Polo Lifestyles October 2023: The Fashion Issue

TOM FORD

TOM FORD after WHY CHEF JEAN-GEORGES WOULD NEVER THROW THE SAME PARTY TWICE

WHO'S ON OUR SHORT LIST OF HIGH-FASHION STEMWARE

THE NEW STATUS SYMBOL IS A FULL-BODY SCAN

THE WORLD'S MOST-EXCLUSIVE CREDIT CARD LIMITED TO 150 BILLIONAIRES

OPTIMIZE YOUR BODY CLOCK TO LOSE STUBBORN WEIGHT

OPEN DE FRANCE 2023 OPEN DE FRANCE FEMININE 2023 · DUSSELDORF FEDERATION INTERNATIONAL DE POLO CHAMPIONSHIPS

THE WINNING SCIENCE OF BABY MAKING

THE LATEST BEAUTY TWEAKMENT SALMON SPERM INJECTIONS

LONDONER'S LITTLE BLACK BOOK OF CHIC EATERIES

HAUTE COUTURE SS2024 NYC · LONDON · MILAN · PARIS

Ambassador Claude-Alix Bertrand Publisher

Joshua Jakobitz Editor-in-Chief

William Smith Copy Editor & Philanthropy Contributor

Claire Barrett Head of Photography

Dana Romita Luxury Real Estate Contributor

Amritlal Singh Spirituality Contributor

Cezar Kusik Wine Contributor

Polo Photographers

Katerina Morgan

Justine Jacquemot

Irina Kazaridi

Helen Cruden

Eva Espresso

Nick Tininenko

Mark Beaumont

Michael J. Snell Lifestyles & Luxury Automobile Contributor

Joey Velez Wellness Contributor

Justin "Goliath" Johnson Wellness Contributor

Raphael K. Dapaah Art Contributor Brand Representatives

Michael J. Snell - NYC

Stanley Pierre-Etienne - Spain Justin Johnson - Atlanta

Contributing Photographers

Xavier Merchet-Thau

Aubrey Chandler

Eric Carré

Eva Espresso

Rob Miskowitch

Margarita Crotto

Polo Lifestyles is a publication of HT Polo Publishing Co. 995 Detroit Avenue, Suite A Concord, CA 94518

Cover photo by Uncanny Valley

Content Copyright © Polo Lifestyles 2023 All Rights Reserved.

For information or to advertise Contact marketing@pololifestyles.com Read online at www.pololifestyles.com

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2023 TRIPLE CROWN - ARGENTINA

130th Abierto de Hurlingham

83rd Abierto de Tortugas

130th Abierto de Argentina HSBC

INANDA POLO CLUB

Cell C Africa Cup Final

VAL DE VIE POLO CLUB

VDVPC Challenge

Winelands Cup

RHONEHILL POLO CLUB

Summer Cup 12 Goal

ASPEN POLO CLUB

Snow Polo Championship

THE 23RD FRENCH POLO OPEN

POLO LIFESTYLES EDITORS &

Joey Velez Wellness Columnist Velez Mental Performance @velezmentalhealth

Eva Espresso Photographer Eva Espresso Photography @Eva.espresso

Amritlal Singh Spirituality Contributor Monarch Visionary @monarch_visionary

Cezar Kusik Wine Contributor Polo Lifestyles @cezartastesearth

Dana Romita Real Estate Contributor Douglas Elliman @danaromita

CONTRIBUTORS

William Smith Philanthropy Contributor May & Stanley Smith Charitable Trust @willismith_2000

Justin Johnson Wellness Contributor Goliath Coaches @goliathcoaches

Ambassador Claude-Alix Bertrand Publisher Polo Lifestyles @haiti_polo_captain

Josh Jakobitz Editor-in-Chief Polo Lifestyles @joshuajakobitz

Michael J. Snell Lifestyles & Automobiles Contributor @agnello_1

Eric Carré Photographer EC Photography @ti_carre

Claire Barrett Head of Photography Claire Barrett Photography @clairebarrettphoto

Raphael K. Dapaah Art Contributor Dapaah Gallery @dapaahgallery

Katerina Morgan Polo Photographer Horse Polo Art Gallery @horsepoloartgallery

The next craze in beauty tweakments, page 80

The world's most-exclusive credit card, page 48

FASHION ISSUE

THE ANNUAL REVIEW OF SHOWS & COLLECTIONS

PAGE 84

Baby making made better with science, page 60

Crystal stemware to fall in love with, page 168

IT WAS A RACE TO THE FINISH LINE THIS MONTH FOR THE FASHION ISSUE OF POLO LIFESTYLES. WITH SHOWS AND COLLECTIONS STILL UNFURLING IN PARIS, WE MADE THE HARD DECISION TO GO TO PRESS FOLLOWING THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED DIOR SHOW.

Between seasonal allergies, time zone differences, WiFi connectivity issues and the most beautiful Northern California weekend that just screamed SIT BY THE POOL, there were numerous unforeseen challenges between our hard-working editorial team and the finished product.

On Sunday morning, I took the time to connect with one of our contributors, Amritlal Singh. I had to remind myself he’s not a new member of the team anymore, but a seasoned and polished professional now. He’s taken our spirituality column to new heights in the last year and I have personally learned to appreciate every one of our interactions. He reminded me to find the calm in the midst of the chaos (I’m so sorry, Amritlal, I’m paraphrasing heavily), and I went back to my laptop to review pages and layouts with a focus I hadn’t possessed 30 minutes earlier.

One of the columns I’ve been anticipating for several months now is finally here, from our wine contributor William Smith. Our team had been working on a special stemware piece for several months, and seeing it all come together has been fulfilling. Smith ended up with a great selection of unique stemware, which he sat down to review with a wine friends and a few very special bottles. If you’ve been around me at all, you know I love to set the table. Since I was a kid, I was mixing and matching patterns and carefully counting the silverware. To this day, I draw out the place setting – salad fork, fish fork, main fork, dessert fork, dessert spoon, pasta spoon, teaspoon, coffee spoon, white wine, red wine, water, etc. – before I even crack open the cabinet containing all the special pieces. No matter how many pieces of silver or porcelain I set on the table, the touche finale is the stemware, and Smith’s column presents a short list of enviable options for that finishing touch.

The Fashion Issue is, of course, a huge nod to New York, London, Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks, which began last month and will run another few days here in Paris. Saudi Arabia will host its first-ever Fashion Week in October – stay tuned for more details. The Spring/Summer 2024 collections are hot, exciting, and a little risqué – depending on the designer. Every page has something for everyone, so grab a pretty glass, a comfy chair and enjoy.

Josh Jakobitz Editor-in-Chief josh@pololifestyles.com

INNOVATION EXISTS PURELY TO SERVE YOUR COMFORT, SAFETY AND CONVENIENCE VIA MULTIPLE SENSES. A VIRTUAL VOICE ASSISTANT LISTENS TO SERVE YOU.

LIGHTING AND FRAGRANCE SUBTLY SOOTHE YOU.

Beyond first class is a class of one.

the route231

A dreamy Virgina getaway, Keswick Hall, is at the top of our list for luxury and splendor @keswick_hall

rimowa

Lewis Hamilton joined forces with Rimowa for their new campaign for travel bags

saks

dolcegabbana

Understated and ever sensual, the Keira sandal embraces a confident stride from D&G

harrywinston prada

highgoalgin

Gin, but elevated, where luxury meets tradition in every single sip

dior

Her Majesty Queen Camilla appeared in a silk crepe Dior Couture gown for a state dinner at Versailles

The Malle Courrier Exhibition features distinctive trunks, unveiled in Asnieres-sur-Seine, Paris

A special occasion calls for a mini Prada treat - or two

Bruno Cucinelli minimalist layers are here to upgrade your cool-weather wardrobe

The classic Harry Winston engagement ring features the beauty, brilliance and legacy of HW

louisvuitton

Click

The Pacific Coast Open Silver Cup was decided in Santa Barbara, the final high-goal match for the season

Just two gorgeous ponies hanging out with each other waiting for chukkers to start

caribbeancraft

Aventura Mall in Miami hosted Caribbean artisans for a full week of creativity, color and connection

milan.petrovic.kw

AI artists are designing a world that could exist thanks in part to advances in technology

hublot

You can wear a watch, or you can wear a timepiece from Hublot

fourseasons

The brand synonymous for luxury is reaching beyond land - to the sea, for its next horizons

globalpolo

It's just the best feeling in the world... winning a major cup or Open

ellerstina

Who's ready to get back to the Triple Crown of Argentina - Ellerstina Z is!

Sparkle in brilliant white and yellow diamonds from ear lobes to neck line with Graff

graff

globalpolo

and comment on our choices... Tag @pololifestyles . We will share noteworthy comments with you next month.

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FIP CHAMPIONSHIPS DUSSELDORF

FIP CHAMPIONSHIPS

FIP CHAMPIONSHIPS

THE TWENTY-THIRD EDITION OF THE FRENCH POLO OPEN

THE TWENTY-THIRD EDITION OF THE

FRENCH POLO OPEN

Eighteen teams at the start, eight in the women’s category, and two at the finish line. After a flamboyant qualifying phase (50 games) that gave rise to some sublime battles over three weeks, four fine teams faced each other at the Ferme d’Apremont, home of the Chantilly Polo Club, in front of... a lot of people! The French Open was a resounding success, with TTR Sotheby's in the women’s category and Kazak in the men’s category coming out on top after a game of insane intensity that went into extra time. Two finals that will be remembered for a long time writing a new chapter in the history of the Open de France. Kazak has been competing for four years now and this magnificent team won its first title, one of the most coveted on the international circuit, in Apremont. An incredibly intense game and polo of the highest quality, thanks to some horses worthy of Palermo. From one end of the game to the other, the teams gave blow for blow, none of them managing to get the upper hand. And as is often the case in such even matches, it was in extra time that the 23rd Open de France was decided.

After a decisive pass from Nico Pieres, Antonio Heguy scored the golden goal in front of his father, polo legend Pepe Heguy. For Nico Pieres, it was his first participation in the Open de France and his first victory: “I’m happy, obviously, but I’m especially happy for this fine Kazak team, who gave themselves the means to win this title by investing in the right horses. It was a very complicated game to win and I knew it was going to be tough because I have watched Amanara’s games. I knew the score was going to be very close. In the extra chukker, I had to be patient and not rush things and that worked. It is the first time I have played polo at this level, and the first time I have played a tournament with eighteen teams, and I was surprised by the level of polo that was played here. It is a good preparation for the Argentinian Triple Crown, which I will be flying to tomorrow, but for the moment I don’t want to think about that because tonight we are going to celebrate this French victory as

THE TWENTY-THIRD EDITION OF THE FRENCH

POLO OPEN

we should.”

Kazak: Sébastien Aguettant (FRA 0), Beltran Laulhe (ARG 3, 2 goals), Antonio Heguy (ARG 5, 1 goal) et Nico Pieres (ARG 8, 8 goals)

Amanara (17): Nicky Sen (HOL 0), Lorenzo Chavanne (ARG 4, 2 goals), Santiago Chavanne (ARG 7, 3 goals),

Benjamin Panelo (ARG 6, 4 goals).

Progression Kazak: 3-2 / 4-5 / 6-5 / 8-7 / 9-9 / 10-9 (OT)

MVP: Beltran Laulhe (ARG 3)

Best amateur player of the final by Soriano Motori: Sébastien Aguettant (Kazak)

BPP: V8 Back Home, owned by Nicky Sen and played by Lorenzo Chavanne (Amanara)

Best Argentinian studbook horse in the final (AACCP BPP) : Open Exquisita, played by Nicolas Pieres (Kazak).

THE TWENTY-THIRD EDITION OF THE FRENCH POLO OPEN

THE TWENTY-THIRD EDITION OF THE

FRENCH POLO OPEN

23EME EDITION OPEN DE FRANCE DE POLO FEMININE

TTR SOTHEBY'S HOISTS THE TROPHY

23EME EDITION OPEN DE FRANCE DE POLO FEMININE

HIGH SOCIETY

THE MOST EXCLUSIVE CREDIT CARD IN THE WORLD

SOCIETY

CERTAIN PREMIUM CREDIT CARDS GRANT EXCLUSIVE PERKS THAT ATTRACT USERS TO SIGN UP FOR THEM. THIS ONE, HOWEVER, WELCOMES ONLY 150 MEMBERS BY INVITATION ONLY, SO YOU CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE EXTRAVAGANZA IT PLANS TO OFFER. THIS IS THE BILLIONAIRE CARD.

Billionaire, the ‘master of extravaganza,’ enlisted Insignia and Jacob & Co. to create a premium credit card that deems to give you lavish experiences from the moment you hold it to when you enjoy its perks.

Jacob & Co. has designed a gold-plated metal card set with pavé diamonds, star motifs, mother of pearl, and the Jacob & Co. logo. Given all of that, the card is an accessory in itself to complement your whole profile.

What’s more, it also opens the doors to several one-of-a-kind experiences. For example, privileged entry to concerts, fashion shows, and sporting events, which will take place under the partnership with brands like Aston Martin and Riva. Members will also be invited to Billionaire’s five ultra-exclusive clubs around the world as well as the Billionaire Resort and Retreat in Malindi, Kenya.

As from the Insignia side, an exclusive application will allow priority access to the aircrafts plus a special offer at various luxury hotels.

The Billionaire Card is not for just anybody but for those with ‘considerable net worth.’ It is preserved to 150 members who will receive an invitation from the brand.

THE NEW STATUS SYMBOL

IS A FULL-BODY SCAN

COMPANIES LIKE THE CELEBRITY ENDORSED PRENUVO CLAIM THEY CAN REVOLUTIONIZE PREVENTIVE HEALTH CARE. EXPERTS WARN THIS MIGHT NOT BE THE RIGHT APPROACH.

For $2,499, Prenuvo will try to predict your future. The company offers a roughly hour-long session of magnetic resonance imaging, or M.R.I., that scans your entire body, searching for early signs of cancer,

aneurysms, liver diseases and even multiple sclerosis.

In recent months, images of celebrities and influencers posing in branded scrubs in front of a glossy, cylindrical M.R.I. machine have begun to pop up on social media with notable frequency. Kim Kardashian wore slippers in the post she shared with her 364 million followers last month, writing in the caption that Prenuvo “has really saved some of my friends lives.” In May, the television host Maria Menounos said that a Prenuvo

scan had alerted her to a mass that turned out to be Stage 2 pancreatic cancer.

Prenuvo does not pay anyone to promote its products, according to the company’s founder and chief executive, Andrew Lacy, but it does offer free scans to influencers and prominent figures in the wellness industry “in exchange for an honest review if they feel like it,” he said. Some people also receive discount codes they can share on social media, offering their followers hundreds of dollars off the cost of a scan.

The company has sought a glamorous crowd. During New York Fashion Week in early September, it coordinated with the fashion public relations agency Lucien Pagès to set up appointments for “a few” influential people in the fashion world, according to the agency. They included the French fashion editor Olivier Zahm, who wrote on Instagram on Wednesday that he went to get his scan between runway shows. The designer Zac Posen, the model Lily Aldridge and the Vogue editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson have also posted about the scans.

Many celebrities talk about their health on social media, for example, sharing post-mammogram photos or promoting dubious procedures like colonics and IV drips. But the ones documenting their body scans — complete with nearly identical photo ops — have taken the celebrity health endorsement to new heights in terms of cost.

High-profile proponents have made Prenuvo perhaps the most prominent in

a crop of companies offering whole-body scans that are generally not covered by insurance. There’s also Ezra, simonONE and the Stockholm-based Neko Health.

“It’s completely understandable why you’d want to find cancer early,” said Rebecca Smith-Bindman, director of the Radiology Outcomes Research Laboratory at the University of California, San Francisco. “It would absolutely give you that sense of control over it.”

Most cancers can be treated if they are detected early, she said. But those are largely detectable via other means, like the cancer screening schedule your doctor recommends for you — which is typically covered by insurance.

And considerable harms can come from screening, she and other experts said. In April, the American College of Radiology released a statement saying that there was “no documented evidence that total body screening is cost-efficient or effective in prolonging

life,” and expressing concern that scans could lead to “nonspecific findings” that require extensive, expensive follow-up.

Larry Norton, a breast oncologist and the medical director of the Evelyn H. Lauder Breast Center at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, said that “there’s just no evidence to support” healthy people undergoing full-body M.R.I. screening, even for people who have a family history of cancer. Smith-Bindman herself has a family history of cancer, she said, and she would not consider getting a full-body scan like Prenuvo’s.

A 2019 meta-analysis looked at 12 studies encompassing over 5,000 people who did not have any symptoms of diseases like cancer but had undergone wholebody M.R.I. scans. Among the six studies that had complete data, the researchers found that 16 percent of people who were scanned ended up having false positives. Only one study observed false negatives — meaning the scan missed something — which occurred in about 2 percent of

THE NEW STATUS SYMBOL IS A FULL-BODY SCAN

people. Roughly 32 percent of people had an M.R.I that detected an abnormality that could potentially be clinically relevant, but it’s not clear whether those abnormalities would have led to disease or death.

“If you scan more, we see more,” said Thomas C. Kwee, a radiologist at the University Medical Center Groningen in the Netherlands and an author on the meta-analysis.

“You wonder, is this really good that you’re doing for the patient?” Kwee said.

Prenuvo’s visibility on social media is unusual, said Joshua Cohen, a health economist. Other diagnostic scans, such as X-rays for broken bones and PET scans

for Alzheimer’s disease, are prescribed by doctors after evaluation, not spread by word of mouth on Instagram.

That visibility has driven some people to book the scans despite feeling perfectly healthy. One of them is Jennifer Jones, a 44-year-old woman in St. Louis, who first heard about Prenuvo on social media. She said she wanted to get a scan in part because her sister has lung cancer.

Ms. Jones said she was aware that many doctors are skeptical of the scans for healthy people, but she had “no doubts that it’s legit.” To her, the price is well worth it compared with the potential costs, financial and otherwise, of future illness. “I would literally do anything to have preventive options,” she said.

Our bodies commonly contain abnormalities, like lumps and masses and scars on organs, that can be detected by M.R.I. Smith-Bindman compared these to moles on our skin.

An M.R.I. alone can’t always tell you whether a finding is benign or troubling, said Dushyant Sahani, chair of radiology at the University of Washington, and patients often have to undergo additional testing.

A representative from Prenuvo said that 5 percent of people who get a Prenuvo scan are alerted to “potentially life-saving findings.”

OPTIMIZE YOUR BODY CLOCK TO LOSE WEIGHT

IF YOU’RE REALLY SERIOUS ABOUT LOSING WEIGHT, YOU’LL BE WORKING OUT WHILE THE REST OF THE WORLD IS POURING THEIR FIRST CUP OF EARL GRAY. ACCORDING TO A NEW STUDY OF MORE THAN 5,000 PEOPLE FROM FRANKLIN PIERCE UNIVERSITY IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, THE BEST TIME TO EXERCISE IS BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 7 A.M. AND 9 A.M.

Researchers found that people who did 150 minutes of pre-work exercise a week were six pounds lighter and had a lower BMI than those who exercised later in the day. They were also less likely to have unhealthy diets and consumed fewer

calories than those who exercised in mid-morning or later.

“Our findings propose that the diurnal (daily) pattern of moderate to vigorous physical activity could be another important dimension to describe the complexity of human movement,” says study author Tongyu Ma.

Is it possible to continue this calorie-burning fest throughout the day? Here’s our round-the-clock guide

7AM:

TIME TO WAKE UP

While it’s true that some people are naturally night owls, the 21st-century rat-race is geared to the morning larks.

“The idea now is that every organ, and possibly every cell has its own clock, and these are synchronized by a clock in the brain, which itself is set by photo-receptors in the eye that respond to light,” says

Professor David Whitmore, who specializes in chronobiology (the way that our biology is affected by time) at University College London.

Ideally, you’ll be consistent with your wake-up times. “If you keep a regular sleep-wake cycle, regular mealtimes and regular light-exposure times, that keeps the whole body-clock on time, which in turn keeps everything else on time,” says Guy Meadows, sleep expert and founder of Sleep School.

7.20AM: GET YOUR RUNNING SHOES ON

According to Ma, cardiovascular exercise is likely to be key for those who work out in the mornings. “Exercise can burn fat and glucose,” Ma says.

“After an overnight fast, the glucose stored in our body is low. Therefore,

when we exercise our muscles are likely to burn more fat. I would recommend 40 minutes of aerobic exercise before breakfast, such as running or biking.”

10AM: EAT BREAKFAST

Various studies have shown the benefits of intermittent fasting for weight loss and scientists from King’s College London recommend eating within a 10-hour window. 10am offers the chance to fast slightly later in the morning, so you can finish eating before 8pm in the evening and give your body time to digest before bed. A study from the University of Surrey found that pushing your eating time 1.5 hours later results in you eating fewer calories.

“There’s evidence to show that eating in line with your body clock will improve your metabolic health, inflammation and weight,” says Sarah Berry, a leading nutritional scientist.

Focus on starting your day with protein: eggs or salmon. Studies from Japan have found that people are better at metabo-

lizing and building muscle from protein when it is consumed in the morning compared to when it is consumed in the evening.

12PM: FINISH YOUR LAST CUP OF COFFEE

While one unit of alcohol takes an hour for the body to break down, it takes up to six hours for it to clear the caffeine from a single shot of espresso from your system. “At minimum, you need to leave at least a six-hour break between drinking coffee and going to sleep,” advises Meadows. “Drink two or three cups a day if you like, but ideally stop at noon.”

This is important because a lack of good quality sleep can lead to increased consumption. “When we’re sleep-deprived, our bodies raise levels of [the hormones] ghrelin, and lowers leptin, meaning we’re hungrier and find it harder to feel satiated,” says hormone expert Emma Bardwell. These hormones are vital in regulating appetite. Ghrelin tells the brain

that you’re hungry, while leptin tells you that you’re full and can stop eating. That means if you’re sleep-deprived you’re likely to eat more.

2PM: EAT SOME CARBS NOW

This is the meal where you should get most of your carbs, says Ulrike Kuehl, head of nutrition at the metabolism-tracking app, Lumen. “Consuming carbs midday will be important to give you some fuel to get you through the rest of the day,” she says.

“It makes sense for most people if you look at the average metabolic flexibility to have more carbs in the middle of the day, that’s when people tend to be more sensitive to insulin and so better at processing them.” All this is even more important to give you energy to exercise after work.

3.42pm (or whenever you feel like it): Give yourself a short break to daydream or do nothing

“One of the big problems these days is that the only time we take to pause is when we go to bed,” says Meadows. “That’s when your mind races because your Default Mode Network, the part of your brain responsible for mental chatter, hasn’t had the chance to catch up on the day. Factoring in simple breaks to just do nothing is essential to sleep better later.”

In 2015, a group of scientists from around the world published guidelines in the British Medical Journal, advising that we should get up from our desks every hour and walk for two minutes. Doing so cuts the risk of premature death by 33 per cent by burning calories and keeping the body active.

5PM: GRAB SOME WEIGHTS (OR YOUR YOGA PANTS)

A 2019 study from the Scripps Research Institute in California found that between 4pm and 6pm your core body temperature is at its highest and your muscles and joints are most warmed up. Now is the time when you’ll get the most out of strength and movement exercises. Exercises like this are good for building muscle which, in turn, is vital for burning fat. This is because muscle tissue requires more calories to maintain than fat tissue.

“The more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn,” says three-time Olympic speed skater and top personal trainer, Sarah Lindsay. “Of course, cardio

and general activity are great for you in all sorts of ways, but it needs to be combined with getting stronger.”

A 2018 review of 23 different studies about exercise timings found that people who exercised in the evening fell asleep faster and spent more time in deep sleep. Be wary of exercising too close to your bedtime or exercising too intensely late into the night though: the review found that intense exercise in the hours before bed delayed sleep onset by an hour.

6PM: FINISH DINNER

“The most effective thing people can do for their weight loss is to eat a couple of hours earlier in the evening than they might think - I’d say three or four hours before bed,” says Kuehl.

“If you eat late at night, it increases blood glucose and insulin, which negatively impacts sleep. The cells of your metabolism need time to rest and regenerate so if those cells are active your body has trained itself not to shut down until they do. If you don’t sleep well, you’re more likely to gain weight.”

8PM: SKIP THE GLASS OF WINE WHILE YOU’RE WATCHING TV

It might be tempting to crash on the sofa with a glass of wine, but it’s generally unwise. “The body detects alcohol and sees it as a toxin, so it focuses all its resources

on detoxifying that alcohol,” explains Inside Performance sports scientist Nigel Stockill. All the processes by which the body would normally start to get you ready to sleep, such as slowing down the heart rhythm, get neglected until the body has detoxified the alcohol.

“As little as one unit of alcohol in your system at bedtime can delay the onset of restorative sleep by about an hour. Have two large glasses of wine (approximately 6 units) late in the evening and sleep for six hours and you may not get any restorative sleep, and therefore won’t recover overnight. And you’ll also crave carbs the next day.”

10PM: GET TO BED

Ideally you’ll have been slowing down, closing your curtains, and switching off your smartphone before this point, but aim to get about eight hours of sleep to help lose weight. A 2022 study from the University of Chicago Medical Centre found that going to bed 75 minutes earlier helps you consume 270 fewer calories (the equivalent of three cookies).

In 2016, one study found that levels of a chemical called 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), which increases the amount of pleasure we derive from eating, rose by a third when volunteers were sleep-deprived. In short: you’ll want to eat more. So do yourself a favor and off you go to bed.

BABYMAKING THE WINNING SCIENCE OF

AFTER LOUISE BROWN WAS BORN IN MANCHESTER IN JULY

1978, HER PARENTS’ NEIGHBORS WERE SURPRISED TO SEE THAT THE WORLD’S FIRST “TEST-TUBE BABY” WAS “NORMAL”: TWO EYES, TEN FINGERS, TEN TOES. IN THE 45 YEARS SINCE, IN VITRO FERTILIZATION (IVF) HAS BECOME THE MAIN TREATMENT FOR INFERTILITY AROUND THE WORLD.

At least 12m people have been conceived in glassware. An IVF baby takes its first gulp of air roughly every 45 seconds. IVF babies are just as healthy and unremarkable as any others. Yet to their parents, most of whom struggle with infertility for months or years, they are nothing short of miraculous.

In a world where one person in six suffers from infertility, such successes are rightly celebrated. Less discussed are the problems of IVF. Most courses of treatment fail. That subjects women and couples to cycles of dreaming and dejection—and gives the fertility industry an incentive to sell false hope. The obstacle is a lack of progress in understanding the basic mechanisms that determine fertility. At last, however, science is making headway, holding out more promise and less heart-

ache for generations of parents to come. Over the years IVF has become better at making babies and safer for the women who bear the brunt of the treatment. The rate of twin and triplet deliveries has plummeted, reducing the number of risky pregnancies. Hormone treatments are safer. Combined with egg and sperm freezing, donation and surrogacy, IVF has given many, including same-sex couples and singletons, a path to parenthood where they had none.

Yet the process remains grueling and costly. It is physically painful for women, and emotionally draining for both sexes. For many, fertility treatment is an unaffordable luxury; in America, for instance, a cycle can cost $20,000. Some countries ration treatment according to a conservative moral code. Until 2021 French law permitted IVF only for married heterosexual couples. Many countries including China forbid egg freezing, which extends reproductive years.

All too often, the pain and the cost come to nothing. The 770,000 IVF babies born in 2018 required some 3m cycles. Many women go through round after round of hormone injections, sometimes moving from one clinic to the next. In America and Britain roughly half go home with a baby in their arms, even after several years and as many as eight cycles of treatment.

This has fostered a fertility industry

selling to repeat customers desperate to conceive. When a cycle fails, many clinics offer poorly regulated menus of “add-ons” that do not demonstrably raise the chances of success and may even reduce them. They can charge hundreds to thousands of dollars for a treatment.

These problems all share a fundamental cause. Although reproduction is one of the most basic aspects of human biology, scientists have an astonishingly poor grasp of how a new life comes about. The essentials are obvious: a sperm and an egg must meet. But many of the cellular, molecular and genetic underpinnings of baby making remain a mystery.

Little is known about how a woman’s stock of eggs is set before she is even born; or why they fade in number and quality until menopause, which among mammals is known to occur only in humans and five species of whale. The intricacies of how an embryo buries into the womb and connects to the blood supply are also mysterious. Infertility is often classed as “women’s health”, yet male factors play at least some role in roughly half of heterosexual infertile couples— though how is often unclear.

In the face of all this, IVF is woefully inadequate. It was devised as a fix for the blocked Fallopian tubes that prevented Brown’s mother from conceiving. But today, when more couples try for children later in life, a woman’s declining stock of eggs is increasingly likely to be the prob-

IVF is failing most women. But new research holds out hope for the future.

lem. Here, IVF works by giving people more rolls of dice, by collecting more eggs and maximizing the odds that they will be fertilized. That will work for the lucky few, but without an entirely new approach and new treatments, many aspiring parents will endure one disappointment after another.

As our Technology Quarterly reports, recent scientific work offers some hope. Researchers in Japan and America are exploiting stem cells, which have the ability to become any of the body’s many specialized tissues, to make eggs from skin and blood cells, a process called in vitro gametogenesis (ivg). In Japan healthy mouse pups have been created from cells that originated on the tips of their mothers’ tails. Earlier this year researchers announced that they had delivered mouse pups that shared two genetic fathers. One had contributed sperm, the other skin,

which was first turned into stem cells and then into eggs.

Some teams are working towards applying these techniques to humans. If cells safe enough to make healthy babies will ever be available, they are still far off. But the research is providing new insights into how sperm and eggs are made. ivg means that researchers may no longer need to rely for their studies on donated eggs, sperm and embryos, often generously provided by IVF patients. Other teams are using stem cells to build embryo models (dubbed “embryoids”). These will never see the inside of a womb, but they can help show what happens to the real embryos that do.

In time, novel treatments may follow. Gay couples could have children that are as genetically related to them as those of straight ones. Trans people who are undergoing gender reassignment could

possibly do so without sacrificing their fertility.

All this will take time—which is why IVF will remain important, and why it needs investment and regulation. A better understanding of fertility should help raise the success rate of IVF, bringing down its emotional and financial costs.

New treatments could eventually herald the biggest transformation in fertility technology since Ms Brown was born. Polling shows that in many countries people have fewer children than they would like, partly because they are putting off baby making until later. Where the sexual revolution of the 1960s and ’70s gave women the choice not to have babies if they did not wish to, emerging technology could usher in a new revolution, empowering women—and men—to have the babies they want, when they want them.

CHEF JEAN-GEORGES NEVER THROWS THE SAME PARTY TWICE

IN 1980, WHEN 23-YEAROLD JEAN-GEORGES

VONGERICHTEN ARRIVED IN BANGKOK AFTER A RIGOROUS THREE-YEAR CULINARY APPRENTICESHIP IN FRANCE, HE HAD NEVER TASTED GINGER.

Ginger powder, yes. But fresh ginger, lemongrass, lime — foundational Thai flavors — all were brand new to the man who would eventually become one of the world’s most famous chefs, winning seven James Beard awards, penning several books, and most notably, helming 60 restaurants worldwide.

The marriage of Asian ingredients with

his classical French training would become Vongerichten’s hallmark. (He also invented the modern molten lava cake.)

When I meet Vongerichten at The Pink Hermit, his charming cafe at the historic Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, he appears both purposeful and unrushed, sporting an impish grin and spotless black Prada sneakers. Hearing about his time in Bangkok, my mind flashes to my favorite course from the prior night’s dinner at Drusie and Darr — the first JeanGeorges establishment in the South. The closing dish was a passion-fruit Baked Alaska — both a clever nod to the Tennessee state wildflower (the passionflower) and an example of the tartness of the Thai fruit paired with a classic American dessert.

Vongerichten’s great-great-grandfather owned a coal mine in the Alsace region of France, and each subsequent generation was expected to enter the family business. But Vongerichten says his early teens were defined by rebellion. “From 12 to 14, my parents put me in a priest’s school, two miles away from home, Monday to Friday. I loved it because I was out in the street all night. I found my way out.” It was around this time that his nickname emerged: JoJo The Terror.

“Our parents never wanted us to go out. I was 14; my sister was 15. So we made a club in our basement,” he says. “I was the lighting guy. I was the DJ. It became so popular, there were 80 people in the basement, lines out the door. I started to realize: ‘Oh, maybe I can make a living

entertaining.’”

Like all great hosts, every sensory element of the experience was considered. “I liked the control of the design, the lighting, the music, putting it together.” And he took great delight in reading the room. “If I’d see people kissing, I’d dim the lights. I loved it. Food? Food came after.”

On his sixteenth birthday in a stroke of destiny, Vongerichten’s father offered his wayward son the chance to work as a dishwasher at a 3-starred Michelin restaurant near the family home. Instead of dish washing, Vongerichten became an apprentice and emerged from the three-year training with a razor-sharp discipline and an insatiable desire to taste what the world had to offer.

He recalls his later placement in the south of France with a twinkle in his eye: “Tomato, rosemary, thyme, the gorgeous market, topless beaches. I was in heaven.” Midway through our chat, a man in a trim black suit wanders past our table: Daniel “Danny” Del Vecchio, who has been working with Vongerichten for the last 30 years, first as a line cook in one of the chef’s early New York City restaurants, and now as executive vice president of Jean-Georges Management. It was Del Vecchio who codified all of Vongerichten’s handwritten recipes into a computer database. That database now contains 50,000 recipes, each with the measurements of every ingredient to maintain consistency among the 45 currently operating restaurants.

Del Vecchio has just come from the restaurant’s kitchen, where he has been shucking fava beans. This activity does not appear to be part of his current job description. The two men are clearly good friends, and I wonder, in what other company would a vice president be doing this sort of thing for fun?

We discuss how crucial restaurant design is to every project they approach — in fact, Vongerichten doesn’t begin a menu until the design concept is fleshed out. This process highlights how the food is really in active conversation with its surroundings, rather than the environment just serving as a backdrop. And lighting continues to be critical for Vongerichten. Apparently, even the work of the world’s premier interior design firms frequently requires tweaking by Vongerichten.

I ask the duo about their newest project in Kyoto, Japan: The Shinmonzen, a nine-room hotel with a Jean-Georges restaurant. Vongerichten becomes visibly excited talking about Kyoto carrots and confesses he could move to Kyoto tomorrow. “We have a temple next door, just beside the hotel. They invited us to eat with them, and I realized that instead of giving occasional donations to the monks, I could pay to keep a table in the garden where guests may join in the evening meal.”

The twinkle is back in his eye, and I realize why Vongerichten may never stop opening new restaurants. After all, you can’t throw the same party twice. As he celebrates a half-century in the kitchen, he muses, “50 years in, and here we are. Just warming up.”

MONTEREY CAR WEEK A SYMPHONY OF AUTOMOTIVE EXCELLENCE

MONTEREY CAR WEEK

Nestled along the ruggedly beautiful Monterey Peninsula, Car Week stands as a testament to the enduring allure of the automobile. Every year, in the waning days of summer, this celebrated event weaves an exquisite tapestry of history, luxury and innovation. The 2023 edition was no exception, once again delivering an unforgettable symphony of provenance, elegance and passion.

The history of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is steeped in reverence for automotive excellence. It all began in 1950 when a small group of automobile enthusiasts, led by James Melton and Lorin Tryon, organized a gathering of classic cars on the lush lawns of Pebble Beach. The event was an instant success, establishing a tradition that would endure for over seven decades. Today, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is not

merely an event; it is an institution. It has become the definitive stage where the world’s most exquisite and rare automobiles converge, attracting collectors and connoisseurs from across the globe. This is a true celebration of automotive heritage, craftsmanship and the unending pursuit of perfection.

NURTURED BY TRADITION, SHOWCASED IN DESIGN

In the instance of experience, there are few circumstances that can truly cause me to do a double take. As an enthusiast myself, these events allow me to further what I call an unending curiosity circulating automotive brand heritage, complex designs and the consumer’s interest. With this being my sixteenth year of attendance, I continue to be delighted and always surprised by this ultimate curation with the 2023 edition following suit as a magnificent spectacle.

This week-long happening is divided into several showings, previews, auctions and celebrations. The crown jewel of Monterey Car Week takes place at the illustrious Quail Lodge & Golf Club, a Peninsula property. For 20 years, ‘The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering’ has provided an unparalleled and exclusive experience for enthusiasts and collectors to enjoy rare collections of fine automobiles and motorcycles in a beautifully elaborated garden-party setting.

While access to The Quail is by invitation only, attendees are treated to an intimate atmosphere where they can intimately engage with some of the world’s most remarkable vehicles. A diverse array of vehicles, each with its own unique story to tell are placed on the golf greens, displayed and ready for spectator interaction. From classic racing legends to cutting-edge hyper-

BY MICHAEL SNELL / LUXURY AUTOMOBILE CONTRIBUTOR

cars, the event showcases the evolution of automotive engineering and design.

With featured themes for 2023 being: the 50th Anniversary of the 1973 RS Carrera, Porsche 959s, Early Bentley 1950s R-Type Coupe and Eyes on Italian Design it also included the traditional classes of: Pre-War Sports & Racing, Post-War Sports, PostWar Racing, The Evolution of the Supercar, The Great Ferraris, Custom Coachwork, and Sports and Racing Motorcycles. Joined alongside by brands showcasing the modern-day equivalent to these historical marvels, there were purposely no cars that wouldn’t make you just want to stop and stare (and possibly drool).

While the judges toured the green marking their score cards, 17 new model reveals took place. Marques like Bugatti, Lamborghini, McLaren, Rolls-Royce, Czinger, and Pininfarina

kept the day rolling with non-stop action. While there was a large focus on all-electric models, the Pininfarina B95 which is a 1,900 hp fully roofless hypercar had attendees smiling.

Rimac showcased its latest electric record-breaking model, the Nevera Time Attack, which will be limited to just 12 units produced (all of which are already spoken for.) The first, finished in a striking black on green, was presented to its owner Jeff Miller of California by Rimac CEO Mate Rimac during the event.

One of the most anticipated reveals of the day was the Lanzador concept from Automobili Lamborghini. This first look is what to soon expect from the Italian houses’ jump into electrification. Lifting the silk cover, CEO Stephan Winkelmann presented a highly stylized and lifted two-door GT that will seat four adults comfortably.

While electrification continues to be the narrative, Rolls-Royce unveiled its take on the trend with Spectre. The EV Coupé is setting the stage for a 300+ mile range of silent ultra-luxury. With horsepower coming in around 576 and 660lb+ of torque, this fully redesigned model pays the highest compliments to both the styling and the conscientiousness of a driver’s enjoyment.

In keeping with the spirit of horsepower, Bugatti showcased its Chiron Super Sport “Golden Era,” which the brand chose to highlight their ability for extreme customization. Maserati had an impressive display of their MCXtrema. This model takes elements of the MC20 and MC12 and gives them a decidedly menacing attitude adjustment in appearance and performance, highlighting the brand’s Nettuno 3.0-liter V-6 in its most aggressive tune. Impressive displays were also enjoyed

MONTEREY CAR WEEK

BY MICHAEL SNELL / LUXURY AUTOMOBILE

by O’Gara Coach, set on highlighting the company’s breadth in brand representation, and as well by the Luxury Rally Club, whose unique curation of cars belonged to its members consisting of industry leaders, celebrities, and passionate car enthusiasts all joining together for an unforgettable display.

Bugatti’s head of design described the event the best. “It’s a group of car enthusiasts, no matter which brand,” says Frank Heyl. “It’s really casual but, at the same time, on such a high level—it’s a chance for automotive camaraderie.”

At the end of the day, the confetti canons fired off for the 1956 Ferrari 410 Superamerica “Superfast 1” named the Rolex Circle of Champions Best of Show. While The Quail’s showcase covers a vast array of vintage vehicles and manufacturer highlights, its true heartbeat is for the collector and their passion. Also garnering special merit was a 1949 Lancia Aprilia Supergioello, that took home the Spirit of The Quail honor. Other noted vehicles taking home special mention included a 50th Anniversary model of the 1973 RS Carrera and a Porsche 959s.

ELEGANCE IN MOTION

Rounding-out the week’s obsession over autos is the signature Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance event. Showcasing over 200 of the rarest

automobiles ever crafted, the stage is set on the iconic 18th fairway of the Pebble Beach Golf Links. This once again transformed museum of rolling art is set against the backdrop of the azure Pacific Ocean, with each car faithfully accompanied by its owner or representative sitting behind the wheel.

The essence of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance can be distilled into one phrase: Automotive Elegance in Motion. With every vehicle on display being more than a relic; each is a living, breathing testament to a bygone era of artistry and craftsmanship. With a team of judges, experts in their own right, the group meticulously assess each automobile not merely as a machine but as a work of art as they walk up and down the fairway, stopping one-by-one.

At the heart of the event is the coveted “Best of Show” award, which is bestowed upon the most exceptional automobile on the field. In 2023, the honor went to a 1937 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Touring Berlinetta, a treasure that encapsulated the spirit of the event. This meticulously restored Alfa Romeo is a beacon of pre-war elegance complete with its flowing lines, exquisite detailing, and mechanical prowess.

One of the unique aspects of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is the remarkable diversity of vehicles on display. While the event is

renowned for its showcase of vintage classics, it also pays homage to the present and future of the automotive world. The “Concept Car Lawn” features cutting-edge designs and prototypes from some of the world’s most-prominent automakers. This year this display continued to dazzle attendees with the future of mobility. With the electric and hybrid concepts continuing to reign supreme, brands displayed their commitment to sustainability and innovation while visitors marveled at sleek, aerodynamic shapes and forward-thinking technology.

Beyon the glitz and glamour, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is deeply committed to preserving automotive heritage and giving back to the community. The event raises significant funds for charitable organizations, with a particular focus on supporting local causes. It is a testament to the organizers’ belief in using the power of passion and luxury to make a positive impact.

Overall, Monterey Car Week holds an uncanny ability to transport attendees through time, immersing them in the founding stories and legacies of what may be their childhood icon of automobiles or their personal passions for collecting. This truly is the week that defines what is the heartbeat of Automotive Luxury and Passion.

TOM FORD TOM FORDafter

GOOD MORNING FROM MILAN, WHERE THE SUN IS RISING ON DAY

9,742 OF THE 2023 FASHION SHOWS. AS I’VE EXPLAINED TO EVERYONE WHO HAS ASKED ME WHY I WAS MAKING MY FOURTH TRIP TO THE ITALIAN CLOTHING CAPITAL THIS YEAR, YES, IT’S TECHNICALLY THE WOMEN’S EDITION OF FASHION WEEK. A QUICK PRIMER: IN EUROPE, MEN’S LINES ARE SHOWN IN JANUARY AND JUNE, AND WOMEN’S IN FEBRUARY AND SEPTEMBER (WHICH EXTENDS INTO MARCH AND OCTOBER).

But in Milan, several marquee brands— Diesel, Loro Piana, Ferragamo, Jil Sander, Bottega Veneta, to name a few— typically skip the menswear weeks and show co-ed collections during women’s. So here I am.

Why do the brands do this? For one, it’s more modern to subvert the gender binary. But designers also have to be mindful of their bottom line, and fashion shows are incredibly expensive. Wednesday night’s Diesel show was

held on a Bonnaroo-sized outdoor stage for 7,000 guests, many of them local fashion students. (The massive rainstorm that lashed the runway actually enhanced the spectacle.) As designers compete to go bigger and bolder in order to seize the narrative—and the attention of harried editors, celebs, and fashion fans—in a crowded field, I would expect brands to continue putting their budgets into a smaller number of increasingly epic events.

I came to Milan with a few major moments circled on my schedule. One is the dawn of Gucci’s new era under Sabato De Sarno. While the Valentino album will be starting with a women’s collection, I’ll be there to parse the jackets and loafers for hints of the direction he’ll be taking Gucci menswear come January.

Last night, another closely watched debut went down at Tom Ford, where creative director Peter Hawkings stepped into the spotlight. You might remember that back in April, Tom Ford sold his namesake house to Estée Lauder to the tune of $2.8 billion. Ford promptly retired from fashion to make movies, handing the reins to Hawkings, a bright and wiry Brit who worked alongside the American lifestyle titan for 25 years. “I love Peter,” Ford said in an interview

earlier this year. “I wanted him to get the job. He has incredible taste; he’s a terrific leader. He is genuinely talented. I can’t wait to see what he does.”

Hawkings, virtually unknown just a few months ago, suddenly had one of the biggest roles in menswear. “I think while it was kind of daunting at the beginning, it just felt like a kind of natural evolution both for me and for the brand,” Hawkings said backstage. “And obviously having worked for Tom for 25 years, him handing over the brand meant everything to me. It’s amazing.”

The setting, a velvety beige box outside the city center, was a tribute to the smoldering, sensual world Ford built. The room smelled like Tobacco Vanille and was filled with plenty of rakes and ingenues wearing oversized sunglasses. OG Tom Ford girl Madonna played on a loop as Domenico de Sole, Ford’s longtime CEO and brother-in-arms, who also departed the brand post-sale, caught up with Anna Wintour. The only thing missing, really, was Ford himself. “And I looked for him everywhere,” remarked a frustrated fellow editor. The word was the man himself would be in attendance to show support. He didn’t end up making it out of London due to bad weather.

A shame, because he missed a great show.

Many newly promoted creative directors are really more like renovators. They overhaul logos, gut stores, and remodel clothes and accessories, as De Sarno is expected to do at Gucci. But Hawkings, smartly, isn’t bringing out the wrecking ball anytime soon.

If anything, his Tom Ford is even more Tom Ford-y than Tom Ford under Tom Ford. (Sorry.) “The design ethos,” Hawkings said backstage, “is ingrained in me.” Which was clear in how he distilled the louche Fordian codes of glamor, luxury, and sex into their most potent forms. The first guy on the runway wore a gleaming black croc trucker jacket, followed closely behind by a glittering black suit in a dangerous cut: broad shoulders, trousers tapered like a knife. Gold necklaces bounced on the models’ clavicles, because their silk shirts were, naturally, unbuttoned to their belt buckles. Some traded blazers for supple café racer jackets, while others appeared to be on their way to (currently nonexistent) red carpets. The final men’s look, in fact, was a suit golder than an Oscar statuette. Pure, uncut TF, for a world of sartorial hedonism that he built.

This continuity didn’t come as a surprise. Hawkings had been quietly designing the men’s line from London for years, after Ford tapped him to start it “from a blank sheet of white paper,” as Hawkings put it, back in 2009. (Ford originally hired Hawkins as a menswear design assistant at Gucci in 1998.) He’s simply doubling down on what’s been working, and remaining razor-focused on material quality and sartorial details.

The real change Hawking is making is to the women’s side of the store, which Ford had been handling in LA. “What is so important to achieve is the [Tom Ford] woman coming closer to the man,” Hawkings said. “I think there was a disconnect before for sure, and I think that probably had to do with Tom being in LA and the design team being there. Now it’s under one roof.”

Meaning there’s a women’s black croc trucker, too, as well as a sequence of velvet tuxedos that called back to those iconic, Gwyneth Paltrowendorsed suits Ford made during his red-hot tenure at Gucci. Hawkings is basically giving credit where credit is due, he explained. “I was a part of [Gucci] all those years ago, so obviously Tom has helped me and inspired me to create my own codes and build on those for the future.”

Backstage, I bumped into a few models who were doing reconnaissance for a potential afterparty. Back in the day, the champagne corks would surely have already been flying. They left to find an open bar elsewhere. Hawkings was eager to spend the night with his wife—whom he met at Gucci—and kids. He’s clearly thinking of the long game. “I feel like I’ve been preparing for this for my entire life,” he told me.

THE LATEST BEAUTY CRAZE

INJECTING INTO MY NECK? SALMON SPERM SURE

JENNIFER ANISTON RECENTLY TOLD THE WALL STREET JOURNAL THAT SHE HAS WEEKLY PEPTIDE INJECTIONS TO KEEP HER SKIN LOOKING REFRESHED – AND THAT SHE IS A NEW ADOPTER OF A FACIAL INVOLVING SALMON SPERM FOR EVEN MORE OF A RADIANCE BOOST.

Extreme as this may sound, it still seems more tolerable than some things we’ve historically resorted to in the pursuit of beauty. Japanese geishas used to apply an exfoliating paste made from nightingale droppings to keep their complexions bright, while the ancient Romans used mouthwash containing urine to keep their teeth cavity-free.

These suggestions make my job as a

beauty journalist seem like a walk in the park, but over the past 20 or so years while investigating the latest beauty treatments I have, of course, tried my fair share of bizarre procedures.

Most memorable perhaps are the “one and done” treatments, which I certainly won’t be repeating, either for efficacy or comfort reasons.

Up until this week I’ve always said no to, and been wary about, any injectable filler because, even after seeing so much brilliant work (as I do every day), there are always horror stories lurking in the back of my mind of over-plumped cheeks or weirdly-shaped cat eyes that just look ridiculous.

But I’d booked in to see plastic surgeon and aesthetic practitioner Ash Soni at his clinic in Ascot for a summer “refresh” as I had heard excellent things about

him, and in particular a pioneering new treatment he’s offering called polynucleotide skin boosters – the latest innovative injectable storming the “tweakment” scene.

Polynucleotides have gained notoriety as a buzzy new ingredient that kickstarts regeneration in the skin. “The innovation behind it is incredible,” says Soni. “It really is a natural way to improve skin and tissues on a cellular level. The purpose of injecting the product (he used the Ameela brand) is to stimulate our own cells to produce some of the things that we lose with aging. They boost collagen and elastin by regulating the fibroblast cells as well as improving tissue regeneration and  restoring skin tone and elasticity.” So far, so good.

But here’s the thing. Polynucleotides are made from fragments of salmon

BY LUCIA FERRARI / SPECIAL TO POLO LIFESTYLES

and trout sperm (which mirror human DNA). If I was vegan, this would obviously have been a deal-breaker, but as I’m very much not, it didn’t worry me. Furthermore, the before and after pictures (particularly under the eye area to refresh tired-looking eyes) I’d seen had been very impressive.

Pardon the pun, but I was hooked. The vaguely hilarious truth was sinking in: I’d driven to Ascot to have salmon sperm injected somewhere in my face or neck.

As well as using polynucleotides to great effect under the eye area, Soni can also inject them over the entire face, neck and jawline. After my consultation, I decided to try it on my neck area as I’d started to notice it beginning to look older than my face – a bit crepey and with a few necklace lines. My eyes don’t bother me as much.

I also decided to bite the bullet and try my first foray into filler, of which Soni was going to inject some micro doses in the “marionette” lines going from the side of the nose to my jawline. All I can say is that any previous worries I had regarding filler have been erased by Soni’s magic hands. He manages to make injecting needles in your face feel like a five-star luxury spa experience. Now that’s quite an art. And I really do not like needles. I once fainted during Profhilo injections in Harley Street.

With Soni, there’s jazz playing in the background, he uses a special numbing cream and ices the area (he even does this before Botox; no other doctor I know does this), all the while telling you with his beautiful cashmere-blanket bedside manner how brilliantly you’re doing.

Even more exciting were the results. The filler (Soni used Teoxane, which he says is the best) instantly took a couple of years off me. I looked like me but with a flattering soft-focus filter over my face. It felt a bit like a Walt Disney moment when he handed me the mirror. And my neck looked vastly improved even by the morning after: smoother and less crepey. I have to return for a second round of treatment in a couple of weeks, but the full results will become apparent over the next three months.

To date, it’s certainly one of the most bizarre treatments I’ve tried, but also one of the best. I may have to celebrate à la January Jones on her Instagram page with a glass of beer in hand while in a bath of actual beer. Cheaper than wine and less messy than chocolate.

FASHION & STYLE

DIOR OPENS PARIS FASHION WEEK

NEW YORK & MILAN FASHION WEEKS RECAP

MENSWEAR TRENDS FOR 2024

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FASHION WEEK NEW YORK

NEW YORK FASHION WEEK STANDS OUT AS A BUSTLING HUB OF FASHION CREATIVITY, FEATURING A RICH DIVERSITY OF BRANDS—FROM EMERGING TALENTS TO ESTABLISHED ICONS—ALL VYING FOR ATTENTION IN THE CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS. THE SHEER VOLUME OF SHOWS MAY FEEL OVERWHELMING AT TIMES, BUT IT’S THIS UNEDITED, ELECTRIFYING ATMOSPHERE THAT SETS NYFW APART.

More importantly, this Fashion Week has an uncanny knack for capturing the essence of American sportswear, offering a take on everyday wear that is unrivaled by any other fashion hub.

Ralph Lauren’s offerings, for instance, effortlessly blended timeless American elegance with modern luxury. Tory Burch managed to walk a fine line, presenting garments that were simultaneously forward-looking and nostalgic.

In a daring move, Elena Velez took fashion to the gritty streets of Bushwick, proving that style can flourish even in the most unexpected settings. Michael Kors opted for optimism, drenching his collection in hues of purple and pink, while Proenza Schouler presented a highend collection that seemed to whisper rather than shout its luxurious origins.

Carolina Herrera under Wes Gordon showcased a delightful collection that swung between modern sensibilities and classic allure. Joseph Altuzarra provided a meticulously crafted blend of haute-boho

FASHION WEEK NEW YORK

and everyday garments, capturing the complexities of modern femininity.

Jason Wu, never one to shy away from experimentation, offered a deeply textured collection that explored both the lighter and darker aspects of nature.

Not to be overlooked, Catherine Holstein’s Khaite showcased the deli-

cate balance between edgy and elegant, underscoring the brand’s grasp on the duality of contemporary womanhood. Finally, Gabriela Hearst, whose impending departure from Chloé has created quite the buzz, presented a collection that reassured fashion insiders she will continue to produce top-tier work, even

as she prepares for her last show with Chloé in Paris in the coming weeks.

With such a wealth of talent and creativity on display, this Spring 2024 season reminds us why New York Fashion Week continues to be a must-watch event, celebrating a wide array of aesthetics and philosophies in the world of fashion.

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MICHAEL KORS

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MILAN FASHION WEEK DOLCE & GABBANA

IN A COLLECTION OF ALL BLACK AND WHITE, DOLCE & GABBANA’S S/S 24 PRESENTATION, “WOMAN,” IS A CAPTIVATING HOMAGE TO FEMININITY’S MULTIFACETED ALLURE. DRAWING DEEPLY FROM THEIR WELL-ESTABLISHED SICILIAN INFLUENCE, THE DESIGNERS EFFORTLESSLY TRAVERSE DECADES FROM DENEUVE’S 1960S ICONIC STYLED SHIFTS TO THE PREDOMINANT LINGERIE STYLES OF NOW.

Their Instagram teaser before the show displayed the intricate details of the ateliers working on finessing the sheer chiffon, crafting them into flowing polka dot printed dresses that could easily have stepped straight out of Dolce Vite. Every detail was perfection, from the corsetry boning to the lightness of the frills, and as we know, Dolce and Gabbana are renowned for a masterclass in tailoring.

The intricate play between sheer chiffon and corsetry symbolizes a delicate dance between vulnerability and empowerment. Seduction is manifested not just through the overt showcase of skin or the embrace of lingerie as outerwear. Instead, it’s equally evoked through the hints of sheer and glossy trenches that transport one back to a time when fashion was as much about what was left to the imagination as it was about revelation.

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FERRAGAMO

IN THE SPRING 2024 FERRAGAMO SHOW, WE ARE INTRODUCED TO YET ANOTHER CHAPTER OF SARTORIAL STORYTELLING. THIS TIME, THE NARRATIVE TAKES A TURN TOWARDS BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN PAST AND PRESENT WHILE ALSO BLENDING DIFFERENT CULTURAL CONTEXTS AND MATERIALS IN AN AUTHENTIC WAY.

As with every fashion narrative, each collection presents an ideal, and at Ferragamo, this ideal paints the portrait of a woman who is timeless. Effortlessly put together, yet distinctively dressed to the nines, she embodies a harmonious blend of minimalistic design that commands maximum attention.

Maximilian Davis, with his sharp insights and relentless creativity, explores further into the Ferragamo design language. Drawing inspiration from a captivating juxtaposition, Davis brings forth the effortless flair of Italian dress-

ing and melds it with the relaxed ethos of Caribbean style. This season shines a light on Davis’s affinity for contrasts, taking cues from Italy’s Arte Povera movement. Witness humble fabrics elevated and transformed: linens and cotton either bonded with sumptuous satins or adapted to mirror the texture of leather. It’s not just about the materiality; it’s about the artistry. The wooden accessories, sculpted with meticulous finesse, or the precision tailoring of natural fabrics all affirm Davis’ commitment to his craft. Every piece has been envisioned to be both relatable within a wardrobe and

FERRAGAMO

FERRAGAMO

MILAN FASHION WEEK

intriguing in its detailing. Navigating further into the collection, Davis showcases a dynamic interplay between restraint and freedom in each design. Elements like the worn leather textures and meticulous mid-century

tailoring converge to create a unique design landscape. There’s a clear emphasis on fluidity, with viscose jersey drapery echoing Ferragamo’s Florentine heritage, gracefully juxtaposed with the rigidity of Renaissance armor aesthetics. Amidst these intricate narratives, there’s

a playful undertone—day dresses with high patent boots, and T-shirts with a hint of hurried elegance. Davis’ incorporation of these elements into daily wear is not just fashion; it’s a statement on modernity itself.

FERRAGAMO FERRAGAMO

FERRAGAMO FERRAGAMO FERRAGAMO

MILAN FASHION WEEK PRADA

Milan Fashion Week promised a riveting journey. On the second day, Prada pushed that message with an audacious and intellectual collection, where sartorial brilliance took center stage in an exquisite mingling of tradition and innovation.

The creative duo formed by Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons presented a show that decodes expected disciplines,

giving free rein to an architectural and fluid vision. Set inside the house’s famed Milanese Fondazione, Prada building, the runway was an industrial metal gridding as it was for the men, save the shift in color from gray to feminine salmon pink. However, it was still divided by the same slippery, moving curtain – its continuous change in shape provided a visually mesmerizing backdrop to the sharply defined silhouettes.

And so, delving deeper into the collection, it becomes evident that here is an exploration of Prada’s historical roots. The emphasis was distinctly on the evolution of Prada’s signature designs, capturing the nuances that set them apart in fashion. Similarities could be drawn from the men’s line with high waists and dramatic sleeve lengths defining the silhouette.

Yet, intriguing was how these tailored garments broke away from convention, providing an intentional dissonance to traditional designs. The crux of this collection revolved around a uniquely tailored silhouette. This was characterized by a broad-shouldered jacket, seamlessly paired with high-rise shorts or pants tapering gracefully to the ankle.

Interspersed amongst these tailored

pieces were sheer printed scarves. These additions bridged the gap to another standout silhouette – the sleeveless shifts – crafted from the finest organza and gazar. They seemed to hover as they graced the runway juxtaposed against the fabulous oversized ‘barn’ jackets. The re-imagined accessories of this collection played a prominent role in its storytelling.

An iconic bag, a treasure from the Prada archives, designed by Mario Prada around 1913, was revived and reintroduced. While its origins lay in silk moiré, this season, it was reinterpreted in the luxurious feel of Nappa leather and sustainable re-nylon. The bag, more than a mere accessory, narrated a story – its hand-carved clasp, bearing the image of a mythological figure, captured the world’s fascination with Eastern artistic aesthetics from a bygone era.

This reverence for the past was harmoniously juxtaposed with the present, evident in the array of sleek leather belts,

and a diverse footwear palette ranging from sophisticated heels and flats to dapper brogues. The marriage of the past with a contemporary twist showcased a masterclass in design evolution. Milan Fashion Week promised a riveting journey. On the second day, Prada pushed that message with an audacious and intellectual collection, where sartorial brilliance took center stage in an exquisite mingling of tradition and innovation.

The creative duo formed by Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons presented a show that decodes expected disciplines, giving free rein to an architectural and fluid

vision. Set inside the house’s famed Milanese Fondazione, Prada building, the runway was an industrial metal gridding as it was for the men, save the shift in color from gray to feminine salmon pink. However, it was still divided by the same slippery, moving curtain – its continuous change in shape provided a visually mesmerizing backdrop to the sharply defined silhouettes.

And so, delving deeper into the collection, it becomes evident that here is an exploration of Prada’s historical roots. The emphasis was distinctly on the evolution of Prada’s signature designs, cap-

MILAN FASHION WEEK

PRADA

turing the nuances that set them apart in fashion. Similarities could be drawn from the men’s line with high waists and dramatic sleeve lengths defining the silhouette.

Yet, intriguing was how these tailored garments broke away from convention, providing an intentional dissonance to traditional designs. The crux of this collection revolved around a uniquely tailored silhouette. This was characterized by a broad-shouldered jacket, seamlessly paired with high-rise shorts or pants tapering gracefully to the ankle.

Interspersed amongst these tailored

pieces were sheer printed scarves. These additions bridged the gap to another standout silhouette – the sleeveless shifts – crafted from the finest organza and gazar. They seemed to hover as they graced the runway juxtaposed against the fabulous oversized ‘barn’ jackets. The re-imagined accessories of this collection played a prominent role in its storytelling.

An iconic bag, a treasure from the Prada archives, designed by Mario Prada around 1913, was revived and reintroduced. While its origins lay in silk moiré, this season, it was reinterpreted in the luxurious feel of Nappa leather and

sustainable re-nylon. The bag, more than a mere accessory, narrated a story – its hand-carved clasp, bearing the image of a mythological figure, captured the world’s fascination with Eastern artistic aesthetics from a bygone era.

This reverence for the past was harmoniously juxtaposed with the present, evident in the array of sleek leather belts, and a diverse footwear palette ranging from sophisticated heels and flats to dapper brogues. The marriage of the past with a contemporary twist showcased a masterclass in design evolution.

PRADA PRADA

MILAN FASHION WEEK

BOTTEGA VENETA

BOTTEGA VENETA

MILAN FASHION WEEK

BOTTEGA VENETA

BOTTEGA VENETA

BOTTEGA VENETA

MILAN FASHION WEEK

FENDI

Fendi is a brand that continues to brim with anticipation. As a new collection unfurls each season, there is a hushed expectancy surrounding the narrative Kim Jones will weave.

For this particular season, Jones took inspiration from the timeless avenues of Rome, where an understated elegance exists—a celebration of personal free-

dom and self-expression. This emotive yet thoughtful avenue of inspiration took Jones through the conduits of the Roman essence.

With an intuitive eye, he crafted this narrative for women who dress for themselves, channeling the essence he sees in Silvia and Delfina daily. In the collection, the ordinary is transformed,

histories intertwine, and a distinctly Roman insouciance is evoked, setting Jones on a sartorial expedition that blurs the lines between everyday wear and the pinnacle of luxury – a true embodiment of the art of effortless dressing while also embracing imperfections as a reflection of human authenticity and the quiet confidence that comes from authentic self-expression.

FENDI

FENDI

FENDI

FENDI

FENDI

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WEEK

MILAN FASHION WEEK

ARMANI

ARMANI

ARMANI

ARMANI

ARMANI

ARMANI

MILAN FASHION WEEK

GUCCI

Sabato De Sarno sent out his first collection for Gucci with laser-sharp precision, both in clothes and marching order, and it was nothing short of gorgeous.

Within his vision, less is more; in this case, minimalism met maximal impact. Sabato artfully stripped away the excess, revealing the raw essence of Gucci’s legacy, yet layering it with fresh, youthful exuberance. The collection was a nod to pragmatic elegance. Designed for young women navigating the real world, the line-up featured well-tailored pieces, tailored for daylight sophistication before

transitioning to evening allure.

Little slip dresses, micro mini shorts/ skirts, precision cut coats, and suits, and an enigmatic color palette featuring shots of lime, beige, ominous black, and lustful, desirable red – which Sabato calls Rosso Ancora.

And yes, the handbags, covered in rhinestones and glitter to match the outfits – Gucci’s emblematic cash cow – were plentiful, reiterating their significance in the fashion milieu. Diving deep into the archives, Sabato seamlessly wove history with modernity.

The spotlight shone on the legendary Jackie and Bamboo bags, their iconic essence masterfully and meticulously refined. Intricate embroideries from 1950s clutches were muses for gleaming crystal patterns that embellished sleek minidresses and elegant pumps.

A blast from the past, the Marina Chain jewelry, which graced the Gucci chronicle in the late 60s, marked its resounding comeback, capturing the essence of a bygone era yet fitting seamlessly into today’s fashion lexicon.

GUCCI

GUCCI GUCCI

GUCCI

GUCCI

GUCCI

TOM FORD

TOM FORD

TOM FORD

TOM FORD

TOM FORD

TOM FORD

ROBERTO CAVALLI MILAN FASHION WEEK

Amidst the lushness of a jungle-inspired panorama adorned with floating plant centerpieces, Roberto Cavalli’s newest collection unfurls like a vivid dream. Puglisi transports us back to the effervescent ’70s, sketching a woman who’s both an enigma and an open book.

Channeling the allure of icons like Brigitte Bardot and silver-screen darlings of the ’70s, she radiates a cultivated ele-

gance, mirroring the poise of an art-loving heiress with vintage undertones and a wild, beating heart. Cascading caftans and diaphanous chiffons transform models into ethereal birds of paradise, taking wing amidst their verdant surroundings. This emblematic Cavalli woman flits between the adventurous and the rooted, her attire a symphony of feathery motifs, bold animalistic streaks, and an earth-toned palette.

But beneath the veneer of earthly charm, she dazzles with a distinctive glamour. Melding the seductive gleam of Hollywood with the timeless beauty of Italian designs, she dances between magnificent opulence and enticing mystique. Each piece she dons whispers of Cavalli’s legacy, fortifying her spirit, and sculpting her essence. Her presence is undeniably magnetic, making every entrance a moment to behold and remember.

ROBERTO CAVALLI

ROBERTO CAVALLI

ROBERTO CAVALLI

ROBERTO CAVALLI ROBERTO CAVALLI

MENSWEAR TRENDS FOR 2024

MEN’S FASHION HAS UNDERTAKEN A PARADIGM SHIFT, EMBRACING GENDER INCLUSIVITY AND RE-IMAGINING TRADITIONAL WORKWEAR TO CATER TO DIVERSE AUDIENCES.

The trend is not confined to aesthetics; it mirrors a societal change in masculinity norms and fashion expectations. The designs were accessible, meaningful, and indicative of a fashion renaissance in menswear. This season, delicate design elements traditionally associated with womenswear made their way into menswear, offering a fresh perspective and giving rise to a sophisticated eveningwear trend. Draping, sheen and sheer materials, and skin-exposing cuts have been cleverly incorporated into menswear, adding an element of elegance and redefining traditional masculinity.

Menswear has entered a renaissance period with elegance and versatility at the core of this trend, with fashion houses like Saint Laurent, Dolce & Gabbana, and Loewe leading the way towards a new meaning for menswear. JW Anderson used sparkling surfaces to accentuate fabric manipulation techniques and introduced subtle draped effects in tops worn back with obligatory high-waisted wide-leg trousers. With its inherent sheen, Satin played a critical role in emphasizing design features standing out for its lustrous sheen that accentuated several draped designs seen at Giorgio Armani and Dolce & Gabbana, whose sheer tops and fluid trousers were a pleasant departure from the expected. At the same time, tailored jackets were cut with hourglass shapes, redefining a focus on the waist.

Shorts are omnipresent this season, from the seductively shortest to knee length. Ami paired abbreviated items with a cropped sweater, worn with the season’s soft socks and flat brogues.

The V-neck style, another significant component of this trend, added a sensual touch to tops and jackets. Deeply cut, these designs exposed skin, embracing a redefinition of masculinity. The concept extended beyond knitted vests, infiltrating elevated woven tees. Rick Owens and Saint Laurent’s Anthony Vaccarello offered collections embodying this

trend, featuring light, sensual, and fluid designs. These presentations displayed a harmonious balance between hard and soft, classicism and innovation. Tank tops with deep décolletés were layered under bold jackets or worn openly, exposing bare shoulders; high-waisted pants were cut at the ankle or left to drape over boots. The transformation of everyday sweatshirts into high-fashion eveningwear underscored the theme of reinterpretation. And print, too, demonstrated the feminine side of this masculine equation in leopard spots and

polka dots that appeared on sensually wrapped shirts and one-shouldered tops with flowing necklines, bow ties, and high-collared shirts, encapsulating the spirit of this inclusive masculinity.

Beyond the aesthetic transformation, this trend indicates the societal shift in perceptions of masculinity and the evolving expectations of men’s fashion. The message is clear: Conventional workwear is re-imagined, and gender-inclusive designs are not just welcomed; they are celebrated.

AMI DENZIL PATRICK

DRUV KAPOOR

DSQUARED2

DRIES VAN NOTEN

LOUIS VUITTON

FENDI

RHUDE

JW ANDERSON

PRADA

LOEWE

LONDONER'S

Little Black Book to Chic Eateries

From satisfying pub fare to the perfect curry, a Londoner reveals the restaurants and dishes that consistently delight.

MY CONNECTION TO LONDON’S CUISINE GOES BACK GENERATIONS.

My maternal grandmother’s family were London butchers and pub managers, while my maternal great-grandfather found work on the Victoria and Albert docks in East London, unloading cargoes of grain, meat, fruit, and vegetables.

I grew up on the far southwest coast of England, in Cornwall, regularly visiting family living in the capital. I went to a university on London’s outskirts, then moved into the city proper after graduation, and I’ve never left. London has been the backdrop of my most significant milestones, and many of those have been celebrated in the restaurants and cafes you’ll read about here. I celebrated my marriage at The Drapers Arms,

was asked to be a bridesmaid at Kiln, and, early in my career, researched my first-ever article with a far more senior, very generous journalist at The Eagle Farringdon.

London is vast and ever-evolving, so being asked to write a food guide feels at first like an impossible task. The spots I’ve chosen carry personal history, but they are also the kinds of eateries you can connect with on the first visit. If

you want to gain insight into authentic London, these are my picks.

BARRAFINA AUTHENTIC SPANISH CUISINE, EXPERTLY MADE

26-27 DEAN ST., LONDON W1D 3LL

Early on, when dating my Spanish now-husband, I asked where the best Spanish food was in London. He answered without skipping a beat: Barrafina. The original branch, on

Dean Street in Soho, has one Michelin star, but there is nothing pretentious or stuffy about it. It’s walk-in only, and I recommend sitting at the bar so you can watch the chefs expertly filleting fish, marinating, chopping, and plating. The banderillas (a delicious skewer of quail egg, green olives, roasted red bell peppers, and Spanish chili peppers) are an excellent choice, as are the buñuelos de bacalao (crispy fritters filled with a melty cod center served with a smoked papri-

ka-dusted aioli) and gambas rojas — the sweetest, most perfectly cooked prawns I’ve eaten. Wash everything down with a beautifully crisp manzanilla pasada en rama sherry. For dessert, try a light almond Santiago tart and a crema catalana, generously portioned and perfect flavor-wise.

FORZA WINE

MALL PLATES, WINE, AND COCKTAILS WITH A VIEW

THE ROOFTOP, 133A RYE LANE, LONDON SE15

4BQ

The shiny, polished bits of London are great, but if you want to see “real” London, you have to take an overground train out of the center. Forza Wine is located on a perfectly tranquil rooftop terrace. Whether you sit indoors, encased in glass, or outdoors, you’ll be treated to views of the higgledy-piggledy rooftops of outer London. Wines come by the glass or bottle, and some by the carafe, and many are organic. If you’re unsure of what you’d like, the friendly, knowledgeable staff is happy to provide tastes and suggestions. The small plates change daily and are thoughtfully prepared — I recommend the grilled flatbread with peas and pecorino, the cauliflower fritti with aioli, and the tiramisu soft serve for dessert, when available. From the inventive rotating cocktail list, the Cynar spritz is the perfect refreshing drink to sip on a sunny afternoon gazing at the sprawl of London.

TAYYABS

PERFECTLY SPICED, FAMILY-MADE CURRY

83-89 FIELDGATE ST., LONDON E1 1JU

Any self-respecting Londoner has their go-to curry joint — and this is mine. Founded in 1972, this family-run Punjabi restaurant is in Whitechapel, a diverse East London neighborhood. The restaurant might look a bit like a ’90s nightclub, but the food is fresh, bright, and packed with flavor. Go for the classics, but don’t leave without trying the lamb chops, which are spiced to perfection, charred on the outside, juicy on the inside, served sizzling, and accompanied

by a cooling mint-and-yogurt raita dip. Wash it all down with a mango lassi.

PADELLA

HANDMADE PASTA ON THE EDGE OF BOROUGH MARKET|

6 SOUTHWARK ST., LONDON SE1 1TQ

London is awash with excellent sourdough pizza, but this Michelin Bib Gourmand-rated lively pasta bar on the fringe of Borough Market is a cut above the rest when it comes to Italian food. Get there early, as they don’t offer reservations, and put your name on the list before popping into a nearby pub — they’ll call when a table is ready. The interior is sleek, all stone and steel surfaces, but I prefer sitting outside, taking in the hustle and bustle of this busy junction where old and new London sit side by side. Starter-wise, a creamy ball of burrata cheese drizzled with high-quality, fruity olive oil, a grind of pepper, and a sprinkle of sea salt is divine. Pasta plates are on the smaller side, so I suggest ordering three plates for two people. Don’t leave without sampling the rich and silky pappardelle with eight-hour Dexter beef shin ragu. I also adore the rich yet delicate cacio e pepe pasta with handmade pici, a fat, hand-rolled spaghetti. Pair this with the house Negroni.

THE DRAPERS ARMS

TRADITIONAL ENGLISH PUB FARE WITH EXCELLENT PIE

4 BARNSBURY ST., LONDON N1 1ER

This English pub has become a go-to for celebrations of all kinds, from the simple to the momentous. Light floods the space, which is furnished with simple wooden tables, mismatched benches and chairs, and vases of wildflowers. Outdoors, there’s a sunny courtyard. They do the English classics perfectly. The suet-crust pies are unrivaled. The sharing dishes and Sunday roasts are hearty and authentic, but the pub also serves more delicate fish dishes and veggie options. Desserts are nostalgic puddings; think warm sweet bread drenched in custard. The wine list runs six pages and offers impressive variety.

OKAN

CASUAL JAPANESE STREET FOOD UNIT 39, BRIXTON VILLAGE, COLDHARBOUR LANE, LONDON SW9 8PS

Brixton Village is a sprawling indoor market that sells everything from traditional African clothing and trendy antiques to fruit and vegetables and fresh fish. It’s also dotted with an eclectic mix of eateries. I love Okan, a canteen in the far back corner that serves Osaka-style street food. I always order okonomiyaki,

which is a mashup between an omelet and a pancake. You can choose your toppings — I prefer pork or squid and kimchi. All are finished with “dancing” dried fish, house brown sauce, and seaweed powder. You’ll find all five flavor profiles — sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and unbelievably delicious umami. Afterward, you can wander around the market in search of dessert.

THE EAGLE FARRINGDON

HEARTY MEDITERRANEAN PLATES FROM THE ORIGINAL GASTROPUB

159 FARRINGDON RD, LONDON EC1R 3AL

The Eagle Farringdon, the U.K.’s first gastropub, opened in 1991. I’ve never had a disappointing meal here. The menu changes twice daily, according to what the grill chef has sourced, and is written on chalkboards above the bar. Just one dish has been a mainstay throughout — the bifana — a juicy, spiced pork-steak sandwich with soft bread that soaks up the juices without ever becoming soggy. The food has a Mediterranean bent and is cooked

fresh — much of it on an open grill just behind the bar. You order at the bar, and your meals are brought to the table. Particular favorites are roasted pork on a bed of lentils and sausage ragu with rigatoni. Dessert-wise, Portuguese custard tarts always feature alongside other Mediterranean favorites, such as “burnt” Basque cheesecake.

DUMPLINGS’ LEGEND

HANDMADE DUMPLINGS IN CHINATOWN

15-16 GERRARD ST., LONDON W1D 6JE

This is my go-to pre-theater spot. It’s enormous, so you’ll never have to wait long if you arrive and there happens to be a wait. As you enter, you pass a pane of glass, behind which a team is expertly hand-making dumplings. You don’t come here for the service, which is brusque at best, but the food more than makes up for it. The menu is vast, but make a beeline for the dumplings. The spicy pork siu long bao is pleasingly unctuous and umami, while the pork-and-crabmeat bao is also not to be missed. The crispy aromatic duck never disappoints, and the greens are excel-

lent, be it stir-fried Chinese broccoli with ginger paste or stir-fried green beans with minced pork. A word to the wise: If the menu says that a dish is spicy — it is.

KILN

THAI-INSPIRED DISHES COOKED OVER FIRE

58 BREWER ST., LONDON W1F 9TL

Between Soho and Regent Street, this tiny restaurant packs an impressive punch. I recommend eating upstairs at the bar. The food is Thai with some Yunnan and Burmese influence. The cull yaw (mutton) and cumin skewers are fatty, perfectly spiced, and delicious. Raw gurnard with spring flowering herbs and lime, a Thai take on ceviche, is fresh and zesty with a spicy kick. The slow-cooked mackerel in banana leaf is perfectly prepared. Cool off with the gin, sour cucumber, and t lime-leaf cocktail. The menu is spicy, but let your server know if you want them to dial it down. They don’t do dessert — but you’re in central London, so stroll to Bar Italia!

MANSION OF THE MONTH

$65,000,000 USD

A

BEAUX-ART MASTERPIECE

25 RIVERSIDE DRIVE NYC 10023

APALATIAL BEAUX-ARTS MANSION IS CURRENTLY ON THE MARKET FOR SALE. A CORNER BUILDING, SEVEN FLOORS HIGH, ENHANCED WITH EXPOSURES ON THREE SIDES.

Abundant light captures stunning sunset views from the river with park access directly in between. A home of this scale, detail, and size is rarely available in NYC.

Located on a hilltop corner at 75th Street and Riverside Drive, this 3-sided detached one-of-a-kind mansion has not been listed since a meticulous renovation, completed in 2022, and bringing it into the 21st century. Sweeping palisades views from 70 windows – oversized and curved, with outdoor terraces on 4 floors.

This grand palatial home, offering river vistas covers over 12,000 square feet with above-grade basement; at 30 feet in width and soaring 12-14 feet in ceiling height.

The home has eight bedrooms, eight bathrooms, two half baths, three kitchens, six fireplaces and an elevator to all seven floors. The staff quarters include kitchen, bath with separate entrance: a gym, wine cellar, office and storage rooms; ideal for a variety of recreational equipment.

Plantings of pear trees and exotic flora can be viewed through the main level rooms and onto the outdoor garden. One would expect these exceptional views in a country manor, but they are remarkable when considering you are in

the center of New York City. Terraces, enhancing the bedroom suite creates country living while overlooking sunset views from Riverside Park. The entertaining floor has original coffered corklined ceilings, with a chef’s kitchen and two ovens, two copper sinks, two dishwashers and two refrigerators.

PRICE $65,000,000 | BEDROOMS 8 | BATHROOMS 8 FULL AND 2 PARTIAL | INTERIOR 12,000 SQ FT.

The fourth-floor study with Tiffany and La Farge stainedglass doors creates a magical entrance. It has been retrofitted with Jacobean-style paneling and a Mueller tiled fireplace.

There are three additional bedrooms, a playroom and two bathrooms. A mahogany theater is the focal point

on the fifth floor plus a full kitchen, two bedrooms, two bathrooms and wood burning fireplace.

The piece de resistance, on the 6th floor landing, includes a glass conservatory with sweeping 180-degree views and a terrace large enough for seating 100 –imagine candlelit dinners and

elegant entertaining. This home is one for all seasons and one to capture all the senses. A rare opportunity to own a truly significant property in the most coveted city in the world.

Listed by Elizabeth L. Sample and Brenda S. Powers.

NANTES

PAYS DE LA LOIRE

44000 FRANCE

PRICE $29,967,206 USD

BEDROOMS 8 / BATHROOMS 2 FULL INTERIOR 10,7639 SQ FT. / EXTERIOR 317.29 ACRES

NANTES, PAYS DE LA LOIRE, 44000 FRANCE

HUS STUD FARM

This exceptional estate comprises not only a historic chateau but also one of France’s biggest equestrian facilities with

the capacity to house approximately 400 horses. The castle has been restored and offers 1000 sq. meters of perfectly renovated living space including an indoor pool, a steam room and a gym. The spacious grounds comprise 128 hectares including private access to the River

Erdre, a 30-meter mooring, extensive equestrian training facilities including show jumping and dressage with 200 hectares extra rental. Restored outbuildings, helicopter pad and only 35 kilometers from the international airport. The sale includes 300 horses.

In Search of Solace Upgrade your Stemware WINE GLASSES TO FALL IN LOVE WITH

WILLIAM SMITH @willismith_2000 COPY EDITOR & CONTRIBUTOR

HIS MONTH’S COLUMN IS MY ODE TO WINE GLASSES IN ALL THEIR SPLENDOR. WHILE TASTING AND WRITING ABOUT WINE, INNUMERABLE GLASSES, MOSTLY FUNCTIONAL AND PERFECTLY UNREMARKABLE, MAKE THEIR WAY TO MY LIPS AND SUFFICE FOR THEIR INTENDED PURPOSE.

But occasionally, my object of affection shifts from the wine to the glass. This month I delve into those occasions, highlighting elevated and luxurious glassware from Baccarat, Wine Enthusiast, and Josephinenhütte.

In experiencing stemware from all three companies, we opened a few gorgeous bottlings, including a 2012

TBarrel Fermented Chardonnay from Fox Meadow Vineyards (Virginia, USA), a 2015 Pauillac Grand Cru Classe from Chateau Batailley (France), and a 2016 Barbaresco Currá from Sottimano (Italy). Together, the three wines created the exact right “paint” to apply to the “blank canvas” of some extraordinary stemware.

CHATEAU BACCARAT

The very name Baccarat arouses images of glistening luxury. Yet it wasn’t always so. Upon its founding in the middle of the 18th century, the initial purpose of the glassworks was significantly more humble – creating window panes, mirrors, and stemware – and also to fill a gap in France for “the products from Bohemia [that] enter in such great quantity,” and that were being demanded by consumers. It would be another half century, however, in 1816, that the first crystal was to be produced.

Flash forward to the 21st century and the very name Baccarat is synonymous with the most lustrous and high-quality crystal in the world. Their current lines of available stemware span from very traditional design to sleek contempo-

rary with much variety in between. On the traditional side, the Harcourt 1841 collection, with its powerful and regal dimensions, traces its design roots to the time of Napoleon III. On the contemporary end of their design, the fun and colorful glasses in the Vega collection, with playful geometric stems, are stunning.

We gravitated toward – dare I say it, a more conservative design – choosing glassware from the Chateau Baccarat Collection. The House describes this line as one of their “Iconic Collections,” and among the many attributes of the Chateau Baccarat Collection is that the universal design melds well with both modern and classic table settings.

A good starting place to explore the collection is with the Dégustation Glasses Set, which includes a champagne flute, two wine glasses (one for red, one for white), and a tumbler. Impeccably presented in their emblematic red coffret and safely cradled in several inches of protective foam core, the set is impressive before even testing out its oenophilist bona fides.

If your preference in a wine glass tends to favor something nearly weightless,

BACCARAT

In Search of Solace Upgrade your Stemware

Baccarat is not for you. However, if you cherish the weight of traditional, exceptionally crafted crystal, these glasses are sublime. The weight of each glass is substantial, especially at the base, and not something you might want to have in hand for an hour or so of a social mingling happy hour. This glass is meant to be visually admired when set on a table and savored by smell and taste when filled with a worthy wine.

The design is an angled bowl sitting atop the stem, moving upwards into an inspiring tapered lip. The white wine glass stands at 8.5 inches tall and the red at 8.75 inches. While gorgeous and substantive, these glasses are inspired by the more diminutive, traditional design of European wine glasses. The design of the bowls allows for an enticing – and lasting – concentration on the nose. For example, the judicious use of oak in the Chardonnay wafted within the confines of the white wine glass bowl, never losing its subtle intensity and complimenting the ever so slight buttery note on the palate.

The red wine glass was an extremely pleasant and successful vessel for the Bordeaux, allowing enough surface area for the wine to open up. Meanwhile, the narrowed top of the bowl permits some enhanced swirling. We thought the tumbler might stand in for a stem-less wine glass (of which I am admittedly not a fan), but its dimensions are much better suited – perfectly so – to an icecold gin cocktail. They would also serve as excellent water glasses at a dinner utilizing the wine glasses. And finally, the champagne flute is a tall and striking presence, though we did not sample any sparkling wines in it.

The Chateau Baccarat glasses are works of art from the world’s premiere house of all things crystal. Set on a table and in their appointed places, juxtaposed

against each other, it is an elevated presentation for serving reserve wines alongside refined cuisine or that special celebratory meal. And let’s be honest, they are Baccarat and these are glasses for a lifetime.

The Dégustation set, each of the glasses individually, and a decanter are all available at baccarat.com.

WINE ENTHUSIAST

Earlier this year, Wine Enthusiast merged their extensive and trusted wine-focused content with their burgeoning e-commerce business. The offerings of wine-related merchandise by Wine Enthusiast are extensive and include dozens of glassware options, including the Zalto Denk’Art glasses whose original inception changed the entire understanding of the relationship between the wine and the glass.

Stylishly designed and available at an easily accessible price point, Wine Enthusiast itself currently offers five different lines of glasses under their name. As I began to research further after being smitten with a glass from their Somm line, I discovered that four of the five lines of glasses are made up of three glasses – one devoted to Cabernet Sauvignon, another to Pinot Noir, and a third designated as a “universal.” It’s an interesting approach, especially for those skeptical of the “universal” glass being fully capable of expressing so many different wines.

We sampled two such universal glasses, one from the Somm line (yes, the one with which I was smitten) and one from the Pirouette collection. Both excellently delivered elevated experiences.

The Pirouette is a break-resistant, leadfree, dishwasher safe glass and at nearly

WINE ENTHUSIAST

11 inches in height, makes a statement with its slim lines and slightly tapered and elongated bowl – a design we are told was “inspired by the firm and flawless form of a ballet dancer.” It’s that elegant to the eye. Not being a fan of flutes for champagne due to their restrictive confines, this universal glass is perfectly poised for champagne and other sparkling wines. Both its weight and balance feel perfectly achieved for a glass to be used for every day, social occasions.

The Somm universal glass is sexy. Its curvaceous, hand-blown silhouette is the product of 21 different steps from 15 different glassblowers and the artisanship shows. Also advertised as lead-free and dishwasher safe, this glass has every feel of being a delicate piece and I would personally defer to hand-washing and polishing. The tapered lip of the glass curves slightly outward and the glass’ flat bottom facilitates a large surface area for swirling and oxygen exposure. It is feather-light in the hand. The glass proved ideal for the Barbaresco, with the wine opening up and showing off in ways it did not in other glasses we sampled.

In both instances, these are terrific and stylized everyday wine glasses with a great deal more to recommend them

than your standard red and white glasses with basic bowl styles.

These and all of Wine Enthusiast’s glassware offerings can be found at wineenthusiast.com.

JOSEPHINENHÜTTE

If stemware was to ever be making a statement, it is to be found in the glasses of the Josephine collection from resurrected German glassmaker Josephinenhütte. And while every glass we sampled for this column elevated the enjoyment of what was in the glass, the Josephine glasses transformed already impeccable wines into something more. This is no surprise given the pedigree behind this sensuous expression of the humble glass.

Founded in 1824 in what was then known as Silesia, the original Josephinenhütte was one of the most significant glassworks in Europe and in the New World. Renowned for exquisite creations, dear reader, you would be well-served by doing a quick search on eBay and seeing for yourself. Sadly, the original company fell into obscurity and eventually closed, but its history nonetheless loomed large in the minds

of three partners who came together in 2019 to resurrect the company.

Key to the company’s resurrection is the addition of 6th generation glassmaker Kurt Joself Zalto as the designer. It was at the company that bore his name – and still does – that his innovative designs launched a brand-new appreciation for the impact of the glass itself on how wine tastes. He is also credited with putting some truth into the existence of a “universal” glass.

What Kurt Zalto started at his eponymous company, he has now improved upon at Josephinenhütte.

I will own that when I first came across these glasses, my immediate response was, “Really?” They are so otherworldly in design that they seemed to unabashedly scream for attention (though there are now other glassmakers that have similarly styled stemware). Then I used them, and my skepticism was speedily eclipsed by devotion.

Simply identified by a number, the glasses in the collection include No. 1 for whites, No. 2 as the universal, No. 3 for reds, and No. 4 for champagne and sparkling wines. Each shares a unique

bell shape with what they describe as a “kink” that surrounds the entire bowl and a slight taper in the approach to the rim. Each piece is hand-blown and thinwalled with a sliver of a stem.

No. 3 is a large glass, boasting enough volume for 800 ml or nearly 28 ounces. That’s more volume than your average wine bottle. All that space and the flat bottom of the glass – what the company calls a successful “squaring the circle with this glass” - creates an ideal experience for concentrated and full-bodied reds. Our Bordeaux became an entirely different wine in the No. 3, concentrating the nose of the wine and creating even more expressive notes on the palette.

When we sampled our Barbaresco from the No. 2, what was a delicious wine in

other stemware became more nuanced and complex after some time opening up in the Josephine glass. Truly, my colleagues and I were gobsmacked.

These new Zalto-designed glasses were quietly launched just prior to the pandemic, but I sense they are bound to be the go-to glass for every restaurateur who wants to treat their regular patrons purchasing wines from the reserve list with something truly transformational. And for those of us at home, these glasses will be the talk of the evening at a dinner party, and not just because of how they look, but because their performance is Zalto-perfection.

The entire Josephine Collection can be found at us.josephine.com

Despite my praise for these incredible examples of elevated stemware, I enjoy wine out of a red Solo cup if that is what is available. In fact, this evening for dinner, I will be enjoying my spaghetti Bolognese with a rustic chianti classico served in my favorite jelly jar glasses. My motto is drink what you like and drink it out of what feels right.

But many magical experiences that come our way in life deserve great wines and great wines deserve worthy stemware. Baccarat, Wine Enthusiast, and Josephinenhütte are creating glassware that fits that bill and that ought to find their way to your table without haste.

As Always, Salud!

BACCARAT

A TRIP TO ANCESTRAL MEXICA REVEALS

ALIGN WITH YOUR THE POWER OF DIVINE MAGNETISM

“You are the Children of God, the sharers of immortal bliss, holy and perfect beings. You are divinities on Earth. Come up, O lions, and shake off the delusion that you are sheep; you are souls immortal, spirits free, blest and eternal; you are not matter, you are not bodies; matter is your servant, not you the servant of matter.”

– Swami Vivekanda

AMRITLAL SINGH SPIRITUALITY CONTRIBUTOR @monarch_visionary

N LAST MONTH'S COLUMN FOR THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE OF POLO LIFESTYLES, I DISCUSSED THE MYTHICAL TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF THE COSMIC KUNDALINI SHAKTI THAT IS CURRENTLY ASCENDING THE VERTEBRAE OF HUMANITY’S SPIRITUAL BACKBONE, RAISING THE VIBRATION OF THE ORGAN SYSTEM WHILE ACTIVATING DORMANT GENETIC ABILITIES TO ELEVATE COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS.

IThis inspirational resonant wave of liberating cosmic serpent energies emanating from the chakras of Mother Earth through her ley line and intergalactic vortices are inspiring the awakening of ancient elemental planetary energies and the resurgence of dormant archetypal spiritual energies within the consciousness of humanity. We are evolving rapidly.

In August, I experienced my first ancestral planetary gridwork at three powerfully charged sacred sites in Méxica that have served the Kundalini Shakti awakening of powerful generals and spiritual masters throughout history.

Reconciling the lower and higher astral realms within myself, my ability to move beyond spiritual realms has, since, continuously evolved, exponentially.

Healing the self-inflicted wound to the

auric field surrounding my solar plexus, also known as the middle Dantian, I finally sealed the psychic hole that had been draining my soul of my divine will, while also strengthening my connection to those guiding me from the Heavens.

With my enlightening perspective, I was able to transmute the ancestral rage of my great grandfather, Roberto Perez, a Méxican revolutionary, that in addition to healing the emotional toxicity within my liver, illumined a psychic bridge that united me with my ancestral lineage upon on our celestial mission.

In this month’s contribution, I am sharing the story of Francisco Ignacio Madero, known as the Apostle of the Méxican Democracy. A spiritual revolutionary, whose devotional sacrifice and love for Lord Krsna inspired a nation, including my great grandfather, to rise up against a demonic dominion.

YOUR PURPOSE

IN SYNC WITH YOUR VIBE

like an artery through which has given birth to a great part of the Universe and constantly renews it… The admirable harmony with which the heavenly bodies move in their orbits, the marvelous laws of the planetary systems, all make us understand that this Being is One… Undoubtedly, She does not remove obstacles in our path, for we must overcome these in order to develop our powers.”

- Spiritist Manual by Francisco Ignacio Madero (as translated by C.M. Mayo in Metaphysical Odyssey into the Mexican Revolution)

WORDS OF ASCENSION

There is a cosmic elemental balance that upholds respect for the divinity of all Life, that, as disturbed, strengthens the primordial blessing of eternal Mother Universe.

Through his writings and works of devotion, he answered the call of Mother Earth, invoking the mystic power of the Kundalini Shakti, raising the fluid magnetism within the spiritual body of his beloved brethren, to wrestle his kingdom free from generations of spiritual disempowerment, and inspiring the overthrow a dictatorship that ravaged the land and peoples of Méxica.

DIVINE INVOCATION FOR JUSTICE

“It seems that God is the spirit of the Universe and that the material of the cosmos, the nebulae and the innumerable suns and planets, constitute a living body, the part of God that is material and visible. Thus, the Milky Way is

The Méxican Revolution left a path of death and destruction in its wake as it ravaged through the country. A complex and bloody conflict, in which out of 15 million citizens, one million lost their lives and over two million fled to the United States.

Despite many failed attempts to spark the flames of the civil unrest, the Revolution officially initiated on 20 November 1910, as Francisco Ignacio Madero declared war on the Porfirio Díaz regime by issuing the Plan of San Luis Potosí, promising democracy, federalism, agrarian reform and worker’s rights.

After decades of rape by European industrialists at the welcoming of Méxica’s own President, the bleeding heart of an awakening mystic resurrected the spirit of her people by restoring their spiritual beliefs through his devotional acts and

Through Bhakti, Sanskrit for fully embodied devotion, her ambrosial nectar - the Vedic Amrit - the sweet honey of Lord Kṛṣṇa, is secreted through the mind’s eye, known as the Cave of Brahma in Hindu Tantra and Kriya Yoga, as well as the Crystal Palace in Chinese Taoism. Invoked through our Dharma, this immortal elixir, initiated in the medulla oblongata, traverses the brain stem, magnetizing the cerebral spinal fluid within the spinal cord to stir the uncoiling of the karmically potentialized Kundalini Shakti from the sacral bone; the unraveling that illuminates the radiance of life’s greatest magnificence, revealing ancient mysteries to our collective spiritual existence.

As the darkness of spiritual deception is alchemized through disciplined, devotional efforts, our electric senses are gifted with a beauty never before witnessed. Through ultimate Bhakti, one is rebirthed holy.

A TRIP TO ANCESTRAL MEXICA REVEALS

THE POWER OF DIVINE MAGNETISM

willingness to venture into the spiritual wilderness of his soul’s capabilities.

One of the most despised and enigmatic figures in Méxican history, 36th President Porfirio Diaz dominated the nation’s politics for over three decades, from 1876 to 1911. In what is referred to as the Porfiriato, characterized as a de facto dictatorship, Porfirio ruled Méxica with an iron fist as he exploited the natural resources of his own Motherland through aggressively pursued foreign investment that emotionally scarred his own people and the Earth.

While egoically prided by the tremendous commercial and economic development via the massive construction of railroads and development of mines, Méxica’s growth was achieved at fearsomely destructive cost.

The Porfirio regime suppressed the civil liberties guaranteed in the Constitution of 1857, evicting millions of Méxicans from their homes, severing the sanctity of their connection to the Earth to make way for commercial developments.

By the mid-1880s, the Porfiriato muzzled Freedom of Press and welcomed an onslaught of foreign capital, mostly from Britain, France and the United States, those from whom Méxica previously fought for her Independence.

By 1900, the blood of the Earth poured forth as Méxica became one of the world’s leading oil producers. By 1910, total U.S. investment in Méxica amounted to over $1.5 billion. Foreign investment financed the construction of some 24,000 kilometers of railroads, initiating the untold environmental destruction of Méxica’s rain forest and continued

deterioration of her natural sources of purified drinking water.

The immense imbalance to the natural order of life, carried out by the Porfiriato dictatorship could no longer be endured by the spirit of the Earth, symbolizing an act of evil, a call was sent to the Heavens for extermination. By 1911, Méxica was ready for radical, spiritual transformation; the fire of the people was ripened for liberation.

THE MANDATE OF HEAVEN

“The ideals of at least 4,000 years ago depict a ruler and officials as ‘sacrifice for the people.’ A ruler was considered a ruler because he holds ‘the Mandate of Heaven.’ This mandate was not considered simply as power granted to an individual to use as he desires. The ability to rule had, in many ways, to be earned: through expansive knowledge (the economics of the day, agriculture, law, philosophy, ethics, medicine, and military strategy), and the demonstration of wisdom that, with hope and perseverance, comes through the synthesis of that knowledge.”

- Qi Gong: Rediscovering Our Humanity by Paul Fraser Born in 1873, just prior to the initiation of the Diaz regime, Francisco Ignacio Madero (Francisco in all following references) was heir to a family fortune that rivaled that of the Guggenheim’s. Evaristo Madero and Francisco Madero Hernández, the grandfather and father of Francisco, established a family fortune from shrewd investments in cotton, livestock, and industrial production.

Expecting their heir to expand the family

tradition, Francisco studied business at Mount St. Mary’s College in Maryland, Higher Business at the prestigious École des Hautes Études Commerciales de Paris and Agriculture at the University of California, Berkeley the following year.

In his memoir, “The Spiritist Manual,” which he authored under the pseudonym Bhîma, a fierce warrior in Lord Kṛ a’s Bhagavad-Gita, Francisco revealed that his discovery of a magazine article, written by Allen Kardec, unveiled a portal to a new life perspective through which he felt the emergence of his soul’s higher path.

Shattering the lens for a generation, it was this French-born founder of Spiritism, whose 1857 publication of “The Spirit’s Book” incited a global movement bridging science, philosophy and religion, that granted permission to Francisco and countless others to believe in what lied just beyond the commonly accepted perception of reality.

While studying in Europe, Francisco was guided to the tomb of Allen Kardec, and shortly after began his first mediumship seances, where he realized his gift of inter-dimensional communion and began cultivating his abilities to serve the flow of cosmic harmony.

Though a sickly child, and small in stature, by 1893, the 20-year-old Francisco, fated 37th President of Méxica, returned to assume management of his family’s hacienda in San Pedro, Coahuila in robust health.

By 1901, through the spiritual communion with his younger brother, Raúl, who passed at age 4, he was urged to initiate his charity work and practice

self-discipline and self-abnegation, soon becoming vegetarian, quitting alcohol and smoking.

Spiritually empowered, well-traveled, and culturally refined, and humanely educated, he naturally rose as an enlightening and progressive member of the Madero commercial complex.

Inspired by a growing legion of spiritual guides, including Mexica’s former President Benito Juárez, Francisco embarked upon a lifelong commitment to philanthropy.

A seed of divine fulfillment, committed to serving the people through all of his evolving faculties, Francisco installed new irrigation, introduced Americanmade cotton and cotton machinery, and built a soap and an ice factory. His reputation quickly spread across the regions, as he founded schools, hospitals, community kitchens, and paid to support orphans and awarded scholarships. Having taught himself homeopathy, Francisco offered medical treatments to his already well-paid employees, including spiritual healing through the laying of his own hands and his mastery of the divine fluid of healing magnetism, Amrit.

EMBODY UNIVERSAL LOVE

“Among the spirits who populate space, there is a group that is intensely concerned with the evolution of humanity, for its progress, and every time there is an important event in any part of the world, a large number of them incarnate in order to bring humanity forward, to save this or that people from the yoke of tyranny, of fanaticism, and to give them liberty…

I want everyone to open their eyes, may those good-hearted men who are still here make a powerful effort, and all of them and I in their company, throw ourselves with resolve into the battle to save the Nation, to fulfill our mission, for undoubtedly, ever since we were together in space, we foresaw this battle and we have incarnated with the objective of starting and sustaining it.”

WORDS OF ASCENSION

Harvested through the soul’s turmoil, generation after generation, this highly coveted, regenerative electric fire resonates through the human organ and glandular system to evolve the body’s cellular matrix for the realization of the soul’s highest potential.

The mythic phoenix rising ignites a genetic metamorphosis that liberates the senses to cultivate the true powers of the higher mind’s divine potential.

There is a torch passed from generation to generation, a soulful fire of creation, a rhythmic drum that calls forth the beat of our highest vision, realized by our embodied devotion that determines our spiritual evolution. Through our personal efforts to serve this eternal passion, this our karmic duty, the blossoming of our golden, fiery heart, allows us to finally pierce into the Heavens, the light of the Star Kingdoms.

A land-owning lawyer and a member of Méxica’s liberal, educated class, the divine grace embedded within Francisco’s invocation for Universal Peace empowered the spiritual veins of an awakening nation for an uprising against foreign nationals who raped the people and the land of their divine liberties.

Ascended masters who walk the Earth inspire life’s birth as feelings transcend words. Despite the illiteracy of 90 percent of the Mexican population, Francisco’s written works ascended his stature as an apostle of Mexican democracy, as such he was heralded.

Overwhelmed by the sense of abandonment of President Diaz, Francisco liberated the cry for social, political and economic reform as a voice for the oppressed and weak to unite in one

Spiritual lions and buffalo soldiers, risen to reverse Heaven’s demise; ancient ones, awakening to their celestial origins; a brotherhood incarnated from beyond the Solar System, embodied in true form activate ancient abilities within humanity’s cellular matrix.

United in dharmic action, embodied love weaponizes our spiritual gifts as our unified heart resonance magnifies our attunement to the Planetary Logos that bathes our cells in her bio-luminescence, broadcasting the transmission for divine communion.

Serving the evolution of our species, spiritual monarchs emerge through the alchemized pain that fuels the soul’s emergence, transforming the collective perception of reality to liberate the universal fountains of immortality.

As the nourishment of spiritual enlightenment, Amrit, pours forth, the soma from the center of the Milky Way, empowering distraught spirits within the astral, the harmonious bio-energetics of Mother Earth’s eco-system naturally flourish, inspiring humanity’s rapturous liberation from the self-destructive Yuga of Kali.

- Dear Daddy, Letter from Francisco Madero to his father (in C.M. Mayo’s Metaphysical Odyssey into the Mexican Revolution)

ascending light, serving the collective yearning for spiritual upliftment.

It was the realized efforts of Francisco’s life works, his choices to fuel his spiritual imagination, and face the ridicule of society as he embodied his divine mission that inspired revolutionaries to raise up against a regime that had, since their birth, robbed them of their divine connection to Mother Earth.

To believe in what they sensed was true allowed them to receive the divine power to stand upright and fight to create a world that filled them with a sense of pride to leave behind.

Assassinated on February 22, 1913, after being democratically elected as President of a liberated Méxica,

Francisco knew that he while his body would die, his legacy would continue to inspire. His work upon this Earth empowers him now as a guide to spiritual mediums awakening to the magnetic power of the cosmic fire that fuels our heart’s purpose in realizing our connection to Heavenly force.

As spiritual activists, it is the spark of our actions that ripple through the collective DNA to stimulate the atrophied senses of those who’ve been rendered deaf and blind by the indoctrination of intergalactic colonization that has severed empaths from the resonant force of Mother Earth’s cosmic power, the divine magnetism of the Planetary Logos, a divine shield of Universal Love, Energy, Wisdom - Consciousness.

DHARMA HONORS UNIVERSAL KARMA

“Magnetism is the vital fluid that serves as the intermediary between the soul and the body. When this fluid weakens, sickness appears; when it runs out, death. In addition, the latter can occur when the vital fluid encounters obstructions in the channels in which it circulates… This vital fluid, or magnetism, can become subject to the force of will and therefore, whoever exercises his will over his fluids – a magnetizer – can send part of his fluid to other people, what we call ‘magnetizing them.’”

- Spiritist Manual by Francisco Ignacio Madero (as translated by C.M. Mayo in Metaphysical Odyssey into the Mexican Revolution

We are neither our bodies nor our material obsessions, rather we are each gloriously evolved embodiments of Universal harmony, love and compassion. We are the very fabric of space and time, the golden nectar that is filtered through Mother Universe, the nourishment of our Divine Mother’s breast.

At the core of our being is the very construct of all reality that bends to our collective, disciplined Star force resonance. By upholding our individually realized Dharma, we resurrect the spirit of the Earth, liberating our planetary consciousness from negative alien forces. As the awakening of our unified species consciousness spreads through our collective nervous system, man-made laws evolve to serve the Universal balance for all life to thrive in harmony.

Empowered in our holy star missions, we alchemize vibrations of fear, worry, shame, grief, lust and envy to illuminate our organs and for the expansion of our consciousness. As the cosmic fire of the Kundalini Shakti energy rises up our spine to purify our minds, our golden awareness, our fluid magnetism, spreads through all those we are connected to, magnetizing our ability to serve from a higher plane of existence, evolving our senses to behold the Heavens from

within the very kingdom of God’s most holy creation.

As the magnetism of our golden awareness spreads, liberating our self-perspectives liberating the suffocating egoistic constriction upon our beingness, we rise as spiritual monarchs, visionaries who behold one another through a gloriously nourishing lens of radical acceptance.

As is being witnessed through the devastation upon sacred lands and the indigenous people, as our Faith is tested by demonic and intergalactic forces, the power of Mother Earth is awakening an evolution in human consciousness to embody honor and serve justice for future generations to follow.

It is this magnetism that drives and ignites the awareness of our senses to guide us through our evolutionary process of realizing the Kingdom of Heaven, that is, in fact, our very embodiment into its highest genetic expression, our collective Ascension into our Golden Harmonic expression. It is this immortal fluid, Amrit, that we cultivate within our veins that births our souls into existence,

bridging our lives together, aligned with a higher purpose.

As Mother Earth ascends into her Golden age of Gnosis, there remains an immense imbalance of lost souls, those severed from their guiding light, under demonic control. This cosmic disharmony, that has become a disease upon our society, has invoked a new age awakening of spiritual visionaries, revolutionaries and evolutionists capable of walking through realms and dismantling parasitic structures that feed off Mother Earth’s planetary consciousness.

Through the radiance of healed hearts, magnetized in service, the light of Lord Krsna travels through the Universal realms, through our very skeletal structure, nourishes those trapped within the lower realms, empowering souls to remember their power to stand upright in receipt of their divine birthright to serve the Justice they seek, as they toil upon the Earth as they wish to reap.

As we work to heal our inner Christ, the fire of equality and justice, the spirit of the holy divine mother, is rising the fires

of purification within us and through us. She who nourishes our soul’s emanation with the soma of the milky way that secretes from our pineal glands, allowing us to see the demons that walk amongst us, the inter-dimensional beings, spirits and other entities that drain and feed off of us, calls for us to stand. As our true sight is restored, the truth will no longer be ignored.

Francisco Ignacio Madero’s willingness to die allowed him to be reborn. His ability to face the fire of judgment of his times with conviction of his own spiritual reality, allowing the fluid magnetism of Amrit to serve through the roots of the collective through his very embodiment, attracting and empowering those who chose to stand with him.

THE LIFE YOU LIVE IS YOUR STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS. YOUR DHARMIC ALIGNMENT WITH THE TRUTH THAT INSPIRES YOUR VEDIC ASCENSION SERVES THE COSMIC RESONANT FORCE THAT IS POWER OF THE UNIVERSAL KARMIC LAW.

MOLD YOUR MIND

THE POWER OF UNLOCKING YOUR MIND

HOW TO SELF-MOTIVATE

WHEN YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE IT

COACH JOEY VELEZ MENTAL WELLNESS CONTRIBUTOR @velezmentalperformance

HEARD A QUOTE ONE DAY THAT SAID, “YOU CANNOT GET MUCH DONE IN LIFE IF YOU ONLY WORK ON THE DAYS WHEN YOU FEEL GOOD.”

I do not know who said it, but it has stuck with me ever since. It has even become the tagline at the bottom of my emails. When you feel good, it is a lot easier to go about your day and get your tasks done: going to the gym is easier, going to work is easier, doing daily house chores is easier.

If you feel good, you are going to get these tasks done, no questions asked. But what if we do not feel good? What if we do not want to do those things, but know that we still have to? Still getting up and going to the gym, going to work, doing house chores becomes much harder if you are not feeling it that day.

However, as my intro statement puts it, if you only work on the days that you feel good, you will not get much done in life.

Therefore, you need to find additional ways to motivate yourself to get the job done, even if you do not feel like it.

DIFFERENT WAYS TO MOTIVATE

IAccording to the Self-Determination Theory, there are two sources of motivation one can pull from: instrumental and internal sources. I will use myself as an example, as I have been on a fitness journey the last six months, during which I constantly pulled from each of these sources.

Instrumental sources of motivation include things like offering yourself a reward, establishing some sort of punishment, or avoiding some sort of emotion, all of which drive behavior toward the task.

I would be on a somewhat strict meal plan for six days, but the seventh day included a “re-feed,” which basically meant I got to double my carbohydrate intake. I viewed this day as a reward because I knew if I could make it through those six days, then I would have a whooooole bunch of pancakes waiting for me.

I would also establish punishments to help me stay on task. For example, if I over-ate one day, then I would have to run 2+ miles the next day to make up

for it. I do not know if it would actually make up for it, but what I did know is that I hated running and wanted to avoid that at all costs.

Also, I used emotions to guide behavior, specifically that of guilt. I had a coach help me along the way and I always felt guilty if I submitted sub-par numbers for each week. He would put all that time in to provide me guidance, and I felt like I was throwing his advice away if I over-ate, so I stayed engaged in the task because I did not want to feel guilty.

Now, while these may have been helpful in the short-term, they eventually wore off and provided no benefit to me. Eventually, the re-feed day lost its luster and it became harder for me to stay on top of my eating. If I over-ate, I let myself off the hook and would not run the 2+ miles because I would say, “What is the point?” Eventually, I stopped feeling guilty because I would say, “Well, it is my money so who really cares?” I needed something more to keep me motivated for the long-term.

This is where more internal forms of motivation came in, which included valuing the outcome that the behavior provides and attaching what I was doing to who I am at my core. My fitness journey included a cardio schedule, essentially

having to run 2.5 miles about three days a week.

I already told you that I hate running, but I still went through these sessions. Why? Because I understood the value that running had: increased stamina, weight-loss, healthier heart, and I felt accomplished after I was done.

While I did not want to run, I did because I understood the value. I also identify as someone who is responsible and holds themself accountable. That is who I am at my core. I signed up for this six month fitness plan; if I stray off course, then I will hold myself accountable and let my coach know the truth about what happened that week.

Again, the tasks of running and sticking to a meal plan were not always enjoyable; however, I was still able to complete those tasks because I was able to pull from other sources of motivation, which ultimately helped me lose 30 pounds and 15 percent body fat in about four

THOUGHTS MATTER

months' time.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

One of the first things you can do is develop a reward system for yourself to help you maintain or enhance motivation. It could be related to any goal you have, and the reward can be something special to you: food, traveling, relaxing. Identify what the reward will be, what you need to do to receive the reward, and how often you are able to receive the reward.

You must also identify your purpose to maintain or enhance motivation. Identifying your purpose helps you understand what drives you and the actions you take on a daily basis to be your best self. First, identify your “Why.”

This is the driving force behind what you do and is usually developed from themes of your past (people, moments, etc.). For me, my why is to motivate, inspire, and care for other people. That is why I get up and go to work every day.

Next, identify your “How.” These are the actions you take when you are your natural self that bring out your why. Mine is so that others can live a better life and perform their best no matter the circumstances. Ultimately, I want to make an impact, and understanding my purpose helps me live that motto more consistently.

FINAL THOUGHTS

It is easy to do things that you love, it is easy to do things when you feel your best, but you are not always going to love what you do or feel your best.

However, this does not mean you should let yourself off the hook. Tasks still need to be completed, goals still need to be achieved, so you have to have additional resources to help you overcome the ebbs and flows of motivation.

Leverage the sources of motivation to propel you forward and to keep pushing toward your goals.