Polo Lifestyles January 2026: Leonardo DiCaprio

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

ST-REGIS ASPEN SNOW POLO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS · BUTLER HANDICAP SEASON OPENER AT NATIONAL POLO CENTER

THE YEAR OF THE

FIRE HORSE

LEO DICAPRIO HIS TIME HAS COME

OUTRAGEOUS

PROPERTY FEATURES BILLIONAIRES LOVE WHERE FINE DINING MEETS GLP-1 FRIENDLY MENUS

THE RIVA CENTO SETS SAIL SPRING INTO TECHNICOLOR

BYE, BYE, BYE

WHY MEN ARE LASERING OFF THEIR BEARDS

GETTING S**T DONE DRINK THE GOOD STUFF & OTHER WINE RESOLUTIONS

CULLINAN II SERIES

Sophisticated force. Graceful power.

The journey and the destination.

R O L L S - R OYC E LO S G AT O S www.rollsroycelosgatos.com

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

PAGE 6

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

PA G E 7

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

Ambassador Claude-Alix Bertrand Publisher

Joshua Jakobitz Editor-in-Chief

Dr. Michael J. Snell

Lifestyles & Luxury Automobile Contributor

William Smith

Copy Editor & Wine Contributor

Claire Barrett

Joey Velez Wellness Contributor

Raabi Benadada

Head of Photography

Polo Contributor

Dana Romita

Raphael K. Dapaah

Amritlal अमृत

Dr. Michael J. Snell - NYC Miriam P. Owens - NYC

Luxury Real Estate Contributor

Art Contributor

Brand Representatives

Ascension Contributor

Tom Landry

Design Contributor Polo Photographers

Katerina Morgan Justine Jacquemot Irina Kazaridi Helen Cruden Pascal Renauldon Kathrin Gralla

Contributing Photographers

Xavier Merchet-Thau Aubrey Chandler Eric Carré Eva Espresso Rob Miskowitch Margarita Crotto

Polo Lifestyles is a publication of HT Polo Publishing Co. 995 Detroit Avenue, Suite A Concord, CA 94518 Cover photo of Leonardo DiCaprio Provided by his management Content Copyright © Polo Lifestyles 2026 All Rights Reserved.

For information or to advertise Contact marketing@pololifestyles.com Read online at www.pololifestyles.com On Instagram & Facebook @pololifestyles A proud partner of Issuu, House On Third U.S. Polo Assn., The Impression and Mixam

PAGE 12

WWW.PO LO WW W. P O L O L ILFIFES E S TTYYLES L E S ..COM COM

GRAND CHAMPIONS USPA North American Cup USPA National 20-Goal Legends of Polo International Cup LA PALMERAIE MOROCCO The Autumn Cup KITZBUHEL Snow Polo World Cup ST. MORITZ Snow Polo World Cup MIAMI ART DISTRICT Art Basel Miami NATIONAL POLO CENTER Joe Barry Memorial Ylvisaker Cup U.S. Open Women's Polo Championship The Gauntlet of Polo

PA G E 13 13 PAGE

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

PAGE 14

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

PA G E 15

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

SCOREBOARDS & COCKTAILS

ST-REGIS ASPEN

SNOW POLO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Page 26

POLO LIFESTYLES EDITORS & CONTRIBUTORS

Ambassador Claude-Alix Bertrand Publisher Polo Lifestyles @haiti_polo_captain

Eric Carré

Photographer EC Photography @ti_carre

PAGE 16

Josh Jakobitz

Editor-in-Chief Polo Lifestyles @joshuajakobitz

Claire Barrett

Copy Editor & Contributor

@clairebarrettphoto

@willismith_2000

Claire Barrett Photography May & Stanley Smith Charitable Trust

Eva Espresso Photographer

Eva Espresso Photography

@eva.espresso

William Smith

Head of Photography

Katerina Morgan

Polo Photographer Horse Polo Art Gallery @horsepoloartgallery

Raphael K. Dapaah Art Contributor Dapaah Gallery @dapaahgallery

Amritlal अमृत

Ascension Contributor Monarch Visionary @monarch_visionary

Michael J. Snell

Lifestyles & Luxury Automobiles Contributor @agnello_1

Joey Velez

Wellness Columnist

Velez Mental Performance

@velezmentalhealth

Dana Romita

Real Estate Contributor Douglas Elliman @danaromita

Tom Landry

Design Contributor House on Third @tomlandry2

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

Reasons to laser away your beard, page 100

Revolutionary treatment breakthroughs, page 70

Aman to open Singapore's largest hotel suites, page 64

The Riva Cento sets sail, page 94

LEONARDO DICAPRIO PAGE 105

PA G E 17

H

APPY NEW YEAR FROM ALL OF US AT POLO LIFESTYLES. OUR YEAR IS OFF TO A GREAT START WITH LEONARDO DICAPRIO ON THE COVER. LEO’S NAME IS DOMINATING THE AIRWAVES FOR THE UPCOMING AWARDS SEASON AND WE CAN’T THINK OF A MORE DESERVING GUY. FROM PHILANTHROPY AND HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS TO THE BIG SCREEN AND RED CARPET, HIS NAME IS SYNONYMOUS WITH EXCELLENCE. The winter season of snow polo kicked off in Aspen at the St-Regis property. Snow polo favorites Prince Harry and Nacho Figueras took to the powder for a sell-out crowd on a sunny afternoon. The snow polo season continues in Kitzbuhel and St-Moritz this month and then Italy – not usually associated with fresh powder – will host their snow polo under the stars. The Butler Handicap opened the season at the National Polo Center in Wellington in what should be an exciting season for the Gauntlet of Polo.

See you fieldside!

Josh Jakobitz Editor-in-Chief josh@pololifestyles.com

TRIPLE CROWN PHOTO BY MATHIAS CALLEJO

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

@stregisaspen

@lexi.wolf.soul

@waterford

@sothebysjewels

@etiquetanegra

@mivagalerijavina

@willismith_2000

@miamipolo

@landvineyards_residence

PAGE 22

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

Click and comment on our choices... Tag @pololifestyles.

We will share noteworthy comments with you next month.

@thombrowne

@sothebysauction

@vipavenue

@glas.vin

@poetryinnnapa

@veuveclicquot

@j_____cphoto

@kitzpolo

@aspenvalleypolo

PA G E 23

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

ST. REGIS WORLD SNOW POLO CHAMPIONSHIPS

PAGE 26

P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y N I C K T I N I N E N K O / S T O R Y C O U RT E S Y A S P E N VA L L E Y P O L O C L U B

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

St. Regis (Nacho Figueras, Hilario Figueras, and Artemo Figueras) secured an 8-5 victory over Aspen Valley Polo Club (Grant Ganzi, Nic Roldan, and The Duke of Sussex Prince Harry) to capture the 2025 St. Regis Cup at the St. Regis World Snow Polo Championship in Aspen.

The final unfolded as a closely fought contest in the early chukkers, with both sides exchanging goals before St. Regis asserted control through disciplined defense and precise finishing, creating separation as the match wore on.

Balanced contributions across the St. Regis lineup proved decisive, as the team converted key chances while steadily blunting Aspen Valley’s momentum. The three-goal advantage on the scoresheet underscored St. Regis’ consistency and composure in the closing chukkers, sealing the championship on Aspen’s snow.

Hilario Figueras was named Most Valuable Player, honored for his leadership, vision, and pivotal plays that shifted the match in St. Regis’ favor.

Top equine honors capped the final. Aspen Valley Polo Club Best Playing Pony was awarded to Janet Chica, a 13-year-old chestnut mare ridden by Prince Harry and owned by Santa Rita Polo Farm. The American Polo Horse Association Best Playing Pony title went to Wonka, a 10-year-old bay gelding played by Nacho Figueras, also owned by Santa Rita Polo Farm.

Edmiston (Rebecca Cohen, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, and Jason Crowder) claimed the High Alpine Cup, defeating Arhaus (Ryan Cronin, Ricky Cooper, and Mickey Henderson) 6-4 in the subsidiary final of the St. Regis Cup. The match delivered a competitive, fast-paced contest, with both teams trading goals early before Edmiston gained the upper hand through cohesive team play and disciplined defense. As the game progressed, Edmiston capitalized on key scoring opportunities while limiting Arhaus’ chances, maintaining control to secure the twogoal victory.

PA G E 27

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

ST. REGIS WORLD SNOW POLO CHAMPIONSHIPS

PAGE 28

PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICK TININENKO

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

Jason Crowder was named MVP of the High Alpine Cup. Best Playing Pony honors went to Mercury Mist, a 9-year-old bay mare ridden by Ryan Cronin and owned

by Santa Rita Polo Farm.

Action on Aspen’s snow continued with two more standout cup victories.

The Aspen Cup came down to the wire as The Agency (Taggart Mills, Sugar Erskine, and Alejandro Novillo Astrada) narrowly defeated Hennessy (Kristiane Pellegrino, Nacho Figueras, and Hilario Figueras) 4-3, earning the title in a fiercely contested match defined by disciplined defense and clutch scoring in the closing moments.

Alejandro Novillo Astrada was named MVP of the match. Aspen Valley Polo Club’s Best Playing Pony honor went to India, a 12-year-old paint mare ridden by Kristiane Pellegrino and owned by Santa Rita Polo Farm. The American Polo Horse Association’s Best Playing Pony award was presented to Marble, a 10-year-old gray mare ridden by Alejandro Novillo Astrada, also owned by Santa Rita Polo Farm.

In the Maroon Bells Cup, Baron D’Avella (Pierre-Henri Ngoumou, Frederic D’Avella, and Lolo Bayugar) (delivered a commanding performance, defeating Lobos (James Byrd, Diego Osorio, and Nic Roldan) 7-2 Controlling the pace from the opening chukker, Baron d’Avella combined consistent offense with a strong defensive showing to secure a convincing win.

Lolo Bayugar was named MVP of the Maroon Bells Cup. Best Playing Pony honors were awarded to Lujan, a 15-year-old gray mare ridden by Frederic D’Avella and owned by Santa Rita Polo Farm.

Together, the results of all four cups capped another exciting chapter of elite snow polo competition in Aspen.

PA G E 29

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

ST. REGIS WORLD SNOW POLO CHAMPIONSHIPS

PAGE 30

PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICK TININENKO

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

PA G E 31

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

PAGE 32

PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICK TININENKO

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

ST. REGIS WORLD SNOW POLO CHAMPIONSHIPS

PA G E 33

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

PAGE 34

PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICK TININENKO

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

ST. REGIS WORLD SNOW POLO CHAMPIONSHIPS

PA G E 35

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

ST. REGIS WORLD SNOW POLO CHAMPIONSHIPS

PAGE 36

PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICK TININENKO

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

PA G E 37

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

ST. REGIS WORLD SNOW POLO CHAMPIONSHIPS

PAGE 38

PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICK TININENKO

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

PA G E 39

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

PAGE 40

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

PA G E 41

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

BUTLER HANDICAP SEASON OPENER

PAGE 42

P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y T H E P O L O PA PA R A Z Z I

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

PA G E 43

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

BUTLER HANDICAP SEASON OPENER

PAGE 44

P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y T H E P O L O PA PA R A Z Z I

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

PA G E 45

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

PAGE 46

P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y T H E P O L O PA PA R A Z Z I

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

BUTLER HANDICAP SEASON OPENER

PA G E 47

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

TRIPLE CORONA ABIERTO DE ARGENTINA PAGE 50

P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y M AT H I A S C A L L E J O / A A P

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

PA G E 51

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

TRIPLE CORONA ABIERTO DE ARGENTINA PAGE 52

P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y M AT H I A S C A L L E J O / A A P

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

PA G E 53

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

TRIPLE CORONA ABIERTO DE ARGENTINA

PAGE 54

P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y M AT H I A S C A L L E J O / A A P

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

PA G E 55

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

PAGE 56

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

PA G E 57

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

WHERE FINE DINING MEETS GLP-1 FRIENDLY MENUS

PAGE 58

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

PA G E 59

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

MICHELIN-STARRED CHEFS OFFER GLP-1 FRIENDLY MENUS

M

ICHELIN-STARRED CHEF HESTON BLUMENTHAL IS RESPONDING TO THE RISE OF NEW WEIGHT-LOSS MEDICATION WITH A SLIMMED-DOWN TASTING MENU AT THE FAT DUCK, DESIGNED FOR AN ERA OF ‘CONSCIOUS CONSUMPTION’. OLIVIA PALAMOUNTAIN REPORTS

The Mindful Experience offers a smaller, more considered version of the Fat Duck’s multi-course tasting format, retaining its intricate flavors, textures and theatrical presentation but reducing the overall portion size. Both menus - the Journey and the Mindful Experience - allow guests to choose the experience that best suits their personal relationship with food.

Heston Blumenthal’s three-Michelin-starred restaurant in Berkshire, the Fat Duck, is once again challenging culinary conventions with the launch of the Mindful Experience - a new version of its Journey tasting menu designed for diners whose appetites, and attitudes toward food, are changing.

Nitro-Poached Aperitif

The pared-down menu, which is now available to book, aims to reflect a growing societal focus on health, moderation and mindful eating, while preserving the sensory complexity that defines Blumenthal’s cooking.

PAGE 60

This is the new Mindful Experience menu (subject to change):

“Lime Grove” Aerated Beetroot Horseradish Cream Tonic of Botanicals Green Herbs, Smoked Cumin, Jerusalem Artichoke Breakfast in a Small Bowl Crab & Passionfruit 99’ Sound of the Marginal Sea

A Short Walk In The Woods Ballotine of Anjou Pigeon Cheese Counting Sheep “Like a Little Kid in a Sweet Shop” Blumenthal’s decision to introduce a lighter tasting menu reflects an extraordinary moment of change in how people eat. According to Food Manufacture, 37% of UK consumers now cite weight loss as a top health priority, while research from UK Hospitality suggests that 7% of adults - around 3.6 million people - are using weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro. As more people reduce portion sizes and alcohol consumption, restaurants across the UK are being forced to adapt to a shift in demand that’s redefining what dining out means.

Blumenthal, who has long been interested in the links between food, emotion and gut health, is among the first chefs to directly engage with this new

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

landscape. A chapter in his book Is This a Cookbook? explores the concept of mindful eating, and his 2019 podcast episode “The Best Raisin You’ll Ever Eat” invited listeners to slow down and truly notice the act of tasting. Now, the Mindful Experience applies those principles to fine dining itself, creating what he calls “a more focused, sensorially attuned form of indulgence.”

“Millions of people are eating much less food, drinking less, losing interest in restaurants, even in food itself,” Blumenthal says. “For more than a

decade I’ve said that mindful eating is one of the keys to happiness and mental health. One of the unexpected effects of taking Mounjaro myself has been becoming even more aware of how hunger works - eating more slowly, more deliberately, and more joyfully. Sometimes less really is more.”

He adds that the Mindful Experience is not about restriction, but about precision.

“Depending on how you’re feeling - physically and emotionally - you might desire less of everything. This menu is designed to meet that moment, giving diners the

chance to savor each mouthful and explore its effect on all the senses.”

With portions tailored to reflect shifting appetites, the Mindful Experience signals a subtle but significant evolution in the world of luxury dining. At £275 per person, the price reflects the restaurant’s extraordinary level of craftsmanship, with nearly as many chefs and waiters as guests in service each night.

PA G E 61

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

PAGE 62

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

PA G E 63

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

AMAN PLANS TO BRING THE LARGEST HOTEL SUITES EVER TO SINGAPORE PAGE 64

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

PA G E 65

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

AMAN'S HIDEOUTS IN SINGAPORE AND MOZAMBIQUE

A

MAN HAS ANNOUNCED A SINGAPORE HOTEL, EXCLUSIVE CLUB AND RESIDENCES IN THE CITY’S TALLEST NEW SKYSCRAPER ALONGSIDE ITS FIRST AFRICAN SAFARI RETREAT IN MOZAMBIQUE’S KARINGANI GAME RESERVE. OLIVIA PALAMOUNTAIN REPORTS Plans have been revealed for Aman Singapore, an “urban sanctuary” within The Skywaters development situated at PAGE 66

the convergence of Singapore’s Central Business District, Marina Bay and the future Greater Southern Waterfront.

The property will feature hotel suites, an invite-only global Aman Club and a limited collection of Aman Residences, all overlooking the city and South China Sea. Signaling Aman’s entry into one of Asia’s most competitive luxury hospitality markets, the brand will compete against established ultra-luxury operators including Raffles, Capella and Four Seasons.

With that in mind, Aman is upping the

ante with what the brand describes as among the largest suites in Singapore, an Aman Spa that will span an entire floor featuring an infinity-edged pool and dining venues that will include several of Aman’s signature concepts. The facilities will be exclusive to residence owners, club members and hotel guests.

Aman Residences range from one to five bedrooms with views across Singapore’s skyline and botanical expanses. Each residence will be serviced with access to the property’s facilities and amenities.

Vlad Doronin, chief executive officer and chairman of Aman Group, says:

RONDA KAYSEN/SPECIAL TO POLO LIFESTYLES

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

“Singapore is a leading global city-state, celebrated for its rich cultural heritage and dynamic economy. The launch of Aman Singapore, within the landmark The Skywaters development, marks an exciting chapter for our brand and is something our devoted community has long anticipated.

“With a robust pipeline including Dubai, Riyadh and Beverly Hills, and established properties in Bangkok, Tokyo and New York, Aman Singapore will embody all the hallmarks of our urban sanctuaries including intuitive service, serene design, privacy and exceptional locations. It will also serve as a key connection point to our Aman destinations across Asia for our global guests.”

The Singapore announcement follows Aman’s September 17 reveal of Aman Karingani, a safari retreat in

Mozambique’s Karingani Game Reserve.

The 150,000-hectare reserve shares an 84km border with Kruger National Park and features diverse ecosystems from open savannahs to rolling woodlands and seasonal wetlands.

Aman Karingani will comprise 30 standalone pavilions ranging from one to two bedrooms, each opening onto covered decks with private pools overlooking the horizon. A limited collection of three to six-bedroom branded residences will offer access to the resort’s amenities including a central Lodge with outdoor swimming pool, signature Aman restaurant concepts and an Aman Spa with wellness facilities.

gance, unparalleled service and profound privacy to Mozambique for the first time.

Responding to the growing desire from our brand loyalists for an Aman safari retreat in Africa, the property reinforces the brand’s commitment to offering transformative experiences, connected to nature, and an ultra-luxury way of living in the world’s most exceptional destinations.”

The Mozambique retreat marks Aman’s second African location following Amanjena in Marrakech, Morocco. The brand’s pipeline includes properties in Dubai, Riyadh and Beverly Hills alongside established urban sanctuaries in Bangkok, Tokyo and New York.

Doronin says of the Mozambique property: “The introduction of Aman Karingani is a significant milestone for our brand as we bring Aman’s ethos of timeless elePA G E 67

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

PAGE 68

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

PA G E 69

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

CAR-T CELL THERAPY COULD CHANGE MEDICINE FOREVER PAGE 70

BY MIHAI ANDREI / SPECIAL TO POLO LIFESTYLES

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

T

HE 21-YEAR-OLD WOMAN WAS IN AGONY. FOR FIVE YEARS, HER OWN BODY HAD WAGED A VIOLENT WAR AGAINST HER COLON. SHE HAD ULCERATIVE COLITIS, A CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE THAT LEFT HER DIGESTIVE TRACT SCARRED AND ULCERATED. SHE LIVED WITH BLINDING STOMACH PAIN, SUFFERED FROM BLOODY DIARRHEA, AND HAD ZERO CHANCE AT A NORMAL LIFE.

Her doctors at the University Hospital Erlangen in Germany threw everything they had at the disease. They tried standard medications, targeted biologics, and JAK inhibitors. Nothing worked.

Her immune system was relentless, and her condition was labeled “therapy-resistant.” In the past, this road usually dead-ended at major surgery to remove the colon entirely.

But her doctors wanted to try something else. They “borrowed” a weapon from the oncology ward: CAR-T cell therapy.

It’s a personalized cancer treatment that involves genetically modifying a patient’s own T-cells.

The results were stunning. And for the millions of people struggling with autoimmune conditions, this could be the revolution they’ve been waiting for.

T CELLS VS B CELLS CAR-T stands for Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell therapy. Doctors harvest the patient’s T cells, the soldiers of the immune system, and send them to a lab.

There, bioengineers insert a gene that forces the T cells to sprout a specific receptor on their surface. They “train” these cells to attack a specific proteins on the surface of tumors.

But in this case, researchers didn’t train the T-cells to fight cancer. They trained them to fight the patient’s own “B cells.”

In autoimmune diseases, these B cells go

rogue. They lose the ability to distinguish “self ” from “invader.” They start churning out autoantibodies that attack the body’s own joints, skin, and organs. In lupus, they might attack the kidneys; in myasthenia gravis, they attack the connection between nerves and muscles.

tag of hundreds of thousands of dollars?

Standard treatments like steroids or immunosuppressants dampen the entire immune system. So even if this works, patients become vulnerable to infections, and the drugs often come with grueling side effects.

Earlier this year, Du’s team published results from a pilot study that didn’t use the patients’ own cells. Instead, they used “donor-derived” CAR-T cells. Healthy donors provide cells that are engineered and stored in a freezer, ready to be pulled “off the shelf ” for anyone who needs them.

CAR-T therapy could, in theory, wipe out only the problematic B cells. If some of your immune troops go rogue, you train out the special forces to target them, instead of nuking the whole immune system. At least, this was the theory.

THE REBOOT When doctors infused the supercharged T-cells back into the patient, the cells did exactly what they were designed to do.

They hunted down the B-cells (including the rogue ones causing the colitis) and obliterated them.

It sounds destructive, and it is. But the body has a remarkable trick up its sleeve. Once the CAR-T cells wipe the slate clean, the bone marrow eventually produces new B cells. These cells haven’t “learned” the bad habit of attacking the body. The immune system reboots.

The disease is gone, but the protection returns.

“The result was quite amazing,” says gastroenterologist Markus Neurath, one of the study authors, for Nature.

If this approach could be scaled up, it could be a saving grace for millions of people suffering from autoimmune diseases. However, there is a catch. There’s always a catch.

Current CAR-T therapy is incredibly expensive and complex. It requires taking your cells, shipping them to a specialized facility, modifying them, growing them for weeks, and shipping them back.

It is a logistical nightmare that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars per patient.

It works for cancer because the alternative is death. But can we justify a price

This is where Bing Du comes in. An immunologist at East China Normal University in Shanghai, Du is trying to democratize the cure.

CAR-T FOR THE PEOPLE

Du treated four women who had drug-resistant lupus affecting multiple organs. The women received chemotherapy to clear the way, followed by the donor cells. Three months later, the symptoms that had plagued them (arthritis, alopecia, swollen blood vessels) were gone. One woman went into total remission.

Despite the excitement, we are in the early days for this type of treatment. Science is littered with treatments that looked perfect in a dozen patients but failed in a thousand.

Firstly, to get CAR-T therapy, patients must undergo chemotherapy to deplete their white blood cells. This carries the risks of infection and toxicity. There is also the risk of cytokine release syndrome, where the immune system reacts too aggressively to the new cells, causing dangerous fevers and organ stress.

And then there is the question of longevity. We know these patients are in remission now. But what about in five years? Will the “bad” B cells return? The memory of the immune system is deep and stubborn.

The promise is there but we need larger-scale studies to confirm the efficacy of these studies. For the millions of people whose bodies are currently attacking themselves, who wake up in pain every day and go to sleep in pain every night, this new treatment cannot come soon enough.

PA G E 71

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

PAGE 72

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

PA G E 73

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

OUTRAGEOUS PROPERTY FEATURES OF BILLIONAIRES

PAGE 74

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

PA G E 75

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

T

A RACETRACK. A MOAT. A SNOW ROOM IN THE MIDDLE OF DUBAI.

HESE ARE ACTUAL FEATURES INSIDE REAL HOMES AND WE’RE NOT EVEN HALFWAY THROUGH THE LIST. FROM A ROTATING HOUSE IN CALIFORNIA TO A SHARK TANK IN THE DESERT, THIS MIGHT BE THE MOST UNHINGED TOUR WE’VE EVER PUT TOGETHER. THERE’S A PRIVATE RUNWAY, A HOME PAGE 76

SPA, A GLASS-BOTTOM POOL, A SHOOTING RANGE, AND EVEN A SKATE PARK BUILT RIGHT INTO THE BACKYARD. Developer Ario Fakheri made a splash when a Beverly Hills home he built came to market in June, driven largely by its headline-generating feature: A 300-gallon shark tank (with sharks). Eight months and a $6 million reduction later, the home is still unsold. “We have specialists who come to maintain the shark pond

two times a week,” says Sam Real of Engel & Volkers. And just above the pond is an elaborate verdant wall installed by Habitat for Horticulture (whose work also graces the walls of Salesforce and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art). “It’s an art piece and extremely expensive,” says Real, “so Habitat for Horticulture sends their own staff.”

To ensure no luster is lost at Bruce Makowsky’s Bel Air mega-mansion ($150 million, down from $250 million two years ago), maintenance goes beyond

ARIAN CAMPOS FLORES/SPECIAL TO POLO LIFESTYLES

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

gardeners, cleaners and a pool person for its 85-foot Italian glass infinity pool.

There is also the $200,000 wall of giant candy dispensers — sweets are swapped

out every three months — and a fleet of vintage cars worth more than $30 million that not only are cleaned but also routinely driven, confirms listing agent

Rayni Williams of The Williams Estates.

Doug Burdge intentionally avoids what he calls “endless-maintenance-loop Golden-Gate-Bridge amenities” when PA G E 77

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

OUTRAGEOUS PROPERTY FEATURES OF BILLIONAIRES

PAGE 78

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

PA G E 79

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

designing spec homes, even if that means sidelining trends. “Everyone in Malibu wants a house that looks like Nobu. That means a guy is coming to oil the teak at least once a month. He’s going to become part of your family,” says Burdge, who has designed homes for Matthew McConaughey, Barbra Streisand and Dick Van Dyke. “With the large aquariums, you might as well get staff quarters for the maintenance they require.”

And almost all recent spec homes involve one extremely needy component: endless glass walls. “We’re selling views, and these enormous windows are a major pain,” says The Agency’s Mauricio Umansky. “It’s one of the first things you realize in a home that’s been sitting on the market for too long: dirty glass.”

And with spec homes, perfection is key to closing: “When I show a home, the fireplace has to be on, the lights adjusted in just the right way, everything just right,” adds Umansky, whose latest home, an $80 million Hagy Belzberg-designed property, will soon hit the market. “I even pick a movie and hit ‘play’ just when my client arrives in the home theater so that it hits at a certain scene. To sell these homes, it has to have that emotion of something extraordinary.”

PAGE 80

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

PA G E 81

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

PAGE 82

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

PA G E 83

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

PAGE 84

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

PA G E 85

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

FOUR SWISS BOARDING SCHOOLS FOR ELITE EDUCATION

PAGE 86

BY TO R I C A D O G A N / S P E C I A L TO P O LO L I F E S T Y L E S

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

W

ITH THEIR MOUNTAIN LOCATIONS, TOP-FLIGHT FACILITIES AND STEEP FEES, IT’S LITTLE WONDER THESE SWISS BOARDING SCHOOLS ARE RENOWNED FOR EDUCATING INTERNATIONAL ROYALS, ALONGSIDE THE PROGENY OF THE GLOBAL ELITE. AND THEY DO THEIR JOB TO PERFECTION, SAYS TATLER’S EDUCATION EDITOR AFTER VISITING THE FAMOUS INSTITUTIONS INSTITUT AUF DEM ROSENBERG With its vibrant pink railings, rose adorned walkways and art nouveau villas, Institut auf dem Rosenberg feels more like a fairytale scene than a pioneering school. Sitting high above St Gallen, with views across the picturesque town and the Säntis mountain range on one side and Lake Constance on the other, this is bespoke education at its best. And herein lies the key to learning

at Rosenberg: there is no set curriculum.

Every student has a completely ‘couture’ syllabus – or Independent Development Plan – in order to maximize their potential.

So, with only 230 pupils on campus, there are 1,850 modules currently being taught. And forget about sets or yeargroups: lessons are taken according to each student’s ability, not their age. As the head of communications, Manuel Bernardo, explains, ‘We have a team that does nothing else, day in, day out, but strategize and tailor to ensure the kids are on track. It doesn’t matter if you are six years old, or 12 or 18.’ As flexibility of options is essential, every student is prepared for Advanced Placement exams, A-levels or the International Baccalaureate, so the world is their oyster for university choices.

With its international intake, students often speak several languages. (The school teaches 34, guaranteeing no one loses touch with their mother tongue.)

The staff-pupil ratio is an impressive 1:2.

As might be expected, the facilities are phenomenal, dotted around 14 villas on the 25-acre campus. And when it comes

to admissions, the process is as personalized as the education, with Bernardo often flying off to see prospective parents – 99 per cent entrepreneurs, more often than not ‘first-generation creators’ – in their home cities and finalizing the details there.

However, it’s only once background checks have been made and security clearance given that families are invited to visit the campus. ‘Otherwise we would be over-run by tours, and we are not a tourist attraction,’ Bernardo laughs. And when they do, they will discover children boarding from five years old. Welcome to the beguiling Bears’ Castle, whose generously sized common room comes complete with an indoor swing and giant stuffed panda toys to cuddle. There are currently 15 pupils in this house, where the boys’ uniform features a bow- or neck-tie or a silk cravat, according to preference.

Like many aspects of life here, that dress code manages to offer both tradition and modernity. Founded in 1889, the school has been owned and run by the Gademann family since the 1930s, with Bernhard Gademann and his wife, Anita, PA G E 87

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

now headmaster and head of innovation respectively. And with its incomparable Creative Lab, innovation is certainly key.

Instead of being confined to the normal curriculum, learning is intertwined with such horizon-expanding ventures as classes led by industry experts and university professors who can demonstrate the real-life relevance of their studies.

decorated with listed murals, a stunning art pavilion for creatives and, perhaps most importantly, the bar with a DJ box for parties. At 165,000 Swiss francs (£148,095) per annum, such a highly personalized education doesn’t come cheap, but that doesn’t seem to detract from its appeal to the global wealth creators and their progeny.

Take the problem-solving project that resulted in students collaborating to think up the school’s new post office, bringing in the latest technology and computing. (‘You come in, you hold your card on the reader, and it will pop open a little box where all your letters are,’ says Bernardo.) Or the partnership with the Danish SAGA Space Architects, which culminated in the world’s tallest 3D polymer structure – the ‘Rosie’ space habitat, designed for life on the moon – although it’s currently in the school’s garden overlooking the lake. The school’s history is apparent, too, with stained glass windows in the ballet and fencing rooms, a gym

INSTITUT LE ROSEY

PAGE 88

‘The closest thing to skiing in Nigeria is slipping on your marble floor with socks on. But I’ve progressed so much that I’m now on the team,’ says one pupil. When you consider its breathtaking campus in Gstaad – where the school decamps from January to March – it’s easy to focus on Le Rosey’s snow sports, but that misses the point. Both this site and the main 69-acre one in Rolle, near Lake Geneva, are hives of dynamic pedagogy; and as the general director Christophe Gudin says, this is an arrangement that ‘pushes our students to adapt’. He continues: ‘The reality is, you come into one school

and you start to get your bearings. Three months later, you’re moving to a different school, where there’s a different schedule, a different everything.’

Since its foundation in 1880 – with a roll of just four students, each of different nationality – diversity has been key at Le Rosey and, according to Gudin, the school currently cares for pupils from 72 countries, some of whom even have three or four passports. Everyone is taught in French and English; there are 25 further languages that can be studied; and in this multifarious atmosphere, Roseans become not only culturally sensitive but habituated to life as members of today’s globetrotting elite.

Education centers on ‘multiple intelligences’, including academic, sporting and artistic programs, and the incredible facilities at Rolle ensure there are world-class opportunities in each of these areas. In the classroom, everyone is prepared for either the International or French Baccalaureates, and leavers head

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

off around the globe to leading institutions. (In this, they are ably supported by a Futures Department, which invites university admissions officers to an unsurprisingly popular annual conference in Gstaad.) In addition, the brand-new Philo Centre at Rolle – with seven labs, including two 250-square-metre mega-labs, 70 new classrooms and space for gaining real-life experience through resident start-ups – takes schooling to another level.

Meanwhile, sports at Rolle range from sailing at the Fleur d’Eau aquatic center – on 100 meters of Lake Geneva’s shoreline – to riding in the school’s own equestrian center. Artistic endeavors are housed in the eye-catching Paul & Henri Carnal Hall, whose vast steel dome covers a 900-seat auditorium, in which The Royal Philharmonic played the inaugural concert in 2014, as well as Le Rosey’s resident orchestra, the International Menuhin Music Academy.

Also under its roof are 16 studios, as well

as workrooms and facilities for creating sculpture, glassware and textiles; and for gastronomes, there’s a teaching restaurant and kitchen. To keep some perspective, Le Rosey insists its charges are polite and compassionate. Each year students sign up to a strict honor code. This includes the statement that ‘dreams, promises and commitments are meaningless unless translated into action’. And Gudin also notes that, while there is no uniform, ‘We’re not in America. So if you see a pupil walking around in a hoodie, he should be in trouble.’ Instead the children here learn to choose the right clothing for the right occasions. Mealtimes come with an expectation of good manners; and with such delicious treats as canard and chocolate soufflé on the menu, they’re only too happy to comply.

Then there are the awe-inspiring trips, adventures and expeditions; for example to the school’s Chyulu Wilderness Camp in Kenya where, gazing out at Mount Kilimanjaro, the teenagers can immerse

themselves in the lives of the Maasai Mara tribes and even go off-grid without phones or access to Wi-Fi. Annual fees are 154,000 Swiss francs (£138,586).

With so much opportunity, Gudin muses there may be the misconception that this is a ‘snobby’ school but, as he explains: ‘There is an element of level-playing field, because the children know most of their peers also come from wealthy families so this is not how you’re going to distinguish yourself. You will always find somebody wealthier than you.’ Instead, Roseans must rely on the courtesy and excellent education with which this unique, dual campus school has endowed them.

COLLÉGE ALPIN BEAU SOLEIL ‘A boarding school is essentially doing cool stuff with interesting people,’ says dynamic head Stuart White. But it helps when it’s literally a castle perched on a mountain. With an atmosphere more akin to a boutique resort than a place of learning, Beau Soleil is both homely and beautiful. Having moved from Gstaad to PA G E 89

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

its present location in Villars-sur-Ollon in 1920, it comprises a central castle building with modern extensions on each side. Even the oldest parts of the school have windows that offer breathtaking vistas of the Great St Bernard Pass, the Alpine landmark that gave its name to the life-saving dogs.

The 300 students here are cared for by 200 staff; everyone knows each other, even though there are more than 55 different nationalities represented.

Lessons are taught in French or English.

According to White, the admissions criteria are simple: ‘Number one, are you a nice person? Number two, are you enthusiastic?’ Given the broad range of abilities, with about a third of the students neurodiverse, the IB outcomes are impressive: the class of 2024 achieved an average of 36.7 points before heading off to universities mainly in the UK and US. Quite apart from the ski-lifts on its doorstep, Beau Soleil’s facilities are exceptional. In partnership with the New York Conservatory, the Juilliard School, and following its curriculum, there are music, drama and performance spaces.

There’s an enormous outdoor patio for summer barbecues and pool parties, and – somewhat surprisingly – a full-sized indoor basketball court right in the middle of the school. Students are prepared for future careers with a Professional Learning Programme, which encompasses beekeeping, wine making and the obligatory ski instructor’s certification.

And the pupil-run 17g coffee bar sees them participating in all aspects of its business from marketing to qualifying as baristas.

With annual fees of 165,950 Swiss francs (£148,948) and no bursary provision, PAGE 90

there is ‘normalized privilege’ as White describes it – ‘They don’t go shopping in Gucci to make a point, that’s just where they go shopping’ – so the children can’t boost their self-esteem with mere wealth. Notably, the school lays on as many outdoor activities as possible, such as seven annual challenges, one of which sees pupils traverse a 10K run through the valley. (Everyone dresses up and cheers, bringing an enormous sense of community fun.) Beau Soleil also offers up to 50 foreign trips a year, from climbing Hualca Hualca in Peru to sailing in the Seychelles, but White does insist ‘they all fly economy’.

AIGLON COLLEGE ‘At Aiglon, we work with such small class sizes that we can deliver a holistic education that is utterly unique for that child. No one has to be pigeonholed,’ says its director of student expectations James Piggott. Rightly known for its adventure curriculum and breathtaking location, Aiglon is just as proud of its academics, music – it’s an All-Steinway Institution – and character building.

Started in 1949 by John Corlette (who was inspired by his friend and mentor Kurt Hahn, the founder of Gordonstoun and UWC Atlantic College), its distinctive ethos values the balanced development of mind, body and spirit; and this underpins everything here, both inside and outside the classroom. As does a commitment to non-profit status, with its scholars’ bursaries enriching the student body through socio-economic and geographical diversity. As school director Nicola Sparrow says, ‘You will often see a classroom where you have a scholarship student sitting next to someone from a

royal family, and we want them to feel equal and have equal access to education.’

And to some amazing facilities, such as the 21st-century sports hall housed in the Tony Jashanmal Building or the new Moghadam Campus Hub offering an expansive dining and assembly space (a recent $6 million donation – the largest gift in Aiglon College’s history – is being used for ambitious campus plans). For somewhere that charges 159,000 Swiss francs (£142,710) per annum, it has a certain discreet and unpretentious air: the school imposes a strict pocket-money limit on younger year groups, and flashing well-known designer brands is banned on campus.

The 480 students here work hard to earn their stripes. They might be training with World Cup Alpine ski race champion Lindsey Vonn or joining the Bear Grylls Survival Academy to avail themselves of its teamwork-skills and mentoring programs. And when they are not on the slopes – be they studying glaciers for geography or mountain biking in the summer months – they’re at the VEX Robotics world championship finals in Dallas, or working hard on the IB syllabus (with more than 20 per cent of last year’s leavers achieving scores in excess of 40).

Talking of leave-takings, one tradition stands out: the annual torchlit Graduand Descent, which sees a procession of graduates skiing from Les Bouquetins down to Col de Soud, where everyone enjoys a celebratory dinner. Allez!

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

PA G E 91

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

PAGE 92

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

Explore the details of a new Bentley now

Visit your local Bentley dealer today and drive off in a new Bentley

PA G E 93

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

THE RIVA CENTO

SETS SAIL

PAGE 94

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

PA G E 95

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

T

RIVA IS CELEBRATING THE DELIVERY OF 100 UNITS OF THE RIVAMARE 38 IN A HIGHLY PLEASING WAY.

HE ITALIAN YARD HAS UNVEILED A LIMITED-EDITION VERSION OF THE BEST-SELLING 39-FOOTER, WHICH WILL BE PRODUCED IN JUST 12 UNITS. THE NEW RIVA CENTO IS A CUT ABOVE THE TYPICAL EXCLUSIVES THAT BUILDERS RELEASE TO MARK DELIVERY MILESTONES, OFFERING BOTH AESTHETIC AND FUNCTIONAL UPGRADES THAT MAKE IT, DARE WE SAY, EVEN BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL.

The open yacht, first revealed at the Cannes Yachting Festival, was penned by Mauro Micheli and Sergio Beretta of Officina Italiana Design.

The Italian studio exclusively designs PAGE 96

all Rivas and has been doing so for the past 30 years. As with the regular production model, the Cento exudes the yard’s elegant design DNA, with a sporty character, sleek, flowing lines, the classic mahogany deck, and gleaming steel accents. It does, however, showcase fresh new colors: the hull is available in a fireworks black (pictured), bold metallic, or aluminum hue. Similarly, the leather interior, which is inspired by 1950s and ‘60s car design, can be finished in biscuit or the traditional aquamarine and white (pictured).

There are, of course, the obligatory commemorative touches. The decorative grille on the hull side has been replaced with a new steel profile containing a polished mahogany insert emblazoned with “Riva” and a series of small stars that pay tribute to vintage models. The yacht is also equipped with a marine horn that was created specifically for this edition.

The tech innovations are what really set the Cento apart, though. The stern door, for example, features an electro-hydraulic system that opens to reveal two comfy sunbeds, two storage compartments for fenders (port side) and a Seabob (starboard side), and a retractable gangway.

Think of it as a mini beach club.

That isn’t all on the tech front. In the forward cockpit, the C-shaped sofa is fitted with an up-down mechanism that allows it to be lowered to meet the cushions, creating a second sunpad to complement the one amidship. The cockpit can be easily covered, too, with a retractable bimini top that is operated by an electro-hydraulic mechanism in the sofa backrest.

The two units that separate the cockpit from the helm station have been used to create an area for cocktail prep, which is decked out with bar accessories, a drawer refrigerator, a sink, a worktop, and an in-

BY R A C H E L C O R M A C K /S P E C I A L TO P O LO L I F E S T Y L E S

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

sulated cooler. Speaking of the helm, the space is outfitted with two pilot chairs, a co-pilot chair, two Boening displays measuring 15 and 24 inches, respectively, and a Volvo Penta joystick.

Another bonus, the Cento is equipped with a larger central windscreen that increases the amount of natural light

entering the interiors. The living quarters also gained a redesigned skylight and larger side windows, making them even brighter than the originals. The layout sees a fully equipped galley starboard, a bathroom port side, and a large sofa in the bow that can be converted into a double bed using a panel taken from the central storage compartment.

Power remains unchanged. As with the Rivamare 38, the Cento is equipped with twin Volvo Penta D6 440 Aquamatic Duoprop DPIs that enable a top speed of 40 knots and a cruising speed of 31 knots. There are some things, like 800 hp, that you really can’t improve upon.

PA G E 97

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

WHY SOME MEN ARE SWAPPING

RAZORS FOR LASERS WHEN IT COMES TO BEARDS

E

LIJAH, 25, HAS ALWAYS PREFERRED TO BE CLEAN SHAVEN. “I ONLY LIKED THE WAY MY FACE LOOKED FOR THE FIRST THREE HOURS A DAY BECAUSE I DIDN’T LIKE MY FIVE O’CLOCK SHADOW,” HE SAYS. EVERY MORNING, HE SHAVED. BUT THE IDEA OF WAKING UP READY TO GO, WITHOUT RAZOR BURN OR A NICKED CHIN, SEEMED FREEING. SO HE BOOKED AN APPOINTMENT FOR PROFESSIONAL LASER HAIR REMOVAL.

At first, it was liberating. Each session thinned the stubble and the regrowth slowed. But after the fourth visit, Elijah (who, like others in this story, asked to use just his first name to protect his privacy) caught his reflection in the mirror and felt a bit “freaked out,” he said, “There is a big difference between stubble and literally being like, oh my gosh, this is like a baby face.”

PAGE 100

As men’s skincare culture blows up on social media, the old stigma around men getting cosmetic treatments is fading, says Ravya Khanna, MD, dermatology resident physician at Georgetown University. One of those treatments is laser hair removal. AJ Marcellino, MD, aesthetic medicine physician and medical director at a North Carolina-based medical spa, estimates that 20 percent of laser clients at many clinics are men.

Most guys aren’t trying to look like they just stepped out of a K-drama.

The typical request is a light “cleanup.” Chris Bustamante, DPN, aesthetic nurse practitioner and founder of NYCbased Lushful Aesthetics says most of his clients just want to zap the scraggly stuff on the cheeks or below the jawline to make their beards look sharper. But a smaller, more dedicated bunch go all in, lasering until their faces are as smooth as they were in middle school.

That full-clearance approach is common among some trans and non-binary people as part of gender-affirming care, and for men whose jobs demand a permanent shave (airplane pilots, for example)—or

just people who simply want a razor-free life.

WHY THEY DO IT For most, the appeal is simple: convenience. Not everyone can grow a beard they like the look of. “When guys are so far removed from being able to grow a proper scruffy beard, then a lot of times they opt for this,” Bustamante says.

That was the case for Christian, 25, who says he has a “pretty boy” look that lends itself to a clean shave. He felt his beard lived forever in the awkward in-between stage. “I dealt with the five o’clock shadow and ingrown hairs without the benefit of having an actual good beard,” he says.

A couple of sessions in, his cheeks are slow to sprout hair, and he can look put-together without the hassle of daily shaving. “It’s definitely weakened my facial hair growth on my cheeks to a degree where it takes longer for my beard to grow back,” he says. He likes the middle ground—able to grow a little scruff when he wants, but never forced into the daily shave—and, for now, has no plans to continue.

BY H A N N A H S I N G L E TO N / S P E C I A L TO P O LO L I F E S T Y L E S

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

The upside isn’t only aesthetic. Ravya Khanna, MD, dermatology resident at Georgetown University regularly recommends this procedure to patients whose shaving habits cause chronic irritation.

Repeated shaving can create micro-cuts and trap bacteria inside follicles, leading to conditions like folliculitis—an inflammatory reaction that shows up as red bumps, pustules, and ingrown hairs.

“It saved my skin in my late teens and early 20s,” Bustamante says. “I went from having pretty moderate acne to having practically zero.”

Chris, an account manager in biotech who spends his free time grilling and gaming, used to get painful ingrown hairs on his cheeks. He tried dry shaving, dry brushing, AHA and BHA exfoliants, steaming his face before shaving, silk pillowcases, hydrocortisone—then laser.

“Now, every day my skin is on 10,” he says. “Not to mention, I save on skin care. My product rotation has gone from 10 to 15 products to about 3 to 5.”

he ever experienced,” and Elijah compares it to “a rubber band snapped on your face, over and over and over again.”

The time commitment is also intense.

Men often require more sessions than women since hair tends to be coarser, according to Marcellino.

For someone with thick, dense high-density facial hair, removing a full beard can take as long as three years of regular sessions because the face is a “very, very hormonal area,” says Bustamante.

Hair color, skin tone, age, and testosterone levels all influence the timeline.

Bustamante has only seen three men commit to full clearance, but he’s one of them. He started at 19, and at 33, he touches it up a few times a year.

But upkeep never truly ends. Many men in their 40s see a resurgence of facial hair, especially if they take testosterone.

“While the laser is doing its job, their bodies are still making new hair follicles,” says Bustamante.

THE PROCESS

WHAT TO KNOW

Full beard removal isn’t for the faint of heart. “It is spicy,” says Bustamante.

Laser hair removal is generally safe, but it’s not risk-free. In the wrong hands, lasers can cause burns, scarring, and pigment damage. “If you treated the wrong skin type with the wrong laser—say, a skin type 5 or 6 with an Alexandrite laser meant for lighter tones—you could immediately burn them and potentially cause permanent scarring,” says Bustamante.

The face is far more sensitive than the legs, back, or even groin because it’s packed with follicles and requires extra-thorough passes. Many of Bustamante’s clients slather on numbing cream to get through a session. Christian says it’s “probably the most painful thing

Do your research. Regulations differ by state, and in some—like New York— technicians don’t even need a license.

Ideally, your provider should be a dermatologist, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant trained in dermatology.

Your laser tech should be able to explain exactly what device they’re using and why it’s right for you.

For example, clients with a melanated skin tone should be treated with a Yag laser, says Bustamante. Don’t be afraid to ask your laser technician about their experience treating clients with your skin type and to request a patch test before committing.

And make sure you really want it. While no provider promises 100 percent permanence, the procedure also isn’t reversible. “If you got full clearance of your base—or even 50 percent—you’re not gonna make your way back to your old face,” says Bustamante.

The permanence can hit harder than the pain.

For Elijah, treatment went deeper than skin. “I shave my face every day—I thought, why on earth would it make a huge difference? But it did,” he says.

“It just hit me: who was I to think that I knew what I was gonna want for the rest of my life?”

PA G E 101

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

PAGE 102

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

PA G E 103

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

PAGE 104

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

ONE ON ONE WITH

LEO DICAPRIO B Y P. T. A N D E R S O N / S P E C I A L T O P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S

PA G E 105

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

PAGE 106

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

WHAT DOES

LEONARDO DICAPRIO A

REALLY WANT?

LEONARDO DICAPRIO PERFORMANCE IS ALWAYS AN INTENSE EXPERIENCE: HOWARD HUGHES LOSING HIS MIND, JORDAN BELFORT DEBASING HIMSELF, HUGH GLASS SURVIVING AGAINST ALL ODDS. WE ARE WATCHING ONE OF HOLLYWOOD’S GREATEST OF ALL TIME AT WORK. His latest film, One Battle After Another, is no exception. DiCaprio plays Bob Ferguson, a washed-up revolutionary and dad to a teenage daughter, Willa, played by Chase Infiniti in her first film role. Opposite him are Teyana Taylor as the absent mom, Benicio Del Toro as the ally, and Sean Penn as the villain. One Battle After Another is a big movie—an action film with car chases, a spy-craft yarn with a clandestine agent who’s drunk and stoned, and a political thriller with reverberations for our interesting times. But at its core, the movie is a story about a father and daughter and what it means to show up for the people you love. It’s also very funny.

The writer and director is Paul Thomas Anderson, whose films—like Boogie Nights, Magnolia, and There Will Be Blood—are operatic renderings of human frailty. The movies are visceral and often haunting. They can also

be hilarious, and they’re always wildly entertaining.

One Battle After Another is his first film with DiCaprio. Both men rarely give interviews, and their life and work are the subject of bottomless curiosity and speculation. This summer, they had two conversations: one in Leo’s kitchen, another over the phone. They recorded their talks and gave the transcripts to Esquire, which we edited and condensed.

(Anderson also photographed DiCaprio for us in Los Angeles.) We gave them some prompts, some of which they indulged, others not so much. But the result is a rare glimpse into the minds of two of Hollywood’s most daring and original men.

Paul Thomas Anderson: Any regrets?

Leonardo DiCaprio: I’ll say it even though you’re here: My biggest regret is not doing Boogie Nights. It was a profound movie of my generation. I can’t imagine anyone but Mark [Wahlberg] in it. When I finally got to see that movie, I just thought it was a masterpiece. It’s ironic that you’re the person asking that question, but it’s true.

Anderson: Why did it take us so long?

DiCaprio: I know One Battle After Another has been on your desk for a long time. It was a personal story for you in a lot of ways and certainly pertinent to the world that we’re living in right now. But

ultimately, wanting to do this movie was pretty simple: I’ve been wanting to work with you—Paul—for something like twenty years now, and I loved this idea of the washed-up revolutionary trying to erase his past and disappear and try and live some sort of normal life raising his daughter.

Anderson: It’s a nice character, someone who starts out wanting to change the world on the far left but gets increasingly cranky and closed off as he gets older.

DiCaprio: And lives in constant paranoia. It was fun creating a character that’s weirdly a hybrid of both political parties and beliefs—and certainly not Father of the Year.

Anderson: No one can outrun what’s inevitable, which for him is to be a father and to have another generation come up from behind. So what’s inevitable is middle age. What’s inevitable is complacency.

What’s inevitable is looking at the next generation with disdain simply because they’re not doing it how you think they should, which is just a code for “They’re not doing it like we did it.” And so what comes next is being cranky, no matter how liberal and rah-rah you were in your youth. When you get down to the mundane, daily battles of life, they just wear on you.

DiCaprio: Especially if you’re living in PA G E 107

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

secrecy. What are your options? You’re going to sit there and microdose and smoke pot and watch old revolutionary movies and not have a cell phone, right?

Which became another huge theme in the movie too.

Anderson: I’m going to ask you a question, and you’re going to answer as quickly as you can. If you didn’t know how old you are, how old are you right now?

DiCaprio: Thirty-two.

Anderson: Good answer. What you’ll have to do is investigate what happened when you were thirty-two, and then you’re going to discover and uncover why that was your answer. Here’s how that relates to your character in the film: He fell in love with a woman named Perfidia.

She broke his heart into a million pieces, put it back together, smashed it again, put it back together, and smashed it once more for good measure. She left him stuck in time, unable to move forward.

What’s inevitable with that broken heart is to sit around with it for a long time and stew in it. All you do is stay in one place.

By the way, my answer was twenty-seven.

PAGE 108

Anderson: By the time I came to you, four or five years ago, the script was probably 80 percent there. I had never quite figured out the story’s policies on phones.

DiCaprio: You were always into this idea of a no-phones world.

Anderson: I knew it had to be addressed.

You brought me to the idea that Willa having a phone is a choice to rebel against her father’s wishes. Now that was a good idea. It’s always fun when that happens with a new idea, that immediate shift where you lean into something that you were entirely opposed to. The movie benefited from it.

DiCaprio: It’s about the disconnection between generations. It’s about how this daughter and father relate to one another, and that we are living in a completely different world than the next generation.

We think we understand it, but we don’t.

This is how they communicate.

Anderson: If you’re from a generation that either enjoyed or was driven mad by the mystery of wondering where

somebody is or when they might call next, or thinking, I have to rush home to my answering machine to find out if somebody’s called, imagine if someone had said you could walk around with an answering machine in your pocket. To her generation’s point, why would I not let somebody know where I am every second of the day? I don’t understand what your problem is. Why wouldn’t you film yourself dancing? How could you dance and not film yourself?

DiCaprio: I remember with my little sister and her friends, they asked, “What was it like?” I lived in the days where there was an answering machine, and when you had plans, you either needed to be there on time, or you’d call on a pay phone to check your answering machine to see if they left a message, to see if they were going to be late. And then you’d have to call their answering machine so they could check their answering machine. They were like, “You guys must have never had plans—how did you ever communicate?” There was a lot of waiting around; you had to stick to your word.

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

PA G E 109

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

Anderson: Do you remember when we were both starting, if you met anybody from the generation before us, and they were successful Hollywood players, they had answering services. That was like, Holy shit, they don’t have an answering machine; they have an answering service.

DiCaprio: I tried to explain beepers. If it was stressful, you’d say your number and then 911911911. That means stop whatever you’re doing and call.

Anderson: Well, beepers were generally for drug dealers.

DiCaprio: That’s not true. We all had beepers.

They would click it on their jeans and you’d run around—beep beep beep—just look and like, Oh my homey’s calling, “Where are you?”

Anderson: Here’s a question Esquire wants me to ask. “You turned fifty last year. Does it feel like a natural time for reflection?”

DiCaprio: “You turned emotionally thirty-five last year.”

Anderson: “Your age is fifty, but your emotional maturity is thirty-two.” How does that feel?

DiCaprio: So they’re asking about age?

Anderson: I never had a beeper. My drug dealer had a beeper.

Anderson: They’re asking if it’s a natural time for reflection.

DiCaprio: All my friends had beepers.

DiCaprio: Well, it creates a feeling like you have a desire to just be more hon-

PAGE 110

est and not waste your time. I can only imagine how the next few decades are going to progress. I look at my mother, for example, and she just says exactly what she thinks and wastes no time. She spends no time trying to fake it.

Anderson: Yeah.

DiCaprio: Being more upfront and risking having things fall apart or risk the disagreements or risk going your separate ways from any type of relationship in life—the personal, professional—it’s that you just don’t want to waste your time anymore. You have to just be much more upfront. It’s almost a responsibility because much more of your life is behind you than it is ahead of you.

Anderson: That’s a good answer.

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

PA G E 111

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

PAGE 112

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

PA G E 113

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

PAGE 114

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

FASHION & STYLE SPRING INTO TECHNICOLOR

THE DEFINING FASHION CEOS MOCHA MADNESS PA G E 115

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

THINK COLOR FOR SPRING 2026

PAGE 116

C O N T E N T C O U RT E S Y O F T H E I M P R E S S I O N

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

PA G E 117

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

F

OR MANY DESIGNERS, THIS SEASON MARKED A DEBUT—OR AT LEAST A REINTRODUCTION. A SHIFT IN TONE. A FRESH VANTAGE POINT. AND LIKE ANY GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION, THE RUNWAY SERVED AS A STAGE FOR CLARITY, CONVICTION, AND THE START OF A NEW CONVERSATION.

But sustaining that intrigue? That’s the real work. A great show may spark attention, but it’s what follows—the throughline of vision, voice, and image—that builds lasting relevance.

PAGE 118

C O N T E N T C O U RT E S Y O F T H E I M P R E S S I O N

This is where we focus in. The shows below didn’t just offer aesthetics or spectacle—they established a direction. They asked us to look closer, to listen differently. At The Impression, we’re watching to see who turns momentum into meaning, who extends their runway vision into a

broader creative world, and who deepens our investment with every move.

These ten collections stood apart—not only for how they showed up, but for what they set in motion.

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

PA G E 119

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

PAGE 120

C O N T E N T C O U RT E S Y T H E I M P R E S S I O N

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

PA G E 121

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

PAGE 122

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

PA G E 123

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

PAGE 124

C O N T E N T C O U RT E S Y O F T H E I M P R E S S I O N

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

PA G E 125

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

PAGE 126

C O N T E N T C O U RT E S Y T H E I M P R E S S I O N

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

PA G E 127

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

PAGE 128

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

THE DEFINING FASHION CEOS OF 2025 HOW LEADERSHIP, SUCCESSION, AND STRATEGY DEFINED THE YEAR’S MOST INFLUENTIAL FIGURES

P

OWER IN FASHION ISN’T JUST ABOUT SCALE. IT’S ABOUT NAVIGATING CHANGE – ECONOMIC, CREATIVE, GENERATIONAL – AND DOING IT WITH ENOUGH AUTHORITY AND VISION TO RESHAPE AN ENTIRE INDUSTRY. THE YEAR 2025 SAW LEGACY EMPIRES IN FLUX, PUBLIC MARKETS

TIGHTENING, AND CREATIVE LEADERSHIP MOVING FASTER THAN EVER BEFORE. BUT AMID THE SHAKEUPS AND SLOWDOWNS, A FEW CEOS DIDN’T JUST HOLD STEADY— THEY MADE MOVES THAT RESHAPED THEIR COMPANIES AND, IN MANY WAYS, THE FUTURE OF FASHION.

BERNARD ARNAULT CHAIRMAN & CEO, LVMH Even among skeptics, Bernard Arnault’s instincts are difficult to dispute; you just have to watch his moves. This past year, as luxury weathered everything from tariff hangovers to cautious consumer sentiment, Arnault executed one of his subtler but smartest transitions yet: a creative refresh at Dior. Maria Grazia Chiuri’s legacy there is undeniable — shepherding Dior from €2.2 billion in annual sales PA G E 129

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

the house’s heritage and strategic vision while empowering new voices.

What makes his influence noteworthy isn’t headline grabbing acquisitions or dramatic pivots — it’s consistency and coherence. While other houses shuffled boards in response to short-term market pressure, Zegna’s leadership structure clarified a longterm playbook. This year, the brand doubled down on directtoconsumer strength, sharpened its lifestyle narrative beyond suiting, and kept a firm focus on craftsmanship. That quiet confidence, especially in a moment when many luxury players are reactionary, is a form of power in and of itself: a leadership that reassures clients, investors, and employees alike that steadiness yields strength. to an estimated €9–9.5 billion — and her shift to Fendi was emotional for many.

But the choice of Jonathan Anderson as her successor reveals Arnault’s unique blend of instinct and ambition: he’s betting creativity with a strategic multiplier still matters. It’s a reminder that LVMH’s power isn’t just size, it’s thoughtful evolution.

Inside LVMH’s halls, the executive shuffle didn’t stop there. Pietro Beccari, long revered for his steady leadership at Louis Vuitton, now heads the Fashion Group, reaffirming that trust and continuity still count. At the same time, Damien Bertrand’s rising responsibility — particularly after his successful stint at Loro Piana — signals that the next generation is being readied with care, not chaos.

Colleagues speak warmly of this era’s collaborative feel; it’s less about ruthless takeover and more about legacy in motion. If Arnault’s power comes from what he builds, this year showed he’s as committed to “who” as much as “what.”

not as a conglomerate conqueror but as a steward of craft, capable of honoring tradition while nudging the business into fresh territory. In 2025, that approach reached a new chapter. As the house formalizes a succession plan — with Gianluca Tagliabue set to become CEO and the fourth generation stepping into co-CEO roles at the Zegna brand — it’s clear this isn’t retirement, it’s evolution.

Gildo isn’t fading out; he’s anchoring

LUCA DE MEO CHAIRMAN & CEO, KERING If luxury CEOs were scored on candid memos alone, Luca de Meo would be top of the class. Upon arriving at Kering just months ago, he inherited both expectations and legacies — most notably at Gucci, where momentum had stalled and the group’s valuation had contracted. In 2025, de Meo didn’t just

GILDO ZEGNA CHAIRMAN & CEO, ZEGNA GROUP (SOON TO BE EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN, 2026) There’s gentle power, and then there’s Gildo Zegna’s kind — the kind that comes from staying true to a brand’s soul while quietly expanding its horizons. For decades he’s guided the Zegna Group PAGE 130

C O N T E N T C O U RT E S Y O F T H E I M P R E S S I O N

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

offer platitudes; he delivered a framework he calls ReconKering, an ambitious repositioning that tackles the company’s reliance on a single brand and charts a broader roadmap for healthier growth.

This isn’t the kind of year that yields dazzling sales figures, but de Meo’s influence showed up where it counts: investor confidence, strategic clarity, and operational reset. Gucci’s thirdquarter performance, down “only” 14 percent (better than feared), and the recent share uptick aren’t miracles — they’re signals that steady hands and open strategy can pull a house back from the edge. He’s trimmed excess, rebalanced expectations, empowered leaders like Francesca Bellettini, and even brokered the sale of Kering Beauté to strengthen balance sheets. Where others saw decline, de Meo saw opportunity — and that’s the essence of power.

JOSHUA SCHULMAN CEO, BURBERRY GROUP After a rocky few years marked by creative turbulence and uneven performance, Joshua Schulman is bringing clarity—and credibility—back to Burberry.

Appointed CEO in 2023, Schulman’s 2025 has been defined by course correction: a sharpened focus on outerwear, a renewed embrace of Britishness, and the

beginnings of a disciplined turnaround strategy that’s already yielding results.

This year, Burberry beat profit expectations and announced bold cost-saving measures, including an 18% workforce reduction—decisive, if uncomfortable, moves aimed at restoring margins and investor confidence. Schulman’s leadership has restored internal focus and external confidence, helping stabilize a brand that had drifted in recent years. His steady hand has also allowed creative director Daniel Lee more room to evolve, signaling a healthier balance between business discipline and design experimentation.

While challenges remain, Burberry under Schulman feels like a House with its footing back—and a vision beginning to take shape.

PATRICE LOUVET PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF RALPH LAUREN CORPORATION If anyone brought swagger back to Wall Street this year, it was Patrice Louvet.

While much of luxury struggled under macroeconomic uncertainty, Ralph Lauren’s share price marched upward like a bespoke blazer commanding attention in a crowd. A $1,000 investment in Ralph

Lauren earlier this year would be worth more than $1,500 today — a remarkable performance that speaks to both investor confidence and Louvet’s strategic clarity.

Louvet’s leadership has been quietly effective: he’s balanced brand heritage with smarter global expansion, leaned into premiumization without alienating core customers, and sustained directtoconsumer strength that many rivals would envy. Under his watch, Ralph Lauren hasn’t just sold clothes; it’s sold cultural currency — American elegance that feels as relevant in a Milan flagship as it does in a Madison Avenue penthouse. That resonance, commercial and emotional, is a CEO’s true power. Numbers matter, but so does narrative — and this year, Louvet delivered on both.

Power isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s measured in who leaves the room more trusted than they entered it. In 2025, these five CEOs didn’t just weather uncertainty – they leaned into it with sharp instincts, bold restructuring, and long-term bets. Some are preparing successors. Others are just getting started. All of them are proving that in fashion, as in business, leadership is more than holding the title. It’s knowing when – and how – to make the next move.

PA G E 131

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

MOCHA MADNESS PAGE 134

C O N T E N T C O U RT E S Y O F T H E I M P R E S S I O N

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

C

OMFORTING, SOPHISTICATED, EARTHY, AND TIMELESS, BROWN IS NEVER OUT OF STYLE, BUT IT WAS ESPECIALLY TRENDING ON THE RUNWAYS OF FALL 2025.

From coffees and caramels to mahoganies and mushrooms, the color was never far away.

Endlessly versatile while bringing its own rich sense of character, brown comprised both fully monochrome looks and brought its distinct flavor to unique color combinations, in which it can have a more palpable and quirky impact than other neutrals like black or gray. The trend may also be seen another indicator of a shift away from minimalism and quiet luxury and toward a more expressive, organic take on

luxury. In this connection, brown shares some crossover with the fur revival that characterized so many of the season’s runway shows, bringing refinement and rawness as designers channeled organic animal energy into visions of luxury that blurred the lines between classic and contemporary.

PA G E 135

Find a Home that Suits your Lifestyle

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

MANSION OF THE MONTH

ASPEN MASTERPIECE 1011 UTE AVENUE ASPEN, COLORADO, 81611 $75,000,000 USD BEDROOMS 7 | BATHROOMS 7 FULL AND 3 PARTIAL | INTERIOR 16,726 SQ FT. | EXTERIOR 0.65 ACRE PAGE 138

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

PA G E 139

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

MANSION OF THE MONTH

A

N ASPEN MASTERPIECE WITH A TIMELESS DESIGN, IN AN IRREPLACEABLE LOCATION OFFERING SKI ACCESS AND EASY PROXIMITY TO THE DOWNTOWN CORE. ONE COULD NOT BUILD THIS SIZE AGAIN IN THIS LOCATION DUE TO CITY OF ASPEN GUIDELINES AND RESTRICTIONS. PAGE 140

Enjoy three clay tennis courts, a movie theater, bowling alley, two elevators, indoor pool, spa and easy access to the Silver Queen Gondola. All these amenities make this a truly one-of-a-kind property.

Additional features include a gym, indoor and outdoor water features, a 1,500 bottle wine cellar and four bars.

The garage holds a total of four cars and has a turntable to allow for easy in and out access. The property also enjoys approximately 3 acres of common space

shared with the neighboring house and outstanding views of Red Mountain and Independence Pass.

1011 Ute Avenue redefines the notion of a luxurious Aspen residence. With ski access and the central core of Aspen just steps away, this residence seamlessly blends location and leisure. Its amenities guarantee an unmatched experience.

Your dream home, characterized by magnificent views, is not just a property; it’s an oasis in the heart of Aspen.

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

PA G E 141

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

MANSION OF THE MONTH

PAGE 142

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

MANSION OF THE MONTH

PA G E 143

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

PAGE 144

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

PA G E 145

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

2680 TRADER ROAD JACKSON, WYOMING, 83001 UNITED STATES $23,000,000 USD BEDROOMS 6 | BATHROOMS 6 FULL AND 2 PARTIAL | INTERIOR 7,234 SQ FT. | EXTERIOR 11.59 ACRES Located in the gated Gros Ventre North subdivision, in the heart of Jackson, Wyoming, is this newly constructed architectural masterpiece. Boasting exquisite craftsmanship and attention to detail, this home offers an unparalleled living experience amidst the breathtaking backdrop of the Teton Range.

Floor-to-ceiling windows and telescoping doors flood this room with natural light and provide seamless access to the expansive deck, complete with a covered outdoor dining area, a built-in grill, and an outdoor fireplace, perfect for entertaining against the backdrop of Wyoming’s natural splendor.

At the heart of the main level is the expansive Great Room adorned with vaulted ceilings and exposed steel beams. Gather around the floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace or express your culinary creativity in the chef ’s kitchen, outfitted with top-of-theline appliances, tailor-made finishes, and a butler’s pantry.

Step into opulence as you enter the spacious Primary Suite. Featuring his and her walk-in closets and a spa-like bathroom complete with a double vanity, double showers, a freestanding bathtub, and an outdoor shower, this retreat boasts privacy and comfort.

PAGE 146

Relax and unwind on the private deck, offering a sweeping panorama of the Teton Range, or enjoy the warmth and comfort of the double-sided fireplace perfectly situated in front of a built-in reading nook.

There is a private office located between the Primary Suite and the Great Room, designed for productivity and inspiration. With a private covered deck offering sweeping views of the surrounding mountains, this office becomes a private retreat within the expansive home.

Adjacent to the office is the mudroom, a transitional space crafted with custom millwork and thoughtful design elements.

Here, gear, jackets, and shoes find a styl-

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

ish home, keeping the main living area pristine and clutter-free. Adjacent to the mudroom, is the upstairs laundry room and an additional coat closet to meet all your storage and cleaning needs. At the center of the home where the main level and lower level meet is a causeway flanked by expansive two-story windows which saturate the home with natural light while providing endless views of the surrounding wilderness.

Located on the lower level is the entertainment and media room. Unwind in the sprawling Media Room, equipped with a full-sized wet bar featuring a wine fridge, ice machine, and dishwasher.

Built-in shelves offer ample space for entertainment, books, and art. Indulge in recreation and relaxation within the gym and sauna, with seamless outdoor access to the meticulously landscaped backyard and built-in hot tub, creating an oasis of luxury and relaxation.

Additionally, attached to the Media Room is a spare Flex Room with an en-suite bathroom that is perfect for supplementary accommodations for guests. The south wing of the lower level is the dedicated guest wing, with four en-suite bedrooms, each offering incredible wilderness and mountain views.

The garage is a haven for recreation enthusiasts, with expansive storage solutions ensuring that every vehicle, tool, recreational equipment, or seasonal gear finds its designated place. This six car garage bay designed to provide maximum utility and with over 1,500 square feet this space can easily house all of your standard and recreational vehicles.

PA G E 147

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

BLENDED WITH NATURE IN THE HEART OF SAGAPONACK

A STORYBOOK ESTATE IN THE HEART OF SAGAPONACK Set on three enchanting acres in Sagaponack, “Whimsy Farm” is a one-ofa-kind estate blending Hamptons farmhouse charm with French countryside elegance and Palm Beach flair. From the PAGE 148

original barn-turned-great room to the lush, sculpture-filled grounds, saltwater pool, dual kitchens and separate guest quarters, every detail invites relaxation, celebration and timeless style.

PROPERTY DETAILS 790 Sagg Road, Sagaponack, New York

5 Bedrooms | 6 Bathrooms $6,995,000 Listed by Douglas Elliman Adam Hofer adam.hofer@elliman.com 631.236.8659

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

PA G E 149

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

Vine Findsof Solace In Search

WINE RESOLUTIONS AND PREDICTIONS FOR THE NEW YEAR

WILLIAM SMITH @willismith_2000 COPY EDITOR & CONTRIBUTOR

I

’M TAKING THE LIBERTY IN A BIT OF A DEPARTURE FOR THIS FIRST WINE COLUMN OF 2026. IT’S BEEN SEVERAL YEARS NOW IN MY ROLE AS THE MONTHLY WINE CONTRIBUTOR FOR POLO LIFESTYLES, AND I FELT INCLINED TO SOME INTROSPECTION AS THE NEW YEAR BEGINS.

PAGE 152

So in lieu of my normal dive into a region, or a variety, or some incredible wine talent whose path I was blessed to cross, this month I wanted to offer some thoughts on wine culture writ large and how it relates to the each of us as consumers and adorers of wine and how wine fits culturally and aesthetically into our lives. Here are my wine predictions and resolutions for 2026.

PREDICTIONS: CONTINUED DECLINE IN WINE DRINKING The continued worldwide decline in wine consumption will continue into 2026 and beyond. This trend shows no sign of reversing, both due to the ongoing volley of evidence about the impact W I L L I A M S M I T H / P O LO L I F E S T Y L E S

of alcohol consumption on health and because of the proliferation of elevated and bespoke spirit production and the vast array of choices it generates for consumers of alcoholic beverages, oh yeah, and cannabis.

The time has long passed to continue bemoaning the shifts in consumer sentiment and to shift the narrative.

The ongoing campaign Come Over October is an excellent example of how we lift up the role that a healthy enjoyment of wine can have in our lives and relationships. Let’s focus collectively and individually on what a healthy and positive relationship looks like when it comes to the millennia-old ritual of drinking wine.

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

THE BUSINESS MODEL CONTINUES TO SHIFT The decline in wine consumption unfortunately aligns with the inflationary pressures and federal policy machinations that have seen costs of wine production soar. In 2025, it has been well-documented that across the globe, hundreds of thousands of acres of vineyards were ripped up and the volume of grapes left to rot on their vines was massive.

At the same time, well-established producers are selling wines to consolidators and resellers at bargain prices, clearing their cellars of unsold inventory to make room for newer bottlings and vintages. It is creating some tre-

mendous value out there for consumers, but undercutting the economics for producers. And on the producer and owner side, we’ve seen some spectacular implosions and selling-off of known labels to cut costs – and these are just the ones that get noticed, obscuring the crises of many smaller producers and family-owned operations.

also illuminated the shifting consumer preference away from big, bold reds to white and rosé wines, which are being drank in ever-larger quantities.

And even more recently, we have also seen a proliferation of both low- and no-alcohol wines being created, again to respond to these shifting consumer demands.

These and other instances are indications that a major correction is underway and 2026 is likely to see even further evidence of this.

These trends, especially the focus on No/Low Alcohol by Volume (ABVs), will accelerate in 2026 and beyond.

And, optimistically, the hope for this latter category, is that the demand will generate ever better and more drinkable products that more closely resemble the experience and taste of traditional wine drinking (so far, that verdict remains out).

MORE WHITES, ROSÉS, AND NO/LOW ABVS For at least a decade, as wine consumption overall has slumped, the data has

PA G E 153

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

Wine Resolutions In Search of Solace

RESOLUTIONS DRINK THE GOOD STUFF I follow several wine-specific groups on social media and one type of positing you see more frequently than others, is some wine lover finally opening that treasured bottle only to realize it had passed its prime, or worse. Yes, a certain caliber of oenophile will have the cellar tracker app completely updated and designating the ideal drinking window for storied and properly stored bottles; but most people will not.

Why wait? This year, I resolve to opening a few more bottles of the good stuff, recognizing that sometimes, that perfect PAGE 154

special occasion to open it can indeed be a quiet night at home with the fire blazing in the hearth, sitting out on the patio under a picture perfect summer sky, or grilling up the most exceptional cheeseburger (with green chile, of course, as one must here in New Mexico where I live).

GET PROPER WINE GLASSES I will start by saying this one isn’t a resolution of my own. My friends and family will tell you that I’ve got a bit of a problem when it comes having a variety of proper stemware from which to choose.

I’ve even been recently ruminating on the need to construct some new space to hold them all… but that’s another story.

But for those of you whose wine glasses are bulky, thick, burdensomely heavy, and resemble the invincible vessels of the likes of Applebee’s, its time to invest in some real stemware. There are many lines and brands of dishwasher-friendly, break-resistant stemware – and often crystal – that will accentuate your enjoyment of drinking wine and not have you in tears if one happens to break. Trust me, it’s time…. your guests are just too polite to say so.

BUY AND DRINK LOCAL As mentioned above, the business of making wine is in a time of extraordinary change and even tumult. Wherever one lives and however someone defines

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

“local,” consider supporting your “local” producers. This could be the region or state where you live or the country you call home. If in the summer you solely drink rosé from Provence, but you live in the United States, consider exploring and rotating in some rosés from USbased producers. A US-based aficionado of Burgundian reds might consider giving some of the exceptional producers in Oregon a shot at winning you over. Live

in the United Kingdom but never stray from Champagne? English sparkling wines have never been better. You get the idea.

In that same vein of local support, wine tasting rooms are shuttering and cutting back on hours left and right, being seen as a luxury expense in a time where margins are razor thin. Resolve to make outings to local tastings rooms a prior-

itized leisure activity in 2026. For my part, I am resolving to do more of both in 2026 and will kick off that resolution with an outing to a tasting room in January in Northern New Mexico that I haven’t visited in a few years. And I’ll bring home a few bottles to enjoy later.

As always, Salud! And may your 2026 be full of amazing bottles of wine and many new and wonderful wine adventures.

PA G E 155

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

PAGE 156

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

PA G E 157

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

MONARCH VISIONARY HEAL YOURSELF AND HEAL THE WORLD SPIRITUALITY · FAITH · QUESTIONS · GROWTH · FOCUS

THE YEAR OF THE

THE FIRE HORSE “Consider your origin. You were not formed to live like brutes, but to follow knowledge and virtue.”

- Dante Alighieri

AMRITLAL अमृत ASCENSION

CONTRIBUTOR @monarch_visionary

E

VERY SIXTY YEARS, THE COSMOS REVEALS A BOLDER PROPHECY WITHIN OUR COLLECTIVE DESTINY. According to the Chinese sexagenary cycle, 2026 opens as the Year of the Fire Horse - a rare combination where the Horse’s natural vitality, speed, and independence is amplified by the Fire element into a time of heightened dynamism, innovation, and revolutionary change. It is a year of “Red Horse” momentum, when collective energies surge toward risk, reinvention, and destiny.

Astrologically, Fire Horse years are double-fire thresholds: they bring chaos and great progress, jolting us from numbed complacency into charged movement. In that sense, the Fire Horse is less a gentle zodiac sign and more a living archetype: the wild steed of the collective heart, hooves striking sparks against the founding stones of history, demanding PAGE 158

that we either learn to ride or be dragged by the pull of our North Star calling.

GAUDÍ AND THE CATHEDRAL OF ASTRAL RESONANCE

For Monarch Visionary, the Fire Horse signals a renaissance in awakened heartsense empowerment: •

a convergence of art, science, spirituality, and mysticism.

•

a quickening in surrender to collective heart empowerment.

•

a shift of focus to the event horizon of cosmic illumination, for both an evolution in collective sensory perceptions and systematic collapse to universal heart-based cosmic power structures.

This article is an invitation to master heart-sense alchemy in the Year of the Fire Horse - learning from two unlikely “Fire Horse forerunners” of the modern age: Antoni Gaudí, the architect-mystic of Barcelona, and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the physicist-sage of consciousness.

Their struggles and breakthroughs are mirrors for our own passage from spiritual mediumship and inter-dimensional hyper-sensitivities to cosmic consciousness stewardship.

A M R I T L A L अमृत / P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S

“Beauty awakens the soul to act.”

- Dante Alighier UNESCO’s World Heritage designation “Works of Antoni Gaudí” honors seven of his creations - among them La Sagrada Família - as testaments to his exceptional creative contribution to sacred architecture and resonance technologies at the turn of the 20th century. These were never merely buildings - they are frequency instruments that harness the resonant field of planetary consciousness to transform collective behavior by activating our spiritual DNA - our psychic senses - to help us remember that we are capable of greatness.

Gaudí grew up with poor health and rheumatism, which forced him into long hours of contemplation and observation of his true nature. His body slowed him down; his perceptions sped up. He studied leaves, shells, tree trunks, and the spirals of snails, internalizing geom-

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

T he Celestial Mandate for a Radical Transformation in Devotional Living

R E N E WA L · C O M M U N I T Y · S U P P O RT · E X P LO R AT I O N · E N E R G Y

etry as a living language – an energetic means for transferring empowerment.

Later, his religious devotion deepened into a nearly monastic life: strict vegetarianism, intense fasting that at times endangered his health, and a radical simplicity that left him looking like a destitute wanderer.

Gaudí lived the struggle of the wild inner flame: •

The Horse: his bold, unorthodox forms; his refusal to conform to academic styles.

•

The Fire: his burning devotion, the extremity of his fasting and work habits.

•

The Struggle: ridicule during his lifetime, stalled commissions, and finally his death after being struck by a tram and initially mistaken

for a beggar because of his ragged appearance.

And yet, out of this crucible emerged La Sagrada Família, a structure that operates as a cathedral-scale nervous system of light, sound, and pure-felt awe.

Modern neuroscience and environmental psychology now confirm what Gaudí intuited with his hands: Light transforms mood, cognition, and physiological regulation; natural and colored light can uplift, focus, and calm us.

Awe-inspiring spaces - high ceilings, unexpected volumes, intricate detail - shift us into a “small self ” state, reducing stress, increasing prosocial behavior, and deepening our sense of interconnectedness.

PA G E 159

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

MONARCH VISIONARY HEAL YOURSELF AND HEAL THE WORLD SPIRITUALITY · FAITH · QUESTIONS · GROWTH · FOCUS Acoustics and reverberation in large sacred spaces can envelop visitors in a sonic field that magnifies the emotional impact of music and silence alike.

In Sagrada Família, Gaudí choreographs these elements so that light becomes theology, acoustics become prayer, and stone becomes a resonant tuning fork for cosmic consciousness to psychically penetrate the human nervous system for the soul’s inspiration. Stained glass modulates the sun into spectral codes - cool blues and greens in the morning, fiery reds and golds at evening - encasing the visitor in a slowly rotating rainbow of time. Columns rise like forest canopies; hidden skylights reveal themselves only as you tilt your head upward, triggering exactly the kind of awe-response that neuroscience associates with expanded awareness and reduced self-preoccupation.

Gaudí’s life demonstrates an essential Fire Horse teaching for 2026: “When your body struggles, your spirit is being called to build cathedrals. When the world misreads you as ‘too much’ or ‘too strange,’ your heart may be quietly laying out blueprints for the emergence of a god-realized civilization.”

His work is not only about beauty; it is about re-calibrating human nervous systems through architecture, preparing us to feel, think, and care in new ways that expand our senses to behold the power that shines from within – to cultivate our own reverberance.

THE HUMAN TEMPLE: MAHARISHI AND THE FIRE HORSE OF CONSCIOUSNESS “If you give people light, they will find their own way.” - Dante Alighieri If Gaudí built cathedrals in stone, PAGE 160

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi established the resonance temple of the collective bodymind complex.

Initiation through obscurity - a Fire Horse soul choosing inner mountains over external applause.

Educated in physics at Allahabad University, he left a conventional career path to spend 13 years in the Himalayas studying with Swami Brahmananda Saraswati (Guru Dev). This was his

From that quiet apprenticeship emerged Transcendental Meditation (TM), a simple, mantra-based practice that he began spreading worldwide in the late 1950s. The movement surged - fueled by

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

T he Celestial Mandate for a Radical Transformation in Devotional Living

R E N E WA L · C O M M U N I T Y · S U P P O RT · E X P LO R AT I O N · E N E R G Y to societal coherence.

While these findings remain debated and are not universally accepted, they opened a provocative question: What if coherent consciousness at scale is not just a private experience, but a subtle, yet all-powerful, social technology that activates the collective spiritual DNA in pursuit of our evolved state of universal peace and harmony?

Today, this question is echoed across multiple scientific frontiers: HeartMath Institute’s Global Coherence Initiative (GCI) measures how human emotional states may interact with Earth’s magnetic field, exploring whether collective heart-centered emotions could measurably influence global energetic patterns. the 1960s counterculture, the Beatles’ interest, and a rising hunger for direct inner experience. But it also drew intense criticism: Some Indian sages accused him of oversimplifying ancient teachings and commercializing spirituality.

Western skeptics challenged the scientific claims and alleged “magical” promises of levitation and invulnerability in advanced TM-Sidhi programs.

In later years, he faced tax investigations and was portrayed in media as both visionary and charlatan.

For a Fire Horse soul, this is archetypal: when you try to ride a new frequency into the world, you will be celebrated and attacked, often for the same reasons.

Yet Maharishi persisted in another Fire Horse expression - not as rebellion for its own sake, but as systemic experimen-

tation in the laboratory of society. His hypothesis was audacious: If even a small fraction of a population enters coherent inner states together, measurable shifts in social indicators like crime and violence - will follow.

This became known as the Maharishi Effect. Research associated with his movement suggests that when around the square root of 1% of a city’s population practice the advanced TM-Sidhi program together, crime rates and violence can decline. For example, time-series analyses in Merseyside, UK, reported about a 13.4% drop in crime correlated with the establishment of a permanent TM group; other studies have explored similar trends in U.S. cities and national homicide rates.

This phenomenon, also called SuperRadiance, links individual consciousness to collective well-being, with coherence in pure consciousness leading

The Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) studies consciousness, psi phenomena, intention, and healing, continuing Edgar Mitchell’s quest to understand “noetic” knowing - insight that feels authoritative and deeply meaningful.

The Consciousness and Healing Initiative (CHI) frames healing through a bio-field lens, seeing living systems as electromagnetic and informational fields; its research and convenings aim to put consciousness and healing at the center of a healthier society.

The Resonance Science Foundation and allied institutes explore unified physics models where resonance, fields, and geometry become bridges between matter, mind, and cosmos.

Maharishi’s life, like Gaudí’s, was marked by both struggle and transfiguration: health challenges, seclusion, controversy - and yet an enduring legacy PA G E 161

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

MONARCH VISIONARY HEAL YOURSELF AND HEAL THE WORLD SPIRITUALITY · FAITH · QUESTIONS · GROWTH · FOCUS that helped mainstream meditation and seeded new fields of mind-body science.

In the Year of the Fire Horse, his story whispers: “Your inner practice is not escapism. It is architecture. You are building invisible cathedrals through bodies of light that deliver peace upon the spiritual worlds for blinded souls to sense into the light.”

HEART SENSE-ALCHEMY: FROM SACRED ARCHITECTURE TO THE PLANETARY NERVOUS SYSTEM “The Love that moves the sun and the other stars.” - Dante Alighieri Gaudí tuned stone and light to induce awe.

Maharishi tuned attention and mantra to cultivate inner silence and coherence.

HeartMath research shows that when we enter coherent heart rhythm patterns - smooth, sinewave-like heart-rate variability - our physiology shifts into an optimal state for emotional regulation, cognitive clarity, and resilience.

This isn’t metaphor; it is measured as heart coherence, a state that can be trained through simple breath- and heart-focus practices.

Furthermore, through harmonized compassion, we are able to penetrate into he power that courses through the planetary leyline veins, her psychic energy banks, for increased vitality, vibrancy and immunity.

Now imagine:

PAGE 162

•

Cathedrals like Sagrada Família as macro-devices for healing and awe.

•

Meditation and bio-field practices as micro-devices for coherence and collective intelligence.

•

Scientific organizations mapping how all of this interacts with Earth’s fields, human communities, and possibly cosmic neighbors to determine a collective currency aligned with the cosmic pull of our unified evolution.

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

T he Celestial Mandate for a Radical Transformation in Devotional Living

R E N E WA L · C O M M U N I T Y · S U P P O RT · E X P LO R AT I O N · E N E R G Y The Year of the Fire Horse invites us to treat the entire planet as a single, evolving temple whose nervous system we are just beginning to sense through our evolving radiant awareness:

symbolic power - become the steering mechanism for leadership, innovation, and planetary service – whereby our evolving and purifying senses heal and empower our co-existential realities.

by Gaudí and Maharishi as living case studies.

SETI Institute searches for technosignatures and life beyond Earth, leveraging advanced signal detection and machine learning to listen for other intelligences.

Monarch Visionary’s Vedic Rainbow Body Immersion Initiative offers a four-phase map for that transformation, especially potent in a Fire Horse year when everything wants to move, burn, and be reborn.

“Midway upon the journey of our life, I found myself in a dark wood, for I had wandered from the straight and true.” Dante Alighieri

NASA’s exoplanet missions like TESS scan our stellar neighborhood, finding worlds beyond our solar system, shifting our imagination of home and highlighting the cosmic context of our human drama.

THE FOUR PHASES OF VEDIC RAINBOW BODY LEADERSHIP IN A FIRE HORSE YEAR

Emerging theoretical work - from quantum consciousness models like Orch-OR to resonance-based frameworks - probes how complex, coherent oscillations could be foundational to awareness itself.

We begin to sense the planet as a fire-breathing spiritual organism.

We acknowledge that our hearts are transducers, not just pumps - organs that encode emotion into electromagnetic signals measurable outside the body - capable of both interacting with and transforming the molecular structure of reality.

This is Heart Sense-Alchemy: the art and science of letting the heart’s radiance - its emotional, electromagnetic, and

Your spiritual sensitivities are not flaws; they are the first sparks of inter-dimensional leadership birthing.

In 2026, the Horse’s drive and the Fire element’s intensity amplify reactivity, passion, and the urge to break free. At the Initiation level, this can manifest as: emotional overwhelm, burnout or anxiety, feeling “too sensitive” for the current world, or existential restlessness that no conventional success can soothe.

Young Gaudí’s rheumatism and fragile health made him physically vulnerable and socially withdrawn. That sensitivity drove him inward, where he learned to see space and form in ways others could not. Pain changed his perception; perception became his power. His struggles were the golden ore from which Sagrada Família would later be refined as he realized the power of the subtle energies to transform his own mind.

Taken together, these threads point toward an impending “cosmic disclosure” that is less about a single press conference and more about a gradual re-tuning of sense-perception:

We surrender ourselves as participants in a universal field of life - guided and empowered through surrender.

PHASE I – INITIATION: “YOUR STRUGGLES MAKE YOU GOLDEN”

In Monarch Visionary’s framework, the journey is not from “ordinary” to “special,” but from spiritual mediumship to cosmic consciousness stewardship.

The Fire Horse simply accelerates the timeline.

We move through Initiation, Crystallization, Actualization, and Ascension - each phase colored by the Year of the Fire Horse, and illuminated

Mahesh Prasad Varma, the young physics graduate, left factory work and the predictable life path to climb into the Himalayas and sit at the feet of Guru Dev for 13 years. Imagine the doubt, the loneliness, the lack of external validation. Yet in that obscurity, the nervous system that would carry meditation to millions was quietly being rewired for coherence.

To Initiate in the Year of the Fire Horse PA G E 163

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

MONARCH VISIONARY HEAL YOURSELF AND HEAL THE WORLD SPIRITUALITY · FAITH · QUESTIONS · GROWTH · FOCUS is to say: •

My anxiety about the state of the world is not a defect; it is evidence that my heart is awakening (bodhicitta).

•

My sensitivities are spiritual gifts emerging as a planetary nervous system (siddhis).

•

My struggles are asking: How am I called to serve the Universe? (dharma).

PHASE II – CRYSTALLIZATION: “INNER FOCUS IS ENERGY CULTIVATION”

“The more a thing is perfect, the more it feels pleasure and pain.” - Dante Alighieri Turning inward to consecrate experience, inner focus refines raw fire into coherent radiance that empowers upward inner drive.

The same energy that can scatter us can also focus us like a laser when harnessed. In 2026, the invitation is to discipline the fire - to move from emotional reactivity to sustained, luminous presence.

As life tragedies accumulated for Gaudi - the deaths of his niece, close collaborators, patrons, and the economic crises that halted projects - he increasingly withdrew into Sagrada Família, devoting his final decade almost entirely to this one temple. He lived with extreme simplicity, channeling all his remaining life force into a single crystallized vision he called the “Cathedral of the Poor.”

Gaudi’s inner focus became architectural: •

experimenting with hanging chain

PAGE 164

models to discover natural catenary arches, •

•

using geometric forms like hyperboloids and helicoids to create both strength and ethereal beauty, sculpting the building as a stone prayer of light and resonance.

Maharishi, out of 13 silent years emerged a highly structured, crystallized reproducible transcendental meditation protocol (TM), an organizational architecture (centers, teacher trainings, universities), and bold social experiments like large-scale group meditations aimed at reducing crime and war – awakening within the likes of the young Beatles the power of the Inner Force.

Here we see the Fire Horse moving from wild gallop to precise choreography: dedicating attention to practices repeated day after day, year after year, until the inner field crystallizes into a coherent signal.

Crystallization, in this view, is wave management: learning to stabilize, refine, and amplify the patterns of mind–heart–body so that they become a consistent luminous presence rather than intermittent flashes.

PHASE III – ACTUALIZATION: “SURRENDERING TO YOUR BUDDING CALLING” “The path to paradise begins in hell.” Dante Alighieri Aligning your actions, relationships, and leadership with your heart’s true trajectory, your coherent field naturally reshapes your reality.

By 2026, the Red Horse is in full stride: a year of rapid change, risk-taking, and

decisive moves. Those who ride their calling consciously can experience quantum leaps; those who resist may feel dragged through chaotic transitions.

In his later years, Gaudí allowed his calling to consume his identity. He stopped caring about personal appearance, earnings, or social status, choosing to live almost as a hermit in the Sagrada Família workshop. He wasn’t building a career anymore; he was fulfilling a vow to incarnate a vision - a temple tuned to Heaven and Earth.

Maharishi founded international organizations, universities, and research programs; he traveled tirelessly, met world leaders, and proposed systemic applications of meditation for education, health, and governance. His ideas often clashed with mainstream paradigms, but he persisted in acting as if coherence and enlightenment were legitimate design principles for civilization.

Actualization is where Vedic Rainbow Body leadership becomes visible: •

Corporate executives re-architect their companies as heart-coherent organisms, not just profit engines.

•

Artists treat their work as temple technology, embedding awe and meaning into form.

•

Scientists and mystics collaborate through organizations like HeartMath, IONS, CHI, Resonance Science Foundation, SETI, and space-science partners to explore the planetary and cosmic impact of human consciousness.

At this stage, leadership is no longer about personal ambition; it becomes surrender to a trajectory - what dhar-

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

T he Celestial Mandate for a Radical Transformation in Devotional Living

R E N E WA L · C O M M U N I T Y · S U P P O RT · E X P LO R AT I O N · E N E R G Y mic traditions would call svadharma.

The Fire Horse energy, when surrendered to the heart, becomes fearless & Universally-supported service.

PHASE IV – ASCENSION: “TRANSFIGURATION AS A DIVINE MESSENGER” “Do not be afraid; our fate cannot be taken from us; it is a gift.” - Dante Alighieri The metamorphosis of perception and identity: from “a person doing spiritual work” to a living conduit of cosmic coherence evolves our genetic composition for higher resonance DNA capacitance.

On the far side of its blaze, the Fire Horse becomes almost Pegasus-like - no longer just galloping across terrain but leaping across dimensions of meaning.

Ascension is not escape from the world; it is transparent participation and coherence with it.

Rainbow Body and luminous physiology: •

•

•

•

In Tibetan traditions, Rainbow Body refers to advanced adepts whose bodies allegedly dissolve into light at death. While such accounts remain in the realm of mystical testimony, modern science does document that: Living cells emit ultra-weak biophoton light, potentially linked to cellular communication and oxidative processes.

Emotional and meditative states can correlate with changes in electromagnetic and bio-field patterns measurable around the heart and brain.

Ascension, in the Vedic Rainbow Body Immersion, does not require

vanishing into light. Instead, it means: •

Your senses transfigure - you begin to intuit patterns in people, organizations, and planetary events as aspects of a single living field.

•

Your communication becomes oracular - even simple words carry coherence that calms, clarifies, and catalyzes.

•

•

Your leadership becomes holographic - a single aligned action in your life can ripple through networks, ecosystems, and perhaps even planetary fields.

Ascension is when you stand at the crossroads of these movements and understand, viscerally:

“We were never separate.

We are not waiting for cosmic beings to disclose themselves; we are becoming the kind of civilization that can meet them as kin.”

PREPARING FOR THE EVENT HORIZON OF COSMIC ILLUMINATION “O human race, born to fly upward, wherefore at a little wind dost thou so fall?” - Dante Alighieri We stand, as a species, at a threshold: Our telescopes and radio arrays are now sensitive enough to detect exoplanets, biosignatures, and potential technosignatures across the galaxy.

Our labs and think tanks are proposing increasingly subtle models of consciousness as field, resonance, and non-separability.

Our hearts, through movements like

HeartMath, IONS, CHI, and Resonance Science, are being invited to feel our way into a new planetary identity.

From the Greek “apokalypsis”, literally meaning the “lifting of the veil,” the spiritual convergence of realms of perception for the Event Horizon of cosmic illumination is not an apocalyptic ending, but a perceptual inflection point: •

where architecture becomes neurotechnology,

•

meditation becomes social infrastructure,

•

heart coherence becomes a planetary steering wheel,

•

and cosmic disclosure becomes the inevitable outcome of a species that has matured into coherence with its higher self.

The Year of the Fire Horse, beginning in 2026, is like a launch window. It will likely be turbulent. Fire Horse years historically bring both breakthroughs and upheavals. The question is not whether the world will change; it is how we will ride the wave unscathed.

Gaudí shows us that struggles are to be transmuted into cathedrals of light.

Maharishi shows us that inner silence can ripple into measurable social shifts.

The scientific organizations weaving consciousness, coherence, and cosmos show us that the bridge between mysticism and empiricism is already under construction. 2026 will be a year of convergence in spirit, a collapse into our fiery heart’s expanding vision.

Sign up for www.MonarchVisionary. com’s newsletter for regular inspirational broadcasts to serve your fiery ascent into astral illumination.

PA G E 165

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

PAGE 166

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

PA G E 167

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

MOLD YOUR MIND " T H E M E N TA L B R E A K- D O W N " P O D C A S T I S N O W O N A L L S T R E A M I N G P L AT F O R M S

GETTING S**T DONE (FORGET THE TO-DO LIST) COACH JOEY VELEZ

MENTAL WELLNESS CONTRIBUTOR @velezmentalperformance

P

ICTURE THIS: IT’S SUNDAY MORNING, YOU HAVE AN ENDLESS LIST OF TASKS TO DO THAT INCLUDE LAUNDRY, MOVING THE LAWN, MEAL PREPPING, RESEARCHING FOR A PRESENTATION ON MONDAY, AND WORKING OUT FOR YOUR MENTAL HEALTH. Often times, people use Sundays as their days to get things done, but what typically happens is that we spend so much time creating a to-do list, that nothing gets accomplished.

This lack of accomplishment is usually followed by feelings of disappointment, frustration, and/or overwhelming anxiety because all those things need to get done at a less opportune time. Creating lists are great, but the key is deciding how to get those things done. Effective task management is not about doing more; it is about deciding what actually deserves your attention.

PAGE 168

DECISION MATRIX Highly effective people know how to prioritize all the tasks they must do in a given time frame. To prioritize, you must look at the level of importance and urgency each task requires. Labeling your tasks in this matter will not only allow you to see which tasks need to get done faster, but also allow you to create an order of operations to both get things done that are highly critical, and get things done that take little time.

If you deem a task as highly important, but also something that is urgent, these are your “get things done now” tasks.

They must get done, and they also must get done sooner rather than later. You can think of this as paying your mortgage on its due date. It is something that cannot wait, otherwise you risk less than ideal consequences.

If you deem a task as highly important, but not something that is super urgent, these are your essential tasks. These are tasks that do need to get done, but not this very minute. For example, let’s say you notice your gas light comes on in your car. Vehicles that have the specific number of miles on until you are empty make this task a lot easier, but even if you do not, the gas light indicates that you need gas SOON. Therefore, light goes off in your mind that this is a task

I need to do today, but maybe I can wait a little bit.

If you deem a task as not very important, but is something that is urgent, these are your delegate or minimize tasks. Typically, they do not require much time, or it is something that you can get someone else to do while you take on a bigger task. This could look like sending an important email or even getting your significant other or child to take out the trash because it is beginning to pile up. Either way, these are tasks that can be taken care of quickly and get them off your to-do list.

If you deem a task as not important and not urgent at all, these are tasks you can eliminate. Essentially, these are tasks that do not really provide benefit and provide no harm in not completing the task. For example, doom scrolling on social media. I love social media just as much as the next person, the endless amounts of information and funny videos, I believe it is much needed in this life. However, when it comes to getting tasks done, this would be considered a time and energy waster. If you have time after all your tasks are complete, then you can doom scroll all you want!

HOW TO MAXIMIZE YOUR TIME First and foremost, the key to effective time management is to create a to-do

JOEY VELEZ / WELLNESS CONTRIBUTOR

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

THOUGHTS MATTER

list. This is something I keep running throughout the week, and then take a look at it over the weekend to see what can get done. It will become a lot easier to get tasks done if you already have an idea of what needs to be done beforehand, otherwise you risk wasting too much time creating the list itself or leaving something out.

Next, break your list down into the matrix above: how important and how urgent each task is. You can even look at your list and ask “what can be saved for tomorrow?”. This allows you to prioritize your attention on the things that you can get done today. Everyone is going to be different, but personally, I start with the tasks that take little time so I can at least make my to-do list shorter.

Taking out the trash or getting my work clothes ready for the next day are things that need to get done at some point, but

they take little time, so by doing them first I have already created momentum in marking off my to-do list, then move on to those “need to do now” tasks.

Another thing to consider is which tasks take a while, but they are more “sit and wait tasks”. For example, doing laundry.

The entire process of doing laundry takes approximately two hours, but the time you are actually “doing something” is maybe ten minutes. Therefore, maybe you start your laundry, and then proceed to complete other tasks while you wait to change your clothes over.

This allows you to maximize your time because you are now essentially doing multiple tasks done at once.

Finally, accept the fact that you may not get all your tasks done, and that is okay.

Sometimes we minimize the work done because you did not complete everything on your to-do list. There is not

always going to be enough time in the day to complete everything, so understanding that and being okay with the fact that some tasks may get moved to tomorrow may help you feel a sense of accomplishment for getting tasks done but also maintain the motivation to complete your to-do list the next day.

FINAL THOUGHTS When you manage your tasks with intention, you do not just get more done, you also get your life back. You have more time to do the things you enjoy, you experience more positive emotions because you are able to stay on task more, and you also become more productive in other aspects of life. So when it comes to effective task management, create your list, but then prioritize the things that matter, the things that can get done quickly, and the things you do not need to do!

PA G E 169

VOLUME X / ISSUE I / JANUARY 2026

PAGE 170

W W W. P O L O L I F E S T Y L E S . C O M

PA G E 171