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Month: July 2022

Video: Charlotte Casiraghi stars in new Chanel soundtrack

by: Stephanie Horsman
27/07/2022

Charlotte Casiraghi’s relationship with Chanel deepens as she stars in the bizarre haute couture house’s autumn/winter 2022-23 soundtrack video by French singer and composer Sébastien Tellier.

Charlotte Casiraghi, daughter of Princess Caroline of Hanover, has been rocking Chanel for years. Her involvement with the legendary French fashion house became official on 1st January 2021 when a video came out announcing she had been selected to be an ambassador for the company.

She has taken this role seriously, as shown in her joining a few innovative and out of the ordinary events. In March 2021, she lent her face to the spring/summer 2021 ready-to-wear collection in an advertising campaign produced by the Dutch duo Inez & Vinoodh. The backdrop was the Principality and it featured many emblematic local sites.

Only a few months ago, Casiraghi opened Chanel’s spring/summer 2022 show by arriving on horseback.

Now, she has gone one step further with the release of a new video by the brand. It was written and composed by Sébastien Tellier and features not only her voice, but also her acting as she appears alongside Tellier and other models, all debuting pieces from the new line.

The video is, in a word, surreal. Casiraghi, Tellier and the models inhabit a whimsical place with corgis, paper sharks and childlike representations of “paper” submarines and boats.

Casiraghi had already worked with the singer during a musical performance at the end of the Chanel cruise show in May 2021. This new project, entitled Mademoiselle, was written as a nod to the fashion house’s iconic founder, Coco Chanel.

This new video shows that she is a confident woman and very comfortable in her own Chanel-swathed skin.

See the video below…

 

 

Image taken from video

 

 

 

 

Tragedy as local man drowns at Larvotto Beach

by: Stephanie Horsman
27/07/2022

A 34-year-old man from Roquebrune has drowned during a night swim off Larvotto Beach. This is what we know so far. 

The normally tranquil Larvotto Beach cove was the scene of tragedy on Monday 18th July, when a man was found dead after what appears to be an accidental drowning.

According to Monaco Matin, police believe the 34-year-old man from the neighbouring town of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin was heavily intoxicated with alcohol at the time.

The drowning is thought to have occurred shortly before 11pm on the 18th.. A friend who had reportedly been with him that evening had called emergency services after failing to hear from his friend. Police arrived at the scene to find the man’s body a few metres from the shore.

Despite resuscitation efforts by emergency services, the man could not be revived and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The public prosecutor’s office of Monaco has now opened an inquiry into the cause of death and are asking the victim’s relatives and friends, as well as any possible witnesses who had been on the beach at the time, to come forward to help the investigation.

Results of the autopsy are yet to be released publicly. 

 

 

 

Photo credit: Michel Charbonnier

 

 

 

 

New exhibition: the Antarctic at the Oceanographic Museum

by: Stephanie Horsman
27/07/2022

To celebrate the 250th anniversary of the French discovery of the Crozet and Kerguelen islands in the Antarctic, the Oceanographic Museum is hosting two temporary exhibitions on the archipelagos as well as one on the Dumont d’Urville Scientific Station which now sits on land discovered by French explorer Jules Dumont d’Urville nearly a century later.

The Antarctic has always been a place that piques the imagination. Cold and infinitely unknowable, the frozen continent sits at the far end of the world, a distant and unforgiving land, yet one that intrepid explorers have not been able to resist.

In 1772, two sub-Antarctic island chains, the Crozet Islands and the Kerguelan Islands, were discovered in the Southern Indian Ocean just weeks apart. The Crozets, which total six islands, three of whom are considered major, was discovered by Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne, aboard Le Mascarin. The Kerguelen’s main island was officially discovered by the French navigator Yves-Joseph de Kerguelen-Trémarec. The next day, Charles de Boisguehenneuc landed and claimed the island for the French crown.

Nearly a century later, in 1840, Terre Adélie, a strip of land that runs from the coastline to the South Pole, was put on the map by the French explorer Jules Dumont d’Urville.

Now, from 26th July to 26th September, the Oceanographic Museum is hosting two exhibits presented with the organisation French Southern and Antarctic Lands (TAAF). The shows are entitled ‘Crozet et Kerguelen 1772-2002’ and ‘From Dumont d’Urville at DDU: the French in Antarctica’, and encompass 40 panels using maps, archival documents, and historical and contemporary photos.

Visitors can step back in time and journey to the far reaches of the Earth where they can learn about the heritage these islands represent to the French as well as the issues currently facing them.

Larose Bay © Le Bouard

The two archipelagos are today protected within the national nature reserve of the French Southern Territories, elevated by UNESCO to the rank of world heritage of humanity site and form almost 10% of the exclusive economic zone of France, maritime space over which France has exclusive resource exploitation rights, and have become sanctuaries for global biodiversity.

The Kerguelen archipelago includes a set of small islands, the Prince-of-Monaco Islands, located in the southwest of the chain and named by explorer Raymond Rallier du Baty, around 1908, in honour of Prince Albert I. The Prince Albert Pass located to the west of the main island of Kerguelen was also named for the “Explorer Prince”.

In the ‘From Dumont d’Urville to DDU: the French in Antarctica’ exhibit, visitors take a chronological trip through time to see the French activity in the Antarctic, amongst them, the adventures of Jules Dumont d’Urville and Jean-Baptiste Charcot, two French figures in polar exploration, and the establishment of the first permanent scientific base in Terre Adelie after the Second World War respectively.

For those who crave more, Sciene Po writer and historian Bruno Fuligni will host a conference on 9thSeptember at 2:30pm called ‘The Kerguelens, 250 years of French presence’ outlining the quests made over the years in the Antarctic as well as attempts at colonisation.

 

 

 

Top photo of Baie de l’Oiseau and baby Albatros © Fabrice Lebouard 

 

 

 

Monaco resumes lifesaving child heart surgeries

by: Stephanie Horsman
27/07/2022

Heart operations for desperate children from developing nations have resumed in the Principality after over two years of disruption due to the global pandemic, with three children recently given the gift of life.

Monaco’s Cardiothoracic Centre has been working with the Monaco Collectif Humanitaire (MCH) since 2008 to operate on children, primarily living in Sub-Saharan Africa, who are in need of cardiac pathologies not available in their home countries.

The programme has changed the lives of 460 children to date and has been a huge success. Sadly, the Covid epidemic put a stop to the regular treatments for more than two years and are only now being resumed.

To jump-start the programme again, three children from Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and Burundi were brought to Monaco where operations were carried out by the Centre’s new cardio-paediatric team made up of Professor Sylvie Di Filippo and Doctors Olivier Metton, Olivier Raisky, Stefano Di Bernardo and Aude Missana.

The MCH and the Cardio-Thoracic Centre also welcomed, alongside the children, several donors including the Monegasque Olympic Committee and the Compagnie Monégasque de Banque (CMB), who donated €42,195 from the ‘Six Star Medal’ obtained by Pascal Camia, the first Monegasque among those to finish the six races needed to be part of the ‘Abbot World Marathon Majors’.

The Six Star Medal is reserved for people who have completed the six World Marathon Majors, which are comprised of the Boston, Chicago, New York, Berlin, London and Tokyo Marathons. The figure of €42,195 is a nod to the distance in kilometres run during a marathon.

This donation was also collected thanks to the participation of footballer Olivier Giroud, Ambassador to the MCH.

Local association Monaco Aide et Présence was also present, as well as Rencontres Africaines and the Monaco Red Cross, which play an important role in the reception of children pre-surgery.

 

 

Artcurial’s Auction Week pulls in nearly €20 million

by: Stephanie Horsman
26/07/2022

Artcurial’s biggest event of the year in Monaco, Auction Week at the Hermitage Hotel, secured €20 million in sales of luxury items and art, marking a 32% rise on last year. Here are the items that fetched top price.

Artcurial closed Auction Week at the Hôtel Hermitage with a bang.

The sale, dedicated to jewellery, watches, Hermès and other branded luxury handbags, comic strips and art, drew a vast number of international collectors this year, exceeding expectations on all fronts. The addition of Monaco Sculptures and a selection of vintage comic strips offered an added bonus to Artcurial’s selection, giving buyers a chance to consider items they may not have thought of collecting before.

Running from 17th to 21st July, the auctions were preceded by an exhibition that was open to the public, giving all a chance to peruse what was going under the gavel.

Piaget reigned supreme in the watch sales with 15 lots on offer, including a rare malachite piece that sold for €111,900. An Audemars Piguet, the special edition of the Code 11.59 model, sold for an eye-watering €708,500.

The jewellery sale was marked by a real bidding battle for an extraordinary emerald-cut 17.50 carat diamond which went for €1,274,400.

Hermès, the legendary leather goods maker, was once again at the heart of this summer session with its iconic models in a huge variety of colours and materials.

Bernar Venet, Acier Corten

“I am happy to take up my duties during this new summer sales session, which is still a great success,” said Olga de Marzio, the newly appointed Director of Artcurial Monaco. “I experienced this week of vacations alongside the teams who, as always, worked to present the most beautiful pieces of jewellery, watches, Hermès and luxury bags, Monaco sculptures and comic strips. We are proud to close Artcurial’s semester of sales with a result of nearly €20 million.”

Artcurial hosts regular auctions throughout the year, featuring art, design pieces, wearable art, cars, books, and more.

Monaco Sculptures, the giant works of art that are dotted throughout the Principality thanks to a partnership with SBM for three years now, pulled in close to €6 million in sales with 80% of the lots sold. Bernar Venet obtained the highest bid of the evening with lot 801, 223.5°Arc14 at €524,800. Meanwhile, a world record was set for the comic strip La Tétralogie du Monstre, which achieved €82,800.

 

 

Top photo: An extraordinary emerald-cut 17.50 carat diamond went for €1,274,400

 

 

 

Xiaoxin Yang: “Sport is never easy, especially during key moments”

by: Luke Entwistle
26/07/2022

After taking out gold at the Mediterranean Games in Oran, Algeria last month, Monegasque table tennis star Xiaoxin Yang sat down with Monaco Life to talk about what it is like to represent her adopted country.

Table tennis has always been Xiaoxin Yang’s passion. Born in China, Yang embraced her country’s national sport from a young age before moving to Europe to ply her trade as a professional with stints in France and then Italy. But it is in the Principality where she has flourished and proudly represented the Principality’s colours.

Seven years after being naturalised in Monaco, she was holding aloft the Principality’s flag at last summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo, in what she described to Monaco Life as “a source of pride”. Her journey in Japan ended in the third round with a defeat at the hands of Chinese player Sun Yingsha.

Even prior to that impressive showing in the Olympics, Yang showed that she was capable of vying with the best. She came up just short in the 2018 Mediterranean Games in Tarragona, but that competition provided her with the motivation and the momentum to go one better at this year’s games.

A number one ranking going into the tournament was validation of her improvement. “In 2018 I finished second, it’s true that in the past four years I have progressed well and that’s reflected as well in the global rankings,” she told Monaco Life.

A number one ranking can sometimes be a curse rather than a blessing, but Yang didn’t let any complacency seep into her game.

“I told myself that I am number one going into this competition but that doesn’t mean anything, because if you don’t play well you can lose against anyone. I prepared my matches well, and as the number one, everyone was a bit scared of me. When I’m preparing for every match, I am wary,” she said.

That level of preparation showed in her approach to every game, and manifested itself in sheer domination throughout the competition. Yang won three of her matches in straight sets (4-0), including the final against Jieni Shao.

Aware of her capabilities, the extent to which she controlled the final was a surprise to even Yang herself. “Sport is never easy, especially during the key moments. In those moments I played well, using the right technique and choosing the right game strategy. Even when I won 4-0 in the final, I was shocked because I was playing against a girl who is difficult to face and I had previously struggled to beat her. So, I am very happy with myself because I feel that I have progressed in every way,” she said.

“Motivated” by the presence of Prince Albert II during the competition, her gold medal in Oran is a yardstick of her progression. Now a top-10 ranked player, Yang dreams of a medal in Paris in two years’ time, but she isn’t getting ahead of herself.

“If I can bring home a gold medal from the Olympics in Paris that would be super, but I need to qualify first. My first objective there is to get to the quarter-finals and not to set the objectives too high. I need to get to the quarters and once I’ve done that we’ll see,” she said.

Although there is still lots of work to be done, should Yang continue her upwards trend, she could write herself into the Monegasuqe history books in Paris in 2024 by becoming the Principality’s first medal-winner.

 

 

 

 

Photo of Xiaoxin Yang, courtesy Monaco Olympics Committee