Author: Redazione MANINTOWN

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

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Cover_Chiara Maci

Benedetta Rossi
Facebook, oltre 3milioni di follower
Instagram, più di 270mila follower
YouTube, più di 450mila follower

Chiara Maci
Facebook, 473mila follower
Instagram, 350mila follower
YouTube, 10mila follower

Walter Gosso
Facebook, 5 mila amici
Instagram, oltre 2600 follower

Marilena Barbera
Facebook, oltre 3000 amici
Instagram, oltre 3800 follower
Twitter, 7400 follower

Cover_suits Suitsupply, Shirt Navigare, Turtleneck Brooks Brothers Belt Brunello Cucinelli, Watch Panamera, Shoes Barbanero

Upon opening your 131K-followers Instagram profile, it is impossible not to notice the hashtag under your name, #proudtobeitalian. Frank Gallucci has turned Italian style into his asset, to become what he is today. Born in 1986, a degree in political and economic sciences attained at the university of Perugia and a journey in Australia, followed by the launch of your blog four years ago, which has quickly become a reference point for Italian lifestyle.
How would you define yourself?
I represent the Italian man, who can wear different styles, from elegant to casual, with versatility and nonchalance.
What’s your idea of style?
Simply, I believe in Italian beauty and in the Bel Paese.
Who is an influencer today?
Someone who can influence people’s choices. I try to do so by conveying my lifestyle, not only through fashion, but also through my taste in music and food, my travels, and much more.
How do you envision the evolution of social networks?
Facebook will never disappear. In general, the audience of these years will not evaporate, though it can be channelled towards other directions or towards the birth of new forms of social marketing.
And how about the evolution of your business?
I am working to become a style consultant, a reference point for businesses and designers alike.
How do you envision your work in a far-away future?
I’d like to be an Ambassador in 10 years’ time.
Is there a downside to your profession?
Yes, never taking a break.
The numbers of your business.
(He does not answer. He laughs, Editor’s Note.)
Is there a city you feel particularly attached to?
Milan, where I have been living for four year. Its dynamism allows you to succeed in whatever you want to do.
How many of your style tips are true and honest?
I am ready to turn down job offers, above all when they are imposed on me. To this regard, I have to point out that I am not followed by agencies, I prefer to build my relationships personally.
What counts more: a pretty face or a good content?
Content, boded by a beautiful image.
How long does preparing your look take you?
I would not speak in terms of hours, much less than that.
Which apps do you use to retouch your photos?
I always rely on photographers. The pics that are posted live, instead, are shot by my girlfriend Giulia Gaudino, using Snapseed.

Photo| Karel Losenicky
Stylist| Lucio Colapietro
MUA & Hair| Giuseppe Giarratana
Fashion Collaborators| Orsola Amadeo and Dario Amato

Read more on the last MANINTOWN print issue
available in best Italian and worldwide newsstands and bookshops!

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In his kitchen, ingredients, tools, pots, pans and plates levitate, thus crafting a spell that has won him almost 60 thousand followers on Instagram. «The idea to photograph floating objects – so Francesco Mattucci, author and founder of @kitchensuspension – arose from an everyday situation, due to my need for more space to cook, the kitchen is indeed the part of the house where I spend most of my time. Looking about myself I got the idea of creating a place, where the objects that crowd my kitchen can “come alive” in a very unusual way and play with one another in space, where food has no classical representation, where it can escape from the settings where it is normally captured and live, so to say, a life of its own, obviously having fun». Francesco Mattucci conversion from creative to influencer was almost immediate. First he published a series of images on the homepage of the Italian daily newspaper Repubblica.it, next, a few months later, the interview on the Instagram blog, which brought the project great visibility in a very short time. «I am not so sure the word “influencer” really suits me – Mattucci goes on to say – I don’t feel I am one and I don’t think that my images invite people to buy a product, rather than another. I’d say that @kitchensuspension works because the images always succeed in catching for a second the attention of the users who run up against them. This profile is specially designed for online publishing, and it works in this specific framework because my followers believe they know what to expect from the next pic, but, actually, I surprise them every time». Every shot by Francesco entails a long and painstaking process; the snap of the flying ice-cream cup, for instance, took almost two days. «There is no set method to obtain these shots – he goes on – every single image has its features and the techniques to support the objects that make them up change from time to time, the tricky part is designing different sets for each shot. A considerable dose of post-production is crucial to get the desired effect».

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13 years ago Simone Rugiati used to labour over a hot stove, teaching an audience that was not familiar with stars and signature dishes, how to make the perfect soffritto (lightly fried mixture of chopped onions, carrots and celery, TN). « I – so Simone – go on television to enable people to cook at home. The rest is show. Showing the big audience how the dish of a star-decorated chef is created is a pure style exercise, to lure people into restaurants. In fact, in order to replicate some recipes, one needs the skill that can only be acquired after years of hard work and training, plus, you also need hard-to-find raw materials ». On the social networks, on the contrary, he has only recently started, but he is already very successful (almost 300 thousand followers on Instagram and aver 500 thousand on Facebook), so much so, that he is considered to be an influencer. «I was one of the last in my sector to have a social network profile, I opened it, so that those who used to follow me on TV could get to know me better. Over time, I organized myself, and now there’s agency that cooperates with me. The social networks are a large pool, where I can capture the needs of the audience, but also test the products stemming from my collaborations, or interact with my followers. On TV, I often treat the topics that my followers suggest to me ». What is needed to complete Simone’s professional path is only a restaurant. «Many investors –Rugiati goes on – ask me to open a restaurant, but I still have to grow, plus, in life, one cannot do too many things at the same time. A chef, in my opinion, must be in kitchen, and I have other priorities at the moment». Meanwhile, Simone is developing the supply chain that, in the future, will serve his restaurant. Indeed, Foodloft (Rugiati factory house) is among the partners of “Coltivatori di Emozioni”, the platform that aims to bring consumers closer to the farming activities, involving them in the productive cycle, by “adopting” a crop among olives, grapevines, bee-hives and wheat. Another goal of Coltivatori di Emozioni is the reclaiming and valorisation of fallow lands in Apulia, Sicily, Calabria, Molise, Marche, Lombardy, Tuscany, Piedmont and Veneto.

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Shooting Dolce & Gabbana’s print advertising campaign at just 25 years old is no small feat. Yet, influencer (with 472 million Instagram followers) Nima Benati‘s passion for photography was born when she was even younger, while attending high school of the linguistic arts. Her first experimental photo shoots drew inspiration from her favourite brands: Gucci, Versace, Roberto Cavalli, Prada, Miu Miu, a magic formula sure to launch her into even greater success in no time.

Can you give us some numbers regarding your business?
If we’re talking about social media, I have about 700 thousand followers in total. While this year I shot about 40 advertising campaigns. The ones I’m most proud of are for Dolce & Gabbana, it was a dream come true!

What is your definition of “influencer”?
Someone with a distinct taste, capable of standing out among the masses. An influencer has to be able to offer different or unique content so as to entice people to emulate him or her.

 Is it better to have a beautiful face or good content?
When I work with models, a beautiful face counts for more, but in real life I value content highest.

 How do you see your own evolution and that of the social media world?
My main business, photography, is not contingent upon the social media universe. The latter will eventually implode, but still has several years of longevity with improvement of the platforms themselves. Instagram will reign for another decade or so.

Does the profession of the influencer have an expiration date?
No, as long as one can maintain a certain amount of credibility. I’m very relaxed; the most famous and sought after photographers in the world have very long careers: Peter Lindbergh is 73, Patrick Demarchelier is 74 and Stevel Meisel, 63! Health permitting, one can take photos her whole life!

The negative side of your line of work?
People believe they can say whatever they want on social media: they forget that behind the screen are real people, who would never dare to speak that way in real life. They insult, attack and very often make false assumptions, without really processing the image or text they have in front of them.

Are your recommendations real?
I share only the things I find really interesting on Instagram stories, but I never specifically suggest anything.

How many hours does it take to achieve your look?
When I go to work, I get ready in less than 5 minutes- with call times often at 6 am, I can’t really think about makeup and styling.

Which apps do you use to retouch photos and how long does it take?
I edit Instagram photos with Facetune and Snapseed, and for my professional photos I use Photoshop. The former require about twenty minutes, while the later can take up to 5 hours per photo.

Is there a place or a city in particular that captivates you?
The Park of the Monsters in Bomarzo. It is a place that’s frozen in time, full of art, beauty and mystery.

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A definitely abuzz Instagram profile, with shots and stories capable of engaging his followers (almost 150K, a figure that keeps growing) and fans. Posts depicting him in the kitchen, gym, or with his girlfriend Carlotta Ferlito, professional gymnast too. Matteo De Martini, Italian artistic gymnastic champion, has told us about his relationship with social networks, his passions, dreams and great resolve to pursue and accomplish them.

How important are social networks and how much do you use them?
Social networks represent for me the main source of media information, both public and private. They also represent a job opportunity for millions of people involved in collaborations and partnerships globally. I believe that they are by now a consolidated part of everyday life, although they are often diminished by people who don’t really understand their real potential. During the day, I happen to use them very often to brows pages and topics I am interested in, or simply to while away time.

What kind of image of yourself do you propose to your followers?
I try to convey a realistic image, based on my experiences, what I do day by day, I post fun contents about my agonistic activity. I think that it is important to be true to yourself, also in front of the camera, instead of trying to create a “character” with the sole purpose of attracting “followers”. With the help offered by the Media Digital Agency – whom I ask for advice before posting my contents – I’m learning to understand how people interpret what I try to propose, sometimes a second point of view is needed. ”

Is there a social network that you use more than the others, and why?
Instagram, I really enjoy taking pictures that break the mould and edit them as I like. I believe that every single post mirrors, in some way, the personality of his author. In the 21^st century everybody wants to know something more about other people’s private life and, thanks to “Instagram Stories”, this is possible. The latter are often used to tell about one’s day or some important event. That’s why I think Instagram is the most popular social media.

What are your recommendations to those who see you as a role model, both in life and in sport?
Pursue your passions, persist until you achieve your goals. It may sound obvious, but I really believe that perseverance is critical to prove to yourself and to others that goals are not unattainable, and that limits can be overcome.

Which mental and physical qualities does your sport require?
Artistic gymnastic requires much discipline and perseverance. Although an exercise lasts 60 seconds on average, each single movement must be repeated until exhaustion. Constant, almost obsessive, practice until perfect execution taught me a lot on how to face everyday challenges. There is no precise physical standard to practice this sport. I, for example have always been very long-limbed and frail, until I was 16, I was not able to perform movements of pure force that my mates executed very naturally. You have to be patient and train a lot. What is really needed, and this also takes time, is concentration: while training it is important to stay focused on what you are doing, to avoid injuries and for proper exercise execution.

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His carreer as a model started by chance when he was working as shop assistant in Vienna. Today, André Hamann is one of the most requested celebrity with a million followers Instagram account and a series of collaborations with brands such as Hugo Boss, Dolce & Gabbana, Calvin Klein, Diesel, in addition to his personal clothing line Haze & Glory. Loved by girls for his statuesque and tattooed body, he loves traveling and being photographed with his dog Duplo.

Your definiton of influencer/blogger/ambassador?
It is a person with great taste that inspires other people that are following him on his social media pages.

How do you imagine the evolution of the social world and of your business?
Every single moment in our day we get an input from people we follow and people that are following us. It is crucial for us to give to the brands our followers feedbacks on trends and wishes since we have a direct contact with them. Social networks are working on making the influencers closer to their audience with tools such as Live Streaming.

In your opinion, which is the social network of the future?
With no doubt, Instagram is the social network of the future!

Negative side of your job?
The only negative side of my job is that I do not see my family as much as I would since they live abroad.

How many of your advices are sincere and not sponsored?
Even if some of my advises are sponsored this does not mean they are not sincere! I do believe in everything that I do and say, even on my social networks.

Has The “influencer” job a deadline? How do you imagine your job when you will be old?
I hope I can do this job as long as possible and if it doesn’t work out there is always a plan b!

What counts the most? A beautiful face or a good content?
To be honest I do think that the contenent is more important even though a beautiful face helps you out!

How many hours do you dedicate to the preparation of your look and job?
I go everyday and do jūjutsu and workout a few days in a week.

Which app do you use to retouch your photos and how many retouches do you use to create the perfect picture?
It is like to ask a magician to show you their tricks!

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From Romagna, for many years one of the most worshipped Italian influencers, also thanks to his wild look, long hair and tattoos covering every inch of his body. Andrea Marcaccini is not just a model, not anymore: a few seasons back he launched his own menswear collection and has many followers on the social networks. He even took part in reality shows, and is currently into art, which is what he really feels passionate about and wishes to devote himself to in the future.

How did you become a model?
I started modelling when I was16, because my cousin sent one of my pics to an agency in Bologna, this is how I started. Out of curiosity. I arrived in Milan aged 19, after working with Mikael Kenta, who at the time was very successful.

Not only a model, but also an influencer thanks to social networks and other activities. How did this passage occur and when did you become a designer too?
The passage from model to influencer was not planned, considering that, in time, other activities came up. I started by posting some pics of mine on the social media, which soon had a number of followers, then came the first collaboration proposals, above all as graphic and style consultant, arrived. After working for three years for many Italian brands, I decided to launch my own label.

 Speaking of your social world, how many of your suggestions and of your images are genuine and non-sponsored?
Regarding my social media presence, I cannot say that there are no sponsored images, some of them are, but there is also a lot of private life, there have been times when the latter really took centre stage. Even my least private and most professional shots always stem from my creativity, my vision. I am absolutely honest. I accept to work for brands that share my ideals and philosophy, therefore also my professional photos never look like aseptic and fake sponsorships.

How do you envision the evolution of social networks and the role of the influencer? How do you imagine your work as a “grown-up”?
As long as the social networks live on, there will be influencers, and someone dictating the trends, one is instrumental to the other. My job as a model has certainly been an important part of my professional path, perhaps a necessary step towards what I want to do when I grow up, which has more to do with an artistic development of my creativity.

The downside of your profession?
That it is impossible to make plans, above all when it comes to your private life, those things that normal people give for granted, like taking a holiday. You are always subjected to last-minute changes and last minute projects, so you find yourself changing your schedule, sometimes letting down your dear ones, or your friends who were planning to go on holiday with you, but you suddenly had catch a plane to the other side of the world.

A style tip to share with us?
Beside wearing the items from my collection? (He laughs, EN). Everyone should feel at ease with what they wear and wear what best represents their personality, but if you feel like doing it, dare! Always express who you are, also through your wardrobe, stand out from the crowd. Dare to dare!

Which city, since you have travelled a lot, has stuck to your heart? Is there a favourite place (bar, monument, restaurant) that you would suggest?
A city that really stuck to my heart and where I really could go and live is Barcelona. A city full of charm, good food, nice people, and joie de vivre. I still remember the first time I saw the Sagrada Familia. It leaves you breathless, so majestic, it is a masterpiece everyone should see at least once in life. I also love Paris a lot, whileI find New York, which I often visited and where I lived for four straight months, to be too chaotic and overrated. I find there are more liveable and interesting cities, though it is no doubt one of the most important hubs for our business.

Milan: where to eat, drink, what is your favourite hang-out?
For work and for fun, I undoubtedly go out a lot, but when it comes to speakeasies, there is not one I feel specially attached to. I generally hang out in the Moscova area, as it is close to where I live, but there is a restaurant that I would like to suggest. If you like Japanese cuisine and sushi, maybe not for every budget, Iyo, Via Piero Della Francesca, is a culinary experience that cannot be missed.

Who are you in your private life? What are your other passions, beside fashion?
My greatest love is art and I must confess that I am developing this passion of mine, so that it can become a job in the very next future. In Milan I have a sort of factory-lab, where I work. Some art galleries – not only in Italy, but also in London and Los Angeles – have shown interest for my paintings. This passion is really becoming and important part of me and my life. Obviously my own brand is my great passion too, ever since we launched it at WHITE in January, it instantly gained considerable scope, we are sold in important stores and it is one of the fifteen Italian bestsellers!

A long-cherished dream?
A true dream should not be revealed, so as not to jinx it, but I hope to become a good artist!

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

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Although he is very young, he has already been awarded a number of prizes: from the Social Award 2016 to the prize as “explosive talent’” at Giffoni Film Festival in 2014, down to the acknowledgement for his role in the 3 seasons of the popular RAI series Braccialetti rossi, by Giacomo Campiotti, at Roma Fiction Fest, to mention just a few. While he is studying for his high school degree, which he will attain this year, Mirko is also working hard to forge his identity as an actor, with three years of acting courses and, currently, a coach. Youthful and polyhedral, Trovato has the right credentials to make it big in cinema too. Beside the television success of the three seasons of Braccialetti rossi, in which he interprets Davide Di Salvo, and the web series Lontana da me, the young actor can boast roles as co-protagonist in the silver screen movies Restiamo amici, by Antonello Grimaldi and Non c’è campo, directed by Federico Moccia, cult-movie for Millennials and not only. In January he is starting the shootings of another movie soon in the theatres. Meanwhile the web is after him: over 400.000 followers, with a presence on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Would you define an influencer: to what extent has your social identity affected your career and popularity?
To be honest, I don’t identify with this role, as I feel I am a guy who does the typical things guys of my age do, although I am a bit more famous due to by profession. Being social does not impact my career much: when you have to play a role in a movie, what counts is being able to identify with the character, to internalize it.

In what way do you engage with the social media? What type of contents do you generally post online, and what is the criterion?
No criterion. I am a guy like any other, I share with my followers the things I cherish: the places I have visited, the pics with my family and my dogs. Things anyone does.

Has being active on the social networks also entailed an economic return? Is there an image strategy one has to follow to best harness social media?
I was asked to sponsor some apparel items and I was happy to do so. No economic return, only the sponsored products. I do not follow a specific image strategy. Nevertheless I have often noticed that many of my followers shared the pics commenting that they had bought something because they had seen it on me!

A must-have of your wardrobe. What’s your favourite look?
Absolutely sweatshirts. I also like the “street” look quite a lot.

Photo| Roberta Krasnig
Stylist| Stefania Sciortino
Grooming| Maria Sole La Stars per Simone Belli Agency
Assistant| Chiara Filippi
Suit: David Naman

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Some compare him to River Phoenix, others to a debuting Leonardo Di Caprio, owing to his “ beautiful and damned” looks and his intense roles. Aged 18, Saul Nanni started acting when he was very young, and has already landed parts in films for the silver screen next to actresses like Margherita Buy and Giovanna Mezzogiorno, alongside his role in the popular Disney TV series, Alex & Co, where he acted next to his brotherly friend Federico Russo. Two more TV movies are due to be soon released: Il fulgore di Dony, directed by Pupi Avati, who, as he likes to point out, taught him to «seek the truth and be credible when acting» and Non dirlo al mio capo, where he is the co-protagonist with Vanessa Incontrada. Seemingly algid, with piercing icy eyes – he lives between Northern and Central Italy, Bologna and Rome – Saul is actually a cheerful boy, who loves the Californian beaches, where he lived for six months: «An experience I recommend to everyone». The young actor’s Instagram profile has 700 thousand followers.

What is your take on the influencers and how do you manage your relationship with the social media?
Influencer is a generic definition, I don’t think that I “influence” those who follow me, although I like to think that my profile is interesting. I don’t like posting my private life and I have recently abolished selfies, as, as far as I am concerned, they don’t work.

The social network of the future?
Certainly Instagram, because it is very user-friendly and accessible, plus it features the whole range of social network functions. I believe that, in the future, the power of social media will grow more and more. As means of communication, they must be used wisely, without being carried away by the visibility they offer, which, in any case, has helped me a lot in my job, although I hope to be valued more as an actor.

A must-have garment?
A turtleneck, I also enjoy dressing up for special occasions. I like fashion. I was sitting on the front row at an Emporio Armani fashion show.

Any long-cherished dreams?
Acting in Hollywood, being directed by Ridley Scott and Quentin Tarantino.

Photo| Davide Musto
Stylist| Stefania Sciortino
Grooming| Charlotte Hardy per Simone Belli Agency
Location| Radisson Blu Es Hotel Roma
Saul Nanni wears Total look Paul Smith

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A genuine, heartening story, endowed with that special something that makes it unique and definitely addictive. Gnambox, cuisine and lifestyle blog, is for its founders, Stefano and Riccardo, a way of life. Container of experiences, tastes, advice, and get-togethers, today Gnambox has already turned into a seasonal and contemporary cooking blog, a supercool guide of Milan and, most importantly, a social entity with thousands followers. We have interviewed them to understand what inspired this genuine and fresh blog, grasp the limits imposed by a 3.0 job, and steal the secrets of their success.

Gnambox: a job or a way of life?
We started by posting whatever we liked, thus creating a container of recipes and many other passions, as the name suggests. Without giving it too much thought, we could see it change and develop with us, until it became the natural transposition of our taste, our aesthetics, hence, doubtlessly our lifestyle. Building an editorial line in this way, based on our style, was the main ingredient for a winning project. We feel we are incredibly lucky to be able tell about our daily life, turning it into a pleasant experience for those who decide to follow it: the recipes we post are what we eat, the same applies for the dishes used to served them, everything comes from our pantry, which allows us to never compromise and to communicate something we believe in. As the project expanded, it also became more articulated, so it also became necessary to establish some rules. Basically we have one simple tenet: only when we feel like it! (They state with rare and priceless artlessness. EN). We never force ourselves to publish something for engagement or visibility purposes, even though, sometimes, we feel we are a wee bit too reserved. We could “ride the wave” of the social macro-trends of the day, but, for the time being, it is not a strategy we are interested in. Some weeks back, we were having lunch with our families and published a group post, something we would do with our friends. We received hundreds of messages from people who were surprised and thrilled by that type of sharing…we did not expect this! If we were that kind of trend catchers, we would organize a social lunch with our families every Sunday (they laugh), but this is not what we are interested in.

For a blogger/influencer to be successful, versatility and novelties are essential. You clearly managed to keep your “Gnam box” open, how did you do that?
One should never be self-referential; always introduce new topics and ideas to keep the box open. Although our blog is a personal container of the things we love, it also represents a chance for ongoing interchange with the outside world. All through the first year of our project, we went totally unnoticed, we appeared for the first time with a pic we shot on Valentine’s day, in 2013, and we understood straight away that it was the right thing to do. Showing who the cooks actually were, who hid behind Gnambox, was the answer all our followers were waiting for. “Who are you? How many of you? Is there an editorial board? Where is it? How does it look like?” These were the most frequently asked questions by our followers; answering them turned the project into what it is today. Versatile? Gnambox is a blend, a mix of shades: we started by talking about food, which has remained the common thread connecting all the other contents we have gradually introduced. The travel section, for example, is now the most substantial part, after the food one.

What is your advice to those who want to follow in your footsteps and turn their passion into a job?
First-of-all, it has to be a great passion. This path requires much dedication and energy; as far as we are concerned, that fact that it is two of us has been a great bonus, above all in consideration of the assiduousness it requires; whatever one cannot do, the other can. Having clear ideas as to what you want to communicate, while keeping in mind that the quality of the project lies in the personal slant it is endowed with: even the umpteenth food and lifestyle blog can still be absolutely unique, if it features a personal and subjective perspective. The key point is consistency. Being consistent with yourself or with the line you have chosen. In our case, the two things coincide. Consistency, assiduousness and uniqueness are the rules that we would suggest others to play by, as we are the first to do so.

Does being and influencer implies having a busy agenda, how has your daily routine changed? How much stress and how much fun is there to it?
We have never regarded the “influencers” part of the project as a job, while the editorial part of Gnambox is more demanding: planning, doing research, producing contents; influencing people is a natural consequence of these. We do not wake up in the morning thinking: “What a wonderful influencer life we are leading!” (So Stefano, laughing. EN). This is just a necessary step, an evolution. Whenever your followers appreciate what you do, they will be, to some extent, influenced by it. Our agenda? Yes, it is very busy, also because there is no clean-cut separation between work and private life, or rather, our everyday life is our job. Events and meetings are a crucial part of it, and they are very thought-provoking and inspiring, but they can also be stressful, at times even alienating: that’s why finding some time to be off-line is critical… The most glaring example is travel: it is an occasion for communication, hence for research and production (they show us some vibrant snapshots of their journey in Africa). If we allowed this activity to prevail every time we go on holiday, we would never get a chance to enjoy our free time. So we have to decide well in advance when we are going to be on-line or off-line, establishing a priori what is meant to be “exclusively” our very personal memory. The funniest part is certainly having the chance to discover a wealth of interesting things about the places we visit, thanks to the contacts we make with many different people who end up becoming part of the project. Not being overly focused on what goes on online is another mantra that has helped us remember that not everything that happens has to go public via the web.

Business partners, but also partners in life, how has this influenced your project?
100%, that’s the reason why it was born in the first place. We both had creative jobs, which did not fully satisfy us, hence a common desire: developing a project together, to grow together. Thinking of all the couples who choose never to collaborate professionally, we feel we are pretty lucky, as we agree on many things and we were both ready to embark on the project. Focusing the project on our personal life as a couple has definitely helped, plus it has made it more consistent. Feigning empathy for the cameras not only works, we do not need to do that, we are at our best, and at our worst, around the clock…We could never end up being fake! Since we live together, we have grown together, and the project with us!

Beauties in the kitchen. Tell us about your Gnambox style
Aesthetics is an essential factor for us, it enhances Gnambox while making it really our world, as it is what best mirrors our personalities, while avoiding to turn it into a mere style exercise. Defining our style? We were unable to give it a name until we read an interview on the New York Times on the “new normal”. A reassuring kind of normality, never excessive, and yet never boring. A contemporary and amusing sort of normality, like our cuisine, with that special something that makes it interesting and irresistible.

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The Paris club music scene quietened down after the French Touch era in the 90s, but now, with the arrival of a dynamic new generation of French DJs and producers, the revival of Gallic club culture is well underway. Filling up dance floors, taking over the airwaves, touring the world and releasing records on international labels, this new guard of music makers is bringing an eclectic electro sound—a genre-defying combination including techno, house and hip hop with UK and African influences—to the wider worldwide stage. We met ten of the most influential figures on the scene to find out more about the return of Paris to the contemporary music map.

Here is the first part with: NSDOS, Bambounou  e Detente.

NSDOS is a musical mad scientist, creating conceptual soundscapes using field recordings from his travels. Intuition, his latest project, is a two-volume album recorded entirely outside in the Alaskan wilderness and composed of digital data collected directly from nature. 
Parisian music producer and DJ Bambounou is an established name on the electronic music scene, having emerged on the circuit in 2010 and now playing worldwide. His success continues into 2018 with a new EP, a world tour and a remix out on the UK record label Young Turks.  DJ and producer Detente mixes abstract ambient sounds and club anthems to create a chopped-up style that gets his fans going on dance floors in Paris and beyond, or via his radio show on urban music station Rinse France. He co-runs the record label Permalnk and is currently working on a new project for early 2018.

Is Paris back on the music map?
N: Paris has always been well placed on the international music scene but it’s true that there is a difference between now and five years ago, particularly with new electronic music. There is a real cultural emancipation that is being defined by the ambitions of this new generation, which I’m proud to be a part of.
B: I’ve always battled with the city of Paris. I sleep there, I eat there and that’s it. Alongside a group of people, I started thinking about no longer expecting anything from a city like Paris. We created an “Operating System”, called “∞OS”, which was founded in Berlin and then relocated to Moscow. We decided to set it up in Paris. The idea is to use all of the resources that we generate—like physical activity, art, the exploration of dreams—in order to transform them using tools that we have programmed.
D: There are lots of artists who are producing a new sound and I see the scene opening up more and taking away barriers between notions of styles. Personally, the idea of doing something new and current is important and it’s also the direction I’m taking with my label Permalnk.

How would you describe your style?
N: My clothing style has nothing to do with the music that I make. I don’t pay much attention to it. And actually I wear quite a lot of things that are given to me so I often end up wearing strange sweaters! When I’m performing I have a kind of uniform: a white t-shirt and dark trousers.
B: I have a scientific approach to music, but it expresses itself with a sense of urgency. Poetry begins with the creation of sound in my work as I use algorithms that are extracts of data that relate to nature, the activity of Internet networks, dance and DNA. My work is very close to science but it is also a spiritual reflection between man and new technologies.
D: For my clothes, I wear lots of black, sportswear and technical clothes. For my sound, I bridge club music and experimental electronic music: Dark Survivalism.

Who and what influence you and your music?
N: At the moment I’m inspired by what I read—I like Kundera a lot. I also went to see the Hockney retrospective and found the colours interesting.
B: Nature and humans who try to understand. The artists who were pioneers in their research and invisible in this world.
D: At the moment I’m listening to Jim O’Rourke. As for my influences when I’m producing, I try not to think about them. It’s something that is subconscious.

Is social media important in your work?
B: No, but I do find it fun. That said, I’m aware that today a career in any artistic field requires active participation on social media.
D: Very important: it’s my media. I use it to communicate about my news and to share my current stuff. That said, creating non-stop content quickly becomes boring, so from time to time, I like to be a bit more off the radar.

Photographer| Lucie Hugary
Stylist| Nicholas Galletti
Assistant Stylist| Ariane Haas
Hair Stylist| Delphine Goichon @Backstage Agency
Make up Artist| Ludovic Cadeo @Backstage Agency

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Originally from Sicily, yet cosmopolitan at heart, Marco Castelli, since he started modelling seven years ago, has seriously trotted the world. Maybe owing the many encounters he made, and the inspirational inputs he got from his experiences in Japan or in the States, Marco has soon shown a desire to do something creative himself. Hence, from model to ambassador of a brand he has helped grow, Ovvo Optics, to designer with an expanding Marco Castelli Collection. All this by understanding the role of the social media, increasing the number of followers, indeed he can now boast the figures of a true influencer. We interviewed him, and found out he is a humble guy, level-headed, with many ideas for the future, both professional and not.

How did you become a model?
I started working as a model by chance, after being discovered on a Sicilian shore by a talent scout, who immediately proposed me to model for Benetton. Since that summer in 2010, a leap into the unknown, and this adventure that took me to Milan and, shorty afterwards, to New York, where I have worked with great photographers.

No longer a model, but an influencer, thanks to the social media and other activities. How did this passage occur, and when did you become a designer too?
Actually, rather than influencer, I have started a business parallel to my modelling career, using the social networks to promote what I do. During one of my travels to the Big Apple, thanks to a casting with Red Models, I met Artur Pilat and his wife Margareta Augustyn, and become ambassador for their eyewear line Ovvo Optics, suggesting photographers for campaigns like Greg Lotus, and displaying the brand on Instagram. In so doing, I contributed to the sales and, most importantly, to the opening of new distributions, almost all over the world and, today, also in Italy. Back from the States, I felt the desire to create something mine, I started with some items, like the two-colour coat, and I instantly noticed the good response from the social networks. Now the project is expanding into a capsule collection and I confess that I am fulfilling one of my biggest dreams, a dream I have cherished ever since I was a child!

Speaking of your world on social networks, how many of your tips and images are honest and not-sponsored?
The social networks are today one of the biggest and most important things, not only for the businesses, but also for most of us, my advice is to communicate in a healthy and honest way, to give more visibility to the contents. The sponsorships are done to reach bigger numbers and specific targets, but if you are not true to yourself and honest, people will not follow you. What really matters is not necessarily having millions of likes, but getting the message across. The best thing is reading comments that make you understand that the followers trust you, that they don’t just see you as someone who simply sells a product. This is really gratifying.

How do you envision the evolution of the social world, and the role of the influencer? How do you envision your profession as a “grown-up”?
As a grown-up I imagine myself with a family, father of many children, so I cannot envision this social status in a far-away future. The future is now! The evolution of the social networks is already in place, indeed, at last, there is no business that has not grasped the importance and the role of the influencers. I strongly believe that a good team makes the difference; the future of social networks is us, what we sow, we reap. In my opinion those who stay true to themselves, will always be successful, real and credible, also when proposing a product.

The downside of your profession, if there is one.
The downside of my profession is that it keeps me away from my family, unfortunately, due to my travels and commitments, there is always little time to go back home. I cannot really see any other downside to my job!

Is there a style tip that you would like to share with your readers?
Be simple, do not overdo it in order to appear at any cost. Be yourself, rely on personal details that will have people remember you. And always buy quality.

Which city, since you have travelled a lot, has stuck to your heart? Is there a favourite place (bar, monument, restaurant) that you would advice?
Every city has given me something, but, at the moment, the first one I can think of is Japan. If you go to Tokyo, you have to visit the fish market, then have dinner at Shou Tsukiji, in Ginza, if you like fish, obviously. You will find many places where they serve ramen, a must, and buy some green matcha tea. You will no doubt cross the busiest crossing in the world, the one in Shibuya, a very commercial borough, but just round the corner I was shocked to see an area of the city where there were homeless camps, it left me speechless. If you love nature, hike Mount Fuji to the peak: an incredible emotion.

Milan: where to eat, where to drink, your favourite hang-out?
In Milan I adore Corso Como 10, not just as a store, I often go to the bar to drink ginger infusions, and sometimes I dine there. I don’t have a name to suggest for the aperitif, generally I hang out in via Moscova, though I prefer the little hidden places, not too crowded and not to hip. I like Baobab’s hamburger with boletus, then I have discovered a place, Lars, via Pestalozzi, where they make a delicious tuna fish burger. But the best place to eat is at home with my granny in Sicily.

Photographer| Ryan Simo
Styling| Stefano Guerrini
Grooming| Susanna Mazzola
Photographer Assistant| Alessandro Chiorri
Stylist Assistants| Verena Kohl, Paula Anuska, Cristina Florence Galati

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Hailed by Screen International as one of the “UK Stars of Tomorrow”, young British actor Edward Holcroft, born in 1987, sports a face that seems to come straight from William the Conqueror’s lineage, which, paired with a slightly retouched air, allows him to be perfectly suited both for the role of the enemy (in the blockbuster, Kingsman, first and second chapter of the Spy story), and for period dramas (Gunpowder, Walf Hall), nonetheless, he’d rather impersonate an alien. Holcroft will be in Alias Grace, on Netflix in 2018 and is also the protagonist of a fashion story on Manintown, where he gave his personal definition of style. Of Course.

How much  difference is there between cinema and TV today?
For me as an actor, there isn’t much difference the process is the same and the approach to characters is the same for any project.

How important is physical prowess for an actor today?
It depends on the role, you do whatever the part requires of you.

What factors do you consider when choosing a role?
It will always be the script and character. Who the character is and what relationships they have with the other roles in the project is always the main  factor for me.

You switch between period and modern  characters, which ones are you most comfortable with?
Neither really, I’d quite like to play an alien.

Which of the roles you have played suited you the most?
I tend to try and pick roles that are far removed from my own personally traits, so none of the characters I’ve played are that similar to me.

What is your definition of style?
I would say it’s being at ease in your own skin.

What do you think about social networks?
I don’t have much interest in social media, I’m not on any platforms so tend to steer clear of it.

Will you ever go back to theatre?
Definitely! I would love to go back when the right role comes along.

What advice would you give to those who want to become actors?
Trust your instincts and believe in your own ability.

What are the places you keep at heart?
I’d rather keep those close to my chest.

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Behind the spotless and bright faces of the silver screen, there are the talent and the expert hands of Simone Belli, the make-up artist of internationally renowned stars. Originally from Valmontone, in the province of Roma, since 2007 Simone has been National Make-up designer with L’Oreal Paris and since 2010, with his team of experts, he has been incessantly travelling from set to set, to festivals, events and backstage of the shows. Academy trainer, but also beauty tutor in the afternoon show Detto Fatto, broadcast by Rai2. MANINTOWN has tried to snatch some precious advice and rituals for an impeccable beauty routine for men.

Throughout your professional path you have studied art, do you apply it in your profession?
I have always drawn, since I was six. I became familiar with art since a very young age, through the encyclopaedia “I Quindici” and I still remember one of the volumes focussing on painting. When I was around eight I approached that world, which I then rediscovered in my professional life. When an art expert looks at how I use my brushes and mix shades, and the first thing they ask me is whether I paint, without even knowing anything about me or my background, this is my biggest satisfaction. Even the international artist Piero Casentini defined my profession as painting, owing to the elegance and harmony of the make-up I created for his sister, featuring a chromatic contrast between red-purple and acid green, which may be regarded as risky by some. I have always stated that all that has to do with colour, with art, with sensitivity, is inborn. A gift that no one can give you. You cannot become what you are not. In my academy (Simone Belli Makeup Academy, Rome), we invest a lot on the artistic development and awareness of the students, also through exhibitions, fashion films, music, etc. It is hard to say how much this actually works, as, unfortunately, 70% of those who approach this universe only seek fast revenues, which I regret, because there is a mistaken understanding of this sphere, it is not merely about applying an eye-shadow or contouring the lips with a pencil, or colouring them, it is an art, just like dancing or singing, so one ought to have a natural penchant for it. One more thing that taught me a lot is university, not so much from a cultural perspective, but as a life lesson that taught me sacrifice and method.

Is there a timeless beauty canon?
Beauty is timeless. Fashion changes our perception of beauty. In the past there were the famous “icons” to be emulated. Today we are more focused on finding ourselves, making the most of our assets. The biggest mistake one can make is to always hold the classicism canons as a benchmark, hence perfect harmony, which do not suit everybody. Men, today, tend to be the copy of women. When a man approaches beauty, he often does so obsessively: the eyebrows are impeccably, excessively, outlined, the same goes for the beard, while hair is super polished. All this leads to a loss in masculinity, hence charisma, sensuality and, ultimately, sex appeal. Which does not mean that man should not treat their skin with care, but that we should not fall into excesses. Timeless beauty is never too artificial, on the contrary it involves enhancing a specific feature, which could even be a flaw. We often tend to relate to magazine covers, where everything is very fake, the people we see on a cover are not like that in everyday life. There’s a lot of confusion between real life and glossy covers.

Your daily beauty routine?
Above all, as far as men are concerned, I can say that today we get much more help to camouflage little flaws, the effect can be a 80%, sometimes even a 100% camouflage. There’s more skin-care and beauty-awareness among men nowadays, and there are many more specific products for men. My personal face-skin-care is painstaking, while I tend to neglect the body. For the face, I often chance my personal skin-care routine, but what needs to be done properly and on a regular basis is a good cleansing. In this period, I am alternating two treatments, a morning and an evening one. In the morning, I use Clarisonic, a cleanser that reduces excess sebum, which I have chosen owing to its handiness; a serum by Kiehl’s, which I alternate with Crème De the Mer or a light vitamin fluid and a retinol eye balm. Without a good cleansing ritual, which removes the most superficial layers of the skin, applying a moisturizer, even the costliest, is pointless, as they cannot act in depth. At night, I prefer to use richer products. The absolute must-haves for me are by a line, Gernetic, that is exclusively sold in specialized skin care centers, consisting of two lotions: one is called Synchro, with a very thick and greasy texture, to be used with Immuno, as, together, they become active and their healing properties, as well as thickness, are boosted. These two combined-action products sooth and totally regenerate the skin, indeed they are also recommended to treat burns. I apply them at night, at times as a compress, leaving them on all night long. While I can alternate the other products, these two have been part of my skin-care ritual for ten years. Once a month, for a week, I apply a powerful vitamin serum cocktail by SkinCeuticals and a laser treatment that boosts skin brightness, treats enlarged skin pores, softens little wrinkles, stimulates the fibroblasts, though without transforming the face as Botox does. At home I have a do-it-yourself kit, which I take with me when I travel and use before important events: a mandelic acid peeling, with a light formula. I recommend it to all the men, but also women, with dull skin, and also after sunbathing. Then I have a ritual for when I am travelling: in my beauty case I always keep the Kiehl’s Cactus Flower face mist, and a lip balm. Last but not least, I use a wealth of integrators, under the guidance of a naturopath.

A must-have product for a man
The mandelic acid, because it stimulates the collagen production, it also eliminates the perception of enlarged pores, it reduces skin dullness, softens the wrinkles, and gives superbly glowing skin.

The key steps to look great, also when in a rush?
Every day I apply a primer mousse, which I have developed in the laboratory, which is a lightly coloured perfecting skin product with a natural look, after that a sort of marker, which I use for the eyebrows, absolutely natural and imperceptible, to emphasize the contrast of eyebrows and eyelashes, then I apply Blistex on my lips and I’m ready go out.

Are there any new, innovative and absolute go-to products?
The products that I prefer are the Kiehl’s serums, they include a range of outstanding products for men, among which those for beard care, very trendy nowadays. For men who want to spend a bit less, the line Men Expert by L’Oréal Paris is a really interesting alternative. Market research has shown that the men prefer products that are easily applied and high-performance, yet I make no distinction between man and women in terms of moisturizer, it is important to choose the right one, according to one’s skin type.

A beauty secret you snatched from the backstage?
As crazy at it may sound, but it is often used for face compresses, a cream for intimate areas, which is highly moisturizing: these products are very hydrating, hence they hydrate the face skin very deeply, especially the wrinkles. Another thing, which in my opinion does not work, is the Preparation H under the eyes. We use the Ageless pink clay vials with an active ingredient that acts as a tensor and instantly removes bags under the eyes, dark circles and wrinkles. I wet the face with water and then I dab the content of this vial on the area to be treated. One ought to learn to handle it, as, being clay, it tends to turns white. Also the anti-perspiring foot lotion is frequently used on the face, only for special occasions, like fashion shows, so that the models’ face does not sweat under the spotlights. These are last-minute secrets for special occurrences, not to be used on a regular basis. Another product that is used is the soothing Fissan Paste for children, which is just amazing for after-sun compresses, or to sooth irritated skin.

If you were to create your own line, which would be your main ingredient?
I am actually developing my on line in the lab. The choice of ingredients is the hardest thing to do, as some ingredients are not legal in Italy, hence they cannot be used. In terms of moisturizers, I’d never relinquish the vitamins (A, C, E) concept, which can be extrapolated and developed in many ways. As regards the make-up, things are more complex. In general, I don’t like strong fragrances and I like Made in Italy products. What I am trying to achieve with my line, both in terms of make-up and skincare, is the WOW-effect. Two new masks have just been launched on the market: a commercial one, the black one, and a white one. The latter is a highly-hydrating alginate to be left on for 5 minutes and, when it is about to dry, I have prepared a minerals cocktail to be sprayed on the face, that forms a film and interacts on the skin hydrating it and minimizing the enlarged pores. Once you remove the mask, the skin is gorgeous, compact and dazzling.

Who would you NEVER make-up, and why?
I don’t like to apply make-up on people who don’t like make-up. When I apply make-up on someone, there is an exchange of energy. As crazy at it may seem, when a person does not enjoy being made up, she/he can be annihilating, so I prefer not to do that. In general, I don’t like to apply make-up on tanned skin, as I don’t get a chance to create all my shade contrasts.

simonebelliscuolatrucco.com

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Kawasaki

The rediscovery of classic aesthetic themes characterizes an increasingly larger per cent of new motorcycle offerings, so much so that the latest edition of EICMA saw a plethora of such ideas from nearly all manufacturers. The Japanese take the lion’s share, with Kawasaki unveiling the Z900RS, the first example of classic performance, which combines the modern performance features of the Z900 body with a clear aesthetic homage to the historic Z1 of 1972. Far from the least is also Honda, who exhibited the CB 1000R and the conceptual CB4 Interceptor, with classically minimalist lines, in this case designed in ultra modern material and, unlike Kawasaki, nearly entirely original. Two models explicitly aimed at passionate riders with a bit of experience and driving ability, given their very powerful performance- the bikes are capable of 110 and 145 horse power respectively. A little less specialised are the Ducati and Moto Morini models: the first elevates its Scrambler to an 1100 cylinder, sacrificing a bit of user-friendliness in order to provide more excitement to experienced fans. The performance increases moderately, as does its refinement. On the other hand, the Moto Morini Milano is completely innovative, even on the tried and true Corsacorta 1200 twin-cylinder base, designed by the expert hand of Angel Lussiana, creating a motorcycle with various allusions to the manufacturer’s past designs. And we cannot go without mentioning two novelties: America and Bobber Black- with which Triumph completes its new Bonneville line, always one of the most appreciated by classic motorcycle enthusiasts. Among other interesting novelties, it is worth highlighting the alternative creation of Energica, which offers the first example of a classic, on a zero-emission base frame: the EsseEsseNove model- named for Via Emilia, an historic street that runs through Modena, home of the factory- and of the ultra refined stripped down electric Eva bike, which combines a classical aesthetic and positioning with noteworthy performance.

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When work and play collide, textures, shapes and colours recombine endlessly on a white canvas, as we usher in a new season of style, charged with lightness, fun and freedom!

Photographer: Lucie Hugary
Stylist: Nicholas Galletti
Hair Stylist: Miha Oshima
Model: Marwan Anbari @ The Face

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The New Aston Martin Vantage has made its debut with a unique portfolio of imagery and film by Rankin, one of the most famous photographer of this time; he celebrates the new Vantage’s dynamic form and its aggressive character. The film explores the limits while, in the same time, captures the car as art; drones and a chase car are included  to create a dynamic and dramatic story. Vantage, which is actually born on the track and handmade in England, is the second car in Aston Martin’s Second Century plan, and it is the model most focused on sport.
The artistic vision of Rankin is based on the brief that ‘beautiful won’t be tamed’.           

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Le Coq Sportif inaugurates the new Made In France line by partnering with Éditions M.R., a French mens prêt-à- porter brand with whom  it combines its history and craftsmanship with the launch of two new limited edition sneakers. Founded in 2009 by Mathieu de Ménonville, the fashion house had full access to Le Coq Sportif’s archives to reinvent a 1981 prototype, the iconic LCS Turbostyle. The result of the collaboration is a suede and leather sneaker, available in two variants, blue navy / bordeaux and blue navy / white, with a minimal enough design to make them perfect for any occasion.
Éditions M.R. x Le Coq Sportif – LCS Turbostyle are on sale, as well as in the official stores, also at 10 Corso Como, in Milan.

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The football star Mats Hummels was chosen to show the versatility of the new Boss Stretch Tailoring. This revolutionary suit is the last one in Hugo Boss wardrobe. It combines the elegance of a business suit and the comfort of the jersey jumpsuit. The secret lies in the fabric: two stretch fabric layers that ensure maximum freedom of movement while maintaining the perfect “aplómb” of the suit.
The external part is made from 100% wool, with braided wire in a spring model layout, while the internal lining is realized with a stretch fiber. The design of the suit is both accurate and tailored, with a comfort normally associated with the jersey jumpsuit. Suits are available in different models: a navy business suit line, the classic pin-striped suit, and a modern one in burgundy, worn by Hummels in a football performance, in which the innovation of the Boss Stretch Tailoring was highlighted.

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The Spring 2018 CALVIN KLEIN 205W39NYC collection takes its inspiration from cinema, from the dream-factory of Hollywood and its depictions of both an American nightmare, and the all-powerful American dream. Thriller heroines, heroes and antiheroes. The aesthetic codes of movie protagonists are endlessly remixed, their meanings given new interpretation and celebration.

Drawn from the same source material, but created separately, artist Sterling Ruby’s site-specific installation for the Spring runway show underscores these themes.

Mid-century American couture silhouettes are rendered industrial, reiterated in nylon, rubber specially-molded in Ohio and hand-painted leather. Lumberjack checks are used for tailored men’s suits. Pom-poms are reappropriated for fringed dresses, handbags or keyrings, and nightgowns become evening-gowns. Material surfaces are disturbed, distressed, rubber-stamped, faded and splattered. The collection’s dominant colors are safety orange, yellow, black, overwhelmingly red.

In exploring America, Raf Simons found Andy Warhol – an artist whose work has helped define both the contemporary identity of American culture, and also the world’s perceptions of it. In a unique collaboration with The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, this collection incorporates a selection of Warhol artworks as placement screen-prints.

Photo Credit @Giovanni Giannoni

www.calvinklein.com

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Audacious, challenging, talented. She is Betony Vernon, an American designer who lives in Paris, sexual anthropologist, writer and teacher of sexual well-being. Her creations have been showed in many international exhibitions, from London to Paris and also in Milan. With her jewelry collection “Paradise Found – Fine Erotic Jewelry”, her mission is that of removing the society’s taboos about sex and spreading a freer and more conscious image of sexuality, linked to the self-acceptance and to the well-being. MANINTOWN interviewed her to satisfy some curiosities.

You define yourself a “sexual anthropologist”. Why did you choose to study human sexuality?
Like pretty much everyone else I have always been fascinated with sexuality, and this fascination was never inhibited. I consider it one of the upshots of not having much parental guidance when growing up. When I started to design the Paradise Found Fine Erotic Jewelry collection I was actually quite naïve in thinking that everyone viewed the sexual experience as I did. I just wanted to have fun, explore and enjoy myself. I started to design my Sado-Chic collection 25 years ago as a response to the market at the time. It led me to understand that our sexuality affects every aspect of our lives. Over the years, I also became aware of how our sexuality is shaped by religion, politics and the establishment in general. The study of human sexuality informs all of my work and it inevitably led me to deal with relationships and the disappointment of sex as much as the pleasures of sex. Ultimately I strive to dismantle the pleasure taboo. It’s impossible to hurdle sexual limits if we are not aware of how these limits were imposed upon us, and thus my fascination with sexual anthropology. I am constantly asking myself how our sexuality has been shaped over the centuries. This is essential to understanding, reshaping and redefining our sexual identity today.

According to you, how can a harmonious intimate relationship be reached?
Positive intimate relationships are hinged on the openness and willingness of partners to explore and experience the sexual realm together. Being open to experimenting new sensations and situations is crucial to an enduring intimate relationship. In fact, like any other relationship, intimate relationships need to be kindled and nourished. Newness is crucial to sexual excitement and this requires that we have the knowledge, understanding and a sense of adventure to constantly renew our relationships. I also believe that learning to treat the entire body as a sexual whole is fundamental to enhanced sexual satisfaction. It requires that we learn to use the tools and techniques of full body stimulation. This is the heartbeat of my book The Boudoir Bible – The Uninhibited Sex Guide for Today (Rizzoli.)

What is the link between design and sensuality?
As a designer I believe that it is my duty to make every day experiences more exciting and sensual. No matter what I am designing I aim to engage the senses and whenever possible reinvent the sensorial experience. My designs stroke the senses. For me design and sensuality are interdependent.

Which is the main function of your erotic jewelry line?
The function of my erotic designs is to enhance the sexual experience. My aim as a designer is also to dissolve the age-old idea that sex is something cheap or dirty. I want to elevate our sexuality as something sacred. I create a durable and body safe response to a market where these values are rarely taken into consideration. I invite my collectors to reevaluate sexual aesthetics. I aim through my erotic jewelry and jewel tools to bring full body stimulation, which was and still is considered by many to be “deviant” or “perverted”, into the realm of the acceptable and perfectly healthy sexual behavior.

Which is the most representative piece of your collection?
Well, I think it would be The Boudoir Box. The Boudoir Box is an object that I kept secret for 18 years, and today it’s part of the Medusa exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in Paris. Exhibiting this piece was a difficult decision to make but I came to terms with the fact that it was time for me to stand in the light. I used the Boudoir Box to travel with my work for private appointments with collectors before there were any suited retail venues. I must say that retailers were unnerved by my work at the turn of the century. The Boudoir Box can hold from 21 – 70 pieces from my erotic collection and it includes one of the objects that I believe best represents the entire collection. It is called The Petting Ring. Its shape “forces us” to make the Chi-Mudra gesture, which we normally associate with yoga, meditation and a one-pointed focused mind. A good lover is also in the moment and focused on the pleasures of the senses alone! The Petting Ring is dedicated to the gentlemen and it brings a whole new dimension to male masturbation.

Can jewelry make women more confident?
Absolutely, I witness it all the time, for example when I put a Lovelock Collier around a woman’s neck. She immediately straightens up and smiles because she feels beautiful and sexy and thus empowered. The same goes for men. Empowering people is a huge element of what I do.

Your tricks to seduce a man?
Dress to undress… it makes you feel sexy! But most importantly love yourself, take care of yourself, seduce yourself, and you will inevitably seduce others.

What do you think attracts men to women?
It’s all about chemistry at the end of the day, I know this doesn’t sound very romantic but we all know that when there is no chemistry, there is no desire. One of the questions I am most often asked by people is how to keep desire alive. Desire stays alive when we keep the child spirit within us alive, because the child in each and every one of us is playful, it wants to learn, it wants to explore and discover, it wants to love and it does not question whether or not that love is merited. The child spirit also wants to enjoy life, and this is very attractive.

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HOROS like a dance through mysterious underworlds that lead to a non-place where everything can happen. This is the background that Kai Dunkel, the founder of the homonymous German brand launched in 2015, has selected to present his collection called HOROS for the Fall/Winter 2017-2018. Kai Dunkel can be identified by his unique and innovative cut, characterized by contrasts and different materials put together. All the items are made in German, and the brand’s ultimate priority is the quality of design and tailoring. The purpose of Kai Dunkel is to bring fashion to further level, creating urban styles, that look behind, anticipating future trends. The fascinating stories told by his collection contribute to create a developing cosmos, in which the person is absorbed. The designer, together with the director Nico Meyer-Brenkhof, has chosen the fashion film as the means of creative expression for his collection, confirming, one more time, the interdisciplinary vocation of the brand, which is articulated through various forms of art. Kai Dunkel’s characteristic element is contrast, expressed by structured black items with strong controlled seams that manifest confidence and authority, alternated with white fabrics which, on the contrary, represent man’s vulnerability when he lost control. The continuous transformation opens the doors into untold destinations and new possibilities that create a fluid sequence of unexplored spaces. The strong contrasts underlined by layers of different fabrics give the collection its unique and distinctive character. The design’s quality and tailoring techniques are an added value for the collection, designed in order to protect those who wear it against unknown dimensions.

kaidunkel.com
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A study in exotic layering and romantic shapes.

Photography Clementine Passet (@clemetinepasset) (clementinepasset.com)
Stylist Rebecca Muzzioli (@rebecca_muzzioli) (rebeccamuzzioli.com)
Talent Jason@Rockmen (@jason_harderwijk)
Grooming Francois Regaudie (@francoisregaudie)
Assistant Stylist Paulina Bolko
Light Assistant Manon Ternes
Special Thanks to Studio Moderne 

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Some guys don’t need to try too hard to look tough. This Autumn, keep it cool and loose, inspired by these killer designer looks, let comfort be your MO.”

Photographer: Edoardo De Ruggiero
Fashion Stylist: Nicholas Galletti
Hair Stylist: Azumi Higaki
Make up artist: Constance Haond
Models:
Philip LDB @ New Madison;
Rodrigue D @ M Management

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Fashion illustrator and Fashion Consultant, Natalia Resmini combines a strong sensibility for fashion and a lightness with colour. Her experience as a portraitist and textile designer reveals itself with every brushstroke. Thanks to surfing and her love for the sea she has traveled all over the world. This aesthetic maturity is apparent both in her free drawings and in the story, illustrated by the photographs, where she suggests the unmissable places to go surfing. I’ve had this great passion for a lifetime, which made me travel around the world. Surfing is a golden ticket, because all surfers sooner or later travel for long periods, and get the opportunity to learn about other cultures. We Italians are a people of idealists, dreamers and travellers, that’s what I always say! We are lucky because, although we don’t have many waves, we go seeking them, discovering a lot of other things in the process and expanding our horizons. And we stand out all right! Exclusively for MANINTOWN here’s a selection of the best locations discovered during my travels.

MEXICO
www.mexilogfest.com
I recommend Sayulita and Saladita, and Punta de Mita, on the Nayarit coast. A hippy atmosphere, perfect temperatures especially in winter months, both challenging and easier waves. The coolest time of the year is during Mexi Log Festival, which brings together the world’s finest surfers in the Longboard category. (www.mexilogfest.com) For accommodation I would recommend Casa Love, located in the heart of Sayulita. Right on the main beach, facing the rolling waves and a few tourists looking for a good margarita, lies the welcoming patio of Nathalie Mignot, the owner. The architecture of the house reveals itself in a clever balance of sunlight and shade. Ten “open space” rooms, are furnished with singular taste, for a really special stay: you will always feel caressed by the wind and lulled by the stars at night. The attention to ecology and the “raw” lifestyle of the owners will win you over. Casa Love is part of a broader concept including the “Pachamama” boutique and the homonymous art gallery, both on the lower floor where you will find boho-chic unique pieces of clothing amongst the colorful works of young artists and tons of lovely jewellery.
For more info and to discover curiosities about the owner’s family: pachamamasayulita.com.mx/casa-love/

SARDINIA
My absolute favourite, where I pass several months a year and the waves are the best in the Mediterranean, because the island has a 360 ° exposure to the seas. Of all the coasts, the one in the west is the one with the most frequent waves, because the northwesterly wind is predominant. As for the rest, the island offers many options that can be exploited, hence why Sardinia has become an international destination for surfing tourism. For beginners, I recommend the school IS BENAS SURF CLUB (www.isbenas.com), which offers custom packages with qualified instructors and surf house rentals. An unmissable experience, fabulous nature and excellent A to Z customer service. Also, worth mentioning is Maona Sailingboat, in the south, at Villasimius, owned by Sebastiano Concas, one of the best Italian surfers, who organises sailing boat charters and surf trips, an original formula for a memorable holiday in the heart of the marine protected area. www.facebook.com/Maonasailingboat/

MOROCCO

I’ve been to Morocco many times now, but every trip always brings new emotions. There is something magical, a special perfume in the air. Arab culture fascinates me, as an artist and as a woman. My creativity is stimulated by the decorations of the tiles, the colours of the earth interspersed by argan plants, the architecture designed to be lived inside and out. I have a lot of Moroccan friends, and putting aside misconceptions and prejudices, I have found an enlightened people. Culture, pride, hospitality and a mystical atmosphere are a constant. In the West, we are always running and we no longer believe in anything. Sometimes we don’t even have five minutes to watch a beautiful sunset. We have clocks and they have time! I was there for almost two months recently, south of Essaouira. I painted and surfed, immersed in a pleasant “mal d’Afrique”. Moroccans believe in their land, in the wind, in the sea, in the food. I can’t forget some winter nights, when we would eat together around the fire with our hands, assimilating the energy of food, in religious silence. I’ve come to believe that forks and knives are a kind of filter between us and what we eat. I think  back to the freedom I felt and I smile, because I can’t forget the depth of the colours of the sky, as I chased the last waves of the day. I think back to the deserted beaches, to the freshly caught sea bass, to the olive oil almost better than the Italian one. In Morocco the place I recommend for surfing is the coast from Essaouira to Agadir.
Here are two of my favourite hotels: Hôtel Résidence le Kaouki www.sidikaouki.com; Olo Surf & Nature www.olosurfnature.com/
The coolest surfcamp of the moment!

BIARRITZ and HOSSEGOR
It’s the California of Europe! I have been so many times that I do not even remember how many anymore. It’s the heart of the European surf scene, where the best shapers and underground artists go. The prices are a bit high and the water very crowded, but the nature is wonderful! In the summer you can surf till 11pm in the evening, as the days are long. Also, there are beautiful surf shops and inland, various surf schools operating on stunning endless beaches.Check out: m.facebook.com/tfr.hossegorsurfhouse/

Gucci Places is an initiative designed by the Florentine maison to unveil locations around the world that reflect the taste and values peculiar to the House and that have inspired it. Whether private or public, hidden or evident, Alessandro Michele’s contemporary aesthetic can be at the tip of one’s fingers simply through the App. The aim is to encourage people to discover interesting and unexpected stories about these places, and so become part of a community, built around a network of locations that are able to surprise, arouse interest and inspire creativity. The very first Gucci Place to be unveiled will be Chatsworth in Derbyshire, England, which is where Gucci is currently supporting an extensive exhibition of clothing and memorabilia entitled House Style, curated by Hamish Bowles. New functionalities will be added to the Gucci App to involve customers in the story of each designated Place, for example through the use the geolocation. The App will allow users to check-in and win the badge associated with it, also providing a detailed description of the Place, featuring texts, pictures and/or videos.

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Sensuality is woman. It is no coincidence that as Managing Director of Coco de Mer, one of the most renowned luxury lingerie brand and erotic fashion house, we find a woman, Lucy Litwack, with a huge passion and experience in this field. Not only products to reach pleasure; Coco de Mer offers also education and guidance for a personal erotic experience with a decadent allure. MANINTOWN interviewed Mrs Litwack, asking her some questions about her experience of more than ten years in the industry and about themes that are still considered a taboo.

Why did you choose to work in the field of luxurious lingerie?
Lingerie is my passion. I fell into the industry by chance from a client I had at a design agency I was working for after University. I went to work for this lingerie start up in house and the rest is history! After over 17 years in the industry, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.  Lingerie can create magic. It has the power of transformation. I have worked for many incredible brands from Victoria’s Secret to La Perla, but when I started at Coco de Mer 3 years ago I knew I had found something very special. A brand that has always punched above its weight, but is yet to realize its full potential. A brand that so seamlessly blends fashion and erotica; sophistication and sensuality. A brand that emphasizes the importance of female pleasure, yet appeals to both men and women.

Which is the most representative item of Coco de Mer?
Everything we design combines luxury and beauty, often with a touch of the audacious.  For instance, the Coco de Mer Spanking Knicker. This item is luxurious, beautiful and a little bit naughty – with the added option for play with your partner. The Sylph bra is also an iconic Coco de Mer style. It has been in the business for over 10 years and continues to be a best seller. It is perfect for the underwear as outerwear trend with its strappy detailing. In luxurious black silk with front fastening and a seductive half cup that barely covers the bust, it takes its inspiration from the empowering work of Helmut Newton and the world of the dominatrix.

According to you, which is the link between fashion and sensuality?
People are pleasure seekers. They seek pleasure in a myriad of different ways, one of which is fashion. The delights that fascinate our senses such as cuisine, design, fashion occupy the cultural psyche in many different ways from books to magazines to tv. Matters erotic however are more limited and repressed. Coco de Mer encourages a more progressive viewpoint. To open up a more playful conversation on the subject and thus encourage people to delve deeper into their fantasies. We want to create a more beautiful sensual landscape to explore. Engaging in this conversation, we can use fashion and lingerie to reach a better understanding of, and connection to, what is truly sensual. As purveyors of sensuality, Coco de Mer both creates and curates irresistible objects and experiences to celebrate mutual pleasure and individual satisfaction.

What do women look for when choosing lingerie?
Women have many different faces. One day, they will be looking for comfort – perfect fit, soft fabrics. One day they will want something that makes them feel empowered with the knowledge that only they are aware of what lies beneath the exterior. Other times they may want to be a classic femme fatale. Lingerie can transform you and your mindset. But overall, women want good fit, beautiful materials that caress the skin and silhouettes that enhance their form.

Instead, what do men appreciate the most?
Men appreciate any effort you want to make.  They love the idea that you have dressed up for them (even if it is just as much for you) and will worship you whatever you choose. We find at Coco de Mer that men will often purchase the three piece set – in addition to the bra and knicker, they will pick the suspender belt too. They generally prefer the more classic colours of red and black. And beautiful nightwear is always popular –  a lace chemise, a silk robe.

Can lingerie make women more confident?
Absolutely. Lingerie can transform your body and your mind which in turns gives you the confidence to do whatever it is you want to do – whether that is to rule the world or your partner!

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Half British, half Dutch, of Ugandan descent, Martin Foru will be representing the UK at the 2020 Olympic Games and we couldn’t think of a man more suitable to don some of this season most compelling sportswear. Armed with buckets of charm and a killer smile, we set him off to explore Paris’s most colourful and exotic neighbourhood, La Chapelle, and got to know him a little better along the way.

When did you start training to become a boxer and who/what pushed you?
I always wanted to do any form of martial arts because my 2 older brothers used to say I couldn’t fight. Unfortunately my mother never allowed me. But when I was 13 I bumped into my cousin as he was just coming from a boxing training. He told me to come with him and so I did, I fell in love with the sport ever since.

What would it mean for you to represent the UK at the 2020 Olympic Games?
It would mean the world to me! There used to be a rule that professional boxers were not allowed to compete in the OGs, but now that they changed the rule and pros are allowed to compete, there is nothing that holds me back from turning pro.

You grew up in Holland and moved to London recently, what is your favourite aspect of living in London?
I literally love the people! Most people I speak to seem to be so open minded and just love to enjoy and spend time with others.

Do you watch what you eat? What’s your favourite dish?
When I’m not having a fight anytime soon then I just eat whatever I like, but I’m naturally a healthy person so I wouldn’t poison myself with all sorts of bad food anyways. Then when I’m coming up to a fight I sure do watch my food. I’ve got a nutritionist who sets up a diet plan for me which adjusts as I get closer to a fight.

Who was/is your role model in becoming a man? And in becoming a boxer?
My role model, mentor and father figure has always been my first boxing coach over in the Netherlands, Thomas Mboua. He helped shaping myself into the man I am today! In becoming a boxer it has always been Roy Jones Jr, because of his knowledge, style and confidence. I’ve been watching his fights ever since I’ve started boxing.

Do you practice any other sports? What do you love the most about boxing?
At the moment it’s just boxing but I always love to play a game of basketball, shoot some pool or play golf. Besides the fitness I get from it, boxing allows me to bring out everything that’s inside of me. The part I enjoy the most is the sparring just because it’s the closest you’ll get to an actual boxing match.

You seemed very comfortable during the shoot in front of the camera. Do you get nervous before a fight?
Well, I get a little nervous when I hear when I’m fighting next, but then as soon as I hit the gym and start training for it my confidence grows with each session. Also when I’m in the dressing room and I feel a bit fatigued or something is physically bothering me I get nervous. But then as soon as I step in the ring and the bell rings it’s all gone!

Besides physical training, what sort of mental preparation do you go through before a match?
I try and clear my mind from all negative things and focus on when I’m entering the ring. I think of every possible situation I can get myself into and also naturally tell myself that I’m much faster, stronger and fitter than my opponent.

You have some very cool Valentino sneaks on today, what are your other favourite brands / designers? and who/where did you get your sense of style from?
DSquared2! Such a great brand, really comfortable and looks amazing. And no idea to be honest, I think just from seeing celebrities wearing certain things and then try it myself because I must’ve thought it looked really good.

There’s a ton of sports style infiltrating every aspect of fashion at the moment, are you enjoying that? Do you think it’s here to stay?
Yes yes yes I love it! Obviously as you know I’m an athlete and to combine fashion with sports, to me is just two of the best worlds colliding. Today we even made the boxing gloves look fashionable LOL. I’m not sure if the sporty look will stay in the fashion as fashion is always changing. But I do think that fashion will stay in sports and that sportswear will try and keep up with the fashion.

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British classics that combine the signature bold and graphic design esthetic of JW ANDERSON with UNIQLO‘s Japanese values of simplicity, quality and longevity, fit and functionality. The result is a collection that offers the best of British styling that is at once traditional and modern while providing daily lifestyle options for men and women of all ages. The collection’s focuses are design, the silhouette and comfort. All the pieces incorporate traditional British materials combined with UNIQLO trademark fabrics. There are Tweed coats in signature herringbone and shirts in extra fine cotton that feels smooth and natural, as well as knits in Extra Fine Merino for an elegant, glossy sheen. The silhouette is also a key feature for the line. The look ranges from long coats with contemporary button and waist belt styling to jackets that give a modern, slim and sophisticated look but also allow for layering, and includes a turtle neck sweater with boxy silhouette and an oversized item.

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There are two main trends that distinguish the current international panorama of the watch industry today: a return to the great classics of the past, accompanied by a creative and mechanical offering in keeping with the times, and the celebration and appreciation of mêtiers d’art, with a sanctification of the most sophisticated techniques, both mechanically and functionally. An artistic passion with the finesse of decorative workmanship. The most important showcase for discovering the latest novelties and creations is without question Basel World, which for industry insiders and passionate watch and jewellers enthusiasts alike is an event not to be missed. It is an exhibition always rich in novelty, and sought-after originals, yet suitable for any style and wrist. Begun in 1917, this year the event reached its first centenary. The recent edition was characterized by strong brand positioning, especially for historic brands, aware that the new structure of international economics requires effort and innovation to satisfy an increasingly demanding clientele on the quest for the novelty.

Among the first big trend- with an homage to the classics- the absolute protagonist is Tag Heuer, which presented alongside a range of novelties a re-edition of the Autavia watch. The return of this iconic model is the result of an innovative participatory event, the Autavia Cup, organized in the Spring of 2016 aimed at dialoguing with the community of enthusiasts and brand collectors, consulting with connoisseurs and offering them the choice of which historical model should inspired the new Autavia. Thus, a timepiece with a retro look, revisited with touches of modernity: raised buttons, knurled crown, Tag Heuer logo and the strap in aged calfskin, keeping that vintage feel. It has a contemporary-style with the addition of a datary window and sapphire backing and the luminescent coating is beige, matching the stitches on the strap.

Gucci, in the height of its creative renaissance, presented an astonishing series of watches this year that reflect Alessandro Michele’s extravagance and creativity. The new modifications of the G-Timeless mark an interesting return to the iconic shapes of the past. For men, two original timepieces with automatic movement and GMT function (40 mm): the brand’s unmistakable snake symbol is the GMT hand, pointing to the second time zone, while iconic bee, star and heart motifs orbit around the dial as pointers. The movement and engraving of the Gucci bee on the oscillating weight can be seen through the transparent backing.

For Bulgari, mêtiers d’art is a strong theme celebrated with the launch of Octo Finissimo Tourbillon in the Squelette version, the world’s thinnest tourbillon. The new Squelette features an ultra-slim tourbillon with 253 fully visible components, including 13 rubies and eight ball bearings, which help to reduce the overall thickness of the timepiece. It operates at a rate of 21,600 vph (vibrations per hour) with 62 hours of reserve charge. Decorating this timepiece justly, the new Octo case (40mm) is platinum (waterproof up to 30 metres) and the strap is in black alligator hide with a pronged buckle.

Jaquet Dros, on the other hand, presents Loving Butterfly Automaton, a masterpiece of elegance and savoir faire, precisely because this watch combines the complexity of the mechanical movement with the beauty of the miniature horseman and butterfly that animate the movement of time. Offered in an extremely limited run of only 28 pieces, the pink gold case and the 43mm dial make this timepiece bold, yet intriguing.

In this panorama of interesting novelties, also notable is Swarovski who at this year’s exhibition extends its collection of women’s Crystalline timepieces, now including models of Crystalline Hours in red, black and two white versions. The dial contains nearly 2000 crystals, confirming once again the brand’s ability to build and wisely evolve the concept of the faceted crystal cut. The brand is also taking a leading position in the world of watchmaking, which grew by more than 30% in 2016. As Robert Buchbauer, CEO of Swarovski Consumer Goods Business says, launching new products at Basel World enables the brand to become more established in this area and to pave the way for further novelty in upcoming editions, like the forthcoming announcement of the launch of its first timepieces for men.

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Ruinart_Dom Pérignon_Moët & Chandon

Everyone knows that champagne is best enjoyed cold. However, in Italy many believe this great wine is reserved for only New Year’s Eve, rather than summer. A mere myth. So, here are six choices for spoiling oneself at aperitif hour, on a boat or perhaps, in the sun.

ART COOL

“For the fifth consecutive year we serve our Cuvée Ruinart on all the beaches of the White Summer Ruinart circuit,” says Senior Brand Manager, Andrea Pasqua, who met MANINTOWN during the opening week of the 57th Venice Biennale, where he is divided his time between the Woven Forms vernissage, Louis Vuitton Foundation dinner, and parties at Fondaco dei Tedeschi and Palazzina G. “We are the champagne of contemporary art,” he stresses, “and throughout the Biennale, we have a welcome service at the Venice airport and a Ruinart Bike Bar at Cipriani.” And just in time for the arrival of summer, “from the 21st to the 23rd of June, we open the hidden gem of the Redentore terrace at Gritti Palace, where, upon enrolment on our site, www.maisonruinart.com, guests will have access to a dinner tasting menu or an aperitif, paired with ‘cicchetti,’ the Venetian street food, reinterpreted in a gourmet version by starred Chef Daniele Turco of the Club del Doge restaurant.”

ON THE ROCKS

Want to drink champagne under a beach umbrella without letting it get too warm? There is a solution. Champagne on the rocks? Mais oui! Moet Ice Impérial breaks the taboo of tradition and inaugurates a new style, a true drinking experience combining ice cubes with the unexpectedly effervescent bubbly. “Moët Ice Impérial champagne has been been made into an art form, rendering its flavour even more intense and fruity and introducing a completely new way of drinking champagne, without letting it get diluted by ice,” explains Benoît Gouez, Chef de Cave of Moët & Chandon.

MIXOLOGY

Inspired by a new and fresh vision of contemporary drink culture, Veuve Clicquot has worked with expert mixologists to create a whole new champagne: Veuve Clicquot RICH and Veuve Clicquot RICH ROSÉ, with a higher dosage for more sweetness and aroma. Highlighting the Maison’s savoir-faire in wine production, Veuve Clicquot’s Chef de Caves, Dominique Demarville, explains: “super in champagne is equivalent to spices in a recipe: if used properly they allow specific aromas to come out, playing with flavour variety.” In short, transforming it into the basis for a fresh cocktail.

GRAPHIC ICE

Graphic Ice, the new cuvée by Nicolas Feuillatte, exalts the joy of summer living. It is served in a large glass with ice where its floral notes and sweet freshness unite with lime and pineapple. A new elegant and sophisticated cocktail for summer to be enjoyed both day and night, when even the bottle of its special packaging becomes truly luminescent.

SUMMER SYNOPSIS

Krug Grande Cuvée is created beyond the very notion of millennialism, building upon the various wines of several vintages. Each year, when preparing the composition, Eric Lebel, Chef de Caves of the Maison, is faced with around 400 different wines. Within every bottle of Krug Grande Cuvée there are over twenty years of passion and dedication. As Lebel explains, “when we taste the first wines that remind of of the grapes as they were in the vineyards, it’s as if a single violin is playing. Our concert begins. The work gains depth and breadth, as our musicians merge into a single, clear and elegant symphony, a new Krug Grande Cuvée”.

ICON ON BOARD

In July and August, on the shores and along the crystal-clear beaches of Sardinia, Dom Pérignon Yacht P2 Delivery will offer a special service for on-the-sea delivery of its precious bottles. The maxitender, designed and built by Capelli Shipyard on the Tempest 900 model, keeps the champagne on ice and delivers it at the correct temperature. An exclusive service suitable even for one of the brand’s historic clients, Marilyn Monroe, who Pérignon celebrates with an exhibition, Imperdibile Marilyn, at Rome’s Palazzo degli Esami until July 30th. Her preferred bottle? The 1953 Vintage, which faithfully accompanied the actress on the set of her films.

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Filippo Nigro is the model anti-divo: amiable and extroverted. Good-natured and not the least bit self-centred, he struggles to explain his own success because he has never felt particularly gifted: and yet, in his role as an actor he has received various recognitions. Among which, for example, the Italian Golden Globes for “La Finestra di Fronte” by Ferzan Ozpetek, the director with whom he worked for both for “Le Fate Ignoranti” and that for which he won best actor at the Taormina Film Festival for “Dalla Vita in Poi.” All that without counting his nomination for a David di Donatello award as best supporting actor for his role in “Diverso da Chi?” in which he acted alongside Luca Argentero. Filippo Nigro, a Sagittarian, enjoys the challenges of an intense life made up of stimulating experiences and a grueling life on the sets of a movies, television or in theatrical work. In that way, Filippo doesn’t like to “sit still.” While he takes horseback riding lessons in preparation for a role in the film “The Book of Vision” with Charles Dance (himself also catching public attention, for among other roles, his part in “Il Trono di Spade”), he has just finished filming “Suburra” the first TV series created in Italy for Netflix, directed by Michele Placido, in which he plays a politician. Wearing a white tee shirt and a pair of green chinos, never without his vintage style tortoise frame sunglasses, the one touch of cool in his basic, casual look, Filippo Nigro speaks to MANINTOWN in an exclusive interview.

More movies or more theater in Filippo Nigro’s career?
Whenever I can, I feed my passion for the theatre, which I love. My last piece, “Candide,” dates back to over a year ago. In any case, I think that today television series offer interesting opportunities for career actors.

You said that in your opinion acting is like training for life. Can you explain this statement?
Acting helped me to define various aspects of my character. Today I feel calmer and more aware, I have more fun, I’m less impulsive, and I don’t take things as seriously.

What was your most challenging role?
There hasn’t been any one in particular. I guess I would say that of a professor who was victim of his student’s trap in the movie “Un Gioco da Ragazze.” In general, I love playing characters who are contradictory, somewhat insecure, who change their mind easily.

What part does your physicality have in your roles?
Not much. It comes about because I practice a lot of sports, but I would also have liked to play action movie roles pumped with testosterone; in general I love that genre.

 Must-have garments in your wardrobe?
A leather jacket, I have two of them: a black one and one in brown leather, more lived in, both with a ‘biker’ look.

What piques your curiosity?
If I like a person, I love to deeply understand him or her intimate side. I’m curious about the behavioral evolution of my three children, Alessandro, Olivia and Claudio, and I am curious about getting to know new people, although I am a very distracted person by nature, except when on the set, where I am very focused. Being distracted at university nearly cost me an exam (smiles).

What are your “male” passions?
I love sports and I practice many. I should start by saying I love to be outside in the open air and I hate gyms; I like football, swimming, tennis and running. When I can, I like playing chess because it relaxes me.

Your ideal place for body and mind?
For my spirit, I love being in the game, travelling for work and engaging in new projects. As far as a physical place, I think about my family, my wife Gina whom I love, because being with them is the place where I always feel safe and secure, like being in a nest of well-being.

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Photographer| Roberta Krasnig
Stylist| Stefania Sciortino
Photographer Assistant| Jacopo Gentilini
Grooming| Samia Mohsein@makingbeauty using KIEHL’S Age Defender Cream
Location| Coffee Pot, Roma

His powerful and mysterious appeal has conquered the audience in theatres and on TV, his clear eyes and his engaging pleasantness make him irresistible, while he sits down with MANINTOWN to tell us about himself. He is Lino Guanciale, a well-know character of Italian fiction, with a consolidated theatre career that started with Romeo and Juliet, directed by Gigi Proietti. Passionate about literature, but with a rock soul, the actor from Abruzzo loves grabbling with roles that are very different one from another, from the good-looking and arrogant guy of the comedies, down to the surreal and somewhat Pirandellian roles of police commissioner Leonardo Cagliostro in La porta rossa, mysteriously lingering between the world of the living and of the dead. Besides theatre, his first and inalienable love, and TV, Lino Guanciale teaches acting to young people. A truly Italian chameleon-like, multitasking talent.

Where do you draw inspiration to interpret your characters?
It depends, often from the books I have read, rather than from movies, although they too play a role in it. Often from literary references, from comics to Dostoevsky, I am rather omnivorous. When I am reading a script, the first thing to cross my mind is a reference, which can range from Walt Disney to Crime and Punishment. Plus, I observe people a lot, in the streets on public transport, in any situation.

The most thrilling memory in your career?
This year, apart from seeing I Peggiori in the theatres, it was the TV success of La porta rossa, as none of us expected such a hit. The night of the last episode, because in Trieste they insisted that we should screen it in a cinema, with people in it, as if it were a film. A way of celebrating the fact that the series had a pretty much Trieste setting. It was extremely exciting.

What do you learn, as an individual, from your profession?
Trying to walk in someone else’s shoes. This is the most difficult part ever. I have recently noticed that also other actors share my view, I was happy to hear what Elio Germano said on Fazio about Kropotkin, also because I was convinced that I was the only one to have read it (he laughs, Ed). Seeing that many artists and professionals of my generation are trying to develop a certain background is good. Gramsci used to say that theatre helps develop people’s dramatic phantasy, and better understand how to walk in someone else’s shoes.

Which is the irresistible side of theatre?
People watching you live. This kind of relationship forces you to do your best in playing someone else, without forgetting that while you have to identify with a character, you should avoid having your audience fall asleep. You have to grab the audience’s attention, and this, in so many ways, makes me feel alive, while I am acting. Maybe this is the reason why I need to go back to theatre as often as I can, and I never want to give it up. It is also terrifying, in a beautiful way.

You teach in schools. What is the most important piece of advice you give to the young people who want to act?
I am currently teaching at Accademia del Teatro in Modena. First of all, I try to show them that, if they work hard, they can do more than what they actually think they can do. For an actor it is very important to try and explore different territories, as each one of them has a face and a body that pigeonholes him or her in a type of role. The question of the physique du rôle is unavoidable. But it is necessary to try and shatter this dogma, to convince those who may give you a role, that you can do different kind of things. The satisfaction lies in abandoning your comfort zones, what you know you can do well, and take risks. Doing what you still cannot do, can be challenging and illuminating. This profession is beautiful, if you manage to find reasons to be surprised, when it becomes a routine, it is the most alienating job ever.

What do your students teach you?
To question my assumptions. The best way to understand something is to try and explain it to someone else, therefore, every time I find myself “teaching”, I am forced to question my assumptions, in doing so I learn new things for my profession.

Which are your other passions?
A little anecdote: I have recently taken part, for the promotion of I peggiori, in the show I soliti ignoti, where I was asked about my passions and hobbies to build the game. I realized that I have no spare time, no hobbies, no private life beside my profession ( laughs, Ed). Joking aside, there are many things that I enjoy doing. But every time I am reading or every time I watch a movie or listen to music, in one way or another, it is as if I was working, because there’s always a connection with my work. I am also keen on sports; I was once an amateur rugby player. I enjoy walking, I am a big fan of all flâneur writers, who recount about the worlds one can discover when walking, also because I feel a physiological rejection for cars, although I actually really like them. I have to say that this is another passion of mine, driving helps me relax.

What is the garment that best represents you?
I have some t-shirts of music bands I like, like R.E.M., Joy Division, The Stooges, Velvet Underground, the Smiths, the Cure, bands ranging from the rock punk of the ‘60s to the new wave of the ‘80s. I have had these t-shirts for twenty years and these are the ones I wear compulsively. These are the garments I love best and that represent me. Instead, a garment that seems to suit me is the jacket. I think that a nice jacket with a Joy Division logo would represent me (he laughs, Ed).

An object that you always carry with you?
Everyone has his/her lucky charms, mine is a watch that my parents game me when I was thirty and I had just made my debut in cinema, but I was mainly a theatre actor, and I had not started with television yet. When they gave it to me, I got the message: “Time to get going!” (he laughs, Ed). I always wear it, as some of the family members who gave it to me have left us, this is a way to still have them with me.

A talismanic gesture?
Many! To do this job I had to learn to control a number of neurotic tics, nothing serious, but some of them have become like a trademark: snapping my fingers, stepping onto the stage with my left foot. Obviously, whenever there are needles on the stage, I have to gather them all and put them into my pocket; sometimes I collect as many as ten, as they are said to be lucky charms. Pavarotti reportedly had a 2-3thousand needles collection, which he had gathered on the stages around the world. Before and after a show I have to greet the theatre, and caress the stage. They all sound like rather stupid things to do, but, actually, they help me familiarize with the place where I am working. Standing on a stage has somewhat something to do with an execution, with the audience’s “guns” pointed at me. It is a dangerous place, so it is better to try and tame it before working on it.

A secret wish?
I have many, actually. I’d like to have more time to write, to publish something, a finished work. Also I’d like to make a trip on the Silk Road. I love travelling, even though I haven’t travelled much, because I have prioritized a profession that has me move non-stop (I rarely sleep two consecutive nights in the same bed). I’d also like to go the United States, especially the East Coast, the most “European part”.

Photographer| Manuel Scrima
Stylist| Stefania Sciortino
Grooming| Carola Sofia Retta 
Assistant Photographer| Sergi Planas and Lorenzo Novelli

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cover_Bandidos Illuminados

A silent dialog that fills the dense plot of our days, leaving an indelible trace of fondness. That of our relationship to objects, those artifacts with which we surround ourselves, in which we instil meaning. Speaking with Humberto Campana of the famous design duo of Brazilian brothers, it is clear how his personal experience has a strong influence on design, which thus become like a travel journal, a snapshot of daily life or even the signature of social commitment. These iconic objects, children of this sustainable design, best represent Humberto and Fernando Campana: unique, inspired, contemporaries and wonderfully humble.

What is the current condition of design?
Today, it is like a political hardware store; a form of humanitarianism aid and aid to the planet. We must pay attention to all the rapid changes happening worldwide. In this way, designers hold a very powerful tool in their hands because their product is in continuous interaction with people’s lives. Think of the communities in northern Brazil: these social aggregates are disappearing along with their traditions, thus carrying them forward by way of design would mean a lot. Therefore, it is clear that design has implications that go deeper than pure aesthetics.

How does a city like Sao Paolo respond to the demands of contemporary design?
San Paolo and Milan are almost like twins, the energy is very similar, tough but extremely fascinating; it is a city that never sleeps, almost like the Manhattan of Latin America, full of skyscrapers and helicopters. It is not a metropolis that opens itself up easily, like Rio de Janeiro; you have to get to know it, discover all its nooks and crannies alongside its inhabitants. For the last 10 years the design scene in Sao Paulo and all over Brazil has changed very rapidly, and the Campana brothers are not the only ones demonstrating this evolution; there is also a whole new generation that we have influenced with the culture of design our ideas of free expression. More people are talking about this “design language” because they understand it, and globalization has certainly contributed to that.

The modus operandi of Campana: do you use a single, systematic approach to all your projects?
It is a challenge to treat every current projects differently; whether they are huge or microscopic, my approach is always the same: passion and love. Having the freedom to choose what I love to do is the engine that drives me every day; I was a lawyer and I left the profession to have this freedom. An artist has to have it. To be able to dabble in different universes: fashion, design, art, or any other that inspires me. The 21st century, above all, continuously reinforces the idea of hybrid figures that break barriers; what has to remain is the passion in affronting any job challenge. On a daily basis, I approach all projects with my gut and with lots of intuition. I allow myself to be inspired by dreams and suggestions, that sometimes become real and personal obsessions. Often these ideas turn into projects, but it doesn’t happen automatically.

Do you have very defined roles in your professional partnership?
No (he laughs). To tell you the truth, we’ve never defined any type of role. It is a relationship between brothers that isn’t easy to manage in the scope of business partners, you need to reach compromises, and luckily in our case, the perpetual conflicts have always been positive and stimulating.

Cannes film festival provided the backdrop to MANINTOWN’s meeting with belgian actor Jérémie Renier, where he graciously took the time to sit for this series of pictures during a hectic press schedule promoting his latest release, Francois Ozon’s L’Amant Double. No stranger to the croisette, he made his debut there with La Promesse in 1996, and more recently was in Le Gamin au Velo, which won the Grand Prix in 2011. We later caught up with him on the telephone to talk about style both on and off camera, acting influences, and his latest releases.

What is your favourite aspect of being an actor?
Preparing for a role. I love discovering new worlds and different professions – for example learning to dance, sing or play an instrument, it can be quite exhilarating.

How exactly do you go about preparing for a role, then?
Of course it varies according to the part and depending on the movie and director, but I like taking a month or two to read and rehearse a script, either alone or with a coach, and fully immerse myself in the story.

Who are the actors who inspired you in your career?
The first actor I looked up to was Jean-Paul Belmondo. I was fascinated by his freedom and panache, and the way he could be at once explosive, sensitive and physical. I also liked Sean Connery with his english sense of class, as well as other anglophone actors such as Joaquin Phoenix, Daniel Day-Lewis, Christian Bale, and Philip Seymour Hoffman – the types who end up in unexpected movies. I love Tilda Swinton and her physical transformations for films: We need to talk about Kevin, Io sono l’Amore, or a Marvel movie – she’s always so fresh and powerful that it completely astonishes me.

Is there a director you would love to work with?
There are many interesting female directors at the moment – or maybe its just that they are finally getting the recognition they deserve: Maiwenn, Celine Sciamma, Valerie Donzelli, Kate Quillevere and Julia Ducournau. I always find their films more stylish, beautiful, intelligent and transporting than those of their male contemporaries – vive les femmes!

It’s not your first time at Cannes – would you say it’s been a good springboard for your career?
I wouldn’t say it’s been an explosion as such; I’ve always been more of a slow burner than ‘a la mode’ . I was very young being sixteen the first time I came here, but over the years I’ve had the chance to return often with diverse projects and meeting different directors – I guess it’s just not in my nature to explode.

You also starred in Potiche by Francois Ozon which was more comedic in tone, especially your portrayal. Do you feel as comfortable in comedies as you do in dramatic roles?
I’d love to say I feel equally at ease with both, but I have to be honest and say that comedy is something that comes less naturally, perhaps because of the specific rhythm it takes. It’s something I’m attracted to but it comes less instinctively and spontaneously, at least for now.

When reading the script for this year’s L’Amant Double, what convinced you to accept the role?
It was the originality of the project, and Francois’s idea of playing twins with contrasting characters in such an edgy thriller that quickly drew me in. The sulphurous, sexually charged element attracted me and I knew that it would be respectful and tasteful with Francois behind the camera. I felt safe and excited to work with him for the third time because besides counting him as a friend, he is also an incredibly gifted, prolific and versatile director.

You play twins, sometimes depicted on the screen at the same time. What was the biggest challenge in playing them? Is there one you enjoyed playing more?
To find subtlety and to keep them disparate and not make caricatures out of them, especially with Louis the more tyrannical, intense, arrogant and aggressive of the two. As for Paul, the other brother, I was trying not to be too linear or soft, but to give him dimension and complexity. What was most interesting as the story progresses and as the character of Chloe loses her grip on reality and her ability to tell the twins apart for me was to switch between them with a smile or a change in expression, for example just in the eyes. But I enjoyed playing both characters equally, from the simple, sweet, and complex Paul to the pretentious, perverted, sexual and physical Louis.

Up next we have your film Carnivores, co-directed with your brother Yannick Renier, a story of two sisters. How was it working with your brother as co-directors, having already worked together as actors?
It happened very naturally. The project has been in the works for many years so we had a lot of time to talk about our respective desires and concerns, so we were able to make sure that it went smoothly – plus we know each other so well that it was quite instinctive and natural.

How would you describe your personal style? Who are your favourite designers at the moment?
It varies, quite casual in general but I do like designers such as Comme des Garcons, Acne, Ami and Margiela. I’m not eccentric, loud, or fashion-forward, I like mixing textures, an old pair of jeans with a cool t-shirt for example. I rarely buy clothes but when I do I tend to look at the materials and fabrics.

Off set, have you ever been inspired by one of your films’ characters in the way you dress in real life?
I would have loved that just as much as reversing it and informing the look of one of my characters myself, because often the costumes aren’t particularly inspiring, apart from in L’Amant Double, where I wear a lot of suits and Francois flattered me greatly with the framing and lighting. But in the upcoming film with my brother, the male characters dress a little more as I’d want to look on screen. I’d actually love to play a character with a strong look but we tend to be quite conservative in France when it comes to style – there’s a fear of portraying trendy or beautiful characters. Sometimes when prepping a film I’ll try on a costume that I think looks good and I’ll be told that it’s too flattering and “he looks like a model” even though I’m clearly not. There’s a fear of doing something excessively beautiful, but I’d say I’m the opposite, to me aesthetics and beauty are important in cinema.

Photographer| Stefania Paparelli
Stylist| Nicholas Galletti
Hair Stylist| Cindy Faugeras for Franck Provost Paris.
Make up artist| Aurélie Payen for Franck Provost Paris
Location| The JW Marriott, Cannes

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Emirates Palace

Escaping without running away. Giving in to the luxury of leaving everything behind to depart, knowing that you live every journey three times: when you dream of it, when you live it, and when you remember it. In a dream-worthy global itinerary, we depart from Italy and head east toward Abu Dhabi, the country of wonders, where tradition and innovation run alongside talent and extraordinary harmony. The Emirates Palace is one of the few hotels in the world to boast a spectacular 7-star rating. Now an established iconic location- perhaps because of the visual beauty of its real gold detail decor contrasted with the rich green of the surrounding gardens- it is most likely recognized for the supreme services offered to clients, including a private marina to dock one’s yacht, the possibility to withdraw real gold coins and gold bars from the ATM Gold and its helicopter landing pad.

Travelling further eastward on the trajectory of this extraordinary itinerary leads to the exotic and energetic Malaysia, a mosaic of a country, inlaid with culture and ethnicity, that offers bewildering landscapes, unexplored jungles and islands rich with uncontaminated beaches. The Four Seasons Resort Langkawi, set along the Tanjung Rhu coast, astonishes guests with its mix of traditional Malaysian architecture combined with Moorish design, and for its refined approach to the most adrenaline-inducing water sports such as jet-skiing, wake boarding, windsurfing and kayaking.

Continuing toward the Orient, in an atoll among the islands of Fiji we find Laucala Island, private property of “Mr. Red Bull,” Dietrich Mateschitz, a resort among the Leading Hotels of the World, comprised of twenty-five villas that embody contemporary luxury, each unique from the others, with private pools, exclusive beach access and a breath-taking view of the surrounding barrier reef. The island, the destination of Elle Macpherson’s wedding, is a place where dreams are made and the perfect location for a romantic getaway, far away from everyone and everything.

In nearby French Polynesia, The Brando resort offers an experience of extreme comfort, in harmony with the uncontaminated atoll. It owes its name to Marlon Brando himself, who founded this Tahitian paradise in 1966 after shooting Mutiny on the Bounty on location.

Hopping from Oceania over to the Americas, the Journey of (Im)possible Dreams continues to the Land of Fire, Argentina, atop a majestic mesa that takes your breath away. A silence interrupted only by the sounds of nature, vast and luminous spaces, waterfalls, fjords, glacier peaks and enchanted lakes welcome guests to the land of Magellan. The Arakur Ushuaia Resort & Spa, another of the Leading Hotels of the World, situated in the Cerro Alarkén Natural Reserve, dominates in hospitality, service and linearity. The hotel impresses guests with its sustainable design including huge windows framing a snow-capped landscape, warm wood-burning fireplaces, unpolished stone and natural fabric decor. A far corner of the world that feels like home.

Moving north for an immersion of festivity and excitement we reach Miami, the metropolis by the sea. Latin rhythms, Hollywood style pools and a futuristic skyline transmit joy and a carefree spirit, of which the Faena Hotel Miami Beach is the perfect embodiment.  Co-conceived by famous director Baz Luhrmann and his wife, costume designer and scenographer Catherine Martin who personally curated the interior design, the hotel surprises with its pop details, bright coloured furniture and Art Deco style. A unique hotel, whose spirit brings to mind Satine from Moulin and the Grande Gatsby.

Before returning to Europe, a stop-over on the African continent is a must. Located in Serengeti National Park, the Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti offers its guests the opportunity to get up-close and personal with the local people and culture in an unforgettable stay in the heart of the savanna. This Safari Lodge, situated in the heart of Tanzania, is the ideal spot for those who want to see the true Africa without sacrificing comfort. This safari destination offers the possibility to organize a tour through the savannah with Masai guides on the look out for elephants, lions and leopards.

On to Marrakesh, an imperial city strongly influenced by France and Spain during the years of its colonialism, which offers a stay in one of the most famous hotels in the world: La Mamounia. The hotel was created as a palace with surrounding gardens that King Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah gave to his son on the occasion of his wedding. State leaders and film stars are among its exclusive visitors. In the hotel’s Moroccan-style guest rooms, Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt have slept, in addition to stars such as Salma Hayek, Orlando Bloom, Gwyneth Paltrow, Dalida, Elton John and the Rolling Stones who, here, wrote the famous “Marrakech Express”.

On the way back home, in our own Bel Paese where the Itria Valley gently descends towards the Adriatic Sea, we make a stop at Borgo Egnazia, a place of wonders whose design is liberally inspired in its shapes, materials and colours by the typical Apulian countryside. A place unlike anywhere else consisting of a courtyard, a hamlet, and 29 villas surrounded by the spectacular San Domenico Golf Club and Vair Spa, a temple dedicated to nurturing the body and soul.

Finally, in choosing last leg of our Journey of (Im)possible Dreams, we couldn’t imagine anything else but staying Italy, where The Four Seasons Hotel Firenze is the perfect place to end our tour.  Packed to the brim with history and art, situated in the stillness within the walls of the largest private park in Florence, this complex, which was once a papal residence, a convent and the luxurious residence of the Florentine nobility. Today, it charms its guests with its frescoes, bas-reliefs and stucco decor with a triumph of original artworks and precious architectural details that inevitably remind us of the Renaissance era.

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