ISSUE 1 | 2013
MAN AT WORK Richard Branson directs his global empire from ... anywhere he wants!
PEOPLE & BUSINESS
LITTLE BLACK BOOK
TRAVEL
Richard Branson - VIRGIN Dato Sri Dr. Tahir - MAYAPADA Christian Hassing - MANDARIN
Grant Thatcher - LUXE Denise Lo - CHRISTIAN DIOR Jerome Griffith - TUMI
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CONTENTS
10 10
Flying High With Richard Branson
Flying High With Richard Branson
34
Succeeding DR. Tahir
16
The Indomitable Lady
46
Time Is Money
20
Up And Away
48
Western Promise
24
Hyper Cars
50
Little Black Book
30
A New Mandarin
56
Best Of British
The man behind the Virgin brands talks about life, business and what constitutes happiness.
02
This seemingly fragile woman reveals her life as a genuine fighter for freedom and a savvy politician.
Thomas Flohr, the man who was not satisfied with private luxury business jet service companies so he started his own.
The rise of the tailor made automobile, for those wanting even more from their luxury motor
The charming new Vice President of the Mandarin-Oriental group southern Asia reveals the secrets of what makes a good five-star hotel work.
MillionaireAsia Indonesia
One of Indonesian’s richest men, Dr. Tahir talks about how to be successful in business and then what to do with that success.
In 2010, Sotheby’s watch and clock auctions fetched a record US$85 million. We look at their auction highlights
The growing appeal of Western art in Asia
Business leaders share their secrets on luxury living
Stephen Einhorn established his business in 1995 and has become synonymous with quality, exclusivity and cutting edge design.
MillionaireAsia Indonesia
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CONTENTS
76
Smooth Sailing
58
Fine Timepieces
92
The Hardy Way
64
Seeing Red In New York
94
Worlds Best Golf Courses
70
Desert Island Disc
102 Blending In
76
Smooth Sailing
104 Westin Resort - Phuket
84
The Neo-Classical Option
106 A Very Special Place
We look at some of the latest designs exciting watch aficionados looking for the latest bling and an investment in time.
New York saw red as models revealed the latest creations from American designers at Mercedes New York Fashion Week.
Dennis Tamse Kettle One Distillery brand ambassador for Asia reveals what luxury items he would want if stranded on a desert island.
A buying guide for nautical virgins
A glamorous harkback to the motoring of the 1930s and the coming thing: neo-classical cars.
Sir James Hardy, scion of Australia’s famous wine family and world champion sailor looks back on an eventful life and plans for the future.
Six golfing pros name their favourite courses.
Colin Scott, master blender at Chivas Brothers talks whisky
The brand new Westin Phuket breaks ground in eastern Phuket – a complete resort within minutes of the capital
More tales from the glorious Goring Hotel, London.
MillionaireAsia Indonesia
05
EDITOR’S NOTE Welcome to the second edition of the new look MillionaireAsia (Indonesia) and first let me say how heartening it is to receive so many positive responses to the first issue. We agree with all of you that the good life is good to look at – especially in a quality magazine. While we may not all have a yacht or a plane, you say you nevertheless enjoy reading about them: a little vicarious living and a few titillating thrills about what the successful person can have today and what hardworking professionals can certainly strive for tomorrow. In this issue, we take a keen look at the watch industry – always a particular favourite in Asia: the new and the classic, the plain and the pretty, for both men and women. We also meet some fascinating people. Among them Sir Richard Branson, entrepreneur extraordinaire; brash, brave and bold. His life story (and his continuing business life) is the stuff of ‘success’ books. We meet Burmese heroine Aung San Suu Kyi and go behind the headlines to find out what her personal aspirations are, and her aspirations for Myanmar. Thomas Flohr was a frantic businessman who worked in and finally bought an IT company. It was while flying around on company business, he found the luxury experience was not happening in the air. Answer: buy your own jets and do it properly. And buy he is still doing – to the tune of billions of dollars. We look at two completely different angles of modern motoring: they hyper car and the neo-classical idea. You will find both very engaging indeed. Christian Hassing has been appointed as first vice president of the Mandarin-Oriental hotel group in Asia – he now has the responsibility of looking after luxury properties in Jakarta, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. ISSUE 1 | 2013
Sir James Hardy (“Gentleman Jim”) is one of the great names in Australian wine. He is also a world-class sailor. We sit down to lunch with him in Singapore.
MAN AT WORK RICHARD BRANSON DIRECTS HIS GLOBAL EMPIRE FROM ... ANYWHERE HE WANTS!
And Tahir, one of the wealthiest men in the country, shares his philosophy on business and on life – and of giving something back. On the arts front, we look at Christie’s results for the year, a really insightful journey into the world of fine painting and their finding that one fifth of art buyers are now from Asia. To reinforce this, Remo Notarianni looks at some lesser-known but extremely valuable artists worth keeping an eye on in the coming years. On the jewellery scene, we pay a visit to the bespoke atelier of Stephen Einhorn in London. Plus we have a diverse gallery of many other things you will be interested in. Enjoy reading and do keep in contact. It is great to hear your views.
Graham Pearce Editor in Chief
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PEOPLE & BUSINESS
LITTLE BLACK BOOK
TRAVEL
Richard Branson - VIRGIN Dato Sri Dr. Tahir - MAYAPADA Christian Hassing - MANDARIN
Grant Thatcher - LUXE Denise Lo - CHRISTIAN DIOR Jerome Griffith - TUMI
Marina Bay Sands - SINGAPORE Westin Resort - THAILAND Raphaël Hotel - ROME
Richard Branson is one of the most recognised businessmen on the planet. With a unique take on doing business, he is an inspiration to budding entrepreneurs around the world.
Magazine Info EDITOR IN CHIEF Graham Pearce gp@millionaireasia-indonesia.com
DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Meeliani Handoko meeliani@millionaireasia-indonesia.com
ADVERTISING Rossy Kusumawati
ISSUE 27 | VOLUmE 8 | 2012 | SINGAPORE
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IT’S ABOUT LIVING LIFE TO THE FULLEST
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Scaling nEW HEigHtS
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Adventurer Khoo Swee Chiow has climbed almost every mountain, forded every stream, but he says, there are still greater heights to scale.
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CIRCULATION
ISSUE 27 | VOLUmE 8 | 2012
King of the game SHELDON ADELSON REVEALS HIS LATEST ASIAN RESORT EMPIRE, EXPANSION PLANS AND MORE
M. Nur Hasani
More Wealth goes to asia WHAT THE WORLD WEALTH REPORT 2012 TELLS US
members@millionaireasia-indonesia.com
traversing the Skies JOHN TRAVOLTA DIVULGES ON HIS PASSION FOR FLYING AND ALL THINGS AVIATION
EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS
ISSUE 16 | VOLUmE 5 | 2012 | mALAySIA
Brian Yim, Gwendoline Sim, Lim Jiayi, Ryan Borroff, Remo Notarianni, Cheryl Tay, Ryan Swift, Dominique Afacan
ISSUE 1 | 2013
IT’S ABOUT LIVING LIFE TO THE FULLEST
IT’S ABOUT LIVING LIFE TO THE FULLEST
King of the game
MAN AT WORK RICHARD BRANSON DIRECTS HIS GLOBAL EMPIRE FROM ... ANYWHERE HE WANTS!
CREATIVE Origomedia
MillionaireAsia speaks to Sheldon Adelson on the opening of the new Sheraton Macao Cotai Central and plans for even further expansion.
ART DIRECTOR Abraham Ardiles Siahaan
PUBLISHER ISSUE 16 | VOLUmE 5 | 2012
traversing the Skies JOHN TRAVOLTA DIVULGES ON HIS PASSION FOR FLYING AND ALL THINGS AVIATION
more Wealth goes to asia WHAT THE WORLD WEALTH REPORT 2012 TELLS US
Concrete Steps in Sustainability
PEOPLE & BUSINESS
LITTLE BLACK BOOK
TRAVEL
Richard Branson - VIRGIN Dato Sri Dr. Tahir - MAYAPADA Christian Hassing - MANDARIN
Grant Thatcher - LUXE Denise Lo - CHRISTIAN DIOR Jerome Griffith - TUMI
Marina Bay Sands - SINGAPORE Westin Resort - THAILAND Raphaël Hotel - ROME
SAM TAN TALkS AbOUT bUILDING GREEN AND GREEN DEVELOPMENT
MillionaireAsia is a fresh concept publication dedicated to the celebration of the millionaire lifestyle. MillionaireAsia currently publishes 6 distinct editions: Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Hongkong/Macau and Vietnam with a combined circulation of 60,000 copies per issue and a readership of 240,000 of many of the richest people in Asia. MillionaireAsia is currently trademark registered in 22 countries, including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Phillipines, Vietnam, Hongkong, Macau, Taiwan, China, Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, India, UAE, South Africa, Russia, UK, USA, Argentina and Chile.
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PROFILE
Flying High with RICHARD BRANSON The Founder and Chairman of Virgin Group which has more than 400 companies across the globe, Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson is an exemplary success story of a first generation entrepreneur. He dropped out of school at 15 (dyslexia did not help academic achievement in those days) and started out to make his own way. Today he is one of the richest citizens in Britain with an estimated net worth of about US$4.2 billion.
T
here are very few success stories like his (perhaps no other who’s made it quite this big). In the beginning he had no financial backing – only a business plan which he was passionate about and he was sure of making his venture a success. He called his Group ‘Virgin,’ as it was a first experience for him of managing a business of his own. He is known to be one of the most unconventional business entrepreneurs, with a passion for adventure sports and who has been widely involved with philanthropy. “My parents brought me up to be rebellious and to take up all the challenges put to me,” remembers Branson. “This has resulted in my doing things which have sometimes been unconventional and sometimes appear unachievable.” “For example, when we launched ‘Student Magazine’ we wanted to change the way things were done and give young people a voice on key issues such as the Vietnam War. So my best friend Jonny and I decided to start an alternative magazine with a fresh attitude. We were both sixteen, it was the 1960’s and we thought we could make a difference.”
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“We have used this attitude along with the ability to identify good ideas to attract great people to work with us and ensure that we gave those people the authority to get on and build the businesses.” (Branson is well-known for his risk-prone business acumen, bottom-heavy organizational management and maverick strategies.) “Delegation and decentralisation has allowed me to start up many businesses in different parts of the world and not get myself too bogged down in the detail,” he says. “As a leader, you have to be a really good listener. You need to know your own mind but there is no point in imposing your views on others without some debate. No one has a monopoly on good ideas or good advice.” “This, aligned with an ability to take calculated risks means Virgin has not been afraid of jumping into the unknown and starting new. Whether you have a product, a service or a brand, it is not easy to start a company and to survive and thrive in the modern world. In fact, you’ve got to do something radically different to make a mark today. We started Virgin Atlantic in 1984 with a few good people and a clear idea of how to do things differently; we have followed that path with the launch of our mobile, money and health club businesses over the years.”
PROFILE
“Delegation and decentralisation has allowed me to start up many businesses in different parts of the world and not get myself too bogged down in the detail� MillionaireAsia Indonesia
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PROFILE
“The Government and large organisations need to reduce unemployment and promote grow th by getting behind the small and medium-sized businesses that are the engines of any healthy economy� 12
MillionaireAsia Indonesia
PROFILE
This does not mean business has all been smooth flying. The Virgin Group saw many highs and lows, among them the sale of the Virgin record label to EMI for £500 million in 1992 in order to save his airline company Virgin Atlantic Airways, which was heart-breaking for Branson. In his book ‘Like a Virgin: Secrets They Won’t Teach you at Business School’ Branson recounts his own experiences and understanding that not everyone excels at school or will go on to further education. “When I left school at 15 with no qualifications I decided to treat life and the working environment as my university. I gained much of my business knowledge through day to day learning experiences that come with running my own company and decided to share them in my latest book,” he says. “A good leader does not get stuck behind a desk. I’ve never worked in an office – I’ve always worked from home – but I get out and about, meeting people. It seems I am travelling all the time but I always have a notebook in my back pocket to jot down questions, concerns or good ideas.”
SPACE “The Virgin Galactic sub-orbital space launch represents just the first step in Space Tourism and much more will need to be done in the future if we are to reap the greater benefits that space offers. Our first step is really to prove the concept that it is possible to take ordinary people to space, keep them safe and make it financially viable. We are testing the rocket now and would hope to be testing real flights by the end of the year and then running commercial flights around 18 months from then.”
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PROFILE
“There are ways of funding a business without actually having to borrow the money to do it!� 14
MillionaireAsia Indonesia
PROFILE EURO CRISIS “We are facing some of the most difficult economic times our generation has seen,” says Branson. “But this can also prove to be a great time to grow and expand your current business. Governments and large organisations need to reduce unemployment and promote growth by getting behind the small and medium-sized businesses that are the engines of any healthy economy. They need investment and finance, and that comes from the big banks.” “Like many other companies, the Virgin Group has worked extremely hard to ensure our businesses are robust and able to adapt to change. Obviously in this climate, it’s extremely difficult getting things funded and one might need to come up with an idea that is self-funding. For example, with my very first business, Student Magazine, I didn’t have any money but I managed to sell enough advertising to cover the printing and paper costs before actually launching and that’s how I funded the business. So you see there are ways of funding a business without actually having to borrow the money to do it!”
CSR “We believe global business is at a critical crossroads, mired in short-term thinking in pursuit of today’s financial profit above and at the expense of long-term good for society and the environment. Global business leaders from around the world need to come together and act,” says Branson. “It’s time for business to truly put people and planet at the core of things – alongside profit. Businesses should start valuing natural assets and look at game-changing ideas. One I like is Puma’s Environmental Profit and Loss statement.”
“We ourselves have begun uniting a wonderful group which shares similar views about the role business will play in society’s future and the need for change. This global group is known as the B-Team,” he says. “At Virgin Unite, the non-profit arm of the Virgin Group, we looked at reinventing capitalism to truly be a force for good in the world. We call this approach Capitalism 24902 because it’s focused on getting business leaders all over the world — all 24,902 miles of it — to look at how we can do what is right for the environment and focus on every single person in a business taking responsibility to make a difference in everything they do, at work and in their personal lives.”
SUCCESS? “Money is not my first priority,” smiles Branson. “I have always pursued what I am passionate about, whether that will make me money or not. My fascination is learning and discovering, more than being rich and powerful. I believe that success in business only comes if you enjoy what you are doing.” “I love to create something that stands out, create something that everyone is really proud of; be a good leader and be visible. Wealth may improve aesthetic aspects of life in terms of being able to over-indulge and travel to luxurious locations but true success in life can only be gauged by something which is priceless; how much love you have in your life – I am truly fortunate to be surrounded by extremely loving and fun family and friends and nothing beats spending time with the people I love.”
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PROFILE
The Indomitable Lady Aung San Suu Kyi, Nobel Laureate and Chairperson of the National League for Democracy in Myanmar, articulates her wishes and concerns for her country.
By Brian Yim in Yangon
I
f there is anyone who understands hardship and resilience and who has earned the right to speak about it, Aung San Suu Kyi surely can. The Nobel Laureate and opposition leader had been incarcerated as a political prisoner for 21 years and one would expect this harrowing experience to turn anyone resentful and cynical. Yet, this lady exudes poise and a dignified stoicism that impresses anyone who meets with her. When asked how she recovers from the bitterness of her long struggles against a repressive regime in the past, she replied that as a practising Buddhist, she is by nature not inclined towards feelings of vengeance or bitterness. “That is just my good fortune. I have never really held hard feelings against those who keep me under house arrest. It is genuine. It is not something I try to do. It is just the way I am. You have to focus on the future rather than look back on the past all the time. That will help you to break away,” she told some 100 delegates who attended the ASEAN 100 Leadership Forum held in Yangon on Dec 5 and 6, 2012. Aung San Suu Kyi connected well with the rapt audience comprising of royalty, corporate chiefs, journalists and the
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elite from Asia, Europe and America as she spoke eloquently, convincingly and off the cuff, on the topic , “Resilience in Turbulent Times.” In the 1990 general elections, her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD) won 59% of the national votes and 81% (392 of 485) of the seats in Parliament. Aung San Suu Kyi had, however, already been detained under house arrest before the elections. She remained under house arrest in Myanmar for 21 years from 20 July 1989 until her recent release on 13 November 2010, becoming one of the world’s most prominent political prisoners. Yet she says that her basic faith in human nature has never been shaken. “Although I have come across some pretty terrible things, you must try to hang onto the faith in human nature because you are part of it. You are a human being yourself. As we foster resilience, the ability not just to stand up to hardship but to recover, we have to nurture sympathy, empathy and compassion. These are concepts that seem outdated in these times but yet I do not think so.”
PROFILE A political family When asked where she draws her strength from and her resilience, she credited her parents for influencing her character. Her father, Aung San, founded the modern Burmese army and negotiated Burma’s independence from the British Empire in 1947. Unfortunately, her father was assassinated by his political rivals in the same year when Suu Kyi was just two years old. She grew up with her mother, Khin Kyi, a prominent political figure in the newly formed Burmese government, and two brothers, Aung San Lin and Aung San Oo, in Yangon, Myanmar. When Khin Kyi was appointed Burmese ambassador to India and Nepal in 1960, Aung San Suu Kyi followed her there, where she studied at the Convent of Jesus and Mary School, New Delhi and graduated from Lady Shri Ram College in New Delhi with a degree in politics in 1964. Suu Kyi continued her education at St Hugh’s College, Oxford, obtaining a B.A. degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics in 1969. “I have often thought that by nature, I am pretty much more like my father than like my mother. Both my father and I are very soft at the core. But my mother knew I was soft at the core so she trained me up to be resilient, to be strong. I found that difficult when I was young. I thought my mother was very strict, too strict. But I realise now that she knew she had to make me strong enough to face life and I also had this basic instinct that made me uncomfortable with things like fear. Whenever I was frightened, I was uncomfortable. So I thought, rather than be uncomfortable, I better get on with it.” “I had to train myself as well. Parents are very important. The way you bring your children up, that will decide how they turn out On the other hand, I think parents must also understand they are not wholly responsible for how their children turn out. It’s also the children themselves. They have to want to be the kind of persons they turn out to be, ultimately. So it is nurture, nature and perseverance.” Since November 2010, when Aung San Suu Kyi was released from house arrest and particularly since the beginning of 2012, many countries in the region have begun to hope that Myanmar is on the right path to opening up its economy to foreign investments and firmly heading for a brighter future.
Path to Democracy “When we started out on the road to democracy, it was turbulent in the sense that we had to face many dangers and challenges. The government of that time was not particularly interested in granting human rights or democratic rights to the people and we had to fight for those rights. And that was where turbulence was created involving clashes between the authorities and those who wished to promote human rights and democracy. With the great number of people in our country, where were they in this pattern of turbulence? The majority of them wanted their basic rights. They merely wanted basic human rights. They wanted to be secure.” “The turbulence now is due to conflicting perceptions of what is going on in this country. There are many people who are very much focused on what they call the speed of change. I would like you to focus more on the quality of change. Speed is less important. The proper sequencing and quality of change are crucial. What we want are changes that will take us forward in the
“I would like to instil this confidence in all our people, the confidence that belongs to a countr y that is capable of any thing and ever y thing but at the same time, capable of sorting out what is good from bad, what is desirable from the undesirable.” right direction. We don’t want change for the sake of change. We want change for the betterment of our society.” I have been asked very often, “Are we on the irreversible path to democratization?” And I would say no, not yet. And they ask me “When can we say that the process is irreversible?” And my answer is “When the ordinary people feel that their lives have changed. When the ordinary people feel that they are free from fear and from war; that is when we can say that the path to democracy is irreversible. What is said by those in authority is not enough. What is said by people like me is not enough because I am at a more privileged position than the great majority of the people in our country. Until they can feel that they are safe and secure, safe from war and fear, our country has not gotten to where we wish to get to. So we would ask for resilience on your part. We need resilience to be able to resist the temptation to take the easy path of over optimism.”
Endurance versus Resilience “Resilience is not just a matter of endurance. Endurance represents a great rock being attacked by crushing waves and the rock endures but the rock does not recover. It gets eaten away slowly. Although it can endure for a long time, it can last for a long time; the waves will eventually wear and eat it away over the years. Resilience means you do not get worn away. There is recovery. You do not just give in. You stand up to it as much as you can possibly stand up to and gradually get worn away. That is endurance. But resilience is more proactive. You recover. You get back what has been lost. Not perhaps in exactly the same way but from different directions and in different ways and with intelligence and resilience; you get back more than you have lost. This is what I would like for our country.”
Education & Ambition “Education is not about certificates or degrees. It is about creating an ability to face the challenges of life, so education can help to build up resilience. At the moment, the education system in Burma is in a very sorry stage. We want to change this in
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PROFILE
“Resilience has to be nurtured and ever y one of us can do it. We must have the ability to withstand and to recover and more importantly to improve.” such a way that our education system will enable us to not only overcome our problems but to overtake our ASEAN neighbours, and as soon as possible. It is always good to be ambitious. We need to have ambition to realise them. There was a time when I was confident that Burma was going to be the greatest country in the world. I always thought everybody in the world spoke English and Burmese. We were the top nation then. That is how I was brought up, and that gave me immense confidence in my country and in myself. And part of the ability to stand up to the hardships of the past few decades, was this confidence which had been instilled in me as a child. I would like to instil this confidence in all our people, the confidence that belongs to a country that is capable of anything and everything but at the same time, capable of sorting out what is good from bad, what is desirable from the undesirable. Because we can achieve everything and anything does not mean that we have to go out to get something that can harm or hurt others or have a negative effect on others.”
Over Optimism?
Why I still call my country “Burma”
“In order to keep going, it means more than endurance. I would like to repeat one of my favourite stories. I remind them of the words spoken by four-time Olympic medallist turned British politician Sebastian Coe in the Netherlands, way back in the 80s. He was asked by a reporter, who pointed out that the last mile of an endurance race, the last spurt, was the toughest. The pain in your lungs, the reporter said, how do you stop this pain? How is it that you’ve managed to train yourself so you won’t feel this pain? Coe answered, “I can’t train myself not to feel this pain, but I can train myself to go on in spite of it.” That is resilience. You go on in spite of the pain; you go on in spite of the difficulty. You train yourself to do it. Of course, some of us are more resilient by nature than others. But resilience has to be nurtured and every one of us can do it. We must have the ability to withstand and to recover and more importantly to improve.”
“I use the word Burma because I am comfortable with it. This was the name that I knew as the English name of our country when it achieved independence in 1948. It was a time of great pride for all our people. The people of Burma felt that we have been able to defeat the greatest powers in the world: that was then the British Empire and in Asia - Japan, and thus achieved our independence. It was a moment of great national pride for us. That is why I have always been proud to say I come from Burma whenever I meet people who come from other countries.”
Youth & A Vision for the Future “It’s not joblessness that I am worried about, it’s hopelessness Not having jobs alone is not a big problem, but today’s hopelessness is going to be a big problem for us in the future. When I was thinking about the loss of basic rights for our people, about the loss of basic security, I worried that we would no longer be able to face the future with confidence. That the resilience would have gotten worn away and our job, the work of all those who wanted to establish democratic values and institutions in this country was to re-establish this confidence, to make our people regain confidence in themselves. When my father and his colleagues were struggling for the independence of this country many years ago, they liked to say that they wanted to have the right to shape the destiny of their own country. They did not like to have foreigners shaping the destiny of their country. But in order to shape the destiny of your own country, you need the resilience, intelligent resilience. You do not want to put it into a shape that will be worse than what it was in the past. Resilience has a lot to do with vision. A vision of a kinder future you want, for your people for your country, for the world in which you live.” 18
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“I have discovered during the course of this year that what I’m always warning against is over optimism. Western countries indulged in Burma more than our very pragmatic and down toearth ASEAN neighbours. Our ASEAN neighbours are very much more aware of the problems of our region, and what the problems of this country are. And of course, Asians, for all their politeness, or polite exterior, are very, very critical when it comes to looking at one another. I think this is an Asian trait. It’s a good one. I think it is good to look at things with a critical eye, provided there is also a desire to help us overcome the problems that they see. People have been annoyed at me because I keep talking about cautious optimism. They do not like it when I talk about healthy scepticism, but I must urge these for the sake of genuine progress in our country.”
Pain & Endurance
Recognition Suu Kyi received the Rafto Prize and the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in 1990 and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. In 1992 she was awarded the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding by the government of India and the International Simón Bolívar Prize from the government of Venezuela. In 2007, the Government of Canada made her an honorary citizen of that country; at the time, she was one of only four people ever to receive the honour. In 2011, she was awarded the Wallenberg Medal. On 19 September 2012, Aung San Suu Kyi was also presented with the Congressional Gold Medal, which is, along with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honour in the United States.
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PRIVATE AVIATION
Thomas Flohr
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PRIVATE AVIATION
UP AND AWAY
The Euro crisis does not seem to have affected the private aviation business. The VistaJet company, for one, has just ventured into an ambitious expansion campaign – to the tune of a whopping $7.8 billion for an order of Bombardier aircraft. Graham Pearce talks to Vistajet founder THOMAS FLOHR.
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istaJet is one of the world’s leading luxury private aviation company outside the Americas and they say they are attracting unprecedented demand. Many of their customers are tiring of old-model fractional ownership deals and want something new. VistaJet is headquartered in Switzerland but has offices in London, Salzburg, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong and Lagos. Thomas Flohr founded VistaJet in 2004 and remains its chairman. He actually began his career with the Comdisco Group. Within a few years he had steered that company into becoming a leading provider in the IT financing sector. He later acquired Comdisco Switzerland and Germany – now Comprendium, which he sold shortly after guiding the company to profitability. As a businessman with huge time constraints, Flohr spent a lot of time travelling on chartered private jets. But he found the upscale lifestyle that private jet clients were accustomed to in their daily lives was not being translated into the air. Tearing up all the old conventions, Flohr envisioned VistaJet as a luxury provider in private aviation and set about creating a lifestyle, not just a product. But, back to the Euro crisis and private aviation could be seen as a dispensable luxury when you read every day of a new financial snafu. So, is this a good time and climate to be in a luxury business?
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PRIVATE AVIATION
THE FLEET “We don’t see a recession or a slowdown,” says Thomas Flohr. “We see unprecedented growth all over the world, especially in the dynamic regions of Africa, China and Russia. Today, executives around the world need to fly point-to-point, connecting the remote destinations not served by commercial airlines and, in many instances, at short notice.” “A private jet is often not a luxury but a necessity,” says Flohr. “The private jet really is a business tool that is very effective from getting from A-to-B-to-C around the world. There are the efficiencies and flexibilities flying point-to-point: say an executive needs to fly from Angola to the deepest part of Siberia: commercially this would take you three days. The answer is a private jet.” “Every one of our flights is tailored to ensure people travel in the best style and luxury with maximum flexibility and value. Our programs are designed for high–net–worth individuals, entrepreneurs and corporates who need to fly regularly and we guarantee aircraft availability and fixed hourly rates. Furthermore, we have the youngest fleet in the sky.”
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The company operates the world’s largest wholly-owned private jet fleet outside the Americas - with over 30 mid- and long–range aircraft – and their aim is for the highest levels of luxury, safety, security, reliability and value. Their current fleet includes the Global 6000 (14 passengers, 13 hours), the Challenger 850 (14 passengers, 6 hours), the Challenger 605 (12 passengers, 8 hours) and the Learjet 60 xr (6 passengers, 5.5 hours). The new purchase deal with Bombardier worth $7.8 billion will help see the fleet double to over 60 aircraft by 2015 whilst maintaining the average fleet age at less than two years. “This order is the largest single transaction in the history of business aviation. The firm order is for 56 new Bombardier Global aircraft, with options on a further 86, also in the Global family,” says Flohr. “It is comprised of 25 Global 5000, 25 Global 6000 and six Global 8000 aircraft, with options for a further 40 Global 5000, 40 Global 6000 and 6 Global 8000 jets.”
PRIVATE AVIATION
OPTIONS “In our business, everything is about unscheduled flying; with commercial airlines everything is about schedules,” says Flohr. “And private flying begins on the ground. You will not be hassled every step of the way to the aircraft. Flying privately also allows you the opportunity to be on the phone until the very last minute or continue your conversation in the air. You can delay the flight – the agenda is built around your schedule, not an airline’s.” “Then, in the air, besides cutting your travel in half by flying pointto-point, you and your team of executives can conduct business meetings in complete peace and privacy – the aircraft is all yours.” “We offer a transparent cost structure in a three-page contract that leaves you with no asset risk and access to the entire fleet, with guaranteed availability within 24 hours notice,” he says.
CHARTER AND BUY-BACK “We are selling blocks of hours, rather than fractions of aircraft,” says Flohr. “So, our business model offers customers our PROGRAM solution with guaranteed availability and a fixed hourly rate across the largest service area in the world.” “The ON DEMAND option offers ad hoc flights for those who want to fly occasionally. Or you can combine outright ownership with a tailored PROGRAM solution,” says Flohr.
“Retaining ownership, the customer hands the operational control of the aircraft to VistaJet and then “buy-back” the hours they want to fly in any one year. They enjoy the benefits of a PROGRAM solution and the income stream from additional hours sold on their aircraft by VistaJet without having to worry about the cost of operating and maintaining the aircraft.” “We believe that, with our simple business model focusing on customers who fly between 50 and 500 hours per year, it makes no economic sense to own an aircraft. Customers still enjoy the guaranteed availability of owning their aircraft but without the asset risk or management headaches.”
FUTURE “Over the next 20 years, aircraft manufacturers expect to deliver 24,000 business jets around the world, with the Asian market accounting for a significant number of these,” explains Flohr. “VistaJet believes it will have the dominant worldwide role addressing the large-cabin, long-range aircraft sector needs. We have one simple philosophy: to make luxury business aviation easy.” w w w.vistajet.com
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BESPOKE MOTORING
HYPER CARS The rise of the tailor-made auto.
By Ryan Borroff
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BESPOKE MOTORING
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ollecting art or bottles of vintage Château Lafite are interesting and shrewd alternatives to investing in a volatile stock market. But how about ordering a hypercar?
Like a bespoke shotgun or a custom-made timepiece, these cars are constructed in limited numbers or even tailor-made for an individual client. Apart from their intrinsic value, each has the potential to grow in value. Back in the early days of motoring, the automobile represented absolute luxury. Hand-built and bespoke, they were commissioned only by the world’s wealthiest individuals.
The client would then have free rein to choose everything from the car’s body style to the grain of the walnut veneer on the champagne cabinet. At this point, dozens of trained craftsmen began to hammer metal, shape wood and stitch fine leathers. Now the world’s finest carmakers are going back to the future. The most well-heeled motoring enthusiasts are no longer satisfied with an ‘off-the-peg’ supercar. Instead they want to own exclusive ‘hypercars’ that are only produced in ultra-limited numbers and perfectly tailored to their own tastes. Some buyers even want to have a hand in as many aspects of the design process as possible, often in consultation with the car company’s design experts.
Components including the chassis, drivetrain, suspension and steering system were supplied by an automaker before construction of the bodywork and interior was undertaken by a specialist coach builder who would then design a bespoke car according to his customer’s wishes.
Lamborghini Aventador J
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Aston Martin One-77
This modern-day trend to build such exclusive cars began with the rebirth of the Bugatti brand in 2005. When it introduced the 1,001bhp Veyron EB 16.4 (priced at US$1.7 million), many observers thought the suggestion of it selling well ludicrous. But almost eight years on and that model is now the entry-level option. The Bugatti Veyron Super Sports is now the flagship model and costs a cool US$2.4 million. For that money, however, you get the most expensive but arguably the most technologically advanced car ever built – aside from the one that drove on the moon in 1969! Bugatti regularly produce extremely limited-edition or even oneoff models – such as its Sang Noir edition, from 2008, of which there were only 15 made. The recent blue version of its Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse – shown in September – sold instantly for US$2.5 million. Now Aston Martin, Pagani, Ferrari, Lamborghini and McLaren are also producing cars in exclusive numbers. Hand-built and tailored for each customer, ownership gives the buyer access to the very latest materials and construction methods, enabling them to drive a car that is at the absolute sharp end of automotive development. “These buyers want unique cars,” explains Joe Doyle, CEO of UK luxury car retailer and exporter HR Owen. “Buyers of hypercars tend to be self-made individuals who are looking for the ultimate 26
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in design and performance. They appreciate the genuine attention to detail that has gone into the design and construction of these cars. “In a Pagani, for example, every exposed screw has the brand logo on it, such is the level of detail. In this market buyers appreciate that. There are two other aspects: exclusivity is very important to hypercar buyers and some people also buy these cars in the belief that they may appreciate in value over time.” This year Pagani introduced its Huayra (pronounced ‘Why-ra’), the replacement for its legendary Zonda. Powered by a 6.0-litre twin-turbo V12 AMG engine good for 730bhp the Huayra is fantastically lightweight at just 1,500 kilograms and the power to weight ratio is awesome: 0-62mph in 3.3 seconds and a top speed beyond 224mph. Priced at US$1.2m, Pagani will make just 20 of them next year. At a cost of £1 million-plus, the Aston Martin One-77 is even more exclusive. Powered by a 7.3-litre 750hp V12 engine the British hypercar has the most powerful naturally-aspirated engine ever. Only 77 were made, constructed by hand from carbon fibre, magnesium and aluminium. The cabin has a sweeping centre console milled from a single aluminium billet and many hidden parts of the car have been perfectly milled by hand. Even the badge is hand-made by a jeweller.
BESPOKE MOTORING Pagani Huayra
Pagani Huayra
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BESPOKE MOTORING
Ferrari SP12 EC
Bugatti Veyron Super Sport
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BESPOKE MOTORING
Bugatti Sang Noir
Cars like these are as close to automotive art as we’ve seen in the 21st century. Which is why one owner of an Aston Martin One-77 placed his car in his living room like a Steinway piano. “These buyers want the latest and the greatest and they appreciate the finer things,” says Aston Martin’s design chief Marek Reichman. “They want cars that are collectable and they desire the chance to buy into something that will become a piece of history. The majority of customers justify the investment from an emotional perspective, they can see the value in how it is made. Most of its customers were involved from the outset and were part of the development process. That too was very important to them.” Often these cars take sports car design and construction in new and exciting directions. And like every good members’ club, owners are often invited by the carmaker, who return to their most loyal historic customers first. Sometimes these cars are accounted for before they’ve even left the drawing board. Meanwhile Ferrari has been going about the business of tailoring its cars for individual clients for years. Recently, Ferrari built a 458 Italia inspired by the 512 BB, called the SP12 EC for guitar player Eric Clapton. The car was designed by Centro Stile Ferrari in partnership with Pininfarina and was built through its One-Off Programme. Cost unknown.
For the last few years Lamborghini has been building very limited versions of its cars. The latest is the Sesto Elemento, which is the lightest Lamborghini ever built – extensively from carbon fibre – and which can only be driven on track. All 20 of them sold quickly. Such cars are tweaked and trimmed to realise the very pinnacle of what a manufacturer can offer. This year London-based coach builder Prindiville, built a one-off, road-legal Lamborghini Aventador – called the J – and revealed it in Geneva. The car was sold for an undisclosed sum almost immediately. Are cars like these a good investment? Some will be. Like art collecting, good investments depend on how well you know your market. For a proper car enthusiast, the real benefit is that you get to be at the front of the queue for the very latest, greatest and most technologically advanced cars. Sometimes you may even get to buy a car that is iconic before it’s even built. No investment is secure of course, so, like art, be sure that you don’t buy it unless you love it.
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PROFILE
A NEW MANDARIN Recognising the importance of Asia in the world of leisure and business travel, the luxury brand Mandarin Oriental has appointed its first Vice President to oversee three landmark properties: Singapore, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur.
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“It is interesting,” he says. “I opened the KL property 16 years ago. Now it is undergoing a complete overhaul. We are doing it in stages so as to try and not disturb our guests. One thing we are very excited about: Mosaic for all day dining and the fact we have a halal kitchen in the Chinese restaurant.”
He spent eight years as General Manager of the Mandarin Oriental in Tokyo before returning to Singapore eight months ago – his third stint here.
And, as you know, the MO in Jakarta has recently re-opened after a massive refurbishment: new rooms, new spa, new restaurants, especially Lyon where we are very excited with Thierry Le Queau’s French cuisine.”
iterally a modern mandarin, his name is Christian Hassing and he is no stranger to Singapore – or indeed to Malaysia and Indonesia. Hassing actually began his career with Mandarin Oriental as General Manager in Kuala Lumpur in 1997, where he was responsible for the opening and positioning of the new hotel.
His new role as Vice President is the first of its kind in Asia. He is based in Singapore where he is also GM of the Mandarin Oriental. The MO group is taking a dynamic and pro-active stance to expansion in Asia and he hints there may sooner rather than later be a new resort in Bali. (“We are looking at three projects but we have yet to choose one,” says Hassing.) In Singapore, the hotel has 527 rooms and suites as well as five renowned restaurants. The premium Oriental Club Lounge overlooks Marina Bay. It is conveniently close to the CBD, luxury boutiques and entertainment venues, Suntec Centre and Theatres on the Bay. And, of course, it is booked out months in advance for its position directly above the F! Grand Prix track.
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Christian Hassing is amazingly calm and collected when you meet him. As we enter the Club Lounge, he is subtly checking that everything is going perfectly. But no dramatics – perhaps just a raised eyebrow at a staff member. Hassing has been living in Asia, with some short returns, for nigh on 30 years. His father was a Dane and worked for SAS airlines and his mother was Austrian. So he was born in Vienna and spent parts of his childhood there, as well as in Denmark. He trained in hospitality, moved to the United States to take his first job with Fairmont and worked with them in New Orleans (where he met his wife), San Francisco and Dallas.
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Mandarin Oriental Singapore
Mandarin Oriental Jakarta
Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur
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Moments Restaurant, Barcelona
Rasoi by Vineet Restaurant, Geneva
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Heston Blumenthal Restaurant, London
Mark’s Restaurant, Munich
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Pierre Restaurant, Hong Kong
BUSINESS “Our guests in the three cities are pretty much a 50-50 combination of business and leisure travellers. With people of both intentions, we realize the competition is fierce so we are trying in two special areas to set us apart,” says Hassing. “A good bed in a comfortable room and great service is a given. But we are taking particular care with our spa concepts. We want to make our spas a luxury experience, relaxing and health-inducing and all our hotels and have state-of-the-art spaces set aside for this.” “The other area where nobody can afford to lag these days is with IT. We are always looking at ways to improve our technology, chiefly for lifestyle experiences. We are very interested in the smart phone phenomenon,” he says. “And we are working on programs that will enable you to download movies and take them on the road so they can watch them at leisure. And we are creating menus that cover just about everything that we want to make an automatic convenience to our guests.”
FOOD “The other area where we feel we have an advantage is food and wine. We look only for top notch chefs and we also feel we can bring one-off experiences to our guests with the occasional visit of starred chefs from other countries.” “Eight of our restaurants have been honoured in the 2013 Michelin Guides. This is more than any other hotel group in the world,” says Hassing. “In Barcelona, Moments Restaurant, headed by Carme Ruscalleda has two Michelin stars. Dinner, at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in London where Heston Blumenthal serves historic gastronomy with a 21st century twist has a Michelin star. In Geneva, Rasoi by Vineet is the first fine dining restaurant to offer contemporary Indian cuisine, with one star. In Munich, Restaurant Mark’s under Simon Larese also has one star. In Hong Kong MO has two Michelin-starred restaurants: Pierre, with the bold cuisine of Pierre Gagnaire and a Hong Kong dining institution, where Uwe Opocensky serves a modern interpretation of grill classics and the city’s finest seafood. Amber at The Landmark Mandarin Oriental also has two Michelin stars. At Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo, Signature’s contemporary French cuisine is a one-star restaurant.
Signature Restaurant, Tokyo
The Group continues to appoint globally renowned culinary talent throughout its portfolio, the most recent addition being Thierry Marx at Mandarin Oriental, Paris, where Sur Mesure has two Michelin stars.
CLUB ”Here in Singapore, our Club level has become extremely important in a very new area: cruising. We are finding a whole new customer base which likes the MO brand, checking in pre or post cruise ship. They want to begin with or end with the total indulgence experience of a luxury cruise liner. So we have expanded our Club service and increased the number of Club rooms to 120. And we have one of the best Club Lounges in town in terms of view, cuisine and wine selection.” “Apart from that, there are interesting new dynamics in Singapore. The ‘centre’ has shifted from Orchard to Marina Bay, especially for shopping and entertainment. And now the waterfront is literally littered with new restaurants. So we are in a very good position to be part of all that,” he says.
HR “The Mandarin Oriental company places the utmost importance on its staff,” says Hassing. “After all they are the people who meet people in this very public business. We are one of the few chains that really spends a lot of time on this. I think we have the highest ratio of employees per guest. And we try to look after them in return for their loyalty. I think we are still the only chain that offers senior managers a chance to study for their MBA – funded by the company.” “Then, of course, you must look to the marketplace. We must constantly adjust to national and world conditions in our properties. We must determine how to work best in any given business environment; it means constant adjustment and we also pro-actively seek new business opportunities.” Quite a job as VP for three countries – but hoteliers regard it as part of the job that they have very little free time. So what does Christian Hassing do in his spare hours? “I really enjoy just getting out into the fresh air here in Singapore. It is a great city for walking – and probably walking to food. My wife and I love Chinese food and, of course, after eight years in Japan, we have a great appreciation for Japanese cuisine.” w w w.mohg.com
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PROFILE
Succeeding Dr. Tahir Family resonates deeply with Dato’ Sri Prof Dr. Tahir, Chairman of Indonesia’s Mayapada Group. With his son, Jonathan Tahir, now at the helm of Mayapada Bank, Dr. Tahir is content to let his son lead while he follows him from behind. By Gwendoline Sim, Brian Yim & Lim Jiayi
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t is midday and Dato’ Sri Prof Dr. Tahir is done for the day’s work. He is sitting relaxed in his spacious sunlight-filled living room in the ultra exclusive enclave at Sentosa Cove in Singapore.
Even though he has been lately ranked 13th wealthiest man out of Indonesia’s 40 Richest, according to the Forbes 2012 list, with a net worth of US$1.8 billion, he muses nicely that he would rather be known as ‘Jonathan’s father.’ “I want to be remembered this way. If I have a good son, that is my legacy,” he says. “A lot of people say that the shape you go in when you step on stage is important. I agree. But what’s more important is what shape you are in when you step down from the stage.” Despite his significant wealth, Dr. Tahir is unassuming and modest, and this extends to his tastes as well. An art and wine collector, when asked his wine of choice, he grinned, saying, “I only drink water, it’s the best.” Wealth to him, transcends the stereotypical definitions, and should instead be regarded
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broadly as a deposit, a tangible asset, that can range from having a good family, a good son, and good health.To him, being knowledgeable, being well educated are also other facets of wealth. “It really depends on the meaning of your life and how it influences your family, society and even the world at large.” The founder and executive chairman of the Mayapada Group, his entrepreneurial roots began during his university days, where he started a small retail business selling Singaporean goods to Surabaya. In 1989, he founded Bank Mayapada, which has since grown into the Mayapada Group, and today, is currently one of the largest corporations with branches in financial services, real estate, healthcare, the media, duty free retail, and recently, aviation. “We have two different ways of doing business. One way is to sell and purchase, it’s called a deal. That’s the easiest way.The other one is called a platform. I build platforms,” he said.
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“What others may see as philanthropy, he regards as his passion to ser ve society, to harness the potential of his wealth to help others.�
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Dr. Tahir and his family
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From left, Dr. Tahir, President Tony Tan, and Jonathan Tahir, at the ceremony to mark his SGD 30 million gift to the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine.
“I will be in the second line, not from the side or the front, but to watch him from the back. It’s best to do this while I am still strong, while I am still at my peak.” Elaborating on his definition of a platform, he says, “I treat every opportunity as a new consideration. When the opportunity comes, I have to ask myself, what is the capital requirement for now and for future expansion? Who are my competitors? What kind of level can I bring my company to?” “I want to know if there is a good team to run it. Finally, what is the vision of this company? Added value? This is very important. We are looking for added value in our lives, in every field. Whether it’s in study or in marriage, you try to get added value. All these form a platform,” he said. “If I can answer these questions, then I will do it. These are all inclusive within my factors of control. Having a proper financial structure is one factor; proper teamwork is considered another factor as well. If I can answer 10 questions and I can fulfil them all, then I can have 10 platforms to work,” he said. Aside from his business commitments, Dr. Tahir actively donates to philanthropic causes, especially in education. In January 2012, he donated SGD 30 million to the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine. What others may see as philanthropy, he regards as his responsibility to serve society, to harness the potential of his wealth to help others.
“I don’t like the term, philanthropy. I rather refer to it a blessing. Live to be a blessing to others. If you only have a small capacity, at least be a blessing to your family,” he said. “But if you have a bigger capacity, be a blessing to your staff, be a blessing to your friends, and to your partners. You are just like a pipeline. God blesses other people through you. You are just a bridge, a channel of distribution of a blessing.” A devout Christian, he peppers his conversation with the word “blessing”. “Of course, the source comes from God. If you have even greater capacity, extend your blessing to help society, the country and the whole world. This is life. I help people not because it is a responsibility, but because it is my passion,” he said.
Responsible Wealth Ranked 20th among the esteemed list of 2012 Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur of the Year, Dr. Tahir was also named Indonesia’s Entrepreneur of the Year in 2011. For Dr. Tahir, being a successful entrepreneur boils down to discipline. A believer in starting the day early, he arrives in the office every day at 8.30am, and finishes the day’s work by noon. “If you want to be successful, this is the way. Not just discipline, but a high degree of discipline in order to be successful,” he said firmly. MillionaireAsia Indonesia
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PROFILE
From left, Jonathan Tahir and his father, Dr. Tahir.
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PROFILE
“I try to finish everything before lunch. After lunch, I meet with friends in the office, here we talk about exploring opportunities,” he said. With a wry smile, he said, “I will always remember what my teacher said to me in kindergarten. Finish the day’s homework on the day itself, because tomorrow you will have more work to do.” Other elements that have contributed to his success are his tenacious will and his strong sense of responsibility. Giving an analogy to rock climbing, he said, “I am the rock climber. I climb everything, until God says to stop. I will always climb. If I fail, I will climb again, if I fall down, I will climb again.” Continuously, relentlessly forging ahead, he subscribes to the notion of lifelong learning, saying, “I have to upgrade myself all the time, in knowledge, and so on.” Responsibility, Dr. Tahir gravely continues, means you have to place the needs of others before your own. As the family patriarch and business leader, any decisions made have to be based on sound rationale, rather than emotions. More importantly, he has to be mindful of his responsibilities, and place those before his own desires. “You have to be somebody, not yourself. If you be yourself, you will have no discipline,” he said. When it comes to charitable causes however, a matter close to his heart, Dr. Tahir is willing to make concessions. Relating to Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, CEO of Kingdom Holdings, the 16th richest man in the world according to Bloomberg, with estimated assets of USD 23.9 billion, Dr. Tahir brought up a recent dinner conversation with him, where he learnt that Prince Al-Waleed typically works 18 hours a day and sleeps for only five hours. “I asked Prince Al-Waleed if he ever does things according to emotion. He replied that he relies on rationality, and does not make decisions based on emotions.” Pausing for a while, he philosophised that being an entrepreneur is not the objective of one’s success. “To become an entrepreneur is not the end; it is not the final goal. It is merely a means, a way, a medium, a facilitator, to reach another objective,” he said. “You have to be clear on this,” he adds, that the objective “is to make your family happier, as well as the people around you, the society and the country.”
The next generation With his son, Jonathan, now helming Bank Mayapada as its President Commissioner, Dr. Tahir is confident that he has done all in his capacity to prepare him for his role.
My Father & I Yet another touching story Dr. Tahir shared with us was the story of his father’s last few years: “Before my father died, I served him for three years. My father had a stroke while I was in Paris in 1980. I could not get a flight home and I was delayed for three days. When I reached home, I was immediately summoned to the hospital. The doctor told me that my father may pass away that very afternoon. Desperate, I prayed to God, to please shorten my life and give three years to my father, give me an opportunity to serve him. That same afternoon, my father woke up from his coma. He lived for three years and two months. I was so grateful to have the privilege to serve my father, personally attending to his every basic need. My father had to be watched closely when he was later admitted in the hospital. He had a tendency to remove his tubing and had to be watched closely. His suffering was painful to see. When he passed away in his 70s, he left behind only USD 20.More importantly, my father left behind a very good example, the value of proper behaviour and honesty, to be sincere, honest, and righteous.”
That’s when he’ll listen. When he realises how much sacrifices his father had to make for him, that his father loves him and has his best interests at heart, that’s when he’ll be willing to listen to my advice,” he said. While Jonathan may have initially baulked at having to shoulder the weighty responsibility of leading the family’s business, Dr. Tahir reminded him that, “We live not because we like it. There are some things you have to do out of obligation, because it is your responsibility. Whether you like it or not, it is your duty.”
The only son in his family, Jonathan was groomed from young to eventually succeed his father and lead the family business. “From the very day he was born, I have prepared him for this role. I have taught him a lot and have spent much time with him,” he said.
An only son himself, Dr. Tahir empathises with Jonathan, realising the demanding duties he has to bear as a result of being his heir. “I am sympathetic to Jonathan. I may not seem like a good father because of the tremendous burden I place on his shoulders but I want him to know that just like me, I had no choice too as an only son,” he said. “I would have preferred to have an elder brother to take the pressure off me but I don’t have that luxury.”
These ‘teachings’ could take place in the most unusual of places, such as in the car, while chauffeuring Jonathan to school during his days as a student at the University of California, Berkeley. “With the15 minutes I have during the drive, I can talk to him.
In this close-knit father-son relationship, Bank Mayapada stands as a token of Dr. Tahir’s love for his son. Even though it was more profitable to sell the bank and pocket the profits rather than keep it, Dr. Tahir held back, as he wanted to reserve the bank for his
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PROFILE
The Milk of Human Kindness Amidst the people Dr. Tahir has helped, he has never been able to forget the tale of the two siblings. He met them almost a decade ago, when they were in their adolescent years, selling packets of soya milk on the streets, for a mere 500 Rp per packet. While there were passer-bys who pitied them and wanted to give them spare change, they refused to accept it, taking pride in their own self-sufficiency. When Dr. Tahir heard about them from one of his managers, he decided to look for them, bringing along Jonathan, then a young boy, with him to visit the siblings at their single-room house. There, he met their father, who, due to a head injury, had to have the siblings help him out with his business. Making a deal with him, Dr. Tahir offered to pay him 700,000 Rp and have the siblings ‘work’ for him, instead of selling soya milk on the streets. Spending two hours a day in his bank, they would do their homework there before heading home.
they were troubled, Dr. Tahir asked if there were facing a problem, at which they confided in him that they could not afford the entrance fees to medical school. Despite their financial struggles, the siblings did not ask for any hand outs from him, which deeply impressed Dr. Tahir. “I consulted the chancellor who kindly gave me a 20% discount. Then, my wife reminded me that in addition to the expensive entrance fees, books would also be expensive. I recalled my childhood dream of wanting to be a doctor, dashed dreams as my parents could not afford it. I decided then, that I would sponsor their university education,” he said. Reiterating, he said, “I am not a philanthropist. I have no privilege to be called that. However, I would like to share the human value. You have a social responsibility. I do it as I came from a poor family and I know how difficult life could be.”
Years later, the siblings returned to invite him to their school’s graduation ceremony, as well as to let him know that they were accepted into medical school. Seeing that
Dato’ Sri Prof. Dr. Tahir, MBA Founder, Chairman, and CEO of the Mayapada Group Established in 1986, the Mayapada Group had its beginnings as a garment business, before Dr. Tahir branched out to form Bank Mayapada in 1989, which has now become the group’s bedrock. A public listed company on the Indonesia Stock Exchange, the bank stands among the ranks of the four largest private banks in the country, with 180 branches in total. Today, the Mayapada Group has further ventured into sectors such as financial services, retail, healthcare, real estate, and the media, with additional plans for expansion in the making. Among the leading conglomerates in Indonesia, the success of the Mayapada Group can be partly attributed to Dr. Tahir’s business strategy to partner with global brands such as Duty Free Shoppers (DFS) in 2004, Forbes Indonesia and Zurich Insurance in 2010. Aside from these joint partnerships, the Mayapada Group also owns various office tower buildings in Jakarta’s central business district, such as Mayapada Tower, Permata Tower, Sona Topas Tower, and Menara Topas. Current plans on the horizon for the group includes a joint collaboration with Singapore to build one of Indonesia’s largest hospitals, as well as moving into the natural resources sector.
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son to succeed him and learn the ways of being a leader. While some detractors were concerned that Jonathan, at the age of 25, might have been too young to be thrust into such a prominent role, Dr. Tahir differs. Recognising the importance of having your own support team, Dr. Tahir told Jonathan to form his own team of advisors, who will support him in his role as a leader. “I told him that he cannot count on my team. They will not listen to him as they have been with me for the past 20 years. You have to recruit and build your own team, one that will be faithful to you,” he said. More than ever, Jonathan, as Dr. Tahir’s heir, “has to be in the spotlight and face the wind and rain. When he faces difficulties, he will make decisions and become proficient in making judgement calls. This is the only way he will mature.” Preferring instead to be Jonathan’s rock, he said, “I will be in the second line, not from the side or the front, but to watch him from the back. It’s best to do this while I am still strong, while I am still at my peak.”
PROFILE
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In The Saleroom
Orange, Red, Yellow Mark Rothko (1903-1970) Estimate 35,000,000 - 45,000,000 U.S. dollars Price Realized 86,882,500 U.S. dollars
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In The Saleroom
ONE FIFTH OF ART BUYERS NOW FROM ASIA The auction house Christie’s has released a fascinating treatise on the trends of art sales in the last year.
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he global appeal of art continues to encourage new collectors to acquire works of art and, in 2012, the average number of registered bidders per auction was 53% higher than a decade ago. Christie’s realised worldwide sales of a massive $6.27 billion, up 10% on 2011. This includes private sales of $1 billion, an increase of 26% on the same period last year, and represents the highest annual total in both company and art market history. Global auctions welcomed bidders from 136 countries highlighting the international appeal of art, with 19% of all registered bidders as new clients.
ASIA European and U.S. clients naturally accounted for 75% of sale registrations. While sale totals for Asian Art and auction sales in Hong Kong decreased from the record levels of 2011, Asian clients represented 19% of registered bidders at global sales, a 1% increase on 2011. An increased participation by Asian collectors at global sale sites was evident at every level of the market, from Rembrandt’s A Man in a Gorget and Cap, which sold in London for $13.2 million, to Christie’s South Kensington which saw a 10% increase in new registered bidders from the region. Le Rose du bleu Yves Klein (1928-1962) Estimate on Request Price Realized 23,561,250 British pounds
Christie’s sold 686 works at auction for over $1 million and 49 for over $10 million.
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In The Saleroom
Nymphéas Claude Monet (1840-1926) Estimate 30,000,000 - 50,000,000 U.S. dollars Price Realized 43,762,500 U.S. dollars Statue of Liberty Andy Warhol (1928-1987) Estimate on Request Price Realized 43,762,500 U.S. dollars
L’ombrelle Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) Estimate: £4-7million
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Jeanne Hébuterne (Au chapeau) Amedeo Modigliani (1884-1920) Estimate: £16,000,000-22,000,000
In The Saleroom
Balancement Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944) Estimate: £5-8 million
The market at more accessible price levels represents the majority of transactions and continues to perform strongly; Christie’s South Kensington saleroom, which offers works of art from under £1,000, recorded its highest ever total for the third consecutive year, having welcomed a 10% growth in registered bidders and a 20% increase in total sales. Post-War and Contemporary art led the categories with record auction sales of $1.6 billion – a 34% increase over 2011. The category saw increased demand at every level, with a 14% growth in the number of registered bidders for works of art under £100,000. The Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Auction in New York last November realised $412.3 million, becoming the most valuable auction ever held in the category. The Post-War and Contemporary auction in London last June realised $207.3 million, becoming the most valuable auction ever held in the category in Europe. Notable increases were also seen for Impressionist and Modern Art which realised auctions sales of $997.7 million (+14%); and Old Masters & 19th Century Art which totaled $322.6 million (+26%). The highest auction price for the year at Christie’s was paid for Mark Rothko’s Orange, Red, Yellow which sold last May in New York for $86,882,500, establishing a world record price for any contemporary work of art sold at auction.
ONLINE Accessibility to the market was a key and Christie’s says they have continued to develop an online presence. So, 2012 saw an 11% increase in visitors to their website and their inaugural season of online-only auctions, offering works of art, wine, fashion and memorabilia at accessible prices. Online-only auctions attracted 39% new buyers. Christie’s first Online-Only auction was the Collection of Elizabeth Taylor last December. This was followed by six more online-only auctions in 2012, offering art, memorabilia, fashion and wine, and at which an average 39% of buyers were new to Christie’s. Some 27% of all bidders participated via the internet and Christie’s LIVE saw a 4% increase in registrations compared to the previous year. In November in New York, Edward Hopper’s October on Cape Cod sold for $9.6 million to an internet bidder, setting the highest price for a work of art sold online at an international auction. w w w.christies.com (Photographs courtesy Christie’s Images Limited 2012)
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In The Saleroom
TIME IS MONEY In 2010, Sotheby’s watch and clock auctions fetched a record US$85 million, with these sales representing a growth of 43% over 2011.
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here were two standout stars: The Duc d’Orléans Breguet Sympathique set a record for any clock at auction, fetching $6,802,500 in New York and the Henry Graves, Jr. Yellow Gold Minute Repeating Wristwatch by Patek Philippe achieved the highest ever price paid for a watch at Sotheby’s at US$2,994,500, also in New York. Also among the stellar offerings were watches from the collection of the late Reginald H. Fullerton, Jr. and his grandfather Henry Graves Jr. with the Patek Philippe Ref. 5002P Sky Moon Tourbillon and the George Daniels Horological Collection.
Tim Bourne, worldwide Head of Watches says “We are delighted with the fabulous results achieved in 2012. With the reconstruction of the department we have seen unprecedented growth in the Company’s watch and clock auction and private sale business, with record-breaking results in Hong Kong, New York and London. Clients bidded from 70 countries and we look forward to bringing more extraordinary timepieces to the market in 2013.”
ASIA Sotheby’s Hong Kong Important Watches Auctions in April and October 2012 brought a combined total of US$28.3 million, well above a pre-sale total estimate of US$20.6 million and a 20% increase from the previous year.
Patek Philippe Ref. 5002P Sky Moon Tourbillon
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The autumn sale alone realised US$15 million against pre-sale estimates US$11.4 – 16 million, the highest ever total for a sale of important watches at Sotheby’s worldwide.
In The Saleroom Both sales attained excellent ‘sold rates’ of over 90% by value and participation remained highly international with bidding from around Asia, Europe and US, as well as remarkable online participation. World auction records were achieved in Hong Kong for a Philippe Dufour wristwatch (US$617,949) and a Patek Philippe Ref. 5079 (US$510,256) and Ref. 5104 wristwatches (US$633,333), while a Patek Philippe Ref. 5002P Sky Moon Tourbillon sold for a remarkable US$1.35 million.
EUROPE Sotheby’s watch sales in Europe totalled US$30.3 million in 2012, and were highlighted by the landmark auction of the George Daniels Horological Collection which achieved US$13,249,594, far exceeding the pre-sale estimates. A remarkable 98.5% of the 137 lots belonging to the great British horologist sold when buyers battled for the highly prized timepieces. All of the nine watches made by George Daniels saw strong demand, selling above their high estimates. Top lot of the sale was George Daniels’ Space Traveller’s Watch for US$2,125,737. Sotheby’s Geneva spring and autumn auctions were led by rare models of vintage and modern wristwatches, including a most probably unique example of Patek Philippe Ref. 2524/1 retailed by Tiffany & Co, which doubled pre-sale expectations and sold for US$571,328.
Patek Philippe Ref. 5079 & Ref. 5104
Another highlight was the sale of an 1825 carriage clock by the celebrated watch and clockmaker, Breguet, which was bought for US$452,202 by the Breguet Museum in Paris.
NORTH AMERICA Sotheby’s sales of watches and clocks in North America totalled US$26.48 million in 2012 – an 83% increase over 2011. The auctions featured watches from the collection of the Late Reginald H. Fullerton, Jr. and his grandfather Henry Graves, Jr. achieved 100% sold and realized US$8.3 million, almost tripling its estimate. The auction was led by the Henry Graves, Jr. Yellow Gold Minute Repeating Wristwatch by Patek Philippe that sold for US$2,994,500, soaring above its US$800,000 high estimate to achieve the highest-ever price for a wristwatch at Sotheby’s worldwide. A Patek Philippe Ref. 2512/1 made US$962,000 – 10 times its estimate. The current record for any timepiece at auction was also set at Sotheby’s 1999 sale of Masterpieces from the Time Museum in New York, when The Henry Graves Supercomplication sold for US$11,002,500. w w w.sothebys.com
Sotheby’s 2013 Worldwide Watch & Clock Sales are 7 April in Hong Kong, 11 May in Geneva and 13 June in New York. Patek Philippe Ref. 2524/1 retailed by Tiffany & Co
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IN THE SALEROOM
WESTERN
PROMISE The growing appeal of Western art investment in Asia. By Remo Notarianni
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ontemporary artists from the West are winning a loyal following in Asia.
As the region’s artists make an impression globally, its own art lovers are looking further afield to liven up collections with the likes of Picassos and Hirsts. The exponential growth of the art business in the region has provided space for diversity and the seismic changes have been ‘art historical’. China recently overtook the United States to become the world’s biggest market for art and antiques. According to a report published in 2012 and commissioned by TEFAF Maastricht, China’s share of the global art market reached 30 percent in 2011, from 23 percent in 2010, pushing the United States into second place with a 29 percent share. The United Kingdom, which was overtaken by China in 2010, is now third with a 22 percent market share. As with many industries, China’s pre-eminence in the industry is fuelling growth in the region’s business hubs, including Hong Kong. And as new markets provide opportunities, the art market remains resilient globally. While there have been obvious signs of cautious buying in auction rooms, such as Sotheby’s London Impressionist and Modern Art auction in June, in which only one third of the lots were sold, the sales figures of artists from Europe and the United States seem to be defying economic recession in traditional markets. Swiss sculptor Alberto Giacometti’s L’Homme Qui Marche I sold for an astonishing USD 103.78m at Sotheby’s London in 2010, and more recently there was a sale of the 1895 paste-on-board version of Edvard Munch’s famed The Scream for USD 120m at Sotheby’s to American investor and businessman Leon Black, which broke auction house records. 48
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Asia’s wealthy are becoming more creative with their wealth, as they begin to invest in alternative investments such as art.
IN THE SALEROOM
Bust De Femme D’apres Cranach Le Jeune, Picasso
Hong Kong’s growth as an art hub is linked to the boom in Chinese contemporary art and the tax advantages of its free trade, but there has been a significant presence of mainland Chinese collectors at auction houses, not only in Hong Kong, who are putting Western collections into the region. Picasso’s Nude, Green Leaves and Bust, sold for USD 106.4m to a Chinese collector at Christie’s in 2011 and in July, 2011, a Chinese buyer paid USD 21.4m for Picasso’s Femmes Lisant at Sotheby’s.
i-Restaurateur at CKI Gallery
In July a buyer from Greater China bought a black chalk Michelangelo sketch at Christie’s for USD 5m. Yet back in 2006, the news of the sale of Andy Warhol’s portrait of Chairman Mao for USD 17.4m by a Hong Kong property developer would have been headline-grabbing. It seems obvious to link the interest in art to the appetite of China’s new wealthy classes for luxury goods but new tastes in Asia are expanding horizons. Sotheby’s just announced that it will allow a single work at auction in China, in a joint venture agreement with the state-owned Beijing GeHua Art company to organise its first offering of Western furniture and other decorative arts in Asia, in a selling exhibition in November, is a sign that collectors are diversifying in China. “It is misleading to assume that there are specific ‘Asian’ tastes,” says Graham Steele, Asian director of UK gallery White Cube, which opened its first overseas branch in Hong Kong in 2011. “While this could be seen as true in one sense, it is limiting in a larger sense. Tastes are becoming global at the same time as they are increasingly personal: one need not assume that the average collector just wants to buy what their friend has. The world of art in Asia is getting bigger. It is through conversation and dialogue that these tastes evolve and develop.”
Andy Warhol - Mao Tse Tung
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IN THE SALEROOM
CKI Gallery
The sales figures of artists from Europe and the United States seem to be defying economic recession in traditional markets
Ceramic sculpture by Eva Hilde
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That’s visible at street level with White Cube being one of many international galleries opening up in Hong Kong, presenting Western as well as Asian contemporary art. The value of an art piece does go beyond aesthetic appreciation and the various factors that are driving the art market. Like Chinese art, Western art is seen as having investment value. “Investors the world over select art that they know and understand,” said Michael Donnan, Art Director at Collins & Kent International Fine Art, an art advisory and dealership from Australia which has just opened its first branch in Hong Kong. “Asian investors are finding excellent value in the ‘household names’ of Western art – names such as Picasso, Cezanne or, in the contemporary market, Hirst are synonymous with excellent investment performance. This intrinsic value coupled with new and innovative yield options is propelling the market and opening it up to new investors in Asia. Asian investors have become the largest and most frequent buyers at fine art auctions around the world; and are estimated to have accounted for 41 percent of all auction purchases in 2011 alone. Investors and collectors should also devote a healthy percentage of their portfolios to blue chip artists such as Picasso to ensure stability and good, safe mid- to long-term growth.” But offerings in Hong Kong are now moving beyond artists who have a kind of brand name status, to categories not widely seen before in the city, and it reflects a rich and varied collector class. French Galerie Nilsen et Chiglien (NEC), which specialises in contemporary ceramics, opened a gallery in Hong Kong in 2012. “Western contemporary ceramic art has found an artistic renewal, while becoming a part of ‘fine art’,” said NEC’s Hong Kong gallery director Remy Jarry. “Obviously, the pioneers of this trend are the avant-garde collectors, who have understood this development in advance and kept on investing.”
IN THE SALEROOM
Troy Sadler and Michael Donnan of CKI Gallery
Asian investors have become the largest and most frequent buyers at fine art auctions around the world Jarry cites Swedish ceramicist Eva Hild, for whom NEC has organised exhibitions, as an example, asserting that she has seen her art market value double within months. He states that a similar art piece sold for USD 20, 000, in their gallery during their 2010 exhibition was auctioned six months later at Phillips de Pury, New York for 50 percent more. One need only look at the offerings at ARTHK – the biggest international art fair in Asia, which has grown largely on the success of contemporary Chinese art as well as the sales of Western art. At its fifth edition in 2012, it included German postmodernist George Baselitz’s Stalin und Woroschilov pissen von der Kremlmover, which was sold by White Cube for USD 500,000 to an Asian collector, but this also indicates an evolving market which is creating new buyer categories. “The current trend towards the focus on the masterpieces by the most influential artists seems to be continuing,” says Steele. “The nationality of the artist is becoming less important as the old collector and the new collector both want what everyone else wants: the best.” Cerith Wyn Evans, Gift, 2012
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LUXURY
Little
Black book MillionaireAsia speaks to seven influential business leaders for their luxury living maxims.
Bonnie Gokson Entrepreneur Bonnie worked in the fashion industry before launching one of Hong Kong’s most glamorous restaurants SEVVA, and more recently Mrs B’s Cakery.
Broken Heart Hot Sour on 116 Fuk Wing Street in Sham Shui Po. Their spicy chicken dish, hot & sour noodles and sautéed potato shreds give you a kick!
I always look forward to staying at… Taj Palace Hotel in Mumbai. I love the grandeur and nostalgia of this hotel and the suites in the Palace Wing are lovely.
I usually fly with… Cathay Pacific or private.
The last item of clothing I bought was…
My travel essentials are…
At CoutureLab in London. Having been in the fashion industry for such a long time, I am pretty bored by the large big-brand stores that you see everywhere. It’s refreshing to find a place that edits their merchandise so well both for clothing and accessories.
The next thing on my wish list is…
For hairdressing I always go to… The Kim Robinson Salon.
I buy my business suits from… I’d say some of my best suits are from Tom Ford.
An event I never miss… The Oscars....love it!
My most unforgettable holiday was to… The one I had just recently. Two weeks on a huge private superyacht with more than 15 staff to pamper just nine of us. We went to Turkey and hopped around various Greek Islands.
In my drinks cabinet you’ll always find… Very chilled and delicious bubbles and also lots of very high pH level good water.
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I always return to…
MillionaireAsia Indonesia
My scarves, summer weight cashmere silk sweaters and all my serums and creams.
My next door apartment.
LUXURY The last item of clothing I bought was… A Tom Ford three-piece Windsor suit
I never miss… Vinitaly! A five-day long extravaganza taking place in Verona every spring, celebrating the greatness of Italian wine..
In my drinks cabinet you’ll always find… Usually its vino, but I enjoy a nice Hendricks G&T now and then.
The best meal I have ever had was… The vegetarian tasting menu at Le Louis XV in Monaco. Truly unforgettable.
A restaurant I always return to… Cal Pep in Barcelona.
I always look forward to staying at… The Four Seasons Kona. I’m competing in the Kona Ironman World Championships again in 2013, and staying there post-race is the best way to recover. I also love La Perla in Corvara.
I usually fly with… Delta 767 or Bombardier Global Express when I’m lucky enough to get invited.
My travel essentials are… Running shoes and my baseball cap.
The watch I wear is… Always IWC.
joe Bastianich US MasterChef presenter, vintner and restaurateur extraordinaire Joe recently opened Carnevino, a high-end steak and wine restaurant in Central. He co-owns many more with his friend and frontman, Mario Batali.
The last item of clothing I bought was… A roll up panama from Lock & Co in London. I love their shop in St James’s Street.
For personal grooming I go to… I’m wary of all the chemicals in modern skincare products so I always turn to Organic Pharmacy and Yon Ka. I buy my suits from… I never buy off the peg suits. We have such good tailors in Asia it would be foolhardy to not use them. In HK I like Roger Cheung, Y William Yu and for shirts William Cheng.
In my drinks cabinet you’ll always find… Carpano Antica Formula vermouth.
The best meal I have ever had was…
Grant Thatcher British-born Grant founded cult travel guide brand, Luxe in 2002, when he moved from HK to Bangkok and found a gap in the market for an up-to-date lifestyle guide.
One of my many favourites was at a tiny Bakfickan in Stockholm – the best meatballs in the city.
I always return to… The Dining Room at The Goring Hotel in London.
I always look forward to staying at… The Connaught in London.
The watch I wear is… A 1955 gold-plated Smith with black face – it was my father’s first watch, and was subsequently worn by my mother. MillionaireAsia Indonesia
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LUXURY
Denise Lo Denise works as Elite Development Director at Christian Dior. Her hectic work schedule includes plenty of international travel.
For personal grooming… I have always followed Calvin Chan wherever he goes and his latest partner is at M.i Salon in Prince’s Building.
My most unforgettable holiday was… At the Clayoquot Wilderness Resort in Tofino, British Columbia. We stayed in luxurious tents out in the open and could hear the sounds of wildlife at night.
The best meal I ever had was… At Tetsuya’s in Sydney but we sat for nearly five hours until past midnight!
I always return to… Lac Hong Vietnamese restaurant in Paris 16th Arrondisement. Their beef pho is the best in the world.
I always look forward to staying at… Shangri-La Tokyo, it’s complete bliss whenever I’m there. I look for quietness in a hotel so I can catch up on my precious sleep during holidays. Ryokans like Gorakadan and Asaba are also favourites.
My travel essentials are… Vaseline and my most comfortable flip flops!
The watch I wear… Varies! Perhaps my Dior VIII black with snowset diamond bezel in the day and Bulgari Serpenti with black enamel and diamonds in the evening.
The next thing on my wish list is… A pied-a-terre in London!
Nick Candy British property tycoon Nick is the co-founder of Candy & Candy, which he runs with his brother Christian. One of their most recent projects, the billion-dollar One Hyde Park in London, features apartments that have sold for up to GBP 100 million. I always look forward to staying at… The One & Only Resorts – especially Reethi Rai in The Maldives where I proposed to my wife last Christmas.
For personal grooming I always go to... The Refinery in Harrods for a traditional wet shave. I also like the Daniel Galvin Junior salon in Belgravia, London.
The last item of clothing I bought was… A bespoke tuxedo from Dolce & Gabbana for my wedding!
I buy my suits from… A combination of Dolce & Gabbana and luxury Mayfair tailors Thom Sweeney, who use the most incredible fabrics and have taken bespoke tailoring to a new level.
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An event I never miss… My wife Holly and I always attend the Oscars which we look forward to every year as well as Elton John’s White Tie and Tiara Ball in the summer.
In my drinks cabinet you’ll always find… Dom Perignon champagne and Ciroc vodka.
I always return to… Mr Chow in Beverly Hills is one of my favourite restaurants, as well as Zuma and Cecconis in London.
I usually fly with… British Airways First Class and I think the suites on Singapore Airlines on the A380 are outstanding. I also travel by private jet for short haul journeys in Europe in my own Challenger 605.
The watch I wear is… I am an avid collector of watches including Franck Muller, AP, Rolex, to Bulgari, Boucheron and Hublot.
LUXURY
David von Gunten Swiss-born David von Gunten began his career in the luxury watchmaking industry at Omega S.A. before progressing to Roger Dubois and then Audemars Piguet, where he was appointed Chief Executive Officer in 2009. I always look forward to staying at… Aman resorts, wherever they are located. The purity of their hotel design as well as the excellence of their service never fail to provide me with the peace I seek during my short breaks.
I usually fly with… Singapore Airlines, which seems to have an edge over its competitors.
My travel essentials are… Very basic. Good suits, shirts and comfortable shoes for business. Running gear too as sport in general occupies a special place in my life.
For personal grooming I always go to…. The Hong Kong Mandarin Oriental spa for a massage.
I never miss… The Montreux Jazz Festival, held at the beginning of July on the shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland.
My most unforgettable holiday was to… Scotland. I was so impressed by the vastness of the area, by the beauty of the nature there and by the warmth of the people.
The last item of clothing I bought was… A tailor-made Ermenegildo Zegna suit. I love their fabric’s quality and design, they are extremely comfortable to wear. The impeccable service provided in their boutiques is also a draw.
The next thing on my wish list is… An Audemars Piguet Royal Oak extra-thin, the re-edition of the exact first Royal Oak that was launched 40 years ago.
In my drinks cabinet you’ll always find…. Drinks with character, mostly red wines from the Bordeaux region or from Tuscany.
The best meal I have ever had was… A couple of years ago we celebrated New Year’s Eve with a group of friends at Mosaic in Ubud, Bali. The experience was very special as we had the privilege of a private room that included a professional kitchen and a lounge.
My favourite restaurants are… I would name Otto e Mezzo, L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon and Zuma in Hong Kong. In Singapore I love Iggy’s for the passion that you can feel in every dish.
The watch I wear is… An Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph in forged carbon and ceramic.
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LUXURY
Jerome Griffith
US-born Jerome joined TUMI as President and CEO in 2009, having previously enjoyed success at Gap Inc.and Esprit. Jerome has lived in five countries, and managed businesses in five different continents.
I always look forward to staying at…
The best meal I have ever had was…
The Upper House because it has the best view of Hong Kong. As a frequent traveller I always take pleasure in seeing a city from above. A captivating view in my mind is priceless.
At home; there’s nothing like a good home cooked meal. I have an affinity for spicy foods. One of my favorite dishes is red curry with chicken, extra spicy of course.
For personal grooming I always go to…
I always return to…
Marie Robinson because they consistently give me the best haircuts I’ve ever had. Aside from a great cut it’s the service that makes this a standout place for me. As a repeat customer they know exactly what I like.
508 in New York. Its perfect for a hearty meal or a bunch of appetizers. Conveniently located in my neighbourhood I’m always greeted with a friendly smile and they treat me like family. I know the menu by heart. For lunch, the chicken cashew salad is a favorite.
The last item of clothing I bought was… A pair of jeans. A great pair of dark wash jeans is an essential. Paired with a shirt and blazer it instantly dresses up the look. It’s become one of my uniforms. I also have a weakness for anything John Varvatos.
I buy my suits from… Freemans because not only do they have a secret tailor room behind a bookcase, but you can get a great meal after your fitting. It’s the attention to detail and personal service that sets Freeman’s apart from others and what has won me over as a repeat customer.
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I usually fly with… Virgin because the service is excellent. They go above and beyond to make your travels a comfortable and enjoyable experience.
MEN’S LIFESTYLE
ON THE CUFF Many men don’t feel comfortable with jewellery. The exception is the cufflink and the Spanish jeweller Carrera y Carrera has just unveiled its premier collection of silver beauties.
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hese original pieces are crafted in sterling silver by the company’s own master artisans and are designed for personal buying or as gifts. (Prices begin at €300).
The cufflinks from the Córdoba collection are inspired by the architectural elements of that ancient Spanish city and embody a fusion of different cultures. For the La Viña collection, the links are inspired by the Mediterranean and represent the Spanish spirit – sun, passion, energy, and joy.
The cufflinks from the Y collection are symbols of the Carrera y Carrera brand identity – a perfect and simple design that is easy to wear, any time. If you want something of Asia, the cufflinks from the Círculos de Fuego collection are full of character, while the lion, tiger, crocodile, and eagle are the stars and true kings of Bestiario, one of the strongest and most emblematic collections from Carrera y Carrera. w w w.carreraycarrera.com
The cufflinks from the Alegrías collection are perfect for daily wear: mini-sculptures with geometric reliefs similar to the ones you see in the decoration of a Spanish guitar.
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BESPOKE JEWELLERY
Federico Pastorelli & Simon Inglefield Stephen Einhorn
BEST OF BRITISH With a focus on bespoke jewellery and original design, Stephen Einhorn is admired by both industry creatives and his loyal customers who stretch from his hometown of London to Paris, Hong Kong and Beverly Hills.
H
e established the business in 1995 and has become synonymous with quality, exclusivity and cutting edge design of contemporary men’s and women’s jewellery.
He has gained recognition from the elite in British design circles and is worn by many cool Londoners such as David Gandy, Noel Fielding, Fearne Cotton, Florrie Arnold, Misfits, Johnny Depp, Charlize Theron, Eva Green, Amanda Seyfried Amir Khan, Chris Smalling and This is England actor Joe Gilgun. Einhorn has been regularly commissioned by companies to design jewellery ranges. These have included collections for Paul Smith, cult Japanese brand A Bathing Ape and pieces for Dunhill.
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Einhorn’s vision began in the mid-nineties with the selling of his house and advertising model-making company, which enabled him to raise capital. With this funding, he had the means to pursue his dream and set up a jewellery business. Many years on, he still works from his atelier on Angel Islington’s Upper Street in London. “As a born and bred London designer, I am proud to be part of a vibrant creative scene and feel passionate about keeping London-based jewellery design and production alive and flourishing,” says Einhorn. Einhorn’s jewellery has been described as ‘cutting-edge design with a modern British sensibility.’ His customers are individuals who seek originality, exclusivity and high quality craftsmanship.
BESPOKE JEWELLERY
BESPOKE Bespoke jewellery is the ultimate luxury item and Stephen Einhorn bespoke designs are pieces that are made for now and to last for many generations to come. For 17 years, Einhorn has been designing special one-off jewellery pieces. He is renowned for his bespoke wedding and engagement rings. Custom-made cufflinks are also among his most popular commissions.
In addition, Einhorn is regularly commissioned by film and theatre directors, set and costume designers and advertising agencies to create bespoke designs for Hollywood blockbusters. These include Oscar-winning film, Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows and Snow White & The Huntsman. Stephen Einhorn has the philosophy that ‘if you can imagine it, I can make it!’
He is also often asked to design pieces to mark a special occasion, as well as corporate jewellery and specially-designed pieces for colleagues and clients.
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FINE TIMEPIECES
Universal Truth: DB28 Skybridge Ancestral skills and the latest scientific breakthroughs meet and mingle under the impetus of David Zanetta and Denis Flageollet with a timepiece that boasts aesthetic ambition and peerless technical precision. It is called Skybridge and it embodies the entire repertoire of the Manufacture De Bethune. While classically inspired in terms of its round shape, its 12 o’clock crown and hunter-type back are borrowed from the classic pocket watch. The ultra-light, mirror-polished titanium case of the DB28, with its distinctive floating lugs, proclaims the collection’s futuristic nature. “A nocturnal window on infinity, Skybridge features a whole host of astonishing shimmering effects, in turn brilliant or intensely radiant with the blue that has been a House signature for the past
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11 years,” says De Bethune from their manufactory in the village of L’Auberson. It is a reference to the famous 18th century clocks with its starstudded sky in mirror-polished and blued titanium. The spherical moon-phase display is accentuated by an arrow-shaped bridge that appears to be pointing towards infinity. Two flame-blued and mirror-polished steel hands gracefully sweep across a constellation delicately highlighted by a minute circle. It is finished by a sprinkling of white gold and diamond stars. The hour-markers resemble tiny suspended spheres. “A sense of timeless depth to the celestial canopy.” w w w.debethune.com
FINE TIMEPIECES
BACK TO THE FUTURE To celebrate the opening of its first store in Paris, Vacheron Constantin has revisited its iconic 1972 collection. On June 23, 1972, the Comité de France bestowed the coveted Prestige de la France award on Vacheron Constantin in tribute to the brand’s distinctive expertise. In celebration of that honour, the company brought out a wristwatch of innovative appearance, with an asymmetrical design that was very daring for its day. Since then, Vacheron Constantin has continued to offer this asymmetrical shape in various sizes and proportions (both for men and women), such that it has developed into the iconic 1972 collection. The 1972 Prestige harkens back to its roots in the historic model. It has the same elegance and harmonious proportions, is the same size, and still houses a mechanical hand-wound movement. Like the original, the new 1972 is embellished with Prestige de la France engraved on the back. The 1972 Prestige takes its strength and balance from the principles of the golden section. For example, the dimension of the longest side of the case, divided by the length of the sapphire crystal on the opposite side, equals 1.618 – the famous golden section that appears in several of the greatest successes in the history of art and architecture, from the facade of the Parthenon in Athens to Le Corbusier’s Modulor. This restrained silhouette is further set off by the polished white gold case and, for a highly sophisticated touch, the grey satinfinished sunburst dial features subtle chevron motifs accentuated by two 18K 5N pink gold dauphine hands. At its heart beats Vacheron Constantin’s Calibre 1003, an extraordinary mechanical movement, developed in 1952 and introduced on the company’s two-hundredth birthday in 1955. To this day, it remains the thinnest mechanical hand-wound movement on the market. On this occasion, Vacheron Constantin has chosen to use a revisited version of this calibre. It remains only 1.64 mm thick – still a record for thinness on the market. In contrast, its finishes are more sophisticated than in the early days, because now the bridges and plate are made of 18K gold. Its 117 components work at a frequency of 18,000 vph, and, despite its minuscule size, it has a power reserve of over 30 hours. It is meticulously finished: applying the Côtes de Genève motif, circular graining and bevelling of the components, and drawing of the steel parts are all done entirely by hand. Today, the extreme slenderness of Vacheron Constantin’s Calibre 1003 is paired with the 1972 Prestige model in service to a new stylistic expression, emboldened by the asymmetrical white gold case and brown alligator leather strap. As a fitting final touch to an exceptional piece, the 1972 Prestige bears the famous Poinçon de Genève (Hallmark of Geneva). w w w.vacheron-constantin.com
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Midnight Seduction Harry Winston at its most classically elegant, the Harry Winston Midnight Collection exudes a spirit of nocturnal sophistication. Executed with the brand’s unmistakable style, with all the dedication to perfection in the smallest detail synonymous with the house of Harry Winston, the latest introduction to the collection is an especially dramatic rendition of the House’s interpretation of classic watchmaking. Taking the fundamental essence of the Midnight Collection, the Midnight Skeleton is a visually striking display of the watchmaker’s art, through the use of the craft known as skeletonizing or open-working. To create one of the world’s most beautiful open-worked watches, Harry Winston has created an especially flat movement for the timepiece. One of the most important characteristics of this movement is that instead of using a full diameter oscillating mass to drive the self-winding mechanism, it instead uses a micro-rotor, which takes up much less space and helps create a physical architecture especially conducive to the art of open-working. Available in white or rose gold, the Midnight Skeleton timepieces show both the mastery of classical watchmaking art and the contemporary vision that define fine craft of watchmaking at Harry Winston.
Less is More A contemporary expression of traditional mechanical horology, De Bethune celebrated the noble traditions of this fine art in a modern masterpiece, the DB28 ST. Tracing back to an esteemed watchmaking legacy, and along with the latest technical and scientific breakthroughs, the DB28 ST is a testament to horology quintessence, with its careful calibrations of purity, aesthetic restraint, and readability. Featuring a platinum bezel set in a titanium case, the watch has a layered dial structure built around a suspension bridge. The silicon/titanium De Bethune tourbillon, the lightest and fastest on the market, combined with the jumping seconds mechanism, are proudly displayed at the heart of this model, endowing it with peerless technical and aesthetic splendour.
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FINE TIMEPIECES
The Ulysse Nardin Sonata Futuristic in design, the new Sonata Streamline is inspired by the aerodynamic aesthetic of super-yachts. A sophisticated take on a watch of exceptional mechanical complexity, the Sonata Streamline, along with the characteristic Ulysse Nardin inventiveness, is the perfect piece for the man who considers exceptional function, design and performance a way of life. A mechanical instrument of exacting performance, the Sonata Streamline is run by a patented self-winding manufacture calibre – a calibre developed in-house over the course of seven years by Ulysse Nardin visionaries, engineers and technicians that presents unprecedented precision and multiple functions.
Revolutionary in its exploration and application of breakthrough materials, Ulysse Nardin extensively uses silicium technology in the movement, combining the 22-karat gold rotor with a silicium anchor escapement. Both the anchor and escapement wheel are manufactured from silicium – a groundbreaking development. Further contributing to the Sonata’s precision is the silicium hairspring 1.1.1. and the acclaimed Ulysse Nardin inertial balance wheel – additional change-making industry innovations brought to fruition by Ulysse Nardin. The manufacture produces all of the silicium components for its timepieces through Sigatec, a member of Ulysse Nardin’s group of companies.
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FINE TIMEPIECES
Celebrating Swiss Horology In the year of its 125th anniversary, Eberhard & Co., presents a precious surprise dedicated to women, reinterpreting the elegance and style of Gilda, in the Floral version. Smooth and harmonious lines embrace a dial with a delicate floral motif, enhanced by sapphires, also used on the bezel, for a total of 59 stones, gently contrasting with the elliptic-shaped white gold case. Animated by a quartz mechanism, protected by spherical convex sapphire glass, Gilda re-proposes the floral motif engraved on the polished case- back, fixed by 4 hidden screws.
out against the dial, symbolizing the 125 years of illustrious tradition and a growing passion for the universe of “Time”. To complete the celebrative pattern, an Eberhard & Co. logo as been applied on the dial. Waterproof to 30 metres in the gold version and 50 metres in the steel one, with a see-through sapphire glass case-back that reveals a particularly detailed and personalized movement, Extra-fort 125ème Anniversaire is available with a crocodile strap or a Chalin steel bracelet, both equipped with the deployment clasp Déclic (Patented).
A cascade of sapphire and diamonds embraces the wrist, transforming the only ladies’ timepiece created by the Bienne Maison into an authentic jewellery item. Every bracelet is unique and made to fit the wearer. Expressing the enchanting femininity of the Eberhard & Co. lady, Gilda is an exclusive jewel just waiting to be discovered.
In 125 years, the Maison never stopped to look ahead, supported by the strength of its history, with a conquering spirit that has given life to countless revolutionary creations.
For men’s watches, to mark this momentous event, Eberhard & Co. presents the Extra-fort Roue à Colonnes Grande Date 125ème Anniversaire edition, an exclusive model produced in limited quantities, 500 pieces for the steel version, and 125 for the precious gold edition, reaffirming the brand’s ability to passionately and consistently pursue its calling for innovation, while preserving its personality and independence. The technical preciousness of Extra-fort Roue à Colonnes Grande Date 125ème Anniversaire resides in the column-wheel that controls the chronographic functions of the mechanical automatic movement, perfectly matching the aesthetic refinement of the model. With its elegant and harmonious lines and a 41 mm case proposed with a silvery or black dial, the new Extra-fort is distinguished by Arabic numerals at 1, 2 and 5 o’clock that stand
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FINE TIMEPIECES
The geometry of perfection The latest creation by Bulgari, Octo, transcends traditional standards governing men’s watches. Radiating a distinctive character, it exudes a strong and charismatic personality, establishing a powerful identity and new codes of references in the future world of men’s luxury watches. The shape of the Octo breaks with the conventional codes of this type of watch and radically renews them by asserting its distinctly horological nature through perfectly refined proportions creating a harmonious balance. Its eight-sided structure framed by a round bezel proclaims a bold yet subtle break with the aesthetic conventions of pure classicism. Perfectly mirroring Buglari’s masculine watchmaking values, this contemporary aesthetic ensemble is combined with an understated and classic reading of time, with the traditional usual functions. An emblematic creation naturally deserves an equally exceptional “engine”. Octo is powered by the Calibre BVL 193, driving indications of hours, minutes, seconds and date window at 3 o’clock. This mechanical movement automatically wound by a unidirectional oscillating weight mounted on ball bearings – a guarantee of optimised winding – is equipped with two barrels. It guarantees enhanced long-term isochronism, synonymous with regularity of rate and thus precision. The 11.5-lignes Calibre BVL 193 beats at a cadence of 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz) and provides a 50-hour power reserve. The finishing of the movement parts is of extremely high quality, including polished pivots and satin-brushed driving wheels. An elegant in-house crafted black lacquered and polished dial accentuates the overall purity of this new model with its traditional analogue display entirely in tune with the wealth of aesthetic features characterising the Octo line.
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FASHION
Carmen Marc Valvo Fall 2013 fashion show
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FASHION
SEEING RED IN NEW YORK Kicking off the international Fashion Week series, New York saw red as models revealed the latest creations from American designers at Lincoln Centre. This event provides top designers with an international platform to showcase their collections to more than 100,000 industry insiders from around the world, including buyers, editors, retailers and celebrities. Photography by Frazer Harrison
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ith more than 80 designer shows over eight days, the world sneaked a peek at the trends that will dominate in stores next autumn and winter in the Big Apple and beyond.
Fashion Week actually got off to a slushy start, thanks to a bitter winter storm, but it closed with sunshine and temperatures soaring to just above freezing... A dozen new designers were a bit hit this year, and now having the advantage of social media which streamlined them (and everybody) else live to the world. Hundreds of other fashion events took place across New York, including at Milk Studios in the Meatpacking District, hotels, piers along the Hudson River and in some designers’ own showrooms.
They attracted star-studded crowds, with celebrities such as Miley Cyrus, Martha Stewart, Star Jones, Karlie Kloss, Ivanka Trump, Nigel Barker, J Alexander and more dotting their front rows. Colour was the big star this year – especially red! But there was neon pink, orange, lime and berry, either as accents to more subdued colors or as an all-over look. Autumn floral prints also brightened many ensembles. To balance this exuberance, there were olives, plums and oxblood. From New York, the spotlight now moves to Milan, Paris, Madrid and London. And then, favourites always, the designers from Rio de Janeiro and Delhi are always bound to be a surprise. MillionaireAsia Indonesia
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Joanna Mastroianni Fall 2013 fashion show
Marc Jacobs Fall 2013 fashion show
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Son Jung Wan Fall 2013 fashion show
Prabal Gurung Fall 2013 fashion show
I N D O N E S IA’S WINE LIST OF
T HE YE A R
AWARDS
2013
The 2013 Indonesian Wine List of the Year Awards will recognise and reward the effort and commitment of Hotels, Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Cafes, and other venues across Indonesia as they strive to provide customers with the best variety of wines and vintages. In order to ensure the impartiality of the judging process, the wine lists will be rated by the international jury. The judging panel members will be made up of a distinguished list of international wine experts, sommeliers and writers. The Chairman of Judges is Roy Moorfield. (Roy is well-known as the creator of The Exhibition of Victorian Winemakers, which ran continuously for twenty years and was the largest regional wine tasting in Australia for much of that time. He is also passionate about matching Asian flavours with wine. And so The Duck Crawl was created, matching Asian duck dishes with Australian pinot noir. Roy’s Duck Crawl has spawned imitators world-wide. Roy is the senior Wine Advisor for Cathay Pacific Airways and has been for 22 years.) Winners of the 2013 Indonesian Wine List of the Year Awards will be announced, and awards presented, at a Gala Dinner Event at the Grand Hyatt Jakarta on September 25th. Along with the top award of Indonesia’s Wine List of the Year, other awards are: Best Restaurant Wine List
Best by the Glass List
Best Listing of New Zealand Wines
Best Cafe/Bistro Wine List
Best Aperitif List
Best Listing of French Wines
Best Bar/Club Wine List
Best Digestif List
Best Listing of South American Wines
Best New Wine List
Best Wine List, Bali
Best Listing of North American Wines
Best Small Wine List
Best Wine List, Bandung
Best Listing of South African Wines
Best Food & Wine Matching Wine List
Best Wine List, Jakarta
Best Listing of Italian Wines
Best Listing of Australian Wines
Best Wine List, Surabaya
For entry details, sponsorship opportunities and further information please contact: Ph. +6221 5292 1638 Fax. +6221 5292 1637 wine@millionaireasia-indonesia.com www.millionaireasia-indonesia.com
INVESTMENT
Investing in Passion High net worth individuals at a focus group discussion held at authorised local Ferrari dealer Ital Auto share insights on investments of passion, including cars. BY CHERYL TAY
M
arket volatility and uncertainty in recent times have led to more investors diversifying their investment portfolio and increasingly acquiring investments of passion, defined as things which evoke emotional attachment and appreciation such as fine art, vintage and super cars or rare gems. As Singapore becomes one of the wealthiest countries in the world, this increase in affluence is part of the driving force behind the purchase of passion investments. An investment means a return in the future, but for passion investments, the return may not be financially tangible but comes in terms of fulfillment. Stanislas Gokelaere, chief executive of the Art Collection Fund, has been a collector for the last three decades in art; first in tribal art and lately in decorative art. “A lot of people confuse speculation with investments in passion goods. For example, you buy a piece of work from an established artist because you like it. Then you pay attention to its value and when
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it increases over time, it becomes an investment. Speculation is when you buy a piece of work from an unknown young artist and hope it will become famous one day,” he pointed out. It usually starts out purely as a passion or appreciation before it becomes an investment when capital is allocated to it, especially when the amount is a significant proportion of your wealth. “You can invest believing that it provides a lot of feelings. It’s a store of value and you love what you buy because when you have a passion investment, you have a return every day. You get immediate returns on investment because you get enjoyment and it’s a return you have to acknowledge. If you are expecting a financial return on your passion investment, then you have to do your homework and be well aware of market reality. You can also engage a professional to make the investment in passion on your behalf,” Gokelaere added.
INVESTMENT Founder and director of private equity firm Financial Frontiers, Bill Ng bought over local team Hougang Football United Club and revived it by clearing its debts and investing in youths for growth and future. “Every project is about commitment. To turn around a club and pay off the creditors is something very few football clubs can do. Passion can be built in the later part. For me, it started as a passion investment, but unfortunately I think passion and returns on investment come together. Otherwise, passion without returns on investment gets you nowhere,” said Ng. Dealing with luxury cars on a daily basis, Tan Meng Wee, chief executive officer of Beemer Limousine believes returns on passion investments are imperative, but more importantly, it has to be within one’s affordability. “It’s completely about returns on investment for us. We are in the limousine service business so whatever car we buy; it has to be a luxury car. In general, men are judged by their cars and if you can afford it, you buy a lot. For some, it’s just passion and you just buy it even if there is no ROI. For the ladies, you buy a bag. I see a lot of ladies buying bags and I think that’s their passion investment. If you can afford it, buy it while you can,” said Tan. While cars are known for high depreciation rates, Hari Dillon, chairman and CEO of Michari Trade Resources & Consultants, makes sure he does his homework before making the purchase. “My biggest passion in life is cars and it’s a childhood passion. I never came from a rich background and I’m very fortunate that I can buy what I like now. It’s not the shape or the size, but what is inside the car; the engine, the performance. I’ve done my homework and always make money to get what I want,” he shared.
Dillon bought his first car at S$2,000 during his National Service days. A few years later, the price rose to S$5,000 and he sold it for an unplanned profit. “A passion investment is to reward myself for my hard work, something to enjoy. If you ask me to buy a car as an investment and not driving it, it is not something I would do. Cars do depreciate but I will not just leave the car in the garage just to save $20,000. Even if I have to lose on depreciation, at least I enjoyed the car. In a couple of years, I hope I can go around the world and look for the classics and bring them in. These collector cars, I believe, will make money,” he added. Having your loved ones understand your need for them, as the returns may not be instantly evident, helps. Dillon’s wife Michelle said, “My husband invests in supercars and he convinces me that he is entitled to it. His passion in cars is very strong, but he does his homework and he knows what he’s buying. It’s been one car after another. As long as it does not disrupt the household, I’m fine with it.” While investments in passion are more prone to fads and trends than financial securities, experts believe that the key is to draw the line between mass-produced luxury consumables and genuinely rare items with emotional value. While some may feel that passion investments can be hard to distinguish when they are desirable or investible, making such items hard to value. However it does not mean there is no value in them but most importantly, these investments hold elements of satisfaction, pride and in some cases, history.
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GETAWAY
Dennis Tamse
desert island discs Created by Roy Plomley in 1942, Desert Island Discs is one of UK Radio 4’s most popular and enduring programs. The interview program formula was based on what items the guest would choose to have with them should they be stranded on a desert island.
F
ollowing the lead of this musical institution we have asked our each of our interviewees to let us know what they would take with them. Time have obviously changed since the program was launched back in 1942 so instead of their favourite seven records we have asked our guests what seven albums would they want on their iPad, what book they would like, what case of wine or beverage, what movie, what luxury item and what favourite menu item they would like.
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Our first guest is Dennis Tamse, Ketel One Distillery Brand Ambassador for Asia. The crisp, sophisticated taste of Ketel One Vodka is inspired by over 300 years of family distilling expertise. Crafted from small batches, Ketel One Vodka delivers an exceptional drinking experience, whether sipped pure or in cocktails; and is fast becoming the Vodka of choice in many of the leading bars and clubs around Asia.
GETAWAY
Favourite 7 Albums: 1. Coldplay’s ‘Viva la Vida’ 2. John Coltrane ‘Giant Steps’ 3. Michel Van De Ar’s ‘Up Close’ 4. Adele’s ‘21’ 5. U2’s ‘The Joshua Tree’ 6. Santana’s ‘Supernatural’ 7. Eric Clapton ‘Unplugged’ Favourite book: Life of Pi Favourite wine or beverage: Ketel One® vodka. 11 generations of the same Nolet family have been creating what has just won ‘World’s Best Selling’ vodka (as voted by bartenders and customers in the ‘World’s Top 50 Bars’ list 2013)
Favourite Movie: The Great Escape with Steve McQueen One luxury Item: Rolex Milgauss One item from the menu of their favourite restaurant: Tiny roasted potatoes with Parmesan crusts and potato-caviar cups. When you were finally rescued from the desert island which luxury hotel anywhere in the world would you like to be dropped off at: Any Aman resort!
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Mythical Mythos
Riva, the iconic brand of the Ferretti Group opens a new chapter of its history with the launch of the flagship 122’ Mythos.
R
iva Yachts recently announced the launch of the upcoming 122’ Mythos, the largest aluminium planing yacht ever produced by the historic shipyard and built entirely in light aluminium alloy. The new flagship perfects the trademark elegance, flair and clean lines for which Riva is renowned. Designed by Mauro Micheli of Officina Italiana Design in close collaboration with Advanced Yacht Technology (AYT), Ferretti Group’s research and naval design centre, and the Centro Stile Ferretti group, Riva 122’ Mythos will be produced by the skilled and experienced CRN shipyard in Ancona, the production plant of the Ferretti Group which specialises in the construction of mega yachts up to 90 metres, strengthening ties between the two shipyards that go back to the 1970’s. “Riva is proud to launch another amazing model. The 122’ Mythos is a harmonious and elegant line, keeping that magic aura which has characterised all the models of the famous brand for 170 years. We are thrilled that the historic partnership between Riva and CRN has been renewed for the development of this project, designed for coping with the growing demand for mega yachts featuring a unique and unmistakable style. Our major strength is the perfect marriage between Riva’s painstaking care for detail, elegance, and design and CRN’s know-how, craftsmanship and uniqueness in the construction of mega yachts,” Ferruccio Rossi, CEO of Ferretti Group declared.
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Bold lines The new flagship of Riva is more than 37 metres long and 7.6 metres wide. The planing aluminium hull gets to a peak speed of 27 knots, with a cruising speed of 25 knots, powered by two MTU 12 V 4000 M 93L engines (preliminary data). The elegant and spacious exteriors offer a cruising experience to be shared while the main deck cockpit features a large and comfortable sun pad and a table which can host up to 10 people. The salon and dinette have large windows featuring an amazing panoramic view and are connected to the helm station. A wide galley, which can be also accessed from the crew area of the lower deck, is located to the front of the deck. The lower deck, amid ships, hosts the owner’s suite and the guest cabins while the crew area (one captain cabin and two twin crew cabins) is located at the bow. There are three possible layouts - three, four or five cabins according to the owner’s request. From the cockpit on the main deck it is possible to access the back bathing platform which separates the two garage hatches, designed to host the tender (approximately 5 metres long) to the left and the jet sky to the right. The platform has been designed with an electro hydraulic system, allowing safe access into the water or diving from the back area. Large glass side windows guarantee a high quantity of light under the deck.
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Home and Dry The emergence of yacht-building in Asia
I
t might surprise boat buyers in Asia that there is a surprisingly large yacht-building scene right in their backyard.
Taiwan, for example, has emerged as one of the top yachtbuilding nations worldwide. In the middle of the yachting boom which carried on through the Great Recession, Taiwan was ranked 5th worldwide in terms of the number of ‘superyacht feet’ launched by nation, while its many builders have done OEM work for well-known brands in the United States, such as Nordhavn and Hatteras. In recent years, Taiwanese builders have moved beyond this type of work to begin building their own brand names. Companies such as Horizon Yachts have become very well known internationally, with over 300 VIP guests, dealers and engineers celebrating the company’s 25th anniversary at a gala ceremony at the company’s main shipyard in Kaohsiung in June. The Taiwanese, particularly in the south of the island, have developed a yacht-building tradition that resembles the familybased networks of contractors and suppliers that one finds in northern Italy. Builders such as Tayana, which specialise in sailing yachts for the cruising market in the US, will rely on wellknown contractors for stainless steel work that are just down the road, for example. Most smaller yards are still run this way. Meanwhile, the larger yards, such as Ocean Alexander and KhaShing (whose yachts sell under the own-brand name of Monte Fino) have expanded their facilities to do everything inhouse.
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Ocean Alexander is currently working on a new 120-footer featuring the design of Evan K. Marshall, a US naval architect highly sought-after by the superyacht industry everywhere. KhaShing is currently working on a super energy-efficient yacht called Echo, designed by Rob Humphreys, another major name in yacht design. This 85-foot yacht is expected to have a maximum cruising range of over 2700 nautical miles on a single tank of gas – letting owners reach Phuket from Hong Kong in one go. Taiwan’s yacht builders initially focused almost exclusively on the US market. In fact, most began life in the 1970s, building cheaply made sailing yachts for US soldiers stationed in Taiwan. Since then, the Taiwanese have gone on to develop yachts for buyers in Australia and Europe and have rapidly expanded their facilities as well as their ambitions.
BOATING
There is a particularly large concentration of yacht building going on in Guangzhou province CHINA
ECONOMICS
By 2007, several Taiwanese yacht builders had set up operations in China’s Fujian or Guangdong province, putting their experience to work in numerous yards while maintaining their supply connections with Taiwan.
While most builders in Taiwan, and then China, took aim at the US market principally, the recent recession has forced a rethink. Now, many of these builders are seeing greater opportunities in Asia. Horzion Yachts has sold three superyachts in Asia in the last two years, while most builders mentioned here can now be found at Asian shows, such as the Hainan RendezVous or the Hong Kong Gold
Thanks in part to Taiwanese, as well as US and European boat builders, there is a particularly large concentration of yacht building going on in Guangdong province. Numerous builders have gathered in an industrial park near Zhuhai. Among them, IAG Yachts, which, after a rocky beginning, has just announced the sale of its third project, a 140-footer. Nisi Yachts, a US firm whose production is in Zhuhai, has been developing a stately cruiser series that yields plenty of luxurious surroundings and boasts excellent performance standards. McConaghy Boats, a huge name in Australia for large, ultra-high performance sailing yachts, has been consistently building up its workforce in the ways of high-tech construction techniques, and recently launched the Adastra, a futuristic trimaran designed for long-distance travel. This yacht was built for a Hong Kong-based expat businessman, who intends to cruise Southeast Asia in this Asian-built boat.
RESULT On the questions of price and quality, Asian-made yachts are certainly cheaper – but only by a degree. A China-built boat can be 20 to 30 percent cheaper than its Italian equivalent but pricing any lower puts quality at risk. Labour prices in China have offered big incentives to builders to set up shop but recent wage increases along with the difficulty of training staff and getting resources can quickly erode any advantage. Taiwanese builders tend to know this much better and have spent years getting their products to the exacting standards that luxury buyers expect. Their yachts are often priced much closer to Western competition. The good news for Asian buyers looking at Asian builders is that they can expect better quality and more inventiveness than ever before, whilst having easier access to the yard for maintenance and inspection.
Main image: Superyacht Adastra under construction in McConaghy yard Zhuhai China
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BOATING
SMOOTH SAILING A buying guide for boating virgins.
Ryan Swift writes from Hong Kong
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Y Art of Kinetik
achts portray a luxury lifestyle of fun in the sun, parties, prestige and wealth. But for the firsttime buyer, a boat show or showroom can be a confusing place, where sellers seem to have the edge on bewildered buyers.
Which yacht should I buy? Which one is right for me? These can be tough questions when you’re getting ready to spend a million dollars (or much more) on a plaything. But with a few pertinent questions, your money will be spent well, and the result will be a lot of fun.
Why do I want it? The first big question to ask is one for yourself: what do you want to do with your yacht? It may seem easy at first, but consider this question carefully. Do you fancy spending time with your family cruising in remote locations? Or do you just want to use your yacht for the day near the marina and be back at night? Do you wish to be close to shore or out at sea? Or perhaps you wish to entertain some clients in luxury? Once you figure out what it is that you want from your new yacht, you’ll be a big step forward towards making the right choice. It’s as simple as that.
Sail or power? The biggest divide between recreational boaters of all sizes is the question of power or sail. For first-time boaters, the easiest choice is power. You turn the key (or in many cases, push the button) and the engines start. With a sailing yacht, you have a lot of extra equipment and reduced amount of space on board. And while a sailboat looks pretty in the breeze, there is usually a line to pull or a winch to tighten – a lot of it hard work. 80
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Azimut 120 SL
For first timers, a boat show can be a confusing place, where sellers seem to have the edge on bewildered buyers
BOATING Maltese Falcon
But for some people (about one in four boat buyers) there is simply no other way to be on the water. The joys of cruising along, with only the sound of the wind in your sails (and some choice music on the AV system) is what matters most. The best way to find out if sailing is right for you is take an adult basic sailing course from a yacht club (if you are in Hong Kong, the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club or the Aberdeen Boat Club. No membership is required: just book your time). Once you get started, you’ll know almost right away if sailing is right for you. If not…
How big do you want it? It sounds too obvious. “As big as possible, of course!” But consider this: as a rule of thumb, a yacht over 50 feet in length will most certainly need a crew. In fact, most first-time buyers would probably feel a bit shaky trying to pilot a yacht over 40 feet in length. In Hong Kong, the standard pleasure vessel license runs for yachts up to 15 metres (approximately 45 feet). Getting crew for a bigger boat raises the price of maintaining your yacht substantially. Also, the cost of the boat goes up dramatically, for a 60-foot boat isn’t just 20 feet longer than a 40-footer, it’s also much bigger in volume, which means a lot more fuel burned, a lot more hull to clean, and so on.
How fast do you want to go? If you only plan to go short distances, then you may want some speed to go with your yacht. In this, you have plenty of choices. Italian builders, in particular, favour speed and sleek styling. There are yachts that are equipped with surface drive engines
that whisk yachts as big as 35 metres up to 50 knots, which is very fast on the water. Just remember that going fast means burning a lot of fuel. And remember to look around for handholds, because when you are moving at speed, a little wave can be a big jolt onboard.
How far do you want to go? For some, the thought of some adventure and exploration is more alluring than all-out speed. Visiting some islands, spending the night and waking up with your family may sound like just the ticket to enjoying your wealth and freedom. For this, you may want to look into a type of yacht known as the passagemaker. These are boats that are designed for long-range cruising, and while they are not sleek looking, you have much more space onboard with a lot more storage capacity. The visibility from the helm station is much better and you’ll need it when navigating between islands. When looking at passagemaking yachts, keep an eye on how much storage is available for clothes, equipment and food. How well can you see from the helm station in all directions? And is there plenty of space in the engine room? You may need to get in there to solve a problem. Small engine room spaces are tough to work in, and can even add to the cost of maintenance.
How much will I pay? There is a familiar phrase when it comes to buying a yacht: “If you have to ask the price, you can’t afford it.” That is certainly true at the superyacht stage, but if you’re looking for a boat less than 80 feet, cost is a big consideration. Bigger boats cost more of course, but when you are comparing prices, be sure to look at MillionaireAsia Indonesia
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BOATING
Baia 100 Party zone in foredeck
But what if money is no object?
Baia 100
From 100 feet up, you have a mind-boggling array of options the options list. Most yachts are priced without options, yet they may not be much of a yacht without those options. For some yachts, the options can be as much as 25 percent more than the basic price. And never forget the maintenance costs, which are usually estimated at between 5 and 15 percent of the purchase price of the boat per year. That can include everything from fuel to crew to berthing. When making comparisons, be sure to compare like for like. Occasionally, there may be discounts on offer but, in yachting as in most things, you do get what you pay for. A boat needs to be built properly, and that means the yard cannot just lower the prices indefinitely. Be sure to see if the yacht you are buying is CE certified if it’s a European-built boat. 82
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Let’s say you want something really big and cost and crewing are non-issues. Congratulations, you are in the superyacht world! From 100 feet and up, you have a mind-boggling array of options. Builders tend to offer semi-custom or custom yachts. Semi-custom refers to a yacht where the hull and engineering is largely the same but the interiors and superstructure can be retailored. Custom means there are no other yachts like it. In this range, the builders tend to be from the Netherlands or Germany, plus a few in Italy. The yachts are mostly built in aluminium and steel, not fibreglass. And the rule-of-thumb about cost is roughly €1,000,000/metre. However, in this category, you can have Jacuzzis on several decks, helipads, infinity pools, a private cinema, a beach club at the back with jet skis and tenders – and all to your own design. Most of these yachts are built to travel thousands of miles and can cross oceans. Owners turn up and spend weeks aboard, with an office usually located next to the master cabin that’s linked up to the world by satellite connection. At this level, your primary concerns are legalities and construction management. Expect to hire a project manager or a personal representative to handle your dealings with the yard. A custom project can take up to four years, from design stage to final delivery. Some of the semi-custom builders will have several projects in various states of build that can be delivered in 18 months or less, but with fewer changes. The world’s major brokers can help you find a project to your liking, but be sure to assemble a team of experts that includes an owner’s representative, a project manager, a legal expert, a yacht captain and even engineers.
BOATING
BOAT SHOW DIARY
Cannes Boat Show
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here are a number of ways to get started in yacht buying. By far the most hands-on is visiting one of the world’s major boat shows. These shows offer a lot of possible choices but you can easily become overwhelmed – there are hundreds of models to choose from. Rather than just going to the show, figure out what kind of boat you want first, and visit some local dealers (there are several in Hong Kong) to see what they have. If you let them know that you’ll be visiting a show, they may choose to go with you to explore all the models available, as many won’t be available for viewing in Hong Kong.
SANCTUARY COVE INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW Next Dates: May 23-26, 2013 Sanctuary Cove, Gold Coast, Australia Australia is one of the world’s great boating nations and the Sanctuary Cove event is the main showpiece for Australia’s big names in fishing yachts, sportboats, sailboats and catamarans. Though some large yachts are on display, this is much more an owner/operator’s show. Several Taiwanese builders have begun to display their latest creations here as well.
FESTIVAL DE LA PLAISANCE CANNES (CANNES BOAT SHOW) Next dates: September 10-15, 2013 Cannes, France This is the premiere show for yachts up to 30 metres in the Mediterranean. Here in the ‘Vieux Port’ you’ll find models from all the European builders, particularly those of France, Italy and Turkey, with a huge exhibition for sailing yachts and catamarans. This is a show about fun in the sun with hundreds of models on display, particularly in the high speed, open style.
SOUTHAMPTON BOAT SHOW Next Dates: September 13-22, 2013 Southampton, UK The United Kingdom is home to the world’s first yachting culture and the Southampton show is the pinnacle for UK builders such as Sunseeker, Princess, Sealine, Fairline. All are heavily represented in Asia. There are also numerous brands in top-class blue water sailing yachts from Oyster and Southerly on display. This is a show for those who appreciate cooler weather and stronger breezes to go with their boating.
MONACO YACHT SHOW Next Dates: September 25-28, 2013 Port Hercule, Monaco If the superyacht is what you have in mind, this is the event for you. Anything less than 100 feet is not allowed (except in the ‘Tenders and Toys’ category). You’ll find superyachts for sale in rows, all exhibited by brokers. The world’s top naval architects and superyacht designers are on hand ready to discuss potential projects. There’s a huge array of goods for the interior, ranging from custom linens to AV systems that turn karaoke rooms into light shows.
FORT LAUDERDALE BOAT SHOW Next Dates: October 31-Nov 4, 2013 Fort Lauderdale, USA There are numerous boat shows in the United States – nearly every coastal city over 100,000 has one. But the capital of yachting in the US is Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and it is here that one can find the best from American builders who are often absent from the Asian market. Conversely, there are plenty of brands from Taiwanese builders such as Horizon that make Fort Lauderdale their principal show. A good starting point for the those looking for passagemakers.
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LUXURY MOTORING
The Neo-Classical Option 84
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LUXURY MOTORING
An antique car may look sensational but back in the garage, the maintenance can be formidable. Time is not kind to metal. There is the cost factor. They also can be very difficult to drive. The answer: a ‘neo-classical’ Zimmer. MillionaireAsia Indonesia
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LUXURY MOTORING
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ictor Porteous is an Australian property developer who lives on a beautiful wine and olive property outside Melbourne. So, first problem solved, he has no shortage of room for his car collection. He has modern, classic and sports cars (including a Rolls-Royce and a Bentley) but the pride of his collection is a red and beige Zimmer Golden Spirit. It is long and sporty and definitely something Gatsby would feel Great in. “But the big difference with this brand is that it drives like a modern car while having all the attributes of a 1930s luxury roadster,� says Porteous.
HISTORY The manufacturing company was founded in 1978 by Paul Zimmer and failed shortly after his divorce in 1988. Paul Zimmer died in 2005 and Art Zimmer (strangely, no relation) purchased the rights and established the Art Zimmer NeoClassic Motor Car Company. The Golden Spirit was the flagship of the Corporation with more than 1,500 manufactured (literally) during its production run from 1978 to 1988.
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LUXURY MOTORING
TODAY The Zimmer Golden Spirit is considered by many as the finest neo-classic motor car ever made. The exterior design is pure classic grandeur: it has an upright grille topped with a Golden Eagle mascot; it has external horns and headlights; its elegant lines stretch from silver bumper to square trunk along some five and a half metres. Underneath the sexy exterior is the thing that makes it more practical. The two-door version is an extended wheelbase Ford Mustang. The basic of the four-door version is a Lincoln Town Car. The Zimmer is considered an “era” car. Era cars are built from readily available parts from modern brand names and made to replicate the long hood, exposed headlight, sidemount spare tire look of the classics of the 1930s. All the parts used, were either new or completely rebuilt to be better than new. Zimmers are manufactured to order and sold through an international distribution network. You can also buy them second-hand. A rare antique car can cost millions of dollars; the Zimmer can start at $100,000.
“The fact that there is a modern vehicle underneath means that you can have installed all the technology of modern motoring: power steering, cruise control, air conditioning and adjustable seats,” says Victor Porteous. “On my car, I also had the trunk redone, the seats reupholstered, the dashboard re-wooded, modern tyres and a GPS system installed. All these things, you could not do with an antique car.” “I should add that there is no guarantee on return with a car like this. It is like buying an antique work of art – something you love to have in the house and have no intention of selling,” says Porteous. “Mine has already had a lifespan from 1982 to 2013 but, like a Rolls-Royce, with routine maintenance (Ford parts are readily available), it will last a hundred years.” “There is also the sheer driving pleasure. And, let’s face it, I do get a kick out of the reaction of other people on the road,” he says. “Many give it a thumbs up as they pass. In a world of modern uniformity, it is a genuine head-turner.” w w w.zimmermotorcars.com
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BESPOKE MOTORING
Federico Pastorelli & Simon Inglefield
Tailor Well-Made Introducing the Tailor-Made programme, Scuderia, Classica and Inedita, three different “worlds” to choose from for a bespoke Ferrari.
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aximum performance, tradition, innovation are the Ferrari brand core values that underpin all three collections created by the Styling Centre to inspire clients interested in the Tailor-Made programme. Guided and advised by their Personal Designer, new owners can now make their selections from the collections to reflect their own personal tastes.
Scuderia Racing has always been the lifeblood of Ferrari having enjoyed unparalleled success on the world’s circuits since its earliest days. The Scuderia collection pays homage to the track, a fact reflected in the materials and finishes it includes. The list of options in the Scuderia collection ranges from carbon-fibre trim to technical fabrics, chamois and rubberised leather, Alcantara,
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microfibres, Kevlar, satin-finish and matte metals. Clients can also work with the Scuderia collection to ensure their Ferraris epitomise the very pinnacle of sportiness. The 250 Testa Rossa, which sold at auction at Pebble Beach in August 2011 for a record USD 16.4 million, provided the inspiration for the 458 Spider sporting blue and white NART stripes over an historic Rosso Racing body colour. The latter’s seats are upholstered in the same leather used in the Formula 1 cars of the past, a trim that’s light, breathable and feels very much like chamois leather to the touch. The original 250 Testa Rossa had an aluminium dashboard which has now been given a innovative twist in the form of Alutex, an extremely tough, light fibreglass and aluminium material. The cabin is also trimmed with a diamond-quilted fabric inspired by the original Testa Rossa motif.
BESPOKE MOTORING
Classica
Inedita
In the Classica collection, the styling cues and features of Maranello’s iconic GTs are given a more modern yet still classic look, through the use of the latest materials and production techniques. Elegant pastel colours of the past, vintage leather, wool, cashmere or velvet, special treatments for the hard areas of the cabin to match the exterior, chromed elements, stitching details and more natural leathers are just some of the options available from this collection.
Inedita does exactly what its name suggests, it introduces novel, innovative styling cue which still respect the marque’s core values. This is the most experimental of the three collections with classic trims and finishes of the future. Denim, bold leather upholstery, suit fabrics and technical fabrics are just a few of the innovative and intriguing options available to owners who choose to personalise their cars from the Inedita collection.
Another icon that’s been given a modern reworking in the Classic collection is the FF inspired by the 250 Europa, it has a threelayer Ingrid silver paintwork with dark grey sills and rims. The cabin is a hymn to classicism with a few unusual flourishes mixed in - pinstripe cloth and dark brown semi-aniline leather seats, cashmere roof lining, grey carpet mats, interior trim inserts in the same colour as the exterior, teak-trimmed boot. The overall result is a sublimely classic atmosphere harking back to the original 250 Europa without detracting from its uniqueness and elegance.
The denim-trimmed Ferrari California is a good example of what the collection offers, pale blue leather alternates with denim trim in certain areas of the cabin and seats as well as on the door panels and lower part of the dash. The areas of the cabin normally trimmed in aluminium are now dark blue carbon-fibre. The car sports a Blu Scozia livery, a historic Ferrari colour now given an all-new matte finish. The wheel rims are unusual too as their external surface is dark blue while the inside is pale blue in a nod to the contrast seen in the cockpit. w w w.ferrari.com
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Getaway
A Spectacular Outlook Beyond making milestones with their achievements, Marina Bay Sands is set to break new ground in business, leisure, and entertainment.
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n iconic landmark that has been vaulted for its visually arresting architecture as well as heralding a new era into Singapore, Marina Bay Sands® is Asia’s leading destination for business, leisure, and entertainment. Not content to rest on its laurels, Marina Bay Sands has planned an array of programmes poised to take it to higher heights.
“Dejeuner Club” – “The Lunch Club”- is the perfect option. This four-course menu features a choice of starter from the a la carte Lunch “En Demi” Menu, a fixed second course of Guy Savoy’s signature Artichoke and Black Truffle Soup, followed by a choice of a meat or fish dish. A choice of matured cheeses or Guy Savoy’s signature dessert, the artfully presented Chocolate Orb, completes the experience.
An Epicurean Experience
To commemorate the remaining weeks of the Year of the Dragon, Guy Savoy has created the very special six- course Kraemer’s Dragon Menu. For SGD250++ per person, guests can have a taste of cuisine that King Louis of France would have delighted in, presented in a style that is truly befitting the majesty of the Dragon. This menu is presented in conjunction with The Final 100 Days of the Year of the Dragon exhibition, displayed in the Marina Bay Sands hotel lobby as an extension of ArtScience Museum™. The exhibition is an exquisite showcase of rare, original XVIIIth century, museum-quality furniture and decorative arts from the famed Kraemer Gallery Collections, based in Paris since 1875. It pays homage to both the Chinese and French civilisations in all their splendor. Kraemer’s Dragon Menu is available for dinner at Guy Savoy until 28 February 2013.
For acclaimed celebrity chef Guy Savoy, he started the new year on a high note, with new menus and a refreshing approach towards his eponymous restaurant’s lunch service. Come every Friday and Saturday, guests can now embark on a breezy express lunch experience, with the menu aptly named, “TGV”, “The Express, 60 minute Experience”. With the use of local seasonal ingredients, the menu unveils exciting new dishes such as Beef Cheeks ‘Facon pot au feu’, paired with a spectacular view of the bay. It is available as a 2-course menu for SGD55++ per person, or a three-course menu at SGD80++ per person. For guests with the time to enjoy lunch and the elegant ambience of Guy Savoy restaurant at a more leisurely pace, the Menu 90
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Getaway
Through the Looking Glass From epicurean delights to art, Marina Bay Sands’ ArtScience Museum has extended a prestigious photography exhibition to 17 March 2013. A collection of 143 pieces, the largest of its size currently on display in Singapore, the Outside In: A Magnum Photos Showcase features the works of three internationally accomplished photographers, Stuart Franklin, Mark Power and Jacob Aue Sobol, as well as the works of members of Magnum Photos, the photographic cooperative that is celebrating its 65th anniversary through this commemorative showcase. Aspiring student photographers, seasoned photography professionals, and complete beginners can also embark on their own journey of discovery with the new PhotoLab gallery and workspace unveiled by ArtScience Musuem. PhotoLab is Singapore’s first professional photography gallery and workspace, including a fully functional darkroom, contained within a museum exhibit. The PhotoLab gallery explores the history, development and processes of film and digital photography. Visitors can learn about the tools of the trade as well as see firsthand historic and contemporary exhibits that include a Kodak Brownie camera (1920) and the Apple Quicktake 100 (1994) – the first camera to connect to a computer. The gallery additionally provides tactile opportunities with a mini camera obscura, a photographer’s lightbox and loupe, and negative film of different formats and sizes. Interactive activities available at the gallery also include the chance to star in a personal Peranakan-style portrait.
Star Spectacle Come February, look forward to Cliff Richard’s performance at the MasterCard® Theatres at Marina Bay Sands on 25 and 26 February 2013. With global record sales beyond 250 million and a ceaseless performance schedule spanning 54 years, his return to Singapore for two nights only with a hit-packed national tour Still Reelin’ and A-Rockin’, marks his 54th anniversary in the music business, and is still Britain’s all-time greatest hit-maker. Tickets are currently on sale and range from SGD 128 to SGD 912.
by far the biggest selling singles artist in the UK ever and has been included on the new century listing for the 100 Greatest Britons. He has also had eight Top 40 America hits, including the million-selling Devil Woman and We Don’t Talk Anymore, and that he has been in the Australian Top 10 on 25 occasions. Alongside his many accolades in the entertainment industry, Cliff has also made his presence felt in theater - he conceived and starred in the stage musical Heathcliff (written by Sir Tim Rice and Australian John Farrar) which played to more than half a million audiences. From 28th May 2013 onwards, the worldwide award winning musical, “Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story on Stage”, makes its Singapore premiere at the MasterCard® Theatres at Marina Bay Sands. Seen by millions across the globe, this musical sensation tells the classic story of Baby and Johnny, two fiercely independent young spirits from different worlds, who come together in what will be the most challenging and triumphant summer of their lives. The show features a string of hit songs performed by a rocking live band, including “Hungry Eyes”, “Hey Baby”, “Do You Love Me?” and the heart-stopping “Time Of My Life.” “I started writing the movie with the sixties music already in mind. I picked each song and wrote the lines of dialogue against lines of lyric and melody,” said Eleanor Bergstein, the writer and creator of Dirty Dancing. “It was the time of one’s life when one couldn’t separate a conversation from the music playing on the radio. When you couldn’t separate the lyrics of the song from the words you were saying, or the beat of the music from the beat of your heart.” The fastest selling show in West End history, the musical is a re-imagining of the film, and has been adapted for the stage since it was shown on celluloid screens in 1987. First performed at the Theatre Royal, Sydney, Australia on 18 November 2004, the musical features a cast of 26 who sing a score of 49 songs played by a live orchestra, performing 73 scene changes, which are lit by 200 moving lights, and 21 costume changes for Baby alone. Tickets are currently on sale from SGD55+. w w w.ever ymomentrewarded.com
Together with Elvis Presley, he holds the honour of having made the UK singles chart in every one of its first six decades. Cliff is
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FROM THE CELLAR
The Hardy Way MillionaireAsia spends an afternoon with a three-time America’s Cup challenger and a fourth generation of an Australian wine dynasty. By Gwendoline Sim
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t was appropriately in the restaurant at the Singapore Yacht Club that we sat down for a Sunday wine lunch with the esteemed Sir James Hardy of Hardy’s Wines.
Known as “Gentleman Jim”, he was the quintessential gentleman, pulling out chairs for the ladies, showing old world chivalry we could do more with these days. Hardy is now brand ambassador for his family wine company and was in Singapore for a luncheon with trade and consumers on a stopover from Europe to Australia. Genial, with a frank sense of humour, his conversation flowed freely with the wine and he shared with us his tales of winemaking and sailing in his trademark wry manner. Likening business to sailing, he said, “Hardy’s family wine company was like an extended yacht crew – it was essential to work as a team – when you have a competitor in your own crew you go nowhere.” “An adage I created for myself was “You may not enjoy competition, but you are better for it.” Growing up in a wine dynasty, James was one of four children. A third generation heir, he was born in Adelaide in 1932 to Thomas Mayfield Hardy and his mother Eileen. After graduation from St. Peter’s College in 1950, he started work as a qualified
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accountant for two rural companies before joining his family firm, Thomas Hardy & Sons in 1953, actually the company’s centenary year. Aside from their winemaking legacy, the Hardys had the extra bond with the family’s sailing tradition. Sailing has been James’s primary love since his childhood days spent at Seacliff on the coast of the Gulf of St. Vincent, near Adelaide. With a yachting career that has spanned decades, he is prominent in Australia’s sailing history. He represented Australia a number of times, including two Olympic Games: Japan in 1964 and Mexico in 1968. He also sailed in three America’s Cup challenges and he was leading helmsman on the yacht Impetuous, which won the 1979 Admiral’s Cup race at Cowes, off the coast of England. He was awarded Australian Yachtsman of the Year for two consecutive years in 1980 and 1981. In that latter year he also became chairman of his family business. “My father was killed prematurely at the age of 50 in a commercial air crash into Mt. Dandenong in 1938. I was still only six but I went on to have a super childhood. I grew up in a household full of women – my mother, Eileen, and my father’s four sisters, one of whom lived permanently with us in our family home at Seacliff,” says Hardy.
FROM THE CELLAR
James Hardy with his mother; Eileen Hardy
“An adage I created for myself was “You may not enjoy competition, but you are better for it.” The Hardys’ Heritage The winemaking business was founded by Thomas Hardy in 1853. Nearly 150 later, Hardys has become a de rigueur item in every Australian wine cellar. From the first vineyards in Bankside, the birthplace of Hardys, it has now grown to become Accolade Wines, an international wine business with global operations across 80 countries.
“This has inspired subsequent generations to follow in his footsteps. On my own father’s grave is the inscription, “As he trod so let us tread,” says Hardy. In 1973, as a tribute to his mother, Hardy’s launched what they consider their best Shiraz wine for her 80th birthday.
“Basically we became a victim of our own success – we were selling more wine than we as a family company could afford to spend on wineries, vineyards, and other capital requirements,” says Hardy.
“My mother was very proud when we launched that wine. The product continues to this day with a great reputation, and has been recognised as one of Australia’s most outstanding wines,” he says.
“Becoming a public company changed all that and we quickly built new wineries and planted new vineyards. However, I found the change of culture very difficult from private to public company, particularly the requirement to disclose to our competitors all company operations and exactly how many boxes of wine we were selling.”
Now, long after his heyday as a celebrated sailor, Sir James these days looks to a “warm and happy home life, trying to stay healthy, keeping abreast of world affairs, travelling to new places.” He lives in Sydney with his wife Joan and he says “a major factor in life is now having sufficient sea time with my boating interests in summer and the Sydney Swans Football Team in the winter.”
Heritage is an inherent part at Hardys, and for Sir James, this was first evident from the handwritten diary kept by his great grandfather of his voyage in 1850 from England to Australia and his subsequent founding of Thomas Hardy & Sons, then a very humble operation outside Adelaide.
“I guess ‘being happy and conferring happiness’ is a phrase I appreciate.”
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GOLF
WORLD’S BEST
GOLF COURSES
MillionaireAsia seeks the opinions of six golfing heroes By John Higginson
Just 23 years old, Rory McIlroy is golf’s hottest property after a stunning year during which he became the youngest world number one since Tiger Woods. He won his second Major by eight strokes at the PGA Championship in August and recorded four PGA Tour wins. In late October, McIlroy competed at the BMW Masters in Shanghai and the Duel at Jinsha Lake in Zhengzhou, a unique 18-hole showdown against Woods. As well as being the esteemed ‘Home of Golf’ and boasting a history that helps chart the game’s development, the Old Course at St Andrews retains an appealing and original design. The course’s unusual layout has evolved over more than 500 years, since 1552, when the public was granted the right to play on the links.
Rory McIlroy Best Course: Old Course, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland Because: “It’s the home of golf. It’s just got a different feel to it. As a course, I feel it plays so differently from one day to the next. You play golf courses around the world that are so similar, but at St Andrews you have holes playing across one another, holes sharing greens and so on. It’s just so different.” Par: 72 Length: 7,305 yards Opened: 1552 94
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As McIlroy attests, the Old Course’s unique design features include seven large ‘double greens’, which are each shared by two holes. Only the first, ninth, 17th and 18th greens have their own greens. The Old Course has a wide range of iconic features, including the Road Hole Bunker on 17 and Swilcan Bridge on 18, the scene of many historic golfing moments as players cross it on their way to victory – or emotionally wave goodbye, such as Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus did during their final Opens in 1995 and 2005 respectively.
GOLF
Webb Simpson Best Course: Augusta National Golf Club, Georgia, USA Because: “I think Augusta is the world’s best course because of all its history. Simple as that.” Par: 72 Length: 7,435 yards Opened: 1933 Still only 27, Webb Simpson is one of the world’s top players. He confirmed that on the big stage with his victory in this year’s US Open, the year’s second Major. Simpson finished second on last year’s PGA Tour money list after winning the Wyndham Championship and Deutsche Bank Championship and recording three runner-up finishes, while he also finished second in the FedEx Cup standings. Augusta National Golf Club is renowned the world over as host of the Masters Tournament each April, marking the first Major of the year. The club’s picturesque 18-hole layout is set on the site of the former Fruitland Nurseries and is renowned for its lush greenery punctuated by the pink, red and white of azaleas in spring. The legendary Bobby Jones co-founded the private club with Clifford Roberts and teamed up with AlisterMacKenzie to design the course, which was formally opened in January 1933. Since 1934, the club has hosted the Masters, the only Major to be played at the same course each year. The course’s many challenges include its lightning fast greens – comparable to putting on concrete – and the sequence of holes 11, 12 and 13 known as ‘Amen Corner’. ‘Rae’s Creek’ also flows through this famous trio of holes. Each of the course’s 18 holes is named after a tree, shrub or flower, and even the 300-metre Magnolia Lane leading up the club is renowned.
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GOLF
Justin Rose Best Course: Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Long Island, New York, USA Because: “I really like Shinnecock Hills because it’s like links golf, but has great weather, unlike in Britain. I like this and other courses in the northeast of the US.” Par: 70 Length: 6,821 yards Opened: 1891 Justin Rose soared to world number five by mid-October after a season that included victory in the World Golf ChampionshipsCadillac Championship and a runner-up finish in the PGA Tour’s season-ending Tour Championship. The Englishman helped Europe complete a remarkable comeback victory in the Ryder Cup in late September and a week later won the Turkish Airlines World Golf Final. Justin Rose sums up well the appeal of Shinnecock Hills – the traditional, open challenges of links golf, but without the strong threat of wet weather associated with Britain, the home of links golf.
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I really like Shinnecock Hills because it’s like links golf, but has great weather, unlike in Britain Formed in 1891 in Southampton on Long Island, the club is reputed to be the oldest organised golf club in the US, the first to admit female members, which it has since its foundation, and to have the oldest golf clubhouse (1892). After hosting the second US Open in 1896, the club next hosted it 90 years later and twice since. Due to its tight design and strangling rough, only winner Ray Floyd bettered par at the 1986 US Open. Corey Pavin won in 1995 with even par, while champion Retief Goosen and runner-up Phil Mickelson were the only players in red figures in 2004. The club is scheduled to host the tournament for the fifth time in 2019.
GOLF
Liang Wenchong Best Course: Chung Shan Hot Spring Golf Club, China Because: “Chung Shan was the start of my career, the first golf course I played, and is still my home course. As a professional golfer, I’ve played many golf tournaments including Major championships, but I still feel my home course is the best.” Par: 71/72 Length: 6,484/6,995 yards Opened: 1984 Liang Wenchong re-asserted himself as one of Asia’s top players in mid-October by winning OneAsia’s US$1 million Nanshan China Masters, holding off Major winners YE Yang and Louis Oosthuizen. In 2007, Liang became the second Chinese player to win on the European Tour and topped the Asian Tour Order of Merit, while in 2010 he won the OneAsia Order of Merit and set a course-record 64 at Whistling Straits during the PGA Championship. Opened in 1984, Chung Shan Hot Spring Golf Club is mainland China’s first golf club of the modern era, at the forefront of a boom that has resulted in over 600 courses across the country. The club is located south of Zhengzhou city in Guangdong province. Arnold Palmer designed the original 18-hole layout that winds through rolling hills. Jack Nicklaus designed the second course, which opened in 1993. Built on an 80-hectare site east of the Palmer course, the Nicklaus layout is widely regarded as one of China’s finest. As well as fostering the likes of Liang, Chung Shan continues to be at the forefront of promoting and developing golf in China.
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GOLF
Lee Westwood Best Course: Pebble Beach Golf Links, California, USA Because: “Pebble Beach has everything. It’s just a great allround test for a golfer; it has incredible scenery and hosts big tournaments.” Par: 72 Length: 6,828 yards Opened: 1919 Lee Westwood deposed Tiger Woods as world number one in October 2010 and held the top spot until the following February, enjoying another month at the top of the Official World Golf Ranking from late April 2011. Long Europe’s top golfer, Westwood has won almost 40 times around the world and is regarded as the best golfer never to have won a Major. Hugging the California coastline, Pebble Beach Golf Links is arguably the second most famous golf course in the US, after Augusta National. The public course has hosted five US Opens, including 2010 and 2000 when Woods produced one of golf’s greatest performances to win by 15 strokes. Since 1919, Pebble Beach’s beauty and unique challenges have enthralled both golfers and spectators. Designed by Jack Neville and Douglas Grant, the course chases the rugged coastline, providing wide-open vistas, cliffside fairways and sloping greens. Lee Westwood has an ally in Jack Nicklaus. “If I had only one more round to play, I would choose to play it at Pebble Beach,” Nicklaus has said.
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Tiger Woods Best Course: Old Course, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland Because: “Simple. It’s St Andrews. It’s the home of golf. Just everything about it.” Par: 72 Length: 7,305 yards Opened: 1552
When Jones first played St Andrews, in the 1921 Open Championship, he infamously walked off the Old Course in the third round after four fruitless attempts to play his ball out of a bunker on the 11th hole. In 1927, when The Open returned to St Andrews, Jones also returned – and won by six strokes.
Tiger Woods, a three-time winner this year, has been the world’s most famous golfer since he won the 1997 Masters Tournament by a record 12 strokes as a 21-year-old. One of the most famous sportsmen of all time, the American has won a staggering 14 Major titles – putting him behind only Jack Nicklaus (18) – been PGA Player of the Year 10 times and held the world number one position for a record 623 weeks.
For the rest of his life, Jones’s appreciation for the Old Course grew, and later in his life he was quoted as saying: “If I had to select one course upon which to play the match of my life, I should have selected the Old Course.”
Woods is renowned for his game but the American also has a deep understanding of golf’s history. His choice of the Old Course – where he won The Open in 2000 and 2005 – echoes that of another golfing legend, Bobby Jones.
In 1958, the town of St Andrews gave Jones the key to the city, after which he remarked, “I could take out of my life everything but my experiences here in St Andrews and I would still have had a rich and full life.”
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FINE SPIRITS
Blending C
in
COLLIN SCOTT is master distiller at Chivas Brothers. By Dominique Afacan
ollin Scott knows a thing or two about whisky. He is the master blender for the renowned Scots brand Chivas, which has just released the new Brothers’ Blend, a tribute to James and John Chivas, the founders who pioneered the art of blending aged Scotch whiskies in the mid 1800s. Millionaireasia shares a glass of the gold stuff and some conversation with Collin Scott.
How did you get into the whisky business? There are no universities where you can learn the art of blending. Fundamentally, you must have a good and sensitive nose that is able to differentiate the many different aromas and flavours found in Scotch whisky. At Chivas Brothers, we have our nose tested every year to ensure that it is of the required standard. 100
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Describe an average day at work. Every week the new spirit from each malt and grain distillery is nosed to ensure its quality and character is up to our standards. We constantly monitor the ageing whiskies as they mature before selecting them for blending at exactly the right time. We understand how a whisky will nose and taste in 12, 18 or 40 years depending on what type of cask it matures in. Before the casks are emptied at the start of the final blending, each one is checked to see if the quality is as expected. For spirit quality the buck stops with the blenders, which is a big responsibility. You’re conscious when looking at a sample that you are the one who has to make the decision. You mustn’t be frightened by it. It’s either yes or no.
FINE SPIRITS
Where in the making of whisky is the most flavour ‘made’?
Why are the Japanese taking so many of the medals in today’s whisky competitions?
The magic of Scotch whisky is that the character and flavour of the spirit is unique to each distillery. By law, the new spirit must be matured in oak cask for a minimum of three years, but for Chivas Regal it is for more than twelve years. During this long maturation, the spirit reacts with the oak wood and at least 40 percent of the final character of the whisky will have come from the oak cask. This percentage depends on the type, size and quality of the cask and on the number of fills the cask has had. The casks we use are made from two types of oak – the original is European oak which is used to make the butts from the sherry bodegas in Spain. During maturation in these large casks, the new spirit will pick up a dark amber colour, and the character of the spirit will be enhanced with nuances of sweet nuttiness and spiciness.
The first Japanese whisky distillery was built in 1924, and with their tradition for quality, Japanese whisky is today well respected and enjoyed by millions all over the world. Although their production and maturation processes may be similar to Scotch whisky, Japanese whisky has its own identity which is different to Scotch whisky. This gives the consumer a choice of two very different types of whisky, but both have exceptional taste experiences.
The other type is American White oak, used to make the American oak barrel which has previously matured Bourbon whiskies in the United States. During maturation in these smaller casks, the new spirit will pick up a golden colour and the character of the spirit will be enhanced with nuances of vanilla sweetness and dry oakiness.
Can whisky-making be accelerated as well as enhanced? The natural ingredients and the production processes to make Scotch whisky have remained unchanged for centuries. Today we have very strict laws that define and protect Scotch whisky and even though we use modern technology, Scotch whisky can only be produced in Scotland. The secrets are from time and nature.
What do you drink to relax? In the blending laboratory where we taste the many whisky samples each day, of course we do not swallow the spirit. Therefore, I thoroughly enjoy a Chivas and water with family and friends as it is very relaxing. I don’t think one will ever tire of Scotch whisky. What’s the best whisky you ever tasted? As Master Blender for Chivas, I have had the fortunate experience of working with an enviable selection of casks of aged whiskies, both malt and grain, that are part of Chivas Brothers’ extensive inventory. Sampling these casks over the years I have tasted some extremely rare and exceptional blends, but a highlight was a real gem from a cask of Strathisla 1949 that was over forty years old. Unforgettable. w w w.chivas.com
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TRAVEL : ITALY
WHEN IN: ROME In its little side street and with its uniquely green plant-draped walls, you would never know the charming Raphaël is just steps away from the magnificent Piazza Navona and some of Rome’s (indeed the world’s) most admired monuments. 102
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ou know you are entering a wonderful new world as you approach the hotel and see the cascades of woodbine, wisteria and bougainvillea.
Through the main door and the décor is more baronial than baroque; comfortable solid furniture, red oriental rugs and, everywhere, there are art pieces, many collected by the Raphaël’s founder, Spartaco Vannoni who presided over the hotel in 1963. There are paintings by Mirò, Morandi and de Chirico and you will love the collection of Picasso ceramics. Two entire floors of the hotel were designed by Richard Meier, with rooms and suites that exude quiet luxury with their oak panelling, leather upholstery and beautiful marble: Carrara, Siena yellow, Portoro black and Navona travertine. It is an old building, wonderfully modernised but in keeping with its architectural context and it is virtually a museum of paintings, lithographs, sculpture and antiquities. You can actually revel for hours just enjoying being in the lounges and, for a totally different experience, the rooftop restaurant that overlooks the whole of the Eternal City. Raphaël has 35 rooms, 15 suites and a presidential suite. Naturally, they have all the 21st century technology you will ever need.
In the warmer months, dining is at La Terrazza Bramante and in the colder, Relais Picasso. (Don’t miss the master’s designs on your service plates). If you simply want a cocktail, head for the American Bar in the Library. They take food seriously at the Raphael with a menu that specialises in dishes from the Mediterranean coast, particularly from the area around Le Vallauris where Picasso had his ceramic studio. In the mornings, it is a joy just to go outside and walk. Walk in any direction and you will come upon a hidden Roman treasure of art or architecture or good local trattoria or local shopping and fashion. In one direction you will reach the Pantheon; in another, the Campo de’ Fiori, just across the Corso Vittorio Emanuele II and, a little further, the fashion district of the Via del Corso, Via Condotti, eventually to the Piazza del Popolo. If you have your walking shoes on (and you should have good ones as many of Rome’s streets are still cobbled), you can even reach the Colosseum or St. Peter’s across the Tiber. When you return, you will get a feeling of some comfort when you see the vine-draped walls of the Raphaël, your own little palazzo and part of the glory that is still Rome. w w w.raphaelhotel.com
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TRAVEL : THAILAND
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TRAVEL : THAILAND
WHEN IN: PHUKET The first Westin resort has opened in Thailand and quite a spectacular sight it is. It is the Westin Siray Bay Resort & Spa in Phuket, a spectacular property, with some pretty clever engineering allowing it to spill down a cliff (two cliffs, actually) so that every room and villa has a view of the ocean.
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he resort is on Siray Island, connected by bridge to mainlaind Phuket. This makes it just a 10-minute drive by hotel shuttle to Phuket Town and a short boat ride to Thailand’s renwoend islands of Phi Phi, James Bond, Similan and Maya, famous for their pristine beaches and abundant marine life. For golfers there are world-class courses within easy driving distance. The resort has some 261 guest rooms, suites and villas, each with an ocean view and all have a balcony or terrace and many have their own private pool. Décor is modern with quite a few traditional touches to remind you where you are. There are three large swimming pools all with adjoining bubble beds, Jacuzzi and sun lounges. The east coast of Phuket is still relatively underdeveloped for tourism, so this property is a ground breaker, not least because it is on the the right side of the island for travelling quickly to the outer islands. Special features of the resort are the Heavenly Beds, arguably the most comfortable hotel beds in the world. And the use of Superfoods RX, which concentrates of good nutrition. It also ‘pairs’ ingredients for better health. For example, cinnamon with your breakfast oatmeal: cinnamon because it slows the release of sugar into the bloodstream and so you feel satisfied longer with less sugar. The Westin also boats the first Heavenly Spa in Thailand for the complete therapeutic and beauty experience. (Naturally, there is a gym and other services such as yoga and pilates). From your balcony, you see glimpses of Phuket Town on the landward side across the bay; turn the other way and it is a view of the ocean and the islands. Look back towards the resort and you see its private beach. Phuket Town is relaivelly quiet on the tourism scene but it is historically interesting with its Sino-Portugeust architecture and there is great shopping and eating there, especially at informal Thai restaurants.
There are six restuarnts and bars. Sample modern Pan Asian cuisine at EEST, or international cuisine from live cooking stations at Seasonal Tastes, or sit poolside at Splash. Probably our favourite is the indoor/outdoor concept of Prego, the resort’s modern Italian restaurant. They have special cocktails at dusk so you watch the sunset he resort also boasts the Siray Bay Ballroom and four meeting rooms totaling 740 sqm of meeting and function space. All pre function areas are climate controlled with sweeping ocean views ideal for those gala dinners or casual cocktail parties by the beach.
Endless Possibilities The Westin Siray Bay Resort & Spa Phuket is a tranquil tropical setting, resort boasts the latest in modern conveniences and facilities coupled with warm Thai culture, breath taking ocean views from every room and its own stunning secluded beach.
Facilities & Services Additional services include regular shuttle services to Patong and old Phuket town.
Dining Seasonal Tastes – chic and contemporay restaurant offering international cuisine and ala carte options. EEST – a pan asian restaurant featuring five distinct flavors from Japan, China, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam. Prego by the Beach – modern Italian cuisine with a twist in a fun and relaxed outdoor setting. Splash – our poolside bar and restaurant, an oasis to replenish and restore. w w w.westin.com/siraybayresort
If you want to stay put for the day, there is a Kids Club to keep the children busy with local arts and crafts, outdoor activities, open air movies and even stargazing.
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LUXURY
A Very Special Place
Forward Great Grandpa Goring built and opened this hotel in 1910. He was a man of considerable vision an innovator, and from what I can tell a great hotelier and host. I sometimes wonder if his vision included what The Goring has become today, and what he might have made of some of the stories and occurrences of the last 100 years. One thing is certain; that strong but invisible threads connect today’s Goring with that of 1910. The family is one of those threads, as are today’s staff, many of whom were hired and trained by department heads who were themselves taken on by Great Grandpa himself. Even more importantly, we are lucky to have guests whose great, and even great great grandparents stayed here in the hotel’s first decade, and who would have made their reservations by writing a letter to O.R. Goring. This book does not attempt to set out a full history of The Goring but I hope that you will be amused by the small selection of tales in it. While you are reading, we are busy with the task of creating the stories for the next 100 years, and there is always the chance that you will be one of them. Jeremy Goring
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LUXURY
I
n 2010, The Goring celebrated its 100th year. Just behind Buckingham Palace, this hotel was the first in the world to offer its guests central heating and a bathroom for every bedroom, when Otto Goring opened its doors in1910. It is also the only hotel in London still owned and run by the family that built it, with the 4th generation Jeremy Goring keeping up the tradition begun by his great-grandfather in 1910. The Hotel is quintessentially English and provides guests with unparalleled and exceptionally attentive service. In response to popular demand for information and stories about the hotel and its history, a book was commissioned and released in1997. A Very Special Place was written by Robin RhoderickJones with delightful illustrations by Tim Jaques. Ahead of the 100th year celebrations the book was updated with the latest version appearing in 2009. The book is full of wonderful tales of the colourful characters that have worked and stayed at the hotel during the first 100 years. Anyone who has ever had the pleasure of staying at the hotel, who enjoys the pleasures of luxury travel, or who has worked in the industry will find it an interesting and entertaining read. In the coming editions of MillionaireAsia we will be featuring some of the tales and illustrations from the book.
The Manager’s Tale Some of the most stressful moments of a manager’s life stem from the enforcement of house rules and dealing politely but firmly with guests who attempt to flaunt them. The Goring has never had any truck with prostitutes. Indeed, the entertainment of any non-residents in bedrooms is still actively discouraged, although night managers now have a wider discretion in deciding who is and who is not a desirable visitor. There is another regulation, too, which guests occasionally find irksome. Pet animals are banned. A notice dated March 1910 is displayed in reception. “Visitors are respectfully reminded,” it reads, “that dogs, cats, birds, and other pets are not allowed in any part of this hotel.” The first circumvention of this rule took place in 1912 when a lady wearing a large muff booked into a room with a balcony on the first floor. It was a warm night and she went to sleep leaving the windows open. By breakfast-time the next morning, the office was being bombarded with perplexed telephone calls. One guest reported that bits and pieces on her dressing-table had been disarranged; another that his papers had been scattered to all corners of his room while a third, an elderly matron, rang to report the disappearance of her wig. After several more calls in a similar vein, a man came down in the lift to say that he would never stay at the Goring again. He had woken to find a marmoset sitting on the end of his bed; had the hotel perhaps turned into a zoo overnight? Both monkey and wig were eventually retrieved and the lady left – with an empty muff and her pet sitting on her shoulder.
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WINE RECOMMENDATIONS
MILLIONAIREASIA INDONESIA WINE RECOMMENDATIONS In each edition of MillionaireAsia we will be asking our team of wine experts to recommend wines from a leading winery. In this edition they have chosen and recommended a variety of beautiful wines from Wynns Coonawarra Estate. In this edition the recommendations are: John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon Michael Shiraz Coonawarra Riesling Coonawarra Chardonay Chabernet Shiraz Merlot Coonawarra Shiraz
For more information on these wines and where you can purchase them visit the wine section at : www.millionaireasia-indonesia.com
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WINE RECOMMENDATIONS
John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon The wine spent 22 months in 100% new French oak. Aromas of classic Coonawarra Cabernet - Blackberry and dark fruit aromas are complemented by dark chocolate, mint and cedary oak. The palate is full bodied with rich dark fruit framed by silky tannins that add to the long finish. Country : Australia Grape : Cabernet Sauvignon Year : 2006
Michael Shiraz An array of raspberry, blueberry, rhubarb and enticing confectionary notes are perfectly balanced by a darker secondary spectrum of black cherry, plums and underlying subtle rich oak tones. Rich and full from start to finish. An alluring array of succulent dark fruit on the mid palate perfectly combined with fruit tannin and oak, create a seamless inky, dense palate with no rough edges. Country : Australia Grape : Shiraz Year : 2008
Coonawarra
Coonawarra
Riesling
Chardonnay
This wine is matured in stainless steel to retain a fresh fruit focus.
Approximately one third of this wine was matured in seasoned French oak barrels.
It has vibrant straw with green hues and distinctive lemon sherbet with citrus blossom notes.
Elegant bright citrus fruits are enhanced by delicate mineral notes, combined with subtle nectarine, white peach, cashew notes from light French oak maturation.
The long and persistent flavours of muddled lemon and lime are framed by lively acidity and a touch of chalky minerality. Country : Australia Grape : Riesling Year : 2010
An amalgam of stone fruits provides great depth and complexity while subtle citrus notes adds length. Country : Australia Grape : Chardonay Year : 2010
Cabernet
Coonawarra
Shiraz Merlot
Shiraz
This wine shows an inviting succulent nose of bright red berries and dark blood plums. The generous lifted fruit aromas of Shiraz combined with the darker spectrum of Cabernet and Merlot marry well to add complexity and intrigue.
Ten months oak maturation using a mixture of French and American oak.
The blend of varieties meld to produce a supple, soft palate with seamless length and multi dimensional depth.
Structured and seamless with a rich, lush and fruitful mid palate supported by well-defined velvet fruit tannins. An amalgam of floral and spicy notes adds final complexity and length.
Country : Australia Grape : Cabernet Sauvignon (65%), Shiraz (30%), Merlot (5%). Year : 2010
Rich concentrated aromas of ripe mulberries, rhubarb and black cherry, complexed by subtle toast, nutmeg and cinnamon spice.
Country : Australia Grape : Shiraz Year : 2010
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TRAVEL CONCIERGE
A WORLD OF UNIQUE EXPERIENCES
A
t MillionaireAsia Indonesia we deliver more than just a great magazine. We are constantly on the look out for ideas and opportunities to enhance our members experience.
MillionaireAsia Indonesia has joined forces with Luxury Lifestyle Travel Consultant John B. Sutherland, to provide our members with the a comprehensive range of unique luxury travel experiences and services. As demand grows from our members for more experience based travel itineraries we have seen an increase in enquiries for a wide range of products relating to general luxury travel, sport, music events with VIP access, culinary & wine, private yachts as well as unique incentive programs. Our Millionaire Asia Indonesia Travel Concierge service puts together tailor made ‘Lifetime Experiences’ for you, your family or your customers and clients. We can help you whether you want to fly off to the UK with VIP tickets to an English Premier League match, sample some great wines in Tuscany before heading off to an Andrea Bocelli concert with VIP hospitality, be possibly the first Indonesian in space by booking a seat on ‘Lynx’, have a private shopping experience at one of the major fashion brand stores in Paris or a private helicopter trip round the Eiffel Tower, mix with the stars at a Hollywood function, or just want to sample the VIP Corporate experience at the 2014 World Cup. To start planning your next travel experience contact our MillionaireAsia Indonesia Travel Concierge on
travel.concierge@millionaireasia-indonesia.com
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MILLIONAIREASIA INDONESIA
Corporate Golf Series Captains Cocktail Evening - September 5th 2013 Tournament 1 - September 19th 2013 - Cengkareng Golf Club Tournament 2 - December 5th 2013 - Emeralda Golf Club Tournament 3 - January 22nd 2014 - Rancamaya Golf & Country Club Tournament 4 - March 5th 2014 - Cengkareng Golf Club Gala Presentation Dinner - InterContinental Jakarta Midplaza - Friday March 21st 2014
Corporate Entertaining Made Easy The MillionaireAsia Indonesia Corporate Golf Series will see thirty-five Corporate teams compete in over the four tournament seres. The first one in September 2013 and then subsequent tournaments in December 2013, January 2014, and March 2014; avoiding major holidays along the way. The tournaments will be played at the following courses; Cengkareng, Rancamaya, Emeralda, and back to Cengkareng for the final tournament. The MillionaireAsia Indonesia Corporate Golf Series provides for an opportunity to entertain corporate clients while still playing for the pride of the company. Team Captains are free to pick their team captains can make up their teams by inviting their clients, board of directors, colleagues, or potential clients. It is anticipated that team captains may well bring a different group of players to each tournament resulting in up to 450 players participating over the course of the four events. Each tournament will produce a winning team and each participating team will receive points based on their finishing position. The overall series winning company will be the team with the most points after the completion of all four events. To register a team or see sponsorship opportunities please contact us : Ph. +6221 5292 1638 Fax. +6221 5292 1637 golf@millionaireasia-indonesia.com www.millionaireasia-indonesia.com
PEOPLE
THE NEW FACE S OF SOTHEBY’S
he is an acknowledged expert in Southeast Asian Art but will oversee sales of all Sotheby’s auction areas, including fine art, jewellery and watches.
Her base is in Jakarta but she will also be responsible for developing the house’s activities all over Indonesia. Prasetio is a graduate of Wellesley College in Massachusetts, USA, where she majored in economics.
Jasmine Prasetio has been appointed Country Manager, Indonesia, for the Sotheby’s auction house.
She joined Sotheby’s Singapore in 2004 and moved to Hong Kong in 2009 as a specialist in the Southeast Asian Paintings Department. Here she was involved in developing the category and played a significant part in the curation, presentation and catalogue production of the biannual auctions, as well as in growing the client base and platform for the department. In December 2012, she was directly involved in the conception and execution of Boundless: Contemporary Art, the successful inaugural auction of Asian and Western contemporary art in Sotheby’s Asia. w w w.sothebys.com
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