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ISSUE FOURTEEN | JULY 2012

HARRISON FORD

Why age will not slow the action man of Hollywood

DRIVEN WILD John Simister can’t get enough of Mercedes’ newest top model

FAIR COMMENTWhy Beirut’s fledgling Art Fair is already the talk of collectors

SAVILE ROWA behind-the-scenes look at London’s street of sartorial elegance

VICTORIA BECKHAMThe Spice Girl turned businesswoman on her quest for acceptance

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CONTENTS / F E ATURES

Thirty Nine Ford Focused

From carpentry to the red carpet, Harrison Ford talks Hollywood pressures and his rise to fame – and how he’s happiest in the skies.

Forty FourOn the Row

Its fabled tailors have clothed the great and good for hundreds of years – take a glimpse behind the scenes on London’s Savile Row.

Fifty SixQueen Victoria

Brand Beckham has never looked so good. AIR meets the mastermind behind the power couple’s designer ventures: Victoria herself.

Managing DirectorVictoria Thatcher

Editorial DirectorJohn Thatcher

Advertisement DirectorChris [email protected]

Group EditorLaura [email protected]

Sub EditorHazel [email protected]

DesignerAdam Sneade

Designer / IllustratorVanessa Arnaud

Production ManagerHaneef Abdul

Senior Advertisement ManagerStefanie Morgner [email protected]

Advertisement ManagerSukaina Hussein [email protected]

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Gold Mortgage Better Homes FP.ai 1 5/6/12 3:57 PM

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CONTENTS / REGUL ARS

Sixty EightTravel

AIR takes a pictoral tour of Venice, charting the people and places that have put the water-strewn city of gondolas on the world map.

Fourteen Radar

The global guide to what’s on, where to go, what to buy and what to be seen in.

Twenty Four Timepieces

Browse artistry through the ages in the world’s iconic watchmaker museums.

Twenty SixArt & Design

In the market for a one-off piece of Arabic art? Look no further than Beirut Art Fair.

Thirty Interiors

Fine scents, Missoni stripes, and décor straight from your favourite hotel...

Thirty FourJewellery

The future’s glittering for Fabergé – AIR takes a peek at the brand’s vision.

Sixty TwoMotoring

The next generation Mercedes SL 500 gets put through its paces.

Sixty FourGastronomy

The man behind Zuma reveals his recipe for culinary success.

Seventy FourGolf

Luminous golf balls and genius footwear to help revolutionise your game.

Seventy SixWhat I Know Now

Gabriel Escarrer, CEO of hotel giant Meliá, shares his most valued life lessons.

Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from HOT Media Publishing is strictly prohibited. All prices mentioned are correct at time of press but may change. HOT Media Publishing does not accept liability for omissions or errors in AIR.

Tel: 00971 4 364 2876Fax: 00971 4 369 7494

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EMP IRE AV IAT ION GROUP

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Contact details:[email protected]

Welcome to this issue of AIR, Empire Aviation Group’s lifestyle and onboard guest magazine.

In this issue, we focus on an exciting new development that will help support our ambitions to extend our operations beyond the Middle East.

Following a strategic investment in EAG by Air Works, India’s leading private aviation company, we are accelerating our plans to launch operations in India, where we recently opened our first overseas branch office.

The association with Air Works comes at the perfect time, as private aviation recovers globally and the Indian market undergoes rapid evolution, with the infrastructure required to support the development of private aviation being put in place and the corporate community increasingly recognising the benefits of executive jets as business tools.

It is also perfect timing for EAG, as we embark on our own entry strategy for India and our aim is to provide the same comprehensive range of services to Indian business jet owners and prospective owners, as we have done in the Middle East since 1997.

Five years after launching EAG, this is one of the most significant and exciting developments in our relatively short history and we believe it will help provide a platform for rapid growth and development of the business.

This investment by Air Works will help EAG to broaden our business base and service offer in the Middle East and India – and beyond.

We warmly welcome Air Works as a valued investor and partner in our business and look forward to an even more exciting future by working closely together.

Turn over to read about the agreement and find out more about Air Works and its business units.

Steve Hartley Paras DhamechaExecutive Director Executive Director

July 2012

WELCOME ONBOARD

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AIR WORKS BECOMES A STRATEGIC INVESTOR IN EMPIRE AVIATION GROUP Air Works Engineering Pvt Ltd (Air Works), India’s leading provider of Aviation Services, has become a strategic investor in Empire Aviation Group in a move that will help combine the resources of the leading independent private aviation specialists in India and the Middle East.

Air Works’ investment will help support EAG’s emerging role as a general aviation specialist in India, where EAG opened its first overseas branch in 2011.

Formed in Dubai in 2007, today EAG has more than 100 staff and operates one of the region’s largest managed fleets of business jets, with 20 aircraft under management, operating out of Dubai International Airport.

Air Works is one of the leading independent providers of Aviation MRO services in India and Aircraft Paint and Refinishing in the UK; the company operates facilities across India.

Since formation in 2007, EAG has successfully built a strong regional aviation business and grown revenues and profit every year. The company has also recently been looking at the exciting potential of the Indian aviation market and opened its first branch office there in 2011.

This association with Air Works - one of the leading companies in the country’s rapidly developing private aviation sector - will help facilitate EAG’s entry into India and allow the company to exploit more fully the Indian market opportunity by replicating the full portfolio of aviation services for India that EAG has successfully developed for the Middle East.

Mr Vivek N Gour, Managing Director, Air Works, comments: “In continuation of our long term strategy to add significant capabilities to our service portfolio, Air Works is delighted to announce this strategic investment in Empire Aviation Group, which has created a very impressive track record of achievement in its relatively short history. The company has a great business model, a very experienced management team and a strong reputation within the regional and international industry. We are fully confident that by working closely together, Air Works and EAG can build a strong franchise in the emerging aviation markets of India and the Middle East.”

AIRCRAFT MANAGEMENTWe eliminate the hassles associated with aircraft ownership.

LIFESTYLE@EMPIREBespoke jet travel packages.

AIRCRAFT CHARTER

AIRCRAFT SALESWith our extensive knowledge and understanding of the new and used aircraft sales market,we are able to assist customers with unbiased options.

We care about providing the right tailored solutions to suit our valued customer’s needs.Our dedicated charter specialists are on hand 24/7 to assist you with your �ight requirements.

Aircraft Sales Aircraft Charter Aircraft Management Lifestyle@Empire

Image left to right: Vivek N. Gour Managing Director (Air Works), Steve Hartley Executive Director, Paras P. Dhamecha Executive Director (EAG).


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AIRCRAFT MANAGEMENTWe eliminate the hassles associated with aircraft ownership.

LIFESTYLE@EMPIREBespoke jet travel packages.

AIRCRAFT CHARTER

AIRCRAFT SALESWith our extensive knowledge and understanding of the new and used aircraft sales market,we are able to assist customers with unbiased options.

We care about providing the right tailored solutions to suit our valued customer’s needs.Our dedicated charter specialists are on hand 24/7 to assist you with your �ight requirements.

Aircraft Sales Aircraft Charter Aircraft Management Lifestyle@Empire


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AIR LIVERYAir Livery, a subsidiary of Air Works, is an established aircraft refinishing company with extensive experience in aircraft repainting, interior repair and refurbishment with a reputation for quality, high standards of workmanship as well as providing cost effective solutions. All of the work carried out is covered by a comprehensive warranty and Air Livery has accreditation to ISO9001-2000 and AS9100 which assures its commitment to customer satisfaction.

Air Livery has three paint facilities based at Norwich Airport (UK) with capacity up to B757-300, one facility based at London Southend Airport (UK) with capacity up to A320, B737 NG, and one facility at East Midlands Airport (UK) with capacity up to A321. Air Livery has started construction of a new aircraft paint facility in Hosur, Bengaluru (India) with capacity for two narrow body or a single wide body aircraft up to and including B777-300 / A340-600. All of the facilities provide full JAR/

EASA/FAA approved engineering support and are capable of providing full maintenance in conjunction with MRO partners based alongside paint hangar locations.

Air Livery customers include many of the world’s best known commercial airlines and one of Air Livery’s areas of expertise is the handling of large scale rebranding programs for fleet operators over short periods, which it has successfully demonstrated for the likes of Virgin Atlantic, Thomson Airlines, Alitalia and Jet Airways.

Air Works Engineering Pvt LtdAir Works provides aviation services qualified to maintain over 50 aircraft types, for over 100 customers across 12 maintenance locations in India. Based on a network of OEM relationships, Air Works is an Authorized Service Centre for Agusta Westland, Bell Helicopter, Bombardier, Embraer, Garmin, Gulfstream, Honeywell, Rockwell Collins and Superjet International. The company service portfolio also includes Aviation Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities in India and Aircraft Paint and Refinishing in the UK. Air Works is India’s only EASA certified MRO with approvals for ATR42/72, Airbus A320, and Boeing B737.

Founded in 1951, by the Menon family, Air Works has transformed itself from a family-run business focused on providing maintenance services to business aircraft into a professionally managed organization providing a full-suite of services to customers across aircraft management, business and general aviation MRO, commercial aviation MRO, aircraft paint and refinishing, avionics, and parts distribution.


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R ADAR

> As London gears up for the start of the Olympic Games this month, Selfridges has commissioned ten fashion bigwigs to imagine up an Urban Survival Backpack, a tongue-in-cheek interpretation of what it takes to survive in a city besieged by tourists. The range of ten bags, including this from Sir Paul Smith, are strictly limited edition, so make for potentially lucrative – and very unique – commemorative items.

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Glory DaysOver the last four decades photographer Lynn Goldsmith has contributed so many iconic images to rock music’s archives that she’s rightly considered rock ‘n’ roll royalty in her own right. Elvis, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Michael Jackson have all been captured by her camera, and from July 14 Proud Chelsea will show Springsteen: The Turning Point 1977-1979, featuring Goldsmith’s dynamic portraits of The Boss. Rare and thus far unseen, the photographs depict Springsteen during his breakthrough years, before the champion of the blue collar brigade saw his career go stratospheric. As with all of her photographic subjects, Goldsmith built up a trusted, candid relationship with Springsteen, which makes the pictures on show engagingly personal. proud.co.uk

> If you’re bound for Monte Carlo this summer you’ll see that an extraordinary piece of art now adorns the pool area of Hotel Métropole Monte-Carlo – this fresco-style installation, made up of 15 glass panels and depicting the voyage of Ulysses as re-imagined by Chanel’s Karl Lagerfeld. Also new to what was recently voted the world’s best hotel is a sublime Joël Robuchon restaurant, its interiors also the handiwork of Lagerfeld. metropole.com


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R ADAR

> Travel Photographer of the Year is an annual competition – billed by industry experts as the best of its kind in the world – that always offers a fascinating glimpse at life played out around the globe. On display at London’s Royal Geographical Society until August 19 will be the award-winners from last year’s competition, including the three photos below: the first shot on the New York subway; the second outside a café in Tuscany; and the third on a London street.

Designer DiningThis space-age-style restaurant – Hoto Fudo in Fuji, Japan – is one of over a hundred deemed chic enough to make it onto the pages of Cool Restaurants Volume 2 (teNeues), a hardback glossy released this month that not only considers the visual merits of a particular restaurant for entry but its level of service and culinary artistry too. In the world of restaurant guides it’s the tempting dessert to Michelin’s meaty main. teneues.com Im

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R ADAR

> To many it’s the most beautiful and evocative British Grand Prix car ever made, the epitome of celebrated car design and engineering, and a model whose racing pedigree is second to none. On July 21 this track-hardened version of the 1953 Connaught AL10 will go under the hammer as the showpiece lot of Silverstone’s Classic Sale, where it will likely be fought over by collectors, enthusiasts and investors keen to own an iconic part of motorsport history. Be sure to have your paddle at hand. silverstoneauctions.com


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CR IT IQUE

Film

Red LightsRodrigo CortésTom Buckley is a born sceptic who’s renowned for debunking paranormal myths. But up against Simon Silver, a veteran psychic, his theories are put to the test – is Silver the real deal?AT BEST: “A starry cast, curious premise and well-crafted shocks make for an ambitious thriller.” Total Film AT WORST: “Too fragmented, too fragile to sustain any kind of tension.” Digital Spy

Take This WaltzSarah PolleyMargot and Lou lead a happily married life, but when the dashing, free-spirited Daniel moves in across the street their relationship is turned upside down.AT BEST: “It bowls you over... and confirms Polley as a serious, intelligent talent.” The GuardianAT WORST: “Emotionally fraudulent and far too infatuated with its own preciousness.” Hollywood Reporter

TrishnaMichael Winterbottom In a Tess of the D’Urbervilles interpretation set against a contemporary Indian backdrop, a young woman is seduced by the wealthy son of a property developer. AT BEST: “Ravishing cinematography. This is never less than compelling.” Radio TimesAT WORST: “The location has richness and spectacle, but it does not come fully to life.” The Guardian

The AwakeningNick MurphyIt’s 1921, and England is in tatters after World War I. Florence Cathcart visits a boarding school and finds that its pupils have disappeared – but are they closer than they seem?AT BEST: “An elegantly constructed masquerade, and its haunting sadness rings true.” Little White LiesAT WORST: “Fierce rationality gives way to absurd contrivance and hysteria.” Time Out

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BooksAs Olympic Games fever grips the world, not even the publishing world is safe. But as tales of pavement pounders and sporting heroes grapple for our gold, Mark Whitaker’s Running for their Lives is an outright winner. Few feats in sporting history have been more gruelling than the USA’s cross-country 1928 Transcontinental Foot Race, in which participants ran a daily course of 40 miles for 80 consecutive days. Whitaker tracks Arthur Newton and Peter Gavuzzi, a farmer and ship’s steward, on their slog to the finish line – neither won, but their stories are gripping nonetheless. The result is more historical novel than sycophantic bio, as The Independent’s Simon Redfern notes: “The author has done an excellent job in bringing them triumphantly alive from dusty archives with a narrative pace his subjects would surely have admired.” Writing for The Observer, Alexander Larman is hooked: “This is an engaging, surprising and, by the end, rather affecting book that becomes as much about lifelong friendship as it is about sport.”

If there’s one subject guaranteed to get the critics going, it’s their own currency: language. And so it was with baited breath that the world’s reviewers waited for Ben Marcus’s The Flame Alphabet to hit the shelves. It is set in a world in which the speech of children is toxic, a seeping poison which sends adults to a grisly death – and is narrated by a scientist who’s daughter’s words are slowly killing his wife. The prose is dripping with metaphors, as The Scotsman’s Stuart Kelly spots: “[It draws on] increasing paranoia about ‘feral’ teenagers, the tragic collapse of communication within a family, [and] the vertigo produced by our sign-saturated, slogan-slathered culture.” Writing in The Guardian, James Lasdun is captivated, but it seems Marcus is unable to keep up the pace: “The brilliant opening section plunges the reader straight into the crisis... [but] about halfway through, the book’s esoteric and populist aims begin to pull hard in opposite directions and the enterprise starts to fray.”

We the Animals, a novel by Justin Torres, depicts the troubling childhood of a mixed-race boy growing up in New York. His volatile parents provide little shelter from the outside world, and often draw the family into the shadows of life on the margins. It’s an unsettling read which is sustained, as Blanche Clark of Herald Sun writes, by a “sense of foreboding” throughout. She continues: “There’s a mesmerising oscillation between power and fragility, violence and sensuality, intolerance and compassion.” At the heart of the narrative there’s the ubiquitous coming-of-age message: the importance of family, whether dysfunctional or otherwise. It’s a theme that The Independent’s Peter Carty finds hard to resist: “There are surprising developments. Rather than disintegrating, this family is like dough: it can take repeated pummellings and stretchings.”


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CR IT IQUE

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Sir Henry Moore’s sculptures are found in almost every park in the UK’s capital, bastions of British art and design built to withstand all that the elements can throw. At London’s Gagosian Gallery, however, it’s only praise that’s raining down on the bronze monoliths. “I have long subscribed to a common view of Henry Moore’s late work: that having achieved great fame, he created a production line of dull, impersonal bronzes”, admits London Evening Standard’s Ben Luke. “I didn’t expect much, but [the exhibition] is truly revelatory. Gagosian has removed some walls, opening up an already mammoth space which is bathed in the purest natural light. Under these conditions, Moore’s works just sing.” Alastair Sooke of The Telegraph agrees: “Moore orchestrates a pleasing rhythm of protuberances and hollows that swell, ebb, dip and flow... [His work is] starting to appear timeless, which is always the hallmark of top-quality art.”

Masahiro Asaka moved to Australia to assist professional glass artists Ben Edols and Kathy Elliott – but Transitions, his first solo exhibition, has met with rave reviews. He presents works in cast glass at the Canberra Glassworks, vast sculptures inspired by the snow-capped mountains of his native Japan. “These four works of clear white glass appear to be made from ice, frozen in the moment of their climatic flow of power and energy,” writes Kerry-Ann Cousins of Sydney Morning Herald. “However, despite this beauty and the seductive tactile quality of the surface that looks soft and fragile, the glass shards are not only

hard but sharp to the touch.” Critic Julia Winterflood of Canberra’s BMA magazine looks deeper into Asaka’s work: “He uses the raw qualities of glass to express fragility, strength, illumination and power as a metaphor for man’s relationship with the natural world. His striking pieces highlight the transparency and the beauty of glass and expose the notions of energy and gravity which are the fundamental elements for glass to be formed and the effects of which are so essential to his art.”

The Los Angeles Hammer Museum is hosting “Made in LA 2012”, the city’s first contemporary biennial. The showcase opened last month (it runs until September), and has caught the eye of the press already. It’s an eclectic gathering: “The highlights”, says Hunter Drohojowska-Philp of Art Net, “are Kathryn Andrews’s sculptural installation with clown costumes; Meleko Mokgosi’s cycle of African history painting; and Mark Hagen’s decorative screen made of recycled but weirdly-elegant materials.” For LA Times’s Christopher Knight, it’s a triumphant medley: “My rule of thumb for a successful biennial is wanting to see a third of the work again. The Hammer’s show, where a big chunk of undercooked or derivative art can be ignored, is easily a success.”


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There’s nothing like a ‘pop ballet’ to divide opinion in the theatre world, and Rasta Thomas’s Rock the Ballet, currently on Australian soil, is proving suitably controversial. With choreography set to a score of Michael Jackson, Queen and U2 and a line-up of pretty young things, it’s drawing in the masses – Australian Stage’s Heather Bloom included: “Reaching far beyond the realms of classical ballet, Rasta Thomas has achieved so much more than turning the dance world on its head.”, she swoons. “The ‘bad boys’ encourage audience participation and appreciation, far removed from the prim and proper rules of classical ballet”. For Stephanie Glickman of Herald Sun, however, it’s a tortuous experience: “Between the relentless MTV-style projections, the easy grabs at laughs and the overt reliance on familiar music to create impact, this is a style over substance affair.” Make up your own mind – the company is now on a world tour.

Rupert Goold and Michael Fentiman’s musical re-imagining of C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is in London for the summer. The vast performance space at Threesixty in Kensington Gardens lends itself perfectly to big-scale spectacle, and it seems that Steve Tiplady’s puppet lion Aslan is the star of the show: “The moment of Aslan’s sacrifice on a flame-surrounded mound and subsequent reappearance is a superb coup de theatre”, writes Michael Billington of The Guardian. He continues: “The venue prohibits subtle acting, but there are clearly defined performances from Sally Dexter, who lends the White Witch a strange Mae West breathiness.” The Stage’s Susan Elkin is swept away too: “Spectacle is the star of this show. From the huge wardrobe which rises out of the ground to the magnificent, larger-than-life Aslan puppet, operated Warhorse-style by three people, it is full of visual excitement.”

A contest to win a Nissan truck might not sound like the most engaging of theatrical fodder, but Hands on a Hardbody has met with rave reviews. LA’s La Jolla Playhouse is the present home of this unlikely musical, which follows an Arizona car dealership’s nutty endurance test – whoever can battle searing heat, dehydration and exhaustion to keep their hand on the car for the longest is the winner. “It’s a relief to encounter a musical that isn’t afraid to follow its own idiosyncratic vision”,

writes Charles McNulty of LA Times. “The folksy low-key aesthetic is especially seductive in these days of overproduced spectacles.” Writing in New York Times, Charles Isherwood is also captivated: “There is only so much you can do to animate a story that focuses on people standing still for days, but in its most important aspects Hands on a Hardbody impresses. Its characters are drawn with insight, sympathy and a refreshing lack of condescension, despite the plentiful use of colorful local idioms.”


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T IMEP IECES

> Montblanc’s watches have struck a chord with critics in recent times – the predecessor to this watch receiving a standing ovation when unveiled – so it’s no surprise that a second watch in this series is to be released in the autumn. The TimeWalker TwinFly Chronograph

GreyTech is a distinctive timepiece designed appearance-wise to reflect the monochrome era, when black and white films and photographs worked only with shades of grey, yet still delivered timeless, understated style. As such, various greys are used to distinguish different elements

on the watch’s large dial – a result of the case having a diameter of 43mm – where seven time indicators are displayed, and on its back where dark grey chassis parts are displayed through a sapphire crystal panel. And as with its predecessor, this is a limited edition piece, with 888 made.

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T he multi-levelled, elegantly-attired Patek Philippe museum houses what’s widely considered the world’s most important watch collection, comprising some 2,000 pieces and a library of 8,000 horological books. There’s plenty here to enthuse those

with a fondness for technique and design, and the Patek models on show date to the company’s founding in 1839 (a different floor of the museum spans the entire history of watchmaking in Europe). Items to look for include two watches that were acquired by Queen Victoria in 1851, one purchased, the other gifted to her. One of these pieces is keyless; the work of Antoine-Norbert de Patek’s new partner at the time, Jean-Adrien Philippe, who had recently invented a system for both winding and adjusting watches without use of a key.

Open by appointment to collectors, the Jaeger-Le Coultre museum revels in showing that the company holds the distinction of having made the greatest number of movements in the history of watch making – all are stylishly displayed. It’s also the only brand still working at its original site – a house-cum-factory when purchased by Antoine Le Coultre in 1833 which has expanded greatly over time. When Le Coultre met Jaeger, a Parisian specialist in chronometry, it led to experimentation with miniaturisation and the subsequent production of what’s

still the smallest watch ever made, weighing in at just the one gram.

Another house big on small things is Audemars Piguet, whose intimate museum is reflective of this. The firm, which Jules-Louis Audemars and Edward-Auguste Piguet established in 1875, created the world’s thinnest pocket-watch (1925) and wristwatch (1946), among a whole host of world firsts in watchmaking and all are on show here. They include, most notably, the Royal Oak watch. It was the first steel high-end sports watch made famous by chess player Garry Kasparov, who’d lay it on the table at the start of a match and put it on seconds before forcing checkmate.

The museum of Vacheron Constantin is another space whose smallish size is at odds with the wealth of watches – and exhaustive lists of detailed information relating to them – it exhibits. Among the horological treasures on show is a beautiful silver pocket watch made by Jean-Marc Vacheron, which dates to 1755, while the sales ledgers make for fascinating study if you have time to sift through these weighty tomes.

In May of this year, Breguet purchased the top two lots at Christie’s important watch sale in Geneva, both of which were purchased to display at the firm’s ever-expanding museum. As well as the many timepieces displayed are myriad interesting documents that span two centuries.

WATCH THIS SPACEMuseums dedicated to haute horology offer the ultimate

induction to this heritage rich craft. AIR selects the must visits

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ART & DES IGN

I t may only be in its third year, but Beirut Art Fair is already enjoying a flurry of hype. With collectors and dealers flying in from all over the world, the event is putting MENASA contemporary art on the global map – and everybody wants a piece of the action. For

Laure d’Hauteville, who created the fair in 2010 to fill a vast gap in the thriving art industry, this is all part of the vision: “After three years of existence, we are on a constant quest to improve and develop. Beirut Art Fair is focused on commercial transactions while also presenting a strong cultural programme.”

The hand-picked line-up includes contemporary works from all over the MENASA region; the list of participating galleries has grown from 25 to 51 over the past year alone, and includes abstract art from 14 different countries. The

Beirut Art FairSmall in size but bursting with ambition, the Middle East’s newest art fair returns this month

geographic net has been cast far and wide, but the range of disciplines is even wider: “The artists use painting, drawing, comic strips, sculpture, photography, installation, video and street art”, says Pascale Odille, the fair’s art director. “The field of contemporary art in the region is rich; the artists of the MENASA region strive to achieve harmony between East and West. For many of them, the tone of approach consists of taking a certain distance from the real world which is so often marked by a painful context because of war and political and economic upheavals.”

In a number of works, this distance is explored through humour and diversion – for example in the playful illustrations by Boutros Al Maari, 3D sculptures of Nadim Karam, and Charles Khoury’s colourful lithographs. Odille is keen to point out the more traditional elements too: “Calligraphy and poetry are strongly present in many of the textile designs by Tajammul Hussain and the poems and sculptures of Simeen Farhat, as well as in the neon installations of Koukjian Pierre. Beirut Art Fair is an unique experience for all those who love art and the discoveries it evokes.”

A VIP schedule will grant collectors special access to the collections, as well as musical performances, limited previews, and meet-and-greet sessions with the artists. All artwork is available to buy at the exhibition. 5-8 July, beirut-art-fair.com

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1. Rania Matar, A Passage from the Koran 2. Marwan Kassab Bachi, Munif 3. I Shall Be Dust, Simeen Farhat 4. Raouf Rifai, La Nuit des Dervishes 5. Golo Zhao, Nankin


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ART & DES IGN


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Log Cabin FeverAn unlikely marriage of urban aesthetics and Montreal wilderness makes for a spectacular waterside residence

O n the banks of Montreal’s wild St Lawrence River, against a backdrop of pine forests and craggy shoreline, Marée Basse cuts an unlikely figure. An urban alien in the natural Canadian backwoods, the building is a stark cuboid vision – a

Jenga tower of giant proportions. But it won’t always be so. As the seasons pass, its bright cedar cladding will weather

to a smoky hue, camouflaged amongst the forest’s trunks. The grass-covered rooftop, now seeded, will flourish and spread. Nature is the boss around here, and only the foolish reckon with it – a fact that designers MU Architecture (whose work extends to Barcelona, Vienna and Dubai) are loath to forget. “We take our cues from technology, nature and mankind,” says the firm. “We understand the correlation between the architectural synergy of buildings and the balance of a thriving eco-system. We aim at a complete congruity.”

But while Marée Basse’s shell softens, its interiors remain a pristine picture of contemporary design. Beneath that grassy rooftop you’ll find two vast volumes; the entrance, an atrium bathed in natural sunlight, and a luxurious living area. Both defy their boxy exterior. This is a 3,200sqft triumph of unfussy lines, airy ceilings and a glorious synergy between natural and man-made materials.

At the heart of the house, a red metal spiral staircase is the vein that links the two spaces together. The living room, dining room and kitchen are connected to the stairs; their concrete floors and cedar ceilings constant reminders of the partnership between the house and its environs. Here, every room comes with a view. The kitchen, a functional workspace of concrete counters and large island dining areas, is lit by a floor-to-ceiling window that opens out onto the river. On the other side of the glazing, a private beach awaits; nature at its most raw, just metres from this masterpiece of modern architecture.


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INTER IORS

SARA COSGROVEThe head of interior design at Harrods on why aroma makes a world of difference at home

When creating the ultimate interior there are many aspects to consider, which provide key visual and spatial elements, including scale, volume, proportion, texture and functionality. A component that is often overlooked, and even considered a finishing touch, is in fact one of the first things you

experience when you enter a space: your first impression is not always what you see, but what you smell.

Think of the way you feel when you experience the wonderful smell of just-baked bread, or the allure of freshly-ground coffee when you visit a favourite café. You begin your sensory journey long before you get to taste the end product. In this way, scent adds depth and personality to a room and gives it an unexpected lift.

So, where to begin? Candles, diffusers, room fragrances or scented dry flowers are a good start. Candles create not only scent, but ambience. A personal favourite is the scented candle by Diptyque in Baise – a bouquet of roses and blackcurrant leaves which is really beautiful placed in an entrance hall or bathroom. This particular fragrance is also available in a stunning room scent by Diptyque, which I spray generously throughout my home before guests arrive for a dinner party.

When it comes to diffusers, the Italian brand VERY tops my wish-list. Offering a range of masculine and feminine notes in fragrances such as Rosee du Matin and Ecume de Mer, their collection is presented in large, stylish glass bottles which are framed by wooden or white lacquered casing and come with good quality wooden sticks which absorb and then diffuse the scent around the home.

Home fragrance cannot be discussed without mentioning the eponymous Jo Malone. Her candles, linen sprays and room fragrances, especially the Lime Basil & Mandarin and Grapefruit, bring a fresh, crisp aroma and add an extra layer of luxury to interiors. Jo Malone has also recently launched a new diffuser range with stunning black and silver bottles to give a glam look and feel.

With so many different options, all that is left to do is to choose your own signature home scent. thestudioatharrods.com

La Folie De CharlesDinner parties will take on a whole new level with Belgian designer Charles Kaisin’s new creation, La Folie de Charles, sa Table et ses Hôtes (translation: The Fantasies of Charles, his Table and his Guests). The whimsically-named design is a table made from trees, which sprout from beneath the table top, presenting a fantastical way to dine. But there is method in Kaisin’s apparent madness; the table’s dimensions and choice of wood can be adapted to suit your dining room’s size and style and, according to Kaisin, the design can evolve with the seasons – simply embellish it with candles, garlands or flowers to suit the occasion at hand.

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The OriginalsLa Galerie Nationale is the UAE’s first design gallery, and it now has a permanent residence on Alserkal Avenue. AIR chats to the man at its fore, Guillaume Cuiry

What is La Galerie Nationale’s design focus?Furniture and decorative arts of the 20th century. We work through connoisseurs and collectors around the world to acquire original pieces, which we offer to collectors for the very first time in the UAE.

Why is now the right time for the UAE to have a design gallery? In my opinion, a new generation of connoisseurs has emerged in the UAE and across the Middle East in the past two to three years. This new generation has travelled extensively for many reasons and so is able to appreciate the richness of 20th-

> Missoni Home’s latest 2012 collection intertwines bright hues with the Italian design house’s trademark stripes. Ideal for summer, the vibrant home furnishings are fit for virtually every space, from living room and lounge to bedroom and bathroom – its cushions, throws and pouffes will look peachy in jet or yacht lounge areas too. Missoni Home, Level 3, Harvey Nichols.

Signed, Sealed, DeliveredIf you stayed in Claridge’s and lusted-after its artwork, dined in Noma and pined for its tables, or rested your head on sublime bedding anywhere in the world, Discover&Deliver is the name to add to your contacts: at your request, its interior design

team will source pieces from your favoured haunts and hotels. Founder Isabel Rutland cites the K:2 stitched-leather swivel chairs among the most popular orders – one client called for eight after sinking into one at New York’s Hotel on Rivington (below). discover-deliver.com

century design. However, no gallery of the Gulf has afforded them the opportunity to integrate this kind of decoration, until now.

Which notable designers can be found in the gallery? Visitors will be delighted to find some of the greatest designers of the 20th century; Jean Royere, Jean Prouvé, Le Corbusier, Mathieu Matégot, Robert Mathieu, Charlotte Perriand –

all of whom are historically the fathers of modern design.

Do you possess any one-offs? All of our pieces are unique or very rare. The designers of this period did not produce in series as now. Some objects will have four or five copies worldwide, whilst others are strictly unique or very mature prototypes that were never put into production as they were too avant garde for their era.

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JE WELLERY

R omance, opulence, extravagance… words synonymous with Fabergé fall nothing short of sheer, unadulterated splendour. And for good reason: the Fabergé story is a fairytale read that’s filled with royalty and countesses, with Old Hollywood and

the fabulously wealthy. It begins with a Russian man by the name of Peter Carl Fabergé who followed his father into the family business – a business that was soon inundated with commissions from Imperial Russian royalty including, in 1885, the appointment as jeweller and goldsmith to the Tsar Alexander. It was then that the iconic Fabergé ‘egg’ first came into being; an Imperial Easter Egg given as a gift from the Tsar to his Empress – a piece that’s sought-after at auction to this day.

Outside Fabergé’s original showroom (on Bolshaya Morskaya Street), the cream of St Petersburg society regularly gathered; oil magnate Dr Emanuel Nobel presented ladies with Fabergé crystal and diamond pendants at dinner parties; esteemed Russian ballerinas were lavished with valuable Fabergé gifts; while American clients, like industrialist Henry Walters, even sailed down the River Neva in the hope of an appointment with Fabergé himself. In London, meanwhile, boutique manager Henry Bainbridge wrote that he found himself “amidst a whirl of Kings and Queens, millionaires and Maharajahs.”

Now Fabergé seems set to reclaim the heady success of its 18th-century heyday: in 2009 the High Jewellery and Fine Jewellery collections were created – the first of their kind since 1917 – and a newly-appointed Creative and Managing Director, Katharina Flohr, is positioned at the brand’s head. “Peter Carl Fabergé was a pioneer and genius

FABERGÉ REBORN

Why the iconic luxury brand is back in vogue

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of his time, ground-breaking in his approach of design,” she tells AIR. “Our mission is to continue that legacy and re-establish Fabergé as the king of jewellers – pushing creative boundaries with exceptional design and superlative craftsmanship and making the impossible possible with special commissions.”

With Fabergé’s grand-daughters (Tatiana and Sarah Fabergé) on the newly-established Fabergé Heritage Council, it’s a mission that seems set in the glitziest of stone. But with such a long hiatus from the last collection, how does Flohr endeavour to bring Fabergé into the 21st century and maintain its original style?

“Many of our pieces are modern but take inspiration from our heritage, such as the quilted design of our Matelassé Egg Pendants, or the fabulous Flower rings in our collection Les Fabuleuses,” comments Flohr. Buyers should look to the High Jewellery range for “one-of-a-kind pieces inspired by nature and Fabergé’s incredible archives”, and to the “playful” Fine Jewellery for small egg-shaped pendants (Les Favorites de Fabergé) that pay homage to the iconic egg.

More serious collectors can allow their ears to prick too; the kind of one-off pieces that captivated the glitterati (“the British royal family, Russian Tsars, New York High Society… Hollywood stars such as Elizabeth Taylor”), can be acquired today. “One of our most extraordinary jewelled treasures is the magnificent Romanov necklace, crafted from 2,250 of the finest ethically-sourced emeralds and white diamonds and inspired from a historic archive sketch,” Flohr says. “It took 16 months to create from design concept to hand-sourcing the emeralds through to crafting the design.”

When it comes to where to get a piece of the Fabergé fairytale, a Madison Avenue boutique is the brand’s newest offering. (“Madison Avenue is the heart of the jewellery spot in New York; this we felt was the right place for us to be”.) It opened in May 2012, and joins an expanding list of outposts in London (Harrods Jewellery Room and Bond Street), Hong Kong (Lane Crawford) and Geneva (Le Jardin Anglais), the design of each Flohr likens to “intimate jewellery boxes”, a place where jewels come “cocooned in sensual silk, in standalone cases, each with a sense of spectacle and theatre, reinforcing the high drama of the Fabergé masterworks.”

Those who feel inclined to wait for a Middle Eastern presence, though, needn’t wait for long, according to Flohr. “The Middle-East market has a particular affinity for extraordinary pieces and exceptional gemstones. We have sold some of our most special, unique pieces to Middle Eastern clients such as one of our 12 unique high jewellery egg pendants from Les Fameux de Fabergé collection, which we launched at Paris Couture Week.”

And, as Flohr tells AIR, Fabergé’s egg pendants and other fine jewellery pieces will soon be available at Doha’s Alfardan Centre, from October 2012. We’d say it was a rebirth well worth waiting for...

‘The Fabergé story is a fairytale filled with royalty and countesses, with Old

Hollywood and the fabulously wealthy’


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JE WELLERY

> What better way to mark the 50th anniversary of Marilyn Monroe’s well-documented death than with brilliant diamonds? Chopard pays homage to the star with Marilyn

Forever, a tributary jewellery collection by Caroline Scheufele, inspired by the blond bombshell’s all-out glamour. Each piece exudes a timeless style, with its necklace

breaking into a cascade of heart-shaped diamonds, briolettes and brilliants – so its privileged owner can sparkle like the Hollywood actress did on the silver screen.

‘Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend’

– Marilyn Monroe, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, 1953.


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Breguet’s master artisans have blended avant-garde technology with the age-old cameo-carving technique (an art that dates back some 4,000 years) to bring a collection awash with iridescent hues. Most of note is its Reine de Naples Cammea watch with a cameo-carved dial sculpted from shell, while diamond-studded gold encases the delicate motif. Look also to the La Rose de La Reine jewellery, which includes a cameo-engraved rosebud (it can be removed and worn as a brooch), offset with a diamond ribbon and mounted on either a pearl necklace or three-row bracelet. breguet.com

> This month sees the release of Graff’s famed Lotus Collection in the UAE. Inspired by the lotus flower’s petals, the necklace and earring set (available in two sizes) comes hand-set with white diamonds, emeralds or sapphires in pear, round and marquise stones, linked seamlessly by invisible platinum wires. Available at Graff’s Dubai Mall and Burj Al Arab boutiques.

Hello Birdie Embrace nature with a winged brooch from Cartier’s colourful Naturellement Collection

Flamingo-motif broochPlatinum, sapphires,

mother-of-pearl, diamonds

Parrot-motif broochPlatinum, purple sapphire, emerald, mother-of-pearl,

brilliant-cut diamonds

Peacock-motif broochPlatinum, sapphires,

brilliant-cut diamonds

Parrot-motif brooch Platinum, emerald,

mother-of-pearl, white and yellow diamonds

CAMEO ROLEBreguet brings time-honoured engravings into the modern day


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FORD FOCUSED Words: Garth Pearce

I f the rumours are true then later this year he’ll step back into his khakis, crack that famous whip and tip his fedora for a fifth instalment of Indiana

Jones. And there are plenty of reasons Ford might like a final fling with the adventurous archeologist. For a start it will mean another bumper pay packet. Ford topped the list of Hollywood earners the summer that

the fourth installment of the movie franchise was released, reportedly netting more than $65 million and seeing off younger rivals to become the highest-earning actor, thanks to the success of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which took nearly 550 million at the box office.

It is almost three decades since Indie’s first outing in Raiders of the Lost Ark, but despite his age – or maybe because of it – Ford continues

to push the boundaries on and off screen. When he is not pretending to be Jones or the intergalactic smuggler Han Solo in Star Wars, or any one of a number of hard-as-nails fugitives and straight-talking CIA analysts, you will most likely find him flying one of his many private jets or tearing up the asphalt on his BMW motorbike.

Ford, who, despite starring in almost 40 films since his breakthrough in Star Wars in 1977,

Harrison Ford shows no sign of settling into a comfortable, sedentary retirement. While most men his age are content to enjoy the odd round of golf, the star, who this month turns 70, shows no signs of slowing

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has never won an Oscar. “I look at acting as a service occupation. I am grateful that people are interested in my career. If they didn’t support my lifestyle, then I’d be back as a passenger on commercial airlines.

“All I’ve done is to try to get scripts that interest me and make sure I prepare as well as I can. I enjoy the process of film-making. It’s not an art to me. More like a craft. The rest? You’d never catch me volunteering to walk along a red carpet at a premiere. Or attending a party.”

Ford is at pains to portray himself as just a regular guy, although he’s self-aware enough to realise that most people probably won’t find the everyman shtick entirely convincing. “I do the dishes. And I make dinner,” he says, adding, with a touch of dry humour: “In the mornings I get my eight-year-old son Liam ready for school, and then I pass my time flying around in my planes. You see, I’m just like anybody else. My children are aged between eight and 42 and I’m also a grandfather.”

The earring that appeared in his left lobe about 12 years ago continues to attract raised eyebrows and suggestions of a long-running midlife crisis, but Ford is as fit as many men half his age, keeping his 5ft 11in frame trim with daily tennis sessions and three workouts a week in his gym.

Paul Bettany, the 40-year-old British actor who had to wrestle him to the ground in the 2006 film Firewall, admitted: “It was like trying to grapple with a rock.”

When you spend time in Ford’s company, what comes across is a certain shyness – or perhaps it is self-protection after so many years in the spotlight. His words come low and slow, without obfuscation. He is clearly much happier talking about his hobbies – aircraft, motorbikes and carpentry – than he is pondering the nuances of acting, film sets and directors. “It is horribly embarrassing to admit, but I hardly ever go to the movies,” he says. “I honestly cannot even remember the last movie I saw.”

‘You’d never catch me volunteering to walk along a red carpet at a premiere. Or attending a party’

The son of two occasional actors, Ford moved from Wisconsin to Los Angeles in 1964 to pursue an acting career too, but by the early 1970s he was earning a living as a carpenter. It was while working in the homes of Tinseltown’s rich and famous that he came to the attention of an up-and-coming director called George Lucas and finally got his break. Lucas cast him in a small but pivotal role in his 1973 film American Graffiti. Star Wars followed a few years later and, aged 35, Ford finally saw his career take off. Roles in Raiders of the Lost Ark, Blade Runner, Witness, The Fugitive and Clear and Present Danger followed, to name but a few. Ford was box-office gold. Carpentry became a hobby.

“It [woodwork] was a skill and a joy to me,” Ford says. He set up a

carpentry workshop at the ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, that he bought in 1983 and continued to build barns and make additions around the house. It has since fallen into disuse, though. “I don’t have the time now,” he says. “I have also lost my tool skills. Or at least some of them. I suppose flying took over as my main passion, and there are only so many hours in the day.”

Despite flirting with the idea of being a pilot in his twenties (he took some flying lessons in the 1960s) Ford did not become qualified until 30 years later. Since then, it has become an obsession. He has even spent some

off-duty time in his Bell 407 helicopter helping the Teton county search and rescue services while staying at the Wyoming ranch and has rescued lost or disoriented hikers on a number of occasions. He confirms stories of two such mountain rescues with typical self-deprecating lines. “Such rescues happen on a regular basis, but there was publicity because it was me,” he says. “I wanted to do my share for the community. It was no more than that. I was never in danger.”

Ford keeps several aircraft at Santa Monica airport, near his main home in Los Angeles, including a Cessna Citation Sovereign and 208B Grand Caravan, a de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver, an Aviat Husky A-1B and a 1929 Waco Taperwing. “It is my only financial indulgence,” he says.

“I have gone through several planes over the years. I am relatively frugal, considering my circumstances. I live well but do not live large – apart from the aeroplanes.

“When I say that the only suits I’ve ever owned in the past 25 years have come from movies, people smile as if it’s a joke. But it’s true. I look carefully at what I spend.”

He has spent handsomely on two divorces, though. The first, just as his career was going into overdrive, was in 1979, from Mary Marquardt, his college sweetheart, whom he had married in 1964. They have two sons, Benjamin, 44, and Willard, 42. He


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divorced Melissa Mathison, his second wife, in 2004. They had been married for 21 years and have a son, Malcolm, 24, and a daughter, Georgia, 21.

He met Flockhart, 46, former star of the television series Ally McBeal, at the Golden Globes ceremony in 2002 and he took plenty of flak for setting up home with another woman so quickly after his second divorce. Press him on the latest situation with Flockhart and he is unforthcoming. “I would rather not talk about that,” he says evenly. “It is no secret that we are having a very good time together.”

He admits that having a young boy around his house has led to some life changes. For a start, he has bought a car: he now owns a Toyota Prius as well as a garageful of motorbikes. “I always preferred the look of motorcycles,” he says. “But I did not trust myself with one until I was about 45 to 50. I was too much of an adolescent up to then, and anything could have happened.”

One of his greatest pleasures is now to ride, unrecognised, clad in leather and helmet, around the bends and canyons north of LA, just for the hell of it. “I go with a group of pilots and friends from the airport,” he says. “We get a kitchen pass every Sunday morning, and we just go riding.”Im

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Row ON THE

For two centuries, the tailors of London’sSavile Row have beenthe acknowledgedmasters of their craft,creating bespokesuits and uniformsfor the great and the good of the globe. Photographer Jessica Orchard takes a tour of some of the most distinguished names,and discovers thestories and styles that have made them what they are...

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Henry Poole & Co.Henry Poole & Co. (15 Savile Row) likes to see itself as the ‘Founder of Savile Row’, as it was the first tailor to arrive on the street, back in 1828. It is run by a descendant of the original Henry Poole, Simon Cundey, and is staffed by a team of highly-experienced tailors.

Henry Poole & Co. has received endorsements from across the world, including from Emperor Napoleon III of France in 1858 and Queen Elizabeth II back in 1976.

However, the tailor’s biggest claim to fame is the invention of the tuxedo. In the 1860s, the future King Edward VII asked Henry to create an evening coat for informal receptions at Sandringham. It was adopted by American millionaire James Brown Potter after he met Edward in 1886 and was introduced to New York high society shortly afterwards, where it picked up the name.

The firm has long specialised in making liveries for high ceremonial and military occasions – they created garments for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee ceremonies, with miles of braiding and lace, and plenty of dress swords and cocked hats.

Their collection of buttons – for every English institution from Oxford University to Blackheath Golf Club – is a sight to behold. As is the Henry Poole archive room, where you can see the amazing old order ledgers, which stretch back for centuries.


Richard AndersonLocated at 13 Savile Row, Richard Anderson opened in 2001, when it was the first bespoke tailors to launch on the Row for half a century.

Created by three men – Richard Anderson, Brian Lishak and Clive Gilkes – who are passionate about the craft of tailoring (and have a century of experience between them, with the former two having spent their entire working lives on The Row), they have pioneered a fresh approach which has brought new life to the tailoring tradition.

Richard Anderson’s acclaimed book, Bespoke: Savile Row Ripped and Smoothed, was published in 2009 and told the story of the early years of the company, which now attracts custom from all over the world. House style at Richard Anderson is kept simple: one-button, single-breasted.

The tailors work at the far end of the show room – it’s an open plan store where you can see the cloth being cut as you stroll around. And the bold colours and beautiful materials they work with can be seen in their banks of stunning ties, a great favourite in the City.


Gieves & HawkesGieves & Hawkes (1 Savile Row), favourite of Peter Sellers, Prince William, David Niven and Sean Connery, was set up by two noble families of tailors.

James Gieves was a 19th century tailor from Portsmouth. When he died, his sons took over his business and swiftly managed to become the Royal Navy’s tailors by appointment. At this time, 52 percent of global shipping was controlled by Britain, so this was clearly a highly lucrative position.

In 1911, the sons were given a warrant as Royal Naval Outfitter to King George V, and later dressed King George VI too. They had a major breakthrough in 1914 when they patented their Life Saving Waistcoat, designed to be worn at sea, and which incorporated a floatation device.

Thomas Hawkes, meanwhile, started his career in the 18th century when he came to London with just five pounds to his name to seek his fortune. He worked hard and managed to open a shop which by 1840 had become the capital’s key military tailor, receiving commissions from the likes of Prince Albert to make caps for his 11th Hussars.

Gieves & Hawkes merged in 1974, bringing together these two great institutions. You can see highlights from the two companies’ pasts – including the wonderful Life Saving Waistcoat plus commissions from the Duke of Wellington – at the tailor’s historical room, which you’ll find a level up from the main showroom.

The flight of stairs up to the history room is decorated with caricatures of well-known Gieves & Hawkes patrons including Sir Michael Caine and Sir Winston Churchill. Just nearby is the The VIP room, a lovely consultation area where you can sink into a deep leather sofa and consult hundreds of swatches to find the perfect material – Gieves & Hawkes has over 40,000 different patterns of cloth available for customers.

There are two separate house styles. The first is a single-breasted, three-button classic with pocket flaps and a raised waistline; the second, inspired by the Royal Navy reefer, consists of a double breasted design with side vents.

Gieves & Hawkes still provides uniforms: check out the incredible array of military insignia for service in campaigns across the world.


HuntsmanHuntsman (11 Savile Row) was set up in 1849 by Henry Huntsman, and just 16 years later in 1865 it received the first of many Royal Warrants from the then Prince of Wales.

A bespoke Huntsman suit takes 80 hours and up to four fittings to create. The company’s house style is a one-button suit which blends the cut of a riding coat and a tuxedo.

Famous customers of Huntsman over the years have included Sir Laurence Olivier, Clark Gable, the Maharajah of Jaipur, Gregory Peck and Bing Crosby.

The symbol of the company is the stag head – and has been ever since the 1920s, when a customer accidentally left one in the shop on his way to lunch.

Savile Row tailors tend to inspire long service. General Manager Peter Smith has been working on The Row since the age of 16, and Head Cutter Pat Murphy has followed in the footsteps of his father, who worked at Huntsman as a tailor before him.

Tweeds are one of the main things Huntsman is famous for – they come in a huge range of colours, and are made on the isle of Islay in Scotland.

The Huntsman bicycle is still used for deliveries – in fact 80 per cent of the Huntsman suits delivered in London are dropped off by this push bike – it’s a company that likes to keep hold of its history. They recently bought back a Huntsman World War II army jacket in an online sale, to add to their collection of original military jackets.

Also on display in store are old money boxes Huntsman employees would take to the US with them when going on fitting trips to see key clients. To this day such trips to the US are annual, to service the company’s ever-loyal customers there.


Quintessential British style in the heart of Mayfair Rocco Forte’s Brown’s Hotel London

This chic hotel personifies the refined sophistication of modern British luxury and offers the perfect home-away-from-home. Rocco Forte’s Brown’s Hotel is in the heart of Mayfair,

boasting one of the most prestigious addresses in the city. The hotel is located only minutes from the most upscale London shopping areas of Bond Steet and Regent Street.

With outstanding personal service, spacious and elegant rooms and suites - ideal for large families - and its restaurant ‘HIX at the Albemarle’ celebrating art and cuisine, it offers all a

most memorable London experience.

Albermarle Street, London, W1S 4BP Tel: 020 7493 6020 Fax: 020 7493 9381E-mail: [email protected] www.roccofortehotels.com

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Davies & SonWith its roots going back to 1803 (although it was not originally based on Savile Row), Davies and Son (38 Savile Row) stakes its claim as the oldest independent tailor in the area.

Among the business’s early clients was Admiral Lord Nelson, the hero of Trafalgar, and Sir Robert Peel, the father of the Police Force. President Harry Truman, Calvin Klein and Michael Jackson all shopped here too.

The firm was taken over by its cutters in 1935, when the last member of the Davies family left, and over time has incorporated many other notable tailors, including the like of Johns and Pegg, which made its name in the 19th century as tailor to the Queen’s Household Cavalry.

In 1952, world-famous actor Douglas Fairbanks Jr. declared after visiting Davies & Son that “Savile Row has recaptured the tailoring supremacy of the world”, and to this day the respect for this Savile Row instituion, which excels at the traditional English cut, spans the globe. In fact, by as far back as 1979 the firm’s international trade accounted for 90% of its business.


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AIR meets the driving force of Brand Beckham

Words: Hilary Rose

QUEEN VICTORIA

I f you met Victoria Beckham, what would you ask her? I thought long and hard about this. I wanted to get straight in there with the really important questions. And so, after weeks of worrying, to a sofa in

Beijing, where it’s just me, her, a car designer, several dozen PRs and a tray of untouched glasses of pink champagne. “So, Victoria,” I say, “tell me: those shoes you wear to cart your daughter about. The Louboutins we’re forever seeing you photographed in, with the huge platforms and five-inch heels. D’you worry you’re going to trip up and drop her? D’you kick them off when you get in the back seat?”

Victoria, who has spent two days talking about a car and is probably half dead with jet lag but way too professional to show it, looks astonished, then giggles. “Oh, God, listen,” she says, smiling. “I was Posh Spice. I used to sing and dance and all sorts in those heels.”

These days it’s hard to believe that Posh Spice and Victoria Beckham are the same woman. As a fashion designer, she has won critical

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‘I’ve never been one of those people who was handed everything. I’ve had to work very hard’

she says. “The Evoque has been an enormous success, so I just wanted to put my little sprinkle on it. Yesterday, I had one of my handbags [with me], a matt black croc, and I’m looking at my bag, and I’m looking at the car, and you can definitely tell the same person designed both.”

Earlier, at the launch – a pompous kerfuffle in an art gallery involving much suspenseful music and drawing back of curtains – Beckham had looked oddly nervous, fiddling with her hair, dressed immaculately in a skin-tight, pale grey dress of her own design and high, black, knee-length boots. But she talked fluently about how she wanted the car to be chic and luxurious, but not super-girlie, a car that both she and David would be happy to drive.

“It feels very modern,” she adds later. “I want to empower women. I want to make women feel good. I think the car’s quite understated. I didn’t want to logo it up. Using the rose gold [in the interior] is something that is very much signature to me and my brand. I don’t like things that are overly branded. It’s much cooler and much chicer to not do that.”

When she launched her fashion brand in 2008, people were decidedly sniffy. “I’ve always had to prove myself,” she says. “I’ve never been one of those people who was handed everything. I’ve

acclaim and commercial success. She is a canny businesswoman, the brains behind Brand Beckham, but also the pop star who admitted she was never going to be much of a singer.

She’s the Home Counties girl who bagged – and kept – David Beckham, and has a gigantic canary diamond on her finger to prove it. And today, her teeny-tiny frame is on the sofa in China because she has lent her name and her design skills to a car, a Range Rover Evoque to be specific, a marque she and David have driven for years.

“I didn’t want to fix what wasn’t broken,”


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had to work very hard. What I appreciate about the fashion industry [is] a lot of them left their preconceptions at the door and let the products speak for themselves. That’s something that I feel very thankful for, because I am very aware [of what people thought]. I know it’s different now to what it was, but no one was aware of it more than me.”

Marc Jacobs told her she should stop saying how thankful she was, that people were complimentary simply because the products were great. Is she surprised by how quickly she won opinion over? “Yeah, I’m really proud of myself. Of course, it was nerve-racking. It was something I’d always wanted to do, a lifetime in the making, and it has spoken for itself; the fact that it’s sold out, the fact that the customer wants it.”

Yet she could sit back, never design another thing. “You’re right: financially I don’t need to do it, but it’s my passion. I love what I do and Harper’s here – she comes to work with me every day; we do everything together. I would have brought the boys, but the kids are at school and their schooling is incredibly important.”

Beckham has won over the doubters by grafting. She’s ambitious and proud of it, but thinks people can relate to her taste because it’s real. “I’m designing things that I want to wear myself, a car I want to drive, sunglasses I want to wear. People say, ‘Who’s your customer?’ I’m my customer. I keep it very true to me and I think women can relate to that. I’d like to think I understand women.”

Perhaps, but not many women migrate round the world, as she and her family apparently do. “I don’t travel that much now,” she protests. “I’ve been at home in LA for two months. I always time it [travel] so it works for the family.” But with all those plates to juggle on two continents, she must be a bit of a control freak, right? She smiles again, the glacial smile of someone you really wouldn’t mess with.

“I’m nice,” she says, smoothing her dress out. “But I love what I do. And I’m passionate.”

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MOTORING

I s a Mercedes-Benz SL a sports car? In the sense that it has two seats, an open top, a long bonnet and a fair turn of speed, you could say it is. In the sense that it puts you in touch with the road, celebrates simplicity and immediacy, and that people use them in motor sport, it is not.

Nor has it been for 50 years or so.Such is not the point of a modern SL. Rather it is to be

swift and luxurious, to look dramatic and to cosset its two occupants as they take in the air and the admiring glances of those they perceive as less fortunate than themselves.

The car you see here is the sixth generation of the SL line. Mercedes-Benz’s current cars are heavily styled, far beyond the understated functionality once deemed sufficient, and the new SL conforms to this trend.

Its body bears many of the motifs of past SLs, such as the wide-mouthed front grille, the bulge on the bonnet and the air intake behind the front wheels with two metal strakes spearing through it. Yet, unlike the previous SL, which also had a folding metal roof in coupé-cabriolet fashion, the new one has a rear aspect that could come from any current Mercedes saloon. The ‘sportiness’ ends at the rear edge of the doors.

The big engineering breakthrough is that its structure and panelwork are almost entirely aluminium; the weight saved means less fuel is needed. The SL 500, powered by a 4,663cc, twin-turbo V8 with a hyper-adequate 435bhp at its disposal, is claimed to average 31.0mpg on the official economy tests, while the V6-engined, 306bhp SL 350 is said to manage 41.5mpg.

Also new is the optional Magic Sky glass panel in the roof, which can tint itself electrochromically and ward off harmful rays. FrontBass loudspeakers lurk in the space beyond the toeboards, and an air-kick under the rear bumper will not only open the boot but also close it provided the key is on your person.

There’s the option of ABC, or Active Body Control. This uses sensors to measure the movements of wheels and the forces acting on them, and actively moves the wheels up and down to accommodate bumps. The choppy

THE NEXT GENERATIONJohn Simister gets what he expects at the wheel of the new Mercedes SL 500

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motion moves your right foot so you scorch down the road in a series of rapid bursts, caught in a loop of positive feedback. So I tried an SL 500 with normal suspension, and sanity was restored. Now I could enjoy the V8’s storming performance and crackling soundtrack, flick with the paddles up and down the alert seven-speed automatic gearbox, point the nose accurately with the precise steering, and begin to convince myself that maybe there is some sports car in here after all.

As an open-top pleasure machine the SL works well. There is never the slightest tremor from the open-top structure: wind noise with the roof up is practically zero, and roof-down the wind rush is never so vigorous as to become wearing.

The new SL is a logical reinterpretation of the previous one, and it does all its well-heeled buyers will expect of it.

Price Guide: $80,000 Approx Power: 435bhp 0-100kph: 4.6 sec Top Speed: 250kph

‘As an open-top pleasure machine the SL works well’

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GASTRONOMY

A chance encounter at a London hairdressers paired chef Rainer Becker with businessman Arjun Waney, the two men responsible for the wonderful Zuma. As the restaurant celebrates a decade of rave

reviews in London, and unveils immediate plans to expand in the USA and UAE, AIR asks Rainer Becker for the recipe

for Zuma’s stratospheric success

M y first experiences in Japan sparked the idea for Zuma. I arrived in Tokyo working for the Hyatt as Executive chef overseeing their five different restaurants. It was my first

time in Japan and although I was aware of the cuisine, the ingredients etc, it was a completely different experience living and cooking there. I just immersed myself in the whole food culture from street food yakatori to kaiseki. The spark, the original thought of Zuma, came to me during that time.

The philosophy for the restaurant was created at the outset. From a chef’s perspective, I could identify with the subtlety of flavour, the importance of texture, the rules of the cooking techniques and presentation of Japanese food and food culture. My philosophy, my thoughts at that time, however, were to bring the cuisine to a much wider audience. To do that I knew I had to make the flavours more robust. My idea for Zuma was always to create a modern Japanese menu but one that respects tradition.

I had the whole idea of Zuma very strong in my mind. I knew the design I wanted, the food style, the concept (main kitchen, Robata Grill and sushi counter), and the bar too was an integral element of my vision. Opening a restaurant

is a particularly crazy time with so many people and ideas and opinions involved, it is really important to stick to your beliefs. You almost have to keep the control and reign in the ideas and be true to what you want to do. If I had to pass on one message it would be to keep in mind the detail.

The cities that host Zuma were selected for different reasons or dynamics. Some were chosen because we have a particularly good partner in that country, others because our customers have pushed so strongly for it. I have to point out, though, that 10 years ago when Zuma launched I had

How to build a culinary empire

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ZUMA RESTAURANTS

GLOBAL GOURMET

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2002 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011LONDON5 Raphael Street, Knightsbridge

HONG KONG15 Queen’sRoad, Central

ISTANBULSalhane sk No:7 Ortaköy

DUBAIGate Villiage 06,DIFC

MIAMI270 Biscayne Boulevard Way

BANGKOKG/F, 159 Ratchadamri Road

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absolutely no idea that it would grow to the success and size it is today. I don’t think I could have opened it, if that was my goal. The success in part is due to the organic way that it has grown.

Each location has its own challenges and it’s important to approach every opening with fresh eyes. Just when you think you have all obstacles covered a new region will throw up new challenges, so it’s important to keep fresh and do your preparations and homework thoroughly in advance. We opened in Miami a few years ago and the restaurant has been received extremely well so we are now expanding in the US. I imagine New York and L.A. will be locations to explore. In the Middle East we are looking at Abu Dhabi next.

We train and develop most of our staff from within, so the way forward is from inside wherever possible. Also, all of our senior staff spend time in London to understand Zuma fully before working in other locations. I am very hands on and visit the different locations continuously. I couldn’t be an office-based CEO; you need to be in the restaurant, you need to be part of it.

The teams on the floor and in the kitchen are the most important, with help from the support office. My business partner and I are key in directing the business and maintaining that direction. We have a ‘global’ chef to work with the kitchens worldwide, and of course we have a group sommelier. Invest in your talent; it’s all about the team, and don’t react to fashion. Stay true to what you are.

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1. Zuma Hong Kong2. Zuma London3. Zuma Dubai4. Dynamite Spider Roll 5. Black Cod6. Spicy Tuna


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TR AVEL

A $25million restoration, revered Sevillian architect and lashings of luxury have placed the newly re-opened Hotel Alfonso XIII at the top of AIR’s travel list

GRAND AWAKENINGS

A n icon of Seville… one of Europe’s grandest hotels… an architectural masterpiece… Praise for Hotel Alfonso XIII is generous. Go there and you’ll see it’s also without exaggeration. Dating back to 1928, the hotel’s recent

restoration was a royal revamp with one aim: to return the building back to its original level of splendour, marrying early features with the kind of mod cons a luxury jet setter can no longer live without.

Make for the heart of the Andalusian capital, where the hotel is found, and the sense of history is still gloriously palpable; a trait that its general manager, Carlo Suffredini, attributes to the hotel’s appeal: “It’s set in one of the most touristic attractions in terms of history, culture and architecture,” he tells AIR. A setting that places you within a sunny Seville stroll to the historic Torre del Oro (Golden Tower), Reales Alcazares (Seville’s first royal castle) and Spain’s largest bullfighting ring. “On top of that,” he goes on, “its architecture is an original of Andalusia, blending a Moorish influence of the 14th century, an Italian influence of the 18th century and a Castilian influence of the 15th century. No other hotel in the world has its characteristics; it is unique.”

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The Immaculate Collection The Hotel Al Fonso XIII isn’t the only Luxury Collection property being made-over: meet the trio of hotels set to follow suit in the next year...

Prince de Galles, Paris A fashionable setting on George V Avenue, glam former guests (note: Marlene Dietrich) and proximity to Cartier make this our hotel-to-watch for 2013.

First designed by Sevillian architect José Espiau y Muñoz, the 10-month restoration fell to the hands of a revered local architect of our time, Demopolis, who bring Arabic-inspired arches, soaring towers and renaissance-style windows. But the heritage of Hotel Alfonso XIII’s still lives and breathes: inside, old and new design elements coexist. “The furniture in the lobby and in our public areas dates back to 1928,” tells Suffredini. “It has been reupholstered and refurbished to maintain the charm of the period. All of the chandeliers have been restored too, and are originals from day one – it’s an important piece of work.”

Add handpainted Mensaque ceramic tiles to that original, and Hotel Alfonso XIII’s 1920s spirit seeps through every its space, including some 151 rooms. Ask Suffredini, though, and the star of the show is the Salon Real Ballroom’s ceiling – a newly-renovated space that will make your neck crane and jaw drop: “The ceiling has been restored completely over a period of five months by a team from Seville who have left it so perfect, so genuine,” he marvels. “Today the room hosts the most important events in Seville.” Offset by bohemian crystal and bronze chandeliers and a wrought iron door, its stunning stuff – and fit for up to 500 guests.

When it comes to where to spend the night, plump for one of three signature suites (Reales Alcázares Suite, Torreón Suite, Royal Suite); the finest in house, and each individually-designed to reflect Moorish, Castilian or Andalusian sensibilities. “The Reales Alcázares Suite is a new concept on the third floor, overlooking the Reales Alcázares Gardens,” says Suffredini. “There is a history behind the room and the decor was created with María de Padilla – the hidden fiancée of Peter the Cruel, the king of Spain in the Castilian period – in mind. It is romantic, it is dramatic and it is different from the others, with mirrors, chandeliers and walls painted black – it looks like a mystery.”

As the name suggests, royalty has graced the Royal Suite too, (regular visitors included Doña María de las Mercedes de Borbón y Orleáns, Countess of Barcelona and mother to King Juan Carlos I), though it has played host to timeless stars of our era, from Sofia Loren and Ava Gardner to Brad Pitt and HRH Prince Charles of Wales and Princess Diana.

While interiors appear drenched in equal lashings of glamour and history, a taste of the wider region can be savoured at the hotel’s authentic Seville tapas restaurant, Bodega Alfonso. Here gourmands can devour tapas al fresco style on a beautifully-lit terrace, with local delicacies like espárragos especiales con vinagreta de tomate y anchoas (asparagus, anchovies, tomato dressing), fried marinated white fish and fresh calamari – to name a few.

If you ask us, it’s never been easier, or more pleasurable, to immerse yourself in Sevillian history. Hotel Al Fonso XIII is open for reservations. luxurycollection.com/alfonsoxiii

Maria Cristina, San Sebastian A 10-month-long makeover brings a new colour scheme, carpets, curtains and revamped Cafe Saigon restaurant – and it’s open this month.

The Gritti Palace, Venice Put Italian trips on hold until February 2013, when this 14th-century Venetian palazzo will reveal its restored ancient grandeur and cutting-edge gadgets.

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1. Santa Maria della Salute, on the banks of the Giudecca Canal, stands sentry over the melee of gondoliers on the waterway. The oarsmen are as much of a Venetian icon as the architecture; the 1,000-year-old La Categoria (gondolier guild) awards only 425 licences, highly-contested after years of apprenticeships and major exams. In 2010, Giorgia Boscolo became Venice’s first female gondolier.

2. The Grand Canal has always been the lifeblood of the city, and thousands flock to its shores for the annual Gondola Regatta. The event was just as popular back in the summer of 1955, pictured here as the floating parade passes underneath the Rialto Bridge.

3. Photographed at the Venice Film Festival in August 1958, Italian actress Sophia Loren cuts a striking silhouette against a waterfall. She was awarded the Cup Volpi Di Misurata that year for her performance in The Black Orchid, a comedy romance directed by Martin Ritt.

4. The Doge’s Palace, constructed largely in the 14th and 15th centuries, is thought to have been modelled on a Byzantine palace in an attempt to impress visitors from Constantinople. It’s still one of the city’s most impressive sites, and makes for spectacular viewing at sunset.

5. Ponte dei Sospiri, or ‘Bridge of Sighs’ was unveiled last year after a three-year, €2.8 million restoration project. The bridge, which was built to connect the old prison with the Doge’s Palace interrogation rooms, was given its name by British poet Lord Byron in the 19th century. The view from its barred windows was the prisoners’ last glimpse of the city before they were locked away – said to provoke deep sighs of regret.

6. Ever since its opening in 1958, Hotel Cipriani has been synonymous with luxury. Combining personal service with top-notch cuisine, this is Venetian hospitality at its best. Its list of royal and celebrity guests is the longest in the city – and with one glimpse of the elegant interiors, glorious piano bar and vast swimming pool you’ll understand why.

7. The first Venice Carnival took place in the 11th century, with a calendar of festivities that lasted two months. Today, the open-air festival attracts thousands to concerts and balls – but don’t even think about joining the party without a mask.

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TR AVEL

BUCKET LIST NO.67Dinner at Mugaritz

At the helm of this revered San Sebastian restaurant is a man once accustomed to abject failure. At school he was spectacularly unsuccessful, flunking every one of his classes, and later (and more worryingly) he didn’t make it through the first year of culinary school and had to repeat. Yet since then the story of Andoni Luis Aduriz (the world’s third best chef if you’re one for lists) has been much more palatable. He credits the sharp turning point to a stint working the kitchens at the now legendary El Bulli, where his passion for conjuring up creative dishes was ignited. Now it burns brightly. Aduriz, who works to the mantra ‘you don’t have to like something to like it’ and oversees a kitchen that houses a laboratory and two scientists, is chiefly responsible for some of the most daring dishes ever served, and certainly the most thrilling you’re ever likely to eat – that’s if you can get a reservation.

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GOLF

COURSE YOU CAN

TOP TIPS FROM THE PROFESSIONALS

> Homes aside a golf course very rarely shed their value, so what better property investement than a home that stands a mere scuffed chip from the most historic 18 holes of all, The Old Course at St. Andrews? Hamilton Grand, itself one of the most famous buildings in golf by virtue of its position, has been refurbished to house 25 residences and a penthouse whose balcony looks out to the 18th green. Priceless. hamiltongrand.co.uk

LESSON #10It is often said that there are no pictures on a scorecard and you never receive bonus points for hitting flamboyant shots. In my eyes, when it comes to maximising your scoring potential, it is a case of damage limitation. This is why it frustrates me when I see mid-to-high handicap players trying the high risk flop shot from in and around the green, when all is needed is a low running shot towards the flag. Club selection is key to minimise this disaster shot.

From the fringe of the green and when the ball sits nicely, I like to see players trying to roll the ball with the putter up and towards the hole. In most instances a bad putt can sometimes be better than a good pitch or chip.

If the ball is slightly further away from the green, and you have too much fringe grass to roll the ball through, then your next option should be the bump and run with a mid iron, such as 7 or 8. The advantage of using a mid iron is that the swing is still on the short side, therefore eradicating the disaster shot. Lastly, if faced with a hazard between you and the flag, then the pitching or sand wedge should be selected. This will produce a high, soft-landing shot with not much roll.

If you can maximise your club selection to minimise your risk factor then you will find that an improved short game will lead to lower scores. Craig Waddell, Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club.

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> There are myriad perks to staying at Heritage Le Telfair in Mauritius – the villas here, nestled between mountains and a crystal clear lagoon, are exceptional – but best of all is the complimentary access you’re afforded to the resort’s spectacular championship course, mapped out to make the most of its incredible surrounds. What’s more, you don’t have to sink your last putt the moment the sun slips away – thanks to sets of luminous balls you can now play 9 holes after dark, your questionable swing seen only through the dim light of flaming torches and the stars. That sounds like the perfect round to us. heritageletelfair.mu

> We’ve never been one to worry too much about our footwear, preferring instead to concentrate on eradicating the errors in our short (and if we’re being honest, long) game. But that was before we donned the Adidas Tour 360 ATV (that’s All-Terrain Versatility) shoe, which, for once with a golf shoe, lives up to its advertising hype by delivering the most solid of bases on which to set your swing stance.

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L IF E L ESSONS

I had the fortune to have my father as a mentor from a very early age: when I was a schoolboy, my weekends consisted of visiting hotels whilst my father was creating the hotel group. He showed me his passion for this business and I became passionate, and this is the only way to successfully work in hostelry – to love the business.

Ethics, principles and integrity are always to be my business drivers: companies are not isolated beings, but need to be supported, and trusted, by their stakeholders all along the way.

A company’s value proposition is based and related to its own corporate values: our company is public but it is also, up to a large extent, a family company, and our values are intimately linked to our deepest family values.

I have learnt the importance of alliances and partnerships: to cooperate in joint ventures, based on mutual strengths and reciprocal trust, is the safest way to succeed, especially when expanding and entering new markets. In Dubai, for instance, the gorgeous Meliá Dubai has been possible thanks to our partnership with the locally-based owner and developer, Mr Khamas.

WHAT I KNOW NOWGabriel EscarrerVice Chairman & CEO, Meliá Hotels International

People are the most valuable asset for a company: no matter how much technology or money they have, a good team is a must.

I have learnt in my business life the need to be ‘glocal’; to hold global values and strategy, while using local approaches and tactics. Diversity is the key: integrating people with a range of different origins, training, skills and philosophies.

Finally, I know now that you cannot be a successful leader if you are not successful in your personal life: this balance has to be maintained at all costs and, simple as it may seem, it is the most important lesson, and one of the hardest to achieve.

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Dubai: Mall of the Emirates | Dubai Mall | Mirdif City Centre Bahrain: Seef Mall | Al Aali Mall | Bahrain City Centre

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