indulge magazine december
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Men's fashion issueTRANSCRIPT
The Men’s Fashion issue
IN THIS ISSUE
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It is hard to believe that it is December already, the close of another year and the close of the first decade of the 21st Century. Where does time go?
Although the year has flown by, the cooler temperatures, fall/winter fashions and a holiday spirit are always a welcomed change of pace.
With that, we turn to what is important around our offices at the end of the year, what will be in our men’s fashion issue.
Focusing on the male gender and their fash-ion, always gets a high five around the work-place, as it makes the men feel they are finally on equal footing with the female contingent.
Our fashion muse this time around is the well-dressed man, in all his wonderful incarnations.
We mix in the classics with an edgy twist of trends, giving any man on your list numerous options to choose from.
Cultural Distinctions brings us back to London and to The National Gallery for a look
at art as a visual medium for teaching primary school children. The resulting artwork proves that there are plenty of budding Pollacks and Picassos amongst us.
Travel takes us to Istanbul, notably Bospho-rus, to take in the sites, sounds and tastes of the city. We explore cool shopping spots, beautiful mosques, bookshops and more.
If clothes make the person, then designer Jill Sander, creator of +J for Uniqlo, is the modern day sewing saint of minimalist chic. We analyse her influence on today’s fashion and learn what persuaded her renew her Uniqlo design deal.
Vroom Vroom, takes a look at man’s love of luxury automobiles, with the spotlight being on the new Wiesmann MF3 Roadster and the company First Class on the Road Touring. Who knew taking the curves of the mountains could be so luxurious at break neck speeds?
What guy doesn’t love sports? Especially the chance to play one of the luxury sports
associated with uber playboys, beautiful women and thoroughbreds — polo. Our roving reporter checks in on the hoopla behind the latest ultra sport-filled vacations.
However, if thrill-seeking adventure is more your thing, then we have the perfect vaca-tion/challenge for you in the form of the Bourne Adventure from Quintessentially Escapes.
The adventure is an espionage-filled, cloak and dagger vacation cum assignment. Martinis are optional, of course.
The military-inspired bomber jacket made a fashionable return during the FW 2010 season. There were only a few runways that did not show some version of it. We look back at its humble beginnings and its haute incarnations.
With each issue of INDULGE, we encour-age our readers to reach out to us and share their thoughts and ideas, so do enjoy the issue and drop us a line at [email protected]
Stephanie Rivers, Editor, INDULGE
INDULGEthe men’s fashion issue
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TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
Give Good FaceCool New Products to Help Put Your Best Face Forward/14
Cultural DistinctionTo The Maxxi in Rome We Go/19
48 Hrs in BeirutThe Ever Evolving Hotspot of the Middle East/24
Sport ExtremeHow Far Will You Go for an Extreme Adventure?/26
A Day in the LIfeCatching up with Designer Ezra Santos/44
A Bomber Renaissance What’s Old is New and Chic Again/47,
INDULGEthe men’s fashion issue
Chit ChatThe Art of Conversation/49
RE: ACQUAINTModel Chef Helena Rizzo is the Toque of the Town/50
RE: BIRTHHip, Haute, Homme: The Well-Dressed Man/62
RE: WINDCatching the Bosphorus Fever: Taking a Tour of
Istanbul/72
RE: VIEWWhere to get it, how to find it/80
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
The Men’s Fashion issue
It begins in the pages of the magazine and ends online.
Burberry FW 2010Chic Embellished Outwear Burberry, Dubai Mall
Hot, Haute, Homme: Photographer, Hussain Jian; Model, Paul F. for Bareface; Makeup and Hair, Dennie Pasion; Fashion Director, Stephanie Rivers; Stylists, Farah Krei-dieh and S. Marie
Contributing Writers: Melanie Beckwith, Mark Ellwood, Roula Ghayalini , Anna Hansen, Amber Jones, Stephen Joyner, Shadi Moazami, Marie Riviera
EDITORIAL
Executive Editor
Patrick Michael
Indulge Editor
Stephanie Rivers
Copy Editors
Charlie Neyra
Adam Zacharias
PRODUCTION
Design
Rivers By Design
Technical Director
Khaled Abu Romman
ADVERTISING
Director
Haroon Qureshi
Senior Advertising Manager
Mamta Pillai
Senior Account Group Manager
Dunstan W.
COMMERCIAL PRINTING
Marketing Manager
S Imran Shariff
A Publication of Galadari Printing & Publishing
Khaleej TImes P.O. Box 11243, Dubai, UAEEditorial: +971-4-4050754
Fax: +971-4-3384265Advertising: +971-4-4050817,
e-mail: [email protected]
INDULGEKT.COM
The Essentials of A Well-Dressed Man FW 2010 Hip, Haute, Homme
Giv
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CULTURAL DISTINCTIONS
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THE MaxxI IN RoME – THE NaTIoNaL MUSEUM of 21ST CENTURy aRTSNot only a great work of architecture by Zaha Hadid and winner of the RIBA Stirling, The Maxxi museum in Italy’s capital city is an institution focused entirely on the development of contemporary creativity. Located in the Flaminio area of Rome, visitors to the museum can feast their eyes upon a wealth of aesthetic and innovative workshops, performances and screenings as well as educational proj-ects and exhibitions. The Maxxi foundation includes two museums, Maxxi Art and Maxxi Architecture, both famed for their detailed and focused work on progres-sive and dynamic collections to reflect today’s modern society.
Maxxi Art focuses on the latest developments and collections in contemporary Italian art, while the Maxxi Architecture museum appeals to the public as well as architecture professionals. The Maxxi Architecture museum has two separate pro-grammes; the first is historical-critical, dedicated to famous authors and specific themes of modern architectural culture. Whilst the second is of a more experi-mental and innovative nature, dedicated to the exploration of emerging issues in the contemporary world. Open Sunday – Friday, www.maxxi.beniculturali.it.
VISIoNaIRE 5, SpIRIT - TRIbUTE To LEE aLExaNDER MCQUEENThe exclusive fashion and arts bible by Visionaire has collated various editorial and photo-graphic tributes to the late British fashion designer, Alexander McQueen. Entitled Vision-aire 58 – Spirit, the limited edition tabletop book includes tributes from the likes of Lady Gaga, the eccentric singer and close friend of the designer, famed fashion photographers Mario Testino and Nick Knight, as well as many other contributors from the fashion realm. Together with the moving memories and recollections of the designer himself, the issue also includes various exclusive images of his adored clothing designs.
McQueen was first featured in Visionaire in 1996 and since then his ground breaking and unconventional clothing has regularly been included as inspiration for up and coming designers and industry followers. Following his sudden death in February 2010, Spirit is a moving testimony to the designer’s sheer talent not only as a famed public figure with many celebrity followers (Sarah Jessica Parker, Victoria Beckham and Kate Moss, to name but a few) but also as a key contributor to 21st century fashion that resulted in his being one of the world’s most respected and loved fashion designers. Visionaire 58 will be printed in a limited-edition run of 1500 numbered copies. www.visionaireworld.com.
oUT of aRT INTo LITERaCyLocated within the National Gallery of London is a wonderful inter-active work that celebrates the outcome of two innovative projects — ‘Into the Frame’ and ‘Out of Art into Storytelling’ — with 1,200 pri-mary school children in London. The exhibit showcases the students’ work after being given the chance to explore the gallery and all it had to offer. The exhibit itself is the outcome of the extensive training that the grade school teachers received, the new understanding that they derived from it and the influence it had on their teachings.
Art, as a learning tool for the pupils had remarkable results, alter-ing the children’s speaking and writing skills in and out of the class-rooms, with the subsequent art pieces being the fruit of their inspired labour. The still life exhibit is accompanied by a film that celebrates the student’s work and reveals the power of a visual medium to trans-form a child’s means of communication/storytelling and life. ‘Out of Art into Literacy’ is running at The National Gallery from September 3 through December 2010.
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FASHIONABLE READS
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MaKE oVER yoUR MaNMake Over Your Man is the latest style tome from American Style Network fashion guru and celebrity stylist, Lloyd Boston. This styl-ish book, is a how-to guide geared towards the woman behind the well-dressed man. The title is a bit off putting, as one should never try to change or make anyone over, least of all your partner who is probably visibly resistant to the idea. However, when one is faced with the inevitable question: Honey, does this tie go with this shirt? With this suit? What colour shoes should I wear? One must be well-armed to intercede and to lead the stylish charge. The book gets to the heart of the matter, how to help your man be his best dressed self, by covering style from head to toe. Lloyd’s approachable man-ner, detailed explanations, instructive charts and Q & A sections make this one of the definitive books of the season. Available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com.
DETaILS MEN’S STyLE MaNUaLAnyone that reads Details magazine, is more than likely a fan of their
monthly style tips and tricks for the every day Joe looking to be a well-dressed man. Perhaps, you have saved a clipping or two to refer
to at a later date or to pass along to your significant other? Maybe you have dropped the ‘not so subtle’ hint of needing to be better dressed,
by leaving behind the entire magazine, dog-eared to the style pages. Well, whatever your method, this award-winning magazine has made it easier for today’s man, by combining all of those style tips, modern
fashion advice and everything in between into a easily read style guide. The book is also peppered with full colour illustrations of outfits and
their explanations of why they work, simplifying one of life’s fashion-able conundrums. Available at Amazon.com
abC of MEN’S faSHIoNThis 1965 classic style guide by Sir Hardy Amie’s, full of witty turns of phrase and expert fashion advice, was reissued at the end of 2007, thank goodness, due to a retrospective at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Anecdotes like “a man should look as if he has bought his clothes with intelligence and put them together with care — only to have forgotten all about them — is reason enough to pick this up and not stop reading until one reaches the end.You can expect advice on everything from the etiquette of dressing for any and all occasions to a in-depth glossary of terms. Amie, a former British se-cret agent, who set-up shop on Savile row in the ‘40s was known for his sharp tongue and stuffy manner, manages to infuse his book with those attributes but without putting the reader off while doing so. Available and Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and Borders Books.
BY Roula GhaYalini
BY Stephanie RiveRS
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39...WITH Cozy SWeaTerS, SumpTuouS LeaTHerS, CaSHmere SCarveS aND more
what’s : haute
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SCaRVES‘TIS THE SEaSoN To bE SwaTHED IN LUxURIoUS SCaRVES IN RICH HUES
IN THE baGa SLEEK CRoSS boDybaG THaT HoLDS EVERy-THING IS THE NEw ‘IT’ aCCESSoRy
Cozy KNITSbEING bUNDLED Up IN SofT, Cozy KNITS aRE THE bEST way To STay waRM aLL SEaSoN LoNG
wELL SHoDMaN MaKES THE SUIT bUT a GREaT SHoE booT MaKES THE oUTfIT
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RAN
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BY STEPHANIE RIVERS
Purveyor of the ultimate Americana lifestyle, design-er Ralph Lauren heeded the advice of the early American pioneers and went West. The 16,000 RRL Ranch is a sumptuous les-son in rustic cowboy chic
The RRL Ranch in Colorado, home of Ricki and Ralph Lauren, is a far cry from his humble beginnings in the Bronx, New York.Back in 1967, Lauren was a young up-
start with chutzpah and a dream. He wanted to create a luxury lifestyle brand that exemplified all things American – beginning with a $50,000 loan, he created the now global Ralph Lauren brand.
Two years later, Lauren would have a bou-tique of his own within Bloomingdale’s flagship store on 59th Street in the Big Apple. A common occurrence for designers these days, but a phe-nomenal achievement back them.
1971 would bring about the launch of Polo Ralph Lauren women’s collection and a free-standing store in Beverly Hills, California. A de-cade later, Lauren would launch his first interna-tional store presence with a flagship in London on New Bond Street.
The early 90s launched the Polo Sport line and fragrances, with the company going public in 1997.
The Lauren lifestyle brand continued to grow in the Ninties, as did his penchant for buying homes in different locales and designing them to reflect his brand and his envisioned Americana.
The RRL Ranch — the acronym for Ralph and Ricki Lauren — like the rest of Lauren’s resi-dences, is an opulent extension of that vision,
combined with his love of the old West.The ranch is a working one with horses,
cattle and ranch hands roaming about. Set on over 15,000 acres, its aesthetic reflects Lauren’s design style and penchant for the finer things
in life, expressed in a humble manner but with well-appointed chic.
RRL was a heartfelt search by Ricki and Ralph, looking for a Western escape that gave them pri-vacy and the ability to be lost in thought, ride their beloved horses and sleep under the stars.
It was a search that would take some time to realise, and they eventually discovered their dream home by accident from a perch atop of a hillside.
The creation of RRL was a painstaking pro-cess, where every visual detail was acutely dis-sected and no stone was left unturned. His love of the old West would result in an old barn, an-tique saddles, vintage trucks and cars, an old sil-ver airstream trailer, weathered leather chairs, denim, broken in cowboy boots and old cow-hides, much like the world of Ralph Lauren that we see in advertising campaigns.
Lauren’s homes are like his collections: a extension of his visual creativity and of what he feels his customers want and need.
It is this instinct and understanding of the fundamentals of clothing (that what we wear influences both how we see ourselves and the impression we make on others) that has pro-pelled the Ralph Lauren brand to a billion-dol-lar enterprise.
Lauren is proof positive that tenacity and vi-sion lead to success – he dropped out of college, and never went to fashion or design school.
can start there?High & Wild, a United Kingdom expedi-
tion company partnered with local Himalayan adventure operator, orchestrates one of the most extreme adventure packages on the globe currently. The skydive, over 29,000 feet high, pushes human boundaries and fortitude while dealing with the harsh climatic elements of cold and altitude.
Most who have made the jumps so far have been experienced skydivers, who even with their advanced skill levels have found it chal-lenging, albeit white-knuckle inducing exhila-ration. Practice jumps are done first from the drop zone of Shyangboche, with the actual jump taking place from a Pilatus Porter aircraft. One caveat though is that the practice jumps are done from a Russian MI17 Helicopter and Polish M-28 Skytruck. If that makes a differ-ence to you.
Your first jump can be done solo or in tan-dem depending on how many people are reg-istered. Do understand that this is not for the timid; the very inexperienced or, obviously, those afraid of heights. Nor is this the place to face your fear of heights for a break through.
Save that for paragliding in Oman. To obtain more information on the com-
pany and the Everest jumps, contact them at 0845 0047 801 or at [email protected].
Okay, by now you have gotten your adrena-lin-based adventures out of your system, as well as being over the cold and are ready for a little slower pace.
Learning the art of kings — polo, is about skill, the ability to stay astride a thoroughbred and access to a proper training ground, like the recently opened Estancia Vik. Estancia is an ultra-luxurious retreat ensconced in Jose Ignacio, Uruguay, which happens to sport its own private polo field.
Here you will learn the noble art of polo while enjoying the great outdoors, beautiful grounds that cover over 4,000 acres, replete with white sand beaches, Marcelo Daglio ar-chitecture and rolling greens.
Estancia itself is an expansive 50,000-square feet compound, providing its guests with spacious suites, a spa, a gym, a wine cel-lar, barbecue areas, outdoor patios, rivers, lakes and a lush countryside to walk in.
I digress, as the reason for going are the polo lessons. The resort, in partnership with Haras Godiva Polo Management, provides polo packages, notably their two-night stay at Estancia, which includes three polo lessons for Dh6,440 ($1,750).
Beginners are encouraged to take the re-sort’s introductory course, while families can take group lessons and/or private one-on-one lessons.
Polo professionals teach all lessons with the same attention to detail paid to all levels of experience.
If your arms are tired from driving your mallet and you want to let your steed relax, you can take in one of the scheduled profes-sional matches with some of South America’s best polo players that take place at the prop-erty as well.
Then there is surfing and splashing through the ocean on horseback at dusk to sooth your aches and pains, or just to fill your senses with the essential recharge they deserve.
Contact Estancia Vik at +598 (94) 60 5212 or +598 (94) 60 5314, or via email at [email protected].
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4 Ways to Test Your Mettle
The saying goes that there is an inner athlete lurking inside of all of us. Clearly they never met my uncle Dan, a man who never learned to ride a bike, can barely stand
on ice skates and a ‘swing and a miss’ is the mantra when he is at bat during the annual family picnic.
If you have Herculean dreams of being an Olympic athlete, where a bevy of goddesses will greet you and fawn over your athletic prowess and you have practiced your gold medal acceptance speech, plus your wave, please know that will never happen.
However, you can console yourself with the fact that you can play like an Olympian. You can take an adult snow day and partake in a 9-mile sled excursion through the Austrian Alps, get your Kung Fu fight on with a monk master, heli skydive off of Mt. Everest or learn to play the sport of kings — polo.
Who needs the ordinary beachside retreat, chock full of sunblock, lounge side coladas and a towel boy, when you can have the wind in your face?
Intrigued by the frenzied ritual each Olym-pic season, where all of my male friends get a testosterone surge and start taking on ex-treme sports, I decided to research what was out there and what it really takes.
Now for the black diamond skiers, or those
who pretend to be, the snow conditions and beauty of the surroundings of Wildkogel Ro-delbahn in Neukirchen, Austria is the place for you. Here you can take that long overdue snow day by sledding down their 8.89 mile to-bogganing path, a pulse-quickening adventure hurtling you down the mountain at breakneck speeds. Your vehicle? A traditional sled with rope steering that is low to the ground, allow-ing you to feel every dip and hairpin turn along the path, with endless snow as far as the eye can see, and steep drop-offs to the side of you.
Depending on your chutzpah, the nail-bit-ing excursion can take any where from twenty minutes to an hour. Take heart, though — if you find half way through you can not take any more, feel free to stop off at the snow tavern and indulge in the Swiss specialty of the house. For reservations and more information, con-tact the resort at +43 0 6565 6405.
Of course, if you have been dying to prac-tice your Shaolin and Wushu fight training and have dreamed of staring down a Kung Fu master in a far off locale suitable for Bruce Wayne, perhaps you should consider testing your martial arts metal at the Taining Martial Arts Center in Fujian Province, China.
A short flight, well, not really, will deliver you to the Taining grounds, high in the moun-tains of Fujian Province in South East China. Here many forms of Chinese martial arts are
practiced — Shaolin, Wushu, White Crane, Bagua and Sanda — taught by some of the best trained masters in China.
Students, depending on skill level, stay for one to three months, where they train with a Kung Fu master five days a week, have the op-portunity to learn Mandarin, and receive ac-commodation and three meals a day included in the 799 Euro starting price (cost varies, de-pending on length of stay).
Once a budding mixed martial arts master arrives, he or she selects their preferred form to learn, but there are no guarantees, as it de-pends on how many other students are signed up for the same form.
Now to the good part, the school states that many students are able to break a brick in half at the end of their three-month stay. However, they fail to state how many bricks one had to try to break before being successful with one.
Perhaps that does not really matter, as the office bully that has been stealing your lunch will see you in a whole new Bruce Lee Fist of Fury light. For more information, contact the school at +44 1982 701 890.
Many have tried to climb Mt. Everest and few have succeeded to the highest summit. Many have braved the cold, the wind, the snow, HAPE and HACE only to be turned back.
There is no shame in trying and not suc-ceeding, but why climb to the top when you
Sports Extreme:BY MAIRE RIVIERA
BY STEPHANIE RIVERS
Outwear was the tasteful battle cry of the F/W 2010 season, with coats ranging from long leather dusters, to shearling knee-length looks, to wool
wrap styles and a plethora of trenches. However, the standout of the season was
the military-inspired bomber jacket , taking its style cue from the original flight jackets circa the 1930s.
Bombers jackets — A-2, MA-1 and B-15 — also known as flight and flying jackets, were originally designed for airforce servicemen at the onset of World War I who flew in open cockpit planes.
The jackets were designed to keep pilots warm and comfortable at high altitudes and in any in-clement weather condition, like rain, hail and snow.
There have been many incarnations of this sturdy jacket over the years, even before fash-ion though its aviator cap in the ring. The early jackets, dating back to 1917 to the early thirties when they became military issue (the A-2), were heavy duty leather jackets, made
of hand-tanned leather that preserved the hide and provided the pilot with give and ma-neuverability inside the cockpit.
The new heavy leather jackets quickly became popular due to their tight snug cuffs around the wrists, fitted waists and high col-lars with padded lining to help protect from extreme cold.
By the onset of World War II, these bomber/flight jackets were distributed to all branches of the services, with the A-2 being joined by the MA-1 and the G-5, worn by the Marine and Navy branches of the armed services.
As aerial demands increased and aviation technology continued to develop, so did the altitudes climbed. Soaring to higher heights and greater speeds, called for a further evolu-tion in the bomber jacket, one that would provide a warmer interior lining.
Wool and fur were used to add warmth to style, making this new version of the bomber, the B3, popular with the pilots and ground crew alike. The new Jacket was not only
warmer outwear but functional as well with the incorporation of large cargo pockets.
As technology continued forward with lightening speed and the ‘new jet’ emerged, the refinement of the bomber was necessary to accommodate the new enclosed cockpits and the subsequent need to control the fluctuating tempera-tures that accompanied it.
The new flight jackets, the B-15, now designed out of nylon and various other synthetic materials provided a jacket that was of lighter weight and gave the pilots more flexibility and comfort.
These original design principles are still at the core of today’s design inspiration, now providing more luxurious fabrics that span the gamut, from leather, to shearling, to wool and beyond.
Burberry Prorsum hands down turned out the most outstanding bomber-spired designed jackets this season, harkening by to yesteryear with a modern day twist that should be in every man’s closet.
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BomberThe
RenaissanceBY STEPHANIE RIVERS
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Ah, man and his machine. That per-fect union of an experienced driver and a well-crafted automobile.Giving into the sheer thrill of taking hairpin turns on mountainous roads
and enjoying the rush that comes with stepping on the accelerator when faced with no traffic and a long, open road.
How many weekends have been dedicated to the sacred ritual of hand washing and polish-ing your automobile to mirror finish? Frankly, too many to count.
Someone asking to test drive it is akin to having one’s cash stolen, leaving you looking dumbfounded at the mere idea of it.
Well, the Wiesmann MF 3 Roadster is that awe-inducing hunk of precision design and composition that reduces grown men to a misty-eyed state and more.
The MF 3 is from the sports car manufacturer Wiesmann in Westpha-lia, Germany. The brothers Friedhelm and Martin Wiesmann are the kind of car purists that you want making your sports cars, forever.
The Roadster was first produced in 1993 and has since becoming the symbol for elegance and heart-stopping technology and design.
When you see one you are immediately
spellbound, reaching out to touch the high-gloss shine of the exterior but to shaky to do so.
You manage to regain some calm and are able to open the door and take in the exquisite leather interior, running your eyes over every curve, stitch and instrument.
Once seated, you take in the softness of the leather and fathom its durability, recol-lecting that if you choose to buy one, you have over 400 leathers to select from.
Each hand-crafted inch of the Roadster is a miracle to behold.
The exterior is crafted of high-quality, glass fibre reinforced material with hand wound windows made of safety glass and a mechanical fabric hood.
Then there is the mind-numbing front-mounted mid-engine with three-way catalytic converter, electronic petrol injection and the stainless steel twin exhaust pipes.
It doesn’t hurt that the MF 3 is a 6 cylin-der 4 value engine that has a power output of 252/343 KW/HP, with a capacity of 3 201 cm3.
Admittedly, the car does not come cheap. I am not suggesting that you throw caution to the wind and spend all of your life savings on the finer things in life, taking on the man-tra of live for today because tomorrow is not
promised. Not at all.What I am suggesting, is that perhaps you
take your new obsession for a test run first to see what she can really do.
For a fraction of the cost of owning the car, you can spend a few days speeding through the Alps behind the wheel of your favourite new automobile. Sign up for the two-day First Class tour from the company, First Class on the Road.
The tours take man and his machine through some of the most picturesque spots in Europe, driving tour through the Alps. Think of this trek as a testosterone-fueled rights of passage where you get to speed, push the machine to its limits without having to watch out for the police or have your significant other scold you for going to fast.
Just in case you are undecided about testing your Roadster, you can also choose to drive an Aston Martin DB9, a BMW M6 or a Lamborghini Gallardo.
Oh, between the sheer thrill of driving your automobile and the beautiful sights you will see, you will stay at two different opulent lake pal-aces — Hotel Luzern and Victoria-Jungfrau — which allows you to jump on your bed and night and pinch yourself for having such an experience bar none. For more information on Wiesmann, visit www.wiesmann.com. For First Class on the road, visit www.firstclassontheroad.com.
VROOM VROOM
BY STEPHEN JOYNERAn Ode to High-Octane Machines
Most bookshelves in Amer-ica have a dog-eared copy of Barbara Walters’s book, ‘How to Talk to Practically Anybody about Practically
Anything’. It was as much a staple of the 1970s as Black Forest gateaux, disco, key parties and Olivia Newton John. Thirty years on, though, I fret that no one’s yet written a sequel – even an antidote - to this pervasive Bible of chitchattery. And I’m ready to volunteer.
Walters’s book is no use to me as I’ve always been big on small talk: at wed-dings, the seat-filling stopgap next to socially awkward aunts is me, while at parties, I’ll launch myself at a cluster of new people with the enthusiasm of Tom Cruise pursuing the enemies of Scientol-ogy. What has always proved challeng-ing, though, is extricating myself from those new chums, especially the low-key and –energy types who stick to you with grim determination like social chewing gum, human tourniquets constricting party circulation.
I’ve already amassed a pile of poten-tial entries in a Bible of graceful exits. Af-ter all, I watched a master from an early age: my feisty yet firm-constitutioned godmother seemed never to arrive at a party without some minor ailment
– she’d sigh and mention in pass-ing a migraine, indigestion,
jetlag. If the eve-ning - and her
companions - proved fun, those mala-
dies magically vanished; otherwise,
they wors-
ened and her easy, early exit was already prepped.
But sometimes, leaving a party isn’t an option – you don’t want to ditch the bash, just the buttonholers wedging you into the corner. Only amateurs risk claim-ing ‘I’m off to the bathroom/bar/buffet’ since that only enables a bright-eyed and clingy ‘Me, too – I’ll come with you’. Yes, I know I could simply say, briskly, ‘Do excuse me, as I’ll only be here for a while and I definitely need to say hello to a couple of other people’, but I’ve never been poker faced enough to pass that off as plausible. One friend confided her fail-safe trick: her car trunk always contained a generic hostess gift (scented candle, red wine, Oprah Book Club selection) so that retrieving it, faux-forgotten, could be a conversation-breaking excuse. But I live in taxi-powered New York City, so that was scant help.
Instead, I’ve had to devise cunning but kind subterfuges: technology, of course, is a canny ally. Anyone can program a phone’s alarm to ring sporadically during a dull networking bash as a fake urgent call from your colleague/spouse/nanny. Or ask a friend to phone at an agreed time to offer an instant out, blind date-style. But I prefer stashing my cell, set to silent, in an easy to reach pocket; when chitchat flags, I can apologize concernedly, pat it and say ‘How mysterious! My phone is constantly vibrating – excuse me while I make sure it’s not an emergency’.
There are low-tech low-impact tricks too. Food’s an always-reliable discon-nector: stuck with a social Siamese twin, I scan the canapé trays, looking for the largest and least bite-sized, then snatch a couple greedily as they glide past. Few but the most socially awkward – or hun-
gry – can watch comfortably as someone overfills their mouth. Chewing stagily and looking sheepish usually unseals the deal; an apologetic shrug is all it takes to escape for a napkin. If canapés aren’t within reach, a friend once suggested a riskier strategy; but I’ve never yet mus-tered courage, or frustration, enough to roadtest it. She feigns concern, leans close and whispers ‘I know I don’t know you very well but you have something in your teeth’. Propelled by spinach and shame to the nearest bathroom, it’s easy to slip away.
My favorite party trick, though, is the Two-drink Twofer: at risky bashes, never leave any open bar with less than a cocktail in each hand. It’s a party-pro-tecting prophylactic. Once stuck in a boring rut, you can chug that stunt mar-tini in desperation; or better still, use it as a handy exit strategy. Look across the room excitedly, show a flicker of recognition then brightly chirp, ‘Excuse me, while I deliver this – I promised I wouldn’t take so long!’ If all else fails, or you’re followed, spill that drink on your persecutor – a martini won’t stain, after all – to guarantee a deadlock in chitchat (and likely permanent exile from every-one’s invitation A-list).
Then again, every time I wriggle free from social limpets, I feel as much guilt as glee. Perhaps those of us for whom big bashes induce euphoria rather than anxiety should be gracious, not grate-ful to get away. How truly grueling is it to act as social life preservers for those who’d otherwise flail in choppy party waters? Perhaps it’s best to smile, sip your wine and make a little smalltalk with everyone. Somehow, I suspect that’s what Barbara Walters would do.
re : define
OMG, please don’tsit next to me
Wow, he hasn’tstopped talking
Finally, someoneto talk to
CHIT
the rules of engagement
CHATWriter Mark Ellwood analyses
Are you listening?
Nice Buffet
Not Really
re : acquaint
A Lesson in Food:
Ingredients for SuccessChef Helena Rizzo’s
BY ADAM ZACHARIAS
Chef Helena Rizzo is the toque of South America, a real gaû-cha made good. Although the term gaûcha may sound as though it implies a previous
career as a horsewoman, it is simply the native term for the area of Brazil that she grew up in, Rio Grande du Sul, the most southern part of Brazil.
Before Helena would find her true calling in soulful flavours and foods, her interests segued between architecture and a career in modeling for three years. When she decided that food was her calling, she packed her bags and headed to the source of inspiration for many chefs, Spain.
Helena knocked on many doors and toiled in many kitchens before finding one she would stay at and learn in, the anointed kitchen of Chef Joan Roca. It was here that Rizzo learned the fine art of cooking, lessons that years later she would bring back to her native Brazil.
Instead of working in another restau-rant upon her return to Sao Paulo, she opted to open her own restaurant, Mani, instead. Fast-forward to today and this 32-year old model-turned-chef ’s name is the one on everyone’s lips.
Many discovered her delectable dishes and intriguing flavours through
Paladar – Cozinha do Brasil, the three-day food event in Brasil. Since her first appearance there three years ago, Rizzo has been anointed with the title, Chef of the Year, and continues to be a regular participant each year.
At Mani, an airy space with a series of small rooms set-up to look like a garden awash in warm amber hues and white tablecloths, authentic Sao Paulo delica-cies are served with a twist. The dishes feed the soul through their savoury fla-vour mix, their visual presentation, off-set by the hum heard around the tables and the wondrous smells that continu-ally waft through it.
Many of her dishes are a molecular gastronomic experience that must be experienced to be believed and to be ful-ly appreciated. A bean dish may come to your table not in their expected form of shapely mounds of flavour but rather as small droplets of the essence of beans.
Feijoada, a slightly bitter green that is commonly shredded and boiled in Sao Paulo, is transformed at the hand of Rizzo with her creation requiring the greens to be deep fried until crisp. She plates them as a visually appealing side that renders a savoury taste that melts on your tongue.
Figo, a hard Brasilian cheese, is cubed
and deep fried, served as cheese lolli-pops that make the perfect starter plate to enjoy. Cheese plays a starring role in many of Mani’s dishes with Gorgonzola being brought down to its purist form, a delicious reduction accompanied by an apple jelly and a celery root sorbet. Tak-ing a traditional cheese and fruit plate to new science fiction heights.
The signature dish, Maniocas, com-bines a concoction of foamy coconut milk with a slightly bitter extract of cas-sava root with a dollop of roasted tubers. It is a gastronomic marvel of big taste piled high upon a small white plate.
Though pasta may not be a native Brazilian dish, the Pupunha is the per-fect dish for pasta lovers. The crunchy ravioli is stuffed with melon, squash and almonds, providing the palette with a textual marvel that is as good at the last bite as it was at the first.
The desserts at Mani are as much a scientific tour de force as the main dishes are. The main standouts are the Egg Dessert; an eggnog ice cream paired with coconut foam and coconut crisps. The other is the Coffee Coffee, a coffee ice cream with coffee gel and cream.
Mani, Rua Joaquim Antunes, 210 Jardim Paulistano, Sao Paulo. www.res-taurantemani.com.br.
BY AMBER JONES
What We liked: The seared scallopWhat We didn’t like: The lack of atmosphereCost for tWo: Dh300-Dh500ContaCt: Rive Gauche Restaurant, The Address Hotel Dubai Marina, 800-ADDRESS
What We liked: When the tunes were turned up What We didn’t like: It’s only three hours longCost for one: Dh479ContaCt: Yalumba Restaurant, Le Meridian Dubai, Garhoud, 04-2170000
BY CHARLIE R NEYRA
What We liked: The service and sizzling potato starterWhat We didn’t like: The beverage selectiodinner for tWo: Dh400ContaCt: Handi Restaurant, The Taj Palace Hotel, Dubai, 04-2113020
Editor’sPicks:
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LANVIN HOMME
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ARMANI COLLECTION
THERE ARE ONLY A FEW MASTERS OF SUITING, ARMANI IS ONE OF THEM. HIS FW 2010 COLLECTION IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF HIS DEFT HAND AND HIS ABILITY TO PRODUCE SUITING AT ITS VERY BEST
3.1 PHILLIP LIM UOMO
3.1 PHILLIP LIM DELIVERED CHIC STAPLES FOR THE URBAN WARRIOR THAT MUST SLAY THE MECHANICAL DRAGONS AND TAME THE ASPHALT BEASTS DAY IN AND DAY OUT. GREAT JACKETS, COZY SWEATERS AND CHIC SUIT SEPARATES
TOBY
THE TOBY LINE OF NATIONAL DRESS SILHOUETTES BRINGS STYLISH PANACHE TO AN EVERYDAY STAPLE THAT ONLY A NATIVE SON OF THE UAE COULD ACHIEVE. THE LINE IS ELEGANT, FASH-IONABLE YET RE-SPECTFUL OF THE EMIRATI CULTURE
re : birth
THE wELL-DRESSED MaN IS THE HoMME of THE fw 2010 SEaSoN, wHETHER CaSUaL oR EVENING aTTIRE, HE IS THE oNE To waTCH
HIP,
HOMMEHAUTE,
CRazy, CaSUaL, CooLbEING wELL-DRESSED DoES NoT aLwayS MEaN a SUIT aND a TIE. CooL SEpaRaTES LIKE a T-SHIRT, KICKS aND a SwEaTER bLazER SayS IT aLL
wELL SUITEDVELVET TaKES THE SUIT To a DIffERENT REaLM of ELEGaNCEfoR a NIGHT oUT oN THE TowN
LUSCIoUS LayERSLayERING SHIRTS aDDS DEpTH aND a RICHNESS To aNy LooK wITHoUT NEEDING a TIE oR CUffLINKS
boLD STRoKEa wELL-CUT SUIT wITH pINSTRIpES aND a ToUCH of baNKER’S bLUE IS aN ELoQUENT NoD To yESTERyEaR
GEEK CHICa GREaT CoaT aND DENIM IS aLL yoU REaLLy NEED
By AnnA HAnsen
T
re : view
WHAT’S HAUTE... 31
OPENING PAGE: DEEP CHOCOLATE BROWN LEATHER
BOMBER JACKET WITH SHEARLING COLLAR, PRICE
UPON REQUEST, AT RALPH LAUREN (DUBAI MALL,
FASHION AVENUE); TRI-COLOUR CASHMERE SCARF,
DHS425, RALPH LAUREN (DUBAI MALL, FASHION
AVENUE); GREY, BLACK AND RASPBERRY SCARF,
DH925, BURBERRY (DUBAI MALL, FASHION AVENUE);
BLACK HERRINGBONE COAT, DOLCE & GABBANA,
DH5,365, AT SAKS FIFTH AVENUE (BURJUMAN). DRAW-
STRING CABLE KNIT HOODIE, DH1,065, D & G, SAKS
FIFTH AVENUE (BURJUMAN). BLACK NYLON CROSS
BODY BAG WITH LEATHER TRIM, DH1,325, DOLCE
& GABBANA, AT SAKS FIFTH AVENUE (BURJUMAN);
WHITE SILKEN T-SHIRT, DH845, DOLCE & GABBANA,
AT SAKS FIFTH AVENUE (BURJUMAN); DARK RINSE
BOOTCUT JEANS, DH2,065, DIOR, AT SAKS FIFTH
AVENUE (BURJUMAN); BLACK & WHITE HERRING-
BONE BLAZER, DH5,365, DOLCE & GABBANA, AT SAKS
FIFTH AVENUE (BURJUMAN). BLACK PERFORATED-
DETAILED LEATHER ANKLE BOOT, DH2,675, D & G, AT
SAKS FIFTH AVENUE (BURJUMAN). WHITE T-SHIRT,
DH940, GALLIANO, AT SAKS FIFTH AVENUE (BURJU-
MAN); BLACK PANTS, DH2,725, DOLCE & GABBANA,
SAKS FIFTH AVENUE (BURJUMAN). BLACK LEATHER
BELT WITH SILVER BUCKLE, DH1,350, DIOR, SAKS
FIFTH AVENUE (BURJUMAN).
HIP, HAUTE, HOMME... 62
OPENER: IKAT-INSPIRED PRINT KNIT SCARF, DH1,065,
D & G, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE (BURJUMAN); KNIT
SLEEVE JACKET WITH PUFFER VEST FRONT, DH4,405,
ERMANO BY ERMANO SCERVINO, SAKS FIFTH AV-
ENUE (BURJUMAN); PANTS, DH1,050, BURBERRY
(DUBAI MALL, FASHION AVENUE). DARK GREY AND
RED GRAPHIC SHIRT, DH940, GALLIANO, SAKS FIFTH
AVENUE (BURJUMAN); NAVY CABLE SWEATER WITH
POCKETS, DH2,010, GALLIANO, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE
(BURJUMAN); PATENT LEATHER KICKS WITH WHITE
STRIPE DETAIL, DH2,485, DIOR, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE
(BURJUMAN); GREY PANTS, DH1,050, BURBERRY
(DUBAI MALL, FASHION AVENUE). BLACK PANTS
DH2,725, DOLCE & GABBANA, GREY BUTTON DOWN
SHIRT, DH1,150, GALLIANO, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE
(BURJUMAN); BLAZER, DH4,085, DOLCE & GABBANA,
SAKS FIFTH AVENUE (BURJUMAN); SILK POCKET
SCARF, DH410, RALPH LAUREN (DUBAI MALL, FASH-
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DH19,945, RALPH LAUREN (DUBAI MALL, FASHION AV-
ENUE); BLUE BUTTON DOWN SHIRT, 1,410, RALPH LAU-
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WITH SILVER BUCKLE, DH1,350, DIOR, SAKS FIFTH AV-
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BURBERRY (DUBAI MALL, FASHION AVENUE); BLACK
SHIRT, DH2,070, ALEXANDER MCQUEEN, SAKS FIFTH
AVENUE (BURJUMAN); BLACK PANTS, DH3,135, RALPH
LAUREN (DUBAI MALL, FASHION AVENUE). TARTAN
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COVER LOOK
DEEP CHOCOLATE BROWN LEATHER BOMBER
JACKET WITH SHEARLING COLLAR, PRICE UPON RE-
QUEST, AT RaLpH LaUREN (DUBAI MALL, FASHION
AVENUE). TRI-COLOUR CASHMERE SCARF, DHS425,
AT RALPH LAUREN (DUBAI MALL, FASHION AVENUE).
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