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Editor's Letter
Prepare to be taken on an inspirational journey to three of our favourite destinations in the world: Sydney, London and Paris. Meet the incredible PEOPLE who are shaping the creative pulse of each city and who inspired this magazine – "The Creators" – who share their creative journeys, their achievements and the lessons that they've learned along the way. Discover our hand-picked selection of the best PLACES that we love in each city, selected in collaboration with our most discerning friends. Be inspired by the local STYLE that each city has to offer. We hope that you enjoy this issue as much as we had fun creating it. The world is much more than we think. Kimberley McLoughlin & Enrique Nalda
01. Sydney
1. PLACES Photography: The Life Aquatic Trend Report: Sydney Insider's Guide
2. PEOPLE Hospitality: Justin Hemmes Fashion: Kym Ellery Beauty: Jessica Hart
3. STYLE Swimwear: Summer Essentials
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PLACES
The Life Aquatic Transporting you to the spectacular shores of Sydney, Australian surf photographer and founder of Aquabumps, Eugene Tan, captures stunning daily beach scenes like you've never seen before. PHOTOGRAPHY • EUGENE TAN
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t’s 6.30 a.m. and the sunrise is casting a soft pink glow over the rippling waves of Bondi Beach. Sydney-based surf photographer Eugene Tan has been awake since dawn and is likely to be found with his Canon camera in hand hovering overhead in a helicopter, perched high upon a coastal cliff, or in the ocean surrounded by early morning surfers. As the founder of Sydney’s legendary beach photography website, Aquabumps.com, he explains, “I fell in love with the beach from a very early age, along with surfing, so it just made sense to combine my three passions in life – surfing, the beach and photography. Living at one of the most spectacular beaches in the world, Bondi Beach, means that every day is different.” His passion for photography started early on in his life. “I got my first Pentax camera when I was about eight years old, and I took it everywhere with me", he reflects. "I turned the bathroom at home into my dark room – much to my mum's horror!” His passion for surf photography ignited when he accompanied famous ocean photographer, Jon Frank, on a trip to Tahiti. “I watched him and asked him a million questions about shooting in the water – what equipment I needed, where to sit in the water, and the rest is history", he says. "Now, I combine shooting in the water, from helicopters and from the land, wherever I am in the world.”
In 1999, when he was the Creative Director of a web design agency in Sydney, he started sending his photos to his friends in a daily email newsletter. “At the time I launched Aquabumps, it began as a hobby, where I would send the images around to my mates", he says. "I’d leave the beach every morning to commute to the city and I hated it. People started to ask if 24
SYDNEY | PLACES
they could buy my prints, which I used to store in cylinders underneath my desk for customers to pick up. In 2004, I was offered a small gallery space in North Bondi, and I thought if I was ever going to do it, now was the time. I opened the doors and people started buying my work – I was stoked. In 2008, I moved to a bigger space in the heart of Bondi’s commercial district. It paid off and this is now our standalone flagship store.” When asked about his daily Aquabumps routine, Eugene responds, “I usually leave before first light, around 5.30 a.m. most days. I shoot a lot in the water, so I always take my Aquatech housing and Canon cameras. I shoot mostly at Bondi, the local Eastern Suburb beaches, and I've also just started shooting in Manly once a week to widen my portfolio. I love that Bondi is always different and you never know what you're going to get each morning. I’m addicted to the early morning light that rises over the Ben Buckler headland. Nothing beats hovering in a helicopter above thousands of people on a packed summer's day in Bondi. My aerial photography has become my signature work.” Over the last 15 years, Aquabumps.com has grown into an international site with over 180,000 unique readers each month, 45,000 newsletter subscribers, 108,000 Facebook fans and 60,000 Instagram followers. Working with his wife, Debbie, and his Sydney-based Aquabumps team, Eugene also partners with brands such as Audi, Canon, Corona, Speedos and Havaianas on creative collaborations, and recently launched a designer t-shirt collection with Australian fashion brand, Bassike. In addition to their photography gallery in Bondi Beach, the Aquabumps team has also published two inspirational coffee table books called A Day in Bondi and The Beach Blog. They're also planning international exhibitions in London and New York, and residencies in Byron Bay and Hawai. Never sitting still, when asked what’s next for Aquabumps, Eugene answers, “The main thing is to just keep doing what I love and taking more photos.” 29
Sydney Insider's Guide THE BEST OF SYDNEY: From the ultimate hip dining spots to the coolest late-night cocktail bars, we reveal the hottest addresses in Sydney right now.
SYDNEY | PLACES
This insider's guide has been a long time in the making. We've eaten in countless Sydney restaurants, sipped cocktails in the city's best bars, and visited the latest local hot spots. We've also asked the most discerning Sydneysiders we know to share their favourite local hangouts – whether brand new or classic institutions. We bring you our hand-picked selection of the best places in Sydney right now.
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SYDNEY | PLACES
1.
Hotels No stranger to glamorous hotels and cutting-edge design, Sydney has seen a recent wave of hotel openings that has raised the local hospitality stakes. The heritage-listed 1888 Hotel blends soaring exposed brick walls with head-turning contemporary furniture and Australian art works – all set within a cleverly converted former wool warehouse. At the Hotel QT, theatricality is a way of life. Door staff dressed in wigs, stockings and berets meet-and-greet their guests before directing them to the hotel's Mad Men-esque Gilt Lounge or the sultry Spa Q. Establishment Hotel opened in 2000 yet remains one of the city's trendiest design hotels with chic yet comfortable modern living spaces. Offering the ultimate in waterfront luxury, the Park Hyatt Sydney is Sydney's most opulent 5-star hotel address. By day, guests can lounge around the rooftop pool as yachts skim over the water below; by night, the hotel's The Dining Room restaurant showcases spectacular views across Sydney Harbour to the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. 1888 Hotel: 139 Murray Street, Pyrmont | 1888hotel.com.au Hotel QT: 49 Market Street, Sydney | qtsydney.com.au Establishment: 5 Bridge Lane, Sydney | merivale.com.au Park Hyatt: 7 Hickson Road, The Rocks | park.hyatt.com
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1888 Hotel
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HOTEL1888
Three Blue Ducks
SYDNEY | PLACES
2.
Breakfast
Sydney is the breakfast capital of the world. With the coolest beachside brekkie spots, ultra-healthy cafes and seriously gourmet foodie gems, Sydney's breakfast scene offers something for everyone. You'll also find worldclass coffee being served, where there's nothing quite like sipping your first expertly crafted flat white of the day while soaking in the aromas of freshly roasted coffee beans. Or feasting upon farm fresh eggs cooked any way you like. Or sipping a fresh fruit smoothie while watching the waves crashing on the beach. Serving one of our favourite breakfast menus in Sydney, Three Blue Ducks cafe is run by a handsome team of friendly surfers who deliver a creative spin on breakfast staples using top-quality ingredients sourced from their on-site garden and fresh eggs laid by their own chickens. Don't miss their coconut and lime rice pudding with strawberries, rhubarb and chia seeds. Located
close by is another top Sydney cafe, Ruby's Diner, which is renowned for its top-notch coffee and its healthy-yet-hearty dishes, such as the Raw Breakfast Salad with avocado, kale, hazelnuts, feta and two perfectly poached eggs. Credited for placing Sydney's breakfast scene on the international radar, Bill Granger is the talented chef behind Bills, a local institution with three Sydney outposts. Expect lengthy queues, and make sure to try his famous ricotta hotcakes with honeycomb butter. Head further inland to Sydney's Inner West and you'll find a district booming with fantastic foodie cafes – our favourite breakfast spot is the hip and friendly wholefood canteen, Bread & Circus. Three Blue Ducks: 143 Macpherson St, Bronte Ruby's Diner: 173-179 Bronte Rd, Queens Park Bills Cafe: 79 Hall Street, Bondi Beach Bread & Circus: 21 Fountain St., Alexandria
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SYDNEY | PLACES
3.
Beaches
Discover Sydney’s most beautiful beaches by walking along the picturesque Bronte to Bondi coastal walk, a quintessential local experience. Arrive early to Bronte Beach to enjoy an alfresco breakfast at one of its animated waterfront cafes. Then wander along the scenic coastal path and stop off at either the cosy-yet-glam Tamarama Beach, or walk all the way to the surfer-meets-hipster North Bondi Beach. Escape the crowds by diving off the rocks of the nearby Ben Buckler headland for a seriously exhilarating swim. To discover the patchwork of picturesque beaches dotted along Sydney Harbour, charter a boat for the day with Sydney Harbour Specialists, and drop anchor at whichever beach takes your fancy – we recommend Camp Cove Beach in Watson's Bay. Adventure-seekers will find one of Sydney’s most private, hidden beaches by driving 30 minutes south of the city to the Royal National Park. Hike through the forest to discover the spectacular Burning Palms Beach, which many Sydney-siders don't even know about, so don’t be surprised if you’re the only person in sight.
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Bondi Beach
SYDNEY | PLACES
4.
Culture
A thriving hub of culture and creativity, Sydney’s arts scene offers an ever-changing program of cutting-edge exhibitions and arts festivals. The Museum of Contemporary Art is currently showcasing the works of Chuck Close, one of the world’s greatest portrait artists, until March 15, 2015. From the intricate precision of his early photorealist work to his meticulous prints of recent years, this exhibition is set to be one of Sydney's cultural highlights in 2015. The Pop to Popism exhibition at the NSW Gallery is another must-see event, bringing together a unique collection of more than 200 works curated from around the world. Discover the cultural explosion of Pop Art featuring works of Roy Lichtenstein, Jeff Koons, Andy Warhol and David Hockney. Part of the eclectic Sydney Festival 2015 line-up, the thought-provoking installations of artist Bill Culbert use light and found objects to challenge our perceptions of the everyday. The exhibition is hosted at the National Art School Gallery until March 7, 2015. MCA: 140 George Street, The Rocks, Sydney | mca.com.au Art Gallery NSW: Art Gallery Rd, Sydney | artgallery.nsw.gov.au National Art School Gallery: Burton St, Sydney | nas.edu.au
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MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORART ART SYDNEY
5.
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The Grounds of Alexandria: 2 Huntley Street, Alexandria Kitchen By Mike: 1/85 Dunning Avenue, Roseberry
P H O T O C REDI T
Taking fresh ingredients to the next level, a growing number of eco-conscious eateries are creating a true garden-to-table experience for Sydney’s foodies. At the cutting-edge The Grounds of Alexandria, enjoy delicious seasonal cuisine in a cool, industrial-chic setting, where you'll be surrounded by a verdant edible garden. Guests can also visit the restaurant's resident animals, including chickens, sheep and pigs, making this a popular weekend hangout spot for families. Many were surprised when top chef Mike McEnearney went from cooking for A-List celebrities to serving affordable, honest fare at his canteen-style restaurant, Kitchen by Mike. However, the restaurant's rooftop garden full of homegrown ingredients and menu packed with fresh and seasonal flavours make the local neighbourhood glad that he did.
THE GROUNDS OF ALEXANDRIA - MICHAEL WEE; MURRAY FREDERICKS
Garden-to-table
SYDNEY | PLACES
6.
Shopping Offering an upscale, one-stop-shopping experience in the heart of the city center, David Jones is one of the oldest and most exclusive department stores in Sydney. Nestled alongside the upscale Westfield Shopping Center in Sydney's Central Business District (CBD), David Jones showcases the collections of leading Australian fashion labels such as Ellery, along with a wide range of stylish accessories and homewares. Don't miss a visit to its incredible gourmet food hall. Located close by is The Strand Arcade, a beautiful historic shopping arcade first established in 1891 and home to stylish boutiques such as The Corner Store, Dion Lee and Dinosaur Designs.
P H O T O C REDI T
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ELLERY
David Jones: 65-77 Market Street, Sydney | davidjones.com.au The Strand Arcade: 414 George St, Sydney | strandarcade.com.au
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SYDNEY | PLACES
7.
Opera Bar: Sydney Opera House, Sydney Ivy Pool Club: Level 4, 320 George Street, Sydney Beach Club: 1 Military Road, Watsons Bay Hugos Manly: 1 Manly Wharf, East Esplanade, Manly
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Icebergs Cocktail Bar: 1 Notts Avenue, Bondi Beach
P H O T O C REDI T
With piercing blue skies and endless sunshine, summer in Sydney is the perfect time to enjoy the city's vibrant al fresco bar scene. A classic institution perched on the waterfront of Bondi Beach, Icebergs Dining Room & Bar is the ideal venue for sophisticated yet low-key pre-dinner drinks. The Opera Bar is another iconic outdoor bar nestled beside the landmark Sydney Opera House, where you can enjoy a front row view of Sydney Harbour and the Harbour Bridge. For a more fun and playful party atmosphere, head to Merivale's rooftop Ivy Pool Club, where you can sip cocktails in your own private cabana or take a dip in the swimming pool while dancing to live DJs. Jump on a local ferry to enjoy sunset drinks at the happening Beach Club bar in Watson's Bay, or at the stylish Hugos bar on Manly Wharf – both popular places to enjoy magnificent sunset views of Sydney Harbour with the city's party-loving crowd.
IVY POOL CLUB
A perit ifs
Ivy Pool Club
P H O T O C REDI T
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COOGEE PAVILLION, MERIVALE
Restaurants
8.
SYDNEY | PLACES
1
Mr. Wong One of Sydney's hottest dining venues,
this fashionable Merivale Group restaurant has been a smash-hit since opening its doors. In the kitchen, renowned chefs Dan Hong, Jowett Yu and Eric Koh (ex-Hakkasan London) deliver an explosive menu oozing with rich and sumptuous modern Cantonese flavours.
3 Bridge Lane, Sydney | merivale.com.au/mrwong
2
Rockpool Celebrated Australian chef Neil Perry
has the Midas touch when it comes to opening awardwinning restaurants. His seductive upscale Sydney eateries – Rockpool, Rockpool Bar & Grill and Spice Temple – never cease to impress, delivering sophisticated dishes, striking interiors and highly professional service.
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Oscillate Wildly Located in an unassuming
street in the vibrant Newtown district, this intimate foodie gem serves modern and creative Australian cuisine. With serious cooking credentials, chef Karl Firla creates an inventive tasting menu based upon premium seasonal products sourced from top local producers.
275 Australia Street, Newtown | oscillatewildly.com.au
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Longrain Set within a minimalist, modern warehouse space in Surry Hills, Longrain is a Sydney institution serving inventive modern Thai
cuisine with impeccable fresh ingredients and bursts of intense flavour. Arrive early to sample an expertly crafted Asian cocktail or two before settling in for the evening.
11 Bridge Street, Sydney | rockpool.com/rockpoolsydney
85 Commonwealth Street Surry Hills, Sydney | longrain.com
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8
Momofuku Seibo This award-winning foodie
tables to book in Sydney, but it's well worth the effort.
Porteno The tattoo-covered, rock-star look-a-like Sydney chefs, Ben Milgate and Elvis Abrahanowicz, are the talented duo behind this fun, boisterous and action-packed Argentinian steakhouse. It's renowned for its perfectly flame-grilled cuts of meat which are prepared by the chefs in a fiery asado right in front of you.
80 Pyrmont Street, Pyrmont | momofuku.com/sydney/seiobo
358 Cleveland Street, Surry Hills | porteno.com.au
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Overseas Passenger Terminal, The Rocks | quay.com.au
169 Dolphin Street, Coogee | merivale.com.au/coogeepavilion
hot spot by rock-star American chef, David Chang exploded onto Sydney's dining scene in 2011 and has been attracting discerning foodies and rave reviews ever since. It's also one of the most difficult
Quay With highly creative and refined modern Australian flavours and breathtaking views of the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, its easy to see why chef Peter Gilmore's restaurant has been consistently voted as one of the 50 best restaurants in the world. This is a fine dining experience worth waiting for.
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Cho Cho San The top-notch team at this trendy and creative modern Izakaya reinterprets the rich heritage of Japan's culinary and drinking culture. Set within a hip and minimalist dining space, expect delicious sharing dishes such as tempura asparagus, miso cod, beef tataki, fresh udon noodles and great cocktails. 73 Macleay Street, Potts Point | chochosan.com.au
Coogee Pavillion With a prime beachfront setting and a brand-new, multi-million dollar renovation by the Merivale Group, the historic Coogee
Pavillion has never looked better. When you enter within this Alice-in-Wonderland-style haven of eating, drinking and socialising, you may never want to leave.
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Nomad Nomad will take you on a journey
around the world with its eclectic menu of international flavours. Its wine list highlights a fantastic selection of small Australian wine producers which pairs perfectly with its menu. Don't miss the succulent Moroccan-style BBQ lamb rump or the baba ghanoush.
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Eau de Vie
SYDNEY | PLACES
9.
Cocktails
collection to match. Another rising star of the local cocktail scene is the awardwinning Bulletin Place, a pocket-sized gem with exquisite cocktails and attentive service. Hidden away down a narrow alleyway is Palmer & Co., where guests descend within a subterranean world of brick arches, funky warehouse lighting, vintage photos and beautiful tiled floors. Make sure to settle in and slowly work your way through its soul-satisfying cocktail list. Eau de Vie: eaudevie.com.au The Baxter Inn: thebaxterinn.com Bulletin Place: bulletinplace.com Palmer & Co.: merivale.com.au/palmerandco
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EAU DE VIE BAR
Sydney is home to a seductive selection of world-class cocktail bars, offering everything from glamorous designer lounge bars to ultra-hip underground dive bars. One of Sydney's first serious "speakeasies", Eau de Vie has raised the bar of Sydney’s cocktail scene over the years and is now recognised as one of the leading bars in the world – the team are also planning a new Sydney venture in early 2015. As one of the city's most anticipated cocktail bar openings in recent years, The Baxter Inn has been attracting Sydney's hip nightlife crowd with its winning mix of sultry candle-lit interiors, top-notch service and a potent whiskey
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SYDNEY | PLACES
10. E scapes
If you're looking to escape Sydney and enjoy a truly unforgettable weekend away, then discover one of the New South Wales region's stunning hotel retreats. Reserve a trip on a local seaplane and enjoy a scenic flight over Sydney's beautiful harbour and northern beaches, then spend the night at Jonah's at Whale Beach boutique hotel, a chic and intimate romantic hideaway. Foodies will love the gastronomic haven, Cottage Point Inn, which is nestled on the riverbanks of the picturesque Hawkesbury River. For a taste of the Australian wilderness yet with the ultra-exclusive comforts of a 5-star luxury escape, the Wolgan Valley Resort is set within its own 4,000-acre private conservation and wildlife reserve, where you'll see a wide variety of native Australian animals in their natural habitat. Further afield, discover one of Australia's most spectacular protected islands, Lord Howe Island. Located only two hours flight from Sydney, you'll nonetheless feel far removed from the urban crowds when escaping to this World Heritage-listed island paradise. Jonah's at Whale Beach: jonahs.com.au Cottage Point Inn: cottagepointinn.com.au Wolgan Valley Resort: wolganvalley.com Lord Howe Island: lordhoweisland.info
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Lord Howe Island
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PEOPLE
S YDNEY ' S H O S P I T A L I T Y m a e st r o
Justin Hemmes Meet the charming, risk-taking and seriously ambitious young Australian entrepreneur who has created a billion-dollar empire of Sydney's most cutting-edge hotel, restaurant, nightlife and entertainment establishments. PHOTOGRAPHY • COURTESY OF MERIVALE
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Mr. Wong
SYDNEY | PEOPLE
Recognised as the man who has changed the face of Sydney's hotel, restaurant and nightlife scene, entrepreneur Justin Hemmes is the leader of one of Australia's most respected hospitality groups, Merivale – a family company he runs with his parents. With the drive and the ambition to achieve the seemingly unachievable, we find out more about the man who is the expert on ensuring that people are having a really, really good time...
RV: Your family’s company, Merivale, is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. How did the Merivale story begin? JH: My father was actually an immigrant to Australia – he's Dutch-Indonesian. He met my mother on a boat trip to England, and two weeks later, they were married! They came back to live in Australia, and they started their own business selling hats out of their own little retail shop. This was around the mid-1950s. They expanded into fashion and our family’s business, Merivale – which was named after my mother – started that way. A lot of famous people such as Barry White, the Supremes and Mick Jagger would come to Australia and buy their clothing range. My parents are very ahead of their time, they're both very colourful and incredibly talented people. Over the decades, they continued to expand the business throughout Australia over the next forty years, until the mid-1990s. Even while they had the fashion business, my father was very much into property. RV: How did you first get involved in your family’s business? JH: We're a very close family and I spent a lot of time with my parents and my older sister when I was growing up. There were always parties at the house with amazing music, and we’d go out on our boat a lot. It was a beautiful upbringing. One of the property developments my father did when I was a teenager was building a restaurant. I was about 15 years old at the time, and I used to help there. My dad had me working as a kitchen hand for a while, and as a barista. I loved the interaction with people. Even during university, my father used to make me work seven days a week on different aspects of the business, while my friends would be out partying on the weekends. I finished university, then went to work as a labourer on one of my father's construction sites. You'd work carrying and shovelling sand, making cement, etc. You're the lowest rung on the ladder. We were building a multi-level bar, which my mother had designed and I helped her with. During the construction period, the tenant got cold feet and pulled out of the lease. We were halfway through building
the site for them as a hotel, so we decided to continue building it and to ultimately run it ourselves. When it was up and running, my father wanted me to oversee things – it was called Hotel CBD. That was my first real job in a hotel. It was hugely successful, as it was the first venue of its kind in Sydney. Prior to that, bars were quite male dominated, and the food was usually quite average. However, this bar attracted a great mix of men and women, and the staff were really beautiful. We had DJs playing music; everyone would love to dance. I hired a great chef to prepare fantastic food. We also created a cocktail lounge bar on the third floor with a piano and a gorgeous singer. There was also a two‑level nightclub with international DJs playing there. It was really forward, new and exciting for Sydney at that time. RV: When did you decide to build Establishment, one of your biggest Sydney projects to date? JH: Following the success of Hotel CBD, and another project we did called the Slip Inn, I wanted to take it to the next level and launch a new project that would revolutionise the industry and place Sydney in the same register as New York, London and Paris. The only hotels we had in Sydney at the time were four‑ and five‑star hotels which were usually quite boring, so I decided to build Establishment Hotel. I bought the building in 1998 and it took two years to build. I opened it in 2000, two days before the Olympics. I also created a beautiful lounge and cocktail bar, and an amazing restaurant called Est. We also built a huge nightclub called Tank over two levels of the basement, which could hold two-and-a-half thousand people. It was a huge risk, as it cost $10 million to buy the property and $50 million to build, which was a lot of money back then. I really struggled to get the financing to build that project, but luckily, one person at one bank believed in my crazy idea. I’m extremely proud of Establishment because I was only 25 at the time, so I was quite young. It was something very ground breaking for Sydney, and 15 years on, it's more successful than ever, which is quite remarkable.
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SYDNEY | PEOPLE
RV: As the Merivale group now has a portfolio of 52 very successful venues in Sydney, how did the company continue to expand over the years? JH: After that, we started to build a portfolio of hotels in Sydney. I bought a few other hotels in the city, but all quite small ones. Then, I decided to launch Ivy. Ivy was really a continuation of Establishment, but with an emphasis on being this oasis of outdoor fun and festivities within Sydney’s Central Business District (CBD). I thought it would complement Establishment, but on a much larger scale. I wanted to build a swimming pool on the rooftop where people could drink, eat and party throughout the daytime and late into the night. I wanted to build this amazing, two‑level outdoor nightclub that would hold thousands of people. I wanted to build these projects to add more interest and excitement to the CBD, because I thought they would then prosper my other venues. That's why I was concentrating everything around the same area. Ivy is certainly the most challenging and difficult development I've ever done in my life. It almost broke me. It almost didn't get up, and I would have lost a lot of money. There was a change of local governments, and the project was rejected, and the police were against it. It was a huge gamble. It was a very difficult process, and it took a long time to complete. It was a tough, tough, tough one. The banks had never seen anything of that scale, but we got through it, and it's an incredible property and business now. Of course, there was a lot of doubters, but as they say: If you build it, they will come. Luckily, they are still coming. Eight years on, it’s now doing better than ever. RV: You also went on to launch one of the biggest music festivals in Australia, Good Vibrations… JH: Yes, it’s not running any more but that went for 10 years. That was a lot of fun. I started it as a small festival because I love music and I love entertaining. I was basically building my ideal venue for the future, bringing all of these amazing artists together, but I only wanted it to be for a maximum of 20,000 people. After four years though, we had 160,000 people coming. It became a huge operation and a business in its own right. I was so busy with the hotels, I couldn't focus on it as much as I wanted to. That was a wonderful time though, I have so many amazing memories. We put on the last James Brown show before he passed away, and he got me up on stage to dance next to him – I looked like a white man who can't really dance though! RV: Why have you focused all your projects in Sydney? JH: For a number of reasons. I've always been looking overseas, but I guess the right opportunity hasn't come up. The reason we are successful at what we do is because I know our demographics so well, and I know the city so well. We have a pretty good idea of what will work and what won't. I like to travel for pleasure, not for business. Once you open in another state or another country, it changes the style of your business. That's not to say we won't do it, but at this stage, it's just been convenient as we know the market here. If we get to a point where there's nothing else to do here, we'll definitely have to go look overseas! 54
RV: What is your latest Merivale project? JH: That would be Coogee Pavilion. It has such a beautiful location and it’s a great property. The feedback and response that we've had from the customers about it has been more positive than anything I've ever done before. We've really tapped into the local community there and they're very grateful. They're loving the experience, so that's very rewarding. RV: How would you describe Sydney? JH: For me, Sydney is such an exciting city. It's all about the outdoors and people really love life here. They love being happy; they love nature; they love swimming; they love the ocean. They love to have a good time; they love eating and drinking. They really embrace life here. We have beautiful weather; we have beautiful women; men don’t take themselves too seriously. We're generally very easy going. RV: What are some of the biggest challenges in running the Merivale group? JH: One of the most challenging things is trying to maintain the quality and the standards that I expect when you're employing so many staff. Our whole business is about staff. We have almost 2,500 customer-facing staff members. I can deliver an amazing meal in a beautiful surrounding, fantastic cocktails or a beautiful bottle of wine, but if the staff member is rude, everything is destroyed. The challenge is to ensure that every single staff member that works for us delivers to our expectations, to the level of customer service that we expect and strive for. We have amazing people working for us though, and we get a lot of reward and satisfaction out of it. RV: What would be your advice for the next generation of entrepreneurs? JH: The most important thing is that you have to love what you do, and to genuinely love it. You have to live and breathe it, because otherwise, there's no point in doing it. For me, my work and my business is a pleasure. I love to do this and I wake up every morning and get so excited to go to work, because I get to create something new, something that's going to hopefully improve people's lives in some way, or make their lives more exciting. I'm very fortunate the industry I'm in is an exciting place to be. People come to our venues because they want to have fun. They're not coming to us because they need legal advice, because their wife's leaving them, or their business partner has done the wrong thing by them. They're coming to us to celebrate, to have a good time and to feel good about themselves. The end goal is that I'll see our customers having the best time, and saying, or even thinking, "I've had a fabulous night tonight. I've had a beautiful meal; I've met a wonderful person; I've had a great drink; or I've had a great time with my friends." Tenacity is one of the most important characteristics that you can have. Life is one big hurdle. Sometimes you fall over, but you've got to pick yourself up and keep running. You just have to keep pushing. You've got to finish that race. To read the full interview, visit: redvisitor.com/people
"Tenacity is one of the most important characteristics that you can have. Life is one big hurdle. Sometimes you fall over, but you've got to pick yourself up and keep running." JUSTIN HEMMES
SYDNEY | PEOPLE
A U S T RA L IA ' S F A S H ION S T AR
Kym Ellery Charismatic and dynamic, Kym Ellery is one of the rising stars of the international fashion world. We find out more about her journey to become Australia's most coveted luxury fashion designer. PHOTOGRAPHY • ellery
SYDNEY | PEOPLE
Kym Ellery was the third-ever Australian fashion designer to show at Paris Fashion Week in 2013. Her edgy women’s fashion label, Ellery, is worn by style-savvy models and celebrities. Now, she’s setting the international fashion world on fire with her architectural silhouettes and flamboyant, 1970s-inspired designs.
Ellery 2015 Resort Collection
"What I focus on is a sense of timelessness and modernity. I want to dress intelligent women, and I want them to wear the clothes, and not the reverse." KYM ELLERY
SYDNEY | PEOPLE
RV: Can you tell us about your childhood and growing up in Australia? KE: Both of my parents were from New Zealand, and they moved to Australia in the 1970s. I spent a lot of time with my mother growing up in very rural areas in Western Australia, such as Karratha, Dampier and Geraldton. There wasn't a lot to do there, so my mother, who's amazing, kept me very occupied. As she did her creative projects, I would always be alongside her doing my thing, too. I think that cemented my connection with visual expression in various forms, such as painting, drawing and eventually fashion. I've been very blessed to have such a supportive family who have encouraged me to do whatever I wanted and to be creative. RV: When did you decide to launch your own label, Ellery? KE: I always knew that I would do something in fashion. It was very organic. I think back now and wonder, "What was I thinking? What gave me that confidence to think that I could go out and build a brand?" Naivety was probably my best friend, thinking back now. If I knew what I know now, I think I would have been more hesitant, and definitely more organised, before jumping into it. After studying fashion in Australia, I went to the Central Saint Martin’s School in London, where I did a summer school course and had an incredible time. Being so young and living overseas really opened my eyes, it was such a great experience. I was then offered a job at Russh, a Sydney-based fashion magazine. I was in my early twenties at the time, so it was a great opportunity. I’d been at Russh for around two years or so, and I remember asking the publisher if he minded if I started a side project. He said, "Go for it." I started working on my own designs part-time for two years while still working at the magazine. It was really hard, and I didn't get much sleep. I'd get home from work events at around 9pm or 10pm, and then I'd stay up until 2am working on my own designs. The first accessory I made was shot by Vogue Australia, and they published two full pages about it. This was actually before I'd even officially started the label. They called me for a credit and said, "What brand should we call these pieces?" I answered, "Let's just call them "Ellery." When the article was published, I remember thinking, "Oh, my god. I've already got a brand!” It’s been seven years since then, and we’ve now grown to 20 full‐time staff members. RV: How would you describe your design aesthetic? KE: What I focus on is a sense of timelessness and modernity. I want to dress intelligent women, and I want them to wear the clothes, and not the reverse. I like to focus on architectural silhouettes, tailoring and small twists on detailed tailoring. The cuts are often very simple, but we like to combine classic cuts mixed with flamboyant, extreme silhouettes, such as our flares, which is something that we’ve become known for. We like
the concept of old-meets-new, giving old pieces a fresh remake. That's always been my focus. I always want to dress women from various age groups and demographics. My focus is also upon high quality fabrics – the touch, the feel and the way that the fabric is worn. It's super important. I work with a lot of mills in Switzerland, France, Italy, Korea and Japan. We buy fabrics from them and ship them to Australia. It's about every piece withstanding the test of time, both aesthetically and the way it’s made. Most of our collection is manufactured in Sydney at family-run factories. They're really amazing people. It’s becoming difficult in the industry because local factories are increasingly going out of business. RV: What inspires your collections? KE: It definitely moves around, but the places I feel the most inspired are in art galleries, or when I watch an amazing film, or hear a song that sounds interesting. Sometimes I'll take my colour palette from a film. The pre-fall collection we’re releasing now was actually inspired by David Bowie and his Ziggy Stardust period, when he was wearing all of these flamboyant gold pieces, metallics and lurex. I always try and make time to visit art galleries for inspiration, particularly in Paris. Anywhere where you can walk away and feel inspired, to get you into a great head space to think about surfaces, architecture and colours. RV: What would you say is one of the biggest highlights of your career so far? KE: I think the highlight was being able to do several fashion shows in Paris; having the level of people who came to see the show, and hosting an audience from so many corners of the world. It's always been my long‐term goal. We were invited to show our Spring Summer 2014 collection as part of the Paris Fashion Week 2013 official off-schedule. It was very exciting for us to be invited, so we chose a beautiful location at the Hotel d’Evreux in Place Vendôme. They have an incredible room there with a glass ceiling. I put myself under so much pressure, but it was an incredibly rewarding opportunity. We've also presented two other collections in Paris since then, which were both unforgettable experience too. I always love going to Paris. RV: What would you say are some of the biggest challenges of being an entrepreneur? KE: The challenge would definitely be learning to run a business. Being a sole director with no investors, and growing my label with a very small loan from my beloved father, has been such a challenge. I'm becoming very proud of it, though, the more I think about it, to be 31 years old and to have a company, to have achieved the international attention the brand is getting and to know that I created it myself. I'm at a point where I can start to feel really pleased and proud about that. To read the full interview, visit: redvisitor.com/people
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Jessica Hart
A Model Life Australian supermodel Jessica Hart has been at the apex of the international modelling industry for over fourteen years. Now, she's extending her talents to the entrepreneurial world with the launch of her own beauty company, LUMA Cosmetics. PHOTOGRAPHY • JAMES MACARI
SYDNEY | PEOPLE
S
he might be known for her piercing blue eyes and alluring gap-toothed smile. However, it’s Jessica Hart’s trafficstopping body and knock-out personality that has secured her place as one of Australia’s top supermodels over the last decade. Discovered in a local modelling competition when she was only 14, she’s been featured on the cover of magazines such as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, L’Officiel and GQ , and she was recently crowned "GQ Woman of the Year 2013". She has been the face of major campaigns for Louis Vuitton, Victoria’s Secret, Guess! and L'Oréal, and has graced the runway as a Victoria’s Secret Angel. Now an industry veteran at 28, her modelling career only seems to be accelerating. Making her mark as a New York Style "It" girl, where she’s been living for nine years, she’s recently added another string to her bow with the launch of her own beauty company, LUMA Cosmetics.
Born in Sydney and raised in Melbourne, the prematurely willowy Jessica was discovered at just 14 years old when she won a modelling competition at a local shopping mall. “At that age, you don't really have any idea what you want to do”, she says. “I was quite a tomboy, so I didn't know anything about modelling at that time. I had never owned a fashion magazine. Words such as "Chanel" and "Vogue" were very new to me back then”. She was quickly signed by top Australian modelling agency, Chadwick Models, and started travelling overseas on assignments soon after. “Back then, I thought I was invincible – as though I was 14, going on 25”, she says. Over the next few years, her career as a commercial model took off, where she would spend several weeks or months at a time travelling and living in cities such as London and Paris. “Travelling was fun, except that I didn't want to do it very much back then”, she says. “I was the type of child that had no desire to go overseas. I thought I'd never leave Melbourne, let alone Australia. I had all of my friends, my family and my boyfriend at the time at home, so I went overseas kicking and screaming. I'd be counting the days until I could get home.” There was a time, about five or six years into her career, when she was living in a Parisian apartment with other young models who were all desperately striving to make their mark in the modelling world. “I realised it was silly to 64
SYDNEY | PEOPLE
Being on the cover of Vogue for the first time changed everything for me. One of the best things about that experience was being photographed by legendary Australian fashion photographer, Richard Bailey. - JESSICA HART
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SYDNEY | PEOPLE
keep wanting to be back at home in Australia because there were so many people that would have loved to be in my shoes”, she says. “That's when I really embraced modelling and took it on as a career, as opposed to seeing it as just this fun thing that I was doing. And that's when I started doing really well.” When she was shot for the cover of Vogue Australia in 2008, it was the turning point of her career. “Being on the cover of Vogue for the first time changed everything for me", she says. "One of the best things about the experience was being photographed by legendary Australian fashion photographer, Richard Bailey. At that time, I had already been working for many years and I was a bit of an upstart. I'd usually arrive on a job and be like, "OK, how many looks have we got to shoot, what time do we start working, and what time are we likely to finish?" But Vogue is one of those opportunities where you go there and they take their time, and you’re surrounded by simply amazing people.” And what a heady string of years it's been since. In 2009, Jessica landed a high-profile swimwear shoot in Sports Illustrated, signed on for a major Victoria’s Secret advertising campaign, and has since walked the runway several times as an "Angel" in the highly publicised annual Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. “When I walked out on stage during my first show, I remember immediately seeing Justin Beiber”, she says. “I don't usually get star-struck but that was quite a shock! They don’t tell you many details beforehand so as to keep everything a secret. I'll never forget that experience.” A hard-core global nomad, she’s also travelled to all corners of the world on assignments, even as far as the remote African island of Madagascar. “That was one of the craziest trips”, she reflects. “It was only a two-day shoot, but then I got delayed on the way there and ended up having to spend the night in a random town. It ended up being six days of travelling for a one-and-a-half-day shoot!” Now juggling life as both a model and an entrepreneur, she has spent the last few years developing her own range of natural, high quality and affordable 100 per cent Australian-made cosmetics. “As a model, a lot of your time is spent sitting in a makeup chair”, she says. “After a while, you learn exactly what works and what doesn’t. I wanted to share a few tricks of the trade that I’ve picked up along the way”. Her brand, LUMA Cosmetics, launched in Australia in September 2014 and will launch in the United States in 2015. As to what’s next for Jessica Hart, she replies, “I’m having so much fun, I can't wait to add more products to our range. I'm really excited about the future and where we can take the brand next.”
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W O M EN ' S S T Y L E : T I M E L E S S B EA C H W EAR
Summer Essentials As the temperatures soar on Sydney's beaches this summer, make sure you're wearing the new season collection of stylish Australian swimwear brand, Jets Swimwear by Jessika Allen. PHOTOGRAPHY • JETS SWIMWEAR BY JESSIKA ALLEN
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This Page: Precision Plunge Bandeau and Hipster Pant Opposite Page: Classique High Neck One-Piece Previous Page: Connections Boat Neck Kaftan
Details, SAMPLE BRAND ONE
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This Page: Edge Cut-out One-Piece Opposite Page: Impulse Plunge One-Piece Stockist: jets.com.au
02. London
1. PLACES Hotels: The High Life Restaurants: Hip & Foodie Nightlife: The Perfect Tipple Culture: Savage Beauty
2. PEOPLE The Arts: Jamie Catto Music: alt-J Design: Tom Dixon Photography: Ben Hassett Fashion: Sir Paul Smith
3. STYLE Watches: A Closer View
The High Life
With sumptuous rooms, ultra-chic dining and sultry lounge bars, these glamorous London hotels will ensure that you never have to leave.
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NIKOLAS KOENIG
THE LONDON EDITION For Ian Schrager, The London Edition marks the realisation of a dream more than 15 years in the making. It was during his first foray into the London hotel scene that Schrager spotted the former Berners Hotel, set across a row of five Georgian townhouses in the leafy Fitzrovia district, that once welcomed guests that included Edward VII and FabergĂŠ. Fast forward 15 years, and Schrager has put the magic back into Berners Street, creating a cutting-edge cool sanctuary for the jet-set crowd. The sultry interiors showcase stunning restored stucco ceilings, marble staircases, wood-panelled bedrooms and highly attentive service. The hotel's social scene is also a major drawcard in its own right: Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton helms the smash-hit Berners Tavern restaurant with its breathtaking art-filled dining room, and the cosy and seductive ground floor cocktail bar serves the city's finest expertly-crafted punches. 10 Berners Street, London W1T 3NP, United Kingdom +44 20 7781 0000 | editionhotels.com/london
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Berner's Tavern Restaurant, The London Edition
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1 Chiltern Street, Marleybone, London W1U 7PA +44 20 7073 7676 | chilternfirehouse.com
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Home to an ever-changing constellation of stars, the Chiltern Firehouse has garnered an almost mythical reputation since opening its doors in 2014. It’s hard to know which of the Chiltern’s charms is more talked about: the legendary hotelier behind the venue, André Balazs; its A-list clientele – Kate Moss is a regular, U2 has a preferred table, and Bill Clinton once took to the custom-made DJ decks; its gorgeous Victorian architecture; or its fabulous restaurant by celebrated chef, Nuno Mendes. Retaining an ultra-exclusive, secret-society-style atmosphere where it's almost impossible to gain entry, the Chiltern Firehouse is home to 26 alluring boutique guest rooms which are accessed through corridors perfumed with Azzi Glasser fragrances. How can anyone resist a vintage telephone with the invitation to “Dial 0 for anything”?
tim clinch
CHILTERN FIREHOUSE
LONDON | PLACES
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HAM YARD HOTEL Nestled on a leafy square in Picadilly Circus, the Ham Yard Hotel is an urban Eden in a city where space is a precious commodity. Part of the Firmdale Hotel Group portfolio, the hotel's unassuming facade barely contains the riot of colour within. Expect eye-popping prints and bespoke furnishings brought to fever pitch by designer Kit Kemp's signature interior aesthetic. Rich, textured and endlessly fun, Kemp’s eclectic energy fills every corner: from the antiques in the well-stocked library, to the bright orange leather seats in the 190-seat cinema. On the rooftop, a garden of olive trees and lavender awaits, and in the basement, make sure to visit the 1950s bowling alley imported from Texas. This isn’t just a hotel – it’s an urban village in the heart of London. 1 Ham Yard, London W1D 7DT, United Kingdom +44 20 3642 2000 | firmdalehotels.com
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ROSEWOOD LONDON
Delivering the signature understated opulence of the luxurious Rosewood Group, this High Holborn address is a sign of things to come in the London neighbourhood increasingly known as "Midtown". An original marble staircase sweeps upwards through seven floors of this grand Edwardian building, where an ÂŁ85 million refurbishment has given its Belle Epoque interiors a modern update. The glamour here is palpable, yet guests will immediately feel at home, where they can enjoy fireside cocktails in the Scarfe Bar, followed by dinner at the Holborn Dining Room that serves refined British cuisine in a brasserie setting. The Grand Manor House Wing sets the bar for luxury suites in London with 6,000 square feet of living space, and even boasts its own postcode. 252 High Holborn, London WC1V 7EN, United Kingdom +44 20 7829 9888 | rosewoodhotels.com
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ESCAPE: THE COTSWOLDS Nestled amongst 55 acres of lush, verdant countryside in Britain's stunning The Cotswolds region, the stately Cowley Manor lashes out doses of fresh air and relaxation, and is only two hours drive from London. With its roots buried in a steep history that saw it shuffled between aristocrats and wealthy merchants, this 17th-century Italianate countryside escape was lovingly refurbished by its owners, Peter and Jessica Frankopan (founders of A Curious Group of Hotels), who spent three years restoring the estate to its former glory. The spacious bedrooms are fitted with colourful contemporary furnishings custom-made by British designers. Don’t miss a relaxing swim in the heated swimming pool or a massage at the in-house spa, featuring the Green & Spring natural beauty range which was created by the hotel’s owners using locally-sourced ingredients.
Cowley, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL53 9NL +44 12 4287 0900 | cowleymanor.com
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Hip & Foodie Mixing cool interiors, soul-satisfying cuisine and a hip ambiance, these London foodie gems are the hottest addresses in town.
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CHILTERN FIREHOUSE - jamie orlando smith
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Pollen Street Social Offering one of London's
best gastronomy dining experiences in a fashionable dining setting, top British chef Jason Atherton wows with his creative and sophisticated spin on classic British cuisine. With a months-long waiting list, it's best to book ahead at this seductive Michelin-starred hot spot.
8-10 Pollen Street, London | pollenstreetsocial.com
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Chiltern Firehouse As one of London's most exclusive celebrity havens, this former Marylebone fire station has been drawing in the crowds due to celebrated chef Nuno Mendes' soul-satisfying, gourmand cuisine with a creative twist. Don't miss the pillowy soft crabstuffed doughnuts or the blackened salmon with sea kale.
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Gymkhana Opening to rapturous reviews in 2013
and voted "Best Restaurant in Britain" the following year, Gymkhana pays homage to Anglo-Indian cuisine. With the air of a colonial gentleman’s club, the scent of fresh spices hangs in the air as diners feast upon plates of Chicken Butter Masala and Lasooni Wild Tiger Prawns.
42 Albemarle Street, London | gymkhanalondon.com
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Restaurant Story Enveloping its guests in
culinary tales and intricately woven dishes, Restaurant Story showcases the talents of rising star chef Tom Sellers, who creates artistic dishes that conjure the nostalgia of classic British cuisine, yet bring a modern twist. Advance bookings required.
1 Chiltern Street, Marleybone | chilternfirehouse.com
201 Tooley Street, London | restaurantstory.co.uk
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10 Berners Street, London | bernerstavern.com
Shoreditch Town Hall, 380 Old Street, London | thecloveclub.com
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39 Whitfield Street, London | dabbous.co.uk
10 Adelaide Street, Covent Garden | barrafina.co.uk
Berner's Tavern Boasting one of the most
impressive restaurant settings that we've ever seen, the smash-hit Berner's Tavern also delivers a superb menu of classic British favourites given a modern twist by Michelin-starred Executive Chef, Jason Atherton. Open from breakfast until late daily. Bookings required.
Dabbous & Barnyard It’s been over two years
since chef Ollie Dabbous opened his smash-hit foodie restaurant, Dabbous, however it's still one of the city's hardest tables to book. The chef has since opened a second venture, Barnyard, which offers a more casual setting featuring corrugated metal walls and rough-wood tables.
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Typing Room Set within the Town Hall Hotel in
Bethnal Green, the Typing Room marks a dreamteam collaboration between Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton and Lee Westcott. Deep teal walls, oak floors and a mellow Nordic aesthetic provide the perfect ambience in which to savour Westcott’s inventive cuisine. Town Hall Hotel, Patriot Square, London | typingroom.com
The Clove Club Talented young Scottish chef Isaac McHale helms the open kitchen at this popular Shoreditch foodie gem. Enjoy creative sharing dishes such as oak smoked cod’s roe on rye, Cornish red mullet with heritage tomatoes and ricotta, and don’t miss the house speciality buttermilk chicken with pine salt. Barrafina Covent Garden Seven years after
the Hart brothers opened their first restaurant in Soho, they've recently opened a second outpost in the heart of Covent Garden. The 1950’s diner stools are coveted by a queue of hungry tapas-lovers, but you’ll be too intent on your crab and bechamel croquettes to notice.
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Hawksmoor As one of Britain's premier
steak houses with five London locations, Hawksmoor delivers mouthwatering premium charcoal-grilled meats, top-notch wines, local microbrewy beers, and well-crafted signature cocktails in a fun and bustling setting. Don't miss the hearty steaks or burgers.
Seven Dials, 11 Langley Street, London | thehawksmoor.com
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The Perfect Tipple MUST-VISIT COCKTAIL BARS:
Experience the best of London's cocktail scene by enjoying a tipple or two at these world-renowned specialist cocktail bars.
LONDON | PLACES
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NIGHTJAR - EDDY BROWN
ome to world-class cocktails, Prohibition-era style
drinking dens and inventive mixology, there’s never been a better time to experience London’s bar scene. Awarded the title of “World’s Best Bar” for three years running, Artesian Bar at the Langham Hotel sets the international standard for cocktails due to the cuttingedge mixology of Alex Kratena. Artesian’s annual cocktail list features an inspired mix of the weird and wonderful – don't be surprised if you see unexpected ingredients such as kale, curry or cedarwood on the menu. A Shoreditch speakeasy awaits at The Nightjar, where an unmarked door leads down to a candle-lit, secretive drinking den with live jazz and expertly-crafted cocktails. Local cocktail wizard Ryan Chetiyawardana (of White Lyan fame) helms the bar at DandeLyan, housed within the glitzy new Mondrian Hotel London. Expect homemade bitters, sorbet ice cubes, and a glamorous Mad-Men-style lounge designed by top British designer, Tom Dixon. Artesian Bar: Portland Place, London | artesian-bar.co.uk The Nightjar: 129 City Road, London | barnightjar.com DandeLyan: 20 Upper Ground, London | morganshotelgroup.com
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L ONDON DE S I G N E X H I B I T ION
Savage Beauty Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty V&A Museum: 14 March – 2 August 2015
A fitting homage to the meteoric career of gamechanging designer Alexander McQueen, this major retrospective saw more than half a million people flock to the New York Metropolitan Museum in only three months. Returning this year to McQueen’s home city of London, Savage Beauty is a celebration of a rebellious visionary. He started his career at London’s Savile Row at just 16 years of age and was appointed Head Designer at Givenchy when he was 25. Wreathed in the tragedy of his early death in 2010, this V&A Museum exhibition showcases McQueen’s life's work, ranging from his theatrical costumes for West End shows to his 10-piece graduation collection from St. Martin’s College. Savage Beauty is a moving tribute to a lost genius. Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL, United Kingdom +44 20 7942 2000 | vam.ac.uk
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T H E RED V I S I T OR S E L E C T ION
London Address Book The Ten Best: If there are only ten places that you should visit in London right now, make sure that it's these hot local addresses.
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BEST BREAKFAST Caravan With two London outposts at Exmouth Market and in Kings Cross, Caravan delivers a soul-satisfying breakfast menu, freshly-roasted coffee and friendly service.
BEST AFTERNOON TEA The Delaunay Enjoy an indulgent afternoon tea at The Delaunay, where you'll be spoiled with an endless selection of exquisite sweet and savoury treats served with fine English tea.
1, Granary Building, London N1C 4AA +44 20 7101 7661 | caravankingscross.co.uk
55 Aldwych, London WC2B 4BB +44 20 7499 8558 | thedelaunay.com
BEST COFFEE Fernandez & Wells At this pocket-sized coffee shop in Beak Street, expect expertly-crafted coffee of all shapes and sizes, along with hearty sandwiches, delicious cakes and desserts.
BEST FOR FASHION Selfridges London's shopping mecca, this upscale department store offers the latest in British and international men's and women's fashion, accessories, books and homewares.
73 Beak Street, London W1F 9SR +44 20 7287 8124 | fernandezandwells.com
400 Oxford Street, London W1A 1AB +44 11 33 69 8040 | selfridges.com
BEST LUNCH Nopi Chef Yotam Ottolenghi's eatery is a stylish haven of superb fusion cuisine, where it's best to slowly work your way through his fabulous menu of sharing plate-style dishes.
BEST MUSEUM V&A Museum One of our favourite London museums which showcases one of the world's greatest collections of decorative arts, including sculpture, paintings, furniture and design.
21-22 Warwick Street, London W1B 5NE +44 20 7494 9584 | nopi-restaurant.com
Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL +44 20 7942 2000 | vam.ac.uk
BEST FOR IMPRESSIVE DINING Berner's Tavern The Great Gatesby-esque setting of chef Jason Atherton's breathtaking dining room has to be seen to be believed, where the food and wine list are as fabulous as the decor.
BEST TRENDY WINE BAR CVS Settle in for great wine and flavoursome sharing plates at this stylish and cosy wine bar in London's Covent Garden. Don't miss the shaved leg ham with black truffle.
10 Berners Street, London W1T 3LF +44 20 7908 7979 | bernerstavern.com
8-10 Neal's Yard, London WC2H 9DP +44 20 7734 7737 | cvssevendials.com
BEST FOR EXCLUSIVE SCENE Chiltern Firehouse Enter within this exclusive haven and you'll never want to leave, where you'll be seduced by celebrated chef Nuno Mendes' internationally-inspired gourmand cuisine.
BEST NEW SECRET CLUB The Lights of SoHo Enter wihtin this hip art gallery showing 40 years of neon art by the late artist, Chris Bracey, then head downstairs to discover Hamish Jenkinson's ultra-cool secret club.
1 Chiltern Street, London W1U 7PA +44 20 7073 7676 | chilternfirehouse.com
35 Brewer Street, London W1F No phone | No website
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Jamie Catto Musician, filmmaker, writer, photographer and all-round creative catalyst, Jamie Catto is guaranteed to rock your mind with his deeply enlightened view of the world.
Spend only minutes with Jamie Catto and you'll be captivated by his electrifying energy and razor-sharp views on life and humanity, making you think more deeply about the world and your true purpose within it. He first came to the world’s attention in the mid-1990s as one of the founding members of the chart-topping British electronica band, Faithless. "Initially, the group got together in the evenings and on the weekends to work on it as a side project", Jamie says. "The reason why we became huge was because our music was made with passion”. The band catapulted to international fame when one of its singles, "Insomnia", was one of the hit songs at the German Love Parade dance festival. "Our first single eventually went to number three on the UK charts, then our second single went to number four in the same year", he says. Their success spread from country to country, and the band began touring the world. "Faithless became such a famous live band because we put together a 12-piece band with percussions, electric guitars, bass, drums, two keyboards, and backing vocalists", he explains. "It was like having a huge football team of artists on stage". He decided to leave the band in 1999 when Chris Blackwell, the legendary producer who signed Bob Marley and U2, offered Jamie and his friend, Duncan Bridgeman, their own creative deal. The duo embarked on the voyage of a lifetime to produce 1 Giant Leap, their double-Grammy nominated global music and film project. “1 Giant Leap 98
was a way to showcase the genius of all of these different singers and musicians around the world", he says. "We also thought that if we asked fascinating people to talk to us about the big subjects in life – God, sex, death, money, inspiration, fame – the kind of subjects where even if you are in Africa, or if you're in Los Angeles, you would still have something to say, then link that together with music, we would have an incredible film". Collaborating with legendary artists such as Bono, REM's Michael Stipe, Bob Geldof and Baaba Maal, they went on to produce two films and their 1 Giant Leap album received two Grammy nominations and sold over 300,000 albums worldwide. "As the subject of our second film, "What About Me", was so deep, all of these very personal and inspiring conversations began to happen", he says. "It was a bit like a workshop already. I always wanted to go deeper and start having experiences which were transformational together". In addition to his music and film-related creative pursuits, he now travels the world hosting a series of mind-opening workshops titled, What About Me (whataboutme.com), to stimulate people to unleash their creativity. "I started to book weekends for people to come and be together for a whole weekend, to explore our creativity and our humanity. Always with foolishness. Always with playfulness. Always playing together, like music. That's why it's important". To read the full interview, visit: redvisitor.com/people
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alt-J Meet the award-winning British indie rock trio who have moved the world with their meticulously crafted electronics and sparse, tribal harmonies.
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sheer complexity of sound. After raising their profile on international festival stages and at live music venues around the world, critics and evangelists alike were soon scrabbling to define their unique sound. Despite the amicable departure of guitarist Gwil Sainsbury in early 2014, the remaining three band members holed up in a flat in London's Hackney district to create their second album, This Is All Yours. Following its release in September 2014, the album debuted at number one on the UK charts and is brilliant, eclectic and deliciously idiosyncratic; there’s even an unlikely sampling of Miley Cyrus' song, "4x4". Showing the confidence of musicians who know who they are, This Is All Yours is more than just an album title, it’s an alt-j mission statement. This humble trio are sharing their meticulously-crafted music with the world and are inviting listeners to make it their own. | altjband.com/music
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Following the release of their debut album in 2012, British band alt-j was awarded a highly prestigious British Mercury Prize, embarked on a world tour over the next two years to sell-out crowds, and sold over a million albums. However, if you bumped into the members of alt-j on the streets of Brixton today, you probably wouldn’t even recognise them. Joe Newman (guitar/ lead vocals), Thom Green (drums), Gus Unger-Hamilton (keyboards/vocals) and Gwil Sainsbury (guitar/bass) initially formed the band in 2007 while they were studying at Leeds University. Required to keep noise to a minimum while rehearsing in their student dorm rooms, the band avoided using heavy drums and guitars – and by virtue of this, their signature hushed, electronic-meets-acoustic indie rock style was born. alt-j’s first album, An Awesome Wave, mesmerised listeners with its haunting intimacy, cryptic lyrics and
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Tom Dixon We catch up with the brilliant, self-taught British designer in his West London studio to find out more about his fascinating journey to become one of the world's leading designers. PHOTOGRAPHY • COURTESY OF TOM DIXON
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With past lives as a bass guitarist, a nightclub owner and a welder, the award-winning British designer Tom Dixon is one of the world's leading references of furniture, interior and object design. Inspired by Britain's unique heritage, he creates extraordinary objects with a distinctive personality.
"The most important thing in the modern world is to be unique and to stand out by having a distinct and different offer from everybody else." TOM DIXON
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RV: There's Tom Dixon the musician, the designer, the entrepreneur... Given that you can wear so many hats, how would you describe yourself? TD: I guess I would say that I'm a design entrepreneur. I started out as a designer by learning metalwork techniques and welding. I was involved at the time in the music business. It was very much a hobby at first, repairing vintage cars and motorcycles. But very quickly it turned into a method of making things for fun. I made a lot of things and people started buying them. I was always intrigued by the idea of turning basic metal into gold. I always quite liked the fact that I could have an idea one day, make it, and then sell it the next day. I was inspired by the fact that people wanted my products. The hobby then turned into a job. I first had a studio where I was making things with my own hands, mainly metalwork, and then a studio with maybe 15 or 17 people, making more ambitious, bigger projects. I opened my own shop in London, and was then discovered by the Italian luxury furniture brands who started putting some of my designs into proper industrial production. This gave me more international visibility. RV: You then went on to work for one of the largest furniture companies in the world... TD: Yes. For 10 years, I was then a creative director at Habitat, which was owned by IKEA at the time. I went from being a tiny, self-taught designer, to working for the biggest furniture company in the world, which taught me a lot about global sourcing, and about what people really buy, as opposed to what you may see in magazines. It also taught me a lot about communication and packaging, and the movement of containers around the world. It really was like being at the University of Interior Products. I played in textiles, in toys, in carpets and tableware, and lots of other categories as well. After 10 years of doing creative direction, I felt that it was time to start designing again and creating my own label, under my own name. That's been quite a big challenge, particularly with all of the different types of categories that we get involved in at my company, Tom Dixon, such as chairs, lighting and tableware, and the rest of it. But it's been an amazing ride, full of excitement, full of risks, and full of fun. RV: What are some of the biggest challenges that you face as an entrepreneur and a designer? TD: Regarding the designing side of things, I wouldn't say it's easy, but in a way it's the fastest thing that we do. Having an idea is cheap in a way. Trying to put it into production, finding somebody who's prepared to make it, finding other people who are prepared to buy it, is the difficult part. Everybody has ideas. Everybody's constantly saying, "You should do this. You should do that. I've thought of this idea." The tricky part is having the confidence to invest in a manufacturing tool, in stocking the products in a warehouse, and then waiting for people to buy the products. What interests
me is the idea that you can have a degree of control over your own destiny, by having your own label and your own company. Most other designers, particularly of my generation, have tended to be of service to the manufacturing industry, or to work for many different brands. I made the conscious decision to work under my own name, and to take on all of the development and distribution challenges that come with it. I don't know yet whether I'm stupid or clever. RV: You've already achieved a great deal of success as your company is an internationally-recognised brand... TD: We have a successful company, but all of the money goes back into reinvestment in new ideas, in stock, and in expansion. Maybe some simpler model would have made me richer, but the satisfaction that comes with having responsibility for your own destiny is worth the challenge. RV: What about the creative side? Where does your inspiration and creativity come from? TD: I get bored very easily, so I'm always trying to do something new and fresh. I had a very tiny studio when I started out. If I didn't sell the thing that I just made, I couldn't finance the next piece. That attitude of getting rid of stuff and moving onto the next thing is ingrained into what I do. In a way, if I wasn't interested in the commerce part, I'd have been more comfortable being a sculptor and leaving it to other people. Any designer should be interested not just in the shape of an object, but how it's made and who buys it. This is what designers should be engaged in. The tricky part is trying to understand what is your own fantasy, and what is interesting to other people. RV: Which of your creations are you the most proud of? TD: The ones that have the most visibility are interesting, in terms of how they've allowed me to progress and get international distribution and recognition. The products in this company that have been working amazingly well is our lighting, specifically lights such as the beat lights, which you see hanging around us in our studio. They were never intended as a commercial product. The departure point was a project to preserve vanishing metalwork techniques in Jaipur, India. We've managed to get a lot of craftsmen making these lamps. There's also the S-chair, which we made in my studio in the beginning, and we did many, many versions of it. It was picked up by Cappellini and ended up in the Museum of Modern Art in New York, which is a great thing for any designer – it was quite a life-changing object for me. In reality, my favourite objects are always the ones I'm doing next, which are top-secret and I can't talk about now. What excites me isn't so much what I did before, but what I might do next. I've been very lucky to have many new adventures in different sectors of materials, different types of functionalities, and different shapes.
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RV: Tell us more about your Design Research Studio... TD: When we started the Tom Dixon label, we had to generate some fees to survive. It started off, really, as a means of survival by doing interior design projects. Rapidly, it's become a great method for understanding the outside world. By interacting with restaurateurs, hotel owners, or people who want a new office, you start to really understand what products are needed and which ones are missing. It's like having a live brief for your product range. It's become incredibly important, not only for defining the objects that we do, but also for allowing people to see the whole world of “Tom Dixonness�, rather than just one object in a retail store. For a lot of furniture companies and product designers, you never really have a great deal of input into where the things are shown. You'll be fragmented in a retail environment, or you might be at the mercy of another interior decorator, who might not put it with the things that you think are appropriate. By having our own interior design studio, we get to not only understand what clients really need in terms of products, but we also get to put them into a whole setting to explore some of the underpinning ideas we have about how things should look. RV: Can you tell us more about your collaborations with major brands such as Audi, and more recently, Adidas? TD: What motivates me are new adventures. I like being quite naive in a sector. By working with automobile companies or apparel companies, you get this vision into a completely different means and method of producing stuff. The Adidas project was fantastic, because it exposed us to not only high-tech textiles and their production methods, but also to sportswear and how that business works. We often collaborate with bigger brands than ourselves, because we can be faster moving and interesting for them. Also, the studio's very much involved in trying to define interiors. We're a design studio that goes all the way from collaborations with other brands to doing interiors as a service. RV: What would be the advice that you would give to young designers and entrepreneurs? TD: I think we're on the verge of a very exciting time for young entrepreneurs, in terms of accessibility to some of the tools, the finance, and the communication methods that used to be very difficult to access. If you had to do an advertising campaign, or if you had to sell things on the other side of the world, it was very complicated to do that when I started. There's this whole revolution, with all of these different platforms for international commerce and communication – from PayPal, to Etsy and eBay. They're at the disposal of anybody who's got a good idea. It's actually a lot easier to be an entrepreneur than it ever was, particularly if you're remote from one of the big capitals. The difficulty for entrepreneurs is the fact
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that, with so many people clamouring for attention, how do you stay unique and how do you get recognised? The big lesson I would give to entrepreneurs is not to copy anybody else and to be themselves. The most important thing in the modern world is to be unique and to stand out as having a distinct and different offer to anybody else. That's the hardest lesson to teach. It's also the hardest thing to do at the moment, because any idea that you have is immediately mediatised on your Facebook page or through magazines. It's very hard to retain your ideas for yourself. They immediately become the property of everybody. Nobody wants somebody who is slightly like somebody else. It's about being unique, independent and standing out from the crowd. If you don't do that, you've had it in the modern world. RV: Which cities inspire you the most? TD: I love cities, in general, so I go to different cities for a different buzz in each one. There are some cities in full evolution right now that are very exciting. Istanbul is a fantastic city. I used to love Cairo, which is probably in total evolution right now. I haven't been for a while, so that would be exciting. I'm also very fond of Seoul in Korea, as it's a city that is changing very rapidly and is an exciting place to be. I'm also looking forward to seeing some new cities. Lima is on my list, so I'm very excited to go there for the first time. Again, my favourite cities are probably the ones I've never been to yet. RV: Which are your favourite areas in London? TD: I'm firmly a West Londoner, so I've spent a lot of time in this part of London. Our studio is very close to Portobello Road, which is a very famous market. It used to be the place where quite a lot of the music business used to be located. This building itself was previously Virgin Records. This is where Richard Branson created his record company. Where we're sitting now is where the Sex Pistols and the Spice Girls would have recorded their music. I like West London, but I can also highly recommend other areas in London which have become very fashionable recently. The East End is full of excitement, for instance, and a lot of the people who work here live in the East End and have a great time there. RV: You're still very young, but what would you like to be remembered for? TD: What would I like to be remembered for? It would be nice to think that the objects that I make live on. We're very interested in the possibility of our products becoming antiques in the future. It would be nice if the objects that we make now have many lives into the future. We try and breed in as much longevity and as much almost unfashionability into the objects as possible, so that they have a long life. To watch the full video interview, visit: redvisitor.com/people
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T H E G A M E - C H AN G IN G P H O T O G RA P H ER
Ben Hassett As one of the industry's most sought-after beauty photographers, Ben Hassett is revered for his striking portraits of the most beautiful women in the world. Now, he's adding another string to his bow by pushing the creative boundaries of motion video. PHOTOGRAPHY • BEN HASSETT
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s one of the most sought-after photographers in the world, Ben Hassett is best known for his striking portrait photography and his use of shadow and light to create visceral, highly polished images. Over the course of his 15-year career, he has photographed many of the world’s leading actresses and supermodels, including Marion Cotillard, Cate Blanchett, Jennifer Lawrence, Tilda Swinton and Jennifer Aniston, to name a few. He’s solicited by top international fashion magazines such as Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Numéro and W Magazine, and has created iconic advertising campaigns for brands such as Christian Dior, YSL, Shiseido, Burberry, Bulgari, Calvin Klein and L'Oréal. His passion for photography remains unabated, where he continues to push the boundaries of still photography and more recently, digital motion video. Born and raised in London, his passion for photography came at an early age. “I was very young when I first found out about photography. I was 14 years old”, he says. “I picked up a camera and I started taking pictures with it, using black and white Tri-x film. I fell in love with it. I also found being in the darkroom extremely exciting. I still find the idea of being in the darkroom exciting today: the smell of it, the chemistry, watching an image appear on the paper while you are standing there in the dark, rising up from nothing.” He decided to study documentary filmmaking at a college in the north of England after finishing school. He experimented with film, video, performance, installation, and to a lesser extent, photography. “After a couple of months there, the tutors were pretty upset by the work I was making”, he says. “My movies were a little too loose and experimental, not TV material. I was not going to get hired by the BBC”. However, the head of the college’s Fine Art department noticed his talent. “Lucky for me, he looked at what I’d been doing and took me under his wing,
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which is how I came to get a degree in Fine Arts”, he says. “I was very lucky to end up on that course, because it was super experimental – we could do anything, really.” Under his mentor’s guidance, he learned a valuable lesson. “There is no right or wrong way to do things in art, maybe life, as long as you are committed to an idea”, he says. “This guides the way I work every day as a photographer, at least on a subconscious level.” After graduating, he moved to Los Angeles for an internship with filmmaker Roger Corman, and then returned to London to build his photography portfolio. “I was initially a reportage photographer, and for many years I only considered doing that. My first paid job "I'm trying to make an accident was as a reporter for British GQ magazine”, he says. “They sent happen in front of the camera. me to Namibia on a reportage It brings the whole thing to life." assignment". His first Vogue beauty assignment soon followed, which officially launched his career as a beauty and fashion photographer. “Being known as a Vogue photographer opened other doors, to Vanity Fair, for example, W Magazine, and Harper’s Bazaar”, he explains. Fast forward to the present and Ben Hassett is a world-class photographer at the top of his craft. His work characterises an intuitive sense of composition and attention to detail that emphasises the tactile nature of his subjects. “I photograph a lot of women. A lot of those women are very beautiful. They're almost all, without exception, strong women, and confident women”. Attracted to imperfections, he leaves almost imperceptible natural flaws in his work as a clue to indicate the picture is real, to give the image credibility. “The way we work now, it's so easy to make perfect pictures”, he says in reference to the industry’s retouching practices. “I need mistakes. I need to see them, welcome them. In my studio, I'm trying to make an accident happen in front of the camera. It brings the whole thing to life. I'm looking for spontaneity.” 117
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After spending many years living in Paris and London, he is now based in New York where he lives with his two daughters. He is humble yet candid when speaking about the impressive list of famous women he has photographed throughout his career, citing that he particularly enjoys the experience of photographing actresses. “Working with actresses really isn't like shooting anything else that I do", he says. "It's not their job to be models. You're shooting them for a fashion magazine, so they have to play that game.” It is clear that his profession allows him to indulge wherever his creative vision takes him. He is also known in the industry as being extremely selective when choosing subjects for his assignments. “I only agree to shoot people that I like”, he explains. “I have a special rule about that. I'm extraordinarily picky.” How does he keep his creative passion alive after 15 years as a photographer? “I still have an enormous amount of enthusiasm for still photography”, he responds. “One thing is the challenge of continually problem-solving, and the other is that photography keeps changing and that you have to keep up with it”. He has also recently returned to his filmmaking roots "There is no right or wrong way by experimenting with digital to do things in art, as long as motion video. “I’ve gone back to making these short experimental you are committed to an idea." movies that I was making in school. This time I have the benefit of an experience of light, of having great models, and also of knowing what I want to do, which is essentially the most difficult thing”, he says. “Over the past year, I let myself make a lot of mistakes. Pictures did not always work out the way I wanted them to. I just went with it and kept my eyes open and paid attention to those mistakes.” Embarking on the next chapter of his life in full force, and always looking ahead to the next creative challenge, there is no limit as to where Ben Hassett’s multi-faceted talents will take him next. “All I really know about technique is that you can't know everything, and that I've still got an enormous amount to learn. That also keeps me going. I have this childlike wonder about what I'm doing again.”
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PaulSmith
The Lateral Thinker With an electrifying magnetism and a refreshingly down-to-earth view of the world, Sir Paul Smith oozes positive energy like an active volcano. We sit down with one of the world's greatest creative minds to find out more about his inspirational life's journey. PHOTOGRAPHY • COURTESY OF PAUL SMITH
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If you spend even five minutes with Sir Paul Smith, or “Paul” as he insists on being called, you’ll be injected with his infectious sense of fun, his childlike curiosity, and his fascination with everything that the world has to offer. He is one of the world’s most celebrated British designers who has been in business for over 40 years. His brand is sold in 66 countries and he has 17 shops in England alone. Despite leaving school at 15 years of age and being diagnosed Walking into Sir Paul Smith’s private London office with dyslexia as a child, he currently employs over 3,000 is like discovering the design lover’s equivalent of people around the world and Charlie & The Chocolate Factory. Thousands of books his privately-owned company are piled high on every surface, framed photographs has an estimated worth of and sketches line the walls and floors, and a mishover GBP 1 billion. He has 14 separate collections, and mash of curious objects collected by the designer his impeccably tailored men’s during his 44-year career sit proudly displayed across and women’s fashion and every square inch of his shambolic treasure trove. accessories lines are worn by discerning musicians, actors “There is order in this chaos”, he insists with a smile, and fashionistas worldwide. while climbing onto his pink bicycle and riding it Described as a “creative with around the room... his feet on the ground”, he shuns the typical celebrity spotlight and favours simple, down-to-earth values. He’s also quite likely to spontaneously jump on a plane because he wants to see the Great Wall of China, then return home on the same day, because he has one day free in his incredibly hectic agenda. “Why not?”, he says with his trademark grin. A man who needs no introduction, we find out more about the pre-eminent British designer who maintains a "childlike" view of the world...
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"Creativity is about looking and seeing, not just about looking. Try to be interested and interesting. Try to learn to know when to listen and when to talk." Paul Smith
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RV: How did you originally get into fashion? PS: I started many years ago. I left school when I was 15 actually. Originally, my dream was to be a racing cyclist. I got my first bicycle when I was 12 years old, then I was a racing cyclist until I was 18. I had a bad crash and I was in hospital for six months. Around the same time, I met up with people from our local art school. The rest, as they say, is history because I was suddenly introduced to Pop Art, the Bauhaus, Warhol, Kokoschka and all of these other names that were a mystery to me at the time. I suddenly became fascinated by the world of creativity. I thought, "I wonder whether you can actually make a living doing something which has to do with creativity?" One of the girls I met there was starting a little clothes shop and she asked if I would help her out by finding and decorating a shop with her. She'd make the clothes and I would sell them as the shop manager. So that's what I did. That was fantastic because I actually didn't know anything about getting a lease for a shop, talking with lawyers, decorating the shop, doing the window display. Three years later, I met Pauline, who became my girlfriend and is now my wife. She had two children, lived in London and trained at the Royal College of Art. She looked so beautiful. She came to live with me, and suddenly, at the age of 21, I had two dogs, two cats and two kids. I'd previously been living at home with my mum and dad, so it was quite a shock, I can tell you! Both the dogs looked exactly like me. They had long hair and a big nose because they were Afghan Hounds. It was difficult to know sometimes which was the dog and which was me. It was a fantastic growing up period because, suddenly, I was a father of a 5 year old and an 8 year old, and had a lot of responsibility. RV: When did you create the Paul Smith brand? PS: After six years working as a shop assistant, Pauline gave me the energy and the enthusiasm to start my own little shop. I'd been working for about one year on my free day, which was a Monday, earning some extra money. With £600 and a room that was only three meters square, I opened something I called a shop. It absolutely wasn't a shop. It was a room. It was only open on Fridays and Saturdays. That was the start. I'll tell you the date that I started. I'm very, very old, you see. I started my little shop on the 9th October, 1970. Homer the dog was the manager of the shop, and I was his assistant – so that was very nice. For the rest of the week, I did anything that came along. I was a stylist, a colourist, a photographer. I worked with many of the early magazines and eventually worked with publications such as Face and Arena – I still work with magazines today as a photographer, and also shoot all of my own campaigns. My life was quite varied back then. Pauline was my teacher and she's the absolute reason why I'm here now because we're still in love. We still live together. She's still my inspiration. Because she trained at the Royal College of Art during the time
when couture was still being taught, she taught me about the importance of how to make and construct clothing. Today, a lot of the teaching is very much about the image, the marketing, the networking as well as designing, but not so much about the effort of cutting a pattern, making the toile and how clothes are actually constructed. She taught me that, and it was quite old school, but that was a key thing for me. That has meant that Paul Smith has always been well‐cut and beautifully made. I used to come to Paris with her when I was around 22 or 23 years old. The Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture very kindly gave us tickets to go to the couture shows back then, in Paris, so we saw Chanel, Patou and Courrèges. That was mind‐blowing, so fantastic, because it was all about the simplicity and the cut. You'd go there and there were two shows a day for two weeks. There was only about 15 people in the audience, no music, just the designers there with their pins and a few clients. It was wonderful training. From 1970 to 1976, I spent six years doing lots of things. In 1976, I made a very small collection and I took it to Paris, to a hotel called Hotel Odéon in Place de l'Odéon near the famous La Mediterranée restaurant, where Jean Cocteau used to go. I took a hotel room – a tiny hotel room, very basic – and that became my showroom. I got some black fabric and threw it over the bed. I think we had about six shirts to show on the bed – then I opened the wardrobe door and we had a spotlight. I think I had two jackets and one pair of trousers. During that period from 1970 to 1976, I'd been doing lots of freelance work, so I'd heard about the buyer from Barney's department store in New York and Seibu department store in Japan. I sent invitations to them, saying, "I'm Paul Smith, and I'm showing my collection." On Monday, nobody came. On Tuesday, nobody came. On Wednesday, nobody came. On Thursday, still nobody. I was about to pack my bag and go home, but then at four o'clock, I had one customer. Suddenly, I took an order. That was my first order. "Phew!" That was so lucky. That was the start. RV: Is it true that some of your first customers were young, up-and-coming musicians such as Led Zeppelin, David Bowie and The Rolling Stones? PS: Yes, that's right. I lived in Nottingham, in the middle of England. I had a good friend at art school who taught me how to do silkscreening, which you always do by hand. You build a wooden frame with silk, then you cut out the design. Much to the horror of my mum, I used to do the silkscreen printing at home – the smell of the ink was incredibly strong! I made some designs, I bought some basic, low‐cost plain white t‑shirts. Then, I silkscreened them very carefully. My dad bought me a 1948 Morris Minor car that cost around £21. Every weekend, I used to drive from Nottingham to London, which back then, used to take around five hours – it was so worth going though.
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IAN TEH, AGENCE VU
LONDON | PEOPLE
Back then, you could go to see really great bands above a pub or at the Railway Inn at Hampstead, or the Tally Ho in Kentish Town. Then, of course, there were the important clubs in Central London – the 100 Club in Oxford Street, Whisky a Go Go in Soho. Often, after the gig had finished, you could go on stage because there weren't any changing rooms for the bands. I'd say, "Hello. I really enjoyed your set. I like the new album." Occasionally, one of them might say, "Oh, what's your name? What do you do?" I said, "Oh, I'm Paul. Hello. I'm a young designer. Do you want to buy a t‑shirt?" I'd always have a t‑shirt stuffed in my bag or in my pocket. Often, they did buy t‑shirts. So I sold t‑shirts to Eric Clapton and to Rod Stewart when he was 18 and a very good singer. His image was very different then. I've just done a very big project with Jimmy Page. I've been making clothes for him since I was 18 years of age. Later on in my career, I worked with people like David Bowie in 1979 and 1982. Just recently, we designed some clothes for The Rolling Stones for a recent trip of theirs to Australia. That's why I’ve got this strong link with the music industry, because of those early days. A lot of the bands still come in here now. There's a young British guy called Jake Bugg who's a really nice singer. I think he's 19 or 20. He's from my hometown of Nottingham. Cyclists, musicians and actors seem to come and see me all the time. They just ring up so it's quite beautiful. RV: Now that you're one of Britain's most emblematic designers with hundreds of stores around the world, what did it take to arrive to the Paul Smith of 2015? PS: I think what was interesting about my life and my career from the age of 21 was meeting Pauline. She's very calm. She's never aspired to have big cars or airplanes. She's not a financially motivated person at all. She's a painter now. She was a fashion designer. Now, she paints and she's a dancer as well, which is really lovely. She's very well‑read. She is just this lovely, calm person. My father had a big influence on me too as he had really strong communication skills. He was really skilled at making people feel at ease. The combination of Pauline's solid background and my dad's quite vivacious way seemed to be what I inherited. We started Paul Smith with £600. I've always had this skill somehow – I suppose you call it a skill – of earning money but also having a strong image. I do two catwalk shows a year for men and two catwalk shows a year for women. But, also, I have quite a big jeans business and a classic suit business. It's this balance between having a strong image and doing things that pay the rent and keep the cash flow coming into your company. A lot of companies tend to have either one or the other, but they don't have a balance between both creativity and cash flow. So if you only have creativity, sadly, often, you run out of money. If you only have cash flow, then you have no character.
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RV: How did the Paul Smith brand grow over the years? PS: The interesting thing with my company is that its growth has been very gentle. It's never been like a rocket. People often say to me, "When did you really feel that you were taking off?" The answer is never. I mean, because it never really went like that. It always went just gently. The magnificent thing is that we have never borrowed any money. We're an independent company. We're not in any debt to any bank anywhere. We've never borrowed money. We own this building. We own our warehouses. We own the Milan building, the Paris building, etc. We're very solid. I think that's just because we've done it very gently, very honestly. That's why we've had longevity, I think, because we've kept our feet on the ground. Now, we employ about 1,000 staff here in Europe and 3,000 in Japan through our licensee, but also 35 staff directly. We've got shops in many, many countries. In this building, our London studio in Covent Garden, there's 200 of us. There's the design floor below here where we have about 25 print and textile designers and also actual clothes designers. There's 4 collections for men, 3 collections for women plus accessories, shoes and spectacles. What's unique is that in this building, we also have our very own shop design team that includes three architects and nine interior designers working there. Every shop we do around the world is individual and different, which is, of course, quite opposite to a lot of the big brands where the shops are virtually identical around the world. RV: How would you describe the Paul Smith aesthetic? PS: I suppose that it's very much about my character – about being individual, trying to be different than the run of the mill and not going along the typical path. I've always tried to think very laterally, so not down the obvious route, because the obvious route is the route that many people are taking. It's like buying yesterday's newspaper, the obvious route. About my London office, you could say, "It's like a kid's room." Yes, it's true, but I pride myself in thinking in a childlike manner, not "childish", childlike. I think it was Picasso who said that he spent his life continuing to have the freedom of a child in his mind because they're very honest in the way they do things. What I try to think is, “Why can't we do that” and “What about this” and “What about that?” Being childlike, I think, has kept the company really down to earth. The company today is really the same as it was in the early days – it's just a bit bigger now. It's got a heart, and not many companies have a heart. They just have a wallet. RV: What does "a day in the life of Paul Smith” look like? PS: I've always worked very hard as a person. I left school at 15. I left school on a Friday, and I started working at a new job on Monday. I never even had a holiday. I've always worked every day of my life. I've always been very optimistic and very full of energy. I'm blessed with
good health. I think it was in 1993 that I started swimming every morning. I swim every morning at a club here in London, and if I'm in Tokyo or Paris, I choose a hotel that has a swimming pool. If I can't swim, I cycle. I keep a bike in Paris, Tokyo and Milan. I swim every morning, but I'm not a very good swimmer. It's not like up and down for 50 lengths. Sometimes it can be for 10 minutes, sometimes it can be for 30 minutes. It's just great because it opens up your body and relaxes your mind. You've got to have a shower anyway! I start the day with a swim at 5:00 a.m, then arrive in the office at 6:00 a.m every morning. It's wonderful. There's nobody here apart from the cleaners. Then I get about an hour and a half of free time. Maybe put on some vinyl, listen to some music: Herbie Hancock, Van Morrison or Jake Bugg, whatever I fancy. I make some phone calls to Japan, nine hours ahead, or San Francisco. Then at around 7:30 a.m, there’s the first appointments with my staff – there's a lot of people in this building. I work really hard every day, from 6:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Every hour there's an appointment. It goes like that all day, and it's fantastic. I love it. There's a design room downstairs. We've got all of our social media team in the building. We've got shop designers in the building, showrooms in the building. There's such a great energy in here. I also tend to travel most weeks. RV: Where do you love to travel to? PS: I actually do these very funny day trips. About 15 years ago, I realised that my schedule was so busy that I couldn't really go to some of the places I've always wanted to go, like Hanoi or the Great Wall of China. So I started doing these day trips. I went to the Great Wall of China for the day. I went to Cambodia for the day, I went to Vietnam for the day, to Delhi for the day. I always told my friends, "I'm just going to Delhi, I'll be back soon." I arrive at midnight and leave at midnight. If I go to Delhi for the day, I'll take lots of photographs, I'll buy fabric, I'll look at a few monuments. Last time I went, I bought 15 wardrobes in a day. They're here somewhere. They're in one of my shops in London Bridge. I’ll buy pieces of furniture or antiques. When I went to the Great Wall of China, there was something very magical about climbing up. Now it's very touristy, but I went to a really remote part and went all the way to the top. You can see Mongolia and the Gobi Desert. The air, the freshness, the silence was amazing. It was just me, nobody else. I left my guide down at the bottom. He said, "Can't climb." He said he was too tired. RV: How do you see the world evolving today? PS: One of the problems of living in the world today is that we're so bombarded with information. Now, by looking on the Internet, you can find out amazing things within 45 seconds. Of course, that's wonderful,
but in the past you would have gone to a library to look at books. That means you would interact with a person, and then you'd feel the texture of the book – you would open the book and you would feel the weight, and you would observe people looking at other things. Life's changed a lot. Often, unfortunately, people are not so honest with themselves because they're not as pure as they used to be, because they're so influenced by, "Oh my gosh, that person's earning that much money or that person's got six jobs or he drives that car. Maybe I should be doing this or maybe I should be doing that." If you can be brave enough and you can be blessed, like I was, with finding Pauline, it's so important to just be yourself. You have to be quite brave to be yourself. Sadly, I think there's so much insecurity in the world now because there's such a bombardment of influences. It's quite hard to feel at ease with yourself inside. This insecurity is very evident in fashion because so many people want to buy fashion that indicates they are wealthy or that they are part of a fashion club. They like the logo to say, "I am part of this club." Or drive a certain car because they want to indicate something. That's very obvious and has been around for years. Sometimes you can just say, "I am me." RV: Based on your experiences in life, what would be the main advice that you would share with the next generation of designers and creators? PS: I think the key thing about anybody who's starting out in the world of making movies, making films, making documentaries, writers, chefs, designers, is that, honestly, nobody needs another designer or another newspaper or another magazine because there are already so many in the world. If you ask yourself, "What's my point of view? Why should somebody employ me? Why should somebody buy the clothes from me?" Of course, the answer is huge because it's about whether your product has the right cost, the right shape, whether your image is good, whether your production is good, the quality is good. It's about a lot of things. My recommendation to a young designer would be to just get out there and know the world of fashion. Live it, breathe it, immerse yourself in it. If you're a graphic designer, know graphic design from 30 years ago and know about doing things by hand, not just by computer. I even say to people, "Work in a bar at the weekend because you're learning life skills, you're learning communication skills, you're learning body language, and also you're learning organisational skills." You can learn so much from ordinary things. Also, look around. Enjoy seeing shadows, enjoy seeing texture, enjoy graffiti, enjoy stuff because that's what creativity is about. Creativity is about looking and seeing, not just about looking. Try to be interested and interesting. Try to learn to know when to listen and when to talk. Be proud. That's a good tip, I reckon. To watch the full video interview, visit: redvisitor.com/people
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M EN ' S S T Y L E : T I M E L E S S W A T C H E S
A Closer View
Discover our curated selection of timeless, endlessly stylish and impeccably crafted men's watches, set against a backdrop of exquisite Paul Smith scarves for men. PHOTOGRAPHY • ANDREW CORRIGAN
LONDON | STYLE
Watch, Chanel J12 Chromatic GMT
LONDON | STYLE
Watch, Heritage/Longines Column-Wheel chronograph
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Watch, BOUCHERON EPURE
Interlude... Let's take a little pause... to traverse the world to the warm and bohemian shores of California... to take an inspirational road trip from Seattle to San Diego with our friends, Lola James Harper...
Pictures & Story by Lola James Harper
Seattle to San Diego We are Lola James Harper, we record folk and rock songs, we take too many pictures and we have created 18 fragrances of the places we love the most around the globe… Last summer we went by car from Seattle to San Diego, cruising, playing basket ball, recording and enjoying the sun… here is a taste of it…
Santa Monica The muscle beach, the skate park at Venice, the long cruising road along the beach, the street basketball courts, the fun fair on the pier, Dog Town coffee shop, the amazing Sea Side Motel… We love it all… We recorded 6 songs at 4th Street Recording Studio… The Beach Boys recorded there a few decades ago… In Santa Monica we enjoy the smell of cedar wood and love playing Hanni El Khatib…
Santa Barbara The best spot to watch skaters just next to the beach eating a pizza and sun tanning‌ In Santa Barbara we enjoy the smell of bread and love playing the Red Hot Chilli Peppers‌
Palm Springs 110°F and a swimming pool... Thursday night is local market night... all Palm Springs turns into a local fair where we ate our best meat sandwich ever!!! In Palm Springs we enjoy the smell of thym and love playing Neil Young...
Joshua Trees Why travel to space when we have the Joshua Trees just there… with its science fiction scenery… rocks piling up to the sky and dancing cactus all around… leaving enough space in between to be at ease for the dance… In Joshua Trees Park we enjoy the smell of green tea and love playing Anouard Brahem…
Las Vegas Too much is too much or too much is not enough? In Las Vegas you just don’t know anymore… in Las Vegas we enjoy the smell of candies and can’t really play any music because too many things are going on there…
03. Paris
1. PLACES Trend Report: The New Paris
2. PEOPLE Media: Frédéric Beigbeder Art: JR Beauty: Clarins Photography: Olivier Dassault Fashion: Adama Ndiaye Design: Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance Art: Julien Marinetti Philanthropy: Michelle Yeoh & Jean Todt
3. STYLE Fragrances: Winter in Paris
The New Paris PARIS TREND REPORT: We reveal the hottest new trends and addresses that are taking the French capital by storm right now.
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The Hotel Revolution
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MGALLERY HOTEL MOLITOR - AGENC ENUEL, GILLES TRILLARD
P ARI S H O T E L S
Paris’s luxury hotel scene is positively booming. Over the last few years, the city has seen the arrival of glamorous international hotel chains such as the Mandarin Oriental, the Shangri-la and The Peninsula. Several of Paris's most historic and opulent 5-star palace hotels have also been undergoing renovations, including the recently re-opened Hôtel Plaza Athénée. Following a two-year, €140 million refurbishment, the iconic Hôtel Ritz is due to re-open in late 2015, while the majestic Hôtel de Crillon is set to open its doors again in 2016 following a €100 million renovation. Offering ultraexclusive luxury accommodation only a stone's throw from the Champs-Elysées and the Grand Palais, the alluring new La Réserve Paris Hotel & Spa just opened in January 2015. Set within
a breathtaking 19th-century classic Haussmanian building, the hotel was decorated by legendary French designer Jacques Garcia and is home to 40 Napoleonesque rooms and suites. Expanding their talents into the hotel arena, the cuttingedge young Parisian entrepreneurs behind the ECC (Experimental Cocktail Club) are set to open their first hotel project, the Grand Pigalle Hotel in February 2015. Known for their fashionable cocktail bars and restaurants in Paris, London and New York, the team is seeking to create a cool urban hangout with affordable boutique accommodations, hip dining and nightlife spaces, and thoughtful services such ondemand mixologists who will craft bespoke cocktails in the privacy of your room. La Réserve Hotel: lareserve-paris.com Grand Pigalle Hotel: grandpigalle.com
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HOTEL LA RESERVE
La RĂŠserve Hotel
PARIS | PLACES
2. The New Culture P ARI S ART S & C U L T U RE Home to the world’s most celebrated museums and now a wealth of cutting-edge new art foundations, Paris's cultural scene is thriving. Dedicated to the history of cinema, the Jérôme-Seydoux-Pathé Foundation has moved to its new headquarters in the 13th district, designed by star architect and Pritzker Laureate, Renzo Piano, who also designed the Centre Pompidou in 1977. The French luxury conglomerate, LVMH Group, has collaborated with American architect, Frank Gehry to conceive the breathtaking new Fondation Louis Vuitton, a futuristic haven dedicated to contemporary art. The highly anticipated re-opening of the Musée Picasso in October 2014 has also been drawing in the crowds, following a five-year long, €52 million refurbishment. The museum showcases more than 5,000 works by Picasso, displayed within an elegant 17th-century mansion in the heart of Le Marais district. Following seven years of construction, Paris’s breathtaking new symphonic concert hall, Philharmonie de Paris, opened in January 2015. Designed by celebrated French architect, Jean Nouvel, the 2,400 seat venue will host an eclectic program of events including world-class symphony, ballet, jazz and other cultural performances. Fondation Jérôme-Seydoux-Pathé: 75013, Paris Fondation Louis Vuitton: fondationlouisvuitton.fr Musée Picasso: museepicassoparis.fr Philharmonie de Paris: philharmoniedeparis.fr
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PICASSO MUSEUM
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HOTEL MOLITOR - OPPOSITE PAGE: AGENCE NUEL, GILLES TRILLARD; THIS PAGE: GILLES RIGOULET
PARIS | PLACES
3. Weekend Retreat P ARI S W E L L B EIN G First established in 1929, the Piscine Molitor was Paris's most iconic public swimming pool for over 60 years. After closing in 1989, the site was abandoned and became a favourite haunt of street artists who used its surfaces as a canvas for their graffiti art. Nestled on the edge of Paris's verdant Bois de Boulogne, the historic Art Deco swimming baths re-opened in mid-2014 and have been given a new lease of life as the HĂ´tel Molitor. Discover a sanctuary of 124 modern rooms and suites by MGallery Collection, along with a wealth of luxe amenities including two heated swimming pools (one indoor and one outdoor), a revitalising Spa by Clarins, and a state-of-the-art health and fitness centre. Parisians no longer need to leave the city to enjoy a relaxing health spa retreat. HĂ´tel Molitor: 13 rue Nungesser et Coli, 75016 Paris | mltr.fr
PARIS | PLACES
4. The Coffee Scene P ARI S C A F E S The international barista-style coffee wave has finally made its way to Paris, raising the benchmark of quality espressos and cappuccinos being served throughout the city. The pioneer of the coffee revolution was La Caféothèque, one of the city's first specialist coffee shops. Today, other players such as Coutume Café, Café Lomi and l’Arbre à Café are leading the wave by serving premium-quality coffee using their own roasted beans sourced from the best coffee regions in the world, such as Central America, Brazil and Ethiopia – they also supply their own branded blends to many other cafes throughout the city. “It is an interesting time for coffee in Paris, where specialty coffee has definitely found its place here”, says Peter Tsardakis, Paris-based international
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coffee consultant. “Degustations, coffee workshops and homebrew barista kits can now be found at various coffee shops around Paris. Specialty coffee is also being adopted across other sectors, such as the restaurant world. Parisian Michelin-starred and bistronomy chefs are exploring the unique flavours and uses that coffee has to offer – both in the cup and on the plate – to enhance their customers’ dining experience." Here is our pick of some of the best places to drink great coffee in Paris right now: Coutume Café: facebook.com/Coutume Café Kitsune: kitsune.fr Café Strada: stradacafe.fr Café Lomi: cafelomi.com Telescope Café: telescopecafe.com KB CafeShop: facebook.com
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CAFE COUTUME
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5. Street Art Indoors P ARI S C U L T U RE
With the rise of internationally renowned French artists such as JR, André and Invader, street art is now not only visible across the walls of the world’s major cities, but is also being showcased indoors within cutting-edge art galleries, historic cultural landmarks and even five-star hotels such as the Hôtel Molitor. Known for his colossal black and white portraits, JR recently took his street art indoors when he was commissioned to produce a massive installation within Paris’s iconic Panthéon, where he covered the monument's dome, interior cupola and floor with over 4,000 black and white portraits. Here are some of the best places to discover indoor street art by leading French and international artists: Galerie Itinerrance: itinerrance.fr Magda Danysz Gallery: magda-gallery.com Galerie Brugier-Rigail: galerie-brugier-rigail.com
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6. The Vintage Revival
Les Puces de Saint-Ouen: rue des Rosiers, 93400 Saint-Ouen
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Les Puces de Saint-Ouen, the iconic flea market in the northern area of Paris, is now the world epicenter of antique and vintage design, bringing together creators, designers, dealers and collectors from all corners of the globe. Open on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays, rue des Rosiers is the trendiest area to visit, where you'll find the Habitat 1964 showroom selling items from its collections over the last 50 years. You'll also find the cutting-edge Parisian concept store, L'Éclaireur, which showcases the nec plus ultra of fashion, design and furniture. Visit Mademoiselle Steinitz vintage store for exquisite Belle Époque furniture and vintage haute-couture gowns, and enjoy a gourmand lunch at Philippe Starck's funky modern bistro, Ma Cocotte.
L'ECLAIREUR
P ARI S DE S I G N
7. Sweet Paris P ARI S P A T I S S ERIE S Paris is home to the finest master patissiers and chocolatiers in the world, including celebrated creators such as Pierre Hermé, Philippe Conticini (La Pâtisserie des Rêves), Jacques Genin and Sébastien Gaudard. To meet the increasing demand for their sweet creations, the patissiers have recently been opening new boutiques throughout the city. It’s now easier than ever to indulge in the inventive gourmet macarons of Pierre Hermé, the exquisite Paris-Brest of Sébastien Gaudard, the to-die-for Saint-Honoré at La Pâtisserie des Rêves, or the refined chocolates of Jacques Génin.
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PIERRE HERME
Pierre Hermé: pierreherme.com Sébastien Gaudard: sebastiengaudard.fr La Pâtisserie des Rêves: lapatisseriedesreves.com Jacques Génin: jacquesgenin.fr
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8. Exquisite Interiors P ARI S DE S I G N The Hôtel Plaza Athénée closed its doors in October 2013 to undergo an extensive, €200 million renovation. When it re-opened again in August 2014, one of the most spectacular restaurant designs in the world was revealed. Designed by celebrated design duo, Patrick Jouin and Sanjit Manku, the designers were inspired by the softness of curves. Custom furnishings made of remarkable quality showcase new and vintage materials such as crystal, leather and oak wood. This setting is home to 3 Michelin-starred chef Alain Ducasse's fine dining restaurant, Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée. The chef simultaneously launched a new contemporary French culinary concept inspired by "naturality" revealing the flavours of premium natural ingredients – such as highquality fish, vegetables and cereals – in inventive new ways. Hôtel Plaza Athénée: 25 Avenue Montaigne, 75008 Paris
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THAI TOUTAIN, RESTAURANT DAVID TOUTAIN
Hot New Openings
9.
P ARI S RE S T A U RAN T S
PARIS | PLACES
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Identi-T By David Toutain The talented young
avant-garde gastronomy chef, David Toutain will blow your mind with his sophisticated creations inspired by the finest seasonal products. Dine at his new 16-seat "chefs table" – a private dining room which just opened in January 2015 next to his original restaurant.
29 rue Surcouf, 75007 Paris | davidtoutain.com
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Heimat Discover chef Pierre Jancou's brand new
Franco-Italian bistronomy-style eatery, which is also known for its discerning natural wine list. Situated next to the Palais Royal gardens, Heimat is attracting Paris's foodie crowd with its bold and flavoursome cuisine.
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52 Faubourg St Denis As a welcome addition to the city's casual, all-day dining scene, this trendy eatery is open from 8am until midnight, 7 days per week. Start the day with a delicious breakfast and a well-crafted coffee, or enjoy light and gourmand dishes for lunch and dinner. No bookings.
52 rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis, 75010 Paris | No website
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Caffè Stern Nestled within the historic Passage des Panorama in a former 19th-century engraving shop, this gorgeous Venetian-inspired restaurant and cafe designed by Philippe Starck offers a true Italian experience. Open from 8:30am until midnight.
37 rue de Montpensier, 75001 Paris | heimatparis.com
47 passage des Panoramas, 75002 Paris | No website
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21 rue Saint Nicolas, 75012 Paris | dersouparis.com
30-32 rue Victor Massé, 75009 Paris | lentreedesartistespigalle.com
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68 rue des Dames, 75017 Paris | No website
12 rue des Messageries, 75010 Paris | porte12.com
Dersou You could be tempted to spend the entire day eating, drinking and hanging out at this modern cantine-meets-cocktail bar in the Bastille district, owned by a cool Franco-Japanese duo. Enjoy a healthy breakfast, delicious coffee, small plates for lunch and an innovative tasting menu with cocktail pairings for dinner. Gare au Gorille Opened in October 2014 by
two ex-team members of the celebrated Septime restaurant, this charming new foodie gem delivers a highly affordable, light-yet-gourmand menu of bistronomystyle dishes, superb desserts and original natural wines.
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Pages Step within this modern dining space
close to the Champs-Elysees and you’ll enjoy a front row view of talented young head chef, Teshi and his brigade of dedicated chefs at work in their open kitchen. Pages brings together the best of French and Japanese flavours and ingredients. Bookings essential. 4 rue Auguste Vacquerie, 75016 Paris | facebook.com/pagesparis
L’Entrée des Artistes Located in a former hostess bar in the now gentrifying area of Pigalle, this brand new multi-level loft delivers a stylish all-in-one space for delicious sharing plates, well-curated wines and creative cocktails. Arrive early for drinks, then stay on for dinner and make a night of it. Open from 6pm - 2am. Porte 12 Set within a former fine lingerie
atelier, chef Vincent Crepel’s Porte 12 is sure to impress with its modern, gourmand cuisine which showcases exquisite seasonal products and an inventive menu that delivers an exotic twist. Bookings essential.
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Clover After more than 25 years behind the
kitchen in Michelin-starred restaurants, chef Jean-François Piège has recently opened his own more casual, intimate side project with his wife Elodie. Enjoy modern and flavoursome French creations with Paris's foodie crowd in the heart of St Germain-des-Prés.
5 rue Perronet, 75007 Paris | jeanfrancoispiege.com
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10.
Well-Aged Cocktails P ARI S NI G H T L I F E
Eric Fossard and Thierry Daniel are two of the major movers and shakers of the international cocktail scene. As the owners of Le Coq, a Parisian cocktail bar famous for its innovative laboratory and private cocktail master classes, the duo also organises events such as the annual International Cocktail Spirits and Paris Cocktail Week. “Paris is finally back as a serious player in the international cocktail scene”, explains Eric. “There’s a lot of new bars opening all over Paris with a strong French identity. They’re reintroducing old-fashioned French spirits such as Absinthe, Suze or Byrrh, which have been forgotten or forbidden in France for many years.” In addition to Le Coq, Experimental Cocktail Club (ECC) – one of the pioneers of Paris's fashionable cocktail scene – serves some of the city's best aged cocktails at its Paris-based bars
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Prescription, ECC and The Ballroom. The recently opened Le Syndicat cocktail bar’s facade is marked by a wall covered in posters. Inside, however, you’ll find a glamorous speakeasy with chic, golden interiors, serving excellent Frenchalcohol based cocktails. At Hexagone, a young 3 Michelin-star chef has opened his own classy and creative cocktail bar in the poshest area of Paris to compliment his modern French gastronomy restaurant. Lulu White is a new Absinthe-focused cocktail bar in the edgy South Pigalle district, featuring Belle Époque interiors infused with a cool New Orleans vibe. Le Coq: pariscocktailweek.fr ECC: experimentalcocktailclub.fr Le Syndicat: facebook.com/syndicatcocktailclub Hexagone: hexagone-paris.fr Lulu White: luluwhite.bar
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EXPERIMENTAL COCKTAIL CLUB
HOTEL LA RESERVE |
The Ten Best: If there are only ten places that you should visit in Paris right now, make sure that it's these unmissable local addresses.
P H O T O C REDI T
Paris Address Book
PARIS | PLACES
BEST ALL-DAY CAFE La Petite Table Run by a friendly Italian team, this super cute and fashionable new Marais café offers delicious all-day dining from 9am - 11pm.
COOLEST AREA Le Marais Discover the city's trendiest fashion boutiques, art galleries, animated cafes and late-night bars in this hip Parisian neighbourhood.
27 rue de Saintonge, 75003 Paris +33 1 74 64 00 36 | lapetitetableparis.com
rue Vieille-du-Temple, 75003 Paris rue des Francs-Bourgeois, 75003 Paris
BEST FOODIE GEM Septime One of France’s most gifted young chefs, Bertrand Grébaut delivers one of Paris's best modern French dining experiences.
BEST HIDDEN LANDMARK Passage des Panoramas This charming 19th-century covered arcade is home to antique stores, specialist boutiques and foodie dining spots such as Passage 53, Caffe Stern and Gyoza Bar.
80 rue de Charonne, 75011 Paris +33 1 43 67 38 29 | septime-charonne.fr
Passage des Panoramas, 75002 Paris
BEST CASUAL DINING L'Ami Jean Expect a seriously gourmand and riotously fun modern French dining experience at chef Stephane Jego's cosy 7th district bistro.
BEST ROMANTIC HAVEN La Réserve Enjoy an intimate cocktail in their sultry bar, or settle in and stay all night at one of Paris's most seductive new luxury boutique hotels.
27 rue Malar, 75007 Paris +33 (0)1 47 05 86 89 | lamijean.fr
42 Avenue Gabriel, 75008 Paris +33 1 58 36 60 60 | lareserve-paris.com
BEST CONCEPT STORE Colette Edgy and fashion-forward, Colette continues to hold its place as “the” trend-setting haven for anyone interested in fashion, art and design.
BEST FINE DINING Restaurant Le Cinq Celebrated chef Christian Le Squer delivers a fabulous fine dining experience at the legendary Hotel Four Seasons George V.
213 rue Saint-Honoré, 75001 Paris +33 1 55 35 33 90 | colette.fr
31 Avenue George V, Paris 75001 +33 (0)1 49 52 71 54 | restaurant-lecinq.com
BEST GREEN SPACE Jardin du Luxembourg This verdant 23-hectare oasis in the heart of Paris is the home of the French Senate and is the ultimate place to enjoy a peaceful winter's stroll, to play tennis or go jogging.
BEST PRIVATE CLUB Chez Castel A mythical club in the 1970s, this ultraexclusive late-night den re-opened in late 2014 and is run by Paris's leading nightlife mavens.
Jardin du Luxembourg, 75006
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Frédéric Beigbeder Celebrated writer, free-spirited intellectual, brilliant socialite and eternal lover, Frédéric Beigbeder is a shimmering disco ball that illuminates everything in his cosmos. His romantic spirit perfectly mirrors that of Paris, especially that of his quartier préféré, Saint-Germain, where you will find him discussing literature and changing the world until way too late in the night at the area's most iconic local bars...
RV: Was taking on the role of Directeur de la Rédaction of Lui magazine the perfect role for you? FB: It's true that it's great fun and we are very lucky! Not only are there beautiful images to create with amazing girls, but I also have the opportunity to hire a lot of writers that I love, both French and international. In one of our latest issues, Robert McLiam Wilson wrote a fantastic article on "How to flirt in the street". I'm very happy with this new adventure, and the magazine is really quite successful with, on average, 100,000 copies sold each month. In fact, the role of Lui is no longer the same as it was 20 years ago. People buy it for other reasons now; you’re buying a high-end magazine that is part-lifestyle, part-literary and with beautiful, sexy images of undressed fashion. What’s funny
is that we act like we’re doing a fashion shoot, but without any clothing! Léa Seydoux was very brave to accept to be on the cover of our first issue. She’d just received a Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival for the movie The Life of Adele. She really trusted us, and thanks to her, we launched the magazine – it was born! Right away, people started saying “Okay, if Léa did it, it’s okay, it means we can do it too”, and that opened the door to Kate Moss, Gisele Bündchen, Rihanna and Laetitia Casta. In fact, we work on this publication very egotistically – I always try to think about myself first. It’s very important for the reader to know that the person or people who create a publication do it for themselves first, not to please anyone else. I don’t seek to please the reader – I try to have fun, to please myself, and I always ask myself what I feel like doing, who I feel like meeting, which girl do I feel like seeing a bit sexy and at least if no one buys it, I’ve succeeded in pleasing myself. That’s already a good thing. RV: How would you define Parisian women? FB: Being a Parisian myself, I can tell you that they’re incredibly capricious, little pains in the neck and that I hate them! But it’s obviously why I also love them. It’s very complicated to seduce a Parisian woman. When you’re a Parisian man and you travel, you meet amazing, gorgeous women, but
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you'll always have a bit of nostalgia for the capricious and unbearable side of French women. You can never get bored with a Parisian woman. They are so demanding that they’ll never be completely satisfied. It’s like a never-ending rodeo. It's tiring, they change their mind all the time, they complain all the time and criticize everything. It makes life very difficult for their husbands, but at the same time, it is charming to think that she’ll never be happy and that I still have work to do! But if I had the choice between a woman who I’d never make happy, or one who I could make happy and who would be kind and smiling and nice all the time, I’d prefer the one who I could never make happy! RV: You’ve always been associated with the intellectual anticonformism of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Is this still the case? FB: I’ve always lived in Paris's 6th arrondissement, around Saint Germain and the Luxembourg Gardens. In the past, I was an angry young man rebelling against my bourgeois social environment, against my parents of course, against the advertising world. Soon, I’ll be 50 years old and I realise that now I’ve become more resistant to change. Today, I’m less of a rebel and am more a part of the resistance. I’ve evolved from being rebellious in order to change the world to a moment in my life where I’m more understanding about the world. It’s true that nowadays I want to stand up for the lifestyle of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. I want to preserve places like this traditional French bar where we are now, La Palette, where you can change the world until far too late into the night. Where you can discuss literature and the atmosphere is quite open for intellectual discussions about life and civilization. RV: It seems as though you are very nostalgic about the past... FB: The danger today lies in an excess of progress without reflection. Let’s take a look at the example of digitisation: is it fantastic, or is it dehumanising? I don’t know. The act of dematerialising books, records, movies, and having all of culture and the history of humanity in your smartphone – is this a good or bad evolution? At first, I thought it was good news – it was the dream of the great philosophers of ancient times: being an honest man who speaks Latin fluently, who knows everything about everything and who practically has a library in his brain. Now, it’s technically possible, but at the same time, doesn't it cut us off from pursuing our curiosity? Will it make us lazy and closed off to culture? When you go over to people’s apartments now, there are no more books, no more bookshelves. There are no more record collections, and I feel a void. Of course, they start to explain, “Don't worry, I have everything here in my smartphone.” These technological tools that were presented to us as a way of getting closer to each other have actually become a way to isolate us from one another. Let’s not lose our good old habits, to leave our homes, go to a bar, order a drink, get to know people. You take that away, and that will be the end of mankind! RV: Is complaining a way to resist change as you get older? FB: I am getting older so I talk like a veteran who prefers his old bachelor habits. I guess it’s the natural process of life. I think that life consists of being liberal – then afterwards, the older you get, the more conservative you become. When you get older, deep within, your body prepares you to die, and how does it do that? Well, you don’t understand anything about the world anymore
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– the older you get, the less you understand about what’s going on around you. And then comes the day where you really don’t understand anything at all, and well, then you die. On the other hand, we can fight against this – for example, Karl Lagerfeld is a typical example of someone who is older than us, and at the same time, he is plugged in, very modern, knows everything and loves all of the new technologies. It’s actually interesting – he's really the exception to all this. I’m attached to memories – maybe because I’m a writer, and it's my job to seek out the magic in the past. RV: How would you describe your writing style? FB: I think that I’m a reflection of my time, a character who has gone through quite a few different lives and professions all related to writing – in newspapers, books, movies, TV shows, it’s all about writing. A writer who expresses himself on multiple platforms – not only books. One shouldn’t be a Puritan – you can defend a certain kind of mindset, of irony and impertinence everywhere. This freedom can only be found in books, in the press, in broadcasting … this mindset is exactly what I feel that I inherited from the inhabitants of this city. Parisians discuss and argue topics all night – I have memories from when I was a child hanging out in cafes and listening to people. I loved doing that and I still do. I feel like this is the only city in the world where you can be in a café by yourself and then start talking to the waiter, and then there’s the guy who will come up to the counter and make a comment about politics or some other topic like that. A conversation starts, then a pretty girl comes along, and we flirt and we drink. Where is this possible? I don’t think it’s possible in Los Angeles – it doesn’t exist. I think there are two kinds of writers; the writers of the past and the writers of the future. Proust is a writer of the past, and so is Modiano, and so am I. I like to constantly go back to my memories – the past fascinates me. Everything from the '70s and '80s fascinates me. RV: From your perspective, is Paris still the capital of glamour? What makes Parisians so different? FB: Everything is beautiful in Paris, with the exception of arriving at the airport! Crossing the Seine from Notre Dame to Pont de l'Alma is magical. The intelligence of Parisians, their wickedness, their dissatisfaction – I find it all very charming. Keep in mind that intelligence does not lead to happiness – intelligence leads to frustration. Everyone says that the French complain a lot, but that's natural when you know that you were once a great colonial empire, and today you're a country with mainly luxury brands and Bordeaux wine. I am clear about the fact that I live in a museum city, but I really take advantage of it. I actually walk frequently in front of the Académie Française and the Pont des Arts – I hate those locks though. If someone could just remove all those stupid locks! The booksellers, the Shakespeare and Company bookstore – it’s all wonderful. You can walk along rue Guénégaud and rue de Seine. I like the empty museums, like the Musée Gustave Moreau – nobody ever goes there. It's beautiful with its ancient workshops. Or take a walk in the park of the Rodin Museum – it’s incredibly poetic and calm. It makes no sense, actually – Paris is the opposite of capitalism. It’s the opposite of speed, of cost-effectiveness. You walk in a park, you sit on a bench, you discover a statue of a gorgeous girl. It’s really moving. To read the full interview, visit: redvisitor.com/people
"You can never get bored with a Parisian woman. They are so demanding that they will never be completely satisfied. It’s like a never-ending rodeo." Frédéric Beigbeder
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T H E L E G ENDARY S T REE T ART I S T
JR Meet the inspiring French street artist who has been touching the lives of people in all corners of the world with his colossal, eyepopping black and white street art portraits. PHOTOGRAPHY • COURTESY GALERIE PERROTIN
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an art change the world? By the time the semi-anonymous artist known as "JR" asked this question to the audience at a TED Talk in 2011, he had already been changing urban landscapes around the world for over a decade. As a young graffiti artist in his hometown of Paris, JR found a camera on the local metro one day. He started pasting his photographs on posters around the city – which he termed his “Sidewalk Galleries” – and found a form of expression that would touch the lives of people in some of the world’s poorest and most conflicted areas over the coming decade. When the outskirts of Paris experienced an outburst of riots in 2005, JR captured intimate and up-close portraits of local residents with his 28mm fisheye camera, who were encouraged to pull faces for the camera. Before long, these images were pasted onto the walls of the city’s wealthiest neighbourhoods. He had connected two communities by using the city as a canvas, and he’s been doing it around the world ever since. In 2007, he created the largest illegal photography exhibition in the world by posting large-scale portraits of Israelis and Palestinians side by side on the wall that separates both territories. His project, “The Wrinkles of The City” saw intimate portraits of elderly local residents splashed across building walls from Los Angeles to Havana and Shanghai. His project, “Women are Heroes” drew JR to Kenya and Providencia – one of Rio de Janeiro’s most dangerous favelas – where he worked with the local community to cover houses, walls and staircases with the portraits of local women. When media interest started to grow, JR quietly disappeared, forcing the city’s journalists to open up a dialogue with these previously shunned communities. In one of his latest projects, “Inside Out”, the self-titled photograffeur encourages participants around the world to send him a photograph. Printed in large scale, he then returns a poster of their snapshot along with the invitation to paste it wherever they choose. Can art change the world? Armed with a camera, paper and glue, JR is encouraging us to try.
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What we see changes who we are. When we act together, the whole thing is much more than the sum of the parts.
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P ORT RAI T : T H E C L ARIN S S T ORY
A Family Affair Celebrating its 61st anniversary this year, Clarins is one of the pioneering global leaders of luxury skincare, cosmetics and fragrance. Meet the family behind one of France's most emblematic companies. PHOTOGRAPHY • COURTESY OF CLARINS
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elebrating its 61st anniversary this year, Clarins is one of the leading global luxury skincare, fragrance and cosmetics companies in the world. Pioneering entrepreneur, Jacques Courtin-Clarins, founded the emblematic French brand in 1954 when he laid the foundations of modern aromatherapy in his Parisian beauty salon. Today, his sons Christian and Olivier Courtin-Clarins run the privately-owned family company. Their daughters – namely Prisca, Jenna, Virginie and Claire – are also shareholders, supervisory board members and global ambassadors of the brand, projecting a fresh-faced future for the company. With an estimated valuation of $3.6 billion, and more than 9,000 employees worldwide, the brand now sells in over 160 countries, and its high-quality skin care products and perfumes are still exclusively produced in France. "The Clarins brand started with the development of professional skin care treatments”, explains Christian Courtin-Clarins, President of the Clarins Group. “My father strongly believed in natural plant extracts. In 1954, he created face and body treatment oils for his clients based upon 100 per cent pure plant extracts to rebalance the skin. The products still exist today. It's one of the unique successes where a product range has existed for such a long time.”
A natural researcher and a born inventor, Jacques CourtinClarins’s conviction was that beauty, health and well-being were interconnected – a daring holistic vision in the early 1950s. At his Parisian beauty "Institute", he would draw up a personalised skin care diagnosis for each of his clients. “My father was a genius of marketing and understanding our customers”, Christian says. "Over the years, this information provided him with a vital source of research for the ongoing development of the Clarins product range." In 1974, his father asked Christian to join him in the family business to create the company’s International Division, and drive its worldwide development. “I was born a Sagittarius, which is the astrological sign of "the traveller"”, Christian says. “When I started to work at
the company, I remember that every morning my father would give me 10 letters from our customers that I would have to answer. That was very useful, as it helped me to better understand our customer's needs and helped us immensely in the creation of new products." Subsidiaries started springing up from Europe to Asia. In 1980, Clarins became the leading luxury skincare brand in France. In 1981, it opened its first US subsidiary. The company listed on the Paris Stock Exchange in 1984, and by 1990, Clarins was the number one skin care brand in Europe and remains so today. “I've been travelling all of my life. From 1974 to 2000, I opened 128 countries for the company”, he explains. "Travelling to every country was such an experience. Japan was one of the most difficult countries to open because we had to deal with so many local regulations, which is also the case in Germany. When you are successful in these countries, it generally means that you can make it anywhere else." Christian’s younger brother, Dr. Olivier CourtinClarins, joined the company in 1995 after a career as an orthopedic surgeon. Now the Managing Director of the Clarins Group, Olivier oversees the company's research and development, the Clarins Skin Spa boutiques and over 50 luxury Clarins spas around the world. He also launched My Blend, a high-end skin care line, and Spa My Blend by Clarins, a new generation of ultrapersonalised spas based in a select group of luxury hotels around the world such as the Royal Monceau in Paris. In 2008, after 24 years on the Paris Stock Exchange, Christian and Olivier Courtin-Clarins decided to delist the Clarins Group and make it private again. “When you are in a family business, you need to have a long term view of at least 5 ‑ 10 years ahead”, Christian says. “You don't judge a marathon every 100 metres. You can’t judge the success of a company every quarter. This is why we removed Clarins from the stock market, because with a quarterly approach, you put pressure on everybody to focus on the short term. For a luxury product, if you want to have the time to create, to do the proper research behind a high‑quality product, then you need time”.
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From Left to Right: The Courtin-Clarins daughters: Virginie, Jenna, Claire, Prisca.
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Clarins has initiated many new directions in skincare due to its determination to break new ground and continually innovate. It was among the first brands to foresee the potential of plants for cosmetics, and now uses more than 250 different plant extracts in the formulation of its products, ranging from flowers, grasses, lichen, bark, algae and creepers. “We are always looking for something different, so we have been very innovative”, Christian says. “We were the first one to introduce UVA sun filters and anti-pollution protection within our products. We always say, "How can we be different?"” In addition to launching a women’s makeup collection and a dedicated men’s skincare range, the Clarins Group also owns the French fashion and perfume brand, Thierry Mugler, which creates the top-selling Angel and Azzaro fragrances. Bringing a fresh-faced youthfulness to the company’s image, the daughters of Christian (Virginie and Claire) and Olivier (twins Jenna and Prisca) are now involved in the company as third-generation brand ambassadors and supervisory board members. “Today, my daughter Virginie and Olivier’s daughter, Prisca, work in our company", he says. "Virginie is the Director of Marketing and Communication at MUGLER Fashion, and Prisca is the Strategic Director for Clarins Spa activities. Our two other daughters, Claire and Jenna, are more artistic. I think it's very important to have an artistic mind frame to help you to see things differently”. Crowned Fashion "It" girls by Vogue, the glamorous cousins first captured the fashion world’s attention at the 2011 New York Fashion Week with their sophisticated French style and natural beauty, and have been revered in international fashion and society circles ever since. Respect also lies at the heart of the Clarins ethic. “I've been very involved in sustainable development since 1985”, Christian says. “In the beginning, I saw that we had to do it. Now, we need to do it. I'll use the famous quote of Saint-Exupéry: "We do not inherit the earth from our parents; we borrow it from our children.” So we have to give it back clean."
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The Power of Light French politician, aviation pilot, business leader, media tycoon, musician, composer and celebrated photographer, the multi-talented Olivier Dassault is a luminous artist who harnesses the power of light in his striking photography. PHOTOGRAPHY • OLIVIER DASSAULT
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livier Dassault is the perfect example of an heir who has made the finest of his privileged upbringing. Born into one of France's most significant family dynasties founded by his legendary grandfather, Marcel Dassault, Olivier has achieved great success in a wide variety of fields: serving as Deputy in the French National Assembly, the current President of the multinational Dassault Communication Group, a world record holder for speed (in a Dassault Falcon jet), a composer of film scores and an artistic photographer. What is the link between his diverse talents? "Whatever I do is driven by an obsession to add beauty to what already exists", he says, inviting beauty into the conversation. "In arts, of course, but in politics as well, I always try to bring something positive to the world." Although he pursued a scientific path as his formal education, his encounter with art dates further back to his early childhood. "My mother often took me to museums and exhibitions, training my eyes to understand many forms of arts", he says. "Later, whenever I was travelling, I used to send her postcards of the museums that I'd visited, to show her that I had absorbed her teachings." His grandfather also had a tremendous influence on Olivier's artistic talents throughout his life. "I remember my grandfather's collection of Impressionist masterpieces and his taste for art", he reflects. "He not only took me by his side to give me the opportunity to pursue different careers, he also allowed me to publish my first photography in Jours de France magazine even though the photographs didn't fit the classic style of the magazine at that time." Olivier Dassault was only a child when he received his first camera. Since then, he always carries one close to him, enabling him to capture a moment of instantaneous light when the opportunity arises. Magical light, stealthy light, and obsessive light – this is what he is constantly searching for. "I love the moment when I have a timeless encounter with a rare, short-lasting or unique type of light", he explains. "It's what makes photography particularly magical".
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LONDON | PHOTOGRAPHER SERIES
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What does he consider one of his most emblematic photography works to date? "I would say my 'Spirit Wall' piece", he responds. "I had a sudden vision after having seen the same wall hundreds of times, where I discovered a new perspective due to a particular type of light that was cast upon the wood. The sun acted as a spotlight and needed to be captured at the perfect moment." Light has become so magical in Olivier Dassault's work and life that it even guides where he prefers to travel. "More than choosing a particular country to visit, instead I tend to select destinations that have a specific type of light", he says. "I've had the opportunity to travel a great deal, "Whatever I do is driven by and India really struck me due to its wonderful variety of colours and its an obsession to add beauty spectacular monuments. I also visited to what a lrea dy exists." Mexico with French film-maker, François Reichenbach. I recall that during a Día de Todos los Santos (All Saints' Day) national celebration one year, there were colours simply everywhere – including painted over the local houses, and covering the traditional women's and children's clothing. That is a really beautiful memory of mine." Today, Olivier Dassault's work has evolved towards abstraction and superimposition, letting light take its full dimension. His work has been exhibited internationally in many cities, such as Oslo, Hong Kong, Palm Springs and Paris. What does success as a photographer mean to him? "The real acknowledgment as a photographer comes when someone purchases your work, when there is a true intention for someone to purchase and collect masterpieces", he responds. What is the advice that he would give to the next generation? "I would tell the young generation to never give up, even if your goal seems out of reach", he says. "Nothing is impossible in life. There is a Hebrew saying, 'Forget what you give but always remember what you get.'"
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The African Fashion Queen Meet the talented Franco-Senegalese fashion designer and creative powerhouse, Adama Ndiaye, who is championing African fashion through her global series of fashion events. PHOTOGRAPHY • OMAR VICTOR DIOP
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The first thing we noticed when we met Adama for the first time was her electrifying, 1,000-mega-watt smile. Dressed in a stunning retro-inspired bright-pink jumpsuit with a perfectly coiffed afro, she drew the admiring gaze of every Parisian man, woman and child in sight. Yet she was seemingly oblivious to the attention...
Fast-forward 12 months, and it’s only a few hours before a bevy of glamorous African models will emerge from backstage to walk the runway at Black Fashion Week 2014 in Paris, an international event Adama created in 2010 to enable African fashion designers to show their collections in major cities around the world. Her French-Senegalese fashion label, Adama Paris, will be opening the show, and she’s surprisingly calm for someone who will be receiving a packed audience of fashion industry and international celebrities in only two hours time. Born in Kinshasa, Zaire, to Senegalese parents, Adama was raised in Europe and travelled extensively as a child. “Both of my parents are Senegalese", she explains. "They were diplomats who worked for the Senegalese embassy, so we travelled all over the world when I was young, to cities such as Paris, London and New York. I never actually lived in Senegal when I was younger. However, now I’m based there and it’s my home. It's so beautiful.” She was passionate about fashion early on, but at the insistence of her father, she followed a more traditional path by studying economics then became a banker. After only one year, she quit banking, against her father’s wishes, and followed her dream by launching her own fashion label, Adama Paris. Designed for young contemporary women, the
brand brings together influences from Africa and the street fashion of her favourite cities in the world, such as Paris, New York, Tokyo and Dakar. In 2002, she went on to launch her first fashion event in Senegal, Dakar Fashion Week, to promote young African design talent. The annual event was an instant hit, and by 2014, the event showcased thirty designers from nine countries in Africa and Asia. Following the success of Dakar Fashion Week, Adama wanted to show her collections in Paris. “I really wanted to show at Paris Fashion Week, but no one allowed me to as it was very difficult to be invited as a young designer". she explains. "So I started to think about creating my own fashion event, Black Fashion Week. There were many other designers facing the same issue. So I said to myself, "OK, I’m going to launch my own show.” Since 2010, Adama has launched Black Fashion Week events around the world in cities such as Paris, Prague, Montreal, Washington D.C. and Bahia in Brazil. She also produces the annual Afrika Fashion Awards and launched the first African television channel, Fashion TV Africa, in April 2014. A global champion of African fashion, a dynamo of energy and one of the most inspiring people that we know, Adama shares with us more about her life as a fashion designer, a producer and a global voyageur ... 205
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RV: When did you first decide to become a fashion designer? AN: I didn't study fashion – I actually studied economics. I was a banker before I got into the fashion industry. I always loved fashion, and I wanted to do it from a young age. However, my dad didn't want me to. He’s a strong Senegalese papa, and he really wanted me to be a lawyer or a banker. He thought that it was more secure for my future. I was not allowed to study fashion, bottom line. You can't argue with my dad! So I made a deal with him, where he said, "OK, first you have to study. Then afterwards, you can do whatever you want." So I studied economics, and afterwards … actually, he didn't really respect our deal. He said, "OK, you've got to go and work in a bank.” So I went to the bank for a year and then I quit without telling him. He was pretty upset – he didn't talk to me for a while. Then I started my own fashion company, and I think it was then that he realised that I was made to do that. It was hard, but my mum helped me. I studied hard, and I picked it up quickly. I remember people saying, "Oh, she's really gifted. She's talented." Actually, I wasn’t, I just had a goal. I had to learn really quickly as I was really serious about it. Whatever I do, I try to do it really seriously. Eventually my dad got over it, and now he's really happy for me. In Senegal, he never misses any of my shows. He's always like, "That's my daughter!"
Week is that the crowd is really cool. We have lots of famous actors, musicians and celebrities who come. It's not what you see in a normal fashion show. You’ll see people clapping and showing that they really appreciate the show. I love that. To me, a fashion show is just like a concert. You come for the fashion, you come for emotion, you come for beauty. I like to see people enjoying and expressing themselves.
RV: What is the philosophy of your fashion brand, Adama Paris? AN: My fashion brand, Adama Paris, is a contemporary brand. My designs are for young women all over the world. However, I try to put a little bit of Africa into each of my designs. I am French, I'm Senegalese and I'm black, which I think is an interesting mix. I’m also inspired by street fashion and from my travels around the world, from New York to Tokyo to Dakar – seeing women around the world in the streets, seeing them working and living. It's just a blessing to be able to be in Dakar on Monday and then in Tokyo on Tuesday. That's really where I find my inspiration. I’m a voyageur – I love to travel. I'm so happy when I know that I'm travelling somewhere.
RV: What's the advice that you would give to African designers? AN: Designing is not easy, but it's the fun part of creating a collection. African designers need to think globally – we need to think about the business side of designing. You can't design all of your life without selling anything. You need to understand what your target customer wants. If you want to pursue this career, you need to be surrounded by qualified people who can help you step-by-step to put your name out there.
RV: Why did you decide to launch Black Fashion Week? AN: The name "Black Fashion Week" was relevant to me because it speaks to our black culture. It was a bit provocative and I liked that because I was really mad that the French fashion industry wouldn’t allow me to be part of what I love. So I decided to create Black Fashion Week. I was already doing Dakar Fashion Week and I called some designers to let them know my idea and to see if they wanted to join me in this new venture. We put on our first event in Prague as I wanted to start in a smaller city than Paris. Prague was a wonderful memory, and it went really well. I fell in love with Prague. It's beautiful and the people are different from French, Senegalese and African people in general. After that, I knew that we would be able to put on a Black Fashion Week event anywhere in the world. We held our second event in Paris. I invited designers from Africa, New York and Japan who all came to Paris to put on a show. We had to find a venue, a beautiful place, because I wanted it to be really glamorous. I wanted to show the new style, the new Africa, the new black diaspora. We're also putting on events in Montreal, in Bahia and in Washington D.C. One thing that I love about Black Fashion
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RV: Who are the African designers currently shaping the African fashion industry? AN: There are a lot of fantastic new designers coming up. There are so many, I can't even name them all. I like to call the new trend, "Afripolitan", which is all about showing our African side but in a contemporary way. These designers give me so much inspiration and creativity. I'm blessed to be surrounded by them. As I’m both a fashion designer and the producer of international fashion week events, I can appreciate both worlds. I've got a really great relationship with designers. I think that they feel that I can understand them because I'm one of them. When a creator decides to show their designs at a fashion show, it’s a big deal for them. It's a big deal for all of us. There are many issues, and you want everything to be perfect and beautiful. I'm glad that they trust me.
RV: What differentiates your Adama Paris collection? AN: I love simple things, I love comfort and I love elegance. My collection references these elements. I've used African fabrics weaved by local African women. I love the idea of helping the African industry. It's not only about seeing a dress, it's also knowing how it was made. My collection is about African women working together. We've used Senegalese-woven cloth that is traditionally used to make wedding dresses. Now we're using it in a modern way, with black and white stripes and embroidered floral details. It's light, it's simple, it's elegant. It's really what I'm about. RV: You've been traveling all over the world. What are some of the destinations that you've really connected with? AN: I guess Paris made me who I am because I've spent most of my life here, and I feel as though I'm French. My favourite place in the world, however, is Japan. I love everything about Japanese people. They're calm, they're elegant, they're crazy. It's a big source of inspiration when I go to Tokyo or Osaka. I also love surfing. The first time I went there, they were so shocked to see me, a black girl, surfing! Definitely if I moved to another country, it would be Japan. They're open to the world. I like the fact that when you know them a little bit better, you can see their craziness too! I have really good friends and great memories in Japan, so I try to go there every year. To watch the full video interview, visit: redvisitor.com/people
"To me, a fashion show is just like a concert. You come for the fashion, you come for emotion, you come for beauty. I like to see people enjoying and expressing themselves." adama ndiaye
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Noé DuchaufourLawrance He has been awarded the design industry's top accolades by GQ , Elle Deco, Wallpaper and Maison & Objet, and works with the leading brands in the world. We find out more about the poetic French designer who is inspired by nature. PHOTOGRAPHY • courtesy of Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance
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RV: How would you describe yourself? NDL: I'm an interior furniture designer. I try to bring together both furniture design and interior design in a way that expresses feelings and emotions by using shapes, volumes and materials in an interesting way.
As one of France's most accomplished young designers, Noé DuchaufourLawrance has changed the landscape of European design with his signature fusion of sculptural furniture and creative interiors inspired by nature.
RV: Can you tell us more about your background? NDL: I grew up in Brittany in a very creative household. My father studied at the prestigious Ecole Polytechnique and later became a sculptor. Perhaps this is where my creativity comes from, as design is a combination of mathematics, science and sculpture. Since art is so vast and intimate, I was initially hesitant to go in that direction. I decided to study metal sculpture at the National School of Applied Arts & Crafts in Paris, as I wanted to combine shapes and materials in interesting ways. I also studied design at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, where I discovered the work of designers such as Carlo Mollino and Ron Arad, who bring together design and sculpture with such great balance. This made me realise that I didn’t have to focus on only one aspect of design. RV: Which are some of your most emblematic projects? NDL: Designing Sketch restaurant in London was a really strong beginning for me. It was a great experience as I was quite young when I did that project. Designing the project for the Galerie BSL in Paris was also very interesting, as it was the first time that I combined interior design and the creation of large scale, sculptural objects within a space. It was quite a radical project, as they gave us the freedom to take over the gallery and do whatever we wanted. A more complex project was the recent project we worked on for Air France to redesign their first and business class lounges in Paris. Within the 3,500 square meter space, we wanted to create a relaxing area for its clients. All of my inspirations and references for that project were linked with nature, where my design was inspired by the lines of trees. The floor plan feels like a tree is growing within the space. I’m always trying to create a link to the outside environment in the spaces that I design.
"As a creator, you're living and working all the time. There is no distinction between them, as life and work are intimately connected. You are breathing, so you are creating." NOE DUCHAUFOUR-LAWRANCE
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RV: Which furniture design brands have you enjoyed collaborating with? NDL: Certainly Ceccotti Collezioni, which was my first collaboration, and also Zanotta, which is a beautiful Italian brand. I tend to only work with a few brands as I prefer to build strong and long-term collaborations. When you are creating a piece of furniture or an interior design project, you have to carefully select the people that you work with because you’re exposing a big part of yourself. Designers and interior designers are very sensitive and creative. They can read the way you are breathing and the way that you live, which shows how you are thinking. For each project, you have to open yourself to somebody and place a part of yourself in their hands. You have to be confident in them, and they have to be confident in you. When somebody invests in you – such as creating furniture, buying moulds, etc. – it’s a huge investment for them. It creates a bond that is very strong. When you find this kind of relationship, you have to maintain it as long as possible, which is what I try to do. Furniture design is a way to express a strong feeling and point of view through an object – which can stay anonymous, for example, because you can just place the chair somewhere and then forget about it. Sometimes though, you’ll notice that there is an object there that is smiling at you or trying to express something to you. If you bought it, it's because you received a message or an emotion in some way. RV: What inspires you as a designer? NDL: Inspiration is a global feeling that can come from anywhere – say, when you visit a museum or when you travel to India. I need quiet areas where I can think and reflect. What we need for creation is time. One of my greatest inspirations is nature. When I need to feel inspired, I like to walk along a beach without thinking about anything. The water element is something that is very strong, which really feeds me. Water and trees. I find trees so fascinating. The forest can be a beautiful place of calm and serenity. With the sea, there is sometimes a very minimal distinction between the sea and the horizon which gives you such freedom to think. RV: What does a typical “day in the life of Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance” look like? NDL: As a creator, you're living and working all the time. There is no distinction between them as life and work are intimately connected. You are breathing, so you are creating. You can't say, "OK, I'll start working at 9 a.m., then I'll go home when everything is finished." Everything is connected to your work. Even when you are dreaming, you don't know if it's for your work, for your life, or for yourself. I try to create some daily structure for myself – for example, I try to wake up at the same time each day, then spend one or two hours drawing and sketching at my favourite local cafe every morning, where I put in my earphones and play my favourite music. Afterwards, I usually have creative meetings with my team, or meetings and presentations with clients. I try to make sure that I
spend lots of time out of the office connected to daily life, such as having meetings in restaurants, at cafes or in a factory so that I’m not only sitting behind my desk. I also love to spend time with my team planning, working on future projects, sharing ideas, drawing together. RV: What are some of the things that you’ve learned as a designer and an entrepreneur? NDL: I’ve really learned to listen to the others, even if I am the creator, as we are all creators in a way. What I've learned is that I can't do it all by myself. It’s very important to respect my team because they all are participating in the creative process. I'm giving the “point A”. Then they're giving the “point B”. RV: We know that you are a foodie, so where are some of your favourite places to eat in Paris? I love to have lunch at Caffe dei Cioppi, which is a great Italian restaurant close to my office. I also love to have dinner and drinks with my friends in the evenings. We tend to go to Aux Deux Amis bistro. It's a great place because you can eat, you can have drinks, and there’s always someone you know there. It's dangerous though as you never know what time you'll be arriving back home! RV: What is one of the most interesting hotels that you’ve stayed in recently? NDL: The coolest hotel was definitely the Chiltern Firehouse in London. It was designed by Archer Humphryes Architects, and I really love their work. It's a place that is really lively yet very private and exclusive. I had a great time there – I loved the bar and the large dining room. Everybody wants to go there. It’s the place to be in London. RV: What are some of your favourite cities in the world? NDL: I love Tokyo because of its combination of nature, sophistication, tradition and technology. It has this sense of organised movement. Even if it can be oppressive, because there are so many people there, it's always fluid. You can also go to a park or a temple and have a beautiful, quiet moment. I also love Vancouver as I like the fact that there is a virgin forest right next to the city with ancient sequoia trees. It’s a very outdoor city. I also love Stockholm because of its link with nature. From there, you can take the boat and then be surrounded by 10,000 small islands in its local archipelago. RV: Which destinations do you dream of visiting? NDL: I would love to go to Mexico and also to New Zealand and Iceland. Rather than visiting cities, I'm really looking forward to visiting beautiful natural environments. RV: What do you want to be remembered for? NDL: I would say for being honest, for being myself and not trying to create a false image of who I am. To watch the full video interview, visit: redvisitor.com/people
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Julien Marinetti As one of the rising stars of the international art world, the brilliant French artist Julien Marinetti is pushing the boundaries with his unique style of sculpture and painting called 'syncretism'. PHOTOGRAPHY • COURTESY OF JULIEN MARINETTI
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We were waiting for Julien to arrive at his atelier, hidden away in a peaceful suburb in the outskirts of Paris, when the first thing we heard was the roar of his white Porsche 911 Carrera pulling into the driveway, closely followed by his passionate, highly astute and brutally honest observations of the world. Meet the remarkable Julien Marinetti: the artist, the painter, the sculptor, the historian, the athlete, the entertainer and all-round French charmeur …
His lifelike “Doggy John” sculptures brought him international recognition over the last decade, melding sculpture and painting into a new form he described as 'syncretism'. He has created and sold an astounding 3,500 unique paintings and sculptures to international collectors over the last ten years alone. Described as “violent, funny or mysterious, and always unsettling”, his works are rarely re-sold at auctions, as collectors form an emotional bond with his lifelike artworks.
paintings of his neighbour’s French bulldog. An instant hit, his “Doggy John” collection has projected him to international recognition over the subsequent decade. Also an accomplished painter, he has been invited to present his art works in all corners of the world, at prestigious venues such as the Grand Palais and the Plaza Athénée Hotel in Paris, the Park Lane and Hyde Park in London, the New York Stock Exchange in New York, and in many locations in Singapore and China.
Born in Paris in 1967, Julien Marinetti held an early fascination with distorting everyday objects into polychromatic sculptures, and completed his first oil painting when he was only four years old. Raised in a creative household, he was inspired by the works of the great Masters such as Picasso, and was a prolific artist during his youth. He studied academic drawing and sculpture at the Ateliers de la Grande Chaumière, and spent only one day at the Beaux-Arts (French Academy of Fine Arts) before deciding to leave to devote himself to art on his own terms.
Claiming that he never stops working for fear of losing his momentum and “creative tension”, you’ll rarely find him outside of his studio located in Ivry-sur-Seine. This soaring, warehouse-like space is brimming with his early and recent works, along with a myriad of curious objects such as an elephant’s skull, paint-splattered retro roller skates, primitive wooden totems and two stalking pantherlike cats, which mirror the intensity of their master.
Fascinated with Neo-Expressionism painting and sculpture, he experimented by combining the two art forms in 2004 when he created his first masterpiece, “Doggy John”, a three-dimensional art work cast in bronze, which was inspired by one of his early 218
While his heart may be deeply welded to the world of art, he has many more strings to his bow. Bursting with energy despite the fact he sleeps only a few hours each night, he’s also a black belt karate champion, a former male model, holds a seriously enviable IQ and knowledge of history, and a razor-sharp sense of humour. Life is certainly never dull when you’re in the company of Julien Marinetti...
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"Art has nothing to do with any sensory register of any kind. It is above all about intellect. Some won’t like me saying it, but art is what doesn’t go out of fashion." JULIEN MARINETTI
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RV: How would you describe yourself as an artist? JM: I am neither a painter nor a sculptor, but rather both at the same time. I resort to a form of perpetual syncretism. The language of sculpture is certainly more direct than that of painting. It is also simpler to interpret. With sculpture, the artist has the advantage, the privilege, of being able to move around his work as he creates it. For a period, Picasso worked this way when painting sculptural subjects. He started out making sculptures and ended up painting. A similar sort of equation applies to my work. Constructing a painting also necessitates an architecture, a composition that seeks to make the eye believe that it is not looking at a flat space but a three-dimensional space. Now, when I relocate this composition, not in a two-dimensional context as usual, say to the rectangle of the canvas, but in a space that is genuinely three-dimensional, that of sculpture, I create what I call ‘a type of fourth dimension’, which is a manifestation of this famous idea of syncretism of art. In other words: the fusion of painting and sculpture. By painting on a dog or a panda, I am executing a picture that you can touch, interpret with your eyes and hands. For me, painting that is inserted into sculpture is like a heart that has been implanted within it – it lives and beats. RV: Describe “a day in the life of Julien Marinetti”? JM: I have to work, to practise, to train all the time in order to progress. I can't do the same thing every day like making the same cake in the same mould. Imagine – I have sold around 3,500 pieces in 10 years, both sculptures and paintings. It’s enormous, absolutely enormous. This may be the largest amount of unique pieces sold by an artist in 10 years. Only 14 of my pieces have ever been resold at auction houses such as Christie's, Artcurial or Sotheby's. Fourteen pieces! It means that everyone wants to keep his Marinetti. It is unbelievable. An artist such as Leonardo Da Vinci was dying, dying painting. I'm sure that a real artist has to die in his studio with the brush in hand. I love to work. For me it is like drinking water. I absolutely have to work. I never go on holidays. For me, my holiday is being in my studio. I will only be proud of my work at the end of my life. RV: How would you describe your creative process? JM: I am guided by passion. I do not instinctively make exact reproductions. Above all, I work quickly, as if it were my last work. By not planning in advance what I want to produce, I give myself up to the canvas, to the colours, without preconceptions, without preconceived ideas. Once again, I work in an entirely unconscious state, in a frenzy; I never try to predict how things will turn out. The eye interacts
with form, the path emerges of its own accord, dare I say it. And yet I know perfectly well that my work fulfils the requirements of composition, that I have thought out such and such a surface, such and such a brushstroke … My approach is like that of a chess player who plays with his back turned to the chessboard. Creative equilibrium depends on paradoxical proximity to the work. In reality, the only worthwhile battle is the everyday one. It consists of getting up, renewing the desire, varying the rhythms, finding the spontaneity of one’s work again, going beyond habits. An artist only acquires credibility over time. RV: Who are your major influences? JM: Picasso is a sort of master for me. Picasso had the art and style to make people believe in his talent. And moreover, it was also his genius. I also have combined influences and different forms derived from Cubism, Figuration Libre, New Expressionism and even Action Painting. My way of working is very classical and tribal. RV: Is it true that you only sleep a few hours each night? JM: In fact, I sleep between two or three hours each night, no more. You need to have a lot of energy as an artist because energy is like a form of compression. If you have no compression in your body or in your mind, you can't reject things. RV: How did you come to start painting on the sculptural form of animals, such as a dog, a teddy bear, a panda, and more recently, a penguin? JM: By chance, I painted the head of a bulldog, a neighbour’s dog. It was my first sculpture. Very quickly, around thirty monochrome dogs emerged, which were bought by collectors within a week, in a flash. My sculpture took shape without any warning. It suddenly came into existence. Why? How? I have no idea. It happened just like that. Subsequently, I applied collages to my Doggy John, and these could be seen as tributes to American art and its cult artists. Rauschenberg, Haring, Lichtenstein and even Warhol. I discovered that you could use a three-dimensional support for painting. Since 2006, I have treated bronze like a separate supportsurface. Modelled in clay, then cast in bronze, my sculptures were then enriched with new forms on which I apply expressionist and neo-cubist motifs in acrylic by hand. These forms provide unexpected supports that enable me to explore and channel my creative energy. I have always done self-portraits. In my canvases, I can see my gaze, my mouth, my feet, my back and lots of other parts of my body. To watch the full video interview, visit: redvisitor.com/people
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CONTOUR BY GETTY IMAGES
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The Global Couple Jean Todt and Michelle Yeoh is one of the most inspiring couples that we've ever met. While they both are extremely successful in their respective careers, we also discovered a warm and caring couple who is dedicated to lending their vast range of talents to positively impact the world. PHOTOGRAPHY • REGINE MAHAUX
PARIS | PEOPLE
He is one of the most respected figures in the international world of motor sports and she is a world-renowned actress and Malaysian icon. Together, Jean Todt and Michelle Yeoh are a seriously high achieving couple who traverse the globe in support of a wide range of social, health and conservationrelated causes. Meet the warm, loving and refreshingly humble global couple who is changing the world one step at a time.
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RV: Mr. Todt, in the 1980s, you were the Director of Peugeot Talbot Sport, and from 1993 to 2007, the GM of the legendary Scuderia Ferrari. You have a long list of achievements in the motor sports arena, including fourteen Formula One World Championships with Ferrari alone. Can you tell us more about these years? JT: When I joined Peugeot in 1981, nothing really existed at that time in terms of motor racing. In a way, I created it from scratch. I was the founder of motor sport activities for Peugeot and then for Citroen. When I joined Ferrari, it was different, because it was already an iconic brand that was like an old castle which was in need of renovation. Given that I was French and without Formula One experience at the time, to become head of Scuderia Ferrari was a huge deal. Ferrari and Formula One in Italy is something very special because it's part of the culture of any Italian. MY: I think Jean is one of the most hard-working people I've ever met in my entire life. He will never leave anything unfinished. He will relentlessly do every single thing, talk to every single person; he will cross off everything on his list before he goes to sleep. That means he doesn't sleep very much. He's very devoted and so dedicated. RV: Ms. Yeoh, you are the most emblematic Malaysian actress in the world. As a young girl, you initially wanted to be a ballerina, but then went on to become a famous actress, starring in legendary movies such as James Bond and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. How did you first come to be involved in the film world? MY: I think it's all fate and destiny, isn't it? As a child, I always wanted to be a ballerina and have my own ballet school in Malaysia, but then I was presented with other opportunities. I was given the chance to go to Hong Kong and be involved in the film world, which was something that I hadn’t planned. I've always been very adventurous though, and when you're presented with a good opportunity, I've always said, "Why not?" You can try it, and if you don't like it, you can do something else. Obviously, I really enjoyed being in the film world; I stayed on, and here I am today. I've had the privilege of working with some of the most incredible artists. I've had the honour of working both behind-the-scenes and in front of the camera. I’ve had the privilege of stepping into the shoes of some of the most incredible characters, whether it was in James Bond, Memoirs of a Geisha, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, The Lady, and being an astronaut in Sunshine. I hope that the list will continue to go on and that I'll have the opportunity to do even more. I think Jean and I will always work until we come to a point where we decide that it's not that much fun anymore. Then we'll see. JT: A few years ago, Michelle was passionate about a new film project called, The Lady, which was about Aung San Suu Kyi, the famous Burmese politician who was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize. She was thinking about who could be a director for the project and I
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thought about Luc Besson. I remember waking up one morning – it was in mid-2009 – and I called Luc. Half an hour later, he came with his scooter and made the project happen with Michelle. I saw Michelle preparing herself for the role of Aung San Suu Kyi for about two years. She read so much about the character and she started to learn Burmese, to play the piano, and to lose weight for the role. It's one of Michelle's movies that I'm the most proud of. RV: Mr. Todt, since becoming the President of the FIA, you have been promoting the importance of road safety internationally. Why is this cause so important to you? JT: Formula One is now only around 10 percent of my overall focus, although I still follow the Grand Prix of course. As one of our main priorities, we are focusing on the development of motor sports as a whole and on social matters such as improving overall road safety. Road accidents are one of the worst scourges of society and we want to create a great deal of awareness about it. In fact, Michelle is also very supportive of the cause as she is one of FIA's Global Ambassadors. Only recently, we were in Washington to create awareness for this issue in association with Safe Kids Life, the World Bank, IDB, Red Cross and the UN. We want to bring road safety to the highest level of awareness, to a similar level as causes such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. Did you know that every year, there are 1.3 million deaths on the roads and 50 million people who are injured? On average, 500 children die every day on roads, which means that one child dies every three minutes. We need to shout to address this problem. We are also involved with other causes too, which makes our lives quite busy. RV: What was the initial idea behind the ICM initiative and how did it come to fruition? JT: The ICM (Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière) is the Brain and Spinal Cord Institute in Paris. My father was a doctor so I've been educated in this environment. Since I've been involved in motor racing, I've unfortunately witnessed many accidents. I’ve been fortunate to know Doctor Gérard Saillant who is a famous orthopedic surgeon, for over 35 years. We became very close friends and he’s one of the most reliable and dedicated people I know. When you've had some success in your life, you wonder how can you give something back. After speaking with him, I initially thought that we could initiate an orthopedic center together. He introduced me to two of his colleagues, Professor Yves Agid and Professor Olivier Lyon-Caen, who were the heads of the neurological department at La Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital, and that’s how it started. I then built a dream team of people I knew who were very successful in their fields. Then we were supported by amazing people who believed in the project, such as Formula One driver Michael Schumacher, who gave us a substantial amount of money to start the project at the beginning. It's very unique, as it receives half-private
"If you build something, you must be ambitious. Be committed. Bring on board the best people you can find. Be a good leader." JEAN TODT
"At the end of the day, it's about really loving what you do, because if you don't, then it won't become a passion; it will just become a chore." MICHELLE YEOH
PARIS | PEOPLE
and half-public funding. Located in the heart of the biggest hospital in Paris, La Pitié-Salpêtrière, there are 600 researchers based in a 25,000m2 facility who are working together on brain and spinal cord research. Hopefully the institute will contribute to understanding much more about the brain. MY: The ICM is truly a remarkable place where an incredible team of people got together and decided to make it a reality, instead of just a dream. With regard to Jean and I, we find causes that we support as a couple so that we can work together. When we are out there promoting or shining a spotlight on the problems that are being faced, we hope that people will sit up and listen. What we do for a living is completely different. Whereas Jean has always been in the motor sports arena, I have been in the world of fantasy – it's very different. But when we are together, we find things that we both enjoy so that while we are separate, we are also “one” at the same time, which is very important to us. RV: Ms. Yeoh, you also support many conservation, social, health and other charitable causes. Can you tell us more about this? MY: I actually choose my topics very carefully. When I assist with the Action for Road Safety initiative, I do it very closely with the FIA Foundation. With regard to my work with the amfAR organisation and Cinema Against AIDS, we have a group of very good friends who work tirelessly for the cause. When I do conservation work – whether in support of orangutans in East Malaysia, the rhinoceros, or the tigers – I work with very specific NGOs who are on the ground and working 24-7. I step in when they have very specific projects where I can help by creating awareness so that people understand what we are trying to do and how to address the problem. For example, Jean and I were just in Cambodia to support road safety, where we launched the “Safe Head, Helmet On” campaign for motorcyclists. We lobbied for many years about this, and they finally passed a law in support of this. It's now mandatory for passengers to wear helmets too. RV: As global nomads, it sounds like you both travelling very often for your work and philanthropy projects ... MY: Since Jean's schedule is very fixed, we tend to know exactly what his plans are at the beginning of the year. My schedule is a bit more up in the air, depending upon what my film schedule looks like. 2014 was a particularly hectic year for me as I filmed a TV series and a movie in Europe, Asia and New Zealand. Jean will always drop by or make a detour to come and see me though whenever he is travelling. JT: When I met Michelle almost 11 years ago, I didn’t even know how to send an SMS. I'm not a technology expert at all. However, thanks to Michael Schumacher, who taught me how to send an SMS, I can now communicate with Michelle when we’re apart. We speak every day – multiple times a day actually – so we never lose track of each other
for more than a couple of hours at a time if we're apart. MY: We always know that we're in each other's thoughts and we want to share what we're doing each day. Even if it's just sending a few words or just a quick phone call. But we always speak on average five or six times a day! RV: I'd like to ask to both of you, who are some of the people whom you've met throughout your life who really made a major impact upon you? JT: We are very lucky because we have very close friends in different parts of the world who we can rely on, and they can rely on us. We are very blessed to have met fantastic people, from well-known people, to not-so-wellknown artists, doctors, etc. If you ask me who are the most important people in my life, I would answer Michelle and my son Nicolas. There is no doubt about that. Obviously, another very special person is Michael Schumacher, as he is a fantastic person, an amazing champion and we all know that he's been fighting now for almost one year. He's been so close to Michelle and I since we first met: he loves us, and we love him and his family. We also spoke of Doctor Gérard Saillant before, who is also a wonderful person... MY: Jean, there is one person I'd really love you to meet very soon is Aung San Suu Kyi. Also, every time you walk into a movie set, you learn from not just the director but also from your cast, the people who are involved in the movie – whether it's the writer or a young novice actor. I think that's the beauty of my job, that it's not a job anymore. It's just like going to school and having a lot of fun all the time! In terms of directors and actors, I've had the privilege of working with some of the most amazing people. In what we do, it's not just the one person who makes the difference, it's the whole team of people working together. RV: Based on your life and career experiences so far, what would be the main advice that you would impart to the next generation? JT: If you build something, you must be ambitious. Be committed. Bring on board the best people you can find. Be a good leader. In any case, this is what I'm trying to achieve now in my position as President of the FIA. I would also say that it's important to be humble, even if you are, or have been, successful. Also, always give consideration and compassion to any human being, whoever they are. MY: I would also add that in regards to success, it's always hard work. I don't think it's just luck on its own. I think that if you want to be lucky, then you have to work harder. Have drive, have ambition, but like Jean said, always have humility and compassion. It's about being a good person. It's not just about winning; it's about learning the lesson. It's about the journey rather than just the result. I think that at the end of the day, it's really about loving what you do because if you don't, then it won't become a passion; it will just become a chore. To watch the full video interview, visit: redvisitor.com/people
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Winter In Paris Inspired by the most romantic landmarks in Paris, discover our selection of seductive and luxurious French fragrances that will warm even the coldest Parisian winter. PHOTOGRAPHY • LOLA JAMES HARPER
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Women's Perfume, CHANEL No 5
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Men's Fragrance, CHROME BY AZZARO
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Women's Perfume, ANGEL BY THIERRY MUGLER
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