HP MAGAZINE | VOLUME 72 | OCTOBER 2021

HP MAGAZINE

VOLUME 72 | OCTOBER 2021

“BE PATIENT AND YOU WILL REACH THE TOP. AND WHEN YOU REACH IT - USE IT TO BECOME A BETTER PERSON.”

NANDINI RAI NEW FASHION LOOKS

ANASTASIIA CHEKOVA MISS UNIVERSE ASPIRANT

MILLIONAIRE, INVESTOR, TRADER, MODEL, PROUD MOM OF TWO

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Nandini Rai ACTRESS: @NANDINI.RAI PHOTOGRAPHY : @MUNNASPHOTOGRAPHY STYLING : @NAZNEEN.PARMAR_OFFICIAL MUH: @MAKEUPBYMAHENDRA

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VOLUME 72 | OCTOBER 2021

Fashion

6 BREAKOUT MODELS OF SPRING 2022

Architecture

Plans for $400-billion new city in the American desert unveiled

Fashion

Paris fashion week by storm with the unique Haute Couture collection "Sumakh"

Beauty

7 big beauty trends Lakmé Fashion Week 2021

14. INTERVIEW 28. LOOKBOOK 56. GAURAV GUPTA 66. ARMANI BEAUTY 68. ELFEN

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CLOTHES · BAGS · SHOES · COSMETICS · LIFESTYLE

2021 MEDIA KIT

AN INTERVIEW WITH ANASTASIIA CHEKOVA BY HARSHIT PATEL

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Hi, could you start by telling us a bit about yourself?

My name is Anastasiia CHEKOVA, I am a former equity trader, a millionaire, an investor, a business-woman, and today I am a proud mom of two little models, David 3 years old @chekoff_david and Arthur Gabriel 1.5 years old @chekoff_archie . Me and my kids are also known as Dubai Luxury Lifestyle influencers.

Tell us about your journey so far?

Today I can tell that I am living my dream life. But is hasn’t always been like this.

I come from a northern city over the Polar Circle called Murmansk, and my husband is born in a small town called Lobnya, close to Moscow.

I have always been a good student, I worked very hard to follow my dreams. So I won several English and French language competitions that gave me a possibility to become an exchange student and study abroad. And this is where my journey started.

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I studied in the USA and in France and received a prestigious Master’s Degree in Financial Markets in Paris Dauphine University. This is where I met my husband, and fell in love.

Can you imagine, we were young Russian students in a foreign country, living in a 12m2 student room on the 8th floor without elevator, under the roof of one cosy Parisian house.

It has been 9 years now that we have been together, supporting each other and finding our way to the top.

And here we are now, in an 800m2 luxury Dubai villa, driving a Mercedes Benz, owning the most prestigious penthouses in Dubai, wearing designer clothes, published in the news and magazines like yours.

What was the toughest decision in your life so far?

Is wasn’t always easy to combine love and success. Sometimes one has to compromise in order for the other to go further and pursue his dreams. That was my case.

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After my studies I won a competition out of 18000 candidates and received 3 invitations to join “the bank that rules the world”, Goldman Sachs, as a trader. The job was in London, and my future husband was in Paris. I had to decide between the career of my dreams, and my family life.

A lot of women struggle with the same problem... So what did you choose?

I cancelled my contract, came back to Paris, got married and gave birth to two beautiful children.

And there was no day when I would regret my decision. Today I can say that I am the happiest and the most self-fulfilled woman I could ever be.

I have enjoyed every moment with my babies, continuing to support my husband on his way to success.

This is how we moved to Dubai, where a whole new world of possibilities is open for us.

As our kids are growing older, we have more and more projects and ideas, and this is just the

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beginning.

As for me, I want to thrive as a woman and stay by my children.

And in 2021 it is possible.

2020 has been the strangest of years, how did you find lockdown? Any lessons or discoveries?

2020 is the year when my second baby was born. We got out of the maternity hospital at the very first day of the total lockdown in France. And you know what? I just enjoyed spending time at home with my whole family, being thankful for our life and cherishing every moment.

2020 was a year of an ecommerce boom, people started to depend on e-commerce stores and home delivery. And I see it as an amazing possibility for a new business, especially for stay-athome moms.

Alongside with being a luxury real-estate and financial investor, I have already opened my first ecommerce store, and I am constantly learning.

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Tell me about your experience as a model and influencer?

I did modeling since high school and always loved the art of photography. Today I work with Bareface Model Agency in Dubai.

I have also been selected as Top 300 Most Beautiful women of the UAE and was nominated for the Miss Universe UAE beauty contest.

One of the main sponsors was a Dubai charity organization called the Smile Train.

It made me realize that I don’t have to win Miss Universe to promote the power of feminity, kindness and philanthropy. I can just do it myself!

My next goal is to open a philanthropy e-commerce store that would be dedicated to sending part of its profits to charity organizations all around the world.

How do you see the future of the fashion industry?

I see fashion industry constantly changing, and I am glad to see it happening. In 2021 there is no place for discrimination towards models.

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Today, the most famous and successful designers realize the thirst of consumers for the new faces, new shapes. There are no more height / age / appearance standards, and I find it truly amazing.

Is there anyone that inspires you?

You know, I get a lot of I inspiration from my own mom, who became a professional Jewellery model at the age of 50! She just believed in herself one day and decided she deserves to be known too! You can read her article about the beauty of the elegant age at @anna_model_moscow.

Our main purpose is to show to all women, be it mothers, young girls or women of all ages - you are beautiful just the way you are, and you deserve to follow your biggest dreams.

How would you describe your style?

As a truly global person I have built my style in various countries across the globe. I got my natural beauty Russia, learned how to

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smile in the USA, learned how to dress with style in France, and combined it with feminity and elegance here in the UAE. I am constantly inspired by the Arabic women, who are beautiful even while wearing an abaya - by the way they behave and talk, my their posture and elegance. I am constantly trying to follow the best values this culture has to offer.

How has your style changed over the years?

Back in Russia I would always wear high heels and makeup. That was highly appreciated in the USA and totally despised in France. Over the years my style became more natural. And then, since I got pregnant with my second child, I developed allergy to any sorts of makeup. But that made me realize a true power of a woman’s body. It just rejects whatever we don’t need. And after years of not wearing any makeup I feel that I look more even beautiful and young. So why would we spoil with chemicals whatever is given to us by nature?

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What are your next life goals?

You know, I don’t have to do modeling or any other work to earn my life, I just do whatever makes me happy and allows me to make the world a little better.

We are already building an empire. But as Robert Kiyosaki told in his book called « Rich Dad Poor Dad », every successful person has to spend 20% of his earnings in philanthropy. This is my next goal. I already have everything in life. Now I want to start sharing it. And I hope the next article you will read about me will be about my own international philanthropy organization, based on a fashionable and stylish ecommerce brand. I believe that fashion can be combined with philanthropy, because we don’t only have to be beautiful outside, but develop beauty from within.

What is your main advise to young women?

Follow your biggest dreams, never stop learning. Don’t forget who you are and remember that you deserve to be happy. You are

powerful, but sometimes you can allow yourself to be weak. Rely on yourself and cherish what you already have.

Focus on what matters most. Find that golden formula between work and family that suits you, not the society around you. Career can be rebuilt, but family cannot. Respect yourself, but never be selfish. Be patient and you will reach to the top. And when you will reach it, when whole new world of possibilities will be open for you - use it to become a better person.

AMÉRICA GONZALEZ

6 Breakout Models of Spring 2022

BEYONCÉ AMBROSE

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GRETA HOFER

JAN BAIBOON

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QUANNAH CHASINGHORSE

DEVYN GARCIA

PARIS FASHION WEEK BY STORM WITH THE UNIQUE HAUTE COUTURE COLLECTION "SUMAKH"

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FASHION

Top celebrity Designer hit Paris fashion week by storm with the unique Haute Couture collection "Sumakh" The "Sumakh by AFFFAIR" Haute Couture collection is an ode to the ancient Azerbaijani carpets, the ode to the brave Azerbaijani people and their great history, the ode to the long-awaited Karabakh Victory.

These patterns are reflected in the unique fabrics created specifically for the "Su- makh" Haute Couture collection.

More than 80% of these unique fabrics are handicrafts decorated with semi-precious stones, muline threads, ancient techniques of rococo, "kurchuk" and "sarma" techniques. And each outfit is a stunning piece of art.

Azerbaijan is a country of ancient history, a unique example of culture and art. The famous Azerbaijani carpet holds an important place in this rich heritage.

Azerbaijan was an ancient centre of carpet weaving in the IV-III millennium BC. MR Rufat Ismayil has also chose dresses in his other collections for top superstar Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Ashanti, Lil Kim, Paula Abdul and many more.

DESINGER @RUFAT_ISMAYIL @AFFFAIR.FFF PHOTOGRAPHER @MICHAELIVORYPHOTOGRAPHY PR @IMOSSI_PUBLICATIONS AGENCY @IMOSSI_MANAGEMENT

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JJ VALAYA

HOUSE OF GARRARD

"FOR ME JEWELRY IS A WAY OF KEEPING MEMORIES ALIVE."

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MESSIKA PARIS

Plans for $400-billion new city in the American desert unveiled

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ARCHITECTURE

The cleanliness of Tokyo, the diversity of New York and the social services of Stockholm: Billionaire Marc Lore has outlined his vision for a 5-millionperson "new city in America" and appointed a world-famous architect to design it. Now, he just needs somewhere to build it -- and $400 billion in funding.

The former Walmart executive last week unveiled plans for Telosa, a sustainable metropolis that he hopes to create, from scratch, in the American desert. The ambitious 150,000-acre proposal promises ecofriendly architecture, sustainable energy production and a purportedly drought-resistant water system. A so-called "15-minute city design" will allow residents to access their workplaces, schools and amenities within a quarter-hour commute of their homes.

Although planners are still scouting for locations, possible targets include Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Arizona, Texas and the Appalachian region, according to the project's official website. The announcement was accompanied by a series of digital renderings by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the architecture firm hired to bring Lore's utopian dream to life. The images show residential buildings covered with greenery and imagined residents enjoying abundant open space. With fossil-fuel-powered vehicles banned in the city, autonomous vehicles are pictured traveling down sun-lit streets alongside scooters and pedestrians.

Another image depicts a proposed skyscraper, dubbed Equitism Tower, which is described as "a beacon for the city." The building features elevated water storage, aeroponic farms and an energy-producing photovoltaic roof that allow it to "share and distribute all it produces."

The first phase of construction, which would accommodate 50,000 residents across 1,500 acres, comes with an estimated cost of $25 billion.

The whole project would be expected to exceed $400 billion, with the city reaching its target population of 5 million within 40 years.

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ARCHITECTURE

Funding will come from "various sources," project organizers said, including private investors, philanthropists, federal and state grants, and economic development subsidies. Planners hope to approach state officials "very soon," with a view to welcoming the first residents by 2030.

In addition to innovative urban design, the project also promises transparent governance and what it calls a "new model for society." Taking its name from the ancient Greek word "telos" (a term used by the philosopher Aristotle to describe an inherent or higher purpose), the city would allow residents to "participate in the decision-making and budgeting process." A community endowment will meanwhile offer residents shared ownership of the land.

In a promotional video, Lore described his proposal as the "most open, most fair and most inclusive city in the world." Lore founded jet.com before selling it to Walmart and joining the retail giant as head of US e-commerce in 2016. He left the company earlier this year, saying that his retirement plans included working on a reality TV show, advising startups and building a "city of the future."

BIG's founder, Danish architect Bjarke Ingels, is meanwhile quoted as saying that Telosa "embodies the social and environmental care of Scandinavian culture, and the freedom and opportunity of a more American culture."

It is not the first new city being planned by Ingels' firm, which famously installed a ski slope on top of a Copenhagen power plant and has codesigned Google's new headquarters in London and California. In January 2020, Japanese carmaker Toyota revealed that it had commissioned BIG to create a master plan for a new 2,000-person city in the foothills of Mount Fuji. Although significantly smaller than Telosa, the project, dubbed Woven City, promises autonomous vehicle testing, smart technology and robotassisted living.

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7 big beauty trends Lakmé Fashion Week 2021

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Elfen Watches

ABOUT ELFEN A gentleman's choice of timepiece says as much about him as his Saville Row Suit. At ELFEN our aim is not just to create a watch but is to provide a unique experience to our wearers. ELFEN is India's first brand for premium wooden watches. All the watches have been made using 7 different types of natural wood namely Mahogany, Ebony, Pine, Oak, Zebra, Walnut wood and Sandalwood.

The brand was founded with a belief that beautiful watches can be made from wood - a renewable resource with a significant advantage over other commonly used materials.

We show the world how age-old craftsmanship can be used in modern-day products to form ethical and sustainable designs for the conscious yet stylish individual.

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ELFEN

HOW DID IT ALL START? Back in 2018, i was working in a corporate job, and my co-founder had his own Fashion-Accessories store in Pune. We always used to discuss starting up with something niche and unique, something which can provide a lot of value to Indian consumers. We realised that the watch industry is saturated with very limited designs and patterns, especially in India. All the usual brands were offering similar-looking stainless steel designs in watches, which are not only quite heavy on your wrist, but also not that versatile for every occasion.

It's then when we came up with the idea of wooden watches. We thought why not try creating a watch from a renewable resource such as wood. Not only did the watches came out to be super lightweight, they were also the quite strong inbuilt quality and durability. We thought to take it big and take it to the entire Indian and global market and that's when the idea of ELFEN was born. We started operations on 5th August 2019, and by taking continuous feedback from our customers and working on those to improve our processes and end-product, we have been successfully able to create a product that is both supreme in quality and high on style quotient.

THE HURDLES? Well, the main challenge was to create that end product. With none of us having a background in production and manufacturing line, we had to go through a lot of failed attempts and iterations to finally develop our first successful prototype. It was a watch made of Zebrawood, and we are proud of the fact that we are a fully homegrown brand. The other major challenge was to take this completely new watch segment to the Indian market. We were very sceptical, how it will be viewed by the consumers and would they be actually receptive to the idea of a wooden watch?

One thing that kept our belief high was the fact that everyone that we hadshown the watch to, absolutely loved it.

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We just had to position ourselves in a right and aspirational way to the Indian consumers. One thing we had very clear in our mind from the very first day, that we are not going to target every consumer in this country. We knew that our target customer will be a value-driven one who makes a purchase because he/she believes in that product, rather than buying something just because they are at a heavy discounted price. All our ad campaigns and social media strategies were devised to target that value-driven customer, and we saw some really great results. Till date, we are following the same notion of providing as much value to our consumers as possible for their purchase with us. Our packaging is one of the best in the industry, our product return rate is one of the lowest in the industry which clearly shows that despite all the hurdles we faced, we tried to learn from them and improve continuously.

TREE PLANTATION INITIATIVE Our mission has always been to provide as much value to the our consumers as possible. We decided to give people unique experiences by introducing something as unique as a wooden watch. The majority of our products are handmade, with an emphasis on quality at affordable prices. As a responsible and sustainable brand, we have always believed in giving more to mother nature than taking away from it. Keeping up with our core principles, for every purchase you make we plant a tree in your name. ELFEN has partnered with TreeNation whose focus is on reforestation and the reduction of the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth. Every time you buy an ELFEN Wood Watch, a tree will be planted in your name! As soon as you place the order on our website and make the payment, you will receive an email from Tree-Nation, with the details of the tree planted in your name. You will be able to see all the details of the tree like its LIVE Google location, the farmer taking care of it, the crop that it will be a part of the harvest, etc. Along with this you will also receive a tree - plantation certificate over e-mail.

The link in the certificate will take you your tree with its details.

ELFEN

HOW ARE WE PROGRESSING?

We are glad to tell that we have been very well received by our customers and the indian market at large. Ours sales have been growing pretty well and most of our customers are repeat buyers. We provide custom Gift wrapping and messaging service, and lots of our customers prefer to gift it to someone everytime there is an occassion. We are growing at a very good pace, but our customer centric approach is something we would never want to compromise for growth.

FUTURE PLANS

Future seems very exciting. We are introducing 6 new designs as part of our new collection along with custom engraving services. Customers will be able to get their message or a picture engraved at the back of the watch. We are working on our packaging and are trying to create one of the best packaged brand in india. We are also planning to target global markets now like Europe and canada.

In fact We have already started shipping to USA and UK.

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