Above A preview of some of the locations in Lamborghini’s 50th anniversary convoy.

Cars for a convoy commemorating the 50th anniversary of Lamborghini arrived at Milano today. The Grande Giro, with 350 models from the Italian supercar maker’s stable, will pass through Lombardia, Toscana, Lazio, Umbria and Emilia Romagna, stopping over in Forte dei Marmi, Grosseto, Roma, San Giustino Valdarno and Bologna. After Bologna, where the cars will be by Friday afternoon, they will make their way to Sant’Agata Bolognese, the home of Lamborghini.
   Organizers say that the convoy will be 4·5 km long, and features models ranging from the original 1963 350 GT to the current Gallardo and Aventador. Sixty-five per cent of the drivers are male, the youngest at 22, the oldest at 75.
   The cars meet at the parc fermé in Piazza Castello, Milano at 10 a.m. on May 7 and leave for Bobbio tomorrow.
   Lamborghini was founded by tractor maker Ferrucio Lamborghini, who believed he could out-do Ferrari. It was incorporated on October 30, 1963. The brand was put on the map with the 1966 Miura, a mid-engined vehicle that changed the way exclusive sports cars were configured. Up until then, they were commonly front-engined.
   To some, the Miura remains the most beautiful car ever made, and the credit for its styling, by the house of Bertone, remains the subject of debate today. Some say it was the work of Giorgetto Giugiaro, others Marcello Gandini.
   The Miura was succeeded by the Countach, a dramatic car with “beetle wing” doors and razor edges, styled by Gandini.
   Lamborghini had changed hands over the years, with Chrysler taking a controlling stake in the late 1980s. An investment group took over in 1994. It is currently a subsidiary of the Volkswagen group.

Lauro Atti, David Kaiser and Wolfango.it

A Lucire special promotion

Today, Lucire has come full circle. One of the earliest stories on the web for our group was on the Renault Clio’s Nicole and Papa campaign, created in the early 1990s by Publicis. The Clio, which was the first Renault to hit the best sellers’ lists consistently in the UK, was sold with a cheeky campaign featuring two characters—Nicole, a young French lass, and Papa, obviously, her father. Those were the only two words uttered in the majority of the commercials, with the exceptions of ‘Maman’ and ‘Bob’, the final referring to comedian Bob Mortimer.
   The last Nicole and Papa TVC, released when the Clio II was launched in 1998, saw Nicole finally walk down the aisle, about to marry Vic Reeves (a.k.a. Jim Moir) when she finally decides, at the last minute, to run off with Bob Mortimer instead.
   It’s hard to believe that Nicole and Papa entered the British consciousness 20 years ago, in a series which also marketed French flair and the belief that the French have a better lifestyle than the British.
   The Clio is still with us, but it’s much larger than before. Now on its fourth incarnation, the latest Clio is more expressive and sporty in looks, thanks to the work of Laurens van den Acker. It’s on the previous model’s platform, albeit heavily revised, and that’s a good thing. In the stories we did on the Clio—both publisher Jack Yan and travel editor Stanley Moss took Clio 3s around France and New Zealand—we found it one of the most capable superminis, a small car with a big-car feel. In fact, we found it better for cruising New Zealand’s South Island than the Holden Commodore, which we tried around the same time.
   Clio IV features an 899 cm³, three-cylinder engine, but it’s turbocharged, developing more than 90 PS—those are the sorts of eco-friendly, yet powerful, specs that you can expect from the French these days. Renault claims a combined 88·3 mpg from the Energy dCi 90 engine. Archrival Peugeot similarly has three-cylinder units for its 208, the Clio’s closest rival at home, though the entry-level engine here is actually a 1·1 four which develops 75 PS. An RS model appears in 2013, getting 200 PS from a turbocharged 1·6, continuing the tradition of pocket rockets from Clio—Lucire photographer Doug Rimington once owned a Clio RS 182, which proved to be an able and taut sports hatch.
   The great thing is that Clio IV has the looks to match its ‘va-va-voom’ nature. The new model’s styling conveys everything that Nicole and Papa tried to do: that when you get a Clio, you’re getting a dose of French flair. But wait, there’s more: ‘va va voom’ includes a sense of passion, something which van den Acker’s styling attempts to do. This isn’t a dull little hatch in the domestic appliance mould: Clio IV is emotive, and even sexy. They’re not words you tend to hear in the B-segment.
   To show just what Renault means, the company has come up with two videos, one for unsuspecting male test drivers who come to a corner and are surprised at what happens when the ‘va va voom’ button is pressed, and the other for female test drivers.
   And to bring things full circle, Nicole and Papa make an appearance, uttering the lines that made them famous. It does seem that the years have not been kind to Nicole and Bob, because there’s no sign of Mortimer, as Nicole has found herself a new man.
   But isn’t that just what we expected?

Find out more from or book a test drive at the Renault website. Renault’s Twitter account can be found here, and its Facebook here.

Sponsored by Renault

Updated March 28, 2013 at 10.56 a.m. GMT with The Delivery film and other highlights

James Bond star Daniel Craig has helped launch the Range Rover Sport in New York City with a drive through Manhattan, revealing the car to a celebrity audience that included former American football player Michael Strahan, Yasmin Le Bon, Zara Phillips, MBE, and Jade Jagger, at Skylight at Moynihan Station on 8th Avenue.
   The drive is part of a short film called The Delivery, broadcast live by Land Rover at www.newrangeroversport.com.
   The Delivery was directed by Jonathan P. B. Taylor, who most recently worked on A Good Day to Die Hard. It followed the journey of the new Range Rover Sport from Solihull to Manhattan, before it was driven by Craig over Manhattan Bridge to Moynihan Station.
   Craig drove the earlier Range Rover Sport in his second Bond film, Quantum of Solace, but was also attracted to working with the company because of its connection to the charity SAFE, of which he is a patron. Among other things, SAFE uses mobile street theatre and community programmes to help effect social change in third-world countries.
   Jaguar Land Rover says it chose New York for the launch as it sells more units in the US than in any other global market. New York is the car’s best selling city.
   The new Sport is no longer based on a Discovery, but has a new platform based around the company’s aluminium architecture, lightweight suspension design and chassis technologies. It was developed alongside the latest Range Rover but JLR claims that 75 per cent of the Sport’s parts are unique to it.
   It can be specified with occasional seating for sixth and seventh passengers, again appealing to the US market. The power seats can be folded to leave a flat floor.
   The new V6 diesel is 420 kg lighter than the outgoing model, while carbon dioxide emissions have been reduced to 194 g/km.
   The exterior design is more muscular and purposeful than the Range Rover presented last year, and some might say it is better balanced. It is positioned between the Range Rover and the smaller Evoque.
   It is 62 mm longer than the outgoing Sport, but the wheelbase has been increased by 178 mm—the overhangs have been shortened to give it more muscular proportions compared to the previous model. At 4,850 mm, it is shorter than other seven-seater SUVs and E-segment saloons, says the company. The drag co-efficient has dropped to 0,34.
   Connectivity includes Stolen Vehicle Tracking and a high-bandwidth wifi hotspot can be installed. An optional head-up display is available. Other features include lane departure warning, automatic high-beam assist, and a Wade Sensing feature that provides information on depth when driving through water.
   Land Rover said it had set out to create the most capable Range Rover ever, one which would be agile on-road, but unbeaten by its rivals off-road.
   In a release, Land Rover Global Brand Director John Edwards noted, ‘We’ve taken ride, handling and agility to another level for Land Rover to deliver a truly rewarding, sporting drive, together with unmatched luxury, capability and versatility.
   ‘Building on the success of the recently launched flagship Range Rover, the new Range Rover Sport also employs a vast array of new technologies which help to transform its performance, refinement and all round capabilities.’
   Again recognizing its clientèle, the wheel sizes range from 19 through to 21 inches.
   Suspension is fully independent, with double wishbones at front and multi-link at the rear. Wheel travel is 260 mm at the front and 272 mm at the rear; ground clearance has been increased to 278 mm. Land Rover’s Terrain Response 2 system selects the most suitable terrain program.
   A hybrid diesel with 169 g/km carbon dioxide emissions will follow, but at launch, the Sport has a supercharged five-litre V8 developing 510 PS, and a three-litre diesel developing 292 PS. Three- and 4·4-litre diesels will be added in 2014.

Above, from top Michael Strahan. Yasmin Le Bon. Daniel Craig and SAFE’s Nick Reding. Jade Jagger. Zara Phillips, MBE. Sienna Guillory and Jamie Chung. Thierry Henry. Below More shots of the new Range Rover Sport.

Wellington artists Tai and Kaaterina Kerekere have just opened their latest exhibition, My Culture Is Not a Trend, at Thistle Hall, on the corner of Cuba and Arthur Streets in New Zealand’s capital city.
   The couple’s paintings take pride of place, expressing personal aspects of Māoridom, culture, womanhood, family, and identity, relevant not only to a Māori audience but to any in living in New Zealand.
   Of greater interest to Lucire readers, however, is the launch of their jewellery line. KE Design, as the Kerekeres’ company is called, has launched what it calls The Heritage Collection 2013, which features unique hand-crafted jewellery featuring simple motifs founded on, as the name suggests, their heritage and whakapapa. The designs are clear, eye-catching and modern, and have an internationalist flavour while proudly steeped in New Zealand’s own culture. Prices range from a very reasonable NZ$100 for earrings to NZ$400 for a pendant set in silver and garnet.
   The Kerekeres, no strangers to exhibiting their art internationally, are showing in Hawai‘i in January 2014, and will launch another jewellery collection there. They will also take 33 works of art to the 50th US state.
   My Culture Is Not a Trend runs from March 27 to 31 at Thistle Hall, open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. KE Design can be found at kedesign.co.nz, with the site developed by Adrian Owen of SweetChilli, and on Facebook at facebook.com/rina.taiart.
   Another New Zealand artist showing abroad is Darryn George, of Ngāpuhi descent, who has been invited to the Biennale di Venezia, showing at the Palazzo Bembo. The Christchurch-born artist recently gave a talk at Wellington’s Caffè L’Affarè about his plans to transform room 15 into a Wharenui-like space with highly reflective black surfaces, with the concept based around filing cabinets representing the lives lost in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.
   The work, consisting of 3,510 mm-high MDF boards painted with high-gloss automotive paints, is being made in New Zealand and will be shipped to Venezia, but George requires help to raise the funds to get to the Biennale. An impression of what the finished work will look like is shown below.

   He has already completed a work at the Connells Bay Sculpture Park at a smaller scale, and has exhibited in Paris, as well as throughout New Zealand.
   The freight will cost some NZ$110,000, and donations of NZ$2,500, NZ$5,000 or any amount are sought. More information can be sought either from John and Jo Gow at Connells Bay Sculpture Park (info@connellsbay.co.nz, or John on 64 21 363-613, or Jo on 64 21 963-613) or Rebecca Hamid, Director, RH Gallery (art@rhgallery.co.nz, 64 21 393-970). Donations to the Connells Bay Sculpture Trust are tax-deductible, with the Trust set up as a registered charity.
   We’ve further good news where readers can help the future of one of our subjects directly. With the success of their début at last year’s New Zealand Fashion Week as part of the Miromoda show, the lovely ladies behind Surface Too Deep (see Lucire issue 29) have been asked to showcase their brand at Mercedes-Benz Australian Fashion Week.
   As with any small start-up, business finances are tight and the need for sponsorship is crucial. It has long been a dream of the brand to showcase their wares on an international platform to reach international media and buyers. With this opportunity, they are hoping to garner more brand recognition as well as gain more stockists.
   Co-designer Sarah-Jane Abraham says that Surface Too Deep has planned a ‘pretty special’ range but needs the help of supporters to make sure that the label can show at Sydney.
   This will be an amazing opportunity for both these young women and you can help them fulfil their dreams by pledging at www.pledgeme.co.nz/845.—Jack Yan, Publisher, and Sopheak Seng, Fashion and Beauty Editor

Above Jewellery from KE Design and artwork by Tai and Kaaterina Kerekere, showing currently at Thistle Hall, Wellington. Below An image from Surface Too Deep, as shown in Lucire issue 29.

Louise Hatton

Nikita Brown/Nikita Brown Photography

For husband-and-wife team Dan and Emma Johnstone, design has always run deep within their blood, Dan with a background in graphics and Emma in fashion. So like all great things it was inevitable they would join forces. Their creation is the newly founded label Falvé (Emma’s maiden name).
   Although a young label, having just formed in the latter part of 2012, the idea of doing a menswear brand was always something the pair was dreaming about when they had met years earlier. Their focus was to design a range that men needed, something else in the market that was not only well designed but also affordable.
   Their freshmen autumn–winter range of T-shirts, tailored shirts and chinos with a carefully curated accessories’ line of bow ties, matching pocket squares, leather card holders and wallets is not only well edited but also beautifully handcrafted, something that is often lacking in emerging labels. Other pieces will be added along the way as the brand grows.
   The attention to detail is evident in the high-quality finishing of the garments, beautiful top-stitching on their shirts, individually hand-sewn buttons, removable collar stays for all their shirting, and bias-bound seaming on all tailored trousers. Old-world tailoring techniques refined for a modern age. From the carefully selected fabric choices to the swing tags, everything about this brand speaks of a casual elegance perfect for any generation to wear, as evident from the wide range of guests that attended the intimate showing at the pair’s workroom.
   Favourites from the collection were the Collectors shirt, a classic white shirt in a fine cotton shirting with herringbone pattern, and all French-seamed. The Transmission T-shirt is another favourite, crafted from the finest Tencel; the Missoni-like zig-zag print is not only gorgeous to touch but out-there enough for even those who are not so brave. The Chalmers trousers are also a must-have in your wardrobe, fashioned from a cherry red cotton spandex. These are beautifully cut for the fashion-conscious, not too slim and not too wide—it is the perfect relaxed cut for either dressing up with one of the label’s shirts or dressing down with a casual T. The bias-bound seaming on the cuff of the trouser is a little clever touch: when the cuff is folded up, no horrible over-locking is seen, an interesting take on the roll-up cuff.
   The collection is well priced with accessories such as pocket squares and bow ties ranging from NZ$25 to NZ$51. T-shirts start at NZ$76 and shirts from NZ$190.
   Falvé also creates beautiful leather cardholders and wallets, all hand-made and hand-stitched by Dan in their small workroom.
   The level of design, attention to detailing and fashion-forward pieces should appeal to a wide market. Their passion is evident; if the duo keeps this up, a bright future is most definitely on the horizon for them.
   Falvé can be purchased online through www.falve.co.nz.—Sopheak Seng, Fashion and Beauty Editor

Nikita Brown/Nikita Brown Photography

Matthew Beveridge/Matthew Beveridge Photography

Otago Polytechnic graduate Rakel Blom won the ID International Emerging Designer Awards last night in Dunedin, with a collection that tapped into the Zeitgeist of global communities and cross-cultural connections.
   Blom, who originally hails from Iceland, told Lucire, ‘My biggest passion is travelling,’ and that she had ventured through Asia and Europe before studying in New Zealand.
   That passion saw her design seven garments, one for each continent, although only five were required by the competition. Consequently, Oceania and Antarctica were omitted.
   The collection was called The World through My Eyes, and featured prints with designs representing each continent. It had been inspired both by travel and textiles. Judges called it ‘eclectic and joyful, sleek, chic and professional, with intricate detailing and true depth.’
   In a release, Assoc Prof Karen Webster, guest judge for the competition, said, ‘It absolutely had the “wow factor” but also real depth. There was incredible intricate detailing, including hand-made buttons, stars cut out of Perspex mixed with bold inspirational prints. The collection was a discovery waiting to be made.’
   Blom speaks highly of her Alma Mater but despite the win, which includes a NZ$5,000 prize from Peroni, she says her next focus is to ‘find a job.’
   Blom’s collection was the crowd favourite at the Edgar Sports Centre, helped by the support of a local crowd. She competed with designers from Ireland, England, China and Australia.
   Judge Stephen Jones, OBE, the famed milliner, said that the key themes for the evening were ‘diversity, globalism and everything made to a perfect degree.’
   The 1,300-strong audience included two High Commissioners and a consul, cheering on the UK, Australia and China. It was hosted by Shannon Ryan.
   China’s contribution also included 10 international models from the University of Shanghai Engineering Science. Aliana McDaniel led the make-up team backstage for Revlon.
   A full report from ID Dunedin Fashion Week will follow in Lucire.—Jack Yan, Publisher

Winners
Peroni 1st Place Prize (NZ$5,000): Rakel Blom, School of Design, Otago Polytechnic, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Caffè L’Affarè 2nd Place (NZ$3,000 cash): Emma Boseley, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australia.
Strawberry Sound 3rd Place (NZ$1,000 cash): Kathleen Choo, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia.
Dunedin’s Golden Centre Mall Prize (NZ$1,000) for the most commercial collection: Blathnaid McClean, National College of Art and Design (NCAD), Dublin, Ireland.
Global Fabrics Award for Excellence in Design (NZ$1,000 cash and a NZ$2,000 voucher): Sohong Lim, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand.

Matthew Beveridge/Matthew Beveridge Photography

Finnish designer Piia Hänninen, whose collections are based around sustainability and ethics, has relaunched her website with a new look, in time for her spring–summer 2013 season.
   Hänninen’s new collection, Zebra in the Savannah, can be purchased via her website, while buyers and media can check out her autumn–winter 2013–14 collection, Wolf and Cherrywood.
   The spring collection combines the elegance of well cut garments with a wild Scandinavian print, with an inspiration from the African wild as well as 1960s Paris. The collection uses natural fibres, cotton and silk, while the prints are the subject of a collaboration between the designer and Teemu Keisteri, an artist.
   She manufactures mostly in Finland, with fabrics printed in Finland and Germany. Her influences are from Italy, where she had worked for brands such as Fendi, while she trained at the London College of Fashion.
   More of Piia Hänninen’s work can be found at www.piiahanninen.com.

In addition to haute couture and costumes, Jean Paul Gaultier has already designed a Coca-Cola bottle and recycling bags. And now he turns his attention to trains.
   Thalys, the ticketing organization run jointly by the French, Belgian, Dutch and German railways, teamed up with Gaultier for this latest venture.
   As an official partner of the exhibition, The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: from the Sidewalk to the Catwalk, held at Kunsthal in Rotterdam from February 10 to May 12, the designer was asked to lend his creative talent to a train bearing his trade mark colours and stripes. The exhibition has been organized by the Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal and the Kunsthal.
   Gaultier unveiled the train at Paris’s Gare du Nord on Wednesday, and took it to Rotterdam for the promotion.
   The exhibition features some 140 of Gaultier’s designs, including haute couture and stage and film costumes.
   He says, ‘The idea of giving a train a makeover, of dressing the Thalys train up in sailor stripes, was funny for me and it’s appropriate for Holland. Amsterdam, Rotterdam, the ports of Amsterdam, sailors, sailors stripes and everything else, I found it fitting. And what’s more, stripes symbolize speed.’
   Emily Ansenk, director of the Kunsthal, says, ‘We are absolutely delighted with the arrival of Mr Gaultier today, on the eve of the opening of our spectacular exhibition in the Kunsthal. It is a great honour to have him come to Rotterdam for his exhibition, with his own signature. We have lots of parties in Rotterdam worked out together to make this amazing project a success, for that I would like to thank everyone.’
   Thalys is also offering a discount for passengers should they wish to attend the exhibition, with an entry fee of €10 instead of €12·50, on presentation of proof of travel.
   Gaultier is staying in Rotterdam till Saturday, when he will open the exhibition officially, as well as a Jean Paul Gaultier boutique in the Bijenkorf.