Author: Lorenzo Sabatini

Skin 689: essential beauty for the contemporary gentleman

Posted on by Lorenzo Sabatini

Manintown meets Max von Troschke, Managing Partner of skin689 (skincare luxury products made in Switzerland).

Max von Troschke is an entrepreneur in the luxury beauty and skincare routine’s field. A maximum expert to achieve eternal youth. When it comes to resolve problems for having a toned skin, he’s the voice to listen to. Man in Town met him and asked him some QS about the perfect and essential beauty routine for men.

Skin and beauty. What are the latest trends for radiant skin for a man?

Consumers are demanding in regard to performance – and knowledgeable in regard to ingredients. Among other things we see a continued trend towards performance with proven efficacy and active ingredients from medical research.


As a beauty expert, what does your product range offer to your clients in order to improve how they look? in other words, your brand philosophy.

We are all about firm skin and defined contours for the body. With innovative ingredients and proven efficacy.


Do’s and don’ts for men in the field of beauty treatment. Help our readers not to get lost in the welter of products on the market and recommend an effective essential routine.

As often less is more. Most treatments are only effective when done regularly. So when you cannot add it to your routine don’t even start. And look for proven efficacy.


Tell us about your new 2021 products.

We just launch a new crème for tummy and hips – with dual power against fat cells.

How was skin689 born? I guess constant training is necessary. What fascinates you about this world day after day? 

We started off with a revolutionary active ingredient. This was discovered in medical research. In clinical studies we proved its effects on elasticity (collagen fibres) and fat cells – and brought it to cosmetics. At skin689 we are thrilled to bring true innovation to the market. 

Your brand’s next goals. 

We remain focused on the body, with cosmeceutical products that really work. For that, we keep researching and scouting for new ingredients to further boost the efficacy of our products.

Chef in Town: the best restaurants in Porto Ercole- Costa d’Argento

Posted on by Lorenzo Sabatini

Porto Ercole is a state of mind. Here everything is possible: while drinking a cappuccino at 11 am in a bar at the harbor, you might see the film director Paolo Sorrentino with his son going to the pier and ready to get on a boat. Even the most famous digital businesswoman, Chiara Ferragni, comes to have lunch with her sisters in one of the most globally quoted fine dining gourmet restaurants, which will be mentioned in this article dedicated to the best restaurants in the maritime village Monte Argentario in Tuscany. Well, even though we are not in the splendors of the ’60s, the jet-set still loves this exclusive place. To tell the truth, a record number of visitors has been recorded in summer 2020. Come here to believe it. But above all, to enjoy breathtaking views and delicious seafood dishes. 

Il Pellicano

A deep passion for Mediterranean cuisine is Michelino Gioia‘s secret. He makes traditional Italian recipes unique, turning them into contemporary creations through innovative techniques. Thus, it is not just a riot of flavors, but its specialty lies in the chromatic combinations of the dish presentation. 

There are two key points for the creation of each recipe: giving the proper value to the products’ naturalness and reinforcing the connection with the territory. The abundance of Tuscan raw materials from sea and land takes shape in divine dishes to taste in the moonlight. At  Il Pellicano restaurant (which is in the homonymous hotel run by Marie Louise Sciò, one of the most famous in the world), chef Michelino Gioia offers a traditional Italian cuisine that at times blends cleverly with international flavors.

All the chef’s favorite raw materials such as pigeons, oysters, red mullets, lobster, and shrimps are part of the menu, created with passion and love. At the end of every dinner, a cart with artisanal chocolate is offered to all guests. Amongst the seasonal specialties, the chef proposes lobster, “pappa al pomodoro”, ricotta and lovage, Anguilla di Orbetello (the town close to Porto Ercole, famous for this kind of fish), duck and parmigiana.

Alicina Hosteria 

A special place where to taste the sea at zero km. 

Ivan Silvestri is the chef patron of Alicina Hosteria, a little veranda right in the center of the Tuscan village, close to the harbor. Even Chiara Ferragni and her sisters chose to eat in this small and cozy restaurant. Silvestri’s devotion led him to be mentioned in the Gambero Rosso, L’ Espresso, and Michelin guides. Alicina’s winery has more than 300 labels, “because the customer needs to be at the top” – claimed the owner – including Bellavista and Corion Charlemagne. The menu varies throughout the year following the philosophy of ” the sea at zero km”. All raw materials are bought at the fishmongers along Porto Ercole seafront. Therefore, the menu changes according to the season. 

Silvestri is working on the products’ seasonality and a new dessert menu. Amongst his must-have, he mentions the “snowball” topped with vodka foam or the coconut, mango and lime cake. Amongst the main courses, there is “fusilli cacio e pepe” with bottarga, a dish that he presented on the occasion of Festa a Vico, organized by chef Gennarino Esposito. The dish was appreciated by the national food critic. Amongst the news of summer 2021, Silvestro mentions the delivery and takeaway.

Il Ristorantino 

A melting pot of cultures and love for the land. 

Il Ristorantino, a pearl of Costa d’Argento, is located in the town center in front of San Paolo della Croce Church. It is a spin-off of the Nobili Santi restaurant. The owners Paola Sclano and Bilel Mabrouk have refined their culinary expertise following Moreno Santi’s footsteps, one of the most beloved chefs in the area. In 2019, they decided to open Il Ristorantino, an eclectic and elegant gourmet restaurant. 

Paola Sclano is from Porto Ercole, Bibel Mabrouk is from Tunisy, but adoptive Italian. From this cultural culinary mix, a varied menu comes out, but it always stays true to the Maremman tradition: a menu made of tradition, revisitation and originality. 

The cuisine, simple but refined, is based on fresh seafood. But they also offer an excellent choice of meat dishes that satisfy any palate, from the starters to the main courses. The desserts are the restaurant’s flagship: the “cornucopia” filled with mascarpone and with crunchy waffle and berries or melted chocolate; the “croccantino”, a parfait with a crunchy hazelnut base and melted chocolate. The signature dish is “tagliolini with clams, shrimps and zucchini”, made with fresh egg pasta and a sauce with garlic, oil, parsley, clams, zucchini slices, and shrimps. 

Chef in Town- a food and beverage column curated by

Intl Editor Francesca Romana Riggio

The best apps for mindfulness and meditation

Posted on by Lorenzo Sabatini

So, do you still think that individualism, an ancient dogma that the 80s with paleoconservatism have perpetrated in the minds, is still the only way possible? It seems now, more than ever, with this pandemic situation that is making us think about the way we treat our environment, but also how the economic system is collapsing, and, last but not least, how we treat and heal our body, that we actually need a refresh to follow new paths. And mostly, to have new mindset. This is a way of conceiving life typical of the East.

These people (differently from the West which has always focused on the machines’ development) has a centuries’ tradition of in-depth knowledge of body’s study. Prepare to listen to your body and other’s is a revolutionary practice. Probably the most effective in times of crisis like this. 

Technology helps us as always! There are several apps and websites on meditation and mindfulness available for download on your tablets and mobile phones. What are you waiting for? Your spiritual revolution starts now! Myfitnesspal, for example, offers tips to stay healthy and active. The site imediatly specifies that meditation not only helps concentration, but also athletic performance. initially proposes three techniques to have more meditation in our lives, and then goes deeper. Then Serenity app is focused on daily meditation.

The proposal starts with level 1 (basic), to move on to expansion (level 2) up to continuous meditation (level 6). But this is only the beginning: then there is the advanced meditation course which includes 24 steps. The app has intuitive graphics. Finally we point out Simple Habit: meditation App. It is a daily meditation app for busy people. The strong point is the initial screen that offers various aids to the user: from getting better sleep to reducing anxiety. Then, after selecting your goal, you set the time and access the course with a small fee.

© All Rights Reserved

Exhibitions currently or soon on air worldwide

Posted on by Lorenzo Sabatini

Despite Covid-19 is nourishing worldwide terrible feelings about our future (actually it seems to live in an Orwell’s dystopic novel), yes, big surprise, the world itself it’s not stopping.

Many museums, for example, have organized online tours to visit them, or in some areas not that much affected by this terrible pandemic virus, it’s still possible to have a lovely visit to spend our beloved free time. From music through art and fashion and more, here is a list of the best exhibitions currently or soon visitable worldwide. 

Patrick Kelly: The Journey

Patrick Kelly, rebel fashion genius, who knew how to combine American folk and his African American descendants in his creations, is honored with an exhibition. Precisely at the Scad Fish in Savannah, in the States.

With its button-style revolution, funky quotes and pop virtuosity he enchanted the stars in the 1980s. And we’re talking about stars with a capital S: Paloma Picasso, Pat Cleveland, Madonna, and Goldie Hawn, to mention a few. The exhibition dedicated to the United States’ designer, entitled “Patrick Kelly: the Journey” is the result of the long research of the artist Derrick Adams in the archive of the designer who died in 1990.

Adams is a connoisseur of black culture, or rather a great part of his production both as an artist and as curator derives from his color identity. Especially it revolves around the models of Afro culture in America. So the link between these two figures represented the most natural choice for the curator of the museum hosting the exhibition, Alexandra Sachs.

The contemporary artist and curator Adams was thus able to make a full immersion among the memorabilia, sketches and many other objects that belonged to the designer and that are located at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York. Among these rare memorabilia, there is also the proposal written on a sheet, a sort of dedication written by the poet Maya Angelou to write a book on the life of Patrick Kelly.

Adams commented on Kelly’s production stating that his production was heavily influenced by the social context of his time and an overwhelming sense of humor. The exhibition features abstract collages and Adams sculptures made with patterns, embroidery and other original materials from Patrick Kelly’s archives. This exhibition is currently present in the American museum until 19 July 2020.

The Clash: London Calling

An anthem for London and the entire world, this exhibition goes behind the scene of an epic album: ‘London Calling‘ by the Clash. the Museum of London showcases images, music, memories and personal objects, from the band’s history – some never seen before – in a free display.

London Calling, a milestone of contemporary music, was generally about London, with narratives featuring both fictional and life-based characters. Journalist Sal Ciolfi once stated that “the songs encompass an arrangement of urban narratives and characters, and touch on themes such as sex, depression and identity crisis”.

A melting pot of musical styles, driven by a passion for action and a fierce desire for social justice. this new exclusive display at the Museum of London examines how London itself influenced The Clash as they became the most popular British band of the 20th century.

Jeff Koons: Absolute Value

An exhibition featuring over three decades of works by renowned American artist now open at Tel Aviv Museum of Art. Curated by Donor Rabina. Absolute Value offers a full immersion into Koon’s several languages of expression and techniques from different periods of production. Koons’s first solo exhibition in Israel showcases twelve large-scale works from the last three decades: Balloon Dog (Orange) (1994-2000).

Mirror-polished stainless steel and finished with an orange transparent coating sculpture, Bear and Policeman (1988) from the Banality series; Dolphin Taz Trashcan (2007–11) from the Popeye series, and Hulk (Rock) (2004–13) from the Hulk Elvis series. 

Also showcased a sculpture’s balloon form of the prehistoric Venus figurines depicting a stylized figure of a female form: Balloon Venus Dolni Vestonice (Violet) (2013–17) from the Antiquity series. A quote from the artist itself well represents his production: “Art to me is a humanitarian act, and I believe that there is a responsibility that art should somehow be able to affect mankind, to make the world a better place (this is not a cliche!)”.

© All Rights Reserved

Style and travel tips: Cape Town

Posted on by Lorenzo Sabatini

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?

© All Rights Reserved

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER