STYLE in-DEPTH
From left: Michael Tabone, Sarah Young, Konrad Buhagiar and Samantha Bonnici
Specialists in Style Knowledge is the new black, and from wine expertise to architectural proficiency, success, style and know-how have become intrinsically interlinked. With that in mind, Style on Sunday meets four well-known local experts to discover how they each made it to the top of their game. Words by Iggy Fenech and Jo Caruana
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALAN CARVILLE
Shot on location at the Inquisitor’s Palace, with thanks to Heritage Malta
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STYLE in-DEPTH
SARAH YOUNG
“It’s the high stakes and strong emotions that make it so incredibly rewarding.” – Sarah Young
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arah Young is easily one of Malta’s best-known wedding planners, with countless successful events in her portfolio at Y Plan Events Ltd. “In my line of work trends change all the time and you need to keep up with them. That said, just because bright pink is in vogue doesn’t mean it will look good on everybody. This job is all about finding the balance between what clients want, and what works. You can never sit still. The day you stop growing and learning is the day your career ends. “I specialise in the foreign market and have clients who have come from across the globe to get married in Malta. When I started out
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things were completely different. I had just finished reading for my Masters in the UK when my friends started asking if I could lend a hand on their weddings. It’s funny, but at the time there were no wedding planners anywhere on the island – it was a completely new concept. I can remember going to suppliers and them telling me my job wasn’t really useful. Thankfully that’s changed over time and, in the span of just over a decade, I’ve had all kinds of challenges – including planning a wedding for 1,700 people, as well as one with a budget of a quarter of a million euro. Organising around that kind of money is a headache and an art in its own right!
“Today I still work with some of the people who were with me on day one, and that makes it all the more special. There’s so much heart that goes into this job that you need a strong team around you. Weddings are emotional affairs and handling them is harder than you might think. Sometimes you need to be strict and firm to get the point across, but you must always be nice. It’s only now that I fully appreciate why my course had so many psychology modules to it! Of course, it’s the high stakes and strong emotions that also make it incredibly rewarding, and which have ensured I’ve never, ever wanted to do anything else.”
STYLE in-DEPTH
KONRAD BUHAGIAR
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onrad Buhagiar is a founding partner oof Architecture Project (AP), with a particular focus on the restoration and rehabilitation of historical buildings. “I was on a scholarship in France, studying the language, when, by sheer coincidence, I spotted a chapel that I had a stamp of. So I decided to visit it. Then and there I fell in love with the chapel of Notre Dame du Haut, designed by Le Corbusier, in Ronchamp. I immediately knew I wanted to be a part of that world and I’ve never wanted to do anything else since. “So, with an added interest in history, I was really happy to be given the opportunity to travel to Rome and study restoration there – it taught me how to understand and read buildings. At one stage I had a professor called Joe Spiteri, who was a truly brilliant architect. He once said: ‘When you finally understand architecture you die’ and that struck me; I found it funny, but it’s also very true. “I think most people have an opinion about architecture and that’s understandable – especially as it’s always there, whether you like it or not. But I like to challenge those opinions, and, as much as I appreciate criticism, I believe it needs to be justified. That is why when people at dinner parties complain a buiding isn’t beautiful, I always ask them one thing: ‘Why?’ I believe it is important to know why you think things, and not just to think them. “For our company’s 20th anniversary we released a book called ‘A Printed Thing’ and it raised a few questions. One that made me stop and think was: ‘What happens to a building once the architect is done?’ It’s all so interesting and there’s a never-ending set of questions to think about. “I believe an architect is also an artist and that he has the responsibility to show people how to see things in a different way. But, ultimately, it is the people living and using the building who give it life.”
“When it came to my career, I have never wanted to do anything else.” – Konrad Buhagiar
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STYLE in-DEPTH
MICHAEL TABONE
“Wine has taken me on an incredible journey.” – Michael Tabone
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ine connoisseur Michael Tabone has been instrumental in encouraging locals to embrace international viticulture. Among many successes, he tutors several wine groups and has strong ties to the Saint Emilion wine region in France. “The world of wine is continuously evolving so it’s vital to stay up-to-date. Especially in Bordeaux, which is the region I specialise in, every vintage brings on a new expression of a particular wine. There are always properties that are changing hands or changing styles and, of course, consumers are always interested in discovering good wine, especially when it comes to value for money. “My route into this business wasn’t planned at all. It was by pure coincidence that I ended up doing what I do today. I didn’t even grow up surrounded by good
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food or wine, but developed an interest when I moved to London in the 80s. The real spark came when I visited France in 1990, and I will never forget a dinner I attended at Chateau Beausejour Becot in Saint Emilion, where we drank vintages from birth years of all those present – including 1964, 1955 and 1921. It was also the first time I tasted sweetbreads – my favourite food to this day. “By 1992, when we moved back to Malta, we had amassed a nice collection of around 300 bottles of very good wine. We assumed it would last a while but, a year later, realised we would soon need more – so we went to get some. We sourced them from producers we had met on visits to Saint Emilion and it was suggested we should buy extra and sell the surplus. So that’s what we did. “Since, there have been all sorts of highlights. From tasting great vintages to
meeting interesting people, wine has taken me on an incredible journey. My connection with Saint Emilion and the work we do within the Jurade there is also of great satisfaction to me. I am thrilled by the links that have been built between Maltese wine lovers and wine growers from that region. I am also proud of the concerts we have held there, with tenor Joseph Calleja. Additionally, the success of the various wine groups has been a great achievement for the advancement of wine knowledge in Malta. “Nevertheless, to this day my absolutely favourite thing about wine would have to be the people that grow and drink it. I am a firm believer that you don’t need to be an expert or to spend a lot of money to enjoy wine, and hope to encourage more people than ever to learn to relish its incredible culture.”
STYLE in-DEPTH
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“I love the fact I get to treat patients with my own hands rather than with medicine.” – Samantha Bonnici
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amantha Bonnici is a top sport physiotherapist who SAMANTHA has worked with everyone from international dancers to BONNICI athletes at the Olympics and on London’s Harley Street. “I originally planned to become a doctor, but, when my mother was undergoing physio, she suggested I should consider it – and I did! I have certainly never had any regrets since. I love the fact I get to treat patients with my own hands rather than with medication. “So far my biggest career highlight would have to be working on the London Olympics. It was a big deal both personally and professionally, and it felt amazing to be part of something so monumental. I was living in London at the time so I watched the whole thing unfold. It was incredible to work with some sporting stars – whose names I am
afraid I cannot divulge! – as well as with the Matthew Bourne Dance Company, while they were performing Swan Lake in London. “One of the things most people don’t understand is that you have to be openminded in this job. You can never stop researching and growing. At the same time, you have to be professional and to know when it’s best to refer your patients on to someone else. There are, of course, different kinds of physiotherapists – some treat very specialised respiratory or neurological conditions in a hospital setting, while others are more sportsfocused like me. “Whatever the case, my reward always comes from knowing I have helped someone. I love it when a patient calls and elatedly tells me he has finished a race or reached a personal goal. Nothing beats the knowledge that you have facilitated their achievements in one way or another.” o