debbie-hathway

Voices shaping the contemporary art ecosystem

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 11:05:00 GMT

Celebrating womxn in art:

A conversation on creativity, resistance, and legacy

In a world where the narratives of womxn and non-binary artists have often been marginalised, the voices of those shaping the contemporary art ecosystem are more vital than ever.

February in Cape Town pulses with creativity, and this year, the city’s art scene took centre stage beyond the usual Valentine’s Day clichés. Africa’s leading auction house, Strauss & Co, hosted a Galentine’s Day event, celebrating the power of kinship among womxn, intentionally using ‘x’ instead of ‘a’ in that spelling to inspire conversation. Held at their Woodstock premises, the gathering brought together leading voices in contemporary art.

Moderated by ArtThrob editor Nkgopoleng Moloi, the conversation explored the impact of womxn and non-binary artists in shaping the art ecosystem, highlighting their resistance, storytelling, and radical creativity – framed as both a celebration and defiance.

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Nkgopoleng Moloi

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The panel included Khanyisile Mbongwa, 2025 curator of The Stellenbosch Triennale; Liese van der Watt, curator of ‘We, The People: 30 Years of Democracy in South Africa’ at The Norval Foundation; Mille Kalsmose, a visual artist who lives and works in Copenhagen and New York; and Talia Ramkilawan, winner of the 2023 Investec Cape Town Art Fair Tomorrow’s/Today Prize.

Art as a space for healing and resistance

Reflecting on her journey as an artist and curator, Mbongwa spoke candidly about her experiences at Stellenbosch University and how they shaped her perspective on art. “I experienced black psychosis. I lost my mind,” she shared, stressing the psychological toll of systemic exclusion entrenched in the institution that continues today. Her work, deeply rooted in addressing historical and spatial injustices, has been instrumental in creating spaces where marginalised voices can be heard. “I don’t believe anybody should be a martyr. I don’t believe I need to sacrifice myself for something to change.” For Mbongwa, the artist’s role is to continue the work of those who came before, pushing boundaries and expanding possibilities.

Talia Ramkilawan

Untitled
Bonolo Kavula

Untitled VII
Talia Ramkilawan

Fragile Politeness
Stephané Conradie, Breekbare BeleefdheidT

This sentiment resonates deeply with Liese van der Watt, whose curation of ‘We, The People: 30 Years of Democracy in South Africa’ examines the complexities of South Africa’s post-apartheid identity. The exhibition offers a “nuanced perspective on the country’s democratic journey, framing it not as a static given but an ongoing process.” Featured artists include Igshaan Adams, Dineo Seshee Bopape, Candice Breitz, Wim Botha, Bronwyn Katz, Sabelo Mlangeni, Walter Meyer, Gugulective and the Keiskamma Art Project.

Khanyisile Mbongwa

The power of radical love in art

The conversation then turned to the theme of love as a form of artistic resistance, a concept introduced through the audience Q&A. Moloi referenced the work of the late Bell Hooks, an author, theorist, educator, and social critic, who spoke about radical love and all its demands – encompassing care, devotion, passion, longing, tenderness, and tough love emerge, rooted in responsibility and action.

This notion of love resonated with Mille Kalsmose and Talia Ramkilawan, who explore community, memory, and identity themes in their work.

Kalsmose, whose practice spans installation, sculpture, and two-dimensional work, offers what can be described as spiritual survival kits – artworks that explore and imagine human existence and interconnectedness. Her long-term project, Collected Memory , is built on memories recorded on handwritten notes to create a paper archive. “I’m trying to gather humanity’s voices, their shared thoughts and emotions. I think we live in a time where a lot of people feel depressed, frustrated, that everything is falling apart, that we are getting more and more separated, and angry.”

Mille Kalsmose

Suffering from depression and dealing with her mother’s suicide, bringing on what she calls an “angriness victimhood”, her art became a tool for “spiritual and mental survival. Working once more from love, I feel like it’s the only place we can go now,” she said.

Ramkilawan, an artist and teacher living in Cape Town, whose tactile tapestries are made with wool and hessian fabric, explores healing and cultural identity themes. Delving into the reality of enjoying love without shame, blending erotica and tenderness to reflect the radical experience of being brown, queer, and navigating pleasure, she spoke about the importance of vulnerability in artistic expression. She was critical of definitions and categories, such as “woman”, and how these are insufficient or inclusive.

Womxn and non-binary artists shaping the future

The panellists acknowledged that while institutional barriers persist, there is a growing movement toward creating more inclusive and fair art spaces. “I’m more curious about how we as a human race move to a place of kinship, you know, because kinship gives us more space. It doesn’t centre gender; it doesn’t centre all these things. It’s much more nuanced, it’s much more open; it’s a queering. It doesn’t mean everyone has to be queer, but in a queering world there’s much more space for us to be who we want to be,” said Mbongwa.

Liese van der Watt

Van der Watt echoed this sentiment, noting that curatorial and institutional shifts are essential in recognising the value of diverse artistic practices. “If we don’t actively work to change the structures of power in the art world, we risk repeating the same cycles of exclusion.”

Kalsmose and Ramkilawan, as artists who have gained recognition for their groundbreaking work, underscored the importance of community and mentorship in sustaining an artistic practice.

A collective vision for the art ecosystem

Finally, the panellists reflected on what it means to be an artist in today’s world. They spoke of the necessity of courage, the power of storytelling, and the responsibility of artists to challenge and transform the spaces they inhabit. Art is not just about aesthetics. It’s about truth-telling and pushing back against the narratives that seek to erase us.

For Moloi, the discussion reinforced the idea that art is fundamentally about connection. “Whether we’re talking about love, resistance, or memory, what ties everything together is the desire to create something meaningful that speaks to our shared humanity.”

The voices of womxn and non-binary artists are reshaping the art world and expanding the very definition of what art can be – an act of radical love, a tool for healing, and a catalyst for change. Their work reminds us that the future of art lies not in rigid structures but in the fluidity of imagination, the courage to tell untold stories and the commitment to building a more inclusive creative ecosystem.

Mpumi Dhlamini for Diamond City Jazz Festival

Thu, 27 Mar 2025 10:28:00 GMT

Celebrating the Soul of African JazzMpumi Dhlamini speaks at a rapid pace, his energy reflecting a life filled with multiple passions – music, fitness, studying, and even target shooting.

Once a promising football player, he left the sport, realizing it was his father’s dream, not his. Now, he’s a sought-after music producer, a multi-instrumentalist, a nutritionist, and a personal trainer. Despite his packed schedule, he prioritizes rest, ensuring nine hours of sleep each night to stay sharp and adaptable.

His insatiable thirst for knowledge sets him apart, particularly in the music industry. He approaches instruments with an analytical mindset, believing muscle memory and repetition are key to mastering them.

Yet his initial motivation for learning an instrument was simple – romance. “At the National School of the Arts in Johannesburg, I realised no one would take a recorder player seriously, so I needed something else.”

Following his time at Drakensberg Boys Choir, he enrolled at the arts school, where studying two instruments was mandatory. Voice was one, but piano was off the table – Grade 8 exams had to be completed before matric, and he hadn’t started. He flat-out refused to play the recorder and warned his mother he would fail. But failure wasn’t in his nature. Determined, he taught himself piano faster than the formal curriculum allowed. “I worked hard. I didn’t have a piano at home, so I practised at school. I co-wrote the school song and released my first album three years after starting piano at 17. My sports background made me hyper-competitive in a healthy way. Jumping to Grade 7 piano in two years seemed impossible, but I went straight to Grade 8 and released an album a year later.”

With trumpet and voice as his foundation, he explored orchestral percussion, mastering marimba, xylophone, and timpani. But none were chordal instruments. So, he taught himself piano and learned saxophone melodies while working on his debut album. “That was good enough for me. Then, I added bass, accordion, and more. I’ve lost count. My approach is multidisciplinary.”

Now, nearly two decades later, Dhlamini is a celebrated multi-instrumentalist and award-winning producer. A self-proclaimed outlier in jazz, he’s never followed the conventional path. “There’s a sound people call African jazz – I don’t know what that means, and I don’t identify with it. I want my music to compete on a world stage.” His style is a hybrid of digital and analog, often featuring over 40 instruments and 100 vocals in a single song. His skills as a sound engineer allow him full creative control. “I mix, master, design my artwork – I do everything. This way, I execute my vision without inconveniencing anyone.”

His career follows a three-year cycle: performing, producing, directing for TV, and film scoring. His credits include Lira’s award-winning Celebration DVD, albums for Lulu Dikana, Wanda Baloy, Brian Temba, and Sphelelo Mazibuko. He has also composed for film, animation, and even the Zulu-dubbed SpongeBob SquarePants. “When the music industry slows, I pivot. When another sector does the same, I move again. This year, I want to consolidate everything and build a team.”

Despite his workload, he prioritises efficiency over long hours. “Nobody sleeps more than me. I get nine hours a night. Yesterday, I was scoring a play, The Picture of Dorian Gray , which I’m approaching like a film score. I also compose for Sesame Street and Takalani Sesame . I can create 40 songs for an episode in two hours. I work fast, so I get to rest more. A six-month task? I finish it in three weeks, then take time off.”

To date, Dhlamini has three and a half albums, but he won’t count his latest, a self-titled remake of his past work, as his fourth. He’s reimagining his music as he transitions to a new sound – more classical, rooted in the sixties, yet diverse. “This album blends East African influences with Mongolian sounds and Japanese melodies. I sing in Venda and Wolof. The cultural diversity will surprise people. I might drop another six albums this year – I’m sitting on over 50 unreleased albums. I just need to close this chapter of my sound.”

You can experience his music live at the Diamond City Jazz Festival in Botswana on 29 March 2025. For the first time in his 18-year career, he will perform his album exactly as recorded, without compromise. “Rehearsal time and musician availability have always been challenges. My music has a million sections, and it’s tough for players to remember every part. This time, we started prepping two months in advance, which I’ve never done. Finally, my music will be performed the way it was meant to be heard.

”How does he stay motivated? “Self-inspiration. People ask me what I listen to. Ironically, I don’t listen to jazz. I listen to hip-hop and everything else.”

Jazz greats and young musicians share the stage

The Diamond City Jazz Festival celebrates a shared cultural heritage, bringing together artists and audiences in a collective love for jazz. The lineup includes festival director and jazz legend Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse, McCoy Mrubata, Steve Dyer, and Bhudaza Mapefane, alongside rising stars like Mpumi Dhlamini, Nono Siile, Azana, Jordan Moozy, and Mpho Sebina.

Mabuse, a pioneer of South African jazz, continues to inspire generations with classics like Burn Out. Mrubata blends Cape jazz traditions with modern sounds, while Mapefane’s soulful saxophone and deep Sesotho jazz roots add richness to the mix. Dyer, a master saxophonist and flautist, rounds out the lineup with his signature versatility.

Beyond performances, the festival offers mentorship sessions, allowing emerging artists to engage with industry legends, refine their techniques, and deepen their understanding of jazz’s cultural significance. This initiative reflects the festival’s mission to nurture new talent, honour musical heritage, and connect generations through jazz.

Tickets are available at Webtickets for BWP 300. The festival takes place at Bojanala Waterfront in Botswana on 29 March 2025, from 9am to 11.30pmFor more information or sponsorship opportunities, contact

Nono Matuwane at +060 444 5376 or Rapula Kegopilwe at +267 75 783 070.

Where There’s Hope, There’s Life

Tue, 03 Dec 2024 07:07:02 GMT

Taking up the challenge of the century, Hope Spots around the world – from Mauritius to the South African coastline – aim to focus on the dire need to keep our blue backyard clean and safe.

Words by Debbie Hathway

‘ONWARD AND DOWNWARD!’ For veteran marine biologist and oceanographer Dr Sylvia Earle, it’s a motto for life, having dedicated an epic career to underwater exploration and raising awareness around ocean conservation. At 88, she’s a living legend, the first TIME magazine Hero for the Planet, a National Geographic explorer-in-residence and founder of Mission Blue, SEAlliance and DOER Marine (Deep Ocean Exploration and Research). She has led over 100 expeditions, logged over 7 000 hours underwater, authored numerous books and lectured worldwide – and she’s not stopping any time soon. What motivates her to keep going? ‘Reasons for hope.’

Mission Blue now has 156 of them and counting – Hope Spots covering an estimated 57 577 967km² of the ocean, singled out by local champions passionate about protecting places critical to the health of Earth’s blue heart. These are notable for their abundance or diversity of species, a particular habitat or ecosystem, or having significant cultural or economic value to a community. Rolex supports the project as part of its Perpetual Planet initiative, which is focused on those who go above and beyond to protect and preserve the ocean. ‘Hope Spots are often areas that need new protection, but they can also be existing marine protected areas (MPAs) where more action is needed. They can be large, they can be small, but they all provide hope,’ says Earle.

The hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) is critically endangered. Marine turtles are protected under Mauritian law. This one is foraging on a broken bubble coral reef.

Ask her why we should care about ocean conservation and she’ll quietly enquire if you like to breathe. As the so-called ‘lungs’ of the planet, the ocean generates most of our oxygen, acts as a carbon sink – limiting climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide – and hosts rich areas of biodiversity, often invisible to the naked eye. According to the United Nations, a ‘loose patchwork of weakly enforced rules governing international waters’ has enabled the exploitation of most of the planet’s oceans, whether through overfishing, acidification and pollution, or emerging threats such as deep-sea mining.

However, the United Nations High Seas Treaty, which was adopted on 19 June 2023, is another significant reason for hope. It’s a world-first legal framework that extends environmental protections to international waters and provides momentum to the drive to have 30 percent of our seas protected by 2030.

The Réunion Seahorse can be found as shallow as five metres and as deep as 60. It prefers sandy or seagrass areas and is not found on coral reefs. Meulepas and her buddy found this one while they were muck diving in a so-called shallow wasteland, away from a coral reef; There’s nothing quite like moving through the canopy of the Great African Sea Forest, and becoming part of it.

Meanwhile, on the small island of Mauritius (2 040 km² of land area), the location of one Mission Blue Hope Spot, the sea level rise measured in the capital of Port Louis is already almost one centimetre. This is according to Francois Gemenne, a researcher specialising in environmental and climate migration issues and climate change adaptation policies. The annual world average is significantly lower at 0,44mm. Beaches are getting smaller, and within those cerulean waters, coral reefs are dying, fish are disappearing, and cetaceans are running out of pristine habitats.

Reassuringly, sea temperatures have not risen above 29˚C. Mauritius resident Greet Meulepas, a biologist, marine and lacustrine scientist, cofounder of Beyond Scuba and awardwinning underwater photographer, is grimly aware of the human impact on this island her young family has called home since 2016. ‘Mauritius has the potential to be paradise on Earth: always balmy, tropical weather, beautiful mountains, temperate ocean, breathtaking nature, a rich culture, good-natured and creative people with a sense of humour and a talent for enjoying life – in short, an amazing place to raise a child,’she says.

But when she and her husband, award-winning videographer Olivier van den Broeck, both PADI-accredited divers, moved to the island, they noticed similar evidence of overfishing, pollution and climate change to what they had witnessed elsewhere. Runoff from agricultural activities (pesticides, herbicides and fertilisers) and construction works close to shore contribute to the decline of the coral reefs. In addition, grazers like parrotfish, which live off the algae on the reefs, are being caught. The resulting uninhibited algae growth causes the corals to suffocate. Meanwhile, big trawlers and longliners are scooping the oceans empty, and local fishermen who use simple fishing lines have no choice but to resort to fishing in lagoons where juveniles live with little chance of being able to reproduce.

Spotting a weedy scorpionfish (Rhinopias frondosa) is tricky – with their fleshy tentacles and atypical shape, they disappear into the seaweed and algae. They’re commonly associated with the Coral Triangle but, based on her sightings, Greet Meulepas is convinced that this species is encountered more frequently in Mauritian waters.

The Coastal Waters of the Black River District Hope Spot is home to spinner and bottlenose dolphins, a resident pod of sperm whales and other cetaceans. Humpback whales come here to nurse their young. The couple has spotted green turtles and hawkbills, pink whiprays, all kinds of scorpionfish, false stonefish, frogfish, ghost pipefish, moray eels and Mauritian anemonefish (endemic to the Mascarene Islands). They also believe they are the only ones to have footage of the rarely seen slow dragonet, endemic to Mauritius, in its natural habitat.

‘As an individual, you can feel powerless [to do anything about this]. But then I learnt about Mission Blue and I nominated the Coastal Waters of Black River District as a Hope Spot to connect with scientists and people passionate about protecting the oceans, share information and success stories, and reach out to local NGOs who already do a wonderful job and work hard to protect the oceans,’ says Meulepas.

Veranda Tamarin, under Rogers Hospitality, is one of the hotels in the area that takes sustainability seriously, educating staff, guests and the local community about protecting marine life and ecosystems and getting them involved in clean-up programmes in the village, along the beach and by the river. ‘Our engagement in marine conservation and protection includes a notable programme called the Coral Squad, developed by National Geographic, which aims to help educate local children about marine ecosystems, instil in them an explorer mindset and foster a sense of responsibility and care for the ocean,’ says Pooja Etwah, sustainable development executive for Rogers Hospitality.

Meulepas continues to rally support for the cause and find small ways to make a difference. She launched the Vetiver Project with local teacher Danielle Zélin and National Geographic Young Explorer Prashant Mohesh at Jardin d’Eveil in Albion, Black River. Vetiver is a ‘miracle grass’ that can purify water and control soil erosion with its metres-long roots. The idea is to plant vetiver around rivers, waterways, golf courses, cane fields and along the coastline to purify runoff water before it reaches the sea to give the coral reefs a fighting chance. This, together with expanding the mangroves (natural filters that maintain water quality and clarity as well as controlling nutrient distribution to seagrass beds and coral reefs), is an essential part of the solution to protect Mauritius from climate change.

‘It’s my way of giving back, for I am blessed to live on such a beautiful island,’ says Meulepas.

A very lonely Mauritian anemonefish gazes across a barren stretch of what used to be a thriving, colourful coral reef.

Meanwhile, in Cape Town, Mike Barron, a marine biologist, scientist and conservationist, PADI master scuba diving instructor and founder of Cape RADD (Research and Diver Development),

champions the False Bay Hope Spot. Home to more than 3 500 endemic marine species, including the star of Craig Foster’s award-winning documentary My Octopus Teacher, it forms part of the Great African Sea Forest, the only forest of giant bamboo kelp on our planet.

Fringing Cape Town shores and stretching north for more than 1 000km into Namibia, these are the ‘coral reefs’ of cold and temperate waters, as vulnerable to climate change and pollution as their tropical counterparts and as vital in their role as a carbon sink.

They sequester as much carbon as mangroves, salt marshes and seagrass meadows combined, reducing local ocean acidification, creating a refuge for marine life, protecting our coastline from storm surges and rising seas, and mitigating coastal erosion.

Incredibly, the Great African Sea Forest is growing, compared to elsewhere in the world where global warming is causing an annual global kelp forest loss of two percent. Its protection is vital.

Barron says there’s nothing quite like diving in the Great African Sea Forest. ‘You’re inside this three-dimensional ecosystem, not just floating over it but moving through the canopy. You become a part of it.’

The forest provides a home for a remarkable assortment of creatures, mainly invertebrates. The forest canopy attracts numerous schools of reef fish while a diverse range of sharks and rays depend on the sea forest for sustenance and shelter. Pyjama sharks can be found peacefully resting in small caves, often piled on one another, while gully sharks are abundant, gathering in groups of up to 70 individuals for mating purposes. Larger species like the bronze whaler, sevengill cow shark, smooth-hounds and even great whites gracefully glide past the scene. The short-tailed stingrays here reach lengths exceeding four metres.

The benefit of Cape RADD’s association with Mission Blue is communicating their efforts in monitoring biodiversity, which leads to funding opportunities that help them train the next generation of scientists and grow a community of conservation-minded ambassadors.

They work with thousands of people each year, teaching them about ocean conservation, shark conservation and the kelp forests – packaging recreational scuba diving and snorkelling excursions with a research component that might involve collecting data on shark populations or kelp diversity. This is the ‘eco-tourism citizen science side’ of the business where Barron and his team make it easy for everyone to access and engage with this environment. ‘It can be pretty overwhelming going into the kelp forest for the first time and not really knowing what you’re looking at. As specialists in the marine world, we can communicate what is going on and show them things they might otherwise have missed. They leave with a much better understanding and respect for the ocean and get a lot out of the fact that they contribute directly.’

The False Bay Hope Spot is one of six established along the coast of South Africa by Mission Blue in 2014, in partnership with the Sustainable Seas Trust. The others are Cape Whale Coast (from Rooi Els to Quoin Point, including offshore islands); Knysna (including the Knysna Estuary, marine coast and offshore waters), Plett (linking the Robberg Marine Protected Area to the Tsitsikamma Marine Protected Area), Algoa Bay and the islands (a sanctuary area hosting the principal breeding colonies of the African penguin) and Aliwal Shoal in KwaZulu-Natal.

Greet Meulepas’s greatest wish is for her daughter to be able to dive over pristine reefs and swim with dolphins and turtles. Hope Spots will ensure that when she is old enough to dive, the reefs and their inhabitants will be there in an immaculate blue paradise for all to share.

missionblue.org

Image credits: Greet Meulepas; Cape RADD

Published in Val de Vie magazine, 2023

*This story won a SADC Media Award in the National Print category for 2024.

Dancing to the beat of their own drum

Sun, 26 May 2024 16:42:00 GMT

When you crave a natural high, few things can beat traditional kizomba – the celebration dance out of Angola that has captivated music and dance lovers worldwide.

In December 2019, my father was fighting cancer for the second time while I juggled work commitments with ever-increasing home and hospital visits. In a selfish bid to help me cope, I was desperate to dance despite the guilt that came with that escapism.

I discovered kizomba, aka the African tango, through an expat Angolan community sharing their love for the music and dance of their homeland with a small following of eager students. With its roots in slavery, like so much African music and dance, the lyrics centre on political struggle, heartbreak, betrayal, loss, and love – human stories that move you whether you understand the language or not. The music is transformative, connecting and uplifting, in line with its celebratory intention. “Kizomba” means party in Kimbundu, a Bantu language from Angola. While it may seem intimate because the dance hold is like a hug, this traditional style is all about family.

Soul of a nation

The dancer leading Forever Dance Academy then agreed to a private lesson. I found him in high spirits, singing at full volume and eyes glued to a prerecorded big-screen concert performance in Angola. The show’s star was Luanda-born Paulo Flores, UN Goodwill Ambassador for Angola, an author, composer and performer credited with having the voice of an angel and being one of the most important representatives of Angolan music. According to delicioustunes, “His music draws poetic sketches about love and life, as well as Angola’s history and politics and gives a voice to the soul of a nation by preserving Angola’s story.”

Thirty minutes became two hours. We danced through the entire concert until the sun set, signalling the time to return to a more practical reality.

With the dancer in mind

A few days before the pandemic hit, my father passed away. Through the pain and disbelief, I turned again to kizomba – music this time because we were in lockdown – and found a lifeline in OurSalsaSoulRadio (OSSR). Del Salereo and Sofi Cook established the London-based radio station as a lockdown project to help dancers save their sanity. They recruited passionate Latin, jazz funk, and soul presenters, persuading them to log in from far-flung corners to play for listeners desperate to feel connected to their favourite pasttime – and music.It worked both ways. For newbies, OSSR was a gateway to Latin music; for others, it was a way to learn from the greats like the late Dave Hucker, aka “The Vinyl King”, because he played off nothing else. Also referred to as the doyen of the Latin American groove and world music, he brought fans some of the best African music with anecdotes that kept us hanging on his every word.Fellow presenter Christian Jean-Francois has a similar knack. Hailing from the French Caribbean, his career has led to acclaim in teaching and performing kizomba, promoting musicians and producing albums, and playing zouk, kompa, kizomba, semba and afro beats at clubs and festivals worldwide. His intention on radio is to let people discover a country’s music, but always with the dancers in mind. It has to be danceable.

Angolan musical heritage

Christian Jean-Francois (above) explains that kizomba is from Angola, from the Kimbundu word meaning ‘party’. Kimbundu is the second most widely spoken language in the country. “It is the same as the French Caribbean word, zouk, which also means having a party, dancing all night and enjoying the music. Today, kizomba music is heavily inspired by kompa from Haiti and zouk from Guadeloupe and Martinique while the kizomba dance is deeply influenced by the semba from Angola,” he says.Zouk has always been popular, but now kompa is “in fashion” and played at all PALOP (Países Africanos de Língua Oficial Portuguesa; Portuguese-speaking African countries) events. The lyrics for kompa have always been “very powerful, very political, very engaging” – and they are still relevant today as the country battles a state of emergency and a legacy of slavery dating back to the 18th century. A large part of the slave population was African-born, from several West African peoples.His intention, when he plays for OSSR, is to educate listeners about the music and the musicians. “Many African musicians are known to audiences, but they don’t know they’re African. For example, Africando is a collaboration spearheaded by West African star producer Ibrahima Sylla and Malian arranger Boncana Maïga, bringing together salsa musicians based in New York with Senegalese vocalists who have long been interpreting Latin-infused melodies. Among them are Pap Seck (formerly of Star Band de Dakar), Nicolas Menheim (formerly of Youssou N’Dour’s Super Etoile de Dakar), and Medoune Diallo (previously associated with Orchestre Baobab). So a lot of people in salsa will know the songs, but they won’t know the artists are from Senegal.”

One love, one dance

Christian Jean-Francois has a special connection with Senegal because he has worked with Senegalese musicians and bands who are famous today. He was tour manager for Cheik Lo from Senegal, Papa Wemba from Congo and Salif Keta from Mali (Africa Fete 98 US and Canada tour) and has been promoting and producing albums since 1998 for Thierno Koite, who featured on the track ‘Seven Seconds’ by Youssou N’Dour & The Super Etoile, among others. Koite is a member of Orchestre Baobab, the iconic West African dance band that celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, which Christian Jean-Francois managed from 2015-2020.While he has been involved in music throughout his life, he also teaches dance, including kizomba, tarraxinha, urban kiz (French style), and semba de roda. An Angolan head-hunted him to establish a kizomba dance school, believing he would be an asset because of his Guadeloupian heritage and connection with Zouk.

Coming full circle

“In the PALOP world, you have Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe and Equatorial Guinea, and what people don’t know is we are their cousins – from Guadeloupe and sister island Martinique. The Zouk band, Kassav, from Guadeloupe and Martinique, is one of the most popular in Angola and in Luanda (the country’s capital) there’s a museum of zouk – La Maison du Zouk, which has a collection of 10,000 albums. No matter where I’ve been in the PALOP countries, the DJs always play a 30-minute classic zouk set.”

“We have a saying where we’re from – ‘One love, one dance’. Gwo ka (the Creole name for the traditional drum from Guadeloupe) is the genre that can qualify singing, music, and dance in Guadeloupe, from which zouk gets its inspiration but we are fully aware that those drummings originate from African slaves landed in the Caribbean and remembering their motherland. So for us it’s like a full circle, it’s a link to Africa.”

By Debbie Hathway. Commissioned by FiftyFour magazine

Spark and revel in the flame of opera passion

Sun, 25 Feb 2024 13:06:00 GMT

Spark and revel in the flame of opera passion30 years of Operalia: Plácido Domingo honours rising opera stars on the global stage

By Debbie Hathway

For three decades, Operalia has been the most significant showcase for budding opera stars like South Africans Pretty Yende and Levy Sekgapane, previous Operalia First Prize winners now forging illustrious international careers. Rolex has been a presenting sponsor for 22 years, supporting the vision of Operalia president and founder Maestro Plácido Domingo, and underpinning the brand’s long-standing goal to help preserve and perpetuate culture across generations. Speaking in Cape Town recently when Domingo hosted the event for the first time on African soil, the legendary tenor and conductor thanked Rolex for their “generous support and unconditional loyalty. Without their educated commitment, their innate sense of mentorship and their invaluable sponsorship, Operalia simply could not represent, reward and honour legions of singers, year after year.”

Of the 34 contestants from 15 countries who made it to the quarterfinals this year, five were South Africans who had studied at Opera UCT. They included tenors Luvo Maranti and Thando Mjandana as well as baritone Sakhiwe Mkosana. Soprano Nombulelo Yende made the final 12, winning the CulturArte Prize offered by Guillermo and Bertita Martínez, while mezzo-soprano Siphokazi Molteno was one of five Zarzuela finalists.

STARS IN THEIR EYES

Operalia 2023 First Prize winner Julie Roset, a soprano from France, feels lucky to have a job developed from passion – and talent – for singing, with potential for travel. She says she might never have discovered Africa otherwise. “I feel really lucky that this year Operalia was in Cape Town, because I loved it so much. On the day of the final I went up Table Mountain because the [weather] was so beautiful. It was really helpful to have this kind of surrounding, to stay calm.”

Roset says she was “really stressed” before her captivating final performance of the Bell Song (Où va la jeune Hindoue) from Léo Delibes’ Lakmé, but once the orchestra joined in after her starting a capella, she could relax. “I’m really happy because I had fun telling the story of the fairy of the bells. Our job is to bring the character to the audience, to bring them to a new world, and I love this aria for that. And the music is so beautiful,” she says. “My teacher always tells me, ‘Sing with your heart,’ and I think I did that.”

UNFORGETTABLE MOMENTS

Runner-up Eugénie Joneau, a mezzo-soprano from France, won a further two prizes – the Birgit Nilsson prize and the Zarzuela prize, bringing her purse to $45,000. The Birgit Nilsson is awarded every three years for outstanding achievement in classical music and opera. Domingo was the first laureate in 2009.

Joneau describes Operalia as “an extraordinary journey… unique, especially because of the prestigious jury. I’m so honoured to be the Zarzuela winner; it is a repertoire which I fell in love with. Maestro Domingo has a passion for this beautiful music and he shared this with all of us. Meeting and being conducted by him was fabulous. I’ll remember these few minutes all my life.”

Domingo shared the podium for the Gala finals with Maestro Kamal Khan, showering praise on the musicians of the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra for their ability to perform their own concerts as well as accompany ballet and opera.

SHARING GOOD TIMES

The evening’s emotional highlight for me was the closing performance by all 34 contestants of Operalia’s Anthem with text and music by Plácido Domingo Jnr. Quarterfinalist Luvo Maranti agrees, explaining that the lyrics are about “embarking on a journey (of a competition like Operalia) and sharing good times… Operalia is a competition but for the most part it’s about networking and getting to see people. It’s about working hard and [filling] yourself with that passion for music.”

What has he taken away from the competition? “It was a pleasure to be part of something of that magnitude. It opened my eyes in terms of the level of preparation, focus, and sense of individuality [required]. As much as we know opera is a very physical thing, it’s also a mental thing. You must be mentally prepared for it. I will work much harder, in fact.”

Meanwhile, Roset says she really liked that “everyone was so nice” and she made friends. “I will stay in touch with some singers as friends, not colleagues. I know we will share the stage together in the future and that’s amazing.”

Her advice on introducing people to opera, especially children, is to let them see something short, light and funny. “Christmas shows are the best, like Cinderella. The opera is performed in the language of the country – if you go with kids, they understand everything – and it’s shorter. It’s like you’re watching a Disney cartoon. Choose something by Mozart, Offenbach or Rossini – not too long, something funny. Comedy helps!”

ALL THE WINNERS

First Prize ($30,000 each)

Julie Roset, soprano, FranceStephano Park, bass, South Korea

Second Prize ($20,000 each)

Eugénie Joneau, mezzo-soprano, FranceLuke Sutliff, baritone, US

Third Prize ($10,000 each)

Elena Villalón, soprano, USNavasard Hakobyan, baritone, Armenia

Birgit Nilsson Prize ($15,000)

Eugénie Joneau

Zarzuela Prize ($10,000 each), presented in honour of Domingo’s parents,

both stars of the Spanish genre

Eugénie Joneau – Pepita Embil de Domingo Zarzuela prizeNavasard Hakobyan – Don Plácido Domingo Ferrer Zarzuela prize

Rolex Audience Prize (Rolex watch)

Elena Villalón, soprano, USTaehan Kim, baritone, South Korea

CulturArte Prize ($10,000)

Nombulelo Yende, soprano, SA

Encouragement Award ($5,000)

Semyon Antakov, baritone, RussiaCaitlin Gotimer, soprano, USOmer Kobiljak, tenor, Bosnia and HerzegovinaSiphokazi Molteno, mezzo-soprano, South Africa

The jury comprised opera directors, casting directors, artistic directors, and consultants of renowned opera houses, and was presided over by Domingo. *Extract from story published by YourLuxury Africa, 2023

Construction begins at Harmonie Golf and Beach Estate in Mauritius

Sat, 23 Dec 2023 00:16:18 GMT

If you’re looking ahead to living in the most exclusive enclave in the west of Mauritius,

Harmonie Golf and Beach Estate must be at the top of your list.

Words by Debbie Hathway

Construction begins on the new luxury development at Les Salines in Q1: 2024, and delivery is expected within three years. Work on the new 18-hole GEO-certified golf course is already underway, giving avid golfers another reason to seriously consider moving to Mauritius with its reputation for some of the most magnificent golfing facilities in the world.

“Les Salines is not just a road; it’s a lifestyle – marking the entrance to a modern town with many attractions and a wide range of residences from exclusive villas or beachfront apartments. It will all be right here. Tucked away in the heart of Black River in The West, this newly constructed cul de sac will provide access to luxurious new resorts and property developments with all their related five-star amenities. Thanks to its exclusivity, it will be the wealthiest area on the island in the next five years,” says Rinie Boshoff, Pam Golding Properties (Mauritius) Development Manager for the West Coast.She says the peaceful atmosphere that comes with the location of Harmonie Golf and Beach Estate is the epitome of “bushveld bliss”. There are 220 luxury villas and serviced plots dotted across 150 hectares around 54 metres above sea level. Homes look onto Le Morne and La Tourelle mountain from the other side of a horseshoe-shaped lagoon. Plots average 2,000 square metres, with a built area from 401 square metres. “You can buy a serviced plot, which, aside from exterior specifications, allows you to decide on the design and size of your villa. Or choose a plot-and-villa option, offering three villa concepts with flexible add-on extras. Whatever you decide, your home will reflect your lifestyle and decor preferences in a truly curated way,” says Rinie.

NATURAL WONDERS

Harmonie Golf and Beach Estate is a Property Development Scheme (PDS), approved for real estate sales to foreigners. It features bespoke, sustainable, passive design that works with the tropical climate for optimal temperature control. Bioclimatic architecture harnesses natural ventilation and light while each villa’s orientation limits its energy footprint. Renewable materials are used and endemic plant species feature in the landscape. Energy and water-saving equipment is provided, wastewater treatment and reuse facilitated, rainwater harvested and recyclables collected and sorted. Buyers can also opt for a 100% off-grid villa.

Villa N is designed for space and privacy, Villa S offers sweeping views and a central courtyard while Villa W boasts beautiful natural light as well as panoramic golf course and ocean vistas. General features include plenty of wood panelling, a rustic garden, swimming pool, and an ample patio. Property investment here promises strong capital growth and ensures permanent residency. Prices start from €490,000 for a plot and €1.61m for a villa.

ART OF LIVING

Meanwhile, residents on the estate get privileged access to Paradis Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa and Dinarobin Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa and their pristine beaches, while Harmonie Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa is under construction. Once completed, homeowners can enjoy the state-of-the-art Sports Club, rejuvenating Spa, and fun-filled Kid’s Club, all conveniently located just a short stroll from your home. Moreover, there will be a clubhouse, tennis courts and defined area for safe boat parking and launching.

Elegant, ergonomic, eternal: the artistry of high-end jewellery design

Wed, 20 Dec 2023 09:20:00 GMT

In the world of high jewellery, craftsmanship transcends the mere creation of baubles; it’s an exquisite fusion of elegance, ergonomics, and eternity. Every piece tells a story of meticulous design, where form meets function with grace, and where timeless beauty becomes a testament to the enduring legacy of highly skilled jewellery artisans. Join us on a journey through the enchanting realm of jewellery design where opulence meets practicality, and where each piece is not just a masterpiece but a promise of eternal allure.

CARTIER

Pure lines, accurate shapes, precise proportions, precious details. For centuries, these have contributed to Cartier’s signature – underpinning a collection of cult jewellery and watchmaking designs. The secret is in the structure. Pared-down simplicity ensures that each line is instantly recognisable. In jewellery, think Trinity, Juste un Clou, and Love. The Maison uses perspective to create depth and the curved lines to create movement and reinvent them in a new form as time dictates – modernity steeped in classic elegance – eternal and essential. The shape must be comfortable, details must exist for a reason, and proportion must depend on technical innovation, ergonomics research and understanding of the piece’s function. Beyond the aesthetic beauty of these pieces, they also have cachet as heirlooms.

MESSIKA

Valérie Messika’s new campaign with Kendall Jenner was shot in the Palm Springs desert (as opposed to last year’s Saint-Tropez location), enabling the designer to play with more cinematic style and themes of great American classics. The campaign features three collections: D-Vibes, So Move, and Move Link. “D-Vibes is a collection that puts a spin on the famous diamond necklace. We have designed these pieces as jewels for the skin, hugging the body’s every contour. The two new sets in the campaign are the So Move and Move Link collections. In these designs, we’ve reinterpreted the Maison’s great classic, the Move, with its motif pushed to the limit. We wanted to lean into an excess of shapes and lines – an XXL design – and play with chunky gold and angular edges. Our iconic design is in its prime, only growing in status.”

CHOPARD

Caroline Scheufele’s Happy Hearts collection is a Chopard icon with its signature heart and dancing diamonds. The symbolic shape features regularly in the creations by the Maison’s Co-President and Artistic Director. Fashioned from ethically sourced gold, the Happy Hearts collection exudes a delightful, airy charm, ranging from vibrant, swirling designs to those adorned with dazzling diamonds. Whether worn individually or layered, these pieces radiate a sense of lightness and joy. Until now, the line featured malachite, white or Tahitian mother-of-pearl, onyx, carnelian, and sparkling diamonds. It is extended with pink opals found mainly in the Peruvian Andes worked into a pendant necklace, bracelet, ring and earrings design.

POMELLATO

Handcrafted in the firm’s Milan atelier, the Pomellato Together collection of rings and bracelets is conceived as wearable sculptures that express the enigma of love in its many forms. Continuous lines, soft finishes and perfect diamond and gemstone settings capture the ties that bind, be they as lovers or friends through sisterhood or family ties. Rose gold brings out the white and brown diamonds, blue sapphires or white diamonds contrast with the white gold pieces, while emeralds and rubies embellish the rose gold rings. Double bands of smooth gold, embellished with diamonds and gemstones, are linked as if in an embrace, and may be worn revealing or concealing that link. The simple, gender-fluid lines have universal appeal.

BULGARI

The new Diva’s Dream 18kt rose gold necklaces and matching earrings are as graceful as Bulgari’s muse, Anne Hathaway. The openwork design is slightly smaller than previous iterations, featuring a drop-shaped tanzanite, green tourmaline or rubellite for a flash of colour at the heart of a fan-like diamond frame. The necklace can be worn long or embracing the neck with a section of chain detached and worn separately as a bracelet.

LOUIS VUITTON

The Louis Vuitton Blossom jewellery collection, inspired by the Maison’s monogram flower, features 11 new pieces in pink or white gold ranging from delicate, stackable rings and pendants to an eye-catching overlap hoop and oversized, diamond-studded earrings. Solid and graphic but equally organic and wearable, they are designed to inspire creativity and personalisation to suit various moods and occasions. The rings and earrings are available in two sizes – the smaller creations are more classic and delicate, and the larger versions are more statement-making.

A version of this article appeared in the annual edition of Modern Luxe magazine.

Cartier celebrates the new Tank Française with evocative film

Wed, 08 Feb 2023 14:13:00 GMT

There’s a new angle on Cartier’s Tank Française, and it’s celebrated through the seventh art. British filmmaker Guy Ritchie directs American actor Rami Malek (Mr Robot, Bohemian Rhapsody, No Time To Die) and French legend Catherine Deneuve (Parapluies de Cherbourg, Indochine, Place Vendôme) as they travel through time from different eras to Pont Alexandre III, which spans the Seine. The fantasy crossing makes the film unique.Senior Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer Arnaud Carrez says the film expresses Cartier’s vision of watchmaking and the timelessness of its creations. French style, symbolised by the Tank and Deneuve, meets freedom and creativity linked to Paris, represented by avant-garde cinema and Malek.

Since 1917, the Tank “normale” watch has gradually evolved from its straight-line make-up of case, lugs and bracelet in one. The Tank Française debuted in 1996 with a metal bracelet in absolute harmony with the case, its name referencing the French preference for classicism and freedom of style.

Timeless creation

In 2023, the new large model of the Tank Française has mainly satin finishes, an ultra-flexible bracelet and automatic mechanical movement. Other design features include more rounded brancards with the crown inlaid to match their profile and Roman numerals on a sunray dial highlighted by the shine of its relief.

“The new Tank Française reflects a creative conviction. Like rediscovering the raw nature of a cut stone, it was about capturing the watch’s radical shape, simplifying its essential lines and stripping them of all embellishment to return to the myth’s origin,” says Marie-Laure Cérède, Jewellery and Watchmaking Creative Director.

Malek says, “For me, there are two words that truly encapsulate this watch: beauty and simplicity. The continued appreciation for this watch across generations is evidence of its timelessness and the perfection of its iconic design.”

A version of this piece was published by YourLuxury Africa

First Piaget Polo mechanical perpetual calendar revealed

Wed, 08 Feb 2023 08:39:00 GMT

Preparations for Watches and Wonders Geneva 2023 are in full swing. I’m delighted to be invited once again to join a privileged group of international journalists to cover the new luxury watch launches. I’ve attended the world’s most prestigious watchmaking event for over a decade. This year is the largest yet, with almost 50 brands exhibiting their micromechanical marvels.

Piaget recently revealed the first mechanical perpetual calendar for its iconic Polo collection ahead of Watches and Wonders Geneva, which takes place from 27 March to 2 April exclusively for invited media, retailers, clients, and collectors during the week.

Public entry is permitted over the final weekend.

“Perpetual Extraleganza”

The Piaget Polo Perpetual Calendar Ultra-thin features the Maison’s signature horology in an emblematic complication powered by the new 1255P ultra-thin 4mm calibre. The Manufacture launched the inhouse 12P movement in 1960 – the world’s thinnest thanks to using the micro-rotor to achieve that dimension. The new movement is inspired by the proven reliability and extreme slimness of the 1200P calibre and features a moon-phase mechanism.

The perpetual calendar is designed to advance the day, date, and year until the year 2100 – months, moon phases and leap-year cycle. Luxury watches that feature this haute horlogerie savoir-faire are highly sought-after by collectors and luxury watch aficionados.

Watchmaking savoir-faire

The Piaget Polo Perpetual Calendar Ultra-thin features a striking dark emerald-green dial with a gadroon pattern and three subdials for the date, month (along with leap-year indication) and weekday at 9, 12 and 3 o’clock, along with the moonphase indication at 6 o’clock. Typically, the subdials incorporate finishes that enrich the visual display under the light, together with SuperLumiNova® indexes.

The gadroons have been part of the Piaget Polo signature on the case since 1979, so what’s different about this luxury watch? They now appear on the bracelet, which has a brand-new interchangeable SingleTouch system to accommodate a comfortable rubber strap alternative that echoes the dial pattern.

Yves Piaget’s sporty and relaxed approach to watchmaking elegance endures in this unisex timepiece, available in gold or steel. The style is favoured by celebrities like Ursula Andress, Roger Moore, Andy Warhol and Björn Borg.

Piaget.com

The unveiling of 13 Paix

Mon, 28 Nov 2022 19:31:00 GMT

I’ve had a very romantic notion of Cartier ever since I learned about the history of the Tank wristwatch at my first Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie in Geneva. Then there were the stories about the dreamy proposals staff witnessed amidst the engagement and wedding jewellery at the famous Parisian boutique at 13 Rue de la Paix.

Standing in the time-honoured space of ‘13 Paix’, which reopened to the public on Friday, 28 October 2022 after a lengthy renovation, is an unforgettable experience.

Unexpected discoveries

“The number 13 is associated with eternity, and this place is timeless to its core, like the jewellery creations shaped from stones forged within the earth over millions of years,” says Cyrille Vigneron, president and CEO of Cartier International. “An abundance of space and light, a place of life and encounters, of creation and imagination, the new No. 13 invites us on a journey of new and unexpected discoveries. Its thoughtful architecture, prioritizing substance over form and appearance, is the ultimate showcase for the most precious jewels and the setting for the most romantic stories.”

The façade of the sanctum of Louis Cartier and Jeanne Toussaint, nicknamed La Panthere, retains the elegant style embodied in the black and gold identity introduced when the boutique opened in 1899. Ground-breaking at a time when most storefronts were crafted from wood or painted, the black marble facade veined with golden-yellow pyrite highlights the shimmering diamonds in the windows and magnifies the classicism Louis Cartier loved.

Timeless creative identity

Three interior architects and decorators the Maison had worked with previously were commissioned to envision a place “that lives and breathes a timeless creative identity.” Moinard Betaille contributed to the showroom and sales area, Studioparisien to customer services, the archives, and the high jewellery ateliers, and Laura Gonzalez to the exclusive top-floor apartment named “La Residence”.

Betaille has subtly upgraded the polished brass that once framed the windows with pale bronze and filled the interior with soothing tones of ivory, blond wood, powdered gold, pearly white and champagne. Brass rays of a floor mosaic in the reception area acknowledge a Cartier Art Deco motif, and tendrils of light filter in from the street to rest on the classic sculpted vases and garlands of the refinished original woodwork.

Cartier style

The finishings on the upper floors are sculpted, engraved, weathered, or inlaid. Each salon on the third floor celebrates the Cartier style from the Indian salon with its embroidery-effect walls and large tiger mosaic by Atelier Lilikpo to the Art Deco salon.

The high jewellery ateliers and archives on the fourth and fifth floors are both enticing and functional, while the sixth-floor attic space for La Residence delivers on Gonzalez’ vision of “a poetic and dreamlike decor, as if one were floating in the clouds.”

13 Paix features precious ideas throughout the building to the extent that visitors may miss the nuances of the materials, colours, furnishings, lighting, and artworks at first glance. “We wanted a visit to these spaces to be an enticement to come back,” said Moinard. “To come back again, each time savouring new surprises and delights.”

Louis Cartier salon

My favourite is the Louis Cartier salon. Contemporary furnishings mingle with large volumes of books he inherited from his father and grandfather, illustrated works on the decorative arts of France, the Maghreb, and the Middle and Far East that inspired the Cartier creations, and eye-catching geodes and crystals. A gravity clock circa 1910 on permanent loan from the Cartier Collection is also a feature.

The unveiling of the new boutique is celebrated with an exclusive collection crowned by seven high jewellery ensembles that honour themes dear to Cartier.

When tomorrow never comes

Mon, 21 Nov 2022 08:06:16 GMT

Words by Debbie Hathway

November is a bittersweet time of year. I get the usual yearning to return to Mauritius (my body knows when it’s time to recharge), but it’s also a special time to experience paradise island when the sun coaxes inconceivable shades of blue from the ocean, and the “flamboyant” trees are full of brilliant red flowers.

16 November 2016 was the first time I visited Mauritius in the summer. It was a long weekend break made possible by sponsored flights through Air Mauritius. My mom had been fighting cancer for too long, having beaten it once before, and I needed a boost to get me through the next phase.

However, that weekend was the beginning of the end of my mother’s life. Had I known that was imminent, I would never have gone. I was in denial, firmly believing she would turn the corner. I returned to Cape Town that Sunday morning. She passed away that night. My father and I were with her.

So, when I get the social media reminders of my time there, those memories come flooding back and with them, the learning. I was at work the day after she passed, sending a magazine to print because there was nobody else to do it. I was retrenched a few weeks later.

Breaking old patterns

It took me years of soul-searching to accept that I could not look to others for praise, reward, or recognition for my effort, no matter how many times I burned out trying to prove I was worthy of the role or task at hand – a pattern I followed to my detriment for most of my career. I had to find that value for myself with help from peers, friends, and even strangers who connected with me and my work through social media. Seeing my writing through their eyes eventually changed my perception of myself and my skill. As a writer, one is constantly plagued with self-doubt, worrying about whether a story will be accepted and approved by an editor, and if the readers will like it. The thrill (and relief) of a figurative thumbs-up never gets old.

For me, Mauritius has always been a restorative space, which kick-started my healing long before I knew I needed help. My writings are not just another Mauritius travel story (I write about island property investment, medical tourism, and music, too) – each episode reveals something life-changing, and I’m grateful to all those editors who have encouraged me to write from the heart and been open to sharing those stories, as well as my hosts and their PR teams who have enabled me to alert others to the special people and places out there.

Opera under the stars

It started in earnest at One&Only Le Saint Géran where I had a very special introduction to Francesc Miralles and his Harmonia programme, and of course, “my band” – the Famous 9. There are many brilliant musicians on that island, but they got my attention the night we arrived, and I walked into that magnificent reception and heard opera – my mom’s favourite genre. They were singing something by The Three Tenors, and I’ve been a groupie ever since.

What is inextricably linked to my mother’s philosophy of life is LUX* Resorts and Hotels. Their mission is to help guests “celebrate life”, something my mom used to talk about ad nauseum. She was always on about wanting to “live” – long before she became ill – trying to break free of her challenges and limiting mindsets while teaching me how to do that for myself. She became the top-earning character model in Cape Town, after being discovered in her fifties.

Mauritius healing

I think the warmth, love, and appreciation of the locals, who delighted in my response to their world, changed me, as did the multitude of healing treatments I have enjoyed over the years at Shanti Maurice, Saint Géran, Shangri-La Le Touessrok, LUX* Belle Mare, LUX* Grand Gaube, SALT of Palmar, LUX* Le Morne, Beachcomber Dinarobin, Beachcomber Victoria, Anahita, Long Beach, and Ambre.

Life is all about balance. Learning never stops if you are open to introspection, awareness, and self-improvement, and I am forever grateful to my mom for introducing me to the healers on home soil who continue to help me navigate this path through life. I’m somewhere between my mom’s mantra: everything in moderation, and my dad’s Desiderata reference – “Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.”

What buyers want

Sat, 05 Nov 2022 23:35:42 GMT

Getting back to nature is still a thing, as is getting that highly coveted second passport.

Words by Debbie Hathway

Looking for Plan B

When foreign shores beckon, South Africans can get a very respectable bang for their buck, plus residency, in Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, Malta, and Mauritius, among others. But how does one choose? One thing is certain — it can’t be an emotional decision. If you’re after residency or citizenship in exchange for property investment, working out the pros and cons of each attractive destination can be daunting. To help buyers decide, Henley & Partners has developed a new analytical tool in partnership with Deep Knowledge Analytics, called the Best Investment Migration Real Estate Index. Potential investors can use this tool to analyse the reputation of and quality of life in the host country, GDP, the minimum property investment amount, potential rental income, associated property costs, application-processing efficiency, residency requirements, restrictions, saleability, and crypto-friendliness.

Follow the sun

Dubai tops the index’s rankings, scoring well for rental-income potential and lower price of property per square metre compared to other major international centres. Some fans also say the desert city has attracted loads of expats who appreciate its speedy modernisation that hasn’t compromised culture. Spain, Montenegro, and Turkey are listed next, with Portugal, Thailand, and Greece firm favourites for lifestyle. In Montenegro, property investors can choose between glamorous coastal resorts and new establishments servicing increasingly popular mountain and ski areas in the north. A lot of research is needed to make the right decision for you and your family. After all, a second passport could be the best legacy you leave them. Even though Portugal and Spain, for example, appear similar at face value you’ll discover more differences the deeper you dig.

Ocean frontage

Nick Whitten, Head of UK Residential and Living Research at JLL, credits the pandemic for bringing the best of town and country together. “Covid-19 triggered a boost in demand for the things we typically associate with rural living, causing strong house price growth outside towns and cities across most of the developed world. Demand has bounced back for cities, particularly in areas that offer a village feel.”

Mauritius is in with a shout at 14th place on the index, appealing to South Africans who want a better life in a safe, secure, well-governed regime, close to home. You can buy your dream home here for $375 000 and get permanent residency for three generations of family members. Property costs, fees, and duties are low and there is no capital gains tax.

Seychelles is another idyllic island destination that has seen strong capital growth and a buoyant rental market that has realised hard currency returns for investors. Eden Island, marketed by Pam Golding International, offers a unique opportunity for offshore investment and Seychelles residency in a proven successful development. It boasts world-class beaches, fishing, diving, and snorkelling, the most modern superyacht marina in the Indian Ocean islands, and easy accessibility with direct flights from all major destinations.

When it comes down to it, the beach lifestyle gets my vote every time.

An extract of this piece was published in the March edition of Wanted, 2022.

The many faces of Amanda Seyfried

Sat, 05 Nov 2022 18:02:00 GMT

The screen star speaks her mind about varied femininities, style, expression, and identity.

Since Pennsylvania native Amanda Seyfried landed her first contract acting role as Lucy Montgomery in As the World Turns (2000) and had her breakthrough performance as Karen Smith in Mean Girls (2004), she has given a range of noteworthy performances.

Her 20-year career has seen her play a bride-to-be searching for her father (Mamma Mia!, 2008), an escort (Chloe, 2009), a young woman in love (Dear John, 2010), and the world’s first adult film star, abused by the industry and her coercive husband (Lovelace, 2013), among many others. Seyfried received Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for her portrayal of Marion Davies, a Broadway actress and mistress to newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst, in the critically acclaimed Mank. She now stars as Julie, who struggles with post-partum depression, in A Mouthful of Air, and as Elizabeth Holmes, founder of the medical testing startup Theranos, in the mini-series The Dropout.

Behind the glitz and glam, Seyfried says she’s just a farm girl, who prefers a natural look without makeup (as demonstrated in our Zoom interview). But she will apply eye shadow, mascara, and lipstick (nothing on her skin, which can appear almost translucent) when she goes to the theatre because “it does enhance your features” and “it’s really fun to gloss yourself up”.

At home on her farm in upstate New York, which she shares with husband Thomas Sadoski and their two children, her peonies are her pride and joy. “This time on the farm is really special,” she says. Among her various roles, I wonder which ones have brought out her feminine best. “I think of Elizabeth Holmes, even though she, from my perspective, has a complicated relationship with her femininity. She definitely used it when she needed to and tried to hide it when she felt she needed to, which is not the way I live my life. But I understood where she was coming from. And that contrast in playing her, and then coming home to myself, I think that actually is the role.”

She adds: “Of course, playing Marion Davies and wearing those meant-to-look-old costume dresses and costume jewellery and the time spent on the makeup and that elegance… I don’t know if she was the most feminine. I think she was more respectful and appreciative of, and intimate with, her body than you would think by looking at her. She wears a majorette costume at the end of a scene with a marching band, which felt more feminine than anything — she was wearing pants because that was empowering! That was what women did. They wore pants. We forget that.”

On femininity, Seyfried says, “Being feminine is really owning your body and appreciating it. It’s the sexiest thing in the world. It’s just being intimate with yourself in every way. Femininity isn’t about any dress or specific makeup look. Femininity to me is about doing what you want with it, wearing what you want and not letting it wear you… I mean, I’m a mom, so I’ve seen my body do all sorts of things. And I can do anything I want with it, I don’t care. Wear wide pants and a tight top, or a suit. It doesn’t matter. It can make me feel uber-feminine because of the way I walk and the way it makes me feel when I’m wearing it. The short answer is, I like my body. I like myself.”

Interestingly, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Friend of the Brand wears what is “a masculine watch in theory [the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin]. Whatever makes me feel empowered makes me feel feminine and makes me feel beautiful. The Master is a daytime watch for me, and I wear it for a night-time event with a really bad-ass outfit, like an Oscar de la Renta. It’s powerful and sexy. I also wear the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso, which has a secret etching of my dog on the case back. A watch is jewellery to me… so I love having the watch face, the look, and the time. I just love the way it’s made. Each piece has its own meaning and its own special use.”

As for the Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous, “It is something to behold. I’m a farm girl, right? You look at that watch when it’s not on you and you think, ‘I hope it doesn’t wear me.’ But I f****ng wore that watch. I think the sexiest, best time to wear it is with jeans and a T-shirt and big chunky diamond earrings. It’s, like, a casual look and an incredibly not-casual arm.

She adds: “The Rendez-Vous is the least connected to where I am in my daily life — that, I think, is the unpredictable element that makes it so much fun to wear. It’s incredibly special, and that’s what makes it work.”

As published by Wanted on 29 August 2022.

Time travel

Sun, 30 Jan 2022 07:22:00 GMT

What would you do if I gave you 86 400? Today, tomorrow and the next day. And the day after that. What would you do?

The question was posed to me recently by one of my mentors. My mind instantly moved to money. Paying off debt. Living a little. Travelling. Stressing less. ‘What would you do,’ he asked, ‘if you had 86 400 seconds. Not rand. We are given 86 400 seconds every day and yet we take time for granted…’

It is a familiar refrain when I interview luminaries in the luxury watch and jewellery industry at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, which is one of the top-two international watch fairs in Switzerland. No matter where these watchmakers, jewellery designers, marketers or owners are based in the world, the sentiment is the same. Time is luxury. It is not about material things. It is about things that matter.

They are quick to wax lyrical about their latest favourite timepiece adorning their wrist, whether their design preference leans more towards the fun, the stylish, the glamorous, the iconic or the investment. Patek Philippe is a leader in the latter category, renowned for its advertising slogan that has maintained traction for more than two decades: ‘You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation.’

Across the board, however, creators, collectors, fashionistas and fans all agree. A watch is a fashion accessory. They use their mobile phones to check the time.

Take your time

I attended a kizomba dance class in Cape Town recently. This ‘African tango’ that is taking the world by storm originates in Angola where it is usually seen at family and community celebrations. The traditional version is less about intimacy, and more about connection – the kind you can demonstrate with your mother or uncle or daughter or cousin, unlike the more sensual version being seen on urban dance floors. So when my partner disengaged from our close embrace, during which I had become lost in the security of a rhythmic dance led by a respectful, patient partner, it was with some annoyance that I realised he was checking the time…

I forgave him momentarily when I caught sight of his chunky wristwatch and was distracted by the opportunity to discover what he was wearing – until he reached into his pocket for his mobile phone, smiling at me good-naturedly. He is half my age. The watch makes a statement but he uses his phone to tell the time. It is more accurate and less likely to lose time. (Perhaps he would change his mind if he was wearing something like the Montblanc Heritage Perpetual Calendar Limited Edition 100 , featured here, with its power reserve of 48 hours.)

Noticing the temporary break in movement, our Angolan teacher, Danilton Faria (above) of Forever Dance Academy , hastened to get us going again, shepherding us into one corner of the room where we could continue without danger of interfering with another couple’s practice. ‘Keep your space,’ he said to nobody in particular. ‘Listen to the music. Don’t rush. Take your time.’

* Story first published in Sawubona , SAA’s in-flight magazine, 2019

The Rolex Experimental Deep Sea Special N°1 goes under the hammer

Fri, 24 Sep 2021 13:14:00 GMT

The one-of-a-kind Rolex Deep Sea Special prototype for perfecting the Rolex diving watch goes under the hammer at the Christie’s Rare Watches Auction in Geneva on November 8, 2021.

As I write, it’s a week short of 68 years since the historical dive that saw the watch travel 3,150m down into the Mediterranean on September 30, 1953.

Transcending time

Auguste Piccard, the Swiss physicist-inventor-explorer, was famous for his balloon flights in the stratosphere. However, he wanted to test the physical principles, particularly pressurisation, in the deep. He and his son, Jacques, developed a submarine for unprecedented gambit and teamed up with Rolex for the occasion. How did they do it? They attached the watch to the hull of his bathyscaphe Trieste and down they went! The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner was introduced to the public at the Basel Watch Fair in 1954.

The Rolex Deep Sea Special N°1, now up for auction, is in perfect working condition. It served as the proving ground for the Rolex Deep Sea Special N°3. This piece reached 10,908m with the Trieste in the Mariana Trench on January 23, 1960. It is on display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC.

The rarest of rare Rolexes

Not one of the watches that could, but the only one that did.

“This watch is the ultimate incarnation of the Oyster case design which defined the Rolex watches and the brand,” says Rémi Guillemin, Head of Watches, Christie’s Geneva.

Seven prototypes were built between 1953 and 1960. Three have been identified to date.

The Deep Sea Special N°1 with a ‘low glass’ (made from Plexiglas).
The Deep Sea Special N°3 with a ‘high glass’ (a taller, thicker crystal, also Plexiglas, developed from the N°1 experience).
Deep Sea Special N°5, another ‘high-glass’ version, possibly used for further extreme testing until 1960. This piece was offered at auction by Christie’s in 2000.

Piaget: master of ultra-thin watchmaking

Sun, 01 Aug 2021 18:58:00 GMT

Debbie Hathway talks to Cynthia Tabet, Global Product Marketing Director at Piaget,

about the 2021 watch launches.

Debbie Hathway talks to Cynthia Tabet, Global Product Marketing Director at Piaget,

about the 2021 watch launches.

Watch aficionados regard Piaget’s hard stone dial watches not only as jewellery but as works of art. The black opal from the new limited editions presented for Limelight Gala is bound to be one of the most desired. Is there a story you would like to share about how the opal came to Piaget?Thank you very much for your appreciation of this piece. It is true that sometimes stones can be a source of inspiration for our designers but in general everything starts with the design. And then it is up to our gemologists and artisans to make it happen. In the case of the Limelight Gala High Jewellery, the opal comes from Australia as this is where we find the best quality. Then the hard part begins: cutting very thin slices of opal and stiffening them. I say « the hard part begins » because at each step of the process – cutting, machining, glueing – there is a high risk of breaking the opal.

Piaget Limelight Gala

I love the mother-of-pearl dial too, which seems to be more prominent this year. What inspired the selection of mother-of-pearl for these pieces?

Our original idea was to combine the softness, refinement and femininity of the mother of pearl with the strength of the Limelight Gala. Engraving the palace decor on mother of pearl appeared the right choice for us, despite the difficulty of engraving a material that is naturally very thin (not more than 3mm) and that can be fragile. This is the first time we are engraving the mother of pearl in this way.

Limelight Gala is such a colourful range – how do the designers refine the colour palette for each new collection?

Because everything starts with design, you need the best possible gemologists to source stones that are of sufficient quality, true to the colours on the drawing and can be cut to fit the different diameters we are looking for. We refuse to use chemical additives in our production process so, in the case of the Limelight Gala Rainbow, we had to mix different types of stones to find the perfect colours – sapphires of different colours but also green tsavorites.

Preparations for the 2021 watch launches must have begun before the global lockdown… I’m wondering if all the jewels were obtained and colours confirmed before the travel and sourcing challenges posed by the pandemic?

I confirm the drawings were completed before the beginning of the pandemic. However, some stones were sourced during the pandemic and you are right to say that it further increased the challenge. The quality and depth of colour required as well as our ethical standards made sourcing a challenge. All our suppliers must be certified by the Responsible Jewellery Council, so we took a multi-sourcing approach. We worked with several suppliers in different parts of the world to keep to our product plan.

Altiplano Ultimate Concept

What inspired the decision to feature the red and blue straps this year? What other colour straps are available and are these new shades or already existing in the collection?

We believe colour is definitely an identifier of Piaget. Throughout almost 150 years of history, Piaget has used colour on its dials, notably by using hard stones, or on its bezels with coloured precious stones. Therefore, it was very natural for us to adorn our collections and specifically our iconic Altiplano with colourful bracelets. So, in addition to the shiny blue and shiny red you are mentioning, our clients may choose from a wide range of colours including taupe, white or pink (all matt) and shiny black. And we will extend this strategy to other collections in the next few years to provide our clients with the option to change their bracelet (and therefore their watch) according to their mood or the occasion.

The caseback of the Altiplano is one of the prettiest I’ve seen, resembling the petals of a rose. Was the 2mm thin Altiplano Ultimate Concept designed to be worn by men and women?

We try to create the most extraordinary pieces, not masculine or feminine pieces. It is up to our clients to define if they like watches with small or large diameters, if they want a watch with complications or if they want to have some diamonds on the bezel. It is true though that women mostly buy watches that are not too thick as these are not always comfortable to wear when you have a thin wrist.

The dimensions of the Altiplano Ultimate Concept (AUC) make it easy to wear for women and men.

Preserving the savoir-faire

What is being done in-house to perpetuate the savoir-faire for ultra-thin?

Piaget is indeed the undisputed reference in ultra-thin watches. This is our history, our DNA. Piaget was born as a watchmaker and very quickly specialized in ultra-thin. I recently read an archive dating back to 1913 presenting Piaget as an expert in ultra-thin components. Since then we have been breaking thinness records – until the release of the AUC which is the thinnest mechanical watch ever – but always with this same spirit. Ultra-thin is technical prowess but at the service of elegance, at the service of our designers’ creativity.

So to answer your question, we perpetuate this savoir-faire through our manufacture in La Côte-aux-Fées, where we continue to develop our ultra-thin movements and transmit this savoir-faire from watchmaker to watchmaker. We invite our collectors from around the world to visit our workshops and understand the challenge of creating such watches. We push our designers to use ultra-thin as a space for creativity.

The Piaget Polo Skeleton measures a wafer-like 2.4mm. What is the hierarchy of thinness across the range?

As you are rightfully saying, for the first time we have leveraged the ultra-thin savoir-faire in our Piaget Polo collection with the Piaget Polo skeleton. The movement measures 2.4mm in a watch case depth of 6.5mm. Ultra-thin is not about a collection, but about a Maison. The original Piaget Polo was born in 1979 and was equipped with an ultra-thin movement. The AUC is definitely the thinnest watch in our collection (2mm only). And below 5mm you also find the Altiplano Ultimate Automatic, the little sister of the AUC, which uses the same technique of merging the movement and the case.

Collective achievements

If you have more than one craftsman able to set diamonds on the minuscule components of an ultra-thin watch movement who gets to do it? How do you choose who will be responsible?

Our challenge and responsibility as a Maison with secular know-how is to transmit this savoir-faire, these exceptional skills. To make them live and grow. In some cases like the AUC, we have only one watchmaker able to assemble the watch. For this reason, we recently started a training programme to ensure he transmits his fabulous knowledge. And we have the same kind of situation when it comes to the setting of movements or assembling of complications such as the tourbillon. Nothing is about competition. It is about collaboration, mutual support, and collective achievements.

An extract of this article was published on Wanted Online .

The watch to wear with boardshorts or tux

Thu, 01 Jul 2021 11:26:00 GMT

I talked branding with Moser CEO Edouard Meylan during Watches and Wonders Geneva 2021.

Watches and Wonders Geneva wrapped in April 2021 after almost 400 new watches were unveiled to news-hungry specialist writers by 38 exhibiting brands across 500 press conferences and 600 one-to-one appointments across 20 languages.

How do we keep track? It’s tough. We eventually succumb to information overload, especially now that the event is forced online because of the pandemic. The format enables us to cover more ground virtually than we do in reality.

Pioneer Centre Seconds Mega Cool

What are the standouts then? Special pieces from favourite brands? A colour, innovation or sustainability trend? For me, this time, it came down to branding. There was one evocative image that ensured I remember both brand and timepiece that inspired the creative for H. Moser & Cie.’s Pioneer Centre Seconds Mega Cool, described as “the sporty steel watch with a tropical touch”. Deprived of island travel for 18 months now, I am indeed still “dreaming of a blue lagoon and cool drink” – the caption to an image of two colourful cocktails placed poolside at a dream destination.

Talking to me from “Schaffhausen Beach”, Moser CEO Edouard Meylan says their strategy is to reveal a topic important to the company one week ahead of the fair. “This year it was about branding and how Moser is moving away from the branding we’ve seen for years in the watch industry. We go a little bit against the tide and say our products are art pieces. In the way an artist would subtly sign an artwork in the corner or on the back, we do the same with our watches.”

Blue fumé dial

The Endeavour Centre Seconds Concept x seconde/seconde/ collaboration is symbolic of that. Limited to 20 pieces, this was launched just before the watch fair opened and is available exclusively online through the brand ecommerce platform. The defining – and only – character on the Funky Blue fumé dial is the pixelated eraser that replaces the hour hand. And that is the artist’s signature .

Meanwhile, the Pioneer Centre Seconds Mega Cool (left) is notable for its vibrant Blue Lagoon fumé dial and luminescent hands and markers on the flange of its 42.8mm steel case. The Moser logo is transparent, making it visible only at a certain angle. “The response to the Blue Lagoon has been extremely strong. It is a fresh colour, the colour of hope, and we all need hope at the moment,” says Meylan.

The colour is inspired by Caribbean water.

Hairspring tourbillon

Another introduction to the Pioneer collection is the Pioneer Tourbillon Mega Cool with its new all-terrain double hairspring tourbillon. It is an eye-catching feature on the same Blue Lagoon fumé dial, set in a steel case that is water-resistant to 120 metres.

Both timepieces can be worn on a bracelet, rubber and technical textile strap, all of which are supplied with each watch, thus being the ideal accessory for beach or formal occasions.

The tourbillon is limited to 50 pieces while the centre seconds is not. “However, it’s Moser so our output on something like this is usually about 10 a month.”

Surfing the wave

Meylan elaborates to reflect on a production schedule that is fully booked until October 2022 and an ongoing search for more watchmakers. “It’s been crazy for two years now. Even through the pandemic we managed to grow by 12% and there were three months when we had to reduce our capacity by 50%. Our first-quarter results were more than double last year’s record. We have nothing on inventory, are working weekends and just hired 10 more staff. Now we are 70 and still, we cannot cope. It’s quite incredible.”

Moser became profitable in the third consecutive financial year of Meylan’s tenure as CEO. “Since then (2016/2017) we’ve had this acceleration but it’s just a step. We want to go further. Of course I believe it’s hard work but I also believe there’s a shift towards more independent brands at the moment. Moser is very well positioned, and we’re benefiting from this wave we’re surfing at the moment.”

A version of this story was published by Wante d .

11 Wellness practices from Africa to Asia

Sun, 06 Jun 2021 08:27:43 GMT

Join in The Lux Collective’s wellness programme this Global Wellness Day. Follow one of the participating resort’s activities on their IGTV channel and join in if you can!

Words by Debbie Hathway

When people ask me “Why Mauritius?” I always say because of the way I feel when I’m there. Happy. Energised. And well. That sense of vitality, health and wellbeing sustains me for months between visits – except it’s been a very long 18 months to date, thanks to the pandemic.

It’s not even a romanticised view. I usually travel to Mauritius in the low season, about three times a year, when the weather is not perfect and I’m there to work, not play. My first visit to LUX* Belle Mare was during an anticyclone so most of the outdoor activities were curtailed. However, I was able to interview Mattias Rendefors, a former tennis pro who is also the resort’s wellness concierge, about the importance of sticking to a daily exercise regime.

At LUX* Belle Mare beach

Global Wellness Day

This year, friends of LUX* Resorts & Hotels, SALT Resorts and Tamassa Resorts will be able to get a little wellness inspiration online. The group will stream a 10-hour IGTV Wellness Festival in honour of Global Wellness Day on June 12. Would-be travellers can watch from their armchairs or join in at home, where possible. I’m up for yoga, stretching, relaxing and sega dancing. The bath ritual can happen later. Why not?

11 wellness practices

7am Sunrise yoga on the beach – SALT of Palmar, Mauritius
8am Wellness boot camp – LUX* North Male Atoll Resort & Villas, Maldives
9am Stretch and relax on the beach – LUX* Belle Mare Resort & Villas, Mauritius
10am Fitness tips for busy professionals – LUX* Le Morne Resort, Mauritius
11am Paddle yoga – LUX* Saint Gilles Resort, La Reunion
12pm Scenic tour of the village on bicycle – LUX* Chongzuo, Guangxi, China
1pm Nature walk and stretch – LUX* South Ari Atoll Resort & Villas, Maldives
2pm Bath rituals to try at home – LUX* Grand Baie Resort & Residences, Mauritius
3pm Nature trail with mascot, Mazaki – LUX* Tea Horse Road Benzilan, China
4pm Traditional sega fit dance – LUX* Grand Gaube Resort & Villas, Mauritius
5pm Burning sorrows ritual – Tamassa Bel Ombre, Mauritius

Collectable experience

Each resort will also launch a wellness-focused, one-of-a-kind experience that is designed to change the way we travel.

Luxury outback

Subi Mungroo is one of my favourite chefs at LUX* Belle Mare. He’s usually in the kitchen at Amari.

Start your day with a sunrise horse ride before cooling off with “home-grown” coconut water at the LUX* Belle Mare Resort & Villas’ onsite farm, Aubergine. Pick herbs and plants to prepare your own body scrub and indulge in a 75-minute spa experience at the Farm Shed. The resort chef serves a delicious health lunch there afterwards.

Mindfulness the SALT way

Detox with a plant-based lunch at SALT of Palmar before having a rejuvenating SALT facial. A hike in Bras D’eau National Park is highly recommended for a little “nature bathing”. The resort’s wellness coach will lead a guided tour that incorporates meditation and gentle stretching to prepare you for the transformative Brahma Kumaris experience.

Hug me honey

LUX* Grand Gaube Resort & Villas’ in-house honeybee apiary provides honey for the resort menus and LUX* Me Spa. Visit the eight hives, with their 240,000 bees, and learn more about the resort’s beekeeping efforts. Create your own honey scrub followed by a signature honey cocktail before enjoying a honey-paired dinner curated by the executive chef. Guests will be given a beekeeping kit to take home.

The spirit of island living

A LUX* Le Morne Resort team member will guide guests to a snorkelling experience on a traditional Mauritian pirogue. There is an option to take a garden-to-glass cocktail class in the resort’s herb garden, followed by a course on making vegan desserts. You can also go plogging (jogging and picking up litter along the trail) at the Black River Gorges National Park, which is home to more than 700 species of endemic flora and fauna as well as endangered wildlife.

**About LUX* Resorts & Hotels**

LUX* Resorts & Hotels helps people to celebrate life by delivering consistently on the promise of a different kind of luxury – hospitality that is Lighter. Brighter.

For more information or to make a reservation, email reservation@theluxcollective.com

Breitling – the horological tastemakers

Wed, 05 May 2021 18:04:00 GMT

“I was on vacation with my wife, lying at the hotel pool in Venice, when my phone dinged. It was an Instagram message that read: ‘This is Georges Kern. Can you call me?’ That’s how it started,” says Mandelbaum.

I was fortunate to interview Fred Mandelbaum, “guardian of the heritage” for Breitling, the horological tastemakers, about collecting and collectables.

When a vintage watch collector receives a message from then-incoming Breitling CEO Georges Kern, he’s likely to take notice. Even when he’s on holiday. It’s what led Fred Mandelbaum to be appointed consultant to Breitling.

They met in Vienna, and Mandelbaum led Kern through the early Breitling history, showed him his collection, and explained why particular watches are important. “In December 2017, he asked if I’d like to join him, to advise him, and to share my knowledge of the roots of the brand as a foundation of his strategy,” says Mandelbaum.

Fred Mandelbaum

Horological tastemakers

He has been active in Breitling collector circles for many years. There are different types of collectors, he explains. For example, “there are those who see watch collecting as an asset class. They care about the financial potential more than the watches. Then there are the me-too collectors, who want what everyone else is wearing. Finally, there are those who see collecting as studying. If you learn, you want to teach, inform, and enlarge the knowledge base,” says Mandelbaum.

Several in the vintage watch community, who have done that for many years. Mandelbaum started out using watches to time production processes at work and soon fell in love with the “wonderfully precise mechanical instrument” on his wrist. “I began slowly educating myself when there was no internet and nobody to ask. I read books and asked questions.”

Mandelbaum collects all relevant chronographs, across a number of brands, but as horological tastemakers Breitling is centre stage. “Breitling has been first adopter in most of the technological steps in chronograph horology – always trying new designs, new forms of cases, defining new standards. This is how Breitling came to be at the core of my collection. One day I decided to try to own one example of each relevant model Breitling produced between 1939 and 1979. I have been largely successful.”

Usability and interaction

Premier B15 Duograph 42_Ref. AB1510171C1P1

Furthermore, he investigates the Breitling watch history after hours, pouring through the production ledgers from September 1944 (many were destroyed before then). “As a company Breitling was always trying to innovate. That was the defining element. They saw the watch as a tool for specific tasks.”

Leon Breitling filed a patent in 1905 for “the timer/tachymeter for sports”. This watch allowed the wearer to measure his feats. It took several decades to reach that point.

The next step, in 1915, was to convert the handheld pocket chronograph into something you could strap onto your wrist. Breitling’s addition of the pusher at 2 o’clock and a second pushpiece at 4 o’ clock (for which they filed patents in 1923 and 1934 respectively) were innovations that other manufacturers soon followed. From 1915 to 1933, Breitling filed several additional patents testing the perfect positioning of different operational elements, always looking at usability and changing the way people interacted with their watches.

Rarest finds

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Premier Heritage Collection (from left to right: the Duograph, the Datora, the Chronograph)

While Willy Breitling, grandson of the founder, Leon Breitling, managed the company from 1932 until 1979, there were “fireworks of innovation, year after year”. He had the idea for the first “smartwatch chronograph”, the Chronomat, in 1939, for which he signed a patent in 1940. Then he combined the chronograph with a slide rule so that businessmen and engineers could have their computing device on their wrist. “It’s still the basis for today’s Navitimer. Willy’s design lives on,” says Mandelbaum.

He has seen his fair share of fake watches in his time and identifying one – when it means disappointing someone who believes they have inherited a valuable heirloom – is something he would rather not have to do. “It takes me about five seconds to see if a watch is authentic or not. It is quite disturbing. People have been faking Breitlings since the 1940s.”

He says the biggest finds are the rarest. In March 2021 he found one of the first Duographs dating back to the 1940s. The Duograph, recently relaunched by Breitling, was first manufactured in batches of six, and typically assembled on order. “Approximately 30 pieces have been found over the years. Any Duograph, clearly original, is a major find. This piece belonged to a wealthy businessman who had passed away in rural Michigan, in the US, of all places. His father had been a doctor and this is the only pulsation scale doctor’s watch Duograph we’ve ever seen.

Montblanc’s new watch division MD, Laurent Lecamp, is making his mark.

Wed, 05 May 2021 14:07:00 GMT

“Even being part of the watchmaking world I was not expecting what I discovered in the first weeks. The Manufacture at Villeret was another world for me and here I am standing in the museum,” he says. Every item has its own story. And outside, beyond the floor-to-ceiling glass doors that lead out onto a balcony, he points to a shape formed by the facing Swiss mountains, believed to be the inspiration for the iconic V-shaped bridge first used in Minerva watches of the 1920s and 1930s.

Source of inspiration for the V-shaped bridge

Lecamp might be the new kid on the block at this illustrious Manufacture, but he is no stranger to the industry. His January 2021 appointment came on the back of his position as international sales director and board member at Carl F. Bucherer. He also co-founded his own watch brand, Cyrus Watches, in 2010, which he left in 2014 after selling his equity.

It’s also about the art of authentic storytelling. “Developing connections between people and the stories related to the products is essential for the luxury goods market. Today, luxury is based on emotion.”

Laurent Lecamp shares his thoughts on the importance of heritage and storytelling in luxury watchmaking.

A dynamo like Laurent Lecamp, the recently appointed MD of the Montblanc watch division, is expected to bring fresh ideas on strategy and innovation to the watchmaking bench. Tasked with rooting Minerva deeply into Montblanc’s watch division, and driving this important watchmaking pillar into the future, he finds inspiration all around him.

Laurent Lecamp

Laurent Lecamp at Villeret

“When I came here I was very surprised to see Philippe Rieder making spirals (a very fine spring that forms the heart of a mechanical watch). I asked him three times. ‘Are you sure we’re making our own?’ That is something so incredible – I can count the brands doing that in Switzerland on one hand,” says Lecamp.

He set about learning more about the watchmakers, their long service, skills and craftsmanship. “Yvan Bourquin has worked as a watchmaker at the Manufacture for more than 58 years and Sandra Pauli has worked at Villeret for 21 years. She does the diamantage coquille (diamond shell finishing) for our ratchets. Only she has this savoire faire. How many companies still have this today? We don’t know exactly. Two? Three? One? That’s Montblanc. That’s Villeret,” he says.

Authentic storytelling

Lecamp cannot produce a clear strategy after such a short time, but what he does know is he would like to develop the emotional aspect, which means going back to the roots of the brand, finding information that has been lost, and reusing that in a modern way. “The strategy clearly has to be based on emotion, on savoire faire, on know-how. We have something that nobody has,” says Lecamp.

Lecamp is a natural storyteller and a published author to boot. He is also an ultra-trail and marathon runner, who gets his kicks in the forest. It’s a sport that injects his mind and body with positive energy, and has synergy with Montblanc’s Spirit of Exploration. “When I was a child, my friends thought I was crazy. I took the trees in my arms, always, and kissed them. Today, I’m 43, and I’m still doing the same thing.”

V-shaped bridge

Lecamp acknowledges that more people are turning to digital to be informed about and to buy luxury, a trend that has been accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic. A client wanting to buy a Montblanc 1858 Monopusher Chronograph Origins Limited Edition 100, for example, can do so with virtual input from the watchmaker. “Here in Villeret, that’s unique. It is what makes it possible to develop luxury sales. But we need contact. Luxury is not through the screen,” says Lecamp.

Above and below: Montblanc 1858 Monopusher Chronograph Origins Limited Edition 100

His watch of choice on the day of our interview was the Montblanc Heritage Spirit Pulsograph Salmon Dial Monopusher SS Limited. Why? Because when his three-year-old daughter holds it in her small hands, she gasps, and says, “C’est beau, Papa”. Lecamp says, “How can I wear any other watch? This is the watch forever for me, because she told me it is beautiful. Once again, that is the emotional part. The movement is beautiful, it has the famous V-shaped bridge, the decoration on the ratchet, the Minerva arrow at the end of the chronograph blocker, the German silver component, and the spiral of course. Everything is unique.”

An “officer” case back has been added, just like in traditional pocket watches, to protect the movement, and decorated with distinctive engravings on both sides. Inside there is a French inscription that translates as “Re-edition of a Minerva military chronograph from the 1930s equipped with a hand-made calibre following the Swiss watchmaking tradition”.

(This is the full-length version of the article published on Wanted Online .)

Love is on the air at OurSalsaSoulRadio

Tue, 09 Feb 2021 12:34:00 GMT

Love is on the air at OurSalsaSoulRadio (OSSR)… I borrowed this headline from their social media post, because it’s Valentine’s Day on Sunday. It’s a day that can make a lot of people feel lonelier than usual.

But OSSR DJs are prepping their playlists to brighten the day for listeners worldwide. Only that’s exactly what they do “all day, every day”. (Thanks to DJ Christian Jean-Francois for that one.)

Dancers deprived of the community that makes them thrive can now connect through OurSalsaSoulRadio. Tune in and you’ll understand. Love is on the air…

American trumpeter Louis Armstrong said music is life itself. And OSSR has thrown us a lifeline. Read more about how I got hooked here. In brief, Del Salereo and Sofi Cook launched OSSR as a lockdown project in London. Co-hosts of the Cuban salsa show, Villa Cubana, on another radio station, they wanted to create a platform for dancers to connect and listen to music in quarantine.

“Dance is so much about community. Social dancing, teachers, promoters and DJs in the UK and elsewhere were hit badly by the Coronavirus,” says Cook. She is also OSSR head of recruitment. “We recruited dozens of DJs, bringing Latin presenters together with their jazz funk and soul counterparts to create a 24/7 station with the motto ‘with the dancer in mind’.”

With the dancer in mind

OSSR is an education, a lifeline, and the kind of entertainment that leaves little time for much else outside music and dance. “OSSR is here to make sure you feel the love on Sunday. Make sure you tune in with or without a Valentine,” says Cook.

Argentine tango with Frias Fumo, MozambiqueKizomba with Dani Faria, AngolaBachata with Dayo Osinubi, Nigeria

Moe Flex, OSSR DJ, choreographer, presenter, life coach and speaker, celebrates his 20th anniversary this year. Dance UK Evolution aka DUKE is scheduled for October 2021.

I love you

Super Dixon is an OSSR DJ, entertainer, dance instructor, with boundless energy.

OSSR also unites the two dance communities Salereo belongs to: Latin and soul. Prior to lockdown, he had hosted a regular party night, also called Villa Cubana. It is London’s largest, regular, dedicated Cuban night.

Co-host Janet Harris joined OSSR as marketing and social media representative. “It’s been an honour to be part of a radio station that has made a difference in people’s lives throughout such a difficult, challenging and short period of time,” says Harris. “I work closely with OSSR presenters, and have a fantastic team working with me to raise the profile of the station. A big thank you to Niamh, Tamara and Sarah. This is just the beginning of OSSR and I’m so excited about its future in music and dance.”

Currently around 50 DJs share their music on OSSR airwaves, spanning the salsa, Cuban, bachata, kizomba, Afrobeats, jazz funk, soulful house, broken beats and soul genres. Cook says more DJs are joining from other countries.

“Many of our presenters have been active in their communities during the pandemic. Health-conscious Victor Anderson has been feeding tasty vegan soup to neighbourhood residents. Moe Flex has taken on initiatives to help the homeless and those struggling with mental health issues,” says Cook.

“Many are teaching dance online, yet continuing to provide a focal point for their communities. Mauricio Reyes of Birmingham’s Latin Motion dance school, who hosts the ever-popular Sunday evening Latin Motion mixed show on OSSR, offers salsa and bachata for adults and now children, too. It’s a real gift for tired parents running out of ideas!”

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Top DJs share love on the air

Julian Marmolejo, aka Julian MrM, OSSR DJ, dancer, choreographer, MC and storyteller, was at the Joburg Afro-Latin Festival 2020.

In addition, presenters such as Andrea Stewart have been interviewing top dancers and teachers to showcase the dance world during lockdown.

Salereo and Cook themselves draw a virtual crowd with the Cuban music they play in their Villa Cubana sessions on Friday and Saturday evenings. “Sofi regularly conducts live interviews with popular Cuban artists. Enrique Bringas and Kadialy Kouate were among the first musicians,” says OSSR marketing support lead Niamh O’Shea. “Then there are the soul guys such as Tony Bee, Del’s childhood friend who ‘made the jump with him and Sofi’, and Fitzroy Soul Survivor, as well as the house guys such as Victor Anderson, Monty Gee, etc.”

The list goes on. Tune in on a Sunday to listen to the chat shows hosted by Steve Beckles-Ebusua and Natalie Ward. Look out for Mauricio Reyes, who Salereo credits with developing into a confident radio presenter. The Breakfast Show is not to be missed. I’ve managed to catch Julian Marmolejo, Rohan Brown II and Steve Mapson on weekdays and Massimo Mazzocca on a Sunday.

Super Dixon, Jorges Tawas and Sagar Mody are some of the DJs I’ve heard play kizomba. Christian Jean-Francois plays kizomba too, but his Afro Flavour sets are incredible. The first female presenter on the station was the late Karen Denman, who also played kizomba. Dave Hucker’s friendship with Salereo goes back to the 90s. Salereo says,”I learnt part of my craft from Hucker.”

And where would the team be without Sacha Defrancia and his tech assistance, and the multitalented Robert White who, in addition to being an OSSR DJ, helps make the “sets sound crystal”?

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Argentine tango with Frias Fumo, MozambiqueKizomba with Dani Faria, AngolaBachata with Dayo Osinubi, Nigeria

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With the dancer in mind

The chatroom on oursalsasoul.com enables listeners to chat to the presenters live, request songs, and send messages and shoutouts to others anywhere in the world. “We get a lot of messages from dancers and music lovers saying that it has really transformed lockdown for them and is helping them feel sane and connected,” says Cook.

Ania Mazur, active in the chatroom during Super Dixon’s recent #kizombapalop show, says: “Thanks God for OSSR and for DJs who share music from all over the world.”

Tune in on oursalsasoulradio.com and follow OSSR on all social media channels. You’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.

IT’S TIME TO DANCE

Moe Flex, OSSR DJ, choreographer, presenter, life coach and speaker, celebrates his 20th anniversary this year. Dance UK Evolution aka DUKE is scheduled for October 2021.

It’s been a painfully long 12 months or so with little to no potential for partner dancing of any kind. Dancers around the world are desperate to hit the dancefloor.

To that end, renowned Latin choreographer and promoter Moe Flex hosted a Facebook forum recently for people to discuss the outcomes of an international survey. It elicited responses from more than 3 000 dancers on their preferred conditions for an ideal return to the dance floor.

Sadly, Fadi K’s ABCD (Any Body Can Dance) festival has been postponed, but Fadi powers on with OSSR on Mondays and says he is touched at the number of messages he has received from dancers missing his event.

Meanwhile, the Berlin Salsa Congress is scheduled for August 2021 and the Croatia Summer Festival is scheduled for September 2021. Check their websites for updates though. The only thing constant now is change…

I will keep sharing news and views gleaned via OSSR so look out for more articles covering more people in the future.
Mambocity’s 5-Star Salsa Congress is postponed to September 2021.

Montblanc launches new watches

Wed, 07 Oct 2020 16:57:00 GMT

The beauty of the Montblanc timepiece collection is its broad appeal. From entry-level enthusiast to collector, there is something to attract the consummate businessman, sartorial gentleman, urban explorer, and the tech-savvy watch enthusiast.

The collection has been simplified to five lines (Star Legacy, Heritage, Bohème, 1858 and Timewalker) with the two sports watch lines being added in the last five years. “1858 has really become the seminal line for Montblanc, with outdoor adventure and exploration, sustainability, and spending time in nature being very relevant today,” says Cerrato.

North is located at 24h and south at 12h. If you are in the northern hemisphere, set your watch at the right time and hold it horizontally to the ground. Rotate it until the hour hand is pointing towards the sun. That way, all the cardinal points on the dial will be correctly aligned. Remember that if you are in the southern hemisphere, the cardinal points are inverted.

“The single hand is finished to look like the arrow of a compass, or an exploration tool. The bezel and crown in a special bronze alloy will get some patina. We propose a luxury Nato strap for the watch. The strap has an incredible level of quality. You can swim in it or put it in the snow, and it will dry quickly. It is very resistant and very comfortable to wear.”

Debbie Hathway finds out more about Montblanc’s new watches for 2020
from Davide Cerrato, MD of the maison’s watch division.

The beauty of the Montblanc timepiece collection is its broad appeal.

From entry-level enthusiast to collector, there is something to attract the consummate businessman, sartorial gentleman, urban explorer, and the tech-savvy watch enthusiast.

And that’s not just marketing speak. The more you immerse yourself in a brand, the more you understand where the inspiration comes from, the creativity, the passion. Everyone can make their mark.

The maison began its pioneering path creating writing instruments in Hamburg in 1906. Leather goods, including watch straps, are created in the Florence Pelletteria. Timepieces are carefully crafted in Switzerland. And there lies the hallowed ground on which I have been fortunate enough to tread. “Just as a soul remains long after its body is gone, our pieces are crafted to perform superbly and symbolise elegance for many lifetimes.” That’s Montblanc’s philosophy.

And that’s the thing. Soul. Every piece has it. The challenge is choosing only one to own.

Swiss innovation and excellence

Davide Cerrato, MD of Montblanc’s watch division, took journalists through this year’s releases via the business model du jour (aka Zoom launch).

Montblanc’s Movement & Innovation Excellence Centre in Villeret is in the same building where the legendary Minerva was founded in 1858. It focuses on the development, prototyping, and assembly of all in-house movements. Craftsmen perform the most traditional horological operations, with their micromechanical refinements, by hand.

Four years after Montblanc’s establishment of the Montblanc Manufacture at Villeret in 2011, the maison launched its Tourbillon Bi-Cylindrique watch with the MB65.63 calibre. It was the world’s first wristwatch to feature a tourbillon with two cylindrical balance springs.

New watch launches

In Le Locle, Montblanc’s Watch & Quality Excellence Centre is where traditional watchmaking merges with state-of-the-art technology to create new, iconic, timepieces. Part of that process is putting the watches through the Montblanc Laboratory Test 500. This involves 500 hours of rigorous testing to determine wear and tear, water resistance, and response to climatic conditions, among others. It involves dropping the test piece under various degrees of pressure in a purpose-designed machine. The test is as tough and demanding as the timepiece is expected to be in daily use.

“Since last year we have really used it to nurture and legitimise everything we do here in watchmaking. We have an incredibly rich history in technical movement, design, and solution. We have completely redesigned our private collection, taking inspiration from watches of the past. The watches we’re doing now are in some way a contemporary version of them,” says Cerrato.

The spirit of mountain exploration

Minerva strongly contributed to what we know as the chronograph today, pushing the boundaries in timekeeping by creating magnificent stopwatches to record memorable moments in the sport of the day. This included rowing, for example, counting down regatta starts and timing fiercely competitive motor car races down to 1/100th of a second.

Montblanc Heritage Collection

The design was derived from the military watches produced by Minerva in the 1920s and 1930s. “The Montblanc 1858 is the winner here, with its complete Minerva movement carved and assembled by hand.

“We have a particular way of developing product lines and we continue to work on 1858. Last year our theme was mountain exploration, adventure, big forest… and the green dial and bronze case working well together. Now we go into icescapes and glaciers, a world of frozen temperatures, with shades of blue and white.”

The Montblanc 1858 Automatic 24H features a new complication with a 24-hour indication shown by a red-tipped single hand. In addition, the piece doubles as a compass. The compass scale is displayed in a beige-coloured ring that runs around the outside of the dial, with markers for approximately every five degrees. The cardinal points are in re d.

Comfortable to wear in sea and snow

“We have used the map of the northern hemisphere to speak about (the Seven Summits) adventure. The double scale of hours and minutes will not show exact time. When you’re in nature it doesn’t matter. The hands might point to later than 2:30pm but earlier than 2:45pm. If they seem closer to 2:45pm, it will be about 2:40pm in the afternoon.

“There are very few 24-hourr indication watches, and most of them have the 24 at 12 o’ clock. We decided to flip it the other way around. You will look at it anywhere between 4am and 5am and 10pm. It’s better if that part is more logical,” says Cerrato.

Mix it up

This year, a new beige colour is available, adding to the vintage options.

The 42 mm bicolour case is made of stainless steel. The dial provides a striking contrast for the historical, luminescent, cathedral-shaped hands with a “cloisonné” design; luminescent full map; Arabic numerals coated with SuperLumiNova; railway minute tracks; and the original Montblanc logo from the ’30s with its historical font and emblem of the Mont Blanc mountain. The satin-finished case features polished horn edges, fluted crowns typical of those found on period timepieces, and domed sapphire crystal glass boxes.

• Visit montblanc.com to discover more covetable pieces for your watch collection.

Singita

Wed, 30 Sep 2020 06:59:54 GMT

Words: DEBBIE HATHWAY

You can contribute to conservation and community throughout Africa by participating in any number of Singita initiatives, or by simply travelling with a responsible ecotourism operator.

“While the Travel & Tourism sector accounts for 10.4% of global GDP, wildlife tourism represents 3.9% of this figure, or USD 343.6 billion; a figure equivalent to the entire GDP of South Africa or Hong Kong. Of equal significance is the fact that around the world, 21.8 million jobs or 6.8% of total jobs sustained by global Travel & Tourism in 2018 can be attributed to wildlife,” says Gloria Guevara Manzo, President & CEO World Travel & Tourism Council.

In almost three decades, Singita has become one of Africa’s leading conservation and ecotourism brands, with half a million acres of land under their stewardship in Rwanda, Tanzania, South Africa and Zimbabwe. During the global coronavirus pandemic, there is no tourism revenue, but the cost of managing conservation and community initiatives amounts to many millions of dollars each year. Strategic partnerships and generous donors help offset these expenses.

Today’s traveler is very conscious of the impact of their visit, and they want to know that they are making a positive difference—or traveling with purpose. Normally, Singita guests at any of the 15 low-impact lodges and camps contribute to the company’s 100-year purpose to protect and preserve large parts of African wilderness for future generations. There are several projects on the ground, implemented by Singita’s partner Funds and Trusts, that benefit wildlife conservation or community development in the region.

Working in teams is critically important. At the end of the day we are all trying to achieve the same thing—conserve the Serengeti ecosystem for future generations to come.

Anti-poaching efforts

In times of trouble, when wildlife tourism is negatively affected, one of the first concerns for conservationists is that illegal bushmeat hunting will increase in the neighboring communities. To date, tourism (and job creation) has been an effective way of slowing this practice. Singita provides much-needed employment, and helps to create economic independence within communities living alongside the reserve. In the Sabi Sand, South Africa, for example, the Singita Lowveld Trust focuse on small business development, environmental education, Early Childhood Development and digital learning. Community programs assist communities to thrive in harmony with the natural environment.

At Singita Kwitonda Lodge in the Singita Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, which reopened to international tourism on 1 August 2020, guests can contribute to a reforestation project to expand the range for endangered mountain gorillas by planting trees. Meanwhile at Singita Faru Faru Lodge in the Singita Grumeti Reserve, Tanzania, guests can donate towards the Grumeti Fund’s (GF) successful anti-poaching strategy, visit GF’s state-of-the-art Canine Unit and meet the elite Grumeti Fund anti-poaching team made up of 180 game scouts, some of which used to be poachers themselves. In 2019, thanks to their efficiency and perseverance, not a single elephant or rhino was poached and 246 poachers were detained.

At the time of implementation, rhino numbers across Africa were in a downward spiral and poaching was out of control. There were some years, where more than one rhino was lost every eight hours

Success stories:

Tanzania

Singita’s partner NGO, the Grumeti Fund is a nonprofit organization that contributes to the conservation of the Serengeti ecosystem. Its primary focus is to prevent poaching. Through collaboration with the Tanzanian Government, the Joint Intelligence Unit and Special Ops Group, they have increased the efficiency of their intelligence network. “Working in teams is critically important. At the end of the day, we are all trying to achieve the same thing—conserve the Serengeti ecosystem for future generations to come,” says Wesley Gold, Head of Anti-Poaching and Law Enforcement, Grumeti Fund.

A mobile patrol unit, comprising 21 game scouts on motor bikes, is covertly deployed in the 350,000-acre area. The Canine Unit is a key resource. Two Belgian Malinois joined the team in 2019, and six dog handlers qualified as working-dog trainers. That year, the team recovered kilograms of illegal bushmeat, made 15 arrests, and removed 576 wire snares.

In 2019, the Fund added an Aviat Husky A-1C to its aerial support team, which was instrumental in the success of recovering of bush meat, and Gold completed his pilot’s license.

In 2017, the Black Rhino Re-establishment Project started and in 2019, nine critically endangered eastern black rhino were translocated to Singita Grumeti to roam free, adding 10% to the national breeding population. The teams have had 66% success rate recovering elephants from farms when responding to human-wildlife conflict calls.

South Africa

The most successful anti-poaching story from the Singita Lowveld Trust has been the introduction of working dogs. Dogs had never been used in a large-scale, fully operational working unit, exclusively for anti-poaching. The innovative concept was trialled in the Sabi Sand, South Africa and continued ever since.

“At the time of implementation, rhino numbers across Africa were in a downward spiral and poaching was out of control. There were some years, where more than one rhino was lost every eight hours,” says Inge Kotze, Singita General Manager: Conservation. “Poaching attempts were quickly curbed when the organization introduced the K9 anti-poaching operation.” The dedicated canine unit has ensured the highest levels of security and monitoring with great success. In combination with other security networks in the area, this has also played a significant role in the apprehension of some of the most infamous poachers operating in the area.

Zimbabwe

Another one of Singita’s partner conservation funds is The Malilangwe Trust, a wholly Zimbabwean, non-profit organization intent on harmonizing biodiversity conservation, community development and commercial tourism. Over the past 21 years, its black rhino reintroduction program has resulted in 528% population growth. Their white rhino reintroduction program resulted in 729% population growth. Malilangwe is also home to 15 other critically endangered, threatened or near-threatened species, including Lichtenstein’s hartebeest, cheetah and African wild dog.

The Trust’s biggest success story, however, is its people. Proactive leadership, staff morale and community partnerships for business development coupled with science-based conservation strategies have been key contributors. Anti-poaching scouts monitor and protect the rhino and wildlife with an average 18,250-man patrol days per year while maintaining community relationships essential to consistent successful outcomes. As a result, there have been no snaring incidents in the past seven years.

How to contribute

Bucket-list travel may take a little longer to realize under pandemic restrictions, so why not plan what you can and do your bit in the meantime? You can make small donation to three anti-poaching teams or the next black rhino translocation; buy local products from Singita’s online Boutique & Gallery boutiques (at the lodges and online) to support local artists and contribute to the economic empowerment of local communities or purchase a cookbook which helps develop the next generation of Chefs at two of Singita’s culinary schools. Or you can book your next stay. Singita lodges or private villas in Rwanda open on 1 August and in Tanzania on 1 September, except for Singita Mara River Tented Camp. The reimagined Sabora Tented Camp in Tanzania also opens in September 2020. Dates for Zimbabwe and South Africa depend on lockdowns being lifted.

www.singita.com

Just do it

Tue, 29 Sep 2020 07:05:47 GMT

Words: DEBBIE HATHWAY

A HAUTE COUTURE COLLECTION OF LADIES’ TIMEPIECES FROM VACHERON CONSTANTIN

Mon, 31 Aug 2020 12:58:00 GMT

“In the case of Égérie, the design teams worked on specific techniques used in haute couture. When you think haute couture, you think catwalk, but haute couture is really craftsmanship. It is an artisanal universe, [referencing] the art of precision in embroidering, pleating and sewing,” he says. “It is inspiring to work on the dial tapestry effect for Égérie, the typography that is a tribute to embroidery, and the hands that are reminiscent of sewing tools shaped to avoid damaging the fabric. The second very important part of the work is looking at our heritage and seeing how we can leverage it to build something completely new.”

VACHERON CONSTANTIN’S ÉGÉRIE COLLECTION MARRIES THE WORLDS OF HAUTE HORLOGERIE AND HAUTE COUTURE TO PRODUCE TIMEPIECES FOR THE MOST STYLISH WRISTS

Published in Business Day Wanted

A closer look at Vacheron Constantin’s new ladies’ collection, Égérie (French for “muse”), inspired by high fashion, leaves me grappling for words that do it justice.

Designed with the style-conscious woman in mind, the Swiss watch house had its métiers d’art workshop adapt age-old decorative crafts to mimic the kind of details used in couture. Dial pattern design is gleaned from the ancient art of tapestry with apparent textures referencing meticulously pleated fabric. This is achieved through hand-guillochage (engraving) techniques. Even the typical leaf-style watch hands are carefully adjusted to resemble needles.

Laurent Perves, head of product marketing, communication, heritage and digital teams at Vacheron Constantin, explains that every new watch development begins with a phase of imagination and creativity that involves all the teams.

Christian Selmoni, style and heritage director at Vacheron Constantin, likes to talk tension between classicism and contemporaneity in new watch design, and references the maison’s heritage for inspiration. “I like the idea of tension. I think the creativity is linked to exploring different things and finding something we can extract from the tensions of the past and today. This is very present in Égérie.”

Selmoni and Perves shared design sketches with me during our Zoom interview, showing how a 204-year-old timepiece with a very special, off-centre indication for the time influenced the one for Égérie.

“This is an example of confronting tradition and heritage with today’s world. This tension between past and present helps us create new things and find new directions,” says Selmoni. “We have some cool watches here. You can see the idea of the crown at 1 o’clock for Égérie was given by a fabulous watch made for the American market in 1921. It had a crown at 11 o’clock and some models had the crown at 1 o’clock as well. The inspiration points come from the roots of the company.”

The self-winding Égérie models have a 35mm diameter and date display, while the moon phase models are slightly bigger at 37mm. There are two steel versions fitted with a slim, five-link bracelet; as well as two pink-gold models with three interchangeable alligator leather straps in night blue, raspberry pink, and candied chestnut. The fully diamond-paved, white-gold moon-phase model has two straps.

Detail of the Vacheron Constantin Égérie collection.

Vacheron Constantin’s in-house gem-setters worked on the fully-paved jewellery watch in the collection. The setting of this timepiece underlines the complexity and attention to detail evident in the Égérie design. “It’s a cool combination of tradition and modernity in the sense that there is a very romantic vision of the moon phase through clouds. The clouds are translucent, which is achieved by using sapphire crystal, etched by laser. We have used state-of-the-art technology to create something full of romanticism. It gives tremendous personality to the watch. It’s a stunning timepiece,” says Selmoni.

How closely must the jewellery artisans be guided to ensure they stay close to the Vacheron Constantin style? “Part of the game is to go off the mark,” says Selmoni. “It is very important to evolve, to innovate, as in technical watchmaking. What is important for us is that we have some traditional crafts in-house.

“If we look back to the very early years of Vacheron Constantin, we had numerous engravers, gem-setters, master craftsmen in the service of the company. We are honestly very proud to have been able to keep these crafts alive. Even during very difficult years we were able to maintain this know-how. Very few watchmaking maisons did that.”

The challenge is to be creative and innovative with crafts that are something like 300 years old. “For example, our super-shy master craftsman from Thailand (if he was in Japan he would be considered a living treasure) is able to create figurative engraving through these guillochage machines. He is the only guy on the planet who is able to do that. We are very proud when our artisans go all out and do things like that, because it helps us carry on and incorporate novelty and creativity into these traditional crafts,” says Selmoni.

Vacheron Constantin’s strategy is to keep its metiers d’arts in-house. “We are very lucky to have a full set of artisans and artists in-house working only on our timepieces — guillochage, diamond setting, enamelling, sculpting,” says Perve. “We are constantly looking for new talent, and recently introduced new members to our engraving and sculpting team. We make sure we renew that savoire faire. For us, artistry is so much at the core of the maison that it’s something we can only see as being internalised and fully integrated to the maison.

Vacheron Constantin Égérie collection.

“It’s a huge investment. We are very grateful and lucky to be attractive to these people. Because Vacheron Constantin has been active in the world of art and supporting craftsmanship for a very long time now, fortunately we are a natural target or destination for talented people.”

It’s no surprise that these pieces have been in demand since their simultaneous launch to press and clients in mid-March. During the pandemic, there are some constraints to shipping products but “fortunately, our clients are patient. The reaction to Égérie so far has been outstanding”, says Perve.

How many will actually be produced is never revealed, but it’s safe to say each version is “one of not many”.

REFLECTIONS ON KURT KLAUS’ BRILLIANT CAREER AT IWC, THE DARLING OF SWISS WATCHMAKING

Mon, 24 Aug 2020 12:52:00 GMT

Klaus starred in a series of short films about the smart watch last year, in which he tried to get to grips with what he calls “cheap watches”. While the smart watch has found traction in some markets, Klaus says the future of mechanical watches is in the production of high-quality and complicated pieces. “People are fascinated by the micromechanics of watches. They can follow when I explain how the perpetual calendar functions and they like the story behind it. It is not possible to understand the function of cheap watches. The fascination with mechanical watches will continue and IWC, since we have our new manufacture, will also continue.”

They were able to deliver to the market by August and by November the same year were celebrating the sale of the first 500 Da Vincis. “Of course, this was a hard time. The financial crisis (of the ’80s) was not really over, but this was a good thing financially.”

The perpetual calendar has a year indicator, and it was the first time this had been included in a wristwatch. “It works until 2499, but there’s one problem — the leap year. To indicate 29 February correctly every four years is no problem. The problem is that every 100 years, there is no leap year. So in February 2100, our Da Vinci indicates 29 February but it’s actually 1 March. So, it is necessary to adjust it then,” says Klaus. “Every 400 years, it’s an exception of the exception. And it is a leap year. I was happy the year 2000 was a leap year and everything was correct.”

DEBBIE HATHWAY TALKS TO LIVING LEGEND KURT KLAUS, ONE OF THE MAIN INFLUENCERS OF THE FORTUNES OF SCHAFFHAUSEN-BASED WATCHMAKER IWC

Published in Business Day Wanted

Kurt Klaus is world famous for his perpetual calendar, but his aptitude for micromechanics shines through several International Watch Company (IWC) masterpieces. His interest in small mechanisms, particularly mechanical watches, manifested when he was a young boy and led him into watchmaking. The first in his family to pursue this as a career, he is not the last — his granddaughter also qualified as a watchmaker and they enjoyed several years working together on new prototypes at IWC before she turned her attention to marriage and raising a family. “I am a great-grandfather, but I don’t feel like one,” he says.

After completing four years of watchmaking studies in the French part of Switzerland, Klaus wanted to return to the east where he was born in 1934. As IWC was the only watch manufacture in these parts, he approached them for a job. They accepted the young watchmaker into the workforce and he started in January 1957. Two months later, he married Martha, who has been at his side throughout his 63-year working life.

Klaus may be past retirement age, but there’s no sign of him actually stopping work anytime soon. “Still now, at age 86, my mind is active in watchmaking. I’m travelling, attending conferences, marketing IWC, being interviewed… as long as I do this I think I will be young. I won’t stop,” he says. “IWC also wants me to continue. I have good contact with CMO Franziska Gsell and CEO Chris Grainger-Herr. They say — and I say — that storytelling is one of the most important marketing tools. I have spent almost 20 years travelling round the world, maintaining contact with consumers, telling my story, and the story of the mechanical watch.”

As an aside, Klaus references all but Florentine Ariosto Jones, who founded IWC in 1868, and Ernst Jakob Homberger, who led the company from 1905, in his reflections on his brilliant watchmaking career. A little-known fact is that Homberger’s brother-in-law, psychiatrist Carl Jung, was also active in the company. It was Homberger’s purchase of Jung’s shares in 1929 that led him to be sole proprietor. He steered IWC through the economic crisis of the ’30s and, inspired by his two aviation-enthusiast sons, launched the Special Pilot’s Watch in 1936. The first Portugieser was also made under his management in 1939.

Homberger appointed technical director Albert Pellaton, who was Klaus’ teacher. “He taught me more than how to repair watches. He showed me what real watchmaking is. This was a wonderful time with him, and I learnt a lot, working as his assistant and making some prototypes. He was a strong master for me. I had to do my best for him. But it seems it was ok, ja?” Klaus chuckles.

In the 1970s, in the era of quartz, IWC produced only very simple watches, wristwatches, and lots of pocket watches. “To make the mechanical watch more interesting and attractive, I created a calendar system on a pocket-watch movement. Management felt it would be difficult to make and to sell so we made a small experiment of a series comprising 100 pieces. We launched it at the Basel watch fair in 1976 and sold out in two days. This was the motivation to continue,” he says.

By the end of that decade, then sales director Hannes Pantli told Klaus that IWC could no longer sell pocket watches but that he must continue experimenting with the wristwatch. “The perpetual calendar was not new. It was great, but it was very complicated. I thought I could produce one in a wristwatch, which wasn’t there before,” says Klaus.

IWC Da Vinci Lady Chronograph.

He did it with the blessing of Günter Blümlein, CEO at the time, who suggested Klaus take it a step further – make a wristwatch perpetual calendar mounted on a chronograph movement that they had just produced for Porsche Design and create the most complicated wristwatch in the world. “I worked on that for almost five years. I wanted to make it as simple as possible — simple for production and very easy to use,” says Klaus. “In 1984, I made my first prototype. At this time I was completely alone in the engineering department. Sometimes I think that was one important reason behind the success. Nobody was involved, so I was never under stress. And Günter trusted me.”

But how does he keep calm under the circumstances, I wondered? “I was thinking day and night. I had four racing dogs that I trained myself, and when I walked them I used to solve a lot of my problems. It was not really a stress because I believed I could do it.”

Klaus revealed three prototypes at Basel in April 1985. “Named by Günter after one of the most important inventors of all time, the Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar was the first really complicated IWC watch. It was a fantastic success and the start to a new era for IWC.”

He says, of course, the watch has to be serviced from time to time — as all mechanical watches do — but theoretically it is possible that it will work to 2100. “In my experience, in watchmaking, it’s not so long. I, myself, successfully repaired working watches that were more than 100 years old. The quality of our IWC watches means they will last for a long time.”

Klaus says his favourite watches have always been the perpetual calendar, the tourbillon he created and the minute repeater, but his “real favourite” is the new Da Vinci, with the perpetual calendar and the basic movement. “In the ’80s, it wasn’t possible for me to construct a wristwatch with a perpetual calendar. My solution was to use the basic movement. This was the Valjoux 7750 chronograph. In 2007 our new generation of engineers created the new IWC chronograph. Then two years ago we introduced the new chronograph for the Da Vinci. I had to modify the current perpetual calendar and adapt the dimensions to the new movement. It has all the same functions, but the problem was the moonphase indicator at 12 o’ clock. I had to make another system for that.

IWC Perpetual Calendar

When Klaus celebrated his 80th birthday, IWC hosted a small event in his honour at the manufacture. Then CEO Georges Kern promised him the first new Da Vinci produced, a promise he fulfilled when he left IWC two years ago. “He brought me the Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar in a red-gold case as a gift — so this is now really 100% made by IWC. The basic movement, the calendar and the case are all made in the new manufacture — I could say it is an idol really. It is a real happy ending for the calendar.”

What keeps Kurt Klaus young? “During my active time, I was developing new things. I had my racing dogs, who needed daily training at 6am before I started work. I think this is maybe one of the most important things to keep healthy. Even now in coronavirus time, I feel healthy. Today I have the big king poodle, Janosch. Every day, Martha and I walk him in the forest for one or two hours. Janosch helps to keep us young. He is a wonderful dog for us.”

FASCINATION TURNS TO LOVE: PIAGET CEO CHABI NOURI ON THE VALUE OF HERITAGE

Tue, 18 Aug 2020 12:44:00 GMT

When it comes to heritage, what do watch aficionados not know about Piaget? What surprises them?

Relaxed luxury — that’s how the more recent positioning of Piaget has been described. Has it been successful?

CN: We like our creations to live and be enjoyed. They can be worn to celebrate special moments as well as for everyday use. We even create timepieces and jewellery that one can transform at home to adapt for different occasions.

CN: I would rather say that I wish I could be as timeless, as unique, as the Limelight Gala watch. It is definitely a very feminine design that expresses audacity and determination at the same time. It is also a unique design — unconventional because of its asymmetry — which I like for its innovation and extravagance.

DEBBIE HATHWAY CHATS TO PIAGET’S LEADING LADY ABOUT INNOVATION AND DIVERSITY IN WATCHMAKING
— AND HOW THAT BLENDS WITH THE BRAND’S TRADITIONS

Published in Business Day Wanted

Under the Richemont umbrella, you have worked for Cartier and now Piaget, which both have fascinating histories in Swiss watchmaking. Is heritage an important motivator for buyers?

Chabi Nouri: Heritage is crucial as it defines our DNA. Indeed, I am very lucky to have worked for these two fabulous maisons, which have a very rich heritage and unique creativity. Piaget has strong values that are essential today: authenticity, craftsmanship, and creativity. We have worked even more on expressing our unique crafts and know-how — the heritage of Piaget. They are rare skills that have been preserved, enriched, and perpetuated by the maison for more than 140 years.

When our clients visit our manufacture in Geneva and/or La Côte-aux-Fées (where we create the movements), they are always very impressed by how everything is done in-house, from the rough gold bars to the 1mm screws we produce and polish ourselves at the gold foundry, the hand-engraving, the gem-setting… When they discover Piaget’s craftsmanship behind our creations, they are always speechless and enchanted. Visiting our ateliers is a totally different experience.

Is the physical presence of a boutique still important or is the demand for e-commerce becoming a bigger factor?

CN: I believe physical presence is very important to live the full Piaget experience — to touch, to try, to wear the creations. Nevertheless, today we are providing a fully integrated experience that includes the digital world. We recently launched our online Tmall Luxury Pavilion Piaget flagship in China and we are also present on the Net-à-Porter online platform, our own e-commerce platform, Instagram, and WeChat.

I imagine that the purchase of a Piaget piece must be experiential to really have value. If you are creating experiences around education and investment in the brand to attract clients, how do you link that to the heritage of Piaget?

CN: Our community today is definitely evolving within a multi-dimensional ecosystem, with online information and purchase, digital engagement, social interactions, store visits, contact with our sales ambassadors, and much more. And this is not really a matter of age group. The key is to best integrate these different channels to deliver the most exciting and differentiated Piaget experience. Our mission is to continue building awareness and desirability for Piaget by expressing our unique positioning and know-how.

What about the new releases is most appealing for the different Piaget markets, and why?

CN: In 2020, Piaget celebrates the extraordinary. Our new releases perfectly embody our four pillars: the art of movement, gold, colour, and light, and it also honours our passion for craftsmanship.

For women, we unveil the new exciting Limelight Gala watches with blue sapphire gradient on the case, aventurine glass dial, and hand-engraved bracelet with Piaget’s signature Palace décor (it takes eight to 10 hours for our artisan to engrave the bracelet). These watches demonstrate our craftsmanship first-hand and embody femininity like no other creations.

Watch lovers and watch collectors will only have eyes for our Altiplano Ultimate Concept (AUC), the thinnest mechanical watch in the world. It is not just a bold experiment anymore, but a tried-and-tested watch that you can own and wear! It is so complex that we only produce three pieces a year. It is only 2mm thick (equal to two credit cards stacked together), and yet it can be personalised by choosing the colours of the case, the hands, the screws, and bridges. You can even engrave your initials in a dedicated space — you know a watchmaker’s prowess when they can achieve that in an area where some parts are thinner than a hair!

Of course, we will unveil many other watch and jewellery novelties for men and women during the year, so stay tuned!

With heritage in mind, how do you choose which collections to innovate?

CN: Innovation has always been at the heart of Piaget. We are constantly trying to go further and “do better than necessary”, which has been the maison’s motto from the very beginning. We innovate to build our own traditions and heritage and to project Piaget into the future. What is important to mention is that Piaget’s main reason to innovate is to liberate its creativity.

Take the AUC, for example. It started as a crazy idea that would pay tribute to the 2mm-thick movement created 60 years previously. We turned that dream into reality! We had to think out of the box and review the entire classical conception of a watch. We had to break watchmaking rules to create new ones, so we could achieve the 2mm thickness we wanted. We also developed five different patents. In fact, four years to reach that stage wasn’t really long and we took the last two years to fine tune its development into an everyday watch.

Relaxed luxury — that’s how the more recent positioning of Piaget has been described. Has it been successful?

If you had to describe yourself or your personality in terms of a timepiece in the Piaget collection, which one would you be?

CN: I would rather say that I wish I could be as timeless, as unique, as the Limelight Gala watch. It is definitely a very feminine design that expresses audacity and determination at the same time. It is also a unique design — unconventional because of its asymmetry — which I like for its innovation and extravagance.

Touching on diversity — which is so topical now — and your status as one of very few women in senior positions in this field, how are you able to make a difference towards the ambitions of businesswomen keen on pursuing a career in luxury watchmaking and jewellery?

CN: I believe in diversity; diversity in gender, background, cultural, generational. I believe that a multicultural environment fosters creativity and strengthens organisations. What I have learnt is that passion drives me and gives me the energy to always strive for more, for better, and that you need to grasp the opportunities out there.

UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTERS: EXCLUSIVE INSIGHT INTO CARTIER’S LATEST NOVELTIES WITH PIERRE RAINERO

Mon, 10 Aug 2020 12:33:00 GMT

As geometry is a theme for the Tank, so it is for the Pasha, which combines the basic shapes of the square railtrack on the circular dial. “Pasha is round on top but when you see the volume, you see the Cartier vision evident in the straight lines on the side. Even the little details like the attachments to the bracelet or strap made of those square elements… there’s a play on those different shapes on the Pasha, which makes it very Cartier.”

THE DIRECTOR OF IMAGE, HERITAGE, AND STYLE ELABORATES ON THE
“VERY CARTIER” NATURE OF WATCH DESIGN THAT TRANSCENDS TIME

Published in Business Day Wanted

With Watches and Wonders 2020 pivoting into the digital-only presentation space as a result of Covid-19 mitigation efforts, those of us with invite-only passes had to be content with exclusive interviews with exhibiting brand representatives instead.

In a sense this gave me an advantage, because I had the privilege of a longer-than-usual slot for my fourth interview with Pierre Rainero, director of image, heritage, and style for Cartier, where he has worked since 1984. To be able to glean more of his insights into watchmaking during a period when time stood still was a rare occasion indeed.

Among the novelties unveiled this year under Cartier’s Unexpected Encounters theme are the Pasha, a cult watch since 1985, Maillon de Cartier, the new feminine watch with twisted links and, on the vintage side, the Tank Asymétrique, which follows versions of the Crash, Cintrée, and Tonneau presented as part of the Cartier Privé collection.

INTRINSIC LINKS

How do the new novelties link to the Cartier legacy? For some, the link is there already in the geometry and dimension of the piece.

“The Tank is the purest shape ever for a wristwatch. We pushed the limits a little further with the Tank Asymétrique, because we proposed a skeleton, which never existed. It’s a kind of complication that is very Cartier, because it is linked with aesthetics and the movement itself is not a classical movement that you put in a watch and make transparent. The movement is made specifically to be seen, so it’s a different study. Combine that with this kind of face — a twist on something very pure — that’s very Cartier,” says Rainero.

Making the attachment to the strap asymmetric is also very Cartier, because when you’ve worked on all the basic geometrical shapes, then you play with them, he explains.

Cartier Tank Asymétrique.

Pasha de Cartier is another good example. Fans will appreciate the purity of line in the long-awaited relaunch that links to the first waterproof watches ever made. Louis Cartier made the original Cartier Pasha for Thami El Glaoui, the pasha of Marrakech, in 1931. It was designed to be watertight to accommodate his daily swims to keep fit. This was made possible by a gold case that screwed shut and a chain-secured cap that fit into the crown.

CULT WATCH

The Pasha model launched in 1985 was directly inspired by Cartier’s waterproof model from 1943. The difference was in the diameter. The 1943 model was 42mm compared to the 1985 model, which was 38mm in diameter. “The link to the Cartier legacy is not simply that it existed, but that it carries all the different aspects of our design vision,” says Rainero.

Rainero adds another tribute to the Cartier legacy by noting the design of the watch. “One detail very important to the Pasha is the double crown, which is linked to the case with a little chain. It was the technical way to make it waterproof on that very sensitive part of the watch. Of course, today we know how to make waterproof watches without it, but we kept it because it’s part of the original design. We capitalise on that by proposing the idea of engraving your initials behind it and customising your own watch even more.”

There is a different perception of Pasha today, Rainero says, in that the balance between the square and the round shape is different in the contemporary version. There is a lot of work on the dial. The presence of the square is more discreet, engraved rather than designed as per the black line of the Arabic numeral square.

Pasha de Cartier.

JEWELLERY PIECE

Rainero is usually quite measured in his praise of the new pieces in the collection, but I always ask for him to single out a personal favourite. “I’m also very excited about the Maillon watch. It’s another way to work with our values and philosophy in terms of design. It is a totally new creation, a design that never existed at all. The philosophy behind it is very Cartier,” says Rainero, “our vision of what a jewellery watch should be, meaning an object not conceived separately from the function to tell the time and the function to be an objet on your wrist. It has been conceived as a whole. That’s why the case is so well integrated into the bracelet.”

The links of the chain made the design of the case, not only in the way the case is attached to the links, but also the little geometric shape. Rainero also likes the idea of the watch chain, a concept Cartier brought to market after the World War 2. “It was another way to express our vision in watchmaking design and, more than ever, highlights the link with our original identity as a jeweller. I think it’s easy for us to conceive watches like that. It’s natural as a jeweller.”

Because the watch design allows so many possibilities to display the stones, and all of them are pleasing on the eye, Rainero says they had to make a choice based on timing. My favourite has to be the one with the tsavorite dial.

KEEPING WATCH: THE NEW IWC PORTUGIESER COLLECTION IS MAKING WAVES

Thu, 23 Jul 2020 11:31:00 GMT

The second big invention for the line was soon after IWC’s 125th anniversary in 1993, when they showed the jubilee edition of the 325 and called it Portugieser for the first time. The Portugieser Anniversary Edition was limited to 1,000 watches in stainless steel; 500 in 5N gold and 250 in platinum. The watch measured 42.5mm in diameter, and was powered by the 9828 calibre, which was based on the 98 pocket watch calibre. This edition quickly sold out and set a trend towards larger-format wristwatches.

18-carat Armor Gold case, blue dial, gold-plated hands, 18-carat gold appliques, blue alligator leather strap by Santoni.

For the Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 42, the main complication is powered for the first time with an in-house movement from the 82000-calibre family. Control is at the crown. The dial displays the calendar information clearly on three subdials. The moon phase is machined from solid gold at Schaffhausen. “The remarkable thing about this is that it really is the Portugieser instrument-style case but it wears better, and a lot more ergonomically at 42mm and 13mm height,” says Grainger-Herr.

AN INTERVIEW WITH IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN CEO CHRIS GRAINGER-HERR ON THE NEW PORTUGIESER COLLECTION

Published in Business Day Wanted

One thing that International Watch Company (IWC) fan, Instagrammer Déby Maldonado, and I agree on is our favourite watch from the new IWC Portugieser collection, launched virtually in May at Watches and Wonders 2020. We both love the IWC Portugieser Yacht Club Moon & Tide.

In his Zoom round table with select journalists from India, UAE, Lebanon and SA, IWC Schaffhausen CEO Chris Grainger-Herr shared the latest launches with us after due commiseration at not being able to meet up face to face at the annual Geneva watch fair due to the coronavirus lockdown.

Portugieser is at the heart of IWC’s DNA, which is engineering and design, and goes back to its story pertaining to navigation. “Our founder, Florentine Ariosto Jones, crossed the Atlantic Ocean from Boston to establish the International Watch Company in Schaffhausen, on the banks of the Rhine River, using the water to power his factory and make very precise pocket watches for the American market. These became deck observation watches (made for the British Royal Navy at that time),” says Grainger-Herr.

“IWC went on to make pocket watches and wristwatches for boats and ships all around the planet until two Portuguese businessmen came to Schaffhausen and asked us to make marine chronometer precision watches. The only way we could do that was by fitting those pocket watch movements into a wristwatch case, which resulted in the reference 325 with its oversized case, hand-wound movement, Arabic numerals, feuille hands, small seconds at 6 o’clock, and marine chronometer precision. This (1939 model) forms the basis of our Portugieser collection today.”

“It was the starting point for the Portugieser chronograph, released in 1995 and 1998. Then Kurt Klaus’s model, the Portugieser Perpetual Calendar, was revealed in 2003. It is so accurate that it requires correction by just one day after 577.5 years — this is the basis for all modern double movements in the perpetual calendar model. These are the milestones in the development of the Portugieser,” says Grainger-Herr.

The new Portugieser collection features all in-house movements, from simple automatic to very complicated sports and elegant watches, of which Grainger-Herr is understandably proud.

“The Schaffhausen manufacturing centre allows us incredible progress in terms of engineering and quality. Just having all teams working together directly, in logical sequence, breaking the communications barriers we used to have in the old building, enabled us to ramp up development of our in-house calibres very significantly,” he says.

“You see that across the full range ever since the launch of the IWC Pilot Spitfire collection last year when we introduced movements such as the 69 chronograph, 32 automatic, 82 automatic, and the Timezoners. This is the backbone of what we’re doing now in movement development. It’s enabled us to go into different thicknesses and diameters as well, and to provide a warranty up to eight years by registering on iwc.com.”

18-carat Armor Gold case, blue dial, gold-plated hands, 18-carat gold appliques, blue alligator leather strap by Santoni.

Grainger-Herr splits the collection into three pillars — the iconic 40mm automatic, the complicated watches and the sports classics. The Portugieser Automatic 40 features improved ergonomics in terms of fit. It has the very classic three-hand design, small seconds at 6 o’clock, Arabic numerals, big oversized dial, 40mm case, and the IWC-manufactured 82200 calibre with Pellaton winding. It has an alligator strap, secured by a reworked clasp system with a butterfly folding clasp. This watch is the entry point to the collection, coming in at 7,500 Swiss franc.

Selected models will be sold exclusively in IWC boutiques and online on iwc.com . They feature blue dials, blue alligator leather straps and cases in 18-carat 5N gold or 18-carat Armor Gold. Two noteworthy models in the haute horlogerie realm are the Portugieser Tourbillon Rétrograde Chronograph, which combines a tourbillon with retrograde date display and chronograph, as well as the Portugieser Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon, which features both complications on the dial.

The sports classic pillar sees the third-generation Portugieser Yacht Club return to classic proportions with a 44mm model to follow the 43mm version. The talking piece of that subcollection is the Portugieser Yacht Club Moon & Tide, mentioned earlier. It is the first IWC watch to feature the newly developed feature that indicates high, low, spring and leap tides for the current location. It has a double moon at 12 o’clock and the mechanism can be reset at 6 o’clock. The piece has a single crown at 3 o’clock.

Stainless steel case, silver-plated dial, blue hands and appliques, blue alligator leather strap.

“This complication has been in the pipeline for a long time. We found that having the base of the 82 calibre allowed us to get to a dial layout I was happy with. We used the classic Portugieser chronograph layout with two counters and combined it with the double movement with tide indication at 6 o’clock, and suddenly it worked. It is unique and easy to operate. We don’t do complicated just for the sake of it. We want robustness and user-friendliness,” says Grainger-Herr.

“The new collection captures the essence of Portugieser, which is a timeless design based on Portugieser DNA, without ever feeling retro or vintage. The watch feels as modern now as it did 80 years ago and hopefully will continue to do so 150 years into the future.”

Asked about IWC’s response to the trend of consumers looking for substance, and brands going back to their roots, he says, “Generally we’re about understated confidence, never flashy. Portugieser happens to be that — an extremely well-made instrument that clients enjoy tremendously. It never shouts luxury as a statement. This is much more what people gravitate to in times of trouble — brands they trust, icons they trust, and something that is essential.

“This (coronavirus) crisis is teaching us so much about the way we consume. Our message in this context is that we’re making something responsibly, in the heart of Europe, preserving skills. But also we’re making something that can be repaired and will last forever. It’s a good moment to reflect on how we consume, how many iterations of an object we need, and the value of consuming things that can be repaired.”

For many, this will be an opportunity to get back to the core of luxury, which means indulging in products with which consumers have an emotional connection, that make them feel good, and that they can enjoy for a long, long time.

WATCHES & WONDERS 2020: 11 STANDOUT TIMEPIECES FROM THE LUXURY-WATCH FAIR

Mon, 13 Jul 2020 12:25:00 GMT

3. Montblanc Monopusher Chronograph.

IWC Portugieser Yacht Club Moon and Tide.

Piaget Limelight Gala Precious Sapphire.

Parmigiani Tonda Metropolitaine.

A Lange & Söhne Odysseus.

DEBBIE HATHWAY OPENS A WINDOW TO A WORLD OF LUXURY WATCHMAKING THAT FEW ARE PRIVY TO AND SHARES SOME OF HER FAVOURITE TIMEPIECES

Published in Business Day Wanted

SIHH has rolled off the tongues of watch enthusiasts worldwide for so long that it takes a conscious effort to talk of Watches and Wonders 2020. The Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, or SIHH, as we liked to call it, has long been the international watch fair to open the calendar year for collectors, retailers, and press who couldn’t wait to get to Geneva, Switzerland, to witness the new creations and craftsmanship produced by some of the world’s best watchmakers and artisans.

The big event was renamed and rescheduled for April this year. The grand plan by the exhibition organisers, the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH), was to encourage delegates and, later, members of the public, to discover more of the wonders of watchmaking beyond the bounds of the Palexpo venue. The idea was to arrange activities in the city of Geneva (the Palexpo is on the outskirts, a 20- to 30-minute drive from the CBD, depending on traffic), where the most-lauded watchmaking maisons have dedicated boutiques, exhibitions, and museums we usually don’t have time to visit.

REINVENTION

I was looking forward to experiencing Switzerland in warmer weather — the habitual stroll that I usually managed to squeeze in along Lake Geneva to the Jet d’Eau would have been vastly different sans snow. Thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, this was not to be.

Watches and Wonders was postponed until 2021, until the FHH and some of the exhibitors suddenly agreed to take the event online. The effect was like going from 0-100km/hr in 2.1 seconds.

For the invited media (I was the only one representing South Africa), the pressure was on to research and prepare for interviews with the who’s who of the watch industry in very little time and quickly adjust to the world of Zoom conferencing.

Going online had its advantages, though. Although our time slots were strictly controlled, there was a little more latitude than we would have had in person in Geneva, not having to compete for time and attention with all-important collectors keen to purchase a newly coveted piece. While some of us were conducting interviews or attending round-table discussions with chief executives, the rest of the media corps was given exclusive access to news, photographs and video material for publication in print or online. Public access was enabled a few days later.

FACETIME

By now I was in my element. This is a subject I’ve been covering regularly since 2008 and I’ve got to know several of the watchmaking luminaries, particularly at the Swiss maisons. I enjoyed conducting most of my interviews via video call. The interviewees in this format were all men (there is a handful of women pushing the glass ceiling in the industry).

It was fascinating to see the range of setups they chose as a reflection of either the corporate style or their own — from hi-tech boardroom presentations to more informal study and office locations.

I couldn’t resist asking for a wardrobe reveal from the dapper Christian Selmoni, style and heritage director for Vacheron Constantin. I’ve met him several times before, and he’s known for his quirky fashion sense. He obligingly leant back in his seat to lift a long, thin leg into view so I could see what socks he was wearing!

Meanwhile, I spotted IWC CEO Chris Grainger-Herr’s display of model cars on the bookshelves behind his desk.

Max Sirena, team director for America’s Cup challenger, the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team, looked like a different person dockside, in between training sessions at Cagliari, Sardinia, instead of suited up for a Panerai stage presentation last year at Palexpo.

Pierre Rainero, director of image, heritage and style for Cartier, looked uncharacteristically casual in a crisp white, open-collared shirt as opposed to his usual suit and tie, and Davide Traxler, CEO at Parmigiani Fleurier, spoke to me from his home in the country with the resident birds in full song outside his window.

These are the kind of moments that enrich my life as a writer, especially when I’m writing about a topic I’m passionate about. Look out for the series of articles that will be published based on my interviews over the next few months. In the meantime, I’ve listed a few of my favourites revealed at Watches and Wonders 2020.

TOP PICKS

1. H Moser and Cie Streamliner Flyback Chronograph Automatic H.

2. Vacheron Constantin La Musique du Temps Les Cabinotiers “The Singing Birds”.

3. Montblanc Monopusher Chronograph.

4. IWC Portugieser Yacht Club Moon and Tide.

5. Panerai Luminor Marina Goldtech.

6. Piaget Limelight Gala Precious Sapphire.

7. Maillon de Cartier.

8. Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control.

9. Parmigiani Tonda Metropolitaine collection.

10. Laurent Ferrier Grand Sport Tourbillon.

11. A Lange & Söhne Odysseus.

Find inner peace at one of these luxury lodges in Botswana

Tue, 23 Jun 2020 07:06:41 GMT

When you want to stop the world, sometimes the universe obliges. Debbie Hathway discovered this in Botswana.

Published in Business Day Wanted

Words: DEBBIE HATHWAY

The day after my father passed away, I boarded a plane from Cape Town to Johannesburg en route to Botswana. It was set to be the trip of a lifetime, prime game viewing at two reserves in the Kalahari region and one in the Okavango Delta. I decided to join the small expedition as planned, partly for my father, who was an avid birdwatcher, and partly for me. I needed to find peace in the quiet of the bush.

The invitation had come from Allan Eccles of Falcon Africa, in celebration of his company’s 30th anniversary. Eccles is a former SA Air Force pilot turned bush pilot and safari guide in the Delta. He knows the territory, not just here but across Africa. Well familiar with the annual wildebeest migration through the Serengeti and the Maasai Mara, in Botswana Eccles accompanied a television crew to film the catfish migration up the main river channels of the Delta. “I assisted at a wildlife lodge in the Savute during a drought, which involved driving water trucks to the pans on the Savute Marsh to fill them with water. The lions would follow the truck to drink at our feet,” he says.

The last days

In “normal times” Air Botswana flies direct from OR Tambo International to Maun International Airport in just two hours. In this, a final cross-border jaunt before lockdown, we used Safari Air charters to move between lodges, averaging about 40 minutes per flight, which meant getting incredible views of the diverse terrain. Ker & Downey Botswana guide Phefo Moheto was waiting to greet us at Dinaka, a private conservancy on the northern boundary of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. He met us at a tiny metal-roofed shelter alongside a short sandy airstrip, hand sanitiser at the ready.

Back then, still slightly incredulous at the coronavirus pandemic becoming a very real threat to the global status quo, we quickly accepted this accessory du jour at every stop. Eccles had pointed out the noticeable drop in the number of travellers waiting to clear passport control in Maun. Formalities aside, Moheto was eager to show us around one of the most unusual areas of biodiversity in Southern Africa. Nobody was prepared for the glimpse of the elusive aardwolf lurking amid the grasses near the road to Dinaka. It is seldom seen because of its bashful nature and mainly nocturnal movements, so we were quick to capture the small animal on film — albeit a blur. At least we had evidence!

Close encounter

Dinaka, meaning “horns”, is the latest acquisition by Ker & Downey Botswana, founded by safari pioneers at the end of the World War 2. Here, the semi-arid sandy savannah is home to more than 200 bird species including the Kalahari lion, cheetah, leopard, springbok, oryx, and brown hyena. There are also smaller mammals such as the honey badger, one of which sought refuge beneath the Dinaka deck that overlooks a waterhole. After dark, no-one ventured outside their roomy thatched safari tents without an escort. Incidentally, there are only seven safari tents, connected by wooden walkways.

The camp is unfenced and animals move through it freely. My deck seemed to be the chosen stage for that night’s lion opera. I shot up in bed wide-eyed as the first soloist began and crept out from beneath my draped mosquito net to peer outside. If I could have seen anything in the pitch blackness, I swear I could have eyeballed her right outside my door. Instead, I was forced to retreat and be content with listening to them roar all night long.

San walk

Day two’s highlight was exercise. After hours in flight or on the road, the chance to experience the Kalahari landscape on foot with San guides Voter Tsooqoma and Quma Xota was exhilarating. What a privilege to learn how they hunt, find water, make fire, and live off the land. Do you know they are armed with nothing but a small shoulder bag of finely honed tools, a wealth of knowledge of the natural world, and loads of patience?

Camp Okuti, Botswana

Next up was a visit to Okuti, a Ker & Downey Botswana camp in Moremi Game Reserve, the oldest protected area of the Delta. The reserve supports a tremendous amount of wildlife and boasts more than 400 bird species. I’m no stranger to land safaris but a water safari along the Maunachira channel, which flows in front of the five masasas (meaning house of reeds) at Okuti, was a wonderful surprise. Even better was pulling up at a river bank for a sundowner after guide Baams Motsamai had deftly opened the throttle to escape a charging hippo soon after its rather terrifying display of territorial behaviour. Who knew their swimming rate was 8km/hr underwater?

Sights and sounds of the Savuti

We were largely sheltered from world events for two blissful days. The wonderful hospitality, catering, and care of the local staff in an almost off-grid existence eventually gave way to the reality of Covid-19 and its far-reaching effects. The mood was grim as tour operators, travel agents, hosts, guests, and guides exchanged perspectives. Ghoha Hills Savuti Lodge was the first camp to have readily available Wi-Fi so the barrage of information allowed through was relentless. (Okuti limits access to Wi-Fi but made an exception under the circumstances for us to connect with concerned family at home.)

Ghoha Hills tent

Despite the angst, I was beginning to recover. It was as though I could breathe again at this hilltop retreat. The energy was different. I felt grounded and calm. Mother Nature was working her magic. We were in the Chobe National Park in the north of Botswana, which has one of the highest concentrations of game and wildlife in Africa. Park rules ban safari vehicles from driving off-road, and numbers are limited at a sighting. Venturing upon a nearby kill is pure luck, good timing, and strong instincts on the part of the guides.

Big Five

By the end of the trip we were able to tick off the Big Five — but not in every reserve and not around every corner. That is the beauty of the Botswana bush. Ker & Downey Botswana calls it a niche carved from eternity. And the Ghoha Hills Savuti Lodge environment features a landscape of lush grasslands contrasting with bleak stretches, a marsh, and the Bushman Hills formed nearly a billion years ago by volcanic activity.

This side of the Kalahari has a special ambience. There are no fences and little power (Dinaka and Okuti are generator-powered while Ghoha Hills Savuti Lodge runs off solar) — just the night stars which create a kaleidoscopic wonder that generates an indescribable inner peace. I shall return.

• Hathway was a guest at Dinaka, Okuti, and Ghoha Hills Savuti Lodge, thanks to Falcon Africa.

Travel Tuesdays

Sat, 20 Jun 2020 06:55:46 GMT

The restrictions on movement, never mind life in general, imposed by the coronavirus pandemic must give new meaning to the term ‘itchy feet’. Whether you’re an avid traveller or not, you’re bound to want to leap out of your armchair and venture forth now that the South African government has declared interprovincial travel okay for both business and leisure.

Published in Sail and Leisure
Words: DEBBIE HATHWAY

African Bush Holidays For All

AfricaStay has pivoted way ahead of the rest, getting the basics down for their new division – Holiday Packages by AfricaStay – just before lockdown. “In the middle of the global crisis, we were able to retain our core team and focus on the rapid transformation necessary for survival in the travel industry today,” says Marian Sandu, director at AfricaStay. “We reinvented ourselves, learned new
skills, and put all our effort into completing our new booking portal for tourists and travel agents.

We’re excited to be able to launch Holiday Packages by AfricaStay as South Africa embraces the travel potential that comes with Level 2 status.” Historically AfricaStay has focused on Zanzibar, but with the technology wrapped up in this new portal the company will be able to offer holiday packages anywhere in the world. “We are very happy that South Africa is opening up for travel, with rates that appeal across the board. High-end destinations are offering packages normally aimed at the wealthy at rates low enough to make them accessible to middle-class travellers.”

Support Local

Look local for instant gratification because prices have never been more appealing. And book those
international travel packages while the rates are low. It is a case of book now, travel later, while avid
travellers wait for borders to reopen.

Some destinations are already in the happy position of being fully booked for the near future. It’s a
good idea to keep an eye on this platform, which also invites collaboration from travel consultants
who may use it to promote their own products. Users will be able to search for holiday packages,
flights, activities and experiences to suit both budget and availability.

With so many more people working out of office as the norm, what’s to stop you from working anywhere else in the world?

If you fancy a short break, there’s no better place to restore heart and soul than in the African bush.

Bush Holiday Specials

North West
4* Kwa Maritane Bush Lodge: two nights from R2650 per person, includes breakfast and one game drive.

4* Black Rhino Game Lodge from R1995 per person per night, includes all meals and two game drives. Book now and safari later. Valid until 28 February 2021, excluding 24 December 2020 to 4 January 2021. Book by 31 August 2020.

Black Rhino Game Lodge – Suite

Kwa Maritane Bush Lodge

Mpumalanga
4* Hoyo Hoyo Safari Lodge – Kruger National Park from R3 165 per person per night, includes all meals and two game drives per day. Book now and safari later. Valid until 28 February 2021, excluding 24 December 2020 to 4 January 2021. Book by 31 August 2020.

5* Hamiltons Tented Camp – Kruger National Park from R4 495 per person per night, includes all meals and two game drives per day. Book now and safari later. Valid until 28 February 2021, excluding 24 December 2020 to 4 January 2021. Book by 31 August 2020.

Suite at Hamiltons Tented Camp

Hoyo Hoyo Safari Lodge

Limpopo
4* Mabula Game Lodge from R1 475 per person per night, includes all meals and two games drives
per day. Book now and safari later. Valid until 28 February 2021, excluding 24 December 2020 to 4
January 2021. Book by 31 August 2020.

5* Thornybush Game Lodge, two nights from R8 995 per person. Book now and safari later. Valid until 30 June 2021, excluding 16 December 2020 to 5 January 2021

Thorny Bush Game Lodge – fire pit and sundowners

Mabula Game Lodge – Dinner under the fig tree

Book here for the getaway you’ve been dreaming about for months!

The adventurer

Mon, 03 Feb 2020 19:36:00 GMT

As a child and then a young man, world-renowned explorer, environmentalist and sailor Mike Horn honed his survival skills on everything from the Jukskei River to the Angolan border. Debbie Hathway talks to the exMatie about his exploits. Published in Stellenbosch Visio

Published in Stellenbosch Visio

I walked out of the Panerai booth where I’d interviewed world-famous explorer Mike Horn on a high. And it wasn’t because I’d almost got him to dance sokkie with me. He certainly demonstrated that he has the hold down pat, but this Stellenbosch University alumnus says he didn’t dance in his student days – he just used to sit in a corner of the dance venue and spot the talent!

We were at the annual Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie in Geneva in January for the launch of the Panerai Submersible Mike Horn Edition PAM00985, among others, and I felt that this was one of the best interviews of my career. Reading some of the other interviews published, clearly I wasn’t the only journalist affected by Mike’s enthusiasm, charisma and sheer joie de vivre. It’s enough to make you believe that you, too, can climb any mountain and cross any sea if you put your mind to it. And that’s the point. For the would-be owners of these 19 special edition watches released this year, joining Mike on his next Arctic expedition is part of the deal.

He told monochrome-watches.com that buyers will have the opportunity to participate in a “brutal and fun Arctic experience. For me, it all comes back to emotions. I felt that if you, the buyer, hadn’t been to the North Pole, for example, I could take you safely and surely with my experience. I would be giving you a shortcut. I promise you that watch will be more meaningful to you.”

Was he concerned about taking members of the public into the wild? “No. I’m just excited. I’m looking forward to pushing them and showing them they can go longer and harder than they ever thought they could. Of course, there will be times when adversity may get the better of them, there may be tears. But in the end, it will all be worth it.”

Born and raised in Johannesburg, Mike is the second eldest of four children whose parents were both school teachers. He studied at Stellenbosch University from 1987 to 1989 and during that time lived in a student house in Plein Street with 12 other guys. On the sports front, he played rugby and cricket for Pieke and participated in long-distance marathon running and triathlons. He graduated with a degree in Human Movement Science.

He is a widower and the father of Annika and Jessica, who now fulfil the logistical support role previously held by their late mother, Cathy. “We work together to honour the legacy of my wife by educating the world,” he told mensjournal.com.

How long did it take Mike to realise he wanted to be an explorer? “I think my father understood that he had to give me a lot of freedom. When he gave me my first bicycle he only gave me one rule and that was to be at home at 6pm. I never had to tell him where I was going or what I was doing. I came back at 6 o’clock and then I shared with him what I’d done that day.”

At the age of eight, Mike would take off on that bicycle and try to get as far as he could within the time limit. He says that made everything possible. “In a way (my father) understood that I was a little bit different to my brothers and sisters. I needed to not be put into a cage. And if I decided I was going to do something, there was very little that could stop me.”

The family home was near the Jukskei River, one of the largest rivers in Johannesburg, and Mike used to love nothing more than jumping into it when it was in flood. “I needed to get that excitement out of life. School wasn’t enough. Rugby and cricket and athletics weren’t enough. I needed more. And my father just said ‘go out and play’.” He would be there waiting for Mike’s return, ready to listen to accounts of his daily antics and offer advice on how to handle challenges in nature. “He would say ‘next time put your feet to the front, lift your head a little bit, open your arms, watch where you can see there’s waves … that means there’s rocks’. Sometimes he would come and join me. In that way I was taught to take responsibility and also to progress, not just to take risks but to do so in a more controlled manner.”

To date Mike has notched up a list of accomplishments that puts him firmly on a pedestal as the world’s greatest modern-day explorer. It’s probably the one thing he would never voluntarily climb. He is one of the humblest men I’ve met, giving no sign of his prowess in extreme sports disciplines that have made it possible for him to swim the Amazon River solo and unsupported, complete a non-motorised circumnavigation of the globe at the equator, walk to the North Pole during the dark season and scale some of the world’s highest peaks. He was the first man to complete a 5 100km Antarctic crossing in his sailing vessel IT – on its longest length, solo and unsupported – and he did it in a record-breaking 57 days.

His hobby? “Preserving our planet.”

IT was also the name of Mike’s four-year 200 000-mile ‘dream expedition’ from 2008 to 2012 that he shared with young explorers eager to experience the natural world, learn about its challenges, find possible solutions to them and help change things for the better. Mike believes we are “losing respect for nature, forgetting her beauty and, most importantly, her overwhelming power. All must accept responsibility and work as one using ingenuity, drive and courage to find new inspiration, hope and ambition. Together we can tap the world’s most powerful energy source – the younger generation – to help them find solutions for their tomorrows.”

Did living in South Africa influence his ambition to become an explorer? Mike told one interviewer: “The beauty of South Africa is that we have access to natural beauty in its purest form. There’s an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for having been able to live in such a wonderful place.”

Mike attributes much of his success to discipline – and it’s possibly why he has survived so many life-threatening situations during his adventures. It’s certainly something he learned at a young age, given the responsibility with the freedom afforded to him by his father, but his two years with the special forces reaction unit during South Africa’s conflict with Angola was a major contributor too. He told a sidetracked.com interviewer that it “was a pretty active, physical and mental engagement. It made me understand that life is not a game. I knew I had to go into war with the aim of surviving, not killing people.”

One of his best-known quotes is: “If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough.” He says, “I think eventually we’re all afraid of making that vital mistake that we could control the length or destiny of our life. Everything I’ve dreamt of doing hasn’t been done before. Sometimes when you sit with a white page in front of you and you’ve got to write down how it is going to happen and how you can survive it – that’s when you get this feeling of fear. But fear is not doubting your capabilities. It’s just knowing that you’re going to engage in something that – if everything goes pear-shaped – will probably prevent you from ever going back home. It’s not a fear of losing my life. I’m not afraid of losing.

“If you’re afraid of losing you can never do stuff that’s out of the ordinary because you’re always thinking, ‘Shit, I shouldn’t lose.’ It takes away your human capabilities – the fear of losing. If you change that concept in your mind, and the will to win becomes bigger than the fear of losing, then everything becomes possible.”

The ultimate sportsman

“At extremely low temperatures everything on me was frozen and did not work anymore; the only thing that continued to work was my watch.” Mike Horn was talking about the Panerai Luminor Arktos PAM00092, which was specially prepared for his solo, non-motorised circumnavigation of the Arctic Circle and one of several limited editions created during his ambassadorship for Panerai for close to two decades.

The brand has supported him through his last four expeditions: Arktos (2002–2004), the North Pole Winter Expedition (2006), Pangaea (2008–2012) and Pole2Pole. Panerai describes Mike as the perfect incarnation of a sportsman – strong, courageous and determined, and one who shares its values.

How do Panerai watches add value to his expeditions? They’re survival instruments, quite literally. “The Pole2Pole expedition watch (the Panerai Luminor Submersible 1950 3 days GMT automatic titanio ‘Pole2Pole’ PAM00719) Panerai made for me helped me do the first-ever full crossing of Antarctica. I used it 100% in navigation. The watch becomes the tool because you can’t use the GPS when it’s -60 or -70 or -80 degrees outside. The screen freezes (it’s liquid). You can’t use a compass either. As soon as you go north of the magnetic north pole, the compass turns in circles and it doesn’t show direction anymore. You can only use mechanical instruments. The watch had to be a-magnetic, to deflect the magnetic fields of the earth that influence how the watch works,” explains Mike. “For me, a Panerai watch has always been more of a tool than a timepiece.”

That’s the brand DNA, after all, as the watches have been crafted as high-precision instruments for the Royal Italian Navy since the early 20th century. And it’s the only watch Mike has worn since Johan Rupert walked up to him at the Laureus World Sports Awards when he won Action Sportsperson of the Year in 2001 and fastened his personal Panerai on his arm. “I didn’t know him from a bar of soap – I knew more about his father and the Rupert family. I said ‘Wow, this is the only watch I would want to wear or buy’,” he adds. “That Panerai association came out of the blue, when I really needed it the most.”

This year’s Panerai Submersible Mike Horn Edition PAM00985 is a professional diver’s watch created with an innovative production process to safeguard the planet and it features a case, crown-protecting device, bezel and case back made of Eco-Titanium™ while the light, strong strap is made of recycled plastic. Mike’s signature is engraved on the case back, together with a depiction of ocean life, Panerai’s natural playground.

“It’s the idea that I wanted something that has meaning for me in the future. I have two beautiful daughters. I want them to live on a planet that’s intact. One life is 30 000 days in general if you live to the age of 82. I’ve lived the better part of my life in the short 53 years that I’ve been alive. I’ve seen the earth at its most beautiful and I can see the speed that it’s deteriorating. I can see it. I can feel it. I sail the oceans. I don’t see the birds, the fish anymore. I don’t see that glitter on the ocean that’s full of microplastics. It’s not that we’re just jumping on the bandwagon. Ten, 15 years ago already, I said we’ve got to change a little bit the way we live. Say no to plastics.”

What makes a winning residential estate?

Fri, 24 Jan 2020 23:25:19 GMT

New World Wealth reports that 40% of SA’s wealthiest citizens are buying property in luxury gated developments. HomeFront reveals how top-notch estates continually evolve to ensure they stay ahead of their game.

WORDS: DEBBIE HATHWAY PHOTOS: Supplied

Published in Business Day HomeFront 24 January 2020

Residential estates are becoming more and more popular internationally, and SA ranks second only to the US for the number of such developments. SA is a global pioneer in residential and developments, reports New World Wealth, with annual research revealing a move away from traditional golf estates towards lifestyle and retirement estates.

NEXT LEVEL

Multi-award-winning Val de Vie, between Paarl and Franschhoek, is rated the top estate in SA. It has positioned itself as a wellness estate in line with global health and wellbeing trends. “Just as in sport, it is much harder to stay on top than to get to the top,” says Val de Vie group marketing director Ryk Neethling. “We’ve managed to improve our offering every year over the past seven years. Our excellent security brings peace of mind, which is crucial for wellness, and our farms will produce food for our restaurants and residents. The sports and medical facilities are world class and our strong community is a key factor in pursuing a long, healthy life.”

After the recent drought, the estate now has its own water plant. “We use a fraction of what we used before,” says Neethling. “All our irrigation systems have been upgraded and we can pinpoint exactly when we lose water anywhere on the estate. These are large investments but they make a big difference.”

Security at Val de Vie is upgraded on an ongoing basis. “This is a daily focus for us. We have multiple layers of security and are very proud that there has never been a breach of the security perimeter,” he says.

Besides prestigious schools in Paarl, Franschhoek and Stellenbosch close by, one of the residents is bringing the Bali Green School concept to the estate. The school is being built right outside our gate and is set to open in January 2021. We are getting enquiries from all over the world from people who want to live here and have their kids attend. It’s very exciting,” says Neethling.

COMFORT ZONES

Local investors are leading the international trend towards buying in a secure estate that is linked to premium educational facilities. Sitari Country Estate near Somerset West has a Curro school that caters for children from the age of three months through to Grade 12. “A new upmarket shopping centre also contributes to convenience,” says Claudius Combrinck, executive director of property sales for Sitari Country Estate.

Security remains the top consideration when choosing to live in an estate rather than in a traditional residential suburb, and Sitari keeps working at improving its standards in this regard.

Combrinck says the Amdec Group will develop more homes and communal facilities within Sitari this year, given that lifestyle and recreation also rank high among the draw cards of secure lifestyle estates.

URBAN PARK

At Steyn City near Broadacres in Midrand, Steyn City School offers world-class education to pupils from Grade 000 to high school. In addition, a beautiful commercial park as well as formal and casual dining facilities allow homeowners to enjoy the ultimate live/work/play lifestyle. Prices of homes and apartments range from R2m to R40m. Steyn City is the primary residence for most of its buyers but a handful of investors have bought their properties for older children who are studying in Gauteng while they live elsewhere in the country.

This development is positioned as an exceptional lifestyle resort incorporating nearly 810ha of landscaped parklands. The developers have considered every conceivable lifestyle amenity to accommodate a wide range of interests and pursuits. Everything from golf and horse riding to outdoor gyms and yoga mats are offered. There are also tennis courts, children’s play nodes, an indoor aquatic centre, a mountain-bike trail and more than 40km of promenade for walking, jogging and cycling.

SAFETY FIRST

The Arabella Country Estate near Hermanus is one of the most scenic lifestyle estates in the country. With homes priced from R3m to R15m, it spans 113ha with 1.6km lagoon frontage. The estate is also home to an award-winning spa and a Peter Matkovich-designed 18-hole golf course with a clubhouse.

“The state-of-the-art security system has just been upgraded,” adds Johann Larney of RE/MAX Town and Country. “With so much to offer, Arabella is seeing an increase in young professionals and families settling here permanently.”

Fibre optic cabling ensuring high-speed connectivity available to homeowners who subscribe to the service – a plus for those who work from home. “We are 110km from Cape Town. With mobile offices and home-based businesses on the rise, Arabella has become a nice alternative,” says estate manager Dirk Uys.

Residents and visitors now have access to the Bot River Lagoon for non-motorised boating activities and fishing, and a new lookout deck built at the water’s edge is the perfect spot for lunch and sundowners.

NEW ADDITIONS

Fancourt in George is set on 613ha – that’s three times the size of Monaco. The estate is divided into seven residential areas, each with their own architectural theme, and prices range from R3m to R50m.

“The most recent addition is Noem Noem, an area of 45 vacant stands with only nine opportunities left,” says Stephen Murray, Pam Golding Properties area manager in George. “Noem Noem is inspired by the country living character of Links Ridge and the modern style of Montagu Ridge.”

Fancourt is 7km away from George Airport, which offers flights to and from Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban. Hospitality facilities at the estate include the Manor House Boutique Hotel, Fancourt Luxury Hotel & Spa and a hair salon.

Golfers will relish the three championship courses designed by Gary Player, a branch of The Pro Shop and comprehensive practice facilities as well as qualified PGA specialists.

RESORT LIFE

On KwaZulu-Natal’s North Coast, Zimbali boasts an impressive natural environment with beach frontage and forest surrounds. Prices range from R5m to R75m.

The development has evolved to incorporate residential lifestyle estate characteristics and create one of the most successful mixed-use resorts in SA. It is well established as a highly popular vacation destination and offers large homes as well as smaller, lock-up and go units.

“While the primary residence component has grown over the years, an element of ‘semigration’ persists, with the necessity for business-related travels requiring a level of comfort so that family left behind are assured of a safe estate lifestyle,” says Sascha Bausch, Pam Golding Properties sales specialist in Zimbali.

There has also been a shift in the age of buyers investing in Zimbali. According to a 2019 Lightstone report, 62% of them are below the age of 49.

Recent major refurbishments to facilities include heated pools, comprehensive children’s play areas, a putt-putt course, flood-lit tennis courts, squash courts and a state-of-the-art gym. In addition, the estate opened up some dams for catch-and-release fishing and improved its existing nature trails to promote walking, running and cycling.

New World Wealth notes ongoing countrywide trends among developers creating small neighbourhoods within estates. Parks, birdlife, walks and trails are rising in popularity, whereas many lifestyle and golf estates have started to add luxury apartments to their offerings.

Top 10 residential estates in SA for 2019

This is how New World Wealth ranks SA’s top estates (in alphabetical order):

Arabella Country Estate, near Hermanus in the Cape Overberg
Atlantic Beach Estate, in Melkbosstrand outside Cape Town
Fancourt, in George on the Garden Route
Pezula Private Estate, in Knysna on the Garden Route
Simbithi Eco-Estate, in Ballito near Durban
Steenberg, in Cape Town
Steyn City, in Midrand
Val de Vie, between Paarl and Franschhoek in the Cape Winelands
Whale Rock Ridge, in Plettenberg Bay
Zimbali, next to Ballito near Durban

The top estates per category include:

In SA: Val de Vie
In Gauteng: Steyn City
In the Western Cape: Val de Vie
On the Garden Route: Fancourt
In KwaZulu-Natal: Zimbali

Playing in Paradise

Tue, 03 Dec 2019 07:01:20 GMT

There’s something about working out in the elements that changes the experience entirely. Whether the occasion is road running, trailing, mountain biking, hiking or yoga, there’s little that can keep a dedicated fitness fanatic away from an event in nature. And when it’s on an island, well…

Words: DEBBIE HATHWAY

Reconnect with nature

After the 2018 CIEL Ferney Trail 2018, I was determined to enter the 2019 event. Extra motivation came in the form of the introduction of a fun 8km option for those who simply wanted to enjoy a little exercise around one of the most magnificent natural attractions on the southeast coast of Mauritius.

The annual trail run is held in September in the Ferney Valley, a 2 800-hectare privately owned domain where 200 hectares are dedicated to the protection and rejuvenation of endangered flora and fauna in some of the last remaining endemic forest on the island. Half the proceeds of the race go to La Vallée de Ferney Conservation Trust and the other goes to Inclusion Mauritius, a group of 12 NGOs working for people with intellectual and physical disabilities.

The Nando’s 10km run was oversubscribed last year, hence the introduction of the Nando’s 8km Fun Run. The former was capped for 2019 in order to control numbers passing through some of the more delicate areas of the landscape. ‘Many participants are noncompetitive and want to walk, so we changed the route as some plants were trampled last time with too many people on the track,’ says Mathieu Razé, group head of Communications and Sustainability at CIEL.

Don’t think the shorter distance is any easier though. Jean-Marc Rivet, technical and administrative supervisor of the CIEL Ferney Trail, took us on a recce of the new routes the day before the race. It’s really something that should not be tackled without a little training and the right gear, which made me feel better about not entering as I had neither! The sheltered tracks patterned by the roots of the indigenous forest can be wet and slippery. It’s incredibly humid under the tree canopy and then you have to deal with the sun (or rain on occasions when the tropical weather system kicks in) through the open stretches. Not that it puts anybody off – these are points to remember for your race preparation if you’re tempted to enter next year!

The 50km event was changed to the Allsport 37km to encourage more entries over a long-distance race, while still incorporating the daunting summit of Lion Mountain at sunrise. That was a great idea and it worked. There was also the Bank One 20km and the Sun Kids 4km race. There were 3 400 participants in total.

Tough race for competitors

I was at the finish of the 37km to see German winner Moritz auf der Heide complete a gruelling race, just ahead of four-time CIEL Ferney Trail winner Jean Eddy Lauret from Reunion Island. Third over the line, several minutes behind, was Simon Desvaux from Mauritius. Léa Cavelier from France was the first lady across the line in that race.

‘It’s my first time on this island. When I had a look at the profile before, I was pretty happy, not so much elevation,’ says Auf der Heide. ‘I started very content, until I got to the first climb… I really did not expect it! For me it was then a matter of not running too hard because I knew there were a lot more climbs to come. After about 29km, when we came out of the technical sections, I managed to get a gap on Jean Eddy, and we went into the downhill. I was feeling ok, thinking I was going to win this, and then all of a sudden he was right behind me. So for the last 3km I went all out to finish in front of him – and it was only 50 seconds! It wasn’t my best performance in terms of speed, but I don’t care. It was super beautiful, good competition, I managed to win, so I’ve got everything to be happy about.’

More tracks have been opened to the public to explore on foot or mountain bike, out of hunting season, for an annual fee of Rs1 500 (R617 at time of publishing). The routes cover 5km, 13km and 20km and you have access as often as you like.

For more information, visit www.ferney.mu

Hips don’t lie

My first attempt at golf as a teenager failed dismally. My hips had too much swing apparently. Fine if you’re a dancer with a penchant for the Latin-American style, but there’s no room for that on the fairway. So when I joined golf pro Sheres Isram, aka Nanda, for training at the Paradis Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa Golf Academy in Mauritius I was hoping that I could get my hips to behave and that I could actually connect club to ball. That’s a lot to be thinking about when your mind is supposed to be in neutral.

Golf is a mind game, say the experts. ‘It’s all up here,’ says Nanda, tapping his finger against his head. He is a good teacher. Patient, encouraging and strict (which I respond to quite well), and unafraid to reprimand me when I do something stupid. Like hook a ball into the palm trees overhead, never to be seen again. His response was simply to pick up another ball, place it on the tee, and tell me to try again.

The 18-hole par-72 course caters for both serious and casual golfers. ‘The proximity of the golf course to the hotel and beach is a very positive feature, as you can leave the beach and 10 minutes later be on the first tee. The friendliness of the staff makes it a very pleasant experience,’ says South African business executive Angus MacRobert. ‘The golf course is very challenging. Whilst not particularly long, it’s very tight. So you have to play well, otherwise your score tallies up fast. The back nine, along the lagoon and sea, is one of the most spectacular in the world. And after finishing the round, it’s a two-minute walk to sundowners on the beach.’

Beautiful and different

For those wishing to play on a different landscape, they can try the Peter Matkovich-designed Mont Choisy Le Golf in the north. It’s a par-72, 6 200m championship course with a limited number of memberships so it’s a privilege to be able to play there.

Another option is the Ile Aux Cerfs Golf Club located on a small island off the east coast of Mauritius. Kevy Mohun, executive assistant manager at Ile Aux Cerfs, was project manager at Mont Choisy until the course opened in 2017. I asked him how the weather conditions compared. ‘When it’s winter, it’s windy everywhere. The natural vegetation helps shelter us at Ile Aux Cerfs,’ he says. Mohun adds that Ile Aux Cerfs is ‘stupendous’ location for a golf course, arguably one of the best in the world, with a string of awards to its credit. Since general manager Marc Amelot lead his team’s transformation of 15 of the 18 holes at Ile Aux Cerfs, a process completed in 2014, numbers have climbed to 25 000 players a year. The topography is undulating, featuring volcanic rock outcrops, lakes, gullies and tropical vegetation.

The courses at Ile Aux Cerfs and Anahita Golf & Spa Resort on the mainland are designed by golf legends Bernard Langer and Ernie Els respectively. Guests at Anahita reach Ile Aux Cerfs and a private beach via a short ferry ride, making it the ideal solution for golfers and their partners or families who wish to spend the day together in the same environment. ‘These are two very beautiful courses, but they are very different,’ says Cyril Bougaux, head of communications and public relations for Alteo Properties Ltd. ‘I like both. At Anahita, we can hit very far. The second shot is the most important. At Ile Aux Cerfs, it’s trickier. You have to manage the ball, because there are a lot of trees.’

Pierre Quirin, a golf pro at Anahita, advises golfers to keep the ball under the wind when there’s a breeze. ‘It’s more difficult, of course, but it’s interesting. It’s part of the game of golf,’ he says. ‘Anahita is open, so it’s less intimidating than other golf courses. You can hit a bad shot from the tee. The hole will be far, but your ball is here. That’s a good thing, when you’re a golfer,’ he laughs. ‘If you do that at Ile Aux Cerfs you’ll lose your ball.’

Ile Aux Cerfs has been awarded the International Association of Golf Tour Operators Golf Experience Award for the Indian Ocean region at the IAGTO Awards 2020. The award is based on votes from more than 700 golf tour operators worldwide and acknowledges golf clubs that deliver the best experience to golf travellers.

Visit beachcomber.co.za; fourseasons.com/mauritius/golf/; ileauxcerfsgolfclub.com and montchoisygolf.com for more information.

Good vibrations

Thu, 03 Oct 2019 18:54:00 GMT

Spring is the season of new beginnings.“There is a way that nature speaks, that land speaks. Most of the time we are simply not patient enough, quiet enough, to pay attention to the story,” writes award-winning author Linda Hogan.

By Debbie HathwayPublished in Sawubona October 2019

It is food for thought. As the birds wake earlier to herald the warmer days of spring in the Southern Hemisphere, and beautiful wild flowers pop up anywhere they can put down roots, Mother Nature offers a natural springboard to productivity. Artists have used nature as their model for centuries. I love the work of the Fauvists, a group of early 20th-century modern artists with a penchant for intense colour. Think Paul Gauguin, Paul Cézanne, Vincent van Gogh and our own Irma Stern. It is a style that Fabergé channels into its Secret Garden High Jewellery collection, which is “evocative of Russian artist Marc Chagall’s depiction of flowers and rich bouquets, expressing vivacity and life through an artistic and organic approach. Just like the iconic Fabergé egg, flowers symbolise renewal and rebirth as well as the first sign of spring.” Says Fabergé jewellery designer Liisa Tallgren: “We love colour at Fabergé and true to our heritage we almost always include coloured gemstones or enamel in our pieces.” But how do the craftsmen reproduce something so fragile and delicate in hard metal? “It takes years for craftsmen to master their art and complex pieces take a very long time to make,” says Tallgren. “A flower study in precious materials in a wearable size can never be an accurate representation of nature, but a stylised interpretation and that is also the beauty of it.” One of the biggest challenges is the scale: the smaller the piece, the more precision needed. Gemstones are not cut below certain sizes as they start to lose their colour when viewed without magnification and larger stones in pavé can look clumsy. “The other challenge is the weight; gemstones need to be set into metal that has a certain thickness and the piece can get heavy, which is not practical especially for earrings. The claws must be strong enough to secure the gemstones, but if they are too heavy they will ruin the look.” Floral jewels Maison Chopard’s 2019 Red Carpet Collection is all about love. Co-president and artistic director Caroline Scheufele draws on her extraordinary creativity and the age-old jewellery know-how passed on through generations at the Mains d’Art of the Haute Joaillerie Chopard workshops to reinterpret the beauty of their natural surroundings. She sees the energy in the creative universe and transforms it into floral jewels that convey the strength of the passion that brought them to life. Meanwhile, at the Graff atelier in London, master craftsmen use stone-led design techniques to emphasise the beauty of each stone, as well as centuries-old goldsmithing tools, state-of-the-art computerised design technology and laser soldering machines to produce some of the most captivating jewels in the world. The final stage of the production process sees every niche of the piece buffed with cotton thread to maximise the reflection of light through the stone. Graff has created a collection of charming figurative brooches featuring birds on leaves, brought to life by diamonds, rubies and sapphires, all set by hand. Says Anne-Eva Geffroy, design director at Graff: “Each brooch portrays the delicate mannerisms of the birds and fleeting moments in time where they interact with one another and their surroundings. They capture perfectly the wonder of nature.”

Artists have used nature as their model for centuries. I love the work of the Fauvists, a group of early 20th-century modern artists with a penchant for intense colour. Think Paul Gauguin, Paul Cézanne, Vincent van Gogh and our own Irma Stern. It is a style that Fabergé channels into its Secret Garden High Jewellery collection, which is “evocative of Russian artist Marc Chagall’s depiction of flowers and rich bouquets, expressing vivacity and life through an artistic and organic approach. Just like the iconic Fabergé egg, flowers symbolise renewal and rebirth as well as the first sign of spring.”

Says Fabergé jewellery designer Liisa Tallgren: “We love colour at Fabergé and true to our heritage we almost always include coloured gemstones or enamel in our pieces.”

But how do the craftsmen reproduce something so fragile and delicate in hard metal? “It takes years for craftsmen to master their art and complex pieces take a very long time to make,” says Tallgren. “A flower study in precious materials in a wearable size can never be an accurate representation of nature, but a stylised interpretation and that is also the beauty of it.”

One of the biggest challenges is the scale: the smaller the piece, the more precision needed. Gemstones are not cut below certain sizes as they start to lose their colour when viewed without magnification and larger stones in pavé can look clumsy. “The other challenge is the weight; gemstones need to be set into metal that has a certain thickness and the piece can get heavy, which is not practical especially for earrings. The claws must be strong enough to secure the gemstones, but if they are too heavy they will ruin the look.”

Floral jewels

Maison Chopard’s 2019 Red Carpet Collection is all about love. Co-president and artistic director Caroline Scheufele draws on her extraordinary creativity and the age-old jewellery know-how passed on through generations at the Mains d’Art of the Haute Joaillerie Chopard workshops to reinterpret the beauty of their natural surroundings. She sees the energy in the creative universe and transforms it into floral jewels that convey the strength of the passion that brought them to life.

Meanwhile, at the Graff atelier in London, master craftsmen use stone-led design techniques to emphasise the beauty of each stone, as well as centuries-old goldsmithing tools, state-of-the-art computerised design technology and laser soldering machines to produce some of the most captivating jewels in the world. The final stage of the production process sees every niche of the piece buffed with cotton thread to maximise the reflection of light through the stone.

Graff has created a collection of charming figurative brooches featuring birds on leaves, brought to life by diamonds, rubies and sapphires, all set by hand. Says Anne-Eva Geffroy, design director at Graff: “Each brooch portrays the delicate mannerisms of the birds and fleeting moments in time where they interact with one another and their surroundings. They capture perfectly the wonder of nature.”

The way they make me feel

Wed, 27 Feb 2019 06:56:32 GMT

Debbie Hathway discovers that the ingredients of a true spa experience lie as much in the intuition of the therapist as they do in the connection to place a retreat offers.

Published in Issue 5 of Sail + Leisure

Words: DEBBIE HATHWAY

It feels like déjà vu – that sense of connection to a place and its people that draws you in and makes it impossible to leave. I’ve experienced it at the palace hotel Le Bristol Paris, where I hovered so long in the foyer after checkout that the manager came out to enquire what was wrong. Quite the contrary. It was about what was right.

There’s a fundamental theme that underpins the memorable spa and wellness experiences I’ve had in Mauritius that so remind me of that Paris visit. The more effusive the welcome, the better my experience generally. I must feel comfortable in the hands of a therapist to get the full benefit, but if I really get a sense of place at a spa, that’s when everything changes. It goes beyond training and technique, because that’s a given. Intuition impresses me – the recommendation of a treatment based on how I look and feel by a therapist who really knows their stuff and indicates the final transformation will be far beyond the norm. But more of that later…

Art of wellness 

The location of Dinarobin Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa at the foot of Le Morne Mountain already ticks the sense-of-place box because of its proximity to the UNESCO World Heritage Site that served as a shelter for runaway slaves in the 18th and 19th centuries. The resort’s interior design features the kind of burnished dark-wood furnishings and finishes that I love, having been raised in a home that was filled with stinkwood furniture made by my dad’s father and antiques collected by my mother. The dark wood conveys coolness, despite the tropical heat, and encourages a slower pace (for guests not staff, who are on the ball 24/7. I could have spent days in my Club Zen Suite, similarly decorated, never leaving except to take the few steps necessary to get from terrace to beach, beach kiosk and reserved sun lounger where I enjoyed signature cocktails while the sun set. I had 115m2 (heaven when you’re used to micro-living) of expansive bedroom, lounge, bathroom and terrace in an adults-only crescent, a beach concierge looking after my restaurant and spa bookings, and access to The Club at Dinarobin, an exclusive private lounge whose club manager made sure I was never short of bubbly, much to my delight.

I did find my way to the spa, though, to meet spa manager Aurélie Rougier Lagane before my signature massage. Then I got stuck. The kind of stuck I experienced in Paris, only this time it was at the start of my visit. If I say it has an interior swimming pool surrounded by massage rooms, wet and dry steam baths and a beauty parlour, I could be describing one of many similar establishments. What’s different is a combination of décor and atmosphere. The dark wood panelling and furnishings are at once grounding and calming. ‘We’re trying to stay with the roots, with nature. Look at the surroundings, Le Morne is next to us,’ says Aurelie. And when I realised their treatments incorporated Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic principles, my intrinsic response started to make sense. My mom’s father managed a health farm in Skeerpoort, near Brits in the North West province of South Africa, which I was fortunate to visit when I was young. I am no stranger to natural medicine and the Ayurvedic philosophies resonate. Deepak Chopra describes Ayurveda as one of the world’s most sophisticated and powerful mind-body health systems, developed thousands of years ago by the sages of India. ‘More than a mere system of treating illness, it offers a body of wisdom designed to help people stay vibrant and healthy while realising their full human potential,’ he says. ‘The two main guiding principles of Ayurveda are the mind and the body are inextricably connected, and nothing has more power to heal and transform the body than the mind. Freedom from illness depends upon expanding our own awareness, bringing it into balance, and then extending that balance to the body.’

Oh boy. I knew what was coming.

Later, in the capable hands of expert coach Catherine Nadal, one of the best therapists on the island, I succumbed. She did what the really good ones do – it’s as though they can see right through you, and have an uncanny ability to tell you exactly what your challenges are mentally, never mind physically. I’d heard it all before but, clearly, needed to hear it again. Two hours later, expecting to feel so relaxed after the personalised signature MUST TO B(e) massage that I’d be loathe to get up off the tatami mat, I was surprised to discover quite the opposite. She’d managed to dissolve the knots, clear my mind and energise me, quietly and calmly, in an almost meditative state herself. I left – eventually – with renewed determination to cultivate that highly desirable ‘innate state of balance’, and ever-grateful to have been able to enjoy such an unforgettable experience.

Out-of-body experience The first time I enjoyed a spa treatment immediately after check-in was at LUX* Belle Mare, the LUX* Resorts and Hotels’ flagship property on the east coast of Mauritius. No sooner had I entered my suite when the in-room telephone rang. It was the spa manager Joelle Valloo, inviting me for a birthday treat. How soon could I get there?

I’ve had the privilege of a couple of face and body treatments here – each time emerging from the spoil slowly, carefully, reluctant to break the spell. This is the only spa where I’ve requested a manicure and pedicure lying down – no matter how luxurious the conventional recliner, there is nothing to beat this level of relaxation!

The LUX* Belle Mare spa seduction begins at the entrance, as you are seated outdoors next to the tropical gardens to complete the admin formalities. Your mind already starts to drift as you listen to the soft relaxing music and the soothing sounds of the birds and water features, cleanse your hands with scented towels and allow a therapist to refresh your face with a gentle mist. After being led inside to change into robe and slippers, you emerge outdoors again and follow your therapist along the open-walled passage between the gardens and treatment rooms to the sanctuary she has prepared for you

You don’t want the moment to end, taking your time to leave the spacious room where you have been cocooned for an hour or two, wrapped in the care of the charming therapists. You linger in the entrance where the LUX* Me products are beautifully displayed to tempt further indulgence. And then you give in, desperate to continue the sensational experience when you get home, handing over your credit card together with your willpower.

You’ll find the LUX* Me range at LUX* Grand Gaube in the north as well as LUX* Le Morne (named after Le Morne Mountain) in the west, and if you’re a fan you can pre-order the desired items and have them couriered to you wherever you are in the world. The brand is all about providing a sanctuary to promote wellbeing – whether you’re in the recently renovated spa in Grand Gaube or the quaint alternative in Le Morne with its outside treatment rooms brightened with trailing bougainvillea, you can rest assured you’re going to emerge a whole lot lighter and brighter. Body and face treatments are personalised, but the Shirley Page Signature Facial is relatively new to the spa menu and takes this beauty treatment (for men and women) to the next level. It’s kind of a LUX* trademark – they’re always a few leaps ahead of the rest. And this facial, with its combination of exceptional organic essential oils and LUX* products, is a must-have treatment. Anything to have your partner look dreamily at you over dinner and tell you how radiant you look. Right?

Adults only A major part of my job as a travel writer is social media. Most of my time is spent setting up, editing and taking photographs, then captioning and uploading them. That’s what I was doing early one windless morning on the beach at Ambre Resort & Spa. I’d spotted a fisherman, waist deep in the ocean, whom I wanted to photograph, as well as some youngsters who were throwing a line in to a rock pool and actually catching little fish.

A jogger emerged (there are no restrictions around who can walk on which beach) on the Ambre side, sat down on a rocky outcrop, and drifted off into what could have been a meditation. He looked so peaceful and contemplative I decided he’d make a good photographic subject too. What I didn’t realise was that he’d been watching me, watching him, and as I made my way out of the water towards him to ask him to pose, he started chatting.

He says that I reminded him of a ‘lady in a story, living in nature, very wise’. ‘It seemed that you and the sea were having a conversation,’ he says, ‘in total harmony.’ Mauritians are charming by nature, and he’d been living and working in Italy for the past decade. Imagine the combination of Mauritian and Mediterranean style… Sure, he might have been trying his luck, but he was so spot on with his description that I lingered a little longer. You see I was in my happy place – the east coast of the island on a summer day (which I seldom experience as I’m usually there in low season). I’d arrived at sunrise the day before, and been whisked off for a massage straight after a quick breakfast.

I was relaxed, content, in another world. But we were meant to connect that day. I’d had the massage in the outdoor gazebo, usually reserved for the Timeless Memories couples treatment and further away from the other treatment rooms, because the hotel next door was under renovation. The noise was not conducive to relaxation. He explained that it was the new Salt of Palmar hotel. Palmar is my favourite beach and I hadn’t registered yet that I was so close to it, or that I was right on top of the latest innovation to hit the island’s hospitality sector. He did me a huge favour. So back to the massage mentioned above. Picture the scene. I’m lying looking at the sea when I’m not face down deep in treatment time with the scent of essential oils drifting through the air. (I had the classic massage with a special blend of almond oil, geranium and ylang ylang essential oils.) I can hear the waves lapping the beach, the birds in the palms and, in the distance, a very talkative young mother cat who calls the spa home. There are bamboo-and-raffia blinds to enclose the gazebo for self-conscious guests. I’m not one of them. It was early and there weren’t many people out yet. This is the way to start a holiday (or a work assignment) and I can’t recommend it highly enough!

Ambre Resort & Spa manager Brinda Etoar, quite rightly, says you can really relax in this atmosphere and in this unique location. ‘You don’t find it everywhere.’ There are only two outdoor gazebos, in high demand, and four indoor cabins. Savvy guests book their spa time before they even arrive.

Ambre Resort & Spa adopted the adults-only concept in 2015. It’s the only hotel in the Sun Resorts to do so and it works. ‘You don’t have to worry about kids! You just arrive, plan your excursions and book your spa treatments. Youngsters want to come and enjoy a holiday with their friends and often stay for two weeks or more. This is how they do it,’ says Brinda. (There’s also live entertainment until midnight, a nightclub that’s open till 2am and a bar service that opens at 9am daily.)

The following day I tried the more leisurely, signature candle massage, which begins with a foot ritual, followed by a full-body and head-and-face massage. This is a warm treatment. The candle melts into essential oil (choose from rose, vanilla or lavender), which hydrates the skin as it penetrates. It’s clear why it’s a best seller. Luckily I had the outdoor gazebo again. It was later in the afternoon, and not even the sounds of the children playing on the unrestricted beach below could interrupt my tranquil reverie.

Elegance around the clock

Thu, 31 Jan 2019 08:47:00 GMT

After several uncertain years, the outlook for growth in the luxury market is promising. Debbie Hathway looks at eight new watches that were recently shown at a prestigious fair.

Published in Financial Mail – January 31

Perhaps you have a different fancy watch for every day of the week. Maybe your watch-brand nous reaches near academic proportions. Or conversely, you just don’t get what the fuss is all about – you just look at the time on your phone! Whatever your stance on the world of high-end timepieces, it’s worth knowing that this microcosm is a key indicator of the luxury goods market. And knowledge of that is critical if you’re thinking of investing in shares or in beautifully crafted pieces to wear on your wrist.

It’s good to hear that there are finally signs of recovery in the luxury watch industry. The Deloitte “Global Powers of Luxury Goods 2018” report says Switzerland exports rose throughout 2017 and China was the No 1 importer that year. The report highlights positive expectations for growth in the luxury watch industry as “millennials appear to favour luxury mechanical watches rather than digital watches”.

The outlook has been improving since 2016, with Richemont and the Swatch Group recording growth of 6.7 and 6.9 percent respectively in luxury goods sales early in 2017. The mood was therefore upbeat in early January at the annual Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) fair in Geneva. This is where some of the world’s leading fine watchmaking manufacturers revealed their new launches to retailers, clients and media. There were more than 23 000 visitors, a record attendance, at the 29th edition of the prestigious event. Millions more people scour social media channels for the latest news. The exhibition is one of two main international watch fairs held in Switzerland each year.

Independent watch creators and makers are invited to show at the fair’s Carré des Horlogers section. This used to be a good bet for a breather in a jam-packed schedule of presentations and interviews. Only nine such watchmakers first exhibited in 2015, and the thousands of visiting retailers, journalists and clients seemed to focus more of their attention on the historic maisons (read: big brands) that year. That left ample opportunity for the more open-minded and curious among us to grab a quick coffee or a bite to eat at the busy bar counters. This year was different; numbers at the Carré des Horlogers had almost doubled to 17, close to matching the 18 long-established maisons that dominate Gevena’s Palexpo convention centre.

Top eight watches from the fair

1. Just listen H. Moser & Cie.’s Swiss Alp Watch Concept Black pays homage to the manufacturer’s elegant, minimalist style with a dial that features only a one-minute flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock. To see the time, you simply activate the minute repeater, which will chime the hours, quarters and minutes on demand. h-moser.com

2. Final edition MB&F’s unconventional Horological Machine No.6 – aka HM6 Space Pirate – has been through several iterations since its launch in 2014. Born from childhood memories of Japanese sci-fi cartoons, this HM6 Final Edition features a biomorphic case in stainless steel, polished grooves that accentuate the curves of the HM6 body and a more generous central dome that provides a better panoramic view of the flying tourbillon. mbandf.com

3. Majestic blue If you’re not mesmerised by the midnight blue dial of Vacheron Constantin’s Patrimony Retrograde Day-Date self-winding timepiece you’re sure to be in awe of the complex self-winding Calibre 2460 R31R7/2 through the transparent sapphire crystal caseback. Its 276 components fit into 5.4mm of the 9.7mm total thickness of the watch. vacheron-constantin.com

4. Art of precision Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Rendez-Vous collection showcases the rare gem-setting abilities of master jewellers who are able to execute their craft with the utmost precision, attention to detail and immense patience. The Rendez-Vous Moon Jewellery incorporates an original prong (claw-like) setting for the gemstones and a new vision for the moon phases against the shimmer of diamonds and mother-of-pearl. jaeger-lecoultre.com

5. Collectors’ item The Montblanc Heritage Pulsograph Limited Edition 100 has caused more than a few hearts to beat faster with its sophisticated salmon-coloured domed dial. It features vintage design codes from Minerva wristwatches of the 1940s and 50s. Powered by the Montblanc Manufacture monopusher chronograph calibre MB M13.21, it includes a doctor’s pulsograph indication graduated for 30 pulsations. montblanc.com

6. Proprietary material The Langematik Perpetual Honeygold by A Lange and Söhne presents its zero-reset mechanism in a case of honey gold, a material used exclusively by the brand for selected models. Hard and robust, it complements the validity of the perpetual calendar which in this case will display the correct date every day until 2100. It’s limited to 100 pieces. alange-soehne.com

7. Disrupting the classics Cartier creative director of watchmaking Marie-Laure Cerede smiles proudly when I ask about this beauty. People love it. The distorted features of the Diagonale watch’s tiny dial have proved surprisingly endearing. The lines of striking red or black enamel are echoed by pavé diamonds. cartier.com

8. Mechanical feat Christophe Claret celebrates the 30th anniversary of his Manufacture and the 10th anniversary of his brand with another first for fine watchmaking. The Angelico model is described as a “contemporary tribute to the quest for absolute precision embodied by the 18th-century marine chronometers”. christopheclaret.com

Tracing tales

Fri, 21 Dec 2018 06:56:18 GMT

Debbie Hathway reflects on an indelible experience near Athens to celebrate a literary icon and launch some special new writing instruments.

Published online – 21 December 2018 in Private Edition

Words: DEBBIE HATHWAY

If you’re a journalist required to cross continents to attend a whirlwind launch, one of the perks of the job is that your host makes it as painless as possible. Cape Town – Dubai – Athens – Costa Navarino in 22 hours virtually flew by (excuse the pun). I joined colleagues from Turkey, Israel, and India for the final leg of the journey from Eleftherios Venizelos Airport to the Romanos Resort (listed by Condé Nast Traveller as among the best family hotels in the world for 2018). We were chauffeured along the motorway and into the Kalamata countryside along stretches of narrow roads that wound past olive groves and small villages, teasing us with glimpses of the ocean as we drew nearer to Costa Navarino in the Peloponnese.

After freshening up while the sun sank slowly into the Ionian Sea we completed our ‘odyssey’ at the palatial Royal Villa Koroni where our Montblanc hosts were waiting to welcome special guests from around the world to the launch of their 27th Writers Edition, Homage to Homer. And the penny dropped – finally. The Odyssey. Homer’s epic work, which, together with his poem The Iliad, is credited for providing the foundation for Western literature, was not simply the inspiration for our epic journey but the creative genius behind the new writing instruments that bear his name. That afternoon we had traveled via Mycenae to Messinia, both of which featured in Homer’s writing, the latter in the way of the first written account of hospitality in The Odyssey.

Such is the skill of the Montblanc artisans that I couldn’t suppress my excitement when I saw the Homage to Homer Limited Edition 1581 for the first time. (The collectors present had already given it resounding thumbs up!) Franck Juhel, Montblanc President Middle East, India, and Africa, smiles proudly. That’ll do. ‘Your reaction means that our designers, our craftsmen, our historian reached their goal,’ he says. ‘The whole objective with each writing instrument we produce – especially the limited editions – is putting all this history and know-how together to bring the story to life in your hand.’

Montblanc launches a new Writers Edition annually. This 2018’s tribute to Homer offers two writing instrument designs, both limited in production but only one that is numbered to 1581 pieces (the year when The Odyssey was first translated from French to English. It was years later that a direct translation was made from Greek to English.)

The Odyssey, Homer’s account of the 10-year journey by Odysseus to return home from the Trojan War, has inspired the shape of the writing instrument as well as the finer details. You’ll notice the reference to the wooden Trojan horse but look for the champagne gold-coated clip that resembles the spear of Achilles and the fine engraving of his helmet on the handcrafted nib. Further engravings also reference the six-footed structure of the hexameter that the ancient bards used to help them remember long texts.

Crowned with the Montblanc emblem, the matte black precious resin Writers Edition Homage to Homer is available as a fountain pen, and ballpoint pen, as well as a mechanical pen (only in a set). The Homage to Homer Limited Edition 1581 meanwhile is crafted from precious coral resin with a cap featuring a gold-coated inlay inspired by the armour of Achilles, the central figure of Homer’s The Illiad.

Montblanc is all about storytelling but this time I’ve got a few of my own to share. ‘We do not remember days, we remember moments.’ I haven’t forgotten the event refrain and neither has this collector who refers to it as an ‘indelible experience’. As if the helicopter flip over the ocean on the return trip to the airport wasn’t enough of a final flourish, suffice to say that taking a shower at 12 496 metres in the Emirates Airbus A380-800 First Class cabin is something I’m not going to forget in a hurry either.

How Blancpain became king of the deep

Wed, 05 Dec 2018 13:10:00 GMT

When the Blancpain XFathoms launched in 2013, Hodinkee described it as ‘the most bad-ass, completely insane mechanical tool watch on earth’.

Published online – 5 December 2018 in Private Edition

Words by Debbie Hathwa y

You could argue that only a professional diver with an equally insane approach to conquering unchartered territory in order to make new discoveries, document them and capture them on film could wear one. Award-winning underwater photographer and naturalist Laurent Ballesta is that phenomenon. The ‘insane’ part of the watch has to do with what fits into the 24cm case depth with its 55cm diameter – everything a serious diver would need underwater, particularly if the electronics fail, Ballesta explains.

Would you believe he doesn’t like to travel? ‘I could stay home if there was something to discover there. I’m happy in my little cabin in France, with the flamingos, and my wife and family around… but I’m curious and I love the idea of discovering something new in our little planet,’ says Ballesta. ‘If I think there is something to discover for the first time, suddenly I want to go.’

It doesn’t even take an unchartered territory or undiscovered species to get him excited. Simply the prospect of photographing new behaviour will do the trick. ‘If what we’re going to do will work, and people will enjoy it, we will consider it. And if we find something very interesting to do, that is sometimes dangerous, we’ll say no more than “we have to take care”. I think people understand that. We do not exaggerate,’ he says.

A case in point is his Gombessa Project, a scientific expedition and encounter with the coelacanth discovered in Sodwana Bay, supported by Blancpain. Known locally as Gombessa, this peaceful giant that measures two metres long and weighs about 80kg, was once thought to have become extinct 70 million years ago. But in 2000, diving the dark underwater canyons of Sodwana Bay, Peter Timm, Pieter Venter and Etienne le Roux disproved that theory when they discovered the fish at 104 metres.

It took Ballesta 10 years before his aptitude at those depths was convincing enough for Timm to allow him to dive to the depths frequented by this bottom-dwelling fish devoid of traditional vertebra. (It is seen as the ‘transition animal’ from backboned fish to the earliest four-legged vertebrate land animals.)

Photojournalist Scott Ramsay writes that Timm said a few weeks before his tragic death in 2014, going to another diver’s rescue in those same waters: ‘If you don’t know what you’re doing – and even if you do – you can end up dead very quickly.’ It’s no wonder Ballesta’s hesitant about a repeat exercise despite a request from the BBC. ‘We are very happy and proud of what we did, but these dives are so stressful, I’m not sure I will feel ready to do it again. It’s still quite dangerous, the dives are tough and tiring, and there’s no Peter Timm anymore.’

The only option is to find a better, safer way to stay underwater for longer periods, living in a pressure chamber like the commercial divers do, and only decompressing at the end of the expedition. ‘I will try to do this in France next summer,’ he says.

Constant fascination

Mon, 23 Jul 2018 13:55:00 GMT

When I was just a little girl, my mother gave me my first watch for my birthday. I was perhaps 10 years old. My mother was not in the habit of making quick decisions, particularly when it came to investing in something to mark a special occasion. It was a classic design – round 20mm dial in a gold case, clear lettering perhaps larger than the norm for that size dial, on a black leather strap. My name was engraved on the case back. Beyond the early training that formed the basis for my dance passion and eventual part-time career, I believe the evening ritual of winding this manual beauty was the first habit I chose to learn. And I still have the watch.

Looking through my collection, I have always favoured an elegant style so perhaps it was a good thing that the black/gold option wasn’t among the six new Frederique Constant Ladies Automatic timepieces introduced via Academy Award winner, philanthropist and global charity brand ambassador Gwyneth Paltrow. This time I selected the navy dial and alligator strap combination with rose-gold plated case. Alternative dial-and-strap colour combinations are available in shiny grey, light blue and burgundy. These four models are powered by the FC-310 automatic movement while two more models featuring the date at 3 o’clock are powered by the FC-303 automatic movement.

Keeping time

Of all the watch experts I’ve interviewed during the past decade and more, not one has said they wear one to keep track of time. The mobile phone is generally accepted to serve that purpose, the exception being the jetsetter who enjoys a watch with a world-time complication to keep track of the availability of loved ones or staff members while travelling.

For a long while, I’ve been one of those relying on my phone as a timekeeper but since wearing the Frederique Constant Ladies Automatic the opposite is true. I find myself glancing at it regularly (far more than my phone). The romance of the “heart beat”– the movement revealed at 12 o’ clock by a double heart rose-gold signature opening on the sunray dial – is an endless fascination and the shimmer of the dial decoration constantly catches my eye. Turn the watch over and you can admire the movement and more of the intricate inner workings through the open case back. The watch bears the Swiss Made mark as a result of it being fully produced (from design to final assembly and quality control) at the manufacture in Geneva.

Being an automatic movement, as long as the watch is more on the wrist than off, this beauty maintains a power reserve of about 40 hours. The fact that for each Ladies Automatic watch sold, $50 is donated to DonorsChoose.org, Paltrow’s charity of choice, is added value. The charity supports education and sports for underprivileged children, tying in with Frederique Constant’s commitment to doing good in the lives of others.

DonorsChoose.org makes it easy for anyone to help students in need, whether it is through books, school supplies or funding field trips. ‘I am very happy to continue my partnership with Frederique Constant and excited to unveil my latest charity campaign for the brand,’ said Paltrow. ‘What’s great about Frederique Constant is their combination of classic style and strong values that I really agree with, but also they have a beautiful commitment to sharing their success by giving back. We are very well aligned in our passion for charity.’

Words by Debbie Hathwa y

Mauritius shapes up

Fri, 15 Jun 2018 18:30:38 GMT

Demand for residential property surges on this Indian Ocean island

The World Bank’s ranking of Mauritius as the top African country for doing business is the latest accolade boosting activity in the island’s commercial and residential property market.

WORDS: DEBBIE HATHWAY

Mauritius lies 25th out of 190 countries, ahead of SA in 82nd spot. Construction and real estate is the second fastest growing sector on the island, according to the Mauritius Board of Investment (BOI), with a gross domestic product contribution of 10.4% — just 1.6% behind the financial services sector. The trend is set to continue now that foreigners may buy apartments in condominium developments of at least two levels above ground, with BOI approval. The price? Not less than six million Mauritian rupees (about R2.1m), which does not offer the buyer permanent residency.

This option is in addition to the investment opportunities within an already approved Integrated Resort Scheme (IRS) or Real Estate Scheme (RES), both of which have now been replaced by the Property Development Scheme (PDS). This has relieved developers of the obligation to sell at least 25% of residential units to Mauritian citizens or members of the Mauritian diaspora. A minimum investment of $500,000 (about R5.9m) in a PDS allows investors permanent residency.

“Mauritius is getting busier. People are relocating and setting up businesses,” says Pam Golding Properties Mauritius director Richard Haller, who moved there with his family last year. “What drives this is essentially the ease of doing business from Mauritius.

“The government offers several incentives, including a harmonized tax rate of 15%, tax-free dividends and no capital gains tax,” he says. “And the island is just a four-hour flight from Johannesburg.” Pam Golding Commercial is launching in Mauritius this month to help those wishing to establish a business on the island. “There is so much opportunity here it makes sense to offer a commercial solution,” says Haller. The major areas of residential development remain Grand Baie in the north and Black River or Tamarin in the west, which is home to Tamarina Golf and Beach Estate, La Balise Marina and other high-end developments.

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More than words

Fri, 15 Jun 2018 14:26:00 GMT

The art of handwriting creates a bond between writer and reader.The choice of writing instrument is part of the journey.

Published in Private Edition 39

My mother was left-handed and, self-conscious about her slanted scrawl, used to struggle to express herself on paper. To encourage me to craft my script, she bought me a fountain pen when I was in primary school and urged me to learn the art of calligraphy – something similar to what South African lawyer and linguist Deryck Uys taught himself in 1955 to improve his own illegible handwriting.

Although Uys was classified legally blind at the time I interviewed him in 2010, when he was 83, I still have a perfectly legible nine-page handwritten letter from him prompted by a discussion about Montblanc writing instruments.

Uys had just completed the translation into Afrikaans of Shakespeare’s 154 sonnets using a magnifying glass that enabled him to see three letters at a time. He did it with passion, pride and precision, his choice of words as measured as his thoughts.

Handwriting, he explained, can be considered from two aspects: the writer and the reader. As far as the writer is concerned, it involves emotional processes and thought. ‘The Japanese write with a paintbrush and find the process therapeutic. It is art, and not a mechanical chore,’ wrote Uys. ‘In the same way, I find writing italic therapeutic. Italic is also far less fatiguing.’

Yet the interesting part comes with thought processes, he said. ‘One of the most senior advocates in South Africa told me that his thoughts developed with the act of writing. I find the same. ‘As regards the recipient of the writing, the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

Do you feel in closer touch with me than if this appeared on your normal email?’ he asked. The answer is obvious.

New Title

OF AUTHORS AND PENS

Stephen King wrote Dreamcatcher with a fountain pen, mentioning in his author’s note that to ‘write the first draft of such a long book by hand put me in touch with the language as I haven’t been in years.

I even wrote one night (during a power outage) by candlelight. One rarely finds such opportunities in the 21st century, and they are to be savoured.’

Award-winning novelist Richard Mason wrote History of a Pleasure Seeker by hand too. After The Lighted Rooms, the first in his collection of stories that focus on South Africa, Mason decided to free up his creative process and write only when he felt like it.’ He wrote History of a Pleasure Seeker the fastest out of any of his books, albeit with a ballpoint pen, in a specially commissioned leather-bound notebook, because he is ‘very against Microsoft Word as a tool for creative writing’.

He no doubt would have enjoyed comparing notes with Uys, who said one of the ‘scariest’ words he ever learnt from his sculpture teacher, who used to work in the dairy industry, was ‘homogenisation’. ‘In my youth, milk was delivered in bottles and the cream rose to the top. Now it is all the same. Are we not all being homogenised today?’

This links to the question of how the art of handwriting is being affected by the digital age. It is said that those born after 1979 have no other frame of reference than the electronic world (interestingly, Mason was born in 1978). Pioneers such as Montblanc remain resolute in their pursuit of innovation, constantly pushing boundaries in the expression of fine craftsmanship that has been their trademark for more than a century. And it’s that appreciation for craftsmanship and artistry that forms a common bond among collectors worldwide.

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King Kong: a remarkable history of SA’s most famous stage play

Thu, 20 Jul 2017 08:53:00 GMT

Published in Financial Mail 20 July 2017

My father was still a bachelor and one of an estimated 120,000 South Africans who saw the production of King Kong that opened at Wits University’s Great Hall in Johannesburg in 1959, then toured to Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth for a total of eight months. It moved to London’s West End in 1961 for 200 performances..

He saw Miriam Makeba and Hugh Masekela, among others, launched into international stardom as the 70-strong cast performed the story of the rise and fall of heavyweight boxing champion Ezekiel Dlamini, known as King Kong in the ring.

In her book King Kong – A Venture in the Theatre (Norman Howell, Cape Town, 1960), Mona Glasser — later De Beer— quotes Margot Bryant, the publicity agent for the first all-black SA musical, who wrote: “He was a bully and a braggart, and was recognised as such in the townships. Yet they cheered him. He brought colour, vitality and excitement to their lives.”

He had left his home town of Vryheid at the age of 14, eventually ending up in the City of Gold where he relied on “gambling with cards and dice to live… until he found himself in the sparring rooms of the Bantu Men’s Social Centre,” writes De Beer. “He wasn’t the kind of boxer who had polish,” one of his fans recalled, “but his wild jabbing, his strength, speed and stamina soon brought him to the top.”

Dlamini’s career began to fade after he was badly beaten by Simon “Greb” Mthimkulu. In 1957 he was jailed for murdering his girlfriend, who he suspected of betraying him. Dlamini’s 12-year hard-labour sentence on Leeukop prison farm near Johannesburg lasted less than two weeks before he was found drowned in a dam on the property.

In August this year, about 58 years later, my father will be in the audience again for the long-awaited Fugard Theatre production of King Kong. Todd Matshikiza’s uplifting score and Pat Williams’ original book and lyrics provide the foundation for this restaging, with internationally acclaimed dancer, director and choreographer Gregory Maqoma creating the movement.

Maqoma, a recent recipient of the French Légion D’Honneur, is excited to be part of this production. He says King Kong has been following him, in a sense, as he had begun workshopping the music at the request of the late Todd Matshikiza’s son, John, around 2005/2006. When John passed away in 2008, the project “just drifted away” — until Maqoma received that call from the Fugard.“I’ve always been interested in King Kong, not just as the first SA musical, but also because it’s so rich in SA jazz. What also interested me was that there was no set choreography for me to reference,” he says. “I had to start from scratch, taking inspiration from the score and the text, and imagining how I could bring in the physicality to the production.”

(Original Caption) Scene from King Kong. Johannesburg: American and British theater goers are likely to be seeing in the next season or so an all-African jazz opera that is a smash hit in South Africa and could become one in New York and London. The show, called King Kong is based on the real life story of zulu heavyweight champion Ezekiel Dhlamini who, after being knocked out by a mere middleweight lost his popularity, became a vicious bully, and ended up a murderer. In this scene from the show, African actor-singer Nathan Mdledle (center), as “King Kong,” dances with his gangster-moll girl friend-played by Miriam Makeba, at an illicit liquor den

Gregory Maqoma.

Picture: DANIEL RUTLAND MANNERS

I’ve always been interested in King Kong, not just as the first SA musical, but also because it’s so rich in SA jazz. What also interested me was that there was no set choreography for me to reference,” he says. “I had to start from scratch, taking inspiration from the score and the text, and imagining how I could bring in the physicality to the production.”

Every moment is important — where the actors walk, how they sit, where they’re standing, how props shift in the space

Gregory Maqoma

It’s been a two-year process for the creative team, and Maqoma’s been involved from the casting of the first actor. He says it was daunting to walk into a musical that has so much history.“

It’s important for me to understand all angles of the production; it has to live inside me. It’s fulfilling to work with people who are open to my sometimes crazy suggestions, but I think that’s what makes great theatre — for us to be crazy in a space and to imagine something that we can present with so much pride.”

Rehearsal time: The cast of King Kong — The Musical.

Picture: DANIEL RUTLAND MANNERS

Maqoma admits that his biggest worry was finding 22 artists who can sing, act and dance — the ideal group of triple threats — but he says his theatrical work with artistic director James Ngcobo has taught him how to work with the actors’ bodies and make them look good.“

We needed to respect the music (it’s so well-orchestrated you can’t mess with it) and we needed to respect the story, which needs to be delivered with so much clarity and detail. The choreography or movement can’t be separated from that so I’ve had to be a step ahead of everybody else. When the director’s directing, I’m already imagining the movement and how it will sit with the actors.”

Maqoma grew up with jazz. His father was a lover of SA jazz in particular. “That’s how I got to know Abdullah Ibrahim, the Manhattan Brothers, Miriam Makeba … For me, music and dance have never been separate entities. There’s always music that accompanies the dance or dance that accompanies the music. It has become my aesthetic. It’s a marriage.”

For Gregory Maqoma, whose performance aesthetic is a marriage of music and dance, choreographing the Fugard Theatre’s King Kong is a dream assignment

Audiences who know Maqoma’s work will vouch that it’s very happy. As much as King Kong is a musical, Maqoma has treated it almost as physical theatre.

"Every moment is important — where the actors walk, how they sit, where they’re standing, how props shift in the space. Apart from the moments when we’re bursting with energy, there are those very strong visual moments that are choreographed."

Conscious of keeping the dance in the kwela era, within the context of Sophiatown and the 1950s and 1960s dance forms, Maqoma is also finding a new rhythm.

"I’ve been able to create counter rhythms within the choreography. The music allows you to play with it in that way.”

Look out for the section where he’s incorporated Zulu indlamu (traditional movement) into the dance, highlighting the cultural hybrid that was Sophiatown.

Andile Gumbi.

Picture: DANIEL RUTLAND MANNERS

Andile Gumbi is cast as Ezekiel Dlamini. Gumbi made his Broadway debut as Simba in Disney’s The Lion King and has starred in this musical in London, Sydney, Melbourne, Shanghai and SA. Nondumiso Tembe will recreate the role of Joyce, previously played by Makeba. Tembe’s credits include HBO’s Golden Globe and Emmy-award winning True Blood, SABC’s Generations, the military drama SIX on the History Channel and Zulu Wedding with Darrin Dewitt Henson.

The musical is produced and presented by Eric Abraham and directed by Jonathan Munby. The revised book (with additional lyrics) is by Academy Award-nominated screenwriter and playwright William Nicholson. Musical direction is by Charl-Johan Lingenfelder (following the legacy of the original musical director Stanley Glasser) and Sipumzo Trueman Lucwaba, with arrangements and additional music by Lingenfelder.

Glasser (now 91 years of age) was completing his final year at Cambridge when he was proposed for the project by then producer Leon Gluckman, who had worked with him before. De Beer says he was excited about the prospect and impressed by Matshikiza’s music, which showed a “wide range of musical emotion and imagination. There was a variety of idioms, all of them, however, natural to the SA scene.”

De Beer notes Glasser’s description of the title song, “King Kong”, as an “excellent mutation of the African idiom and the American musical song. Very often, as in ‘The Earth Turns Over’, there is a natural and original construction of form. ‘The Death Song’ has proportions of magic opera greatness while ‘Back o’ the Moon’ has undertones of a leading SA urban dance rhythm. ‘Sad Times, Bad Times ’ is an instrumental piece of the most sad and serious nature, and could have been written nowhere but in SA.”

A newly published version of Pat Williams’ personal memoir, Our Knot of Time and Music (UK’s Portobello Books) will be available at the Fugard during the run of the show. Athol Fugard describes it as “an extraordinary memoir of the first-ever SA musical, which has since acquired mythical proportions. Essential reading for anyone who loves our country — and, of course, its music”.

What happened to King Kong was something none of us anticipated,” said Gluckman. “The play was a staggering success … Africans were presented as human beings with a capacity for giving pleasure. The theatre, with its universal values, is a good way of showing the truth. The truth in King Kong is a basic humanity.”

King Kong

At Cape Town’s Fugard Theatre from July 25 to September 2.

At Johannesburg’s Mandela Theatre from September 12 to October 8.

Bookings for Cape Town can be made at Computicket

 or the theatre. Bookings for Johannesburg are via Webtickets.

Age of Discovery shines light into the gloom

Thu, 23 Mar 2017 09:13:00 GMT

Published in Financial Mail 23 March 2017 International business and academic leaders have praised Age of Discovery for its readability and vision, its challenge and inspiration. It’s an award winner, no doubt, that will engage readers from cover to cover. By highlighting the unprecedented opportunities that exist if humanity finds a way to weather today’s crises, authors Ian Goldin and Chris Kutarna imagine what could very well be the New Renaissance with the intention to inspire hope and determination.

“If we want to achieve our own golden age, we can … The last Renaissance was a time of tremendous upheaval that strained society to, and often past, the breaking point,” says Goldin. “Now, we risk fumbling badly again, as individuals, as society and as a species — and we’ve had some big stumbles already. It’s made many of us cynical and fearful for the future. If we want to attain the greatness for which humanity is once again eligible, we must keep faith in its possibility. We must do all we can to realise it. We must broaden and share more widely the benefits of progress. And we must help one another to cope with the shocks that none of us will see coming.” One of the book’s themes is preparedness. By being able to understand structural shifts, you will be less surprised by events that might be seen to be disharmonious. This book was written before Brexit and Donald Trump, both of which Goldin predicted and opposed. Born and educated in SA, Goldin is professor of globalisation and development at Oxford University. He is now enjoying a sabbatical year and is promoting the SA launch of his 20th book. He was founding director of the Oxford Martin School, vice-president of the World Bank and chief executive of the Development Bank of Southern Africa, among others. He served as an adviser to Nelson Mandela and was awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre national du Mérite by the French government. He was also nominated Global Leader of Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum. “The best way not to be surprised is to fight. To be active. To anticipate. To shape the future. Then you get a future that you want,” says Goldin, referencing the centuries-old story of David and Goliath that opens and closes the book. “If you think about and develop a strategy that’s strong enough, you can defeat any foe. Age of Discovery is a book of thought and action.” What we need to recognise in protest action, whether it is #FeesMustFall or whether it is about Trump, is that there is a deep-seated anger at how the world is evolving. “The protests are signs of a democratic society, and though they’re ill-formed and need leadership, and there’s no plan, just protest, I’d much rather people were protesting than that the system stumbles on. That is dangerous. It’s not sustainable,” he says. “The question is: do we hear the challenge and respond to it or do we dismiss it? If we hear the challenge and respond and reform and do things more urgently … create a different society in SA, gain more access, or in the US allow people who have been left behind to feel that globalisation is for them as well, then it would have been worthwhile,” says Goldin. “If it leads to mutual acrimony, and increasingly ill-gotten protests and defensiveness on the part of the leadership or the elite in SA or the US or elsewhere, it’s a wasted opportunity.” Another key message of the book is that you’ve got to pay your tax, because governments are going to have to spend more money on making sure we have more inclusive societies, housing, education, health, infrastructure, transport. “That money’s got to come from tax. And that means those who are benefiting, not least the big companies, cannot locate in the Cayman Islands or Liechtenstein or Luxembourg or Monaco. They have got to locate on shore,” says Goldin. “The moral responsibility of wealthy individuals and big companies is absolutely central to this story, of how you deal with the future. Also, governments need to support the arts.” There are two reasons that art features in Age of Discovery, he explains. One is that it was central to the Renaissance — how it symbolised the change in the way people understood the world and each other — but also in a more fundamental sense because we’ve become too obsessed with markets and prices and have lost value and ethics and perspective on what it is to be human. “What all creative arts symbolise is that which cannot be priced … our sense of wellbeing is given perspective by art of all forms because there’s something that touches us in it. “That was fundamental to the Renaissance and I believe that’s fundamental now. Unless we are able to understand that humanity is not just about buy and sell and what we can value in monetary terms, that there’s something else about what it is to be human and to interact with other people and their creativity, our societies are not going to have the perspectives required to be sustainable. “The signalling by government that people have multiple dimensions and that we have to nurture all of them is important, but that cannot happen unless society believes in it and is prepared to contribute. “It’s a business as well as a government perspective.”

Age of Discovery shines light into the gloom

Thu, 23 Mar 2017 07:05:21 GMT

Published in Financial Mail 23 March 2017

Words: DEBBIE HATHWAY

International business and academic leaders have praised Age of Discovery for its readability and vision, its challenge and inspiration. It’s an award winner, no doubt, that will engage readers from cover to cover. By highlighting the unprecedented opportunities that exist if humanity finds a way to weather today’s crises, authors Ian Goldin and Chris Kutarna imagine what could very well be the New Renaissance with the intention to inspire hope and determination.

One of the book’s themes is preparedness. By being able to understand structural shifts, you will be less surprised by events that might be seen to be disharmonious. This book was written before Brexit and Donald Trump, both of which Goldin predicted and opposed.

Born and educated in SA, Goldin is professor of globalisation and development at Oxford University. He is now enjoying a sabbatical year and is promoting the SA launch of his 20th book. He was founding director of the Oxford Martin School, vice-president of the World Bank and chief executive of the Development Bank of Southern Africa, among others. He served as an adviser to Nelson Mandela and was awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre national du Mérite by the French government. He was also nominated Global Leader of Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum.

“The best way not to be surprised is to fight. To be active. To anticipate. To shape the future. Then you get a future that you want,” says Goldin, referencing the centuries-old story of David and Goliath that opens and closes the book. “If you think about and develop a strategy that’s strong enough, you can defeat any foe. Age of Discovery is a book of thought and action.”

What we need to recognise in protest action, whether it is #FeesMustFall or whether it is about Trump, is that there is a deep-seated anger at how the world is evolving.

“The protests are signs of a democratic society, and though they’re ill-formed and need leadership, and there’s no plan, just protest, I’d much rather people were protesting than that the system stumbles on. That is dangerous. It’s not sustainable,” he says.

“The question is: do we hear the challenge and respond to it or do we dismiss it? If we hear the challenge and respond and reform and do things more urgently … create a different society in SA, gain more access, or in the US allow people who have been left behind to feel that globalisation is for them as well, then it would have been worthwhile,” says Goldin. “If it leads to mutual acrimony, and increasingly ill-gotten protests and defensiveness on the part of the leadership or the elite in SA or the US or elsewhere, it’s a wasted opportunity.”

Another key message of the book is that you’ve got to pay your tax, because governments are going to have to spend more money on making sure we have more inclusive societies, housing, education, health, infrastructure, transport.

“That money’s got to come from tax. And that means those who are benefiting, not least the big companies, cannot locate in the Cayman Islands or Liechtenstein or Luxembourg or Monaco. They have got to locate on shore,” says Goldin.

“The moral responsibility of wealthy individuals and big companies is absolutely central to this story, of how you deal with the future. Also, governments need to support the arts.”

There are two reasons that art features in Age of Discovery, he explains. One is that it was central to the Renaissance — how it symbolised the change in the way people understood the world and each other — but also in a more fundamental sense because we’ve become too obsessed with markets and prices and have lost value and ethics and perspective on what it is to be human.

“What all creative arts symbolise is that which cannot be priced … our sense of wellbeing is given perspective by art of all forms because there’s something that touches us in it.

“That was fundamental to the Renaissance and I believe that’s fundamental now. Unless we are able to understand that humanity is not just about buy and sell and what we can value in monetary terms, that there’s something else about what it is to be human and to interact with other people and their creativity, our societies are not going to have the perspectives required to be sustainable.

“The signalling by government that people have multiple dimensions and that we have to nurture all of them is important, but that cannot happen unless society believes in it and is prepared to contribute.

“It’s a business as well as a government perspective.”

Photography: depth of field

Thu, 16 Mar 2017 09:26:00 GMT

Published in Financial Mail 16 March 2017

Photographer Roger Ballen talks about his foundation’s gift to the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa ahead of its September opening in Cape Town.

There’s no shortage of good-news stories leading up to the opening of the eagerly awaited Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz Mocaa) later this year. On the back of the Roger Ballen Foundation’s substantial financial donation to the museum, which will help ensure its long-term sustainability, works by Ballen and 14 other artists went under the hammer at the Christie’s Post-War & Contemporary Art Day Auction in London last week. Proceeds of the auction will go towards the Zeitz Mocaa endowment.

Those artists were El Anatsui, Yto Barrada, Peter Beard, Eamonn Doyle and Niall Sweeney, Frances Goodman, Kendell Geers, Antony Gormley, Rashid Johnson, Isaac Julien, Harland Miller, Athi-Patra Ruga, Yinka Shonibare (MBE) and Pascale Marthine Tayou.

Mark Coetzee, executive director and chief curator at Zeitz Mocaa confirmed that Christie’s auction raised £1,516,250 (about R24m).

Meanwhile the contribution by the Roger Ballen Foundation, which has been in existence for 10 years, will go towards the ongoing logistical, exhibition, programming and educational costs of a Centre for Photography that will bear the foundation’s name. US-born Ballen says it has been his “great desire” to contribute to the understanding of photography in SA, the country he calls home. He believes the goals of the foundation can complement those of Zeitz Mocaa. Linking with the museum is a wiser, more effective way to attain these goals.
“There has been a lot of goodwill, hard work and agreement on what the Centre for Photography should be doing, which is setting standards, showing work that deserves to be shown and teaching people the potential for more artistic photography,” he says. “It will have an educational and artistic purpose.”

It will also host temporary exhibitions by photographers from around the globe to expose local audiences and practitioners to the rich legacy of photography worldwide.

During the past three years, Ballen has completed eight books, a number of videos and — last year alone — 30 exhibitions. He has also contributed to an upcoming retrospective on his life in photography (spanning nearly 50 years) called Ballanesque, due to be published by Thames & Hudson in September.

“It’s been a long journey, and I’m still as keen as ever to do it. It keeps evolving into completely different terrain and zones; this is always challenging,” says Ballen. “I never produced my work for the market. It’s always been a personal journey. The topic is always in my psyche. It’s interesting to me because I’m right on the edge of myself.”
Ballen has donated one signed edition of all his work produced from 1968 to 1982 to the museum’s permanent collection, along with the promise of one signed edition of all new work from now until his death.

The newly appointed curator at large of photography, Azu Nwagbogu, says Ballen remains an inspiration to photographers seeking a unique visual language, and his contribution will ensure a professional platform for photographers from across Africa.

Evolution of an artist

Ballen, who describes himself as a psychological, existential photographer, says he doesn’t like to talk about the meaning of the work — “it could be multidimensional, it could be ugly, and it could be beautiful and disturbing. It is what it is. I’ve always said if you can describe a picture in words it’s probably a bad photograph. It should have a sense of enigma about it.”

The evolution of Ballen’s style of black-and-white photography can be tracked from the beginning of his Outland series, when drawings and objects were integrated into the pictures. “Dorps, and part of Outland, were about marginalised people, which had been done by others for decades. In 1997/1998, there was a sense of myself taking over the pictures, in a way. Before, the subject took over the pictures,” he says.

In about 2001/2002, portraiture had begun to disappear from his work, giving way to the kind of drawings that would become Ballen’s mark. His iconic Room of the Ninja Turtles is a case in point. “My pictures have a sense of decisiveness, power, meaning attached to the artworks. It’s very complicated photography. Unfortunately everybody thinks it’s as easy as this,” he says, pointing to a smartphone.

Roger Ballen: I’ve always said if you can describe a picture in words it’s probably a bad photograph. It should have a sense of enigma about it.
Picture: SUPPLIED

“I am first and foremost a photographer but I was amazed — I still am — at the huge audience for videos. A lot of my new books and series have had an accompanying video as a parallel artwork; they all contribute to my career.”

With more than 89m hits and counting since it was uploaded on YouTube in 2012, Ballen’s collaboration with rap group Die Antwoord, I Fink U Freeky , has brought him “into the zeitgeist of young people around the globe”.

For more information and updates, visit www.zeitzmocaa.museum

Turtles in Mozambique protected

Tue, 28 Feb 2017 06:54:58 GMT

Published in Wanted 28 February 2017

Words: DEBBIE HATHWAY

It’s been three years since I flew in a glass-bottomed helicopter from Maputo hoping to see turtles at White Pearl Resorts at Ponta Mamoli in south-eastern Mozambique.

The mission? To see the turtles in Mozambique breeding season. From November to February, one of the main reasons guests visit is in the hope of finding sea turtles crawling up the beach to nest at night. This is the most important breeding area for leatherback and loggerhead turtles. The leatherback breeding group is small and they are critically endangered.

The mission: to see turtles nesting in Mozambique

Miguel Gonçalves, park warden of Ponta do Ouro Partial Marine Reserve, a Mozambique government institution with support from Peace Parks, has been heavily involved in turtle conservation for years. “Since 2009, when six turtles were poached in Mozambique between Ponta do Ouro and Malongane, we’ve had monitors patrolling the area and made local leaders aware of their work. It’s about education,” he says.

Their efforts are paying off as not one turtle was found dead this season.

Turtle monitors Pierre and Yvonne Lombard have been tracking breeding activity here since 1994, when they lived in Malongane with their young sons. “We love nature and we love the turtles; it’s a family thing,” says Yvonne. They left Mozambique in 1997 to invest in Botswana but have returned each year to pursue their passion. Theirs is the only data referenced by the Peace Parks Foundation and South African conservationists monitoring the movements of this transfrontier breeding group. From early recordings of 25 to 30 new loggerhead turtles, they now tag over 100 new ones annually. This year, they tagged another 122 turtles.

Loggerhead and leatherback turtles in Mozambique

We’d met them previously on a guided walk in search of nesting sites, and they’d agreed to let me join them on a subsequent night drive. “The only time you’ll see a turtle on the beach is when she needs to nest, otherwise there’s something wrong,” says Pierre. “We have to ensure minimal disturbances on the beach, especially during nesting season — no people, no vehicles, no lights, no dogs. If the females are disturbed while searching for a site, they’ll return to the water and try again later, but they can only hold their eggs back for 48 to 72 hours. By the third night, if they haven’t been able to nest, they’ll drop their load to make way for the next 120 eggs.”

Even on a guided walk, it’s essential to keep the use of torchlight to a minimum so as not to scare the turtles back into the water. The Lombards believe it’s important for escorted groups to be able to touch, feel and photograph an egg-laying turtle as long as they stay behind her. By then, she’s in a trance and is oblivious to anything except bright white light. “That experience will help people respect them and remember why it’s so important to protect them,” says Yvonne. “While human contact is not ideal, conservation and protection requires funding and this kind of experience could inspire that.”

Endangered turtles in Mozambique

Turtles have a special, built-in way of knowing where they were hatched. With the use of satellite tracking devices, the Foundation has established that the loggerheads go north to their feeding grounds in Maputo, Madagascar, Europa Island and along the Mombasa coastline. After two or three years, they’ll swim up to 3000km to return to this beach to nest.

The leatherbacks breeding group is small, yet stable, with a total of between 10 and 15 each year.

The Lombards go out nightly in breeding season to look for nesting activity. They record the mileage and GPS coordinates at every set of tracks as well as the date, whether there was a nest or not, type of turtle, size and tag numbers. The tides dictate the time of night that the couple travels — strictly 31km in each direction, otherwise their vehicle won’t make it around the point at Mamoli. “We need to tag and go, tag and go. Most of the time I can see by the tracks if there’s a nest or not without even getting out of the car, which saves time,” says Pierre. The sponsorship of a Ford Ranger, arranged by Ford SA through Interauto Ford Agency in Maputo has also assisted the process during the past two years.

“Sea turtles, both loggerheads and leatherbacks, have been protected on the Kosi Bay side since the 1960s and we have the benefit of that now. As development increases around Ponta do Ouro, we’re getting more turtles here where it’s still relatively unspoiled, so we think the breeding group is shifting north,” says Pierre.

Mission accomplished? The tracks tell the story.

White Pearl Resort

Paradise found
Situated along the untouched shores of the Mozambique coastline, White Pearl Resorts overlooks one of the most magnificent beaches in Africa. Tucked behind casuarina trees, 21 stilted suites provide spectacular ocean views with 15 of the pool suites located on the hillside and six beach pool suites offering direct access to the shore. If you need solitude, room service will be delivered by butler for enjoyment on your private deck 24 hours a day. Days are filled with swimming with the dolphins, diving the coral reefs, marvelling at elephants in the Maputo Special Reserve or guided evening turtle walks. Return from a busy day to White Pearl for a sundowner at the beach bar and delicious local cuisine served in the restaurant.

For more information visit whitepearlresorts.com or call +27 (0) 11 026 2674.

Le Bristol Paris promises magical spoils

Fri, 17 Feb 2017 07:04:27 GMT

A visit to the award-winning Le Bristol Paris hotel is unforgettable any time of year.

Words: DEBBIE HATHWAY

“Passion cannot be learned — no certificate can attest to its presence. It is nourished by a common experience, which it in turn nourishes,” says Le Bristol Paris guest relations manager, Jean-Marie Burlet.

It was that passion that got us talking, as I hovered in the foyer far longer than necessary after checkout. I was loathe to leave, still fascinated by everything and everyone at one of the few establishments that can claim the distinction of being a Parisian Palace Hotel. This honour is bestowed by the tourism ministry of the French government in recognition of their facilities, client service and accessibility.

Le Bristol Paris tasting menu

The award-winning hotel’s prestigious address on the rue de Faubourg Saint-Honoré near the Elysée Palace attracts an “esteemed clientele looking for quiet and discretion”. Among its many unforgettable attractions are a beautiful indoor garden seldom seen in the inner city, The Spa Le Bristol by La Prairie (considered one of the best in the world), and the gastronomic creations presented by triple Michelin-starred chef Éric Fréchon at the Epicure restaurant and 114 Faubourg, a brasserie de luxe with a single Michelin star.

Perfect portions

Fréchon applies his renowned passion for terroir to his selection and preparation of dishes (often featuring things he likes to eat). He has an uncompromising approach to quality before price. “I like to work with a very rough product, like celeriac or artichoke, and find an artistic way to present it,” he says. He’ll use the vegetable as a container for another ingredient, such as truffle, taking care not to blur sensory boundaries. “Some restaurants put so much on the plate, there are too many flavours. You don’t know what you’re eating,” says Fréchon.

Chef Fréchon’s artichokes from Provence are an Epicure speciality. Think anchovies sauce with black truffle, egg powder and artichoke crisps with hazelnuts.

Executive Chef Éric Fréchon

Even his tasting menu, which he’ll prepare for small groups, will comprise one starter, one main course, two desserts, seasonal cheeses by master cheesemakers and some amuse-bouche in between. His specialties? Try poularde — Bresse farm hen poached in a bladder in vin jaune broth, with sweets of spinach stuffed with a royal of giblets, water crayfish and black truffle, and poularde legs, truffled stock of leeks and potatoes (€290 for two people).

Furthermore, portions are consistent; “not too big and not too small… when you dine with us you’re here to eat, not just to taste,” says Fréchon. To that end, he rates his biggest accomplishment as the compliments he receives from guests. “That’s very important to me. I feel so much emotion… It means a lot.”

Sensory experience

The sensory experience continues with Le Bristol Paris’s collaboration with the nearby Le Grand Musée du Parfum, at the former headquarters of the House of Christian Lacroix. After learning more about the history and science of making perfume, guests can return to the hotel’s Café Antonia for the Perfumes of Tea ritual. Instead of simply ordering tea off the menu, they are invited to make their selection by smelling the tea leaves.

“The notes from a tea scenting could read something like ‘earthy headnotes, caramel body and ripe red berry tail’,” says Café Antonia manager Pascal Havel. “The same way as you would describe a perfume, you look to identify headnotes, which are your first impressions, then the body notes, which are the heart of the tea’s character and, finally, the tail notes, which describe the scent that lingers after you have smelt the leaves. Tasting the brewed tea is a pleasure on its own.”

Le Bristol Paris romance

Reserve Le Bristol Paris’s romantic Terrace Suite with Jacuzzi and spacious garden terrace, “seemingly suspended above the Parisian rooftops, and enjoy a dinner designed for seduction”. Frechon’s renowned macaroni farci, black truffle artichoke and foie gras, or line-caught whiting fish in a bread and almond crust is on the menu accompanied by Krug Grande Cuvée Champagne. Finish with the priceless Nyangbo chocolate gilded with fine gold for dessert.

One night in the Terrace Suite with Jacuzzi, a three Michelin-star dinner for two, paired with Krug Grande Cuvée Champagne, and an American breakfast for two, served in the suite — from €6990.

For more information, visit lebristolparis.com.

• Published in Wanted 17 February 2017

The journey of design

Tue, 14 Feb 2017 10:26:00 GMT

Published in Wanted 14 February 2017

Montblanc creative director Zaim Kamal on designing for young professionals and creating the perfect sketchbook .

Montblanc creative director Zaim Kamal could be accused of having a relationship — with his sketch book. “My wife makes fun of me,” he says. “I draw all the time. When the new sketch book arrives, she says it spends more time in my bed than she does.”

The sketching is probably the reason he doesn’t stress so easily. “I used to drive my parents crazy. I doodled all the time and was obsessed with detailing. It’s refreshing to sit in a team that shares the same traits, and to work for a maison that gives us freedom to be designers and to explore ideas albeit within very clear guidelines. Finding the solution is up to us.”

Although he’s been filling sketch books since college, Kamal’s never managed to find the perfect one so when Montblanc began working on the stationery line in 2015 he grabbed the opportunity to create it. Just a little larger than A4, comprising of about 100 pages, the Montblanc Fine Stationery Sketch Books are handmade in Florence. “They used to bring me samples to test. I used to bend them and drop them and if they didn’t open completely flat, they were rejected. I also used to listen to the sound of the paper. They used to think I was completely insane…but the detail must be perfectly right, there must be a functionality that you don’t question. This is in everything we do — we want people to have lifetime companions in our products.

“Using a Montblanc pencil doesn’t make me a better designer but I know it’s going to be as functional as I am and it’s never going to let me down. You imprint your personality on the product rather than the product imprinting on you — be it the bag, the watch, the writing instrument, even the cufflink.”

A fashion designer who trained in the early 90s, Kamal says in those days the job of accessory designer did not exist. “Whoever designed shoes well, designed shoes and whoever designed bags well, designed bags — it was always an add-on to your job. I figured out that the accessory is a very integral part of style and that it was going to get stronger, because fashion items don’t suit all bodies. A good accessory is much more universal.”

When he joined Montblanc in 2013, Kamal was able to draw on his experience to work on totally different categories and his early training at Central Saint Martins proved invaluable. “We were taught that while the idea and the finished product are important, the most important thing is the process.”

On that note, Kamal always has his watch set to London time. “It’s my grounding point. No matter where I am (in the world), whenever I look at it, I can judge where I am, where I’m going. If you can do that in the creative process too, you’ll never get lost. You might not get it right, but you’ll never get lost.”

Kamal works periodically with the design teams who specialise in crafting timepieces, leather goods and writing instruments at the Montblanc manufacture in Le Locle and Villeret, Florence and Hamburg respectively, or sends them photographs of his sketches for comment before getting into the technical drawings and 3-D renderings. He says the ability to work with them directly has taught him new skills he would never have learnt in a design studio. Having designed watches previously, he says he would often be unable to find a connection between his drawing and the prototype.

At Montblanc, there is constant dialogue among the movement makers, case makers, and research and development department. Once they’ve discussed the idea, and decide on a movement that determines the thickness of the case, the work begins. “It’s never just a paper design given to someone else. Watches are more complex but for me the learning was incredible…the highly complicated mechanical structures, the incredible detail. In a watch, 0,1mm makes a huge difference.”

Does he find that restrictive? “No. There is so much detail and precision, the more you work on it the more freedom you get because you have to dig in to really see and make the differences.”

When Kamal joined Montblanc, one of the first things they did was analyse the brand in terms of design as well as their clients and their requirements and looked five years ahead to determine the functionality they may require then. “Since 2011, we have seen the emergence of sartorial elegance. Young professionals wearing what their fathers or grandfathers used to but with a twist. Cufflinks unbuttoned, a watch with bracelets, trousers shorter, suits slimmer. It was important to address this paradigm shift for the contemporary urban professional across the categories in order to stay relevant,” he says.

Adding tactility to the products was key. The leather goods, for example, have the same functionality but are much more refined. Proportions have changed, and they are more tactile and less static, without losing any of the Montblanc codes. “Over the years, I figured out I could trick the eyes, I could trick the ears, I could trick the smell, and the sense, but I could never trick touch. Coming from fashion, I mean, we tried…it was very much about tactility. Never forgetting our values of craftsmanship, innovation and excellence, we’ve tried to instill that without compromising functionality, finish and quality. This has been an amazing journey to show people you can have it all.”

1858 Chrono Tachymeter

What does he enjoy most about his job? “To see all the work that goes in, and get the results, the positive feedback. You don’t really realise it when you’re in it. The same effort goes into designing a pair of cufflinks as into a timepiece, even though a watch is ultimately more complex. It’s the same iteration. We find that it adheres to our value of excellence,” says Kamal.

“And I love the pioneering spirit of Montblanc — if you know where you’re going you can find your way back. In terms of job satisfaction, whenever we do a good product, no matter the category, it’s exhilarating.”

Among Montblanc’s launches at the annual Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie in Geneva in January were extensions of the 1858 Collection that pay tribute to the manufacture’s Minerva heritage. We loved the Montblanc 1858 Chronograph Tachymeter Limited Edition 100 but the Montblanc 1858 Automatic Dual Time will do nicely too, thank you. montblanc.com

Mauritius: four corners in four days

Mon, 06 Feb 2017 07:03:01 GMT

An unforgettable island holiday, from marine reserves to world heritage sites.

Words: DEBBIE HATHWAY

Tell a Mauritian resident you intend driving yourself from the east to the west coast for a meeting and they’ll sympathise. It’s a long drive: an hour to 90 minutes, depending on traffic, they’ll say. You might consider hiring a taxi or staying overnight.

Google Maps is not the most reliable guide — village roads morph into a maze for the uninitiated and many are unnamed. Then there are the “wild” dogs to contend with. Read “free to roam” rather than “homeless”, explained Lux* Belle Mare general manager Ashish Modak, shortly after completing the resort’s second sterilisation campaign with the Protection of Animals Welfare Society (Paws). For an animal lover, the proliferation of dogs who survive in less-than-ideal circumstances can temper that initial infatuation with the island, but organisations such as Paws continue to campaign for them, and there are great stories about resort staff and guests adopting local animals and relocating them as far away as the Netherlands.

For my seventh visit to Mauritius in late 2016, Kimberley Reid doubled as photographer and navigator and we set off to cover all four corners of the island in four days, beginning with the east coast. My favourite resorts were fully booked, so we planned to split our nights among La Mirage Residence Guesthouse in Belle Mare, the Golden Shell in Trou dʼ Eau Douce, and a friend’s duplex near Grand Bay in the north.

The Air Mauritius direct flight from Cape Town lands in the southeast at about 9pm, giving us just enough time to catch the end of the set by the One&Only Le Saint Géran’s legendary Famous 9 band and collect a hired car before heading to bed in Belle Mare.

The resort’s location on an exclusive peninsula means that guests can enjoy a range of watersports, from standup paddle boarding to waterskiing, on the property. We returned the following day and I made a beeline for the Hobie 15s, my regular skipper sacrificing his day off to accompany me. Even the wind showed up! A seafood lunch under the palm trees, followed in quick succession by spa treatments in the garden pavilion, poolside cocktails, and a tour of the new-look suites due to be unveiled after an extensive refurbishment at the end of 2017, led to dinner and dancing under the stars. 

We headed southeast on day two, en route to Ile des deux Cocos in the Blue Bay Marine Reserve. An upgraded highway system has transformed travel between the main centres over the last couple of years — if you miss a turn, you simply head for the next roundabout, retrace your route, and try again or, if time allows, explore wherever your navigator takes you! That day we covered the capital of Port Louis and a few of the small villages, but not on purpose.

Rescue dog Max

Ile des deux Cocos is a private island that all the locals know about, so we expected to be well signposted and easy to find. Not so much. Eventually resorting to my broken French, we obtained directions to the island ferry. The island, which is is open for day visits from the public or exclusive-use bookings for any occasion, was leased to the Lux* Resorts & Hotels group in 2001. It offers accommodation at a two-bedroom villa that was once the domain of governor Hesketh Bell in the ’20s when he needed to let his hair down away from his official residence. Every Friday, a platoon would arrive to hoist his flag to announce his imminent weekend stay and prevent anybody accessing the island apart from the partygoers.

If you need to work off the culinary indulgences provided by the open-air restaurant, guests can play beach volleyball, badminton or frisbee. We chose a slow walk around the island instead, which took all of 20 minutes, but that exercise spurt was shortlived. Longtime island manager Mario de L’Estrac is a master of rum creations — his own and those of his grandfather — which we simply had to taste. His favourites? The infusions with citrus, coffee, and chilli. We left reluctantly with a freshly made bottle of the latter and a reminder to give it another two weeks to settle.

Next stop was Trou aux Biches in the north, which we managed to find before nightfall. It’s a short drive to the tourist hotspot of Grand Bay, where we spent the following day tasting local food and getting tattooed! We bought lunch from a street vendor who promptly pulled out two little plastic chairs and seated us on the beach under a palm tree. It was one of the best meals we’d ever had.

Saving the best for last we hiked up Le Morne Brabant, a Unesco World Heritage Site known for the shelter it provided runaway slaves in the 18th and 19th centuries, in the southwest. Guided by local resident Anoop Jahul, we were treated to all the clichés — panoramic views, spectacular scenery, turquoise water, tropical heat. There’s simply no other way to describe it. Unforgettable will have to do.

BOOKS: The Calloways are back

Thu, 02 Feb 2017 09:52:00 GMT

Published in Financial Mail 02 February 2017

Bright, Precious Days – Russell and Corrine stay with him, says McInerney of third book in the series.

Jay McInerney’s third book in the series chronicling the lives of Russell and Corrine Calloway, first through Brightness Falls and then in The Good Life, boasts a “really good” scorecard as US reviews go.

Released in August, Bright, Precious Days brings a sense that he’s done something else in his career, McInerney says.

“It seems like I’ve finally been forgiven on my own shores for the success of my first novel, which was pretty outsized. In the past, reviewers have felt the need to weigh in on Bright Lights, Big City. Whether they think it was a masterpiece that I’ve never lived up to or that it was overrated, it’s an iconic novel that I happen to have written that’s followed me around.” It earned him kudos as “the writer who defined a generation” and gained him a place among the 1980s group of novelists who wrote best sellers before they were 30, including Bret Easton Ellis, Tama Janowitz, Donna Tartt and Jill Eisenstadt.

Journalism in general is fun for a novelist … It’s something I can do when I’m hung over

Some see Bright, Precious Days as the completion of a trilogy, but there could be more to come. McInerney is unsure. “I didn’t think so much about the characters after the first book, until after September 11 when I was trying to imagine how one could process this kind of event in fiction. I came up with the idea of revisiting these characters and their friends, and domesticating this big tragedy, rather than writing about it on a global scale. Since then they’ve just kind of stayed with me.”
McInerney likes his characters, particularly Corrine. “She kind of stole this book. It’s supposed to be alternate chapters, alternate points of view, but I really think she’s dominant in this book… maybe for the obvious reason that her affair is the central drama.”

While Bright Lights, Big City is very autobiographical, McInerney says these books are less so “because I’m not an editor, and I haven’t been married to the same woman for 25 years, but there are parts of me in Russell, and the world they live in is almost precisely the world I live in”.

The book is described as a “moving, deeply humane novel about the mistakes we make, persistence in struggle and love’s ability to adapt and survive”, and I ask McInerney if he has learnt from his mistakes.
He laughs — Anne Hearst is his fourth wife, with whom he happily celebrated their 10th anniversary in November. “I’ve learnt, I think. Russell didn’t need to learn as much as I did.”

The frenzy of fame and craziness that swirled around McInerney after his Bright Lights, Big City success took its toll. How did he handle it? “Probably not very well… I took advantage of it. I was suddenly welcome everywhere, could meet anybody I wanted to. It created a stereotype of me as a wild nightclub-goer, drug user, model dater, and everybody just assumed I was the character in the book. It was insane.”

Sense of identity

And did it help his career? “No, not necessarily, because it created a lot of resentment in some quarters. Literary people are not supposed to behave like pop stars — they’re supposed to have patches on the elbows of their tweed jackets, smoke pipes and stay home.” He’s rebellious, I muse. “I suppose so … and that’s why I’m not like Russell at all … Russell wanted to be a writer but didn’t really feel like he could make it and didn’t want to stake his sense of identity on something he might not succeed at. I mean, it’s sort of a whacky thing to presume to be a novelist, to stake your whole sense of yourself on becoming that. It’s certainly not a safe path, but it’s the only thing I ever wanted to do, since I was 13 or 14.”

McInerney’s SA book tour late last year coincided with an invitation to speak at an international wine conference in Robertson. He has published three nonfiction books on wine, including A Hedonist in the Cellar, and writes a wine column for Town and Country. “Journalism in general is fun for a novelist — it gets you out of your own head and your apartment, really. It’s something I can do when I’m hung over, which is not really the case with my novels.”

Heart for art and service

Thu, 19 Jan 2017 10:11:00 GMT

Published in Financial Mail 19 January 2017

SA-born author Richard Mason says writing calls for more than disciplined effort.The novel Who Killed Piet Barol? is a revelation in many senses. Not only is it enlightening in terms of SA history, but it is beguiling in a way that pays tribute to the storytelling finesse of its award-winning author, Richard Mason. This work, his latest in a collection of interrelated stories, inspires me to make more time to read for my own pleasure.

But this is not a book review. It’s an account of an interview I had with the author that, after a solid hour, yielded exactly two words in my notebook: Oscar Wilde.

Neither Mason nor I can recall the reference, and it was written down before I switched on my voice recorder. If you watch Mason recount the background to the book on YouTube you might understand something of his magic.

Despite being a natural storyteller, he says he was surprised that anyone even read his first novel, The Drowning People. Written at the age of 21, it propelled him into the spotlight, a position he doesn’t like much and tries to limit to every five years or so, when he releases a new book.

“[Before] I write a book I think about it for years. At a certain point, I’ll tell someone the whole story and record what I say. In the course of telling it, things happen and explode. It’s like this enormous brain churn — it takes me weeks to listen to the 3½-hour tape because every little bit reveals more detail. It’s like Google Maps: you get [drawn] further and further in.”

Disciplined by nature, Mason says that this quality can get you only so far. “It would be much easier if the harder you try, or the more disciplined you are, the better the book is — but that’s not what it’s like, because it’s a work of art. There’s something serendipitous about it.”

[Before] I write a book, I think about it for years. At a certain point, I’ll tell someone the whole story and record that, and in the course of telling it, things happen and explode.

For The Lighted Rooms, the first in this collection of stories that focuses on SA, Mason decided never to worry about the creative process and just let it happen. “That worked. Liberating yourself from worry is so freeing.

“With History of a Pleasure Seeker, where we first meet Piet Barol as a young man in his 20s in Amsterdam, I decided to try something else. To write only when I felt like it.” He wrote it the fastest of any of the books, by hand, in a specially commissioned leather-bound notebook, because he is very much against using Microsoft Word “as a tool for creative writing”.

Who Killed Piet Barol? was written largely in a woodshed at the edge of the Breede River, at the end of a 45km dirt track, on a “trusty” 1982 Brother Electronic typewriter because Mason wanted the narrative to go quickly.

In the story Barol and singer Stacey Meadows are in colonial Cape Town, short of cash and living a lie. They find a way to inject new life into their furniture business, and Barol sets off with two Xhosa men in search of wood for it. Their stories, set against the backdrop of the Native Land Act of 1913, make for gut-wrenching reading, and they are all real.

“You can’t understand contemporary SA unless you acknowledge some of the big acts of theft that have taken place in the past. It doesn’t mean you’re personally responsible for it, but it also doesn’t mean you bear no responsibility,” says Mason.

Very soon after creating Piet, Mason says, he knew how the character would die. But he felt he couldn’t create the story without the “lived experience” he needed to write about Xhosa characters.

Through the Kay Mason Foundation, which he had established in memory of his sister to educate 75 scholars a year in Cape Town’s best secondary schools, he helped found Project Lulutho, a rural regeneration project at Nqamakwe in the Eastern Cape.

Mason says that, aided by the Hans Hoheisen Charitable Trust’s sponsorship of one of the largest solar-powered water extraction facilities in the country, Lulutho kept hundreds of people and animals, as well as a whole ecosystem, alive during the worst drought in a generation.“I borrowed a fortune … and rocked up on this devastated hillside with a chef from my favourite restaurant, who cooked for us in a Wendy house with three gas burners and an anthill oven.

“Trailed by a French film crew, I had to jump right into all the issues of the book — a white guy trying to gain control of land in the area, endless government meetings …“When my life has its tough moments, which it definitely does, I think about the profound effect this book is having on people’s lives and on my life. It was an amazing experience, but also a very challenging one.”

Mauritian tourism takes off

Mon, 19 Dec 2016 07:03:34 GMT

Tourists bound for Mauritius in the first semester of 2016 have increased by 9,9% in comparison to the same period in 2015. Business is buoyant.

Words: DEBBIE HATHWAY

Mauritius notched up a higher-than-anticipated number of tourists during the first semester of 2016, according to a Statistics Mauritius report released in August, causing the Bank of Mauritius to revise its projected tourism earnings for the year to Rs 56 billion. That’s an 11,6% increase over the Rs 50,2 billion achieved last year.

A comparison of international air and sea passenger traffic during the first semesters of 2015 and 2016 shows an overall 9,5% increase in arrivals, against a 9% increase in departures. This result is no doubt boosted by the fact that there are more direct flights to the island. The top five markets are France (with a growth of 6,5%), Reunion, United Kingdom, Germany and South Africa. The number of arrivals from China has declined by 5,9%, a status being attributed to fewer available seats.

Charles de Foucault, general manager for the One&Only Le Saint Géran in the north-eastern village of Pointe de Flacq, notes that Mauritius has become adept at adjusting to fluctuations in world currencies. “Sometimes a shift takes place simply because of economics – the euro falling apart, the exchange rate making it difficult, but the money is only changing hands,” he says. In hospitality, you’ve got to follow the trail because economics affects the demographic in Mauritius in general. Why? Because the demographic drives everything else – length of stay, choice of three- or five-star hotel, selection of exclusive or all-inclusive resort, with golf course or without. The numbers of arrival are up, but I cannot say that only the five-star hotels are seeing an increase in their business. I think some of that is going to the real-estate industry.” Cedric Marin, a Mauritian-born director of Park Lane Properties, agrees. “Executives visiting Mauritius for annual board meetings bring their families and stay for a week to a month, while others come to explore investment opportunities.”

In recent years, Mauritius has become “hot property, thanks to its government’s wise decision to invest time, resources and money into innovating the way in which it attracts and conducts business, both locally and internationally.” James Bowling, CEO of Monarch&Co International, specialists in residency and citizenship investment programmes globally, references the success of their decisions published in The World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Report 2016, where Mauritius ranks first among African countries and 32nd in the world. As a result, an abundance of new facilities are being developed all over the island, from shopping malls, restaurants, offices and factories to private schools and state-of-the-art medical centres.

Another World Bank report, Investing Across Borders, puts Mauritius as one of the highest recipients of foreign direct investment (FDI) per capita in the world. “Their Residency by Investment Programme is one example of successfully attracting foreign capital by offering investors numerous advantages, including tax incentives,” says Bowling. “In order to apply for residency, investors are required to purchase property for a minimum of US$500 000 in a Property Development Scheme (PDS). This is the new official scheme that facilitates foreign investment in Mauritian property, having replaced the previous Integrated Resort Scheme (IRS) and Real Estate Scheme (RES) options although there are still a number of active IRS and RES developments offering property for sale. Foreigners are unable to purchase outside of these zones.”

Hot property Currently selling off plan, the St Antoine Private Residence PDS by ENL Property and Red4 near Grand Baie will be one of the first luxury property projects to be realised within the government’s new scheme. Comprising 100 luxury apartments and penthouses as well as 30 plots earmarked for Mauritian investors, the developers expect to break ground in February 2017. By July this year, 15 units had been sold already, according to Mauritius Sotheby’s International Realty real estate manager Jacques Nell.

Patrice Legris, CEO of Alteo Properties Limited (APL), developer of the Anahita Mauritius IRS on the east coast, has seen marked growth in value since the project launched in 2006. “Many of our residents reinvest in the estate after they sell, with some owning six or seven units here. Capital appreciation has been quite impressive recently with four homes having resold with an average of 32% net capital gain, over one year, while in another extreme case one owner realised 133% net capital gain after four years for his villa.”

Having sold and completed most of the 223 plots on the southern part of the 213ha “tropical garden”, just in front of the must-see island attraction Île aux Cerfs, APL is currently launching the remaining 102 plots in the northern part of the development. Its third phase will incorporate eight prestigious private villas of 900-1 200m2 on plots of 4-5000m2 to be built on the unique IRS that offers freehold land with direct access to the sea. The plans have been designed by the famous French architect, Jean-Michel Wimotte, and the price range reflects the exclusive finishes recommended by him as well as the location and size of the plot of land (price on application).

“A few potential buyers, who are mostly European, have expressed a strong desire for large inside and outside living areas to fully experience the Mauritian lifestyle and climate as well as to entertain their families and friends,” says Legris. All the villas will have two swimming pools, one inside and one outside.

From a tourism perspective, Anahita has much to offer. While short-term visitors can revel in the luxury afforded by the Four Seasons Resort on the estate, residents can also utilise its main services, from in-home catering by a private chef to the customary tennis, golf, boathouse and conciergery facilities associated with a five-star hotel.

World-class golf courses Golf is a big attraction with green fees complimentary at resorts. Among the award-winning facilities are the two 18-hole courses designed by Ernie Els and Bernhard Langer: Anahita and Île aux Cerfs as well as the Peter Matkovich-designed course at the Villas Valriche IRS in the south west, which hosts the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open every second year.

Matkovich is extending his influence to Le Parc de Mont Choisy Golf and Beach Resort in Grand Baie. The development is an IRS with sales being managed through Pam Golding International and incorporates a new 18-hole course due to open at the end of 2017. “We have sold 190 units to date with the top price for a Signature Island villa being $4 million. Remaining units range from US$760 000 to US$1,2 million. The planning for phase three is now well underway, which will include a mix of villas and apartments,” says Pam Golding Properties Mauritius director Richard Haller.

Meanwhile, the Association of Hoteliers and Restaurants in Mauritius (AHRIM) has facilitated the introduction by the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA) of a Mauritius Golf Pass this year to provide access for tourists staying outside the resorts to the finest golf courses on the island. This is a low-season incentive accompanied by a significantly discounted rate on green fees. “More and more people since the recession over the last decade are looking for value for money. They don’t mind spending, but they’re looking at the return that they get,” says LUX* Belle Mare general manager Ashish Modak. “Mauritius, as a destination, has that value-for-money aspect.”

Holiday destination The appetite the South African buyer has for the Mauritius property market has always been “healthy”. It is not only a place South Africans know well, and have known for decades, as a fabulous holiday destination, but also an ambitious country that has made huge progress across the board in a short amount of time.

Marin credits the late Mauritian politician Sir Gaëtan Duval for raising the tourism profile of the island in the 80s. “Celebrities from Brigitte Bardot to Princess Stéphanie of Monaco have been coming here for decades, while the mid-year European holiday tradition has been passed down through generations. These families have stayed at hotels from Paradis Hotel & Golf Club (on the Le Morne Peninsula) to Saint Géran, they’ve grown up with the locals and they have an attachment to the island,” he says. “Now they might be flying in with their private jet, renting a beach bungalow or villa serviced by a butler and boatman, or staying close to facilities with access to a beach club, hiring a car and making a point of seeing more of the island.”

Since its rebranding four years ago, LUX* Belle Mare has developed its own following among guests who cleave to their lighter, brighter holiday experience, designed to encapsulate and celebrate the authentic energy of island life.

Modak says the LUX* group is seeing “fantastic returns in terms of increasing occupancies… and this hotel, in particular, has been outstanding”. “The feedback I get is that guests love the simplicity of island life, the people, and when it comes to the hotel here at Belle Mare, the unique experiences we offer that you don’t find anywhere else – from rum tasting at Mari Kontan to finding a message in a bottle that offers you a reward you’ll remember for a long time.”

The iconic One&Only Le Saint Géran, meanwhile, has seen guests return as many as 28 times. “These are world travellers, who are tired of looking and want to connect right away. They know the staff, and they, in turn, know their likes and dislikes. It’s like coming home,” says De Foucault. The reality of the hospitality industry is that demands for renewal are inevitable. “Half the people tell you not to touch a thing, because there is so much memory engraved everywhere. Then we’ve got the generation who refuse to come because we’re not new. Some guests will try another hotel, but they miss the soul of Saint Géran and soon book with us again.”

Those who love live entertainment return purely for the Famous 9. The band is an institution at this resort, as well known for their immense talent and repertoire as their annual accompaniment of Chris de Burgh when he visits during the festive season. The late Nelson Mandela was a great fan.

The recent announcement of the resort’s planned refurbishment from February 2017, with a view to reopening by the end of that year, holds the promise of enhancements that will amplify the property’s USPs – a sense of exclusivity on its own private peninsula, with a beachfront and calm lagoon unlike any other resort in Mauritius. And for those guests who can’t bear to leave again, One&Only Le Saint Géran will be unveiling secluded villas for those who want to make the resort home.

Photograph courtesy of LUX* Belle Mare

Athletic articulation of the foot

Tue, 15 Nov 2016 07:47:00 GMT

Published in Cape Times on 15 November 2016

Acclaimed South African dancer/choreographer Andrea Schermoly returns from abroad to create new work for the Cape Dance Company writes DEBBIE HATHWAY

THE youthful physique and visage of Andrea Giselle Schermoly belie both the ability and experience of the latest artist to be invited to choreograph work for Debbie Turner’s Cape Dance Company. The commissioned piece is currently being workshopped for the December season, SacredSpace, which opens at Artscape on 3 December.

Now based in Los Angeles, Schermoly has established herself as a choreographer for stage and film, and is developing her acting skills with a view to getting more involved in theatre. After spending much of her professional career dancing with the world-renowned Dutch company NDT, Schermoly is selective about the performance requests she accepts after recurring ankle injuries and multiple surgeries eventually forced her to pursue alternative freelance endeavours.

This year has been a big year for her so far, having celebrated the screening of In Passing, a dance film she directed and choreographed for the Ashley Bouder Project and subsequently was selected for the San Francisco Dance Film Festival. She’s also featured in Mandela’s Dancers: Oral Histories of Program Participants and Organizers by Rodreguez King-Dorset, which chronicles the experiences of 22 South African dancers who benefited from a scholarship programme started by Anya Sainsbury and funded by The Linbury Trust in London in the late nineties. The late Nelson Mandela was patron of the programme. It’s been 12 years since she was invited to choreograph work for a local company, the last occasion being for Martin Schonberg’s Ballet Theatre Afrikan in Johannesburg in 2004.

Schermoly trained at the National School of the Arts in South Africa and competed around the world as a member of the South African Olympic Rhythmic Gymnastics Team before moving to London to complete her dance training at Rambert Ballet and Contemporary School and The Royal Ballet School. She danced professionally with Boston Ballet and Nederlandse Dans Teater (NDT and NDT 2) and has choreographed work for Louisville Ballet, Grand Rapids Ballet and Kansas City Ballet, Festival Ballet Theater among others.

She won the Outstanding Choreographer award in 2012 and 2013 at the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) and in 2014 won the Emerging Choreographer award – a grant to choreograph for YAGP’s 15th anniversary gala that year on dancers Maria Kochetkova (principal San Francisco Ballet) and Joaquin de Luz (principal New York City Ballet).

The new work, titled CliffNotes, opens with what promises to be a captivating sequence by the ensemble performed to Tom Waits’ evocative Yesterday Is Here. Schermoly says she’s working with eight pieces of music, the most she’s ever used for a ballet.

“I usually have one piece that plays right through, a composition created for me, or something I’ve been listening to for a long time,” she says. But the varied soundtrack suits her decision to present this work as vignettes, “bubbles of memories” as she calls it of life as an immigrant, living in different countries, the search for belonging and often ultimate displacement we all feel in life, particularly those not living in their home nations.

Because Schermoly has made a lot of work on ballet dancers, her style often looks more balletic, but she favours more grounded, “guttural” work. Waits’ song sets it up perfectly.

“While my work is still rooted in the classical genre – I like finesse, detail, precision, flexibility, articulation of the foot – I also like the juxtaposition of heaviness and looseness that comes with contemporary dance.”

Featured artists in this season include Ipeleng Merafe, Celeste Botha, Marlin Zoutman, Carmen Lotz, Thamsanqa Njoko, Nathan Bartman, Olivia Parfitt, Ciara Baldwin, Gemma Trehearn, Given Mkhize and a supporting cast of up-and-coming dancers.

This group represents the ideal combination of classical and contemporary prowess. “It’s like having two companies in one,” says Schermoly. “They’re maniac movers.”

They have to be if they want to perform for Cape Dance Company. Artistic director Debbie Turner demands nothing but the best from her dancers (many of whom owe international contracts to her training regime) and choreographers alike.

José Agudo’s A Thousand Shepherds will be on the bill again, reprised by popular demand. Starring Nathan Bartman, it’s the kind of piece that demands more than one viewing so stirring is its content. It gets better and better with every presentation.

Enemy Behind the Gates is a popular repertory piece choreographed by Christopher L Huggins and once again features the largest group of dancers ever cast in this ballet.

The double-volume theatre space will be opened up to showcase the athletic, technical and artistic abilities of the 50 dancers – trademark qualities of a company that never fails to set the stage alight.

Lighting for SacredSpace is by the award-winning designer Wilhelm Disbergen. The season is made possible with support from the National Arts Council, Fruit and Veg City and Business and Arts South Africa.

SacredSpace runs at Artscape Theatre from December 3 to 10 at 8pm with a matinee on 10 December at 2.30pm. Book: 021 4217695. or Computicket.

Photograph: Helena Fagan

A taste for travel

Wed, 09 Nov 2016 07:00:20 GMT

Published in Financial Mail Travel – November 2016

Words: DEBBIE HATHWAY

Credited with elevating Indian cuisine to an epicurean experience, Michelin-starred chef Vineet Bhatia gets large dollops of creative inspiration from travel.

Anything and everything influences me – plates, magazines, people’s likes and dislikes, my travels … inspiration can strike anywhere. Although I wanted to be a pilot at a very young age, and I grew up near an airport in Bombay, I took my first domestic flight aged 21. What a joy it was! I never knew that in the next 10 to 12 years I’d be doing three flights a month.

I’m a constant traveller – it’s something of a trademark now. It begins mostly in London and goes on to everywhere. Mauritius and Mumbai get three or four visits a year, I’m in Geneva every six weeks, and I use Dubai as a transit hub once every four or five weeks to go to Bahrain, Doha or Saudi Arabia.

My wife, Rashima, says this is the secret to our happy marriage – because I’m never at home. She’s my business partner, wife and boss. When I’m working in London, 16 hours a day, we see each other at work and at home, but we’re not really standing in front of each other. When I’m travelling, I’ve got WhatsApp and Tango (the Middle Eastern equivalent) as well as Skype. And the airlines have in-flight Wi-Fi, so communication is instantaneous.

Technology has been a huge asset for travellers who need to keep in touch, not just with their families, but also their teams around the world. The guys in Geneva might send me a message or photograph to comment on, or I might get a call from the head chef in Bahrain to confirm the menu offering when the royal family is sitting for lunch…

Vacations boil down to the schedule. My diary is generally booked up 12 months ahead, but we try to plan at least one trip a year somewhere totally different.

Long breaks happen mostly in summer. Last year we went to Japan and before that Venezuela, where I saw black-coloured corn for the first time. I thought it was artificially dyed, but locals convinced me that black is the corn’s natural colour. That was an eye-opener. There is a black potato, too. I’ve seen purple and white, but never black potatoes. When you get a naturally black potato, it boggles your mind. This is a very important aspect to travel – it opens up your thought processes.

It was Japan, though, that really hit me. The culture, the people, their eating habits, eye for detail, precision – it is absolutely fantastic. As a chef, I enjoyed visiting the markets and seeing things so symmetrically arranged. All the carrots, beans and peas are the same size, yet they are not genetically grown. The quality is grade A, not just in the big cities such as Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, but also in the smaller villages of Mount Fuji, Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The Japanese have also produced the cuisine I love most after my own. I’ve used Japanese flavours to influence my own dishes. We combine the flavour and pungency of wasabi with mustard seed, for example, and infuse it with tandoori prawns. I have made a dressing out of the Japanese lemon yuzu, soya sauce and tamarind chutney to go with idli, a steamed rice dumpling from the south of India. And chicken tikka is still chicken tikka, but instead of adding black-mustard seeds from North India, you can replace them with a hint of wasabi for a further kick.

Travelling to the Middle East, I’ve found a lot of familiar food, because there has been so much trade between India and the Arab world over many centuries. We use jaggery, brown sugar and molasses, while they take date syrup and honey influences from Morocco, Iran, Iraq and Syria. We try to incorporate those into the cuisine, because they are also part of the Indian repertoire.

I’m looking forward to participating in the Chefs Who Share – the Art of Giving fundraiser in Johannesburg this year, as I have never been to South Africa. I want to see the local market, to work with the local chefs, and to get a sense of the local people. That will be inspiring, because that is the common denominator everywhere. No matter where you go, it’s all about people, culture, respect, and good-quality fresh products cooked with passion, love and care. That is what travel has taught me.

I Believe I Can Fly

Wed, 12 Oct 2016 08:43:00 GMT

“…If I can see it, then I can do it/ If I just believe it, there’s nothing to it…” The words of R. Kelly’s beautiful hit song, I Believe I Can Fly, make me reflect on the meaning and transformation Alfred Hinkel and John Linden have brought to so many young dancers’ lives over the years. Their latest protégés are in a league of their own. Garage dance company members Adelaide Majoor, Byron Klassen, Farroll Coetzee and Dustin Jannetjies produced a ‘mind-blowing’ performance at the opening of the 12th annual Baxter Dance Festival on 6 October 2016 with a performance of John Linden’s The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking (25 years after its premiere as Shortstorees by Jazzart Dance Theatre) and Alfred Hinkel’s Bolero (a 40th-anniversary revival of the acclaimed piece). Taking the stage with seasoned dancers Levern Botha and Ciara Barron, the group represented three generations of former trainees, essentially, who have developed their artistic talents under the guidance of this formidable team of South African dance mentors and choreographers.

‘What a privilege it was being in the audience last night at the opening of the Baxter Theatre’s Dance Festival. A magical evening of dance, many congratulations to Alfred, John and your beautiful dancers.’

– Philip Boyd

‘Something special happened tonite. So glad I was present.’

– Gerard Samuel

*The 12th annual Baxter Dance Festival runs at the Baxter Theatre in Cape Town until 15 October. Visit baxter.co.za or see the attached programme for more details.

Photographs: Ruth Smith

Wilbur Smith’s wild ride

Wed, 12 Oct 2016 08:28:00 GMT

Published in Financial Mail on 29 September 2016

He battled cerebral malaria as an 18-month-old and beat the medical prognosis of certain brain damage — then Zambian-born adventure novelist Wilbur Smith went on to produce one bestseller after another.

“Despite the primitive medical facilities available in Africa in those days (1934), their prognosis proved correct; I survived and am now only mildly crazy. Which is good because you have to be at least slightly crazy to write fiction for a living,” he says.

Smith’s latest addition to his Egyptian series, Pharaoh , launched in SA this month and claimed the number one bestselling fiction title in the country within 12 days of its release. With worldwide sales of more than 40 novels in 26 languages exceeding 120m copies (a quantity that can “fill Wembley Stadium twice over”) , Smith’s readership base is mostly in the UK, SA, New Zealand and Australia.

“The Italians love me — I’ve sold a lot of books in Italy — and the US is getting very big now,” he says.

Generations of readers have grown up on his Courtney and Ballantyne novels, remembered as much for their gripping tales of adventure as the sexual exploits of their characters. So what drives the success of the Egyptian series?

“The main character, Taita, was introduced in the first Egyptian novel. He somehow touched a chord for the readers and so they follow him. And I follow him,” says Smith. “He is a very warm person. And he is also very self-opinionated, which is good. I mean, he knows the world is flat. And he knows you’d better not stray beyond the gates of Hercules because you’ll fall off the end of the earth!”

What are the most valued memories of Smith’s writing career? “The first book, When the Lion Feeds, is still my favourite because it got me going. I remember so clearly when I sent the book in to my agent … 10 days later she sent me a telegram to say she’d received it, five days later it was accepted for publication, then it was condensed books, then film rights. Whew! I’ve been unemployed ever since.”

Smith’s novels were in vogue at a certain time for film ( Shout at the Devil and The Train from Katanga ), but since then he’s written without any similar ambition. “I found myself, when I sold the film rights for those books, starting to write screenplays instead of novels. The Dark of the Sun was my declaration of independence.”

Smith’s father, Courtney, who gave his name to the hero of that first novel, felt his son’s “obsession with books was unnatural and unhealthy”. It was Smith’s mother who fostered his love for reading when he was very young. It was also her fascination with the stories around the discovery of Tutankham en’s tomb that led Smith to stop over in Egypt on his way back from the UK launch of When the Lion Feeds in 1964.

“I was fascinated by Egypt and its ancient history. You know, everything is there from a point of view of storytelling … I went back time and time again. Oh, it’s an incredible place,” he says. “It seemed to be perfect for a novelist, because if you wrote about the very early Egyptians you didn’t have to be accurate about your facts. And so I made up my own history of Egypt. Since then I’ve written a number of books on Egypt.”

Not one to suffer from writer’s block, Smith says he can write anywhere as long as the noise levels are acceptable. “It just falls into place, episode by episode. I usually do one episode in a day, and that triggers an inspiration for the following one.”

He credits the writing of five of his best novels to his “helpmate, playmate, soul mate, wife and best friend”, Niso. She is the founder of the Wilbur & Niso Smith Foundation, which aims to “introduce true talent from across the globe to the reading world”.

Its inaugural 2016 Wilbur Smith Adventure Award for adventure writing went to Corban Addison for The Tears of Dark Water.

“The next stage will be to reach out to writers and readers across the world, bringing the spirit of adventure into their lives and inspiring them to undertake their own journeys of discovery. More than anything we want the Wilbur & Niso Smith Foundation to be an organisation that uplifts, inspires and educates,” says Niso Smith.

The Smiths are constantly creating their own adventures. They enjoy travelling to Europe, especially Norway, and they visit the US and Canada occasionally to fish. “We don’t live the normal suburban life when we are in Cape Town,” says Niso Smith. They do a lot together, from camping and fishing to visiting special haunts at Chapman’s Peak or Silvermine in the very early morning with their binoculars and a thermos of hot drink. “It’s the most beautiful time of day, when it’s crisp morning. There’s also Lovers’ Nest in Kommetjie — that’s our name, but you know we make our nest everywhere ourselves. He’s an amazingly romantic man.”

This brings us back to a story I’d heard about Smith’s publisher asking him to introduce some steamy content to his early books.

On the contrary, he says: “They asked me to tone it down!” So how much was personal experience and how much vivid imagination? “A combination of the two, I think.”

* Pharaoh is available in SA at leading bookstores. The Pharaoh premium edition is available to buy exclusively from HarperCollins UK. It is limited to 1,000 copies, bound in luxurious cloth with golden foil details and individually signed by Smith. For details and to order, visit: www.harpercollins.co.uk.

Experience the charm of Oldenburg Vineyards

Mon, 10 Oct 2016 07:07:34 GMT

Sometimes I try to remember LBW. That’s Life Before Wine. Not Leg Before Wicket. I only really developed an appreciation for it when I moved to the Cape in the winter of 2006. The temperatures were the kind of freezing I hadn’t experienced living in subtropical of Durban, where I’d spent 20 years of my life – and people seemed well-focused on saving their energy for drinking red wine in front of roaring fires.

On an October day like today, when the onset of spring is a distant memory, and we’ve resigned ourselves to dressing for all four seasons as we wait for summer (which is really only in December, here in the Mother City), I crave a glass of Oldenburg Vineyards’ Grenache Noir 2014. It’s the ideal selection when the skies are blue, but the air is cool.

I would drive out towards Stellenbosch and collect some if I wasn’t at my desk working. Oldenburg is one of the Winelands’ best-kept secrets, a vineyard with a fascinating family heritage that produces ‘small quantities of hand-crafted red and white wines from both Bordeaux and Rhône varietals’ and offers luxurious accommodation at the Homestead, the original family home.

The views are spectacular, best enjoyed by walking to the top of the round hill, known as Rondekop.

*You’ll find Oldenburg Vineyards in the Banghoek Valley (pronounced ‘bun hook’ and meaning ‘scary corner’ – a name attributed to past encounters with roaming leopards in the area).

oldenburgvineyards.com
#TheHomestead #Rondekopmagic #Oldenburgmoments

Photography: Grant Baartzes, Debbie Hathway

Winemaker Philip Costandius savours a glass of Grenache Noir 2014

KHOSA FAN TUTTE

Wed, 14 Sep 2016 12:00:00 GMT

Published in PRIVATE TIME 2016

Every second year, Rolex sponsors a Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative across the fields of dance, architecture, film, theatre, visual arts, literature and music. South African Londiwe Khoza has been named the protégée in dance for 2016-2017.
Words DEBBIE HATHWAY

FOLLOWING A RIGOROUS GLOBAL SEARCH, Cape Academy of Performing Arts (CAPA) graduate Londiwe Khoza has been hand-picked to participate as dance protégée in the 2016-2017 Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative.

She was nominated anonymously for the prized Rolex mentorship by an independent panel of influential artists and arts professionals. ‘The organisers called me to announce my candidacy the day after my birthday,’ says Khoza, 22, who until then had been unaware of the programme’s existence.

In the same way that the Rolex Awards for Enterprise were introduced in the ’70s to develop budding scientists, conservationists and explorers, the arts initiative was born in 2002 from the Swiss watchmaking company’s eagerness to nurture young dancers, musicians, theatre directors, writers, architects, visual artists and filmmakers – and help pass on great art from generation to generation.

The idea of mentorship was considered more appropriate for the arts, because the ‘chance to benefit from the experience of one of the world’s greatest exponents in their discipline is an unparalleled opportunity for these young artists’, said Rebecca Irvin, head of philanthropy at Rolex. ‘Rolex gives the mentor an honorarium of 50 000 Swiss francs [about $51 000] and the protégé is given a stipend of 25 000 Swiss francs [about $25 500] for the year, plus the possibility of a further 25 000 Swiss francs [about $25 500] after the year is over, to put towards a piece of work or project to extend the mentoring.’

As part of the nomination process, Khoza was invited to submit a written application revealing her experience and motivation as a dancer and to provide action footage of her on stage and in class. Then it was up to this season’s mentor, the acclaimed Batsheva artistic director Ohad Naharin, to choose his protégé from four finalists during a five-day assessment in Tel Aviv, Israel, in March 2016.

Since graduating from CAPA in 2015, Khoza has performed with Joburg Ballet and co-written the script for #BalletMustFall – a ‘largely satirical dance play that uses on-point humour and personal narrative to critique the South African dance industry’ – staged at Cape Town’s Alexander Bar earlier this year. She has performed in the 25-year-anniversary season of the Cape Dance Company (CDC), A Thousand Shepherds, at Artscape Theatre and joined the company’s tour to the Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees in Oudtshoorn.

Next up for her is the annual National Arts Festival in Grahamstown in July, which features CDC on the main programme for the first time. ‘I am so proud of Londiwe, a CAPA graduate and CDC member, to have been selected from dancers worldwide for such an incredible opportunity,’ says CDC artistic director Debbie Turner. ‘This is well deserved.’

Khoza says she feels honoured to be a product of CAPA, where she spent the ‘most challenging, inspiring and fulfilling’ years of her life. ‘I’m now at the beginning of a long, exciting journey,’ she says, well aware that it will not be without its challenges. ‘There are moments when you question your abilities, your value, who you are and where you are in life. But those are the moments when you need to believe in yourself and stay true to who you are. Everything happens for a reason and you’re not where you are in life by mistake,’ she adds.

How does Khoza stay fit and healthy? ‘I don’t have a special diet. I walk a lot and I try to do a class every day. I like coming to CAPA for ballet in the morning because I know I’m going to get a good class. I hate gym so I thought I’d try yoga. Someone told me it would make me really calm… and I like the way 60-year-old women who do yoga every day look 40.’

For more information, visit rolexmentorprotege.com.

A Reflection of the Times

Wed, 14 Sep 2016 11:57:00 GMT

What women want is taking on a whole new meaning when it comes to legacy gifts. DEBBIE HATHWAY finds out more from Cartier Image, Style and Heritage Director Pierre Rainero.

WE’RE IN THE AGE of self-love, or self-gifting, writes a Telegraph reporter in an article about the trend concerning the acquisition of the covetable Cartier Love Bracelet.

It’s now more of a personal indulgence than a spoil from a loved one, while The Business Insider notes that Cartier is one of the top five resold brands shoppers purchased on The RealReal website in 2015. ‘The site sells between 10 and 20 bracelets a month, and they sell within minutes after they’re posted.’ My point?

Cartier’s reputation as a feminine brand, thanks mainly to the Maison’s prized jewellery creations designed since its foundation in 1847, is standing firm. Cartier image, style and heritage director Pierre Rainero acknowledges that the modern buying trend applies as much to watch making as it does to jewellery. ‘It used to be that men chose for women, but now that women have their own acquisition power, they don’t need a man to acquire a piece of jewellery. Nonetheless, Cartier continues to create objects as beautifully as we can – the life that goes with them is up to the clients.’

‘Every generation wants something different, a reflection of their time,’ he muses. ‘They may not wish to be like their parents but they can be like their grandparents, and the distance that generational gap creates allows them to work out what they like themselves.’

A trend that’s becoming stronger, Rainero notes, is the notion of renewal or newness. ‘What we’re seeing at Cartier is a growing number of people wanting something really personal.

It’s about individualism… being truly oneself. It’s not just about being different. We have only one life – and with recent world events, people are realising that life can be really short.’

Cartier designers are rising to the challenge, suffering none of the designer fatigue that some are blaming for the demise of high fashion. ‘When everything appears to have been done, that becomes even more challenging,’ says Rainero. ‘And for Cartier, there is the additional requirement for new creations always to represent the style and history of the Maison.’

The Cartier design team can follow two paths: pursuing the purest shape possible or inventing a more expressive shape that indicates inspiration from the past, such as the squared-off Tank Chinoise of the ’20s. The new men’s Drive de Cartier, launched at the 2016 Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, was finalised in a geometrical shape that could not have any reference to the first part of the 21st century. ‘Its case is square with rounded sides – ambiguous and intriguing,’ says Rainero. It’s still undeniably Cartier with its patterned guilloche dial and blue sapphire winding crown, but the model’s cushion-shaped case, domed crystal, six o’clock counter and textured-satin finish are expected to hold their own within the legacy of Cartier shaped watches.

The transparent case back reveals one of two movements: the 1904-PS MC, which tells the hours, minutes, and small seconds and date; or the 1904-FU MC, which features a second time zone, a day/night indicator, a large date and small seconds. The top-of-the-range fine watchmaking version boasts a flying tourbillon 9452 MC and Poinçon de Genève certification.

What, then, defines a Cartier novelty? This is seen as a new creation in terms of decoration, although there must still be a particular sense of proportion, volume, line and definitive vocabulary, Rainero explains. The new Hypnose is an example, a classically elegant combination of alluring black lacquer and diamonds set within the oval shape that is part of the Cartier DNA. Notably, it has no crown. To change the time, the wearer simply pushes on the case back.

Perhaps one of the most memorable novelties of the fair is another addition to the iconic Panthère Collection. The Panthères et Colibri (hummingbird) features a dial animation triggered through the action of pushing the crown. This reveals a baby panther in pink gold that creeps out from below its mother to pounce on the hummingbird, which duly takes evasive action along an arc that indicates the remaining power reserve. ‘The craftsmanship is beyond compare,’ says Rainero. The black diamond-studded background of the dial involves the painstaking patterning of black-laquer spots on the mother’s coat of 270 brilliant-cut diamonds.

For more information, visit cartier.com.

FACETS OF A WOMAN

Wed, 14 Sep 2016 11:35:00 GMT

The new creations in the Roger Dubuis Velvet Collection are rare artistic masterpieces that just happen to tell time.
Words DEBBIE HATHWAY

Published in PRIVATE TIME 2016

IT SOUNDED LIKE A WRY CONFESSION when the Roger Dubuis presenter acknowledged minimal fanfare around the Maison’s Velvet Collection when it came to market in 2011. I remember it well, however, particularly the fashion strap with the fishnet-stocking overlay that appealed to my theatrical sensibilities.

The Velvet Collection, she said, has been steadily growing in popularity among women who want to wear a watch that is aligned with fashion but underpinned by watchmaking prowess. This year saw the launch of three new references linked to the fashion world, thanks to a meeting of creative minds at the House of Massaro and Roger Dubuis. The Velvet Massaro was the only one of three Massaro designs to be launched at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie in Geneva in January, arriving just four days before it opened and selling almost immediately. The famed Parisian shoemaker, who has been part of the ‘Chanel constellation’ since 2002, reportedly took about two months to design and complete the neatly plaited strap once he sourced its exquisitely soft, pale-gold leather. ‘Because Roger Dubuis is a relatively young brand [Roger Dubuis created his first watch in 1995], we can and want to do things differently,’ says product design director Lionel Favre. ‘We use different materials; make different associations. We can make a fashion watch because people know that inside the case there is a beautiful mechanical movement bearing the Geneva Seal, which is the best you can find in watchmaking.’

Roger Dubuis’ positioning as the jeweller of rare artistic masterpieces is evident across the new line, inspired by the sophisticated facets of femininity. One of the most outstanding is the Black Velvet Paraiba, limited to 88 pieces. Designed for women who want to wear a ‘very original, different piece’, it is made out of really light carbon that is decorated for the first time with stones – even more notable because they are the extremely rare Paraiba tourmalines sourced from a single mine in Brazil. To give that enhanced perspective: for every one Paraiba, there are 10 000 diamonds, resulting in a price point five or six times higher than that of the traditional sparklers.

Favre’s favourite in the collection is the Blossom Velvet, also limited to 88 pieces. ‘It’s inspired by two things: the flower clock of Geneva and the decorations of the minaudière, a ladies’ clutch used to carry small personal items,’ says Favre. The mother-of-pearl dial is engraved using the traditional high-watchmaking grand feu technique with a twist – this time applied to achieve volume and depth in the dial for the 3-D background behind 15 handcrafted leaves and six flowers, anchored in the centre by a diamond. ‘This is very hard to create; it’s really complex. Enamel is like crystal. You need to engrave 20 to 30 flowers to get one right. That’s why this watch is 18 months in the making – six months to create and decide on the design, and a year to create something strong and wearable,’ he says. Favre comes from a jewellery-design background and says he prefers to imagine his creations by hand. ‘I like to take my pen and draw, using Pantone crayons for colour accuracy. I think it’s the best way to have the best ideas because when you design … when you make sketches, sometimes your hands speak for you and give you an idea. It’s more about something very sensitive, a feeling, than reflection,’ he adds. ‘If you work too much with the computer, it becomes too engineered. At the end you have something interesting but, for me, a little too logical.’

A former head of design for another jewellery brand, Favre says he knows how to place a movement in a watch and ‘that’s enough’. ‘I discuss a lot about a new project with the engineers before I start the design process, but not too much. If we find too many problems before starting, it gets boring and we can do nothing. I present my design and, if the CEO likes it, we find the technical solutions later.’

The Roger Dubuis Manufacture is open to bespoke commissions, such as customising a movement so that the initials RD can be replaced by letters of the client’s choice as a personalised gift. Again differentiating themselves from other watchmaking houses, they will add the engraving to the actual movement and not the case. ‘This is an added extra to the already exemplary finishes on the movement. We have some wheels that are polished 40 times more than a traditional movement – but you have something totally perfect,’ says Favre. ‘It’s like a beautiful suit that is lined with cotton. You need to have silk. This is exactly the same.’

Plotting the Course

Wed, 14 Sep 2016 10:59:00 GMT

Published in Private Edition 33

As a student, Walter Volpers could only dream about owning a luxury watch. Now he oversees their production.
Words DEBBIE HATHWAY

WALTER VOLPERS FELL IN LOVE with haute horlogerie while studying industrial engineering in Basel. The subject of his affection was a watch he spotted in a Swiss jewellery boutique – an IWC Schaffhausen Mark XII, which he swore to own one day.

Twenty-two years later, he is IWC’s head of product management with a master’s degree in executive business administration and the privilege of unveiling the Mark XVIII to media and watch aficionados at the 2016 Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie in Geneva. ‘It’s a dream come true. When I was promoted to this position about two years ago, it was wow – a Pilot – the Mark XVIII! This has been a great year for me.’

The IWC collection is carefully curated and each launch timed to maintain a certain rhythm – normally about four years between each new release per line. This year should have seen the reveal of a new ultra-highend collection, but the global financial crisis and current trends towards more discrete wristwatches persuaded the marketing team that it would be more prudent to add to the Pilot’s line first launched in 1936 at the request of former IWC CEO Ernst Homberger’s aviator sons. There was just one snag – they had half the usual time in which to do it. ‘Development of a new timepiece can take up to 30 months depending on the complexity of the watch, for example, whether it has a complicated movement like a minute repeater or a case like the Aquatimer, where the outer bezel turns on an inner ring,’ says Volpers. The process begins at the drawing board to produce a design that must first be checked for legal compliance, before it can be further developed. ‘A new watch can’t be launched if the design already exists,’ explains Volpers.

Next is rapid prototyping of the watch in plastic using 3-D printing. Volpers explains that it’s all about ergonomics – testing the dimensions and how it feels. You don’t get a sense of colour or material. The watch is not functional, but its composition allows designers to experiment until they settle on the perfect look and feel. ‘The blue dial of the Big Pilot’s Le Petit Prince editions, inspired by the book by French aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, is a really nice blue – it’s a hit, actually – but it took a lot of rounds to get it right,’ adds Volpers.

‘For us, it’s also more about the technical possibilities, innovation in materials and advances in mechanical engineering. When we printed a 55mm model, for example, we realised it was probably a little too big but because it dated back to the 1940s – and was an original copy so to speak – we decided to do it. Our challenge was how to make it wearable. We put a pocket-watch movement into it and it works beautifully.’

Volpers says his engineering background helps him judge if the new design is going to work or not, but he’s also learnt to be patient. ‘It comes with the beauty of the job. Holding the first IWC watch that comes off the production line is a great moment.’

During the ensuing technical prototyping phase, a case is made out of steel, fitted with the movement, hands and acrylic glass and matched to different dials and colours to find the ideal solution. Once that stage is approved, a more sophisticated prototype is made with sapphire instead of acrylic glass to reassess the colours, which will then take on a different hue. ‘Even establishing the theme of the bracelet is really complicated… deciding on the different straps and colour variations. For the new Pilot’s we settled on straps by Santoni, the Italian luxury shoemaker,’ says Volpers.

So who wears the IWC Pilot, I wondered? People with a fascination for gadgets or aviation as a whole? ‘I love the Pilot collection, even though I could never be a pilot,’ says Volpers. ‘Some clients are drawn to the pioneering spirit of the Maison, which links to those early aviators, or the speed and adrenaline of flying. It’s like investing in art. If you like it, you’ll buy it.’

Visit iwc.com for more information.

LEGACY

Wed, 14 Sep 2016 10:48:00 GMT

Published in Private Edition 33 SOUTHWEST OF FRANCE, between Paris and Bordeaux, is Cognac country. The region known as La Charente takes its name from the river that runs through it, a waterway some say was dubbed ‘the river of patience’ by 18th-century spirit traders. Patience is a quality referenced regularly here, whether you’re discussing the history of the region or the lengthier distillation process at the award-winning House of Bisquit, which sets it apart from other Cognac producers.

The House was founded in 1819 by Alexandre Bisquit, a 20-year-old entrepreneur whose family lived and worked in the Charente area. Drawing on their experience and craft, he created a range he believed to be superior and began to introduce it to markets around the world. On his travels, he developed an understanding around the importance of taking time outside the business and appreciating special moments, and decided to apply that life philosophy to his distillation process. The Bisquit maître de chai (cellar master) has a very special relationship with time, explains Bisquit president Vincent Chappe (pictured opposite). At age 54, Denis Lahouratate draws on a combined 80 years’ experience with his predecessor, and patiently preparing to step into his shoes is a female oenologist, currently in year seven of her 12-year apprenticeship. ‘It’s a challenge for our cellar master,’ says Chappe, who hails from Cognac. ‘In wine you accept that from one year to another the yield can be different. In crafting Cognac, there is only one solution.’ The grapes used in Bisquit Cognac are picked from the surrounding Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne and Fins Bois regions in late September or October, and lightly pressed immediately after harvesting to release a juice that becomes a highly aromatic wine in a few days. Bisquit follows a double distillation process over five months from November to March to produce the clear, colourless fruit brandy known as eau de vie. ‘Double distillation in a specific Charente copper pot is still mandatory,’ says Chappe. ‘We distil for longer to achieve a smoother, more generous bouquet. And then there’s the maturation… a continuous exchange between eau de vie, air and wood, while the Cognacs age in handmade French oak casks. All this makes it a very sophisticated product and probably the most expensive spirit to produce in the world because of its label of origin.’ He’s talking about the level of excellence that industry professionals strive for to bear the name of the Cognac AOC – Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (controlled appellation of origin Cognac). Chappe serves on its committee, which works to ‘preserve the authenticity and uniqueness of Cognac, from vineyard to market’. ‘We have a responsibility to this product. Like the motto used by the luxury watchmaker – “you never actually own a Patek Philippe, you merely look after it for the next generation”. It’s exactly the same for Cognac.’ Ironically, the French favour whisky above Cognac, with 97 percent of the latter being exported. The US and China are the top markets for Cognac, with South Africa now at number eight. ‘We see that everywhere brandy is strong, Cognac is strong as well,’ says Chappe. ‘And it’s doubling every year. It’s remarkable.’ Eighty percent of Cognac in the world is consumed mixed. Loved by mixologists, it’s delicious as an aperitif and goes well with food. ‘With fish we love the VS (served chilled, because the temperature increases by three degrees per minute); with beef and blue cheese we like the VSOP – it’s very easy drinking and my favourite in the range. The marriage between the more complex XO and chocolate is amazing,’ says Chappe. There are two don’ts when it comes to enjoying Cognac. The spirit is seldom offered as an after-dinner drink, as a nod to the worldwide campaigns against drinking and driving, and you should never warm it by cupping the glass. Chappe recommends a tulip-shaped, thin glass, explaining that the thickness and shape of the glass is as important as the temperature of the spirit, which should range between 16 and 18 degrees. How to savour it then? Hold the stem as you slowly turn the glass to admire the colour and texture of the Cognac, then lower your nose to the rim of the glass even slower. Sniff gently, then taste. ‘It should be a quiet, respectful, stylish ritual. Pure and simple. Not show-off. That’s what Cognac must be. It’s about sharing time… sharing good things.

Mauritius delivers. You’ll see

Wed, 14 Sep 2016 07:02:32 GMT

Hitting the pool early morning means you have it to yourself.

DEBBIE HATHWAY is obsessed with a few things that Mauritius delivers – the island lifestyle, Indian cuisine by Michelin-starred chef Vineet Bhatia, and staying in shape.

Words: DEBBIE HATHWAY

I’m never as full of vitality as I am when on the Mauritian east coast. I tell people there’s something in the air, at once energising and calming, which begins to work its magic the minute I step out of the plane. There’s fact behind that feeling. Research conducted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 2015 rates the island’s air quality one of the best in the world.

The vibrancy it brings allows me to be one of the last guests to take advantage of the award-winning LUX* Belle Mare’s Sleep Tight promise (a resort-specific combination of mattress and linen positively heaven-sent to ensure the best night’s sleep ever) and one of the first to greet the new day from a sea-facing suite. Daybreak is arguably one of the best times to go for a swim in the enormous temperature-controlled pool or a run along the island’s longest and largest beach.

LUX* Belle Mare’s wellness concierge and former tennis pro, Mattias Rendefors, advises guests to make morning training a habit. If for some reason you skip it, you can make it up in the afternoon, but if something comes up or you’re tired, it usually means a missed workout. ‘We’ve got to get up at 5am? It’s dark. No way, they say,’ says Mattias. ‘Yes, it does hurt in the beginning, but people who’ve made that change arrive at work feeling better, more energetic.’

Make morning training a habit

How long to make it a habit? Three weeks to get to the 30-minute daily minimum. ‘The more the better for cardio training,’ says Mattias, ‘but you have to be realistic. We have guests who come here just to improve their tennis. If they can be on court for two hours every day, for two weeks, their holiday’s made,’ he says. Mauritius delivers.

At LUX* Belle Mare, guests can choose from a range of locations to keep fit depending on their exercise regime – from swimming in temperate waters to working out on the beach or practising yoga under the palm trees. ‘We often host business people who have not exercised in a long while and might not have factored fitness into their downtime, but, you know, this is a time to reflect,’ says Mattias. ‘I like to think of it as the psychology of a vacation. For many people it’s a time of self-assessment. They might take their shirt off on the beach and go, whoa, what happened here… and then decide maybe now it’s time to do some training.’

Beach tennis puts the fun in exercise.

Mattias focuses on the long term, because what you do on vacation isn’t going to make a big difference; it’s the habits you create in your daily life that will. Mauritius delivers That’s where the LUX* Me Fitness concept comes in. Mattias and his colleague, Patrick Mooken, work with guests to establish their priorities – looking younger, getting stronger, being more flexible, building muscle, improving athletic performance, losing weight – and offer solutions that include designing a training programme that they will enjoy in their daily routine.

On the beach or under the trees

Mattias advises on general training and nutrition, while Patrick is trained in the Functional Movement Screen (FMS), a system that assesses muscular imbalances, and guides him in recommending remedial exercises to improve athletic performance. For professional or keen sportsmen, injury prevention is key. It’s more important than anything else, Mattias explains. ‘If they injure themselves while training they can’t continue, and then everything goes to pieces. I advise that they do the FMS and follow the recommended exercises. Even pro footballers have found it a demanding workout.’

Training protocols have changed drastically over the past two decades. A pro tennis player used to train in the gym, doing traditional exercises such as squats, bench presses, etc. And now it’s all about functional training, which centres on floor-based exercises. ‘FMS tests clients’ mobility and stability, after which we can personalise a programme to target weaknesses, be it balance, flexibility or strength,’ says Mattias.

And what about stamina? Interval training is key, he explains. When he’s training elite players he’ll mix up the environment, perhaps taking them to the beach for a combination of quick sprints and slow runs to get the heart rate up. ‘You can also do interval training in the water if you’re a decent swimmer. Twenty-five seconds of intense butterfly can be very exhausting, followed by 45 seconds of more relaxing breaststroke. Repeat that seven times and that’s your workout done.’

Mauritius delivers

Working out at LUX* Belle Mare offers ample reward. Have a nourishing meal at one of the superb restaurants – my favourite, naturally, was Amari by Vineet. Or treat yourself afterwards to a coffee at Café LUX*, ice cream at ICI or a craft beer, all made on site to help reduce the hotel’s carbon footprint. And for pure relaxation, a massage at the LUX* Me Spa is a must. Try the Thai or Balinese massage to ease tightened muscles, followed by a deep-cleansing facial for two or more hours of pure bliss. 

* Visit luxresorts.com for more details.

• Published in Private Edition 33

Mixed reactions to ambitious production of The Firebird

Wed, 24 Aug 2016 11:20:00 GMT

The Firebird. Director Janni Younge, choreographer Jay Pather, repetiteur Fiona du Plooy. Music by Igor Stravinsky. Presented by Janni Younge Productions, IMG Artist International and commissioning partners.

By DEBBIE HATHWAY

It’s rather daunting to review a production that on the surface is a runaway success, yet in reality appears to fall short of the hype surrounding the Cape Town premiere of Janni Younge’s The Firebird on 24 June 2016. But, does it really?

Standing ovation followed standing ovation once the production moved from the Artscape Opera to Grahamstown’s National Arts Festival, the precursor to a much-anticipated US tour where performances will be accompanied by the Philadelphia Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Sun Valley Summer Symphony and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

One has to wonder what inspires such a rousing response to a production that many theatre patrons felt didn’t warrant it. Was it the dancing, the animation, the puppetry, the props, the music, the story? Interestingly, some audience members were moved to tears by director Janni Younge’s proposal for Jay Pather to re-imagine a South African version of the centuries-old tale about the “quest for regeneration” and the battle between good and evil. Sandy Meltz is one theatre-goer who got it. “I felt patriotic. I felt South African. I cried, and I’m usually quite unemotional,” she said.

Younge’s intention to take The Firebird to a more satisfactory conclusion than Fokine’s original prince-meets-princess fairy-tale ending led her to explore the “imaginative potential of the firebird-as-phoenix, a new and more encompassing force of life, rising from the ashes of our previous oppositional energies.” She quotes Jung in her programme note, who said. ‘The greatest and most important problems of life… can never be solved, but only outgrown… in a new level of consciousness.”

Purposefully bringing together dancers from different backgrounds and presenting styles that by their very nature would “bring up challenge, resistance, resilience, fear, and hope”, Pather’s choreography developed as a probe of such themes as “promised land” and “democracy” and the reality of the “unfinished business of material equity”. The most outstanding dance performances were produced by a trio of classical African dancers as well as Sean Oelf in his role as The Creative, the personification of “the inspired impulse to generate”.

Michael Clarke’s drawings, animated and projected onto what reminded me of a vintage hot-air balloon, were absolutely fascinating. “Kentridgey,” as audience member Sandra Meltz described them – black charcoal strokes, in this instance interspersed with splashes of colour – so good that I had to tear my eyes away from the “screen” to focus on the action on stage, which mostly wasn’t captivating enough to hold my attention.

The comedian, WC Fields, is credited with offering the advice to never work with children or animals. I think the same goes for puppets, especially when they’re as expertly crafted as those commissioned from the renowned Handspring Puppet Company (who worked in the War Horse puppet studio). Created as visual metaphors for the emotional content of the piece, they get full marks for that – innocence represented by children with enormous, soulful eyes; aggression clearly visible in the snake and dog-like creatures (scary enough to make little ones climb onto adult laps), and inspiration and passion depicted by birds (the original firebird).

Kudos go to the puppeteers for getting to the point where audience members could forget about their dancing and focus purely on their charges – that’s no mean feat for a dancer, for it requires them to move without making the puppet an extension of their own body. Their movements must be independent of each another.

The highlight of the production is undoubtedly watching the paper “globe” morph into the final puppet – a dragon-like bird-and-beast combination made of sticks, paper and vellum. These were the materials chosen to represent the destructive power (the original Kastchei), creative forces and the innocents (the original princesses), respectively. The performers must work together to animate the dragon, which was distracting at times – their efforts a little too obvious – but executed with a calm, steady approach even when it looked like the wings appeared to be stuck together. The grand reveal? Unforgettable.

A Secret Life

Sun, 14 Aug 2016 06:54:13 GMT

Published in Private Edition 33

Le Bristol Paris is all French luxury and refinement, but its history is as rich and intriguing as its guests…

Words: DEBBIE HATHWAY

THE WOMAN WEARING THE HAT with a small dog at the end of a leash could easily have been a dowager aunt out of a Brontë novel. They were waiting for the lift, which is fronted by an elaborate wrought-iron grille next to the great staircase inside Le Bristol Paris.

Dogs have been allowed in the hotel since it was founded by Hippolyte Jammet in 1925. Guests who wished to keep their pets in their room were charged 10 francs a day for the privilege – the equivalent cost of a maid’s room at the time.

Since ownership of the hotel changed families for the first time in 1978, Le Bristol Paris has continued to flourish. It is one of only a few establishments that can claim the distinction of being a Parisian Palace Hotel – an honour bestowed by the tourism ministry of the French government in recognition of their facilities, client service and accessibility. This jewel of the Oetker Collection boasts its own feline royalty: Fa-Raon and Kléopatre, thoroughbred Birman cats distinguished by their fine white coats, wild highlights and sapphire-coloured eyes. During my visit, Kléopatre was holding court curled up on an armchair near the three-starred Michelin restaurant, Epicure (the dining facilities are out of bounds for furry friends), while Fa-Raon was keeping a lazy eye on activities from one of his favourite vantage points in the foyer.

Back to the lift… Drawn by the incredible artistry of the design, upon enquiry I learnt that it is part of the legacy of Leo Lerman, a Jewish architect given refuge (and several clandestine work projects) by the hotel founder, Jammet, during World War II. Lerman had worked on extensions and refurbishments for him in 1930, but returned in 1942 to try to escape deportation to the death camps. For three years, he never left the hotel. His room, 106, was removed from the register and any record of his name deleted. But from there he managed to redesign the dining room, and eventually more rooms, under the noses of the occupying German army in a hotel that was never empty. It’s a fascinating story.

Jammet chose the prestigious Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré near the Élysée Palace for the site of his hotel, correctly anticipating that it would attract an esteemed clientele looking for quiet and discretion. Today it stands at the centre of Paris, boasting, among other exclusive attractions, an extensive interior garden seldom seen in the inner city.

The Palace’s excellence can be defined in terms of the size and luxurious fittings of its rooms and suites, its fastidious décor, the faultless service, the Spa Le Bristol by La Prairie (considered one of the best in the world), the exquisite garden, the three Michelin-starred chef Eric Frechon of the hotel’s Epicure restaurant, the award-winning pastry chef Laurent Jeannin, or Le Bar du Bristol (voted best bar in the world in 2013). This year, Le Bristol Paris was voted Best Luxury Hotel in France and Best Hotel for Quality of Service in France in the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards. What differentiates this hotel from others, however, is the shared passion of the staff and their uncompromising attention to detail that makes so many clients regular visitors.

After only a one-night stay, I found myself hovering in the foyer after checkout, loathe to leave. Noticing my dilemma, the general manager grinned and enquired what had made my experience so special. There were so many… the friendly staff interactions in fluent English; the customised fragrance that filled the air; the hotel design that invites natural light to flood in from every possible angle; the sumptuous 18th-century décor and luxuriously spacious rooms; the fresh flowers arranged daily by three florists with a budget of €30 000 per month, and the realisation that this hotel really does make guests feel at home. It’s a level of intimacy that so many strive for, but fail to achieve.

* Visit lebristolparis.com and oetkercollection.com for further information.

Pay Back the Curry!

Fri, 12 Aug 2016 12:42:00 GMT

Published in Financial Mail on 12 August 2016The piece currently requires Richards to play 24 characters in a commentary on what is happening in SA now, how power manifests not just in politics or economics but also in other areas such as gender relations. “For an actor, it’s a supremely difficult task … there is no place to improvise or ad lib or forget. The script is all about the sketch, the word, the phrase … and Daniel Richards allows it to build, with his voice, his intonation, his body. Very few actors could pull this off.”

The production attracted full houses at the National Arts Festival (NAF) last month, which its creative team attributes partly to Mike van Graan’s reputation as a leading contemporary playwright and the strong festival following enjoyed by Pay Back the Curry! director Rob van Vuuren and producer Siv Ngesi. Judging from the audience response wherever they’ve performed, it’s safe to say that this multi-sketch production has put actor Daniel Richards on the map, too.

Just two-and-a-half years since he graduated from UCT with an honours degree in theatre and performance, Richards is working with Van Graan for the second time. The first was a production called Born Free, which Ngesi originally commissioned from Van Graan as a piece of stand-up comedy. An invitation to participate in the So You Think You Can Dance local television series meant Ngesi had to bow out and Richards took his place. So impressed was Van Graan by Richards’ range as a singer, dancer, musician and actor that he decided to write Pay Back the Curry! as a platform for these skills. “I love being versatile,” says Richards. “It’s one of my most-loved tricks.”

Meanwhile, Ngesi set about adding more strings to his bow as a producer on this and other plays for which he is now reaping rewards. Four of his shows featured in the top 30 grossing at this year’s NAF Fringe. “There’s something special about producing, being able to know that I’ve put the people together, and I’m the boss. It’s a better feeling than it is to get people clapping and laughing at your jokes,” he says.

“Having Mike on board is awesome. I don’t have his patience, admin or writing skills. He’s relentless. Even now we’re going into rehearsals again, and still making changes. We like the old-school methods, the way (Athol) Fugard works,” says Ngesi.

Pay Back the Curry! has invited public comment since the first draft was presented at the Franschhoek Literary Festival. Audience feedback since then, and at subsequent performances at venues from Khayelitsha to Kenilworth, has informed the content and rhythm of the piece. “It’s a way of testing the sketches with your potential market without necessarily compromising what you’re saying,” says Van Graan. “I think we’re still being provocative — some people comment about that reflex reaction because I actually did go there … I tell them if it’s any consolation, even I cringe sometimes. I might believe a particular thing, but my character might believe something else. For the integrity of the character, I have to allow them to articulate positions that are important for them to say.”

The piece currently requires Richards to play 24 characters in a commentary on what is happening in SA now, how power manifests not just in politics or economics but also in other areas such as gender relations. “One particular sketch, about Oscar (Pistorius), probably had the most negative responses from people. We threw it out, but brought it back in again because we felt it was something that had to be said,” says Van Graan. “It’s making a very serious point about femicide in our country; how many people are killed by their intimate partners.”

Asked how Richards is able to remember changes to a well-rehearsed script, Van Graan explains that’s where the director comes in. It’s Van Vuuren’s job to determine the rhythm of the piece and, through the development of the shows, to allow Richards to get a sense of the audience responses and how to keep the piece going.“

The flow and rhythm of the piece doesn’t allow me to ad lib, which is good,” says Richards. “I know when the audience is sitting with me, when they’re going to feel uncomfortable, and when I’m going to take them out of that.”

Wits Theatre director Gita Pather sums it up. “For an actor, it’s a supremely difficult task … there is no place to improvise or ad lib or forget. The script is all about the sketch, the word, the phrase … and Daniel Richards allows it to build, with his voice, his intonation, his body. Very few actors could pull this off.”

For theatre makers and performers, audience appreciation is important but Van Graan believes standing ovations are overrated. “People should have the courage to stand up or sit down for what they believe to be right. Daniel makes me stand up.” High praise indeed.*

Pay Back the Curry! (PG16) will run from August 15-27, Monday to Friday at 7.30pm and at 5pm and 7.30pm on Saturday at the Baxter Golden Arrow Studio. Tickets are R100 via Computicket or 0861 915 8000. At the Kalk Bay Theatre the show runs from August 30 to September 3 at 8.30pm with tickets via www.kalkbaytheatre.co.za.

Athol Fugard is back

Fri, 12 Aug 2016 12:23:00 GMT

Published in Financial Mail on 12 August 2016

Review of Athol Fugard’s latest play, The Painted Rocks at Revolver Creek, which premiered in New York last year and opens in Cape Town on August 23.

Athol Fugard’s notebooks are filled with handwriting, the seeds that have come to represent a body of work that won him the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2011. It’s a habit that developed in the 1960s, his way of recording anything significant that happened to him — “sensual fragments, incidents, quotations, speculations” — in black ink on white paper with a fountain pen.

Fugard’s latest play, The Painted Rocks at Revolver Creek, which premiered in New York last year and opens in Cape Town on August 23, was born in similar fashion.

Required to produce something for the off-Broadway Signature Theatre in New York, Fugard discovered a fairly well-worked-out first act of the play he had written in 2010 and stashed in his “bottom drawer”. It was a simpler version of the current plot, a statement about the artist and the little boy who turned out to be his helper, detailing none of the issues that surface now. Fugard dug out the draft and started to live with it, realising there was a follow-up.

He had heard about Nukain Mabuza, “a guy in the Transvaal who had done something very extraordinary with a little koppie on a farm”, and it was enough to spark his interest. He emphasises that Painted Rocks is inspired by the life of a real man, but is not an attempt at biographical capturing.

“I didn’t want any information about the actual Mabuza. I can’t write if I’ve got any limits; I have to be completely free,” explains Fugard. “I knew that he had been on a farm, and had been supplied with paint by a farmer and his wife, and there was a little helper. The early version of Painted Rocks didn’t have the farmer’s wife in it. Once I had introduced her, a whole potential dynamic to the play was created.

”Why keep his name, then? “I could have chosen a different name but in as much as there are illustrations of the real Mabuza’s work on set, I felt I had to acknowledge him as well,” says Fugard.And what attracted him the most — the paintings or the story? “It’s always the story,” he says. “I’m a storyteller, not a politician, not a political playwright. I tell stories about people, and I try to be as truthful a witness as possible.

”Similar to Helen Martins in Fugard’s The Road to Mecca, Mabuza is an outsider artist, part of a group of people categorised by their lack of formal training in their artistic discipline, who are often socially or culturally marginalised and undereducated, but who have created something very beautiful.Outsider art focuses on a very specific moment in the life of any creative talent, when they have a sense that the end has come, Fugard explains.

“That’s what Mecca is about — Martins (a role created by the late Yvonne Bryceland), looks at what’s she going to do with her life when ‘the pictures don’t come any more’, as she puts it.And that’s exactly what Mabuza says: ‘I’ve got no flowers left inside me so what do I do on this big rock?’” The answer comes during the course of the play.

Since Bryceland’s untimely death in 1992, Fugard says, there have been “good experiences and very frustrating ones” in casting actresses for his premieres.

“Here in SA, I bitterly regret that Paula [Fourie, his co-director] and I never had a chance to see Anna-Mart van der Merwe in People are Living There at the Market Theatre in Johannesburg. The reviews I’ve seen about her performance are quite astounding. She must have had a wonderful director …” (It was André Odendaal.) “I hope I get a chance to work with her again.

”The Painted Rocks at Revolver Creek is presented by Eric Abraham, featuring Anna-Mart van der Merwe ( Begeerte , Binnelanders ), Tshamano Sebe (The Fugard Theatre’s Master Harold and the Boys ) and Sne Dladla (The Fugard Theatre’s Orpheus in Africa , District Six — Kanala ). Set design is by Saul Radomsky, costume design by Birrie le Roux, lighting design by Mannie Manim and sound design by Charl-Johan Lingenfelder.

Fugard’s work is studied, admired and performed as much in SA as it is in the US. As a resident playwright and éminence grise at the Signature Theatre, Fugard praises its founder, Jim Houghton, for his amazing achievement in establishing a complex with three stages of different sizes where there’s always a seat to be bought for $25.

“And this is Broadway, where seats are being sold for $800 to $1000. Because of that, the Signature Theatre audience has a very significant percentage of young people and elderly pensioners. It’s a wonderful policy.”

Sadly, stomach cancer caused Houghton’s death at 57 last week.

After this season of Painted Rocks, Fugard and Fourie return to New York to stage a revival of Master Harold and the Boys.

“It’s one of my most successful plays,” says Fugard, who omits to mention that it was one of five of his works nominated for a Tony Award. “It’s had an incredible life, as has Blood Knot, which I also revived recently in New York. I look back at them with some surprise, you know. How the hell did I get this right? I’m amazed, actually, when I think about it.”

* The Painted Rocks at Revolver Creek runs at the Fugard Studio Theatre from August 23 until September 24. Tickets from R140 to R180 are available through the Fugard Theatre box office on (021) 461-4554 or at Computicket and 0861 915 8000.

Theatre: I Love you, You’re Perfect, Now Change

Fri, 15 Jul 2016 12:51:00 GMT

Published in Financial Mail on 15 July 2016Since the 1996 New York City premiere of I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, former advertising copywriter and self-confessed political junkie Joe DiPietro has seen countless versions of his play, which “mocks what we all go through in relationships, but ultimately celebrates them”.

One of the most memorable, he says, was a “terrific production” in Madrid, Spain, notable not only for its presentation in Catalan but also for its very sexy cast. “In the US, we often write about dumpy people trying to find love, but here were four very sexy Spaniards in tight-fitting clothes” delivering his dialogue in a language he didn’t quite follow.

DiPietro was working in advertising in his late 20s when he began writing political sketches, which were performed in basement theatre bars in New York. When he decided to write some sketches about dating, they were so well received that something clicked — people want to hear about themselves.

“The actors used to call it ‘the nudge show’, because they could see audience members nudging one another when they recognised themselves in it.

“It makes fun of relationships, but there’s a lot of heart to it too.”

A producer who saw the show recognised its potential as a musical revue and encouraged DiPietro to put music to it. At the time, he didn’t know what musical theatre was, but he contacted the composer, Jimmy Roberts, and initiated a two-year collaboration in what is now the second-longest-running Off-Broadway musical after the Fantasticks. The songs have a popular, contemporary feel, but are designed to be surprisingly different from each other, with lyrics by DiPietro linking to the journey of the characters.

Despite being 20 years old, his show has not dated. “I always say that every character is me, and none of the characters is me. It’s glib, but it’s true. I need to write characters from the inside out. What I’ve learnt from writing is that we’re all essentially the same. We might be different nationalities, religions, genders, sexual preferences, whatever — but deep down we all want the same things out of life: to love and be loved, to have a purpose. Since I figured that out as a writer, I’m able to write men, women, older people, younger people.

“This show easily has as much of the women’s point of view as the male point of view.”

DiPietro quit advertising the month his show opened, knowing that he had to “try this for a year” otherwise he wasn’t going to do it. Since then he has won Tony Awards for Best Book and Best Score for Memphis, which was also awarded the 2010 Tony Award, Drama Desk Award and Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical. His other shows include All Shook Up, The Toxic Avenger and The Thing About Men (the latter two winners of the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway Musical). His plays include the much-produced comedy Over the River and Through the Woods, The Art of Murder (Edgar Award winner for Best Mystery Play), Creating Claire and The Last Romance.

“I advise young writers that once you write a show, you have to let it walk and grow up on its own. You have to want to see your work be reinterpreted,” says DiPietro. “It’s also about learning how to give up control. Every night is a different audience. That dictates the pulse of the show.

”VRG Theatrical’s production of I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change opens in Cape Town on July 20 and in Johannesburg on August 10. The four cast members, directed by Elizma Badenhorst, portray more than 52 characters with the help of over 30 wardrobe and wig changes. They are Neels Clasen (We Will Rock You, Mamma Mia!), Brandon Lindsay (Phantom of the Opera, Starlight Express, West Side Story), Taryn-Lee Hudson (Jersey Boys, Singin’ in the Rain) and Fleur du Cap Theatre Award nominee Claire Taylor (Cabaret, Sunset Boulevard and Dirty Dancing). They will be accompanied by piano and violin under the musical direction of Wessel Odendaal and musical staging by Timothy le Roux. The pop-art inspired set, wardrobe and costume design are by Niall Griffin.

I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change runs at Theatre on the Bay in Camps Bay from July 20 until August 6 and at Pieter Toerien’s Montecasino Theatre from August 10 until September 4. Book through Computicket

A Sense of Place

Thu, 14 Apr 2016 07:00:18 GMT

Published in Sawubona April 2016

Words: DEBBIE HATHWAY

Shangri-La’s recently refurbished Le Touessrok Resort & Spa, located on a part of the Mauritian east coast called Trou d’Eau Douce Bay, makes its mark not only with its trademark Asian influence, but also with its overall presentation. The resort’s natural ambience inspires instant relaxation, but a fresh approach to its interior design and the introduction of the transformational Ayurvedic treatments at the CHI spa are just two of the features designed to cast magic very rapidly.

Most noticeable is the casual lounge lobby, where new arrivals immediately begin to unwind over a welcome cocktail while their check-in formalities are handled by the extremely efficient staff. The lobby’s layout flows effortlessly seawards around stylishly understated furniture made with indigenous materials, a key element that creates a calming, earthy feel to the expansive suites as well.

Visitors will delight in the Japanese fare at Kushi, while a meal or two at Safran will delight lovers of Indian cuisine fare.

For reservations, contact World Leisure Holidays, 0860 954 954,
www.wlh.co.za

By Invitation Only

Wed, 30 Mar 2016 08:52:00 GMT

Published in Private Edition 31, 30 March 2016

The 26th edition of the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie saw nine contemporary workshops exhibit alongside 15 leading maisons in fine watchmaking.

The line of waiting VIPs at the ‘secret’ destination somewhere in Geneva for the 85th-birthday celebration of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso was becoming more disorderly by the minute. It’s difficult to maintain a sense of decorum when snow is melting into your elaborately coiffed ’do or seeping into your stilettos – more than a few women jumped the queue to better their chances of seeking shelter inside the party venue. (Even some of the men forgot to invite ‘ladies first’.)

In the specially created Carré des Horlogers (Square of Clocks), where they were able to demonstrate their avantgarde approach to their highly specialised craft, Christophe Claret, De Bethune, H. Moser & Cie, Hautlence, HYT, Kari Voutilainen, Laurent Ferrier, MB&F and Urwerk drew their fair share of foot traffic. ‘The common denominators of all the maisons at the SIHH are creativity, expertise, craftsmanship, excellence and the desire to achieve the impossible. Most of all, though, they share the heritage and longevity of an art that must continue to thrive,’ said Fabienne Lupo, FHH chairwoman and managing director. The principles that drive their creations also come through in the design of their exhibition booths, from Piaget’s interpretation of radiance with 60km of linked chains draped chandelier-like from the ceiling and IWC Schaffhausen’s suspended airplane to A. Lange & Sohne’s giant-sized Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon and Roger Dubuis’ reimagining of the Cannes Film Festival redcarpet setting. Many agreed that the trend towards round classic watches in understated neutral colours is a sign of the times – favouring the current economic climate and giving customers what they want across a broad price range, including those watches that served as showcases for high jewellery, artistic crafts or precision movements as well as more practical applications such as chronographs or complete calendars. Couture design and tailoring also made its mark this year, with French luxury footwear and fashion designer Christian Louboutin crafting leather straps for Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso models, and Chanel-owned Maison Massaro creating an extravagant look for the Roger Dubuis Velvet Collection. IWC Schaffhausen once again incorporated the skills of Italian luxury shoemaker Santoni for the straps of its Big Pilot models while Montblanc opted to source leather for its accessories directly from Florence. Maverick watchmaker Urwerk, winner of the 2014 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève for best design, looked to British tailor Timothy Everest for the bespoke strap for its EMC Timehunter. Everest says, ‘We both share the same passion for tradition and craft but insert modernity into our work and always try to think one step ahead.’

Once inside, though, guests quickly shed their winter coats and forgot about the sub-zero temperatures over Champagne and canapés, having their nails done at the Christian Louboutin booths, watching the computer-controlled live art installation, or dancing and chatting. Friends of the brand Clive Owen, Sarah Gadon and Carmen Chaplin joined the celebration on and off the dance floor while DJs did their level best to keep the crowd entertained. Interestingly, it was the one who looked too young to have been from the same era who got it right with his choice of ’80s hits.

We were midway through the week-long annual Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH), arguably the most luxurious event on the fine watchmaking calendar. After another full day of presentations and exclusive viewings, some level of relaxation was certainly in order – if not at an invite-only party then at one of Geneva’s popular restaurants. Sound glamorous? It may appear that way, but the SIHH is a serious affair for retailers, private clients and collectors wanting to ensure they’re high on the list for orders that could take six months or more to materialise – and that’s only if they’re from an area that their preferred maison considers a priority market.

Limited-edition pieces are often reserved in advance; their all-too-brief display by consent of their new owner. Vacheron Constantin’s Reference 57260 (opposite) is a case in point. Commissioned eight years ago, what turned out to be the most complicated watch ever made was due to be hand-delivered to its proud owner early in January, but a special concession was made to display the double-dial horological masterpiece first at the SIHH.

Featuring 57 complications developed by three master watchmakers, including a world-first Hebraic perpetual calendar, the Reference 57260 weighs in at 960g in a case of 18ct white gold 98mm wide and 50,55mm thick.

Bearing the esteemed Hallmark of Geneva, the ‘pocket’ watch contains 2 800 components that drive six time functions, 15 perpetual calendar functions (Gregorian and Hebraic), nine astronomic calendar functions, one lunar calendar, one religious calendar, four chronograph (three column-wheels) functions, seven alarm functions, eight Westminster Carillon striking functions and six more besides. The hands that accompany them total 19 on the front and 12 on the back. The mind boggles. The timepiece was delivered on schedule post-SIHH with two accessories – a corrector pen and a magnifying glass – despite an offer to purchase from another keen investor. The answer was an emphatic ‘not for sale’.

No mean feat

Despite the ‘stronger Swiss franc and the decline in the pace of certain markets, sometimes radically as in Hong Kong and Russia’, the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH), which organises the SIHH, said attendance was consistent with previous events. It attracted some 14 500 international visitors, of whom 1 200 were journalists.

The number of exhibitors was boosted by the inclusion of nine artisan-creators and workshops in a move to showcase new-wave watchmaking alongside the ancestral maisons A. Lange & Söhne, Audemars Piguet, Baume & Mercier, Cartier, Greubel Forsey, IWC Schaffhausen, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Montblanc, Panerai, Parmigiani, Piaget, Richard Mille, Roger Dubuis, Van Cleef & Arpels and Vacheron Constantin.

Many agreed that the trend towards round classic watches in understated neutral colours is a sign of the times – favouring the current economic climate and giving customers what they want across a broad price range, including those watches that served as showcases for high jewellery, artistic crafts or precision movements as well as more practical applications such as chronographs or complete calendars. Couture design and tailoring also made its mark this year, with French luxury footwear and fashion designer Christian Louboutin crafting leather straps for Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso models, and Chanel-owned Maison Massaro creating an extravagant look for the Roger Dubuis Velvet Collection. IWC Schaffhausen once again incorporated the skills of Italian luxury shoemaker Santoni for the straps of its Big Pilot models while Montblanc opted to source leather for its accessories directly from Florence.

Maverick watchmaker Urwerk, winner of the 2014 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève for best design, looked to British tailor Timothy Everest for the bespoke strap for its EMC Timehunter. Everest says, ‘We both share the same passion for tradition and craft but insert modernity into our work and always try to think one step ahead.’

Life in a Celebrity Slipstream

Wed, 30 Mar 2016 07:04:00 GMT

The name may be fictitious but Shangri-La means serenity and service. If you’re in hospitality, that’s about the biggest promise you can make. This is what happens when you add a top-drawer management company to a Mauritian resort that’s been given a magical refurbishment.

Words: DEBBIE HATHWAY

A uniformed official was bearing a sign with my name on it at the air bridge. Even if you’re absolutely sure you are not a smuggler, not on the FBI’s most-wanted list and have never given the air crew lip, your blood freezes. It turned out this was bog standard royal/rock-star treatment and that meant skipping formalities at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport. His task was not to march me off for interrogation but to a waiting Porsche Cayenne.

Without a word, he drove me and a colleague to a nearby building and to the big reveal – a YU Lounge. And it is all about you; Champagne and canapés and a personal customs official on standby to process your arrival to Mauritius. All we had to do was hand over our passports and baggage tags and relax. No queues, no questions, no fuss. This was just one of the major plus points for VIP guests travelling by private jet or commercial airline en route to their little piece of paradise. In airport terms, the 30 minutes it took to ‘process’ us was in speed terms a bullet train. Destination: Shangri-La’s recently refurbished Le Touessrok Resort and Spa, on a stretch of the east coast called Trou d’Eau Douce Bay.

A frequent returnee, I never tire of this drive. It’s about an hour’s journey along the coastal road, winding past fishing villages and Indian temples, mixed vegetable crops and sugarcane fields, with the island’s volcanic terrain in the distance. One of two luxury establishments first imagined for Mauritius by Sol Kerzner (beginning with Le Saint Géran in 1975), Le Touessrok is now under management by the Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts for the owners, Sun Limited. Shangri-La revealed Le Touessrok’s new look late last year and its trademark Asian influence is evident in the décor, fine dining and the group’s in-house Chi, the Spa. There’s something else they get: after any number of hours and a longish taxi trip, pretty scenery aside, the last thing you feel like is what you could dub ‘counter-intuitive’, that exasperating form-filling, card-swiping ritual that wrecks the moment. A casual lounge lobby replaces formal check-in counters so the experience is much more like being welcomed as a house guest. The lobby layout blends seamlessly with the outdoors, leading to tropical gardens that pattern the walkways to the sea-facing rooms and suites, as well as relaxation and dining areas.

The décor is stylishly understated, incorporating more indigenous materials to reflect the natural environment – and helping guests progress faster towards shedding the layers of daily life in favour of a shaded recliner near a watery playground of their choice. The more active guests are dished up water sports and golf (a fine course designed by Bernhard Langer) at the nearby Île aux Cerfs, while the resort’s private island, Ilot Mangénie, is a short boat ride away. At this little escape from an already secluded area of the coast, the only formal structure was a beach club serving delicious food. I spent hours wandering alone along the pale sand, keeping a wary eye out for spiky sea urchins washed up by the tide, reclining on a lounger or wallowing in the shallow, temperate waters balancing a cocktail. It’s what the brochures promise but here it’s delivered effortlessly.

On the main site, Safran offers superb classical Indian fare prepared by chef Ramesh Bundi while a new addition, Kushi, can be recommended equally for its contemporary Japanese menu and raised ocean views. It’s impossible not to taste almost everything. Then again, there’s that beach for a run, and a gym that offers a range of exercise programmes from yoga to custom-designed cardio routines. And to soothe aching muscles? The magnetic attraction of Chi, the Spa next door with its Ayurvedic wellness approach and therapeutic range of botanical and herbal products extracted from plants grown on site. The signature baton cane deep-tissue massage, performed using a sugar-cane stick, lifts energy levels and obliterates any remnants of fatigue and muscle pain.

Not one to favour early nights, even at this level of paradise, I was happy to discover that the entertainment programme incorporated live music at the intimate Sega Bar a little further along the shore. A DJ was also mixing beats at the Republik Beach Club & Grill to liven up what has been known as a quiet (often older) couples’ destination. But the sound from both sources is contained so that there is no competition, leaving areas of the resort still blissfully quiet for those who prefer to turn in early.

You don’t leave a resort such as this. You abandon it with great reluctance. They are well aware of this here and on your last morning, your butler arranges red roses and frangipani fresh from the garden in your room. It is a seduction of the senses and on that one-hour trip to the airport you plot your return. This time, perhaps, with dark shades, luggage that match a bit more, and insouciance to your walk. There is a slim chance someone might mistake you for Someone…

‘A Thousand Shepherds’ dance review

Mon, 28 Mar 2016 08:30:00 GMT

Published in Cape Times , 28 March 2016

AT about the same time that Debbie Turner formed what is arguably South Africa’s most formidable company in the neoclassical genre, I was a fledgling journalist based in Durban.

State support for performing arts councils then meant that companies such as Napac Dance Company could afford to commission and/or stage work by world-class choreographers – whether local or international – two of the most memorable introductions for me were to the French-born Jean-Paul Comelin and our own Alfred Hinkel.

Since then, and a subsequent move to Cape Town, I have been able to immerse myself most often in the work of luminary contemporary choreographers commissioned fairly regularly by Cape Dance Company (CDC) during the past decade of their 21-year existence.

Founder and artistic director Debbie Turner has made it her mission to expose South African audiences to some of the best work she’s discovered on her travels and to give her dancers the opportunity to stretch themselves artistically and physically. For some, it’s a test. Those who pass will (and do) make it professionally.

In this anniversary season of A Thousand Shepherds, the CDC exceeded even the highest expectations. Audiences were treated to some signature pieces by the American Christopher L. Huggins, the US-based South African Bradley Shelver and the Spaniard José Agudo – work that has been taken into the CDC repertory for us to appreciate and celebrate time and again.

Huggins’ work featured twice, beginning with In The Mirror of Her Mind, a quartet with a woman as the central figure who reflects on the loves of her life. The performance I saw featured Elzanne Crause partnered by Lwando Dutyulwa, long-standing company member James Bradley and Odwa Makanda, who together instilled such a quiet confidence in Crause that she delivered one of her best performances yet.

Had Huggins been in the audience, he would have been bursting with pride watching his spectacular Enemy Behind the Gates produced at this scale. The piece is about the enemies in one’s midst, and premiered four days before 9/11. In fact, the prospect of seeing 45 dancers execute his level of military precision, technical prowess and artistic endurance on the full expanse of the Artscape Theatre stage had the audience whooping even before it began. Their standing ovation at the end could certainly have lasted a few more curtain calls. Huggins, who is a former member of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre won the Alvin Ailey Award for Best Choreography from the Black Theater Alliance in Chicago for this work in 2002.

In Shelver’s pas de deux from Scenes, Dutyulwa took centre stage again to partner company stalwart Louisa Ann Talbot who has now exceeded 300 performances with the company. Always a pleasure to watch, Dutyulwa comes into his own when he dances to a lyrical musical score (in this instance Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata played live by Michaela Simpson on piano), seeming to lose himself in the moment as he puts all his focus on his partner. Talbot duly shone!

I returned to a second performance to watch Agudo’s title piece, A Thousand Shepherds. One viewing is simply not enough to absorb all the nuances of the work. It is described as a spiritual journey inspired by Agudo’s sabbatical at an ashram in India and is, in turn, a reflection of the pilgrimage that CDC has been on in the past 21 years. It’s also about discipline, which is practically Turner’s mantra.

Rooted in ritual and tradition, Agudo slowly transformed the piece into the contemporary idiom by developing the dance language on his own body first before transferring it onto those of his cast. With theatrical guidance from dramaturge Lou Cope, the work was further enhanced by an original composition by Vinz “the Artist” (featuring Agudo himself on vocals) and professional lighting design by Wilhelm Disbergen.

A Thousand Shepherds is all about the quality of the movement, the dancers’ ability to draw an audience in, and the emotions that they have to carry throughout the work. Nathan Baartman, Ciara Baldwin, Marlin Zoutman and Makanda were particularly noticeable for their ability to project the intense passion of the choreographer’s story through every fibre of their being.

Exceptionally moving, physically demanding and powerfully artistic, drawing on Agudo’s flamenco heritage and the contemporary and kathak inspiration, he has been exposed to through his work with the Akram Khan Company, A Thousand Shepherds was a fitting tribute to the memory of Carolyn Holden.

Dancers can be some of the most critical of audience members, but one Facebook post summed it up perfectly: “Thank you for your brilliant, soul-feeding, breath-stopping, painfully beautiful performances. Wow! Congratulations! Debbie Turner, you must be so proud!” Enough said. CDC is at KKNK until tomorrow and Grahamstown Festival from July 1-3 July.

Singin’ in the Rain

Thu, 17 Dec 2015 10:38:00 GMT

Published in Cape Times , 30 November 2015

FEEL-GOOD: Mila de Biaggi is captured in rehearsal as the Broadway Melody Girl (the role played by Cyd Charisse in the film) in Singin’ in the Rain with Grant Almirall as Don Lockwood. The stage production of ‘the finest screen musical ever made for Hollywood’, Singin’ in the Rain, opens at Cape Town’s Artscape Theatre on December 11, writes DEBBIE HATHWAY

IN 1996, I reviewed the Wild Coast Sun’s dance revue, X-posure, with Amra-Faye Wright in the spotlight. Seated next to several awestruck colleagues, I remember thinking how hard the supporting cast of dancers appeared to work throughout their performance.

The Wild Orchid Showbar was known for the high quality of its floor shows, but this one had something different. Even now I can remember how Wright commanded that stage with her powerful voice, magnetic appeal and legs for days, just five years before she was given the opportunity to play Velma Kelly in Chicago on the West End.

My point? At 24, Mila De Biaggi is presenting very similar potential. Like Wright, the Broadway Ballet Girl soloist for Pieter Toerien’s Singin’ in the Rain is a triple threat with a string of kudos behind her name. Most notable among them is her 2012 portrayal of Penny Johnson for the international touring company of Dirty Dancing in South Africa, and its Asian Tour for which she garnered a Naledi Award nomination for Best Leading Actress in a Musical. The following year, she joined the West End company of Dirty Dancing as a swing and cover for Penny.

De Biaggi’s eyes light up at the mention of Wright, who is clearly a “phenomenal” role model.

At face value, they’re practically cut from the same cloth. Get to know them a bit better and you’ll discover down-to-earth, unpretentious, honest-to-goodness people who just happen to possess an enormous amount of talent for musical theatre. De Biaggi also worked for the South African tour of Sunset Boulevard in 2013 and took the role of Victoria, the White Cat, for South Korea’s International Touring Company production of CATS in 2014. “I’ve never been pushed that much in every way in my singing, dancing and acting; the process is incredible… because you have to become a cat! It was a very special experience,” says De Biaggi.

The Cape Academy of Performing Arts (CAPA) gave her the invaluable technical grounding she needed to pursue her passion and it was during a visit with the company to New York, which included watching a performance of A Chorus Line on Broadway, that De Biaggi realised that that is her dream.

“Just to be able to express yourself through your dancing, through your acting, through your singing… It’s so different and challenging, but I love it.” She went on to graduate from the Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company in Israel, which she describes as one of the best times of her life. “That’s when I learnt that at the end of the day we’re all individuals and there’s enough work for everybody if we can bring out our own unique gifts… You don’t have to compete with anybody except yourself.”

She also learnt that there’s no such thing as perfect (“you just have to find the very best version of you”), and adopted a “balls to the wall” approach to her work. It was sound advice from her college coaches, Anton Luitingh and Duane Alexander, who taught the principles of not holding back and giving 110% every time.

This production of Singin’ in the Rain sees all three of them working together for the first time, with Luitingh as resident director and Alexander as resident choreographer and alternate Don Lockwood. “They keep me on my toes,” she says, “and they give me notes. I love notes! When you’re doing a show eight times a week, and we’ve been doing it now for eight months – it’s good for (the creative team) to make sure that everyone’s always on their game.”

Set in 1927, Singin’ in the Rain tells the story of the transition from silent films to talkies. If the comedy doesn’t get those feel-good endorphins flowing, the music and dancing certainly will. It’s not often audiences are treated to such spectacular tap dancing and any dance fan simply has to see a live performance of Gene Kelly’s iconic title song number, and Donald O’Connor’s hilarious Make ‘em Laugh. A word of warning, though, if you want to avoid a shower, steer clear of the first three rows!

Bethany Dickson stars as the aspiring actress Kathy Selden, opposite Grant Almirall who makes his debut as the charming Don Lockwood.

The cast of 27 includes Steven van Wyk as Cosmo Brown, Taryn-Lee Hudson as Lina Lamont, James Borthwick as RF Simpson, Mark Richardson as Roscoe Dexter and Anne Power as Dora. Cameron Wenn is the associate director (UK), Kelly Ewins is the associate choreographer (UK) and James Cundall the producer of this touring production.

Singin’ in the Rain will be staged at Artscape Opera House from December 11 to January 10.

Natural Barometer

Mon, 23 Nov 2015 07:01:50 GMT

Published in Private Edition 30, November 2015

Words: DEBBIE HATHWAY

There is an enchanting wildlife reserve, a little larger than Singapore, only three hours’ drive from Cape Town where conservation means more than protecting what exists now. They’re bringing back the past too.

My grandmother liked to recite poetry, partly to prove she was still of sound mind and partly for dramatic effect. I thought of her as I once listened to authors Deryck Uys and Tom Burgers alternately reciting Jan F Cilliers’ ‘Die Vlakte’ in Afrikaans and English, all three of them octogenarians with a flair for delivery that had me hanging on every word.

That iconic poem is published in Burgers’ book, Karoo Pastoraal, the poet’s lyrical rhythm and vivid imagery making this ‘legendary portion of our planet’ so much more than the barren, desolate place many imagine the former Khoisan hunting grounds to be. Besides making news amidst fracking controversies and wind-farm developments, the Karoo is famed for its unpolluted environment, perfect for stargazing on a clear night. ‘Karoo… the name is odd,’ writes author Dianne Hofmeyr. ‘It comes from a language of clicks – karo, karro – meaning “hard” or “dry”. And it is dry and hard, with a gaunt, spectacular grandeur that subdues me.’

‘Die Vlakte’ is in fact the sign that travellers through the Karoo must search for at the Route 62 turnoff to the 54 000-hectare Sanbona

Wildlife Reserve.

Set on the horseshoe bend of a mostly dry ravine, Dwyka Tented Lodge, our luxury hideaway for the weekend, is built to blend in with the environment and positioned to shield occupants from neighbourly contact. The trappings of modern-day existence are limited to a television set in the communal bar and intermittent Wi-Fi in the adjacent lounge. Shrouded in mist and punctuated by bright green shrubs and glistening watery trails, a sheer cliff face across the riverbed presents the opportunity for peaceful contemplation from the comfort of the heated king-size bed or the Jacuzzi on the wooden deck.

Walking the walk

Client satisfaction is high on rangers’ scorecards, so they like to know in advance what guests hope to see. Requests to see a predator hunt, and preferably kill, or to locate the most elusive animal on the reserve are not unusual but senior ranger Jannie Swanepoel was not expecting my partner Gregg’s request to see giraffe (he’d never seen them in the wild). An easy start then… a tower of giraffe, with a baby whose estimated 80kg weight and two-metre height belied the fact that he was only a couple of weeks old.

Sanbona’s fragile environment restricts rangers from driving off-road, which we only realised when Jannie stopped and invited us to disembark and follow him into the bush to get a closer look at a pair of rhino. Already nursing a bad cold and fearful of coughing or sneezing (or both) at the wrong moment, Jannie reassured me that a guest’s cough had once saved his life. It brought an elephant out of hiding that he would not otherwise have seen, narrowly avoiding a close encounter of the life-threatening kind. I can’t help but wonder whether a violent sneeze will elicit curiosity or a full-on charge…

In addition to occupancy limitations (there are 54 beds to 54 000 hectares, excluding the Explorer Camp), the number of game-viewing vehicles is also restricted to minimise the human impact on the animals and ecosystem at Sanbona. Locally extinct hippo, elephant, buffalo, cheetah, lion and various indigenous antelope species have been reintroduced, and efforts made to improve the quality of their grazing and browsing, with a hands-off approach to 8 000 hectares of wilderness area. ‘It’s a diverse landscape,’ says general manager Paul Vorster. ‘It’s not often that you’ll find a space that has these different kinds of substrates. There’s depth and size as well.’

Sanbona provides a haven for endangered and critically endangered fauna, such as the Cape mountain zebra, cheetah, and the riverine rabbit; an important breeding ground for raptors such as the black eagle and booted eagle; and a vital habitat for local and migratory waterbirds on Bellair Dam. ‘Our cheetah management programme is one of the achievements we’re most excited about. We’ve been able to reintroduce cheetahs into a variety of reserves that needed them. Their efficiency in this environment, particularly when it comes to surviving attacks from predatory lion and hyena, makes them highly effective elsewhere,’ says Paul.

The latest sightings are communicated by radio (two vehicles per sighting or only one if a mother and her young are still being conditioned to human presence). Electronic tracking equipment proves helpful, but doesn’t guarantee success. Despite our best efforts, a herd of elephant remained undetected until we were far enough away to see them emerge from where we’d been circling.

The final early morning game drive hit the jackpot. The tracker delivered this time, helping Jannie pinpoint where a cheetah and her three teenage youngsters were basking behind a bush in the ever-strengthening heat of the day. ‘We could hear the tapping sound of the tracker, which gets louder as you get closer to the animals, but to be able to read where they are is quite something,’ recounts Gregg.

Jannie and Gregg had to walk through them to find a better vantage point. ‘The young male was on one side, the females on the other. They were okay with us being there and the male joined the others once we had walked through,’ says Gregg. ‘They just lay there, purring deeply. I’ve never heard anything like it.’

Determined to top that experience, Jannie went in search of the ‘pride of Sanbona’ – both literally and figuratively – the result of a project launched in 2003 to have free-ranging wild white lions on the reserve. Over time, cubs were born and raised, and there was a carefully orchestrated integration of the white lions with the existing tawny lion pride. ‘Tracking them took a while and took us to all corners of the reserve,’ says Gregg. Jannie eventually headed into the bush on foot, only to beat a hasty retreat as the subject of his search materialised a few metres away. ‘It wasn’t a clear sighting, but just to see the white male and tawny female peering back at us through the thicket was close enough to stir the soul,’ says Gregg. ‘It was possibly the highlight for me.’

Spirit of the East

Wed, 14 Oct 2015 06:57:23 GMT

Published in Private Edition 27

Words: DEBBIE HATHWAY

As a bank manager’s teen daughter I was less than thrilled about my father’s intercity transfers that aided his career trajectory, but …his coastal placements provided us all with wonderful opportunities to explore South Africa’s Wild Coast. Holidays for our family in the ’70s and ’80s meant long walks on the beach, reading, collecting shells and rock fishing off often-deserted beaches on either side of the Kei River, which separates the former Transkei from East London.An invitation to revisit the area was irresistible, this time at an award-winning luxury retreat, Prana Lodge, in Chintsa East, less than an hour’s drive from East London Airport.

For 30 years this stretch of land featured only the beach cottage of owners Gail and Tim Davidson of Johannesburg, who realised the benefits of recharging their batteries there by returning as often as their business pursuits would allow. When Tim turned 60, they decided to make it their home base and create a small development for guests seeking similar levels of rejuvenation. ‘Tim, who has a legal and financial background, suddenly discovered his creative side and designed the lodge himself,’ says Gail. With the help of local labour, they carved out space for seven expansive suites, a pool, kitchen and public dining area, producing an Afro-Asian ‘private haven’ offering ‘ultimate relaxation’, ‘highly personalised service’ and ‘exceptional cuisine’.

Prana is the Sanskrit word for life force, and the energy at the lodge is indeed palpable. ‘Triathletes come to unwind, managers come for team building, couples come for romance. The most unusual booking we’ve had was a crowd of Russians who arrived in three helicopters,’ Gail says. ‘And we had a 60th-anniversary stay that was ostensibly better than [the couple’s] honeymoon!’ As the members of our small group trail to our suites, individually decorated to reflect their gemstone names, we are warned to keep outward-leading doors closed to the resident vervet monkeys. Still, they nearly get the better of my rapidly dissolving focus as they dangle inquisitively over the edge of the outdoor parasol, peering in to assess the dash to the tempting fruit display.

It’s not long before the transformation the Davidsons had initiated begins to impress. ‘There are very few areas left in the dune forest where you’re permitted to have a development, so we’ve been very focused on preserving and regenerating the natural bush,’ says Gail. In addition, locals who had proved themselves during the building phase, had a ready smile and were willing to learn were offered further training at the bar and front of house, and in the kitchen and laundry. Young interns from the South African Butler Academy work here to rack up practical experience.

They have an exemplary role model in Gail. Her uncompromising attention to detail is evidenced in every aspect of the resort, from the high standard of service to the relaxed chic of the decor. Her careful mix of family silverware, Persian carpets, artwork and antiques adds a uniquely personal touch, and pretty posies of fresh flowers from the garden add a flourish to tables and plates alike.

Because Prana Lodge is tucked away in the bush, it is relatively sheltered from the prevailing winds. The Indian Ocean coastline is not immediately evident and it is only the next morning that I’m able to find my way to the sea. The monkeys idly watch my progress at intervals along the wooden pathway and then, suddenly, there it is: that endless stretch of white sand that I remembered so well, a handful of people enjoying the brisk sea breeze, and some romping dogs. With only a moment’s hesitation, I fill my lungs with salty air, kick off my shoes and run down the sand dune like a child.

Prana Lodge makes it easy to let go, whether you’re indulging in an authentic Thai spa treatment, tracing the water-wise labyrinth near the organic herb garden or heat-soaking at the pool. Combine that with the chefs’ cheerful determination to meet every culinary and health challenge posed to them and, yes, you may let go – but you won’t want to leave.

For more information, visit pranalodge.co.za.

American Dance Theater: Universal message

Thu, 13 Aug 2015 08:39:00 GMT

Published in Financial Mail, 13 August 2015.

SINCE Robert Battle took up the reins at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater as artistic director in 2011, he has received nothing but praise from the world’s dance critics. From his choreography to his successful expansion of a repertory grounded in past riches, Battle is credited with injecting new life into a company that has performed for an estimated 23m people in 71 countries on six continents.

He is only the third person to lead the company since its formation in 1958, and succeeded Judith Jamison.

So what has been his most humbling experience? Battle paused to reflect when he was asked this — the question was clearly unexpected. The answer was: his acceptance in 2014, on behalf of the group’s founder, Ailey, of the foremost US civilian decoration, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. “I was overcome by emotion,” said Battle, “thinking of my own trajectory as a dancer, being raised by my great-aunt and great-uncle, standing on the shoulders of Ailey and being chosen by Jamison to continue their great work, looking at the first African-American president [Barack] Obama and thinking about the shoulders he’s standing on.”

Battle’s aptitude for modern dance became evident at high school. He went on to join the dance programme at New York’s Juilliard School, danced with the Parsons Dance Company from 1994 to 2001, and formed his Battleworks Dance Company, which made its debut in 2002. He was recognised as one of the Masters of African-American Choreography by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 2005, and received the prestigious Statue Award from the Princess Grace Foundation-USA in 2007.

He was never an Ailey dancer but has produced many of his works with the main company. He also set up the New Directions Choreography Lab to help nurture young choreographers.

Determined to build on the company’s existing repertory — by introducing works by artists as diverse as Kyle Abraham, Aszure Barton, Ronald K Brown, Garth Fagan, Bill T Jones, Jirí Kylián, Wayne McGregor, Robert Moses, Ohad Naharin and Paul Taylor — Battle sees every new commissioned piece coming to life as a highlight of his tenure. “Some of the works I’ve chosen have never been done by a modern dance company, but they are so virtuosic and versatile you can’t help but be informed by the people dancing it,” he says.

“Brown, for example, uses African dance infused with his personal style to create his own way of making movement a message. That’s what’s exciting.”

Brown’s “spiritually” charged work, Grace, forms part of the upcoming SA tour.

Also on the programme is Rennie Harris’s Exodus, which had its world premiere in June. Set to gospel and house music, along with poetic narration, this piece uses hip-hop to express ideas about social injustice. Inspired by protests between African-American citizens and police, it highlights the need for action to effect change.

“We have a unique group of dancers, and they bring their own uniqueness to our work,” says Battle. This prompted the recent restaging of a piece he had made for students at the Juilliard School, No Longer Silent, which a New York Times journalist in 2007 imagined Ailey staging to great effect. The dance was choreographed to a 1925 score by Erwin Schulhoff, who died of TB in a Nazi concentration camp. “He was silenced,” says Battle, “and his music was not allowed to be played. Works like that are very important for me; they are humbling.”

While he has not choreographed a new piece for the company since his appointment as artistic director, audiences can look forward to seeing Battle’s 1999 creation of Takademe. It features the complex rhythms of the classical Indian Kathak dance against a jazzy score by Sheila Chandra. “I made that in a living room in Queens, New York, never thinking that a dance that couldn’t even travel across that space would now be travelling all the way to SA,” he says.

He never studied Indian dance, but used to watch classes while at Juilliard. “There are some Michael Jackson influences too, in the snappiness of the movement. The sophisticated rhythmic structures of the music reminded me of Ella Fitzgerald, and I wanted to demonstrate what the sounds made me feel. Dance becomes words,” he says.

Jamison has been quoted as saying that “Battle’s choreography has the ability to draw audiences into his work, and it reminds [me] of [Ailey].” Takademe is a case in point. “It’s only about three minutes long, but the dancers love it and audiences get a kick out of it,” says Battle.

The company will perform two programmes in SA, and in both local fans can look forward to seeing Revelations, the signature Ailey piece that continues to move generations of dance lovers the world over. “It inspired me to be where I am today,” says Battle. “Its message is universal, and carries so much meaning beyond dance itself. Watching it is a rite of passage.”

Jamison, who performed in the piece for 15 years, said it “set a tone for what is human in all of us, no matter where you come from. We’ve done that piece all over the world, and everyone understands exactly what it’s about — it is humanity, it is triumph, and what it is to be human.”

The Los Angeles Times quotes Carmen De Lavallade, dancer, choreographer and Ailey friend since junior high, as saying: “[Revelations] is one of those moments when you put something together and you don’t know really why or how it gets there — it appears like magic. I don’t think [Ailey] ever expected it to do this. He had no idea that it would grow to be something of a phenomenon. And neither did I. When you’re younger, you never realise that your best friend is going to be as famous as Coca-Cola.”

On the rare occasion when Battle is not promoting the company (“I get pulled in many directions”), he exercises his creative juices in the studio. “It’s about activating those inventive parts of your mind, solving movement and timing challenges with the dancers, keeping the engine running.”

Battle spends so much time living Ailey’s legacy, presenting other people’s work, that he steers clear of taking class with the company in favour of keeping fit in the gym. “I haven’t danced professionally in a long time, and I find it humbling to enter the studio space in that capacity,” he adds. Battle is a sought-after keynote speaker and has addressed, among others, the UN Leaders Programme and the UN Children’s Fund Senior Leadership Development Programme. “What is an artistic director going to say to a group of scientists, for example, who may be a little more connected to the world? I tell my story, and how I create dances, linking the process to thought development. It starts with one movement idea, one infinitesimal gesture; the beginning of a journey. Leaders have to have a sense of openness and creativity. That has to be emphasised. It’s not always that obvious,” says Battle. Leadership is also about staying relevant, and Battle explains that key to the impact of modern dance is that it’s about social issues. “There’s a sense of it being about people’s lives and I think there’s a need for that. Abstract or not, it touches the soul. “It’s that part of the Ailey legacy that is still vital today.”

Battle is a sought-after keynote speaker and has addressed, among others, the UN Leaders Programme and the UN Children’s Fund Senior Leadership Development Programme. “What is an artistic director going to say to a group of scientists, for example, who may be a little more connected to the world? I tell my story, and how I create dances, linking the process to thought development. It starts with one movement idea, one infinitesimal gesture; the beginning of a journey. Leaders have to have a sense of openness and creativity. That has to be emphasised. It’s not always that obvious,” says Battle.

Leadership is also about staying relevant, and Battle explains that key to the impact of modern dance is that it’s about social issues. “There’s a sense of it being about people’s lives and I think there’s a need for that. Abstract or not, it touches the soul.

“It’s that part of the Ailey legacy that is still vital today.”

Ballet: Mixing it up

Thu, 04 Jun 2015 17:08:00 GMT

Published in Financial Mail , 4 June 2015: DADA Masilo, Robyn Orlin, Boyzie Cekwana, Gregory Maqoma … the names of the “most famous” SA choreographers roll easily off the tongue of Philippe Cohen, artistic director of the Grand Théâtre de Genève Ballet Company (Geneva Ballet).

In a rare break from his own tradition, Cohen has invited some of them to choreograph work for the 19-member ballet company as well as 12 local professional dancers preceding the visitors’ tour of Roméo & Juliette to the Mandela Joburg Theatre, from June 17 to June 21.

It’s a coup for the chosen few. Maqoma, assisted by Luyanda Sidiya, PJ Sabaggha and Fana Tshabalala, all based in Johannesburg, and Mamela Nyamza, from Cape Town, will join Geneva Ballet’s Nathanaël Marie, from Cannes, France, to make new work for the dancers this week in groups to be determined by Cohen himself.

They have an open brief in terms of genre and music choice — Cohen’s only advice is to be true to their culture. “Whether they are in pointe shoes or barefoot, and they choose a classical, minimalist, post-classical or contemporary style, I don’t care,” says Cohen.

Dance fans can see the fruit of their labours in High Five — Choreographic Encounters, to be staged in Soweto on June 13 and Johannesburg on June 14.

“I don’t know if we can make it in one week … but you know if we don’t dream, we die. If I don’t dream, I die,” says Cohen.

Since his appointment in 2003, his artistic focus has been to commission new work, backed by the “entire force” of the Geneva Opera and the city of Geneva.

“For me, art merits this kind of support, especially young artists,” he says. “I just want to discover strong people who have something to say.”

Much of the work he has seen by SA choreographers makes strong sociopolitical comments, and Cohen respects that, but the specific nature of the content has so far prevented a collaboration with the Geneva Ballet.

“I met Boyzie [Cekwana] many years ago when he performed in a small theatre in Geneva. His work was very strong; interesting; heavy; emotional. I loved what I saw, but it was too personal to transfer onto the company. It was not the right time.”

Meanwhile, Cohen has kept an eye on the SA dancers and choreographers who have forged successful careers abroad, watching and waiting for the possibility of a collaboration, an extension of a repertoire built on consistently superior quality and calculated investment.

An opportunity presented itself when Geneva Ballet was invited to perform for the 40th anniversary of the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown in 2014. Sufficient sponsorship made it possible to schedule some performances in Cape Town, which duly sold out, and opened the discussion for a return tour to Johannesburg this year.

At that time Cohen broached the idea of a focused workshop for professional dancers. “This project is very important,” he says. “It’s original. It’s the first time that we are in a country where I feel this energy; the people are so enthusiastic.

“While my intention was not to commission a new piece, I thought there could be an opportunity to work with the dancers. It’s the first step.”

He says this exercise is more about the process than the result. Cohen is keen to see how his dancers react to the new style, and what the SA choreographers can bring to them — perhaps a sensitivity to tradition and culture, an understanding of moving in a different way, the experience of mixing with other dancers.

The project provides a good opportunity for Marie to develop his choreographic skills, as he faces the inevitable conclusion of his performance career, while Nyamza is an exciting addition to the group, given that men far outnumber female choreographers worldwide.

Geneva Ballet is effectively a touring company, performing just two programmes in Switzerland each season. Because they feature only new work, Cohen says it’s a big challenge to find enough choreographers every year who gel with the company.

In Europe, the SA artists are in demand, there’s no question; Masilo arguably flavour of the year for 2014 with her contemporary take on classics such as Swan Lake and Carmen. She’s currently on tour with her “swans” in France.

But Cohen does not allow himself to be caught up in the hype. He bides his time, taking up to five years to explore a novel connection, a different interest.

The Swiss company is famous for its standard of excellence and Cohen is fiercely protective of that reputation. “I have to consider my board, the funders. But once I’ve made up my mind, that’s it,” Cohen says.

Whether the piece is successful or not doesn’t matter as long as he feels that he has found the right person. What does matter, he adds, is the learning, the growth, that comes for the dancers when they are exposed to a new approach.

Geneva Ballet is staffed by dancers of different nationalities, and SA’s Angela Rebelo has been one of them since September 2013. “It is an absolute gift for a performer to be able to move away from their native country to expand their experience and then return with their international company to share and unite the two worlds,” she says. It also promotes deeper understanding among company members.

Rebelo explains that Cohen hires dancers for their individual attributes and diverse backgrounds. With technical prowess a given, he looks for something unique in their personalities and how they interpret the choreographers’ work through movement and characterisation.

“None of us naturally move in the same manner, but we have the same desire to be where we are,” says Rebelo.

Johannesburg theatre patrons can experience the Geneva Ballet ethos when they perform Joëlle Bouvier’s Roméo & Juliette, set to Prokofiev’s three orchestral suites, at the Joburg Theatre this month. It’s a contemporary, reimagined production of the classic Shakespearean tragedy, a story of “love stifled by hate … a family devastated by the violence of two enemy clans.”

“I’m happy to be part of this production, because it will be the celebration of its 100th performance,” says Rebelo.

The company comes straight from the May premiere of another work by Bouvier, which afforded them the opportunity to revisit her style and intention for Roméo & Juliette as well. For a performance described as “pure and elegant … quite frankly, aesthetically perfect”, this is one season not to be missed.

The High Five — Choreographic Encounters project has been made possible with the support of Pro Helvetia Johannesburg, the Swiss Arts Council, the Embassy of Switzerland in SA, the French Institute of SA and Total (SA). Tickets are R50. Book for the Soweto Theatre on June 13 at 2pm and 6pm. Contact 0861 670 670 or visit www.sowetotheatre.com. For Wits Theatre performances on June 14 at 2pm and 6pm, book here. Roméo & Juliette tickets range from R180 to R350. Shows run at Joburg Theatre from June 17 to June 21. Book here or 0861 670 670. For block bookings at discounted rates for groups of 10 or more, call 011 877-6853.

The Fixer

Wed, 13 May 2015 06:26:00 GMT

Published in Private Edition 27 :

PETER OBERAUER had no intention of repairing watches for a living. ‘When I was still a little boy, I went with my grandfather to get an alarm clock repaired by the local “watchmaker” in our village, Winzendorf. I was not impressed. The old man worked at his kitchen table; it was a crummy table and his tools were rusty,’ he says.

But fate and an Austrian government-initiated aptitude test saw him signing up for a watchmaker apprenticeship after school, even though he had his heart set on becoming a car mechanic. In Austria, vocational training is regulated and government is involved in guiding school-leavers towards acquiring the knowledge and skills that will help them find a job. A motor-mechanic apprenticeship simply wasn’t on offer nearby.

‘I was never keen on watchmaking, I’m afraid, and there’s no family heritage,’ he says. (Oberauer’s father was a stoker on a steam engine and his own sons went into computer programming.) And in his 10-year-old hands, the pocket watch his parents had given him didn’t last long. ‘It was in pieces after a short time,’ he laughs.

Two years into his apprenticeship he grew fond of the trade. ‘I saw that it wasn’t just about rusty tools,’ Oberauer says. ‘The mechanics, the technique, the finesse of the job got me interested. Like sailing, my other passion, it’s a thing of discipline. If you don’t set your ropes properly, you capsize. If you don’t have the right tools or knowledge in watchmaking, especially on the old and antique pieces, you can do a lot of damage.’

He started his training as a master watchmaker in 1956. ‘In those days, after eight years you were fully qualified to have your own shop, but you had to be a master first.’ In 1971 Oberauer arrived in Cape Town on a travel adventure that was to take him and a colleague by Kombi across Africa back to Austria, but he fell in love – with the city and the woman he eventually married – and never left. A few years later he opened his shop, Fine Time, in Plumstead in 1975.

A fellow of the British Horological Institute, Oberauer is able to repair any watch, as long as he can get hold of the spare parts. Replacing a screw on a case back or doing a regular clean-and-polish is the more conventional order, and a glance around his workshop reveals some of the top names in high watchmaking. At the moment he is busy reversing the damage on a high-end watch that went ‘diving’. ‘The owner insisted on wearing it while swimming without having the crown screwed tightly, and there was rust damage. I was able to fix that,’ he says.

With less time available for sailing now (Oberauer says he hardly ever leaves the shop), he retreats to his private watch workshop for solitude, classical music playing softly in the background. While a man with a more ordinary profession might have opted for Rover as a name, his female crossbreed is a ‘top brand’ watchdog. Rolex then is never far from his side.

Nextdoor, the clock workshop is a different story. This is where Oberauer gets his hands dirty – it’s a more labour-intensive space, involving messy work such as filing, drilling and sanding new parts on his Swiss watchmaker’s lathe.

His favourites are the French carriage clocks. ‘They’re fine pieces with smaller parts, and of course, being from Austria,
I like their Viennese regulator.’ Oberauer has two in his collection: an original weight-driven piece as well as a spring-driven design.

His most challenging task thus far has been fixing an imported Dutch clock valued at R1 million, when some of its parts were damaged or lost en route to South Africa. At half past the hour, this intricate timepiece strikes one extra beat to indicate the upcoming hour on the small bell, and on the big bell for the full hour. ‘Clocks need more repair work, as people don’t take care of them as they should and parts wear out. A watch that is serviced regularly should have almost no wear on it; it’s mainly a cleaning process,’ he says. Like a physician chiding his patient for poor lifestyle habits, Oberauer gently admonishes those who neglect their masterpieces. But, after all, their carelessness is good business.

Journey within

Fri, 09 Jan 2015 07:06:14 GMT

Imagine a sanctuary where the only rules are recommendations and the only goal is to achieve greater mental, emotional and physical wellbeing…

Words: DEBBIE HATHWAY

The tranquil garden pavilion at the One&Only Le Saint Géran is the new centre of the Harmonia universe, a wellbeing programme created exclusively for the Mauritian resort by Chinese medicine practitioner and physiotherapist Francesc Miralles.

Set within landscaped tropical foliage, above a waterway that’s home to several ducks, fish and vibrant birdlife, this is the starting point for a “journey through the mandala”, a therapy ritual that helps you rediscover your self.

“When I was researching comparative offerings around the world, I made the differentiation between wellness and wellbeing. My product is not just about achieving physical wellness through conventional spa pampering; we take a more holistic view,” says Miralles. “Each place has its own USP and I wanted to introduce something that nobody else has.”

His thinking is in line with the global trend towards wellness tourism, which sees travellers seeking solutions for the long-term prevention of disease rather than a temporary quick fix. Depending on your location, and your zest and capacity for travel, you can visit Austria’s Viva Mayr Clinic for a customised organic food diet, combined with health diagnostics and applied kinesiology. Or try the Sha Wellness Clinic in Alicante, Spain, which is famous for its macrobiotic gastronomy. They also offer a range of natural therapies, anti-ageing and aesthetic medicine treatments.

Miralles says at Chiva-Som in Thailand, you can sign up for anything from a three- to 28-night series. “They offer great treatments and food, but the programme is not that personalised,” he adds.

For raw foodists, the COMO Shambala Hotel and Resort in Bali offers a great juice detox. After a three-, five- or seven-night programme, clients will feel energised from the cleansing but their bodies will may have been weakened, Miralles says.

While India is another popular destination for health fundis, because it’s cheap, Miralles is excited about the quality of the fresh food and herbs accessible to the chefs at the One&Only Le Saint Géran. Proper nutrition, rest and relaxation are the main ingredients of his Harmonia programme. In addition, the “journey through the mandala” encompasses his hands-on treatments designed for relaxing or rebalancing, depending on the guest’s health and wellbeing goals. “You get a lot of information about food, exercise and lifestyle in general, and learn a lot about yourself too. It can become a spiritual journey,” says Miralles.

He may request some medical history in your initial consultation and even consult x-rays if necessary, but ultimately his treatment will be guided by his measurement of your pulse rate and the sensitivity of pressure points along the meridians. The body doesn’t lie and neither does he. There are some things Miralles can’t treat – like acute sciatica, for which the only prescription is rest, or diabetes, for which he can only offer dietary advice.

Once he’s determined whether you need relaxing or detoxing therapies, Miralles consults with chefs Vikash Coonjan and Vineet Bhatia to prepare a carefully constructed menu for the duration of the programme. Some guests opt for a one-day introduction, while others may prefer a three-day intensive or a more gradual seven-day detox. Miralles credits Coonjan and Bhatia as alchemist and genie respectively for their ability to cook up mouth-watering, healthy food recipes designed to counter temperature and climate variables, spiced with specially selected herbs, and washed down with herbal teas prepared according to Chinese medicine principles and Ayurvedic remedies.

There is a hidden challenge though. Part of One&Only Le Saint Géran’s service ethic is to anticipate what you want before you know you want it. So while the diet is designed to prevent you from getting hungry, temptation is everywhere. Indulge at your peril. Sugar and alcohol are the forbidden fruits – a Swiss chocolate on day two to satisfy a craving quickly created a post-nasal drip for this writer and a cocktail to celebrate the end of the treatment resulted in a raging headache. It’s just not worth it!

Essentially, Harmonia is not your average detox or weight-loss programme traditionally offered by health spas and it’s not accompanied by a rabbit-food diet. “Like a computer, everybody needs to reboot,” says One&Only Le Saint Géran general manager Charles de Foucault. “Harmonia is designed to nurture and nourish for overall wellbeing.”

De Foucault first discovered Miralles at his highly successful clinic in Bali. After 15 years of clinical practice and studies that gave him professorial status in his knowledge of Chinese medicine, Miralles had embarked on his own journey through the Silk Road, South-East Asia, China and Tibet. At his final stop in Bali, where he was able to relieve suffering for scores of locals daily using Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture, he realised he’d found his true calling. “Harmonia’s about developing the skills to feel better or to feel more… to bring focus, discipline and balance to your life,” says Miralles.sawubona_cover

And while women might buy into that philosophy easier than men, and therefore be more willing patients, it’s the testimonials from their partners that speak volumes. One reluctant client, who was given a one-day treatment as a gift, couldn’t remember when last he felt so relaxed, while another gentleman was amazed by the physical release Miralles achieved with painless acupuncture. The debilitating back pain he’d suffered for 10 years was gone. Everybody’s reactions are different, depending on their condition, but the result is almost always the same – success!

Exercise in the form of daily tai chi and chi kung is incorporated to complete the restoration cycle by helping the mind to relax and cultivate self-healing energy. “It’s an ancient practice – a lesson in patience that takes a long time to master, but it’s possible to learn the basics fairly quickly.” The benefits are lifelong.

With its pristine beaches, turquoise water and coconut palms lining its private peninsula, The One&Only Le Saint Géran is a world-renowned sanctuary in its own right, but the Harmonia programme takes it to another level. On my last day, there was a waiting list of guests requesting treatments. Enough said.

Way to go

SAA flies to Mauritius from OR Tambo International XXX days per week. www.flysaa.com.

For more information on travel packages and bookings, visit oneandonlyresorts.com or World Leisure Holidays at www.wlh.co.za.

Global retreats

For more top wellness programmes around the world, visit:

Chiva-Som, Thailand − Regularly ranked among the world’s best destination spas, Chiva-Som offers 150 treatments for relaxation, restoration and rejuvenation. www.chivasom.com

Sha Wellness Clinic, Spain − This award-winning medical spa is located in Albir Beach, which boasts one of the best climates on the planet. They focus on improving health by combining Eastern insights with Western techniques. www.shawellnessclinic.com

Viva Mayr Clinic, Austria − Viva, the Centre for Modern Mayr Medicine, is built on the shores of Lake Wörth. Their treatments are designed to strengthen the functioning of the digestive system through a balanced diet, natural healing and scientific therapies. www.viva-mayr.com

COMO Shambhala Estate, Bali and other locations − COMO Shambhala’s healthy living philosophy is rooted in Buddhism. They guide guests towards achieving inner tranquility without relying on an external location. www.comoshambhala.com

Romeo in the Ruck

Tue, 05 Aug 2014 06:13:22 GMT

Published in Private Edition 24 :

There are two kinds of rugby players: those whose job it is to maintain ball possession until their team scores and those who have to convert that effort into points. Cape Town City Ballet (CTCB) soloist Ivan Boonzaaier, now 24, was one of the former – a forward trained to hunt with his pack for prey (the ball). Described as the ‘biggest and strongest players in the team’, and with speed on their side too, forwards are likely to make more tackles and stay closer to the ball than all their teammates, bar the scrumhalf. It’s a handy skill set to have for throwing, lifting and catching a ballerina.

Ivan is the second youngest son in a family of five boys and a girl. Their mother enrolled all of them in dance classes until matric. Neither parent had personal experience with the art form, but saw it as the solution to build confidence and overcome the shyness their children shared. Ivan attended modern and tap-dance classes in Johannesburg until he was redirected to ballet and contemporary dance. On weekends, they went shooting.

Ivan’s father works part-time as range officer at Blue Gum Valley Shooting Range in Bronkhorstspruit, where Ivan first had the opportunity to ‘shoot clays’. He could shoot with a BB gun by the time he was 13, and graduated to using a shotgun for clay-pigeon shooting at age 16. ‘I always wanted to be able to shout “pull” and shoot that disk,’ says Ivan.

At 120km/hr – flying straight at you or crosswise (the more difficult of the two) – it’s no easy feat. ‘It’s more fun than shooting a stationery target. Also, the shotgun is bigger and makes you feel more Rambo.’ Whether he’s at the shooting range or hunting on a friend’s farm, however, he says he’s still the same person in the ballet studio – ‘only more relaxed outdoors’.

His favourite firearm? Ivan normally favours Beretta, but he loves his dad’s old Astra single-barrel shotgun for hunting and target shooting. ‘The longer the barrel, the more accurate and the further you can shoot. This one used to belong to my grandfather; he sold it to my father for R50. It has great sentimental value.’

He follows ethical practices when hunting for game in Vosburg or Cradock and, as a member of the Bushveld Conservation Bureau, helps eradicate ‘problem animals’ on farms when necessary.

Those who protest at the mere thought of a man and a gun in the bush are reminded that many of them eat chickens and cows every day. ‘I join a hunt for one or two buck (there are thousands of them) to make biltong,’ he says.

Sometimes he’s called on to cull pigeons (the only bird that can be shot legally) if they’re doing damage to sown grain crops. Working with the Bureau eliminates a farmer’s recourse to poison, gin traps or snares, so their work helps reduce damage to the environment. They’re also able to advise farmers of any signs of poaching, sick or injured livestock, damaged farm equipment or fences noted during their search.

Hunting dogs are used to retrieve the birds or track animals in the bush, which minimises human impact on the surroundings. Ivan’s two-year-old tri-coloured border collie is proving to be a surprisingly adept member of the Boonzaaier pack.

Recuperating at home after surgery for a torn cartilage that will keep him off stage for three months, Ivan still manages some shooting practice – kneeling. Are there synergies between the two worlds? Both require strict discipline, he says. ‘At the range or on a hunt, you have to be on high alert all the time. Safety is the priority and there are many rules to follow. What I like about being in the dance studio is it’s a day job that I’m passionate about, and it’s fun all the time.’

Ivan is the only young Boonzaaier to pursue dance as a career. On a break from studying electrical engineering, he was spotted at a spring ballet camp by CTCB artistic director Robin van Wyk, and at age 19 found himself paired up with Laura Bösenberg, now senior principal ballerina at CTCB, for a season of Poetry in Motion. And something clicked. His Romeo to her Juliet in last year’s Pas de Deux season was one of his most impressive performances yet. ‘He’s really strong so I trust him; he can throw me around and I’m not scared that I’m going to fall,’ says Laura. ‘We work well together.’

Ivan doesn’t stress about performance, unless he has to produce some challenging tours en l’air or pirouettes in a solo. ‘The minute I’m with someone else, I just go out and enjoy it. I appreciate feedback from the audience but sometimes I forget they’re there, I get so involved in playing my part.’

He works on his athleticism and finesse the old-fashioned way. ‘I work out at the ballet (no artificial weights), cycle 60km twice a week, walk my dogs daily and do extra stretching at night. I drink water all day to hydrate in class, so I don’t alter routine for the stage.’

Last year he completed the 109km Cape Argus Pick n Pay Momentum Cycle Tour on a mountain bike sub five hours in a seven-hour time limit. He didn’t train; he simply went online to discover more about successful finishers.

Excellent hand-eye coordination, grace, strength, stamina and a strategic game plan – it’s a slam-dunk formula if you’re a team player, although, for the sake of a bit of grace on the field, one or two provincial coaches might think of putting their boys on the stage for a season.

‘Your Crocs, Madame’

Wed, 05 Feb 2014 13:33:00 GMT

In over a century of trendsetting design, Cartier had created the largest animal jewellery collection in the world and was well used to receiving unusual commissions. A few months later Felix received her necklace of two gold baby crocodiles to drape around her neck or wear separately as brooches. One was decorated with 1 023 yellow diamonds, the other with 1 066 emeralds; the head, tail and feet all articulated. They made an exceptional addition to her other Cartier pieces, which included an articulated snake made of platinum and white gold. Encrusted with 2 473 diamonds, it doubled as a necklace and centrepiece. Both form part of the Cartier Collection, from which 540 pieces were displayed in the recent ‘Cartier: Style and History’ exhibition at the Grand Palais in Paris, organised and curated by the Réunion des Musées Nationaux. The Salon d’Honneur was discreetly illuminated to give full impact to the kaleidoscopic effect of the jewels projected onto its high-volume ceiling and styled to trace Cartier’s artistic development from the mid-19th century to the 1970s. Cartier pushed the limits of design with a brave departure from the classics. Their geometrisation and simplification, the mixing of diamonds with more than one other coloured stone, and the use of platinum turned the industry on its head. ‘People were crazy about everything exotic,’ says an exhibition guide. ‘The Cartier brothers’ extensive travels, interactions with different cultures and discoveries of precious stones reflect in their creations.’ Chinese and Japanese art, Russian ballet costumes, Fabergé eggs, Egyptian antiquity, Indian maharajas, feminine independence, evolving fashion, royal fetishes and heiresses’ whims played a role. Less is more was a firm theme. Dubbed ‘the jeweller of kings and the king of jewellers’ by King Edward VII for their craftsmen’s ability to delight royalty around the globe with their initiative, Cartier also displayed loan items from Queen Elizabeth II, including a flower brooch with a 23.60-carat pink diamond at the centre and the tiara Kate Middleton wore for her wedding to Prince William. Another historic piece represented, with its original drawing, was a ceremonial necklace ordered by Sir Bhupinder Singh, the Maharaja of Patiala, in 1925. It incorporated the largest number of gems ever used in fine jewellery (supplied by the Maharaja himself), and featured the 234-carat yellow De Beers diamond, surrounded by nearly 3 000 diamonds and other precious stones. ‘For this exhibition, the curators looked for things that illustrate a certain provenance,’ says Cartier Collection curator Pascale Lepeu. ‘American heiress Daisy Fellowes, for example, loved our colourful “Tutti-Frutti” pieces from the ’20s. These were made with carved stones of unexceptional quality, so their value rests in their design and rarity. And the ruby-and-diamond necklace given to Liz Taylor by her third husband, Mike Todd, as a reward for “doing something wholesome like swimming laps” has a charming story behind it.’ During his time as first director of the Cartier Collection, the late Éric Nussbaum was able to buy back 75 percent of the pieces on display in Paris. Now, additions to the Collection are assessed by their innovation and rarity rather than their age and Cartier limits its purchases to between 10 and 20 pieces per year. It’s a waiting game. ‘It’s like a puzzle; we look for the missing pieces to be fully representative of Cartier’s history – garland style, 19th century, Art Deco, watches, clocks, objects… In December we bought a very important brooch that completes our collection of Egyptian items,’ says Lepeu. It took two decades to acquire Duchess of Windsor Wallis Simpson’s famous flamingo brooch. During the first sale after her death ‘prices went mad’ and Nussbaum could only afford her diamond-and-sapphire brooch featuring the iconic Cartier panther. Commissioned during the Second World War, when gold and precious stones were in short supply, the brooch was made with stones from some of Mrs Simpson’s bracelets. Its value is high, but not because of the gems. ‘It’s more because of who it belonged to. It’s a work of art,’ says Lepeu. While the modern Cartier business is focused on watches and jewellery, the Collection gives equal weight to its precious objects. ‘I love to see people discovering not only jewels, but little things you might have in your handbag or at home… It’s a very interesting facet; Cartier is unique for that,’ says Lepeu. The exhibition highlighted Cartier’s prowess in the history of watchmaking through its display of jewellery watches dating from the 19th century, pocket watches, classic wristwatches and mystery clocks. ‘We’re proud to have a Santos from 1912 and a Tank watch from 1920, a year after each was first released,’ says Lepeu. Rudolf Valentino famously refused to remove his Tank watch for his film role as an 18th-century sheik, and Andy Warhol was one of many who won’t wear a watch merely to tell the time. ‘Actually I never even wind it. I wear a Tank because it is the watch to wear!’ he said. Sixteen of the Collection’s mystery clocks, the largest number ever exhibited, created another focal point among Cartier’s flagship creations. The workings of these ‘marvels of watchmaking’ were dreamed up by Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin, who was a watchmaker before he was a magician. Much like his famous illusions, the mechanisms are hidden, their workings undisclosed for many years. The mystery is in the way the hands are connected separately to two transparent disks that initiate their movement. It takes a year to make just one masterpiece. Lepeu has the privilege of caring for a collection money can’t buy. ‘Nothing is for sale,’ she says. Some historic pieces can still be secured through another collection, Cartier Tradition, a commercial activity dealing with vintage pieces for collectors. ‘Recently we exchanged a mystery clock for the same one in Cartier Tradition because it had belonged to Evalyn Walsh McLean, former owner of the Star of the East – an incredible 94.80-carat pear-shaped diamond – as well as the 45-carat blue Hope Diamond,’ says Lepeu. The Collection is based in Geneva and pieces can only be viewed in museums. Next on the itinerary is an exhibition in the US, followed by one in China. ‘People really love seeing the Collection. It’s fascinating – you don’t even think about how much the items cost. It’s the history of the French savoir- faire,’ says Lepeu. Its effect is far-reaching. Our guide discovered an elderly visitor gazing at the 1929 portrait of American heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post and her daughter, Nedenia (Deenie) Hutton. Also known by her stage name, Dina Merrill, she said wistfully: ‘I am the little girl in the painting. Being asked to pose for portraits meant more time with my mother.’

Published in Private Edition 23 :

‘Make me one just like it, but work quickly because it grows fast.’ The Latin-American actress, Maria Felix, had waltzed into Cartier’s Paris boutique with a baby crocodile in a jar and demanded a bejewelled replica. It was 1975.

Both form part of the Cartier Collection, from which 540 pieces were displayed in the recent ‘Cartier: Style and History’ exhibition at the Grand Palais in Paris, organised and curated by the Réunion des Musées Nationaux. The Salon d’Honneur was discreetly illuminated to give full impact to the kaleidoscopic effect of the jewels projected onto its high-volume ceiling and styled to trace Cartier’s artistic development from the mid-19th century to the 1970s. Cartier pushed the limits of design with a brave departure from the classics. Their geometrisation and simplification, the mixing of diamonds with more than one other coloured stone, and the use of platinum turned the industry on its head.

‘People were crazy about everything exotic,’ says an exhibition guide. ‘The Cartier brothers’ extensive travels, interactions with different cultures and discoveries of precious stones reflect in their creations.’ Chinese and Japanese art, Russian ballet costumes, Fabergé eggs, Egyptian antiquity, Indian maharajas, feminine independence, evolving fashion, royal fetishes and heiresses’ whims played a role. Less is more was a firm theme.

Dubbed ‘the jeweller of kings and the king of jewellers’ by King Edward VII for their craftsmen’s ability to delight royalty around the globe with their initiative, Cartier also displayed loan items from Queen Elizabeth II, including a flower brooch with a 23.60-carat pink diamond at the centre and the tiara Kate Middleton wore for her wedding to Prince William. Another historic piece represented, with its original drawing, was a ceremonial necklace ordered by Sir Bhupinder Singh, the Maharaja of Patiala, in 1925. It incorporated the largest number of gems ever used in fine jewellery (supplied by the Maharaja himself), and featured the 234-carat yellow De Beers diamond, surrounded by nearly 3 000 diamonds and other precious stones.

‘For this exhibition, the curators looked for things that illustrate a certain provenance,’ says Cartier Collection curator Pascale Lepeu. ‘American heiress Daisy Fellowes, for example, loved our colourful “Tutti-Frutti” pieces from the ’20s. These were made with carved stones of unexceptional quality, so their value rests in their design and rarity. And the ruby-and-diamond necklace given to Liz Taylor by her third husband, Mike Todd, as a reward for “doing something wholesome like swimming laps” has a charming story behind it.’

During his time as first director of the Cartier Collection, the late Éric Nussbaum was able to buy back 75 percent of the pieces on display in Paris. Now, additions to the Collection are assessed by their innovation and rarity rather than their age and Cartier limits its purchases to between 10 and 20 pieces per year. It’s a waiting game. ‘It’s like a puzzle; we look for the missing pieces to be fully representative of Cartier’s history – garland style, 19th century, Art Deco, watches, clocks, objects… In December we bought a very important brooch that completes our collection of Egyptian items,’ says Lepeu.

It took two decades to acquire Duchess of Windsor Wallis Simpson’s famous flamingo brooch. During the first sale after her death ‘prices went mad’ and Nussbaum could only afford her diamond-and-sapphire brooch featuring the iconic Cartier panther. Commissioned during the Second World War, when gold and precious stones were in short supply, the brooch was made with stones from some of Mrs Simpson’s bracelets. Its value is high, but not because of the gems. ‘It’s more because of who it belonged to. It’s a work of art,’ says Lepeu.

While the modern Cartier business is focused on watches and jewellery, the Collection gives equal weight to its precious objects. ‘I love to see people discovering not only jewels, but little things you might have in your handbag or at home… It’s a very interesting facet; Cartier is unique for that,’ says Lepeu.

The exhibition highlighted Cartier’s prowess in the history of watchmaking through its display of jewellery watches dating from the 19th century, pocket watches, classic wristwatches and mystery clocks. ‘We’re proud to have a Santos from 1912 and a Tank watch from 1920, a year after each was first released,’ says Lepeu.

Rudolf Valentino famously refused to remove his Tank watch for his film role as an 18th-century sheik, and Andy Warhol was one of many who won’t wear a watch merely to tell the time. ‘Actually I never even wind it. I wear a Tank because it is the watch to wear!’ he said.

Sixteen of the Collection’s mystery clocks, the largest number ever exhibited, created another focal point among Cartier’s flagship creations. The workings of these ‘marvels of watchmaking’ were dreamed up by Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin, who was a watchmaker before he was a magician. Much like his famous illusions, the mechanisms are hidden, their workings undisclosed for many years. The mystery is in the way the hands are connected separately to two transparent disks that initiate their movement. It takes a year to make just one masterpiece.

Lepeu has the privilege of caring for a collection money can’t buy. ‘Nothing is for sale,’ she says. Some historic pieces can still be secured through another collection, Cartier Tradition, a commercial activity dealing with vintage pieces for collectors. ‘Recently we exchanged a mystery clock for the same one in Cartier Tradition because it had belonged to Evalyn Walsh McLean, former owner of the Star of the East – an incredible 94.80-carat pear-shaped diamond – as well as the 45-carat blue Hope Diamond,’ says Lepeu.

The Collection is based in Geneva and pieces can only be viewed in museums. Next on the itinerary is an exhibition in the US, followed by one in China. ‘People really love seeing the Collection. It’s fascinating – you don’t even think about how much the items cost. It’s the history of the French savoir- faire,’ says Lepeu.

Its effect is far-reaching. Our guide discovered an elderly visitor gazing at the 1929 portrait of American heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post and her daughter, Nedenia (Deenie) Hutton. Also known by her stage name, Dina Merrill, she said wistfully: ‘I am the little girl in the painting. Being asked to pose for portraits meant more time with my mother.’

debbie-hathway

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