Emirates Woman - April 2020

A MOTIVATE PUBLICATION

APRIL 2020

UAE DHS25 OMAN RO2.70 BAHRAIN BD2.60 KUWAIT KD2.10

emirateswoman.com

GO YOUR OWN WAY ISSUE

RULE BREAKERS

RENEGADE BRANDS

BESPOKE LUXURY

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bloomingdales.ae

The Dubai Mall, UAE | 360 Mall, Kuwait

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Obaid Humaid Al Tayer MANAGING PARTNER AND GROUP EDITOR Ian Fairservice EDITOR/ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Amy Sessions FASHION AND BEAUTY EDITOR Natalie Westernoff SENIOR EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Cecilia D’Souza SENIOR ART DIRECTOR Olga Petroff DIGITAL STYLE EDITOR Diana Bell-Heather DIGITAL EDITOR Olivia Morris DIGITAL FEATURES WRITER EMIRATES WOMAN ARABIYA Diyana Hakmi WEB DEVELOPER Firoz Kaladi GENERAL MANAGER PRODUCTION Sunil Kumar ASSISTANT PRODUCTION MANAGER Binu Purandaran PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR Venita Pinto CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER Anthony Milne GROUP DIRECTOR Andrew Wingrove PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Carlos Pedroza GROUP SALES MANAGER Bindu Gupta bindu@motivate.ae SENIOR SALES MANAGER Neha Kannoth neha.kannoth@motivate.ae GROUP CREATIVE SOLUTIONS MANAGER Kelli Maddock kelli@motivate.ae CONTRIBUTORS Georgie Bradley

HEAD OFFICE Media One Tower, Dubai Media City, PO Box 2331, Dubai, UAE, Tel: (+971) 4 4273000, Fax: (+971) 4 4282261, E-mail: motivate@motivate.ae DUBAI MEDIA CITY Office 508, 5th Floor, Building 8, Tel: (+971) 4 3903550 Fax: (+971) 4 3904845 ABU DHABI PO Box 43072, UAE, Tel: (+971) 2 6772005 , Fax: (+971) 2 6770124, E-mail: motivate-adh@motivate.ae LONDON Acre House, 11/15 William Road, London NW1 3ER, UK, E-mail: motivateuk@motivate.ae

Printed by Emirates Printing Press, Dubai

serpent bohème collection

Editor’s Letter

Welcome to the Go Your Own Way Issue. This month, their very own. Venusrox London shares with us the Emirates Woman celebrates those breaking the mould, art of harnessing a little extra energy page 102 and we from our incredible cover star and woman of the learn how to boost our immune systems – something moment Amina Muaddi whose which seems increasingly relevant game-changing heels are now worn page 108. the globe over to EX NIHILO, Her Excellency Dr. Sara Al THIS MONTH WE the French-based fragrance Madani, renowned designer, multiCELEBRATE THOSE brand carving out its own niche, CEO, and the youngest board BREAKING THE MOULD. one scent at a time. Our cover, member of the Sharjah Chamber NECESSITY BREEDS featuring Repossi and shot in Paris of Commerce and Industry opens INVENTION. WE’RE HERE by acclaimed photographer Mous up page 120 about pursuing her TO CELEBRATE THINKING Lamrabat is a testament to the passion in the world of ethical OUTSIDE THE BOX. enduring legacy of high jewellery tech and beyond. Also, in the tech as we celebrate superlative cuts in space, we champion Drest page 56, the most modern form. the gaming app unveiled by former LA-based designers Jacquie Aiche page 46 and Nick Porter editor Lucy Yeomans, looking at how it’s tackling Fouquet page 52 share with us the morning routines the fashion industry from a new angle. that set them up for success and how they’ve grown Necessity breeds invention, we’re here to celebrate their brands whilst staying true to following a path of thinking outside the box.

Amy Sessions EDITOR / ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

T H E H E R O B U YS

Black chain strap boater hat Dhs 1,285 Ruslan Baginskiy at Moda Operandi

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Serti Sur Vide 18-karat rose gold diamond ear cuff Dhs 11,820 Repossi

Olivia leather and PVC over-the-knee boots Dhs 3,050 Amina Muaddi

Arabian oud scented candle, 300g Dhs227 Lumira

Floral print silk crepe de chine dress Dhs 7,795 Altuzarra at Net-A-Porter

CONTENTS APRIL 2020

Amazing Amina p.20

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37 The Cover FASHION

Western boots p.38 Chloé’s latest IT bags p.40 Jacquie Aiche’s LA cool p.46 THE MONITOR

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Milliner Nick Fouquet p.52

Fashion news p.18

Is fashion-styling app Drest the future? p.56

Accounts to follow this month p.36

Kristina Fidelskaya on her inspiration p.60

Serti Sur Vide Ring Dhs594,500 Brevis Ring Dhs943,000 both Repossi Leather jacket Fendi

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ROX AND ROLL

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CONTENTS APRIL 2020

Moving the Met p.114

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124

FEATURES BEAUTY

Your beauty cabinet p.79 Benoit Verdier co-founder of Ex Nihilo p.80

JEWELLERY

Fine jewellery from Marli New York p.52 What to buy at Galleria Mall p.64 Arm candy at its most precious p.74

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Superstylist to the stars Gabriel Waller p.86

Timeless creations from local brand, Odeen p.98 How to bolster your immune system p.108 The fashion industry’s escape from coronavirus p.110 Ingie Chalhoub, modern mentor p.112

The true benefits of plant extracts and essential oils p.88

Haifaa Al Mansour continues to pioneer p.118

Hair essentials from Davines p.93

HE Dr Sara Al Madani on going her own way p.120

Hot new buys p.94

LIFE

Amangiri, desert dream p.124 The jet set p.126 5 reasons to visit Sinners, Paris p.129 Other worldly hotels p.130 The fabulous world of Lisa Corti p.134 The directory p.136 The Fendi baguette p.138

WHERE DIVERSITY UNITES

CREATED AT DRIFT BEACH, DUBAI

800 4360

MARINAHOMEINTERIORS

Rose Tint

FROM THE R U N WAY

House of Dior continues to show its love for the Middle East with an exclusive Rose Gold capsule collection. The range consists of chic ready-to-wear pieces, new additions to the saddle bag and accessories that are sure to be your summer staples. With images shot by photographer Mazen Abusrour, we can’t wait for the launch. All of the pieces will be available in May at Dior boutiques

Designers must have indulged in some Once Upon A Time In Hollywood action as retro spirit ruled supreme on the SS20 runways with brands embracing the fluid energy of the 1960-70s

MISSONI

ALBERTA FERRETTI

THREE

ISABEL MARANT

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In case you haven’t caught on, white boots are a big deal this season. Easily worn with everything from lightweight summer dresses to pastel tailoring. Dhs4,340

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VALENTINO

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Valentino really delivers this season with sandals that work just as well with leather shorts as they do with a flowy maxi dress.

We love the playful tassel addition to these Rockstuds. Dhs 3,320

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ISABEL MARANT ÉTOILE

This summer packing essential is just as effective if you’re homeofficing or enjoying a staycation, once the travel bans have been lifted. Feel free to belt it to accentuate the waistline. Dhs 1,290

THE MONITOR – NEWS

FENDI

Contemporary Modesty The Holy Month of Ramadan is a few weeks away, and to mark the occasion Tiffany & Co. joined forces with Emirati fashion designer Yasmin Al Mulla for their latest campaign which showcases her edgy kaftans alongside the Tiffany T1 jewellery collection. Expect to see signature pastels, precision cuts and superlative fabrics from the designer whose attention to detail is second to none.

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BOHEMIAN TOUCH

Enjoy spending extra time in your personal sancturary with these new additions

Crystal-quartz and 18kt gold gilded bookends Dhs3,275 Aerin at MatchesFashion.com

Chevron lace pendant light natural Dhs545 White Moss

WORDS: DIANA BELL-HEATHER IMAGES: SUPPLIED AND GETTY

Candle Dhs315 Lava at Ounass.com

Ceylon day bed Dhs2,950 Tribe Dubai

THE MONITOR – NEWS

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Incredible Amina We spoke to Amina Muaddi, the designer who’s building a business empire one incredible shoe at a time, her way.

WORDS: AMY SESSIONS

PHOTOGRAPHY: MOUS LAMRABAT

Previous page: Berbère Necklace Dhs2,870,000 Repossi White bustier Mugler Leather pants Balenciaga This page: Serti Inversé Necklace Dhs1,476,000 Serti Inversé Ring Dhs430,500 both Repossi Leather dress Bottega Veneta

Blast Ring Dhs615,000 Antifer Ring – 12 Rows Dhs139,400 both Repossi Shoes Amina Muaddi Bodysuit Marine Serre at MyTheresa Leather pants Petar Petrov

Luminant Earcuff Dhs410,000 Brevis Ring Dhs 943 000 both Repossi Shoes Amina Muaddi Jacket and skirt Prada

Luminant Earcuff Dhs307,500 Serti Sur Vide Ring Dhs594 500 Brevis Ring Dhs943,000 all Repossi Shoes Amina Muaddi Leather jacket Fendi Pants Zeynep Arรงay at MyTheresa

What do your first 30 minutes of the day look like? I usually wake up, have a glass of water, a coffee and a fresh green juice. After that, I do my beauty routine – a few times a week I include a face mask. In the meantime I play with my dog, then I’ll check my phone (messages, emails, social media and lately The Pattern, this app I’m quite obsessed with).

Three times a week I go to the gym, sometimes I meditate. I’d like to do both more often. And then I start working.

You travel a lot. How do you maintain a sense of balance when you’re always on-the-go? I like travelling – surprisingly I get more productive when I’m not stuck in one place. My life centres around my work so I don’t know much about balance but I try to do the little things that make me feel good wherever I go.

It depends on what part of the process I’m in. I have weeks or months when I’m isolated between my office and my factory. That’s the only way I can bring out the bodies of work I have to build.

Did you always want to have your own brand and how did you know it was the right time? I guess I never liked having a boss. So that’s

bounce back. Often an obstacle is a signal or a blessing in disguise. I’m learning to accept things I can’t control and try to make new mistakes and not repeat the old ones.

Why do you think Amina Muaddi has become such a huge success so quickly? It took eight years to build my quick success. I started my first shoe company in 2012 and I was 26-years-old. I went through hard times and I had every issue a young designer and business owner can have, you name it. In the beginning I didn’t have sales agents, clients or good production partners. Then I needed financing, I had bad licensing deals and I even lost my company. But it all prepared me for a lot of life lessons. So, when I launched Amina Muaddi I did not want to make any compromises. I wanted my brand’s DNA, the collection, the visuals, and the retailers to fully represent the person I had evolved into. It was important for me for everything to feel modern and to be authentic. It’s been almost two years and every time I create a collection I remind myself to only put out work in which I believe in – collections that I would love to wear and imagery that I am

mendous growth it’s had. He’s also one of my best friends and our aesthetics match so its fun working together.

How challenging is it to work on both collections and how do you separate working, or do you feel they feed into each other? I guess it’s challenging time-wise as I have to respect certain deadlines and I make a lot of collections per season. But creatively speaking, I separate them by instinct. When I work as a consultant I get inspired by the universe of the brand. There’s always a part of me that is filtered through the DNA of that house.

How did you select the factory you work with and what was the initial process when you launched for your first collections? When I started my first company I did not have a factory – I was working with artisans, going from supplier to supplier to build my components and then had the shoe assembled. I did that for a year before any factory would want to work with me, it was crazy. Now I have multiple factories I work with. I started Amina Muaddi with an extensive background and a privileged position. I choose them based on their craftsmanship, quality,

“Everything Amina Muaddi is as the person behind the brand on social media is instinctive” how I knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur.

After working with fashion magazines for a while I realised that I should not put my dreams on hold and I decided to start my first shoe company. There is no right time, sometimes things work out sometimes they don’t.

But you have to be brave and start, take the first step and then be ready for the adventure.

It can be rare to have both the creative and business side of the brains – you have both.

Did it come naturally from the outset? Thank you, I try to even though nobody is great at everything. I think an important skill to have is to be able to find solutions on-the-go.

When you have a company, new issues arise every day. You have to have a positive mindset and a problem-solving mentality otherwise you’ll see everything as an obstacle and drown into your issues. It’s also important to surround yourself with a good team and people who are good at things you are not.

What has been the biggest hurdle since starting your own brand and how did you overcome it? I encounter hurdles every day.

It’s all about your mindset. When an issue arises, I’ll get upset but then I immediately think of how I can solve it. I take things as they come, day by day. Life is not perfect, we have to take what gets thrown at us and

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proud of. I’d rather do less, take my time and make sure that I do all of that.

How did you arrive at your signature heel style – what was the inspiration? I didn’t think of creating a signature heel. I had designed the entire collection and I just felt it looked too classic. I wanted it to look edgier and more modern.

I love vintage looking flared, chunky heels but they don’t look as refined as stiletto heels do. So, I thought of taking the body of a stiletto heel and ending it like a massive flared heel. I wanted to make a feminine heel that looked fresh and didn’t sacrifice our comfort. So, I designed it and flew to Venice, made the heel in one day with my technician and flew back to Paris. I ended up putting it on most of the styles in the collection. I did not know at the time how people would react to it, but they loved it and my first collection sold out in a day with most retailers.

You’ve worked with Alexandre Vauthier on his collection – tell us about that collaboration? I still work with Alexandre Vauthier – I develop all his footwear collection. We created the footwear category of his brand together and I’m very attached to the project since I started it with him. It’s been five years now and we are happy with the tre-

F E AT U R E

delivery time and commitment to my brand and excellence. If there are issues, because sometimes things happen, we understand if we can solve them or change partners.

How often do you travel to visit the factory? It depends on which part of the process I’m in.

Sometimes I go to my suppliers to build my lasts and heels, sometimes to my factories to see prototypes. A couple times a month I take a few days for that. I actually love being in the factory more than in the office.

As the best brand ambassador for Amina Muaddi, what else does that role entail to build the brand? Everything Amina Muaddi is as the person behind the brand on social media is instinctive. I dress and style my shoes how I feel. I post when I’m in the mood to do so, I share only what I feel comfortable with sharing. Whether people think that’s OK or not, it’s authentic and it works for me and that’s what matters. I am happy if people think I am a good ambassador for my brand, but that’s just a plus to my work.

You have clients the globe over – do you see any buying patterns based on regions or countries? All I see is cool women around the world wearing my shoes. And that makes me happy. In my case I don’t see as many patterns as other brands might

Serti Sur Vide Earcuff Dhs13,100 Serti InversĂŠ Bracelet Dhs799,500 both Repossi Shoes Amina Muaddi Dress Paco Rabanne

see. Certain buyers in the US for example, are not used to buying colour, yet with my brand they say they sell out of colourful styles very fast. I think my customer is a global woman, a citizen of the world. And she wants to look great and be comfortable while being just that.

What in this market is luxury? Luxury to me is doing things my own way and not feeling I have to fully respect the rules the system gave us. And in terms of product, luxury is something timeless with impeccable quality that has a world and history of craftsmanship behind it. Nothing is perfect, and I don’t strive for perfection, but to give my all in order to create and give my clients the best possible version of my work.

How do you approach client engagement and retention? Even though I don’t do direct-to-consumer sales yet, I have a genuine relationship with my clients. If they experience an issue, they’ll DM me on Instagram and I’ll make sure it’s solved. They tell me what they like, what they want me to bring back and what they are annoyed about and I take notes. I believe that your customer is your boss and I am lucky to have a digital friendship with them.

Tell us about how the FENTY collaboration happened? Rihanna is a muse, client and a genuine ambassador of the brand.

When I launched Amina Muaddi, Jahleel Weaver, Rih’s stylist and now Fenty’s deputy creative director messaged me to congratulate me on the launch. He told me he loved the collection and had purchased multiple pairs for her from several retailers.

She started rocking my collection and a few months after Fenty launched they reached out to me to be a part of the project. It’s exciting and I am thrilled to work with such an inspiring woman and the Fenty team.

The first Fenty drop designed by me will launch in June 2020.

We love Alfie – your French bulldog. How has life changed since having him and how do you travel with him? He filled my life with love and positivity. I never feel lonely with him.

I can’t travel with him a lot, because of his breed and weight, but where we are allowed I love having him with me. He brings me joy.

You’re friends with The Attico girls and Tina

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Kunakey- how did you all meet, via the industry? I’ve been friends with Giorgia for 10 years and with Gilda for about five years.

We all went to university in Milan and met right after we finished, through common friends. I met Tina in Ibiza in 2017, through her husband’s sister while we were vacationing together. When I moved to Paris she was by my side and was there for me during difficult times. Tina was one of the few friends I had in Paris and is now one of my closest.

So of course, when I launched my brand, she starred in my first campaign.

Are you an under packer or an over packer?

Slow packer, over packer, forgetful packer, worst packer. I hate packing.

How do you like to dress off-duty? I always wear leather pants or denim and a tee/ hoodie/sweater. That’s my uniform. But sometimes I get bored and switch up to a “more is more” type of look. I’m a Gemini so when I need to be stimulated, I change.

Whose style in the fashion industry do you admire? So many women! I am lucky to be surrounded by cool, chic women – my friends are Holli Rogers, Barbara Martelo, Christine Centenera, Julia Sarr Jamois, Giorgia and Gilda and many more. And of course, my muse Rihanna.

Are you an online shopper, where do you shop online? I guess I’m an online researcher but I still like to shop in physical stores. I prefer the retail experience. I love seeing the interiors and universe of a brand, touching the fabrics, trying on the product to understand the tailoring and the fit. I love my job and doing research, but to be honest I’m not obsessed with shopping so I do it rarely – mostly when I travel.

What was your first investment piece? Shoes.

Prada shoes!

Which Instagram accounts do you follow for fashion & beauty? So many! For fashion, many of my friends! I also like stylist Ursina Gysi’s aesthetics, sculpting in time and Prada archives. For beauty I follow Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and her Rose Inc, my make-up artist @aliandreamakeup and @ intothegloss.

What is your in-flight beauty routine? I never wear makeup on a flight. I like to use a mask, whether cream or sheet, then I’ll do my usu-

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al beauty routine: a serum, eye cream and face cream. I spray a lot of hydrating water mist on my face throughout the flight. And I drink a lot of water to balance the guilt because I snack non-stop on long flights.

Do you have any pre-bedtime rituals? When I’m not too tired I like to take a bath, moisturise, do my beauty routine, spray some lavender on the sheets and have a warm tea infusion. But sometimes after work, I barely have the energy to wash my face and apply my creams.I love watching Friends before I go to bed or read a little, otherwise I can’t fall asleep easily.

What do you carry with you always when travelling? It depends where I travel! But my passport and my heels always! The of course my phone charger and battery. My beauty cases: one for all my products, one for my makeup. And then the clothes depend on the destination.

What effect has social media played in your career? Nowadays social media is important to any brand and it had an important role in diffusing mine. To begin with, I launched my brand on social media. I went to a big PR firm before and told them I wanted to do a ‘See Now Buy Now’ launch through social platforms – as my first collection was going to be sold almost exclusively online through key retailers. They tried to convince me to change my mind so I moved on and decided to launch on my own just by posting the first campaign images on Instagram. When the first drop sold out in a day I was shocked but I realised how amazing it is that we are to be able to communicate with our clients and with the press without a filter. We can find out faster and more directly from them how they react to the product.

What advice would you give to your younger self starting out? I suffered a lot from stress when I created my first company. I would tell myself to accept the things I cannot change.

God knows better, His plan is always better than ours.

If you had not launched Amina Muaddi, which other role would you choose career-wise?

I’d still be a creative and an entrepreneur. I like fashion, interiors, travel, art, food and I like helping people – so probably something where I can blend those worlds together.

COVER STAR AMINA MUADDI;EDITOR / ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER AMY SESSIONS; PHOTOGRAPHER MOUS LAMRABAT AT ARTSPHERE; STYLIST YASMINA BENABDELKRIM; HAIR STYLIST JULIE BENNADJI; MAKEUP ARTIST ANDREA ALI AT THE WALL GROUP; PRODUCTION AGENT MARIE JUNCKER; CREATIVE SOLUTIONS MANGER KELLI MADDOCK; PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATOR DIANA BELL-HEATHER

“I communicate my brand.

I don’t need anybody to do it for me”

Brevis Necklace Dhs6,888,000 Repossi Black Blazer and shorts Mugler

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Social Listings

@amani_ballour

@coperni

@gretathunberg

@halima

Amani Ballour is the first ever woman in charge of a hospital in Syria during the war. Her work in that role formed the storyline of the Syrian documentary, The Cave from National Geographic Documentary Films, which was nominated for an Oscar this year.

Coperni is a Parisian ready-to-wear and accessories brand designed by Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant.

It was in 2013 that Sébastien decided to create Coperni with the help of Arnaud, who also works at Balenciaga.

The brand staged its first show at Paris Fashion week in 2020.

In May 2018, aged 15, Swedish Greta won a climate change essay competition in a local newspaper. Later on, she started demonstrating with a sign that read ‘School Strike for Climate’. By December 2018, more than 20,000 students around the world had joined her including Australia, UK and the US.

Halima Aden is a Somali-American fashion model famous for being the first woman to wear a hijab in the Miss Minnesota USA pageant. After that, Halima received national attention and was signed to IMG Models as the first Hijabi Model. Halima Aden became a UNICEF Ambassador in July 2018.

@jacquieaiche

@mouslamrabat

@nickfouquet

@niswaorg

Cult LA-based brand, Jacquie Aiche gives a nod to her Egyptian roots thoughout her deisgns which she creates using only the most handselected of crystals for thier energy giving properties. Aiche’s designs are loved the globe over by Behati Prinsloo, Kylie Jenner and Rihanna.

Acclaimed photographer Mous Lamrabat was born in Morocco. After studying interior design, he discovered art and began to use his cultural experiences by fusing Western and Moroccan aesthetics to create his unique vision. Rich Moroccan heritage is present in everything he portraits.

LA - based brand Nick Fouquet, has a BA in Environmental Science and Sustainable Development. He creates customised hats where the flow of designs “come from travel, art, love and myself”. His creations have been worn

by Madonna and Pharrell Williams and all carry his signature matchstick.

Founded by Zainab Alradhi, it’s one of the first spaces committed to promoting body literacy for Arab women.

Niswa is dedicated to empowering women through reconnecting with their cycles and taking charge of their fertility. She has a B.S in Health Sciences from the University of Michigan.

@remieakl

@repossi

@taleedah

@winnieharlow

Lebanese artist Rémie Akel decided that her artistic start would be by raising the voice of every Arab person.

She directed and wrote a short video entitled My Arabic. On International Women’s Day 2020, she released a video with over 150k views.

The Italian jewellery house founded in 1920 in Turin by Gian Petro Repossi is built around four generations. At the age of 21, Gaia Repossi was appointed creative and artistic director of the House. The Berbère Collection 2010 was the groundbreaker for the House of Repossi.

Taleedah Tamer first made history back in 2018, as the first Saudi model to walk during Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week. The young model opened for Antonio Grimaldi in a dramatic white suit. Taleedah is the first Saudi Arabian model to be featured on the cover of an international magazine.

Jamaican-Canadian model Winnie Harlow is the world’s first model with vitiligo. She became famous after being on America’s Next Top Model. Since then she has catapulted onto the covers of the biggest fashion magazines in the world and continues to shed a positive light on vitiligo.

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THE MONITOR – NEWS

COMPILED: DIYANA HAKMI

A curated list of who to #follow this month

IMAGE: GETTY

FASHION FILE

B O H E M I A N P R I N T S AT E T R O S / S 2 0

WORDS: AMY SESSIONS

Isabel Marant S/S20

An ideal investment if you’re an off-duty dresser, the Western boot looks appropriate with S/S20’s handicraft trend if you’re Greek-island bound or with the season’s hottest shorts for summer in the city.

Tall or short, you’ll have a pair of these for life.

THE HERO BUY WESTERN BOOTS

Your perfect travel companion for the open roads or the concrete jungle

Duerto studded suede boots Dhs 3,350; Lamsy embellished suede ankle boots Dhs 3,6450; Duerto embroidered leather boots Dhs 3,350 all Isabel Marant at Net-A-Porter

FAS H I O N

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IMAGES: CHLOÉ WORDS: AMY SESSIONS

W I L D

A N D

F R E E

INSPIRED BY EQUESTRIAN REINS, CHLOÉ'S LATEST BAGS DELIVER A FREESPIRITED FEEL FOR SUMMER

FAS H I O N

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Daria and Darryl bags available from ChloĂŠ

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FAS H I O N

TREASURE TRIBE

LA-based jewellery designer Jacquie Aiche has built a brand based around a heady mix of nature’s beauty and real connections. We were lucky enough to sit with Aiche and her tribe in Paris to find out more about organic success and staying true to yourself WORDS: AMY SESSIONS

01. What do your first 30 minutes of the day look like? I love to begin my day with a short meditation. I find whenever I take time to meditate, I feel more grounded and present. Then I’ll check my emails, get dressed and do a quick Pilates session.

There’s no better way to feel energised and clear your mind.

02. Your schedule is packed with work/ family/ travel. How do you maintain a sense of balance when you’re always on-the-go? It’s all about the little things. I give myself moments throughout the day to reconnect and re-energise. Whether it's with a spray of Gypsy Face Mist, lighting up my favourite candle, or listening to Kundalini music to re-centre. It’s so important to take time for yourself.

03.

At the age of eight you were painting on rocks and selling them to neighbors – did you feel entrepreneurial from then? I’ve never been afraid to try new things. Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve had a rebellious, creative side to me, and I believe that fuels my entrepreneurial spirit. You have to be willing to get into some trouble!

04. Did the path to launching Jacquie Aiche feel like an organic one or did you only want to have your own business from the outset? This entire journey felt organic. I have always followed my intuition, designing just lights me up inside. Putting that type of energy out into the Universe attracts magic, and everything else just falls into place.

05. How did having your own boutique before launching your brand give you insight into what drives sales and what did you notice? My time with the boutique was so pivotal because it opened my eyes to what was missing from fine jewellery. I wanted to give women layers that made them feel feminine, playful and strong – pieces that they would never take off. When I saw the way customers were responding to my designs, I knew this was what I was meant to do.

06. It can be rare to have both the creative and business side of the brains. How have you chosen the tribe around you at Jacquie Aiche to support both? I choose every member of my tribe based on feeling. I’m so lucky to be surrounded by incredible women who have passion and drive. They love this business just as much as I do and when you have a group of women all working toward the same goal, only good things can happen.

07. What has been the biggest hurdle since starting your own brand and how did you overcome it? Of course, there are ups and downs to everything. I can’t think of

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one hurdle that stands out more than the rest. When a challenge does come up, the support of my tribe makes it feel so small.

08. Do you have any mentors who helped guide you along the way? My father is my greatest mentor. He is an amazing businessman and dad. I’m constantly picking his brain and he advises me on any decisions I need guidance on. He truly is the best.

09. Why do you think Jacquie Aiche has become such a loyal following and how do you cater to ensuring there’s something new for them always? I think women are drawn to fine jewellery that is intentional and personal. Pieces that make you feel empowered as soon as they touch the skin. I never stop creating, I love playing with my crystals, blending them together and finding stones that can provide a sense of balance.

10. Have you created any memorable bespoke pieces for clients? We have created many bespoke pieces, whether it’s an engagement ring, a push present, or a custom vial for ashes of a beloved. We are happy to bring a client’s vision to life.

11. How do you source your stones and do you notice a particular connection to one type yourself ? I’ve been working with the same miners for years, they always provide me with the best Mother Nature has to offer.

The gemstone I gravitate towards depends on what I need at that moment. I’ve been so drawn to Turquoise all my life. Whatever the season, it’s like my own slice of sunshine.

12. You’ve worked with the same team who handmake your pieces from the start.

How have you been able to retain this while scaling the business? My production team is like my family. They’ve always understood my vision and they work so incredibly hard.

We understand each other so well. Our constant communication and trust are what has made growing this business possible.

13. As the best brand ambassador for Jacquie Aiche, what else do you feel is now demanded of you as the market focuses on social media and immediacy? I don’t feel a demand, so much as a desire to engage with my tribe. It’s important for me to connect with them via social media – to share my newest creations, hear what they love, and what they want to see more of.

14.

You have clients the globe over – do you see any buying patterns based on regions or countries? Jewellery is incredibly personal. I’ve found that no matter where you are in the world, every woman

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From left: Yellow Gold Pave Diamond Rutilated Quartz Aladdin Rounded Crystal Necklace Dhs22,000; Rose Gold Large Pave Diamond Rutilated Quartz Aladdin Spear Necklace with Pear Shape Rose Cut Diamond Center Dhs47,750; Rose Gold Small Pave Diamond Rutilated Quartz Aladdin Spear Necklace with Teardrop Diamond Center Dhs19,295

has their own, unique style. Whether that’s body jewellery, opal inlay amulets or layers of diamonds and gold.

15. What in this market is luxury? Something that makes you feel confident and beautiful...like the true goddess that you are.

16. How do you approach client engagement and retention? I honestly don’t think of ‘client engagement and retention’. I consider my clients to be my tribe – I feel so grateful for each and every woman who wears my designs. I live in that appreciation, and everything I do is done with the intention to spread love.

17. You’re LA-based – how do you think this has helped or hindered growing your business? I love the carefree vibe of Los Angeles. Women need jewellery that works

22.

Which Instagram accounts do you follow for inspiration? A few of my favourites whenever I’m in need of a little inspirations are @risingwoman, @thenakedtiger, @mysticmama, @merchantmodern.

23. Where else is left on your bucket list to visit if you could choose anywhere? I still have so many places I want to visit...the top three on my bucket list are definitely the Middle East, Australia and South Africa.

24. What is your in-flight beauty routine? I never travel without my La Mer eye serum, La Prairie lip balm, Gypsy Rose Face Mist, and Babor Hydra plus ampoules. This is the recipe that keeps my skin hydrated and glowing.

25. Do you have any pre-bedtime rituals? I wash my face every night, then immediately apply a layer of Gypsy Glow. I love a cup of chamomile tea to sip on as I write out my to-do list for the following day. And I love to get a good stretch in before bed.

well with their lifestyle – pieces that are transitional, beautiful and easy. Layers of diamonds and gold are so easy to live in, all of the jewellery I design carries that Californian energy. And I think women from all over the world are attracted to that energy.

18. How do you like to dress off-duty?

Denim shorts, floral dresses, and layers of crystals, diamonds and gold adornments.

You’ll always find me barefoot and free.

19.

Whose style do you admire?

I have a few muses I admire: Rosie Huntington-Whitely has the ultimate classically chic style. I love Rihanna’s rebellious, artistic approach and Steven Tyler is an icon with his boho, hippie vibe.

20. Are you an online shopper? Where do you shop online? I’m an avid online shopper. My go-tos are Matches Fashion, NetA-Porter, My Theresa and Moda Operandi.

21. What was your first investment piece? My first investment piece was my Elizabeth necklace and I wear it everyday.

26. What do you carry with you always when travelling? I have a little bag of essentials that has turned into my jet lag kit. It always has my chargers, Advil, hand sanitiser, lotion, a pillow, Melatonin and a blanket.

27. What advice would you give to your younger self starting out? Believe in yourself always. And enjoy the ride!

28. If you had not launched Jacquie Aiche, which other role would you choose career-wise? I love aromatherapy. I would probably be creating my own blends of essential oils. There’s nothing like giving women the medicine that makes them feel beautiful and empowered. If it wasn’t jewellery, it would be something just as special.

29. If you could suggest one stone to optimise anyone’s happiness which would it be?

I could never choose just one. Everyone has different crystal cravings based on what they need to stay balanced.

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This issue is the ‘Go your own way Issue’ – what does it mean to you to go your own way? It means you listen to your intuition more than the opinions of others. Trust in the journey.

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From top: Rose Quartz and Pave Diamond Pendulum Necklace on Diamond Bar Chain Dhs26,650; Yellow Gold Pave Diamond Abalone Horn Charm with Grey Moonstone Center Dhs22,500

Clockwise from left: Selections of pendants, POA; Jacquie Aiche

“Women need jewellery that works well with their lifestyle. Layers of diamonds and gold are so easy to live in, all of the jewellery I design carries that Californian energy” – Jacquie Aiche

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THE FREE SPIRIT WORDS: AMY SESSIONS

IMAGES: ASHLEY NOELLE

Nick Fouquet has carved out a name for himself as a renegade. The LA-based milliner creates one-of-a kind pieces that are worn the globe over by an arm of dedicated clients who love their free-spirited aesthetic What do your first 30 minutes of the day look like? I love my mornings, it’s my time to get centred so I make sure to keep my phone on airplane mode and don’t turn it on for at least the first hour of my morning. Afterward, I brush my teeth and wash my face with cold water. I make Yerba Mate tea, stretch, read, write and meditate for 20 minutes. That’s my morning.

Your schedule is packed. How do you maintain a sense of balance when you’re always on-the-go? It’s important to drink a lot of water and take time for yourself when you're able to have a little off time.

Surfing is something that helps me recalibrate, I try to stretch and exercise my mind and body daily so I feel sharp.

You grew up in France and New York. How do you think those two places have impacted your design aesthetic? Living in a bi-cultural upbringing has tremendously helped my design aesthetic overall.

I’ve been able to tap into both worlds and take what I love from each.

I feel I have an advantage where my viewpoint is broader. I feel so fortunate with how I was brought up, it has been the most useful barometer for my aesthetic.

Did the path to launching Nick Fouquet feel organic and how did you know it was the right time? I never knew if it was or wasn’t the right

time – I was young and naive and fearless. I saw there was a gap in the market for luxury headwear, I was passionate about the venture and honestly didn’t plan enormously as I just took action. Looking back, it was the right time, a lot of hard work, and passion. That recipe is usually a sign of success.

Do you feel more drawn to the creative or the business side of the brand and how have you grown the team to support this? I definitely think of myself more like a creative soul than a business exec. My mind looks and sees things in a different way, I love the creative process and especially the collaborative process. I have to admit that over the years the business side of the brand has been really exciting where I once saw it as something scary. The administrative component of running a business is paramount. I have had to switch my creative hat on and off for the business, no pun intended. I couldn’t have imagined how much I would have enjoyed to learn about the inter-workings of my business and feel that it has given me wings to trust and then be more creative in the process by fundamentally understanding the business elements to my work.

What has been the biggest hurdle since starting your own brand and how did you overcome it? The biggest hurdle for me is team manage-

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ment, I’ve realised it’s not my strong suit and very happy to delegate that task to someone else on my team today. I think it’s important to be aware of your strengths and weaknesses, then realise it and hand it to someone where it’s their strength.

Do you have any mentors who helped guide you on your way? I have many mentors / guides in every aspect of my life, spiritually, in business, with family and at home. I am constantly in contact with them in order to help me navigate work. Running a business with several employees and overheads, is very trying on the soul. It’s important to have a spiritual outlook on your business. There are constant surprises in running a business and it’s important to have people to help you navigate those areas. My business has taught me more about myself than I could have ever imagined.

Why do you think Nick Fouquet has amassed such a loyal following and how do you cater to ensuring there’s always something new? I think the brand has garnered a loyal following because there’s a rebellious attitude to what we do. I’ve never really worried what people thought if I did this or that. It’s all from the heart. I was always striving to bring quality and passion to my work, and people feel that.

I’ve been excited to share my universe since I was a kid, it makes me so happy people enjoy it... and it’s just the beginning!

Have you created any memorable bespoke pieces for clients? I’ve created a vast number of bespoke pieces for clients. Some of the most memorable ones recently include the team from Marilyn Manson asking me to create a hat for the album cover. I don’t know where it came from, but it came out unique and I love those unexpected bursts of creative divine intervention from the cosmos.

How do you select the materials you use and where do you source them from? I talk with my team to look at all our raw materials and ensure we get the best quality possible for everything. I source as much as I can domestically. When I build a collection I usually build a storyline on a certain geographic region. So, I will perhaps get accoutrements from Peru or Morocco based on the vibe of the collection.

Have you worked with the same team who hand make your pieces from the start and how does each design come to life? I’ve been fortunate enough to hold on to my same team for years, so they understand my crazy process.

The team is paramount and I’m grateful I have such an amazing team to help me bring my vision to life. The designs come to life through me and my interpretation of a collection, I’m the one that creates all the first pieces in the collection and then my team helps me replicate them. Sometimes bespoke client creations spark ideas for collections and other designs. Ultimately the clients come with great ideas and challenges which in turns helps me design.

Each piece takes 22 steps to complete using special techniques to achieve the love-worn patinas that make them so unique. Tell us about the process? The process is very extensive and I laugh with people to let them know it takes 22+ steps to create a beautiful piece and in the end, we burn it down! There’s something symbolic for me about this.

The matchstick is your signature. Why? The matchstick is the spark of creativity. I love the symbolism of it.

What is your approach to scaling the business? For me it’s to continue to make things I love in other categories, although I don’t think it’s wise to diversify into things you’re not passionate about. We have a lot of new products coming out soon that I'm excited about.

As the best brand ambassador for your own brand, what else does this entail when it comes to a demanding market? This is something that is very burdensome on the soul. The need to create content is

important but is a huge challenge as there is constant need to post and share and express what we’re doing. It’s a phenomenal and powerful tool and I love when my followers engage and are excited. It’s more work than I could have imagined.

You have clients the globe over – do you see any buying patterns based on regions or countries? I don’t, I think people love uniqueness and creativity, I strive to offer that.

What in this market is luxury? My friend and I say, if you can remove the logo and it’s made with quality, then that’s luxury.

How do you approach client engagement and retention? I do this by reinventing and creating stories through my social media. We keep things fresh and have fun, people love to see fun!

You’re LA-based – how do you think this has helped or hindered growing your business? I think LA is at the forefront of so many creative movements. It’s helped me as there’s so much excitement in LA. Being here has allowed me to express my California dreaming – it’s given me a platform. I go to Paris four times a year and I’ve seen the influence of Californian culture on the runways during Fashion Week and it makes me proud.

What’s your signature style? My personal style changes day-to-day, I can wear a blazer to work and I wear a lot of denim in the workshop.

It’s a French country club meets bohemian mix... if that’s a thing?

You’re a surfer – has following your own path resulted from a need for freedom to travel? Absolutely. I’ve never thought about it in that way, but yes. I’m a seeker and surfing offers that, finding new undiscovered places, it’s a very mystical and imaginative world. Surfing has saved my life, and I just love the culture of it. It's minimal and at one with nature.

You’ve partnered with e-commerce brands such as Matches Fashion, Net-A-Porter and Farfetch. How has opening up into this world changed the business? It was early on when I decided to get into wholesale. I wasn’t so sure of doing it. I still to this day keep a tight and limited distribution to only the best luxury boutique and online players, but through this I’ve been able to reach clients I didn’t know I had and who didn’t know the brand, so that’s been a huge benefit. I guess it’s been a sort of customer acquisition through those channels.

What is your personal favourite piece to wear?

I have one hat that’s natural and patina. Over the years I have had every single one of my team members sign it, so it has all these cool and different signatures. It’s very personal.

Which Instagram accounts do you follow for inspiration? I love looking at NASA and interior decoration accounts, nature and interiors.

Where else is left on your bucket list to visit if you could choose anywhere? There are so many places like: Cape Town, Madagascar, Iceland, Dubai, Sri Lanka... this list goes on. I’ll go to the moon if I can one day.

Do you have any pre-bedtime rituals? I make a to-do list for the following day.

What do you carry with you always when travelling? I carry my watch my uncle gave me when I travel. I find that it centres me.

What advice would you give to your younger self starting out? I would have said enjoy the moments and don’t worry so much, everything is working out exactly as it’s supposed to.

If you had not launched Nick Fouquet, which other role would you choose career-wise? I probably would have worked for National Geographic or Patagonia.

This issue is the ‘Go your own way Issue’ – what does it mean to you to go your own way? Going your own way, means to be free.

IMAGES: ASHLEY NOELLE; ALL HATS AVAILABLE AT NICKFOUQUET.COM

“When I build a collection I usually build a storyline on a certain geographic region.

So, I will perhaps get accoutrements from Peru or Morocco based on the vibe of the collection”

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FASHION GAME Is Drest about to change our digital shopping experience?

WO R D S : D I A N A B E L L- H E AT H E R

More and more of us are embracing virtual reality, but how does gaming cross into the territory of style?

Enter Drest: the world’s first luxury convergence platform with gamification, shopping, creativity, content and entertainment.

Imagined and founded by Lucy Yeomans, former editor-in-chief of Porter, Net-A-Porter and Harper’s Bazaar UK, it turns gamers into stylists and allows fashion brands to connect with consumers in a creative and interactive way.

If you’re questioning whether this concept will work, just know that in 2019, 63 per cent of mobile-game consumers were women, and augmented reality technology is only growing day by day. Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Prada, Off-White, Loewe, Chloé, Thom Browne, Burberry and Stella McCartney are already on board, and the app is still in its soft launch phase with full features set to be rolled out later this year.

So how does it work? You get to flex your styling muscles by dressing up an avatar – it could be the world’s top supermodel like Natalia Vodianova or one of your favourite influencers – using in-game currency. Once you have chosen her hair and makeup, positioned her in whatever setting you want, your look is released to the Drest community for

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users to rate. If you fall in love with the look, you can then shop it via Farfetch. With time, users will have their own avatar to style.

Drest aims to democratise fashion content, and encourages the sustainable production of content as well as thoughtful consumerism, allowing fashion lovers to express themselves and experiment virtually – to ‘style before they buy’. The platform will also incorporate philanthropy at its core by spearheading initiatives as well as donating five per cent of every micro-transaction generated in-game to causes that support digital responsibility, mental health, body positivity and female empowerment.

Below, we speak to key members of the Drest team to learn more about why this is the future of gaming and fashion.

Lucy Yeomans, creator, founder & CEO, Drest When did you realise that a gaming element can help a lot with engaging people in fashion? About ten years ago, when my nephews discovered video games, I noticed an interesting synergy between gaming and fashion.

The two worlds actually have a great deal in common: immersive storytelling and fundamental elements of fantasy and es-

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capism. Back then, gaming was very much targeted at a young male audience, whereas now the gaming audience is larger than that of film, television and music audiences combined and more than 60 per cent of those engaging with gaming are female.

During my Net-A-Porter years, brands were increasingly asking for ideas and content pitches that would resonate with the Millennial and Gen Z audiences so they could engage with them in innovative and more immersive ways, gaming affords a uniquely interactive and highly engaging experience and so my idea to create the world’s first luxury fashion game was born.

You instantly had a number of luxury brands on board. What was it about the concept that appealed to them? The brands were excited about how the new frontier, Drest, provided engagement and connection in a highly immersive and creative way with fashion lovers on a global scale. The platform weaves inspirational real-time editorial content in the form of styling challenges, virtual and real-life new season clothes, avatars created from fashion and celebrity talent, as well as community features, allowing users to be inspired by the thousands of creations of other Drest stylists. Our worldwide partnership with Gucci launched in October last year –

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Lucy Yeomans

Lisa Bridgett

We currently work with over 160 of the world’s leading luxury fashion brands including Bottega Veneta, Prada, Off-White, Loewe, Chloé, Thom Browne, Burberry and Stella McCartney

we cast one of their faces, Unia Pakhomova, into the game so that the dedicated brand challenges were truly representative of their Autumn/Winter 2019 campaign. We currently work with over 160 of the world’s leading luxury fashion brands including Bottega Veneta, Prada, Off-White, Loewe, Chloé, Thom Browne, Burberry and Stella McCartney – and this list is continually growing.

How has your career background helped shape the app? I took on the role of editorin-chief at Harper’s & Queen aged 29, and led the rebrand to Harper’s Bazaar UK, which at the time, was considered a rather

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radical move. After twelve years I joined luxury e-tailer, Net-A-Porter to oversee and deliver their content strategy and launch the company’s weekly digital magazine, The Edit, followed by a bi-monthly fully shoppable print title, Porter. Until then, editorial content and e-commerce had never been so deeply linked. I saw the fusion of a seamless end-to-end fashion experience with a game-changing service element as a way to truly elevate the content experience and better serve the reader. Drest is this and more – I am forever fascinated figuring out how to captivate and delight our reader, our shopper and now our user.

What do you hope users will take away? I hope Drest will allow a wider audience to get close to the highly creative and expressive world of fashion: getting to know the designers, the brands, the stylists, the models and their stories, as well as, of course, discovering the eclectic and beautiful array of luxury products at close quarters. Above all, however, I hope Drest will become a place for users to unleash and realise their creativity. The platform encourages and celebrates individuality and self-expression and I am constantly blown away by the beauty and flair of our users’ creations.

Talk us through a little bit about how you built a team for Drest – what qualities were you looking for? Firstly, a total passion for and belief in the project. Whether recruiting a head of brand partnerships, a chief technology officer, a fashion director or a game economist, it is fundamental that everyone is 100 per cent into the idea, as well as being ambitious, creative and agile in their thinking. It has been fascinating bringing together talents from different worlds and disciplines. I have quickly learned to really value the people who are willing to learn about different elements of the business other than their own. Start-ups can also be tough and stressful at times, so creating and promoting a culture of kindness and collaboration has also been key.

There’s also an element of philanthropy in the business? We have embedded philanthropy into the very core of Drest. We will be creating interactive storytelling to support and promote the charities selected by our guest talent, our brands, our own company and, in time, our users. We have also committed to donate five per cent of all inapp purchases to these pledged causes.

What was it like entering a gaming space from a fashion angle? Some have said that the bringing together of the worlds of fashion and gaming is an industry disruptor, whereas I see Drest, like other technology innovations, as simply the next step in the evolution and democratisation of the fashion content, inspiration and discovery journey. And one, that I hope, adds a new layer

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of fun, creativity and delight to the experience, enabling audiences everywhere, and not just the select few, to have access to, discover and enjoy all that our incredible world has to offer.

What is your viewpoint on digital-only collections? Digital fashion offers a fun and exciting way to scratch that desire for newness and a creative way to say something about your style and aesthetics and discover fashion in a sustainable way. However, there is a need for real-life garments and, I hope, an appreciation of the beautiful craftsmanship so many talented designers display through their collections.

We spend more time on our phones than ever, how do you manage to switch off? I am a big walker – be it in London or the country – I love being outside so am particularly excited about an upcoming collaboration between Drest and a fitness app that promotes and rewards taking steps outside.

I also love to read, and since my daughter started reading (she’s now seven) I have abandoned the Kindle in favour of printed books so she understands the difference between me working and being on email and actually enjoying a great novel or biography.

In a fast-moving tech world, how does Drest stand out and what are your ambitions?

Drest blends the real and virtual fashion worlds together like no other app, giving users access to the most influential and inspirational people, brands and locations. This year we are launching an incredible cast of real-life supermodels into the game and will grow our digital assortment to include menswear, fine jewellery and watches. Our roadmap is filled with new features – one of which will be part of our exciting partnership with Elbi – Natalia Vodianova’s social enterprise platform. We will integrate philanthropy into our tech, enabling users to learn about and donate directly to charities without having to leave the Drest app.

IMAGES: SUPPLIED

Lisa Bridgett, chief operating officer, Drest What was it about the concept of Drest that appealed to you? Drest has so many facets; it’s a polyconcept, a true convergence platform that interweaves gamification, personalised daily content and e-commerce into one. We are carving out a greenfield business model which really excites me.

How has your experience at Net-A-Porter and The Modist shaped your approach to Drest?

Net-A-Porter provided me with a bedrock of learning across the world of fashion and ecommerce. I learned practically everything I know around retail and digital from my time there. Following that, The Modist introduced me to the world of the start-up – it was an incredible experience and I was lucky to work with an incredible founding team.

Both roles have set me up for so much success as I re-join Lucy in this new venture.

Before taking on the role, did you have much experience with phone gaming? I’ve been obsessed with Two Dots (a game that Emily was core to building) for a long while; I use mobile gaming as a way to decompress at the end of the day. I am now, of course, completely hooked on Drest – it combines my love of fashion, aesthetics, community, play and messaging all in one. It’s simply the most creative platform and I love to end my day creating digital art.

Why do you think Drest is relevant to today’s consumers? Drest has content, gamification, shopping, entertainment and philanthropy fully embedded into the platform.

Today’s consumers are creators, seeking ways to express themselves in an authentic and user generated way. They value and demand realness in their virtual lives and strive to make the world a better place – we recognise this and understand the need to engage with users in ways beyond pure traditional advertising. Our fashion game gives users everywhere virtual access to all the elements that, until now, only magazine editors could enjoy – beautiful new season clothes, top supermodels, stylish hair and makeup as well as incredible locations – to compete with and create their own fashion stories. Every piece styled and experimented with can also be shopped in real life through Farfetch and brands directly. Drest is a true end-to-end consumer experience.

Is this a great way for brands to connect with Gen-Z? From a business standpoint we see a remarkably high average daily play time of 30 minutes so we make decisions built on rich user insights. For brands and advertisers, this represents an invaluable opportunity to connect and interact with a highly engaged audience in new and immersive formats. This also means we can use fashion as a force for good by raising awareness of causes and charities in the editorial nar-

rative via game challenges and other user journey mechanisms, all of which highlights our social enterprise initiative.

Does it surprise you that consumers are happy to spend money on digital items?

Quite the opposite. Drest provides users with a level playing field – we have created an inclusive environment that celebrates diversity – a place where everyone is given access to the world’s leading luxury brands, talent and locations to generate, play and compete with their own unique fashion content. Many cannot afford to invest in real-life luxury clothing, but in Drest everyone can ‘own’ a Prada coat or Bottega Veneta bag either via winning rewards and therefore Drest dollars or by purchasing ingame currency for as little as Dhs12 (£2.99).

Do you think apps like this can contribute to sustainability efforts in fashion?

Absolutely, we create beautiful fashion content virtually and so limit the impact on the environment. We are also talking to a number of brands about using Drest to test products digitally so they can optimise supply and demand, scaling orders accordingly, or even prototype new designs. We also believe that our platform will lead to more thoughtful consumerism, allowing people to discover brands, satisfy their desire for newness and to experiment virtually and ‘style before they buy’.

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Emily Yim, director of product management, Drest What gaming features have really connected with the users? The photoshoot challenges which feature fashion industry leaders, actresses and historic women really connect with our users. Our editorial team create challenges that are in line with real-time events, so the newsfeed is current and topical – something that our audience responds really well to.

What are you working on at the moment?

We are bringing real-life supermodels into the game, so I’m currently testing among a small group how this feature affects and improves the overall user experience. I’m also working to strengthen Drest’s core loop, and I believe that one of the features that will help to do this is through improving the community aspect so that scores are determined by the audience, leading to a more immersive experience.

Is it difficult to balance the gaming element with fashion? It’s a wonderful challenge to bring the production and workforces together as they are two different worlds.

Gaming starts and finishes with the experience itself – everything is virtual, meaning anything can be created. When it comes to fashion we aren’t making this ourselves, we are bringing real-life luxury fashion brands and their products into the game – meaning we need to balance our in-game economy based on current pricing. For instance a Simone Rocha embellished leather clutch retails at Dhs2,445 (USD$665) costing a user 665 Drest fashion dollars in the game.

How do you see the gaming element evolving across the fashion industry? I think it’s going to evolve hugely over the next two decades.

The younger generations have grown up with smartphones, enjoying exposure to gaming and constant access to tech and digital platforms. Fashion, like many established industries, needs to iterate and go beyond.

Working in a screen-demanding role, how do you choose to switch off and disconnect? I try to set boundaries during my ‘off hours’ by turning my Slack and email notifications off (unless I have something urgent to deal with).

During my downtime I love to cook Korean French fusion cuisine and hike – I find nature really helps me to disconnect.

Do you think there are enough women in the gaming industry? As a whole, the gaming industry is still predominantly made up of men, from tech and engineering teams right the way through to board level. A lot of games are optimised and geared towards men – but with the shift we’re seeing (where more mobile gamers are now female) I hope more young women will consider gaming as an industry for them – particularly as more companies are focusing on games for women.

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A VISION FOR THE FEMININE AND THE FAMILIAR WORDS: OLIVIA MORRIS

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IMAGES: SUPPLIED

Kristina Fidelskaya’s latest collection is literally the dream. The UAE-based designer talks self-reflection, ambition and why she doesn’t take success for granted

It’s all about empowering women for Dubaibased designer Kristina Fidelskaya who believes the UAE is the perfect place to champion her brand and message. With so many women of different ilks in one place, it gives Fidelskaya a ground to build a brand for an international market. She showcased her latest collection ‘DREAM’ at Paris Fashion Week, a collection that speaks to knowing who you are and unapologetically embodying your spirit.

Tell us about Kristina Fidelskaya as a brand.

How would you describe it? The brand is a reflection of my vision of modern femininity. I want to create something that has a sense of ease and choice – that women can wear with confidence and happiness. Kristina Fidelskaya highlights the feminine essence that lies inside us. The woman is at the centre of my brand as I believe women have strong and beautiful energy. I am creating a timeless wardrobe that empowers women and makes them shine.

How does Kristina Fidelskaya, the person, fit into the brand? What part of you is in the creations? In my creative process, I always try to create something which is real and wearable. I am a woman and create for women.

I understand how it feels when we want to look or feel beautiful. When creating my collections, I look at myself, my life, my experience – I am very involved in the creative process, with every piece. I feel I have a very clear vision of the woman and femininity in how it should look and be. I think it’s a combination of something you take interest in and the energy given to you from having creative freedom.

What is the inspiration behind your latest and how does it differ from previous collections?

There is always the constant need to create something new. But actually, fashion has no rules. By experimenting with contrast, the elements of the collection are tailored to suit the different moods and feelings of today’s woman. The latest collection aims to evoke the feelings of happiness, hope and belief.

The UAE fashion scene is booming right now. What is your opinion on fashion in this part of the world? I love the diversity of the international market in the UAE. By having lots of women from different cultures, backgrounds and lifestyles, I get to create my collections for a globally-minded woman. The UAE is very unique and ambitious, I feel fashion in this part of the world has picked up very fast and will continue to evolve over time.

How are you making sure your brand stands out from others, and do you take inspiration from other designers? Good question!

I believe Kristina Fidelskaya stands out with its vision, product, creative process and craftmanship. I am a perfectionist and that extends to my label. I do not settle for anything less than the highest standard. I believe in craftmanship, the quality of design and work displayed in something made by hand. Quality craftsmanship takes time and a lot of study. Each piece is created in our atelier where we work on constructing the garments piece by piece. As much as I love fashion and wearing other designers’ pieces, I don’t take inspiration from other designers, as I try to create each and every piece from my vision and the brand values.

Having opened your first store last year in Dubai, what has changed for you in the last 12 months? By having a boutique in The Dubai

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Mall and Mall of Emirates, I have seen an increase in visibility and awareness. People recognise the label and it is by having a boutique which allows people to get to know the brand better. It is easier for the people to step into our boutiques, experience our universe, see the product, wear the garments and talk to our team about the creative process, inspiration and brand values.

What made you first want to launch the brand? Kristina Fidelskaya was founded in Dubai, as this has been my home city for many years now. After studying at the Esmod Fashion Institute, I founded my label in 2014 and we have been growing and expanding ever since. We are proud to be a Dubaibased brand, our HQ and atelier are located in Dubai Design District.

What were the setbacks or difficulties you faced when launching Kristina Fidelskaya?

Nothing is impossible if you believe in what you do and work hard for it. Passion goes a long way when you truly want something.

Finding the right people, and establishing a team was challenging at first. The fashion industry is highly competitive so being able to define and execute the right strategy was challenging in the beginning as you are still figuring out who you are and what the priorities are. It’s very important to adapt quickly and nimbly in a dynamic market like the UAE. Seeing people wear Kristina Fidelskaya gives me great joy. It’s my motivation to keep going and push through any limitations that come my way.

Are there any plans in the works to expand globally after your debut at Paris Fashion Week last year? I think Paris Fashion Week is a great platform for the label to show our hard work to the world. We will continue to leave our mark wherever we go but Paris is a great starting point. We are currently conducting market research on where to open our next boutiques which is very exciting for us. Besides hard work, I believe everything else is left to fate.

Speaking of taking things globally, where are your favourite places to travel? After Dubai, France feels like a second home to me. I am inspired by the culture, language, style, heritage and beautiful nature. I love the south of France in the summer, skiing in the Alps during the winter and Paris is my favourite city (fashion capital) in the world.

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enue and already has a loyal celebrity following including Kylie Jenner and Jennifer Lopez. She talks us through her creative process and shares her advice for future jewellery designers.

NEW LUXURIES

Maral Artinian was born into the world of jewellery. As the designer and founder of MARLI New York she is creating her own legacy with minimal yet complex pieces C O M P I L E D : D I A N A B E L L- H E AT H E R

MARLI New York was coneived out of need to give modern women an opportunity to wear fine jewellery every day. Inspired by the buzzing energy of the big city, her pieces have an architectural feel with all the classic codes of exquisite craftsmanship.

Having lived in Asia, Europe and the Middle East, she opened her first GCC flagship store in The Dubai Mall Fashion Av-

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What do you love about creating jewellery?

When I see women wearing them, it gives me a lot of pleasure. The piece becomes part of their daily life, and that’s what MARLI is all about. From a creative aspect, it’s really interesting to find new techniques and to challenge yourself to try something new.

Marli is about being contemporary so we are not all about following trends. There’s no limit to creativity in jewellery. Jewellery has always been a part of me. I studied psychology and worked in advertisement but I think when you’re born in this family, you’re always surrounded by it. I really admire two things and that’s jewellery and branding, and I managed to combine those two passions together.

How did you know what designer you wanted to be? I always wanted to have everyday pieces. And for them to have a clean and sophisticated look – minimal in their functionality. With experience and time passing, you start to refocus on these points more.

A lot of MARLI pieces have fluidness, and this helps us to explore more.

How has the brand evolved? When I launched it, there weren’t too many brands into this ‘everyday’ movement, and not many brands that were doing diamonds and semi-precious stones like MARLI. How has your upbringing shaped the designer you are today? I was born into the jewellery industry. I have always been selective with what I wear. I used to choose my jewellery before choosing my outfit. My taste is consistent because I never liked anything over the top.

What do you women look for when they come to MARLI? They are looking for modern and sophisticated pieces that they can wear with their existing jewellery. They’re looking for quality – MARLI has that quality.

What have you learnt about yourself since launching the brand? Things can happen any time so you have to be ready. You have to be receptive to change. I didn’t expect success in such a short amount of time but I had to embrace it. I don’t know what’s next because I want to be in the moment. Success leads to other doors, so I have to evolve and that’s the challenging part.

“The piece becomes part of their daily life, and that’s what Marli is all about”

IMAGES: SUPPLIED

How do you find balance? I do take some time to myself. I’m a beach person. I go to Miami a lot. I watch a lot of documentaries that have nothing to do with my business.

I don’t like having any commitment on the weekends – I just go with the flow.

What advice would you share with future designers? I don’t consider myself only a designer, I run the entire business and operation. In terms of design, you have to understand who you are designing for, but if you want to grow a business you have to have commitment and perseverance. You have to believe in what you are doing and not be influenced by others, because there will be so many others. You will always be criticised whether you do well or not. You can't get affected by criticism – instead, listen to it and understand why it was told to you. You have to believe and understand that you are who you are.

What is your most treasured possession?

My dog – her name is Mia. She’s a mix Havanese and toy poodle. She’s my companion whenever I travel.

What can we always find in your bag? Perfume and lipstick.

Any jewellery rules we should follow? Don’t overdo it and make sure you’re wearing the right size.

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From top: Aviator-style tortoiseshell acetate sunglasses Dhs1,108 Gucci String large leather-trimmed printed nylon macramĂŠ tote Dhs4,644 Prada Padlock leather sandals Dhs3,473 Tom Ford All available at The Galleria Al Maryah Island

HOT HOUSE Lush foliage and exotic botanicals from tropical climes were a strong source of inspiration and sparked a feeling of new beginnings across several runways for S/S20. Choose from a host of hot house shades to reflect and rediscover

a new side to your style. Our hero buy?

Dolce & Gabbana’s embellished box bags and full-bloom foliage prints in the lightest of fabrics all available at The Galleria Al Maryah Island @TheGalleriaUAE | #AtTheGalleria

TROPICAL

PRINTS

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PHOTOGRAPHER: GREG ADAMSKI AND STYLIST: CHEE SMITH, BOTH @MMGARTISTS; MODEL: AZUL AT WILHELMINA DUBAI; HAIR: BETTY BEE HAIR AND MAKE-UP: AMANDA K, BOTH VIA MMG ARTISTS

Trench Dhs14,000; Dress Dhs8,250; Shoes Dhs7,250; Bag Dhs31,000 All Dolce & Gabbana All prices are approximate

FAS H I O N

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PHOTOGRAPHY: KRISTIN NYSTROM STYLING: DOHA CHALLA

THE OPEN ROAD Make a lasting impression everywhere you travel with pieces that carry true I’m with the band appeal

Previous pages: Left page: Dress Jacinta James at ATTUALE; Turban and necklace stylist’s own; Right page: Dress Paris Georgia at ATTUALE; Earrings Kage; bag Gatti at Etoile "La Boutique"

This page: Top and pants Taller Marmo Right page: Jumpsuit Kristina Fidelskaya; Headband Shourouk at Etoile "La Boutique"; Sandals Amina Muaddi at Ounass.com

This page: Jacket and shorts Madiyah AlSharqi; Earrings Kage; Shoes Bottega Veneta Right page: Turtleneck and dress Givenchy

This page: Top and trousers Kristina Fidelskaya; Sunglasses Gucci Opposite page: Dress Stella Jean at Etoile "La Boutique"; Turban Stylist’s own

HAIR AND MAKEUP: ATHINA DOUTIS; MODEL: JULIA OLIYNUK AT MMG MODELS; PHOTO ASSISTANT: HANNA BURLI

CREATIVE SPIRIT Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon POA Audemars Piguet

Watchmaking is breaking new grounds with innovative movements and artistic touches, making these timepieces truly extraordinary

PHOTOGRAPHY: MUSTUFA ABIDI

STYLING: DIANA BELL-HEATHER

RM 07-01 Automatic Ladies Timepiece in Red Gold with Baguette-set Diamond Case, Onyx and Diamond Dial POA Richard Mille

Dazzling Rendez-Vous Moon POA Jaeger-LeCoultre

Dimier Récital 11 Miss Alexandra POA Bovet

IMAGE: GETTY

BEAUTY FILE

G LOW I N G S K I N AT I S A B E L M A R A N T S S 2 0

Beauty Drawer

Update your favourite daily essentials with our edit of the latest beauty drops ST Y L I N G : D I A N A B E L L- H E AT H E R

P H OTO G R A P H Y: M U ST U FA A B I D I

Clockwise from the top: The True Cream Moisturizing Bomb Dhs175 Belif at Sephora; Vinosource SOS Intense Moisturizing Cream Dhs175 Caudalie; Magnetic Lip Plush Paint in Waikiki Rose Dhs125 Nudestix; Phyto-Hydra Teint Beautifying tinted moisturizer Dhs420 Sisley Paris; Miss Dior Rose N’Roses Dhs545 Dior; The Treatment Lotion Dhs726 La Mer; Perversion Fine Point Eye Pen Black Dhs158 Urban Decay; Vanish Air Brush Concealer Dhs190 Hourglass at Sephora

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EX NIHILO is nothing short of addictive. We caught up with Benoit Verdier, co-founder of the French-based fragrance brand to understand how they’ve nailed the bespoke scent market in such a short time

SUPERLATIVE SCENTS WORDS: AMY SESSIONS

What do your first 30 minutes of the day look like? Keep it simple and fast: at least a triple shot of black espresso, no breakfast, (I know it’s bad) then checking emails or messages that have arrived in the middle of the night for a few minutes before running to the shower and grabbing Hip Hop – my French Bulldog and riding together on my electric scooter to our office HQ right in the centre of Paris.

Your schedule is packed with work, family and travel. How do you maintain a sense of balance when you’re always on-the-go? It’s quite hectic as my wife is also on and off planes running the world for fashion weeks at least twice a year. We’re also lucky as Paris Fashion week means so many of our clients and partners are there also for the occasion – it's more convenient to organise meetings. We try to travel at the same time to manage a good life balance. EX NIHILO launches two main scents according to the fashion cycles so we try to co-ordinate ourselves and book a good dog sitter. The rest of the year we focus mainly on short intraEuropean, North American or Middle East trips so it’s more fluid.

Opening your Paris HQ was a strategic decision. How has it helped and how has the area changed? Starting with a flagship in one of the best locations, Rue Saint-Honoré, was quite risky, but it was also a key decision.When you have your own space, you can welcome your local and international customers in the best conditions, as well as the global buyers, press and influencers.

It’s really a tremendous advantage to have this luxury. It paid almost immediately to position our brand and was a unique way to show the world our collections and our customer service through the Osmologue – the technology we have developed to personalise our most iconic fragrances.

How did you know it was the right time to launch EX NIHILO and how did you know the alchemy of partners was the right fit? It was not really anticipated – we were all 35-years-old at the time, coming from different fields like finance, luxury and beauty industry. We had this entrepreneur vibe and collectively felt it was time to create our own company to disrupt the market. The fit between us was

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quite immediate. Olivier and I have known each other for almost 20 years. Even now we are more comfortable cultivating this outsider mindset. The key is to partner with individuals with complementing skills, with the same motivation to create the company of your dreams.

How did previous roles you’ve had in the industry support making the leap of faith? Coming from the industry gives you expertise, skills and networking but also can generate a lot of frustrations for many reasons. The key is to transform this negative feeling into creativity and motivation to do your own thing, your own way and express your vision. The big difference is it’s your company, you are fully responsible for it – trust me it gives you an extra boost!

Do you feel more drawn to the creative or the business side of the brand and how have you grown the team to support this? I’m defi-

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nitely drawn to the creative side despite the fact that I have a very academic marketing background. I’m quite the manifestor of the band, shaking ideas and situations, provoking reactions. I have the luxury that my partners are quite complementary with Olivier and Sylvie who are maybe more rational or have different points of views. It’s sometimes quite challenging but it’s very dynamic and generates new ideas. The more the team is growing (we are 20 in Paris) the more we try to share this momentum.

What has been the biggest hurdle since starting your own brand and how did you overcome it? Apparently, a lot but finally very few as you forget them.

That’s difficult to say because we are always in a rush and do not appreciate what we do in the moment, in real time. I would say creating this company, EX NIHILO, when nobody expected us to, and very few

Benoit Verdier

people believed in us. Nobody knew us or paid attention to what we were doing. One day we appeared on the most prestigious street in Paris – Rue Saint-Honoré. I think that we surprised a lot of people. Now we are available in 100 points of sales in more than 22 countries through the most exclusive distribution in the industry. It’s very rewarding. I still take pictures of customers in the streets when I see some carrying our blue shopping bags.

Do you have any mentors who helped you navigate your path to sucess? We asked many prestigious people to collaborate with us when we were still small and unknown and they accepted to work with us like designer Christophe Pillet.

It was very inspiring to involve such talented people, you learn a lot. Today we continue to learn a lot from young talents as well as those with a more senior profile.

They are all a great source of inspiration especially because they are from various fields and not only from the perfume ecosystem.

Why do you think EX NIHILO has such a loyal following and how do you cater to ensuring there’s always something new for them? We never stop thinking about new ideas or ideas out of the box to serve our core customers.

Not being perfumers was a great help to invent new things without barriers, taking ideas from architecture, design, technology…it’s never ending. For the moment, we can’t properly have an advanced R&D

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integrated service, so we try to be smarter and more agile. We also try to keep a strong connection with our community through social media and also and it seems obvious, through our stores by spending a lot of time with the teams on the floor and getting feedback and experience from our customers and teams. I remember a night in Miami with Olivier helping the workers installing a huge piece of engraved marble on the wall at 5:00am in the morning – it’s part of our lives and we like it!

You’ve created some beautiful collaborations – tell us about those and how they’ve come about? EX NIHILO collaborates with the edgy creative community, promoting the most promising talents in perfumery, design, photography or craftsmanship. EX NIHILO draws inspiration from the creative talents of perfumery, but also from architecture, design or technology, opening new pathways of collaboration between the perfume creators, the latest technologies and the artistic community.

It’s part of our DNA even today – everything is collaborative. We try to involve the maximum of creative talents, selected mostly because they are outsiders like us and want to reinvent the game with a special savoir faire or skill. We are definitely on the side of the makers more than just another celebrity or influencer brand.

Have you created any bespoke fragrances for individual clients? Yes, it’s a new service we are implementing now. We have created some for our best clients in London, living in the Middle East and for a customer in NYC. We want to develop this service more, because it’s a great way to interact with these special clients and also because this is fun! We love

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the idea of bringing ideas to it including augmented reality technology for example. It is still in development but it will be very promising, a brand-new exceptional experience!

You’re able to create bespoke fragrances in several of your global boutiques including Paris using bespoke- built technology. Can you describe the process? The collection of choice for personalisation is the INITIALE one including our iconic FLEUR NARCOTIQUE. Customers can walk in or set up a private appointment (what we would recommend). We then aim to understand what she or he is looking for through a deeper discussion about their taste, personality or specific needs. It is the chance to smell Rose of May from Grasse, Iris Pallida from Italy, Orange blossom from Morocco in their purest form and also to experience all our combinations according to his/her mood. All these combinations have been of course validated by our master perfumers here in Paris. Once the selection is made we will proceed to the making of the juice thanks to our Osmologue©, the exclusive technology we have invented to

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create the fragrance in front of our client’s eyes. It is very entertaining and very exciting to see the making of your own creation, including the blending and the sealing of the bottle. For the very first time, our guest will be able to leave with their own creation without waiting weeks to get the result. At the end they will have their own certificate of authenticity with their name, the custom material we have used and a special identification number. We will also keep all their

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preferences into our database so we can provide him the highest customer service.

We like to think it is really a game-changing experience vs. the other fragrances houses.

You approach master perfumers and give them full freedom to create. How do you choose who to work with next? It’s very organic, according to the feeling, the theme of the inspiration, and the skills of the perfumers. Some of them are very into oriental scents, other are freshness expert – it's always interesting to discuss what they feel and to generate ideas together. We have worked a lot with Jordi Fernandes and we have had the chance to work with at least 13 amazing perfumers in Paris.

What is your approach to scaling the business? We consider balance, scale and exclusivity with limited financial resources.

We’ve grown step by step, creating a luxury house in only seven years, something that is quite demanding and takes time. We don’t want to go too fast and risk losing what we’ve built so we carefully balance exclusivity with fast growth.

“Someone famous said: ‘It’s better to be a pirate than to join the Navy’.

We try our best to apply this motto to what we do with EX NIHILO”

What scent do you wear and why does it feel like you? Currently I’m wearing Outcast Blue, our new creation coming soon in the Middle East, and to be honest sometimes I don’t wear anything because I have to take some olfactory rest, and have a break from any scents. I admire the capacity of the perfumers to smell all day without feeling brain fatigue. One of the challenges for social media we have is to share this olfactory experience, that’s why in addition to cool contents we try to sample a lot and invite our community to come instore to attend workshops, discover new products, or simply come and discuss with our consultants. It’s really a digital combined with reality approach.

You have clients the globe over – do you see any buying patterns based on regions or countries? Not really as it's very global. Beautiful raw materials are very popular, as well as our personalisation service. Our best seller Fleur Narcotique is quite universal and the art of layering is gaining more audience. In the Middle East, clients are very sophisticated and know exactly what they want, but they also like to be surprised. From the beginning of EX NIHILO, we have had great support from them here in Paris but also from London where we have a nice community of clients who love the brand. Middle Eastern clients really have this natural sense for perfumes, a very strong culture and from what I experienced so far, they know exactly how to mix and match fragrances to make it their own. It makes sense for us to propose for them the most exceptional creations through the best materials we can find. They are not that different from real Parisians!

What in this market is luxury? Less and less to be honest as everything seems to become more and more mainstream. Luxury comes from exclusivity and knowledge. We use the best materials, sourced from all over the world, our Rose of May from Grasse is about one of the best of the world – our Iris is also exceptional. Working with the best perfumers in the world is also the ultimate luxury for us.

How do you approach client engagement and retention? Globally we have an advanced CRM program and also a very personalised approach when you come to our flagship. We

ensure our certificate of authenticity – which will be numbered and signed for you. It's the attention to detail that matters. We call you for your birthday for example, send you samples to try or invite you to attend private activities. Once again customer experience is key to create this alchemy and ‘love factor’ with the brand.

How has social media affected building EX NIHILO? We built the brand awareness through glossy paper and events; now social media is essential. Especially in the Middle East, it has helped us to strengthen our community and is a strategic tool for us. I think it works best when associated with the real world setting up dual strategies like events, workshops and gatherings around scents.

Which Instagram accounts do you follow for inspiration? I don’t follow proper influencers, it doesn’t interest me. All the same, I’m very eclectic and more inspired by artist's accounts, art galleries or selectors like @_sightunseen_ for design and inspiration, my friends at @remixgallerydesign to discover eighties-inspired pieces of furniture and @beverlyhillscarclub for cars. Funnily enough, I have not yet discovered another interesting niche fragrance account!

Where else is left on your bucket list to visit if you could choose anywhere? First going back to Japan to see Naoshima Island, then doing a stop in Kyoto, ending at Asahidake, the highest mountain on the Japanese island of Hokkaido to ride some of the best powder in the world with my snowboard. At the opposite end of the spectrum, spending some time in the desert of Oman. Crossing Russia to The Baikal Lake is also on the list!

Do you have any pre-bedtime rituals? I used to be a night bird for a long time, partying and socialising a lot, but now times have changed.

I prefer to spend quality time forcing myself to stay at home, skipping social media and reading at least a book a week and the enormous number of magazines I buy. It sounds really like an old-world ritual doesn’t it?

What do you always carry with you when travelling? Now I travel extremely light as most of my luggage has been lost or stolen in the past, so I try to keep everything with me. I wear a hoodie and a light waterproof coat

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– all the rest goes into my cabin luggage so when I go through the X-Ray, I’m ready: no watches, no belt, nothing – I'm just ready to go. My little versatile kit is already ready in advance: my laptop, a suit and an EX NIHILO travel case called HEXAGONE. Additionally, I carry a little Rimowa box with all our products and samples to give to people around me and there we go!

What advice would you give to your younger self starting out? Don’t over ask advice of so-called experts around you, trust yourself and follow your intuition. Don’t forget, as an entrepreneur your passion and motivation will make a big difference versus the big corporations so find your niche. Don’t hesitate to go against the flow and do things differently. We managed to create our perfume brand without being perfumers ourselves but it was also our strength. Ultimately be ambitious, think big, think scale, find your niche market and if possible start with a investment.

If you had not launched EX NIHILO, which other role would you choose career-wise?

I like marketing and creating brands very much, so I think that I would have created my own company anyway, certainly in the beauty or fragrance universe. I would have potentially created a brand incubator, like a brand factory creating niche brands in any fields from scratch and help them to grow and disrupt their respective markets. Maybe I would have some sort of side project – a restaurant, or something where an experience is offered to customers, a place where I can express my branding skills with strong storytelling and an immersive experience… stay tuned for this one as EX NIHILO takes all my time at the moment!

This issue is the ‘Go your own way Issue’ – what does it mean to you to go your own way and how will EX NIHILO continue to do so?

Someone famous said: “It’s better to be a pirate than to join the Navy”. We try our best to apply this motto to what we do with EX NIHILO. Cultivating this outsider state of mind forces you to think outside your comfort zone to innovate. EX NIHILO is still a young company, we will continue to grow and improve the brand experience to reach a level of excellence. Due to our size and independence, we have to stay humble and we are forced to try harder than others, but I think staying hungry is the major key to success.

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Super stylist to the stars, Gabriel Waller’s clients include Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Hailey Bieber and Khloe Kardashian

AM TO PM BEAUTY WO R D S : D I A N A B E L L- H E AT H E R What does your morning beauty routine look like? I am currently using the Australian skin care brand Rationale, and it has been my saving grace over the past eight months.

My skin is naturally quite red, so I opted for very calming and soothing products in my skin care range. With my makeup, natural beauty is key to me and I keep it very subtle for my everyday look. It also helps that it takes me less than 15 minutes to complete.

I am all for a very quick and easy routine.

How does your beauty routine differ from when you’re working to when you’re on vacation? Although I don't like to admit it, I haven't taken a vacation in years - I am well overdue! However, with that said, over the New Year period I did enjoy a few very relaxing days and during that period I went makeup free, and my skin loved me for it! I did a few more facial masks than I usually would during this time, and one that I particularly loved was the Jet Lag Mask by Summer Fridays. It made my skin feel unbelievably soft; you can use it a number of different ways but I personally wore it as an overnight mask and washed it off in the morning.

Do you have any daytime touch-ups or additions if you’re heading to a meeting? My friends often laugh at me as I have an OBSESSION with consistently reapplying my Lip Glow Reviver Balm by Dior. I reapply it multiple times (sometimes multiple times within an hour!) as it is the most beautiful gloss. I'm currently wearing the 004 Coral,

and being extremely passionate about natural beauty, this particular gloss is perfect for a subtle glow.

If you have to run from the office to an event, what beauty essentials do you use? Definitely my Lip Glow by Dior and my favourite scent, La Colle Noire, also by Dior. I am a huge fan of Dior beauty products, their scents are the best I've ever come across, and I can never walk into an event without a quick spray.

Do you have any in-flight beauty routines?

My most recent long haul from Australia to London included my Jet Lag mask by Summer Fridays, and I had a number of sachets on-hand from beauty brand Vida Glow. Their most recent beauty powder is their ANTI-G-OX, which helps support the body against damaging environmental and lifestyle factors.

Which masks are you a fan of and why? The Jet Lag mask by Summer Fridays is my number one currently. It leaves my skin feeling incredibly soft, and both during and after my recent flight from Australia, it was a lifesaver in getting my skin back to its preflight hydrated and dewy state.

If you had to choose three beauty products what would they be and why? I could not possibly go without my beloved Luminous Silk Foundation by Giorgio Armani. I don't like to wear too much makeup, so this particular foundation gives me just enough coverage but still remains very natural, which I love! Rationale's Pre Cleanse Oil would have

From left: La Colle Noire Fragrance Dhs1,028 Dior; Luminous Silk Foundation Dhs245 Giorgio Armani; Jet Lag Mask Dhs232 Summer Fridays; Immunologist Serum Dhs640 Rationale; Addict Lip Glow Reviver Balm in Coral Dhs145 Dior

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to come in at a very close second. After a massive day at work, the last thing I want to do is return home and spend a long period of time wiping all my makeup off. Anything that can save me time, I will happily invest in. This particular oil wipes my entire face of foundation off with only the tiniest amount required, it is amazing. Thirdly, I have recently invested in the Dyson Airwrap and I cannot believe I didn't purchase it sooner. Right now in my current stage of business, all I need is more time. The Dyson guarantees that for me as I can blow dry and straighten my hair at once and it is completed within 15 minutes max (keeping in mind my hair is quite fair). It is a miracle worker.

What does your pre-bedtime nightly ritual look like? After cleansing, I always apply my Rationale serums to let them work their magic overnight. I often wear a hair mask overnight as well, as my hair is quite highlighted and needs to keep its strength – I use Olaplex for this. Following that, it is back to work right up until I close my eyes. Are you a supplements fan and if so what do you recommend? I am a fan and a strong believer in them, but I am terrible as I can never hold myself accountable in taking them consistently every day. I will take them once, and then it will be another three weeks later that I try them again, which is terrible of me. I know that in order for them to work, consistency is key. I have heard incredible things about Australian brand, JS Health Vitamins. I want to try (and stick to it!) this year.

Who has imparted great beauty knowledge to you? Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's YouTube videos are amazing, I love her approach to beauty. It is very much in line with my belief system, so watching them has taught me a lot.

What was the first beauty product you bought and do you still use it? Oh wow, I'm trying to jog my memory on what it would have been.

If we go all the way back to my high school days, I remember eyeliner was huge and I loved (attempting!) to apply it. I no longer wear eyeliner every day but I swear by a great mascara and feel that is all I need.

IMAGES: SUPPLIED

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Main Image: Photography: Francesco Scotti; Fashion direction: Natalie Westernoff; Makeup And Hair: Ania Paniatowska; Model: Natalia At Artfactory; Location: Special Thanks To Winners Equestrian Club, Inside Mushrif Park, Al Khawaneej, from Emirates Woman January 2019 Issue

ELEMENTS OF NATURE

Power plant extracts and essential oils have been used across beauty and wellness spaces for many years. But, what are their true benefits? EW investigates...

WO R D S : D I A N A B E L L- H E AT H E R

As more of us detox our beauty routines, cleanse our bathroom shelves and seek out products to bring us closer to nature, essential oils feel more relevant today than ever.

Not only do powerful extracts attribute to improving our skin’s condition, but the aroma itself can ease anxiety and improve our sleep. “Essential oils are aromatic, volatile substances extracted from a single bo-

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tanical source by distillation or expression,” Beverly O’Connell, integrated therapist based in Dubai, explains. “They are found in leaves, the hairs on leaves, flowers, tree bark, or roots, fruit pulp and peel. They are sometimes referred to as the life force in plants.”

She explains that extracts of neroli or frankincense can treat anxiety and insomnia, while the uplifting bergamot can boost

IMAGES: SUPPLIED, NET-A-PORTER

From top: Eucalyptus Aromatherapy Dhs45 Bath & Body Works; Renewal Oil Dhs888 La Mer; Bit of Aftershock pillar candle Dhs110 Palm Lights; Purifying Elixir Dhs215.25 Sentéales at Balmessence; U.F.O. Ultra-Clarifying Acne Treatment Oil Dhs293 Sunday Riley at Net-A-Porter

the immune system and lime is your go-to for tackling colds and fatigue. All can be used during aromatherapy to treat stress and a variety of chronic conditions. “The history of aromatherapy dates back to a very important Arab man called Abd Allah ibn Sina (980 -1037) usually referred to as Avicenna. He described over eight hundred plants and their uses. He devised and detailed very specific instructions on massages and was credited with discovering distillation which is how oils are extracted,” adds O’Connell.

Sunita Teckchand is a Clinical Aromatherapist and a Trustee and Board Member of The International Federation of Professional Aromatherapists England. She also has her own brand of certified organic and A-grade quality essential oils ‘Essensuals’.

“Being in this field for as long as I have, I truly believe that pure essential oils totally help boost our immune system. In fact, the daily use of essential oils can boost one’s immunity tremendously,” she says, adding: “They can help with pain management, hair loss, cellulite, all skin types, stressful conditions, depression – the list is endless.”

Essential oils can be used in various ways, including diffusion. “It takes 22 seconds for the oil to reach the limbic system (primal brain) in order to make emotional shifts,” explains Steph Hamilton, who has experience in medicine as well as attaining certifications in yoga, reiki, aromatherapy and Aura-Soma colour therapy. “I use the oils for mental health on a daily basis, particularly now that my daughter just got back from Canada and we are all quarantined for 14 days. Without the oils I’m not sure what I would do. They have incredible healing and nurturing properties. Helichrysum, otherwise known as ‘liquid stitches’ can heal wounds at incredibly rapid rates.”

Essential oils can be used topically as well, but it is really important to dilute your oils. “All essential oils need to be diluted in a cold pressed base oil-like sweet almond or jojoba before applying on the affected area you want to treat,” says Teckchand. “If you are sensitive or highly allergic, do a patch test on the crook of your elbow as the skin there is the softest and see if there is a red patch or itchiness before using essential oils.

Some oils like clove, cinnamon, wintergreen, basil or thyme are skin irritants and need to be used safely. Always know the dilution rate of blending essential oils to base oils before using it – our theory is: ‘less is more’. People use too much and their skin reacts.”

Essential oils are plant-based with an indulgent aroma, while also containing chemical compounds that can do wonders for your skin, even if you have acne. However, it is best to seek professional advice as certain oils can be detrimental to the skin:

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“If you use heavy base oils like wheatgerm, avocado or rosehip seed – yes it can clog pores, but lighter base oils like grapeseed, apricot and kernel will not. In fact, choosing the right blend when creating a face blend can really help with clogged pores,” adds Teckchand.

With the current fears and increased anxiety spreading through the world in the wake of coronavirus, creating your personal sanctuary of peace and serenity has never been more crucial. Many have chosen, or had to, self-isolate and one of the best ways to calm your body and mind is with candles containing essential oils. Bhawna Verma Sehra is the founder of Dubai-based candle company Palm Lights, which is licensed to sell essential oils, but mainly focuses on the production of candles. “I see essential oils as a fast track method to achieve wellbeing.

One can use it on its own or compound the benefits with other healing modalities. Example: when you sit for your morning meditation, light a frankincense incense stick or a cedarwood candle to internalise your senses and eliminate distractions.”

“Frankincense oil has been highly regarded since ancient times and we are lucky to be near the source of Royal Hojari (Medical grade Loban suitable for ingesting) in Oman. It has so many uses –I cannot possibly list them all, but I personally use the resin for making frankincense water. Another popular use of frankincense resin is to burn it in a Makhbara, to naturally disinfect the house,” she adds.

She recommends introducing the scent of lavender, neroli, jasmine and vetiver to relieve stress and anxiety, but she also recommends something a little more unusual.

“I attended a health retreat in Kerala (the home of Ayurveda) when the therapist used an uncommon oil for a massage. It was rejuvenating and relaxing at the same time.

The results were so amazing that I vowed to create a candle with it. This was the birth of ‘Bit of Aftershock’, one of my most popular candles at Palm Lights. It is made of cinnamon berry oil, and is a tonic for the nervous system and can relieve chronic stress and chronic fatigue.”

Whenever you’re introducing something new into your wellbeing routine, it’s always important to do your research, as it’s a common misconception that if something is natural, then it must be safe to use. “Most essential oils are safe to use, however if you are pregnant or have epilepsy and high blood pressure, there are certain contraindication protocols we follow before using specific essential oils,” Teckchand shares. “Always consult a qualified clinical aromatherapist to check if certain essential oils are safe to use or not and what the dilution rate should be.”

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This page: Davines Village in Italy

C O M P I L E D B Y: D I A N A B E L L- H E AT H E R

THE ETHICS OF HAIR Davines has been on the path of sustainability long before it became a trend.

Now they are taking it not one, but several steps forward with its latest launch

What would you say if we showed you a shampoo that is made with 95 per cent natural ingredients and comes in a recyclable bottle? You’d bite our hand off. Now, more than ever, we are looking for purer ways to look after our hair – a treat for us as well as for the planet. Davines entered the business of haircare with a sole goal to bring our routines closer to nature. It involves taking innovative formulations from the best of mother earth to give us dream results.

A Single Shampoo is their latest launch and has been in development for over four years. It's the world’s first completely carbon neutral product with the bottle made from polyethelene derived from sugar cane – which weighs 48 per cent less than a traditional bottle to reduce shipping weight and decrease carbon emissions. Not only does it educate the consumers, it also encourages further transparency in the beauty industry. Breaking new ground in haircare, CEO Paolo Braguzzi explains the challenges of the Single Shampoo and how he hopes it will impact the industry.

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IMAGES: SUPPLIED

The process took over four years of research and 262 formulas. Tell us about the biggest production challenges? It has been a big challenge in many ways. We have faced a number of obstacles across these years, and we experienced failures that led us to question ourselves and sometimes to take new paths. Having to reconcile professional performance with maximum use of natural, traceable and highly biodegradable raw materials has been one of the main difficulties Research & Development has to deal with.

In particular, the major difficulties we faced and overcame were selecting 100 per cent natural surfactants that were also delicte to ensure pleasantness of the foam and cleaning efficacy. Not being able to use canonical conditioning agents, but having to look for new and alternative ingredients (of natural origin) to achieve the same performance in terms of combability and softness of the hair was a challenge. Keep in mind that for ‘100 per cent natural origin’ we mean that the ingredient and the molecule, do not contain any synthetically obtained part. Rather, the legislation most commonly applied throughout the world of cosmetics and trichology defines as ‘ingredients of natural origin’ substances that may be partly synthetic, as long as at least 50 per cent of the molecular structure is of a natural origin.

Will this launch set a new standard in the haircare industry?

Davines’ intention has been to improve even more by creating a product that can set new sustainability standards within the haircare industry. We hope that it is going to generate great business opportunities around matters of sustainability and transparency, while raising awareness and commitment on these topics, and transmitting our own core values.

Talk us through the key active ingredients and why they were chosen? A quinoa-based conditioning agent offers hair softness, shine and great combability. Multifunctional carbohydrate provides hydration and moisture to the hair; while surfactant derived from olive oil is produced specifically for Davines. This is partly made up of olive oil from Olivo Quercetano Slow Food Presidium, in support of biodiversity. Fermented surfactants with amino acids derived from corn are environmentally friendly and sustainable, providing optimal performance on the hair, mild, soft and with good cleansing power. The main notes of lavender and rosemary have a 100 per cent natural fragrance made up of natural essential oils.

Do you think that today’s beauty industry is doing enough to respect nature and the environment? Today, many companies carry out projects in favour of the environment and discuss sustainability. We started this path many years ago, when sustainability was not yet a hot topic like it is now. It has always been in the company's DNA and is part of the systemic development of all our products and projects from research to implementation. Another aspect to consider is that sustainability is never a goal – rather it is a path to continuous improvement. This pushes us and other companies to find innovative and alternative solutions that go beyond just minimising our impact to creating a positive impact on the planet.

It sounds like A Single Shampoo addresses many of these concerns. What hair type can benefit the most from it? A Single Shampoo is a gentle shampoo for daily cleansing for all hair types. Its formula guarantees hydration and elasticity by combining satisfying cleansing and conditioning power, while maintaining the quality and performance of a professional product. A Single Shampoo was created to be a shampoo that can be used by everyone. It carries with it a message of care for humanity and it embodies our core

Clockwise: CEO Paolo Braguzzi; Davines Village; A Single Shampoo

values of sustainability in an effort to have a far and wide reach to everyone.

What else can we expect from Davines in the next five years?

As a brand, we will continue our journey to create a positive impact on people and the planet, using our products as an opportunity to convey our values and beliefs, striving every day to create something ‘good and beautiful’. We want to continue to be consistent with our mission and vision to drive us to be the best ‘for’ the world and not ‘in’ the world.

We want to be seen as creators of a good way of living for all our stakeholders through our values of beauty, ethics and sustainability. A Single Shampoo is available now at select stores and eideal.com

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Hot New Buys WORDS: CECILIA D’SOUZA

Staying at home amid Corona virus means we have time to re-invigorate our beauty regime. Here’s our roundup of the latest beauty buys for you to try Add Drama Carolina Herrera will, very soon, be launching its very first makeup line. It’s readyto-wear collectibles made for today’s fearless and fabulous woman. Blurring the lines between beauty and jewellery, this sophisticated collection isn’t just designed to be worn, it is designed to be flaunted – unapologetically. When it comes to the language of colour, no one speaks it quite like Carolina Herrera, and this new makeup line is no exception. From Carolina Herrera’s iconic red lip to Wes Gordon’s understated looks on the runway the lipstick palette is packed with 36 vibrant hues – 16 matte shades, 12 satin shades and 8 sheer shades – that cover everything from hues of pinks and berries, reds and corals to nudes and browns. The collection has versatile embellishing powder compacts – eight shades of enhancing and setting powders, one highlighter and one mattifier – ranging from the lightest spring porcelain to the darkest deep dusk – it packs a serious punch. Look no further than the universal mattifying powder that’s suitable for every skin tone instantly absorbing any excess oil without caking and taking away unwanted shine.

And, is any makeup collection complete without an illuminating cream-to-powder highlighter for an incomparable lit-fromwithin glow? Enjoy.

LE VOLUME Two years ago, Chanel shook up the beauty world with Le Volume Revolution De Chanel mascara, equipped with the first 3D-printed brush, which was an immediate hit with women worldwide. Now Chanel has used innovation to enhance beauty once again with Le Volume Stretch de Chanel. Its brush visibly rolls and lengthens your lashes while offering perfectly controlled volume. And an extra thin felt tip means there is absolutely no risk of smudges.

Available in seven shades including four limited edition colours, showing off your eyes has never been simpler, or more divine. Dhs129

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MULTI-MASKING 111SKIN has launched a collection of restorative masks to nourish, brighten and soothe your complexion. You can go for any of the expertly-designed formulas from the Rose sold brightening mask (treatment collection), the Anti-blemish bio cellulose facial mask (clarity collection) or the Subzero de-puffing eye masks (regenerative collection). Whether it is for firming, hydrating or brightening the pick of face masks ensure a targeted, immersive treatment that restores and refreshes all skin types. POA. Available from Bloomingdales, Harvey Nichols – Dubai. Spa treatments are available at Jumeirah Beach Hotel and Mandarin Oriental

Extremist This one is for the beauty mavens. If you love to push the limits, if you never do things by halves, if compromise is not in your vocabulary, then Bourjois has the ultimate beauty boost for you. The Twist Extrême Fiber Mascara will give you lashes like you’ve never seen before. Dhs100

Conceal & Contour

All Year Glow Say yes to gorgeous sun-kissed glowing skin with two new beauties from the Terracotta of Guerlain – the Terracotta nude and the Terracotta matte. With its soft coppery tones, the nude leaves your skin glowing with a gentle sheen of warm colour while the light formula of the matte melts into the skin to smooth your skin texture and instantly revive your complexion. Dhs200 each

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The magnetised Match Stix Matte Skinsticks from Fenty Beauty that help conceal, correct, contour and touch-up have now added two more contour shades for the deepest of skin tones: the Ebony and the Caviar. The sticks are made to layer the buildable cream-to-powder formula, are weightless and super easy to blend. And they stay put for a long time. Mixing and matching has never been this easy. And just to let you on a secret, Rihanna loves honey as her concealer stick and caramel as her contour stick. What’s yours? Dhs130 Sephora, Sephora.ae and Fentybeauty.com

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THE NEW CLASSIC An indulgent update on the classic Black Opium Eau de Parfum, the new statement scent from YSL Beauty – Black Opium Eau de Parfum Neon – is one that will have you falling head over heels in love. And you will be smelling as good as Zoë Kravitz, the face of the campaign, too.

Dhs440 for 75ml

Regal Scent Buying presents shouldn’t always be about you. The Royal Collection from homegrown perfumery brand Areej Al Ameerat, brings exotic Ouds from all over the world and blends them with a variety of ingredients native to the Middle Eastern planes. The collection showcases ingenious mastery and craftsmanship encased in luxuriously beautiful bottles. This Ramadan, honour your mum or bestie with the finest the Orient has to offer. Dhs1,250

Matte Maker Barkha Beauty, which has exclusively launched this year, is inspired by Barkha’s love of makeup and her hunt to find the perfect nude matte lipstick with a luxuriously moisturising finish. And, it seems, they have already caught the eyes and lips of Hollywood cool-kids Sofia Richie, Bella Thorne and Hailey Baldwin. Dhs119

Alexander McQueen Parfums has gone all out and launched a new collection of eight precious fragrances for you and your man that practically beg to be purchased. Combining the highest level of perfume-making artistry with innovative and contemporary design, the stunning poise of McQueen is perfectly translated into the fragrances under the directorship of Sarah Burton. Your choices? The aromatic floral Celtic Rose, the spicy Blazing Lily, which blends the deep crimson of red lily petals with peppery red pimento, the warm and comforting Luminous Orchid, the vibrant Amber Garden, the uplifting and exotic Sacred Osmanthus, Vetiver Moss with notes of vetiver and orris root, the woody Dark Payrus and the Everlasting Dream bursting with notes of sea-salt and cedarwood. Dhs730

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IMAGES: SUPPLIED

The Collective

Taking care of your skin

The Bright Side Give dark spot blemished skin the ultimate pickme-up by investing in Sisley’s Phyto-Blanc le Concentre. This pure bright activating serum is packed with core formulas and active ingredients that work together to give your skin that radiant look and feel. Dhs1,385

Sleek Skin How about treating your skin to some delicious food? Try the Almond Crunchy Muesli scrub which is a great addition to your exfoliating bath routine for baby-soft skin. Available at L’Occitane stores for Dhs99 (150g)

Renew & Regenerate

COMPLEXION PROTECTION Nicholas Degennes has designed a new complexion perfector for Givenchy and it takes care of all your protection woes from pollution. Teint Couture City Balm is an all-in-one formula capable of enhancing your skin to be radiant, hydrated and flawless while providing it with all the essential protection. Dsh204

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As time passes, skin concerns start to emerge – loss of elasticity, dark spots, deep wrinkles, to name a few. The Shiseido Vital Perfection Uplifting and Firming Cream, in particular addresses and targets those areas. Formulated with ReNeura Technology and Kurenai-TruLift complex, the enhanced skincare series helps reawaken your skin’s potential and counteract the visible signs of aging leaving it feeling revived, resilient and glowing. Dhs495

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After a decade in the making, new label ODEEM is disrupting the UAE fashion scene in a big way. Aiming to bring a fresh perspective to our handbag game, the brand is defined by its bold distinction from the rest...

WORDS: OLIVIA MORRIS

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For the last 10 years Fatma Al-Otaiba dreamt of starting her own handbag brand.

So, with it being the start of a new decade, she decided to take the plunge to do exactly that. Enter ODEEM, a Dubai-based luxury label which aims to focus on timeless leather goods. Combining tradition with eclecticism, the designs draw on different textures and details that are sure to turn heads.

Having presented her Spring/Summer 2020 collection in Paris last year, Fatma launched her first three handbag styles – the Nikita, the Igor and the Sascha – onto the ODEEM website in February of this year. While it’s a project that’s only just begun, the only way is up for ODEEM. We caught up with Fatma to discuss the inspiration behind her designs, what the label represents and her goals for the future.

What was the inspiration behind the brand?

I have dreamt of starting a handbag brand for the past 10 years. The idea came from wanting to wear certain styles of bags that I had in mind but couldn’t find them on the market. Dreaming up a bag that’s of exceptional quality and has a balanced amount of details and craftmanship, while being the perfect size, made me want to start ODEEM. When did the ODEEM vision become a reality? Four years ago, I took on the challenge and started working with factories to finally translate my vision into a reality. I started

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producing some prototypes and kept improving them over the past three years until I was satisfied with the shapes, comfort, quality and design.

What does the brand represents? ODEEM breathes new life into classic designs with an effortless use of different textures, diverse details and elegant finishes, translating into unique pieces that are cut with precision and perfect proportions.

Tell us about the process of designing a bag?

The bags display the perfect balance between traditional craftsmanship and a modern take on timeless style, with a high sense of natural elegance and comfort – almost as if tailored to the woman of character, whose style is uncompromisingly in line with her personality.

The design process takes place in Dubai and the full production in South Africa. All of the materials are sourced from South Africa, Italy and Europe.

What was the inspiration for the Spring/ Summer 2020 collection? The inspiration behind my SS20 collection is strong female leads in ‘Film Noir’. They were a chic symbol of timeless elegance.

What is the overall vision for the brand? I would like to grow my brand globally and see my bags as a part of any woman’s wardrobe around the world since they are very practical, compact and easy to wear.

What's been the highlight on the journey to becoming a designer? So far, the people I have met through this journey are the highlight. I have learned a lot, been guided, encouraged and inspired by them all.

What is in the works for future collections?

At this stage, I feel we are still introducing the brand. But we are excited to launch new shapes for the next collection which will include vibrant new colours.

What are your thoughts on the fashion industry and designers in the UAE? We have many talented creative designers that I aspire to be like and follow in their footsteps. They are confident, dedicated and a true representation of the rich cultures and background of this region.

How does ODEEM stand out from other brands? I feel that my design aesthetic really brings a new perspective to the market.

I know the ODEEM woman. It’s very important for me to stay true to her profile as well as the brand’s DNA. Where would you like to see ODEEM at the end of this year? First it’s about getting regional reach and then we’ll look to expanding internationally.

ODEEM is available at odeem.ae

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R O L L This London-based boutique has become the go-to destination for top grade crystals – delivering beauty the globe over to celebrities and CEOs alike WORDS: AMY SESSIONS

we are clear and grounded first thing in the morning and clear anything we need to.

Mornings start early in our house, as an animal loving family, our furred and feathered family members come first and there is always a lot to do with dogs, horses, ducks and a cockatiel to care for.

05.

How did you know it was the right moment to launch and how do you find working as a team? There wasn’t a ‘right’ moment. It just happened at the right time, much like everything that has happened with Venusrox. Although the direction may change from time to time we just trust and know we are on the right path. Thankfully we have the same vision and beliefs and we also genuinely enjoy each other’s company.

06. Do you have any mentors or guides who have helped navigate your way? We have someone who watches our backs who we will always be eternally grateful to. We are also always learning and gain in knowledge and experience that enhance our journey and we have learnt to go with the flow and are willing to change direction if needed.

Himalayan Quartz Natural Point (Meru)

Venusrox is a passion driven, London-based, premier crystal and mineral gallery specialising in sourcing the finest, and often museum grade, crystals and fine minerals for individuals and interior designers throughout the UK and worldwide. Founders Matt & Victoria Forster radiate happiness and harmony. We dug deeper to find out what their secret is…

01. You opened Venusrox in 2011 – was it a vision you had for a long time prior to making it a reality? The vision was clear from the start and it didn’t take long to become a reality. We believe this is what we are here to do so it was no surprise when things moved perfectly into place. Venusrox was meant to be!

02.

Why crystals and what properties do you believe they have that we can harness best for wellbeing? Our journey with energy has been long and it still continues. Along this journey we came to realise that some crystals can be incredible allies, supporting us both energeti-

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cally and spiritually as we follow our paths through life. Early on we realised we had the gift to be able to see those crystals that have a beneficial energy and we wanted to offer others the opportunity to also experience and enjoy the benefits from the support these magnificent crystals allies can give.

03. What determines the quality of a crystal and its vibrational frequency? For us it is entirely the presence of this energy. If there is no energy in a crystal then there is no intrinsic benefit that the stone can bring.

We initially travelled globally in search of crystals for ourselves and struggled to find many with beneficial energy. This is still the case and we never compromise when sourcing. This energy must be present or we will not buy the crystal, even if we could make a profit.

04. What do your first 30 minutes of the day look like? The first place to start with energy is clarity and to ensure one is grounded and balanced, so we always check

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07. How have you been able to grow Venusrox into a global brand so quickly and why do you think you have such a high retention rate? We believe because we stay true to what we do. Our aim from the start has always been to bring the finest quality crystals both ascetically and energetically to the market for people to enjoy them however they choose to, and we don’t compromise.

There are lots of people trying to jump on the crystal and energy bandwagon, regurgitating the same beliefs and messages that do the rounds, but we do not follow the crowd. Everything that we do and believe in is from our own experience and integrity. We never buy a crystal if the energy is not right and we use our own method to clear the energy as many of the so-called clearing methods circulated around, in our experience, simply do not work. We have been approached many times to sell other people’s products related to energy but we won’t dilute the brand by allowing other people's energy into Venusrox. It is an appreciation of our knowledge and integrity behind the energy that people recognise and value, which we believe is why Venusrox has become a truly globally-trusted brand.

08. Is there a particular stone that people tend to start out with before they return to buy additional? There is not a particular crystal – choosing a crystal is such a personal thing.

When selecting a crystal, we always say to go with your gut and allow the crystal to draw

you to it; the crystal chooses you, you don’t choose it. You will instinctively know which crystal wants to be with you. You will not only be attracted to the beauty of the crystal, but also to the purpose and power of the crystal itself. You will be drawn to the energy most needed by you at that particular point and time in your life. It is for this reason that you may find you are led to a crystal you have never considered before, or attracted to a colour that would not usually appeal to you. Allow your first impressions to guide you and follow your instincts. The right stone is the one that you are drawn to…it is as simple as that!

09. Have you created any memorable bespoke pieces for clients? There have been some amazing pieces that we will always remember that still come up in conversation. Nature is truly incredible, every piece she creates is unique and she never fails to amaze us. The challenge is always to find the best way to mount them and display them to show their true beauty and the joy is always finding new memorable pieces.

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Where do you usually source your pieces and do you notice a particular connection to one type of crystal or stone yourself ? We source from all over the world.

We don’t have one type of crystal that we connect with more than another. We just know when we see them if they are for Venusrox. We often get asked how we part with some of the pieces in the showroom – the answer is they are not ours personally, if they were ours then they would be at home.

11. You have clients the globe over – do you see any buying patterns based on regions or countries? No, we don’t. We often get asked this and also what type of crystal we sell the most of, but there really is no pattern as crystals are such a personal thing and we encourage people to trust themselves when selecting for the energy, so regional tastes have less influence.

12. What in this market is luxury? Venusrox Crystals.

13. How do you approach client engagement and retention? It is very important to us that people feel welcome when they enter our showroom, we want people to feel relaxed and to spend as much time as they wish to browse and enjoy the crystals. We are there to help, answer questions and to introduce you to the pieces. With clients from all over the world, some of whom cannot visit our showroom, we are very aware of the importance to provide them with quality images on our website so they too have the

we invested enormously into the photography to ensure the image and energy of the crystal is portrayed as accurately as possible and we photograph each piece so the crystal you view is the one you shall receive.

This gives people the confidence to purchase from us online and we regularly ship all over the world.

opportunity to purchase and enjoy the crystals. It is so important to us that we publish quality pictures that are a true representation of the pieces we are selling so people can purchase the actual piece they are drawn to. Our motivation is to bring joy, optimism and beauty into the lives of as many people as possible, all around the globe.

14. You’re London-based – how do you think this has helped or hindered growing your business? Our showroom is in London but we have customers from all over the world. We believe Venusrox would thrive wherever it is located because we are unique in what we offer. People already travel from all over the world to see us. London is a thriving multicultural city and is a great city to work in although energetically it can be challenging at times.

15. What pieces do you recommend for the home and why? Having crystals around your house is amazing as they can dramatically enhance the energy of a home, but we try not to influence people’s choice of pieces for the home. We encourage people to be drawn to the pieces they are attracted to. We have seen crystals make or break the energy of a room, which is why we put so much energy into making sure Venusrox crystals have the highest vibrations and the clearest energy. We cannot emphasise enough the importance of buying crystals that have the right energy and when you connect with these crystals. Venusrox is all about empowering people to listen to their inner knowledge, we can of course help and guide you by introducing you to pieces for you to choose from but ultimately, you know what you want and need, not us, and the trick is to listen to your instinct and trusting that.

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Do you feel clients still want to feel a stone in person and how did you make the decision to sell online? Some people do definitely want to hold and feel a crystal in person and we totally understand that but for some this is just not possible due to distance. It has always been our intention that people from all over the world can have access to these crystals, so early on

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17. What was your own first investment piece? A beautiful Large Clear Quartz Cluster that has a very wise old energy. She lives in our sitting room at home.

18. Which Instagram accounts do you follow for inspiration? None.

19. How have you approached things differently since the outset to competitors? We walk the talk when it comes to energy and have followed our own path rather than joining the masses. Working with energy is very powerful and rewarding but you have to make sacrifices and it can sometimes be a lonely path that often people are not willing to take.

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What do you carry with you when travelling?

Amongst the many crystals that travel with us, there is always a Star Ruby.

21. What advice would you give to your younger selves starting out? Trust more, be brave, take action and go for it. The mind can take over too much and cloud what the heart is saying. It is the heart that really knows. Easier said than done sometimes, but we truly believe the crystals are here to help and support us.

22. If you had not launched Venusrox, which other role would you choose careerwise? We honestly don’t know! There has never been any doubt with Venusrox, we believe it is what we are here to do. We guess if it wasn’t crystals then it would be helping animals.

23. If you could suggest one stone to optimise anyone’s happiness which would it be? Impossible to say, crystals really are so personal, any stone can optimise someone’s happiness, it really depends on you and which crystals you connect with.

24. This issue is the ‘Go your own way Issue’ – what does it mean to you to go your own way? We are all individuals and have our own lessons to learn. It is not always easy and huge challenges are often presented to us in many forms but it is so important to stay true to yourself. If you do it will always turn out to be right in the end.

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“Choosing a crystal is such a personal thing. When selecting a crystal, we always say to go with your gut and allow the crystal to draw you to it” – Matt & Victoria Forster, Venusrox

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From left: Smoky Phantom Quartz Polished Point; Pink Tourmaline Pendant; Black Phantom Quartz Polished Point; Rutilated Quartz Sphere; All available at Venusrox.com

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WORDS: TA R A PA R K E R P O P E EDITED: AMY SESSIONS

IMMUNE SYSTEM 2.0

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Fears regarding coronavirus have prompted online searches and plenty of misinformation about the strength of our immune systems.

As worries grow about the new coronavirus, online searches for ways to bolster the immune system have surged. Are there foods to boost your immune system? Will vitamins actually help?

The immune system is a complex network of cells, organs and tissues that work in tandem to protect the body from infection.

While genetics play a role, we know from studies of twins that the strength of our immune system is largely determined by nonheritable factors. The germs we are exposed to over a lifetime, as well as lifestyle factors like stress, sleep, diet and exercise all play a role in the strength of our immune response.

The bottom line is that there is no magic pill or a specific food guaranteed to bolster your immune system and protect you from the new coronavirus. But there are real ways you can take care of yourself and give your immune system the best chance to do its job against a respiratory illness.

Lower your stress Worries about the coronavirus, the stock market and the general disruption of life have added to our stress levels, but we know that stress also can make you more susceptible to respiratory illness.

In a series of remarkable studies over 20 years at Carnegie Mellon University, volunteers were exposed to the cold virus (using nose drops) and then quarantined for observation. The researchers found that people who reported less stress in their lives were less likely to develop cold symptoms.

Another series of studies at Ohio State University found that marital conflict is especially taxing to the immune system. In a series of studies, the researchers inflicted small wounds on the arms of volunteers, and then asked couples to discuss topics both pleasant and stressful. When couples argued their wounds took, on average, a full

day longer to heal than after the sessions in which the couples discussed something pleasant. Among couples who exhibited especially high levels of hostility, the wounds took two days longer to heal.

The bottom line: Your body does a better job fighting off illness and healing wounds when it’s not under stress. Learning techniques for managing stress, like meditation, controlled breathing or talking to a therapist are all ways to help your immune system stay strong.

© 2020 THE NEW YORK TIMES COMPANY; IMAGES: SUPPLIED

Improve your sleep habits A healthy immune system can fight off infection. A sleep-deprived immune system doesn’t work as well. In one surprising study, researchers found 164 men and women willing to be exposed to the cold virus. Not everyone got sick. But short sleepers – those who regularly slept less than six hours a night – were 4.2 times more likely to catch the cold compared with those who got more than seven hours of sleep, researchers found. Risk was even higher when a person slept less than five hours a night.

The bottom line: Focusing on better sleep habits is a good way to strengthen your immune system. The sweet spot for sleep is six to seven hours a night. Stick to a regular bedtime and wake-up schedule.

Avoid screens, night-eating and exercise right before bedtime.

Check your vitamin D level While further study is needed on the link between vitamin D and immune health, some promising research suggests that checking your vitamin D level – and taking a vitamin D supplement – could help your body fight off respiratory illness. In one study of 107 older patients, some patients took high doses of vitamin D, while others were given standard doses. After a year, the researchers found that people in the highdose group had 40 per cent fewer respiratory infections over the course of the year compared to those on the standard dose.

A more recent analysis of 25 randomised controlled trials of 11,000 patients showed an overall protective effect of vitamin D supplementation against acute respiratory tract infections. The data isn’t conclusive, and some studies of vitamin D haven’t shown a benefit.

Why would vitamin D lower risk for respiratory illness? Our bodies need adequate vitamin D to produce the antimicrobial proteins that kill viruses and bacteria. “If you don’t have adequate vitamin D circulating, you are less effective at producing these proteins and more susceptible to infection,” says Dr. Adit Ginde, professor of emergen-

cy medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and the study’s lead author. “These proteins are particularly active in the respiratory tract.”

It’s important to note that there are no clinical recommendations to take vitamin D for immune health, although the standard recommendation for bone health is for 600 to 800 international units per day. (That is the level found in most multivitamins.) In the study of respiratory illness and vitamin D, the dose was equivalent to about 3,330 international units daily. Vitamin D can be found in fatty fish, such as salmon, and in milk or foods fortified with vitamin D. In general, our vitamin D levels tend to be influenced by sun exposure, skin tone and latitude – people in northern areas who get less sun exposure in the winter typically have lower vitamin D. A blood test is required to check vitamin D levels. Less than 20 nanograms per milliliter is considered deficient. Above 30 is optimal.

The bottom line: If you are concerned about immune health, you may consider having your vitamin D level checked and talking to your doctor about whether to take a supplement.

Eat a balanced diet and skip unproven supplements A healthy diet and exercise are important to maintaining a strong immune system.

However, no single food or natural remedy has been proven to bolster a person’s immune system or ward off disease. But that hasn’t stopped people from making specious claims. A recipe circulating on social media claims boiled garlic water helps. Other common foods touted for their immune-boosting properties are ginger, citrus fruits, turmeric, oregano oil and bone broth. There are small studies that suggest

a benefit to some of these foods, but strong evidence is lacking. For instance, the bone broth claim has been fueled by a study published in 2000 that showed eating chicken soup seemed to reduce symptoms of an upper respiratory tract infection. A number of small studies have suggested garlic may enhance immune system function. Claims that elderberry products can prevent viral illness also are making the rounds on social media, but evidence is lacking.

“There are a lot of products that tout immune boosting properties, but I don’t think any of these have been medically proven to work,” explains Dr. Krystina Woods, hospital epidemiologist and medical director of infection prevention at Mount Sinai West in New York. “There are people who anecdotally say ‘I felt great after I took’ whatever. That may be true, but there’s no science to support that.”

The bottom line: If you enjoy foods touted as immune boosters, there is no harm in eating them. Just be sure that you don’t neglect proven health advice like washing your hands and not touching your face in protecting yourself from a viral illness.

LYMA Monthly Starter Kit (120 capsules) Dhs785 available at Net-A-Porter

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THE DIGITAL SOLUTION The fashion industry’s escape from coronavirus

Twice a year, the luxury fashion houses of the world present their ready-to-wear clothing for the coming season. This creates an international travelling circuit of retailers and reporters, high-net-worth clients and Instagram influencers, executives and a small army of public-relations professionals, many travelling from New York to London to Milan and finally to Paris.

This year, upon their arrival in Milan in mid-February, intersected with an outbreak of COVID-19. Italy then became the country worst hit by the illness outside Asia.

And so, a thousand industry insiders wondered for a few weeks: would they become a global public health menace – a vector of transmission from the elite front rows of fashion shows to the world at large?

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The final leg of this month-long tour arrived for a week in Paris starting in late February. On the first day of shows, the number of reported cases of coronavirus in France was just 14; by the last day, there were more than 200, and the country had banned gatherings of more than 5,000 people in confined spaces. Many attendees were sleep-deprived and already sneezing from the mammoth ‘all-hours’ work policy, having burnt the candle at both ends on the road. Design houses were handing out face masks before their shows. Several highprofile US buyers and magazine editors, decided to leave Paris early; some didn’t come at all. By midweek, many American teams had begun strategising with their employers in New York about their returns to the Unit-

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ed States. Would they need to self-quarantine – work from home – and for how long?

At Lacoste, the penultimate show of Paris Fashion Week, roughly 20 to 30 per cent of media guests had cancelled.

What remained uncontained however were the rumours. The Miu Miu show was going to be cancelled, people said. (It was not, and was held spectacularly as scheduled, however Miuccia Prada, the designer, chose not to host her usual post-show meet and greet.) With some transport in Italy grounded, Louis Vuitton was rumored to have used the personal jet of Bernard Arnault, the head of the parent company, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, and the third richest man in the world, to transport its handbags from coronavirus-infected Italy to less infected France. “I wish I had invented that!” said Michael Burke, the Louis Vuitton chief executive, when asked about the rumor.

At the Vuitton show, the setting was eerie. The museum’s staff had walked out amid concerns about the spread of coronavirus, effectively closing the French monument for three days until they reopened.

Sidney Toledano, the chief executive of LVMH Fashion Group, shared squeezes of hand sanitizer from his pocket-size bottle with Jonathan Newhouse, the chairman of Condé Nast, and both of their wives.

The crisis has accelerated a question hanging over fashion in recent years. Runway shows are expensive, laborious and environmentally harmful. Are they still worth absorbing an entire month?

Before the Alexander McQueen show in Paris on Monday night, François-Henri Pinault, the chief executive of the luxury conglomerate Kering – owner of Gucci, Saint Laurent and Balenciaga – wondered whether the industry should begin digitising showrooms and considering a new system.

(Throughout fashion week Pinault joked, or half-joked, that he had been taking his temperature twice a day to monitor for fever, a symptom of coronavirus.) Anna Wintour, the artistic director of Condé Nast and editor of Vogue, said she had also been thinking about the future. “At a time of crisis, we have to think about a radical reset,” she said.

Rakuten Fashion Week, scheduled to begin on March 16 in Tokyo, was cancelled.

(Japan has, at this time, only slightly more cases than France.) Subsequent fashion weeks in Shanghai and Beijing have been postponed. Ralph Lauren, who planned a runway show in April in New York, has cancelled his show. Burberry has postponed an April show in Shanghai. Gucci has canceled a show in San Francisco in May,

© 2020 THE NEW YORK TIMES COMPANY; IMAGES: GETTY

and Prada has cancelled a show planned for that month in Tokyo. Anna conspicuously stayed in Paris through the end of the shows, discussing how best to support emerging designers in the current climate.

“They are a creative force and the generation we look to, to lead the way forward,” Anna said. “If they are all having cash flow problems — as I am sure they are, because of low retail traffic in the showrooms and supply chain issues and people wanting to stay out of public spaces — anything we can do to support them is important.” She was hoping to announce a plan in the next few days.

The Real Industry Crisis “Empty seats at shows are not the problem — it is what is happening in showrooms, the holdups in the supply chains and what they might mean,” said Pascal Morand, the executive president of the Fédération Française de la Couture et de la Mode, the organizing body of Paris Fashion Week. “It is the uncertainty and not knowing how long the situation will last.”

Designers don’t just show their collections at these four big fashion weeks in February and September. They also sell them.

Fashion buyers employed by retailers (Bloomingdale’s, for example) and e-commerce platforms (Net-A-Porter, Matches Fashion) negotiate order sizes and prices with brands and decide what goes into stores. This happens during intimate showroom appointments separate from runway presentations.

This season’s orders have been down, designers said. Not necessarily for big companies like Valentino, Vuitton and Tod’s, their executives said, but for smaller independent houses, and particularly for those whose production takes place even partially in China. In an effort to stop the spread of the virus, thousands of Chinese factories, already closed over the celebratory New Year period, have yet to reopen, bringing manufacturing to a near standstill and headaches for many fashion companies that produce samples and wares in the country.

Significant added costs from order backlogs and logistics delays are now expected, as well as a looming threat to global trade.

And it’s not just China. Luca Solca, an analyst at Bernstein, wrote of the effect of COVID-19, “The key numbers to watch – at the moment – are the growth in cases in the provinces of Bergamo, Cremona and Brescia,” some of the Italian production hubs.

With many luxury boutiques closed in mainland China, sales down almost 90 per cent, and retailers in key luxury hubs like Paris already counting the costs of a significant de-

cline in Chinese tourists, a reduced number of fashion insiders in the front rows of Paris and Milan is the least of the industry’s concerns.

Jefferies Group, an investment bank, estimates that Chinese buyers accounted for 40 per cent of the Dhs1,120.3 trillion (USD$305 billion) spent on luxury goods globally last year, making the Chinese the fastest-growing luxury shopper demographic in the world.

Buyers are concerned the travel bans will reduce their spending. “There has definitely

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been a drop in buyers from all over the world, especially from China and Hong Kong,” said Ayse Ege, a founder of Dice Kayek, a luxury womenswear label in Paris. “Lots of buyers are saying their budgets have been cut. Some have also asked whether they can cancel orders or have discounts, given the lack of visibility on what might happen next.”

Yet, happily buying has not stopped completely, moreover it is happening remotely. Unable to touch and see products up close, buyers have been video chatting with designers throughout Milan and Paris, using these conversations, along with high-definition lookbook photos and sales line sheets, to make decisions for the upcoming season.

This might just be the future, at least for now.

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Emirates Woman spends an afternoon getting to know Ingie Chalhoub

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How does it feel to meet one of the most powerful women in the Middle East? Some would say ‘daunting’, and that’s a fair observation. Other’s might suggest ‘exciting’ and this would also be an appropriate term, but for our perspective, there’s no other word to describe sitting down with a businesswoman who played one of the most crucial roles in bringing the luxury shopping experience to the region than: ‘inspiring’.

With a career that goes back further than 35 years, Ingie Chalhoub has seen her fair share of immense highs and crushing lows, yet she appears content and eager to take on whatever the future has in store for her.

Calm, collected yet clearly strategic when it comes to the role she plays in the Middle East’s fashion scene, Ingie is a true grafter.

In a world where people look for instant success, Ingie has worked from the ground up to where she is today. You can thank her for bringing over a hundred celebrated fashion brands to the region via retail giant, Etoile Group. In addition, the luxury sector would not be what it is today without Chalhoub

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group – which isn’t just a business, she points out in our interview, it’s a family. And it’s that care and sentimentality in a cutthroat world of fashion which makes Ingie so deserving of her success. “Working with empathy is important. You can be my competitor, but if you get something I’m going to be feeling that empathy. Even if you are my worst enemy at work, still you can be my friend outside of work. This is emotional intelligence. Whatever is work is work, outside work you have to have this empathy.

Why wouldn’t I share my view with a competitor, I’m beyond that. I can give my open opinion – it’s not confidential.”

She knows she wouldn’t be where she is without the right people around her, and she attributes a lot of her personal ambition and determination to her upbringing.

Being the middle sister made Ingie naturally want to succeed in anything she took on. Her mother was instrumental in getting her into luxury fashion and was by her side when they opened their first shop – a Chanel boutique in Kuwait no less – in 1983. They

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both ran the store, travelled to the shows and her mother encouraged interaction with clients, which to this day she believes is crucial when running a successful brand like INGIE Paris.

“I grew up in the environment of women. I had to get my own way. I’ve worked my whole life, I didn’t take maternity leave, because when you have a business you can’t switch off. My mother was amazing. After she raised us, she was into fashion and showed me the way. I did it for her and to be with her and it was a lovely partnership we had. Me and my mother did everything in our first shop until we got there. I learnt by being on the field and I really believe there’s nothing like being in touch with your customers and suppliers,” she says.

What took us by surprise is how humble she is, and that comes from knowing what it’s like to lose everything, and that’s exactly what happened during the Gulf War. The business was gone, but her husband and equally prolific businessman, Patrick Chalhoub, encouraged her to maintain her presence in the industry. They relaunched the brand in Dubai, followed by the opening Etoile La Boutique – a luxury multi-brand shopping destination – in 2005 and then her own label INGIE Paris in 2009.

Raised and educated in France, Ingie knew that establishing her brand as INGIE Paris was the best reflection of herself, but she is immensely proud of her heritage. “My

real DNA is international.

I’m very proud to be French Lebanese and to have brought together the best of both worlds. I love to have those two cultures. I love Lebanon and my heart is between France, Dubai and Lebanon.”

She has complete involvement in the growth of her fashion brand. “Today, being a woman designer is even more interesting. To know what women are expecting, being close to the creative side and working closely with the atelier, enriches and empowers me. I get the A-Z experience of this industry, it’s very fulfilling. You have to be the face of everything and also doing everything, you have to master all aspects of the business. I learnt to become more self-confident, and even as a woman it was not always easy. You don’t see so many women on the top level.” Recently, both Ingie and Patrick were awarded the Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur Award for their dedication to promoting French luxury around the world. Furthermore, Ingie has been named one of the top 100 most powerful women in the Arab world by both Forbes and CEO Middle East, has won two Gulf Connoisseur Awards, sat on the board of Dubai International Fashion Week, and acted as the Chief Creative Officer of the Arab Fashion Council.

Holding a privileged position has allowed her to take an active role in philanthropy. From being part of ‘Make A Wish’ where children attend her fashion shows, to travelling to Jordan to visit a refugee camp for Syrian refugees. “It’s so important to give back to the community. We try to inspire our own children to do the same. If everyone gives back to one child, we will be living in a better world. For me, it’s something that I’ve always been conscious of. Since I got married, we sponsored many different organisations and over the years, Patrick and I, have sponsored 120 children directly, and this is besides all the other work we do on a bigger level like the school we've worked on in the south of Lebanon – and as much as we talk about it, it’s never enough. I went to Jordan to see the refugee camp and the children that are born there have no hope to leave and have no life waiting for them. This is where you say “we have to do something”. Some-

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times it’s beyond your authority because it’s in the hands of the government, but if no one talks about it, nothing will ever happen. Solutions should be found on all levels if not our own level. When you create awareness, people start questioning it. Everyone can try something themselves – sometimes it’s the little things, not just the financial, that can make a difference.”

In the wake of COVID-19, the economy across the globe has been hit with many businesses strategically planning their survival. Ingie has been through her challenges, and understands the importance of perseverance. “There are challenges in life. The road is long and while we know there will be bumps, we can't see them in advance sometimes. It is very hard to perceive, you have to have this willingness. The more I see how the world is moving so rapidly and fiercely, the challenges are bigger and we need to be more resistant. I feel like this new generation is not prepared and I’m afraid for them.

The challenges are big, but the opportunities are big too.”

Ingie Chalhoub has been at the helm of INGIE Paris since 2009 and is also behind Etoile La Boutique with her businessman husband, Patrick Chalhoub

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MOVING THE MET

As the world is gripped by COVID-19, the Met Gala practices social distancing under Anna Wintour’s watch

EDITED: AMY SESSIONS

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The Met Gala – the buzziest fashion-society-politics-celebrity gathering of the year, just ran out of time. The museum announced that in order to avoid gatherings of 50 people or more, as per health guidance around the outbreak of the new coronavirus, “all programs and events through May 15 will be cancelled or postponed.”

That programming includes the annual fundraising party, which heralds the opening of the Costume Institute’s yearly blockbuster and has become the starriest draw of the New York gala circuit – as well as its most lucrative. According to a spokesperson for the museum, no new date or further plans for the party, originally scheduled for May 4 and meant to unveil the show ‘About Time: Fashion and Duration,’ had been announced.

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Chaired by Anna Wintour, artistic director of Condé Nast, the gala is both a party that attracts millions of eyeballs on social media as guests attempt to outdress one another and a vehicle for securing the annual operating budget of the Costume Institute, the only curatorial department in the museum required to pay for itself. A publicist once called it an ‘ATM for the Met.’ In 2019, the gala for the exhibit “Camp: Notes on Fashion” raised Dhs55 million (USD$15 million) from 550 guests. Brands typically spend more than Dhs734,600 (USD$200,000) to secure a table at the event; an individual ticket costs Dhs128,555 (USD$35,000) and can only be purchased by invitation. Attendance is also by invitation (Anna vets every guest, even the ones invited by brands) and is a sign

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© 2020 THE NEW YORK TIMES COMPANY; IMAGES: GETTY

of currency far more powerful than any actual amount of currency can signify. Along with Anna, this year’s gala’s co-hosts included Nicolas Ghesquière of Louis Vuitton (the brand was also underwriting the exhibit), Emma Stone (the actress and Louis Vuitton brand ambassador), Meryl Streep (it would have been her first Met Gala), and Lin-Manuel Miranda. After the extremity of ‘Camp’ – to which co-host Lady Gaga wore four different outfits, Billy Porter arrived born aloft on a stretcher carried by six shirtless men, and Katy Perry came as a working chandelier – expectations were this year’s theme would prompt a return to more classic (read: timeless) dress.

It’s widely viewed as the biggest night in fashion, even more so than the Academy Awards – and that’s just the red carpet. Reporters and social media are both banned from

the dinner, which takes place inside the museum, the better to ensure exclusivity. What happens at the Temple of Dendur (and the other galleries) stays inside the galleries.

Except when a guest takes an errant bathroom selfie.

In a statement posted on the Vogue website, Anna called the decision “unavoidable and responsible” and promised a preview of this year’s planned exhibition in the May issue of Vogue. (She also used the opportunity to endorse Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.)

The museum on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan – plus its two other locations, the Met Breuer and the Met Cloisters – initially closed to all visitors on Friday. Still, the museum was still hoping the gala would go on as planned. The museum has not announced a reopening date.

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C O M P I L E D: D I YA N A H A K M I

Haifaa Al Mansour – the first female filmmaker from Saudi Arabia – is a force to be reckoned with. Despite criticism, she tells us why it’s crucial to march to the beat of her own drum.

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How did you make the choice to pursue this career? I started to make short films, just as a hobby or as a kind of therapy, to deal with the frustrations I faced as a woman in Saudi Arabia. Making films for me was a place to find freedom, to liberate myself from the constraints of my conservative culture and connect with the bigger world. And I have loved film since I was little. As a working woman in Saudi Arabia I felt invisible, like I had no voice. I was sick of being ignored but then I found a voice in film.

What made you sure this is the right path for you? Filmmaking was just a hobby for a long time, more than anything else, but it gave me such satisfaction in the art of creation. And I started submitting my work to all the regional film festivals and I was shocked that one actually invited me. They were the ones that said: “Did you know you are the first female filmmaker from Saudi Arabia?” That was really something to hear, and such a motivator for me to keep going in the field.

What kind of push back did you experience from society? There were quite a few people who opposed my work at the beginning. Unlike a lot of Saudi girls, I was very lucky to have the support of my parents. Instead of trying to control me, my father told me to believe in myself and never let anyone limit my belief of what I can achieve.

He never listened to anyone or compromised when it came to his daughters’ freedom. He used to get letters from our extended family, his friends, his colleagues and the Imam of the mosque in front of our house asking him to get me under control and put a stop to my career as a filmmaker. But he was so proud and never cared. I feel really blessed that my father was not only liberal and encouraged me to follow my dreams, but that my mother was such a strong person and didn’t care about what other people thought. Most Saudis have this real, legitimate fear of being labelled as “different” or outside of the system, but my mother and father didn’t care. Has there been a time where you wanted to break from your culture? I see my culture as an integral part of my work and could never separate myself from it. Of course it was incredibly difficult to make a film in 2011, and people were still very hesitant to embrace any public form of artistic expression, but the culture is really the heart of the story. For me, telling stories from the unique place that I am from is very rewarding. Of course now a lot of the restrictions on art have been relaxed and everything is different, and we have cinemas going up all across the Kingdom, but the larger issue of a lack of infrastructure in the film industry remains. We have a lot of work to do in building up the tools and resources necessary to make quality films. We don’t have many people with experience in the field yet so putting together a crew and getting the right equipment is very difficult. Getting the proper training and education necessary to help craft and shape our stories is another key area that we need to develop.

What has been the most difficult hardship you've faced in your career? I have faced a lot of challenges throughout my career, like losing financing for films or having to direct from a van because of gender segregation, but I don’t like to think about the barriers or limitations I face. I always strive to create opportunities for myself wherever I can. If I had sat back and looked at all of the limitations I faced it would have been easy to become discouraged or just give up. It is amazing that there are so many new avenues for Saudi filmmakers to create and showcase their work, but it is still an incredibly challenging and difficult career path to embark upon. It is important to set goals to ensure that you build upon each success and opportunity so you keep up your momentum.

Which one of your movies relates to you the most? The Perfect Can-

didate is one of my most personal films. The themes of the story are very close to my own experiences, and that of my family, and it is influenced a lot by things that we went through. I really wanted to tell a story about a culturally conservative, traditional woman who decides to embrace the changes happening now and go out there and seize the moment. The reality of her journey is that it will be difficult, and lots of people will be critical of her choices, but it will ultimately open up a whole new world for her. I want to stress to the women of Saudi Arabia how important it is to go out there and take a chance, even if you don’t have any experience in doing so. It is still hard for Saudi women to put themselves out there, and they are nervous about doing things they haven’t done before like driving, travelling or uncovering their faces.

I also wanted to take a moment to celebrate the strong artistic and cultural legacy of Saudi Arabia and tell a story that stresses how important it is that we build upon those traditions as the foundation for our society's development. So much our music, theatre, stories, and all forms of artistic expression were almost erased from our culture entirely, so I felt like we needed a story that reminded people of the strong artistic traditions we have, and how they can help us as we move forward into an exciting future.

How do you make sure the message you want to transmit in your movies translate clearly in people’s minds? I always focus first on making an entertaining film. For my latest film I wanted to make a film that could be special to Saudis, and make the medium itself seem more accessible, while still presenting a window to our world to international audiences. As the scripts develop I constantly try to look at it from the outside, to the universal themes that it speaks to. I don’t want to give foreign audiences the false impression that it would be an easy or acceptable thing for a Saudi woman to run for office or a girl to ride a bike around Riyadh, so it is hard not to want to put in a bleaker end to their journeys. But I think the positive aspects of the films help audiences relate to the stories more and ultimately enjoy watching the films.

It is hard to be a woman in Saudi Arabia and I want the world to know how strong the women are in my country. They are survivors.

Who are your cinematic influences? Who would you say is your favourite female director? Jane Campion’s The Piano is one of my favourite films. I was lucky to get to spend some time studying it in graduate school and I think about it quite often when I craft my own work. It is a masterpiece, and there is so much you can get out of it on multiple viewings If you could go back to your younger self, what would you tell her?

Don’t focus on the things holding you back. It is so easy to look at all of the people, customs, ideas or prejudices working against you.

You have to tune that out and just focus on the things you need to do to reach your goal. As a woman there will always be people questioning your authority, doubting your ability, and hesitant to believe in your vision or ideas. All you can do is go out there and work hard and prove them wrong.

What are you working on next? I’m developing an animated film called Miss Camel, about a camel that wants to compete in the Miss Camel beauty pageant. It is a fun story that examines the perceptions women have of themselves in the Kingdom and the ways they form their aspirations. I hope to continue making as many movies as I can in Saudi Arabia. It is such a ripe environment for drama, and there are so many untold stories yet to be told. The interplay between tradition and modernity creates just the right amount of tension for great stories.

IMAGE: BRIGITTE LACOMBE

“I really wanted to tell a story about a culturally conservative, traditional woman who decides to embrace the changes happening now and go out there and seize the moment”

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The Future of Tech is Female There is technology, and there is ethical technology. The latter looks to innovative solutions where machines don’t replace humans. One person who is championing this movement is Emirati businesswoman, entrepreneur, mother, wife, and tech-innovator, Dr Sara Al Madani. Her Excellency is setting new standards for women in the tech industry, while also serving as the youngest board member of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Born to a Bahraini father and Emirati mother, Dr Sara attributes her tough work ethic to her upbringing and is at the moment, balancing several businesses – with the latest social venture launching this

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month – and is about to unveil a book that focuses on finding the best version of yourself. Prior to the release, she collaborated with luxury bakery brand, Ladurée, to design packaging inspired by the messages in her book. Fierce, determined, and passionate, there’s nothing stopping Dr Sara from achieving her dreams, and she believes nothing should stop you either.

What does it take to be a successful entrepreneur today? A personality. Money and great ideas do not last forever, especially if they are led by people who have no vision or leadership skills. To me entrepreneurship is about attitude, ethics and personality.

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Dr Sara Al Madani continues to pioneer in the world of ethical tech and beyond with fierce intent

IMAGES: SUPPLIED

Who taught you to be resilient? Me, myself and I. Life, people and failure, it all taught me how to be resilient.

You’re at the forefront of technology and digital. How have both of those fields evolved in the UAE? In 2014, I became a tech entrepreneur – I attended many seminars and watched several videos about tech. People would tell me that it’s a man’s world, which motivated me to prove a point and showcase that women can also be part of this industry.

I wanted to set an example within the tech world and become an ethical techpreneur, which means I wouldn’t replace humans with robots, as I strongly believe humans are the most valuable beings on earth. With technology and humans, it isn’t a competition – instead we complement and complete each other. The tech industry is evolving in the UAE, you see immense support from the government and its leaders towards tech as they want the country to be the leading hub.

Do you think there is enough women in tech?

Absolutely not, but that is rapidly changing.

There’s a huge difference in the numbers of women within the industry and you see it change every year. It keeps getting bigger and better.

What one piece of advice would you pass on to the next generation? I started when I was 15, what’s your excuse? Nothing is impossible – don’t let failure intimidate you. What wakes me every morning is not the fear of failing but the idea of ‘what if I’m the next big thing?’ Replace your ‘what if I can't’ to ‘what if I can’ and your life will change.

Talk us through your collaboration with Ladurée The introduction between Ladurée and I happened through the Arab Fashion Council. They wanted me to design a box for them that had meaning and would resonate with their target audience. In the past, they had worked with international personalities such as Vera Wang, however, I was the first Arab to collaborate with them.

Ladurée and I had a similar vision. We didn’t want to ‘just’ design a box, but instead something with significance, thus, I suggested the image that I had designed for my upcoming book.

The special box was inspired by your upcoming book. What can you tell us about the themes you wanted to explore in the book?

The design of the book and box basically showcases how you can become the best version of yourself. How to become a rebel – rebel against yourself, against your weaknesses and fears. Each element on the box represents a certain messaging. The butterfly shows you that through the process of life, you go through various stages – changes, growth, going through failures and finding who you are – you start something that

might not be attractive to others but you end up beautiful after experiencing what life has to offer. The birds signify freedom – your legs are your wings to freedom, while the lip biting the leaf represents a rebel, however, – this is a rebel with a good cause.

What do you hope women take away from reading the book? I hope women realise that we are strong, we are powerful and all the tools and strength we need lies within us. As women, we always search for our purpose elsewhere such as relationships, and other places and things but to be honest, this all lies within. They are lost somewhere inside of us and we need to look within. This book isn’t only for women but also men, and people who face challenges. It will hopefully help people overcome obstacles and be the best version of themselves How do you overcome your personal challenges? When you think of the worst pos-

sible things that can happen to you – for me it was being bankrupt and broke, a partnership gone bad and I lost everything. However, I stood up and thought to myself ‘I’m here, I’m still alive’, I still have my brain, and I can still make changes – yes, it was scary but it made me realise that challenges can be overcome and failure either beats you or teaches you. This is how I started overcoming challenges that came my way.

What is next for you? So much is going on!

The next thing will be the platform I am launching, called Halahi in April. It’ll be the first of its kind in the region, backed up by a Forbes-listed cyber security company.

It’s also in partnership with an extremely influential businessman in the UAE, Saif Belhasa. We are launching Halahi to be a platform where fans can get personalised videos from their favourite celebrities, for memories to last forever.

“I hope women realise that we are strong, we are powerful and all the tools and strength we need lies within us”

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NO BOUNDARIES In collaboration with Levi’s, we explore the unique journeys of five remarkable women from the region C O M P I L E D : D I A N A B E L L- H E AT H E R

P H OTO G R A P H Y: M U ST U FA A B I D I

W

e’re shining a light on inspiring women who perfectly fit the groundbreaking women feature in the Levi’s #ISHAPEMYWORLD campaign.

It celebrates the stories of fearless women who have carved their own path and have been unstoppable in the face of obstacles by breaking restrictions and stereotypes to shape the world they want to be in.

Fatma (Tumi) Al Bakry, DJ My challenges have definitely been that I’m a woman in a male-dominated field. Not to mention the fact that I’m Arab, and Muslim as well as growing up in a city where the music scene was narrow. Becoming the first female Omani DJ didn’t come easy, and the first question I used to get was “Do your parents know you DJ?” These social restrictions exist, but I don’t allow them to affect me. My mum has been my biggest supporter and I’m thankful for everything she’s pushed me to do. As long as I have one person in my corner I’m good. All it takes is one cheerleader to spark that trust in yourself.

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Nāyla al-Khāja, director, producer and founder of Nāyla al-Khāja Films I always felt the need to highlight social and cultural taboos in my work and felt responsible for tackling issues related to child abuse, gender bias and mental health. Although I am proud to have earned the title of the

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first female Emirati director and producer, and was able to have my first feature film screenplay Animal presented during the Cannes Film Festival in France – I still think we have a long way to go considering there’s only 11 per cent of published female directors globally. It is my mission to continue pushing the boundaries and social stigmas through storytelling.

HAIR & MAKEUP: MELANIE MEYAR; STYLIST: GEMMA JONES

Elissa Freiha, founder of Womena I use positivity to change perceptions of women, and women’s potential. I advocate for respect for women and celebrate their achievements in the face of adversity. Every human is deserving of respect, equal opportunity and rights – this is what drives me. Since the beginning I have had to prove and re-prove myself to those around me – so I decided to stop. I stopped trying to prove anything to anyone and just live authentically and passionately. That was the best decision I ever made – it led me back to purpose and creativity and that is what helped me create a complex business model that made Womena what it is today.

Amy Roko, content creator I started making content in university on Vine simply because I was bored and didn’t take myself too seriously. One of the challenges I faced were people not paying 100 per cent attention to my content – their attention was focused on other things like a little bit of my arm showing or how thick my eyeliner was or how loud I am or how I have my nails done. I was never forced to dress like this so I want people to focus less on what us women are wearing and more on the fact that we can be funny, active, loud, supportive and ambitious. I really want to inspire women who struggle to make their own choices become the most authentic version of themselves.

Dolores Shelleh, mountaineer When I wanted to pursue my dream, people didn’t believe that I was going to do it because we didn’t have these kind of mountains in my country.

People told my family “she’s a female, she shouldn’t be in such places with so many strangers and challenges.”

They didn’t see me as a person that could complete this challenge. With this achievement, I hope it will help women find their own dreams and push beyond their limitations to reach their full potential.

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The Luxury

WORDS: OLIVIA MORRIS

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Seeking an adventure balanced with the ultimate relaxation and rejuvenation time? If so, then Amangiri is the desert hideaway that is balm for the soul

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You wouldn’t think this modern oasis nestled in the desert of the Grand Canyon just celebrated its 10th anniversary. Situated on 600 acres of land, Amangiri is miles from anything. It’s so private, it has attracted celebrities and moguls alike to celebrate birthdays and special occasions. In fact, the location is so secluded and remote, an Act of the US Congress had to be passed in order for the resort to be built. If that’s not the epitome of secluded luxury, then what is?

Stay As you’d expect given the remoteness of the resort, one of the main aims of Amangiri is to limit interaction with big crowds – making it the perfect opportunity to ‘find yourself’ and spend quality time with your companions. The structure itself is understated yet has that wow-factor. Blending in with its blissful surroundings, there’s nothing to stop you with feeling at one with the peaceful landscape you look out onto.

Guests are offered the ultimate seclusion package at Amangiri with just 34 suites, of which six have private pools. If it’s an elevated wilderness experience you're seeking to really get away from it all, the resort now has 10 spacious one and two-bedroom pavilions all with their own living and dining areas, terraces, fire pits and heated plunge pools – the absolute dream escape.

As for the building itself, the architectural structure and materials used complements its surroundings perfectly.

Coincidentally, or perhaps not, the name Amangiri means ‘peaceful mountain’ which is the exact vibe the resort oozes.

Relax While you can truly ‘get away from it all’ in the comforts of your own suite at Amangiri, there’s also many other activities which can restore and rejuvenate you. However, there’s plenty on offer for guests to reach their ultimate level of zen.

There’s a wide range of spa and wellness treatments on offer for guests. One current offer they have is their ‘restore and rebalance’ treatment – promising guests they will be in “total seclusion and relaxation in the Utah desert”. Healing traditions from the Navajo people, the Native Americans who lived on the land where the resort

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WHAT TO PACK

Left page: The Desert Lounge suite view; Guests horseback riding; Aman spa step pool.

Above: The Aman Spa reception and view of the resort from the sand dunes

Explore What’s great about the Amangiri Grand Canyon resort, is that you can have an adventure or be blissed out in equal measure.

Just as you can totally get away from it all in the rejuvenation department, there’s just as many activities to explore. Whether it’s hiking and climbing, horseback riding, taking a helicopter ride over one of the many national parks that surrounds the resort or a hot air balloon ride, guests aren’t short

of choice when it comes to the kind of escape they want. The resort is also closely connected to the Navajo heritage and gives guests the opportunity to see the powerful storytelling sessions and ritual dances of the Native Americans.

Dine At the resort there’s a total of four dining options. The Dining Room is open for guests for both breakfast and dinner, while the Fireside Pavilion is the perfect spot to enjoy dinner under the stars. Meanwhile, the Desert Lounge is a more secluded spot, looking out over the endless landscape the resort has to offer. And if you’re keen to get away from the hotel for the evening, guests can jump on a horse, drive or hike to the Chinle Suite which is the perfect spot for the ultimate atmospheric dinner.

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IMAGES: SUPPLIED

is located, “draw on all four elements of the earth, win fire and water”. Guests are treated to a 30 minute Crystal sound bath and a 60 minute massage per night in the current deal available until December 22 of this year. There’s also a range of other treatments from beauty to massages, and a yoga and pilates studio for guests to enjoy.

From top: Off-the-shoulder blouse Dhs3,977 Alaïa; Leather sandals Dhs605 Aeyde Chrissy; Satin wide-leg trousers Dhs2,708 Bottega Veneta; Sunglasses Dhs1,281 The Row x Oliver Peoples; Darryl braided smooth and textured leather shoulder bag Dhs4,224 Chloé

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The Jet Set @christie_ferrari

Coachella might be postponed, but it doesn’t stop us dreaming. New York-based fashion influencer Christie Ferrari, gives us the lowdown on Coachella-inspired dressing. Even if you’re at home...

WO R D S : D I A N A B E L L- H E AT H E R

What was your first experience of Coachella like? It wasn’t my first music festival, but it was my first one on the West Coast. I loved everyone’s attitude and willingness to just have fun.

What was your highlight? I remember seeing Empire of the Sun, and Galantis that first time and it was incredible.

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As a first-timer, what should we be aware of in advance? There’s always a lot of dust, so bring something to cover your face! The festival actually takes place an hour away from Palm Springs, so be prepared for an expensive Uber ride or a long car journey.

Even when you get there, it’s a long walk (or TukTuk ride, so bring cash) to the actual

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entrance. It gets REALLY hot, so many go to the festival around sunset time or so.

Any festival survivor tips? A handkerchief to cover your face, moisturiser, sanitiser, sunscreen, cash and a good outfit.

What are your packing essentials for the festival? The style for Coachella is very Boho, so must-haves include some aspect of fringe, a flowy dress, denim and then some sort of comfortable heel, like a cowboy boot or espadrilles, because you’re walking on grass or dirt.

And how about beauty? Moisturiser, chap sticks and sunscreen.

Who would you love to see perform at Coachella in the future? Coldplay.

If you could pick three things you must do at Coachella, what would they be? Get lost listening to music and going to all the different stages, spend time people and celebrity watching and ride a TukTuk. And where can we get the best Instagram pictures at the festival? In front of the Ferris wheel at sunset.

5 REASONS TO VISIT

Sinner Paris, France

Breaking the rules of luxury, this boutique hotel is a heady blend of the historic and the hipster. An artistic gem situated in one of Paris’ oldest neighborhoods, a stay here is a true invitation for the senses WORDS: AMY SESSIONS

01. Location

Le Marais, is one of Paris’ oldest neighborhoods and now plays host to the cool crowd. Favoured by contemporary art galleries, emerging designers’ boutiques and hip cafes, exploring this area offers up a host of newness that will keep you ahead of the curve culture-wise. Sinner is for artistic types, urban explorers, and anyone wishing to feel all the comfort of a luxury hotel while enjoying an approach which feels far more tailor-made.

02. Heaven Scent

The first thing which hits you when you arrive is the incredible scent of the hotel and its most private area, a spa by Orveda is no exception. Hidden behind a large stud embellished door, discover this well-kept secret, with its pool inspired by Greek and Roman baths, as you enjoy a treatment customised specifically for you.

03. An Eye for Detail

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Sinner Paris delivers in truly unexpected ways design wise, with winding corridors illuminated by candles that cast an almost sacred sense of calm. Red doors with hand-shaped knockers inspired by carriage porches reveal 43 bedrooms and suites designed in opulent umber velvet and

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tactile wood. Sinner Paris successfully marries old and new to achieve a truly individual sense of luxury.

04. Strong Start

Breakfast here is abundant, as you might expect from a hotel promising to invite the senses. The coffee is incredible, the menu is wide and the team are flexible, meaning you can have everything from a classic poached egg to a cucumber juice on-thego to get you through your day. It’s also the ideal hangout for causal meetings overlooking a perfectly tended garden, so if you’re travelling for business as well as pleasure you can be efficient from the early hours.

05. After Hours

Contrasting radical lines with suggestive curves and a feeling of unpolished luxury, the pièce de résistance here could be considered the bar with its eclectic coloured glass, which casts the most intimate welcome. Carefully considered and handselected literature engulfs the seating areas where you’re free to browse and be inspired while you wait for your guests.

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Bulgari Resort, Bali

Otherworldly Hotels WORDS: CECILIA D’SOUZA

Travel might not be on the cards right now but what’s to stop us planning ahead? We've complied the very best places to be, you can add to your wishlist now, ready for once this phase has passed...

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Bulgari Resort, Bali The lowdown: The pristine setting – on the decadent south-western shore of Bali – is utterly awe-inspiring. The resort’s sleek and modern 59 villas are perched atop a lush hillside near Uluwatu, which is one of Bali’s most sacred temples.

The rooms: Frangipani-draped stone pathways wind between gorgeous thatched-roof villas constructed of local hand-cut volcanic stone and bangkiray wood. A sophisticated bathroom, breezy pavilion for dining and a plunge pool complete the look.

The food: For your palate, the Il Ristorante – Luca Fantin is the resort’s signature Italian restaurant set in a sophisticated openair dining room with mesmerising views, especially in the evenings over a reflective pool laden with floating candles. Or walk through to Sangkar for your fill of local and international choices where you can sit at a Teak wood art table and watch magnificent sunsets from the ocean-view deck.

The pampering: The cliff-top spa with views to-die-for offers the ultimate pampering for mind and body. Surrender yourself to the hands of experienced therapists how will melt the stress away.

Bulgarihotels.com

Hôtel Costes, Paris

Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel The lowdown: With its extensive private wooded reserve, stunning riverside setting at the foot of the mountains, terraced hills and waterfalls this is a haven of Andean charm.

The rooms: The low-slung colonial style ca-

sitas, rough cobbled footpaths and spacious rustic-chic guest rooms with marble bathrooms and open-air showers are extremely elegant to cosy into.

The food: The all-day Café Inkaterra with its thatched palms and exceptional views of the Vilcanota River serves up great salads and Peruvian staples.

The pampering: After an excursion of the woods or the iconic ruins lie down to rest your tired bones at the UNU spa. Its location near the Andean sauna and the springwater plunge pool makes for an extremely soothing setting. Inkaterra.com

Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel

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Hôtel Costes, Paris The lowdown: The beautiful and luxe Costes is practically an institution for the most wellheeled celebrities and fashionistas alike. Its lavish décor, satin wallpaper and gleaming gilt is in keeping with the glitz of Rue Saint Honoré and also reminds you of the glamour of past eras. This is for the cool crowd.

The rooms: Lavish comfort and style is the essence here. Even if you don’t stay at the hotel, a visit has to be on your to-do list.

The food: The courtyard terrace is magical to dine in with its graceful statues, verdant plants, delightful views and subtle lighting The pampering: Curently closed.

Hotelcostes.com

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Narain Niwas Palace Hotel, Jaipur

ings, give you a feel of living like a Royal. And each of the room has spacious windows and provide breathtaking views of the gardens, too.

The food: Bar Palladio located within the grounds of Narain Niwas is as grand as they come. A gourmet feast for the eyes and your palate. Food is looked as a form of art in Rajashtan and authentic royal Thikana recipes are on offer.

D Maris Bay, Turkey

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The pampering: Along with the tranquil setting, the subtle fragrances of lavender, jasmine and lemongrass to greet you and indulgent massages and therapies on the spa menu, you are bound to leave feeling renewed and regenerated.

Hotelnarainniwas.com D Maris Bay, Turkey The lowdown: The fabulous setting above a scenic cove where the Aegean Sea meets the Mediterranean in this sun-kissed destination, surrounded by jagged volcanic rocks, five white-sand beaches, hillside lush and more, makes it probably one of the best luxury resort.

The rooms: Most of its 196 rooms have views of the sea, while the rest overlook a mountainous landscape with private balconies and terraces to relax in.

The food: Incredible flavours of the East and West are available to feast on. Zuma for the best sushi, Rüya for the Antolian and Turkish fare, Nusr-Et where dining under the stars is an option or the Terrace where a sumptuous morning buffet awaits.

The pampering: It’s really worth taking the time to pamper yourself at this wonderous property. The therapists at Myntha Spa will ensure you leave feeling good inside out.

Dmarisbay.com

IMAGES: SUPPLIED

Narain Niwas Palace Hotel, Jaipur The lowdown: Traditionally ‘Niwas’ means a home of the royals. And, royal it is. With acres of beautiful gardens and orchards, the high ceilings, exquisite chandeliers all speak eloquently of Rajput elegance.

The rooms: Boasting subdued colours, discreet patterns, rich fabrics and classic paint-

STAYCATION

EXCLUSIVE UAE RESIDENTS OFFER Enjoy a cool and contemporary beachside retreat in the heart of Dubai and save up to 30% on your stay.

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WO R D S : D I A N A B E L L- H E AT H E R

Eclectic Inspired by the richness of colour and travel, Lisa Corti has been creating mesmeric textiles for over four decades

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Interiors

IMAGES: SUPPLIED

Inspired by her life-long love of European, Asian and African, Lisa Corti has a worldly approach to textile design. She was born in Eritrea, lived in Ethiopia, and has travelled across India.

In the 1980s she created a small clothing collection that focused on kaftans. Eventually it expanded to homeware textiles such as plush cushions, bright throws and statement tablecloths that incorporate her passion for colour with luxe materials such as silk, muslin and cotton.

Where does your inspiration for prints come from? I take my inspiration from many things: Indian paintings, miniatures, to the Italian Renaissance period. I also glean from film, fashion and photography.

You work with communities in India to bring your designs to life. Why was that important to you? Deciding to work in India was for me was a lifestyle choice. The richness of this country, culture, craftsmanship, architecture, art, beauty and the variety of its regions have been and are still for me an unlimited source of ideas and creativity. Moreover, I love people, and the essence of religion and spirituality that you can breathe everywhere you go. In Madhya Pradesh, central India, for example, I have developed a workshop that is working only for me.

What do you love most about creating textiles? I was born in Asmara, Eritrea and lived in Ethiopia until I was 19. I remember the beauty of the African people, the ancient decorative tradition and the women’s brightly-coloured costumes. These memories are my cultural background, the roots underlying my stylistic and creative choices and that’s why I love creating textiles.

With my first trip to India in 1976 with my daughter Ida, I discovered an incredibly diverse, rich place, finding an affinity with the Eastern world, especially in the field of textiles, ornaments and colours.

How do Lisa Corti creations stand out from the rest? I do not follow trends, but my sense of colour, light and form, is a consistent balance between ancient cultures and Western contemporaneity. This is how I would define my style: unique, highly personal and timeless.

What's been your proudest moment of your career? I started working and showing my

creations in my home more than 30 years ago and now my products are exported all over the world and sold by leading stores in Europe and United States, at my Emporium in Milan and franchised shops in Florence, Rome and Turkey. I’m proud of my path and I think that the most beautiful challenge and satisfaction is what awaits us in the future: what I have built up till today must be consolidated and many new challenges wait around the corner to be confronted.

What are you working on at the moment?

With my team we create two collections every year, not only for the home but also for ready-to-wear and accessories. In 2019 we also presented our first resort collection. We

are always working on new designs.

Do you have a formula for decorating a room?

Home for me is a place where we should feel in harmony and feel good – a place that should be light and poetic, where we are surrounded by the things we love. No matter the size of a space, the important thing is that it says something and is always ready to welcome us.

Who do you turn to for advice? My daughter Ida. During my first trip to India in 1976 with her, together we discovered an incredibly diverse, rich world. She grew up and took her path, but more than 10 years ago she decided to work with me.

When was the last time you felt truly inspired? Travelling is the basis of my creative adventure and my inspiration. I love travelling – especially going back to places where I have already been. My best memories are related to trips to India, because I’m interested in everything about that country.

It is a bottomless pit of wonder, paintings, sculptures and architecture, in addition to the incredible world of crafts.

Describe the view from your window today?

I live in Milan in the Porta Venezia district, a multi-ethnic and deeply Milanese neighbourhood that I love very much. From the window of the living room I can see the recently renovated church of San Carlo, which is what remains of the centre of the Lazzaretto in Milan that is much talked about in the Promessi Sposi (The Betrothed), by Alessandro Manzoni, the one where Renzo finally finds Lucia. Lisa Corti is available on MatchesFashion.com

Ida Corti’s eclectic Milan apartment incorporates her mother’s Lisa Corti deisgns

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THE DIRECTORY

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