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Magazine for Graff Diamonds

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Page 1: Graffiti Magazine SS12
Page 2: Graffiti Magazine SS12

CONTACT FOR MORE INFORMATION:

+ 377 97 77 37 77 / [email protected]

The images depicted in this advertisement are an artist’s representation only and are in no way a claim by the sponsor as to the final product.

All dimensions are approximate and subject to normal construction variances and tolerances. Sponsor makes no representation or warranties except as may be set forth in the Offering Plan.

Page 3: Graffiti Magazine SS12

Rising majestically above the azure waters of the Mediterranean

and the captivating Principality of Monaco, Tour Odéon takes

luxurious living to dazzling new heights.

49 stories, 170 metres… take your place above the rest…

THE ULTIMATE HOME, IN

THE ULTIMATE SETTING

www.odeon.mc

Page 4: Graffiti Magazine SS12

Sale & PurchaSe | charter | technical conSultancy | ManaGeMent

Perfection at sea.For the best luxury charters on the best yachts in the bestlocations speak to Burgess. The superyacht superagents.

SEANNA

Brand new from Benetti, the sensational 65m (213.3ft) SEANNA is available for charter

in the Mediterranean this summer from Burgess as Worldwide Central Agents.

Page 5: Graffiti Magazine SS12

www.burgessyachts.com

London +44 20 7766 4300

Monaco +377 97 97 81 21

NewYork +1 212 223 0410

Miami +1 305 672 0150

SantaMonica +1 310 392 7696

[email protected]

Palma + 34 971 495 413

Athens +30 6932 408 285

Mumbai +91 2266 391900

Seattle +1 206 285 4561

Moscow +7 495 220 2402

Page 6: Graffiti Magazine SS12
Page 7: Graffiti Magazine SS12

L O D G E S & S P A

Tel: +27 (0)21 885 8160 · Email: [email protected]

HELSHOOGTE PASS, STELLENBOSCH, SOUTH AFRICA

www.delaire.co.za

Page 8: Graffiti Magazine SS12
Page 9: Graffiti Magazine SS12

CONTENTS16 A FINE BALANCE Famous for

his monumental mobile sculptures,

Alexander Calder’s legacy lives on

in the foundation set up his name to

promote contemporary art

44 GOLDEN HARVEST Fast

becoming one of South Africa’s

premier cellars, the latest vintage

from the Delaire Graff Estate looks

set to be another award-winner

62 PRIME TIME The face of things

to come is most elegantly captured

in Graff’s new collection of beautifully

crafted wristwatches for discerning

connoisseurs of haute horology

24 RISE AND SHINE In

Botswana a new diamond centre

has become a force for good,

bringing the skilful art of diamond

polishing home to the place where

50 FRUITS OF THE EARTH

The most flawless of gems are

fruitfully fashioned into exquisitely

tasteful brooches, bracelets,

necklaces, earrings and rings

68 DESERT ROSE From coastal

villages to cosmopolitan economies,

the Gulf states have catapulted

to dizzying commercial, and now

cultural and sporting, heights

30 THE DREAM The natural

beauty of exquisite stones is set off

to bewitching perfection against a

background of lush leafery, tropical

creatures and glamorous gowns

58 THE WILD ONE Sought after

by the fashion elite for his superior

store designs, innovative architect

Peter Marino does everything but

follow the trendsetting pack

76 A WORD WITH... Michel

Pitteloud. The CEO of Graff Luxury

Watches tells the story behind Graff’s

incomparable new timepiece, the

MasterGraff Skeleton Automatic

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50

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Published for Graff by Show Media Ltd

1-2 Ravey Street, London EC2A 4QP

+44 (0) 20 3222 0101; www.showmedia.net

Editor Joanne Glasbey

Creative Director Ian Pendleton

Art Director Dominic Bell

Managing Editor Zai Shamis

Chief Copy Editor Chris Madigan

Picture Editor Juliette Hedoin

Copy Editors Sarah Evans, Cate Langmuir, Gill Wing

Managing Director Peter Howarth

For Graff

Katherine Roach, Joanne Hill, Lily Liebel, Adam Norton,

Jessica Lansley, Charlotte Dauphin, Holly Howe

Advertising Penny Weatherall, Joanne Hill and Katherine Roach

at Graff; +44 (0)20 7584 8571; [email protected]

Colour reproduction by FMG; www.wearefmg.com

Printing by Taylor Bloxham; www.taylorbloxham.co.uk

Cover photography Matthew Shave Styling Michelle Duguid

On the cover The Graff Sweethearts, 51.53ct and 50.76ct

heart shape D Flawless diamonds set as earrings with pear

shape and round diamonds. 56.15ct Heart shape D Internally

Flawless diamond ring. Dress by Carlos Miele. Flowers by

Maison de Fleurs, maisondefleurs.co.uk

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Laurence Graff

Chairman of Graff Diamonds

At Graff Diamonds we pride ourselves on our vision, from sourcing the best quality,

beautiful and rare stones by eye, to leading the way in design excellence and

craftsmanship, and using our expert understanding to help steer the future path of

our industry. Botswana is the world’s largest producer of diamonds and is now

being developed into a nation that will experience huge benefits from being the

home of nature’s most precious stones. In this issue, Sarah Carpin discovers

the new Graff Diamond Technology Park where Graff’s diamond polishers use

the world’s most advanced technology to unleash the full potential in every rough diamond. It takes

real expertise to look into a rough diamond and see how this can be achieved.

The artist Alexander Calder not only created great visual spectacles with his remarkable

mobiles but also crafted a sculptural language that was international in its scope; George Pendle

discusses the artist’s lexicon and legacy with Calder’s grandson Alexander Rower, who set up the

Calder Foundation. Having great vision is a necessity in an architect. The maverick Peter Marino

creates grand retail theatre from lines on a blueprint, with a particular skill for coding a brand’s DNA

into the design. Here, Marino talks context and contemporary art with Nick Compton.

Vision is what has led the FACET Foundation, by partnering with local charities in sub-Saharan

Africa, to help transform lives. The perseverance and energy poured in by the project leaders, to run

initiatives that really do change the course of young people’s futures, is inspiring. We feature the story

of one perceptive 22-year-old who dreamt of becoming a nurse but had little means or hope originally

to achieve his goal. After participating in a Graff Leadership Centre programme, he has not only been

offered a place on a nursing course, but is a peer mentor at the Centre. Giving back is so important.

I hope you enjoy this issue, and also invite you to explore our new website and discover the

jewels and watches of Graff in all their beautiful detail at www.graffdiamonds.com

Page 12: Graffiti Magazine SS12

SOCIAL DIARY

alPiNE PEak On 27 December 2011, guests gathered for a festive cocktail

party in the opulent setting of the the five-star Grand Hotel Park (4) – recently

refurbished to create one of Switzerland’s most stylish destinations – to

celebrate the opening of the first Graff store in Gstaad. Among the guests were

Aida Hersham & Anne Marie Graff (5); Mr & Mrs Hans-Peter Kortlepel (6); Baroness

Edmonde Labbe, Johannes Niederhauser & HRH Prince Victor Emmanuel of Savoy (7)

hEart oF saN FraNcisco In November 2011, Graff Diamonds hosted the

opening party for its new flagship San Francisco store on Post Street,

Graff’s first in California. The evening raised money for the UCSF Benioff

Children’s Hospital. Guests included Elizabeth Thieriot (8); Bita Daryabari (9);

Lynne Benioff & Mark Laret, CEO of the UCSF Medical Center (10); Marissa

Mayer, with Laurence Graff (11); and Yurie and Carl Pascarella (12)

ElEctric atMosPhErE A collaboration between Graff and electric supercar

maker Tesla created a stir in Tokyo in February. Guests included Ai Matsuzawa,

Kevin Yu & Catherine Kabayashi (1); Mr & Mrs Koichi Nezu with Graff salesperson

Hiroe Hatakeyama (2); and Ken Takahashi (3)

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hollywood royalty As the official jeweller of the 18th annual Screen Actors Guild awards

and sponsor of the Green Room, at the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, at the end of January,

Graff welcomed a number of movie stars, who mingled with VIP guests among the jewellery

cases. They included actresses Jo Beth Williams & Sofia Vergara (22, with Karen Kovacs,

publisher of People magazine, and Lisa Paulsen of the Entertainment Industry Foundation);

Marianne Lafiteau & Henri Barguirdjian, Robert & Sheryl Goldstein, John & Alex Goldstein (23)

harbour lights The Villa by Barton G was the exclusive venue for a special

client dinner to celebrate the opening of the new Graff store in Bal Harbour,

Florida in April. Among the guests were Marco & Vanessa Selva, Graff New York

MD Peter Kairis, Jill Viner & Barton G Weiss (13); Roberto Knibel, Mrs Lindeman,

Count & Countess von Montgelas & Mr Lindeman (14); Graff Bal Harbour store

manager Susan Pullin, Thomas & Katia Bates (15); and Mr & Mrs Milstein (16)

Florida PriMary In January, Graff hosted a dinner, prepared by chef

Todd English (21, with Henri Barguirdjian, President & CEO of Graff USA)

at the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum in Palm Beach, Florida. It was

attended by VIPs including Robert Cuillo (17, with Graff assistant

manager Diana Salandra), as well as Graff models (18); and served as

the curtain-raiser for the Cavallino Car Classic, the convention for Ferrari

owners at The Breakers, Palm Beach (19), where guests such as Mr & Mrs

Timothy Rooney (20) enjoyed the hospitality of the Graff tent

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hong kong highlight

a wonderful day The bride and groom, Mr & Mrs Hung, far left.

Centre, from top: the bride with her bridesmaids, Michelle Chen, Kay Lim,

and Alona Alvarez; the Ritz-Carlton’s Diamond Ballroom; the groom joins in

the dancing; Mrs Deborah Hung, née Valdez, modelling exquisite Graff jewellery.

Above, from top: Mr Stephen Hung, wearing a MasterGraff Diamond Tourbillon;

The arrival of the beautiful Graff wedding bands; the beautiful bride

The luxurious Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Hong Kong

was the most elegant venue of the enchanting

wedding of Mr Stephen Hung to Ms Deborah

Valdez on 11 January this year. The Diamond

Ballroom provided a beautiful backdrop to the

nuptials, which were attended by the island’s

most illustrious and distinguished individuals.

Mr and Mrs Hung and their notable guests

enjoyed a night of great entertainment and fine

dining to celebrate the joyful occasion. Hong

Kong’s tallest hotel, the Ritz-Carlton – soon to

be the home of the highest jewellery store in

the world, with the opening of the new Graff

store later this summer – decorated the

location in fabulous style befitting such a

wonderful event. We wish Mr and Mrs Hung

a very happy marriage.

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a finebalance

Renowned foR his mobile sculptuRes, he was one of the 20th centuRy’s most impoRtant

aRtists. today, the foundation set up in alexandeR caldeR’s name not only pReseRves his

legacy but also pRomotes contempoRaRy aRtists, explains GeorGe Pendle

Even someone who’s never

been to an art museum in

their life will have seen them.

They crouch in corporate

plazas like long-limbed

metallic insects, or twist in

the foyers of cultural centres

like filigree spider webs. Starkly silhouetted on

park hills and university campuses, they jaggedly

fuse together ground and sky like massive steel

sutures. It’s uncanny, but wherever you go in the

world, from India to Italy, from Cuba to China,

the sculptures of Alexander Calder seem to have

got there first.

Long before today’s global art scene

existed, Calder was bestriding the world undaunted

by distance or local tastes. Indeed, his creation

of a sculptural language that was seemingly

international in its scope prefigured by half a

century the borderless range of today’s ‘superartists’

such as Takashi Murakami and Olafur Eliasson.

However, Calder’s global popularity has been

something of a double-edged sword. While the

near-universal love for his public-art projects has

allowed him to avoid the fights that surrounded, say,

Richard Serra’s 1981 New York sculpture, ‘Tilted Arc’,

which was destroyed after an outcry, it’s also meant

it has been somewhat ignored by recent critics.

Alexander S C Rower, the artist’s grandson,

has made it his life’s work to change this. In 1987, he

set up the Calder Foundation, in part, to re-educate

the critical establishment. ‘I was disappointed that

curators and other smart people didn’t understand

my grandfather’s work.’ A puckish 48 years old,

Rower is discussing the foundation’s work from

its breathtaking new exhibition space in midtown

New York. ‘In 1931, Calder has his very first show

of abstract work in Paris. The artist Fernand Léger ge

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wrote the text for the catalogue and compared

him to Erik Satie and Marcel Duchamp. But, by

1971, he’s not being compared to anyone.’ This was

not entirely the fault of the critics – by the end of

Calder’s life, his artistic reach and influence was so

broad, it was almost impossible to see him clearly.

Born into an artistic family in Philadelphia

in 1898 – his mother was a portrait painter, his

father and grandfather were sculptors – as a child,

Calder would search out what he termed, ‘all the

prettiest stuff in the garbage can’. He made wire

jewellery for his sister’s dolls and gave notice of

his burgeoning talent when, on Christmas Day

in 1909, he gave his parents a tiny dog and duck

made from a brass sheet. The metal had been

skillfully cut and bent so the dog stood on four

legs and the brass duck rocked to and fro when

tapped. It was his first moving sculpture.

Calder studied mechanical engineering

at school and seemed set on a path to become

a hydraulics or automotive engineer. But, by 1923,

the family trade had called him back and he had

moved to New York to join the Art Students

League. He was soon drawing illustrations for the

pages of the National Police Gazette, and it was

while covering a story on the Ringling Brothers

and Barnum & Bailey Circus that he found one

of his earliest, and most famous, inspirations.

The wire and canvas frame of the big top,

the suspension of the trapeze artists in mid-air and

the tightrope walker balanced implausibly above

the horned swoop of the safety net, provided him

with a quiver of motifs he would draw on for years.

‘I was fond of the spatial relations,’ he would say,

And ‘I love the space of the circus.’ It would spark

the creation of the ‘Cirque Calder’ (1926-31) – a

collection of hundreds of tiny sculptural elements

depicting jugglers, chariots, high-wire walkers,

and trapeze artists made from wire, rubber tubing,

cork and pipe cleaners.

In 1926, Calder moved to Paris and began

to put on performances of his circus. Crouching

behind his little big top, he would solemnly move

his cantilevered creations around the ring, creating

an absorbing silent narrative. But the circus was

something other than just a complex miniature.

It was also a form of performance art. ‘The pieces

at the Whitney Museum [where the ‘Cirque Calder’

now resides] were the tools to perform the art,’

explains Rower. ‘But they’re not the work of art.

Watching him perform is the art. His performance

was highly regarded. It wasn’t for kids.’ Word

quickly spread to the leading lights of the Paris

art scene, and the circus was soon visited by Jean

Cocteau, Joan Miró, Piet Mondrian and Léger.

The success of the circus opened up the

world of the avant-garde to Calder. Invited to

Mondrian’s studio in 1930, he cheekily suggested

Page 19: Graffiti Magazine SS12

‘Why must

art be static?

the next step

in sculpture

is motion’

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poetry in motion Alexander Calder in his studio,

c1951, previous page. ‘Man’ (1967), opposite, now

in Montreal. A Museum of Modern Art installation,

1944, left. The cover of the catalogue for the

exhibition Alexander Calder: Mobiles, Stabiles,

Constellations, 1946, below. ‘Le Soleil sur la

Montagne’, 1975, Ville de Passy, France, bottom

the coloured rectangles of paper on the wall could

be improved if they were made ‘to oscillate in

different directions and at different amplitudes’.

Mondrian did not agree, yet the question stayed

with Calder. ‘Why must art be static?’ he wrote in

1932. ‘You look at an abstraction, sculpted or

painted, and it is an entirely exciting arrangement

of planes, spheres, nuclei, but entirely without

meaning. It’s perfect, but always still. The next step

in sculpture is motion.’

Calder’s first steps towards applying

motion to his sculptures can be seen in the offices

of the Calder Foundation, where a wire sculpture

of his wife – Rower’s grandmother – hangs from

the ceiling. Rower blows on it to get it moving.

‘The idea that you could have sculpture that was

immaterial was really, really radical,’ he says. ‘Now

we totally recognise it as a sculpture, but, in those

days, the view was, it’s not sculpture as it has no

mass, but it’s not drawing, so what the hell is it?’

The sculpture twists in the air like a wisp of smoke

and, as it turns towards the viewer, it resolves

momentarily into the powerful gaze of Louisa

Calder. For a moment, the viewer’s eyes are locked

on a visage that has more weight, more reality,

than you could think possible from a single piece

of twisted wire, but before you know it the

sculpture has moved on, the face losing narrative

sense, becoming a lyrical cloud of abstract lines

once more. Suddenly, there seems to be one fewer

person in the room.

One of Rower’s main aims with the

foundation is to reassert the experiential quality

of Calder’s work, most notably present in what

Duchamp labelled his ‘mobiles’. These are perhaps

Calder’s most famous works – kinetic abstract

sculptures the articulated arms of which delicately

pivot on fulcrums while pendulum-like appendages

dexterously dangle brass balls and wire loops.

Motion is the essence of these sculptures, whether

it is provided by electric motor, hand crank or a

simple breeze. They exist open-endedly, their

multitudinous limbs moving in the air like a flock

of swallows branching out and coalescing, but

never repeating the same pattern.

Jean-Paul Sartre once wrote of Calder’s

mobiles that, ‘they feed on air, they breathe, they

borrow life from the vague life of the atmosphere.’

These words are equally true of his ‘stabiles’, or

static sculptural works – despite their sometimes

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enormous bulk – some are more than 60ft tall and

weigh nearly 35 tons – they, too, carry with them

a sense of airiness, as if Calder were trying to break

the sculpture free from the ground itself. Like the

high-wire antics of his circus folk, these works often

seem less joined to the ground than the result of

the air itself solidifying into shape. ‘What I would

have liked to have done,’ Calder once wrote wistfully,

‘would have been to suspend a sphere without

any means of support, but I couldn’t do it.’

But there is more to the Calder experience

than movement. Rower is, by now, standing in front

of ‘Untitled’ (1934). It is a large black metal hoop in

the middle of which hangs a tree of thin wire arms,

each holding smaller coloured hoops. Rower moves

towards one of the dangling arms and sets it in

20

to expand the foundation’s horizons far beyond

being just an archive of his grandfather’s work.

Since 2005, the foundation has awarded a

biannual $50,000 Calder Prize to a living artist,

which includes a six-month residency at Atelier

Calder, the sculptor’s former studio in Saché,

France. ‘It’s a way of giving back,’ says Rower.

Even further afield is the creation of the

four-season, ‘beyond organic’ Calder Farm, on

Calder’s former estate in Connecticut. Indeed,

Rower has even mooted the idea of a Calder

Foundation retirement home being established

on the land one day. Like one of his grandfather’s

mobiles, he seems determined never to go in

the direction you quite expect of him.

www.calder.org

motion. The result is a chiming, clanging symphony

as the hoops clash against the work’s frame and

each other, providing a uniquely atonal gong

music, like a wind chime designed by Satie himself.

‘I bought this at Christie’s last year,’ says

Rower, ‘and I guarantee not one other person

I was bidding against realised it was a musical

instrument. It’s surprising. There are so many

works by Calder that include some sort of sound,

some sort of tone, some sort of thing to wake

you up, or bring you into the present. Your head’s

full of stuff and then this thing makes a noise and

suddenly,’ he snaps his fingers, ‘you’re present.’

The foundation holds more than 600 of

Calder’s sculptures, as well as thousands of examples

of his paintings, toys and jewellery, but Rower seeks

a new artistic movement Calder’s ‘Red and Yellow Vane’ sculpture, 1934, left.

‘Peacock’, from 1941, below. ‘Moluscs’ painting, 1955, bottom

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[email protected] www.davidlinley.com

RIVIERA ROUGE DESK- Limited Edition -

Handmade desk with secret drawers.

Santos rosewood and sycamore with

leather and nickel detailing. £48,500.

Page 22: Graffiti Magazine SS12

Capri, St. Barth, Bal Harbour, Rome (Hotel de Russie), Sicily (Golf Verdura Resort),

Stellenbosch (Delaire Graff Estate), Beverly Hills (Peninsula Hotel)

Page 23: Graffiti Magazine SS12

www.100x100capri.it

Page 24: Graffiti Magazine SS12

CRAFTING BEAUTY A young Batswana diamond polisher adds the finishing

touches to the polished stone that will bring out the maximum brilliance and

fire. The training process is rigorous and only a talented few, opposite, will

have the privilege of working on the world’s most fabulous diamonds

Page 25: Graffiti Magazine SS12

RISE AND SHINE

Botswana’s diamond technology park Brings home the skilful art

of polishing, while Benefitting the nation, discovers sarah carpin

photography Micky Hoyle

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F or hundreds of years, the

most precious of diamonds

that were mined in Africa

were assessed, sold, cut and

polished by a multitude of

organisations around the

globe. A diamond sitting in

a store window in Mayfair or Manhattan may have

travelled thousands of air miles from Africa to

Europe to Asia and on to the Middle East, before

arriving in its final, glitteringly perfect condition.

But all this is now changing. The African

landlocked country of Botswana is the world’s

largest producer of diamonds and is now being

developed into a nation that will experience huge

benefits from being the home to nature’s most

spectacular and precious stones. By the end of

next year, the international system of sorting and

selling Africa’s rough diamonds by De Beers’

trading arm, the DTC, will all be moved here after

a hundred years of being based in London. And

the process of building up a globally important

diamond industry within Botswana has already

started, spearheaded by Graff.

The first stage of this shift back to Africa

is to be found in an area that, only a few years

ago, was scrubland on the edges of the capital,

Gaborone. The Diamond Technology Park is a

modern state of the art complex that is home to

Graff’s diamond polishing and procurement division,

Safdico (South African Diamond Corporation).

Safdico has been instrumental in the

development of this African diamond hub. Its

managing director, Ilan Kaplan, tells me that the

company saw the potential for Botswana around

seven years ago, and had the vision to bring the

very specialised skills of diamond cutting and

polishing to Africa. ‘There were no guarantees at

that time,’ Kaplan recalls. ‘And we didn’t just want

to set up a factory for our own benefit. We had a

bigger vision than that.’ Graff bought the land and

soon developed the new Diamond Technology

Park that is home not only to Graff’s polishing and

procurement division but also other diamond-

related businesses. ‘It’s a wonderful success story,’

he says, with justifiable pride in his voice.

But this is no ordinary sleek looking,

high-tech business park. Alongside the ultra-

modern diamond cutting and polishing centre,

housing some of the most sophisticated technology

on the planet, zebras quietly graze – the unusual

decision to add an enclosure for them a reminder

of its proud African identity, for the zebra is

Botswana’s national animal as well as being a

symbol of individuality. And it is this realisation of

the unique individuality of every diamond that

passes through Graff’s workshops here that makes

this particular African park unique.

Each individual glittering diamond in a finished

Graff masterpiece is the result of a fascinating

partnership between the mysteries of the earth’s

natural forces, man’s dedication to the highest

forms of craftsmanship and the adaptation of

science towards the dedication of perfection.

And all of these forces are now being brought

together in Botswana.

The creation of the perfect diamond is

a delicate balance between science and art.

‘We have invested in the most technologically

advanced processes that are currently available

in our pursuit of perfection,’ reveals Kaplan. ‘But

alongside all of this science, there is no substitute

for the skills of a highly trained diamond polisher.

And that is a God-given talent. Just as some

people make great artists or musicians, so others

are born with the talent to make diamonds shine.’

Within the Diamond Technology Park, a

team of young Motswana artisans is polishing

CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE A group of Botswana rough diamonds waiting to be

laser sawn, left. At the time of purchase a digital gauge, above, measures the

potential size of the polished diamond. The Diamond Technology Park

entrance, top right. Zebras Dee and Gem in their enclosure, bottom right

Page 27: Graffiti Magazine SS12

‘What is important to us is that every piece of

rough that passes through our hands gets our full

attention so that it can achieve its maximum

potential. So whether it is a 2ct stone or a 20ct

stone, it will get our undivided attention, as if it is

the only diamond in production.’ The dedication

to achieving this level of perfection is clear in the

painstaking care and hours of detailed work that

go into ensuring that all the stones that pass

through the park are individually transformed

to bring out their true, individual splendour.

Any piece of rough can be cut in a myriad

ways. A large stone may be cut down into several

smaller stones or may be kept as a single diamond,

depending on the quality of its colour, its clarity

and the size and shape of diamonds that

customers around the world are particularly

looking for. The first step in the process is for

every diamond to be scanned. The scans look into

the rough stones and map a 3D image on a

computer. Software can then take these images

and assess the best way to cut each stone. ‘We

invested in this technology four years ago when it

was first available and we have since adapted and

developed it for our own needs,’ Kaplan says.

there is no substitute for the skills of a highly trained diamond polisher, that is a god-given talent

diamonds of spectacular value and rarity. ‘Four

and a half years ago, we built these headquarters

out of nowhere and had the task of training young

people to be expert diamond polishers. We had to

begin by explaining diamonds – they’d never seen

or touched one,’ remarks. Kaplan. ‘We’ve come a

long way in a very short time, and we’ve been

fortunate to discover some very talented people.’

The first step towards creating the perfect

diamond is in the hands of the rough diamond

experts, who first assess the stones as they arrive.

In the rough, diamonds look rather disappointing

to the untrained eye, but to an expert these

humble looking opaque stones contain a miracle

waiting to happen. ‘When we purchase rough

stones, we already have a good idea of the

potential that can be unleashed in each and every

diamond,’ Kaplan explains. ‘This is enhanced when

we use all the technology at our disposal.’

27

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the new green laser saw has been found to be the

safest way to cleave a rough stone with the

minimum of risk to the stone – along with the

possibility of fainting.

Once the diamond has been safely cut, it

is then polished by more sophisticated machinery.

The polishing machines can polish much faster

than a traditional craftsman, but they can’t finish

the diamond to the strict parameters of perfection

that a Graff diamond requires.

And this is where the God-given talents of

Botswana’s young diamond polishers come back

into the picture. Their meticulous work ensures

that each and every diamond is precisely

symmetrical and perfectly refracts the light that

enters it to achieve the ultimate scintillation, fire

and sparkle. It is only then that the true beauty of

the diamond is revealed.

Each polished stone is then meticulously

checked under laboratory conditions with twenty

times magnification. And it is only when a

diamond has been stamped with the final

approval from Graff that the diamond will then

leave its African homeland, flying out to the

master craftsmen in Graff’s jewellery workshop in

London. Hundreds more hours of work and

dedication will then transform these African

stones into the most sublimely beautiful and

sought after Graff masterpieces.

Graff has 120 expert cutters and polishers in

Botswana and while the computer can map out

each stone and offer the best ways to cut and

polish, it cannot do the actual work. As Kaplan

says, ‘That is when the challenge begins, to

achieve perfection.’ Graff diamonds are renowned

for their superiority and the excellence of the

craftsmanship that has gone into making the

finished diamond. This does not happen by

coincidence, but is the result of a scrupulously

long process of working each diamond to ensure

it reveals its individual miracle of transformation.

Sometimes, the experts at Graff have to

make difficult decisions in the quest for perfection.

While some might opt to cut the biggest diamond

possible from a single piece of rough, for Graff, it

is more important to have a single stone that may

be considerably smaller than when it first came

out of the ground, but will end up being graded as

a perfect diamond. This means gaining a Triple X

international GIA certificate, meaning it has been

independently graded as excellent in its cut, polish

and symmetry.

After a computer has assessed a rough

stone, it gives the polishers a range of options to

choose from, including a variety of diamond cuts,

from round stones to square, marquise, heart or

pear shapes. The computer maps the diamond

and the way in which it refracts the light to assess

what would be the perfect cut and to make the

most of the diamond’s natural characteristics. The

software’s calculations and the cutter’s expert

eyes both play a part in making the final decision.

Once the cut has been decided upon, the

stone is then marked by a laser, which shows the

exact lines and angles by which the stone should

be cut. It is then sent to another high tech gadget:

the green laser saw.

Traditionally, at this stage, the large rough

stone would be ‘cleaved’ by cutting it with another

diamond. It is one of the hardest substances on

earth but a diamond can also be very brittle.

When the stone is very large and valuable, the

cleaving is a most critical process, because a

mistake by the cleaver can shatter the stone and

render it worthless.

This is no task for the faint-hearted.

Indeed, there is a famous story that in 1908, the

renowned Dutch diamond cutter Joseph Asscher

fainted clean away after his first cleave of what

was then the world’s largest diamond, the Cullinan

stone. Asscher would, no doubt, have been

astounded to see how technology has changed

the way in which diamonds are now worked and

LINE drawINg Diamond scanning technology, above left, yields the best

combination of polished diamonds from each piece of rough, such as the

primary round stone and two secondary stones in this scan, above right

28

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Page 30: Graffiti Magazine SS12

the dream

in a lush, mesmerising world of the imagination, nature’s

bounty is revealed in jewellery that is the essence of fantasy

PhotograPhy Matthew Shave | styling Michelle Duguid

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31

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Pear shape diamond three-strand

earrings (Diamonds 27.85cts).

Multishape diamond necklace

(Diamonds 71.81cts).

19.23ct Pear shape D Internally

Flawless diamond ring with pear

shape diamond shoulders.

Round and marquise diamond

bracelet (Diamonds 33.26cts).

Dress by Maria Grachvogel

Multishape sapphire and

diamond Scroll Motif necklace

(Sapphires 156.60cts, Diamonds

101.96cts).

19.99ct Cushion cut sapphire

ring with trilliant cut diamond

shoulders.

Silver dress by Suzie Turner

17ct Marquise D Internally Flawless

diamond ring with trilliant cut

diamond shoulders.

Marquise and pear shape diamond

bracelet (Diamonds 81.02cts)

Multishape yellow and white

diamond Scroll Motif earrings

(Diamonds 26.87cts).

Multishape yellow and white

diamond Scroll Motif necklace

(Diamonds 131.12cts).

20.14ct Cushion cut Fancy Vivid

Yellow diamond ring with trilliant

cut diamond shoulders.

Dress by Amanda Wakeley.

Shoes by Osman for Rupert

Sanderson

35.03ct Emerald cut D Flawless

diamond ring with tapered

baguette diamond shoulders.

Emerald cut and round diamond

wave bracelet (Diamonds

83.64cts)

Round and marquise diamond

butterfly brooch (Diamonds

43.38cts).

Round, pear shape and marquise

diamond Scroll Motif medallion

necklace (Diamonds 68.88cts).

10.12ct Round D Flawless

diamond ring with pear shape

diamond shoulders.

Round and pear shape diamond

wave bracelet (Diamonds 88.65cts).

Dress by Issa.

Scarf by Duppoini

Round emerald and pear shape

diamond Bombé earrings

(Emeralds 21.41cts, Diamonds

10.90cts).

Round emerald and round and

pear shape diamond Bombé

necklace (Emeralds 13.83cts,

Diamonds 16.40cts).

Round emerald and diamond

Bombé ring (Emeralds 9.02cts,

Diamonds 4.55cts).

Jumpsuit by Carlos Miele

Multishape diamond chandelier

earrings (Diamonds 38.40cts).

Multishape diamond necklace

(Diamonds 108.09cts).

19.23ct Pear shape D Internally

Flawless diamond ring with pear

shape diamond shoulders. Pear

shape and round diamond bracelet

(Diamonds 38.10cts).

Dress by Luisa Beccaria

Pear shape ruby and round and

pear shape diamond earrings

(Rubies 35.18cts, Diamonds 6.12cts).

Pear shape and heart shape ruby

and pear shape and round diamond

necklace (Rubies 108.10cts,

Diamonds 69.40cts).

10.12ct Round D Flawless diamond

ring with pear shape diamond

shoulders.

Oval ruby and diamond line

bracelet (Rubies 37.68cts,

Diamonds 13.14cts).

Dress by Luisa Beccaria

Photographer’s assistants

Jo O’Hanlon, Chantelle King

Stylist’s assistant Grace Joel

Hair Peter Beckett

Make-up Kirstin Piggott

Make-up assistant Molly Aitken

Nails Lucie Pickavance

Model Sandrah Hellberg at

Next Models

Retouching Mark Arnold

Wildlife Amazing Animals

Page 43: Graffiti Magazine SS12

Pear shape diamond three-strand

earrings (Diamonds 27.85cts).

Multishape diamond necklace

(Diamonds 71.81cts).

19.23ct Pear shape D Internally

Flawless diamond ring with pear

shape diamond shoulders.

Round and marquise diamond

bracelet (Diamonds 33.26cts).

Dress by Maria Grachvogel

Multishape sapphire and

diamond Scroll Motif necklace

(Sapphires 156.60cts, Diamonds

101.96cts).

19.99ct Cushion cut sapphire

ring with trilliant cut diamond

shoulders.

Silver dress by Suzie Turner

17ct Marquise D Internally Flawless

diamond ring with trilliant cut

diamond shoulders.

Marquise and pear shape diamond

bracelet (Diamonds 81.02cts)

Multishape yellow and white

diamond Scroll Motif earrings

(Diamonds 26.87cts).

Multishape yellow and white

diamond Scroll Motif necklace

(Diamonds 131.12cts).

20.14ct Cushion cut Fancy Vivid

Yellow diamond ring with trilliant

cut diamond shoulders.

Dress by Amanda Wakeley.

Shoes by Osman for Rupert

Sanderson

35.03ct Emerald cut D Flawless

diamond ring with tapered

baguette diamond shoulders.

Emerald cut and round diamond

wave bracelet (Diamonds

83.64cts)

Round and marquise diamond

butterfly brooch (Diamonds

43.38cts).

Round, pear shape and marquise

diamond Scroll Motif medallion

necklace (Diamonds 68.88cts).

10.12ct Round D Flawless

diamond ring with pear shape

diamond shoulders.

Round and pear shape diamond

wave bracelet (Diamonds 88.65cts).

Dress by Issa.

Scarf by Duppoini

Round emerald and pear shape

diamond Bombé earrings

(Emeralds 21.41cts, Diamonds

10.90cts).

Round emerald and round and

pear shape diamond Bombé

necklace (Emeralds 13.83cts,

Diamonds 16.40cts).

Round emerald and diamond

Bombé ring (Emeralds 9.02cts,

Diamonds 4.55cts).

Jumpsuit by Carlos Miele

Multishape diamond chandelier

earrings (Diamonds 38.40cts).

Multishape diamond necklace

(Diamonds 108.09cts).

19.23ct Pear shape D Internally

Flawless diamond ring with pear

shape diamond shoulders. Pear

shape and round diamond bracelet

(Diamonds 38.10cts).

Dress by Luisa Beccaria

Pear shape ruby and round and

pear shape diamond earrings

(Rubies 35.18cts, Diamonds 6.12cts).

Pear shape and heart shape ruby

and pear shape and round diamond

necklace (Rubies 108.10cts,

Diamonds 69.40cts).

10.12ct Round D Flawless diamond

ring with pear shape diamond

shoulders.

Oval ruby and diamond line

bracelet (Rubies 37.68cts,

Diamonds 13.14cts).

Dress by Luisa Beccaria

Photographer’s assistants

Jo O’Hanlon, Chantelle King

Stylist’s assistant Grace Joel

Hair Peter Beckett

Make-up Kirstin Piggott

Make-up assistant Molly Aitken

Nails Lucie Pickavance

Model Sandrah Hellberg at

Next Models

Retouching Mark Arnold

Wildlife Amazing Animals

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GRAPE of Good hoPE Harvest time – between

February and April – on the Delaire Graff Estate is a

time of expectation and excitement. Winemaker Morné

Vrey calls it ‘the best time of year’

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GOLDEN HARVEST

AS thiS yeAr’S grApeS Are picked on the

delAire grAff eStAte, christian eedes

meetS the winemAker looking forwArd

to creAting more AwArd-winning wineS

A visit to Stellenbosch estate

Delaire in the middle of

February 2012 finds

winemaker Morné Vrey

prowling the cellar like the

proverbial caged tiger. So

far this year, he’s received

just under 30 tons of grapes out of an expected

total of 280. Harvest in South Africa typically runs

from the beginning of February until as late as

mid-April (as opposed to late August to early

October in the northern hemisphere) and Vrey is

itching for things to get into full swing.

Delaire sits atop a pass called Helshoogte

with views stretching back to Table Mountain.

It was acquired by Laurence Graff in 2003 and

under his custodianship is fast becoming one of

South Africa’s premier cellars. Vrey, now 33 years

old, has been at Delaire since late 2007 and brings

work experience in France, Germany and New

Zealand to his role.

‘Harvest is the best time of the year,’ Vrey

says, despite the challenges he faces. One of the

biggest is logistics. There are now some 20 hectares

of vineyard on Delaire itself but Vrey also utilises

grapes from selected sites scattered around the

Cape Winelands, a further 30ha in total. Deciding

on which blocks of vineyard to pick when sees him

and viticulturist Kallie Fernhout doing a lot of mileage

in the short space of time that is harvest.

Unlike France’s Appellation d’Origine

Contrôlée system for administering the origin of

45

photogrAphy Micky Hoyle

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‘Despite all the late hours, harvest is an enormous amount of fun. we’re a well-oileD operation

DEVOTION TO DETAILWhether destined for white or red wine, the grapes are handled with supreme care, above. When the delivery trucks arrive at the cellar, 20 tons of grapes are offloaded in 30 minutes, before being bunch-sorted, opposite, to remove sub-standard fruit

its wines, South African vine-growing regulations

are not unduly restrictive – it’s the producer rather

than any official body that gets to determine

which variety is most appropriate

to a particular location. In addition, while South

Africa does indeed have a well-established Wine

of Origin scheme, production areas range from

the small and tightly defined to the large and

somewhat meaningless – the largest of these

allowing for multi-regional blends, parcels of

grapes from divergent sites being used to make

a composite wine.

Delaire, however, is using the South

Africa’s wine laws to best advantage. ‘If you plant

20 different varieties on a 50ha property, very few

will be outstanding,’ says Vrey. ‘What sets us apart

is our focus on the vineyards. Our Stellenbosch

site is suited to some but not all varieties. Where

we can get better quality from elsewhere, I won’t

hesitate to buy in that fruit.’ The Delaire range is

relatively wide and Vrey is adamant that

everything should be of similar high quality.

Vrey operates out of a 300-ton capacity

cellar designed by top local architect Gerard de

Villiers and completed in 2008. A typical day

during harvest begins at 5am and might finish at

1am the following morning, with him catching a

few hours of sleep on the sofa in his office.

At a state-of-the-art cellar like Delaire,

winemaking cannot be considered a particularly

romantic process. Intellectually taxing, for sure,

but not romantic. It begins with grapes being

received at the cellar (Vrey says that his team’s

current record for unloading 20 tons of grapes off

the delivery truck is 30 minutes and all involved

are keen to improve on that time) before these are

processed in order to remove the juice from the

skins. White wine juice will go in settling tanks

to clarify before fermentation begins; red wine

juice will be left on the skins before and after

fermentation to facilitate the extraction of colour,

flavour and tannic structure.

According to Vrey, winemaking is all about

‘playing the right cards at the right time’ to end up

with something great and he employs all sorts of

techniques along the way aimed at raising quality

a notch or two higher.

For one thing, grapes are subject to bunch-

sorting upon arrival to remove sub-standard fruit.

For another, he is able to deploy all of four different

types of press depending on the ultimate style of

wine he is making – he’s particularly excited about

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a new nitrogen press for Sauvignon Blanc and

Sauvignon Rosé, which allows juice extraction

under a controlled atmosphere of inert nitrogen,

preventing exposure to air and possible oxidation,

which would strip aroma and flavour. When it

comes to Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Sémillon,

meanwhile, he eschews the usual crushing and

destemming for whole bunch pressing which

results in juice low in harsh-tasting phenolics

and high in quality.

In the case of red varieties, Vrey notes

a tendency in much of South African

winemaking to ‘over-work’ the grapes in the

cellar and he is at pains to avoid this, applying

a whole berry fermentation and basket press

in order to retain fruit integrity and freshness.

During red wine fermentation, a layer of

grape solids floats on the liquid surface and this cap

must be broken up to encourage extraction but,

as far as Vrey is concerned, the more gently this

can be done, the better for the wine in the long

run. Hence, rather than with mechanical pump-

overs, this is achieved with manual punch-downs.

47

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BARRELS Of fun The state-of-the-art cellar at Delaire Graff Estate, designed

by architect Gerard de Villiers, has the capacity for 300 tons of wine, above.

A worker prevents picked grapes from drying out, top left. Winemaker

Morné Vrey stands proudly amid his hi-tech equipment, top

48 entirely joyless toil, however: ‘Despite all the late

hours, harvest is an enormous amount of fun,’ Vrey

says. ‘This is my fifth vintage and we’re a pretty

well oiled operation. It’s not all hard work – we

braai [barbecue] a lot.’

The Delaire portfolio is diverse – Vrey has

an irrepressible enthusiasm and wants to try his

hand at everything in winemaking. The overall

quality is extraordinarily high but it is perhaps

Delaire’s two examples of Sauvignon Blanc which

have caused the biggest stir to date: the standard

label 2009 placed among the winners in South

Africa’s Sauvignon Blanc Top 10 competition of

the same year; the Coastal Cuvée 2010 won best

in class at the 2011 Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show

(arguably the most prestigious wine competition

locally); while the 2011 again came up trumps in

the 2011 Top 10 competition.

Sauvignon Blanc is at the foundation of

the Delaire range, making up around 40 per cent

of all the grapes to be processed during harvest.

Vrey sources from a wide array of appellations to

ensure the most complex end-wine possible. The

standard label is typically styled to be lighter and

more towards the herbaceous end of the flavour

spectrum, while the Coastal Cuvée is intended

to be richer and fuller.

At the top of the range, meanwhile,

are two Reserve wines, consisting of a white

blend and a Cabernet Sauvignon. The vintage

of the white blend available at the time of

writing is the 2009, comprising 60 per cent

Sémillon and 40 per cent Sauvignon Blanc,

fermented and matured in French oak, 80

per cent new, for five months and then returned

to tank for 12 months. It’s an immensely

promising wine with layers of flavour, great

palate weight and a very persistent finish.

The current release of the Delaire Cabernet

Sauvignon Reserve is the 2008, a wine that

secured a maximum five-star rating in the 2011

edition of the highly respected Platter’s South

African Wine Guide.

What makes it so special? First, Stellenbosch,

the district that is home to Delaire, is famed for its

high-quality Cabernet Sauvignon and the Delaire

version is made exclusively from grapes grown

on the property. Second, Vrey’s approach in the

cellar, as described, is a key factor. The wine shows

perfectly delineated dark fruit and the very finest

tannins. It’s relatively light and fresh and a welcome

departure from many a modern-day Cab which

can be excessively rich and powerful.

Our tasting finished, Vrey returns to

planning for harvest 2012. He’s checked equipment

numerous times already, but he can’t help checking

again. Soon the grapes will be arriving and then he

won’t have a spare moment.

‘It’s tough on those of us in the cellar but the end

result can’t be beat,’ Vrey explains.

Fermentation, of course, is the conversion

of grape sugar by yeast into alcohol and carbon

dioxide, wine yeasts capable of producing

alcohol by volume of 15 per cent and over but

Vrey’s whites typically sit at about 13 per cent

and his reds at 14 per cent. Depending on variety,

some wines will be matured in oak barrels after

fermentation to add complexity. Barrels are a

significant annual investment – Vrey buys 150

new every year and there will be 450 in use at

any one time.

Once fermentation is complete, the wine

undergoes an optional time of contact with the

lees (the dregs, consisting of spent yeast cells

and fragments of grape matter), which can

impart complexity. Then it will be stabilised and

fined, processes that aim to ensure the wine will

not form hazes, clouds or unwanted deposits

once it is bottled.

Every vintage is different: mid-February in

2012, the summer has been milder than usual and

Vrey hopes this will continue facilitating a more

drawn-out harvest and, in turn, better flavour

development in the grapes. A sudden heatwave,

however, and what was looking a very promising

year might end up no more than average.

In the cellar, there’s always the possibility

of minor snags such as burst pipes or mechanical

equipment which breaks down. Winemaking isn’t

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+44 (0)20 7590 2340 | [email protected] | www.onehydepark.com

By private appointment only

Where can you find a 1,026 sq ft one bedroom

apartment that includes an 18 seater private cinema

and a 21m ozone swimming pool?

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FRUITS OF THE EARTH

be tempted by a veritable garden of delight, abundant in desirable

rare diamonds that are perfectly ripe for the picking

photography Graeme Montgomery | styling Annette Masterman

51

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Radiant cut yellow and round

white diamond bracelet

(Diamonds 125.42cts)

22.52ct Oval D Flawless

diamond ring with heart shape

diamond shoulders.

22.03ct Heart shape D Flawless

diamond ring with tapered

baguette diamond shoulders.

35.03ct Emerald cut D Flawless

diamond ring with tapered

baguette diamond shoulders

Multishape chandelier Scroll

Motif diamond earrings

(Diamonds 23.06cts)

Round, marquise and oval

diamond dragonfly brooch

(Diamonds 40.46cts)

Multishape diamond strand

earrings with 40ct pear shape

D Flawless diamond drops

(Diamonds 88.06cts)

Round and pear shape

diamond feather motif necklace

(Diamonds 25.62cts).

Round, pear shape and

marquise diamond feather motif

earrings (Diamonds 9.25cts)

Photographer’s assistants

Richard Keech and Grant Smith

Stylist’s assistant

Alexander Heathcote

Retouching Matthew Arnold

Fruit courtesy of Harrods Food Hall;

harrods.com

Page 60: Graffiti Magazine SS12

THE WILD ONE

HE MAY DRESS LIKE A REBEL BUT WHEN IT COMES TO RETAIL DESIGN,

PETER MARINO, THE ARCHITECT BEHIND SOME OF GRAFF’S MOST HIGH-PROFILE

STORES, IS, ACCORDING TO nick compton, THE LEADER OF THE PACK

Ask anyone who knows

anything about store design

and contemporary retail

architecture and they will tell

you that New York-based

architect Peter Marino is the

perfect man for the job.

Marino doesn’t talk like an architect. Not for him

the academese of volumes and voids that can

make architects a difficult bunch to engage with.

He doesn’t look much like an architect, either.

Architects wear black polo necks and serious

black-rimmed spectacles. They are design-minded

duotone intellectuals and tend to drive sober but

well-engineered European cars such as Audis or

Saabs. Not Peter Marino.

Marino rides a Harley. Or perhaps a Ducati

or Triumph, depending on his mood. Or which of

his homes he’s at. And he wears leathers to match.

Not those Italian racing leathers with their internal

architecture; Marino wears leathers like the young

Marlon Brando wears in The Wild One. He is the

only ‘starchitect’ – as the A-list are known – who

actually looks like a star.

Peter Marino looks nothing like an

architect. And in conversation he comes off like

one of those English rock stars of a certain age

– he is now 61 and uses a sort-of English accent,

even though he was born in Manhattan and raised

in Queens – whose rich experience has left them

wise, warm, funny and utterly engaging as well

as prone to using words like ‘dude’ and ‘chick’.

Of course, if Marino’s name has ever blipped on

your radar, you know a good deal of this. Marino

has developed a character, a persona that works

like a brand. And it’s hard to know whether his

leather daywear, which replaced more conventional

architect gear a decade ago, is a deliberate

branding exercise. But it can obscure the real story:

that he is one of the most feted and in-demand

architects in the world.

He designs and builds stores like no one

else. No one has a better sense of the strange mix

of high drama and domesticity, art and commerce,

that makes for grand retail theatre. He has worked

with Graff, Chanel, Christian Dior and Louis Vuitton,

among others, and you can see his stores on New

Bond Street, Place Vendôme, Madison Avenue,

Rodeo Drive, Ginza and in the best parts of Beijing

and Shanghai. (He also has a sideline in designing

private residences, from Aspen to St Moritz.)

When Graff decided that the time was

right for a new retail push, Marino was called in.

There was history. Marino was behind the design

of the Madison Avenue store, which opened in

2008, and the San Francisco store, which opened

late last year, part of a new surge eastwards, with

openings planned in Hangzhou, Hong Kong,

Macau and Shanghai.

Marino studied architecture at Cornell

and then joined Skidmore Owings & Merrill, the

most solidly and stolidly blue chip of American do

ug

la

ss

fr

ied

ma

n/t

ru

nk

ar

ch

ive

58

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private view Peter Marino, in signature leathers, proudly displays a few

personal favourites from his collection of Renaissance and Baroque bronze

sculptures, a particular passion of the architect for the past two decades

Page 62: Graffiti Magazine SS12

retail PalaCeS Walnut lines Marino’s New York store for Graff. Brass cases in

Graff’s Hong Kong store by Marino, top right. Marino’s ceiling for Louis Vuitton,

London, bottom right. Marino’s interior at Zegna, Paris, far right

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retail PalaCeS Walnut lines Marino’s New York store for Graff. Brass cases in

Graff’s Hong Kong store by Marino, top right. Marino’s ceiling for Louis Vuitton,

London, bottom right. Marino’s interior at Zegna, Paris, far right

Page 64: Graffiti Magazine SS12

architecture firms. He moved on to work with

George Nelson and I M Pei before going his own

way in 1978. And he immediately got a lucky

break. A girlfriend at the time was a secretary

for Andy Warhol, who asked him to design his

apartment. Warhol became a friend and

introduced him to the Studio 54 set of New York

socialites and in-town notables. Marino became

their designer of choice. His second job was

an apartment for Yves Saint Laurent, his next

a pied-á-terre for legendary Fiat chief Gianni

Agnelli and his wife.

Marino’s next move, work on the Barneys

store in New York, pulled him into the circle of

another set of clients: the leading European and

American fashion designers, and the chiefs of

luxury goods groups who pay their wages. Marino

understood what these brands wanted; more than

that, he understood what these brands needed,

in retail terms at least, before they did.

His skill is in pulling at a particular strand

of a brand’s DNA and coding that into a space or

a building. For Graff’s stores, a mix of brass,

limestone and walnut creates the perfect setting

for their very serious stones. He painted the Dior

store in 56 shades of grey, the colour of Dior. He

covered the Chanel Tower in the Ginza district of

Tokyo with thousands of computer-controlled

LEDs that recalled Chanel tweed.

But Marino’s architecture is about details

rather than grand statements. His experience in

interior design makes him unique among big

name contemporary architects. He starts with the

materials and works from there. ‘I’m not someone

who sits down with a blank piece of paper with a

grand vision. I sit down with materials, stacks of

samples, and mush them all up until something

feels right. I’m very much a materialist in that way.’

Getting the base materials right is just the

start of the design process. And Marino admits

that the Graff stores have their own challenges.

‘Well, with diamonds you have a lot of lighting

concerns and you have to be really careful with

the ambient colours – you need that very cold

light when you are looking at diamonds.’ These

details matter to Marino because his stores have

to somehow match high drama with domesticity.

The people who are going to do the consuming

at these stores have to feel literally at home.

marino’s skill is in pulling

at a particular strand of

a brand’s dna and coding it

into a space or a building

A serious and long-term art collector (and not just

fashionable contemporary and conceptual art. He

has a world class collection of Baroque and

Renaissance bronzes that was shown at The

Wallace Collection in London in 2010), Marino has

been credited with making quality contemporary

art an essential fixture of the luxury retail temple.

He often commissions young and established

artists to create art specifically for his stores.

Every new store is an effort to create a

new vision of the perfect home. ‘Every time we do

a store, we up the total package; the budget on

art, on carpets, on furniture, everything. We have

to make it look like the places their clients actually

live in, but more beautiful. To make it relaxed and

comfortable and appropriate. That isn’t so easy.’

Marino is scathing about what he sees as a tendency

in contemporary architecture to pay little attention

to where buildings will actually live, their context.

Not that he’s down on all contemporary architects.

He is a big fan of Herzog & de Meuron, the team

behind the Tate Modern conversion. And he is the

first to admit that he has a complex relationship

with a contemporary star system that recognises

those who produce grandstanding public buildings

such as Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim in Bilbao, but

ignore those who are involved with commerce.

In some ways, Marino’s leathers represent

an irreverent gesture towards this star system. But

while his outfits recognise his outsider status, the

quality, success and scale of his work insists that

Marino is an architect like no other.

61

Page 65: Graffiti Magazine SS12

architecture firms. He moved on to work with

George Nelson and I M Pei before going his own

way in 1978. And he immediately got a lucky

break. A girlfriend at the time was a secretary

for Andy Warhol, who asked him to design his

apartment. Warhol became a friend and

introduced him to the Studio 54 set of New York

socialites and in-town notables. Marino became

their designer of choice. His second job was

an apartment for Yves Saint Laurent, his next

a pied-á-terre for legendary Fiat chief Gianni

Agnelli and his wife.

Marino’s next move, work on the Barneys

store in New York, pulled him into the circle of

another set of clients: the leading European and

American fashion designers, and the chiefs of

luxury goods groups who pay their wages. Marino

understood what these brands wanted; more than

that, he understood what these brands needed,

in retail terms at least, before they did.

His skill is in pulling at a particular strand

of a brand’s DNA and coding that into a space or

a building. For Graff’s stores, a mix of brass,

limestone and walnut creates the perfect setting

for their very serious stones. He painted the Dior

store in 56 shades of grey, the colour of Dior. He

covered the Chanel Tower in the Ginza district of

Tokyo with thousands of computer-controlled

LEDs that recalled Chanel tweed.

But Marino’s architecture is about details

rather than grand statements. His experience in

interior design makes him unique among big

name contemporary architects. He starts with the

materials and works from there. ‘I’m not someone

who sits down with a blank piece of paper with a

grand vision. I sit down with materials, stacks of

samples, and mush them all up until something

feels right. I’m very much a materialist in that way.’

Getting the base materials right is just the

start of the design process. And Marino admits

that the Graff stores have their own challenges.

‘Well, with diamonds you have a lot of lighting

concerns and you have to be really careful with

the ambient colours – you need that very cold

light when you are looking at diamonds.’ These

details matter to Marino because his stores have

to somehow match high drama with domesticity.

The people who are going to do the consuming

at these stores have to feel literally at home.

marino’s skill is in pulling

at a particular strand of

a brand’s dna and coding it

into a space or a building

A serious and long-term art collector (and not just

fashionable contemporary and conceptual art. He

has a world class collection of Baroque and

Renaissance bronzes that was shown at The

Wallace Collection in London in 2010), Marino has

been credited with making quality contemporary

art an essential fixture of the luxury retail temple.

He often commissions young and established

artists to create art specifically for his stores.

Every new store is an effort to create a

new vision of the perfect home. ‘Every time we do

a store, we up the total package; the budget on

art, on carpets, on furniture, everything. We have

to make it look like the places their clients actually

live in, but more beautiful. To make it relaxed and

comfortable and appropriate. That isn’t so easy.’

Marino is scathing about what he sees as a tendency

in contemporary architecture to pay little attention

to where buildings will actually live, their context.

Not that he’s down on all contemporary architects.

He is a big fan of Herzog & de Meuron, the team

behind the Tate Modern conversion. And he is the

first to admit that he has a complex relationship

with a contemporary star system that recognises

those who produce grandstanding public buildings

such as Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim in Bilbao, but

ignore those who are involved with commerce.

In some ways, Marino’s leathers represent

an irreverent gesture towards this star system. But

while his outfits recognise his outsider status, the

quality, success and scale of his work insists that

Marino is an architect like no other.

61

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PRIME TIMEThe laTesT waTches creaTed by graff’s crafTsmen

are aT The pinnacle of boTh Technical experTise

and aesTheTic excellence, simon de burton finds

phoTography Andy Barter | sTyling Sam Logan

masTergraff diamond minuTe repeaTer TourbillonMany watch connoisseurs will tell you the ultimate horological

complication is the tourbillon, that micro-mechanical marvel in

which the escapement is contained within a tiny, revolving cage in

order to counteract the effects of gravity; others will choose the

minute repeater, that equally admirable creation which enables a

watch to sound the hours, quarter hours and minutes on a pair of

perfectly tuned gongs. For those who can’t decide between the two,

Graff has combined them in the MasterGraff Diamond Minute

Repeater Tourbillon which features a mechanical, self-winding

movement and a case and dial set with 334 diamonds weighing

30.6cts. Just 10 examples in both rose and white gold will be made.

‘MasterGraff Diamond Minute Repeater Tourbillon’ (Diamonds 30.60cts);

Princess cut sapphire cufflinks (Sapphires 7.49cts), all by Graff.

Cotton suit and cotton double-cuff shirt, both by Gieves and Hawkes

graff buTTerflyGraff’s master craftsmen could never be accused of lacking in

creativity, but it is fair to say that they have excelled themselves in

the design of the new Butterfly watch inspired by Graff’s celebrated

butterfly motif jewellery collection. The watch features a small,

16mm dial encircled by a ring of butterflies, each formed from four,

pear shaped diamonds. Further stones discreetly connect the

butterflies while still more decorate the case of the watch, which

carries 232 diamonds in all. In addition, the butterflies appear

to float above a contrasting base of 78 sapphires, creating an

enchanting, three-dimensional effect.

‘Graff Butterfly’ (Diamonds 7.39cts, Sapphires 2.93cts); Round,

pear shape and marquise diamond butterfly earrings (Diamonds

6.29cts), all by Graff

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Photographer’s assistant Angela Dennis

Stylist’s assistants Nathalie Francis, Ianthe Wright

Nails Lucie Pickavance

Models Nina Taylor and Steve Gee at Hired Hands

Retouching Stuart Calder

Page 71: Graffiti Magazine SS12

GyroGraffThe words ‘radical’ and ‘ingenious’ spring to mind on first sight of the

new GyroGraff, a manual-winding, double-axis tourbillon wristwatch

which incorporates a three-dimensional moon phase indicator in the

form of a gyrograph which tracks the waxing and waning of the

moon throughout the month. Hand-made in rose gold and engraved

to replicate lunar craters, this clever moon-phase forms part of a

multi-level dial featuring an intricate guilloche pattern and enhanced

by an indicator at 11 o’clock for monitoring the 60-hour power

reserve. Waterproof to 3ATM, just 20 examples of this remarkable

wristwatch will be available – 10 in rose gold, 10 in white gold.

‘GyroGraff’; white gold love knot cufflinks, all by Graff.

Backgammon set by Ralph Lauren Home. Cotton shirt by Dunhill

LadyGraff (previous paGe)

There was a time when it was deemed somewhat unseemly for a

lady to need to know the time – a fact that led to the popularity of

cocktail watches that appeared to be dazzling jewels rather than

timepieces. Graff brings the cocktail watch up to date in this exquisite

creation, incorporating 170 diamonds weighing a total of 43 carats.

The intricate and cleverly articulated bracelet is made from no fewer

than 109 dazzling brilliants in a remarkably time-consuming process

which necessitates that there will just 20 examples of the LadyGraff.

‘LadyGraff’ (Diamonds 43cts); Round diamond stud earrings

(Diamonds 16.36cts); 11.05ct Emerald cut Vivid Yellow diamond ring

with tapered baguette diamond shoulders, all by Graff. ‘Celeste’

crystal martini glass by Ralph Lauren Home

Graffstar MicropavÉHere, Graff has taken its elegant 38mm ladies’ watch and enhanced

it with a micropavé setting which sees the case and dial almost entirely

covered in diamonds. Although the distinctive Graff case shape

remains, the GraffStar Micropavé is distinguished from the ‘regular’

38mm model by hour markers comprised of individual, round emeralds

which contrast beautifully with the white crocodile strap and

diamond-set dial, behind which is a Swiss-made quartz movement.

‘GraffStar 38mm Micropavé’ (Diamonds 5.70cts); Emerald

cut diamond eternity ring (Diamonds 7.85cts); 3.70ct Pear shape

Fancy Vivid Blue diamond ring with pear shape diamond

shoulders, all by Graff.

Graffstar sLiM (previous paGe)

Looking equally at home beneath the cuff of a business suit or a

tuxedo, the new GraffStar Slim features a delectably thin case which

measures just 6.35mm from top to bottom. Crafted in either white

or rose gold, the 43mm diameter case contains Graff’s specially

designed Calibre 3 self-winding Swiss movement, behind a choice of

black or white dials highlighted by the signature Graff emerald at 12

o’clock. Simple dagger hands, gold markers and a premium-quality

alligator strap complete the sophisticated understatement.

‘GraffStar Slim’ in rose gold with brown alligator strap; rose gold love

knot cufflinks set with round rubies (Rubies 3.96cts); rose gold fountain

pen set with a black diamond (Diamonds 1.3cts), all by Graff.

Wool suit and cotton double-cuff shirt by Hackett. ‘Dovetail’

paperweight by David Linley. ‘Icon’ notebook by Lanvin at Harrods

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Over the centuries, empire-

builders and invaders –

Babylonian, Portuguese,

Ottoman, British – have tried

and failed to rule the proud,

fiercely independent Khaleeji

(Gulf) tribes. The entire region

was once a hotbed of drama on the high seas

(according to legend, Sinbad was born in the Omani

city of Sohar), with Muscat in a key strategic

position as the gateway to the Strait of Hormuz.

The United Arab Emirates (or Trucial

States as the area was referred to until 1971 when

it ceased to be a British protectorate) also had a

reputation for derring-do. In the 21st century, the

‘Pirate Coast’ has replaced offshore skirmishes

with commercial risk-taking in the form of a

penchant for iconic superstructures, fast cars and

tranches of real estate in global gateway cities.

The UAE was originally seven independent

fiefdoms ruled by local tribal families. The emirate

of Dubai was the first to latch onto the potential

appeal of the area as a trade hub at the end of the

19th century, when it introduced a tax exemption

for foreign traders. But even that was no indication

of the warp-speed transformation a century later

from a collection of individual sheikhdoms into the

slick urban face of the Arabian Gulf.

While the UAE is leading the cosmopolitan

charge, a number of its neighbours, including Oman

DESERTROSE

From trading ports and homes to pearl Fishers, the Uae and

its neighboUrs qatar and oman enjoyed a meteoric rise, thanks to

oil wealth. now, while growth continUes apace, the gUlF states

have developed as cUltUral centres too, reports Claire MalColM

and Qatar, are following suit as they embark on their

own ambitious plans for economic diversification.

In essence, Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the

early 20th century were still sleepy coastal

settlements populated by pearl fishers, canny

local merchants and traders from India and Iran,

as well as farming folk working the date palms.

Even then, a taste for luxury was fuelling

economic development through the pearling

industry. This brutal way of life saw divers, rope

haulers and ship captains disappear to offshore

pearl banks for up to four months during the

harsh summer. From sunrise to sunset, divers in

Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah would

descend to seven metres – protected by just a

nose clip, leather finger covers and sometimes a

cotton shift – to fill a palm basket with oysters

before being hauled back to the surface and

repeating the process. It was a similar scene in

Qatar, whose early fortunes were also intrinsically

linked to the industry, and which saw it become a

regional hub for pearl extraction by the mid-1800s.

Gulf pearls were considered some of the

world’s finest, and prices peaked in 1917 before

being dealt a fatal blow in the Twenties due to the

combined fallout of the Wall Street Crash and the

invention of the artificial pearl by the Japanese,

which effectively killed off the Gulf’s precious trade.

The discovery of oil in Bahrain in the Thirties

was the catalyst for the region’s multi-phased

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transition from dusty desert outpost to an eclectic

collection of high-profile destinations vying with

one another to attract multinational companies,

the tourist dollar and world-leading brands.

Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait were the

first Gulf nations to begin oil production, followed

by Qatar in the Forties, while the Trucial States

entered the game relatively late, in the mid-Sixties.

Oil revenues and a diversified economic

base focused on trading and tourism, have helped

fast-track the UAE’s development from Middle

Eastern backwater to a high-profile, much-hyped

international destination for HNWIs and expats

representing over 200 nationalities.

The gush of black gold into the local

economy prompted a tidal wave of development,

propelling the seven emirates into the 21st century

and, for many, a lifestyle they could never have

imagined, brought to life through the combined

vision of their respective rulers.

Oman had already waved the British

farewell in the late Sixties when it declared itself

an absolute monarchy, and Qatar became an

independent sovereign state in September 1971.

Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan

Al Nahyan, supported by Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed

Al Maktoum of Dubai – took the initiative to

strengthen the commercial power of the emirates

by forming a federation, which gave birth to the

top 10-goal international players such Adolfo

Cambioso can be spotted at winter tournaments,

including the Royal Salute UAE Nations Cup.

Out on the blue water of the Gulf, blue-chip

events such as the annual Dubai International Boat

Show, which celebrated its 20th edition in March,

reinforce the attraction of the country as a marine

hotspot, reporting continued multi-million dollar

sales for big ticket yachts in 2011, despite the

global situation, and a rebound in demand for

marina berthing spots around the Emirates.

Retail has been another mainstay of the

economy, ever since the UAE’s first shopping

destination, the Al Ghurair Centre, opened in 1982.

As well as luxury stores, such as Graff’s recent

opening in the opulent Burj Al Arab Hotel, there

are upscale department stores including

Bloomingdale’s, Galeries Lafayette, Saks Fifth

Avenue and Harvey Nichols. The sprawling Dubai

Mall – the world’s largest shopping, leisure and

entertainment destination and home to Graff’s

second store in Dubai – recently announced plans

to add a further million square feet of retail space,

and upmarket malls are under development on both

Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah and Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.

Over the last 17 years, the UAE’s social and

sporting calendar has grown to such an extent

that special government departments have been

created to manage the burgeoning list of

the construction frenzy quickly gained momentum in the nineties and the skylines of the uae’s major cities continue to evolve

United Arab Emirates on 2 December, 1971.

In less than 75 years a brace of metropolises

that even Fritz Lang would be agape at, has risen

from the sand and, of late, pursued a roster of

international cultural brands – from sporting

events through to legends of the art world – to

expand its appeal for future generations.

In contrast, Oman – and its capital Muscat

– has resisted the allure of warp-speed development

until recently, preferring to focus on its stunning

landscape and low-rise, low-key cityscape that

makes it a welcome and relaxed alternative to Abu

Dhabi and Dubai. But all that is about to change

as the Sultanate pushes ahead with massive

infrastructure development plans and unveils its

first mixed-use multi-million dollar community and

leisure development – The Wave.

A love of the high life, and all the trappings

of luxury has, nonetheless, been developing over

the years – in the UAE at least. In the mid-Eighties,

Ali Al Bawardi, owner of the Desert Palm Polo

Club, built the region’s first grass polo field. Today,

Page 75: Graffiti Magazine SS12

of other Guinness world records to its credit. The

tower houses ultra chic private residences, office

space and the world’s highest viewing platform, as

well as the coolly understated Armani Hotel Dubai.

And the rags-to-riches fairytale story of

the region hasn’t yet reached its final conclusion.

Government investment and the pursuit of a

long-term economic vision are laying out a new

blueprint for the Emirates. Abu Dhabi has partnered

with the big guns of the art world on its Saadiyat

Island Cultural District, which in 2015 will see the

first international outpost for France’s Louvre

museum, joined by the Guggenheim in 2017. Next

door, Doha’s IM Pei-designed Museum of Islamic

Art set a cultural benchmark in 2008, and Muscat’s

new Royal Opera House is a first for the region.

Down the road, Dubai is looking to capitalise

on the growing upscale cruise market with expansion

of its cruise terminal; and luxury is taking on a new

lease of life in the Northern Emirates with destination

properties such as Ras Al Khaimah’s ultra-chic

conservation reserve, Banyan Tree Al Wadi.

These Gulf states have to be admired for

their gutsy transformation into some of the world’s

most popular locations for work, play or simply

curiosity value.

Graff can be found at the Burj Al Arab Hotel,

the Dubai Mall and at seasonal exhibitions in Doha,

Riyadh and Jeddah

GULF TIMES Today’s skyscraper-lined main thoroughfare of Dubai, Sheikh

Zayed Road, previous page; and as it was 40 years ago, viewed from the

Trade Centre in 1982, opposite. The Burj Al Arab Hotel towers above older

buildings on the Dubai beachfront, top. The new Graff store, above, which opened

recently within the seven-star hotel, is one of two Graff stores in Dubai

activities. Both the Dubai Shopping Festival and

the Dubai World Cup – the world’s richest horse

race, with 60,000 elegantly turned-out spectators

and a prize purse on the day of US$35 million –

were launched in 1996; and is an annual highlight.

Vying for attention, however, is the Etihad Airways

Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix, which debuted in 2009.

Qatar is also eager to cement its own

position as a destination of sporting note. Not

content with with its 2022 FIFA World Cup coup,

Qatar is also reportedly pitching to host the

ceremonial first stage of the 2016 Tour de France.

Stadia are being developed in sync with

the government’s ambitious 15-year infrastructure

vision. Fly in to the capital, Doha, and you’ll see a

futuristic city blueprint already coming to life, from

the 35-square kilometre Lusail district – a mini city

in its own right – to fledgling plans for the US$2.7

billion Doha Metro and high-speed rail project.

The skylines of the UAE’s major cities also

continue to evolve. A phenomenon that began to

take off in the late Nineties with the opening of

the ‘seven-star’ Burj Al Arab Hotel on Dubai’s then

relatively undeveloped beachfront, the construction

frenzy quickly gained momentum. In 2005 Abu

Dhabi added miles of gold leaf and marble to the

hotel mix with the launch of the Emirates Palace.

Then came the world’s tallest building Burj Khalifa,

which officially opened in early 2010 with a handful

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LOTUS BLOSSOMthis delicate and stylish collection artfully

celebrates the beautiful flower that holds so

much significance in eastern culture

PhotograPhy Andy Barter | words Joanne Glasbey

From ancient times, the beautiful lotus flower has been a divine

symbol in the traditions of Asia and has often been used as an

example of divine beauty in Hindu iconography. In fact, most deities

of Asian religions are depicted seated on a lotus flower, signifying

purity of body, speech and mind. In Egyptian history, it was seen as

a symbol of the sun, of creation and rebirth, as at night the flower

closes and sinks underwater, rising and opening again at dawn.

Throughout classical literature, the lotus represents elegance,

beauty, perfection, purity and grace, often applied in poems and

songs as an allegory for ideal feminine attributes.

It is the graceful petals of the lotus flower which have

inspired Graff’s new design. The timeless yet contemporary Lotus

Collection features exquisite necklaces and earrings, each hand-set

by Graff’s master craftsmen with the most perfect diamonds,

emeralds, sapphires or rubies, linked together to create a graceful

and fluid waterfall-like effect by invisible platinum wires. Evoking the

petals of the lotus flower, pear shape, round and marquise gemstone

drops radiate a tranquil beauty as every stone is set to catch the

light and sparkle with the movement of the wearer – and endow the

mystic flower’s qualities of elegance and beauty.

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A GEM OF AN IDEA

Graff’s charity facEt offErs

Ground-brEakinG, lifE-chanGinG

proGrammEs for communitiEs in

sub-saharan africa, and has Good

causE to cElEbratE somE rEcEnt,

siGnificant succEssEs

Words Maria YacoobphotoGraphy Micky Hoyle

74

As Lionel Smit heard the auctioneer call lot

number six, his pulse quickened and he felt faint.

Smit’s larger than life-sized portrait of a Cape

Malay woman, ‘Girl Submerged’, was about to

go under the hammer. He looked around at the

assembled crowd of South Africa’s most

prominent art lovers and philanthropists, and

hoped the painting would reach its reserve price.

A few minutes later, ‘Girl Submerged’

fetched R190,000 (around $24,500). At four times

the reserve bid, it was the highest price ever paid

for Smit’s work in South Africa. He was elated. Yet

the artist received no money at all from the sale.

The painting, along with 14 other works by South

Africa’s most collected and esteemed artists, was

a donation to Laurence Graff’s charity, the FACET

Foundation. The auction was the culmination of

a fund-raising evening hosted at the Delaire Graff

Estate, in Stellenbosch in the country’s Western

Cape, an event that raised R1.4m (around

$181,000) for FACET.

‘I was thrilled to take part in the FACET art

auction,’ reveals Smit. ‘When art has the power to

affect someone’s life, it is very rewarding.’ Smit’s

father Anton, also a celebrated artist, donated a

bronze, neo-tribal sculpture, ‘African Queen’.

‘FACET is doing fantastic work in South Africa,

Lesotho and Botswana,’ he enthuses. ‘Its goals

of upliftment and empowerment are close to my

heart. When I was asked to donate work to the

auction, I immediately said yes.’ The money raised

by the auction will go directly to FACET’s latest

project in the Cape Winelands. There are many

impoverished children in the region who are

further disadvantaged and vulnerable due to

alcohol. A shocking 12 per cent suffer from Foetal

Alcohol Syndrome. FACET, in partnership with

local charity The Pebbles Project, will build a Graff

Leadership Centre in the Winelands. The building

will provide a home for new projects and initiatives.

Some of these will offer support and training to

local children; others will establish after-school

provision for the older children living in the region.

The ways in which programmes at Graff

Leadership Centres can change lives is known

only too well by Mmoloki Segobaetso, a 22-year-

old from Botswana. The young man dreamed of

becoming a nurse, but, as a school drop-out, had

little means or hope of achieving this. But then he

had a chance introduction to the charity Stepping

Stones International, FACET’s partner in Botswana,

at a Youth Against HIV/AIDS event in the town of

Mochudi. This led to an invitation for him to join

the FACET-funded Finding the Leader Within

programme, based at Mochudi’s Graff Leadership

Centre, which opened last October.

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bright future Mmoloki Segobaetso at work in Botswana’s Mochudi

hospital, right. Children at the opening of the Graff Leadership Centre in

Botswana, far right. Painting by Lionel Smit, bottom left, and sculpture

by Gerhard Deetlefs, bottom right, at the FACET Foundation’s art auction.

The new Graff Leadership Centre in Mochudi, opposite

‘I couldn’t wait to start,’ recalls Mmoloki. ‘My hard

work paid off. I was offered a leadership position

as a peer mentor and assisted with tutoring

orphaned and vulnerable youth in the in-school

programme. The income I earned from this

enabled me to register to rewrite my school

examinations.’ Soon after, he started his own

initiative, the Kick Poverty Charitable Group,

collecting second-hand clothes, food and other

materials for those most in need.

Through his participation in the programme

Mmoloki was offered an internship and then a job

at the city’s hospital. ‘My participation in the

programme has opened doors I didn’t think

possible at my young age,’ he says. ‘I’m proud to

be working as a phlebotomist with the University

of Botswana Research Department on a National

Malaria Survey. It is my goal to have received an

offer of admission to the University of Botswana

nursing programme by the end of the year. Then

I can contribute to saving lives, helping the sick,

and bringing new lives into this world.’

Mmoloki was one of 67 students to enrol

in the first year-long course at the Mochudi Graff

Leadership Centre. Of those, five have already

found jobs. These initial successes in Botswana

are exciting news.

The first Graff Leadership Centre in

Lesotho has now completed its third annual Youth

Development Leadership campaign, run by local

charity Help Lesotho. For the 30 young men and

women on this three-month programme, issues to

do with gender, relationships and HIV came to the

forefront. These subjects are not discussed openly

in Basotho culture. Talking about them, and

challenging culturally accepted beliefs, led to

some revelations among the participants. One

man who thought it was his duty to beat his wife

when she disobeyed him later admitted he was

wrong. A young woman began to understand how

her sexual behaviour was putting her own health

and life at risk. Another man with suicidal thoughts

came to realise he was a worthwhile person. In

a country where employment opportunities are

scarce, and poverty and HIV/AIDS are widespread,

the support and life skills offered by the leadership

training have a significant impact.

While Graff works with the most beautiful

diamonds in the world, FACET is concerned with

mining diamonds of a different type – the raw

talent of South Africa, Lesotho and Botswana,

which, with the charity’s help, can shine, too.

www.facet-foundation.org

Page 80: Graffiti Magazine SS12

Graff’s entry into the world of

haute horlogerie has been swift

and distinctive. In 2008, Michel

Pitteloud, then a consultant with

over 30 years experience in the

watch and jewellery industry,

approached Laurence Graff,

who asked him to develop a comprehensive watch

collection. As the project completed its first year,

Michel was named CEO of Graff Luxury Watches,

and he continues to seek technical perfection and

astonishing attention to detail.

At this year’s BaselWorld he revealed the

latest chapter in Graff’s adventure in haute horlogerie

and explained some of the details involved. Michel

describes the MasterGraff Skeleton Automatic as

‘a piece of jewellery. It’s a marriage between

extremely difficult diamond work and a movement

which is a premiere mondial. Skeleton watches like

this we have already produced and sold. But if you

turn the skeleton automatic upside down you will

see the oscillating weight, which is in platinum and

set on both sides – this has never existed. It’s like a

balance is floating in nowhere, in the water or the air.’

The MasterGraff Skeleton Automatic floats

and sparkles because light flashes through the

movement, thanks largely to the transparent

sapphire bridges on which the 150 movement

components (and rotor) are suspended. This is

something that is seen only rarely in watches and

is incredibly costly. The hardness of sapphire

means that specialist tools and even more specialist

expertise are needed to machine the bridges,

many of which have to be discarded during the

manufacturing process – even the slightest crack

around a drilling hole means rejection.

The same obsession with technical perfection applies

to the way the diamonds are set into the case. As

Michel details, the numbers are extraordinary: ‘We

had to cut down 75 carats of diamond to reach

the 22 that you have on the final watch. Imagine!

And the 24 stones on top of the bezel are all certified

and obviously of the highest quality. And another

feature, something that is stunning, is the number

of different cuts. There are 200 stones but 110

different cuts meaning that any second stone is

always different from its neighbour. First of all you

have to design the stones to fit in this watch.

Second, you have to find the stone which is the

closest match (but they are never exactly so).’

Then the stone is cut according to the

space and finally set. Even then, he says, ‘It is

always possible that the stone is not perfect within

our tolerance (which is about 10 microns) and has

A WORD WITH…

CEO Of graff luxury watChEs MIChEl PIttElOuD describes

to JAMes GUrNeY the iNcredible crAftsMANship ANd

techNicAl chAlleNGes behiNd the eYecAtchiNG beAUtY of

the New MAsterGrAff skeletoN AUtoMAtic

Page 81: Graffiti Magazine SS12

to be recut. Finding the right stones is difficult. For

the small stones, you can probably find stones on

the market that you recut. For the large stones, such

as the 9mm top stone it is harder. If the stone was

square it would be a two carat emerald cut. Then

you cut away the parts and you redo the faceting

in the back, this is why you lose so much because

it ends up as a 0.80 carat.’

Remember also that the stones have to

shine from every one of over 7,000 facets without

any dull spots. Although the hard work of designing

the precise geometry of the setting has already

been done (for the MasterGraff Diamond Tourbillon)

and can, in principle, be repeated, each stone is a

unique challenge in terms of cutting. ‘One of the

new challenges for this watch was the width of the

rotor. If you set on both sides, the stones have to be

separated, otherwise it would be too thick.’ This,

Michel proudly declares, ‘is knowledge we have

developed in-house – no other house can match this.’

The watch only really came about by chance,

by curiosity – the best sort of way, Michel recalls.

‘A client asked me, “What if you did a watch where

you could see through the diamonds sideways, to

the movement?” This is impossible, because you

never see through a diamond, unless it is flat and

has no reflection. But then I said yes, what we

could do is set all of the surfaces, up, down,

sideways, the lugs and everything… the idea is that

this would be a huge diamond and the lugs are

the claws to hold the diamond.’

The Skeleton is not the only story for Graff watches.

The GyroGraff is another world first (see p66). The

watch is a double-axis tourbillon with a three-

dimensional moonphase in gold. Though both rare,

neither complication is unique in itself. This,

however, is the first watch to combine both ideas.

‘Making a premiere mondial is important to Graff; it

shows our capacity to make things like this. It

shows the position of our brand that we are able

to do extremely complicated watches. The idea

came from asking our watch designers how we

could make a special watch even more so. One

nice touch is that the tourbillon has a beautiful

counter-weight you can see as it turns. And,

although the movement is quite tall, the watch

is not too big and the tourbillon comes so close

to the glass.’

‘we asked our designers

how we could make a

special watch even more so’

skeleton key Responding to a challenge from a client to create an impossible

watch where ‘you could see sideways through the diamonds to the movement’,

Graff’s master craftsmen created the MasterGraff Skeleton Automatic, where

every surface is set with diamonds to create a similar effect

Graff clients expect something exceptional, and

the movements in Graff watches – including the

MasterGraff Double Tourbillon GMT and the

MasterGraff Diamond Minute Repeater (see

p62) – deliver beyond all expectations. ‘The

MasterGraff Double Tourbillon GMT has two

separate movements, which means you can set

them totally differently, so in some time zones

where you have a half an hour difference you

could show that,’ Michel explains.

The MasterGraff Diamond Minute Repeater

sounds with an astonishingly clear tone, another

example of what happens when remarkable

technical achievements, great horological

tradition, and beautiful, innovative design are in

perfect harmony – and when the Graff insistence

on perfection is thrown in for good measure.

77

Page 82: Graffiti Magazine SS12

GRAFF stoReswoRldwide

EUROPE

UK

London

UK Flagship store

6–8 New Bond Street

London W1S 3SJ

Tel: +44 20 7584 8571

11 Sloane Street

London SW1X 9LE

Tel: +44 20 7201 4120

Monaco

Monte carlo

Hôtel de Paris

Place du Casino

Monte Carlo 98000

Tel: +377 97 70 43 10

Visit the Graff Rare Jewels

Exhibition at the Hôtel de Paris

from 20 July to 19 August

France

courchevel

Rue du Rocher

73120 Courchevel 1850

Tel: +33 479 24 59 12

Also at:

Hôtel Les Airelles

Chalet de Pierres

Hôtel Palace des Neiges

Tel: +33 680 86 20 39

SwitzerLand

Geneva

29 Rue du Rhône

1204 Geneva

Tel: +41 22 819 6060

Gstaad

Grand Hotel Park

29 Wispilenstrasse

CH 3780 Gstaad

Tel: +41 22 819 6060

rUSSia

Moscow

Tretiakovsky Proezd, 6

109012 Moscow

Tel: +7 495 933 3385

Luxury Village

Barvikha

143083 Moscow

Tel: +7 495 933 3385

TSUM department store

2 ul. Petrovka

125009 Moscow

Tel: +7 495 933 3399

UKraine

Kiev

12/2/3 Gorodetskogo Street

01001 Kiev

Tel: +38 044 278 7557

NORTH AMERICA

new York

710 Madison Avenue

New York

New York 10065

Tel: +1 212 355 9292

Bal Harbour

9700 Collins Avenue

Bal Harbour

Florida 33154

Tel: +1 305 993 1212

chicago

103 East Oak Street

Chicago

Illinois 60611

Tel: +1 312 604 1000

Las Vegas

Wynn Las Vegas

3131 Las Vegas Blvd South

Las Vegas

Nevada 89109

Tel: +1 702 940 1000

Palm Beach

221 Worth Avenue

Palm Beach

Florida 33480

Tel: +1 561 355 9292

San Francisco

237 Post Street

San Francisco

California 94108

Tel: +1 415 926 7000

in selected SaKS stores:

SAKS 5th Avenue, New York

Beverly Hills, California

Naples, Florida

Tyson’s Corner, Virginia

AFRICA

SoUtH aFrica

Stellenbosch

Delaire Graff Estate

Helshoogte Pass

Banhoek Valley

Stellenbosch 7600

Tel: +27 021 885 8160

THE MIDDLE EAST

dUBai

The Burj Al Arab

Dubai

Tel: +9714 330 7717

The Dubai Mall

Dubai

Tel: +9714 339 9795

ASIA

cHina

Beijing

The Peninsula Beijing

8 Goldfish Lane

Wangfujing

Beijing 100006

Tel: +86 10 6513 6690

Hong Kong

The Peninsula Hong Kong

Salisbury Road

Kowloon

Hong Kong SAR

Tel: +852 2735 7666

Shanghai

The Peninsula Shanghai

Shop L1 O

32 Zhongshan Dong Yi Road

The Bund

Shanghai 200002

Tel: +86 21 6321 6660

JaPan

tokyo

The Peninsula Tokyo

1-8-1 Yurakucho

Chiyoda-ku

Tokyo 100-0006

Tel: +81 3 6267 0811

taiwan

taipei

The Grand Formosa

Regent Taipei

2nd Floor

41 Chung Shan North Road

Section 2

Taipei

Tel: +886 2511 5865

OPENING SOON

Hubin Mall, Hangzhou, China

Wynn Macau, China

Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong, China

IFC Pudong, Shanghai, China

Isetan, Tokyo, Japan

GRAFF, CHINA The new Graff store will open at

the hubin mall in hangzhou later this year

7878

Page 83: Graffiti Magazine SS12

DESIGNAuctIoN 15 JuNE 2012 NEW YoRK

Sale enquiries Alexander Payne [email protected] +1 212 940 1200

Phillips de Pury & Company 450 Park Avenue New York 10022

Enquiries +44 20 7318 4010 Catalogues +44 20 7318 4039 / +1 212 940 1240

PhilliPsdEPury.Com

EmilE-JACQuEs ruhlmANN

Pair of ‘Gonse’ armchairs, circa 1930–32

Sold for $1,426,500 New York, December 2011

Page 84: Graffiti Magazine SS12

coNtEMPoRARY ARt EvENING AuctIoN 28 JuNE 2012 | DAY AuctIoN 29 JuNE 2012 LoNDoN

Sale enquiries Peter Sumner [email protected] +44 207318 4010

Phillips de Pury & Company Howick Place London SW1P 1BB

Enquiries +44 20 7318 4010 Catalogues +44 20 7318 4039 / +1 212 940 1240

PhilliPsdEPury.Com

ANdy WArhol

Princess Diana, 1982

Synthetic polymer paint and

silkscreen ink on canvas.

127 x 107 cm (50 x 46 in)

Estimate £900,000 – 1,200,000