AIR Magazine - Nasjet - April'21

APRIL 2021

SIENNA MILLER

BEST HOTEL INDIAN OCEAN ANANTARA KIHAVAH

WINNER

Contents

AIR

APRIL 2021: ISSUE 115

FEATURES Thirty Two

Thirty Eight

Changing Clothes

Just Williams

Forty Four

Sixty

Ten years on from being tabloid fodder, Sienna Miller tells us why she’s now happy to let her acting steal the spotlight.

As CEO of sustainable fashion initiative, Red Carpet Green Dress, Samata Pattinson is on a mission.

The wild ride that took Matthew Williams from Lady Gaga’s costumier to top dog at Givenchy Couture.

Melissa Twigg on the shocking real-life events behind the upcoming film.

Miller’s Tale

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Murder in the House of Gucci

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

Limited to 50 pieces.

Contents

APRIL 2021: ISSUE 115

REGULARS Fourteen

Radar

Sixteen

Objects of Desire Eighteen

Critique Twenty Four

Timepieces EDITORIAL

Twenty Eight

Jewellery

Chief Creative Officer

Fifty Six

john@hotmedia.me

John Thatcher

Motoring

ART

Sixty

Art Director

Gastronomy

Kerri Bennett

AIR

Sixty Four

Illustration

Journeys

by Jet

Leona Beth

COMMERCIAL

Sixty Eight

Managing Director

What I Know Now

Victoria Thatcher General Manager

David Wade

david@hotmedia.me

PRODUCTION Digital Media Manager

Twenty

Art & Design

Muthu Kumar

A Wisconsin computer-science graduate is now the world’s third-most-expensive artist.

How did he manage it, and has the art world gone mad?

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.

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NasJet APRIL 2021: ISSUE 115

NASJET is the leading private aviation operator and services provider in Saudi Arabia that delivers world-class services in aircraft management, charter, flight support, sales and completions. Launched in 1999 in affiliation with US partner NetJets Inc, NasJet - originally NetJets Middle East (NJME) - demonstrated the highest levels of regional expertise by being the first private company in Saudi Arabia to be awarded an Aircraft Operating Certificate (AOC) by the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA). The company has since grown to managing/supporting in excess of 19 fixed-wing aircraft, and employing 150 in-house aviation industry experts. We operate 24/7 from a state-ofthe-art flight center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, delivering superior levels of safety, service and value.

VISION To be the leading business aviation solutions provider in the Middle East.

Welcome Onboard APRIL 2021

MISSION • Safety: Our clients and employees’ safety and security are the highest priority in all our operations and services.

• Standards: Our clients receive the utmost levels of service with word-class standards.

• Empowerment: Our employees are vital to our success and are rewarded for their outstanding performance and innovations.

• Profitability: We strive to ensure the full success and profitability of our organization.

• Responsibility: We pride ourselves with our work ethics and strive for the highest levels of professional standards.

VALUES • Transparency: We are transparent with our clients and with each other.

• Efficiency: We achieve the highest levels of efficiency within our organization.

• Communication: We work as a team and communicate with each other to improve the success of our business.

This month we have relaunched our company website to provide a more user-friendly, design-driven portal which provides a full overview of our services and outlines the advantages of utilising them. You can visit it at nasjet.com.sa We welcome the opportunity to serve you onboard one of our private jets.

Captain Mohammed Al Gabbas Chief Commercial Officer

Cover: Sienna Miller

by Shayan Asgharnia AUGUST

Contact Details: nasjet.com.sa / +966 11 261 1199 / sales@nasjet.com 9

NasJet APRIL 2021: ISSUE 115

Ways We Can Serve Full range of services cater to your every need Aircraft Management Owning a private jet is certainly a pleasure, but it is also a major capital investment. We can handle that hassle and give you peace of mind knowing that an established and experienced international operator is efficiently managing your aircraft. The company has grown to managing/supporting in excess of 19 Middle East-based aircraft.

Charter NASJET has a dedicated fleet of ultra-modern aircraft available for immediate charter, including Airbus, Boeing, Gulfstream, Legacy 600, and Citation Excel. We are also able to source any type of aircraft in the world if our fleet does not match your preference. Your requests and personal requirements are managed by a team of highly experienced charter experts, focused on making your trip exceptionally comfortable and seamless. Remember, we are looking to exceed your expectations, with our Client Service team operating 24/7, 365 days a year to ensure we are doing just that.

For frequent charter clients we have a number of flexible and dynamic Block-Charter programs with all the usual benefits of on-demand charter but with additional cost savings based on volume discounts and flexible payment terms. The charter programs allow you to take control of your flying requirements, on a trip-by-trip basis. At the same time, it grants you access to the largest regionally managed fleet with seamless operations and a superior level of safety, reliability and value. For Charter Broker enquiries, please contact our 24/7 charter department at +966 11 261 1199 or email charter@flynas.com.

Flight Support-Aircraft Owners Aircraft owners managing an aircraft internally can still benefit from NASJET’s unrivaled level of international support and significant 10

‘economy of scale’ cost-saving benefits. The NASJET Flight Center, Client Service, Charter Team and Engineering Teams operate 24/7, supporting owners with flight planning, overnight & landing permits, ground handling, fuel management, accommodation, catering, aircraft insurance, maintenance and aircraft evaluations.

NASJET will provide aircraft owners with ‘back-up’ aircraft at attractive prices, when their aircraft is not available. The core management fleet includes Airbus, Boeing, Gulfstream, Legacy 600 and Citation Excel.

Aircraft Sales As a world class owner, operator and manager of corporate aircraft, we are in the unique position of understanding the many advantages and disadvantages of aircraft ownership. We offer real-time pricing analysis, aircraft financing at preferential rates, aircraft inspections, sales/ marketing collateral and assertive price negotiations. Close ties with the leading business aircraft manufacturers, operators and international sales brokers further ensures the information presented is accurate and timely. Dedicated teams are able to handle legal and administrative documentation, including registration and licensing as well as scouring the market to present you with the widest

possible choice of aircraft. We have the required experience to enter into negotiations on any aircraft model, and together with marketing and advertising experts, we can help you buy or sell your aircraft with cost efficiency and the utmost discretion.

With NASJET you can be assured that your aircraft sale or purchase is being managed by aviation experts.

Completions Advisory If you are planning to purchase a new ‘green’ aircraft, or refurbishing your current aircraft, we have the capability and wealth of experience to ensure the completion and delivery of the aircraft is to the highest standard, protecting the future residual value of your aircraft. NASJET and appointed partners provide advice on the design, selection and installation of the cabin configuration, layout, type of seats, carpets, sidewall treatments and other furnishings, entertainment and communication systems, galley and lavatory fixtures, avionics packages, exterior paint and extended warranty programs Operating business aircraft in extreme hot and humid climates can mean the finishing and preparation of materials has to be of a specific requirement. Capitalizing on our regional knowledge as an operator of over 19 fixed-wing aircraft with hundreds of thousands of miles flown across every continent in the world, we guarantee your aircraft will be finished to the optimum standard.

NasJet APRIL 2021: ISSUE 115

Introducing Our Fleet Over 19 fixed-wing aircraft are under our management

We are also able to source any type of aircraft in the world if our fleet does not match your preference Airbus Corporate Jet (ACJ) A318 In NASJET, we have two types of Airbus A318, an aircraft which combines Airbus reliability and intercontinental performance.

Airbus A320neo Airbus A320neo is distinguished by its innovative technologies and the spaciousness of its cabin - the widest in the single-aisle aircraft category.

The aircraft is equipped with a new generation of engines that contribute to a 15% cutback of fuel consumption and harmful emissions, and a 50% reduction of noise level.

Boeing (B767) and Boeing (BBJ3) Boeing Business Jets bring the best of 12

private air travel, offering customers a wide range of Boeing products.

The robust characteristics of this aircraft also provide an excellent value proposition when outfitted for more personalized space, unmatched reliability and worldwide support.

Gulfstream (G650) and Gulfstream (GIV-SP) NASJET is the largest Gulfstream operator in the Middle East. You can fly in a spacious and comfortable cabin, which includes a full-service galley to serve your favourite meals.

Legacy 600 Legacy 600 has installed an Ionization System which allows it to eliminate

99.9% of all microbes, bacteria, germs, bad smells, etc… in the air of the cabin during flight. This Legacy 600 is the first and only business jet to have this system installed during Covid-19, and will reduce the spread of the virus within the air of the cabin significantly.

Citation Excel The Citation Excel aircraft combines transcontinental range and remarkable efficiency in a beautiful mid-size jet. The cabin offers comfortable room and a spacious interior. The high-quality leather seats are extra wide with full reclining capabilities for optimal comfort.

AIR X WILLIAMS SONOMA HOME

Style in the City

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Opening its first UAE store in The Dubai Mall, Williams Sonoma Home is capturing the hearts of the Middle East’s design savvy

hose familiar with the iconic American homeware store know that luxury is sewn into the fabric that makes up the entire Williams Sonoma brand. Which is why, ever since its inception in 2004, Williams Sonoma Home has been associated with the silk stockings of society. And if there’s one thing that sets this heritage brand apart from the crowd, it’s most certainly quality.

The trading of excellence began back in 1953, when Charles ‘Chuck’ Williams bought a singular hardware store in Sonoma, California. Passionate about cooking – and in particular French cookware – over the next few years, he began converting its stock from hardware to the high-quality cookware that is today the backbone of Williams Sonoma’s brick and mortar legacy.

That Williams Sonoma store grew to become a key element in a group of well-crafted interiors brands, including Pottery Barn, West Elm and Williams Sonoma Home, all of which are franchised

by Alshaya Group in the MENA region.

Now, sharing a space in The Dubai Mall with the kitchenware of Williams Sonoma,

Williams Sonoma Home is revolutionising the Middle East’s interiors market.

The furniture is elegant in style and particularly well executed in fabric.

Sleek, contemporary lines mean the store’s overall aesthetic is fresh but, in keeping with the brand’s DNA, opulent too. With everything from elegant crystal chandeliers, to large, accommodating dining tables, a home that’s had the Sonoma touch is one that can both comfort and impress.

Knowing that bespoke furniture is the currency of a well-designed home, Williams Sonoma Home has brought its renowned tailor-made service with it to Dubai. It’s here that customers are really able to elevate their home’s style, as in-house designers, known as The Design Crew, can advise on fabric, design and layout. Sitting down to a private meeting with a member of the crew, customers are able to create bespoke items drawing inspiration from the range, meaning that complete customisation is both possible, and encouraged.

Passionate about illustrating individual stories through objects, and a cut above

the rest when it comes to homeware shopping, The Design Crew also advise their patrons on how to dress and arrange items in the home.

It’s with this unique approach to furnishing and styling that Williams Sonoma already feels at home in the Middle East.

Visit Williams Sonoma Home in The Dubai Mall or at The Avenues in Kuwait.

Follow @williamssonomahomemena 13

Radar APRIL 2021: ISSUE 115

AIR

To celebrate the centenary of the iconic Chanel N°5 perfume, a birthday cake just wouldn’t cut it. Instead, the maison’s skilled artisans have created the first high jewellery collection ever dedicated to a perfume. In all, one hundred and twenty-three extraordinary pieces interpret the scent and its bottle, with the 55.55 necklace the standout item. Its name references the perfect octagonal diamond weighing 55.55 carats, which takes centre stage from a supporting cast of 104 round and 42 baguette diamonds, gifting Chanel N°5 the best birthday present of all.

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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

BREITLING

C H R O N O M AT A U T O M AT I C 3 6 S O U T H S E A Tapping into our need to add a little fun and colour to our lives as we continue to grapple with the global pandemic, Breitling has released a South Sea capsule collection of three attention-stealing Chronomat Automatic timepieces. Each feature special lacquered dials, available

in either beige, midnight blue, or mint green (pictured), as well as matching alligator straps with folding clasps.

Equally striking are the cocktail-hued gem-set bezels. Housing a Breitling Caliber 10, each piece has a power reserve of approximately 42 hours.

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OB JECTS OF DESIRE

GUCCI

EPILOGUE: KEN SCOT T For Gucci’s Epilogue collection, the house pays homage to American fashion designer Ken Scott, who resided in Milan in the ‘60s and ‘70s, where he created his colourful patterned fabrics and line. Christened ‘the gardener of fashion’, Scott favoured large scale flowers in his creations, including

peonies, roses, poppies and sunflowers, all of which play a prominent role in this selection of pieces, which cover both womenswear and menswear. All are therefore bright, colourful and impactful, with an exuberant spirit, including this eye-popping blazer.

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OB JECTS OF DESIRE

R E N É C A O V I L L A

AIK A SANDAL René Caovilla’s SS21 collection – designed with a nod to female strength and style – is defined by a strong line-up of iconic designs and new proposals, with a highlight of the former being a reinterpretation of the Cleo sandal.

Snaking serpent-like around the ankle,

the Aika sandal is characterised by the entirely handmade embroidery that decorates the elegant straps. Inspired by pearl and crystal necklaces, the lavish decoration accentuates the elegant and extremely feminine character of a shoe that’s a genuine showstopper.

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OB JECTS OF DESIRE

DIOR

BOOK TOTE Back in 1989, Maria Grazia Chiuri delivered what was arguably fashion’s first It bag – the Fendi Baguette – so when she took over at Dior it was inevitable that her bags would ultimately command attention.

That has certainly proved the case with every new Book Tote dropped. Created 4

with couture-level craftsmanship, for Cruise 2021 MGC drew inspiration from the Argentinian craft of leather tooling.

With no sewing involved, it has been fashioned completely by hand in Dior’s Italian ateliers, and is in every respect a work of art.

OB JECTS OF DESIRE

BA L E NCI AGA

SPEED 3.0 The latest addition to the Balenciaga Speed family – the third iteration of the celebrated Speed Trainer – carries the patented triple arch and form-fitting 3-D knit of its predecessors, yet here the appearance is much more sock-like.

It makes for an aerodynamic design

which means the shoe feels very much part of the foot and almost weightless while worn. A Balenciaga logo and a special Speed 3.0 logo adorn the front and back of each sole, while the knit is embroidered with a double-B logo on each ankle.

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OB JECTS OF DESIRE

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OB JECTS OF DESIRE

U LT I M AT E C O L L E C T O R C A R S

TA S C H E N

treasures. Adding to its allure, the first 10,000 copies printed are individually numbered.

Other featured highlights include the Aston Martin DB5 Convertible from the ‘60s, and a Porsche 550 Spyder from the ‘50s, which is as ‘classic’ as classic cars get.

A double volume edit of the 100 most desirable cars of all time – including this impeccably stylish Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Alloy Gullwing Coupé – this weighty tome presents each model with stunning imagery taken by the world’s leading car photographers, alongside rare archival 7

OB JECTS OF DESIRE

T I F FA N Y

BLUE BOOK COLLECTION A highlight of the new Blue Book Collection, they are crafted from 18k yellow gold and platinum, and feature warm green beryls, diamonds, and morganites, a legacy gemstone that was first introduced by Tiffany in 1910 and reused to dazzling effect here.

It’s true that Wonder Woman Gal Gadot doesn’t require much in the way of adornments to command the attention of cameras, but the Tiffany earrings she wore as presenter of the 26th Annual Critics Choice Awards last month were equally wonderous.

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OBJECTS OF DESIRE

Critique APRIL 2021 : ISSUE 115

Film Boogie Dir. Eddie Huang Alfred ‘Boogie’ Chin, a basketball phenom, dreams of playing in the NBA. To achieve it, he must juggle the pressures of studying for a scholarship with a new girlfriend, high school, and on-court rivals.

AT BEST: ‘There’s a lot of promise and things to enjoy and appreciate.’ – Sam Stone, CBR AT WORST: ‘With so much on the line, Boogie just sort of dribbles to nothingness.’ – Richard Whittaker, Austin Chronicle

Chaos Walking Dir: Doug Liman AIR

Set in the not-too distant future, a couple navigate a dystopian world where all the females have disappeared, and all the men are afflicted by a force that puts their thoughts on display.

AT BEST: ‘There is something strangely pleasing about how profoundly unkempt this all feels.’ – Oliver Jones, Observer AT WORST: ‘It’s hard to imagine a more forgettable piece of sci-fi hooey.’ – Sara Michelle Fetters, moviefreek.com

Promising Young Woman Dir: Emerald Fennell Wickedly smart and cunning, Cassie leads a double life at night. Yet an unexpected encounter will change everything.

AT BEST: ‘A profoundly devastating reflection of a woman consumed with grief.’ – Candice Frederick, Elle AT WORST: ‘This is lip-gloss misanthropy packaged as feminist manifesto.’ – Stephanie Zacharek, TIME

The United States Vs. Billie Holiday Dir: Lee Daniels The true story of how legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday was targeted by the Federal Department of Narcotics.

AT BEST: ‘The phenomenal central performance makes it a movie experience worth having.’ – Allen Adams, The Maine Edge AT WORST: ‘This film doesn’t deserve her (Holiday).’ – Tom Shone, Sunday Times

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Critique APRIL 2021 : ISSUE 115

Books our Hundred Souls is comprised of multiple voices, each telling remarkable stories drawn from the four-hundred-year journey of African Americans from 1619.

“The authors, each in their individual voice, raise a Black chorus, demystify racial assumptions, connect the dots of law and jurisprudence, lay the unspoken cultural truths bare, look at the engineering of the foundational aspects of institutional racism and show an America ashamed of its history,” says George McCalman, writing for the San Francisco Chronicle.

“Feel the endurance and resilience of how Blacks resisted, revolted, organized, demanded, protested and rebelled. Feel the joy in the absurdity of remaining American in the face of such obstacles.”

The Washington Post, meanwhile, says that “This collection teaches us that nothing about the latest crisis is new – that for four hundred years, Americans have whistled a ‘Yankee Doodle Dandy’ tune of national selfcongratulation while reliving repeating cycles of racial violence and hypocrisy.

This project is a vital addition to that curriculum on race in America and

should serve as a gateway to the solo works of all the voices in Kendi and Blain’s impressive choir.”

Also hailing the book as a necessity is Kirkus Reviews: “An impeccable, epic, essential vision of American history as a whole and a testament to the resilience of Black people.”

Composed almost exclusively of conversations between women, Topics of Conversation by Miranda Popkey careens through twenty years in the life of an unnamed narrator hungry for experience and bent on upending her life. “Sally Rooney-esque…Popkey’s sentences careen breathlessly as her halting, staccato prose mirrors the ‘churning’ within the narrator’s mind. A shrewd record of the act of unflinchingly circling these amorphous notions of pain, desire and control,” says The New York Times Book Review.

Entertainment Weekly is also fulsome in its praise: “As [the narrator] explores her own history through a shifting lens of female rivalries and friendships, the book’s surface coolness begins to peel away, revealing the raw, uncommon nerve of a radically honest storyteller.”

“Electrifying…Shrewd and sensual, Popkey’s debut carries the scintillating

charge of a long-overdue girls’ night.” hails O, The Oprah Magazine.

In the world depicted In Christina Dalcher’s Master Class, every child’s potential is regularly determined by a standardized measurement: their quotient (Q). Score high and they attend a top tier school with a golden future. Score too low, and it’s off to a federal boarding school with limited prospects. When teacher Elena sees her daughter shipped off to the latter, she vows to get her back.

“Dalcher combines the pace and tension of a standout thriller with thought-provoking projections of the possible end result of ranking children based on test scores. Admirers of The Handmaid’s Tale will be appropriately unsettled,” says Publishers Weekly.

Kirkus Reviews believes the book should serve as a warning. “The book’s examination of the way people will accept more and more small social changes until the system becomes something unrecognizable and horrific feels timely and urgent…Top notch and keeps the reader guessing.

An engaging parable of dangerous social change.”

Credit: Penguin Random House

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AIR

Art & Design APRIL 2021: ISSUE 115

Digital Love A Wisconsin computer-science graduate is now the world’s third-most-expensive artist. How did he manage it, and has the art world gone mad?

WORDS: ANTHONY BRETT

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I believe we are ‘witnessing the

beginning of the next chapter in art history, digital art

’

own and collect it. With NFT’s that has now changed. I believe we are witnessing the beginning of the next chapter in art history, digital art. This is work that has just as much craft, message, nuance and intent as anything made on a physical canvas and I am beyond honored and humbled to represent the digital art community in this historic moment,” said Beeple.

Perhaps the key point to make, before we get into the slightly complex stuff about crypto assets, is that Everydays is a proper artwork. Which it so say, Beeple expended considerable time and effort creating it. This isn’t the digital equivalent of Marcel Duchamp putting a urinal in a gallery and calling it art.

Everydays consists of a JPEG collage of 5,000 separate images that the artist created on his computer on 5,000 consecutive days between 1 May 2007 and 7 January 2021. (He didn’t even take a break on his wedding day.) The images mostly have the look of a dystopian video game, with mutant variants of Kim Jong-un and Buzz Lightyear popping up regularly.

When Beeple spoke of the sale as “the

next chapter in art history”, he wasn’t referring to the art work per se, though – but to the role of non-fungible tokens.

Fungible is another word for replaceable, and an NFT serves as a unique, nonreplaceable marker for a particular, digital asset (in this case an art work).

The token is recorded on a digital ledger known as a blockchain, which stores details about the work’s creation, as well as past and present owners. An NFT is a kind of certification, in other words – something crucial in the art world, where value depends so much on a piece’s authenticity and provenance.

Digital art dates back to the 1960s, but it was always difficult to monetise because of the ease of duplication. The idea is that, with the advent of NFTs, this should change – and that digital artists should be properly paid for their endeavours. Nothing wrong there.

Especially as NFTs include a contract that entitles artists to a cut (usually around 10 per cent) of all future sales.

So far, so positive. There are, however, a few buts. Let’s address two of the main ones. First, the fact that there’s nothing which intrinsically sets apart the version of Everydays sold from the versions you and I can right-click and save from the Christie’s website. To speak of an ‘original’ digital art work doesn’t really make sense. Once the hype around NFTs passes, will this paradox see prices drop off significantly?

A second issue is that the purchasers of NFT art thus far have mostly been tech entrepreneurs – ie. people renowned for chasing a profit rather than their connoisseurship. The suspected buyer of Everydays, for example, was China’s Justin Sun, founder of a cryptocurrency platform called Tron. (Sun later revealed that he lost the bid; the identity of the actual buyer is as yet unknown.)

True, the commodification of art is nothing new; there have been many cases in recent years of paintings being bought, stored in warehouses and sold on later for an inflated price. Assuming the NFT bubble doesn’t burst, one fears this trend will be accentuated, though: of art being treated as an asset rather than a source of aesthetic, intellectual and emotional pleasure.

Not that Beeple himself will care.

He’s off to Disney World. He meant for a visit, but he might be able to buy the place soon.

Credit: © Anthony Brett / Telegraph Media Group 2021

AIR

“I

’m going to Disney World”, the artist Beeple exclaimed, after bidding closed on his digital collage, Everydays: The First 5000 Days. It had just sold at Christie’s for $69.3 million. Yes, $69.3 million: more than the price paid at auction for any work by Old Masters such as Rembrandt and Raphael, or recent masters such as Salvador Dalí and Jackson Pollock.

Not bad for a computer-science graduate from Wisconsin who chose to name himself after a furry toy. Beeple is the artistic alias of 39-year-old Mike Winkelmann. For most of his career, he has worked as a graphic designer and animator – his jobs including the creation of concert visuals for the likes of Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber.

He has made digital art as something of a sideline. It’s perhaps harsh to call someone with 1.8 million Instagram followers an unknown, but it’s fair to say that, until December, Beeple wasn’t on most art people’s radars.

To this day, he’s not represented by a gallery, the traditional foothold into the art world. Beeple is a disruptor. He became fascinated last year by the idea of selling work in a new way. That is, with an accompanying digital certificate known as an NFT – acronym for ‘nonfungible token’, more on which shortly.

Success came fast, and

by December Beeple was making headlines for selling a set of works for $3.5 million on Nifty Gateway, an auction website specialising in NFTs. Last month, a 10-second video piece of his called Crossroad – featuring parkgoers walking past the giant, naked, tattooed body of a slumbering Donald Trump – fetched $6.6 million. It had sold originally, in October, for $67,000.

With such staggering returns, it’s little wonder that Christie’s wanted in. Last month’s sale made Everydays: The First 5000 Days the third-most expensive work by a living artist ever sold at auction – behind only a $90.3 million painting by David Hockney and a $91.1 million sculpture by Jeff Koons. With Christie’s and rivals Sotheby’s certain to offer more NFT art works following Beeple’s triumph, who’s to say the format won’t yield a world record soon?

“Artists have been using hardware and software to create artwork and distribute it on the internet for the last 20+ years, but there was never a real way to truly

Opening pages: Indidual images that make up Everydays: The First 5000 Days Opposite: Mike Winkelmann (Beeple) This page, from top to bottom: Everydays: The First 5000 Days in full; Indidual images that make up Everydays: The First 5000 Days

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Timepieces APRIL 2021: ISSUE 115

High Time How Bulgari’s new collection pushes the boundaries of watchmaking to incredible new heights

B AIR

ulgari has been gaining watch market share and capturing consumer interest since the launch of its original Octo model nine years ago. And the brand had 2021 off to a flying start when it introduced a stellar selection of men’s and women’s timepieces that include exceptional jewellery pieces and grand complications.

Interesting line extensions stand shoulder-to-shoulder with astonishing and complex limited editions involving innovative decorative techniques and feats of micro-engineering, with arguably the stars of the show being the limited-edition Octo Roma Carillon Tourbillon and the Divas’ Dream Peacock collection.

Divas’ Dream watches combine artistic prowess with mechanical mastery and, this year, Bulgari has created three new pieces that revisit a familiar house muse: The peacock.

Exotic, colourful and glamorous, the bird has become a symbol of creativity at Bulgari and is recognised by the house as the unofficial spirit animal of the stage and screen icons who continue to inspire Divas’ Dream.

Uniting the highest of watchmaking and the finest jewellery skills, the peacock is represented in a trio of guises all set in 37mm, rose-gold cases and all highlighting rare, traditional crafts including marquetry, miniature painting and champlevé.

With the limited-edition Divas’ Dream Peacock Tourbillon Lumière, an

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openwork dial is decorated with flashes of real peacock feather and diamonds ranged in the shape of the fan motif that is an emblem of the Divas’ collection. The heart of the watch is at 6 o’clock where a skeletonised tourbillon has been placed among the explosion of petrol blue plumasserie.

Divas’ Dream Peacock Dischi features a ‘mystery’, marquetry dial made of specially selected feathers. The automatic movement within the case powers the rotation of two discs that reveal the hours and minutes via a pair of jewels – a round and a pear-cut diamond. The familiar fan-shaped lugs of the Divas’ Dream connect the case to a blue alligator-leather bracelet.

Completing the trinity, the selfwinding Divas’ Dream Peacock Diamonds has a dial that has been transformed into a miniature canvas, hosting a realistic representation of the bird using the ancient champlevé ‘engraving and flooding’ technique. The dial is highlighted with diamonds to reflect the newly-created, pavé bracelet made up of tiny Diva fan shapes.

With the Octo Roma Carillon Tourbillon, Bulgari has again demonstrated the power of independence and vertical integration, showing how skills in one area such as miniaturisation and micromechanics (perfected in last year’s tiny women’s tourbillon movement) can allow rapid progression in other areas such as chiming watches.

The new watch combines the highest

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Opening pages: Divas’ Dream Peacock These pages, from left to right: Serpenti Spiga; making of Serpenti Spiga; Octo Roma Carillon Tourbillon

of watchmaking tradition, including a three-hammer Westminster chime and tourbillon, with cutting-edge design and materials such as PVDcoated titanium. The ultra-light, 44mm, blackened Roma case, stealthy, black alligator-leather strap and mix of polished steel and PVDtreated components bring a futuristic quality to the 15 examples of this spectacularly complex new watch.

Inside the case beats the all-new, 432-component, manual-winding Calibre BVL428. The dial-side microrotor, the hollowed-out case centre with openings, and the grid-like dial construction, allow plenty of free space within the case for transmission of sound. The twin barrels of the movement mean that one is solely responsible for the operation of the chimes, while the second gives a timekeeping power reserve of 75 hours.

Beyond this year’s metier d’art and grand complication watches, there is a host of new models joining Bulgari’s signature collections.

The Lvcea Intarsio Marquetry is the latest addition to the women’s collection that was introduced in 2014. The round dial of the watch is created from more than a hundred 26

slices of translucent grey mother-ofpearl – each piece faceted to absorb and reflect light in astonishing ways.

The watch is available in both a 28mm quartz model and a 33mm self-winding version, both housed in a stainlesssteel case with options for diamondsetting. The variations in the natural material make each piece unique The house’s other signature style for women is the snake inspired Serpenti, a design made famous when its high jewellery version was worn

by Elizabeth Taylor on the Roman set of Cleopatra (1963). For 2021 the watch takes on a new incarnation in the form of the Serpenti Spiga, a fresh take on a Tubogas-style bracelet first used by Bulgari in the 1950s.

Presented in three new 35mm models, the gold and diamond spiral bracelets of the Spiga are created from between 40 and 70 different sections that work together to articulate in a way that allows for ultimate ergonomics and comfort. Each module is decorated with a woven pattern resembling ears of wheat (the literal meaning of ‘spiga’ in Italian), showcasing Bulgari’s expertise in jewellery and goldsmithing. The diamond-

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set watches are available in rose or white gold with one or two spirals.

And Bulgari’s record-breaking star, the Octo Finissimo – now the holder of six horology world records – has not been forgotten, with a monochrome model plus a Chronograph GMT version being added to the steel ‘S’ range. With a unique octagonal case made of curves and straight lines, the original Octo Finissimos were famed for their unconventional design elements and materials and were joined in 2020 by the overtly sporty Finissimo S, a steel version with an ultra-thin, self-winding movement and 100m of water-resistance.

The latest time-only version of the Finissimo S features a 40mm satinpolished steel case with a verticallybrushed, silver-coloured dial. It is joined by the Octo Finissimo S Chronograph GMT, powered by the self-winding, ultra-thin Calibre BVL 318 with peripheral rotor (last seen in a more polarising sand-blasted titanium case), available in a 43mm, satin-polished, steel case with integrated steel bracelet, blue sunray dial and silver-coloured chronograph counters. The sub-dial at three o’clock gives a second time-zone.

Credit: © Tracey Llewellyn/ Telegraph Media Group Limited 2021

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Uniting the highest of watchmaking and the finest jewellery skills, the peacock is represented in a trio of guises

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Jewellery APRIL 2021 : ISSUE 115

History in the Making The timeless appeal of Van Cleef & Arpels’ Heritage Collection WORDS: JOHN THATCHER

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an Cleef & Arpels’ dazzling Dubai Opera salon was the perfect stage for the storied maison to spotlight treasures from its Heritage Collection last month.

Acquired from private collectors around the world, the Heritage Collection was unveiled twelve years ago, with pieces of interest added to it whenever they are sourced and acquired. “We have developed an international network of informers who notify us when they hear of an interesting jewel being offered for sale,” says Natacha Vassiltchikov, International Deputy Heritage Director at Van Cleef & Arpels.

“We are looking for creations which are emblematic of a particular period, style or craftsmanship in the rich history of Van Cleef & Arpels. They must be in good condition, authentic and unaltered, and still appealing in today’s fashion and lifestyle. It is more and more difficult to find these types of creations, fresh to the market, but sometimes we get lucky.

A good example is a 1951 pearl and diamond bracelet, formerly in the collection of American heiress Barbara Hutton. Each piece is signed and numbered, and it is by researching this jewel in our archives that we discovered its prestigious provenance,

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actually unknown to the vendor!”

Featured pieces span the decades, from the Roaring Twenties to the colourful Eighties, each offering new insight into the maison’s evolving style. Traced back through the archives, their history recalls decades of innovation and imagination.

And with only light restoration and no polishing, they remain a true representation of VCA’s past glories.

“All creations from our Heritage Collection are brought to Paris to be verified against our archives, authenticated and checked by our Master craftsmen,” reveals Vassiltchikov. “We ensure that they are in good condition, make small repairs when needed and do a gentle cleaning, without removing the little signs of wear, which give the jewel its ‘patina’ and its charm. We deliver for all pieces a certificate of authenticity and we present them to our clients, in the hope that they will continue to bring joy and beauty to many more generations to come.”

One of the oldest items in the collection is a clock, produced around the year 1929, a period in which Van Cleef & Arpels excelled in creating such precious objects. Made from yellow gold, turquoise, rose quartz, lapis lazuli, and blue enamel, it

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We have developed an international ‘network of informers who notify us when they hear of an interesting jewel being offered for sale ’

is an example of how VCA found inspiration in Chinese culture at that time, with the same techniques frequently used in oriental arts.

The clock’s ornamental motifs are also emblematic of Chinese iconography: on one side is a goat and a crane, surrounded by budding chrysanthemum, traditional symbols of longevity and harmony; on the other side is a graceful Buddha of feminine appearance, named Guanyin Pusa in Chinese, lifting her right hand in a slight gesture of peace.

Eastern traditions would also prove influential in the 1970s, when the fashion for jewellery grew larger and bolder. Reflective of this are a necklace (1975) and earrings (1972), both rich in colour and crafted from myriad materials, including yellow gold, rubies, emeralds and diamonds.

Transformable pieces are a hallmark of Van Cleef & Arpels designs, with such items made to be worn for a variety of occasions. The long necklace transforms to a shorter version and may also be worn without the tassel.

A tassel was once considered a symbol of power and prestige. Though they were also thought to ward off evil spirits, too – ancient priests and military officers used to wear them for this reason. The pendant and a section of the necklace detach so the necklace may be worn shorter, while the pendants on the pair of 30

earrings are also detachable.

“Jewels and precious objects from the Heritage Collection can first be admired for their aesthetic appeal, and then it is interesting to imagine when they were made, what was the context in terms of worldwide events, in the arts, in fashion, in jewellery in general,” suggests Vassiltchikov.

“For instance, in the ‘40s, there was a shortage in precious stones and platinum became rare, as it was used for armament or telecommunications.

So, yellow gold became prominent and was worked in extraordinary ways, as in the rare ‘Lace’ earclips from 1943, set with small rubies in diamonds.

Long necklaces like the ‘Mandarin’ necklace from 1973, set with coral and jadeite beads sourced by the Arpels family on one of their trips to Asia, is a perfect illustration of the Bohemian spirit of the 1970s, the interest in exoticism and in jewellery which could be worn from day to night.”

Of course, as well as changing trends, what the Heritage Collection emphasises most is the high level of craftmanship the maison has as its hallmark.

The Mystery Setting, patented in 1933, was inspired by 19th-century micro-mosaics. It enabled stones – rubies and sapphires for the most part – to be fixed without the settings being visible, thus allowing a subtle play of light and shadow across their surface.

An accomplished example of this technique from 1967, Fleurs Flammes is a pair of delicate earrings made of platinum, osmior, white gold, and Mystery Set sapphires and diamonds, including 170 square-cut sapphires and 76 round diamonds.

The pendants are detachable.

“Van Cleef & Arpels has always been known for its excellence in craftsmanship and its spirit of innovation,” enthuses Vassiltchikov.

“The turquoise, diamond and yellow gold ‘Ludo’ bracelet of 1935, with its matching clips, are a perfect illustration of one of our most iconic creations.

The gold band, incorporating brickshaped elements, is highly flexible, and the intricate clasp, comprised of beautiful old turquoise gems, evokes perfectly the buckle of a belt” Another iconic design, the ‘Jersey’ necklace from 1955, was created using materials of yellow gold, platinum, rose gold and diamonds, and is an example of how couture has been a constant source of inspiration for Van Cleef & Arpels. The gold work on the necklace mimics textiles of the period such as jersey fabric, and threads of solid gold were often worked into parallel lines or chevrons set with stones.

Its appeal, just like the other pieces selected to be part of the Heritage Collection (some of which will remain on display in the Dubai Opera boutique), is timeless.

Opening pages: Ludo bracelet, 1935 Opposite: Jersey necklace, 1955 This page, from top to bottom: necklace, 1975; Fleurs Flammes earrings, 1967; earrings, 1972; Lace earrings, 1943

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WORDS: JOHNATHAN DEAN

Ten years on from being tabloid fodder, Sienna Miller is happy to let her acting steal the spotlight

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ienna Miller’s friend Emily Blunt is an excellent strategist, able to f lit between big films and small, plotting the perfect career arc. “She’s just more organised,” smiles Miller. “As a woman.” It was Blunt who suggested Miller, having made the indie drama Wander Darkly, next take on a role in the big-budget cop thriller 21 Bridges. “Be in something people will see,” Miller deadpans. “That was her advice.”

So what would a strategist have told her not to do during her career? “Behave badly publicly for a decade?” she replies. “Or not.” She laughs again.

She is 39 – more than ten years removed from that stretch when she was tabloid property. “I was really rebellious against whatever system existed… I didn’t understand it or have the best guidance. I had many opportunities I sabotaged at that moment, and so now I don’t know if I’d necessarily change that decade, because I had a good time and survived it. But, as a strategist, if I could go back to 23, I’d say, ‘Maybe, tone that bit down.’ Or just shush a little.”

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When Miller started out, she wanted to be the new Meryl Streep. She went to the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York and, boy, is she good at what she does – she acts on the edge of various emotions, but is never over the top. She has great onscreen restraint. Then, in her twenties, at the time Layer Cake, Alfie and Factory Girl – playing the Warhol muse Edie Sedgwick – ignited her career, she found herself in a number of high-profile relationships you can find the details of on websites still picking through her past for hits. At that point, she became the new Kate Moss, in front of more paparazzi lenses than movie cameras.

Does anybody teach actors how to deal with fame? “No,” she says. “But I could have done with some media training in my early years. But, also, whatever.” She shrugs. “You sort of lean on others who have gone through that. That’s what I tried to do. But I’m very good at hearing advice and not so good at following it.”

We chat over Zoom. Having lived in New York for years, she is currently back in Britain, in her cottage in the countryside that she bought when she was 25. Her daughter, Marlowe, eight, is downstairs home schooling – “You might hear wailing” – while Miller is upstairs, on a many-cushioned bed wearing a big brown cardigan. It feels serene. A dog lies lazily in the background, and Miller has a day off shooting Anatomy of a Scandal, a glossy Netf lix series based on Sarah Vaughan’s novel. It is a very good gig, but mostly the actress is pleased to have something different to do, after almost a year of home schooling. Which is very relatable.

Anatomy of a Scandal is yet another role in a strong run for the actress that the world sort of forgot. After her initial rush, there was a break, before support slots in the acclaimed Foxcatcher, American Sniper and The Lost City of Z. Then, three years ago, Miller was better than ever as the lead in American Woman, about a mother raising her grandson when her daughter goes missing. Throw in the part of Beth Ailes in The Loudest Voice, about the Fox News boss Roger Ailes, and currently Wander Darkly, in which Miller plays a grieving woman 34

This page: Scene from Layer Cake, 2004

I was a product of a moment, where fame ‘ reached a level I don’t know exists any more ’ who may be dead, and suddenly the shell of an actor in the ghastly GI Joe blockbuster in 2009 seems like an entirely different person.

A few years ago, she said, “I think, within my industry, people think I can act, which is nice.” That lack of confidence feels a little sad? “I probably,” she begins, “as a self-defence mechanism, joke about the very public persona thrust upon me at a very young age. And the noise of what was going on in my life really overshadowed the work I was doing. I hadn’t worked in a while when I did Foxcatcher and American Sniper. I’d just become really disillusioned and needed some space. People would say, ‘What happened?’ As in, I could suddenly act. And I defensively mentioned things I thought were good before. But it occurred to me that people didn’t see me as an actor for a long time. I was better known for other things.”

Miller looks up. There is somebody at the door. “I’ve just got to do a Covid test,” she tells me. She got the virus over Christmas, but as a protocol for filming Anatomy of a Scandal, she needs three tests a week. On set, they

blast antiviral spray and keep it very draughty and cold, but at least they are working. The nurse pops up. A medical bag plops down on the table as Miller introduces herself and they have a small talk. “You had many of these?” asks the actress, turning to me, a face on a laptop on the bed. “I won’t let you watch,” she laughs, as the nostril bit begins, so she turns me away. The chat turns to PPE and ICU. Well, you just did not get this sort of colour from interviews back in 2019.

Nurse gone, back to the past. Miller’s acting hiatus came in the three years after GI Joe, but it took a further six, to 2018 and American Woman, for her, once again, to be a lead of note.

She thought audiences did not want to see films starring people they did not, thanks to the tabloids, approve of.

Does she think that perception of her changed, or does she now not care? “I don’t know if I ever cared,” she says.

“And my behaviour ref lected that.” She once squirted the paparazzi with urine from a water pistol. “But it was just so overwhelming and I was a product of a moment, where fame reached a level I don’t know exists any more. It

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would have been a disaster if I was on social media, but people are much more in control of their narratives in a way that, back then, in England, was impossible. It was a frenzy and I was exhausted by fighting back [Miller got £100,000 ($138,000) in damages after the News of the World admitted to hacking her phone]. And I’m glad I did set the record straight to some degree with my legal actions, but now my life is not that interesting. Deliberately. I just have space to focus on what I want to do, which is to be a mum and work.”

Wander Darkly is such work – and it is excellent. Think Ghost via Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, shot

by Terrence Malick. She made it a while back – “What is time any more?”

– but is finally getting a release on demand. She is Adrienne, partner to Matteo (Diego Luna), and the film starts with the couple in a terrible car crash. What follows is a lush and surreal commentary on memory and mistakes, but it is never obtuse. I enjoyed a scene in which they’re in bed and a curtain catches fire and she remembers him as running out of the room, but he says he went to get help. It all feels very natural.

Did it make Miller think of her own past? “That always happens,” she says. “Also, as a person, I am quite ref lective and nostalgic and like to meander through memory. [The script] landed on my lap at a moment I was taking stock of my own romantic life experiences, and trying to understand what they have been. Those moments where you diverge in a relationship…

Tiny little moments, that corrode.”

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She mimics dust falling through her fingers, as the last word trails off.

The film industry has changed since Miller arrived in it in 2001 aged 20. First, of course, stars have more control over their own fame, diminishing the need for, as the actress told the Leveson inquiry in 2011, “running down a dark street on my own with ten big men chasing me” for a photo. And since Me Too, there are significantly more women in key positions behind the camera, which has led to more female-led stories like those Miller has been in of late.

“Whether it’s a male director or not,” Miller says, “they have to, at this point, be aware that the female experience is something that should be examined. It’s not just the Monica Bellucci 20-minute one-take rape [as in Gaspar Noé’s Irréversible], which is definitely through a male gaze. With patriarchal bulls*** being exposed, there comes a feeling of solidarity in being able to stand up for yourself and not be accused of whinging. I will not now tolerate certain behaviour that I probably would have acquiesced to because it was easier in the past.”

Would she feel happier with Marlowe becoming an actor in today’s business rather than the one she started out in? “I mean, I never had horrifying experiences being an actor,” says Miller. “I felt belittled. I felt insignificant. I got shouted out by Weinstein, but never molested. So my experience was never that predatory.

It was unpleasant, because women…”

She slightly adjusts her thoughts. “I was seen as something that lacked the

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substance I felt I had as a person.”

“But no,” she continues. “I love being an actor. It is a great job and my daughter is artistic. I would never dissuade her [and] predatory behaviour is in any workplace or bar.

It’s something women have to navigate that men probably underestimate. And have to deal with their entire lives.

I’m glad she’s growing up in a world where that behaviour is not tolerated in the way it was when I was young.”

When Chadwick Boseman, her 21 Bridges co-star, died of cancer last year, Miller spoke out about how the actor gave up some of his own salary to ensure his female colleague was better paid. Miller says his action has galvanised people – herself included. “For many years,” she says.

“I underestimated myself to such a degree I would’ve accepted anything.

But Chadwick’s gesture and the way women in my industry are talking about [pay] is empowering. I’d feel embarrassed now to not fight for myself. But it can take me being put into that corner to do something.”

They filmed in 2018. Was she aware that he was so ill? Miller sighs. “I would never have known he was sick to the degree he was,” she says. “But I could tell he was really tired in a way that now makes sense. It never affected the work. But he was very thin. Thinner when we went back to reshoot. It is astounding he was at that stage of a battle and we made that film. I remember when I said goodbye, the last time I saw him. In ref lection, which is often the case, it felt like a real goodbye. And I remember being

Credit: Johnathan Dean/The Sunday Times/ News International

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I was really rebellious against whatever system existed

really moved, but also really confused.

He had tears in his eyes and it was a hug and I felt it was the sweetest thing ever, and never saw him again. But it makes sense of course. You put the pieces together in the aftermath.”

There is a lot of the old soul about Miller – like nothing ruffles her any more. She has lived the sort of packed life that ruined others, but she just comes across as content and calm.

She remains self-critical, though. A result, perhaps, of those years when she lacked self-worth. For example, she says the Brooklyn accent she had for 21 Bridges was a bit much. “I was like,” she says, waving her arms about and putting on a show, “‘Hey! Wotcha doin?’ But I got to work with Chadwick.”

Her ambitions are big. “I want to be doing this when I’m 80,” she says.

“Like Glenda Jackson playing King Lear!” Or, “My goal is to be hired by Paul Thomas Anderson and be the lead.

Or Scorsese.” And why not. Look at much of her recent work, though, and you can be forgiven for thinking she is figuring out her memories via her roles.

Anatomy of a Scandal is about adultery. “It’s centred around betrayal,” Miller explains. “Which is something I have experienced a lot of, bizarrely. And [my character] responds to it in a very different way than I do. In my own life, my own response to that behaviour has been really singular. And hers is more forgiving, tolerant. It’s not like me, but the circumstances are familiar.”

Most resonant, though, was American Woman – a brilliant role in a film well worth seeking out. She plays Deb, a wild young adult who people think rather ill of, but then, over a decade, begin to understand in a different light. She nods along, grinning. “She’s very easy to judge and then emerges at the end as someone you love,” she says. “And respect. I liked that arc.”

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CHANGING CLOTHES As CEO of sustainable fashion initiative, Red Carpet Green Dress, Samata Pattinson is on a mission INTERVIEW: JOHN THATCHER

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hen the flashbulbs illuminated the gowns of Emma Roberts and Priyanka Bose as they strolled the red carpet at 2017’s Academy Awards, they were highlighting more than their fashion choices. Roberts wore Armani, a piece from his very first Privé collection, while Bose dazzled in Vivienne Westwood, a dress that was custom designed from fabric recycled from a past collection.

By wearing their respective gowns, the movie stars were shining a spotlight on Red Carpet Green Dress (RCGD), an initiative founded by Suzy Amis Cameron (wife of Avatar and Titanic director, James) which since 2010 has used the Oscars as a platform to promote its drive to make fashion more sustainable. More aware.

Each year, the winners of RCGD’s Global Design Contest get to see their ethical designs worn on the red carpet by two prominent VIPs from the fashion and entertainment industry.

It was while on the red carpet herself, escorting her husband as he promoted the release of Avatar, that Cameron had the idea. “Suzy really wanted to make sure that sustainability was brought to the forefront of conversation on that red carpet to stimulate action. And that link between dialogue and action is a key part of our mission statement.

We all wear clothes every day, so we are all part of this conversation, whether we are aware of it or not,” says Samata Pattinson, CEO of RCGD, whose own sustainable dress design won the annual competition to be worn on the Oscars’ red carpet (by model Aine Rose Campbell) in 2011.

The Academy Awards tie up is just one element of what is a multi-layered campaign, its goal: to raise awareness of sustainable practises in the design world, whilst birthing design solutions (RCGD is currently working on a textile lab); supporting fledgling and emerging communities within the eco-design world and facilitating their growth; and offering internships, building brand collaborations, knowledge-share platforms and educational experiences for students.

So how far does Pattinson think RCGD has progressed its agenda within the fashion industry over the past decade?

“We have come a long way since RCGD 40

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We all wear clothes every day, so we are all part of this conversation, whether we are aware of it or not

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was founded and people are definitely more aware of our message and ethos,” she says. “For one, we have successfully challenged the ‘dowdy’ perception of sustainability from a design perspective by showing that it can be design-led and desirable. By working with established brands such as Louis Vuitton, Elie Saab, Armani and Vivienne Westwood, but also small independent brands like Laura Basci, the common thread is that these pieces have been breathtaking and frequently made best-dressed lists.

“With each piece has come educational insight – from natural dye solutions, which reduce water pollution, to the impact of vintage and its impact on reducing GHGs and the future of regenerative textiles, which do not clog up the earth. Still, from a design perspective we have managed to incite interest by leading with a design-first approach.

“The fashion industry has already come a long way as regards to sustainability, with 2020 being a major catalyst for pausing, reflecting and changing. But when it comes to metrics, accountability and legislation, we are a long way off. For example, we don’t have effective mechanisms to prevent the use of toxic dyes and we don’t have enough traceability across the supply chain when it comes to material sourcing. We are pushing in many areas, including education (bringing sustainability to the average person in a digestible and accessible way), material innovation – as right now we focus too heavily on the same exhausted materials – through to facilitating the voices of grassroots organisations pushing for legislative change such as AWAJ Foundation in Bangladesh.”

It begs the question of how big an obstacle the inexorable rise of fast fashion will prove?

“The public’s expectations are changing too. Yes, we still have the mega beast of fast fashion to deal with – which overproduces and gobbles up nature’s resources recklessly, and until that is conquered it will always be a fight, but people are

starting to want their brands to be more ethical and responsible in their design and supply chains. People are also starting to understand what questions to ask, not just who made my clothes but what are my clothes made from, who are the faces behind the brands, are they representative and inclusive? People are curious and I think that brands will need to adapt to cater towards these consumer needs, or risk becoming irrelevant.

“There is a wider group required at the table. Responsibility is not here or there, it is everywhere. The industry still has a long way to go, but if we keep the momentum that was amplified during COVID-19 regarding positive change, we will be a step closer to a happier and healthier planet for our future generations.”

As Pattinson alludes, the impact of the pandemic could well prove transformative – though not solely positive.

“While certain groups within the industry have rallied together, and this has fostered community, others have been abandoned. Take garment workers, for example,” cites Pattinson.

“When COVID-19 hit the fashion industry, we know that 72% of buyers refused to pay for raw materials already ordered and paid for by the factories; 91% refused to pay for the making of the orders they had committed to; and 98.1 % refused to contribute to the cost of paying the partial wages to furloughed workers that the law requires. These realities have forced us to ask more probing questions of brands, and the wrong answers will count against them. This will play out in everything, from more vulnerable corporate communications with hurdle pages on brand websites, to more detailed clothing labels. We are living in a call-out culture, which is why radical transparency – from factory audit and proof or certificates of purchase, to clear and honest product labelling – is important.”

Born in Britain to Ghanaian parents, Pattinson’s passion for sustainability

Opening pages: Samata Pattinson This page, clockwise from top left: Shaping and sketching designs; Léa Seydoux; 2013 winner Michael Badger adjusts his design for Naomie Harris; Laura Harrier in Louis Vuitton; Priyanka Bose in Vivienne Westwood 41

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These pages, from left to right: Emma Roberts in Armani; Lakeith Stanfield in Ermenegildo Zegna; Aine Rose Campbell in Samata Pattinson’s 2011 winning design; Missi Pyle in Valentina Delfino’s 2012 winning design

love designers to embrace sustainability as a topic ‘ I would which encompasses people, community and planet and all the processes around that ’

and ethical practice within the fashion industry stems from her upbringing.

“When I was younger, my mother, who worked in conservation, used to customise clothing for my sisters and I in her spare time, as a hobby. Back then, I just associated this with her being creative and wanting us to look unique. It was only later that I realised how inherently sustainable this practise was. My father, the son of a chief from northern Ghana, obtained his PhD in Land Economy and Rural and Regional Resources Planning from Cambridge University. He champions women’s rights in indigenous communities, and always encourages me to be the voice for the ones who cannot be in the room. Meeting Suzy in 2011 further opened my eyes to sustainable fashion and the importance of this space.

“I would love designers to embrace 42

sustainability as a topic which encompasses people, community and planet – and all the processes around that. Which means a product life cycle from designing, sourcing, manufacturing and developing, to wearing and disposing. And it means connecting to the people handling the product and the fundamentals of supply chain transparency and accountability.

It’s about compassion and actual care for workers within the supply cycle.”

When this year’s winning designs are showcased – however that may be in light of the pandemic – they will be another timely reminder of how desirable sustainable designs can be.

“Early adopters in the industry, such as Vivienne Westwood, have really helped challenge this idea of sustainable design being less fashionable, and with couture brands like Elie Saab, the

results have been breathtaking – when Zoey Deutch wore an Elie Saab archival gown there was no question about whether it was fashionable or not. The archive piece was embellished with silver silk threads, sequins and vintage beads from Mr. Saab’s Beirut atelier.

The natural hand-dyed colour of the dress was a tribute to the beauty of Indian culture, with the slowlyembroidered handmade pattern respecting artisanal and ancestral craftsmanship. The embroidery techniques used are passed on from one generation to another.

“We want to help people understand what sustainable design actually is, so that they can connect the dots with more ease and start to enjoy it.”

It’s a cause that’s worthy of the spotlight.

He had a passion for standing up for these people who were locked up and treated so poorly

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Matthew M. Williams has gone from Lady Gaga’s costumier to top dog at Givenchy Couture.

It’s been a wild ride, he tells Caroline Leaper

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I started design and production at the same ‘time, where I think a lot of people design without ever learning how to actually make the clothes ’ punctuated with ‘lovers’ locks’, inspired by those that are hooked by tourists on to Paris bridges – attached now to bags and evening gowns. “Hardware makes clothes unique,” he says.

“Inspiration can be found anywhere.”

Raised as a skateboarder in the Californian town of Pismo Beach, Williams had no formal design training and instead learnt on the job at denim company Corpus, where he worked from the age of 19.

“I started design and production at the same time, where I think a lot of people design without ever learning how to actually make the clothes,” he says. “I realised early on that each category of clothing is its own world. It takes a lifetime to master each: denim is a world; knitwear is one; leather, tailoring and so on. I found that so exciting. I thought, this is an industry I’m never going to get bored in.”

His life changed in 2008 when his friend, singer Stefani Germanotta, was looking for someone to design stage costumes for a new persona she was trying out under the name of Lady Gaga. They first met by chance in a Los Angeles sushi restaurant with mutual friends in 2008, and dated briefly before they became creative collaborators.

“She knew that I could make clothing and she needed some costumes,” Williams explains. “This was six months before any of her music was released, then Just Dance took off and I started working for her full time.”

Dedicated Gagapedia websites will tell you that Williams was known as ‘Matty Dada’ to fans. Gaga and Dada created some of the most exceptional pop costumes of the late 2000s – the music videos for Poker Face, Paparazzi, Bad Romance and more all feature Williams” work. From mirrorball face masks and ‘disco stick’ staffs, to jagged shard corsetry, arguably his designs defined Gaga as a global icon, and in his hands her every outfit would

thrill and boggle in equal measure.

“We worked on everything together: stage, videos...” Williams says.

“She gave me so much trust and it was amazing to be creatively free to make things that we just wanted to see exist. They didn’t need to be commercialised for stores.”

Gaga described his work as “quite brilliant”. Williams says that the role taught him a lot about showmanship – what it takes to deliver clothes that get people talking.

“It was exciting to see what materials and silhouettes can do in the right environment,” he says. “In daylight some of these pieces just looked cool.

But when you see them under the lights on the stage, it can take on a different presence. I haven’t had the opportunity to do that kind of clothing since. I’m hoping to be able to do it in the future with [Givenchy] Couture, with an insanely talented atelier and a different kind of know-how than I was working with in the past.”

Williams also cites another creative polymath as a great influence on his work today. After moving on from the Haus of Gaga in 2011, he returned to work with Kanye West (for whom he had previously made stage costumes), this time serving as the art director for West’s creative company DONDA. “That’s a long interview in itself,” he says, laughing, when I ask what he learnt from working with West.

“I don’t know if I could synthesise it down to one sentence. Definitely self-belief. He’s a very positive person.

He’ll always inspire me for having that at the top of his mind and actions.”

In 2015 Williams felt ready to run his own brand. He founded Alyx, something which he says was on the cards since he was a teenager. “All the other projects that I had done prior to that were collaborative, but I was the person who was trying to uplift and execute another’s vision,” he says. “It’s kind of like dressing

Credit: Caroline Leaper © Telegraph Media Group Limited 2021

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atthew Williams won’t turn on his webcam. It is, he apologises, because he’s not feeling Zoom-ready; his hair must not be perfectly swept back, and I’d like to imagine he has swapped his monochrome chic for tracksuit bottoms.

“I’ve been taking care of my kids this morning and I’m in dad mode,” he explains.

The 35-year-old designer leads a life of contrasts. One day he’ll be taking daughters Alyx, seven, and Valetta, four, to Disneyland Paris – he in shredded streetwear, they in candy-pink dresses and tap shoes. The next, we could find him out for dinner in New York with close friends such as rapper, designer and sometime-presidential hopeful Kanye West and designer Virgil Abloh.

Williams is the creative director of the Milan-based luxury streetwear label Alyx (named after his elder daughter) as well as a Moncler Genius collaborator.

He is also, since last June, the creative director of Givenchy, and now divides his time between apartments in Paris and Milan as well as London, where his daughters live with his ex-wife Jennifer, the former sales director at Alyx, from whom he was divorced last year.

Givenchy’s appointment of Williams – the first American at the Parisian house founded in 1952 by Hubert de Givenchy – is symbolic of a wider changing of the guard in fashion right now. An energetic new generation of star designers, including Williams” friends Kim Jones (47, at Fendi and Dior Men) and Abloh (40, at Louis Vuitton Men and Off-White) is shaking things up. “It feels amazing,” Williams says, “when you go for your dream and then it actually comes true.”

The aesthetic Williams delivers at all of the labels he works with is densely layered: industrial materials and streetwear silhouettes are mixed with expensive reptilian textures and copious crystals. In a recent Moncler collection, Williams reinvented the puffer jacket in forms that were sometimes high-gloss bomb-disposal squad, sometimes astronaut. In short, there is always a lot to talk about.

His greatest infatuation is with hardware. One of his design signatures is the rollercoaster-seatbelt buckle, which he introduced at Alyx, and which now also fastens the coats at Moncler.

At Givenchy, his first collection was

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This page: All images: Givenchy Fall Winter 2021

When two companies or designers come ‘together and create a product that neither of them would make on their own, that’s what makes a great collaboration ’ up every day in clothes that don’t look like how you dress. I thought, OK, there’s been enough of that, and regardless of whether this is going to work or not I just need to explore what I actually like. I decided to make the project as personal as possible.”

The Alyx identity that he has defined has attracted a loyal social media following; he has also built a creative community with other artists – the cult Vetements stylist Lotta Volkova and supermodel Bella Hadid were early adopters. Being asked in 2019 to join the ranks of Moncler Geniuses by the CEO, Remo Ruffini (whose roster of collaborators has also included JW Anderson and Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli), Williams says, was another landmark moment for his brand.

“When two companies or designers come together and create a product that neither of them would make on their own, that’s what makes a great collaboration,” Williams says. “We’ve [the Moncler and Alyx teams] managed to create some really unique outerwear pieces throughout the years, experimenting with different scales and volumes.”

Williams champions ethical and eco-friendly practices as much as possible in his work at Alyx, and says that now that his portfolio of roles is expanding, he intends to bring his principles to every company he works with.

“The word sustainability is used as this blanket statement across our industry,” he says, “but the fact is that each company’s supply chain is so different. I go into any collaboration trying to understand the process of working for that company, and then try to propose and integrate the best solutions that I can within my power.”

At Moncler, that means that organic materials are treated with the technical-performance coatings needed for durable outerwear. At

LVMH-owned Givenchy, he admits, he’s still new, and looking into every element of the maison.

Williams had been eyed up by the LVMH group for the Givenchy job since 2016, when he was shortlisted for the LVMH Prize for new talents, but he describes the moment of getting the offer as 15 years in the making. “I was contacted prior to the pandemic,” he says of how he first knew he might be a candidate for the job. “I put together my presentation on what I envisioned doing, then the pandemic happened.”

Living between Paris and Milan (from where he still runs Alyx) is a lifestyle shift that has been difficult logistically during lockdowns, but which he describes as “a dream”.

“I’ve always wanted to design at a French maison and to understand what that felt like,” he says. “The brand is such a great fit for so many reasons.

The fact that one designer gets the chance to do both men’s and women’s, and the couture appeals to me because of its relationship to pop culture and artistry and music. Also, there is a connection to California and Hollywood through Audrey Hepburn. There are so many amazing points, and I’m very clear about what I would want to do.”

Williams describes it as slightly bittersweet that he delivered his debut collection to a predominantly online audience (friends including Kim Kardashian, Naomi Campbell and Laura Dern posted pictures of themselves wearing his designs on Instagram in tribute). But there will be plenty of time ahead for more theatrics.

“It was a moment where I wanted to celebrate, but there’s only a certain amount that felt appropriate and I wanted to be humble,” he reflects.

“At the same time, it left me thinking how am I gonna use this platform I have now to inspire and create some positive change. This is the beginning of the new chapter.”

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MURDER AIR

IN THE HOUSE OF GUCCI The shocking real-life events behind the upcoming film WORDS: MELISSA TWIGG

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fter nearly a year of sourdough starters and park walk outfits, even my Instagram feed is getting weary of the pandemic.

The tonic, it turns out, is an ultra Eighties, gloriously over-the-top image released by Lady Gaga last month.

A behind-the-scenes look at her and Adam Driver in their upcoming film, House of Gucci, it features Gaga in a black polo-neck, an abundance of gold jewellery, a vintage Tom Ford-era Gucci belt and an improbably fluffy hat. Driver wraps his arm around her in a white cable-knit jumper, white snowsuit and horn-rimmed glasses; behind them is the perfect Alpine scene.

Fittingly, given that it is shaping up to be one of the most fashionable films of the decade, even the colours they wear here are symbolic. Directed

by Ridley Scott, House of Gucci is a tragic tale, following the life of Patrizia Reggiani (Gaga), who murdered her ex-husband and the father to her two young daughters in Milan in 1995. The ex in question was Maurizio Gucci (Driver), the heir to the eponymous luxury fashion house and one of the richest men in Italy.

The story electrified the Italian fashion industry and the global media when, two years after he was gunned down, police revealed that Reggiani – who was still living in the Gucci apartment in Milan with her two daughters – had hired a gunman to assassinate Maurizio on the steps to his building.

The Italian press, who had previously dubbed her Lady Gucci, now called

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I would rather weep in a Rolls-Royce than be happy on a bicycle

her the ‘Black Widow’ and the trial turned into a spectacle akin to that of OJ Simpson’s, filled with shocking twists and turns, including the fact that Reggiani’s psychic was one of her accomplices and that the assassin was paid $365,000 to carry out the brutal killing.

Reggiani was convicted of murder but maintained her innocence until her release in 2014 when – after being asked by an Italian reporter why she hadn’t killed him herself – “My eyesight is not so good. I didn’t want to miss,” she said. Since then, she has reiterated that she was set up by a former friend and played no part in his death.

As she has never spoken publicly about these tragic events, we can still only speculate as to what happened.

In an interview with the Guardian in 2016, Reggiani, who was then working at a jewellery shop in Milan, did say, “I was angry with Maurizio about many, many things at that time. But above all, this: losing the family business. It was stupid. It was a failure. I was filled with rage, but there was nothing I could do.”

The family business was, of course, Gucci. Maurizio – the grandson of founder Guccio Gucci – inherited the brand from his father in 1992 and quickly ousted his relatives to become CEO. Gucci had, he believed, lost some of its high-fashion credentials after trading too heavily on its logo and churning out too many bags.

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Opening pages: Adam Driver as Maurizio Gucci and Lady Gaga as Patrizia Reggiani on location for The House of Gucci © MGM/ Entertainment Pictures Previous pages: Maurizio Gucci and Patrizia Reggian together in 1972 These pages, from left to right: Maurizio Gucci, 1986; Patrizia Reggiani

By this point, Maurizio had left his wife for another woman, but Reggiani remained heavily involved in the brand that she believed represented her children’s future. Upon taking control, Maurizio decided to slim down the collections and take the company back to its ultra luxurious roots – a good move, it turned out, as by the time he died Gucci had hired a talented young designer called Tom Ford and was already being talked about in glowing terms by the fashion press.

But while Maurizio might have had good intentions, he was also a reckless spender who implemented too many changes too soon, and a lack of funds meant he was forced to sell the brand to a Bahrain-based investment bank 18 months before his murder.

Appalled at the loss of the brand she believed defined her family, Reggiani allegedly begged her husband to get Gucci back. He refused and she found herself quickly rejected by Milanese high society. Given this is a woman who once said, “I would rather weep in a Rolls-Royce than be happy on a bicycle,” the loss of status must have stung. A year later, Maurizio was dead.

Filming for House of Gucci began in Rome last month with Jared Leto, Al Pacino, and Jeremy Irons in the supporting cast. Set to be released in November, the film will likely follow a similar formula to The Assasination of Gianni Versace, which was also a stylised look at a tragic story set in the high fashion world – with a deft analysis of the characters at the heart of it. Like the FX show, it will 54

‘

I was angry with Maurizio about many, many things at that time. But above all, this: losing the family business celebrate the exquisite dresses, coats, shoes and jewellery that makes this world so enticingly glamorous – and so impossible for some to give up.

The appropriately fashion-heavy paparazzi shot of Driver and Gaga shooting in Milan, shows the two actors dressed in the sort of wonderfully glossy, preppy clothes that are slightly reminiscent of Alessandro Michele’s early collections for Gucci. Driver is in a brown-and-blue patterned jumper and a classic trench, while Gaga is

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in a very Eighties tartan coat, with a silk scarf tied around her neck.

If this is their outdoor gear, I can only imagine the off-the-shoulder gowns, the high heels, the embellished dresses and the plethora of vintage Gucci prints we will see for scenes set at the dinners, balls and fashion shows that characterised their early marriage.

And hopefully by November, these outfits will be less of an antidote to lockdown and more of an inspiration for our own post-vaccine wardrobes.

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Credit: © Melissa Twigg / Telegraph Media Group Limited 2021

Motoring

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APRIL 2021: ISSUE 115

WORDS: ANDREW ENGLISH

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Wild At Heart The revered M badge has denoted motorsport-derived performance for the street since 1986. Has BMW’slatest version finally run out of road?

WORDS: ANDREW ENGLISH

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Bee and a ’66 Oldsmobile Toronado from their studio wall.

With 100 body colours (and three hues for the brake calipers) on tap, this isn’t a car for a retiring violet.

We can argue about what BMW has left behind with this design move until the cows come home, but that’s how it is these days, although Thompson does admit that more conservative buyers tend to come along later whereupon the lairy launch specifications start to calm down.

Opening the door to the M4 (apart from a set of doors and a roofline, the M3 is identical) confirms that time has not yet come. The blue, black and yellowtrimmed bucket seats and door trims (options) look like designer trainers of the type that only the filthy rich wear – they’re also about as easy to get into and are far from comfortable.

Your bum slots into the seat with a thump and you survey the latest BMW facia with its indistinct and over-laden instrument binnacle and the 10.5in

central touchscreen. It’s nicely put together and, compared with rivals from Audi and Mercedes, a masterpiece of understatement, but it isn’t the easiest thing to navigate having its own idiosyncratic quirks and back doubles.

Thankfully BMW keeps its control capstan to access the system, a simple and understandable multi-switch, which has been lost from rivals.

This is a bigger car than its predecessor, at 4,794mm long, it’s 123mm longer than the previous F80 M3 (and almost half a metre longer than the E30) and 25mm wider. Most of the length is in the wheelbase so the interior has more legroom, though the carbon-fibre bucket seats restrict leg space in the back seats and it’s quite a clamber into the rear in the two-door M4. It’s still a reasonably practical car, though, with a spacious 480-litre boot (440 litres in the M4).

Push the big red starter and listen to the sound of one of the most charismatic engines in the business warming up.

BMW has thrown the kitchen sink at this S58 version of its 3.0-litre, biturbo straight-six, using the lightweight crankshaft of the GT3 racer, a 3D-printed cylinder head and a couple of mono-scroll turbos.

It produces 50bhp and 73lb ft more than the outgoing car. Sadly, there’s no manual gearbox option and the dual-clutch transmission of the old model is dropped, too – perhaps these, along with a couple of twin scroll turbos, will be on the more rabid CS version?

The only option is a beefed-up version of the ZF eight-speed torque converter automatic used in just about every BMW these days, driving the rear wheels.

Credit: Andrew English @ Telegraph Media Group 2021

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Listen carefully and you can hear the drums of the hunters; on the wind, the smell of their campfires. They’re preparing for the final encounter with the last of the big beasts, BMW’s highperformance M3, which since the midEighties has been an exemplar of the art of burning fossil fuel.

It’s now encircled by corporate average CO2 regulations and fines, besieged by eco-waffling politicians and threatened by an all-out war on the petrol engine. In less than a handful of years, cars such as this will be extinct.

So, this sixth generation, Competition versions of the M3 saloon (and sister M4 coupé) are almost certainly the last purely internal-combustion iterations for the badge. In the immediate future, these two models will be joined by the usual gang of spin-offs: the convertible, the 4x4 and the even faster CS versions, though it’s difficult to imagine how much else BMW could add to this 503bhp/479lb ft dinosaur.

So, come with me for a last dance with this extraordinary performance icon.

A 2021 M3 is a communications hub, its software reading signals off the ether, booking you hotel rooms, airline tickets and continuously changing the engine settings. Or at least that’s what the bumf would have you believe and the bulging, muscley look of this new car is enough to confirm that subtlety is no longer in the M-Sport lexicon – and that’s before you go around to the front and see the berserk radiator grilles stretching up into the bonnet nostrils.

BMW spin is that the world is getting used to the recent adoption of outsize grilles, but I’m not so sure and can’t help thinking its designers need to tear down the posters of a ’69 Dodge Coronet Super

The suspension is an uprated version of the 3-series MacPherson-strut front and five-link independent rear with lots of aluminium bits, along with body strengthening courtesy of beefy braces between the suspension top mountings at each end, and under-floor bracing.

There’s also a brochure full of tyre and wheel options.

Creeping out of BMW’s HQ at Farnborough on to cold, wet roads, the drivetrain felt full of portent and mischief as the cold tyres skipped and slid. Less than 500 yards later, on a roundabout, the rear of the car spat out despite the maximum safety settings dialled in and the lightest touch on the throttle.

For the next 10 minutes, every roundabout, however approached, required a quarter turn of opposite lock to counter the tail stepping out, along with a grinding clattering as the dynamic and traction controls desperately tried to get the car back in line.

Never mind Drift Mode or the 10 traction control settings, those eager turbos along with the flat torque and steeply sloping power curves mean that the second the wheels spin, the power climbs and the more the wheels spin, ad infinitum.

And I’m supposed to know what I’m doing, although the combination of

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Push the big red starter and listen to the sound of one of the most charismatic engines in the business warming up

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503bhp and 479lb ft going through the rear wheels of a 1.7-tonne car is always going to need the utmost care; Thompson admits that the 4x4 version, when it arrives, is likely to take up to 80 per cent of sales.

It gets better and less nervous as the roads dry and the tyres warm, but you need a keen sense of responsibility driving a car this powerful.

Needless to say, the engine is simply magnificent; gutsy, sonorous and instant to the call, it is the finest example of its type. On the rare occasions you can use full throttle, it feels powerful enough to run a couple of threshing machines as well as providing quite superlative performance.

It’s sad, therefore, that the ZF automatic gearbox masks some of the engine’s

characteristics although, as others such as Jaguar have found, this gearbox is more than sharp enough for the most exacting driver on the road and probably a faster option than a manual ’box.

“Mind the bumps,” said Markus Flasch, the M Division chief executive, in a video presentation before the off. Actually, the variable damping copes with the big bumps surprisingly well, it’s the little ones it isn’t so keen about.

You can also dial in steering, braking and throttle settings to make the M3 quite an unwieldy car. Dynamic steering has a low-speed stickiness around the centre position and the dynamic brakes feel a bit sharp.

Calm down a little and on the right sweeping roads this is a remarkable car, with well-weighted steering, a wonderful willingness to turn in to corners and sensitive yet powerful brakes that hardly require you to use the steering wheel paddles to change down and drag the engine as you turn into a bend – you do though, just for the rewarding noise and sense of control, even if it is largely illusory.

Last of the big beasts? Certainly the days of the super-saloon are numbered and it’s great that BMW still remains committed to its M3 even though the regulators are on the front lawn.

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Gastronomy MARCH 2021: ISSUE 114

Beck in Business While most people took the chance to slow down during lockdown, Heinz Beck went full throttle. It’s the only way he knows WORDS: JOHN THATCHER

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light of frame in person but large of stature in the world of fine dining – his venerable Rome restaurant, La Pergola, remains the city’s only three Michelin-starred establishment, stars it was awarded as long ago as 2005 – Heinz Beck leads me into the private dining room at Social, his Dubai-based venture, to talk over a pair of steaming-hot espressos (Heinz may be German by birth, but having lived in the Italian capital for close on two decades, he now does things the Italian way).

Most chefs can trace their love of food to childhood – to the memories of watching their mother or grandmother in the kitchen, or to recollections of a particular taste – but for Beck it was a lot more pragmatic. “I wanted to be a painter, to head to art college, but my father would not allow it. He wanted me to take a more conventional path, a more traditional job. So cooking was the first thing I thought of.”

The two disciplines are, however, willing bedfellows.

“For sure. Both are very creative.

For one you are using the colours, and for the other you are using the produce and the colours from it. You are inspired by something and you create a dish. Then when it comes to plating, it is a very natural process, like painting. You are not thinking about how to make it different.”

The natural process he talks of, this ability to create without evident thought, isn’t something that’s developed. “It’s inherent,” says Beck, who has said previously how, regardless of the complexity of his dishes, the one common ingredient is passion.

Looking in from the outside, it may seem that the life of a chef is monotonous. Prep, cook, serve the same dishes from the same kitchen until the menu is tweaked. Far from it, says Beck, who firmly believes that no two days are the same, a fact that keeps his work stimulating, the flame of passion alight.

“This work is tough work, and you can do it only if you have the passion, otherwise better to do something else.

It’s a job for which you have to sacrifice a lot – weekends, Christmas, Easter; you are never at home. So, if you don’t have this passion it will run you crazy.”

If that’s one thing Beck has learned from his distinguished career, 62

another is the need for continuity.

“It is vitally important to do the best, every day. If something is only okay, it is not at my level. If you have to stop to consider if something is okay, then you have a problem, because it will not be okay. Either you make it good, or you don’t do it. And to make it good, or to make it bad, takes the same amount of time. Of course, everyone makes mistakes. I’ve made mistakes. It’s normal. But you only remember a mistake if you have made it on purpose. As an example, a chef can burn something a little in the oven and they are then left with two choices: to cut around the bit that is burnt and send the dish out to the customer, or to start again. It never

pays to cut corners,” he states.

“It’s not a problem doing things wrong. Only the person who is doing nothing will not make mistakes.

It’s learning from the mistakes you make. Not repeating them.”

As you’d expect from a man who relies on his inner drive and never rests on his laurels, lockdown proved a busy time. He wrote two books and devised menus from scratch for a new five-star medical retreat just outside of Rome, which opens this month.

The latter is an extension of Beck’s passion. For over two decades, he has delved deep into the study of the relationship between health and gastronomy, alongside leading scientists. The menus he has worked

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It is vitally important to do the best, every day.

If something is only okay, it is not at my level

on, six lines in all, each have a unique purpose – detox, weight management, anti-ageing et al – and for Beck, the timing is now perfect, with people exiting the pandemic with a wish to be healthy but also a want to enjoy life. Desires, he believes, that can be married in a plate of food. “Twenty years ago, when I started my studies, people were telling me that it wasn’t possible to cook healthy food that was also good food – the feeling was that a very heavy dinner was a very good dinner. Instead, it is possible to create very light, very healthy, very beautiful food. You do it by giving a lot of emotion. And this is what I am doing.”

His research informs the food

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he cooks at his restaurants – what he has learned from his studies, changing the makeup of his dishes. Being innovative.

It’s perhaps why La Pergola has maintained its trio of stars for such a long period of time. “Keeping them is as difficult as gaining them,” says Beck. “It’s quite a motivation for the staff. I want to set an example for them by really doing my best every day, researching, and developing my creativity.”

So what of the team at Beck’s Dubai restaurant? With no recognised restaurant ratings guide in place and no stars to gain, how does he ensure they stay motivated to always do their

best? “You are not cooking for food guides; you are cooking for customers.

And this is important. Social is a little bit different than other restaurants in Dubai, because historically a restaurant like this hasn’t survived in the market. Social is now eight years old. That tells you the customers are happy with the way we are cooking.”

And that, in a nutshell, is where Beck’s passion lies. Not in the food itself, or even in the cooking, but the way it affects people. “Money gives you nothing back. The real reward is making a difference. Making someone happy,” he says, and not even the obligatory mask he wears can hide his smile.

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JOURNEYS BY JET

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Hideaway Beach Resort & Spa Maldives

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he first sign that this is no ordinary island announces itself just as the sun is thinking of calling it quits for the day, its rays casting ripples of golden light across the fading fifty shades of blue in the ocean. A stingray glides serenely into the shallows, coming to within ten inches of where the sunwarmed water laps at the powder-soft sand. It’s followed there by another, then another. Until, before long, they’re joined by a trio of manta rays and a shiver of inquisitive blacktip reef sharks.

This isn’t the norm at Maldives’ resorts. Typically, to claim such a sight you’d have to skim across the ocean in a speedboat to a remote spot, far from a resort or populated island. Where, if luck is on your side, you may well spot a member of the ray family, gliding about its business in that graceful way of theirs.

It’s doubtful, however, that you’d see quite so many at one time.

This soul-stirring experience is – we’re reliably informed when we excitedly voice our discovery to a passing waiter at the beachfront restaurant – a daily occurrence here at Hideaway.

Three times a week, just before sunset, these fish are fed tuna from a bucket by eager guests, their camera phones readied to capture the ensuing feeding frenzy. But every day the fish gather regardless, happy for hands to stroke their silky skins.

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Travel

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APRIL 2021: ISSUE 115

A veritable paradise for snorkellers, the translucent waters of the shallows give way – at about only twenty feet from the shoreline – to a drop-off that instantly submerges you in an underwater world, where you’ll see both stingrays and manta rays in deeper water, along with the odd turtle. Magnificent.

Snorkelling, then, is a major but not the only notable draw of this expansive resort. With only ten percent of the island occupied by villas and outlets, this is an island that remains pretty much untouched, its alluring beauty natural.

Splendid isolation is yours to relish in what are among the largest land villas in the Maldives – fronted by a 3.5km stretch of glorious beach.

They range from a Beach Residence with Plunge Pool to a Family 2-Bedroom Villa with Pool, each housing semi-al fresco bathrooms complete with a Jacuzzi bathtub and, in most cases, huge private pools, shaded by lush palms. Each is also served by a personal butler – dutiful and thoughtful enough to leave warm-hearted notes on your bed, fashioned from flowers and bamboo.

If holidaying here as a couple, you can turn the romance up a notch or two by staying in an Over Water Villa with Pool. It stands on stilts, the shimmering ocean and its colourful inhabitants beneath it, which you can view from the comfort of your glass-floored living room. On a decked terrace that steps down into the welcoming water, an infinity pool 66

looks out to the endless ocean beyond.

The Maldives demands effortlessness, and Hideaway holds a trump card to ensure it – White Platinum All-Inclusive Plan, an award-winning concept first introduced at sister property Lily Beach Resort & Spa. The very mention of the term all-inclusive is usually enough to send shivers down the spine of those seeking a luxury escape, but here it translates as something altogether different. Here it means having your fill from a hugely impressive selection of dishes at three quality à la carte restaurants – beach club-style Sunset Pool Café, Meeru Bar and Grill, and overwater, award-winning Asian hotspot Samsara, where the sushi is sublime – and an arm’slength list of drinks that includes sommelierselected wines and Tattinger champagne. Safe to say you’re unlikely to tire of the offering.

Also included are two excursions from the island, with the dolphin cruise an exceptional and truly memorable trip – your boat swiftly surrounded by leaping, spinning dolphins once the island is but a dot on the horizon behind you.

This is the way to do the Maldives. Hidden away in the lap of luxury. Everything effortless. Everything impressive.

You can land your jet at Velana International Airport, from where a prearranged private seaplane transfer will take you to directly to the resort

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What I Know Now

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APRIL 2021: ISSUE 115

Domenico Dolce & Stefano Gabbana FASHION DESIGNERS SG: The beauty of life is that you never stop learning, knowing, and exploring new horizons; and that’s the greatest aspect in our work. We’ve always had the opportunity to travel a lot, meet extraordinary people, special women that have inspired and allowed us to express our creativity at its best. To observe the daily routine in London, New York, Pechino, Dubai, and to remain fascinated by styles, trends, the beauty of diversity that has always impressed us a lot.

DD: My father was a tailor, and I spent part of my childhood in his tailoring business. I watched him dedicate several hours to his job, with passion, precision, and maximum attention to details, proportions and the balance of the shapes.

Those years meant everything to me; they trained me, taught me the incredible values of dedication, respect, sacrifice, 68

and transmitted an unconditional love for fashion and beauty. I also remember when all the inhabitants of Polizzi Generosa, my native city in Sicily, from peasants to merchants’ wives, came to the typical village festival, all perfectly dressed up, paying attention even to the smallest details. Those memories are deeply impressed in my heart.

SG: New generations of people are another essential source of inspiration and creativity for us. We have always invested a lot in them, and we’re continuing to do it.

Watching them, speaking with them, and discovering their tastes and styles, all so different, we have learnt that they are the first ones to appreciate the beauty. Boys and girls love fashion. They dare, they mix clothes, styles, accessories, and this has always been fascinating for us. They bring us back to when we were twenty-years old.

DD: Thinking precisely of young people, in 2012 we activated a training programme of which we are proud: Botteghe di Mestiere.

It is a project very dear to us, not only because it reflects the values underlying our method – tailoring, sacrifice, devotion, the dexterity, the precision, the rigour – but also because it was born with the aim of transmitting to the new generations the love for an ancient craft, that of the tailor, and at the same time offering them a job opportunity. In recent years and months, we have had the pleasure of approaching realities distant from ours but equally representative of beauty and knowledge, thus deciding to support scientific and medical research through collaboration with Humanitas University of Milan, and also technology and information technology, by working together with the Italian Institute of Technology of Genoa (IIT).