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Chanel reveals Cruise Collection 2022 at Monte-Carlo Beach

by: Cassandra Tanti
05/05/2022

Legendary fashion house Chanel presented its Cruise Collection 2022 at the Monte-Carlo Beach on Thursday, a series of designs inspired by the Grand Prix, tennis, and the glamorous Riviera.

Chanel on Thursday kicked off its first international Cruise show since Creative Director Virginie Viard made her debut at the head of the label in 2019.

Around 400 guests were seated on deck chairs at the Monte-Carlo Beach as models navigated a sandy catwalk to showcase 67 new looks from Viard, including the cornerstones of Chanel – tweed suits and two-tone shoes, but also outfits inspired by the Grand Prix – checkered patterns, flags, logoed pilot helmets, and F1-style jumpsuits; as well as chic tennis looks, and metallic trousers.

The Monte-Carlo Beach was the stage for Chanel’s Cruise Collection 2022 debut, image source: screenshot of Chanel video

Celebrity guests included actress Kristen Stewart, a Chanel ambassador since 2013, Vanessa Paradis, Tilda Swindon, Sofia Coppola, G-Dragon, and of course Charlotte Casiraghi, who has been an ambassador and spokesperson for the House since 2021.

Viard had invited Sofia and Roman Coppola to direct a film trailer of the collection. It was released publicly on Thursday to coincide with the runway show. It features actress and brand ambassador Lyna Khoudri, as well as models Blesnya Minher, HyunJi Shin, Mariam de Vinzelle and Vivienne Rohner. It showcases everything the Riviera is famous for – hot days by the pool, sunsets on the terrace, tennis matches and boat trips. It also features archival images of Gabrielle Chanel on the French Riviera, the brand’s campaigns imagined by Karl Lagerfeld in Monaco, Grace Kelly in a tweed suit, Princess Caroline on the Rock, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington in sequined jackets, and Charlotte Casiraghi posing for Inez & Vinoodh.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CdLZtXsutVN/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

American designer Coco Chanel is credited with starting the concept of Cruise Collections in 1919, showcasing off-season fashion for affluent women who vacationed in places like the French Riviera in search of mid-winter sun. This region has since been a constant source of inspiration for the luxury French label.

The show was followed by lunch at the Maybourne Riviera, ending with a sunset dinner at La Vigie, the neoclassical villa once home to Karl Lagerfeld.

See the collection trailer below…

 

image source: screenshot of Chanel video

 

 

 

Video: Prince takes electric lorry for a spin around Monaco

by: Stephanie Horsman
05/05/2022

The recent Ever Monaco Salon took a decidedly regal turn as Prince Albert II made an appearance… at the wheel of an electric truck to emphasise his commitment to cleaner, greener transportation options.

The Ever Monaco Salon, which ran from 27th to 29th April, was in full swing when Prince Albert made a surprise appearance, traversing the streets of Monaco between the Place d’Armes, the Palace and Fontvieille at the wheel of Volvo FE Electric lorry. This playful move was a hit with attendees and the public, and showed just how committed to soft mobility options the Sovereign truly is (see video below).

The Ever Monaco Salon, this year held at the Big Top, is an annual event dedicated entirely to renewable energy, electromobility and more recently alternative powering of marine craft.

Running for 17 years, the 2022 edition attracted 60 exhibitors and 30 start-ups, inviting guests to join them in round table talks, problem solving, networking and even a “Ride & Drive” area where the latest e-vehicles could be tested out.

Some known brands released the latest from their factories, including the Yoyo Xev, an electric city car practically invented for Monaco. Nearby was the first hybrid retrofit of a vintage vehicle, a 1954 Sunbeam Alpine, a car immortalised by Princess Grace when she took the wheel of one in Alfred Hitchcock’s To Catch a Thief. There was also a retrofitted bus put out by REV Mobilities.

Retrofitting was a much talked about theme at this year’s Ever. A bit like recycling for cars, it means taking a vehicle that runs on an internal combustion engine and making it electric, a sensible idea in this era of skyrocketing petrol prices and uncertain sources.

There were also new models, with a big emphasis on working trucks. Alongside the Volvo driven by the Prince, there was also the Cogebat, a 100% electric model made by Renault. Renault also had the D E-Tech models on display equipped with four batteries, two on the right side and two on the left side with a range of 250km, or even more with some alterations. Electric rubbish trucks are now a particularly popular option for municipalities with 500 to 600 being constructed for delivery this year according to Franck Gaillard, pre-sales engineer at Renault Trucks.

Click on the link below to see the video:

https://www.facebook.com/VolvoTrucksFrance/videos/1314682579017540

 

Photo source: Volvo Trucks

 

 

 

 

Prince Albert II Foundation appoints new director to Board

by: Stephanie Horsman
05/05/2022

Sally Yozell, an expert in linking environmental threats with national, regional and global security, has been appointed to the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation Board of Directors, it was announced at the annual meeting.

Sally Yozell is the Director of the Stimson Centre’s Environmental Security Programme. On 29th April during the 32nd Board of Directors meeting at the Yacht Club of Monaco, in the presence of Prince Albert, his Foundation confirmed her appointment to the Board.

“The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation has a long and impressive record of advocating for cleaner oceans, marine biodiversity, and the safety of communities threatened by climate change,” said Sally Yozell. “It is an honour to join the Board of Directors and I look forward to contributing my expertise, linking natural resource protection to economic, food, and environmental security for coastal communities and countries around the world alike,”.

Her research has focused on wildlife protection, ocean and climate security, and the impact of environmental threats on national, regional and global security. She has a history of working with the Prince’s Foundation, having done so when she was at the US State Department to work on getting concrete marine conservation commitments during the Our Ocean conferences as well as during the creation of the Ross Sea sanctuary in Antarctica.

Additionally, during Monaco Ocean Week 2022, the Stimson Centre and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, alongside the Ocean Climate Platform, co-organised the Sea and the City conference, dedicated to coastal resilience solutions to the effects of climate change.

The Board of Directors also confirmed funding for 11 new projects this year in areas of priority for the organisation. These new projects are added to the over 720 projects that have been supported by the Foundation over the years, exceeding €90 million in financial assistance.

In addition to the General Assembly meeting, Foundation Vice-President Olivier Wenden, Executive Director Romain Ciarlet, and Emmanuel Calça, Administrative and Financial Director, as well as the auditors presented the moral and financial reports for the financial years 2020 – 2021.

 

 

 

Roca Team go down swinging in Euroleague classic

by: Luke Entwistle
05/05/2022

AS Monaco Basketball, in their debut Euroleague season, came agonisingly close on Wednesday to causing one of the greatest upsets, ultimately losing their series against Olympiacos after a nail-biting fourth quarter (94-88).

History and experience counted against the Roca Team going into the fifth and decisive leg of their five-game series against three-time Euroleague winners Olympiacos. In their debut season, which has surpassed all expectations, the Roca Team would have to defy a daunting statistic – the home side have won each of the last 14 fifth-leg tie deciders. But as Sasa Obradovic pointed out pre-match, “Stats are made to be broken”.

Amidst a fiery atmosphere, quite literally at times, in the Peace and Friendship Stadium in Greece, defences reigned supreme in the first-quarter. If Monaco were to prevail, their big names would have to turn up. Mike James (24) and Paris Lee (14)  got on the scoresheet early-on, the latter particularly prolific in the opening two-quarters.

Taking a slender advantage from the first-quarter, Monaco looked to have the Greeks on the ropes in the second. The Principality side’s strength-in-depth once again revealed itself as Yakuba Outtara arrived on the scene, finding space outside the key and finishing with a ruthless edge.

Prior to the match, Outtara said that Olympiacos “will tremble” at their own court; the Frenchman took things into his own hands in ensuring that was the case. Having grown a lead of 11 points at one point in the second-quarter, Monaco were pegged back by a Thomas Walkup (17) three-pointer in the dying seconds, but still headed back to the dressing room with a seven-point advantage (41-48).

On the cusp of an upset, Olympiacos needed to respond, and immediately set about doing so in the third-quarter. Walkup was once again at the heart of everything that was good from Olympiacos as they reversed the deficit (55-56). Yet still, Monaco refused to lie down, Dwayne Bacon (12) and Danilo Andjusic (5) responded with hoops from outside the key, before a James three-pointer on the buzzer gave the Monégasques a cherished four-point lead to cling onto.

It is in moments of adversity that the great lean on their experience to prevail. Few have more experience than Kostas Sloukas (15), and his performance was pivotal in the dying stages. Monaco were still standing, but their punches were no longer landing and the Olympiacos onslaught was irresistible.

The depiction of a nightmare for any opposition: Sloukas, outside the key and with time, the ball launched, the hoop found, the game over. The stadium erupted, the relief palpable amongst the fervent home crowd. There may still have been time on the clock, but everyone in attendance felt it; that was the sucker punch (89-83).

Monaco’s valiant, daring effort ultimately ended in defeat (94-88). They may not have been able to defy the odds one final time, but they can hold their heads high.

Lest we forget, Monaco will compete in the uppermost echelon of European basketball again next season, and Obradovic is already plotting how to take his team to the next level. “I am very proud of my guys, who played a huge match tonight. Naturally, we’ll need time to reach Olympiacos’ level, but we are only at the beginning of constructing something.”

If this is only the start of the construction process, then the end product could be a truly formidable force.

 

 

Photo source: AS Monaco Basketball

 

 

 

ASM preview: “We’ve given ourselves the right to dream”

by: Luke Entwistle
05/05/2022

AS Monaco midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni told the press on Wednesday that Monaco have given themselves “the right to dream” at the end of the season, whilst Philippe Clement struck a wary tone.

The press assembled in La Turbie on Wednesday for a pre-match press conference ahead of Friday’s trip to reigning champions LOSC Lille.

Having fought back from the brink after a disappointing March, Tchouaméni admitted that he had doubts about bouncing back to launch an assault on the Champions League places, but is grateful to be in the fight for the podium.

The Frenchman told Monaco Life, “Honestly, every season has its own story. If you had asked me after the defeat against Strasbourg if we would have won seven in a row, honestly, I wouldn’t have believed you. Now, we have given ourselves the right to dream. We have three games left, starting with an important match against Lille. Away from home, that will be a difficult match.”

That is the objective for Tchouaméni, who has often been linked with a move away from AS Monaco, but who would nonetheless like to play Champions League football with the Principality side next season.

“The elimination in the play-off round last year stuck in my throat. Playing Champions League football with Monaco isn’t something that would displease me.”

Only three “finals” stand between Monaco and Champions League football next season. They are only outside of the podium on goal difference, whilst the two teams ahead of them, Rennes and Marseille, must still play against each other. In all likelihood – although it isn’t completely guaranteed – Monaco will qualify should they win their remaining fixtures.

Clement, however, is wary of Friday’s opponents Lille, who despite losing 3-0 against Troyes in an ill-tempered match at the weekend, are nonetheless the reigning champions of France. “I’m not too fond of facing teams when they have just lost a match,” admitted Clement.

“They will want to show a reaction. Lille are also strong at home, where they have only lost three times all season… so I’m mistrustful of this opponent.”

Clement will likely be able to count on the same side that won 2-0 against Angers on Sunday. Monaco Life was present at training in La Turbie on Wednesday and can report that Ruben Aguilar, despite seeming to come off with a niggle over the weekend, did train with the group. Gelson Martins and Cesc Fabregas are still absent, and neither will make the trip to Lille.

Tchouaméni says that the recent seven-game run has given them the “right to dream”. It is now in Monaco’s hands to make that dream a reality.

 

 

 

“We want to fight every game for Clement and the fans”

by: Luke Entwistle
04/05/2022

ASM’s in-form Dutch striker Myron Boadu sat down with Monaco Life to discuss the team’s recent resurrection, the impact of Philippe Clement, and the process of “becoming himself” again.

Arriving from AZ Alkmaar in August 2021, the €17 million price tag looked to be weighing heavily on the young Dutchman’s shoulders, as he netted only twice during Nico Kovac’s reign as AS Monaco manager, averaging a goal every 510 minutes. Fast forward to May and Monaco are on a seven-game winning run, whilst Myron Boadu, under the tutelage of new manager Phillipe Clement, looks to have broken free from the shackles that constrained him during those difficult beginnings, scoring three goals in his last six games and averaging a goal every 96 minutes.

Monaco Life: Coming from the Eredivisie, you took time to adapt to Ligue 1. How do you evaluate those first few months?

Myron Boadu: I’m a young player. For me, it was the first time going abroad and of course to a stronger league, so that was a little bit difficult in the beginning. I expected it, but on the other hand, I also expected that I’d be scoring goals every game, like in Holland. I talked a lot with my agent, with my parents, with the coach at that time and Paul Mitchell as well. So, they gave me the confidence to just do my thing, they said just have patience and my qualities will show through. I also spoke with Calvin Stengs (OGC Nice winger). We talked about the new life that we were experiencing, and he had similar problems to me. I think it was good to have each other.

What would you say are the most notable differences between the two leagues?

I saw a difference in the style of play. Most of the teams play against us with five defenders, and in the Eredivisie, even the clubs that are playing to avoid relegation are playing a 4-3-3, attacking football. That is the main difference, as well as the physicality. It’s not normal. All of the defenders here are so strong, and I consider myself a strong guy. That’s what really stands out for me. What I see here as well is that everyone has a winning mentality, even in training, which is a little bit different from Holland. In training in France, when we lose as a team, we can really go back to the dressing room angry, disappointed. It is really competitive, but I think that is good. In Holland, it’s a little bit less so. We come off the pitch and it’s finished.

You talk about training, how has the intensity of those sessions improved you both on a physical and tactical level?

I had to adapt, it was finding out the right schedule to work on my physique. It was also good to replicate in training what I would expect in a game, with Axel Disasi, Benoît Badiashile and Aurélien Tchouaméni. Those kinds of guys are super strong, so in that way, it allowed me to adapt to Ligue 1’s style of play. Ben Yedder is a fantastic player as well, and a fantastic person. For me it was important to see a top striker in front of me. I’m happy that he’s my team-mate. In training I watch what he does, how he does it, and I try to add it to my game. If we are in a finishing drill then he and Kevin Volland will give me words of advice, and I appreciate that from them.

Having undergone that process of adaptation, you scored against Nantes in the defeat on penalties in the Coupe de France semi-final. Can you talk us through that bittersweet moment?

It was a very important moment for me because I felt that from January until that moment I became the person I am today, I became myself again. The first six months was a matter of adapting to this new situation and I think that is normal… I was ultimately disappointed, I wanted to be in the final, but I was happy to have scored that goal. For me at that point, I knew I just had to continue like that.

That match was the beginning of a difficult March. How pivotal has Clement been to the turnaround? Disasi and Badiashile have both talked about the calmness and optimism that he exudes.

After that match, we had a lot of disappointments one after another, but the coach always told us that he knew how good we could be, and I think that is important for a coach to do that and we respect him a lot. We want to fight every game for him and for the fans, to win the games.

On a personal level, how is it having a coach that speaks your mother tongue?

He knows I can score goals, he gives me a lot of confidence and he talks with me a lot. Whilst I can understand French, it makes it easier in training, because he can explain to me even better in Dutch and then I know exactly what to do. I don’t even have to think, I just know.

The turning point came in a 3-0 win against PSG. Despite a difficult run leading up to the fixture against the league leaders, how was the atmosphere within the group?

Before PSG, the dynamic within the team was already good, but of course if you beat PSG 3-0, it’s going to do a lot of good to your confidence. On top of that, PSG is the best team in the league. We already knew how good we were, we just needed a game to confirm that, and PSG was that game.

Since that victory, Monaco have strung together another six wins, amounting to a seven-game winning streak, their best since January/February 2021. The team is clearly high on confidence, whilst you have scored three goals in your last six fixtures. How confident are you at the moment?

The confidence in taking the next chance is something that I also had in Holland so I had to rediscover that. At the beginning of my time here I got overly frustrated with myself when I missed a chance, whereas now I just think, “okay, you missed this one, but the next one is going in, and if you miss the next one then the one after that is going in”. This season has taught me a lot. I also talk with the right people and they give me extra confidence to refind myself. Now I just want to continue to score goals and I hope that I can do that.

Of course, the hope is that Monaco’s run takes them into next season’s Champions League. Is that a dream of yours to play in that competition?

The Champions League is where the best teams are, and of course you want to compete with the best. I think with the history that Monaco has, we should be playing in the Champions League. It is a dream for all of us, and I know that we can do it. Of course, we have three finals so we’re not there yet. For us, it’s important just to keep doing the same things that we have been doing, by not thinking about the table. We just have to win our games, and we do that by being ourselves.

And then there is also the World Cup at the end of the year…

It’s a dream to go to the World Cup for sure. But at this point I just want to continue here like I’ve been doing. For me, the Dutch squad is currently far away, but I think everything is possible. So, I just have to continue, end the season well, and then from the first minute of next season, I have to do the same.

Boadu is only just hitting his stride at Monaco, and should he continue down the same path, there is no reason for him not to force his way into Louis Van Gaal’s plans, whilst his dream of playing Champions League football next year remains very much alive.

 

 

 

Photo by AS Monaco