AIR Magazine - Empire Aviation - September'21

SEPTEMBER 2021

SALMA HAYEK

In nature, the falcon is a fierce fighter. In business, the Falcon 8X is just as powerful and agile. Every inch reflects its military DNA, with lean and mean aerodynamics and advanced Digital Flight Controls to get you to places others can’t. Nothing flies like a Falcon because no other jet is built like one.

Fierce. Fast. Agile. Falcon 8X.

DIFFERENT DIFFERENT BYBY DESIGN. DESIGN. DISRUPTIVE DISRUPTIVE BYBY CHOICE. CHOICE. Unprecedented Unprecedented performance. performance.

Industry-leading Industry-leading technology. technology.

Exceptional Exceptional comfort. comfort.

Introducing Introducing the new the midsize new midsize Praetor Praetor 500 500 and the andsuper-midsize the super-midsize Praetor Praetor 600 –600 the –world’s the world’s most most disruptive disruptive and technologically and technologically advanced advanced business business jets. jets.

A record-breaking A record-breaking best-in-class best-in-class range.range.

Enviable Enviable performance performance in challenging in challenging airports. airports.

Full fly-by-wire Full fly-by-wire with active with active turbulence turbulence reduction. reduction.

Unparalleled Unparalleled comfort comfort in a six-foot-tall, in a six-foot-tall, flat-floor flat-floor cabin.cabin.

Ka-band Ka-band home-like home-like connectivity. connectivity.

PowerPower the future. the future.

Take Take command. command.

Lead Lead the way. the way.

LearnLearn moremore at executive.embraer.com. at executive.embraer.com.

IN T RO IN TDRO U CDIN UG C ITNHGE TNHEEWN E W

Contents

AIR

SEPTEMBER 2021: ISSUE 120

FEATURES Thirty Six

Salma Hayek

Forty Two

Not A Lot Of People Know This…

Cast as ‘the bombshell’ for much of her Hollywood career, A new book charts the the unfiltered superstar is relationship between Michael finally having her say.

Caine and Terry O’Neill.

4

Forty Eight

Fifty Four

Model Jourdan Dunn has always been something of a trailblazer. Next up? Training to be an actor, of course.

How the sleaziest private detective in LA had dirt on everyone from Marilyn Monroe to James Dean.

Dunn With Negativity

Not So Confidential

BIG BANG TOURBILLON AUTOMATIC Orange sapphire case. In-house tourbillon automatic movement.

Limited to 50 pieces.

Contents

SEPTEMBER 2021: ISSUE 120

Credit: Bar des Prés

REGULARS Fourteen

Radar

Sixteen

Objects of Desire Eighteen

Critique Twenty Two

Art & Design Twenty Eight

Timepieces Thirty Two

Jewellery

EDITORIAL

Sixty Two

Chief Creative Officer

Motoring

John Thatcher john@hotmedia.me

AIR

Seventy

Journeys

by Jet

ART Art Director

Kerri Bennett

Seventy Two

What I Know Now

Illustration

Leona Beth

COMMERCIAL Managing Director

Victoria Thatcher General Manager

David Wade

david@hotmedia.me

PRODUCTION Digital Media Manager

Muthu Kumar Sixty Six

Gastronomy Cyril Lignac is a star in his native France. As he looks to expand his culinary empire with the opening of his first international restaurant, AIR meets a man confident of further success.

Tel: 00971 4 364 2876 Fax: 00971 4 369 7494 Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from HOT Media is strictly prohibited.

HOT Media does not accept liability for any omissions or errors in AIR.

6

Service and detail that shape your journey.

Immerse in the luxury of rich experiences at the JW Penthouse Suite and Marquis Penthouse Suite, spread across two levels of impeccably designed space with a touch of traditional Arabic design.

Each 624sqm suite features two separate bedrooms with two separate living rooms.

Additional benefits include complimentary airport transfers, private check-in and check-out and access to the Executive Lounge on the 37th floor.

Enjoy celebratory dining in 10 award-winning restaurants and bars, and pampering at the luxurious Saray Spa.

JW Marriott® Marquis® Hotel Dubai marriott.com/DXBJW Sheikh Zayed Road, Business Bay, PO Box 121000, Dubai, UAE | T +971.4.414.0000 | jwmarriottmarquisdubai.com

ALPINE EAGLE XL CHRONO The pure yet bold Alpine Eagle XL Chrono is a column-wheel chronograph equipped with a flyback function. Its 44 mm case houses the Chopard 03.05-C chronometer-certified automatic movement, for which three patents have been registered. This exceptional timepiece is made of Lucent Steel A223, an exclusive ultra-resistant metal based on four years of research and development. Proudly handcrafted by our artisans, it represents the expertise and innovation cultivated in our Manufacture.

Empire Aviation Group SEPTEMBER 2021:ISSUE 120

Welcome Onboard ISSUE ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY

Welcome to this issue of AIR – our onboard lifestyle magazine for aircraft owners and charter clients. If you are reading this onboard one of our Empire Aviation-managed flights, thank you for flying with us and we wish you a pleasant flight.

India is an incredibly exciting prospect for private aviation with the scale, economic dynamism and wealth to become a significant market for services, including new and pre-owned aircraft sales, acquisitions, business jet charters and charter management. Our one-stop shop approach to providing a range of integrated private aviation services is attracting existing aircraft owners based in the country.

Today, India is already one of our most important charter markets, with business and leisure travellers flying (literally) to destinations all over the world. In this issue, we profile our operations in India as we prepare to develop our services in the subcontinent substantially – more of this to follow in a subsequent issue.

Our relationship with India goes beyond the needs of business travel and in this issue we also feature a strong and growing relationship with one of our luxury travel partners – Raffles Seychelles – which attracts guests from across the world, including India.

The luxury island resorts of the Indian Ocean remain very popular leisure destinations for affluent travellers and we recognised this appeal when we tied-in with luxury property Raffles Seychelles, with a view to combining luxury hotel stays with private jet charter. It's an attractive package especially during these challenging times, with complicated and ever-changing travel restrictions. There are also some additional guest treats available when booking stays through Empire Aviation.

As we look ahead to the rest of the year, we are quietly confident that international travel will continue to pick-up and with so many major events planned – including those in the Middle East region – we look forward to a gradual return to more normal times for us all.

Enjoy the read.

Paras P. Dhamecha Managing Director

Contact Details: Cover: Salma Hayek Getty Images

info@empire.aero empireaviation.com

9

THE ONE-STOP SHOP FOR BUSINESS AVIATION SERVICES Empire Aviation offers a comprehensive range of integrated services, including aircraft sales and acquisitions, aircraft management, charter and CAMO.

DUBAI I INDIA I SAN MARINO I USA I NIGERIA I EGYPT I INDONESIA

E: info@empire.aero T: +971 4 299 8444 I F: +971 4 299 8445 WWW.EMPIREAVIATION.COM

Empire Aviation Group SEPTEMBER 2021:ISSUE 120

Our affiliate in India – Empire Aircraft Management Services Pvt Ltd – is a private aviation specialist operating in the subcontinent since 2012. Empire Aircraft Management provides a complete range of integrated business aviation services, including aircraft management, flight operations, aircraft brokerage, charter management services and CAMO (Continuing Airworthiness Management Organization) to the fast-developing market.

When Empire Aircraft Management was awarded a Non-Scheduled Operator's Permit (NSOP) by the Civil Aviation Department in India, in November 2017, it enabled the company to provide its aviation management support to privately owned aircraft in the country.

Today, Empire Aircraft Management has several business jets operating in India, including aircraft under charter management available to the charter market. In 2016, Empire Aircraft Management opened a dedicated CAMO and Compliance facility that operates from a sub-branch at the Aerocity in Delhi. The company also has a corporate office in Bangalore.

Certification as a Continuing Airworthiness Management Organization (CAMO) is an important area of the company's growing business in India. It is an integral part of the aircraft management service provided to aircraft owners. CAMO is awarded by various aviation regulatory authorities (including San Marino, Cayman Islands, United Arab Emirates, Isle of Man and India) to aircraft management companies responsible for managing aircraft maintenance and keeping them airworthy. Empire Aircraft Management has developed its CAMO experience to the point where this substantial expertise is now offered as a standalone service to third-party aircraft owners and operators in India.

The company has an experienced team of international aviation professionals developing all aspects of the business for several years in response to the unique private aviation opportunities that India represents.

The team is headed by Nirav Kotak, Country Head, an experienced corporate jet pilot and training manager with over a decade of international

Developing personalised private aviation services in India Empire Aircraft Management provides a complete range of integrated business aviation services in the country

Nirav Kotak

business aviation expertise.

As Nirav Kotak says: "Empire Aviation is very optimistic about the prospects for the business aviation market in India as more companies expand their operations domestically and internationally. We believe we can help fill a gap and meet the demand for professional aircraft management services to assist aircraft owners and customers. We assist in managing

all aspects of their aviation assets to allow owners to enjoy all the benefits of owning and operating their aircraft.

"India represents a significant part of our charter business at the moment, as we fly businesspeople to – literally – everywhere in the world, within current restrictions. Beyond charter, there's a growing interest in aircraft acquisition and we are currently working on several transactions, either selling to replace aircraft or buying new planes on behalf of Indian owners. Most of those aircraft are expected to join our growing management fleet within the country.

"Since launching in 2012, Empire Aviation Management has grown and developed their offerings and tailored services in a personalised approach, working closely with customers on aircraft management services or acquiring new or pre-owned aircraft.

"Our philosophy has always been to share openly with our clients our full range of expertise as a trusted partner and advisor in business aviation, which is a complex and highly regulated sector. We will soon introduce new service elements in India and we believe the future for this sector looks very positive as the market evolves and develops quickly."

11

Empire Aviation Group SEPTEMBER 2021:ISSUE 120

Raffles Seychelles – partners in luxury leisure travel Why booking your trip to paradise with Empire Aviation offers multiple advantages The Indian Ocean's luxury island resorts retain an enduring appeal for affluent travellers looking for a unique combination of luxury, privacy and security. The beautiful and unspoiled tropical surroundings, wildlife and beaches of the Seychelles ensure it continues to be one of the favourite destinations.

Surrounded by pristine white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters, Raffles Seychelles is a luxury pool villa resort located in the heart of the Seychelles. Situated on the northeast tip of Praslin island, it's around 40km from the main island of Mahé and just a 15-minute plane or helicopter ride (the resort has its own helipad).

Praslin is the second largest granite island in the Seychelles with a small population of over 7,000 people. It's a heavenly paradise imbued with some of the most impressive and unspoiled natural beaches and tropical 12

landscapes in the world.

Praslin is also home to a range of unique natural attractions such as the Vallée de Mai, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where you can spot the Coco de Mer – the world's heaviest nut, from trees almost 400 years old – and the black parrot, the world's rarest bird, only found in the Seychelles. Just a few minutes from the resort, you can experience the world renowned Anse Lazio beach, with its idyllic setting of white sand and turquoise water framed by lush vegetation and dramatic granite formations.

The island is ideally located for excursions to neighbouring islands, some of which are sanctuaries for rare endemic flora and fauna, such as Aride island, the finest seabird island in the western Indian Ocean; Curieuse island, home to hundreds of giant tortoises; or La Digue island, praised for its stunning beaches.

Raffles Seychelles combines all the beauty of white powdered sands, opalhued oceans and lush green hills, with very spacious and contemporary-designed villas with private plunge pools and open spaces. The villas take full advantage of the tropical paradise, spread across gently sloping hills and offering privacy with breathtaking views of the Indian Ocean and the island's lush greenery.

Whether you are looking for rest and relaxation, wellness, sports and adventure, or a romantic escape (wedding ceremonies on the beach are popular) Raffles Seychelles is the perfect location with a range of world-class facilities – and the kids will enjoy it too.

The concierge service will ensure you never miss an opportunity to get the most from your stay.

Guests booking their stay through Empire Aviation can benefit from special offers on accommodation and treats including privileged Raffles Spa services.

Your Partner In excellence

Audit We carry out comprehensive legal, financial, managerial and tax audits.

We isolate the issues and highlight the key areas for improvement, aimed at optimizing operational profitability.

Expertise Our firm specialises in issues requiring a sophisticated technical approach.

To this end, we bring our expertise to situations requiring in-depth analysis, enabling us to adopt the most appropriate strategies.

Level 41, Emirates Towers Sheikh Zayed Road PO Box 31303 Dubai

☎+ 971 (0)43132315 ✉ dubai@gfkconseils-juridis.fr

Strategies We develop together, on the basis of the specific paradigms of your entity.

After defining the scope of our intervention, the strategies we devise are implemented to resolve the problem at hand. www.gfkconseils-juridis.fr

13

Radar

The particular skill of legendary makeup artist François Nars lies in his ability to reveal the true personality of a subject’s face, via both expert application and photography. 300 such examples are chronicled in a new oversized volume, Persona, which captures creative figures of all ages in colour images shot against a rich black background.

Noted subjects cast in their best light include Tilda Swinton, Naomi Campbell, Bella Hadid, Sharon Stone (right).

Persona by François Nars is published by Rizzoli New York

Credit: © François Nars / Rizzoli New York, 2021

AIR

SEPTEMBER 2021: ISSUE 120

14

15

OB JECTS OF DESIRE

OBJECTS OF DESIRE

Master craftsmanship, effortless style and timeless appeal; this month’s must-haves and collectibles

OB JECTS OF DESIRE

MB&F

L E G A C Y M A C H I N E F LY I N G T When it debuted in 2019, the Legacy Machine FlyingT was the first of MB&F’s three-dimensional models dedicated to women. It launched with three editions, with a further three following in 2020. For this year, LM FlyingT adds a new dial plate in vivid green malachite. Its

familiar characteristics include a round case in platinum, with a steeply cambered bezel and slender, elongated lugs, set with diamonds. A high, extravagantly convex dome of sapphire crystal rises from the bezel, with the tourbillon positioned just beneath it.

1

OB JECTS OF DESIRE

DIOR

L ADY DIOR Lady Dior steps out for the new season with a new look, as Maria Grazia Chiuri turns to the dark side.

Christened Ultra Glossy, the lustrous look with its cannage pattern sports a monochrome finish, from the patent calfskin leather to the metal hardware.

2

It’s a bag that manages to successfully marry tradition to modernity, and is versatile to boot: available in small and medium sizes, it has a removable leather shoulder strap, which also allows it to be paired with one of myriad embroidered straps.

OB JECTS OF DESIRE

RICHARD MILLE

R M 0 7- 0 1 C O L O U R E D C E R A M I C S Richard Mille has certainly enlivened the world of female timepieces since launching the RM 07-01 – both in terms of overall design and in recognising women’s ever-increasing interest in the mechanical workings of timepieces.

Each of the three models in the new RM

07-01 Coloured Ceramics collection, set apart by a brand new case colour and graphic dial elements, is limited to an edition of 50 timepieces, and combine the very highest levels of mechanical watchmaking, movement engineering, and decorative finish.

3

OB JECTS OF DESIRE

M U L B E R RY

LIT TLE GUY CLUTCH As part of the brand’s ongoing 50th anniversary collections, Mulberry has partnered once more with Alexa Chung, whose eponymous bag proved one of the house’s most popular. The latest chapter of Mulberry Editions – a series of limited-edition capsules – Mulberry

x Alexa Chung comprises two styles: a roomy shoulder bag, the Big Guy, and a compact clutch, the Little Guy, shown here in a striking apple green. Utilising materials sourced from environmentallyrated tanneries, both styles are crafted in Mulberry’s carbon neutral factories.

4

OB JECTS OF DESIRE

LOUIS MONET

HOPE PROBE TOURBILLON While other countries may commemorate their space missions with the likes of an outsized coffee mug or T-shirt, there was little chance the UAE would follow suit following its successful Mars’-orbiting probe. And so, we have this: Louis Monet’s Hope Probe

Tourbillon, a one-of-a-kind creation that contains an authentic meteorite fragment from the Moon and genuine Martian meteorite dust. The green tourbillon carriage, measuring 13.59mm in diameter, is balanced by means of the planet Mars rotating around it.

5

OB JECTS OF DESIRE

E V E R R AT I

G T4 0

Everrati was founded to further the legacies of some of the most desirable and iconic cars in the world (the 964 generation of the 911 being one such model), redefining and re-engineering them with state-of-the-art electric drivetrains while maintaining and enhancing the character of the

originals – zero emissions being the one welcome differentiator. For their latest legacy model – an electrified version of the legendary GT40 – Everrati has teamed with Superformance, who build continuations of classic racing cars from the Sixties.

6

OB JECTS OF DESIRE

7

OB JECTS OF DESIRE

J E SSIC A MCCOR M ACK

F I V E S T O N E M U LT I - S H A P E D I A M O N D R I N G The late Barbara Hepworth is widely considered to rank among the twentieth century’s greatest sculptors. Her abstract pieces have influenced many down the decades, with London-based diamond jeweller Jessica McCormack the latest to be inspired by Hepworth’s

work. It informs her On The Rocks collection, which, like Hepworth’s sculptures, emphasise organic contours (think pebbles). This Five Stone ring is fashioned from oval, baguette, and carré-cut diamonds which are embraced by their gold surrounds.

8

OBJECTS OF DESIRE

Critique SEPTEMBER 2021 : ISSUE 120

Film

Bring Your Own Brigade Dir. Lucy Walker Why are catastrophic wildfires increasing in number and severity around the world? That’s the question posed in this documentary.

AT BEST: ‘Passionate, personal and profoundly moving.’ — Leslie Felperin, Hollywood Reporter AT WORST: ‘Lacking the concision to bring home its argument, it’s a dyed-in-the-wool systemic mess.’ — Ryan Lattanzio, indieWire

Flag Day Dir. Sean Penn AIR

Sean Penn directs and stars as John Vogel, one of the most notorious counterfeiters in US history, whose fractious real life relationship with his daughter the film depicts.

AT BEST: ‘A solid and worthwhile effort for [Penn] both as actor and director.’ — Pete Hammond, Deadline Hollywood Daily AT WORST: ‘Everyone in this movie is doing career-worst work.’ — Mark Asch, Little White Lies

Stillwater Dir. Tom McCarthy Roughneck Bill Baker’s attempt to prove his worth and regain his daughter’s trust is truly tested when he tasks himself with freeing her from prison.

AT BEST: ‘The principal cast members bring emotional authenticity that resonates in an impactful way.’ — Carla Hay, Culture Mix AT WORST: ‘Unfortunately, the plot keeps dragging the movie down.’

— David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter

Annette Dir. Leos Carax When a globally acclaimed opera singer and a stand-up comedian have their first child, their lives are completely changed.

AT BEST: ‘Will likely have some audiences running from it screaming as much as it will have others worshipping at its altar.’ — Dave Calhoun, Time Out AT WORST: ‘It’s all tied together sloppily and with a pretentious bow.’

— Alysha Prasad, One Room With A View 18

Critique SEPTEMBER 2021 : ISSUE 120

Books F

novel considers the pursuit of happiness in all its complexity.”

In After The Last Border we follow Mu Naw, a Christian from Myanmar, and Hasna, a Muslim from Syria, as they fight to survive and belong in America in the wake of the country’s ever-shifting refugee policy.

“Required reading for anyone trying to understand the challenges of getting to and surviving in the United States in the Trump era…What makes this book so different from other works that tell similar stories is the talent and doggedness of Goudeau, who brings an insider’s authority to the page,” says The New York Times Book Review.

Reviews the San Francisco Chronicle: “Thorough reporting combined with a novelistic attention to detail and plot create a work of nonfiction that reads like the best novels…deeply moving.” While fellow author Kate Bowler heralds the book as, “Absolutely breathtaking. A story of the unbelievable resilience of two refugee families, worlds apart, and the desperate humanitarian crisis that brought them to our doorstep.”

The All-Night Sun sees an orphaned teenage girl fall into an all-consuming friendship with the new girl in class, which makes her feel as though she is reclaiming her lost adolescence – before the friendship takes a dark turn. “An unsettling, mesmerizing debut,” says Refinery29. “In gently hypnotic prose, Zinna [Diane] beautifully explores the transformative powers of grief, loneliness, intimate friendships, and the hunger we have to be understood.” Says Publishers Weekly: “Inventive and luminous, Zinna’s intimate debut dazzles with original language, emotional sentience, and Swedish folklore as it plumbs the depths of grief, loss, and friendship [and] reaches an inspired emotional depth that, as the title signifies, never stops blazing.”

Zinna’s writing style was also the focus of praise from fellow author Pamela Evans, who describes it as “Sensuous and hypnotic. Diane Zinna has gifted an empathic prose-poem to anyone who has felt displaced by loss and in search of a path out of the stalemate of memory.”

Credit: Penguin Random House

rom Ellen Airgood comes Tin Camp Road. It tells the story of a mother and daughter who, when evicted from their home, are pushed further to the margins of society, where fighting for each other against all odds they must learn to foster the resilience that will keep them alive. “Airgood’s characters feel true and rich…internally complex as they strive for happiness, connection, fulfillment, and comfort in each other, their surroundings, and themselves. A leisurely read with a strong sense of place that is ideal for pairing with the stony beaches of Lake Superior or the sharp crackle of a campfire,” reckons Booklist.

“An affecting portrait of the region and its residents, filled with love and pride,” hails Kirkus. Fellow author Bonnie Jo Campbell was equally fulsome in her praise for Airgood’s characterisation. “The characters in Tin Camp Road are so vulnerable it hurts. So much is at stake for Laurel, a young single mother struggling to make ends meet, that this novel reads with the emotional momentum of a thriller. This achingly beautiful

19

AIR

Andes sofa

20

AIR X WEST ELM

Distinctly Mine

West Elm’s bespoke furniture service bridges the gap between trend and individualism, and it’s just reached the Middle East

F

or those who keep tabs on each season’s latest furniture trends, West Elm’s collections consistently deliver. Indeed, since 2002, the Californiahelmed brand has made a name for itself among those who like to switch up their homeware with the times. Twenty years later, there’s good news for Middle Eastern followers of interior trends. West Elm’s Made to Order service launched in Dubai last month, adding another layer of style to their fashionable collections.

Revolutionising the way we shop, one sofa at a time, the Made to Order service provides furniture customisation. The service, currently solely running from West Elm’s store at The Dubai Mall, gives shoppers the chance to work with in-store designers to customise fabric.

Available on selected sofas, sectionals, and armchairs, begin by choosing an item you like the shape of before meeting with The Design Crew. A team of interior specialists, The Design Crew will help you pick from over 20 different fabric options and can even create a digital mock-up of your home so that you can picture the bespoke item in your space.

Though West Elm might be known for

Newport sectional

their trend-conscious pieces, each piece of furniture takes inspiration from classic design and is traditionally well-made. As such, their collections are contemporary, but have been crafted to stand the test of time. Adding to their longevity, each item of furniture is stitched from high quality fabrics that have been ethically sourced.

When being on trend but standing out from the crowd is key, the Made to Order service means that your furniture will echo both style and individuality. So, you can rest in the knowledge that when you’re redesigning your home, you’ll in fact be crafting a space that is, distinctly your own.

Visit westelm.ae and follow @westelmmena

Harmony sofa set

21

Art & Design SEPTEMBER 2021: ISSUE 120

A Design For Life From underground subcultures to the mainstream, the style journey of sneakers is now documented in a major exhibition

AIR

WORDS: PRUDENCE WADE

I

t’s hard to imagine a time sneakers weren’t everywhere. For many of us, lacing up a pair of trainers is the only way to complete an outfit, whether you’re off duty or in the office.

Trainers have had such an impact on culture and fashion, and they’re now the subject of a dedicated exhibition at the Design Museum in London – Sneakers Unboxed: Studio To Street.

Running trainers have been around since engineers realised they could fuse vulcanised rubber and canvas together in the early 1900s. When it comes to fashion, sneakers really came into their own in the late 1970s.

“The east coast US was a big hub for sneakers worn as style,” explains the exhibition’s curator, Ligaya Salazar.

“Basketball played a big role, because basketball stars were the aspiration.

People came in droves to see NBA players play streetball rather than NBA basketball, and that shifted the

22

coolness of the sport massively.”

Players would often match their sneakers to their outfits, and fans soon followed. This was “really the first point where sneakers became worn as a style”, suggests Salazar.

Adidas and Puma shoes were particularly popular, because they were “quite rare and expensive”, she says, “and that’s something that continues up until now – the idea that you want something that is coveted.” Now, big brands might only produce a certain amount of one style to boost exclusivity and allure – but back in the 1980s, it was all done by accident: Adidas was simply suffering from distribution issues.

Anyone who watched the 2020 documentary The Last Dance will know basketballer Michael Jordan signed with Nike when he was just a rookie in 1984, and Air Jordans helped blur the line between sport and fashion.

It wasn’t just basketballers getting in

23

AIR

Opening pages: sneakers on show at Sneakers Unboxed: Studio To Street These pages: installations at Sneakers Unboxed: Studio To Street; RUN DMC

‘

It’s about standing out a little bit, but not too much. It’s about looking fresh, keeping things clean

’

24

on the action. Other subcultures, such as skateboarders on the west coast of the US, were also experimenting with sneakers in the Seventies and onwards.

They originally wore sturdy Vans, but when the company experienced financial difficulties, new shoes were needed.

Skateboarders soon adopted Air Jordans – Nike had flooded the market, meaning you could buy them for cheap – ready to be roughed up on the halfpipe.

Run DMC’s 1986 song My Adidas was a huge turning point. The song was “nothing to do with sponsorship whatsoever”, Salazar explains. “It was just what they love – it’s part of their culture, so they rapped about it.”

Adidas soon realised the power of this authentic marketing and came knocking on Run DMC’s door, making them “the first non-sport endorsement by a sports brand, ever”.

Basketball was much less of a phenomenon outside of the US, but sneakers were still on the rise. The casual subculture bubbled up in the late 1970s, mainly made up of working class football fans. For Salazar, “casual culture is the culture that really embraced sneakers as a style – particularly Adidas, but also lots of other European brands, such as Diodora. They really embraced it, in a similar way that the east coast Americans did – they were really interested in keeping them very pristine, and them being really rare.”

Salazar suggests the English and American subcultures had a totally different focus – but, in a sense, the same focus: “It’s about standing out a little bit, but not too much. It’s about looking fresh, keeping things clean – it’s a working-class mentality in some ways.”

It would be impossible to cover all the subcultures who helped make trainers what they are today, but Salazar particularly points out cholombianos in Mexico (known for

their customised Converse shoes) and the bubbleheads of Cape Town (who favoured bubble-soled trainers).

Run DMC set a blueprint for the future of trainers, soon dominated by musicians and collaborations.

The grime scene was particularly influential in the UK, and one style ruled supreme: Nike Air Max. Salazar says the scene was all about “the tracksuit and trainer look. It’s a practical look,” she says, “but it’s also defiant – and always linked to the Air Maxes.”

Grime artist Skepta continues to make shoes with Nike, and he’s just one of the countless sneaker-musician collaborations. From Eminem and Nike to Kanye West or Pharrell with Adidas, collabs continue to be big business.

Looking back, it seems obvious sneakers were on the path to greatness – but it still took a long time for brands to realise they were for more than just sport.

For Salazar, the real shift has only happened in the past 10 years.

“It’s to do with major figures doing sneakers,” she explains, referencing some of the big collaborations – including Rihanna’s iconic creepers, designed for Adidas in 2015.

This helped make sneakers mainstream, along with “a general move towards more functional clothes and sportswear”, says Salazar. “It’s a combination of factors that came together to make it something that’s normal.” The advent of the internet and social media helped propel these celebrity collaborations to the fore.

So, what of the future of sneakers?

Salazar hopes it will become less male-dominated, more diverse behind the scenes, and more ecofriendly. She says: “I think the future should be sustainability – I would really like the brands to be more responsible for that.”

25

AIR X ROMAIN GERARDIN-FRESSE

Making a Difference

AIR

The award-winning global firm GFK Conseils-Juridis excels at supporting high-net worth individuals and businesses with legal, financial, and strategic expertise. Built on pillars of quality, efficiency and recognition, it’s now established in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia

F

ounded in 2017 by Romain Geradin-Fresse, GFK ConseilsJuridis offers a turnkey legal service around the world for high profile individuals. With branches in Europe, the Middle East, the United States and Asia, it specialises in business law and corporate strategies.

With proven ability to secure assets and to solve problems, GFK ConseilsJuridis has earned global acclaim.

Strategy With advances in technology not slowing, and far stricter regulations on wealth than ever before, Romain Gerardin-Fresse noticed that high-net worth individuals needed greater legal support. The former political advisor and legal expert set about crafting an authoritative team of associate lawyers, accountants and lobbyists, who had experience in dealing with business, tax, and crisis communication. Along with the combined expertise of its team, GFK Conseils-Juridis has also brought together a network of private banks and management funds to protect the wealth of their clients. Now, the firm, which is helmed in Nice, finds solutions for large groups like multinationals and foreign governments, along with high-profile individuals such as actors and celebrities.

26

Innovation Recently, GFK Conseils-Juridis helped the Prime Minister of the Republic of Djibouti, H.E. Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed, to establish credibility of his banking establishment in the Djiboutian state. They developed incentives and encouraged international investments, so that the Republic of Djibouti is set to become the epicentre of African finance. This increase in funds has seen the state set up a data centre, digital university, and free zone, thus establishing a stable digital economy.

Progression Knowing that the world is continually developing, GFK Conseils-Juridis takes great pride in its balance of a reactive and proactive approach. “Proactive strategy results from the use of analyses to determine the best option to prevent a problem,” says Romain.

“During the implementation of a new strategy, we continuously monitor the progress and adjust to improve what does not achieve the expected result.” Ensuring success, the firm also uses a reactive approach during crisis management and can, “deal with problems in real-time, without prior analysis or planning.” It’s in this equilibrium of proactivity and reactivity

that the firm has become a solution to all legal and strategic problems, whether individual or business related.

MEET THE FOUNDER Voted one of the top 25 strategists in the world, Romain Geradin-Fresse, the founder of GFK Conseils-Juridis, is a multi-award-winning business leader. As a former diplomatic and political advisor, his expertise lies in advising those with assets. Setting up GFK Conseils-Juridis in 2017, he was quickly recognised for his innovation and business expertise.

Awarded ‘Man of the Year 2020’ by Global Investor Magazine, ‘Strategist of the Year 2020’ by European Business Magazine, and ‘Man of the Decade 2010-2020’ by Business Sight Magazine, Romain has garnered an international reputation for the resolution of complex cases and the drafting of bills that contribute to constitutional changes. He is also a valuable member of the American Society of International Law, a contributor to the World Economic Forum agenda, and a member of the Forbes Finance Council.

gfkconseils-juridis.fr

Romain Geradin-Fresse

27

Timepieces

SEPTEMBER 2021: ISSUE 120

The Gifts That Keep On Giving The pre-owned and vintage watch market is said to be worth £20bn-plus – little wonder parents are investing in pieces for their children

AIR

WORDS: TRACEY LLEWELLYN

I

t was the picture-perfect birthday party for a three-year-old. A video posted to YouTube, and datestamped 12 July 2021, showed children holding hands and singing, a birthday girl dressed in a pink tutu next to a fairy-tale-themed cake towering above her, and ended with a mother sharing a story of how her daughter woke at 2.30am to play with her presents.

Nothing unusual here, except the child in question was Kulture Kiari – daughter of excess-worshipping US rappers Cardi B and Offset – and among her new playthings was an exclusive pink and diamond Richard Mille watch, rumoured to be worth in excess of $300,000.

Naturally, the proud parents have come in for a lot of criticism from disapproving onlookers for both the extravagance and the style of the watch. Richard Mille’s USP is its use of high-tech materials to make ultra-reliable, robust and lightweight timepieces, but this is often overridden by clients’ desires to ‘ice them to the max’ with gemstones.

And sparkle is definitely a penchant of Kulture’s parents, as demonstrated through their own impressive watch collections that include Patek Philippes, Audemars Piguets, Rolexes and, of course, a clutch of Richard Milles (Kulture herself received a diamondstudded Patek Nautilus just last year).

28

But was the gift really as misguided as so many of the comments left by outraged spectators would have us believe? Perhaps not, bearing in mind that there are now an estimated 12 million watch collectors out there in the world – arguably a conservative figure that is rising every day – with a pre-owned and vintage market said to be worth £20bn-plus.

Will little Kulture wear her enormous new RM every day? Of course not. But when she turns 18, as long as Richard Mille’s brand value continues on its current trajectory, her rather generous gift is likely to have increased in value more than many other traditional investments.

Could Cardi B and Offset be the vanguard of a new tradition? As one watch collector said when discussing the idea: “It could become a thing.

On the birth of a son, why not celebrate by putting his name on the waiting list for Eton, for a Morgan and for a Patek Philippe Nautilus.”

Of course, the harder the watch is to obtain, the more desirable it is and the ongoing trend at the moment is for steel sports watches.

Anyone who purchased one of the few olive-green Patek Philippe Nautilus ref.5711 models from this year could already be selling it on at 10-times that price, while an original blue model from the 1970s could set you

back up over $200,000 at auction.

A current Rolex Submariner nodate is listed at £6,450 ($8,950), but huge demand and low supply means that obtaining one on the pre-owned market is likely to cost you closer to £11,000 ($15,260)– a mere snip when you consider that UK-based auction house Fellows sold a 1970s Military Submariner ref. 5517 last year for £165,200 ($230,000). Looking at more recent times, the Omega Speedmaster Silver Snoopy Award limited-edition that cost just £4,650 ($6,450) new in 2015, is now trading with preowned watch specialist watchfinder. com for £38,500 ($53,400).

Watches as children’s gifts to mark specific milestones are nothing new – although in the past, there was maybe a stronger element of sentimentality involved in giving them.

Famously, the UK’s Prince William is rarely photographed without the Omega Seamaster 300M that was given to him by his late mother.

Actors Paul Newman and Marlon Brando passed watches on to their daughters, both later being sold in aid of charitable causes (the Newman Rolex Cosmograph ‘Big Red’ Daytona ref. 6263 sold for $5.5m in 2020, while the Brando Rolex GMT-Master ref.

1675 fetched $1.95m a year earlier).

David Silver, owner of the Vintage Watch Company in London’s

29

Burlington Arcade, specialises in ‘birth year’ Rolexes with models dating back to the early 20th century. He says that there is currently a lot of activity in the ‘gifts for children’ market. The average child’s age for Silver’s company is 12-13, with other spikes at 18 and 21, however, he says that increasingly, parents are buying vintage pieces for their babies and having them engraved with a view to presenting the watch to the child when they get to their teens.

“It’s the gift that really keeps giving,” he says. “What started off as a rare watch becomes increasingly rarer as time goes by. It is very sentimental, but also an appreciating asset that when the child hits his or her 20s or 30s has become a notable investment.

Also taking the vintage view, executive director of Somlo London, Daniel Somlo, says: “[A vintage watch] can be a fantastic investment. If I were to have purchased a 321 calibre Omega Speedmaster 21 years ago to put away, it would have cost me a lot less than £1,000 ($1,388) and it would have appreciated massively. There is an interesting article by the late, great Chuck Maddox that says a ref. 2915 Speedmaster from 1957 was worth around $3,000 in 2000. We have now seen examples that sold for more than $400,000). The biggest advantage of getting something vintage is that it will already be appreciating in value.”

However, Somlo also issues a warning about buying the right watch from someone that you trust 30

is selling a genuine article. “The last thing you want your child to do is take their amazing birthday present to get authenticated, only to find out it’s a lemon!”

So, should people actually put their child’s name on waiting lists for the hardest to obtain watches such as steel sports pieces by Rolex, Patek, Omega and Audemars Piguet? “I’ve never heard of anyone doing that, but why not?” says Duggan. “The brands could be missing a trick. Pay for a watch now and in 15 years there will be one ready for you to pay the market difference and walk away with.”

For Sandy Madhvani, showroom manager at David M Robinson in London’s Canary Wharf, the birth of his first child was the perfect opportunity to start a new watch-related family tradition. “There is something very personal about a luxury watch and many clients have taken to purchasing one following the birth of a child. As reminders go, looking down at your wrist to see a beautiful timepiece and remembering the most special moment in your life, is a fantastic way to do it.

Madhvani explains that both he and his wife wear watches that will one day be passed to their children. “When my son Samir was seven, I took him along to the showroom. He sat entranced while I talked about Patek Philippe, and he was captivated by a particular Calatrava model. I shook his little hand and said I would buy it on Monday and that it would be the start of our

own tradition. He is now 21 years old, and I continue to care for the Patek Philippe that will one day be his. We repeated the process for my daughter Aisha, and my wife currently wears a Patek that will one day belong to her.”

Chris Youé, watch specialist at Phillips Perpetual, identifies heirloom watches as the start of the horological journey for many modern watch collectors. However, he recognises that price increases over the past 10 years have changed the equation, with watches no longer being simply sentimental gifts or a straight hedge against inflation, instead having the potential to turn into flat deposits or university tuition fees.

“I remember one man who spent months seeking out birth year Rolexes for his three sons,” he says.

“All had to be identical sports models in unworn ‘stickered’ condition from the late 2000s. Over the next five to 10 years when they come to maturity, those new-old-stock GMT’s will be super liquid and at massive premiums to the worn examples available on the market.

“As for the 18-year-old about to inherit a first series ‘Flat Four’ green bezel Rolex Submariner their father bought in 2003 to mark his or her birth, their watch is now worth 10 times the price paid for it. Of course, it will also have many memories attached to it that might make cashing in a harder choice to make emotionally.”

Credit: © Tracey Llewellyn/The Telegraph Media Group 2021

AIR

sentimental, but also an appreciating asset that ‘It is very when the child hits his or her 20s or 30s has become a notable investment ’

Opening pages: Richard Mille RM07-01, a brand that continues to rise in value These pages, from top to bottom: Rolex Day-Date 40; Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Paul Newman 31

Jewellery SEPTEMBER 2021 : ISSUE 120

AIR

New York State of Mind

Ahead of new store openings in KSA and Qatar, Maral Artinian, founder and creative director of fine jewellery brand Marli New York, on inspiration, creativity, and what makes the Marli woman WORDS: JOHN THATCHER

M

aral Artinian cuts a confident figure as she takes her seat for our interview. Dressed in a patterned suit, heels and her own-designed elegant jewellery, she sports bold winged eyeliner, channelling Cleopatra, no shrinking violet herself {and the inspiration for one of Marli’s most popular designs].

That Maral appears so assertive owes everything to Marli, the fine jewellery brand she birthed in 2013 and has nurtured into one of the industry’s fastest growing, its fans now including the likes of Scarlett Johansson, Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Lopez, and Kerry Washington.

The fact that all of these women share the characteristic of confidence is also no coincidence. They are the embodiment of the Marli woman. “She knows exactly what she wants when she enters the store,” is how Maral describes the woman she designs for. “I wanted to cater for women who were self-purchasers.”

32

33

Left: Maral Artinian All other pages: models wear pieces from Cleo By Marli collection

AIR

empower women. The Marli woman is already ‘ We don’t confident and knows exactly what she wants ’

Hailing from a family with a storied history in fine jewellery [the first generation of Artinian jewellers started out in the early 50s, while latter day brothers Arto and Saro founded the current Artinian company in 1997], Maral’s pathway to the world of fine jewellery may have been mapped out, but she did not believe it was destiny.

“I always knew I was going to be an entrepreneur, but not necessarily in the jewellery business. Yes, I come from a family of jewellers, but it’s also a family of entrepreneurs. I did go to Canada and studied psychology, but the family business always brought me back to my roots.”

Born in Syria and having lived in Asia and Europe, Maral settled in New York, where the Marli story began. “When I was aged eighteen, I could only dream that I could launch an international jewellery brand, so I took steps to find opportunities, to make it happen. The jewellery industry was interesting because I was born into it, and I knew about the craftmanship, the techniques, and the revolutionary designs my family thought up. It was fascinating.

“Little by little you understand what you like to do and acquire that knowledge. I learned that I have a passion for being an entrepreneur, a passion for jewellery, and a passion for branding combined.”

One thing Maral was quick to learn is that she wanted Marli to stand apart 34

from other brands in the market. “I didn’t want to create a traditional brand,” she states, very matter of fact.

“I wanted to design jewellery that could be worn on a daily basis, not an occasional basis for when the right moment calls. I want jewellery to be part of the outfit, not something that’s simply the last thing a woman puts on when she’s finished dressing” Did she see that gap in the market?

“Yes definitely.”

It’s a gap that has certainly widened in light of the ongoing pandemic. Without events at which to dress up and dazzle, many women have shopped for day-today jewellery designs to reflect a more casual attitude to dressing. “Women already changed prior to the pandemic,” suggests Maral, emphasising her brand’s successful ethos. “It’s not just jewellery, but luxury in general. In the US, there’s still the mindset that you wear or purchase jewellery on occasions, so it has taken me time to try and change that mindset.”

The pandemic has, however, impacted the brand in other positive ways. “One of the things that sets Marli apart is our colour variations, and during lockdown people wanted to feel colourful and happy, to enjoy what they were wearing,” says Maral.

“Lockdown was productive. The people and businesses that decided it was all doom and gloom and didn’t do anything, they were the ones to

suffer. But at Marli, we saw it as an opportunity to look ahead – we designed jewellery, we designed stores, we did so many things. I usually travel a lot, so the lockdown gave me time to focus. The most interesting thing designed in this time was what we call phase three of our store designs, soon to debut in Saudi Arabia and in Qatar, which will be one of the biggest Marli stores in the world.”

The two stores are a cornerstone of Marli’s expansion plans across the region, adding to stores in Dubai and Kuwait.

It is the location of another of Marli’s stores, New York, that’s an enduring muse to Maral, who is also the brand’s creative director. The city’s “diversity, energy, creativity and architecture” infused in every one of her resolutely contemporary creations. That’s why within the signature collection you’ll see names like Avenues [inspired by the mapping of New York’s streets], Broadway, Chelsea [a stackable set] and Deco [the style of landmark buildings like the Chrysler].

Despite the success of her family name, Maral’s pathway to the industry wasn’t plain sailing. “My immediate challenge was that a lot of people questioned where I came from,” she remembers. “They would say, ‘I know a lot of jewellery brands, but not yours.’”

Safe to say they know all about it now.

35

AIR

I AM A LOT MORE THAN WHAT YOU

SEE

Cast as ‘the bombshell’ for much of her Hollywood career, Salma Hayek is finally having her say — on everything from ageing to sexism WORDS: GAVANNDRA HODGE

36

37

AIR

S

alma Hayek is sitting on the floor of her London living room, prescription aviator sunglasses on, fag in one hand, chai latte in the other. She is wearing a fabulous Gucci creation, all Seventies swirling colours.

“It’s kind of like a kaftan,” she says, her Mexican accent still strong, despite having left her home country three decades ago. “Because I had to put on a lot of weight for the Gucci movie [House of Gucci, in which she stars with Lady Gaga and Adam Driver, playing a psychic who helped plan the murder of Maurizio Gucci].” I ask how she went about this onerous professional task.

“Pasta,” she growls. “Bread, good wine, champagne. I had the best time.”

There is a salty groundedness to Hayek, 55 this month, that makes her extraordinarily good company, even over Zoom. She is, of course, a Hollywood superstar, an Oscarnominated actress (for her 2002 passion project, Frida), a director, producer and philanthropist (she co-founded the global campaign for gender equality Chime for Change with Beyoncé). She also happens to be married to one of the world’s richest men, François-Henri Pinault, 59, who is CEO of the luxury fashion conglomerate Kering, which has labels including Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen and Gucci in its portfolio. The couple married in 2009, have a 13-year-old daughter, Valentina, and are mostly based in London, although of course there are other grand homes around the globe.

What’s it like being married to a billionaire? “I don’t see him like that,” she says. “I mean, I could. I know a lot of people who are married to someone with lots of money, or who have lots of money, but I don’t know a lot of people, maybe nobody, who feels the way I do about my husband. Most of what comes out of my mouth is crazy nonsense, but he celebrates my madness, he finds the wisdom in my jokes and manages to laugh at my dramas.” And anyway, she has her own money. “I find what I like most about money is the pride of making it. It’s not about how much, it’s about the dignity that comes from being productive in society. That’s my high.”

Hayek is certainly productive.

This year alone she is starring in three highly anticipated films: the 38

aforementioned House of Gucci, directed by Ridley Scott, Chloé Zhao’s Marvel reboot Eternals, in which Hayek plays the leader of a group of immortal superbeings, and currently The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, the follow-up to The Hitman’s Bodyguard, in which Hayek plays Sonia Kincaid, all tats and temper, married to an assassin (Samuel L Jackson), and on the road with a serenity-seeking bodyguard (Ryan Reynolds). Hayek was given carte blanche to create Sonia and decided to give her character something no action heroine has had before: the menopause. “For me it was very important to put it in the plot, because it is such a real issue for everyone,” she says. It is also an issue not traditionally associated with leading ladies. “People have the wrong assumption that [the menopause] is when a woman stops being sexy. The concept of giving us an expiration date for everything based on your ability to create babies or not is really unfair.

It should not define us as women.

For so long the concept of beauty in a woman was leaning completely to youth, and I think, f*** that s***!”

Hayek had a happy upbringing in the Mexican port city of Coatzacoalcos.

Her father was a businessman and her mother an opera singer. Her family were Catholics, and at 12 she went to a convent school in Louisiana. She was asked to leave after two years for playing pranks on her schoolmates, among other things, and returned to Mexico, but her pioneering, rebellious spirit continued to propel her. “I wanted to meet other cultures, to see the world, learn other languages, do things with my life.” Despite a hugely successful TV career, acting in the telenovela series Teresa, she left Mexico for Los Angeles when she was 24.

At first Hayek found herself typecast as strippers or maids, when she got work at all, but she persevered, nurturing a project to make a film about the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.

She spent about a decade getting the finance, the script, the rights to use the artworks, a starry enough cast, producing it with Harvey Weinstein, then of Miramax Studios. The film was released in just five cinemas on its opening weekend — this later became 800 — but it was nominated for six

Academy awards in 2003, winning two.

“It was a cry, that movie for me, it was my way of fighting racism. I felt like we were a misunderstood race, that our culture was misrepresented, and so it was a way to say, this is a Mexico that you are not acknowledging.”

What Hayek did not reveal for many years was that, during the making of the film, Weinstein repeatedly asked her to engage in sexual acts, became furious when she rejected him again and again, and bullied and belittled her to the point of physical breakdown.

Hayek wrote about this experience in a masterful piece for The New York Times in 2017, entitled Harvey

‘

What I like most about money is the pride of making it. It’s not about how much, it’s about the dignity that comes from being productive in society. That’s my high

’

These pages: Salma Hayek backstage during the 92nd Annual Academy Awards 39

AIR

These pages: still from Ride Along 2 (2016)

40

Credit: The Sunday Times Style Magazine/News Licensing

‘

Frida was so important, so meaningful to me, to my kind, and when I say my kind I don’t just mean Mexicans, I mean to my kind of woman

Weinstein Is My Monster Too. “Before I wrote the piece, I thought I had survived that brilliantly and it was done with,” she says. “To the point that I could see him and smile and pretend that everything was OK. I had held my own, I was really strong. He even said that me and Julie Taymor [Frida’s director] were the biggest ball-busters he has ever encountered. I took that as a compliment. He didn’t get what he wanted from me, and I made the film that was so important, so meaningful to me, to my kind, and when I say my kind I don’t just mean Mexicans, I mean to my kind of woman. Frida is a woman who said, I am not a woman who is going to be like anyone else, I am going to fight for my individuality.”

Hayek kept her secret, a fact that a few of her closest friends were deeply upset about when they finally learnt how she had hidden her pain from them, not allowed them to help her.

“Some people were very angry at me, like Penélope [Cruz], but I was protecting her. I kept my eye on their interaction and he never went for her. They [Miramax] were making the best movies. She didn’t have my problem, and if I told her, it would have affected her choices of things that would have been good for her career.” Hayek becomes visibly upset when talking about how she felt as the stories of Weinstein’s behaviour began to emerge. “Suddenly the trauma came back,” she says, her voice breaking with emotion. “I had thought that it was completely healed, but it was just hiding. It came back, out of

’

nowhere, and it took me a long time to understand how I had to be with it.”

She says that the process of writing the article, of adding her voice to this collective narrative of abuse, has given her a “real peace”, as well as altering her perceptions. “This problem, it’s not only about sexual harassment, it is about sexism, the constant undermining, and the desperation to please and prove ourselves. So, I was like, no way, I am going to change it because, look, I am a lot more than what you see.” This is evidenced by the way Hayek has chosen to live her life, taking control, particularly with her busy and successful production company Ventanarosa. She has also recently written a script that she plans to direct, although she cannot tell me much about the project other than that she has some big stars on board.

Hayek is happy that she waited until she was in her early forties to get married and have a child. “I had reached a place in my career [where] I’d done a lot of things; I was so excited to be a mother. I didn’t feel like it would take anything away.” By this point she had appeared in more than 20 Hollywood films, including Once Upon a Time in Mexico with Antonio Banderas and Dogma with Matt Damon; she had also produced and starred in Ugly Betty. But Hayek would have been content had things turned out differently, as they easily could have done. “It was not very hopeful for me to have children because of a medical condition,” she says. “I knew that it was a long shot. I was planning

my life. I was OK with going to my ranch [in Washington state]. I would paint and do my thing, have my animal shelter, grow my own food, become this crazy animal hippy lady. But then he [Pinault] came along and I had to abort that plan. He changed everything.”

Pinault has offered huge support to Hayek in what has been a particularly challenging time. She contracted Covid-19 in spring last year and spent seven weeks isolated in a room at her home. They had doctors coming to the house and she was on oxygen at one point. “The most difficult part is the sensation that your mere existence can kill someone around you. You are so paranoid. This was a big one for me. Everyone asks, ‘were you afraid of dying?’, but I was also afraid of killing someone.” She subsequently suffered from long Covid. “It lingered. You feel like, oh no I’ve got it again, every two weeks, but then I got my shot and I’ve been feeling better ever since.”

There is still a bit of the crazy animal hippy lady about Hayek. She meditates daily, often accompanied by her pet owl, Kering (yes, named after her husband’s company), a handsome bird that she got as a present for Pinault and has become something of an internet sensation. “Sometimes he comes in the yoga room with me, but sometimes I meditate without the owl too,” she says.

And she still has her ranch, just in case. “[My husband] knows I keep my place.

I am completely self-sufficient and have great places and other adventures to go on.” She pauses, considering this possibility. “But he is pretty incredible.”

41

42

AIR

…But actor Michael Caine and the late photographer Terry O’Neill were great friends. A new book charts their relationship with help from O’Neill’s archives WORDS: CHRIS ANDERSON

43

AIR

I

s it really a surprise that Michael Caine and Terry O’Neill found each other, cementing a friendship that lasted decades?

In his 2010 autobiography, The Elephant to Hollywood, Caine gives a special mention to O’Neill, describing them as “firm friends”, while during a 2017 talk, two years before his death, O’Neill admitted, “Caine, yeah, he’s a great mate.”

Both men rose to prominence in London during the 1960s, and apparently even frequented the same tailor, with respective careers that complemented and facilitated one another. There is Caine the actor, whose image helps to sell magazines and newspapers, as well as drive audiences into cinemas, and then O’Neill the photographer, with portraits, studio shots and stills from the movie set helping the process along. Today, Caine is known for more than 130 movies – including Zulu, The Ipcress File, The Italian Job and Get Carter – while O’Neill has his own incredible body of work, featuring everyone from The Beatles and the Rolling Stones to Elton John and David Bowie, with images taken on the set of a number of the early James Bond movies.

A new book, Michael Caine: Photographed by Terry O’Neill, looks in greater detail at the times the two men worked together, mainly via the photographer’s lens as he reported back from the filming of Caine’s latest blockbuster, or had him pose for promotional images. Occasionally, there are contact sheets from the archives that capture the two together, relaxed and cheerful, with the warmth of their friendship on display.

Caine himself has even provided a dedication for the front of the book, which confirms his fondness for O’Neill – who sadly passed away in November 2019. “Terry was a great friend,” he writes. “He was the most charming and cheeky photographer who got the best photographs by making everyone totally relaxed for his iconic shots. He knew and understood his subjects, and made you trust him with his sense of humour.

Loved him dearly and miss him.”

It provides an emotional beginning to the book, which is split into chapters, with each featuring images from one of Caine’s movies where O’Neill was

44

‘

He’s one of the only actors who can take on a serious role one minute, a thriller the next, and then follow up with a comedy somehow involved, starting with Funeral in Berlin in 1966. This was the follow-up to The Ipcress File, released the year before, with Caine returning as secret agent Harry Palmer, his first role as a leading man. O’Neill’s images from the set recall Palmer’s iconic look, with Caine sporting heavy, blackrimmed glasses and a tailored suit.

The actor describes his first time working with O’Neill in his 2010 memoir. “By the time we met, he had already photographed the Queen in her palace at Sandringham and Frank Sinatra in his palace – the

’

Opening pages: Michael Caine stops for a chat during the filming of Mile Hodges’ gangster classic Get Carter, 1971. Terry O’Neill – Courtesy of ACC Art Books These pages, from left to right: Bob Hoskins with Caine in the 1986 film, Mona Lisa. Terry O’Neill – Courtesy of ACC Art Books; Michael Caine on the set of Get Carter, 1970. Terry O’Neill – Courtesy of ACC Art Books

45

AIR

Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami, where he was surrounded by his version of palace guards,” Caine recalls.

Clearly the two had become aware of each other, with Caine increasing his profile via a string of movies around this time, including Woman Times Seven in 1967, shot in Paris, which again had O’Neill on the set. The image included in the book of Caine fast asleep between takes perhaps helped the photographer cement his reputation for being cheeky.

As O’Neill once revealed in an interview, “Caine is legendary for taking naps on the set. Whenever I was working with Michael Caine and there was any down time, I somehow always caught him nodding off, catching 40 winks.”

Could the same have been said on the set of Get Carter, released in 1971, and known for its gritty, real-world drama? Here, Caine famously played Jack Carter, a gangster returning home to Newcastle, dressed in a threepiece suit and carrying a shotgun, to take on the local mob and avenge his brother’s death. Regarded as one of Caine’s most iconic performances, the actor is portrayed in O’Neill’s images against the city’s dockyards, relaxing on the set between takes, and also signing autographs for schoolchildren and a policeman. As O’Neill was able to describe, “By this time, Michael was a household name – and word would always get out when they were filming on location. But Michael always made the time to meet his fans and sign a few autographs.”

To some, Get Carter occupied the same bleak underworld as another of Caine’s movies, Mona Lisa, released many years later in 1986, and marking another opportunity for O’Neill to be present with his camera. The plot sees a taxi driver just out of prison, played by Bob Hoskins, dragged back into a world of crime, bringing him into contact with Caine’s mob boss.

At the time, Caine had gained newfound credibility as an actor, with a supporting role in Hannah and her Sisters earning him his first Oscar.

So a serious actor, then? Arguably so, but his role shortly afterwards in the comedy Dirty Rotten Scoundrels opposite Steve Martin, released in 1988, with O’Neill delivering portraits and 46

promotional material from a location shoot, helped to prove his versality.

Here, Caine and Martin played competing conmen, who eventually try to outcon each other. Reflecting on the movie in his memoir, Caine called it the funniest he has ever made.

And as the book shows, there are many other instances of O’Neill and Caine working together, with Deadfall, The Magus, The Fourth Protocol, Without a Clue, Blue Ice, The Muppet Christmas Carol and Midnight in St Petersburg all receiving coverage.

Caine had some nice words to say about O’Neill, but what did the photographer himself think? “Michael really embodies the characters he plays,” he once revealed in an interview. “He’s one of the only actors who can take on a serious role one minute, a thriller the next and then follow up with a comedy. He’s just incredibly gifted.”

Musing further, he concluded: “Caine was always a terrific subject. I loved being on the set of a new Caine film.”

These pages, from left to right: Michael Caine takes a nap during the filming of Woman Times Seven

by Vittorio De Sica in Paris, 1967.

Terry O’Neill – Courtesy of ACC Art Books; Michael Caine in his early years as an emerging film star in Funeral in Berlin. Terry O’Neill – Courtesy of ACC Art Books

Michael Caine: Photographed by Terry O’Neill, edited and written

by James Clarke, is published by ACC Art Books accartbooks.com

is legendary for taking naps on the ‘set.Caine Whenever I was working with Michael Caine and there was any down time, I somehow always caught him nodding off ’

Credit: Photography: Terry O’Neill, courtesy of ACC Art Books

Money is a tool of empowerment that ‘allows me to support things and create art that I believe in ’

47

AIR

DUNN WITH NEGATIVITY From becoming the first black British super to make the Forbes models rich list to raising awareness around sickle cell, the disease her son was born with, Jourdan Dunn has always been something of a trailblazer.

Next up? Training to be an actor, of course WORDS: DANIELLÉ DASH

48

49

AIR

“M

y self-talk when I was younger was so negative.”

Jourdan Dunn is explaining why she started therapy last year, which, she says, was as much for her 11-year-old son’s benefit as for her own. “The lessons that I’m learning, I’m making sure that I’m teaching them to Riley. Love starts with self. I will get mad at Riley if I hear negative self-talk like, ‘Oh, I’m so rubbish!’ I’m, like, ‘Riley, Riley, don’t say that!’”

Raised in Greenford, west London, by her mum, who worked as a receptionist, Dunn was discovered while shopping with a friend in Primark aged 15. At 19, she was pregnant with Riley but managed to make this part of her career, appearing on the cover of Teen Vogue when she had just learnt she was expecting, walking in Jean Paul Gaultier’s show at six months, and getting back to work ten weeks after giving birth by pumping milk backstage.

Since then Dunn has walked in 191 shows for everyone from Dior to Louis Vuitton, appeared on 50 magazine covers, shot 67 advertising campaigns and accrued 2.6 million Instagram followers. She has been named the British Fashion Council’s Model of the Year twice, and there have been plenty of ‘firsts’ along the way too: in 2008 she was the first black model to walk for Prada in a decade; in 2014 she became the first black British model

to enter the Forbes models rich list (with estimated annual earnings of $4 million); and in 2015 she became the first solo black model to appear on the cover of British Vogue since Naomi Campbell 13 years earlier.

It was tough being in the minority.

“I remember being backstage at shows and whenever they’d be doing the black girls’ hair and it’s steaming up, someone would be making a joke about that: ‘Ooooh! The black girls are in the building!’’’ she says recalling a time when she was one of only a handful of black models. ‘‘Previously, I’d have stayed quiet — nobody wanted to ruffle any feathers. But now I’m, like, ‘Listen, I’ve got a platform, I’ve got a mouth.

And I’m going to speak on issues that are important to me,’” she says.

One of those issues is sickle cell disease, a blood disorder that means there aren’t enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen through the body.

Symptoms vary but it is a lifelong condition that can be serious enough to have a significant impact such as lung conditions, fatal infections and strokes. Riley was born with this.

“I had the support of my mum and everyone, but it’s not the same,’’ Dunn says, explaining why she has recently become a trustee of the Essenelle Foundation, a mental health charity that provides support to people with sickle cell and their families. ‘‘Mentally,

‘I remember being backstage at shows and whenever they’d be doing the black girls’ hair and it’s steaming up, someone would be making a joke about it’ 50

51

it was a lot. I was going through a lot of guilt and shame because I felt I’d given this to my son — I have the [genetic] trait — and I had to hold that in.”

Her involvement with the charity has come at a time when the disease is in the news. In March, Richard Okorogheye, a 19-year-old student in the UK with sickle cell who had been shielding, was found dead — his death is still officially unexplained.

“Immediately as a mother I thought, what if that was Riley? It broke my heart. That’s all I can say. It just really, really broke my heart,” she says Soon after came the news of the inquest finding that the death of 21-year-old Evan Nathan Smith in 2019 could have been prevented had medical staff recognised his sickle cell symptoms and treated him sooner.

Dunn says: “Sometimes I think to myself, is the reason why sickle cell isn’t known, or you don’t see it talked about that much, because it’s deemed a black disease [the disease is especially common in those with a black or Caribbean family background], even though it’s a blood disease?”

Riley, who had his first sickle cell crisis as a baby when he had a blood transfusion, had another scare recently and ended up in hospital. “Also, to put a disclaimer out there,” she says, 52

“Riley is not with private healthcare, because when you have a chronic illness they don’t support that. So he’s on the NHS [the UK’s free-toall National Health Servicie]. I think maybe people will think I wouldn’t understand, that Riley will get a different treatment because of who I am. But I fully understand. I know the checks and procedures. So when I read [about Evan Nathan Smith], it just like, yeah, it just rocked me to my core.”

Much of Dunn’s impressive career has been achieved as a single mother (she split with Riley’s father early on). But now she’s ready for her next chapter. Last year she got engaged to her boyfriend, the rapper and designer Dion Hamilton, and enrolled at the Identity School of Acting, a part-time drama school whose alumni include John Boyega. She has even had a small part in the TV comedy Maxxx.

“I would love to do a really amazing cult TV series. Or a Marvel movie, because my son would love me.

“It’s not like modelling where you can wing it and charm people and dazzle them with your looks, you’ve got to do the work,’’ she says. ‘‘There are OK actors, there are good actors, then there are amazing actors. I want to be up there. I don’t want to be good or OK. I want to be flippin’ amazing!”

Credit: The Sunday Times Style Magazine/News Licensing

AIR

‘Acting is not like modelling where you can wing it and charm people and dazzle them with your looks, you’ve got to do the work’

53

AIR

The sleaziest private detective in LA, Fred Otash had dirt on everyone from Marilyn Monroe to James Dean and would threaten to publish it all in Confidential – the tabloid all of Hollywood feared. Now he’s the star of a new novel WORDS: MARTIN CHILTON 54

“B

eing a private detective is a dirty job. There is no two ways about it,” Fred Otash admitted at the peak of his reign as Hollywood’s most notorious, sleazy private investigator. The former vice cop worked for anyone who paid him: The White House, the mafia, film studios, politicians and gossip magazines. He drew the line only at working for “communists”.

James Ellroy, author of L.A. Confidential, has featured Otash as a fictional character in four books, including his newly-released novel Widespread Panic. For nearly a decade, the best-selling crime author, along with director David Fincher, has been trying to get an HBO series about Otash, called Shakedown, off the ground.

Otash’s resumé reads like a who’s who of the 20th-century movie world and he was up to all sorts of dirty tricks in cases involving Marilyn Monroe, Barbara Payton, Bob Hope, Rock Hudson, James Dean, Bette Davis, Judy Garland, Robert Mitchum, Edward G. Robinson and Lana Turner, among many others.

Ellroy, whose new novel imagines Otash in purgatory, confessing his sins, described him as “the hellhound who held Hollywood captive”.

Otash, the youngest of six children of Lebanese immigrants Habib Otash and Marian Jabour, was born on January 6 1922 in Methuen, Massachusetts.

After being thrown out of high school for fighting, he worked as a lifeguard at the Miami Biltmore Hotel, before enlisting in the Marine Corps in 1942. “I did intelligence work for the marines,” the burly, 6’ 2” soldier later admitted. After being discharged in 1945, he joined the Los Angeles Police Department, working first as a traffic cop and quickly moving to vice, where he worked for the following decade.

He soon became a well-known figure on Sunset Boulevard, catching drug dealers and sex offenders for the LAPD during the day and mixing with celebrities at the Hollywood Palladium at night.

Otash quickly developed a sharp nose for celebrity scandal and soon became a “fixer” for top stars. He later bragged that he helped James Dean get off a charge for stealing caviar from a food shop, and managed to get a case

against Eroll Flynn dropped after the star of Robin Hood was arrested for stealing an off duty policeman’s badge.

In 1950, on his 28th birthday, Otash married Doris Houck in Beverly Hills.

She was a struggling actress, whose most recent film – 1947’s Brideless Groom, a comedy starring the Three Stooges – had done little for her career. The honeymoon period was soon over and their relationship was fractured by a paternity battle over Houck’s daughter, Colleen Gabrielle, who was six months old when they wed.

Houck at first claimed that Colleen was fathered out of wedlock by her previous husband, an oil worker called Edward G Nealis. She then claimed that “she really didn’t know who was the baby’s father”. Although paternity was decided in favour of Otash, the relationship was permanently soured.

They agreed to divorce after only nine months, by which time Houck was working as a clerk at an aircraft plant.

Although their first divorce petition was halted after they agreed to a reconciliation, it was not long before his philandering and appalling domestic violence caused a permanent split. In June 1952, under the headline ‘Vice Squad Officer’s Wife Given Divorce’, the Los Angeles Times reported on the tawdry revelations at the Santa Monica Superior Court. “She received an uncontested divorce on testimony that Otash struck her while she was pregnant,” the paper reported, adding that the blow caused her to suffer a miscarriage. Houck shocked the court with her testimony about Otash’s behaviour. “He gave me one day to get out of the house and told me he would not be responsible for his actions if I did not,” she said.

Luckily for Otash, the court case came before the launch of Confidential, a monthly magazine which started in December 1952. The publication, whose pursuit of scandalmongering was described as a “reign of terror”, thrived on revelations about Hollywood celebrities, and Otash knew he could feed their hunger for smut. Confidential became one of his primary sources of income after he left the police force in 1955 – following what was described as a “personality conflict” with LAPD Chief William H. Parker – along with the money he earned doing work for

Below: Detective Fred Otash with Jackie O’Hara

55

AIR

studio bosses such as Howard Hughes, and top Hollywood attorneys such as Melvin Belli and Jerry Giesler.

Otash, a master at strong-arming witnesses, gathered evidence to help them defend clients. “I spent 10 years putting people in jail and the next 20 years keeping them out of jail,” he joked to Lowe.

Otash made few press appearances in this decade. He did one interview with prime time host Mike Wallace, who described him as the “most amoral” man he’d ever had on his show. Otash admitted to Wallace, in this 1957 interview, that he earned more than $150,000 a year (around $1m in today’s money) for his activities. When asked how he could “justify invading people’s privacy”, he replied unabashedly that “if you can see it or hear it, you are not invading any privacy.”

Wallace grilled Otash about his reputation for violence when he was a vice cop, specifically asking how he earned the nickname ‘Gestapo Otash’. “Well, I have batted a few heads,” replied the man known affectionately in the movie world as ‘Mr. O’. Otash later inspired Jack Nicholson’s hard-boiled private eye Jake Gittes in Chinatown. Screenwriter Robert Towne said he studied Otash’s detective work, especially his antics in marital dispute cases, admitting “I drew on him for the character” in Roman Polanski’s 1974 classic.

Wallace was not alone in taking a dislike to Otash. Over the years, Ellroy has described Otash, whom he met several times in Miami in the 1970s, as “a rogue cop,”, “a shakedown artist”, “a con artist”, “a bulls__ter, and a man it was “impossible to trust”. Otash has been a character in The Cold Six Thousand, Blood’s a Rover, Shakedown and July 2021’s Widespread Panic – and Ellroy admits to a fascination with a man who spent much of his life making money by revealing people’s most intimate secrets, unconcerned by how many lives he wrecked in the process.

In an interview in June 2021 with the LA Times, Ellroy talked about Otash’s modus operandi. “He went out and greased all the bellmen, and he went in there and hot-wired specific rooms and suites at all the high-line LA hotels. He paid desk managers a retainer to steer cheating celebrities 56

These pages, clockwise from left: copy of Confidential magazine; James Dean; Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner

He paid desk managers a retainer to steer ‘cheating celebrities into those suites and rooms, which were bugged 24 hours a day ’

into those suites and rooms, which were bugged 24 hours a day. He was down in the nitty-gritty of that first decade of big-time bugging, wiretapping and electronic surveillance.”

After moving to America, fledgling actor and screenwriter Steve Hayes, became the manager of Googie’s Coffee Shop on Sunset Boulevard. In 1955, he met Otash there and started working occasionally for Otash’s private investigation bureau. His tasks included taking surreptitious photographs of actress Anita Ekberg.

Otash sold them to Confidential.

“I hated the job and as my writing progressed, I gave up PI work. I

found it sleazy,” Hayes admitted.

Otash was well-rewarded by Confidential for any stories. He even did a “background check” on Ronald Reagan, who was an acquaintance. “I’ll work for anybody but communists.

I’ll do anything short of murder,” he said. For many years, his work as an FBI informant meant the authorities ignored his activities.

Otash originally came to the attention of Hughes during his cop days, when he was paid in cash to help get a drugs charge against actor Robert Mitchum dropped. Although the ploy was unsuccessful, Otash remained a friend of the Mitchum family. Mitchum’s

57

AIR

younger brother John, also an actor, once gave a memorable account of a visit to Otash’s luxury apartment in Beverly Hills, published in the 2001 book Robert Mitchum: Baby I Don’t Care, in which he described desks covered with recording and listening devices, and a room full of cameras with zoom lenses. It was clear that Otash, “a big, mean man”, was at the centre of a “quasi-blackmail” operation. “It was command central for Confidential’s fact-gathering and surveillance agents,” said John Mitchum. “The place was filled with big, tough looking guys, and some of them looked like they were packing heat.”

Otash himself always carried a gun strapped to his calf, driving around in a surveillance van that was disguised as a television repair truck. He knew almost every scrap of Hollywood gossip and became the go-to ‘fixer’ for the stars.

Bette Davis hired him to snoop on her husband Gary Merrill, in full knowledge that his methods were dubious. An FBI file on Otash stated that he used “a seemingly inexhaustible list of call girls” to gather information, prowling Hollywood by night in a chauffeured Cadillac full of the women he called “his little sweeties”. He had sources who were higher-placed, though, and later confessed that, during the 1950s, he was being fed information by people on his payroll within the FBI, CIA, LAPD and Department of Justice.

One of the most highly-publicised cases of the era was when a grand jury convened in Los Angeles in May 1957 for a libel and obscenity trial against Confidential. The magazine’s young Irish attorney Arthur Crowley instructed Otash to serve subpoenas on 117 stars – including Ava Gardner, Frank Sinatra, Gary Cooper and Elvis Presley – who had appeared in Confidential articles. The move prompted a rush of celebrities leaving America for a sudden vacation in Mexico, desperate to avoid becoming embroiled in what was dubbed ‘The Trial of a Hundred Stars’.

Crowley quipped that “it looked like the Exodus from Egypt”.

Otash later admitted that he tipped off friends such as Sinatra, “that ballsy guy John Wayne” and Clark Gable. He let Gable “off the hook” by telling him the best time to “sneak out of his ranch”.

58

‘

During the 1950s, Otash was being fed information by people on his payroll within the FBI, CIA, LAPD and Department of Justice

’

Right: Marilyn Monroe stands between Robert Kennedy (left) and John F. Kennedy, May 19, 1962 Next page: Marilyn Monroe

The jury were unable to reach a verdict in the case, and Confidential later cut a deal with the studios agreeing that they would no longer “publish exposés of the private lives of movie stars”.

It may have been anxiety over lost income from Confidential that caused Otash to branch out in a risky direction the following year, when he became involved in horse racing crimes for mobsters eager to knobble horses owned by rivals. Otash was caught injecting depressant drugs into horses at Santa Anita racetrack. In 1959, UPI reported that a grand jury investigation found Otash guilty of bribing jockeys and conspiracy to dope horses. Otash called in favours, however, and his felony conviction was later downgraded to a misdemeanour and eventually expunged from his record. He got away with a suspended sentence. “I was in jail a couple of times but always got out the next day,” he joked to Lowe.

Eager to drum up new business, he ran promotions for the Fred Otash Detective Bureau in local newspapers.

His marketing did not go without hiccups. The adverts printed in November 1960 were full of typos (his surname was spelled ‘Ostash’ and the copy suggested choosing your ‘investor’ carefully, when it should have said ‘investigator’). He also got in trouble with additional ads after adding bogus recommendations from the FBI and the United Nations. He was ditched by the FBI as an informant and, in 1965, had his licence revoked by California’s Bureau of Private Investigators.

His most notorious activities in this era centre on his skulduggery with Marilyn Monroe and President John F. Kennedy – and it’s here, if

that’s even possible, that the Fred Otash story becomes even murkier and more complicated. Otash later claimed that, around 1961, he was hired by mafia bosses to “dig up information on Kennedy”, reporting back on any rendezvous the politician had with women. He bugged houses Kennedy visited for liaisons and gained access to the most intimate scenes, later telling Ellroy that Kennedy was a “two-minute man.”

Otash often said that he knew all the true stories from “the greatest time in Hollywood history” and there is no doubt he was fond of spreading rumours. In Widespread Panic, Ellroy includes a scene in which Otash dishes the dirt on dozens of stars, including Natalie Wood, Johnny Weissmuller and Burt Lancaster, whom Ellroy’s fictional private eye calls “a sadist with a well-appointed torture den in West Hollywood.”

Otash claimed he was bugging Monroe from 1961 and he gave numerous conflicting accounts of her mysterious death. In one interview he insisted it was “an accident”, in another he claimed, “I know for a fact that she committed suicide. She felt she was passed around and used and having nothing left to live for”. In 1985, he told the LA Times that on August 5 1962, the night of the actress’s death, he had been hurriedly hired by actor Peter Lawford, to “do anything to remove anything incriminating” from the death scene that linked Monroe to Lawford’s brothers-in-law, President Kennedy and Senator Robert Kennedy, both of whom allegedly had affairs with Monroe.

A year later Otash played 11 hours of tapes to writer Raymond Strait –

59

60

AIR

Credit: © Martin Chilton/The Telegraph Media Group 2021

the man who had ghosted Otash’s 1976 autobiography Investigation Hollywood: Memoirs Of Hollywood’s Top Private Detective – that were supposedly recorded during and after Monroe’s death. In the book Marilyn Monroe: A Case for Murder, Strait told author Jay Margolis that “Fred was afraid of the tapes” because they included evidence of a row with Robert Kennedy and a disturbing altercation hours later with two other men, moments before she died. “It was horrible,” Strait later told television host Joan Rivers. “After hearing those tapes, there’s no doubt in my mind that Marilyn was murdered.”

In June 2013, 21 years after Otash’s death, it emerged that the former private detective had kept 11 boxes of secret files in a storage unit in the San Fernando Valley. His daughter Colleen, “aggrieved” by what she called Ellroy’s “insulting” portrayal of her father in his novella Shakedown, decided to counter this “horrible fictional depiction” of Otash by making public the notes he left her, one of which claimed he’d been conducting surveillance of Monroe on the day she died. “I listened to Marilyn Monroe die,” he alleged.

The audiotapes and transcripts have never been publicly released.

Matt Belloni, chief executive of the Hollywood Reporter, later told CNN that the files his journalist reviewed, “contain elements that are not 100 per cent verifiable… they are his recollections to his daughter.

So what he said and what is actual truth is not necessarily the same.”

Colleen, who was listed as general partner/manager of Fred Otash Productions in Redondo Beach, California, also released other surveillance tapes made by her father which revealed more of his nefarious dealings. They included accounts of how he covered up an “emotionally disturbed” Judy Garland’s drug use, and they also featured recordings made in January 1958 in which Rock Hudson’s wife Phyllis confronted her husband about whether he was gay.

Otash played such recordings privately to Columbia Studios president Harry Cohn, who reportedly agreed to become an informant in return for Confidential suppressing the information.

‘

After hearing those tapes, there’s no doubt in my mind that Marilyn was murdered

This was a common tactic for Otash, and it’s no surprise that he was known as Hollywood’s “blackmailer-in-chief”.

He didn’t care and would usually reply “alimony is just legal blackmail” to anyone who questioned his morals.

Asked late in life whether he had any regrets, he said the only thing he would have done differently in life would have been to “study law”.

The 1970s were perhaps the quietest time for Otash, who moved to Miami at one point to work as head of security for the cosmetics company, Hazel Bishop, Inc, and its subsidiary, Lilly Dache. When the New York Times asked him about this job, he said he was happy to have no more involvement in investigating “adultery, child neglect, prostitution and those things.” His opinions on the Watergate Scandal were sought and he dismissed the amateurs who used a Xerox machine rather than camera equipment during their break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in 1972. “I still can’t believe the Republican party could have hired such a bunch of idiots,” Otash said.

“I’ve been on about 25 Watergates and never got caught. I’ve tapped about 600 phones in countries all over the world and never got caught.”

The lure of Hollywood proved strong, however, and in the late 1970s Otash made his way back to LA to take over the management of the Hollywood Palladium. In 1978, he tried to stage boxing events at the nightclub, but the city denied him permission. He continued to work as a freelance security consultant, later claiming that he was employed by Universal Pictures.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Otash did a few television interviews – Ellroy said “Fred was making a lot of ancillary dough… getting 7,500 bucks a pop to talk about JFK’s womanising,

’

James Dean, the inner workings of Confidential” – and began working on a book called Marilyn, Kennedy and Me, which was supposedly optioned by Penguin. He spent about six months a year at his flat in Cannes, even though he said he disliked the French. “At the end of the war we should have let the Germans keep them,” he remarked.

On October 4 1992, after returning to his West Hollywood home, he attended a Friars Club dinner to celebrate completing the first draft of Marilyn, the Kennedys and Me. He went home in the early hours, before suddenly calling for a taxi to take him to Los Angeles International Airport. When there was no answer at his apartment, the doorman, alerted by the driver, called Otash’s friend Manfred Westphal – a publicist who was Colleen’s business partner – who found the 70-year-old under the kitchen table, dead of a heart attack. Otash, who smoked four packets of cigarettes a day as an adult, and regularly consumed large quantities of bourbon, had been sickly for years with emphysema and high blood pressure.

Otash is buried at Hollywood Hills’ Forest Lawn Memorial Park in a plot called, appropriately, Murmuring Trees. Before he was even in the cold ground, and only two hours after his death, Otash’s executor, Crowley – the man he’d worked with on the famous Confidential trial 38 years previously – stripped the apartment of tapes and documents, removing the red filing cabinet that contained the former private detective’s most sensitive files.

“He put a shackle on the door, emptied the condo, and nothing inside was ever seen again,” Westphal told the Hollywood Reporter. Crowley died in 2010 and with him, it seems, went some of the answers to Otash’s darkest secrets about Hollywood’s sleaze.

61

Motoring

AIR

SEPTEMBER 2021: ISSUE 120

Revival of the Fittest

This Ferrari is not what it seems. It may look like a classic from 60 years ago, but this is actually a modern remake, perhaps even better than the original

T

WORDS: CHRIS ANDERSON

hose who know their classic Ferraris might recognise this one as a 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione, built during the late 1950s and early 1960s and occasionally used for racing. Faster and lighter than a regular Ferrari 250, with custom aluminium bodywork from Italian coachbuilders Carrozzeria Scaglietti, one of these today would set you back millions at auction – assuming you were lucky enough to find one.

But this is not one of those Ferraris, at least not an original – it just looks exactly the same. And it was built in the UK rather than Italy. It can be customised to your own desired spec, for racing or road use, and only left the workshop in the last few months, not 60 years ago. It will also cost you just a fraction of the asking price of a genuine 250 GT SWB model – so US$1 million, rather than several.

62

63

64

AIR

‘

It’s hard to beat perfection, but you can make it more drivable, and easier to use on a daily basis The car is the 250 SWB Revival and the work of GTO Engineering, located near Reading, west of London. This company has specialised in repairing and restoring classic Ferraris since the 1980s, making its own replacement parts – interchangeable from the originals – and even entire V12 engines from scratch.

With that kind of expertise, the idea of one day offering a complete Ferrari makes sense.

It all starts with a donor car, most often a classic 330 or 365, which is then rebuilt with a new chassis, bodywork and V12 engine. Its period looks and features are then restored, with customers specifying their own modern touches along the way.

GTO managing director Mark Lyon describes his Revival as a more usable, customisable and bespoke version of the original, once driven by Sir Stirling Moss and even winning the 1960 Le Mans. “The shorter wheelbase (SWB) was the 250 GT to have, as it handled better, with a lighter aluminium body rather than steel,” Lyon explains. “The only drawback was that so few were made, but our version is based on original drawings and knowledge.”

A hand-built tubular frame sits under the Revival’s hand-beaten aluminium body. There are many traditional exterior colours to choose from, as well as bespoke non-period finishes, liveries and painted stripes. Have the car built without bumpers, as was the look of the original, or opt for GTO’s bespoke chrome creations.

The V12 engine is a very special addition, which GTO builds completely in-house, taking more than 300 manhours apiece. Customers can specify 3.0, 3.5 or 4.0-litres, or a bespoke capacity, depending on their preferred use. But even the 3.5-litre is said to give an output of 315hp, with 0-100km/h in six seconds and a 241km/h top speed. For a smoother power delivery, each engine is paired with triple carburettors.

Customers can also specify a four- or five-speed gearbox, with an uprated

’

clutch if required. And the suspension and handling draw very much on GTO’s extensive road and racing experience, with a bespoke suspension and alignment set-up. Period brake discs are included, paired with heat-efficient aluminium callipers, and 15in or 16in polished or standard-finish wheels complete the look.

To make the inside just as desirable, fully leather-trimmed seats – available in a range of colours – are featured as standard, with matching headrests, lap belts and harnesses among the extras.

As a nice touch, the headlining uses the same perforated trim that appeared in the original 250 GT SWB from 1960.

Air conditioning is also available, fitted discreetly to retain the authentic dashboard, as is an under-dash USB charger.

You can make the Revival even more race-orientated, with a full roll cage, including door bars, half cage or rear harness bar from the GTO options list, and also a competition gearbox. For real authenticity, choose the bug screens – popular in endurance races back in the 1960s for keeping insects out of the cockpit. But if road use is the aim, ask for a spare wheel, period tools, fitted car cover and heated windscreen, or even the uprated sound system with navigation. It has all helped GTO in selling 30 Revivals so far, with each taking between one year and 18 months to build, depending on the spec.

How does Lyon feel his version compares to the original. “It’s hard to beat perfection, but you can make it more drivable, and easier to use on a daily basis,” he says. “You can also provide drivers the option for different V12 engines and gearboxes, which you can’t with an original. We wanted to give flexibility to owners who either want a grand tourer, a faster set-up road car, or full race car that you can drive to and from events. The 250 SWB Revival was designed to be versatile, usable, but also completely customisable.”

65

Gastronomy

AIR

SEPTEMBER 2021: ISSUE 120

66

Kingdom Come Cyril Lignac is a star in his native France. As he looks to expand his culinary empire with the opening of his first international restaurant, AIR meets a man confident of further success WORDS: JOHN THATCHER

67

AIR

S

ome notable French chefs have previously crossed the English Channel to make their mark in London – Anne-Sophie Pic, Hélène Darroze, Claude Bosi and Alain Ducasse among the most acclaimed. But the latest to do so has a curious billing – a bona fide celebrity in France, Cyril Lignac is a relative unknown elsewhere in the world.

That, you suspect, is about to change.

In May, Lignac introduced his celebrated Paris restaurant Bar des Prés to London, opening on the everchanging gourmet hotbed of Albermarle Street in Mayfair. In the months since, it has garnered praise from all quarters – The Times’ critic Giles Coren hailing the dishes as “the best of their kind that I’ve come across in a long time.”

Their ‘kind’ is described as Franco/ East Asian (or, in Lignac’s own words, “French savoir-faire with Japanese exoticism”), so on the menu you’ll find the likes of Madras curried crab with avocado; scallops with caramelised miso; and a list of desserts deliberately selected to showcase Lignac’s skills as a pâtissier, which is how his career began.

Learning his trade under French gastronomic heavyweights like Alain Passard, the Pourcel brothers, and Pierre Hermé, in 2005 Lignac was talent-spotted by a TV producer and a side career in front of the camera began to boil. Oui, Chef! was his first show, with Le Meilleur Pâtissier [the French version of The Great British Bake Off ] the most popular among a slew of others. The subsequent fame gave Lignac license to involve himself in national campaigns aimed at improving the health and eating habits of his country’s schoolchildren, working with the French Ministry of Agriculture on a programme that saw free fruit distributed to schools. Then, during last year’s lockdown, Lignac developed Tous en Cuisine, a TV show on which he cooked a meal live with six families via their webcams. Naturally, then, Lignac has drawn comparisons with Britain’s Jamie Oliver. And like Oliver, Lignac has had outstanding success with his cookbooks – to date, they have sold over 4 million copies.

If that potted CV hints at someone who is restless by nature, the impression is confirmed when you consider his in-kitchen career to date.

Le Quinzième was his debut restaurant 68

I have forgotten a thousand things ‘from my childhood, but a particular flavour can bring a moment back ’

and it was good enough to claim a Michelin star, yet Lignac closed it.

“After 15 years, I felt like closing this chapter to write a new story. Although the closing was very emotional, the dynamics were positive.”

Ever the entrepreneur, in 2008, Lignac took over the reins at Parisian institution Le Chardenoux, before crossing the Seine to the heart of SaintGermain-des-Prés and opening Aux Prés, followed by Le Bar des Prés and a cocktail bar, Bar Dragon. Earlier this year, he also opened Ischia – in the space once occupied by Le Quinzième – at which he serves up his personal take on Italy’s rich gastronomic culture.

In addition, his dessert-focussed La Pâtisserie & La Chocolaterie Cyril Lignac, was launched and has since expanded to six branches.

With an ever-expanding portfolio, Lignac has of course faced challenges (not least the pandemic), so is there anything he’d have done differently?

“I would not make any changes,” he states assuredly. “We have tried to develop by taking the time to do things right. It’s been 15 years now and I think we have a solid base. Of course, we have made mistakes and we were faced with problems. I think for example of the time I had to stay at home after a scooter accident. I was used to being in control, never letting go, but at that moment I had to rely

entirely on my teams. Everyone grew up after that experience. They have taken more responsibility and I have learned to trust them better. Employees are essential to the development of a company. The greatest challenge is to succeed in federating around one’s ambitions.”

“It’s quite difficult to pick one,” considers Lignac, when I ask which of his projects he is most proud of. “I am proud of all our projects. Le Bar des Prés is perhaps my greatest success because it is the restaurant that feels like me the most.”

Lignac was born to work with food, his passion for it developing during his formative years, growing up in Aveyron, a hub of French gastronomic culture in south-central France. “My life has been shaped around stories of taste,” he tells me. “Tastes are memories for me. I have forgotten a thousand things from my childhood, but a particular flavour can bring a moment back. The best example for me would be marble cake. When I eat it, I am both the chef and the little boy in his house in the Aveyron. For it is the same cake that I used to bake with my mother and sister on Wednesdays.”

Such passion is the driving force behind Lignac’s ambition. London is the first international outpost of his culinary empire. It’s unlikely to be his last. By then, he’ll be well and truly known.

Opening pages: salmon with passion fruit dressing These pages, clockwise from left: Cyril Lignac; satay beef fillet, lime condiment; seared chutoro; soufflé; Bar des Prés, London; crab and avocado galette

69

JOURNEYS BY JET

Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach

AIR

Dubai

70

Travel SEPTEMBER 2021: ISSUE 120

T

his sprawling resort is perfectly positioned to remind guests that they’re in a city with much to offer – the iconic, Burj Khalifa-spiked skyline on one side; the glistening Gulf and a swathe of sun-kissed sand on the other.

This resort epitomises Dubai, delivering the benefits of its city-meets-sea location in its own inimitable style. As such, while rooms are designed with deeply restful tones, the venues are primed to energise – Mercury Lounge the go-to spot for the city’s cool crowd. As with anything fashionable, the new season, which kicks off on September 9, heralds a new look for the much-loved Mercury Lounge, with the beautiful Italian island of Sicily its muse. Chef de Partie Andrea Ierard has fashioned a collection of dishes that fuse the classic (maccheroni alla Norma, flavour-packed layers of fried eggplant, smoked ricotta and basil leaves) with the contemporary (seabass in a crust of bread dough sees the traditional salt crust replaced with herb-topped bread), with a heavenly cannoli his showstopping finale.

Yet it’s not just the food and mixology menus at this chic al fresco spot to have been given a Sicilian-style makeover.

Instagram-worthy additions to its signature floral arch (perfect for framing the Burj Khalifa) include a polished red Vespa, that venerable Italian scooter inexorably linked to la dolce vita, and a fabulous winged mural.

Such artistry can also be found within Shai Salon, a long-time favourite of the city’s social set for afternoon tea, where Senior Executive Pastry Chef Nicolas Lambert works up magical sweet creations – and what is without question the finest caramel choux you’ll ever taste.

By day, it’s all about lounging in your own private poolside cabana, stepping out for a dip in the sea, and rounding off your afternoon with a trip to the resort’s magnificent spa, where curated journeys and rituals promise to take you to a whole new level of relaxation. And that’s just where you want to be to thoroughly appreciate the resort’s Imperial Suite.

A huge space encompassing living and dining areas and a fully-fitted kitchen (plus a wonderful sea-facing terrace), it’s set up for extended stays. Which is just as well, as you won’t want to leave come check-out time.

Land your jet at Dubai International Airport, from where a 30-minute limousine transfer to the hotel can be pre-arranged.

71

What I Know Now

AIR

SEPTEMBER 2021: ISSUE 120

Anine Bing FOUNDER AND CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER, ANINE BING The best piece of advice I’ve ever received is to have a clear vision and listen to your gut feeling.

I first felt successful when we opened our first store in Los Angeles. We began our journey in our garage in 2012, and my debut collection consisted of two pairs of denim, a white T-shirt, and a black leather jacket. We slowly grew from a two-person team to a small headquarters in DTLA. The overwhelming positive response to our brand led us to opening our first store in LA. Seeing my designs in our first brick-and-mortar store was a real ‘pinch me’ moment. With that being said, I still celebrate small successes in the little moments as well. I feel incredibly lucky that I love what I do. That is success to me.

72

Brand-wise, having a team that feels like family and waking up with a smile on your face each day is a personal success.

I always dreamed of launching a modernday luxury fashion house, to create a wardrobe for the modern woman. Success is when you follow your dreams and turn them into reality. I can’t get enough of spending my days being creative with an amazing team and designing collections.

One thing I do each day is kiss my children, Bianca and Benjamin, and tell them how much I love them. They have both taught me so much about love and gratitude. Motherhood has made me into the woman I am today. They’re my biggest supporters and that means the world to me.

A lesson I learned the hard way was when I started the brand it took up 100% of my time – my husband and I wore all the hats and we had to do it all. I’ve learned the value of allocating time and energy over the years. It’s so important to take time out and spend quality time with family and friends to share important milestones.

I would tell my younger self to surround yourself with people that understand and support your vision. Also, don’t be afraid to cut out people that bring negative energy into your life.

I hope the next 10 years are filled with more growth for the company and for myself personally, so I can become the best version of myself.

Wash Basin and WC: RAK-VALET Furniture: RAK-JOY UNO Wall and Floor: TOKYO CONCRETE

Ideas start the future.

There’s nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come.

Welcome to a new kind of energy.

Introducing the new, fully-electric Audi e-tron GT. #FutureIsAnAttitude audi-me.com