James Tufenkian
About James Tufenkian's business
The interviewee of the first issue of Elite Life is the renowned businessman James Tufenkian. The graduate of The New York University School of Law, almost 15 years ago, brought into people's lives a warm and colorful piece of the Armenian Highlands in the form of elegant carpets. Today, his Tufenkian Company is on the top three carpet manufacturing companies in the world. He is a great hotelier as well. Mr. Tufenkian shared his trade secrets with us; he thinks the secret of his success lies in the fact that he acts against the general opinion and way of thinking. In his opinion, taking risks in business is a good assurance against competition and opens roads to people who think differently and trust their own minds. We couldn't avoid the topic of the huge competition, prevailing in the international market, but Tufenkian considers his company one of the leaders in the field, which is due to his ability of making each step quicker than others. He also mentioned that he doesn't want to expand his business fields, because there are still many things to be done in the current ones. Besides business, we talked about the perfect family and the successful career, which he thinks is a rare combination as he works in different cities on different projects with great responsibilities lying on him.
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Arthur Papazian
Arthur Papazian The Grand Master
The premier Armenian pianist Arthur Papazian spoke with Elite Life about music, his career and muse. Described as "…a monster pianist…", "…still the same handsome performer… with his imagination fresh as ever…" he thinks, that all of them are true, because they just represent various aspects of his artistry at different times. Twenty-five years ago a famous Polish critic did summarize his artistry as "…a rare combination of brilliant intelligence, extraordinary pianism and originality without foregoing traditions…" Today maturity and wisom were added, but more important was the fact that his 'originality' had broken off all barriers of the so-called 'traditions'. On our question what makes him different from all other famous pianists, he answered that it was his distinct artistic personality, because he was recognized from the first note he touched. Strong musical instincts let him grasp the essence of the work immediately. He had worked completely alone, with his own methods, to achieve the unique musician known all over the world. He felt the piano had become a part of his body and soul, he cannot survive without it. Speaking of his muse and wife Maral he said, that she was and would remain the only person in his life, who has a special connection with his artistry and would never change her conviction about originality of his talent. Speaking of the pianist's dream, he said that he lived that dream having Maral, his piano, a beautiful hall to perform and the freedom of decision…
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Stefan Hafner
Women's diamond empire
The Stefan Hafner Company, situated in Bologna, in the heart of Italy, has become famous due to its shining diamond jewelry. In this issue of our magazine, the EL-Interviewee section brings out an interview with Ilaria Furlotti, the CEO of Stefan Hafner and Daniela Cattaneo, its art director, who helped us find out some facts about the "palace of the diamond empire". We discovered that the company's designers have the full freedom in realizing their creative ideas. Our guests think that each piece of jewelry has its proper time and place to wear. The company makes jewelry for women only and the designers are all women as well because they know all the secrets about a woman's body better. Today, the company's luxurious collections can be found in the best jewelry stores in the world. They would like Catherine Zeta-Jones to represent their company, but at the same time agree with the reality that it's difficult to find a face that could combine the beauty of all nationalities in the world. The Stefan Hafner Company's customers are not only famous people, but members of royal families as well. Concerning their tendencies in fashion, we found out that the company refreshes its collection twice a year. The first main exhibition takes place in January, and the second one in September. Besides, they are not superstitious and think that gemstones are just stones and don't have a mystique nature.
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Denis Matsuev
Denis Matsuev, the Siberian inborn talent
He has appeared on stages such as; the Carnegie hall, the Musikverein, the Concertgebouw and the Theatre du Chatelet. The Queen of England, NATO generals, Arab sheikhs and other world leaders have been among his audiences. This section's guest is the world-famous pianist Denis Matsuev, who thinks that his mission is to convey his audience the whole richness of man's inner world that will flow out sooner or later no matter how hard one tries to restrain oneself. Denis believes that virtuous performances require virtuous audiences, as it is not easy to perceive classical music which requires particular watchfulness. Regarding the sources of his elegant stage clothing, he said his mother is his designer, and he believes that if he likes certain clothes, his audience will also like it. As for his audiences, he thinks that they are the cultured elite who appreciate his art. His choice of concert pianos is the Japanese Imacha brand piano that travels with him on international tours. Matsuev treats each concert responsibly and thinks that the existence of the audience shouldn't affect the performance of a professional musician. He believes that an elite woman should care less about her appearance and think about the positive energy she can exploit to captivate her man.
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Sandra Elisabeth Roelofs
The First Lady Out of Agenda
The guest of the rubric is the First Lady of Georgia Mrs. Sandra Elisabeth Roelofs, who gave Elite Life an exclusive interview. Recently a Georgian paper proclaimed Sandra Elisabeth Roelofs to be the most influential woman in Georgia. In her opinion it was true, but not in the field of politics. She was very active in the field of health care development and was trying to promote a healthy lifestyle. Speaking of her influence on Mr. Saakashvili, she said that husbands and wives are getting more and more things in common during marriage, they influence and adapt to each other every day. Her main task was to be a good mother and spouse, but besides that she was also the First Lady which was a job with many responsibilities. Being the first lady in her opinion was neither a profession nor a vocation, but it had turned out that she had had a good basis to take up the challenges as the First Lady of a country. An advantage of being the First Lady was that people were naturally interested in what you had to say and what you considered as priorities, you could use the opportunities of that job in a positive way. A big disadvantage was that you were always under attention and couldn't walk alone or move around the city unnoticed.
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Misha Maisky
The musician and property owner
Rostropovich says, "…in his music, poetry and elegant grandeur are combined with great passion and brilliant technique." This section's guest is the famous cellist, Misha Maisky, who has performed on the best international stages and co-operated with several world-famous soloists. Having been to a lot of countries, Maisky considers himself a world citizen. He regards music as the most important thing in his life. During the interview, we found out why his favorite musical instrument is the cello. Even though his sister is a pianist, and his elder brother a violinist, he didn't attend a music-school when he was young. But soon he was attracted by the cello at first sight. We also talked about the women accompanying him. His partner on stage is the well-known Martha Argerich, and in life his wife. He disagrees with the idea that men avoid strong women as he has been living with one for 24 years now and is happy about it. Concerning his clothing, he tries not to go to extremes, because his decent appearance on stage is important for him. Misha Maisky's love for a luxurious life is also witnessed by the fact that he lives in a former Brussels royal manor with a forest and a lake.
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Paul Garmirian
Paul Garmirian An Armenian who Speaks Through the Aroma of Cigars
Paul Garmirian is one of the most famous people in tobacco products manufacturing. PG Cigars were first introduced to the public during a cigar evening in Chicago on May 1, 1991. In exclusive interview given to Elite Life, the Armenian tobacco products manufacturer talks about his immigrant parents, PG cigars and another famous Armenian in the cigar business, Avo Uvezian. Garmanian's father was a big cigar fan, and as he said, ha had definitely taken enjoying and appreciating cigars from him. He grew up in Lebanon where his father's friend were politicians and, as was their habit, enjoyed smoking cigars at every gathering and wedding. He had been fascinated by cigars since he had been young. He used to smell his father's humidors in order to "feel" the aroma. He was also the author of the book "The Gourmet Guide to Cigars" which was the first in its kind in USA. Speaking of cigar preferences, he told as that he liked all his creations, as for other brands sometimes he tasted Cuban cigars, Davidoff No.1, Dom Perignonor Haut-Brion. In his opinion the best place to smoke cigar was the room that was the most isolated in one's home. As for ethics, smoking shouldn't bother people next to you.He advised that if one was not a smoker, it was better not to start smoking, but if one was a smoker he should smoke less but better quality cigars.
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Armen Petrossian
Petrossian The King of Caviar
At 18 Boulvard La Tour-Maubourg one can find a two-floor complex, painted blue, visited by the World's most famous and successful people. It is also visited by the French who live the luxurious life and love to give themselves gifts from time to time, Basically it is caviar; the most expensive delicacy the "black diamond of the table. Here in 1920, two immigrant brothers established a company that was destined to become one of the most famous and expensive brands of luxury goods. When brothers went to Paris nobody there had ever heard of caviar. The president and executive director of the company is Armen Petrossian, who has managed the corporation for a decade. Today they own more than ten boutiques world-wide and about sixty shop-boutiques. He mentioned that during Soviet times they were the only client of Azerbaijan in the world market. Then Azerbaijan was not importantto them from a business point of view and he didn't make even the smallest effort to succeed in that market. As for their business partners, they are from Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan. In fact, they buy from the whole world. Besides he thinks that the client can't be strange to them. He is a client, a very normal client, but with unusual requests and he doesn't see anything unusual there. After him the business will manage his two sons.
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Farah Diba Pahlavi
The last Shahbanu of Iran, Empress Farah Diba Pahlavi
In this issue, we had an exclusive interview with one of the most renowned figures in Eastern royal families, Empress Farah Diba Pahlavi, for our Elite Women section. We did our best to avoid discussing political issues, while discovering the queen's humanitarian, personal and social character. The empress lives in France, but visits the USA from time to time to see her children and grand children. Her daily life is very busy and all her activities are connected with Iran. We found out that Farah doesn't live a royal life, because she thinks that it is, first of all, hard work, no matter how beautiful and luxurious it sounds. "I wouldn't say that I live a luxurious life, neither would say that my lifestyle is very modest. I am not poor, but I don't have fantastic wealth either." While talking about fashion, we knew that recently she has worn dresses, sewn from exclusive Iranian materials by Iranian designers. Nowadays, her dresses are sewn by Mortiza Pashayi. As for foreign designers, she prefers their simple and classic dresses. The empress is in warm relationship with other royal families who have proved to be sincere friends. Answering our question about her return to her palace, she said she hoped so and thought, if she couldn't make it, at least her children and grand children will return there someday because they are emotionally attached to Iran.
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Monica Bellucci
The real-life goddess
In this issue, the guest of our El-Interviewee section is Monica Bellucci, who is considered the sexiest woman in Europe, if not in the whole world. She has never avoided journalists' most daring personal questions and some of her interesting comments have become popular quotes. She told us some remarkable details about her life with her husband Vincent Cassel - in the very beginning of their relationship, they couldn't bear each other. She thinks that the secret of their long and exciting relationship lies in the reality that they don't interfere in each other's careers and their freedom is mutual. Bellucci doesn't pay much attention to the fact that she is famous, letting people know about her personal life as much as she thinks is right. She believes that beauty should never be considered as a disturbing factor. If you are clever and know how to use your beauty, it can only become your capital and bring you a regular income. Monica Bellucci is never bothered by the thought that people are attracted to her beauty, rather than her personality, because that is not related to her. Answering our question about the possibility of being in love and at the same time feeling free to do whatever she wants, she says that that's the only kind of love she chooses.
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Stefano Ricci
Stefano Ricci, an interview with a legend
In this issue, the guest of the El-Interviewee section is the renowned designer Stefano Ricci. We talked about fashion, as well as his impressions on our city. We found out that he had many Armenian clients back in the 70's, and they had a great taste in choosing very elegant suits from his boutiques in London and Paris. Besides, he doesn't design clothing for women, because he prefers to use his spare time hunting in Africa. Regarding his achievements in hunting, he says, he keeps them in special rooms in different cities, and the number of the items exceeds 300. He goes hunting twice a year with his wife and children. His family has passed the art of hunting from generation to generation and it is already in their genes. Stefano Ricci has received many offers to decorate boutique-restaurants in different parts of the world, and he treats each offer differently. He says, the years have changed him and his interests, which in turn have reflected on his work.
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Rouben Aghanbekian
Rouben Aghanbekian, the most powerful investment banker in Russia
We had an exclusive interview with the biggest and the most famous investment banker in the Russian Federation, whose name is listed in the top ten world leaders in the field. The son of the distinguished academician Abel Abeghian who studied law, made a turnaround in profession, following his fathers footsteps, and had great success in the field of finance. During the interview, we talked about the Renaissance Capital Group which has four business directions. He runs the Renaissance Capital Bank controlling investment operations in the Russian Federation and the CIS countries. He is the CEO of Renaissance Capital Russian as well. The abundance of Armenians in the upper financial circles in Russia is explained by the fact that the Armenian people possess the necessary characteristics of an entrepreneur, as well as by the fact that investment-banking is based on communication, and the Armenian people are masters in communicating and establishing connections. In his opinion, the richest Armenians in Russia are Ara Abrahamian, Rouben Vardanian and Daniel Khachaturov. Aghanbekian supports and helps Armenians, but doesn't mix work with ethnicity. We found out that he is fond of motorcycles, as well as mobile phones. He has three mobiles phones, each intended for different circles of people. Regarding the dreams that haven't yet come true, he says that they are related to the wide range of his hobbies.
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Simon Abgarian
Simon Abgarian, the great Armenian on the big screen
Perhaps Simon Abgarian is famous in Armenia only for the roles he has played in Atom Egoyan's Ararat and Robert Keshishian's Aram, but this unique artist is well-known in the world for other roles as well. During the interview, we talked about the roles he has played and his opinion about them, as well as about French and American movies. Nowadays, he is very famous in the western movie industries and has entered Hollywood as well. However, he says Hollywood isn't the end in itself, because everything depends on the film and the role. Besides, he's not going to settle in Hollywood, because France is closer to his heart; his work and, the most important, his family are there. Speaking about actors and directors he enjoys working with, he said; Joan Allen, the talented actress and his partner in Yes, Sophie Marceau, among the French and Sally Potter, among directors. In his opinion, his most successful films are Aram and Yes, as well as Ararat. Regarding his future plans, he says, he has lately finished filming the new movie by Sally Potter and has some projects with Robert Guediguian and Karim Dridi. Answering our question about changes in his life after receiving the Moliere Award (the Oscar equivalent in the national theatre of France) and the Artist of the Year Award, he said he was appraised by some directors.
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Pierre Gagnaire
Pierre Gagnaire's thoughts about the high cuisine
Pierre Gagnaire, the great cuisine guru, shares his culinary (and other) thoughts with our readers. Healthy eating, elite etiquette and the best cuisine; these were the topics of the conversation with the famous chef. But first of all, he spoke about the philosophy of food. According to him, harmony is the element that decides the rank of a restaurant. When he was younger, he preferred nicely decorated restaurants, but later on, he came to the conclusion that it's the quality taste of that food that counts. In his opinion, nowadays the majority of restaurants employ designers and not cooks, but it should be noted that food touches the palate and not the eye. Concerning the dress code in his restaurant, he says, it is more modern and simple. Of course it doesn't mean that one can visit his restaurant in shorts or dirty trousers, though he has never experienced such occasions. He says Couscous is the most 'elite' and popular dish in France. In his opinion, the popularity of the French cuisine is explained by the atmosphere as well as the etiquette, but the French people are experts in food taste as well; this combination creates their fame. According to Gagnaire, the secret of healthy food is that one should enjoy eating but never eat for the sake of enjoying.
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Garo Bouldoukian
Cigars are my passion
The famous cigar manufacturer tells us the creation story of the Garo Habano Cigars, advising cigar aficionados to get the real pleasure from cigars and not just smoke them. During a TV interview, he mentioned that he had started smoking cigars since the days of his adolescence. He smoked his first cigar at the age of 16, during a visit to his cousins who were very rich cigar aficionados. Seeing them enjoying smoking cigars, he had the desire to enjoy that pleasure too. Besides, he went to the Dominican Republic to study medicine and had the opportunity to be present at cigar manufacturing processes. Days later, he realized that he was stuck to the idea of cigar manufacturing. "Cigars are my passion. The passion that prevailed over my professional obligations, and I continued my way with them," says Bouldoukian. He likes all the kinds of cigars he has made till now. In the mornings, he prefers soft cigars, e.g. Garo Blue, with a cup of coffee, at lunch possibly a Robusto and in the evenings he would enjoy an Aniversario. The company annually sells 300,000 to 1.5 million cigars, though Bouldoukian's intention is to extend the business area to have higher results. He thinks that the best place for smoking cigars at home is the space away from noisy and crowded rooms.
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Larry Gagosian
The king of the art market
The famous art dealer of Armenian descent, founder and owner of the Gagosian Gallery chain of contemporary art galleries with branches in several countries, kindly agreed to tell us about his little achievements and then astounding successes. Larry Gagosian is listed #2 in the ArtReview Power 100, the comprehensive listing of the art world's most powerful figures in contemporary art, conceding to Francois Pinault, owner of the Christie's Auction House. Describing Gagosian, his friends say that he may buy an item for $1000 and sell it for a million. He started his professional career at the university, where he had to work as a parking assistant to make ends meet. He says that even in those days, he had no doubt he would become an art dealer, even though he hadn't had any previous experience or idea about the field. He sells art work and co-operates with anybody who is in the business, at the same time mentioning that he doesn't consider himself an influential figure. "Dealing with art is a profession on its own and requires a lot of discretion, deep perception of a painter's work, detailed information on the circles of collectors and potential buyers and, of course, trustability. I'm sure that a successful and renowned art dealer should own an exclusive collection of valuable art work," adds Gagosian.
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Mikhail Piotrovsky
Mikhail Piotrovsky, the lord of the Winter Palace
We present to you an exclusive interview with Mikhail Piotrovsky, the longtime director of the State Hermitage Museum. Under his leadership, the museum has developed rapidly, keeping it unchanged as it houses valuable Russian scientific items as well as Russian and world cultural works of art. Concerning profit from ticket sales, the director says, that the budget of the Hermitage is ten times lower than that of other world large museums, though at the time of him taking the office, it was even 100 times lower, so things have actually improved. Besides, most of the budget is spent on restoration and renovation. Of course, the museum also buys new works, but rarely can they afford buying masterpieces. Answering our question if a decline in the Russian culture can be noticed, he says, the Russian culture cannot decline in value because it is unique and high in demand. "Perhaps in modern times we don't have great composers, like Shostakovich or writers, like Sholokhov and Solzhenitsyn, but their arrival can be foretold for the near future," says Piotrovsky. Concerning pop culture, he doesn't see any danger in its existence, because he doesn't simply consider it a form of culture.
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Cano Aret Ozgener
The Armenian spirit of Cano Aret Ozgener CAO Cigars
This time the Tobacco Aroma section presents Cano Aret Ozgener, a world-famous aficionado and cigar manufacturer. We had an interview with him about his life and the secret of his success. CAO is a relatively new brand compared with others. It started in 1994 and the production of the first set of cigars was launched immediately the next year. Nowadays, CAO International is a family business, even though Ozgener mentioned during one of his interviews that he didn't like the family business idea very much, because even during family dinners the conversation topic was business and not life. During his college years, he was already interested in cigarette accessories, and while attending the university, he improved Turkish tobacco pipes at hand several times, using his skills as a professional engineer. Speaking about the differences between CAO and other cigars, he tells us that he always tries to make his cigars from mixtures of interesting tobacco leaves. The businessman owes his success to his education and origin only. We also found out that Ozgener likes smoking big cigars, but he doesn't like lighting the same cigar twice. Answering our question about which part of his life he would live again, he says that he wants to live completely in the present; the past has passed, and he doesn't want to think of the future.
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Alain Alexanian
Alain Alexanian, French cuisine with Armenian aroma
The El-Interviewee section of this issue interviews Alain Alexanian, the famous French-Armenian cook and restaurateur. One of his three restaurants, the Alexandra, won a Michelin Star in a competition among the best 400 chefs. He has inherited his love for cooking from his grandmother who had looked after him for ten years. He is very scrupulous about serving. During the interview, he told us that the financial crisis had affected the restaurant business too and made them introduce some changes to their traditions, such as avoiding very expensive foodstuffs in favor of more affordable ones. Alexanian doesn't keep his recipes secret and publishes them on his website. When asked about a recipe, he simply gives it away because he thinks it will lose its authenticity in a year's time. Answering our question about being fastidious about his wife's dishes, he says he doesn't interfere if they are Alsatian dishes. His wife is an enologist and they both have the ability to 'think' with tastes. Alain Alexanian is curious about discovering a cuisine that is completely different from his. The first people to taste his dishes are his wife and daughter and then his friends even if sometimes they give their negative opinion about them.
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Ralf Rodepeter
BMW Museum, a place where the best and most expensive samples spend their nights
Elite Life Magazine presents an exclusive interview with the director of the BMW Museum, Dr. Ralf Rodepeter, about the history of the museum, as well as the exclusive exhibits. We were informed that the area intended for car exhibition is 5000 square meters. A variety of cars are exhibited in the museum, starting from Formula 1 cars to the three-wheeler Isetta vehicle. On June 19, 2008, after two and a half year long renovation, the museum reopened its doors to visitors. Today, there are 125 samples in the 25 rooms of the museum, the most expensive being the 1929 BMW 3/15 PS DA2 model. We also learnt, that none of the samples are for sale, and the customers can buy vehicles from BMW Classic, which deals with the sale of classic cars and motorcycles. Future conceptual vehicles are exhibited in the museum's Vision exhibition room. Rodepeter's favorite model is the 1951 concept, which symbolizes BMW's exclusive innovative abilities, though he likes the models created in the 60's and the 70's too.
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Armen Jigarkhanyan
The last great Armenian in Russia
In this issue of Elite Life, our guest for the EL-interviewee section is Armen Jigarkhanian, the world-famous actor. The interview was very frank and full of unexpected findings. We talked with the great actor about the movie industry, the roles he had played, his favorite actors and life in general. Among contemporary actors, he highly values Robert De Niro and thinks that he is a real talented artist. As a viewer, he appreciates works by such filmmakers as Fellini, Bunuel, Bergman, Dovlatian and Daneliya. He hasn't directed a movie till now because he lacks technical skills and 'sense of frame', which are very important. We found out that he doesn't demand high fees, though the cost of living in Moscow is very high and he has been on the international scene as an actor for over 50 years now. Being an intellectual actor, Jigarkhanyan loves reading which he took from his grandmother, but doesn't like writing at all as he doesn't have the skill. "If I need to say something, I do it on the stage or the screen. I can't write. I've tried several times, but haven't succeeded", he says. Answering our question if he believes in God and goes to church, he says no, because both God and Satan live in him.
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Edmond Avakian
Edmond Avakian, owner of the world-famous brand
In this issue, the guest of El-Interviewee section is a jeweler of Armenian origin, Edmond Avakian, who moved to Geneva in 1985 and today is in charge of one of the best jewelry manufacturing companies in the world. Catherine Deneuve, Gina Lollobrigida, as well as members of royal and presidential families are among his clientele. The secret of the success of his company is hard work, Avakian says, adding: "We are different from others, we are exclusive." We found out that there are some models that have never been shown to the public; they are exclusive items belonging to different cultures. The Avakian Brand tends to have exclusive clients, but it also has a collection which is more affordable. Answering our question about his participation in designing the jewelry, he says that the idea of each production line belongs to him. He also cooperates with four designers each specialized in a specific field. Today the company has its branches in London, Geneva, Moscow, and Beverly Hills, New York and will open a new branch in China soon. Answering our question about the future of the company in 20-30 years, he says he's got a lot of ideas which will be enough to create new models for another 20 years.
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Serge Avedikian
Serge Avedikian "Everything, that is beautiful, is not art, but art is always beautiful".
This time rubric hero is well-known Armenian-French producer and actor Serge Avedikian, the interview with whom was too interesting and full of discoveries. We spoke about his latest role in Robert Getikyan's film "The criminal army", telling of Misak Manushian, French anti-fascist of Armenian origin and his army. In fact, this wasn't their first collaboration and as he mentioned it was very easy to work with him, because he didn't insist on what one should do. "You are quite free in your creative work and only you are the producer of your role",-said the actor. Avedikian also spoke about his new projects and collaboration with Turkish Osman Kavala and his organization, which finances his works.
One of the most significant roles of him was played in the film "Mother", which brought him fame and glory. "What is the most interesting thing about it, is the fact that the role wasn't big, but very impressive",-says Avedikian. Speaking of his future plans, he told us that he was going to perform "Anush" in Armenia, which in his opinion, was the village version of "Romeo and Juliet". People think, that it's an old story, but in case of examining it in details, one will find a lot of complex and at the same time modern relations in it. Our magazine is about high life and on our question what beautiful life is in his understanding, he said, that beauty wasn't just in richness. "There are people, who buy beauty, but beauty comes from one's inner world".
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Maurice Richard Hennessy, heir of the Hennessy Empire
Maurice Richard Hennessy, heir of the Hennessy Empire".
Our guest of the EL-Interviewee section is Maurice Richard Hennessy, the head of the world-famous Hennessy Company and the 8th generation member of the Hennessy dynasty. Hennessy has been on the top of the list of high-quality alcoholic beverages for many years, never losing its leading position. The Hennessy Company was the first to introduce star ratings for drinks, and our interviewee still thinks that the ratings do not need any modification. Concerning innovations, Hennessy always comes up with surprises for its fans and especially collectors. Speaking about confronting competition, he says he does it just by being the best. It's not only the flavor that counts, but the right strategy and marketing as well. He says, there are many high-quality cognac manufacturers in the world today, but they cannot produce as much cognac as they want due to the lack of enough stores for it. He's the only cognac producer in the Hennessy dynasty. The largest sales markets for the Hennessy Cognac are the USA and China, but Russia is the leader in Europe. Maurice Hennessy thinks his greatest achievement is his possession of the best cognac stores, and he sees Hennessy as the leading cognac and one of the best beverages in the 21st century.
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Jean-Claude Biver
Man who controls time.
Brand Hublot, the exclusiveness of which is a junction of a gold corpus with natural caoutchouc, was created in 1980. From the very beginning the members of royal families and show-business representatives all over the world got interested in the company of Hublot watches. Sometime later Hublot took its place among elite watch brands. In 2004 Jean Clod Biver, who has been involved in a watch industry since 1975, took the position of a general director of Hublot. After starting his activity in Audemars Piguet, he moved to Omega. In 1982 with his friend Jacques Piguet, Biver brought to life dormant at that time Blancpain brand. Ten years of Biver's work in the company has resulted in the increase of Omega's incomes by three times. It took little time to Blancpain to become one of the respected watch brands. After Blancpain had been sold to Swatch group Biver took a position in the company's committee of directors.
In Hublot Biver especially underlined 'synthesis of traditions and future'. He revived "Art of synthesis" concept that is a combination of different original materials such as gold and ceramics, magnesium and titanium, tantalum and red gold. This combination resulted in the unit of a watch industry art traditions and new tendencies of the 21st century. The moment Biver joined the company the income of Hublot was about $21 milllion. By the end of 2006 the sum changed to around $87 million, while the company was planning to reach such results by only 2008.
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Robert Tateossian
Revolutionary in the world of studs.
His unique and inventory brain has made a revolution in the world of studs. He got the name "king of studs" due to the constructive and stylish design of his items. Being popular among men, Robert Tateossian decided to broaden his collection and create female accessories. Here he used the same winning formula, that brought him an award of UK British Export Awards in the sphere of accessories. Tateossian gained an enviable reputation of a leading brand among jewelry and accessories.
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Charles Schumann
Man-brand, personifying luxury and elegance.
Stylish, a little bit brutal and manly owner of a bar in Munich, Charles Schumann is a face of Baldessarini brand in 20 countries. In its commercials Baldessarini brand has created an image of a successful, self-confident man, a gentleman with quite unserious sense of self. The brand, named after its creator Werner Baldessarini, was launched by Hugo Boss AG company in Metzingen (Germany). The first collection of the brand appeared on the European market in 1994. Already in 1996 Werner Baldessarini risked to show in his commercial not a boy but a grown mature man, Charles Schumann. Charles Schumann is the author of the famous all over the world book with cocktail receipts, that has become a bible for many barmen. A simple in communication person, who appreciates in people honesty first of all, and who served in armed forces for seven years, used to say about himself, "Look at my face, I look like a gangster, how can I be a symbol?." He appears in the commercial of Baldessarini brand as a rich, grey-haired handsome man who sails on yacht somewhere far or flies away on his expensive helicopter, stealing not only one heart of a woman. Charles Schumann is a very creative person. He is not involved in a model business and he considers this business not very serious. He acts in Baldessarini commercial just for fun and for his friend-Werner Baldessarini.
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Gerard Depardieu
enamored of women and wine.
He likes working with wine-makers more than with directors because the latter speak too much. His eyes are very doleful, but he is so full of joyfulness. Here is the interview with Gerard Depardieu, the French movie star, the laureate of ''Golden Globe" and ''Cesar'', the wine-maker and restaurateur.
"I am Russian at heart. And you, Russian, do you know why you are so crazy? Since you have endless space, and when the wind blows, there are no mountains to stop it." These are the words of the poet and the romanticist, the genius of the French movie with, maybe, a bit rugged features, but at the same time with aristocratic side-view. Gerard Depardieu, the idol of millions of people, but such a simple person in communication, became famous all over the world not only as an actor, but also as a skilful wine-maker.
Depardieu has much success not only on the stage, but also among women, about whom he himself says;"I am indebted to women for all I have achieved". He is full of contradiction. He owns to his biographer;" I always look for one and the same thing in everything which is connected with life: in art, in wine-making, in people: I look for authenticity and purity of taste".
Since 1979, Gerard Depardieu, apart from movie, is seriously keened on wine-making. He works with wine with the same diligence, as he plays his part. In the famous actor's passport it's simply written WINE-MAKER. Now he produces more than 400000 bottles of wine. Thanks to the instillation of Depardieu in wine-making, the quality of wine has noticeably improved. On the way of his life it's written with capital letters;" I can be satisfied with little in this world, but the glass in my hands must be full. I don't drink to get drunk or to forget something. I like wine, because it gives me cheerful mood.
Photo: Artashes Martirosyan
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Michel Laurent.
His name is a quality mark.
We are presenting the interview with one of the most famous oenologist-consultants in the world – Michel Laurent, who works with more than 100 clients in 17 countries. He is considered to be one of the most influential figures in the wine business.
He is the owner of five estates in Bordeaux. Michel Laurent knows absolutely everything about wines, remembers the taste of all the wines he has degusted. He aims to make the wine world better, and to bring to the people the ways of reaching perfection in Wine art.
There are three very important peculiarities I always pay attention to the interconnection between the land, the grape varieties and the climate.
… Where are the best merlot vineyards situated? In Bordeaux! Where are the best pinots situated? In Burgundy! Where are the best chardonnay vineyards situated? In Bordeaux! Everything is in France.
I have always tried to better the wines, to make them as better as possible, to understand the philosophy of the people, the ground, the wine. It is very difficult, but I get great pleasure of my work.
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Gagik Beglaryan
Love towards Yerevan is my life
Our city changes each day, becoming more beautiful. In this process the greatest role belongs to the major of the capital of Armenia – Gagik Beglaryan. The major told about his love towards Yerevan and his plans of its development in his interview to Elite Life. "A new complex will be built in the place of the Youth Palace. And it is our responsibility to make sure that the new building has high quality and becomes a new symbol for the citizens of Yerevan.
I was born in Yerevan, got educated here. Here I met my only and real love – my wife, my children were born here. Here I piled my life experience. I am proud of Yerevan. I am proud to live here. Why exactly? Everything in my life is connected with Yerevan, everything that is sacred for me. Is there any sense in asking what I love Yerevan for? I love, because the love towards Yerevan is my life, a special expression of my individuality."
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Franck Muller
passion for watchmaking
Born in 1958, Franck Muller very early got interested in mechanical products and collected antique astrological instruments. In 1981, at the age of 15, he entered a watchmaking school. Still at this school he received numerous prizes. After graduating from it, Muller decided to take the difficult path: he didn't join other watch brands, but opened his own small shop. Within a few years he released unique watches with his own name. "The secret of Franck Muller's success is in the perfect combination of innovative design and stunningly complicated mechanisms created with Swiss watchmaking traditions." "Once I was told that the watch industry needs watchmakers. So I decided to enter a watchmaking school. In this school, my passion for watches appeared."
"Our goal is to make innovative and beautiful watches. And if they take the fancy of celebrities, we will only be proud of it.
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Aleksandr Khachatryan
It would be interesting for me to play the devil
Alexander Khachatryan was born in postwar years. Since his early childhood, he was very different from his mates: instead of street fights he preferred acting. Time has showed that the fate had chosen the right way for Khachatryan. Due to his charm he has always interested the directors, and even after 20 years of silence he is continued to be invited to play different roles. Today Khachatryan continues to conquer the hearts of women and girls, causing the husbands and lovers get jealous. "I think it very important for my hero to have both human and citizen judgement." "I have seen actors who played the works of Shakespeare so, that they had better not do it." "The actor may be damned if he plays his role fairly. And if he plays well, people will say about him: "Damn him, he played very well.""
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Rolf Schneider
the owner of the most famous anchor in the world
When it comes to mechanical watches, today's dictionaries are being enriched with the forms of superlatives. Words such as "quickness", "exclusiveness", "innovations", "limited edition", "tendencies", etc., continue to congest the professional literature and advertising in general. What is the reason? The reason is. that mechanical watches are and will remain the essence of traditional craftsmanship, which has a long-lasting value. Snow-covered mountains of Switzerland are a great shelter for new watch brands. And in the small town of Le Locle one of the great brands - Ulysse Nardin is situated. The head of this exceptional company is Rolf Schneider, a Swissman with more than four decades of experience in different areas of the watch industry. We prresent the interview with this watch magnate to your attention.
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Nani Bregvadze
the muse of the Georgian scene
While still a student, Nani Bregvadze started singing at the Tbilisi State Orchestra "Rero" of the Georgian State Philharmonic. One of her strongest impressions of that time is the touring with the Moscow music hall in Paris in 1964. It was Nani's first appearance at the world famous Olympia Hall. After returning from Paris she was invited to the "Orera" Ensemble, where she worked as a soloist for 15 years.
It is impossible not to admire her. With the course of time she has not lost her charm, its elegance, quite the contrary, she continues to win the hearts of not only her audience, but also the stronger sex. After the interview, she was approached by a longtime fan: even after so many years his eyes shone at the sight of her. But in spite of such a glory and fame she remains a modest and simple woman, devoted to her family and work. Many cities around the world demanded the encore of her, but she always returned to her home, to her beloved Georgia.
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Gegham Grigorian
the star of world opera scene
This year, world famous tenor Gegham Grigorian becomes 60 years old. He was born in January 1951 in a family of engineers. Parents of the future tenor, too, were people of art: his mother beautifully painted and father played nearly every instrument that came to hand, and dreamed that his son played the violin. So, since childhood Gegham studied music and finished the music school after Spendiarov, learned to play the violin, but later chose another way: he finished musical college as a choir conductor and a vocalist. Then he studied at Yerevan Conservatory after Komitas. In 1971 he had his first solo concert, and a year later he went on a tour in West Berlin. Finishing the conservatory he began an internship at La Scala opera house in Milan (1978-1979), where he studied style and skill of singing in Italian operas.
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Paul Garmiryan
The Armenian speaking in cigars language
Paul Garmiryan founded his company in 1990. Today it is one of the most renowned manufacturers in the world of cigars. The list of admirers of PG includes former U.S. presidents Bill Clinton, George Bush, George W. Bush, former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, as well as the well-known TV presenter David Letterman. The Gourmet Guide to Cigars book, which was published in 1990, was the result of 7 years Garmiryan's work. Tit was the first book about cigars, which appeared in the U.S., and was reprinted nine times, including the edition in Spanish, which came out in 1993. The success of the book led Paul Garmiryan to the opportunity to work with
Hendrik Kelner – the president of a company producting Dominican cigars – "Tabacos Dominicanos", and with Eladio Diaz, its head ligador. This was followed by the time of experimentation and hard work of skilled and talented individuals whose innovations gave a chance to PG cigars to come into season.
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Levon Malkhasyan
Jazz is my life
What is jazz? Even great Louis Armstrong failed to give the exact answer to this question. Jazz is the music that should not just be listened to; it has to be understood. It is not without a reason that people who love this music are considered to be highly intelligent.
Jazz in Armenia is not just jazz, but it is a state of mind, a whole stratum of urban culture. It is more than music, it is a style of behavior, thinking, naturally with some oriental flavor. And yet, it is jazz. One of the most prominent representatives of the Armenian jazz, of course, is Levon Malkhasyan. In his childhood he accidentally heard a strange music on radio and immediately fell in love with it forever!
An incredibly humble man, embarrassed with each compliment, Malkhas (he is most often called this way) considers himself a real "yerevantsi" and says that he lives for the sake of playing jazz!
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David Lewis
Beo-designer of Bang & Olufsen
Behind the soft look of David Lewis's kind eyes and fluffy beard, there is an uncompromising Englishman hiding, who for many years has been providing the brand of Bang & Olufsen with a leading position worldwide. Leading the design department of the company for a quarter of a century, he invents the design of Hi-Fi-Systems, TVs and speakers of Bang & Olufsen, which immediately attract attention for their beauty: their Scandinavian design gives them a partcular strictness. The TV-set, which turns towards the person wherever he is sat; glass cover of the CD-player which opens as soon as you slightly touch it – these all are the handiwork of the famed designer.
There is no doubt that over the past 25 years David Lewis has become a Beo-man - a status that he more than deserved. Moving from England to Denmark, David immediately joined a group of designers working in Bang & Olufsen company. Today he is an indispensable part of the company's image.
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Charles Aznavour
The available and the unattainable
Charles Aznavour keeps singing, is engaged in diplomacy, he's the most famous citizen of his country, most beloved hero of his homeland, France's face and the conscience of Armenia. In his life he achieved everything and conquered the world. Despite this, in a conversation he is simple, direct and sincere. For two years this is our second meeting in an upscale hotel adjacent to the New York Central Park, where he often stops. Once again, our conversation was in French, which in essence has become his mother tongue. Before and after the interview we touched on sensitive issues. One would think that the glory-covered artist must be sufficiently far from the Armenian reality, and all the heroic country should appear to him in pink. But nothing escapes his eyes: he is concerned about the fate of his people and shares their concerns. But our conversation with Aznavour was primarily direct one, during which we dealt with issues never asked before...
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Vakhtang Kikabidze
the Last of the Soviet Caucasian Cinemas Mohicans
He's an actor, a singer, a symbol of his country, its voice and its ambassador...He also, like his Armenian counterpart, is not far from politics. But unlike the French Armenian, "Russian" Georgian ignored the diplomacy and went to the square as a politician. Today he is the most politicized star in the former Soviet Union; he is the most controversial intellectual and the most hurt artist. It is difficult to converse with him without resorting to political topics. His song is now saturated with politics, and the play has become a victim of the vote. He shone on the screens and crowded the concert halls in many cities, enjoyed love and devotion of the audience of many millions.
Today Vakhtang Kikabidze performs everywhere except the homeland of his fame - Russia. He still gathers the audience far away from his own country - on the banks of the Hudson River, where many of his countrymen had settled and where Russians are not too fond of Russia.
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Sevan Bichakchi
a jeweler with a speaking name
Despite the fact that he has a Turkish surname, in Turkey there isn't a single person who would not know that Sevan Bichakchi is a true Armenian. Sevan was born in Istanbul, in the Samattiya region, and became engaged in jewelry making when he was 12 years old. Today his name is widely known throughout the world.
Bichakchi is a jeweler who creates unique products differing in their massive size and special design.
Particular interesting are the works he created with a unique method - intaglios (a deeply carved image on a polished stone or metal) and micromosaic. He has thrice won the Town & Country award in the category of "Precious Stones". In 2007, the Fund Tanzanite chose Sevan Bichakchi as one of the top five independent jewelry designers.
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