M
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G
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Boldly beautiful
Explore Baku’s strikingly unique sites
Take a walk
Wander through Belgravia and Mayfair in London
Instant art
Social media is changing the creative world
Daniel raDcliffe “I feel the best relationship an actor can have with his fans is one where you make interesting work they like.”
AQUA TERRA LADIES
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june 2016
Jumeirah Magazine Jumeirah Corporate Office, Al Sufouh Rd, PO Box 73137, Dubai, UAE, Tel: +971 4 366 5000, Fax: +971 4 366 5001. Website: www.jumeirah.com Jumeirah is a trading name of Jumeirah International LLC. A Limited Liability company. Registration Number 57869. Share Capital Dhs 300,000 fully paid up. Jumeirah International LLC its affiliates, parent companies and subsidiaries (“Jumeirah Group”) and the publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for errors or omissions contained in this publication for whatever reason, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of Jumeirah Group or of the publishers. Readers are advised to solicit advice before acting on the information contained in this publication which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the readers’ particular circumstances. Jumeirah Group and the publishers take no responsibilty for the goods and services advertised. All materials are protected by copyright. All rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form (Including photocopying or storage in any medium by electronic means) without the written permission of the copyright owner, except as may be permitted by applicable laws.
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Editor-in-Chief
Obaid Humaid Al Tayer Managing Partner & Group Editor
lan Fairservice Editorial Director
Gina Johnson Goup Editor
Sophia Serin Art Director
Karen Evans Editor
Danae Mercer danae@motivate.ae Picture Editor
Janelle Salangsang Contributors
Gareth Rees, Felicity Stokes, Phill Tromans
Contents
Publisher – Luxury & Lifestyle
Negar Ghodstinat negar@motivate.ae General Manager – Production
S Sunil Kumar Production Manager
R Murali Krishnan Production Supervisor
Venita Pinto Chief Commercial Officer
Anthony Milne
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Monitor
Essential news and previews 13 City watch Discover the finest events happening this month
Group Sales Director
Craig Wagstaff Group Sales Manager
Ziad Saleh ziad@motivate.ae For Jumeirah
Charlie Taylor
21 Hidden heritage Wander through time with this fascinating UAE museum 23 Dragon boat festival Row through Shanghai with this stunning tradition
Featured Head Office: Media One Tower, Dubai Media City, PO Box 2331, Dubai UAE, Tel: +971 4 427 3000, E-mail: motivate@motivate.ae Dubai Media City: Office 508, 5th Floor, Building 8, Dubai, UAE, Tel: +971 4 390 3550, Fax: +971 4 390 4845 Abu Dhabi: PO Box 43072, UAE, Tel: +971 2 677 2005, Fax: +971 2 677 0124, E-mail: editor-wo@motivate.ae London: Acre House, 11/15 William Road, London NW1 3ER, UK, E-mail: motivateuk@motivate.ae Printed by Emirates Printing Press, Dubai
26 All grown up Daniel Radcliffe talks about the challenges of graduating from Hogwarts 34 A day with… Find out how a stylist to the world’s VIPs really works
june 2016
Contents
Lifestyle 38 Art in an instant Social media is changing the world of art 44 Talking about my generation Five female Muslims under 35 speak about Ramadan
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Travel 52 Take a walk Explore Belgravia and Mayfair in London 60 The bold and the beautiful Baku is filled with hidden gems of striking beauty 66 Timeless elegance Travel to Istanbul to peel back the layers of this intricate property 70 A stay by the sea Relax and unwind in beachy and yacht-filled Bodrum 74 Summer days and nights Escape the heat with these tempting Dubai activities 78 Secret spaces Go behind the scenes with chefs in Jumeirah Emirates Towers
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82 The high life Feast on the beach with airy Mediterranean venue Shimmers
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Marine Chronometer 60 hours power reserve Self-winding manufacture Silicium technology ulysse-nardin.com
ULYSSE NARDIN BOUTIQUES: The Dubai Mall +971 44341421 & Mall of the Emirates +971 43950577 Dubai Duty Free: Concourse A, B and C www.binhendi.com
City Watch
Explore some of the finest events happening this month.
Dubai
Market Night 23 June to 2 July Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) doesn’t do things by halves and its Ramadan Night Market is no exception. For 10 nights during the holy month, two halls in DWTC will be filled
Visions of Cairo Until 4 June
by 300 retailers selling everything from clothing and jewellery to electronics and toys. With
Egyptian artist and historian Huda Lutfi
a meagre Dhs5 entry fee, children’s play area, majilis and food court, the whole family is
returns to Alserkal Avenue’s The Third Line
covered.
gallery for her second Dubai solo show,
ramadan night Market, Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai. RamadanNightMarket.com
Magnetic Bodies: Imaging the Urban. Lutfi uses different mediums, including photocollage, sculpture, installation and video, to present her vision of her native Cairo. The exhibition features a combination of previously displayed and new work. Magnetic Bodies: imaging the Urban, The Third Line, Dubai. thethirdline.com
BarD TiMes 2 June to 4 June In honour of the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death, Dubai’s Vambo Entertainment will perform the bard’s 1602 comedy The Merry Wives of Windsor at Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre. An all-
compiled by Gareth Rees
Be a Good Sport 21 June to 29 august It’s summer, which means it’s too hot for most people to enjoy playing sport outdoors, but Dubai World Trade Centre’s (DWTC) Dubai Sports World ensures that you don’t have to spend the steamier months sinking ever deeper into your sofa. For two months, indoor
male cast playing multiple roles will bring to life the farcical tale of Falstaff, a buffoon who pursues two wealthy married women in an attempt to improve his poor financial situation. The Merry Wives of Windsor, Dubai Community Theatre and arts Centre, Dubai. ductac.org
facilities for sports ranging from basketball to BMX will be available to hire. DWTC will also run numerous summer camps, as well as the Ramadan Night Market (see above). Dubai sports World, Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai. dubaisportsworld.ae
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Abu DhAbi/istAnbul
SpanISh BoatS Until 4 September Spanish sculptor Xavier Mascaró’s first UAE show, titled Departure, features 27 boats crafted of iron and bronze. Warehouse421, located in Abu Dhabi’s Mina Zayed port, is the ideal gallery to play host. The exhibition, which will also includes traditional Emirati poetry celebrating Abu Dhabi’s seafaring heritage, can be viewed as a tribute to the city’s nautical history. A selection of interviews with Mascaró, as well as drawings and models, will give visitors an insight into the artist’s creative process. Departure, Warehouse421, abu Dhabi. warehouse421.ae
Animal Ancestors 1 June Have you ever wondered what species roamed the desert landscape of the UAE before homo sapiens arrived? In The Ancient Land of the UAE, part of Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority’s (ADTCA) Multaqa Zayed National Museum public programme held in Manarat Al Saadiyat, two experts will give a talk on animal fossils excavated in the UAE. These fossils include those of desert dwelling hippopotamuses and crocodiles. the ancient Land of the UaE, Manarat al Saadiyat, abu Dhabi. saadiyatculturaldistrict.ae
pIctUrES oF pEopLE 2 June to 18 December Istanbul Modern’s People Attract People exhibition tells the story of photography in Turkey through portraits of its citizens. The show contains images produced by 80 photographers over the past 80 years, encompassing styles ranging from documentary to fine art. The work of famed Austrian photographer Othmar Pferschy (1898 to 1984), whose entire archive is included in the museum’s photography collection, is a highlight. people attract people, Istanbul Modern, Istanbul. istanbulmodern.org
All That Jazz 27 June to 25 July Istanbul Jazz Festival, started in 1994, has earned the respect of the global jazz community. Jazz greats like Ornette Coleman, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett and Wynton Marsalis have performed at previous festivals and this year’s impressive line-up includes Grammy award-winning trumpeter Nicholas Payton. For those looking to enjoy other genres of music, Blur’s Damon Albarn and Chic featuring Nile Rogers will also be performing at this year’s festival, which takes place at venues across the city. Istanbul Jazz Festival, various locations, Istanbul. caz.iksv.org
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london
Painting PeoPle and Places Until 28 august Having made his name as an abstract painter in London in the 1960s, Bill Jacklin later controversially eschewed abstraction in favour of figurative painting. He moved to New York in 1985 and ever since, his work has focused on the city. Bill Jacklin: Paintings and Monotypes, at Marlborough Fine Art in London (until 7 June) will feature the artist’s latest work. Jacklin will also be exhibiting at the Royal Academy of Arts from 3 June to 28 August. Bill Jacklin: Paintings and Monotypes, Marlborough Fine art, london.
New Horizons
marlboroughlondon.com
From 17 June Tate Modern, the UK’s foremost modern art gallery, is known as much for the building that houses it (the former Bankside Power Station, designed by British architect Giles Gilbert Scott and reimagined by Swiss architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron), as the
dining on the thaMes
art it exhibits. So the opening of a new ten-storey building behind the iconic original is
throughout June
a significant event. Built on top of Tate Modern’s performance art space The Tanks, the
While London isn't lacking West End shows,
new building, also designed by Herzog & de Meuron, will be dedicated to live art, film and
there's something special about watching a
installations.
musical performance (featuring show tunes
new tate Modern, tate Modern, london. tate.org.uk
and pop songs) while floating down the Thames. This month you can unwind with a four-course menu (served alongside sparkling wine and other beverages) as London's iconic sights drift by. city cruises showboat cruise, london. citycruises.com
Persian aBstraction 9 June to 21 July Sophia Contemporary Gallery, located in London’s Mayfair neighbourhood, is committed to supporting established and emerging contemporary artists from the Middle East and Iran. The new gallery’s latest show is dedicated to the work of artist Pooya Aryanpour, whose
New Balls, Please 27 June to 10 July The oldest and most esteemed tournament in tennis, Wimbledon is a highlight not only
abstract pieces draw on his Persian artistic heritage. Pooya aryanpour, sophia contemporary gallery, london. sophiacontemporary.com
of every British summer for both diehard tennis fans and dilettantes but also of the global sporting calendar. No matter how much success a player has, they will not be considered a true great unless they have won Wimbledon. Be warned, tickets are in great demand and queues are notoriously lengthy. Wimbledon, all england lawn tennis club, london. wimbledon.com
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frankfurt/Shanghai
Utopian Architecture Until 23 October
FOOD Fest
Deutsches Architekturmuseum’s (DAM) Yesterday’s Future brings together the architectural designs of London’s avant-garde architectural group Archigram, founded
22 June to 1 July
in the 1960s, and Future Systems, the practice founded by architects Jan Kaplicky and
Held annually in Frankfurt’s famed Opernplatz
David Nixon in 1979, which created amorphous designs dubbed ‘blobitecture’. DAM’s
(Opera Square), named for its Alte Oper (Old Opera)
exhibition explores what it describes as the “utopian architecture” of both Archigram
concert hall, the popular Opernplatzfest (Opera
and Future Systems.
Square Festival) promises alfresco food, drink and
Yesterday’s Future, DAM, Frankfurt. dam-online.de
live music. What more could one ask for on a sunny Artist’s creation. Title: Future Systems, Coexistence, 1984 via The Kaplicky Centre, Praha
summer day? Opera square Festival, Opernplatz, Frankfurt. frankfurt-tourismus.de
FilM Fest Until 19 June Dedicated to fostering the development of the burgeoning Chinese film industry, the Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) has become one of the most prestigious film festivals in Asia since its launch in 1993. Highlights of this month’s 19th SIFF include a retrospective of the films of Italian maestro Luchino Visconti and screenings of seven classic James Bond films, with each film starring a different Bond actor, from Sean Connery in From Russia With Love to Daniel Craig in Casino Royale. shanghai international Film Festival, various
Image: Getty
locations, shanghai. siff.com
Fight Night 3 June Held in the Hyatt on the Bund, Brawl on the Bund, an annual black-tie dinner and white-collar fight night, will see nine pairings of amateur boxers battle it out over three two-minute rounds. The fighters, trained for 12 weeks prior to the event, come from Shanghai’s business community. Brawl on the Bund, Hyatt on the Bund, shanghai. wcbi.info
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monitor
hidden heritage If you were to travel the world gathering items of interest to you – ancient books here, beautiful illustrations there, historic weapons and a 2,000-yearold Roman torch and a 1,000BCE Egyptian wooden mummy case – then put them on display in Dubai, you’d have followed in the footsteps of Ahmed Al Mansoori. This travelled intellectual has founded three museums – the Crossroads of Civilisations Museum, the Manuscripts and Old Prints Museum, and the Old Weapons Museum – all using materials collected during his journeys. The result is a series of sleepy structures perched side-by-side in Dubai’s Shindagha Heritage Village. Rare antiques nestle against manuscripts and ancient artefacts. In Al Mansoori’s office, stacks of books spill out of every corner. “I really loved discovering my family’s artefacts,” Al Mansoori told The National. “I then started collecting items from across the world related to the story of my country, the region and beyond.” Set in dimly lit traditional buildings surrounding a courtyard, the museums are a fascinating glimpse into one man’s curated collection of history. “Crossroads of Civilisations Museum reflects the true old spirit of the UAE, where civilisations crossed and exchanged goods and cultures,” Al Mansoori said. themuseum.ae
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BOSSA NOVA
WHEN STYLE BECOMES A STATEMENT.
RIMOWA Store, Abu Dhabi Mall. Bloomingdale’s, Dubai. Galeries Lafayette, Dubai. Harvey Nichols, Dubai. Tryano Yas Mall, Abu Dhabi. Jashanmal: Dubai Mall – Mall of the Emirates – Dubai Marina Mall – Dubai Festival City Mall.
monitor
Shanghai Dragon Boat FeStival 18 to 20 June This traditional holiday celebrates the life and death of beloved Chinese scholar Qu Yuan. The politician and poet, who lived from 340 to 278 BCE, apparently flung himself into the river in response to the corruption of the ruling government. His suicide rallied the people, who, according to legend, then went out on the river in dragon boats to find his body and scare away fish. Today this traditional festival occurs on the fifth month of the fifth day of the Chinese lunar calendar. The main highlight is dragon boat racing, an event where wooden decorative boats, usually 20 to 35 metres long and powered by between 30 and 60 people, sail across the water to the sound of beating drums. There will also be special events, celebratory food (like sticky rice dumplings) and more. Book
a hotel in Shanghai at
image: getty
jumeirah.com/jumeirah-himalayas
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Featured 26 All grown up
Daniel Radcliffe talks about the challenges of graduating from Hogwarts
Image: Getty
34 A day with‌
Find out how a stylist to the world’s VIPs really works
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Janice Turner / The Times Magazine / The Interview People. Image: Sarah Dunn / Contour by Getty images
featured: daniel radcliffe
he’s all grown up
Daniel Radcliffe talks about the challenges of graduating from his Hogwarts days.
Daniel Radcliffe was sent a YouTube link to his original Harry Potter audition tape recently. “And I was like, ‘Oh, okay…’ ” He grimaces. Many actors would be obsessed with watching their own performances but Radcliffe detests it, a consequence of viewing too many screenings and rushes so young, “at a stage when you hate your face anyway and anything it does is repellent to you”. It is charming, this clip of a sweet, eager-to-please boy with vivid yet gentle blue eyes, speaking for the first time of dragon eggs and sorcerer stones. But Radcliffe, now 26, has long regarded winning the part of Harry Potter as a kind of swindle. “I absolutely think it was because I looked good in the glasses,” he says. Indeed, his whole post-Potter career has been devoted to “proving that, since then, I’ve become a good actor”. Think of the harshest thing ever written about Daniel Radcliffe and triple it: only then can you match the commentary in his head. He is perhaps the most self-critical person I’ve ever met; a fast-talking, mind-whirring machine, constantly patrolling himself for outbreaks of immodesty, complacency or hubris. He bounces in, a slight 5ft 5in – but for his grown-up beard, he could still pass for a boy wizard. “Hi, I’m Dan,” he says, a greeting that states right away, “I know you know who I am but let’s cut through this fame crap.” This is a press day event. And, as always at PR junkets, I feel sympathy for the celebrity held hostage in a hotel room, and especially for Radcliffe, who must spend his whole life being interrogated about Harry Potter. So to be a bit unexpected, I ask him about reports that he is a Jeremy Corbyn fan. “This is what I hate,” he says frowning. “I remember when I was 17, I said, ‘I quite like Nick Clegg,’ and suddenly I was a Liberal Democrat. Then a couple of years later it was, ‘Red Dan is for Red Ed’.” Herein lies the dilemma for Radcliffe, the modest people-pleaser: how to give the journalist a thoughtful interview but not sound self-important? “I really don’t rate my own thoughts that highly,” he says. “But I’m always worried it comes off as though I do.”
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featured: daniel radcliffe
Radcliffe is studied in all the pitfalls of fame. How could he not be, this boy who made eight blockbusters by the time he was 21 years old, carried the second biggest movie franchise (grossing $7 billion worldwide), features in this month’s Now You See Me 2, and grew into a man, hothoused beneath the studio lights? How does he stay sane in a world that never stops asking him for selfies or to cry “Expelliarmus!” into their phones? His greatest good fortune, he says, was his parents. Both former actors, his father Alan was a literary agent and his mother Marcia a casting agent. So the world of auditions, scripts, fees and contractual obligations was already theirs. Moreover, they quit their own careers to nurture his: Alan was his chaperone, Marcia his manager. And it helped, Radcliffe says, that he was an only child: “Because we mature young, we have to talk to adults from a young age. And on the Potter set, I was talking to adults not just as parents and teachers but as co-workers.” His best friends were not fellow performers but members of the crew. Odd to think of the young cast pretending to study spells and potions at Hogwarts, then filing into real classrooms to learn chemistry and maths. Radcliffe never felt he fitted in at the private schools he attended between films: other parents were lawyers, doctors and bankers and his background felt bohemian by contrast. “And you know, my education flourished once I was on Potter because I was tutored one to one.” The same woman taught him arts subjects for five years, her husband teaching him sciences. Often he’d play truant, hiding in the hair and make-up department while the assistant directors searched the studio. “Because when you’re on set, particularly when you’re 11 or 12 and you’re having a lot of fun, it’s hard when someone says, ‘okay, you’re going to go back and do three hours of school now’.” Yet at 17, negotiating his contract for the final movie, Deathly Hallows: Part 2, although he’d stopped formal education after AS levels (three A grades), he asked for an English tutor for three hours a week to keep him reading and thinking. “He could take me through chapters of Ulysses, things I would never have been able to do alone.”
Emma Watson, however, continued her education throughout, taking a career break to study English at Brown University in America after the Potter franchise ended. I wonder if Radcliffe wished he’d done the same. “Look, it didn’t happen to Emma and maybe it wouldn’t have happened to me as she’s done fine. But at the time I was genuinely very worried that people wanted to write the story about us as ‘they were famous and then they just disappeared.’ And if I had gone off to uni for three years and not made any films, it would have given them a lot of chances to write that.” Besides, he adds, college is about discovering what you want to do and he already knew. All through the Harry Potter series, the ghosts of child stars who’d never worked again or, worse, died young, embittered and forgotten, flickered before him. Just a day after he won the part, Jack Wild – the Artful Dodger in the musical Oliver! who was an alcoholic at 21, dead at 53 – wrote an open letter to him in a newspaper warning that it would ruin his life. John Boorman, who’d directed Radcliffe in his first film, The Tailor of Panama, declared it would wreck his childhood. When people told him he’d never work in a bigger film, he could only agree. “I said, ‘That’s absolutely true. And the likelihood is nor will anyone else.’ But I think being in the position I was in, very young, made me totally reevaluate my definition of success. By 11, I was in a major film franchise with a lot of money. That’s something that people strive for whereas for me, the goal immediately became legitimacy.” How do you evolve into a bona fide adult star: a Jodie Foster or Christian Bale, not a Tatum O’Neal or Macaulay Culkin? Radcliffe decided to take a stage role (although he’d done little theatre work) in Equus playing a boy who blinds horses. The idea was to get as far from Potter as possible – in one scene he is naked – and he received great reviews. But even before leaving Potter, he was drinking heavily, coming on set drunk – although no one knew at the time and it never affected filming. “If words as exciting and glamorous as ‘a bit wild’ could ever have been used to describe that period of my life, then it would be great,” he says. “But it wasn’t.”
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Rather, he was terrified. “People were saying, ‘Well, this is going to be it for you, isn’t it?’ And the thought of all of those people being right was really scary. Also, I had some image of this is how actors live.” Peter O’Toole style? “Exactly. And it didn’t do anyone any favours, living like that. I wasn’t very happy.”
That he loves learning complex verbal tests like Tom Lehrer’s The Elements song shows both Radcliffe’s autodidact side and his insecurity. “I have this totally stupid and irrational fear that one day I’m just going to stop being able to remember lines. What if I suddenly start to forget? So I like to do things just to prove to myself my memory is still good.”
He stopped drinking before he was exposed in the press. “There are moments when you go, ‘Oh, I can’t do this. I have too much to lose. I don’t want to screw this up’.” He’s had a few relapses but hasn’t had a drop now for two years straight. (“I still smoke though; I still have vices.”)
This stems from his lack of formal training. Until he took vocal classes for Equus, he’d simply learnt on the job. Working with young American stars such as Paul Dano, he’s observed their elaborate drama school “process”: developing backstory, taking copious notes. And what is Radcliffe doing? “Just learning my lines over and over again!” he says. He heard Anthony Hopkins reads over his script 200 times before any job. “I don’t know if that’s true but I understand the principle. You ingrain it in yourself. So that you just know at any stage, if you’re shooting out of order, what’s happening and where your character is.”
It is harder to be sober in London, where booze is seen as intrinsic to fun. “That’s one of the things I find really hard about being here actually – it’s very hard to say to somebody, ‘Do you want to meet up for coffee?’ or, ‘Let’s go out for dinner.’ It’s weird: they think you’re asking for a date, but it’s like, ‘I just want to see you but not go to a place where we have to drink’.” All the while, Radcliffe kept working hard, taking parts most likely to stretch him, showcase his range, build up that longed-for legitimacy. On Broadway, he learnt to dance for the musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. In the film What If, he played a romantic lead. All the Potter stars, he says, used TV talk shows to display themselves as complex, talented adults, blowing away the idea they were still children. “When Star Wars came out, Mark Hamill didn’t have much opportunity to go on a chat show and do the Blackalicious rap.” Hamill’s career famously stalled after Luke Skywalker but Radcliffe performing the tongue-twister Alphabet Aerobics on Jimmy Fallon’s NBC show demonstrated his edgier side and won him the starring role in The Gamechangers, playing the amoral creator of the violent video game Grand Theft Auto.
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‘‘
‘‘
Don’t see fame as a necessary ingredient of who you are, because it will go eventually.
His years on Potter, where the whole industrial operation depended on his diligence and good cheer, taught him “you have a real chance to set the tone of how much fun everyone’s having”. He has no patience for prima donnas: “I get so annoyed with actors who are horrible. We are in an industry where no one’s living or dying on our sets. No actor has the right to get uppity about something when you put it in perspective.” He is furious when a star complains about a retake because a boom came into shot or the focus is soft. “How many times are you allowed to screw up a line before you get fired? A million. Actors are given so much leeway for their mistakes that they don’t often grant to anyone else.” But Radcliffe is hardest on himself – necessary, he says, in a business where “people tell you what you want to hear”. Only in the past few years has he felt
featured: daniel radcliffe
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‘‘
It’s one of those things where I feel I should probably just stop talking. But you’re faced with a choice of either being boring and not saying anything ever.
he is being cast for his talent, not his Potter fame. “It was a pivotal moment, sitting down at the read-through for The Cripple of Inishmaan. I thought, ‘No, I belong here now. I’ve done a couple of shows in London and New York. I’ve had plenty of experience that’s brought me to this point’.” Yet few other 26-year-olds will be in their second decade of dealing with global fame. Radcliffe makes light of the perpetual attention: he hates anyone to think he is ungrateful for the celebrity and wealth Potter brought. But the attention is actually worse than when he was making the films and rarely went out in public. “Not only am I out more now but all the people who were watching the films, who grew up with me, are out more, too.” Most Potter fans are nice, “although sometimes people will come up and be really rude”. He is tickled to meet “kind of tough-looking guys and they’ll roll up their arm and there’s a Deathly Hallows tattoo”. In London, people feel proprietorial enough to grab him close. “The craziest countries are like Japan or Mexico. Those are places where you go, ‘okay, I’ll be staying in the hotel room the whole time’.” A few times he’s been asked to sign women’s bodies. He shakes his head, appalled. “Often the people who ask that are frighteningly young and I just picture … No. Just no! Don’t ask anyone that. No. Don’t let anyone write on [you].” The nuisance is constant enough that he employs a full-time bodyguard, Sam. Can he go round Waitrose alone? “I go around Tesco.” Could he use public transport? “I’d be lying if I said I went on the tube.” He finds security useful at, say, a gig. “It’s not because we think someone’s going to mount an attack, it’s just if it gets out of control.” A hassle barrier? “Yes, exactly. But I am so lucky, because when I meet other people’s security teams sometimes, I’m like [he whispers], ‘Man, you’ve got some really unpleasant people working for you …’ ” He learnt early to surround himself only with decent people. His personal assistant was his dancing teacher on How to Succeed and when I ask his rules for handling fame, he says, “Be careful who you trust.” What else? “Don’t see fame as a necessary ingredient of who you are because it will go eventually. Try not to read stuff about yourself on the internet.”
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featured: daniel radcliffe
At first, Radcliffe refused to join social media because everyone else was doing it; now it’s because “nobody I know ever says excitedly, ‘Oh, I’m going to check my Facebook.’ It always seems like a hassle people have to deal with.” But you’d have 12 million Twitter followers tomorrow. “But I feel the best relationship an actor can have with his fans is one where you make interesting work they like. Any other relationship is disingenuous. On Twitter the connection matters so much more to one person than it does to the other.” I ask how he sees his wealth – he is reportedly worth GBP70 million – and he looks embarrassed. He says he doesn’t think about it. “I’ve never been particularly extravagant. I feel like our attitude in England is very much like, ‘It’s ridiculous for an 11-year-old to be getting that kind of money.’ And it is.” He lives quite modestly. “I never wanted to be ostentatious because then people would be going, ‘Oh, there he is, flashing the wealth.’ Whenever I see a guy with a Bentley that’s got something like a ME100 personalised numberplate, it always strikes me as very stupid and pathetic.” Neither is he much interested in clothes: designers send him things but he seldom wears them. “I’m not a huge product placement person.” He declines ad campaigns mainly because the two parts of his job he hates most are costume fittings and photoshoots. Money simply oils the wheels of his life. “It makes having a long-distance relationship a lot easier.” His girlfriend, the actress Erin Darke, 30, whom he met two years ago making Kill Your Darlings, lives in New York; Radcliffe is mainly based in London. “Erin did say to me the other night, ‘You’re really lucky that you have money because you’re spending a lot on books at the moment – you just come back with piles’.” Radcliffe’s restless self-criticism never ceases but he says he is happier now and at peace with Harry Potter. When he watched that audition tape he found himself unexpectedly forgiving of his young self. “I thought, ‘You were really still.’ And for me that’s the really important quality in an actor: when someone is talking, not pulling focus, just listening. And I thought, ‘Well done, 11-year-old me! I’ll give you some credit there.’ I don’t often look back at anything I’ve done with particular happiness, so I was happy about that.”
time to pose
A dAy WITh‌
image: corbis
What’s it like to travel the world helping VIPs find the latest fashions? Take a peek into the life of Lupe Puerta, global head of personal shopping for Net-a-Porter, to find out.
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featured: net-a-porter
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y days are never really the same because my job is on the road. Usually I’ll wake up about 6:30am, sometimes 5am because of jetlag. The first thing I do is look at my emails because wherever we are in the world, we’re a global team. I have a coffee. And today I had to take calls from Hong Kong and Australia. Next I get dressed. I love fashion and I’m in a great environment where I can express myself, so I always try to wear something chic and stylish. When I’m in Hong Kong, our customers dress up more, so I’d probably wear an Erdem or Gucci dress and Aquazzura heels. London’s more laidback. Today I’m wearing Isabel Marant boots, a Sacai shirt, DKNY tuxedo jacket and some fashion trackpants. Once sorted, I’ll leave the house and head to the office. A lot of time I don’t have anything in my fridge as I travel so I’ll usually grab coffee in the office then head straight to a customer meeting. I call the London team to chat through the week. We look at what pieces are happening right now and what’s strong. Recently there’s been a huge influx of contemporary new designers who are bringing interesting touches with an edgy feel. Customers are really responding to the change because it feels new and fresh. Additionally, old favourites like Gucci and Saint Laurent are huge this season. Next I’ll meet designers and customers. Sometimes I’ll go to their house for a one-on-one consultation or bring them to exclusive VIP events like fashion weeks. I take them to the front row, backstage, to the showroom, and then to have lunch or dinner with our president and vice-president of buying. After all that, I’ll usually come back to the office – just as my New York team is waking up. From 4:30pm to 6pm, I answer emails from the day. I always leave the office a little late because I don’t really have a nine-to-five job. I might leave around 7:30pm, then do dinner with friends. I love theatre, going to the cinema and catching up. But I’m always on my emails and on my phone to check messages from customers around the world. I try to be in bed by 11pm. But it varies. Some days in Hong Kong I’m constantly with customers from breakfast to dinner. net-a-porter.com
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LIFESTYLE 38 Art in an instant
Social media is changing the world of art
Image: Getty
44 Talking about my generation
Five Muslims under 35 speak about Ramadan
Bison & Butterfly print by @opifan64 via Drawdeck’s Instagram (@drawdeck)
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Colours by Lek Chan on Drawdeck’s Instagram
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art in an instant apps and social media are changing the world of art, reports Felicity Stokes.
Chocolate Donut print by @agrahovsky via Drawdeck
@Thomascanto installing his project for Opera Gallery in DIFC
A picture of Opera Gallery’s Regeneration exhibit on its Instagram (@operagallery)
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Installation view of Hashtag Abstract, courtesy of the artist and Ronchini Gallery
Image posted on Drawdeck’s Instagram
With the growing power of technology on every aspect of life, it was only a matter of time before social media infiltrated the art world. The result is an entire transformation of the way in which we view, buy, collect, curate and even create artwork. Social media and apps have revolutionised the art market in numerous ways for all parties involved.
enabling artists to photograph their work, sharing creations instantly with an interactive audience. See artist Joey Feldman, an illustrator with 14.5K Instagram followers, by way of example (@joeyfeldman_artist).
Consider the artist. Previously artists would have to look toward the lengthy processes of building their profile through their art dealer, art critics, galleries and important collectors. This has started to change as artists are now being discovered through popular social media platforms like Instagram. The image-based social media network allows photo-sharing on a global level,
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“We use Instagram to reach artists in other parts of the world who would not necessarily think of selling their artwork within this region,” says David Hammond, founder of Drawdeck, a social network-driven UAE-based platform selling eclectic artwork. “This goes the other way too, where we have people buying artwork here in Dubai even if the artists are based in South America. It offers [even] more choice.”
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Image posted on Drawdeck’s Instagram
Installation view of Hashtag Abstract, courtesy of the artist and Ronchini Gallery
“Platforms such as Instagram have provided a place where artists can promote their work worldwide, which the lack of local art infrastructure in emerging countries and markets had [previously] rendered otherwise impossible,” adds Arianne Levene Piper, a London-based art advisor.
ised the art market in favour of the artist. Gallery owners are likewise able to push their own reputation, as well as the artist’s, through such channels.
To put it simply, platforms like Instagram have become the modern-day artist’s online portfolio, acting as a virtual gallery. The artists who manage this well can be professionally discovered – only now they come with the clout of having thousands of Insta-fans already established. As a result, social media has changed the artist’s role from being not only the creator but also the dealer and the curator of their work on their social media platforms. It has modern-
“The negatives for the artist could definitely be saturation in the art market, as there’s now so much competition to get noticed,” adds Hammond. There’s also the risk that, in the same way newspapers have started to adjust headlines and contents to include search engine optimisation, so might artists change their works to make them more internet friendly. Being discovered is one thing. But where does the point of sale come in? Although there isn’t a direct e-commerce service on sites like Instagram and
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New works by @instaseen, posted on @Operagallery
Drawing by artist @joeyfeldman_artist on his Instagram
Facebook, more transactions are taking place through direct contacts established on these sites. Historically, buyers would spend months and years researching various artists, visiting their studios and creating an art dealer/ artist relationship. With the arrival of Instagram, collectors and dealers have been able to search through multiple artists’ works and even contact artists directly via social media. Rather than institutions, galleries and art dealers sending emails to their client base of collectors, would-be buyers can simply flip through Instagram pages until an image steals their attention. Other tools have capitalised on the space where art and money meet. Art is being purchased through apps like PrivateViews created by a company called ArtLogic, which is designed to sell pieces remotely from art galleries and fairs. PrivateViews creates tailored sales emails in seconds. This means that
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Illustration by @liskfeng via Drawdeck
moments after bumping into a collector or discovering a gallery, a curated list of their inventory is sent to the consumer’s inbox, highlighting works just seen. But the story here isn’t just about Instagram, apps and art buying. It also extends to a broadening of the art world to the masses. The digital era has changed the very composition of the art world. Formerly, art was perceived as something not understood by the general public, largely appreciated by those considered ‘art educated’. But the digital world has allowed even the most inexperienced viewers a chance to appreciate art. Consider museum mobile phone apps. These allow visitors to have reams of information (ranging from the provenance of the artist to the nuances of their techniques) at the touch of a button. Such tech also allows museums to monitor the number of visitors walking through their doors and engaging with exhibits. Through pre-
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Installation view of Hashtag Abstract, courtesy of the artist and Ronchini Gallery
ArtLogic app
senting such a wealth of information in the most easily accessible of formats, social media has helped open the doors of the art industry. But will digital apps or Instagram profiles ever replace physical galleries? “The power of [social media] is not to be understated,” says Iranian-born, London-based curator and collector Kamiar Maleki. “However, I still love the personal interaction with artists and galleries. [Technology] hasn’t stopped me being active like that. I go to shows and travel the world more than ever. Tools like Instagram [just] provide more information and accessibility.” There have also been instances of art being inspired by this new dynamic. Maleki curated his exhibition, Hashtag Abstract, at the Ronchini Gallery after he had bought pieces through social media. The exhibition was well
Navajo Skull by @terryfanhart via Drawdeck
received, appearing on the BBC, Financial Times and other media outlets. “I’ve always been a big fan of social media and two years ago bought my first artwork [after] discovering the artist Kasper Sonne on Instagram. Without seeing the work in person, I contacted the gallery, visited and was the proud owner of one of his best TXC pieces,” says Maleki. It’s hard to say where social networks will take art. Will we one day see an artist’s reputation based more on their Instagram following than their presence? Or will the reality be a relationship combining the two facets of old and new, digital and physical, past and present? The picture isn’t yet clear – but it will certainly be interesting to see. Jumeirah Creekside regularly features art exhibits. For more information visit jumeirah.com/jumeirah-creekside
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The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi
Ramadan:
talking about My geneRation
Five female Muslims under the age of 35 reveal what the holy month of Ramadan means to them
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featured: ramadan
Deena RashiD, 22, Pakistani, online meDia assistant, tashkeel, Dubai, uae
When I was younger Ramadan was more about fun and food but as you grow older its significance grows. Ramadan is now the month in which I struggle to discipline myself and learn more about the context of the life I live. With the increase in access to knowledge and more tolerance of different perspectives, Ramadan is slowly becoming a very personal experience, which differs from the shared communal experience it used to be for my parents’ generation. Ramadan is slowly adopting a more sombre tone. Perhaps within the context of the trouble-ridden world we live in, the need to self-reflect and look internally for answers is more prominent than ever. In the run-up to Ramadan, there’s anticipation and excitement slightly tinged with fear. I have always found Ramadan creates quite powerful experiences so the fear bit comes into play when I think about what I might find out about my life or myself. There is definitely a lot of physical stress and change but the real difference is psychological because when you lay your life out and rethink all the different aspects of it and try and work towards something better, there is always some emotional turmoil. The prayers that are recited during the evening in the mosque I go to can last for an hour and they are heavily filled with a sense of thankfulness and a feeling of how small we are. Those are always the ones that bring out the most emotion in me and have significantly changed the way I view the world. It’s bittersweet. ayah al bitaR, 24, sauDi, FounDeR oF ayah al bitaR Design, sauDi aRabia
Growing up, Ramadan was about social gathering and spirituality. It was also about selflessness and positivity. My family taught me to understand and appreciate the things we love and what it means to hold back from them through sacrifice. Ramadan for us was about ritual. We spent it together in the company of very close family and friends. We aimed to be closer to our spiritual sides. Ramadan will always have the same spirituality, no matter what era it takes place in. It is a month I look forward to because it helps me cleanse my thoughts and my body. I am able to feel for others much more intuitively. The meaning has continued to be the same over the years and I have grown throughout. The day starts at a much slower pace during Ramadan because of the lack of energy at the beginning and I’m not as active when it comes to sports or performing my duties. I find alternatives that allow me to work effectively while fasting. In the UAE, non-Muslims
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The Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul
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have a very strong sense of what Ramadan means, but if I had to explain it, I would say it is all about sacrifice, positivity and faith. Before Ramadan I feel excited. During the holy month I’m more calm and collected and afterwards, I feel revitalised and ready to go back to a normal lifestyle with a healthy mindset. AishA Al Mheiri, 22, eMirAti, student, dubAi, uAe
I never really knew or understood what Ramadan was as a child. It was only when I turned 10 and started to fast and experience it myself that I knew what Ramadan was about. My first memory of Ramadan was the first time I fasted and that feeling you get of being a part of something bigger. Our family isn’t really that close but during Ramadan you definitely notice we spend more time together than we usually do and it really makes you feel it’s the holy month. I think the older generation was more focused on family and being together as a family during Ramadan. The thing that has changed is the openness to spending time with people other than your family. I’m half British so my family on my mum’s side aren’t Muslim but they understand how it is because we have been there to explain it to them. However when it comes to other non-Muslims living in the UAE, I’m not sure if they do understand. I’ve always been so curious to know how they feel during Ramadan. In the run-up to Ramadan I start to dread it because I know I won’t be able to eat or drink. But when it actually comes it’s not that bad and it’s the simple things such as my dad buying Tang, Vimto or dates that make it exciting because these are things he only tends to buy during Ramadan. It’s sort of a tradition that makes Ramadan special. I become so moody when I haven’t eaten anything so my family tend to not bother me too much. It’s actually quite funny. I try my best to control my moodiness but it’s so hard when you’re hungry. After a whole month of fasting and not being able to eat during the day, it always feels so weird and wrong to be doing that once Ramadan has ended. ZAhrA lylA KhAlil, 30, irAniAn, grAphic designer And blogger At justlylA.coM, dubAi, uAe
When I was younger, my dad would drive us around the city passing out food and water to the workers in time for iftar. Unfortunately, I think we do less work than we used to in terms of helping people out and giving out food but everything else is the same and I am happy that we still sit down together as an extended family. Ramadan has always been about being closer to your faith and helping out the needy. As I have gotten older, it is less about all the food I get to eat at iftar and more about reflecting on religion and my duty as a Muslim. I actually split my time between the UAE and London. Ramadan is a lot more difficult in England since there is less of a sense of religion around. Not everyone is fasting like you are and life is just as fast-paced as always. Also, the days are much longer so it isn’t easy not eating or drinking for more than 12 hours. In terms of
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celebrating, I do the same things I do in Dubai (sans abaya). I prefer Ramadan in Dubai with my family and a good home-cooked meal. A lot of my non-Muslim friends are fascinated by Ramadan and how we manage to go about our days with no food or drink. They respect it and admire our tolerance. If I had to explain Ramadan to a non-Muslim with no understanding of the holy month, first I would say that Islam is a peaceful religion and not what they see in the media. I would also mention that Ramadan is a test of tolerance and giving rather than oppression. I think these days people are more vocal about their religion and are eager to show it is nothing like extremists are portraying it. People share more positive articles on Islam and Ramadan on social media to educate others. I get very excited when Ramadan is approaching as it is one of my favourite times of the year but when it falls in summer, it can be a little daunting as well. I feel lighter and more aware of how much time and money we spend eating and drinking (Starbucks coffee to be exact!) But I feel so much more at peace during Ramadan. When Eid Al Fitr arrives, I feel a sense of accomplishment having gone another year fasting during Ramadan and fulfilling my duty as a Muslim. AishA RiAz, 34, BRitish, suB-editoR, The Guardian, London, uK
I’m not sure my generation’s attitude to Ramadan is any different to that of previous generations, except that perhaps my parents get a bit more time to read the Quran and its translation during Ramadan, whereas I struggle to make time to do it. It’s important to remember Ramadan is not only about starving your body of food. It’s about restraint and control of your mind, body and soul. It’s about equality and remembering the greater meaning behind it. It’s about restraint from bad language, behaviour and thoughts, so one can truly improve one’s actions and have a positive outlook for humanity. It is a time to reflect, cleanse and spiritualise your thoughts, to attain clarity and think about the wider consequences of one’s actions, to try to better oneself, to be a bit more educated and open. It has taken time to realise all this. I suppose as a child, one just goes though the motions and fasts blindly and growing older, one realises the true essence of the ritual. I used to live in Dubai, and in the UAE hotels and restaurants offer big buffets for iftar and suhour, which introduced a social element. In the UK, that option is not really available. In my experience, non-Muslims have very little understanding of Ramadan. I have to answer the same question from people at work every year. They are somewhat aware of the concept but struggle to comprehend it as it’s not something they can imagine themselves doing. I keep it to basic facts. It’s the holy month of Ramadan, you can’t eat or drink from before sunrise to sunset and it’s soul-cleansing. After Ramadan I have a great deal of clarity and peace, and I’m ready to celebrate Eid and have a party with the family. To enjoy an iftar or suhour at a Jumeirah property during Ramadan, visit jumeirah.com
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Stunning columns at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi
featured: ramadan
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TRAVEL 52 Take a walk
Explore Belgravia and Mayfair in London
60 The bold and the beautiful
Baku is filled with hidden gems of striking beauty
66 Timeless elegance
Travel to Istanbul to peel back the layers of Pera Palace Hotel Jumeirah
70 A stay by the sea
Relax and unwind in beachy and yacht-filled Bodrum
74 Summer days and nights Escape the heat with these tempting Dubai activities
78 Secret spaces
Image: Getty
Go behind the scenes with chefs in Jumeirah Emirates Towers
82 The high life
Feast on the beach with airy Mediterranean venue Shimmers
take a walk Images: getty
Luxury, history and charm characterise both Mayfair and Belgravia in London. Just don’t make the mistake of assuming these two neighbours are the same, notes Phill tromans.
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The stunning arhcitecture of Belgravia
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The Beatles performing at Apple Corps
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W
hen it comes to blending history, exclusivity and luxury, few London spots can rival the central areas of Mayfair and Belgravia. Bordering the green expanse of Hyde Park, both boast some of the UK capital’s most exclusive and expensive homes (the average house costs USD9 million) and both offer myriad shopping opportunities. Residents include models, celebrities, politicians and musicians. But it would be a mistake to think Belgravia and Mayfair are exactly the same. Take a stroll around the exclusive neighbours to discover two very unique worlds.
Mayfair Situated just off the famous shopping thoroughfare of Oxford Street and Regent Street, to the east of Hyde Park and north of Green Park, Mayfair is home to hundreds of high-end boutiques, dozens of national embassies and a large number of international corporations. It’s no surprise it’s the most expensive square on the London Monopoly board.
Mayfair is famous for tailoring on Savile Row
This neighbourhood is bordered by Green Park
Mayfair was developed from open fields in the late 17th century and took its name from the fortnight-long May Fair, which occurred in the area that now forms the charming, compact square of Shepherd Market. The driving force in Mayfair’s development was the Grosvenor Estate, which still manages much of the area today. A Member of Parliament, Sir Thomas Grosvenor acquired the land through marriage and during the 18th century his son, Sir Richard, set about developing it as a fashionable residential district. Sir Richard succeeded spectacularly and Mayfair quickly became one of London’s most fashionable areas. The expansion was centred on the huge Grosvenor Square – the second largest square in London – that was developed during the 19th century. Today this area is home to a park overlooked by grand terraced buildings and, at the western end, by the US Embassy. America has had considerable links to Grosvenor Square since its early days. John Adams, the second president of the US, lived at number nine from 1785 to 1788 and during World War II, General Dwight Eisenhower established military headquarters at number 20. As well as the modern embassy, built in 1960, the square’s park is home to statues of General Eisenhower, Franklin Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan. Over the years, Mayfair has been transformed from a residential area into one largely dominated by commercial property. A short distance from Grosvenor Square is one of the most exclusive shopping areas in London, home to a range of upmarket brands for more than a century, many of which have warrants from the British royal family. Queen Elizabeth was born in Mayfair on Bruton Street.
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“Mayfair is the Oxford Street of luxury,” says Allie Stanislas of James Purdey and Sons, a gunmaker and outfitter who has been in business on Mount Street since 1882. “It’s quieter and less stressful than Oxford Street to shop, eat and spend time. It’s a destination for shoppers, not just a place to shop. We would never think of leaving as we’re very deeply rooted in this area. “A lot of luxury businesses have seen a drop in footfall with the growth of the internet. But if we moved to another location it would be very difficult to engage with customers. I don’t think there’s ever going to be a time when consumers don’t value the craftsmanship that goes into these luxury products, feeling them, meeting the people that make them.” One of Mayfair’s most famous roads, Savile Row, sits just off Regent Street on the eastern side. An international byword for bespoke tailoring since the late 18th century, the street features everything a well-heeled gentleman might need to make the perfect suit. Expert long-established firms like Henry Poole & Co, Dege & Skinner and Huntsman sit alongside contemporary stars like Ozwald Boateng and Cad & The Dandy. Savile Row is also notable for having hosted the final live performance by the Beatles. Number three used to be the Apple Corps headquarters and the Fab Four gave their last gig on the roof in front of startled local workers in 1969. “If you look at somewhere like Knightsbridge you have Harrods and Harvey Nichols and those bigger stores and it’s much busier – constantly teeming with people,” says Stanislas, “whereas Mayfair is much quieter and more relaxed, a more pleasant destination experience.”
Belgravia If Mayfair is quiet, then Belgravia seems almost deserted – a relative haven of tranquillity in one of the world’s busiest cities. It sits south of Hyde Park and adjoins the gardens of Buckingham Palace. In contrast to Mayfair, Belgravia has a much higher proportion of residential properties, which gives it an almost village-like feel as one wanders the streets – albeit a village with houses each costing well into seven figures. Belgravia is a newer development than Mayfair, designed as an estate by master builder Thomas Cubitt as part of a housing boom prompted by the end of the Napoleonic Wars in the early 19th century. It was crafted in the classic Regency style with plenty of spectacular white stucco facades set on elegant streets and crescents, built around squares and private gardens. Today, Belgravia is a conservation area, which means it retains much of its original charm. The quality of architecture is a major lure to Belgravia and it’s easy to get lost meandering between grand, wrought iron-lined squares and quaint, cobbled mews that were once home to the servants of the wealthy and are now luxury homes themselves. Range Rovers, Bentleys, Ferraris and Porsches dot the roadsides, as only the most expensive properties come with anything other than on-street parking. The list of past and present luminaries that have resided in Belgravia is truly impressive and barely minutes go by during a walkabout without a telltale blue plaque appearing on a nearby wall. Ebury Street was home to Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond, as well as a young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who composed his first symphony at the
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Shop for Louboutins in Belgravia
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Eaton Square was home to actress Vivien Leigh
A statue of Mozart in Orange Square
Today Belgravia is a conservation area
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Belgravia adjoins the gardens of Buckingham Palace
age of eight at number 180 and is commemorated with a statue in nearby Orange Square. Noel Coward lived in nearby Gerald Road, while Chester Square – one of London’s most prestigious addresses – hosted Frankenstein author Mary Shelley and her husband, the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, as well as the British spy Guy Burgess. Eaton Square, a grand place designed in the Palazzo style with private gardens, was called home by no fewer than three British prime ministers – Neville Chamberlain, Lord John Russell and Stanley Baldwin – as well as the actress Vivien Leigh.
ing history and a window into modern luxury living. But each area has its own character. Be prepared for environments that are, like London itself, entirely unique.
A luxurious journey If you’re visiting London, it’s worth booking a stay at any one of three beautiful Jumeirah properties. Grosvenor House suites suits long-term guests who are after the refined services of a luxury hotel with the spacious feel of a Mayfair residence. The result creates the perfect home away
Shopping in Belgravia has an independent, artisan vibe to it, with plenty of small specialists providing services to both local residents and tourists. On Motcomb Street, famed shoe designer Christian Louboutin rubs shoulders with Rococo Chocolates, the latter serving up sweet treats and offering cookery courses. Elizabeth Street has pubs and restaurants with shops selling handrolled cigars, couture clothing and even Mungo & Maud, an outfitter for dogs. “There is a prestige that comes with having a Belgravia address,” says Jane Aitken, who has run Belgravia Books on Ebury Street since 2011, specialising in translated French fiction for both local customers and tourists. “It’s quite a unique mix of glamorous and local. There’s still a strong local community here, [unlike] places like Knightsbridge [where] that’s gone a bit.”
from home. jumeirah Carlton Tower features the height of British style and sophistication. There you can relax in The Peak Health Club and Spa, a gorgeous facility with a 20-metre window-lined pool, or dine on great steak at The Rib Room Bar and Restaurant. Over in Belgravia you’ll find jumeirah lowndes Hotel. This contemporary venue is slick and modern but also intimate, with only 88 rooms and a boutique hotel feel. jumeirah.
com/grosvenorhouse, jumeirah.com/jumeirah-carlton-tower, jumeirah.com/ jumeirah-lowndes-hotel, or jumeirah.com While numerous airlines fly in and out of London, British Airways offers the added incentive of its multiple-day London layover programme, meaning you can pause en route to another destination and enjoy the city in the summer. The airline has also just opened a new lounge in Dubai’s
Ultimately, prestige is a facet shared by both Belgravia and Mayfair. A stroll through these neighbourhoods is both a journey through London’s fascinat-
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newly built Concourse D featuring a private bar for those in First Class.
britishairways.com
tHE BOld ANd tHE BEAUtiFUl image: Getty
Historical Baku, with its UNESCO World Heritage site, neighbouring petroglyph-filled caves and Zaha Hadid architecture, is largely untouched by tourists. Ahead of the Formula One (running 16 to 19 June), we take a look at what you might be missing.
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The ciTy skyline As the capital of Azerbaijan, Baku is filled with historical delights. Inhabited since the Palaeolithic period, Baku’s background stretches across Zoroastrianism (one of the world’s oldest monotheistic religions) and Arabic, Persian and Ottoman civilisations. Walls from the 12th century line the inner city. The 15th century Palace of the Shirvanshahs, with a mosque and mausoleum and ancient Turkish bath, sits on one side. Buildings, created primarily in limestone, reflect a range of reigns and styles. Baroque designs stand beside imposing Soviet structures. French balconies linger near lavish constructions made by 1920s oil barons during the first oil boom. All of this is set against large open streets. Simultaneously, Baku is modern. You need only visit the city at night to know as much. Once the sun goes down, many of the historical buildings light up. The Flame Towers, the tallest skyscrapers in Baku, arch into the sky like tongues of fire. At night, they glow red and gold.
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Gobustan PetroGlyPhs Only a 30-minute drive outside the city, Gobustan National Park features petroglyphs and mud volcanoes. In 2007 the area was declared a Unesco World Heritage site. Today an interactive museum explains millions of years of history. With more than 6,000 rock carvings depicting scenes of hunting, battles, ritual dances and more, it’s easy to wander the area for ages. Get to the caves and back with Ker and Downey. This USA-based luxury-focused travel group has won numerous awards. Through their regional tour company, staff will be able to arrange everything from a personal guide (ask for Aida, a particularly charming expert) to a private driver. The company can also arrange general
Image: Jonathan Evans
luxury tours throughout Baku. kerdowney.com
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Heydar aliyev Centre It’s tempting to stand outside this collossal cultural centre, designed by the late, great architect Zaha Hadid and simply stare. Declared design of the year by London’s Design Museum in 2014, the creation has no corners. Instead, it undulates like a wave. This rounded feel continues inside, where Iraqi-born Hadid even created the stairs with gentle curves. Interactive stations presenting the history of Azerbaijan sit alongside numerous exhibitions. If you do visit Baku, stay at Jumeirah Bilgah Beach Hotel. This spacious resort, just 35km from the city centre and 15 minutes from the Heydar Aliyev International Airport, features panoramic Image: Jonathan Evans
views of the Caspian Sea. An all-day waterpark is perfect for chil-
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dren while numerous restaurants serving local and international cuisine allow for fabulous feasting in the lush, cliff-top landscaped gardens.
jumeirah.com/jumeirah-bilgah-beach
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timeless elegance From tales of legendary guests to incredible antique features, intrigue and mystery can be found in Istanbul, reports claire Hill.
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era Palace Hotel Jumeirah has welcomed many VIPs and high-profile figures through its doors since it opened in 1892. The impressive roll call includes the likes of Ernest Hemingway, Alfred Hitchcock, Paulo Coelho and Agatha Christie. In 1917, the founder of modern-day Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, paid his first visit and room 101, the corner suite, subsequently became his preferred choice. On what would have been his centenary in 1981, the room was converted into a museum. Today, 101 is only opened for visitors and contains Atatürk’s personal belongings (such as his Panama hat, silk shirts and reading glasses). Staff continue to collate items related to Atatürk and those pertinent to the early 20th century period (including books, magazines, carpets and medals). Room 101 is thought to be one of the world’s only museum suites in a hotel. For fans of Agatha Christie, the renowned author who wrote the famous detective novel Murder on the Orient Express, a visit to room 411 is essential. Legend has it that she was so inspired by her trip to the city, Christie penned the novel in that very room. Part of the property’s fascinating history, 411 was renamed after her. There are many other features which add to the hotel’s charm. It was the first building in Istanbul to have electricity and the first public building to offer visitors an electric lift. This lift is still in use today. The elegant staircase was even specially designed with shallow steps to make it easier for guests who preferred to walk to the ground floor. Today the luxurious food and beverage outlets also have an added touch of mystique. Guests who dine in the Agatha restaurant can sample dishes influenced by three of the most famous stops on the Orient Express with the finest in French, Italian and Turkish cuisine. The marble floor and sparkling chandeliers still convey the restaurant’s old world charm while innovation in the kitchen has brought modern touches of luxury to the restaurant. The
restaurant houses a beautiful wine cellar complete with a quote from Ernest Hemingway. One little known fact is the story behind the silverware that’s in use in Agatha’s and some of the property’s other outlets. The original silverware was actually discovered in a secret room during a major refurbishment when the hotel changed ownership in 2006. The new owner’s lawyer found a door behind a cupboard in the kitchen. When the cupboard was moved, it revealed a double chain lock, which when broken showed a hidden room. An incredible collection of 6,000 pieces of silverware was discovered. Further investigation revealed a total of 3,910 pieces were Christofle, a French manufacturer of fine silver flatware. Some was still in its original packaging. Shortly after the re-opening of the hotel in 2010, a representative from Christofle was invited to Istanbul to inspect the silverware. Most of the items were engraved with monograms of the Pera Palace, including a large oval beef wagon trolley, soufflé pans, tea strainers, lemon squeezers, salt cellars, crumb sweepers, cutlery and dishes. The manufacturing dates were from 1887 to 1959 – the date of the last known order of Christofle. Today the pieces are delightfully used across a number of outlets, including the Patisserie de Pera. Elegantly decorated in art nouveau style, this is a little piece of France in the heart of Istanbul. It’s a place where gourmet coffee and tea is served on fine china and guests can indulge in handmade chocolates and delicious French pastries. Guests might also spot the silverware in the Kubbeli Saloon tea lounge, particularly during the traditional afternoon tea service. This authentic touch offers guests the chance to experience the timeless elegance of Pera Palace Hotel Jumeirah. jumeirah.com By Claire Hill, PR manager and copywriter, Jumeirah Group. On a weekly basis, new stories about Hill’s travels from across the luxurious world of Jumeirah are posted on experiencejumeirah.com.
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a stay by the sea From beachside days to yacht-filled nights, Bodrum, Turkey, is perfect for a summer holiday.
Windmills perch on the hills between Bodrum and Gumbet
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Facing the Aegean Sea at Jumeirah Bodrum Palace
Imagine this: 174km of coastline dotted with tiny towns and fishing villages, cyrpress-covered hills arching into the distance and yachts floating serenely in the water. Welcome to Bodrum, a tiny port city in the southwestern Aegean region of Turkey. Billed as the new Ibiza, Bodrum mixes low-level blue-andwhite houses (kept at two storeys high by official decree) with modern clubs perfect for exclusive evenings. Our opening image features windmills that are remnants from the 18th century. These stone-and-wood whitewashed structures face northwest to catch the coastal winds. You can find them on the hill between Bodrum and Gumbet. In Bodrum city, you can stroll the waterfront peninsula to Bodrum Castle. This recently renovated structure dates back to the 1400s and is a bit
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The terrace at Jumeirah Bodrum Palace
kitsch but from the top of its walls you’ll have great views of the city. The Bodrum ampitheatre (a short drive away) offers a more authentic feel. Of course, people don’t go to Bodrum purely for the cultural sights. It’s more a city for shopping, glamour and languorous evenings at popular local hosteleries. As for where to stay – we’re undeniably biased but the Jumeirah Bodrum Palace is, quite simply, stunning. It’s decorated in marble and gold, lit with chandeliers and lined with frescos. Perched on the Aegean Sea, rooms are designed so that each one has an uninterrupted Aegean Sea view. Dotting the 110,000sqm expanse are numerous swimming pools, the majority assigned to private villas. jumeirah.com/jumeirah-bodrum-palace.
A stay you’ll always remember An offer you can’t forget
VISA (ALL-CARD) Blue
VISA SIGNATURE Gray
Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts invite you to experience unparalleled luxury and a memorable stay during your next visit to UAE, Kuwait or Maldives with our VISA Suite Stay offer. As a Visa Infinite or Signature cardholder, experience the suite life with one complimentary night when you book in any of our suites or villas. For this and other Visa Jumeirah offers, visit www.jumeirah.com/visaoffers Visa and Jumeirah. Always beyond expectations. Offer valid until 31st December 2016. Offer subject to availability. Terms and Conditions apply.
Summer dayS and nightS the temperatures in dubai might be rising but that doesn’t mean you need to stay indoors. Whether travelling or a resident, here are some tempting offers to make your June delightful.
Dining chic Pierchic, located in Jumeirah Al Qasr at Madinat Jumeirah, will set the standard this Ramadan with a carefully created selection of seafood dishes that have Arabic twists. Situated at the end of the pier with captivating views across the Arabian Gulf, guests will be able to dine upon fresh seafood-inspired Arabic mezze. Signature plates include Pierchic’s own version of fattoush made with baby squid and cuttlefish ink, grilled tiger prawns with sumac, and hummous made of pine nuts and tuna belly. Don’t miss the Elixia Lemonade, a nonalcoholic sparkling beverage with 24-carat gold flakes. For reservations call +971 4432 3232, email restaurants@jumeirah.com or visit jumeirah.com/pierchic
Authentic LebAnese Al Nafoorah, set in Jumeirah Emirates Towers, will have an everchanging iftar buffet menu followed by suhour delicacies and shisha. Expect traditional dishes like crisp zaatar salad, sweet pastries, mixed grills and more. Don’t miss the knafa awammat, a honeycoated sweet and the riz bill halbib, a rice pudding with rosewater and pistachio. Suhour will be a lighter snacking menu. For exact timings and reservations, call +971 4432 3232, email restaurants@ jumeirah.com or visit jumeirah.com/alnafoorah
A 360° feAst The iconic Dubai nightclub at Jumeirah Beach Hotel shifts the evening indoors with a newly launched menu recently opened at The NineZero. You can expect eclectic Pan-Asian seafood cuisine, with dishes like whole Thai lobster salad, poached halibut coconut curry and most entertaining of all, Asian fish n’ chips. Groups will enjoy sharing platters with lobster, sashimi and king crab while those who have a sweet tooth will love the indulgent chocolate fondant dessert. For reservations call +971 4432 3232, email 360@jumeirah.com or visit jumeirah.com/360dubai
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travel trAvel to north indiA With Naya located in Jumeirah Beach Hotel, you can enjoy a mouthwatering all-you-can-eat iftar served at the table, highlighting the finest in north Indian cuisine. As you dine, enjoy views of the Burj Al Arab Jumeirah and the hotel’s tropical garden. Dishes range from sweet and sour Indian street snacks to butter chicken and homemade Indian breads. For reservations call +971 4432 3232, email restaurants@jumeirah.com or visit jumeirah.com/naya
AmericAn treAts The Hide in Jumeirah Al Qasr is known for its hefty meat portions and quality cuts. Enjoy special iftar feasting trays of whole braised lamb shoulder served alongside traditional sides of roasted parsnip, duck fat fluffy potatoes and honey seared carrots. All this comes with lashings of gravy and meat cleavers for chopping. The result is a feast perfect for sharing among friends. Alcohol will be served after sunset. For reservations call +971 4432 3232, email restaurants@jumeirah.com or visit jumeirah.com/thehide
And AWAy from the kitchen‌
Wild WAdi WAterpArk Beat the summer heat with several special offers. Every Friday from 10 June to September, Wild Wadi Waterpark will be open from 10am to 10pm. Every Monday in Ramadan, if you visit the waterpark from 3pm to 6pm, you can pay to enter by donating clothing. This is all in the spirit of giving back to the community. Finally, if you have a Visa card you can get a 25 percent discount on your admission fee until 30 September.
jumeirah.com/
wild-wadi-water-park
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AN EXCEPTIONAL AN EXCEPTIONAL CULINARY CULINARY JOURNEY JOURNEY
Have you Haveever youwanted ever wanted to go inside to go inside Burj AlBurj Arab AlJumeirah? Arab Jumeirah? Now you Nowcan. you can. Start exploring Start exploring any oneany of one our 22 of our hotels 22 and hotels resorts and resorts worldwide worldwide at jumeirahinside.com at jumeirahinside.com ABU DHABI ABU | DUBAI DHABI| KUWAIT | DUBAI | KUWAIT MALDIVES | MALDIVES | SHANGHAI | SHANGHAI | BAKU | BODRUM | BAKU | BODRUM | FR ANKFURT | FR ANKFURT | ISTANBUL| ISTANBUL | LONDON| LONDON | MALLORCA | MALLORCA
featured spaces The kitchen and cooking never stops. Chefs create on a 24-hour basis, ready for any hungry request. Then there are the restaurants. In the morning, chefs peel fruit and bake bread for the all-day dining venue Mundo. In the evening, there is meat to be cooked and flourishes to be added for upscale venues Alfie’s and The Rib Room. One entire corner is dedicated to all things sweet. A team of artistic chefs build castles and worlds out of cakes and marzipan. All this plays out day after day in the busy, bustling atmosphere of the hidden kitchen. jumeirah.com/jumeirahemiratestowers
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photography by Mesam syed ali
Chefs slice, peel, create and dice in the kitchens in Jumeirah Emirates Towers (JET). Filled with about 90 staff, the main kitchen winds like a labyrinth underneath the property. The size is necessary: the meat cut by the butcher supplies many of the Jumeirah Dubai’s hotels while the food whipped up feeds JET’s guests.
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You’re with us today. Imagine where we can take you tomorrow. The enhanced Jumeirah Sirius Recognition and Rewards programme. Collect points to go further, stay longer and STAY DIFFERENT™. Become a member before checking out and make this stay count towards unlocking even more privileges*. If staying at a Jumeirah property, apply at reception; or visit jumeirahsirius.com *Guest on an eligible rate will accrue Jumeirah Sirius Points for their current stay.
The high life:
Shimmers, Jumeirah Mina A’Salam, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai
What: Stepping into this casual chic outdoor waterfront venue is like step-
on the inside and crunchy where it counts. Smoked eel, richly fatty and
ping off a yacht in Monaco. The food is fantastic (all light Mediterranean)
served atop eggplant mayonnaise, makes an exquisite starter, as does a
and the views (Burj Al Arab Jumeirah on one side, Pierchic on the other,
dish of seared diver scallops sweetened by pears. A main of Mediterranean
surrounded by 2km of private beach) unbeatable.
tiger prawns (three sizeable ones in total), placed atop pillowed gnocchi steals the show. For dessert, try the chocolate palette, recommended by
The atmosphere: White shirts and chinos wouldn’t go amiss here, nor
the staff, which comes with a mix of chocolate surrounding cherry sorbet.
would flowing silk gowns and flip flops. The crowd is cool without being pretentious, more ‘I just came from swimming in the ocean and lounging
Insider’s advice: Grab a table under the airy awnings for your starter and
by the beach’ than ‘my last six hours have been in the salon’.
main. Then head down to the seaside to lounge on ocean-facing couches, sinking your toes into the sand while you savour dessert.
The food: From starters to desserts, the food is fantastic. Dishes are light
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with Mediterranean touches throughout. Even before ordering, warm bread
Contact: Shimmers, +971 4 4323232, restaurants@jumeirah.com,
arrives at the table. Try the walnut-studded mini-baguette, perfectly sweet
jumeirah.com/shimmers