BELLO mag #69 - LUXE issue

BELLO A PRIL 2015

Starring

DITA VON TEESE + KATHERYN WINNICK DIOGO MORGADO BEN ROBSON LANA PARRILLA GRACE GEALEY BRIDGIT MENDLER TOBIAS MENZIES ERIN AND SARA FOSTER

LUXE ISSUE

+ WEDDING Inspiration

Beauty

OF THE BRAIN Underwater

DREAMER

In Her Shoes:

HAYLEY ORRANTIA Escape to

RITZ-CARLTON SOBE

Boutique

TUSCANY

Letter from the Editor Ah, luxury... ...a word with different meanings for each of us. For me, the highest form of luxury is peace, silence and relaxation...enjoying nature, drinking ice tea while reading an interesting book, or conversing with the love of my life. For someone else, “luxury� could be something different. So in this issue, we have tried to mix a variety of things that may cover the various facets of this enigmatic concept.

FEATHER BUSTIER YOUSEF ALJASMI LEATHER OPERA GLOVES DITA VON TEESE EARRINGS ELLEN CONDE

On our main cover, Dita Von Teese is the epitome of luxe, and is a perfect fit for this issue. Within her interview, interesting and before unknown parts of her personality, which all those adoring fans from around the world would surely love to learn, are uncovered. Our issue continues with our other covers, each as fabulous as the last, featuring the leads on some of the most popular TV shows right now, from Empire to Outlander, from Vikings to Undatable.

This issue is so eclectic - just like life itself - and was so fun to work on. We hope you enjoy it, and that it will inspire you to define what luxe means to you.

Bisous, Aleksandar Tomovic Editor-in-Chief

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CONTENTS 69 Letter from the Editor Contents Intro Masthead DITA VON TEESE 8 Picks: Design and Technology Cornell University’s Gates Hall Computer Science Building The Art in Hotel Paper and Penmanship Beauty and the Brain

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LIFESTYLE

TOBIAS MENZIES Escape to Ritz-Carlton, SoBe Boutique Tuscany Hot Chef

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YOUNG HOLLYWOOD

BRIDGIT MENDLER

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ENTERTAINMENT

KATHERYN WINNICK Dinner and a Movie Just Got an Upgrade DIOGO MORGADO BEN ROBSON Brad’s Buzz

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BEAUTY

GRACE GEALEY Frizz Proof Hair Tools Chasing the Sun Spotlight on the Artist Beauty Editor’s Picks

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FASHION

LANA PARRILLA Fashion Editor’s Picks Underwater Dreamer Spring Forward Haute Chat: Giuliana Rancic Age of Beauty Annie His & Hers: Haute Tropics In Her Shoes: Hayley Orrantia

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ERIN AND SARA FOSTER

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+Horoscopes +Fashion List

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PHOTOGRAPHY J. HORTON STYLING TOYE ADEDIPE AND DOUGLAS HICKMAN GROOMING SIMONE LOCATION AND SPECIAL THANKS TO BEACHWOOD STUDIO

INTRO luxe /ləks,loŏks/ adjective 1. expensive and of high quality; luxurious.”the luxe 65-room Four Seasons hotel” noun 1. luxury.

Welcome to our Luxe Issue, and who can define luxe better than Dita Von Teese herself? Beautifully shot in sunny California by celebrity photographer Marc Cartwright, our cover girl, Von Teese, tells the story of a promising young woman with a dream. In the style of vintage cinematography, Cartwright executes his vision beautifully.

Covering our Entertainment section,

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we have Vikings beauty Katheryn Winnick. Shot at L’cheriyve Studio in Torrance, CA by Josh Reed, Winnick’s editorial proves to us that her style outmatches the rough edges her character portrays.

From Evil Queen to Fashion cover, Lana Parrilla sets the bar in her editorial by giving our readers a glympse into her normal, fashionable world.

From the hit show Empire, beauty Grace Gealey graces our Beauty cover, shot in Los Angeles, CA by Shanna Fisher.

Cable televsion’s newest obsession, Outlander, has taken the small screen by strom, and that’s why it is no surprise that we would feature one of the show’s breakout stars, Tobias Menzies, on our Lifestyle cover. Shot in London, England by photographer

Joseph Sinclair, Menzies gives us insight on what to expect in the most anticipated mid-season premier.

VH1’s hit show Barely Famous features the comedy duo; the gorgeous, and hilarious sisters, Erin and Sara Foster who lead us into our art section with an amazing colorful editorial shot by our very own Aleksandar Tomovic.

Ex-Disney star Bridgit Mendler covers our Young Hollywood section, shot on the beaches of Playa Del Rey, CA by Bello mag favorite, Josh Reed.

Every page in this issue exudes Luxe and class... I hope you are as excited as I am for the beautiful spring and summer to come...

Always, Leslie Alejandro, Executive Director

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PUBLISHER

IMAGE NATION STUDIO L.L.C. California, USA editorial@bellomag.com

ADVERTISING

advertising@bellomag.com

Aleksandar Tomovic (editor in chief) alek@bellomag.com

Stephane Marquet (creative director) steph@bellomag.com Leslie Alejandro (executive director) leslie@bellomag.com Warren Alfie Baker (fashion director) warren@bellomag.com Fabio Fernandez (fashion news director) fabio@bellomag.com Kimmy Erin (fashion editor) kimmy@bellomag.com Hiko Mitsuzuka (entertainment editor-at-large) hiko@bellomag.com Brad Liberti (entertainment editor) brad@bellomag.com Dio Anthony (contributing editor) dio@bellomag.com Nicole Walmsley (beauty editor) nicole@bellomag.com Steven Carver (international editor) steven@bellomag.com Brent Lambert (design and technology contributor) brent@bellomag.com Amanda Peixoto-Elkins (creative director, latin america) amanda@bellomag.com

COPY EDITOR

ASHLEY HERBINGER ashley@bellomag.com

LAYOUT

NEBOJSA DOLOVACKI

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

DEE TRILLO (Travel/Lifestyle/Entertainment) CHEF RONNIE WOO (Lifestyle) VANESSA VIOLA (Horoscopes) GLENN GARNER (Entertainment) ALFONSO ESPINA (Entertainment) FALENE NURSE (Entertianment/ Lifestyle) SCOTT YOUNGBAUER (Entertainment)

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

ALEKSANDAR TOMOVIC (Los Angeles) | Marc Cartwright (Los Angeles) JOSH REED (Los Angeles) | JOSEPH SINCLAIR (London) JANA WILLIAMS (Los Angeles) | SAMUEL SARFATI (Paris) TJ MANOU (Los Angeles) | WILLIAM CALLAN (Los Angeles) SHANNA FISHER (Los Angeles) | COLLIN LEVIN (Los Angeles) TREVER HOEHNE (Los Angeles) | J. HORTON (Los Angeles) KEVIN ROLDAN (California)

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COVER STORY

Oh, Dita!

From Showgirl to Icon

BY DIO ANTHONY PHOTOS BY MARC CARTWRIGHTÂ

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TOILE PRINT DRESS VIVIENNE WESTWOOD

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FEATHER BALL HAT SONIA RYKIEL PINK BUSTIER & SHEER STOCKING GLOVE DITA VON TEESE BLACK SATIN TAP SHORT VINTAGE

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SATIN OVER WIRE BRA DITA VON TEESE COTTON CORSET VINTAGE SHEER TULLE SKIRT ZANA BAYNE

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BUSTIER VIVIENNE WESTWOOD LEATHER OPERA GLOVES DITA VON TEESE LEATHER THIGH HIGH BOOTS CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN FEATHER SKIRT BRYAN HEARNS BLUE HAT VINTAGE

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DITA VON TEESE IS A RARE BREED IN FEAR OF EXTINCTION. A SELFMADE GLAMOUR GODDESS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ADVENT OF PURE AMERICAN BURLESQUE IN MODERN ENTERTAINMENT...PERHAPS A PIECE OF VINTAGE TREASURE SENT FROM THE PAST TO SCHOOL US ON CLASS AND BEAUTY. DITA VON TEESE DOES AWAY WITH THE CHIC AND BRINGS IN THE ELEGANT, AND IS ONE OF THE MORE ORIGINAL WOMEN OF OUR TIME.

What’s your first memory of that old Hollywood world that came to fascinate you so much?

I love classic films, and I remember seeing a Betty Grable film when I was a little girl and thinking it was more beautiful than any cartoon I had ever seen. It was so colorful and so vibrant. For me that was the grandest era of musicals, those 1940s lavish, Technicolor musicals. She’s still to this day my favorite movie star of that era, and my love for those films hasn’t faded.

What does it feel like when people tell you that you brought the art form of Burlesque back into the spotlight again?

It feels good. It’s definitely something that I love to be recognized for. I never thought there was ever going to be a burlesque revival. I was doing these silly little shows in strip clubs back in the ‘90s, and I never thought it’d turn into what it has. I’m glad if I get credited at all for it.

So 9 times out of 10, you’re on the Bestdressed list. How would you describe your own style?

I like the word “glamorous,” and when I think of the word “glamour,” I think of the art of creation. Glamour is not something that relies on beauty or having money or anything. It’s something indescribable and it’s something you 13

have to learn and cultivate. What I’ve done is I’ve taught myself the art of glamour. So, when I think of fashion, for me, fashion is a form of theater, and it’s really my own art project, really. I like things that tell a story with clothes, and that have a lady-like quality to them.

touches on it. But it should be complete and ready by December.

I worked very closely with a longtime friend of mine, and we both went through some life changes while writing the book. I know people have been

I like people who have a strong sense of personal taste and aesthetics, and I see that in Jean Paul Gaultier, as well as John Galliano.

Who influences your style choices?

I was a big fan of Anna Piaggi. I’m also a fan of the creators of fashion that I think is whimsical and interesting and artistic. Jean Paul Gaultier comes to mind because I think he has the same kind of obsessions that I do, like corsetry and certain colors and shapes, and it always comes through in his work, decade after decade. I like people who have a strong sense of personal taste and aesthetics, and I see that in Jean Paul Gaultier, as well as John Galliano. He’s always had a strong obsession and desire to reference the past but take it to a whole other place.

Your third book, Your Beauty Mark, is slated to release soon. What was different this time around?

This was a much lengthier process, and in fact, I’m still putting the finishing

really anticipating it, but I feel like the extra work that’s being put into it and the time frame is special because the things that I wanted to say have changed from when I first started working on the book. So, it’s been empowering as well. I don’t think there’s another beauty book like it. It’s about eccentric beauty and the things that are different but beautiful about us and embracing those things. It’s about telling women that it’s okay to wear the makeup that you’d like. It’s not the book that tells you how to be pretty; my book tells you how to be glamorous and how to stand out. It’s also about the women who like to be complimented on their makeup. Sometimes people say you should never be complimented on your makeup because it’s you people should notice. But this is for people that aren’t afraid of being different and enjoy it.

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BLACK AND RED POLKA DOT JACKET CARVEN RED SATIN DRESS VIVIENNE WESTWOOD EARRINGS VINTAGE

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I never leave the house without red lipstick.

If I do leave without it on, you can bet that I’m putting it on in the car...with someone else driving of course, or at a stoplight!

You’re teaching a Burlesque Class in June at Canyon Ranch in Arizona. Now tell me, what one could expect in this class? Are you expecting to be met with beginners as wells as seasoned performers?

I decided to team up with my closest collaborator of fifteen years now; Catherine D’lish is her name. She’s designed my costumes, and she and I have worked together to create my most lavish spectacles. She and I visited Canyon Ranch one year. I brought her there after finishing a particularly difficult stage show that consisted of a costume with hundreds of thousands of rhinestones on it. It had taken a year to complete, and so we went to Canyon Ranch to unwind, and quickly fell in love with it. She’s a teacher herself, known around the world as the best teacher of Burlesque. I had never personally taught classes, even though I’ve spoken about it and have a lot of advice to give. We’ve joined forces for this class that will be fun for us, and I hope people enjoy it.

Your lingerie line includes full size items that aren’t solid cover up pieces of fabric and keep the sexual nature of the garments. Is that something you set out to do with your line?

When I first sat down with my lingerie partners who approached me about building this brand, it was really one of 17

my first questions if not the first. Are we going to be able to offer varying sizes?

Because I felt that was something very important from the beginning. I personally love what lingerie [can] do for a woman, the way that we can accent or hide our flaws. We can use lingerie to our advantage and wear fine things that make us feel comfortable and sexy at the same time. It’s also about creating a luxurious and glamorous but very wearable lingerie collection, because I don’t believe in putting on lingerie for seduction. I have my stage costumes and then I have my lingerie, and my lingerie I don’t put on to seduce a man, [but rather] it’s because I genuinely love it. It’s what I believe in and what the brand is about: finding your confidence in things that make you feel good about yourself, and creating a sensual everyday life. Letting other people be privy to it if that’s how it comes out, but not trying to seek the acceptance of someone else, or wear what they think is sexy. It really has to start with you.

It’s about transitioning from showgirl to bringing my own signature brand of glamour to other women that like it, and creating things that make sense in the marketplace.

Who would you consider to be a style icon?

People that are self-creating and daring and aren’t afraid of being ridiculed. It’s

hard to have glamour icons in the modern era, because frankly, we’re living in a world of celebrities and stylists. A lot of my icons are people that I know in real life; they’re not movie stars. Movie stars are not fashion icons anymore.

If I had to name a few favorite fashion icons, I’d say Tilda Swinton is amazing.

[And] Fan Bingbing; I’ve never seen any of her films, but every time I see her she has some pretty eccentric looks that I admire. I like seeing people that look exciting that are wearing something unusual. I’m kind of tired of seeing pretty dresses. Yawn. Everyone’s so afraid of being considered “worstdressed.” But let me tell you, that’s the best list to be on. I’ve been on the Worst Dressed List as many times as I’ve been on the Best Dressed.

What clothing or product do you never leave the house without these days?

That’s easy. I never leave the house without red lipstick. If I do leave without it on, you can bet that I’m putting it on in the car...with someone else driving of course, or at a stoplight! I can do a stoplight because I’m fast (she laughs).

Yeah, I don’t leave the house without my red lipstick. I always have good lingerie on, too. Those two things are my essentials. I’ll have my red lipstick on, lingerie and a trench coat, and I’ll go do my grocery shopping.

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FEATHER BUSTIER YOUSEF ALJASMI LEATHER OPERA GLOVES DITA VON TEESE EARRINGS ELLEN CONDE

Photography MARC CARTWRIGHT • Styling LAURA DUNCAN Makeup GREGORY ARLT for MAC Cosmetics/Exclusive Artists Management Hair JOHN BLAINE At Honey Artists for Vine de.la Vie • Prop Stylist ANDREW THIELS• Photo Assistant BAKER CHASE 19

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DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY

Top 8 Picks

BY BRENT LAMBERT, BELLO MAG DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY CONTRIBUTOR

One of my favorite new discoveries from the world of electronic music is the amazingness that is WEVAL. Based in the Netherlands, buddies Harm Coolen (born 1986) and Merijn Scholte Albers (born 1989) got their start in the film industry, which is where they met in 2010. When they found out they shared the same love for creating electronic music they began collaborating right away. I haven’t heard anything so irresistibly danceable as WEVAL in a long time, and I recommend starting your WEVAL journey with their brilliant track, “Gimme Some.”

If you feel helpless trying to understand the neverending news about climate change, then you need to read Naomi Klein’s exceptional new book, This Changes Everything. Carbon, Klein explains, is merely the symptom and not the cause; the real cause of climate change is capitalism itself. Learn more by visiting www.ThisChangesEverything.org.

Alexa Meade is a traditional figure painter, but she works on an unusual canvas: the actual human body.

And she takes a classical concept — trompe l’oeil, the art of making a two-dimensional representation look three-dimensional — and turns it on its head.

Her aim is to do the opposite, to collapse depth and turn her living models into flat pictures. You can see her amazing body of work at www.AlexaMeade. com.

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Designed by HYLA Architects, the “Bridge Over Water” residence in Singapore is right up my alley.

Upon entering the front door and the elegantly designed screen facade, visitors find themselves in the open air ground floor pool area with lush surrounding gardens. A private spiral staircase takes you up to the main residence on the second and third floors. You can see more images of the home by visiting www.HYLA.com.sg.

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If you’re a fan of mystery novels and conspiracy theories, then these Contraband Playing Cards™ and the Contraband Book Lamp™ are definitely for you. Beautifully designed by Joe White of Theory11, the cards boast elegant gold detailing and are filled with secret imagery. As one reviewer wrote, they are “truly astonishing! You have to see these up close to fully appreciate the details.”

You can get your own at www.Theory11.com.

Amsterdam-based designer Daan Roosegaarde is wowing us once again with his newest lighting installation, “Waterlight.” The installation uses LED lighting to cover a 4-acre area with a waving sheet of light. Visitors above the light’s “sea level” perceive the light as water, while visitors in the valley below perceive it as aurora borealis. You can learn more by visiting www.StudioRoosegaarde.net.

Sydney-based design firm The Horse has some of the most beautifully designed time pieces I have ever discovered. For instance, their stunning rose gold watch is my favorite with its rose gold detail and walnut or gray leather straps. An important note: The Horse’s watches are designed to fit wrists with circumferences of approximately 14-20cm. You can order your own at www.TheHorse.com.au.

If you’ve got an extra $590 to spare, you might be interested in this gorgeous 24-piece cutlery set from the geniuses at Cutipol. The set includes six each of knives, forks, spoons, and teaspoons made from gold-finished stainless steel ends, and sleek matt white or black finish resin handles. You can see all of Cutipol’s amazing product line at www.Cutipol.pt.

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DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY

MORPHOSIS

Stuns Again with Their Brilliant Design for Cornell University’s Gates Hall Computer Sciences Building

BY BRENT LAMBERT

Nearly ten years ago, initial planning began on a brand-new building to house Cornell University’s Computer & Information Sciences program. In October 2014, the building - named Gates Hall, in honor of Bill and Melinda Gates’ $25 million donation for its construction - was inaugurated by Cornell, the Gates family, and the building’s renegade designer, Thom Mayne of Santa Monicabased architecture firm MORPHOSIS. The building is yet another triumph for Mayne & MORPHOSIS, adding to the firm’s long tradition of being years ahead of their time in the world of architecture.

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building program is organized to foster serendipitous social and academic exchanges, extending education beyond traditional classroom settings.

Primary circulation is organized around a glazed atrium on the west side of the building, where a fullheight glass facade, skylights, and interior envelope of fritted glass reveal a nexus of activity on all floors. Ringed with informal study and collaborative spaces, the atrium provides literal and visible connections across disciplines.

Encounters and impromptu charettes are facilitated by regular alcove spaces in the corridors, where the floor-toceiling glazing lining classrooms and offices becomes a transforming canvas for graphics, blackboard equations, and casual notes.”

The boldness of Gates Hall’s style is matched only by its astonishing energy efficiency. LEED has bestowed upon the building a gold certification, an impressive achievement that’s a testament to the design team’s careful attention to sustainability and environmental impact. MORPHOSIS describes the building as follows: “Gates Hall’s integrated sustainability systems express Cornell’s commitment to environmental stewardship, using multiple strategies to create healthier environments, reduce energy consumption, and preserve natural resources. Designed for ample daylight penetration, Gates Hall employs openness and transparency to create work environments that are more healthy for students, both physically and mentally. The high-performance glass façade, perforated metal shading screens, and mechanical system using campus lake-source cooling contribute to Gates Hall achieving 30% lower energy usage than a typical academic building. To decrease the environmental impact of construction, 23

local/regional, recycled and renewable building materials are used throughout the building.”

Among the most fascinating aspects of Gates Hall’s design is how meticulously the MORPHOSIS team worked to make sure the building would encourage and foster deeper connections between students, and act as a machine of serendipitous encounters.

“The

From a materiality perspective, Gates Hall is a tour de force as well. “Surfaced in vibrant stainless steel panels, the building’s cantilevered entry canopy covers an outdoor plaza and student social space, also defined by native landscaping and sculptural forms.

The performative steel skin wraps the exterior façade in an angular weave, shading interior classrooms and creating a continuously dynamic and transformative surface.

Advanced digital modeling tools used in designing the pattern, geometry, and details of the skin speak to the profound impact of computing on the arts and sciences.”

To see more breathtaking buildings from Thom Mayne and the MORPHOSIS team, be sure to visit www.MORPHOSIS.com.

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Art

DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY

The in Hotel Design

BY STEVEN CARVER

SECOND IMPRESSIONS COUNT, SINCE THEY JUSTIFY FIRST ONES. AND WHEN IT COMES TO HOTEL DESIGN, THERE ARE NO DO-OVERS. FROM PASSING BY THE ENTRANCE TO STEPPING OVER THE THRESHOLD, MINUTE DETAILS MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

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Developed by Joe Ginsberg Design, The Marmara Park Avenue is a 128-key boutique hotel in the heart of Manhattan that takes art and architecture to another level. Serving hospitality, commercial and residential clients for over 25 years, the firm’s goal was to combine metropolitan accents with organic elements throughout a series of public and private spaces.

Upon first glance, the hotel presents itself to guests with an exterior clad in black riveted iron and a lobby accessed through a steel atrium. Poured concrete covers the floors with inlaid brass filaments, reclaimed parquet woods line the ceiling, and limestone wraps the walls, which lead to the concierge, displaying one of Joe Ginsberg’s works of mixed media on paper, “Pangea.”

There’s an art to designing a striking, yet welcoming, environment.

Bypassing the main lobby to the guest suites, each contains carefully chosen fittings that encapsulate traditional trappings of NYC with fine art and

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photography featured throughout.

Room number signs are illuminated in laser-cut steel, beds sit on upholstered bases, drawers are velvet-lined, and bathrooms make a statement with custom marble details, high-end

Joseph Ginsberg plumbing accessories, and fixtures in a polished nickel finish.

If thr guest suites aren’t luxurious enough, the penthouse suites up the ante. A neutral palette and traditional accents bring understated elegance with soft furnishings, a plush seating area, and a hidden television (for those who aren’t enraptured by the view framed by the large windows). Guest baths – each slightly different than the 25

next – will transport anyone to a spalike oasis. Draw a bath and dim the lights for a relaxing night in.

With The Marmara Park Avenue, hanging art on the walls is beside the point. The environment – from the entrance to the guest rooms – is the focus. At times, the sign of exceptional interior design is when it recedes into the background, but not with The Marmara Park Avenue.

Awe is appreciated.

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DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY

Paper and Penmanship

BY STEVEN CARVER

WITH THE ADVENT OF THE TYPEWRITER – AND LATER ON, THE KEYBOARD – PROPER PENMANSHIP BEGAN TO FALL BY THE WAYSIDE. NOW WITH WORD DOCUMENTS, EMAILS, AND TEXTING, MOST WRITING IS DONE VIA A FLAT INTERFACE RATHER THAN A TEXTURAL ONE; PAPER IS SO LAST CENTURY. THAT BEING SAID, IT MIGHT BE TIME TO RETURN TO THE ANALOGIES OF ANALOG, BUT DOES ANYONE HAVE PRIDE IN THEIR PENMANSHIP ANYMORE?

About a dozen years ago, Rajiv Surendra came across a pile of old letters written in the mid-1800s and was fascinated with the penmanship. Attempting to copy the style of writing using a pencil, he later switched to a ballpoint pen after discovering the instruments used during that time were wooden penholders with tiny metal nibs.

Over the years, he’s honed his calligraphy skills by writing countless pieces of correspondence by hand, the majority of it dedicated to addressing

envelopes for wedding invitations. The same words immediately develop a deeper meaning, especially for special occasions.

Through trial and error, Surendra developed a unique style of calligraphy based on a script called copperplate.

Generally found in old hotel ledger books, the style was taught to gentlemen from the 1700s to the mid1800s, yet still remains striking today.

Surendra majored in art history and classics in school, so modernity doesn’t play a role in his work, which is done on an 1820s antique cherry and Birdseye maple table. On it sits an antique rosewood writing slope (a box containing nibs, ink, paper and sealing wax), which he uses on a daily basis.

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His company, Letters In Ink, is not about handwriting, but providing an alternative for digital art direction. When producing projects for small businesses and large corporations, not everything is done with pen and paper. While designing

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a poster for a restaurant (using chalk on a blackboard) or a background for a magazine cover, personality is projected through flat surfaces. And unlike a digital typeface, calligraphy must be both beautiful and legible.

Ideally, Surendra hopes to inspire others to turn off all digital devices and write down a few words to someone else with letters in ink; using a computer is not an option.

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TECHNOLOGY

Beauty of the Brain:

Advanced Neuroimaging Technologies are Capturing the Most Dazzling Images of the Human Brain IT WASN’T THAT LONG AGO THAT BRAIN SCANNING TECHNOLOGY WAS IN ITS INFANCY, AND THE ONLY IMAGES NEUROSCIENTISTS WERE ABLE TO PULL FROM INSIDE THE HUMAN BRAIN WERE IN BLACK AND WHITE, AND - DARE I SAY - BORING. FAST FORWARD TO 2015 AND REVOLUTIONARY NEW NEUROIMAGING TECHNOLOGIES ARE NOW FINDING MORE BEAUTY, COMPLEXITY, AND ABSTRACT FORMS INSIDE THE HUMAN BRAIN THAN ANYONE COULD HAVE POSSIBLY IMAGINED.

Last year, a team of brain scientists at the University of Edinburgh put together a terrific exhibit of some of their most captivating brain scan images. The 38 images presented in the exhibit highlighted the work being done by the researchers in their efforts improve our understanding of the brain and how it is altered in people with learning disabilities and other neurological conditions. As any neuroscientist will tell you, it’s equally as important to LUXE issue - BELLOmag.com

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understand how the brain works as much as is to understand how the brain breaks.

Looking at these remarkable images, it defies explanation that this threepound ball of fat and water is able to generate the greatest natural mystery: consciousness. “There’s nothing we know about more directly, but at the same time, it’s the most mysterious phenomenon in the universe,” said philosopher David Chalmers in a March 2014 TED Talk entitled “How Do You Explain Consciousness?” In his lecture, Chalmers explains two emerging theories that are gaining traction in our journey towards understanding consciousness beyond mere mechanics.

First is the idea that consciousness needs to be regarded as a fundamental concept, just like time, space, mass, and gravity. He argues that over the course of human history, the list of fundamentals has always been in a state of expansion, such as when electromagnetism was added to the list in the 19th century.

Second, Chalmers presents a second theory that consciousness could be a universal phenomenon; perhaps even 29

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photons have an early, primitive form of consciousness, for example. This second theory leads Chalmers to discuss the groundbreaking work of physicist Giulio Tononi and the Phi Theory, which defines consciousness as a spectrum in which humans have a high level of phi, while creatures like insects have a low level of phi. This is also known as the Integrated Information Theory.

You can read more about Tononi’s extraordinary Phi Theory in his groundbreaking book, Phi: A Voyage Form The Brain To The Soul, and be sure to watch Chalmers’ brilliant TED Talk at www.TED.com.

C H O O S E Y O U R P L AT F O R M

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