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 Around Asia
Meet the inspiring people featured in Tatler’s regional titles
TATLER HONG KONG
On the cover this month is
acclaimed Hong Kong film
director Ann Hui, who was
recently honoured with the
Golden Lion for Lifetime
Achievement award at the
Venice Film Festival. Hui’s
latest film, Love After Love, is
based on the 1943 short story
Aloeswood Incense: The First
Brazier by Eileen Chang.
tatlerhongkong.com
TATLER INDONESIA
Actor Wulan Guritno stars
on the cover and discusses
her career on camera and
her behind-the-scenes
activism: Guritno is actively
involved in the Gelang
Harapan movement that
raises funds for many
charitable causes, including
the arts and performance
industry affected by the
Covid-19 pandemic.
tatlerindonesia.com
Tatler
8 tatlerphilippines.com
TATLER MALAYSIA TATLER SINGAPORE
Fashion designer Shaleen Dedric Wong is part of a
Cheah has returned to new generation of young
Malaysia after spending conductors who are putting
14 years in Dubai, where Singapore on the classical
she started her eponymous music map by developing
label, which is inspired their own unique styles
by Cheah’s Malaysian and techniques.
heritage and her trips tatlersingapore.com
around the world.
tatlermalaysia.com
Images Getty Images (Hong Kong) Photography Khairul Imran (Malaysia); Mark Nicdao (Philippines); Russell James (China); Darren Gabriel Leow (Singapore); Anew Chen (Taiwan)
SHANGLIU TATLER
On the cover of Shangliu
Tatler are artist Cai Guo-
Qiang and investor, film
producer and art collector
Wendi Murdoch, who
is one of Cai’s greatest
patrons. The pair talk
about their passion for art,
their friendship and Cai’s
forthcoming exhibitions,
including a major show
planned for the Palace
Museum in Beijing.
shangliutatler.com
TATLER PHILIPPINES
First-time parents Solenn
Heussaff and Nico Bolzico
and their daughter, Thylane
Katana, star on the cover
of this month’s issue. The TATLER TAIWAN
Filipina-French actress, Sophie Chang—a
model and TV host and philanthropist, artist
Argentinian businessman and chairwoman of the
share their secrets to a happy Taiwan Semiconductor
marriage, the challenges Manufacturing
they faced on their journey Company Charity
to parenthood and how Foundation—reflects
their daughter brings on the importance of art
out the best in them. and culture in Taiwan.
tatlertaiwan.com
 This Month On

REVISIT
OURPAST
TATLER
TALKS
To remain
connected to our
audiences, we
have produced
engaging virtual
events with Tatler
friends such as Pia
Wurtzbach, Kevin
Kwan, Catriona
Gray, Camille
Co and more. In
case you missed
some of them,
visit our Facebook
Page (facebook.
com/TatlerPhilippines) or Youtube channel to re-watch
all the exciting conversations we’ve had. Keep tuning
in as we have more Tatler Talks coming your way!

REVIEWS & RECOMMENDATIONS

We’ve all been binge-watching our favourite shows
Image Charles Deluvio on Unsplash (Netflix)

on Netflix, Amazon Prime and more. We bring you

insightful reviews on the latest movie and TV releases

VIDEO SERIES: TATLER FOCUS together with recommendations per genre and mood
when you visit our Arts & Culture section online.
We’ve recently launched a new video series
called ‘Tatler Focus’. Here, we highlight
the latest initiatives from our partners
alongside new and exciting releases you have
Tatler to watch out for. Drop by our Facebook
10 video playlist to get the lowdown! Follow us on social media @tatlerphilippines
 November
52
DEPARTMENTS
08 Around Asia
10 Online Page
18 Editor’s Note
20 Contributors
218 Alphabet City
THE SCENE
24 Rome to Home
When the pandemic
messed up their wedding
plans to get married in
Rome, Charles Tiu and Sari
Lazaro opted for a smaller,
Tatler more intimate wedding
Contents here at home—which
12 turned out to be as lovely
28 Gilded Heritage
Even before the colonisers
came, the Philippines already
had a thriving gold industry
32 The Torch Bearer
Olivia Limpe-Aw comes
from a line of astute
businessmen who taught
her well, enabling her
to bring more success
to the family business,
reaping well-earned
recognitions along the way
36 Turning Tables
Bedeck your Christmas
table with the best items
204
42
befitting this glorious season.
Here are a few pegs from
our favourite home stores
42 Up to the Challenge
Antonio’s faced the pandemic
problem with positiveness and
innovation, emerging more
forward-looking than ever
46 Full Disclosure
Forty years in photography
have not diminished Wig
Tysmans’ passion in capturing
the beauty of the human form
52 Lily’s Gardens
From mazes, Lily O’Boyle
now turns her green
thumb to creating a
Topiary Meadow, dedicated
especially for her growing
brood of grandchildren
54 The Wander List
Check out these favourite
Philippine destinations
that have just reopened
56 All I Want for
Christmas
Listen up and hear our cute
tots make their Christmas
wishes—from toys and
gadgets to something
more meaningful
 November

106

90
184

59 Gen. T 80 Tatler Report: Style of the oft-forgotten

FEATURES
The pandemic has been The latest buzz in the neck using the latest
a blessing in disguise industry plus an interview beauty finds 144 Family First
for Stefano Fanzzini with designer to K-Pop Gorgeous couple
and MetroMart stars Minju Kim) Nico and Solenn
JEWELLERY Heusaff Bolzico talk
61 Calendar 82 Going Places 106 Tatler Report: about how their
Is being quarantined New Kenzo House designer, Jewellery daughter Thylane
getting to you? Check out Felipe Oliveira Baptista, Jaw-dropping bijoux has changed their
these virtual suggestions honours the master with plus some gorgeous perspective on life
to keep you occupied his new collection beauties who wear them
this November 154 Life in the
90 Swept Away WATCHES Time of Covid-19
Fashion moves towards the From poignant to
STYLE dark and moody, heralding 124 Tatler Report: practical, sad to happy,
64 The Wish List a seemingly sombre season Watches these experiences
Tatler Pages and pages of The latest trends, during this pandemic
Contents must-haves to look 100 Protect Your Neck endorsers and looks will make you
14 your best this month Here’s how to take care in luxury watches laugh, think or cry
 188

144

124

166 Creative Synergy 188 A Narrative

On the
a massive renovation,
Belgian interior designer of Design it makes certain it
Gert Voorjans shares
an exclusive peek into
In this project, the
architect Manny Miñana
retains the qualities that
define it—and there are Cover
Dries Van Noten’s had so many challenges many, from its history
stunning flagship stores with which to weave to its personality
in Tokyo and Paris a strong design story
208 Tatler
176 In Her Element 196 Sister Act Report: Travel
British artist Jenny Designing sisters Ivy The latest in the world
Saville prepares for her and Cynthia Almario of travel—from unique
exhibition at NYC’s share a few things which Safari lodges to the
Gagosian Museum make their life beautiful newest city hotels

184 New Frontiers 204 The Suite Life 212 Get It Poppin’
These Chinese artists Le Bristol Paris is not one Get to know the Photographer Marc Nicdao
had not just one, but three
beautiful subjects: Solenn, Nico
travel the world to be caught with an old, growers behind and Thylane Katana Bolzico. Tatler
Jewellery, outfits and props by
for inspiration tired look; but through famous champagnes Hermès and Tiffany & Co. Contents

15
 PHILIPPINES

EDITORIAL
info@tatlerphilippines.com
Editor-in-Chief ANTON SAN DIEGO
Managing Editor CHIT L LIJAUCO
Features Editor MARITESS GARCIA REYES
Writer RYANNE STEPHANIE CHENG CO
Contributing Writer NIKKI MARTEL, ANNIE SHAW, STEPHANIE ZUBIRI

TATLER ASIA
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Executive Editor OLIVER GILES
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Regional Advisor on Engagement, PR and Business Development PETER CHEUNG

ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY

Art Director MARIENNE HILAHAN
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Contributing Photographers AMANDA FORDYCE, TOTO LABRADOR, MARK NICDAO, OLIVIER YOAN

DIGITAL
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 PHILIPPINES

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 | Letter From the Editor |
A Purpose-Filled Life
As I sit in my home contemplating what to write in this
month’s editor’s letter, I assess what has transpired in the
last nine months. I would like to compare it to a roller-
coaster ride but with no end in sight. Some days have been
akin to winning the lottery, some days I can’t even get my-
self out of bed. To get over that hump I needed to contin-
ually remind myself to live with a purpose, that there is a
rationale behind all the occurrences and craziness of it all.
That this too shall pass.
My hope is that we all have learnt more about ourselves
and the world that we live in. There have been so many
changes around us, leading to a recalibration of choices
and identity. I hope through all this, there will be a sense
of gratefulness and kindness of where we are now, to be
able to get to where we should be.
On the cover are individuals who are perfect as they are
and where they are: Nico, Solenn and daughter Thylane—
the handsome and there’s-never-a-dull-moment Bolzico
family. They also happen to be one of the most adored and
followed families on social media. Because they are such
a delight to watch not only for their looks but for their
humour, antics, pets (“Is Patato still around, not getting
as much air time as Pochola!”), their businesses, Solenn’s
painting and her marvellous transformation from bride to
wifezilla and now doting mum to Thylane. What’s amaz-
ing is how this diverse family (Solenn is French/Filipino
Tatler and Nico is Argentinian/Italian) has captured the hearts of
18
the Filipino people. Nico, in particular, has been accepted
by the Filipino public, a feat that not may foreigners can
lay claim to.
It was great spending a shoot day and Zoom interview
with them and observing their family dynamic. I have
known them individually for some years, seen them as a
couple and now, watch them parenting a lovely child. We
get to learn a lot from them, so we hope you are regaled by
their story and their gorgeous photos.
Life in the Time of Covid-19 is an article that I am particu-
larly proud of. It’s a compilation of stories from different
and unique angles. From a first-time mother to someone
surviving the virus, to a humorous look at life in quaran-
tine and all the binge-watching of Korean teledrama. Of
note are two heart-wrenching stories of losing a loved one.
Taj Curata lost both his parents (Ito Curata and Bob Mill-
er) due to the virus and tells us how he is coping. Sandy
Moran lost her husband Francis and shares with us her
grief as well as the hope and faith that enable her to move
her forward.
As we prepare for the holidays (however this will look
like), may we continue to fan the flames of faith and hope
in our hearts. May we never lose our sense of purpose! We’ll
see you back here next month for our Impact List featuring
Image Gettyimages
the heroes of philanthropy, a fitting theme to end 2020.
–Anton San Diego, Editor in Chief
 The Guest List
WIG TYSMANS
Legendary photographer,
Wig Tysmans has engaged
in a creative conversation
with artists, musicians
and friends over the
last 40 years, resulting
in a series of nudes that
capture the spirit of their
collaboration. This month,
he shares six photographs
featured in a group show
titled Not Visual Noise
with the theme “Himself,
Herself, Themselves” in
Full Disclosure (p. 44). Here,
he renders the subjects
comfortable in their own
skin, celebrating facets
of their person that the
photographer sees mirrored
in himself. Though he
remains firmly behind
the camera and never
boldly in front of it, the
dialogue continues.
Tatler
20
MARK NICDAO
One of the country’s top
photographers of his
generation, Nicdao takes
snapshots of beautiful
couple Solenn Heusaff and
Nico Bolzico with their
adorable daughter, Thylane
Katana, for this month’s
cover. The Manila-based
artist-photographer has a
remarkable portfolio that
exudes his interactive and
inclusive style, having shot
fashion editorials and brand
campaigns in Asia and the
US. This creative force also
showcases his artistic talents
beyond the lens through
other forms of art such as
painting and sculpture.
OLIVIER YOAN
French photographer
Olivier Yoan has worked
with brands such as Calvin
Klein, Jimmy Choo and
Roger Vivier. He is also
the creative director of
online platform The Ené, a
directory of eco-conscious
businesses and retailers
around Europe. For this
issue, Yoan photographed
the fashion shoot at Seven
Sisters Country Park in the
United Kingdom (p. 88).
TOTO LABRADOR
Known for his crisp,
classic style, this Filipino
photographer with a
discerning eye has been
a regular contributor
to the country’s top
fashion, lifestyle, travel
and design magazines
for over two decades.
Over the past few years,
he has been specialising
in architecture, interiors
and product photography.
In this issue, he captures
an inviting home by the
award-winning architect
Manny Miñana (p. 186).
Learn about Olivia Limpe-
Aw’s brilliant business
move, get beautiful
tablescape ideas for the
holidays and know what
Tatler kiddos have on their
Christmas wish list
Photography Pat Dy
 Excavated gold artefacts from
the Surigao Treasure Opposite
page: A snapshot from the
intimate wedding of Charles
Tiu and Sari Lazaro in July
Image courtesy of Ayala Museum
 1
Rome to Home
It would have been a grand
wedding in Rome but fate,
or Covid-19, got in the
way. Instead Charles Tiu
and Sarah “Sari” Lazaro
got married in a much
more intimate affair in
Tagaytay. The ceremony,
held in July 23 at the
Madre de Dios Church
in Tagaytay Midlands,
was however not any less
special for the couple.
They met on a night
out in Poblacion, Makati.
Tiu proposed to Lazaro on
November 23, 2019 in El
Tatler Nido, Palawan. And now,
The Scene their plans for their Roman
24 wedding had to be altered
for a very good reason.
“We really wanted to start
our married life together
already,” the bride shares.
“We could not wait to live
together because we had
promised to wait to do
this until after marriage.”
The couple described
their experience in
planning a wedding amid
a quarantine as “a bit of a
challenge”. They monitored
the change in regulations
on a weekly basis. They
carefully studied safety
Photography Pat Dy
protocols. “We would
be debating back and
forth on the safety of our
guests and the number of
 1. Charles Tiu and
Sari Lazaro on their
wedding day last
July 2020 2. The
bride’s bouquet
was a beautiful
arrangement of
white roses and
baby’s breath
flowers 3. Sari
Lazaro in a
custom dress by
Antonelli Rossi

Tatler
3 The Scene

25
 4

4. The groom with his

parents, Jerry and Lianne
Tiu 5. Guests were treated
to a multi-course gourmet
meal prepared by Tagaytay
Highlands staff 6. The bride
walks down the aisle 7.
Charles Tiu is all a-beam
on his wedding day 8. The
couple share a loving glance
9. One of the couple’s
flower girls in a matching
blue face mask and dress

5 6

Tatler

The Scene

26

people we could invite—
even how far apart we
would seat each of our
guests at the church and
reception,” the bride adds.
In the end, the wedding
turned out to be a
wonderful celebration.
“We were happy that
everything went perfectly
well, and everyone was
safe,” the couple says.
The church was simple
but elegant with beautiful
floral arrangements by
the Tagaytay Highlands
in-house team. The bride,
in a bespoke double-
8
layered Chantilly lace
dress by Antonelli Rossi,
walked down the aisle
towards the groom, in his
Dalcuore Italia suit and
Ambrosi Napoli trousers.
The wedding dinner
was a gourmet fare of foie
gras salad, zucchini soup
with scallops, live lobster
and prime rib steak. The
couple had nothing but
praises for the Tagaytay
Highlands F&B who
prepared the delicious meal.
“They definitely outdid
themselves in this aspect,”
the couple shares.
Tatler
The Scene
27
 Ancestral face
decorations in gold
Opposite page: A gold
Tatler weighing scale that
dates back from the 17th
The Scene to the 18th centuries
28

Gilded
Heritage
With very few existing original
manuscripts, these intricate
golden treasures offer a direct
link to the Philippines’
pre-colonial flourishing past
By Stephanie Zubiri
“Pieces of gold, the size of walnuts and eggs, are found
by sifting the earth in the island of that king who came
to our ships,” chronicled the explorer, Antonio Pigafet-
ta, about Raja Siagu upon the Spaniards’ arrival in Bu-
tuan during the Magellan expedition. “All the dishes
of that king are of gold and also some portions of his
house as we were told by that king himself. He had a
covering of silk on his head, and wore two large gold-
en earrings fastened in his ears ... At his side hung a
dagger, the haft of which was somewhat long and all
of gold, and its scabbard of carved wood. He had three
spots of gold on every tooth, and his teeth appeared as
if bound with gold.”
One can only imagine the awe that overcame these
Images Wig Tysmans ; BG Hernandez;
European explorers when they discovered such a rich
Ramon Cantojos; Ayala Museum
and elaborate society. Even today the Philippines pos-
sesses one of the world’s largest gold deposits, and there
is evidence that mining began as early as 1000 BC. By
the time the Spanish conquistadors reached Philippine
shores, the islands had a flourishing culture that traded
in the precious metal and citizens adorned themselves in
gold to display status.
PRIDE OF
PHILIPPINES
Telling our nation’s most colourful stories,
woven by a multicultural people
It was in 1975, during an extensive construction
project, that the Butuan archaeological site was dis-
covered. During the excavation that followed, an enor-
mous wealth of artefacts was unearthed: from high
fired ceramics from China and Southeast Asia and Per-
sian glassware, to impressive open water boats called
balanghals, and one of the most significant findings
of pre-colonial gold. “From excavations in Butuan in
the 1970s and the irregular gold recoveries from the
1960s to the 1980s, as well as written Chinese sources
from the Song Dynasty, Butuan appears to have been a
thriving polity with a hierarchical social structure, and
engaged in trade with neighbouring Southeast Asian
cultures and China,” shares the curator of Ayala Muse-
um’s Gold Exhibit, Florina H Capistrano-Baker, about
the forgotten kingdom.
On another construction site in 1981, heavy machin-
ery operator Berto Morales discovered approximately 22
pounds of gold pieces, now known as the Surigao Treasure.
Some of these valuables showcased to rave reviews, intrigu- Tatler
ing an international audience at The Asia Society in New The Scene
York in 2015, an exhibit also co-curated by Baker. “We as 29
 a people are always searching for our identity, but when
you see this collection you think ‘Oh my goodness, that
is the core! That is who we are!’”
For a country whose precolonial ancestry has left
meagre evidence—no grand monuments or architec-
tural structures and very few original manuscripts—
these beautifully crafted solid gold pieces are a direct
link to our heritage. “The pre-colonial gold bears wit-
ness to an advanced society with cultural ties to other,
better-known cultures in Southeast Asia such as Java.
It demonstrates that we had the technical skills and re-
sources to produce these wonderful objects. It also sug-
gests familiarity with Hindu-Buddhist ideas that have
largely been erased from our cultural memory.”
Seasoned collector, Jomari Treñas, is fascinated by this
intermingling of societies and how they are clearly trans-
lated in the designs. “You see the different cultures in the
gold-making, such as the gold heads or earrings with fig-
ures that have very Indian influences. This one pair that
I have is an interesting specimen: shaped like a Garuda, a
mythological bird derived from Hindu and Buddhist be-
liefs, it shows clear evidence of cross-cultural exchanges
even before the colonial period.”
Gold was not strictly for women; in fact, men of
high rank were more adorned than women, as seen on
the very detailed illustrations in the pivotal late-16th
century manuscript The Boxer Codex. “They had dag-
gers, belts, sashes, rings, bangles, brooches … Even
the clothing was adorned in finely flattened solid gold
appliqués,” Treñas explains. One of the most prized

The memory
pieces from his collection is a golden dagger sheath
covered in intricate carvings. “It is made of hammered
gold and is covered in beautiful geometric designs that

of this halcyon
look almost Etruscan.”
Pre-colonial gold discoveries come from all over the
archipelago. Treñas’ exposure to pre-colonial gold be-

society is
gan in his home province of Iloilo, when his mother
started purchasing pieces from a find in Oton in the
1960s. “They had lots of pieces of gold jewellery with
trade beads and my mother would purchase them for

embalmed
her to wear!” Currently all newly excavated gold be-
longs to the nation; however, collectors can still add
to their own private troves through the numerous auc-

in its gilded
tions and sales alimented by other private collections.
“In many pre-colonial Philippine societies, one’s life
began and ended with gold,” explained Baker in the book

remnants, still
Philippine Ancestral Gold, published by Ayala Museum in
2011. “Small pieces of gold were placed in a bag with a
new-born infant’s umbilical cord after childbirth; prestig-

vibrant and
ious gold ornaments were worn during life-crisis ceremo-
nies and milestone events; spectacular golden treasures
and heirloom porcelain were interred with the elite to

glittering today
ensure a successful journey to the afterlife.”
Through numerous efforts made by the public and
private sector to document and preserve these precious
artefacts, it seems as though this journey is secure.
Tatler Centuries later, the memory of this halcyon society is
The Scene embalmed in its gilded remnants, still vibrant and glit-
30 tering today.
A collar of opaque yellow
glass beads and rare
early biconical gold beads
Opposite page: From the
Surigao Treasure, a weighing
scale pan, a bowl and a neck
from a jar, all in gold

Tatler

The Scene

31
 This page: At the
Destileria Limtuaco
plant on EDSA, Olivia
Limpe-Aw stands in
Tatler front of the liquor-
aging tanks made of
The Scene
guijo wood, considered
32 as the local oak
| Close-Up |
The Torch Bearer
A brilliant business move did not go by unnoticed
but recently earned for Olivia Limpe-Aw another award
to add to an already long list of recognitions
By Chit L Lijauco. Photographs courtesy of Destileria Limtauco
As the scare over the deadly coronavirus spread fast in the
first quarter of the year, so did sanitisers and disinfectants
quickly disappear from the market shelves. A forward-
thinking business mind saw the fast-rising demand and
immediately went into action. For her foresight, Olivia
Limpe-Aw joined the prestigious list of Asia’s Power
Businesswomen for 2020 by Forbes, a short list of 25 across
the region and one of only two Filipinas.
“I believe our Covid-19 response was what the Forbes
Asia people focused on in making their final decision,” said
Limpe-Aw, chairman and CEO of Destileria Limtuaco.
What the oldest distillery in the Philippines did under
the leadership of this fifth generation would most likely
be a case study in business schools from hereon in. Even
before the declaration of the community quarantine in
mid-March, Limpe-Aw already began to allot some of the
company’s resources to the production of disinfectant
alcohol. Licenses, permits and registrations were obtained
in record time, ensuring that Destileria Limtuaco would
be able to operate even if it could not manufacture its
principal product line, liquors. It meant that it could retain
a skeleton workforce and help ensure the availability of
disinfectants in a desperate consumer market.
On the first week of April 2020, Consumer Protect
rolled out. Developed just a month before, it is the proud
and latest addition to the distillery’s portfolio of products.
This quick-witted response to a pandemic problem
was probably just a deal breaker. For Limpe-Aw had
already made her mark when she took over the reins of
the 168-year-old Destileria Limtuaco in 2004, receiving
the torch passed down through four generations prior.
Her ancestor, Lim Tua Co established the business
in 1852. He was a Chinese immigrant who introduced
to the country a medicinal wine locally called sioktong.
His nephew, Lim Chay Seng, took over and steered
the company through a period marked by revolutions,
pumped much-needed capital and expanded the
products to include Western liquors. Seng’s son, James
Limpe, followed and applied the modern management
style he learnt from the University of Washington
in Seattle as well as introduced vodka in the line of
products. Julius, son of James, developed patents, built
major plants and created the company’s iconic brand,
White Castle Whiskey.
On her watch, Limpe-Aw developed the largely
untapped middle class into a whisky market. She
introduced several exciting products using Filipino
ingredients: Paradise Mango rum liqueur, Amadeo coffee
liqueur, Manille Liqueur Collection (basic ingredient,
calamansi), Dragon Fruit wine and Very Old Captain
Artisan-crafted Rum (basic ingredient, molasses). “You
not only do your country proud; you also help the local
farmers by bypassing the middlemen,” she remarked on
this successful business move that has been amply lauded.
The position was not just given to her like a gift on
an 18th birthday. Her parents prepped her for it ever
since she became aware of the business. “I knew at a
young age that my parents were training, grooming and
preparing me for this big responsibility. The more I learnt
about it and got involved, the more daunting it felt. So,
I just focused on learning one step at a time, absorbing
everything I could, like a sponge, and experiencing
everything no matter how difficult and challenging it
may be,” she said.
Though it was her father who was her business mentor,
she also received great guidance from the rest of her elders, Tatler
specifically on being a woman in a male-dominated world, The Scene
pushing a product generally associated with a male market. 33
 “He raised us to believe that what
men can do, women can also do,
even better”
“I had very strong women role models in our
family,” she shared, first mentioning her late paternal
grandmother, Teh Siu Yong Limpe, a civic leader in the
Chinese Filipino community. She was one of the few
women in Fujian province who graduated from college
during her time and was also involved in business.
Then she named her late mother, Atty Lily C Limpe.
“She was a very strong, capable and intelligent woman,
the daughter of a Chinese diplomat, Dr Chen Chi
Hwa, ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary.
She took up her law studies when she already had six
children, passed the bar and became a lawyer. She was
also a businesswoman in her own right, while helping
Tatler my father in Destileria Limtuaco at the same time. She
The Scene was my mentor, adviser and biggest supporter.”
34 She also got a big boost in this area from her father
whom she called “a champion of the women’s liberation
movement”. She explained, “He raised us to believe that
what men can do, women can also do, if not better.”
Her father must be beaming with pride over his
daughter/protégée. Also, the president and publisher
of Foresight Book Publishing and Distributing
Company that produces the glossy Asian Dragon,
Limpe-Aw has not slowed down despite the pandemic.
She goes to office from 9:30am to 6pm, considerably
a shorter schedule now than before Covid. “But if I
need to finish something, I will continue [working]
after dinner and if necessary, over the weekend [even
Sundays],” she said.
Until 2014, her sisters—Linda, Patricia and Joyce—
were helping her in the distillery. “However, when they
started raising their respective families, their involvement

stopped,” Limpe-Aw said. Today, helping her are her
three sons—Clifford, Aaron and Brandon. “They are
all undergoing the same training I got from my father,
learning every aspect of the business,” she said. A rule of
thumb is that they must all start in sales. “I believe that
if you know how to sell, everything else comes easy,” she
explained. In the same breath she admitted, “This I learnt
the hard way, having rejected my sales training early on
in my career.”
In a way, her husband, Benny Y Aw, is also
involved in the business. He sits as the president of
Convoy Marketing Corporation, the distillery’s local
subsidiary distribution company. “He also takes care
of our exports,” Limpe-Aw added.
Whether you believe it or not, she claims she knows
how to relax. “I exercise, watch Netflix movies and my
masterclass series, check my social media feeds, read
books I’ve been planning to read but never had the time
to do before Covid-19, talk to friends over the phone,
cook and trying out new recipes,” she rattled off a list.
If you can give her nothing more than the benefit
of a doubt on this claim about relaxing, take her tips
to succeed in life more seriously. Each nugget has been
personally tried and tested.
From opposite left: Just
one of many awards;
700ml “macho” bottles
are filled with Jackson
Whisky, exported to
Taiwan; Limpe-Aw with
(anti clockwise) father
Julius, mother Lily,
husband Benny, and sons
Clifford Dan, Brandon Jon
and Aaron James
Take it from Olivia
• Work hard, learn as much as you can.
• Don’t expect people to give you slack
because you are a woman. If they do, it is a
blessing; if they don’t, you are ready for it.
• It’s a competitive world out there, prepare
yourself for competition and compete to
the best of your ability and capability.
• Be realistic with what you can and
cannot do and believe in yourself.
• Listen to your instincts. If something doesn’t
feel quite right, it’s best to wait it out.
• If you feel very strongly about something and
you really want to do it after careful study and
analysis, then go ahead but take calculated risks.
• Don’t compromise on quality, always take care
of your name, your credibility and integrity.
• Pay it forward by helping others the way you
received help from people throughout your journey.
• Thank God for your blessings and Tatler
always pray for good luck. The Scene
35
 Embla dining chair and buffet
table, and Polk chair at
Philux; napkin ring, gold capiz
coaster, solid walnut slab, silver
candelabra, marble wine holder,
circular decorative tray at Philux
Home; flowers by Spruce Floral
Designs; a delectable spread of
foie gras with Asian fruit compote
mesclun salad, deep sea scallop
Tatler mille feuilles chive, braised lamb
shank with red wine sauce, white
The Scene wine risotto, chanterelles with
36 apricot—all by L’Entrecote Manila
 Turning
Tables
Usher in the holidays and get
ready for the feasting season with
these beautiful tablescape ideas
By Nikki Martel and Maritess Garcia Reyes
Image courtesy of Denison Tan for Philux (this spread); Respective brands

Tatler

The Scene

37
 Top: Flatware, pandan natural placemats, charger plate in white, fruit plate, silver-plated napkin rings, synthetic crystal
amber tumblers, Stolze olive glasses, rooster salt and pepper shaker, small ceramic artichoke vase, olive tapered candle,
copper candleholder, zinc urn with grey gold edged, bronze ceramic pot, and porcelain gold vase—all at Lanai
Bottom: Vinter dinnerware and Bodega red glasses—all at Crate & Barrel

Tatler

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38
 Ruffled gold rim
dinnerware collection,
chinoiserie bud vases
and ginger jars, vintage
silverware, Waterford
linen dinner napkins,
vintage etched wine
crystal glasses, cloche
jars filled with metallic
silver Christmas balls and
reindeer ornaments, crystal
and porcelain candlestick
holders, Boutross linen
tablecloth in beige—all at
Statement Theory

The holiday season is just around the corner and
despite the circumstances, there’s no stopping
Christmas. Usher in the holiday spirit in this most
wonderful time of the year with tasteful décor and
a table filled with exquisite details. Whether you
ones together at home or virtually, these festive
accoutrements are sure to set the joyful mood as well
as remind you that there are a thousand blessings
to be grateful for. Here, we’re putting the spotlight
on seven stylish tablescape ideas that you can easily Tatler

decide to celebrate the holidays with your loved recreate or take inspiration from. The Scene

39
 Bernardaud Constance
dinnerware collection,
Ralph Lauren stemware,
EME gold flatware,
Sambonet bamboo coffee
pot, Texties IRIS table
napkin, assorted green and
gold ornaments on garland
centrepiece—all at Rustan’s

Tatler

The Scene

40
Top: Tava rattan square placemat, Mason cotton fringe table runner, Mason flatware and stoneware, Nostalgic Santa napkins,
Schott Zwiesel stemware and Maxwell handcrafted lantern, Booker candleholders, Aegean clear glass vase—all at Pottery Barn
Bottom: Goaja bowl, Midea big plate, carved onyx bowl, antique Chinese green jade libation cup, Marco stemware, Balikatan
napkin ring, Couzon Persane cutlery set, Sage dinnerware, Kim Seybert Cosmos placemat, Lulu table napkin—all at W17

Tatler

The Scene

41
 Wagyu sirloin with fermented black garlic, cacio e pepe
with fragrant Szechuan peppercorn Opposite page:
The award-winning chef Tony Boy Escalante
Tatler

The Scene

42
Up to
| Feast |

the Challenge
One of the premier chefs in the country,
chef Tony Boy Escalante has not only proven
himself to be the creative he is admired to be but
a resilient, receptive restaurateur who will not be
crushed by any pandemic By Isabel Martel Francisco
With travel restrictions putting
a pause on those pleasant out-
of-town trips to his Tagaytay
establishments (Antonio’s, Antonio’s
Breakfast and Balay Dako), Chef
Tony Boy Escalante and his team
had to think of a way to respond
to this unforeseen setback. In-
dining operations had stopped
for months so, to connect to their
patrons, they upgraded their deli.
“Breakfast at Antonio’s and Balay
Dako already have physical deli stores
where guests can buy homemade
products like jams, delicacies,
freshly baked pastries, breads and
meats too,” shares Escalante. Now,
they are offering some of these deli
products online, for the Manila
crowd, through selected distributors.
Added to the fare are newly
developed ready-to-cook frozen
products but, to clarify, not takeaway
ready-to-cook kits. Loyalists will,
however, be thrilled to know that
available are two Antonio’s classics
to cook at home: duck leg confit
and 40-day dry-aged steak.
When the situation eased up, Tatler

Antonio’s opened its doors albeit The Scene

on a limited scale. Their six-day- 43

 week schedule was tapered to
four days a week at 50 per cent
capacity only. Save for a few minor
adjustments, no major renovations
were needed to comply with the
new safety standards. “We have
always believed in enjoying nature
and the surroundings when you
dine with us, and that belief has
only been revalidated because of
this pandemic. Our restaurants’
spaces are big and allow for a lot
of ventilation and outdoor seating.
As such, we are already very safe to
begin with,” Escalante elaborates.
Apart from the lack of diners,
Antonio’s also had to contend with
its sources of produce, the farmers,
who were struggling too. “Safety
protocols changed everything, but
it’s also become more challenging
to order ingredients,” he says.
Not being sure what is available,
when goods can arrive, or how
fresh it will be upon arrival due to
transportation and logistics issues
prove just how dependent and
Tatler interconnected the dining ecosystem
The Scene is. “We have always patronised local
44 farmers and suppliers ever since
the beginning,” he adds. “Many
of them are still recovering from
the devastation wreaked by Taal
Volcano’s eruption. And now this.”
Restaurants were not prepared
to change business models, but
sometimes, roadblocks beget
innovation and resourcefulness.
“The pandemic posed a lot of
challenges but there were also some
opportunities that allowed us to
be creative, especially in creating
a menu or dishes using available
ingredients,” Escalante explains.
His restaurant’s menus were
tweaked to respond to the times.
“My menus are now more concise
than comprehensive, due mostly
to the difficulty of sourcing or the
scarcity of ingredients,” he says.
All industries have been forced
to tech-up and fast-forward their
advance to the digital age in ways
unfathomable to them just a
few months ago. Such is true at
Antonio’s. Now, guests choose
from a digital menu via a QR code
rather than the traditional printed
copy. This has allowed Escalante
to be more innovative. “Before
going digital, it would take days,
sometimes weeks, for us to adjust our
menus [because of longer printing
schedules]; but now we can make
changes at the snap of a finger. I
could be working on a dish in the
kitchen, and five minutes later
it could be viewed by our guests
at the dining table.” So happy is
he with this innovation that he
plans to continue with a digital
menu even after the pandemic.
One hurdle that Escalante is so
glad to overcome was the threat of
terminating anyone. His solution
was to work in shifts of two skeletal
teams, A and B. “We take turns with
available schedules so that we can
be fair to everyone,” he remarks.
Struggling through the pandemic
is not enough to get Escalante down.
“It’s important to be able to adapt
and be resilient so you can sustain
your business. It’s innate in me
to turn negatives into positives,”
he says. “My being a positive
person has played a big role in
adapting. I have tried to turn into
a positive every problem, hurdle
or challenge thrown at us.”
Clockwise from top left: Pan-fried
grouper, arugula purée, braised red
cabbage, garlic chips, mustard and
chateau potatoes; Veal cheek, tail and
tongue with onions, red cabbage, root
vegetables, sauce gribiche; Antonio’s is
an inviting enclave amidst lush gardens
in chilly Tagaytay Opposite page:
Rustic touches draw attention to the
restaurant’s foyer

Tatler

The Scene

45
 Tatler

The Scene

46
 Recognised as an
icon in his craft,
Wig Tysmans
talks about why

Full
nude photography
has been a
longstanding

Disclos re
obsession
By Chit L Lijauco

Tatler

The Scene

47
 “There are always
two people
involved in nude
photography: the
photographer and
the sitter”
With every click of his camera, Wig Tysmans tries to
capture authenticity. Be it for a portrait, a nude, a scene,
a still life—his quest is always about the real essence
of his subject. In his early fashion photographs, he has
built a solid reputation as a master of natural light. He
befriended the sun and patiently waited for that right
moment when it would give him his desired special
effect—washout, chiaroscuro, unusual reflection. That
patience also tested that of the people he was working
with in his shoots, known to last no shorter than a day.
It is this obsession for truth that enamoured him with
the human form as early as when he started photography,
first as a hobby in 1973 and then as a profession the year
after. “My first subjects were Peace Corps volunteers
in Baguio,” says Tysmans, a Manileño who was then
studying architecture at the St Louis University. He keeps
in touch with them, sharing that one was even elected a
congressional representative of Washington State, as with
a Nordic backpacker he photographed in the Sagada caves
who became an energy minister in Iceland.
This obsession may have had its roots from one
of the earliest fields of photography he got involved
in, photojournalism. “I worked as a stringer for
Associated Press in Baguio and shot documentaries
for them,” he relates, initially being tapped to take
photographs of a world chess championship held there
in the early Seventies. As the decade ended, Tysmans
found a connection with Manila and started fashion
photography in the early Eighties.
There is no field of photography that Tysmans has
not tried, but through the journey that counts over 40
years now, the subject of nudes has been a constant.
“Subconsciously, I have always been interested in
communication with people, trying to find out who they
are,” he says. No better way to get to this reality than have
them bare themselves and pose in the nude.

Tatler

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48
The artist, Ambie Abaño, with her
woodcut on exhibit at the Finale
Art File (2016) Previous spread: Top
photojournalists and model Gigi
Dueñas, in a room at the Remedios Tatler
Circle, with their published photos
The Scene
of the assassination of Ninoy
Aquino spread on the floor (1983) 49
 Clockwise from above
left: Melanie Marquez,
model/beauty queen/
actor, on the seventh
month of her seventh
pregnancy (2003);
Lito Tesoro, LA-based
photographer, in his
studio-garage (1985);
Myrza Sison, in a
body paint by Edwin
Aguilar (1990) Opposite
page: Melanie Carlos,
with a mask from the
collection of Patis
Tesoro (1990). This
photo and that of Sison
were taken for Tysman’s
show on body paint
and masks

Tatler

The Scene

50
 From friends and ordinary people that interest him,
Tysmans’s subjects moved to fashion models and beauty
queens, artists and athletes, famous people. He was
careful to exercise professionalism with his subjects,
a reputation he has maintained and has earned him
trust and respect. He defines his art as well, striking a
difference between nudity and nakedness. “I photograph
nudity, not nakedness which has an element of malice in
it. And I do portrait nudes, not erotic nudes.”
To make his subjects comfortable, Tysmans
photographs them in their own environment. He
also encourages collaboration. “There are always
two people involved in nude photography: the
photographer and the sitter,” Tysmans elaborates.
“Often, I would already have a concept for my subject,
but I keep myself open to his or her idea.” What he
would then do is to photograph both concepts. “Then
we would discuss and make a choice and usually, my
concept is chosen. But it is the collaboration process
that is more important because I am able to draw more
out of them.”
His recent studies have been featured in the group
show Not Visual Noise which opened at the Ateneo Art
Gallery in November 2019 and ran until March 2020.
Curated by Angel Velasco-Shaw from New York, it
involved the works of famous artists and photographers
such as BenCab and Wawi Navarroza. Shaw chose 16
nude photographs, 20” x 24”, by Tysmans for his theme
“Himself, Herself, Themselves”.
“It [nude photography] is a continuous process but I do
not see my style evolving. Only the personalities change,
but keeping that element of surprise all the time,” he
says. As his daughter Nash writes in the exhibit’s blurb:
“Though he remains firmly behind the camera and never Tatler
boldly in front of it, the dialogue continues.” True to form, The Scene
Tysmans is already working on a new series of nudes. 51
 Time Travel
Lily’s Gardens
This green thumb will never be
satisfied with just cute succulents
in tiny pots, indoor plants with
variegated leaves or even exotic
orchids in a greenhouse. Lily O’Boyle
must have more—something
sizeable, unique, nonpareil in the
neighbourhood. In November
2009, the former television
and stage actor in Manila was
featured as Tatler Philippines’ cover
story at her home with a Maze
Garden in the US East Coast.
Five years ago, she moved to a
more child-friendly community close
Tatler to the ocean. The new property,
The Scene which had an existing garden with
52 lovely mature trees and shrubs and
By Chit L Lijauco
a smattering of flower borders, also
had lots of open spaces for children
to play in. It seemed perfect for
someone who, at this point, wanted
to garden less and travel more.
Then the pandemic happened.
O’Boyle, who has written two
books on Philippine gardens,
said that the Covid-19 pandemic
brought this garden into being
because she had more time to spare
while in quarantine after returning
from the Philippines. Then she
relates how everything started.
“My bedroom looks out onto
a meadow that, in the spring, is
resplendent with yellow daffodils
and in the summer, wildly dramatic
Photography Wawi Navarroza (Maze Garden); Lourdes Matters (Topiary Meadow)
with tall brown grass. My family
visited me this summer despite
the pandemic and I thought how
nice it would be to have something
to remember them by always.
The grandchildren and I had
missed the Maze from the old
house. I’ve always been fascinated
with mazes and topiaries because
they are whimsical and add high
drama to the surroundings and I
thought we could just put a new
maze in—but somehow it did not
feel right for the spot. Some sort
of topiary garden would make
more sense. And although topiaries
usually come up from nice, neat
lawns, I thought what a welcome

“[Mazes and topiaries] are whimsical and
add drama to the surroundings” — LILY O’BOYLE
surprise it would be if it arose from
a meadow instead! The flowers and
grasses would provide a startling
contrast to the formality of the green
boxwood and Alberta Spruces.”
The choice for these two plant
species had something to do with the
presence of deer in her meadow. “It
was crucial to choose deer-resistant
plant specimens so instead of the
popular yew used in many English
topiary gardens, I opted for boxwood
and Alberta spruces,” she explains.
The Topiary Meadow, that lies
parallel to the Great Lawn where
the pool is situated, is at least an
acre. O’Boyle expects it to require
less maintenance than the Maze.
The first few years, she adds, are
important to get them established
properly with a good watering and
feeding programme. “But it can
be great fun for the family. And
whereas the Maze was created in
memory of my departed loved ones,
the Topiary Meadow will celebrate
the living, our growing family and
important milestones,” she says.
It shares the property with two
other themed spots—the Woodland
Garden with a treehouse and the
secret Rose Garden behind the barn.
“Our original family of six has
now become 16 with another
grandchild coming. The idea
behind the Topiary Meadow was
for each grandchild to choose a
topiary to grow with, creating a
story of their own. I was inspired
by Richard Power’s The Overstory,
a novel where the main characters
are trees and the various short
stories told of humans are seen
from the trees’ point of view.”
This page: In 2020,
watering her Topiary
Meadow in an Oscar de
la Renta gown Opposite
page: Lily O’Boyle,
in 2009, at her Maze
Garden in her US East
Coast property, once
owned by J Walter
Thompson Opposite,
inset: O’Boyle graced
the cover of Tatler
Philippines’ November
2009 issue
She still thinks of The Maze in
Connecticut: “I am hoping it is still
standing and providing enjoyment
to its new owners.” But for now, she
is focused on the Topiary Meadow.
“It is time for me to sit back and
watch the Topiary Garden grow big
enough so we can start choosing
the various animal and geometric
shapes for the individual plants as
well as discover the wildflowers
and grasses in the meadow that
will cohabitate with the topiaries.”
Her vision takes her to a
wilderness co-existing with
trimmed trees. The balance of
wild and tamed, of formal and
informal. “Then one day, sooner
than you think, I hope to realise
that I have created this perfect Tatler
balance,” she says. “And it might The Scene
just take my breath away.” 53
 | Travel |

The Wander List

Local tourists can expect to return to some of the
country’s most beautiful destinations—with a few added
adjustments, of course By Ryanne Stephanie Cheng Co
Tourism has always been an and modified general community Boracay’s calamansi muffins or
important part of the Philippine quarantine (MGCQ). Talks are also four-cheese pizza. Relax in the
economy. The country’s pristine in place to remove age restrictions privacy of your own suite at any
white coasts, undulating mountains for visitors who wish to travel, so of the island’s many resorts or
and one-of-a-kind terrain make minors and senior citizens may simply marvel at all the beauty of
for wonderful memories (be soon be allowed entry. Visitors are one of the world’s best islands.
it for adventure or relaxation). required to go through an RT-
As travel restrictions continue PCR test one to two days before BAGUIO
to ease in the country, let us their arrival at Caticlan. They are Strawberry cakes and much cooler
Image Holly Patterson/EyeEm (El Nido)

revisit some of our country’s
most beloved destinations.
BORACAY
Boracay, which has been lauded
for its white-sand beaches and
Tatler gentle shorelines, has reopened to
The Scene tourists from areas under general
54 community quarantine (GCQ)
also required to fill up the island’s
online health declaration cards,
which are accessible through the
Aklan government website.
Despite all the added protocol,
tourists will soon be able to enjoy
a majestic sunset at Diniwid
Beach, or a stroll at Puka Beach.
Indulge in island eats such as
weather: these are what visitors
from Ilocos, Pangasinan and La
Union can look forward to as
Baguio reopens. Through this
regional travel bubble, the city
hopes to continue its economic
recovery plan. Those who wish to
visit Baguio must pre-register via the
city’s VIS.I.T.A app, downloadable

on iOS and Android. A mandatory
RT-PCR test is also required upon
arrival, as is a quarantine period
of up to nine hours to await test
results. There is also a cap of
200 tourist arrivals per day.
After protocol is implemented,
guests can finally enjoy all the best
that Baguio has to offer. A leisurely
walk through Burnham Park is
a must, especially as signs of life
begin to stir after the months-long
lockdown. A meal at Session Road
will be a sure help to homegrown
restaurants whose businesses have
only begun to pick up once more.
Images Ahmad Syukaery/Getty Images (Boracay); arl Yongco/EyeEm (Baguio)
PALAWAN
The towns of El Nido and Coron in
Palawan, which rank high among
the world’s best islands, are now
open for local tourism. In El Nido,
most hotels and resorts are open
to Palawan-based residents; how-
ever, one particular resort is open
for Manila-based guests. Those
staying at El Nido Resorts will be
flown in on a leisure carrier to
Lio Airport where they will un-
dergo RT-PCR testing. Currently,
El Nido Resorts is the only resort
on the island to take guests from
GCQ areas outside Palawan.
From top: Paraws
(Philippine
traditional boat)
reflection at White
Beach, Boracay;
Beautiful vistas
await up north
Opposite page:
Skin diving is more
fun in El Nido
Coron, on the other hand, is only
open to those from the Calamian
Group of islands. These include
Coron, Culion, Busuanga and Calauit.
Enjoy all the things that make
Palawan an international wonder-
land. In El Nido, island hopping is
permitted as long as people bring
their own food and masks. Rentals for
activities are also banned so visitors
must bring their own snorkelling or
diving gear. Nevertheless, Palawan’s
powdery white sand beaches, rich
marine ecosystems, limestone cliffs
and magical lagoons are sure to
win the hearts of every tourist.
 | At Home |

All I
Want for
Christmas
These adorable children have
their minds set on what they
want for Christmas, but more
than presents, their hearts wish
for a little extra By Nikki Martel

ARCHIE WILSON BURNAND, 4

I wish I can have a lot of elephants in my room ... [I
want] to play with Lego and toys. For my brother, I hope
he gets a toy phone. I also wish for toy shoes, a toy oven
and a toy TV, too!

SCARLET SNOW BELO, 5

For the world, my Christmas wish is for God to already
bring down the new heaven and the new earth so
that there will no more be bad and selfish people. For
Tatler

The Scene
Mommy and Daddy, it’s for you to have what you really,
really want. Like from your heart… And for me, a
XAVI UY, 3
My Christmas wish is to get a giant bulldozer, a monster
56 beagle. And lots of toys. truck and a Zamboni!
TYLER LAGDAMEO MARTINEZ, 10
I’d like to have a customised PC—specs 3080TI, core i9
9th gen or 10th gen + Asus rog strix z390-E. Also, when
things are normal again, it would be a dream to meet
professional gamers and Youtubers like David Dobrik.

KATIA SCHULZE DEL ROSARIO, 9

My Christmas wish is for Covid to be over so we could
celebrate Christmas Eve with all our cousins. And so
that Santa can still deliver presents to everyone and not
be on lockdown.

BELLA TANTOCO, 12
I hope we can celebrate Christmas this year with the SONIA SCHULZE DEL ROSARIO, 11
whole family somehow. On my Christmas wish list is a My Christmas wish is to do a Kris Kringle with my loved
Robux for Roblox so I can play with my friends and enjoy; ones. I wish for peace, and I wish for all the people in the
new clothes because I’m growing out of my old ones; and hospitals to get better. I wish for the families that have
I wish for a cure [for Covid-19] because I would like to lost loved ones to know that they are not the only ones
see my friends and family like my lolos and lolas. I wish feeling that pain, even though it will be especially tough Tatler

we could go back to normal where we see our family and for them; and that they will still find joy and happiness The Scene

each other without getting sick. because that is what the season is all about. 57
VIEW THE 400 LEADERS OF TOMORROW WHO ARE
SHAPING ASIA'S FUTURE AT
 | Introducing the Young Leaders on the Gen.T List |
Stefano Fazzini
He is the CEO and co-founder of
MetroMart, the Philippine’s first
on-demand online grocery delivery
service. This platform has grown
exponentially during the pandemic,
servicing key areas in the metro
while keeping families safe at home.
Know more about this entrepreneur
who wants to play a role in
changing the future By Isabel Martel Francisco
What are you most proud of?
Most recently, I am really proud of
the team that built MetroMart. In the
past four years, we have successfully
beat the regional grocery delivery
companies who also launched in
the Philippines. As a local company,
MetroMart has achieved a leading
position in the online grocery
delivery space and we are among the
top five e-commerce platforms in the
Philippines. This came with a lot of
sacrifice and long nights for people
who were part of the journey and I
am extremely proud of everyone.
Favourite movie? My all-time
favourite movie is a 1996 film called
Jerry Maguire. As a young teenager,
this movie subconsciously taught
me the value of perseverance,
persistence, relationships, humility
and family. I think I’ve watched
it nearly 10 times and would
definitely recommend this movie
to all aspiring entrepreneurs.
What do you think the Philippines
Photography Wesley Villarica
needs to do to be more technologically
progressive? On an economic
standpoint, technology can be big
driver of the economy and can uplift
many individuals out of poverty.
To put it into perspective, data
indicates that the tech sector in the
US represents over 10 per cent of
GDP, provides $1.3 trillion in annual
wages and contributes to over $500
billion in annual taxes. In Indonesia,
the local government has recognised
the contributions that technology
companies have on their economy
and are very proactive in investing,
building and strengthening the
tech sector. They have been very
successful and there are numerous
unicorn startups employing
hundreds of thousands of people.
How do you handle stress or fear?
I create a balance of family, work
and hobbies. Spending quality
time with my family and kids is
a big blessing; it makes me calm,
especially my little princess Sofia!
On my free time, I enjoy sitting in a
coffee shop to read business books
and go to the gym to lift weights to
stay physically healthy. I don’t handle
fear, fear usually has to handle me
(laughs). In the face of fear, I always
push myself to perform better and
challenge myself to new heights. As
an technology entrepreneur, sailing
into unchartered waters should not
scare you, it should excite you!
Why did you want to work in the tech
space? (It) excites me, especially in
the next 5-10 years in the Philippines.
There are numerous business
opportunities present where you
can truly make a big impact in
society. We are on the brink of a
technology revolution that will alter
the way live, work and relate to each
other–this has been accelerated by
Covid-19 (pandemic). The current
speed of breakthroughs is evolving
at an exponential rather than linear
pace in the Internet of things,
autonomous vehicles, nano and bio
technology, etc… In the Philippines,
we are at the very early stages but this
is where opportunity presents itself.
Who inspires you? Many business
leaders inspire me like Elon Musk,
Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Michael Jordan
and Steve Jobs. These leaders have
all created a big impact on society
that will last beyond their time
on earth. Creating an impact on
society is my mission while I am
here on earth for a short period
of time and I hope to contribute
to society the way they did.
Tatler
Generation T is Tatler Asia’s
platform for the leaders of tomorrow. The Scene
generationt.com 59
 | What’s Happening |
Together We Thrive
As things normalise, many initiatives
are springing up to support the Filipino
people. Here are some programmes that
prove there’s always room to innovate and
support each other
VOLVO
Volvo Philippines develops a new
showroom for the New Normal. To
accommodate valued patrons and
car enthusiasts, Volvo has updated
their showroom protocols to provide
comfortable viewing experiences
for visitors. Disinfection of all
display vehicles and demo units
Tatler
The Scene
60
is done every 30 minutes and to
minimise physical contact, vehicle
specifications may be accessed
through QR codes.
Book your next visit at the Volvo
Philippines showroom when you
contact, volvoph@volvophils.com
HSBC
HSBC has rolled out its latest
campaign called “Together Let’s Love
Local” which is centred on helping
world-class Filipino brands and
the talented people behind them.
Through this initiative, HSBC Credit
Cardholders get to support workers
and local business-owners while also
getting access to exclusive offers.
SM
To cater to healthier lifestyles
and support the agricultural
sector, SM Supermalls began The
Farmers Produce Market. A joint
project with the Department of
Agriculture and Resto PH, the
initiative is focused on providing
opportunities for farmers and
their families to help them get
back on their feet. Fresh and
organic items await when you visit
SM Aura Premier Skypark where
it is now currently held. The
Farmers Produce Market circulates
between The Podium, SM City
North EDSA, SM Megamall and
SM Southmall.
To know more, visit:
www.smsupermalls.com
There’s no better time than now to
celebrate all things homegrown—
relish local flavours in restaurants,
enjoy signature Filipino hospitality
in hotels and resorts, and uplift
Philippine artisans.
To know more, please visit
www.hsbc.com.ph/lovelocal
November
We’ve got you covered
this month with the latest
online happenings in arts,
cinema, music and more

KILLING AN EVENING
WITH EDGAR ALLAN
POE (AT HOME)
John Kevin Jones’ one-man stage production Killing an
Evening with Edgar Allan Poe extends Halloween a few
more days. The haunting performances will be streamed
online followed by a virtual tour of historic Merchant’s
House space and exhibits. summonersensemble.org

THE CROWN SEASON 4

The much-anticipated fourth season of
this Netflix original series premieres
this month. Still with Olivia Colman
as Queen Elizabeth II, the upcoming SARONG BANGGI
episodes are taking a closer look at the years when Streaming on Ballet
Lady Diana Spencer weds Prince Charles and gives Philippines website is its
birth to Princes William and Harry, as well as when 2015 production of Sarong
the United Kingdom elects its first woman prime Banggi choreographed by
minister in Margaret Thatcher. netflix.com/ph Carissa Adea, Ronelson
Yadao, Cyril Aran Fallar,
Paul Alexander Morales,
Nonoy Froilan and Carlo
Pacis. Revisit how six
Filipino choreographers
contributed exceptional
contemporary dance
sequences in this
NOVEMBER MEMBER ROUND TABLE momentous production
The roundtable at 12:30pm (EST), a virtual treat that highlights classic folk
for members of the Museum of Modern Art in songs from around the
New York, offers lively discussions about MOMA’S Philippines, arranged by
collections and exhibitions accessible within the National Artist for Music
comforts of our homes via online. moma.org Ryan Cayabyab. ballet.ph

UNHINGED
A For digital release is Derrick Borte’s 2020
PROMISED psychological thriller film Unhinged starring
LAND Academy Award-winner Russell Crowe. The
Former film, notable for being the first wide theatrical
US President Barack release amid the pandemic in July, follows Rachel
Obama publishes his (Caren Pistorius) who crosses paths with a stranger
memoir, The Promised (Crowe) at a traffic light and finds herself in the
Land, which is the middle of a nerve-wracking road rage. vudu.com
first of a planned two
volumes written
following his tenure as BKNW RISING
President of the United Don’t miss the final chapter of this musical
States. The book produced by Teatro ni Juan that is based on the
concludes with the Filipino myth about a bakunawa (a moon-eating
events of the killing of serpent-like dragon). Teatro ni Juan weaves tragic narratives of
terrorist leader Osama modern-day Philippines into the myth and explores themes of Tatler

bin Laden in 2011. redemption and salvation. BKNW Rising is a must-see original The Scene

crownpublishing.com Filipino musical made for the digital platform. bknwrising.com 61

 Kenzo artistic
director Felipe
Oliveira Baptista
on propelling the
brand into the future,
gothic looks are

Styl
photographed in the
countryside,
orean designer
Kim discusses
sts
 Minju Kim outfit, available
at Net-a-Porter Opposite
page: Chanel outfit
Photography Olivier Yoan (Chanel) Image Net-a-Porter (Minju Kim)
 Everything
you need to
look your best
this month
By Rosana Lai
Image Gaspar J. Ruiz Lindberg (Hermès)

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 ALL TOGETHER NOW
It’s leather weather, and the
statement pieces this season
are made from a mosaic of our
favourite fall staple From top
left: Hermès jacket, Tod’s jacket
Opposite page: Versace tote

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=
 BAGS OF DESIRE
Christian Dior’s Oblique
print gets a velvet sheen,
now found on its most
popular bags in deep
shades of burgundy, blue,
black and brown. Christian
Dior Book Tote, Saddle Bag
Image Ines Mana (Dior Backstage)

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HOT FUZZ
Don’t forget your
extremities as the mercury
dips. These fluffy shoes
lined in shearling or faux
fur are here to keep your
toes toasty From top:
Stella McCartney sandal,
Maison Margiela shoe

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 Images Sean Cunningham (model); Chris Lee (Burberry)

BLUE CUES
Eschew navy for electric
blue, its high-octane cousin
that pops against fall’s
dark hues. Rochas outfit
Clockwise, from top left:
Alexander McQueen clutch,
Burberry Lola bag, Tod’s
Holly bag, Burberry Lola
bag, Delvaux Tempête bag

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PROPER
CUSHIONING
A bag that doubles as a
pillow—now that’s what we
call an investment piece.
Tod’s Signature bags
 BUNDLE OF JOY
Since they landed on the
runways, these leather
dumplings with tasseled
drawstrings have been on
everyone’s wish list. Hit
the stores to make your
wish come true. Loewe
Flamenco bags

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Tatler

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 Images Aedo Pultrone (Fendi belts, shoe); Sean Cunningham (Fendi model)

IT’S A CINCH
No longer just an
afterthought, belts are
stealing the spotlight this
season thanks to extra
bells and whistles, from
boxed clasps at Prada to
a snazzy collaboration
with tech accessory
brand Chaos at Fendi.
Prada outfits, Fendi
belts, Prada belts

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GET INTIMATE
Wear fishnet from top to toe
this season for a touch of
boudoir outside the bedroom.
Fendi boot, outfit

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 GREEN LIGHT
Cosy up in sage green, the
soft, elegant companion to all
the camel you’ll be sporting
in the coming months. Chanel
bag, Loro Piana outfit

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GOOD PRACTICE
Tom Ford partnered with an
Italian apple juice factory to
recycle peel into vegetable
leather to create its new
low-top runners for men
and women that come in
off-white, pink, silver and Tatler
military green. Tom Ford
Style
Bannister sneakers
75
 NUTS AND BOLTS
Harsher weather calls for
sturdier styles, like elegant
dress shoe staples clad in
metal plaques and studs
Clockwise, from top left:
Tom Ford shoe, Givenchy
shoe, Gucci shoe, Salvatore
Ferragamo shoe Below:
Dunhill shoes

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BACK TO SCHOOL
Go hands-free with most
coveted style this fall, the
unobtrusive messenger
bag meant to take you
from work to the weekend.
Montblanc bag, available at
Mr Porter

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 SILVER FOX
Keep your cool in this
season’s slickest combo—a
dash of mercury over grey
tones that will give off
some pre-holiday sparkle.
Canali outfit, Dunhill jacket

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NEW HORIZONS
Futuristic frames in electric
hues and sporty shapes
are the new shortcuts
to refreshing last year’s
wardrobe Clockwise,
from top: Louis Vuitton
sunglasses, Bottega Veneta
sunglasses, Mykita x MM6
Maison Margiela sunglasses

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 HAPPY JUBILEE
Paul Smith celebrates his
brand’s 50th anniversary
this year. To mark the
occasion, the British
designer launched a capsule
collection featuring archival
prints from 1988 to 2002
for which the designer
is known, like the now-
ubiquitous spaghetti and
green apple graphics.
Find them on new sport
jackets and velvet suits
for men and women,
all lined in the house’s
signature rainbow colours.

WALK WITH ME
New season, new shape.
Maria Grazia Chiuri designs
another future-classic tote
for Christian Dior, Dior St
Honoré, named after the
French Maison’s flagship
store address in Paris. In a
roomy size and in box or
grained leather, the bag
comes in subtle, easy-to-
wear hues like black, blue
and beige, and is meant to
be so versatile it could pair
with any piece from current
or future collections.

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MASTER PIECES
For the 2020 edition
of the Artycapucines
collection, where Louis
Vuitton invites renowned
artists around the world
to reimagine its iconic
Capucines bag every Clockwise, from top
year, six celebrated left: Chinese artist
Zhao Zhao and
international artists his Louis Vuitton
will be launching their Artycapucines
creation; Zhao Zhao;
limited-edition creations American artist Henry
for the house this Taylor and his Louis
month. These creative Vuitton Artycapucines
creation; Brazilian
collaborators include artist Beatriz Milhazes
Brazilian artist Beatriz with her artwork
Milhazes, known for
her brightly coloured
collages; American artist
Henry Taylor, famous
for his representations
of black communities;
and Chinese artist Zhao
Zhao, who is lauded for
his politically charged
multimedia art.

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 Looks from Kenzo’s fall-
winter 2020 collection,
inspired by hooded garb
worn in the Azores and
passed from mother to
daughter for generations

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Going
Places
For his first collection as creative
director of Kenzo, Felipe Oliveira
Baptista reaches back to the brand’s
nomadic roots while drafting new
values for its future By Rosana Lai

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83
 I
t was an especially sunny morning in March during
Paris Fashion Week. Guests chatted among themselves
as they sat in a winding plastic bubble, a labyrinth set in
a garden courtyard, waiting for the Kenzo show to start.
Then, suddenly, music began pounding as the first model
appeared, wearing a sombre, all-black elongated suit jacket
and a hooded cape that obscured half of his face. He
was followed by models draped in a series of tunics and
utilitarian wrap coats.
A few people cocked their heads in surprise—gone
were the giant logos, the midriff-baring athleisure and the
cartoon tigers stitched to the chests of sweaters, signatures
of Kenzo’s previous creative directors Carol Lim and
Humberto Leon. This was Kenzo by its newly appointed
steward, Felipe Oliveira Baptista, who means to strip the
brand down to its core. “Kenzo’s been doing elaborate
shows in the last few years, but it’s been less and less about
the clothes,” the 45-year-old designer tells me. Lim’s and
Leon’s final show was a spectacle with 3,000 guests and
a live performance by Solange Knowles. “So I decided to
put everyone front row, in a garden with no decoration,
to focus on the clothes. I wanted to bring back desirable
things that people want to wear, like coats people can feel
protected in.”
The Portuguese designer, who trained at Max Mara,
Christophe Lemaire, Cerruti and his own label from 2003
to 2014, was most recently the creative director of Lacoste
before joining Kenzo, the LVMH-controlled house
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84
founded by the free-spirited Japanese designer Kenzo
Takada. Oliveira Baptista named his debut show Going
Places, a tribute to the nomadic spirit of the house, but in
a way it could be a reference for where he’s about to take
the brand. “One of the first things I did was take out ‘Paris’
from the logo because Kenzo for me is from everywhere
and for everyone,” he says.
Kenzo Takada sadly died this October at the age of 81
of the coronavirus. He first moved from Japan to Paris in
the Sixties, by way of Hong Kong, Mumbai and Ho Chi
Minh City. His itinerant spirit informed the aesthetic
of the fashion house he started in 1970, which marks its
50th anniversary this year. Best known for his contagious
optimism, Takada left an indelible mark on the fashion
capital: his label referenced an eclectic medley of cultural
influences with obvious nods to Japan, jumbled with floral
and animal motifs. He became one of the most respected
Asian designers of the 20th century and his legacy is now
being carried on by Oliveira Baptista.
Born in the Portuguese Atlantic archipelago of the
Azores—specifically Terceira, meaning “The Third Island”,
parts of which form a Unesco World Heritage site—
Oliveira Baptista shares a similar thirst for travel, thanks in
part to his father, a pilot who imparted a sense of wonder
and wanderlust. Every summer, Oliveira Baptista journeys
with his wife, Severine, who now serves as Kenzo’s studio
head, and their two sons to the same remote destination
in Brazil tucked behind an indigenous reserve, a place
From left: Felipe Oliveira
Baptista; a look from
Kenzo’s fall-winter 2020
collection Opposite page:
A bubble labyrinth was
the venue for Kenzo’s
fall-winter 2020 runway
show in Paris

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 Outfits from Kenzo’s
fall-winter 2020
collection, featuring
tiger paintings by late
neo-realist Portuguese
artist Júlio Pomar

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86
 “Fashion’s become this show-business,
something to be seen on flat screens
that you just swipe, swipe, swipe–
where are the clothes in all this?”
he politely declines to name to stave off any potential
tourists who might be reading this. “It takes 24 hours of
travel from Paris, and when you get there, you can’t buy
anything, only fish, fruits and vegetables once a week,” he
says. “There’s obviously also no WiFi, so when you’re there
for a week you feel like you’ve been there for a month.”
The last time Oliveira Baptista wandered off the beaten
path was during his latest pilgrimage to Japan, soon after
his appointment at Kenzo. “I’ve been many times before,
but for the first time I looked through the lens of Kenzo
Takada,” he says. He and his family visited the oldest
Images Isidore Montag/Gorunway.com
Buddhist cemetery in Koyasan, an ancient place that has
been devoured by nature. “My kids were always obsessed
with [animation director Hayao] Miyazaki films and they
told me it was like seeing these films come life—it was
really sweet,” he says. They then backpacked through
the fishing villages of Kyoto, memories of which filtered
into his ensuing collection, specifically in the parachute
ponchos and triangular shoulder silhouettes. He bristles,
however, at the idea of pinpointing literal references.
“Kenzo Takada’s work would always mildly remind
you of someplace but ultimately should have felt like
something new,” he says. Even the brand’s iconic tiger
mascot was given an abstract treatment in paintings by
Portuguese artist Júlio Pomar mixed into collages that
were printed on oversized tunics. He will acknowledge,
however, that the hooded shapes are derived from the
traditional coats worn in the Azores and passed from
mother to daughter for generations. “They are usually
made from heavy wool to protect against the harsh
weather, but I made them from a very light fabric and
pieces that can literally be transformed into sleeping
bags,” he says. “It’s about how all of the references can be
made into something for now and for tomorrow.”
Takada, who proudly watched the debut collection
unfold from the front row, applauded Oliveira Baptista’s
take on his brand when he returned backstage. “He told
me that it was a nice start for the future,” says Oliveira Tatler
Baptista. “It was such a gift to me to have him there. Style
Even though technically I work for LVMH, emotionally 87
 Looks and bag from Kenzo’s
fall-winter 2020 collection

it’s important to me that the person whose name is

still on the logo likes what I’m doing.” It was Takada’s
last appearance at a show. Over one of their first lunch
meetings, Oliveira Baptista discovered that he and Takada
not only shared a love for peripatetic inspirations but
also lamented the industry’s lack of focus on clothing.
“[Takada] was saying how the job of a designer is so hard
to do today, there are so many collections and the whole
thing got so industrialised; everyone’s using a formula,”
says Oliveira Baptista. “And it’s true: fashion’s become
this show-business, something to be seen on flat screens
that you just swipe, swipe, swipe—where are the clothes
in all this?”
So Oliveira Baptista took the first six months to make
a four-point plan, then made his priorities clear through
a rapid succession of initiatives. In September alone,
Kenzo launched a collaboration with the World Wide
Fund for Nature and a Kenzo Sport line. “Kenzo has
always been about nature, from the prints to the art to
the use of flowers, but today I wanted to make it about
nature for nature, to give back to it because we have a
responsibility as an industry to do so, but also because in
the future, customers will want brands that connect to a
cause because they’ll be as careful about clothes as they
are about what they eat,” Oliveira Baptista explains. Part
of the profits from the tiger print T-shirts in the resulting
capsule will go towards the WWF TX2 tiger conservation
goal, which is to double the global population of wild
tigers by 2022. The sport line was created because Oliveira
Baptista intends to draw a distinction from the runway
collection. “When I first joined, the last collections were
very sportwear-driven, so I wanted a way to separate
the main collections of ready-to-wear and isolate the
sportswear,” he says.
Oliveira Baptista hints at a capsule collection born
from a secret rendezvous with another celebrated Japanese
designer he met during the trip to Japan that will only be
revealed this month once the clothes hit stores. One hint:
he passed away this July. The designer, like Takada, was a
huge influence on fashion in the Seventies and Eighties,
having arrived in London shortly after Takada landed
in Paris. Both harboured passions for dynamic dressing
and an ever-youthful zeal. “Like Takada, I felt like this
designer’s contribution was forgotten by the younger
generations, and this optimistic take on life, I feel, is what
we need right now.”
Images Paul Phung (backstage)

Oliveira Baptista is being rushed to sign off, to throw

himself back into preparing his second Kenzo collection,
to be shown just a few weeks from today. He won’t give
any hints for fear of courting bad luck, but we know
Tatler the new collection won’t quite be able to benefit as
Style extensively from his globetrotting. “We just have to travel
88 within our own minds,” he says.
In Memory of
Kenzo Takada

In 1964, Kenzo Takada arrived in

Paris from Japan, only intending
to stay for six months. Little did he
know he’d make the French capital
his home for the next 56 years and
become one of the most celebrated
Asian designers of the last half-
century, influencing everyone from
Yohji Yamamoto to Rei Kawakubo.
“For me, to create is to give pleasure
and happiness to others, and
also the freedom to be myself,”
he once said. Always seen with a
smile beaming beneath rounded
spectacles, Takada’s optimistic take
on life and on fashion permeated
his work and touched many who
had the privilege of knowing him,
and this joie de vivre lives on as one
his greatest legacies. “His amazing
energy, kindness and talent were
contagious,” says Kenzo creative
director Felipe Oliveira Baptista in Tatler

a statement. “His kindred spirit will Style

live forever. Rest in peace, Master.” 89

 Saint Laurent dress,
Chanel tights,
Valentino boots

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Swept
Away
Out with the
old, in with the
new—this season’s
fashion is dark,
sharp and moody
Photography by Olivier Yoan
Tatler
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91
 Celine outfit
Opposite page:
Lanvin outfit

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Tatler

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Tatler

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Alexander McQueen
outfit Opposite page:
Celine outfit

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Tatler

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Hair and Make-up Wendy Turner at Frank Agency using Sisley Skincare and Bumble Hair Model Annie at Premier Models
Casting Director Phillippa Kaye Production Alex Aalto at Aalto Production Photo Assistant Kalie Taylor Styling Assistant Daisy Newton Celine outfit
Opposite page:
Christian Dior outfit

97
Style
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 Christian Dior outfit
Opposite page:
Givenchy top

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 Protect
| Beauty | Your poor, poor neck. You’ve
dropped a small fortune on serums
and creams for your face, but
neglected (or neck-lected, if you
will) to pamper one of the most

Your Neck
vulnerable areas of skin on the body.
Exposure to the elements,
environmental damage and
constant movement make the neck
prone to creping and sagging. Not to
mention ‘tech neck’—when craning
over our devices leads to unwanted
The case for intensive skincare lines and premature wrinkles in
Tatler

Style
doesn’t stop at the chin By Coco Marett the area—is a real issue, and it’s not
going away any time soon. At least
100 not without a quality neck cream.

LA MER
The Neck & Décolleté Concentrate
by La Mer, like the rest of the
brand’s repertoire, harnesses the
power of the sea. Using ingredients
like seaweed extract and giant sea
kelp—the star in La Mer’s signature
“Miracle Broth”—this product
Image Takay/Trunk Archive (models)
plumps, smooths and brightens
the skin around your neck.
LA PRAIRIE
Packed with wrinkle-smoothing
peptides and antioxidants, La
Prairie’s Anti-Ageing Night Cream
repairs your skin while you sleep to
reveal a taut, contoured neck and
face. It contains the brand’s exclusive
Cellular Complex, a formula that
moisturises and energises the skin
for a naturally youthful look.
CLÉ DE PEAU BEAUTÉ
Pitched as “gravity defying”, the
Synactif Neck & Décolleté Cream
by Clé de Peau Beauté is a retinol
formula that repairs skin damage,
reduces fine lines and wrinkles, and
tightens skin around the neck to
reveal a more defined facial outline.
This dual-action cream comes with
a massager to maximise results.
ESTÉE LAUDER
Recognising that the face and
neck need the same amount of
TLC, Estée Lauder’s Resilience
Multi-Effect Tri-Peptide Face and
Neck Crème delivers a potent
anti-ageing formula to both areas.
It supports the skin’s natural
recovery process, while encouraging
collagen and elastin production.
SISLEY PARIS
Firm and refine your neck with
Sisley Paris’ Neck Cream. It contains
a rich blend of oat seed extract and
a plant-based astringent, rhatany,
which work to tighten the skin, Tatler
while vitamin E extract and soy fibre Style
provide a permanent lift over time. 101
 Face
to Face
In an exclusive
interview for Merz,
award winning
actress, beauty and
lifestyle icon Gwyneth
Paltrow talks about
a new formulation
that fits right into her
advocacy for pure
beauty products and
treatments By Anton San Diego
Meeting celebrities, especially those
you have admired for quite some
time, is one of those milestone
moments that can leave you
dumbfounded. What do I say? Will
she be nice? These are just some
of the thoughts going through
my head when I was told I would
be interviewing Oscar, Golden
Globe and Primetime Emmy
award winner as well as domestic
goddess and owner of lifestyle brand
Goop, Gwyneth Paltrow, for her
partnership with Merz Aesthetics®.
This all-natural, wholistic advocate
who has revolutionised the way we
live, eat and think is partnering,
for the first time, with an aesthetics
Tatler company for its pure anti-wrinkle
102 injection. Merz Aesthetics® is one of
the world’s largest medical aesthetics
business, with a product portfolio
of clinically proven injectables. It
is also the makers of the popular
non-invasive skin tightening device,
Ultherapy®. Located in 32 countries
with its global headquarters in
Raleigh, North Carolina, USA, it
is part of Merz Group, a family-
owned company founded in 1908
and based in Frankfurt, Germany.
I was given a short time to
conduct the interview via Zoom.
When it was my turn to be let in,
the thought paramount in my head
was what to say to avoid the initial
awkward pleasantries. But of course,
as soon as I saw her on my screen,
ready to talk to me, I could not help
but blurt out, like a great fan, “You
are looking as gorgeous as always!”.
To which she smiled and said, “It’s
this light that’s hiding all my flaws.”
We were off to a good start.
Here’s the interview.
ANTON SAN DIEGO: What made
you decide to partner with them for
their pure anti-wrinkle injection?
GWYNETH PALTROW: As a woman
who is aging in society now, we all
need to give ourselves permission
to decide how we want to age or
what tricks and things we want
to help ourselves with. For me, it
is important that I always look as
natural as possible. The cornerstones
of my wellness are really exercise and
nutrition, sleep and hydration and
being around people that I love.
 But I have a good friend who is a
plastic surgeon, Dr Julius Few from
Chicago, whom I regularly consult
with regarding this matter. And I
always ask him, “What are people
doing? What’s new in aesthetics?” I
ask a lot of questions because I have
always been scared to do something
too crazy. One day he told me
about this product, so I tried it. I
found it very natural yet effective.
I also felt good learning that the
formula itself is uniquely purified
so it was a good thing to try; and I
was really happy with the results.
ASD: How many years ago was this?
GP: I first tried it three years ago.
ASD: You have been open about
not being a fan of anti-wrinkle
injections. Why the change of heart?
GP: I have tried another anti-wrinkle
injection around the time I was
40. I really did not like the results.
I really felt like it did not make me
look natural. When he introduced
the Merz Aesthetics® product,
the doctor told me, “It’s just one
little drop here [points to the skin
between her eyes] and it’s not going
to freeze your face at all. It will just
make you look a little refreshed.
It’s only a little bit to deal with, the
frown lines, so try it because the
lines are bothering you. This little
bit might make you feel great.”
It was true! It was completely natural
and gave me just a little bit of feeling
like I look refreshed, you know?
ASD: There are so many products out
there in the market. Why do you veer
towards clean and pure products and
treatments? Why are they important?
GP: I need to say first that I never
judge anybody who wants to try
anything. I really believe that
everybody needs to do what’s right
for them, no matter how invasive
or whatever. If it works for you,
Image courtesy of Merz Aesthetics®
that’s great! For me, I have always
been focused on building wellness
inside out. This product is uniquely
purified, which makes me feel good
about it. It is nice to be able to find a
balance. Because really, the truth is
that I’ve always been very dedicated
to my wellness exercise routine and
“I really believe that
everybody needs to do
what’s right for them, no
matter how invasive or
whatever. If it works for
you, that’s great!”
—GWYNETH PALTROW
all that, but I still have a martini in
the evening or a glass of wine. Or
I read all these fantastic books and
then I still watch some tacky show
on reality TV. This is balance—
never punishing ourselves for
anything that we choose to do and
enjoying the spectrum [of choices].
ASD: You were talking earlier
about maturing. How has your
approach to beauty changed and
your self-care evolved? How does
one truly “age gracefully”?
GP: The main thing is to like yourself
and to make friends with yourself
because if you’re coming from a
place of “oneness” with yourself and
you have good self-esteem, then the
choices that you make will come
from that place as well, as opposed to
coming from a place where you really
don’t like yourself or you don’t feel
good about yourself. This can lead to
making choices that you will regret.
ASD: I learnt that even if you are
in this “clean pure movement”, you
are already eating meat now when
before you weren’t. What happened?
GP: As I’m getting older I notice that
I’m also getting a lot less strict with
myself than when I was, say, in my
thirties. Then I was at the height
of being strict about food, diet and
everything. And I have just, in my
forties, decided what’s right for me
is to, you know, loosen up a bit. I
don’t eat a ton of meat but if it is
from a good farm and it’s beautifully
prepared and I’m at a friend’s house
and they made it, I’m gonna eat it.
ASD: What advice can you
give to Filipinos who want to
start these treatments but don’t
know how or where to start?
GP: I think the internet has given us
all the power to research on our own
and I would advise people to really
read up on any medical aesthetics
treatment they are thinking of trying.
Or find a doctor from whom to ask.
It’s important to be empowered to
ask. I have a friend who was talked
into something that he was not
comfortable with or who learnt
later that he didn’t fully understand
what he got himself into. Knowledge
is power in all areas in life.
ASD: May we ask you to
give a message to your fans
in the Philippines?
GP: Hello to all my friends and
fans in the Philippines. I have never
been there but have always been
dying to go. It’s funny ‘cause I was
already planning a trip there but
then it [Covid-19] happened. So,
I’m really looking forward to going
there and meeting everybody.
Merz Aesthetics® and Ultherapy® are
registered trademarks of Merz group
of companies.
Park JY, et.al. Plast Reconstr Surg
Glob Open. 2020;8(1):e2627.
Published 2020 Jan 24. doi:10.1097/ Tatler
GOX.0000000000002627 103
Jewellery
The latest in invisible
setting techniques, and
contemporary takes on
Roman Baroque art
 Barocko necklace in yellow gold
set with a rubellite, emeralds
and diamonds by Bulgari
Opposite page: Behind the
scenes of Gemfields’ Walk for
Giants campaign
Image Federico Pestill (Walk for Giants)
 CREATIVE THINKING
Forms’s latest collection,
Canvas, consists of
explosive, abstract takes
on art and sculpture.
What’s fun about these
jewels is that each piece
has its own identity. Fine
metal frameworks are
polished or coated in
yellow and white gold, and
showcase rough and faceted
Colombian emeralds.

Earrings in white gold set

with emeralds and diamonds
by Forms

WILD ONES
Gemfields has collaborated
with Space for Giants, which LET IT FALL
Image Federico Pestill (Walk for Giants)

brings awareness to African A new limited-edition collection designed by creative

wildlife conservation. The
resulting Gemfields’s Walk
for Giants collection consists
of 44 jewellery pieces set with
ethically sourced gemstones,
Tatler which have been designed by
Jewellery brands including Fehmida
106 Lakhany and Fabergé.
Butterfly earrings in rose gold
set with rubies and diamonds
by Fehmida Lakhany x
Gemfields, exclusively for
Walk for Giants
director Victoire de Castellane has arrived at Dior’s
boutiques. Called Leaves of Love, De Castellane’s latest
line continues to dive into Christian Dior’s extraordinary
archive with multidimensional jewels inspired by
meandering stems of ivy, which are brought to life
with a dusting of diamonds and slices of malachite.
Leaves of Love earrings in yellow gold set with malachite and
diamonds by Dior Joaillerie
 Small
Talk
CLAIRE
CHOISNE

MURDER MYSTERY
Agatha Christie was no stranger to beautiful
jewels. Her detective novels detailed the theft
of hefty diamonds, priceless rubies and strings
of pearls. Now, Kenneth Branagh’s thriller
film Death on the Nile (2020), which is based on
Agatha Christie’s 1937 Hercule Poirot novel of
the same name, brings Tiffany & Co’s stunning
128-carat Tiffany Diamond to the silver screen. The creative director
Synonymous with Audrey Hepburn, who was of Boucheron takes us
through the brand’s new
pictured with the jewel in promotional shots for high jewellery collection,
Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), it was more recently Contemplation
worn by Lady Gaga at the 2019 Oscars.
What did you want to achieve
The 128-carat Tiffany Diamond necklace by with Contemplation?
Tiffany & Co I wanted to suspend time.
I wanted to capture and
transform the beauty of
simple moments, such as the
passing of a cloud or the feel
BIG ROCK of a feather, into pieces of
jewellery that will last forever.
Cartier has released several
colourful additions to its What’s your favourite piece?
There’s more than just
most popular engagement one. The Goutte de Ciel,
collection: Destinée. the Nuage en Apesanteur
and the Fenêtre sur Ciel
Bright centre stones are necklaces really give life to
bordered by a halo of the dream of wearing a piece
dazzling diamonds that of sky. These three pieces
put technical innovation at
are designed to catch the the service of poetry.
light from every angle.
What kind of woman wears
Contemplation?
Our pieces are made for a
woman who enjoys freedom
and independence. She
knows what she wants and
what suits her personality
and taste. She doesn’t wear
jewellery to define herself.
She wears it as a creative
way to express herself.

Who would you love to see

wearing Contemplation? Tatler
Destinée ring in platinum It wouldn’t be a queen or
Jewellery
set with a ruby and a princess; it would be
diamonds by Cartier my daughter. 107

Small
Talk
JIA-JIA ZHU
The founder of Jia Jia shares
what it’s like to join The
Vanguard, Net-a-Porter’s
programme for emerging
jewellery designers
Tell us about your collaboration
with The Vanguard.
We are launching a line of fine
jewellery made with crystals,
which are uncut, unpolished
and untreated. All our crystals
are one-of-a-kind and are
ethically mined.
What do you love
about crystals?
I’ve walked California’s beaches
collecting minerals for as long
as I can remember. My first
healing crystal was given to me
by my spirit guide for protection
and I still carry it around with
me. When I studied yoga in Bali,
I meditated with crystals and
that’s when I decided to start
my brand.
What’s your favourite crystal?
I’m incredibly proud of our
crystal quartz, which is the
main crystal we use, because
it’s from the United States,
which happens to have some of
the purest crystals worldwide.
Some of our crystals are 300
million years old.
If you weren’t a jeweller, what
would you be?
I’d run my own hotel and holistic
healing centre in Bali.
Where will you travel to next?
Shanghai to visit my family.
Which television show are
you bingeing?
Tatler
Little Fires Everywhere starring
Jewellery
Kerry Washington and Reese
108 Witherspoon.
TWO’S COMPANY
Fred’s artistic director and vice-president Valérie Samuel
has joined forces with designer Annelise Michelson to
reinterpret the brand’s iconic Chance Infinie line. “I was
thrilled to immerse myself in the glamorous world of
Fred Samuel [the brand’s founder], and to rethink the
richly feminine curves of the figure eight, the symbol
of chance, joy and the infinite,” says Michelson.
Annelise Michelson has collaborated with Fred
TIME TO CELEBRATE
The Possession collection,
which has become a cult-
favourite for Piaget lovers
since its original reveal in
the Nineties, celebrates
its 30th anniversary. If
you’re drawn to historic
brands and meticulously
crafted gold designs, this
collection is for you.
Possession ring in rose gold
set with diamonds by Piaget
ROMAN ROOTS
Sophisticated settings, distinctive
stones and creative designs make
Bulgari’s Barocko collection one
of this season’s most captivating.
Inspired by Rome’s Baroque artistic
heritage, these jewels—most of
them one-of-a-kind—play with
light and vivid hues. Modern and
edgy, sumptuous twists of metal
are set with unexpected gemstones,
resulting in a collection that is
both daring and whimsical.
From left: Necklace in white
gold set with zircon metal, a
tanzanite, cultured pearls and
diamonds; earrings in white
gold set with a tanzanite,
rubellite and diamonds;
necklace in white gold set
with a rubellite, tourmaline,
amethyst, citrine, quartz,
aquamarine, tanzanite and
diamonds, all by Bulgari
| One to Watch | Hong Kong-based actress Karena
Karena
Lam has been photographed
wearing jewellery from Bulgari’s
spectacular Heritage collection,
which came to the brand’s flagship
Lam
boutique in Central for an in-
house exhibition. Gifted to actress
Elizabeth Taylor by her on-again,
off-again husband Richard Burton,
an exceptional necklace set with
16 step-cut octagonal Colombian
emeralds weighing an estimated
total of 60.50 carats adorns Lam’s
neck. The necklace’s pendant
element is set with a single
emerald weighing 23.44 carats
and was worn by Taylor on her
wedding day in 1964 as a brooch.
Tatler
Lam wears Elizabeth Taylor’s necklace
in platinum set with emeralds and Jewellery
diamonds, circa 1962, by Bulgari 109
 Yasmin Hemmerle Opposite
page: Ring and bracelet in
aluminium, bronze and white
gold set with diamonds
by Hemmerle

Tatler

Jewellery

110
| Industry Insider |
Life on the Seashor
For Yasmin Hemmerle, much of the
thrill of designing jewellery lies in
telling a story
As a child, I spent numerous summers with my family
holidaying along the Red Sea Riviera. Famous for its
ancient rock art and breathtaking ruins, it’s also where
you’ll find some of Egypt’s best diving hotspots, and
it’s where I first discovered the weird and wonderful
sea urchin. These creatures have razor-sharp teeth that
chomp through stone, carving out hideaways on rocky
shores. They also have spiny shells smothered in spikes to
ward off predators.
They look tough and aggressive, but every now and
then their brittle spines break off to reveal pastel-coloured
shells that come in soothing shades of amethyst, apri-
cot and baby blue. To me, sea urchins represent the life
cycle of transformation. They repeatedly regenerate.
There’s something beautifully symbolic about that, some-
thing we’ve been trying to incorporate into our work
at Hemmerle.
We haven’t designed parures, or full sets of matching
jewellery, for more than 50 years. The reason behind this
is that we pride ourselves on creating unique jewels that
can be mixed and matched in various ways. However, in
a rare development, we’ve been inspired to launch a sea
urchin-inspired demi-parure that includes a bracelet, ear-
rings and a ring.
A single Hemmerle jewel can take up to 500 hours
to create, and we unveil about 200 pieces each year. Sea
urchins remind me to never judge a book by its cover, and
this complements Hemmerle’s attitude towards jewellery
design. Our creations are often centred around an arte-
fact or stone, and we experiment with unconventional
materials such as hand-sculpted aluminium to bring out
beauty in unlikely circumstances.
Nature has always inspired us, but this new demi-
parure marks the first time we’ve used so many different
coloured diamonds, which are set into anodised alumin-
ium. When I think about these jewels, I’m amazed by
each piece’s numerous layers, which bring energy and
life into this unusual collection. Each piece is incredibly
complex but looks simple.
It’s also hugely meaningful that I’m able to impart
some noteworthy memories from my childhood into
our jewellery. I’m Egyptian, and incredibly proud of my
country’s culture. My husband Christian and I now take
our son to visit the Red Sea Riviera and, as a company,
we’re fascinated by other cultures and civilisations. We
travel around the world treasure-hunting for rare stones
and materials. Our interaction with people from differ-
ent cities heavily influences our work.
I always dreamt of working alongside my husband
and hoped we’d one day build something inspirational
together. We met in London as university students, and
both joined his family’s business in 2006. Throughout the
years, I have learnt to be bold and take risks. We collaborate
with my parents-in-law to create jewellery that’s unique,
and we set no limits on what can spark our imagination.
This is an ongoing series in which we ask jewellery experts to
weigh in on industry trends, innovation and more. Yasmin
Hemmerle is part of the fourth generation that leads family
jeweller Hemmerle
Tatler
Jewellery
111
 | Trend |

Thrown
Off
Balance
Combining mismatched
shapes, sizes or colours of
gemstones is a rising trend
Image Lapo Quagli

Tatler

Jewellery

112
Bracelet in white gold
set with sapphires and
diamonds by Boghossian Tatler
Opposte page: Fiorever
Jewellery
necklace in white gold set
with diamonds by Bulgari 113
 Tatler Skyline necklace
in yellow gold set
Jewellery
with emeralds and
114 diamonds by Chaumet
From top: Shooting Star earrings
in white and yellow gold set with
diamonds by Chanel; Glycine
ring in white and yellow gold
and platinum set with a cultured
pearl, sapphires, tourmalines,
rubies, emeralds, tsavorites,
garnets and diamonds by Dior
Joaillerie; Serpent Bohème ring
in white gold set with diamonds
by Boucheron

Tatler

Jewellery

115
 Clockwise, from right:
Chance Infinie necklace in
yellow gold set with rubies
and diamonds by Fred; Hair
clips in yellow gold set with
diamonds by Tiffany & Co;
Earrings in platinum set with
yellow and white diamonds
by Cartier

Photography Hugo Julliot (Cartier)

Tatler

Jewellery

116
Gingko ring in rose
gold and titanium
set with emeralds, Tatler
yellow sapphires and Jewellery
tsavorites by Chopard
117
 Star Finder
Artistic director Francesca
Amfitheatrof looks to the skies to
find inspiration for Louis Vuitton’s
latest high jewellery By Annie Darling
It’s 9am in New York when Francesca Amfitheatrof
logs onto Zoom to speak to me about Louis Vuitton’s
new high jewellery collection, Stellar Times. She sits in
the living room of her Brooklyn apartment, which she
shares with her husband, who accidentally walks into
frame during our interview, and their two children, who
are nowhere to be seen. “Last night was a full moon,” she
tells me. “I really feel its energy.” Expressive and quick-
witted, there’s no doubting Amfitheatrof’s a Gemini. “I
always make the time to read my horoscope,” she says,
adding that she has struggled to adjust to the pandemic’s
‘new normal’. “I miss going to museums, to the cinema,
to the theatre and to concerts.”
As artistic director for jewellery and watches at Louis
Vuitton, Amfitheatrof is in charge of creating new
jewellery collections and oversees the house’s watch
designs. The daughter of a Russian journalist and an
Italian publicist who worked for Valentino, she attended
boarding school in England, which gives a backstory
to her plummy British accent. Amfitheatrof studied at
Central Saint Martins before receiving her Masters in
silversmithing at the Royal College of Art. Her weekends
were spent partying with the Young British Artists
(YBAs), London’s artistic in-crowd that includes Damien
Hirst and Tracey Emin. In fact, Amfitheatrof’s first show
was at Jay Jopling’s White Cube Gallery in the early
1990s.
She was later commissioned by Chanel, Fendi and
Marni, among others, before launching the London-
based art agency RS&A. In 2013, she was appointed
design director at Tiffany & Co, which is where she
worked until 2017 as the brand’s first female creative
in charge. Stellar Times is Amfitheatrof’s second high
jewellery collection since she joined Louis Vuitton
in 2018. Her first, Riders of the Knights, was unveiled
in extraordinary fashion at a baroque castle north of
Tatler Prague. “It was so incredible. Prague is so romantic,” she
Jewellery says, adding that she “wanted to do something different”
118 when designing Stellar Times.
Amfitheatrof’s genius lies in her ability to innovate.
“There’s no point doing what has already been done;
there’s no relevance in that,” she says. “Women are
becoming more adventurous and are buying jewellery
for themselves. Men have historically bought sapphires,
because they like the colour blue. They bought earrings
and necklaces because they liked looking at them. Now,
women buy bracelets because they are constantly looking
at their phones and want to make their wrists beautiful.”
Louis Vuitton’s jewellery, she says, is meant to be seen.
“High jewellery can be worn with a white shirt. You don’t
have to wear a ball gown. The design should be fresh and
interesting: to me, that’s Vuitton.”
For Stellar Times, the 52-year-old wanted to explore
the concept of time and space. “If I’d known Covid-19 was
coming our way, I would’ve packed my bags and gone to
the moon myself,” she laughs. “If someone asked me, ‘Do
you want to space travel?’ I think I’d say yes. Although I
wouldn’t want to go to Mars—it would take too long.”
Divided into seven spectacular themes, Stellar Times con-
sists of 90 pieces that each took at least a year to create, and
Amfitheatrof knew depicting space and time would be no
easy feat. “It’s a concept that’s so difficult to grasp. It’s like
when you look up at the sky when you’re a child. You try to
see it all, to understand the distance, and how much time
it takes to focus on a single star, but it seems impossible.”
A rainbow-wide spectrum of coloured gemstones
defines the collection; particularly striking is the use of
rubies. The Astre Rouge necklace features an incredibly
lively 8.06-carat, cushion-cut ruby that’s surrounded by
white diamonds suspending outwards like an explosion
on slivers of white and yellow gold. “It’s spectacular,” says
Amfitheatrof. “I can’t even tell you how many months of
setting were involved.” And it holds special meaning. “For
me, this ruby represents what I hope will be the first female
astronaut to set foot on Mars. The idea that a woman could
be the first person to set foot on the Red Planet is incredi-
ble to me.” And who doesn’t need a moment of inspiration
during these uncertain times?
Astre Rouge necklace
in white and yellow
gold set with a ruby
and diamonds by Louis Tatler
Vuitton. Opposite page: Jewellery
Francesca Amfitheatrof
119
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 A Pioneer
in Sustainable
Luxury
At Tiffany & Co., a diamond’s
brilliance is measured through its
scintillation and the transparency
with which it was created
The covetable gleam of a Tiffany
& Co. diamond has long been
held as an industry standard.
As one of the most successful
jewellery brands, Tiffany & Co.
enjoys both prestige and the trust
that comes with it. But of course,
trust rarely comes as a given;
however, with the company’s
high standards, it almost seems
inevitable that people would put
their faith in these little blue boxes.
As a continuation to this legacy
of confidence, Tiffany & Co. has
announced their latest initiative in
the realm of social responsibility.
Since 2019, Tiffany & Co. has
been openly transparent about
the provenance of each of their
individually registered diamonds.
Whether sourced through Australia,
Botswana, Canada, Namibia,
Russia or South Africa, each client
can now know how and where
their Tiffany piece has come to be.
This year, the brand who leads in
sustainable luxury, continues their
Images courtesy of Tiffany & Co.
Anticlockwise:
An expert at the
Tiffany & Co.
diamond workshop in
Mauritius examines
a stone through
a loupe; Tiffany
Soleste® emerald-
cut, The Tiffany®
Setting, Tiffany
Soleste® oval,
emerald-cut, and
Tiffany Soleste® pear
Tiffany & Co. at the forefront of
diamond traceability. But this level
of openness comes as more than just
an assurance to sustainability, it’s
also a way for people to understand
the level of commitment Tiffany
& Co. artisans have towards
creating a piece of jewellery.
All Tiffany & Co. diamonds are
guaranteed to always be ethically
sourced in different continents
around the world. These jewels
are then sent to headquarters in
Belgium and are sorted according to
Anisa Costa, the brand’s chief size, colour, clarity and fluorescence.
sustainability officer said. They then travel to cutting and
A diamond’s region of origin, polishing workshops in Botswana,
along with the entire history of its Mauritius, Vietnam or Cambodia
journey—where it was cut, polished, before heading to New York and

project in transparency by sharing
the full craftsmanship journey of its
diamonds. “Our customers deserve
to know that a Tiffany diamond was
sourced with the highest standards,
graded and set—will now be shared
with Tiffany & Co. customers.
Information will be readily available
from any sales professional and
will also be printed on each Tiffany
other parts of North America for
grading and quality control, as
well as setting. All these efforts
are embodied by the iconic blue
box which carries a masterfully Tatler

not only in quality but also in social Diamond Certificate. All such made piece of jewellery that befits Jewellery

and environmental responsibility,” steps are an industry first, putting those who mean a lot to you. 121
Watches
The best tourbillon
watches for men,
and aluminium takes
centre stage
PanoLunar Tourbillon Limited
Edition by Glashütte Original
Opposite page: Taron
Egerton stars in Montblanc’s
latest campaign
 A WATCH FOR ALL SEASONS
Four new dial colours have been introduced to Carl F
Bucherer’s TravelTec series, with each representing a
different season: green for spring, yellow for summer,
orange for autumn and blue for winter. The TravelTec
model has been around, in various iterations, for
15 years and its triple time-zone complication has
become a staple in Carl F Bucherer’s line-up. Wear
yours with a rubber strap.

Patravi TravelTec Color Edition Four Seasons by

Carl F Bucherer

THE MECHANIC One’s 70th anniversary

Hublot has launched two
limited editions of 20
pieces each from its iconic
Big Bang collection to
commemorate Ferrari’s
milestone participation in
Formula One. To celebrate
Ferrari’s 1000th Grand Prix,
a milestone in Formula
year, the Big Bang
Ferrari 1000 GP comes
in white gold or Carbon
Ceramic. An openworked
dial gives us a sneak
peek at the HUB1243
automatic movement.
Big Bang Ferrari 1000 GP
by Hublot

REAL STEEL
The second
“Robocreature”—half
robot, half animal—
designed by MB&F in
Image Alex Teuscher (MB&F + L’Epée 1839)

collaboration with L’Epée insect-like legs. Is it creepy?

1839, a Swiss manufacture
that specialises in making
high-end clocks, the TriPod
takes the power of three
principle very seriously.
The clock’s dial shows the
Tatler time in three consecutive
Watches 12-hour scales and is
124 suspended between three
Is it cool? Heck, why can’t
it be both? “In the same
way that H R Giger created
his Alien universe, we’re
creating our own world
of creatures,” says MB&F
founder Maximilian Büsser.
TriPod by MB&F + L’Epée 1839
| Spotlight |

Tonda Métropolitaine
by Parmigiani Fleurier
36
This watch’s rainbow-
coloured bezel is set
with 36 baguette-cut
coloured gemstones
that weigh a total of
3.63 carats.

ROSE GOLD
Made using
polished 18-carat
rose gold, this
timepiece also has
rose gold indexes
and comes with
a solid rose gold
bracelet or an
alligator strap,
which is fastened
using a rose gold
pin buckle.

OPAL
Classified as
“phenomenal gems” by
5
Good luck getting
the Gemological Institute your hands on
of America, opals are this new Tonda
a group of gemstones Métropolitaine,
that have various optical which is limited
properties. This opal dial to five pieces
exhibits an iridescent worldwide.
effect and appears to
gradually change colour
as the wrist moves.

W
atches & Wonders Shanghai, present a new Tonda Métropolitaine rainbow-coloured bezel set with
which was held for the first watch for ladies. A breathtakingly baguette-cut gemstones. Wear yours
time at the West Bund Art beautiful opal dial shimmers with with an elegant Hermès alligator Tatler

Center in September, saw Swiss varying shades of navy, turquoise strap in Indigo Blue or a rose gold Watches

watchmaker Parmigiani Fleurier and lilac, and is framed by a bracelet with folding clasp. 125
 Taron Egerton wears
an 1858 Geosphere
by Montblanc

| One to Watch |

Taron I
n a new campaign by Montblanc,
What Moves You, Makes You,
Golden Globe-winning actor
Taron Egerton, who starred in Elton
his profession. “It’s exactly the same
as when you’re a kid and you’re
holding an action figure or toy car or
a set of cups and pretending to have

Egerton
John biopic Rocketman (2019), is a tea party. It’s all imagination and
Tatler photographed wearing the brand’s you’re performing a part. It’s just a
Watches 1858 Geosphere. “Acting is about little bit more sophisticated now than
126 play, you know?” Egerton says about it was then.”
DEM BONES
For the first time, Franck
Muller has housed its
Revolution 3 triple-axis
tourbillon movement in
its signature Vanguard
case. Known for complex
complications, Franck
Muller launched the world’s
first tri-axial tourbillon
in 2004. Designed to
reduce the impact of
gravity on the watch’s
movement regardless
of its position, it’s more
effective than the classic
tourbillon, which only
protects the watch when
it’s in a vertical position.
Vanguard Revolution 3
Skeleton by Franck Muller
UNDER PRESSURE
One of the most robust
collections Panerai makes
today, the Submersible
welcomes a new limited
edition to its ranks,
complete with a black dial
and blue ceramic bezel
insert. This highly water-
resistant dive watch comes
with large luminous indexes
for added visibility and, as
expected, the stainless-steel
Submersible Azzurro—
Italian for light blue—stays
true to the collection’s
nautical aesthetic.
Submersible Azzurro 42 mm
PAM01209 by Panerai

ZERO REGRETS
Available in four different
variations, Ulysse Nardin’s
latest release comes in a
sturdy 45 mm case that
houses an openworked
Powered by the new in-
house UN-172 automatic
winding movement,
Blast is convenient as
well as handsome. Tatler

automatic tourbillon with Watches

three days of power reserve. Blue Blast by Ulysse Nardin 127

 | Trend |

Movements
Matter
Tourbillons fight
gravity to increase a
movement’s accuracy,
and are only worn by
the best

Clockwise, from top: Classic Fusion

Orlinski King Gold by Hublot; Defy El
Primero Double Tourbillon by Zenith;
Fiftysix Tourbillon by Vacheron
Constantin; Excalibur Spider Unique
Series by Roger Dubuis

Image Bastien Charrier (Roger Dubuis)

Tatler

Watches

128
 Annie Darling
Watches & Jewellery
Director of Tatler Asia

Over the years, Bulgari

has established itself
as a watchmaking
pioneer. The ultra-slim
Octo Finissimo is one
of the most iconic new
watches of the past
decade, while the arrival
of the new Serpenti
Seduttori earlier this
year saw the world’s
smallest tourbillon
movement. Not one to
disappoint, the brand
continues to experiment
with its most recent
releases, which
include the super-
sporty Aluminium
Chronograph. Modern,
fun and playful,
Image Gabriel de la Chapelle

this lightweight
timepiece has a cool
Nineties feel to it.
Tatler
Aluminium Chronograph Watches
by Bulgari
129
 FIRED UP
Audemars Piguet has added to
its line of highly engineered
ceramic chronographs. Harder
than steel, ceramic withstands
super-high temperatures,
thermal shocks and scratches.
Tatler recommends the
watchmaker’s fierce Royal
Oak Offshore, which now
comes in numerous colours
that are elevated by Méga
Tapisserie dials and robust
rubber straps. The classic
blue and green models come
in stainless steel, but this
brown model comes with
a distinctive pink gold case
that beautifully complements
the bezel’s brown ceramic,
which is used for the very first
time by Audemars Piguet.
Tatler
Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding
Watches
Chronograph by Audemars Piguet
130
 BEST SELLER
Patek Philippe’s latest repeating
watch is a newer version of
the brand’s Minute Repeater
Tourbillon Singapore 2019 Ref
5303R-010, which was launched
last year and limited to just 12
pieces. While this model isn’t
a limited edition, production
numbers will be low, so act
fast—otherwise these rose gold
treasures will be gone for good.

Minute Repeater Tourbillon Ref

5303R-001 by Patek Philippe
Images Jean-Daniel Meyer (Patek Philippe)

Tatler

Watches

131
 Annie Darling
Watches & Jewellery
Director of Tatler Asia

The RM 72-01 is
Richard Mille’s biggest
release this year and
the first watch in the
brand’s history to come
equipped with a flyback
chronograph that is
designed and assembled
in-house from start
to finish. A flyback
Images Philippe Louzon (Richard Mille); Alain Costa (Rolex)

chronograph enables
the restarting of the
watch’s timer function
while the chronograph
is running. This exciting
timepiece is powered
by the automatic
Calibre CRMC1, which
comes with 50 hours
of power reserve.
Tatler

Watches
RM 72-01 Lifestyle In-
House Chronograph by
132 Richard Mille
SHUCKED & coral red and turquoise
dials. And for those who
SERVED aren’t into bright colours,,
Rolex has reimagined one the Swiss watchmaker
of its most recognisable has introduced a larger
collections. The Oyster 41 mm model with a
Perpetual 36 series will traditional silver dial.
now be available with
candy pink, yellow, green,
Oyster Perpetual 41 mm
by Rolex
HOT POCKETS
Breguet continues to pay
tribute to its exquisite
heritage pocket watches
with the launch of its
Tradition Quantième
Rétrograde Ref 7597.
The bridges, wheels,
escapement and barrel have
all been placed on top of
the Tradition Quantième
Rétrograde’s baseplate, so
all of its inner workings
INTO THE BLUE
Omega’s new edition
of its Seamaster Diver
300M has been designed
in support of the Nekton
foundation, a leading non-
profit association that’s
committed to protecting
the world’s oceans by
accelerating scientific
exploration. Available with
either an integrated steel
can be admired from
the dial rather than the
caseback. When flipped
over, it reveals the watch’s
central rotor, which is
beautifully shaped like
the winding mass found
on early pocket watches.
From left: Tradition Quantième
Rétrograde Ref 7597; No
2292 pocket watch, both
by Breguet
bracelet or a black rubber
strap, an all-black ceramic
dial gives this watch a
modern and moody look.
Inspect the caseback to
see a special engraving
that celebrates Omega’s
partnership with Nekton.
Tatler
Nekton deploys some of the
world’s most advanced deep- Watches
diving submersibles 133
 BLACK BEAUTY
What a watch! Hermès’s
Arceau Lift Tourbillon
Répétition Minutes is
available with either a white
or Abyss blue-lacquered
dial. Both feature a unique
cut-out in the shape of a
horse head, which gives
the wearer a tantalising
glimpse into the watch’s
complex mechanism. These
timepieces are powered by
DEALING WITH
DRAGONS
Jaquet Droz has unveiled
an extraordinary
interpretation of the Earth
Dragon, the fifth element
in the 60-year cycle of
the traditional Chinese
Tatler calendar. Limited to eight
Watches pieces worldwide, this
134 Black Bay P01 by Tudor watch comes with a dial
an H1924 movement, which
also playfully incorporates
Hermès’s equestrian theme
with a barrel bridge shaped
like twin horse heads.
Arceau Lift Tourbillon
Répétition Minutes by Hermès
carved from jasper, which
was cut, softened and
polished by hand. A smaller
off-centre dial at 12 o’clock
in black onyx features two
red gold hands, and perfectly
pops against various shades
of brown and burgundy.
Petite Heure Minute Relief
Dragon by Jaquet Droz
 | One to Watch |

Chris
McCormack
Perfectly timed to coincide
with the launch of the
sporty new Endurance
Pro, Breitling introduces
triathlete Chris McCormack
as its latest ambassador
What’s special about the new
Endurance Pro?
I’m an active individual, so it’s
hard not to love everything
about this watch. Fashion
is obviously very important,
and Breitling has nailed the
look and evolution of this
timepiece. The retro feel of
this watch ties it back to its
Seventies roots but it’s also
been modernised. Something I
must mention is how light it is.
You don’t even realise it’s on
your wrist—it’s brilliant.

How do you wear your

Endurance Pro?
I’m currently wearing the
yellow version because it has
a strong affinity with leading
bicycle races and yellow
jerseys within the endurance
world. I’ve also ordered the
blue one. Conservative but
stylish, it’s a statement piece
but in a softer way. Plus, blue
is my favourite colour.

How has watchmaking

impacted you?
Breitling was a big part of my
life when I was an athlete and
it continues to be now that
I’m a corporate leader [as
founder of Mana Sports and
Entertainment Group]. It’s
taught me that modern luxury
is about being inclusive and
functional, as well as having
Image Rich Cruse/Crusephoto.com

the strength and confidence
of character to explore
something different.
What can we expect from you
over the coming months?
I was supposed to be running
the 2020 Marathon des
Sables across the Sahara,
followed by the London
Marathon, but both events
have been cancelled because
of the coronavirus. I would
really like to run a sub-2:22
marathon in London. I’m also
involved in Pho3nix, which
is a non-profit organisation
that links global sports stars
with children to improve their
health and wellbeing. Our
aim is to raise more than one
billion euros over the next 15
years. It’s a huge project and
very exciting.
How have you spent the last
few months?
I live in Phuket, Thailand, but
my offices are in Singapore.
Plus, for the past seven years
my eldest daughter has been
studying at boarding school in
Australia. In March, my family
and I travelled to Australia to
check on her but because of
border closures we got stuck
here, with no chance of leaving
until sometime in 2021. Covid-
19 has been very disruptive for
my family. It’s been a struggle
but at the end of the day we Tatler
are safe and healthy.
Watches
Disruptions like this can be
a blessing in disguise. 135
 Chi Hang Wong,
also known as ‘B’
Opposite page:
Explorer Ref 6150,
circa 1953, by Rolex

Tatler

Watches

136

It’s 2019 and nearly six months of anti-government
protests have rocked Hong Kong, with police arrest-
ing thousands of people. Chi Hang Wong is at home,
depressed, browsing the internet, when he discovers the
work of LA-based artist Cleon Peterson, whose chaotic
paintings show clashing figures as they struggle between
power and submission. “His work spoke to me,” Wong,
31, tells me. Inescapably eccentric, he’s wearing retro,
round glasses and a buttoned-up shirt. “A lot of Cleon’s
work is painted in black and white and, because of what
was happening in Hong Kong, it really hit home.” As
fate would have it, Wong received an Instagram message
from the artist several weeks later concerning a Rolex
Day-Date President about which he’d posted. Wong has
two editions in yellow gold, one with an onyx dial, the
other with a lapis dial.
Wong flew to LA to meet Peterson and tour his stu-
dio. “I took the Rolex off my wrist and handed it to him
Oh
| Collector’s Corner |
Snap!
After years spent
collecting expensive
camera lenses, Chi Hang
Wong graduated to
mechanical movements
By Annie Darling. Photography by Stephanie Teng
the moment we met,” he says. “I said to him, ‘Your art-
work got me through a really difficult time when I was
depressed. This watch is just a watch to me, but your art-
work gave me something that’s priceless.’” Wong, who
is better known to just about everyone as ‘B’, describes
himself as a “born collector”. As a teenager, he started
amassing rare clothing, designer sunglasses and antique
cameras. In 2005 he moved to Canada where he studied
psychology at the University of Toronto. “When I was a
kid, I wanted to be a scientist. I became obsessed with
perpetual motion and mechanics that work without
external power.”
He started reading about watches and now owns
about 30. “My collection is unusual,” he warns me,
as he pulls a Retro Fantasy Mickey Mouse by Gérald
Genta from his leather briefcase. “When I first started
collecting, my friends were mostly into fashion brands
and fancy Apple watches. Scratch that: we didn’t even
Tatler
Watches
137
 “I was like, ‘What even
is this? I don’t want a
cartoon watch. Do you
want me to get bullied
at school? If I wear this,
they’ll kill me!’”—CHI HANG WONG
have those back then. They were into those GPS run-
ning watches.” He rolls his eyes and winks. When
Wong returned to Hong Kong from boarding school in
Ipswich, England, his mother gifted him a watch dur-
ing a family dinner. “It had a blue strap and a Donald
Duck on it. I was like, ‘What the hell? What even is this?
I don’t want a cartoon watch. Do you want me to get
bullied at school? If I wear this, they’ll kill me!’ Back
then, to be cool you had to wear Quicksilver and put
gel in your hair, you know? All I wanted was a Casio
G-Shock.”
Wong bought his first high-end timepiece in 2010—
an extremely rare Jaquet Droz Astrale Twelve Cities—
and, not long after that, he exchanged an expensive
camera lens from the 1930s for a friend’s “dirty” vin-
tage Rolex. It wasn’t until later that he realised he was
now an owner of the very first edition of Rolex’s most
sought-after model: the Explorer. During this time, he
read about a famous watchmaker who’d made a Disney
series of watches. “Turns out that this Donald Duck
Tatler watch was by a legendary designer called Gérald Genta.”
Watches He asked his mother for it back. “She goes, ‘Hell no!
138 It’s mine now. I wear it all the time.’” Wong found a
Mickey Mouse edition online, which is now one of his
most prized possessions. “There’s this idea in life that
we’re constantly improving,” he says. “Maybe we don’t.
Maybe we’re not moving up or down, but we’re moving
from side to side and exploring new directions.”
This outlook explains Wong’s attitude towards col-
lecting. He initially bought new designer watches, then
entered a vintage phase, and has more recently been
into independent watchmakers. He wears the brand
new Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon by H Moser &
Cie and MB&F to Tatler’s shoot—his is the second in a
limited series of 15. “I think the first was sold to a col-
lector in Dubai,” he tells me, adding that he’s in talks
with the brand about designing a bespoke bracelet that
matches the Funky Blue dial.
When asked about his dream watch, he answers with-
out hesitation. “The Moser Swiss Mad watch.” In 2017
H Moser & Cie removed the “Swiss Made” label from
its watches after changes were made to the regulations
on the use of the term. In an act of protest, the Swiss
Mad watch was unveiled, with a case made entirely of
cheese. Like, actual Swiss cheese. “It’s conceptual art,”
says Wong. “It’s something Damien Hirst would do.”
From top: Wong wears
the Endeavour Cylindrical
Tourbillon by H Moser &
Cie x MB&F; Astrale Twelve
Cities Limited Edition,
circa 2008, by Jaquet
Droz; Retro Fantasy Mickey
Mouse, circa 1990,
by Gérald Genta

Tatler

Watches

139
 THE INSIDER’S GUIDE TO
LUXURY LIVING

Dual
Living Seamless shuttling
between city homes
and weekend retreats

REDESIGN ISSUE

Now available at digital magazine newsstands Zinio and Magzter. Also available at selected newsstands and the city’s best bookstores.
 Off
the
Cuff
A celebration
of boldness and
versatility, the
Pasha de Cartier
inspires its wearer
to exude power and
unapologetic style
By Dorynna Untivero
A watch is more than just a
time-telling accessory—it can
reflect one’s personality, taste and
lifestyle. And the Pasha de Cartier
is all about adventure, energy and
holding a strong point of view,
in fashion and in everyday life.
Launched in 1985, it pays
homage to the Pasha of Marrakesh
who was a lifelong customer of
Louis Cartier. Its design boasts
an extraordinary diameter and
a unique ‘square in a circle’
pattern on the dial accentuated
with bold oversized Arabic
Image from Cartier
numerals—a look that immediately
challenged the predominance of
round shapes in watchmaking
during its initial release.
Since then, the Pasha watch
immediately became a cult favourite
for its ‘off-limits’ approach to
design. It has inspired a host of
Cartier variations: from the Pasha
C, the first to introduce steel in
1995 to the Pasha 32, precious and
officially feminine (1998); and
from the Pasha 42 with its greater
dimensions (2005) to the Miss
Pasha in 2009, introducing a mini
version, joyous and colourful.
It suits both feminine and
masculine dressing owing to its
adaptable and customisable look.
Now produced in steel, yellow gold,
pink gold and set with diamonds,
the Pasha de Cartier collection is
a line for those who aren’t afraid
Featuring
interchangeable
straps, a sapphire
crystal case back,
a new crown and
personalised
engraving, the Pasha
de Cartier embodies
sophistication like
no other through
exquisite details and
watchmaking functions
to explore the possibilities. Worn
by many fashion editors, models
and style icons, its powerful
signature look allows its wearer
to exude confidence effortlessly.
The Pasha watch has always
appealed to those who are open to
new pursuits in life and fashion. The
epitome of boldness, it takes heritage
and vintage design to the future with
its 2020 edition. More than a watch,
more than a timepiece, the Pasha de
Cartier is a statement against holding
back. A watch for iconoclasts and
rule-breakers—it’s the stuff of
cosmopolitan daydreams.
Tatler
Cartier is located at Greenbelt 4, Watches
Makati City. 141
Photography Amanda Fordyce
 Thylane Katana,the Bolzico
family’s bundle of joy
Opposite page: Art tools of
the contemporary British
painter Jenny Saville

Features
Learn about marriage and
parenting from Nico and
Photography Mark Nicdao

Solenn Heusaff Bolzico and see

how Covid-19 changed the lives
of eight Tatler friends
 Family
First
Years after their serendipitous
meeting, businessman Nico Bolzico
and multi-hyphenate artist Solenn
Heussaff Bolzico have created a
home together that is bursting with
love for their daughter, Thylane
By Ryanne Stephanie Cheng Co. Photography by Mark Nicdao.
Styling by Monique Madsen. Jewellery, outfits and
props by Hermès and Tiffany & Co.

Tatler

Features

144
Bolzico wears Hermès 90
Blanc shirt and vest light
appliquées and Tiffany & Co.
T square bracelet; Heusaff
wears Hermès shirt and
trousers in Marron Iroko,
Tiffany & Co. T smile wide
necklace, T1 narrow hinge
bangle, T1 half diamond
narrow hinge bangle, T1
half diamond narrow ring Tatler
and T1 narrow ring; Hermès
Features
cashmere with Croquis De
Tigre print on the set 145
 Heusaff wears Hermès
twillaine Mors A Jouets,
Tiffany & Co. round solitaire
diamond earrings, T1 half
diamond narrow ring and T1
narrow ring; Bolzico wears
Hermès Patch Odysee shirt
Tatler and Tiffany & Co. T square
bracelet; Hermès Cashmere
Features
with Croquis De Tigre print
146 on the backdrop
I
t is picture-perfect. Nico Bolzico and Solenn Heussaff
Bolzico, glamorous and successful and now first-time
parents, sit casually and comfortably on the sofa, while
daughter Thylane Katana or Thylane for short, is happy
with her toys in her playpen. Nine years of togetherness
have brought them here today.
“I think neither of us was looking for anything seri-
ous,” Bolzico starts, speaking on their initial meeting
in 2011. Heussaff agrees. “It actually started as a fling
because Nico was set to be based in another country
after three months, but then he fell in love with me,” she
shares. “Actually”, Bolzico interjects, smiling, “Solenn fell
in love with me first.”
The couple’s relationship, prominently featured
online, has always been fun to follow. Together with
Thylane and their roster of Instagram-famous pets—the
dog Pochola, the cat El Gato and the tortoises Patato and
Pechuga—the Bolzicos project the image of a perfect
family. Yet, the two admit that much like everyone else,
their lives, and their relationship, are far from perfect.
“Every day, [you have to make an] effort in order to be
able to have a successful marriage,” Bolzico shares. “It’s a
bit of hard work, right? Enjoyable hard work but still, you
cannot let yourself go.”
Heussaff’s view on their dynamic is also refreshing,
especially at a time when “co-dependency” and “toxic”
have become common throwaway words. Heussaff
shares that the secret to their compatibility lies in their
“It actually started as a fling because
Nico was set to be based in another
country after three months, but then
he fell in love with me,” she shares.
“Actually”, Bolzico interjects, smiling,
“Solenn fell in love with me first”
own individuality. “The reason why it still works with
Nico and I is that whoever I was or whoever he was before
we married is still pretty much the same person [we are
today]. We’ve had to compromise on certain things, but
nothing changed [about] who we are as people.”
Now four years married, the couple have a ten-month
old daughter, the apple of their eye, and a sweet mani-
festation of some of their best traits. “We expect Thylane
to get the same talents as Solenn: painting, singing, the
whole right side of her brain,” Nico jokes. Heussaff, on
the other hand, says that Thylane is “literally Nico”. She
shares, “She’s all over the place, she’s loud. She eats a lot.”
If there is one thing both mum and dad agree on,
however, is that Thylane has been a huge blessing in
their lives. Heussaff, who has been open about her diffi-
cult pregnancy, had appointments at the hospital once a
week during the last four months of her term. There were
sacrifices and painful treatments, all of which the couple
went through together. “I think we have found a deeper
appreciation of one another [because of that]. I’ve always
respected [Nico] but now when I see him with Thylane,
I know that I made the right choice marrying him. He’s
such a great father: he’s so good with her and he’s so good
with me,” Heussaff says. She also shares that going through
those stressful circumstances made her want to be more
hands-on as a mother. “[The experience] made me stronger
as a mum. I’m willing to give up way more than I probably
would have if I had an easier pregnancy,” she shares.
Tatler
Features
147
 The Bolzico family wears
Hermès scarf in Carnaval
Des Oiseaux; Heusaff wears
Tiffany & Co. T1 narrow
hinge bangle and T diamond
double chain bracelet;
Bolzico wears Tiffany & Co.
T square bracelet

Tatler

Features

148
Tatler

Features

149
 Heusaff wears Hermès
shirt and trousers in Marron
Iroko and Attelage long
necklace, Tiffany & Co. T1
half diamond narrow ring,
T1 narrow ring and T smile
wide necklace; Bolzico
wears Hermès 90 Blanc shirt
and vest light appliquées;
Hermès cashmere with
Croquis De Tigre print and
zig zag pillows on the set

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 Thylane, born January 1, 2020, is a healthy, bouncing
baby. Having come into the world at the beginning of
the year, Bolzico and Heussaff were spared from having
to deliver a child during a pandemic. Yet, the new par-
ents are not exempt from the anxiety that surrounds the
times. “It is a mix of emotions,” Heussaff muses. “When
[the pandemic] first started, obviously, we were both like,
‘What kind of world are we bringing our daughter into?’
But you know, there is a silver lining to this whole thing.
We really got to spend time together and get to know
Thylane and witness all her milestones.”
Now that both of Thylane’s parents, who are often so
busy with work, are sheltering at home, there has been more
time to focus on parenting. But as with most new mums
and dads, the two have had their fair share of doubts.
“We were so scared to be parents,” Bolzico shares.
“We didn’t know what it was about. Are we ready? Are
we good enough? There are a lot of questions that we
still have no answer to. But I’m sure that when the time
comes, [we] will know the right thing to do.”
The couple also expound on their style of parenting
by reminiscing on their childhood experiences. Coming
from Western backgrounds, Bolzico (who is Argentinian)
and Heussaff (who is half-Filipino and half-French) both
admit to adhering to a more relaxed style of parenting.
In fact, their philosophy is straightforward. “We want
“Be yourself, don’t be forced
to do anything you don’t want
to, and be a good person. I
think that’s all”— NICO BOLZICO
her to be happy and a good person. That’s it. The rest is
secondary,” Bolzico says. Thylane’s mother agrees, noting
that they want to guide their child, without imposing too
much on her.
Of course, it’s important for both of them that Thylane
learns the value of respect—how to treat people properly,
and how to succeed in life without stepping on others.
Staying humble is also important for Bolzico, as is learn-
ing how to be independent. “Be yourself, don’t be forced
to do anything you don’t want to, and be a good person. I
think that’s all,” Thylane’s father says.
Bolzico, a multi-hyphenate in his own right, also
stresses the importance of hard work. “I grew up in the
farm,” he says. “[I was] surrounded by hard work.” Taking
a cue from his childhood, Bolzico attests that the best way
to teach your child is through example. “[My parents]
always pushed me to study. They knew how important it
was, so they focused on that. They always explained [why
it was important], and they always tried to show [me] why
[I] should do it and why they couldn’t. [They were] show-
ing or leading [by example].”
With such relatable values, it’s easy to see why Bolzico
and Heussaff are so popular. Under the scrutiny of social
media and show business, the pair seem to have passed the
test—they are likeable, relatable and without pretension.
As people involved in media, this type of genuineness can
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 I’m going to be more
careful with the projects I
choose and not be afraid
to say no. I feel like now
is a good time [for me] to
take a step back and have
time for Thylane”
— SOLENN HEUSAFF BOLZICO
be hard to come by. “We don’t want to mislead people as
to the kind of life we have,” Heussaff explains. “If you see
any of our posts, we’re very much organic. I don’t curate
my feed, I don’t only post travel photos. I have my art, my
everyday problems on there.”
True to his word, Bolzico has been a constant source
of support for Heussaff, who’s a known multi-hyphenate.
The new mother, who has recently launched a mater-
nity line called Elin, has also been working on ideas for
her future art exhibit and her collection of self-designed
carpets. Having been in show business for years now,
Heussaff says, “I’m going to be more careful with the pro-
jects I choose and not be afraid to say no. I feel like now is
a good time [for me] to take a step back and havethy time
for Thylane.”
Bolzico, a businessman and a restaurateur, also spoke
Tatler about his three main ventures: his agribusinesses which
Features include LM10; his restaurant Chingolo Deli, which car-
152 ries the Bolzico Beef brand; and his new fitness app,
Rebel. One of his biggest achievements in this pandemic
was keeping the staff of all his businesses intact. With
lesser restrictions for travel these days, his agribusinesses
have been picking up. The Bolzico Beef has also been able
to transition easily into deliveries and meat distribution,
keeping the business afloat despite dine-out restrictions.
With so much happening in the lives of the Bolzicos,
it’s a wonder they’ve managed to keep it so together.
Their secret? Making time. “We do make an effort [with
each other],” Bolzico shares. “We take our coffee together
in the morning. We have dinner together every night. We
have conversations and we actually make time for us to
be able to [bond].”
And with that, Bolzico and Heussaff have finally
revealed the magic to their marriage — and it’s a sur-
prisingly straightforward answer: effort. Be it through
romantic dates, or words of affirmation, Bolzico and
Heussaff agree that though their marriage may not
always be easy, it will always be worth it.
Heusaff wears Hermès Mors
A Jouets twillaine, Tiffany &
Co. round solitaire diamond
earrings, T1 half diamond
narrow ring, T1 narrow hinge Tatler
bangle and T wire ring;
Bolzico wears Hermès Patch Features
Odysee shirt 153
 Life in the
Time of
Covid-19
A tiny molecule with a diameter
of at least 60 nanometres is
disrupting the lives of 7.8 billion
people around the world in different
ways; but for everyone, bar none,
the effect is life changing. Tatler
Philippines speaks to eight such lives
who share their fateful encounter
with the coronavirus

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Tatler

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 ON GETTING MARRIED
FRANCES UY
Restaurateur
Not in my wildest dreams did I think my wedding
would happen like this. But, it was perfect in its own
way. My husband Marco and I decided to get married
about six months into Covid-19 so it didn’t really disrupt
any wedding plans. Initially we were going to do a small
civil ceremony at the city hall, but the more we thought
about it, the more we realised that we wanted to cele-
brate with those who mean the most to us.
There was lots of anxiety involved, especially because
we were going to have a gathering of more than 10 peo-
ple. Thankfully, in San Francisco reliable testing is easy
to get, so that gave us peace of mind. A bunch of us took
Covid tests in the days leading up to the wedding and I
was super nervous that someone would end up positive.
Throwing a safe celebration was definitely the biggest
challenge. Due to Covid-19, we had about three weeks
to plan the entire wedding … ourselves! Yes, DIY! We
chose to do everything ourselves to minimise contact
with anyone outside our bubble.
My focus with Marco was the overhaul of the back-
yard. His brothers Maui, Mateo and Mico Uy worked
day in and day out to help us renovate our backyard—
together we went from cleaning, to sanding, to paint-
plan the decor and flowers. In fact, it was so personal
that we wrote the ceremony script ourselves and pro-
gram! Marco’s closest brother and best man Mico Uy
was our ordained minister who performed the ceremo-
ny in the cutest most heartfelt way.
A super important facet for me is food since it is
such an integral part of my life. Our amazing meal was
planned by my good friend Claudine Chiongbian and
her sous chefs and included my favourites: oyster, uni
shooters, ikura, burrata, onigiris to name a few!
From photo, video, to even the soundtrack of our
evening—our friends stepped up. With regards to mu-
sic, Carlos Lopez, Mikey Onglao and Tomas Cabili craft-
ed playlists for the ceremony and reception, so we did
not have to hire a DJ! These nuances totally enhanced
this momentous day for me, I knew that the songs they
chose were connected to fabulous memories and that
there was meaning to each track.
As crazy and unorthodox as things got, I would not
have had it any other way. It all made our wedding more
special because our friends gave so much of themselves
to one of the most important days of my life. The fact
that we brought it all together, by ourselves not only
kept us safe from Covid-19, but made my wedding all
the more meaningful. I am so grateful for all my friends
and family!

We had about
ing, to staining, to gardening. Eventually we realised we
couldn’t overhaul the entire place ourselves and hired
my tito’s construction team at the last minute. They did

three weeks to
all the difficult parts, thankfully.
As a part of backyard makeover Marco and I visited
several nurseries and learnt how to design a garden! We

plan the entire

had to drive out ourselves to pick up 300 planks of red-
wood in order to transform the space. In the days lead-
ing up to the wedding, there were fires that broke out all

wedding ...
over California. We had to race to get to the Santa Cruz
Mountains (about 1.5 hours away) to pick up the wood
in time before the seller evacuated! The fires were terrify-

ourselves!
ing! We were lucky and thankful that the air quality only
got really bad shortly after the wedding. That day that
everyone saw on social media, when the sky was overtak-

Yes, DIY!
en by darkness and an eerie hue of red, came three days
after the wedding—I was incredibly relieved!
Some of my best girls (Monina Gangoso, Timmi
Cabacang, Becca Garcia, Sabrina Chiongbian, Brigette
Photography Maui Uy

Balagot) got-together to brainstorm the total vision and

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The
newlyweds
Frances
Tanchanco
and Marco
Alvaro Cruz Uy

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 ON BEING QUARANTINED Never thought I’d see
THELMA SAN the day I’d be spraying
JUAN disinfectant in their
trail in the house
Writer/Editor

Clutter Landing on You (CLOY) has been my drama in

(“Ma, stop treating us

this pandemic. The stuff I have ignored to file away final-
ly caught up with me as I, like everyone else, got stuck at
home. Clothes, office files, bags, magazines, books and

like cockroaches!”)
more clothes—name it, I simply had to give away or re-
organise if I was to have an airy work den (with room for
my Gong Yoo, Lee Min Ho, BTS calendars). Decluttering
is a work in progress which I feel would last as long, if not
longer than this pandemic.
But honestly, I never felt cooped up. I welcomed be-
ing at this prolonged stoplight perhaps because I’ve had
my fill of the social whirl—preening in the morning for
lunch appointments, picking out the look that could
bring me from lunch to dinner (the car was a shoe cabi-
net), rushing to office, flogging my brain muscle to edit,
stepping out for events and dinners, refreshing make-up
in the car, refiguring the brain for possible story leads
and dish I catch at dinner. The daily social grind was like
a chain-and-ball around my ankle.
In that sense was this quarantine welcomed. Now I
can play tennis outdoors in the club in the morning, or
go to Mass at noon, settle down to write my essays and
anything else I like to write afternoon on to evening,
then prop myself in bed to watch my BTS videos and
laugh and get hungry with these digital rulers of the cen-
tury, or Park BoGum’s Record of Youth which reminds me
of our heyday in the glossies. I always recommend BTS as
a happy pill to friends.
But the above is a mere escape from the jarring reality
that we’ve lost acquaintances and friends to Covid. It’s a
sadness that we cannot adequately put down in words.
So, before my BTS escape at night, I’ve actually gone back
to praying the rosary.
You never thought you’d see the day when your
household must wear mask at home, or when you
cannot kiss your sons’ mops of hair because you must
keep them at a distance, since they go out regularly (my
youngest is with Pernod-Ricard) and thus could be ex-
posed to the virus. Never thought I’d see the day I’d be
spraying disinfectant in their trail in the house. (“Ma,
stop treating us like cockroaches!”)
Paranoia + prayer—that’s the pandemic lifestyle. But
add to that the Filipino’s compassion to help others when
she/he can. Just note how we keep buying the baked
goodies and dishes of friends.
Tatler Like what the BTS boys say—“Life goes on. Let’s live on!”
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158
 Bob Miller, Taj
and Ito Curata

ON LOSING PARENTS would always feel better. I also miss both of their cook-

ROBERT “TAJ”
ing. My Dad made the best callos and my Papa made the
best chili.
Unlike most of my classmates, I prefer online class-

CURATA
Student
If I could send a message to my parents right now, I
would like to say that I miss them very much. I would
also thank them for taking care of me and for sacrific-
ing so much for me.
Ever since my parents (Ito Curata and Bob Miller)
passed away due to Covid, I have been under the care of
their close friends. And I like it. They can be strict, some-
times, but all parents or guardians are strict with their
kids. I wouldn’t say that I like that my Titas (Aunts) are
a bit strict at times, but I understand. They have been so
kind and very caring, I would not know what to do with-
es more than face-to-face classes. I find them easier and
less stressful since I get to study from the comforts of my
home. When the pandemic is over and things get back
to normal, I would like to go to the beach and get some
fresh air. My Dads and I would often visit the beach dur-
ing Holy Week.
I do not really know what the future will be, but
I still have my dreams. When I’m older, I would
like to be either an astronomer/physicist or a pro-
fessional singer/songwriter. I am sure I will reach
my dreams because my Dads will make it happen.
(Note: Fashion designer Ito Curata died on March 26, followed by his
partner, the retired Visa executive Bob Miller, after eight days.)

I miss my parents
out them. I guess I also must thank my parents for having
so many kind and caring friends.
I miss my parents very much. At times, I would be-

very much (and)

come very sad knowing that they are gone. But to bright-
en up my mood, I play the piano or the guitar or just
listen to music. I also have a couple of friends who live

be sad knowing
in the same neighbourhood and we would get together
every now and then.
There are so many things I miss about my Dads. I

they are gone

called my Dad Ito “Daddy” or just “Dad” and my Dad
Bob “Papa”. I didn’t get to spend a lot of time with my
Dad because he was so busy with work, but he would al-
ways try to make time for me and my Papa. I guess one
thing I miss about them both is their embrace. When- Tatler

ever I felt sad, they would embrace me and somehow, I Features

159
 ON CONTINUING BUSINESS
CHIT JUAN
Sustainability Advocate

I have always been a retailer, with brick and mortar stores

or storefronts as we call them so just imagine how the pan-
demic threw me off balance. But instead of curling up un-
der the sheets and wishing the nightmare to end, I braced
myself. This is it! Bite the bullet! Do what needs to be done.
My ECHOstore partners and I saw what was to come
next: store closures. We had to move fast as many of our
goods have expiry dates and we had cafes with fresh
stocks of food, too. A lot of judgment calls were needed.
Throw this. Give these away. Clean the warehouse. Move
it closer to point of use. Before the lockdown I asked a
supply chain expert about managing inventory. He
summed it all up in one word: optimise! And optimise
we did, one item at a time.
It was also good that we prepared our digital work-
force, all virtual service providers. We started to use our
online store and kept just one stand-alone store as our
hub. There was no back office and all my supervisors
could only work from home. I looked at costs and what
we could possibly sell online. We rolled up our sleeves
and went to work, from home. I found myself doing
the tasks of a warehouse clerk, dispatcher, scheduler and
salesperson. Talk about multi-tasking. It was a true test of
grit, patience and faith.
Something tells me this will be the new normal
and that we must just shift and pivot to a new way of
doing business.

Ironic how a
It was fortunate that we earlier prepared to go digital.
We refreshed our online store (www.echostore.ph) a few
months before the lockdown and also found ourselves

pandemic is
‘onboarding’ in other platforms like Beauty MNL, Grab-
mart and Pickaroo. I had to shift gears and think digital
with everything—payment systems, logistics and all that

exactly what
would make us continue to bring in cash flow, the life-
blood of any enterprise in these challenging times.
How do I see the future? Perhaps we can finally have

one needs to
that café near our little farm in Cavite and hold semi-
nars on farming, coffee and sustainable living. We shall
remain faithful to our tag—ECHOstore: sustainable life-

be able to shift
style—even as we will no longer be a physical store in a
mall but rather an experience to be shared with others.
This pandemic is unprecedented in how it has be-

and change
come a game changer—not just for business models but
in transforming people to finally adopt a sustainable life-
style. Ironic how a pandemic is exactly what one needs to
be able to shift and change.

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 So what’s it
like to be me
quarantined?
ON FINDING HUMOUR
MAURICE
ARCACHE It feels like
Lifestyle Columnist
I’m being
punished
Hello everyone! Yes it’s me! And yes, I am still alive, in
case you are wondering! As a good friend always says, if
there was ever a nuclear war, the only thing that would

in Dante’s
survive would be cockroaches and moi!
So what’s it like to be me and to be quarantined? It
feels like I’m being punished in Dante’s Inferno! Me? Me?

Inferno!
A party animal like no other, not being able to go out and
do everything I used to do before! Aaaaaargh! My sperm
has already turned into stone. I’m going bananas!
Thing is, I have been in this difficult situation even be-
fore Covid-19. In June 2019 I had an accident in a restau-
rant. Someone called out my name. I turned around to
see who it was but I lost my balance, fell on the people at
the table near me, and broke my hipbone. I was operated
on immediately and had to undergo therapy. I was in the
hospital for three months!
And then Covid happened. I think I was able to go to
only one dinner out before the quarantine, a dinner host-
ed in my honour. But it was not much fun. People were
sitting miles apart, forcing me to strain my already hoarse
voice. Que horror! So, I arrived. I sat down. I ate. I left.
Since then I have been homebound. I walk up and
down the stairs, one hand holding the banister while
the other hangs on to somebody, my bodyguard/ther-
apist almost all the time. Up and down, up and down.
Or I walk with a cane. Because I refuse, I refu-u-u-se to
sit on a wheelchair!
Sometimes I’ll have a ladder set up in the garden from
where I can look out over the wall of Dasmariñas Village
and people watch. I still write a column for Philippine Star.
I eat around 6pm so that I can enjoy my tequila (I cannot
do alcohol on an empty stomach). And then watch televi-
sion. Now I am watching Golden Girls on Netflix. I love it
because I could so relate to its characters. Occasionally, I‘d
get visitors but I regularly talk to my friends on the phone.
Some of them have invited me to join them on weekends
out of town but the documents needed just to travel are
impossibly difficult to secure. Increible! Forget it!
This is it! This is my life now, my new norm! I do not
think I have gotten any crankier (I only get cranky be-
cause I cannot go out). I know I am happy. I know I am Tatler

still raunchy and naughty. So basically, it’s still moi, Mau- Features

rice, your palangga! N’est-ce pas! 161

 Proud mum,
Pie Alvarez,
with Baby Nara
ON GIVING BIRTH
PIE ALVAREZ
Businesswoman
In March, when the lockdown in Manila started to take
place, I didn’t know what to expect. I was four months
pregnant, a first-time mum, so I was naturally nervous and
anxious and worried over my baby. I was also concerned
about my family and my loved ones. What if I get sick;
what will happen to them? How do I take care of them
without any physical contact?
Add to this my worry over my safety in hospitals. Every
Tatler two weeks, I had to go see my doctor, get tests done, in-
Features cluding my ultrasound. That was not easy, what with the
162 quarantine going on! It was also scary as I will be running
My baby girl
has finally
arrived—
and all the
anxieties,
worries and
discomforts
... quickly
forgotten
the risk of being exposed to Covid patients or those who
came in contact with them. But I had to be brave about it.
My own health and overall wellness were important as I
wanted to make sure I was physically and mentally healthy
for my baby. But what to do? The gyms and wellness stu-
dios were closed, and I had limited access to the outdoors.
So, I made a makeshift gym setup at home comprising a
treadmill, bike and a Pilates corner for my online Zoom
prenatal sessions. It was great to be able to work out at
home during the lockdown!
During this time of uncertainty, I found comfort in my
partner, Neil. He took extra care of me, did most of the
household chores and cooking! He also calmed me down
when I would get a little pregnancy anxiety. It truly helps
when you have a supportive and caring partner!
My mum and sisters were really a big help in guid-
ing me throughout the prenatal journey. They gave
me useful motherly advice! By staying home, I actual-
ly had more time to prepare myself for when I had to
give birth and welcoming my baby girl. And wonder
of wonders, I discovered, as well as learnt, to embrace
my inner homebody!
Finally, on August 8, Baby Nara Alessandra was
born—all of 5.9lbs and 19in. Our first skin-to-skin con-
tact as I breastfed her was a joy beyond description. My
baby girl has finally arrived—and all the anxieties, wor-
ries, discomforts of the pregnancy quickly forgotten.
ON GETTING THE VIRUS
IRENE MARTEL FRANCISCO
Managing Director, Tatler Philippines
I was terrified of getting Covid-19 and did everything I
could to avert this dreaded virus. But since we don’t ex-
actly live in a bubble, it happened that one day in July,
both my husband and daughter started to feel sick and
got PCR-tested. The tests confirmed my worst fear...Cov-
id-19 had found its way into my home!
One week later, I noticed that I had lost my sense of
smell and my sense of taste. I am a voracious reader of
everything, particularly news on Covid. I knew the loss of
these senses is a symptom. So one night, I got up, went to
my dresser and chose the strongest scents I could get my
hands on—cologne, menthol rub, what have you. Noth-
ing! I could not smell them. I will lose these senses in the
next three weeks.
The next day I got a test at home and true enough, this
time I was positive.
At first, I was resentful. Why me? It’s already the
third week of July and I have not been out of the house
since March 15 save for three short, safe trips. I had my
Irene Martel
Francisco
with Randy
and Isabel
household practice all the precautionary measures rec-
ommended: foot baths, UV lights, Hepa filters, thermal
guns, a pulse oximeter to daily monitor oxygen level, face
masks, face shields, rapid tests on everyone once a week.
Then of course I was scared. Was I ready to die? I am
fatalistic about death for several reasons: I am 63, over-
weight and diagnosed with comorbidity. But was I ready
to die from Covid now? Will I die in a very, very bad way?
Will they put me on a ventilator because if they do, I will
refuse! Will I hasten my death just so I will not have to go
on a ventilator? Morbid thoughts circled in my head.
This was not healthy. I had to snap out of it, so I turned
to my work. I kept myself busy, very busy. If you do not
do this, I told myself, you will keep on worrying. What
else am I going to feel? Will I wake up in the morning? I
was also organised with what I may need should my con-
dition worsen. I was not feeling anything save for a runny
nose and fever-like symptoms in a few instances. Still, it
paid to be prepared. So, I had all my medicines, the ther-
mometer lined up on my bedside table, at arm’s length,
in case I would need them in the middle of the night.
My goal was to stay calm so I could deal with the situa-
tion. If I panic, I will not be able to think in advance what I
must do. Apart from acceptance of the situation and being
prepared, prayer and reflection helped calm me. My bout
with Covid gave me the opportunity to reflect on what is
important to me now. Everyone knows how much I love to
travel, and I do travel a lot. But if I will not be able to do so
anymore, will it matter so much? Have I not seen enough?
Do I need another piece of jewellery or another fancy bag?
To all these questions, my answer was, “No”. For I
have come to realise that what I really want, what I really
need in life right now is to spend another day, another
month, another year with my family, laughing and talk-
ing and just being together. I would pray for the privilege
of growing old with them, look into their eyes and realise
how blessed I am with them. I will pray for more of what
I have right now, which is not perfect but, as I always say,
it’s my slice of heaven.
I will pray for more
of what I have right
now ... (not perfect
but) it’s my slice of
heaven
Tatler
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 Jon, Sandy and
Francis Moran

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164
ON LOSING HER HUSBAND
SANDY LAMB
MORAN
Wife, Mother and Director for John Clements Consultants, Inc
I still can’t stop crying. But someone once said, “The deep-
er the love, the greater the pain.” And these words console
me somehow. I have also been blessed with many angels
every step of the way, that I believe the Lord sent to give me
strength and bear the grief of losing Francis. I am truly grate-
ful and humbled by all the gifts of love, compassion, prayers
and healing energies we received from all over the world
during this challenging time. But mostly I am so grateful
for our son Jonathan who has been my Rock and together
we give each other strength, solace and hope. God has truly
been with us in this painful journey—then and now.
There was a point when I got so upset with the doctors.
Francis was already intubated when they recommended we
put him on another machine, the ECMO machine. I wasn’t
prepared to deal with yet another invasive intervention. I
was still groping with this difficult reality. So my family and
I met with the doctors and Margie, my sister-in-law, brought
a doctor friend for a third opinion. She turned out to be a
Christian, very prayerful, who gave a non-medical advice
after listening to all the opinions from the doctors. “At the
end of the day, it is all up to God,” she said. Realising that we
were prayerful people, one of the doctors, the critical care
doctor, Dr Rod Castro, suggested, “Can we pray together for
Francis right now? Us, doctors, can only do so much.”
God sent me this man, this angel. I know now that The
Divine plan was for Francis not to survive but He brought in
Dr Castro who became my conduit to Francis and to Him
during this very challenging time. Since he was tasked with
taking care of Francis in the ICU everyday, he would call me
every morning and evening, and give me updates. And in
the evening, to pray with me and my son Jon over Francis.
When my husband passed away on a Thursday night, an
hour before midnight, Dr Rod tried calling me. But I was
busy texting everyone for blood donation that I missed his
call. Jon called me to say that Dr Rod had been trying to
reach me to let me know that Francis’ health was failing,
and he was going into cardiac arrest. My first instinct was
to rush to the hospital and see my husband. The doctor
suggested otherwise. I kept insisting until he offered to go
back to Francis so we could pray over him. He had already
scrubbed and cleaned himself, ready to leave the hospital
but he offered to go back. Once he was alone with Francis
in the room, he called us, and we prayed over him. It was
so healing. I felt at peace. My son and I were also able to tell
Francis it was okay for him to go with God and to please
watch over us.
There were so many angels who were Godsent. In the
two weeks that Francis was in the hospital, I too was sick
with Covid, and so was my helper. We had no energy to
cook nor go out to buy anything. But to our surprise, peo-
ple kept sending us food, juices, supplies, medicines, vita-
mins. It was incredible. Prayer groups continued praying.
And so many answered our plea for blood, showing up at
the hospital to donate.
God was in total control. He even gave Francis and me
some special time together during the lockdown. You know,
I’m an extrovert and love going out, but Francis was the
homebody. Because of Covid, we were able to spend a lot
of time together at home and bonded so much. We talked
about the future, our next trips including how we would
spend our upcoming 30th wedding anniversary next May
2021. And we got to talk to Jon, who lives in San Francisco,
more often via Zoom. These were precious moments.
With His guidance, I will move forward. Not move
on because someone said when you “move on” you leave
the past behind. When you move forward, however, you
bring the experiences of the past with you. My first project
is to visit all my angels and thank them, old friends I have
not heard from in years as well as new friends I have met
through the pain, from all over the world. I would really
like to take this journey to reconnect with these people
who reached out to me. My angels.
I am still so heartbroken. But I know God has a purpose
in our suffering. He says in Romans 5, that suffering produc-
es perseverance, and perseverance produces character and
character produces hope. I know this hope will not disap-
point because we can now experience God’s faithfulness in
our lives. Francis’ mission on earth has been completed and
God took him home. But we are at peace knowing Francis
will be in our hearts forever.
As I deal with the process of grieving his loss, I will keep
my focus on God and will hold everyone’s love, support and
prayers close to my heart. And I know in time, I will heal as I
move forward. It’s all part of God’s Perfect plan.
I still can’t stop
crying. But
someone once
said, “The deeper
the love, the
greater the pain”
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 Creative
Synergy
Years of friendship
have forged a life-long
collaboration between
renowned Belgian designers
Gert Voorjans and Dries
Van Noten. The result?
More than 30 stunning
stores in key cities globally
including Tokyo and Paris
By Maritess Garcia Reyes

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166
 From top: The exteriors
of Dries Van Noten’s
flagship store in
Aoyama exude beautiful
simplicity; Inside is an
artwork by Gerard de
Lairesse that serves as
the store’s focal point
Opposite page: Raw
elegance reverberates
within the fashion
house’s Tokyo outpost

“I think we were a bit predestined to end up working to-

gether,” the interior designer Gert Voorjans laughs while
narrating how his decades-long partnership with fashion
designer Dries Van Noten began. The creative duo met
in Antwerp, where they both live, in the Nineties, a few
years following the breakthrough of the fashion collec-
tive Antwerp Six, of which Van Noten is a part of. The
Antwerp Six’s distinct radical vision for fashion, which
flourished in the mid-Eighties, had established Belgium’s
second largest metropolitan city as a notable destination
for fashion design. “I was a big fan [of him]. I wanted to
be dressed in all his clothes. We shared wonderful mu-
sical evenings and cultural events. We carry the same
interests and sort of speak the same ‘language’,” he adds.
Back then, Voorjans was working under the tutelage of
Axel Vervoordt, another famous name in the interior de-
sign scene in Belgium. “Dries came over to Vervoordt’s
Gravenwezel castle a lot because it was a very unique set-
ting then,” he continues. Voorjans ended up working full
time for Van Noten. “After working for him in Japan for
Images Daici Ano/FWD (Tokyo)

two years, I suggested contributing freelance and to make

him a priority whenever there are [Dries Van Noten] flag-
ship stores to be designed.”
Their friendship gave birth to over 30 Dries Van Noten
stores worldwide—all of which radiate rich layers and Tatler

explosive energetic colours that the two designers are Style

167
 This page: Layers and
layers of textures and
patterns are always
apparent in Voorjans’
designs Opposite page,
from top: The renowned
Belgian interior architect
Gert Voorjans; A
statement pendant
lamp is sure to get your
attention at Dries Van
Noten’s Aoyama store

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168
“I feel like a
certain punch,
sexiness and
twist need to be
present in my
interiors, like
Dries in clothing,
to make the rest
more fascinating”
— GERT VOORJANS

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 This page: Voorjans uses
interesting touches including
the signature imperial yellow
curtains; Playful details abound at
the Tokyo flagship store Opposite
page: In DVN Paris, warm vibrant
colours makes the men’s section
cosy and inviting

In designing a
space, Voorjans
believes that it
needs to have
certain soul and
personality to
be interesting
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170
Tatler

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171
 Dries Van Noten’s Paris flagship
store evokes the eccentricity
of the legendary antiques
dealer and interior designer,
Madeleine Castaing
known for. “We understand each other and have the same bit of fun. The work I do is more of an assemblage in an ar-
views in aesthetics. His approach on how to use colours with tistic way, creating a clash by having the qualities of the past
materials is very likewise my approach for interiors. We both meet some extreme from today,” says Voorjans.
like twisting, enrapturing and stunning elements. I feel like The first store he designed was the flagship store in
Tatler a certain punch, sexiness and twist need to be present in my Antwerp’s five-storey Het Modepaleis followed by many
Style interiors, like Dries in clothing, to make the rest more fasci- others, including one fronting the Louvre in Paris and
172 nating. It’s all about character, colour, craftmanship and a in Aoyama, Tokyo. “The most iconic has been the flag-

ship store in Quai Malaquais in Paris. The fact that it is
in Paris is key as it is a window to the world. It is aston-
ishing how quickly it spreads reaction from New York,
Los Angeles, Manila, Hong Kong … I could say this was a
life-changing project,” Voorjans says. “That was probably
the starting point of turning those cold white boxes with
long rows of spotlights into more charming and eclectic
spaces. Since then, it has become trendy to design shops
with a very homely atmosphere [complete] with rugs and
lamps, with character, soul and personality. To feel like,
‘can I stay?’,” he adds, albeit reminding not to go over-
board either. “In a shop everything has to work perfect-
ly. [It should be] stunning and appealing but not sensory
overload to some extent.”
Dries Van Noten’s Paris flagship store evokes the ec-
centricity of the legendary antiques dealer and interior
designer, Madeleine Castaing. “We wanted to create
the atmosphere of a real Parisian apartment with so-
Images Yannis Vlamos (Paris)
fas, shades and curtains so when people come in, their
reaction is: ‘Oh! Can I close the curtains and stay?’ The
idea is to convert retail in very homely spaces, and the
rest followed this trend,” he shares. This vibe was execut-
ed through eye-catching colours such as imperial yellow
and Persian blue, as well as elements in beautiful French
grey. A huge display cabinet, based on the original library
A rich palette combined
with intricate elements
completes the cosy
and inviting Parisienne
apartment vibe the
designer wants to convey
of Castaing, to showcase the Dries Van Noten collection
was also incorporated in the design. “When you enter on
the left side, you can see the magnifique balustrade and
mezzanine, the old elements of the bookstore that was
there before, and the mirror ceiling and central Murano
lantern—an original from the old Roman hotel,” he says
about his favourite spot in the store, a project that was
nine months in-the-making.
The Aoyama flagship store is a different story. “Since
the huge success of the Paris store, all the other business
partners wanted a copy of [the] Paris [store],” says Voor-
jans. But he justifies why the store in Tokyo is unique.
“My approach has always been to link the brand with
the city. The Dries Van Noten store in Tokyo looks
totally different from the one in Hong Kong or Paris.
This is the key to not losing the authenticity and the
[element of] surprise,” he shares, adding that unlike
the Paris store, the one in Aoyama features straight
lights and natural palettes. What makes it distinct are
the artworks on display: A Dispute Between Achilles and
Agamemnon and Paris and Apollo Kill Achilles, Hitting
Him with an Arrow in His Heels—both by the Dutch
Golden Age painter and art theorist Gerard de Lairesse Tatler
who is often compared with 17th-century French art- Style
ist Nicolas Poussin. These two artworks are juxtaposed 173
 There is an element of
surprise in every corner
of the Aoyama store.
Case in point: beautiful
walnut pieces combined
with sunny hues
Opposite page: Belgian
fashion designer Dries
Van Noten

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 “Dries Van Noten still inspires and
stimulates me. It has been a synergy
of so many years, a dream come
true, of course”
— GERT VOORJANS
with monochrome reinterpretations of the paintings by
two contemporary Japanese artists.
The building where the store is situated exudes the Jap-
anese architect Tadao Ando’s raw constructivism. “It was
Image Francois G Durand/Getty Images (Dries Van Noten)
impossible for us to imagine a kind of Parisienne apart-
ment in the ambience in Tokyo. The challenge was how
to achieve the fusion between Japanese raw architecture
and our eclectic approach,” recounts Voorjans, adding
that he was challenged by the “hyper detail-sensitivity of
the Japanese”. Despite the limitations, Voorjans still man-
aged to bring in his iconic imperial yellow curtains and
the two Renaissance multicolour paintings in contrast
combined with the most wonderful walnut. Determined,
he finished the project in six months.
In designing a space, Voorjans believes that it needs to
have certain soul and personality to be interesting. “It is
about thinking out of the box and not ending with beige
and greige. You can mix-match styles, fuse Eastern and
Western, Neo and Gothic, but like in an opera, all ele-
ments must be in symphony to tell the story,” the creative
genius, who is known for creating “exciting rooms for
thoughtful people”, muses.
When asked about his relationship with Van Noten
today, he says, “Dries Van Noten still inspires and stimu-
lates me. It has been a synergy of so many years, a dream
come true, of course.” That synergy is still evident three
decades later. As fashion journalist Hamish Bowles says,
“There is no place for timid, mundane, or formulaic in
his [Voorjans] design vocabulary; instead, Gert’s brilliant-
ly coloured world celebrates the daring and the excep-
tional. His magical roomscapes ignite our imaginations,
fuel our dreams and enhance our realities.” These words Tatler
perfectly describe how Voorjans’ works seamlessly infuse Style
with the Dries Van Noten brand. 175
 In
Her
Element
Artist Jenny Saville opens the doors to her
studio, where she has painted a new series
for an exhibition this month at Gagosian in
New York By Anny Shaw. Photography by Amanda Fordyce
Two years ago, a painting by Jenny Saville set a record at
auction for the highest price paid for a work by a living
female artist, but the British painter doesn’t like to think
about that too much. “I try to keep my eye firmly on the
art; the painting is the same painting as it was before the
auction,” she says matter-of-factly, when we meet in her
drawing studio in Oxford.
The painting in question is the gargantuan, corpulent
self-portrait, Propped, created in 1992 and one of five
works by Saville to have been exhibited in the Sensation
show of Young British Artists (YBAs) that caused such a
stir at the Royal Academy of Arts in London in 1997. The
seven-foot-tall canvas sold for £9.5 million.
Tatler “That’s crazy money, but at the same time, compared
Features to Jeff Koons’ bunny, it’s not crazy,” Saville says, referring
176 to the US artist’s stainless-steel leporine sculpture,
Rabbit, which fetched an eye-watering US$91.1 million at
auction in 2019, making Koons the most expensive living
male artist. By any standard it represents a painfully
pronounced gap between the value of art made by men
and women, but, as Saville notes, “The good thing is the
bar has been set that bit higher for other women artists
coming through.”
Setting the bar high has been a constant for Saville,
who has made a 30-year career out of her love for “the
sensuality of flesh”. She started out painting women’s
bodies, chiefly her own, but has also turned her gaze on
men (Pablo Picasso’s late biographer John Richardson
often sat for her). More recently, in works such as Vis and
Ramin II (2018) or Out of one, two (symposium) (2016),
fluid tangles of male and female body parts merge to
create non-binary figures. “I like the idea of a transgender
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painting where the work itself doesn’t have a fixed
gender,” she says.
Saville’s own gender has been a rich source of
inspiration. She was born in Cambridge in 1970, at a time
when feminism was far from mainstream. She tells me
emphatically how becoming a mother had a profound
effect on her practice, in particular honing her drawing
(Saville’s children are now 12 and 13). “When you paint,
there’s a lot of clearing up and I just didn’t have that time.
Drawing became something I could do very quickly,” she
says. “My body and their bodies also changed so quickly
that making one image of a solid painting just didn’t
satisfy. Multiple lines and the ability to change became
more suitable to the experience I was having in life.”
Motherhood has been cast as career suicide by some
artists, including Tracey Emin and Marina Abramović,
but Saville is vehemently opposed to that point of view.
She recalls that lots of people—men and women—
warned her that having children would be “the death”
of her creativity. In fact, it had the opposite effect. “I
became more creative. I’ve made more work since I had
children,” she says. “The experience of actually making
flesh, making a body inside you, was so profound I
wanted to use that advantage. And that gave me an extra
energy to work.”
I ask if she has ever encountered sexism in other areas
of her career. After a pause, Saville responds: “Museum
shows, maybe, or collecting in museums.” Astonishingly,
her first public solo show in the UK didn’t come until
2012, at Modern Art Oxford. There is now a second in
the works: the National Portrait Gallery in London is
planning a retrospective of Saville’s work for when it
reopens in 2023.
This happy news is reflective of a broader push within
the art world to redress the gender imbalance, although
Saville is not convinced of certain strategies. “I’m not a
fan of female-only exhibitions, but I can see why they
have been necessary to showcase women who may not
otherwise have been shown, especially in commercial
galleries where the name of the game is to sell the work.
That’s why public spaces are hugely important for women
artists,” she says.
So, are we on the cusp of major change? Not quite,
Saville concludes. “The National Gallery [in the UK] and
the Prado [in Madrid] are doing those exhibitions of female
Old Masters, which is pretty amazing. But we’ll just have to
see how it manifests itself. It’s still very, very difficult for
most women artists. We have to go step by step.”
Nonetheless, commercial success came early for
Saville. Charles Saatchi, the advertising executive and
YBA champion, became an early supporter after he saw
Propped on the cover of The Times Saturday Review in
1992, galvanising him to buy every work he could get his
hands on. Saatchi tracked down Saville at the Glasgow
School of Art, from which she had just graduated; weeks
later she was en route to London. “Charles offered me the
gallery at Boundary Road [in St John’s Wood, London]
and just said, ‘Make whatever you want’,” she recalls.
For almost two years, Saatchi paid Saville a stipend,
allowing her to paint freely in exchange for the works.
“It was a lottery ticket,” she says. “And it gave me a
model of how to make work and shows and be serious
and ambitious.”
And yet Saville has never really seen herself as a YBA.
Peers such as Damien Hirst and Sarah Lucas favoured
conceptual installations, whereas Saville was a more
conventional painter. “Plus, I didn’t go to Goldsmiths [a
college of the University of London that specialises in art];
I wasn’t based in London,” she points out. “But, looking
back, I’m glad that I was part of a group of people—it was Tatler
an exciting moment. We were these young state-schooled Features
kids from the UK suddenly in the international eye.” 179
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Clockwise, from opposite page:
Saville keeps images to hand
to spark inspiration, including
a printout of Sleeping Venus, a
16th-century work attributed to
Giorgione (centre); Oil bars; A
detail of an unfinished painting

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 Tatler

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Around the same time, Saville came to the attention
of the New York dealer Larry Gagosian, with whom she
first exhibited in 1999. When we met in January, Saville
was preparing for her show that was originally planned
at Gagosian’s Hong Kong gallery during Art Basel—her
“most painterly yet”, she says. The show was postponed
due to the Covid-19 pandemic and is now being hosted
at Gagosian’s space at 980 Madison Avenue in New York,
where it is opening this month.
Several oil bar and pastel sketches on primed canvas
surrounded us in the studio; Saville likes to have multiple
paintings on the go at once, working on them here before
transporting them to her painting studio, where they are
stretched. In one, a woman stares down at the viewer, her
arms folded nonchalantly behind her head. In another,
two or three bodies are so entwined it is impossible
to make out where one ends and another begins. The
colours are punchier than one might expect from Saville:
peony-pink flesh offset by clashing patches of yellow and
royal blue, inspired by the graffiti she has photographed
around the world.
The exhibition features about ten new works, chiefly
portraits of models Saville met on recent trips to Russia,
Georgia, Azerbaijan and China. “In Russia, it began with
a girl on a bridge,” she says. “I started to see faces I’d never
seen before, types of structures of heads that just had this
beautiful tragedy to them.”
Photographing her subjects in different climates has
also coloured the new work. “I started every painting
thinking about weather conditions and the time of day
as a way of setting emotions for the paintings,” she says.
In that sense, they are as much about “the way nature and
aesthetics shift around the world” as they are the sitters’
distinctive physical traits.
Working from photographs rather than life models
has always been Saville’s preferred method. Life models,
Opposite page: Saville
in her studio This page:
Saville’s tools and materials
she says, “behave in a way that no human actually behaves
in. When people sit for you, they really pose, and so it
becomes a veil away from life rather than towards life.”
Francis Bacon also shunned life models. “That felt very
liberating to me,” says Saville.
She also draws inspiration from found images—
whether they be medical photographs, pictures from
the infamous Abu Ghraib detention centre in Iraq
or other people’s art. “I am a scavenger of images. I
take photographs on my iPhone of everything: stains,
shadows, beautiful light, tyre marks on the road, chewing
gum stuck to the pavement, all sorts of things.”
In her studio, such images, and many others besides,
are pinned to the walls and scattered across the floor.
There are printouts of portraits by Velázquez, Schiele,
Rembrandt, Bacon and Picasso, as well as pictures of
sexually graphic Japanese prints, Roman busts and family
photographs from the Victorian era. “I have always
worked in that Bacon-esque kind of environment, with
stuff everywhere,” Saville says.
In particular, Andy Warhol’s silver Elizabeth Taylor por-
traits, as well as “the painterliness of Willem de Kooning
and Cy Twombly and the staining of Helen Frankenthaler
and Mark Rothko”, have informed the pieces that
were originally planned for the Hong Kong show.
In a way, that location might have added another level
of meaning to her work. Saville says the exhibition was a
show of support for Hong Kong, which had been rocked
by anti-government protests that have since abated,
not entirely to anyone’s satisfaction. “My freedom of
expression is so important to me,” she says. “To be able to
show a naked body or a body that’s in some sort of sexual
pose: that could be censored in another culture.”
Tatler
Jenny Saville’s exhibition at Gagosian at 980 Madison Features
Avenue, New York runs from November 12 to December 22 183
 New
Frontiers
Cai Guo-Qiang isn’t the only globetrotting artist
from China. Here are six others—both past and
present—who have travelled far from home in
search of inspiration By Oliver Giles

Juin-Octobre 1985 (1985) by Zao Wou-ki, courtesy of Sotheby’s

Images Five Nudes (1950s) by Sanyu, courtesy of Christie’s;

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SANYU
When Sichuan-born artist Sanyu passed away in his Paris
apartment in 1966, the victim of a gas leak, he was poor,
alone and virtually unknown. Now, he’s hailed as the
Chinese Matisse, famous for blurring the boundaries of
Chinese and western art by painting female nudes—a
subject forbidden in China at the time—in a style inspired
by traditional Chinese calligraphy and landscape painting.
Sanyu first moved to the French capital in 1921, when
he was 20 years old. His early years in Europe weren’t
fruitful, but he began developing his distinctive aesthetic
in 1923 when he enrolled at the Académie de la Grande
Chaumière and had access to life models for the first time.
Sadly, his work rarely sold during his lifetime. It wasn’t
until 15 years after his death, when Taiwanese art dealers
rediscovered his work, that his paintings became sought
after by collectors and museums. Last November, his
painting Five Nudes sold for HK$303 million at Christie’s
in Hong Kong—a record for the artist.
ZAO WOU-KI
Abstract artist Zao Wou-ki made headlines in 2018 when
his work Juin-Octobre 1985 sold for HK$510 million at
Sotheby’s in Hong Kong, setting new records for the most
expensive oil painting by an Asian artist and the most
expensive artwork ever sold in the city. Born in Beijing in
1920, Zao moved to Paris in 1948, where he was captivated
by impressionism and expressionism, and began using
western techniques to make his large abstract paintings
that feature billowing clouds of colour. He was successful
in his lifetime—Picasso and Jean Miró praised his early
exhibitions in Paris, and his work was exhibited by many
of the top galleries of the time—but prices have boomed
since he died in 2013 at his home in Switzerland.
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WANG YAN CHENG
There are more than a few similarities between Wang Yan
Cheng and Zao Wou-ki. Like Zao, Wang studied western
art, has a studio in Paris and paints bold, colourful
abstracts in oil. But while Zao stayed put in Europe
for most of his adult life, Wang shuttles back and forth
between his home in the French capital and a second
studio in Beijing, trying to bring the best of both into his
art. Wang, now 60, is celebrated in both countries—he’s
the first Chinese artist to have been awarded three medals
of honour by the French government, and in 2017 he had
a solo show at the National Museum of Art in Beijing. Last
year, he had his first solo show in the US—an exhibition
of new paintings at Acquavella Galleries in New York.
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LIU DAN
From early childhood, Liu Dan was obsessed with
ancient Chinese culture. His grandfather used to read
him the Confucian classics, which sparked an interest
in traditional Chinese poetry, calligraphy and painting,
leading him as a teenager to accept a place at the Jiangsu
Academy of Chinese Painting. But when Liu graduated,
he wanted a change. He packed his bags and moved to
Hawaii in 1981, then relocated again to New York in 1992.
He was painting the whole time, developing his own style
of traditional ink paintings of mountainous landscapes,
cypress trees and the pitted scholar’s rocks that are a
regular subject of Chinese art. Liu’s art is now in the
permanent collection of the Arthur M Sackler Museum at
Harvard University and the Guimet National Museum of
Asian Arts in Paris, among many others.

JIA AILI
A rising star in the art world, Jia Aili splits his time
between studios in Beijing and SoHo in New York
City, painting dark, dystopian landscapes packed with
lightning strikes, skeletons and characters in gas masks
and hazmat suits. He has long been successful in China—
his work has been shown at the China National Museum
in Beijing, the Shanghai Art Museum and OCAT in
Shenzhen—and last year he had his first solo show in
New York at Gagosian’s gallery on West 21st Street. The
exhibition, Combustion, showcased works made over the
past decade, including one monumental, 10-metre-long
painting featuring a purple ghost, muscle-bound men and
a tiny, buxom dancer in a stormy, apocalyptic scene.
Images Jia Aili, artist’s studio, 2019, © Jia Aili Studio, photo by Zelong Chen, courtesy of Gagosian; Taihu Rock of the Shaoyuan Garden
(2015) by Liu Dan, courtesy of Eskenazi Ltd; Untitled (2019) by Wang Yan Cheng, courtesy of the artist and Acquavella Galleries
YAN PEI-MING
Donald Trump, Pablo Picasso, Bruce Lee—these are
just three of the famous figures immortalised in Yan
Pei-ming’s large-scale, expressionistic portraits. Born
in a temple in Shanghai in 1960, Yan moved to France
after having been rejected by the Shanghai Art & Design
School. The move wasn’t easy. At first, Yan struggled
with the language and had to work the nightshift at a
Chinese restaurant to make enough to study painting
during the day. But the long hours were worth it. Yan,
who lives in Dijon, is now represented by leading
gallerist Massimo De Carlo and his portraits of famous
figures have been shown at the Venice Biennale, the
Louvre and the Pompidou Centre in Paris, among many
other international galleries and exhibitions.
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 A Narrative
of Design
The property presented a few daunting
challenges and limitations which the
architect Manny Miñana saw as elements
to write an exciting design story
By Chit L Lijauco. Photography by Toto Labrador

The second and third

levels sit on a semi-
hidden first level,
lifting up this house to
the highest elevation
possible, towering over
Tatler its neighbours and
Features
being, as its architect
describes, “statuesque’
188
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 “You can create
The client really wanted a garden in the home he was
having built. But the experts he had previously consult-
ed with before leaving for a four-year business posting in

more [space] by
Australia did not incorporate one in their design plans.
The 550sqm-property was not only considerably small, it
was also sloping by 25 degrees at least. “I did not question

lifting a house up
this opinion because I did not know any better,” he says.
Australia’s big expanse, however, only whetted his desire
for nature to be an integral part of his home. On coming

and borrowing
back, he remembered the architect Manny Miñana, whose
works he had been admiring. Inviting him to the property,
he asked Miñana, “How do you envision our home?” The

from the sky”

architect’s answer was music to his ears: “You know, this is
where the garden will be.”
Miñana had no clue about his client’s wish. But he has
always endeavoured, as his design philosophy states, “to

— MANNY MIÑANA
create peaceful, harmonious environments that capture
soul and radiate spirit”. And a garden, to him, is an active
Tatler partner of his architecture. “When I visit a site of any size
Features and step on the land, a vision usually comes to my mind,
190 like a photograph of what I want to do with this space,”
 From left: The porte
cochère opens into a
lofty vestibule or goes
down to the garden,
around which the house
wraps itself; Going up
the private spaces on
the third level
he explains. Visiting this space for the very first time, he
instantly envisioned a garden.
He also likes to create a narrative and an experience,
possibilities he instantly saw here, not despite of but be-
cause of the challenges brought about by the irregularity
of this property. The dilemma was where to start—from
the narrow 7-metre front side of the plot or from the wid-
er 22-metre back side. “The rear side may be wide, but it
is also the lowest part of the slope,” Miñana describes this
possible entrance that starts from a back street. “But to
enter the house from there and go up to the higher level
of the slope seemed uncomfortable.”
He chose the narrower higher side to situate the en-
trance—and from whence to start his story.
We begin by driving up to one of the highest elevations
in the area, to a cul-de-sac with only two other houses.
Here at the narrow trapezoidal entrance, a sense of mys-
tery and modesty is introduced. Miñana savours this mood
and withholds the architecture and the space for later.
The gate opens into a porte cochère, with cob-
bled-stone floor and a duet of concrete pillars wrapped
in Mindoro stones. The interesting play on textures from
the stones begins to build up curiosity. Are there more
visual delights to come? To proceed, you either follow the
slope downward or enter a 3.5m/3-inch thick solid wood-
en door on the right. Curiosity kills the cat; you choose
the door and step into a vestibule 4.5m high. This sudden
increase in height is another surprise. “It gives a sense of
arrival, a dramatic entrance,” Miñana continues his story.
“Having perceived a narrow frontage then entering a foy-
er that is lofty, the sense of scale shifts. There is a visual
release that gives a tangible sense of delight.”
This arrival vestibule shifts to a split level; either you
go up or you check the next level down. All it takes are 11
steps up to the bedroom wing and 11 steps down to the
public areas of the living and dining rooms, the kitchen
and the den. You take the high road.
This third level contains the private spaces of the pri-
mary bedroom, the room shared by three daughters and
a room for the son. The children are still young, with ages Tatler
ranging from teens to early twenties. The rooms’ orienta- Features
tion is southeast, the cool side. 191
 Clockwise from
this page: The main
entrance opens into an
unexpected lofty foyer;
Bringing the outdoors in
and vice versa; Roche
Bobois Mah Jong sofa
adds fun to any space

Tatler

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192
 Of the upper rooms, the primary bedroom maximises
the use of this property’s elevation. Two all-glass walls with
aluminium louvres, powdered-coated to look like wood,
allow the room to look out into the courtyard on one side
and enjoy a panoramic view of the neighbourhood on the
other. The louvres, that open into a side balcony, serve as a
sunscreen, provide a level of privacy and function as a secu-
rity feature all at the same time.
By design, this level towers above all other houses in
the area. “Since the lot was not so big, it would bring the
house too close to the neighbours,” Miñana explains. “I
needed to extract it [the house] away. So, I elevated it and
constructed it on a base of stone.” He added that elevating
the house gives a sense of spatial liberation, even if the lot
is only 500 sqm. “This is the dichotomy of space. You can
create more by lifting a house up and borrowing from
the sky,” he says. In elevating the house, the architect also
achieved his desired sense of place, aptly describing this
abode, “statuesque”.
Coming down from the sky you get to the public
space of the living/dining room. Here you see several
sofa arrangements, a hint that this family loves to enter-
tain. Designer Nando Ng chose most of the pieces for
the interior, such as the Mah Jong sofa by Roche Bobois Tatler

that allows flexibility and variety. The open plan allows Features

the smooth flow from one seating arrangement to an- 193

 “You can exercise your expertise
when you are faced with a number
of challenges” — MANNY MIÑANA
other to the dining area and to the kitchen. There are
also noticeable touches from the East, such as the doors
from the client’s collection. “He had about 14,” Miñana
shares. “I selected more neutral pieces, calm and stream-
lined, not too exotic as it may date the house.” This level
is also wrapped in glass walls that allow a full view of the
sloping garden outside. The owner got his wish.
The lowest level is the basement, well-ventilated and
built above ground to contain the service areas—room for
household help, storage and pump rooms. “The rooms are
hidden from view. Instead, what you see from the outside
is a stone base of Mindoro stones,” the architect adds.
Miñana values this house because of the challenges
it posed. “You can exercise your expertise when you are
Tatler faced with a number of challenges,” he says. In choosing
Features to start the narrative from a modest façade and scale,
194 he had to start with something simple and sculptural.
Thereafter the action followed and was successfully
sustained—from the unexpected height of the foyer to
the elevated private spaces affording a panoramic dra-
ma, to the public spaces with a symbiotic relationship
with nature, to the ingenuous use of a solid base.
“From a general perspective I like panorama,”
Miñana reveals a signature design element. “Whether
small or big a property is, I would always create view
corridors, lines of sight, panoramic views. Whether
you have vista or not in your property, we will create
it for you.”
For this project, he did not have to create panorama,
he only had to take full advantage of it.
Proceeding, the slope goes all the way down to
street level. Here is where the narrative ends. Again,
you are faced with a choice: exit to the back street or go
back up for a never-ending story.
Clockwise from
opposite page: The
formal and informal
dining areas enjoy a
garden view from an
elevated level; The
primary bedroom towers
over the neigbours’
rooftops; Mindoro
stones add texture to
the simple lines of the
porte cochère

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195
 It is hard to imagine Cynthia without Ivy, and vice versa,
for these two stylish ladies are inseparable. For years, the
Almario sisters have been working together, bringing to the
fore some of the most elegant spaces we have seen. Discover
their similarities and differences in a quick chat below.

What or who inspires you?

CYNTHIA ALMARIO: [Philippine] Vice President Leni
Robredo. We are working with her in providing an oasis/
shelter for the frontliners and healthcare workers at the
Lung Center, Quirino Hospital, and National Kidney and
Transplant Institute. I am amazed at how many Angat Pinoy
projects and initiatives she was able to implement with limited
government funding and donations from the private sector.

IVY ALMARIO: Beauty always moves me, whether it’s from

nature or a built environment.

Sister Act
Who are your design icons?
CA: Patricia Urquiola, Marcel Wanders, Antonio Citterio,
Rodolfo Dordoni and Tony Chi.
Interview by Maritess Garcia Reyes Images courtesy of Cynthia and Ivy Almario
IA: Christian Ligre, Antonio Citterio, Patricia Urquiola and
Toni Chi. Let me include Yabu Pushelberg, too.
Tatler checks on What is the tool that you cannot do without?
the Almario sisters, CA: My iPhone. I take a lot of photos of anything that inspires

Cynthia and Ivy, to know

me and document job site inspections and furniture factory
visits. I send design information to my team and clients with

their personal favourites it and access to Pinterest, which has become a virtual design
library for me. I attend Zoom meetings and client presentations

and what they have been with my phone. It keeps me connected to the world.

up to these days IA: Tracing paper and my black Artline pen are my alpha
and omega. I solve tricky and challenging design problems
Tatler with them and use a lot for presentation sketches. Sketching
Features out ideas, resolving them on paper, for me, is the beginning
196 of my design process.
 From far left: Cynthia and Ivy
Almario; Il Sereno Hotel in Lake
Como; Burda Barong by Wynn
Wynn Ong; Ivy’s favourite design
tool; An emerald ring by Nicole
Whisenhunt; Another wearable art
by Wynn Wynn Ong

During these quarantine months, what has been your

favourite pastime?
CA: Creating themed lunches for my family.

IA: True confession? I never used to watch television until

these quarantine months when I jumped in and joined the
K-drama bandwagon on Netflix.

What are you currently following on Netflix?

CA: The Blacklist and of course K-drama is never far away. I
also like The Final Table, a global cooking competition.

IA: Like everybody else, watching Crash Landing On You

was the portal I crossed, to land fully in the K-drama space.
Lately, I finished It’s Okay, That’s Love and That Winter,
the Wind Blows. I watched each drama in this order after I
discovered that I enjoyed watching the actor Jo In-Sung
become the character he plays.
What is your favourite place in the world? What
destination do you miss the most? Where would you like to
travel when things are better?
CA: Lake Como in Italy, where you can find Il Sereno, one
of my favourite hotels, designed by Patricia Urquiola. [I miss]
Paris and Italy. [When things are better] I would love to go
on an African safari tour.
IA: I love being in France and Italy. Paris is always a treat just
like Rome, Milan and Florence are. Staying in a villa in the
Tuscan Hills is a dream destination that can be repeated. My
first travel destination would be anywhere in Europe.
What is your favourite fashion item?
CA: My emerald floral ring sculpted in dramatic pavé
emerald petals and bursting with diamond rounds in the
centre designed by Nicole Whisenhunt.
Who are your favourite artists?
CA: Wynn Wynn Ong. I love her sense of scale and her
dedication to finding beauty in the obscure and ordinary.
Another favourite is Andres Barrioquinto. I have a passion
for flowers so I am really captivated by his use of exuberant
flowers layered on top of a surreal portrait!
IA: The sculptor Jinggoy Buensuseco. I love the arresting
shapes and forms that emerge from his atelier. Fluid and
organic, I find them very impactful. I also like Wynn Wynn
Ong. Her pieces are wearable art.
Who is your dream client and why?
CA: Rafael Nadal! It would be great if Ivy and I could design
his house in Spain!
IA: Luckily, we have had a long series of dream clients. A
dream client, gives you their trust, celebrates your vision
of what is the best solution for the given site and is equally Tatler

dedicated to see the final outcome, enthusiastically enjoying Features

IA: Baubles, bangles and beads. the design journey with you. As such, we have been blessed. 197
Ca ping Tatler’s Guide to

Bet you’d never hear us

endorse sleeping outdoors.
But here’s how to have a
rugged outdoor adventure
without necessarily
roughing it By Coco Marett

It’s really come to this. You’ve exhausted every penthouse

suite staycation option in the city, and your insatiable
appetite for an exotic escape—any escape, really—just
won’t stop. So you’re considering camping. Yes, the thing
with the tent. And the sleeping bags. Really, it’s a trend
happening all over the world, and not just among people
who are, how shall we say, frugal.
Whether you’re a seasoned outdoorsman or a fearless,
adventure seeking woman, or you’re simply looking for
a new way to enjoy the wild that you can use for social
media content, we’re here to help you re-acquaint your-
self with the great outdoors in the style to which you are
accustomed. That is to say, this is Tatler’s guide to the best
camping money can buy.

Tatler

Features

198
From top: Four Seasons
Tented Camp Golden
Triangle in Thailand
combines rugged charm
and five-star luxury;
Inside a geodesic dome in
Cheung Chau, Hong Kong

Tatler

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199

1 THE ELITE
EXPEDITIONER
There’s a kind of romance about the days of epic
expeditions gone by, when aristocratic adventurers
went sailing off to places unknown, a roaring fire in the
evening and a sky full of stars and a martini shaker in
the travel kit. Here’s a way to recreate that Ralph Lauren-
esque romance, albeit with a few indulgent upgrades for
today’s more technologically dependent traveller.
Load up your superyacht and sail to an idyllic beach
like Tai Long Wan in Hong Kong or those on Mamutik
Island in Malaysia or Pulau Hantu in Singapore, the latter
being a fabulous diving site, so don’t forget to pack your
best five-figure dive watch. Have you heard that Rolex
just launched a new version of its iconic Submariner? Of
course you have.
Once you’ve arrived and anchored, hang back and
relax while your crew takes off on a dinghy to set up
camp. It won’t just be any camp, of course, and fear not,
Tatler those Below Deck fools won’t be anywhere in sight. This
Features summer, Louis Vuitton introduced a monogram mirror
200 backpack trunk that comes with an optional monogram
Louis Vuitton’s new
mirror backpack trunk
comes with an optional
monogram tent. A
perfect match for LV
Objets Nomades items
like this bell lamp and
woven leather hammock
tent. It’s waterproof, comfortably fits two and perfectly
complements some of the pieces in Louis Vuitton’s
Objets Nomades collection that, as the name suggests,
pay homage to the maison’s nomadic roots. Our picks
include the bell lamp by London-based industrial design
studio Barber & Osgerby, the woven leather hammock by
Swiss design studio Atelier Oï and a trunk that folds out
to reveal a bed—the perfect place to drape your favourite
Hermès cashmere blanket. Perhaps consider renting a
second boat to haul all of your toys.
Finally, invest in a Yeti cooler—charmingly dubbed
the Rolls-Royce of coolers—to keep your champagne and
caviar at an optimum temperature. The Tundra 75 Hard
Cooler weighs just 15.4kg empty with room for 31.7kg of
Image Eric Mercier (Trunk)
ice, so that should suffice. For drinks, we don’t mean to
hammer the point, but no one makes a bar trunk quite
like Louis Vuitton. And if you fancy some fireside chess
to pass the time, Tiffany & Co’s handcrafted sterling
silver and 24-carat gold vermeil chess set is the pinnacle
of unnecessary necessities.
2 ALL ABOUT
AESTHETICS
String the fairy lights and lay out the Pendleton blanket.
You’re here for the ’gram, not the grime, and we’re not
here to judge anything besides your outfit.
In Singapore, companies like Glamping City are well-
versed in Pinterest-inspired aesthetics and will do all the
dirty work for you, including setting up a dreamy yurt-
like tent and dressing it up with a queen-size bed, rugs,
plants and mood lighting. The company also specialises
in outdoor cinemas, so you can enjoy a movie night by
moonlight. We’d skip titles like Castaway and 127 Hours.
In Hong Kong, Sai Yuen Park on Cheung Chau Island
has two geodesic domes for rent, each positioned on
a cliff looking out to the ocean. They’re perfect places
for stargazing, and the Vixen FL55SS, which weighs
just 1.5kg, is one of the best portable telescopes on the
market. The domes come bare bones, giving you free rein
to decorate them however you like. The site, meanwhile,
comes with modest creature comforts like clean drinking
water stations, washrooms and showers, although don’t
expect the Four Seasons.
Skip the wasteful (not to mention horribly
unphotogenic) plastic plates and do outdoor eating right From top: Glamping City in Singapore
with one of Fortnum & Mason’s lavish picnic baskets can make your Pinterest dreams
come true; do outdoor eating right
that come equipped with bone china mugs and plates, with Fortnum & Mason’s luxury picnic
wine glasses, cutlery, a freezable wine holder and more. basket—it also comes with a freezable Tatler
wine cooler
Come to think of it, book both domes, so there’s room Features

for your chef. 201


3 THE SLICK
SURVIVALIST
If you’re more the practical type and fancy yourself a sur-
vivalist worthy of a spot on Running Wild with Bear Grylls,
then you only need a few essentials. Still, that doesn’t
mean they shouldn’t be the best that money can buy.
For shelter, it’s hard to look past The North Face for
their all-weather options. You don’t have to be scaling
Mount Everest to enjoy their offerings, like the Assault 2
Tatler Futurelight Tent, a waterproof yet breathable model that
Features comfortably protects you from the elements. Fumbling
202 around the dark with your phone’s flashlight app isn’t
Braving the great
outdoors doesn’t mean
ditching fabulous design.
Survive in style with
items like the BioLite XL
LED lantern
a great look, either. So avoid this—and potential acci-
dents—with a BioLite XL LED lantern, a fabulously
Image Scott Markewitz Photography
designed collapsible fabric orb that can be strung from
a tree, creating an instant luxury hotel vibe worthy of
Philippe Starck. Be prepared for any and all situations,
including marital discord, with Off Grid Tools’ Survival
Axe, which comes with 31 features that include a hatchet
blade, hammer, bottle opener and nail puller in one
handy 11-inch tool. In the eternal words of Crocodile
Dundee, “This is a knife”.
 Clockwise, from left:
The communal fire pit at
Aman-i-Khas; Soak up
the wild of Four Seasons
Tented Camp Golden
Triangle; Amanwana
is the only resort on
Indonesia’s Moyo Island

4 SCREW IT,
CALL THE HOTEL
If checking into the Aman is considered giving up, then
call me a quitter. These five-star hotels that offer an
elevated, camping-like experience (hahaha, who are we
kidding?) are a welcome alternative for those who want
to be immersed in nature, but aren’t quite ready to give
up comforts like running water and electricity, personal
butler service or a private pool, obviously. Here in Asia,
we’re spoiled for choice.
Aman has fully embraced travellers’ growing appetite
for glamping. Amanwana is the only resort on Moyo
Island, which sits east of Bali, Indonesia, where it straddles
the island’s soaring jungle and white sand beaches.
Under each tent’s dramatic canvas ceiling are solid walls,
wooden floors and air conditioning. Further afield,
near Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan, India, is
Aman-i-Khas. The intimate but opulent property has ten
Mughal-style tents, butler service and a cosy communal
fire pit.
In Thailand, on the border of Laos and Myanmar, the
the wild views from a sleek wooden tub or roam the
grounds with the hotel’s resident rescue elephants. You’ll
feel like you’re living in a chapter of Rudyard Kipling’s
The Jungle Book.
In neighbouring Cambodia, Shinta Mani Wild
in Southern Cardamom Park, designed by famed
architect and interior designer Bill Bensley, certainly
has a knack for doing things a little differently. Guests
have the option to arrive by zipline, natural rock pools
double as champagne chillers and the maximalist tents
are everything you would expect from Bensley: lavish
celebrations of clashing patterns and materials. But it
isn’t all fun and games—the resort encourages its guests
to join rangers from the local wildlife alliance on their
anti-poaching patrols to protect clouded leopards,
elephants and sun bears.
And at the end of the day, that’s really what getting out
in nature should be about: reconnecting with the natural
world, forming a deeper understanding of our place in it Tatler

Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle comprises and doing what we can to protect and preserve it. Even if Features

15 treetop tents shrouded by a bamboo forest. Soak up we’re doing it from a Louis Vuitton tent. 203
 | Checking In |

The Suite Life

After a massive renovation, Le Bristol Paris has reopened its
Tatler

Feautures
doors to welcome back some of the world’s finest travellers
204 By Ryanne Stephanie Cheng Co
 Le Bristol’s rich history is an
introduction to an almost
storybook-like institution
catering to all the quirks and
caprices of its very special guests

I
n the world of haute hospitality,
architectural marvels and luxe
opulence are aplenty; however,
personality is a little harder to come
by. Le Bristol, which is something
of a cultural phenomenon in Paris,
lacks none of these. A palace, a
home and a sanctuary in its most
literal sense, Le Bristol’s rich
history is an introduction to an
almost storybook-like institution
catering to all the quirks and
caprices of its very special guests.
The hotel’s founder, Hippolyte
Images courtesy of Le Bristol Paris
golden anniversary in show business
with a lavish dinner in 1975. In 2010,
one of the hotel’s suites became
the set for Woody Allen’s Midnight
in Paris. Yet, these glamorous
participations are just the tip of the
iceberg. During the Second World
War, some of the hotel’s rooms
were used to shelter Jews amid an
increasingly hostile political climate.
Jammet himself had hidden one of
his Jewish friends, Leo Lehrman,
in Room 106 while Ann Morgan,
From far left: Le Bristol,
daughter of banker JP Morgan, located at rue du Fauborg

Jammet, first acquired the address
at the rue de Fauborg Saint-Honoré
at the turn of the 20th century.
While humble in its origins, Le
Bristol soon came to be an iconic
rendezvous for society’s most
had given sanctuary to Jewish
immigrants in 14 rooms at Le Bristol.
These days, stories like these form
part of the hotel’s ongoing legacy.
Aided by some of the most talented
hoteliers in the industry (along with
Saint-Honoré, features
a classic French facade;
The entrance to a most
luxurious experience; Le
Bristol offers stunning
views of urbanity in Paris
Tatler

prominent personalities such as Fa-Raon, the hotel’s fluffy, white Features

The Scene

Josephine Baker who celebrated her feline resident), Le Bristol continues 205
 From top: Guests can enjoy artwork
and fine furnishings inside the
capacious suites; A view of the
Eiffel Tower from one of many suites
Opposite from top: Gentle blue accents
complement the suite’s elegant crystal
chandelier; Luminous and airy, the
suites offer comfortable lodging and
remarkable Parisian views
to provide a homely experience
within its palatial walls. Despite
its prestigious “Palace” distinction
(awarded by the French Ministry of
Tourism), the hotel lacks nothing in
terms of warmth or genuine service.
In its never-ending search for
perfection, Le Bristol continually
adds and renovates its property
to match the times. This year,
they have revealed the latest in
design via a new garden landscape
and the contemporary Lumière
Suite. The entire hotel, which is
opulently furnished in Louis XV
and Louis XVI style, has been
rebirthed by MM Design. “Down
to the trimming of each chair,
every single detail has been chosen
for the emotion it evokes and the
story it tells,” Olivier Bihel, head of
projects shares. Le Bristol, which
famously holds suites perfectly
suited to various personalities,
Tatler
Feautures
206
introduces us to the Lumière Suite
on the fifth floor. Marked by large
bow windows and soft tones of
aqua, jade and coral, the new room
brings a contemporary feel to an
otherwise classic institution.
The hotel’s new garden, done
by Lady Arabella Lennox-Boyd,
must not be overlooked. Dotted
with elegant white chairs and
glass tables, the new garden sits
at the heart of Le Bristol and
adds depth to a classic Parisian
teatime or petit-déjeuner.
Le Bristol’s novel look is of
course complemented by the
hotel’s first-class service and
experiences, led by the cuisines it
offers. In charge of the kitchen is
Chef Éric Frechon, who earned
(and maintains) the hotel’s three
Michelin-star restaurant, Epicure.
Haute patisserie, Chef Julien
Alvarez, also continues to delight
Le Bristol Paris offers guests
a truly chic experience that
includes bespoke attention from
a world-class concierge alongside
Michelin starred meals
alongside master sommelier,
Bernard Neveu. Coupled with
posh experiences at its spa, pool
and bar, Le Bristol Paris offers
guests a truly chic experience
that includes bespoke attention
from a world-class concierge
and Michelin-starred meals.
In the context of 2020, Le
Bristol continues to closely
monitor the Covid-19 situation
in Europe and in France. As its
priority continues to be the health
and welfare of guests and team
members, management has already
implemented new hygiene and
safety protocols in compliance
with government requirements.
Of course, Le Bristol’s expansive
spaces and gardens will likely
make the transition to social
distancing that much easier.
Tatler
Features
207
 From top: Situated on
Botswana’s Okavango Delta,
Xigera Safari Lodge is an ode
to the beauty of the African
bush; The hotel houses work
from the continent’s best
artists and artisans

| Travel |

Uncharted
two-bedroom family suite
sitting on two islands; the
suites are structured so
that they gently float above

Territory
water and allow wildlife to
cross underneath. Designed
by architect Anton de
Kock, the lodge is 100
per cent solar powered
Safari lodges that push the and was created without
the use of any concrete.
boundaries of design, gardening- What also sets Xigera
inspired ideas for your next apart is its robust art
programme. It features
holiday and the newest city hotels pieces commissioned

worth holing up in By Kissa Castañeda exclusively for the property

The best hotels are often a
labour of love and Xigera
Safari Lodge, which opens
in Botswana’s Okavango
Delta in December, is
exactly that. Conceived by
the Tollman family—the
Tatler renowned South African
Features hoteliers behind Red
208 Carnation Hotels—Xigera
(pronounced “Kee-jera”) is
a departure from the classic
pared-back safari lodge as
the family has invested in
art and artisanal touches
throughout. Located within
the Moremi Game Reserve,
the intimate property
features 12 individually
designed suites and one
from 76 of Africa’s leading
artists and designers,
including Adam Birch,
Madoda Fani, Porky
Hefer, Otto du Plessis
and Stanislaw Trzebinski.
“Xigera Safari Lodge is our
love letter to the magic of
the African bush. We have
handcrafted every aspect to
beguile our guests’ senses
and stir their souls—from
the evocative interiors to
one-of-a-kind encounters
such as the Baobab Tree
House, where guests can
sleep underneath the
stars,” says Toni Tollman,
director of design and
projects. xigera.com

Time to
Thrive
Staying at home has
resulted in an explosion
of interest in gardening,
with many of us filling our
interiors with houseplants
or tending to our outdoor
patches. As green lanes
begin to open, why not
use that newfound love
of gardens as inspiration
for your next sojourn?
The Destination: Sri Lanka
While it’s been a trending
destination over the past
few years, there’s still a lot
to discover in Sri Lanka—a
place that Marco Polo is
claimed to have described
as the “best island of its
size in the world”. Whether
you plan to visit the coast
or to take it slow in the
inland tea country, this
island nation is blessed
with verdant surroundings
that will entrance
gardening enthusiasts.
One of the best ways to
get to know the country
is to immerse oneself in
the legacy of Sri Lankan
architect Geoffrey Bawa.
A pioneer of tropical
modernism, the essence of
Bawa’s work is to embrace
and enhance nature,
an ethos exemplified in
Lunuganga Estate, his
country home that features
“elements of Italian
Renaissance gardens,
English landscaping and
Japanese garden art”
according to its custodians.
Now under the charge of
Teardrop Hotels, guests can
stay at the nine-bedroom
property and take tours
within the 15-acre gardens.
teardrop-hotels.com
The Hotel: Babylonstoren
in South Africa
It’s been a decade since
the former editor of
South Africa’s Elle
Decoration, Karen Roos,
opened Babylonstoren,
a horticulture-led
hospitality concept that
melds a working farm,
lush garden and boutique
winery into one stylish
package. Holding court
in the charming enclave
of Franschhoek in South
Africa’s wine country,
Babylonstoren is celebrating
its tenth anniversary
with the addition of six
new Cape Dutch-style
Fynbos Cottages. It is also
set to launch the Fynbos
Family House, which
overlooks the rolling
vineyards and orchards,
by the end of the year.
One of the main draws
of this rustic-luxe hotel
is its gardens, which
feature 300 types of edible
From top: Newly built in
the Cape Dutch style,
Babylonstoren’s Fynbos
Cottages are near vineyards
and orchards; architect
Geoffrey Bawa’s Lunuganga
Estate in Sri Lanka; the
majestic scenery of
Franschhoek in South Africa,
where Babylonstoren is
located
plants and are home to
fishponds, a prickly pear
maze and more. Guests
are invited to savour local
produce in the acclaimed
farm-to-fork restaurant,
Babel, as well as in the
picnic-style restaurant,
The Greenhouse.
babylonstoren.com
The Book: The Garden:
Elements and Styles
From courtyard gardens in
ancient Egypt to guerrilla
gardener Ron Finley’s
kerbside vegetable gardens
in Los Angeles, this new
book published by Phaidon
offers insight into how
various cultures have
shaped the natural world.
Written by garden
expert and historian Toby
Musgrove, the beautiful
tome features 200 garden
elements, styles and
ornaments for horticultural
lovers to peruse in order to
further their knowledge— Tatler
or simply get green Features
inspiration. phaidon.com 209
 | Checking In |
Urban Escape
While there is growing
demand for remote
accommodation, there’s
always room for a well-
conceived city hotel. Here
are the latest openings to
book when city breaks
make a comeback.
The Tokyo Edition
Toranomon, Japan
Designed by Kengo Kuma,
the celebrated Japanese
architect behind Tokyo’s
new Olympic Stadium, The
Tokyo Edition Toranomon
marks the brand’s debut
in Japan and their third
property in east Asia.
Located in the nexus of
residential neighbourhoods
and entertainment areas,
The Tokyo Edition is a
convenient base to get to
know the city; guests will
even be provided with a
custom Edition x Tokyobike
bicycle to ease that
exploration. Each of the 206
guest rooms offer sweeping
Tatler
Features
210
views of the skyline, but
none like the Edition
Penthouse, which enjoys
a 180-degree view. Being
an Ian Schrager property,
it is certainly designed to
make a splash: the lively
lobby lounge overlooks
the gleaming Tokyo
Tower and the restaurant’s
90-seater terrace is the only
skyscraper outdoor dining
of this scale in the Japanese
capital. marriott.com
Six Senses Kocatas
Mansion, Turkey
Eco-conscious hospitality
brand Six Senses continues
to grow its urban resort
offerings with the addition
of Six Senses Kocatas
Mansions, which fully
opens this month. Nestled
in the well-heeled Sariyer
Top to bottom: The expansive
terrace of The Tokyo Edition
Toranomon; the modern
facade of Art House Basel,
part of Design Hotels; the
conversion project, Six
Senses Kocatas Mansion
district of Istanbul, the 45-
room hotel is the result of
the careful restoration and
combination of two 19th
century mansions: Kocatas
Mansions and the Sait
Pasa Mansion next door.
The adaptive reuse
project highlights the
historical architectural
features of the former
Ottoman-era buildings,
but your gaze will
inevitably be drawn
outdoors to the remarkable
view of the Bosphorus
strait. Best yet, staying
here comes with access
to the hotel’s private
boat—ideal for bespoke
excursions or a quick
jaunt to another continent
(the Asian side of
Istanbul). sixsenses.com
Art House Basel, Switzerland
Using art to elevate a hotel
is nothing revolutionary,
but the new Art House
Basel puts a slight twist on
the formula. The 33-room
property works closely
with the nearby Colab
Gallery, which curates a
rotating selection of pieces
that line the hotel’s walls,
making every visit a chance
to encounter fresh talent.
Crafted from concrete,
black marble and granite,
the six-story building
designed by local
architecture practice
Diener & Diener is a
striking contrast from
the traditional buildings
in the Old Town district.
Its prized location in
the pedestrianised
Steinenvorstadt area
makes Art House Basel an
optimal spot to visit Basel’s
cultural gems, such as The
Kunstmuseum, Town Hall,
Natural History Museum
and Museum of Cultures,
which are all a short stroll
away. arthousebasel.ch/en

Small Talk: Luke Bailes
The founder and executive
chairman of conservation-
led hotel brand Singita
talks about the profound
shift in travel and why
sustainability is the
only way forward.
TELL US HOW YOU TRAVEL
IN A REGULAR YEAR.
I usually travel non-stop for
business, so I love being at
home in Cape Town when
I have the chance. Often,
our family vacations are at
our lodges as there is no
better way to spend time
together—to connect while
enjoying the simplicity and
healing power of nature.
HOW HAS YOUR OUTLOOK
ON TRAVEL CHANGED DUE
TO THE PANDEMIC?
As a conservation brand,
Singita has been focused
on sustainability for more
From top: All the suites at
Singita’s Sabora Tented
Camp in Tanzania have
a view of waterholes,
where animals gather
throughout the day;
Luke Bailes, founder and
executive chairman
of Singita
than 20 years, and even
more so now. I am more
conscious of having a
light footprint as well
as making ‘understated’
a choice—no excess.
ON AN OPTIMISTIC
NOTE, WHERE ARE YOU
DREAMING OF GOING IN
2021 AND WHY?
I plan to go to Singita
Sabora Tented Camp
and Sasakwa Lodge in
the Serengeti, both in
Tanzania, to see the new
lodges we have created
during lockdown. Sabora
Tented Camp is inspired
by Christian Liaigre and
Hermès and is a bold destination that offers a [in Amalfi, Italy] is on
new reinvention of a mixture of history, local top of my European
classic African tented culture, adventure and list for next year. It is
experience showcasing sustainability as these extraordinary in every
contemporary African are the places where respect and is family Tatler
art, design and style. I’m happiest. That said, owned and run—just as Features
I always look for a Hotel Santa Caterina it should be. singita.com 211
212
Features
Tatler
Image Pol Baril/Trunk Archive
Get It Poppin’
| Wine |
True champagne aficionados
know that the real stars are not the
most famous houses, but the wine
growers themselves By Sarah Heller MW
In the effervescent world of
champagne, some names have
become so synonymous with
luxury—thank you very much,
Jay-Z—that one might wonder
just what is so special about the
grapes that go into the likes of
Cristal, Dom Pérignon or Salon. Is
each grape polished by hand; each
vine watered only with Evian?
In fact, in the somewhat unu-
sual ecosystem of the region of
Champagne, the origin of most
grapes is not really as proprietary as
you might think (through Cristal
is an exception). In fact, the big
“houses”, or maisons or négociants
if you prefer, are actually supported
by a network of co-operatives and
individual grape growers who, in
some cases, might also make wines
of their own. These belong to a
category known as “grower estates”,
a term that may not be well known,
but one that’s worth learning
about in order to recognise bottles
that are actually produced by the
same hands that tilled the soil.
For roughly two-and-a-half cen-
turies, growers produced very little
wine and Champagne houses grew
very few grapes, a relationship that
was largely symbiotic. Historically,
most growers lacked the capital to
invest in production and market-
ing, while the houses had capital,
experience and relationships.
This began to shift in the mid-
20th century when more growers
established their own estates.
Officially known as Récoltant
manipulant (identifiable by the
letters RM on a label), these
growers make champagne from
grapes exclusively sourced from
proprietary vineyards and facilities.
“But what difference does it
make?” you may ask, other than the
romance of supporting small farm-
ers. Because the wines come from
a single estate, there is a specificity
rarely found in NM champagnes
(Négociant manipulant being the
designation for houses), for which
blending of grape varieties, vine-
yards and vintages is an essential
tool for maintaining consistency.
There’s often more variability in
grower champagnes, but Burgundy
lovers in particular tend to view
this as a feature rather than a bug.
A few years ago many grower
champagnes shared a certain aes-
thetic: higher levels of ripeness, but
less sweetness, with more expressive
fruit wrapped in idiosyncratic
flavours that would never have
made it past the nose of a house’s
chef de cave. There are still produc-
ers who fit this mould, notably
natural-leaning estates like Charles
Dufour and Vouette & Sorbée.
Tatler
Features
213
 However, having recently tasted
my way through a cross-section
of RM champagnes available in
Asia with Hong Kong Ordre de
Coteaux de Champagne’s consul
Roland Müksch, we noted that
growers’ predilection for what he
refers to as “funky styles” seems
to have faded. The movement, he
notes, has increased the diversity
of styles, improved viticultural
practices and most critically empha-
sised a quality he calls vinous, for
which the movement is known.
Tautological as it might sound to
describe champagne as “wine-like”,
it does make sense because of the
relative neutrality that dominated
many house champagnes as recently
as a few decades ago. Base wines,
before they underwent a second
fermentation in bottle, tended to be
Tatler
Features
214
selected for freshness and delicacy
rather than character, producing
finished wines that lacked much
distinction once the bubbles were
gone. Many of the wines from
this tasting, however, continued
to be flavourful—sometimes pun-
gently earthy, other times more
classically rich and toasty—long
after the bubbles had fizzed away.
Yes, I went back and checked.
The true fun of grower
champagne is wrapping your
head around all the different
dimensions that distinguish one
from another—different grape
varieties or blends, different
origins, ageing regimens (both
before and after bottling) and
styles. Below, we’ve categorised
wines from our tasting using
a few different lenses.
Winemaker Eric
Rodez in his cellars
in Champagne
SINGLE GRAPE
While the typical champagne blend
includes chardonnay, pinot noir
and pinot meunier, small amounts
of four other varieties—pinot
blanc, pinot gris, petit meslier
and arbane—can be included in
the blend. Grower estates tend
to go maximalist. One wine in
our tasting included six of the
seven permitted varieties. At the
other extreme, single-variety
champagnes, like the previously
unthinkable 100 per cent meunier
wines, are now officially a thing.
In a similar vein, blanc de
blancs and blanc de noirs (white
champagnes made exclusively from
white and red grapes, respectively),
are both popular styles among
growers. Blancs de blancs tend to
be skinnier and zippier but can
be difficult to enjoy when they
are young. Blancs de noirs tend to
have more of that vinous quality,
though they can sometimes
feel out of balance without the
levity brought by white grapes.
However, blends remain the rule
rather than the exception, likely
because the strengths of each main
grape are highly complementary.
Chardonnay brings delicate
floral fragrance and mouth
tingling acidity, meunier mid-
palate juiciness and an appealing
savour, pinot noir the structure
and seriousness on the finish.
CHARDONNAY
Charles Dufour “Le Corroy” Blanc
de Blancs Brut Nature NV (LR15)
An unusual blanc de blancs from
the Côte des Bar’s mad scientist
Dufour, known for producing
one-off bottlings that leave his fans
desolate when they sell out, this
bone-dry chardonnay is incredibly
pointed and linear, jumping up
the sinuses like wasabi with its
lemongrass, yuzu and white-
almond characters, and bracing the
palate with its crystalline purity.
Diebolt-Vallois Blanc de Blancs 201
Diebolt-Vallois’ subtle handling
of its old-vine chardonnay
appends wispy aromas to a
robust structure. The creamy
green-almond and chamomile
nose sits over ample texture and
breadth with a rich toastiness.
Jacques Selosse Brut Initial Blanc
de Blancs Grand Cru NV
Arguably Champagne’s single most
famous grower, Anselme Selosse
redefined how champagne should
taste, eschewing varietal purity
for “terroir”, the environmental
factors that affect each crop. The
style is divisive, but its devotees
are die-hard. Initial, his most
accessible wine, delivers toasted
hazelnut, brown butter and baked
apple livened by acacia honey
grace notes. The palate is generous
and rounded but with sufficient
acidity to keep its form rigorous.
PINOT NOIR
Savart L’Ouverture Brut
Premier Cru NV
This modest-sized estate is
known for succulent pinot
without the added richness of
oak. Consequently, this starts
a little reductive, gradually
yielding honeycomb, yellow
apple and heady florals. The
pinot fullness really unfolds on
the back palate with classic lines
and a firmness of character.
Michel Arnould Blanc de Noirs NV
Michel Arnould’s wines from
Verzenay (where Roederer
purchased some of its first vines in
1850) are a step up in volume with
a buxom, padded richness, making
them true food champagnes. The
acid is subdued and the mid-palate
redolent of wild mushrooms,
undergrowth and shady forests.
PINOT MEUNIER
Georges Laval ‘Les Hautes
Chèvres’ Brut Nature 2014
Tiny in size but not stature, this
longstanding organic estate
produces super-dry, barrel-
fermented gems. Meunier
vines from the 1930s and 1940s
replaced equally ancient pinot
noir vines in this bottling from
2012 on. A lacy, delicate entry
yields flashes of hot steel and
iodine underlaid with tart cider
apples, demonstrating confidence
and drive without brute force.
Dehours Les Genevraux Blanc
de Noirs Extra Brut 2009
Representing the Vallée de la Marne,
this wine demonstrates meunier’s
expertise at transmitting the
uniqueness of individual sites. This
cool, humid plot has created a tart,
mineral meunier of white pepper,
citron, mace and white grapefruit.
Very pinched and lean, with a
herbal tonic finish, it is terse and
almost acerbic but oddly addictive.
SINGLE REGION
Although Champagne has historically
been a region of blended wines,
growers, naturally enough, have fully
embraced single vineyard, single
village and single sub-region wines.
CÔTE DES BLANCS
Franck Bonville Terroir Pur
Avize Blanc de Blancs 2012
Bonville is 100 per cent focused on
chardonnay and Grand Crus and its
“Terroir Pur” series isolates individual
crus (the other two are Mesnil and
Oger). Avize, known for giving
verticality to prestige cuvées like
Dom Pérignon, is clearly expressed
h i a ttart lemon and
here in
lemon balm
b nose with
a shy toastiness and
exquisitte delicacy.
Pierre Moncuit
M Blanc de
Blancs Millésime
M 2004
Made by winemaker
Nicole Moncuit in
only thhe best years,
this ch
hardonnay from
the Côte
C des Blancs’
Le MMesnil-sur-Oger
retaains its precision
despite its maturity,
w digestive
with
b
biscuits and nutty
a
aldehydes on the
n
nose giving way
t clean yellow
to
a
apples on the
palate and a fine-
tuned balance of
fruit sweetness
and acidity.
MONTAGNE DE REIMS
Larmandier-Bernier Latitude NV
A star of the Côte des Blancs,
Larmandier-Bernier uses this 100
per cent chardonnay from a single
latitude within the Montagne
de Reims to show a decidedly
vinous face of the typically dainty
grape. With ripe cider apples,
demerara sugar and milk taffy
notes, this has a very gentle sparkle
and a dry, textural finish.
Marguet Grand Cru Ambonnay 2011
A prominent advocate of
biodynamics, and with the horse-
ploughed vineyards to prove it,
Benoît Marguet is passionate
about his “Burgundian” system
of single-site fermentations that
allow him to create wines like this
Ambonnay. Featuring marron
glacé, pink currants, biscuits and
coconut, the structure is very tight
and delicate with a glassy bubble
texture and clean, fresh acid.
Eric Rodez Cuvée de Crayères NV
Another biodynamics believer,
Eric Rodez’s uniqueness lies in the
substantial stock of reserve wines
held back for blending. Crayères, an
especially chalky site in Ambonnay,
takes centre stage here, producing
a restrained nose like a snuffed
candlewick with a mentholated
Ricola sensation on the palate.
The foamy mousse gradually
subsides, allowing a chalkier,
drier palate texture to emerge.
CÔTE DES BAR
Fleury Sonate No. 9 2011
A true old-timer RM, since
1929, Fleury has long embraced
biodynamic principles. Its flagship
beautifully expresses the spiciness
of this balmier region’s pinot noir.
Deep golden in colour, it shows
baked apples and toasted almonds
with moderate acidity, fine mousse
and a loose, flowing texture. Brown
sugar and roasted mushroom
grace the very dry finish.
BETTER BLENDS
While some RMs have narrowed
their scope, others have taken
the opposite tack and are
sourcing from a broader range
of terroirs or an expanded
list of grape varieties.
Champagne Moutard Cuvée
de 6 Cépages 2009
The Moutard clan of the Côte
des Bar have a cult following
among indie champagne
lovers. Their blend of six
grapes, missing only pinot
gris, has a bourbon and
kombucha-like funkiness and
a tart, playful fizz to delight
any natural wine lover.
De Sousa 3A Grand Cru NV
This pan-Champagne blend
combines three key Grand
Cru villages: 50 per cent
chardonnay from the Côte
des Blancs’ Avize plus 25 per
cent pinot noir from each of
the Vallée de la Marne’s Aÿ
and the Montagne de Reims’
Ambonnay, hence “3A”. It’s a
true original, with a pungent
pu-erh tea, dried thyme and
subdued stone-fruit nose, a
sharply contoured structure
and toothsomely juicy acidity.
VINTAGE
Vintage champagne, a
category that crowns the quality
pyramid of many a champagne
house, is somewhat less of a
novelty among grower estates.
In fact, keeping reserve wines,
those from earlier vintages, in
order to build consistent NV
blends, is very expensive. The long
ageing on lees that has become a
key weapon in the race between
champagne houses plays less of
a role among growers, many of
whom lack the deep pockets for
such an extended capital tie-up.
Still, for many growers, like
members of the Club Trésors de
Champagne, vintage champagnes
remain an important prestige
product. Their Spécial Club wines
(identifiable by their distinctive
squat bottles) are only made in
the best years and are generally
well worth hunting down.
Vilmart & Cie Grand
Cellier d’Or 2014
This was a clear favourite for
its vinosity and poise. Cedary
perfume and lyrical acidity
speak of careful handling in
large oak and blocked malolactic
fermentation to retain freshness.
A silky texture unwinds to reveal
clean, bright citrus fruit lifted by
just a whisper of vanilla spice.

José Michel Spécial Club 2013

A jewel of the lesser-known
Coteaux Sud d’Épernay and once
a pure meunier specialist, José
Michel has since incorporated
chardonnay to amplify elegance.
The Spécial Club, perfumed and
pure with quince jelly, Asian pear,
lemon balm and iodine salinity
and a fine, bright toastiness, will
entice lovers of Dom Pérignon.
Paul Bara Spécial Club 2005
Known as Bouzy’s village historian,
Paul Bara was synonymous
with this Montagne de Reims
Grand Cru. Bara was one of Club
Trésors’ founding members and
his pinot noir-driven Spécial
Club has an intense lemon curd,
kumquat and butter pastry
nose, luxuriant richness and
oak spice of incredible finesse
that will win over Krug fans.
PINK CHAMPAGNE
Though often dismissed as
frivolous by serious champagne
collectors, carefully crafted rosé
champagne has been attracting
increased attention. Pink
champagne is famous for being the
sole prestige rosé that can legally
be made by blending a little red
into a white base, but growers
often make it by saignée instead.
This method essentially involves
draining the liquid off fermenting
red grapes, resulting in a more
Patrick Renaux, the owner
and winemaker of the
Soutiran vineyard
vinous product with deeper colour,
more fragrance and sometimes
even light tannins. At the other end
of the spectrum is a whisper-pink
rosé style called Oeil de Perdrix,
a homage to white champagnes
of the 19th century that often
had just a hint of red colour.
When thoughtfully made, all
of these styles have their merits.
Personally I love saignée wines with
their combination of whimsy and
depth, although they can lack the
finesse of classic blended rosé.
Jean Vesselle Oeil de
Perdrix à Bouzy NV
A pure pinot from this Bouzy
pinot noir specialist, this wine is
one shade pinker than a blanc de
noirs. Nutmeg and allspice are
interlaced with soft red forest fruit
that gradually yield to sourdough
bread notes. I have enjoyed this
wine young and old, and both
retained a pleasing balance of
fruit richness and austere savour.
Marc Hébrart Rosé NV
Hébrart is a leading light of
the Grande Vallée, the chalky
eastern section of the Vallée de
la Marne that specialises in pinot
noir. Jean-Paul Hébrart is known
for his rosé, with its raciness and
vivacity, opening with delicate
daisy florals and fennel pollen
and remaining fresh and light
but characterful throughout.
Vouette & Sorbée Saignée
de Sorbée NV
Bertrand Gautherot’s biodynamic
property in the Côte des Bar is
named not after himself but for
his two key vineyards, which says
everything. Made from 100 per
cent pinot noir, like his iconic
blanc de noirs Fidèle, the rosé is
almost a red pinot with bubbles,
fragrant with rose petal jam,
irises, pink currants and wild
strawberries, but angular in the
mouth despite oak fermentation.
Soutiran Rosé Saignée
Brut Ambonnay NV
Spending an unusually long 10 years
on lees, this saignée brings together
an intensely juicy strawberry and
menthol pinot youthfulness with
some darker, gamier notes and
the somewhat gritty texture of
maturity. A very interesting effort
and a great candidate for atypical
matches like beef or lamb.

Tasting samples provided by Altaya Wines (Larmandier-Bernier Latitude NV), Champagne Asia (Diebolt-Vallois Blanc de Blancs
201, Fleury Sonate No. 9 2011, De Sousa 3A Grand Cru NV, Vilmart & Cie Grand Cellier d’Or 2014), Deco Wines (Charles Dufour
“Le Corroy” Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature NV (LR15), Jean Vesselle Oeil de Perdrix à Bouzy NV), The Fine Wine Experience
(Georges Laval ‘Les Hautes Chèvres’ Brut Nature 2014), Golden Gate Wine (Michel Arnould Blanc de Noirs NV, Eric Rodez Cuvée Tatler
de Crayères NV, José Michel Spécial Club 2013, Paul Bara Spécial Club 2005, Marc Hébrart Rosé NV), One Red Dot Fine Wines
Features
(Savart L’Ouverture Brut Premier Cru NV, Champagne Moutard Cuvée de 6 Cépages 2009) and Watsons Wine (Franck Bonville
Terroir Pur Avize Blanc de Blancs 2012, Soutiran Rosé Saignée Brut Ambonnay NV). 217
 Alphabet City

A IS FOR:
ATI-ATIHAN
Illustration by Rina Albert Llamas
One of the Philippines’ largest festivals, Ati-Atihan is a vibrant celebration held
in honour of the Santo Niño (Infant Jesus), which takes place in several towns of
Aklan province in Panay Island every January. It involves colourful costumes, street
dancing and parades tthat usually last an entire week. The biggest festivities happen
on the third Sunday of January in the capital town of Kalibo. “Ati-atihan” means
“to imitate Ati (the local name of the Aetas, the first settlers of Panay Island)”.

Tatler Alphabet City is a series in 26 parts. Each month, Tatler invites an artist to
218 create a work that celebrates the best of the Philippines, from A to Z