Ego middle east

September 2013

Issue 9

JENNIFER ANISTON

AED50 US$13 €10

Friend for life

Columnists

110

Events De Grisogono, Laurèl’s, Ted Baker, Jimmy Choo, Kassab Media, Bulgari, IWC, Cartier, Juicy Couture

World Diary September 2013

Cover Story Jennifer Aniston She is who she is

Feature Time starts ticking for new talent bench

80 92

Christian Dior Ready-to-Wear 2013

View from London Rachel Anthony

View from Paris Norma Khalife

102

View from New York Jennifer Tzeses

110 120

Carrera y Carrera Authentic works of art worthy of a Queen Boucheron An ode to Light McLaren Wheeling into action

184

126

ETRO Autumn/Winter 2013/2014 women’s collection

134

ZZegna Autumn/Winter 2013 highlights

150

Beauty Iconic beauty buys

170 184

Destination Unrivalled Swiss luxury

170

Life 10 best places to propose

EDITORIAL Managing Editor Arnold Pinto

Features Editor

Angelo Cabrera

Editorial Coordinator Justin Dib

ART Art Director

Syed Ahmed

Prepress Production Nahas PA

Photography MKI

ADVERTISING Group Commercial Director - MENA Gerard Rustom

Sr. Sales Manager Hisham Joudi

Sales Executive

Eva Kammoun

Sales Coordinators Sheryl Recena Cindy Ababan

MARKETING Marketing Manager Danielle Hosri

DIGITAL Webmaster

Hassan Fawad

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f rom m y de sk

Here’s to an über-cool you W

ho does not love September? For starters, the month spells the impending demise of a long, hot, dusty summer, as also the arrival of delightful, über-cool A/W fashion wear and accessories now rapidly filling up the store shelves and racks in our favourite high street luxury stores and anchor malls throughout the Arabian Peninsula. Being the switched-on fashionista that you are, you will no doubt be hunkering after the latest must-haves, be it RTW, gadgets or simply holidaying in true luxury away from the stresses and strains of urban life. This month’s pages are crammed as usual with the finest things in life – ranging from exclusive features about luxury houses’ major accomplishments that define who they are to a frank tête-à-tête with Hollywood celebrity Jennifer Aniston. For the man in your life – who, by the way – will be prone to picking this copy and leafing through its pages we will have his pulse racing with spreads about A/W13 trends for him as well as a choice piece about the 10 best places in the world to propose. If he does get down on his knee for you it could well be in one of these 10 locations. Now you know! Here’s to Elegance and Beyond!

SOCIET Y

EVENTS

e GRISOGONO dazzles in Cannes

o commemorate its 20th anniversary this year de GRISOGONO chose 20 beautiful models to present the luxury brand’s latest and most iconic creations on the exclusive de GRISOGONO terrace at the Hotel Martinez in Cannes, as well as presenting a preview of the new Twenty Years High Jewellery collection. The event was a glittering affair against the backdrop of the 66th edition of the Cannes International Film Festival. Six models wearing Elie Saab haute couture launched the new de GRISOGONO High Jewellery collection in Cannes.

EVENTS

aurèl’s unveils Summer 2014 collection

sian esthetics were the inspiration for Laurèl’s new Summer 2014 collection, presented at the MercedesBenz Fashion Week, Brandenburg Gate, Berlin. This collection has an especially personal note; Asia, and Bali in particular, is the favorite retreat of Laurèl’s Head of Design Elisabeth Schwaiger, and a vibrant source for her creative inspiration. Press, customers and VIP guests crowded the show and were taken along on a journey through style, the stuff that fashion dreams are made of. Actors, including Til Schweiger and girlfriend Svenja Holtmann, Anna Maria Mühe, Kostja Ullman, Axel and Judith Milberg, Sophie Schütt, Christine Neubauer and Stephanie Stumph were in the front row next to VIPs from the fields of sports, society and music.

EVENTS

T T

ed Baker opens at Dubai Marina Mall

ed Baker commemorated a double celebration in Dubai by combining the opening of the UK brand’s first standalone menswear-only store in the world at Dubai Marina Mall with the launch of the stunning A/W13 collection for men and women entitled ‘Take The Scenic Route’. In distinctive Ted Baker style, guests were immersed in their very own scenic route with an afternoon of modern classics. Travelling to their destination in the new MINI PACEMANs and MINI COUNTRYMANs guests arrived at The Grosvenor House Hotel in Dubai Marina to indulge in afternoon high tea alongside grooming and pampering treatments courtesy of The Grooming Company. Altogether, the perfect way to leave a lasting impression.

EVENTS

J J

immy Choo unveils Pre-Fall 2013 collection

immy Choo treated Dubai’s socialistas to an exclusive preview of its latest Pre-Fall 2013 collection at its store at The Dubai Mall. Aptly named ‘The Season,’ the striking collection was developed to transport the Jimmy Choo woman through the glamorous whirl of social events coming up this year. Giving the well-heeled crowd enough stamina to see them through Dubai’s busy social calendar this season, fashion stylist Farah Kabir was also on hand to help guests find their perfect ‘Choo’, ensuring they look effortlessly cool and chic whatever the occasion. Throughout the evening guests were also photographed in front of a stunning wall of flowers, with images posted on to Instagram, tagged #jimmychoodubaievent.

EVENTS

assab Media celebrates Ramadan 2013 with suhoor party

hassan N. Adra, Chairman & CEO of Kassab Media group, hosted a suhoor party for the management and staff of Kassab Media and Continental Multimedia at the Arabian Court, One&Only Royal Mirage resort in Dubai to commemorate Ramadan 2013. Apart from traditional Arabic cuisine, the guests also enjoyed the quiet and elegant ambience of the fine venue with its outsized trappings of Arabian luxury.

EVENTS

ictoria’s Secret angels celebrate new collection

V Erin Heatherton, Karlie Kloss and Behati Prinsloo.

ictoria’s Secret supermodels Erin Heatherton, Karlie Kloss and Behati Prinsloo revealed the new Body by Victoria bra collection at Victoria’s Secret Soho store in New York City. The latest collection features the house’s softest and smoothest bras ever. There are nine styles, 16 colours and 23 sizes. Adding to the new bra collection is the allnew fragrance, Victoria by Victoria’s Secret. Created with the finest perfumers in Paris and New York, Victoria features an aromatic burst of red berries, a heart note of signature Victoria rose and the warmth of crème brûlée.

EVENTS

WC gets Lewis Hamilton into driver’s seat

WC Schaffhausen welcomed Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One team driver and new brand ambassador Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes AMG Petronas Team Principal Ross Brawn at the launch of a pop-up exhibition in the Selfridges Wonder Room in London. The Swiss luxury watch manufacturer became the Official Engineering Partner to the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One team earlier this year. The IWC exhibition at Selfridges celebrated the completely remodelled 2013 IWC Ingenieur watch collection, as well as the new partnership with the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One team. “The engineers who work within our two companies have many things in common,” said IWC CEO Georges Kern on the global partnership with the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One team. Lewis Hamilton and Ross Brawn were given a full ‘customer experience’ and tried out the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One simulator show car, which allows visitors to immerse themselves in the dynamic world of racing.

EVENTS

artier opens second boutique in Abu Dhabi

artier has boosted its global stores’ line up, choosing Abu Dhabi’s latest luxury destination, The Galleria at Sowwah Square, Al Maryah Island as the site for its second boutique in Abu Dhabi and sixth in the UAE. The 611 square-metres boutique offers one level of ultimate magic and elegance with exceptional jewellery creations, cutting-edge timepieces, bespoke fragrances, fine objects and styled accessories. “We are proud to announce the opening of Cartier at The Galleria,” said Laurent Gaborit, Regional Director, Cartier Middle East, India and Africa. “This opening demonstrates again the continued and growing commitment of our maison to offer the best service to our clients in Abu Dhabi. The Cartier boutique at The Galleria, designed by French architect Bruno Moinard, provides a series of distinct, but interconnected, environments, with a real sense of privacy and intimacy for our clients,” he added. “A new expression of the quintessential Cartier brand image and heritage, the new space is much more than just a boutique, more than interior, more than retail. The new Cartier boutique is exactly how Bruno Moinard describes it: ‘a spirit, a state of mind, a decoration, a style and environment,’” added Gaborit.

EVENTS

ulgari unveils Diva collection in Portofino

ulgari unveiled its new Diva collection in presence of its muse Carla Bruni Sarkozy. More than 200 one-of-a-kind creations, including high jewellery masterpieces, watches, bags and eyewear were displayed for the first time in the fascinating palace Abbazia La Cervara in Portofino. Inspired by the movie stars who wore Bulgari jewels since the Dolce Vita epoch and beyond, the Diva collection features a combination of the rarest colour gems, the trademark of the Roman jeweller. A tribute to unforgettable movie stars, including Sophia Loren, Ava Gardner and Elizabeth Taylor, took place in the form of a historical presentation of outfits of Fondazione Micol Fontana. A gala dinner was hosted in the scenic gardens of Abbazia La Cervara permeated by the elegance of the 1950s and 1960s. The evening was enlivened by the enthralling sounds of Diana Ross and by the vocal quintet Pentatonix. Celebrity attendees included actor Adrien Brody and photographer Terry Richardson.

EVENTS

.K.Bennett unveils A/W 2013 campaign

in nd mu black a s Ro olate c cho Rosa in na mund vy blu e

.K.Bennett has unveiled their Autumn/Winter 2013 campaign with actress Rosamund Pike. The campaign, inspired by the Autumn/Winter 2013 collection’s 1960s influence, features five shots with Pike surrounded by some of London’s architectural and cultural icons. Didier Drouet, L.K.Bennett CEO, says: “Rosamund’s natural style, charm and wit embodies the British spirit and in turn the modern attitude of our collections. We are honoured to be working with her again, especially while celebrating our heritage with a touch of humour through the Miniature London concept in the Autumn/Winter 2013 campaign.” Rosamund Pike worked with L.K.Bennett’s design team to develop a capsule bags collection which highlights her taste and refined British style. The bags, named Rosa, Rosamund and Rosie, in honour of Pike, are inspired by the actress’s love for classic British films. The colour palette was designed with brightly coloured, vibrant tangerine and dark bitter chocolate brown. The smooth and grained leathers in the Italian-made bags add texture and richness. Inside, the bag features suede-like lining and on the outside, a bespoke hardware in brushed matt gold. The zip, with a safety pin design detail, is inspired by Pike’s safety pin earring–her most treasured jewellery possession. Pike says: “I think having a handbag is about feeling that you are holding a little bit of luxury and hopefully that is what these bags will offer. To start the process, I sat in the L.K.Bennett studios and sketched what I wanted; bags to embody modernity, freedom and independence.” Rosa m burnt und in orang e

Rosamund Pike

EVENTS

uicy Couture launches Wild at Heart collection

he Juicy Couture boutique at The Dubai Mall celebrated the ‘Wild at Heart’ collection launch by hosting a styling event at the store hosted by Five Five Fabulous bloggers Reem and Natalya Kanj. Guests were styled from the latest Juicy Couture collection by the sisters while Juicy staff served chocolate covered strawberries and fruit inspired mocktails, whilst models wore the latest Wild at Heart collection. The fashionista sisters also held a social media competition where guests were encouraged to post pictures of their favourite Juicy Couture style using the hashtag #WILDATHEART.

EVENTS

rédérique Constant hosts charity gala dinner

enowned Swiss watch brand Frédérique Constant organised a charity gala dinner in aid of the Swiss Heart Foundation and the World Heart Foundation’s ‘Hearts of Children’ initiative in conjunction with renowned Zurich watchmaking specialists Türler Uhren & Juwelen at the Savoy Hotel Baur en Ville in Zurich. Peter and Aletta Stas, Founders and Directors of Frédérique Constant, and Franz Türler, owner of Türler Uhren & Juwelen, reminded guests that the premature loss of loved ones due to cardiovascular disease is something that can strike anyone. The World Heart Federation was represented by CEO Johanna Ralston and the Swiss Heart Foundation by its President, Prof. Ludwig von Segesser. Thanks to the generosity of Frédérique Constant and Türler Uhren & Juwelen, together with the guests’ financial contribution the Swiss Heart Foundation received a cheque for CHF22,890.

EVENTS

rmani group celebrates in Cannes

Eugenia Silva.

he Armani group celebrated the opening of its first Giorgio Armani boutique on La Croisette in Cannes, during the Cannes Film Festival, and its new Armani/Caffè concept. To celebrate the opening, over 300 guests attended a cocktail party, hosted by Roberta Armani. Guests included Milla Jovovich, Rosie Hungtington-Whiteley, Lea Seydoux, Alyson Le Borges, Eugenia Silva, Paolo and Daniela Sorrentino, Ornella Muti, Kat Graham, Will Forte, Micheal Cera, Colin Egglesfield, Stacy Keibler, Paul Wisley, Jasmine Warsame, Juno Temple, Petra Nemcova, Moran Atias, Serena Dandini, Laura Dern and Jon Kortajarena. During the day, a new Armani Tweet Talks took place on the terrace of the Armani/ Caffè. The discussion, moderated by Peter Howarth (CEO of London creative agency Show Media), was focused on fashion and film and featured as panellists: Zachary Quinto (actor and film producer), Derek Blasberg (Harper’s Bazaar Editor-at-large and V Magazine editor), Kevin Maher (writer and Journalist at The Times), Greg Williams (photographer and film director) and Hilary Shor (producer).

Lea Seydoux.

Roberta Armani and Jon Kortajarena

Milla Jovovich.

Jasmine Warsame.

E - Zenith

COLUMN

Nod to the old, in with the new View from London by RACHEL ANTHONY

rom my balcony in West London I could hear the screams of delight. Andy Murray’s win against Novak at Wimbledon. History was made. The first Briton to win the men’s singles for 77 years. London was electric with excitement. Many of us were in as much shock as Andy Murray, given the press hammering he has taken in previous years. With the British Prime Minister, Victoria Beckham and Hollywood stars such as Gerard Butler and Bradley Cooper in the audience, the heat was on. It’s definitely the season of the well-heeled, British garden party. Fashion and art are old bedfellows, but The Serpentine Gallery’s summer fundraiser always brings a fresh perspective. The Serpentine Summer Party was hosted this year by designer L’Wren Scott. The usual fashion suspects attended, such as Cara Delevigne, Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss, with a heavy dose of rock royalty in the form of Mick Jagger and family. The incredible and bazaar annual installation courtesy of Sou Fujimoto will be open to the public whilst lounging in the beautiful gardens until October 20 this year. I was invited to attend the first ever launch of top F1 team’s Infiniti Gate event. The iconic British Film Museum in London’s vibrant Covent Garden was transformed, for one night only. With guest DJ Mark Ronson and DJ Erok, and entertainment by the internationally revered Wrecking Crew Orchestra from Japan it was a night to remember with stars such as Kimberley Wyatt (Pussy Cat Dolls), actors from the cast of Eastenders (Ace Bhatti), Holby City (Jimmy Akingbola), Made in Chelsea (Louise Thomspon) and TOWIE (Chloe Sims, singer Amelia Lilly, Tanya Franks from the award winning Broadchurch also joining the party. The evening was introduced by Fintan Knight, Vice President of Infiniti Europe, Middle East and Africa, who described Infiniti Gate as “a gateway into our psyche, our soul, our spirit”. “Technology makes our lives easier, simpler and more connected when driving. But as our guests discovered, technology can also be great fun: serious and fun are not contradictions at Infiniti. You could say that when the cars stop making a noise, we start!” The event had several interconnecting rooms where the guests could participate in a series of different digital technology installations. We were invited to create art through body movements with the Infiniti Light Motion, with Mark Ronson playing, this soon became a great fun to translate dance moves into art. A key attraction for many of us was the Infiniti Red Bull Racing F1 car, a multiple Grand Prix winner in the hands of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber. With the weather so glorious, it’s an incredible time to be in the City with so much to celebrate!

Fintan Knight.

Guest DJ Mark Ronson works the crowd.

Online Elegance

www.dantelle.com

WORLD DIARY

September 2013

Toronto International Film Festival Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Witness the latest and the best in high fashion in this premier gathering of the world’s top designers and celebrities. September 5-12 New York, USA

Preview Berlin Art Fair Take at look at some of the most moving works of art from blooming artists from Berlin and the international art scene. September 19-22

Some of Hollywood’s biggest stars are slated to bring the glitz and glamour to this celebration of film. September 5-15 Toronto, Canada

Festival of Food & Wine Raceday Experience the best of Britain with the elite by enjoying great food and a great day of horseracing. September 7 Ascot, UK

Auckland International Boat Show Savour the sophisticated atmosphere of the high seas with the showcase of yachts and other marine vessels. September 26-29 Auckland, New Zealand

World Luxury Expo Expect to be left in awe with the finest objects from the world of luxury. September 27-29 Abu Dhabi, UAE

scene

COVER STORY

he is who he is

Jennifer Aniston bares her wild side in her latest film We’re The Millers. But despite her daring role, Aniston reveals that there is more to her than meets the eye.

COVER STORY

Justin Theroux and Jennifer Aniston at the 85th Academy Awards in Hollywood.

s one of the world’s most famous women, Jennifer Aniston is used to being hounded by paparazzi. But today, for a brief time at least, she appears to have been offered respite as the hotel in which she’s promoting her new movie, We’re The Millers, appears to be paparazzi-free.

other end of the room. “Sorry, we’ve messed up! We’ve got to cut it there as she needs to do a live radio chat.”

My name’s called–and there she is, everybody’s favourite Friend, looking radiant and really not so different from her Rachel Green days, despite the series ending almost a decade ago.

It’s a surprise comment from someone who was born into the industry (both her parents were actors and her godfather was the late Telly Savalas), and she herself has been famous for almost half her life.

“Well hi,” says Aniston, extending her hand for me to shake (a rarity among Hollywood’s elite, most of whom prefer not to make actual contact).

What everybody wants to know, of course, is whether those wedding and pregnancy rumours are true but, as suspected, Aniston is tight-lipped and we remain in the dark, though I can confirm there is absolutely no hint of a bump.

At 44, she’s slim and tanned in a black fitted dress, über high heels and an impressive sparkler on her left hand (she got engaged to actor Justin Theroux, 42, last year). The shoulder-length, sun-kissed hair is, of course, immaculate, but then Aniston doesn’t travel anywhere without hairdresser Chris McMillan, her long-time friend, and the man behind that ‘Rachel’ cut. As a gentle opener, I ask whether she had fun at the film’s premiere. “Oh, I had a great time,” the actress replies politely. Then comes a PR voice from the

And with that Aniston is whisked away, apologising as she goes. A short while later she returns. “Sorry about that,” she says, taking a sip of water through a straw. “Urgh, I never feel comfortable doing radio shows.”

We’re The Millers is a crude comedy about a small-time drug dealer called David Clark (Jason Sudeikis) who’s forced to head to Mexico in an RV motor home to collect a “smidge” of drugs for his boss. Believing the best way to make it over the border without being searched is to pretend he’s on a normal family holiday, he enlists the help of his neighbours–a stripper called Rose (Aniston), a teenage nerd called Kenny (British star Will Poulter) and a moody runaway called Casey (Emma Roberts).

Jennifer Aniston honoured on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2012 in Los Angeles.

COVER STORY

We were trying to find something for a while and it just so happened after Horrible Bosses that the same studio had Millers

COVER STORY Left to right: ‘Friends’ cast David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, Courtney Cox Arquette, Jennifer Aniston and Matt LeBlanc at the 2002 Emmy Awards in Los Angeles.

Together they become ‘the Millers’, and the dysfunctional ‘family’ embark on a road trip that involves a game of Pictionary, a hash ‘baby’ and a rather disturbing spider bite on Kenny’s nether regions. “We were trying to find something for a while and it just so happened after Horrible Bosses that the same studio had Millers,” says Aniston on collaborating with her close pal Sudeikis. “I read the script [We’re The Millers] and thought it was a funny concept and a fun ride.” Sudeikis might be relatively new to playing leading man but he’s heralded as one of America’s funniest, thanks to his stint on the iconic American sketch show Saturday Night Live.

Jennifer Aniston arriving for the We’re The Millers European premiere at Odeon West End, London.

“Jason’s improvisational skills are fantastic, just masterful. That led to some awesome volleying back and forth between the two of us,” says Aniston. Despite a wide variety of roles, from 2002’s dark indie The Good Girl to the 2005 stylish thriller Derailed with Clive Owen, and gentle

romantic comedies like Marley and Me (and, let’s face it, the odd bomb such as 2010’s The Bounty Hunter), Aniston’s girl-next-door image continues to reign supreme. That’s why there has been such a to-do over her role as a stripper in this movie – though she only gets as far as her underwear in the strip stakes. “I didn’t mind, honestly, that didn’t bother me,” she says of her character’s profession. “The main concern was trying to ensure I had enough to do. The female character was a little underwritten, so that took a bit of work, and continued to do so all the way through shooting, because that sometimes happens.” She stresses that Rose only reluctantly accepts David’s proposal to be his ‘wife’. “She doesn’t initially agree to sign up for his adventure because, despite being a stripper, she has morals, she has boundaries, and breaking the law is not something she’s willing to do,” Aniston explains.

I didn’t mind, honestly, that didn’t bother me

Jennifer Aniston at the 67th Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills.

COVER STORY

“But she’s broke. And David’s offered to pay her a lot of money, so she feels she has no choice.” Aniston admitted recently that she relishes playing bad girls, and apparently kept all Rose’s stripper clothes. And the yoga enthusiast confesses she notched up her fitness regime in preparation for filming the strip scenes, allowing herself the odd kale chip by way of a treat. “I was having fun with my choreographer in the studio, doing the routine from top to bottom, having a ball and loving it. Then the next thing you know, you’re on the set, there are crew members, it’s technical and you have to do each part over and over again!” she recalls. “But you just have to go for it.” Much of the movie’s based in Mexico, where the actress is known to be a regular visitor, but she’s almost offended at the suggestion that she only flies to the most exclusive resorts on the coast. “Have I gone over the border? Of course I have,” she says in an exaggerated high voice. “I brought my dog over that border. Should I be saying that?” she jokes. Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler at the 67th Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills.

“And my friend takes care of this orphanage in Tijuana. It’s a beautiful place to visit.” But could she really see herself heading off in a motor home like the Millers?

“I think it’d be a lot of fun. It would be a great way to escape, if possible, and just disappear.” She says this quietly, but then it must feel like a pipe dream for one of the world’s most famous women. Leaving the hotel, word of Aniston’s presence is evidently out and the paparazzi are closing in. For Aniston’s sake, let’s hope it’s not too long before she can hit the highway. Jennifer Joanna Aniston was born on February 11, 1969 in California, but was raised in New York. Her parents, John Aniston and Nancy Dow, split when she was nine. She joined a drama club when she was 11 and went on to study at the college made famous in the movie ‘Fame’. She appeared in off-Broadway productions, working part-time jobs to support herself, before landing her first TV role in 1990. In 1994, a pilot for ‘Friends’ came along. Aniston refused to audition for the role of Monica and was cast as Rachel. Friends remains one of the most popular TV series of all time. She famously began dating Brad Pitt in 1998 and they married in 2000. Divorce followed five years later, and the media has been obsessed with Aniston’s love life ever since. Susan Griffin/Press Association/TIP

Jennifer Aniston arrives at the 85th Academy Awards to present the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

COLUMN

A time for Princes View from Paris By NORMA KHALIFE

hat does a luxury company based in Monte Carlo think of in order to celebrate its 150th anniversary? Organise an event of course! And not just any event, but an exhibition of refined jewellery and plastic arts, all designed by two of the most famous artists of the early 21st century, meaning the Brazilians Fernando and Humberto Campana. The company involved is no less than SBM (Société des Bains de Mer de Monaco) that owns major shares in a great number of hotels and establishments in Monaco and the famous Casino de Monte Carlo. The exclusive event took place at the prestigious Sporting d’Hiver centre and started with a picnic lunch on the lush green lawns surrounding the location, and where elegant men and women enjoyed a ‘basket meal’ that had to be consumed as if it was served at Versailles, meaning with the use of forks, knives and spoons and silk napkins, all very well disposed in the basket. Then came the opening of the exhibition inside the centre, in the presence of the above-mentioned Campana brothers who were absolutely delighted to serve as guides and explain how they collaborated with the famous Italian jewellery designer Fabio Salini in order to decorate the pieces they had created with precious gems. With the Italian luxury brand Fendi, the Brazilian brothers also covered the furniture they had designed with expensive fur. Films showing the many achievements of the SBM company were also shown, while photos from the company’s archives decorated the walls. In the evening, a huge concert was given outdoors and dinner was served both inside and outside the Sporting d’Hiver. Many Parisian and international personalities attended the event that was held under the personal sponsorship of HSH Prince Albert. Another place, another princely event. In Paris this time and on the screen of the very chic Normandie cinema on the prestigious ChampsElysées Avenue. The film: Diana. The story: The last two years of Lady Di’s life and her love story with the Pakistani surgeon Dr Hasnat Khan. The actress portraying Princess Diana: Naomi Watts, who attended the Parisian premiere of the movie very elegantly dressed and surprisingly (at the opposite of what happened in London on that same occasion one night earlier) was acclaimed by a crowd that had gathered in front of the theatre from early morning time and that kept growing over the hours, precisely like it happens at the Cannes Film Festival when stars show up to attend the opening of their films. Police even had to interfere to maintain order. The photographers kept asking Watts to pose as if she was Lady Di, and to give them that famous Diana smile that she so wonderfully imitates in the film, but the star had the decency not to submit to that particular request and simply acted naturally. Later on stage, in front of the French Minister of Culture and a great number of celebrities, she expressed her admiration for the late Princess and her pride for having been given the opportunity to portray such a wonderful woman on screen, hoping that her work in that film will be comprehended as a tribute to an exceptional person.

HSH Prince Albert and actress Charlize Theron at the SBM event.

Naomi Watts as the late Princess Diana.

FEATURE Laura Schreiber (centre) with Chief Instructor Katja König and apprentice Stefan Schulze.

Time starts ticking for new talent bench The new training year for future watchmakers has begun on a high note at luxury watch brand A. Lange & Söhne.

FEATURE

The new watchmakers will get hands on with the intricacies of Lange watchmaking.

n the world of high-end luxury watchmaking, the name of A. Lange & Söhne is at the very top, with the new training year for the German brand’s young watchmakers having begun in right earnest on August 19, 2013. Seventeen young women and men from various regions in Germany were prequalified and are now being acquainted with the secrets of Lange watchmaking artistry over a period of three years. Additionally, two toolmakers will be trained. With them, the company now has 41 students for the watchmaking and toolmaker professions. But why do youngsters still want to become watchmakers in this day and age? Many of them are technology enthusiasts. Others have relatives or friends in the watchmaking profession. Some wanted to become actors and discovered by chance that they can best unfold their talents on a stage with a diameter of 30 millimetres. Laura Schreiber is one of them. She attended an occupational career exhibition and, at the stand of A. Lange & Söhne, started working on a piece of metal. From then on, she never wanted to do anything else. Her third apprenticeship year with A. Lange & Söhne has just

started – a good point in time to ask her about her training experience so far and her expectations for the future. “A mechanical movement can be thought of as a complicated three-dimensional puzzle – one that is three centimetres in diameter and has up to five hundred parts. Many of these parts weigh just a few milligrams and can be seen only with a magnifying glass. But it is an amazing feeling when you’ve completed the puzzle and breathed life into a complicated mechanism. That’s one of the best aspects of watchmaking: You can see what you’ve created with your own hands, and be proud of it,” Schreiber says. “But I’ve got quite a way to go before I can actually make watches come alive. It begins with the A. Lange & Söhne Watchmaking School. On our first day two years ago, when Chief Instructor Katja König familiarised us with the curriculum, I could hardly believe all the things we would be learning in three years. The first weeks passed in a breeze. I met my future colleagues in various departments. In the teaching workshop, I started with the hands-on activities focused on metalworking fundamentals – filing, sawing, turning, and drilling. Concurrently, theory classes took place at the vocational school in Glashütte.

Little Saxonia by A. Lange & Söhne.

“Half a year later, we finally turned our attention to the object of desire: the timekeeping instrument. Initially, the movement of a clock was used to show us the mechanical components and explain their functions. At the end of the first year of apprenticeship, I was allowed to glance over the shoulders of watchmakers in the manufactory. I worked in different production departments for three weeks to gain experience and make new acquaintances. For the first time, I felt like a real watchmaker,” says the excited young watchmaker. She added: “In the second apprenticeship year, we gradually began to deal with wristwatches. First, we learned about the design, function, and repair of pocket watches – they were the point of departure for everything at Lange 165 years ago. But the absolute highlight for me is the opportunity to craft my first and very own wristwatch. At a mid-term exam halfway through the apprenticeship, I was able to demonstrate what I had learned by then – with a perfectly functioning subassembly. And I was successful! Now, I’m in my third year already. “The last lap! There’s plenty more that I need to learn: self-winding watches, the outsize date, chronographs, and other extra functions of a wristwatch. Additionally, I have been selected to participate in an exchange programme with the Danish School of Watchmaking in Ringsted. I will finish a watch there together with my Danish colleagues. “Finishing means polishing and decorating the surfaces of all parts by hand. I will also personally adjust the watch by regulating its beat such that it displays the time to the second, without undue deviations. Apart from horological know-how, fluency in English is important for those who undergo training in Ringsted. Thanks to the language courses offered by Lange throughout an apprenticeship, I feel confident that things will go well. “For us apprentices, one of the particular third-year challenges is taking part in an international competition for aspiring watchmakers. It’s a chance to demonstrate our creativity and craftsmanship. Our predecessors at A. Lange & Söhne have already won the competition twice,” added Schreiber. “The final exam is gradually nearing. If my grades are good, I will be able to work fulltime for A. Lange & Söhne, as agreed at the outset of my apprenticeship. I can hardly wait.”

A. Lange & Söhne is training 41 young women and men in watchmaking.

About A. Lange & Söhne When Ferdinand A. Lange, a Dresden watchmaker, established his watch manufactory in 1845, he laid the cornerstone of Saxony’s precision watchmaking. His precious pocket watches remain highly coveted among collectors all over the world. The company was expropriated after World War II, and the name A. Lange & Söhne nearly fell into oblivion. In 1990, Ferdinand A. Lange’s great-grandson Walter Lange had the courage to relaunch the brand. Today, Lange crafts only a few thousand wristwatches in gold or platinum per year. They are endowed exclusively with proprietary movements that are lavishly decorated and assembled by hand.

Ferdinand A. Lange, 1815-1875.

In a period of little more than 20 years, A. Lange & Söhne has developed over 40 manufacture calibres and secured a top-tier position among the world’s finest watch brands. Its greatest successes include innovative timekeeping instruments such as the LANGE 1 with the first outsize date in a series produced wristwatch as well as the ZEITWERK with its supremely legible, precisely jumping numerals. Both these models have become icons of a brand rich in tradition.

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FASHION

Christian Dior R e a d y - to - We a r 2 013.

Flower print navy blue and black floque jacket with an off-white silk top and a flower print light pink and blue floque skirt.

Green and light pink silk dress with indigo jeans pants, and a navy blue wool and silk basque belt.

Haki silk shantung and fur parka with a black cashmere and silk top and grey jeans pants, with a grey wool basque belt.

Left: grey wool dress with blue jeans pants. Right: grey wool coat with grey jeans pants.

FASHION Black and white knitted top with a black and white wool skirt.

Left: black and white wool coat. Centre: black and white wool jacket with an off-white top, black and white wool pants and a black satin basque. Right: black and white wool cardigan with an absinthe silk top, and a black and pale pink wool skirt with a black satin basque.

FASHION

Left: blue silk and velvet bustier dress. Right: black cashmere and silk knitted top with a printed silk skirt.

Left: flower print wool and silk dress. Right: grey knitted wool top with orange organza over a light pink silk top, and a grey knitted wool skirt with orange organza.

Left: navy blue and black wool suit. Right: dark green fur dress coat.

Off-white satin dress with blue jeans pants.

FASHION Black and white knitted top and skirt with flower details.

Foreground: off-white cashmere and silk knitted top with a coral satin skirt. Background: black satin dress.

FASHION Foreground: black silk crepe dress. Background: black crepe and satin silk dress. Black wool and silk jacket with a flower print light pink and blue floque dress.

Indigo jeans suit.

Black and white fur coat with an off-white satin and silk top, and off-white wool and silk pants with an off-white satin basque.

Left: printed black silk bustier top with printed red silk pants. Right: printed red silk dress.

FASHION

AQueen

uthentic works of art worthy of a

Luxury, art, and grace are accurately reflected in Carrera y Carrera’s latest collection. 92

The ultimate fashionista, seduced by Carrera y Carrera A stunning Olivia Palermo debuts a Carrera y Carrera collection for the third year in a row. Olivia, known internationally as one of the most stylish celebrities, models with perfect elegance the new Carrera y Carrera collection, Tesoros del Imperio.

esoros del Imperio. Known as the Golden Age, this era is enshrined as one of the brightest and most fruitful periods of art in Spain. It was a shout to all the senses, to expression in all the arts, and to the grandeur of a rising empire, that for over a century was the centre of the art world. The glorious past of the Spanish Empire and jewellery art is reborn in the new Tesoros del Imperio collection by Carrera y Carrera, and in which the iconic Spanish jewellery brand offers four creative lines: Reina, Velazquez, Isabel and Cervantes.

FASHION

REINA Elegance and sophistication An exquisite mix of white and yellow gold with diamonds or of white gold with blue topaz where one can appreciate lightness and movement taking as its inspiration these magnificent collars of lightweight and diaphanous lace used by the queens of this period. During this era, the volumes in the collars of clothing known as ruffs were viewed as signs of elegance, distinction, and sophistication. The rings, earrings and pendants well recall these neck ruffs and emulate crowns.

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VELÁZQUEZ Whimsical and grandiloquent art This line is inspired by the embroidery, fabrics, and colours of Spain’s Golden Age. This touch of colour and these brocades is seen in pieces crafted in yellow or white gold with amethyst presented as grandiloquent and whimsical art. Jewellery with generous volumes and rich decoration where the characteristic and signature Carrera y Carrera matte-gloss effect can be appreciated. Refined and ornate pieces reflect the image-preoccupied culture that existed during this period.

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CERVANTES Volume and movement Cervantes is a range inspired by the dandy neck ruffs so in fashion during this period of grandeur, as well as by the complex and precise work of the lace cuffs of the clothing at the time. Pieces of great originality due to the voluminous and serpentine shapes that represent one of the most identifying symbols of the Spanish Empire. Sculptural jewels of great movement in which all the firm’s savoir-faire is reflected. Impressive figurative work represented in rings, earrings, and pendants crafted in yellow gold, yellow gold with diamonds, and white gold with diamonds.

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ISABEL Diamonds in a starring role Diamonds became a source of inspiration and the essential stars of this era due to the fascination they caused. Jewellery in white gold with diamonds and white and yellow gold with diamonds, perfect for sealing an eternal commitment. A romantic collection where gold plays a fundamental role and diamonds give an infinite purity to the pieces.

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Carrera y Carrera collections are available at the monobrand boutique in Atlantis The Palm and at Levant jewellery stores in Al Qasr, Burj Al Arab and Zabeel Saray in Dubai.

COLUMN

All this month View from New York by JENNIFER TZESES

s perennial trend watchers and setters, it is only fitting that when Pantone, the end-all in colour matching announced the colour of 2013 was emerald green, naturally, New Yorkers took note. Pops of the jewel-toned hue have pervaded the fashion scape all year. But as of late, there’s a hybrid hue in town seen on the well-manicured digits of the fashion set. This muted moss shade is artistic cool meets sleek sophistication. Now granted, a major shade like this one only works on uber short nails, which if you’ve lived in this town lately, you know a talon hasn’t been seen or heard from in years. Nails of the moment are short and best dressed in colour. Power Clutch by Essie is the quintessential shade du jour. Shop it while it’s hot. Now, we may be known for our fiercely tailored looks, most of which are black, but lately, all that seriousness is giving way to a more relaxed aesthetic as seen in the second coming of folk-inspired fashion. Think prairie-style garbs with a nomadic vibe that’s breezy yet not too beat generation or global wanderer. So you can hit the music festival circuit and then come back to the city for a sleek Nobu sushi feast. Folk is all about billowy silhouettes, whimsical details like tassels and mirrored beads, multi-colour, and embroidery. It has an ethnic quality that adds interest to our otherwise uniforms of black, grey, and beige. From long skirts and peasant tops to drawstring bags, splashes of this crafty look are everywhere. Take for example, the star mela Kalaya pouch with its whimsical ribbons and embroidery, or Matthew Williamson’s ombre jewelled chiffon Godet peasant dress, which features a gauzy skirt and an eclectic print inspired by Nordic folk jewellery. This fashion trend is one for the art books. For all these new frills, colours, and prints entering our little utilitarian Island, we still can’t totally throw away our sleekness. This fall brings a little gender bending thanks to borrowed-from-the-boys iterations. Think pinstriped tuxedo vests, pleated trouser pants, and structured single-button blazers. Traditional suiting patterns like hounds tooth, herringbone, and pinstripe are taking centre street, while oldschool oxfords make striding to work easier and more stylish. The look is sharp and polished and retains its femininity thanks to form-fitting silhouettes and just the right accessories. DKNY’s Black Tuxedo Vest takes eveningwear to a new level; Jason Wu’s Stovepipe trousers make pleats sexy, while Christian Louboutin forgoes the stiletto in favour of lowheeled prep in his Latcho Mixed-Media Oxford. Cigar, anyone?

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Star mela Kalaya pouch

FEATURE

The one place to witness it all Inaugural Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience to feature packed calendar of glam events.

The Dubai Mall.

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Mohamed Alabbar.

ll roads will lead to Dubai on October 10 this year when the emirate hosts the first ever ‘Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience’, a high-octane evening that will bring the magic of Vogue to the Middle East for the first time. The extraordinary fashion extravaganza will take place at The Dubai Mall, the unrivaled heart of fashion in Dubai.

The Dubai Mall Fashion Avenue.

Franca Sozzani, Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Italia.

The evening – conceptualized by Franca Sozzani, Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Italia, and Mohamed Alabbar, Chairman of Emaar Properties – will consist of fashion shows, exhibitions, interactive events, celebrity appearances and unique shopping opportunities. A portion of the proceeds from this fabulous fashion night, which will attract fashionistas from all over the world, will go to Dubai Cares, a philanthropic organisation that works to improve children’s access to quality primary education in developing countries, giving this great celebration of fashion a humanitarian purpose. Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience will also highlight aesthetic design collections of eight upcoming designers, highlighting their talent within the global fashion circuit. Selected under Vogue Italia’s stringent international standards, the eight up-and-coming designers will have the opportunity to highlight their work to a distinguished audience comprising international celebrities and key players in the fashion industry. Paying homage to Dubai’s multicultural diversity, the selected designers include: Wadah Al Hajri from Qatar; Mohammed Ashi from Kuwait; Razan Alazzouni from Saudi Arabia; Lulwa Al Amin from Bahrain; Ituen Basi from Nigeria; Simone Rocha from Ireland; Andrea Incontri from Italy; and Esme Vie from Russia.

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For Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience, the mall’s Fashion Avenue will be transformed into a vibrant heart, where the eight talented designers will showcase their collections from 6pm onwards. The event will also be screened across the mall’s multimedia displays to an expected audience of over 400,000 visitors. Mohamed Alabbar, Chairman of Emaar Properties, said: “The Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience – the largest and first of its kind fashion event in the region – will put the spotlight on Dubai, underlining its credentials as a global fashion destination. Alongside, it will also serve as a catalyst to promote young design talent. “Through the initiative, we are providing a dynamic platform for talented designers from across the world to display their works. The unprecedented industry experience that awaits the participants will serve as an inspiration for the young designers, and further enable Dubai to set new trends in the global fashion scene.” Franca Sozzani, Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Italia, said: “I have been working in fashion for more than 25 years and met many designers. I can say there is true talent in the region and I am excited to see more during the mentoring sessions I will be giving in the run-up to the event.”

Lulwa Al Amin, the designer from Bahrain, said: “I first realised I wanted to be a fashion designer when I was eight years old, flipping through my mother’s magazines. Today, I am honoured to present my work at one of the most important fashion events that define the dramatic evolution and growth of the Middle East’s fashion scene.”

Daria & Julia from Esme Vie from Russia.

Razan Alazzouni, the designer from Saudi Arabia, said: “It’s a great honour to have been selected amongst a group of very talented young designers from around the world. It’s very exciting to know that my designs will be viewed globally.” Simone Rocha from Ireland, said: “I am so excited to be a part of the Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience. As a designer, this is a unique opportunity to showcase my collection in this part of the world.” Ituen Basi from Nigeria, said: “Being selected to participate in the Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience is phenomenal and truly humbling. It makes all the hard work and challenges over the years worthwhile.” For Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience the mall’s grand atrium will host an exhibition featuring 50 Vogue covers that have earned a place in fashion history books. The participating stores in the mall will also exhibit merchandise for sale, created especially for Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience.

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Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience in a nutshell FASHION CATWALK Collections by a selection of international designers and emerging talents from the Middle East will take the centre stage at the Fashion Catwalk. Creations by the Italian Andrea Incontri, the Irish-born Simone Rocha, the Nigerian Ituen Basi and the Russian Julia Voitenko and Daria Golevko, creators of Esme Vie; designers from the Arabian Gulf such as the Qatari Wadha AlHajri, the Saudi Arabian Razan Alazzouni and Ashi Studio, and Bahraini Lulwa Al Amin, will make for a prolific display. INTERACTIVE The giddy experience of being right up there with the top models who have graced the covers of Vogue Italia: in this part of the Fashion Experience at the Souk Atrium, visitors will be able to get photographed as if they were on the cover of the critically acclaimed Vogue.

ECO SUSTAINABILITY Starring in the Waterfall Atrium will be one of the most significant trends on today’s fashion scene. Short films and videos will present wide-ranging ecofashion projects such as Green Carpet by Livia Firth, Carmina Campus, Alcantara, Edun-Diesel, and Estethica by the British Fashion Council; eco-friendly collections by well-known brands such as Christopher Ræburn, Organic by John Patrick and The North Circular by Lily Cole; and the work of emerging stylists selected through Vogue’s Scouting Manifesto, will highlight fashion’s responsibility to the environment. VOGUE ITALIA COVERS In the Grand Atrium , a retrospective of some of the most incredible Vogue Italia covers of the past 25 years will offer onlookers an exclusive glimpse into the evolution of the iconic magazine, which

today is one of the most influential publications on the planet. VOGUE UNIQUE The atrium will play host to a unique exhibition of haute couture by such iconic names as Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, Armani, Valentino, Giambattista Valli, Chanel, Dior, Elie Saab, Jean Paul Gaultier and Givenchy. Touch screens featuring issues of Vogue Unique from September 2000 to date will be placed around the atrium. GALA DINNER The highlight of the event will be an exclusive gala dinner held at the Pavilion, at the foot of Burj Khalifa, featuring fashion designers, Middle Eastern and international celebrities, VIPs, and followed by an auction of exclusive Vogue Experiences. The proceeds from the auction will go to Dubai Cares.

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FEATURE

An ode to Light Boucheron celebrates its 120 years at 26 Place Vendôme with the launch of the exclusive Hôtel de la Lumière collection.

e was indeed a man with a mission! When Frédéric Boucheron (1830-1902) created his maison in 1858, he immediately established himself as a bold and visionary individual with an enlightened mind. Passionate about beauty and Parisian architecture, as well as being blessed with an innate sense of beauty, he opened his first boutique at the Palais-Royal, which soon became a must-visit place in Paris. In search of an even more exclusive address, he moved to the Place Vendôme in 1893, thus becoming the first of the great contemporary jewellers to open a boutique on the prestigious square. Fascinated by light, he chose number 26 for its exceptional location where the sun’s rays shine on the stones from morning until night. This year, Boucheron celebrates its 120 years at 26 Place Vendôme. The new high jewellery collection, Hôtel de la Lumière, pays tribute to this place of creation, where for 12 decades, a dynasty of craftsmen fascinated by gemstones and passionate about their secrets have been shaping material to better sublimate it and reveal its whole aura.

Hôtel de la Lumière collection Created in honour of the 120th anniversary of 26 Place Vendôme, the high jewellery collection, Hôtel de la Lumière, is inspired by Boucheron’s archives, reinterpreting them in a contemporary fashion to sublimate their radiance, along the lines of L’Artisan du Rêve. Soleil Radiant, Paon de Lune, Cascade de Diamants, Perles d’Eclat, Halo Delilah, Goutte de Lumière, Les Messagers Célestes and Fleur du Jour. Every name in the collection evokes the art of Light according to Boucheron and pays homage to all those who have contributed to the reputation of 26 Place Vendôme. In addition to the artisans and head jewellers who are known as the ‘Hands of Light’, a number of legendary figures have left their mark on Boucheron’s mythical address. Each creation in the Hôtel de la Lumière collection recounts the story of some of the memorable moments of 26 Place Vendôme and its historical figures, which include Louis XIV, Françoise Sagan, César Ritz, Gabrielle Boucheron, the Countess of Castiglione, Ernest Hemingway, Jean Cocteau, Francine Weisweiller and La Belle Otéro.

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Frédéric Boucheron.

Boucheron at 26 Place Vendôme.

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Soleil Radiant An allusion to the Place Vendôme and its remarkable sphere of influence, the Soleil Radiant set is a tribute to the Sun King, under whose reign all eyes under whose reign were turned towards France. Designed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart – the architect of Versailles – upon the request of King Louis XIV, the Place Vendôme does in fact sparkle with its gold: the suns on the balconies of which the Soleil Radiant jewelry is a stylised interpretation. These jewels consist of two independent elements that come together perfectly: a diamond necklace and a circular case of rock crystal and diamonds in the great tradition of decorative objects characteristic of Boucheron. “What use is the sun if you have your eyes closed?” wrote Salvador Dali. To experience the magic of this jewellery, you need to patiently observe how it is put together. The sparkle of the diamond here is enhanced by the variety of cuts. The baguette-set choker looks like a halo of teeming rays, alternating tapered, princess cut, baguette and round diamonds in a clever arrangement. This minutely detailed setting coupled with an extraordinary suppleness when worn – all the motifs are worked one by one to be mobile – contributes to the uniqueness of this jewelry into which over 1,000 hours of work and over 500 components have gone.

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Paon de Lune A masterpiece of virtuosity, the Paon de Lune set is easily metamorphosed by the various ways in which it can be worn and by its irregular and changing reflections. It was while ‘playing’ with a peacock feather that Frédéric Boucheron and his head jeweller had the idea in 1879 of creating the Point d’Interrogation necklace: a jewel that is supple, free, light, airy, heavenly! An iconic creation and an invention of genius, it was designed with no clasp but with a hidden spring system so it could curl around the neck, like a feather. Winning several awards at the Universal Exhibitions, the Point d’Interrogation necklace with its naturalist motif was constantly being reinterpreted by Boucheron throughout its history, each time being endowed with a new look to make it a unique piece. The Paon de Lune jewellery pays homage to the Countess of Castiglione (1837-1889) who lived for a few years on the mezzanine floor of 26 Place Vendôme at the same time Frédéric Boucheron was there and who was considered to be the most beautiful woman of the Second Empire. The Paon de Lune jewellery harmoniously combines diamonds, rock crystal, aquamarine and meteorite. Oscillating between a sky blue and a very pale blue-green shimmer, the drops in aquamarine are like the eyespots on a moon-colored bird. On both sides, the baguette diamonds and the round diamonds have been cut one by one to follow the curve of the plumage. The slightly raised rock crystal moons give depth to the wings, which look as if they could take flight. These jewels can be worn as a classic round necklace, as a delicate little brooch that comes off the aquamarine pear-shape or as a shoulder brooch that can become an object placed on a ‘seesaw’ in white gold and meteorite.

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Cascade de Diamants The Cascade de Diamants jewellery celebrates a lifestyle that mixes elegance and the art of celebrating happiness fittingly, all values cherished by Boucheron. This set showcases rock crystal, a transparent stone that has always fascinated the Boucheron family. 150 years ago, Frédéric Boucheron used it in candy boxes, perfume bottles, walking stick handles or mysterious objects such as the silver openwork case with discs of rock crystal and precious stones that apparently belonged to a female medium who used it to read the astral light of beings. In the 1970s, Alain Boucheron invented some amazing jewellery where blue and pink quartz harmoniously coexists with the whiteness of the crystal. The same power of fascination and transparency acts on the senses when you look at the Cascade de Diamants jewellery, which celebrates the marriage of diamond and crystal. Motifs of set round diamonds and baguettes link between them ten hollowed-out crystal elements that form a curve. In a crescendo effect, the crystal elements progressively increase in size and the fragments of diamonds become increasingly spaced apart as you draw closer to the face. Inside, this flow of champagne is represented by diamonds that are initially hidden by frosted rock crystal and then revealed through crystal that has been polished on both the interior and exterior, a task that is very difficult to achieve. The waves of rose-cut diamonds are joined together using the diamond motif and then transformed into a cascade of different sized round diamonds, which flow out freely. Through this extraordinary play of layers, the cascade of champagne is turned into a cascade of light.

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Perles d’Eclat The Perles d’Eclat creation makes reference to champagne bubbles from the flutes clinking at the Hemingway Bar, that irresistible spot at the Ritz Hotel. Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954, Ernest Hemingway (1889-1961) was a major customer of the Ritz and of Boucheron. Every time he came to Paris, the legendary author of A Farewell to Arms (1932) came to discover the latest creations of 26 Place Vendôme. A great lover of watches, he particularly liked the sporty models, especially chronographs; he was always impressed by their robustness and how easy they were to read. With reliable and confident taste, he never failed to discuss the aesthetics of the new collections and thus inspire the next ones. “The crystal, you see, is not what the common people think,” says one of the heroes in Georges Sand’s novel Laura. “It is a mysterious mirror that has received the imprint and reflected the image of a great spectacle.” Perles d’Eclat can but confirm this fictional character. To counter the weight of the rock crystal and make this dense but nonetheless very fragile mineral so light, the 19 bubbles of the necklace have been patiently hollowed out before being frosted and polished, a process that takes many hours. Another challenge: the jeweller has recreated a real life within the crystal. Fragments of diamonds have been enmeshed on a base of rock crystal, without using any metal, unlike traditional jewellery. Thus the diamonds seem to float in three spheres of crystal, like three constellations of stars and planets with the round diamond in the centre being the sun. To this impression of magic is added the shine from slices of gold encrusted with diamonds, one of the maison’s hallmarks. Boucheron invented this expert skill in 1900 by inserting a cut diamond disc between each pearl of a necklace to make the necklace more precious.

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Halo Delilah Halo Delilah In honour of its draper ancestors, the maison Boucheron has always been inspired by haute couture in its collections. Putting technology at the service of design, it exceeds the limits of its craft to fashion gold as one would work a fabric. In Halo Delilah, inspired by a creation of Jean Cocteau for a free-spirited and independent woman, the thread disappears to highlight the stone. The story of this parure soon grew from an anecdote into making history. In 1949, Francine Weisweiller (1916-2003), a descendant of the Deutsch de la Meurthe, a family of powerful industrialists from Alsace, and the wife of Alec Weisweiller, a rich heir of the Shell company, met Jean Cocteau (1889-1963), filmmaker, painter, designer and first and foremost a poet. In 1953, the faithful friend of the poet asked him to design her a necklace in the shape of a tie. Cocteau set about this task at once and based his drawings on a small-knotted handkerchief to design a simple drape of gold cloth embroidered with rubies, which he commissioned Boucheron to make. This very simple, bright jewel designed by Cocteau is the inspiration for Halo Delilah. This set is unique in its shades of diamonds and morganites.

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Goutte de Lumière At once delicate and stately, classic and free, the Goutte de Lumière [Drop of Light] dazzles by both its sparkle and its spirit. Inspired by Gabrielle Boucheron, these jewels are an affirmation of the Bohemian spirit: an artistic ideal based on freedom, fun, femininity and assertiveness. On July 1st 1873, Frédéric Boucheron married Gabrielle Bonin (18461932), who would soon become his muse. An assertive, clever and often capricious woman, Gabrielle Boucheron viewed life as a theatre and was known for wearing exceptional outfits, each one surpassing the last in its uniqueness. Her husband brought back from each of his trips rare and beautiful fabrics for her, from which she made her fine clothes. She often adorned the outfits with extremely precious or costume jewellery, which she changed regularly in her constant search for elegance, spirit and novelty. Goutte de Lumière is inspired by this art de vivre to which Gabrielle Boucheron dedicated her life. The long necklace is composed of more than 80 rock crystal briolettes, alternately polished and frosted, and the radiance is accentuated by ‘slices’ of diamonds inserted randomly to give the impression of a dress in motion. Besides this intentionally free rhythm in the arrangement of the stones, the beauty of this jewellery lies in the hook of the rock crystal drop finished with a diamond setting and in its fascinating complexity. Many techniques have been used to create this frost effect. The rock crystal drop has been split along its length, and the diamonds set inside. The two parts have then been set together and the absence of any metal gives the impression that the diamonds are floating within the rock crystal. The drop is faceted, polished and etched, and the rock crystal acts as a magnifying glass enlarging the diamonds in its centre.

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Les Messagers Celestes Boucheron is famous for its precious bestiary. Among them, insects are dear to the maison, as Françoise Sagan (1935-2004) knew so well and who described them as “messengers” and collected them. Passionate about naturalism, the maison’s craftsmen have multiplied the stones and their expertise in order to emphasise the amazing contrasts of colour, material and relief of the winged messengers. As witnessed by the luminous mixtures of rock crystal and translucent tourmaline sculpted in the shape of gadroons, navette opals, ridges engraved in ‘slices’ of translucent mother-of-pearl, cabochon-shaped heads and faceted stones or again openwork set on a mother-of-pearl base whose colour gradients reflect the hues of the wings. Stones with intense colours or brilliant transparency such as sapphires, citrines, rhodolites or tsavorites release in turn the incredible shades of color of winged creatures.

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Fleur du Jour Following in the great tradition of multi-wear creations cherished by Boucheron, the Fleur du Jour [Flower of the Day] is a necklace in the shape of a question mark and is far more than just a piece of jewellery. It is a hymn to nature and to spring, an appreciation of La Belle Otero and a goldsmith’s variation on chiaroscuro. The pansy was one of the favourite flowers of La Belle Otero (18681965) who was rarely seen without a pendant decorated with a pansy given her by her husband who regaled her with jewels. In honour of La Belle, Boucheron designed a corsage brooch for her in the shape of a flower. The Fleur du Jour captures this motif, which is the pretext for a play of shadow and light, of bold and subtle. At the end of a stalk set with round diamonds, a flower of white gold unfolds its nine petals set with diamonds in a 3-dimensional layered snow setting. At the centre, the pistils of bezel set diamonds offset by gold threads covered with ultrafine gold beads reveal an openwork of extraordinary finesse. Beneath it , there is another peony, which can be detached to be worn as a brooch, and represents the shadow of the first. It is now transparent and pink in tourmaline sculpted like morning dew, now opaque and gray, in mother-of-pearl, like the onset of evening.

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FASHION

Wheeling into action

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McLaren introduces three bespoke fashion collections inspired by 50 years of heritage. 121

FASHION

cLaren, the iconic British sports car brand, has introduced three retro-styled fashion collections inspired by its cars, drivers and the most exhilarating moments from its 50 years of race-winning history. McLaren 50, McLaren 50 by Hunziker and James Hunt Racing Collection comprise a range of clothing and accessories celebrating the best of this remarkable journey. Available for a limited time only, all items can be purchased directly from the McLaren Store – www.mclarenstore.com.

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The McLaren 50 collection includes a commemorative range of classically styled clothing and collectables available for men and women. The renowned automotive artist, Nicolas Hunziker, designed the McLaren 50 by Hunziker line comprising five retro-styled t-shirts and inspired by the most accomplished McLaren cars in Formula 1 history. Concluding this vintage offering is the collection designed by James Hunt Racing in collaboration with the Hunt family and Hunziker to celebrate the achievements and style of the British racing legend.

McLaren 50 A classic white polo shirt with vintage McLaren 50 logo, twin striped detail in McLaren orange and deep blue on the chest is available for men only and has been inspired by a shirt worn by Bruce McLaren in 1966 at his 24 Hours of Le Mans victory. The polo shirt is complemented with a unisex, hooded sweatshirt in classic black, with vibrant, contrasting McLaren orange lining and drawstring. This comfy essential for any race fan also features an embroidered ‘speedy kiwi’ logo on the chest, in honour of Bruce McLaren’s New Zealand roots, and McLaren 50 logo detail on the cuff. Available for women is a stylish black t-shirt with Bruce McLaren’s famous quote: “Life is measured in achievement not in years alone” in contrasting McLaren orange and his signature in silver. The sleek, slim-fit top features a flattering scoop neckline and gives female fans a great opportunity to own a fashionable souvenir marking 50 years of McLaren. Concluding the collection is a beautifully detailed, unisex bracelet made with orange and black fabric and inspired by design cues evident throughout McLaren heritage cars.

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McLaren 50 by Hunziker The McLaren orange t-shirt with a silk-screened retro print of the McLaren M7A and classic logo design of the time pays tribute to Bruce McLaren’s racing car, which won the first ever Grand Prix for McLaren at Spa in 1968. Also, celebrating classic moments in the history of the brand is a steel grey t-shirt featuring arguably the most successful Formula 1 car McLaren has ever built – the all-conquering MP4/4 – driven by Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost to win 15 out of 16 races during the 1988 season. Making a great present for avid McLaren fans the t-shirt features some striking details including a contrasting red neckband and a distinctive McLaren 50 logo on the sleeve.

James Hunt Racing Collection This cool range of vintage clothing includes a unisex embroidered black cap featuring James Hunt’s signature, his recognisable blue, yellow and red stitching and bold helmet graphics with number 11 in tribute to his racing career and the iconic McLaren Ford M23. Female fans can celebrate their favourite racing hero with a smart, deep black polo shirt featuring a contrasting neckband, James Hunt logo and Union Jack print on the left sleeve. Available for men is a classic grey t-shirt featuring a vintage wash print of Hunt’s racing helmet and making a fantastic addition to the wardrobe of any racing enthusiast.

About McLaren Automotive McLaren Automotive is a British manufacturer of luxury, highperformance sports cars, located at the McLaren Technology Centre (MTC) in Woking, Surrey. Following the company’s global launch in 2010, McLaren Automotive launched the groundbreaking 12C and 12C Spider and, in keeping with its plan to introduce a new model each year, recently unveiled the McLaren P1. The brand continues to expand, operating through a dedicated global network of retailers in every major automotive market.

McLaren Automotive Partners

principles and process transfer. Through the integration of 50 years of Formula 1 racing expertise and knowledge, and 20 years of heritage in producing landmark sports cars, McLaren Automotive designs, develops and builds the technologically advanced, groundbreaking and no compromise 12C, 12C Spider and McLaren P1. McLaren has pioneered the use of carbon fibre in vehicle production over the past 30 years, and since introducing a carbon chassis into racing and road cars with the 1981 McLaren MP4/1 and 1993 McLaren F1 respectively, McLaren has not built a car without a carbon fibre chassis.

12C Spider

12C.

To support the development, engineering and manufacture of its range of innovative and highly acclaimed sports cars, McLaren Automotive has partnered with world leading companies to provide specialist expertise and technology. These include Akebono, AkzoNobel, ExxonMobil, Pirelli, SAP and TAG Heuer.

Designed for the track; developed for the road The connection between Formula 1 and road cars at McLaren is a natural process of experience, knowledge,

McLaren P1

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Etro Autumn/Winter 2013/2014 women’s collection.

For Autumn/Winter 2013, Veronica Etro creates a fantasy stage where global and cultural influences freely co-mingle, unhindered by time or geography. From cathedral vaults and Renaissance ceilings, to 19th century ethnic textiles and Russian ceramics, tradition is at the root of the collection. The richness of these time-honoured techniques and ancient aesthetics, however, are shot into the 21st century with clean lines and a modern, at times even futuristic, glaze. The result is a decorative yet strong vision of femininity, where a powerful woman travels freely and customizes, creating her own sense of history and identity. 126

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PRINTS Prints, an Etro hallmark, are newly animated this season. Digital techniques allow for a fusion and combustion of pattern where one melts, fades or distorts into another. Traditional print motifs, with old-world depth, fall to the background and are partially covered in bold, irreverent swipes of graphic black slashes or a flash of dark void. Layers of repeated pixels create a sort of cyber pattern, while asymmetrical mutations of signature paisleys and classic tie prints yield a new visual velocity. Starry constellations are referenced in subtle web-like motifs and explosions of light that fade into nebulous mist.

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FABRICS Essential to the print story this season are intricate, micro bead embroideries that create an unusual, luxury-crusted and pattern rich surface decoration. Intarsias of luxurious materials are a key construction technique, like printed technical tulle net interspersed with wool and leather on a roomy overcoat, or jacquards with intricate texture. New technical fabrics provide a compact, stretchy body while heavy silk cady offers a modern, clean canvas for print.

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SILHOUETTES A sporty influence and clean, simple shapes bring a measured balance to the collection, tempered by blocks of cobalt, grape, cranberry, marigold and coral. Black leather inserts and belts with silver stud closures break or frame pattern, while hefty zips and matte black snaps add an urban edge. Key silhouettes include a cropped, slightly flared three-tone leather motorcycle pant, and ski-slope inflected pants and sweaters, both featuring padding, stitching and color blocking. Long sleeve dresses are cut to the knee or fall to the ground in a backless column. Pleated, slight A-line skirts have a new kilt construction, with zip closures and flaps. Jackets are slimly cut while the outerwear has a new oversized volume.

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ACCESSORIES Accessories this season mimic the sportiness, decorative effects and layers of the clothing. Pointy toe stilettos with sci-fi spur heels feature colored leather straps that wrap high around the ankle. The new postman bag features 3-D collages of leather or is covered in micro beaded animal patterns. Motorcycle bags, in sturdy handbag or clutch versions, feature graphic blocks of color, padding and stitching, while a hard metal enamel clutch has been distorted. The look is finished with fl at, shiny shots of gold or platinum metal jewelry, like simple, oversized earrings and cuffs.

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ZZegna Autumn/Winter 2013 highlights. The ZZegna man is a demanding man with a nomadic soul, characterized by an artful and youthful balance. The ZZegna Autumn/ Winter 2013 collection evolves through different periods in a counterpoint of today’s fast-paced and digitally connected society with outdoorsy tradition and meticulous craftsmanship borrowed from the distant past. The overall message is pragmatic and functional in order to give a sense of clarity in today’s fast fashion maelstrom. The heritage elements, matched with innovative constructions and fabrications, give life to contemporary clothes for a dynamic and urban lifestyle. Classic patterns – stripes, argyles, checks and quilting – are blown up or manipulated to become textured graphic layers for rustic outwear.

The palette Caravaggio’s moody and intense color palette permeates a collection filled with shades of brown, from tobacco to sienna, ash gray and ebony, plus flashes of kingfisher or cadmium red matched with navy.

The silhouette The search of three dimensions is one of the distinguishing features of this collection. The ‘atelier’ fit in tailoring offers newness for the sartorial suit that features blazers with a nostalgic feel. The Italian sartorial tradition inspires the shoulders, deconstructed or bold and sharp. Wide-sleeved shirts peeking from under fitted vests nod to heraldic gestures. The raincoat morphs into the rainsuit.

The fabrics The exclusive fabrics are rough, tough and matte. A mismatch of layered textures anchored on felted wools, degradé effects, wool and silk blends that resemble shearling, winter cottons and jersey bonded with worsted wools, all of which ooze timeless endurance as in the best Zegna tradition.

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Macintosh Spirit Single-breasted wool gabardine suit with edge cut jacket. Blended alpaca-wool mock neck with integral glove. Long navy cotton raincoat with thermo taped contrast.

Macintosh Spirit

Harlequin Jaquard

Thermo taped wool suit in blue gabardine with red slubs and rubber press buttons. Blended alpaca-wool knit mock neck with integral glove. Thermo taped wool cagoule in suit fabric.

Harlequin jacquard knit in alpaca viscose with integral glove with high waisted pants in linen-wool gabardine. 3D grain leather belt.

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FASHION Harlequin Jaquard

Pinstripes

Over-jacket fit blazer in jacquard flannel and edge cut detail with double layer collar in compact wool. Boucle stitch turtleneck in techno alpaca with integral glove.

Needle punch pinstripe. Single breasted 2 buttons atelier wool suit with large applied contrast color pinstripe and high waisted trousers worn with a normal body bag and a money bag. Blended alpaca-wool mock neck with integral glove.

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Outdoor Nomad

Outdoor Ceremony

Compact wool edge cut blouson with 3D prism sleeve detail. Boucle stitch square neck in techno alpaca with integral glove. Prism cross-body bag and belted pochette with prism zip puller.

Paper cotton thermo taped zipped raincoat with double layer front and red contrast. Boucle stitch turtleneck in techno alpaca with integral glove. Prism cross body leather bag.

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FASHION Outdoor Nomad

Outdoor Nomad

Double layer traveller belted coat in compact wool gabardine with outer layer in boucle Agnona fabric. Prism hold-all and cross-body messenger leather bag.

Agnona lanificio boucle fabric zipped gilet. Ottoman shirt with deconstructed portrait collar. Double layer flat front trousers with adjustable belt.

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Caravaggio Red

Outdoor Ceremony

Compact wool edge cut blazer over-jacket fit with double layer collar in self fabric. Flat front trousers with edge cut detail in soft handle jersey.

Exclusive quilted wool v-neck zipped blouson. Techno mohair boat collar knit with integral glove. Exclusive quilted wool single pleat trousers.

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desir e

ART

Have more – own less See the new Danish Crafts Collection CC17 at Maison & Objet in Paris this September.

Easy by Jonas Klein.

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Coffee jug and mug by Mette Duedahl.

Mirror by Maria Bruun.

With dishes made of raw concrete, cast in rubber moulds prepared with oxide dyes, the ceramist Ane-Katrine von Bülow exploits the chemical process that occurs when the dyes respond to the concrete.

xquisite craftsmanship, a focus on details, thorough knowledge of materials and the high level of quality from the Danish design tradition are the characteristics of the new Danish Crafts Collection CC17. The collection debuts at Maison & Objet in Paris from September 6 to 10, 2013 at Now Design à Vivre.

skills and techniques are being appreciated and re-valued with a new perspective of understanding the reality of globalization,” Tolstrup continues.

“Have more – own less seems to be the new motto, which implies a paradigm shift in our attitude to consumption that makes the quality of craft even more relevant today,” says Danish Crafts’ curator Nina Tolstrup.

Craft is all about the sense of and sensibility to detail. An understanding of the properties of materials and their possibilities. “We see these attributes that craft brings affecting stateof-the art methods in design, and vice versa. Not as separate disciplines, but together, they explore new avenues,” says Tolstrup.

Every year, 20-30 Danish makers and designers are selected to take part in Danish Crafts Collection. It is a big challenge for the individual maker to break through in the international market, but the Danish Crafts Collections offer a strong platform for international exposure and a professional career. This year, the collection includes many new craftspeople and designers, who have been offered a chance to showcase their works to international design buyers and the international design press.

In CC17 the designers Foersom & HiortLorenzen, who often challenge materials and technology in their working process, present a very poetic chair that represents a piece of furniture with strong roots in the Danish design and furniture tradition.

The recently graduated ceramist Mette Duedahl is included in the collection for the first time. “As a recently graduated ceramist I view CC17 as a unique and major opportunity to establish national and international contacts,” says Mette Duedahl.

“In a globalized world where everything has been streamlined for mass production products have become more and more homogenous. When we travel and visit the leading cities in the world, we are confronted with familiar global brands. In this perspective locally produced products with provenance and heritage, created by makers, using unique

The new Danish Crafts Collection CC17 offers exactly these unique qualities. However, the collection also offers a constant curiosity and exploration of materials that have the capacity to inspire new and better design products.

Dreamsaver by Meyer-Lavigne.

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TECH

When listening is

divine

Bose launches three iconic products incorporating unrivalled immersive sound and wireless freedom.

his September Bose introduces the AE2w Bluetooth headphones, its first stereo Bluetooth wireless headphones. The AE2w headphones let you enjoy movies, TV shows, and music from an iPad and other mobile Bluetooth devices with immersive Bose sound and wireless convenience – in an around-ear headphone that stays comfortable for hours. The AE2w headphones deliver improved audio performance over conventional stereo wireless headphones using exclusive Bose technologies. Bose TriPort technology and proprietary active equalization create deep lows and more natural, lifelike sound when listening to music or watching video.

no more than the cable it replaces. The AE2w headphones are optimized for use with an iPad, and are compatible with most mobile Bluetooth devices that support the Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP).

The AE2w headphones maintain the comfort and lightweight fit of Bose’s AE2 and AE2i headphones. They leverage the same durable design elements and soft cushion materials, and the detachable, battery-powered Bluetooth module on the left ear cup weighs

The user interface is intuitive and straightforward, making it easy to operate certain iPad functions directly from the headphones, with no disruption to listening or viewing. Pairing is simple. A device connects wirelessly by pressing two

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AE2w headphone.

buttons on the headphones’ Bluetooth module, and two sources can be connected simultaneously. So a user can seamlessly switch between videos or music on an iPad and taking calls on a smartphone via the headphones’ microphone. The wireless signal works up to 30 feet from the device for an unplugged experience, and an integrated rechargeable battery provides at least seven hours of listening, or over 200 hours in standby mode.

If the battery power runs out or there is no Bluetooth connectivity, an included audio cable replaces the detachable Bluetooth module. The AE2w headphones charge via a USB cable, and LED and audio indicators provide power, battery life and connection status. When using an Apple iOS device, an iOS battery meter displays the battery level of the headphones on the source device itself. For added convenience, a fold-flat ear cup design fits neatly into a custom travel bag for protected transport while on the go.

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QuietComfort 20 in-ear noise cancelling headphones Bose ushers in a new era of portable audio by introducing its new QuietComfort 20 (QC20) in-ear noise cancelling headphones. The new QC20 headphones are the first in-ear noise cancelling headphones from Bose. They deliver a stunning breakthrough in noise reduction, audio performance and comfort, and offer two ways to listen –- one to shut out the world, and one to keep you connected. They fit in your pocket, weigh just 42 grams, and rival the performance of much larger headphones. The QC20 headphones benefit from over 30 years of continuous research in noise reduction technology, and integrate more US patents than any Bose headphone ever made. Bose engineers first placed two tiny, microphones in each ear bud; one senses the sound approaching, the other measures the sound inside. The measurements are then sent to a digital electronic chip located in the control module found on the headphone cord. The digital electronic chip –- exclusive to Bose, and the first of its kind -- calculates an equal and opposite noise cancellation signal within a millisecond. The resulting noise reduction is so dramatic; it has to be heard to be believed.

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QC20 headphones.

Within the quiet environment created by Bose noise-reduction, musical detail previously ‘lost’ through conventional in-ear headphone listening can be heard with remarkable clarity. Bose TriPort technology uses ports to increase the effective acoustic space of the ear bud to reproduce deep lows, and lifelike vocals and instruments. Bose active equalization tunes the frequency response for improved, natural sound. All music genres sound better -- full, rich, and deep, without artificial boosts or distortion. The QC20 headphones were made for comfort and performance. New proprietary StayHear+ ear tips sit at the entrance of the ear canal, and feature an improved conical design that

ensures an effective seal to passively block noise, and the proper acoustic enclosure to improve active noise reduction. They are stable, secure, and barely felt. The QC20 headphones can be used in two ways, giving you control over what you hear and when. Owners can choose to block out the noisy world and enjoy their music. Or, with the push of a button on the cord’s Y-joint, the QC20 headphones switch to new Aware mode, which keeps the music playing, but allows surroundings to be heard clearly: a horn beeping, friend talking, a passerby, or gate announcement at an airport or metro station.

A rechargeable battery provides about 16 hours of power; when the battery is depleted or the power is turned off, the music plays on. The new QC20 headphones include an integrated inline microphone and control that allows you to take calls. They are available in two different models: the QC20 headphones work with most Android, Windows and BlackBerry phones; the QC20i headphones are designed specifically for select iPhone, iPad and iPod models. The QC20 and QC20i join the iconic QuietComfort 15 headphones and QuietComfort 3 headphones in the renowned Bose QuietComfort noise cancelling headphone line.

QC20i headphones and SoundLink Mini Bluetooth speaker.

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SoundLink Mini Bluetooth speaker The new SoundLink Mini Bluetooth speaker is a completely new Bose SoundLink family member. It fits in the palm of your hand, connects wirelessly to a smart device or tablet, and delivers a new level of performance for personal, out-loud listening. At 680 grams, the SoundLink Mini speaker weighs no more than the average tablet. It measures just 5cm (H) x 18cm (W) x 5.8cm (D) – 30 per cent the size and 50 per cent the weight of the original SoundLink Mobile speaker. With its anodized aluminum housing, it resists scratches and fingerprints, and is strong and durable enough for the rigours of everyday use. The SoundLink Mini speaker features several engineering advancements precisely integrated in its enclosure: two new passive radiators feature a patented surround to reproduce the lowest low notes. The proprietary passive radiators are driven by new custom-designed, high-efficiency Bose transducers. Debuting in the SoundLink Mini speaker, the new Bose transducers move twice the air as conventional same-size transducers

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and deliver clear mid- and high-frequencies. To optimize the audio output, Bose digital signal processing is integrated for tonally balanced sound at any listening level. The resulting experience is unprecedented: the SoundLink Mini plays the full range of music – lifelike and powerful. The SoundLink Mini speaker uses Bluetooth A2DP and a powerful antenna for a reliable wireless connection. It is easy to pair and play, connecting to a mobile device at the touch of a button on the speaker’s control panel. The six most recently used Bluetooth devices are stored in memory, eliminating the need to pair again. The SoundLink Mini speaker comes with a charging cradle, making it easy to graband-go with your music, and a rechargeable lithium-ion battery for up to seven hours of listening. Accessory soft covers in orange, green and blue, and a travel bag, are also available for customization and convenience. The SoundLink Mini Bluetooth speaker joins the acclaimed SoundLink Bluetooth Mobile speaker II in the Bose Bluetooth® speaker product line.

BEAUTY

Iconic BEAUTY

BUYS Through the ages, there are certain items that every woman has, at some point or another, had in her beauty bag.

Chanel No 5 A cult product since Marilyn Monroe claimed it was all she wore in bed; the bottle has been illustrated by Andy Warhol, advertised by Nicole Kidman and worn for generations.

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream The first Arden product, created by Elizabeth herself to soothe her horses’ bruises. Used to heal, moisturise, shine and smooth it can even be used in place of makeup.

Batiste Dry Shampoo Celebrity hairdressers might add pricey dry shampoo to their ranges but none is as popular as Batiste. A travel essential, half of Batiste’s charm is in its kitsch packaging.

Nars The Multiple First gaining worldwide attention for its controversial ‘Orgasm’ shade, The Multiple is the ultimate multipurpose product, usable on eyes, cheeks, lips and even limbs.

Eve Lom Cleanser A modern classic, this lush cleanser has earned celebrity endorsement from every corner. Barely a month goes by without a recommendation in the beauty press. 150

Marilyn Monroe famously wore nothing but Chanel No 5 to bed.

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Uma Thurman.

Clarins Beauty Flash Balm Surgery in a tube, Beauty Flash Balm plumps wrinkles, makes cosmetics endure and defines the face and jaw, used under foundation or as a mask.

Maybelline Great Lash Mascara It seems not to matter what other cosmetics brands do, no mascara comes close to Great Lash for popularity. In garish packaging and featuring an old fashioned brush, it is nonetheless a must for beauty on a budget.

Chanel Rouge Noir Ever since Uma Thurman waved Rouge Noired nails across the screen in ‘Pulp Fiction’ this polish, the colour of dried blood, has been an icon. No other colour has lasted in minds and hearts so completely.

L’Oreal Elnett Hairspray Costs under $3 but Elnett has been a favourite of everyone from Claudia Schiffer to Penelope Cruz and more than 10,000 cans are used every fashion week.

YSL Touché Éclat Finding its way into every makeup bag, the pricey Touché Éclat is worth every penny, banishing signs of tiredness and reflecting the light, making lips fuller and skin glow.

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Chloe Sevigny.

Eva Longoria.

Smith’s Rosebud Salve More than 100 years old, Rosebud Salve is name checked by Chloe Sevigny and Eva Longoria. Burns and grazes are healed, lips softened, elbows smoothed and even spots banished.

Benefit Benetint Believe it or not, Benetint was first designed for an exotic dancer to keep her nipples pink. Now a favourite of makeup artists the long-lasting formula and natural colour has become cult.

Guerlain Meteorites Blusher, bronzer, base, highlighter, Guerlain Meteorites does it all and they keep finding new ways to harness the technology. Much copied but never bettered, the original pearls are a must.

Lancôme Juicy Tubes With the dawn of the gloss age, the colourful Lancôme Juicy Tubes appealed to our inner girl. There are few better formulas; no wonder 11 tubes are sold every minute.

Nivea Creme From granny’s dressing table to celebrity Birkins, Nivea Creme is found everywhere. Still unique in its ability to totally smooth and freshen skin, this is the ultimate cheap and cheerful icon.

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Perfumery

Odes to F e AMORINO LUXURY AMORINO Black Amorino Black is a unique blend of aromatic juices wrapped gracefully around the concept of sensuality. The mysterious collection is majestic and imposing, and comprises Black Diamond, Black Essence and Black Secret fragrances.

ROJA PARFUMS Amber Aoud The Roja Parfums experience is one of opulence, Lalique crystal tables, Swarovski crystal caps, flowing violet silk, and bottles adorned in gold by hand. Amber Aoud uncompromisingly uses the most expensive raw materials in the world, expertly blended by master perfumer Roja Dove.

XERJOFF JTC Fatal Charme Fatal Charm by Xerjoff JTC is the trendiest club in Milan, an authentic

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lair for IT people who anticipate movements, and interpret everything that expresses, in a personal and ironic style. It’s a creative, elegant and eclectic laboratory where magnetic personalities add that personal touch to everything they wear in a knowing mix and match.

L’ARTISAN PARFUMER Caligna Caligna is addictive and aromatic. This new woody, aromatic eau de parfum captures and brings to life different impressions of the Grasse countryside. It evokes a warm breeze blowing over the land, a sense of freedom in the wild open spaces.

ELIE SAAB Elie Saab Le Parfum This new fragrance is the expression of an exclusive olfactory signature. A solar evocation composed of intertwined accords of orange blossom and rose honey. A lavish armful of petals warmed by the Mediterranean sun.

mininity A good scent is worth a thousand words. Here are the latest.

DIPTYQUE Doson The eau de parfum is an invitation to dive into the heart of the flower, to take in its creamy, heady and hypnotic character. The subtle powder of jasmine and orange blossom complements the fragrance.

VAN CLEEF & ARPELS Rose Velours Rose Velours is delicate but proves also to be opulent, warm and exhilarating. In a delicious whisper, the precious rose is forever gathered to scent this new fragrance. The fragrance showcases the finest of materials.

ISSEY MIYAKE Pleats Please Designer Issey Miyake is known globally for his signature pleats – a look that has gone around the world in more than 80 colours. Today, the

iconic line Pleats Please Issey Miyake has its own fragrance. It is a scent that pays homage to a seminal fashion creation: an infusion of emotion and an olfactory ode to joy.

PENHALIGON’S Vaara Vaara is inspired by the city of Jodhpur in Rajasthan and the fragrance cleverly captures the spirit of this fascinating part of India. Modern and intensely atmospheric, Vaara is a fragrance fit for a Maharajah, full of charm and majesty.

DUETO PARFUMS Citiver Citiver is all about that green mood for city dwellers. From bergamot, cedar leaves and lemon to vetiver, cedarwood and patchouli, the harvest is extensive. The fragrance gives to your restless life a chic scent of urban retreat, starting fresh, green and uplifting to land on smooth smoky and woody notes.

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LIFE

CRAFT

Fashioning the modern with the timeless ways of the old.

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Learning a timeless tradition Florence is the hotspot to study the art of crafting the finest shoes, the Italian way. 161

CRAFT

stone’s throw from the Duomo in Florence, students from around the world are learning the art of shoemaking from an Italian master and bringing fresh hope to an artisan trade in crisis. Bukola Asafa, a 30-year-old mother-of-two from Nigeria, stitches a deep red lining for a pair of made-to-measure grey moccasins, while around her others mould wooden models for high heels or shape leather on thunderous fleshing machines. “I studied for an MBA at Liverpool University then opened my own company making bags in Lagos. Now I’m here to get that ‘Made in Italy’ touch for shoes. The designs will be mine, but influenced by Gucci,” she says with a wide grin.

A masterpiece, every step of the way.

Asafa is not alone in travelling to Florence to learn from master cobbler Angelo Imperatrice, 75 years old, who was taught the trade at 11 years old by his uncles. Some of his students go on to sell their shoes for 3,000 euros ($3,991) a pair. Imperatrice is from the Basilicata region in southern Italy but grew up in the Tuscan city famed for leather-working, where the cobbled streets “once thrived with artisans, from silversmiths to watchmakers and knifesharpeners,” he says.

Making the best with the hands of an experienced shoe artisan.

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The bustling streets near Michelangelo’s statue of David may sport trendy shops with dazzling shoe displays, but it is the Oltrarno area on the other side of the river where the heart of Florence’s ancient artisan sector thrived. “Crafts like these have fallen out of fashion, but young people would do well to consider cobbler apprenticeships. They could become the next Salvatore Ferragamo,” Imperatrice says, referring to the Florentine designer loved by A-listers. The blue-eyed master teaches up to eight

Beauty is in the details.

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CRAFT

Picturesque Florence with its imposing Duomo.

students at a time at the Accademia Riaci– there is a long waiting list–and around 100 have graduated so far.

to begin shoemaking, freshly trained shoemakers can now set up shop fairly quickly for 4,000 euros and 5,000 euros.

Amid the rolls of suede, calfskin leather and cord stand finished models, from a pair of towering patent-red heels with a seductive, winding ankle-strap to a lower-heeled blue velvet-lined court shoe with a small gold fork as a clasp.

Elderly masters of his generation often cannot read or write and are unwilling to face the bureaucratic hassle, which modern apprenticeships bring, he says, but they still have a huge amount to teach about the ancient craft.

Mashizan Masjum, a television producer from Singapore, says he had long dreamt of designing women’s shoes–elegant, but with an edge–and believes he and his fellow students from Japan to South America will help keep Italian shoemaking alive.

Several students say their interest in a hands-on trade has raised eyebrows.

“In this class we have people from all over the world learning from the same Italian master: it’s globalisation at its best. There is a crisis, but with every crisis comes opportunity,” the 41-year-old says as he nailed down a sole. Imperatrice says that while cobbler apprentices used to work unpaid for four years on repairs before they were allowed

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Dana Alseif, a 25-year-old from Saudi Arabia, worked for a while in private banking before risking the wrath of her engineering family to do an intensive Italian language course and indulge her passion for classic men’s shoes at Riaci. The only Italian on the eight-week course– which costs 5,100 euros–is Daniele Ortolani, a 31-year-old who had been repairing shoes for eight years when he decided to learn how to make custom-made models for people with orthopaedic conditions. “Some of my friends were surprised when

Master cobbler Angelo Imperatrice shows techniques to a student during a shoemaking lesson in Florence.

Some of my friends were surprised when I chose to become a cobbler, but others are now considering the old trades

Handmade to meausure.

I chose to become a cobbler, but others are now considering the old trades. Being an upholsterer or rag-and-bone man is an increasingly appealing way to beat the economic crisis,” he says. Imperatrice has high hopes for Ortolani, who he hopes will become the next Stefano Bemer, a renowned Tuscan cobbler who boasted Oscar-winning actor Daniel Day-Lewis among his pupils, before dying in 2012 at the age of 48. Bemer took the British actor in as an apprentice for eight months between 1999 and 2000, welcoming him into his tiny workshop at 8am every day to learn how to make shoes using 180 different leathers, including hippopotamus and sharkskin. “I want to join the greats some day,” Ortolani says. “I fear there will always be fewer Italian cobblers, but I hope the Tuscan expertise will somehow survive.”

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motoring

It doesn’t get any better than this

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One-of-a-kind Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe to go on sale in Abu Dhabi. 167

motoring

Dashboard.

unique Bespoke Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe called the ‘Ruby Limited Edition’ will go on sale exclusively at Abu Dhabi Motors, sole dealer of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain and the recipient of ‘Best Bespoke Dealer Worldwide 2012’ at the Rolls-Royce World Dealer Conference. The one-of-a-kind vehicle is inspired by the beauty and natural energy of rubies, and features the gemstone prominently throughout the vehicle design. The one-of-a-kind model was conceptualised by Kadhim Al Helli, Rolls Royce Brand Manager at Abu Dhabi Motors before being handcrafted by specialists at the home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, England. Rubies have long been associated with life, love, energy, passion and virility primarily due to their distinctive red colour, and were a common historical symbol of power among rulers. In parts of Asia, where the colour red represents fortune, small rubies are sometimes placed in the foundations of buildings to bring good luck and stability to the structure. As one of the five

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cardinal gems, along with diamonds, sapphires, emeralds and amethysts, natural rubies’ rarity make them coveted across the world. This symbolic status creates a wealth of synergies between rubies and the RollsRoyce Phantom Coupe, a sleek and seductive combination of classic proportions, powerful presence and breath-taking detailing, celebrating sporting style and glamour, making them the perfect bespoke fit for one another. The vehicle features a Merlot Red Mica exterior, with interiors fitted out in a twin tone Seashell (white) and Mugello Red. The theme continues throughout the vehicle with Marine White hand-selected wood and Seashell starlights contrasting against Mugello Red seat piping and Consort Red carpets and foot mats in addition to Lambswool mats. Ruby Marquetry inlays decorate the fascia, front and rear headrests, while other bespoke touches include a personalised clock with a cut ruby stone inlay, illuminated Spirit of Ecstasy, personalised tread plates graphics and a twin coachline in Seashell with an integrated ‘Ruby’ logo.

The vehicle also features a personally embroidered glove box, with the description “Ruby motif – one of one.” “Rubies are among a small and unique group of gemstones and precious metals that have the rarity, historical significance and symbolic power to truly complement a Rolls-Royce vehicle,” said Arno Husselmann, General Manager of Abu Dhabi Motors. “The power of the Bespoke programme lies in its ability to take the world’s greatest car and make it even more unique through exclusive touches unmatched by any other vehicle or manufacturer. Only one person in the whole world will own the Ruby Limited Edition Phantom Coupe and that person will be an Abu Dhabi Motors customer, and our ability to provide that privilege is only possible through such an innovative and prestigious programme.” The Bespoke programme is a service offered to Rolls-Royce clients whereby the client may specify features of the car, in order to create their own unique model. The Bespoke team at Goodwood, home of Rolls-Royce Motor cars, is dedicated to finding new paints, materials and engineering solutions that meet each

client’s demands to ensure he or she receives a truly unique and exceptional car. Abu Dhabi Motors is the ‘Global Leader’ in Bespoke RollsRoyce vehicles, winning the coveted award four years in a row by boasting the richest bespoke specifications, and developing creative vehicle concepts In 2012 a host of unique models were conceptualised by Al Helli. These included the Rolls-Royce Phantom Venus, Phantom Rayyan, Phantom Coupe Mirage and Ghost Firnas. This year the dealer also launched the Rolls-Royce Andalusia. Abu Dhabi Motors recently made history when it edged out the Rolls-Royce dealerships in Beijing, London and New York for the title of ‘Global Dealer of the Year’ for 2012 at the annual Rolls-Royce World Dealer Conference held in London to become the first RollsRoyce dealer to win the new trophy, now named an ‘Eleanor.

Clock.

Glove box motif.

The dealer further demonstrated Abu Dhabi’s dominance in the market for ultra-luxury vehicles when it was announced as the biggest market in the world for Rolls-Royce vehicle sales during the first half of 2013, edging out markets such as Beijing, New York, London and Moscow. Coachline.

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destination

Unrivalled Swiss luxury

The Alpina Gstaad establishes a new level of distinction offering a modern yet distinctive Swiss alpine guest experience, which is warm, authentic, discerning and beyond the expected. 170

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destination

imply over the top, the Alpina Gstaad is the latest luxury addition to the picturesque region of Saanenland in the Bernese Alps and represents the first newly built five-star hotel in Gstaad in 100 years. Set in a prestigious hilltop location in Oberbort, just five minutes from the centre of the exclusive village of Gstaad, the hotel includes a Six Senses Spa and the first Western European outpost of celebrated Japanese restaurant Megu. Apart from the hotel, 14 private apartments and 2 private chalets are also available. The Alpina Gstaad, which boasts a five- star superior hotel rating by Hotellerie Suisse, features 56 spacious rooms and suites, impeccably decorated with a combination of modern design and traditional Swiss elements. The exterior takes its inspiration from typical Swiss architecture, with its four towers, dormers and wooden balconies.

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destination

The Six Senses Spa boasts both indoor and outdoor pools, a fitness centre, various treatment rooms for both individuals and couples

In addition to the Six Senses Spa and Megu restaurant, the hotel also features a wine tasting room, cigar room, private cinema and two restaurants offering traditional Swiss or modern European menus. The Six Senses Spa boasts both indoor and outdoor pools, a fitness centre, various treatment rooms for both individuals and couples, and a range of holistic treatments and rejuvenation programmes. Daily rates at The Alpina Gstaad start at approximately $1,000 (which includes buffet breakfast, a daily credit of $160 per person for use in the Sommet, Megu and Swiss Stübli restaurants, bar and room service. It also includes free entrance to the Six Senses Spa, WiFi and wired internet access, covered parking, shuttle service to and from Gstaad train station as well as all taxes, VAT and service charges.

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Alpina Gstaad quick facts

Airport to hotel: • Zürich airport: 210km • Geneva airport: 160 km • Bern airport: 85 km • Saanen airport: 6 km Altitude: • 20,000 m2 Rooms and suites: • 56 rooms and suites • 30 junior suites • 1 duplex panorama suite Bar and restaurants: • Alpina Lounge and Bar • Megu • Restaurant Sommet • Swiss Stübli • The Terrace • Wine Room • Cigar lounge Six Senses Spa: • Garden swimming pool, interior lap pool, treatment rooms, whirlpool, sauna and steam room, fitness facility Other facilities: • Meetings, conference, events, exhibitions, special occasions, private cinema Nearby activities: • Glacier 3000 in Diablerets, 30 minutes from Gstaad

• Mario Botta’s mountain station at 3,000m • Winter and summer skiing and outdoor activities • Glacier ski area • 1,000m toboggan run • Dog sledding, cross-country skiing, snow hiking • Glacier exploration • 18-hole golf course • Clay pigeon shooting • Indoor and outdoor tennis • Hot-air ballooning • Heli-skiing • Hiking • Horse riding • Mountain biking • Paragliding • River rafting • Trout fishing Summer activities: • Walking, mountain biking, climbing, horse riding, canoeing, paragliding, Jeep safari Winter activities: • Snowboard and freestyle, ice skating, ice climbing, snowshoe walking, sled rides, cross-country skiing

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QUOTE HANGER

Donatella Versace

“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street; fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.” Coco Chanel “When a person is in fashion, all they do is right.” Lord Chesterfield

Paris Hilton

“Fashion anticipates, and elegance is a state of mind... a mirror of the time in which we live, a translation of the future, and should never be static.” Oleg Cassini “I definitely think that fashion is a form of art and love that people can express themselves through what they wear.” Paris Hilton “Unlike art, the consumption of fashion is not based primarily on knowledge or education but functions through visual awareness, a type of sensuality and perception of the corporeal self.” Valerie Steele “Fashion is socially reproductive, training us to be flexible and responsive to change in a fast-changing world.” Caroline Evans “I love women’s fashion, but women don’t need me as much as men do. It’s the men who have nothing to wear.” Roberto Cavalli

Tim Gunn

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“Fashion is potency in art, making it hard to judge between the temporary and the lasting.” Edmund Clarence Stedman

Phillip Lim

Melanie Fiona

“Fashion is all about happiness. It’s fun. It’s important. But it’s not medicine.” Donatella Versace “My dream was always to be a composer, but fashion came very easily.” Gianni Versace “The true essence of fashion is being able to reinvent yourself with what you have.” Melanie Fiona “But if fashion were easy, wouldn’t everybody look great?” Tim Gunn Jean Paul Gaultier

“Fashion is about what you look like, which translates to what you would like to be like.” Jean Paul Gaultier “Just because you work in the fashion industry, it doesn’t mean you live your life in fashion.” Phillip Lim “Fashion takes its inspiration from society and everyday life, which is the same for everyone and, this is perhaps the reason why certain elements recur.” Stefano Gabbana

Roberto Cavalli

Oleg Cassini

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literature

Top 6 books

of this month The Cuckoo’s Calling By Robert Galbraith

After exploring the world of wizardry in the Harry Potter books and taking on a more mature tone in The Casual Vacancy, Rowling has taken everyone by surprise having written a critically acclaimed crime novel under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. The book tells the story of Comoran Strike, a private detective who investigates deep into the death of supermodel Lula Landry and the lavish world she had lived in.

Brotherhood By Deepak and Sanjiv Chopra The Chopra brothers recount how they conquered their struggles as doctors, immigrants, and brothers in a clash of cultures and beliefs upon immigrating to the US in the 1970s; Deepak tells how he had faced the hostile reactions from Western-trained doctors over the mind-body connection, while Sanjiv remembers how he struggled to weld the customs and traditions of his homeland with those in the West.

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The Glass Castle By Jeannete Walls Walls recalls in great detail her extraordinary childhood, being brought up by parents who have a very otherworldly take on raising children; ever had the experience to boil hotdogs for food at age three? Walls did, along with other cruel ordeals that she and her sister had gone through at the hands of their parents. Walls’ innocent revelations in her memoir are as shocking and real as they get.

Kate By Sean Smith The story of how Kate Middleton and Prince William’s journey to happily ever after began – on a cold day by the side of the rugby pitch in St Andrew’s University, as the two royal lovebirds found themselves standing next to each other, they struck up a conversation and the connection was found.

Unbroken By Laura Hillenbrand The Scarecrow By Michael Conelly Ace newspaperman Jack McEvoy has set his sights on bagging a Pulitzer Prize before his tenure with Los Angeles Times expires. He hopes to bag the coveted award by covering a story about a 16-year-old drug dealer who has confessed to raping and strangling a client to death. But soon, McEvoy realises that the confession is a hoax and that the real killer is out there, operating under the sight of the authorities. What McEvoy does not know is that the killer has picked up his trail, and is now moving after him.

As a boy, Louis Zamperini had resorted to petty crime in order to live, until he discovered he had a remarkable talent for running that landed him in the Berlin Olympics. However, as World War II loomed, he had himself enlisted and was soon embroiled in the ferocious battle for the Pacific. However, one afternoon in May 1943, the US bomber that he was in had crashed into the Pacific Ocean; he emerged to the surface and struggled aboard a life raft. Zamperini then had to face the gargantuan challenge of willing himself to live through the thousands of miles of ocean, while being dogged by sharks, starvation and the enemy.

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poetry

In Praise of Beauty “If you sing of beauty though alone in the heart of the desert” Kahlil Gibran wrote, “you will have an audience”. Beauty is a philosophy of life, death, before life and after death. It penetrates through human beings and reaches the ultimate essence of existence. Beauty could listen to your hymns, unveil the meanings of your poetic eyes, and cover them with a dripping cloud, the cloud of love, which the sun of wisdom may hide. B is for braiding the threads of the universe, with lots of dazzling words, illuminating the darkness of our soul. E is for eternity that unveils its transparent existence in our springy hearts. A is for Aurora. That is the beginning of every single soul, every single poem, every single moon, and every single smile! U is a unique unison between the tones of earth and the tones of heaven. T is the tableau of two birds embracing their eternal nest and indulging in their immortal cheerfulness.

Ibaa Ismail is a Syrian poet born in Aleppo in 1962. She has published a collection of poems and she currently resides in Michigan, USA.

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A Brief Love Letter My darling, I have much to say Where oh precious one shall I begin? All that is in you is princely O you who make of my words through their meaning Cocoons of silk These are my songs and this is me This short book contains us Tomorrow when I return its pages A lamp will lament A bed will sing Its letters from longing will turn green Its commas be on the verge of flight Do not say: why did this youth Speak of me to the winding road and the stream The almond tree and the tulip So that the world escorts me wherever I go? Why did he sing these songs? Now there is no star That is not perfumed with my fragrance Tomorrow people will see me in his verse A mouth the taste of wine, close-cropped hair Ignore what people say You will be great only through my great love What would the world have been if we had not been? If your eyes had not been, what would the world have been?

Nizar Qabbani is a Syrian diplomat who is known for writing love poems and writing in the female persona. He studied law and graduated at the University of Damascus in 1945.

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life

best places to propose London Eye.

ext to your wedding day, the day you or your partner proposes should be among the most memorable of your life. Making it unforgettable for the right reasons can be a challenging though. For example, spelling out ‘marry me’ in alphabet spaghetti could trigger a very different response to proposing aboard a gondola in Venice. However, it is not just men who have to worry about proposing in today’s girl-ahead world. Many women will be entertaining similar thoughts. Therefore, if you have been thinking of popping the question to that special someone but are unsure when, where and how, worry no longer as online travel

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community and advice website TripAdvisor has compiled a list of the 10 best places to propose.

Eiffel Tower, Paris Confirm Paris’s reputation as the city of love by proposing at the top of the Eiffel Tower, with spectacular views of the city. If you love the city but do not have a head for heights, why not set the tower as the backdrop by popping the question at nearby Trocadero Park.

London Eye, London Lift that special someone off their feet and propose high in the sky on the London Eye -- the largest observation wheel in the world. Avoid spectators by hiring a private capsule, complete with champagne, for that special moment.

Eiffel Tower.

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life Neuschwanstein Castle.

Alhambra.

Oia, Santorini, Greece Watch the sun set over the caldera in Oia on Santorini, overlooking the breathtaking Aegean Sea, renowned for its striking sunsets. Squeeze through the narrow passageways and white buildings to the cliff-like Kastro walls, known for having the best views.

Alhambra, Granada, Spain Described as a pearl set in emeralds by Moorish poets, the Alhambra in Granada, a former palace and fortress, is a perfect place to propose to your gem. Stroll through the magnificent gardens with cypress-lined walkways and listen to the water dance from the fountains.

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Canals of Venice.

Mount Pilatus.

Canals of Venice, Italy For a dramatic movie-scene effect, you could work up the nerve to pop the question while reclining on a gondola, gliding under the Venetian bridges, through the windy canals of Venice. For a really classy touch why not hire an opera singing gondolier so you are hands-free for that perfect moment.

Oia.

Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria, Germany

Mount Pilatus, Lucerne, Switzerland

Propose like royalty at Neuschwanstein Castle, a 19th century Bavarian palace and former home to King Ludwig II. Evoke medieval times by riding up the steep hill to the castle, located on Romantic Road, in a charming horse-drawn carriage.

Do not get cold feet at the summit of Mount Pilatus near Lucerne, Switzerland, after chugging up the side of the mountain on the world’s steepest cogwheel railway. Celebrate by shouting from the mountaintops, featuring panoramic views of more than 70 peaks and five lakes.

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life

Piazzale Michelangelo

Trevi Fountain, Rome For the exhibitionist couple, the Trevi Fountain in Rome guarantees an audience and a cheering crowd. Toss a coin - not the ring - into the fountain, which legend says will ensure your return to Rome, hopefully not alone.

Charles Bridge, Prague, Czech Republic Secure a lifelong connection at the 13th century Charles Bridge in Prague, featuring dreamy views of the city skyline. Lined with baroque statues and protected by three bridge towers, visit this walkway at night for a more peaceful moment.

Piazzale Michelangelo, Florence, Italy With sweeping views of the entire city, Piazza Michelangelo overlooks Florence, the Arno River, and golden Ponte Vecchio Bridge. Get down on one knee near dusk when the crowds disperse, and a magical glow is cast on the city below.

Trevi Fountain.

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Charles Bridge.

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gourmet

One chef, one ingredient Master chef Thibault Sombardier shares his insights into the gourmet kitchen by presenting a favourite ingredient: porcini mushrooms.

hibault Sombardier was appointed as head chef at the Michelin-starred Antoine restaurant in Paris at the start of 2013. The young chef trained under some of the top names in contemporary French gastronomy, including Yannick Alléno, Alain Dutournier and Marc Meneau. Here he chooses to highlight cèpes, known in English by their Italian name, porcini. The fragrant mushrooms are one of the most sought-after fungi in France, behind the truffle. EGO: What led you to choose this ingredient? What is your best kitchen memory associated with this ingredient? Thibault Sombardier: I chose porcini mushrooms because they are extremely flavourful, and I am fond of their shape and appearance. It is an ingredient that I find particularly satisfying to cook with. My top memory associated with porcini mushrooms is of a hike in the Morvan area in Burgundy. The weather conditions had been favourable to the growth of mushrooms. I was able to gather some lovely porcini mushrooms, which I simply sautéed over a camping stove. An ideal experience for a food lover! E: When is this ingredient in season? TS: Porcini mushrooms come into season in the fall. The best time to gather them [in France] is in October. E: What is the best way to prepare this ingredient? Can you share a recipe? TS: The best way to cook porcini mushrooms is en papillote, for an exceptional aroma, or in a skillet, sautéing them over high heat with hazelnut oil. My recipe: Porcini mushrooms

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with bone marrow en papillote. Place cleaned and halved medium-sized porcini mushrooms on a sheet of aluminum foil. Season with sea salt and a turn of the pepper mill. Add a crushed garlic clove, a large piece of beef marrow, a sprig of thyme, a bay leaf, and a pat of butter. Close the packet by folding the edges of the foil over the contents, and place in the oven at 200°C for 7 to 8 minutes. E: What other products can be combined with porcini mushrooms to delight and surprise the taste buds? TS: To really astonish my guests, I like to combine porcini mushrooms with lobster. I sauté the mushrooms in hazelnut oil and then deglaze the pan with lobster bouillon. The resulting dish is a surprising and very flavourful combination. E: What are the most common mistakes made when preparing this ingredient? TS: The mistake to avoid at all costs is putting porcini mushrooms under water when cleaning them. Instead, wipe them gently with a wet brush and dry using a soft towel before cooking. In the pan, always be sure to coat them, with butter for example, to ensure that they do not dry out. E: How do you offer this ingredient on your current menu? TS: In the autumn, I often offer sautéed porcini mushrooms with the suggested dishes of the day, as an accompaniment to fish or meats. E: What wine (or other alcohol) is best married with this ingredient? TS: A 2004 Beaumes-de-venise [a red wine from the French Rhone region].

Thibault Sombardier has headed up the kitchens of Antoine in Paris since February 2013.

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auction

Yours for a cool million

$35 Sotheby’s to offer the greatest white diamond ever to appear at auction. The sale begins in Hong Kong this October.

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ontinuing in its pioneering tradition of offering the world’s most perfect white diamonds of truly exceptional size, Sotheby’s will offer a Magnificent Oval Diamond of Supreme Importance in its Hong Kong auction of Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite on October 7, 2013. The remarkable 118.28 carat, D colour, flawless, Type IIA stone of excellent polish and excellent symmetry is the largest D colour flawless diamond ever to appear at auction, as well as the largest oval shaped, D colour flawless or internally flawless diamond ever graded by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). Only four other white diamonds of this quality over 100 carats have ever been sold at auction, of which Sotheby’s has sold three – the present stone is nearly 20 per cent larger than the first and previously largest ever offered, the 101.84 carat Mouawad Splendour, sold at Sotheby’s in 1990. Each of those four stones was offered in Geneva

salesrooms, making the Magnificent Oval Diamond the first D colour diamond of this size ever to appear at auction in Asia. Discovered in 2011 from the deep mines in South Africa, the 299-carat rough of the Magnificent Oval Diamond is one of the largest and most beautiful diamond roughs found in recent years. Carefully and meticulously worked over a period of months, the resulting stone is estimated to achieve $35 million at auction this October – in excess of the current highest price ever paid for any white diamond at auction. David Bennett, Chairman, Europe and the Middle East, Sotheby’s International Jewellery Division, commented: “Sotheby’s experience with diamonds of this size and quality is unparalleled. Over the course of the last 25 years, I have had the privilege of selling three perfect D colour stones weighing over 100 carats, each with its own distinct personality and presence. The present oval diamond is no exception – not only is it the largest and grandest by a significant margin, it also is the most regal and proud of this elite group.”

Largest D colour perfect diamonds ever sold at auction The Mouawad Splendour

The Star of the Season

• •

• • • •

• •

101.84 carats Modified pear shape, D colour, internally flawless Sold for $12.8 million Sotheby’s Geneva, 1990

The Star of Happiness • • • •

100.36 carats Rectangular shape, D colour, internally flawless Sold for $11.9 million Sotheby’s Geneva, 1993

100.10 carats Pear shape, D colour, internally flawless Sold for $16.4 million Sotheby’s Geneva, 1995

The Winston Legacy • • • •

101.73 carats Pear shape, D colour, flawless Sold for $26.7 million Christie’s Geneva, 2013 The Winston Legacy.

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listings

EGO stockists Acne at Boutique 1 and Harvey Nichols stores,

Essa at S*uce stores

+ 971 4 395 1200, www.boutique1.com

Estee Lauder at Harvey Nichols,

Alberta Ferretti +971 4 339 8957

Saks Fifth Avenue stores

Alexander McQueen +971 4 339 8760

Fendi +971 4 339 9782, Mytheresa

Alexander Wang at Harvey Nichols, Boutique 1 stores

Giorgio Armani +971 4 339 8121

Balenciaga +971 4 395 1769

Giuseppe Zanotti at Harvey Nichols stores

Balmain BurJuman mall, +971 4 351 2669

+9714 739 0409

BCBG MaxAzria The Dubai Mall, +971 4 434 0848,

Givenchy +971 4 330 8282

www.bcbg.com

Givenchy Beauty at Paris Gallery stores

Bloomingdale’s +971 4 350 5333,

Harvey Nichols +971 4 409 8888

www.bloomingdales.com

Hermès +971 4 351 1190

Bobbi Brown +971 4 330 8151,

Isabel Marant at Boutique 1 stores

www.bobbibrown-me.com

Jason Wu at Boutique 1, Symphony stores

Bottega Veneta +971 4 395 1201

Jil Sander at Saks Fifth Avenue store, Net-a-porter

Boutique 1, +971 4 425 7888, www.boutique1.com

Jimmy Choo at Harvey Nichols stores

Burberry, Harvey Nichols stores +971 4 339 8357,

+971 4 339 8925

Net-a-porter

Joseph Mimi www.josephmimi.com

Bulgari +971 4 330 8834

L’Oreal at Debenhams stores +971 4 339 8016

Camilla Skovgaard at Boutique 1, Symphony stores

Lanvin +971 4 330 8008, Net-a-porter

and Harvey Nichols Mall of the Emirates outlet

Louis Vuitton +971 4 341 4462

+971 4201 1111

MAC +971 4 339 9681

Carolina Herrera +971 4 339 8132

Manolo Blahnik at Harvey Nichols stores,

Cartier +971 4 434 0434

+971 4 339 8122

Celine +971 4 341 0585

Marchesa at Boutique 1 stores

Chanel +971 4 382 7100

Michael Kors at Saks Fifth Avenue store

Dior RTW13

Chanel Beauty at Harvey Nichols outlets

+971 4 395 1694

Charlotte Olympia at Symphony store,

Missoni +971 4 339 8686

The Dubai Mall

Miu Miu +971 4 501 2872, Mytheresa, Net-a-porter

Sass&Bide at Net-a-porter

Chloe +971 4 330 0700

Monique Lhuillier, www.moniquelhuillier.com

Sephora +971 4 339 9828

Christian Lacroix Net-a-porter

Moschino at Harvey Nichols outlets +971 4 339 847

Shopbop www.shopbop.com

Christian Louboutin +971 4 3990998,

Mytheresa, mytheresa.com,

Stella McCartney +971 4 339 9179

+971 4 325 3935, Saks Fifth Avenue

customercare@mytheresa.com

Steve Madden +971 4 325 3052

Christopher Kane at Net-a-porter

My Wardrobe, www.my-wardrobe.com

Symphony +971 4 330 8050

Coach +971 4 385 0876

Neon Edge at Valleydez stores +971 4 394 1290

Temperley London +971 4 339 8169

D&G +971 4 395 1658, Saks Fifth Avenue store

Net-a-porter, www.net-a-porter.com

Thakoon at Net-a-porter and Symphony store

Derek Lam at Boutique 1, Shopbop

Nicholas Kirkwood at Symphony, Boutique 1,

The Dubai Mall +971 4 362 7500,

Diane Von Furstenberg at Harvey Nichols,

Saks Fifth Avenue stores

www.thedubaimall.com

Bloomingdales stores +971 4 395 1600,

Nina Ricci +971 4 330 8789

Tiffany & Co +971 4 339 8256

Dior +971 4 323 5322, Saks Fifth Avenue,

OPI at Merle Norman stores +971 4 232 8566

Tom Ford +971 4 330 8300

Paris Gallery stores

Paris Gallery +971 4 330 8289

Tommy Hilfiger +971 4 339 8097

Dior Beauty at Harvey Nichols, Debenhams,

Prada +971 4 501 2870

Topshop +971 4 3399802

Paris Gallery stores

Preen at S*uce at Symphony, Boutique 1 stores

Valentino +971 4 339 8347

Dolce & Gabbana +971 4 330 8566,

Proenza Schouler at Boutique 1, Net-a-porter

Valleydez, Wafi Mall and Jumeirah Beach Road,

Saks Fifth Avenue store

Ralph Lauren +971 4 330 8005

+971 4 380 9024, www.valleydezblog.com

Dolce & Gabanna Make-up at Paris Gallery stores

Ray Ban at Al Jaber Optical outlets

Vera Wang at Bloomingdales stores

Donna Karan at Harvey Nichols stores

Revlon at Boots

Versace +971 4 351 7792

+971 4 351 6794, Net-a-porter

Roberto Cavalli +971 4 339 8893

Victoria Beckham at Boutique 1 stores

Elie Saab +971 4 330 8222, Boutique 1 store

Rolex +971 4 339 8000

YSL Beauty at Bloomingdales, Debenhams,

Elie Tahari at Saks Fifth Avenue, Harvey Nichols stores

S*uce +971 4 339 9696

Harvey Nichols stores

Emilio Pucci +971 4 339 8525

Saks Fifth Avenue, BurJuman mall +971 4 351 5551

Yves Saint Laurent, Jumeirah Emirates Shopping

Emporio Armani +971 4 330 0583

Salvatore Ferragamo +971 4 330 8590

Boulevard +971 4 3300445

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