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Man standing in front of building with colourful pillars
Man standing in front of building with colourful pillars

Daniel Buren at Mount Nelson, 2023

When luxury titan LVMH bought the chic hotel and travel group Belmond, it catalysed an artistic photographic collaboration that encapsulates the shift towards the experiential. Belmond’s Arnaud Champenois speaks to LUX about the vision

Luxury hotels are not usually synonymous with daring photographic art: play it safe and show what the property looks like is the regular mantra. Not so with Belmond, the British brand that owns 46 gems such as Villa San Michele in Florence and the Copacabana Palace in Rio.

Open window with landscape view

View from La Residencia, Mallorca (Photographed by François Halard)

Since its acquisition by LVMH in 2019, the group has been creating whimsical and sophisticated art images in collaboration with Galleria Continua in a project titled Mitico. The latest edition, its third, takes place this year with French master Daniel Buren. It’s all part of a shift from physical goods to experiences.

Follow LUX on Instagram: luxthemagazine

“The term ‘experiential travel’ has evolved. Modern luxury travellers now want something different,” says Belmond’s Senior VP of Marketing and Communications, Arnaud Champenois.

Table with white table cloth with fruit and teapot overlooking the sea

Splendido hotel, Portofino (Marco Valmarana, courtesy of Belmond and Galleria Continua)

“Tick-box, fast and thoughtless travel is in the past. Travellers want to go much deeper into a destination, rather than purely seeing it and ticking it off their list.

Read more: Arnaud Champenois on preserving heritage and transforming experiences

Pool with woman doing handstand with pink building behind

Mount Nelson, Cape Town (Photographed by Rosie Marks)

They want to stay longer, try local delicacies, enjoy traditional music and crafts, understand the people, discover the real local treasures. They want to live the stories, not just hear them.”

Samantha Welsh

belmond.com/mitico

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Reading time: 1 min

The Jean Nouvel-designed Louvre Abu Dhabi

The Richard Mille Art Prize, held under the celebrated dome at Louvre Abu Dhabi showcases artists from the Gulf region. Maria Sukkar, LUX senior contributing editor and co-chair of the Tate Middle East North Africa Acquisitions Committee, talks to the most recent curator, Maya El Khalil, and winning artist Nabla Yahya, at a time when previously marginalised artistic voices are becoming increasingly prominent

Transparencies was the theme for the Richard Mille Art Prize 2023/2024, a concept that inspired eight artists from in and around the Gulf to submit striking, varied works.

The Prize, created by the uber-luxury Swiss watch brand in partnership with Louvre Abu Dhabi, supports and showcases contemporary artists based in the Gulf region, an area whose artistic voices have been historically sidelined by a Western-centric art perspective.

Oxford-based curator Maya El Khalil and a jury of curators and authorities chose Dubai-based Nabla Yahya for SoftBank, her multimedia reflection on the history of the Suez Canal, for which she won $60,000 and a global platform, celebrated at a gala dinner.

Black and white photograph of a woman

Photograph of winner Nabla Yahya

Entry for the next Richard Mille Art Prize is open to artists from seven North African countries. The Prize is becoming one of the most influential in the world, with this year’s event taking place under the celebrated dome of Louvre Abu Dhabi.

Maria Sukkar, collector and a major voice in the contemporary-art world, holds a conversation with El Khalil and Yahya. Sukkar and El Khalil are UK-based with a global perspective, symbolic of the current, long-overdue integration of the West Asian region’s art canon with that of the West and beyond.

Darius Sanai

Modern sculpture

The winner Nabla Yahya’s SoftBank; shortlisted artists

Maria Sukkar: Maya, as a curator, what is your view of the art scene in West Asia?

Maya El Khalil: There are different institutions that have emerged in the region, all with a differing pace, focus and prioritisation. Although Dubai started as an art market, it also has institutions that enable scholarly research, and others for emerging voices.

Abu Dhabi is building on infrastructure, and other institutions are in the making. Saudi Arabia is developing lots of infrastructure. So we see the shift.

Historically, we talked of Egypt and Lebanon, however, Saudi, Dubai and Abu Dhabi are where the funding is. The same is true for richness and diversity going further East, such as the development of scholarships in India.

Follow LUX on Instagram: luxthemagazine

Richard Mille Art Prize ceremony room

MS: Throughout your career you have been involved in amazing projects, curatorial posts and exhibitions. Could you elaborate on this edition of the Richard Mille Art Prize exhibition, “Art Here 2023”?

MEK: I think the “Here” in the title is very important. When we talk about “Here”, we are not only exploring the region geographically, but also the influence of history and tradition, and of factors such as climate change. So thinking about what is happening here and now is extremely important.

It also speaks to the spirit, the combining of traditional and fresh art forms. It is very much reflective of that. The dome is certainly a symbol of Arab architecture, and Louvre Abu Dhabi’s light-reflecting version also evokes the playfulness between the visible and invisible, the indoor and outdoor.

Architecture is a form of reflecting on modernity, but sometimes that modern transparency is rejected. There are lots of concepts to address, so the exhibition’s theme, Transparencies, is very rich.

Modern art installation

“It’s so encouraging and validating to have such an esteemed selection committee believe in the work” Nabla Yahya

MS: You said in an interview that “the opportunity to present the work in this space is both a privilege and a challenge”. What were the challenges of curating a project in this non-gallery space beneath the dome?

MEK: Being semi-outdoors, to start with. The artists had to find ways of proposing work that can withstand the varying degrees of the elemental conditions, moving from extreme humidity and temperature fluctuations to sandstorms and heavy rain.

There is also the idea of scale. How do you compete with a space that is dominated by its architecture? I think the artists were able to successfully respond to that.

Black and white photograph of a riverbed

The Richard Mille Art Prize began in 2021, inviting artists in the Gulf region to propose new or existing artworks that engage with the chosen theme for the year

MS: What do you think distinguished Nabla Yahya’s work from the rest?

MEK: There were a few fundamental things that we considered while making this exhibition, such as the ability of the work to match the striking space and the atmosphere. The final decision was unanimous.

Nabla’s work, SoftBank, speaks of trade and labour, which are significant in the region; it is both thematically challenging and really well made – Nabla was extensively involved in producing the work itself.

It’s a subtle work, bringing confidence in what it’s alluding to; there is a depth and range of references and ideas, and the technique really brought it together to make a beautiful installation.

Black and white photograph of woman

Photograph of Maya El Khalil, the most recent curator of the Richard Mille Art Prize

Nabla responded brilliantly to the theme, building not only on contemporary issues but also historical factors. We are at a time where we revisit history and ask, “Who tells that story? Who has the right to tell that story?”.

Nabla has a critical eye on this topic, which is both relevant and important.

MS: Can you tell us about your role as a curator?

MEK: It’s a very important role. It’s not a one-way communication and we hope that artists use the experience of a curator in having worked with different artists to benefit from the process.

Curating is a two-way experience that is important to start early on. It is not about imposing or instructing, it is very much about brainstorming and challenging ideas.

Interior modern architecture

Louvre Abu Dhabi reinterprets Arab architectural themes

MS: How do you think the Richard Mille Art Prize can expand?

MEK: Every edition learns from the previous one. This is the first semi-outdoor exhibition, which inspires the artists. It will be interesting to see the prize evolve to be even more globally engaging and I look forward to seeing it open to a broader region of applicants.

I hope it remains in its current location, because there are still a number of conversations that can be developed in response to the architecture of the space, which will be interesting for the editions to come.

MS: Nabla, congratulations on winning this year’s Richard Mille Art Prize. What inspired you to create your winning installation, SoftBank?

Nabla Yahya: I started thinking about the Suez Canal in 2021 when one of the world’s largest container ships became lodged, holding up global trade. It made me think of how the canal came to be. I took its history for granted; I only knew from the 20th century onwards, in regard to its nationalisation in 1956.

I was interested in reading more of how it came to be. When I learned the Suez Canal had been built in the 1860s by hand, by forced labour, it made me want to make a work about it. I’m really interested in questions around labour and exploitation.

Archival prints are viewed through a hand-cranked carousel, evoking the labour of workers who built the Suez Canal

As I have an architectural background, I contended a lot with the complicity that architects have with the level of exploitation across the world due to global capitalism. It was heartbreaking for me to see how nothing has really changed in the implementation of these grand schemes.

When it came to “Art Here 2023”, I had already been thinking about the history and the project. Since the theme of Transparencies was announced, I thought it would be relevant to present my work, which deals with the opacity of historical narratives.

I also thought it would be interesting to present a work that dealt with French colonialism within a French museum, trying to bring some closure for the workers who were not documented.

Black and white art of rocky landscape

Yahya seeks to examine histories and present realities that have been censored, erased, or overlooked by past and present systems of power

MS: What’s behind the name “SoftBank”?

NY: First, the banks of the Suez are made of clay, salt and sand, so they’re soft. In order to maintain them they need to be re-dredged as they need reinforcement. So it alludes to them literally, but also to a generation of soft power when it comes to building these kinds of mega projects.

They are promoted with a humanitarian vision. For me, there’s a failing in the intentions to create more profit and power. It also alludes to the Japanese investment conglomerate SoftBank, which is sort of a pun.

Black and white photograph of woman

Photograph of Maria Sukkar, LUX senior contributing editor and co-chair of the Tate Middle East North Africa Acquisitions Committee

MS: The work is interactive; a lot of building went into it. How did that came about?

NY: There are three main components. There is the interactive carousel, then a topographical installation representing the canal, based on a map from 1870. Then you have a fountain, an Occidentalised version of a healing bowl, which, however, fosters greed and speaks of power struggles and exploitation.

I thought it would be interesting to make an artwork that involved the viewer in a similar way, to spend some time with the work, to make it a bit more active. There were several struggles, including the environmental; perhaps I would’ve used different materials if it was indoors.

Not only are we in this climate, but we are also on the water, exposed to salt water, so I was overloaded with so many possible issues, trying to think 20 steps ahead. And naturally, the cost of the work goes up when you’re using materials that are made to last.

Black and white artwork of symbol

In SoftBank, artist Nabla Yahya considers the history of the Suez Canal in order to “deal with the opacity of historical narratives”

MS: The work is certainly a dialogue between past and present, but also an outpour of emotion. What does winning the prize mean to you?

NY: I was completely shocked, and still am. It means a lot for different reasons. First, I was born in Abu Dhabi, so it meant a lot to win a prize there, 15 minutes away from the hospital where I was born.

Also, I feel as if I’m only just getting started, so it’s so encouraging and validating to have such an esteemed selection committee believe so much in the work. It is really incredible to receive this sort of feedback, because I’m not a very confident person.

It’s great that the art world has a space to have difficult conversations, and that people do care.

MS: You’ve always been interested in colonialism. Is SoftBank your most daring work so far?

NY: I do think it’s the most ambitious, but it depends on how you define it. If it’s daring because of the subject matter and context, I suppose so. I hope it sets a bar for myself.

Black and white artwork of rock

SoftBank is comprised of three components that together examine the hidden histories behind the construction of the Suez Canal

MS: Now that you’ve won this prize, how do you see its future in the region? Can it become even more important?

NY: I think it goes back to what I was saying about others being able to express themselves freely. I think that could be a positive outcome, that this initiative could grow as a space where we can have these expansive global conversations. I hope that is the effect.

MS: What’s next for Nabla?

NY: I’m going to grad school. At the ceremony, I was so shocked at winning, but all I was thinking was, “I need to pay for grad school”. It was an emotional rollercoaster.

Series of black and white photographs

Carousel detail, depicting the exploitation of the workers who created the Suez Canal

MS: Maya and Nabla, it’s not the first time you’ve worked together. How did it feel to be part of a project together again?

NY: Maya gave me such incredible opportunities. The first time we worked together, she found me and reached out to me. I was a new person in her life and she trusted me with a commission for a show, which I think was so amazing.

With the open call for the Louvre, it’s so meaningful to have people looking out for you. Maya says she wants to support emerging artists and she really does that.

Read more: LUX curates for Richard Mille at Frieze London

MEK: When you research it, you’ll find artists who address our contemporary world in such an honest way. There isn’t a distance between Nabla and her work. Sometimes artists have a distant relationship with things that are going on around them and can critique them.

Nabla is so involved with what’s around her, she’s so invested in everything she does emotionally, theoretically and critically. At the same time, she does intense research before she makes her work. She is very much a barometer of the world around us and that is reflected in her art.

Detail of a rock with a round silver detail

Yahya’s Occidental version of a healing bowl, which here “fosters greed”

MS: Nabla, you once said, “I escaped the architecture industry”. How do you merge both disciplines in your work?

NY: I’m not sure if it’s a good thing for me. During my interview for grad school, I was asked about my work being clean and crisp, which I attribute to my architectural background. I’d be interested in what kind of work I could make if I could shake that background from me.

I do think it’s limiting. I think that there are things that are incredibly valuable from this background, though, such as having a research-based approach to the world. In terms of thinking about forms and aesthetics, I would like to move away from it.

MEK: I see it differently, as a strength. But the fact that you’re aware of it, and you put yourself in situations where you challenge it, is promising.

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Reading time: 12 min
Man with arms crossed over table

“Living in Beiruit has significantly influenced and enriched my creative journey, especially during the cosmopolitna era of the 1970s”

Elie Saab’s self-made fashion empire has spawned a world of luxury beloved by many of the world’s wealthiest and most discerning women. LUX speaks to the Lebanese couturier and entrepreneur

Elie Saab has achieved the supposedly unachievable. The designer has built his independent fashion brand, which has its origins in his home country of Lebanon, into a multimillion-dollar lifestyle business. At its heart is luxurious clothing desired by some of the world’s wealthiest, and most discriminating, women – indeed, Saab was the star of a recent Paris Haute Couture week.

He speaks to LUX Editor-in-Chief Darius Sanai about how he overcame cultural and commercial challenges to thrive in this most challenging of industries, by focusing on simply creating beauty.

LUX: Your family had to leave your home when you were a child during the civil war in Lebanon. Did this devastation and disruption affect who you are professionally today?

Elie Saab: I was in Lebanon throughout the war. We left Damour, a southern area, for Beirut because it wasn’t safe any more. My family lost their homes and jobs, and that forced me to take on responsibilities early in life and work to support my family. This led me to discover my passion, which eventually became my career.

Woman in a pink sequin dress walking down a runway

Elie Saab began his career by designing intricate bridal gowns, gradually expanding his business on an international scale.

LUX: How do you weave the story of Lebanon, a country of beauty, history and tragedy, into your designs?

ES: Our culture and heritage shape who we are and I draw constant inspiration from them. Living in Beirut has significantly influenced and enriched my creative journey, especially during the cosmopolitan era of the 1970s. The elegance of Lebanese women during that time has strongly influenced my designs. I blend Lebanon’s essence with the charm of the Mediterranean in my creations.

LUX: You focus on femininity, beauty and celebrating royalty, even though these have gone in and out of fashion. Do you consider trends or prefer to do what you like?

ES: When I create, I think of a dress that is timeless; a dress that can be passed down from mother to daughter. The ultimate goals are for a woman who tries on my dress to feel confident and to highlight her femininity. I always want her to feel sublime.

Sketch of a pink dress

Sketch for LUX by Elie Saab.

LUX: How important was the invitation by the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture to join it in 2003?

ES: I would say the first milestone was in 1997 when I was invited to showcase my work in Rome at the Camera Nazionale della Moda, as the only non-Italian designer. After that, I decided to present my work in Paris and that is when I received the invitation of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. This shift was another milestone for my career; I became one of the earliest non-French designers to receive such an invitation, following in the footsteps of Valentino, Armani and Versace. This major step enabled me to expand my business and step into a bigger spotlight.

Follow LUX on Instagram: @luxthemagazine

LUX: Fashion is a tough business and many talented designers have failed commercially. What does it take to succeed?

ES: This field is becoming more and more challenging. You have to distinguish yourself from the competition with a unique product. I aim to highlight the beauty of women. What we offer is wearable and classic pieces. Reaching that stage was not easy. Elie Saab has evolved into a lifestyle brand, catering to a diverse audience with different lines ranging from haute couture to ready-to-wear, perfumes and Elie Saab Maison, an entity of its own.

Woman in a silver sequin dress with a black background

Beyoncé wearing an Elie Saab Haute Couture Autumn/Winter 2023 gown during her Renaissance world tour, 2023.

LUX: What have been your greatest challenges? What was the worst time?

ES: We always face challenges, they’re part of the journey to success. With no challenges come no rewards. The important thing is to learn from them. I don’t dwell on the past. I choose to take lessons from it and move forward.

LUX: How much has social media and online shopping changed the fashion business, both commercially and aesthetically?

ES: It has definitely made a big difference. I think social media is a powerful tool to promote your business. It gives you so much visibility and exposure in such a short time, which wasn’t possible before. It opens up amazing opportunities, especially giving a platform to young and emerging designers who are working hard to make their way into this industry. Yet social media can be tricky, and it is important not to confuse virtuality with reality. In a day you can go viral, so it’s important to stay consistent and true to yourself.

Read more: Two key players in British fashion raise the game for personal shopping

LUX: You looked delighted at your recent haute couture show in Paris, after the rapturous reception for Jennifer Lopez. How important are reactions to what you do?

ES: The amount of positive feedback from the press, social media and clients was, of course, very important. It reaffirmed the importance of the collection itself and how well it resonated with our audience. J.Lo was stunning as always and chose a look from the runway. The level of stress remains constant, regardless of the number of shows, until I receive reviews from clients, audience and the press. Positive feedback always boosts motivation to do more.

Woman in a flower dress with an orange background

Jennifer Lopez at the Elie Saab Haute Couture SS24 show wearing a floor-length feathered Elie Saab cape.

LUX: You have said you were born with a vision of beauty. What would you have been if you had not been a designer?

ES: I would have become an architect. I love designing and creating. This passion expanded in 2020 when we launched Elie Saab Maison and real-estate projects, aiming to reach a wider audience and evolve into a lifestyle brand.

LUX: What’s next in the evolution of Elie Saab?

ES: We are on a roll to keep expanding, whether it’s in different house lines or in undertakings such as real estate. In 2024, we have various projects in the pipeline, such as expanding our boutiques, network and lines. There is always something to look forward to.

eliesaab.com

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Reading time: 5 min

Portrait of Will Goldfarb from Air, Singapore

Some of the world’s most decorated and creative chefs are making environmentally friendly dining the most exciting taste in the world. In the first of a two-part LUX report, Isabella Fergusson talks to three of gastronomy’s finest to find out more

Will Goldfarb from Air, Singapore

With Air (Awareness, Impact, Responsibility), Will Goldfarb (Room4Dessert, Bali) and Matt Orlando (ex Noma, Denmark) are the US power pairing setting taste buds alight with their eco-forward Singapore venture, which opened in January this year.

LUX: Is failure a driver or a hindrance for you?

Will Goldfarb: Failure is a driver, because it just means you didn’t succeed yet.

LUX: You reference art, music and film in your food. Which artists have inspired you recently?

WG: I am a huge MF Doom fan; I think he is a total genius, may he rest in peace. I am particularly inspired by his album Special Herbs and use it in conjunction with our medicinal and healing plants garden during the creative process.

Signature dishes, including a Rozelle Glazed Duck Breast grilled over charcoal

LUX: You moved from Bali to leave pressure behind. Is there more of the same in Singapore?

WG: Singapore is a fascinating and delightful city, and I hope we can showcase some of its unexpected charms.

LUX: How did Bali change your definition of cooking and sustainability?

WG: I think Bali changed my life. And, naturally, it has changed what it means to cook, to share, to be generous and to be creative. The idea of sustainability is very visceral here, it’s not just a slogan.

LUX: Will you be able to maintain the levels of freshness and sustainability in Singapore that you had in Bali?

Night-time at Air, located in a green campus of more than 3,500 square meters

WG: There is no question, having the privilege to witness chef Matt Orlando, that freshness in Singapore will be unparalleled. Take the garden lining the outer perimeter of Air. It’s our little farm, where guests can see the thread of where flavour begins. Every harvest from the garden is destined for the restaurant, with dishes tweaked to absorb the bounty on any given day. As chef Matt said, diners can have one dish today and come back two weeks later to find that the flavours of that same dish may have changed.

LUX: When you came back from El Bulli in Spain, your minimum standard was to be the best in the world. Was this arrogance?

WG: I suppose I think of the above as a statement in humility, not arrogance – in the sense that the best is never enough. I hope that, as I get older, it’s easier to share the more modest side of this constant, steady search for love and wonder in food.

LUX: Is there a young, upcoming chef you admire, especially for how they balance sustainability and creativity?

WG: I am a huge fan of Blanca del Noval. The attention she has been receiving for her work with wild edible plants is very well deserved.

aircccc.com

Michelin star chef Ana Roš, whose personal mantra “the way we eat is the way we live” determines her approach to the kitchen

Ana Roš from Hiša Franko, Slovenia 

In a mountain valley near an emerald-green river, the restaurant of self-taught former diplomat Roš has three Michelin stars and a Michelin green star. It features local produce, timelessness, ingredients foraged in nature – and Roš’s unique touch.

LUX: What is the most worrying change you have seen recently in relation to sustainability?

Ana Roš: That sustainability is becoming a new word for charity. It is used and abused, with a lot of greenwashing around. We are losing the focus of what sustainability is, in terms of food, the organisation of life, work, timetables, food chains and especially the preservers of traditions and of the future.

LUX: Is greenwashing inevitable? Where can you improve?

AR: I really don’t believe that Hiša Franko is a case of greenwashing. I think that we are clear in emphasising that we do a lot to be sustainable, and can do a lot more to be sustainable. I would not connect greenwashing with our work.

A signature dish at Hiša Franko, comprised of a seeded taco, black sunchoke purée, pears, and silene vulgaris

LUX: What does one’s attitude to food say about one’s attitude to life?

AR: The connection is very obvious. I believe the way we eat is the way we live.

LUX: How do you balance spontaneity and control in the kitchen?

AR: Both parameters are very important. The spontaneous part comes from creativity, but also from observing all of the things that happen in nature. Being spontaneous can create crazy or weird food combinations. Being spontaneous means – since nature is changing all the time – working with the circle of nature. At the same time, that is where control starts being very important. In the kitchen, that means the control of the food process – and exactness.

A view of Hiša Franko, which is set in the Soča Valley, Slovenia, surrounded by nature

LUX: Is there a young chef who has caught your eye who is doing great things for sustainability?

AR: I don’t feel I can say. Most young chefs live in cities, where it is harder to be sustainable than living in the country. Also, you need to know inside the kitchen of chefs to know whether this is greenwashing or real sustainability.

hisafranko.com

Michelin star chef Chan Yan Tak in the Lung King Heen kitchen at The Four Seasons, Hong Kong

Chan Yan Tak from Lung King Heen, Four Seasons Hotel, Hong Kong

The first Chinese chef to have had a three Michelin-star restaurant, Hong Kong-born Chan Yan Tak combines next-level sustainability practice with an exquisite and creative take on Cantonese cuisine.

LUX: What are your 2024 environmental- awareness plans?

Chan Yan Tak: In line with Four Seasons Hong Kong’s ESG principles, our restaurant is committed to preserving and regenerating the environment and our community. We source most ingredients locally to promote community resilience and reduce carbon emissions from transportation. We offer a range of vegan and vegetarian options, which are refreshed each season. Excess food is donated to the community through Foodlink, a non-profit that works to fight hunger. Food waste is converted offsite into biogas for renewable energy and compost for agriculture. We strive to continue adapting our sustainable programmes while providing exceptional food and services.

An interior view of the restaurant by night, with views of Victoria Harbour beyond

LUX: How have attitudes towards sustainability changed in Chinese gastronomic circles?

CYT: One focus is waste reduction. From this year, the government is banning disposal plastics from in-restaurant dining and takeaways. In fact, our hotel eliminated single-use plastics way before this. Initiatives such as ingredient control, composting and recycling are encouraged, too. It is also essential to provide education to the public and training to employees. People are becoming increasingly environmentally aware, especially with accolades like the Michelin green star, introduced to Hong Kong and Macau in 2021. The topic is more widely discussed, and restaurants are working to explore what can be done better.

LUX: Lung King Heen currently has two Michelin stars. You were also the first Chinese chef to have been awarded three stars. Did these achievements change your approach?

CYT: I don’t think the awards changed the way we cook. The cuisine we create as a team here at Lung King Heen is what earned us this recognition, and we are committed to putting in the same effort every day to ensure that our guests have the best experience.

Signature main dishes at Lung King Heen

LUX: What change do you think we will see in the next five years?

CYT: Sustainability is not just a trend but a reflection of changing values and expectations. People are more conscious of the impact their choices have on the environment and seek eco-friendly products and services. The demand for diverse plant-based or health-conscious options will continue to grow. Next, technology has become integral to our lives, and the dining experience is no exception. AI will play an important role in customer experiences, managing expenses and optimising supply chains. It will be essential to balance technology with human interactions.

LUX: What excites you most about entering the kitchen?

CYT: What excites me the most is simply seeing my team. Our success and accolades are not dependent on one person, it’s about teamwork. I’m proud to say that our restaurant has a low turnover rate. Many team members have been working together for more than 10 years, dedicating themselves to delivering the finest quality food to our guests. I am deeply grateful for their efforts, as they continuously make the impossible possible. Their commitment and passion are the driving forces behind our achievements, and I feel privileged to be a part of such an exceptional team.

fourseasonshotel.com/hongkong

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Reading time: 7 min

Stephan Winkelmann assumed the role of Chairman and CEO of Lamborghini on December 1, 2020, succeeding Stefano Domenicali.

Under CEO Stephan Winkelmann, Lamborghini has transformed from a sports-car brand with its glory days behind it to an outrageous dream for kids and adults around the world. He tells LUX how he implemented his vision – and what lies ahead as the company’s famously vocal petrol engines become replaced by electric motors

LUX: When you started as Lamborghini CEO, what was your vision and have you achieved it?

Stephan Winkelmann: I started in January 2005, and at that time I knew very little about Lamborghini, so for me it was important to do a quick assessment of the state of the brand and the company.

After I understood about it more, it was vital to give a crystal-clear message to the fans and customers to position Lamborghini as a niche brand. It was about being uncompromising, extreme and Italian.

And then we focused on having the two models [recently joined by a third] to exploit all the capabilities of the chassis and the engine. These were the most important things to achieve. And we’ve achieved them, because the brand has made a huge step in the past almost two decades. The team has done a fantastic job.

Follow LUX on Instagram: luxthemagazine

LUX: The world has changed a lot in that time. How has Lamborghini had to change?

SW: A brand is constantly moving – there is no standing still, the adaptation is continuous. Now we are in a phase where the car industry is changing dramatically, and for super sportscar manufacturers this change is even more complex because one end is design, which is the easier part, but the other is performance.

And for us, performance is something we have to continue not only to promise, but to overachieve. Nowadays, there’s also a new dimension, which is sustainability. So we are hybridising all the line-up.

There is the new Revuelto – a hybrid, a complete new Huracán, and Urus is going to be a plug-in hybrid. After that, we will think about how to come to the end of the decade with our first fully electric car.

Man in a suit with cars behind him

Stephan Winkelmann has taken the Lamborghini bull by the horns, transforming quality and trust in the brand while reinforcing its image as the wildest and most flamboyant maker of supercars, and extending its reach into gaming. He has introduced a luxury SUV (the Urus, in orange, above).

LUX: We can see how you can create design and performance in an electric car, but how do you create Lamborghini passion?

SW: Passion is the design and performance. What is changing is the sound. You have two types of performance: one is acceleration and top speed, which is nice to have, but everybody can have something like this.

For me, the next thing for electric cars or hybrid cars is the second type of performance: the handling behaviour.

LUX: Since you started, the proportion of the world’s super wealthy has increased and we see a new super-luxury sector across every industry. Is there more demand now for bespoke and nearly-bespoke multimilliondollar cars?

SW: We have been doing these for at least 15 years, and they are split into what we call “few-offs” and “one-offs”.

The few-offs cost more than €2 million and the one-offs are €5-6 million for the time being. So, yes, the customers are always looking for more and for something special.

Purple metallic car

He has introduced highly limited-edition models that sell for millions – like the contemporary reworking of the legendary classic Countach (in purple, above).

LUX: Is there a danger that in 20 years’ time, the market will be more generic because of a lack of distinctiveness around engines?

SW: I don’t think so, because the engine is just one brick in the wall. What we do best is to have the Lamborghini DNA in every car and in the emotional part of the driving experience. We have to maintain this.

“FOR US, PERFORMANCE IS SOMETHING WE HAVE TO CONTINUE NOT ONLY TO PROMISE, BUT TO OVERACHIEVE”

Man in a suit with a red car

He also has created more accessible road racers to rival everyday Ferraris, such as the Huracán STO (in red, above).

LUX: Lamborghinis come in all kinds of interesting colours. What’s your favourite?

SW: For the Huracán, my favourites are the dark matte colours.

LUX: What is Lamborghini doing outside designing cars?

SW: We have a licensing department, we are doing real estate, we have a licence with watches, we have partners like Lego, we have video games, we have boats, we’ve done NFTs.

Read more: Car collector king Fritz Burkard on his Pearl Collection

LUX: Is a Lamborghini a dream?

SW: Yes, usually it’s a dream purchase come true, maybe because you had posters on your wall as a child, or, for the new generation, gaming – appearance in games is important.

LUX: Lamborghinis still seem to appeal across generations and sexes. Why?

SW: The shape of the cars are so recognisable; they are comparable with fighter jets. And on social media our presence is so significant.

We take care of our customers, but it is equally important that everybody who sees a Lamborghini or who is in contact with a Lamborghini gives a thumbs-up. Nobody should be left behind.

lamborghini.com

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Arnaud de Lummen is specialized in reactivating the cultural capital of luxury brands and carving out compelling creative revival platforms

Arnaud de Lummen is the founder and Managing Director of Luvanis, a leader in reviving dormant heritage brands, and a Partner at TLF Ventures, which invests in visionary entrepreneurs shaping the future of luxury tech. He speaks to LUX about the brand revivals, new names and luxury concepts attracting him now

Jacques Doucet by Invisible Collection

Invisible Collection sells beautiful furniture pieces and decorative objects from top interior designers, and also champions sustainable design by promoting local production and heritage with a made-to- order model. I will watch closely the upcoming collection honouring the French fashion designer and art collector Jacques Doucet, who died in 1929, which Invisible Collection will exclusively introduce and distribute.

theinvisiblecollection.com

The pieces of furniture the brand selects reflect the best work conceived by great artists and designers around the world today, all handpicked for their relevance and uniqueness

Au Départ

After a long dormancy, this historical Parisian trunk-maker, founded in 1834 and a favourite of French writer and pioneering aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, will open its first new flagship store on rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, near Hermès, in the autumn of 2024. It promises to be the perfect point of departure.

uk.audepart.com

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Designed out of the geometrical form of a parallelepiped inspired by the floors of the ruins of Pompeii, the Au Départ monogram was created. Also, to distinguish themselves from all the other trunk-makers

Vever

A sleeping-beauty jeweller founded in 1821, the recently revived house of Vever now uses only recycled gold and lab-grown diamonds. For me, its new Ginkgo three-flowers earring, which can also be worn as a single flower earring, perfectly embodies
the traditional values of artistic innovation, know-how and quality craftsmanship associated with this iconic French house.

vever.com

It all began 200 years ago, when Pierre-Paul Vever founded the Maison in Metz and created his first jewel there

Maison J.U.S

Founded by three passionate peers who disrupted the fragrance industry by unveiling the formulas of their perfumes, Maison J.U.S provides a distinctive sensory experience through colourful, eco-friendly, 100 per cent French and, above all, highly creative perfumes. One fragrance that stands out to me for its unique notes, which include mandarin, cedar and ambergris, is Andaluiza.

jusparfums.com

Read more: The future of philanthropy, with UBS

The parfumes are colourful, environmentally and 100% french made

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Frédéric Rouzaud, Maria Sukkar and Darius Sanai

LUX and Louis Roederer co-hosted an event for collectors of art, design and champagne where Frédéric Rouzaud, Maria Sukkar and Darius Sanai had a lively panel discussion about art, sustainability and responsibility. Some rare and celebrated champagnes from the Maison were served, including Cristal Vinotheque Rose 2002 and Cristal Vinotheque 1996, from magnum

Frédéric Rouzaud, Darius Sanai and Maria Sukkar

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Alexandra Tilling, Richard Billett, Samantha Welsh, Lorna Mourad, Malek Sukkar, Ege Gürmeriçliler, Nadim Mourad

Read more: Louis Roederer Photography Prize for Sustainability

Philippe Starck designed the label for Roederer’s zero added sugar Brut Nature

Maria Sukkar, Jennifer Boghossian, Lorna Mourad, Malek Sukkar and Rob Boghossian

Lorna Mourad, Jennifer Boghossian, Rob Boghossian, Ege Gürmeriçliler, Darius Sanai, Laurent Ganem, Maria Sukkar, Laurent Ganem, Anne Pierre d’Albis Ganem,
Nadim Mourad, Richard Billett, Samantha Welsh, Malek Sukkar

Anne Pierre d’Albis Ganem, Ege Gürmeriçliler, Samantha Welsh and Maria Sukkar

Frédéric Rouzaud, Darius Sanai and Maria Sukkar

Louis Roederer’s cristal rosé

www.louis-roederer.com

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Fritz Burkard, a Swiss car collector, is renowned for his collection of vintage cars, called the Pearl Collection

Back in August, Fritz Burkard made waves when his Bugatti Type 59 won the celebrated Pebble Beach Best of Show. The swiss car collector speaks with Fabienne Amez-Droz about his idea to open a new private museum in Switzerland to see his cars, and the roots of his passion

LUX: How long have you been passionate about vintage cars, and when did you start with the Pearl Collection?

Fritz Burkard: I bought my first classic car when I was twenty. It was a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro, and I got it for 4,000 Swiss francs at the time. That car means a lot to me. I still have it, and next week I’m getting it fully restored from the ground up.

For the first time in the history of the Pebble Beach Concours d’élégance, Best of Show was awarded to a preservation car—a Bugatti Type 59

LUX: How do you decide which cars to add to your collection, given that it has such a variety of different cars? (Very original, very dramatic and very beautiful)

FB: I don’t see much of a difference between buying a car and buying art. Cars, especially vintage ones, are pure art to me. I don’t follow a specific plan or checklist when adding cars to my collection; I go with my gut feeling.

Sometimes, I come across beautiful cars, but if I don’t feel a strong emotional connection, I won’t buy them. Essentially, I’ve gathered cars that I personally like, which makes my collection a diverse patchwork. That’s what makes it interesting. If you have a collection filled with just supercars, you start to lose the individuality of each car. But with contrast, each car stands out for its uniqueness. I’m also only interested in original cars.

LUX: How many cars are in the collection?

FB: There are about 80 to 90 cars in total.

The Bugatti was one of 214 cars from 16 countries and 29 states that competed at Pebble Beach, California

LUX: Is it important how the cars are arranged in the space?

FB: Definitely. We’ve just moved all the cars into the space, which we’ve been planning for two years. I didn’t have a clear plan initially, but there’s an area where I always wanted to do something special.

We’re still moving cars around because sometimes the combinations don’t work. I listen to my gut feeling because the collection is for me more than anyone else.

Follow LUX on Instagram: @luxthemagazine

LUX: Will the collection be seen by friends only or will interested car fans or collectors be able to have a look at it aswell?

FB: I want the collection to be accessible to everyone, especially children, so they can experience and fall in love with these types of cars. Right now, it’s more of a private space, but at a later stage, people will be able to book tours via a website.

It’ll be a limited number of people, as I want it to be an experience where they can open the cars and even sit in them. I want to avoid chaos, especially since it’s so close to my living space. There will be a driveway in the middle, so each car can be taken out and driven.

Despite these successes, for Fritz the vehicles are more than mere acquisitions – he believes that a love of such machinery comes from the heart and the most important thing in a car is your smile

LUX: What is one of your favourite cars in your collection?

FB: Not really. I have a handful of favourite ones depending on the memories they’ve created for me and my daughters. For example, my Chevrolet Camaro isn’t a show-stopper, but for my university friends and me, it holds a lot of meaning. We can’t wait to take a road trip and feel like we’re 22 again. That’s what it’s all about.

LUX: What is the most important thing in a car to you?

FB: For me, the most important thing is what I call the “Smile-o-meter.” It doesn’t have a brand, year, or price tag—it just makes you happy. That’s what driving should be about—having fun and feeling happiness with the people important to you.

LUX: What are your thoughts on supercars?

FB: I do have modern cars, especially modern Bugattis. They are breathtaking and unmatched by any other brand. However, if I had to choose between a modern and a classic Bugatti for a tour, it would always be the classic one.

The driving experience is more exciting—you become part of the machine. Modern Bugattis, on the other hand, feel like comfortable beasts. The era of pure performance is over for me. Today, what matters is the experience, comfort, luxury, details, and design.

For example, ETH Zurich built a car that accelerates from 0 to 60 km/h in 0.8 seconds. Do we really need that? What excites me more are cars that offer a complete experience.

Read more: The new Mercedes-Maybach SL luxury sports car

LUX: What do you think of the designs of modern hypercars?

FB: Many modern hypercar designs don’t convince me, though I can appreciate them for what they are. Bugatti, with its new models, is still breathtaking—simple and smooth. Other brands, like Pagani, don’t hit my taste, but they still make bold design statements that appeal to others.

That’s perfectly fine. There are many different ways to approach design, and that diversity is what makes the industry fun. The passion people have for classic cars is something I really appreciate, but I’m less fond of being around pure investors, as they miss the point.

The Pearl Collection is known for using its vehicles enthusiastically, rather than just leaving them on static display

LUX: Can you share the history of this particular Bugatti you won the Pebble Beach with? How did you acquire it?

FB: I acquired the car during COVID at an auction. It was born in 1934 for the Grand Prix and originally painted blue. It won a Grand Prix and placed third in Monaco with René Dreyfus, who later became a French Resistance hero.

King Leopold of Belgium then bought it, and it was repainted black with a yellow stripe, Belgium’s racing colors. It changed hands several times, but nobody ever restored it—they just kept it running. That’s the secret to preservation: always keep the car running.

When we got it, we discovered the original Bugatti license plate under the black paint. We restored it to its 1937 condition, as it was when King Leopold bought it. I drove it every morning at Pebble Beach for two to three hours along the Pacific coastline.

Even on the morning of the Concours, I took it out. To me, that’s what a car is made for—not just to look at, but to drive, feel, and experience.

Burkard is planning to make his Pearl Collection even more approachable to car enthusiasts by setting up a showroom in Zug where you can schedule appointments to see the cars

LUX: How did it feel to win Pebble Beach as the first European, and especially Swiss, person?

FB: It was overwhelming. For 73 years, only Americans and Asians had won, so I was thrilled that a preservation car and a Bugatti won, especially this Bugatti, one of the most successful racing Bugattis of the 1930s.

There’s a funny story behind it. After the show, we were initially sent off to our parking spot, and we were happy, thinking we had won in our segment. But then they called us back, “Fritz Burkhard, please return to the stage!”

We were in a panic, almost packed up to leave! Standing there as one of the final four, with my friend Philipp Sarasin also nominated, was surreal. When they announced the win, I completely lost it. I knew what it meant for me, the car, and for Pebble Beach: the first European car to win, and a preservation car at that. It was a huge moment!

 

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Aubain – dancer, yogi, community leader and refugee – takes a break in Nakivale refugee settlement, Uganda, April 2018; photographed by Nachson Mimran

As the number of high net worth individuals increases, the philanthropic sector funded by their wealth has expanded. But is philanthropy genuinely effective and useful? In this feature, LUX speaks to some of the leading players to establish how the future of the sector is – and should be – shaping up, and discovers the pitfalls to avoid

In 2018, Rob Reich, Professor of Political Science at Stanford University in the US, shook the world of philanthropy with his book, Just Giving. In it, he claimed that the world of philanthropy was failing democracy, particularly in the US.

Many philanthropists “were not giving away enough”, their foundations were opaque and they were not having the desired positive outcomes. Reich’s book stirred timely and impassioned debate in a global philanthropy sector that has grown in the past decades to be worth more than an estimated £182 billion (US$228 billion) by 2023, according to The National Philanthropic Trust.

But while some of his theses continue to have merit – in particular, questions about motivations for some philanthropic endeavour – it is also clear that much philanthropy has been evolving rapidly, becoming more efficient and focused on delivering transparent solutions to major issues that cannot or will not be solved either by purely public or purely private capital.

kis

Olena (26) with her children, Artem (8), Sofia (3), Oleksi (7) and Zlata (18months), who were taken away from Olena and put in an institution in Ukraine when Olena couldn’t afford to look after them. Social workers from Hope and Homes for CHildren (which is funded by charitable trusts and foundations including UBS Optimus Foundation) supported Olena to improve her financial situation and helped her get her children back home again

A fundamental starting point is to focus on achieving systemic rather than symptomatic change, says Tom Hall, UBS Global Head of Social Impact & Philanthropy. To do that most effectively, philanthropic and investment capital need to work together to create leverage around areas of fundamental global importance, such as climate, education and health.

“We have to be smart about how we allocate both philanthropic and investment capital, and we have to work in partnership with all of civil society to build the kind of economy that’s required to have sustainable pathways for people to prosper and for us to protect our planet,” he says.

These aims are encapsulated in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and, while some may take issue with the United Nations and the concept of SDGs in general, there is little room for doubt that addressing the focal points highlighted by these 17 goals is fundamental to global health and wealth in the future. At the heart of it all is sustainability, which means ensuring a healthy planet and an equitable future for all people on it.

Footballer Patrice Evra, seen through Extreme E tyre, Neom, Saudi Arabia, March 2023; photographed by Nachson Mimran

Every endeavour must be approached through this lens, including philanthropy. In addressing this point, philanthropy has to become bolder: this means doing the research, taking risks, measuring results and leveraging both its capital and its connections with private and public capital.

And, as we will see, it is starting to do so. Keys to this approach are blended finance and social-impact enterprises, which can both leverage and catalyse philanthropic capital in ways that traditional grant-making cannot.

For example, UBS Optimus Foundation and Bridges Outcomes Partnerships, a specialist non-profit, has developed the SDG Outcomes initiative. This works with governments, corporates and other outcomes funders to design, support and deliver SDG-aligned projects in low- and middle-income countries, particularly across Africa and Asia.

It uses an innovative blended-finance structure that sees UBS Optimus, funded by donations from over 30 UBS clients, providing 20 per cent first-loss capital to unlock further impact-driven capital. Any philanthropic funding returns are recycled into future projects.

SDG-linked themes are resoundingly supported by many of the new generations of philanthropists, such as Nachson Mimran, an entrepreneur, philanthropist and creative based in Switzerland. “I felt a shift in the conversations I was having with friends around dinner tables in about 2016.

People started asking questions about sustainability, climate change, poverty and global migration in the context of corporate social responsibility,” he says. “This happened to be around the time the UN launched its 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

A year earlier, my brother Arieh and I had already launched to.org – a platform operating in venture capital, philanthropy and the creative space, focused on accelerating solutions to Earth’s most pressing challenges – and we were excited that collective attention was turning in a similar direction.

“I believe,” he continues, “that Millennials and Gen Z are having these conversations and beginning to think about integrating philanthropy into business much earlier in life than previous generations.

My personal belief is that the most successful businesses of the future will be those that choose to respond directly to several – and not just one – of the 17 SDGs.”

Different perspective, similar approach: James Chen is Chair of the Hong Kong-based Chen Yet-Sen Family Foundation, and espouses a risk-taking approach for philanthropic capital, which can then leverage the reach of international organisations.

Follow LUX on instagram: luxthemagazine

kids

Rohyinga children, Kutupalong refugee settlement, Bangladesh, December 2017; photographed by Nachson Mimran

“Philanthropy has a storied history of success, and private donors have played a critical part in funding important social advances, both big and small,” says Chen. “But some of today’s global challenges need a different approach, one that requires time, expertise and investing in risk-taking entrepreneurial ideas.

It is an approach that I and others call ‘moonshot philanthropy’. Drawing on President John F Kennedy’s ambition to put a man on the moon, it is about more than just donating money; it’s about making a philanthropic investment in an ambitious venture that has the potential to catalyse system change.”

Noting that 2.2 billion people around the world are affected by poor vision, which adversely affects their education, health, work opportunities and gender equality, as well as productivity, Chen launched his Clearly campaign in 2016, backed by his family’s philanthropic capital, because, he says, philanthropic capital can afford to take a risk to lose capital where organisations like the World Bank and USAID can not, due to their strict accountability rules.

As well as funding technology and campaigns in developing countries, which have led to millions having consistent access to eyeglasses from childhood, Chen was a key mover behind the United Nations resolution, passed in 2021 and adopted by all 193 member countries, to ensure affordable eyecare for all by 2030.

Professional leadership and creating connections between the philanthropic sector and the private and public sectors is critical, according to Maya Ziswiler, CEO of UBS Optimus Foundation. “More and more philanthropists are telling us that having a passion for doing good is not enough and that they want to see measurable outcomes based on their action,” she says. “How can you take advantage of your passion with rational thinking to ensure you’re actually having an impact, and working with others to maximise that impact?

The problem isn’t that there is a lack of money out there; it’s making sure that the money becomes accessible and that the capital is pooled to scale impact. “When we become involved in a programme,” she continues, “we always think, what are the routes to sustainability and scale?

There are two ways you can make sure a programme is sustainable and will continue after philanthropists decide to exit, and that is either that a government takes it over, or businesses take it over. Philanthropists need to make sure that they have the right understanding of how those systems work and then build those relationships.” UBS’s Hall agrees that the leveraging of relationships between the sectors, and in the way philanthropy works, is essential, if the funding gap for Sustainable Development Goals, currently in the trillions, is to be closed. Even with the dramatic growth in philanthropic capital, private giving alone will not be able to do it.

kid

Girl collaborating with to.org, creative activists in a street-art, project, Libreville, Gabon, November 2018; photographed by Nachson Mimran

There are few more seasoned hands in the worlds of philanthropy and proven and effective sustainability than Julie Packard. The multiaccolade ocean conservationist is Vice Chair of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and co-founder and Executive Director of the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Her programmes, such as Seafood Watch and the Southeast Asia Fisheries and Aquaculture Initiative have been globally recognised game-changers for sustainability – across general education, consumption and the realignment of production to sustainable practices.

“Having served on the Packard Foundation board for 50 years now, I’ve seen a lot of change in philanthropy,” she says. “One is the natural trend to move from working on local-scale issues to global approaches, which focus on getting at the root causes of the problems we all aim to help solve. “Over time,” she adds, “our experience at the Packard Foundation has made it clear that we must be more equitable and inclusive in our relationships with the partners in whom we invest.

In the past, foundations – including ours – had a set of priorities, and we set out to find organisations whose own work matched those priorities. We’re working hard to get away from this top-down approach. Philanthropies are also, as we are doing, directing more funding to people and communities who have been historically excluded, so that they have seats at the table to design and implement solutions.

The philanthropic community has a lot to learn to shift our historical ways of working, so that all voices can be heard and we can best contribute to lasting positive change for all.

corals

Basket stars, seen at Monterey Bay Aquarium’s “Into the Deep” exhibition. Oceans produce the majority of the oxygen on the planet and life underwater is a massive carbon sink. Healthy oceans are essential for healthy and sustainable life on Earth

”Bringing private, public and philanthropic capital to work together through blended finance, social entrepreneurship and shared expertise, around conservation and sustainability, is a focus of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.

It organises numerous forums around the blue economy and finance; hosts the annual Monaco Ocean Week conference, which brings together investors, entrepreneurs, NGOs, the public sector and philanthropic capital; and launched the €100 million ReOcean Fund in 2023 to accelerate, build and mobilise capital around the ocean economy. “The challenge of progressing planetary health is only possible through collective effort,” says Olivier Wenden, CEO and Vice Chair of the Foundation’s board of directors.

“This is why the Foundation’s action is based on a holistic and collaborative approach of global environmental issues. We aim to unite scientists, political leaders, economic players and representatives of civil society to maximise our positive impact.” Wenden cites its Ocean Innovators Platform, launched two years ago, as “a good example of how collaboration can accelerate positive change.

Putting together innovators with philanthropists and investors in the same room is a very powerful way to scale-up solutions.” Leveraging is also about human capital and expertise done effectively and entrepreneurially.

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Pritzker Architecture Prize winner, Diébédo Francis Kéré, poses in front of The Throne, a portable toilet 3D printed using plastic medical waste, Switzerland, August 2021; photographed by Nachson Mimran

Read more: Alan Lau and Durjoy Rahman on the importance of art philanthropy

Ben Goldsmith, a British investor, conservationist and philanthropist, launched the Conservation Collective in 2020 from an existing conservation initiative. A hub and accelerator for conservation and sustainability action, it now encapsulates 20 independent philanthropic organisations around the world.

“Just as with venture capital, I have always thought that if every project is working, you’re probably not taking enough risk,” says Goldsmith. “All the challenges are the same as a startup; there are tremendous parallels between them. £1 of overhead at the umbrella charity creates around £12 for the underlying foundation. We’re not far away from having given away around £15 million and we’re also launching new foundations in Bermuda and Mauritius.

If you can create these local foundations, they become hubs of activity.” Agreeing with UBS’s Hall, Goldsmith says addressing root causes is fundamental. “There’s a tendency in environmental philanthropy to ‘provide service’. We don’t want to just fix things, we want to be funding groups who are striving to change the system.”

In terms of systemic change, Hall also speaks about the importance of addressing issues at their root, and overcoming built-in societal prejudices that can, for example, cause a black woman looking for startup capital for a social enterprise in Africa to be confronted with ruinous APR rates on a business loan. Mimran’s to.org funds significant social-impact investors in developing countries in Africa, with local expertise and global networks providing leverage and amplification that grant-making alone could never have provided.

Jessica Posner Odede knows all about creating lasting societal change in Africa. She is CEO of Girl Effect, a major international non-profit that works primarily in Africa and South Asia. Girl Effect uses media and technology to provide girls with tools that can change their lives, in terms of information, empowerment and education, in societies where women – half of the population – are deprived of opportunity, rights and the chance to play productive roles. Entrepreneurial thinking is essential for foundations, according to Odede.

“Look at consumer businesses,” she says. “You see millions of dollars and also time and energy spent on thinking about consumer journeys, marketing – how does somebody know their product or service? You would never launch a commercial venture without thinking through those user journeys, to see how to reach your customer. In philanthropy, there has been an assumption that people need certain things and will just use them.

trees

From the “Twilight’s Path” series by Jasper Goodall, whose images were shortlisted for the Photography Prize for Sustainability, created by UX in 2022. Investment in stewardship of land-based ecosystems contributes to biodiversity, which underpins sustainability

This has been a huge misconception and has resulted in a lot of ineffectiveness in terms of services utilised.” Odede says that in the African and South Asian countries that Girl Effect operates in, they ensure they know their end user. “We work very closely with health ministries, girls, parents and local health systems; we establish how you build diverse stakeholder collaboration in a way that is led by people designing the solutions who have also experienced the problems.”

So, was Stanford’s Rob Reich correct, back in 2018, to highlight how philanthropy was being challenged? He was, in some respects. But we can see how visionaries and effective players, old and new, are changing the game dramatically for the better.

As UBS’s Ziswiler says, “More and more we are seeing that billionaires see it as their responsibility to resolve global issues, and about 90 per cent of them are very serious about their philanthropy. But they are also realising that philanthropy alone can’t help us bridge the funding gap.

We have realised that philanthropy can be much more catalytic, it can take more risk, it can be more flexible.“The added benefit,” she says, “is that potentially money could be used more than once in a structure like that, because the potential for me to get my money back means I can redeploy it.

Not only is there more impact because more money is coming in and is being leveraged more effectively, there is also more impact because the money I was going to deploy once, I can now deploy again and again.” There are still caveats, though.

For example, there are no industry standard metrics to demonstrate effective and long-lasting causal change, which means measuring return on philanthropic investment utilises metrics and analyses that are often imperfect – even with the best intentions.

“The example of what good quality looks like here is in the health sector, where you need a clinical trial to bring your product and service to the market,’ says UBS’s Hall. “We don’t have that mandated in almost any other field.

It remains a challenge.” Like all of human endeavour, then, the world of philanthropy is flawed – but it is also irreplaceable and, through its recent evolutions, it is making an increasingly positive impact on the world by joining forces with other human creations. Humanity’s philanthropic journey will be long and potentially endless, but there is every reason, and an increasing amount of tools, to embark on it with the highest of rational expectations.

ubs.com

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