talking points

Culture, music, art and theatre with a spritz of design and cuisine the months tasting platter for the finer senses.

LIST

Hot

the heart of
With the Christmas release of the stunning new photography book Dior Couture Patrick Demarchelier, an incredible collaboration reveals itself.
n his prosaic foreword, the iconic American artist Jeff Koons calls the book the perfect marriage of haute couture and photography. He says, Both art forms explore layers, one exposes or hides from the world. With couture, the flesh is not the interface to the external world; rather there is another layer between the body and the public. This begs the question, What is it to be? calling to mind the mannequins of the surrealists Duchamp, Man Ray, and others who were investigating the very notion of reality. These photographs of couture also investigate the very notion of femininity [] Patrick Demarchelier opens his eyes to everything, from the elaborate to the simple, to the powerful and the vulnerable. There is an acceptance of everything in what it can be. From the grand staircase of the Paris Opera House to the garden of the Muse Rodin places that the House of Dior Haute Dior treasures Patrick couture spring/ summer 08 Demarchelier captures all

fasHion

Dior Couture Patrick Demarchelier

that is quintessentially Dior, personified by the most beautiful women in the world. Here, BAZAAR gets an insight to the mind of the man himself: Patrick Demarchelier.
How did this book come about?
Patrick DemarcHelier: I was working

for Vanity Fair, doing a fashion series on Dior Haute Couture. It was the first time I had discovered the ateliers. I was fascinated by the seamstresses, who are all so incredibly skilled. It made me want to represent the life of Dior Haute Couture, revive it and show it from past to present. The House of Dior did everything to make this project possible, and mobilised all its resources. Id say it came through a joint resolve. How long did it take you to complete the project? PD: About a year and a half. It was a long assignment, following the collections and discovering treasures in the Dior archives that offer extraordinary variety. Did you feel you were compiling a retrospective? PD: I never thought of it in those Dior Haute
couture spring/ summer 1948

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HorsinG aroUNd

revive the carefree joy of fairground memories with a whimsical little carousel horse pendant from ted Baker. Isolde is plated in gold and has a reversible side cast in black enamel with multi-coloured crystals as an option because as we know, options are the key to fabulous. Ted Baker Jewellery is available at Ted Baker stores, Bangsar Village II, and Pavilion; Parkson KLCC; and Tangs Pavilion.

carousel horse pendants, ted Baker

Dior Haute couture autumn/ Winter 10

Dior Haute couture autumn/Winter 05

terms. I was so happy to be shooting those photos; I thoroughly enjoyed it, and thats what mattered. I never had the sense that I was working with old dresses either. Even the Christian Dior dresses dating back to the 40s or 50s which are so beautiful and exquisitely made are still modern. Theyre totally up to date! How do you relate to couture? PD: When youre a fashion photographer,

you cant help but love haute couture. The dresses are so beautiful; the materials, the execution, the details, the precision, the staggering amount of work hidden behind all that beauty and perfection. Dior is one of the only couture houses in the world to have its ateliers in the heart of its premises, at 30 Avenue Montaigne. When youre a fashion photographer, you have to inspire a dream. With Dior Haute Couture, the dream is already there! Its art, its fabulous! for the new photos that you have taken, where did you start? PD: We started with the very colourful dresses that look like flowers, from the Haute Couture Autumn/Winter 11 collection, which was shown in July 2010 in the gardens of the Muse Rodin, in Paris. What is your overall impression of this work and this book? PD: Ive published many books before: Ive done books on portraits, nudes, fashion, reportage, a whole host of things. But this one is a book with a very precise subject. I love it. I cant wait to see it in bookstores. Dior Couture Patrick Demarchelier is available on www.amazon.com

PaIr It WIth a CrIsP WhIte shIrt tUCked INto BlUe jeaNs for a WhIMsICal tWIst to hot eqUestrIaN style.

Japanese artist, activist and former wife of Beatles singer John Lennon, Yoko Ono has been awarded the illustrious Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award 2011. Announcing the award, Nick Waddington, CEO and president of Montblanc Japan, credited her charity work in impoverished areas of Africa and Asia through Dream Power concerts in Japan. She is in excellent company, previous winners of the award include literary theorist Susan Sontag and Jackie Chan. www.montblanc.com

NUMero oNo

Yoko ono

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talking points
maine lobster and fresh spring herbs pesto spaghetti

let the culinary experts handle the pressures of the festive season for you. here are BAZAARs bright ideas on how to make your holiday more special. cHristmas Desserts at the maDe easY ritz-carlton, kl
Why go through the hassle of days spent making a Christmas dinner with all the trimmings only to have your family gobble it up in minutes and then having to spend another hour or so cleaning up after them? At Csars at the Ritz-Carlton, KL, you can have the perfect Christmas feast from traditional turkey and Christmas pudding to more exotic Italian asparagus risotto and Alaskan king crab complete with Laurent-Perrier Champagne. An added bonus? You can perhaps get a room if the bubbly gets the better of you. For reservations, call 03-2142 8000 or email dining_concierge@ ritzcarlton.com.my
roasted duet of turkey and duck, illido kl

XMas feasts

fabrizio Bigi

CLaSSICS Meet Chef Fabrizio Bigi a chef

Modern

who does it his way, crafting fresher versions of Italian staples.

eading up the kitchen at Prego at The Westins Beijing financial district, Bigis mantra is food should always first be about pleasure. Specially flown in for the Inspiring Italy fest at Favola Italian Restaurant, Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur, the guest chef crafted rich treats like swordfish carpaccio with Dijon fresco salad and mustard sprouts; and grain-fed beef tenderloin with mascarpone, eggplant ravioli and black truffle-whipped butter. Bigi doesnt play by the rules he explores new perspectives, moving classic dishes in unfamiliar directions. For instance, goat cheese replaces the predictable parmesan. Goat cheese lends a more mellow, delicate finish. It also gives a dish more texture, he says. Start with olive oil and finish up with butter. Playful combinations of texture and flavour transform and revitalise classic dishes. His philosophy is use the best ingredients and produce to engage in fast cooking. The eggplant mille-feuille with fresh goat cheese and basil had an exhilarating freshness to it. Imagine layers of luscious tomatoes encased in wafer-thin deep-fried

eggplant; its flavour further enlivened by the goat cheese topping. The saffron risotto with crispy seafood and red capsicum sauce, without question, shimmered with satisfying flavours; and the risotto was triumphant, glowing with a creamy richness, bringing a perfect balance to the succulent prawns. Another stunner was the spaghetti with Maine lobster and fresh spring herb pesto. You could not help but relish the firm, delicate lobster meat that ruled this dish; the pasta, swaddled in a lush tomato-based sauce, taking on the rich, sweet flavour of the ocean. It was a menu that reflected Italian treasures from North to South, which required time so each dish could be leisurely savoured. Other pleasures on the menu included home-cured marinated beef tenderloin in a balsamic emulsion; Mediterranean seabass stew; prawns tortellini with basil and crushed black pepper fondue; and hazelnut crme brulee. No doubt, as a backdrop, Favola was gloriously beautiful; masquerading as an opulent Venetian villa with rich frescoes, bronze chandeliers and intimate private rooms. Open everyday except Saturday, from 12 to 2.30pm and 6.30pm to 11pm. For reservations, call 03-2263 7434.

WHen in rome

Do as the Italians do and usher in the New Year with family, friends and a feast. With a scrumptious menu prepared specially by Executive Chef Andrea Zanella, Illido KL will host an earlier four-course meal, and a later, six-course meal for those who would rather welcome the new year in the more intimate setting of a restaurant. Its extensive selection of the finest New and Old World wines will satisfy the fussiest of connoisseurs, promising to leave no throat dry. What better way to ring in 2012? For reservations, call 03-2161 2291.

neW in toWn

The Westin Kuala Lumpur welcomes the very capable hands of Garth Welsh, as he joins its culinary team as the new director of kitchens. With a wealth of experience that has seen him work as executive chef of the Sheraton Full Moon Resort and Spa in the Maldives and under John Torode at Mezzo in London, Welsh is sure to scale new heights with The Westin and it all starts with great Christmas fare. For reservations, call 03-2731 8333.

Garth Welsh

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fritz storm

culinary stars who gave up corporate climbing to live their passion.

flinging herself off the corporate ladder landed yin Wong in le Cordon Bleu, which then evolved into pastry-making. after years of job-hopping, she decided to indulge her passion in cakes and this blossomed into Pastry Union, an artisanal cake store that takes the meaning of cake to the a whole new level. yins most dangerous weapon in her arsenal is her senses. and her cakes are a feast for all five; one bite and she guarantees her devil cake will send you right up to heaven. www.pastryunion.com

dreaM CatChers BAZAAR meets with two

BeWitcHeD!

Cake Boss

yIN WoNG Uses ChoColate her faVoUrIte INGredIeNt IN all her sIGNatUre Cakes.

after years sleeping behind a desk as an accountant, danish-born fritz storm decided to become a barista and learn the skill behind a perfect cup of coffee. he has since gone on to winning the World Barista Championship in 2002 and is now recognised as one of the leading names in coffee culture. In conjunction with the prestigious le Meridien hotels, storm has been travelling asia, running intense training and appreciation courses at their hotels. the barista cites a simple espresso as his favourite way of drinking a cup of joe (he has about ten a day!); his wife loves cappuccino, while his three-year-old daughter loves her macchiato. head to any restaurant at le Meridien kuala lumpur for coffee done right.

No aVeraGe joe

The wait is thankfully over, as the Wicked Witch of the West arrives on South East Asian shores. Set to open in Singapore at Marina Bay Sands Grand Theater on December 7, 2011 Wicked has been dubbed one of Broadways best musicals. With Aussies Suzie Mathers and Jemma Rix set to star as Glinda and Elphaba, the Asian premiere of Wicked will make you laugh, cry and think, promising to be an absolute whopper of a night out. If 35 major awards including a Grammy and three Tony Awards are anything to go by, it would be a sin to miss out on this spectacular production. Wicked is set to run for a strictly limited season, so dont miss out. www.marinabaysands.com

Wicked

mooo, Pastry Union

saVoir fare

From the bespoke mosaic tiles and dozens of beautiful hanging lamps to the gorgeous pewter splashback at the grill station, Mosaic at the Mandarin Oriental is a true wonder in dining culture. Designed by the internationally-renowned Spin Design Studio from Japan, every minute detail is so thoroughly conceived and ever so well-appointed that one cannot help but be mesmerised before the real cause for being there is attended to. As a dining experience, Mosaic offers a veritable smrgsbord of cuisines to choose from. From Japanese to Indian, to dim sum and a grill station that allows diners to choose their own cuts of meat, which are then cooked on the spot, Mosaics culinary offerings borders on exhaustive. The dessert bar alone has so sumptuous an array of sweet treats that one hardly knows where to begin. The verdict? A singular trip is scarcely sufficient if one intends to sample every last morsel that Mosaic has on offer. Mosaic at the Mandarin Oriental is open 24 hours daily. For reservations, call 03-21798881.

For the first time ever, The Cartier Time Art exhibition will be held outside the luxury brands birthplace in Switzerland. From December 14th to February 12th 2012, the Artscience Museum at Marina Bay Sands will showcase the largest collection of Cartier timepieces ever displayed in public. Among the 12 Cartier movements and 17 fine timepieces exhibited, Cartier will also be presenting the one-of-a-kind Cartier ID One concept watch designed by Tokujin Yoshioka which will never require any adjustments throughout its lifecycle. www. cartier.com
Pocket watch with minute repeater, cartier

haUte horoloGy

rotonde de cartier astroregulator, cartier mosaic at mandarin oriental

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talking points
Untitled by fion Poon

lIsteN & WatCh

enclosing emotions by Datuk radzuan radziwill

ExtrEmEly louD anD inCrEDibly ClosE

inspirations of nature by eddie Yap

Oskar Schell is a nineyear-old vegan, pacifist, tambourine player, amateur inventor and astrophysicist whose life is thrown into turmoil when he loses his father in the tragedy of 9/11. When he stumbles upon a key left by his father, he takes on the role of detective, wandering New York searching for the lock to the mysterious key.

michael Bubl

NeW sChool
Contemporary film meets Malaysian fashion & art this December as BAZAAR plans your to-do list.
Galeri Petronas will be showcasing the designs of Malaysian artists and fashion designers in its Irresistible Wear exhibition, which will be held until January 1, 2012. 48 artwear pieces designed specifically for the exhibition will take centrestage, reflecting the inextricable link between the worlds of art and fashion. As part of this exhibition, there will also be a workshop on the art of shibori, an ancient Japanese technique of dyeing cloth. www.galeripetronas.com.my

Get into the festive mood with the dulcet tones of Canadian crooner Michael Bubl. As easy on the ear as he is on the eye, Bubl revises favourites such as Jingle Bells and Silent Night and duets with Shania Twain on White Christmas.

micHael BUBle Christmas

tHe Black keYs El Camino

With a band name inspired by the incoherent ramblings left on their answering machine, indie rock duo The Black Keys will release their seventh album. Influenced by The Clash, El Camino features a backto-basics rock n roll sound that will have you wanting more.
We need to talk about kevin

lIt loVin
alexanDer mccall smitH thE ForgottEn aFFairs oF youth: an isabEl DalhousiE novEl (little BroWn) The latest instalment of the series will see the indomitable Isabel Dalhousie juggle her many home affairs with the task of helping a visiting Australian philosopher find her biological father. In typical McCall Smith style, reading this novel is a purely pleasurable experience, that will also pose the bigger question of what it means to be family.

P.D. James DEath ComEs to PEmbErlEy (faBer & faBer) Any fan of Austen will rue the fact that she only had time enough to complete six novels in her short life. As such, any fan should appreciate a sequel of sorts, especially when it continues Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcys love story. Set six years after their happy marriage, Death Comes to Pemberley fuses Old World drama with a detective story.

tilda swinton

WE nEED to talk about kEvin

Led by the stellar Tilda Swinton, We Need To Talk About Kevin is a film about a mother whose sociopathic son goes on a high-school killing spree. Challenging and provocative, Tilda Swinton is magnificent as a mother who finds herself torn between love and loathing for her own child.

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TExT: JASON LIM; SHARMILA RAJAH; JEFFREY YAN. PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES