8 ° C
Profile

Tag: monaco

Revealed: New 'Grace de Monaco' brand, all proceeds go to the arts

by: Cassandra Tanti
05/07/2021

It was a heavily veiled secret as the Princess Grace Foundation USA called philanthropists and exclusive media to the Hôtel de Paris courtyard on Friday evening. The vibrant, live display set the scene for what promised to be a big reveal.
And it was. Grace de Monaco – a worldwide icon and forever Monaco’s sweetheart, is now a global brand that is setting a new standard at the intersection of luxury and philanthropy, an important new chapter in her iconic legacy.
“Even when she passed away, Grace had so many long-term relationships with Cartier, Mont Blanc, Dior, who were all continuing to create incredible products around her brand,” Brisa Carleton, CEO of the Princess Grace Foundation USA, tells Monaco Life. “This is a continuation, but it was important to the Princely family to make sure that her story was being told.”
The first in the Grace de Monaco line of sustainably-produced luxury products is a signature fragrance, Promenade sur le Rocher, presented on Friday to her son, Prince Albert II of Monaco.

Photo of Prince Albert receiving a bottle of the Grace de Monaco perfume, by Gaetan Luci, Prince’s Palace

“I was a bit nervous working for this project because Princess Grace is such a legend,” perfume creator Olivier Cresp reveals to Monaco Life, “but I knew that she really loved roses, so I mixed a duo of roses from Grasse and Bulgaria, quite powerful, feminine roses of excellent quality, and I added jasmin from India. That’s the classic, timeless fragrance. Then, in order to make it more avant-garde, I used fractions of patchouli and musk, and added warmth with some vanilla. And that’s it – a very minimalist, natural and modern fragrance that I am sure is going to be a great success.”
It is certainly an intoxicatingly romantic blend encased in an equally exquisite bottle, the design of which was kept secret even from the perfumer himself until this evening. Beautiful, dramatic, artistic … just as Princess Grace would have had it.
“When the foundation got in touch and asked if I could do something for them, of course I was deeply honoured, because Princess Grace is so iconic,” says bottle designer Jérôme Faillant-Dumas, who has worked for the likes of Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent. “I thought to myself, ‘Ok, if she were alive, what would she love to have for herself?’ So, I gave the bottle some haute couture spirit – golden ‘jewellery’ with a jasmin flower, frosted straight lines that must be done by hand on each bottle. The box also has embossed flowers – it is all very haute couture.”
Photo by Gaetan Luci, Prince’s Palace

The Grace de Monaco brand was inspired by the luxurious setting and timeless feeling of the French Riviera, and through this new initiative the Princess Grace Foundation aims to inspire and educate a new generation about her legacy.
The perfume had its soft launch in Monaco to give the local community time to “connect” with the brand, says Brisa Carleton, ahead of its global launch next year.
“We chose to start with a fragrance because it is less about a product and more about a sense and a feel, so people can start feeling Princess Grace here again. Then we will move into other very limited product lines. We will always be ultra-luxury and highly curated, very exclusive products as is appropriate for an icon.”
Photo of Christopher Le Vine, Brisa Carleton, Prince Albert and John F. Lehman, Chairman Princess Grace Foundation-USA, by Gaetan Luci, Prince’s Palace

Brisa Carleton was brought in as CEO two years ago to usher the Princess Grace Foundation USA into a new era and explore alternative business models. Much of that time has been impacted by the Covid pandemic.
“That is partly what inspired us in doing this now, there has never been more of a need to fund the arts,” says Brisa Carleton. “We are excited to be blazing a new trail that will hopefully create a recurring revenue stream so that in ups and downs, the arts can continue to be funded.”
Uniquely, 100% of the proceeds of the Grace de Monaco brand go to the Princess Grace Foundation USA’s charitable activities.
“This brand is wholly owned by the foundation, so it really is luxury for good in every sense of the word,” says Brisa.
To finish the spectacular launch, Prince Albert had these words:
“It is my hope that you will support this project and serve as its ambassadors around the world. Please help us to ensure this endeavour thrives so that tomorrow’s extraordinary artists can achieve their dreams.”
For more information, visit the website: https://gdmonaco.com/en
 
Photos by Gaetan Luci, Prince’s Palace…
 

 
READ ALSO: 

Grace Kelly, the influencer

 
 

Inside Monaco’s summer exhibition of Alberto Giacometti

by: Cassandra Tanti
02/07/2021

After the disappointment of having the 2020 summer exhibition cancelled due to the Covid pandemic, the Grimaldi Forum has come out all guns blazing this year with an event that parallels its past monograph exhibitions of Dali, Bacon, Picasso and Warhol.

This time, major 20th century artist Alberto Giacometti takes centre stage, his iconic Walking Man statue forming part of one of the biggest retrospectives of his work ever organised in the world, thanks to the exceptional loan of 230 works by the Giacometti Foundation.

During an exclusive preview for the press on Thursday, the foundation’s Curator Émilie Bouvard guided us through a giant exhibition space that gives prominence to all phases and mediums of Giacometti’s career – sculpture, paintings, drawings, and prints that the artist used to express himself.

Photo of Alberto Giacometti sculpture by Monaco Life

“The trail has the rhythmic character of a music score: first, a prelude retracing in chronological order, Giacometti’s works of his youth, the temptation of cubism and abstraction then his surrealist period,” says the Grimaldi Forum’s Scenographer William Chatelain. “Variations on the quasi-obsessional theme of the human figure follow, a motif that was to haunt the artist from the end of the 1940s to his death.”

Ten rooms follow the themes of Heads, Fayum Portraits, Animated Sculptures, Nature, Melancholia, Solitude, Marvelous Reality, Loves and Friendships, Women or Goddesses?, and to finish, At the Limits of Sculpture with the iconic Walking Man sculpture bringing the exhibition to a close.

At the heart of the trail is a digital studio, an immersive space for visitors supported by dialogues and animated photographs showing the special relationship Giacometti had with his models.

Photo of the exhibition’s digital studio by Monaco Life

The simple white walls and minimal ambiance is punctuated by the addition of one quote by Alberto Giacometti per room.

“The themes preferred by the artist – the representation of the head, the face, the female body – will be particularly prominent but the public will also discover this relationship with solitude and melancholia as well as his relentless work with his models: his wife Annette, his brother Diego, his close friends,” says Curator Émilie Bouvaard. “The visitor will also encounter another Giacometti, the artist experimenting at the very limits of sculpture, and the remarkable painter who also practised, next to portraits, the genres of landscape and still life.”

Alberto Giacometti lived from 1901 to 1966 and grew up in Switzerland in the Val Bregaglia alpine valley, a few kilometres from the Swiss-Italian border. His father, Giovanni Giacometti (1868-1933), was an impressionist painter esteemed by Swiss collectors and artists.

Albert Giacometti in his studio in Stampa, 1961. Photo by Ernst Scheidegger © Stiftung Ernst SScheidegger-Archiv, Zurich

From 1922, he lived and worked mainly in Paris and is considered one of the most important sculptors of the 20th century. His work was particularly influenced by artistic styles such as Cubism and Surrealism.

Philosophical questions about the human condition, as well as existential and phenomenological debates, played a significant role in his work. His critical nature led to self-doubt about his own work and his self-perceived inability to do justice to his own artistic vision. His insecurities nevertheless remained a powerful motivating artistic force throughout his entire life.

‘Albert Giacometti: a retrospective, Marvellous Reality’ is on show at the Grimaldi Forum from Saturday 3rdJuly to 29th August 2021.

Top photo of ‘Children’s Workshops’ by Alberto Giacometti at the Grimaldi Forum, taken by Monaco Life

See the gallery below for more photos of the exhibition…

READ ALSO:

Giacometti marks return of summer exhibition

 

Les Dîners Étoilés at Fairmont's Nikki Beach

by: Stephanie Horsman
02/07/2021

Nikki Beach at the Fairmont Monte-Carlo will be hosting a dinner series featuring Michelin-starred chefs, all offering their takes on dishes made exclusively from fresh, local ingredients.

Nikki Beach will be hosting the Les Dîners Étoilés (The Starry Dinners) series from 12th July to 17th August.

The cheeky double-entendre means that diners will not only be treated to a meal under the stars but will be served meals by Michelin-starred chefs. This is the first year that the Fairmont Monte-Carlo will host the four-year-old event, which was first launched at Nikki Beach in Saint-Tropez.

The selected chefs will take over the kitchen at the hotel in order to create gastronomic wonders using only fresh, local produce that will tantalise the taste buds, be healthy and gorgeously prepared.

The Fairmont dates are the 12th of July with three Michelin-starred Chef Christophe Coutanceau at the helm, and 17th August featuring three Michelin-starred Chef Glenn Viel.

Chef Coutanceau, who hails from his namesake restaurant in La Rochelle, will start off with an appetiser of crystalline langoustine tartare, followed by a wild marsh prawn in fine jelly. He is calling his main course the “Lean line” served with courgettes and kumquats, and the meal will be finished off with a foreshore dessert, following his reputation as the “Fisherman Cook”. The night is limited to 120 guests and is €200 per person without wine and champagne pairing, or €250 with.

The second night at the Fairmont will feature Chef Glenn Viel from the restaurant L’Oustau de Baumanière in Les-Baux-de-Provence. Chef Viel received the 2020 Sustainable Gastronomy Prize from Michelin for his continued successes in having a sustainable kitchen. He has yet to reveal his menu, but it has been confirmed that it will be €200 per person with a 120-guest limit.

Both nights are sure to be unforgettable.

 
 
 

Herculis EBS hosting Olympic favourites in Monaco

by: Stephanie Horsman
02/07/2021

The road to the Olympic Games in Tokyo passes through Monaco on 9th July when some of the world’s best athletes compete in track and field events ranging from running races, long and high jumps and pole vaulting, to name but a few.

Three weeks before the start of the Olympic Games in Tokyo, some of the world’s finest track and field stars will be found competing in Monaco for the Herculis EBS games.

Some of the biggest races will be the 400m men’s hurdles race where reigning world champion Karsten Warholm from Norway will be going up against American sensation Rai Benjamin for the first time this year. Benjamin caused a stir recently when he came within milliseconds of beating the Kevin Young’s world record in Eugene, Oregon. Warholm, for his part, raced in Oslo on 4th June beating his own personal best on the 300m hurdles by more than a half a second, showing that he is in fine form and ready to rumble.

Another race everyone will be watching is the 100m men’s sprint where 25-year-old American Trayvon Bromell, after overcoming a series of injuries, has regained his role at the top of charts. He ran the race in 9.77 seconds at the start of June in Florida, marking the fastest time for this race this year and followed up the success by cinching his spot for the Olympic Games just over two weeks later. Though he’s the one to beat, compatriot Fred Kerley and Canadian André de Grasse are also hungry for the win and will give him a run for his money.

The 200m women’s sprint is shaping up to be quite the thriller with the two top contenders for the Olympic gold facing off in Monaco for the first time ever. 34-year-old Jamaican Shelly-Ann Frasier-Price is going up against American Gabrielle Thomas, 10 years her junior. Both are slated to be big winners at the games, and seeing them compete head-to-head in Monaco may set the tone for races to come.

These are but a few of the exciting events taking place on Friday 9th July. The ladies will be participating in the aforementioned 200m sprint, as well as the 800m, 1500m, 3000m steeplechase, pole vault, triple jump and javelin. The gents will participate in the 100m sprint, the 800m, 1500m, 400m hurdles, 3000m steeplechase, high jump and long jump.

The doors at Stade Louis II open at 6pm for a 7pm start. The games will go on until 10pm. Ticket prices start as low as €10 and are on sale through the event’s website at https://monaco-diamond-league.com/fr/17011-herculis–meeting-international-dathletisme/

 
 
Photo source: Herculis EBS
 
 

Hot summer nights and cool music at Cap Estel

by: Stephanie Horsman
30/06/2021

Le Festival des Nuits Dime On du Cap Estel is celebrating its fourth year of exceptional concerts by jazz, hip-hop, electro and acoustic artists in a setting unparalleled on the Riviera. 

Launched in 2018, Le Festival des Nuits Dime On du Cap Estel may be one concert series that has slipped under the radar. That is almost certain to change after this year, as a line-up of international musicians join the roster, along with stars from the event’s own Dime On Music label.

Nuits Dime On du Cap Estel

The setting at the ever-elegant Hotel Cap Estel in Eze, with its emerald-green lawn, two restaurant choices and comfy lounging sofas, is the ideal place to hang out and enjoy a night or two featuring a wide variety of musical styles, from jazz to electro, hip-hop to acoustic.
The idea for the series came about in 2018 when singer-songwriter Medi, founder of the music label Dime On, joined up with Ketz Communication Agency to stage an event different from the rest. Void of huge stages and massive amounts of sound equipment, the concerts were formulated to be played in harmony with the surroundings and meant to be enjoyed in an intimate, therefore rather exclusive, locale.
Nuits Dime On du Cap Estel

This year’s line-up features international artists including Ben L’Oncle Soul, Madame Monsieur, Malo, Victor Mechanick, Theo Lawrence, Jil is Lucky, Ehla and Ma Saisara.

Additionally, Dime On’s own artists will be on the bill, including Kitchies, Jack Daniel, Jonh Wadies, Hilly Mandara, Keeka and Elise Allasia. For the opening and closing nights, these artists will perform together under the moniker of the Dime On All-Stars.

The programme runs from 2nd July to 27th August. For the complete line-up and more information, visit https://dimeonmusic.com/shows/

 
Top photo of Elissa Lauper & Medi
 
 

Experiences: the Hotel Royal Evian Resort

by: Alessandra Vicedomini
29/06/2021

Fashion Designer Alessandra Vicedomini shares her experience at the Hotel Royal Evian Resort, a magical palace designed to restore your body and reconnect your mind, in an idyllic natural setting.
Is it safe to dream again after all the restrictions of the pandemic? Can we leave our golden cages for a glamorous long-weekend getaway?
The answer is ‘yes’, and it is that time of the year again when our body screams for restorataion and our mind needs a complete reset. Our eyes have been deprived of all kinds of variety and beauty. We are ready to play with new colourful filters and smile again, mask-free.
A stunning invitation to join the Royal Hotel Evian Resort summer opening arrives in the mail the old fashion way, handwritten. It still makes me shiver when I take my carved 19th century letter-opener to disclose the content. It is a ‘yes’ from me without hesitation.
The many Covid restrictions forced us to decline everything for too long, and to be impulsive feels pretty nice and empowering these days.
So, here I am landing in the Swiss Alps, driving towards the world’s most well-known pure water source region, Evian-les-Bains in France.

Fashion Designer Alessandra Vicedomini at the Hotel Royal Evian Resort

Water is one of the primary vital elements, it is “the” life source, an irreplaceable magnet for a health freak like me. Evian natural mineral water is a balanced combination of bicarbonate, calcium and magnesium and it is known to be weakly mineralised, pollution and clay-free, a true miracle of nature which gently protects skin PH. Evian is the most glamorous water brand, yet so naturally beneficial for our system.
Boasting a delightful location on the Leman lakefront with regal proportions, the Resort spreads over 245 acres, providing guests with a luxurious experience of relaxation. The wide selection of services include many ultra-chic veranda and terrace restaurants, one of which is the famous Michelin-starred Les Fresques. Chef Patrice Vander’s menu is dictated by the seasons, and his ingredients and aromatic herbs are grown directly on the estate.
Photo of the Hotel Royal terrace by Evian Resort

Hidden together in this elegant resort, in which ultimate privacy reigns and you are blissfully unaware of the number of guests, are two golf courses with a professional academy, tennis and new-built padel courts, an impeccably organised kids club, game rooms, posh indoor and outdoor pools, a very well-equipped spacious gym and a very, very special spa. This newly remodelled spa operates exclusively on the Biologique Recherche Methodology, a visionary Paris based skincare brand born from medical researchers and biologists. My personal experience, performed by the utterly unique therapist Véronique who customised a facial plan to fit all the needs of my skin, left me speechless. After one hour of deep technical face massage with the cutting-edge P50 range, I looked many years younger! The epidermis is given a prime role as it communicates with our tissues’ deeper structure, and the replumping and glowing effect is immediate and long lasting.

Talking about unparalleled experiences, I was totally mesmerised by the idyllic Grange Au Lac, a theatre in the middle of the estate. Apparently, the aim was to challenge the Menhuin in Gstaad, building the structure in the same in wood. I can confirm that they definitely succeeded. It is a spectacular “tent” that went through major ecological challenges without digging into the rock to protect the Evian sources in a record time of eight months.
Have you ever heard of a concert hall entirely built from pine and cedar by architect Patrick Bouchain and Acoustic Yaying Gu, with a forest of aspen trees at the back of the stage, and Murano glass chandeliers? It is a must-go. You must find an excuse to visit one of the four major musical events of the year, playing host to the world’s most acclaimed jazz and classical artists. I was fortunate enough to enjoy André Manoukian’s duet with Robin McKelle amidst the sensational wooden aromas. It was elegant, magical and soulful.
Photo of inside the Grange au Lac by Franck Juery

Owned by the renowned Danone Group, the Hotel Royal is a stunner and the landscape is epic. The sensory immersion with earth and pure air empowers and revitalises as soon as I approach. The moment I enter the gates, I already feel that this won’t be a simple weekend in a palace, but a unique customised experience. General Director Laurent Boussin welcomes me with the most interesting inside stories.
The establishment was built in honour of King Edward VII in the early 1900s and has drawn renowned personalities from all over the world until 2014, when it underwent a complete renovation. The smart concept epitomises the charm of traditional French style, with sumptuous interiors intertwined with modern details, which led the Royal Hotel being granted the sought-after Palace label status in 2018. “We had to go through so many procedures that culminated in a stressful two-hour interview with an ‘Illuminati’ elite commission made up of influential writers, architects and various artists,” Laurent Boussin tells me proudly.
Photo of the Hotel Royal restaurant L’Oliveraie by Anne Moscatello

I have rarely encountered such a majestic jewel that combines history, impeccable service, and everything you can dream of in one unique location. Whether alone or with family, on a sporty or romantic mission, all expectations are fulfilled, and more.
And what about the nights at the Casino located directly on the waterfront promenade? You will also be tempted by the stunning in-house multi-brand boutique.
I will be forever thankful to the Danone Group and the great team at the Hotel Royal Evian Resort for spoiling me with real luxury and gifting me with a total feeling of peaceful reconnection with nature. They have so much to offer and explore that you risk experiencing a serious cases of FOMO (fear of missing out), so I am already planning my next trip.
 
See the gallery for more pictures of the Hotel Royal Evian Resort…