Princess Charlene has made a public plea for people to support their local animal shelters after a tour of SPA l’Abri de Monaco, of which she is now president.
The Princess shared a photo of her emotional visit to the Society for the Protection of Animals (SPA) of Monaco in Eze on her Instagram page, with the caption: “Went to visit the Monaco SPA. Please support a local SPA or animal shelter near you. Thank you. Merci. With all my love ♥️”
She was patting a hound called Lizzie – one of the many dogs and cats who are available for adoption at the shelter.
Princess Charlene was announced as the new president of the SPA in August as she and Prince Albert laid the first stone for the new animal shelter in Peille, which is due to be completed by the end of 2023.
Monaco resident philanthropist and entrepreneur Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou has played host to over 100 eager businessmen and women at his philanthropic foundation’s HQ on Quai Antoine 1er.
As part of a rolling series of similar events, the two-day session on 21st and 22nd October was aimed at businesses that currently trade as part of the ‘easy’ family of brands, founded by Sir Stelios in 1995. Typically, these contain ‘easy’ as a prefix to their company name, including easyJet, easyHotel and easyStorage among others.
Sessions included case studies of successful start-ups using the ‘easy’ brand as well as legal advice on protecting the brand from unauthorised use – brand theft and the use of franchising as a means of growing a business. Delegates also heard from Sir Stelios on the latest examples of his philanthropic work in Monaco, Ireland, Greece, Cyprus and the UK.
The Rossano Ferretti salon is a new beauty destination in Monaco featuring a plethora of deluxe treatments and the signature “invisible haircut”, exclusively available at Thermes Marins Monte-Carlo at the Hôtel Hermitage.
After Paris, Bali, Southern California and New York came Monaco… And that’s just in the past 12 months.
The Principality has joined a prestigious list of 20 locations across the world to now boast a Rossano Ferretti salon.
It started among the commercial centres of the nearby Hôtel de Paris, also owned by SBM, but it is here at the wellness centre of the Thermes Marins in the Hôtel Hermitage where the Monaco resident of five years envisaged his salon.
“It is all about wellness at the end of the day,” Rossano reveals as we chat in one of the spa rooms, its emblematic half-moon window entrapping the expansive sea view beyond. It is the same view that impresses clients in the hair salon next door. “My hair cut, hair product line, the way we treat hair, the shampoo massage… Everything leans towards healthy. And the team I am working with here is really fantastic: Vanessa, Louis and all the stylists are great people. We have the same vision.”
Clients are unlikely to get an appointment with the world-renowned hair master himself. Nowadays, Rossano reserves his cutting time for VIP media events such as this, or for travelling the world to train stylists in his defining “method”, the internationally acclaimed invisible haircut, as well as his incredible shampoo massage, the all-natural hair product line, and general philosophy of hair design.
Rossano Ferretti may be hairdresser to the stars now – think Kate Middleton, Jennifer Lawrence, Angelina Jolie and Lady Gaga – but it all began in a tiny Italian village with its 400 inhabitants, and his grandfather, a barber, who passed on his passion to Rossano’s mother, and then to Rossano himself. The first time he held a pair of hairdressing scissors, a teacher remarked: “This is incredible, how can you use scissors like this the first time you cut hair in your life?”
It was a defining moment in Rossano Ferretti’s life: the moment he realised that he had a true talent. He was 14 years old.
With this newfound confidence, Rossano went on to travel the globe, funding his “education” of different cultures and their hair types through his work in the fashion industry.
“At that time, we didn’t have Google, so I had to travel to understand. I didn’t have access to Asian hair in my tiny town of Parma, or African American, Brazilian, or Swedish hair. So, I was using my talent in the fashion industry to make the money to go around the world and get in touch with the hair. That was the incubation period of my method, which made me famous. The method is the pillar of my life in terms of hair culture.”
The Method, or Il Metodo, is a revolutionary hair cutting technique, also known as the “invisible cut”, which focusses on the natural movement of the hair.
Ferretti describes a sophisticated vertical cut that is created using scissors with horizontal teeth, developed exclusively for the Rossano Ferretti brand.
“You see, my body is cutting the hair, not my scissors. Do you see the movement?” Rossano asks me as his upper body moves in fluid, dance-like motions around my head.
“These scissors have been created as a prolongation of my hands, something that interprets my needs onto the hair. And when we cut the hair with these scissors, we really give it a much healthier effect; it is shinier, lighter, and it has body.”
The scissors cut just 18% of the hair, where ordinary scissors cut up to 60%. The impact is clear and immediate. There is no “scissor effect”; no obvious layers that most hairdressers create almost automatically without any real thought or care in the process.
Rossano explains it is a personalised cut that concentrates on the individual beauty of each person; a cut that has been adapted to the type of hair, the facial structure and the personality, without damaging the cuticle, cortex or pigment of the hair.
“If you don’t feel like a hairdresser understands you, run out of that salon!”
A visit to a Rossano Ferretti salon most notably begins with a consultation. You are asked what your likes and dislikes are, about your lifestyle and how you move; what you eat.
At first, it seems a little intrusive, even for these therapists-in-disguise. But Rossano says it’s a necessary part of the process.
“Then we can find an answer to your questions because that is the way it should be,” he says passionately. “We become the interpreter to your personal beauty. It is not about trends or my haircut; I design my haircut for you. If you don’t feel like a hairdresser understands you, run out of that salon.”
Rossano Ferretti range of hair products are available exclusively at the salon, photo courtesy Monte-Carlo SBM
Along with offering “The Method”, standout treatments at Rossano Ferretti Hairspa include premium hair services such as blow dry, Great Lengths hair extensions and colour services including highlights and colour correction, and other signature Rossano Ferretti treatments like the Moisturizing Hair Treatment.
All hair services are performed using Rossano Ferretti’s award-winning Italian collection of haircare products, which have been designed using the finest natural ingredients, formulated in Italy by a team of Italian hair artisans using expert skincare technology.
They are available to purchase exclusively at the hair salon and, encourages Rossano, should form part of anyone’s hair regime.
“People are used to their skin and make-up regimes, but not a hair regime. That is a fundamental mistake,” says the maestro. “If you are happy when you leave a hair salon, and you love how your hair feels, it doesn’t make any sense to go somewhere else to buy a product that doesn’t fit into your needs.”
So, was I impressed? I can confidently say that “The Method” is revolutionary, the head massage sublime, and the hair products incredible. It is clear why Rossano Ferretti is one of the most acclaimed names in the styling industry. Try it for yourself.
Photo above of Rossano Ferretti courtesy Monte-Carlo SBM
“We can rely on entrepreneurs to get us through challenging times”
EY is commonly known as one of the world’s ‘Big Four’ accounting firms. It also organises the annual EY World Entrepreneur Of the Year (WEOY) Awards in Monaco – the ultimate global competition for entrepreneurs, those that are reinventing industries, revitalising economies, and reimagining a new era of diversity, sustainability and prosperity.
What sets EY apart is its global commitment to ‘Build a better working world’. The current EY World Entrepreneur Of the Year theme is ‘How can one person make a world of difference?’. The 2022 winner was Gaston Taratuta, an Argentinian entrepreneur, founder and CEO of Aleph. Taratuta has revolutionised digital advertising by enabling companies in emerging markets to advertise on the world’s largest digital platforms. He also invests in educational programs that help people in emerging countries develop professional careers in digital media.
Continuing the honours, fashion designer Stella McCartney received the EY Social Entrepreneurship Award 2022 for Sustainability. McCartney is a well-known environmental and animal activist, and her label uses innovative materials and cutting-edge technologies to reduce environmental impact and improve sustainable methods of production, like sustainable faux furs and fabric made from recycled plastic bottles.
Each year, EY recognises unstoppable entrepreneurial achievements among individuals and companies that demonstrate vision, leadership and success, on both a local and global scale. The firm boasts a powerful network of over 300,000 employees and one million alumni, each inspiring others during their time at EY and beyond.
Stasia Mitchell, EY Global Entrepreneurship Leader, champions an ecosystem of entrepreneurial programs, relationships, and opportunity drivers around the world. I recently spoke to Stasia about what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur, the importance of connections, and what’s currently trending in the business world.
Stasia Mitchell with 2022 EY World Entrepreneur Of the Year winner Gaston Taratuta
Monaco Life: How and why does EY have such a strong focus on supporting entrepreneurs?
Stasia Mitchell: As EY was founded by two entrepreneurs in the US, it’s such a pleasure for me to continue the legacy of our global entrepreneurial program, which is the only known global program of its kind. We work with entrepreneurs across 60+ countries with the goal to connect them with other people’s projects and resources that will empower them. Also, as advisors to the ambitious, we help entrepreneurs in their growth journeys to deliver long term value and build a better working world.
What I enjoy most about WEOY are all the connections we make. We have the opportunity to bring together entrepreneurs, business leaders and other passionate voices, who, without this program, would likely never have this type of access or engagement. The networking amongst the entrepreneurs is about connecting the dots to build stronger companies that make a world of difference. Right now, there are so many variables separating and dividing us as humans, but I don’t see those as obstacles, they’re actually challenges and opportunities to create an ecosystem. We built a space for the commonality of these people to come together, because they’re entrepreneurs, they’re builders, they’re creators. And when that commonality flourishes, it creates a bridge to get on the same agenda, including the need to be more sustainable and drive diversity, equity and inclusion.
“Entrepreneurs are tough and tenacious, they never give up, they will continue to grow despite any conditions or challenges. We can rely on them to help get us through challenging times.”
What trends are you seeing amongst entrepreneurs nowadays as opposed to, say, five years ago?
I love seeing entrepreneurs prove that they will continue to take on the world’s greatest challenges. What we saw entrepreneurs achieve during the pandemic — their solutions and the speed at which they were brought to the table — I was blown away. It was a global rallying cry to get to a much better place.
I read a passage once that referred to entrepreneurs as weeds, but in a positive way. They’re tough and tenacious, they never give up, they will continue to grow despite any conditions or challenges. We can rely on them to help get us through challenging times.
We are also seeing underserved or underprivileged groups of entrepreneurs rise up. For example, young entrepreneurs, women, Black, Hispanic and Latinx, Indigenous, LGBTQIA+, neurodiverse, and disabled entrepreneurs. These are the newcomers to entrepreneurship, and these are the people that need to be supported.
How do you foster a good entrepreneur?
Entrepreneurs are inherently very curious people, and they need access to other entrepreneurs to feed that curiosity, learn and grow. A lot of the time when I ask people “what entrepreneur inspires you?”, they say Elon Musk and Richard Branson, but they’re less accessible. So, as an Australian, I would say to you, for example, “Cassandra, do you know that in your country, you have Jo Horgan of MECCA Cosmetica, a leading luxury beauty and skincare platform and retailer? You have Linda Brown who founded and operates Torrens University, Australia’s fastest-growing, internationally recognised university?”
When you bring it back to that local level and make that connection, it’s like, ‘Holy smokes! There are people literally in my backyard doing amazing things and maybe I could do something like that!’ To foster entrepreneurship, we’re creating awareness and then connecting them to people that can mentor them, can coach them, can take them through the journey.
EY also invests in assets that help entrepreneurs discover what they need to do. Because as an entrepreneur, you’re going to have a lot of ups and downs. Our EY 7 Drivers of Growth is a framework that was built by entrepreneurs and supported by EY, that takes them on their different growth journey. Entrepreneurs are always looking to the future, so you need to constantly challenge their thinking. I think EY does a very good job of being a little bit provocative in terms of disruptive thinking. We recently launched a Disruptive Tech Program and EY Tech University in Palo Alto, California, and so we actually have centres around the world to deliver this art of the possible or disruptive mindset.
EY in Monaco. Photo source: EY
Do you think Monaco is an entrepreneur-friendly city? What do you think about the digital transition that is occurring here and how this will serve the Principality in attracting entrepreneurs?
I believe there are more billionaires in Monaco per square metre than anywhere else in the world. So, I would say that you have the founders who can become the funders.
Offline GDP is absolutely moving to online digital GDP. It’s happening now. What Monaco can do is what we’ve done – create a community to drive more activity. And if they could host people in diverse sectors, that would be amazing. If you bring youth, different genders, different races, different types of people to Monaco who have innovative thinking and then fund their innovation, that would be a beautiful thing.
Monaco is an important place for EY, it is where you have your EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards ceremony. What was it like returning to the Principality in 2022 after two years of Covid cancellations?
The energy was electric, I can’t even describe the feeling. But it was more than buzz. We were able to bring our last three years’ of EY Entrepreneur Of The Year classes, including people who could not fully experience this unique event because of the pandemic. In a lot of ways, bringing these visionaries back to the Principality represented how entrepreneurs are key drivers in launching us forward from the global challenges we faced over the last few years.
Photo above of Stasia Mitchell provided
Rapid breast cancer screening system to revolutionise women’s health
Did you know the wait for breast cancer screening results can take as long as four weeks in France? Here in Monaco, that time period has been cut down to just one day thanks to a revolutionary new clinic that has recently opened at the Princess Grace Hospital Centre.
Coinciding with Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Breastday Centre opened its doors at the CHPG in early October.
It will allow women wishing to be screened for breast cancer or those looking for a second opinion to consult with a doctor, undergo imaging and run blood tests as well as receive their results all within a single day. Patients with suspected breast cancer will also be able to organise the necessary follow-up treatments and consultations on the spot.
All patients have to do with call the hospital to make an appointment. A consultation over the telephone will be offered by a doctor within 48 hours, after which the patient will be invited to attend the CHPG if further investigation is needed.
This highly advanced centre will revolutionise the Principality’s current diagnosis and treatment pathways.
A dedicated sail yacht area was an initiative that began in 2021 at the Monaco Yacht Show. Last year, eight sail yachts exhibited. This year, the figure more or less doubled, a signal that the sustainability song sheet has wafted in and around the superyacht society and its message is sinking in. A bit.
A taste for skimming the sea’s surface in sublime and simple silence is on the up, suggests sales and charter broker Splinter Fangman, of broker firm Edmiston, based in Monaco.
He explains, “Generally speaking there is more interest in sailing yachts than previously. That’s either from people who are interested in it for the sportive element, with being more integrated with the operation of the boat, with nature, with the sea.”
Or, he suggests, there are those who are interested in the PR effect of owning a sail yacht. “They are people who are very aware of the message they are sending. Say, for example, you are anchored off St. Tropez, and people know that’s your yacht, what’s the message? If you are on a sailing yacht you are sending a more environmentally friendly message. So, we are seeing more clients who are aware of that and aware of the climatic importance.”
He adds, “We have some clients at the moment who have a foundation focused on the environment but they also want a yacht. So, they feel that the best way forward is to have a sailing yacht and have the right messaging.”
Sales of super yachts powered by the wind at Edmiston have risen during each consecutive year since Covid and now make up 12%. The company has a particular flair for sales of the Italian luxury yacht builder Perini Navi boats, with the likes of S/Y Zenji, S/Y Melek, and S/Y Rosehearty passing through its books in 2021.
Edmiston presented 11 yachts at the Monaco Yacht Show (MYS) this year, three of which were sail yachts. They were S/Y Silencio, a 49.8m Perini Navi, the 56.4m S/Y Salvaje (built 2014, refit 2019) from Alloy Yachts, and 53.9m S/Y Pink Gin VI (2017, refit 2022) built by Baltic Yachts.
S/Y Silencio is priced at €14,500,00, the other two are each priced at €29,500,000. All are sumptuously luxurious and really rather different.
Master cabin of Salvaje, photo courtesy Edmiston
The original owners of two-masted ketch S/Y Salvaje didn’t ‘do’ corners, and below deck the walls ripple curvaceously in an interior that blends classic sailing styles with painterly blotches of the brightest colours. Built for extended world sailing, she can accommodate up to 11 guests across five cabins all with marble ensuite. She has a range of 6,500nm at 10 knots.
S/Y Pink Gin VI is a sloop and so has only a single mast. Explains Fangman, “For this length of yacht, the typical format is a ketch, like S/Y Salvaje, but the owner of Pink Gin just wanted a cleaner look.” SY Pink Gin VI is, says Fangman, spectacular for a number of reasons. She is the largest carbon fibre sailing sloop in the world, so she’s super light and super fast. And the carbon hull is also extremely tough. “No expense was spared on this entirely custom-built boat,” says Fangman.
Pink Gin VI, photo by Stuart Pearce www.yacht-shot.com
Her interiors are a mix of fun and formal with blue painted wooden floorboards hosting plush velvet sofas, and a pink baby grand piano.
Says Fangman, who is Dutch but grew up at international schools across the world, “The Pink Gin interior is quite special actually. I recently received a charter enquiry from someone who was on the boat but she is not for charter. To me at least she is very much like a New York apartment. She’s not very nautical, which sets her apart from a lot of other yachts. So, for this charter client I really wanted to suggest they rent a New York apartment instead. Especially the bathroom with the tiles in the master cabin. It’s a very old school New York style.”
S/Y Silencio, built in steel and aluminium by Italian yard Perini Navi, was delivered in 2001 as the third yacht in the yard’s 50 metres series. She sleeps 12 guests in five cabins and is finely appointed with sleek, cherry wood interiors designed by Christian Liaigre. More outdoor spaces and al fresco dining spots were added during a refit in 2012. She won both the 2013 Perini Cup and the 2015 Millennium Cup.
Silencio deck, photo courtesy Edmiston
Fangman believes there are multiple factors influencing the increased interest in sail. One of them is competitive sailing, “such as the America’s Cup”, he suggests, “which is extremely exciting, high speed, and very captivating for traditional but also new audiences. I think that has re-ignited and re-excited people about sailing; just knowing you can go 70 or 90km/h on pure sail power. I think sailing is sexy again.”
Jeff Bezos will soon rank number one as the world’s sexiest sailor when he takes delivery of his 127m sail yacht later this year. The three-masted schooner Y721, built by Oceanco, will be the largest sail yacht in the world.
Other important influencers include tennis champion Rafael Nadal and former Formula One racing driver Nico Rosberg, who both own yachts built by eco-focused yacht builders Sunreef, explains Fangman. “These public figures decided to go yachting and realised they can do it in a sustainably correct way and that rubs off on other people. It’s a bit like owning a classic car where you are really involved in its being and that’s a very different experience from a motor yacht. You’re involved in how much energy it is using, how much energy it needs: When the sails are up, engines are off, and all you have is natural energy and silence, it is quite spectacular and very majestic.”
Photo above: Jeff Brown design, courtesy Edmiston
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