Cryptocurrencies and blockchain were among the topics discussed between Monegasque financial representatives and those in Luxembourg last week, ahead of a MOU signing in the coming months.
Led by Robert Gelli, Secretary of State for Justice – Director of Judicial Services, and Michel Hunault, Director of the Information and Control of Financial Circuits Service (SICCFIN), a Monegasque delegation visited the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg on 16th December to participate in working meetings with their counterparts from the Ministry of Justice, the Financial Intelligence Unit (CRF) and the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF), with the participation of Isabelle Berro-Amadeï, Monaco’s Ambassador in Luxembourg.
During the trip they were greeted by Sam Tanson, Minister of Justice and Culture, Claude Marx, Director of the CSSF, Max Braun, Director of the FIU and Martine Solovieff, State Attorney General. Discussions focused on issues that concern Luxembourg and Monegasque financial centres: the challenges of supervision, investigations and analyses of financial flows, and cooperation between the two countries in the light of developments in international financial crime.
The tracking of cryptocurrencies, blockchain and trading platforms were also the subject of discussions.
The members of the two delegations referred to the evaluations of their anti-money laundering and terrorist financing policies by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and by the MONEYVAL committee of the Council of Europe which will take place in 2021.
“The discussions were very concrete and the exchange of experiences and organisation should lead, in the coming months, to the signing in the Principality of a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in matters of supervision between the SICCFIN and the CSSFs” said the government in a statement on Monday.
The Luxembourg FIU and the CSSF will participate in the Forum of the Circle of Francophone FIUs which will take place in Monaco in November 2021, which will be chaired by Director of SICCFIN Michel Hunault.
In this month’s exclusive interview for Monaco Life, Princess Grace Foundation-USA’s CEO Brisa Trinchero catches up with one of America’s most acclaimed costume designers, Paul Tazewell, about the intricacies of theatre design, his favourite Grace Kelly looks, and what’s to come in the future.
Paul Tazewell is a highly acclaimed costume designer for film, theatre, and dance. Notable masterpieces include Hamilton (Tony Award for Best Costume Design), The Wiz: Live! (Emmy Award) and costumes for Steven Spielberg’s upcoming West Side Story film. Paul received his Princess Grace Award in 1993, and in 2004 Paul received the Foundation’s highest honour, the Princess Grace Statue Award.
Earlier this month the Foundation partnered with Paul to create four exclusive designs of limited-edition, hand-sewn face masks inspired by Grace Kelly’s iconic fashion looks for the holiday season to support the Foundation and the creative communities that have been impacted by Covid-19.
What made you become a costume designer?
I grew up in an artist-filled family, and when I entered grade school I was transfixed by the performances at the school. There was a production of Oklahoma that I remember seeing at the neighbourhood high school and, when I began high school, I started performing in those productions as well as learning how to sew and design the costumes. One thing led to another and I entered Pratt Institute in Brooklyn to study fashion, but my main intention was to be in New York to start to educate myself around performance.
I decided to transfer to the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem and by the end of my first year, I decided to let go of my dream to be a performer and take hold of the dream of being a costume designer. Much of it was about longevity, and some of it had to do with avoiding being typecast and being able to embrace many different types of characters. My interest from the performance end has infused itself into how I approach costume design. I use my experience and ability in interpreting character development and understanding movement as I interpret fabric and how it will move in space and live on a person’s body.
Paul Tazewell’s costumes for the Schulyer sisters in Hamilton, credit Sayaka Matuoka
You won your Princess Grace Award long before your many accolades. Can you tell us where you were in your life at that point and what the Princess Grace Award meant for you?
I was introduced to the Princess Grace Foundation through Arena Stage in Washington. I had just graduated from NYU with my graduate degree in costume and set design. They asked me to come and be a part of their staff for a year. When I entered, they suggested that we approach the Princess Grace Foundation to pay for part of my salary. That experience overall allowed me to hone my skills and mature as a costume designer outside of New York; I was not under the gaze of everyone watching but there was still some visibility.
While I was there, George C. Wolfe saw a production that I had designed and he invited me to New York, where he was a director working on the new Broadway musical, Bring in’ da Noise, Bring in’ da Funk. It was a fantastic show created with Savion Glover and I was invited to design the costumes for his production which was my first Broadway show. I was then nominated for a Tony award for that production. So that was quite a wonderful experience for me.
And that was just the start of your relationship with the Princess Grace Awards…
I continued to stay in contact with the Princess Grace Foundation-USA and later received the Statue Award. It came at a very opportune time; I was just leaving an institution and going into being a freelance designer in New York, which is really hand-to-mouth as an artist. I felt so supported by the Foundation.
Tazewell’s work in West Side Story
What is your process when you start a new design role?
My process started at North Carolina School of the Arts, where I received a strong foundation on how to approach the text, how to imagine what a world might be developing, what conversation looks like with the director, and the skills to be able to generate those images on paper so that I can hand it over to someone else to build as costumes. Once I understand what the text is, I start to do research and pull images from all over, then whatever music goes along with it and the screenplay. Let’s say I might also go towards something that is emotionally driven. That’s something that speaks to me as I think about how the story might be told, that might be disconnected from the actual period and structure of the text. If it’s a ballet, it’s talking to the choreographer and understanding what the story is that is being told from their point of view.
I see the director as an editor of my images and of my ideas, and the leader that conveys the story because it’s their vision and they need to carry all of the designers and all of the actors through the process of delivering up a story, whether it’s musical or play or ballet. After picking through and establishing what our world will be with the director – with the inputs of the set designer, the lighting designer, and the sound designer – I start drawing.
I make specific choices for specific characters that move through time. Once those elements become two dimensional images, I’ll back it with period or contemporary research and how to realise this idea. I then choose independent costume shops around New York City with amazing tailors and amazing dressmaker’s that do custom beading and embroidery, that will be appropriate for the type of costumes I’ve designed.
Can you explain the difference between designing for Broadway versus film?
For Broadway, the costume has to withstand the wear and tear of eight shows a week. So, it’s less about the fabric that’s chosen and much more about how the interior is built so that it holds up. With Hamilton, we have an amazing wardrobe staff and team, dressers and maintenance people that take care of those clothes and make sure that they all look great every time that the show is performed.
With film, most of the time you’re looking for naturalism. If you look at some of the dresses from the 1930s, many of them were made by the people that were wearing them in real-time; they were made in a person’s home or if they were purchased, they have an interior that we don’t even get in clothing today. There’s a sense today that clothing is more disposable. In previous periods, the clothing was built very well and that was the case for the 30s. Some suits were built beautifully. The menswear is always gorgeous. The fabric might be moth-eaten, but the structure of the garment will still be present.
So, you’re trying to recreate that within the film where with theatre you need to balance both. You need to be able to make something that looks like it has very little support but something that will withstand all the shows.
Do you have a favourite costume from all of your shows and films?
The Schuyler Sisters’ ball dresses for the song ‘Helpless’.
Where can we see your work next?
West Side Story was slated to open in theatres in December [it’s since been delayed]. I know that Harriet is now being picked up by HBO, so people will be able to see that as well in their homes. I’m very proud of all the work that’s in that as well. I am working on the upcoming production of MJ, which is the Michael Jackson story, and it’s a Broadway musical. While I’m resetting the production of Hamilton in Australia, I will also be working on MJ in New York.
Tazewell’s exclusive Grace Kelly-inspired face masks
Speaking of incredible costumes, Grace Kelly had many iconic looks. From your perspective as a costume designer, do you have any favourite Grace Kelly looks?
I reference Grace Kelly’s iconic images from her incredible career whenever I research costumes from the 50s and 60s. My favourites are probably the clothes that Edith Head designed for Rear Window and ToCatch a Thief. One of my favourite looks is from Rear Window – she wears this traveling suit with a halter blouse and wide belt. It’s so classically 1950s and creates this image of a professional woman in New York, and she wears it amazingly well. She also comes in with the Mark Cross bag which is an icon in itself.
Thank you, Paul. Your incredible work truly is a tribute to Princess Grace’s legacy, and we are so honoured to have you as part of the Princess Grace Foundation family.Do you have any final words for the Monaco community?
I am always and forever honoured to be connected to the Foundation and in that, distantly connected to Monaco. I have visited there a couple of times and I’m eager to get back once we can all travel freely. I always feel wonderfully embraced by the Foundation’s work and support of young artists which is so very necessary at this time. To support the Princess Grace Foundation-USA and receive a Paul Tazewell designed mask please visit: https://pgfusa.org/masks/
Legendary striker Cristiano Ronaldo has won the 2020 Golden Foot Award in a ceremony that took place uniquely in Italy on Sunday, joining the likes of Pele, Maradona and Zidane and earning his place on the Promenade des Champions in Monaco.
Cristiano Ronaldo can add Best Player of the Year to his five Ballon d’Or awards. He was chosen by popular vote cast via the Golden Foot Awards internet site and received his prize on Sunday, 20th December with the Golden Foot’s founder Antonio Caliendo and Louis Ducruet, representing Prince Albert II, in attendance.
The Portuguese striker was then asked to take a cast of his foot to be added to the new Legends of Football walk on the Promenade des Champions in Monaco, which will replace the current one that is not reachable due to the land extension works.
“It’s something that I was hoping to win one day,” said Ronaldo. “Just look at the history of this prize. The legends who received it are very important, so I am happy to receive it at my turn. This is the first in my museum, I’m so happy!”
Ronaldo also took to social media to publicly share his delight. On Twitter, he said, “I am honoured to win the @goldenfootofficial and to be immortalised on the Champion Promenade in Monaco, together with some of the greatest football legends of all time! I am truly humbled and want to thank the fans all over the world for having voted for me.”
Prince Albert II sent his congratulations by video message, saying, “It will be an honour for the Principality of Monaco to have the footprints of a champion such as Cristiano Ronaldo and the president of the Juventus Football Club, Andrea Agnelli.”
The new site for the Promenade des Champions, as well as how it will look, will be revealed in the coming months.
The Golden Foot award is an international award given to players who stand out for their athletic achievements and for their personality. The award is only given to active players of at least 28 years of age, and can only be won once.
Since 2009, the awards have been accompanied by a charity auction during a gala evening at the Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo, and raises funds to help fight AIDS. However, the gala did not go ahead this year and the award was presented in Italy because of the current health situation.
Fans can watch the digital awards ceremony by contacting organisers here: https://goldenfoot2020.discoveryvp.com
AS Monaco Basketball had a massive Euro Cup 7 win against Lithuania’s Lietkabelis Panevezys on the opponent’s home turf in the last game before Christmas.
The Roca Team got the win they needed to keep Top 16 hopes alive on Friday nightwhen they faced off against Lietkabelis Panevezys at the Cido Arena in Lithuania, winning 88 to 64.
The Lithuanians had already been eliminated from playoff contention, but a loss here for Monaco would have put them out to pasture for the season as well.
The two teams were fairly evenly matched until the third quarter when a fire was lit under the men of the Roca Team. In that quarter alone, they scored 27 points versus their opponents nine. This put them in the catbird seat for the rest of the game, and even though Lithuania came back swinging in the fourth, there was no catching up.
Monaco made 36 shots out of 62 on the night, with four out of 16 three point attempts. They had an amazing 35 rebounds, 16 assists and nine steals on the night.
Abdoulaye Ndoye was team high scorer with 14 points, whilst Marcos Knight, Nikola Rebic, Damien Ingles and Darral Willis all had 11 and Will Yeguete, 10.
“We had an excellent 3rd quarter to make a gap. It was thanks to a good defence that we had easy baskets. It was a good performance, but we can play even better,” Knight said after the match.
“Faced with an already eliminated opponent, the boys produced a serious match,” Coach Zvezdan Mitrovic went on to say, “doing their best after the 18 hour trip the day before (between Krasnodar and Panevezys). We focused on getting the ball inside and finding good positions. We will wait until we are officially 3rd before talking about our Top 16 opponents but we already know that it will be big posters. We will have a few days to prepare for the trip to Boulazac just after Christmas. It’s good to come home with a victory in the suitcases.”
A much-needed win has put AS Monaco and their fans in jolly spirits as the team took a 1 to 0 victory against Dijon on the weekend.
It was a razor-thin win, but a win nonetheless for the Red and Whites of Monaco on Sunday, who got a three-point boost in the Ligue 1 standings, putting them in seventh place and breaking a three-game losing streak.
The only goal of the game came early on as Kevin Volland at the 15-minute mark took the ball straight up the middle, passing to Wissam Ben Yedder, who shot it quickly back to Volland. Volland took advantage, knocking it between the poles, beating out Dijon goalie Anthony Racioppi.
It made the sixth goal for Volland so far this season, and the third with an assist from his team’s captain.
“The important thing was to win,” said Coach Niko Kovac with a rare smile. “I would say that this assist is like half a goal for Wissam. He fulfilled his role of leader, and his performance was very positive. He pulled the team over the top today.”
Kevin Volland saw it much the same way, citing team effort as the tool for success.
“It’s a one touch style which reflects the quality we have on this team and I think it’s an important goal for us today. It symbolizes the relationships that are created between us,” the German striker said modestly.
The win makes for a tight race in the all-important top third of the standings, where Monaco is only one point behind Montpellier and two behind Rennes.
“Before this match we had four wins in a row followed by three defeats,” said Kovac . “The most important thing was to win. I told my players before the match that Dijon was under pressure, and that we had to get a result. It may not have been our best game of the season, but we went for a positive result. We have shown character. I congratulate them for their state of mind. We’ll take the three points.”
The Red and Whites still have one more match before Christmas, where they play St-Étienne at home in Stade Louis II on Wednesday 23rd December at 8pm.
“A very Merry Christmas and a happy new year. Let’s hope it’s a good one, without any fear.”
(John Lennon)
Despite John Lennon’s best intentions, this Christmas may not be such a good one. It is unlikely to be lived without any fear, many of us are having to come to terms with the fact that we will not be with our extended families, and as 2020 closes, we are still reeling from the collective trauma of Covid-19.
We’ve been locked down, set free and locked down again. Some of us lost loved ones to Covid-19 while others lived in fear that we might. Place your bets on what comes next. It doesn’t feel like we’re off to Lapland. It’s more like living in limbo land.
Perhaps it doesn’t feel very seasonal given so many of us have been forced to undertake a risk-benefit analysis of Christmas. Does the benefit of being together as a family outweigh the risk of killing Granny?
I think we can be forgiven for asking whether this is the season to be jolly or should we just write this one off?
As a psychotherapist to clients in Monaco and around the world, here’s my take on the psychological impact of the pandemic and a handful of seasonal, survival tips. Collective trauma
Studies of past pandemics such as SARS and Ebola confirm psychological reactions such as panic, depression, loneliness, anxiety, stress, grief, anxiety and PTSD as common. In other words, it’s unsurprising if you are not feeling in the Christmas spirit.
Collective traumas can alter the fabric of our societies and nations. That’s how much is at stake currently. When events like wars and natural disasters occur, we may experience an existential identity crisis, individually and/or collectively. We question society. We become hyper-vigilant to the threats arounds us, real and imagined.
What adds to the confusion is that we are all experiencing the pandemic collectively yet our responses are different and we often feel guilty that our response isn’t normal. The psychological impact of Covid-19
We are in the early stages of understanding the psychological impact of Covid-19. One of the most recent studies has identified several common psychological reactions to the pandemic. Those include intense and uncontrolled fear related to infection, pervasive anxiety, frustration, boredom, and disabling loneliness.
As one client said to me recently, “Well when you put it like that, my stress makes sense.” None of us should underestimate the devastating impact of any one of these reactions. Many are experiencing a combination of them all.
I’ve written in Monaco Life previously about pandemic fatigue. We are overwhelmed with fatigue. Whether it’s fatigue from home schooling, media overload, zoom meetings, financial fears, health fears… we’re bloody worn out. When worn out, our capacity to withstand life’s challenges is inevitably diminished. Conflict
Not all families are on the same seasonal page. Some of us want to be together over Christmas and Covid-19 be damned, while others feel safer staying apart. At a time when families usually come together, we’re divided.
I’ve seen many families in a state of conflict over how and where to spend the holidays. One client told me that their family (who live in three different European countries) had a family meeting online in order to determine the lockdown laws in each of the three jurisdictions. She felt that resolving Brexit would have been easier. The vaccine
Bah humbug. Many of my clients don’t want to risk feeling hopeful about the vaccine yet. Coping with the possibility of uncertainty or more disappointment feels too difficult. For them, the vaccine is a tease especially as most of them don’t know when they will be eligible.
The vaccine is like waiting for the next season of our favourite Netflix series. You know it’s coming but you don’t know when. We don’t allow ourselves to get hopeful in case the next series is cancelled! What’s my point?
My point is that we can be forgiven for struggling with our mental health this Christmas. It doesn’t mean that we can’t be jolly (good for you if you are feeling in the festive spirit), but it is likely to be bittersweet for many. My 5 Christmas survival tips
Acknowledge your mental health. (Hint: if someone was taking a movie of you recently, what would they notice?). Once you have acknowledged your primary emotions, what might you need this holiday period? Some time alone or more support? If you had a cold over Christmas, you might let your friends and family visiting know. Do the people around you know your mental health?
Set Boundaries. What will make you feel safe this Christmas? How can you be true to yourself and stay within your integrity? We need to communicate with our loved ones in advance of being together what our expectations are. Do you require social distancing inside the house? Maybe it’s not acceptable for cousin Johnny to step off a plane and into your living-room? Is hugging ok? Boundaries are hard to set because we risk disappointing people. (The author and researcher Brené Brown describes a boundary as what is okay and not okay for you).
Seek REAL connection. As infants, our brains malfunction if we are deprived of social connection. There will be a handful of people in your life that have touched you. Those are the ones to reach to this Christmas whether or not you will be together. If any are deceased, try writing them a letter and reflect. We need to share our reality with the people that matter the most.
Make Zoom better. If you are having part of your Christmas on zoom, what might create an opportunity for deeper connection or some shared meaning? Have you thought about having a structure so that everyone takes turns to talk about what’s happening in their lives rather than the awkward free for all Zoom session? Have you thought about introducing some games? (If you could visit any person in history, who would it be and why?). I know one family who will be cooking together over Zoom.
(The challenge with family zoom sessions is by the time Grandma and Grandpa have got the sound switched on and you are no longer looking at their nasal hair, the session is over).
Go with the flow. There is often an expectation of what Christmas “should” be. That’s tough enough in the best of times. Christmas 2020 will be like no other. Perhaps our challenge is not to fixate on the past or dwell on the future but to be present for this holiday season, whatever it turns out to be like. I’ve never fully understood what “leaning into” something means but it feels like the right phrase here! Can we lean into this Christmas and give ourselves permission to experience it as is, without judgment?
And finally…
We all want to know when things will return to normal. Perhaps our greatest hope lies in the fact that things will not return to normal but that they will get better. Perhaps we will have learned more about what we value in our relationships and lives as a result of the pandemic and be bolder in seeking those changes.
I am hopeful that from the collective trauma will come a mindful, collective awakening. Wishing good health and happiness to all as we awaken and turn the corner into 2021.
Gavin Sharpe is a UK qualified psychotherapist and a Monaco resident. He can be reached at www.rivierawellbeing.com.
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