Signe - Edition 1

S I G N É

MORGAN

MOTOR COMPANY

The pursuit of pure driving pleasure with an eye for history, tradition and British design

RESPONSIBLE & SUSTAINABLE FASHION LORO PIANA’S ETHICAL SOPHISTICATION

ART OF CIGAR MAKING REVEALING THE ARTISTIC GENIUS AND HERITAGE BEHIND HAND ROLLED CIGARS

Via MonteNapoleone, 7

THE BLACK SWAN

w w w. u - b o a t w a t c h . c o m

CONTENTS

SCHOLARS

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PREMIER OF MILANESE FASHION Guglielmo Miani has constantly been reinventing Milan’s fashion industry

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MASTER OF CLASSIC DESIGNS Sergio Pininfarina was a passionate designer renowned for crafting sleek Ferrari race cars

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CAPTURING THE CITY’S ESSENCE Roberto Lopardo photographs cities in a way that results in stunning images

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MAN OF STEEL Korehira Watanabe is one of the few remaining Japanese sword smiths in the world

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S AV O I R FA I R E

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ART OF CIGAR MAKING Rolling a cigar is considered to be an art form itself as it takes a lot to create that perfect smoke

044 SPIRIT OF THE BOOTS Casa Fagliano is an Argentinian family establishment with a strong belief in tradition

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THE BICYCLE STILL RULES

Geneva is the home of watchmaking and is a shopping paradise of prestige horology

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An integral part of the watch are jewel bearings that sustain smoothness

Pankhurst London has manifested itself as a lounge while you wait for that perfect shave

INDUSTRIAL JEWELS

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Johann Fanzoj has become synonymous with

A watchmaker’s lathe is among one of the many pieces of watchmaking equipment

GUNS OF GLORY premier world-class gunmaking

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WATCH CAPITAL OF THE WORLD

Abici combines design with practicality and creates one-off, hand-made models

INSTRUMENT OF PRECISION

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IN THE BARBER’S CHAIR

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S IGN É S E L EC TION

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MECHANICAL MARVEL The Hublot MP-05 was created as a tribute to LaFerrari and produced in parallel with the car

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SAFE AND SECURE Döttling safes promise to be an ideal place to store your precious possessions

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ELECTRIFY YOUR BIKE Audi’s e-bike Wörthersee is optimised for sports and features innovative gadgets

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SOUND OF MUSIC Grado’s model offers great reproduction and the mahogany design has a certain beauty about it

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EDITOR’S PICKS FOR HER SIGNÉ brings you a selection of exquisite products that convey heartfelt appreciation

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PHIL ANTHROPY 080

RESPONSIBLE AND SUSTAINABLE FASHION Loro Piana delivers products of uncompromising quality while maintaining high ethical standards

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EMBRACING THE ECO EVOLUTION The Scarlet Hotel is a beautiful haven built to the highest eco standards

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DOPPIO SOGNO Ring in white and pink gold with a central drop-cut pink diamond and white and pink brilliant-cut diamonds

MILAN Via Tommaso Grossi, 1 - Milan (Park Hyatt Milan) +39 02 72080077 www.giovannettijewellery.com

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OBSESSION 092

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The Eagle Lightweight E-Type Speedster is a beautiful 21st-century super-car

Christie’s is renowned for selling works of art and other precious items at record prices

Alexandre J appreciates timeless creations imbued with significance and historic value

REINVENTING A CLASSIC

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RARE AND ICONIC POSSESSIONS

INSPIRATION IN A BOTTLE

REASONS TO RIDE

JOURNEY TO THE VINTAGE GARAGE

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Borile bikes retain the distinct Italian character and are the result of great craftsmanship

If you are looking to restore a classic car head to the Mercedes-Benz Classic Centre

This handy guide will ensure that your shoes are looking their best at all times

THE SHOE BUFF

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LUIGI BRUNO ARCHITETTO www.luigibruno.com

CONTENTS

H E R I TA G E 120

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Van Cleef & Arpels has a design heritage revered among industry experts and collectors

The Hasselblad name has been linked with cameras since early days of photography itself

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The term dandy was commonly used to refer to fashionable men in the 1800s

Morgan Motor Company has often been referred to as the last of the traditional British sports cars

EXOTICISM AND INFINITE BEAUTY

ALL FINE AND DANDY

A PICTORIAL LEGACY

DRIVING MAGNIFICIENT MACHINES

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HEART AND SOLE A tribute film titled ‘White Shoe’ is a fictional tale of Salvatore Ferragamo’s early life

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TIMELESS SUITS AND BESPOKE STYLE Suits at Savile Row offer a quality and aspect of heritage that you simply can’t get anywhere else

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PROFESSOR OF TIME Louis Moinet is an innovative watch brand and is known for its technical sophistication

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L A D O L C E V I TA

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Palio di Siena is a traditional bareback horse race around the Piazza del Campo in Tuscany

TWG Tea creates new varieties of tea every season with the world’s most renowned estates

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MEDIEVAL STYLE THRILLS

THE PEARL OF ASIA Explore the shores of Cambodia through Travel Attaché’s tailor-made holiday packages

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THE ELIXIR OF LIFE

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HAUTE CUISINE WITH A LOCAL TWIST IDAM is fine dining at its best and offers an unparalleled gastronomic experience

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO TRAVEL IN STYLE

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A look at the essential luxury items required while travelling around the world

Emirates Executive offers technology and design that meets even the most discerning requirements

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TAKING LUXURY TO NEW HEIGHTS

Ag: desartland.com - Ph. G. Radici FlatLoft

DESIGN AND PRODUCTION OF EXCLUSIVE CUSTOM-MADE FURNISHINGS AND BOISERIE Info +39.045.6989004 www.passaia.it

PUBLISHERS’ LETTER www.signemagazine.com info@signemagazine.com MANAGEMENT Managing Director Daniel Giacometti Managing Partner Shama Tholot Marketing Director Roshin Rahman EDITORIAL Editor Deepa Narwani Creative Director Muhammad Jamal Siddiq Content Manager Nujoomi Denjypady Senior Artist Serafino Rudari Cover Art Qasir Z Khan Additional Images by Getty Images

We know only too well that luxury is far from being only about a name. It comes along with history and know-how that is often unknown. What started off as a casual conversation in our regular haunt called Café Mazzanti, in the beautiful and small Italian town of Verona, concluded with the launch of a luxury lifestyle publication.

Signé means ‘Signed’ in French, which translates into the concept of bespoke culture

ADVERTISING for advertising Inquiries advertising@admaioramedia.com CONTRIBUTORS Cameron Bailey, Elizia Volkmann

and uniqueness. Our objective is to research and reveal the best kept secrets in the luxury world with an elegant approach to craftsmanship, limited edition products, experiences and we strive to bring to you the essence of a unique lifestyle.

This edition is the first page of our story, and we are glad to share it with you, hoping that you will be with us on this journey and will look forward to discovering the unexplored world of luxury. In this inaugural edition, we introduce you to the faces behind the brands, the art of craftsmanship, bespoke products and timeless heritage.

D an ie l & R os h in

AD MAIORA MEDIA (Europe) Via Lungadige Catena 15 37138 Verona, Italy EU AD MAIORA MEDIA (EMEA) 2520 Shatha Tower, Dubai Media City P.O.Box 502473 Dubai, U.A.E info@admaioramedia.com

All rights reserved. No part of the material protected by this copyright notice may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, without written permission from the Publisher. SIGNÉ does not take any responsibilities for incorrect information. The advertising appearing within this publication reflects the opinion and attitudes of their respective brands and not necessarily those of the publisher or SIGNÉ.

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& SERAFINO RUDARI

WWW.SIGNEMAGAZINE.COM/WEBFEATURE/SERAFINORUDARI

SCAN ME

Scan the QR Code to view the digital content on your smartphones or tablets.

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P R E M I E R O F M I L A N E S E FA S H I O N

Premier of Milanese fashion Larusmiani is one of the oldest brands in the business of handcrafted tailoring and its CEO Guglielmo Miani has c o n s t a n t l y b e e n r e i n v e n t i n g M i l a n ’s f a s h i o n i n d u s t r y.

A strong tailoring tradition since three generations, Larusmiani has been a name to reckon with. Located in the heart of Milan since 1922, here everything is strictly made by hand. The master tailors at Larusmiani are skilled at taking care of every detail with great talent and passion.

Carrying the torch for Milan’s fashion district, Larusmiani’s CEO, Guglielmo Miani has shown innovation time and again. He is not only the president of Via Montenapoleone Association but has also given Milan’s most fashionable street a new lease of life.

During his presidency the number of Association members has grown from 18 to 90. Guglielmo spent five years studying Finance and Entrepreneurship in Boston to become equipped with the necessary skills to take over the family company.

We speak to Miani to find out more about his journey, what is his vision for the company, his plans for Via Montenapoleone and what makes the brand uniquely Italian.

Q. Larusmiani recently celebrated its ninetieth year. Could you please enlighten us with a brief history of the brand?

A. Larusmiani was founded in 1922 and was the result of my

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grandfather’s desire to open a tailoring shop in Milan. In a short time he managed to attain a rather important position in town because he began to dress businessmen, politicians, entertainers, and artists as well as other famous people and celebrities. The company evolved quickly because up until the end of World War II, the precious fabrics were mostly British. My grandfather used the word Larus, derived from the Latin word “gull”, which was relevant not only as it was synonymous with freedom and values, but also for the curious fact that gulls have waterproof feathers.

My grandfather sewed clothes and tailored coats and thus liked this parallelism. At the time my grandfather imported English fabrics for business use, but soon realised that he could start another activity, which was precisely the import of English fabric to Italy, and opened up five stores in Milan with the introduction of garments in the sixties. The store on Via Montenapoleone dates back to 1954, and today is even bigger, measuring 700 square meters. My father, who followed my grandfather’s footsteps, loved fabrics much more than tailoring so he decided not to import British fabrics any more but to create a collection of fabrics made in Italy, more modern, more fluid, more fashionable compared to

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GUGLIELMO MIANI Is the CEO of Larusmiani. He is also the president of the Via Montenapoleone Association and has given Milan’s most fashionable street a new lease of life.

Miani is an icon of Milanese fashion. The company was founded by his grandfather in 1922 and specialises in quality fabrics.

Miani is a savvy businessman and under his leadership, the company has taken giant strides and has been expanding significantly in foreign markets

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P R E M I E R O F M I L A N E S E FA S H I O N

Quality and positioning are at the foundation of the David Collins designed store in Via Montenapoleone where the company‘s values have been interpreted and turned into a unique and different space

those fabrics that were already so diffused. Also, by then Italian and French designers had become excellent garment makers.

Q. Have there been any major production changes in the company over the years?

A. From the 60’s onwards, the company devoted much more time to textile production, which every year reaches the creation of two million meters of fabric. But the sartorial aspect has never in fact been abandoned and Larusmiani is still a historic brand with a strong value of tradition and has recently been re-launched, with a more modern interpretation. This also includes the new boutique in Via Montenapoleone redesigned by the British architect David Collins. Furthermore, for the past year we have been working to find strategic and selected partners in some cities of the world with the aim of offering our product not only in Milan, but also to those who cannot travel to Milan and who really want a product that is actually made by hand in Italy. We have an atelier with forty

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tailors who make everything entirely by hand; for example, to process a shirt, 14 sewing and finishing steps by hand are required. This is a work of art that is now increasingly sought. The typical tailoring and craft values of a tailor who has been making the product by hand for 90 years, combined with the textile knowhow for which we are market leaders, ensures that the collection is of the highest quality. It has a style that responds to our desire to create a collection neither classical nor highly fashionable but a middle ground that gives something extra to customers who want a stylish and sophisticated product.

Q. What does quality mean to you and how do you offer it to your client base?

A. At Larusmiani, we believe in offering uncompromising quality, for both men and women. Today, people are informed and know what is the best in the world, regarding anything that involves them, in terms of choice and how it affects their lives. This ranges

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The store is more of a house than a store and every detail has been paid attention to including the smallest wheel of a clothes hanger display, proof of the meticulous planning

from staying at a hotel, choosing a restaurant, what type of house they own, to which car or watch they choose. A deep knowledge of the product is important so that you realise what is real luxury today. It is not the brand but the product that is behind Larusmiani.

Our client is definitely highly sophisticated and educated. A client who makes personal stylistic and qualitative research, who buys primarily for himself, not only for appearance, but who buys for gratification, and people like them clearly perceive this. Of course, this exclusivity is induced automatically by the quality of the product itself.

Q. What are the future plans for the brand? Will we see you expanding in different countries?

A. We have a strong focus on international customer satisfaction and that has already led us to cities such as Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kiev and Hong Kong, where the company is in talks for opening up boutiques. We also hope to open a store in the United

States in December 2013. The next step will be a presence in the Arabian market and the company has launched a number of partnerships that are under development. At present, Larusmiani works in partnership for both tailor-made and ready to wear in the Gulf countries, as our customers there are sophisticated, curious and informed, and thus greatly appreciate excellent tailoring.

Q. Could you shed some light on your role as the President of the Association of Via Montenapoleone, which has more than 90 of the major Italian and international brands?

A. Via Montenapoleone is one of the main reasons why tourists come to Milan— they come to indulge and to engage in an unique shopping experience. The aim of the Association of Via Montenapoleone is to welcome these guests and enrich their memorable and unique stay not only in shops but also in hotels, restaurants, encouraging them to visit a museum, for example, and make them go back with the desire to return soon.

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MASTER OF CLASSIC DESIGNS

Master of classic designs Sergio Pininfarina was a passionate and dedicated designer who was renowned for crafting sleek Ferrari sports cars and created some of the most influential a n d e l e g a n t c a r d e s i g n s o f t h e 2 0 t h c e n t u r y.

For more than half a century, Sergio Pininfarina was the face behind the design company that carries his family’s name. He was a popular figure at auto shows like the Pebble Beach Concours d’Élégance— always the epitome of the Italian gentleman.

Besides being a recognised designer, he was also a member of the European Parliament and an Italian Senator for life. The legend passed away last year but his legacy continues to live on.

In 1951, at the age of 25, Pininfarina had recently graduated from Turin, Italy’s Polytechnic University with a degree in mechanical engineering. At that time he was working full time with his father Battista “Pinin” Farina, who was highly esteemed in the world of Italian automobile design.

When Sergio became Enzo Ferrari’s point of contact for business, history was written. Their relationship clicked, and the two men became close. As a result, a number of Ferrari’s since have boasted the Pininfarina style. He designed a series of beautifully sculpted models for Ferrari, including the 410 SA (1959); the 1965 Dino Berlinetta Speciale; the Ferrari Testarossa (1984); the F40 (1987); and the Enzo (2002).

He also won contracts with other manufacturers such as the 1975 Lancia Beta Montecarlo, the 1986 Cadillac Allante and the 1995 Bentley Azure, bore the Pininfarina insignia.

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Under his leadership and vision, the firm further diversified into a range of many successful high-volume models, including the Fiat 124 Sport Spider, the Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider and the Peugeot 406 coupé.

Among the company’s many milestones was the breakthrough that came when they built a revolutionary coupé body on a Cisitalia chassis in 1946, which was later selected by the Museum of Modern Art in New York as an outstanding example of design.

The company became a household name in the UK when the British Motor Corporation (BMC) appointed them as design consultants. The 1958 Austin A40 even adopted the name Farina and this model revolutionised small-car design with its two-box body without a protruding boot. It was followed by a range of larger saloons in 1959, and in 1962 by the Morris 1100.

In 1961, Giovanni Gronchi, then the president of Italy, issued a decree by which the family’s surname and the company’s name officially became Pininfarina.

O u t s i d e o f t h e b u s i n e s s , S e rg i o P i n i n f a r i n a ’s l i s t o f accomplishments is impressive. He received the Italian title Cavaliere del Lavoro in 1976, French Legion of Honour in 1979, and the British Honorary Royal Designer for Industry title in 1983.

People close to him have said that he liked complementary shapes and colours and if you look at any of his cars, the lines

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generally flow and have a certain a S e rg i o s e r v e d a s h e a d o f I t a l y ’s This year a tribute car was unveiled character that lasts a long time. industrial employers’ confederation, for this legend. It is named Sergio and this concept car has been created to He further went above and beyond his Confindustria, from 1988 to 1992 and was celebrate the life and times of company and oversaw the construction of made a Life Senator of Italy in 2005. He Sergio Pininfarina. new facilities in the Turin municipality of was the chairman of many organisations At its debut at the Geneva Motor Show 2013, the Sergio joins the brand that has Grugliasco, and inaugurated the Studies and committees, promoting European so marked the history of Pininfarina— and Research Centre in 1966. Also, monetary union and high-speed rail links, Ferrari. The Sergio, is a two-seater Pininfarina’s 1:1 wind tunnel, the first in and also served as the professor of car barchetta that looks to the future—very compact and sporty. The car evokes the Italy, and one of the only in the world at body design at Turin Polytechnic from spirit of Pininfarina’s best achievements that time, was opened in 1972. He was 1974 until 1977. for Ferrari in the ‘60s and ‘70s. also a member of the European Parliament In 2006, Sergio stepped down as f ro m 1 9 7 9 t o 1 9 8 8 a n d s e r v e d o n chairman of the company, and was to be n umerous It a lia n a nd inte r na tiona l d e s ign a n d bu s i n e s s succeeded by his eldest son, Andrea, who was unfortunately killed committees through the years. in a motorcycle accident the following year. The current chairman Sergio oversaw the design of some of the world’s most iconic is his younger son, Paolo. sports cars, including the Ferrari Enzo and Maserati Quattroporte.

Sergio was a very humble man, known for his passion and In his lifetime, he won more than 20 major design awards and dedication and who inherited a keen eye for design from his father received four honorary degrees in recognition of his contribution and oversaw everything his talented artists did in their workshop. to design.

In 1986, he was quoted saying: “The main elements of a classic He always kept abreast of the latest technology and became automotive design are purity of line and harmony of proportion. an early advocate of the need to reduce car emissions and These are elements that last and if they are good, are good forever. increase fuel economy. Today, the company has a high focus on Every kind of car—sports car, family car, off-road car— has its electric cars. own purpose, its own soul.”

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CAPTURING THE CIT Y’S ESSENCEE

R o b e r t o L o p a r d o ’s M a p p i n g s e r i e s i n v o l v e s p h o t o g r a p h i n g a c i t y o n f o o t e v e r y m i n u t e d u r i n g a n e n t i r e d a y, which results in stunning images that are a visual delight and highlight the chosen city at its vivid best.

Roberto Lopardo is an Italian-American artist who is renowned for creating the Mapping series, which involves exploring a given area on foot and taking a frame every minute over the course of 24 hours. These images are presented in a storyboard formation and reveal the spirit of the photographed city. He is also the Director of Cuadro Gallery, Dubai. We speak to him and find out what inspires him to capture these cities and about the constant evolution of the art market.

Q. Can you tell us a little about yourself— w h e re d i d y o u g ro w u p a n d h o w instrumental were your surroundings in choosing your career path?

A. I grew up in Brooklyn, New York, in a neighbourhood that could only best be described as a potpourri of nationalities, religions, races, and economic classes. My friends were always different than me and I loved this. In general, Brooklyn is a place

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that is highly unpredictable. People are making life up as they go. There are no set ways to see anything. All is debatable; everything is up for grabs. I grew up with this open and experimental attitude towards all things different than me. I grew up questioning the absolute validity of everything. These early experiences and lessons of life definitely set the ground rules for the manner in which I live my life today.

My first inclination in college was to study Politics and Philosophy. These two areas of study seemed best suited to quench my thirst for the pursuit of justice and the love of logic. After completing my degree from Whitman College, I traveled to Taipei, Taiwan, where I spent a year experiencing exotic tastes, sounds, and sights while desperately trying to improve my Mandarin. I struggled mightily attempting to communicate with the locals, as they for the most part spoke no English.

My mom had bought me an incredible

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camera as a graduation present and it was with this manual film camera that I began to find a new form of communicating. I began taking thousands of photos in hopes that I could piece together an account of what I was experiencing and share it with others.

Q. Can you tell us your journey with the Mapping series. What inspired you to come up with the concept?

A. Right after I left Taiwan, I spent a few years living in a tiny town on the Navajo Reservation deep in the heart of Southwestern United States. It is here that I took courses in photography. It was a glorious experience and it led me to the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) for a Masters Degree in Photography. After, RISD I was living in Los Angeles when I received a mysterious phone call in the middle of the night from a head hunter in Washington DC asking me if I wanted to teach at the American University of Dubai (AUD).

PHOTO: MASHAAEL BASHEER

Lopardo‘s Mapping series is an organic experience. He photographs the city and its inhabitants, the traffic and odd experiences. These are captured over a period of 24 hours and is presented in a storyboard format

Fast forward to a very late night, several years later, sitting behind a desk, now as the Chair of the Visual Communication Department at AUD. I’m sitting and staring at the wall and thinking ‘what am I doing here?’ I had lived in Dubai for a long time and I realised that I had never really walked through the city. Dubai is mostly seen at the speed of 120 kilometres per hour from Sheik Zayed Road. I decided to change. A few days later, impossibly early in the morning, I packed a few things into a knapsack and a friend of mine drove me to a neighbourhood I had never been near the Dubai-Sharjah border and left me there. I walked. And walked. 24 hours later I hailed a cab and took it back home, falling asleep peacefully for the first time in many, many moons with a smile on my face.

A. I had been stumbling about deep in the heart of Kuwait City late in the afternoon. It was hot and I was tired. There were very

Q. Could you tell us about one of your most memorable experiences while filming the Mapping series in different cities?

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few sane people about; mostly people were taking a nice peaceful siesta in a cool place. I crossed paths with one fairly old gentleman. He must have been in his late seventies. When he saw me turn the corner, his face lit up and he put his hands in the a i r a n d b e g a n t o s h o u t , ‘ We l c o m e !

Welcome!’. I was taken aback at such a warm-hearted reaction to my presence on this dusty old road. And he literally ran up to me and grabbed my hand with a vice like grip and looked unflinchingly into my eyes.

I was surprised by his strength, his quickness, and the intelligent sharpness of his glance.

He looked me over and said, ‘Do you work out? You don’t look like you work out.

Here grab my hand. See? You don’t have a very strong grip.’ I thought he’s right, I don’t work out. This man is seventy years old and if I upset him, he might knock me out cold. Note to self: perhaps you should start working out. He told me that every

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CAPTURING THE CIT Y’S ESSENCE

mor ning at sunrise he takes out his rowboat and fishes for several hours. While on his boat he practices calisthenics and gives praise to Allah for all his blessings in this life. I listened and watched him intently. Often times, I cross paths with people who try too hard for whatever reason to boast about their lives. But this man was genuine. Not a disingenuous bone in his body. He was content with his lif e. I like t o t hink of this s tr a nge r sometimes, recalling his very alert eyes, mischievous smile, and positive and vibrant energy.

started at my home in Media City and ended at the new Consulate on the Dubai Creek. It is amazing how different this experience was from the first one. It is important to say that I never know what a Mapping will look like in advance. I don’t have a set route. I do not tick boxes off a list of places I must see. I don’t have a schedule of where I should be at any given moment. It is truly an organic experience.

The city and its inhabitants, the traffic, the odd experiences that raise up from nowhere, the direction of the wind, all push and pull me in various directions.

of the art world, namely, the financial instruments that work behind the scenes to make art production and cultural output possible. Without places like Cuadro, artists could not support their practices and therefore they could not survive.

Q. What are your future plans? Are you planning to visit more cities as part of the Mapping series?

A. I was just awarded a New York University (NYU) Fellowship opportunity and I am very excited about this as it opens up a whole new world of opportunities. I will be using

The Mapping Dubai Part II is housed in the Consulate of the United States of America in Dubai. It was created to celebrate 40 years of official ties and relations between the countries

Q. You photographed Dubai in 2009 and 2011. What does this city stand for you and how was it exploring the city by foot for Part II? A. I was preparing to leave New York after having spent the summer there and my brother-in-law said, ‘Are you excited to go back home?’ How strange I thought—Dubai as home, for me. I guess Dubai is as much a place for me to call home as any other. I like Dubai. I like its ambition. I like its gusto for life. Dubai doesn’t seem set in its ways, yet, and I appreciate that raw unfulfilled energy. I was commissioned by the US Consulate as part of their Art in Embassies Programme to create a second ‘Mapping Dubai’. The Consulate was celebrating 40 years of strong official ties and relations with the UAE and decided that my Mapping Dubai project, which is now housed permanently in the new US Consulate on the Dubai Creek, would be a way to honour those relations. ‘Mapping Dubai’ (Part II) was an incredible experience. The project

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Q. Could you tell us about your role as the Director of Cuadro Gallery? How has the experience been?

A. I have loved my time at Cuadro. Cuadro is the vision of Fatima, Bashar, and Alaa Al Shroogi. Their hope is to create a truly viable and sustainable art centre that celebrates art and encourages art production in Dubai. It is a one-of-a-kind place in this city. Not only does Cuadro set trends in the regional art market through its impeccable curatorial selections, but it also supports artist residencies and community educational initiatives. Since I have been there, my goal has been to support and strengthen these various initiatives.

It has been an interesting learning experience for me to work on the commercial side of the art world. Before Cuadro, my time was spent in academia (either studying or teaching art practices, theory, and history) or in studio as an artist working on my own practices. Cuadro has definitely opened my eyes to the other side

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this fellowship opportunity to spend some time in Abu Dhabi researching and working with NYU students to create a new Mapping Abu Dhabi project. This project excites me because it may take on a new format. I can’t let the cat out of the bag as of yet as it is all top secret, hush-hush type stuff. But suffice to say, that there may be a new approach to a the series that will be married with my current approach to create a new and exciting Mapping experience sometime in the near future.

I have plans to create a Mapping series of Amman, Cairo, and Muscat in 2014. I would absolutely also love to Map Baghdad, Damascus, and Sana’a but unfortunately present conditions do not allow it to happen. I am hopeful that sometime in the future things will change in these regards and I will be able to accomplish this goal. I also have yet to explore some of the prominent Arab cities in Northern Africa and I have my mind set on Mapping these exotic countries as well.

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MAN OF STEEL

Man of Steel

K o re h i r a Wa t a n a b e i s o n e o f t h e f e w re m a i n i n g J a p a n e s e s w o rd s m i t h s i n t h e w o r l d a n d h a s spent the past 40 years attempting to recreate the legendary ancient Koto blades of Japan.

Swords have always been precious commodity in Japan and Japanese swords are one of the most sought after types in the world today.

These swords are legendary in many ways and there are very few people in the world going through the painstaking process of creating them.

Korehira Watanabe is one of these passionate people keeping this craft alive.

He is one of the last thirty traditional sword makers left in Japan today and has been perfecting his craft. He is a genuine person, in a way that he has a great understanding of Japanese culture and history and lives a traditional way of life, which not many people opt for in today’s day and age.

H e i s o n e o f t h e l a s t re m a i n i n g Japanese sword smiths and has spent 40 years honing his craft in an attempt to recreate Koto, a type of sword that dates back to the Heian and Kamakura periods (794-1333 AD). There are no documents t h a t re m a i n t o p ro v i d e c o n t e x t f o r Watanabe’s quest, but he believes that he has come quite close to creating a replica of this mythical samurai sword.

His studio is filled with many tools that he has been using for a long time, which can be seen covered with coal-ashes. It

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takes him about 10 months to make one sword although he works on a couple of them simultaneously. He attempts about 10 swords in a year, but only succeeds in completing about two or three at the level where he is satisfied. Watanabe doesn’t release his sword if he is not particularly happy about its quality.

As a college student, Watanabe had made up his mind to become a swordm a k e r, e v e n a t t h e c o s t o f f a m i l y disownment in a family-based society. He has studied under renowned Japanese sword-maker Yukihira Miyairi. Watanabe has the kind of dedication you can’t help but respect. He not only does what he loves, but he is does it for his country and to keep this tradition alive.

Watanabe was quoted saying: “Many traditional craftsmen respond to modern times when handing down their craft. But the essence of the tradition suffers in doing so. I think it is meaningless to carry on the tradition that way.”

He has a budding apprentice, Nobuhiro Kikuchi and it’s not only the refined sword making techniques he is passing down, but also the passion and dedication to the craft that makes it so special. His greatness lies in the fact that he intends for his disciple to surpass him in skill, as

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he is adamant that this tradition should be passed along. He knows he may never uncover the secret of the Koto, but future generations might.

Watanabe believes that it is nearly impossible to reach a state of perfection, but he is interested in trying because of his passion to create as well as his need to pass on the knowledge he has accumulated to the next generation.

To him, the modern era has lost the soul of craftsmanship as people attempt to replicate perfection through technical means. He feels that a sword made with this approach is like producing an empty vessel—it may look beautiful, but is empty on the inside.

Wa t a n a b e h a s s a i d t h a t e a c h handcrafted sword contains the soul of Japan and its people, and is a symbolic piece of history that many people want in their homes. A master sword maker like him is truly a treasure as his creations are examples of perfection.

Japan is one of the few places left where craft, passed from generation to g e n e r a t i o n i s s t i l l a l i v e . Wa t a n b e ’s dedication to this historic yet beautiful craft is inspiring, and shows that if you have dedication and passion in your work, the rest just comes.

Watanabe has often said that each handcrafted sword contains the soul of Japan and its people and is a symbolic piece of history that many people want in their homes

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Savoir Faire

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ART OF CIGAR MAKING

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cigar Art of

making For cigar lovers, the artistic genius lies in the touch of hands and rolling a cigar is considered by many to be an art form itself as it takes a lot of patience and quality control to create that perfect smoke.

Smoking a cigar is considered by many to be a great way to unwind or celebrate special occasions.

Before you smoke a cigar, you have to know how to choose the right kind, cut the cigar, and then light the cigar. Smoking one is all about savouring the flavour instead of inhaling the smoke. Cigar smoking is a culture in itself but have you ever wondered about what goes behind making one?

A cigar is a skilled labourer’s assembly of the parts—it is the gift of craftsmen who rely solely on their hands to forge a simple pleasure of life.

The process for making cigars today remains much the same as it was more than four centuries ago. The magic of cigar making begins in the fields.

It involves the choice of soil, the type of seed and the timing of the harvest to bring the leaves in optimum condition. At

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harvest time, wrapper leaves are treated like precious commodity and the tiniest blemish affects the value of the leaf. The length of drying, the stacking of leaves into bales for fermentation, the duration and intensity of the fermentation are all critical elements. These choices are made by master tobacco men who are artists in their own right.

Cigars are usually made by hand, where the tobacco leaves are picked,

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ART OF CIGAR MAKING

sorted and bundled manually, before a cigar is made or some of the brands opt for machine produced ones.

A handmade cigar has three parts—the filler, binder and wrapper. The wrapper gives the cigar its distinctive colour, look and fragrance and is made from a few selected leaves that is fermented separately. These leaves are later hung to dry in special curing warehouses.

The binder leaf binds the cigar. The leaves come from the top of the plant where the exposure to sunlight gives it coarseness. And at the cigar’s core is the filler. There are three types of different filler leaves that are folded carefully by hand.

In machine made cigars, basically a bundle of tobacco is rolled into a tubular shape. The filler is made from machine chopped pieces of tobacco. These are made with dry wrappers, which means that they will not develop into smooth hand made cigars.

In hand made cigars, after a close inspection, the best part of the leaf is picked and carefully cut into the desired shape for wrapping the cigar. When it is wrapped, a small amount of vegetable glue is applied, in order to keep the wrapper secure. Then a circle shape is cut out of the wrapper leaf to make a cap, which is applied to the head of the cigar.

Finally, a little more vegetable glue is applied and the cigar band is added to complete the cigar.

Once fermented, the tobacco has to be aged. The bales are either wrapped in burlap or stored in huge boxes and are stored in temperature-controlled warehouses for up to two years or longer.

Once primed, the transformation of the tobacco from a pile of leaves to a cigar depends on the touch of human hands.

The leaves are broken out and a technique that moistens them is used so they become supple and ready for manipulation.

Some factories bathe the leaves in a fine mist of water, while others use huge rooms with extremely high humidity.

The filler is placed in a plastic or cedar mould, so the wrapper leaf can be applied.

After they are cased, the leaves are deveined by workers delicately pulling the stem down the middle of the leaf. The leaves are separated by the type of

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The filler is prepared by folding each tobacco leaf so that it burns evenly and is surrounded by a coarse binder leaf that holds it together. Hand made cigars require great skill and a high degree of attention to quality control

tobacco. A supervisor will then prepare the exact proportion of leaves required to be used in a cigar and arranges the leaves into different boxes that are then placed on the rollers’ desks.

The rollers receive instructions on how much of each leaf to press into the cigars.

Usually, 100 to 150 cigars a day can be rolled in a day. Cigars are rolled by hand by workers sitting along rows of tables.

The roller uses a higher quality leaf for the outer layer of the wrapper.

The bunch is created by the cigarmaker taking three or four different leaves in the blend and pressing them together in their hands, folding the leaves to form cylinders, leaving a narrow passage

through the centre of the cigar to ensure that the cigar draws properly. At each step, the cigar-makers check the bunch with their hands for hard or loose spots and uniformity of the leaves.

Hand made cigars require great skill and a high degree of attention to quality control. The filler is prepared by folding each tobacco leaf so that it burns evenly.

Additionally, it is surrounded by a coarse binder leaf that holds it together. Once the filler is shaped, the bunch is then placed into a plastic or cedar mould, where it remains for about 45 minutes.

After the cigars are rolled, they are placed in an ageing room where they remain for a minimum of 21 days. This

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allows the tobacco to blend, and acquire balance. Some companies age their cigars for up to six months or more before shipping them out. Once the ageing is finished, the cigars are then spread onto tables where they are sorted.

The finished cigars are passed to an examiner, who inspects them for any imperfections that exist and checks them f o r p ro p e r w e i g h t , s i z e , s h a p e , a n d condition of the wrapper. They may be able to correct these imperfections by either patching the wrappers or re-shaping their heads.

The next hand to caress the cigar is usually the smoker’s, which brings the cigar to life.

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S AV O I R FA I R E

SPIRIT OF THE BOOTS

spirit of the

BOOTS BY:

ELIZIA VOLKMANN

Casa Fagliano is an Argentinian family establishment with a strong belief in tradition, not trends and are arguably the makers of the best polo boots in the world.

Casa Fagliano is a family run bootmaking business based in the town of Hurlingham in Argentina. Their expertise has quietly spread throughout the world attracting Royalty such as Prince Harry and Hollywood stars to their door.

From humble beginnings they have risen to be among the greatest Polo Riding bootmakers in the world.

The company says: “As of today, there is our father Rodolfo collaborating with choice tasks of hides and sharing his

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experience and wisdom in the office.

Besides him, the business is handled by Eduardo, Hector and German.”

The workshop has records of Polo Boot measurements going back to 1920, but the business had a simple beginning.

“Since the early 1900’s, we have been here in Hurlingham working on Polo boot repairs. With the passage of time we have built other models, with custom details such as customer initials, logos etc” explain Eduardo and Hector.

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The boots are made from high quality cowhides specially tanned for them including Cordovan high quality leather.

The workshop has just five people working. “We follow quality artisanal work, and put all our affection to work and that makes each pair of boots special.” He goes onto explain their superior quality: “We believe that the process of the finished product, the customised attention and the good selection of raw materials for many years (more than 100 years, passed

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The house of Casa Fagliano specialises in boots, which are made with the utmost quality and each boot takes about 40-45 hours to make, making them pure works of art and craftsmanship

from generation to generation) make a great combination. We consider it very important to keep these principles.”

The handmade boot industry has declined and I ask the family what they think is happening: “These businesses have sadly reduced. The artisanal footwear industry’s reduction was due especially to the lack of teaching the craft and particularly the economic issues of the country, but I also think that it happens everywhere in the world, in general.”

Eduardo and Hector describe the town’s relationship with Polo: “From the beginning of the Hurlingham Club in 1887, and the arrival of English players who practiced this sport, the need to repair the boots began a relationship.”

They go onto say: “The construction of the boots vary with use, some are more

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flexible to maintain contact with the horse (like dressage), and if the pole needs extra protection for the legs of the player.”

Hurlingham has become one of the most famous Polo grounds, and the Argentinian breeders have developed the breeding of high quality Polo ponies.

They say: “People who have practiced the sport since childhood in their fields, for generations, have turned out to be very t a l e n t e d p l a y e r s . We d o o u r p a r t , accompanying the players, make them feel secure and protect feet, when they are on a horse.”

Casa Fagliano is as far removed from the world of fashion, its fast pace and instant gratification: “We specialise in boots and the most widely used model is zippered in the front. The more classic shoe model is the Prussian model.” Their

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customers can choose the style they like, the leather and details they want. The p ro c e s s b e g i n s w i t h m e a s u r i n g t h e customers foot and making the wooden last from which the shoe or the boot is moulded. Quality takes time and patience and each boot takes about 40 – 45 hours to make.

They say: “Right now, we have a delay of about six to eight months for the delivery of an order. Currently, we have more orders for polo boots, followed by field boots, booties and shoes.”

German, the youngest member of the family team, says: “I continue to focus on craftsmanship of our work, not the moder nised aspect and give utmost attention to detail. This is what will allow us to continue doing work with excellence for our customers.”

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GUNS OF GLORY

GUNS of

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BY: ELIZIA VOLKMANN

The name Johann Fanzoj has become synonymous with premier world-class gunmaking. For over three centuries unsurpassed craftsmanship has defined the h u n t i n g w e a p o n s o f t h e c o m p a n y.

Today, more precision guns are being made than ever before, however, only handful of bespoke gun makers remain in the world creating elegant precision hunting rifles and shot guns. Hidden deep in the Valley of Roses in the town of Ferlach, Austria, one family has retained not only its family tradition, but unlike companies such as Purdey & Sons or Westley Richards, still own and run their gun smithing workshop. Founded in 1790, Johann Fanzoj is one of the oldest gunsmiths in the world, that has been handed down for nine generations and Daniela Fanzoj is the first daughter in the family to lead the firm.

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GUNS OF GLORY

Each year, the workshop creates a masterpiece to display at the gun and hunting fairs to dazzle visitors and outdo their rivals. The company is widely recognised for their creative design and unique engravings

“We came from the Netherlands in the 18th century and settled in the Valley of Roses—we had metal in the mountains and water, and this is where the first steel and gun industry begun. We have a long tradition and my family has been here for over 200 years.

The first Johann succeeded the last Johann for eight generations; I am the first ‘non-Johann’,” laughs Daniela Fanzoj. Johann Fanzoj has always been famed for the beauty of their guns, but when Daniela took over the company she realised that in this small market where there is little between the best gun makers in terms of quality, they needed to create show guns that captured customers’ imaginations and created something that wasn’t just an elegant piece of equipment but a work of art.

She says: “It was me who gave our guns the artistic touch. 15 years ago I never imagined how much creativity and ideas have grown with the customers and it is they who have enabled us to do so.” Unlike most sites of steel industry, Ferlach is a beautiful wooded valley flanked by mountains where Ibex, Chamois and Roe Deer roam providing good hunting. Here there was a thriving gun making industry that once grew fat on wars but now only the Johann Fanzoj company remains, creating guns for the most discerning of hunters and gun collectors.

Each year, the workshop creates a masterpiece to display at the gun and hunting fairs to dazzle visitors and outdo their rivals.

“I always give it a background and story and I try to fill it with a composition, details, technical specifications and that is a pleasure to do and is one part of what we do. The rest of the year we just make guns to order, so it is about showing technical elegance—we make just 30 guns a year.”

To date, the themes have been about the big game animals, that are now protected such as the great Africa, the bridge and stock of the gun called “The Ivory Hunters’, which is inlaid with

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Russian mammoth ivory and the African elephant carved in fine, realistic detail. The metal work is adorned with exquisite chasing by metal specialist Ritchi Maier, presented in an exquisite case.

“The flagship guns we do just for our own pleasure, to give the idea of the beauty and what can be created,” she says.

Perhaps her most daring artwork today is not of big game but of man’s hunting companion, the horse. The Blue Horse sees Fanzoj’s artistry with metal reach new heights. The metal relief of an Arabian grey horse is set against a background of cobalt blue enamel framed with gold in a neo-gothic design. Her creative work contrasts starkly with some gun-makers whose creative runs to lurid excess to catch buyers’ attention.

She says: “The blue horse is the first excursion into a nonhunting theme. It was my own idea to do something beautiful and I featured this Arabian stallion against a blue sky. I thought that it is beautiful to show what we are able to do on the handicraft side.

It is a very complicated collaboration of the different artists from the goldsmith to the case maker to the stock maker. Each year, we stun the gun world with something new and that is the fun of it.

These kinds of items go to affluent people as gifts. So it is about a fascination of the technical handicraft. If you look inside a hunting rifle, we are able to do unique things and create technical solutions like four barrels and ejectors. Our guns are highly functional—it is like watchmaking, but with the aspiration that they can meet the highest technical requirements such as 500bar pressure. We present ourselves as the Ferrari of the gun world and combine tradition with innovation and technical improvements.”

Johann Fanzoj has three gunrooms, one in their home town of Ferlach not far from Bad Ischl in the Saltzkammergut, the favoured hunting ground of their most famous client, Emperor Franz Joseph, of the Austro-Hungarian Empire “who hunted with an Ischl Short

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THE BLUE HORSE SEES FANZOJ’S ARTISTRY WITH METAL REACH NEW HEIGHTS. IT IS SET AGAINST A BACKGROUND OF COBALT BLUE ENAMEL FRAMED WITH GOLD IN A NEO-GOTHIC DESIGN

The production process of the customised Fanzoj gun begins in Fanzoj´s gunsmithing workshop. With sophisticated computer software, the craftsmen generate three dimensional construction design drafts of every system and sub-system of the gun to be built. Based on these exact technical calculations, the highly skilled master gunsmiths will then by hand transform wood and steel into a prized creation as unique as its owner, featuring the highest artistic quality.

The engraving on the guns are a highlight of aesthetic perception and class. Various techniques and styles, from magnificent relief engravings to the finest Boulino, combined with the customer´s personal choice of motif for the engraving give each hunting gun its unmistakable uniqueness and is an expression of the customer´s individuality. The name Fanzoj is widely recognised for highly creative design and realisation of unique gun engravings. Finally, the optic, the custom-made guncase and any other accessories requested by the client, give the gun the finishing touch.

Once all these steps have been accomplished, a new and unique hunting gun from Johann Fanzoj gunmakers is ready to leave the workshop and to accompany the proud new owner in the field for the first time.

Each hunting weapon is the result of generations of craftsmen linked by technology, pride and passion.

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GUNS OF GLORY

“WHAT IMPRESSES IS THE ENGRAVING, WHICH MAY BE PURE AND SIMPLE, EMPHASISING THE ELEGANT SHAPES OF THE WEAPON OR MAY BE BEAUTIFULLY ELABORATE” D A N I E L A FA N Z O J

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rifle,” adds Daniela. The other gun rooms are in Croatia and Russia. “There is usually a moment of awe, when people enter our showroom and get a feel of the finished product—the exquisite shapes and lines of the metal parts, where a machine could never go. The flawless mirror-surface of the wood is the result of months of meticulous oil-surface finish, which can only be achieved when everything is done with the required slowness and accuracy. The flawless function is the result of perfectly regulated and adjusted mechanical parts. This is what separates the good from bad gunsmiths,” remarks Daniela. “What impresses is the engraving, which may be pure and simple, emphasising the elegant shapes of the weapon, or may be beautifully elaborate. Finally, fine accessories such as handmade gun cases, tolls, etc complete the eye-catching moment.”

Hunting has changed massively over the past century, environmental pressures, excessive hunting and poaching has brought big game to the edge of extinction. Hunting as a sport has

returned to hunting animals that are also food such as game birds, stags and in North America bigger game such as moose and bears. Daniela was only four years old when she first followed her father on a hunt: “My image of hunting developed very early and life here is part of my love and respect for nature. In Austria, hunting is very restricted, it is about sustainability. Usually you are part of a society or a hunting club and there is an ethic to it. For me hunting is not only the shoot but about the whole hunt. When you stalk an Ibex for eight hours there is something glorious and triumphant when you are eye to eye with such an animal.”

She goes onto say: “Our clients have keen memories from their parents about culture and tradition and a thirst for fine things.

The Russians have a love for weapons and hunting because hunting gives you respect in society.”

Accordingly, Johann Fanzoj will continue to make guns that honour this tradition and we look forward to seeing what new wonders Daniela and her team create.

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T H E B I CYC L E S T I L L R U L ES

THE BICYCLE STILL RULES

A b i c i c o m b i n e s d e s i g n w i t h p r a c t i c a l i t y, a r t i s a n a l s o l u t i o n s a n d c r e a t e s o n e - o f f , h a n d - m a d e models that are assembled by modern artisans, who are able to create both collection pieces and bicycles for everyday use.

Thanks to a recent revival of traditions combined with certain new technologies, bicycles have experienced a second life among enthusiasts.

Several companies have started producing vintage models and introduced fully customised bicycles, mixing together old and new elements. One of the most dynamic and quality bikes are designed by the Italian brand Abici.

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This is a prestigious line of bicycles entirely hand-crafted in Italy and shipped worldwide. Each piece of these bikes is individually tested and its hi-tech details make this an unmistakable and pure product.

We speak to Cristiano Gozzi, one of the founders to find out the story behind Abici—where traditions, technology and creativity are combined together.

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Each piece of these bikes is individually tested and its hi-tech details make this an unmistakable and high quality product

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“FOR US DETAILS ARE EVERYTHING” Q. Can you give us a brief history of the brand?

A. Three friends in the Lombard province—Giuseppe Marcheselli, Stefano Seletti and I, started from an old 50’s catalogue of an Italian artisan. We began to dream of a prototype, trying to imagine a bicycle without frills and adding simple hi-tech details—the bicycle in its pure and naked form. Here is where the story of tradition and technology, imagination and management started.

Q. Can you give us a lowdown on the production process?

A. All Abici bikes are hand-made. We don’t have a production line and the bike is assembled by the same person from the beginning to the end. Because of that, we are able to take extra care about details on our bikes. For us details are everything.

Q. Can you offer our readers an overview of the different models produced? Which among these has been the bestseller?

A. We produce eight different models. The Granturismo, is the classic holland bike; the Camporella, is a mountain bike of sorts; the Sveltina, a city bike with eight speed gears; the Amante, an old school “R” bike; the Fuga, a very fashion fixed gear bike; the Velocino, a new edition of an original model of the 30’s; the Scappatella, the folding bicycle of the ‘60s proposed in a sport version and the Abicino, a new trendy bike inspired from the bikes of Japan and Thailand. Our bestseller is the Granturismo model Uomo e Donna.

Q. Abici is a Made in Italy brand. What characteristics according to you make this product uniquely Italian?

A. First of all the quality and the attention for details, make these bikes uniquely Italian. Each hand-made product becomes unique in itself. These bikes are a tribute to true traitional Italian artisanal and craftsmanship culture. This year Abici had the honour to be published in the book titled ‘La nobiltà del Fare of Acqua di Parma’—a book that features and collects the best products hand crafted in Italy such as the Gondola, Stradivari’s violins and Murano’s glass, among others.

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Q. How are the colours and designs selected for the bikes? Do you get in touch with designers or is there an in-house creative team in place?

A. Some of the models have been inspired from a 50’s catalogue of an Italian artisan. And some colours have been inspired from Lambretta, Vespa and Fiat 500, which are typical Italian products.

Popular designer models include the Granturismo Uomo Basil, the new Granturismo Donna Speciale Pearl, the Camporella green and the Amante black.

Q. Can you tell us about your use of the fabric Loden? How do you use it in your clothing and accessories?

A. Abici has also ventured into an apparel and accessories line which has an unmistakable style. All the items are made of original Italian Loden with superior quality, which is the result of a rigorously craft-made manufacture. We offer outerwear and functional bags that are ideal to complete your bicycle attire or simply to wear. Thanks to an age-old and unchanged manual workmanship—wool-carding, spinning, milling, raising, shearing and combing, the delicate selection of wools gives a warm and light, soft and shiny, resistant and lasting cloth. The manufacturing and combing make Loden waterproof and transparent at the same time. It is available in two colours—Green Loden and Grey. We offer Italian excellence with maximum ethical respect in the workmanship and take care in the tailoring process. All the items have been created by emerging designer Alessandro Zambelli.

Q. Bicycle is revolutionising the future of transportation, what is your opinion on that?

A. Certainly bicycle is revolutionising the future of transportation, and a lot of countries are investing money to increase bicycle lanes on their roads. For example, in Denmark and Holland, there are more bikes than cars, and this is amazing! But there are also a lot of countries where there aren’t enough bicycle lanes and that is fundamental to help people so that they can rediscover the beauty of cycling.

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S T R AT UM

INDUSTRIAL JEWELS Have you ever wondered what goes on inside a watch? An integral part of it are the red dots in the below image. These are jewel bearings that sustain smoothness even after decades of usage and bring down variance in friction.

Synthetic sapphire and ruby are used gives excellent wear resistance, as well as the ability to withstand universally as the ideal jewel bearing material for watches, heavy loads without deformation of shape or structure. instruments, meters and other precision mechanisms because of Today, the technique has increased in accuracy and control, their hardness and ability to accept a high polish. Synthetic but remains more or less the same. The jewelled bearing is made sapphire is identical in chemical composition to natural sapphire, in two different shapes, depending on the job it needs to do. The but is a far superior jewel bearing material simplest is the hole jewel, which is a simple because it eliminates impurities and flaws. flattened donut shape with a hole through JEWEL BEARING ADVANTAGES Jewel bearings are mounted in some the middle and a hollow scooped out on one High polish and low friction type of housing such as a screw, bushing or side. The hole jewel stops the metal pivot of Hardness and shock resistant Miniature size plate fabricated from half hard brass, a wheel from coming into contact with the Long wear life aluminium or other metals. Mounting is metal of the baseplate or bridge as it turns Resistance to heat and corrosion done by spin setting or friction set and the to prevent wear, and the hollow acts as a jewel is placed to fit. reservoir to hold a drop of oil for lubrication.

Nicolas Fatio de Duillier, Peter Debaufre, and Jacob Debaufre For components that need lubrication to spin as well as invented jewel bearings for watches in 1704. Originally, natural restriction from moving up and down, a capstone is added, which jewels such as diamond, sapphire and ruby were used but in 1902, is a second jewel with no hole that keeps the wheel pivot pressed a process to make synthetic sapphire and ruby was invented by firmly in place. The jewels allow the moving parts to remain Auguste Verneuil. accurate for a longer period. The invention was an achievement as The extensive use of jewel bearings in watches is due to the even though it was invented three centuries ago, today it still has outstanding qualities of the material. Sapphire’s extreme hardness much importance in the watchmaking industry.

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INSTRUMENT OF PRECISION A w a t c h m a k e r ’s l a t h e i s a m o n g o n e o f t h e m a n y i n t e g r a l p i e c e s o f w a t c h m a k i n g e q u i p m e n t t h a t a horologist uses. It is a tool that gives the piece being worked on the required shape.

A notable milestone in the evolution of watchmaking was the introduction of the watchmaker’s lathe, which popularised the ‘Geneva’ type, with its light build but highly practical and easy-to-use design.

Lathe is a machine tool that performs turning operations in which unwanted material is removed from a workpiece rotated against a cutting tool. It is among one of the oldest and most important machine tools. Wood lathes were in use in France as early as 1569. During the Industrial Revolution in the United Kingdom, the machine was adapted for metal cutting.

The rotating horizontal spindle to which the work-holding device is attached is power driven at varied speeds. The cutting tool is supported on a tool rest and manipulated by hand.

A watchmaker’s lathe is a tabletop machine that is used for repairing or creating different parts of a watch. These come in a number of sizes, but are designed to work on small objects. They may be hand operated, motor driven or even computer controlled.

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Certain manufacturers create motorised lathes with variable speed options. Some lathes also use belt movement along a motor pulley that gradually decreases in diameter. Positioning the belt on the smaller diameter increases the rotations per minute. Some other motorised watchmaker’s lathes can change speed automatically without manually manipulating the belt.

The lathe has a headstock and a tailstock which hold the piece while the lathe is operated. Between these two stations there is a tool rest which allows the horologist to hold the tool stably against the piece being worked. Chucks or collets usually hold the piece in place. Collets are conical with an open end that closes around an object when a nut is tightened. Chucks are open in the centre and have inward rotating jaws that close in around an object.

This tool is used for various purposes such as to drill, cut, and create watch pieces that include gears, screws, or nuts. Using it, horologists are able to grind and polish metal pieces in order to achieve perfection.

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WATCH CAPITAL OF THE WORLD A trip to Geneva, Switzerland, will give you the time in thousand and one ways and will l e a d y o u t o t h e s h o p p i n g p a r a d i s e o f p r e s t i g e h o r o l o g y.

The Jet d‘eau in Geneva is among the city‘s main tourist attractions and is surrounded by legendary watch brands

A visit to Geneva will offer you a chance to discover the watch industry through a hundred boutiques and many more historical monuments linked to the city’s watchmaking history. Today, the term ‘Geneva watches’ is synonymous with timepieces of impeccable craftsmanship and manufacturing.

The Swiss watch and clock industry first appeared in Geneva in the middle of the 16th century. In 1541, rules implemented by religious reformer Jean Calvin, regarding the ban on wearing jewels, forced goldsmiths and jewellers to turn to a new craft— watchmaking. By the end of the century, Genevan watches were renowned for their high quality. Further, Geneva’s famous symbol, the Jet d’eau, has its origins in the city’s watchmaking foundations.

The city’s 4,000 watchmakers and craftsmen, settled around the Rhône in 1800, in order to use the available hydraulic energy, e m a n a t i n g f ro m t h e B â t i m e n t d e l a M a c h i n e i n 1 8 7 2 .

This pressurised water enabled a large number of operations involved in the manufacture of movements and watch cases, such as milling, to be mechanised. One of them had the idea of installing a safety valve allowing the over-pressurised water to escape skywards up to about 30 metres high. This became such a ritual display for riverside residents that the Jet d’eau was eventually moved and made an institutionalised tourist attraction in 1891 by Geneva’s town council.

The city further offers a watch tour that includes a tour of around 50 watch boutiques and gives an overview of the Swiss watchmaking industry, while visiting Geneva’s symbolic districts.

These venues allow you to experience the techniques and culture that pervade every company in the industry. These are reasons enough for all watch collectors to make a pilgrimage to Geneva at least once in their lifetime.

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IN THE BARBER’S CHAIR

IN THE BARBER’S CHAIR BY:

CAMERON BAILEY

Pankhurst London is a safe haven that has manifested itself as a lounge-like space where you can enjoy a cup of coffee and get transported into the world of movies, while you wait for that perfect shave or cut.

Newburgh Street is a hidden gem in London—on a sunny summer’s day walking down the cobblestones, I’m transported to the world of Alfie, Michael Cane and Sean Connery, a time when every stylish man was clean shaven and perfectly suited and coiffed. I am greeted b y t h e e ff o r t l e s s l y d a p p e r C h a r l i e ,

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Pankhurst’s senior stylist, while Brent Pankhurst, the founder, is busy styling another customer’s hair. Where most barbers and hair salons are deafening maelstroms of industry, Pankhurst is an oasis of calm with just the hum of activity and good music playing softly in the background. Charlie offers me tea and

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takes me on a tour of the shop which is another world, conjured by Brent whose love of film and drama is steeped into the walls. This isn’t just a salon, it’s a club, a hangout, a classy den for smart guys who think sharp, look sharper but play it cool.

Brent Pankhurst was cutting hair at the beginning of the English style revival;

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IN THE BARBER’S CHAIR

he is one of the men behind the scenes who has influenced men’s styling over the past fifteen years. Pankhurst London is styled as a high-class barbershop, but Brent’s roots are in hairdressing, “I was the youngest person to become Creative Director at Vidal Sassoon,” says Brent with smile. He left to follow his passion for movies. He styled the hair for male leads in ‘Lock, Stock and Two Smoking B a r re l s ’ a n d g a v e D a n i e l C r a i g h i s signature hair cut in ‘Layer Cake’ turning C r a i g f ro m a c t o r i n t o a s t y l e i c o n .

Everywhere around the shop there are references to film, music and style icons, little gems that catch the eye.

Brent left life in the movies to set up a salon at Dunhill’s old Jermyn Street address 10 years ago. The new shop on Newburgh Street is where Brent could finally realise his dream shop. Excited by the eccentric layout of the shop, only one chair sits upstairs, the rest of the barber chairs are in the basement in subtle lighting. The back room is a lounge, a mix of classic modernism and cocktail jazz chic. Sitting on the BB Italia sofa we look up at the glass ceiling where Brent tells me, “It’s wonderful when it rains, no-one has this in London but us.” Today, the sun streams down and its easy to see why clients love the place. It’s the sort of room you can spend a day in relaxing and watching the sky. “It’s like the little room in films with Sinatra or Steve McQueen.

They would always have meetings in the barbershop and then go through to the room behind the velvet curtain. CEOs and luxury brands always like the idea of a Speakeasy. It’s both the synergy of the building and the little details. I even love that there’s a hidden door to the toilet,” he says with delight.

I try out the Bentley seat, and it really is comfortable, so much so I can imagine dozing off in it. “I thought the Bentley car seat with the head rest would be perfect for shaving,” he says. Using the classic Belmont base, which is the industry gold standard chair, Bentley upholstered the c h a i r s i n t h e f i n e s t re d l e a t h e r a n d extended the arms of the chair for greater comfort. The super deluxe chair in black is f i n i s h e d i n t h e i r s i g n a t u re m u l l i n e r stitching. Gwyn Jones of BBH was

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After a shave or hair cut you can relax in the lounge with either a cup of tea or a dram, read the papers or books, there is no fuss, no rush, and you are welcome to hang out

enchanted by the idea for the new shop a n d s o J o h n n y Wa l k e r b e c a m e a collaborator providing bespoke deep red wallpaper and furniture in the lobby and lounge. You move from light to cozy warm reds and golds, nothing is over styled, it feels homely, like you belong there.

After a shave or hair cut a gentleman can relax in the lounge with either a cup of tea or a dram, read the papers or books, there’s no fuss, no rush, you are welcome to hang out, its your place too.

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They work quickly and neatly, but nothing is rushed. Charlie, Brent’s right hand man, remarks that having a straight edged shave “is so relaxing.” Brent adds: “For those 45 minutes of the day a man can switch off.” Charlie trained with Tony and Guy and found he enjoyed cutting men’s hair more and moved to a barbers in the City where he learned the art of shaving, “The hot towel opens the pores, we use the brush in circular motions to lift the hair, so you get a much closer shave

The barber‘s here offer a neat hair trim and nothing is rushed. They also use hot and cold towel treatments and develop their own range of products.

For those 45 minutes of the day a man can switch off and relax

than at home. It is also better because of the products we use and the hot towel/ cold towel treatments. When shaving someone else you have more control and can take your time to work with the direction of hair growth.”

Pankhurst have developed their own range of products, a perfumer created t h e i r s i g n a t u re L i m e a n d B a y R u m fragrance, which smells like a refined cologne. The range includes shaving cream and after-shave var nish gel to

B R E N T PA N K H U R S T

sooth and three hair styling products including the styling conditioner that won the GQ award. Brent says: “Everything is designed for the travelling man,” so products are under 100mls.

Catching sight of the antique manual type writer and whiskey made me think of my writing heroes and its not hard to i m a g i n e m e n f ro m t h e a g e ’s b e f o re relaxing after a shave, whiskey in hand chewing the fat before another assignment called them away.

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“I THOUGHT THE BENTLEY CAR SEAT WITH THE HEAD REST WOULD BE PERFECT FOR SHAVING”

SignĂŠ Selection

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MECHANICAL MARVEL

Mechanical marvel The Hublot MP-05 was created as a tribute to the LaFerrari, with the engineers at Hublot having designed, d e v e l o p e d , a n d p r o d u c e d t h e t i m e p i e c e i n p a r a l l e l w i t h t h e c a r.

The LaFerrari is among those fabled car models that melds both classic design cues and a host of advanced technologies into a truly striking hybrid car. It has been produced in a limited series build of just 499 units.

But what’s even more exceptional is the MP-05 LaFerrari, a very special series of watch designed and developed by the Swiss brand Hublot as a tribute to the car.

This piece of horology is rarer than the car as only 50 limited edition numbered models have been produced.

The watch has caught the attention of the world thanks to its 50-day power reserve—a world record power reserve for a hand-wound tourbillon wristwatch. Not that you’re expected to wind it up with your hand, as a miniature power drill does the job for you.

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The MP-05 LaFerrari watch features a sapphire crystal face designed to resemble the outline of the Ferrari supercar. It further features 637 components, making it the most watchmaking components created to date by Hublot.

The watch was developed in technical and design terms in parallel with the car, alongside the Ferrari teams. They share a number of common aspects. It has a power reserve of approximately 50 days thanks to its 11 barrels that have been arranged in a line just like a spinal column and interconnected so that they do not each discharge in turn but support each other. They work together to keep the watch turning for up to seven weeks.

The watch is finely wrought in terms of shape, featuring a complex shaped sapphire crystal clearly reminiscent of the

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car’s outline, as well as an open caseb a c k , a n d i s m a d e f ro m b l a c k P V D titanium. The watch has been topped with a titanium and carbon insert in its centre, revealing the winding crown. The timesetting crown is positioned under the case. Both are completely integrated into the design, and are practically invisible.

The movement has an original display, featuring, first off, on the front vertical face the small seconds indicated by means of an aluminium cylinder fastened onto the suspended Tourbillon cage.

There are cylinders to the left and right of the centre barrel. Those to the left indicate the amount of power remaining, while those on the right tell the time in SuperLuminova numerals. The time is displayed by means of cylinders, further enhancing the industrial feel of the watch,

LAFERRARI

The MP05 watch is a tribute to the LaFerrari, a limited production hybrid hyper car, which was unveiled at the 2013 Geneva Auto Show

WATCH SPECIFICATIONS Reference 905.ND.0001.RX Series 50 numbered pieces Case Black PVD made of titanium Suspended vertical Tourbillon Ergonomic time-setting system under the case middle Invisible manual winding 11 series-coupled barrels Movement dimensions: Ø 45.8 x 39.5 mm Thickness 15.30 mm Tourbillon cage diameter Ø 14.50 mm Number of jewels 108 Number of components 637 Frequency 21,600 Vib/h (3 Hz) Power reserve 50 days SCAN ME

WWW.SIGNEMAGAZINE.COM/WEBFEATURE/ HUBLOTMP-05

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MECHANICAL MARVEL

Reinforcing bars on either side are made from anodised red aluminium, which bring to mind Ferrari‘s red signature. Also, the size of the numerals has been maximised to enhance the display

the luminous hours and minutes are shown on black anodized cylinders to the right of the line of spring barrels. The seconds are displayed on an aluminum cylinder that is secured to the suspended tourbillon cage, which is much larger than usual, coming in at 14.5 mm in diameter. Reinforcing bars on either side, are made from anodised red aluminium, which bring to mind Ferrari’s red signature.

Much of the dial is open; with an impressively shaped sapphire crystal and

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view into much of the Swiss watchmakers calibre HUB9005.H1.6, which is a manually wound movement.

A small detail, but one, which makes reading the time easier—on each cylinder, the size of the numerals has been maximised to enhance the display for ease of reading. A rubber strap rounds off the watch with a special folding buckle in black PVD titanium.

The Ferrari logo is etched into the black titanium case, just underneath the

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suspended tourbillon. And there are a couple of red-coloured bars supporting the movement. But these are the only overt signs; the rest is implied in the shape and feel of this mechanical ode to the ingenuity of engineers.

The presentation case for the watch, has been made from pure leather and carbon fibre, that contains specific tools required for winding the watch, and whose design was also inspired by the world of automobiles and motoring.

Safe and secure Döttling safes promise to be an ideal place to store your precious possessions a n d o f f e r u l t i m a t e s e c u r i t y. F o r n e a r l y a c e n t u r y, g e n e r a t i o n s o f t h e D ö t t l i n g family have been making the most exquisite safes. Founded by Ernst Döttling i n S i n d e l f i n g e n , G e r m a n y, t h e c o m p a n y h a s b e e n c r a f t i n g s t a t e - o f - t h e - a r t modern safes for a very discerning clientele. They are well known for making safes that are used by a number of top-end luxury brands while delivering limited edition pieces. These safes are unique masterpieces that utilise both e n g i n e e r i n g a n d v i s u a l b e a u t y.

THE GUARDIAN Traveling with your valuables just became easier. The specialists at Döttling have come up with The Guardian, which is being referred to as the world’s first travel safe in the world. This good looking safe allows you to carry your precious collections of timepieces and jewellery without any hassle on the road.

This safe is made mostly from carbon fibre, polycarbonate and steel and is drill, shock, and tamper resistant. The lack of heavy metals makes it wearable and weighs around four kilograms. It is compact enough to be carried by hand or placed in a suitcase and can be carried either with a handgrip or a shoulder strap. The safe, which looks like a tube is about 35cm long and 13.5cm in diameter.

Its interiors include a roll style case with pockets designed to carry watches, cash, important documents or jewellery. It also comes with the option of choosing a tube style cushion that can hold a row of six timepieces. The Guardian’s outer skin is completely bespoke. The safe can be clad in anything from soft leather to shiny crocodile skin and has the option to engrave your initials. The safe is further installed with a GPS tracker that can locate thieves before they can get access to the contents. The safe’s true genius lies in its innovative security features.

At one end, the safe door has a locking mechanism that comprises four highcarbon steel locking bolts that can only be unlocked with a three-digit code.

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SAFE AND SECURE

GYROWINDER The Gyrowinder is for that special type of collector who considers each of their timepieces to be a part of their identity.

This is the newest high-end watch winder introduced by the company.

The Gyrowinder creates a movement satisfactory enough to wind the rotor in the automatic watch. This unique system, which is the first of its kind, moves at a 360-degree space, which the company claims comes quite close to simulating what it is like to actually wear a watch. It consists of a base with the gyroscopic winding system and a crystal glass dome cover. It comes with multiple counterweights that can be used to keep the face of the watch pointed in a particular direction. The control area further has a series of LED lights that illuminate the watch. The display brings to mind nautical navigation instruments and is constructed of materials that are meant to stand the test of time. It comes in white, yellow, red and rose gold. It is not only a watch winder but also serves as an intriguing piece of artwork. With the Gyrowinder, you can ensure that your prized timepiece is being pampered in a gadget that is just as lustrous as the watch itself.

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THE FORTRESS This creation has been named as the safest luxury safe in the world.

The Fortress is available in the security class range from VdS/EN3 up to VdS/ EN5, which indicates its high standards.

It can be connected to a burglar alarm and also includes the option of a silent alarm function. Döttling has said that it can be certified for insurance coverage of up to US$1,000,000. The Fortress is a high-security safe that also has motorised mounts that rotate to mimic the movement of a wrist, which automatic watches require in order to stay running when they are not being worn. It also features a jewellery compartment. The company has designed only 10 models of each security class, to ensure that it offers versatility. The Fortress consists of eight watch winders that can be controlled individually, and the number and direction of rotations can be adjusted according to your requirements. Further, you can also measure the humidity and air pressure inside the safe through a barometer and hydrometer. The safe also includes a humidor of Spanish cedar and an electronic humidifier, to cater to the taste of cigar aficionados. Its exterior is covered in calfskin and weighs around 495kg, so you can be rest assured that no one will run away with it.

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E L EC T R I F Y YO U R B I K E

ELECTRIFY YOUR BIKE A u d i ’s e - b i k e W ö r t h e r s e e i s j u s t l i k e a n a d v a n c e d r a c i n g c a r t h a t h a s every possible gadget you could ever need.

When travelling along busy roads, cyclists usually do not have to worry about being caught by radar.

But, thanks to Audi’s latest innovation things are about to change.

The car manufacturer has used motor racing design principles to build the Wörthersee that features an electric motor.

This bike features clever designs and is futuristic at the very first glance.

Audi unveiled it at the 2012 Wörthersee Tour in Austria and the e-bike itself is called Wörthersee, which happens to be a lake in Austria.

It has five cycling modes that include pure muscle power, electric motor alone and pedalling that is supported by the electric motor.

In the Pure mode, the drive power is created by the cyclist, while in the Pedelec mode you are supported by the electric motor that gives you a speed of up to 50 mph possible and further gives a range of 31 to 44 miles.

If you choose eGrip, the e-bike will run solely on the electric motor and can reach up to 31 mph. The cyclist is able to control the forward momentum by using a grip shift and can configure the power as desired by using the touchscreen featured

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on the bike. Cyclist’s can also connect a smartphone to the bike. Further, video images recorded via the in-helmet camera can be easily uploaded to the Internet through the connected smartphone.

Different modes can also be set using a smartphone or directly on the e-bike.

You can choose between the Power Wheelie mode, with adjustable angle for less skilled bikers or the Balanced Wheelie mode for sporting experiments.

The Balanced Wheelie mode maintains the rider’s balance, by counteracting the biker’s movement’s forwards or backwards by using the electric motor. It allows the rider to influence the bike’s speed by shifting weight. So for example, if you lean forwards the bike picks up speed, and slows down if you lean back.

The bike also features the ‘Training’ mode that keeps your performance constant for training purposes.

Homogeneous LED light strips round out its frame and create the recognisable Audi light signature.

Hendrik Schaefers, one of the designers said: “When developing the Audi e-bike Wörthersee, we drew on motor racing design principles for inspiration.

The e-bike appears incredibly precise and

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strictly functional. And the design effort was focused on its function mainly as a sports machine.”

The e-bike is based on custom carbon fibre wheels and a full-suspension carbon fibre frame. It features a quick-change pack, enabling the rider to choose between pedalling for short distances or hauling extra battery packs in a backpack for longer rides.

Other interesting design details include a seat, which can retract during riding to

A built-in brake and tail light in the back of the seat gives a brilliant futuristic touch. These smart details make this e-bike a showcase of sleek and forward looking design

convert the e-bike for stunt riding. A builtin brake and tail light in the back of the seat gives a brilliant futuristic touch. These smart details make this e-bike a showcase of sleek and forward-looking design.

Another great aspect of this control system is a lock feature that locks the rear wheel and can set off an alarm if someone tries to steal the bike.

The e-bike combines the brand’s principal competences — design, ultra, connect and e-tron — and explores the

limits of what is technically feasible in terms of design and mobility.

Audi made its splash into the e-bike world by releasing photos and videos of this lightweight prototype electric stunt bike. The manufacturer has announced no specific date for its release and for now it is still technically a concept bike but one that is ground breaking.

The company also recently purchased the Italian motorcycle-maker Ducati for $1.2 billion. And if the e-bike is launched,

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Ducati’s dealership network may be helpful i n p ro v i d i n g A u d i w i t h a w o r l d w i d e distribution channel.

Audi is owned by Volkswagen, who are working on the “last mile transportation,” which focuses on development of shortdistance urban transportation.

Audi’s concept e-bike is the creation of some of Europe’s most skilled engineers and designers who got together and decided they are going to create a flagship e-bike that stands out from the crowd.

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SOUND OF MUSIC

SOUND OF MUSIC

Some say a great pair of headphones can represent the purest way to enjoy an acoustic indulgence. This handmade model offers great reproduction and the mahogany earpiece design has a certain beauty about it.

The only set of headphones to use mahogany wood speaker housings—the GS1000i is considered by audiophiles to be one of the finest headphones ever made and it can even make an iPod sound like a theatre hall.

The GS1000i claims to be the most comfortable headphones in the market – it has a newly designed driver, a cool wooden housing and foam cushion surrounds.

First things first, what does the I stand for in the new GS1000i? Improved as well as innovative. This genius technology features a new species of handcrafted Mahogany earpieces made using an intricate curing process that has helped in optimising the tonal quality.

Grado is among one of the oldest family owned companies in the audio industry and have been leaders in design engineering for the high-end audio and recording industries for over half a century.

The company holds over 48 patents and all their headphones have a vented diaphragm design that incorporates a large air chamber.

The GS1000i uses new upgraded dynamic transducers and a new eight

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conductor cable design. These new designs have resulted in improved control and stability of the upper and lower range of the frequency spectrum with both better supporting the midrange.

The design creates a room for the ears to sit, creating a larger soundstage and greater spatial experience for the listener.

The headphones retain a sound that is purely Grado—rich full-bodied vocals, excellent dynamics and an ultra smooth top end. The presentation is quite detailed, the bass is deep and the music is non-fatiguing.

It further comes with a soundstage that allows for unbelievable separation and layering of the music which creates a stunning effect.

A single driver per ear covers a frequency range of 8 Hz to 35 kHz and operates in what almost seems like its own room. In fact, each headphone sits just off the ear, pushed away from the skull by foam, and pumps excellent sound from within the wooden chamber it’s mounted in.

The GS1000i, like other Grado models, also projects some sound outwards.

Interestingly, it is this external projection and the drivers’ distance from the ear that

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creates a unique soundspace for the listener.

In this manner, Grado has overcome the greatest shortcoming headphones have—a lack of psychoacoustic space. Further, the cabling is thick, and there is a 3.5mm adapter so that you can listen to your iPod. These headphones are finished with a thin leather-covered headband that is easy to bend to give you the right pressure for stability and comfort, and extremely large round foam ear cups that sit on the distinctive mahogany driver housings. The ear cups are the most striking initial characteristic of these phones, allowing some latitude of fore and aft placement, which has a small but noticeable effect on the sound balance. Comfort gradually increases as the ear cup foam softens with use. The phones come complete with a jack converter and extension lead.

What you get from these, sonically, when you put them on are an extremely balanced frequency response, excellent control and Grado’s legendary midrange attributes. Also, in the equation are topnotch dynamics and detailed presentation— the deep bass and huge soundstage are further icing on the cake.

Copper coil UHPLC (Ultrahigh purity, long crystal) Jack 6.3 mm gold plated Leather Headband 2 m cable Frequency Response: 8 Hz to 35 KHz Sensitivity: 98 dB/1mV Impedance: 32 ohms Accuracy between channels: 0.05 dB

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EDITORS PICKS FOR HER

EDITOR’S PICKS

EDITOR’S Dazzling PICKS FOR Diamonds HER For the most important women in your life, SIGNÉ has selected some exquisitely made unique products that convey your heartfelt appreciation. In this edition, we feature a classy watch from G l a s h ü t t e ’s P a v o n i n a c o l l e c t i o n , celebrating women, a timeless cashmere stole created by craftsmen at Loro Piana and

Glashütte Original has created a new range of feminine watches that celebrates women in all their facets. These models in the Pavonina collection are as impressive and seductive as the contemporary, confident women for whom they were created. The timepieces are filled with light and rare beauty and the design spectrum ranges from simple elegance to extraordinary opulence. It is reminiscent of ladies watches in the 1920s.

The dial and case are set with diamonds and comes with a violet satin strap.

practical pumps from Maison R e p e t t o ’s l a t e s t c o l l e c t i o n t h a t come in trendy colours.

PRETTY PUMPS

To mark the 60th anniversary of the Maison Repetto, more than 60 renowned artists have created a collection for the Foundation Danse pour la Vie (Dance for Life), giving free rein to their inspiration on the timeless products of the brand: ballerinas, and tips tutus. You can choose between beautiful suede and classic leather ballerina flats, all imbued with the label’s signature Parisian charm.

COSY COMFORTS This Chinchilla fur collar from Loro Piana is lined in Cashmere and silk blend fabric.

Thanks to its clever size and button fastening it can be worn in many different w a y s : d r a p e d a ro u n d s h o u l d e r s t o complement formal wear or an evening dress, wrapped twice around the neck for a casual feel or used as a soft stole. This large chinchilla scarf will keep the wearer warm and comfortable in the winter.

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Philanthropy

PHILANTHROPY

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RESPONSIBLE & SUSTAINABLE FASHION BY:

D E E PA N A R WA N I

Loro Piana is among the most prestigious fashion houses, whose passion and dedication to the sourcing of sustainable raw materials and the communities that are dependant on the resulting income is world-renowned. We speak to Pier Luigi Loro Piana, one of the company’s CEO and find out more about their initiatives to make the world of luxury a better place.

Q. What do you think is the role of the luxury industry with regards to philanthropy in the current situation?

A. The role of the luxury industry towards philanthropy and sustainability is fundamental and can be a good example for companies belonging to different industries. Sustainability and responsible luxury are becoming important nowadays and producing in an ethical way adds value to the whole chain—from the growers to the final consumer, to the company and its employees, creating new resources for increasing opportunities for everyone. In a certain way, it is easier these days as more and more people and companies are aware of this important matter.

Q. Can you brief us about Loro Piana’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities?

A. Loro Piana puts the respect and safeguard of the species we

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PHILANTHROPY

R E S P O N S I B L E A N D S U S TA I N A B L E FA S H I O N

shear the fleece from and give priority to their environment and the breeders we work with. For example, quality raw materials come from quality animals such as the vicuña, sheep’s or goats and quality animals rely on quality water resources. In this way, we can collect premium raw materials to make our clothes. It is all connected, so we must try our best to find ways to minimise our impact on nature while carrying out our business. Three years ago, a philosopher told me that it would only take 50 years to destroy the Earth if any animal species die out; however, the Earth would become a better place if humans die out. In order to leave the beautiful sunshine, green environment and clean water for our offsprings, we need to protect nature, even though our activities may cause damages, at least we should minimise our impact. And this is what Loro Piana does.

We are also committed in protecting our country, Italy. The geographical position where the Loro Piana company grew is fundamental to the development of the textile industry where the water factor has been and still is relevant to this business and to our factories. It’s not just simply the place where we work but it is also our origin country and therefore our identity. Water and air are a crucial element to our production—we have water purification systems that literally restore water to its pristine state, a similar process is carried out to purify the air molecules generated by the manufacturing process.

Q. What is your take on responsible luxury?

A. Our company stands for uncompromising quality, best raw materials and a complete Made in Italy vertical production. In order to achieve the best we start from committing to establishing win-win relationships with the breeders we work with. They help us take care of the animals allowing us to get top quality hair and at the same time we guarantee them an honest and rewarding working relationship. Moreover, the animals we shear the fleece from, are all combed with absolutely no harm to their welfare.

Regarding our production, we always go for the solution that can better protect and safeguard the environment. In this way, we add a lot of value to each and every product and therefore only after all the necessary checks we provide it to our final customers.

Q. Could you tell us about the company’s history with vicuñas and how has it been instrumental in their preservation?

A. To tell the entire story we need to go back to 1994, when a consortium led by Loro Piana signed an agreement with local communities, backed by the Peruvian government. The agreement gave us the exclusive honour of buying, processing and exporting vicuña in the form of textiles and finished products.

Before this agreement, there had been a lengthy ban on trade in an attempt to protect these diminutive animals from poachers.

Only after the involvement of the communities of campesinos there was a turning point in the story of the vicuña. The locals were granted the right to shear the animals, yet safeguard them, while in turn receiving the proceeds of the strictly monitored shearing process.

The increase in the vicuña population, from 98,000 in 1995 to the current figure of 180,000, confirms the success of this project

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and ensures that the species will definitively be saved from extinction in the future. Since then, Loro Piana has honoured its ongoing commitment to the vicuña, creating Peru’s first private nature reserve in 2008. The Dr. Franco Loro Piana Reserve is named after our founding father. In just five years, the number of animals living within the Reserve has doubled, thus advancing another key step towards saving the species.

On the strength of our experience in Peru, Loro Piana recently ventured into Argentina, where we purchased the majority share in a local firm that has permission to shear vicuñas that thrive in the Catamarca province in northeastern Argentina.

As in Peru, Argentina too has enacted a scheduled, controlled, cruelty-free shearing of the animals as a safeguard against poaching—without their precious fleece, the vicuñas no longer represent a source of income for criminals. This is why in Catamarca it is said that every animal sheared is an animal saved.

In an area of more than 85,000 hectares, of which Loro Piana has been granted use, the vicuñas are monitored and left free to roam. The shearing is carried out by experienced operators under the close supervision of veterinarians. In Peru, on the other hand, where the vicuña legends and traditions are still very much alive, the animals are sheared following the ancient Chakku ritual, which dates back to the days of the Incas.

The animals such as vicuñas and sheeps from whom the fleece is sheared are put to no harm and all measures are in place to protect their welfare and safeguard their environment

Q. Could you please tell us about your Lotus Flower initiative?

A. The Loro Piana Lotus Flower Fabric is one of our latest achievement in excellence. It’s an extraordinary fine vegetal material. It is extracted from the stems of these flowers, which grow naturally on Burma lakes, especially on Lake Inle. This amazing raw material has an unmistakeable morphology, similar to perforated tape, light in weight and breathable. It’s one of the finest aquatic fibres ever weaved.

Flowers are picked between May and December and the fibre is then extracted manually from their stalks and must be weaved within the following 24 hours to prevent deterioration. The yarn is obtained by joining the filaments of three to five stalks then “rubbing” and spinning it by hand.

The production of Lotus Flower Fabric is seen by many people as a “Green Product”. It can be a desirable example through which the significance of a real masterpiece may be explored and found.

Q. What are your plans for the future? Are there any other initiatives that Loro Piana is looking to undertake or be a part of in terms of CSR? A. We will always keep on searching for the best raw materials all over the world while taking care to preserve them, their natural environment and to establish good working relationships with the breeders/manufacturers in order to give them a decent life in their home country.

I am a fan of electrical cars and we have a big station for producing solar energy. We do over a million kilowatts per annum, which is a big quantity, just by the sun. I really enjoy to drive my car around the valley—no gas, no C02. It’s like stopping smoking, it gives me such satisfaction. You plug it in overnight, and that’s it!

Environmental responsibility really matters to Loro Piana.

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EMBRACING THE ECO EVOLUTION

ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES 1. The hotel recycles everything—paper, cardboard, tins, cans, plastics, glass, food and even candle wax is sent back to their local candle company so that it can be used again.

2. It features solar thermal panels to heat the indoor swimming pool.

3. They have a biomass boiler, run on sustainably sourced wood pellets, that provides all of the hotel’s heating and hot water needs.

4. The hotel has installed a natural ventilation system, utilising heat exchangers, rather than use air conditioning units.

5. The hotel has high levels of insulation throughout to minimise heat loss.

6. Their kitchen makes use of induction hobs, instead of gas, which are very efficient in energy use.

7. It has a green roof, filled with plants local to their area such as sea thrift.

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Embracing the eco evolution BY: D E E PA N A R WA N I

A beautiful hotel built to the highest eco standards, the Scarlet Hotel overlooks the sea on the Cornish coast. Once here, expect to be pampered in the luxurious spa, sample delicious locally sourced food and soak in the breathtaking views.

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The Scarlet Hotel has been designed in a way to show that sumptuous does not necessarily mean unsustainable and that luxury isn‘t necessarily a guilty pleasure

An eco luxury escape, the Scarlet Hotel embraces its stunning location both indoors and outdoors, reflecting its natural environment through the efficient use of materials, all in keeping with the hotel’s eco-friendly promise.

The hotel opened in September 2009, on a cliff top site, overlooking Mawgan Porth beach in Cornwall, United Kingdom, and does everything it can to minimise its impact on the environment with thoughtful employment of eco features such as, a biomass boiler, grey water recycling, rain water harvesting, natural airconditioner and sea thrift planted roofs.

It includes 37 bedrooms and suites, which feature free standing baths, walk-in showers, ocean sea views, private gardens or private rooftop pods. The hotel offers many relaxing diversions, such as outdoor log fired hot tubs, a natural reed-bed swimming pool and an Ayurvedic inspired spa.

According to the hotel’s General Manager, Nikki Broom, Scarlet is a ‘grown-ups only’ hotel. She said: “This is Cornwall’s ideal escape for adults, a chance to recharge batteries and getaway from the everyday routine. Just a simple stroll through the landscaped gardens and down to the beach, breathing in the freshest sea air, does wonders for both body and soul.”

Claire Beard, the hotel’s Sustainability Manager said: “At the Scarlet, we had set out to build a hotel to show that sumptuous need not mean unsustainable, and that luxury isn’t necessarily a guilty pleasure.”

She said that the stunning location and scenery provided much of the inspiration for Scarlet’s design, which sought to blur the lines between indoor and outdoor space. “We encourage our guests to feel inspired by our location and reconnect with nature; whether it’s by relaxing in one of our cliff top hot tubs, listening to the sound of the waves, watching the local birdlife from their bedroom balcony,

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savouring the views of a colorful sunset from the terrace, or simply finding peace in front of a wood fire on a chilly evening.”

As a place influenced by Mother Nature, Scarlet aims to do all that it can to reduce its negative impact on the environment, without compromising the experience. Beard said: “We recognise that as a relatively large hospitality organisation, we have a responsibility to reduce our negative impacts on the environment and our local community. We do this by managing our waste, continually working to reduce our carbon footprint and supporting our local community.”

A lot of effort has gone into creating a state-of-the-art spa. “We set out to create a tranquil, contemplative space—an antidote to the many spas that have solid and enclosing treatment rooms, changing rooms with banks of lockers and frenetic corridors and gymnasiums.

We abandoned walls and created tented therapy rooms. In place of lockers we have used canvas boxes for guests’ clothes. Here time is not designed to pass fast, in fact, the spa team are focused on slowing time down,” Beard added.

In the spa, there is a quiet room with bean bags for guided meditation and a silent deep relaxation space has been created with cocooning pods swinging from the ceiling—where you can curl up and let your mind drift after your treatment.

In addition to the spa, the hotel offers two hot tubs that sit right under the stars on the cliff top overlooking the sea. A traditional hammam offers scrubs and rubs and local hand-mixed muds to cleanse and detoxify the skin.

Beard said: “We believe this is a special, and even spiritual place—a spa working in harmony with the hotel—offering guests an opportunity to relax and de-stress in an environment that creates time for people away from the hustle and bustle of their daily lives.”

The spa’s therapeutic offering is designed to help guests in ways to regain balance in their lives. Here you can avail of a consultation

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EMBRACING THE ECO EVOLUTION

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with a therapist and an Ayurvedic diagnosis, a bathing ritual to prepare the body that helps in opening pores, cleansing the skin and relaxing muscles. Each bathing ritual involves either a body scrub in the Hammam or a Seaweed bath in the outdoor hot tubs.

According to Beard, eco, green, sustainable, all adds up to the same thing. “We have a responsibility to minimise our negative impact on the planet. We are very proud of the hotel that we have built and the painstaking efforts that we have made to protect and harmonise with our unique environment. We like to think that we have put our money where our mouth is and are leading by example, showing that great design can go hand in hand with sustainability,” she said.

The hotel has the goal of reducing the amount of waste they send to landfill by a third and work closely with some of their suppliers to reduce the amount of packing their products arrive in.

Further, they have created new, reusable packaging that eliminates waste completely.

It has a grey water recycling system, as the hotel is conscious of the water footprint that laundries have. The hotel has introduced measures such as removing table cloths from dining rooms and the towels in their spa are 100 per cent fairly traded organic cotton— these are slightly lighter in weight so more can go into one load of washing, and they take less time to dry.

The hotel employs an efficient building management system that enables them to monitor their energy use around the building and in different departments. This information is collected and then used to engage their staff, understand concerns raised and encourage feedback on areas for improvement.

In order to enhance their natural environment, the hotel organises a minimum of four beach clean-ups a year and invite their staff, members of the local community, and guests to join. Recently, they were able to clear 25kg of rubbish. They also organise local litter picks around the hotel in the summer months to keep the surroundings clean for guests and local residents.

The Scarlet and its sister hotel, Bedruthan Hotel and Spa have set up a community fund that sponsors new or existing projects to improve the local natural environment, or provide a social benefit to people living in the area. The fund is made up of donations given by their guests through the Guest Gifting Scheme.

The hotel is committed to decreasing any negative impacts they have on their surroundings, continually improving upon the positive environmental and social efforts, ensuring that they deliver a high quality, environmentally efficient hotel.

The building’s facade blends with and enhances the local environment, utilising the cliff-top views to construct a feeling of space and light. The design works around clever use of levels, revealing function and glimpses of views, with a central wall to physically anchor the building to the cliff side.

Bedrooms are broken down into smaller clusters and are focused around the view, with varying spaces such as intimate gardens, shell-like viewing pods and wrap around terraces.

This hotel is a testament to how companies today are consciously taking a green approach in their businesses. This hotel is among one of the best places to enjoy absolute tranquility in ecofriendly and luxurious surroundings.

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Obsession

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REINVENTING A CLASSIC

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Reinventing a classic F a n s c a l l i t t h e E - Ty p e t h a t s h o u l d h a v e b e e n — a j a w d r o p p i n g , b e a u t i f u l 2 1 s t - c e n t u r y c a r c a l l e d t h e E a g l e L i g h t w e i g h t E - Ty p e S p e e d s t e r. D e s i g n e d b y E a g l e , t h e S p e e d s t e r i s a c u t - d o w n , s t r i p p e d o u t a n d t u n e d u p v e r s i o n o f t h e J a g u a r E - Ty p e w i t h c l a s s i c l o o k s a n d u p - t o - d a t e p e r f o r m a n c e .

Once described by Enzo Ferrari as “the most beautiful car ever made”, the Jaguar E-Type seems more stunning now than at any time in its history.

Built on an original E-Type chassis, the Speedster has a subtly redefined body made entirely from aluminium. Its alloy engine is a specially developed version of Jaguar’s legendary six-cylinder XK unit, which has a capacity of 4.7 litres and produces around 310 horsepower, delivered to the rear wheels through a bespoke fivespeed lightweight gearbox.

This is a car so beautiful that the current generation of super-car owners shy away, parking their cars well out of eye-shot of the

E-Type at any car show where one makes an appearance, for fear of being overshadowed by its presence. Ever since Speedster #001 debuted at Salon Prive in 2009, the world has fallen in love with this piece of craftsmanship.

Improvements to the E-Type include electronic sequential fuel injection, suspension that uses the latest technology and the car weighs 1,008kg. To look at, the car is simply stunning, with its low, wraparound windscreen and minimal extremities. It comes with a Power Lock differential, an independent wishbone suspension with six adjustable dampers, anti-roll bars and rear radius arms, and a rack and pinion steering system.

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THE SPEEDSTER WAS AT THE LONGCROSS STUDIO, UK, LAST SUMMER TO PLAY A SMALL ROLE IN THIS YEAR’S BLOCKBUSTER FILM ‘THE FAST AND FURIOUS 6’

The E-Type Speedster is the product of a small, East Sussexbased company Eagle, which was established in 1982 by a father and son duo who offered an upgrade and restoration service for E-Types. The business was taken over in 1987 by classic-car dealer Henry Pearman, who decided to develop it as a supplier of the world’s best E-Types by sourcing excellent, original or restored cars that would then be dismantled and rebuilt from the ground up.

By concentrating on a single model for almost 25 years, Pearman and his team of 14 craftsmen have not only come to know E-Types inside out, they have evolved a series of improvements and modifications that makes the cars far superior.

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Inside, there are a few nods to the original E-Type—dashboard, gauges and switchgear but the aluminium fascia, diamond-stitched leather chairs, wind sheild glass, door cards and arm rest are all custom-made.

Speedster concept’s essence is further refined via the body colour metal that extends around the scallops and across the door tops. The masculinity of the adapted body shell’s lines are further accentuated via the wider wheel arch and the increased wheels track. To improve handling and to enhance the visual aesthetic, the Speedster’s wheels have been custom designed and given aluminium rim and three-eared spinners.

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Eagle made a series of enhancements to the E-type to convert it into a reliable bespoke classic and created a car that is practical to drive. There is limited availability of these cars as they are built to order

Speedster’s wheel spinners were specially made, along with a custom designed enamel horn push and flush fitting nose and tail badging. Every detail of this machine, from hidden inertia-reel seatbelts right down to the boot and filler cap releases have been designed especially for the Speedster.

A typical Eagle restoration takes around 4,300 man hours and can be modified to individual specifications. Pearman and his team have completed more than 30 vehicles using their knowledge and experience since 1993. Their clients include architect Sir Norman Foster, dancer Michael Flatley and Formula One driver and commentator Martin Brundle.

It is interesting to observe though that the car was an attempt to appease an impatient customer, which in turn brought about the creation of the original Speedster. The client was a doctor from the US who asked for a regular E-Type roadster and was told by technicians at Eagle that there was a two to three-year waiting list but that, if he wanted, they could do something unique. He came up

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with the idea of the pared-down ‘speedster’ look. They spent 2002 to 2007 just developing the car, which was eventually delivered to the US in 2008. The original intention was that it would be a one-off, but it inspired them to create the Lightweight Speedster as a homage to the 12 aluminium race cars, the ‘lightweight’ E-Types, that Jaguar built in 1963.

The firm’s business involves sourcing original cars and selling them to clients. They made a series of enhancements that made the E-type into a reliable bespoke classic and created a car that is more practical to drive. There will only be limited availability of the cars as they are a small company and the Speedster is an aluminium hand built special commission and each one is built to order.

In 1963, Jaguar produced 12 aluminium Lightweight E-Types with aluminium engines and fuel injection for racing and they have subsequently become well established as the ‘Lightweights’. Eagle’s ‘Lightweight’ Speedster harks back to those originals with its aluminium body, engine and gearbox.

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SPECIFICATIONS Engine: 4.7 litre, aluminium in line six cylinder, longitudinal front mounted Cylinder head: Aluminium twin big valve.

Max power: 310bhp @ 4800rpm Max Torque: 340lb ft @ 3600rpm Fuelling: Fuel injection with individual throttle bodies and ECU Transmission: Aluminium five speed gearbox, aluminium power lock Suspension: Independent wishbones, six high tech adjustable dampers, anti roll bars and rear radius arms Brakes: 315mm/280mm drilled and vented discs, Aluminium 4 pot calipers, servo assistance Steering: Rack and pinion Wheels: 6 x 16 front, 7.5 x 16 rear, aluminium rims Tyres: 225/55 x 16 front, 245/55 x 16 rear Weight: 1,008kg 0-60mph: under five seconds Top speed: 160mph plus Height: 1000mm Length: 4,260mm Width: 1,740mm

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The second speedster has been draped in beautiful Black Cognac paint, which is in stark contrast to the red that adorned the first one. It has often been called as the world‘s most exclusive hand built car

The bespoke nature of the process extends through every element of the project and the tailoring undertaken by the client is an enjoyable part of the journey. None of these roadsters have ever been built to the same specification because they are all bespoke.

The result is not only a visually stunning machine but also one that performs very well.

Following on its well-received E-Type Speedster, Eagle, showcased a new product at the 2011 Salon Privé Concours d’Elegance, which took place in London. Called the E-Type Speedster Lightweight, Eagle called it the “world’s most exclusive hand built car.” The company restored the classic roadster and updated it with modern performance and equipment. The second Speedster has been draped in beautiful Black Cognac paint, in stark contrast to red that adorned the first one.

The company has said that the Speedster’s elements are a remarkable alchemy of the original Jaguar E-Type and that it has been the result of thirty years of dedicated experience, of the absolute cream of the company’s widely acclaimed engineering developments and upgrades.

Eagle has a global reputation as an E-Type specialist, and offers an unparalleled collection of magnificent E-Types for sale, ranging from the earliest original specification dealer launch examples through to fully developed cars.

It may be more than 50 years old, but the Jaguar E-type still captures the minds and hearts of car enthusiasts. While these changes provide a sense of order to the Jaguar E-Type Eagle Speedster, the design doesn’t differ a lot from the original. It’s a very retro-modern mix and you can’t take your eyes of this beauty.

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REASONS TO RIDE

REASONS TO RIDE Borile bikes are a bit different, as they retain distinct Italian character and unique design. These technically advanced yet aesthetically vintage motorcycles are the result of great passion and craftsmanship.

The life and times of Umberto Borile exemplifies the story of a passionate and creative Italian—a man who came of age in an era where electronic advancements were just beginning and brought to life an extraordinary piece of mechanical engineering.

He founded the company Borile in a small artisan workshop in the town of Vò Euganeo, close to the historic cities of Venice and Padova, in 1988. These bikes were inspired by the beautiful, winding country roads, which navigate the rolling hills of Italy’s stunning countryside.

Also, Borile’s passion about bikes pushed him to design and build his motorcycles, piece by piece, using only the best possible materials available. Like a great puzzle, each piece that is placed is a problem solved and the result is a moment of great satisfaction.

Borile has specialised in creating ultra-lightweight bikes manufactured strictly on demand for passionate connoisseurs. His frames were fabricated from aluminium tubing, and the style he chose was heavily inspired by classic British bikes. The first of

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these creations was the Feather 520—a single-cylinder four stroke 500 cc bike. This off-road model was so innovative that its futuristic design solutions are still being adopted.

The Borile B500T was initially presented in 1997 at the Esposizione Internazionale Ciclo Motociclo e Accessori (EICMA) show in Milan. The bike reinvented a classic off-road look from the sixties. This machine was assembled by the craftsmen at Borile with painstaking care and featured specific details in aluminium.

Their famous bike, the Café Racer B500CR was presented in 1999 with a new engine unit with its gearbox. This bike rapidly earned admiration among bikers and has since then become one of the best Italian bikes in recent history.

In 2010, the company underwent a transformation, that resulted in a merger between Umberto Borile and the Bassi family hailing from Milan.

The new company was renamed as Umberto Borile & Co s.r.l. and features Umberto Borile as the Company President and Alberto Bassi as the CEO. Today, they maintain Borile’s love of design and

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The company maintains Borile‘s love of design and his motorcycling passion and has blended it with the drive of the Bassi family to further keep alive the Italian traditions of artisanal workmanship

his motorcycling passion and has blended it with the drive of the Bassi family to further keep alive the Italian traditions of artisanal workmanship.

The company has plans to create a new version of the B500CR, and a B350EN Enduro model in the coming years. Additionally, the ‘B500 Ricki’ is currently being hand-built to order, in a limited run of 20 models. They also have another made to order model, ‘The Bastard’, which can be built around the engine of your choice. All of these creations are built by craftsmen, according to Borile’s traditions of creating truly hand made in Italy products.

The new Borile B450 Scrambler, which is a tribute to Ducati’s classic 1960s street single of the same name features a powerplant that has been concocted by taking the rear 98mm-bore cylinder off an air-cooled 1100DS desmodue V-twin engine, and matching it to a 60mm-stroke Borile crankshaft housed in a specially built crankcase. There are plans to introduce a 365cc option in the future that will be obtained by using the 88mm-bore cylinder from a Monster M696.

The company doesn’t only limit themselves to producing just hand-built motorcycles. They also make mahogany boats, wine and three-piece suits. They produce leather jackets made from full-grain Italian leather. It is created using semi-aniline cowhide, which is resistant to staining, ages gracefully and is rugged. These jackets are built to stand the test of time.

Borile has further collaborated with the Italian tailoring house Sartoria di Milano to create office wear. They have modified the modern sports jacket, by adding a functional folding throat tab and adding extra front buttons. The result is a classic yet modern jacket that can be converted from smart office wear, to a closed jacket more suitable for riding a motorbike around the city.

Umberto Borile has laboured through the years to create a series of single-cylinder street bikes bearing his name, powered by his own air-cooled single-cam four-valve engine based on the World Championship winning 500cc GM Speedway motor. Until recently, he constructed each handmade bike himself in his one-man workshop and no two Borile bikes have ever been the same.

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RARE AND ICONIC POSSESSIONS

RARE AND ICONIC POSSESSIONS C h r i s t i e ’s i s r e n o w n e d f o r s e l l i n g w o r k s o f a r t a t r e c o r d p r i c e s a n d t h e auction house offers counseling services and tools to decide what to buy and how to bid for these precious items.

From the very first auction James Christie held in London on December 5th I766, Christie’s has taken care of the selling of works of art, jewels, photographs and collectibles, diversifying its activities to include eighty categories.

The auctions are open to the public and offer the possibility of accessing sales of private pieces that Christie’s organises for its customers for various categories, paying particular attention to post-war and contemporary art, impressionist and modern art, great maestros and jewels.

We speak to Michael Jeha, Managing Director, Christie’s Middle East (pictured centre) to find out about their upcoming auction and the luxury market in Dubai.

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Q. Can you give us a preview for the October 2013 auction? Can you mention some of the important pieces that will be up for bidding?

A. In October, Christie’s will hold its 16th sale season in the region, and is the only international auction house to have a permanent presence in the region since 2005. When we held our first auction in 2006 we wrote art market history. We continue to innovate the regional auction market and in October we are introducing the first ever online-only sale for Middle Eastern Art. This sale of about 50 lots with estimates ranging from $2,000 to $50,000 will be in addition to our regular sales of Modern Arab, Iranian and Turkish Art.

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Christie‘s has introduced the Part I and Part II sale format in Dubai, in order to encourage buyers and offers more contemporary art. This has been done to provide a platform for emerging artists from the region

Further, we will reinstate Christie’s watch sales, which in the past has proven to be very successful with sale through rates of 95 per cent. Our Dubai based specialist Frederic Watrelot will present a perfectly formed sale of 50 lots of watches, reflecting the taste of local collectors.

Education is a very important aspect for Christie’s in the Middle East and we are proud to offer a tailor-made Christie’s Education course from October 26 to 28. It will be an introduction to the International Art Market, with individual lectures on the power of the collector; how to value art; art insurance; artistic productions in the Middle East and the structure of the art world, as well as guided tours and a behind the auction scene. This course is open to all art enthusiasts but requires pre-booking. The sale will include works by the most

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renowned artists of the region such as Paul Guiragossian, Fateh Moudarres, Charles Hossein Zenderoudi, Sami Al-Turki, Lalla Essaydi Mohammad Ehsai and Farhad Moshiri, just to name a few.

Q. How is the market for auctions in Dubai?

Has there been a growth in the past years?

A. Over the past six years we had to adapt our moder n and contemporary Arab, Iranian and Turkish Art sale format to respond to the growth in the market and in response of the needs of our clients in the region as well as outside the Middle East.

In 2011, we introduced a new sale format in Dubai called the Part I and Part II sale format, bringing Dubai in-line with Christie’s other international salerooms. The Part I sale offers the high value lots of Middle Eastern art and the Part II sale

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reflects upon the more contemporary art production in the region. This has helped to encourage the next generation of buyers of Christie’s and provided an international platform for works by emerging artists from the region.

Q. Can you give us an insight about the nationalities present at the auctions? Is it more local or does the auction see international collectors as well?

A. When we started to hold sales in Dubai most of our clients came from the neighbouring regions. Today, we can say that international clients buy over 40 per cent of the lots and our aim is to achieve a 50:50 ratio. The online-only sale will most probably be the driving force to achieve this balance. In our sales, we generally have registrants from 25 different countries, which

Works of art in impeccable condition or items with a history are the most coveted objects at auctions. Paintings that express contemporary living and offer a political context are also popular

is in line with Christie’s sales taking place around the globe.

Important to notice is that our Middle Eastern clients also transact in our 450 other sales around the world and that their spending accounts for over eight per cent of the yearly turnover and since we have opened our office in Dubai we have been able to increase our client base by over 500 per cent.

Q. Could you tell us about the Parviz Tanvaoli structure that was sold in 2008?

A. It is to date the most expensive Middle Eastern piece of art ever sold at auction and therewith still the highest price achieved for the artist at an auction. The Wall (Oh, Persopolis) is a bronze sculpture, which Tanavoli created in 1975 as part of a series.

A monumental series of bronzes, the Walls

of Iran, represents the sculpture’s greatest and most mature achievement. The surfaces of these walls are modelled after Egyptian and Sumerian reliefs.

Q. What are the most desirable items at the auction? Also, what are your insights about Dubai’s luxury market?

A. In a more established market, items such as the Impressionist or Old master paintings field, works of art in perfect condition, with impeccable provenance, rare to the market and being the best in the oeuvre of an artist are the most looked after items. Here in Dubai, these criteria are applicable for the Modern Art section and at the same time certain collectors are searching for works of art that are able to expresses their contemporary living in a more historical and sometimes politically relevant context.

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Many people are not aware of the presale exhibitions organised by Christie’s.

These are open to the general public at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers. Here you can browse through works of art, speak to specialists to enquire about a specific work of art or to talk about the art market at large. The auctions can be attended without any formalities, except if you wish to bid you would need to register.

It is a fun experience which allows you to receive a first insight on the auction world, from meeting the specialist, seeing works of art which mainly will end up in private collections to the final knock of the auctioneer’s gavel.

The upcoming dates for the exhibition are: Sunday October 27: 2pm to 10pm Monday October 28: 2pm to 10pm Tuesday October 29: 10am to 1.30pm (selected lots) Wednesday October 30: 10am to 12noon (selected lots)

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J O U R N E Y T O T H E V I N TA G E G A R A G E

Journey to the vintage garage If you are looking to restore a classic car or buy one for your collection, head to the Mercedes-Benz Classic Centre where experts offer restoration and repair services and adhere to the highest factory standards of originality and preservation.

So you just bought a vintage Mercedes at an auction and want it to stop belching and want to invest in a full-blown show-worthy restoration. To avail of the best services, head to the MercedesBenz Classic Centre in Germany or the United States. This is where dust-covered relics are restored and brought back to life.

It’s a magical place where history meets talent and old machines are transformed into objects of desire.

The Mercedes-Benz Classic Centre in Fellbach, Germany, opened in 1993 and is the port of call for owners and prospective b u y e r s o f t h e c o m p a n y ’s c l a s s i c automobiles from all over the world. Being the largest corporate department for historical vehicles, it offers a comprehensive range of services for all classics from the Benz, Daimler, Mercedes and MercedesBenz brands.

The experts here offer advice to all prospective buyers and prior to being offered for sale, every classic is thoroughly checked in the classic car workshop. The workshop also takes care of the exhibits for the Mercedes-Benz Museum. In addition, they repair and restore the classics of

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customers from all over the world. Hightech equipment and expertise as well as all the technical and archived resources guarantee state-of-the-art quality and originality. There is also an extensive range of model cars, accessories, literature and watches on display.

The Mercedes-Benz Classic Centre in Irvine, California, is the ideal place for owners, collectors, and enthusiasts to connect with these legendary cars from the Mercedes-Benz garage. This centre is modelled on the original Classic Centre in Germany and has been operational since February 2006. Since opening their doors, the centre has been carrying out minor refurbishments as well as complete groundup restorations.

The United States centre maintains close partnership with the Classic Centre in Germany, which provides a direct link to access the parts, tools, service manuals and production records needed to work on these vintage models. They help customers purchase the rarest parts needed for certain models and maintain an archive of materials that document the vehicles history dating back to the original owner.

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In addition to restoring and selling classic cars, the centre offers appraisals and provides genuine parts. The centre has nearly 40,000 spare parts for classic Mercedes-Benz vehicles and each product is made to the company’s specifications and is backed by the factory limited warranty—12 months, unlimited mileage— that covers the parts for brand-new Mercedes-Benz cars. The classic centre can even access your vehicle’s original build sheet and other archival data.

T h e c l a s s i c c e n t re i n C a l i f o r n i a occupies about 28,000 square feet. Once you step inside, amazing sights greet you.

You will see platform lifts that allow maximum storage in the two-story showroom. Here, you will find a 1964 220 SE sedan rubbing shoulders with a 1954 220 cabriolet. Also, on display are cutaway engines from old car shows and a selection of vintage pre-war models. The centre further keeps historical records, a small collection of artefacts and a massive selection of car parts.

When you walk in, there is work being done—tweaking, polishing and building.

The centre’s director Mike Kunz has said

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OBSESSION

J O U R N E Y T O T H E V I N TA G E G A R A G E

Enthusiasts can visit the centre throughout the year to admire the vintage vehicles on display, take advantage of the centre‘s services, take a tour of the in-house museum or library and shop at the boutique

t h a t t h e c l a s s i c c e n t re f o l l o w s t h e company’s concept of service forever and shows customers what services MercedesBenz is willing to offer in the long haul.

It features a parts depot that houses everything from washers and chrome trim to upholstery material. There is a bookshelf with a complete selection of body assembly manuals and shelves full of vintage press clippings. There are also yard-long filing cabinets filled with punchcards—every Mercedes officially imported to the United States up through the early 1990s has a card here, which verifies everything from colour to options and price.

A few vehicles are retained by the company for various purposes, to either display in the museum or for press events.

Here, minor servicing can take a couple of days but a complete restoration can take up to six months or more. Popular cars here

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include the ‘60s and ‘70s models, mostly the W111 coupe-cabrios, the W113 Pagoda-roof SLS and the 300 SEL 6.3s also have a following. For the staff here, a typical day includes a 1950s Gullwing vehicle restoration, researching the owner history of a 1937 540K and finding a spare part among the 50,000 available.

The United States classic centre has offered service to over 6,200 customers since its inception. Its success can be attributed to the technicians who have a dedicated approach to providing unique services to their clients. Enthusiasts can visit the centre throughout the year to admire the vintage vehicles on display, take advantage of their services or shop at the boutique, which contains a range of auto memorabilia, accessories and literature.

The staff here also provides support to participants of classic car events such as

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the Colorado Grand, the Amelia Island and Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The Mercedes-Benz Classic Centre has also taken a leadership role in support of education for proper restoration technique through a scholarship programme at the McPherson College in Kansas, United S t a t e s . T h e s c h o l a r s h i p p ro g r a m m e supports three students each semester and provides an internship at the centre itself.

Like Ferrari, Mercedes Classic Centre also offers certification, which is done by the factory and customers are given a build sheet on how the car was originally built.

Mercedes considers a car that has been out of production for 15 years to be a classic.

When you bring your car in, the centre will do an in-depth inspection which serves as an appraisal of how much work the car needs. Here, the whole point is to make the car look like it was never restored.

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OBSESSION

I N S P I R AT I O N I N A B O T T L E

Inspiration in a bottle R e n o w n e d p e r f u m e r A l e x a n d r e J ’s a i m b e h i n d b r i n g i n g t h e M a h m a l t o D u b a i i s p a r t o f h i s e t h o s of appreciating and sharing timeless creations imbued with significance and historic value.

The brand Alexandre J’s philosophy has always been to appreciate timeless perfection. The man, and the brand do not shy away from passing trends and paying homage to genuine craftsmanship and artistry.

As a perfumer, each of his creation explores a wide range of olfactory notes ideally created for a unique design and composition.

The raw materials used by him are valuable and each of them reacts differently to heat. A slow development process is carried out by him in order to reach a perfect balance.

A French artist who is deeply attached to his country, Alexandre J delves into other cultures to find creative avenues. His love of art and history brought him to the Mahmal. And this thirst for beauty leads him to further explore varied areas such as painting, sculpture and perfume.

We speak to T.Jabban, CEO of Alexandre J to find out more about the brands philosophy and what inspires the founder to create their trademark fragrances.

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Q. Do you consider Alexandre J to be a luxury brand?

A. Indeed, we have the foundations of it. A luxury item is not necessarily a passive object coming from craftsmanship. It is a living object that uses inspiring materials. Our aim is to reinvent this concept and combine the artistic work in a modern and objective way.

Q. Could you tell us about your latest fragrance “Legacy”?

A. Each bottle of Legacy required more than 200 hours of work to shape, polish, enamel and inlay by hand. Around 160 die-cutted pieces of mother of pearl were needed to complete the bottles.

Each bottle is different, as we want to give our customers perfection as well as uniqueness. We don’t focus only on the bottle design but also the fragrances that gather the noblest notes such as iris, sandalwood, and rose.

Q. Does the brand use Middle Eastern influences in the perfumes?

A. Of course, Middle-Eastern culture inspires us. For instance, their

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olfactive notes are rich and really rare such as dry-wood, jasmine and rose. It’s important to know that for each fragrance we try to push the boundaries of creativity.

Q. What was the aim behind bringing the Mahmal to Dubai?

A. Alexandre J wanted to offer some deeper knowledge about the Islamic art to a large audience. He wanted to portray a mix between a different period and style.

Dubai was host to the Damascene Mahmal—a 120year old treasure. The piece was showcased at The Dubai Mall Souk Atrium until August 15, 2013. The Mahmal is among the many artefacts that form the personal collection of perfumer, designer and artist, Alexandre J. The Mahmal is crafted out of ornate silver and gold calligraphy on silk and was designed for camelback that was used to carry the Kiswah of the Holy Ka’aba in Mecca. The Kiswah is the black cloth that covers the Ka’aba.

It was originally commissioned by Sultan Abdulhamid II of the Ottoman Empire who reigned from 1876 AD to 1909 AD as the 99th caliph of Islam and the 34th sultan of the Empire. The Mahmal’s tent-like shape is adorned with handcrafted and embroidered decoration and features silver and gold thread calligraphy backed with red, green, and yellow silk.

Q. How has this historic artefact inspired Alexandre J personally?

A. Art has no religion or boundary. It’s a perception that each one interprets according to their sensitivity. Alexandre J gathers exceptional pieces with strong significance. The Mahmal has particularly inspired him with its Arabic calligraphy, embroidered fabrics and bright colours.

Q. What are your future plans? Are you planning to hold more exhibitions? Could you tell us about your upcoming perfumes?

A. We are working on a very interesting collection that will be ready soon. It will link the biggest sculptors to the “Pate de Verre”—an ancestral technique that only delivers unique objects. This technique has also been used for the conception of our three new releases—Pure Art, Liyoli and Heaven whose stories have been inspired by present and past values. Further, Alexandre J will be opening two galleries—one in Paris and one in Dubai—to unveil his complete collections in one place. He will also bring the work of other artists to show that his inspiration comes from everywhere.

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THE SHOE BUFF

The shoe buff Buying beautifully crafted shoes is half the task. Maintaining them is also j u s t a s i m p o r t a n t . Tu r m s r e v e a l s t h e s e c r e t s t o t h e e s s e n t i a l s o f s h o e c a r e f r o m k n o w - h o w, p r o d u c t s t o e x p e r t i s e .

You can tell the measure of a man by the quality of his shoes. Therefore, it is essential to keep them at their shiny best.

There are important distinctions between caring for smooth leather and suede shoes, exotic skins or athletic shoes. Taking steps to care for it and maintain it will help to ensure their longevity in wear.

Samuele Chiurchiù, owner of Turms, a shoe brand based in Montegranaro, Italy, has shared a few tips on how to properly care for the shoes, protect your soles to make them last longer and practice preventative maintenance. The company was established in 1962 and since then they have been manufacturing bespoke wooden shoe trees and accessories for shoe care.

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Some of their products include wooden shoe trees, universal shoe trees that come in two sizes, classic shoe trees that are available in more then 200 models of lasts and the carved model, which is a bespoke model.

They also make wooden footstools with leather hooks and leather top. And the wooden shoe rack, which has been patented by the company—it is a modular shoe storage system with 12 boxes and a wooden base with four invisible wheels. Each wooden box has a double opening and they fit on top of one another with removable metal pins. It further includes a polished metal handle and plate on the front door and a removable glass window.

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BASICS

ITEMS

TIPS

SEVEN ESSENTIAL RULES OF SHOE CARE

PRODUCTS TO TAKE CARE OF LEATHER GOODS

TO GET THE PERFECT SHOE SHINE

1.

Never wear the same pair of shoes two days in a row.

SHOE TREE Opt for a bespoke wooden shoetree in natural wood, not in red cedar because it leaves oil on the inner leather of the shoe. The wood should be very well hand sanded and it has to be compact to allow the wood pore to absorb moisture.

ITEMS REQUIRED Wax polish, one thick cloth or the cotton part of the shoe glove for applying cream polish, big brush with real horse hair for buffing, a small brush for applying wax polish (white bristles for light colour shoes and black bristles for brown or black shoes), some water and pile of the glove for final buffing and shining.

2.

When you take your shoes off, put your wooden shoe trees (in natural wood) in the shoes.

3.

If your shoes get wet, put the wooden shoe trees inside them, put them on their sides and let them dry for at least two days from any direct heat source. Then nourish them with a high quality natural shoe cream.

4.

Always use a wooden shoe horn to put on your shoes.

5.

Dust off your shoes before you polish them and deodorise them once a week.

SHOE BRUSH For every function there is a shoe brush— there is one brush to clean the welt, one brush to distribute the polish cream, one for the mud, one to dust off the shoe and to buff them with the shoe glove, one with round hard bristles that is suitable to dust off suede shoes and one to remove the spots on suede shoes. Everything has to be put in one wooden case or in a wooden footstool.

SHOE POLISH Use polish shoe cream made of natural organic elements for leather shoes. To take care of the suede use the natural renovator, shampoo and deodoriser.

6.

For suede shoes—dust them, clean with a specific shampoo and a natural sea sponge and always spray them with a natural protector.

7.

If you change your shoes with seasons then replace old laces with new ones, put the wooden shoetrees in the shoes, nourish them with shoe cream, put them in cotton bags and store them in wooden shoeboxes.

PROCESS First, brush any visible dirt and dust off of the surface of the shoes. Then use a small quantity of water to clean the surface of the leather to remove old creams and oil. Next, select a matching colour of shoe polishing cream. Using a thick cloth, rub a small amount of the cream onto the shoe, paying close attention to areas where the colour has been worn away. Or if the model has a classic pattern with a lot of holes, use a small dauber to apply a small quantity of polish cream and work on it with circular motion. For areas of the shoe where the colour has completely worn off, dying may be necessary if shoe polish doesn’t work. Leave the shoes for one hour. Then, using a large, soft brush with a real horse hair bristles, vigorously brush the surface of the shoe, back and forth until shiny. An optional step for shoes with leather soles is to protect them by rubbing with shoe polish cream onto the surface. Finally, for shoes with a shinier surface, the last step is to buff the shoes with a pile of the shoe glove.

ADVICE Always pamper your shoes. Their storage is important—put your shoes in the wooden boxes when you get home with the shoe trees inside. The place should be dry and well aired.

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Heritage

H E R I TA G E

E XOT ICI S M AN D I N F I N I T E B E AU T Y

THROUGH THE AGES

EXOTICISM & INFINITE BEAUTY O n e o f t h e m o s t p r o m i n e n t j e w e l l e r s , Va n C l e e f & A r p e l s h a s a d e s i g n heritage revered among industry experts and collectors. It is also one of the most respected names that is associated with the style icons of t h e 2 0 t h c e n t u r y a n d i s d e v o t e d t o i n n o v a t i o n a n d q u a l i t y.

1895-1910 Towards the end of the 19th century, a young girl named Estelle Arpels—the daughter of a dealer in precious stones—met a boy named Alfred Van Cleef, the son of a stone-cutter. In 1895, they were married. The young lovers had much in common: youthful enthusiasm, a pioneering spirit, an ethic of family solidarity, and a passion for precious stones. That desire led them to found the Maison of Van Cleef & Arpels, in 1906, which was among the first jewellers to settle in Place Vendôme, Paris.

1920’s

1930’s Mystery Setting is the unique technique associated with the brand ever since the Maison patented this invention in 1933. It consists of setting stones in such a way that no prongs are visible. The technique is so intricate that producing a single brooch takes around 300 hours of work and very few statement pieces are produced each year. Also, the iconic Ludo Hexagone bracelet first entered Van Cleef & Arpels’ Collections in 1935.

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Spurred on by accounts of journeys around the world, the fascination with the East intensified during the 1920s and the Maison designed jewellery inspired by the Far East. Jade, coral, dragons and cherry blossoms, are some of the Far Eastern colours and themes that have graced Van Cleef & Arpels’ creations. Also, jewellery influenced by the art of Ancient Egypt was at the height of fashion thanks to the discovery of Tutankhamen’s tomb in 1922.

This inspired the brand to create Egyptian-inspired jewels between 1922 and 1925 that featured ancient iconography. Further, the Maison won the Grand Prize at the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes held in Paris in 1925. The winning piece was the Roses bracelet that featured 293 rubies and 108 emeralds mounted on platinum.

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1940’s Their iconic Ballerina clips were invented in New York in the early 1940s. These were designed in a variety of dance poses and their costumes sparkled with diamonds accentuated with rubies and emeralds. Pierre Arpels joined Van Cleef & Arpels at the end of World War II. In 1949, he contributed uniquely to the history of the Maison, when he designed a watch for the brand.

1950’s Her Imperial Highness Soraya of Iran owned many Van Cleef & Arpels creations, so did the Maharani of Baroda. In 1954, the Maison opened “La Boutique” at 22 Place Vendôme. It introduced cartoon-style animal clips that added a playful note to the creations. In 1955, the Principality of Monaco asked Van Cleef & Arpels to create an engagement set for Grace Kelly for her engagement to Prince Rainer III.

1960’s In 1968, the brand created the first Alhambra long necklace, combining yellow gold with the delicate lines of the famous motif. Alhambra has become the Maison’s icon of luck. It is constantly renewed through a wide range of materials and variety of colours. Also, as a tribute to his creativity, an easel-shaped clock, designed by the Maison, was given as a Christmas gift in 1969 to Pablo Picasso from the President of the French Republic.

1970’s An Indian flavour has been present in various High Jewellery collections. One example is the Panka necklace, created in 1974.

The combination of turquoise cabochons and brilliant-cut diamonds mounted in yellow gold stones epitomise the Indian style. Also, in 1976, the brand launched their first perfume.

1980’s In the 80’s, the Maison transformed the evening bag into a sophisticated accessory like the Minaudière precious case and mimicked the appearance of cloth through precious metals. The brand was inspired by textiles and created ornaments like buttons and zips and transformed them into a glittering interplay of metal and precious stones.

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E XOT ICI S M AN D I N F I N I T E B E AU T Y

THROUGH THE AGES

1990’s In 1998, the Maison introduced its most mysterious movement yet—the Galilée clock. It features a complete gyration of a dial in permanent verticality. A stellar bear, sparkling with more than 2,300 diamonds, turns in circles under a crystal moon. The celestial scene pays homage to Galileo and offers a stunning and beautiful interpretation.

2000’s To celebrate its centenary in 2006, the Maison used its unique savoir-faire to bring to life exceptional creations designed between the 1920s and the 1960s. Further, from October 31, 2009 to January 17, 2010, the Mori Arts Centre Gallery, Tokyo, hosted “The Spirit of Beauty”: a prestigious retrospective spanning over 100 years of creations by the Maison.

2010’s The exhibition “Set in Style: The Jewellery of Van Cleef & Arpels” took place at the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum in New York from February 18 to July 4, 2011. It set a new record for attendance with 172,000 visitors. Over 350 works were displayed and categorised into six design themes, which have shaped Van Cleef & Arpels’ heritage: innovation, transformation, nature, fashion, and personalities.

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GOLDEN ERA

ALL FINE AND DANDY A dandy is a man whose pursuit of elegance, in matters of dress, manners, and speech makes him stand out from the crowd. The term is rather old fashioned and was commonly used to refer to fashionable men in the 1800s.

Dandyism is the study of personal elegance and refinement. A dandy is one who seeks to perfect themselves. They are men who understand the elements of the aesthetic equation—line, colour, texture and form.

Refinement is the byword of dandy men. While the term dandy has changed with the world, these men have remained constant in terms of their appreciation of personal aesthetic.

Dandyism has undergone major changes since it was first coined. When George ‘Beau’ Brummel first created the dandy by starching his neck cloth and wearing trousers instead of breeches, many men followed his example and the dandy movement was born. These dandies were men of leisure and their sole occupation was the pursuit of elegance.

The men of the Victorian era admired dandyism quite a bit, and those who were not able to live in complete leisure worked as a writer or an artist so as to be able to live the life of dandyism.

These men frequented cafés, salons, parks and fine spots throughout cities such as London, Paris, and New York and would pen their works.

A fine example of dandyism was Oscar Wilde, who dressed flamboyantly and collected dandy-like witticism in the plays he wrote. In 1889, ‘Vanity Fair’, debuted a new column, ‘The Fashion for Men’ by ‘the Man in the Mall’, whose author wrote detailed recommendations for stiff collars, velvet bands, waistcoats, trousers, yellow gloves and gilded sticks.

The 20th century saw a continuation of the trend—men such as Gary Cooper and Clark Gable brought dandyism to the silver screen. Also, author Lucius Beebe wrote, traveled and gave his dandy opinions on the American high life and cuisine.

The 21st Century has seen a continued appreciation of the art of dandyism, although today it is much different from its origins.

The quest for elegance that Beau Brummel inspired 200 years ago, still goes on.

Scottish satirist Thomas Caryle has defined dandies as: “A dandy is a clothes-wearing man. Every faculty of his soul, spirit, person, and purse is consecrated to this one object—the wearing of clothes wisely and well; so that as others dress to live, he lives to dress.”

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HEART & SOLE

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Heart & Sole S a l v a t o r e F e r r a g a m o ’s c o n t r i b u t i o n t o t h e w o r l d o f s h o e s h a s b e e n b r o u g h t t o l i f e creatively through a short film titled ‘White Shoe’ that explores his humble beginnings with a touch of fantasy and mysticism.

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HEART & SOLE

White Shoe is a short film that fantastically documents Salvatore Ferragamo‘s early life that has been presented as a fairy tale and captures the imagination with its creative storytelling technique

The quickest way to identify any designer is often by noticing their signature accents and logos. One of the most recognisable symbols today is the Salvatore Ferragamo Gancini logo.

The strong base of the company was set by its founder Salvatore Ferragamo, who with his life’s experiences and legendary success, set ideals which were carried on by his wife, then by his children, and today the third generation keeps his legacy alive.

This year the Salvatore Ferragamo museum in Florence, Italy, launched the ‘The Amazing Shoemaker’ exhibition that features a short film titled ‘White Shoe’, which tells a fictional tale of how he created his first pair of shoes. This episode of Ferragamo’s early life depicts him as a little boy seeing outside of his workroom into scenes of creativity and imagination. It has a vibe similar to certain Hollywood fantasy movies.

He is shown assembling shoes by hand and is shoved into a closet by an older shoemaker as an angry man appears at the store. The angry man shows the older shoemaker a design for a shoe. After their discussion, the older shoemaker assigns the task to the young boy. The

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design pattern brings to life an alternate universe where the boy gets to watch a variety of historical scenes and gets a glimpse of his future.

The film ends as the boy is shown working on the shoe design and signs his name “Salvatore” in the interior of the shoe. The episodes shot in the film are real life events that happened to Ferragamo and the film brings these to the silver screen as a fantastical tale. Based upon Ferrgamo’s life experience as a shoemaker, the 22 minute short film fantasises his reality into fragments of expressions, putting audiences into a 1920s German Expressionist cinema style of aesthetics.

The early life of Ferragamo served as an inspiration to the creators Mauro Borrelli, Rick Heinrichs and James Wyatt for the film. It brings fashion, art and dreams, the concepts that Ferragamo focused on heavily during his career. The tradition of the cobbler in fairy tales is examined, along with the notion of the shoe being a symbol of status and power and is a fitting tribute to the legendary designer.

Ferragamo’s real life story is no less than a script of a film and is highlighted by the dedication and passion he had for his craft.

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H E R I TA G E

HEART & SOLE

In 1995, Wanda Ferragamo opened the Salvatore Ferragamo Museum in Florence. It was designed in a unique way to show the public the history of the brand’s founder, his stories and creations. On December 5th 2006, the Museum was re-opened and was housed in a new location, inside of the Palazzo Spini Feroni, Florence, which was the company’s headquarters since 1938 and includes an archive of around 13,000 shoes

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Seen here are Fiamma and Giovanna Ferragamo, Giovanna with Salvatore, the Ferragamo family, Giovanna Ferragamo, Leonardo Ferragamo and Wanda Ferragamo. They have all played an integral part in shaping the history of the brand

Salvatore Ferragamo was born in 1898 in Bonito, Italy and was the 11th of 14 children. He made his first pair of shoes at the age of nine for his sisters to wear on their communion. After studying shoemaking in Naples for a year, he opened a small store in his parent’s home. In 1914, he emigrated to Boston, where his brother worked in a boot factory.

After a brief stint at the factory, Ferragamo convinced his brothers to move to California—first to Santa Barbara and then to Hollywood. It was here that Ferragamo found success. He first opened a shop for repair and made-to-measure shoes, which soon became prized items among celebrities of the day such as Sofia Loren, Audrey Hepburn and Katherine Hepburn, among others. He soon gained reputation as the ‘Shoemaker to the Stars’ but it did not completely satisfy him.

Ferragamo dedicated his life to the search of a secret—the shoe that fits well. He couldn’t understand why his shoes looked good but hurt the feet. He proceeded to study anatomy at the University of Southern California, where he began studying human anatomy. There he discovered that the weight of the body while standing erect drops straight down on the arch of the foot. He constructed shoes to make the

foot act like an inverted pendulum and that was his greatest contribution to the history of footwear. The essence of his design was combining aesthetics and function—a beautiful shoe with a comfortable fit.

After spending 13 years in the United States, Ferragamo returned to Italy and settled down in Florence. There, he began to fashion shoes for the wealthiest and most powerful women of the century, from the Maharani of Cooch Behar to Eva Peron to Marilyn Monroe.

Ferragamo expanded his operation during the 1950’s to a workforce of around 700 artisans that produced 350 pairs of hand-made shoes a day.

His most famous invention has arguably been the “Cage Heel”.

Fiamma (Salvatore’s eldest daughter) inherited her father’s inimitable talent and came up with the “Vara pumps” in 1978.

Ferragamo has been recognised as a visionary, and his designs ranged from the eccentric to the traditionally elegant. He died in 1960 at the age of 62, but his name lives on as an international company, which has expanded its production to include luxury shoes, bags, watches, and a ready-to-wear clothing line.

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A PICTORIAL LEGACY

A PICTORIAL LEGACY The Hasselblad name has been linked with cameras since the early days of photography itself. The company is w e l l k n o w n f o r i t s s u p e r i o r i m a g e q u a l i t y, r e l i a b i l i t y a n d v e r s a t i l i t y t h a t g o e s b a c k m o r e t h a n h a l f a c e n t u r y.

For over fifty years now, Hasselblad has been devoted to a very simple task—producing the finest camera equipment. And they have been successful in doing just that.

Victor Hasselblad, the man behind this historic company, first set out, not to reproduce a fallen German spy camera, but to improve upon it—now that itself is a great example of his dedication to the craft.

The company is based on the philosophy that quality is the result of dedication and hard work and this has been followed by them through the years and no camera manufacturer has come close to equaling these standards. They have had a long running collaboration with NASA, are ISO 9001 certified and conform to the most exacting international standards.

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The company is based in Göteborg, Sweden and they were the first ones to develop the professional medium format modular SLR. The original Hasselblad was a marketing company, formed in 1841 by Fritz Victor Hasselblad. Photo products were introduced in 1887, and the photo division became a separate company, k n o wn a s H a s s e l b l a d s F o t o g r a f i s k a Ak t i ebo l ag i n 1 9 0 8 .

Hasselblads were the Kodak distributors for Sweden.

In 1941, they began manufacture of aerial and ground reconnaissance cameras for the Swedish Air Force. Victor had long harboured a dream of manufacturing a camera for civilian use, and in New York in 1948, he introduced the world’s first single lens, mirror reflex 6x6 camera with interchangeable lenses, film magazines and viewfinders. The Hasselblad 1600F was a

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The company is well known among photographers for their large format cameras with amazing optical qualities. For its latest range, this Swedish camera manufacturer has focused on bespoke vintage designs

sensation, and since then the camera has been constantly improved, refined and honed, time after time.

SPACE AGE Around 1960, NASA had begun sending missions into outer space but were not satisfied with the quality of pictures the onboard cameras produced. One of the early astronauts, Walter M. Schirra, was an amateur photographer and was familiar with the name of Hasselblad. He encouraged the team at NASA to test Hasselblad cameras for their needs and in 1962, after various refinements, a Hasselblad camera accompanied Schirra on the Mercury space mission, which orbited the Earth six times. Once developed, the pictures spoke for themselves, and since then Hasselblad have remained the NASA choice of still image camera.

Collaboration between NASA and the Hasselblad factory intensified, and a special camera for space journeys was gradually developed. This camera had its great moment when astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin Jr. landed on the moon on July 20, 1969. The only still pictures from their voyage are Hasselblad images, and they soon flooded the world media, bringing international fame to both the camera and its inventor. From the first space journey in 1962, Hasselblad cameras have played an integral part in space programmes.

The Hasselblad 500C, with a Planar 80 mm lens was the first camera to be used by NASA in space. It was purchased by the astronaut Schirra from a camera shop in Houston, Texas, USA. Modification, carried out by NASA, involved removing the lining,

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A PICTORIAL LEGACY

The most iconic photos of the manned exploration of space from the monumental Apollo project come from Hasselblad cameras (seen above) and the partnership between the company and NASA continues till today

mirror, focusing the screen and hood, and among other things, to make the camera lighter.

Also, there was a specially designed version of their motorised 500EL camera intended for use on the surface of the moon, where the first lunar pictures were taken by Neil Armstrong. The 13 cameras used on the surface of the moon were left there. Only the film magazines were brought back.

Subsequent Mercury and Gemini astronauts also used Hasselblad’s, and each space shuttle flight took an average of 1,000 to 2,000 pictures with these cameras.

NASA asked Hasselblad for a modified version of their 500EL models to use during the Apollo moon missions. Known as the Hasselblad Electric Data Camera (EDC), these machines came with specially designed lenses and a glass plate that placed reference crosses on each image to make it possible to figure out the distance and heights of objects in the photographs. The EDC’s photo plate was also coated with a small conductive layer of silver, preventing the buildup of static electricity that could result in a spark. Further, the outer camera was painted silver, in order to help maintain the temperature, and all the lubricants had to be replaced so that the machines could be allowed to work in the vaccum of space.

PRESENT DAY Today, Hasselblad cameras still have their manufacturing base in Göteborg. After being in the same location in Östra Hamngatan since the late 1940’s, they recently moved to another facility in

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2003 across the Göta Älv river in the new Lindholmen Science Park region.

The landmark 500C design formed the basis for Hasselblad’s product line for the next forty years, with variants still being produced in small quantities till 2008. Descended from the original innovations of Victor Hasselblad, the Swedish medium-format camera was for a number of decades the mainstay of professional photographers—especially studio pros. The manual, mechanical modular cameras used interchangeable backs, finders, and Zeiss lenses, as well as a host of accessories.

Their first in the long lasting V-series, comprising the 500, SWC, 2000 and 200 range of cameras, was received with scepticism. Both the lens shutter concept associated with less advanced 35mm SLR cameras, and the moderate top speed of 1/500th of a second worried the critics. However, the decision was proven a sound one. Very short exposure time is easily and more accurately obtained using strobe light, in the studio anyway. The original model stayed in production until 1970. It was replaced by the 500C/M (M for modified according to the factory), featuring an interchangeable focusing screen and an improved automatic back, the A-series film magazines.

The new Hasselblad cameras have over the years gained a positive reputation for their robustness, mechanical accuracy, and for having a wide range of high-quality lenses, making it the popular medium-format camera of choice for generations of professional photographers.

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The company has further started the Er na and Victor Hasselblad Foundation—an independent, non-profit organisation founded in 1979 by the last will of Victor and his wife Erna. The foundation’s purpose is to promote research and academic teaching in the natural sciences and photography. This is achieved by awarding grants and scholarships. The foundation awards the Hasselblad Foundation International Award in photography each year to an outstanding photographer. The award includes a cash prize, a gold medal, diploma, and an exhibition at the Hasselblad Center in the Göteborg Museum of Art in Gothenburg.

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LUNAR MODEL The Lunar camera collection is the brand’s first exclusive product line to be 35mm. It reproduces the look of the 500C by featuring a chrome-plated frame and a contrast in colour between the camera body, lens and control buttons that protrude from the camera’s top plate.

Meant to be vintage in style, the camera retains an elegant look that is quite attractive. It is able to support both compact and professional digital singlelens reflex lenses due to its balanced calibration. The collection includes five models and each has a different top plate metal in addition to differing camera grip materials for optimal comfort.

You can choose from carbon fibre and titanium, mahogany wood and copperbronze, black leather and titanium, olive wood and titanium or brown tuscan leather and titanium. Although mechanically the same, each camera is handcrafted by an Italian artisan. This ensures that no camera is identical, making the camera a true original to be coveted by photography enthusiasts.

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H E R I TA G E

DRIVING MAGNIFICENT MACHINES

DRIVING MAGNIFICENT MACHINES With its illustrious heritage and the fact that its cars are still assembled by hand, Morgan Motor Company has been quietly changing in recent years, revolutionising the auto industry and have often been referred to as the last of the traditional British sports cars.

The Morgan sports car, with its flowing lines and vintage look, draws attention wherever it goes. These cars are the creations of the oldest continuous British automobile manufacturer, the Morgan Motor Company. It was founded in 1909 by H.F.S. Morgan, a trained engineer.

He opened a garage business out of which he also sold cars and started one of England’s very first bus lines.

The success of the Morgan Motor Company was founded on an icon—the

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Morgan Three-Wheeler. This simplistic yet brilliant design by Morgan became one of the most successful lightweight cars of the early days of motoring. The company started its humble beginnings in a small town in Malvern, Worcester, England, and is still located there.

A f t e r p u rc h a s i n g a n e a r l y t h re e wheeled vehicle, Morgan decided to build one for personal use. He began driving his Runabout in 1909, and was eventually persuaded to engineer a two-seater. What

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followed was a flurry of race winning and favourable press, including an early record for fastest hill climb at 22 mph.

It was based on the principal of fitting a powerful motorcycle engine and simple transmission into a light-weight chassis and body, which inspired a new type of vehicle that generically became known as the ‘Cyclecar’. The Morgan Runabout was at the forefront of this movement and therefore Morgan can be regarded as the man who first introduced motoring for the

masses. The prototype was constructed in 1909 and was a simple three-wheeler with a tubular steel chassis fitted with a 7 h.p.

Peugeot V-twin engine.

By 1912, Morgan was inundated with orders and was forced to expand, and the great era of the Morgan three-wheeler had begun. Selling for around £100 back in the day, Morgans became popular based on their simplicity and low maintenance. The first four-wheeled Morgan was designed in 1935 and the 4/4 model entered production in 1936, leading Morgan to claim the 4/4 badge, the most enduring model nameplate in the world.

During the 1980s, it enjoyed a customer waiting list that went almost 10 years ahead, but now that’s more like a year or two. The Morgan Sports Car Championships began in 1987 as an annual championship designed to give owners the chance to race their cars in a

During the 1980s, Morgan Motor Company was much in demand and enjoyed a customer waiting list that went almost 10 years ahead, but now that‘s more like a year or two

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DRIVING MAGNIFICENT MACHINES

It is quite exciting to see how much care and attention goes into making a hand-built car. It is interesting to note that while the shell of the car is metal, parts of the car are still made of wood

one-make series. The success of the series prompted a Hill-Climb Championship held exclusively for Morgan car owners and that encouraged the German Morgan Owners Club to start a race series in Europe called the Continental Morgan Championship.

Today, the company enjoys continued success and has inspired new designs under the direction of Charles Morgan, the f o u n d e r ’s g r a n d s o n . T h e c o m p a n y celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2011.

Today, majority of its business is still in what the company describes as its traditional models such as the 4/4, which is essentially its 1936 predecessor with a relevant engine.

For the last decade, Morgan has also been selling more modern and expensive models based on the high-tech combination of a bonded aluminium

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chassis and a BMW V-8 power-plant. The first of these cars was the Aero 8—a car whose myopic headlamps gave it a slightly startled appearance. It was then followed by the art deco Aero Max coupe and the Aero SuperSports.

The factory is itself a sight to behold and guided tours around the premises can be arranged on the company’s website. It is quite exciting to see how much care goes into a hand-built car. What you will find most interesting is that while the shell of the car is metal, much of it is still made of wood.

All of us are very attached to our cars but Morgan owners are a special breed.

Around the world there are Morgan Owner G ro u p s w i t h n a m e s l i k e S m o g - M o g (London), Jock-Mog (Scotland), Sex-Mog (Sussex and Essex counties), and HogMog (Toronto). Further, it’s not unusual for

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a Morgan driver to find fan mail and requests for rides.

Morgan has had a romantic history even with celebrities. Mick Jagger used to drive a Morgan around St. Tropez. And a young Ralph Lauren drove an off-white Morgan with a drop-top back to make his first deliveries in the garment business.

In 2012, the company scored production at around 1,500 cars over five models. In the current market scenario, not many car manufacturers as small as Morgan, have survived. The company d o e s n ’t o n l y b u i l d c a r s , b u t d o e s everything, from design, engineering, to building and restoration from one facility— the same one in which they have been building cars for 103 years. It is incredibly inspiring that such a company continues to prosper. It is an inspiration even more so as you can’t put a price on individuality.

EvaGT Morgan started production of its latest fourseater EvaGT coupe in mid-2012. The car has been powered by BMW’s 3.0-litre twinscroll turbocharged six-cylinder engine.

When you first look at this new luxury car, you would never expect it to be large enough to fit four. However, this is exactly what Morgan says the vehicle is capable of. The vehicle was built with practicality in mind and offers a comfortable ride for a family’s everyday needs.

Inspired by the early 1950s sport saloons in the UK, this car is based on the Aero SuperSports platform. The car is powered by a BMW Twin Turbo straight six engine that develops a total of 306 HP and 400 NM of torque with a manual or automatic gearbox.

The car sprints from 0 to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and can hit a top speed of 170 mph.

The Morgan Eva GT will make its appearance at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show as the company wants to integrate magnesium alloy technology, which is currently under development and will be incorporated into the vehicle. The company has spent more than £1.4 million for this revolutionary material which will be used for the car’s chassis. By using magnesium, the company hopes to make the car less dense and will improve both its weight and structural performance.

The car is going to be like no Morgan before.

The Eva GT is a podium for advanced materials and motor-sports know-how.

The body panels are made from aluminium and the engine is of award-winning stock, courtesy of BMW. The new Morgan EvaGT represents a philosophy of lightweight luxury that embraces authenticity, sustainability and innovation achieving its final result through the process of skilled craftsmanship.

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H E R I TA G E

TIMELESS SUITS AND BESPOKE ST YLE

TIMELESS SUITS & BESPOKE STYLE We t a k e a w a l k d o w n L o n d o n ’s i c o n i c S a v i l e R o w, w h e r e t h e r u l e s o f a b e s p o k e l i f e s t y l e w e r e l a i d d o w n . T h e street is particularly popular in international circles where the classic British look is increasingly fashionable.

Suits here offer a quality and aspect of heritage that you simply can’t get anywhere else.

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TIMELESS SUITS AND BESPOKE ST YLE

PHOTOS: NICHOLAS ANDREWS

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Often referred to as the golden mile of tailoring, Savile Row is where the term bespoke is said to have originated. Located in central London, the Row is among the must visit places for men looking for a distinctive style

Well-dressed gentlemen, international business tycoons, royalty and celebrities have popped in and out of their favourite tailors on this street for two centuries making London’s Savile Row synonymous with quality, cut and class.

There are very few symbolic streets in the world that represent such a concept and a lifestyle, and these unique characteristics set them apart from others. A historic street in Mayfair, central London, Savile Row has became a must visit for gentlemen, be it residents or visitors, looking for bespoke men’s British style.

Savile Row is located between Regent and Conduit Street, is a few steps from the crowded Jermyn Street, and is home to some of the most renowned tailors, such as Anderson & Sheppard, Gieves & Hawkes, Davies & Sons, Henry Poole & Co and Norton & Sons, among others.

This narrow and quiet street has often been referred to as the ‘golden mile of tailoring’. Its clientele includes personalities such as Prince Charles and Jude Law, and the likes of Winston Churchill, Lord Nelson, and Napoleon III have also shopped here. The street gets its name not just from these famous people who chose it to define their style. It has in fact; through the ages, become a synonym of traditional men’s bespoke tailoring.

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Actually, the term ‘bespoke’ is understood to have originated right here in Savile Row, where a length of cloth for a suit was said to be selected or ‘be spoken for’ by individual customers.

It is interesting to observe though that this street—a haven of bespoke men’s style, where tailoring is regarded as a form of art— was built between 1731 and 1735 as part of the development of the Burlington estate, named after Lady Dorothy Savile, wife of the third Earl of Burlington. Quite a remarkable story for the home of men’s style in London!

In 1846, Henry Poole & Co., considered to be the ‘founders of Savile Row’, paved the way for tailors by establishing their shop at Number 32 Savile Row, and that is where it all started.

Bespoke suits are often said to be like poetry, a custom-made service, coveted and sought after by generations of affluent and famous clients who are willing to show off their impeccable elegance and style.

British tailors honed their skills here in the 18th and 19th centuries, creating a distinctive trademark of absolute elegance, which can be seen even today.

James Sherwood’s book ‘The Master Tailors of British Bespoke’, published by Rizzoli and with a preface by Tom Ford, narrates the

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The Savile Row Bespoke Association was founded with the aim of protecting and developing the art of bespoke tailoring on Savile Row, which is an international destination for men‘s classic style

history of this illustrious street. It is a celebratory book describing the past and present of this pure British institution, which is an inter nationally renowned destination for gentlemen’s style.

The book tells the story of 18 tailors and includes chapters dedicated to topics such as the royalty, Hollywood stars and the wonderfully decorated military uniforms.

The book contains rare images, including those of the young Duke of Windsor, who had a natural gift for style, King George IV pictured with Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, and the nine monarchs of Europe convened at the funeral of King Edward VII of England in 1910.

It includes many rare archival materials, information and previously unpublished images, alongside specially commissioned photography and fashion shoots. The book is a lavish celebration bringing together Savile Row’s tailors, personalities, dramas and personal tales as well details about the different types of suits, fabrics and cuts.

The fame of Savile Row grew also thanks to Ian Fleming, notable writer and first class gentleman, who bought his suits here and dressed his famous fictional character James Bond in a bespoke suit, and that trend continues till this day, with the current Bond actor, Daniel Craig, sporting these suits.

In 1969, the store Nutters in Savile Row modernised the style and approach of the traditional tailors, although this trend slowed down by the early 1990s, when tailors were struggling to find relevance with an audience that had grown increasingly disassociated. Three designers in particular set out to revitalise this bespoke style. They were Timothy Everest, an apprentice at Nutters, Richard James and Ozwald Boateng, who was the first Savile Row tailor to stage a catwalk show in Paris.

As they broke the traditions by reinterpreting the story of this renowned street, they were labelled as the ‘New Bespoke Movement’, an effort to describe collectively the work of this new generation of tailors. The magazine ‘Vanity Fair’ celebrated this

“THE BOOK IS A LAVISH CELEBRATION BRINGING TOGETHER SAVILE ROW’S TAILORS, PERSONALITIES AND DRAMA”

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wave of new designers in 1997 with an issue entitled Cool Britannia, portraying the tailors as the leaders of the Nineties style and design.

They introduced several new elements and experimented with colours on bespoke suits.

Today, the most exclusive Savile Row tailors have formed an association—The Savile Row Bespoke Association. It was founded in 2004 with the aim of protecting and developing the art of bespoke tailoring on Savile Row. The Row continues to flourish, and today it is home to more than a dozen bespoke tailoring businesses, and employs over 100 working craftsmen that form the centre of a unique community of

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businesses in London’s West End. Savile Row is a community that not only creates a unique English luxury product, but one that also forms the training base for young men and women who aim to become tailors or designers in the future.

In 2006, the members of the association convened to establish a method of identifying garments specifically made by the Savile Row tailors and ones that met the required specifications. From this the Savile Row Bespoke label was launched, which all the members now include in their work to formally denote a genuine Savile Row bespoke garment. Made by hand, using skills that the modern world considers out-dated or lost; the suits at Savile Row are simply the

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FLEMING WAS A MAN OF REFINED TASTE & STYLE

Ian Lancaster Fleming was a British author, journalist and naval intelligence officer. He is best known for creating James Bond and for a series of twelve novels and nine short stories, which are among the best-selling series of all time, and have sold more than 100 million copies. Fleming was a man of very refined taste and style. He used to buy his bespoke suits in Savile Row. When creating the character of Bond, it is believed that Fleming chose a pared down version of his own wardrobe. Over the years various stylists and directors have helped to mould Bond’s look and have taken inspiration from Fleming’s iconic template.

When Terence Young, director of the 1962 film ‘Dr. No’, needed help convincing Fleming that former boxer Sean Connery was perfect for the role of the refined secret agent, he sought out Fleming’s Savile Row tailor, the late Anthony Sinclair. Young made Connery wear the suits around the clock, even sleep in them. Eventually, Fleming acquiesced.

In the late 1950’s, from his bespoke tailoring premises on Conduit Street in Mayfair, Sinclair created a classic, pared down shape, which became known as the Conduit Cut. Connery adopted the look, and wore Sinclair suits for all of his appearances as James Bond.

The style is timeless, and as fresh today as it was when 007 first stepped onto the screen in 1962. Sinclair’s development of the Conduit Cut was a landmark in the history of Savile Row tailoring. The firm but natural shoulder, roped sleeve head, full chest, suppressed waist and slightly flared skirt create a subtle hourglass silhouette which traces the body with a peerless purity of line.

best suits you will find anywhere in the world. The Savile Row Bespoke Association protects the art of bespoke tailoring and works hard to ensure that the well-dressed man will always consider Savile Row his home. Some of these prestigious tailors regularly travel abroad, and have customers all around the world.

The street has often caught the fancy of writers and makes an appearance in Jules Verne’s novel ‘Around the World in 80 days’. The main character, Phileas Fogg’s house is located at Number 7. Also, the

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Beatles held their last concert here at Number 3 on January 30, 1969, on the top of the building where their label, Apple Records was located.

Even the widespread popularity of designer labels and invasion by big brands h a s d o n e l i t t l e t o e ro d e t h e R o w ’s longstanding reputation for unparelled quality and unmatched style.

As the mayor of London, Boris Johnson says: “London is to the suit what Parma is to Parmesan cheese”. And Savile Row stands tall as a testament to this.

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H E R I TA G E

PROFESSOR OF TIME

PROFESSOR OF TIME Louis Moinet is an innovative watch brand unlike any other and is known for its extremely high level of technical sophistication that has been highlighted by a legendary mechanism.

The factory of SaintBlaise, at the foothills of the Swiss Jura mountain range, is where the watch company Louis Moinet is housed and is a special place where only limited edition watches are created. The craftsmen here try to harmonise design and technology, according to its founder, Master Louis Moinet’s philosophy. These watchmakers give birth to innovative mechanisms that have become exceptional works of art.

Some of these jewels can be found on the

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p a g e s o f t h e r e n o w n e d ‘ Tr a i t e d ’ Horlogerie’, a book Louis Moinet himself published in two volumes in 1848. It is illustrated with drawings by the author himself, which is still an important reference for all watch lovers and industry experts.

The company specialises in the creation of high-end timepieces, often featuring certain exotic materials and innovative technology, under-pinned by the philosophy of limited-edition mechanical art.

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Louis Moinet was a famous and extremely accomplished watch-maker in his own right in the early 1800s and was a close friend and adviser, to none other than Abraham-Louis Breguet, the master watchmaker. The two shared a mutual passion for extremely complex watchmaking and collaborated together on a number of projects.

This moder n day re-incar nation embodies this same spirit of innovation a n d t e c h n i c a l e x c e l l e n c e , p ro d u c i n g

The company specialises in the creation of high-end timepieces, featuring certain exotic materials and innovative technology and creates limited edition watches

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PROFESSOR OF TIME

Movement and finishing Louis Moinet Calibre LM27 Tourbillon cage: 1 turn/minute Jewels: 31 Winding: Hand-winding Oscillations: 21,600vph Frequency: 3 Hz Lines: 14.5 Power reserve: 48 hours Escapement: Side lever Hand-engraved plate Polished jewel sinks Grained brass Blued steel screws

The Astralis features four highly polished meteorites respectively denoting the Moon, the Sun, planets Mercury and Mars. All of these are mounted on a finely-cut aventurine disk that evokes the image of a starry sky

fantastically complicated pieces in highly limited editions.

In order to improve his astronomical knowledge, Louis Moinet invented a sensational instrument—a counter in the shape of a watch displaying 60ths of a second, which he called “comptetierce” or 60th of a second counter.

The obvious advantage of this was a degree of accuracy greater than any other measuring equipment available at the time. One of its original features was a jewelled escapement oscillating at 2l,600 vibrations per hour without trace of wear or increased friction during prolonged use.

Over the course of his long and distinguished career, master watchmaker Louis Moinet created some extraordinary timepieces for eminent figures of the time.

Owners of Louis Moinet creations have included Tsar Alexander I; King George IV

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of England; Marshal Murat, King of Naples; and American presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe.

Louis Moinet made Napoleon’s Clock for the French military and political leader Napoleon Bonaparte and it boasts an eight-day movement and displays hours, minutes and date. The amphora-shaped c l o c k ’s g re a t o r i g i n a l i t y l i e s i n a n outstanding mechanism displaying the moon phases inside the day hand, by means of a tiny ivory ball.

The clock shows Napoleon and Josephine being crowned emperor and empress as soon as the music box is activated via an ingenious mechanism that physically places the imperial crown on their heads.

This historic clock epitomises the origins of Louis Moinet as one of the best horologists ever and in recognition of this,

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the year of this timepiece’s creation, 1806, forms a part of the modern-day Louis Moinet logo. Napoleon’s Clock can be admired at the National Museum Speelklok in Utrecht, Netherlands.

Today, under the guidance of its CEO and creative director Jean-Marie Schaller, the brand harnesses the same passion and inventiveness of the master watchmaker Louis Moinet, who is among one of the greatest horologists of all time.

Thanks to studies made over the years

by Louis Moinet watchmakers, it is possible to say that the mechanisms housed inside their precious watchcases are innovative, real scientific and technologic discoveries.

Louis Moinet’s rigorously hand-made manufacturing process lies on a refined balance between aesthetic and mechanic.

In fact, if you trace a profile of each of

In addition to the 24-hour planetarium, it also features an astral tourbillion and split-second, column wheel chronograph and boats of the signature Louis Moinet Cotes du Jura engravings which embellishes the dial

these wonderful time pieces, you would find some common distinctive features.

This is the reason why they have become cult objects for experts in the field.

Their latest timpiece is a groundbreaking instrument. If you are enamoured by outer space and fascinated by the wonders of the universe—Astralis

by Louis Moinet is the timepiece for you. It is a limited edition watch that combines a tourbillon, chronograph, and a 24-hour disc that includes stones from four bodies in the solar system. The timepiece includes rocks from the Moon, Mars, Mercury, and an asteroid that formed near the Sun. The designers found the rare Moon stone on Earth but the rarest of these stones is the piece of Martian rock.

A p p a r e n t l y, l e s s t h a n 7 5 M a r t i a n meteorites have been collected. It is exhilarating to see all of these stones

placed next to each other on their sparkly aventurine plate.

Further, because each of these slices are unique, no two of them will look the same, making the watches exclusive.

This is the first time that a watchmaker has used materials whose origins are from beyond this world. This piece of horology has been the result of the collaboration between Louis Moinet and the famous meteorite collector, Luc Labenne.

The extremely unique, Astralis boasts a planetarium at 6 o’clock containing not one but four highly-polished rare meteorites—Dhofar 459, ltqiy, Sahara 99555 and liddat al Harasis 479, respectively denoting the Moon, the Sun and the planets Mercury and Mars. Sahara 99555 is the oldest known rock in the entire Solar System. It is estimated to be four billion 566 million years old, earning it

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the nickname the “Rosetta Stone” of the Solar System.

The Sun is symbolised in the planetarium by a sliver of ltqiy, a beautiful meteorite whose origins remain mysterious. All four of these fragments are unique and are mounted on a finely-cut aventurine disk, that evokes a starry sky making one revolution per day.

Louis Moinet has presented a set of four unique timepieces, with dark brown, silver, dark blue and diamond-speck-led black dials. The presentation case for each watch is a work of art in itself—a sphere, 21 cm in diameter, created by sculptor Jean-Yves Kervevan.

Astralis is limited to 12 pieces and comes on hand-stitched Louisiana alligator leather with an 18k gold and black titanium folding clasp, presented in a handcrafted planetoidal box.

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La Dolce Vita

L A D O L C E V I TA

M E D I E VA L S T Y L E T H R I L L S

Medieval style thrills Palio di Siena is a traditional breakneck, bareback horse race around the medieval Piazza del C a m p o i n Tu s c a n y, I t a l y t h a t h a r k s b a c k t o t h e t r a d i t i o n a l s p i r i t o f p u r e e q u e s t r i a n i s m .

Although the city is renowned for its architecture and a vibrant party spirit, Siena is perhaps best recognised for its famous Palio di Siena horse race. Around thousands of tourists gather every year on the Il Campo square in Siena for this race. It takes place every year on July 2 and August 16, without fail since the mid-1600s. At the race, 10 riders compete bareback around Siena’s shellshaped central square in a bid to win the Palio—the reward being the silk banner depicting the Madonna and child.

Palio di Siena is a brutal yet spectacular horse race. It involves going around the Siena square three times, running on dirt and grass to cover the

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ground. The horses are blessed at the church the day before and the riders are dressed in the colours of the Contrade, which is the district they represent.

The race is the celebration of an apparition of the Virgin Mary in 1656 and has been celebrated each year since, making it one of the oldest in the world. It brings the entire community together and serves as a perfect excuse, to escape to the beautiful Tuscan summer.

O r i g i n a l l y, t h e r e w e r e a b o u t 5 9 Contrade but now only seventeen remain of which only 10 take part in this historical pageant. Of the 10, seven run in the race through official rights whereas three are drawn by lots.

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The 17 Contrade consist of Eagle, Snail, Wave, Panther, Forest, Tortoise, O w l , U n i c o r n , S h e l l , To w e r, R a m , Caterpillar, Dragon, Giraffe, Porcupine, She-Wolf and Goose.

Each Contrada has its own unique emblem and colours that represents a particular area of the city. As you walk through the streets of Siena it is easy to know in which Contrada you currently are by observing the different flags and emblems displayed along the street.

For the occasion, the main square in Siena, the Piazza del Campo, is prepared for the race as the ring around the square is covered with tuff clay. The event takes place over four days, with the race taking

Each Contrada has its unique emblem and colours that represents a particular area of the city. The race witnesses huge attendance and the winning Contrada is famous for throwing parties that can last for several days

place on the fourth day. The first day is for the ‘Tratta’, or drawing of the lots and assignment of the horses to each of the Contrade. Other activities leading up to the race, include the Corteo Storico, a historical costume parade that gives people the chance to celebrate as well.

Before the official race there are six initial trial runs—one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The fifth trial, the one run the evening prior to the official Palio, is called the “Prova Generale” or the general trial while the last one takes place the morning of the race and is called the ‘Provaccia’ or bad trial as the jockeys put in little effort in order to avoid tiring the horses too much. The jockeys always mount their horses without a saddle.

The Palio prize is called ‘Drappellone’ or large drape—a large painted canvas that is designed and created by a different artist each year. The winning team displays this drape in their districts museum.

On the day of the race, the city is in a v i b r a n t m o o d a n d t h e e n t i re d a y i s dedicated to the event.

An explosion of firecrackers signals the entrance of the horses into the piazza.

As the jockeys come out, each one receives a whip made out of ox sinew which they can use to prod their horses.

The race starts off in the Mossa, an area set up on the piazza and the Contrade are called out in the order in which they were drawn. The first nine Contrade take up their assigned positions in the area between the two ropes, while the last one, enters the area at a running gallop thus signalling the start of the race.

The horses run three laps around the Campo, overcoming dangerous points such as the narrow curve of San Martino where collisions between the wall and horses have led to many falls in the past.

The first horse that crosses the finish line, even if he arrives without his jockey,

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wins the race. Although the race is brief, the medieval streets of Siena are alive with the sound of music, singing, parades, and feasts even a week before the horses make an appearance, and afterwards the winning Contrade throws an extravagant street party that can last for days.

The celebrations begin in the district of Provenzano and it starts by singing the Te Deum to thank for the victory. The official celebration is in September and it’s called Cena della Vittoria. It’s a street party with lots of people, music and food. And the guest of honour: the horse!

Nobody who has been in Siena even once would agree that the Palio is just a horse race. For the people of Siena, the Palio is a cult and is a matter of life and death, and is taken very seriously.

The Sienese are known to live the Palio with great passion and you will certainly be able to see this if you happen to attend any one of these races.

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The pearl of Asia E x p l o r e t h e s h o r e s o f C a m b o d i a t h r o u g h Tr a v e l A t t a c h é ’s t a i l o r- m a d e h o l i d a y p a c k a g e s a n d g e t r e a d y f o r a n u n f o r g e t t a b l e e x p e r i e n c e . H i g h o n h i s t o r y, culture and nature, expect this to be your relaxing abode.

Sandwiched between Thailand and Vietnam, Cambodia is a true explorers paradise. From historic landmarks to jungle treks, royal palaces to unspoiled wildlife, you can look forward to an extraordinary holiday experience.

To experience this and more, indulge in a nine-day tour of Cambodia organised by Travel Attaché and soak into the country’s celebrated sights, cultural monuments and scenic panoramas.

Their Cambodian Adventure combines the country’s most attractive features with the most luxurious resorts for an unparalleled experience. The tour will include sunset cruises on the Mekong River, visits to the Silver Pagoda and a sunrise

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pilgrimage to Angkor Wat along with forest hikes and an overnight safari for an all-encompassing journey that culminates at the magnificent Amansara resort.

The adventure begins with your arrival into the country’s capital Phnom Penh. A private sunset boat cruise from Sisowath Quay on the Tonle Sap and Mekong Rivers, is among the first sights you will see. Sisowath Quay and its surrounding streets offer a variety of restaurants and bars to have a fun night out.

Over the next few days you will be shown around town and given an insight into the events of the late 1970’s when the country was under the Khmer regime. This will include a visit to the Tuol

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Sleng Genocide Museum and the National Museum where you can linger among the relics removed from the UNESCO site Angkor Wat to prevent looting.

These archaeological masterpieces include the imposing 11th century bronze sculptures that offer a glimpse of the Khmer era.

You will also be taken on a visit to the Royal Palace that was built in 1866 by King Norodom, and the Silver Pagoda with its floor of over 5,000 silver tiles. This palace features unique items such as the iron pavilion, which was a gift from Napoleon III. Here, be on the look out for the life-sized solid gold Buddha encrusted with over 9,000 real diamonds. Near to the palace is the Royal

University of Fine Art and Street 178. These are now thriving shopping areas for art and traditional Khmer crafts.

After the tour of the capital is over, you will be taken on a guided tour to the beautiful Prey Veng, a remote forest village in the Khulen Promtep Wildlife Sanctuary.

En route to the village you can stop at the jungle clad Beng Mealea, which is thought to be a ‘blueprint’ for Angkor Wat and was built under the control of Suryavarman II. Here you will have fun clambering over ancient stones.

The journey is continued to Kulen Town and then your destination Prey Veng. Your safari-style campsite will be situated

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The temple‘s here feature a blend of scanturies linked by pavements and staircases with the natural landscape which offer breath-taking views and give you a real sense of adventure

on the banks of an ancient Angkorian Baray (reservoir) that has now become an important feeding site for many rare birds and mammals. You can stroll around the banks of the Baray with a pair of binoculars to spot the wildlife as it comes in to feed as the sun sinks behind.

Dinner is cooked on a campfire prepared by women from the village and is eaten on a table under the stars, for a complete ethnic experience.

At the camp, you gain wonderful views of the surrounding countryside and experience a real sense of adventure as you explore the forest-clad temple. This is a truly unique and exceptional experience limited to few travellers.

On your way to the city of Siem Reap, divert to Koh Ker temple, and from the summit of the predominant Prasat Thom monument enjoy the stunning views at this remote, scarcely visited temple. To relax, unwind and to focus on your well-being, indulge in a massage spa treatment in the evening at one of Siem Reap’s top spas, which will help in easing your muscles following your exertion.

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On the edge of Dangrek mountain cliff lies the UNESCO World heritage site of Preah Vihear and its spectacular views across both Cambodia and Thailand is not to be missed. This impressive site, a masterpiece of Khmer architecture was built over a period of 300 years by different kings. Today, the site can be reached by helicopters and is a must for an adventurous experience and breath-taking views. The temple complex’s unique blend of sanctuaries linked by pavements and staircases with the natural landscape make this temple a site of exceptional quality.

One of the greatest adventures as part of this tour is to motor through the darkness of the Cambodian night to welcome the dawn on the stones at Angkor Wat. For a more tranquil sunrise experience, the tour will lead you through the back door of Angkor Wat, the east entrance, to avoid the crowds at the main gate.

It is recommended to explore this popular temple in the hours immediately after sunrise.

You are then be taken on a tour of the fishing communities that live in stilted houses up to 10 meters above the ground to cope with seasonal variation in the water levels. Here you will be taken

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LIAM WHOLEY

Tailor-made trips such as the Cambodian adventure must be fully lived and experienced and the team at Travel Attaché offers unique experiences and suggests elite itineraries such as these.

We speak to the company’s CEO Liam Wholey to learn Travel Attaches true essence and understand what makes it unique.

Q. What are the sevices offered by Travel Attaché?

A. Along with providing a comprehensive luxury-focused travel service, we specialise in experiential travel. Alongside a wide portfolio of hotels, spas, villas, chalets, cruises, yachts and jets we also execute tailor made experiences from bespoke honeymoons and safaris to more unusual activities such as adventure holidays, sporting getaways and shopping trips. Many of our experiential holidays are unique to this region and are born out of our longstanding relationship with some of the world’s premier suppliers. Our partners all over the world are the best in their respective fields and we have been working with them for many years.

BEST TIME TO TRAVEL – DECEMBER TO APRIL IS BORDERED BY THAILAND, LAOS, VIETNAM AND THE GULF OF THAILAND to crocodile and fish farms for souvenir shopping and will have the opportunity to climb up into the houses.

The visit is be wrapped up by hopping in a tuk-tuk to the Old and Central Markets for souvenir shopping and visiting Psa Leu for a touristy experience. Here you can roam narrow lanes lined with stalls selling a bewildering array of wonderfully exotic edibles.

You can also stop by Theam’s house, a fascinating atelier and artist’s studio, where you can see craftsmen at work on unique products, lacquered panels and other creations.

The tour further gives the option for extending the trip with a relaxing stay on the beach of Song Saa Private Island, and in the jungles of Koh Kong’s four-rivers floating lodge.

Q. Tell us about some of the unique and tailor-made experiences offered?

A. Everything we do is tailor-made. No two clients want the same thing so we adjust all our experiences to suit their exact requirements. All of the ‘Exclusive Experiences’ we feature on our website such as learning to fly a World War 2 fighter aeroplane, playing golf with a famous golfer, Heli-skiing in the Alps, private tours to see gorillas in Rwanda and so on are simply ideas to spark the imagination of our customers. We can, in fact, organise pretty much anything for our clients. Challenge us and we will pull all our global contacts to deliver an experience that will always be remembered. For example, we recently arranged an amazing trip for a large group of senior executives to view the Northern Lights in Lapland—private jets, exclusive hire of an ice hotel, and thermal tents in the wilderness, superb food and amazing activities. This is what we do and with style.

Q. What are your future plans?

A. Our main focus is to ensure that our customer service and delivery are perfect and that our customers are more than happy and spread the good word. Also, we continue to work hard on the products we have on the website. This is a continuous piece of work as there are always new experiences hitting the market that our customers will be interested in. For example, we are adding a new section to the website which is all about the UAE and Oman as we are seeing a lot of demand from the domestic market and overseas about this region. Looking ahead to 2014, we plan to open a second office in the region in Bahrain, Qatar or Saudi Arabia.

Q. What are the most popular destinations that see high demand from clients?

A. We have seen a real surge in luxury ski bookings. Also, Malaysia continues to be popular as well as exclusive Indian Ocean destinations. I am surprised by the range of holidays that we have booked. The unfair clichés are being swept away as we see holidays as unexpected as deer stalking in Scotland for a group of Emirati men and a helicopter tour of Kenya for an Egyptian couple.

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THE ELIXIR OF LIFE

The elixir of life

T W G Te a c r e a t e s n e w v a r i e t i e s o f t e a e v e r y s e a s o n i n c o l l a b o r a t i o n w i t h t h e w o r l d ’s m o s t r e n o w n e d e s t a t e s . T h e y c r e a t e e x c l u s i v e blends that reflect the tastes of modern tea lovers.

The aroma of a fresh brew has the ability to evoke deep memories.

Over the years, drinking tea has become an experience in itself as the elegance of ingredients used in the blends has evolved. This wondrous liquid is strongly rooted in many cultures and going out for a cup of tea is a chance and an opportunity to indulge in stimulating conversations.

To evolve with the taste of the times and introduce tea lovers to exotic teas from around the world, TWG Tea, one of the world’s renowned luxury tea brands, has opened a boutique in The Dubai Mall. The company is known for having established a new art of luxury tea appreciation and offer around 800 varieties of fine-harvests and unique tea blends.

We speak to Taha Bouqdib, President of TWG Tea to find out what goes behind making tea drinking a luxurious experience.

Q. What is the luxury in tea? Is it the experience or the various blends of tea itself?

A. Luxury tea can be defined by the quality of tea, the extensive tea selection from all tea-producing countries, rare and innovative varieties and the expertise offered at TWG Tea. The best teas consist of whole leaves, which do not include fanning’s or dust. Excellent teas can be found in all 38 tea producing countries, however, the best quality of leaves vary with each year, each season, and sometimes even the day of the harvest. It takes an experienced taster to differentiate and select the best harvest from each estate.

To choose excellent tea leaves, it is important to know that black teas, for example, are classified based on leaf grades and strength.

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When followed by the appellation “Flowery Orange Pekoes (FOP)”, customers will know that the leaves have been gathered early and carefully, consisting strictly of unopened buds and the first two leaves below. The presence of the tip of the bud is a sign of quality since only the youngest shoots are used for the finest teas, thus determining the quality and price of the tea.

The number ‘1’ when added to the grade defines the tea as of the finest quality within that grade.

In addition to the single estate teas, TWG Tea is proud to offer countless exclusive blends, carefully conceived to reflect the tastes of modern tea lovers. By blending essences, fruits, flowers, spice and even chocolate and caramel with different varieties of teas, TWG Tea is constantly innovating in order to take the world of tea by surprise. Like an Haute Couture fashion designer, TWG Tea understands the evolving tastes of the modern tea drinker to honour a truly luxurious and refined harvest of blends.

TWG Tea Salons & Boutiques are situated in locations that best showcase our variety and quality of teas and to educate the public about the art of tea appreciation, tea culture and tea preparation.

Q. How do you describe a perfect tea evening and what are your popular dishes?

A. Each tea from TWG Tea is stored, presented, infused and served in exactly the same manner as a very exquisite wine. Teas can be paired in the most astonishing ways with savouries as well as sweets. The perfect tea evening could be matching tea to your favourite dishes to create a sophisticated pairing. Tea enhances the taste of the dishes or the pastries without altering them and creates amazing combinations. Pairing tea with food is a delicate science and the choice of tea should never be left to chance.

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The most popular pairings in our Tea Salons would be the TWG Tea Salad with a 1837 Green Tea infused vinaigrette, Lobster Timbale served with Love Me Tea infused salad, Beef Tenderloin served with a Polo Club Tea infused sauce as well as our desserts served with a scoop of Tea-Infused Ice Creams and Sorbets such as the Chocolate Fondant served with a scoop of Vanilla Bourbon Tea ice cream or TWG Tea Macarons infused with our Signature teas.

Q. Could you tell our readers about some world-class tea events that they should attend?

A. One of the most anticipated events in the tea world is the arrival of Darjeeling Spring harvests. Nourished by the early spring rains, firstflush Darjeeling teas are harvested by tea estates in the region from

late-February to mid-April. Each year, tea lovers around the world eagerly await the arrival of these precious harvests. Considered to be the grand cru of teas, first-flush Darjeeling teas have fresh, green leaves, which are highly prized by tea connoisseurs. These noble and precious teas are grown in the Himalayan foothills of West Bengal between Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan in a land of cloud and mist, at altitudes ranging from 3,000 to 7,000 feet. The most renowned Darjeeling estates craft their teas by hand in the most natural and artisanal fashion, and no two gardens or harvests taste alike. When steeped, the first tender shoots of newly grown tea plants produce gentle, light golden-hued liquor with mild astringency, imparting a brisk and fine aroma. After brewing, the leaves unfurl to take on a deep glossy green colour.

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Another rare and grand tea in the world is the Imperial Gyokuro, which is also available in store. With only eight kilos in existence in the world, this incomparable green tea has never been available outside of Japan until today. Painstakingly cultivated under handmade rice straw mats, this tea absorbs generous quantities of precious minerals, which wash through the mats during rain showers and on dewy mornings. Thanks to gentle breezes and dappled rays of sunlight, which filter through the braided straw, this glossy and emerald-coloured tea grows very slowly, but in consequence, develops a brilliant sweetness and concentrated flavour.

Q. What are the must have tea blends in your collection?

A. With lunch, it is recommended to choose a tea according to the type of food you are having. For instance, a smoky tea like Imperial Lapsang Souchong goes perfectly with meat, and a delicate green tea like Geisha Blossom Tea pairs well with a light salad where as a blue tea such as Royal Thai Oolong pairs beautifully with poultry. In the afternoon, all the TWG Tea varieties of exclusive blends are perfect to enjoy with pastries such as the signature Silver Moon Tea, 1837 Black Tea or Red of Africa Tea. At night, I would recommend exquisite white tea blends from our new collection of hand-blended Yin Zhen white tea blends such as White Fortune Tea or White Immortal Tea. Every tea that is launched in our Haute Couture tea collection is also highly popular—French Earl Grey, Singapore Breakfast Tea, Geisha Blossom Tea, just to name a few—as they offer exceptional quality whole leaf teas, expertly blended and packaged as would be an exquisite perfume, in modern and elegant tins, taking tea from the realm of a beverage to a complete sensory experience.

Q. What are the most luxurious tea available in the boutique?

A. One of the most luxurious and expensive teas in the world is the Yellow Gold Tea Buds. It is one of the rarest teas in the world exclusively offered by TWG Tea. Yellow Gold Tea Buds was once a favourite of the Emperors of China. Each delicate tea bud is lavished in 24ct gold, which once infused, yields a delicate and floral aftertaste. Yellow Gold Tea Buds retails at AED25, 140/ kilogram, and is available in the Dubai Mall boutique.

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Q Which is your favourite tea destination?

A. My favourite tea destination is Darjeeling, India, because my travel experiences there have been all encompassing. They include not only the magic and unworldliness of the final destination at the plantations themselves, but more importantly, the tea route traversed to arrive there, with its many perils and adventures.

For example, after arriving at the Calcutta International Airport, you need to take a small toy of a plane to Bagdogra, where the journey by jeep begins. As you climb the innumerable mountainous slopes, weaving around on unpaved roads, you slowly penetrate into a land of fog and mist, where you, and your driver, can barely see a few meters ahead. The blinding whiteness is navigated simply by the experience of your driver.

The most terrifying part of the route to the gardens is when you meet a truck coming down the mountain full of tea. The road is so narrow that the truck cannot continue and your driver must drive in reverse, sometimes for a few kilometres, until a place can be found to pull in and let the truck pass you by. At times like this, it is best simply to throw up your hands and resign yourself to your destiny.

One of my favourite tea plantations is the Okayti Estate in Darjeeling. With their phenomenal harvests and their history as the favourite tea of Queen Victoria, Okayti continues to surprise my palate and challenge my taste buds.

Q. What is the philosophy behind TWG Tea? A. The cornerstone of TWG Tea’s philosophy of excellence is to offer the finest teas of the world directly from the source. Our location is therefore essential to fulfilling this promise to customers. Singapore has a world-renowned reputation for quality of service, integrity, transparency and open trade, a unique positioning in the region.

Headquartered in Singapore, TWG Tea is not only at the geographic epicentre of the world’s tea producing region, but offers products with a reputation of excellence.

As a result of TWG Tea’s positioning in Asia, our team of tasters can be deeply involved in every part of the creation of the tea, from the selection of the estate, the relationship with the planter, the picking and processing techniques, the analysis and selection of the season’s best harvests, the packing and careful delivery and, for some teas, the blending with a selection of fruits, flowers, and spices. TWG Tea tasters travel thousands of kilometres to visit tea plantations each year to ensure the quality of the selection, and to control the superiority and freshness of the chosen harvests. We are passionate about sharing expertise with customers, and have become a point of reference for tea lovers thirsty for knowledge.

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Ultimate guide to travel in style BY: CAMERON BAILEY

Here is a look at the essential products you need to travel, these not only help in reducing stress but make sure t h a t y o u l o o k c l a s s y n o m a t t e r h o w l o n g t h e j o u r n e y.

Despite the ubiquitous nature of flying today, there is still the echo from the past when flying was a glamorous and rather special way to travel, which is a blessing as the truth is that flying is the great leveler. Whether you are a billionaire or a holidaymaker, we all have to pass through security and suffer the effects of recycled

air and life in a pressurised metal cylinder for many hours.

If there is one piece of advice about flying I wish you to hold dear is that whether it is your first flight or your 10,000th, when in an airport imagine yourself as a heroic character in a film, be focused yet detached. An excellent pair of

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sunglasses are vital for this, as it lets you retreat from the maelstrom around you. On the other side, it’s the most effective mask for tired eyes. My favourite pair at the moment are Tom Ford’s Alexander gold plated frames with caiman leather detailing on the bar and ear tips. Their Zeiss lenses have a triple-gold, anti-reflective coating.

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Your suit and shirt can be kept crease free on long journeys by using Lord Iron‘s 2D Bodyform that slips easily inside the suit and can be folded in a way to avoid creases and allows you to change at your destination without any hassle

The essence of coolness and style is inner calm, and some people like to meditate. I prefer to carry my literary heroes with me, the creations of Hemingway, Scott-Fitzgerald, Marukami.

Reading on a plane feels like work, but a softly intoned book via Bose Quiet Comfort 15 Noise Cancelling headphones is a great escape. Despite the deadlines, the one thing I do as I enter the departure lounge is check out of work. I prepare for what awaits me on the other side by resting.

A good traveling bag like a good woman is worth waiting for. After making my specifications, I waited a year for my Tanner and Krolle bespoke travel case, hand sewn in original English Bridle leather—plain, simple and robust, with a compartment for everything from my iPad to my oyster card. Inside is a smaller bag that you can pack with all your flight needs, whilst your carry on is stowed

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“I FAVOUR BUDD SHIRTS WITH THE FORWARD COLLAR IN COOL LINEN” away. Being organised brings a certain sense of calm to your journey and being relaxed makes you look cool.

Sea Island cotton is your friend in vest, shirt and sock form. I favour Budd shirts with the forward collar in a cool linen. I never wear a suit on board unless it is a summer linen suit. I prefer a smart jacket, and straight legged cotton trousers as chinos work for a broader man than I. Jeans need to be somewhere between soft and worn in for comfort but sharp enough,

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straight leg with a dark indigo dye works.

Socks make such a difference. I mourn the decline of Pantherella’s socks preferring to buy British and now opt for Marcoliani or Bresciani. For a splash of colour, I gain a certain amusement from wearing Gamarelli’s red cardinal socks. Never wear cufflinks with a casual look or linen.

The benefit of having a sister who is a beauty writer is nicking her stash of samples. She introduced me to Jennifer Young (www.jenniferyoung.co.uk), who makes bespoke beauty natural products and is probably the first brand whose products genuinely win the dehydration war. When ordering you answer an online questionnaire to find your needs. It’s a very personal service and advice is on tap from Jennifer herself. For flying she recommended the Eczema Free Beauty Balm as a cleanser as it is very gentle and full of rehydrating oils and butters. Soy

The Loro Piana cashmere travel kit comes with slippers as well as a blanket, sleepmask and neck pillow. The whole set is soft and offers comfort and can be personalised by name tags stitched into the kit

butter, it’s main ingredient, is known for it’s rejuvenating properties. Many of their products are solid so no chance of spills. I use the ‘Improve and Remove’ facial spritz and a custom moisturiser which smells very masculine with vetivert, sandalwood, lime and neroli and doubles as a cologne.

I find short naps better rather than a long one. A long sleep can make you feel leaden. I take magnesium citrate, which prevents muscle cramps and relaxes you an d is basica lly “ f ood ” tha t w e a re deficient in. I now never go anywhere without my Loro Piana cashmere travel kit.

A slip on shoe maybe practical but I find sartorially unbearable so thankfully the kit comes with slippers as well as blanket, sleepmask and neck pillow. The whole set is deliciously soft and therefore very calming and reassuring. I recommend sewing in name tags, you’ll understand why when you get your own kit. In between naps, I drink water and eat some dried figs and almonds, peppermint and fennel tea bags may sound effeminate but I’ve found them indispensable. The whole aim of the game is to keep your digestion working and your circulation circulating minimising

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swollen ankles and stiffness, and bloating, so get up to stretch, fidget and move about to keep your ankles streamlined.

I carry shoe-trees, so that my shoes are dry and in the perfect shape for when I disembark. My suit and shirt I keep crease free thanks to Lord Iron (www.lordiron.it), which is a 2D bodyform that slips inside my suit and I am able to fold it away and resurrect it 12 hours later crease free and ready to change into at my destination. In the last hour, I prepare myself so that I am ready mentally, sartorially and physically to step into action.

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HAU T E CUI S I N E WI T H A LO CAL T WI S T

Haute cuisine with a local twist IDAM is fine dining at its best. Here attention is paid to every small detail to ensure you have an unparalleled gastronomic e x p e r i e n c e . T h e w o n d r o u s s u r r o u n d i n g s m e l t a w a y s l o w l y, a s t h e food upstages everything else.

What would it be like to explore contemporary French Mediterranean cuisine designed with an A r a b i c t w i s t ? To e x p l o r e s u c h a combination head to IDAM in Doha, Qatar.

This state-of-the-art restaurant is situated in the heart of the Museum of Islamic Art and sits right at the tip of the Arabian Peninsula. This is renowned Michelin-star chef Alain Ducasse’s first restaurant in the Middle East. A meal here is a celebration of local tastes, spices and ingredients and is a real festival of food.

The museum, designed by I.M. Pei, sits on an artificial island overlooking Doha’s waterfront. The restaurant sits under a soaring dome, on what seems to be a massive stone plinth with a atrium on two sides. The word IDAM stands for generosity, care and attention and the restaurant has been a result of 18 months of hard work that included finding the right suppliers for the products in order to develop its exclusive menu.

The restaurant’s chef Romain Meder, creates refined Mediterranean cuisine with a touch of influence from the Middle East.

Some of the dishes served include tender octopus, potatoes infused with saffron, marinated bonito from the Arabian Gulf, lemon and gold caviar; roasted blue lobster, camel calf and foie gras with truffles among others.

The restaurant has been designed by P h i l i p p e S t a rc k t h a t f e a t u re s p l u s h

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interiors and seating for 60. Starck has said that he created black and white for ambiance in order for people to fill colours and has aimed to bring the crystal designs to life. Starck further said that his passion for the elegant and poetic intelligence of Arab literature is reflected in the interiors.

F o r i n s t a n c e , t h e c a r p e t s h e re a re decorated with white Arabic inscriptions on the theme of hospitality.

The staff has been trained for six months in order to be able to provide the highest quality of service and give customers an experience that is as unique as the restaurant itself.

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Ducasse has said that the origin behind this restaurant had a lot to do with his travels to Morocco, Lebanon, Middle East, Egypt and India as he wanted to create a mix of Mediterranean cuisine with Arabic culture. He has said that the cuisine has been prepared by understanding expectations and meeting the needs of local tastes along with modern cuisine.

Idam puts Qatar on the map of wonderful food destinations and embodies the ideals of luxury dining. It is sophisticated, serves food you can’t stop talking about and here you will enjoy an experience that surpasses expectations.

Ducasse practically invented French Fine Dining as we know it today. At the age of 16, he started his apprenticeship at the restaurant Pavilion Landais in Soustons.

In I977, he became the assistant chef of the famous Roger Verge, the father of the Cuisine du Soleil, at Moulin de Mougins— those were the years when he came in close contact with the Provencal cuisine, honing culinary skills which would later make him an international celebrity chef.

In I987, Société des Bains de Mer offered him the position of chef des cuisines at the Hotel de Paris in Monte-Carlo, Ducasse accepted the challenge and at the age of 33 he became the youngest chef to obtain three michelin stars.

In l996, he opened Le Part - Sofitel Demeure Hotels in the 16th arrondissement in Paris, and only eight months later was awarded three Michelin stars. Ready to bring his fame beyond the national boundaries, Ducasse reached overseas and opened his first restaurant in New York in 2000, at the 160 Central Park South. In 2005, this restaurant was awarded three stars as well.

Ducasse then moved to Las Vegas, where he opened Mix; this was followed by the opening of l’Adour in Washington DC, at the St. Regis Hotel of K Street, and Bistro Benoit again in New York. In 2008, Ducasse, a French-born national, acquired a Monaco citizenship.

Ducasse manages restaurants in Paris, London, Monaco, New York, Washington, Tokyo, Las Vegas, Saint-Tropez, Hong Kong, Saint Petersburg, Osaka, Castiglione della Pescaia and Doha.

He is involved in publishing too, having written several culinary books. He further collaborates with the European Space Agency to identify dishes for astronauts.

When Ducasse is in the Riviera, he sources his ingredients directly from the local fishermen, farmers and regional markets. The beef he uses in the United States is not the same he uses in Japan.

Seafood at his restaurant in Tokyo is different from the one used in New York.

According to Ducasse, before knowledge and culinary skills, chefs need to get their inspiration from Nature, therefore their task is not limited to the creation of succulent dishes, but they have to work with the best products with respect and, in order to enhance their authentic taste.

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TA K I N G L U X U R Y T O N E W H E I G H T S

Taking luxury to new heights Yo u c a n n o w b o o k a t a i l o r- m a d e e x p e r i e n c e o n t h e E m i r a t e s E x e c u t i v e J e t and enjoy new technology and design that can meet even the most discerning requirements.

Lovers of first class air travel, who dislike the imposition of having to share it with others, can board the latest Emirates jet that will offer the best possible tailor-made inflight services.

Named Emirates Executive, the service will go beyond the airline’s first class services and provide a private charter service for up to 19 passengers per flight.

According to reports, most locations worldwide will be serviced, including those covered by the main Emirates network and some even beyond that.

The service that was recently launched has already been receiving rave reviews from travel experts and has been described as a “flying hotel.”

E m i r a t e s D i v i s i o n a l S e n i o r Vi c e president of Planning, Aeropolitical and

Industry Affairs, Adnan Kazim has said that the increasing demand in the private travel segment in regions such as the Middle East, Europe as well as India, Russia and China prompted the company to launch this service.

According to Kazim, through this launch, the company is looking to tap into the niche market of luxury jet travel by offering high quality of service.

The service can now be booked through its official website. The website, which is in both English and Arabic, allows customers to fill a form and define a travel experience that meets all their specifications aboard the ultra-spacious Airbus 319 aircraft.

The aircraft will offer private suites and a large multi-functional lounge area on-

board, catering to, both, the individual customers and corporate organisations.

The main salon can be transformed into a business centre for conference calls and presentations, according to your needs.

It will have two main zones—the first will be a large dining and executive lounge at the front of the aircraft that can seat up to 12 passengers.

The second consists of 10 private suites, each featuring a fully flat bed seat and a LCD screen. These suites feature a shower spa and a floor heating system.

Passengers will be offered multicourse dining options that will cater to various palate’s and also offers a premium chauffeur driven service. A dedicated team of highly trained inflight crew and ground staff supports the aircrafts operations.

Striving to make valuable contributions to the world of aviation, Emirates Executive introduces many firsts making it a service versatile enough to provide diverse travel options 160

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