PETINTOWN: gift ideas for your pet

Christmas is coming and it means only one thing: it’s time to amaze those we love with wonderful gifts. And for whom do we feel more, if not for our faithful four-legged roommates? It is a good thing that they find a little present under the tree to be discarded “on six legs” and spend a special moment with us.

Here, you can find some ideas, suitable for every budget, that will allow you to make happy those who share time and emotions with us, our dogs and cats. From the most traditional and useful gifts to the most curious ones. Let yourself be inspired and then run to buy and pack for your favorite paw, in return you will receive even more affection!

To enchant our dogs we relied on Toonpet, a stylish e-commerce boutique, founded a year ago and curated by real dog enthusiasts and fashion lovers, who select objects and create collections to make our puppies feel more and more special and fashion.
https://toonpet.com

donut bed toonpet

DONUT BED

This hairy and comfortable kennel is designed to wrap your puppy during his numerous and extreme naps and prevents the deterioration of his coat. Thanks to its round shape, this high-quality kennel is ideal for animals that love to curl up! The raised edge creates a sense of security and provides support for the head and neck, while the super-soft padding offers relief from joint and muscle pain. Cozy, flexible, finished with synthetic fur and self-heating, reminiscent of a mother’s fur! Toonpet has selected for us two models and a range of colors, making it a perfect addition to the decor of each room. Finished with funds resistant to water and dirt, it helps prevent accidental discomfort from reaching your floors.
https://toonpet.com/product/shag-fauxfur-donutbed/
https://toonpet.com/product/donut-the-soft-bed/

LARRY- THE WINTER PARKA

Larry – The Winter Parka

Dress your furry little friend and make him feel protected from the cold. Larry – the Winter parka, is a stylish, warm and comfortable accessory, equipped with a back pocket that allows you to bring with you some crunchy or walkies bags to picks up after him. Available in blue and suitable for small and medium-sized dogs. Easy to wear and clean!
https://toonpet.com/product/larry-the-winter-parka/

PET-A-PORTER

From a day in the outdoors together, to the journeys and trips typical of the holidays, Pet-a-porter, the collection of luxury bags made by hand, is a must-have to transport your four-legged friend comfortably and safely: lets you take it wherever you need to go and let it discover new places with you. Click on the link to discover the different seasonal models available in more colors, from pastel for the summer, or polka throughout the year, to Herringbone fabric for a winter mood. They are all customizable with the name of your pet!
https://toonpet.com/product-category/pet-a-porter/

POSHY ME BATHROBE

poshy me bathrobe

Winter brings rain, snow and cold and every time you and your dog come home from the walk, he deserves to come back clean with a nice bath. In the Toon Spa category, you will find a selection of bathrobes to make your puppy feel just like in a wellness center. The band to be tied at the waist still needs the help of mom or dad to be tied. It is made of sponge fabric specially designed to absorb water.
https://toonpet.com/product/2019-soft-bathrobe-cashmerefeel/

Eat your Veggies PAJAMA

Carrot Pajama

A comfortable and warm dog is a happy dog. Toonpet has created Snoozy Pup, a capsule collection of pajamas that will wrap your puppies in total comfort. Designed for puppies, it is also suitable for small and medium-sized breeds.
https://toonpet.com/product/carrot-pet-pajama/

Don’t tell cat if you have not bought him a Christmas gift yet! For those who are lovers of felines, we have selected some objects from the web to fascinate them

TIGRITO

Tigrito Alessi

Tigrito is the bowl that ALESSI has created for your kitty. Available in three colors and consisting of two bowls, it brings joy to the home. Do you think your cat can recognize himself in it?
https://www.alessi.com/it_it/catalogsearch/result/?q=tigrito&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2Nf3-Pue5gIVCIjVCh1ivQV9EAAYASAAEgIVT_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

SCRATCHING TREE

SCRATCHING TREE

With this scratching tree, your cat will have so much to scratch, hide and jump from side to side during the day that it will no longer haunt you every 5 minutes, making you the sweet eyes to get yet another bowl of dry food
https://www.miciogatto.it/shop/happypet-tiragraffi-albero-per-gatti-palestra-graffiatoio-sisal-grande-130-x-72-x-200-cm/

KONG SCRATTLES

KONG SCRATTLES

Cats have always enjoyed running after anything they roll or have a tail. For Christmas, give him this game with an irresistible consistency and a clink that stimulates the desire to play. Inside it also contains catnip. He’s already licking his mustache, what are you waiting for to buy it?
https://www.robinsonpetshop.it/giochi-e-/6062-kong-gioco-di-natale-scrattles-per-gatti/kong/kong-gioco-natale-scrattles-per-gatti.html

WINDOW HAMMOCK

window hammock

If you have a cat you can’t help but notice how immensely you love to squat in front of the window and lookout. With this hammock, you can afford to do it with maximum comfort.
https://www.zoologos.net/cuccia-amaca-letto-da-finestra-per-gatti-colore-kaki.html

HANGING BRUSH

hanging brush

And have you ever caught your cat scratching its nose against the door jambs? With these innovative hanging brushes, you will allow them to scratch themselves by feeling relief and you will prevent them from hurting themselves against the hard edges of walls and doors.
https://www.modamemorizzare.com/content?c=accessori%20per%20gatti&id=20

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Christmas 2019: the best beauty gifts

Festive fragrances, skincare in special combinations and limited editions designed specifically for the Christmas period. For Christmas 2019, beauty, in its most sparkling garments, gives us surprises that make us dream. It’s definitely the best time of the year for experts or beauty enthusiasts!

DEPOT 

A new collection of warm or fresh fragrances, woody or slightly floral, amber or fruity, always evocative and enveloping dedicated to the contemporary man with a retro appeal.

BULLFROG 

Those who love shaving will fall in love with The Cool Shaver pack that includes the shaving cream secret potion N.1 in 250ml format, the authentic barber product to be used with the professional brush and shaving bowl to whip cream and safety razor complete with leather razor holder, very comfortable to carry on the road.

COLLISTAR 

A case dedicated to hydration, with the total non-stop hydration facial gel 24H 75 ml, Toning Shower Gel 100 ml Shaving Foam, all in the travel-bag signed The Bridge.

K DOLCE&GABBANA

The casket, covered with an elegant damask pattern, includes the 50 ml eau de toilette and the 75 ml aftershave balm, to celebrate the king of everyday life.

CAUDALIE

The Beauty water box contains three essential products for glowing skin, such as the Eau de Beauté 100 ml the Mousse Nettoyante Fleur de Vigne in the 50 ml format and the Masque Instant Detox in the 15 ml version.

DYPTIQUE

Diptyque wishes luck, protection and harmony with its three new candles. Their olfactory composition uses plants and ingredients with beneficial virtues and, according to an ancient Latin American legend.

NUXE

The man’s excellence package contains anti-aging products such as the Nuxellence 50ml youth refill fluid, the 15ml multi-function eye contour and the 200ml multi-use shower gel.

BRAUN

With Series 8 Braun presents an electric shaver that offers a better shaving experience. The design of pure and essential shapes allows men to feel at their best in a simple and fast way.

ACQUA DELL’ELBA

A bouquet designed for the home on ‘Christmas Notes’ with the magical accord created with orange, mandarin, broom, jasmine, honey, cinnamon, walnut and Mediterranean maquis.

PHILIPP PLEIN

The Skull is the first fragrance of the famous designer, and is the result of a co-creation conceived by Philipp Plein himself and the master perfumer Alberto Morillas, highly appreciated internationally. Presented in the eau de parfum version, the perfume is a luxurious and sensual olfactory tattoo. (This December will be available only in selected PHILIPP PLEIN boutiques and on the online store in Europe and the United States).

AUGUSTINUS BADER RICH FACE AND BODY DUO 

The Rich Cream 50ml & The Body Cream 170ml is a kit that includes a facial and body cream, to benefit from an intense “from head to toe” hydration. 

SHISEIDO MEN HOLIDAY KIT 

The box is dedicated to the tone and anti-age protection for men with the brand’s iconic products. 

FOREO LUNA FOFO 

This combination of sports is supplied complete with a practical water bottle, 20ml microfoam detergent and the small but effective personal smart coach LUNA fofo.

TRUSSARDI PARFUMS 

Complementary and intense, the limited-edition fragrances by Trussardi Parfums are the perfect gift to give to their respective partners. Yin (black) and yang (white), male and female. 

AHAVA 

The Israeli brand, famous throughout the world for its luxurious skincare collection based on precious minerals and ingredients from the Dead Sea, signs an exclusive kit for Italy created in collaboration with Moleskine. 

REN SKINCARE 

Also this year, REN Clean Skincare has chosen Silken Favors for the creation of the Christmas Kit with some of the top sellers of the English bio-based skincare brand, enclosed in cute boxes ready to give or to give as gifts.

FIAT 500 FOR HIM

Aesthetically inspired by the most famous Italian car in the world, the fragrance begins with notes of grapefruit, Timur pepper and pink pepper, which gives way to a flowery heart of geranium and Florentine iris. The shower gel completes the gift idea.

ICEBERG FOR HIM

Ideal for those who love the masculine aromatic notes of bergamot, cardamom from Guatemala and dried fruit, the Iceberg For Him box contains the fragrance of the house and a shower Gel that gives softness and a unique scent to the skin.

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Christmas 2019, gift ideas between tech and lifestyle

Whether we like it or not, Christmas is approaching even this year, and with it the uncontrollable desire to amaze our loved ones with useful and above all non-trivial gift ideas. In this gallery, you will find some interesting proposals between tech and lifestyle, so as not to disfigure during the next holidays.

MOLESKINE

The David Bowie collector’s box is inspired by the unique talent and continuous reinventing of an iconic songwriter, a creative and visionary thinker. This limited edition captures the evolving identity of the singer with an iridescent case that transforms Aladdin Sane into Ziggy Stardust. Inside there is a limited edition numbered notebook that shows Bowie and his famous logo.

SPARCO FASHION

Sparco men’s sports watch, red silicone strap with pneumatic design.

VALVERDE

A collector’s bottle in Limited Edition made by Polimoda students. The 250ml format is loved by an audience that is attentive to taste and form, able to reveal an innovative and refined soul, outside the traditional canons.

JAGERMEISTER

Jägermeister Manifest, the first super-premium reference in the range, created to satisfy the most mature and demanding palates who love a more exclusive liquor, to be savored on more relaxed occasions.

ESPOLON

The Tequila Espolòn Blanco commemorates the history of Mexican independence in which Guadalupe and Rosarita joined the valiant military campaign of Father Miguel Hidalgo. A primary quality obtained without aging from the distillation process of pure blue agave.

NARDINI

La Grappa Riserva Bortolo Selection Nardini Single Cask 22 years completes the ultra-premium line “Selezione Bortolo Nardini”, the result of a project that establishes a new quality threshold for the Italian national distillate with the choice of the softest, scented and sweet grappas.

BORSALINO 

Baseball model hat. Maxi foliage logo with inner lining. 

PELTY 

Pelty is the only Bluetooth speaker in the world operated by the heat of the fire to reproduce the music of every device, using clean energy for its operation. 

U.S. POLO ASSN. 

Brown suede lace-up model 

RICHARD MILLE AND PHARRELL WILLIAMS 

This clock, inspired by the cosmos, sees the collaboration between Richard Mille and Pharrell Williams and is made using highly technological materials processed manually in miniature, using the most advanced technology.

GPO 

GPO Union Flag Phone is inspired by the iconic push-button model, the protagonist of all homes in the 1960s, combining vintage design, classic lines and modern technology for a guaranteed British effect. 

PAPIRHO 

The Papirho stool in paper with an unmistakable honeycomb structure, practical, light and at the same time resistant. Perfect both as a seat and as a side table in the living area. 

ZACAPA 

Rum Zacapa Reserva Limitada 2019 is born from the mixture of rums aged between 6 and 24 years, aged in specially selected muscatel barrels. The result is a distillate with lively notes of vanilla and wood, accompanied by citrus and floral notes. 

DISARONNO 

“Disaronno wears Diesel” is a Limited Edition with a contemporary and “gritty” style that reflects the soul of the two companies that sign it, two Italian companies appreciated internationally, united by a deep vocation for innovation and a lively creative spirit. 

WHISKEY JOHNNIE WALKER BLUE LABEL RARE SIDE OF SCOTLAND

Limited edition bottle of the most widely distributed whiskey in the world, just launched in Italy this Christmas. The graphic of the bottle pays tribute to the rarities and beauties of Scotland, a land so dear to the lovers of the distillate.

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Christmas cocktails

Christmas has a magical atmosphere and even bartenders from all over the world try to pass it on through special creations designed specifically for this time of year.

Here are some famous labels that you can use to amaze friends and relatives in classic evenings where everyone is together to exchange greetings.

Mare pumpkin flip

Ingredients:

– 60 ml Sea Gin

– 1 whole egg

– 30 ml of milk

– 30 ml buttermilk

– 20 ml of pumpkin syrup beer

– Cinnamon powder

Method:

For the pumpkin syrup beer, use a beer that is not too bitter, pour it into a saucepan and mix it vigorously to remove all the CO2. Then add equal parts of sugar and pumpkin pulp, heat and add powdered cinnamon, mix until a liquid and homogeneous mixture is obtained, then let it cool.

Add all the ingredients in the shaker without ice. Shake for about 10 seconds, then add the ice and shake vigorously for another 20 seconds.

Strain into a previously cooled glass and sprinkle with nutmeg. Garnish with a piece of dehydrated pumpkin, a cinnamon stick and star anise.

Mantuano punch

Ingredients:

– 40 ml Diplomatico Mantuano,

– 30 ml to chai

– 30 ml of apple juice

– 30 ml cranberry juice

– 10 ml of honey or maple syrup

– 2 dash angostura

Method:

Prepare an intense infusion of chai tea using twice the amount of tea. Pour all the ingredients into the punch bowl. Add apple slices, lemon slices, cinnamon sticks and some star anise pods, mix and serve hot. Garnish with a clove of red apple, lemon, a cinnamon stick and star anise.

Caorunn Alexander

Ingredients:

– 37.5 ml Caorunn Gin

– 12.5 ml white chocolate cream

– 25 ml of cream

– 12.5 ml of milk

Method:

Combine all the ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake for a few seconds. Strain directly into the glass. Garnish with a stick of cinnamon or star anise and a sprinkling of nutmeg.

Glass: cup

Coupette

Ingredients:

Ingredients:

– 45 ml Reserve Carlo Alberto red

– 15 ml bitter with walnuts

– 30 ml gin 209

– 20 ml muscatel ginger

– Egg white

Method: 

Reverse Dry Shake & Strain. Garnish with gingerbread biscuit.

coupette-cocktail

Full Moon

Ingredients: 

– 45 ml Bitter Rounge White 

– 15 ml of lime juice 

– 30 ml mandarin jam 

– 20 ml Plantation original dark 

– Alchecheng extract 

Method:

Reverse Dry Shake & Strain. Garnish with gingerbread biscuit.

Familiare

Ingredients

– 30 ml of Acqua di Cedro

– 30 ml Plantation 3 star 

– 1 spoon of FraCk, bitter evening. No to fashion 

– 30 ml of lemon juice 

– 10 ml of sugar syrup 

Method:

Combine all the ingredients in a shaker. Shake & Strain.

Il Capitano

Ingredients:

– 45 ml Jefferson Amaro Importante

– 15 ml Akermes of Florence

– 30 ml of lemon juice

– 20 ml of sugar syrup

Method:

Combine all the ingredients in a shaker. Reverse dry Shake & Strain. Garnish with a sprig of wild fennel.

Gingerbread

Ingredients: 

– 45 ml Jefferson Amaro Importante 

– 15 ml Irish Whiskey 

– 30 ml of lemon juice 

– 20 ml of sugar syrup 

– egg white 

Method:

Reverse Dry Shake & Strain. Garnish with gingerbread biscuit.

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Holiday Gifts 2019: colorful design objects to love

For this Christmas, we have thought of some original gift ideas inspired with modern and innovative style. Design objects are sumptuous thoughts when we want to amaze our loved ones, the best choice to give our living room a touch of style, but also perfect last-minute gifts. Discover the selection in the gallery.

GAETANO PESCE 

The works of the great Maestro Pesce are never the same. Handmade, these splendid contemporary objects are each accompanied by a certificate of authenticity signed by the creative genius. In the prolific production of chairs, cabinets, armchairs, Gaetano Pesce’s house objects are a line accessible to the collector of taste and style. Not to be missed!

www.gaetanopesce.com

STEFANO GIOVANNONI 

The designer Stefano Giovannoni took inspiration from this meaning to create the Velvet Rabbit Chair: a seat that combines sweetness and sympathy with comfort and imagination. A chair in two versions, adult and child, in which the rabbit’s ears become a backrest. In a third version, the Rabbit chair lights up becoming also a lamp.

https://qeeboo.com/it/rabbit-chair-velvet-finish-by-stefano-giovannoni

LATERAL OBJECTS BY STEFAN BECKMAN

Stefan Beckman Studio is a New York-based design studio specialized in set design and art direction for the fashion industry. Their work has been part of the most iconic advertising and editorial campaigns of the last fifteen years. In addition to designing fashion shows for the biggest names in New York Fashion Week season after season, they plan events, fashion presentations and exhibitions around the world.

Lateral Objects is a design laboratory born within the Stefan Beckman Studio. The bold pop colors of California Art from the 60s and the Supergraphics design movement of the 70s were the inspiration for the first collection of objects that are ideal as a Christmas present, like the hand-blown gradient glasses or the coasters to match.

https://www.lateralobjects.com

https://www.stefanbeckman.com

@stefanbeckman @lateralobjects

MISSONI HOME 

Missoni is the home par excellence and a must-have for lovers of multicolored patterns in bright colors and first-class fabrics and elegance. Here are the best gift ideas for this Christmas:

American set in waterproof fabric with multicolored chevron macro. Solid color matching napkin.

https://www.missoni.com/it/missoni-home/set-americano-gift_cod46681538vu.html

Unisex hooded bathrobe in curly terry/cut quality cotton. Motif small multicolored dice. 100% cotton.

https://www.missoni.com/it/missoni-home/accappatoio_cod46646516xk.html#dept=hw_hmbthrbs

Plaid embroidered in Polyester, with chevron pattern lurex. With fringes. Measure 130×180 cm.

https://www.missoni.com/it/missoni-home/plaid_cod46649912vd.html#dept=hw_hmblnk

ALESSI

Food à porter is a lunch box that doesn’t look like a lunch box, but an elegant fashion accessory. A functional and beautiful object, to be worn as a bag with a sophisticated design.

https://www.alessi.com/it_it/food-a-porter-10779.html

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The myth of Ralph Lauren lives on in “Very Ralph”

Who says “Ralph Lauren” immediately thinks about America. It is from this idea that the ‘Very Ralph’ documentary film directed and produced by Susan Lacy, broadcast on HBO and exclusively in Italy on Sky Arte on 16 November, starts. The director who has already signed two powerful works, one on Steven Spielberg and the other on Jane Fonda, both biopic in the form of documentary storytelling, took 10 years to be able to interview Ralph Lauren and get to define the film project with him.

“I prepared myself carefully to carry out this project which required 15 interviews with the designer and six months of work, I love Ralph Lauren because his fashion is wearable; the difficulty was making a film that was my film, not Lauren’s, but I think I succeeded, Ralph Lauren always had a vision and got on a train that he didn’t love, just to quote Anna Wintour ”, the designer explained at the press conference of the documentary film.

Presented as a preview at the 2019 Rome Film Festival (the fourteenth of the festival), the film is particularly interesting and full of information in the first part of Ralph Lipschitz’s childhood, the real name of the Russian-born Jewish designer, born in New York in the Bronx from a painter and artist father who passed on his passion for color and art.

Ralph Lauren is the embodiment of the American dream, a self made man who loves luxury racing cars, houses furnished with refinement and without paying attention, dogs, horses, old Hollywood, cinema and his wife, Nicky, his muse because as the designer says in the film: “his is a natural beauty, I see my ideal woman with long hair in the wind on a convertible”. And the American women have since followed him.

Everything started from menswear where Ralph (not alone of course, there was also Giorgio Armani and Calvin Klein who in fact appears in the film) revolutionized the style: if before him the men dressed in uniform (Flugel spoke of the ‘great renunciation ‘), already towards the end of the 60s with the youth protest, Ralph thought that men needed a glamorous and sexy wardrobe, more casual but no less elegant. A synthesis of American pop spirit, leisurewear and tailoring made in Savile Row that conquered American men.

From ties with an unprecedented breadth and bright colors that he sold in an office in the empire state building in the Big Apple, Ralph Lauren came to the entire wardrobe, conquering the windows of Bloomingdale’s and the first to believe in Ralph Lauren. He had devised new combinations, the vintage Jimi Hendrix-style military jacket on formal trousers, the tweed jacket on jeans to wear with Texan boots, and already in 1970 he reformulated the codes of men’s fashion in the wake of the London peacock revolution and of the great turning point in menswear introduced by Yves Saint Laurent, Ted Lapidus and Pierre Cardin.

Sportswear mixed with the formal, in the wake of the success of the colorful polo shirts with the symbol of the little horse, the polo shirt because for Ralph it represents the quintessential elite sport. Ralph’s icons are Frank Sinatra, Fred Astaire, Cary Grant. Ralph Lauren wanted to be an actor or film director and cinema is predominant in the evocative and aspirational aesthetic of the star-and-strip brand.

Then came the female ready-to-wear that contaminates the country style, the taste of the American wasp aristocracy (very present in the Ralph Lauren collections), the ’30s look of Hollywood stars, the safari-style and the native American folk, the upholstery taste, the Victorian look, etc. Ralph Lauren’s fashion is a bit of a collage, a form of eclecticism as told in the film.

Everything is elegance and beauty and the designer clearly says that he is not an avant-gardist but that he focuses on a timeless contemporary classic. The second part of the documentary is unnecessarily hagiographic and seems a political statement in favor of the American style: the Americans, unlike the Italians, are squared and do not make war in ridiculous skirmishes as they use the principles of Italian fashion. Vanessa Friedman and Anna Wintour add to the dose by breaking a razor-sharp spear for Ralph’s world, almost as if Ralph Lauren had invented fashion globally, a mistake dictated by a clearly celebratory and even somewhat mystifying understanding.

We save the part where it is said that Ralph Lauren opened to inclusion and to models and colored models: Tyson Beckford, a beautiful muscular model photographed for the first time in magazines by Bruce Weber (author of the media success of Ralph Lauren in planetary level) in a formal pinstripe suit, and Naomi Campbell, the ‘black Venus’ who, as the director reveals, “was difficult to contact because she is always very busy”. And the rappers indeed stole his bosses in department stores because they consider them a status symbol (and Kanye West who is another male ebony icon who often wears Ralph Lauren even in concerts).

Valuable reconstruction through the testimonies of Woody Allen, Calvin Klein, Hillary Clinton, Tyson Beckford, Karl Lagerfeld, André Leon Talley, Jason Wu, Martha Stewart, the aforementioned Vanessa Friedman (who exalts Lauren and punctually crushes Italian and French designers because they do not they are Americans), Paul Golderberger and others. Listed on Wall Street since 1997, Ralph Lauren is a billionaire empire spread throughout the world and needs no fanfare or panegyrics.

Moreover, in the film there is a fundamental omission: Ralph Lauren designed the magnificent costumes for Robert Redford in the movie ‘The Great Gatsby’ (1973) and those of Diane Keaton for ‘Io e Annie’ by Woody Allen (1977) where he wears Diane Keaton in men’s clothing: vests, ties, large hats, mannish jackets.

In this we regret to admit it Ralph Lauren was not an absolute innovator as the film would have us believe: already Giorgio Armani prophet of androgynous minimalism, in an age of female emancipation dressed the super manager Marisa Bellisario with ‘power-dressing’ outfits inspired by the book ‘Dress for success’. And he dressed Richard Gere just like a dandy style ‘The great Gatsby in‘ American Gigolò ’.

Armani brought fashion to the cinema, Ralph Lauren brought cinema into fashion. And this is peaceful we believe. But the two also reveal great affinities: “Both are on the throne of their empire and they own it and this is rare in fashion – says Susan Lacy – besides both are two great tailors”.

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Naples between culture and museums

WHAT TO SEE IN NAPLES

If you are planning a trip dedicated to culture and good food, Naples is certainly the destination for you; after a first gastronomic tour of which we recommend the stages here, and after the visit of the Capodimonte Museum, the destinations not to be missed are these and we tell them to you with the heart:

San Severo Chapel Museum 

Neapolitan incarnation of Dr. Faust, Prince Raimondo di Sangro is certainly to be counted as the son of mysterious Naples. Grand Master mason, writer, alchemist, inventor, devout and curious scholar, the figure of Raimondo di Sangro is hovered by legends fueled by himself. Eccentric personality and intellectual Enlightenment, the prince dedicates himself to “anatomical machines”, a testimony kept in the chapel of San Severo: two skeletons (a man and a woman) that reproduce in detail the arteriovenous system, created in the mid-eighteenth century by Giuseppe Palermo, a doctor from Palermo. The prince would have obtained the metalization of blood vessels thanks to the injection of mercury, found diabolical that leaves rumors of an alleged implementation when the two bodies were still alive. In reality, the exemplary reconstruction is due to the use of beeswax and dyes.Neapolitan incarnation of Dr. Faust, Prince Raimondo di Sangro is certainly to be counted as the son of mysterious Naples. Grand Master mason, writer, alchemist, inventor, devout and curious scholar, the figure of Raimondo di Sangro is hovered by legends fueled by himself. 

Star of the Chapel of San Severo, the “Veiled Christ” by Giuseppe Sanmartino, a marble work dated 1753, commissioned by the Prince Raimondo di Sangro, who puts his hand on the umpteenth legend around the sculptural masterpiece. Followed by the fame of a well-known alchemist, the prince would have taught the sculptor the calcification of the fabric in marble crystals, it was believed then that the incredible transparency of the shroud was the result of an alchemical marbling process; subsequent studies have instead confirmed that the work was carved from a single block of marble. The illusion of that lightness and the intangibility of the fabric, made Antonio Canova fall in love that he declared:

“I would be willing to give ten years of my life just to be the author of this similar wonder”.

Napoli, Cappella Sansevero

Royal Palace of Naples

Dwelling of the Bourbon dynasty from 1734 to 1861, the Royal Palace of Naples is a symbol of the magnificence and beauty of an unparalleled Italian heritage. Located on the beautiful Piazza del Plebiscito, it contains within it a grand staircase defined by Montesquieu as the most beautiful in Europe.

The monumental staircase was designed by the architect Gaetano Genovese during the renovation of the building after the fire of 1837 and completed by Francesco Gavaudan in 1858. It preserves the ancient piperno staircase, built by Francesco Antonio Picchiatti at the time of the viceroy count of Onate between 1651 and 1666.

The walls are covered with pink marble: portovenere, Trapani lumachino, mondragone, red of Vitulano, breccia rosata of Sicily, on a base of breccia from Gargano. They are alternated with Carrara marble bas-reliefs, with ornaments and figures: on the right “The victory between the genius of fame and Value”, by Salvatore Irdi; on the left “The glory among the symbols of Justice, War, Science, Art and Industry”, by Francesco Liberti.

On the sides, there are four niches with monumental plaster sculptures: the Fortress of Antonio Calì and the Justice of Gennaro Calì; the Clemenza by Tito Angelini and the Prudence by Tommaso Scolari. The pavilion vault is decorated with white stuccoes on a white-gray background, with coats of arms of the kingdom of Naples and Sicily.

The First Anteroom of the Palace is dominated by Baroque ceiling, the doors are large decorated pictures, painted in tempera on a gold background and date back to 1774; the Throne Room, from the Empire style and Napoleonic furnishings, presents an imperious seat destined for authority and dates back to the XVIII century, the eagle resting on it is of the Savoy era.

Interesting and bizarre is the Retrostanza with nineteenth-century Neapolitan furniture, in neo-baroque style where the protagonist is the rotating lectern of the library of Queen Maria Carolina (1791), a piece of curious machinery, prototype of the monastic libraries, which allows consulting several volumes simultaneously on the tops of the wall units using a crank.

Made on the occasion of the wedding between Ferdinand I and Maria Carolina of Habsburg-Lorraine, the very velvety “court theater”, where he takes the gold of the stage and stuccoes and the purple-red of the hall.

Gambrinus coffee

He is a member of the Cultural Association of Historical Places of Italy, the “sciantose” gathered before a concert at his tables to sip the historic coffee, the “always on a diet” Princess Sissi ordered the delicate violet ice cream, the curious nobility Neapolitan outlined its contours as a literary salon, and great artists and writers such as Wilde, Sartre and D’Annunzio let themselves be inspired by the opposite beauty of the Royal Palace and Piazza Plebiscito: it is the Gran Caffe Gambrinus of Naples. An elegant café from the end of the 19th century, the Gambrinus welcomes you with a marvelous poem by the Marquis Antonio Griffo Focas Flavio Angelo Ducas Comneno Porfirogenito Gagliardi De Curtis of Byzantium [2] (briefly Antonio de Curtis), known as the great comedian Toto’:

A CUNZEGNA 

‘A sera quanno ‘o sole 

se nne trase 

e dà ‘a cunzegna a luna

p’ ‘a nuttata,

Ile dice dinto ‘a recchia 

“I’ vaco ‘a casa:

t’arraccumanno

tutt’ ‘e nnamurate”.

Bourbon Gallery

Of all the Naples Underground routes, the most complete is certainly that of the “Bourbon Gallery”. Prepared staff and member of the Association of volunteers (I was accompanied to the group led by Gianluca Lamon) will take you below the city level up to 40 meters deep, bring a sweater with you even in summer because the temperature drops and it’s quite wet; the tunnel dug by hand with chisel, picks and hammers, was built in 1853 under the direction of King Ferdinand II of Bourbon, in order to create a haven in case of danger during the revolutionary uprisings of 1848. During the Second World War, the former cisterns were used as a wartime shelter for the citizens, who took refuge in these underground stone streets during the German bombings. Today it is possible to see the various historical finds including pitali, potties, baby carriages, games and the first coffee makers, because the true Neapolitan, to relive the moments of serious difficulty and anxiety, could not renounce the coffee ritual, as if the magic propitiatory action was amulet against misfortunes, panacea for all ills, convivial meeting and the fraternal embrace of those who live the same misery. But it was an anomalous coffee, made of chicory and chickpeas, which recalled only the color of coffee.

After the war, the gallery became a Municipal Judicial Deposit, pieces of taxis and seized motorbikes form a strange puzzle, a means of transporting the new work invented by the brilliant Neapolitan who is not sitting on his hands: the ice transporter. A small cart tied to a scooter with a saddle is the medium of Neapolitan intelligence.

You can choose the type of route, from standard to adventure, it is really worth going into the darkness of the stone caves that will force you to pass along the wall, with only a torch and lots of courage, but always in the company of your tour guide!

Just in Naples, during the cleaning of the cave and of the cisterns, an inscription on the walls carried a name that belonged to an elderly Neapolitan gentleman, called to retrace that descent after 70 years. The men who accompanied him tell us that the man was looking upwards for his writing, forgetting his stature as a child and that he stopped his gaze at the memory of those objects found, with tears of pain in his eyes.

The path of the Borbonic Gallery is not only passage in the meanders of history, but it is a very hard path towards the depth of one’s conscience.

Caffè Libreria Berisio

Should I imagine a magnetic, magical way in which I would like to walk night and day, it would have 90% bookshops and 10% pastry shops. In Naples it exists, but alas each of these shops has closed, failed, disappeared in the destruction of the intellect, in the darkness of a country that evidently loves culture, which bears the stamp of Luciano De Crescenzo, Antonio De Curtis and the great Neapolitan intellectuals, but that times have made them dark, making them fail. Only one has resisted, turning then into a trendy place, a place where you can enjoy excellent drinks, with the noble goal of selling also unique pieces, vintage books, little gems, leafing through them between a chat with friends and the other. Fascinating setting, a predominance of reds, speak easy lights, shelves that touch the ceiling, grand pianos lit by old-fashioned lamps, a unique place to have an aperitif before dinner, then strolling along the closed windows with the rusty signs but still worthy of their presence, and end up under the statue of Dante who watches, perhaps a little saddened.

Mercato di Pugliano, Ercolano

If you are a fashion addict and you love vintage, the reason that will take you to this place every weekend available to you is the Pugliano market! A destination for stylists who come from all over the world and a place of worship for cinema and TV costume designers, the Mercato di Pugliano offers period costumes, signed vintage, 80s denim, a vast selection of used and sought-after furs, bags in crocodile 40s at very affordable prices. You will be called in a loud voice by local merchants, who once used to sell their goods on stalls, while now they cram it in small shops where you will have to rummage, patience in hand, but you will be more than satisfied because the deal, if you know how to treat, it’s around the corner!

A tip: leave home with an empty suitcase.

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Getting married in Umbria: the best destinations

Umbria, with its castles, has fascinated for centuries: nobles, intellectuals and of course tourists from all over the world. Writers of old Europe found refuge to be able to enjoy peace, serenity and creativity to write new pages of literature.

Among these, Lord Byron, the English romantic poet, known for his adventurous and stormy love life, undertook a long journey in Italy in 1816. It was above all the landscape of Umbria, the green heart of the country that caught his attention. Wonders like Lake Trasimeno, the Clitunno springs and the Marmore waterfalls enchanted his senses and captivated his imagination.

Now, in addition to the traditional cuisine and their black truffle, of which they are the undisputed homeland, they are also the enchanting locations with their esteemed estates. Among these, we can see the Petrata Castle, an ancient fortress of the XIV century. expertly restored, with a unique view of Assisi and Perugia.

The enchanting village of Castello di Gallano, where the fun cooking classes are set, allowing you to learn how to make delicious potato gnocchi according to the castle’s secret recipe. The Tenuta di San Masseo, immersed in a park of 20,000 square meters that integrates beautiful art and design elements.

A unique and exclusive environment in which enjoy an incredible view, the magical scenery of the city of Assisi within an oasis of absolute spiritual relaxation, in direct contact with nature and the territory. And finally, the twelfth-century Castle of Ramazzano, restored several times over the centuries, offers various frescoed rooms and preserves a precious wall development, Guelph crenelated with a square tower.

The property belongs to an Apulian DOC family, which retains all the essence of the territory and adds Umbrian-Apulian cuisine commanded by Ms. Angela Aliani, Americans are at home here. In short, all these are the real new “wedding destinations” of luxury that bring customers from all over the world, and this is well known by Daniela Corti, in fact, with the new edition of “The Italian Wedding Stars” to be held on the 29th November in Rome she will also award the location.

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Style and travel tips: Cape Town

Are you looking for groundbreaking things to do in Cape Town? Take a break from your metropolis. Few cities offer museums and beaches and different types of shops such as the capital of South Africa.

A fusion of African and Western Aesthetics, fabrics, leather and other materials, gems and precious stones, tributes to the incomparable local cultures. Shopping in Cape Town is an interesting selection in the form of fabrics, leather and other materials. The capital also hosts large international brands and convenient malls where you can enjoy the view of breathtaking bays behind large windows in colorful or minimal stores of both emerging and international brands, boutiques in iconic neighborhoods such as Long, Bree and Kloof.

The V&A Waterfront is the most visited shop that combines a five-segment design, a port opposite the Table mountain. Various activities in and outdoor. What is it? Market, book a trip by helicopter. For shopping (which never hurts on vacation) purchased from “Millionaire’s Mile”. Kat van Duinen is a luxury spot with a vast selection of exquisitely manufactured exotic hint dresses. Quintessential is the production of ethical feathers (such as ostrich and materials such as python) that we find on the bamboo handbag handles.

In other words, cheaper versions of Gucci’s Bamboo. 2Bop is a streetwear brand inspired by arcade video game machines that marked the Nineties in South Africa. The name comes from the slang used to insert the coin needed to start the game. Do not miss the surprises in this metropolis with a wild soul. Exorbitant ticket apart, don’t you already feel like going on an adventure?

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The Gentleman Watch according to Tissot

Tissot, the watch brand that represents the modern gentleman, presented a new capsule collection of watches for an exclusive event at Terrazza Martini in Milan. A unique event attended by modern men, lovers of the bien vivre who were able to preview the new collection with iconic pieces, such as the “Tissot Gentleman”.

Dedicated to elegant and contemporary men, the “Tissot Gentleman” is refined in detail, making the brand a trademark and leader in fine watchmaking: steel, 40 mm diameter, ring of applied indexes, rounded, satin and burnished, enhanced by faceted Dauphine hands and coated with a luminescent white material; date window at 3 o’clock which reveals the subtle elegance of the dial; a very thin second hand that allows you to read the time accurately.

Available in six versions, the “Tissot Gentleman” is refined and sober at the same time, it is the versatile watch par excellence because it is perfect for the casual style of the weekend or “business” for the days of business meetings. Inspired by his predecessor from the 1960s but reinterpreted in a trendy way, the “Tissot Gentleman” has an exceptional caliber, the famous Powermatic 80 in the version with silicon balance spring, a spring that guarantees the timepiece greater longevity, a more precise operation and greater resistance to magnetic fields, with 80 hour reserve.

At MANINTOWN we have attended the event with our two ambassadors, Nicolò Zaffarano, style coach and personal shopper, passionate about watches, and Giorgio Giangiulio, style storyteller (as he likes to define himself) as well as an authoritative amateur of the watch world. Two young men who have cultivated an innate sense of elegance and who have interpreted the style of the “Tissot Gentleman” with their aesthetic.

And as Giangiulio himself says: “The true weapon of a gentleman is his elegance. And Tissot has embraced this philosophy with great skill and ability, marking modern times with a collection that accompanies the gentleman with style in everyday challenges. I was very impressed by the “Powermatic 80” with a self-winding movement, a 40mm steel case and a blue dial. A versatile and refined watch that I’ve immediately felt mine, in total agreement with what I look for when wearing a watch: quality and discreet beauty. 

According to Nicolò instead “It is an honor to represent Tissot, a centenary brand that makes quality and elegance its strengths. The piece of the collection that struck me the most is “the Gentleman” in steel with a blue dial because it fits perfectly both under the cuff of the shirt with an elegant dress and with a polo shirt in his spare time. The event in Terrazza Martini confirmed the originality of the brand, a presentation from the Italian tasting, excellent drinks and casino theme, vices and pastimes of the modern gentleman!” 

And the Terrazza Martini, with a view of the pulsating heart of Milan, could only be the most suitable location to present the Tissot Gentleman calibers.

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Even tourism makes itself “sustainable”

Three “responsible travel” itineraries to learn and investigate in the heart of Africa. These are the new proposals for the tour operator Evolution Travel for the fall and the Christmas period.

Fifteen days to discover Kenya, starting from its capital, Nairobi, among community projects, legendary ethnic groups and wild nature; or in one of the major African metropolises of Senegal, in Dakar, between parks and solidarity projects, and finally in Madagascar, between culture and tradition of an island continent, cradle of an ancient proverb that promises: “what the eye has seen, the heart does not forget”.

The concept of sustainable tourism indicates a way of traveling “in respect of the planet” that does not alter the environment and does not hinder the development of other social and economic activities. A concept in line with the Assembly of the United Nations.

www.evolutiontravel.it

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Belei: Amazon first skincare

It’s called Belei and it’s the first Amazon beauty line. It gives high-quality skincare to different types of epidermis made with ingredients of proven efficacy such as peptides, hyaluronic acid, vitamin E and coal.

Linea skincare Belei

The products are a total of 19, from the 24h facial moisturizer for ultra-sensitive serum vitamin booster skins to the day and night detox creams, to help us deal with the most common skin care-related problems, such as the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, dark spots, dehydration and opacity. The plus: a formulation without parabens and formaldehyde, moreover no tests have been performed on animals during the creation of the line.

creme-idratanti-belei

Alessandro Maestri, head of the Amazon.it Beauty category, comments: “We adopted a simple and no-frills approach during the creation of Belei, developing products with ingredients that have shown both to give excellent results and to guarantee our customers excellent quality spending less time and money “.

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Design Masterpieces: a tribute to Gaetano Pesce

Maestro Gaetano Pesce, an authoritative voice of international design, turns 80 years old. A prolific creator of myriads of masterpieces amongst which monumental sculptures, vases, chairs, wardrobes and small resin objects that have defined the history of art and design of the 20th and 21st century.

Maestro Gaetano Pesce at work. Photo Courtesy of Olga Antipina.

Gaetano Pesce, who turns 80 years old on November 8th, is an unstoppable force of self-discipline, he works every day with stamina of steel and laser focus resolution to achieve his creative goals with the drive that only belongs to strong leaders, he leads by example and expects the best from his team, dedicating his time to creating daily, no matter what. Every day, weekends included, he visits his workshop in Brooklyn, where a team of assistants aid him to make his masterpieces come to life.

A fierce leader, he knows exactly the real meaning of creative expression, through the means of multidisciplinary approches, cannot exist without the diligence of the maximization of the use of time. As Pesce declared in a 2017 interview for Manintown, magnificent plans for 2019 exhibitions were in the works. These plans have been punctually delivered such as the ‘Maestà Soffrente’ displayed in Milan’s Piazza Duomo up to the exhibitions and shows that opened in the last week of October in New York.

At the new spaces of Salon 94 Design, in New York City, Gaetano’s legendary workshop, usually closed to public view is recreated, including assistants, machinery and works, opening hours and the Maestro himself included and available to direct the work and meet his admirers. A unique performance of excellence, in which art and design lovers are generously invited to experience the work of Gaetano Pesce in person, circulating between existing iconic works and able to observe the production of new works, witnessing the making of yet another chapter of history. Although the experience of the open laboratory ended on November 2, on the other side of the city, in Chelsea, Friedman Benda Gallery hosts until December 14 “Age of Contaminations” (catalog) a critical investigation into the work of Gaetano Pesce since 1968 to 1995. What a treat for NY and visitors! We welcome this gift and celebrate his creative genius and charismatic presence in the design ad art world throughout the decades with a little voyage through his work in pictures.  

On the occasion of this special anniversary celebration, we have met Gaetano Pesce to talk about his approach to design and future projects.

1) What was your success or the most satisfying result? Or a moment of particular satisfaction (among thousands) during these first 80 years?

Discover certain values ​​of our time still hidden, or almost. Feeling that men, in the so-called developed countries, are a little tired and that women have the energy necessary to help the world to be better… Finding out that most of what we call Architecture is actually Construction, suggested to me that it was necessary to find a way to overcome the formalism and the cosmetics that today most architects produce, and to indicate that the way out of this “cul de sac” is most likely the use of the” figure “, of recognizable representation and abandoning abstract and reactionary geometry too long in use… Identify the evolution of Design in enriching its traditional motifs by integrating them with political, religious, or personal-existential components … Also, to understand, for a long time, that expressing oneself with materials means, as it is correct to do, with the means of one’s time, including, very importantly, the materials. It’s a way to be honest and historically honest.

2) What would you like to do in the future?

 In the future, I would like to be more busy and active in the Architecture industry. I realize, however, that innovating with architectural projects is very difficult. It is because finding those who invest in innovation is difficult. This is demonstrated by the fact that what is seen built in the various countries of the world is repetitive and already seen.

Years ago I was lucky enough to realize the idea of ​​”vertical garden” with a building in Osaka. (“Organic Building”, Osaka, 1989). That work was much copied and trivialized. In particular from a designer from Milan who also copied the title, without bothering to evolve from the one I made.

3) Maestro, you are an undisputed leader of multidisciplinary. Which one do you consider your masterpiece, should you choose one.

I indeed express myself through different disciplines. I don’t have one that I prefer, but I choose the one that best suits the idea of ​​the moment. This way of using multiple disciplines also serves to avoid the tiredness and boredom that come from repetitive activity.

4) How is your relationship with the resin. Why does it create in resin?

I think I have already explained why I work with so-called synthetic materials: I express myself with the means of my time, so not with the materials of the past.

 5) Choose three words/adjectives that describe Gaetano Pesce. 

Curious, picky, easy to get bored

6) What inspires you above all: passion, a new challenge or curiosity?

What touches my attention.

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Elbio Bonsaglio

He is one of the founders of the Letasca brand, an international success, which in just a few seasons has managed to enter the most important multi-brand stores in the world. Elbio Bonsaglio is, however, also one of the best-known Italian models, which has been shown for the most important brands and shot with famous names in photography. Followed on social networks, he tells us more about his world between Instagram and travel.

How did you come to the model profession?
In reality, it was a rather unusual journey. I studied at Bocconi, Business Administration, I graduated and started working in a communication studio as an account and in six months, the time of an internship, I realized that I would not have endured living my life behind a computer and that I wanted to travel. During a fashion week, just towards the end of this work, I was stopped several times by people asking me if I wanted to be a model, for the third time, frustrated by my work situation, I agreed to go for an interview and from there it all started.

Now no longer a model, but an influencer thanks to social media, and other activities. How did this step happen and when did you also become a designer?
The change to an influencer was unconscious. I have never had a blog and I never thought that I could influence someone, I always tried to be myself on social media, posting on Instagram what I was doing, my passions, such as boxing, or my travels. Perhaps, because I was a model first and now I also have my brand, people became curious and started following me. Then, I want to clarify that of Letasca I am not the designer, that part is followed by my partner, I deal with public relations, sales, relations with stakeholders, aspects that I feel most mine and are closer to my studies. Even the adventure of the brand began a bit for fun, I approached the thirty, and the role of the only model was a bit tight, my partner had just finished his studies in architecture, we had an idea, we carried on with enthusiasm, but I did not expect Letasca to end up at Harrods, Selfridges and Saks in a short time.

Speaking of your world on social media, how many of your suggestions and images are sincere and not sponsored?
My Instagram tells a lot about me, even through stories. There is so much of what my humor is, my way of joking, what I do every day. The sponsorships are not many, most of my time and my attention are dedicated to Letasca, but even in this case, I am always very sincere. How do you see the evolution of the social world and the role of the influencer? What do you think is the social network of the future? Does the influencer profession have an expiration date? Consider that many of the contemporary brands, which you now find in a large department store, would not exist, or would not have had the great success they had if there had been no Instagram. And thanks to this social, in a very democratic way, anyone could become an influencer. This is positive, but also negative, because those who have become qualitatively influencers are not always at high levels. Once you had to do a certain path to become a fashion guru, have studies behind you, a certain kind of taste. Now no more and this is the reason why many criticize the apps and the world they helped to form. The future is difficult to predict, the present of fashion is certainly in the hands of those who manage to create interest around a brand. At the moment I don’t see the expiry date as an influencer.

The negative side of your profession, if there is one.
It’s a profession for a long time. We are very pampered, we are considered cool, we sometimes do things that others would pay to do. In all this, there is a negative side, that is, that you completely greet your privacy. Sometimes I envy those who can stay a whole week on vacation without ever touching the phone.

Do you have a style tip to share with our readers?
Always expressing their facets and tastes. Try not to be approved, but to show what characterizes you. Here too, social media are democratic, because you can stand out and be honest. I think the best way to show off is not to be obsessed with the desire for pleasure, but to be lighter and not built.

Which city has remained in your heart? Do you have a favorite place that advises us?
I travel a lot for work, so there are so many places I love, like New York, which has a unique energy, and Ibiza. The latter because I love electronic music, of which Ibiza is a bit of a nerve center. And it is also a great compromise for me because there are also fantastic restaurants, if you go out on the boat you can easily reach Formentera and beautiful beaches. Then I remember being very well in Sydney, perhaps because it is a type of city that I was not used to, with its beaches and the heat all year round.

Milan: where to eat, where to have an aperitif, the place you like best?
Milan is my city, the one where I was born and raised, so it is not the place where I exceed or do any madness, I know it too well and I lived it so much in the past, I see it with a different eye than those who arrives to study or attracted by the many possibilities. I no longer have the spirit to live the nightlife, which I can do when I’m on vacation. I love the aperitif time, a winter red wine and a summer beer, but even more so to eat. And there are some typical Milanese places that I recommend, like Al Matarel, where they make the best hole in the world. One of the places I frequent is the Volt, where I go to greet my friend Claudio Antonioli, who is one of the founders.

Who are you beyond your profession, what other loves do you have?
I have already told you about my love for electronic music and then when I can, I try to see contemporary art exhibitions, I recently loved Basquiat’s. The fact that a part of Letasca is particularly linked to travel is because I love traveling a lot, I love the idea of ​​adventure and discovery that travel takes with it. Comparing oneself with different cultures is very stimulating. I like everything about boxing, the training, the confrontation with the adversary, the fact that it is a tough sport for men. If done respecting the rules and the opponent is a wonderful sport discipline.

Photo: Ryan Simo 
Styling: 3 
Grooming: Susanna Mazzola 
Photo assistant: Alessandro Chiorri 
Stylist assistants: Verena Kohl, Paula Anuska, Cristina Florence Galati

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MANINTOWN MEETS BREITLING: WATCH THE PROTAGONISTS OF THE EVENING

Breitling celebrates with the presentation of the latest news with Breitling Brand Day #SQUADONAMISSION which saw the participation of numerous sportsmen and friends of the brand founded in 1884. Great product innovations and rebranding presented during a workshop that later turned into a cocktail party event evocative location of the Flight Office. The evening also saw the participation of MANINTOWN, which involved some of the talents of its network, engaged in a live report of the evening that wanted to pay homage to the iconic models of the brand. Selected by MANINTOWN, lifestyle influencers such as Roberto De Rosa, Frank Gallucci and Giulia Gaudino participated, as well as eclectic talents such as Marco Castelli and micro-influencers such as Nicola Surbera, Yossy Fisher, Samuele Zuccarello and Simone Pollastri.

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KINGS OF THE NIGHT

At home in Milan, but famous beyond the borders. We have chosen to turn them into models for one day. We are talking about two of the most popular and beloved DJs of the moment: Marvely Goma The Perseverance and Thomas Costantin.

Hoodie and trackpants by Iceberg

MARVELY GOMA in art “THE PERSEVERANCE”

Marvely is a dancer and actor, DJ and producer, visionary mind of the creative duo THE PERSEVERANCE, boss of the AKEEM project – one of the best Saturday night party in Milan-. His music is a mix of urban sounds with UK electronic contaminations: Marvely is one of the most active DJs and guests of Milan fashion week, collaborating with many brands, including PHILIPP PLEIN, ICEBERG, TRUSSARDI, VERSACE. In constant evolution and research, he is currently working on a new musical project.

The classics of your playlist?

  • Kate Bush, an artist who has always been ahead of his time, his songs are always projected into the future
  • All that makes Pharrell Williams & Chad Hugo, productions, featuring and the project N.E.R.D.
  • Kanye West, any album or song: he is simply a genius!
  • George Michael with ‘Amazing’ or ‘Flawless’ and another hundred
  • Any piece from the GOLFWANG universe with Tyler, the Creator, The Internet: I recommend everyone Steve Lacy and Rex Orange County.

Follow him on IG: @principebarocco

Shirt, pants and boots all by Versace

THOMAS COSTANTIN

Brands of the caliber of Gucci, Moschino, Valentino and Dior have already intercepted him: he is one of the most popular names among Milanese DJs. He began playing when he was only 17 and today he became resident at Plastic, the most famous Milanese club, wherewith his sophisticated and electronic vintage-toned sound animates every Saturday evening. He decided to become a DJ to listen to his favorite and often composed music. Under his pseudonym THO.MAS has launched a remix of Giant Steps by the Mangaboo duo (Francesco Pistoi Giulietta Passera), in 2018 his first EP: Fire with the collaboration of artists such as Jerry Bouthier and B-Croma. In March 2019 his first album “Variations” will be released, with 14 new songs, where there will be collaborations with artists such as Leo Hellden (Tristesse contemporaine/camp claude) and Air! Capitaine. Two videos and some live data are planned, the first as a presentation of the album.

Printed silk shirt by Valentino

The classics of your playlist?

Atoi – The Fight

B-52’s – Song for a Future Generation

Bicep – Just

Cheers Elephant – People

The Knife – Pass This on

Follow him on IG: @thomascostantin

Photos by Simon

On the cover: Sahariana jacket and sneakers Adidas Y-3, denim jacket and jeans by Trussardi

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A day with Your Gentleman

A day as a true gentleman with Marco Cartasegna

Do gentlemen still exist today? Or are they a past thing? We asked Marco Cartasegna, founder of YourGentleman blog, that after a successful career as a model and having studied International Management, returns to his first passion: fashion. In 2015 he opened his blog, where he tells his style, elegance and original creations.
“The gentleman today – Marco tells us – no longer exists as in the last century. The society has evolved if for better or worse I do not know, but it certainly has changed. In this context, the new gentleman must try to maintain as much as possible the links with past values ​​both in the most important aspects of life and in everyday gestures: always keeping his word, having no debts, respecting women, even with small gestures how to open the door of my sweetheart…”
What are the passions and style of the modern gentleman?
“The passions of the gentleman can be varied, the important thing is to do what you love with elegance. You can be elegant even playing rugby. The Gentleman style is personal in everyday life, but it is essential to respect the labels when required. Unbearable, for example, those who come to a black-tie event with “alternative” looks.
In thinking about different situations of the day, Marco interpreted three looks from the Herno Fall/Winter 2016-2017 Collection for MANINTOWN. As Marco himself states: “The contemporary gentleman must adapt to the challenges of modern society, maintaining his essence in the deep roots of the past, which inspire every daily gesture”. A philosophy that meets that of Herno, a company that was founded in 1948 on the shores of Lake Maggiore. In each garment, the brand cleverly combines tradition and innovation, intuition and creativity to accompany the chameleon-like man of today in every moment of the day.

For a walk in the park in the company of his dachshund, Marco chose the classic lightweight 7 denier nylon bomber jacket. A down jacket that combines functionality and aesthetic taste: the padding is half made up of very fine goose feathers and half of the technical feather, which adds waterproof protection to the garment, essential to face the harsh winter. The injection of the feathers in the individual cells avoids the clumsiness effect, ensuring a slim fit, enhancing the figure without weighing it down. The collection is available in a varied range of energetic colors, among which Marco has chosen the bright ocher yellow. A perfect garment for those who love sports and life in the open air.

photo credit ©Annalisa Flori

The trend of the moment: wool is renewed and becomes the protagonist again

Wool is a protagonist again in the wardrobe both for him and for her, but in a renewed look that takes into account the performance of metropolitan life and the contamination between fashion and sportswear. Precisely in looking at the active world, where performance is fundamental, wool fabrics and yarns are born with the most innovative performances, in pure wool or mixed with other technical fibers, which ensure the best results during physical activity and daily life. The fiber is renewed and takes on technological aspects, thanks to the most advanced treatments and finishes, ideal for any climate and discipline, indoor and outdoor. In this direction a new definition of sportswear is being imposed: fashion is enriched with timeless garments in fabrics designed to guarantee comfort, protection and style for the globetrotter 2.0, in the gym, on the road, at home or on the street. Now wool combines design, tech and comfort for all wardrobe items, from daywear to leisure time.

For a lunch meeting, Marco wears a pure cashmere Herno signed cardigan with cashmere silk details, while the interior is quilted nylon and padded with thermal wadding. A casual garment that maintains a decisive and energetic character thanks to the sporty details, such as the cuffs, the collar and the bottom in elasticated knit and the detachable hood. The excellence of the materials and the refined manufacture make the cardigan a unique item for refined simplicity. Moreover, as Marco maintains, the passions of the gentleman can be varied, the important thing is to do what one loves with elegance and naturalness. You can be stylish, even playing rugby. Not only an expression of comfort and softness, the cashmere down jacket also features an anti-drop and waterproof treatment to overcome the elements. A model that embodies a perfect compromise between practicality and timeless class.

When style meets performance: urban elegance attitude

As the blogger points out, the gentleman’s style is totally personal in everyday life, but it is essential to respect the labels when required. For this reason, in view of a more formal occasion like a business meeting, Marco has selected City Coat, the elegant coat in boiled wool with raw cuts. The classic look is accompanied by the research and innovation of the material that characterizes the latest generation of eco-friendly HERNO IN-TECH padding, technical material with the same characteristics and structure as the feather, but also waterproof and eco-friendly. An exclusive patent for the brand. Tradition and modernity meet to give life to a unique garment, more breathable and waterproof than the classic down coats, but equally efficient in terms of shelter from the winter cold.

This is how a series of timeless items in exclusive fabrics are created for the new generation businessman, designed to guarantee comfort, protection and style for the globetrotter 2.0, in the gym, on the road, at home or on the street. A trend destined to spread that launches a new interpretation of the concept of sportswear and leisurewear. Herno best interprets this concept thanks to continuous experimentation on technical materials combined with the most precious and natural fibers. Among the latest novelties of the brand presented at Pitti Uomo in Florence, a true observatory for menswear trends, is Ultrasonic Thermal Fusion, the new technique for processing Herno quilts. Like inside a volcano, shapes and masses merge thanks to the heat, becoming elastic, shapeless and malleable. Herno Magma is born from a vulcanization process through which the contemporary lines of the fabric come together, blend and reinforce. Two models: a bomber jacket and a parka, made of technical “chalk” fabric with an anti-drop treatment and iperlight goose down padding. A wardrobe in perfect urban elegance style that ensures maximum comfort, performance and attention to style. Word of a true gentleman.

www.herno.it

yourgentleman.com

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Marco Ferri’s heart is in Africa

Marco Ferri, class ’88, former competitor of the 2018 edition of “Isola dei Famosi” and son of the historic Inter linebacker Riccardo Ferri, has a degree in Communication Sciences from the IULM University of Languages and Communication (Milan) and obtained a Master in International Marketing from the European School of Economics (London). He began his modeling career at the age of 18, before landing in Chile and Spain in 2014 with the participation in reality shows. Today he ties the role of influencer marketing to volunteering, a project that is very close to his heart. His greatest passion? Travels.

Our meeting is at his house and I think he does this to protect himself, to play in a family camp, to “stay safe”. Then, I enter on tiptoe, because interviewing is a bit discover, and as the psychologist “rummages, investigates” with a question, so the interviewer “digs” to bring out the person and let the character rest. He greets me with a big smile in the room with the poker table, one dedicated to evenings with friends, he will reveal me later. A thin console houses two whiskey glasses, a Bombay, a Ramazzotti and other liqueurs; on the walls, vintage Vogue covers are framed: they tell of his passion for fashion. On the table in front of the sofa there is “Valentino, at the Emperor’s Table”, the book signed by the same couturier, known at his birthday in 2018. We begin our talk to retrace the history and passions of Marco Ferri, son of the footballer Riccardo Ferri from which he inherited his passion for sports; a face that has made itself known to the general public thanks to its participation in the Island of the famous 2018. After television successes and gossip, Marco is now committed to his career and growth in the world of social media as an influencer and digital marketing specialist.

The home of this modern referee of elegance, full of details that reveal the pleasure of comfort and flashes from Don Giovanni, reminds me of a passage that Proust, in the «Recherche», gives to the character of Swann: “Several times enough overturn the reputations created by people to have the exact judgment on a person ”. Who is the real Marco Ferri, behind the known image? On the dark gray walls that lead to the rooms here is a before and an after: Marco at one year with black and white striped shorts and a red t-shirt in line with the beachfront chairs, in a carefree smile of that age that does not he still knows pains, and Marco at 25, whose lines are the background to a toned body and a look that experiences have made safer. In the bedroom, in their proud isolation on a small black lacquered shelf, a glacette and two red wine bottles, smooth and clean, ready to be served in front of the fireplace that burns on command. Are they objects of use or ritual simulacra?

You travel a lot. What goal has changed your life? When we talk about the malady of Africa we talk seriously, it is something profound that takes root in us and maybe stays there and then comes back to the surface, as happened to me, that I was lucky enough to visit as a child. I went to Kenya with my parents, it was a vacation between Malindi, Watamu and the local villages to explore the Kenyan reality, and when you are young, it hits you, but you still don’t have the means to “move” and do something. This year that light bulb came back on, that voice left inside me whispered to me what to do and finally the project came to life: I combined my work as an influencer marketing with volunteering.

What is the project? Dedicate my business trips to realities as difficult as those in Africa and give a concrete hand, buying basic necessities: food, diapers for children, clothes, sets for personal hygiene … The greatest joy is the one you take you to home, the one that gives you the light in the eyes of the children who thank you for a candy, those smiles that you would like to give them every day for the days to come; the gratitude of mothers (the men of day are out at work, generally the most fortunate do craft jobs, while others are in the city wandering around on mopeds) who rejoice over the visit and the small gifts. I remember the children who enjoyed catching a drone, and they were polite waiting for their turn to get something from the big expense made together with my crew. If we all did that little, maybe the situation would change, this is the message I’m transmitting also on social media: we know that what we do is nothing but a drop in the ocean. But if this drop did not exist, it would be missing from the ocean.

Your biggest fear? I’m afraid I won’t fall in love anymore.

I hear a note of detachment: a disappointment? Society evolves and today relationships have become more ephemeral and superficial: they lead me to feel a little victim of the system. Those who don’t know you believe they have the truth in their hands, just because they read the contents of your social accounts, which for me are work and translate a tiny part of my thoughts and my intimate life. I am afraid that prejudices, which people often encounter, can limit the most romantic aspects of knowledge. Before social media there was more naturalness and we gave ourselves time to discover ourselves.

Is there a song that tells your journey? I have a playlist in chronological order, to which I have been adding songs for five years, if we were to catch one at random, among these, I could tell you about the city where I was at that moment, what I lived and the feeling it causes me, it’s like flipping through an album of memories. For example, Dua Lipa’s “Electricity” comes to mind that accompanied me on my way to Dubai. And yet another song accompanied my journey in Chile from north to south in 2014, after having participated in three very strong programs: Morandè with Compañia, Gran Hermano VIP 5 and Divina Comida, a cooking program for which I was awarded.

What are the perfumes that characterize you? I alternate four according to the moods: Eau de Rhubarbe Ecarlate of Hermes (“I use it in summer”); YSL Rive Gauche, daylight; Spicebomb by Viktor & Rolf, woody and spicy, whose package is a hand grenade; Wood & Spice di Montale, woody, is very successful with women.

And what are the perfumes you love to hear about a woman? I’m not a fan of strong perfumes on such delicate creatures, it would be like profaning them. I cultivate simplicity, the natural smells of freshly washed hair and those of the cream spread on my face before going to bed.

If they told you “you have 30 seconds before leaving on a long journey”, what would you take with you? My GoPro, a drone and dental floss.

Photo: Marco Onofri
Stylist: Miriam De Nicolò
Location: Vistaterra, Via Carandini 40 Parella (TO)

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Chris Burt-Allan: the menswear expert

Described as a “globe-trotting menswear guru”, Chris Burt-Allan is a travel, fashion and lifestyle influencer. What happened prior to this? A former model and with a career in strategic marketing, three years ago he decided to open his blog ‘astylishman’. After gracing the pages of the most prestigious publications and the success of his new project he decided to become a full time digital tastemaker.

How do you imagine the evolution of the social world and of your business?

All indicators point the digital world growing indefinitely. Naturally, more and more people and brands will participate in Influencer Marketing, and the whole industry will normalise with time and scale. That said, I try and avoid situations where I am commoditised as an influencer, because that erodes value. I want to be seen as having unique value within the industry. I have no doubt that my business will develop extensively, just as it has done in the past. I am passionate about my life, fuelled by a desire for self-improvement and mastery, and am committed to sharing my journey with my audience. The fact that further opportunities come to fruition as a result of my digital relationships and skill in sharing insights is super cool. I could never walk away from that.

What is that attracts men when it comes to fashion nowadays?

Self-expression. It all comes down to messaging. Provided there’s consciousness to it, people want to say something with their clothing. That could be ‘I’m sophisticated’, ‘I want to be respected’, ‘I’m rich’, ‘don’t mess with me’ or even ‘I don’t care about fashion’. I think it either comes down to showing who you are or what you want to be perceived as.

Favorite wardrobe staples?

Tailored swim shorts, high-waisted trousers (wool/corduroy/tweed/linen/ denim), roll-neck knits, boots and cropped jackets. I wear a lot of casual shoes. When it comes to formal I go for Church’s.

Beauty tips for men who always want to look good?

Enjoy the process of looking after yourself… don’t get caught up in perfection.

Why people follow you? And why they should follow you?

You’d have to ask my followers! People should follow me if they like my vibe, my energy and want to learn more about travel, fashion and life as I see it.

Chris Burt-Allan wearing Church's shoes
Shoes: Church’s
Chris Burt-Allan wearing Church's shoes
Shoes: Church’s
Chris Burt-Allan wearing Church's shoes
Shoes: Church’s
Chris Burt-Allan wearing Church's shoes
Shoes: Church’s
Chris Burt-Allan wearing Church's shoes and Alviero martini suits
Total look Salvatore Ferragamo, Shoes: Church’s

Photographer| Joe Harper
Stylist| Giorgia Cantarini

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The New Gentleman

The new masculine classic renews itself through a mix of prints that tells a journey over centuries of history into the textile field. From baroque jacquards silks to floral patchworks and psychedelic digital prints, passing through the finest made in Italy high-quality wools.

On the cover: Gabriel on the left wearing jacket, vest, shirt, trousers and bow tie by Caporiccio, Fratelli Rossetti moccasins. On the right Lorenzo with Cividini polo, Sartoria Latorre jacket and Pence pinstriped trousers, Fiorio clutch.

Fashion Editor: Rosamaria Coniglio 

Photo: Federico Ghiani 

Hair: Angelo Rosa Uliana 

Make up: Dilys White 

Models: Lorenzo Cartacci @elite Gabriel Demaj @elite 

Thanks to Raw & Co. Rawmilano.it for rooms and furnishing

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AM318 launches his first collaboration with Efisio Rocco Marras

The first collaboration between AM318 and Efisio Rocco Marras is created as a genderless collection, designed for the upcoming spring season. The inspiration is the one of the 90’s street world where the typical taste of the metropolis, crossroads of punk and trash references, meets the clean mood of the marine world.

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The garments take their cue from heritage without giving up a more contemporary taste with a study of volumes that expanded themselves on pop proposals with bright colors. From sweatshirts with contrasting stripes to t-shirts with three-dimensional patchwork, from bulky cargo pants to denim in all palette colors and joggers to complete the proposal. Colors are well defined for each total look: coral red blends with baby pink, navy with melange gray with contrasts defined by white and blue color blocking bands.

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The offer is completed by two new fashion sneaker models flanked by Arrow and Dart models, proposed in the previous collections. Rookies in perfect skater style and the most chunky and gritty Wave. Rubber patches and two-tone applications are the main details that define the collection, highlighting the ornament of the logo in relief. The international distribution of the capsule is entrusted to Spazio38 Showroom in the Milan office and in their Paris showroom during Fashion Week.

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Walt Cassidy, New York: Club Kids

Damiani Editori, the renowned publisher that proposes international publications dedicated to art and photography – always cool, cutting-edge and important – has printed a book that is really interesting, for those who love style and for those who are intrigued about the ways with which certain phenomena have influenced more than a generation, not only from the point of view of the image. The book “New York: Club Kids. By Waltpaper” by Walt Cassidy, with the preface of Mark Holgate. The club kids from the New York scene in the 90’s were maybe the last underground phenomenon, the last true subculture that became something recognizable and creatively stimulating.

High on the agenda also thanks to the film “Party Monster” with Macaulay Culkin, that focuses more on the unpleasant events that involved especially one of the club kids, Michael Alig, this book wants to emphasize the mediatic, cultural and creative importance of that group of guys. 

 When he was young, Cassidy was Waltpaper, an almost genderless figure, with an alien look, and the book brings us back to those nights in the 90’s. So the book is more than a simple chronicle from the past, and Walt explains it clearly in the exclusive interview that he gave us.

When did you decide to create this book and why? Which is in your opinion the importance and the legacy of the period you are talking about?

NEW YORK: CLUB KIDS first began with a 40 page editorial that I did for Candy Magazine in 2015, where I selected five photographers who beautifully documented the Club Kids and New York nightlife culture in the 1990’s. The images ran with a short biographical text of my personal reflections about the period. I have always been very careful about investing too much in nostalgia. 

People often get stuck in the past, and I am more interested in the present, so despite many requests to tell the story of that time period, I kept my energy mostly focused on my current  life. As time moved on, a number of key figures from the original scene began to pass, sadly. 

I got nervous that important photographic archives might be at risk of being lost forever. I had not been satisfied with outside journalist’s interpretation of our scene, after 25 years since it’s collapse.  No one seemed to be able to capture the creativity and inventiveness that the Club Kids represented. 

There were so many idea’s and concepts that intersected that moment in time in New York City, but had yet to be addressed. I realized that it was an insider’s job, and I was the only person who could put together a book that would properly capture that 10 year time period.

Is there a picture in particular that gave you goosebumps, that reminds you of a specific moment? Do you wanna share that moment with us?

The process of doing the book was incredibly cathartic and labor intensive. I needed to process the many feelings that I had, as well as, absorb the energy and thoughts of all the photographers and subjects in the book. 

I felt responsible for everyone involved, despite it being a story about my personal journey. Additionally, I had to glue together heavily fractured and often damaged archives, which needed extensive restoration. 

The book required the work of four different graphic designers.  Every image conjures up tender moments for me. Since many of the people featured are no longer with us, this added another layer of responsibility. I tell the story of my first male lover in New York, named Donald, who was a notorious street hustler, and eventually died from AIDS. 

Despite his reputation, he was very protective of me, perhaps because I was only 19 years old, new to the city, and quite innocent. He was an angel with broken wings, and was my introduction to life in New York City, and I believe he still watches over me today.

Which was the most difficult moment in preparing the book?

Writing the last chapter was the hardest because not only did I need to make firm decisions about how I felt, but I also needed to make sure that the book would be of some service to the 15 year old, who would be discovering and reading about this culture for the first time, as well as, my peers from my generation and New York City who would be reflecting back on that time as they passed through the pages.

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SKID, Waltpaper, Nocturnal Oddities at Willow Gallery, 1992. Copyright SKID. All Rights Reserved.

You were all very creative in dressing, do you remember the most outrageous outfit you had? Could you save some of those outfit? Do you still have some of them?

I did not save any of my outfits.  One of the things that was unique about the Club Kids was that we approached fashion as disposable. Most of our outfits were made to be worn one night then disposed of. 

For the book, I use the metaphor of “deconstruction” as an over arching concept and motivation that defined the 1990’s.  You see this in the music, the clothes and the drugs. Instead of saving my clothes, I saved all my photos and press editorials, which created the foundation for the book.

In which way do you think the club kids of today can be different from your generation? And in generale how New York has changed in your opinion?

The energy and dynamics of youth culture is always regenerative, playing off of the same reoccurring concepts, but responding to the politics and technology of any given time period. At the core of history and our human experience are pictures and words. That is the essence of everything. How we capture our experience and how we talk about ourselves is what creates distinctions between different time periods and generations. 

This goes back to cave drawings of the earliest human beings. My excitement comes from seeing these things change and evolve. Human culture ebbs and flows between the liberal and the conservative. New York City has suffered as a result of conservative city politics and the money and real estate agenda since the late 90’s. I feel that we are on the cusp of a more positive and exciting period, not just in New York City, but in the world.

We are currently in the same position as we were as the 1980’s moved into the 1990’s, or as the 1950’s moved into the 1960’s. The conservative have had their hold, but that will break apart soon. I am very excited by Generation Z and the idea’s that they are beginning to push through.

What have you learned about yourself or about that period while preparing the book?

That it is important to show up and participate in life, even if you weren’t invited, especially if you weren’t invited.

You are a very different person, from who you were, at least it is what we can see from the outside. What is still there of that young kid?

I am still very much the same person moving through this lifetime, gathering new experiences as each day passes. I believe the essence of life is fluidity, and I allow myself to remain in flux, and constantly change and evolve. I believe it is a great mistake to invest in the idea that if we chase after one singular experience or identity, that we will find happiness. 

Fear is what drives the desire to cling to one thing.  Fear will never lead to freedom and joy. The world is not flat and neither is the human experience. We are dimensional beings, and that should always be celebrated.

You have a lot of projects, can you tell us what are you doing at the moment?

I am a multimedia artist, so to keep myself engaged, I navigate various mediums. My jewelry and artworks are always available at www.waltcassidy.com. My primary focus at the moment is getting the book launched. We are partnering with the store Opening Ceremony and have created a small capsule collection inspired by the book, which will drop mid-November and coincide with a book launch event. NEW YORK: CLUB KIDS is published by Damiani and is now available for Pre-order online, and will hit stores internationally in October. 

Since Manintown has a focus on traveling, can you give us your suggestions about New York? Like the place you love the most? And a couple of places to go drinking/eating/having fun? 

The love the parks of New York City… Central Park, Prospect Park and Hudson River Park are particular favorites. I recently discovered Dekalb Market Hall in Brooklyn which has a fantastic array of food vendors. The Wiki Wiki Hawaiian food stand is a favorite.

club-kids-boy
SKID, Christopher Comp at Wall Street outlaw party, 1992. Copyright SKID. All Rights Reserved.

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Men’s oily skin, how to treat it

Oily skin in men shows very recognizable evidence, starting from a dull complexion, the aspect is very often shiny and oily and, at last, the clear presence of imperfections. Besides, the youngest add acne and unattractive pimples. How to take action? Good cleansing is crucial, but also restoring the regenerative capacity of our skin by the use of specific products for our skin care is important. 

Korff Purifying

With a dark black texture, it allows an effective facial cleansing and the removal of leftovers of make-up. Perfect for purifying mixed and impure skin, handy to use and shortly foaming, it leaves the skin soft. It is also suitable for sensitive skin. 

URIAGE Hyséac 3-regul Trattamento Globale

Trattamento “3 in 1” che favorisce l’eliminazione delle imperfezioni (brufoli, punti neri, eccesso di sebo) e lascia la pelle opacizzata. Leggera e non grassa, si assorbe facilmente.
A “3 in 1” treatment that helps eliminate imperfections (pimples, blackheads, excess sebum) and leaves the skin matted. Light and non-greasy. it is easily absorbed. 

Kiehl’s Oil eliminator 24 hour anti-sjine moisturizer

A moisturizing facial fluid with an ultra-light texture. It contains Aerolite™ which, thanks to its advanced technology, instantly helps absorb excess sebum and balance skin sweating. It gives the skin a matte look, free from the shiny effect for 24 hours. The skin is immediately matted, while over the time the product performs an effective sebum-balancing action. 

Collistar Idratante Viso Opacizza&Purifica

Multi-functional face formula that instantly dulls and protects. Over the time it has an effective sebum-balancing action. It contains the Mat-Perfect Men Collistar®, associated with normalizing and protective Vitamins F and B6, moisturizing Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamin E anti-free radicals and ultra-micronized powders, which absorb excess sebum for an immediate anti-gloss effect. 

Foreo Luna 3

With the latest innovation from FOREO LUNA 3, this facial cleansing brush removes up to 99.5% of dirt and sebum, preventing the accumulation of bacteria and providing visible results in a few minutes: healthy and brighter skin. 

Ren Clarimatte™ T-Zone Control Cleansing Gel

It balances the production of sebum, purifies and minimizes vents and redness, especially in the T zone. The cypress essential oil is useful to soothe and calm and the willow extract is useful to minimize the pores’ appearance. 

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Food talk: Ettore Bocchia talks about molecular cuisine

He has been defined as a revolutionary who overturned the approach to the kitchen. Ettore Bocchia, founder and top authority of molecular cuisine, is a person of discreet charm who can also explain complex concepts simply and directly. From his words emerges the great passion for the research of the best ingredients and the result of long journeys to discover food excellence. We met him in his kingdom, the starred restaurant Mistral, a breathtaking place by the Como Lake. A special place at Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni in Bellagio, a unique place in atmosphere and style, dating back to 1873 when it was transformed from a private home into a luxury hotel.

When did you realize you become a chef?

I started in this field at twelve and then at twenty-seven, I decided to study and work hard to achieve specific goals.

The most important experiences for your career?

Surely when I decided to study in the most important cooking school in the world, the Ecole Lenôtre in Paris. There I had the chance to study and learn the French approach and some of the most important concepts. I spent a lot of time in schools and in what were my hobbies: researching the product and understanding what the philosophy of my colleagues was, even those of previous generations. I started traveling twenty-five years ago for fun and study. I met many colleagues and continued to travel to taste and understand the cuisine of the world.

ettore-bocchia-presso-il-ristorante-stellato-mistral-sul-lago-di-como

Have you always been a curious traveler?

Yes. I have been and still am a curious person. It is also important for me to compare myself with young people. They have a completely different perspective of what cuisine is, it is more stylistic. It’s a very interesting and reciprocal exchange. I’m glad to note that they pay a lot of attention to the product because a dish is never an end in itself and that the quality of the ingredients matters.

Last year you celebrated the hundred years of the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni. What did you do for the event?

The property required a certain style for the centenary: the classics of French cuisine. This language is still spoken in certain kitchens. French cuisine has laid down the law for over a couple of centuries, from the late 1700s to the early 2000s.

What dishes would you suggest to those who try for the first time your Mistral restaurant?

I was the first in Italy to apply science to cooking. I would recommend the molecular cooking menu that mixes its products following the cycle of the seasons. Molecular cuisine has changed the culinary language.

molecular-dish-made-by-ettore-bocchia-at-mistral-restaurant-in-bellagio-lake-como

What brought you to write a book?

I wanted to point out and make known my years in career and where I am right now. I did it more for myself. I didn’t want to make myself known to the public, but I wanted to certify what I did and how my journey in the molecular kitchen started.

In your opinion, what is most misunderstood by the public in regards to molecular cuisine?

This cuisine was talked about solely as “dishes that require a high technical rate (that is important)”, but we should not forget what is the quality of the product, the focus of what you put on the plate. I don’t want to make a cuisine that becomes a show for its own sake. Molecular cuisine has called into question all the preparations of traditional recipes.

piatto-di-cucina-molecolare-creato-da-ettore-bocchia-presso-il-ristorante-mistral

How did you develop the scientific skills you apply to your cuisine?

It was a slow journey, step by step, done together with physicists and chemists, university professors with whom I studied the cooking processes of food and their structure.

Which product are you particularly proud of?

The challenge today is to have excellent products. I am very proud to have Aleandro Sousa’s fat goose liver, an ethical foie gras as the animal does not have a forced feeding, rather feeds naturally. A rare ingredient made in very limited quantities, which has become one of the most important ingredients of a signature dish.

What do you think of the many food-themed television programs?

It was positive. They put a magnifying glass on the figure of the Chef. Once we were ashamed of being a cook, today it is a job we are longing for and it is very appreciated. All this is also due to television, which has made what we do spectacular.

ettore-bocchia-at-mistral-restaurant-bellagio

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Stars & The City: an exclusive talk with Susan Miller who unveils her life and our future

One of the many perks of living in the constant bustle of New York City is the ability to access a multitude of cultural experiences and the inspirational people who create them. Recently, I had the chance to meet star astrologer Susan Miller, a world-renowned published author and columnist for many internationally acclaimed fashion publications. 

Susan is also the founder of website Astrology Zone, which she started in 1995 and now serves 300 million-page views a year and is read enthusiastically by 11 million unique readers annually. All of them eagerly await the 1st of each month when Susan will publish her in-depth comprehensive astrological forecasts for the month ahead in a very stylish and informative manner. 

Susan suggested the date after consulting her astrological wall calendar for the year (The Year Ahead). That day featured a conjunction of Sun and Venus, which she kindly explained simply meant a wonderful day for any communication and collaboration. 

I could not be more excited to have such a respected astrologer pick a perfect date for our interview!

That day I was energized about the million possible answers I would get to my many questions. She is a wonderful conversationalist and splendid person to spend a few hours getting to know. Here is this exclusive interview about her life and work and a sneak peek forecast for the months ahead, but coming soon we will release her MANINTOWN Special Forecast for 2020.  

So, we were wondering: when did you feel this passion for astrology rising in you? 

I wanted to learn astrology but, I never wanted anyone to know I knew astrology. It was going to be my secret because astrology was not accepted.  I was 14 years old and I had just spent a full year in the hospital. I had been through a harrowing surgery to fix a birth defect but unfortunately, I had a different problem when I woke up: I was paralyzed from the knee down. There was no guarantee I would be able to walk normally again. I did pray to my saints, but being 14 years old at the time, I wanted to know if I would ever be able to walk again. The plan was that I never tell anyone I knew astrology. My mother, you see, did not want to teach me because she feared I would study too little and then give advice to a friend. She refused to teach me, and this went on for a year, but she finally relented when I promised to study for 12 years and never read a chart from anyone outside the family until she said I was ready. People think they just learn astrology in a few months, she said you need 12 years, or you would not be any good.

If you could travel back in time which historical character/personality would you be and why?

SM: Thomas Jefferson!

She states and with much passion, she explains that at that moment in history in 1776, though she would need to be dressed as a man she would want to be part of the brave group that were the Founding Fathers of United States willing to sacrifice their lives for freedom.

MT: I thought you’d be saying maybe, Cleopatra…

SM: I like Egypt! Egypt put astrology on the map.  You know what would be fun? If she was getting her chart read. 

Tell us about your typical day as an astrologer. Let’s say we follow Susan for 24 hours in NY. What do you do?

I am afraid that you may find my day quite normal. I get up at 6 AM, and I first call the bank’s service line, to pay my staff as I want to be sure they received their checks and cashed them. While I am checking with the bank, I first wash my face and apply a mask. Then I take my vitamins, and after my shower, I apply my serums and my moisturizers.  At 9 AM I do an international interview in Europe (if the reporter is in Asia, I do those interviews at midnight New York time). By 10 AM, I’m outside. I pick up one cup of coffee and maybe a croissant, and I start writing at the coffee shop. I may stay there for three or four hours and then change locations. I stay up until 2 AM, so I don’t need a lot of sleep.

@Photo courtesy of The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel, New York

Do you work locally? 

SM: You may find this funny; I go to Dunkin Donuts. Everybody makes fun of me because it is a fun, orange and pink shop with very friendly people working there. It’s not like Starbucks. Starbucks is too dark. I like the vibe better in Dunkin’ Donuts. I only drink one cup of coffee a day.

When I leave, I find somewhere else to write, I write all day, for when I am writing my website, Astrology Zone, each sign takes me at least 7 hours to finish. Aries and Taurus are the first two signs so those two may take the whole day to write because I am still doing calculations and memorizing the aspects of the month.

“Here I can show you…,” Susan says while handing me a folder of 40 something pages of charts and calculations for transits and eclipses coming up, which she reveals will play a big part for all of us in December,” Christmas Day to be precise. It will be a nice one!”

Susan says she goes to Los Angeles once a month, for that is where she several members of her website team.

Some of your favorite spots around the city

Everyone who comes here should go to Ellis Island. It’s my favorite spot to show friends around the city.

Also, I love seeing Brooklyn Bridge from the Soho House terrace—it is so beautiful.  If I were taking a child to New York, I would take them to the carousel in Central Park because that’s where my mother would take me when I was five years old and also to the small boat basin on 72nd Street and Fifth Avenue. 

New York has also so many great restaurants it’s almost impossible to pick one either. For a gorgeous view, I like Top of the Rock-it is a far better view than on the top of the Empire State Building. I like the Carlyle Hotel for tea and go there all the time. —that is the hotel President Kennedy and Jackie used to stay when in New York. New York, she adds with a glowing look in her eyes is “glamorous” and “no other city is quite like New York on Christmas. The entire city is lit up – New York knows how to celebrate the holiday, plus if often snows in December. I belong to the National Arts Club, and at Christmas, it makes you feel like you are in a time machine, going back in time to the historical days of early New York, which is charming.

Please explain the influence of Mercury retrograde on our lives

This is one astrological aspect that affects everyone uniformly, although it does affect Gemini and Virgo a bit more because those signs are ruled by Mercury. Mercury rules publishing, broadcasting, and the digital world so it affects people who work in those industries quite hard too.  

You will have miscommunications, machine breakdowns, software problems, computer problems. It is a frustrating time. Mercury doesn’t actually go retrograde, but it appears to go backward to other planets.  it goes retrograde. And it’s the proportion between the two planets, Mercury goes retrograde 3 times a year for three-and-a-half weeks. I travel during Mercury retrograde, even though Mercury rules travel—you just have to be a little bit more deliberate. 

 MT: And for business people that may be reading, you should not sign any contracts, right?  

Do not sign a contract during Mercury retrograde because you’d just have to redo it later—things would be missing, confusing or otherwise not to your liking. Check addresses. I once went to Detroit to see an advertising agency and it was the address, I had was wrong for they had moved to the other side of town. If you are mailing a package or letter, it also is important to check addresses, for Mercury rules the mail. 

“The worst days for Mercury retrograde period are at the start and end dates of the retrograde.” – she gives us the advice to be extra careful to allow a space of a week before and after the dates of the retrograde. Susan has a clear description of Mercury retrograde on her home page of Astrology Zone. Scroll down and you will see a list of her pieces, including that one, on the left side of her homepage screen.

This is a funny question but what do you think an influencer should not do on social media during mercury retrograde?

Oh! the answer to this is not to overshare. It is like a scene out of the show “Gossip Girl” –an influencer should not share too much. They would end up regretting what they wrote.  Talking too much during Mercury retrograde gets you in trouble.

You’ve been the first to understand the importance of the Internet and you launched your website astrologyzone.com in 1995. How is the web evolving today? 

The internet has more features now. It was 1995 when I started, they didn’t even have color—everything was black and white, and when you saw a film, the window was as big as a postage stamp and soon crashed your computer.

E-commerce was so hard at the start, the internet switches information all over the globe at the speed of light, such as sending the information from Alabama to Denmark, then to Alaska to Texas—you get the idea. E-commerce was hard for, in the movement, information was lost. information. I thought the engineers would never get this right, but they did. Then I launched the Astrology Zone app in 2002 but changed app developers in 2012 and have redone it several times. The official name is “Daily Horoscopes Astrology Zone + More by Susan Miller” (http://apple.co/2gcVDnn  Android.  http://bit.ly/2y7pHaT

When I started on the internet, during the first six years, and when I’d do a TV appearance, the producers would not let me give the viewers the URL of my website. They would say that the audience doesn’t know what a URL is, but I would say, they will never know if we don’t tell them. It seemed forever for the world to catch up with technology.

How can you best use astrology?

Susan said that astrology can be a beneficial tool for those who are willing to seize an opportunity. Like she mentioned “It is like getting options”, it is up to readers to know what they want, recognize opportunity when they see it and act upon it when it comes.

What do you think of the rise of social media like Instagram?  

I love Twitter because people discuss ideas. I like Twitter better because you can put in a link easily and the photos are far larger than on Instagram. Whereas Instagram doesn’t let you post a link—it has to go on your profile which is backward. 

I like both. I’m on both and in each case, my name is the same, @AstrologyZone. There are too many Susan Miller’s in the world!  The problem on Instagram is 12 people are pretending to be me. Well, I would like to see people sharing opinions and ideas. Not just photos wearing a new coat or holding a designer bag. I do love fashion but for that, I prefer magazines to keep me up to date.  Magazines choose their editors carefully and those experienced editors will put a designer’s collection in context to his or her past collections and how each current collection differs from the others. On Instagram, you can see work by Versace or Valentino, but you cannot get an explanation of the direction the designer decided to take this year. Magazines give you much more information.

        I start to lighten up and almost want to reach out for a hug when she states: 

“Editors are brilliant. And I want their advice. Thank you.”

Susan writes for Amica in Italy as well as Vogue (Japan), W (S. Korea) and Claudia (Brazil), SModa (Spain), Vogue (China), Vogue (Greece), and frequently writes cover stories for Grazia (France) and Elle (Australia) to name a few. Her connection with the fashion world has always been strong.

She tells us she wanted to be a fashion designer when she was growing up and would like to work more with designers, so our next question is a must:

 In fashion who are the designers and the styles you love more and why?

Ha! Dolce & Gabbana- she sighs in awe; you can tell she loves the brand. 

 Valentino, she says with a determined voice. I just spotted this dress and I am contemplating getting it. It is red, my favorite color. It has ruffles. I love feminine touches and Valentino (as well as Dolce & Gabbana) understand women. In America, I love Oscar de la Renta, though his cuts don’t quite line up with my body. I love Akris, the Swiss designer. But I love Dolce & Gabbana best—all those flowers!

Susan’s tone takes a higher pitch, her enthusiasm about fashion and design is taking form and her answers flow with confidence and passion.

“I love flowers. I love anything that is quite feminine. 

I also like a slightly more formal design. New York is formal. Los Angeles is far more casual, even in business meetings, which takes me a little time to get used to every time I go.”

Brands have soon enough realized the value of teaming up with your expertise as an astrologer. Which are the brands you have collaborated with?

Oh, so many! Dior (Lady Dior handbags), Apple, Furla, Veuve Clicquot, Chanel, Guerlain, Clarins, Lancôme, Chopard, Mac Cosmetics, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale’s, to name a few. You will note many French brands—I would love to work with more Italian brands! I am half Italian—my father’s side is Sicilian. (Susan’s mother’s side of the family is German.)

From fashion to beauty and beyond: she has also been the ambassador for beauty company Fresh, owned by LVMH since 2015 and the Edition Hotel in Miami.

Blending astrology in brand collaborations is a very unique and effective way to reach the audience and it can be extremely creative. 

From January to March 2020, for instance, Bloomingdale’s flagship store in New York City will feature an Astrology Zone boutique curated by Susan that will offer selected unique items from menswear to women’s apparel to jewelry, tech, and design to even baby clothing with astrological theme, signs, and symbols. These collaborations are curated in detail by Susan as well as Bloomingdale’s fashion directors. It is massive branding operations that can involve at times the talent of 30 people! 

Favorite cities?

I love Kyoto, I want to go to Sugarloaf Mountain in Brazil, I want to go to Sicily, and I am dying to go to Milan as I have never been. I love Rome and have spent a good amount of time there. It’s time to see Milan!

Must have when you travel?

My jewelry. Moisturizers and my masks. I love La Mer and all the masks from Fresh part of LVMH. I’ll use some other company brands too but Fresh has the most amazing masks. I love the Black Tea mask, the one called Rose Hydration, the Honey mask, and the Lotus Youth Preserve mask and Vitamin Nectar mask. They are all superb.

Favorite Fragrance? 

Alien by Thierry Mugler, it is all flowers. I also like Bal a Versailles by Jean Desprez, it is a gorgeously soft and powdery scent with some hint of vanilla. It is an old French perfume.

We then dove into the specifics that you all have been wondering about:

What lies ahead for all of us for the rest of the year? And in 2020? 

The news is: according to Susanit looks pretty good! 

Make sure to follow us as we are planning a big story and a stylish horoscope 2020 in collaboration with Susan, which we will announce the end of the fall. 

But let us read Susan’s forecast for the upcoming months: 

Best dates for business in the remaining part of 2019? And for Love?

With no hesitation almost without me being able to complete the sentence she states December!

 SM: December. December is phenomenal. It starts with Dec 15thJupiter trines Uranus. A trine aspect is one of pure harmony. Also, mark the date! I love Dec 27: Jupiter conjuncts the Sun: the luckiest day of the year. It will not happen again in a different sign until 2021.  

What should we do in those lucky days, if you could give us advice.

 Plant a seed. Start a relationship or a business. Take an important trip for Taurus for instance. Cancer? Decide about a relationship, and if you are in love, commit to marriage. Every sign will be affected in different ways. I am writing a large book on the Year Ahead 2020, and there is too much to say here!

 We are planning on a story for the what is in store for each sign in 2020 as well as talk in-depth about signs and styles, I would like to give our readers a preview of what we have in mind:

 Which is the most stylish of signs?  

Leo and Pisces, although Libra is the arbiter of taste. Leo, you see they want to make a grand entrance, while Pisces like to mix vintage with new designs as they do not want to look like the next person next to them

 Which one the trendiest? 

Gemini, definitely and they do brilliant things with accessories.

 The more classic?

That’s definitely Capricorn. Think, for instance, Princess Kate…

Scorpios love black. They like simple, classic lines so that they can mix and match and feel almost as if they have a daily uniform that they need not spend too much time thinking about.

 Aries doesn’t like frou-frou, they want sleek lines, striking but beautifully cut

Virgos are perfectionists, so for Virgo, God is in the details. Virgos understand excellent fit and have long ago made friends with their tailor.

Pisces and Cancers are romantic. Sagittarius is on the move, and they demand comfort.

Taurus loves classic things made of beautiful, tactile fabrics.

Libra is the arbiter of taste and they love being up to date on the latest styles.

Aquarius, they do not need social approval—they don’t follow trends, they start them.

With so many eclipses and one remaining due in December and while we wait for your wonderful year ahead of publication and our 2020 astrology story in Manintown January, can we give some brief but very juicy forecast for our readers for the last months of 2019? If you had to give one word of advice/caution which one would it be? 

December will show us what 2020 will be like.

Aries: You can look forward to a major career breakthrough.

Taurus: Travel. Long-distance travel or the decision to go back to the university for an advanced degree

Gemini: Gemini will be the recipient of plenty of money and it will not emanate from a paycheck but rather from a bonus, commission, royalty or outside cash, like venture capital. 

Cancer: Marriage! Or Cancer may get extraordinary help from a business partner, agent, manager, publicist, accountant, and similar type collaborations. 

Leo: fine, enviable work assignments also advances in health and fitness

Virgo: Virgo has the finest romance aspects in 2020. If Virgo wants a baby, she can have one this year. Her creativity will also reach new heights. 

Libra: Home and real estate shines for her.

Scorpio: Contracts and luck with clients with some short distance away. The key to Scorpio’s success will be in how well they communicate with others.

Sagittarius: Finally—2020 will be a huge year of financial reward. 

Capricorn: This sign is the celestial favorite this year and will get a cornucopia of goodies. They are entering their once-in-12-year Emerald Year, where one grand wish comes true. 

Aquarius: Aquarius will get help from VIPs behind the scenes. Aquarius will prepare for 2021 this coming year, their Emerald Year. They must start to detach from obligations or associations they no longer find useful or interesting. 2021 is their big year.

Pisces: Friends and joy from groups to which they belong. This also includes work on a charity or humanitarian effort—this is where so much of Pisces happiness lies. 

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It’s street food mania, eating on the street is the new gourmet

No more star-studded! The real success in the restaurant world is now street food. Street food beats every gourmet and marks incredible results. In the last 5 years, itinerant catering companies have doubled, but the most important fact is that young people under 35 and foreigners are leading this new phenomenon.

The last survey dates back to the second half of last year and examined the 2013-2018 period. In this period of time food trucks (this is the name of the sales points on wheels) have gone from 1.717 to 2.729 today. Of these, over 600 (22%) are managed by Millenials with a growth in the five-year period of 23.9%. The diversification of the offer is witnessed by another data that sets the market share represented by foreign entrepreneurs at 52.1%.

Global street food researcher, Maurizio Rosazza Prin, runner-up in the second edition of MasterChef Italia and TV face, reports in his blog Chissenefood, recipes, ideas and stories that he collects in the most disparate places.

What are the reasons for the success of street food that have made it go from food for the less affluent to a cutting-edge proposal?

 The hands, the tactile sensation and the freedom of movement that gives you the enjoyment of a food without having to sit at a table is absolutely priceless. The conviviality remains without the need of the geometry of the table. More than avant-garde, it is a return to the past where food had a functional meaning and was cooked where it was meant to be consumed. And after the hangover of the tasting menus, the triumph of the table with the thousand courses, this need for freedom was born in parallel. Like any counter culture it ended up becoming the dominant culture and it is not at all uncommon for it to be offered in large restaurants as an element in a tasting menu. My criticism is that it must remain popular in prices and in the proposal: I would say to street food vendors not to charge the price of your marketing operations but to give us something real, with the soul and at a right price. That’s how it should be. And before thinking about marketing formats and gastro operations, think about making good food, only this is the success of a dish, if it is good and right, prepared thinking of people not business plans.

For many, street food is synonymous with food made quickly and with little care, what do you think?

Quite the contrary, there is a lot of care. Those who choose to stay in the middle of the street to cook, choose to want to be in contact with the end customer and can no longer lie to them, we are all too careful and we notice everything. I am seeing great passion from those who have truly chosen to dedicate themselves to this lifestyle. For us it is a phenomenon, while abroad it is the reality and the engine of gastronomic culture, think of Asia, where it is normal to eat on the street. Going to stand in mile long lines for a dish, in shacks that do well maybe just that one dish, but make it divinely. A Chinese chef friend of mine always tells me that when he is in China, he wakes up at 5 to go to the market at the fresh tofu banquet, where they can only know how to do this but with a thousand sauces, only that and they have been doing it for 150 years. Do you think that in 150 years they have taken little care or little hygiene in making it?

For many, street food is synonymous with food made quickly and with little care, what do you think?
Quite the contrary, there is a lot of care. Those who choose to stay in the middle of the street to cook, choose to want to be in contact with the end customer and can no longer lie to them, we are all too careful and we notice everything. I am seeing great passion from those who have truly chosen to dedicate themselves to this lifestyle. For us it is a phenomenon, while abroad it is the reality and the engine of gastronomic culture, think of Asia, where it is normal to eat on the street. Going to stand in mile long lines for a dish, in shacks that do well maybe just that one dish, but make it divinely. A Chinese chef friend of mine always tells me that when he is in China, he wakes up at 5 to go to the market at the fresh tofu banquet, where they can only know how to do this but with a thousand sauces, only that and they have been doing it for 150 years. Do you think that in 150 years they have taken little care or little hygiene in making it?
 

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In memory of Carlin Dunne, a Ducati’s champion

“Everything was ready. After weeks of waiting, test sessions, frantic hours of preparation, emotions, despair and excitement, all those sensations that create the thrill of competition, finally Sunday.

The checkered flag greeted your departure, and you accepted the invitation to the challenge. Gas wide open, knee on the ground, and off, curve after curve. They were 156 in total, and you made 155 of them. Perfect, without any burrs, fighting against the chronometer that, meter by meter, was decreeing your success, that of the team that had worked and dreamed with you in the long days of preparation for this race. 155 curves out of 156, only one was missing. Only a few meters and you would have crossed the finishing line as a winner, conquering that laurel that belongs to you, for which you fought, you made sacrifices, you gave your life. You would have registered the new race record. You could have enjoyed media and public applause. You would have conquered the place in Olympus and definitely written your name in the history of this race. Well 4 times you ended up as a winner, but this would have been special, absolute! That damned off, that absurd fatality, that mocking and bad fate. Why was your triumph denied? Why couldn’t we all enjoy your success? Why?

Before leaving, in one of the many interviews you released, always accompanied by that smile that will remain indelibly present in all of us who knew you, to the journalist who asked you if you aimed at the record, you replied: “Certainly. But if the mountain does not agree, the record is not made … “. Today, those words sound like an ominous prophecy, but they confirm the great respect you had for this challenge and for this granite colossus that, with your bike, you climbed and faced, curve after curve. Did the mountain win? No Carlin, you won, my friend. You won the “Race of Clouds”. You won the biggest challenge, the one that consecrates the heroes. The tribute that all the participants, the competitors, the most aggressive opponents, wanted to give you at the end of the race, was the confirmation of how much Pikes Peak was yours and how much you belonged to this race, to this mountain that had conquered and kidnapped you and of which today – and forever, you will be part of. Now you are in those clouds that protected the top when, before leaving, you looked at the much sought-after goal. This race is yours. The mountain is yours. The story is yours. Thanks Carlin, we will miss you so much. ”

These are the words with which Francesco Rapisarda, Director of Communications of Ducati, honors and remembers champion Carlin Dunne. He leaves us as a generous champion who in the same spirit of giving had documented the preparation for the race in a series of videos, which remain in memory of his determination and of the joyous and special person he was. This is his last video, filmed the day before the race.

The next day, on June 30, 2019, Carlin left us a few meters from the finish line of Pikes Peak, ready to set a new record, he leaves us as a champion, due to a hump, as described in the words of the friend and colleague of the Ducati “family”. Exactly like a family member, Carlin Dunne was loved by everyone.

Carlin Dunne ran with the number 5. During the annual Superbike event at Laguna Seca from 12 to 14 July, Ducati chose to celebrate the 25th birthday of the 916 by unveiling a version of the Panigale V4. Thus, was born the Panigale V4 25th Anniversary 916, unique and made in a limited series and numbered with only 500 units.

Jason Chinnock (CEO of Ducati North America) and a long-time friend of the champion, announced Ducati’s decision to dedicate the number 5 of the Panigale V4 series in honor of Carlin Dunne. The number 5 of the Panigale V4 series has been “withdrawn” from the market and will be auctioned to dedicate the proceeds to the collection of funds to offer support to Carlin’s mother. In addition to the auction, Ducati has created a GoFundMe initiative, again in support of the mother.

Finally, on July 14th, the Aruba.it Racing-Ducati Team raced the Superbike at Laguna Seca with the number 5 on the hull of the official bikes of Alvaro Bautista and Chaz Davies and with a special livery inspired by the bike presented. Victorious on his new Panigale V4 R, the same day Chaz Davies also announces the donation to the auction of the race suit in honor of Carlin. Ducati and fans are a united and faithful family.

 Ride in Peace Carlin!

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The Caesar of Instagram: Gianluca Vacchi

For those who do not know (how can you not?) who Gianluca Vacchi is, we invite you to take a peek at his Instagram profile which lists 13 million, yes MILLIONS of followers.  This year in May he has been honored the GRAND PRIX at the World Bloggers Awards in Cannes. The WBA (World Bloggers Award) is the world’s first ever awards ceremony for the best bloggers worldwide. Gianluca Vacchi was this year’s star nominee and received the event’s top prize. As he enters the lobby of the gorgeous Four Seasons Downtown, we know from his smile and great energy that it is going to be a pleasant and fun interview.

The 52-year-old influencer has become famous for his “always chasing the sun’ (his words) lifestyle, his ability to be fitter than fit and his will and success at reinventing himself as DJ and music producer. He has collaborated with Luis Fonsi and Yandel amongst others, starred in the music video of J. Balvin’s ‘Mi Gente’ and has in only few years boomed in a new career as a performing DJ in key clubs worldwide.


1. If you were a historical figure… Who would you be?   And why?

GV: Caesar or Attila the Hun.

MT: Why Caesar? Why Attila?

GV: Because I like to think big and conquer. I am in a hurry to conquer the world and achieve goals that I impose on myself as an endless and consistent measure of my own talents. I feel good about myself when I know I am fully utilizing the talents I have been blessed with. I also feel good when I know I made the best of what is one of the most important assets in my life: “TIME”. I also like to think that there should still be an animal instinct in a man, something somewhat primitive.

2.Sea or mountains? Your favorite destination.

GV: Both. Sea and mountains. I was a professional skier in Cortina. Skiing was the training ground for my competitive spirit. I’m also a solar type. I would say that my job nowadays is to “chase the sun”. I am just joking but I like both actually.

MT: If you had to choose a destination today, where would you go? What would you choose?

GV: I can’t stay in a place where there is no sea and sun. Maybe I would choose Los Angeles for its creative environment and the weather. I have a house In Miami and I feel content there. It is a place that is like my personality. It is full of Latin Americans whom I like a lot.

3.Let’s talk a little about fashion. In Gianluca’s suitcase: three accessories/items of clothing or gadgets that you cannot do without.

GV: definitely clothing: Jeans, a T-shirt and a tuxedo. These 3 items for sure.

4.Let’s talk about work. Which is something that many people want to know. What is your career about?

I’m certainly an entrepreneur at heart. It is part of my DNA. I still have an automated machinery company of which I own shares and sit on the board of directors. I am also thinking of what to do in the next two to three years, but I don’t know yet. As I said I am an entrepreneur at heart.

5. Let’s talk about your career as a DJ? How is it going?

 GV: it’s going super well

 MT: You just came out with a new single correct?

GV: yes, I came out with a new single. I produce a lot and I enjoy being a musical director, I do not use software as many young DJs do. I have many ideas, so I give input on what melody is to be used. So far I have played in amazing locations around the world.

6. You are considered a Web star, how do social media influence your life?

This a delicate question. We live in an era where there is a real life and a virtual one, then there are people who separate their virtual life from real life and represent themselves differently in both lives. For example, when you and I take a picture here and we say we’re in Sydney, no one will argue. They believe it. You can only succeed if your real life and your virtual life “overlap” and therefore coincide. You have to show who you really are. I’m not influenced, I’ve always lived like this even 20 years ago, I’ve always been out of the norm …

7. Gianluca Vacchi: Eccentric or Extrovert?

GV: probably both, but certainly anti-bourgeois. The Bourgeois tend to impose respectability and conformity as the way to live, and I do not support that.

8. What advice would you give to those who want to break out in the world of social media?

Whether it is in the world of social media or real life, if you do not have real talents, you can’t break out. You don’t have to invent something special to be on social media. On social media I think you are successful when you are successful in life. Being fairly anti-conformist for example is important, just as dreaming very big is very important. There is no virtual success if there is no real success.

9. How many tattoos do you have?

GV: Probably more than 120.

MT : That’s a lot. Can you identify the most important one and why?

GV: definitely the portrait of my father. Each tattoo has its own meaning and is connected to someone or something important in my life. For instance one of them is a fragment from a letter from a friend, another one is my aunt’s portrait.

10. The cities or locations that are for you a source of inspiration

GV:Definitely New York, which is an incredible place. An electric city, a city that gets inside you and makes you feel you are alive. Though I love it, I can’t stay in NY too much because it feels like time slips out of your hands. Everything moves so fast in this place.


11. What is next for Gianluca Vacchi?

The next step for me is to start a third life. In my first life I worked as an entrepreneur, in the second one I became a DJ and in my third life it could be that I become an actor. ’We’ll see. The secret lies in being open to always reinvent yourself.

We are pleasantly interrupted by a fan who enters the lobby, a distinguished gentleman who works on the NY Stock Exchange approaches us and asks Gianluca to be able to take a selfie with him. You can read delight in his face, the delight of a fan meeting his social media hero. He also confesses that he has grown his beard to imitate Gianluca’s and that he loves and dances to his music. Right there and then we witness the power of being a social influencer, we decide to leave it this way and with a smile and a note of absolute optimism we wish Gianluca Vacchi a third life of absolute success. (ndr)

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Belize: a place to discover

A jump from the United hub in Houston, Texas, and about 7 hours flight time from New York, Belize is a wonderfully centrally located destination from the United States.

Traveling to Belize from Europe is certainly a longer journey, but we recommend it, at least once in your life, perhaps through New York or Miami as ports of entry.

Jungle, Mayan temples, caves, warm and turquoise waters, atolls, sunshine and great food make it truly an irresistible destination. This time we decided to explore two of the main cayes, or islands: Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye.

Caye Caulker: the paradise of divers.

Caye Caulker can be reached by boat or plane from Belize City. To date it is still a rather unknown destination. This emerging destination is perfect for divers and travelers looking for an authentic experience away from the usual beaten tourist trail. The island moves to the rhythm of its motto “Go Slow” which clearly reflects the atmosphere of the city, its rhythm and its wonderfully relaxed nature. Despite having an accommodating pace, it offers a great variety even for the active traveler: the coral reef is superb and there are lots of wonderful excursions organized by local businesses to choose from.

We chose to dive with Frenchie’s, we planned the few days with some training classes and various local dives and we enthusiastically joined in their weekly planned journey to explore the Blue Hole.

The Blue Hole is one of the most exciting and “must dive” places for experienced divers. It is a gigantic marine sinkhole made famous by Jacques Cousteau who declared it one of the top five diving sites in the world. Diving in the Blue Hole is exciting, it doesn’t disappoint and it is certainly never a boring experience.

It is interesting that this portion of the sea is not really blue at all, at least not under its surface. Devoid of aquatic plants and the usual tropical marine life that so fills the surrounding cliffs, it is a geological adventure, a marvelous and suggestive scenario of monochrome stalactites full of underwater wonders.

A few nautical miles later a stop in paradise is lined up. Half Moon Caye is remote, isolated, green, sunny, a splendid gem, an emerald surrounded by an infinite sea of ​​turquoise. The perfect escape for dreamers.

On the way back from the underwater trip it is impossible not to stop at the pier at Frenchie’s to taste the dish of coconut curry with shrimp from chef Kareem, the best on the island. Street food in Belize is widespread and genuinely fabulous.

Ambergris Caye, the luxury escape for a dream vacation.

After getting your fill of aquatic adventures, diving with sharks and turtles, waking up at 5am, rum-flavored sunsets and days full of sports, it’s time to relax at Ambergris Caye’s Victoria House, the Belize’s largest island, and made famous under the nickname of the “Isla Bonita” by Madonna.

Entering the curated green rooms of the Victoria House it is inevitable not to feel an immediate happiness that only the tropics can give to sea lovers. We promptly decided to embrace the hotel rituals: the morning yoga class and the spa session. The Spa is really not to be missed. Ask Roxanne, the manager, for advice on organic body scrubs from the local product body and their personalized massage packages. Our choice was a two-hour treatment including a coffee body scrub, an energizing treatment for skin rejuvenation and a spectacular massage with local organic coconut oil. The villas and casitas of the Victoria House Resort and Spa are managed by a dedicated staff. The oceanfront resort is also equipped with a state-of-the-art water activity center with scuba gear, kayakers or snorkelers. Its suites and casitas with their Mayan hammocks that swing in the ocean breeze give the resort a quiet, authentic and smooth atmosphere.

The island itself is a wonderful surprise. Ambergris Caye and its vibrant city of San Pedro is charming, colorful and refreshing, with a variety of different accommodations possible. Taking advantage of the golf cart rental, we promptly set off on an adventure to explore the pristine areas of the island by discovering the beauty of Secret Beach. About four miles north of the city and three miles to the west Secret Beach is a delight for lovers of clear blue waters. Semi-submerged wooden tables where you can have lunch or drink to keep cool while socializing with the locals. It is a semi-discovered beach untouched by progress: only a few colored cabanas and no electricity. Leaving Ambergris Caye and Belize is certainly a difficult greeting.

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A model’s talk: Radu Ionut

First of all you’re very young and you’re very strong on social media, especially on Instagram. Do you prefer social networks or your model activities?

Yes I’m 19 and I think a bit of both is necessary, Instagram is a very good platfom for promoting and being seen by clients, big clients.

Where are you from?

Romenia

Do you go home often or you’re busy traveling all the time?

Well I’m based in Bucarest, the capitol, but yeah I’ve been traveling a lot. I’ve signed my modeling contract ony 6 months ago so I didn’t have that much time to travel all over the world, but still I’m moving all around.

Can you tell me some cool places in Bucarest?

Yeah sure, the old center, it’s very nice it has a lot of history and many clubs. The streets are the same as 50 years ago so it’s a really nice place to go. 

Your favorite place in the world?

I think that would be New York, I was there for 2 weeks modeling. People were nice I had many projects going on there. 

Style suggetions?

My favourite brand is Armani, something classic not too much colour, like black and white. 

Tell me something about your hair, are you a natural blonde?

I’m actually a darker blonde, I use conditioner and I love the brand L’Oreal, it’s great for blonde hair

I saw you worked with Bruce Weber, can you tell me something about him?

It was just before nyc, I went to Miami for a week and a half, it was a great experience cause we shot almost everywhere: his house, in the ocean or at the beach, so mostly swimwear and underwear. We also did change many outfits, he is great to work with, he’s such a good photographer. 

Your dreams?

I’m not so sure but it’s definitely gonna be something related to modeling and i’d love to try acting, maybe in New York. 

Ph: Antonio Avolio 
Stylist: Stefano Guerrini 
Stylist’s assistants: Fabiana Guigli, Davide Spinella 
Grooming: Matteo Bartolini @Freelancer Agency using R+CO 
Model: Radu Ionut @Independent Models MGMT
Interview: Massimiliano Benetazzo

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COCO CLUB CHANEL event SOHO NEW YORK

It is not a regular Friday night in New York City when Chanel transforms a women only co-
working space (the Wing) in Soho into a fabulous all immersive Coco Club an exclusive
“mademoiselles only” club inspired by the traditional men’s only social clubs.
Following the notion that “what is good for a man is better for a woman”, maison Chanel
envisioned a pop up club that takes what is best from men’s lifestyle as an inspiration and makes it even better for a woman. The borrowed from the boys lifestyle concept has turned out in fact to be a real winning and star studded launch event in the Big Apple.
All of this to celebrate the Boyfriend watch a fabulous and elegant Chanel designed watch with a masculine flair.
Interlocking C’s at every corner and motivational quotes inspired by the legend Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, the club is a really full immersion Chanel experience, a Shangri -la and a corner of heaven for the luxury loving fashionistas of the iconic brand, be men or women.
At the entrance the check in staff greeted each and every guest with a personalized membership gold card to be complemented with a personal photo taken in an exquisitely decorated space and fun photo booth.
Inspired by the celebrated Chanel Boyfriend line, the whole concept space is a true tribute to the legendary Coco’s signature style. A beauty room filled with dreamy make up by Chanel and puffy feathery stools to be pampered on, a library filled with monogrammed Coco stationery, pool tables, ping pong tables, a café serving themed items like a girl’s club sandwich and a girl’s club sandwich and a locker room in which even the towels have been specifically styled in timeless black and white, and a numerologist: did you know that Coco was fascinated with numerology?
The floor of course is set on the iconic no. 5 in an elevator on Mercer Street.
Ultimately a wonderful success for the launch and a lovely reminder on how men’ s fashion and lifestyle can inspire women’s fashion and lifestyle, just like Coco would forsake the long gown and feathers remainders of the old siècle fashion for more practical men inspired streamlined and designed for elegant practicality modern outfits. Creativity at its highest it’s a wonderful thing to share and borrow.
Infin, bravo Chanel encore and toujours!

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A model’s Talk: Andrea Manzoni

What pushed you to undertake a modeling carreer?

I was still attending high school and I was out with my parents on a Sunday, a booker named Massimo Curella stopped me and gave his business card to my parents. It all started gradually, since I was a football player I would’ve never imagined to become a model, but then I started traveling a lot. I lived for many years in Asia, I visited many cities like Shanghai, Singapore, Hong Kong and Beijing. I came back to Italy to work with clients like Dolce & Gabbana, and now I’m living between Paris and Milan.

What can you tell us about Paris?

I simply love it, I live on my own even though it wasn’t easy for me to find an apartment alone. I live near Notre Dame, in Saint Poumpidou. I find it extremely nice, it represents the old Paris, with its alleys. Working it’s wuite different from here, the model’s expression is more cherished. 

Could you tell us a place you would recommend?

Definitely Shanghai, where I lived for five years. I even stopped modeling for a year, since the city totally captivated me, and I worked as a club manager. I find Shanghai more open and international than Beijing. A restaurant I would recommend is The Fellas, a rooftop with a view on the Bund, owned by Italians. There are many things to do there, but even by talking a walk in the old town or in People’s square you could totally fall in love with it. I can also say it’s the perfect city for modeling, the work is tough but worth it.

Talking about yourself, do you train constantly?

I train at home, I’m not really used to the gym, coming from football and swimming. I train an hour every day and it’s been two years and a half since I last skipped a training day. Being 30 years old, I need to be more careful about what I eat then when I was younger, our body is constantly changing. 

What do you think about social network?

It’s for sure a part of my job, I think it’s very useful. It often gets confused how modeling, being an influencer and sponsor a brand are three completely different things. Social network allow us to be seen from everyone and being scouted easily. I love being in contact with the world, especially because I travel a lot, even though it was difficult in China, since most of the websites are blocked by the Government.

What do you always bring with you when you travel?

A book that my father gave me, it’s called the Alchemist by Coelho. I feel like it represents some parts of my life everytime I read it.

A piece of clothing that should always be in a man’s closet?

Elegant trousers, I never wear jeans.

What is your biggest dream?

I’d love to buy a house for my grandparents to give back everything they gave to me.

Any future plan?

I want to continue working in this field, become a booker or a casting director, and maybe fund my own agency, with the right balance between client’s satisfaction and model’s needs. 

Ph: Antonio Avolio
Style: Stefano Guerrini
Stylist’s assistants: Fabiana Guigli, Davide Spinella
Grooming: Matteo Bartolini @Freelancer Agency using R+CO
Model: Andrea Manzoni @Independent MGMT
Interview: Martina Belluschi

Cover: Total look Dondup, scarpe Baldinini 

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