The Tata group has been particularly active in Italy of late, perhaps recognizing the country’s style. First Jaguar became involved with Italian rowing, and now, jazz singer and pianist Chiara Civello has been announced as the new ambassador for the Range Rover Evoque.
Civello will use the Evoque during the Festival della canzone italiana (Festival of San Remo) this year, from February 14 to 18. She is competing at the festival.
Land Rover sees a fit with Civello: she is young and becoming more famous and recognized, qualities that it associates with the Range Rover Evoque.
‘Chiara Civello conveys the free personality and dynamicity of the latest Range Rover model. But also its elegant and refined character, qualities Chiara’s music possesses,’ the company said in a release.
Once a year la Serenissima reverts to its true and elemental nature, as the ghosts come out and history can be felt on every narrow bridge and alleyway. Of course, I am talking about Carnivale, where the imagination soars, as masques and costumes, capes and mystery sweep by you at every corner. The city turns into a fantasy of colour and celebration, flavoured with the scent of decadence and opulence. It is an experience you must have at least once in your life.
Our friends at the remarkable Luna Baglioni (just off San Marco, with its own arrival dock where your launch can drop you directly) offer a group of incredible ball deals, starting at a not-so-staggering supplement of €290 per person. Room nights additional. You can avail yourself of any of the following:
Saturday, February 11, 2012: Moon Masquerade at the Luna Hotel Baglioni
Friday, February 17, 2012: the Great Baglioni Party
Saturday, February 18, 2012: Grand Carnival Gala at the Luna Hotel Baglioni (€320 per person)
These offers exclude the room rate, but can include champagne, fancy dress parties, some held in the Marco Polo room dominated by huge School of Tiepolo frescoes, dinner—depending on the date—entertainment, and DJs until the wee hours of the morning. Period costumes can be purchased or rented. Be sure to avail yourself of the insider knowledge possessed by Antonio Massari, the Luna’s amazing concierge, perhaps the best in the world. Then, imagine yourself hidden behind mask and cloak, stealing down a romantic passagio, off for an intimate midnight rendezvous.
For details, see www.baglionihotels.com/en/destinations/venice/luna-hotel-baglioni/packages/Special%20Venice%20Carnival.—Stanley Moss, Travel Editor
Top Beth Ditto with John Demsey, Group President, the Estée Lauder Companies Inc., in Paris. Above The Feeling Alive collection from Jane Iredale.
Beth Ditto is MAC’s latest collaborator, with her collection to be released in June. Along with Vanessa Paradis, Catherine Deneuve, Dita von Teese, Christian Louboutin, Juliette Binoche and Grace Jones, Ditto attended the Gala Sidaction dîner de la mode in Paris on January 26 as part of the MAC Aids Fund’s work, and to make the partnership public.
Jane Iredale is launching a make-up collection called Feeling Alive, with two eye glosses, two Lip Plumpers, a lip-defining pencil and a rosy bronzer available from March. It’s a perfect beauty collection for the winter months.
We’re wondering how many ‘unique’ shopping events Auckland can take later in February. In the spirit of Vogue’s Fashion Night Out—we’ve already been covering New York, Tokyo and Berlin editions—an event called Shop One Night hits New Zealand from February 23 at 5 p.m., running till midnight in the Britomart precinct, and has been realized by ShopWhatsNew.co.nz.
The following evening, to kick off the New Zealand Fashion Festival, a shopping event called First Light takes place at Auckland’s High Street, O’Connell Street and the surrounding lanes. Karen Walker reveals her spring 2012 collection, while Ruby launches its Liam collection, all complemented by a shopping experience in the area. More details are at www.highstdistrict.co.nz.
The winner between these two events: shoppers, who get more fashion than they would normally get on two days in Auckland.
Finally, we hear that Bodyhaven Spa in the James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor in Wellington is offering a Valentine’s couple’s massage for NZ$160 per couple for an hour, with bubbly and a copper tub soak, or pamper yourself for NZ$99. Call 64 4 495-3255 extension 8542 or visit www.bodyhaven.co.nz.
Our correspondent Joanna Mroczkowska has sent us some images from Netherlands-based Polish designer André Lisowski, one of the men behind the Delikatessen label. The latest look book for spring–summer 2012 features Polish model Greg Nawrat, the face of the Gucci spring–summer 2012 campaign.
Delikatessen, co-founded by Stephen Hartog, aims to combine old-world craft and modern design. As the company itself states, ‘We forget products valued on status but instead appreciate those where the time, thought and true commitment are put into their development. We are modern artisans.’
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week
While Maurice Luckett is in Berlin shooting Fashion Week, we stumbled across this image of Karolína Kurková and Eva Padberg from the official stash.
On the main part of the Lucire site, Stanley Moss takes in the healing waters of the Hacienda Hot Springs Inn, a mere two hours from Los Angeles.
We wish all our readers a happy and prosperous New Year!
TopThank You for the Music (2011), oil on canvas, 40 by 50 cm. Above leftHasta La Vista (2011), oil on canvas, 40 by 50 cm. Above rightAndy from Ipswich (2011), oil on canvas, plus hand-carved frame, 40 by 50 cm. Below leftDicky (2011), oil on canvas, plus hand-carved frame, 40 by 50 cm.
Who says portraiture is dead? If you’ve had enough of the yearly competition at the National Portrait Gallery, maybe it’s time to take a chance on Stuart Pearson Wright’s unforgiving eye, showing at London’s Riflemaker Gallery through February 15. This heritage space with leaning walls, rickety staircase and lived-in feel could be the perfect venue for edgy artists like Wright to show off their idea of beauty to a technologically-obsessed culture. The paintings, while firmly grounded in 2012 and a world of instant stardom, always hark back to dark classical canvases, and they certainly provoke the continuation of myth.—Stanley Moss, Travel Editor
Riflemaker
79 Beak Street, Regent Street
London W1F 9SU www.riflemaker.org
Possibly New Zealand’s only restaurant and dance studio opened in Kaikoura today.
Passione, an Italian pizza restaurant, and Soul Studio had their gala opening in the centre of the seaside town at 5 p.m. today (January 4). Full trading hours begin January 5.
The restaurant–studio is the brainchild of a young couple and owners Piera Fromm and Sebastian Burgin.
Burgin will run the restaurant and Fromm will manage the upstairs studio for dance lessons including hip-hop, modern, stretching, zumba, kids’ dancing and capoeira, a Brazilian martial art dance.
The couple are from Switzerland but have been living in Kaikoura for a number of years.
Artworks by Fromm’s mother, internationally acclaimed artist Ruth Stirnimann, will cover the walls of the restaurant.
‘We both love movement and we completed our dance studies together in Switzerland. Sebastian also has a real taste and knowledge for food,’ says Fromm.
‘So we decided to follow our dreams and turn them into reality. I will help out in the restaurant and at times Sebastian will also be helping with dance lessons upstairs.
‘We feel the dance studio offers Kaikoura a place of movement where people can let out there creative energy and stay fit and healthy. Passione and the Soul Studio will work towards a vibrant lifestyle with fresh yummy food downstairs.’
The Passione restaurant chef is Englishman Dave Burt who trained in French food and is experienced in Italian kitchens.
Fromm’s brother Livio will teach capoeira in the studio is also the master Italian pizza maker. Their mother Ruth Stirnimann will provide holistic healing lessons to make it a family affair.—Kip Brook, Word of Mouth Media NZ
Kip Brook is an occasional contributor to Lucire, and a London bureau chief correspondent.
Lucire’s coverage of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Tokyo is online today in the main part of the website. Not content with bringing back the event after a cancellation earlier in 2011 due to the earthquake and tsunami, peripheral events, including an international edition of Fashion’s Night Out with all 17 Vogue editors, made sure that the event made big headlines.
In addition, the Japan Fashion Week Organization will run Tokyo Fashion Week in Italy at the Pitti Immagine Uomo exhibition from January 10. This exhibition is for menswear. This is a business-to-business event, not open to the public.
Japanese designers continue to make a splash globally. Featured designers from Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Tokyo will collaborate and showcase as Leather Japan 2012 at New York Fashion Week. The presentation event will be held on February 13; an exhibition will follow at the Nexus showroom in New York from February 14 to 16.
It’s official: Giuseppe Mascoli’s new London burger joint, the Bukowski Grill, is receiving guests. Well worth an expedition to Shoreditch, a quarter of the city not often seen by tourists. These burger concoctions offer a reasonable alternative to the snobby high-end fare at downtown eateries, and the people-watching can’t be beat.
We’ve also seen in 2012 with our review of the BMW X5, part one of our Vancouver Fashion Week coverage, and new original photographs and layout for our earlier Mini Cooper D road test.—Yuka Murai, and Stanley Moss, Travel Editor
World of Wearable Art (WOW) founder, Suzie Moncrieff, becomes a Dame in the New Zealand New Year honours’ list today.
Her honour comes on the same day as a similar award for businesswoman Rosanne Meo, and knighthoods for former All Blacks’ coach Graham Henry, former TV chef and Wellington City Missioner Des Britten, Todd Corp. chairman John Todd, and philanthropist Colin Giltrap. Painter and sculptor Ralph Hotere (Te Aupouri) was appointed a member of the Order of New Zealand. Moncrieff’s honour comes on the eve of WOW’s 25th anniversary. She started the event to promote wearable arts in Nelson, before it later moved to Wellington. It is a world-class event that attracts international media each year. The Hong Kong Jockey Club plays host to WOW later in January.
In other news, comedian Russell Brand and singer Katy Perry will divorce, after only one year of marriage.
Brand filed for divorce on Friday at the Los Angeles Superior Court, citing irreconcilable differences.
They had already spent Christmas apart, not wearing their wedding rings.
Who says portraiture is dead? If you’ve had enough of the yearly competition at the National Portrait Gallery, maybe it’s time to take a chance on Stuart Pearson Wright’s unforgiving eye, showing at London’s Riflemaker Gallery through February 15. This heritage space with leaning walls, rickety staircase and lived-in feel could be the perfect venue for edgy artists like Wright to show off their idea of beauty to a technologically-obsessed culture. The paintings, while firmly grounded in 2012 and a world of instant stardom, always hark back to dark classical canvases, and they certainly provoke the continuation of myth.—Stanley Moss, Travel Editor
Lucire’s coverage of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Tokyo
Moncrieff’s honour comes on the eve of WOW’s 25th anniversary. She started the event to promote wearable arts in Nelson, before it later moved to Wellington. It is a world-class event that attracts international media each year. The Hong Kong Jockey Club plays host to WOW later in January.
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