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F

Welcome

riendship is defined by the Oxford dictionary as “the emotion or conduct of friends; the state of being friends”. It goes on to define the word friend, as “a person with whom one has a bond of mutual affection”.

In this world, with all its ups and downs; in times of war, times of peace, times of financial turmoil, health or sickness - the list is endless… solidarity is, more than ever, so very important. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those individuals that we may consider friends. Without you, the world would be a sadder place.

This newest addition to the H Edition family did not only grow from the seeds of friendship but also originated in the beautiful Engadin valley, a place where so much amicability has been forged. We are thus delighted to present you with H Edition · St. Moritz’s Soul, wherein the Soul – as defined by the Oxford dictionary – “constitutes the essence or embodiment of a specified quality”.

We are also more than delighted to introduce you to our newest shareholder and director; Dario Schiraldi. His involvement - another fruit that grew from a longstanding friendship. A warm welcome and a big thank you.

Within, we have tried to present you with a mixture of topics, all in one way or another related or relevant to St. Moritz and Switzerland as a whole, because we are lucky to originate in a country that offers so much: Happiness, Heritage, High-End, History and Hospitality. Thank you for your support, and we hope that you enjoy reading H Edition · St. Moritz’s Soul as much as we enjoyed putting it together.

to St. Moritz's Soul

Looking forward to seeing you again soon, we send you warm wishes of friendship,

PHOTO COURTESY OF HOTEL STEFFANI

Alexandra and Iwana

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H ED I T I O N

HAPPINESS

H E R I TA G E

HIGH-END

HISTORY

H O S P I TA L I T Y

CONTRIBUTORS A big thank you for your time, your effort, your knowledge, and your imagination.

Alexia Blackburne, Social Media Giorgia Chiampan, Fashion & Beauty Simone Clearwater, Automotive Clementine Fitzgerald, Social Lucia Galli, Sport; La Marmotte, Social Piero Mei, History; Marla Meridith, Social Media Bartholomew Merriweather, Hospitality Nina Miller, Proofreader; Roberta de Paoli, Photography Mauro della Porta Raffo, History Roberto Pucciano, Social Media & Geopolitics Kate Rappsilber, Lifestyle Dr. Carolin von Roggenbach, Health Louis Roederer, Hospitality Rolf Sachs, Laura Schiess, Lifestyle Céline Schleich, Sport Moodart Fashion School, Fashion & Beauty Hauser & Wirth, Art Paolo Marchetti, Art Director Karina Valeron, H-Edition Director

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H Edition St. Moritz’s Soul is published twice yearly and offers advertisers an exclusive audience of affluent readers. Whilst every attempt has been made to ensure that content in the magazine is accurate, we cannot accept and hereby disclaim any liability to loss or damage caused by errors resulting from negligence, accident or any other cause.

All rights are reserved. No duplication of this magazine can be used without prior permission of H Edition St. Moritz’s Soul. All information is correct at time of press.

Views expressed are not necessarily those of H Edition St. Moritz’s Soul Magazine.

In collaboration with St. Moritz’s Soul www.stmoritzsoul.com Instagram: stmoritzsoul / Facebook: stmoritzsoul For editorial and advertising enquiries please email info@hfusionmediagroup.com www.heditionmagazine.com

Daughter of a Legend and Personality in her own Right Interview with Kerry Kennedy

by Iwana Krause

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St. Moritz, my Magical Home

by Rolf Sachs

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110 years of Bugatti Full speed ahead

by Simone Clearwater

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Teens, Internet Nerds or Rock Stars The world of Influencers

by Alexia Blackburne

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The Bad Boy of Crypto The story of Rostislav 'Rostik' Rusev

by Roberto Pucciano

You are all invaluable!

Alexandra della Porta Rodiani, Editor in Chief Iwana Krause, Editor in Chief

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I was a Student Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz

by Laura Schiess

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Young, Bold and Energetic Interview with Christian Jott Jenny

by Iwana Krause

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Happy 35th Birthday Classic Snow Polo

by Kate Rappsilber

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Golden Girl Dominique Gisin An Olympic Champion’s story

by Lucia Galli

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Conquering Mount Everest... ... in just one Day!

by Céline Schleich

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TENTS

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The K The History of the Kennedys

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A Quest for Perfection Louis Roederer Champagne

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From Hollywood to St. Moritz Romina Power’s staying power

by Mauro della Porta Raffo

by Giorgia Chiampan

Marvellous Anti-Ageing Little Suggestions to slow down the obvious passing of Time...

by Dr. Carolin von Roggenbach

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Roberta de Paoli St. Moritz's Soul

Fashion, Fame & Fabulousness Moncler

by Giorgia Chiampan

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Wild & Free Aprés Ski and Skiwear

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Gems within the Crown Four Jewels

by Kate Rappsilber

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A Passionate Gentleman Vigal

by Bartholomew Merriweather

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Global News A Geopolitical View

by Roberto Pucciano

Swiss Art Gurus go Local Hauser & Wirth Gallery

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La Marmotte in the Wall by xoxo La Marmotte

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Daughter

of a legend and

personality in her own right

by Iwana Krause

An Exclusive Interview with Kerry Kennedy: President of the RFK Human Rights, Daughter of RFK and Niece of JFK.

E X C L U S I V E I N T E RV I E W

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here are moments in time that induce reverence. Faced with a personality who bears a name with which a whole generation has grown up, respected by the older and studied by the younger, is one such moment. In this particular instance, it is a name that not only brings about nostalgia, but also fierce appreciation and great admiration.

It is with this admiration, that H Edition St Moritz's Soul interviewed Kerry Kennedy in commemoration of her father Robert, who was mortally wounded at the young age of only 42. Kerry, human rights activist, author, mother, daughter of Robert F. Kennedy and niece of John F. Kennedy, grew up with a historical name that still holds weight today, bringing with it, prestige but also a burden: The Kennedy name is one that needs ‘living up’ to. Kerry Kennedy is not only living up to all those expectations but is keeping the name and all it encompasses alive, with the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Foundation. Established by Ethel Kennedy in honour of her late husband in 1968, the foundation is headquartered in Washington DC, and its main European office is located in Florence.

The foundation's work takes it around the globe, in an effort to ensure the rights of every human being tucked away even within its farthest corners.

The goal of the foundation is based upon Robert F. Kennedy’s wish to create a world of peace, a world that is just, and a world in which human rights are advanced, respected, cherished.

Kerry, you wrote a book that was published in 2018 called ‘Robert F. Kennedy Ripples of Hope’.

When did you decide to write this and what convinced you to finally do so?

I grew up in a political family, and I’ve been surrounded by politicians my entire life. The easiest way to win a race is by appealing to people’s fear, anger and hatred. We have a strong strain of that in our country – from George Wallace, to Pat Buchanan, to Louis Farrakhan, to Donald Trump today. That’s an easy way to get elected, but it’s nearly an impossible way to govern.

Daddy ran for president at a time when our country was more divided than at any time since. He spent his campaign trying to heal divisions in our country. He was able to do that because he appealed to the best in us, the better angels of our nature, that part of us that said we can be better as a nation, by harnessing the most enduring American values, of liberty, justice and self-sacrifice for the common good. His message is perhaps more important now than at any other time over the last 50 years.

Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centres of energy and daring those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.

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Moments in the life of Kerry Kennedy and her work for the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights

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E X C L U S I V E I N T E RV I E W

You have stated that it was your father’s ‘moral imagination’ that made him into who he was.

Can you elaborate?

Imagine a candidate saying; “Peace, justice and compassion towards those who suffer, that’s what the United States should stand for, and that’s what I’ll do if I’m elected president”. That vision of healing decisions was the central theme of my father, Robert Kennedy’s campaign, which ended in tragedy 50 years ago.

Bobby Kennedy was able to call forth our better angels because he was animated by a moral imagination, which allowed him to see things from the perspective of others, whether they were farm workers in New York or California, a crowd contemplating rioting in the wake of their leader’s assassination, or enemies in time of war.

That ability saved our country from nuclear annihilation during the Cuban Missile Crisis, when Daddy was able to understand that Premier Khrushchev didn’t personally want combat, but was boxed in by the Soviet military industrial complex which was gunning for war.

When Dr. Martin Luther King was killed, Daddy stood in front of a crowd in the largest African American neighbourhood in Indianapolis and said: “For those of you who are black and are tempted to be filled with hatred and distrust against all white people due to the injustice of such an act, I can only say that I feel in my own heart the same kind of feeling”. Then he spoke about having a member of his own family killed.

Try to imagine a political leader addressing a group of people armed with bicycle chains, table legs and Molotov cocktails, ready to riot, and expressing an understanding of their feelings about violence. 125 cities in our country burned in the wake of Dr. King’s death.

Indianapolis remained peaceful.

His words that night echo across five decades: “What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence or lawlessness; but love and wisdom, and compassion toward one an-

other, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country, whether they be white or they be black”.

To write your book, you interviewed many heads of state, business leaders, influencers and activists. Was there anyone in particular that stuck out or that you were most impressed by?

I interviewed leaders who have had an outsized influence on our world and who consider RFK to be their hero – from Barack Obama and Bill Clinton to Tim Cook and Howard Schultz to Gloria Steinem and Dolores Huerta, to Harry Belafonte, Bono and George Clooney.

John Lewis talked about organizing the rally in Indianapolis and learning from my father that his friend and mentor, Dr. Martin Luther King, died that evening. He then spoke about going door to door in Los Angeles with Cesar Chavez asking people to vote for RFK. George Clooney talks about giving up playing with guns after RFK was killed.

Marian Wright Edelman talked about taking my dad around the Mississippi Delta. A few months later she went back to DC and told my father that the Senate wasn’t moving on legislation to address the poverty. Daddy said most of the Senators have never spent time with people living in poverty, why don’t you bring them to Washington? Marian then brought that idea to Dr. King, and that’s how the Poor People’s Campaign started. When Daddy’s funeral cortege drove past the area in Washington DC where the Poor People’s Campaign were sleeping, they all came out and sang The Battle Hymn of the Republic in his honour.

There are a lot of stories in the book about RFK, but you asked people about their own personal journeys toward social justice. Tell us a few of those stories.

Tony Bennett talked about being a pacifist during the Battle of the Bulge and freeing prisoners from a Nazi death camp.

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Soledad O’Brien’s parents were mixed race and were forced by anti-miscegenation laws to move from Maryland to Long Island.

Alfre Woodard talks about bursting into tears at the dinner table when she learned children were starving in Africa. Gloria Steinem talked about covering my dad as a journalist in the 1960’s, Harry Belafonte talked about working with him on civil rights issues.

Readers learn as much about the people I interviewed as they do about my dad.

from parents and other adults, playing with siblings, grappling with school, longing for summer holidays. I was blessed to grow up in a family with a strong sense of concern for our country and the wider world, and I learned a lot from that atmosphere. We read the newspapers at breakfast, and at dinner we went around the table and everyone spoke about an article they had read that day. We had a lot of fun as youngsters, but we were also very aware of the challenges in our world.

Tell us about RFK and JFK. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, Uncle Jack was concerned the advisors would be hesitant to share all their concerns in front of the President. So, he asked his brother, my dad, to attend the meetings in his place.

Daddy was Jack’s most trusted adviser, someone whom he could count on to recount the discussion, to honestly share his thoughts and help think through the next actions. Daddy reported back as planned, and the decisions they made saved us from nuclear annihilation.

You were only 9 years old when your father passed away. What made you decide to follow in his footsteps, fighting for human rights? Did your mother play a role in this decision?

Daddy was the seventh child and so was I. When you have so many older siblings, you appreciate human rights from a very young age. My parents made a concerted effort to engage their kids in the work of justice, and I felt I could contribute in some way.

As president of the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Foundation, what are your future plans for the foundation? Is there a particular project?

I’m very excited about expanding our education program across Switzerland and Italy, training the next generation of human rights defenders, aged from 6 to 25. We already have programs in schools in every province of Italy (in Italian), and we now have lesson plans in German, English and French for Switzerland.

Our flagship program is helping companies use best practices to hire immigrants in Italy, and I’m looking forward to our new workplace dignity program which will help companies address diversity, inclusion, and dignity in the office setting.

Tell us about RFK as a dad.

When he wasn’t playing football, capture the flag or Botticelli with us, Daddy sat upstairs in his study, working in the one room of our sprawling house that none of his children could storm into unless it was a matter of utmost urgency. I now know that his big mahogany desk was where he wrote his books, important speeches or new legislation.

One particular day is etched in my memory. All I knew, was that I needed my father’s immediate attention. My brother Michael and I were re-enacting World War II in the ancient magnolia tree that dominated the sloping back yard of Hickory Hill. As usual, Michael demanded he be the victorious American, whereas I, eighteen months younger, weaker, and not nearly as good a shot, was again assigned the lesser role of the doomed German. The branches were so perfectly spaced that we boasted not one, but two tree houses, with the Americans holding the more elaborate fort dominating the top branches.

Being a Kennedy, you have one of the most famous names in the world. What was it like growing up and do you consider it an advantage or disadvantage?

My childhood concerns were very typical – learning

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E X C L U S I V E I N T E RV I E W

I vainly scaled upwards as my brother lobbed down volley upon volley of magnolia pods, which eerily resembled hand grenades but felt more like boulders as they bounced off my head. After taking one direct hit too many, I scrambled out of the tree and ran for the house, bounding up the re-carpeted stairs and bursting into my father’s study without even pausing to knock. Tears were streaming down my face and the white satin bow atop my platinum curls, a daily fixture, was hopelessly askew.

My father turned from the desk as I tumbled into his arms. He hugged and kissed me, and told me he loved me. As I recounted my woes, Daddy wiped away the tears and told me to go fetch Michael. I knew right then I’d be saved from this horrendous assault, and that justice would prevail. After all, my father was always fair, not to mention having been Attorney General of the United States. When we returned, Daddy told me I could not interrupt while Michael told his side of the story. Then Michael had to listen while I told my side. These many years later the details are fuzzy, but I know it was hard and irritating. Even at age five or six, however, I was forced to accept that I wasn’t all right, just as my brother was not all wrong. Ultimately, Daddy made us kiss and make up, and go to our rooms to read for an hour.

As an adult, I recognize the lessons my father taught us as children mirrored the very beliefs he wanted the entire nation to embrace: We must build a system of justice that enjoys the confidence of all sides; that peace is not just something to pray for, but something each of us has the responsibility to create, daily; and that we must muster the courage to face the truth about ourselves as well as those we perceive as enemies.

One of my favourite quotes from RFK is “change has its enemies”. I’ve spent my entire career trying to make governments, corporation and schools more just, more peaceful and more compassionate. When you try to change the status quo, you create opposition, and sometimes those attacks substitute substance for personal invective. I think I have a pretty good sense of humour about the attacks, and try to keep focused on the goal when it comes to creating change.

You have 3 daughters.

Michaela seems to be following in your footsteps; she supported the foundation selling t-shirts to raise awareness for sexual assault in 2015. Do you think she will continue down this path and does it look like your other two daughters will also follow?

All three of my daughters are engaged in social justice.

Cara worked for the Sustainable Development Goals for 18 months after graduating from Harvard University, and is now at an asset management firm which only invests in companies that address poverty and global warming. Mariah is a member of the RFK Leadership Council, which gets young professionals engaged in human rights. And Michaela runs ‘It’s On Us’ at Brown University, which gets fraternities and other student groups committed to stopping sexual assault on campus. I’m very proud of them all.

What are your hopes for the future?

My great hope is that more people across the globe become engaged in social justice and create a more just and peaceful world.

Do you have any fears that you would be willing to share?

My fear is that people will be lured away from liberal democracies and will allow oppressive regimes to be empowered.

Give us an insight into who Kerry really is.

First and foremost, I’m a mother of three wonderful daughters. Daughter, sister, cousin, aunt, niece, friend. Lawyer, author. Citizen. I’ve spent my professional life working on human rights issues. My favourite food is chocolate. My favourite sport is skiing.

I can’t wait to be back in St. Moritz.

“Tame the savageness of man and make gentle the life of this world” RFK – do you think there is the possibility of this ever happening?

I think that happens every day. The greatest revolutionary force of the last half century is the rise of NGO’s – and that ability for small groups of citizen activists to demand and create change.

Much has been written about you, and sometimes with sharp criticism. How do you protect yourself from the maliciousness of some individuals? And how do you protect your children?

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St. Moritz

myhome magical

by Rolf Sachs

A reflection on the past, the joys of the present and an eye toward the future.

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I often describe the ‘work’ I do in St. Moritz as my “unimportant, important business” or alternatively, “important, unimportant business”. That work consists of enhancing many facets of St. Moritz life, but one of the most rewarding is bringing together people from all different walks of life: encouraging the bonds of friendship and making them more profound through shared experiences.

St. Moritz serves as a particularly strong catalyst in this respect, by attracting special characters and spirits, and engendering friendships that strengthen into something of a larger family of fascinating folk!

There is a village ethic here, but also an international way of life as fostered originally by its earliest British visitors.

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n order to understand the St. Moritz of today, we need to look back at the particularity of its origins. The tale goes back 150 years and most everybody that has ever visited this little gem has heard the anecdote of old Mr. Badrutt (the then owner of the Kulm Hotel) wagering with some British summer guests and daring them to visit his beautiful valley in the winter season. There was one big question at the time, however: whilst surrounded by snow and freezing temperatures, what did one do? Well, the British excelled in their answer, bringing with them ideas and sporting spirits, they created the beginnings of what we today call winter tourism and sport.

they created their winter playground, including the creation and development of the Cresta run and Bob sport. This refined, British sporting spirit has always characterized our village, and most certainly will do so in the future. We must thank the Brits for introducing this way of life to the Engadin and the Alps.

The Cresta Run was first built in 1884 and as such is one of the oldest winter sports. Membership in the early days was first very British, but over the years became an amalgamation of nationalities. The French, Germans, Italians and Americans, to name a few, all committed to its ethos, adapting themselves and learning something throughout the process. Would it have been the Germans or Swiss creating this club, I think it would have had a different fibre or vibe.

The Cresta constitutes a model for the ethic of St. Moritz, as it is filled with courageous free thinkers, people that do not shy away from being different; these are bold, non-conforming individuals!

Switzerland in the late 19th century was still quite poor, and it is difficult to believe that the first electric lightbulb that ever burned in this country was here, at the Kulm Hotel, and not in Zurich or Basel! The British arrival changed so many things.

They had invented sports such as ping pong, football and rugby. They furthered the sport of skiing (despite its Norwegian origins), and it was in this small mountain metropole that

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Sadly, this is changing slightly today as eccentricity is becoming a dying trait in this world, with most people too busy running their daily lives. To be an eccentric you need to have time to foster creativity and personality, and at the beginning of the 20th Century the Brits had the time, they had the resources, and they most certainly had the spirit for such a cultivation.

grew, they decided one day to build a clubhouse, the Dracula, as we know it today.

The authenticity of St. Moritz still shines, confirming that there is no place like it. For the future, St. Moritz will maintain this diversity and multiplicity. A strong art scene has entered the playing field, culminating this year with the opening of the Museum in Susch.

Grazyna Kulczyk created a stunning architectural achievement and a distinct addition to the Engadin.

How does St. Moritz differ from other similar resorts? It’s quite simple. There is an undisputed permanence: its long, rich history. Then there is the natural beauty, the three lakes, the light. But in the end, it is the personalities that make this town so unique. This distinctive character will remain forever, even if today the guest register may have evolved. These mountains welcome the new whilst retaining the friendships of the old, passing on a way of life to subsequent generations.

And this is something that is exceptional for a holiday resort as no other destination can claim such a strong and distinctive identity.

Where other than here would it be possible for a group of international youngsters, under British command, to hatch the idea of invading the Palace Hotel under orders to ‘shoplift’ the most prized object of the distinguished establishment? Trophies were taken off the walls, the Rolls Royce abducted and even a guest wrapped into a carpet and removed! All this was orchestrated by my father’s and my old friend, Keith Schellenberg, who used to drive here from his Scottish island estate Eigg in his open 1929 Bentley.

To deny that I too came up with silly ideas would be false. One year, when the Cresta Run was too soft for night riding, a friend and I stole breakfast trays from the Palace Hotel for an experimental night tray race on the Bob run. It has become a tradition ever since. It is truly exhilarating to descend the torch-lit Bob run at night!

These crazy traditions need to be upheld, as they are of upmost importance to the future of our wonderful village and its spirit. The Cresta, the Dracula and the Corviglia Club do just that.

The Engadin can now showcase art institutions from the Segantini house in Maloja down to Tarasp Castle (bought by Swiss local, and world-renowned artist, Not Vital). Lately the Swiss gallerists Hauser & Wirth have joined many established galleries represented in St. Moritz. There are ongoing discussions to alternate the Elevation event (art exhibitions) with Gstaad as of next year. The arrival of our new mayor, Christian Jenny, has brought us a dynamic, worldly persona, who will continue to elevate the relevance of our location from a cultural point of view.

The Jazz Festival during the summers, brought to life

by Jenny (a trained opera singer), brings world-renowned musicians to our valley to play in small settings throughout the villages. ‘Welt Offenheit’ has become the new concept, thus steering us away from the small mindedness of the Graubündners of past days.

Young generations are starting to engage on political levels and workplaces are being created. The redevelopment of Samedan Airport into a regional airport, with landing assistance in all weathers will help to further this growth.

Traditions will continue, be it at the Cresta, Corviglia or Dracula clubs and there is the awareness that parochialism has no home here. Conflicts are created through insecurities, but St. Moritz remains with its arms open, removing any self-doubt through its profound empathy. No other place exists where seemingly superficial laughter takes on substance, where intellectual speeches are received with humour-filled banter and where everyone can break out from the dreary everyday, in a witty and ingenious manner. And that, in my opinion, is the essence of life and why I call St. Moritz my kind of town.

Father and his friends regularly rode the Bob at night and met afterward for cosy dinners at a ‘Stammtisch’, sois disant , a friend’s table. As the crowds

For privacy reasons, we have refrained from publishing the names of the individuals in the photos.

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110 YEARS of

110 years ago, Ettore Bugatti created his first Sportscar it was the beginning of a wonderful story.

Today, the legend continues, surrounded by the magical myth that encircles its founder.

by Simone Clearwater

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ugatti was a genius. His artistic handiwork has been carried successfully into the 21st Century, and this year the company celebrates its 110th Birthday. A lifetime achievement that needs to be honoured and the three, new versions of the hyper sports cars – the ‘Chiron’, ‘Chiron Sport’ and the ‘Divo’, do just that. In addition, there is the book; ‘110 ans Bugatti’, a retrospective including the company’s traditions as well as its ancestral origins in the French city of Molsheim. Stephan Winkelmann explains that “Molsheim is the central component of the Bugatti brand history and from here, we will also be planning our future... we merge the past with the present, so that hereafter, we may continue to achieve, what Bugatti already was during Ettore’s lifetime; the absolute summit of automobile art”.

visions are not only further developed, but also carried out. The French author André Malraux once wrote that: “Those who wish to read in the future, must scroll through the past”.

The Bugatti inheritance is a grand one; Ettore Bugatti not only created particularly strong, fast and exclusive cars, but he also created works of art on wheels and combined these with new ways of production. Throughout his life, he registered hundreds of patents and these not only for the automobile world - he also designed racing boats, airplanes, flight motors, trains and surgical instruments.

Ettore Bugatti managed to merge technical car manufacturing with contemporary design, therefore creating true works of art. 110 years ago, this was new, revolutionary and nearly unheard of. Born into a creative family in Milan in 1881, Ettore first developed cars for manufacturers such as de Dietrich, E.E.C. Mathis and Deutz.

The move to Molsheim near Strasburg, only came about subsequent to his securing financing for the production of ten cars and five aircraft engines.

Bugatti moved to Molsheim in the French region of Elsass in 1909, and incorporated his business there. Today, Molsheim continues to be the company’s home, and the location at which his great

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Opening page, Bugatti ‘Divo’.

Left page, Ettore Bugatti on his horse. This page top, Bugatti 'Type 13 Brescia’ and bottom, Bugatti 'Type 44'

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In 1910, at only 28 years old, he began with the production of what was to become Type 13. This pure sportscar soon became a huge success, and Ettore continued to use his gift of interchanging and combining complicated technical solutions, with artistic finesse. It thus comes as no surprise that the production hall equalled more of an artist studio than a profane factory plant.

The ‘usine’ as it was then called, was a one-storey building complex, that was very light and clean. The tools were made of oak and all had brass knobs – as did the gates. Ettore Bugatti had designed everything by himself. At a very early stage, Ettore recognised the importance of motorsports for his company. For this reason, he started specifically developing vehicles that were not only special in their design, but also infused with new technologies; as a great inventor, light aluminium wheels and hollow front axles constitute a part of his innovations. These ingenuities evened his path to success with his Type 35 – Ettores masterpiece – becoming one of the most successful race cars of all times.

Famous race car drivers achieved immense success with Bugatti’s sport competition cars, at contests such as the Mille Miglia, the Targa Florio, 24 Heures du Mans as well as a multitude of Grand-Prix races on different continents. For this reason, Bugatti soon became one of the most renowned car producers globally. Ettore’s extreme affinity for complex, technical systems as well as harmonious proportions, in

addition to his first approaches toward the reduction of air resistance and weight, catapulted Bugatti into a different dimension. As the legend states, Ettore Bugatti was apparently able to recognise the quality of a piece of metal by its sound.

Bugatti was also amongst the first to give the definition of luxury a new magnitude; together with his son Jean, he created icons such as the Type 41 La Royale, a 6-meter luxury limousine with a 12,8-litre, series eight cylinder. Even today, the Royale remains one of the biggest and most luxurious cars in history, none other ever having achieved a similar success.

During the economic crisis of the 1930’s, Ettore saved his company from potential bankruptcy by selling 6 of his Royal motors to the French National Train – the power behind the newer, faster trains that had originally, also been designed by him.

His son, Jean Bugatti – an equally talented designer and technician – took over the business and developed (amongst others) the Type 57. It was the quickest European, series-car to have ever been produced. Its offshoot, the Type 57 SC Atlantic, was only ever produced 4 times (apart from its prototype) and today, these count amongst the most exclusive and expensive cars in the world.

Sadly, Jean Bugatti died in a car crash in 1939 and with the outbreak of World War II, the company was moved to Bordeaux and the factory was sold. After the war, Ettore once again tried to rebuild his production in Molsheim, but due to the difficult financial situation, was never able to start producing any further vehicles. Ettore passed away in 1947.

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His other son, Roland Bugatti, took over the business and restarted car production, mostly with modified models of already existing vehicles. The company however, was not able to survive. In 1956, Bugatti had to declare bankruptcy. Of the around 7950 –Type 10 to Type 252 – vehicles that were produced up until 1956, approximately 2000 remain in existence today.

With today’s one-of-a-kind automobiles, we still bow our heads in honour of the great inheritance we received from Ettore Bugatti.

The company was reborn by the Italian Romano Artioli in 1987 and after eleven years, was taken over by the Volkswagen Group.

Since 2005, all Bugatti cars are now manufactured by hand in the 1000 sqm ‘Atelier’ in Molsheim, home to 100 of Bugatti’s 300 employees. Volkswagen Group is ensuring that the Myth that is Bugatti, will never die. Stephan Winkelmann explains the reason and the importance of this, simply and sincerely: “From the beginning, it was our goal to keep a legacy, to ensure that this authentic brand retains all of its traditions, that we re-interpret the Myth in a modern way in order to once more, produce automobile works of art of the superlative”.

—Stephan Winkelmann,

Top, Bugatti 'Type EB 110' and bottom, Bugatti ‘Chiron Sport'.

Left page, Jean Bugatti.

President of Bugatti Automobiles

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ns e e T Internet Nerds or

Rock stars

the World of

influencers These ordinary online celebritie s have the power to influence the taste of thousands, if not millions of followers. Alexia Blackburne wri tes on the new stars of the digital age .

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Kylie Jenner was on the co ver of Forbes old, is predic magazine an ted to be the d, at only 21 ye youngest bill influencer. Sh ars ionaire ever. e may have h K yl ie is a global ad a boost from with the Kar dashians’, bu th e L A TV show ‘K t she is the ‘t most successf eeping up een of social ul at monetiz media’, and on ing it. Her ‘li has accompli e of the p kits’ sell out shed sales in in seconds an just three year companies’ d d she s, ecades to ach that took trad ieve. itional ‘brick s’ Kylie was 6 ye ars old when Facebook lau She recorded nched and 13 moments of with Instagra her day acro T witter. With m. ss Snapchat, her captivati Instagram, Y ng cocktail of tantalising, sh ou T ube, authenticity, e draws her fo drama and sa llowers in. It with regard to vv y w as her typical her lips and the subsequen teenage inse her to ‘Instaf curity t ‘lip challen ame.’ With 13 ge’, that cata .6 million like million follow pulted s for a photo ers), she is le on Instagram ss typical, in likes ever.

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00 to $1 milli d creative co on. Paolo Stel nsultant exp la, an lains: “We are foll owed like ro ck stars but identify wit we aren’t, so h us and thin it's much ea k that everyo sier to ne can have this life”.

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Even Donald Trump, a clas sic old-style media and is influencer, h inexhaustible as taken to so on T witter. cial

Kristina Bazan

Influencer

of the World

Kristina Bazan, a Swiss woman and one of the most famous digital influencers in the world was a teenager when Instagram was launched. Growing up in the quiet swiss village of Begnins, Kristina describes herself as always having been an Internet nerd.

She started with a fashion blog as an escape into a bigger virtual world outside of school and it quickly became wildly popular, winning her luxury brand collaborations. Her next step was 2.2 million followers, hefty earnings and a ticket to Los Angeles.

Bazan, disillusioned by the superficial, travel intensive, exhausting nature of fashion blogging, has returned to her true childhood passion: music. “My life was ruled by the amount of likes I was getting under a picture.”

She has now moved to Paris, where she feels that people are

more interested in her artistic side versus solely the business numbers.

Her latest song ‘VR’ is about how technology affects dating life.

Dating is another area with which influencers on the web gather an immense following. Kristina has mixed views about how the world has changed: “I love the way we can connect in social media. It makes everything so much more democratic, we can all make our dreams come true wherever we come from.

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My parents didn’t have those kinds of opportunities. On the other hand, I feel like a lot of people live through a digital prism instead of being connected in real life. The virtual validation from a post is addictive”.

With friends, they have the rule that during dinners, they put their phones away and connect with each other. She is now pursuing music because to her, it is something tangible, real and human.

“I love to feel the real energy of the audience when I am on stage”.

Engaging with her online fans has been ‘risky’ for her. In the past, she responded to followers who believed that they were ‘real friends’, and became very demanding. She now prefers to keep her distance and the mystery.

She launched some of her songs on Instagram, not the typical platform of choice for music: “It is awesome to surprise people”. She has always been ahead of the tech trends, and the music videos she now posts are in harmony with the trends towards the use of more video online. For Kristina, her social media is a professional platform. She took the bold step of deleting content, not wanting to be defined by her old online character.

The fire of fame anywhere is fuelled by reinvention but Kristina

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is genuine in her wish to follow her passion. She has stayed true to fashion and is grateful to iconic brands like YSL or Bulgari that have supported her. “Music and fashion can work together”.

She has been signed as YSL’s first music beauty talent.

And sincere to her desire to be mysterious, there is a little ‘shop’ button on her website which clicks through to nothing, a secret project which she plans to launch soon. Her tip to aspiring Influencers: “Any social media entrepreneur should deliver quality content and have a product, brand or art that exists outside of social media. Everything changes so fast, maybe in a few years Instagram is gonna be gone”.

What hasn’t changed is her old room at home in Begnins. When she visits, it both grounds her and reminds her of the amazing achievement that started with a talented teenage geek who rode the wave of progress.

Ginevra Mavilla

#MYTEENWAYOF_ Ginevra Mavilla, a regular visitor to St. Moritz, was 9 years old when Instagram was founded. Her first post at the age of 12 was ‘Happy B day to me’. Since then, she has been creating a relationship with her followers and accumulated over half a million on her Instagram account including ‘Switzerland_ Destinations’, an official tourism site for Switzerland. She does not have a partnership with the Swiss page but naturally, pictures of Ginevra, happy and fun against the stunning backdrop of St. Moritz are fantastic. She follows ’stmoritzsoul’ - because she loves the photography. She is grateful that its creator posts some of her pictures, the two have moved from the virtual world and met in real life. On Instagram, Ginevra describes herself as a public figure with #MYTEENWAYOF_.

She lives the normal life of a 16-year-old going to school, practicing sport and spending time with friends and family.

She has dance classes four times a week, where she follows her passion. She says: “I like spending a lot of time training and dancing because it makes me happy and it’s

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a moment where I let myself be carried away by the emotions in my body”.

She posts photos regularly of her daily life, dancing, shopping or selfies. She loves her followers and is grateful for their support: “I like to share pictures of my daily life and make my followers feel a part of it. I like being someone to whom they look for guidance and advice”.

Posting stories, photos, videos and answering direct messages takes about an hour throughout the day. When an opportunity for a talent

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contract with Next Management to be an ‘online influencer’ arose, she took it and now collaborates with fashion brands.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBERTA DE PAOLI

The secret to Instafame, according to Ginevra: “is to BE YOURSELF. People don’t like seeing a fake lifestyle, they are not credible or inspiring. People will appreciate you for who you are.”

She admires models like Gigi Hadid, who #no filters are beautiful. When she is being photographed professionally, she is amazed at how many people are behind the set for a purpose, and blocks out any self-doubts. She is part of a generation that does everything from their mobile phone and who see social media as a place, in which they can develop friendships and express themselves. Ginevra says: “I can say anything I want online, but at my own risk. EVERYONE who is on social media will have some ‘haters’, people who can be mean out of jealousy”.

“We, as teenagers are more technical and ‘quick’ with social media although parents have more experience with what can be right or wrong in public. This is why, parents should help guide their sons/daughters in their decisions, but without becoming a sort of ‘obstacle’ in realizing their dreams".

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Paolo Stella

an ordinary

rock star selling dreams

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Paolo Stella was in his thirties when Instagram launched. As a trained actor, fashion model, web editor, metamorphosing into a luxury and lifestyle influencer was a natural step as he was noticed by a PR at Louis Vuitton. He realised that he was an influencer when he was featured as one in a leading Italian financial paper. He created a TV programme The Influencer for which his objective was “not to portray a fabulous life but to show the process behind a type of work, which many do not perceive as such”. His ‘work’ started as a passion and became a business on Instagram. He was a protagonist in the ‘Diesel’ marketing campaign, with the story idea that to love the world, you have to love yourself.

His Italian texts on his Instagram posts can be longer than average: “We live in times, where everything runs so fast and attention thresholds are low but I have directed my followers to take some time for themselves and for me, so that we can have a deeper relationship”.

His personal journey is moving more towards creative direction and consultancy. He visits St. Moritz regularly and comments on the social media potential: “St Moritz and its enchanting setting on the lake is at an advantage and offers countless possibilities”. According to Paolo, it is the combination of authenticity and strategic communications based on story telling that attracts followers. He spends a lot of time online, seeking new trends and doesn’t follow big stars but the smaller niche players with a unique inspirational point of view. His web presence has created opportunities such as being approached by a publisher about writing a book, which he had already done but took the chance to get it published. He has now written the film script and, as an enthusiast of the media revolution, would love it to be aired on Netflix.

Influencers have become a part of our digital age. What was maybe a millennial thing, has now become mainstream and far more competitive.

Influencers abound in lifestyle such as fashion, beauty, travel, fitness or health areas, but a wave of business influencers is also emerging. Tai Lopez has a huge following for his entrepreneurial advice. And, there is always Mark Zuckerberg…

We are in a historical time in which products become less important

if there is no story behind them.

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24 Hours... from Telluride to St. Moritz (and back) Hello! I’m a social media influencer, cookbook author and TV personality. I’m based in the gloriously high mountains of Telluride in Colorado, but I’ve got a wonderfully engaged global readership. I love my job as a digital influencer as it has afforded me so many unique opportunities and to see some of the most beautiful locations. It allows me to have the freedom to work anywhere that has internet connectivity and has opened up doors such as being approached by Macmillan, who published my cookbook ‘High Alpine Cuisine’ this past August – 75 inspired dishes from extraordinary mountain escapes around the world.

I hopped on the blogging train in 2009, when the idea of being a digital influencer was in its infancy. I am one of the pioneers, by deciding to take the leap and make social media a full-time job. Originally, I was a freelance textile/graphic designer for Walt Disney but after having my children, decided to enter the world of this crazy business that increasingly speeds up. I move as fast as I can with it. As a creative person, the idea of reinvention always fascinated me, whether it be in my personal appearance (jet black hair to platinum blond) or where I live; born and bred a New Yorker, I lived in Southern California for 13 years before moving to my new residence in this remote, high alpine oasis. Building my website sounded like the best idea for a reinvention and the best way to take all of my passions with me: food, fashion, travel and beauty. My goal then and now; to share the most beautiful & tasty things life has to offer so that I can motivate others, to live their best life. Unlike many other social media stars these days, I’m not in high school, a fan of Snapchat nor a super model (though that would be lovely). Instead, I am a 40 something mother of 2 – my greatest loves and coaches for what’s trending on social media. They are the generation that did not know life before the era of digital influencers, and as such, snicker about my fashion focused Instagram posts where I (their mom) am a model. Every photo I share on Instagram is a selfie and I have thus mastered the art of taking my own picture no matter where I go.

Speaking of where I go and great stories on fashion and food... I love St. Moritz. I fell in love with it back in 2012, when I was graciously hosted by the Swiss and Engadin Tourism boards on one of my first trips as an Influencer. It was also my very first trip to the Swiss Alps, a place that had been on my bucket lust list, forever. It was and still is, one of the most fantastic places I’ve ever visited and this gem in the Engadin, now feels like a second home. As soon as I touch down, I hit the ground running. I check into my beautiful hotel, grab a hot chocolate from Hanselmann, an Engadin nut tart from Hauser and usually have some event to dash to. This year, it was the 35th Snow Polo event. I love the energy there and am happy to get invited back as media year after year. I’m sure to hit the sunny slopes of Corviglia as fast as I can too. I love the skiing here, and I’ve enjoyed so many aspects of it which include off piste and night skiing on the Corvatsch, Yoga on Snow (humbling and exotic) and ‘skiing around the world’ on the Snow Safari. All of these experiences have made such an impact on my life. So, can you go from Telluride to St. Moritz and do it all in just 24 hours? I have proven time and time again that you can. But it also becomes a healthy addiction to want to come back to visit every year.

Please follow me on my adventures.

Website: MarlaMeridith.com and Instagram @MarlaMeridith

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T H E S T O RY O F R O S T I S L A V

“ROSTIK”

RU S EV

The Bad Boy of Crypto Navigating the blockchain space as a startup can feel like the final level of Paperboy. For all of you non-NES old school gamers, Paperboy was a videogame where your objective was to bike around town delivering newspaper to residents. You’re constantly dodging tires (misinformation), lawnmowers (shillmasters), dust storms (terrible propositions), and grim reapers (crypto swindlers). Rostik Rusev is the fearless navigator and PR guru leading your company around the constant distractions. Ironically, he does it in a way that makes you feel like you’re in the mafia.

by Roberto Pucciano ostik’s rise to crypto stardom has been a wild ride, and it all started when he became a pivotal player in the inception and growth of the largest cryptocurrency community on facebook - Crypto Coin Trader. CCT is a private Facebook group of genuine and engaging members of the crypto space.

It is CCT’s tradition to encourage high-level conversation within blockchain/crypto and to help all members stay informed and updated. When Rostik became a moderator they had 3,000 members, now CCT boasts 113,000+ members.

His insight and unique perspective quickly earned him notice within the CCT community, and as a byproduct he began connecting and learning from powerful figures within the space. Originally born in Odessa, Ukraine, Rostik came to the states at 12 years old. He opened his own construction company at 19 years old, buying up real estate. He then became a concert promoter in the entertainment industry throughout his 20s, and is now a proud father. His entrepreneurial mindset has given him a keen sense of pinpointing opportunities wherever they may lie, and his sights are set on digital currencies and blockchain application.

He bought 78 Bitcoin at $407/BTC and never looked back. His experience in the entertainment industry allowed him to recognize an opportunity to start a Public Relations agency within blockchain. He founded his company MarziPR in 2016 and has since taken on countless projects to advance brand recognition and overall market share, including; Bastion, Aeryus, Hoard, Halo Platform, Aenigma Capital, to name a few.

The guy never sleeps.

He is constantly on video calls orchestrating deals and connecting the dots.

Crypto communities like to play a game called “Where’s Rostik?” since the guy flies across the globe every other day. We think he’s in Switzerland right now? Who knows. Interestingly enough, Rostik has been solely using crypto to pay for everything as he travels globally. He explains, “One things that people fail to realize is that you can travel the world and spend crypto just like money. In the past 6 months, I’ve only used crypto for my flights, hotels, clothes, and food.

The number of places that accept crypto are growing every day”.

Hanging out with Rostik can feel like you’re rubbing shoulders with hollywood insiders. He can

R

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assured that you’ve got the greatest and best connected agency in the cryptosphere - bar none”.

be found floating around blockchain conferences chauffeuring C-Suite powerhouses backstage to Steve Aoki or Lil Jon shows, with models around both arms. On evenings like this, you don’t ask questions, you just go along for the ride. Odds are you’ll wind up at a few after-parties eatings pizza rolls with some of the most powerful players in the space.

Above all else, Rostik has the uncanny ability to break the ice. His is a disarming character in the presence of high-level business dealings. On top of that, he is a professional who knows how to gather the right people in the right room at the right time. He’s a living and breathing sentimental analyser who whimsically believes things happen, and then they do.

Rostik’s company, MarziPR is a full-service public relations agency that connects innovators, top influencers, and game changers to journalists, bloggers, analysts, and thought leaders in global blockchain. Rostik describes MarziPR’s value as follows: “A massive problem within our field is that there are far too many options with varying degrees of legitimacy. It’s very likely that your company has received hundreds of direct messages and emails promising the moon. With over 10 years in mass media, we’ve acquired an extensive list of established relationships in mainstream media, tech, and fintech. I’m proud to say that Marzi PR has pioneered a unique methodology for mass media crypto/blockchain campaigning that has elevated companies to high notoriety and establishment. You can rest

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At the time of writing this, Bitcoin is currently at $3,430. Coming from BTC’s all-time high in late 2017 of nearly $20,000, many have speculated that it’s over for Bitcoin. However, Rostik has remained unwavering in his belief in the future of digital currencies, specifically Bitcoin. He explains, “People aren’t zooming out enough and seeing the big picture. It’s as if everyone has forgotten how far we’ve come from 2009. I encourage people to check out a ‘yearly lows’ chart for the price of Bitcoin over the years. Those of us that have been in this space long enough understand that Bitcoin doesn’t care about your feelings. If you follow the technology, it’s inevitable that digital currencies will become the future of all transactions”.

Although Rostik may have a unique perspective on most things in the cryptosphere, one thing he does agree with most on is that privacy companies – including privacy coins – will become very powerful in 2019. He states, “Speculative investors and the crypto community are aligned in the current belief that privacy companies and coins are going to take over 2019. I can’t argue with anyone there.” Bitcoin, although anonymous, is easily traceable. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, since it allows for a level of accountability. However, companies like Monero, Zcash, and Grin seem to be the frontrunners for the race to be the Bitcoin of privacy coins.

With regards to blockchain, Rostik encourages all the companies he works with, “You need to find a no-brainer blockchain application that the world needs. Don’t get bogged down with appealing to investors or peers too much. Your focus should be the end-user. Make sure every decision you make has the end-user experience at the forefront. Everything else will fall in line”.

I was a student...

Fair play, self-discipline, commitment, cosmopolitanism and lifelong learning – a package of traits to dream of. I used to be a student for as long as one can be (without repeating), and then I came back as a staff member. Because the Lyceum Alpinum in Zuoz is not just a school; it is a place that one remembers forever.

“M

by Laura Schiess

iiiiiiisssss?” Oh no, with that tone of voice she definitely wants something. I just hope it’s something that I can give her. Because I hate to say ‘no’ to my girls, even though sometimes it is inevitable. So very often they will

counter any argument with the statement that their parents would allow it. My standard comeback; their parents don’t have 50 girls to watch, at the most maybe five. And if we were to be that easy-going with a bundle of 50 young ladies, chaos would surely break loose. Of course, they couldn’t care less about such an

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explanation and to be honest, neither did I twelve years ago. But it is precisely that sympathy that makes the job both easier and harder, at the same time. Easier because you have been there; because you know exactly how they feel that exact moment and how important it is to them. Equally so, harder.

Because you have also been there; so how are you going to say no to a request that you can remember asking for yourself 15 years ago?

Deep breath, smile: “Yes, Sophie, what can I help you with?“. “So, Miss, since it’s my birthday tomorrow, I wondered if I might be allowed to stay out one hour longer for a dinner with my parents?”, eye-blink, compelling smile. Oh, that! I already discussed this with her mom a week ago. “Of course, you can“ I smile back at her. It can be easy. Sometimes.

vails at the Lyceum Alpinum. Almost everyone greets everybody by name (of course the students have a bit of an advantage here, as they need only remember roughly 70 names, whereas staff members must memorise the names of up to 300 students). With students and staff members originating from all around the world, getting to know one another and getting acquainted with unknown cultures, is a big part of being an international school. Only through a show of respect and an openness towards others with a different background to your own, will you broaden your personal horizons.

This may be difficult in certain situations, such as the one I think back to now; sitting opposite a slurping and somewhat spitting Chinese girl during lunch when I was in ninth grade, disgusted me so much that I was not able to enjoy my own meal, and thus spent the afternoon hungry in class. The next day however, when I felt lost during a math lesson, she was the one to lead me through each assignment in (for her) excruciatingly slow manner and with an angel-like patience. Two years later, she no longer slurped or spit whilst eating, and my maths had become slightly better.

Cosmopolitanism truly lived The Lyceum Alpinum in Zuoz offers the Swiss Matura, the German Abitur, the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme (DP), and the IB Career-Related Programme (CP). Teenagers between the ages of 12 to 19 years old, from over 30 different countries, can spend two to six years at this Boarding School in the Swiss Alps. It is a rather small school, with approximately 200 boarders and 100 day students, and as such, a very familiar atmosphere pre-

“Going to a boarding school that sets high values onto a strong community and academics, brings great experiences with it. Even though I am in my last year

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I was a student...

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and about to graduate, I already know that I will miss the great time here at the Lyceum Alpinum a lot. I enjoyed everything I did and every minute spent here. I could not be more grateful to have had the chance to experience something so special and beautiful in my life. I have met people from all around the world, got to know different cultures, learned how to overcome different challenges and to appreciate the important values in life. You get to know the people differently in a boarding school than somewhere else, as you basically spend every minute with them. This is a very precious bond. I will definitely take all the good experiences and lessons with me, and they will help me overcome different challenges in life. The best part of looking back at these great years at the Lyceum Alpinum is that it was probably the best time of my life so far. I made friends for a lifetime, I’m able to go to top universities from all around the world and have learned lessons I wouldn’t have if I wouldn’t be in a boarding school. I will remember every fun activity we did like for example, going river rafting or going on house trips to Italy. I will take so many great memories with me”. (Jil)

has taught me to take my responsibilities seriously and to always be open to new ideas. A life lesson that I have learnt is giving and receiving in all the daily situations and this helps me to be happier and feel as an active member of the community. In my future I will certainly nurture the life-long friendships that I have built here in my home away from home”. (Stella)

Take the time it takes, so it takes less time With all the good sides it brings with it, life can also be tough at a boarding school. For a teenager, life is tough in any case, let alone in a place which isn’t their home and where people don’t necessarily speak their mother tongue. And sometimes, when the universe seems to fall down upon them – we’ve all been there – they just need their mom or dad, because nobody else is good enough for the job. That is when the word ‘boarding’ reaches a whole different level, that is when the huge responsibility of the boarding house staff members kicks in. No matter how small or irrelevant the problem might seem, that is when teenagers need to be listened to most. Although there are academically outstanding teachers, a range of demanding courses and individual preparation for university is also more than relevant. If the person who should be achieving all these things is not in the mental constitution to do so, he or she will not go far. The sentence “Miss, do you have a minute?” might come at the most inconvenient time.

However, if one doesn’t take that minute, it might trigger a change for the worse, and half a year later one might ask oneself, whether one would have had less trouble with that student if one had only taken that minute back then. That’s why we ask ourselves the question before answering “Of course, what’s on your mind?”.

If I look back at my time at the Lyceum Alpinum as a student, I can’t think of many moments in which I did not feel listened to. I had a voice and it is of upmost importance that the young people at the school now still feel the same way.

A home away from home Being a boarder at the Lyceum Alpinum made me feel as if I was growing up bilingually. Not only during the lessons in the IB programme or the bilingual Matura, but also when communicating with friends and boarding house staff; English reigns. Since it is one of the leading languages world-wide, I see it as a great gift that I was able to improve my English skills, during lessons as well as the extracurricular activities; those range from student-led initiatives, to Clubs and Societies (such as the Science Club), to more than twenty different sports teams in which the students can find a much-needed balance to their demanding courses. This balance is also what is trying to be achieved in the boarding houses. Next to supporting the young adults with their academic issues such as homework (do yourself a favour and don’t come to me with maths, you’ll be more confused after than before) or applications for universities, the main goal is to diminish the stress levels a little through cooking, giving hugs at the right moment, and having deep conversations about life, love and ignorant guys.

“Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz makes me feel strong and it makes me feel gratitude”. (Benjamin) “The things I will take from the Lyceum are a sense of honour, loyalty and friendship”. (Victor)

“Living in a boarding house is a life experience. It teaches you the values of friendship, community and caring of your peers. The people you live with become your second family, and you share with them the process of growing up as a young adult. This includes moments of difficulties, crisis, but most of all fun times and unforgettable memories. Being a house captain

The ‘Spirit of Zuoz’, with its ingredients of ‘fair play’, ‘self-discipline’, ‘commitment’, ‘cosmopolitanism’ and ‘life-long learning’, is what you find being lived to the fullest extent at the Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz.

So, should you ask me where I will be sending my future child for secondary school (if I can afford it)? Take a wild guess, I think you know my answer.

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E X C L U S I V E I N T E RV I E W

Young, bold and energetic BACKGROUND: PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBERTA DE PAOLI CIRCLE: PHOTO COURTESY WWW.CHRISTIAN-JENNY-STMORITZ.CH

by Iwana Krause

The world is changing and in the case of St. Moritz, the newest developments are ever so positive, propelling the whole region well into the 21st Century. There is an infusion of young individuals that are achieving great transformations, whilst maintaining the traditions of days gone by. H Edition had the pleasure of interviewing St. Moritz’s new Community President; Christian Jott Jenny.

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Tell us a bit about your past and who Christian Jott Jenny (the person) is?

Music has always been a big part of my life. I sang as a choirboy at the Zurich Opera and later on, went to Berlin to become a tenor. In my teens, I also started venturing into the organisation and production areas.

By my early twenties, I had become a ‘singing entrepreneur’ and from then on, things just sort of evolved.

How does your personality play a role amongst the guests visiting St. Moritz and its surroundings?

I am very open-minded. I like to meet new people; talk, learn, listen. I don’t know to what extent my personality will be felt by visitors, but I’m hoping it will be.

How do you envisage bringing new clients to St. Moritz, especially the younger generations?

St. Moritz has to stand out. For a short-term success, we’ll need fresh campaigns. I am not an expert on that, but I will find the right people for the job. My strength will be in shaping the long-term future. One key factor is ensuring that the locals are happy and content, and that they are able to see a future for themselves here. If the town becomes even more alive through the joy of its inhabitants, then guests can only profit from this.

What encouraged you and how did you decide to create the St. Moritz Jazz Festival?

Going through the conservatory I had some aspirations as a Jazz musician but mostly, I was a big fan.

I produced small concerts for my Swiss heroes – like the legendary George Gruntz, an internationally renowned Band-Leader. After organising a few shows in a first-class hotel, one thing led to another and I was able to put together a small series of shows in St. Moritz. From then on, things grew naturally; there was no real concept or PR-tested business plan. It was organic. One year later, oddly enough during the 2008 crisis, I decided to go for it and expanded the series into a full-scale Jazz festival, complete with five weeks of music.

How will you try to continue making St. Moritz a one-of-a-kind destination compared to other vacation resorts?

I think that it already is, but we have to change people’s perception of it. We offer something exclusive. ‘Exclusivity’ however, can also be perceived as negative. We should aspire to not only have the best five-star hotels, but also the best three-star hotels. I also think that it’s antiquated to believe, that the wealthier costumers only want to be amongst themselves, 24/7. Luxury is not only diamonds, it can be so much more…

What made you decide to run for community president?

For over a decade now, I have been dividing my time between St. Moritz and Zurich. I was able to get to know St. Moritz, its people, its beauty, and its advantages. However, I also sensed that the locals were not entirely happy with the way things were going. Here again, it was not a long-planned or completely workedout strategy.

Who do you see as the biggest competitor and why?

Anyplace in the Alps where someone can book a bed, is technically a competition for us. But foremost I don’t want to think about scary competition. Instead, I prefer to put an emphasises on what makes this place so special. And I want for us to be exceptionally great hosts.

How do you see the situation of St. Moritz today?

The surroundings are perfect. The traditions of tourism are deeply rooted and exceptional in this beautiful valley. But we can’t and must not, just cater to the needs of the clichéd St. Moritz customer. To some extent, that stereotype is over, but it’s still in the minds of the people. Don’t get me wrong; the St. Moritz of the future will still offer a top-level experience, but we need to do more with the remaining 40 weeks of the year.

Failure is never an option - but what are your fears, if you have any?

I beg to differ. Failure is very much an option. And surely, I have fears. But throughout my career I have always countered any fears, head on. Sometimes you risk something. You might fail, but it will also teach you something and you’ll do better next time around. I strongly dislike the notion of the ‘perfect’ way, the ‘perfect’ solution. I would much rather try ten different things and have eight of those fail, than spend many months over-conceptualising one idea, of which I was already bored of, on day three.

How do you see the future of St. Moritz, and what changes are you anticipating?

New technologies will keep on changing not only the faces of business, but also of our lives. A start-up can just as easily work from St. Moritz and build networks around the globe. Tourism will always be our main asset, but I want to get people to feel less like slaves of the tourism industry. Instead, they should feel like innovative forces that can joyfully host and welcome guests, as well as finding new ways to entertain those guests.

Christian Jott Jenny was born August 8th, 1978. He is a classical tenor, actor and founder of the ‘Amt für Ideen’ (Office for Ideas) in 1997. Additionally, he founded the Festival da Jazz in St. Moritz in 2007, bringing together stars such as Nigel Kennedy, Ahmad Jamal, Chick Corea, and Dee Dee Bridgewater amongst others. He was elected Community President of St. Moritz in 2019.

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C LA S S I C SNOW P O L O

Happy 35 Birthday th

On the frozen lake of St. Moritz, the 35th edition of the snow polo world cup, masterminded by Reto Gaudenzi - an individual who takes the seemingly impossible to achieve the improbable - and he is ‘en route’ to accomplishing so much more.

F

by Kate Rappsilber

or the 35th annual Snow Polo, everybody was in a good mood. The atmosphere across the frozen lake of St. Moritz, one of immense excited anticipation.

It was to become an event of many ‘firsts’; the first-ever overall victory for team Badrutt’s Palace; the first time in the tournament’s history that a female player, Melissa Ganzi from the USA, captured the coveted Cartier Trophy; and it was the first time ever, for the ‘Sardhadchi’ cavalry team to perform on snow.

Pure elation accompanied all 3 days, as the show of the Karabakh horses commenced; unparalleled horsemanship, supplemented by the melodious tones of popular Azerbaijani music. Dressed in stunning traditional costumes, the 12 riders performed their ‘Land of Fire Azerbaijan’ show without fault. Tricky to say the least, the perfect start to days of brilliant, first-class Polo.

And the Polo was once again, more than impressive. Some of the world’s best players - such as 10-goaler Juan Martin Nero, best youth-player in the US Grant Ganzi, and local hero Tito Gaudenzi - competed in astonishingly breath-taking and dramatic fashion, displaying incredible methodology and technique.

Over 18,000 spectators attended this year, and the Snow Polo was consistently an event, that saw the glamour combined with humour that St. Moritz has to offer; 4000 tons were built onto the lake, including

marble clad toilets; 15 kilograms of finest caviar were consumed and the effervescent sound of champagne being poured, was heard permanently amongst the pounding of the horses hooves. All this in addition to the fabulous British humour of the commentator: “The boys from the Land of Fire are on fire early…”

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as two of the Team Azerbaijan horses decided not to stand still for the team’s presentation, or his statement, that this is not only: “The best snow polo in the world, but also of the surrounding planets”.

Reto Gaudenzi, again presented this awe-inspiring event, by offering spectators unparalleled sportsmanship and generous entertainment. Speaking to Reto about the Snow Polo organisation, he explains it candidly; “to play polo and to organise polo are from an organisational point of view, the same: It is a team sport”. Christina Schockemöhle (of the famous German Schockemöhle family – her fa-

ther is Alwin, her uncle Paul) is in charge of the organisation. Gaudenzi describes her as his biggest asset: “We need 2 things for our tournaments – good weather and Christina”.

Although Christina does not play polo herself, their joint passion for horses make this, the perfect fit. She has been to many tournaments around the world and considers St. Moritz very special and an incredible platform. To her, there is no other tournament one can compare it to; “it’s on the lake, it’s Snow Polo of the highest quality and the background is stunning”.

Reto started with the Snow Polo in St. Moritz 35 years ago, in 1985. There was neither financial support nor support in general, as people didn’t think that he could make it happen. But succeed he did, even surviving the episode of all 60 horses rolling in the snow at the St. Moritz train station upon their arrival. Since then, the sport that was considered impossible on snow, has become a permanent fixture in the social and sporting calendar of the Engadin valley.

For someone like Reto to stop at just that, would be by far, too easy. He also organises tournaments in Azerbaijan (where he built 2 Polo Clubs) and he helped bring the Azerbaijan team their silver medal success at the European championships in Tuscany last summer. Roughly speaking (as in competition with all of the middle east) Polo originated in Azerbaijan, with the Shogun (Chovgan) sport going back over 2400 years.

When Azerbaijan invented the controversial slogan (controversial due to its ‘origin’ discussions): ‘Polo is coming home’, they explained it with the statement that: “ Gaudenzi said so”.

Reto also organised the first Beach Polo tournament in Dubai, in collaboration with Sheik Rashid al Habtoor.

Furthermore, two European World Cups on grass in Berlin and St. Moritz respectively, the first-ever Polo tournament in Kitzbühel, as well as the Miami Beach Polo (now organised by his son Tito). If asked about his future plans, these are of course, no less spectacular; one in Kazakhstan, a Beach Polo tournament at the Copacabana in Rio and another Snow Polo - on no less than the Red Square in Moscow. Once one challenge has been surmounted, Reto is sure to find another. And if there is anybody that can overcome these new challenges, then surely it is him, as he has proven time and time again, that from the seemingly impossible, he can make the improbable happen.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF DOMINIQUE GISIN © KEYSTONE / GAETAN BALLY

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Dominique GoldenGirl

by Lucia Galli

The oldest of the Gisin siblings speaks of her love for St. Moritz, her memories of the Engadin, and her career: A path that has led her to win the ultimate challenge – the Olympics - catapulting her to the summit of the skiing world.

She talks about piloting airplanes, her degree in physics and her commitment to the future of sport.

She achieved great success, whilst never forgetting the words her grandfather told her...

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Dominique

Gisin

Š FREDRIK VON ERICHSEN/DPA

Gold medalist Dominique Gisin of Switzerland with gold medalist Tina Maze of Slovenia, celebrating on the podium of the flower ceremony for the Women's Alpine Downhill skiing at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Games.

Right: Dominique Gisin in action during the Ladies' Alpine Skiing Downhill Training in Russia in 2014.

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uniqueness even more; the light and the serene skies are details that make this territory special and unique; obviously these can be found nowhere else”. After all, her story could be compared to a painting

by Giovanni Segantini who, surrounded by exactly these magical valleys elected to have his painting atelier ‘en plein air’. Her grandfather once told her very clearly: “As long as I can ski, I’ll be alive. Always remember this too!”.

Dominique has not forgotten: “At the races in St. Moritz, I never attained the great results I would have liked to achieve in front of my friends and family. I only did well in the European Cup in 2008, but 9 years later I saw my sister Michelle win her silver World Cup medal in the combined category here. Sentiments change, they grow, they are duplicated: “When you are an athlete and you win, you are able to rejoice but you have to stay focused as there is not much space to give in to your

Gisin at 33 years of age still smiles when she thinks back to that day and her long career. A passage that culminated in 4 podiums, 3 victories at a World Cup as well as an iridescent bronze: “That ex aequo? I have a collection of them; my first downhill triumph in Altenmarkt was also achieved conjoined to another superstar, Anja Paerson”. Ultimately, there were victories ahead of Lindsey Vonn, Julia Mancuso and Lara Gut; every success was shared with the biggest names, even if “I was not a champion like they are”, she states. She may not admit it, but she is a champion, albeit one without airs or graces.

I loved everything...

St. Moritz... it simply smelled of freedom - the long white winters and the wonderful fresh summers.

Today, Gisin feels comfortable in her role as ‘head of the family’ with her siblings Marc (born in 1988) and Michelle (born in 1993) also both skiers and thus colleagues in the ‘white circus’. Studying at home however, was always her first occupation. “And home was for a long time, always the Engadin”, Gisin recalls.

The house in Silvaplana, situated between the lakes and around the corner from St. Moritz, is where she considers home. In her words; “They were happy and intense years”: The school, the ski club: Snow was a natural choice. “I loved everything, the descent, the training with the St. Moritz Ski Club, to going cross-country skiing in the afternoons.

Everything simply smelled of freedom”. The kind that she found in the sun and the light of the slopes surrounding her house with those “long and white winters and the wonderful, fresh summers”. “I love Switzerland, and now that I no longer live in the Engadin, I not only understand but also appreciate its

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© MICHAEL KAPPELER/DPA/ALAMY LIVE NEWS

A

s a child par taking in races with the ski club, they would hold hands on the podium.

“This is how they teach you fair play in sport”, she remembers. The 12th of February 2014 in Sochi was slightly different: Dominique Gisin smiled, guileless - she had just won the Olympic Gold in downhill skiing.

Next to her however, another champion, a ski legend; Tina Maze who, in a crazy crossroad of history and time, had skied the same stretch down to a millisecond and was now, about to get onto the podium with her. Taking her by the hand, almost urging her, convincing her that yes, this medal was for two; two firsts’, and subsequent to that day, the only Olympic Gold ever awarded ex aequo in the history of skiing.

Dominique

© MITCHELL GUNN/ESPA/ALAMY LIVE NEWS

Gisin

Dominique during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup giant slalom race in 2013 in St Moritz.

Right: Dominique in the cockpit of her plane.

emotions. Today it is different with Michelle and I” Dominique certifies. “I can be in a bad state when the gate opens and she leaves, and then extremely well when she crosses the finish line”.

Above all however, she bestowed upon her family an Olympic derby, as 4 years after her sister, she won the Olympic Gold in the combined category at the Pyeong Chang Olympic Games. This season she was stopped from competing in the World Cup due to a knee injury, but she will surely be back on track again soon to see what the future may hold. Marc’s ski season also ended in an abyss in December, whilst the entire elite of the ‘white circus’ held their breath; during his descent at Val Gardena he fell erroneously, ending up in the nets. He previously had another skiing accident in 2015, when he fell on the legendary Streif of Kitzbühel, but thankfully, he is now out of danger. “It was a hard blow for everyone”, Dominique recalls. If you love skiing, it’s a bit like being in love, and she goes on to explain her theory sweetly and very clearly: “When you fall in love, it’s late!” she jokes at first: “If you give your heart you will not know how it will be treated and yet, you cannot avoid it”. An explanation reminiscent of a poem, interpreting love as unquestionable danger that one nevertheless runs with at high speed - a little bit like the love for snow and for the races; it will always win. “Those who compete give

Dominique, Marc and Michelle are ‘cup’ brothers.

This in itself is nothing rare, but a brood of three champions is surely a sign of destiny. “As a child, I skied more with my brother Marc who was merely three years younger, whilst Michelle was just the ‘little girl”. Then the ‘team years’ arrived and “we gave each other advice, but each of us always followed our own path”. And this is the key to getting along with champion siblings.

Today, Dominique follows Michelle through many stages of the Cup Circuit: “I have an instinct, I give advice, we analyse the slope together; where it will be fast, how to tackle this or that passage, but these are only indications as the true strategy is devised with the team coaches”. Presently Michelle, the youngest of the three Gisin’s, has launched toward full maturity; 1 gold and 6 places on the World Cup podiums, a silver medal on the snow at home.

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Dominique

Gisin

their heart to sport. Even when faced with difficulties, one should always choose to live a life filled with great emotions as these are worth a thousand lifetimes in comparison to an existence that is afraid of jumping over obstacles”. This is how one becomes a champion, and Dominique is very much aware of this.

so huge for me”. In short, even victories “should be managed and we have to be a bit ‘athletic’ in our lives”, she explains. Take injuries for example: Gisin has undergone around 9 knee operations in what she calls her ‘shortened’ career due to physical hitches. “When I was 14 – in my early operations – it was tough, but I had the strength of youth and I always saw a long future ahead of me. Then growing up, every injury was harder to overcome. Especially when you are at the top, your energy tends to diminish so quickly”. Dominique’s commitment to others is enormous, giving back so much of what she herself received through destiny. Nevertheless, she is also carving out her personal space; she has become an airplane pilot and has just hung up her professional skis. She has reopened her books and in just 3 years, graduated in Physics from her university: “I’ve always had a passion for numbers, math’s and science, but whilst I was competing I never found the time. It was a huge effort, but then again, I wanted to make this dream of mine come true”.

Currently and a few seasons into her retirement, she busies herself with aiding young people especially by encouraging them to chase a dream, as this is always the best choice. She works with the Swiss Sports Aid Foundation which supports Swiss athletes aiming for sportive agonism - a combination of financial support and a focus on objectives: the first real challenge for those who really want to embrace sport as a profession is to not lose their way: “It gives me great joy to be able to follow young talents and to accompany them on their journey”. Dominique Gisin has also collaborated with the Swiss Red Cross by visiting several developing countries, bringing help and support: “I believe that when you are as lucky in life as I have been, there comes a moment in which we have to give something back, through commitment as well as time”. In addition, Gisin also gives motivational lectures in collaboration with her long-time mental coach, as it is lovely to restore trust within those individuals that may have lost faith, but also to teach a handling of those moments of great success. After the Games she felt overwhelmed: “it was something

PHOTO COURTESY OF DOMINIQUE GISIN

And now, what does an Olympic champion dream about? “More than about the training sessions: I dream of dawn on the glacier, the rising sun, about daily realities. I never dream of competing or winning: who knows for what reason”! With her eyes wide open however, her goal is one that cannot be considered a dream: “I would like to have a family and above all, also continue skiing”. Her grandfather was right.

And she always listened to him.

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Conquering Mount Everest... in just one day

by Céline Schleich

8848 meters of ice and snow need to be travelled across. The reward; breath-taking views from the top of the mountain across the Lago Bianco and Bernina.

One might presume that just one day is hardly enough for such an adventure, but more than 1000 members of the legendary Ski Club 8847 reached their goal – Mount Everest, the world’s highest mountain – and they didn’t even have to travel to the Himalaya’s.

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T

he prestigious Club 8847 was founded in 1970 by Eugenio Rüegger of Bergbahn Lagalb AG in the Swiss ski region of Diavolezza Lagalb, just around the corner from St. Moritz.

Initially a very small community, it however rapidly gained in international popularity due to some of its most extraordinary members and most of all, because of its unusual entry requirement. It was a unique challenge, and one that had never been seen before.

exact height of Mount Everest. Just as if one was climbing the real deal, passion, strength, stamina and a deep fascination for high peaks surrounded by eternal ice and snow was needed for this challenging task. In detail, the candidates needed to ski down the Lagalb slope from the mountain station a total of eleven times and once from the ski lift Minor. In addition, they needed to walk from the mountain station up to Piz Lagalb, carrying their skis and poles. Passion and Pain paid off once the total meters adding up to exactly 8847 were vanquished. Since then, the magnificent peak of Mount Everest has been remeasured and corrected, now totalling 8848 meters.

IN ORDER TO OBTAIN MEMBERSHIP, candidates had to master a special journey; 8847 meters had to be conquered in only one day, in other words – the

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The relaunch of the club in December 2018 has thus brought with it a new and corrected name; Club 8848.

Initiated once again by Diavolezza Lagalb AG in collaboration with Pontresina Tourism, it was welcomed not only by former members and supporters but also, by winter sport enthusiasts from all over Switzerland and its neighbouring countries. Today’s club president Martina Walther was ecstatic about the success of its first challenger day held on 22nd December 2018: “To see how many people the club brings together at the beginning of the season is just unbelievable!” 60 new members received their personal certificate after their hard day – one that was literally filled with many highs and lows. Not much has changed compared to the challenge in the 70’s, bar of course, the now added meter.

THE PHILOSOPHY BEHIND THE CLUB HOWEVER, remains the same. It brings together ambitious people that wish to share their love for the mountains and winter sports, individuals that crave adventure. Whether woman, man, local or foreign, skier or snowboarder, hobby or professional athlete, everyone was and still is welcome to try the ultimate challenge. The club founder, Eugenio Rüegger, a passionate skier himself, attended the re-launch on December 21st on the Lagalb and was absolutely thrilled: “It’s a great feeling to see a piece of history resurrected. My idea, which was born whilst having dinner with the UK ski club president, was truly unique and I am very pleased that there was so much demand for a relaunch of the famous Club 8847. I hope that we can build on the success of the 1970’s and once again, make the Everest-challenge on the Lagalb known far beyond our borders”.

At the time, the club was known far beyond the Swiss frontiers. People from around the globe came to try the legendary challenge; the most famous probably being former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau (father of today’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau); by far the most exotic, the Shah of Persia, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi. He of course did not travel alone – in 1975, 19 bodyguards had to compete in the challenge with him.

FOR ALL THOSE WHO ATTAIN THESE GREAT HEIGHTS of the Mount Everest, they are not only invited to the official ceremony at the end of the season but also, will have their names engraved on the membership board at the mountain station. Members will obtain various benefits.

SO, WHAT ARE WE ALL WAITING FOR? Let’s grab our skis, be adventurous and submerge ourselves into the world of mountaineering. Face a challenge, because how many people can say that they climbed the Everest in just a day. And should we not succeed, there is no reason whatsoever, why we couldn’t go at it again.

SADLY, THE CLUB FADED INTO OBLIVION in the 80’s for lack of new competitors. With the clubs relaunch, all former constituents of Club 8847 have automatically been made honorary members.

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The former Canadian Prime Minister did it.

The Shah of Persia did it.

The president of the UK ski club gave the final, decisive input for it.

Numerous mountaineers tried it.

Numerous mountaineers failed at it.

The names of those that reached the summit will never be forgotten.

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THE MOON IS WA XING, TOMORROW WILL BE THE RIGHT TIME TO PRUNE THE VINES.

BY WA X I N G M O O N ,

T H E V I N E S A R E S T R O N G E R , B U T T H E Y L O S E T H E I R V I G O R W H E N T H E M O O N I S W A N I N G . T O P R U N E AT T H E P E R F E C T T I M E , K E E P A N E Y E O N T H E M O O N . L A D I F F É R E N C E C R I S TA L .

P L E A S E D R I N K R E S P O N S I B LY

The History of the Kennedys

by Mauro della Porta Raffo

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On April 22nd 1849, in the port of Boston: amongst the many passengers disembarking from the Washington Irving that had left Liverpool five weeks earlier, was a 26-year-old Irishman from Dunganstown (New Ross, Wexford). He was the 4th and youngest child of a modest Catholic family of farmers and had set sail for America to seek his fortune.

His name was Patrick Kennedy (1923-1858).

∏

T

his is how, 170 years ago, the story of the Kennedy family in the USA began.

Patrick Kennedy married Bridget Murphy, who was also Irish, and they had 5 children together. Sadly, no sooner had he settled down, he died of Cholera at the young age of just 35.

The youngest child and only surviving son, Patrick Joseph ‘P.J.’ Kennedy (1858-1929), would follow in his father’s footsteps. He left school at 14, and went to work with his mother and sisters in the family drugstore, located in the poorest district of Boston. P.J. gradually managed to expand the business; first by acquiring a chain of saloons; then by going into the wholesale trade in liquor and coal; to finally become a banker.

His next step was to marry the wealthy Mary Augusta Hickey, who not only gave him 4 children, but also enabled him to consolidate his influence in the eastern part of the city. This catapulted him into politics.

Despite the widespread prejudice against Irish Catholics in America’s most aristocratic city, P.J. managed to gain the Democrat’s nomination, thus first becoming a Congressman and subsequently a Senator for the State of Massachusetts.

Bored by legislative work, P.J. eventually preferred to be elected Mayor of Boston.

However, he continued to work actively behind the scenes of the party, so much so, that in one of the FBI’s contemporary reports he was described as the “boss of the Democratic Party throughout the State of Massachusetts”.

Upon his death, his first-born and only surviving son, Joseph Patrick ‘Joe’ Kennedy (1888-1969), was

able to assimilate and apply his father’s legacy. Through his extraordinary abilities and unscrupulousness, he ended up making this third-generation Irish immigrant family, one of the most important in the United States.

With a degree in Economics from Harvard University in 1912, Joe subsequently became a bank examiner. The following year, he showed his initiative by saving the Columbia Trust Bank from collapse by raising funds from his family and friends.

In this page, left: Patrick Kennedy; middle: Joseph Kennedy in 1938 as the 44th US Ambassador to the UK. Page 61, clockwise from top: Rose Fitzgerald in Ireland ca. 1938; Hugh Nawn, Rose Fitzgerald, Sir Thomas Lipton, Agnes Fitzgerald and John F. ‘Honey Fitz’ Fitzgerald in Cowes, England in 1909; Rose & Joseph Kennedy at the Hialeah Race Course, Florida, ca.

1954 viewing a racing bill; Joseph Kennedy ca. 1940; Joseph Patrick Kennedy leaving the private chapel of the Archbishop of Boston, MA, USA, with his bride Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald Kennedy on October 7th, 1914.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN F. KENNEDY LIBRARY

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN F. KENNEDY LIBRARY

Therefore, at just 25 years of age, he was able to justify becoming the ‘youngest bank president in America’.

A year later, Joe succeeded in another undertaking mission no less sensational, through his marriage to Rose Fitzgerald (1890-1995). Rose was the eldest child of Boston Mayor John F. ‘Honey Fitz’ Fitzgerald, and Joe ‘snatched’ her by means of a skilful courtship, from her father’s preferred suitor, Sir Thomas Lipton, the heir to the ‘tea King’. Nine children were born of this marriage, 4 of whom were boys: Joseph Patrick Junior – otherwise known as Joe – (1915-1944), John Fitzgerald - or Jack – (1917-1963), Robert Francis – also known as Bob or Bobby – (1925-1968) and Edward Moore – or Ted – (1932-2009).

When they married, Joe had promised Rose that he would earn 1 million dollars for each child she bore him, but his predictions ended up being a gross underestimation: By 1957 the Kennedy family had become one of the twelve richest in the United States, with assets estimated at between 200 and 400 million dollars. After many successful business ventures, including film production, Joe participated in the founding of RKO Pictures. Here he met Gloria Swanson who for a number of years, was also his mistress.

In 1922, Joe Kennedy landed on Wall Street where he set up an extraordinary series of financial speculations. These enabled him not only to survive the 1929 Wall Street Crash but also, to augment his wealth.

At this point, he had already become a respected member of the ‘high society’, and decided to go into politics. He had identified a new and extraordinarily profitable opportunity in Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s plan to abolish the prohibition, in order to stop the bootlegging that was run by criminal gangs.

He consequently made a very generous contribution to Roosevelt’s Democratic electoral campaign in 1932, and set up a company importing spirits, missing no opportunity to strike deals with major British distilleries. Once Roosevelt was elected President and abolished prohibition, Joe Kennedy not only helped flood the United States with alcohol, but also thereby, feathered his own nest significantly.

Moreover, Joe Kennedy’s involvement in Roosevelt’s election in 1934 earned him the controversial appointment of Head of the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), the federal enforcement agency of the stock exchange. This despite the many protests due to his notorious and speculative activities, to which Roosevelt responded pragmatically with: “Noone better to find the weaknesses in the financial system than someone who had exploited them so well”.

By 1935, Joe had already left this post, starting a series of journeys to Europe, with the view of setting up a network of first-class international contacts (in Rome for example, he became a particular friend of the Secretary of State, Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli, the future Pope Pius XII). All-the-while he continued to

contribute to Roosevelt’s new campaign, and when Roosevelt was re-elected in early 1938, he rewarded Joe by acknowledging his greatest ambition; he appointed him US Ambassador to the United Kingdom, the first Irish Catholic to hold this post. Joe Kennedy moved to London with his family and was soon moving in the circles of English ‘high society’, showing his talent for brilliance and resourcefulness, which also made him popular with the royal family and Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain.

From the very beginning, he took a practical stance towards Hitler, believing that Czechoslovakia would be a reasonable sacrifice for a lasting peace, and that the Jewish question could be resolved by moving German Jews to British colonies and other scarcely populated areas. His attitude was even supported by Life Magazine, which remarked: “Kennedy is considered the most influential ambassador ever sent to England for many years. Were his plan to save German Jews, known as the ‘Kennedy Plan’ to be successful, it would add new lustre to the fame that could lead Joseph Patrick Kennedy straight to the White House”. In fact, this was Joe Kennedy’s ultimate objective, and Roosevelt himself soon realised this.

In Britain, Kennedy’s optimistic views on Hitler’s intentions and good relations with Mussolini and Franco (in all probability due to naivety and an uninhibited Realpolitik, aimed at maintaining US neutrality on the European scene in line with a vision that already saw the Soviet Union as the main enemy), could be tolerated only up to the outbreak of World War II (September 1st, 1939). Chamberlain’s strategy, supported by Kennedy, thus turned out to be a total failure. By then, Kennedy had become unpopular with Britain’s new Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, primarily due to his defeatism concerning the outcome of the war (in fact, Kennedy firmly believed in a German victory). He had also become unpopular with Roosevelt, owing to his isolationist position on the role of the United States, which opposed the President’s view. As a result, Kennedy saw his popularity ebbing away, and in 1940, resigned from the post of Ambassador. At this point, Joe clearly saw his aspiration to become President fade, and decided to transfer his ambitions to his sons. Together with his wife, he had brought them up attending the best schools, and

Page 63, clockwise from top: Kennedy Family at Palm Beach, Florida on Christmas Day in 1937; Rose, John, Eunice, Joseph Jr., & Kathleen Kennedy at Hyannis Port, MA, ca. 1925; Tom Killefer with Edward, Robert and Joseph Kennedy Jr. at Palm Beach, Florida, ca. 1942; Torbert Macdonald & Kathleen Kennedy, John Eunice & Jean Kennedy at Hyannis Port, MA, in 1942; Rosemary Kennedy with Edward, Jean, and Rose in St. Moritz, Switzerland, in December 1938; Ted & Robert Kennedy feeding Babar the baby Elephant at the Children’s Zoo in Regents Park, London, in 1938.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN F. KENNEDY LIBRARY

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN F. KENNEDY LIBRARY

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN F. KENNEDY LIBRARY

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN F. KENNEDY LIBRARY

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN F. KENNEDY LIBRARY

cultivated within them, a deeply competitive spirit, inspired by the motto on which Joe had based his whole existence: “Second best is a loser”.

itics in 1940, as a delegate representing Boston’s 11th Congressional district at the Democratic National Convention, proposing to seek election to the House of Representatives.

In 1941, before completing Law School, he joined up as a reservist in the US Navy, and in 1943 was sent to Britain. There, in the space of just a few months, he flew 25 missions as a bomber pilot. At that point, Joe Junior could have gone home but instead, he volunteered for a new and important mission. At the age of just 29, his plane exploded in an accident flying through the skies over Suffolk, resulting in the young lieutenant’s death.

The news devastated his family, particularly his father. It was then that Joe decided to focus all of his ambitions on his second-eldest son, John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1917-1963), also known as ‘Jack’. Unlike his elder brother in temperament, John had however followed a similar path, studying at Harvard University and then travelling

oe

Jr.

The first of his sons to be ‘earmarked’ for the position of future United States President was his eldest son, Joseph ‘Joe’ P. Kennedy Jr. (1915-1943) After his studies at Harvard University and the London School of Economics, Joe Junior travelled throughout Europe to see the international political landscape for himself. He took his first step into pol-

Top, Left to Right: Edward, Jeanne, Robert, Patricia, Eunice, Kathleen, Rosemary, John, Mrs. Rose and Joseph Kennedy, Boston, Massachusetts, July 7, 1934. Page 65, on left, Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. ca 1941; on right, John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

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throughout Europe; he had also joined the US Navy with his father’s permission after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour (December 7th, 1941). Despite his spinal injuries (caused by an earlier accident playing soccer due to which he was initially considered unfit for service), his father requested special permission that he be allowed to serve. Incredibly enough, a year before his brother’s death, John had also risked his life when on the night of August 2nd, 1943, the PT-109 torpedo boat he was in command of, had been rammed and sliced in two by a Japanese destroyer in the Solomon Sea. Incredibly, John not only survived but managed to save most of his crew, demonstrating great courage and earning him medals for military valour – in addition to earning him his well-deserved fame as a war hero.

Upon his discharge in 1945, John’s father encouraged him to stand for Congress in the 1946 elections. The objective; the same seat his brother had attempted to target, namely the 11th Congressional district in Boston. Initially unconvinced and snubbed by the other candidates, time taught John how to fight an electoral campaign. He developed his oratorical skills in a more direct and effective way than the old-fashioned style of his opponents, making good use of his natural talents such as his attractive appearance and social skills. In this manner, he not only managed to become the Democratic candidate but also, won a seat to become a Congressman at the age of just 29.

PHOTO COURTESY OF LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

fk In the Washington of the next 6 years, President Truman (although also a Democrat) was often highly criticised by John Kennedy. Above all with regard to US foreign policy - a subject that had always interested him greatly. In fact, in order to gain a greater understanding of the international scene, John made several long journeys to Europe and Asia in 1951, taking with him his younger brother Robert Francis (Bob).

John had only just begun to discover an extraordinary affinity with his brother Bob who was 8 years his junior. In 1952, this became of upmost importance as John decided to scale new heights – seeking to become a Senator in a fight against a seemingly unbeatable opponent; the Republican Henry Cabot Lodge.

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In fact, John decided to entrust Bob with the direction of his electoral campaign. This, combined with the mobilisation of the whole family (starting with his mother Rose and his sisters) as well as the vast funds that were provided by father Joe, culminated in John Kennedy winning the seat on November 4th, 1952. He was 35 years old.

John joined the committee that was presided over by the Republican Senator Joseph McCarthy, a close friend of his father’s. For some time, John collaborated in the Senators Anti-Communist battles, even inveigling his brothers help, but in the end, he became disaffected and ended up having nothing more to do with McCarthy. His initial liking for McCarthy was harshly criticised by his Democrat colleagues at the party’s National Convention in 1956, and ended up costing him the opportunity to become Adlai Stevenson’s Vice-President in the forthcoming presidential elections. It was the only electoral defeat of his career, but a victory none-the-less, as Stevenson was heavily defeated on November 6th, 1956, by the Republican candidate, General Dwight D. Eisenhower.

John and Bob Kennedy soon found an ideal opportunity to redeem themselves for the sin of having spent time siding with McCarthy. Their very close collaboration with the McClellan Commission against trade union infiltration by organised crime, in particular the Teamsters’ Union led by the mafioso Jimmy Hoffa, proved just the right road to take. The 2 Kennedy brothers waged a veritable war against Hoffa and other Mafia exponents. This not only resulted in them receiving their first death threats, but also in considerably raising their media profile. The final outcome was essentially the approval of a bill (filed

by John Kennedy with his Republican colleague Irving Ives) on establishing a sort of self-regulatory code for trade unions. According to many observers, the marvel caused by the inquiry into mafia collusion in trade unions, turned out to be particularly useful when – after his 1958 re-election to the Senate – John Kennedy planned the final battle: The conquest of the White House.

At that time, John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s public profile could not have been better.

Young, handsome, wealthy. A heroic war veteran, a brilliant and successful Senator. In 1953, John had started his own family by marrying the sophisticated Jacqueline Lee Bouvier (1929-1994). The couple had 3 children: Caroline, John Fitzgerald Junior known as John John (1960-1999) and Patrick (born August 7th, 1963), who died two days later (August 9th, 1963).

The only possible flaw remaining, was the consideration that John was a Catholic. His high-profile family had been completely integrated into the top echelons of American high society for decades (standing for liberal values), thus his religion was seen as less important. In view of the 1960 presidential elec-

tions, John once again and more than ever, turned to his family; Bob was once more entrusted with directing his electoral campaign and John again counted on his father’s immense wealth, as well as depending on his mother’s and sisters’ commitment, in addition to his 15-year younger brother Edward Moore (Ted), who had just started a career in politics.

If not us, who?

If not now, when?

John engaged in the most extraordinary campaign, covering every inch of the United States and demonstrating his best oratorical skills and immense social engagement. His most important speech was given on July 16th, 1960, at the Democratic National Party Convention, on the occasion of the acceptance of his candidature for the presidency. At the time, John Kennedy stressed the need to understand that the Nation was on the edge of a “New Frontier”, with the need for a civil, moral and economic re-awakening of the United States to address the greatest present and future challenges – making them an example of progress, of freedom and of justice for the whole world.

At the end of the Convention – against his brother’s and friends’ advice – John chose the conservative Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson as his candidate for Vice President. He did this with the hope that Lyndon could deliver the votes of the very traditionalist southern States, where John was particularly weak.

One of the main reasons for this unpopularity in the southern States, was undoubtedly John’s support for the African American Civil Rights Movement. As a grand supporter of Reverend Martin Luther King, for whom he had personally expressed his support, John received, in exchange, the votes of the entire black community. It was thus that on November 8th, 1960, Kennedy – at the end of an exhausting electoral campaign – succeeded in winning the vote of a mixed electorate, combining blacks, immigrants and underdogs but also, industry and oil tycoons who were Page 67: Clockwise from top; Jackie Bouvier Kennedy and JFK at their wedding with members of the wedding party, September 12th, 1953 in Rhode Island, Newport; Jackie Kennedy; President John F. Kennedy with his wife Jackie and daughter Caroline, ca. 1960; JFK sailing on the Victura with Jackie (In a striped top) and Ethel Skakel (left) at Hyannis Port, MA in 1959; Portrait of the John & Jackie Kennedy on September 12th, 1953 in Rhode Island, Newport; Close-up portrait of Kennedy family with couple at wedding party, September 12th, 1953. Page 68: JFK in his car in Dallas, Texas, just prior to his murder on November 22nd, 1963.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

PHOTO COURTESY OF HARRY BENSON

PHOTO COURTESY OF LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

friends with his father. He managed to defeat candidate Richard Nixon in a very narrow-margined popular vote, contrarily to the decisive votes in the electoral college. John Kennedy became the first Catholic President of the United States. On the domestic front, Kennedy first of all set out to impose a policy that prioritised the poor and economic recovery. Although he succeeded in overturning the recession and addressing unemployment, this soon generated hostility from a cross-party bloc in Congress (in which the Republicans joined forces with southern Democratic representatives), toward these more radical measures.

Equally, his brother Bob’s actions, which were also met with strong opposition. At the suggestion of Joe Kennedy, Bob had been brought into the government as Attorney General (Minister of Justice). Passionately involved in two battles of great importance to him one against organised crime

and the other in favour of civil rights – his intention to involve the FBI immediately antagonised the very powerful (Republican) FBI director, J. Edgar Hoover.

Hoover made it very clear that he was not interested in civil rights and also hostile toward the Kennedys so much so, that for years he compiled detailed files containing information about them.

The most critical periods of the Kennedy’s presidency were undoubtedly those involving foreign affairs, especially relations with the Soviet Union, and this despite the fact that initially Kennedy had proposed a foreign policy based on a parallel path of détente (bilateral relations, particularly in the nuclear sphere), as well as the containment of the Soviet sphere of influence (Europe, Asia & South America).

Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.

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His aim was at the same time to bridge the perceived gap between Americans and Soviets on two main issues; military force and the space race.

The two most serious crises involved Cuba. The CIA organised, but failed invasion of the Bay of Pigs on April 17th, 1961, was based on a plan drawn up during the previous Eisenhower administration. Its goal to overthrow Fidel Castro’s regime, actually ended up instead, throwing the Cuban dictator into the arms of the Soviet Union. At the time led by Kruschev, this action triggered the Cuban missile crisis which for a period of over ten days during the 2nd half of October 1962, pushed the world to the brink of a nuclear catastrophe.

Subsequent to Kennedy obtaining proof of the installation of anti-US Soviet ballistic missile deployment in Cuba, Kennedy imposed a naval embargo on the Island. This embargo stopped a further supply of missiles reaching Cuba, causing Kruschev to become furious and threatening. On this occasion, with the invaluable support of his brother Bob, John Kennedy showed all his skills. He demonstrated such determination to Kruschev, that the Soviet Union was forced to back off and dismantle the bases, resulting in John achieving his first extraordinary international victory as President of the United States.

Pursuant to this crisis, and with the balance of power between the super-powers once again restored, relations between Kennedy and Kruschev thawed to some extent. Less than a year later, they signed an important treaty in Moscow, partially outlawing nuclear experiments (August 5th, 1963). Naturally however, Kennedy remained faithful to his basic policies and to the containment of the Soviet sphere of influence.

He showed his support for Freedom and Democracy: in Europe above all with his historic speech in West Berlin on June 26th, 1963; in Asia (Formosa, South Korea, South Vietnam); and South America, where he opposed any kind of dictatorship – be it pro-Communist or military – and also, through a generous plan of aid and economic measures.

Kennedy’s most noble and difficult battle was at a domestic level; the struggle for black civil rights had been thwarted by the same cross-party bloc of Republicans and southern Democrats. They had strenuously opposed his intervention in social policy and fiscal measures, with which the administration had swallowed up the profits from the oil and steel industries.

Initially he had preferred to avoid direct intervention in order to prevent mass uprisings in the southern States. When the news spread that the Governor of Mississippi had physically stopped an African American student (James Howard Meredith) from entering university on October 1st, 1962, Kennedy, passionately supported by his brother Bob, decided to send in the military and federal agents to force the Governor to comply with the anti-segregation laws, escorting the boy on to the university premises.

From this moment onward, the President was even more determined to pursue justice, even if at the cost of convenience. He furthered the cause of civil rights with even greater conviction and initiated closer ties to Martin Luther King, supporting the great March on Washington for jobs and freedom on August 28th, 1963 and even inviting him to the Oval Room at the White House.

It was however his successor, Lyndon B. Johnson, who had entered the White House as Kennedy’s Vice President in 1961, who would finally pass the Civil Rights Act Bill on July 2nd, 1964, as President of the United States of America. This Bill would guarantee every citizen’s full rights and ban any form of discrimination or segregation in public and in private.

It had initially been presented by Kennedy on June 11th, 1963.

A few months prior to the Bill’s passing, on November 22nd, 1963, during a visit to Dallas in the deep South, and focal point of all enemies of the new presidential course, John Fitzgerald Kennedy had been killed by rifle shots at just 46 years old. To date, the circumstances of events still remain unclear.

fk R John’s brother ‘Bob’ – Robert Francis Kennedy (1925-1968) – (who at 38 years old was the Attorney General of the United States, had always been his chief confidant, his advisor and his brother-in-arms.

Regretfully, he immediately needed to step in. Even if more idealist than his brother John, Bob was certainly no less ambitious. Initially Bob considered proposals from those, who believed he should stand as Johnson’s Vice President in the upcoming 1964 elections, even if the two did not always see eye to eye. Instead, he finally agreed to stand for the Senate and as such managed to win the seat for the State of New York, while Johnson was confirmed as President.

Left out of the new administration during his term as Senator, Bob was unsparing in his criticism of the President, on his foreign policy but also, for the way in which he managed the war in Vietnam as well as his support of pro-American military dictatorships in

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Moore (Ted). Upon Bob’s death, he was 36 years old and had been serving as a Democratic Senator for the State of Massachusetts since 1962. Any ambitions he may have had, were snuffed out a few months later on July 18th, 1969, through a car accident at Chappaquiddick, a small island just east of the exclusive Martha’s Vineyard. After leaving a party with friends and family, he was driving his car accompanied by his 28-year-old secretary Mary Jo Kopechne. He became distracted and the vehicle plunged into the water. Ted managed to swim to safety and after several attempts to free Kopechne, was unable to do so. He decided to go to bed, intending to alert the authorities the following morning. By then, she had already drowned.

The incident, which was never completely cleared up, cost him only a very light sentence; two months imprisonment with a suspended sentence.

Despite all of his subsequent protestations of contrition, the public opinion of his behaviour was one of such shock, that he had to put any presidential aspirations he may have had, out of his mind. Ted Kennedy kept his Senatorial seat for Massachusetts for over 50 years, until his death in 2009. In this role, he proved himself to be a worthy spokesperson for the Kennedy’s political ideals of freedom and justice.

Throughout the years he showed a great commitment to the promotion of civil rights (from the rights of the African Americans to those of immigrants and homosexuals), to caring for the poor and needy (with enormous battles for the improvement of social care, health and education), and the fight against terrorism (in favour of war in Afghanistan but fiercely opposed to the intervention in Iraq as well as the Patriot Act) and inclusive of favouring environmental protection. In the end a sick man, Ted Kennedy concluded his human and political destiny by supporting Barack Obama’s policies, a man he compared to his brothers John and Bob. In the meantime, again not far from Chappaquiddick near Martha’s Vineyard, another tragic PHOTO COURTESY OF RFK HUMAN RIGHTS

South America. Bob succeeded in combining a profound patriotism with his aversion to communism.

His confirmed beliefs of peace, justice and equality, values for which the United States stood, should fly the flag ahead of the rest of the world. Bob was able to find favour not only among the civil rights supporters, pacifists, students in revolt and the underprivileged, as well as – at least partially – amongst the more moderate Democrat voters, who were inspired by his great patriotism.

Bob’s path to becoming the Democratic candidate in the 1968 presidential elections was initially paved with difficulty, following the assassination of his friend and supporter Martin Luther King on April 4th, 1968. Bob tried to placate and channel the African American anger, in effect becoming their new spokesperson for civil rights and when Johnson withdrew from the contest, he saw his chances improve.

After just a few defeats, Bob Kennedy managed to gain a very significant victory at the California Democratic Primaries on the evening of June 4th, 1968. At the Hotel Ambassador in Los Angeles, just after midnight, whilst celebrating the result with his supporters and always accompanied by his bodyguards, he shook their hands and greeted many.

Whilst passing through the very busy kitchen, Bob was shot several times; he collapsed and sustained too many injuries.

He died just over 24 hours later at just 42 years old, on June 6th, 1968.

His killer was quickly identified as the 24-yearold Palestinian Sirhan Sirhan. Initially condemned to death, he was subsequently given a life sentence, which he is still serving. His motive was Bob Kennedy’s support of Israel. The last vestige of hope for a Kennedy to return to the White House seemed to have disappeared that night. At a later point in time, two other family members seemed destined to fulfil the head of the families dream. Both however, for different reasons, would never have the chance.

The first was Joe Kennedy’s youngest son, Edward

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The purpose of life is to contribute in some way to making things better.

This page, Robert F. Kennedy at a cabinet meeting in the White House whilst serving as Attorney General, on January 28th, 1964; to the left, RFK with his children.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF HARRY BENSON

PHOTO COURTESY OF LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

PHOTO COURTESY OF RFK HUMAN RIGHTS

PHOTO COURTESY OF LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

PHOTO COURTESY OF LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

PHOTO COURTESY OF RFK HUMAN RIGHTS

event took place. This event caused the death of the last Kennedy who might have been able to rekindle the family legend; John Fitzgerald Kennedy Junior (John John) died at just 38 years old. John John was John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s 2nd child, immortalised forever on his 3rd Birthday, when he gave an emotional military salute at his father’s funeral.

He was a young man that had already become popular with the press and had started making a career for himself, not only for his good looks but also, his moral standing. He was married and had founded an innovative political and current affairs magazine (George) which, according to many observers, augured well for his political career. The single engine plane he was piloting on a journey to his cousin Rory Kennedy’s wedding, also carrying his wife and sister-in-law, crashed into the Atlantic to the west of Martha’s Vineyard on July 16th, 1999, causing the death of all on board.

Since then, the Kennedy flame appeared to have been all but extinguished, and although some descendants of the family have been active in various roles in politics, none of them have ever been able to fire up the collective imagination of the nation to the extent their illustrious forebears had done.

Until just a year ago, when the global media discovered Joseph Patrick (Joe) Kennedy III, Bob Ken-

nedy’s grandson and Joseph Patrick Kennedy II’s son. Born in 1980, it was in fact Joe Kennedy III, a father of two and Congressman for Massachusetts since 2013, who was given the task by the Democrats, to respond on behalf of the opposition to the President’s State of the Union Address on January 30th, 2018.

In his speech, Joe III contested President Trump’s vision on a point by point basis, criticising in particular, his policies on civil rights, immigration and social care for the underprivileged. In his conclusion however, he turned his attention to the actual state of the Union and defined it, despite everything, as still being full of hope, resilience and strength.

The day after, lauded by the Democrats, several commentators suggested that he might be a future candidate for the presidency of the United States.

It is nearly as if confirming once again, Bob Kennedy’s historic sentence: “The only reason we have survived so many tragedies is that there are more of us; problems never stop, neither do the Kennedy’s!”.

Page 80, clockwise from top: RFK and his wife Ethel Skakel during the 1968 presidential campaign; Senator Robert F. Kennedy & Donald F. Benjamin of the Central Brooklyn Coordinating Council, surrounded by children in New York, 1966; RFK and Ted Kennedy sailing; RFK waves to people at New York City’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade in 1968. It was there that the US senator announced he would be running for President; RFK appearing before Platform Committee, Washington, D.C. 1964; Negro demonstration in Washington, D.C. Justice Dept.

Bobby Kennedy speaking to crowd.

Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.

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Black Jack

The horse that accompanied JFK

by Piero Mei

Mournfully and solemnly the steps resounded on the tarmac; the sound of horses’ hooves beating to the rhythm of the world’s heart.

Everybody glued to the television at 10.38 am, on the morning of Monday November 25th, 1963, - all the way from the White House to the United States Capitol, from Saint Matthew’s Cathedral to the Arlington National Cemetery in Washington. Clip, clop, clip, clop. Arthur Carlson, a soldier in the United States Army, led a black Caparisoned horse, whose shoulder was branded with the number: 2V56.

It was the last horse to march in the history of this army. The era of heavy artillery, chemical warfare and atomic bombs had arrived. It was thus an interim; before the arrival of remotecontrol planes without pilots, like children’s toys, and smart bombs; toys for grown-ups and death to play with.

The horse’s name: 'Black Jack'. He was born on January 19th, 1947, and was named after General John J. 'Black Jack' Pershing, who commanded the American Expeditionary Force that was sent to Europe during the First World War. Born 140 years later however, sharing General Robert E. Lee’s Birthday, the leader of the confederation that unified the United States and won the American Civil War. The morning of November 25th, 1963, was a day that spoke to the Americans with similar pain and resentment to December 7th, 1941; the day the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbour, destroying the American fleet and forcing the United States to go to war; or September 11th, 2001, a day of terror that made the Twin Towers vanish from the New York

skyline.

Black Jack, the last horse to be branded with an Army serial number, amongst the protagonists of that day. Led by Carlson, he walked, almost dancing; clip, clop, clip, clop.

He became agitated in the courtyard of the Department of Treasury, the venue from which the procession commenced, before winding its way through the streets of Washington and onto television screens around the globe, at all hours of the day afternoon in Rome, night-time in Tokyo. The right wheel of the caisson that was led by six white horses, ominously getting stuck in a grate, the noise unnerving the horses. The wooden casket, draped in the stars and stripes of the United States, swayed. The black horse wore only a vermilion coloured jacket, with a vacant saddle waiting for its rider; a pair of empty boots, reversed in the stirrups. A horse without a rider, as the man who should have been sitting in the saddle, no longer able to do so.

Instead, he remained enclosed inside the casket; John Fitzgerald Kennedy, President of the United States, assassinated three days previously in Dallas, Texas. Black Jack became the symbol of that passing, of that 'never again'. For President Kennedy, there would now be that ‘never again’. Mrs. Kennedy, the veiled widow dressed in black, followed the black horse on foot, around the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue. She had wanted a black horse.

It was a solemn contrast to the 1918 caisson pulled by white horses; the rider-less horse needed to be black.

The state funeral of President Abraham Lincoln, who had also been assassinated, inspired Mrs Kennedy to choose a favourite horse, even though President Kennedy did not have one.

Old Bob, Lincoln’s horse was left in the fields of Springfield upon his victory and subsequent residence in the White House, only called upon once again, for the final march. According to soldier Carlson, Black Jack “could stay still for hours on a biscuit”, and yet, he scuffed his feet, threw back his head.

He, who had been a true professional all his life, accompanying over 1000 funerals. But after Kennedy’s funeral, Black Jack did not sleep for two days; the emotion and solemnity had affected him too. Curiously, it made

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him a celebrity: people wrote to him, thanking him for his representation of the pain and emotion that overcame an entire nation; they did so in the same way some fans may write to film stars or sporting champions. Black Jack died on February 6th, 1976, at 29 years of age, and was buried in the grounds at Fort Myer; Always to be remembered as more than a true professional.

His box, the stable which he called home, has now become a small museum. Within contained, a letter written in 1972 by President Richard Nixon, wishing him a Happy Birthday.

And there is a card, written as if by a child's hand, with a drawing of carrots, green apples and horse shoes. A simple message within: "Love, I love you”. The letter was signed by Mary Lou Retton, the girl who drove America wild in 1984, when she won the gymnastics competition at the Los Angeles Olympics. There are also photographs documenting the 25th of November, 1963: of the six white horses leading President Kennedy's casket, all of them with saddles. But only the three on the left with riders, because that was the formation of everyday life for those in charge of the caisson: three horses for the men and three for their belongings and arms.

This was the tradition of the artillery.

Jacqueline Kennedy, her tears hidden behind her black veil, following Black Jack and Carlson; from the White House to the Capitol, from Saint Matthew's Cathedral to Arlington National Cemetery. Black Jack, a horse of unknown breed, 'enrolled' exactly ten years prior to the assassination of President Kennedy, on November 22nd, 1953. Why was he chosen, why Black Jack to represent an entire nations emotion? "I don't know” said Carlson, “and I also don't know why they chose me - maybe because I was tall, slim and had a nice walk". This walk was maintained even after Black Jack stepped on his feet a good four times, unsettled by the sound of the wheels, by the silence, by the dream that has ended, by a world that was only reawakened by the noise of his black hooves. Black Jack was given a nut cake for comfort – from that moment onwards, he received one on every Birthday.

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A qu!t f" perfectiо Established at the end of the 18th Century, Louis Roederer is one of the last great champagne houses to remain independent and family-run. 240 hectares that were carefully chosen and acquired in the best terroirs of Champagne, in the Grands and Premiers Crus of the Montagne de Reims, the Côte des Blancs, and the Vallée de la Marne.

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reputation of the House of Louis Roederer was firmly established.

With the 2nd generation, the House saw an equally enlightened person who had adopted his father’s approach of a forward-looking vision. In the 1870’s, Louis Roederer II began to export his wines to the United States, and even to Tsar Alexander II of Russia. A man of great taste and an inveterate researcher, he fashioned a new champagne for the Tsar, and as such, launched a new concept in the form of ‘Cristal’. The first Cuvée Prestige was fashioned in 1876, from a fine blend of crus selected from vines in the heart of the estate. This ‘Champagne of Champagnes’ was served at the imperial court. Ever since, the subtleness and elegance of Cristal have forged Louis Roederer’s reputation for excellence.

Unfortunately, the tragic tide of world events at the beginning of the 20th Century brought an end to

stablished in 1776, the House passed through several owners before Louis Roederer inherited it in 1833 and gave it his own name. An aesthete and entrepreneur, Louis took a visionary approach to enriching his vines, aiming to master every stage of the wine’s creation. He forged the wine’s unique style, character, and taste. In the mid-nineteenth century, Louis Roederer acquired some of Champagne’s Grand Cru vineyards – an approach that contrasted sharply with contemporary practices.

He nurtured his vineyards, familiarized himself with the specific characteristics of each parcel, and methodically acquired the finest land.

His guiding principle was that all great wine depends on the quality of the soil, a passion for tradition, and an astute vision of the future; under his visionary leadership the fame and

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the euphoric epoch, in which all cuvées had been shipped around the world; from Moscow to New York and Washington. Over half of the estate had been destroyed during the First World War, and the future heir to the House of Louis Roederer – Léon Olry-Roederer – consecrated all his efforts to reconstructing the vineyards in the 1920’s. With unerring instinct and taste, he created a highly balanced wine, whose consistent, delicate blend of several vintages ensured that the wine was always of the highest quality; this wine would form the basis for the later Brut Premier and greatly contributed to the renaissance of the House of Louis Roederer.

Camille’s grandson, Jean-Claude Rouzaud graduated in oenology and agronomy and eventually took over the running of the entire estate. He decided to consolidate the vineyards, restrict production, and passionately cultivated the inventive and exacting qualities that are so representative of the House’s philosophy. He diversified by establishing a remarkable vineyard in North California, acquiring Delas Frères, Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Château de Pez, Ramos Pinto Port and Domaines Ott in Provence.

Today, Louis Roederer’s vineyards comprise 240 hectares and through a precise and prudent selectivity, this has led to the creation of 4 estates: The ‘Blancs de Blancs Vintage’ Estate is mainly located in the Grand Cru vineyard of Avize; the ‘Vintage’ Estate comprises parcels in the commune of Verzenay; The ‘Rosé Vintage’ Estate is made of parcels on the very sunny slopes of the commune Cumières; and the ‘Cristal’ Estate comprises parcels in the communes of Verzenay, Verzy, Beaumontsur-Vesle, Aÿ, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, Avize, Cramant, and Mesnil-sur-Oger.

After Léon’s death in 1933, the House was run by his strong-minded widow, Camille. A woman of formidable intelligence and singular dynamism, she loved horse racing and owned one of the most famous stables in the world. An enlightened patron who embraced the more festive and pleasurable aspects of champagne, Camille held lavish parties bringing together artists and young people, which had a lasting impact on the history of the House introducing a whole new generation of enlightened epicureans to the joys of Louis Roederer Champagne.

—Frédéric_Rouzaud,

Ceo of Champagne Louis Roederer

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the cellars for a minimum of 6 months, before it is ready for sale.

Today, Louis Roederer is still one of the last great champagne houses to remain independent and family-run. Frédéric Rouzaud took over the business from his father in January 2006. Frédéric, very much like his father and grandfather before him, has decisiveness and engagement running through his veins, and with Louis Roederer’s quest for perfection, continues to ensure that every bottle is the “embodiment of a singular characteristic of taste, that fuses tradition and modernity”.

The Louis Roederer Estate cultivates three traditional grape varieties; Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier.

The vines are tended throughout the year; the land is cultivated with care, and each vine is pruned, every shoot nurtured, surveyed, and trained. At harvest time, the work in the vineyards reaches its greatest intensity: The grapes are meticulously picked by hand on each parcel and they are placed into buckets and pressed on site. The pressing process is a delicate one as the berries must not alter the colour of the juice, obliged to maintain its golden hue and clarity. Once pressed, the juices are transported to the cellars in Reims. There, they are stored separately, according to their parcels, in over 450 small, stainless steel tanks.

At this point, the fermentation process commences with the unique characteristics of each parcel being preserved and the integrity maintained until the blending process.

The men and women of Louis Roederer have a profound attachment to the vineyards – this is what distinguishes the House from all the others.

In the next phase, the Cellar Master Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon and his team fashion blends which are bottled the following spring. Each highly unique composition is the fruit of intuition and talent of the team of women and men led and orchestrated by the expert Cellar Master. He is the guarantor of the integrity of the House’s style. Once the wine has attained a perfect equilibrium, it is removed from the cellars for bottling.

The bottles are then capped in a temporary manner, and stored in the darkness of the cellars for 3 to 6 years.

After these years of rest, once the champagne has attained perfect maturity, it is riddled (remuage) with great care. By tilting the bottles, the finest deposits (or lees) gradually settle on the cork or crown cap. The bottles are then moved back and forth (automatically - for Cristal, manually) so that the deposit gradually settles in the bottlenecks. Subsequently disgorged and frozen for a short period of time, the champagne becomes perfectly clear. For the final touch, a precious liquid consisting of the best blends of wines produced over the last ten years, is added – a secret elixir that has a magical effect. The champagne is then stored in

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From

Hollywood To St. Moritz

by Clementine Fitzgerald

Romina Power child star, singer, actress, painter, photographer, and author.

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She was born into Hollywood royalty.

She grew up amidst the glamour and glittering lights that surround the world of movies.

She became a star herself. And she is coming back to St. Moritz, the place where she last saw her father.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROMINA POWER

Romina became a movie star at only 13 years old, straight out of boarding school. She had no prior experience to speak of (bar the school plays that she wrote and directed). Today she wishes that she had been more prepared. Not only to face the movie business as such, but for life in general, and life in general was not always easy for her. She describes it as there having been no method, no strategy. Today she wishes that she could have changed a few things.

As an adult she took that big step toward change; there is no connection with Hollywood left. Romina is the perfect example of not judging a book by its cover. ∫¢

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROMINA POWER

Even though she calls California and her quiet, sunny little piece of garden - home, she is a global citizen, having travelled extensively across the whole world; Italy, India, Poland, Greece, Switzerland… And as a global citizen, she is analytical, with firm beliefs when discussing politics, pollution, sea creatures, wild life and education. Italy is praised extensively in our conversation – “it is a country filled with people that still have a heart; they take time to prepare and enjoy good meals together with family and friends”. A life-attitude that she most certainly took with her when she returned to America.

Looking back at Romina’s career - spanning a few decades since the 1960’s – realisation hits home that she is a true artist. By way of explanation, Romina states; “I like to express myself in different ways. I like the contact with people, performing in front of live audiences, but I also like the solitude and the writing process of a novel or the inspiration to paint large canvases, the smell of oil paint…”. Her musical success catapulted her to global fame together with her then husband, Albano Carrisi. Romina and Albano were married in 1970 (divorced in 1999) and had 4 children together. Their singing duo was formed in 1975 and took them across Europe to Eastern Europe, Russia and all the way to Latin America. They last united in 2015, when they performed together at the Sanremo Festival. Always closely linked to Al Bano (his professional alias), Romina does not

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omina hasn’t really changed, that incredible aura of individuality still surrounding her. She is most definitely a star and this quality has not vanished in the slightest, even with the passing of time. Not one of airs or graces.

Instead, one filled with sincerity, helpfulness, kindness, and a zest for life that is continuously portrayed through her more than smiling eyes; smiling in a way to leave no doubt - it’s genuine and from the heart.

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Buddhist. Praying and meditating every day whilst following the teachings of her spiritual guide Geshe Kelsang Gyastso of the New Kadampa Mahayana tradition. Romina eats healthy, organic. She practices yoga, swims and hikes whenever possible and absolutely adores to dance. And she has a goal (apart from being the author of a new novel and a movie that she is currently working on); to be able to have more free time to spend with her family.

Whilst Romina speaks, the resemblance to her father, Tyrone Power, striking and ever present. Discussing this resemblance, she becomes slightly pensive, almost wistful. In her book “Searching for my father” (published in Italy in 1989) she went through a difficult process. By interviewing people that were connected to Tyrone, and through their personal memories, she finally came to understand how similar they truly are.

Not only from a physical likeness point of view, but also in their approach to people, to work and to family.

She describes her father as an uncommonly kind person. A person who was very close to his family and incredibly professional in his work. Funnily this sounds nearly as if she were describing herself. ∫¢ Romina, last saw her father in St Moritz, whilst on holiday in 1958 (subsequent to which he passed away after suffering a heart attack). She was only 6 years old and childhood memories fail her, beginning only after Tyrone’s death. Once again, Romina manages to come up with a simplistic explanation...

I must have removed them to not suffer too much.

But I have photos to remind me of those happy times.

discuss similarities or differences. Instead she explains it with incredible simplicity: “I think that a farmer and a hippie will always find common ground”. ∫¢ Speaking music, Romina professes her love of Brazilian melodies and Indian bhajans, dependant on her mood. And of course, the Beatles – forever!

Heavy metal, cold jazz and some classical music give her anxiety. But she has learned to counter this in combination with a little secret; a secret that allows her to maintain her balance and serenity throughout her life in the spotlight; Romina is a practicing

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Marvellous Anti-ageing

by Dr. Carolin von Roggenbach

Little suggestions to slow down the obvious passing of time...

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H E A LT H

Some people seem to have all the luck and appear to be physically, as well as mentally, untouched by the ravages of time. They may even be perceived as better looking, healthier and fitter with age compared to those around them who may suffer from fading looks, low immunity, forgetfulness or disease. Good genes certainly help, but it is in our power to influence the way we age, through our lifestyle.

than a ragged old, broken down and unattractive machine?

My background in biochemistry and genetic engineering, as well as years in cancer research, may give me the advantage of having studied bodily processes on a cellular level. But really, understanding how we age and what there is for us to do to slow down this inevitable process isn’t rocket science. It is in fact, with a little information, incredibly simple.

In my teens, I was diagnosed with an allergy to casein, the protein in milk, as well as a non-fathomable reaction to any gluten-containing grains, a condition which in the meantime has been termed by professionals ‘non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Already in my school years, I was forced to cut out the majority of heavily processed foods, as well as milk products, to which I had developed a particular dislike. For many years I thought of this as a curse, until, in my thirties, I started paying attention to ageing, and the major factors involved. In retrospect, I believe excluding many foods that are now considered controversial with regards to one’s health, may have been a blessing. But best of all, I became a passionate and attentive foodie having to eat around things my body did not agree with. I consider the past fifteen plus years of my life an adventure into trying the most diverse recipes, often cooking with a colourful spectrum of vegetables, herbs, spices and other wholesome, now considered ‘superfood’ ingredients. Do I purchase exclusively well-sourced, organic products for home cooking? Absolutely!

I really adore the diet I have followed for many years now which is based on seasonal and fresh produce, and I would consider it being a disaster if I was forced to eat processed, packaged and fast foods. All these wholesome ingredients I use for home cooking, provide me with the power and energy I need, contribute massively to my happiness, and help me look the best I possibly can. At least, this is what I feel.

Certainly, I enjoy eating out in restaurants and do so

I am in my early forties, I enjoy being active and very social, I love fashion and I am too vane to lose my current appearance any time soon. I would like to keep my petite frame without having to hide a sagging behind, and hold on to my smooth skin, my silky hair and my youthful energy, as long as possible. More than that, I am determined to age as gracefully and healthily as possible. Like most women my age, I consider myself at my prime. But I have realised that I no longer have the advantage of youth, and that feeling and looking great comes with more work and attention than it did twenty years ago. After a late night out, perhaps with a little too much alcohol, my eyes and skin feel dry, my fingers are swollen, I am often irritable and cannot concentrate as usual. Does this sound familiar? How wonderful were the years of my youth when I did not seem to feel and see any effects from lack of sleep, and my body was mysteriously able to detox within a few hours.

Our body is like a machine which when new works and looks its best. As it gets older, it requires more and more maintenance. But with the regular attention, its lifespan is extended and the machine can continue to appear “attractive” and work well without defects, until it becomes ancient. Don’t we all prefer to think of us developing into an elegant, well-kept vintage rather

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on a regular basis. But even if the quality of the ingredients used may be wonderful, they are rarely of organic origin, unless specifically advertised. A fact which I try to compensate for at home. Following a healthy diet does not need to be a military regime. But it is advisable to restrict meals that are deep-fried, exaggeratedly saucy and full of refined starch, sugar and flavour enhancers, to the “once in a while”. Instead try to select fish, meat or vegetarian dishes prepared with all natural ingredients and flavours. Once your taste buds have adjusted to appreciating the natural, delicate flavours of fresh, wholesome foods, you will feel irritated and even repulsed but the unnatural aftertaste of commercial, man-made beverages, additives and foods. Even refined sugar will taste too sweet.

How do I not put on weight without paying attention to the calorific content of what I eat? It is simple, calories are not equal calories! Some are empty, some are (use) full! I provide my body with the fuel it really wants and can actually use to its advantage, instead of storing it as fat in unwanted areas of my body.

just common sense that a low-calorie diet or a calorie-rich but fuel-poor diet cannot be beneficial in the long run. By starving ourselves, we simply slow down our metabolisms and restrict our bodies and brains to upkeep the most essential of all processes needed for momentary survival. Our bodies and brains are made up of cells, billions of which are replaced every day.

This process of renewal which is essential for maintenance and, as you wish, anti-aging, requires nourishment. We need the right carbohydrates as they provide energy. Proteins as they are the building blocks of our bodies. And healthy fats, as they are another source of energy, structural components of our cells, boosters of our immune system, and essential mediators for the absorption of micronutrients. Just as carbohydrates, proteins and fats, micronutrients are absolutely critical components of our everyday ‘fuel’. They are easily supplied through a well-rounded diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains.

Without these micronutrients, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and polyphenols to mention a few, a vast majority of bodily processes are compromised. Also, our immune system becomes less capable to defend us from disease, our energy levels decrease, and our skin and hair lose the youthful appearance. We are effectively aging from the inside out.

It would seem plausible to assume that if your ancestors lived a long and healthy life, nature has given you an advantage. But before you start counting how many

It has been a few years now, since both nutritionists and glamorous celebrities began to advocate that low-calorie and empty-calorie diets are out of fashion and in fact contra-productive. Not only with regards to permanent weight-loss, but also with regards to mental and physical health. Let’s be honest, without having to be a medic, a scientist or a nutritionist, it is

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H E A LT H

centenaries are in your family tree, you should know that scientific research following identical twins has shown that a mere 20 percent of aging is attributed to genes. The vast majority depends on your lifestyle.

This involves much more than just a well-balanced diet. It also means sufficient physical activity and mental challenges, consumption of alcohol and tobacco in true moderation, little exposure to direct sunlight, sufficient hydration, as well as effective stress management. And of course, good sleep.

other words, physical activity will give your body and brain a massive beneficial boost in just one shot. It is no coincidence that back in ancient Rome, scholars already used to preach ‘mens sana in corpore sano’ – a healthy mind in a healthy body.

Fitness trainers often recommend a mixture between cardiovascular and resistance training. Of course, weight training becomes more important past the age of fifty when age-related muscle loss begins. But any form of regular exercise is beneficial too. Moderate physical activity, ideally every day for just twenty to thirty minutes, significantly improves mood, reduces stress and boosts productivity. You don´t need a gym, as there are so many other ways to stay active. Pilates or ballet core, swimming, tennis, golf or yoga are just a few options. The latter being particularly suitable if your goal is to improve your flexibility and combine sport with meditation for stress control.

Exercise is one of the pillars youthful appearance and good health are built on. Have you ever wondered why the movements of youngsters are so fascinating to watch? Kids generally adopt a good posture, are flexible like bouncy balls, and have the permanent urge to be physically active. And is it not true that an adult, regardless of their age, who has maintained a good flexibility, energy and bounce in their movements, immediately comes across much younger than they actually are?!

Choosing and maintaining regular exercise that works for you, may be one of the most effective ways of slowing down the aging process. Not only as your movements will immediately appear younger and you feel energised, but your metabolism and many other bodily processes will benefit too. Last but not least, the release of feel-good chemicals called endorphins and the growth factor BDNF, will ensure the feelings of happiness and calm after exercise. They support the survival of existing neurons, stimulate the growth of new ones, as well as facilitate the connections between them. In

I am neither particularly sporty nor, am I interested in spending much time getting better at the sports I failed to learn as a child. I ski, have regular phases in which I practice yoga, and I have no excuse not to use my home gym and pool, whenever I have some time to spare. But the most enjoyable physical activity for me is going for brisk walks through nature. I enjoy being in the woods, walking along the beach, or around the lake in St Moritz with my mobile phone on mute. My mind is truly able to drift off and I can release all the pressure. I notice that my breathing becomes deeper and more relaxed, and I return with a clear mind and a big smile.

To be continued...

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Roberta de P a!i photographer

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ST. MORITZ’s SOUL

ST. MORITZ’s SOUL

ROBERTA de PAOLI

ROBERTA de PAOLI

Roberta de Paoli was born in Milan and has been living in Miami for years.

Florida's human and metropolitan landscapes represented the beginnings of her photographic activity, that she is now also carrying on across the globe.

Her works are based on the search of beauty and curiosity, her lens looking for the uniqueness found in each different person - the one that makes every event special and exclusive.

Roberta believes that the person looking at her pictures should be impressed not only by their beauty, but most of all, by the sensations and emotions they create. www.ishotwithmysoul.com

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SWISS ART GURUS GO LOCAL π The world-renowned Gallerists Hauser & Wirth have opened their doors in St. Moritz. 4,400 sq feet of exhibition space, spanning 3 floors of a building located in the famous Palace Galerie, in the centre of the town.

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hong kong · london · los angeles · new yo

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T. MORITZ HAS LONG BEEN AN ENCLAVE of creativity. The surrounding area was home to the Giacometti family and Alpine painter Giovanni Segantini. Over the course of the past two centuries, a range of cultural and intellectual figures have visited and been inspired by the Upper Engadin region, from philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, writer Thomas Mann and dancer Vaslav Nijinsky, to a host of artists including Gerhard Richter, Julian Schnabel, Richard Long, and Joseph Beuys. Legendary connoisseur Bruno Bischofberger was the first gallerist to establish a space in St. Moritz in 1963, and the region is now home to a number of modern and contemporary galleries.

It has expanded over the past 26 years, to now include outposts in Hong Kong, London, New York, London, Somerset, and Gstaad. The gallery represents over 80 artists and estates who have been instrumental in shaping its identity over the past quarter century, and who are the inspiration for Hauser & Wirth’s diverse range of activities that engage with art, education, conservation and sustainability.

HAUSER & WIRTH has built a reputation for its dedication to artists and support of visionary artistic projects worldwide in addition to which they are widely admired for a sympathetic approach to restoring historic buildings and giving them a new lease of life as contemporary art spaces that invigorate surrounding communities. From the conversion of its first permanent venue in the former Löwenbräu brewery building that became Hauser & Wirth Zürich in 1996, the gallery has developed

ST. MORITZ WAS THUS A NATURAL STEP for Ursula Hauser & Iwan Wirth. Founded in 1992 in Zurich, it remains a family business with a global outlook.

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and sensitively restored existing structures that respond to their environments, connecting international art with local culture through architecture.

In 2003, an Edward Lutyens-designed former bank on Piccadilly became Hauser & Wirth’s first London gallery, while a decade later, in 2013, the legendary Roxy discotheque and skating rink became the gallery’s second New York space. In recent years, the gallery has renovated Durslade Farm, a collection of dilapidated farm buildings in rural Somerset, into world-class art centre Hauser & Wirth Somerset, as well as redeveloping a 100,000 sq. ft. former flour mill, the Globe Mills complex, in downtown Los Angeles in 2016. In 2018, Hauser & Wirth Los Angeles was awarded Los Angeles Conservancy’s highest honour, the Chair’s Award, which recognizes the importance of preserving the historic places that make Los Angeles unique. Hauser & Wirth is currently constructing its first purpose-built gallery space at 542 West 22nd Street in New York’s West Chelsea art district.

Hauser & Wirth has built a reputation for its dedication to artists and support of visionary artistic projects worldwide.

IN ST. MORITZ, H & W occupies a building owned by Badrutt’s Palace Hotel, in which the architect Luis Laplace oversaw the interior remodelling. Laplace has previously worked on a number of Hauser & Wirth projects.

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They decided to open their doors in December of 2018 she reveals a deep identification with her mother, who with an exhibition by renowned French-American art- died when Bourgeois was twenty years old. Her mother ist Louise Bourgeois (1911-2010). Comprising a selec- and maternal grandparents originated from the French tion of works from the last decade of Bourgeois’ life, town of Aubusson, famed for its textile industry, and ‘Papillons Noirs’ includes a series of black fabric heads her mother ran a tapestry restoration workshop – thus, alongside late experimental works on paBourgeois came to associate sewing with per that belong to the artist’s collection. the act of reparation: “I’ve always had a The fabric heads were created roughly fascination with the needle, the magic between the years 2000 and 2003, when power of the needle. The needle is used to Bourgeois was in her late eighties and repair the damage. It’s a claim to forgiveearly nineties. The title of the exhibition ness”. Employing familial techniques is drawn from one of Bourgeois’ ‘psychofrom her childhood, Bourgeois confrontanalytic writings’, a group of texts writed her past literally and metaphorically, ten while she was undergoing intensive stitching together scraps of old fabric to psychoanalysis. gain a semblance of understanding and Penned on a loose sheet of paper datreconciliation. For her, art was inextricaed 31 January 1966, the phrase is an bly entwined with personal experience old French metaphor for melancholic – it was a channel through which she exthoughts, and references her depression plored the depths of her emotions. In her Louise Bourgeois and anxiety. She often referred to colour art-making, Bourgeois fused the intensias representative of emotional states; for her, black ty of the moment with memories of events and people was symbolic of mourning, despair, regret and guilt. from her past.

BOURGEOIS LAYERED HAND-SEWN SCRAPS of black terry cloth, tapestry, and fragments of her own clothing to form the features of her fabric heads. In these works,

BEGINNING IN 1991 BOURGEOIS began employing the Cell as an archetypal structure, which she described as “environmental sculpture”, to represent

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themes of trauma, memory, and architecture. She portraiture or an image of any one individual, but played on the linguistic meaning of ‘cell’ to refer- instead with the effect that the individual can have ence the biological unit that constitutes the body, on another, and the emotional dynamic played out as well as the idea of isolation or imprisonment. by the encounter with the other. With her fabric The Cells on view here heads, she explores a comprise a distinctive range of psychological subgroup of the series, expressions and complex called ‘Portrait Cells’. emotional states – love, TH They are composed of sexuality, suffering, and steel mesh, glass, and death – through the wood, with the black fabheads’ features and the In St. Moritz, Hauser & Wirth will present ric heads either sitting ways in which they have an annual programme of exhibitions focused at the base or suspendbeen constructed and upon the contemporary artists ed from above. In ‘Cell sewn. The maternal, th and 20 century masters it represents.

XXIV (Portrait)’ (2001) feminine, and familial A series of events and educational activities three heads, each with aspects of fabric provide will accompany the exhibitions. two faces, are bound toa sense of tenderness.

Hauser & Wirth will also partner with gether at the neck and With these deeply intiBadrutt’s Palace on a number of hang from the top of the mate forms, Bourgeois collaborative projects to run concurrently mesh enclosure. Adjustrevealed many facets of with the exhibition programme in St. Moritz. able mirrors are situated the human experience, at the base of the vitrine, and conceived a beautifurther multiplying the heads and their double fac- fully haunting language that extends far beyond her es in the reflected space. life. ‘Papillons Noirs’ is curated by Jerry Gorovoy, who worked closely with Bourgeois from the early BOURGEOIS WAS NOT CONCERNED with traditional 1980’s until her death in 2010.

THE MASTERPIECES OF THE 20 CENTURY

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Fashion

A Passionate Gentleman

VIGAL

by Giorgia Chiampan Since the dawn of time, hair embodies a magical symbol and this is what makes it so inherently fascinating.

Hair represents the pure expression of a person’s vital energy, it frames the face, and as such, completes an individual’s identity even though, as science has proven, it has no functional, existential purpose.

In all of the world’s different cultures, hair is associated with numerous values and concepts, in both males as females: Strength, fertility, virility, sensuality and knowledge. Not forgetting the various rituals that hair is involved in – rituals that are rooted in traditions, in a sense of communal belonging, a class, a creed, or an ideology.

The semiotic importance of hair has been manifested through the biblical episode of Samson, in which the cutting of hair became equivalent to a loss of strength and knowledge; through the ancient Greek mythology of Medusa, the figure of Gorgon whose hair Athena is transformed into

snakes, so that she is punished and made unsightly; through Sif, the Norse goddess of wheat and Thor’s wife, whose golden hair down to her feet allowed her to fertilise the land and thus made her into the most beautiful of goddesses; and again Shiva, Hindu male deity, from whose hair flows the Ganges, the sacred Indian river that takes to the afterlife; and endless other examples.

The artistic representation of gods, heroes, noble damsels of heart or birth, emperors and queens all have one thing in common: The presence of thick hair.

It was only in the 20th Century at the dawn of the industrial age, that practicality took over. First men and then women began to cut their hair, without losing the care that has continually been amplified, reaching its highest levels today; the Vigal method.

Milan, Porto Cervo, St. Moritz.

Three epicentres of beauty salons that bear the name of a man who cannot simply be defined as a ‘Hair Stylist. He is an individual who is more than entitled to wear the ‘Artist’ label.

Alessandro Viggiani’s career started with art. He breathed it and learned

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it, experimenting with different techniques and styles to discover that: “Art is in everything that is created through the desire to not only improve but also, to improve oneself. To do what satisfies you is the secret to creating beauty”.

Originally from Lissone in the province of Monza, this hairstylist began his career by styling the hair of friends and relatives, dedicating himself to a passion that has continuously grown, drawing his inspiration from Magritte, above all. He built bowler jackets, hats and cylinders with hair, internalising the words of the greatest exponent of Surrealism “reality is above all in the imagination”.

Subsequent to the loss of one of his dearest friends, his desideratum to find beauty in this world became a necessity, transforming his passion into a personal ‘tribute’ to life, wishing for it to become accessible to all. This was the beginning of his hairdressing career even though he was still a student of art. Therefore, and thereafter, he enrolled at the Academy of Hairdressing Art in Milan.

He worked, studied and practiced. At the age of merely 19 years, he was thrown into the world of fashion shows and entertainment, following the requests of celebrities such as Naomi Watts, Christina Aguilera, Naomi Campbell, Karolina Kurkova, Giorgio Armani, and many others. He quickly however realised that this glossy world was not the right path for his artistry.

He understood that the customer’s experience and well-being was what he cared about most, and so comprehended that a life in the salon was what suited him best. Because the salon is to a hairstylist what an atelier is to an artist or a kitchen to a chef. It is the beating heart of creativity that will make his work one that is filled with gratification.

At the age of 22, he helped open international salons for a cosmopolitan brand, in addition to teaching its employees the art of styling hair. This was to become the big turning point of his career, as he realised that this form of work was absorbing all of his energy, taking away any space that could give a free rein to his creativity.

Although the economic dimension was an interesting one, it rose laterally, in proportion with his dissatisfaction.

Albeit having travelled down the road

of a successful and busy career, he preferred to take a much riskier path, “because no amount of money can replace a dream”.

Alessandro gave up everything and opened his first ‘Vigal’ salon in Porto Cervo, Sardinia, focusing on the improvement of everything that he had experienced up until this moment: The welcome of the client, the relationships between colleagues, as well as the working techniques. He changed his approach to beauty ‘tout court’, focusing all of his energies on the individual client.

In the space of just a few years, his dreams became reality, with additional salons in Milan and St. Moritz opening their doors. The Vigal Hair Artist school was soon to follow and today, another salon in London is in the planning. The

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basic principle of Vigal is that “the work of the hairstylist is linked to serving others, and the art of serving means being well and well-being is beauty.

The person who takes care of himself is beautiful”. Fashion is not an aesthetic canon; it’s just the attitude. A hair stylist must be able to help it unfold, and the concept of this luxurious experience is unveiled at the base of his innovative method, which allows the wellbeing of hair to be revealed by itself. The focus is placed on giving time and attention to each customer, getting to know him or her and making he or she feel at ease. This not only encourages self-confidence but also a feeling of personal security.

The hair stylist, or rather his art, not only guides you to achieving a greater personal beauty, it also makes you more self-confident.

Fashion

Fashion, Fame & Fabulousness

MONCLER The story of a brand that climbed the rockiest mountains to conquer the highest peaks of fashion.

by Giorgia Chiampan A creative process may originate from a practical need, from an overall vision, or even, from a dreamlike image. The real difficulty does not so much lie in the first step toward the creation of something. In today’s society, more so than ever, the importance is being placed on maintaining a value’s longevity, wherein the rhythm of production responds to a pure logic of consumption, independent of its use.

In order to understand the conduct of a

brand like Moncler, one needs to go just that little step further.

Its journey began in the mountain village of Monestier-de-Clermont, near Grenoble, with its rugged and steep paths alternating with its vast yet benevolent plains. In 1952, René Ramillon and André Vincent, founded their company there - producing only a single model of a lined cape with hood that was born for the absolute cold, up to an altitude of 8000 metres.

It was a robust and functional article that was immediately met with the local public’s approval, quickly also

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gaining in ‘renommée’ in neighbouring territories; locations where the postwar economic boom gave rise to a new social phenomenon: Holidays in the mountains. Italy and Switzerland were the trendsetters, and this recreational activity soon became a status symbol of economic well-being.

Quickly Moncler seized the opportunity by making itself known as a producer of technical wear with its sponsorship of the Italian expedition to K2 in 1954. This was also the period in which the Swiss Raymond Fellay stood on the podium of the Italian Olympics in 1952, and

Zeno Colò won the downhill at the Oslo Olympics in 1954. Skiing became one of cultures main protagonists, with the demand for equipment and technical materials becoming increasingly concentrated. This provided Moncler with the opportunity to experiment with new volumes, both light and heavy at the same time.

The turning point came in 1968 when the French team won all of the medals at the Olympic Games in Grenoble. Their official uniforms were branded with Moncler’s rooster which subsequently entered history by his own right.

Moncler’s success was an avalanche, invading the ski slopes with its bright spots of colour.

From the peaks of the most exclusive ski resorts such as St. Moritz, Kitzbühel, Cortina or Verbier, to the streets of the chicest cities, the step became a short one. During the 70’s and 80’s, this high-performance clothing was worn by young, middle-class individuals who were direct heirs of the post-economic boom prosperity. A hedonist group, that stood out through the pro-American ideologies of the Reagan period; eating food from the States such as the hamburger. The group developed its own specific vocabulary of selfexpression, particularly by referring to the world of television shows, hence wearing casual clothing, jeans, shirts and work boots. But above all, by following a lifestyle based on consumerism. They are referred to as the ‘paninari’, a youth movement that spread from Milan through Italy and to Switzerland, bringing with it, new aesthetic values linked to an obsession of designer clothing, sports and entertainment. The brand’s logo became indissolubly associated with the concepts of the middle class, the entrepreneurial class – through ambition, as well as a life in the open air, free time, well-being and care for one’s body.

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Fashion / MONCLER

At the dawn of 1990’s, Moncler had become so symbiotic with Italy that there was nothing left to do, but to sell it to the Italians. Slower years arrived in which the market started looking elsewhere, preferring a low-key approach to style.

But fashion can be defined by its cyclical aspect, with its peaks of lightness and its eclipses. It was hence in 2003, with the arrival of Remo Ruffini as the new head of the brand, that the product was relaunched through a strategic repositioning into the arms of the world of luxury.

The down jacket became characterised by new values and staged on the world’s catwalks. Specific lines were created; Gamme Rouge; Moncler Gamme Bleu; and Grenoble. These new lines were refined garments that not only adapted to city-life but also, the snow-covered peaks, and a sophisticated public started wearing Moncler. It was not simply a breath of fresh air for the fashion world; it was art, it was technological innovation. It was; pure genius.

The product - that was never to lose

its functionality - was subsequently delivered into the hands of some of the most admired designers, through which a definitive transformation into installations, performances and Haute Couture began. Collaborations with some of the world’s top designers took place: Pierpaolo Piccioli (artistic director at Valentino) for the Genius 1 line; Sandro Mandrino (former design director for Gucci and Prada men’s wear) for the Grenoble and most technical clothing section; Karl Templer (Interview Magazine’s creative director) became responsible for Moncler’s main line named 1952; Simone Rocha (Irish stylist and art’s ‘daughter’) was the author of the collection 4; Craig Green (an English designer and finalist in the LVMH Prize) took care of the collection 5; Kei Ninomiya (Commes des Garçons former fashion designer and founder of the Noir brand) was in charge of collection 6; Hiroshi Fujiwara (Japanese designer and music producer) collection 7; and finally, Francescao Ragazzi (founder of Palm Angels) for the collection 8. Numbers that indicate laboratory testing, similar

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to the famous Chanel No.5.

Experiment 1 was a line encompassing the essence of purity; 2 that of pop accent’s, 3 the multiform style, 4 encapsulated pragmatic femininity, 5 the natural habitat and 6, forms of wearable geometry. It was a challenge that perfectly matched and encapsulated its market implementation, as in 2013, Moncler entered the stock exchange and within a year, saw its prices rise by 46.76%.

Now, 5 years down the road, it seems to be maintaining this constant upward trend.

Strategy, creativity, and courage have shaped the new World of Moncler, which cannot and will not, disown its past. Its initiative to dress up to 1,300 ski instructors of the St. Moritz, Kitzbühel, Verbier and Megève ski schools, with the technical garments of its Grenoble High Performance capsule, another stroke of sheer genius; because these are the mountains that the brand owes its fundamentals to, and the ones that it will always pay homage to - and this, despite the locations of the world’s fashion capitals.

Fashion / APRÈS SKI AND SKIWEAR

Wild and

Free

Après Ski and Skiwear as seen through the eyes of students at the Moodart Fashion School in Verona

Stylist / Alessandra Arrighi Ph ⁄ Michele Laccone Make-up artist / Tania Canovi Model / Havana@Major Long denim jacket: Levi’s Green down jacket: Colmar Fox Fur: stylists archives

by Giorgia Chiampan

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Left page Stylist / Linda Degiorgi Ph / Angela Parolin Make-up artist / Marta Picone Model / Tamila@Wonderwall Tartan Skirt, Polo neck sweater & Shoes: Zara Fishermans hat: Fred Perry T-shirt: Moschino underwear Jacket: Stylist archives Right page Stylist / Giulia Danese Ph / Federica Onnivello Make-up artist / Tania Canovi Model / Ludovica@Major Goggles: BollĂŠ Bomber jacket: North Face Polo neck sweater: Tommy Hilfiger

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Fashion / MONCLER

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Stylist / Sara Summa Ph / Giulia Belloni Make-up artist / Martina Bellinato Model / Dasha@Major Angora sweater: Aspesi Panties: Wolford Tights: Wolford Synthetic fur gloves with chain strap: Urbancode

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Stylist / Giorgia Dante Ph / Angela Parolin Make-up artist / Martina Bellinato Model / Dasha@Major Ski wear: stylist archives Bomber jacket: Collusion Glasses: Asos Design Orange sweater: Collusion Striped sweater: Collusion

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Stylist / Anna Maccarrone Ph / Roberta Azzetti Make-up artist / Tania Canovi Model / Dani@Beman Beanie: Oakley Goggles: Carrera Ski gloves: Reusch Sweater: stylist archives Ski boots: Lange Ski’s: Head

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Stylist / Diarra Dioume Ph / Virginia Bertoldi Make-up artist / Asia Rigatelli Model / Malia@Brave Trousers: BDG Polo neck sweater: Calvin Klein Bomber jacket: Alpha Industries Pouch bag: Supreme Glasses: Salice Thanks to the Moodart Fashion School, Verona

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within the crown

The Engadin valley is known for its many magnificent 5-star hotels, exquisite boutiques, and superb restaurants. It is also home to four establishments that have developed throughout the years into bona fide little gems; filled with history, tradition and a pure love for hospitality and culinary delight.

Four diverse locations, united by this love and all four managed by women.

by Bartholomew Merriweather

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PHOTO COURTESY OF HOTEL STEFFANI

Gems

Tips / GEMS WITHIN THE CROWN

GLATTFELDER Coffee, Tea and Caviar Glattfelder is a family-run business and has been for three generations.

It was established in 1931 by James Glattfelder as a delicatessen and colonial goods store, that supplied individual clients as well as local hotels and restaurants. It soon became an essential fixture in the village, providing clients with the most exclusive, gourmet products. In 1974, it changed hands to the second generation.

Tazi, James’ son, saw an opportunity and used his exuberant personality to transform the little colonial goods store, into a veritable ‘Tea, Coffee and Caviar hub’. The little ‘Caviar Stübli’ was created - complete with ‘Arven’ wood walls, 4 cosy little tables and exquisite china - allowing guests a home-like environment to taste the many different varieties on offer.

Respecting his father’s original ideas, Tazi maintained the focus on the most exclusive Teas and Coffees and to date, these as well as Caviar, define the core of the business.

A shrewd business man to say the least, Tazi transformed the local business into one of international ‘renommée’. Coffee, Tea and Caviar are shipped internationally throughout Europe and as far as South Africa and South America. The teas come from the best plantations in India and the local ones, are made of flowers and herbs from neighbouring ‘Val Poschiavo’. The secret recipes of the Glattfelder coffee blends from Central and South America as well as India have been maintained through the generations and most of the Caviar now originates in China.

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Nina, Tazi’s daughter, took over the reins 20 years ago, delighted to do so as she had been spoon-fed on 'Iranian Gold' from a young age and the business as such, runs in her blood. The transferral to mainly Chinese Caviar was her decision: “Initially I was very sceptical about the concept of Caviar from China” she admits. “However, after visiting the facilities in Hangzhou and the Lake of a Thousand Islands where the sturgeon is kept for the first couple of years, I was speechless.

I had never expected such purity of water, such state-of-the-art professionalism and a scientific

understanding of the process to produce perfect Caviar. I will never forget entering the production facilities and seeing three Iranian Caviar Masters, men who knew my father from his visits to the Caspian Sea. Men who had learned the art of Caviar making from their fathers.

True artists�.

Entering the premises of Glattfelder, clients are immediately engulfed by an atmosphere of immense passion.

Comprehensive explanations as to the origins of the produce as well as an incredible enthusiasm, greets patrons as soon as they pass the threshold of the locality. It is worlds apart from the big grocery stores, and the feeling of pride can be felt immediately, enveloping its visitors.

There will never be any compromise as to quality, and the company that was started by her grandfather, has found a perfect advocate in Nina.

By now a renowned business on a global scale - it shall never sell at airport duty free stores or feature in the sale racks of large department stores. It will never come as a package deal with a bottle of Vodka or a selection of chocolate. But it doesn’t need to, as connoisseurs know that the name Glattfelder speaks for itself.

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Tips / GEMS WITHIN THE CROWN

HOTEL STEFFANI Fresh DNA

The story of the Hotel Steffani, conveniently located in the middle of St. Moritz village, dates back to 1869.

Under the direction and management of Lorenzo Steffani (the hotel owner), it was the first hotel in St. Moritz with a public restaurant and under today’s new name, Le Lapin Bleu, it is one of the few, that is open 365 days a year.

Ignoring the seasonal aperture dictated by summer and winter, the extensive menu, superb wine list and cosy mountain atmosphere have made it an integral part of the village amongst locals and guests from around the globe. The restaurant décor was inspired by its 19th Century wooden panelling that was combined with a modern interior. The consolidation of materials typical to the Engadin with regional artefacts from days gone by, give it that certain ‘je ne sais quoi’.

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In 1923 the Steffani was taken over

by Walter Märky, and here it stands today, in the firm hands of the 4th Märky generation. In 1928, the Steffani was home to athletes and officials of the Olympic Winter Games and it has maintained this tradition, hosting sport enthusiasts from around the world, especially in the confines of its Cresta bar, a favourite amongst the riders of the famous British sport as well as locals. Ruth and Moritz Märky – the 2nd generation - took over the management in 1954. They doubled the size of the hotel and upon the arrival of the 3rd generation with Brigitte and Peter Märky in 1982, extensive renovations took place. In addition, the Märky’s opened the first and sole Chinese restaurant in St. Moritz -‘Le Mandarin’ - in 1985. In 2010, a brand new kitchen was installed for the 30 cooks to prepare a great cuisine, as well as adding a beautiful and modern Pool & Spa area. Guests can while away the relaxing pre-dinner hours in a heavenly ambiance of recreational enjoyment.

Today, the 4th generation - Daniela and Francesca, stand at the helm.

Sisters that have hospitality running through their veins, greeting patrons in a most welcoming and passionate way. The immense pride in their establishment is felt no sooner visitors pass the threshold, after taking note of the rabbit that flanks the entrance.

Originally an advertisement that was created for the 1928 & 1948 Olympic games, this rabbit was presented to Walter Märky by the town of St. Moritz for his patronage and loyalty. Since then it has seen many a person walk in and out; from Giorgio Armani to Ornella Muti to Rolf Sachs. The rabbit remains, retaining it’s important position as it has established itself as far more than a mere symbol – a mascot not only for the Hotel Stefanni and the Märky family, but for the whole of the Engadin.

The sisters beautifully renovated all 40 rooms in 2018; functional yet traditional.

All rooms differ slightly and the quality throughout, one of exceptional standing and in keeping with the environment of the Engadin valley. A historic picture here, an intricately designed metal lamp there. An antique suitcase transformed into a table in one corner, and handmade pillows meticulously placed on the divans throughout. Patrons are greeted by the crackling fireplace in the entrance hall and the smiling, front desk staff that can only be described as more than helpful. The Steffani celebrates its 150th Birthday this year, and the village can only be beholden to the two sisters, that have infused this most wonderful establishment with fresh DNA.

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Tips / GEMS WITHIN THE CROWN

HOTEL EDEN Pia’s Home

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The Unique Hotel Eden would not be what it is, if it were not for Pia. Proudly displayed in one corner of the wonderfully cosy entrance, a table filled with teddy bears. These are not however, ordinary versions of the famous stuffed animal. They all come from the exclusive department store Harrods in London. And if that weren’t enough, they are all special editions, presented to Pia with gratitude by a wonderful British couple that have come yearly, for the past twenty years. Because this is what the Hotel Eden is known for; repeat guests that have their own room, year after year, season upon season, as Pia more than ensures her visitors well-being.

Soft spoken, elegant, nearly motherly in a purely positive sort of way, she is without a doubt, the heart and soul of these four walls.

Nicolaus Hartmann (1880–1956), who not only constructed many of the imposing Hotels in the area but also, some of the most representative buildings: The Segantini Museum, the ‘Herz Jesu’ Church in Samedan and the administrative building of the SBB (Swiss National Train). The Hotel Eden, maintained throughout its early years by investors, has always predominantly had a female touch as it was these investors wives, that ran the establishment throughout the early years. Used as a Swiss army warehouse during World War II, it finally had water and electricity installed in the late 50’s. Pia’s father inherited the Hotel as part of an estate in 1959, with his brothers receiving the Sporthotel Bären and the Hotel Belvedere respectively. A family with a long history in hospitality.

Originally dating back to 1885, the Eden’s walls have seen much.

Built by the famous Engadin architect

Pia started working in the family business in 1975, and completely took over the management of the Hotel

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Eden in 2002. She does not see it as a commercial business, but rather as an extension of her family. She loves the fact that her guests have moved on from the purely conservative, to enjoy the more modernist twist that she has included. The rooms are all different, some modern some more traditional, but all without fail, with a personality of their very own. The welcoming crackle of the fireplace in the tea room provides guests with an atmosphere of days gone by. Every corner is filled with little memories, from a collection of toy old-timers to the history of aviation. Her father’s much-loved horse sleighs are distributed in precise manner; one in the breakfast room serving as the breakfast buffet, another beautifully painted rendition in the entrance and yet another, in the tea room where one can sit as if in the Scottish Highlands - if it weren’t for the snowy mountains - sipping tea, or maybe a gin & tonic.

Tips / GEMS WITHIN THE CROWN

HOTELINO Petit Chalet

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Located in Celerina, St Moritz’s next-door neighbour, the Hotelino Petit Chalet. Conveniently positioned just at the bottom of the ski slopes, the Hotelino is a beautifully designed Chalet that first opened its doors in 2012 - eight absolutely exquisite double rooms and suites. Purpose built with astounding attention to detail; from the little hearts in the window shutters to the antique pair of skis in

the stairway; from the old wooden doors throughout, to the natural Graubünden Valzer stone floors, and the meticulously placed decorative cowbells on the walls.

Open 365 days a year, the hotel soon became much too small for its extensive list of returning guests. The next building thus followed in 2016.

Today, the Hotelino offers four double rooms and eight stunning suites, as well as apartments available for longterm rental. Elke, the Hotelino’s owner, not only studied Hotel Management but also Interior Design. Lovingly, she contrived every corner herself - it was her goal to create an environment that was more relaxed, fuelled by individuality and thus by far more personal, than in any other of the surrounding establishments. Her concept; a 4-star boutique hotel with a 5-star quality.

A buffet, room service breakfast is served daily, on little original ‘wagons’.

As the Hotelino is a pure Bed and Breakfast, each room was conceived with its own Bulthaup or Forster Kitchens, including every possible utensil necessary for the easy preparation of all other meals. Should guests come with their extended family or friends, then the beautiful ‘Jäger Stübli’ caters to a total of 14 persons. It is a cosy, veritable

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mountain living room, with fireplace, lounge area, surround sound music and television system. It even includes a fog machine as well as disco lighting.

Of course, this room can also be rented out for private functions.

The rooms and suites all vary in size, from the smallest with 32 m2 to the largest suite with 90 m2, all with a personality of their own, and each, with either a balcony or little private garden. Elke chose materials of quality typical of the region, and has combined these with all the modern comforts imaginable; from the Billerbeck beds to the Rivolta Carmignani sheets; the sitting room furniture covered in olden times skiwear materials and each bathroom, leaving nothing to be desired - even the night table lamps were especially produced by hand.

Underground, a large garage from which one can enter the buildings via a living room like lobby. After a day of fresh air, visitors are welcome to the stunningly finished spa area complete with sauna and salt grotto - spending 45 minutes infusing your body with salt air is the same as spending ten days at the sea side.

Most guests and families return year upon year because Elke offers the best that family living in the Engadin has to offer.

Global news EUROPEAN UNION ̦ SWITZERLAND

UNITED KINGDOM ̦ SINGAPORE

by Roberto Pucciano CEO of Anchorage Group

United Kingdom Brexit for UK Residents With less than 50 days to Brexit, the increasingly polarized state of British politics has reared its ugly head once again. As flawed as embattled prime minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal is to many, Chancellor Philip Hammond’s statement that Britain would reap a “deal dividend” if it avoided a no-deal exit should not have been controversial, as it was premised on the simple economic truth that more clarity on the future UK-EU trading relationship would be good for the economy as many business projects currently on hold would come to fruition. But controversial it was, especially after recent Treasury data showing the economy grew by just 0.2% during the final three months of 2018, three times lower than third quarter growth.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics compounded this misery, confirming that business investment and corporate spending all fell significantly too in this period.

In spite of Labor’s calls to rule out a no-deal Brexit (a scenario that Tory backbenchers fear May could fall into if she accedes to negotiations with opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn), it looks more and more likely. The economic effects of such an abrupt transition are likely to be severe. Already, Nissan has pulled the manufacture of a new SUV at its plant in Tyne and Wear, other car manufacturers are stockpiling parts, numerous banks have started shifting employees to Dublin and Frankfurt, and Panasonic and Sony have moved their EU headquarters to Amsterdam.

Indeed, it’s never a good sign when your central bank warns of your slowest growth since the financial crisis,

with a 25% chance of a recession by year end. Still hope remains that either May drops one or more of her “red lines” - perhaps by compromising her heretofore refusal to grant freedom of movement across borders - and the EU reciprocates by conceding ground on the thorny issue of the Irish backstop. If not, a no-confidence motion in the prime minister, if not a second referendum altogether, may be all that stops the economic hurt in the short- and medium-term.

European Union Brexit for UK Residents While Brexit will undoubtedly hit UK residents the hardest, it has already had a large effect across the channel.

The European Commission recently cut its 2019 and 2020 growth and inflation forecasts for the Eurozone as a whole, given the trade, investment, and regulatory uncertainty, as well as potential future dips in consumer confidence. This ambiguity regarding the continent’s future economic relationship with the UK has come at a tough time too, given the existing tensions around the WashingtonBeijing trade spats.

Much depends on how close to a single market and customs union London can come without political pushback, and how close to this edge Brussels will accept given Prime Minister May’s refusal to all free movement of people and UK jurisdiction for the European Court of Justice. Will it be a harder “Canada Brexit” modeled on the EU-Canada trade and investment agreement, which would allow relatively free trade in goods and agricultural products, but stop short of liberalizing services? Something

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more akin to a softer “Norway Plus”, premised on Norway’s more close integration that still bars Oslo from voting rights or formal membership?

Or even something completely different, like the economically-open but immigration-strict Singapore? As the clock ticks, some of Europe’s major airlines - from Iberia to Aer Lingus – have found themselves at risk of being grounded as they are owned by UKbased International Airlines Group, and drug importers are bracing for lengthy quality checks at the border that could imperil patients. And the fate of the 3.4 million EU citizens in the UK and the 1.3 million British in the EU is also up in the air. The draft Brexit agreement would have protected most of their existing rights, but, as it is now clear, its passage is anything but certain in the coming weeks.

Switzerland Global News As the uncertainty around Brexit continues, however, Switzerland recently (and quietly) signed a trade continuation deal with the United Kingdom that would maintain UK-Swiss trade under their current preferential terms. The country is looking to build on the substantial progress it has made in addressing international concerns around the secrecy of its banking sector, with announcements made earlier this month regarding ongoing probes into Swiss-linked corruption involving Venezuelan and Brazilian state-owned firms. Bern’s seizure of assets belonging to the son of Equatorial Guinea’s authoritarian leader further demonstrates its growing commitment to promoting financial transparency and ending tax

avoidance schemes on its soil.

Still, Switzerland’s refusal to send officials to Germany last fall in order to examine the leaked Panama Papers in detail shows that it continues to tread a balancing act between calls for further banking integration and maintaining its reputation for being a haven for (sometimes controversial) capital inflows. Just ask disgraced former Renault-Nissan motor chief Carlos Ghosn, who was on the cusp of moving his tax domicile from the Netherlands to Switzerland before he was arrested in November on charges of financial misconduct. The Swiss parliament’s decision late last year to strip foreign companies of significant preferential tax treatment staved off being all but blacklisted by the EU and OECD. However, their plan hit a bump in the road last month as opponents successfully gathered 50,000 signatures, enshrining its place on the ballot in May. This wouldn’t be the first major government initiative scuttled by voters. But since lawmakers

shrewdly tied the measure to a 2 billion Franc/year increase in the state pension system, they may have the last laugh.

Singapore Global News Leadership in “The Lion City” has historically been a markedly family affair, with the nation’s long serving founding father, Lee Kuan Yew, and his son, Lee Hsien Loong, serving as prime minister for 40 of the 54 years since independence. The Lee dynasty is soon set to end, however, with the ascendance of Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat, chosen last year as the likely next leader of the ruling People’s Action Party. While the city-state can boast the second-highest GDP per capita in the world, Heng will still have his hands full dealing with a population – the so-called “independence

generation” - that is aging at the second-fastest rate in the world, with retirement savings not keeping up with the rising cost of living for many. What is more, Singapore’s stock market – long a gateway to Asia for firms going public and seeking capital – has been steadily losing listings to Hong Kong and other regional competitors.

Given that elections may be called as soon as later this year, expect a mild spending spree by the government, which is keen to increase security spending. A maritime dispute with Malaysia led to a minor collision off Singapore’s western coast earlier this month, and the island’s leaders are also looking to boost cybersecurity defenses after a recent large-scale hack that resulted in the theft of medical data belonging to 1.5 million residents, including that of Prime Minister Lee. At the same time, the government’s well-known conscription policy has been coming under increasing scrutiny by citizens, given the recent deaths of a popular actor and three other servicemen.

British actor Charlie Chaplin in the political satire comedy film "The Great Dictator" (1940).

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La Marmotte in the wall I LIVE IN THE ENGADIN mountains, surrounded by all its magnificence and peculiarities (in every sense of the word). There are 12 different varieties of my species and we are highly social beings, using loud whistles to communicate with one another especially when we are alarmed. I am sure that you can relate, as your visits during high season most definitely prove the need to do so; there are so many loud and extravagant individuals amongst you. Even though we spend 9 months a year in hibernation, the remaining 3 are personally enough for me to do what I do best; blend in and observe.

If there is one place in this universe where one can do that exceptionally well, then St. Moritz wins the prize. Most of the strange humans that suddenly arrive in my little town are masters of self-concern, and thus don’t notice me anyway. I love that.

As preparation for my annual hibernation I visit some of the restaurants in town, little tips I would like to share with you. The Chesa Veglia, one of the most renowned places, most probably has the best Pizza; La Dama Bianca… I dream of it whilst sleeping. The service more than cordial, impeccable, Valerio and Annabella - well, go meet these lovely people yourself. Hungry as always, a little visit to the Saluver in Celerina – Grumpiness looked at me so no, not on my current wish list. The same can’t be said for Arturo, also in neighbouring Celerina.

Excellent typical Swiss food and two wonderful ladies, ever present. If you feel like me, a little bit overfed and much plumper – walk up to Salastrains.

Beware of the horse carriages and cars but if you make it, Grillo and his staff, as well as the food, are incredible. And should you be lazy, the home delivery from the Laudinella an excellent variant to the menagerie-like atmosphere

found within most locations. Don’t miss out on the Champagne version of Cheese Fondue at the Engiadina by the lake.

It will make you dream for days and months to come… and whatever you do, don’t forget to dance on the tables at La Baracca, or partake in a Caviar tasting at the Glattfelder ‘Stübli’.

The arrival of the crowds brings with it astonishing and sometimes outlandish individuals. A very superior German couple graced us with their presence the other day. The lady gave the Corvatsch serious competition, with a nose held at heights of exorbitant proportion. Please do not invade my space in this manner – there is no need. Or is there? Maybe keeping up with the Jones’ is a serious and necessary occupation for some.

And then again there is the fashion; glittering shirts and painted leather jackets that might look better on a teenager, mini-skirts and tight dresses leaving nothing up to the imagination.

Or even the bee’s nests (note to self; hairdresser to avoid). Then there are the gentlemen. Why is it that they feel the need to transfer native dressing into clown-like variations? Somebody should encourage them to visit Michel at Excelsior for much needed advice. And what of the high heeled boots in the snow? The clinic Gut has its work cut out…

The main attractions of the St Moritz Zoo can be found in the lobby of the Badrutt’s Palace. Who was that again in the tartan trousers and white version of Woody Allen glasses, a young foal hanging onto his arm? Is it his wallet or personality? And what of the young lady of eastern origin, clad in designerlogo tracksuit, facetiming her friends at full volume,

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showing all - from the tea cup to the ceiling? Great advertisement however, I must say. I feel sorry for my contemporaries that are worn not only in floor length variations but most astonishingly, also covering heads fresh out of their plastic surgeons’ offices. But then again, maybe a good thing as the frozen faces of so many should probably be kept hidden. Then there are the children that seem to believe they are the Kings and Queens of this universe, white truffle and caviar eaten in abundance. I wonder what they have on their Christmas wish lists? And hello, is that the female version of Goldfinger or just an enormous Ferrero Rocher gracing us with her presence? At least the contents of the suit seems to think she won the beauty jack pot!

But then again, there is so much more.

Beauty, landscape, culture, Gourmet Food Festival, Polo, White Turf and the more than sublimely elegant gentlemen of the Cresta, in their red and yellow sweaters. Or the cute, gorgeous little girl strutting around with her Unicorn beanie and the two little Dachshunds in their stars and stripes coats; no, not Trump supporters, Swiss and thus

neutral. But big supporters of the Dolce Woofana – don’t tell me you haven’t heard of it?

Jet after bigger jet is landing at Samedan airport, not quite ready for Air Force One however. Is this why the US president is a noshow at the WEF this year? But I understand why everyone feels the need to land their aircrafts here, because it is definitely the most beautiful and exciting village in Switzerland. So smile, you have arrived on candid camera.

Sending you love from the top of the world.

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!m"te xoxo La M

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