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TO BE ONE OF A KIND
Chairman SHAHAB IZADPANAH
EDITORIAL
PUBLISHING
Editor in Chief MOJEH IZADPANAH
Publishing Director RADHIKA NATU
Associate Editor SHERI IZADPANAH
Publishing Assistant DESIREE LABANDA-GAVERIA
Assistant Editor KELLY BALDWIN
Paris Representative GHISLAIN DE CASTELBAJAC
Guest Fashion Editors Sara Francia Sonia Logerot Kim Johnson
Advertisement Manager tala amhaz
LOUIS FOURTEEN FOR MOJEH
Junior Fashion and Beauty Journalist Caroline Kent Editorial Assistants ALIA AL SADEK Emma Bailey Harry McKinley Zoey coombe
Digital Director AMIR AHMADI KHALILI Concierge Service Management ASSMA AHMED Personal Stylist MARY LOUISE READ
Editorial Contributors erin fee laura holland
Lifestyle Manager OLGA KOVALCHUK
ART
Corporate Manager JUBRAN HAMATI
Producer LOUIS AGENCY
Customer Representative VANESSA PASAGUE
Art Director AMIRREZA AMIRASLANI
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Senior Designer MEHDI GHAREH MOHAMMADI
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Digital Strategy LOUIS AGENCY Contributing Photographers Jean-François Aloïsi Federico De Angelis raphael Delorme Riccardo Vimercati thierno sy
Letters to the Editor Email: editor@mojeh.com Published under HS Media Group FZ LLC Registered at Dubai Media City Building 10, Office 345 P.O.Box 502333, Dubai, UAE
Cover shot by Riccardo Vimercati | Model: Zuzana Gregorova, DNA model Management | Zuzana wears: Silk faille lace bow appliqué gown, Oscar de la Renta | Cascade necklace in platinum and gold with yellow and white diamonds, Tiffany & Co | Stylist: Kim Johnson | Hair: Erika Svedjevik at L’atelier NYC | Makeup: Asami at The Magnet Agency | Photographer’s assistant: Zomnia Vasquez | Videographer: Oliver Martin | Casting and local production: Roger Inniss at Boom Productions inc. | Production assistant: Charles Hedger | Production: Louis Agency
WWW.MOJEH.COM Louis Fourteen for MOJEH Follow us on Twitter @MOJEH_Magazine, www.shopmojeh.com, info@shopmojeh.com MOJEH Executive Office: Burj Khalifa, Floor 129, P.O. Box 888777, Dubai, UAE MOJEH Swiss Representative Office: Rue de Rive 4, 1204 Geneva, Switzerland Average qualified circulation as issued by BPA Worldwide (January – June 2012): 14,255 copies. For the UAE printed by Emirates Printing Press LLC. Distribution- UAE: Jashanmal National Company LLC. Qatar: Dar Al Sharq. Bahrain: Jashanmal & Sons BSC (C). Oman: United Media Services LLC The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessary those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the readers particular circumstances. The ownership of trademark is acknowledged, therefore reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. All credits are subjects to change. Copyright HS MEDIA GROUP FZ LLC 2011
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Mojeh
Contents
SOCIETY
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The Dubai Debut
A group of debutantes from London fulfill aristocratic tradition by embarking on adulthood in the eyes of Dubai society.
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Woman In Society We talk with stunning film journalist Mona Ibellini about her move to the Middle East and burgeoning media career.
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A Model Ambition Model Erin Fee discusses her discovery, sudden success and coming of age on the runway.
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My Stylish life
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Luxury connoisseur Glen Martin and philanthropic bag designer Amanda Navaian talk us through their terribly stylish lives.
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FASHION
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Mother Muse
We dissect the style DNA inherited from our very first fashion icon.
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Belle of the Ballgowns Dive headfirst in to the bountiful selection of beautiful gowns on offer for the festive season.
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Empire State Of Mind The king of uptown NYC Zac Posen discusses his anthropological approach to fashion design.
154 Men’s
Even if your other half isn’t Mr Dicaprio, make him look like it with this season’s top picks for men.
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Accessories
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National treasure German by birth, French by fashion and famously stylist-free, the inimitable Diane Kruger steps on to our accessory radar.
186 Clutch Mania
Put the finishing touch on your festive wardrobe with this season’s pick of reworked classic clutches.
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Most Desired
We show you the cream of the crop with items we can’t live without this winter.
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198 Tiffany
Mark the 175th anniversary of Tiffany with at look at their new collection of the world’s rarest coloured diamonds.
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BEAUTY
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You’re Invited
The beauty experts at trend-forecasting giant WGSN tell us how to get the perfect party look this festive season. From the office party to the grand ball, we’ve got you covered.
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222 Now and Forever
We talk to the creative minds behind the world’s most iconic fragrance. Chanel No.5, we salute you.
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I’ve Dyed and Gone to Heaven Make sure your hair is fashion forward this winter with a metallic sheen inspired by outer space.
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Brit actress Felicity Jones is the new face of D&G makeup but what does this mean for the legendary brand?
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CULTURE
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meditations in digital photography We explore one digital photographers take on the Dubai art scene.
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Intertwined Imaginations We catch up with Matthew Williamson and the brains behind The Rug Company as they go on the hunt for new creative talent.
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Reaching Hollywood Heights
American starlet Leighton Meester tells us what life after Gossip Girl is like and how the character she’s been playing bares little resemblance to herself.
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Come Dine With Me For the best advice on entertaining take a look at our bi-monthly list of must-have reads.
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Editor’s
Letter
fashionable festivities Mojeh Izadpanah, Photographed by Nick Hudson
Beautiful ball gowns, outstanding diamonds and jewels, undiscovered talent and flawless faces; this issue we showcase everything our woman needs to celebrate the holiday season with opulence and grandeur. As we relinquish the last breaths of autumn air and head towards the gushes of winter winds, we’re stepping into a festive period that you’ve undoubtedly already found yourself on multiple guest lists for. Which means only one thing: the gown rush is about to begin. What will it be? An invasion of organza from a Giambattista dress, a darkly seductive purple sheer number from Gucci or perhaps a walk on the androgynous side with a YSL suit? Attentively scan your way through our pages – from fashion, accessories, and high jewellery to beauty – explore, consider and interpret. Which personas will you visit during the upcoming festivities? A man who knows all too well how to work the social scene and stay close to his muses is our designer in residence Zac Posen. ‘I’ve been social at different times in my life and very private as well. I love women – I like talking to them. I am forever inspired by meeting new people and being open to new experiences.’ When we asked him about creating for the confident, power woman, his response is one that will certainly help guide my choices. ‘I think all women have these traits in varying degrees and creating for them is the joy of my life. Women are constantly evolving, as is fashion, and chic women can often juxtapose their personality through their dress.’ Exactly why the selections you make this season should be all parts measured, insightful and fun. What kind of year have you had? What statement do you wish to convey before making your debut into the next? Whatever it is and in whichever way you wish to show it (juxtaposed or not) ensure that everything, including your hair and make-up, instils in you the confidence to carry it off. As we celebrate we also reflect. International model Erin Fee delivers this month’s memoir, sharing the complexities of coming of age whilst the world’s watching. Something that – after making their entrance into society at this year’s ball held in the Middle East – the young women of the London Season will too empathise with. Turn to our society section and discover an aristocratic tradition that stands the test of time and puts nothing to greater value than upbringing and family. Coming from a family of deep-rooted values, the season is a poignant time for us to gather and appreciate all the similarities (and dissimilarities) that keep us moving together. The hot topic of ‘what is art’ is invariably something that earns its place in our discussions year after year. Through the vision of our artist in residence, Saeed Khalifa, I’ve come to the opinion that nothing should be dismissed from the realm if it’s a visual inspiration to someone, somewhere. And it is with sincere admiration that I indulge in our final cut of fashion stories for the issue, finding an air of virtuosity in each and every one of them. Whether it be the intricacy of design in the fine jewellery pieces from this year’s Biennale; the exquisite handembroidery on Oscar de la Renta gowns; or the juxtaposed vision of a sequined Elie Saab dress gracefully falling down an ancient stairwell, echoing a modern day Clifford Coffin – it’s in these moments of well-considered beauty that I find art.
Mojeh Izadpanah Editor in Chief
Follow me on Twitter @Mojeh_I
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A Pointe to Remember, Photographed by Sy Delorme
Snapshots
Editor’s
When in Winter Step confidently into winter with dazzling statement pieces and exquisite holiday essentials. Glamorous gold separates add celebratory flair whilst luxe materials provide a chic base on which to build an effortless outfit to transition you from day to night. A daring splash of individuality in the form of an eye-catching red lipstick or animal print heel keeps it fun, fresh and festive, whilst a hint of sparkle from an embellished clutch or jewelled earring takes you straight from brunch to banquet.
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1. CADA @ mytheresa.com | 2. Haider Ackermann | 3. Carven @ matchesfashion.com | 4. Chloe @ net-a-porter.com | 5. Christian Louboutin | 6. Chanel | 7. Haider Ackermann @ net-a-porter.com | 8. J Brand | 9. Dior | 10. Donna Karan | 11. YSL | 12. Dior, Rouge Nude in Illusion | 13. Lanvin | 14. Victoria Beckham | 15. Chanel | 16. Jason Wu
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Society
Feature
Society
The Dubai Debut There are certain occasions that the old adage ‘today is the first day of the rest of your life’ seems truer than ever. For a group of young debutantes from London that day, the one on which they embark on adulthood in the eyes of society, is swiftly approaching.
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The Palace Downtown Dubai
nce a year in the city of London and its lush surrounding counties, parties, philanthropy, and sports take center stage on the calendars of the social set for The London Season. Participants enjoy a merry-go-round of glamorous engagements and events culminating in the best of Britain’s girls attending a ball at which they are celebrated as promising young women. In a similar fashion to here, the British upper-crust loves to party in style, so this November London’s debutantes are jetting over to the Middle East, namely Dubai, to make their debut on the international social scene. Encapsulating the wideeyed optimism of a girl spreading her wings from the arms of her family and appearing in to the wider world as a woman, these debutantes will partake in a whirlwind of receptions and excursions culminating in a dazzling ball where they will make the acquaintance of the global social set. Traditionally for participants in the London Season, plans to engage with culture and sports demand diligence and patience. Clothes are carefully picked out and worn for maximum impact, because if you want to be involved in debate, gossip, and fashionable society, you’d better make your mark. The London Season is a distinctively British tradition that for decades has towed the party line with its indefatigable socialites who placed themselves at the forefront of a tradition of partying with a philanthropic purpose. Historically referred to as the annual period when it is customary for members of the social elite to hold debutante balls, dinner parties and large charity events, The London Season evolved in the 17th and 18th centuries, and in its traditional form it peaked in the 19th century. The British upper-class was dominated by landowning aristocratic and gentry families who generally regarded their country house as their main home, but spent several months of the year in the capital to socialise and engage in politics. Hence, the season was defined by the movements of the Royal Family and correlated with parliamentary session. The social season played a role in the democratic life of the country but, more importantly for attendees, the Season also provided an opportunity for the children of nobility and gentry to be launched into society. Women were formally introduced into society by presentation to the monarch at Court and eligible young men scrambled to make their acquaintance. By 1870, the custom of gathering in the city was well established
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Feature
‘Coming out in those days was an event which happened suddenly. Overnight, in the twinkling of an eye, one was magically transformed from a child into a grown-up person’.
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Susy Mezzanotte/Grand Tour/Corbis
Society
and King George III capitalised on this, holding a ball to raise money for a new maternity hospital and naming it after his wife, Queen Charlotte. The Charlotte ball became an annual event, and the fulcrum of the social season. For most young women, the variety of activities and social life was thrilling and exciting. In her memoirs, Lady Dorothy Neville recalled that during her first Season she attended ‘50 balls, 60 parties, 30 dinners and 25 breakfasts.’ A spirited and energetic young lady, if she had the spunk and stamina—and most of them did—could begin her social round at 10:00 in the morning with a ride in Hyde Park and end it at 3:00 a.m. the following morning at a ball. The festivities culminated in a ball (much like the Hearts and Coronets ball soon to hit Dubai) that celebrated a girl’s passage in to adulthood. Lady Violet Bonham-Carter remarked of her début in the early 1900s: ‘Coming out in those days was an event which happened suddenly. Overnight, in the twinkling of an eye, one was magically transformed from a child into a grown-up person.’ This calendar season was a socially circumscribed ritual that changed very little until the middle of the 20th century, when, by the end of WWII, the strict social parameters that the season defined were being eroded and it became a more niche pursuit for the truly socially in-demand. What is left is a series of high profile wellloved events that form the backbone of the English social scene. The lingering conventions include the dress-code, an indubitable glamour that many revel in. A glorious array of pastimes provide the overriding pleasure of the season, from opera at Glyndebourne to horticulture at the Chelsea Flower Show to equestrianism at The Grand National to sport at the Henley Royal Regatta. Though the formalised participation of young women in the conventions of the season has dipped in popularity in London, it is something that Jennie Hallam-Peel (organiser of London’s most sought-after events, and the upcoming Dubai season) and her team of Euro–aristocracy are working to maintain and nurture on a global scale. She is doing this through The London Season’s latest visit abroad, taking a group of ‘debutantes’ from London’s top schools to ‘come out’ to Middle Eastern society. The young women will explore the city in a three day excursion, taking in dinners, receptions and a polo game along the way. Just as the traditional starting signal for the season was a private view of contemporary fashions at the Royal Academy, Pucci will be showing a runway in honour of The London Season. The visit will culminate in a Hearts and Coronets Ball at the Palace Hotel. The girls will wear gowns by Kruszynska of Beauchamp Place,
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each in a different pastel shade. Whereas girls selected for being debs were previously called upon by familial connections, these days it is more based in education and ambition. Significantly, the London Season is demonstrably no longer about finding marriage, rather the young woman ‘coming-out’ to society as ambitious, cosmopolitan, and keen to network. They are savvy, aware that they are privileged and keen to pursue a social contribution that is both personally enjoyable and philanthropically fulfilling. The Season is no longer about putting daughter’s in the paths of eligible bachelors, but rather on the paths of ambitious and accomplished lives. ‘Although many of the traditions have been kept, the Season now prepares young ladies for the business world just as much as the social season. We are lucky enough to have countless opportunities to network with a vast array of business people.’ Explains Maria Austin, who is leading the Junior Committee this season. Amidst all the glamour and glitz Maria and her fellow season participants raise money for worthwhile charities (this year, it’s global charity The Smile Train) ‘the charitable aspect was a main factor for me. I have had a very fortunate upbringing and am now at university and so it was about time I gave something back,’ explains Maria. And it’s not the charitable aspect that appeals to these ambitious young women, 21st century debs benefit from the season in their development of confidence, people skills, career networking, and social interaction with young people from all over the world. Veteran season-er Fleur explains: ‘The Season offers great networking opportunities for young people, men and women alike, who are about to enter the professional world.’ Where better than cosmopolitan Dubai, a place where family celebration is still at the heart of the home and of our wider social circles, to hold the next installment of the season’s whirlwind trips abroad where debutantes are introduced to not just British society but the global circles they will come across in their adult life? Though it has evolved over time, the London Season was always about bringing together those people that strove to be the heartbeat of the community and have a thoroughly good time in the process. An opportunity to encourage the selfesteem of the next generation of young women to celebrate the exemplary members of society they are becoming. Furthermore, it’s designed to encourage the distillation of values regarding personal contribution and the benefits of being an active and enthusiastic participant in culture. With the help of a light sprinkling of glamour, these are intentions that have stood the test of time.
Susy Mezzanotte/Grand Tour/Corbis
The lingering conventions include the dresscode, an indubitable glamour that many revel in. A glorious array of pastimes provide the overriding pleasure of the season.
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Photographed by Sandra Chidiac
Belles
Society
Belles
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Celebrated Woman in Society:
Mona Ibellini
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orn and raised in London, multi-talented Mona Ibellini moved to Dubai three years ago to pursue her work as a film journalist. She has been establishing herself in the media industry for several years now, working for organisations such as Al Jazeera and freelancing in Europe and in the Middle East. She uses the medium of film to explore her personal passions in art and culture with a political edge. With the imminent release and worldwide premiers of her first independent documentary ‘Backstage with Khalil Gibran’ (directed, written, produced, and conceived by herself ) Mona talks us through her inspirations.
Your father is Palestinian and your mother Tunisian, did they inspire you to move to Dubai and become involved in issues in the MENA region? After being born and bred in London, I always wanted to try living in the Middle East. My family and I visited Dubai many years ago and felt it was a place that had the perfect balance between East and West. My parents have always encouraged me to be independent, to travel and explore the world and to remain connected to our roots and identity. Although we are not from the UAE, the move to Dubai was one step closer to sharing my Arab/ European life and experiences and using them as inspiration in my work. Why did you decide to leave Al Jazeera and the other organisations you have worked for to break out on your own? For me the world of media has always been one that is far from traditional. By focusing on nurturing my dynamic and independent nature I have had the opportunity to work with some of the most respected institutions in the world whilst also being allowed to work on my own side-projects, allowing me a channel to express my creativity.
What are the challenges and rewards of working independently on your projects? One faces challenges on a daily basis let alone trying to make a film! ‘Backstage with Khalil Gibran’ is my first independent documentary and hopefully one of many to come. Writing the story board and script was my first challenge - especially when trying to inform my viewers about Gibran the poet/ artist and the man, through the eyes of a theatrical production, which had never been done before. Trying to find the right team to work with in terms of filming and editing was my second challenge and trying to stick to my budget was yet another obstacle. Finally the post-production of the film was extremely time consuming -especially when you’re a perfectionist! But thankfully I had a wonderful and very patient team who helped realise my documentary. The rewards are priceless and that sense of relief is immense. Admittedly, it all seems quite surreal now considering how the idea came, to where we are now. My first screenings went very well and I hope we can keep spreading the word about this iconic Arab figure. How does the Middle East community inspire you? Different countries in the MENA region inspire me in their own ways; whether it’s the dialects and accents, the traditions, food, arts, music, culture, or the mindsets and approach to life which can change significantly within just a few kilometres. The newer generation in the Middle East is incredibly inspiring and motivating in making change - especially post revolution. Has your life taken the course you expected it to? I’m a huge believer in the idea that nothing is a coincidence. I try my best not to have expectations these days, all I know for sure is that since I was at school, I have always felt a certain type of love towards the arts, literature, film and music. Up until now, my life has been filled with wonderful surprises and for that I feel very blessed. You have said that you feel lucky to be able to follow the stories you feel personally passionate about. Why are stories about Arab culture and arts with a political twist important to you, why are you fascinated by them? Arab culture and arts are not just important to me, I think that for too long the Arab contribution to the Arts has been under appreciated. The Arab world has a history that is a rich tapestry filled with many stories, which deserve to be told as they hold important lessons for the modern world.
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How do you see the future of women in the media in the Middle East? I’m very optimistic and excited for the future of women in the Middle East in general. More and more women are adding further value and credibility within the media industry. Positive changes have happened on all fronts and are still occurring, especially with the new wave of social media experts, journalists, film-makers, producers and directors.
How would you like to inspire and encourage other women who want to go in to similar fields? The passion and will has to be authentic and it really has to come from within. From the outside the industry can be perceived as glamorous but in reality it is competitive and you need to remain true to yourself always. I would encourage young female students who are studying film-making or journalism for example, to gain as much experience as possible, whether it is through an internship at a local or international production house or writing for the university magazine. You have nothing to lose as long as you believe in yourself and the message you want to convey. There are many risks to take in life and I really encourage any aspiring woman out there to take the plunge. If it’s not you, then it will be someone else. Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.
Where do you see yourself in ten years time, what do you want to have achieved? Again, no expectations but hopefully I would be married with a family of my own. I come from a big family and absolutely adore children, so that would be one huge achievement in itself. I would love to work on a few more thought-provoking films and projects that will help educate and bring certain subject matters to light.
How would you describe your lifestyle? As time has gone by, I believe I’ve managed to find a balance both internally and externally. I’m quite a homey person and try to lead a healthy lifestyle in terms of food and exercise. I love the outdoors, especially the sea and could spend hours doing pilates and yoga. I love cooking and having friends over but I’m equally happy spending time with myself writing, reading and watching independent films.
Why does film appeal to you as a medium for investigating your subjects? Film is one of the mediums I have used to investigate important subjects as I believe body language, eye contact and hearing the voices of the interviewees can make such a difference and have such a profound impact on the audience or viewers. It’s one medium that keeps things real.
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Memoir
Mojeh
A Model Ambition Model Erin Fee discusses her discovery, her sudden success and growing up on the runway.
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uggling a flourishing career with the common challenges of youth, Fee openly acknowledges that her life thus far has been a journey fraught with both triumphs and struggles. Initially scouted in December and with her birthday falling in the same month, for her the festive period will always be a time of reflection. Here she shares the story of the Christmas that will forever be the most significant for her, the incredible path it has led her along and why retaining a sense of self is crucial in a profession that values appearance above all else. ‘Every time the festive season comes around it makes me think about my accomplishments. I am now 21 but was just 14 when my life was essentially turned upside-down by a chain of events offering me a career that I never could have imagined. It was December and my sister and I, accompanied by our mother, were visiting The Clothes Show Live as part of an early birthday present – our birthdays falling in the same month. I was excited but, due to my age, I didn’t have the same understanding of the fashion industry I do today and subsequently didn’t know what it was and certainly what to expect. As I approached the doors to this huge fashion spectacle, I had no idea that my life was already changed forever. Nearing the entrance I was approached by a model scout from Select Model Management. I was such a timid teenager that I hid behind my mother while she introduced us. No sooner had we strolled inside and I was again approached by a scout from Storm. This continued throughout the day until I had every agency in London after me – even being flung in front of a TV camera, coined as ‘the new model scouted in the crowds’. It was surreal and yet, instead of flattered or excited, I felt shocked and frankly a little embarrassed. Never before had I attracted so much attention over the way I looked. The next few weeks were a
Mark Fast SS12
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‘I was a child in a room full of adults, thinking about life at home and counting down the minutes until I could spend time with friends again.’
Mila Schön SS12
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whirlwind of calls as agencies arranged meetings in London and it wasn’t long before I had appointments with every top agency. Despite being put-up in hotels and attention lavished on me by the various agencies, I had a front-runner in the form of Storm’s Sarah Doukas (who had famously scouted Kate Moss). At 14 I knew nothing about modelling, but I of course knew of ‘Supermodel Kate’ and the association felt huge for me. Later I visited Select and test-shot with Simon Harris who, years later, I would shoot with again for Vivienne Westwood. That, along with the warm family feeling I got from the staff at Select, meant that before my 15th birthday and before Christmas I was signed with them and officially a working model. From that point onwards it’s always a time of year that holds great importance for me. Over the next twelve months I walked for Paul Smith and John Rocha and shot campaigns for everyone from DKNY to Topshop, and yet despite the seemingly glamorous life, I was doing my homework on the train or on set. I was a child in a room full of adults, thinking about life at home and counting down the minutes until I could spend time with friends again. A year later I returned to The Clothes Show, this time as the face of the event. My image was plastered over leaflets and bags. It dawned on me how my life had gone full circle and that, from a shy 14 year old, I was just one year older but flying between Paris and New York and making my own living. To me, I was just an ordinary 15-year-old but with an exceptional job. At 18 I moved to London to model fulltime and on my 19th birthday – my first away from home and as the holidays loomed again – I was shooting at the Burberry Head Quarters. I remember getting changed in a dressing room and when I emerged the team sang a heartfelt rendition of Happy Birthday! It was a lovely experience but one tinged with sadness. I was missing occasions
Memoir
Mojeh
‘You have to learn how to cope with being treated like a commodity, how to behave and who to trust - big lessons for those so young.’
with friends, something that would become a running theme – my 21st birthday, a milestone, was spent in New York, an ocean away from my loved ones and, despite being a city so closely associated with the festive season, the experience was a lonely one. Despite all that, I regularly reflect on what was worthwhile and those moments of solitariness certainly were. To reach your potential in life requires sacrifice and to accomplish what you want requires dedication. I think of my friends and family and the difference in their lives, but I wouldn’t trade my world for anything and I don’t believe in regrets. I’m living a dream I never knew existed. Every December I look back, whether at the past year, or everything that has got me to where I am today. I’ve lived in New York and London, worked from Athens to Vienna and have made my living through the pages of the magazines of the world. This Christmas brings yet another new adventure with the launch of my own website (fuuchi.com) and with it, the realisation of how far I’ve come. I’ve returned to The Clothes Show many times since, seeing many young girls dressed-up in the hope of being spotted in the crowd. I want to tell them that modelling is a tough business. You have to learn how to cope with being treated like a commodity, how to behave and who to trust - big lessons for those so young. And of course I think of myself at 14. I would tell her to stop worrying about missing out for the time being and focus on the job. I’d tell her not to be so shy and not to be so ashamed of her body. Had I known those things however, I wouldn’t have learnt them and that’s what life is about; the experiences that mould and shape you. You can’t learn it until you’ve lived it. Whether by fate or chance, I will always look back at the Christmas my sister, my mother and I went to Birmingham and question how different my life would be if we hadn’t, and how much it has changed because we did.’
Haute AW11
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Style
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My Stylish Life
Amanda Navaian, bag designer and philanthropist
Amanda at her home in Beirut. Photographed by Melissa J.
With a keen eye for style and a passion for bold colours Amanda’s line of python skin clutch bags has become a keen favourite of Middle Eastern women. Iranian in descent but brought up in Sweden and now based in Beirut, she has led a cultured life jetting around the globe promoting her line. Her other goal in life is to give back as much as possible and so she co-founded the charitable organisation Live It Up, which aims to provide food and shelter for abandoned children in Uganda. A shrewd businesswoman, Amanda knows what matters most in life and claims her mother and best friends to be amongst her biggest inspiration.
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Motto to live by: Be as good as you can | One piece of advice I would give to anyone: Do what you want | Hidden Talent: I’m a good Ping Pong player | Best childhood memory: The trips to the funfair with my brothers every Sunday | One thing I can’t live without: My phone | Most loved fairytale character: Cinderella | Biggest vice: I dwell on things, it’s such a waste of time | Most treasured belonging: Old letters and cards | Heaven is to me: Being stuck on a beautiful island with friends and free 24hour massages | Most desired belonging: An apartment in London | Early Bird or Night Owl: Night Owl | Person I look up to: My Mother | How do you relax: I sleep a lot
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Favourite book: Anyone Can Do It, by Sahar Hashemi. It changed my life | Favourite movie: Forest Gump, Gone with the Wind and Scarface | Favourite meal: An Iranian aubergine stew | Best home comfort: In bed in pyjamas | Website I couldn’t live without: Google | Favourite restaurant: La Petit Maison | Favourite place in the world: Home | Favourite city: London
From top to bottom left to right images courtesy of: Robert Marquardt, All Getty.
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Beauty must haves: Lipstick; as I also use mine as blusher | Signature scent: Original Dolce&Gabbana | Go-to beauty brand: Estee Lauder | Top moisturiser: Estee Lauder Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 15 | Manicure style: Short red nails | Favourite hairstyle: Grecian Glamour | Fresh Faced or Full Glamour: Fresh faced | Bad hair day product: Frederic Fekkai Protein Rx Mask | Style Icon: Kate Moss | Best purchase: An antique Chanel bag in Portobello Market | Favourite designers: Balmain | Wardrobe staples: Skinny black jeans, leather jackets and hoodies | Heels or flats: Heels | Favourite pair of shoes: My Amanda Navai open toe matte navy boots | Best fashion moment: My fashion show in Bloomingdales
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1. Valentino AW12 | 2. Rebecca Taylor @ matchesfashion. com, Jacket / J Brand, Jeans | 3. Estee Lauder, Sheer Tint Release Moisturizer / Fekkai, Essential Shea Ultra Rich Mask | 4. Scarface | 5. Anyone Can Do It by Sahar Hashemi | 6. Chanel @ matchesfashion.com | 7.Kate Moss | 8. Dolce&Gabbana, Pour Femme
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My Stylish Life
Glen Martin, brand manager and luxury connoisseur
Glen in the Opera Gallery, DIFC.
Jamaican in origin, Glen Martin has spent the last decade or so flitting between London, Kuwait and Dubai. He is a man who radiates opulence in his work in the luxury fashion market from recruitment to management and beyond. Today he heads up the little known but super luxurious UAE based jewellery brand Aliel, and can be seen socialising with the greats, flashing his diamonds and showing the world his keen eye for style. A dapper London gentleman he may be, but an international style maven he’s become.
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From top to bottom left to right images courtesy of: Gareth Davies. All Getty
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Motto to live by: Having clarity | One piece of advice I would give to anyone: Have no expectations of anyone | Lifelong ambition: Being content with yourself | One thing I can’t live without: My friends | Most loved fairytale character: The Queen from Snow White | Person I’d like to be: My Father | One thing that money can’t buy: Integrity | Most treasured belonging: Heirlooms | Heaven is to me: Life without drama | Most desired belonging: 1978 Aston Martin Volante | Early Bird or Night Owl: Night Owl | Person I look up to: Nelson Mandela | How do you relax: At home with close friends
Favourite book: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee | Favourite movie: Star Wars Trilogy | Favourite meal: White chocolate and raspberry bread and butter pudding | Website I couldn’t live without: Wikipedia & Google Maps | Favourite restaurant: Asia De Cuba, St Martins Lane Hotel | Favourite place in the world: My Bed | Favourite city: New York & Kuwait | Favourite expression: If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude – Maya Angelou
Beauty must haves: Omega 3.6.9 in your diet | Signature scent: Byredo Pulp | Top moisturiser: Alpi Fresh Care Creme and in the winter months The Body Shop Body Butter | Style Icon: Sidney Poitier & Sean Connery as Bond | Describe your style: Timeless, Classic | Favourite designers: Yves Saint Laurent, Tom Ford for YSL & Gucci | Wardrobe staples: Plain tailored suits with ties, bow ties and pocket squares | Favourite pair of shoes: YSL Eton lace ups in black | Favourite store: Harrods
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1. Gucci AW12 | 2. Sean Connery as Bond | 3. Nelson Mandela | 4. To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee | 5. Aston Martin Volante | 6. The Queen, Snow White | 7. Byredo Parfums, Pulp | 8. YSL
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Confidently Cobalt Tranquil but striking, cobalt blue conjures deep-seated connections to the natural world. From the ocean to gossamer wings - the look is now reinterpreted for the more social form of butterfly, in skyscraper Jimmy Choo pumps to J Crew pencil skirts. Heading to a frosty European winter or aiming to make a blue splash in warmer climes, cobalt provides the shade solution for the woman who flits from continent to continent, coming imbued with a natural sense of peace and self-confidence.
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1. Stella McCartney | 2. Chan Luu @ net-a-porter.com | 3. Oscar de la Renta | 4. Victoria Beckham @ mytheresa.com | 5. Jimmy Choo @ net-a-porter.com | 6. Piaget |
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Refined Richness Once again realism comes in the form of the most delicate textures for the European explorer. Whether it’s breakfast in Paris, lunch in Milan or dinner in Aspen, Alexander McQueen’s burgundy fur coat comes with an added dose of the luxurious and smooth texture with a furtrimmed neckline, promising to protect from the cold chill. Whilst away from the cosy comforts of the hotel suite, layer up with necessities like Todd Lynn’s matching leather gloves for extra reassurance. Iceberg’s oversized warm gilet is thoughtfully nipped in at the waist with a belt, to offer both daytime practicality and a statement style for wherever you end up this winter.
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1. Iceberg | 2. Todd Lynn @ net-a-porter.com | 3. Kara Ross | 4. Oscar de la Renta | 5. Giuseppe Zanotti | 6. The Row @ net-a-porter.com | 7. Alexander McQueen @ net-a-porter.com |
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Art Collector Creatively considered and with a slight flourish of daring eccentricity, run with the art pack. Free-spirited details and unconventional twists are de rigueur for the girl who cares as much about what she hangs on herself as she does her wall. From the gentle tap of a Valentino pump in a tranquil gallery space, to standing out at a bustling vernissage - with a splash of statement print from ChloĂŠ - art imitates life in pieces that shimmer like a Monet, have the bold appeal of a Rothko and swirl like a Van Gogh.
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Who’s That Chic? Meet Lian and Ezgi, the sartorially savvy stylists. Rich in their knowledge of heritage brands and the most luxurious of names, the pair is still courageous enough to venture vintage and high street, adding that contemporary urban but luxurious twist to outfits. With a spectrum of clothes ranging from vintage Chanel, to this seasons Dior, key high-street pieces and back again to highend jewels, the pair both carry the perfect modern day wardrobe. A sartorial inspiration to us all, the duo, known across Europe as The Luxury Shoppers, are a walking talking mood board of style ideas.
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Ones to
MOJEH’s Ones To Watch 2012 Sure we love the big names, but this winter we are equally excited to see the collections from the new designers on the block. It seems that every time MOJEH goes in search of those on the cusp of success, the quality of candidates get more competitive. We have whittled it down to those that display quality, patience, visionary taste, and conceptual sophistication. MOJEH’s most recent batch of newbies on the scene no longer reflect that unbridled artistic anarchy that we expect of young ingénues, but rather the application of brilliance into wearable business acumen. They are the big names of tomorrow so remember, you heard them here first…
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A Work of Digital Art Alessandra Affonso Ferreira, the creative tour de force behind Isolda, is a Brazilian architecture student- turned- fashion designer. Though top of the class in design and concept, when it actually came to engineering, she never quite excelled. ‘That’s when I realised I wanted to construct clothing, not buildings,’ and so, in the summer of 2011, Isolda was born. Today it is adored by industry insiders and is gaining fans from Amber Atherton to Peony Lim to Taylor Tomasi Hill. Centering round playful geometric prints, inspired by nature (this season’s features a reptilian pattern, whilst they have previously experimented with fruits and animal skins) Isolda’s brand DNA focuses on energetic and evocative narratives printed on to the most luxurious silks. The unique prints and contemporary cuts evoke a design sensibility reminiscent of Erdem in its contemporary interpretation of feminine prints. This season’s rich, dense ruby red, forest green and mustard gold are perfect for bringing a zing of colour to your winter wardrobe. Her unique signature print style was honed whilst studying Textiles at The Chelsea College of Art & Design in London. Though trained to work in paint Ferreira was equally seduced by the infinite range of colours that digital printing permitted. She now combines the two techniques in her collections; all of the exclusive prints used in the RTW collections are hand drawn and painted in watercolour by Ferreira herself. She explains: ‘We spend two months drawing each season, day and night. I reflect a lot about each theme and like to create a narrative for each collection. I want people to look at Isolda as a work of art.’ Isolda is in fact a work co-curated by her sister, Juliana Affonso Ferreira, a fashion journalist and filmmaker. Tellingly her family ties are rooted in a joint British/Brazilian parental heritage, which is very important to her; growing up between the punks of London and the natural bounty of Salvador has no doubt influenced her aesthetic. ‘My muses are my grandmother, my mother and my aunt,’ she explains. Indeed, the name ‘Isolda’ pays homage to her great-grandmother. Growing up in the tropical north east of Brazil, abundant in colours, textures and exoticism, she relates to the Middle Eastern culture of self-expression through visual mediums. ‘I share the same love of colour as Middle Eastern women. My parents actually met in Iran and our house is covered in beautiful pictures of back in the days when they lived there. I find an innate chic-ness in Middle Eastern women.’
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Ones to All images courtesy of Isolda London
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Haute grunge Confidently describing his signature style components as ‘tailoring, construction, sophistication and quality’, Haizhen Wang’s design DNA thunders through this AW12 collection. On a candid all-black canvas, Wang incorporates high quality fabrics with accomplished finishing to produce signature tailored and soft pieces that are both original and wearable. Graduating with an MA (Hons) in womenswear fashion from Central Saint Martins, London, he began his career in London at AllSaints, then Boudicca, moving to Max Mara before setting up his own brand in 2010. Wang debuted his AW11 collection at London and Paris Fashion Weeks, where he met positive critical acclaim. His native city of London is evident in his grunge styling, playful proportions and punk references: straps and metal chains clinging to the pieces, which are topped with the bearskin caps worn by the Queen’s guards at Buckingham Palace, giving a nod to the anarchic urban English aesthetic. This is not to say the brand isn’t wearable. Wang’s time at MaxMara is reflected in the tailored separates’ body-conscious construction and skillful pattern cutting, evident in the waterfall blazers and breathy chiffon wraps. Whilst architectural dresses, densely swaddling the wearer’s body and giving the collection a feminine shape and luxurious feel, have a hint of Westwood about them. Perfect for winter, the roomy Italian wool cocoon-back coat and swathes of fur and quilting consistent throughout the collection, promise an enveloping sense of comfort that belies the skillful draping and panel construction of the more tailored pieces. What does the future hold for Wang? He muses: ‘My goal is keep doing what I am doing. It sounds simple but for new and emerging labels in the industry at the moment it is really hard to survive. I believe that patience, hard work and consistency are key to my being successful.’
All images courtesy of Haizhen Wang, photographed by Diego Indraccolo
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All images courtesy of Esteban Cortazar
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Keeping It Capsule
We aren’t so much introducing a new designer here, as reintroducing one. Esteban Cortazar debuted his first readyto-wear line in 2002 at the tender age of 18 to great acclaim. In 2007, he was appointed chief creative director of French fashion house Emanuel Ungaro, walking out in 2009 after being asked to collaborate with the house’s new creative consultant, Lindsay Lohan. Now Cortazar is stepping out alone once again, with his newest line, a trans-seasonal 17-look capsule collection. Expect contemporary elegance, an egalitarian feminine attitude, and a fresh approach to evening-wear with a focus on asymmetric shapes. In a neutral palette of rose gold, nude and off-white, the collection is wearable and practical in every sense, ‘These women are always on the go, the trans-seasonal approach will likely continue with a focus on pieces that have wardrobe stickability,’ explains Cortazar. These wardrobe staples, with wearable and enduring elegance, are inspired by an old soul who has been around the fashion block more times than most designers his age. Cortazar was born in Colombia, the child of jazz signer Dominique Vaughan and artist Valentino Cortazar, a heritage he drew on for this collection. ‘I thought of everything I have experienced in my life so far - coming from Colombia, growing up on South Beach in the 90s, starting my career in NYC and then settling in Paris, to arrive to this point.’ So who is the Esteban Cortazar woman? Esteban provides an observation on his brand’s DNA that is entirely befitting of his own identity: ‘She is young, not in terms of age but in terms of mind and spirit.’
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The Royal Rogue Set in the elegant grounds of The Palace de Versailles, MOJEH takes a look at Chanel’s 18th century inspired Cruise 2013 Collection.
Images courtesy of Chanel
With a picturesque backdrop of The Bosquet des Trois Fontaines, Karl Lagerfeld’s latest Cruise offering for Chanel saw some 70 models strut their way down one of the longest catwalks in fashion history. Inspired by the reign of the infamous French rogue Marie Antoinette, this collection came with timely aplomb. Never one to wave the wand of reservation Lagerfeld took more than just style inspiration from the lavish Queen, dipping into her decadent aristocratic ways and utilising her extravagant lifestyle to perfection. As a result, a fun and frivolous woman walked in front of the fashion pack, perched in tents along the length of the promenade. A note of rebellion was rife, accented by MIA’s Live Fast Die Young that provided the soundtrack to the show, as well as the three men that graced the runway hinting at Lagerfeld’s unusual muse; the mistress of Louis XV, Madame du Barry, who used to
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dress as a man. With the scene set, out came a 21st century twist on the grandiosity of the era. Long trailing hemlines were replaced with thigh-skimming ones that jutted out in structured forms at the hip. Denim, a less than ravishing fabric choice, was used in place of the silk of Antoinette’s time, creating peasant-like bulbous skirts and breeches juxtaposed against ornate golden detailing. The ultimate rebel accessory came with the shoes; 60s punk inspired, white-soled, candy-coloured creepers. Intricate lace cuffs, corseted gowns and the petticoat detailing peeping through culotte inspired robes still saluted towards the 18th century however. For a colour palette, think Easter eggs with an edge. Custom made wigs were worn by every model in an array of pastel hues, cut short and straight into a classic bob rather than piled high as per the fashion of the era. Black made its usual appearance, but it was the candyfloss pink, dusky violet and acid blue that stood strong throughout, creating a seemingly girly collection with a rebel undercurrent. Look closely, and the Chanel staples can still be found. Delicately embroidered tweed suits were given a military edge complete with lace cravats, roaring collars and intricate embroidery. Tiny Double C’s were used for beauty spots and the covetable quilted arm candy took a woven track this season with ornate gold clasps for that regal air. Finishing on a flurry of grand gowns and a final walk that could challenge any other, Lagerfeld’s keen eye for detail, uninhibited imagination and flair for flamboyance are clear to see.
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Boldly Going For the fashion forward woman, the future is now. With dramatic styles that channel science fiction into sartorial reality, otherworldly silhouettes and concept-led designs are now more everyday than extraterrestrial. Theatrical shoulders, accentuated hips, gravity defying footwear and elements of sleek bodycon, create a feeling of structure that is striking but unfussy. A master of the ultramodern, Thierry Mugler’s architectural designs and minimal aesthetic bring the look to life, whilst Giuseppe Zanotti’s statement heels seem to challenge the laws of physics.
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1. Thierry Mugler | 2. Chanel | 3. Mawi | 4. Kotur | 5. Giuseppe Zanotti @ Luisaviaroma.com | 6. Elie Saab | 7. Hakaan @ net-a-porter.com |
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Daringly Dark Originality is as vital as grace throughout this everlasting party season and arriving at an event looking seriously stylish in a unique abaya speaks volumes about your individuality. For the woman who is conservative yet enjoys the finer things in life, signature dark shades work well with plush purple accessories to update your traditional style. Stand-out at a guest-filled dinner table with a satin Bulgari clutch, or be intellectually sharp with Chanel’s violet framed glasses.
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Shades of Black
When it comes to fashion, two heads are definitely better than one, and when they belong to sisters, the possibilities are endless. Reem and Hind Beljafla took the Middle Eastern fashion world by storm with their unconventional take on the traditional abaya. Here, Reem explains how she and her sister nurtured their brainchild’s potential to reach unprecedented success in the region. By Esma Mneina On the coast of the Arabian Peninsula, the edges of black gowns brush against a sandy backdrop and move, flowing under the looming towers that border the artistic hub of Dubai. Recently, these black gowns have been redesigned by fashion visionaries and DAS designers, Reem and Hind Beljafla, providing a fashionable option for women who treasure a modern vision fused with traditional silhouettes. ‘Middle Eastern ladies love fashion; they’re very fashion forward,’ Reem once explained. ‘Their clothes follow trends and their abayas should too.’ That was all, of course, prior to the 2008 launch of DAS. ‘We wanted to create a conservative garment, and we were inspired by the abaya itself,’ she would later say of the inspiration behind their
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line. With the increasing participation of the Arab world within the globalised community, women in the Gulf have tapped into the fashion realm. Regardless of the plethora of labels worn underneath, the true pride of women is the same worn by women generations before them. ‘The perfect choice will always be an abaya,’ Reem explains. ‘Women want to attend events and look updated,’ and that is surely the spirit in which the venerable creator developed the label in the first place. The unbridled ambition and enthusiasm of Reem and Hind Beljafla is immediately recognisable. Prior to the launch of DAS, the sisters, who were fashion buffs from a young age, used to try to make up for the simplicity of the abaya at formal events. ‘We used to design our own garments. At events and functions we would get complimented for being conservative while still following trends. In London, I used to see all these trends on the streets – whether it be sequins, studs… In Dubai when you’re invited to a party you see the same, but when you see the abaya it’s just a blank black.’ For fashion sensibilities to be reflected without losing the black gown coveted by the women who wear it, it would have to resonate through the ‘blank black’ fabrics of the abaya. When asked whether Reem saw it as rebelling against the simplicity of the abaya, she replied that it was quite the contrary – it was actually an embrace of tradition. Although working with a piece of clothing that is so attached to both tradition and religion is typically met with resistance (if not a few raised eyebrows), DAS seemed to break the mould. ‘People weren’t that aware of sequins and they didn’t dare put them on abayas. When we put the two together and showed them what it looked like, they were very happy.’ It’s hard to believe the amazing silhouettes and colourful inserts reflected in the collections evolved from both fashion and interior design textbooks and the beautiful strokes of colour on the petals of bouquets in classes taught by famous florist Jane Packer. Backed by knowledge and vision, DAS started with a local target consumer market and has since then grown to gain traction in the international market. ‘Whenever we travel, we attend all these textile shows and major stores in Paris, Los Angeles, New York and London. When I see something I love, I buy 2 metres, 15 metres… and so when I come to Dubai I create these pieces but they tend to be very limited.’ However, the exclusive output of particular designs seemed to be the perfect dynamic for DAS’s local market: ‘In Dubai, people who
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attend events meet the same people all the time, so people here don’t want to have the same look.’ Although the brand’s limited designs proved to work well with the concentrated clientele who craved exclusivity, Reem divulged the success of transitioning the brand from accommodating locals within the Gulf to expanding it as an international label. Working with an item of clothing that is internationally misunderstood as related to patriarchy, has since become internationally associated with this brand, in turn reflecting a positive image. ‘People started to relate our brand [and the abaya] with elegance, or fashion icons like Olivia Palermo who have worn DAS.’ The international appeal for DAS is strong, surging ahead in design. The Dubai store has regular visits from international clientele and has recently expanded to presence within Harrods London, and an online eshop. For SS12 – shown at London Fashion Week – airy silk chiffon in neutral and earthy tones were grounded with precious rope belts, and shimmers of metallic on gowns dotting the collection then revealed full metal vests and leggings tiled with metal sequins. In true DAS style, accessorizing is half the fun. Even the simplest of abaya designs are matched with a wonderful variety of decals – from studs to leather cut-outs and colourful inserts ranging from the lightness of chiffon to silks and jersey. However, piece by piece, simplicity and femininity are its strength. ‘We’re trying to create the “it” conservative black dress. Mainly black with small touches of colour is our signature.’ However, unless LBD stands for Luxurious, Beautiful, and Dazzling, this is not your regular little black dress. In fact, anything but little, Reem puts a couture twist on her collections. ‘I look at international catwalks and see how other designers are being inspired, and I kind of twist it, in a very feminine way.’ Step back a few seasons, and take for instance AW11. If Lagerfeld’s anima were to lavish in Arabian design, then her wardrobe would be DAS’s AW11 Collection, where the pieces are complete with bowties, starched collars and even a dash of a ruffled blouse, bringing the femininity to androgyny. The gorgeous flowing of black fabric – whether it’s ruched, layered or (yes I said it) studded – over the catwalks of DAS fashion shows gives a unique insight into Arabian culture and traditional beauty, while the modern twists – everything from brightly coloured inserts to blue and coral toned turbans – fast forward this blast from the past into the future of fashion. Whether it be a glimmering indigo take on bold shoulders,
an empire waist embellished with studs, or metallic bibs that extend to the waistline from which pleats explode to continue past the ankles, every fashion enthusiast’s dream is answered here. The collections balance this ever changing and fast paced realm with that of tradition and history, catering to women who want to charge ahead in the direction fashion takes them while staying true to their roots and traditions. There is hardly a careful balance in the AW12 collection, where gleaming metallic, diamond bead work and woven leather emulate what seems to be an intentional display of the proven potential for creativity surrounding abaya design. The use of tulle, full length pleating, and even a statement satin collar truly speak to the innovation and talent of DAS designers when working with fabrics. The young DAS designers have got to be credited as the women who not only filled a void by providing us with fashionable options that compliment Arabian tradition, but also for creating a brand that fashion and art aficionados around the world can look to for inspiration. Reem Beljafla has international aspirations up her sleeve – a batwing sleeve, finessed upwards into a gorgeous take on one shoulder layered with sequins. She revealed during our interview, only days after the birth of her daughter, Alaia, ‘All the time, I’m designing. Even the day before labour, I was designing. I have always said the brand is like my baby, because I created something out of scratch, then I came up with a name’ – her passion for her art resonating in her speech. Nine collections in, a strong local influence, growing international presence and future ambitions, DAS is a real fashion contender and definitely not a baby anymore.
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Image courtesy of: Elizabeth Whiting/Corbis
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Fashion
A mother is the very first—and most important— style icon in a young woman’s life, implanting our style DNA deep in to our psyche before we are but a twinkle in the eye of editors or designers. As we grow into our own style, her influence becomes ever more evident. We build our own individual style from so many influences and memories, assembling our own look from our ancestral mood-board.
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had an epiphany walking in to a party recently with a pair of cream Manolo Blahnik’s on my feet, a high waisted skirt, and pearl earrings. As I made my entrance I caught a glimpse of my reflection and felt a waft of nostalgia as I noticed my mother staring back. Sure, I had always seen her influence, but I hadn’t realised quite how perennially ontrend she was within my own wardrobe. Her sartorial spectre wafted around me like the Chanel No 5 pushing itself from my pores (she bought me my first bottle of Coco Mademoiselle at the age of 18 and at 22 I graduated to No5). It’s because of her that I always find a reason for pearls. ‘You can never go wrong with pearls’, her voice rings in my ears, ‘they bring out the whites of one’s eyes,’ (she is also responsible for my abject horror at the idea of wearing something shapeless, without heels, or in any colour other than black). It’s surprising that years of painfully chic colleagues and avant-garde runway collections had not drowned out her matriarchal voice. ‘All women become like their mothers,’ Oscar Wilde declared, ‘That is their tragedy.’ But perhaps if he’d had a more glamorous path trodden ahead of him, he would have changed his tune. Because, far from a tragedy, for some of us the style DNA that is handed down from our fashion forefathers is one that we wouldn’t want to shrug off even if we could. Indeed, to many of us, our greatest sartorial education comes before cutting edge blogs or savvy retailers, but is passed down from our mother. Before we came along to yank on their skirt and doodle Crayola on their couture, they sported killer accessories, flaunted their figures and dazzled men and women alike. Was their style surprising? Yes. Covetable? Absolutely. My mother seemed to be the epitome of glamour, a living princess. We would inhale her perfume rapturously, totter around on her high-heeled shoes which we snuck from her cupboard, bury ourselves in her cosy cashmere scarves, drape ourselves in her jewellery. Just as families pass us physical heirlooms, they also give us a DNA of style that leaves us drawn to certain colours, certain eras, the way a material feels against our skin. And sometimes it’s not so much the object itself that we savour, but the material things that come to symbolise what other
Stella McCartney @ net-a-porter.com
Tank Anglaise, Cartier
Kimberly Mcdonald
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intangible gifts they gave us. Ryan Gosling’s character in Drive inherited nothing from his dad but a Patek Philippe watch, we are to understand that it symbolises the real gifts his Dad left him, like masculinity and courage and driving skills. The watch symbolises the intangible legacy that came along with it. In real life there are no intangibles to pass on, so a watch is used instead. As consumers we increasingly strive to reflectively consider what we will pass on to the next generation, the legacy of our lifestyle. We’re not talking vintage here, but something far more elusive and intimate; it’s not just what we wear but the way we wear it. The nuances of individual style and the ‘proper’ way to behave in the world are part of a mother’s subtle legacy − things that are difficult to learn alone. The secrets of grooming, shopping, styling, acting, accumulate layers of meaning with the change in generations, absorbing the history of feminine identity, and the changing concepts of womanhood and motherhood, and indeed of the fashion world. Whilst Dior may have been cutting edge for your mother’s day, now we turn to a Mary Katrantzou or McQueen to breathe new life in to our everyday wardrobes. Though fashions change from season to season, what we share with our family is the way we see the world and ourselves. Think of the style dynasties immortalized through their sartorial bloodline. Maternal fashion indoctrination begins in earliest childhood, so it’s not surprising that so many of us catch a glimpse of mother when we look in the dressing room mirror. For example Kate Hudson who, whilst undoubtedly her mother’s daughter, has put her own stamp on her Caligirl-came-good DNA with a modern west coast glamour that is distinctly more refined and forward-looking than Goldie Hawn’s ditzy sixties Bardot bombshell look, (though thankfully they share a knack for comedic timing and shiny good teeth). Speaking objectively our style may be distinctly different to our mothers’ but often we find the way we command the attention of a group or walk with a certain poise that whiffs of her influence. Take off your make up and strip away the jewels and furs and heels and hats, and you wonder if we ever really stop being that little girl tottering in her high heels. Hopefully we won’t lose the magic of primping ourselves from bare-faced girl to glamorous woman. Hopefully we will use new trends to enjoy that transformative quality of costuming oneself for the dizzying ‘grown up’ engagements that only occurred once we were safely tucked in bed; your only participation a kiss on the forehead and the tickle of her hair on your nose as she tucked you in before departing. Some people remember their mother by recipes, the smell of home cooked food and a full belly. But you may remember yours from the musty, heady aroma inside her closet. The weight of her beaded shawl as you draped it over your chubby childish shoulders and pretended in the mirror to pose around a cocktail party. You may remember the authority with which she stood when boosted by heels, the burden of everyday pressures floating away with the swipe of deep crimson on her lips. I get dressed like my mother did, perched in front of an antique armoire filled with faded framed memories, a hundred tiny bottles of oils and ointments for every possible ailment; diamonds and pearls dangling from every available cornice with a saucer of tea in easy reach and a cat purring at my feet. Of course we build on our inherited traits: tweak, adapt, formulate. But when I finally douse my chosen look in Coco Chanel, I am transformed to the five year old me, discovering fashion once again for the very first time.
Karl Donoghue @ net-a-porter.com
Nicholas Kirkwood
Bulgari
salvatore ferragamo
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Belle of the Ballgowns
Giambattista Valli Haute Couture
In the bleak midwinter festive folly runs high and Santa stacks your stocking, suddenly bursting with a bundle of invitations all demanding your stylish presence. Through the masses of options and multiple occasions one must weave a fashionable thread so November commences the search for that perfect party dress. With this in mind, we set out hunting down the gowns that will make you the toast of the town.
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he party dress changed relatively little over many decades, dictated by the rules of attire and etiquette, which limited our choice to how many centimetres from the floor it fell. But now the RTW and couture runways are over spilling with options for the occasions that matter most. AW offers a definitive theme of texture and luxury. Dresses drizzled opulently with deeply luscious fabrics and lavish detailing, runways awash with yards of elegant swank. Whilst we doubt you’ll find it a challenge to look and feel like a million dollars, it’s all too easy for your thoughts to drown in a sea of sequin-laden tulle. Satin, silk or taffeta Madame? How about the trimmings: lace, pearls, ruffles or ruched? Usually for a case of festive fashion overload we would recommend sartorial rehab, but this season we say indulge. The glut of beautiful gowns is yours for the pilfering. In fact, this season we encourage you to take on different personas. Pay a visit to your alter ego; explore different sides of your personality from party to party. Ripple from moment to moment and dissolve into your other selves. The traditional fashion system meant one designer leading the pack per season (the Marc Jacobs and Prada types) whilst everyone else followed suit next time around. But collections are not so much trend-led anymore, rather designers are defiantly doing their own thing. They attend each other’s presentations and show support for one another, (Alber Elbaz, ever the sweetheart, exemplified this after his AW12 show by singing a karaoke version of ‘Que Sera, Sera’ dedicated to all his fellow fashion folk showing that week). With recent reshuffling among the key players, designers move from house to house often resulting in a keenness to put their own stamp on each collection, to push the fray and treat every season as if it were their last. Raf Simmons’ first couture collection for Dior is a prime example of this, making a very definite statement about his sleek, contemporary vision of the vintage Dior look. The industry showed a touch of indulgent individualist showmanship, a true return to form that we lapped up with glee and encourage you to replicate. This isn’t just a game for designers to play. You too can ride the wave of personal expression that crescendos in a plethora of amazing outfits and alter-ego styling. Each with equal impact. This winter, fashion is not about living up to the pinnacle of one woman who epitomizes the season, but rather using all that is on offer to explore and experiment how you express your personality. This is the party season to be a fashion raconteur, one who leads the pack rather than follows. After all, rookies play by the rules but virtuosos bend them. Those who we commend as truly chic are not those who stick to a failsafe uniform on every red carpet but those who use the identities on offer to reinvent themself accordingly for each occasion. The idea that we don’t have to follow a prescriptive trend means that those who lead the pack will be able to flex their fashion savvy. The only thought left to ponder? Who will you be tonight: the show-stopping Cinderella, the devastating dark damsel, the icy aristocrat, or the Kyoto Queen?
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Chanel Haute Couture
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Fashion
Zuhair Murad
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Elie Saab
Fashion
Jean Paul Gaultier
Ralph Lauren
All That Jazz With the The Great Gatsby’s epic cinematic remake on the cards, designers have explored the 1922 era and the height of the Roaring Twenties. We knew we could trust Ralph Lauren, the great American designer, to hark back to the great American novel referencing the jazz age in abundance. And his achingly nostalgic reminiscence is contagious this season. Enfant terrible Jean Paul Gaultier is the king of showmanship so it’s no wonder that the ringmaster adopted art deco decadence in his haute couture collection that exemplified perfectly the exuberance, artistic flare and joy that this flamboyant flapper trend embodies. And of course there is Elie Saab, the reigning king of embellishment. Elegant gowns are garnished with embroidered gold beading rippling across a slender silhouette and pooled at the ankles, inviting the animation of dance through its dynamic interplay with lighting. The golden age of Hollywood, the women to channel for the trend are invariably those immortalized on celluloid. Louise Brooks, for example, with her freewheeling attitude and wilful intelligence. Channel her exotic and self-aware confidence as you make your entrance to the party. The beading hits the lights and shimmers gold as you burst with glamour and confidence. Gowns should be hysterically indulgent, yet worn with insatiable insouciance. Bear in mind it takes a particular sort of confidence to wear this dress, to ensure one is not swamped amidst it’s shining glory. Stick with body conscious pieces – because you want to wear the dress, not have it wear you.
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Jenny Packham
Fashion
Etro
Gucci
The Dark Night Rises This is black but not as we know it. Forget the sombre, melancholic, grungy connotations of seasons past. This is flattering, romantic, whimsical but in a very contemporary and eminently grown-up way. Not a first-flush blushingcheeks romance. Something more confidently sensual achieved through the juxtaposition of midnight black and pale skin. Gucci’s show was where edgy met ethereal with jewelembellished tulle that revealed a flash of flesh. It’s nocturnal influences are certainly perfect for the dimly lit rooms that one will swish in and out of this festive season. Keep it sexy and sensual rather than gothic with a bodyconscious slender silhouette. Décolleté is the focal point, shown by cutouts and peekaboo’s. The hourglass is honoured with fluid skirts that caress the hips and puddle around the ankle. Packham’s slit of décolleté was concealed under a smokey sheath of chiffon and encircled with a spiky studded beading, whilst Etro’s ornate paisley velvet faded at first glance in to an elaborate full-body tattoo. Just as the clothes display flesh without actually flashing anything at all, the idea of reveal/conceal is wrapped up in the ‘sheer darkness’ persona. Controlled, Delphic, her personality is bound in obliqueness. It is dark without being sinister or aggressive, a more demure take on a tone that is often eschewed for something friendlier. It underscores a deep sense of luxury. The look is resolutely feminine and newly seductive.
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Georges Chakra
Fashion
Ulyana Sergeenko
Oscar De La Renta
From Russia with love The romance of winter is brief, after a few months, even the most dedicated ice princess grows weary of the cold. But for those first hushed days, the warmth of breath on cold air and the sparkle of the snowfall in dull sunlight is utterly magical. Every season must have a hint of fantasy so this season be transported to Moscow and find your fantasy in Slavic style. There may be a hint of Dr Zhivago in this folk tale, but this is not boiled wool and big furry hats, rather it is influenced by the regal nature of the Tsar and key nobility, and by the magnificence of Byzantine liturgy. One should channel the complex aristocracy of Anna Karenina with splendid ball gowns that beg for sweeping staircases to the strains of a symphony orchestra. This calls for a royally appropriate high neckline, a princess cut full skirt and regal colour palette of gold and navy. Finish with a mink stole to be tossed over the shoulder as your carriage awaits. How about a Faberge egg in place of a clutch bag?
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Carolina Herrera
Fashion
Alexis Mabille
Jason Wu
Tales of the Orient A light-hearted interpretation of the Qing’s ample ornamentation fused with orientalism as expressed through the escapist glamour of mid-century Hollywood’s Shanghai Express. Carolina Herrera’s origami folds around the collar, kimono tie at the waist, and lipstick red, all suggest a majestic far-east influence. Whilst Wu’s Chinese motif takes it’s cue from traditional dress and similar to Alexis Mabille’s glittering ebony keyhole dress with golden embroidered mandarin collar, designates an evening elegance. There is no doubt this look is about a fantasy of subtle, strength and grace. Perfect for one who wants to host and to hold court as an exotic courtesan. This look represents polish and poise, yet it somehow incites a suggestion of the latent romance and hedonism that the moonlight hours offer. Midnight black sequins transform from a shimmering mirage in the distance to ornate beading up close. Kimono ties and glimpses of skin suggest the possibilities of the word ‘undone’.
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And Now To Night From a flowing gown that skims the floor and radiates with metallic dazzle to a sophisticated black dress with subtly striking pattern, evening is a time to embrace splendour and showcase timeless style. For the woman who catches eyes with an effortless appeal, dramatic touches combine with an understated grace in pieces that are ornate without being ostentatious. Texture and detail add a stylistic complexity, with a luxe fur stole or hat laying alongside the sparkle of a precious stone or the glint of an appliquĂŠ top.
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1. Dior | 2. SuperDuper @ Luisaviaroma.com | 3. Van Cleef & Arpels | 4. Chanel | 5. Gucci @ net-a-porter.com | 6. Oscar de la Renta @ net-a-porter.com |
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Extravagant Emeralds Carefully assembling the perfect outfit for a significant event is not going to prove difficult this season. Dolce and Gabbana’s floor length, lace gown was clearly made with the sensuality of a woman in mind and her hectic wedding schedule. As the belle of the ball, accessorize with a leafy and sparkling Tabbah ring or opt for show-stopping sequins in the form of Elie Saab’s shimmering gown. A bejewelled, black silk Lanvin clutch is the ideal size for any wedding favours you may receive and the chain handle adds alternative ways that it can be worn.
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1. elie saab | 2. tabbah | 3. bulgari | 4. Ivanka Trump | 5. lanvin | 6. oscar de la renta | 7. elie saab @ Boutique1.com |
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Empire State of Mind ‘I love women.’ It’s a claim made by many a male designer, but we know Zac Posen means it with every fiber of his being. Posen’s muses are neither merely a plus one to the Met Ball nor marketing ploy. Quite the opposite, he is their friend, their confidante. The world of uptown Manhattan royalty is not one in which he has ingratiated himself, rather it has always been his sovereign state.
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ccording to the classical interpretation of the introvert vs. the extrovert, an introvert is energised by being alone whilst an extrovert is enlivened by bouncing off other people. Zac Posen is undoubtedly the latter. There are the classically introspective designers, Margiela or Miuccia for example, who are energised by early mornings alone in the studio surrounded by sketches and swatches, galvanised by the intellectualisation of their design concepts. Then there is Posen, encircled instead by supermodels and society swans. He is highly sociable, immersed in the world of the women he designs for, ‘I am forever inspired by meeting new people and being open to new experiences,’ he explains. It is in this way that he sees his creative vision turned from concept to manifest. ‘What I do, not to sound pretentious, is female anthropology. The science of what makes a woman feel incredible and how my imagination, craft and talent can be part of that.’ Born in New York on October 24 1980, to a painter father and lawyer mother, Zac grew up with his visual artist sister in a Spring Street loft in the trendy and moneyed bohemia of SoHo at the peak of the late 80s art scene. ‘My discipline and work process,’ Zac explains, ‘is inherited from my father who is an artist himself. My business and company drive I learned from my mother. My resilience and creativity I got from my love of the performing arts and live theatre.’ He attended St Ann’s School for the Arts in Brooklyn (a private school that combined academics with a focus on the creative arts); it was there that he met Lola, daughter of painter Julian Schnabel (a well-known figure in the New York art world of the 1980s) and his very first muse. ‘The 90s was an exciting time in New York, and a transitional time in the fashion industry,’ he reminisces, ‘my friends and muses in high school sparked an admiration for glamour, which of course led to some of the most formative experiences in my life, like interning at the Costume Institute.’ At 16, Posen began two years as an intern at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, ‘one of my first fashion memories is visiting Diana Vreeland’s Costume Exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum. The music, the lights, the atmosphere, and of course the incredible costumes and fashion history on display.’ For a year after that he studied pattern making at Parson’s School of Design. It was in 1999 that, though Posen had been accepted into Ivy League Brown University in Rhode Island, he chose to move to London instead. ‘I attended Central Saint Martins where I studied everything from Ossie Clark to Jean Murr – it gave me a deep appreciation of eccentricity and the power of creation.’ He boldly left university a year early to start his own collection which began rather simply as he went about making custom clothing for friends. Word of mouth about his flair
‘What I do, not to sound pretentious, is female anthropology. The science of what makes a woman feel incredible and how my imagination, craft and talent can be part of that.’ generated and perpetuated its own momentum until in 2000 Posen received his big break: Naomi Campbell (who had heard about him from Lola Schnabel) commissioned him to make her a piece. It was so well received that it changed hands several times among fashion insiders, and came to be known as the dress that launched a thousand ships. ‘The piece I originally built for Naomi was inspired by the work of Madeleine Vionnet,’ he explains. Vionnet, known as ‘Queen of the bias cut’ and famous for accentuating the natural female form, eschewed corsets, padding, stiffening, and anything that distorted the curves of a woman’s body. ‘I was in deep exploration of bias work and the incredibly diverse function of fabrics. The dress that I created for Naomi consisted of an overly ambitious 22 piece bias pattern that strung together into a washed charmeuse cocktail dress. After that frock, she commissioned me to create several more for her. I would bring them to her apartment for fittings.’ When Zac Posen truly ‘arrived’ on the fashion scene it was 2001 and all the new talent seemed to be coming out of Paris. The words on industry lips were speculative: who can save New York fashion? It looked like boy wonder Posen was the answer to their prayers. In 2002 he held his first show in a synagogue in the Bowery neighbourhood on the Lower East Side. It was styled by Lola Schnabel’s sister Stella and featured appearances by Sophie Dahl and Karen Elson whilst Anna Wintour sat on the front row. Afterwards, Zac travelled non-stop; living and breathing the jet-set lifestyle he sold. Soon enough he came to the attention of the king of bling Sean Combs and in 2004 the rapper and clothing impresario made an investment deal with Posen. The red carpet called his name and he embraced its glitz and glamour with open arms. But with his meteoric rise came an inevitable counterblast. Posen was criticized for courting the social whirl of his fashion world more than the garments he sent on to the runway. Whilst undoubtedly Zac’s success was partly kindled by personal connections to some well-known tastemakers, the time had come for him to prove his shelf life as a serious head of house. The economic downturn of 2008 hit business hard, with a double-digit drop in sales. But Zac fought back, proving that his business acumen was just as strong as his creative spirit. Posen responded to the rough period by tautening the company’s finances; he produced Z Spoke, a less-
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From top to bottom, left to right, images courtesy of: Dimitrios Kambouris & Arun Nevader. All Getty.
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expensive line for Saks Fifth Avenue and a collection for Target. In his RTW he proffered dynamic incarnations each season, his innate grip on glamour allowing him to tap in to what the It-girls of the moment wanted to wear. From SS06 when the sun shone on Posen’s perfect world with sundresses, to the playful sexy boudoir theme of marabou-feather flusters and wispy sheer wraparound robes visited for SS11. Then in AW11 we saw a shift – as Posen took his girl to a feistier and tougher place where silhouettes were sculpted in tough animal skins and taut bodices. This season Posen focused on toning it down, pivoting on clean dresses that showed off his care for detail and tailoring. The collection transported us to Asia via forties film noir with floral metallic fabrics, origami folds, sharp shoulders and nipped middles - a dream, no doubt, for Dita Von Teese who was sitting front row. Indeed like the in-crowd he runs with, Zac has grown up since he first exploded onto the New York fashion scene, and his latest designs reflect this. He has honed a captivating romance in his designs that sit comfortably beside an almost out-dated notion of grace. As Cathy Horyn of the New York Times commented, ‘Success in fashion is one part talent, one part luck and one part a tireless ability to hold a gaudy marquee over your head. Posen has all these qualities in excess.’ His latest collection, due next spring, is a brilliant combination of all three, a spectacle of star power, skilled design hands and just a dash of society scandal. As Naomi Campbell prepared to make her entrance backstage the fire marshal cut 60 seats resulting in huge uproar among guests desperate to view the collection first. Thankfully, the collection more than made up for the kerfuffle. He sculpted floral prints into darling dresses with sweetheart necklines, dainty cap sleeves and flirty hems. His fortiestoned tailoring and cocktail frocks were everything an uptown It-girl needs and more. The designer’s final look however, a white tiered organza creation (the only dress Coco Rocha wore during New York Fashion Week) reflected the tradition of haute couture shows ending with a bridal look. Perhaps this was Posen suggesting that he deserves a place on the pedestal shared by the world’s couturiers? If so, it couldn’t have been a better end to the charming collection. His style has matured considerably – whereas he used to parade his technical finesse in the industry’s face with pleating, ruching, asymmetry and overlays, his hand has grown more refined. ‘I think I’ve added a softness to my work and it’s more confident than ever. Before, I would incorporate all the elements that epitomized glamour, but now I can trust my hand, gesture, and construction of seaming.’ This newfound refinement means that his designs have received more industry applause than ever, with his youthful wit sitting alongside technical panache and tangible
His style has matured considerably – whereas he used to parade his technical finesse in the industry’s face with pleating, ruching, asymmetry and overlays, his hand has grown more refined. sophistication. As a designer he has hit the next level. He is perhaps most famed for his Old Hollywood gowns that cup the cleavage and encircle the curvature of the hip, skimming tight to the body and exploding with mermaid hemlines. It’s Botticelli meets Grace Kelly; sheaths of glamour, they elevate the wearer to the echelons of icons of the silver screen. It’s ironic that Posen’s mentors seem to exist in opposition to his outgoing personality. His gurus are independent and discreet to the point of aloof, ‘Yohji Yamamoto has been an incredible mentor – giving me some of the best advice of my life. I adore Azzedine Alaia’s work.’ Notwithstanding, he concedes (unsurprisingly, considering his all-American pedigree) ‘I’m a sucker for Ralph Lauren – I have a big soft spot for him and the entire universe he has created.’ Perhaps it is one that Zac will emulate for his legions of fawning fashion fans. After all, Zac Posen goes out to get in to the heart of the woman he is designing for. His extroverted energy and the way he interacts with his muses is a manifestation of his process, from Natalie Portman to Helena Christensen he is in awe of his inspirations. And it is evident in his work. Unlike the criticism levelled at some male designers, Zac is unmistakeably concerned with what women want. He inherits his lust for glamour from them, and in return he energizes them with the transformative empowerment of his brand of glamour. It is because of his ‘anthropological’ approach that he understands the myriad complexities and desires of his woman, and how to interweave with their identity the simultaneously manufactured and innate aspects of glamour, both the façade and the singularity. ‘I think all women are strong, confident, self-assured in varying degrees. Women are constantly evolving, as is fashion, and chic women can often juxtapose their personality through their dress. There is nothing more desirable than an ingénue in structure or a stoic woman fluttering in something soft.’ Zac holds an important symbolic position in the fashion ecosystem. A circus industry of breath-taking talent and tireless showmanship in equal measure, fashion has claimed many victims. But Zac, tenacious and worldly, has risen like a phoenix from the flames of gossip to a unique position, a throne built on business acumen and budding brilliance from which he surveys his society swans in all their glory.
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The Season of grandeur Photographed by Federico De Angelis Styled by Sara Francia
La Cicatrice IntĂŠrieure dress in crimson silk, Valentino | Brooch in gold with diamonds and pearl, Buccellati
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Red and emerald poppy print dress, Giambattista Valli | Ring in yellow gold with pearl and diamonds and earrings in gold with diamonds, emeralds and pearls, Buccellati
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Ivory and pink tweed coat embroidered with silver sequins and jewelled buttons, Chanel | Perle de Rosee bracelet in white gold with diamonds, black and grey spinels, moon stones and pearls, Chanel Jewellery
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Copper dress embroidered with a sparkling web pattern, Versace
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White coat dress in lace and satin and shoes, Worth | Vendome necklace and earrings in platinum with diamonds, violet spinels and cultured pearls, Chaumet
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Black silk crepe halter dress with attached cape embroidered in bronze metal, patent and matte leather paillettes and wide mask with transparent beige lens, Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci
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Jumpsuit embroidered with black blue and pink sequins, satin bag embroidered with sequins and Swarovski crystals and multi thread necklace in Swarovski crystals, Armani Prive
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Electric blue mink jacket and wrap skirt, Dior
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High waist platinum pants, white leather body and shoes, Alexandre Vauthier
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Black embroidered kaftan, Elie Saab
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Embroidered fringed dress in grey and pink chiffon, Chanel | Cristaux PerlĂŠs necklace in white gold with diamonds, Chanel Jewellery
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Navy blue embroidered gown with black wool cigarette pants, Dior
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Long dress in gold muslin with sleeves and bodice in galuchat patchwork, Jean paul Gaultier
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Red tulle mermaid shaped dress, Jantaminiau | Plume de Paon necklace in white gold with diamonds and emeralds, Boucheron
Model: Mariana at Oui Management | Hair: Armand Fauquet at Artlist | Makeup: Veronique Reina | Photographer’s assistant: Ignazio Nano | Production: Louis Agency
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A Simple Distraction Photographed by Riccardo Vimercati Styled by Kim Johnson
Black Cady dress, Sennen bag in stem ginger and red wedges, CHLOE
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Blue Faille dress and Angie bag in toscana, CHLOE
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White cotton pique dress and Elsie bag in gold savanna, CHLOE
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Model: Estee at VNY management | Hair: Erika Svedjevik at L’atelier NYC | Makeup: Asami at The Magnet Agency | Photographer’s assistant: Zomnia Vasquez | Casting and local production: Roger Inniss at Boom Productions inc. | Production assistant: Charles Hedger | Production: Louis Agency
Olive green crepe dress, Alice shoulder bag in paradise pink and multi-colour Emma shoes, CHLOE
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A Pointe to Remember Photographed by Sy Delorme Styled by Sonia Logerot
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Tulle skirt, chiffon blouse, necklace worn as belt, Nina Ricci | Gold ballerinas, Repetto
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Salmon ballerinas, Repetto
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Sheer dress, Alexis Mabille | Bra top, Chantal Thomass | Sheer culottes, Cadolle | Belt, Fendi | Cashmere mix coat, Jil Sander | Tiara, CECILE BOCCARA | White gold & diamond earrings, Van Cleef & Arpels | Gold ballerinas, Repetto
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Feather dress, Gucci | Tiara, CECILE BOCCARA | Camelia Exquis brooch in white gold with rubies & diamonds, Chanel
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Silk & wool satin blouse, Dior | Bracelet in white gold with diamonds, Chopard | Swing brooch in white gold and diamonds, worn in hair, Chanel | Tutu skirt and salmon ballerinas, Repetto
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Embroidered tulle dress, Valentino | Tutu skirt and ballerinas, Repetto | Earrings in platinum with diamonds, Cartier | Tiara, CĂŠcile Boccara
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Pink embroidered satin dress, Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci | Bee my Love tiara in pink gold with diamonds, purple sapphires, red spinels, and pink opals, and Premiers Liens headband in pink gold with diamonds, Chaumet | Tutu skirt and salmon ballerinas, Repetto
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Embroidered dress, Elie Saab | Gold ballerinas, Repetto | Tiara, CĂŠcile Boccara
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Model: Alexina Graham at Elite Paris | Hair: Tobias Sagner at Marie-France | Makeup: Angelik Iffennecker at Marie-France | Photographer’s assistant: Jean Michel Chassier | Production: Louis Agency
Silk organza skirt, ribbed sweater and silk & wool crepe blouse, Dior | Tiara, CĂŠcile Boccara | Salmon ballerinas, Repetto | Dalila cuff in white gold with diamonds, Boucheron
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A Marriage of Legacy Photographed by Riccardo Vimercati Styled by Kim Johnson
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Silk crepe sleeveless dress with tiered skirt, leather flower buckle belt and open toe camillia cut out bootie, Oscar de la renta | Bezet pendant in 18 karat gold with a cushion-cut yellow diamond, Tiffany & CO
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Silk faille lace bow appliquĂŠ gown, Oscar de la renta | Enchant ring in 18 karat gold with yellow and white diamonds, ring in platinum and 18 karat gold with a soleste oval cut yellow diamond and white round brilliant diamonds, platinum and 18 karat gold earrings with white and yellow pear shaped diamonds, Tiffany & CO
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Silk crepe sleeveless dress with tiered skirt, leather flower buckle belt, Oscar de la renta | Bezet pendant in 18 karat gold with a cushion-cut yellow diamond, 18 karat gold and platinum ring with square cushion-cut yellow diamonds and white round brilliant diamonds, Tiffany & CO
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Short sleeve square neck chiffon rosette embroidered dress, Oscar de la renta | Ring in platinum and 18 karat gold with yellow and white diamonds, bracelet in platinum and 18 karat gold with marquise, oval-shaped, cushion-shaped and round brilliant yellow and white diamonds, Tiffany & CO
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Finn raccoon and Chinese lamb bolero jacket, Oscar de la renta | Cascade necklace in platinum and 18 karat gold with round brilliant, oval, pear-shaped and marquise yellow and white diamonds, Tiffany & CO
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Strapless tiered silk organza bustier, Oscar de la renta | Platinum and 18 karat gold earrings with white and yellow pear shaped diamonds, bracelet in platinum and 18 karat gold with marquise, cushion-shaped ovalshaped and round brilliant yellow and white diamonds,Tiffany & CO
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Tulle strapless gown with rose lace, Oscar de la renta | Key in platinum and 18 karat gold with yellow oval diamonds, Tiffany & CO
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Male: White cotton shirt, three button navy wool striped suit and two button grey flannel pinstripe suit, Dior Homme
Model: Zuzana Gregorova at DNA model Management, Lenz Von Johnson at VNY model Management | Hair: Erika Svedjevik at L’atelier NYC | Makeup: Asami at The Magnet Agency | Photographer’s assistant: Zomnia Vasquez | Casting and local production: Roger Inniss at Boom Productions inc. | Production assistant: Charles Hedger | Production: Louis Agency
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Rough and Rugged Whether he is en-route to a business meeting or feasting with friends, these classic wardrobe staples can make a contemporary twist to suit your man’s rugged approach to life. The various properties of a leather jacket ensure that every man will be completely comfortable, whilst still being able to achieve an added polished look. Bottega Veneta’s double-breasted version adds texture to a sophisticated outfit for an afterwork dinner, whilst Lanvin’s baseball jacket is essential for a relaxed event. Casual yet cool, silver Dior aviators and leather Marni belts are required to complete the desired aesthetic.
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1. bottega veneta | 2. Tateossian | 3. dior | 4. hogan | 5. dior | 6. louis vuitton | 7. armani jeans |
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8. hogan | 9. lanvin @ matchesfashion.com | 10. brioni | 11. pierre hardy | 12. marni
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The Printed Man From a Gucci weekender to a Prada laptop case, the new printed man brings a sense of complex drama wherever he goes, combining sartorial sophistication with a penchant for print that is bold but never brash. For the office or for play, in paisley or retro 60s, imprinting himself on his surroundings is not just his style but his lifestyle and whether a pinch of pattern or head to toe, he’s guaranteed to get noticed.
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1. canali | 2. Tateossian | 3. prada | 4. gucci | 5. etro | 6. dolce&gabbana @ mrporter.com | 7. Carolina herrera |
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Great Gatsby The Roaring Twenties may be behind us but the decade’s sense of classic debonair is making a comeback for the fashion forward man-abouttown. With a suitcase in tow and a hat placed nonchalantly upon his head, the easy charm of the Jazz Age speaks softly to the man who wants urbane style without the reserve. With a nod to the past and an eye to the future, checks, knits and leathers combine with a dapper effortlessness, providing a go-to look for the gent who still turns heads at every party.
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1. Ermenegildo Zegna | 2. A. lange & sohne | 3. loewe | 4. versace | 5. hentsch man @ mrporter.com |
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Suit Genealogy MOJEH journeys through the history of the impeccable Dior Homme suit.
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Courtesy of Dior Homme
ocated in Northern Italy since it was founded in 2001, the Dior Homme suit factory calls on the incomparable savoir-faire of Italian craftsmen tailors recognized the world over. Developed through close collaboration between the Parisian design studio and Dior Homme creative director Kris van Assche, each Dior Homme suit necessitates five weeks of work. An exclusive choice of fabrics, hand cutting, traditional animal fibre interlining sewn – not ironed on – intricate pressing of the shoulder line, invisible holding stitches, top collar insertion following long-held rules, revers seams and buttons sewn by hand and constant quality control bring the sketches to an astute life. In its ideal simplicity, the image of a made-to-measure suit, and the significantly unique item that it is, so many steps go into the making of a Dior Homme suit.
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Stages From Design To Delivery
1. Sketch and Pattern
6. Mounting Operations
The Dior Homme studio sends the manufacturer the technical elements necessary for the creation of a piece designed by Kris van Assche. Upon receipt, a paper pattern is produced for each design. It will serve as the base for the execution of unique pattern blocks, cutting the fabric and devising size grading using computer technology.
Entirely made of natural materials, the mounting must be washed and dried with care to maintain its strength and elasticity. As a standard, mountings come in camel fibres and horse hair, just as in bespoke Italian suiting. With the treatment of mountings being crucial, a specialized team handles the task. They’re then assembled by hand on to a ribbon, in order to balance the more and less rigid zones of the jacket. The strengthening panels are sewn first and then later in between the outer fabric and the lining.
2. Choice of Materials Selected from a choice of traditional Italian fabrics or very inventive Japanese ones, each bolt of material is the subject of an intense quality control before being laid out in stacked layers on a computer-controlled cutting table.
Cutting out all the elements of a suit is trusted to a single machine. It’s the guarantee that the use of a single piece of fabric can provide. The metal pattern blocks for cutting out top collars and revers are exclusive to each model. These elements, especially characteristic of Dior Homme suits, are then cut out by hand.
Before sewing the sleeve to the body of the jacket a shoulder pad is placed on and sewn to the interlining. The shoulder is further reinforced with a special piece called ‘rollino’. This strengthens the shoulder and ensures the characteristic hang of a Dior Homme jacket. The armhole is sewn by hand, ensuring perfect wearability and impeccable comfort. The sleeve head is tacked in with a line of stitches from top to bottom of the shoulder. The collar is tacked and sewn by hand, starting with the notch of one revers and moving to the notch opposite. Once all the outer seams are finished the lining is sewn in by hand. An artisan then carefully inspects each jacket as the tacks are being removed.
4. Assembly
8. Pressing
The traditional assemblage of the three constituent elements of the body of a Dior Homme jacket (lining, fabric, interlining) is an expression of the quality of construction that comes from the couture spirit of the House of Dior. The inner construction of a jacket is its soul. Dior Homme jackets are entirely mounted. The canvas gives the jacket its elegance, its lightness, but also its substance and hold. The mounting operation is one of the most delicate and requires a level of experience that only a long tradition can guarantee. The interlining, the internal part between the fabric and lining, is essential here. Its composition, based on high-quality materials, is minutely studied. Similarly, for the Dior Homme sleeves, the interlining is made up of five elements, all of natural origin.
Throughout the assembly process the fabrics are pressed many times in order to maintain their shape. Each part of a jacket has its own corresponding board and iron: for the pressing of the collar and shoulders a special curved ironing board adapted to the shape of this area is used. The shoulder is moulded on a board modelled after the shoulder line of a mannequin. The pressers specialize in the ironing of one specific piece of the garment.
3. Cutting
5. Basting Dior Homme suits are entirely sewn, an operation essential to the elegance of the suit. Basting allows for the perfect positioning of the mounting on the fabric and obtaining a stiffness subtly adjusted to the lines of the body.
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7. Setting of Collar and Sleeves
9. Finishing and Quality Control The finishing of a Dior Homme suit necessitates numerous hours of work. The expert hands of the artisans sew buttons individually, while the buttonholes are produced by machine to ensure the clean, sharp look that characterizes each suit. Each step in the production process is followed by a very strict quality control. At the time of the final control the conformity of the suit is assessed with the aid of patterns specially created for this purpose. Even the slightest irregularity means the item being immediately sent to the repairs workroom to be reworked. It’s only after this series of checks that a Dior Homme suit is deemed suitable for store delivery.
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Boy Meets World L
eonardo DiCaprio is not your average Hollywood actor. At the tender age of 19 he was nominated for his first ever Oscar. Then came Titanic, the film that saw the young American actor known the world-over in a matter of minutes. He then continued to go from strength to strength, successfully fighting off the romantic hero stereotype that was being thrown at him from every direction. Today he stands as one of the industry’s greatest assets, portraying everything from lost soul to psychotically mad. As he approaches his fortieth birthday the role most prominent in this gentleman’s life is that of global saviour, steered by the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation that just keeps giving. DiCaprio has been on the environmental mission for most of his life. Praised for his generous donations to causes such as wildlife conservation and earthquake relief he is seen as one of the foremost celebrity figures in the quest to save our planet. From a position on the board of the World Wildlife Fund to being actively involved in Global Green USA this former teen heartthrob from LA doesn’t do things by halves. Having grown up in the world of fame one would be forgiven for thinking that DiCaprio wouldn’t make it to such a late stage in his career. Through his careful choice of roles and a tendency to always do the right thing, he has successfully jumped the gap between young and old Hollywood, changing how the public perceive him and securing himself a place in acting history. Now considered in the same esteemed realm as the likes of George Clooney and Harrison Ford, DiCaprio’s cult status has enabled him to make a lasting difference, tapping into the psyche of his avid followers and pushing his environmental activism to new heights. As the release of his latest film, The Great Gatsby approaches, he talks to us about his ambassadorial role with Swiss watch brand TAG Heuer, their constant support of his green endeavours and his sincere belief that a little change goes a long way.
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TAG Heuer Brand Ambassador Leonardo Di Caprio wearing one of the new TAG Heuer Carrera timepieces.
Leading man and Hollywood heavyweight Leonardo DiCaprio unearths his passion for our planet’s well-being and gives us a taste of the dream that’s seen him catapult to superstardom.
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Mojeh Leonardo DiCaprio at the TAG Heuer factory
What drives your environmental activism? I have been interested in environmental issues for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I was always enthralled by nature documentaries, specifically IMAX films on the rainforests. Even though I was very young, I remember being profoundly affected by issues like the depletion of the world’s resources and species on the brink of extinction. In my adult life, my environmental work and activism remain a priority. I created a foundation that focuses on raising public awareness of the very important issues concerning our planet, our environment, and the impact we, as people, have on the world we live in. When I’m not working, I‘m focused on a variety of environmental projects. Through that work, I’ve developed a much deeper awareness and understanding about our relationship with the world. It is not only an extremely fulfilling and gratifying learning experience, but has also taken me to some of the most interesting and beautiful places in the world. What are your tips for people leading a more sustainable life? What’s something they can do every day? The most important thing you can do to live more sustainably is to be conscious of the world we live in, and to integrate that consciousness into your everyday life. The reason that this is important is simple: If you are knowledgeable about the issues affecting our environment, you will have a greater appreciation for the world and be more conscious about how you use it. On a daily basis, I believe that one of the most important acts someone can do to directly impact the environmental community is to buy local. We live in a very complex world where we want everything immediately, even if this means transporting food across the world on shipping crates and airplanes. Eating local, buying local, or planting in your own backyard has the ability to directly impact and benefit our planet each and every day. How did your relationship with TAG Heuer come about? Very early on, I approached TAG Heuer about incorporating my environmental work into our relationship. Jean Christophe Babin was enthusiastic about the idea from the beginning. He understood then the importance of doing good – by helping to raise money for environmental organizations that focus on impacting the world in positive ways.
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How was your experience at the TAG Heuer manufacturing facility in Switzerland? There’s something very fascinating about old-fashioned watchmaking, and getting the opportunity to travel to Switzerland to see it firsthand was a great experience. It’s an incredibly modern facility, and yet it feels timeless – like a giant science lab with minute little parts and men behind microscopes. I loved my time there.
You’re nearly 40 – do you still have burning ambition or are you satisfied with what you’ve achieved? 40? Already? I guess the big four-o hasn’t entered my consciousness yet. I believe it’s very important to look back on the choices you’ve made and re-analyze where you want your life to go and the things you want to do as an individual. I came from a lower middle-class background where, for me, being an actor never seemed like an achievable dream. Since I got my first opportunity to work on a movie, it’s really been a mad rush to fulfill that dream. As an actor, I do everything possible to tell a great story in a truly artistic way, but at the end of the day you never know how critics and audiences are going to respond. There’s always an eternal sort of mystery in making movies, and that’s the great fun, challenge, and excitement about doing what I do. My goal is to keep doing great work…I haven’t stopped yet and hopefully the work will never stop. While I’m here, I will always have that drive to not only produce great work, but to make a difference in the world.
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Behind the scenes with Leonardo Di Caprio for the TAG HEUER photo-shoot.
Have you always been interested in watchmaking? I’m no expert, but I’ve always been a fan of watchmaking, and even more so after my visit to Switzerland and the TAG Heuer factory. Watching a Swiss watch being made with so many intricate and delicate parts is like watching a giant jigsaw puzzle being pieced together. I’ve always collected watches and appreciated the craftsmanship, but I’ve never seen up close the expertise it takes to put them together. Experiencing the craftsmanship firsthand made me even more interested in the art of watchmaking.
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What to Buy Him this Season
timepiece, Van Cl ic Wish eef Poet and t h g Ar dni i pe M l
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A beguiling contrast of function and form, the finest watches are timeless. From a bold statement piece to the stealthily understated, they can be one of the most significant investments in the male wardrobe – an item to be loved and lived with. A practical as well as beautiful accessory, a watch demands attention and will be glanced upon day after day, so what better way to offer the man in your life an elegant reminder of an occasion or simply your affections than with a luxury timepiece? Whether for work or weekend, for sports or sophistication, MOJEH looks at the most effortlessly stylish watches from the most appreciated labels in the field. Whoever the man, there’s the perfect option for him when the time comes.
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Classic Man
For the man with enduring appeal, a classic watch combines the best of time-honoured design with the finest craftsmanship for the chap with traditional taste. Classic watch makers have had years to tailor their craft, producing pieces that both tap into the heritage of the label and reinterpret their signature styles. 1. L.U.C. XP, Chopard | 2. Midnight Big Date, Harry winston | 3. Saxonia, a. lange & sohne
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The weekend man may switch off from work but he likes to stay on top of looking good. And he does it with a desirable but laidback watch that will see him through from day to evening, from an al fresco lunch to a sit down dinner with loved ones.
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1. Men Complication, Patek philippe | 2. Big Pilot’s Watch for Father and Son, IWC | 3. Cape Cod, hermes
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For the empowered businessman a sophisticated timepiece is not just an accessory, but also a necessity. With sleek aesthetics and a polished, commanding appeal, the businessman needs a watch that is as unwavering and resolute as he is. With understated allure, a business watch is at home under a prim suit cuff, signaling success. 1. Seamaster, omega | 2. Pilot Big Date Special, zenith | 3. Conquest 24 Hours, longines
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For the man who lives for the details, a complicated watch sits on the wrist like a technological enticement. Painstakingly pieced together and the quintessence of precision, a complicated watch signifies the art of timekeeping and the legacy of the meticulous process involved in creating beautifully crafted pieces.
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1. Altiplano Automatic Skeleton, piaget | 2. El Primero Chronomaster Open Grande Date Moon & Sunphase, zenith | 3. Grande Reverso Ultra Thin Squelette, jaeger LeCoultre
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Sports Man
Dynamic, well-made and built to last, a sports watch is designed for the man who thrives on action but won’t sacrifice on quality. As at home nestled in a gym bag as it is tucked under a team kit, a sports watch is the active option for the tastefully athletic. 1. Royal Oak Leo Messi Limited Edition, Audemars piguet | 2. UAE Capeland Edition, baume & mercier | 3. Ocean sport chronographic Limited Edition, Harry winston 1
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Combining formal style touches with an irreverent sparkle, the evening watch is for the man who works a room with as much panache as he does his tuxedo. Glamorous, refined and designed to impress, an evening watch is the sharp final touch to a suave ensemble. 1. Gouverneur Automatic Diamond, piaget | 2. chiffre rouge I02, dior | 3. Midnight Poetic Wish Timepiece, van cleef and arpels
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Flash of Gold
For the breakfast at Tiffany’s type of woman, follow Audrey Hepburn’s legendary footsteps with an updated glam look, accessorizing a chic, black ensemble with a Maison Michel floppy hat. Use sparkles of gold to stand out in the wintry New York weather, in the form of Charlotte Olympia’s gold-soled heels. A Gucci cuff will attract immediate attention in the Four Seasons hotel, whilst Ashley Pittman’s pearls are the perfect accessory to compliment an effortlessly stylish day-time shopping outfit.
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1. YSL | 2. Ashley Pittman @ net-a-porter.com | 3. Sophie Hulme @ matchesfashion.com | 4. Lanvin | 5. Maison Michel |
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6. YSL @ net-a-porter.com | 7. Charlotte Olympia | 8. Marni @ Luisaviaroma.com | 9. YSL @ net-a-porter.com | 10. Gucci @ net-a-porter.com | 11. Marni
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A Frame of Mind Whether travelling abroad or just to the office, the stylish woman doesn’t always need sun to work shades. Perfect for adding a subtle enigma to a sharp ensemble, a distinctive pair of frames is the perennial essential for snow or shine - from winter shopping in Moscow to New Year’s Eve in St Barts. Miu Miu’s rounded tortoise shells show the swinging 60s have swung back around whilst Salvatore Ferragamo offer restrained glamour with square lenses and lavish touches of gold. Tinted, timeless and thankfully easy to squeeze into a handbag, there is a shade for every season.
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1. Alberta Ferretti | 2. Chanel | 3. Oliver Peoples @ mytheresa.com | 4. Bottega Veneta @ matchesfashion.com | 5. Miu Miu @ mytheresa.com |
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6. Salvatore Ferragamo | 7. Valentino | 8. Illesteva | 9. Stella McCartney @ net-a-porter.com | 10. Linda Farrow Luxe
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Belle of the Boulevard Dazzling, eye-catching and ornately opulent, the modern belle doesn’t just go to the ball in her jewels. With an easy take on emeralds and relaxed in rubies, the most spectacular jewellery deserves to see the light of day and - for the woman who sees everyday as a reason to look exquisite - dramatic necklaces combine with fashion-forward daywear and paired down pieces for a glorious juxtaposition. From Dolce&Gabbana to Anton Heunis, unusual designs in precious materials mix with the informal to add a youthful exuberance and an unexpected take on accessorising.
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1. Matthew Williamson | 2. Valery Demure | 3. Shourouk | 4. Alexis Bittar |
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5. Etro @ net-a-porter.com | 6. Dolce&Gabbana | 7. Anton Heunis
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Since being cast as ‘the face that launched a thousand ships’ in 2004’s Troy, Diane Kruger has been on our radar as a fashion force to be reckoned with. Despite being famously stylist-free, she’s not at a loss for fabulous friends to influence her style (step in Karl Lagerfeld and Francisco Costa) and her ‘first’ career as a model certainly gives her a sartorial (and height) advantage. Though German by birth, her style is very French - and not just in her affinity for Chanel - the star goes for chic, fitted clothes and impact accessories. With almost every outfit, there is something quirky or perhaps something exaggerated, exemplifying a sartorial signature that is inspired, idiosyncratic, and intellectual. Diane prefers small-but-perfectly-formed accessories. You won’t see her with an it-bag on her arm, instead she is all about unique textures and colours, favouring a dinky handheld box clutch. She keeps jewellery classic and minimal, often with a vintage or art-deco inspiration. In terms of shoes, she takes measured risks with edgy or embellished heels, or clashing colours, skins or studs.
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From top to bottom left to right images courtesy of: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty, Pascal Le Segretain/Getty, Pascal Le Segretain/Getty, Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty, Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty, Jason Merritt/Getty.
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From top to bottom left to right images courtesy of: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty, Jason Merritt/Getty, Pascal Le Segretain/Getty, Pascal Le Segretain/Getty, Pascal Le Segretain/Getty, Pascal Le Segretain/Getty, Pascal Le Segretain/Getty, Sean Gallup/Getty.
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Clutch Mania During a season full of family gatherings, festive soirees and glamorous balls the style on our radar is the classic belle of the ball. Stay effortlessly timeless and accompany your ensemble with one of this season’s signature clutches. Always avant-garde, Alexander McQueen’s staple skull encrusted arm candy comes shrouded in radiant roses, perfect to accompany a simple, sophisticated LBD. Christian Louboutin, with his high heel clasp, offers a boudoir interpretation of his mini Lula design and if you’re looking to spice up your style with some bling, take a trip to Corto Moltedo whose jewel encrusted grenade will add sparkle to any occasion. A yearround accessory, the classic clutch is an heirloom waiting to happen.
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Tyler Alexandra The Modern Shopper
The contemporary handbag acts as a compulsory accessory worldwide; essentially carrying a woman’s most precious belongings. New York based designer, Tyler Alexandra, specialises in creating ultimately timeless and unquestionably practical shopper bags. The high-quality pieces are not only durable but also carefully constructed using an array of ultra luxe textures, including Italian leathers, soft silks and suedes, perfect for signifying class status. The use of rich crocodile skin and stingray materials gives her latest AW12 shopper collection a super luxurious distinction from the rest. The brand was inspired by her late Father, Peter Ellis,
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whose handwritten signature has become the emblem. For the Tyler Alexandra trademark, intricate detailing is vital, with interior pockets adding to the practicality of her designs. Staying true to her classic aesthetic vision, each handbag is lined with plush purple suede and has a unique, pinecone zipper-pull. Produced in both Parisian and Italian ateliers, the beige crocodile and leather Bailey bag offers a more structured approach to carrying items, whilst Rita comes in white alligator skin and leather, with plenty of room to bear a heavier load. Whatever your personal style says about you, be sure to speak loud with either a glossy or matte handbag that will undoubtedly last a lifetime.
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Diego Dolcini The Golden Boy
Diego Dolcini was born in Naples and after studying architecture won a scholarship to study a Masters in fashion design at the Domus Academy of Milan. Almost immediately he started intense and successful collaborations with important brands. Diego designed the accessories for the fashion shows of Emilio Pucci and Bulgari before working with Tom Ford as creative director of men’s and women’s shoes at Gucci. Later he teamed up with Dolce&Gabbana as creative coordinator for the accessory sector. Now his own cult brand, worn by Charlize Theron, Jennifer Lopez, and Madonna, is taking
center stage once more with a collection of confident and original shoes, of which a very limited number are made and then sold in the most exclusive boutiques in the world. Dolcini’s aim is to emphasize the beauty of women’s feet in the sorts of structures that excite his architectural leanings, whilst only using the very best materials and local manufacturing. Want to go for the gold trend without straying in to flashy/trashy? Diego is your go-to guy for an urbane and contemporary take, this distressed gold and black selection works with an LBD for evening glamour or pulled over dark-wash denims for daytime.
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Etro
The Artisan Family Family owned Italian fashion house Etro is dedicated to experimenting creatively with attention-grabbing textiles, resulting in inventive fashion designs. Inspired by Pegasus, the whitewinged horse, these magically lavish trilby hats, reflect ideas surrounding freedom and flight. Designed by Kean Etro and originally featured in the men’s AW12 collection, these striking pieces cannot be disregarded solely as menswear accessories. Etro explores an aspect that is in tune with female fashion, by continuously celebrating the beauty of nature. The prolific pieces are inspirational showcases of art and the feathers represent a person soaring high in life, along with conforming to the mythological
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creature’s symbolism of wisdom and fame. The brand’s initial beliefs consisted of an artistic vision which transitioned into expressing ideas through fashion. Shimmering metallic, peacock colours and the delicate yet dramatic stance these accessories take, act as classical staples in anyone’s wardrobe. Primarily identified by the company’s founder and father, Gimmo Etro, the collections are currently managed by four siblings. Etro is renowned for paisley prints and for being extremely passionate about spirituality along with defining a person’s silhouette. The frequent use of exquisite detailing embedded in Etro’s collections, will continue to distinguish them from any other brands.
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Tom Ford
To Have and to Hold Identified mainly by a gold-plated turn lock, the signature four screws panel and central TF logo, the innovative ‘Natalia’ bag derived from Tom Ford’s AW12 show, clearly exhibits the brand’s profound aesthetic vision. Available in three different sizes and a combination of fabrics, such as deluxe beaver fur, glistening anaconda and bright alligator skins, the designer’s high-impact visuals have evolved into the accessories range. Tom Ford is forever pairing contrasting elements in his collections, with an amalgamation of dramatic and provocative features cleverly being mixed with subtle sophistication. This complex balance is apparent with regularly squared, boxy bags
being transformed into stylish and stunning, decorative hand pieces. Since the launch of Tom Ford International in 2005, the collections showcased are consistently celebrated for their highly charged interpretations of sixties and seventies fashion. His risqué approach to vamp up women’s fashion has been highlighted recently, through the postbox red clutch version of the Natalia bag, exaggerating seductiveness through its colour and patent material connotations. Whilst the sheer quality of these bags is enough to empower a confident woman, the Tom Ford label continues to promote the glorification and sensuality of the female form everywhere.
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Rettore Couture Ready To Wear
Behind the brand Rettore, sits the design force Federica Rettore who works from her design and manufacturing studio in Milan. She creates (just like Ready-To-Wear) two collections per year, and befittingly her focus is on non-traditional, trend-sensitive design. She has years of creative experience in both design and hand crafting, heading Gucci’s jewellery design team from 2005 to 2008 before turning her attention to her own brand. She has designed this
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collection with the aim of showcasing each stone’s uniqueness through sumptuous and delightful bouquets of colour: rubies, sapphires and brown diamonds, all in 18 carat rose gold settings. Her designs are often an organic juxtaposition; delicacy and boldness, rigor and humour, with gemstones utilised in unique ways not usually found in fine jewellery. Because of this they are versatile, working with a simple ensemble for daywear or as a statement piece to top-off cocktail attire.
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Didi Colley
A Diamond In The Raw Spearheaded by British designer and gemologist Didi Colley the eponymous Didi Jewellery has this season expanded from its base in Miami, to the UK where Didi designs from her West London studio. An open plan modular beachstyle house with huge floor to ceiling windows, it reflects the cool laid-back glamour of the Miami lifestyle that inspires her collections. The azure ocean, powdery sky, and pinkish sunsets of Miami shine through in each setting, enhancing the gem in it natural raw state using soft organic colours and stones in their purest
form so that each retains its innate healing property. Unusually, Didi adores designing pieces using diamonds of colour – especially murky shades of grey and beige in microcuts and tiny surrounds to give extra depth. ‘People seem increasingly aware that diamond jewellery does not have to be white and sparkly,’ she explains. ‘It can sometimes be more interesting with diamonds in different shades’. Didi sets her jewels in gold but the chains are made in blackened silver, forging the raw and edgy appeal that sets her collection apart.
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Snowing for Gold From a chalet in Aspen to a retreat in northern Europe, jetting away this winter can mean exchanging sun for snow. For the woman in-tune with her surroundings, white blends with gold like marshmallows and an open fire as a refined way to embrace festive accessorising. Clean, sophisticated but with an unashamed nod to seasonal glamour, pieces such as this Bulgari watch and ring or Van Cleef & Arpel’s flower inspired necklace strike the perfect balance between minimal colour statement and subtle sparkle.
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1. Giambattista Valli | 2. Bulgari | 3. Van Cleef & Arpels | 4. Jade Jagger @ Boutique1.com | 5. Asprey | 6. Lulu Frost @ matchesfashion.com |
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7. Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co | 8. Bulgari | 9. Irene Neuwirth @ mytheresa.com | 10. Fernando Jorge @ matchesfashion.com
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Festive gems
For the lady who loves the holiday period, let emeralds and magnificent rubies turn heads and garner endless compliments wherever this season’s events take you. Co-ordinating Christmas colours like this luxuriously red floor-length number from Zuhair Murad will project a balance of festive fun and stylish tranquility, perfect for a lavish, intimate dinner in The Ritz. Exposed skin leaves room for the most extravagant jewels and Harry Winston’s circle of diamonds and emeralds sit along the collarbone perfectly, shining effortlessly and spreading some festive cheer.
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1. Zuhair Murad | 2. Van Cleef & Arpels, Trefle d’emeraudes clip in platinum with diamonds and emeralds from the Palais de la chance collection | 3. Chaumet, Le Grand Frisson necklace in white gold with diamonds and emerald | 4. Graff, Butterfly earrings with marquise and pear shape diamonds and rubies |
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5. Boucheron, Plume de Paon earrings from the L’Artisan du Rêve collection with diamonds and emeralds | 6. Harry Winston, Emerald Necklace | 7. Damiani, Ruby and diamond ring from the Belle Epoque collection | 8. Bulgari, Necklace in platinum with rubies and diamonds | 9. Adler | 10. Dior, Cygne blanc ring in white gold with diamonds and emeralds
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All pieces from the Colours of Wonder collection © Tiffany & Co.
MOJEH celebrates 175 years of Tiffany To mark this prestigious anniversary, Tiffany & Co is launching a special Colours of Wonder collection featuring the world’s rarest fancy colour diamonds. Here, we discover the history of these most covetable stones and marvel at the process that goes into creating such exquisite jewellery. The symbol of Tiffany’s diamond heritage is the 128.54-carat Tiffany Diamond, one of the largest and finest fancy yellow diamonds in the world. Discovered as a 287.42-carat rough stone at the Kimberley diamond mines in South Africa, the diamond was purchased by founder Charles Lewis Tiffany in 1878. Today, the diamond is on permanent display at Tiffany’s Fifth Avenue store. Named “King of Diamonds” by the press for introducing important gemstones to the U.S., Charles Tiffany became the jeweller of choice for America’s first millionaire class, whose fortunes fuelled the Gilded Age. Titans of industry including Astors, Vanderbilts, Whitneys and Pulitzers selected Tiffany’s lavish brooches, pendants and tiaras set with dazzling canary yellow, blue and green diamonds for their much publicized galas, costume balls
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and weddings. Fancy colour diamonds also played a prominent role in Tiffany’s award-winning exhibits at the great world’s fairs from 1876 to 1915. As described by Tiffany design director emeritus John Loring in his book, Tiffany Diamonds, the exhibit for the 1889 Paris Exposition was ‘the most extraordinary collection of jewels ever produced by an American jewellery house.’ The collection’s astonishing array of diamonds included the Colonial necklace with the 77-carat yellow Tiffany II Diamond, then the second largest diamond in America, after the Tiffany Diamond. Tiffany’s 56 prizes at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago included gold medals for a jewellery collection that featured an empire-style brooch with a 16.25-carat blue diamond and a brooch with a 16.69-carat black diamond from Brazil. Approximately one in 10,000 diamonds is a fancy colour and very few meet Tiffany’s standards. Those that do have a deep enough natural colour to qualify as a fine, fancy colour diamond—the rarest of the rare. Tiffany’s fancy colour diamonds are assigned colour grades at the Tiffany Gemological Laboratory. The grades are based on three criteria: hue, the basic body colour; tone, the lightness or darkness of the hue; and saturation, the purity of the hue and the amount and quality of modifying shades. Other natural properties including brilliance and fire combine with such hues as yellow, pink, blue, green and even orange to create a mesmerising vibrancy that no other gemstone possesses. Fancy colour diamonds are cut to maximise hue. With mathematical precision Tiffany’s skilled stonecutters determine the exact faceting arrangement that will fully reveal the stone’s spectacular beauty. Master jewellers then design a custom platinum mounting that unleashes the diamond’s natural radiance from every angle. The finished jewels—glamorous rings, radiant drop earrings or necklaces—are sought by collectors and all those who wear these treasured gems for the profound pleasure of lighting up a room with a turn of the head or wave of the hand.
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Binary Relations Photographed by Jean-francois aloisi
Models: Dasha at Oui Management, Yana Shmaylova at Major, Taylor Hill and Liliya Horyachka at IMG, Johanna Gronholm at City Models, Lou at Ford Models and Tina at Studio KLRP | Hair and Makeup: Jabe at B4 Agency | Photographer’s assistant: Benjamin Etchegaray | Retoucher: Yisang Shin | Casting: Josephine Little, Goodwork | Production: Louis Agency
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You’re Invited Choosing what to wear for that all-important event this festive season is never an easy task. From the workparty to the grand ball, the New Year’s Eve bash to the intimate garden gathering, whatever region you’re in you’ll need an arsenal of looks at your disposal. To help you match your makeup to your muse we jetted across to London town and asked the experts at trendforecasting giant WGSN for some advice. Whether it be the classic smoky eye, on-trend metallic hues or a standout lip in the latest shade, these beauty gurus know the best products and the hottest trends to take your look to perfection. So make like a princess this winter with our five delectable ladies and remember, whatever the occasion, whatever the style, you shall go to the ball.
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Garden Party Innocence personified, be a garden goddess by channelling your inner princess. Fairytale locks in twisted designs go hand in hand with lazy purple hues and flushed, flawless skin. Think ladies-that-lunch. 1
‘This look is all about barely-there colour, with super-feminine flushed lips and cheeks. A multipurpose product like Bobbi Brown’s Pot Rouge in Blushed Rose offers a sheer tint.’
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Alice Leeburn, Pop Culture, Celebrity & Beauty Senior Editor. WGSN.
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1. LUISA BECCARIA | 2. N 21 | 3. KRISTINA T | 4. SALVATORE FERRAGAMO | 5. CHANTECAILLE, Luminous Gloss in Lychee | 6. PERCY & REED, Abundantly Bouncy Volumising Mousse | 7. ESTEE LAUDER, DayWear BB Creme | 8. ESSIE, Nail Colour in Prima Ballerina | 9. BOBBI BROWN, Pot Rouge for Lips and Cheeks in Blushed Rose
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After - Eight Keep your cool with this work-party inspired look combining smoothed, natural hair with matte skin and standout lips. A reserved aesthetic with a hint of sparkle. 1
‘Focus on perfectly lined lips. Opt for a matte red tone for a bold statement, such as Tom Ford’s Lip Colour in Wild Ginger. Keep the rest of the face natural, allowing the lips to stand out.’
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Theresa Yee, Beauty Editor. WGSN.
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1.GABRIELE COLANGELO | 2. JUNKO SHIMADA | 3. GUY LAROCHE | 4. DENNIS BASSO | 5. CLARINS, 3 Dot Liner | 6. TOM FORD, Lip Colour in Wild Ginger | 7. CHLOE, Eau Florale | 8. BOBBI BROWN, Long-Wear Even Finish Foundation SPF15 | 9. NARS, Skin Aqua Gel Luminous Oil-Free Moisturizer
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Cocktail Hour Jet back to the forties and a time of pure feminine sophistication where cocktail hour was all about glamour and glitz. Pair your lady-like attire with pale skin, long rippling hair and a plump mauve lip. War-time chic never looked so good. 1
‘Invest in an eye compact such as Bobbi Brown’s Desert Twilight, filled with warm tones of caramel, chocolate browns and mauves in sheer and shimmery finishes. Create a soft smoky eye, finish with one coat of mascara and no eyeliner. To complete the look, dust powder over the skin for a translucent glow.’
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1. NINA RICCI | 2. MONIQUE L’HUILLIER | 3. BURBERRY PRORSUM | 4. CLINIQUE, Butter Shine Lipstick in Raspberry Rush | 5. YSL, Touche Eclat | 6. VALENTINO, Valentina Assoluto | 7. BOBBI BROWN, Desert Twilight Eye Palette | 8. DIOR, Shimmer Powder in 001
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Into the Night With a vampiric essence this elegant, gothic look will take you all the way to midnight in the most opulent fashion. Dark, brooding eyes reflect an evening of glamour where hair is big and skin is as pale as snow. 1
‘Enhance the eyes with smoky shadow, but concentrate on the lips: carefully lining and then layering with a deep, wine red hue, preferably in a matte finish for that edgy, blood-stained look.’
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1. CHRISTIAN SIRIANO | 2. JUST CAVALLI | 3. THIERRY MUGLER | 4. JOHN GALLIANO | 5. DIOR, Universal Lip Contour | 6. TOM FORD, Extreme Mascara in Raven | 7. CHANEL, Eclats du Soir Rouge Allure Velvet in L’Impatient | 8. YSL, The Palette Terriblement Noir 5 | 9. BuLGARI, Jasmin Noir
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The Big Ball Shimmer and shine at the event of the season with an abundance of metallic hues off-set with perfectly coiffed tresses and artful nail design. A glistening look for that social butterfly within us all. 1
‘A glamorous make-up look with metallic smoky eyes in iridescent gold and silver to compliment the dress. Add false lashes for extra impact.’
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1. DANY ATRACHE | 2. MOSCHINO | 3. DONNA KARAN | 4. BARBARA BUI | 5. PHILIP B, Oud Gravity-Defying Gel | 6. GUERLAIN, Eyeliner in Noir Ebane | 7. ARMANI PRIVE, Rose D’Arabie L’Or de Desert | 8. ILLAMASQUA, Liquid Metal in Electrum | 9. ILLAMASQUA, Liquid Metal in Resolute 7
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N°5 bottle evolution.
Mademoiselle Chanel unveils her first fragrance, CHANEL NËš5, created by Ernest Beaux, former perfumer to the Czars.
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t was in the early twenties that Coco Chanel felt the time was right to unveil a scent in accordance with the fresh liberated spirit of the time. It was a spirit that she herself epitomized. Coco was the figurehead of a prevailing mood that had swept fashion and fashionable society at large; a fusion of the feminine identities that were on offer, a rubix cube of traditional social conventions mottled with a modern and rebellious moxie. She wanted a fragrance that was as unpredictable and irresistible as herself. The fragrance she created and named N°5 brought perfumery into a new era in which natural raw materials and synthetic substances came together. The potent top notes are dominated by neroli and ylang-ylang whilst the heart blossoms in
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‘At Chanel, fragrance is designed like a luxury, small-scale product. To this extent, the brand culture is exceptional and the working conditions unique.’ This is according to Jacques Polges, the scent master who created nearly thirty fragrances for the brand since 1981. He is one of the many perfumers that like to say that there were the fragrances that came before N°5 and the ones that came after.
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Now and Forever
a bouquet of May rose and jasmine. The fragrant trail pulsates with the natural notes of sandalwood and drifts in waves of bourbon vanilla. N°5 is perhaps the best example of a fragrance that becomes more intriguing as time passes. Each year adds to its charm as a new muse beckons us to indulge in its inimitable magnetism, from Catherine Deneuve in the seventies to Audrey Tatou in the noughties. This is how Jacques Polge, the creator of Chanel perfumes since 1978, alongside Christopher Sheldrake director of research and development, describe N°5: ‘the absolute reference in terms of modern perfume, indeed, in terms of Chanel’. We spoke to Jacques and Christopher exclusively about the exceptional ingredients used in one of the world’s most well known scents.
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1954 “Just a few drops of N˚5”, the answer from Marilyn Monroe to the question “What she wears in bed”, made the N˚5 fragrance become legendary
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Beaux’s use of aldehydes in N°5 is described to be revolutionary in the world of perfumes. Other houses at the time were using synthetic ingredients alongside natural extracts. Aren’t aldehydes synthetic ingredients as well, what is the difference? Jacques Polge: Aldehydes are also synthetic ingredients. The variety of synthetic ingredients is quite large however. It was the first time that aldehydes - even though they already existed as ingredients - were used in a Couture perfume. Once you smell N°5 you realise that it smells different to anything else. Christopher Sheldrake: I think there is another important point to add. In the late 19th century a lot of perfumes started using synthetic ingredients such as coumarin that is naturally found in plants. So the addition adds another natural odour to the perfume. In the example of a perfume such as Guerlain’s Jicky, once one adds coumarin, the lavender odour becomes even more enhanced. But once one adds the aldehydes that one can smell in N°5, the perfume smells less natural, more abstract. Jacques Polge: It does not smell like anything familiar. It enhances the floral bouquet already present in the N°5. Christopher Sheldrake and Jacques Polge
Is it true that most of the Jasmine production in France comes from a region of Grasse which belongs to Mr Mul, from whom Chanel purchases 100% of the uncropped harvest for its’ N°5 perfume? Jacques Polge: The N°5 originally was created only in a form of a perfume. And back then when one wanted to use jasmine in a perfume, there was no other high quality jasmine available on the market other than the one produced in Grasse. But Grasse use to have large productions of jasmine. Since then for different reasons, the production was reduced and we have kept this production reserved to N°5 so that the quality of N°5 remains as it used to be. Can one assume that other brands on the market have no access to Jasmine from Grasse? Jacques Polge: Yes, the production is not available to them. But if they want Jasmine, they can obtain it from other origins. Chanel also purchases Jasmine from other origins for perfumes other than N°5. Jasmin in Grasse
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All images courtesy of Chanel
Jacques Polge is named Master Perfumer of CHANEL
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Composition of CHANEL N˚5
top notes
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of France Jasmine production in Grasse belongs to Mul family
aldehydes
Ylang-ylang Neroli
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May Rose
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Base notes
Iris Lily of the valley
Sandalwood vetivier musk vamilla chive foam of oak
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1986 Christopher Sheldrake joined CHANEL as a perfumer for two years. He then quit and joined the company again as perfumer and director of research and development in 2005
1987 Partnership between CHANEL and the Mul family
Jacques Polge created l’Eau de Parfum N˚5
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The story behind N°5 started when Coco met Ernest Beaux, the first French perfume master for Russia’s royalty. After the revolution of 1917, Ernest Beaux moved from Russia to France and set up his laboratory and shop near Grasse. It was there that Coco met him whilst researching the precise science of aldehydes; mercurial synthetic substances. Aldehydes were the perfect catalyst to bring the fragrance to life, creating a chemical conversation when applied to the skin, responding and adapting to the wearer like no perfume had done before. Coco knew Ernest was the man for the job and he begun work manifesting her dream for a fragrance as enigmatic and liberated as Coco herself. In 1921, Beaux presented Gabrielle Chanel with several samples from which she famously chose the 5th. Ever the forward-thinker, Coco opted for a simple stamp to identify the bottled scent- in opposition to the sappy poetics associated with fragrances at that time- to which she asked Ernest to add May rose and jasmine (which she knew to be the most luxurious natural perfume material) specifically from Grasse. Ernest and Coco found that the May rose’s softness opened up the scent, radiating the warmth of the region in the wearer’s imagination. The May rose only flowers once a year for a period of three weeks in May and is gathered in the morning before the sun impairs its porcelain petals. The crop is cared for painstakingly because only 1.5 kg of the absolute is obtained from 1 tonne of flowers. Then there is jasmine which when combined with aldehydes, holds the secret to N°5. Its floral note takes on different tones depending on the warmth of the wearer, giving N°5 the enigmatic femininity that Coco was known for. Chanel has worked in partnership with local producers since 1987 to ensure their supply since only a few farmers resisted real estate developers who gradually bought up the French Riviera and the fields which provide the key to N°5 - the irreplaceable quality of the raw materials that empower the essence of the fragrance’s identity. In one bottle of N°5 perfume there are one thousand Jasmine flowers and twelve May roses from Grasse. Though cultivating and farming these so selectively is certainly a luxury that comes at a high price, it is the only means of guaranteeing that the identity of the fragrance has remained relatively unchanged since the early twenties. As minimal as the laboratory flask it was first presented to Coco in, the N°5 bottle designed by Mademoiselle Chanel is the archetype of minimalism and simplicity. It was decisively beyond fashion, making a stand for timeless elegance. The bottles are packed and stoppered using the baudruchage sealing method (a fine membrane is applied by hand over the neck of the bottle and closed by two rows of black pearl cotton), the wax stamp with the double Chanel ‘C’ seal is then applied to guarantee that the bottle
The Chanel wax stamp on No5 bottle.
is tamper-proof. The nimbleness necessary for the undertaking of these handling procedures takes months of practice and is a method no longer in use by the perfume industry. Rather it remains one of the signals of the scrupulous Chanel brand, as a symbol of exclusive luxury, of respect for the ingredients and for the perfume trade, which thrives on the human desire for intimacy and seduction. This theme of seduction has been reflected in the brand’s unusual choice of ambassador for N°5 as Brad Pitt follows in the footsteps of Marilyn Monroe and Nicole Kidman. Eternally pushing boundaries at each stage of conception and fabrication, Chanel cultivates artisanal luxury. By controlling every factor that affects the quality of N°5, the perfume’s creators protect its mystery and its ability to incite dreams. Perhaps the true secret of N°5 is in its elusive cult quality and the way it has acquired a life of its own in the minds of those who have worn it.
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2012 Brad Pitt chosen as the first male to advertise CHANEL N˚5 in the history of this feminin fragrance
CHANEL launches its new ad campaign with the actress, Nicole Kidman, as the new face of N˚5 parfum
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As you step out in all your finery this festive season make sure your skin sends out the same statement as your dress. Whether you’re attending a lavish ball or an intimate gathering, a dash of 24-carat gold, a slick of pure silk extract or a trickling of glacial infusion is sure to give you that coveted winter glow. Indulge this season and give your skin the best of the best with this extravagant selection that will not let you down. Go ahead and sparkle. 1. YSL, Top Secrets Flash Radiance Skincare Brush | 2. CHANTECAILLE, Nano Gold Energizing Eye Serum | 3. KANEBO, Sensai Collection Premier The Lotion | 4. DIOR, Prestige L’Huile Souveraine | 5. GUERLAIN, KissKiss Essence de Gloss | 6. ORLANE, Creme Royale | 7. LANCOME, Absolue L’Extrait | 8. GUERLAIN, Orchidee Imperiale Rich Cream | 9. ESTEE LAUDER, Re-Nutriv Re-Creation Eye Balm & Night Serum for Eyes
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I’ve dyed and gone to heaven Hair colour has gone apocalyptic. Shooting stars, meteorites and moon rocks being the inspiration for the latest pigment trend. A futuristic look, we tell you how to incorporate this space-age style into your winter wardrobe.
Jean Paul Gaultier, AW12 Vivienne Westwood Red Label, SS12
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very season a new hair colour makes its way onto our must-have list. Whether it be the perfect highlights, a standout shade or an experimental style dying our hair is a pre-requisite of the 21st century woman. This right of passage is nothing new however and we’ve been playing with tones, texture and highlights for 4000 years or more. Did you know that Babylonian men used to sprinkle their hair with gold dust? Well thousands of years later and the same trend comes round again as we start to see metallic shimmers and celestial sparkles adorning our luscious locks. This need to change our appearance comes from an innate desire to be someone new, someone different, and the confidence that a new hair colour instils is the driving force behind it. ‘Hair colour can represent anything from health to your taste in music,’ says Claude Hacache, salon manager for Toni&Guy Dubai, ‘but the way you carry the colour says it all. A new hair colour makes you look and feel different about yourself which can play a big part in boosting your self-esteem.’ This desire to be different has escalated in recent years to a new extreme of unnatural hues. From neon pink to cobalt blue and everything in between outrageous tones are big business with a new colour and a new technique appearing every season. Spearheaded by celebrities eager for the spotlight, think Katy Perry, Rihanna and Beyonce to name but a few, the place we have to thank for bringing this experimental hair design to the masses comes from the socialite hive of Dalston in London and the BLEACH hair salon. The go-to place for anyone looking to spice up their tresses, this is where the dip-dye, the hairstencil and now the metallic sheen were all born. Their celebrity clientele, hub of maverick followers and eccentric ideas ensures that any style they promote will go global in no time.
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With such a metropolis and a barrel of on trend beauty-guerrillas backing this wayward style it’s no wonder that flamboyant colour has been catapulted into the mainstream, and the reason for our willingness to experiment is simple. ‘It’s due to a growing exposure to different cultures,’ continues Claude. ‘When you get the chance to meet people from all around the world, you become exposed to different types of beauty which in turn makes you more open to accepting and appreciating it. I then inspires experimentation with your own looks.’ And experiment we have. Straight off the runway and onto our radars this season is the latest in the line of adventurous style. Metallic Hair. First seen back in SS12, winter sees its moment of glory meaning Grecian gold, sultry silver and even brilliant bronze are all colours that will be creeping onto our roots in no time. After a year that has seen metallic shades featuring heavily in every aspect of our wardrobes, from nail art to eye makeup, ball gowns to footwear, not to mention the influence of the 2012 Olympic Games, it was only a matter of time until our hair took to the sky and followed suit. With designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier and Haider Ackermann to thank for testing the waters of this innovative style, the metallic sheen is a symbol of our ability to change with the times and it makes for a ravishing colour choice too. A bold look, the metallic lustre is not for the light-hearted. ‘It’s the attitude of the person that matters the most. If you feel comfortable with your hair then you can certainly pull it off,’ says Claude, and what better time to experiment than during a season full of festive outings and glamorous encounters. ‘It’s quite difficult to make such an extreme trend adaptable for everyday wear,’ says Claude, ‘but I suggest a light metallic shade of your natural hair colour first…The good thing with Unique, SS12 Haider Ackermann, AW12
metallic dyes is that they only last between a week to 10 days so if you’re not happy with it you can switch back easily.’ Looking forward, this trend has many potential avenues, even if it appears outlandish from the off. A futuristic aesthetic, it adheres well to those who like to stand out from the crowd. Trend-setting juggernauts should take note and utilise their daring spirit, throwing a bright gold sheen together with a structured, high-fashion ensemble. On the other end of the scale, however, come the darker more sinister hues that channel the universe so well. Iridescent and apocalyptic in origin, a streak of moon rock purple or shooting star silver can add another depth to your hair and it is this take on the trend that BLEACH is promoting across the pond. Designed to be tried for a special occasion or on a whimsical high these darker shades lend themselves well to the more reserved persona. Gorgeous dressed down or paired with a high-octane gown, the metallic sheen will show a hint of the sparkle that lies within. Such an avant-garde trend always begs the question of what’s coming next but given how quickly the western perception of beauty is changing, the future can only be guessed at. As the world becomes smaller our willingness to accept the extraordinary grows larger and our attitude towards the extreme, the weird and the wonderful is one of curiosity and awe. With this in mind we must embrace the changes that come our way, starting with this space-age, electrifying and ultimately covetable trend that is sure to make your hair the crowning glory of any seasonal wardrobe. With gold being the colour of the sun a slick of metallic dye is the perfect compliment to these winter months so dig for that daring spirit and go out and shine. As we all know, a little bit of sparkle goes a long way.
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New horizons Dolce&Gabbana’s latest recruit Felicity Jones pinpoints a change of direction for the distinguished brand.
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Photographs by Jeremy Valender
exy, evocative and highly charged. That’s the Dolce&Gabbana woman to date. A sex goddess through and through; she is fiery, hot and keeps everyone on their toes. We all know one and we all want to be one in some part. Represented by women such as Scarlett Johansson and Monica Bellucci, the brand’s advertising campaigns drip with sensual desire. They represent a lifestyle and an ideal only available to the elite, the privileged and the beautiful. It’s how it’s always been and we wouldn’t have it any other way. With the launch of their latest beauty campaign this autumn, however, comes the side of the Dolce lady less privy to the spotlight. With a demure and more natural aesthetic the brand is opening its doors to the every woman - no longer excluding those that don’t fit within the tight restraints of its usual role model. Starring British actress Felicity Jones, the new Animalier collection will show the world the transformative qualities of a flick of eyeliner and a slick of crimson gloss. Taking you from laidback chic to glossy glamour in a flash and introducing the idea that anyone can play the Dolce&Gabbana woman. A quintessential English Rose, Felicity Jones is the perfect choice to kick-start this new era. She has the edge when portraying grunge chic and adored bookworm but seductive vixen is yet to be on her radar and it is this element of her character that is so important to the new campaign. She ‘is all about an unforced beauty,’ said Dolce’s makeup master Pat McGrath. ‘Felicity is a makeup chameleon. She does effortless chic so well, but I think she looks stunning with a full lip and smoky eye too.’ Showing that the power is in their ability to turn a wallflower into a strong, confident woman at ease. But why now? After so many years spent creating some of the most explicit and intense adverts to date what has inspired Dolce&Gabbana to turn the tables and go for a more reserved aesthetic? ‘They have a very risk-taking approach to design,’ answers Felicity. Something which is evident in their casting choice, turning the more reserved girl into a sex icon. ‘They strive to always be original and interesting…and to instill a sense of confidence and femininity in all women.’ As expected, the campaign still kicks a hell of a punch and it is clear to see that the brand’s DNA lives on. ‘Their personality is in everything they produce,’ said Felicity. Inspired by the 50s pin-up girl, the Animalier collection is designed to transform the wearer into whoever they want to be. It is ‘a playful, irreverent and not too serious take on the woman,’ continues Felicity. ‘It’s about letting go and being in character, having fun and expressing yourself.’ A mantra not unknown to the Dolce woman of late but one that comes from a fresh perspective. ‘I think beauty goes beyond aesthetics,’ concludes Felicity. ‘It cannot be defined easily,’ and this campaign only goes to show that the elusive Dolce beauty is available to anyone with the confidence to grab it.
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Superfoods – Medicine of the Future
Hippocrates said: ‘Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food’, but this ancient wisdom is discovering even deeper meaning as the world of nutritional science explores new frontiers that could help realise this potential. By Laura Holland
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Image courtesy of: John Smith/Corbis
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s the father of modern medicine, it seems most appropriate that we explore the gravitas of Hippocrates’ words within the context of this modern label that has recently propelled select foods to ‘super’ status. With this status comes the most ambitious claim that superfoods are indeed ‘the medicine of the future.’ Could it really be that we discover the root of Hippocrates’ wisdom within these? Many experts, including David Wolfe, the ‘rockstar of the superfood world,’ believe this to be true and with a celebrity following including Oprah Winfrey, Gwyneth Paltrow and Madonna, they are certainly gaining credibility. However, the idea of a superfood remains a subjective concept as there is currently no legal definition. This is reiterated in a report by the British NHS, Miracle Foods Myths and the Media, fuelling the confusion surrounding what qualifies as a superfood and leaving the door open to vast interpretations and marketing exploits. This uncertainty ensures that a haze of doubt lingers over their health benefit claims and, in some cases, reduces the concept to nothing more than just the latest diet craze. Despite the ambiguity many high profile doctors like Dr. Perricone and Dr. Oz seem comfortable with this terminology and even promote the idea of certain foods providing ‘the maximum amount of nutrients with minimum calories’ to supply more than just your average shot of nutrition, making them eligible for the superfood category. Dr. Joel Fuhrman, a USA board certified physician, nutrition researcher and New York Times bestselling author advocates eating like a ‘nutritarian’, incorporating the most nutritious foods for the body into your diet and including superfoods as a means to reverse disease, lower cholesterol and even prevent cancer. However, studying the effects of a single food on our health is notoriously difficult and ‘results are often over stated’ according to the same NHS report, resulting in a bombardment of information and a new superfood every week that only serves to undermine the concept further. Foods like blueberries, spinach, beetroot, almonds and many more are given superfood status in the media, however, most nutritionists would agree that whilst there may be no ‘legal’ definition of a superfood these certainly do not come close to the inner circle of what is truly meant by a superfood. For nutrition experts what we really mean by a superfood is a nutrient profile that is exceptionally vast, providing the body with doses of micro and macro nutrients that are capable of fighting illness, allowing the body’s natural process of healing, and restoring harmony to one’s own state of being. Spirulina is an excellent example. A study by Antenna Nutrition presented at the World Nutrition Congress suggested that a daily dose of just one to three grams of spirulina over a period of four to six weeks could be sufficient to cure children of five years or younger of mild and moderate malnutrition.
Health
Mojeh
Like spirulina, true superfoods are plant based, often having been cultivated for thousands of years, shrouded in mystery and ancient medicinal practice with high vibrational energy capable of supporting life, in its highest sense, on a physical, emotional and spiritual level as discussed at length by David Wolfe. These foods, when eaten intelligently for your body, could very easily replace our usual vitamin and mineral supplements, providing a high level of nutrients but in real food form rather than a pill. This is certainly a movement back to our roots; eating our food and our medicine, rather than taking it. With this in mind there is an elite group that are considered the real superfoods; • Goji Berries -The secret of longevity with a very high antioxidant content, a complete protein source with amino acids and polysaccharides. • Cacao - The food of the gods and ‘number one in the world for antioxidants of any fruit or nut’ according to David Wolfe with an incredible mineral profile including magnesium and powerful blood sugar and weight management properties. • Coconut - The symbol of paradise supporting thyroid health and metabolism whilst hydrating our tissues and energizing the immune system. • Maca - The root of fertility with powerful hormonal benefits supporting the thyroid, pituitary and hypothalamus glands increasing vitality and fertility whilst allowing the body to deal with stress more effectively. • Blue Green Algae and Spirulina - The Protein Queens brimming with amino acids and antioxidants, the incredible mineral content provides powerful alkalising properties restoring the body’s crucial Ph balance. • Marine Phytoplankton - The basis of the world’s food chain containing ATP, the energy currency of your body providing instant energy that in David Wolfe’s words is ‘so profound’ as we feel awake and alert but without the caffeine like stimulation that weakens immunity. • Aloe Vera - Egyptian Secret of Immortality, it protects the immune system, feeds the skin, cools the body and soothes the intestines. • Bee Pollen, Royal Jelly and Honey - The fountain of youth and beauty is the most complete food in the world, providing a full spectrum of protein and no less than 50 to 60 nutrients. • Acai Berries and Maqui Berries - Antioxidant light workers capable of fighting 80% of cancers due to their incredible antioxidant qualities whilst also being high in omega three according to recent studies. • Chia Seeds - The source of strength, these tiny seeds are incredibly high in omega three, fibre, protein and B vitamins, they are endurance boosting metabolism strengthening super seeds. Whilst this list can never be complete due to the inconclusive nature of the definition of a superfood, these foods do represent an awe inspiring array of nutrients and vital life force energy and in many cases the healing benefits embedded in their ancient wisdom and medicinal practice has been repeatedly confirmed by western studies and analysis. When dealing with such potent nutrition it is important to remember that what may be your vitamin maybe another’s poison and their effects within the body are not to be underestimated. Care is certainly required when deciding to include some of them into your diet and it’s essential to do so in a conscious manner, listening to your body and beginning with smaller quantities. Many of these superfoods can be found in raw powder form making them very easy to incorporate into your daily routine and ideal for adding to juices and smoothies. The list of reported health benefits is celebrated by many and includes weight loss, detoxification, stress reduction, mood enhancement, strengthened immunity, Ph balancing, skin healing, anti ageing, anti inflammatory and cancer fighting, to name a few. Whilst research is still ongoing there is certainly food for thought within the ancient wisdom of true superfoods and healthy potential for being our medicine of the future.
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meditations in digital photography Born and practicing in Dubai, Saeed Khalifa offers
a unique perspective in to the region’s fast moving art scene through his work in digital photography. The Exodus, 2011
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ubai’s creative district bears little visual resemblance to the Emirate’s skyline. But it does hold a striking similarity in the duration of its growth spurt. In three years, over 30 galleries were set up in the small dusty neighborhood that housed homegrown artists and collectives. Locals spawned art incited by establishing an identity separate from the metropolis they now found themselves in. One of these artists was Saeed Khalifa, a 16 year old aching to express himself but with no concrete idea how he would go about it. Now 24, Saeed is enjoying the fruits of a fertile cultural landscape in his hometown. Whether by the coincidence of organic growth from necessity amidst a region where so much happening leaves the artists with a lot to express, or the concerted engineering of cultural entrepreneurship, Saeed was not just anywhere, but the unchartered territory of Dubai’s art scene. He came to blossom in a socially rich, culturally engaged society where the adage that ‘anyone can be or do anything’ was espoused on an unprecedented scale, allowing the creative industries to flourish. This is a sentiment Saeed has explored in his work and the reaction he encourages in his viewer as he explains, ‘Believe II’ is part of triptych in which I ask the viewer to find something in a sea of black silk. To create something out of nothing. To believe in their own vision for creation.’ Since the first galleries started opening amid the iron mongers, carpentry warehouses, car showrooms and supermarkets of Dubai’s Al Quoz district, the place may still seem like an industrial wasteland, (the preferred post-industrial environment of art scenesters the world over) but its transformation into the happening focus of a burgeoning art scene continues briskly. Follow the artists, goes the adage, to those in search of the next bohemia. And it seems that an increasingly exciting enclave in the international arts scene is seeding right under our noses. On the cusp of a career which pushes the boundaries of technological advancements and individual expression, Khalifa is at the forefront of a new wave of artists who are finally being given space amidst the booming construction to groom their artistic inclinations. It’s no surprise that Dubai is quickly earning itself a reputation as an internationally competitive centre of culture. Many cities began life in a similar way: Singapore and Shanghai have both developed cultural scenes that compete on a global scale. If you build it, they will come, and the art world can’t seem to stay away. The cultural landscape of the Middle East is changing. In Dubai, where there were only five art galleries a decade ago, there are now 85. The Emirate is the epicenter of a growing creative energy as new museums and galleries being built across the region, fuelling the trend to purchase pieces by regional artists.
Evolution, 2010-2011
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Close by, Doha’s Museum of Islamic Art, a world class collecting institution, opened in 2006, the same year that work began on the largest Guggenheim museum in the world in Abu Dhabi. Of course these huge investments were an economic boost to the region but it is also perhaps because of the very nature of its natural, organic, and nationally distinctive growth, that local art in this region has established such strong foundations. ‘I’m very patriotic,’ explains Saeed, ‘I’m an Emirati artist with a strong personal identity.’ His view is typical of a generation that grew up in an unparalleled environment of sudden, exponential growth at unprecedented velocity. As we take a breath from the fast pace of evolution we find an influx of locals using artistic expression to investigate and express a cohesive artistic identity in the context of a city in a perpetual flux. Indeed, young artists are taking advantage of a mood of experimentation and atmosphere of openness which has resulted in a scene as unique a fusion as the city itself in terms of creative dialogue. ‘It is conversations (and arguments) that push my boundaries and make me grow as an artist and person,’ argues Saeed. In an environment that can perhaps be tinged with the hyperreal, it’s natural that Saeed explores the dichotomy between the real and surreal worlds, ‘my work is visually very much based on fantasy, it exists in a parallel universe but the emotion always has to be real.’ The juxtapositions and contrast of the increasingly complex and cosmopolitan region from which he draws his inspiration is reflected in his work. Saeed explains the dichotomy behind The Calling Siren as wanting ‘to create something beautiful and sinister at the same time.’ Suitably, he deals in the very tangible medium of photography, yet taints it with digital manipulation. ‘My work is an escape from reality, as simple as that. When you have to face something that you have no luxury of running away from, surrealism is the way to go.’ With a strong army of young buyers and collectors in UAE looking to young artists of their own generation to document the times we’re living in, it’s no wonder his peers applaud his honest and self-aware escapist form of expressionism. He feels Exodus is exemplary of this. ‘It’s from a three piece series showing a person going to the edges of earth to find himself. A journey of self discovery. Each of the three pieces shows one corner of the world and symbolises taking one direction and the way that fate paves out.’ His own generation of twenty-to-thirty–somethings, with unprecedented buying power and enthusiasm, are indeed on Saeed’s mind throughout this process. ‘I hope that viewing my pieces would be cathartic for them. I want to put the audience
Believe II, 2009
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Prophecy, 2012
in a position where they are confronted by something of their own background.’ A huge factor in the scene growing from strength to strength is in local and peer support; collectors keen to find a fascinating insight into the psychology of the artists behind their often conflicted and sometimes tormented works. But it’s not just young collectors getting in on the local act as the power house dealers descend. As we know, philanthropists are frequently art collectors and art collectors are frequently philanthropists - so it’s no surprise that the strong social scene in Dubai has fuelled the thirst for homegrown talent. Local artists are emerging as an increasingly strong, long term investment, because the value of their work has appreciated so well over the past few years. The market for contemporary Middle Eastern art has become more internationalised with a deeper breadth in its buyer base, which is important for the long term sustainability of the market. Collectors from the region and around the world are descending on Dubai to snap up pieces from young and, until recently, relatively unknown names. But why has the trend to purchase pieces by regional artists been gathering steam recently? Three factors have finally fallen in to place and have started working in harmony - artists, promoters and the market. The number of art galleries and art fairs in the region is expanding with serious and moneyed art collectors and curators looking for exclusive pieces to add to their galleries and personal collections. Furthermore, collectors and curators from the Middle East have begun to figure in international power lists, showing just how much clout the region now boasts. Local artists are maturing technically and conceptually and this is reflected in their work, sale and marketing. The promoters of Middle Eastern art - art galleries, curators, art magazines, auction houses, museums and fairs - have recognised the huge potential in artists’ development and are strengthening in order to highlight it. Khalifa is riding the wave of Dubai’s commercial blossoming for younger artists, exhibiting with local galleries and selling with Christies, whose stamp of approval on a young artist can send interest in their work from consistent to astronomical overnight and only encouraged the current creative and commercial buzz around the region’s art scene. As artists such as Khalifa continue to mature in their technique and in their abilities to express, people around the world will grow increasingly curious to know who we are through our art. Contemporary homegrown Middle Eastern art is only on the cusp of having its moment under the worldwide spotlight, leaving great potential for growth in demand among regional and international art collectors alike.
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MOJEH Louis Fourteen
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in Exhibition
Artist
She Was Dressed in Music, We Stand Apart Together
A Trick of the Lens Joel Sternfeld famously stated that, ‘No individual photo explains anything’, and it is the ambiguity of his work – the often clandestine significance of what he chooses to shoot, or indeed omit – that makes it so enduringly enticing. In the first major Sternfeld retrospective, themes of failed utopias, rage and our inability to contextualise are explored through images of small-town America. The collection offers an insight into the lesser seen in a way that is both parts enlightening and selective. His work also examines perspective, with the resonance and importance of his locations only becoming clear when viewed with the accompanying text – for example the balcony on which Martin Luther King was shot or the site of a violent crime in Central Park – challenging our ability to interpret the underlying truth in a static moment. 3rd November 2012 to 13th January 2013. Joel Sternfeld Retrospective. C/O Berlin, Postfuhramt Oranienburger Straße 35/36, Berlin.
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Washington, D.C., August 1974, Courtesy of Luhring Augustine
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In 2008, and at 27 years old, Sacha Jafri was the youngest living artist to hold a ten year retrospective of his work. Five years later and his now fifteen-year retrospective chronicles his growth with selections inspired by his philanthropic travels throughout the world, as well as pieces from his never-before-seen latest collection. Describing his work as ‘magical realism’, Jafri’s brightly coloured and whimsical works reach out to the child in all of us, evoking a carefree playfulness that belies his monumental success. With a world tour commencing next year – visiting everywhere from Dubai to Miami – prior to that ARTSPACE London are exclusively offering an exhibition of ten of his works. Be amongst the first to view his pieces in this intimate and considered context.
in Exhibition
Through The Eyes of a Child
1st November 2012 to 1st December 2012. Sacha Jafri Retrospective, ARTSPACE London.
Valentino Garavani and Natalia Vodianova at Musée Nissim de Camodo in Paris, 2011, Kevin Tachman
Valentino Garavani Natalia Vodianova 2012, Cathleen Naundorf
Eternal Style Bringing exquisite glamour to both the runway and the red carpet for over 50 years, Valentino is a name synonymous with couture. In a new exhibition at London’s Somerset House, dresses that have almost exclusively been viewed from behind the lens of a camera or the pop of a flashbulb, are for the first time open to the public in a curated collection of couture pieces. As much a study in craftsmanship as in style, highlights include Jackie Onassis’s wedding gown, the dress worn by a winning Julia Roberts at the 2001 Academy Award and pieces donned by Grace Kelly and Sophia Loren. Valentino: Master of Couture is an opportunity to be charmed by fashion that represents art as much as attire. 29th November 2012 to 3rd March 2013. Valentino: Master of Couture, Somerset House, London.
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The Executive Dilemma Work colleagues are a bit like family. You don’t generally get to choose who you work with but you have to co-operate and co-exist. As we become ever more emotionally invested in our office life, are we replacing our real families for a close circle of colleagues?
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raditionally work was just what people do to earn enough to facilitate our other ‘real’ life of home and family and friends and leisure activities, but our life trajectory is significantly different to what it was. Whereas our primary focus used to be settling down with a husband and kids, it’s now also seen as important to have an independently established career and stable economic situation before we contemplate embarking on family life. Therefore, we inevitably develop our working relationships before family relationships. As well as having children, getting married and building an ‘actual’ family, we are turning our colleagues and workplaces in to mini replicas of the home we may not have yet established in our personal lives. Our managers become our mothers, providing support and guidance from our first day, the departments below us are naughty younger siblings that we gossip about and discipline, our fellow colleagues are close confidantes with whom we share our professional and personal upsand-downs. But if we find ourselves emotionally spent by the time we get home, where do our actual families fit in to this equation? Though independence and economic autonomy is certainly sensible, forsaking family to focus on a job can leave a void of close interactions that blood bonds would once have filled. Increasingly we look towards technology rather than community for social interaction, work is the new family in our lives. Because we invest so much time and emotion in them, we are forming faux families from our colleagues. We are transferring our home role to our office relationships. Whether you find yourself bringing the qualities of a mother to the role of a manager, or find yourself behaving like a ‘little sister’ when interacting with colleagues, maybe it’s time to ask why the two institutions of work and home, which were traditionally separate, have bled into one another, and consider whether this a good or bad thing. Networking is the buzzword in business at the moment, putting an emphasis on giving and building trust rather than receiving or requesting something. It’s not necessarily about immediate gain but a long-term investment where you reap benefits at a later stage. If you’ve got people to like you, trust you and see your potential,
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if you’ve sold yourself face-to-face and not just on paper, it’s a very powerful tool. This emphasis on face-time and likability has bred a corporate atmosphere that demands us to invest sentiment, warmth and a deep trust in those we work with. It’s understandable that our attachment to work is emotional rather than just monetary. The average working person spends the majority of their waking hours on the job and the workplace has become an important source of social capital for millions of us – a center of meaning, membership, and mutual support. The delay we put on forming typical support systems, such as the family and close-knit neighbourhoods, has turned many workplaces into sources of emotional strength. Sometimes, the work environment can be the only family around and serve as a stand-in our colleagues and co-workers slipping quietly in to the role that our family circle traditionally filled. Employees today put in longer hours, focus more on teamwork and face profit pressures together. A result can be that colleagues respond to each other- as a coping mechanism - by slipping in to the roles traditionally filled by family. The connections can benefit employers, because mounting research shows that supportive and family-like workplace cultures lower turnover and foster loyalty. Such support is a trait today’s employees have become increasingly hungry for: two-thirds of workers want to feel as though their fellow employees and supervisors are part of their families, according to a study by staffing firm Randstad North America and market research consultancy RoperASW. There are a number of reasons why having a ‘corporate family’ benefits us. At some companies, the sense of support has become a permanent and formalised fixture in the company culture. Or it might be a more casual case of walking in to a readymade social circle at the office that makes you feel ‘at home’. Both can be personally and professionally rewarding. After all, truly successful diplomacy depends on positive informal relationships; being able to understand and quickly analyse the behaviours of those around you puts you at a great advantage. It also means it is easier to resolve conflict in a manner that enhances the office environment, rather than detracting from existing relationships. But for some of us, getting along with work colleagues can feel a bit like high school. They will gossip, whinge, laugh, cry, annoy you and be your best friend. And you will do exactly the same to them. Yet it’s something many of us have no choice in, as it becomes an environment that employers are actively engendering. Though it’s trendy for employers to actively initiate and nurture a familial workplace, is it really for the best for all involved? Should we draw a more pronounced line between our intertwined work and home selves and if so, where should we draw it? Be warned, if your employer encourages inter-office friendships, it is probably for their own benefit. The current thinking in management is that the work environment needs to transcend the realms of business, hence those painfully cliché team building courses we’ve all had to endure. It’s all part of a corporate agenda that makes the employee feel more at ease and more willing to work hard. In fact, the supportiveness of the workplace is one of the most powerful predictors of productivity, affecting issues such as job satisfaction, commitment to employers and
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retention. According to international research by British-based career consultants Penna Sanders & Sidney, the workplace community is a significant factor in an employee’s decision to join an organization (important for getting talent through the door) and stay with it (retention). The companies that top the ‘best to work for’ rankings are not necessarily the ones who pay the most, but the ones who payback the most ‘social capital’ – an idea that does not refer to real estate, personal property or cold cash, but rather to that in life which tends to make these tangible substances count for the most in the daily lives of people, namely: goodwill, fellowship, mutual sympathy. A recent study by the UK Families and Work Institute concluded that on-the-job social capital, far more than salary and fringe benefits, determined how satisfied, committed and productive and loyal employees were. Evidence suggests that employers benefit in significant and measurable ways when they help employees blur the lines between work and home, for example by subsidising child care and training supervisors to be supportive of work-family conflicts. In study after study, these policies have proved cost-effective by reducing employee absenteeism, discipline problems and stress, and increasing productivity, tenure, and willingness to ‘go the extra mile’ for the company. Basically, creating family bonds in the workplace is a low-cost investment in the firm’s productivity. Google is a company known for its benefits and as a result their employees don’t mind working long hours and spending their vacation time on team-building company trips. But does this low cost investment in company productivity come at the expense of our real family lives, leading things to go wrong on a personal level? Growing numbers of us feel that work, with its grueling hours and traffic-snarled commutes, is taking over our lives, encroaching, subtly and sneakily substituting itself for time with family, friends and community. Recently nearly two-thirds of American employees said they wanted to work less; an average of two hours a day less. Press accounts have begun to document the dizzying decline of down-time, as voicemail, e-mail and instant messaging, have created an expectation for frazzled workers to be constantly on call. So is the ‘corporate family’ just a new way for employers to ensure that we are always at the beck and call of fellow board members? Having that closeness with co workers makes it all the harder to say ‘no’ when they call at 2pm on a Saturday asking for a re-draft of that brief. Let’s not forget that relationships within families can be fraught, if you’re going to ‘play family’ at the office, make sure to expect those kinds of tensions there as well. Nepotism, power struggles, quarrelling and favouritism abound in office atmospheres where everyone knows everyone else’s business. Whilst it may be good to promote ownership, no one likes to be treated like a child where your every move is watched and monitored. There is nothing worse than a boss who stands over your shoulder, or a know-it-all colleague who listens to every phone call. If people don’t get enough space then they are simply on edge sending productivity through the floor. There needs to be some trust in the workplace and giving space is all about giving that trust. It’s not only a parental attitude towards management that can be grating. If you engender a work environment where employees
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behave like siblings, expect them to squabble like siblings too. Besides nit-picking, quarrelling, and power struggles, gossip can be a lethal drug in an office. It’s all too easy to say ‘don’t get involved’ but there are plenty of people that like to talk and when does discussion and openness on ‘private’ issues become free-for-all gossip? It’s important for us to find a balance. With the world of work becoming increasingly globalized, many of us are finding ourselves to be economic expats. It’s particularly true for those working aboard that if we don’t have a family outside of work we may be tempted to fill the roles we feel are lacking in our lives through our co-workers. We need to maintain perspective on our expectations from work relationships. If you think your boss isn’t going to fire their adopted ‘office son’ or ‘work wife’ if they mess up, you’re mistaken. The truth is profits are the bottom line in business. Work is not the equivalent of adult daycare there to provide us with play dates. If you keep your friends close but your colleagues closer, perhaps its time to redress the balance. If striking a balance is tricky for you, just start by listening. People want to be around great listeners because it means they can do all the talking. Most people just want to tell you about their live so let them do it. Not because you expect to make a friend for life, but because you want to ease business relations and connect with people on a deeper level. Though employers may imagine that a bosombuddy office gets the best results from employees, they will in fact respect a level head and cool demeanour more. By staying calm and in control you set yourself out as the professional collected type; people may scream and shout and stomp their feet but at the end of the day they would much rather be calm and collected than anything else. Give people space and expect it back. Don’t settle for someone who makes you feel awkward by always listening, watching and criticising you. There is a time for a review and there is a time for constructive feedback. But that isn’t all the time! Luckily for those of us with a close collective of colleagues, the support we find in the workplace can be truly priceless. We all need somebody who believes in us, because we all have doubts from time to time. When you have a crisis of confidence, it’s great to feel that someone has that typically ‘parental’ quality of unwavering belief and unconditional support. Having a closeness and commitment to colleagues means you can reap support exactly when and where you need it most. It may help us to be more confident at work if we think of colleagues as a family. Next time you’re nervous in a meeting, don’t picture coworkers in their undies, instead imagine the faces of family. By treating everyone as family, your body signals should change. When you love someone you are more confident and willing to approach them. You aren’t afraid of what they think because you have the family connection. Whilst you don’t need to treat your colleagues like family it might help to take inspiration from the family environment. When you walk into the office, think of them as family and know that they support you even if they don’t show it. That will emulate the kind of unspoken confidence we have in our families. Similarly if you’re uptight, stop worrying about what people at work think of you. Family is meant to share in misery and victory, and it’s important that people feel that you will support them in every (professional) eventuality.
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Intertwined Imaginations Design giant Matthew Williamson joins forces with The Rug Company on a hunt for the latest in Middle Eastern design.
Collaborations come and go every season but every once in a while a pairing comes together that makes us sit up and pay attention. This time, it’s the company that brought home furnishings back into the limelight and a man whose fashion designs are known the world over for their fun, fresh and ultimately desirable quality. Founded in 1997 by husband and wife duo Chris and Suzanne Sharp, The Rug Company has slowly but surely made a name for itself, producing high quality, original and beautifully designed rugs for the luxury market. Collaborating with top designer after top designer, their creations are world-renowned and in 2004 legendary Brit designer Matthew Williamson came on board to create a range inspired by his exotic adventures. Eight years later and he’s back, sitting on a judging panel alongside Chris and Suzanne as they launch a wall hanging design competition across the UAE. Bringing experience, vision and creative prowess together they are adamant in their belief that design should be the best quality it can be and that tradition holds the key to longevity. On the eve of the winners announcement, we meet up with the trio and delve into their working relationship; why fashion and interiors work so well together and how having no plan can turn out to be the best plan you’ve ever made. What inspired you to launch this competition and why did you choose the Middle East as your hunting ground for new talent? • Christopher: We work with designers from all over the world and it’s really nice to engage with local ones. We’re all about bringing design and craft together and the idea of running a competition where you’ve got local designers working by themselves to create tapestry really appealed to us. In the 17th and 18th centuries the process of making tapestries required you to have a workshop, someone to commission the work and an artist to design it. We have both of the former so it was a really nice thought to emulate this traditional style by bringing new artists on board. Obviously the Middle East is really important because it’s a growing market; we have a shop here; and there are talented people everywhere. What was it about the winning design by Abeer Seikaly that drew you to it? • Matthew: It couldn’t be a British design. There’s quite a specific, local feeling and quality in the piece. • Suzanne: You get a really good feeling from Abeer’s work. Her tapestry says what she is feeling, her past, her memories. The colours in it are very arid. Sort of jewely, so it evokes a feeling of the Middle East. There were some of them that could have been designed anywhere, so we were attracted to the fact that it was very local. The judging panel comprises of some top design talent. How and why did you all come together to work on this project? • Christopher: We’ve been working with Matthew for ten years so he’s very much part of our history. We’ve always liked what he does and we did a tapestry with him a few years ago which was really popular. It made a lot of sense to get him involved. Why do you think the relationship between fashion and interiors works so well? • Suzanne: A lot of people love fashion and they want to live that life as well as just dress it. When they’re at home they want to come into their house and feel great. Even in their pyjamas they want to be part of the fashion narrative. A great thing as well is that interiors transcend age. You can be any age and you can be part of it, whereas with quite a lot of the clothes you have to step back a little bit once you reach a certain age.
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Mojeh Matthew Williamson, Christopher and Suzanne Sharp
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• Matthew: I assume that all the girls that come in to buy my clothes have got great homes. Fashion is a luxury market so one has to assume that they’re not going home to some hovel. I like to think that they probably have a Rug Company rug. • Christopher: We particularly like working with fashion designers, as out of all of the designers that we work with they understand print and colour the best and they’re so used to doing collections every season and getting it right. The other thing that we like to say to them is that rugs are going to be around forever, so Matthew will be remembered as a rug designer in 200 years time rather than a fashion designer. In your opinion, how important is it to keep the creative industries alive and original? • Christopher: I think it’s really important not to lose the sense of quality and craft, which is slipping away very quickly. People make cheap and poor imitations of everything these days and it’s important to try and keep a standard and a tradition alive. It’s getting harder and harder because there are less people that want to do it but it makes everything much more valuable and precious. • Suzanne: People don’t appreciate the incredible thing that it is. For example, with a rug, you have four months and 20 people involved in the production. Everything is done by hand. There are no machines. You start off with a ball of wool and you end up with a piece that is designed by some of the best designers in the world. It’s an amazing thing. • Christopher: The gulf between a handmade rug and a machine made rug is so colossal in the process and in the end result. With a handmade rug you’re looking at something that’s going to last two or three hundred years. Whereas something that has been machine made is transitory. It will last for five or ten years. It’s a completely different product and it’s very easy for people to confuse them. What advice would you give to anyone looking to break into the design industry, whether it be fashion or interiors? • Suzanne: It has to be a genuine passion. There isn’t a scientific formula to being a designer as it’s something that’s in you and you have to be consumed by it. It’s also quite obsessive. You can’t let go of something that you don’t think is perfect. People will often think you’re a pain in the arse, but it’s just going beyond that and knowing how far to push something. • Matthew: You definitely can’t fake it. Until you can map out all the stuff that follows, you need to have that vision and clarity from the get go and then if you believe in it and it’s unique, all the other stuff will come towards you because it’s special.
Christopher and Suzanne Sharp with the winning design by Abeer Seikaly
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interview
Mojeh
Each of you are greatly inspired by your travels around the world, particularly India and the Far East. What is it about these places that excites you? • Matthew: The places that I travel are opposite to where I live. I like to bring back different cultures and different characters that I meet. They tend to be more exotic and extreme to where I was born and raised which was quite a grey, industrial city. That’s what I love about travel. How does living in London influence and help your design process? • Suzanne: London is such a huge multi-cultural society. Different parts of London differ immensely. You don’t have to be self-conscious and that is really important for creative people. People don’t judge each other either, and they’re not competitive, so you can say and do what you want and be completely anonymous. To be creative you have to make mistakes and you have to experiment and if you’re not allowed to do that then you’re never going to get the confidence to do what you want. The Rug Company prides itself on being an ethically and environmentally conscious company and the proceeds from the auction are going to Dubai Autism Centre. Why do you think it’s so important to give back? • Christopher: Whenever we tell people that we’re manufacturing and weaving in the third world there is always the assumption that it is somehow detrimental to the people, but it’s absolutely the opposite. We’re weaving in Nepal and we’ve got loads of people employed. The best thing you can do for the developing world is trade. It’s been proven time and time again and by employing them it means that they can support their families, become more confident and be in control of their own destiny. As a by-product we have set up schools and clinics, as we believe it’s extremely important to look after the people that we employ. What plans do you have to continue this collaboration and for the future? • Christopher: We’re not planners. We meet someone we really like and we have an idea. Life would be very dull if we knew exactly what we were doing and we like excitement. Also, you don’t want a formula, once it becomes formulaic, it’s not fun anymore. • Suzanne: The Rug Company has carried on how it started. We didn’t think we were going to make rugs and open 20 shops. We just thought that we’d have Holland Park and have a lovely family business there. It’s happened over time and I think it’s nice as it’s quite unusual. • Matthew: I did have a plan, but I think I plan less and less now, a bit like Chris and Suzanne. The older I’ve got the shorter my plan has become. Now it’s about today, tomorrow, next week, next month. I’m not really thinking that far ahead.
Matthew Williamson
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Reaching Hollywood Heights
Image courtesy of: Dennis Van Tine/Corbis
S
uper stunning and ultra chic actress, Leighton Meester, otherwise known as her alter-ego Blair Waldorf in ‘Gossip Girl’, is the ideal muse for designers such as Vera Wang. The brown-haired beauty is constantly spotted cascading down the red carpet in glamorous gowns by Nina Ricci and Christian Dior, to name just a few, and seemingly lives up to her character’s styleconscious persona. MOJEH discusses with her the transition into Hollywood, only to discover that her personality is far from her on-screen, predatory nature. Relaxed, surprisingly humble and strikingly beautiful, Leighton Meester seduces with natural grace and charm. There is no facade or playing of games that you would expect from the feisty Blair Waldorf, her Gossip Girl character. Meester unexpectedly prefers to lead a more carefree lifestyle than presumed, regularly hanging out in cafes in order to escape from her chaotic schedule. Instead of attracting further attention from the public eye, the down-to-earth actress often exchanges her enchanting on-screen attire for a simple t-shirts and casual jeans, whilst explaining that she prefers a natural approach to her beauty regime. ‘I love acting but I don’t really like to flaunt myself or attract any attention when I’m not working,’ Meester, 26, explains. ‘I’m pleased with what I have and I don’t want to worry about wearing the chicest outfit constantly. I like to be myself and not think about my job all the time. It’s just easier for me that way.’ Her new film, The Oranges, sees Meester team with Hugh Laurie in a fascinating indie comedy set in suburban New Jersey. The current narrative centres around two neighbouring families, the Wallings and the Ostroffs, whose friendship is thrown asunder when prodigal daughter Nina Ostroff, played by Meester, returns home for Thanksgiving after a five-year absence. Chaos and turmoil result when instead of falling for the Wallings eligible son Toby, played by Adam Brody, Nina has an affair with Mr. Walling, played by Hugh Laurie. The situation causes everyone around them to re-evaluate their lives. The Oranges is Meester’s latest comic outing, following her turn in Adam Sandler’s That’s My Boy and last year’s Monte Carlo. On this occasion however, Meester has finally found a role that matches her incredible talent. The performance allows her to make a comfortable move into a major film career, now that Gossip Girl is facing its final season. Often cited as one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood, Meester is also a gifted singer and has toured North America over the last few years with her band, Check in the Dark. As an international star with many talents, Meester is solely focusing on her acting career whilst continuing to possess an unpretentious outlook on life. Her ambitious nature and staggering career growth consequently lead Leighton Meester into the limelight of MOJEH.
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Leighton, comedy appears to be your new niche in film? My career has branched into that particular direction and I was actually delighted having the opportunity to work with Hugh Laurie again along with an incredibly talented cast in The Oranges. It was such a pleasure to be part of a romantic comedy where I discovered that I was surrounded by a very creative atmosphere and had a great script to work from. Actors all have a tunedin sense when a story has added layers which allow you to create a fascinating character. Even though my character’s relationship with Hugh’s character in The Oranges causes a lot of turmoil, we were one big cheerful family during the production of the film. The director had us all living in the same house because he wanted us to bond. It really helped bring us all together and create the kind of familiarity with each other off-screen that our characters also possess in the film. Were you at all worried about how audiences might react to the romance between you and Hugh Laurie? No not at all. Even though it’s an unusual situation and it creates a lot of tension, life is often complicated in that sense and that’s what the film tries to capture and reflect. Things are never going to be as regular and simple as you expect them to be, life doesn’t work out that way. Even getting the opportunity to star in this film is an example of that because when I first read the script five years ago, I was so anxious to play the part but Julian Farino, the director, advised that I was probably too young. However, the project took several years to get financed, by which time I was older and I wound up being able to accept the part.
Hugh Laurie is a unique talent in the film industry and you’ve also worked with him before on House. Did that help you with developing the relationship between your characters? Hugh is a beautiful man with an interesting mind and it’s just such a joy to be around someone like him. I was glad that I had got to know him a few years earlier, as it was easier to work with him on this film because I had already built up a relationship and acquaintance. I think it’s impossible not to enjoy being around Hugh and while we were living together in the house, he would be telling us all these wonderful stories at dinner or even playing the piano. He helped create this fantastic and enjoyable atmosphere, which we all experienced, and I think his presence made a difference to the film’s authentic nature. It was one of the greatest times I’ve ever had as an actress and I can only hope I get to work in such an inspiring environment again.
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From top to bottom left to right images courtesy of: Kevin Winter/Getty, Jason Merritt/Getty
How do you view the affair that your character embarks upon? It was interesting at first because you’re not sure you want to root for David and Nina’s relationship. It doesn’t seem like the typical and obvious love match initially, but once you see that there is a very genuine connection between them you hope that their relationship will work out. The film conjures up all these interesting questions about love, morality and following your heart, as opposed to the conventional way of viewing life. Also, I feel that this role allowed me to explore a lot of new territory as an actress. I just poured myself into the role.
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Do you have any specific beauty recommendations? I believe that if you manage to get enough sleep, take essential vitamins and eat healthily, it’s always going to help your skin glow radiantly. I love having facial treatments, doing exfoliating scrubs and I’m always experimenting with different beauty products. However, I firmly believe that the less makeup you wear, the better your skin will look overall. It depends mainly on your work and personal lifestyle of course, but a natural look is always a winner. I like wearing minimal makeup when I’m not working, simply because I spend a lot of my time on a set wearing an intense face of makeup, especially for Gossip Girl. It feels nice to look more like myself when I’m not playing a role. You appear very laid-back and comfortable in life; do you worry about having to deal with more pressure as your career moves forward? I don’t think about it that much as Gossip Girl has already attracted a lot of attention towards me. It hasn’t affected my modest lifestyle or the kinds of friends I hang out with because I’m self assured; I am certain in the style of life I strive to lead in order to stay happy. I am devoted to my job but I’ve always been able to separate that world from who I am and what I enjoy the most when I’m not working. I guess fame is the contributing factor of any acting role. So far though I’ve been able to keep my personal life disconnected from my working life and I hope things remain that way. Wish me luck!
From top to bottom left to right images courtesy of: Valerie Macon/Getty, Stephen Lovekin/Getty
Despite living the majority of the past six years in a bustling city like New York, you have a reputation for leading a very calm life? I’m not a big fan of going wild and I’m not into the nightclub scene at all. I really prefer to have quiet dinners with friends and I usually enjoy staying at home in my own company when I’m working on the show. I spend a lot of time writing and focusing on fresh songs. I’m not the kind of girl who likes going to the hottest clubs or bars, that sort of lifestyle has never interested me. I can be extremely content by spending time at home for two weeks without going out for a night on the town. What type of activities do you enjoy outside of work? I love the outdoors, so I enjoy hiking and being in touch with nature. I adore the beach, swimming in the clear blue ocean and lying in the sand. I grew up in Florida where I was constantly exploring the natural world and spending time with friends on the beach. That’s why even though I love New York, I prefer it during the day when I can go shopping and travel around the different neighbourhoods, each with their own style and flavour. You’re often described as one of the most attractive women in the industry. Are you much of a workout person? No, I enjoy walking or swimming for exercise but I rarely find time to swim in the city as I favour the ocean to pools. I do yoga whenever I can invest time and energy into it but my biggest fitness regime consists of eating very healthy foods and a lot of fresh fruit smoothies or juices.
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Come Dine With Me This festive season throw an intimate gathering for your nearest and dearest using inspiration from these must-have guides to creative entertaining.
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Simple Sophistication, Effortless Entertaining
Thames & Hudson, Out now.
Marie France van Damme, Photographs by Herbert Ypma A fashion designer whose collection is available across the world, in stores from Harrods to Neiman Marcus, it’s no surprise that Marie France van Damme’s aesthetic inclinations and glamorous outlook are reflected in her entertaining style. In five chapters: Flowers, Candles, The Table, Food and Art, Marie draws on principles of classic Far-Eastern dining in order to create a sophisticated sense of occasion perfectly attuned to the desires and realities of today’s living. Her aim is to fuse understated elegance and relaxed chic to accentuate the simple pleasure of fresh food. Herbert Ypma, who invented a whole new genre of travel publishing with his Hip Hotels series, provides a suitably subtle interpretation of her vision through photography. Together Marie and Herbert portray sophisticated principles that can be applied in any location, culture or society from Singapore to St Tropez.
Perfect Parties ( second edition )
Recipes and Tips from a New York Party Planner
Author Linnea Johansson is a New York City party planner who has thrown over a thousand events big and small, from private affairs to celebrity blow-outs for stars like Jennifer Lopez, Donald Trump, Reese Witherspoon, Sean Combs, and Martha Stewart. Whether you’re looking to throw the perfect birthday bash, New Year’s Eve extravaganza, anniversary surprise party, or just a quiet supper with close friends, Johansson lays her pro-tips out on the dinner table. It reads a bit like a blog: personable and practical with priceless tips from deciphering dress codes to how to select the tablecloth colour. A great guide for amateur party planners who want to host an intimate homegrown affair, the book is a sweet treat visually, holding lovely illustrated diagrams of napkin folding and photos of Linnea’s French Bulldog sniffing for canapé scraps.
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Skyhorse Publishing, Out now.
By Linnea Johansson
Bookshelf
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Emily Post’s Great Get- Togethers Casual Gatherings and Elegant Parties at Home
As descendants of one of the greatest hosts of all time Anna and Lizzie Post know a thing or two about throwing a party. Taking advice from generation upon generation of the Post family this book provides you with everything you need to know when entertaining guests. From tips on how to be the perfect host, to calendars telling you when things need to be done as well as those all important answers to tricky etiquette problems this book will be your party bible from start to finish. Whether it be an alfresco lunch or a dinner party, a seasonal event or a children’s tea party you’ll never go astray with this comprehensive guide to all things festive.
Harper Collins, Out now.
By Anna Post & Lizzie Post
Style Me Vintage Tea Parties A Guide to Hosting Perfect Vintage Parties
Pavilion, Out now.
By Betty Blythe The current trend for retro-styled events and afternoon tea parties is as much about styling as it is about food and drink. Cucumber sandwiches, champagne and jam scones, cocktails and canapés, whatever your particular preference for parties this charming anthology of styling tips and recipes attaches equal importance to the decorations, libations and etiquette of taking tea in beautiful surroundings. Blythe explores options for reviving age-old tea traditions from an Edwardian Breakfast of kedgeree, porridge and creamy coffee on dark polished mahogany surrounded by candles, to a 1920s speakeasy vibe with vintage cocktails, jazz records and caviar canapés.
Menu Design in America
A Visual and Culinary History of Graphic Styles and Design 1850-1985
If you’re looking for inspiration for that perfect menu design to accompany that perfectly planned party look no further. Showcasing American menus spanning 135 years, this book is a veritable feast of visual delights. With an introduction that dips into the history, the wheres and the whys of this seemingly normal part of eating out, your main dish comes with a side of culture that makes flipping through this beautiful tome that much more entertaining. Tropical, intergalactic, even burlesque themed – there are menu designs for all types of rendezvous’ and the best thing is that no one else will have anything like it. Quirky, kitsch and imaginative make sure your menu is the talking point of the table.
Taschen, Out now.
By Jim Heimann, Steven Heller & John Mariani
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Sweet Designs
Bake It, Craft It, Style It
Hyperion, Out now.
By Amy Atlas ‘Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first.’ This is the quote that Amy Atlas chose to open her book with and after perusing her highly imaginative and mouthwatering confectionary it’s not hard to see why. A book designed to aid you in creating the perfect dessert table for any occasion – complete with bunting, favour boxes and copious candy – it is a visual delight and instils within you a need for her stylised splendour. From a Thanksgiving feast through to her Apple of my Eye spread she takes you through every stage of preparation – from the tricks of the trade to unique recipes and the templates to make your life that little bit easier. After reading, all you’ll want for Christmas is candy.
Celebrate
A Year of British Festivities for Families and Friends
Sister to the future queen of England and heir to her family’s party empire, Pippa Middleton knows a thing or two about celebrating in quintessential Brit style. But this is a low-maintenance affair designed with family and friends in mind, suitably you’ll find more references to picnics on the lawn than royal banquets, ‘I hope you will see this as a feel-good book’ she writes in the forward, ‘with ideas to look forward to each month, providing threads of lasting, happy memories.’ A simple and seasonal book guiding you through menus, games, crafts, and tips Celebrate is driven by a focus on tradition, ritual and the importance of coming together. Perfect for the woman who can’t resist any opportunity to fill the house with life and laughter, it will take you from Bonfire Night to New Year’s Eve, children’s parties to barbecues and everything in between.
Viking Adult, Penguin, Out now.
By Pippa Middleton
You’re So Invited
Panic Less, Play More and Get Your Party On!
St Martin’s Press, Out now.
By Cheryl Najafi
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A New York Times Bestseller, You’re So Invited is all about enjoying your party as much as your guests do. ‘Being creative and relaxed’ is Cheryl Najafi’s best piece of advice and this book will guide you through what it takes to throw a party without the stress that they have come to be associated with. Accompanied by beautiful shoots of 12 artfully constructed do’s – from a Tween Spa Birthday to a Guys Only Gathering – you’ll be privy to tips on lighting, quick treats and how to add personal touches to your soiree, as well as useful facts on correct quantities and cornucopia building to name but a few. This is easy breezy party planning with an edge.
Measure your journey in style, not miles. Travel through the new collections with a Louis Fourteen personal shopper.
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