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Christie’s New York auctions Jackie Kennedy Onassis Cartier Tank watch

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May 16, 2017

Christie’s New York auctions Jackie Kennedy Onassis Cartier Tank watch

22nd December 1969: Jackie Onassis (1929 – 1994), wife of Greek ship-owner Aristotle Onassis and widow of US president John F Kennedy. (Photo by David Cairns/Express/Getty Images)

The Kennedys are possibly the closest thing that Americans can call royalty. Having left an undeniable mark in the world of politics, at least one of their members cemented her role as a style star. As one of the most famous and often admired women anything that was once owned by this Kennedy family member is bound to illicit the attention of many. On June 21, Chrisite’s will auction off theJackie Kennedy-Onassis Cartier Tank watch that was once worn by America’s most revered First Ladies of all time. The timepiece will be a part of the auction house’s Rare Watches and American Icons New York sale.

Jackie Kennedy Onassis’s timelessness is evident in her classic Cartier Tank, having been gifted to her by her brother-in-law Prince Stanislaw “Stas” Radziwill in 1963. The timepiece is a design first created 100 years ago by Louis Cartier, and is engraved with the words “Stas to Jackie 23 Feb. 63 2:05 am to 9:35 pm.” The time refers to the start and stop times of the famous 50-Mile Hike in Palm Beach in 1963. Despite the dial having aged and the watch case appearing softer after time, the yellow gold Tank highlights the frequency at which Onassis wore the watch. The watch has been photographed on Onassis‘s wrist an abundance of times while she was alive.

The watch will be auctioned alongside an original painting made by the former First Lady as a gift to her brother-in-law in 1963. Likewise, the painting celebrates the hike as well, mirroring the words on the watch with “February 23, 1963 2:05 am to 9:35 pm / Jackie to Stas with love and admiration”. Both the watch and the painting are the newest artefacts to surface from the Kennedy Presidency in recent years.

John Reardon, International Head of Christie’s Watches comments, “The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Cartier Tank is a watch full of emotion, love and history. Together with Jackie’s painting, these two objects capture the spirit of another era, a time where friendship and the “can-do” optimism of the generation seemed to make anything possible. In this spirit, the consignor has offered to donate a portion of the proceeds to the National Endowment for the Arts. Christie’s Watches proudly offers this truly iconic timepiece and painting on June 21 in our New York Rockefeller Center Saleroom.”

While the estimate for the watch is 60,000—120,000 dollars, it seems likely that it will go for a much higher price.

For more information not he Rare Watches and American Icons event, do visit Christie’s.

Tanya Amador on Singapore’s art scene and government funding

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May 16, 2017

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Tanya Amador on Singapore’s art scene and government funding

How can funding for art be channelled such that it can be accessed, practised and enjoyed by the wider public?

There are many facets to the debate of the endowment of the arts, including that of any boundaries which may be considered as strings attached, thus restricting true creativity. But for the purpose of keeping this piece to one page, I will focus solely on the intrinsic value of art and the importance of perpetuating its entrenchment in society.

Take the case of Singapore, the obvious example to start with as this magazine is a local publication and Singapore has the illustrious distinction in the region of being considered by many as “Southeast Asia’s art hub”. Methodically, the country’s involvement in art continues to be built by a government which provides a substantial amount of money to support artists, art businesses and art education in order to take the lead in the region.

In 2014, it was announced that the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) had set aside an additional $20 million over five years (2014 to 2018) “to promote our artists, unique heritage, and cultural assets abroad”. That was in addition to the National Arts Council’s (NAC) increase in grants by $1 million more than the previous year for a total of $16.2 million to the Major Grant Scheme and Seed Grant Scheme recipients. This year, they further upped the ante when they announced the 2017 Singapore Budget which declared that there will be a $150 million injection from the government into arts and heritage causes, matching dollar for dollar any donations under the Cultural Matching Fund.

In contrast, in 2015, the Warwick Commission Report revealed that arts and culture are being steadily deleted from the education system in Great Britain. In fact, last year it was reported that the country almost completely eliminated the subject of Art History in its high school curriculum. Happily, it was saved by the liberal establishment organising itself in time to stop the train wreck.

In the meantime, Donald Trump, as the new President of the United States, is looking at ways to slash the federal budget, and the arts are on his blacklist. The Republican Study Committee (RSC) 2017 recently announced that they propose to cut funding in America for the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and to privatise the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The American art world is, obviously, up in arms as I write about it, but I suppose philanthropists will pick up the slack when needed, as they always have.

Although each of the models are different from each other and each of the methods of applying these monies may differ, and even though there are vast cultural differences between the East and the West, one thing remains clear to me: an important question should be how the benefactions are used. Is the funding being used fairly? Do the resources trickle down through education and accessibility to benefit those from lower-income backgrounds? Or is it the case that despite government, or even philanthropic support, the general population is still disenfranchised, with art reserved for the wealthy?

Politics aside, art is vital to society for many reasons. First, art is the most meaningful record of humanity’s story. So much of the history of mankind has been documented, in one way or another, through the illustration of art. From large-scale events such as wars, religious worship, exploration, discoveries, famine and plague, all the way down to more trivial day-to-day activities and items, such as what we ate, whom we have slept with, what kind of bowls we have eaten our noodles from, it has all been documented through art. Subtract art from civilisation and you take away the value and identity of a culture.

Secondly, studies have shown that art promotes critical thinking, improves academic performance, enhances motor skills, increases confidence, encourages collaboration, and aids focus, just to name a few. Eliminate art from the education system by taking away the funds to support it, and it becomes attainable only to the wealthy, with the underprivileged suffering the loss most acutely.

When government — and private organisations — fund art, they essentially need to think about their motives through a more altruistic lens. They should be looking at the qualitative value, rather than quantitative value, or at least place them next to each other. A strictly monetary return on investment is a sad approach here, and in the end, does not produce successful and effective individuals, or make the world a better place.

This article was written by Tanya Michele Amador and originally published in Art Republik.

Spanish Grand Prix 2017: Lewis Hamilton wins F1 trophy for Mercedes in Barcelona

F1
Motoring

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May 15, 2017

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Spanish Grand Prix 2017: Lewis Hamilton wins F1 trophy for Mercedes in Barcelona

Sunny Barcelona provided a perfect backdrop to the fiery wheel-to-wheel action at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Lewis Hamilton proved yet again that he wasn’t just a superstar off the track and he’s still in it to win it with a perfect drive. Hamilton who started on Sunday in pole position slipped to second place after the Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel — with its new upgrades — blitzed past him off as the five red lights went out on the track. Hamilton did not capitulate and with a perfectly time pit stop put on a stellar show almost coming wheel-to-wheel with Vettel. At the end of the day, Hamilton proved that event with a car that could have easily outpaced him and with more tyre wear he could seize the prize. Speaking of upgrades, Ferrari’s new upgrades which were cleverly downplayed, provided the prancing horses with staggering pace which was clearly evident during qualifying when Vettel pipped Valtteri to come in second despite a lock-up on his late last lap.

Fernando Alonso in his McLaren-Honda was probably the biggest surprise of the weekend. The Spaniard who has been having consistent problems with the Honda-powered engine finished in seventh place on Sunday. Alonso has not managed to complete a single race this season. Speaking about his win after the race he said he was extremely grateful to them team for their efforts, describing his finish as ‘a gift’. Valtteri Bottas went from hero to on fire — literally — as his engine gave out on lap thirty-eight of the race. Bottas who started the race in third looked as if he was racing against Vettel more to protect his teammate ahead then to actually finish on the highest step of the podium.

The Spanish race weekend also featured a lot of changes to the regular grand prix weekend programme, in a clear effort to boost fan engagement. After the qualifying session on Saturday, the top three drivers, Hamilton, Vettel and Bottas walked onto the grid much to the delight of the fans. They answered fan questions and shared their weekend experiences with the screaming crowd. The beautiful Heineken grid girls, armed with T-shirt cannons shot white T-shirts into the grandstand and around the perimeters of the track where fans where jostling to get their hands on one. The atmosphere in the F1 FANZONE was bustling with a renewed sense of excitement as TITAN the robot was his inaugural appearance. The robot had a witty, dark sense of humour and proved a hit with the audience. This was clearly the brainchild of F1 Experiences that is on the right trajectory to liven up the racing atmosphere and deliver on an entertaining race weekend for those that matter most, the fans. Hollywood celebrity and multiple Emmy award winning actor, Kelsey Grammar was in the paddock. Grammar who is an ardent fan of NASCAR and F1 was seen taking in the action and several team garages, behind the pit wall and on the grid. F1 Experiences launched their two-seater track experience with Spanish football star Carlos Puyol being one of the first to be in the back seat of a two-seater F1 style car. Francisco “Frankie” Muñiz IV, best known for his role in the hit series Malcolm in the Middle was another celebrity to get in the back seat. He was clearly beaming in the paddock and was very keen to share his experience during the weekend. All the effort put into the weekend by Sean Bratches and his team clearly paid off.

Anna Raffaela Bassi & Felipinho Bassi Massa

In the paddock, the newly designed team motorhomes were glistening under the Catalonian sun for the first race of the European calendar. Wiped down and polished to the T they were a sight to behold. Some clearly stood heads and shoulders above the rest. Mercedes AMG, Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren-Honda had truly stunning motorhomes. Given the wonderful Spanish weather, the teams took turns to display their generous hospitality. Mercedes had a party of Thursday that featured Flamingo dancers, tapas and smooth Spanish wine. Rolex, one of the anchor sponsors of the Formula 1, had an evening soiree at the Paddock Club with delectable tapas, truffle cream pasta and perfectly balanced mojitos. Williams had a Martini party on Friday with delicious Martini based cocktails that provided a vibrant mix of colours against top deck of their white, red and blue motorhome. Red Bull, known for having some of the best parties on the grid has a massive party on Saturday night at Casa 13 or their three storey motorhome featuring a locally renowned DJ and a mixologist that dreamt up some of the most gorgeous, great tasting cocktails that everyone fawned over. Entertainment wise, the weekend capped off with a huge party in Barcelonetta, that like most parties in Spain, lasted well into the early hours of the morning, where a stroll down the beach was rewarded with a picturesque sunrise.

LVMH owned e-commerce website “24 Sèvres” to carry Dior, Louis Vuitton and more

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May 15, 2017

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LVMH owned e-commerce website “24 Sèvres” to carry Dior, Louis Vuitton and more

If you love online shopping as much as we do then news of the new LVMH owned e-commerce website must have been welcome news to you too. The fashion conglomerate that owns our favourite fashion houses such as Dior, Louis Vuitton and Fendi is gearing up to launch the new site for Le Bon Marché called “24 Sèvres”.

While we may have to wait a while longer, June 6 to be exact — before the website is ready, shopaholics are sure to have bookmarked company’s new venture. Once it is made available in 70 countries, the site will carry 150 labels including 20 brands that are under LVMH.

“With the launch of 24 Sèvres, we are offering them a truly differentiated online experience built on our unique expertise at Le Bon Marché in Paris,” said Bernard Arnault, Chairman and CEO of LVMH. He added “Shopping at Le Bon Marché is a special and unmissable experience for both local and international clienteles. With 24 Sèvres, our clients can now enjoy this unique feeling every day and night, worldwide.”

Like other sites that offer similar e-commerce services to an international clientele, 24 Sèvres will provide editorial content but will focus on innovative visual merchandising which includes video styling consultations. With more clients shifting their focus to the online market, LVMH is looking to appeal to internet-savvy customers while retaining its exclusivity.

Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge 2017 in Antigua features the PAM653 and PAM654

Watches

Sasiwimon S.

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May 15, 2017

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Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge 2017 in Antigua features the PAM653 and PAM654

PAM00652 – Luminor 1950 PCYC Regatta 3 Days Chrono Flyback Automatic Titanio – 47mm

PAM00653 – Luminor 1950 PCYC 3 Days Chrono Flyback Automatic Acciaio – 47mm

PAM00654 – Luminor 1950 PCYC 3 Days Chrono Flyback Automatic Acciaio – 47mm

Watchmaker Officine Panerai has been plying the high seas with the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge for 13 years now; for the landlubbers out there, this is the world’s leading circuit for classic and vintage yachts. The 2017 season got underway with the 30th Antigua Classic Yachts Regatta in April, which is the first of the 11 legs that make up the Challenge. Bermudan yawl Mariella won the overall prize at this regatta.

The Alfred Mylne-designed craft (launched at the William Fife and Son yard in Scotland) picked up the Panerai Prize for overall victory but also saw off strong challenges from The Blue Peter and Latifa to triumph in her own class (Vintage B). Fifty classic yachts gathered in Antigua for the opening leg, classed into Vintage, Classic, Traditional, Classic GRP, Spirit of Tradition and Tall Ships categories. Obviously, Panerai has the right sort of watches for the Challenge, named as it is for the brand! This year, the PCYC (no prizes for guessing what that stands for) watches are PAM653 and PAM654, both flyback chronographs powered by the in-house automatic calibre P9100.

Dior cruise collection 2018: Maria Grazia Chiuri went Western in Calabasas, Los Angeles

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May 15, 2017

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Dior cruise collection 2018: Maria Grazia Chiuri went Western in Calabasas, Los Angeles

The couture house’s 2018 cruise collection presentation saw around 800 guests decamping to a remote reserve on the edge of the upscale suburb of Calabasas, home to Jennifer Lopez, the Kardashian-Jenners and much of Hollywood’s A-list. Around 50 models showcased a wardrobe with a music festival vibe inspired by Lascaux cave paintings, painter Georgia O’Keeffe and feminist shamanic healer Vicki Noble, with plenty of pleated skirts and bolero hats on show.

The remote location for the runway show was chosen by Italian fashion designer and Dior creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri, who was lured from Valentino in July last year to become Dior‘s first female creative director of women’s haute couture and accessories. As the company celebrates its 70th anniversary, Chiuri has been introducing a more modern, rock ‘n’ roll look to the house’s fashion offering, exemplified by her $710 “We Should All Be Feminists” t-shirt inspired by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s essay and TEDx talk of the same name.

With the Cruise 2018 collection, Maria Grazia Chiuri takes us onto new ground, where more natural and wild inspirations are the order of the day. As a result, the French fashion house stands out from its usual style with a collection that’s more laid-back — still chic, but also with a wild side.

Femininity once again takes centre stage, but here, Maria Grazia Chiuri takes it in a new direction, with a more instinctive feel than ever before. In terms of pieces, the collection notably features midi dresses with square necklines, sometimes skinny straps and sheer effects, and motifs and embroidery details — a silhouette that’s gradually becoming the designer’s signature at Dior. Western vibes are channelled with lots of fringing, as well as leather pieces, boots and revisited ponchos. Bolero hats also replace the previous show’s berets.

Makeup was perfectly in keeping with the collection’s untamed theme, with skin treated to a sun-kissed glow and carefully crafted radiance, complemented by a subtle hint of eye makeup. There were no bright colors in sight on lips, where subtle, almost nude shades ruled the runway. Hair also channeled wild inspirations with natural styles and lightly tousled waves creating a “done” but undone look encompassing freedom.

“Christian Dior in 1947 came to Los Angeles, only two years after the war, to show his collection. So we decided on the anniversary to come back,” Chiuri told AFP. “Normally when you think about LA, the first thing is celebrities, Hollywood, red carpets but I think there is another aspect, the natural aspect — open spaces. Many people love this place — also Mr Dior — because California is in some ways a paradise.”

The meadows there were used from the 1920s to 1950s for filming Westerns and other movies, including “Gone with the Wind” (1939), “They Died with Their Boots On” (1941) and “Adventures of Don Juan” (1948).

“I think it was beautiful. It was really inspiring and it felt rich with culture and texture and somewhat other-worldliness,” said Oscar-winning South African actress Theron, 41, who currently stars in high-octane car movie “The Fate of the Furious.”

“It was really beautiful yet super feminine. I loved that it had some real weight to it. It felt like it was layered with many complexities. It was a really beautiful job.”