Gallerie

Food

The five best vegan restaurants in the world

Galleria 22/11/2019 Donatella

Some people say it’s impossible to make a list of the five best anything in the world, but I think they’re just not decisive enough. Food is subjective and can be so personal, but I would bet good money that this list is fairly exhaustive.

Sometimes when travelling it can be easy to slip into bad food habits, because it is so much easier to find something that will just fill you up, rather than nourish your soul. I’ve compiled this list of restaurants that offer healthy, beautiful food that is not just something to fill your belly, but also give you an experience, and help you feel more ready to face your next adventure.

Madame K’s (Melbourne, Australia)

Madame K’s is somewhat of a hidden gem, not because people don’t know about it, but because it has the slight misfortune of being opposite another vegan restaurant which is more popular, WHATEVER IT’S CALLED. I’m not sure why it’s more popular, but I suspect it may have something to do with the slightly more comprehensive menu, and the fact that it’s just a little bit cooler. Madame K’s is a fairly traditional Thai restaurant with the most delicious tofu I’ve ever had. I’ve never had a bad dish in there. If I were to give any tips on what to have it would be to start with the satay with roti – I have never had better roti anywhere.

Dirt Candy (New York, USA)

Dirt Candy is something as unusual as a vegan restaurant with a set menu. Located on the lower east side of New York, it looks fairly unassuming from the outside, and when coming in you are faced with a choice of either six or nine dishes. These are changed on a seasonal basis, but you can’t go wrong with any of them. Even if the food wasn’t amazing I would still put them on this list because it is so delightful to see that fine dining is waking up to plant based food, but luckily the food is all good enough that I don’t even have to fib to put them on the list.

Lao Wai (Stockholm, Sweden)

Lao Wai is a Chinese all vegan restaurant in Stockholm. It is fairly small and booking is recommended as it books out quickly, even on a random Tuesday night (as I had the misfortune of discovering the last time I went there). The food is simple and delicious, with many unique flavours that you don’t find easily in other restaurants – they make great use of Thai basil, for example. I would recommend going for dinner as the lunch is fairly uninspired (rolling two week menu with one dish per day, so if you happen to not like the dish of the day you’re out of luck), but if you do get a seat for dinner it is divine.

The Butcher’s Daughter (New York, USA)

This restaurant is mostly on this list for their fantastic spaghetti squash with tempeh. I still dream of this dish. I’m slightly worried that when I go back it will turn out to not be as amazing as I remembered it, but until then I live in hope. The Butcher’s Daughter do both breakfast, lunch and dinner very well, which seems slightly unusual – it seems most restaurants fall down on at least one of them. Well worth a visit.

Manna (London, UK)

Manna is a cozy, comfortable restaurant that offers all the dishes you remember from your childhood (and a few you don’t!), but vegan, and frequently updated to be better, fresher, more interesting. They’ve been in Primrose Hill for over 50 years, and it’s clear that they’ve been refining the menu consistently over that time.

Written by: Amanda Gun

Highlights

HYSTRIO

Galleria 08/06/2019 Donatella

Hystrio is the longest running theater and performance quarterly Magazine in the Italian theatrical scene, but it has changed over time while* maintaining a timeless concept.*

What is the key to the success of the magazine?

Claudia (director) – Hystrio dates back to 1988, making it the longest-running paper magazine on theater. Last year we celebrated 30 years and we are proud of the excellent results. We can divide the life of the magazine into two historical phases; the first starts from the foundation to the end of 1997, when its creator Ugo Ronfani was still director under the protective shield of the Ricordi publisher house for a long period of time. During that time graphics and contents were different from todays, both in format and cover. In 1998, Ricordi was sold to a multinational company that imposed cuts on certain branches of the company, including the prose sector, which included Hystrio and a series of contemporary drama plays. Ronfani, a theatrical critic of the magazine Il Giorno, tells us that she wants to cede the helm of this adventure, putting us at a crossroads between keeping the magazine alive or ending it. We decided to continue, founding a cultural association named after the magazine. We do not receive compensation for our work because the quarterly allows us to take on other jobs to support ourselves.

The adventure was tiring but we didn’t give up. The first issue of January 1998 was the first one I signed as director at the specific request of Ronfani. I was 32 years old. We made the graphics clean, with movement compared to the previous one, full of past contents. We maintained the original structure by publishing contemporary drama texts, correspondences from abroad, reviews, and a library section but we also enriched the magazine with new insights ranging from puppet theater to a theater of diversity, and the “theatrical company” news.

After a few years we still felt the need to review the magazine’s appearance from a graphic point of view. We were inspired by Theater heute (the most prominent German theater magazine), which had very clean and essential simple layout. We then expanded our work group, growing to about 50 people from Italy and other countries, and this was one of the key aspects of our success. Even without notable economic resources, dividing the work among ourselves is sustainable for everyone and prevents fatigue. This way we can have a hundreds of reviews and multiple correspondences from abroad with those who discover and appreciate us.

Every 3 months, we agree on various topics with their support.

The key to success in general is to be inclusive, in a positive sense. We write about everyone and everything, we don’t just follow a certain type of theater, we try to have a divergent look that manages to embrace tradition but also innovation and research, dance, opera and many other possible topics, without any hesitation.

Who are the women of Hystrio, what are their paths and their passions?

The women of Hystrio are Claudia, the director, Alessia -graphics-, I, Ilaria -in the editorial office-, Valeria -organizer and administrative part-, Arianna -communications-.

Ilaria Angeloni, joined Hystrio in 2012 and always had a passion for theater. Observing how poetic theatricals are born, how they are created and also studying the organizational part, is a passion that was born many years ago. It became my reason to study this field and later turned into my profession after graduation. Before coming to Hystrio, I was an editor in other places. Here I manage the editorial staff, ensuring that all content respects the style and aesthetic characteristics of the magazine.

As a cultural association we deal with multiple activities including the Hystrio Award and organizing courses and seminars, as our goal is to spread theatrical culture. This world stimulates me and enriches me every day and this excites me to further my work.

Valeria Brizzi – I approached Hystrio through a Facebook advertisement, and I have been working here since 2015. Through this opportunity I was selected for the Organizational Secretary position where I take care of the practical aspects of editing, cash flow, accountants, and finding resources for activities – a task that is particularly difficult in Italy at the moment.

Although this is a part time job, I choose to dedicate myself to cultural work. This is a constant challenge that has stimulated me, made me grow, and allowed me to be a part of Hystrio’s service. This position has helped me in my other jobs as well.

Arianna Lomolino – I approached Hystrio through a Facebook advertisement and I began working in 2016. I started as an intern for Milano in scena by Hystrio, which publishes reviews and theatrical news online. I later started to work on the website and managed all external communications such as social media.

I am learning so much and this work enriches me enormously. Theater is one of the most fair spaces in which we can move, I like to think that the written word and acting have an important function in society.

Alessia Stefanini – I have taken care of Hystrio’s graphic designs since 2007. I am a lover of the theater sector and I am also an actress at the School of Possible Theaters. I deal with packaging the final product. I started out as a graphic designer, and I love working here because theater is my primary interest. This is my only graphic design position that allows me to unite my profession and life passion, I couldn’t ask for more.

On the Italian scene, what is the role of Hystrio in the theater sector? Where is it located?

Claudia – I think this question should be asked to our readers. From my point of view, Hystrio is not only the longest running magazine, but also one of the most authoritative references for enthusiasts or theater-goers. Having a review on Hystrio, getting a book or an in-depth review, or receiving the Award is very much coveted. We have continuous requests on various fronts, from the publication of dramaturgical texts, to the presence at festivals, shows and conferences. From here, new stimulating jobs and study opportunities are born.

Hystrio has remained independent, we are a bit elusive thanks to this feature, but above all we keep a curious and open mentality to all without creating divisions. The theater is a small world which we try to inform critically.

How did this network that includes more than 50 collaborators develop?

It has grown through listening, availability and curiosity in the new proposals approach.

When we build a new issue, we first ask the question: Which shows would you like to review? What dossiers would you like to follow?

I wait for the answers from the collaborators and I try to divide the task based on the answers. When new elements that are proposed, we listen and try to decide whether to establish collaborations or not. This method has been the key to expanding our working group. The talent of each member is identified and valued, and the time, energy and predisposition that each person has is matched.

All the editors meet annually in February to choose the winner of the Hystrio Award. About forty are permanent collaborators in addition to ten experts who collaborate on the basis of the theme.

What lies behind the Hystrio Award festival? How is the event planned and developed?

The Hystrio award is an important activity of Hystrio, it is a long-lived theatrical Award, which will celebrate 30 years next year.

It is an event where employees of Hystrio choose, category by category, the artists who have distinguished themselves or deserve recognition for the quality of their work within the year.

The categories are: Direction, Interpretation, Dramaturgy, Writing. We also have 3 special categories: Other Muses for fun-categorized theatrical professionals in a particular sector but who are the most eclectic artists. An Award is dedicated to a young emerging company, the Iceberg Award, aimed at enhancing young talents. Finally we have a special prize called Body to Body aimed at body language for a very broad sense of dance.

The other part of the Award focuses on young actors, writers and companies following talent scouting.

Every year a call for contenders goes out in January for dramatic actors under 30 and writers under 35.

This year 224 actors and 106 playwrights have signed up. This implies a significant amount of work as all these young people will be undergo a thorough audition that Claudia Canella and I will hold. From this stage we will select 40 participants.

The 106 anonymous plays that arrive in the newsroom are read by a commission composed of 12 collaborators. After reading through them, we will select a dozen, and the winner will be announced on the last day of the event, June 10th.

The Hystrio Award will take place on June 8/9/10 at the Elfo Puccini theater, corso Buenos Aires 33, in Milan

Valeria – The pre-selected 40 finalist actors will attend the 3-day event, and they will be discussed and heard by a jury of professionals, theater directors, and important artistic groups. Auditions will take place in the morning and afternoon of June 8th and 9th, ending with an evening show.

Instead, the winning play will be presented by a Director and cast of professionals as the first show. On the following evening we will have a show from the previous year’s winning company. Finally on June 10th the 2 young finalists will emerge with a third youngster: who will get the Hystrio Award will get access to scholarships.

To achieve all this, an organizational and communicative machine is needed which starts months before, times is fundamental so we also employ a team of 4 interns.

The event brings together not only the public, experts, and winners, but also many young people and theater lovers, so the atmosphere during the awards ceremony is open and festive.

The theater has the aim to create a link between what happens on stage and the audience, without this aspect there is no reason to call it theater or even exist.

Our ambition is to continue in this direction, open and projected towards the world.

Imo, Francesca&Donatella

Highlights

The Tailor Network

Galleria 11/03/2019 Donatella

The interview with Michael Bist, the CEO of The Tailor Network was very inspiring. Talking with and listening to young and talented entrepreneurs like Michael is refreshing. We want to share with you the journey of this new start up, sure that it will trigger your curiosity.

The Tailor Network has one mission: great fashion from upcoming young designers, made by independent tailors, bringing work to the local community.

What was the origin of your company “The Tailor Network”, Michael?

The origin of the idea came when I was a manager and traveling abroad a lot. In China, Beijing, I was introduced to a tailor to purchase a suit. I honestly thought it would have been an expensive service. I went to the tailor on a Friday and got my finished suit by Sunday at an incredible price. It was simply amazing so I kept doing this and having more suits ready for myself. At some point I asked myself “why is this service available only for people who have lots of money in Europe and I had to discover this cheaper service here in Asia?”

I generally believe that the Internet gives us a lot of possibilities that especially creative people and artisans can take advantage from. The more I thought about it, the more I convinced myself that the Tailor Network needed to see the light.

What we are going to do is to create an additional demand beyond what is currently in the market, which allows us to bring additional people into the market. Eventually, we will work not only with established tailors but also bring people into work by training them ourselves. We are working together with transition homes to bring less educated women into meaningful and sustainable income. Over time we want to expand this program to other disadvantaged groups, we are thinking about prostitution exit programs, refugees and other groups, which struggle to find meaningful income and sustainable income opportunities.

Why have you chosen to launch your Start-Up in Budapest?

I came here by chance in 2005 to do my MBA and totally fell in love with the city, the people, and the entrepreneurial spirit that the city had at the time, and still has. Everyone started a business; if someone could dance, they would open a dance studio and give a free class once a week. Everyone was actively doing something. This attitude, for a German person coming from a super regulated and structured market had a great impact on me.

Also, from a tailoring perspective, Budapest is the right place. This city used to have a very strong textile industry that lead us to find amazing teachers, universities and knowledge in tailoring.

This fertile soil helped us with the project a lot.

Traveling makes you more liberal, one of the biggest political problems we face is that people don’t understand other nationalities because they don’t know them. It helps so much when you sit down with different people and you just realize that they are the same everywhere. There isn’t so much that differentiates us, this is what traveling does.

3 things to tell a young entrepreneur who wants to start a new business.

Don’t worry if something goes wrong because there is always a way to fix things. My experience in the start-up business is that something always goes wrong. What you need to do is to keep calm and find a way to solve it.
Be prepared to constantly fight the “this is not going to work” attitude. You need to overcome this and inspire the people around you to believe that things can change. The biggest job of an entrepreneur is to inspire people to get out of their comfort zone and think in a new way.
Being a leader means constantly encouraging your people through every challenge and mistake. Your job as a leader is to pick up your team, and give confidence again and again because if you loose your team, you loose everything.

“As a start up you can’t afford to be a boss. You need to be a leader”.

Difficulties faced so far?

We are still on the early stages, we operate in a super traditional century old industry and we constantly meet people who say things like “this is the way our grand-mother has always done”, or “this is how tailoring works.” We want to change the way it worked, so the constant struggle is convincing people that our idea will work. I have to say that luckily the multinationals have been amazing with our project so far.

Their level of willingness to do something on their Corporate Social Responsibility (CRS) sites has been overwhelming. They are very easy to talk to. For example; I have been super amazed with some of these top level CEOs, and how they go out of their way to support you as soon as they see a project they feel has real meaning and impact. I received so much support from CEOs and banks, and this attitude of the CEO taking time to meet and support you is very important, especially in a country like Hungary which does not have a very experienced managerial culture.

On The Tailor Network Website you can get a new outfit – designed and tailored by real people to suit your needs. Find more about the team, their services for your company and their social Tailor Empowerment program.

Fashion Designer

Melika Najafizadeh

Galleria 06/03/2019 Donatella

Name, date of birth and professional background?

Melika Najafizadeh, 25/09/1995

How does it feel to be the first lady in Middle-East to create an Italian Menswear brand?

I’d like to be an inspiration as an entrepreneur for women who are struggling and bound to be appointed at the helm of the fashion industry especially to work in the men industry since it’s what we are missing in the fashion world. I’m strong willed to embrace the power of being a woman and to create my own independent men’s label. I believe that no one more than a woman can give the touch of elegance to the men outfits.

What obstacles have you faced in order to be who you are today?

Iran is among top ten countries with the richest tradition and cultural heritage which I’m really proud of, but sometimes strong traditions don’t allow flexibility. This fact taught all of our Iranian women including me how to improve their level of tolerance and reframe their thoughts to create the desirable solution. I know that being a young entrepreneur in the fashion industry is not easy at all and hardship will be my constant companion but I believe all dreams can be achieved if you are brave enough to pursue them.

What was the turning point for you… when was the moment you realized you wanted to do more and transformed your life?

I turned my life into a journey full of uncertainty when I was just 18 years old which made me grow up in an unexpected way. Studying in diverse international universities and being in touch with different cultures taught me how to deal with things from different perspectives.

What do you love about your country, Iran? How much of your culture is in your designs?

GOLD is the soul and heart of Lakilem. It is the common symbolic element of my name meanings (Queen, fairy and queen bee) which is strongly associated with Iranian (middle eastern) culture in both material and immaterial way. In my culture, gold not only defines prestige, royalty and power but it is also strongly linked with confidence, happiness, success and compassion.

How do you see yourself in the next 3 years?

Expand the brand on an international level. Launching L’AKILEM charity to bring gold moments into people lives.

To support Melika’s brand, follow her Instagram and check her designs on FB

Food

Jennifer Massier, the emotional Chef

Galleria 06/01/2019 Donatella

Smiling and spontaneous, Jennifer Massier has thrilled him -Massimo Bottura- with her dish taking home the podium in the competition “The chefs of tomorrow”. Her energy exploded when she was announced as a winner and we could not let this girl run out of talent and inspiration.

Would you tell us more about you, your background and when did your passion for cooking start?

Chef has always been my dream job, but as God always guides us humans, the path did not go straight, but in retrospect, it all had its good meaning, because I still needed the school of Jesus here for my healthy development. I first trained at McDonald’s, but I always enjoyed cooking at home and especially sauces have always been great fun because I think a good sauce makes a good cook. Yes, and then, through divine guidance, I landed at the Posthotel of Alexander Herrmann, just over a year ago, where I was now able to find the best job in the world. At that time, I started as a kitchen helper, but Tobias Bätz, my Headchef, quickly saw my passion for cooking, and helped me find a way to cook my apprenticeship. About the training I had the opportunity to win the second competition of the Jeunes Restaurateurs in cooperation with the European Authentic Pleasure 🙂

DE. Würdest Du uns mehr über dich erzählen, deinen Hintergrund und wann deine Leidenschaft fürs Kochen begonnen hat?

Köchin war eigentlich schon immer mein Traumberuf, aber wie Gott uns Menschen da immer so führt, ging der Weg nicht direkt, aber es hatte im Nachhinein alles seinen guten Sinn, denn ich brauchte die Schule Jesu bis hier her zu meiner gesunden Entwicklung noch. Ich habe erst eine Ausbildung bei McDonald’s gemacht, aber ich habe immer super gerne Zuhause gekocht und besonders Soßen haben mir schon immer super viel Spaß gemacht, weil ich finde, eine gute Soße macht einen guten Koch aus. Ja und dann bin ich durch göttliche Führung vor etwas mehr wie einem Jahr im Posthotel von Alexander Herrmann gelandet, wo ich jetzt den besten Arbeitsplatz der Welt finden durfte. Damals habe ich als Küchenhilfe gestartet, aber Tobias Bätz, mein Küchenchef hat sehr schnell meine Leidenschaft für’s Kochen gesehen und hat mir einen Weg gebahnt die Ausbildung zu Köchin zu machen. Über die Ausbildung hatte ich dann auch die Möglichkeit jetzt schon den zweiten Wettbewerb der Jeunes Restaurateurs in Kooperation mit der European Authentic Pleasure zu gewinnen 🙂

At what point you thought you wanted to participate to this contest, in Italy?

I first participated in a competition from the Jeunes Restaurateurs in cooperation with the European Authentic Pleasure in Germany and the first prize was the trip to Italy and participation in the competition in Modena from the European Authentic Pleasure and from the start I had an extreme joy for the competition and, of course, Massimo Bottura. He is a great role model for me and the idea of meeting him was so incredible, but cooking for him is of course much more!

DE. Wann hast Du entschieden, an diesem Wettbewerb in Italien teilzunehmen?

Ich habe zuerst an einem Wettbewerb der Jeunes Restaurateurs in Kooperation mit der European Authentic Pleasure in Deutschland teilgenommen und der erste Preis war die Reise nach Italien und die Teilnahme am Wettbewerb in Modena von European Authentic Pleasure und ich hatte von Anfang an extreme Lust auf den Wettbewerb und natürlich für Massimo Bottura zu kochen. Er ist ein großes Vorbild für mich und die Vorstellung Ihn zu treffen war so unglaublich, aber für ihn zu kochen natürlich noch viel mehr!

What’s your favorite food, the one that most represent you?

I have many favorite foods, but if I had to choose one, it would be spinach and potatoes.

DE. Dein Lieblingsgericht?

Ich habe viele Lieblingslebensmittel, aber wenn ich mich auf eines festlegen müsste, dann wäre es Spinat und Kartoffeln.

Zampone and Cotechino! Was it a challenge to integrate this typical Italian (from Modena) food into your recipe?

No, it was not very difficult to find a recipe for the Zampone! I love to work creatively, so I quickly found the right recipe where the Zampone also worked great.

DE. Zampone und Cotechino! War es eine Herausforderung, dieses typisch italienische Essen in deinem Rezept zu integrieren?

Nein sehr schwer war es nicht ein Rezept für die Zampone zu finden! Ich liebe es kreativ zu arbeiten und so habe ich sehr schnell das passende Rezept gefunden, wo die Zampone sich auch super integriert hat.

Jennifer Massier was chosen by Massimo Bottura. What is your feeling about Mr. Bottura and how this will  impact on your career or studies?

Yes Mr Bottura is a very great man and I had a very close relationship with him in the competition, which put a lot of pressure on me. He confirmed myself to be on the right track. And he called my dish very emotional, which is avery big compliment to me as I cook very emotionally and he tasted it out, which is just great!

DE. Jennifer Massier wurde von Massimo Bottura ausgewählt. Was ist Ihre Meinung zu Herr Bottura und wie wirkt sich dies auf Deine Karriere oder Dein Studium aus?

Ja Herr Bottura ist ein ganz toller Mann und ich hatte an dem Wettbewerb ein sehr vertrautes Verhältnis zu ihm, was mir ganz viel Druck genommen hat. Es hat mich selbst bestätigt, auf dem richtigen Weg zu sein. Und er hat mein Gericht als sehr emotional bezeichnet, was für mich ein sehr großes Kompliment ist, da ich sehr emotional koche und das er das raus geschmeckt hat, was einfach großartig!

Where do you see yourself in two years ?

In two years, my apprenticeship is over and I wish to be a cook who breaks culinary rules, who creatively cooks creatively with passion and love.

DE. Wo siehst du dich in zwei Jahren?

In zwei Jahren ist meine Lehre vorbei und ich wünsche mir, eine Köchin zu sein, die kulinarische Regeln bricht, die ungezwungen kreativ kocht mit viel Leidenschaft und Liebe.

Thanks Jennifer, we wish you all the best for your sparkling career and we’re sure you will be that kind of Chef!

Fashion Designer, Made in Italy

B.e Quality

Galleria 18/12/2018 Donatella

Pilar Morales, a Peruvian Textile Engineer graduated at UPC, Spain, has been working as Quality Control and Production Manager since 1998 for European brands and traveling around the world, is the founder of B.e Quality brand.

The B.e Quality Project re-started on 2017 with the collaboration of 2 fantastic Italian designers. I have decided to create a brand which could be based on the Slow Fashion concept, being Sustainable, Vegan friendly, made with the Highest Quality and with Love to last in time.

And this is what we do: Men, Women and Newborn Timeless garments made in the Highest Quality to last in time, in a Sustainable&Ethical way. The B.e Quality Cotton fabric is a knitted fabric in natural Organic Peruvian Pima cotton that is as soft and shiny as silk, even after years of wearig it. Better known as the Cashmere of Cottons, as per its high quality.

Moreover, the manufacturing is paying attention to details that really make the difference.

Garments should last in time, as Love&Values do!

I was seeing the other side of the coin of the fashion world, the opposite of what we see here. This is the reason why I decided to create my own project based on human values and Respect.

Actually I really have never been interested in Fashion, but I was good at numbers and as an Engineer’s daughter, I wanted to make Engineering. Peru has a big tradition on textiles, as pre-columbian civilizations developed special techniques for weaving and dyeing. And this fascinated me.

When I was 15 years old, I had very clear I wanted to be a Textile Engineer, that is a technician who manages each step of the production process (nothing really related to design). I had been lucky to meet somebody who went to the same university I did afterwards. And I felt in love with this discipline. I’ve been offered at that time a full scholarship to go to the US for any career, except Textile Engineer, and I declined it!

1993 I started the university in Spain, I loved it, as we spent a lot of hours in the laboratories, making so many practice… how to set up spinning&knitting machines, the quality control… it was great!

1998 after my graduation, I started to work in this industry.

My dream is to create a successful business based on Respect. And that in some way helps me to live in a more balanced way.

What inspires you?

A question someone asked me many years ago is what inspired me: how would you act in this situation if you were Love?

In that moment my brain was saying: Whaaaaat??? and went out of it’s automatic mode. This helped me to see further… and understood that both in the mid and long term, the best solution is to allow the Love guide my choices and my actions (and not fear, sadness, insecurity, anger, pride, ambition, etc…).

How may I combine my professional skills with this and how can I share this with others? The answer to this for me is the Love Collection, a small collection of garments that have the intention to remind us to practise more the gestures of Love, that warm our hearts! And that is why I have created the Love Collection: to remind us (me at first) to act guided by Love.

How do you pursue your goals?

I have been making consultancy since 2006 in the fashion industry.

I have created B.e Quality on 2010, based on Responsible and Sustainable production, making Slowfashion pieces. Still I felt I needed to create something that could have a stronger message. The more I observe how we live today, and our scale of values, and how we are full of objects and a tight agenda, but empty inside… And what is the common thing behind the people acting with anger, fear, insecurity, pride? A lack of love!

How do you motivate yourself?

For me living in Love is not an automatic state, and my aim is to learn day by day how to be closer to that. And I think I’m not alone on this journey, so I decided to share it with more people and in some way, together supporting each other.

The beautiful thing of this journey I just started with the Love Collection is that I am learning a lot about myself, my needs, the benefits of living a slower life, the benefits of the love in our health and happiness, I am also meeting special people that support me or inspire and teach me to act ‘in Love’ and compassion.

I am very grateful that my work is helping to grow and learn to be a better person! It is a great gift!

Which kind of difficulties you had to face?

The first barrier to break was to talk about my feelings and beliefs on my ‘working’ environment: In my professional life I was very disciplined and would never show my human side. As the role I was playing as a consultant, I had to be very effective, strategic, having everything under control…

Then my belief that integrating the Love message in a fashion collection was not going to be understood in the way I meant it. This is why it took me more than 1 year to start it. And I was so wrong! Everyday I receive confirmations that people gets the message very clear.

My will to build a respectful and sustainable collaboration has turned on an irrespectful and unfulfilled supplier, as they are not used to this kind of approach. I need to improve it for the future!

Now my aim is to reach more people with this message! So, today I’m studying marketing, communication, while finding the right partner on these areas.

But I guess this is just the start, so I am open to learn and break down more walls, meet new special people with joy and love!

Donatella

Highlights

Zampone IGP & Chefs of tomorrow

Galleria 14/12/2018 Donatella

On Saturday December 8th, the “Final of Chefs of tomorrow” competition was held during the 8th Zampone and Cotechino Modena IGP festival, where young students from Italian and foreign schools created new Zampone based dishes. Contestants were rewarded and selected by a jury led by the special one, Chef Massimo Bottura.

For the occasion we have interviewed Marco Buccianti, enogastronomy professor- from the school Istituto d’Istruzione Superiore “Bernardino Lotti” di Massa Marittima (http://www.islotti.gov.it/-) who guided his team with pride and passion to the third position.

IT. Si è svolta sabato 8 Dicembre, durante l’ottava Festa dello zampone e del cotechino Modena IGP la finale del concorso per gli Chef di domani, in cui i giovani allievi di scuole italiane e straniere hanno elaborato piatti a base di Zampone, premiati e selezionati da una giuria guidata dallo special one della cucina Massimo Bottura.

Per l’occasione abbiamo intervistato Marco Buccianti docente di enogastronomia, che con orgoglio e passione ha guidato al terzo posto gli allievi provenienti dall’ Istituto d’Istruzione Superiore “Bernardino Lotti” di Massa Marittima (http://www.islotti.gov.it/), scuola che si trova nel territorio della Maremma grossetana immersa sulle colline metallifere.

Marco, prima di tutto, congratulazioni dal team di DM. Come ci si sente ad essere stati premiati dal n°1 al mondo?

Grazie, è stato un risultato assolutamente inaspettato, arricchito da i complimenti di uno dei più grandi chef stellati del panorama della ristorazione internazionale. Essere premiati da Massimo Bottura non è cosa da tutti i giorni, un’emozione unica ed indescrivibile che gratifica dell’impegno e del lavoro svolto in questi mesi. È stato un piacere poter ascoltare i suoi consigli e le sue parole d’apprezzamento al nostro piatto. Ci ha colpito la sua spontaneità ed il suo entusiasmo, è stato un incontro unico nel suo genere. Un professionista che con semplicità ha tirato dritto al punto mettendo a fuoco il senso della nostra ricetta e del valore che gli abbiamo dato. Impagabile.

ENG. Marco, first of all, congratulations from the DM team. How do you feel getting an award from the number one chef in the world?

Thank you, it was an unexpected result, enriched by the compliments of one of the best star chefs in the international restaurant panorama. Being rewarded by Massimo Bottura is not an everyday occurrence, it is a unique and undescribable emotion, a gratifying honour for all the hard work done in these last months. It’s been a pleasure listening to his tips and his words of appreciation toward our dish. His spontaneity and enthusiasm impressed us, it was a special encounter. A master who with simplicity focused on the meaning of our recipe and comprehended the value we have given to it.

IT. Il vostro piatto, la RIZAMPBOLLITA è una fusione di tradizioni fra Emilia e Toscana, l’ideazione è stata immediata?

L’ ideazione del piatto non è stata immediata, tutta la classe ha partecipato con idee e suggerimenti. Abbiamo scartato molte idee prima di arrivare ad una ricetta che fosse condivisa da tutti e rispecchiasse un sentimento di tradizione e cultura che volevamo trasmettere.

Il nostro è un concetto di Ribollita evoluta, piatto povero della cucina Toscana, dove l’eccellenza dello Zampone di Modena IGP entra in abbinamento con gli altri ingredienti caratteristici della zuppa. È nata così una ricetta completa dal punto di vista nutrizionale, attenta agli sprechi e piacevole al palato con l’inserimento di prodotti tipici del nostro territorio, come il pomodoro a grappolo da coltura idroponica, la cipolla di Maremma, l’olio di olivastra seggianese DOP e il “Pane del Sole”, prodotto da filiera corta recuperando le coltivazioni di grani antichi quali Senatore Cappelli e Grano Verna.

ENG. Your dish, the RIZAMPBOLLITA, is a fusion between traditions from the Emilia and Tuscany regions. Was its conception immediate?

The conception of the dish was not immediate, the whole class participated in giving ideas and suggestions. We discarded a lot of ideas before getting to a recipe that reflected a common sentiment of tradition and culture we all wanted to transmit. Our dish is a concept of advanced Ribollita, originally a poor dish from Tuscan cuisine, where the excellence of Zampone di Modena IGP (PGI) merged with the other characteristic soup ingredients.

IT. Credete che questi eventi/ competizioni arricchiscano gli allievi? Quale aspetto del concorso vi ha particolarmente colpito e stimolato ?

Assolutamente sì! Questi eventi arricchiscono dal punto di vista personale e professionale gli allievi, sono occasioni uniche che li stimolano dal punto di vista creativo e innovativo, ad impegnarsi per dare il meglio di sé stessi e a mettersi in gioco. Inoltre permette agli studenti di confrontarsi con altri coetani appartenenti ad altri istituti di tutta Italia ed entrare più a fondo nel mondo della cucina. Creano motivazione e appassionano, generano curiosità e determinazione. In questi momenti suona ancora più forte la citazione del filosofo e scrittore Plutarco la quale dice “i giovani non sono vasi da riempire ma fiaccole da accendere”.

In generale tutto il progetto è stato molto stimolante, ci ha incentivato ad un approccio diverso, quello dell’esplorazione delle caratteristiche di tante materie prime di qualità che prima non pensavano potessero essere unite insieme per l’elaborazione di nuove ricette. E poi la possibilità di far assaggiare una nostra creazione ad uno chef di altissimo livello parlandoci di persona nel cuore di Piazza Roma a Modena, sotto una tensostruttura studiata ad hoc con la diretta Tv e tantissima gente che ci incitava, applaudiva e ci faceva continue domande complimentandosi per l’allestimento che avevano creato.

ENG. Do you think these competitions enriched the culinary students? What aspect of the competition has particularly impressed and stimulated you?

Absoloutely, yes! These events enrich the students personally and professionally, these are exclusive occasions that stimulate creativity and innovation, pushing them to give their best and meet challenges. Additionally, it’s an opportunity to confront their peers from all over Italy. In these moments, the most appropriate quote which I applied to young people, comes from philosopher and writer Plutarch who said “The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.” Generally, the project was really exciting, it pushed us to experiment the characteristics of high quality raw materials we never thought could be associated together for new recipes. Then, we had the chance to have Massimo Bottura taste our dishes in the heart of Modena, under a tensile structure created specifically for the event, on live TV, with many people cheering for us appreciating our work.

IT. Che cos’è l’arte culinaria per questi giovani chef? Cosa credi sia cambiato nella loro percezione di “creare piatti” in quest’era dove il settore food è stato portato in risalto dai media?

L’arte culinaria per i giovani d’oggi è il saper cucinare qualcosa di buono con un tocco di sana bellezza, saper trovare il giusto bilanciamento tra gli ingredienti e un equilibrio di sapori. Un’arte che si impara studiando fin dalla scuola alberghiera, stando in cucina tanto tempo a provare, sbagliare, riprovare fino a creare un qualcosa che rappresenti un’identità personale e culturale, nell’ottica anche di nuovi sapori e abbinamenti. Ci vogliono passione, sacrificio e dedizione, valori che con la visibilità dei media rischiano di perdersi in un’idea romantica e superficiale della cucina.

In un’era dove il cibo e le ricette sono messe continuamente in risalto dai media, il modo di creare piatti è sicuramente cambiato, ora c’è maggiore attenzione all’aspetto estetico, alla decorazione, con un’importanza rilevante all’intero dressage. È un fatto di tendenza che mette in risalto quella parte artistica che ogni chef porta con sé, però non bisogna mai dimenticare la sostanza, quella che fa provare un’emozione mangiando un piatto, ovvero il gusto e il piacere che rendono unica l’esperienza con il cibo.

Chi vuol vivere felice deve saper cucinare.

ENG. What is culinary art for these young chefs? What do you believe has changed in their perception of “creating dishes” in this new era where the food industry had been brought to the attention of the media?

Culinary art for the youth is being able to cook something delicious with a touch of beauty, being able to find balance between the ingredients and their flavours. You learn this art while studying at a professional catering school. You need passion, sacrifice and commitment, values that are at risk of being forgotten because of the massive visibility generated nowadays by the media, resulting in a hyper-romantic and superficial idea of cooking. Every chef has an important artistic side that should be emphasized, but the essence should never be forgotten; this is what creates an emotion when eating a dish. The flavour and pleasure are what creates a unique food experience.

Whoever wants to live happily, needs to learn how to cook.

Shops

ReSales Secondhand & more

Galleria 27/11/2018 Donatella

Easy to guess, ReSales Secondhand is a shop in which is possible to buy used clothes. We visited and went to buy in some shops in Germany, some of them in Munich, others in Berlin, but you can find some more in other German cities.

The concept is very basic: to buy these kind of clothes and accessories is ecological and sustainable, a way to help the environment.

Usually the shops are very big, with a section for men, one for women, for children, some items for the house and some accessories. Every shop is a little bit different from the other. From shoes to ornaments it’s possible to find almost everything, depending on the store. As we already said when we talked about a similar store concept, this is a wonderful and easy way to buy pretty stuff spending a little money, not bad! 😉

As it is written on the website, “The production of clothing and shoes causes a high burden on the environment. For the production of textile fibers, the garment industry requires ever larger amounts of energy, water and oil. Already in the production of a single T-shirt about 2,700 liters of water are consumed. Pesticides and fertilizers bring nature out of balance. Cotton plantations are treated with crop protection agents up to 25 times during the growth phase. The CO2 arising during the production and finishing process of textiles is also included in the ecological negative balance.”

You can do something to help save the Earth!

In the shops you can find every size, a lot of different brands -also designer clothes– and good ideas for presents. We suggest you to stop by if you look, for example, for christmas gifts, it is always good to give something special and environmentally friendly!

Buy second hands products

– to save money

– to respect the environment

– to change more often your whole wardrobe 😉

Stay updated and find more information here

Pictures are from www.unsplash.com – https://pixabay.com/it/. Images are for illustrative purposes only.

Donatella

Business

GINJAN & the success story of two talented brothers

Galleria 07/11/2018 Donatella

Ginjan, Mohammed and Ibrahim are the characters of this African-American success, and the moment you get to know the brothers, you gonna like them for sure!

Let’s take a step back: Ginjan is an African drink – made of, above all, organic ginger- brought to New York and Long Island by Mohammed and Ibrahim, who worked for years to find the perfect match and create a winning recipe. Ginjan it is not just ginger made like the original African recipe drunk for thousands of years and also by the young brothers, but it is wisely mixed -with the precious suggestions of mommy!-. It has pineapple, lemon, vanille and anise, making a wonderful fresh and lightly spicy drink for summer, and if warmed up, an enjoyable healthy infusion for winter.

We spent a wonderful evening with Ibrahim discovering Harlem and the history behind Ginjan.

When we asked him where did they get that idea from, he told us that they have been thinking about it for a long time. But interestingly, even tho many people they knew spoke about the idea of commercializing it nobody did it until the brothers decided to take that step! At the end of the day, what always makes the difference is resolution.

Ibrahim is incredible: with a great serenity and a contagious passion, he tell us about future projects, the idea of making something good and building a sustainable business. This is the kind of future we also imagine, social responsibility and commitment to what we do.

Ibrahim and Mohammed were born in Guinea and moved to New York years later were they were raised. After some experiences in Europe, their idea was to build a business back in the US, involving also their African “home”. It was not easy and not fast; it took a lot of work and many lost hours of sleep to achieve the dream… and it’s not over yet!

The goal of the project is to involve local companies in Africa and cooperate with them in the productive process to create work and to help the economy. It is a different concept, a new course, the prospect to build a well-founded business where every part of it can take advantages, even the weaker party.

As Ibrahim told us, “Our purpose is to “brand” Africa, or perhaps I should say “re-brand” Africa. A lot of products from around the world have such a distinct and positive association with their place of origin that it in and of itself adds tremendous value to the underlying commodity. Think coffee and Italy, where coffee doesn’t even grow yet nothing is more synonymous with good coffee than Italy. In Africa, it’s just a place where raw materials get extracted to be refined elsewhere, we’d like to help make that change in the food space for starters. To be clear, money is absolutely crucial in our business and any venture really, as it is one of the easiest ways to “keep score” on what you’re doing.

We’re not looking to make money for money’s sake.

If at the end of it all we end up with a financially lucrative business that is selling terrible products to the world, that would be a major moral failure on our part; we’ll avoid this at all cost.”

Watch the video to discover more about Ginjan:

“We also have a CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) component to our business relating to sanitation; the flip-side to the food industry. This issue is near and dear to our hearts, as we, the founding brothers, grew up less than a mile from the largest waste disposal site in Guinea’s capital city of Conakry. So, we started an initiative to help fund startups working to solve the waste management problem in Africa, starting with Guinea. This is not a charity, as we believe waste management can be a lucrative business, so we invest a portion of our funds in small companies addressing the problem. One of the measures of our success is therefore the total tonnage of waste managed by the enterprises we support and invest in.”

In your opinion Ibrahim, what does it take to become successful and what would you suggest to someone who wants to start a business?

Here are thoughts that are spontaneously occurring to me now:

First and foremost, you need to solve a problem people actually have or provide something their hearts will truly desire.
Second, It will take much longer and be much more expensive than you think.
Finally, you need to take care of yourself mentally and physically, otherwise you’ll end up rich and completely destroyed or worse, your business will fail and you’ll be completely destroyed. Work out, sleep, and love something and/or someone 🙂

More about Ginjan here

Invest in Ginjan www.drinkginjan.com/invest

Instagram www.instagram.com/ginjanbros/

Facebook www.facebook.com/ginjanbros/

Twitter https://twitter.com/GinjanBros

Shop online

…you have nothing to do now but to try it! 😉

Donatella

Fashion Designer

THE HOUSE OF VARGAS – Part 2

Galleria 09/10/2018 Donatella

Chanoa Tarle, a repeat Deshabille contributor, was lucky enough to discover the artwork of George Vargas. Once he began to produce fashion featuring his designs, she jumped at the chance to interview him. Of course we said yes…

Following his first ayahuasca experience, many of his works went on to feature even more esoteric themes linked to spirituality, meditation and creative, cosmic expansion. Post-ayahuasca, Vargas knew exactly what he wanted to express. He describes his work as a “complete engagement with beauty”. He follows his yen for beauty and the more he focuses on this beauty, the more it grows and the more it appears throughout his existence. A fitting destiny for the Australian artist with parents hailing from Peru!

“It’s a fun journey, linked a lot to my meditation and spirituality. It’s good to unplug from the art and the world. The idea of feeling you’ve got everything and don’t need anything. That’s what I want to express in the next series of artwork. I went through an exploration of desire and the mystery of women and every girl is completely different- and obviously every human being. It’s a fascinating journey. I see a lot of femininity in nature. Masculinity is interesting too because I’m reacting to that…” – George Vargas

Fast forward to 2018 and his distinctive designs are the focal point of a new luxury fashion brand, The House of Vargas. High quality tees feature his artwork in an array of colors. Incredible scarves and sarongs in silk and chiffon highlight the beauty of the women who wear them – never overpowering them – while serving as wearable art. There is something about the way he produces the art and produces the collections. There’s an energy to every piece that is nearly palpable. George attributes it to beauty, a common theme in his works: “I suppose it’s this overpowering beauty I’m feeling for the subject and it’s captured in the vibration and the line and the colors. It’s a bit overpowering like a drug. Intoxicating.”

“Luxury is all about self-expression to me because you’ve got clothing that all looks the same out there. Luxury to me is having something unique to wear. The scarves will always be limited edition. [I’m offering] jackets of only five pieces in the world.” Since there will never be another you, he loves the idea of offering something truly unique.

Since there will never be another you, he loves the idea of offering something truly unique. Art-adorned leather motorcycle jackets are coming soon, the product of a new partnership with a leather specialist- as well as leather bomber jackets for men and women. The first, set to debut this month, is the Aki Jacket.

His fashion brand has so far developed in a very organic way. And we can expect to see a lot more from The House of Vargas in the future. The custom stories he crafts for each design will evolve into future fashion films. More product categories will be introduced. We’ll see artful exhibitions. He’s even ready to transform the likes of nightclubs, restaurants and yoga centers; his designs are available for custom commercial interior design.

TheHouseofVargas.com

Instagram: @galacticemperor12

Editor’s Note: When the author interviewed the artist for Deshabille Magazine, the video call wouldn’t register her face. After their conversation, Vargas looked her up on Instagram and saw her as a striking character for his pieces. She is now one of his muses, featured regularly in his works.

About Chanoa Tarle

Chanoa Tarle is a freelance copywriter, journalist and editor specializing in fashion and luxury goods/lifestyle.

Her work has appeared in magazines including ELEVATE and Luxury Hoteliers and she’s written for an inspiring list of companies including Scaling Retail and Neiman Marcus.

www.ChanoaTarle.com

Get in touch – Email chanoa@chanoatarle.com

Some people say it’s impossible to make a list of the five best anything in the world, but I think they’re just not decisive enough. Food is subjective and can be so personal, but I would bet good money that this list is fairly exhaustive.

Hystrio is the longest running theater and performance quarterly Magazine in the Italian theatrical scene, but it has changed over time while maintaining a timeless concept.

The Hystrio Award will take place on June 8/9/10 at the Elfo Puccini theater, corso Buenos Aires 33, in Milan

Name, date of birth and professional background?

How does it feel to be the first lady in Middle-East to create an Italian Menswear brand?

What obstacles have you faced in order to be who you are today?

What was the turning point for you… when was the moment you realized you wanted to do more and transformed your life?

What do you love about your country, Iran? How much of your culture is in your designs?

How do you see yourself in the next 3 years?

Would you tell us more about you, your background and when did your passion for cooking start?

DE. Würdest Du uns mehr über dich erzählen, deinen Hintergrund und wann deine Leidenschaft fürs Kochen begonnen hat?

At what point you thought you wanted to participate to this contest, in Italy?

DE. Wann hast Du entschieden, an diesem Wettbewerb in Italien teilzunehmen?

What’s your favorite food, the one that most represent you?

DE. Dein Lieblingsgericht?

Zampone and Cotechino! Was it a challenge to integrate this typical Italian (from Modena) food into your recipe?

DE. Zampone und Cotechino! War es eine Herausforderung, dieses typisch italienische Essen in deinem Rezept zu integrieren?

Jennifer Massier was chosen by Massimo Bottura. What is your feeling about Mr. Bottura and how this will impact on your career or studies?

DE. Jennifer Massier wurde von Massimo Bottura ausgewählt. Was ist Ihre Meinung zu Herr Bottura und wie wirkt sich dies auf Deine Karriere oder Dein Studium aus?

Where do you see yourself in two years ?

DE. Wo siehst du dich in zwei Jahren?

Marco, prima di tutto, congratulazioni dal team di DM. Come ci si sente ad essere stati premiati dal n°1 al mondo?

ENG. Marco, first of all, congratulations from the DM team. How do you feel getting an award from the number one chef in the world?

IT. Il vostro piatto, la RIZAMPBOLLITA è una fusione di tradizioni fra Emilia e Toscana, l’ideazione è stata immediata?

ENG. Your dish, the RIZAMPBOLLITA, is a fusion between traditions from the Emilia and Tuscany regions. Was its conception immediate?

IT. Credete che questi eventi/ competizioni arricchiscano gli allievi? Quale aspetto del concorso vi ha particolarmente colpito e stimolato ?

ENG. Do you think these competitions enriched the culinary students? What aspect of the competition has particularly impressed and stimulated you?

IT. Che cos’è l’arte culinaria per questi giovani chef? Cosa credi sia cambiato nella loro percezione di “creare piatti” in quest’era dove il settore food è stato portato in risalto dai media?

ENG. What is culinary art for these young chefs? What do you believe has changed in their perception of “creating dishes” in this new era where the food industry had been brought to the attention of the media?

Fashion & Life Style

Hystrio is the longest running theater and performance quarterly Magazine in the Italian theatrical scene, but it has changed over time while* maintaining a timeless concept.*

Jennifer Massier was chosen by Massimo Bottura. What is your feeling about Mr. Bottura and how this will  impact on your career or studies?