northwest Milan. The Expo site boasts an artificial lake surrounded by 20 pavillions representative of the Italian regions. There will be a further three pavillions to support the three geographical areas of Asia, Africa and South America. The final flourish will be a site of bioclimatic greenhouses focusing on food reproduction techniques enabled by the Earth’s principal biomes. The concept will also stretch to individually thematic pavillions to educate visitors on global consumption, dietary essentials and, naturally, Italy’s love of food. Representatives from Dubai, who host the Expo in 2020, will certainly be taking notes.
- 33 -
The
Destination
Oman, Land of Lost Cities Suddenly, from nowhere, the Sultanate is the darling of travel journalists across the world. Here’s why...
Image: Corbis
When the global travelling community tip their collective hat to the wonders of Oman, you know a change in attitude has occurred. Feted as one of the top tourist destinations for 2015, Oman certainly has more to offer than just its glorious mosques, frankincense-scented souks and windswept ancient fortresses. So what’s available? There are incredible mountain ranges and breathtaking trekking at Jebel Shams; the Wahiba Sands for buggy-mad adrenaline junkies; world-class diving spots along the Persian Gulf; upscale luxury hotels such as The Chedi, which overlooks Al Hajar (as well as five-star ‘boutique glamping’ options in the desert under the stars); and there’s also a genuine sense of intrepid outdoor adventure awaiting beyond the confines of elegant Muscat, the nation’s capital. As for culture, Nizwa will this year represent the Islamic Art Capital. Want a shopping fix? Head to the labyrinthine Muttrah Souk for a plethora of woven rugs and exotic handicrafts. If it’s quality restaurants you’re after, then know the country is in the midst an Omani dining revolution that sees it mixing Middle Eastern flavours with classic Western dishes. We could go on, but the greatest thing about Oman is that it’s one of the safest countries in the region to visit whatever your background or persuasion.
- 34 -
The
Timepiece
Midnight Planétarium Why should a wrist watch tell the time of day when it can tell the time of the universe?
vancleefarpels.comw
Imagine having your own personal planetarium on your wrist. This truly stupendous timepiece, created for Van Cleef & Arpels by Dutch master watchmaker Christiaan van der Klaauw, maps the heavens and stars while rotating the six planets visible to the naked eye – Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupitar and Saturn – around a beautiful rose gold sun. So, if someone asks you the time, you can say that Mercury revolves around your watch in just 88 days, while Saturn will take over 29 years (Earth completes a rotation in a year, of course). There are an incredible 396 working parts within the watch, known officially as the Complication Poétique Midnight Planétarium, and each planet is made from a semi-precious stone (Mercury is serpentine, Saturn is sugilite, Venus is chloromelanite, Earth is turquoise, Mars is red jasper and Jupiter is blue agate). The discs themselves are made of aventurine. For the auspicious (and superstitious) among us, the watch is also enabled through a rotating bezel to capture the owner’s birthday by positioning the Earth directly under the star engraved on the sapphire crystal as a sign of good luck. A thing of timeless beauty (literally) and a family heirloom in the making, the Midnight Planétarium is available only upon request from the company.
- 35 -
The
c Alexander MQueen A new exhibition on the late great British designer argues that his clothes were more about art than fashion. We agree
- 36 -
Marc Hom / Trunk Archive
Retrospective
H
e was born a poor working class boy. He failed all his school exams except art. And he killed himself at the age of 40. But in his brief, dazzling life, the British designer Alexander McQueen changed the fashion landscape forever. Only now, four years after his shocking suicide, can we fully appreciate the creative impact this rebellious, daring and extremely complex character had on culture. His dark, avant-garde designs and unfailing ability to shock the fashion world is still without equal, and this month he is celebrated at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum with a record-breaking retrospective aptly entitled ‘Savage Beauty’ (14 March to 19 July) which aims to lift him out of the fashion world and into the realms of the great late 20th century artists. His subversive nature is also documented in two new books recently published.
Gods and Kings by Dana Thomas, explains how a charismatic, openly gay London boy rocked the fashion world to its core. The second gripping biography, Alexander McQueen by Andrew Wilson, also explores his incredible talent, as well as his troubled lifestyle to the full. His outsider nature made him an inspiration for millions, as did his battles against domestic violence and brutality towards women. He was a champion of questioning social mores, a scandalous provocateur, but suffered dark bouts of depression and a debilitating drug dependency that caused several near-suicide attempts. Yet nine days after the devastating news of the death of his beloved mother, Joyce, he hanged himself at his London home using his ‘favourite brown belt’. The fashion world went into shock, and in many ways the vacuum he created has never been filled.
- 37 -
The
Selections
1
2
3 4
5
- 38 -
6 7
10
8
Safari Expedition
9
Banish the black and take a trip in shades of tan, sand and khaki. Don’t forget your camera...
1. Hasselblad @MrPorter.com | 2. Hublot Classic Fusion 45mm Chronograph King | 3. Gucci | 4. Loewe | 5. Saint Laurent BY HEDI SLIMANE | 6. Coach | 7. Tomas Maier @MatchesFashion.com | 8. Salvatore Ferragamo | 9. Garrett Leight | 10. Haider Ackermann @MrPorter. com | 11. Tom Ford Patchouli Absolu
11
- 39 -
The
Opinion
Would You Buy a Watch from Mao? World figures in history are increasingly being used to sell us computers, restaurants, clothes and cars. Has the big message been lost in the modern medium? By Duncan Forgan
- 40 -
I
n the heart of Melbourne, Australia, just off its bustling of what they did and what they actually stood for have largely Chinatown, lies a part of the city that will forever be Beijing been forgotten. For instance, Mao was responsible for three circa 1966. With propaganda artwork decking the walls and a times as many deaths as Joseph Stalin, but we are unlikely to see cocktail list advertising drinks such as the ‘Imperialist Running gulag-themed bars popping up in major cities any time soon. Dog’, a bar named Double Happiness seems happy to promote Indeed, as the 20th century bowed out and the multimedia 21st the cult of Chairman Mao Zedong. century kicked in with full force, the medium has truly become Particular emphasis is placed on ephemera and slogans from the message. As well as political figures, cultural, religious and his Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) – a scorched earth attempt social icons have been watered down for monetary gain, often to purge capitalist and traditional elements from Chinese to the detriment of real truths and standpoints. The tactic, while society that ended up paralysing the country politically, socially, effective and often highly creative, has become disorientating economically and – ironically – culturally. Yet the customers and ultimately depressing. As the late comedian Bill Hicks supping their drinks underneath the images of smiling workers said about marketers: “quit putting a goddam dollar sign on and Mao himself are not wizened, veteran members of the everything you see on this planet”. Chinese peasant classes, nor embedded spies of the Gang of The exploitation of a pop culture canon that is by its very nature Four. Instead, the young crowd packed into the tiny space commercially orientated is not in itself overly problematic – encompasses a cross-section of defiantly consumerist Western Steve McQueen is arguably as well remembered as the star of society, from city-suited chaps to plaid-shirted hipster interns. car commercials as the anti-hero lead in The Thomas Crown Double Happiness is far from alone in appropriating radical Affair. What galls many is the use of historic figures, situations imagery to push products. Mao’s image has been adopted and ideas being decontextualised to promote brands. by major fashion brands such a Comme des Garcons Mahatma Ghandi may have been famously ascetic, but and his beatific face is emblazoned upon an astonishing that hasn’t stopped a range of companies, including Apple, selection of kitsch items spanning alarm clocks, jigsaws and from using his image to promote their expensive products. commemorative table sets. To many, Guevara was a heroic freedom fighter; to others he The leader’s enduring status as a brand has its roots in the was a brutal and unyielding Communist hardliner. What both camps would probably agree on is counterculture of the 1960s as well as his carefully constructed cult of that the unrepentant Marxist would personality. In her damning book not have expected (nor would have CHE, the unrepentant Wild Swans, an account of growing wanted) his image to sell archetypal up in Mao’s China, author Jung symbols of Yankee imperialism marxist, now sells Chang summed up his omnipotence such as Converse trainers, T-shirts trainers, t-shirts and by quoting his saying: “Father is and even luxury cars. In 1992, Spike Lee’s biopic of Malcolm X, close, mother is close, but neither luxury cars sparked a nationwide craze that is as close as Chairman Mao”. For a while, brand Mao was as strong was labeled ‘Malcolmania’ complete in the West as it was in China. At the with branded ‘X’ leisurewear. The time of the Cultural Revolution, with the scent of change in the commercialisation transformed the radical of the 1960s into an air and the counter-culture at its peak, the leader’s theories easily accessible figure, a hero for the masses rather than the struck a chord with a generation of disillusioned Western spiky, often difficult, intellectual powerhouse he actually was. activists. In fact, at the peak of its popularity, Mao’s Little Red So commonplace is the misappropriation of history, figures Book was the most printed book in the world. By the late-1970s, and ideas that it is generally accepted as a byproduct of this idealism had all but run its course and the deleterious modern capitalism. Nevertheless, there are indications impact of Mao’s regime was widely known. that the public is pushing back against it. Last November, Older and more cynical, but still shaped by the ideas of the 60s, British supermarket chain Sainsbury’s received widespread many former students put down the banners and applied their condemnation for trivialising the hell that was WW1 in a talents in the worlds of advertising and branding. beautifully shot, but wholly nauseating, depiction of the nearIn their new roles on the frontline of full-blown consumerism, mythical Christmas truce of 1914 when men from both sides these outliers drew from art forms and ideas such as surrealism emerged from their trenches for an impromptu kickabout. and existentialism. They also took inspiration from groups such And Madonna has only just been forced to issue an apology as the Situationists, a revolutionary international organisation for posting images of Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela that believed that capitalism could take even the most radical with their faces wrapped in black cord, a ploy to promote her ideas and repackage them for its own ends. Armed with an new album Rebel Heart where the popstar is similarly bound encyclopedic knowledge of pop culture, they smoothed out in the cover shot. the rougher or more critical edges of their intellectual source One would hope this pillaging of cultural figures for material and set to work. commercial gain will eventually subside into cliché, but given All of this goes some way to explaining why Mao and others such the marketers’ record of exploiting diffuse moments in history as Malcolm X and Che Guevara have become such a ubiquitous for ever increasing profit margins, all we can do is order presence in pop culture. Their counterculture credentials gave another Imperialist Running Dog, settle back on the Chinese them a stamp of rebel cool that has endured even if the specifics cushions and hope for a different kind of Cultural Revolution.
- 41 -
The
Signature
Old Hand, New Hand Dior Homme reference a very special penmanship in their latest collection
- 42 -
dior.com
Maintaining tradition was part of Kris Van Assche’s vernacular for Dior Homme Spring/Summer 2015. While most designers self-reference for inspiration, Van Assche instead recalled a personal letter sourced from the maison’s archives, penned by Christian himself. “Traditions have to be maintained,” Dior wrote. “In troubled times like ours, we must maintain these traditions, which are our luxury and the flower of our civilisation.” Van Assche played with the notion of the past and present by utilising Dior's script as a scribble print transfer on strict tailoring, denim and leather accessories. The signature scrawl was a sympathetic ode to Dior's dialogue between both bohemia, through the designers love of nature, and bourgeois traditions in France. Showcased here in a marriage of typography and leatherwork on a belt and juxtaposed on a briefcase in a patriotic colour-way of red, white and blue, Van Assche ensures that for spring the Dior Homme man will dress as a traditionalist, in the most modern sense of the word.
- 43 -
style rules
Jeremy HACKETT The quintessentially English fashion designer and founder of Hackett London offers style advice on how a gentleman ought to dress
Image: Hackett
By Jake Hamilton
- 44 -
Why do you think the ‘English gentleman look’ is so admired around the world? What can signify English style more on a global scale than a bowler hat, umbrella and Fox Brothers tweed suit? English style is so identifiable and admired abroad as it highlights a man’s traditional dress and is perceived as elegant. In recent years the appetite for all things British has never been better. I believe this is because British clothing and fashion is renowned for its quality and classic style.
When will men start to feel less nervous when entering a fashion store? Many men have always felt reticent when it comes to fashion and shopping. I do think that the internet has made men become more responsive to fashion but many still find it daunting entering a store. Confidence and the ability to ask for help can make men feel less nervous. Just remember, the sales staff are there to assist and they enjoy their jobs, so let them! Famously, you’re known as a great lover of dogs. What is your favourite breed? A Sussex spaniel, of course.
Your new collection is all about quintessential British sports. Did you participate in any outdoor pursuits as a child? I used to play tennis quite regularly.
How can one avoid the horror of an exposed calf emerging between socks and trousers when sitting down? A pair of long socks can avoid exposed calfs between socks and trousers. Depending on the suit, a pair of bright coloured socks can add a fun twist. Socks should always compliment and never dominate the look.
Is the blue blazer the gentleman’s equivalent of the ‘little black dress’? I am quoted time and time again that the navy blazer is a man’s must-have item. Like the ‘little black dress’, a navy blazer is timeless and looks great on pretty much all men. What one piece of advice would you give men when choosing shoes? A man can never go wrong with a brogue shoe.
What is your favourite piece from your new season collection? The lightweight tweed jacket, teamed with bright chinos and a shirt; it’s the perfect attire for attending a polo match.
Which is the best knot for a tie? A four-in-hand knot is best, also known as the schoolboy knot.
Who is the ideal Hackett man? The Hackett man is anybody who likes stylish clothes and dresses in a classical fashion.
You’re a fan of sales techniques. What’s the best sales patter you’ve ever heard in a fashion store? A rather fond sales patter I heard was back in the early 1980s when Hackett sold secondhand clothing. I was in Portobello Road Market and there was a rack of tweed jackets, and I saw one I recognised. I said to the sales lady ‘why is this jacket more expensive?’ and she turned around to me and said ‘it’s Hackett, you know!’ I thought that was brilliant.
If you attend the Dubai World Cup race this month, what suit would you choose? For a day at the races in Dubai, I would opt to wear a neatly tailored lightweight navy suit with a Hackett Mayfair white shirt, great tie and a pocket square. Have you learned much from Ralph Lauren, or has Ralph learned much from you? Mr. Lauren used to come into Hackett, a secondhand clothes shop back in the 1980s, and rummage through the rails of clothing. I have always admired his terrific eye as he always spotted the gems.
We are celebrating white suits in this issue. What are your own views on the white suit? The white suit can be a daunting ensemble for many men, with the now horrifically outdated examples of John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever and Al Pacino in Scarface. In a hot sticky summer, worn in the correct way, it can be a wardrobe essential to keep you cool. The number one rule is that the suit simply has to be wellfitted. There is no room for error here; keep the suit slim in the waist, arms and legs. Pair the suit with a strong checked shirt and tie, or team with a tee for a more casual alfresco look.
Finally, as this is our Icons issue, who is your own personal icon? I often say David Hockney is my personal style icon because he doesn’t give a damn. He does, but looks like he doesn’t! Years ago, he came into the Hackett shop and was paying for some shoes and while I was doing the bill, there was a pad on the desk and he started doodling on it. As soon as he left, I ripped it off, put it somewhere safe and never found it again!
How should a man apply his cologne? Sparingly, to the wrists and neck. - 45 -
icons
the Man in the
White Suit Decadent. Sinful. Outrageous. Devilish. The white suit connotes wildly contrasting impressions to its supposed pureness, from the heights of style to the depths of vulgarity. So why have some of the most famous men in history worn it? By Josh Sims
I
n F Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the protagonist, the supposedly effortlessly debonair Jay Gatsby, is described as wearing a ‘white flannel suit, silver shirt and gold-coloured tie’. In today’s self-consciously less vulgar days, it might be hard to decide which of these three sartorial errors is the most egregious. But for many it would clearly be the white suit. An infamously impractical item of clothing at the best of times, and one which is devilishly difficult to pull off without coming across like some mentally - 46 -
unhinged narcissist, the white suit is, for modern tastemakers, a steer-clear zone, one that readily conjures the faux sophistication of the jazz era in the flashy incarnation of Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever. Indeed, for every FDR and Harry Truman in their presidential pristine whites, for every public school-educated Brit wandering aimlessly in a strange, hot, foreign land in the novels of Graham Greene (from Our Man in Havana to The Tailor of Panama – the permanently slightly sozzled, rather seedy envoys of a collapsing British empire in their crumpled white suits fighting to retain respectable 1930s style against the tropical 100-plus heat), there is the gaudy over-the-top 1970s counterpart. For every Martin Bell – the BBC foreign correspondent and, later, British MP, who made a somewhat battered white linen jacket his visual trademark, and somehow avoided being a dream target in the countless war zones he visited in said attire – there is John Lennon, immortalising the purity of a new generation with a solid white two piece suit on the iconic album cover of the Beatles’ Abbey Road. For every white-clad Man from Del Monte – the US fruit producer’s advertising character of the 1980s, who gently squeezed
Image: Corbis
Sean Connery burns white in Goldfinger
- 47 -
Matthew McConaughey
We’re talking proper white, not eggshell, vanilla, slightly beige or even gently creamy white
Jared Leto
- 48 -
luscious pears with a smile, before the tagline, ‘the man from Del Monte – he say yes!’ – there is ample reason to look at Mick Jagger and say most definitely no. Style is in the dazzled eye of the beholder – and especially when we’re talking proper white, not eggshell, vanilla, slightly beige or even gently creamy. The 1970s celebrity image of Mick and Bianca Jagger stepping out in their fitted and flared suits either strike one as the epitome of super-cool - the white suit somehow suggestive still of exotic climes and high lifestyles, of living beyond the smoke and dirt that slowly turns your two-piece a lighter shade of grey – or just plain awful, the blank slate on to which one writes ‘I have no fashion sense whatsoever, please invade my world at will’. Of course, that your white suit is rarely white for long is a serious consideration in its lack of appeal and practicality. Sixty-five years ago this year [2015], the British filmmakers and comedy powerhouse Ealing Studios released The Man in the White Suit, in which a scientist, played by Alex Guinness, devises a cloth that repels the urban grime and never wears out. It turns out to be too good to be true – much to the relief of a tailoring industry that fears being put out of business. In the real world, of course – where fashion designers love to return again and again to the white suit – as examples for the Spring/ Summer 2015 season from the likes of Etro, Hackett, Gucci and Burberry Prorsum testify to - much more practical steps must be taken. The American essayist and novelist Tom Wolfe – who has made the white suit his very own style signature – discovered both what a statement it is, but also what an inconvenience.Wolfe first bought a white suit to wear in the summer of 1962 but, finding the fabric too heavy to wear for a New York summer, postponed donning it until the winter season – which, contrary to the style’s association with more humid climes, certainly got him noticed. Garments that seem to shout rather than whisper are so often thought to indicate that their wearer is something of a big character. Yet Wolfe saw through this error
Image: Corbis
of perception in his own attire. He called his white suit ‘a substitute for a personality. Of course, you have to have three [suits] to get through a day’. Such frequent changes aside, what Wolfe no doubt appreciates in his white suit is its suggestion of sophistication and high class, which might stem more from its association simply with being moneyed – moneyed because the necessary laundering means that white clothing has always been symbolic either of spending power or one’s Sunday Best, the only white one has in one’s wardrobe, worn infrequently as a mark of respect, to oneself as well as to one’s community. White, of course, has for many Western cultures been symbolic of purity, somewhat at odds with the rakish subtext perhaps hoped for by the white suit’s more ardent wearers; white is papal, a white suit is what costume designers reflexively put Morgan Freeman in whenever he has to play god. Even today, a white suit made bespoke is likely to cost as much as a fifth more than an identical dark-coloured suit owing both to the need to use an especially rich, dense fabric to avoid unsightly and quite possibly embarrassing issues of transparency but also to the near surgical conditions required to keep it clean during construction. In fact, plain-speaking East End London boy Edward Sexton – the tailor who made for Mick and Bianca, and put British aristocrat Lord Montagu in a white suit for his wedding day – has tellingly described the white suit as being ‘something that every true gent has in his wardrobe – at least the real toffs’. It is also why the most special of special occasion style for men is the now more or less defunct white dinner jacket – perhaps most famously worn by Sean Connery’s James Bond in Goldfinger, though actually more frequently worn by Roger Moore’s Bond, in both Octopussy and A View to a Kill. But never say never again, as the recipients of Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor gongs at 2014’s Academy Awards – Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto respectively – both wore pristine white dinner jackets to the ceremony.
The American essayist and novelist Tom Wolfe has made the white suit his very own style signature
- 49 -
a white suit made bespoke is likely to cost as much as a fifth more than an identical dark-coloured suit
- 50 -
Image: Corbis
Author Tom Wolfe in his famous suit
The white suit can also carry a heavy sociological and political bent. Indeed, white plantation owners of the American Deep South wore a white suit as much as a clear statement of their lording it over land and often slave labour alike as to cope with the punishing heat. White was a statement of their very southern nature – something Harland Sanders, the Kentucky colonel and creator of KFC chicken, was conscious of in creating the moustachioed character who defined the brand. In fact, Sanders didn’t actually start to wear his iconic white suit until the 1950s, because, he discovered, that was what everyone expected him to be wearing. But the white suit also – again, as Harland discovered - held an air of theatricality about it. Actors certainly seem to love it for those theatrical photo moments too: Tom Cruise, George Clooney, Kevin Spacey, Johnny Depp, Chris Pine, John Hamm, Bruce Willis, Brad Pitt, Ryan Reynolds, Bradley Cooper – each of today’s top matinee idols has stepped out in the white stuff without somehow being mistaken for the maître d. The white suit has long belonged in the dressing up box, and lived outside of the established lexicon of menswear. The white suit had an air of the fantastical about it – which is perhaps why Ricardo Montalbàn’s Mr. Roarke wore one as the over-seer of “Fantasy Island” in the hit 1970s TV series. When, last year, the basketball great Shaquille O’Neal appeared on NBA Tip-Off in the US, he caused a minor media storm less for his predictions for the
A scene from Death In Venice
- 51 -
Mark Twain
The white dinner jacket is perhaps most famously worn by Sean Connery’s James Bond in Goldfinger
David Bowie
- 52 -
season so much as for his decision to wear a blindingly white three-piece suit. It prompted perhaps unfair comparisons between O’Neal and, variously, a giant marshmallow and an inside-out ice cream sandwich. But then rap or urban culture – from Kanye West to Pitbull and Mike Tyson – has long revealed a secret fondness for the white suit. Perhaps the white suit might now be considered tailoring’s personal take on the bling generation. Getting white right, of course, is no easy task. Tailors have advised that it should only be worn as close as possible to the equator – the more degrees latitude north or south one is from it, the less one should be inclined to don a white suit. Some contrast is certainly important – a white suit is perhaps best off-set by a black tie, though rarely a black shirt – unless one is a night-club owner. And one has to stick with an overall aesthetic absolutely: the white suit is either worn with sartorial exactitude, from head to toe, or with a certain reckless dishabille. There is no middle ground. Mark Twain, one of the white suit’s most celebrated wearers, had it right. He first wore one to a congressional hearing in 1906, so breaking with convention that newspaper reports of the important issue at hand were overshadowed by commentary on Twain’s bold choice of dress. Twain subsequently played fast and loose with the truth of his reasons for doing so, on one occasion simply saying that, having reached the age of 71, he had grown somewhat tired of the grey and drear attire he saw around him every day – ‘the continual sight of drab clothing is likely to have a depressing effect’, he noted, adding that ‘light-coloured clothing is more pleasing to the eye and enlivens the spirit’. But one can’t help favouring another explanation that he hinted at via the pages of Huckleberry Finn. In that classic novel, one of Twain’s characters takes a more deliberately offensive regard to the power of the white suit. He determines, simply, to ‘every day of his life put on a clean shirt and a full suit from head to toe made out of linen so white it hurt your eyes to look at it’.
Whitewashing
The Beatles
How John Lennon’s white suit signalled the beginning of the end for the Fab Four By Jake Hamilton
I
t’s generally acknowledged that whatever John Lennon wore, the other three Beatles quickly followed suit. Full black leathers on stage? Lennon started that in Hamburg. Combing the hair forward into a ‘mop-top’? Lennon again, after a birthday trip to Paris. Psychedelic Victorian military jackets? John was there before anyone had heard of Sgt. Pepper or his imaginary brass band. But when it came to him wearing a solid white suit in 1968, the rest of the Beatles suddenly, and quite unexpectedly, put their collective foot down. One of the Fabs, the far-out one, and the leader, was breaking with protocol by doing his own thing, and the others refused to follow, or were too scared to. “They all have to think collectively exactly like me otherwise this isn’t gong to work,” John said at the time. A year later and the biggest band on the planet had split. What happened? Was it really all about that white suit? Such was the enormous power of the Beatles at the time that nobody really saw the writing on the wall when John began donning the white threads. Indeed, as far as the pubic was aware, all the Beatles were going white. Their newest album, a double studio effort, had a pure white cover and quickly became known as the White Album; they were also opening a boutique shop in the heart of London that planned to sell only white goods; and they had just returned from an extended holiday in an Indian ashram where everybody swanned around wearing flowing white robes, even for breakfast. Still, with all that black cynicism and counterculture fervour in the air, wearing a pure white suit in the city seemed too radical a step for Paul, George and Ringo. First and foremost, it was an impractically decadent item of clothing for a set of working class heroes to adopt, and possibly a subversive move. It was also devilishly difficult to pull off. (Can anyone seriously imagine
Ringo wearing only white to a press conference?) People were starting to look a John in a funny way. What did his decision to wear white, and only white, say to the world anyway? That he was a born-again virgin? That the Beatles were now spiritual angels of a lost generation? If that was true then why did he look so gaunt and sinful? Secretly, in the corridors of the Apple offices, the entourage were suggesting that if white-on-white did become the band’s new brand identity, as John had secretly hoped, then they would be painting a big red target on their back. And, in a way, that’s exactly what happened. Lennon, ever the tastemaker and iconoclast, became a laughing stock overnight, together with his new wife Yoko Ono. The press slaughtered him with ridicule. Soon afterwards, the Beatles’ leader was arrested. Time, of course, has been the real judge. The Beatles are all about white nowadays. White album covers. White clothes. White pianos. In 2011, the famous two-piece white suit that John Lennon wore on the iconic cover of Abbey Road, the suit that brought him so much consternation and condemnation, sold for US$46,000 at auction. (His white piano went for more than US$1m – such is the rocketing trajectory of demand for Lennon memorabilia.) That famous suit, made especially for Lennon by French designer Ted Lapidus, is also inextricably linked with the so-called Peace Movement of the 1960s. It’s become part of the Beatles myth too, the colour of their DNA, their suit of armour. When Apple released their ‘Think Different’ ad campaign they showcased none other than John Lennon wearing all white. And, would you believe it, that pure white suit, thanks to Lennon’s stature, is now a rock ‘n’ roll icon in itself. Put any rock singer of today in a pure white suit and people will instantly chant ‘Give peace a chance!’ But as history shows, the truth is a little trickier to whitewash.
Image: Corbis
Lennon under fire, 1969
- 53 -
The Arabian horse is the source of countless myths and legends throughout the Middle East, but today this beautiful Bedouin breed is the focus of a billion-dollar horseracing industry. So how did a horse trained for battle become a darling in the sport of kings? By Chris Anderson
- 54 -
Image: Corbis; Sharon Meyers, Neville Hopwood, Andrew Watkins, Deirdre Hyde
legends
- 55 -
Arabians: beauty, history and splendour
Y
ou only have to look at the Dubai World Cup to see how wildly popular horseracing is in the Middle East. The richest event of its kind, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this month, is set to offer a total prize money package worth US$30 million for the winner. This astonishing purse serves as a bold statement, showing how much horses matter in the emirate, and the Arabian Peninsula, with the interest and sentimental value reflected in the monetary cost. As with falcons and camels, this adoration of horses stems from Arabic culture, heritage and lore, with a local breed, the fabled Arabian horse, the driving force behind it. “The Arabian horse has a special place in the Arab world, particularly with the Bedouin,” explains Deirdre Hyde, stud manager at Abu Dhabi’s Wrsan Stables, owned by the emirate’s royal family, and an Arabian purebred expert. “There are many references to the Arabian horse, its importance to the people and how to look after it in the Qur’an and Hadiths. It could be said that on the backs of Arabian horses is how Islam was spread throughout the early civilised world.”
This centuries-old love affair for the animal has inspired poetry, art and sculpture, but Hyde also notes that the breed had a very different calling, both inside and outside of the region. “It was developed as a warhorse,” she states. “The Arabian was used by Bedouin tribes in battle up to the 20th century. Hundreds were sold to India as light cavalry, and the horses even featured in the Crimean War. It was the charger of choice for many European generals – Napoleon had his, called Marengo, and Lord Roberts of Kandahar had Vonolel, who was awarded medals by Queen Victoria for his endurance and took part in the Diamond Jubilee procession.” If battle medals were once the highest accolade for Arabian horses, today it is sporting glory and dressage. The breed, one of the oldest bloodlines in the world, is traditionally recognised as having a high tail carriage and a dished-out nose, plus an uncanny natural grace. Lacking the speed of other horses, the Arabian became more associated with beauty competitions, which can still earn big money in the Middle East; but as Neil Abrahams, the head of racing at the Emirates Equestrian
- 56 -
The Arabian horse was used by Bedouin tribes in battle up to the 20th century
- 57 -
Arabians at dressage
Federation, who also works as an Arabian handicapper at the Emirates Racing Authority, points out it requires traits that are hard to breed. “You ended up with owners who had horses not good enough for showing, so they decided to use them for racing instead,” he explains. “About 30 or 40 years ago is when Arabian racing really took off, as the horses were plentiful and people wanted to do something with them.” Where the Arabian excels is in endurance, with many events tailored to make use of this attribute – and arguably this made it such a popular horse for battle. “Endurance is the biggest growth industry in the equestrian world,” adds Hyde. “Most weekends, several hundred riders from around the region will take part in endurance races, run over distances of anything up to 160km.” The most famous Arabian purebred race is the Kahayla Classic – 2,000m in length – which has traditionally opened the Dubai World Cup for the past 20 years, and this year increases its prize purse to a cool US$1m. “There are other events in the region featuring purebred
Arabian horses, such as The President’s Cup in Abu Dhabi and HH The Emir’s Sword in Qatar,” adds Hyde, “and also big races in Europe, the US and Australia. The Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, for example, is held at the Longchamp Racecourse in Paris and has a prize purse second only to the Dubai World Cup.” It may seem surprising that Arabian horseracing is so prominent elsewhere in the world, when in the region that it originates from this is still in its early stages. “Globally, it’s much bigger than people realise, but has tended to exist in the shadow of thoroughbred racing, so you don’t hear that much about it,” explains Abrahams. “Each country has its own governing body, like in the UK it’s ARO (Arabian Racing Organisation), based in Newbury, in France it’s IFAHR (International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing) in Toulouse, and there are others, each with their own jurisdiction and guidelines, which shows how established it is.” So why has it taken so long for the Middle East to catch up? “We know how to breed horses in this country
- 58 -
Arabians at the track
now,” Abrahams explains. “We’ve overcome the fact that we don’t have a lot of grazing, and we understand nutrition, with the scientists and research to back it up. Now you can raise a great looking horse here that will run, whereas before they would be flown back to Europe and allowed to develop there. These days our stables are well equipped, and we know how to feed the horses to make up for that lack of foliage in their younger years.” Abrahams says that better breeding has led to an increased confidence, growing the interest in the horse and in racing. “Right now, the Arabian population is outstripping the thoroughbreds here, and it used to be the other way around,” he says. “I’ve got about 600 Arabian horses on my books at the moment, and five years ago it was 400. If you look at the country as a whole, there is much more Arabian racing than thoroughbred. It’s growing in the UAE and Qatar, and I’ve noticed in the last year or so that Bahrain and Oman are taking it seriously too.” The increasing numbers and relative affordability of Arabians compared to thoroughbreds is also making
racing accessible, with more people able to own a racehorse. “You can breed an Arab horse, raise and run it here,” Abrahams explains. “You can’t do that with a thoroughbred – those aren’t bred here at all. It means there is a chance for the average Emirati businessman or woman to have a horse, train and run it, and they are taking advantage. For years, it was just the sheikhs who had horses, but the industry has changed to make it financially viable for others to take part. A group of expats might get together to buy a horse now, for example.” This has resulted in a whole industry developing alongside the new ownership. “You’ve got riders, managers, people flying the horses in and out, and others bringing in feed from whatever part of the world,” he explains. “There are companies now to deal with that, including brokerages or those just building trailers. It has all had a knock-on effect.” The development of the Arabian breed regionally can also be compared with how it is changing around the globe. “The Arabian horses of today are starting to look more like thoroughbreds,” he argues. “They are big and powerful,
- 59 -
Arabian horses can be a little more on edge. If you watch the stalls you’ll see they can be very fidgety
- 60 -
Preparations for the Dubai Cup 2015
and measure over 16 hands. The breeders are looking for the positive racing traits, such as size, width, a powerful chest and so on, just as they would with a thoroughbred, so you start to get horses displaying those.” Abrahams even tells stories of horse owners taking advantage of the growing similarities, trying to enter thoroughbreds into Arabian races, or passing Arabians off as thoroughbreds, but DNA testing will always determine the true origins, with the difference evident as soon as the race begins. “The Arabians are getting faster and stronger, and although they are still not as fast as the thoroughbreds, the gap is narrowing,” he admits. “I would say that in the last 20 years, the track records for Arabian horses have dropped much faster than those for thoroughbreds.” According to Abrahams, the personality of Arabian horses can also be a giveaway. “Generally speaking, they can be a little more on edge,” he reveals. “If you watch the stalls when they are loading up at the start of a race, you’ll see more action going on there than when they are running, as they can be very fidgety
– thoroughbreds just walk in and stay there. But it is changing, and not all horses are like that now. They are becoming calmer and their temperament is evolving, not necessarily down to the training, but because they are more natural athletes.” While the Arabian is one of the world’s oldest horse breeds, as evidenced in the history books and its role in battle, it is reassuring to know that its future will be just as eventful, spurred on by the growing interest, and the fact that it is becoming bigger and more powerful with each generation. Talking fondly of the animal, Deirdre Hyde warns that a booming industry must also bring with it education and regulation. “The highest standards of care, training and breeding selection need to be maintained,” she says. “There is also a need to nurture a grassroots hobby and noncompetitive culture, so that there is a place for the less competitive horses to find a role. This is a very ancient domesticated breed, with ties to the Bedouin tribes who raised and treasured it, and for that reason must continue to be respected, just as it always has been.”
- 61 -
WALK WILD slimane
ON THE
When not creating fashion for Saint Laurent, creative director Hedi Slimane can be found with the wild young things of the West Coast rock scene. The following portraits reflect his deep devotion to the sonic underworld
SIDE By Jake Hamilton
- 62 -
- 63 -
Portrait: Y.R.
E
veryone knows that music is a crucial element in the fashion world. But for Hedi Slimane – the mercurial creative director of Saint Laurent – music is something much more. It’s his oxygen, the elixir of life, a reason to exist. His memories of music, like his love for music, go as far back as the memories of himself. (As a child he listened endlessly to David Bowie in his Parisian bedroom while obsessively pouring over the latest LP covers.) Even today, as one of the greatest living fashion designers, music remains his touchstone inspiration when creating new designs and runway shows. But there is another side to Slimane, the devotee side, which may be unfamiliar to many fashion followers. For almost a decade, this quiet, unobtrusive designer has been faithfully documenting the underground world of California’s punk, surf and psychedelic rock scenes as a reportage photographer. And Slimane is one hell of a photographer. Part Robert Frank, part Larry Clark, Slimane’s stark, unblinking black and white portraits of West Coast bands capture many things – blood, sweat, adrenaline - but most of all they capture that gloriously fleeting moment when raw youth stands up to the adult world with nothing but a guitar, drums and bass. The following images represent Slimane at his most intimate. This is not the bright star of fashion on full display, but a deeply devoted photographer with hard-won access to a counterculture world. Looking at these images you can see clearly that the rock kids trust him. They know where he’s coming from. After all, he’s one of them. It’s not for nothing that Slimane’s latest Saint Laurent collection, lovingly titled Psych Rock, is already the coolest of the season, with everyone from millionaire rock stars to daily consumers tripping over themselves to be the first to wear his new clothes. But the inspiration for that coolness begins right here, in these seductively intimate portraits of lost youth cast under a spell of pure rock n’ roll…
- 64 -
Images: Hedi Slimane
Miles Mischaud Allah-Las, Santa Ana, CA; 2013
California Youth Moshing, Santa Ana, CA; 2014
The Smell, Sound System Detail, Los Angeles; 2011
- 65 -
Burgerama, Coachella, CA; 2013
Lee Blackwell, Night Beats, Mecca, CA; 2014
- 66 -
James E Bagshaw, Temples, New York; 2014
Gus, Detail, Portrait of a Fan, Los Angeles; 2014
- 67 -
Miles at Home, Silver Lake, Los Angeles; 2014
Wyatt’s Bedroom, The Garden, Orange, CA; 2013
Tracy Byrant, Lollipop Records, Echo Park, Los Angeles; 2014
Burger Records, Fullerton, CA; 2013
Kevin Parker, Coachella, CA; 2013
- 68 -
Julian Ducatenzeiler, Mystic Braves, Los Angeles; 2014
- 69 -
supercars
Riseof the
Raging
Bull
Lamborghini’s exquisite Huracán may be the latest in a long line of supercars from the Italian factory, but it’s the result of 40 years of honing an iconic design that set pulses alight across the world. We recount the birth of the original supercar and review its newest offspring By Simon Hulber
I
f you really want to go back to the beginning to see how an amazing amalgamation of carbon fibre, aluminium and V10 engineering precision from Italian luxury car manufacturers Lamborghini came to life, you need to jump into Michael J. Fox’s DeLorean and head back to 1974. For that is when Lamborghini unleashed the unfeasibly wedge-like form of the Countach. The age of the supercar was born. It couldn’t be real. This was an era of the Energy Crisis that forced ugly models on an unsuspecting public, like the Ford Pinto, the Fiat 131 and the Volvo 240-series. Yes, there was some reasonably cool mass production metal to be had like the MkII Ford Capri and the very first VW Golf. But what on Earth was this thing called a ‘supercar’? Well, quite simply, that term didn’t exist until the Countach first rolled from the Sant’Agata Bolognese production lines. Ferrari had its rather nose-heavy 365 Daytona, but it was only viewed as a big sports saloon in the presence of the perfectly proportioned and, frankly, outrageous Countach. A star (as well as an entire new automotive genre)
was brought into being and Ferrari was caught with its corporate pants down. While there were Lambos before the Countach, there had never been such a radical departure for the company. Unlike the offspring that followed in its tyre tracks, the Countach was, with the exception of the Diablo, the first of its missiles not to be named after various breeds of fighting bull. Instead, the translation is literally one of ‘astonishment’, taken from the northwest Italian Piedmontese language. A fitting description when nothing else had ever been seen at the time – not even in science fiction movies. This was science fact. The Countach was shaped by Marcello Gandini of the famed Italian styling house, Bertone, who further blew away car aficionados’ sense of reality when they saw the car’s ‘scissor doors’ reach for the sky. This was a first for a production car, although Gandini had first presented such doors in his Alfa Romeo Carabo concept of 1968. While the Countach looked like a flowing wedge from side-on, it was actually constructed from a series of flat trapezoidal panels fashioned - 70 -
The Huracan
If ever the Ferrari 458 had something to worry about, then the Lamborghini Huracรกn is it
- 71 -
- 72 -
All images show the Gallardo in various guises
around its futuristic tubular spaceframe chassis. Walk around a Countach and, like all future Lamborghinis, a new angle and shape is discovered every time. Little wonder this car never grew old. The first model LP400 was rear wheel-driven by a scary, naturally aspirated 4.0-litre V12 powerplant producing 370hp that was mid-mounted to provide a decent level of grip and handling (at least by 1974 standards) and was fuelled by six Webber carburettors. The Countach ran, amazingly until 1990, spawning the LP400S, LP500S, LP5000QV (the first Countach to come fitted with fuel injection) and finally the 25th Anniversary Countach of 1998, by now fitted with a 5.2-litre V12 and 455hp. This final model was designed by a certain Horacio Pagani. It left the history books open for the development of a range of no-compromise Lamborghinis where, initially at least, only performance and jawdropping looks counted – who cared for comfort and practicality? All you needed was space in the tiny storage area for the macho chest wig.
- 73 -
Enter the Lamborghini Diablo of 1990, which ran for 12 years. Again, the wedge was in vogue but more smoothed out this time from the extreme angles of the Countach. While ‘diablo’ means ‘devil’ in Spanish, this translation still didn’t affect sales potential for strict Christian folk, who clearly weren’t slaughtering virgins at midnight. Rather, this time the midmounted V12 had grown to 5.7-litres and came with 48 valves, dual overhead camshafts and 492hp. The zero-to-100km/hr sprint was dispatched in 4.5 seconds and saw the Diablo hit to a top speed of 325km/hr. While still a hardcore supercar, the Diablo provided some concessions missing from the Countach, such as adjustable seats and steering wheel, plus electric windows! Don’t laugh, but ‘options’ for the time included a remote CD changer and an Alpine Stereo system. You could also specify a sub-woofer. Doubtless that was designed to raise the systems output over that of the wailing V12 behind the driver. The Diablo was technically revised over the years with its VT, SE30, SE30 Jota, SV and VT Roadster
models. A limited run of just 83 GT models with a 6.0-litre V12 was also built in 1999 which became the most powerful Diablo, with 575hp on tap. Yet the Huracán we see today may not have happened without the intervention of Audi because, by 2000, the Sant’Agata company was dying – financially crippled by poor work practices that may have seen some amazing cars come out of its gates but due to its structuring were not profitable for the company. German money arrived just in time to give us the fabulous Murciélago in 2001; finally a Lambo that handled as good as it looked and kept the firm competitive with its arch-enemy – the Prancing Horse over at Maranello. The Murciélago was the first Lamborghini to come with four-wheeldrive, which was a wise thing as even the first V12 models kicked out 580hp and reached 100km/ hr in 3.8 seconds. It was followed by a roofless Roadster version and then later the 640hp LP640 Murciélago. The final limited edition LP670-4 Super Veloce for the China market produced, you guessed it, 670hp.
Lamborghini got seriously smart with diversification in 2003 as it launched the ‘baby’ Gallardo, which was designed for those who wanted a scaled-down Murciélago that was more ‘flickable’ and easier to live with than the ‘full size’ Lamborghini supercar as embodied in the Murciélago. The Gallardo featured a scaled down 5.0-litre V10 powerplant that fitted its compact profile more naturally but still churned out 500hp from the word go and, by the time the final limited edition LP 570-4 Squadra Corse came out in 2013, that had risen by another 70hp – and still not a turbocharger in sight. That reputation for providing pure, naturally aspirated performance engines is something that Lamborghini has resolutely stuck to since its inception and was carried over to the space-age Aventador of 2011 – the Murciélago’s replacement – that takes the extensive use of carbon fibre for the chassis and safety cell to a new level. The big V12, now in 6.5-litre guise, ejects an enormous 700hp, that propels the car to 100km/hr in just 2.9 seconds.
The Diablo
- 74 -
The Huracan
This family tree of big Lambos splitting into smaller, more nimble models, leads directly to the Huracรกn
The Diablo
- 75 -
The Aventador
The Countach - the original supercar
- 76 -
The Aventador
This family tree of big Lambos splitting into smaller, more nimble models, leads us directly to the Huracán that replaced the Gallardo after its launch at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show. Now it’s a 5.2-litre V10 (based on the Gallardo’s unit) driven through a 7-speed dual-clutch automated manual. If ever the Ferrari 458 had something to worry about, then this is it. With four-wheel-drive and a screaming 9,000rpm red line, the LP610-4 wails to 100km/hr in 3.2 seconds and on to a top speed of over 325km/ hr. It might be two cylinders down on the Aventador but it provides an even sweeter and more manageable package given its weight advantage and will be right on the tail lights of its bigger brother. As with the Aventador, the Huracán comes with ‘Strada’ (Street), ‘Sport’ and ‘Race’ modes that stiffen up or loosen suspension depending on the surface you are tackling and how enthusiastic you are feeling. Carbon ceramic brakes help nail your cornering antics at speed without fading, while the aluminium and carbon fibre chassis takes F1 technology to the streets. - 77 -
While the Huracán may be stuffed with more electronic aids than Marcello Gandini could have possibly imagined back in 1974, it remains a Lamborghini above all; something that continues to provide the ultimate involvement and unique thrills for all who have the privilege of owning or driving one. All Lamborghinis are equals when it comes to their place in the automotive history books. But like all the models before it, the Huracán is, naturally, better than ever.
Speed Box Lamborghini Huracán LP610-4
Acceleration: 0-100km/hr 3.2 secs | Top speed: 325km/hr+ | Engine layout: Rear mid-mounted V-10 5,204cc | Max power: 610hp @ 6,250rpm | Max torque: 560Nm @ 6,500rpm
MOROCCO
Lose Yourself in
Marrakech
The enigmatic Moroccan city is a feast for the senses, but a magical array of secrets, from picking saffron in the High Atlas to camping under the stars in the Sahara, awaits beyond its outer walls By Debbie Pappyn // Photography by David de Vleeschauwer
- 78 -
- 79 -
E
very Dubai dweller in need of a quick culture fix knows about it: Morocco, and especially Marrakech, is the one of the great destinations where a traveller can enjoy some genuine exoticism mixed with sunny, steel-blue skies without having to traipse to the other side of the world. The city, one of the oldest in the Maghreb, is an addictive blend of heritage and ancient symbols and, thanks to an influx of foreign and domestic money, boasts a flamboyant and confident character. Marrakech evolved from being a French-colonial hub and protectorate between 1912 and 1956 to a forgotten North African backwater, only frequented in the 1970s by hippies and backpackers. Slowly, some might say even too rapidly, the city transformed itself into an international ‘place to be’ where the jetset and famous names like Jackie Onassis and Winston Churchill came to unwind and enjoy the desert chic life. All at once, old, crumbling riads were being bought and restored, and these forgotten, well-hidden palaces with shady courtyards enjoyed a second life as luxurious holiday homes or fancy boutique hotels. All too soon, the big international brands had the city on their radar. The souks in the medina discovered Prada and Blahnik, and vice-versa. It was time for Marrakech to step into a bold, new era...
- 80 -
Cool contrasts
T
he lure of this city is obvious: Marrakech is a true oasis, the perfect escape for urban-frazzled careerists. A city that dominates the Haouz plain, it’s a medley of endless olive groves, palm tree gardens and fruit orchards but it’s also surrounded by vast plains filled with desert scrub and sand. Just a 45-minute drive south lie the majestic High Atlas Mountains dotted with charismatic Berber villages. Beyond, the lure of the Sahara: a red sea of endless sand dunes where les hommes bleues live and reign. The city itself is an example of how everything here is made up of contrasts. You can lose yourself in the ancient medina, with its labyrinthine passages set within the 15kmlong ramparts. Or you can discover La Ville Nouvelle, the new town, built by the French in the first part of the 20th century and now divided into the residential Hivernage and the more shopping-orientated Gueliz with its wide Parisian-style boulevards. A good example of Marrakech’s exotic sophistication can be found in legendary places like Le Jardin Majorelle, opened in 1947 and rescued by Yves Saint Laurent in 1980. The enigmatic Majorelle bleu and the amazing collection of plants are one of the many reasons why visitors love this botanical masterpiece. Or the famous La Mamounia, which opened in 1923, making it the oldest hotel in the city and a landmark in the Maghreb. Recently this temple of luxury reopened having received a Jacques Garcia facelift. The French designer has kept the classic charm of the old days but added some rich, sexy accents: velvet sofas, a dark and intimate lobby in stark contrast with the often bright blue sky outside, opulent rooms and suites with handcrafted details like carved doors and mosaic floors… La Mamounia makes every traveller want to stay: lounge by the swimming pool, sip cocktails in the cosy bar after a day of extreme shopping, relax in the spa or sit on your own terrace to admire the enormous and voluptuous La Mamounia gardens with views over the city and the Atlas Mountains in the distance. However tempting this might sound, there is more around the city to be discovered. Looking beyond Marrakech will put the city even more in perspective and the beautiful contrasts of this place will become more intense. - 81 -
Portuguese charm
I
t’s only a leisurely two-and-a-half-hour drive from Marrakech to the charming port of El Jadida. In this ancient UNESCO-protected walled city (formerly known as El Mazagan), a former 16th century church has been transformed into a boutique hotel with 13 suites. L’Iglesia is the latest project of the Frenchman Jean Dominique Leymarie, also proprietor of the famous Beldi Country Club in Marrakech. L’Iglesia contains an interesting collection of Art Deco furniture and artifacts, from old radios and coffee grinders to atmospheric curios from the souks. L’Iglesia is an intimate hotel where the mainly female staff make you feel quickly at home. “Madame, you want some harissa again with your eggs for breakfast to start the day with renewed energy?” asks and smiles Azziza, one of the ladies taking care of the guests for breakfast. After a powerful, Moroccan start of the day, it’s sheer bliss to head for the roof terrace with views over the Portuguese city ramparts and the ocean. You’ll find yourself, just like me, all by yourself, while reading a book or gazing over the ambitious Atlantic. The city of El Jadida is compact, with a long promenade along the ocean shore. Roughly an hour’s drive from Casablanca, El Jadida is ideal for those looking for golf or even surfing. Inside the ancient Portuguese ramparts, the small city centre is car free with a scattering of restaurants and shops. Just outside the city walls there is a larger selection of shops selling the gold, textiles and lace that are typical of this region. Just make sure to bargain hard or you will be paying too much for your pottery or jewels. Feeling active? The nearby Royal Golf El Jadida offers an 18-hole par 72 links course with views over the El Jadida bay, as does the Mazagan Beach Club and Golf, only this time with ocean views. The luxury tour operator and concierge service Boutique Souk can organise your entire visit, from staying at the L’Iglesia to visiting the golf course, as well as transfers to other dreamy riads in the rest of Morocco. - 82 -
Saffron mountains
M
orocco’s culinary tradition is nothing less than fascinating. It’s a world of exotic spices, herbs, tastes and accents not often found in other cuisines. World famous Moroccan dishes such as the simple-but-delicious vegetable couscous, the succulent tagine with chicken or fassuliah k’dra (a tasty white bean dish), often share one common ingredient: saffron. Not many foodies know that high quality saffron is also grown in Morocco. The most famous place is the village of Taliouine, not far from Taroudant in the Souss region. Another well-kept secret is that you can also visit a saffron producer close to Marrakech. Early in the morning I head out to the lush valley of Ourika. Marrakech is waking up and I need to get there early in the morning. The journey in itself is worth the effort, a trip of 60km that brings you to the foot of the Atlas Mountains at a height of around 1,000m. This valley is inhabited by Berber tribes and is one of the most beautiful valleys of the Middle Atlas Mountain range. There are tiny villages with mud houses and the terraced agriculture on the mountainside traces the edges of the wadi. Saffron harvesting occurs each year in November. During four weeks, depending on the temperature and the weather, ladies from the nearby village pluck the tiny crocus flowers before dawn. “The farm was founded by a doctor from Casablanca and is called Le Jardin du Safran de Tnin Ourika,” explains one of the guides of the farm while we are walking on narrow paths through fields of crocus. At the foot of the High Atlas there are now several acres of land where crocus flowers, palm trees and other crops are planted in rotation. Outside the month of November you can visit the farm, if only to buy saffron, which costs a fraction of the price here compared to what you would pay in London or Brussels. Hotel La Maison d’Arabe, one of the oldest and most established luxury riads in Marrakech, takes you on excursions during the saffron harvesting season. After your visit you can join the hotel’s lady chef in her professional kitchen and learn how to cook with saffron.
- 83 -
Sahara dreams
D
eep in the Moroccan Sahara, in the silence of the Chaga dunes and the seemingly infinite space beyond, you can sleep under the stars, far removed from the rest of the world. The closest village is 60km away and this, the hamlet of M’hamid, marks the end of habitation and the beginning of a playground for desert nomads. The only way to get to the camp is by 4x4 – or camel. A quintessential Lawrence of Arabia feeling is never far away. My first glimpse of the camp’s white tents emerging from a sea of red sand is a moment never to forget. I’m welcomed with mint tea, medjool dates and an overwhelming sense of solitude. There are a handful of luxurious tents, all of which elevate life as a desert nomad to a whole new level. Softly lit by lanterns, I curl up on a bed fitted with fine linen in a tent with an en suite bathroom, complete with porcelain washbasin and warm shower. Nothing beats sitting in your own terrace lounger while surveying the wondrous Sahara. (Real desert devotees can arrange to sleep outside under the stars.) The communal lounge is a combination of colonial furnishings with local accents: Berber carpets, soft cushions, leather sofas and fine tableware. At night we meet by the campfire and then, as light falls, guests are invited into an impressive Tuareg tent to enjoy delicious, classic Moroccan cuisine, prepared by the desert nomads. Try getting up at dawn to climb high into the dunes and watch sunrise in complete silence. Mountain Voyage Morocco organises these special bivouacs into the deep south of the Moroccan Sahara. Everything is possible, depending on budget and request, from helicopter flights from Marrakesh to the Sahara, or an adventurous and more affordable self-drive to the camp.
- 84 -
A STAR sanctuary
O
nce upon a time, celebrities and famous names stayed in famous Moroccan hotels such as the classic La Mamounia or the over-the-top Royal Mansour, the bling bling hotel owned by the King of Morocco. Nowadays, celebs prefer hiding out in more secluded and intimate locations, far away from the bustle of the medina and the busy city. One of these ultra-deluxe hideaways is Amanjena, just outside the city and with views over the High Atlas. Prince was recently a guest, as was Mick Jagger, and Katie Perry just celebrated her birthday here. They stay in pavilions or villas with private swimming pools and gardens, because privacy here is key. What’s also nice, alongside the fireplaces in each pavilion, is the spa with hammam and a cosy bar and restaurant where you just might just end up sitting next to a famous face. Amanjena also offers interesting excursion packages in Marrakech.
Branson’s hideaway
K
asbah Tamadot was originally Sir Richard Branson’s private Kasbah, bought for US$1.5m from an Italian antiques dealer at the insistence of mama and papa Branson. The objective was to use it as an exotic bolthole, far from hectic life in London; that is until Branson rebranded it as a hotel. After lengthy renovation works and several millions later, Kasbah Tamadot now has 27 rooms including 10 tents that are actually suites, six of which have their own plunge pool and views over the valley around the village of Asni. The Kasbah is a small palace comprised of pink adobe buildings connected by flowered courtyards and elegant staircases. Every apartment is decorated with valuable antiques and local artifacts. Roof terraces look out on the snowy peaks of the Atlas Mountains, the garden overlooks the valley and river, and the enormous swimming pool is as blue as the pure, intense air of the High Atlas. Inside my room, I can’t find a TV but I can find a Bose sound system, handmade leather slippers, a minibar (included in the price) and, of course, the obligatory rose petals strewn from bed to bath. There’s a strong possibility you will enjoy an aperitif or breakfast sitting alongside some VIPs, Hollywood stars or other famous names from Branson’s extensive list of acquaintances. He also comes here himself a couple of times a year and his mother runs a local charity to support Berber women.
Remember, it’s best to visit Marrakech in spring and autumn, when temperatures are fine, humidity is low, and there’s lots of sunshine. Avoid the summer months. For getting around the city, rely on petit taxis and private drivers. Most luxury hotels also offer a private limousine service, and there is no problem in renting your own 4x4 car.
- 85 -
SAADIYAT
Welcome to
Fantasy Island Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island is set to become the cultural epicentre of the Middle East. Here’s a look at what to expect in this US$27billion metropolis by the sea… By Chris Anderson
- 86 -
F
or a country famed for recordbreaking skyscrapers, luxury resorts and mammoth shopping malls, the UAE is often accused of lacking in culture. This may seem harsh, as there is evidence of both local art and Arabic heritage if you know where to look, but soon there will be no doubt about its cultural punching power, with the stupendous metropolis of Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi unveiling the first of several astonishing museums later this year. Overseen by the Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC), the island project will list a marina, a beach, hotels, a golf course and a performing arts centre (designed by legendary architect Zaha Hadid) among many of its features. The most intriguing, however, will be the Saadiyat Cultural District, home to three impressive museums, currently under construction –
the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and the Zayed National Museum, each linked by a shopping and dining area known as The District. The buildings will impress in terms of their size and scope, and they also show how serious the city is about enhancing its cultural line-up, creating partnerships with recognised museum institutions such as the Louvre and Guggenheim to curate and share collections. A similar approach has been applied to the Zayed National Museum and The District. Just the design of each is daring, with renowned architects Jean Nouvel, Norman Foster and Frank Gehry invited to push their imaginations to the brink, offering concepts far removed from the idea of a conventional building. The Louvre Abu Dhabi will be the first to open later this year, but how will the rest play out?
- 87 -
there has been much speculation over the PRICE of the louvre, with the building itself rumoured to cost as much as US$125 million
- 88 -
Louvre Abu Dhabi The island’s first museum, the UFO-like Louvre Abu Dhabi, designed by architect Jean Nouvel, is set to open at the end of this year. “Progress remains on track, with TDIC recently announcing the successful placement of the iconic dome, which sits on top of the four main permanent piers,” explains Khalid Abdulkhaliq Abdulla of the museum’s collection department to MOJEH MEN. “Three-quarters of the exhibition space will be devoted to our permanent collection, in dialogue with loaned art works, and the remainder to temporary displays.” There has been much speculation over the cost of the project, with the building itself rumoured to be as much as US$125 million, and with US$525 million being paid by Abu Dhabi just to be associated with the Louvre name. “There is an intergovernmental agreement in place, between Abu Dhabi and France,” Khalid confirms. “Abu Dhabi will benefit from the curatorial expertise, with loans for the opening year sourced from a number of French institutions.” But there is no danger of visitors actually thinking they might be in France, thanks to clever local design touches. “Nouvel has included a falaj-inspired water system running through the museum,” Khalid reveals. “It is derived from ancient Arabian engineering. Also, the dome is designed to resemble the interlaced palm leaves traditionally used as roofing.” - 89 -
The District Yes, this is the UAE, so whatever the project, you know there’s going to be a major shopping element attached to it somewhere – even in one as culturally charged as Saadiyat Island. In all fairness, the area known as The District actually serves a dual purpose, as the 168,000sq ft space is also a handy pedestrianised link between the three museums. It will allow visitors the chance to shop, dine and refresh themselves after visiting one location before heading to another. Just as the museums have involved outside collaborators, for The District, TDIC has consulted with L Real Estate, a private equity fund in which the owner of Louis Vuitton, LVMH, is a minority investor. “This new retail destination ideally sits among Saadiyat’s inspiring museums, beautiful landscape and coastal environment, and will be a regional attraction and a highly prized soughtafter location for Abu Dhabi’s communities and visitors when it opens by 2017,” explains TDIC’s chairman, Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, in a statement. There will be room for 550 outlets, offering fashion, furniture, food and family entertainment. The District will be made up of four distinct zones, comprising Luxury Street, the Canal, Main Street and Crescent Arcade, each with their own distinct look.
- 90 -
Zayed National Museum The name presiding over the museum specialising in local history is that of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, one of the UAE’s founding fathers. Set to open next year, the striking design by Norman Foster & Partners resembles seashells propped upright in the sand, and while the British Museum has been named as one of its collaborators, this will not be the only esteemed link-up. “It will create connections internationally with other establishments of its kind, including the British Museum,” says Amal Ahmed bin Daiban, one of the museum’s researchers. “In addition to the permanent collection, there will be a programme of exhibitions that include loans from other museums around the world.” At its core, the museum is said to honour Sheikh Zayed’s passionate belief in education, conservation, heritage and culture, and is expected to attract millions of tourists. Adds Amal: “Reflecting the city’s position at the crossroads of East and West, and a place of trade and travel for centuries, the Zayed National Museum will bring universal cultures together.” - 91 -
saadiyatculturaldistrict.ae
with a striking design by frank gehry, it is thought the US$800 million venue is around 12 times bigger than its counterpart in new york
- 92 -
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi It may not be due to open until the tail end of 2017, but the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is already organising exhibitions, held at Saadiyat Island’s Manarat Al Saadiyat venue. “This is a stepping stone for what the future museum will be, where the art presented is structured under the same transcultural perspective and philosophy,” says Maisa Al Qassimi, programme manager in the Museums Department for the Culture Sector at the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority. With a very striking design by architect Frank Gehry, it is thought that the US$800 million venue is around 12 times bigger than its counterpart in New York. “The two entities will work in collaboration to bring a dedicated transcultural museum of modern and contemporary art into the Middle East,” Maisa explains. “We want the location to generate its own exhibition programming, shown in Abu Dhabi first and travelling to other network affiliate museums.” That is one way of putting Abu Dhabi on the map, with the works inside set to become a major talking point. “The museum’s collection will span the 1960s to the present, with site-specific commissions for both interior and exterior locations,” Maisa concludes. - 93 -
- 94 -
shark life
Images: Corbis
Swimming with sharks is one of the ultimate adrenaline-rushing experiences. Here’s our list of nine magnificent locations that guarantee a close encounter with the ocean’s top predators
By Yixuan Fan - 95 -
WHALE SHARKS Isla Mujeres, Mexico
The tourist scene around one of Mexico’s most idyllic islands may be verging on the oppressive, but you’re not really here for the dry land. Our advice is to check into a private villa and then immediately find a notable whale shark tour operator (they’re everywhere) to explore the Caribbean Sea. Manta rays, dolphins, sea turtles, soft and hard coral gardens – the marine life around the island is truly incredible. Still, the best time to snorkel alongside the whale shark, the world’s largest fish, is from late May to late September, when the coastline off Isla Mujeres will be teaming with these majestic but incredibly shy creatures. Utterly harmless and yet gigantic in size, a personalised tour operator can offer half or full day tours (including lunch on a secluded beach) with these gentle giants, and the probability of meeting them is very high during the peak months. - 96 -
HAMMERHEAD SHARKS
Darwin’s Arch, Galapagos, Ecuador Try Googling ‘best dive sites in the world’ and chances are that Darwin’s Arch will make the first page. Famed throughout the diving community for its jaw-dropping backdrop (the gaping archway is often covered with migrating frigate birds) and its romanticised location, the arch is part of Darwin Island, a collapsed volcano, one of the smallest in the far-flung Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean, and named after the illustrious British geologist. This dive location is the finest vantage point to see mass schoolings of hammerhead sharks. Many divers have returned from Darwin’s Arch with an almost religious sense of awe about what they saw – countless species of reef fish, congregations of sea turtles and manta rays, octopus, squid, whale sharks in the deeper waters – but it’s the massive melee of hammerheads circling around the arch which leaves divers breathless. Note – there are no dry landing sites on the Arch, and liveaboard dive ships operate under strict conservation laws, therefore advanced booking is essential.
- 97 -
GREAT WHITE SHARKS
Neptune Islands, South Australia No shark holds such awe-inspiring respect and primal dread as the mighty Carcharodon Carcharias, a shark so intimidating, so infamous in name, that it’s often called ‘the White Death’ by islander fishermen or ‘mindless man-eaters’ by ill-informed landlubbers. Being genuinely ferocious, the great white has no natural predator in the ocean (save the killer whale, perhaps) and sits atop the food chain with its mighty appetite and mighty reputation. Should we be getting in the water alone with these unpredictable creatures? Probably not, but cage diving with great whites is now an established part of shark tourism (albeit with certain controversies), and few handlers are more experienced than those in South Australia. Scientific research is still sorely lacking on this awesome creature, but attitudes are certainly changing. Where once we were prone to fear and terror, today we are more apt to treat this vulnerable species with the respect it deserves. In other words, witnessing a 17-foot great white approaching you from behind the bars of a cage is nothing less than a heart-stopping experience. - 98 -
TIGER SHARKS
Tiger Beach, the Bahamas
Sacred. Ferocious. Solitary. Misunderstood. The tiger shark is one of the most feared – and respected – creatures in the ocean. A huge, slow-swimming, mainly nocturne hunter, this top predator is now endangered due to mass finning and targeted extermination by humans around coastal shores, and yet it is equally revered by many islanders worldwide for its talismanic power, cryptic colouration and envious stealth. Tiger Beach is also revered by divers for the ready sightings of this mythological shark in less than 25ft of water. Discovered less than 30 years ago by a passing captain who navigated its nearby wrecks, the location is little more than a series of shallow sandy bars (that look like submerged beaches) but it makes for some world-class diving and a perfect spot to catch enormous tiger sharks methodically making their way out of the dark depths at dusk-light, ready for their evening feed. Your heartbeat might treble with dread, but as long as you’re sensible and stay near your guide, a close encounter with a full-grown tiger shark will remain in your memory forever.
BULL SHARKS
Somosomo Strait, Fiji Fiji is rightly considered the soft coral capital of the world, but there is much more on view along the coastlines of this island nation, especially around the perimeters of the second largest land mass, Vanua Levu, which has none of the capital Suva’s congestion. And, best of all, is the equally famous Somosomo Strait’s Rainbow Reef, which can be approached by boat from several islands, although we recommend basing yourself in the picturesque town of Savusavu (which boasts a natural harbour in a ‘hurricane hole’). Rainbow Reef has the fabled Great White Wall drop-off, as well as a lurid amount of caves and submerged labyrinths. Many species of shark can be found going up and down the walls, but the legendary bull shark, a stocky and stout creature, gets top billing. Bulls can be dangerous, so always be aware of your surroundings and never rapidly swim towards them.
- 99 -
GREY REEF SHARKS
Barracuda Point, Sipadan, Malaysia We won’t fudge the obvious – it takes a determined amount of effort to get to Malaysia’s only oceanic island, yet once you’ve voyaged by plane, car and motorboat from Kuala Lumpur, you’ll be sitting pretty in one of the world’s richest marine habitats. Legendary explorer Jacques Cousteau called the area ‘an untouched piece of art’ and it has since become a de facto entry on to most divers’ bucket lists for its underwater caves, mass turtle sightings, migrating manta rays and, of course, legions of silky grey reef sharks. Barracuda Point, as the name amply suggests, is a feeding ground for balls of barracuda, batfish and jacks, thereby attracting hordes of hungry greys zigzagging through the blue waters. The visibility here is truly stunning (35m+) and the shallows are littered with gorgeous hard and soft coral gardens.
BLACK TIP SHARKS HMS Thistlegorm, Egypt
This armed British Merchant Navy ship, sunk in the Red Sea during the Second World War, is considered one of, if not the best wreck dives in the world. Discovered by Jacques Cousteau in the 1950s, the wreck sits upright on the seabed at approximately 32m. It’s best visited in the early morning before the crowds arrive. You can choose a wide variety of liveaboards based in Sharm El Sheikh to visit the wreck, which is rated for the enormous array of cargo (trucks, boots, rifles and motorcycles) still visible in the holds. The wreck attracts tuna and barracuda, and thus attracts large schools of black tip sharks. Their outlines look magnificent when photographed against the rusting hulk.
- 100 -
TOTAL SHARK FRENZY The ‘Sardine Run’, South Africa
One of Earth’s greatest wildlife extravaganzas, the incredible underwater migration known as the Sardine Run occurs between the months of May and June every year and tracks the progress of tens of millions of shimmering sardines off South Africa’s Cape Point as they hug the shoreline up to the Eastern Cape. So large are the seething shoals of sardines that they are visible by satellite, and so slow is this moveable feast that it attracts all kinds of sharks – from the small and curious to the ferocious and enormous. And it’s not just sharks coming to the table; whales, dolphins, gamefish and seabirds all try their luck as the gigantic bait-balls slowly head up the coastline at some 4km in width and 35m in depth. The scene below the surface is one of utter pandemonium, and you would not be surprised of capturing a shark, a gannet and a sailfish gorging on shoals of sardines all within the same photo frame.
- 101 -
OCEANIC WHITE TIP SHARKS SS President Coolidge, Vanuatu
The SS President Coolidge is probably the largest and most accessible wreck dive in the world. Situated in the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, and sunk by mines during the Second World War in Espiritu Santo, this shallow wreck site is a major draw for experienced and inexperienced divers, given that it’s actually an off-shore dive. You can dive along its promenade, go through its cargo holds, view all the decks (which house a doctor’s office and medical supply room), or just circle the rudder of this 650ft wreck. Of course, the oceanic white tip shark is one of the most common species in the world, but watching them swim jaggedly (and often avidly when schools of fish abound) amid a wreck of this size is a wonder to behold.
- 102 -
five Safety Rules When swimming with sharks...
1. Mind your manners Follow your guide’s orders and position yourself accordingly. Being irrational will only agitate a shark’s behavioural learning of humans. 2. Never chase a shark A shark will have spotted you long before you spotted it. Be patient and wait for the shark to circle back on itself. Chasing sharks is for childish amateurs. 3. Express yourself Feeling scared? Then be honest with your guide and get back in the boat. Don’t be a hero. Be truthful about your situation, as sudden panicking might upset sharks. 4. Do your homework Research the habits of the species you want to encounter. You can never have too much information. 5. Sharks are in charge Accept that you are now in an alien environment. Relax, observe and give sharks the respect they deserve. - 103 -
style
5
Stylish tren
d
s
A quintet of superb menswear looks to own right now
By Christopher Prince
- 104 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
1. DENIM REVIVAL Denim is enjoying a huge rebirth this year. The Spring/Summer runways were littered with the humble jean fabric utilized in the most innovative of ways. From head-to-toe numbers at Kenzo to tailored separates at Dior Homme, with patchwork techniques and a number of washes that ranged from faded to dark, denim proved its sartorial potential. 1. Andrea Pompilio | 2. Antonio Marras | 3. Dior Homme | 4. E Tautz | 5. Kenzo | 6. Prada
- 105 -
1
2
4
5
6
2. BOILER SUITS The ergonomic boiler suit transitioned from workwear pursuits to runway-ready though the Spring/Summer collections. Designers elevated the basic design with luxe fabrics, yet maintained the traditional silhouette. Take Louis Vuitton’s version in soft suede, or opt for the classic cut from AMI given a varsity neckline with contrast button detailing. 1. Iceberg | 2. Louis Vuitton | 3. 3.1 Phillip Lim | 4. J.W. Anderson | 5. Richard Nicoll | 6. Louis Vuitton
- 106 -
3
1
3. CLASHING PRINTS Designers took their cue from the spring season by introducing menswear to a vibrant clash of print and pattern. Though often difficult to perfect, all-over print ensures pure style individuality. At Alexander McQueen, prints arrived graphic and abstract; Dolce & Gabbana, meanwhile, kept things kitsch with polka-dot suiting and tapestry brocade motifs. 1. Alexander McQueen | 2. Casely Hayford | 3. Dolce & Gabbana | 4. Moschino | 5. Issey Miyake | 6. Dior Homme
2
3
6
4
5
- 107 -
4. LUXE NEUTRALS
3
Neutrals are the new wardrobe staples for the summer ahead. Replacing the archetypal white T-shirt, designers looked to tonal layering with unsaturated colour palettes. For Bottega Veneta, that translated to luxe silk shirts paired with trousers in shades of taupe, while Valentino focused the trend for outerwear, with coats reworked in earthy satin hues. 1. Berluti | 2. Bottega Veneta | 3. 3.1 Phillip Lim | 4. Hermès | 5. Maison Martin Margiela | 6. Valentino
1
2
4
5
- 108 -
6
1
2
3
4
5
6
5. BOMBER JACKETS Suddenly the bomber jacket is everywhere. It can be worn between seasons, especially early summer, and once purchased it becomes an instant wardrobe classic. The best designers have maintained the bomber jacket fervour by way of texture – see Neil Barrett’s spongy metallic neoprene. Exotic prints at Paul Smith and Versace also reflect the season’s mood. 1. Berluti | 2. Carven | 3. Neil Barrett | 4. Louis Vuitton | 5. Paul Smith | 6. Versace
- 109 -
VAN ASSCHE
The
Metamorphosis Man By Jake Hamilton
Creative director Kris Van Assche has not only transformed the Dior Homme label, but men’s tailoring in general. He talks exclusively about the concepts behind his latest collection
Hello Mr. Assche, what does Dior Homme represent today? Dior Homme is the epitome of a modern luxury house for men. Your Spring/Summer collection opened with three distinct tuxedo cuts. What was the message you were trying to establish? Eveningwear is to some extent the apogee of tailoring, hence what people expect from Dior Homme. It is the acme of this famed ‘esprit tailleur’ which is the DNA of the House. However, this heritage becomes a modern reality when translated into a contemporary mood. Finding the right balance is a difficult-yet-rewarding path. There was a definite play on unstructured and structured tailoring; do you feel the Dior man is becoming more laidback? This collection is all about street-tailoring: a new mix between the great tradition of tailoring and a more modern point of view, embracing sport and street styles. My goal is to appeal to different men. Not an army of clones. You referenced a print from a letter originally written by Christian Dior himself. What do these historical archives provide that other creative outlets do not? The heritage of a house such as Dior is tremendous. Both the personality and personal history of Monsieur Dior – a former art dealer before becoming a couturier – and his work are a never-ending source of inspiration. My role as creative director is to embrace this cultural heritage and translate it into modernity. The inclusion of full denim was a new look for the Dior man. Are you trying to entice a younger demographic to the house? I don’t create for statistics. Actually, denim has always been an important part of the Dior Homme vocabulary. For some years I chose not to use it. Now I’m bringing it back, as a way of twisting the codes, since denim is as strong a code as a pinstripe suit. Mixing them creates a new powerful silhouette. - 110 -
Portrait by Willy Vanderperre
- 111 -
- 112 -
You said that the collection was a meeting between different types of men. Have you noticed a shift in what the Dior customer expects from you season after season? I strongly believe that there is no one single Dior Homme man, but a range of men who can wear Dior Homme, and that each individual is also to be considered in the plural sense. Since I have been working on individuality for some years, my ambition is that every kind of man, whether he is a businessman or more fashion-orientated, can find a way of expressing his personality at Dior Homme. You’re a great believer in the colour black. Why is it such an essential colour for men? Black is a base from which one can express one’s individuality. Whether one chooses to add another pattern of colours or another shade of black. Or not. Black is freedom. Your new white shirts look incredible – can you tell us the creative thinking behind the bee embroidery, and the black and jaune fluo embroidery on your shirts? The bee embroidery has been a traditional symbol of Dior Homme for some years now. As for the black and jaune fluo embroideries, they echo my musical memories of the New Beat generation. As I’m always careful about not being literal, this is a way of turning inspiration into a new reality: details are luxury. You have chosen a leather jacket with contrasting blue – why is the leather jacket a timeless piece for any man? Just as a three-piece suit could be considered an icon of the bourgeoisie, the leather jacket is an icon of the wardrobe, one that also alludes to another area in the lexicon of male elegance, the military. Though my role as a creative director is to work on these icons and transform them into modern items of desire. You famously said that your aim is to combine creativity with ‘wearability’. How easy or difficult is it to mix those two philosophies in luxury fashion? Luxury is not the antithesis of wearability. On the contrary, real luxury finds a natural partner in comfort. At Dior Homme we never compromise on excellence. It makes things more challenging to some extent. But as we all agree on this motto, it also makes things easier. You also said that true menswear is ‘all about construction’. Could you expand on this? Menswear is about codes. Hence construction. My ambition is to play with these codes to create a modern allure. Layering different types of garments or playing with the idea of the iconic bourgeois three-piece suit, as I did in the summer collection, is a way of deconstructing these codes. That’s how I build a new style. Finally, as this is our Icons issue, could you tell us about your own personal icons and how they inspired you? I don’t have any particular icon; that’s not what inspires me. For me it’s more about experiences. - 113 -
Photo credits: Philip Meech, Gaetan Bernard
The leather jacket is an icon of the wardrobe, one that alludes to the military
DETAILS
An Icon’s Guide Black Tie
Black ties found their way into the wardrobes of Victorian aristocrats as a solution for formal dining attire. A century or so on and men are still finessing the look. Here’s how to get it right... The Silhouette A tuxedo jacket with a peak lapel is ideal for formal occasions. Dinner jackets should be devoid of vents with a closed back and simple two-button enclosure to maintain a sleek silhouette. Your aim is to achieve an elegant V shape. The Details For sartorial interest, add a pocket square. Begin with a solid colour in similar or complimentary hues to your tuxedo, or keep things pristine in white. Pocket squares shouldn’t look stiff. They should ‘move’ with strict suiting. The Daring If you’re feeling brave, venture into midnight blues or suiting in velvet to showcase a vintage approach to dressing. Fabric mixes of wool and mohair are ideal choices to add luminescence under the evening light. The Icon Daniel Craig’s 007 gets the black tie right every time.
Casualwear
Casualwear has long been an excuse for men to dress down. But don’t get sloppy. Today’s designers and street-stylers alike are all adhering to a new, sophisticated-yet-casual way of dressing... The Button-Down Dressed up or dressed down, the versatility of the button-down is limitless. It’s a design that will provide no right or wrong style mishaps. Take note and wear a button down without ironing; the slight imperfections will give a relaxed lived-in look to your outfit. The Denim Nothing says casual like a great pair of jeans. The humble denim fabric is American bred, but Europe’s take on the design has given it plenty of evergreen style. For summer pursuits, opt for a lighter shade in regular proportions. The Socks Go off kilter and mix up an outfit with a pair of loud socks. Whatever the design, colour or print socks are the ultimate peekaboo style accent. Hidden beneath a trouser cuff, and glimpsed in motion, socks add an injection of fun to proceedings. The Icon Who else but the eternal rebel James Dean?
- 114 -
From formal classics to casual separates, our seasonal style guide is tailored towards the urbane gentleman
Formalwear
A step down from the black tie, modern formalwear calls on the concept of mix and match. For that classic look, gentlemen never look out of place in a three-piece suit… The Tie Dressing for those vague ‘smart casual’ events can be a tricky task. Put your faith in the gentlemen’s favourite accessory, the tie. The key is to balance the size and shape of the knot with the depth of the shirt collar. So the four-in-hand was devised, a foolproof technique to achieve the narrowest, neatest knot. The Classics The most effective way of achieving an easy formal look is by layering suiting with denim or corduroy. Instead of wearing just a shirt, add interest with a knitted vest paired with a tailored blazer; it’s all about dressing down the classics to ensure an effortless look. The Print Mix scale with print on shirts, ties and pocket squares. If you want to give yourself options, incorporate printed pieces in varying sizes. It was a mantra adopted by the Duke of Windsor, whose love of mixing multiple checks adhered to this theory. The Icon Prince Charles never goes wrong with his four-in-hand tie technique.
Accessories
From shoes to bags, a gentleman’s accessory can make or break an outfit. Whatever the occasion, the rule is to utilise accessories accordingly. Keep things simple and you’ll be the envy of everyone... The TRAINER Dress down a classic tailored suit with low sole or plimsoll versions; or maintain function with monochrome shoes in black or white for everyday pursuits.
Images: MGM, Warner Bros, Universal
The Backpack Backpacks are the new key accessory for men leading into spring. There’s a graphic angle to this trend too – see Kenzo’s charming monster appliqued backpacks. For something a little more sophisticated, opt for military designs with buckles or mixed media versions with lattice detailing. The Hat A classic fedora is on the style agenda for summer. Instead of the original straw hat complete with ribbon sash, this season’s looks to slick materials such as leather or neoprene. Try to avoid logos. Instead opt for quilted or perforated versions to add visual appeal. The Icons Frank Sinatra was the aficionado of the fedora, as was Humphrey Bogart. - 115 -
Luxe Commodity Take a fresh new perspective on men’s accessories. Go left field with bursts of colour, or keep things classic in python and leather. It’s your style calling... Photography by richard hall Styling by christopher prince
- 116 -
Bag, belt and tie, DIOR HOMME | Shoe, SAINT LAURENT by Hedi Slimane | Cufflinks, card holder and sunglasses, BRIONI | Wallet, ZILLI
- 117 -
Bag, HERMÈS | Shoe, scarf and wallet, ZILLI | Tie, BRIONI | Sunglasses, DIOR HOMME
- 118 -
- 119 -
- 120 -
Bag and fedora, SAINT LAURENT by Hedi Slimane | Shoe, DOLCE & GABBANA @Harvey Nichols | Belt and sunglasses, BRIONI | Scarf, HERMĂˆS
- 121 -
Bag, ZILLI | Shoe, DIOR HOMME | Scarf, HERMÈS | Cufflinks and wallet, BRIONI
- 122 -
- 123 -
icon
He’s been designing for 30 years. His clothes sell in more than 73 countries. And he still controls his own brand. We salute the staying power of fashion’s Mr. Nice Guy By Jake Hamilton - 124 -
Images: Paul Smith
SIR PAUL SMITH
You have hundreds of stores worldwide and thousands of staff members – so are there experts to take care of that for you? Absolutely! Playing to people’s strengths and weaknesses and having a great team around you is vital. Any team sport is about teamwork and that’s what I’ve learnt. You have maintained a clear brand identity for three decades now. What’s the secret? Balancing business and design. Paul Smith is fairly unique as it’s privately owned and very international, selling in over 73 countries. So disciplining myself to spend time between the business and continuing my design work has been key to maintaining a clear brand. There are vibrant references to greenery in your new collection, particularly in the Bourse de Commerce show space... My men’s collection for spring/summer was inspired by the way that artists play with dress codes on the opening day of the Biennale in Venice. The Biennale takes place in a beautiful old garden in the city and that’s where the idea for all of the greenery in the bourse came from. The ‘Paul Smith man’ is very well travelled. What inspiration did you draw on for this season? The collection takes inspiration from the style of musicians and artists. I have a strong connection with music and I’ve worked for many years with bands and musicians. Also, I have quite a substantial art collection and have showed artists’ work in exhibitions in many of my shops around the world. This season’s icon I suppose is a more eccentric or eclectic artist or rock ‘n’ roll musician. So how important is music to your life? When it comes to music, it totally depends on your mood and there’s such a lot of music I adore. More recently I’ve been listening to a lot of jazz but I suppose my youth was very much about Rolling Stones and the West Coast sound coming out of America, and then of course Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. And I listen to a lot of contemporary stuff too: Beck, Jake Bugg and lots of that sort of thing. How important is it to shape your aesthetic for the modern customer? Style is very hard to define in today’s world because you don’t find elegance in dressing in the way you used to. It’s more about people wearing clothes in a stylish way than in an elegant way. I like to create clothes for people to wear, use and love in whatever way they would like to.
When you design your collections, who do you have in mind wearing them? The great thing about Paul Smith is we dress everyone from seven-year-olds to 77-yearolds, so describing just one Paul Smith ‘man’ is pretty difficult! Einstein famously quipped, ‘if a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?’ How does your infamously cluttered office help your ideas? I always say, ‘you can find inspiration in everything and if you can’t, look again’. My office is filled with things I find inspiring, from the kitsch to the beautiful. In spite of all the success, you always appear candid in your interviews. Does this come from your upbringing? We’re selling our clothes all over the world and because I’m privately owned and haven’t got the burden and worry of shareholders always looking for ‘more’, it means I can always keep my feet on the ground and hang on to my personality, which makes me quite an easygoing person! Who is your favourite photographer? I find the idea of favourites very difficult but it was my dad’s love of photography that was the original reason for me starting to take photos, so perhaps him? Do you think a reliance on technology has the power to crush spontaneity in daily living? So many young people today are moving at one hundred miles per hour and looking at life like a business plan, never really taking the time to think things through properly. Try and get out and challenge yourself to see things a bit differently once in a while and not spend too much time walking around looking at the screen of your phone or spending hours and hours in front of a computer. What one item should every man have in his wardrobe? It depends on what you’re doing every day, but probably a navy blue suit. You can dress it up and dress it down in so many ways. What faux pas should every man avoid with accessories? Whatever you’re wearing, the definition of style is not being conscious of it. A true indicator of good style is knowing your lifestyle and your body type and dressing accordingly. Finally, what advice do you have for my shoes? Aim for simplicity and good quality.
- 125 -
FOOTWEAR
step into Spring The latest men’s footwear collections offer a mélange of old classics alongside innovative, daring trainers and shoes By Christopher Prince
1
2
4
5
3
The Loafer The slip-on, formally known as the loafer, debuted on the major runways of Milan and Paris for Spring. While some designers maintained a classic shape (see Dolce & Gabbana’s luxe cherry velvet versions or Gucci’s alligator skin shoes complete with gold hardware), others looked to a fresh update via cutouts at both Carven and Versace. Luckily there are more wearable options for this trend. Casual shapes in sleek white leather are on offer at both Hermès and Lanvin, ideal for pairing with denim or weekend chinos.
- 126 -
1. DRIES VAN NOTEN | 2. EMPORIO ARMANI | 3. GUCCI | 4. DOLCE & GABBANA | 5. HERMÈS
1
2
3
4
5
6
The TRAINER 1. NEIL BARRETT | 2. LOUIS VUITTON | 3. BURBERRY PRORSUM | 4. VALENTINO | 5. KENZO | 6. 3.1 PHILLIP LIM
Fashionable sportswear is nothing new. The difference this season is the designer’s tendency to replace the element of performance with aesthetic appeal. Whether paired with strict tailored pieces at Burberry Prorsum, with multi-coloured patchwork juxtaposed with jarring check motifs at Valentino, or simple and stark designs at Neil Barrett, the trainer is a resounding success for spring.
- 127 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
The Brogue The archetypal brogue is usually composed of tan or black leather with a low heel and decorative perforations. Spring’s modern take on an old classic showcas an array of designs differentiated by colour, pattern and texture. At Bottega Veneta the mood is masculine with a twist, which could be seen in the grosgrain leather shoes given a high sheen toecap. Paul Smith and Missoni play off desert boot shapes in suede and cotton respectively. And edging the classic brogue is Thom Browne, whose multi-coloured numbers, would look more appropriate in a circus than in the street. - 128 -
1. THOM BROWNE | 2. PAUL SMITH | 3. MISSONI | 4. VIVIENNE WESTWOOD | 5. BOTTEGA VENETA | 6. JOHN VARVATOS
1
2
3
4
5
6
The Hybrid Sandal 1. KRIS VAN ASSCHE | 2. KTZ | 3. VALENTINO | 4. CARVEN | 5. D. GNAK | 6. SALVATORE FERRAGAMO
Sandals provide an easy and wearable alternative to leisure footwear. Living in a warmer climate increases the dependency on sandals tremendously. For spring the sandal receives a major update by way of hybrid textiles and shapes. While traditional shapes reign supreme at Kris Van Assche and Hermès (both in crisp leather), the young guns at D. Gnak and Ktz incorporate high-top styles complete with Velcro enclosures and zips. At Salvatore Ferragamo, meanwhile, leather detailing is on the cards complete with an intricate rope bow. - 129 -
- 130 -
GAME OF SOLITUDE Photographed by Nicolas Valois, Styled by Guillaume Boulez
- 131 -
Shirt and trousers, GIORGIO ARMANI | Shoes, BOTTEGA VENETA | Belt, DOURSOUX
Jacket and trousers, YOHJI YAMAMOTO | Pin, DOURSOUX | Sweater, MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA | Shoes, BOTTEGA VENETA
- 132 -
Shirt, BRIONI | Girdle, DRIES VAN NOTEN | Trousers, LANVIN | Belt, LOUIS VUITTON | Shoes, BOTTEGA VENETA
- 133 -
- 134 -
- 135 -
Tank top and cardigan, HERMÈS | Trousers, DRIES VAN NOTEN
Suit, shirt and shoes, DOLCE & GABBANA | Ring (throughout), MODEL’S OWN 
- 136 -
Suit and t-shirt, ALEXANDER MCQUEEN | Shoes, BOTTEGA VENETA
- 137 -
- 138 -
- 139 -
Suit and shirt, DIOR HOMME | Shoes, BOTTEGA VENETA
Sweater, DUNHILL | Trousers, LOUIS VUITTON | Belt, DOURSOUX
- 140 -
Model: Baptiste Radufe at SUCCESS Hair stylist: Chiao Chenet Make-up artist: Cyril Laine Set designer: Sylvain Cabouat Digital operator: Manu Pestrinaux Photographer’s assistant: Franck Aubert Stylist’s assistant: Pierre Brejoux Production: Louis Agency
- 141 -
THE OUTSIDER Photographed by MATTHEW SCRIVENS Styled by GREGORY WEIN
Jacket, scarf and linen pocket square, STEPHEN F
Suit and shirt, RALPH LAUREN PURPLE LABEL | Tie, tie bar and silk pocket square, THE TIE BAR
Overcoat, suit jacket, trousers and t-shirt, CADET | Moonwatch Professional Chronograph watch, OMEGA
Blazer, knit polo and trousers, GIORGIO ARMANI | Silk pocket square, TITLE OF WORK | Tresor Master Co-Axial watch, OMEGA | Shoes, HUGO BOSS
Suit, shirt, tie and shoes, DIOR HOMME | Tie bar, THE TIE BAR | Moonwatch Professional Chronograph watch, OMEGA
Blazer and shirt, LOUIS VUITTON | Tie, TITLE OF WORK
Blazer, shirt and trousers, MARC JACOBS | Cotton pocket square, THE TIE BAR
Suit, shirt and tie, HUGO BOSS | Tie bar and cotton pocket square, THE TIE BAR | Tresor Master Co-Axial watch, OMEGA
Coat and trousers, CANALI | Vest and shoes, HUGO BOSS | Tresor Master Co-Axial watch, OMEGA
Model: NATHANIEL VISSER Groomer: LISA RAQUEL Stylist assistant: RAVEN ROBERTS Production: LOUIS AGENCY
TASTE
Meet Me After Dark
A new gentleman’s saloon nestled within the Four Seasons Resort, Dubai, offers a sophisticated escape from the nightlife crowds By Jake Hamilton
- 154 -
Photography by Richard Hall
T
he arrival late last year of the Four Seasons Resort in Dubai was celebrated with much fanfare (in the guise of a spectacular opening party) at its Jumeirah beach location, and since then the property has received excellent word of mouth, not to mention decent press, as it headed into 2015. While the huge rooms, admirable architecture and abundance of top-notch facilities, including some splendid restaurants, have received much praise, our attention has been focused on Hendricks, a lavishly-appointed gentleman’s saloon just off from the lobby area, which has already become a firm favourite with holidaying guests and locals living in the vicinity. The city certainly has its measure of gentleman’s enclaves, but Hendricks takes the masculine concept to a new and more intimate level. Not that this place is a gents-only zone: far from it. The lush interior of deep velvets, club chairs, oak walls and aubergine-tinted leather panels, together with its concentrated setting (just 46 seats) are a welcome oasis for ladies of leisure too. But they certainly attune themselves to the discreet-yet-alpha-male ambience. There are paintings of white racehorses on the walls (very George Stubbs), as well as a subtle cigar room, a conversational feel to the layout of the lounge area and a quietly conservative order of tables that gets very ambient, and ever more intimate, as the long day closes and the house lights dim to reveal groups of friends over flickering candlelight. This is a gentleman’s bar that hits all the right notes – a warm and affable staff, luxuriant seating cuddled around long sofas, an unobtrusive flat screen in the far corner for those wanting to see live sports, and a beautiful mirrored bar that is full with delights but charmingly uncluttered. There are also one or two old-world flourishes – such as the refreshments trolley that wheels around the tables offering a personalised (and informative) service to your next choice of drinks, as well as the way this place serves cigars – they come to you in a wooden box, complete with cigar cutter and long matches – so that you, the guest, can light it when and as you desire. According to the establishment’s manager, Mr. George, a few more intimate touches will be added in the coming months, which may well include a live jazz trio. It would be a perfect accompaniment. The private ambience of the place is also reflected in the bespoke menu list. As this is clearly a genièvre location, you can expect the staff to know anything and everything about how to create, mix and serve the famed juniper berries concoctions. The menu offers combinations with orange, ruby and roses, cucumber, and coffee, as well as several well-known classics, and the miniature oak barrels on the surface of the bar are not mere ornamentation – their contents consist of concoctions infused over a 90-day period. This and other touches – ingredients rooted at the bar, smoke infusion bulbs, balloon glasses – all help to make Hendricks a go-to destination for gents in need of some sophisticated downtime. Two mixologists are on hand to cater to your every whim: Antonia will be your go-to-guide for anything sour-based, whereas Michael can concoct fabulous sugar-based creations on demand. There’s even a very rare brand – Elephant – which comes with numbered bottles (it’s a definite must). Hendricks is open seven days a week, from 5pm to 2am, but it’s best to arrive here after 9pm when the evening has settled into a post-rush hour groove and the twinkling candles illuminate the tables, giving the entire venue a warm feeling of speakeasy discretion.
- 155 -
TRAVEL
Barbarella’s Beach House
Iniala Beach House is a luxurious private pleasureland that has just landed on Phuket island – seemingly from out of space
T
hailand’s wildly popular vacation island, Phuket, is no stranger to luxury resorts, villas and exclusively private boutique hotels, but with the outrageously beautiful Iniala Beach House arriving on its shores, the very concept of ‘designer cool’ has just been ramped up by several notches. Located on the soft sands of the island’s
famed Natai beach (about a 20-minute drive from the airport), this ultraswanky and very secluded collection of private villas is something of an eye-opener. Part retro sci-fi, part Daliesque fantasy, and completely sexy all the way round, it’s a culmination of 10 world renowned designers being given a blank canvas to deliver something - 156 -
‘out of the ordinary’. They’ve certainly succeeded. It looks like a Luis Bunuel film set appearing out of nowhere from the edge of the Andaman Sea. Iniala offers three individually created, highly luxurious and utterly unique villas (each with three beautiful suites sleeping six people in total) and one very special penthouse suite. Each is completely ‘out there’ in terms of radical design (as are their interior levels), and comes complete with its own spa, personal therapist, personal butler, chef and chauffeur. A touch of the extraordinary can be found around every nook and cranny of each villa. The Villa Siam is best described as a maximalist fantasy with echoes of Thai culture and Buddhism (beds suspended by wicker bamboo). There are seemingly ancient mantras scrawled on walls, and an overall cocoon theme with flourishes of gold
iniala.com
(a dome, a bell). The second villa, Villa Bianca, comprises ‘abstract explosions of art’ with vibrant marine motifs and a strong dash of Russian cultural iconography (Russian dolls decreasing in size). Again, a private spa and pool await you within. The Collectors Villa, meanwhile, is all about contemporary Brazilian design, with shimmering Mother of Pearl walls, sun-dappled interiors and the inclusion of a 22-seat private cinema. Finally, the incredible penthouse was partly conceived by founder and owner Mark Weingard himself. It’s a retrofuturistic innovation, both sensual and highly surreal, with a desert-like feel to the interior (the bathroom is built as a sunken Saharan oasis, and the sandy floors beckon bare feet). You can rent this place entirely for a week (or however long, according to your budget) or book each villa
this beach house is a culmination of 10 world renowned designers being given a blank canvas to deliver something out of the ordinary
individually. Although it has the feel of an incredible adults-only playground, there is a brilliant Kids’ Hotel – a cool sleeping and play space - for them to burn off all that youthful energy in safety while you relax by the pool. Of course, this being a secluded slice of Thai heaven, the dining is equally marvellous, and comes courtesy of the Aziamendi restaurant, headed by three-Michelin-starred chef Eneko Atxa from Spain, who offers special degustation menus, Basque favourites and ultra-fresh Royal Thai recipes. - 157 -
There are also signature dishes from other countries. Naturally it’s one of the most talked about restaurants on the island (and open to non-guests in the peak months). Finally, we cannot fail to mention the strong charitable element that Weingard has infused into this pleasureland. An impressive 10 percent of all room revenues go to the Inspirasia Foundation, which is committed to funding health, disability and educational projects across Thailand, Indonesia and India.
BUSINESS
Sheikh Majid
When it comes to having a truly first class experience, what are the essential requirements? Emirates undertook one of the biggest initiatives in the airline’s history with the installation of the world’s first private first class suites, featuring a fully enclosed seating area with privacy doors for maximum exclusivity. We have the most number of private suites in the skies, but it’s not only the ‘hardware’ onboard: we also invest in our food and beverage, offering the finest on-demand dining in the sky, as well as the handpicked international cabin crew. Emirates leads with its aircraft and product, and we are unashamed to spend what we do on making sure we have the best. Do you offer special chauffeur services for first class customers? Yes. In Dubai, first class passengers can take advantage of our chauffeur-driven services, utilising specially commissioned Mercedes vehicles. In other parts of the world we work with partners to provide our chauffeur-drive service using a range of premium vehicles. The service is available in many of our destination cities and can be requested up to 48 hours before our flights. Can you describe Dubai’s first class lounge facilities? At Dubai International Airport, Emirates has six lounges located in its flagship Terminal 3 – three of which are for first class customers. Dubai’s first class lounge offers dining à la carte, a dedicated duty free store and wine cellar, as well as free spa access. Besides its six lounges in Dubai, Emirates has also launched 29 other lounges in key cities across its network for its first class passengers.
How much business is focused on first class flying? We speak exclusively with Emirates Airlines’ divisional senior vice president for commercial operations By Jake Hamilton
- 158 -
How would you compare your first class suites to your competitors’ lounges? We can’t speak for other airlines, but we can tell you that Emirates first class suites have massage-enabled leather seats that convert to flat beds. Other touches of luxury include a dining table, built-in vanity table with mirror and an overnight amenity kit. Onboard our iconic A380, we have fitted out our renowned shower spas and a bar. Our first class suite is also all about privacy. With electrically operated doors and privacy dividers, passengers are able to enjoy their flight at their own pace and without being disturbed.
How much research goes into creating a first class menu? We are constantly reviewing our menus to ensure they are in line with customer tastes. Our menus are changed monthly based on customer reviews - this is also measured by the popularity of meals on a particular flight. Some critics say in-flight dining can never compare to fine dining on the ground. How would you respond? At high altitude in a pressurised environment, salt tastes 20-to-30 percent less intense and sugar is reduced by 15-to-20 percent. In addition, the decrease in humidity in an aircraft dries the nose and affects the olfactory sensors necessary to fully taste the ingredients of a dish. What works well and counters this environment is sharp tastiness. A lot of vinegars that are acidic work very well. Tomato sauces work very well. More pepper and spices have higher impact on your taste buds. So fine dining can indeed happen at 43,000ft. What are the economic strategies behind the pricing of Emirates’ first class tickets? We don’t go into commercially sensitive details, but we can tell you that our first class booking levels have been very healthy and our prices are competitive and are a superb value for money. You’re noted for your shower-spas. Are they still popular? Over six years ago, we were the first airline to put showers onboard our A380 aircraft and it is still immensely popular with our passengers today. The idea behind it was to provide a refreshing spa experience at 43,000ft for our first class customers, and help them refresh before they land. Today, over 80 percent of our first class passengers have used the shower spa. How would you compare your entertainment system to your nearest rivals? We provide one of the most comprehensive and state-of-the-art entertainment and communications services in the skies: a fitting tribute is being awarded ‘World’s Best Airline Inflight Entertainment’ at the Skytrax World Airline Awards for 10 consecutive years. Emirates latest IFE system, Ice Digital Widescreen, offers a staggering choice of up to 2,000 channels of entertainment, including over 500 movies from around the world, hundreds of TV choices and thousands of music tracks from contemporary to classical.
How much retrofitting is needed when upgrading a first class cabin? Emirates’ on-board product is constantly reviewed – the product is updated and refreshed based on customer feedback, research and industry analysis as well as a regular product lifecycle to ensure all onboard services and products are always monitored and kept up-to-date and competitive. This is done on a rolling basis. How close is the gap between first class flying and flying by private jet? Our first class customers receive the ultimate travel experience. They can relax in exclusive lounges, enjoy the space to be themselves onboard in our private suites, and eat and drink as they please. Taking elements of private jet travel into commercial aviation, the Emirates first class journey begins way before the flight, with the complimentary chauffeur-drive and dedicated airport lounges to swift check-in and boarding. Finally, some experts have said Etihad’s ‘The Residence’ suites have taken Emirates by surprise… It is important to have competition in this
- 159 -
industry. It keeps us all agile and this in turn ensures the customer experiences the best service and product possible. We respect the competition but we do not spend too much time worrying about it. We focus on getting our own product right. Emirates has been a leader in innovation and redefined the first class experience, led the design of the first private suites in commercial aviation, and was first to introduce it into service. Now suites and showers are becoming ‘the standard’. It’s never at a standstill – our product is being constantly fine-tuned, upgraded and is continually evolving. Can you tell us more? The first class experience is all about privacy. That’s very much in our current first class private suites product, and our new bedroom concept will take it to the next level. We’re talking fully enclosed rooms, with all the touches and amenities that you’d expect in a hotel or a private bedroom on a luxury yacht, with room service and so on. It will be on our A380s, and on our new Boeing 777s. We are currently in the advanced stages of development.
travel
First Class
Warfare
Once on the brink of a financial failure, the first class flying market is more robust than ever before. Here’s what the top airline carriers are offering their VIP guests… By Duncan Forgan
J
ust after Christmas last year, Gino Bertuccio made his mark on aviation history. The Miami-based businessman, who earned his millions through a personal hygiene and cosmetics company, didn’t have to do much beyond dig into his deep pockets. His was no pioneering feat, nor was he responsible for any kind of game-changing engineering innovation. But, for the tidy sum of US$20,000, Bertuccio became the first passenger to experience the latest and most outrageous pinnacle in first class air travel. During the six-hour flight from London to Abu Dhabi, he was wined, dined and then reclined in The Residence – Etihad Airlines’ extravagant ‘penthouse in the sky’. As well as writing himself into the aviation history books, Bertuccio’s purchase bought him luxury limousine transfers, personalised fast-track check-in and custom menu planning before his flight. After boarding he was ushered into a threeroom, 125sq ft suite built into the nose cone of the A380 plane. His luxurious quarters, meanwhile,
featured a living room, bedroom with double bed, shower room and the services of a private butler trained at the Savoy Butler Academy in London. Bertuccio’s thoughts on his flight have not yet been relayed, although he is reported to have said that he wished the flight had been longer. However, such opulence is an indication that flash is most definitely back in the airline industry – and in a big way. With other carriers also scheming ways to make their top-end cabins as sumptuous as possible, it’s clear that long-held predictions of the demise of first class air travel are highly premature. Commentators have been predicting the death of first class air travel for years. However, belttightening in the wake of the global financial crisis in 2008 appeared to be an indication that airlines were finally taking the notion seriously. Due to smaller business budgets and subsequent decline in sales for this most premium of offerings, many airlines cut back on their international first class services. And, with a new flurry of newspaper
- 160 -
Emirates
There was a 34 percent rise in the total number of first class tickets departing in 2014
British Airways
Cathay Pacific
Singapore Airlines
and magazine articles heralding a new era of more sensible improvements to business class cabins, it appeared that first class air travel, like hard-copy guidebooks, money belts and travellers’ cheques, was charting a gilded course towards obsolescence. Strangely, the opposite seems to be the case. With much of Europe in the midst of a swingeing austerity drive and economic realities hitting hard around the globe, now seems like an unlikely time to roll out fantastical new cabins and services. That’s exactly what is happening however and statistics show that it is being driven by consumer demand. Analysis carried out by the aviation data company OAG show a 34 percent rise in the total number of first class seats on planes departing in 2014 compared with 2009. The number of first class seats on flights within Europe fell sharply between 2005 and 2009 – the immediate wake of the global crash – but has since rebounded, reaching more than double the 2005 total in 2014.
The economies of Britain and France remain on the less fluid side of stagnant. That hasn’t stopped British Airways (due to unveil its revamped first class on its new Boeing 787-900 aircraft later this year) and Air France, which launched its La Premiere first class suites last year, from upping their top-end game. Even stolid old Lufthansa has added some additional pizzazz, with a new service enabling first class passengers changing planes at Frankfurt to take a Porsche out for a spin while they wait. It is not primarily European carriers, however, driving the resurgence in first class travel. In the Far East, flying first has traditionally been an important status symbol for executives and politicians. In the Middle East, meanwhile, money continues to be no object for citizens of the oil and gas-rich Gulf nations. With first class offerings widely seen as a general statement about the overall quality of the carrier, airlines have been investing vast amounts of cash on their premium services.
- 161 -
Etihad’s The Residence
Hong Kong carrier Cathay Pacific have engaged the services of renowned architectural practice Foster and Partners to refurbish their first class cabins. First class travellers on Singapore Airlines are armed with Ferragamo amenity kits and Givenchy PJs, and have access to huge 23-inch-screen flat screen TVs. Korean Air, meanwhile, have gone for a more inclusive approach with first class passengers on their A380s having access to three bars, including the Celestial Bar, a sleek cocktail lounge run in partnership with Absolut Vodka. In the Middle East the competition is just as stiff. Qatar’s new first class features amenity kits containing Giorgio Armani products. Add to that a four-strong team of celebrity chefs comprising Tom Aikens, Vineet Bhatia, Ramzi Choueiri and Nobu Matsuhisa, who design the seasonal menus. Emirates, of course, have the only shower facility on a commercial flight available to all first class passengers while guests have access to a dedicated lounge at Dubai Airport with a Cigar Bar and a Le Clos wine cellar.
All these, however, have been topped by Eithad’s unveiling of The Residence in 2014. Clearly taking its cues from the interiors of a private jet, the bespoke suite features floor-to-ceiling walls and a sitting room with space for two adults, with seats made from Poltrona Frau leather. From the sitting room, a corridor leads to a bedroom with a 7ft by 5ft double bed and a 27-inch television. A doorway off the corridor leads to a bathroom with a shower. As for businessman Bertuccio, his December flight wasn’t the first time he has savoured a significant moment in premium-class aviation. He was aboard the first commercial flight of the ANA Boeing Dreamliner in 2011 and was also a passenger when Singapore Airlines last flew the world’s longest flight from Newark to Singapore in 2013. And, with airlines such as Emirates rapidly jostling to top The Residence, you wouldn’t bet against him being a Zeliglike presence at the unveiling of another eyewateringly expensive innovation before too long.
- 162 -
gadgets
Here’s Looking at You Meet the world’s first 4K camera drone
S
ociologists will look back on 2015 as the year when personal drones broke into the mainstream and replaced the smartphone as the gadget in which to service our unquenching desire to photograph every detail in our daily lives. Only this time, rather than using a ‘selfie stick’ in public, we’ll be able to take to the skies and shoot anything (and everything) from a bird’s eye view. The DJI Inspire 1 is the world’s first flying 4K camera drone that offers mid-air transformation as well as a built-in wireless HD video transmitter, plus it guarantees better stabilization indoors, or flying without GPS, and has more camera control than most of its competitors. In the world of personal drones, this is pretty special indeed. In addition to incorporating a groundbreaking 4K aerial camera with a 94-degree field of view, the Inspire promises excellent stability even in strong wind conditions via an integrated 3-axis gimbal. The drone integrates DJI’s patented wireless HD transmitter, Lightbridge, and comes with a fully redesigned mobile app that runs across both
iOS and Android devices, broadcasting 1,080p video at a distance of 1.7km. It’s also a dream to handle. With the touch of a button, it can take off and transform itself into a ‘V’ position, allowing you to capture images from any angle. Similarly, the revamped ‘dynamic home point’ function means you can ensure you always know where your drone is, and get it to return home safely. During flight, the platform stabilizes itself using a downward facing ‘Optical Flow’ camera that uses a stereoscopic image of the ground to ensure it doesn’t drift, even when flying indoors or without GPS. The Inspire also comes with a new 6-cell battery, enabling it to spend up to 18 minutes in the air. Pilots will be able to monitor each cell’s strength through the app to ensure safe flight, in addition to a signature automatic landing function in the case your batteries run flat. DJI has also recently released a special camera mount which means you can control the 4K in your hand, complete with a large red record button on the handle and two modes for tracking or steady cam options.
- 163 -
A Time in
Space With configurations projected for the planets, and designs drawing inspiration from the heavens, these interstellar watches will take you to the stars and back again
- 164 -
Longines Conquest Classic Crafted in polished steel, the Conquest Classic is built with durability in mind. Featuring a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal face, it’s an ideal watch for a great explorer or simply a classically sporty gentleman.
- 165 -
Patek Philippe Nautilus 5990 Featuring a multi-faceted time zone display crafted out of stainless steel, the Nautilus 5990 is Patek Philippe’s signature watch. Incorporating both a highly realised complication and a selfwind system enhanced for everyday convenience, it’s an ideal chronograph timepiece for the modern man.
- 166 -
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Calendar Perfect Swiss time, via outer space, the Master Calendar arrives for extra terrestrial pursuits with a configuration that displays the apertures for the day, month and moon phases.
- 167 -
Breguet Tradition 7097 Automatique The Automatique Seconde RĂŠtrograde is a watch built specifically for the eye. Decorated with both a traditional and non-traditional plate finishing technique, the 7097 showcases a crater effect that is not too dissimilar to the surface of a far away planet.
- 168 -
Hublot Classic Fusion Aeromoon Expanding on Hublot’s Classic Fusion line, the Aeromoon incorporates contemporary architecture with the innovation of a full calendar moon phase complication. Glazed with frosted glass, the King Gold colourway contains traces of platinum content, intensifying Hublot’s signature red gold shade.
- 169 -
shopping
- 170 -
A touch of Class
The Prestige Lounge at T Galleria by DFS in Macau is one of the finest personalised shopping experiences in the world, especially if you’re looking for a luxury watch… Mark Reis, vice president, global client relationship management, DFS Group, speaks to MOJEH MEN about why the T Galleria in Macau is the perfect place for retail, refreshment and relaxation... Can you describe your Prestige Lounge in Macau to our readers? Our Prestige Lounges are reserved for our most loyal customers, offering a comfortable and relaxed environment with amenities and creature comforts. The Lounge at T Galleria by DFS, Macau, is our largest yet, offering a range of benefits, such as personal shopping services, a tastings menu, complimentary beauty consultations and a dedicated staff who meet our members’ every need. What are the personal services offered? We believe that luxury is personal and experiential. For us, this means ensuring that when a Prestige customer visits DFS, their experience is completely personalised. This, of course, includes concierge and shopping services, which are enhanced by our in-depth knowledge of the preferences of each customer. Some examples include working with a member to prepare a 10th anniversary for his spouse or arranging a special pink-themed room including specially made cupcakes and beverages for a member’s daughter who just graduated from college. And why pink? Pink is her favourite colour! We hear your loyalty programme is very special. Could you tell us more? Loyal T by DFS is the world’s most extensive luxury travel retail rewards programme. It offers four tiers of membership, reflecting the different levels of engagement of our customers. As customers moves from tier to tier, we provide exclusive benefits, from personal shopping and concierge services to exclusive access to previewing and pre-ordering of new season arrivals. For members of the highest two tiers of membership – Prestige Diamond and Prestige Ruby, we offer access to our network of lounges and invitation to exclusive events, such as the Masters of Time event held in Macau in December. - 171 -
How often can members use the Lounge? We welcome our members back as often as they wish and we have regular repeat members who make it a point to come in even if it is just to say hello and chat with the staff who they have developed a relationship with over the years. Does membership need renewing yearly? A membership cycle is 24 months, which is more generous than the standard one year offered more broadly. This allows the member more flexibility and time to retain or upgrade their membership tier and takes into consideration the fact that some people travel less frequently than others. Do you have a certain ‘type’ of member? Each individual is different and unique, be they male or female. There are certain brands that are especially popular with certain groups of members. However, our focus is to always try to understand an individual’s needs and assist accordingly. We often see shoppers buying gifts for the other gender or someone of an older or younger age group they are less familiar with – our expert advice, experience and suggestions are most valued in these situations. Does the Prestige Lounge have any ‘club rules’? The rules are really limited to ensuring all our guests have an enjoyable experience. Attire may be casual, however we do require guests to dress and behave respectfully. While we do offer a complimentary selection of food and beverages, guests are also welcome to bring their own food, provided that this does not negatively affect other guests in the lounge. Prestige Lounges have a strict no smoking policy in line with government regulations. Finally, are you at full capacity in Macau, and are there plans to expand? At over 8,000sq ft, our Prestige Lounge at the Shoppes at Four Seasons is very spacious, even during peak shopping and travel times. We are also building our new Prestige Lounge at T Galleria by DFS, Macau, City of Dreams.
WATCHES
Discreet Object of Desire Few timepieces are as elegantly breathtaking as the Tonda 1950 Squelette
F
irst came the crystal back - all the better for watchmakers to show off the artistry in their movements. So why not a crystal dial too? The Squelette (such a great word) edition of Parmigiani’s Tonda 1950 offers that, with only a rim of metal to cover up where the lugs attach the case. The result, of course, places double the emphasis on the hand-made open-worked geometry, curves and cutouts of the skeleton movement - of which the makers are acutely aware. It has, for example, moved the platinum micro-rotor to the surface of the watch, up from the back,
and given it a decorative pattern taken from the profile of Parmigiani’s signature lugs. Even the brand’s badge has been dispensed with, reduced to a transfer of the company name and tucked away along the top rim. There’s a nice touch for the women’s version too - rather than the crystal-clear dial of the men’s, the women’s comes frosted, the intention being to soften, and perhaps beautify, the view of the movement. It’s much as the cinematographers of Hollywood’s golden era rubbed vaseline over the lens when shooting their starlets, giving them a certain mystique in the process.
Automatic winding 144 component movement, 42 hour power reserve, 29 jewels. Three part, 39mm white (or rose gold for the women’s version) round case, 7.8mm thick. Water resistant to 30m. Anti-reflective sapphire glass. Sapphire dial with rose gold or rhodium-plated indices. Black or tan alligator Hermès strap. - 172 -
words: Josh Sims
VITALS
DARK STAR
Simply out
of this world
The Omega Speedmaster is the most iconic men’s watch ever made. Here’s why... By Josh Sims
T
hankfully, NASA was in a hurry. They needed a watch to go into space but had too little time to have one designed. So, in 1962, some minion went downtown to a watch store in Houston, Texas, and anonymously bought 10. A few tests later, four were quickly rejected, and two models from each of the remaining six companies were requested. One of them was a model called the Speedmaster. The watch was not new to NASA. Omega’s Speedmaster had already been worn in space, the same year by astronaut Walter Schirra, who bought one himself, so maybe he put in a good word. But, come 1965, it was officially awarded the contract to supply NASA – and, ironically perhaps, actually with a version of a watch launched way back in 1957, some 10 months before Sputnik and more with sport than space travel in mind. The winning factor? Unlike its competitors of the time, Omega was able to develop an acrylic glass that would not only give maximum visibility in all conditions but would not shatter into tiny pieces if broken. Even a tiny piece of sharp glass, hurtling around at several tens of thousands of miles an hour, can make a catastrophic puncture. Despite on-going pressure for NASA to select an Americanmade watch, astronauts Virgil Grissom and John Young wore the first NASA-approved Speedmasters on 1965’s Gemini Titan III mission, with Edward White wearing it on the first American space walk two months later. Remarkably, Omega only found out about their watches being worn on actual missions after the fact, when it then decided to add the word ‘Professional’ to the dial.
But that alone might not have been enough to make the Speedmaster the horological icon it would become. After all, other watches have gone into space – models by Breitling (its Cosmonaute was worn on early orbital flights by NASA in 1962, a fact the company publicized with an ad boldly trumpeting: ‘Watch in Space!’), plus others by Omega, Fortis and Bell & Ross. What made it so famous, of course, was the fact that it was, and remains, the only watch to go to the moon – for which it had to be sturdy. The screwed-back case was designed by Claude Baillod and able to withstand all that space could throw at it: operation in a vacuum and zero gravity, temperature extremes on the Moon of -160 to +120 degrees C, as well as the huge g-forces of take-off and reentry. Together with the now famously functional details including a highly legible dial and outsize crown and pushers (so the chronograph might be operated while wearing heavy gloves), it was perhaps no surprise the Speedmaster passed NASA’s rigorous testing. Hell, the watch was even water resistant to 60m – admittedly, a functionality less useful on the moon. It had to be accurate too. Near tragedy tested that during the Apollo 13 mission of 1972, a complete systems failure meant that astronauts on board had to use their watches to time the rocket burst that aligned their capsule for re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere – not something you want to get wrong. Indeed, Neil Armstrong never actually wore his Speedmaster on the moon’s surface, leaving his in the Luna Module as a back-up, lest it be needed later. That is the kind of trust no marketing money can buy. Today, the legacy lives on with the Speedmaster ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ and ‘Grey Side of the Moon’ timepieces being the latest odes to this space heritage.
- 173 -
- 174 -
In the heat of the night, the modern man needs confidence...
- 175 -
- 176 -
A unique scent WILL follow him everywhere...
- 177 -
- 178 -
Photography: Richard Hall | Concept: Jake Hamilton
you can sense the ideal man by his fragrance.
- 179 -
GROOM
Manifesto Follow our three-step guide to a fresher you
For the Skin Introduce a fresh approach to grooming with products designed for revitalising the skin. It’s all about hydration, with toners and facial creams high on the agenda. For Tech enthusiasts should invest in gadget facial brushes, or stick to tradition with facial wipes and cleansing pads. - 180 -
KIEHLS | REN @Harvey Nichols | LA PRAIRIE | REN @Harvey Nichols | SHISEIDO MEN | KIEHLS @ Harvey Nichols
For the Body Midnight scents by way of oud and bergamot or Javanese patchouli accent a masculine element to a body-grooming regime. Treat the scalp with bespoke white truffle oil shampoo and protect the skin from these harsh Arabian rays with sun defensive moisturisers. It’s all about a balance of utility and refinement. - 181 -
JO MALONE | RODIAL, SACHAJUAN, ACQUA DI PARMA, PHILIP B @Harvey Nichols | WANT LES ESSENTIELS DE LA VIE, BAXTER OF CALIFORNIA, TOM DAXTON @MrPorter.com | CALVIN KLEIN | CLINIQUE FOR MEN | ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA
For Shaving From luxurious beard oils to noir-infused creams, the art of shaving takes its cue from decadent products intent on soothing the skin. Serums and lotions are the way forward this season. Prepping prior to a shave is important to the modern man. - 182 -
TOM FORD | AESOP | CZECH & SPEAKE @MrPorter.com | JO MALONE | SISLEY
SPA LIFE
A
Why Waldorf Works
placeshilton.com
Located on the Palm, Dubai, the Waldorf Astoria Spa offers male guests a truly immersive experience within its contemporary interior
year into its infancy and the Waldorf Astoria hotel is still very much a work in progress. The hotel is constantly expanding, adding new and improved features for a demanding clientele, and it’s a testament to the Waldorf name that visitors are keen to flock to its 200m private beach, tennis courts and full programme of water sports. Yet it’s the spa area nestled within the hotel’s right wing that garners a truly bespoke experience. The Waldorf Astoria Spa provides an ideal space to experience nearly 50 treatments and services inspired by exotic locales from across the globe. The spa is substantial in size with a sprawling maze of private rooms, waiting areas and lobbies that span more than 3,000m across a spherical central corridor. Inside each private space is an array of inbuilt gadgets and facilities. Whether a heated lounge chair or an intrinsic shower system that actually marks your body temperature is on your agenda, the Waldorf’s astute eye for detail caters to any need you desire. Specific for men is a small-yet-finely tuned menu that offers four mandatory treatments - the manicure, pedicure, facial and body massage. The range of products is one of the spa’s biggest strengths. Visitors can enjoy made-to-measure treatments with products specific to their needs. Oils, moisturisers and cleansers are on offer via Margaret Dabbs, the London foot specialists, and the Valmont range sourced from Switzerland. Meanwhile Hungarian brand, Omorovicza, offer a selection of gold carat body and facial therapies that herald a truly decadent spa experience. Try the male manicure and pedicure at the start of the day followed suit with additional pressure point treatments. Mani-pedis, as they’re charmingly known, are popular in the region. For men, the frills of the treatment are replaced with essential cuticle care and nail trimming provided by the Astoria’s informed nail technicians. There is, after all, nothing better than well-groomed hands. The unique Thai massage is also a must-try. Lasting just under an hour, this dry massage is ideal for sufferers of back pain and bad posture. Adopting the traditions of Thai stretching, the massage focuses on deep tissue pressure to improve flexibility of the joints and overall support of the spine. Pay close attention to the skill level of the masseur, which is optioned prior to the therapy (a medium massage will include full body stretching and joint flexing). Though quiet in its surroundings, the menagerie of rooms and therapies on offer ensure this is one of the most bespoke spas in the region, located on one of Dubai’s most iconic landmarks.
- 183 -
SHAVE
The Gentleman’s
Agreement
E
choing all the sophisticated attributes one normally associates with the classic English gentleman (refined manners, stiff upper lip, understated charisma), this luxury male-only grooming establishment at Atlantis, The Palm, was first launched in – where else? – Mayfair, London, in 2004 before spawning similar offshoots abroad, such as this well-designed Dubai outlet. Unashamedly retro and gloriously oldfashioned, yet sumptuously luxurious, think of Gentleman’s Tonic as your own exclusive male salon offering superb barbershop grooming and lifestyle treatments (using hand-picked, maleonly products too) where you can read the daily newspaper or catch up on the latest cricket scores over the LCD screens. It’s all very masculine, very
refined and very pleasant in the best possible way. The treatments specialise in two key areas – traditional shaves and something called ‘royal shaves’. Naturally, we opt for the latter, a 45-minute immersive experience of patient (and superbly precise) close shaving, followed by a relaxing facial that rejuvenates your skin and gets you ready for that power meeting with the boss. You’ll be in expert hands, with a trained barber attending your every need, as well as being positioned in a very comfortable and partitioned space of hardwoods, leather, marble interiors and mirrors amid the classic barber’s chair, with an easy recline for your hand and head massage after your treatment. Remove your tie, loosen your collar and sit back for a shave you’ll never forget.
- 184 -
spa@atlantisthepalm.com
The impressive male grooming establishment, Gentleman’s Tonic, may offer the best shaving service in the UAE
COLOGNES
Fragrant
days
Having trouble with your cologne application? Learn how to master your basenotes
Morning Scents Summer offers up a fresh array of new scents to relish in the morning. For those in warmer climates, lighter top notes of citrus and florals work well. Take Jil Sander’s Ultrasense, laced with bergamot, black pepper and berries, for instance. Tom Ford’s Neroli Portofino offers up top notes of bergamot and mandarin orange intertwined with African orange flower and amber for a complex scent that lingers throughout the day.
1. JEAN PAUL GAULTIER, Le Beau Male | 2. TOM FORD, Neroli Portofino | 3. JIL SANDER, Ultrasense | 4. EMPORIO ARMANI, Diamond Rocks
1 4 2
3
Afternoon Scents This year bucks the trend of old classics reworked for the modern man. To celebrate a decade since its original release, Boss by Hugo Boss has been reissued for 2015. Labelled Boss Bottled, this iconic fragrance, dominated by mid notes of pelargonium, warm cinnamon and cloves, encapsulates a thoroughly masculine scent. Iconic scents also come into play this year for the self-titled Karl Lagerfeld For Him scent and Bottega Veneta’s Pour Homme, both rich in aromatic and woody layers.
1. BURBERRY BRIT, Rhythm | 2. HUGO BOSS, Boss Bottled | 3. KARL LAGERFELD, For Him | 4. BOTTEGA VENETA, Pour Homme
2
3
1
4
- 186 -
Evening Scents Masculine notes of oud and wood showcase this season’s penchant for intense scents. Designed for evening pursuits, these luxury fragrances linger throughout the night. From Dolce & Gabanna’s Pour Homme Intenso, layered with notes of tobacco, honey and balsam, to Calvin Klein’s Liquid Gold Euphoria filled with saffron and sandalwood, opt for robust scents to compliment an elegant occasion.
1. RALPH LAUREN POLO, Supreme Oud | 2. SALVATORE FERRAGAMO, Tuscan Scent Incense Suede | 3. CALVIN KLEIN, Liquid Gold Euphoria | 4. DOLCE & GABBANA, Pour Homme Intenso
2
4
1 3
DETOX
Wellness for Weary Men It’s fine to live in the fast lane but you also need to escape the stress. Kamalaya may be your perfect sanctuary... By Duncan Forgan
I
t’s difficult to pinpoint what exactly ails us these days. Could it be the daily onslaught of disturbing news from all corners of the globe? Or perhaps it’s the unspoken but unmistakable pressure to gain success in everything from careers and creative projects to fitness regimes and personal relationships. Whatever the underlying cause, it is fair to say that the many advances – better standards of living, longer life expectancies – made in society over the last couple of decades or so have generally failed to make us happier, fitter, stronger and more balanced individuals. Perhaps surprisingly, the malady is not confined to those who struggle to make ends meet. High-earners or those with a lifestyle and career trajectory that – on paper at least – looks extremely enviable are also susceptable to ill health and general despondency.
Pressurised jobs and overly busy or indulgent lifestyles create imbalance. Imbalance creates stress. And stress, in turn, can play a leading role in a number of nasty outcomes including strokes, depression, insomnia, obesity, alcohol and drug abuse, and heart disease. It even shrinks the brain, with tests proving that stress reduces grey matter in regions tied to emotion and physiological functions. It may not be the sole killer in many cases but stress is certainly a mean accomplice. Fortunately, there are numerous ways of rebooting, one of which involves taking some time out to visit Thailand. The tropical kingdom has long been known as a prime place for stressed-out men to unwind. Historically, most have headed for the notoriously permissive nightclubs and bars in the country’s capital, Bangkok. These days, however, increasing numbers are eschewing seedier - 188 -
Kamalaya.com
Many guests are high-flying executives with busy schedules and complex lifestyles
forms of Southeast Asian R&R to rejuvenate in a more holistic fashion at one of the country’s ultra-luxe wellness retreats. One such place of refuge is Kamalaya, an award-winning wellness and spa resort on the paradise island of Koh Samui. Specifically created as a space for healing and rejuvenation, the luxurious hideaway in the undeveloped southeast of the island is a world removed from the raucous scenes elsewhere on Samui. While drink and drug-fuelled dance parties are commonplace on beaches such as Chaweng, detox and dharma (a Buddhist doctrine pertaining to the purification and moral transformation of human beings) are the order of the day at Kamalaya. “We’ve seen more and more men coming to Kamalaya within the last few years,” says Karina Stewart, Kamalaya co-founder. “Many of our guests are high-flying execs coming from the corporate sector. Many of them tend to have very busy schedules and complex lifestyles both personally and professionally. Daily pressures can make it quite difficult for them to stay balanced. It often becomes challenging to stay connected to themselves and listen to their needs so they can make time to take care of them. The need to take a break from 24/7 ‘online’ lifestyle becomes very important.” Bringing together diverse healing traditions from East and West, Kamalaya offers 12 programmes including Detox and Stress & Burnout, Healthy Lifestyle, Sleep Enhancement and the recently launched Embracing Change, which is dedicated to creating emotional balance and wellbeing. “For a complete recovery from high stress, you need to target both the physical and emotional condition by adopting a holistic approach that incorporates diet, exercise and therapies that restore and maintain the physical and emotional balance long-term,” continues Stewart. “We cater for varying levels of stress. Some guests arrive at breaking point, whereas others are seeking ‘time out’ to relax and rejuvenate, and we guide them through the programme that most suits their needs.” While Kamalaya’s programmes have been specifically designed to aid mind, body and soul, the contemporary design of the resort as well as its immaculate location are equally uplifting. Stylish suites and vast villas nestle among the tropical undergrowth alongside steam rooms, rock pools and yoga pavillions. There’s even a monk’s cave for meditation purposes. “We wanted to create something with substance that also suited our guests’ taste for indulgence,” explains Stewart. It may not be clear what ails us but it is obvious that the kind of cure that Kamalaya offers is as appealing as anything found in the bright lights of modern city living. - 189 -
SUPERBIKES
The ultimate
speed king Daredevils beware. Kawasaki’s astonishing H2 is the world’s first production bike to feature a supercharger, as well as exceed 200hp, making it the fastest ride on the planet By Simon Hulber
- 190 -
W
hether you are into bikes or not, we defy you to not find this a work of outstanding mechanical beauty. Surely the seminal 916 Ducati is the only other motorcycle that challenges the Kawasaki H2 to a podium position at the Tate Modern art gallery. This is history in the making for the motorcycle world: the first road bike powered by a supercharger that pushes up to 2.4 bars of pressure through the 998cc in-line four-pot engine. Kawasaki, along with other bike manufacturers, has previously dabbled with turbo-powered motorcycles with its Z750 turbo back in 1983 to 1985, but it transpired that the inevitable turbo-lag was more pronounced on two wheels than four back in the day so it wasn’t worth the additional complexity. Superchargers, however, driven directly from the crank rather than the manifold exhaust gases of a turbo system, don’t suffer from lag. Hence, the incredibly small (69mm) six blade-forged aluminium supercharger that helps wring a claimed 213hp from the H2 with its Ram Air system engaged. At present, there’s no data as to what this means for top speed and acceleration, but compared with the specs of its considerably less powerful competitors (Suzuki GSX-R1000 and Yamaha R1) we are certainly looking at 320km/hr and zero-to-100km/hr in around two seconds; Moto GP territory for the road, in other words. The H2 gets its name from the original classic triple cylinder two-stroke Kawasaki 750 launched in 1972. But that’s where any similarity ends. The new bike has a state-of-the art high tensile steel trellis frame chassis in Kawasaki snot green to handle the bonkers power output which is mated to a KYB AOS-II racing suspension (43mm forks up front and a Unitrack single sided swing-arm at the rear). It also boasts an electronic steering damper, intelligent anti-lock brakes and Kawasaki Traction Control to prevent wheelspins out of fast corners. What could possibly top all of this beserk power? Well, actually there’s also its new track-only H2 R cousin (without headlights) that has a thumping 300hp on tap… Only racers need apply for that one.
Speed Box Kawasaki H2 Acceleration: 0-100km/hr 2.0 secs (estimated) | Top speed: 320km/hr + (estimated) | Engine layout: In-line 4-cylinder 998cc | Max power: 213hp @ 11,000rpm | Max torque: 140Nm @ 10,000rpm
- 191 -
CAR REVIEW
Porsche
911
GTS
The ballistic Porsche 911 Turbo is big on numbers but not for everyone. The 911 Carrera can disappoint on speed. But fret not: for here comes the beautifully balanced 911 GTS By Simon Hulber
- 192 -
Y
ou can’t really go wrong with a 911 – hammer it all day long, seven days a week and it will still reward you with reasonable fuel returns, big thrills and reliability. (Try adding that final equation to a Ferrari 458.) Still, mistakes can be made if you are new to the 911 fraternity, and much of that hinges on your personal driving style and expectations. It’s very easy to go for the Porsche with the biggest shove and that has always been the 911 Turbo. In the current 991 guise, it kicks out 520hp and 560hp for the S version. I drove a Turbo S for one lap too many at the Sepang Formula One circuit in Malaysia last year and rather than it stirring up a feeling of euphoria in my stomach, it almost brought up my lunch. Even on a wide circuit like Sepang with vast, forgiving corners, the balance needed on the throttle gave me a migrane after a few laps, such is the finesse needed to keep it from doing a 180-degree spin on apex exit. Power is nothing without control, and most of us don’t have the skills of a Carrera Cup racer to harness that, flat out. Jumping back into a standard 350hp Carrera on the same circuit, I suddenly felt like a hero – actually putting quicker laps in thanks to its superlative control on corner exits. Yet somehow it was lacking on outright speed on the long back straight. True, there’s the 400hp Carrera S, which is nearer the mark. But what if you want that extra bit of performance? Enter the 991 version of the 911 GTS; the latest arrival to Porsche’s Carrera stable and the hottest 911 that comes naturally aspirated. With 430hp on tap, it comes with a great blend of searing performance and comfort and has been launched at the same time as the cabrio version; both the coupe and soft-top come with 4-wheel-drive options as well. They also have the sexy wide backsides normally reserved for the less powerful Carrera 4S. The GTS boasts a 3.8-litre flat six engine with enough power to let the committed driver utilise most of the power under the right conditions without feeling overwhelmed. All the GTS 911 models are fitted as standard with the company’s Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) and a Sport Chrono package. The former uses an electronic management system to tune each individual damper on each suspension strut irrespective on how lumpy a road may be to smooth out the surface and keep traction optimal. Headlining the Sport Chrono Package are Porsche’s electronically controlled Dynamic Engine Mounts that adapt their stiffness depending on road conditions and driving style. Suspension of the GTS is also 10mm lower compared with lesser 911s that have a conventional passive chassis. This further lowers the car’s centre of gravity for quicker, more sure-footed handling. As an extra option – for coupe versions of the GTS only – the Extended PASM sport chassis can be had as an aerodynamic package and a 20mm lower ride height. An independent front spoiler lip provides a more stable airflow, while the rear spoiler also extends further out to combat aerodynamic lift. You’ve invested this much on the add-ons so it’s worth also considering the optional Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC), which detects and negates side-roll through hard cornering via four hydraulic cylinders located on each suspension strut. Congrats: you now have the optimal 911 GTS chassis! Whether you opt for the seven-speed manual or seven-speed PDK automatic gearshifts is the last great check-box conundrum to tick. The manual with clutch pedal provides a more tactile and involving driving experience, but the PDK auto blows it away in terms of shift times and lets you concentrate on the corner ahead with both hands firmly on the wheel. Not an easy decision. But either choice will leave you with perhaps the most accessible 911 on the road in terms of power, involvement and daily comfort.
- 193 -
Speed Box Porsche 911 GTS Acceleration: 0-100km/hr 4.4 secs (M) 4.0 secs (PDK) | Top speed: 306km/hr (M) 304km/hr (PDK) | Engine layout: Horizontally-opposed 6-cylinder boxer 3,800cc | Max power: 430hp @ 7,500rpm | Max torque: 440Nm @ 5,750rpm
TECH
Dialled-In
Driving I
f you are tiring of how the latest iPhone and any kind of Galaxy what-yer-call-it from Samsung have become the de facto choice of smartphone for both business people and society types alike, how about something a little less obvious and a bit more head-turning from Porsche Design? The BlackBerry P’9983 has been built in conjunction with the design firm that has become a respected offshoot of Porsche sports cars since its inception in 1972. The stylish QWERTY keyboard is mated to a 3.1inch touch-screen and breaks away from the plethora of fixed touch-screen phones with its raised glass-like keys that feature a special 3D effect for easy viewing. It provides 64gb of storage, an 8MP camera
and a claimed 14 hours of talk time from a removable 2100mAh battery. Top-level security for instant messaging is provided via BlackBerry’s encrypted BBM system and you can also be instantly recognised by other Porsche Design BlackBerry users with the unique Porsche Design PIN ID Group. The phone’s BlackyBerry Assistant lets you manage your email, contacts and calendar through either voice or text commands, while the BBM video technology allows you to video chat with both Android and iOS users. The BlacBerry Blend software also allows you to work across your other devices from the phone – be it a PC or a Mac. If you own a 911, this would be a perfect accompaniment.
- 194 -
porsche-design.com
If Porsche and BlackBerry had a baby, this would be their beautiful love child
DESIRED
Meet
Your Master Bentley’s first ever SUV will be the fastest, most luxurious and most exclusive on the market
P
lace your orders now. The masterful designers at Bentley are set to launch their forthcoming SUV, mysteriously titled the Bentayga (after the Bentayga peak on the Canary Islands), at the very tail end of 2015. Proposed in three builds, the V8, V8 plugin hybrid, and the W-12, Bentley will market their first ever SUV as an all-terrain vehicle for their key markets in the US, China and the Middle East. Headed by design director Luc Donckerwolke, Bentley hopes to feature it as
the world’s most luxurious, fastest and most ‘exclusive’ SUV on the market (4,000 pre-orders have been confirmed). Inclusive of Bentley’s most recognisable visual icons – the flying B, the exterior matrix grille pattern and the intricate diamond quilted interior, each of the three builds will boast an individual bespoke design catered to speed, energy and durability. So whether pure electric power or a twin-turbo charge is on your agenda, Bentley has you covered, in the most luxurious way possible.
- 195 -
DASHBOARD
Supersonic
comforts Take a tour around the cockpit of the ostentatious Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse, the world’s fastest roadster
I
f you’re going to have an outrageous 16-cylinder engine that produces a thoroughly absurd 1,200hp then you’ll want a pretty flamboyant place to drive it all from. The trim levels offered inside the Bugatti Veyrons that have been built are as unique as a person’s fingerprint and given that this car is one of the rarer things of beauty on the roads, every interior picture is going to be different. But at the heart of all that specialised leather trim lays a base of exotic carbon fibre that has been brought from the outside in, as that is the Formula One material of choice that has also been used on the Veyron’s outer panels. The shiny bits of trim, including the somewhat large and brazen ‘B’ on the steering wheel centre cap, are made from a combination of aluminium
and magnesium, while carbon fibre makes up the base of the centre console extension, the seatbelt outlet covers, door inserts and the dashboard instrument panels. Driving at 400km/hr has previously been seen as something for hardcore racers to ‘endure’ on a circuit. But Bugatti realises that performance and comfort must be one and the same, hence the leather trimmed kneepads in the central tunnel area. An illuminated ‘Start’ and ‘Parking Lock’ button glows merrily night or day and, of course, the centrepiece of the driver’s binnacle is a power gauge that reads up to 1,200hp. Now if it is actually reading that much, we suggest you are perhaps better served looking at the road ahead instead.
- 196 -
bugatti.com
By Simon Hulber
YACHTS
The shape of
tHINGS to come These exquisitely-designed superyacht concepts showcase where the future of boating is heading…
Fortissimo
Ken Freivokh Design
Stealth
The Dream
These three performance superyacht designs show the future of boating in all its glory. The Dream has double helipad facilities, a swimming pool within the forward deck and a fully integrated gymnasium that is home to a cascade of Jacuzzis, ornamental tubs and waterways, making it a great social yacht. Essentially a very large and very long yacht, the Fortissimo is all about the sensation of speed. A true ocean-going vessel, Ken Freivokh Design proposed the equivalent of a space-frame structure that leaves the hull and deck as simply ‘the skin’ of the yacht. This boat is for the discerning yachtsman of speed, yet can also cruise at moderate displacement speeds in comfort. An elegant and streamlined 100m yacht, Stealth houses a full helicopter hangar, a handsomely sized swimming pool and gymnasium (convertible to a disco!), a full-blown cinema and a dedicated owner’s deck. All guest areas overlook the aft terraces and water features which have been developed as the key focal point, while the hangar and shell doors are in the optimum location for launching and recovery. - 197 -
YACHTS
Queen of the
Oceans
The largest sailing yacht in the world, Dream Symphony, is slowly nearing completion. Here’s an exclusive look below her ample decks… By Jake Hamilton
J
can double up as a dancefloor or a mingling area for invited party guests. The owner’s quarters have been developed as a duplex, with a sheltered open deck between it and the guest deckhouse that can be enclosed as a convertible conservatory when the weather dictates. The external styling, with voluptuous radii and sculptural mahogany furniture and glass panelling, is purpose-designed to complement the massive yacht’s construction. “[She] will unquestionably challenge all stereotypical preconceptions about both sailing yachts and wood technology,” designer Ken Freivokh tells MOJEH MEN. “The owner’s brief called for privacy, practicality and classical elegance with a modern twist. The unique design should deliver just that!” Symphony can sleep up to 20 guests, with a crew of 32 professionals. She will carry four masts and have a motoring speed of 18.8 knots, with a displacement of 5,000 tonnes. As a luxury private yacht, she offers a duplex owner’s suite with a private lower deck saloon and further private main deck saloon, two double VIP suites with separate private saloons and four handsome double guest cabins.
Ken Freivokh Design
ust look at her size. What a beauty. This 141m, 4-masted schooner, named Dream Sympathy, and by far the largest sailing yacht ever built, is still under construction (but making steady progress) at the specially-fitted Bozburun shipyard in Turkey. Of course, the luxury yacht world has, over the last few years, been obsessed with size and stealth, but with the Dream Symphony nearing completion, it seems the title of ‘world’s greatest’ belongs exclusively to her alone. She’s the brainchild of Dream Ship Victory owner and founder Valeriy Stepanenko, with naval architecture by Dykstra Naval Architects and external styling and interior design by Ken Freivokh Design. Symphony is also unique in that she’s built in wood, which is very impressive (not to mention daring) and the rig includes Hoyt booms for maximum control. The interior has been designed to communicate the grand feeling of space, with handsome atrium areas and an imperial-style staircase, plus a layout that includes spa facilities, hair and massage salons, a gymnasium and an all-glass swimming pool with a rising floor that can be deployed as a landing pad for helicopters. Or, if you’re feeling generous, it
- 198 -
- 199 -
culture
The Emirates Strikes Back The UAE is fast becoming a hub for big-budget filmmaking, attracting Hollywood studios and nurturing fresh local talent through organisations like Image Nation. We meet the major players By Chris Anderson
C
ars and spaceships. Last year, Abu Dhabi was full of them, and with good reason. The emirate had been chosen as a filming location for two major Hollywood blockbusters – Furious 7, the latest instalment of The Fast and the Furious franchise, and the insanely anticipated Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, both to be released in 2015. The new Star Wars movie in particular, directed by fan-favourite JJ Abrams and featuring the returning cast of the original trilogy, is expected to set new box office records, with the deserts of Abu Dhabi serving as the backdrop to an alien world. But the fact that Hollywood has started to look this way for its most bankable film projects is no coincidence. The emirate’s ties with the major studios have deepened in recent years, coupled with major events like the Abu
Dhabi Film Festival, or the nearby Dubai Film Festival, becoming a showcase for the region’s growing enthusiasm. Developments such as the twofour54 media zone have been established, offering world-class production facilities, and the Abu Dhabi Film Commission has stepped in to provide generous rebates as an added incentive, coupled with a safe working environment free from regional unrest to satisfy any big-name cast. Abu Dhabi’s growing appeal was highlighted twice last year, first by Hollywood online magazine P3 Update, which described the conditions provided as being like ‘no place on Earth,’ and citing the emirate as one of the top international locations for film production worldwide. Likewise, an article in the Hollywood Reporter noted how Abu Dhabi was being chosen over the favoured Middle
- 200 -
- 201 -
East filming locations of the past, such as Jordan and Tunisia (where the original Star Wars was partly filmed). In the middle of it all is Abu-Dhabi’s own production company, Image Nation, which ultimately aims to develop and educate homegrown talent. “Image Nation was founded back in 2008, with a mission to build the foundations of a strong local film and TV industry,” explains CEO Michael Garin to MOJEH MEN, who was appointed in 2011 and has a media career spanning over 40 years. “We develop projects and talent, support them through vital international partnerships and investments – such as the ones we have with Parkes/MacDonald and Hyde Park Entertainment – and our aim is to create a sustainable industry, offering the tools needed to become a prominent filmmaker.” Garin works alongside the Image Nation chairman, Mohamed Al Mubarak, who joined at the same time and was previously a key figure at property company Aldar. Together they developed a strategy that has seen the organisation grow in terms of both its personnel and output. “More than 50 percent of the Image Nation staff is now comprised of Emiratis, who all operate at an international standard,” reveals Garin. “With time and experience, it will be an Emirati-run company. This is our dream, and the reason I am so motivated and excited to be leading it.” The people involved have contributed to some very exciting projects so far. “All of our films and TV series provide wonderful insights into real life here in Abu Dhabi and the UAE,” Garin continues. “In our TV department, we created a documentary series about the UAE military, Hayati Walskriya, which was a ground-breaking achievement for us, as it had never been done before. We also created a reality series, Beyond Borders, about Emirati youths living and working in the Philippines, which really hit home with both locals and the expat community.
“Our most recent feature-length production, From A to B, by Emirati director Ali Mostafa, opened the Abu Dhabi Film Festival, and is the first film from the region to do so, shown alongside two of our co-productions, Midnight Sun and 99 Homes, plus our first documentary, As One. From A to B concerns three childhood friends as they embark on a road trip from Abu Dhabi to Beirut, and was released in UAE cinemas earlier this year.” Image Nation is a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Media, helping to enhance the emirate’s media and entertainment industries in line with the Abu Dhabi Vision 2030 campaign. “We are partners with twofour54 and the Abu Dhabi Film Commission, who were directly involved in helping the Hollywood studios behind Furious 7 and Star Wars,” Garin explains. “These franchises have not only boosted the UAE’s profile, but it shows local filmmakers that they don’t have to spend a fortune flying to New York or Los Angeles for a great backdrop – they have iconic architecture and the diverse desert landscape all around them. With this influx of global blockbuster productions coming to the region, it’s only a matter of time before the UAE is seen as an integral partner for all aspects of film and TV. This can only be a good thing.” While Garin’s focus is on honing the region’s talent, he is open to the idea of letting Hollywood’s presence stir more interest. But if big-budget blockbusters are being made here, and with these types of movies already topping the UAE box office, does that prevent local productions from finding an audience? Garin argues that this is not the case. “Locally-produced films are principally limited by their budgets and must compensate by the quality of the stories they tell,” he says. “Our biggest challenge is to convince the 80 percent of the region’s population that movies from here can be as entertaining and worth
- 202 -
The emirate is a prime filming location for the insanelyanticipated Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens
- 203 -
We created a documentary series about the UAE military which was a groundbreaking achievement for us
- 204 -
seeing as the Hollywood films they regularly go to see.” And with local productions becoming more prominent, Garin believes that others will want to be involved. “With every success we have, we’re hoping that more and more young filmmakers in the region reach out to us, see directors like Ali Mostafa and think, ‘I want to be like him – Image Nation is the one to help me get therem’” he adds. This definitely seems plausible, especially given the recent announcements on how the organisation is developing. At the end of 2014, it was revealed that Image Nation would be moving to the twofour54 media zone. As Noura El Kaabi, the CEO of twofour54, explained in a statement, this will ‘boost the industry eco-system’. She added: “Both twofour54 and Image Nation have shared goals of creating world-class content, developing regional talent and enabling local filmmakers to learn from international experts in the industry.” Opportunities will be improved, with a natural cohesion between education and facilities. Added to that is the news that the partnership between Image Nation and Parkes/MacDonald is to be extended for another five years. The collaboration began in 2010, with a US$10 million revolving financing fund that allowed the two to acquire and develop projects at a time when other US studios were limiting their budgets. Flight, starring Denzel Washington, and Men in Black 3, starring Will Smith, are among the movies to have benefitted. The next joint project will be a feature-length documentary about Pakistani activist, and the youngest ever recipient of a Nobel prize, Malala Yousafzai, directed by Oscar winner Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth). This will be followed by a comedy, Keeping Up With the Joneses, starring Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover) and Isla Fisher (The Great Gatsby). Having such big names and experience to hand is certainly beneficial in boosting Image Nation’s profile.
The setting up of a new documentary division also ensures that those with an interest also have a choice in terms of the types of film they can become involved in. “Our first feature-length documentary, As One, shown at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival, centres on the challenges faced by local children with autism as they rehearse for a musical performance,” reveals Garin, “while Every Last Child is a film about the polio epidemic in Pakistan, which premiered in New York. We have some great documentaries in the works, including a football documentary on the UAE national team qualifying for the 1990 Italian World Cup.” It is films highlighting the UAE’s historical moments that are of particular interest to Garin. “Our aim is to help create a cadre of talent in the documentary field while recording pieces of local history,” he admits. “We would encourage Emirati and Arab voices to come to us with ideas for films that capture key moments in time for the UAE.” Image Nation even launched the Arab Film Studio (AFS) Documentary competition at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival recently, with entrants pitching ideas to a panel of judges – Every Last Child filmmaker Tom Roberts, Saudi film producer Hani Farsi, and Image Nations’ Alicia Gonzalez, the AFS programme manager, and Danielle Perissi, head of the documentary division. The winner will be announced in 2015 and receive an internship with Image Nation. Competitions such as these are another way to help the organisation achieve its goal. “The education and growth of local talent is definitely our highest priority,” Garin concludes. “In the beginning, our main aim was to make a profit in order to fund our local activities, such as the Arab Film Studio competition, and provide budgets for local productions. Now, we are only focused on the nurturing of talent – our main aim is to create a sustainable film community in the region, and we are slowly but surely getting there.”
- 205 -
GRAPHICS
Khalid Mezaina
The graphic artist behind the label Krossbreed was born and raised in Dubai, but his influences – and his aspirations – are global By Christopher Prince Where are your favourite places to hang out in Dubai? I’ve recently been enjoying my time exploring older areas around Dubai – areas I’ve spent a lot of time in during my youth, like Deira, Bur Dubai, Karama – these are my favourite places in the city and are great escapes when tired of new Dubai and its tall towers. ‘Old Dubai’ has such a strong sense of community, and a unique character defining its importance in the city. From restaurants to subcultures, I find these areas fascinating and can get lost for hours taking in what I find. How did studying visual communication at university influence your design aesthetic? Prior to university, drawing was more of a hobby. Studying within a creative major helped me develop my existing skills further, nurturing ideas of working towards opportunities within the creative sector. Your reference of traditional Arabic imagery is often juxtaposed with elements of contemporary life. Is this a reaction to your time spent growing up in the UAE? I am from the UAE (and part Egyptian), but definitely not the most traditional of Emiratis. Even though I grew up in Dubai, my upbringing was very different, and included a lot of western influences. I think this is also a clear indication of what type of city Dubai is; a mash-up of various backgrounds, cultures and influences all collected in one place. Being surrounded by all these influences definitely impacted my upbringing and lifestyle, and has also made its way into the work I produce. It defines who I am as an individual and artist. You’re active on Instagram and Twitter. Is this a way of promoting your work? Social media is definitely to stay connected with the rest of the world and to be in touch with information, trends and news. The reason I’m on certain social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram is to allow my work to reach out to a wider audience, and also to create a dialogue with people on these platforms. My blog is also a means of keeping people informed with my current projects, and to stay updated with my expanding portfolio of work. Much of what you create is referenced from comic books and music. Who were your idols growing up? Looking back, I don’t think there were people I looked up to or idolized as icons. And if I did, they were mostly fictional! When I was much younger, I was obsessed with Spider-Man. He was youthful, funny, edgy and plain cool. I think Stan Lee, the man
behind Marvel Comics, is quite awesome with all he’s achieved in the comic book world. Other fictional characters who I think are absolute icons are the Muppets, and Patsy & Eddie from Absolutely Fabulous! Speaking of comic books, what is the greatest? I think The Sandman series by Neil Gaiman is by far one of the greatest pieces of literature ever created. It’s absolutely mesmerising, beautifully written with hypnotic art spread within its pages. I highly recommend it to anyone who reads comic books or not. How do you think the development of the Dubai Design District will shape the current art scene in Dubai? I hope the Dubai Design District builds on the current booming art and design scene in the city, supporting and nurturing upcoming talent, and providing the proper platforms for designers to grow as emerging talent. Based on what I’ve heard so far, it sounds very exciting and I’m looking forward with all that’s yet to come. Dubai certainly nurtures young entrepreneurs, but it doesn’t nurture young artists. Why? I disagree with this question because there are many platforms today where artists and young creatives are supported. From art fairs, to gallery representation, to government initiatives and institutional support, Dubai certainly has expanded in providing opportunities for supporting creative talent. The art world is quite cut throat. It’s how you put your name out there, and moving in the right tracks to do so. Describe your ideal graphic t-shirt. My ideal graphic t-shirt? This has yet to exist… Finally, what were your intentions when launching Krossbreed? Does the name hold a significant meaning? In 2010 I decided to set-up Krossbreed as a platform for the various work I do to fall under one label. Some of the various projects include t-shirts, stationary, commercial design practice and independent artistic projects. The word Krossbreed holds significance in a few ways, one being I am a crossbreed myself both in heritage (Emirati/Egyptian) and lifestyle choices which are a mix of East and West. Also, when it comes to the concepts behind my work, they are a combination of juxtaposed elements and influences that come together to make a final result. Another significance is the spelling – with a K – because of the fascination with the letter of my first name.
- 206 -
Windtowers 2010
- 207 -
King of Kings
Elvis Presley would have turned 80 this year. But what is the true cultural legacy of the original rock ‘n’ roller who shook the music world to its core?
L
ike other icons cut down somewhere close to their prime, early death has lent Elvis Presley a gauzy otherworldly allure. Had he lived, Elvis would have turned 80 this year. Yet it is impossible to imagine him reminiscing about his raucous early days at Sun Records with chat show hosts Jimmy Fallon and Conan O’Brien, doing a crooner’s take on the Great American Songbook, or even pottering around the garden at Graceland for some dour reality TV catastrophe. Still, with a music and cultural icon of this magnitude, there’s already been an avalanche of birthday celebrations in the United States – at Memphis, Las Vegas and at the King’s spiritual home, Graceland – which has, at times, verged on the ridiculous (a birthday tour of his horse stables?). Europe’s largest Elvis retrospective exhibition, at London’s O2 Arena (running until 31st August), has also seen record crowds fawning over 300 or so Presley artefacts as if they were a collection of religious relics. His untimely demise has certainly granted him a celestial presence. The gyrating force of nature that altered the course of popular music now manifests himself as an angel in a white rhinestone-studded jumpsuit. Truth is there was never anything particularly earthly about Elvis. From his birth in a Mississippi shotgun shack and his thrilling rise to fame to his drawn-out demise and shockingly wasteful death at the age of 42, his short life played out like a Grecian tragedy with sky-scraping highs anchored by soul-crushing lows. Taken on face value, Elvis’ ascent can be seen as the classic rags-to-riches story; the epitome of the American Dream. That’s the sanitised version. Growing up in Mississippi as the son of dirt-poor parents, Elvis was but a small step removed in the eyes of conservative southern society from the African-Americans he was segregated from by law. Artists such as Public Enemy and Mary J Blige would later wrongly denigrate him as a racist, but Elvis openly acknowledged the debt he owed to the black musicians he grew up listening to. In fact, he was seen as a race traitor by the white music establishment for his refusal to deny recognition to a segment of society that had been rendered invisible by the cultural mainstream. His absorption of both hillbilly (white) and blues and R&B (black) sounds, allied to his expressive vocal style and smouldering looks, offered him an obvious way out of poverty. That simple narrative, however, belies his exceptionality. The early sessions at Sun Records with guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black are regarded by many as the motherlode, but the same sense of untamed longing, passion and, most of all, urgency was apparent throughout his early glory years. Boys wanted to be him, fathers wanted to kill him and teenage girls wanted to do unspeakable things with him. The injustice is that Elvis is remembered as much for his sad decline
as his electrifying prime. A period in the army helped his respectability but neutered his danger. And, although killer records were produced on his return, his manager Colonel Tom Parker’s efforts to turn him into a family-friendly all-rounder ushered him away from his initial primal instincts and into a succession of fun-but-flimsy movie roles and a creative cul-de-sac. There would be further moments to cherish however. Elvis’ comeback special in 1968 was as potent a return as any fan could wish for. Years of stagnation in Hollywood had turned the star into a near irrelevance. As the 1967’s Summer of Love was being ushered in by totemic releases such Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band by the Beatles, Elvis was starring as a Native American rodeo rider in the god-awful romp Stay Away Joe. Unsurprisingly, takings were down and so was Elvis. Ever the mercenary, Colonel Parker could see the writing on the wall for Elvis’ movie career. There was no alternative but to seek a new way to milk his lipcurling cash cow so a US$1.25m deal was negotiated with NBC for a festive television special. Parker envisaged a sanitised affair with Elvis reciting Christmas carols. Thankfully producer Steve Binder had other ideas, arguing that the special was an ideal opportunity to re-establish Elvis’ rocker credentials. The result was a song and dance extravaganza with lavish choreographed segments seguing seamlessly with raw and bluesy live performances – the first time Elvis had really revisited his roots, in public at least, since the 1950s. If the music was strong, the visual impact was even stronger. Resplendent in black leather, guitar hung insouciantly from his shoulder, Elvis oozed testosterone. This was not the simpering dupe of movies such as Fun In Acapulco and Roustabout. This was the Memphis Flash in hyper-drive. The 1968 special gave Elvis’ music career a massive shot in the arm. Marathon stints in Vegas casinos and other mega-shows at venues such as Madison Square Gardens in New York saw him break all kind of attendance records. Behind the scenes, though, a bored and exhausted Elvis was struggling to stay afloat in an ocean of cholesterol and barbiturates. In early 1977, The Clash summed up Presley’s relevance at the dawn of the punk era with the spookily prescient lyric ‘no Elvis, Beatles or the Rolling Stones’. In August that year his battered heart finally gave out. In death, however, Elvis became eternal. A measure of his greatness is that so few have tried to imitate him. It would be pointless to even try. The highpoints of his recording career remain a touchstone and the seismic impact his breakthrough years had on modern music can barely be measured. Plus, as the title of his ninth RCA album, a compilation of incendiary hit singles released in 1958 and 1959, so rightly pointed out – 50,000,000 Elvis fans can’t be wrong.
- 208 -
Image: Corbis
By Duncan Forgan
MUSIC
- 209 -
art
Ramin
Salsali
Committed to nurturing regional talent, the founder and owner of Salsali Private Museum may be the Middle East’s answer to Charles Saatchi By Christopher Prince
What were your intentions when founding the Salsali Private Museum (SPM)? To support the culture of collection, and to support the art and culture in the region; also to create a space for creative forces and to contribute to Dubai as the hub of art and culture in the Middle East. Can you explain what a private museum actually is? The difference between a private and public museum is that a private museum does enjoy the maximum of freedom to design its own programme while a public museum is restricted in its creative process. A private museum can offer programmes that a public museum would and could not do. You spent time studying in Europe. How did it shape your creative outlook? 
 It was of enormous influence. I was inspired by the architecture of the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art during my teenage years. The industry design was part of the German manufacturing and architectural culture. Bauhaus is in the DNA of German and Austrian architects. During my university period in Germany, I had the chance to visit East and West German museums as well as other European countries, in particular
Vienna, where architects such as Adolf Loos and Hoffmann (during the 1900s) were responsible for the entire design of buildings. You began your collection fairly young. Do you remember the first piece you acquired? I collected matchbox toy cars when I was a young boy! I started collecting art at the age of 21 and have been developing it ever since. My first art piece was from the German and Berlin-based artist Kiddy Citny who painted the Berlin Wall before the German unification. What is your opinion of European art in contrast to the Middle East? Both European and Middle Eastern art need to be represented by major institutions. To overcome the gaps between Europe and the Middle East we need institutions such as museums and cultural exchange programmes. Do you agree with the Louvre Abu Dhabi? I am a passionate advocate of projects such as the Louvre and Guggenheim, by all means, and salute Abu Dhabi and the UAE for the vision and supporting signals for the entire region and the world. Moreover, I look forward to the installation by Christo in Abu Dhabi called Mastaba (see next page). - 210 -
How supportive are established Middle Eastern artists of SPM? Most of them are very welcoming to the idea and concept of SPM and have supported the museum in various commissioned projects. Reza Derakshani is the best example of these artists. However the main target of SPM is to create a culture of collection in the region. We wish to receive more support from the established collectors and corporations as well.
How will the development of the Dubai Design District shape the current scene in the region? The Dubai Design District is an overdue answer to the dynamic path of Dubai. It will certainly be a multi-purpose creative platform for all disciplines of art and culture with enormous synergy. We will observe a more interactive communication among the creative scene due to the fact that they will be in one area such as Al Serkal Avenue.
Can you elaborate on the price point of your collections? The emotional value of art cannot be quantified. The energy of each artist from these artworks is transferred to the collector and also cannot be quantified. Sometimes I wish I could have assessed the financial value.
What is your involvement in this year’s Art Dubai? SPM has a solo show with the Palestinian artist Hazem Harb. Hazem belongs to the new generation that grew up outside of Palestine and represents a cutting edge contemplation of Israel’s occupation.
What do you think of the current art landscape in the Middle East? I sincerely hope that the governmental corporations accelerate the process by more contribution to this important part of the infrastructure; Abu Dhabi is actively doing [this] by creating an educational programme accompanied by the building of museums. There is room for improvement and the trend is positive.
Why did you locate your gallery in western Dubai in preference over the city centre? Al Quoz is an organic development of Dubai; a unique cluster with an authentic semi-industrial character. Regardless of its current position as the hub of creativity, it’s the only place in Dubai where creative groups can have a large-scale space at a reasonable price. Any city needs a low cost space to accommodate the artists and the - 211 -
creative community that doesn’t have the sufficient financial resources. For SPM, the main criteria were the authenticity of the district and large available spaces in the Al Serkal complex. So what was it like growing up in Tehran? I was witnessing different periods of the creative scenes of Tehran. Evolving on one side and set back on the other side. Still, today there is a mixed feeling towards that time. But as always, creative energy finds its way and evolves. The result is evident. Are Arabic women as invested in art as their male counterparts? Female Arab collectors are larger in the quantity and deeper in their approach of collection. They are more emotional and buy the art with love and passion. HH Sheikha Hoor Al-Qasimi, Maliha Altabari, Sharifa Alsudairi and Basma Al Sulaiman are good examples of these progressive collectors. Finally, as this is our Icons issue, what is the most iconic piece you’ve collected? Each piece is iconic and has its own history, but the works of Reza Derakshani, Amir Hossein Zanjani, Sara Rahbar and Hazem Harb have an iconic space in my collection.
design
‘Look Upon My Works,
Ye Mighty’
The artist Christo wants to build the world’s biggest and most expensive sculpture in the deserts of Abu Dhabi By Jake Hamilton
- 212 -
I
t will loom out of the desert sands like some towering vision from Shelley’s poem, Ozymandias. And, when finally completed, it will attract millions of visitors into the Arabian heartland to look upon its works with a sense of majesty and awe. Breathless art critics say it will defy the winds and the burning sun. And the artist who envisioned it says it will last for all eternity. Welcome to the incredible Mastaba project. First conceived in 1977, the world famous artist Christo has been waiting to build this miraculous creation for more than 30 years. The pyramid-like structure will be made from 410,000 multi-coloured steel oil barrels to form a massive mosaic tower amid the spectacular desert dunes of Abu Dhabi. The immense scale of the project means that it will be visible from miles around. But as yet this icon-in-waiting is still unrealised. Christo’s fantastical creation will be 150m high, 225m deep at the 60-degree slanted walls, and 300m wide at the vertical walls. The top of this massive trapezoidal sculpture will be a horizontal surface 126.8m wide. To get a sense of its colossal size, once completed it will be taller than St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, as well as the Great Pyramid of Giza. And, at a reported (but unconfirmed) minimum cost of US$350m, it will become the most expensive work of art on the planet. The Mastaba is still classified as a work in progress, but MOJEH MEN can reveal a signed agreement by the highest authorities in Abu Dhabi in 2013 cleared the way for its construction in Al Gharbia, which is approximately 155km from downtown Abu Dhabi, near the oasis of Liwa. The land has
been set aside and there is keen enthusiasm at the royal level for the project to commence. The construction will take some 30 months, involve hundreds of labourers, and will have an on-site steel-press facility to produce the oil barrels. Best of all, the Mastaba will be constructed horizontally and then, over several days, be physically elevated into its vertical position – thus enabling the public (and the world’s media) to witness one of the most flabbergasting erections ever seen. The colours and precise positioning of the oil barrels were originally selected by Christo and his late wife, Jeanne-Claude, back in 1979, when the duo first visited the UAE. The stacked barrels will be positioned in such a way as to shimmer and sparkle as the sun rises, thereby creating what the artist has called a ‘vertical wall… full of gold’. Famed for his temporary wrapping of the Kunsthalle, Berne, in 1968, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, in 1969 and the Reichstag, Berlin, in 1995, Christo has stated that the Mastaba, which can mean both ‘house of eternity’ and ‘mud bench’ in Arabic etymology, will be his and his wife’s only permanent large-scale work in the world. The artist has stated that it should not be referred to as a pyramid, or that its barrels are polemical symbols echoing the region’s oil economy. Instead, he hopes visitors will view the structure with a sense of joy. Strangely, however, the artist himself has declared the Mastaba project to be ‘totally irrational and useless’. But, with permission granted and the land reserved, this irrational work of wonder might just prove to be one of the most awe-inspiring visions in the Middle East.
- 213 -
miracles
‘My name is for my friends’ The greatest entrance in cinema history still belongs to the improbably named Egyptian heartthrob Omar Sharif. We re-examine his iconic moment ‘I do not want your company, Sherif!’ Peter O’Toole meets his nemesis
- 214 -
Image: Corbis, Text by Josh Sims
I
n the far distance is a shimmering line on the desert The Hollywood world he subsequently entered saw the horizon, slowly growing in size. Peter O’Toole looks on, media mould him as an icon of the high-rolling bachelor lifestyle, to which his comic-book romantic name seemed perplexed, concerned. The image grows clearer – a man on a camel. A minute of screen time has passed. O’Toole’s well-suited (O’Toole was so disbelieving that ‘Omar Bedouin guide pulls a gun and a shot rings out. But it is the Sharif’ could possibly be his real name – it isn’t – that he guide who drops. The figure, dressed head to toe in black, affectionately called him Cairo Fred throughout Lawrence of Arabia’s production). But Sharif was less enamoured of like some spectral avenger, arrives and dismounts. ‘He is the glitz: ‘it gave me glory,’ he once said in interview, ‘but it dead,’ he announces. ‘Yes… Why?’ O’Toole says, angrily. gave me loneliness also. And a lot of missing my own land, ‘This is my well,’ the figure replies. ‘I have drunk from it,’ my own people and my own country’. O’Toole counters. The dark figure smiles: ‘You are welcome’. Given that sentiment, Sharif’s breakthrough into EnglishIt is one of the most astonishing entrances in cinema history. Filmed in a wide uncut shot using speaking roles – Doctor Zhivago, The a bespoke Panavision lens (which Yellow Rolls Royce, Genghis Khan, has never been used since) it creates Funny Girl, most notably – could Steven Spielberg still hardly have been more apposite: an almost unbearable amount of tension. Steven Spielberg still calls a role in which his character is so calls it the greatest it the greatest scene ever filmed. won over by an outsider’s spirit, he scene ever filmed The movie, of course, is Lawrence embraces him as one of his own, of Arabia (1962), in which O’Toole burning his British Army uniform plays T.E. Lawrence. It was, however, and giving him Arab robes to wear. the role of Sherif Ali – a noble, revolutionary, well owner of As in art, so in life: he and O’Toole enjoyed legendarily hardthe tribe Harith – that signalled the arrival to the big time partying together – ‘we’d drink without stopping for 48 hours, of Egyptian actor Omar Sharif – mathematician, physicist, we went hunting girls in every bar, every nightclub’, he once a sex symbol once seduced by a determined groupie at recalled – such that they even managed to get arrested the night before the movie’s premiere. gun-point, and world-class contract bridge player; a man who, during the 1970s, lost a £4.5m mansion only days after Indeed, the movie that made his matinee name has never been held in high esteem by Sharif, albeit that buying it. Indeed, the ‘Lawrence’ performance won Sharif his dismissal of it came with jokiness. ‘I think it’s a not only his iconic moustache (it was director David Lean’s insistence that he grow for the part what would become a great film’, he once noted, ‘but I am not very good in signature) but an Oscar nomination. Not bad, given the it. I also never thought anyone would go to see the film actor was originally slated to play the murdered guide. – three hours and 40 minutes of desert. And no girls!’
W: louisfourteen.com |
T: +971 (4) 425 7979
NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE. THE WORD ITSELF SAYS “I’M POSSIBLE”. Audrey Hepburn
Choose your membership and use your time wisely.