Prestige Magazine February 2011

45

february 2011 | Yachting | Adventure

the simplicity of innovation.

Latest Louis Vuitton

|

Ocean sailing

Futuristic Jaguar

Art

Omega for ladies

|

LUMINOR 1950 TOURBILLON GMT Hand-wound mechanical Tourbillon movement P.2005 calibre, three spring barrels, second time zone with 12/24 h indicators, 6-day power reserve.

Titanium case 47 mm Ø.

Titanium buckle.

Design | Travel

Subscribe and win a weekend away

| Collectibles |

Available exclusively at Panerai boutiques and select authorized watch specialists.

Business

www.panerai.com Toll Free: 0800 600 035

February 2011

Issue no. 45

prestigemag.co.za

R39.95

Neuroeconomics • Dakar • Miguel Jimenez • Orient Express • Panerai paneristi • Collectors’ editions • Rogers & Astaire

South Africa’s Premier luxury Lifestyle Magazine

The Jupiter Drawing Room 44183

Wealth Actualisation True balance is a quality rarely observed; only achieved when all

elements are in perfect harmony. A balanced wealth portfolio is

much the same; a delicate blend of enjoying wealth, sharing it, growing it and establishing its legacy for generations to come.

It’s something that those who bank with us understand all too well. www.absawealth.com

Absa Wealth, a division of Absa Bank Limited, Reg No 1986/004794/06. Authorised Financial Services Provider Reg No 523. Registered Credit Provider Reg No NCRCP7.

44183 Wealth Actualisation DPS 297x420.indd 1

10/15/10 3:57:12 PM

|||| CONTENTS

Down to earth?

No way!

12

22

Fore|Words 6

Chairman’s letter

8

Editor’s letter

16

What’s News From around the world

12

Happiness the accessory Do you have the imagination to differentiate?

14

Genuine wealth Dr Demartini and the true meaning of words

little Luxuries

Tech|Know 78

How best to spend it

18

Toni Muir

10

80

Life|Style

Vivien Natasen

22

City of fragrances Scent to unmask India’s perfume capital

30

HELICOPTER CHARTER

Jeanneau Yachts New French yacht range lands in the Cape

84

Michael Fletcher, boarding his charter flight.

Take a sound bite Apple’s iPad reshapes the audio landscape

Just for her Omega revives the Ladymatic name

26

80

Jonathan Franzen Sensory deprivation makes a noteworthy novelist

For those fortunate few Switzerland’s Comlux Aviation and its three A318 Elites

More than fine To attract serious wine fundis should you feed them great art?

20

Airplane Charter

issue 45 – february 2011

88

Gadgets, gizmos, gear

BELL 206L

S A L E S l M A I N T E N A N C E l PA RT S l AV I O N I C S l C H A RT E R l T R A I N I N G l VA L U E A D D E D P R O D U C T S l F I N A N C E l I N S U R A N C E “I know it’s not always easy to live up to my lofty expectations, but when it comes to my VIP charter needs, I can always count on NAC. Whether I’m taking a hop for business or pleasure, NAC takes care of my security, privacy, safety and comfort. And with no long check-in queues, baggage delays or red tape at airports, there is no better way to fly.”

Jaci’s Safari Lodge

683HCharter_Prestige_25.01

26

|

Prestige

|

February 2011

BELL 430

The latest

Family paradise in Madikwe Game Reserve

2

BELL 407

www.prestigemag.co.za

“So if you’re considering a charter flight, speak to NAC. Their charter team is guaranteed to give you a lift”.

– Michael Fletcher For more information contact: Lanseria +27 11 267 5000 • Rand +27 11 345 2500 • Grand Central +27 11 312 0360 Cape Town +27 21 425 3868 • Pretoria +27 12 567 5161 • Durban +27 31 571 8316 • Gaborone +267 397 5257 Australia +6189 429 8881 • USA +001 316 685 8660 • ISO 9001:2008 Quality Assured • www.nac.co.za

|||| CONTENTS

issue 45 – february 2011

32

Features 32

56

50

Latest Louis Vuitton The House shows off its playful spirit with its newest fashion jewellery collection

38

Miguel Jiménez

A modern-day renaissance man

42

Train of dreams Catching the Orient-Express to Krakow

46

The Paneristi A special collectors’ club for Panerai enthusiasts

50

The big cat roars Jaguar adds ‘futuristic’ to its world of classicism and tradition

56

Fred & Ginger Setting the screen ablaze with a song and a dance

60

Velux 5 Oceans The oldest single-handed, round-the-world yacht race

66

Dakar Rally On the edge of an envelope

70

Book value If electronic books are replacing physical texts, what happens to collectors’ editions?

72

Superyacht Silver Angel All that glitters is silver, not gold

4

|

Prestige

|

February 2011

72 www.prestigemag.co.za

Fore|Words

emirates.com/za

Location,

Letter from the chairman to keep ahead of the curve or at the very minimum merely stay abreast of things. The current situation has been so greatly affected by worldwide issues like climate change and economic survival that it is forcing corporates and governments to re-engineer themselves – literally forcing

on our currency is a clear indicator of the positive interest in investment into South Africa, and ultimately into the region and the continent.

So, in our first new edition of 2011, we again stimulate the senses with great inputs from across the globe. Having just returned from several

At Prestige we are mindful of worldwide trends... and recognise that to move forward we need to deliver a comprehensive and fulfilling publication. wish our discerning readers a happy and prosperous New Year!

I, like many, started the year with a single question: What next? Having been involved in the 2010 FIFA World Cup as a National Supporter, many journalists have approached me with that very question.

The usual soothsayers prey on the doom and gloom and their hangover theories. The simple paradigm is that life goes on anyway and one has

6

|

Prestige

|

February 2011

us to unlearn a lot of things we previously took for granted to find cleaner, more efficient ways of operating. We didn’t invest in all of this just for a World Cup, and projects such as the Gautrain and the massive roads infrastructure venture bear testament to the fact that Africa can be an equal player on the world stage.

We have a vibrant economy with an imperative need for such investment. The strong demand

months travelling internationally, it is amazing to see what unique elements the world has to offer. Interestingly, many travellers I encountered are enthralled by our continent, with its rich diversity and paradoxical contrasts.

At Prestige we are mindful of the worldwide trends in the print media environment, and recognise that to move forward we need to deliver a comprehensive and fulfilling

publication that fills the gap in our readers’ minds. With a strong focus on content and meeting the needs of a wider client base, the evolution of this publication will continue to soar above the competition.

Finally, I would like to welcome onboard Dono van Heerden as the head of Neo Africa’s Lifestyle Division, of which Prestige forms a part, and Dylan Seegers as Neo Publishing’s new Art Director. The magazine’s sales team has now also been bolstered by the presence of Brandon Mcleod and Pierre Le Roux and team.

As always, kindly forward us your comments, suggestions and criticisms on escuchar@ neoafrica.com.

Chairman Vivien Natasen

www.prestigemag.co.za

location, location.

Over 100 destinations worldwide.

Try India from R5 144.

Your senses will enjoy the warm welcome and service which every passenger on Emirates experiences. Your taste buds will crave the gourmet cuisine and fine wine. And your eyes and ears will enjoy your favourite movies and TV shows on your private screen.

All this because your journey is yet another destination.

Fly Emirates. Keep discovering.

Images: © ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

The start of a new year is always filled with optimism and hope – for a better year, for fewer down moments, and so on. This year is especially important, as the world has generally been in a fairly despondent state for a long time. Consequently, dreams of new beginnings and fresh starts abound. With that in mind, I

Ahmedabad

Mumbai

Bangalore

Chennai

Delhi

Hyderabad

Kochi

Kolkata

Kozhikode

Thiruvananthapuram

400 international awards and over 100 destinations worldwide. Bookings accepted until 31 March 2011. Offer valid for outbound travel between 16 January 2011 and 31 March 2011.

Fares may ⇑uctuate due to fuel surcharges and are subject to change without notice. All fares from Johannesburg include airport taxes. Subject to availability.

For more information contact your local travel agent or Emirates on 0861EMIRATES or visit www.emirates.com/za

Fore|Words PUBLISHER

Neo Publishing (Pty) Ltd Tel +27 11 484 2833 Fax +27 86 699 2266

CHAIRMAN

Vivien Natasen vivien@neoafrica.com

EDITOR

Toni Muir toni@prestigemag.co.za

ART DIRECTOR

Dylan Seegers dylan.publishing@neoafrica.com

TRAVEL & HOSPITALITY EDITORS

A new style of Prestige, with the interior open to the

Charl du Plessis charl@prestigemag.co.za Tanya Goodman tanya@prestigemag.co.za

Letter from the editor

sea and an impressive living space, characterises the Prestige 400, which fits perfectly into the new world

ADMIN & CIRCULATION

of the Prestige.

Adesh Pritilall adesh@prestigemag.co.za

ADVERTISING

Going down to the interior, the new style Prestige

Brandon Mcleod Tel: +27 82 463 9479 brandon.mcleod@neoafrica.com

offers a harmony of shape, materials and colours that is both contemporary and elegant without being

Pierre le Roux pierre@valuetizing.co.za Tel: +27 12 244 0941 / 0939

excessive.

PROOF-READING

Beth Cooper Howell

Last year was difficult. It was challenging in many ways, for many people. But amid the hardships and the tests of faith were moments of satisfaction, of triumphs big and small, of joyful celebration. So I salute you, South Africa, for all that we achieved, as a country, as a nation, and for all that I have

presented to a wide-eyed gathering at not one but two motor shows, their latest prototypes. The cars are not only jaw-droppingly gorgeous, but ecologically superior, too. And with the fate of Mother Earth as precarious as it is now, every gram of carbon emissions saved is a tiny victory.

watch just for ladies; adventure stories that stretch from the dusty deserts of South America to the cobbled streets of tiny villages in India; and a little something on a most charismatic golfer best known for smoking stogies on the green, taking daring shots, and charming the crowds.

I was afraid that by observing objects with my eyes and trying to comprehend them with each of my other senses I might blind my soul altogether. – Socrates absolutely no doubt we are yet to achieve.

You may have noticed that Prestige is looking a little different nowadays. That’s because we’ve spent much time and effort agonising over how best to knock everybody’s socks off, and start the year with a bang.

And we’ve filled it with fantastic fare, too. Oh, where to begin? Perhaps with the achingly beautiful Jaguar.

The British marque recently

8

|

Prestige

|

February 2011

Our journalists considered the future of the physical tome now that electronic books are storming the market, and what this means for cherished collectors’ editions. They looked at the flip side of the techno revolution and how it’s changing the audio-visual landscape for the better; and they examined new theories in behavioural economics.

We also have the latest collection from Louis Vuitton; Omega’s big and beautiful new

We’d love to know what you think of the new-look Prestige, so if you love it, hate it, or even if you’re indifferent, drop us a line and have your say. And if there’s something you think you’d like to be reading but feel we aren’t covering, let us know that too. After all, we do what we do for you, the readers.

Thank you for making this journey with us.

PRINTING

Colors, Gauteng

SUBSCRIPTIONS

R360 for 12 issues; R720 for 24 issues To subscribe, send us an email with the words SUBSCRIBE PRESTIGE in the subject line, and your name, email address, cell number and delivery address in the body. Send it to mail@prestigemag.co.za.

DISTRIBUTION

Elegant and streamlined, the Prestige 390 S is in the

Prestige is available on newsstands and through subscription.

Free public space distribution includes charter fleets operating in the Southern African region.

Top five-star hotels and all major business-class airport lounges nationally also receive copies.

Prestige can also be found in various upmarket coffee shops, spas and private banking waiting areas.

Italian tradition with an innovatory double cockpit, a concept previously reserved only for those boats longer than 40’.

The Prestige 390 S offers attractive interior volumes, including a spacious saloon and two cabins, one of

COVER IMAGES Omega, Paul Schmitt & Bertrand Bozon for Louis Vuitton, Jaguar, Onedition.

which is full beam with a central berth and features a large walk-in closet.

Aegir Per for mance Yachts - w w w.aegir per for manceyachts.co.za | info@aegir per for manceyachts.co.za t: +27 (0)21 557 5351

Please, do enjoy Toni www.prestigemag.co.za

| Freder ic 072 244 1982 - John 072 683 2660

O ffic al dealers for: Fer retti - Pershing - I tama - CRN - Costum Line - Jeanneau Yachts - Prestige

Fore|Words

Green Fees

Bali’s Villa Devatas

Unwind in ultimate luxury Within an unspoiled village on the south-west coast of Bali, yet just 20 minutes from actionpacked Seminyak beach, the five-guest-room Villa Devatas is

a distinguished luxury villa with the sophistication, inclusions, pampering and service of the finest hotel, but with the seclusion, freedom and exclusivity of

a private residence.

The experience begins the moment you step off the plane, with the VIP airport butler service and the chauffeured

www.baliluxuryvillacollection. com

p/m**

R6 999

Rand p/m

transfer that whisks you to the villa, where the staff are dedicated to you alone and your companions alone.

Luxuriate in the most elaborate setting, complete with gym, spa, billiards room, air-conditioned games/media room, and the unforgettable 20-metre infinity pool which drops to the river beyond.

Luxurious Villa Devatas is the stylish way, the only way, to do Bali. It is available for exclusive hire only, and as well as the chauffeurs, also offers a 24-hour butler, private chefs, and a full complement of enthusiastic staff at the ready to spoil you rotten.

FlexiFix Monthly Repayments

For 59 Months

59 MONTHS

While everything else changes, FlexiFix keeps your monthly repayments the same.

Invest in a Mercedes-Benz E-Class, with ELEGANCE styling package and PARKTRONIC (including parking guidance as standard) on a FlexiFix payment plan, and you’ll thank yourself every month. FlexiFix sets your repayments at one amount until the final installment.

The 60th month then absorbs any interest rate fluctuations over the full term. Which means that if the rate has come down, so too will your last payment.

To locate your nearest dealer and book a Test Drive call 0800 1 333 55 or for more information visit www.mercedes-benz.co.za/currentoffers

Recommended retail price: R500 880. Interest Rate: Mercedes-Benz standard lending rate: -2.65%**. Deposit: 10%. 59 FIXED payments: from R6 999 p/m**.

Final payment: R130 229**. Payment term: 60 months. Total repayment over period: R543 170**. Once off initiation fee R1 140 and monthly Service Fee: R57 apply.

New maxi yacht design division for Zuccon Dubai International Boat Show From 1 to 5 March, at the Dubai International Marine Club, Mina Seyahi, as many as 25 000 visitors are expected to converge on the 19th edition of the Dubai International Boat Show.

The world’s most sophisticated superyachts will be on display in the Enhanced Superyacht Boulevard and the Enhanced Superyacht Pavilion, alongside the inaugural Supercar Promenade, featuring the

10

|

Prestige

|

February 2011

latest models from the world’s leading luxury car brands. The External Area will display an array of high-speed powerboats, fishing and smaller pleasure boats, as well as the latest water sports equipment and accessories, while the expanded 5th Dive Middle East Exhibition (DMEX) returns with an even more impressive presence. www.boatshowdubai.com

Zuccon International Project has drawn upon its many years of experience to set up an in-house team dedicated specifically to the research and development of maxiyacht designs. Says architect Gianni Zuccon, “The decision is a result of steadily growing demand for maxi yacht projects and ideas and the need to dedicate to these projects the professional skills, knowhow and sensitivity required to respond to the complex specifications characteristic of

products of this type.”

This Roman design studio began designing maxi yachts with the 46M Al Fahed, made of steel and aluminium by the Baglietto shipyard in Varazze, and which was swiftly followed by other projects.

Together with CRN of Ancona, Zuccon is currently completing a new 80-metre vessel that will be their biggest maxi yacht so far.

** Conditions apply. All amounts are VAT and CO 2 tax inclusive.

Mandatory insurance excluded. Linked to prime lending rate of 9%.

Final payment linked to possible interest rate fluctuations within the contract term.

Offer calculated on a E200 CGI ELEGANCE.

125! years of innovation

www.zucconinternationalproject.com

www.prestigemag.co.za

Standard with MobiloDrive 120. Finance Provided by Mercedes-Benz Finance and *Insurance, a division of Mercedes-Benz Financial Services South Africa (Pty.)Ltd., an Authorised Financial Services Provider (Licence no. 18 604) and Credit Provider (Licence nr. NCRCP80). *Underwritten by either Regent Insurance (FSB. 25 511), Regent Life Assurance (Licence nr. 18 146) or Alexander Forbes Insurance (Licence nr. 30414). Vehicle specifications may vary for the South African Market. Participating Dealers only.

Fore|Words

Happiness the accessory

Do you have the imagination to differentiate?

Every so often, conventional neo-liberal economic theory is disputed by some alternative theorists. The global economic meltdown of the past few years, still not completely subsided as some European nations struggle to keep their ships afloat, needed little alternative theorising, as the empirical evidence of a system in trouble became abundantly evident.

The theories of behavioural economists recently garnered much attention as they postulated the most likely explanation for the financial crisis.

They argued that the coldblooded, rationally calculating economic man of neo-classical economics is a myth and that people are easily caught up in the prevailing investment mood and psychology.

Preceding these arguments for many years were the sage words of Nobel Prize in Economics winner, Amartya

simplified assumption that all human beings are profitmaximising individuals only looking out for number one – themselves.

It should be no secret that people have a rich set of choices in the world and that there are specific industries with the sole purpose of getting people to change their preferences every so often. As was noted by another Nobel-Prize-winning economist, John Kenneth Galbraith, there is certain plasticity in demand, meaning that demand gets shaped and moulded by the stimuli we receive from the world around us. It is also quite likely that people may have equal preference for some different goods, and it is a staple of Economics 101 that work and leisure trade-offs change as one progresses up the totem pole.

So, yes, Sen certainly had it right that we are not half as

payments in the South African economy these past two years could testify to that.

As prevailing economic theories show their clay feet, it is pertinent to take note of an interesting new approach called neuroeconomics. Unlike the economics of scarcity, which claims that something is worth more when there is less of it, or network economics, which claims that something is worth more when more people use it (and which allows Facebook its overstated valuation against actual earnings), neuroeconomics makes one simple claim: something is worth more when people feel good about associating with it. Or, to put it in a format that you can take into any boardroom: neuroeconomics is about finding ways for value and values to converge.

So how do you operationalise this within your organisation?

Neuroeconomics is about finding ways for value and values to converge.

Sen, who warned in a much earlier era, quite prophetically, that “Making simplifying assumptions about human behaviour might make it easier to model particular economic problems, yet we are in trouble should we start believing these simplifying assumptions to be absolutely true.” Sen’s critique at the time was against the

12

|

Prestige

|

February 2011

predictable as what economic theory would prefer us to be, and the behaviouralists nailed it when suggesting that we respond to the psychological mood of our times. We are ebullient when all around us feel upbeat, and we feel the pains of others in our daily trade when there is a climate of doom and gloom. Anyone collecting cash

Clearly we are speaking here of more than the old advertising tool-kit of puppies, children or sex as a means to sell anything.

The good news is that with a generation of entrepreneurs who have been able to monetise anything from the oxygen that trees emit to encyclopaedia lookups (think Google), the true associative value of notions

of the good life may become plentiful and bold.

My suspicion is that too many players are battling to get their products associated with the truly tough and heavy issues. Everyone wants to be green, create world peace, or solve poverty and hunger.

Perhaps this is where the neoclassical economists, for once, may be useful, reminding us that in seeking happiness there may also be some self-directed options. Coming fresh off a great summer, which urban office worker would not enjoy hanging out for a bit more warm sunshine in a green space, “Proudly brought to you for your happiness and enjoyment by Company X”? Simple pleasure – hugely valuable.

I am a strong believer in the old adage that people do not miss what they do not know, and therein lies the opportunity for the corporate world to go out and create concepts of the good life for the regular Joe on the street, who is currently constrained by an unimaginative media environment. Give a Superman costume to each family that saved enough power and hold a Superman Ball once a year, or bring camel rides to the community that saved the most water. The sky is the limit, and as you create concepts of happiness and dish out parts of it, observe how the neuroeconomists’ postulation that your company’s value will increase, becomes true.  www.prestigemag.co.za

Image © ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

 CHARL DU PLESSIS

www.prestigemag.co.za

February 2011

|

Prestige

|

13

Fore|Words

Genuine wealth

All too often we toss around words as if we fully understand their true meaning – but do we?  DR JOHN DEMARTINI

We use words like ‘genuine’ and ‘wealth’ as if they each had their own single common root, and as if we completely comprehend their original, deeper significance. The word ‘genuine’ comes from the Latin ‘genuinus’, which means ‘innate’ (true, actual or sincere).

The word ‘wealth’ comes from the Old English ‘weal’ (wellbeing or whole-being) and ‘th’ (condition), which taken together means ‘The condition of well-being or wholeness’.

The writings of Hubert Howe Bancroft, author of Achievements of Civilization - the Book of Wealth among other titles, are an inquiry into the nature of the world’s diversity of resources and riches. They are a history of the origin and influence of all forms of property, its posses-

all its forms and aspects.

Of course, genuine wealth, when the two terms are combined, could now be perceived as relative, and as having widely different applications in different times and places. Originally, genuine wealth signified ‘weal’ or sincere well-being and was applied to eternal spiritual as well as temporal material welfare.

Later, wealth was used in the sense of large material possessions, or of what seemed large to those who had little.

It has been said that without ambition and aspirations, life is not worth living. The noblest of all ambitions is liberation or freedom from physical or social bondage, slavery and constraint, and this independence demands genuine wealth

resources or matter. It is the measure of human progress and possibility, and herein lies the accumulated power of civilisation. Where there are no storehouses of genuine wealth there can be no storehouses of fulfilment, inspired beings or great knowledge. And where there is no learning there can be no individual or social progress.

The existence of culture, be it as part of a nation or a global society, begins with the creation of genuine wealth.

Genuine wealth represents the people, places, things, ideas, actions and events that make life worthwhile and valuable, and implies total or whole life wealth.

It is the experience of a life worth living and one that is aligned with our true, highest and most meaningful values and/or prin-

Genuine wealth emerges when we are in touch with our highest core values, our complete life assets, and our full awareness and potential.

14

|

Prestige

|

February 2011

or the empowerment of all areas and aspects of our lives. Old age and poverty, though often united, are not agreeable or desirable companions and are the opposite of independence.

Genuine wealth is a vital force; one of the greatest forces for the enfoldment of culture and the birthing of liberty. In a measure, genuine wealth dominates everywhere, exercising its forceful influence on both spirit (the liberated or inspired mind) and physical

ciples, not only as individuals, but also collectively as families, communities, cities, states, nations, and someday worlds.

Many people are accustomed to looking at wealth strictly in financial terms or earthly property and physical possessions and yes, this is essential for individual and social development and progress, but genuine wealth is much more than that and we know it intuitively. It can include inspiring ideas or causes, intellectual properties,

Images © DEMARTINI INSTITUTE; istockphoto.com

sion, accumulation and disposition across all ages and nations, and they explain human accomplishment. Bancroft states that there is little, if anything, desirable or honourable in penury or destitution, nothing praiseworthy or attractive in want or dependence. He shows how neediness leads not to intellectual culture or to a lofty standard of morality, and emphasises the significance of individuals honouring the world by realising genuine wealth in

www.prestigemag.co.za

business ventures and assets, financial investments, family relations and possessions, social influences and causes, and physical talents or beauty.

Conventional economics and business indicators of prosperity such as gross domestic product, stock market indices and other economic indicators are important and certainly contribute to one facet of wealth, but they all make up only a part of what could be properly defined as genuine wealth. www.prestigemag.co.za

Indeed, many of these indicators do not distinguish between expenditures in the economy that actually contribute to genuine wealth development versus those which result in the ‘depreciation’ or erosion of our social fabric or the strength of our relationship with nature.

Social ideals and values may see such economic growth as either, or both, constructive and destructive.

Genuine wealth involves real value (valorum), which

represents the diversity of nouns and verbs that make our lives admirable and worth living. Where we spend our money discloses our true values and what we hold to be important. Genuine wealth emerges when we are in touch with our highest core values, our complete life assets, and our full awareness and potential. It includes all assets that contribute to our complete and balanced state of living and being, and accounts for what

we value most. It allows us to objectively assess our real assets (our strengths), and opportunities for developing our real wealth potential.

May we awaken to, and fully unfold, our true and genuine wealth and be congruent with our most inspired natures as we also accumulate our vitally essential portions of economic and financial forms of material wealth for the sake of ourselves, our families, our civilisation and our beautiful planet earth. February 2011

|

Prestige

|

15

Life|Style

Louis Vuitton City Guides 2011

A must for luxury travellers the world over, the latest editions of the Louis Vuitton City Guides are now available, with new European countries such as Courchevel, Oxford, Gstaadt, Porto Cervo, Palma de Majorca, Thessaloniki, and Beirut now included. A box set containing Paris, Berlin, New York, Tokyo and Kyoto-Nara is also available.

As a new addition for travellers, a LV City Guide 100 postcards box has been introduced, which honours the 100 illustrations that Ruben Toledo has created for the LV City Guides; images that capture in paint the guides’ distinct vision for travel and passion for detail.

The books, box sets and postcards boxes are available at Louis Vuitton stores in Johannesburg (+27 11 784 9854), and Cape Town (+27 21 405 9700).

Tag your Moët Rosé

A brand new way of celebrating Personalise any occasion with a dash of urban style. With this limited-edition Tag Your Moët Rosé coffret, Moët supplies the champers while you supply the lasting artwork. Along with a bottle of Moët Rosé, dressed in pink for the occasion, and two special-edition flutes, a gold marker is included for you to personalise the bottle with your very own special touch of graffiti glamour.

The Moët Rosé blend combines the intensity of

16

|

Prestige

|

February 2011

Pinot Noir, the fruitiness of Pinot Meunier and the finesse of Chardonnay. This delightful pink champagne is distinguished by heady, sensual aromas – a lively bouquet of fresh, red, summer berries with floral nuances and a light peppery touch. The flamboyant palate fuses intensity and roundness with a subtle herbal finish.

Tag Your Moët Rosé will be available from leading liquor stores nationwide from R669.

Cartier de Lune

The latest fragrance in the collection, Cartier de Lune, was created by the House’s master perfumer, Mathilde Laurent. The scent is fresh, clean and delicious. The fragrance will retail for around R900, available from the Cartier Boutique from end February. Contact +27 11 666 2800.

www.prestigemag.co.za

Life|Style

More than fine

To attract serious wine fundis, should you feed them great art?

Draper, philosopher and winemaker at Ridge Vineyards in California put it, “What is fine wine all about? Let’s start from the point that making a wine is a natural process.” An intriguing branch of fine art, so-called ‘land art’, is intimately concerned with natural processes. One of the foremost international exponents is Andy Goldsworthy, the land artist

NEIL PENDOCK

18

|

Prestige

|

February 2011

produce a drinkable Pétrus, the ne plus ultra of merlots.

There is no gold standard for wine or art. Irma Stern was the most famous South African artist of the last century, but Melvyn Minnaar, who writes about both wine and art in the lifestyle pages of the Afrikaans press, dismissed her as “just a painter of flower arrangements”. Last year, one of those ‘arrangements’, Still Life of Gladioli on a Draped Table, sold for £2.4 million at Bonham’s in London.

South African wine can likewise be controversial. The annual Platter’s wine guide rated the Woolworth’s selection Cape Point 2007 Sauvignon Blanc a full five stars, while their colleagues over at WINE magazine in Pinelands scored the same wine a lowly one star, at the same time.

But can wine ever be art?

Wine is first and foremost, a natural product. As Paul

works by Francis Bacon, Robert Rauschenberg, Robert Motherwell and Frank Stella, “One of the top 200 collections in the world”. As Hess told ARTNews magazine: “Collecting is an illness, and probably an incurable one.”

In this, the current Age of Austerity, wine tourism is an important money spinner for producers, which we see in

with Walter Finlayson in the Glen Carlou winery in Paarl, he bought the whole shooting match at the end of 2003.

With a 600 000 case production in the Napa Valley and stiff competition from powerful competitors like Robert Mondavi, Hess came up with a novel plan to attract visitors to his Hess Collection Winery on Mount Veeder. He converted

Day trippers can admire Francis Bacon alongside Bordeaux-style blends and contemplate Robert Motherwell as they sip merlot.

IMAGES © GLEN CARLOU WINERY

Biodynamic winemakers may call themselves ‘artists of the earth’, but is Villiera winemaker Jeff Grier really on the same wavelength as New York consumer artist Jeff Koons?

Is the wine cellar the new art studio? Does the tasting room do for mouth and nose what the gallery does for the eye?

There are some superficial similarities: trophy wines attract silly money on auction in Hong Kong, as Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber can confirm, after his $5 million January fire sale, while tier one fine art showed remarkable resilience in auction rooms during the sub-prime meltdown and resulting global financial contagion. But as far as aesthetic values go, no art critic would dare score William Kentridge 16 out of 20 in the same way that wines are routinely assessed.

Conversely, while many a parent may insist their child can paint better than Picasso, few would claim their offspring could

job instead, and which took the form of an installation of 100 flags that certainly catch the eye of passersby.

Although more of a whisky and beer drinker than oenophile, Strijdom has returned both to wine and to his adopted hometown of Stellenbosch.

In the vineyard in front of Oude Libertas, as you enter the Eikestad on the R310, hundreds

www.prestigemag.co.za

who sculpted a snake out of sand in the art gallery at the Glen Carlou winery in Paarl.

Strijdom van der Merwe is a South African colleague of Goldsworthy, and the man responsible for an exquisite piece of guerrilla art in a most unlikely spot – the Rooiberg Winery in Robertson.

Forbidden by provincial bureaucrats from erecting one of those boring-in-brown tourist road signs directing thirsty punters to their tasting room, Rooiberg decided to commission artworks to do the www.prestigemag.co.za

of yellow hands wave hello in a work entitled, Applause.

Strijdom’s gallerist is German architect Migo Mants, who owns the Focus Contemporary Gallery in Long Street, Cape Town. Late last year Manz bought the Klein Genot wine estate in Franschhoek. Similarly, Goldsworthy’s patron is wine estate owner and avid art collector, Donald Hess.

Hess started collecting art some 40 years ago. Art in America magazine calls his collection, which includes

the sudden ramping up of art offerings by tasting rooms and wine estates alike, both locally and overseas. The biodynamic vineyards of Hess’s famed Bodega Colomé in Argentina are located at 2 200 to 2 300 metres elevation – the highest in the world. In 1986 he bought the Christian Brothers winery on Mount Veeder, California, while in 2003 he aced-out Allied-Domecq in the battle for Peter Lehmann Wines, producer of some of the best Shiraz in the Barossa. A long-time 50-percent partner

the hundred-year-old, threestory limestone winery into a stunning modern art gallery with crisp white walls and ceilings, bleached oak floors and panoramic views of the volcanic slopes of the mountains. So now day trippers can admire Francis Bacon alongside Bordeaux-style blends and contemplate Robert Motherwell as they sip merlot.

Of course, using art to sell wine is nothing new – Château Mouton has been commissioning wine labels from artists since the end of WWI.  February 2011

|

Prestige

|

19

Life|Style The Corrections, published in 2001, that he really came into his own as an author. This very lengthy, satirical family drama earned him a National Book Award, as well as a prestigious nomination for the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

But it was the controversy surrounding Oprah Winfrey and The Corrections that really propelled Franzen into the limelight.

The infamous debacle began in 2001, with Oprah adding The Corrections to her worldrenowned book club and inviting Franzen to appear on her show. Franzen responded to Oprah’s invitation with ambivalence, expressing concern that

Jonathan Franzen

Sensory deprivation makes a noteworthy novelist

The city is New York. The setting is a sparse apartment containing nothing but the bare essentials: a table, a chair, a lamp. A man sits blindfolded in the chair typing away on an archaic, five-kilogram Dell laptop. The computer’s Ethernet port has been plugged up with superglue. This is the eccentric writing process of American contemporary author Jonathan Franzen, and it is his way of depriving himself

20

|

Prestige

|

February 2011

of all sensory stimuli.

Franzen believes that in order to really find the voice within, he needs nothing but quiet and few, if any, interruptions from the world around him. In an interview with The AV Club, Franzen explained it as such: “We’re all so used to cultural noise being played at full volume. It can come as a surprise, even to myself, how much you can know about what’s going on by listening to almost nothing. It’s

important, because if you have it up at full volume, you can’t hear yourself think, and all you want to do is chase after the stuff that’s going on.”

Franzen was born on 17 August, 1959, in Western Springs, Illinois, and grew up in the white-picket-fenced haven of Webster Groves, a suburb of St Louis, Missouri. He attributes his idyllic childhood to this, and describes his youth as an almost “mythical time”

that shielded him from the “badness of the world”, a truth that he cherishes to this day.

But if his childhood was an easy one, his path to literary genius certainly wasn’t. Rather, it was long-winded and often difficult. Franzen struggled terribly during the penning of his first novel because, to make ends meet, he simultaneously worked in the seismology laboratory at Harvard University. It was only with his third novel, www.prestigemag.co.za

Images © Gregory Wazowics; Greg Martin

 Carmen Pool

her endorsement may deter a male audience from reading the novel. In an interview with National Public Radio’s Fresh Air, Franzen said, “So much of reading is sustained in this country, I think, by the fact that women read while men are off golfing or watching football on TV or playing with their flight simulator or whatever...

I had some hope of actually reaching a male audience and I’ve heard more than one reader in signing lines now at bookstores say, ‘If I hadn’t heard you, I would have been put off by the fact that it is an Oprah pick. I figure those books are for women. I would never touch it.’ Those are male readers speaking. I see this as my book, my creation.”

Soon afterward, Franzen’s

invitation to appear on The Oprah Winfrey Show was rescinded, Oprah reportedly stating that the author would not be on the show because he was seemingly uncomfortable and conflicted about being chosen as a book club selection.

She made it clear that it was, of course, never her intention to make anyone uncomfortable or cause anyone conflict, but that they would be skipping the dinner and moving on to the next book.

The controversy resulted in a flood of media coverage, and The Corrections soon became one of the decade’s best-selling works of literary fiction. At the National Book Awards ceremony, Franzen publically thanked Oprah for her enthusiasm and advocacy on behalf of his novel – his attempt at rectifying the now somewhat sticky situation.

Almost a decade after this most-defining hullabaloo, Franzen published his next novel – Freedom. During his book promotion, Franzen became one of only two American authors ever to appear on the cover of Time magazine. The first was veteran literary heavyweight Stephen King, in 2000. As further testament to his talent, Oprah selected Freedom for her book club in this, her current and final season, referring to the novel as a masterpiece. Franzen appeared on the show on 6 December last year.

The beauty of Freedom is in its astute observation of human relationships and the way in which it encapsulates American contemporary culture and all of its chaotic, commercial and egotistical glory. The story is so vividly consuming and robust that you won’t know where the book ends and life begins – a feat that few authors are able to accomplish. Franzen’s crisp and unhindered thoughts are translated beautifully into his incisive writing, leaving his path to ‘genius status’ exquisitely illuminated. 

Dr. John Demartini has consulted for Fortune 500 CEOs, entrepreneurs, Hollywood celebrities, sports personalities, financiers and other professionals. He has appeared on hundreds of national and international radio and television talk and financial news shows including CNN’s Larry King Live, CNBC, CBS, NBC, PBS and more.

Create an Amazing Life You deserve to achieve your goals and dreams Do you feel like there should be more to your life than the life you are living? Do you long for more clarity, certainty and career drive? Do you wish your life had more meaning?

Would you love to make money living your dream life?

If your answer is yes to any of these four questions then register now for the upcoming evening talk with Dr John Demartini, world renowned human behaviour specialist and sought after authority on maximising human awareness and potential. In this presentation, Dr Demartini will show you how to create the life you’ve always dreamed of living.

JOHANNESBURG DATE: Wednesday, 23 February, 2011 TIME: 7pm reg; 7:30pm - 9:15pm incl. Q & A VENUE: Montecasino Ballroom CAPE TOWN DATE: Thursday, 3 March, 2011 TIME: 7pm reg; 7:30pm - 9:15pm incl. Q & A VENUE: Westin Grand Arabella Ballroom COST: R150 through Computicket, R180 at the door.

BOOKINGS: Computicket or call 083 915 8000.

Mind Over Body Understanding hidden agendas and unconscious motives From health to wellbeing, weight gain to weight loss, sedentary lifestyle to a love of exercise, coffee and cigarettes to water and vegetarian. Why is it that every person has such a diverse physical experience? Do you wish that you could be as driven as your friends to exercise, lose the pounds, stay focused on healthy eating, drink 8 glasses of water a day, quit smoking, cut back on drinking alcohol, or simply, just be more balanced in your approach to health, wellness and your physical body? Do you wish that you could appreciate your body more and feel less stressed and tense about your health and the way you look or feel. Do you wonder why no matter how many times you set your resolve to make the changes you intend, that within days, you have reverted back to the way you have always lived your life? Would you love to know why and how to change your health and wellbeing strategies? If so then join Dr John Demartini for a world-first presentation Mind Over Body.

JOHANNESBURG DATE: Thursday 24 February, 2011 VENUE: Sandton Convention Centre TIME: 7pm reg; 7:30pm - 9:45pm incl. Q & A COST: R220 through Computicket, R250 at the door.

BOOKINGS: Computicket or call 083 915 8000

❱Demartini Programs Ask us about other upcoming 011 011 9093 or 083 370 2201 info@drdemartini.co.za

www.prestigemag.co.za

www.drdemartini.com

Life|Style

Just for her Omega revives the Ladymatic name  KEN KESSLER Ladies’ watches have come a long way from the fingernailsized ‘bracelet’ Granny used to wear. Omega has taken advantage of this change in preference with its new Ladymatic, which measures 34mm across.

But launching an entirely new range is a rare event for this manufacturer. Stephen Urquhart, President of Omega, explains, “We’re not a fashion brand. People don’t expect a new range every year or every five years. We have four families and a very long history, so we have no trouble keeping them all up to date with new dials or new executions.” Although the Ladymatic revives a name born in 1955, Urquhart emphasises that the new watch is not taken from anything in the past. “The name is, obviously, but the design itself is completely new,” he says. “It was built around this fabulous new movement that we have.”

With the Ladymatic, Omega has targeted what Urquhart calls “women of achievement”.

He says, “Women may never be as interested in watches as men are, but they are increasingly more interested in the technical side of watches, not just in a design with a great name on it. This is only a ladies’ watch, it can never be worn by a man. It’s not like a scaled-down version of a man’s watch. It’s not meant to be dainty, like the ladies’ watches they designed in the 1950s. It’s a strong watch, a bold watch, it can be improved upon with different sizes in the future, but I think that it’s already a big, stand-out statement.”

Urquhart emphasises the modernity of the Ladymatic, “I

22

|

Prestige

|

February 2011

www.prestigemag.co.za

www.prestigemag.co.za

think this is the first time ever that a brand is bringing a watch to the market that is stating that a woman can buy a watch where the actual movement is as good as, and will last as long as, and be as exclusive as, the best men’s watch out there.”

He anticipates a continuing evolution of women’s attitudes toward watches, which were previously a mere extension of the jewellery they might wear. “With the Ladymatic she has a watch with a fantastic movement inside, with the automatic Omega Co-Axial escapement and silicon balance spring. It could stay in the family as something of lasting value. Most women who buy watches probably don’t have that notion.”

Ladymatic’s gestation was rapid. According to JeanClaude Monachon, Head of Production, “It started just after the Basel Fair 2008. Ladymatic began with a new movement and with the idea of a beautiful feminine watch, only for ladies.

First, I went to our museum at Omega, looking at all the ladies’ watches. And what I could see from the past were very small ladies’ watches, and there was no feeling that there was something I could take for a new watch, nothing to exploit from the past.”

He pauses, then continues, “For the first part of the project, we started with the Hour Vision that has the sapphire ring-around case to allow you to see the movement. We wanted to play with materials, to make a wide collection in the future. We were already thinking about that. We added ceramic to the ❱

February 2011

|

Prestige

|

23

Hour Vision and cut the lugs off, and we had a round watch that was not too bad, though the ceramic was ‘too present’.

We thought, ‘We have to add something to the ceramic.’ So we added waves, which came above the ceramic, and you had something that was quite unusual, that didn’t exist on the market, and which was looking truly feminine. After that, we asked, ‘Why shouldn’t we add a central element from case to

shape of waves on the bracelet as well as the case and the result was quite nice.”

Monachon and the designers used a similar approach with the dial. “We took the supernova pattern that we have on the Constellation, but instead of starting the supernova between 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock, we started from centre, to have the shape spreading out with quite a special effect.

Also the bezel – we had a bezel

A watch can be any shape, but in the end, it has to be beautiful and feminine. bracelet?’ For the bracelet we decided to go with three rows of links. But if we used bracelets, like on Seamaster or Aqua Terra, it would be too ‘gents’oriented. We took the same idea of the waves on the side of the watch case, and did the central element of the bracelet with waves. The bracelet is asymmetric, so we also have the

24

|

Prestige

|

February 2011

with diamonds, like those you can see on all the bezels in the watch business. We thought, ‘Why shouldn’t we have something different from all of the watches to see on the market?’ We decided to go for what we call a ‘snow setting’, so you have diamonds that are not all the same size. We have more diamonds than usual on a

watch, but if you look carefully, the diamond pattern follows the shape of the waves.”

Monachon describes the Ladymatic concept as deliberately quite modular. “You can imagine that for the future, we can play with the ceramic, let’s say, having brown for example, with a brown dial, and a brown leather strap,” he says. “You could play with the gold on case, perhaps put white gold in the middle, where you have waves, red gold on the top and yellow gold on the back.”

The enthusiasm of the Ladymatic’s creators and designers is embodied in the watch’s potential as a future icon. But one aspect remained constant: the Ladymatic has to charm its future owners. Says Monachon, “After we made a study of our competitors, we saw that the watch can be round, can be square, rectangular, oval, any shape, but the watch, in the end, has to be beautiful and feminine.”

Images © OMEGA

Life|Style

www.omegawatches.com

www.prestigemag.co.za

www.prestigemag.co.za

February 2011

|

Prestige

|

25

Life|Style

City of fragrances

Scent to unmask India’s perfume capital The city of Kannauj is known as the capital of Indian perfume. In the same way that Europeans associate the French town of Grasse with both lavender and perfume, the name of this Indian city evokes the smells of sandalwood and other mesmerising fragrances.

The majority of the population has, since time immemorial, made its livelihood in the industry. And to this day, traditional production methods are proudly upheld, and family recipes honoured.

We enter Kannauj by way of a horse-drawn cart, the only form of public transportation its narrow streets will accommodate. We pass through a gateway that sports the coats of arms of the perfume industry’s pioneers. Clouds of sensual fragrances waft toward us from the many perfume stores, many of which are located in beautiful old houses. Customers sit on the floors between cupboards filled with perfume bottles made of metal, cut glass and handsomely tooled leather.

One of the vendors calls us over. He dips cotton swabs into various bottles and waves them before us. “Take your pick,” he offers, “roses, jasmine, or even earth.” The latter turns out to be a Kannauj specialty, produced from baked earth and used in fertility festivals. It’s also a popular gift on occasions to mark a new start in life, such as getting married, moving house, or giving birth.

The perfumes we try first are rather oily, and their smell quite pervasive. “These are attars, the perfumes that have made Kannauj world famous,”

26

|

Prestige

|

February 2011

www.prestigemag.co.za

www.prestigemag.co.za

the seller explains. “Attar is the naturally scented oil that results from the hydro-distillation of flowers, roots, spices and herbs into sandalwood oil. The difference between attar and a western perfume is that attar is made up only of natural ingredients, and does not contain any alcohol.”

The salesman produces a large, old-fashioned key to open one of the shop’s cupboards.

He retrieves a small bottle and beams, “Attar of roses, top of the line.” I smell the bottle and feel as if I’ve buried my nose in a rose, only this fragrance is even more intense. The experience is simply divine.

Having said that, we certainly don’t enjoy every aroma on offer – some tend to be quite penetrating, and reminiscent of a pharmacy. I put this to Subash Gupta, director of the Beniram Moolchand perfumery, which we visit next. “You are not that far from the truth,” he concurs.

“Attars are not merely used as perfumes; they also play a role in the Ayurveda, India’s oldest traditional medicine. The smells have a medicinal effect. Attars and other natural oils are also used to enhance flavours and smells in the pharmaceutical, food, cosmetics and tobacco industries.”

Gupta’s family has been running this perfumery since 1885. The walls of the reception area, which resembles a temple, are covered with portraits of his ancestors. They watch sternly over his operation, as if wishing to make sure he keeps the family secrets.

Every perfumery in Kannauj ❱ ferociously guards its own February 2011

|

Prestige

|

27

Life|Style

large baskets, and brought to a truck that will transport them to a distillery in town.

We are invited to visit one such distillery. The contrast between the colourful fields of flowers and the factory’s dark innards is striking. The only light inside is intermittently provided by the flaming wood fires that burn under large

clouds of billowing steam.

We are glad to escape back into the fresh air of the distillery courtyard. This is where the cooled oil is manually filtered. It will then be distilled again using a new batch of flowers or herbs. “The more this process is repeated, the higher the proportion of essential flower oil, and

to age. Malik carefully opens a flask and lets us smell its contents. “This is Shamama,” he says, “a mixture of saffron, musk, and dozens more ingredients. It has taken almost one month to create this.” The price tag reads like a confirmation: these exclusive products fetch up to US $21,000 a litre, which would seem to reserve their

Every perfumery in Kannauj ferociously guards its own recipes, and uses production methods that haven’t changed for centuries.

Harsha Vardhan. The fertile soil along the Ganges is perfectly suited to growing flowers.”

Gupta takes us to the fields of flowers located just outside the town, where we face a sea of violets, jasmine bushes and roses. Workers skillfully remove the flowers from their stems.

These flowers are then put into

28

|

Prestige

|

February 2011

www.prestigemag.co.za

www.prestigemag.co.za

copper kettles filled with water, flowers and herbs. Bamboo pipes connect the kettles to a reservoir of sandalwood oil, which traps the fumes.

Sweating men with bloodshot eyes stoke the fires and control the temperature. In order to cool the reservoir, they pour water onto it, releasing great

the more valuable the final product,” explains Fauzan Malik, manager of Yacub Perfumers.

In a corner stand the large leather flasks that contain the attar. The leather allows the last traces of water to evaporate, leaving behind pure perfume oil. Like wine, attar needs time

use for the likes of sheikhs and Bollywood stars.

We limit ourselves to the purchase of a pretty bottle of ‘attar of roses’, anticipating the pure and perfect pleasure of pouring a few drops into the bathtub back home, and so being transported back to this city of fragrances.  February 2011

|

Prestige

|

29

Words & Images © CATHARINE BILLIAU/TCS

recipes, and uses production methods that haven’t changed for centuries. But the town’s history as India’s perfume capital dates back even further.

“In the 7th century AD,” explains Gupta, “Kannauj was already playing an important role in the world of Indian perfumes, when the town was the capital of the land ruled by

Life|Style

Jaci’s Safari Lodge

Family paradise in Madikwe Game Reserve  nicky arthur

30

|

Prestige

|

February 2011

For those looking for a down-to-earth experience, Jaci’s Safari Lodge offers guests a tranquil space in which to unwind and interact with some of Africa’s most impressive wildlife. Each of the eight, tent-style rooms (two king and six twin rooms), with outdoorindoor ambience and earthy African tones, were decorated and designed with guests’ comfort in mind. Careful attention to detail at Jaci’s and the welcoming temperament of its staff members also guarantees ultimate relaxation and a homeaway-from-home vibe.

Jaci’s Safari Lodge has two exclusive family suites: the Nare Suite, which accommodates up to six guests, and the Safari Suite, which accommodates up to eight guests. Private and tranquil, you’ll not be disturbed as you slumber under a thatched roof, on a luxurious fourposter bed, flanked by walls of stone and canvas, perhaps after enjoying a languid bubble bath in the spacious stone tub.

The suites each have their own private terrace with plunge pool. Dedicated game drives round out the experience.

Jaci’s Tree Lodge rests on fourmetre tall stilts set in a forest of giant Tamboti and Leadwood trees overlooking the Marico River, and offers lodgings in one

of eight roomy treehouses (six king and two twin rooms). The Lodge’s elevated position offers a different perspective on the surrounding bushveld, meaning guests are often eye to eye with monkeys and squirrels, which cheekily use the wooden walkways as an extension of their tree-top canopy.

Children are welcome at both of Jaci’s properties. In fact, these lodges were among the first to include children of all ages on a family safari holiday.

After all, Jaci and husband Jan have raised three children in Madikwe, and understand how instilling a love of the bushveld at an early age can create a passion for life. After realising

that parents wanted to be a part of the specialised kids’ safaris to witness their children’s reactions to seeing wild animals for the first time, rangers reinvented the game drive as a family safari for moms and dads and their children, aged five years and up. For little ones younger than five, Jungle Drives are best suited, but if moms and dads want to join in on these trips, they have to behave like children too!

The van Heterens have a strong sense of community, and in constructing Jaci’s Safari and Tree Lodges, created plentiful jobs for many people from neighbouring areas. And it didn’t stop there. Through www.prestigemag.co.za

Jaci’s empowerment incentives, any staff member who has worked at Jaci’s for at least five years automatically becomes a member of the Jaci’s Staff Trust. This Trust owns 25.1 percent of the company, which in effect transforms staff into shareholders in the business. In addition, Jaci’s offers interestfree loans to staff members for small business start-ups, education and to build their own homes.

This refreshing approach to nature, the environment, the guests and even neighbouring communities, epitomises Jaci and Jan’s authentic and personal involvement in the ethos of the lodges. This has been their little patch of Africa for the last 20 years and, being just three-and-a-half hours’ drive from Johannesburg, is well worth a visit.

Jaci’s Safari Lodge and Jaci’s Tree Lodge are proud members of the Mantis Group. 

IMAGES © THE MANTIS COLLECTION

The story of Jaci’s began with ‘Operation Phoenix’, one of the world’s largest-ever translocations of wild animals into a reserve. In a project that evolved into an internationally recognised example of positive conservation and community cooperation, the once overgrazed, economically-unviable farmland of this area was turned into a wildlife haven dotted with luxury accommodation. Over 3 years, more than 10 000 animals of 28 species were introduced, meaning that Madikwe now has the greatest diversity of game species in any Southern African reserve.

Among the wild inhabitants are black rhino, spotted hyena, lion and cheetah, elephant, kudu, and the rare wild dog.

Since opening in 2000, Jaci’s Safari Lodge and the adjoining Jaci’s Tree Lodge have won several awards for excellence and are two of the most popular venues in Madikwe Game Reserve. It is a testament to the family involvement at Jaci’s Safari Lodge that it was named after the woman who runs it by the husband who built it. The laid-back, familyfriendly atmosphere is how Jaci and Jan van Heteren envisaged their lodge long before Madikwe became the animalfilled game reserve it is today.

+27 83 700 2071 / +27 83 447 7929 www.madikwe.com

www.prestigemag.co.za

February 2011

|

Prestige

|

31

Fashion |

| Fashion

Latest Louis Vuitton The House shows off its playful, unconventional spirit with its newest fashion jewellery collection © PAUL SCHMITT & BERTRAND BOZON for Louis Vuitton

I

n Art Deco style and sixties colours, the collection’s four lines – Damier Perle, Eye Candy, Cosmopolitan and Cocktail Tropical – show off the latest in trend-setting technical innovation through the perfect mix of materials – acrylic-set ornaments, paste jewels and Damier Perle beading. With inspiration and imagination, this Louis Vuitton collection adds a must-have touch of glamour, taking personal style to a new level, where it becomes an intimate game of seduction.

32

|

Prestige

|

February 2011

www.prestigemag.co.za

Left Summer Beach Key Ring – price on request; Bracelet Soie Rayures Corail – R3 700; Feerie Bracelet, Ivory – R 7350 Above Lock Me Bracelet – R4 100; Lock Me Ring – R2 100 Right Leopard Bandeau, Rouge Fauvist – R1 100; Feerie Bracelet, Corail – R7 350; Eye candy Earrings – R5 600; Flore Carre Sunglasses, Coral – price on request

www.prestigemag.co.za

February 2011

|

Prestige

|

33

| Fashion

Left Innocence Earrings Ivory – R5 550; Innocence Necklace Ivory – R9 300 Above Pastron Cosmopolitan; Sautoir Cosmopolitan; Cosmopolitan Rings – price for all on request Right Tropical Cocktail Bracelets, Rouge and Bleu – price on request; Summer Beach Key Ring – price on request; Bracelet Soie Rayures Corail – R3 700

34

|

Prestige

|

February 2011

www.prestigemag.co.za

www.prestigemag.co.za

February 2011

|

Prestige

|

35

| Fashion

Left Favourit Bracelet, Monogram, Vernis Rose Florentin – R2 850; Pendentif Cosmopolitan – price on request; Sautoir Cosmopolitan – price on request Above Manchette Savage Bracelet – price on request Right Eye Candy Earrings – R5 600; Eye Candy Necklace – R11 300; Eye Candy Bracelets – R4 500 Available from Louis Vuitton stores in Johannesburg (Sandton City) and Cape Town (V&A Waterfront).

www.prestigemag.co.za

February 2011

|

Prestige

|

37

| Personality

Miguel Jiménez

A modern-day Renaissance man in an era of specialists and dime-a-dozen athletes  IAN MACLEOD

image © AP/picturenet

M

www.prestigemag.co.za

iguel Jiménez strides fairways around the world like some bygone Iberian general conquering new lands.

His self-assuredness is that potent.

Grandly attired in ornate leather shoes and tailored golf slacks, he seems to bring new meaning to ‘shoulders back, chest out’ with his unmistakable posture.

On his recent trip to South Africa, the 47-year-old Spaniard even wowed fans with dance moves that nobody’s seen since 1982. But Jiménez is more than a fashionista and a golfer. He’s also an aficionado of the finest wines and Cuban cigars, an expert on fast cars, a chef, and one of the genuine nice guys on the European Tour.

Born on 5 January, 1964 in Malaga, Spain, one of seven brothers, Jiménez was still a lowly caddie and ball collector at age 15.

He seemed destined to one day turn his tinkering as a motor mechanic into a career. But while lugging clubs at the 1979 Spanish Open at Torrequebrada, the teenaged Jiménez found inspiration in the likes of

countryman Seve Ballesteros and the legendary Sam Torrance, and decided to give his golf a chance.

Far from gifted with the physique of a Tiger Woods or the balletic smoothness of an Ernie Els, it could only have been some combination of terrier-like audacity, compulsive practice and pigheaded self-belief that made him the statesman of the Tour that he is today. Accuracy and thinking became his weapons.

Jiménez turned professional in 1982 and took six years to grumble to a European Tour card. From there his career was somewhat wavy; purple patches interspersed with indifferent ones. It was only in 1999 that he stamped his name among the world’s elite, with large victories such as the Volvo Masters, finishing fourth on the European Tour order of merit.

He peaked again in 2004 and 2005 when he resumed winning regularly, before drifting away like cigar smoke on the veranda of the sort of wine estate he might enjoy. In 2008 his bad-penny-like persistence hoisted him back up and earned him his biggest title to date, the ❱

These days, too many sportsmen talk like scientists and play like automata. Jiménez is a throwback to the days when it was gentleman rogues who dominated games.

BMW PGA Championships. With four Ryder Cup appearances (1999, 2004, 2008 and 2010), a total of 18 wins on the European Tour (tied for 11th on the all-time list) and over €14 million in prize money, Jiménez’s credentials as a golfer are magnificent. But it’s for bringing baroque to golf that most will remember him.

40

|

Prestige

|

February 2011

It’s usually local boytjies like Retief Goosen and Trevor Immelman who draw crowds at the seasonending Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City. But now the James Caanish Jiménez is competing for local hearts. This was very clear every morning of the recent 2010 edition of the tournament, when Jiménez arrived on the practice tee

pulling a comet-tail of adoring fans.

Finger pointing and chatters of, “It’s Miguel!” would follow as he sauntered to his allocated pyramid of range balls – on one occasion dealing a surprised Ernie Els a goodmorning tap on the bottom as he went. An elaborate warm-up routine would follow, involving an array of stretches and knee twirls, which he explained to his curious audience as, “Putting some oil on the joints”. Only then would he remove the obviously pricey cigar from his mouth, stow it carefully in his golfball shaped holder on the grass, and take to stroking some short irons up the range. Surely fortified by the dry wors he insisted his Zimbabweborn caddie, Mike Hough, keep handy during play, he went on to finish tie-third with Goosen. Still, he called his favourite part of the week, “singing, dancing and playing blackjack”. Vintage Jiménez, and in our own backyard.

Another moment symbolic of the man’s character came earlier in 2010 at The Open Championship in Scotland. Playing the famous ‘Road Hole’ on the Old Course at St Andrews on the Saturday evening, Jiménez sent his approach shot over the green and past the hole’s eponymous road, where it nestled in the messy grass just an inch or two shy of the picturesque stone wall in front of the grandstand. His focus entirely untouched, Miguel – wearing various shades of mustard on the day – squared up to the ball as though to play it away from the pin, chopped down on it hard to ricochet it off the wall, lobbing it back over his head and onto the green, where it landed like a butterfly with sore feet. It was classic Jiménez, and will live on in Road Hole lore forever.

These days, too many sportsmen talk like scientists, play like automata and dress for an extra split second. Miguel Angel Jiménez is a throwback to the days when it was gentleman rogues who dominated games. Think of pugilism’s Jack Johnson, baseball’s Babe Ruth and football’s William ‘Fatty’ Foulke.

He is a fine golfer, a connoisseur of life and a great bloke with whom to share good wine. Olé, the Renaissance man.  www.prestigemag.co.za

Image © Corbis/greatstock

Personality |

Travel |

Train of dreams

Catching the Orient Express to Krakow

42

|

Prestige

|

February 2011

to welcome its passengers on this luxury trip of a lifetime. This will be a journey aboard the ‘magic carpet of the Venice-Orient-Simplon’, as it was described by a Times reporter on its maiden run, some 125 years ago.

Onboard, beautiful mahogany walls conceal the unspoken secrets of kings, paramours and spies, for the train’s compartments have cradled the sleep of aristocrats and noble men and women for over a century. Its carriages, too, have endured much,

not least of all the terrible inclemency of wars. Created in 1883 by Georges Nagelmackers as something magical and glamorous, its spirit has been scattered over thousands of kilometres along the length and breadth of the Old World, carrying hope and excitement along with it. Today, the iron giant has another story to tell, that of its journey to Krakow.

An impeccably dressed porter, Mario, with gleaming white gloves and a pleasant smile, bows slightly ❱ www.prestigemag.co.za

words & IMAGES © OFELIA DE PABLO/TCS

L

eather suitcases, stylish hats and the latest fashions from Europe’s top couture houses, together with those toting them, line the platform of Venice’s Santa Lucia railway station.

A blue and gold train stands waiting on the tracks, illuminated by the light filtering down from windows high above. The engine’s golden letters are being carefully polished, and flowers and sweets placed in its compartments as the train prepares

www.prestigemag.co.za

February 2011

|

Prestige

|

43

| Travel

Onboard, beautiful mahogany walls conceal the unspoken secrets of kings, paramours and spies, as they have for over a century. as he welcomes us aboard and shows us to our carriage. After working for more than 20 years as a steward, Mario, like his fellow hosts and hostesses, is an intrinsic part of the onboard experience, poised to satisfy our whims, answer our questions and fulfil our requests.

Walking down the carriage’s narrow corridors, we lose ourselves in the train’s atmosphere, for the doors, windows, locks – every part of it – seem to emit an air of secrecy.

And each carriage has its own story.

Carriage 3425, for instance, was chosen by the King of Romania as the spot from where to conduct his love affairs. It was also one of the coaches raided by thieves as it crossed Yugoslavia loaded with his treasure. Carriage 3309 – the oldest on the train, and decorated by René Prou – once spent 10 days trapped

44

|

Prestige

|

February 2011

in the snow, almost 100 kilometres from Istanbul, while its distinguished passengers were kept alive by nearby, and thankfully hospitable, Turkish villagers. Other carriages suffered the effects of wars with particular intensity, such as number 3539, which was used to transport troops; or its neighbour, which was seized by the Germans and used as a brothel. Some carriages were destroyed, as was the case of the legendary 2419, in which Germany signed the Armistice Treaty, ending the First World War, and which was later used by Hitler to sign France’s surrender in 1940.

With all passengers now onboard it is time to go, and the blue giant slowly pulls away. Outside, blurred houses and palazzos, and the lake and the ghosts of the gondolas slide by, and as we leave them behind,

Christie’s Murder on the Orient-Express in the most perfect of settings.

Dinnertime is the moment for which all onboard have been waiting.

Soft lights illuminate the interior of the train, feeding the shadows with mystery and glamour – lest we forget, spies like Mata Hari and directors like Hitchcock dined in these wonderful restaurants. Of the three dining cars on offer, we choose the Etoile d’Nord. A parade of lobster, caviar and elaborate dishes welcomes us, the work of another vital cog in the train’s workings: French chef Christian Bodiguel. Chef Bodiguel has spent his whole life filling the tables of the Orient-Express with charm, and his incredible creations are celebrated the world over. His secret, he tells us, is “the love with which they are prepared.”

At the table beside ours, Henry

nothing matters anymore. There is no rush. Time has stopped onboard the Orient-Express.

We travel at around 80km/h, the landscape passing calmly and steadily by, the green foothills of the Alps and its chocolate-box villages forming the backdrop to cheerful encounters in the corridors, where a micro-universe of excited guests gathers. Next to us, Tore and Janne infuse the carriage with love – it’s their wedding anniversary and, as Mario tells us as he serves us all champagne, “This is the train of dreams, where everything is possible”.

Tore and Janne smile, raise a toast to us and then disappear into the privacy of their carriage. Another traveller, Mary, journeys alone. Feeling she was in need of a little romanticism in her life, she left the frenetic pace of London to allow herself to drift into the pleasure of reading Agatha www.prestigemag.co.za

www.prestigemag.co.za

and Christine share their meal with new friends John and Ann who, like them, are here on honeymoon. The men are smartly dressed in tuxedos, while the women wear antique dresses. They talk about living history in a different way, and about their attempt to recreate the 1920s – the golden era of the Orient-Express.

Their attire has been carefully chosen to suit that period.

Returning to our carriage after enjoying a drink and live music in the bar, we find that everything is different. The neat, cosy living room has been transformed into comfortable berths for the night. I turn out the light, the pleasure of sleep intermingling with the smooth rattle of the train. As I drift off, my mind floods with stories of legends and spies, as the clean scent of the Alps drifts in through the half-open

window – I’d almost forgotten there was a world outside.

In the morning, Mario knocks softly on the door, bringing with him a delicious breakfast. His smile seems never to waver. He tells me that Spanish singer Eva Amaral is his muse, and the source of his high spirits each day. Our talk is interrupted by the announcing of our arrival in Krakow.

Outside, excited crowds of people from the small, neighbouring villages crowd around to watch the legendary train.

By the time we pull into the station the chaos is absurd, though not unpleasantly so, with everyone wanting to lay eyes on this rolling museum. Its magic stretched beyond the borders that wars once built, new stories are once again being created aboard this most gracious old lady of transport.  www.orient-express.com February 2011

|

Prestige

|

45

| Craftsmanship

The Paneristi

A special collectors’ club for Panerai enthusiasts  CHARL DU PLESSIS

R

are items are only so much fun to hold on your own. There are moments of quiet admiration for the craftsmanship or beauty of an item, but much like visiting a wonderful site or hearing your favourite rock band. It is infinitely more gratifying, though, to occasionally turn to someone next to you and say, “How about that!”

For collectors of rare watches, joining a collectors’ club can be a double-edged sword. It places one in the company of other fanatics who may serve as an endless source of learning and provides a soundboard for the enthusiasm one may feel the need to express. It also provides an audience for bragging-rights, where

46

|

Prestige

|

February 2011

www.prestigemag.co.za

one knows that the rarest of finds will be appreciated; a place where just enough envy might lead to a fleeting moment of quasi-celebrity status. The downside, of course, is that you now swim in the same pond as all of those circling in on the same rare items.

Panerai, with its highly exclusive, annual limited releases, is one of those brands which attract collecting bands of brothers. Due to their understated design, and a pedigree deeply steeped in cutting-edge military technology, a Panerai timepiece may not necessarily attract the attention of the uninformed in the same manner that some over-publicised ‘massclusive’ watches might. But to the connoisseur collector, there ❱

February 2011

|

Prestige

|

47

Craftsmanship | are good reasons to have the tailor go short on the shirt-sleeves and to wish that others would ask the time.

Sporting a limited-edition Panerai may be best equated to an invitation to sit in the second row at the next Royal wedding – only so many people can fit (the Queen and family being in the front row, of course).

This passion for the rare and the extremely well crafted has given rise to the Paneristi, a collectors’ club for Panerai enthusiasts. Richemont, the Swiss-based owners of the Panerai brand, recognises the club although, as is typical for luxury brands, they do not officially endorse it. The website, www.paneristi.com, goes to great pains to remind one that it is an unofficial site.

To enter the world of the members, which the founder describes in his own words as almost a ‘cult’, is to enter a completely different universe. Here, model numbers have become short-hand, and famous editions of different series are referred to between Paneristi as if old family friends. Most helpful for novices this side of the world is the posting of the annual price lists for the Panerai range.

The most expensive watch listed last year was a Radiomir Tourbillon GMT Platino – 48mm, at a rack rate of €98,000.

The military history of Panerai runs deep, literally, with the Italian Navy and its divers and submariners. Special reflective materials such as Luminor and Radiomir were patented and developed to assist navy divers underwater, and by the 1930s, officers were all being issued Panerai timepieces. The wall art developed by Paneristi members reflects this origin, with some rather gothic and grotesque sketches of divers in primitive underwater gear among the inspiration for many of the artists. It is only after Richemont ‘discovered’ the strong commercial appeal of the Panerai brand that these timepieces became fashionable outside its military milieu.

The hallmark of a great brand is that it elicits passion; not only for the brand, but also for the activities and people with which it is associated. True to its marine and military heritage, Panerai is as well known for its workmanship and innovation as it is for its support of classic yachting.

In a world of mass manufacture, rarity remains inspiring, and by joining the Paneristi there is much to learn and enjoy about the marriage of modern technology and fashion with the great epochs of ships and wars that men once had to endure.  www.panerai.com

Here, model numbers have become short-hand, and famous editions of different series are referred to between Paneristi as if old family friends.

Hollywood heroes

It is no surprise that Panerai has seen a large uptake among Hollywood action heroes

48

|

Prestige

|

February 2011

Images © PANERAI; Paneristi.com

Sylvester Stallone asked Panerai to produce the Slytech for his friends after his movie Daylight.

Schwarzenegger’s Luminor Marina never leaves his wrist in Eraser and UK action hero Jason Stratham has made no secret of his passion for Panerai timepieces. Perhaps the most unlikely hero to sport a Panerai, obviously a personal favourite, is Hugh Grant in the Bridget Jones films.

www.prestigemag.co.za

www.prestigemag.co.za

February 2011

|

Prestige

|

49

| Motoring

The big cat roars Jaguar adds ‘futuristic’ to its world of classicism and tradition  KEN KESSLER

❱

50

|

Prestige

|

February 2011

www.prestigemag.co.za

www.prestigemag.co.za

February 2011

|

Prestige

|

51

Motoring |

52

|

Prestige

|

February 2011

headliner, to enhance the ‘Jet Softgrain’ full leather interior.

Absolute performance was addressed by the fitting of the mighty 470bhp Jaguar XJL Supercharged engine. Transmitting its power to the road are bespoke 22-inch wheels finished in black and highlighted by a brushed finish. Keeping it on the road are aerodynamic solutions in the form of new ground-hugging front, rear and side sills.

If the XJ75 hinted at the nearfuture, the Jaguar C-X75 unveiled a month later at the Paris Motor Show smacked of ‘World of Tomorrow’ inventiveness – the sort of crystalball-gazing that made motor shows in the fifties and sixties seem like film sets for science-fiction epics.

But unlike concept cars of the past, the C-X75 tempered its dreamware status with a reality check: this supercar, oozing speed and power, is electric, and therefore as green as a Toyota Prius. Maybe even greener.

Again, named in honour of the company’s anniversary year, the C-X75 addresses the future while respecting the past.

While unmistakeably a supercar that could rub shoulders with the best that Italy and Germany have to offer in the price-no-object stakes, its lack of a bulky, conventional piston engine fuelled by petrol allowed the designers to approach the car’s stance and profile with a fresh eye.

The design brief called for a ‘rangeextended electric two-seater supercar,’ and the response is a vehicle with performance figures that petrol heads won’t be able to ignore.

For the environmentally-conscious, the C-X75, with its AC-power plug-in capability, produced ‘zero tailpipe emissions’ over a range of 110 kilometres, equal to three times round Paris’s Péripherique, when running under battery power alone.

When you consider that the same car can also reach a potential top

IMAGES © JAGUAR

I

n August last year, Jaguar arrived at the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance with a stunning one-of-a-kind design project, to kick off the year-long celebration of its 75th anniversary.

Appropriately named the ‘XJ75 Platinum Concept’, it was one of the event’s star vehicles, a deft, supremely elegant illustration of how the XJ luxury saloon might evolve.

To all eyes, it was recognisably a Jaguar, yet the details revealed what future descendants could offer, with hints of client customisation.

Jaguar presented the XJ75 in a high-contrast black-and-white colour scheme, the main bodywork in Satin Matte Pearlescent White, with exterior elements in either a dark chrome or gloss black. The effect was conceived to evoke the visual impact of platinum itself. Other visual accents included gloss pearlescent white air vents, veneers and diamond stitch suede inserts in the seats and

www.prestigemag.co.za

speed of 330km/h, with 0-100km/h acceleration of 3.4 seconds, then you appreciate what an incredible achievement has been attained: supercar performance allied to practical and environmentally-friendly motive power.

To create this marriage of low emissions and real-world behaviour, the engineers fitted 45kW (195bhp) electric motors at each wheel, for grippy four-wheel drive, while the centre of the car houses state-of-theart micro gas-turbines. The turbines can be used to charge the batteries and extend the ‘electric’ range of the car to a sensible 900 kilometres, or to add power to the electric motors.

The 265/30 ZR21front and 365/25 ZR22 rear alloy wheels wear tyres custom-made by Pirelli, with an asymmetric tread pattern and green F1-style wear indicators.

Alternative fuels and speed are but part of the recipe for a car worthy of Jaguar’s 75th: the C-X75

looks simply sensational, and boasts every convenience a 21st century enthusiast would expect of such a vehicle. Inside, driver and passenger sit ahead of a sealed airbox housing the micro gas-turbines. With fixed seats, the steering wheel, controls, main binnacle and pedal box are all driver-adjustable.

As the driver approaches the car, entering through forward-hinged doors, phosphor blue electroluminescent wire lights illuminate the perimeter of the cabin and the turbines. Additional blue LED lighting gently floods the door and bulkhead speaker cavities, highlighting the car’s lightweight construction. The instrument panel looks organic, while a new ‘user interface’ connects the driver to the vehicle. It is an interior like no other, yet it all works.

Even in its choice of partners for the concept cars’ subsystems, the designers insisted on the very ❱ February 2011

|

Prestige

|

53

Motoring |

| Motoring Britishness that every Jaguar must possess. In creating the C-X75, Jaguar worked with Bladon Jets, makers of the micro gas-turbines, and SR Drives, who supply the switched reluctance generators. The Storm Grey leather used for the seats was supplied by Scottish company Bridge of Weir.

The dashboard clock is provided by the Bremont Watch Company, the leading brand in the revival of

For further passenger comfort, Jaguar’s existing in-car entertainment partner, loudspeaker specialists Bowers & Wilkins, developed bespoke systems for both vehicles.

For the XJ75, Bowers & Wilkins created a 1,200-watt surround sound system, consisting of 20 loudspeakers operating through 15 channels, controlled by state-of-theart sound processing technology.

Among the C-X75’s innovations

It is just aching to be built … I really hope they do make it.

English watch and clock-making.

In the XJ75 Platinum Concept, the centre console houses a bespoke mechanical clock with chronograph function, inspired by their aviation designs and using styling details from their MB2 watch, with superior legibility. Bremont also produced a unique clock for the C-X75, which can be mounted in a holder in the centre console. The clock’s mechanism uses the car’s acceleration and braking forces to keep it wound.

www.prestigemag.co.za

was a system employing dozens of tiny transducers fitted in an ultrathin honeycomb pattern, so compact that Jaguar could use them to line the doors and rear bulkhead. The positioning of such tiny speakers ensured that their physical presence would be invisible, while their sonic presence was all-embracing, with both driver and passengers savouring powerful, all-enveloping surround sound. In addition to superior sound quality, B&W’s sonic solution

also endowed the C-X75 with active sound cancelling technology, isolating the cabin from the noise produced by the turbines.

Few will ever enjoy the privilege of driving either of these miraculous one-offs. But one who has is American television superstar and worldclass car fanatic, Jay Leno. Owner of a monumental car collection, steeped in hands-on car activity (he’s a master mechanic) and possessing deep knowledge of motoring history, Leno was the first person outside of Jaguar to drive the C-X75 on a public highway. His observations echoed those of other Jaguar lovers who have seen the soon-to-be-mythical beast. “Jaguar really surprised everybody when they showed up with this car at Paris, but that’s what Jags do,” Leno said. “They tend to show up and surprise everyone. The XKE in 1961, the XK120 in 1948, and this one in 2010. That’s part of the Jag tradition. You turn up with something cool, surprise everyone…

Then hopefully build it. It is just aching to be built. I really hope they do make it. It’s beautiful. And Jaguars are beautiful.” 

February 2011

|

Prestige

|

55

Legends |

 CHARL DU PLESSIS

&

Fred Ginger

Setting the screen ablaze with a song and a dance

O

ne verdict on Fred Astaire was: “Can’t act, slightly balding, can dance a little,”.

Little did this harsh critic know that once Astaire teamed up with Ginger Rogers, the couple would set the silver screen alight for almost a decade, and create an entertainment legacy that would last another seven.

The reality of the post-Depression years was harsh and drab. Poverty and joblessness rested heavily on society and escape came in small packages. Yet, a smallish man with flying coattails, clicking heels and a fabulous dance partner could transport audiences from the humdrum of their daily grind for the meagre price of a cinema ticket. The scripts were as thin as Astaire’s hairline and the characters had schmaltzy names (Rogers played Countessa Scharwenka in Roberta), but once the pair moved into each other’s arms, the magic they created became the much-needed escape a struggling world required.

Neither Astaire nor Rogers was simply ‘discovered’ in the way modern-day stars who tell of their fortunate car-washing or waitressing encounters with life-changing producers might be. By the time Astaire hit Hollywood in 1933, three years after Rogers’ 1930 debut, he was a seasoned performer, groomed

56

|

Prestige

|

February 2011

from childhood for the role he was to play. Much the same with Rogers who, by the time they met, had completed 11 movies in only twoand-half years while under contract with Paramount.

Both had started their performing careers on Vaudeville, he as young Frederich Austerlitz out in Omaha, Nebraska and she as young Virginia McMath in Independence, Missouri.

‘Ginger’ came from a young cousin’s mispronunciation of ‘Virginia’, while Rogers was her stepfather’s name. Fred was only seven years old when he and sister Adele took to the stage as a pair. By age 21, during the 1920s, the siblings moved to Broadway for two shows, Lady be Good and Funny Face. Adele’s marriage put an end to their collaboration and Astaire went on to star solo in the The Gay Divorcee.

A career-focused young Rogers made it to Hollywood and first encountered Astaire as a choreographer. By 1933 RKO Studios cast them in their first movie, Flying Down to Rio. Although Astaire was the second male lead and Rogers the second female lead, the dancing duo stole the show. Their rendition of ‘The Carioca’, a Brazilian forehead-to-forehead kind of move, was described by critics as one of the most erotic dances of the time and ❱ became an instant craze. www.prestigemag.co.za

February 2011

|

Prestige

|

57

Legends |

BOUTIQUE GUESTHOUSE

woman’s body, though it remained a very athletic one, while Astaire was looking a bit more wrinkled, even though he was still light on his feet for his 50 years.

When they took to the floor, Astaire and Rogers brought with them an unrivalled mix of energy and emotion, passion and wit and of course, exceptional skill. Astaire was often spotted fooling around during rehearsals, and from these dalliances developed fascinating dance moments.

He could animate a hat or a walking

When they took to the floor, Astaire and Rogers brought with them an unrivalled mix of energy and emotion, passion and wit and of course, exceptional skill.

With nine further collaborations up to 1939, this sensational twosome ended with their 10th and final movie, The Barkleys of Broadway, in 1949. After more than a decade apart, this was also their only movie ever done in colour. By now, the lithe Rogers had grown a

58

|

Prestige

|

February 2011

stick simply by making it part of his routine, while Rogers just sparkled so brightly. Audiences grew to love them, and even nowadays their movies are still worth a late-night recording. Back in their day, without much in the line of special effects and doctoring, it was raw talent and personality that had

to fill the big screen, and of that they both possessed oodles.

Very little is known of the off-screen relationship between these two stars, although there were frequent reports of Rogers being upset by Astaire’s superior billing and pay, even though she had the longer track record and likely greater audience appeal. True to the chauvinism of the time and the remaining convention of the formal dance floor, Fred Astaire would always be billed above Ginger Rogers – he was the leading man and she was ‘his’ leading lady. She still remarked on this during interviews well into the 1990s.

Rogers brought out the best in Astaire, as he never really shone as bright with subsequent leading ladies and dance partners as he did when dancing with Rogers. It became a feminist cry during the sixties that “Ginger did everything Fred did; backwards and in high heels.”

Today, Ginger Rogers lies buried beside her mother, Lela E Rogers, the engineer of, and impetus behind, the starlet’s whole career, in the same Oakwood Memorial Park in California where Fred Astaire rests only yards away. But late night, on the classic movie channel, they still offer an escape for those in need.  www.prestigemag.co.za

One on Colenso boutique guesthouse is able to manage high-profile VIP clients with unique requirements, by operating as a luxury concierge service with the following premium capabilities: › Tailor-made holiday bookings › Private luxury chauffeur service › Charter management › Wedding coordination and honeymoon travel arrangements

IMAGES © ap/picturenet

RKO quickly realised the incredible potential they had in Astaire and Rogers, and the two took the lead in The Gay Divorce, which saw the name changed from Astaire’s earlier Broadway show. The movie’s songs and dance routines received several nominations and awards. One in particular, the Academy Awardwinning The Continental, had a massive chorus line and lasted 22 minutes. It was grand, popular and set the scene for the Astaire-Rogers team’s future success.

exquisite boutand iinqtiuemate guest h ouse wedding venue

Tel: 011 484 2833 / 083 561 8645 info@neoafrica.com 1 Colenso Rd, Paulshof, Sandton, Gauteng

| Ocean racing

Velux 5 Oceans

The oldest single-handed, round-the-world yacht race  TANYA GOODMAN

T

he Velux 5 Oceans, a series of five high-pressure ocean sprints within a marathon circumnavigation that recently stopped in Cape Town, has been run every four years since 1982. Some claim that this race is the longest and toughest

60

|

Prestige

|

February 2011

www.prestigemag.co.za

www.prestigemag.co.za

event for any individual in any sport. As Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, an internationally recognised sailor and pioneer in round-the-world sailing points out, “Single-handed sailing is much more in the mind than in the muscles.”

One of the special features of this

February 2011

|

Prestige

|

61

❱

Ocean racing |

In ocean racing, to finish first you first have to finish.

Images © onEdition

edition of the race is that it debuts a new class of boat, the Eco 60. Aimed at attracting skippers with limited budgets, as opposed to the trend towards more and more expensive solo ocean racing campaigns, the Eco 60 class makes use of the many Open 60 yachts built before 2003, which have been overtaken in performance and technologies by newer, faster models. Nonetheless, as Knox-Johnston, who sailed an Open 60 to victory in the 2006/7 race claims, “The history of this race shows that an older boat can often be better and more aggressively sailed than a new one... The purpose of the new Eco 60 class is to blow open the world of solo ocean racing as we know it and make it more accessible and affordable.”

But it’s not just about money.

The Eco 60 class in the Velux 5 Oceans is also governed by a framework designed to improve the ecological and environmental impact on the planet. These rules seek to limit fossil fuel consumption and encourage wind and solar power. ‘Taking on the Elements’ is a new concept associated with the

62

|

Prestige

|

February 2011

race and embodies a commitment to informing and inspiring people about sustainable living. Skippers Derek Hatfield onboard Active House and Brad von Liew aboard Le Pingouin, for example, are aiming to consume zero fossil fuels in their campaign for the title.

So who participates? “The 28-year history of this race is peppered with stories of unknown sailors of limited means who emerged to make their mark on ocean racing,” says KnoxJohnston. “Some became famous; others simply achieved their life’s dream of a solo circumnavigation.”

Many of this edition’s skippers are attempting their second or third solo round-the-world race and are selfdescribed adrenaline junkies who thrive on this kind of adventure.

But, as Knox-Johnston wisely points out, “In ocean racing, to finish first you first have to finish.”

Racing began in La Rochelle on 17 October 2010, with the skippers heading for Cape Town. After a tough first leg, only four of the original five boats made it through the second leg via the notorious Southern Ocean to Wellington in

❱

www.prestigemag.co.za

www.prestigemag.co.za

February 2011

|

Prestige

|

63

Ocean racing |

Single-handed sailing is much more in the mind than in the muscles.

New Zealand. The second leg began in December. With howling winds, freezing temperatures, mountainous seas and icebergs, Christophe Bullens was forced to retire after a number of incidents plagued him and his boat, Artech. Commenting on weather conditions in this part of the world, Chris Stanmore-Major, skipper of Spartan, wryly stated in one of his blog entries, “The Southern Ocean is mountainous; it’s part of the world where the seas can orbit without stopping. You get huge seas building up, massive winds, and waves that are taller than the top of the mast.”

The second sprint went down to the wire in an exhilarating climax to the 7,000 nautical mile leg.

After 26 days of full-on solo racing through the Southern Ocean, the three leading ocean racers at times became separated by only 300-odd nautical miles. While his lead was narrowing, Van Liew admitted tactical decisions in the final days of the sprint could make the difference between victory and defeat. “We’ve got a pretty serious boat race going on right now,” said Van Liew, who had been struck with light winds that slowed his progress. Van Liew was forced to dip south to skirt a high-

64

|

Prestige

|

February 2011

pressure zone that had swept south from Australia, allowing Zbigniew Gutkowski and Hatfield to take chunks out of his lead. Not one to let the stress of the race get to him, Van Liew remarked, “With us all so close it’s tough, it’s really competitive... All three of us are pretty seriously engaged and no-one’s leaving anything on the table. I couldn’t put up another stitch of cloth if I wanted to unless I took my underwear off and hung that from the rig!” Despite this tight battle, van Liew was the first one into Wellington on 15 January in a total time of 30 days, 10 hours at sea. Gutkowski, after taking a gamble on an East Coast route past New Zealand’s South Island, finished a day later, with Hatfield, running dangerously low on food and water, a day behind him.

The third leg begins on 11 February, when the remaining skippers aim to round Cape Horn and make for Punta del Este in Uruguay.

A short hop up the coast to Charleston in South Carolina, USA, makes up the fourth leg, before the skippers set off across the Atlantic to complete the race back in La Rochelle in May 2011.  www.velux5oceans.com

www.prestigemag.co.za

www.prestigemag.co.za

February 2011

|

Prestige

|

65

Adventure |

Dakar Rally On the edge of the envelope

T

he Dakar Rally is the motorsport equivalent of climbing Everest, riding the Tour de France, or running the Gobi March ultra-marathon. Why do people climb Everest?

Because it’s there, which is probably the same answer you’ll get if you asked a competitor why he or she risks life and limb to complete the Dakar.

Each year for the last three decades it has prompted hundreds of crazy people, on two wheels and four,

66

|

Prestige

|

February 2011

professionals and amateurs alike, to leave the safety of a big city on New Year’s Day while the rest of us are still nursing a hangover, to drive or ride across deserts and through forests, with the possibility of crashing never far away, and with this the risk of meeting a painful and untimely end.

The Dakar is the infamous transcontinental rally-raid, and since the inaugural event in 1979 (back then it was known as the Paris-Dakar from its start and finish cities), 49

competitors have lost their lives.

There have been other casualties too, and in the most recent event, from 1 to 16 January this year, two spectators were killed while two event staff died.

But that’s not the only risk.

Running the event through North Africa became increasingly fraught with danger in the shape of terrorists and bandits, forcing the cancellation of the 2008 event and prompting a move to South America the following year. Even though www.prestigemag.co.za

IMAGES © MOTORPICS

ADRIAN BURFORD

it no longer went anywhere near the Senegalese capital, keeping the now-eponymous ‘Dakar’ name made perfect sense.

The event has always attracted adventurers and athletes, as well as those with money. Famously, Margaret Thatcher’s wayward son, Mark, spent six days lost in the North African desert in 1982, while fast lady Jutta Kleinschmidt, who started out on motorcycles, was at the forefront of Mitsubishi’s www.prestigemag.co.za

domination in the new millennium, winning the 2001 race.

Today the Dakar is an important marketing exercise, and Volkswagen has followed in Mitsubishi’s tracks, gaining huge publicity by winning the three South American events on the trot with racers based on their Touareg. As an exercise to demonstrate endurance, there are few tougher tests, though what you see raising huge plumes of dust in the Atacama Desert bears

little resemblance to what’s in the showroom.

Interestingly, the 1992 event ended on the Southern tip of Africa, competitors crossing 10 countries in the course of a 12 400-kilometre epic. Since then, South Africans have had something of a love affair with the event, and as well as De Villiers, two- and four-wheel off-road racing ace Alfie Cox has become a regular (including a second and two third places on a ❱ February 2011

|

Prestige

|

67

| Adventure

It’s the motorsport equivalent of climbing Everest, riding the Tour de France, or running the Gobi March ultra-marathon

Below: Ralph Pitchford (left), and Alfie Cox Centre: Anthony Taylor (left), and Juan Mohr Bottom: Giniel de Villiers, who won the Dakar in 2009 and took second place this year

bike), while Ralph Pitchford occupies the navigator’s seat in one of the Red Bull Touaregs. The 2009 victory went to South African Giniel de Villiers, who had already made his mark with impressive performances in North Africa in a locally-built Nissan before being snapped up by VW’s works team. He backed up the win with a solid second in this year’s event, after encountering problems early on in last year’s race.

68

|

Prestige

|

February 2011

Anthony Taylor, a top name in local circuit and off-road racing, took part in the 2011 event in a huge support truck, with Cox’s Navara one of the cars for which he was riding shotgun. “Physically it was very, very demanding – it’s like doing two full seasons of our offroad national championships back to back,” explains Taylor. “I knew it would be hard, but it was probably three times tougher than I thought

possible – the cumulative effect of fatigue and lack of sleep is what really got to me. I also battled on the huge sand dunes – our truck’s lack of performance didn’t help - and I have to admit that there were occasions when I was really intimidated by the conditions.” But he adds that the atmosphere was amazing, with spectators lining the route in their thousands, even late into the night.

This year there was only one rest www.prestigemag.co.za

day in two weeks as the teams went from Argentina to Chile and back into Argentina via the Atacama Desert. A total of 430 teams participated (including trucks, cars, quads and motorcycles), with a massive attrition rate. For example, only 53 of the 156 vehicles which started were classified as finishers, while half of the 186 motorcycles that rode down the start ramp in Buenos Aires didn’t get to ride back up it. www.prestigemag.co.za

But the challenges add to the appeal, and there’s a huge mystique surrounding it – the danger being part of that, as with many other endurance sports. A large percentage of the entry list continues to be enthusiast amateurs, including wealthy businessmen able to indulge their passion.

But the Dakar is not for the faint-hearted, or for those lacking in the bank-balance department. A fully-supported drive – including

entry, support infrastructure such as a dedicated mechanic, and all other costs – will set you back in the region of R4 million, or double that if you want a drive with a top team in a top car. And there’s no guarantee that you’ll make it to the end of the first stage, let alone the end of the race.

But that said, if you do go all the way and finish, irrespective of position, you’ll have at least one momentous success story for future retelling!  February 2011

|

Prestige

|

69

Collectibles |

Book value

If electronic books are replacing physical texts, what happens to collectors’ editions?  KEN KESSLER

A

mazon.com announced last year that it now sells more electronic books than those fashioned from paper. Physical book libraries in the home are going the way of music collections: instead of filling shelves, readers with insatiable appetites are filling Kindles, iPads and the like. But for those brought up with real rather than virtual books, an electronic reader holds no charm whatsoever, and for collectors of limited or first editions the need runs even deeper.

So what motivates someone who wants to read a specific book to pay sometimes awfully high sums for a vehicle that differs from a Kindle version only in that it is a physical presence with ‘a past’? Much has been written about the collector mentality, but this bibliophile can describe it only as the need to add a tactile dimension to the reading experience. Each book in one’s own library, once read, is a reminder of the entertainment or knowledge

70

|

Prestige

|

February 2011

acquired. Filled shelves provide a physical manifestation of what a reader has savoured and absorbed, while books yet to be read promise hours of enjoyment or edification to be experienced. They can be handled, touched, or embraced. An eBook?

It has all the romance, warmth and appeal of a mobile phone.

Undeniably, life is now easier for book hunters. Thanks to the Internet, one quick search is all it takes to find any coveted book.

After that, all you need is cash.

What has been removed from the sphere of experience is the challenge that makes book collecting, like any form of serious acquisition, such a rewarding pursuit. Any hunter knows the thrill of detecting the scent, the ensuing pursuit, the capture. The bibliophile, armed with a list of desired works, trawls book stores, classified ads, second-hand shops. When the desired book is located, if funds allow, the volume is purchased, catalogued, displayed with its siblings and savoured on

A complete Gutenberg Bible with its authenticity assured would probably command between $25 and 35 million.

many levels, from the acquisition to the reading itself. Often, it might take years to find a specific title. I spent 15 years looking for an obscure biography of musician Mickey Katz, condition immaterial. I just wanted to read it. Two years after I located it, the book was reprinted.

Financial requirements range from loose change to government grants. But to the true book lover, the book itself transcends monetary worth. The hard-boiled detective fiction aficionado, upon discovering a missing Frederic Brown collection for 50 cents in a garage sale, will enjoy the same frisson of delight as a museum curator upon the arrival of a copy of Shakespeare’s First Folio bequeathed by a benefactor.

As a hobby, book collecting usually defines itself subconsciously, according to the individual’s tastes and preferences. The number of subjects and categories is as vast as the world of publishing itself, ranging from museum-worthy volumes that pre-date Gutenberg, to

brand-new, deluxe limited editions that will appreciate due to exclusivity.

Antiquarian book collectors lust after first editions of acknowledged classics, from the works of Shakespeare to Paradise Lost, to more recent surprises, like a first edition of Harry Potter & the Philosopher’s Stone. Due to a small, initial print run of 500 copies, the latter can fetch as much as $50,000. A complete Gutenberg Bible with its authenticity assured would probably command between $25 and 35 million.

Genres, book types, authors, and the size of the audience determine the worth of a collectible. A prime example, beloved of book vendors as the quintessential collectible tome, is Ian Fleming’s Casino Royale, which www.prestigemag.co.za

www.prestigemag.co.za

gave the world James Bond. Like the first Harry Potter title, it launched a much-loved series that sired a film franchise. Published in April 1953, it has the benefit of a first-edition small print of only 4 728 copies.

The value now, in mint condition, and signed by Fleming is around $50 000. It’s a book that fascinates all collectors. In January 2011, the BBC’s much loved Antiques Roadshow highlighted the first edition of Casino Royale as one of its expert’s mistakes: some decades ago, he was offered a copy without dust-wrapper for £20, or with its jacket for £50.

He purchased the former, due to financial constraints. As he said on air, if now offered an original dust jacket on its own for £1 000, he

would buy it and turn his £500 copy into one worth £5 000.

Few can doubt that the change from paper to pixel is generational, just as young music lovers no longer care to accommodate shelves full of LPs or CDs. But a ‘first edition’ of an eBook, with provenance that can only be verified by the date on which it was downloaded, has no value – commercial or intellectual – when compared to a mint, physical copy of a book with dust-wrapper intact. As the laws of supply-and-demand have yet to be repealed, then the value of desirable or coveted printed books can only increase in the near-future. As for electronic books? They’re not worth the pixels that display them.  February 2011

|

Prestige

|

71

Yachting |

A

Silver Angel  TANYA GOODMAN

All that glitters is silver, not gold 72

|

Prestige

|

February 2011

www.prestigemag.co.za

Images © BENETTI/BRUCE THOMAS

Superyacht

study in contrasting black and white, accentuated by the shimmer of silver or crystal, Silver Angel’s interiors are what make her stand out from the rest. This spectacularly stunning 64.5-metre (213-foot) superyacht was custom built by one of Italy’s most renowned shipyards, Benetti, and embodies all the elements of a surreal paradise; a lover of art deco’s fantasy world. And she will surely take your breath away.

Lustrous black oak panels set the stage throughout the interiors, with polished white onyx punctuating the www.prestigemag.co.za

scene, and gleaming crystal holding pride of place. Many of the rooms have been customised with more than 600 pieces of Lalique crystal, ranging from decorative vases, trays and statues to the tiniest details such as taps and the smallest buttons on the upholstery. The silver motif is carried through to the furniture, much of which is embellished with hand-crafted silver leaf. The carefully placed splashes of organic greenery – plants allegedly grown in the onboard greenhouse – add the finishing touches. The external areas of the Silver Angel seamlessly

continue the theme, with blackvarnished teak and details in glossy stainless steel complementing her sleek lines.

The design of the yacht, both inside and out, was the brainchild of London studio Argent Design, in close collaboration with Stefano Natucci. The overwhelming characteristic of Silver Angel is her extreme volume – one of the highest volume yachts of her length in existence.

Backlighting, mirrors and the black and white colour palette take full advantage of the space, often doubling its sense of depth. ❱ February 2011

|

Prestige

|

73

Yachting |

The vessel can host 14 guests and accommodate 21 crew members.

The full beam owner’s suite is, of course, sublime. White marble flooring creates the central effect, with black columns and panels framing the room. Among the many extravagant features in the en suite bathroom is a bathtub carved from a solid block of marble, multiple mirrors and unusual lighting effects.

Guest and VIP cabins are similarly adorned, with solid marble bathtubs, crystal mirrors on ceilings and artistic touches on everything from panels to door knobs.

The main entrance to the motor yacht is from the aft deck, via the main saloon and formal, openplan dining room. The main guest lobby offers an impressive welcome, with an internal staircase connecting all the decks and double doors to the starboard side companion way and side boarding entrance. It is here that the artdeco styling and commitment to space are first apparent.

74

|

Prestige

|

February 2011

â?ą www.prestigemag.co.za

www.prestigemag.co.za

February 2011

|

Prestige

|

75

| Yachting

Designing Silver Angel Interior designer (and South African born) Lady Tina Green, wife of British high-street tycoon, Sir Philip Green, turned her passion into her profession when she became the creative director of Argent, an interior design company based in London. Lately, she has been involved in yacht design, completing five such projects to date. “Through experience and observation,” says Lady Green, “I have come to know exactly what it means to manage and save space on yachts.”

Her most recent project, Silver Angel, took three years to complete and is considered a veritable tour de force. With Silver Angel, the team at Argent was given carte blanche to do the interior, and the project evolved over time. “First we worked on the space, then on the flooring, the ceiling and the staircase,” Lady Green says. “The design concept was inspired by a crystal Lalique angel, therefore the style is art deco. Your senses are never jarred on this boat; there is harmony from room to room. The combination of the lacquer, the mirror and the chrome, create an outstanding visual effect.”

It is obvious from the first step onboard that no expense has been spared. The stairs are broad and sweeping, with heavy use of white onyx and inlays of crystal.

Silver Angel’s large, full-width upper deck saloon has double sliding doors affording access to the expansive external dining area and beyond.

There is a full-width lounging area to the rear, TV and entertainment systems inside and out, direct access to the sundeck, main rear deck, swimming platform and guest sports area.

The entertainment areas boast state-of-the-art systems with movies and music on demand, plasma screens and a communications system using VoIP technology.

Among her extensive list of toys and tenders, Silver Angel offers two custom-built, 7.5-metre tenders (a Boesch classic mahogany speed boat and a Novurania semi rigid with diesel inboard dive tender), 16 sets of diving equipment, two jet skis, two sea-bobs, water-ski equipment, wakeboard equipment, deep-sea fishing tackle and fishing rods, 20 full wetsuits, an inflatable kayak, and kiteboard equipment.

There is also a gym onboard, as well as a fully automatic retractable ‘TeeIT’ golf machine, located on the sundeck.

Silver Angel was launched in 2009 and is available for select luxury yacht charters in the South of France and the Mediterranean.  www.benettiyachts.it

www.prestigemag.co.za

February 2011

|

Prestige

|

77

Tech|Know For those fortunate few

Switzerland’s Comlux Aviation and its three A318 Elites LIZ MOSCROP © ALEXANDRA BRÖKELMANN

Alexandra Brökelmann was the genius behind the design of the Comlux A318 Elite.

Brökelmann, a trained interior architect, is recognised as one of the world’s leading designers.

Art director of Comlux Creatives, Brökelmann believes that it is Comlux’s reputation for innovative new-build and refurbishment projects, together with the group’s expertise as an operator, which gives them their trusted name.

Comlux Creatives is headed up by Isabelle Bevilacqua, and together with Brökelmann, the pair is a powerful design force. Bevilacqua has decades of experience in aviation and was

The A318 Elite completion programme capitalises on an affordable cabin with widespread appeal, while offering various options and a choice of materials and colours for seats, divans, carpets, furniture, bulkheads, or ceilings, to allow the creation of a very individual cabin interior.

The Comlux A318 Elite was designed for 19 passengers. It has a three-zone cabin that is divided into a lounge, a dining area and a stateroom. The main salon has two seating areas with 12 seats, while the rear stateroom is equipped with a divan, which can be unfolded into a double bed. There are three lavatories: one forward for

A318 Elites and this third one will give us the opportunity to position two widebody aircraft in Bahrain for our charter operations with Comlux Middle East, as well as to offer very attractive conditions for charter and aircraft management.”

To accelerate completion times, Lufthansa Technik selected new ways to create the interior: all wooden surfaces are made of film coating instead of real wood veneer, offering a huge variety of design possibilities and the highest durability – an immense advantage for charter operators. All designs are offered in either a highgloss or a satin finish. Since

With this new A318 Elite, Fly Comlux confirms its leading position in the operation of widebody VIP charter aircraft. formerly a flight attendant for Comlux’s charter operations. She understands what it is like to fly in the back and has brought her expertise to bear on groundbreaking new cabin designs.

“In this instance I created quite a masculine feel,” says Bevilacqua of the design. “I wanted to ensure it wasn’t too dark and oppressive, so I chose light accent colours and walls to complement the dark seating.”

She also added horizontal silver lines that cut across the dividing doors to broaden the midsection, increasing the sense of space onboard.

78

|

Prestige

|

February 2011

the crew, one just behind the main salon for the lounge, and a separate private aft washroom for the stateroom.

Comlux evidently likes the A318 Elite. After a completion time of just four months and one week, last year Lufthansa Technik delivered the third of the type to the operator.

Richard Gaona, president of the Comlux Group, said, “With this new A318 Elite, Fly Comlux confirms its leading position in the operation of widebody VIP charter aircraft with five aircraft in service and a sixth to come by year-end. We already operate two

the aircraft’s main use is for the charter market, the materials onboard are both beautiful and practical, with wear-resistant fabric inserts in seats and durable neutral carpet.

In keeping with the experience of flying in such a prestigious aircraft, Comlux has hired four, five-star Swiss-hotel-grade cabin attendants to attend to guests onboard.

Indeed, Comlux’s slogan: ‘Get ready to get more’, is certainly proving apt in the case of this aircraft. www.comluxaviation.com

www.prestigemag.co.za

www.prestigemag.co.za

February 2011

|

Prestige

|

79

Tech|Know

Jeanneau yachts New French yacht range lands in the Cape  CHARL DU PLESSIS When the wind starts whipping up at force six or seven level, sailing in the Cape’s waters can be rather intimidating to all but the saltiest of sailors. But more often than not it is the price tag on a new or pre-owned imported yacht, rather than the weather, that makes people think twice about taking up this sport. All this, however, is about to change.

Aegir Performance Yachts recently added another impressive international brand to their already star-studded stable. Best known as the first Southern African representatives for the gorgeous Pershing range, and then adding award-winning Italian brands such as Ferretti, Custom Line and Itama to their portfolio, their latest range, Jeanneau, hailing from France, is the one to watch.

Frederic Makelberge, of Aegir Performance Yachts, says, “Locally, second-hand boats can be very expensive, and then sometimes they are up to 30 years old. With the Jeanneau series we can offer a very sea-worthy and trusted yacht, brand new, at comparable prices. There has long been a gap in this segment of the market, namely to be able to sail a family-size yacht of say, 36 foot, for less than R1 million.

Of course, the strong Rand at the moment also helps.”

What’s perhaps more exciting about Jeanneau is that this same value applies in both the sailing and power yachting market. Traditionally, we estimated that entering the local ocean-going power yachting scene would set you back a minimum of R1.2 to R1.5 million. Now,

IMAGES © JEANNEAU

Jeanneau has a long history as one of the mainstays of the international leisure sailing fraternity.

Jeanneau has a long history as one of the mainstays of the international leisure sailing fraternity, and the brand is extremely well respected in this community. Aegir is Jeanneau’s sole representative in the region, making great-value-for-money yachts in both the sailing and power boating segments readily available to local enthusiasts.

Now, new sailors to the sport can take it on with ease and without massive investment requirements.

Sun Odyssey DS50

80

|

Prestige

|

February 2011

www.prestigemag.co.za

www.prestigemag.co.za

the Jeanneau Prestige and Leader ranges are capable of kitting out the brand new owner with something of notable international standard at price points around the R800,000 mark. This is likely less of an investment than the luxury cars most of our readers drive during the week, let alone at weekends.

And it is possible to have a large sailing boat under the control of just one person.

A yacht such as the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 50 DS February 2011

❱

|

Prestige

|

81

Tech|Know can be equipped from the factory to be sailed singlehanded. And these yachts are family-friendly with lots of space for the kids, too – you can go up and down the Southern African coastline to your heart’s content. “Really, with these designs, sailing is not as difficult as people may think,” says Makelberge, and he would know, hailing from a family with a long tradition of sailing, and having sailed Jeanneaus single-handedly in the Seychelles and the North Seas.

The Jeanneau range comprises both sailing and power yachts. In the sailing category, the people at Aegir Performance Yachts are of the opinion that the Sun Odyssey range, starting at 30 foot and continuing up to the Sun 49i, includes classic sailing boats and offers really good value (at about R700,000 landed cost, excluding VAT for the 30i), and with the DS39, DS42, DS45 and DS50s priced between R1.23 and R2.45 million. The Jeanneau 53 and Jeanneau

premier 57, both strikingly handsome sailing boats, make up the higher end of the range, and will do any owner proud. With a large number of customisable options and extras available, prices are quoted upon request.

We have long been somewhat partial to the Jeanneau power yacht range, perhaps because it shares the same name as our publication. Having had the privilege of experiencing this sturdy Prestige range at a recent boat show in Cannes, we cannot help but agree with Frederic that this is a great boat for local waters. It is the Jeanneau Leader 8, however, that will surely be the biggest hit, as this 29-foot yacht can be landed locally at a mere R890,000. And for the more discerning yachtsman who still wants good value, we suggest the Prestige Flybridge 350 (35 foot). This boat enters local waters with all duties paid at around R2 million.  www.aegirperformanceyachts. co.za

TRAVEL

Sun Odyssey DS50

TwELVE APOSTLES cAPE TOwN

Stand at the edge of the world where you can enjoy nature or explore Cape Town’s cosmopolitan V&A Waterfront with car transfer or helipad services. Voted Africa’s leading spa resort, the Twelve Apostles welcomes children and pets and promises an idyllic getaway for the whole family. www.12apostleshotel.com Reservations: +27 21 437 9000

FORDOUN SPA MIDLANDS

RADDISSON JHB & PORT ELIZABETH

Spas, gyms and a unique “Yes I Can” concept that includes 100 percent Guest Satisfaction, both hotels have conference facilities and free Internet and offer luxurious rooms, fine dining experiences as well as opportunities to “paint the town Blu.” www.radissonblu.com/hotel-portelizabeth and www.radissonblu.com/hotel-johannesburg Reservations: +27 41 509 5000 (PE) and +27 11 245 8000 (JHB)

Prestige Power Yacht P440S |

Prestige

|

February 2011

Voted the World’s Leading Boutique Hotel six years in a row, The Saxon is the ultimate city base when in Johannesburg.

Close to the financial and business hub of South Africa, the lush tranquillity offers a calm retreat from a busy day’s work.

Enjoy discreet and highly personalised service in a tasteful African elegance. www.thesaxon.co.za Reservations: +27 11 292 6000

Sun Odyssey DS50

This family-run hideaway in the Natal Midlands, with its pristine country air and rolling hills, offers luxurious accommodation and some of the most advanced, award-winning spa facilities.

Highly personalised service includes the very best in traditional African treatments. Fordoun is the perfect place to escape and refresh mind, body and spirit. www.fordoun.com Reservations: +27 33 266 6217

82

THE SAXON BOUTIQUE HOTEL & SPA SANDHURST

www.prestigemag.co.za

OYSTER BOX DURBAN

Hovering on the ocean’s edge, the Oyster Box Hotel is conveniently close to Afro-chic Durban, yet exudes an air of charm and elegance. This iconic hotel’s dramatic revamp now offers guests a vibrant, contemporary old-world experience, while evoking the warm nostalgia of days gone by. www.oysterboxhotel.com Reservations: +27 31 514 5000

TINTSwALO ATLANTIc

With unsurpassed views of the Sentinel, this lodge can only be described as one of the most secluded and breathtaking jewels on the Atlantic seaboard. Its 10 luxury suites and one regal presidential suite provide an environment that offers a time for stillness and reflection in total privacy. www.tintswalo.com Reservations: +27 11 300 8888

Tech|Know

Take a sound bite Apple’s iPad reshapes the audio landscape KEN KESSLER

Nagra 300p and 300i

Sim Moon 880M

The word ‘Pad’ is not a new one in the high-end audio kingdom: 50 years ago, it would have been appended to the word ‘bachelor’ to denote the most likely site where one might have experienced a stateof-the-art sound system. Now ‘pad’ is heard more often with an ‘i’ in front of it, Apple’s iPad emerging with breathtaking rapidity as a default source of music for the coming decade.

It wasn’t simply a raft of

Having already learned that music lovers were moving from physical formats – LPs, CDs, tapes – and conventional FM radio, to directly accessing the internet for music, even the most conservative of brands is turning iPad/internet-friendly.

It’s a logical stage in the way home entertainment has evolved. Digitisation has enabled music lovers to transfer their entire libraries to hard drives, either in their computers

where you can simply walk into a room and the sound system will automatically access the device in your pocket.

While the market is filled with servers bearing five-figure price tags, those who do not welcome financial victimhood by being an early adopter can test the cyber-waters with an entry-level product such as British brand Cambridge Audio’s clever, feature-laden NP30 24-Bit Network Music Player. Retailing

Just because hi-fi is going lifestyle, doesn’t mean it can’t still have high-end performance. new ‘docks’ that heralded the arrival of the iPad into the world of pure audio.

Every savvy company in the hi-fi industry with a mousewielding, in-house geek had an app of one sort or another, marking the new territory, such as McIntosh Laboratory’s Sun Odyssey DS50 AP1 audio player, downloadable from Apple’s iTunes store.

84

|

Prestige

|

February 2011

or fed into the stand-alone ‘servers’ now embraced and offered by the audio industry for higher sound quality than might be available from a notebook or laptop. Equally, wireless transmission has evolved to a point where components can communicate through Wi-Fi, or even the ubiquitous Bluetooth. We’ve reached a point

in the region of $649, this compact control-unit/player – less than 8 inches wide – offers straightforward access to a wide range of streaming music services and over 20 000 Internet radio stations.

Simple network connectivity to any home network is offered with industry-standard Ethernet or Wi-Fi. It can

be controlled by an app for the iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad that provides all of the NP30 features and functions including network stored media, streaming and other services from anywhere in the home. What makes it so attractive is digital performance of ‘Better than CD-quality’ 24-bit/96kHz playback allowing the streaming of 24-bit WAV and FLAC downloads for ‘high-end’ sound.

Completing the package and adding total iPad compatibility is Cambridge’s ID100 ($279), a dock also designed to accept ‘legacy’ Apple products. With its much larger screen area, the iPad will quickly replace the iPhone and iPod in their roles as alternative control panel. The ID100 also enable the various ‘i’ devices to recharge, to synch with computers and other functions that add to the sheer convenience of the experience.

Why this causes die-hards little loss of sleep, however, is down to the❱nature of a www.prestigemag.co.za

IMAGES © CAMBRIDGE AUDIO; KRELL; MARTIN LOGAN; NAGRA; SIM AUDIO; SONNETEER

Cambridge iD100 with iPhone and iPad

complete sound system. What the above describes is what one calls a ‘source’ component, and it means just that: it defines the source of the music or videos to be played through a system. The rest includes an amplifier to handle the signal and to feed it to loudspeakers.

Aside from solitary, anti-social, selfish headphone listening, that means ‘proper hi-fi components’.

Another UK maker, Sonneteer, combines it all in the Morpheus Music Centre, also conceived to exploit all that iPods, iPads, iPhones, Androids and Bluetooth can provide.

It can be controlled by iPods and Android devices, detecting them when you enter the room. It, too, will access music from the Internet, including the ever-increasing number of online radio stations, while sourcing music from your own local network and whatever computers or servers you’ve connected to it.

While the Cambridge needs ❱ www.prestigemag.co.za

MartinLogan Theos

February 2011

|

Prestige

|

85

Tech|Know

Subscribe and stand a chance to win!

There’s a weekend for two at the fantastic Fairlawns Boutique Hotel & Spa up for grabs Above: Cambridge Audio NP30 Below: Krell Phantom

to be connected to an amplifier, the Sonneteer contains its own 100-watt amplifier. All you add to it is a pair of speakers. If you have any ‘legacy’ components, such as a CD player or a turntable and phono amp, the Sonneteer can accept their signals, too, making it the heart of a complete, super-compact sound system. As Sonneteer’s Haider Bahrani states it, “Just because hi-fi is going lifestyle, doesn’t mean it can’t still have high-end performance.”

Marrying these cutting-edge devices to conventional systems requires no more effort than connecting a CD player: you still need speakers, and an amplifier as well if one isn’t built-in. MartinLogan made its name by creating loudspeakers that eschew ugly boxes, and which, by default, suit the ultra modernism of the new generation iPad- and internetfriendly sources. Its transparent electrostatic panels remain the most futuristic, room-friendly speakers on the market, while

86

|

Prestige

|

February 2011

their open, airy sound is as seductive as their looks.

In addition to a new range of wall-mounted speakers, the company has launched a smaller, floor-standing model that delivers a rewarding, audiophile-pleasing experience from a compact form. The Theos (to sell for around $5 000 per pair) possesses the now-classic look, in a form standing only 150.7x27.3x47.8cm tall. These, like any other speakers, need to be driven by suitable amplifiers, and amplifiers are independent of the source in that

they’ll amplify whatever you feed to them.

For those who love the warm sound of valves, Nagra has two new models, one available as an integrated amplifier, the other as a stereo power amplifier requiring a separate pre-amplifier. The integrated Nagra 300i and the Nagra 300p power amplifier, each measuring 277x275x232mm, employ a classic valve called the 300B, much loved for its rich sonic character.

Swiss-made, the Nagra devices set audiophile hearts aflutter, thanks to impeccable construction and glorious sound. As Nagra’s roots are in the professional sector – for 60 years, their tape recorders have been a staple of the movie industry – their hi-fi equipment has the look of lab equipment, an aesthetic that favours the serious audiophile. This pair adds the vintage glow of valves, for a hint of romance.

Among this year’s hottest pre-amplifiers (also once known as control units) is Krell’s Phantom ($17 500). It features two chassis, one for the preamplifier itself and one for its power supply. A suitable power amplifier for a modern system, if massive power is required, might be Simaudio’s robust MOON 880M Power Amplifier. It’s rated at 800 watts, and you’ll need a pair for stereo ($38 000).

If the idea of feeding a $500 iPad or and even less-costly iPod into such regal devices strikes you as odd, think of it this way: high-end audio designers live to extract the most from whatever they’re given. And over the last century, they’ve already accommodated LPs, open-reel tapes, cassettes, CDs, FM radio and more. So forget listening to your iPhone, iPad or iPod with teensy little earbuds. You’ll be shocked – pleasantly one can be assured – at the revelation. 

Sonneteer Morpheus music centre with Penaudio speakers

Save 25%

T

hrough its luxury print, fine look and feel, captivating editorial, and innovative distribution, Prestige has firmly established itself as Southern Africa’s premier luxury lifestyle magazine for billionaires and millionaires, and those aspiring to this lifestyle.

Working with a finely nuanced definition of luxury, Prestige is a magazine for those

with finesse and financial freedom, who engage with the world in significant ways.

Prestige incorporates the latest in the areas of sailing and yachting, motoring and aviation, travel and lifestyle, art, antiques and collectibles, haute horology and audiovisual, personalities and icons, property, business and investment, and much more.

Subscribe to Prestige for just R360 for

12 editions (a saving of 25%) and stand a chance to win a weekend of exquisite fivestar luxury for two at Fairlawns Boutique Hotel & Spa. Two nights’ accommodation, dinner and breakfast included, as well as a spa treatment each.

To subscribe simply send us your name,

SUBSCRIBE NOW AND SAVE 25%. GET 12 issues of prestige FOR R360 OR 24 ISSUES FOR only R720 www.prestigemag.co.za

Tech|Know

Leica V-Lux 2 Small in size, big in capabilities The versatile, high-performance V-Lux 2 is Leica’s latest compact camera offering. Its easily manageable size means it is a great travel buddy, while its diverse range of focal lengths covers almost all photographic situations, making it a worthwhile alternative to comparable SLR systems and an ideal apparatus for ambitious travel and wildlife photographers.

The V-Lux 2 has a 3-inch LCD display with 460 000 pixel resolution delivering a bright and clear view for accurate picture assessment.

It is capable of incredible high-speed shooting – 11 frames per second at the full resolution of 14.1 MP. Niftily, the display on the back can be twisted in almost any direction,

Concierge Division Our concierge division was born of the need in

If you’re the sort who can’t possibly function without one or two or three daily doses of strong, hot java, then trust the Handpresso, an extremely high-quality portable espresso maker, to help you get your fix.

Compatible with all E.S.E pods (readily available in the coffee section of all major stores), this nifty invention is light-weight and easily portable, and uses a patented, high-pressure extraction system to create the perfect shot.

And it’s so easy to use: simply pump the handle to the suggested bar, add hot water and a coffee pod, and hit the button. Then sit, sip and savour.

Available from www.mantality.co.za for around R1 500.

|

Prestige

|

February 2011

service to manage high-profile VIP clients with a

of exclusive luxury vehicles. Many discerning

seamless turnkey solution, surpassing industry

clients are seeking alternative options to vehicle

standards.

ownership and considering more cost-effective

requirements by operating as a luxury facilitation

Espresso Express

88

by our Concierge division, we offer the rental

We have the ability to meet unique

opening up entirely new horizons for image composition and creativity.

This is also the first Leica digital compact to feature video

capture in 1080i-AVCHD Full HD, with the entire 24-fold zoom range available during recording. An integrated stereo microphone with electronic

Blac Titanium

wind noise filter guarantees a clear soundtrack.

Contact +27 21 424 2978, or +27 11 803 2226.

In line with the exclusive services rendered

the market for an exclusive and personalised

means to experience their passion for driving.

We also have a private chauffeur service

mechanism with the following premium service

operating as a point-to-point service in luxury

capabilities:

and exotic vehicles. These vehicles can be

› Aviation company to manage charters

branded to clients’ specifications.

› Event planning and support › Access to major events as a VIP

Bellinger, the name behind the acclaimed Blac full-carbon eyewear range, has launched Blac Titanium, eyewear that uses a light but strong metal for the frame, with titaniumreinforced carbon fibre for the temples.

The combination is incredibly functional, as carbon fibre is five times stronger than steel, twice as stiff and yet weighs about two-thirds less. Appropriately, the frames are named after famous corners at some of Europe’s best-known racetracks – think Parabolica, Tamburello and Mirabeau.

Bellinger uses the very best tinted lenses available, designed to reduce glare and haze while controlling the light to maintain excellent contrast, meaning optimal vision, no matter the conditions.

The range is available in various styles, in black, gold, silver or gunmetal. Prices start at R5 000 and the items are available exclusively from Vision Cresta (+27 11 476 3202), Extreme Eyewear (+27 21 425 0913), and EyeQ Canal Walk (+27 21 551 3415). ❱

www.prestigemag.co.za

info@neoafrica.com / www.neoafrica.com / Tel: +27 11 484 2833 / Fax: +27 11 484 2899 3rd Floor, North Wing, Oakhurst, 11 St Andrews Rd, Parktown, 2193 / PO Box 2971, Saxonwold, 2132

45

february 2011 | Yachting | Adventure

the simplicity of innovation.

Latest Louis Vuitton

|

Ocean sailing

Futuristic Jaguar

Art

Omega for ladies

|

LUMINOR 1950 TOURBILLON GMT Hand-wound mechanical Tourbillon movement P.2005 calibre, three spring barrels, second time zone with 12/24 h indicators, 6-day power reserve.

Titanium case 47 mm Ø.

Titanium buckle.

Design | Travel

Subscribe and win a weekend away

| Collectibles |

Available exclusively at Panerai boutiques and select authorized watch specialists.

Business

www.panerai.com Toll Free: 0800 600 035

February 2011

Issue no. 45

prestigemag.co.za

R39.95

Neuroeconomics • Dakar • Miguel Jimenez • Orient Express • Panerai paneristi • Collectors’ editions • Rogers & Astaire

South Africa’s Premier luxury Lifestyle Magazine