Evan Li

Maarten Holl

Top: Royal New Zealand Ballet dancers in The Anatomy of a Passing Cloud. Above: Award-winning Venezuelan director and choreographer Javier de Frutos.

Javier de Frutos, the choreographer for The Anatomy of a Passing Cloud, which was commissioned by the Royal New Zealand Ballet in 2013, has been nominated for an Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance.
   The Anatomy of a Passing Cloud explores ‘New Zealand’s relation to its physical location and its very identity as a Pacific nation,’ de Frutos said in 2013.
   â€˜I have taken Pacific influences that I like: inspirations, sounds, shapes, styles, and reworked them. Obviously the Pacific is not my home as it is yours but I feel that as a guest you can own the love of something and I love this part of the world.’
   The work premièred in New Zealand in 2013, and was performed by the RNZB at the Linbury Studio Theatre at London’s Royal Opera House in November 2015 as part of a mixed programme.
   â€˜We’re delighted that Javier de Frutos has been nominated for an Olivier Award for this stunning work which holds a special place in our repertoire,’ said Francesco Ventriglia, RNZB artistic director. ‘Javier is part of the extended RNZB family, having first created Milagros … in 2003.’
   This year’s nominations include luminaries such as Kenneth Branagh, Kenneth Cranham, Benedict Cumberbatch, Adrian Lester and Mark Rylance for Best Actor; Gemma Arterton, Denise Gough, Nicole Kidman, Janet McTeer and Lia Williams for Best Actress.
   Dame Judi Dench, Michele Dotrice, Melody Grove and Catherine Steadman are the Best Supporting Actress nominees, while Mark Gatiss, Michael Pennington, David Suchet and Tom Sturridge vie for Best Supporting Actor.
   Best Director nominations went to Jonathan Kent for Gypsy at Savoy Theatre; Matthew Dunster for Hangmen at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at Royal Court & Wyndham’s Theatre; Rob Ashford and Kenneth Branagh for The Winter’s Tale at Garrick Theatre; and Robert Icke for Oresteia at Almeida Theatre.
   Virgin Atlantic Best New Play Award nominees are Farinelli and the King, Hangmen, People, Places And Things, and The Father.
   Among the musical nominations, David Bedella, Dan Burton, Peter Davison and Gavin Spokes compete for Best Supporting Actor, while Preeya Kalidas, Amy Lennox, Lara Pulver and Emma Williams seek the Best Supporting Actress award.
   Ian Bartholomew, Killian Donnelly, David Haig, Matt Henry and Jamie Parker are competing for Best Actor; Tracie Bennett, Natalie Dew, Laura Pitt-Pulford, Imelda Staunton and Sophie Thompson for Best Actress.
   Bend It Like Beckham, In the Heights, Kinky Boots and Mrs Henderson Presents are up for the Mastercard Best New Musical Award.
   Best New Dance Production nominees are He Who Falls, by Compagnie Yoann Bourgeois, Roméo et Juliette by les Ballets de Monte Carlo and Woolf Works by the Royal Ballet.
   De Frutos will compete with Alessandra Ferri for her performances in Woolf Works and Chéri, and Sasha Waltz for her choreography of Sacre at Sadler’s Wells.
   The public can vote for the Magic Radio Audience Award at www.olivierawards.com until March 11, 12 p.m.
   The Olivier Awards 2016 will be announced at the Royal Opera House on April 3. Public tickets became available for Mastercard members at www.priceless.com/London.

Montblanc honoured Grace Kelly a few years ago with a limited-edition collection, and now it has turned its attention to pop artist Andy Warhol.
   Its Great Characters line, which has already offered items based on the legacies of Leonardo da Vinci, Alfred Hitchcock and John F. Kennedy over the last seven years, sees a new range that pays tribute to Warhol. The Montblanc Andy Warhol Special Edition pens feature a cap that shows four images of tomato soup cans—a reference to Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans Series of 1965—worked into stainless steel. The cap ring on the fountain pen, rollerball and ballpoint pen has Warhol’s signature alongside an engraving of ‘©/®/TM AWF’, and the cap top is engraved with one of the artist’s quotes: ‘Art is what you can get away with’. The rhodium-plated 585 gold nib on the fountain pen has a dollar sign from his Dollar Sign series.
   The Limited Edition 1928, referencing Warhol’s birth and inspired by his Flowers (1964), has another quotation on the cap, ‘You need to let the little things that would ordinarily bore you suddenly thrill you’, and is accompanied by an abridged version of his 1975 book, The Philosophy of Andy Warhol (from A to B and back Again).
   The Montblanc Great Characters Andy Warhol Special Edition is available in New Zealand from Montblanc Boutique at 87 Queen Street, Auckland. For more information, visit www.montblanc.com.

Chinese designer Lan Yu, commemorating her 11th anniversary, says she will launch her Lanyu brand Stateside next, after having shown in Paris during 2015.
   Her Water Charm collection can be viewed on her brand’s home page.
   Her work combines eastern techniques, including traditional Suzhou embroidery that has been practised in China for over two millennia, with western materials. Lan herself had studied at the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology and in the US.
   Her couture wedding dresses were her first foray into the fashion business, before branching out to red-carpet gowns.
   Lanyu is available at retailers in Beijing and Shanghai, and can be found on Wechat at Lanyu.

Before 2015 is out, Lucire has the pleasure of announcing another giveaway, this time in association with Skin Institute.
   Skin Institute is a multi-disciplinary specialist centre focusing on cosmetic medicine, skin cancer detection and treatment, clinical dermatology, vein treatment and surgery, and its 18th clinic has recently opened in central Wellington.
   To commemorate the opening of the new clinic, we have a luxury skin care pack to give away, compromising an Aspect Dr ABC Essential Skin Kit, Cherry Black zinc sunscreen and two Coola Liplux SPF lip balms. The value of this pack is NZ$310.
   To find out more about the new Wellington clinic or to book a free cosmetic consultation or mole spot check, visit www.skininstitute.co.nz or call 64 4 499-8001.
   To enter, become a fan of the Lucire Facebook fan page, then like the post where we’ve detailed this prize. This is for New Zealand-based readers only. We’ll draw it on January 22, 2016.

Miss Universe 2015, broadcast from Las Vegas, Nevada on Sunday night, will be remembered for years for the crowning of Miss Universe Colombia, Ariadna María Gutiérrez, after host Steve Harvey read her name wrongly as the winner, and the removal of her crown less than five minutes later in favour of the correct winner, Miss Universe Philippines, Pia Wurtzbach.
   Gutiérrez wore the crown, placed on her by Miss Universe 2014 Paulina Vega, for two minutes before Harvey returned to stage to apologize for his error, for which he took full responsibility.
   It was only then that Wurtzbach was announced as the correct winner. Wurtzbach, who had already returned to join her fellow competitors at the back of the stage, was told by her fellow competitor, second-runner up Miss USA, Olivia Jordan. Wurtzbach returned out front, and Vega then came out later to move the crown on to the correct winner.
   Miss Universe New Zealand executive director and CEO Nigel Godfrey, who was present in the audience to support Miss Universe New Zealand Samantha McClung, said, ‘The scenes here are extraordinary.’ His counterpart from Binibining Pilipinas, Stella Márquez-Araneta, sat in front of him.
   Las Vegas, sadly, also saw a major car accident on the strip where one person was killed and 37 were injured after a car went up on the pavement, right after the telecast.
   Harvey apologized to Wurtzbach backstage, while Gutiérrez still had the composure to thank her supporters.

A sigh of relief from Miss Colombia, Ariadna María Gutiérrez, as her country’s name is read out by host Steve Harvey.

A clearly joyful Miss Colombia, with the Miss Universe crown and sash.

Steve Harvey has the difficult task of returning to the stage and owning up to his mistake.

Embarrassed host Steve Harvey explains that he read out the wrong name.

Miss USA Olivia Jordan informs Miss Universe Philippines Pia Wurtzbach that she is the correct winner of Miss Universe.

Former Miss Universe Paulina Vega removes the crown from Miss Universe Colombia, Ariadna Marïa Gutiérrez.

PHOTO: Steve Harvey approached Pia Wurtzbach and personally applogized for the error. pic.twitter.com/dK3dIF70hX

— MJ Felipe (@mjfelipe) December 21, 2015

A message from #MissUniverse Colombia, @gutierrezary. https://t.co/KBzZyyHJzy

— Miss Universe (@MissUniverse) December 21, 2015

Bertrand Noël/SIPA courtesy Endemol and TF1

Iris Mittenaere, Miss Nord-Pas-de-Calais, has been crowned Miss France 2016.
   Mittenaere, 22, is a dental student in her fifth year of studies. 20minutes earlier revealed that she scored the most highly in a general knowledge quiz (17·5 out of 20, above the average of 13·5).
   She succeeds Camille Cerf, who took home the title last year, and who was present to crown her successor.
   Miss Martinique, Morgane Edvige, and Miss Tahiti, Vaimitu Teiefitu, were runner-up and second runner-up respectively.
   The competition was held at the Zénith in Lille, hosted for the 21st time by Jean-Pierre Foucault. Sylvie Tellier, a former Miss France, remains the organizer of the event, which is aired live on France’s TF1 network each year, typically netting 8·5 million viewers and a 40­·5 per cent share of the audience. Thirty-one contestants, who had each won regional pageants, competed for the title this year.
   The top 12 were: Miss Martinique, Morgane Edvige; Miss Provence, Julia Courtes; Miss Tahiti, Vaimitu Teiefitu; Miss Côte d’Azur, Leanna Ferrero; Miss Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Iris Mittenaere; Miss Réunion, Azuima Issa; Miss Bretagne, Léa Bizeul; Miss Aquitaine, Gennifer Demey; Miss Alsace, Laura Muller; Miss Languedoc, Lena Stachurski; Miss Centre–Val de Loire, Margaux Bourdin; and Miss Rhône-Alpes, Nora Bengrine.
   These were then narrowed down to a top five of Miss Martinique, Miss Provence, Miss Tahiti, Miss Nord-Pas-de-Calais, and Miss Réunion. The viewing public accounted for 50 per cent of the vote, the judges the other 50 per cent.
   Miss Martinique, Miss Provence and Miss Tahiti tended to top internet users’ polls in France.
   Jean Paul Gaultier chaired the Miss France jury and was joined by actress Laetitia Milot, The Voice: la plus belle voix winner Kendji Girac, Miss France 2009 Chloé Mortaud, singer Patrick Fiori, singer–songwriter Anggun, and rugby union player Frédéric Michalak.
   Gaultier himself emerged on stage during the early part of the telecast wearing a crown of his own creation and a sash, a notable change in raising the judging panel’s profile.
   A regional costume section complemented themed parades referencing the ‘dreams’ of former Miss France winners, including ones based around pirates, cheerleaders, superheroines, toys, Christmas, confectionery, and eveningwear.

Franziska Krug/Getty Images

Above Jean Paul Gaultier earlier this year at Installations by Designer Jean Paul Gaultier at the Swarovski Kristallwelten Store in Wien.

Miss France 2016, which will be decided Saturday night in Lille with a televised final on TF1, has a very different judging line-up, with fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier chairing the panel this year.
   Gaultier takes over from Patrick Bruel, who had replaced Québecois singer Garou last year. Garou had stepped in to the chair when long-time chair Alain Delon quit the position after his remarks supporting the National Front political party in France.
   Gaultier had revealed that he had a favourite segment from the night—one where contestants came out in folkloric costumes—and may have an early favourite contestant already.
   He gave no clues to her identity, but says, ‘Miss France has an ambassadorial role. She must be a diplomat. It is very important that is able to express her ideas well, and that she has ideas. And image must count, too.’
   He told Non Stop People, meanwhile, ‘I always look for characters who can inspire me. I love to highlight different beauties.’
   Gaultier is joined on the jury by actress Laetitia Milot, The Voice: la plus belle voix winner Kendji Girac, Miss France 2009 Chloé Mortaud, singer Patrick Fiori, singer–songwriter Anggun, and rugby union player Frédéric Michalak.
   Gaultier said that he has kept the terrorist attacks of November 13 in mind, and that the competition is timely as something that the French people know and can enjoy.

Ab Aeterno has shown its Sky collection, a range of wooden watches that contain a Swiss movement, with the remainder made in Italy.
   The firm, just over three years old, uses only sustainable materials such as wood. They guarantee that their products contain 100 per cent natural materials, including recycled materials, and are toxic-free.
   Wood was chosen for its lightness and the positive sensation wearers get, according to Ab Aeterno. The watches themselves weigh 50 g and do not have any paint or chemical treatments applied.
   Twenty-five per cent of revenue is used for R&D, says the company, to find new ways of using wood. Ab Aeterno has filed a patent on how to insert the watch movement into the case, and sources its briccole wood from Venezia.
   There are three sub-lines in the Sky collection: for women, for men, and a Unisex range.