MARKING TIME: In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Royal Oak, Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet is exploring its inception and continued cultural impact in a coffee-table book published by Assouline.
Written by journalist Bill Prince, “Royal Oak: From Iconoclast to Icon” includes 400 illustrations retracing the watch’s conception and the cultural environment that gave rise to it, alongside new archival material uncovered by the Swiss watchmaker’s patrimony department.
The 292-page volume also explores the continued impact of an object described in the foreword by chairwoman Jasmine Audemars and chief executive officer François-Henry Bennahmias as “a canvas of design innovation” since its creation and “a cultural artifact well beyond watchmaking, an object of permanence in a world of obsolescence.”
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First released in 1972, the Royal Oak was imagined by legendary watch designer Gérald Genta, who had been tasked by then-managing director Georges Golay to create “a steel watch that hadn’t been done before.”
This octagonal design Genta later described as “the masterpiece of [his] career crafted by the Le Brassus artisans” and “the magical fulfilment of a childhood dream” was initially met with industry skepticism that turned to critical and commercial success.
Chronicled throughout the book is the Royal Oak’s evolution and continued appeal throughout the decades, peppered with quotes, including a note from Karl Lagerfeld, who wrote in 2002 that although he collected other timepieces, he always came back to his “good old Royal Oak” purchased the year of its launch.
Its final chapter focuses on portraits of the “Generation Royal Oak,” a cohort said to exemplify the watch’s boundary-breaking spirit that includes Elle Macpherson, Serena Williams, comedian Kevin Hart, British-American DJ Mark Ronson, and musician and Ambush cofounder Verbal.
Priced at 250 euros or $250, “Royal Oak: From Iconoclast to Icon” will be released in English on Friday, with versions in six languages. — LILY TEMPLETON
PUT A RING ON IT: Pomellato has renewed its love vows to the city of Venice by funding the restoration of the Epistle Ambo pulpit at the landmark St. Mark’s Basilica. To carry out the project, the Kering-owned jewelry house partnered with the international nonprofit organization Venetian Heritage, whose mission is to preserve and safeguard the city’s artistic legacy.
Pomellato Group’s chief executive officer Sabina Belli described the initiative as “a significant project for Venice that makes me immensely proud, and is testament, once again, to Pomellato’s focus on the conservation and promotion of the cultural heritage of this wonderful city.”
To mark the initiative, Pomellato also developed a capsule collection of its Iconica ring paying tribute to the city’s artistic references by nodding to the iconic mosaics of the church and their colors.
Crafted in rose gold, the ring style is available in two versions, one with red porphyry and garnet and the other with green porphyry and green tourmaline. Available in a limited edition, the Iconica Venezia rings are now exclusively sold at the Pomellato store in Venice.
The Epistle Ambo is a key element of the city’s legendary Basilica, as in the past it indicated where the doge — the title bestowed on chiefs of state in the Italian city during the medieval and Renaissance periods — used to address the Venetians from and attend services at the church.
Made of red porphyry, a stone that according to Byzantine tradition was reserved for emperors, the structure was already in precarious condition when the exceptional flooding that hit Venice in 2019 further damaged the flooring of the Basilica and weakened the ground below the pulpit.
Begun in March 2022, the restoration works of the Epistle Ambo will be completed by the end of the year. — SANDRA SALIBIAN
BIGGER AREA: Simona Zerchi has joined Area as executive vice president, global sales, a new post.
Her role will be to position Area for the next phase of strategic growth.
Most recently Zerchi held a similar post at Nili Lotan and before that was a business development consultant at Greyss Inc. Consulting. Earlier in her career, she was senior vice president of sales at Calvin Klein 205W39NYC, and before that was vice president of wholesale at Gucci. She has also been president of Celine. She spent 10 years at the Prada Group in various posts, including vice president of wholesale and retail at Miu Miu.
Zerchi will be based in New York and reports to Beckett Fogg, chief executive officer.
The fashion and accessories brand was founded in 2014 by Fogg and Piotrek Pansczczyk in New York. The brand is known for its exploration of texture and materials and its quirky take on glamour. The brand sells such retailers as Mytheresa, Net a Porter, SSense, Neiman Marcus, Antonia, Webster, and Fwrd. —LISA LOCKWOOD
NEW SIGNING: Jill Kortleve has signed with IMG Models.
The 28-year-old Dutch model made her runway debut at Alexander McQueen’s spring 2019 show and has since appeared in campaigns for the British luxury house. She has also become a fixture at Chanel, recently modeling the bridal look at Chanel’s fall 2022 couture presentation, and Jacquemus.
“I grew up in a small town in the south of Holland where I always had the feeling I had to act a certain way or dress a certain way to fit in and for people to like me,” Kortleve has told press. “It took me about 22 years to figure out that I was in control of my own life. I made a big decision in my work — which was to stop focusing on my body weight.”
Kortleve, who isn’t “sample size,” is breaking barriers for a new generation in the fashion industry, gracing the covers of Vogue U.S., Vogue Italia, Vogue France, Vogue Spain, Vogue Netherlands, Vogue Russia, Vogue Hong Kong and Harper’s Bazaar U.S. She has also appeared in an editorial spread in British Vogue.
She has starred in campaigns for Valentino beauty, Fenty Beauty, Fendi, Victoria’s Secret, H&M and Mango. She’s walked for Valentino, Altuzarra, Michael Kors, Mugler, Prabal Gurung and Max Mara, to name a few.
“Now, I want to inspire young girls and boys and show it’s okay if you don’t fit beauty standards,” Kortleve continued. “It’s okay to be a brown woman and have a mustache and arm hair, and it’s okay if you don’t have a flat stomach.”
At IMG Models, Kortleve joins a roster of clients that include Gigi and Bella Hadid, Hailey Bieber, Precious Lee, Paloma Elsesser, Alton Mason, Eileen Gu, Diana Silvers and Richie Shazam. — RYMA CHIKHOUNE
TAKING OVER AT WME: Endeavor, the global sports and entertainment company, has named Richard Weitz and Christian Muirhead co-chairmen of its WME talent agency. They succeed chairman Lloyd Braun who plans to step down at the end of this year.
Weitz, a WME partner and leader within its scripted television department, represents a wide array of actors, comedians, musicians, writers, producers and directors. He first joined the Endeavor talent agency (which evolved into WME) in 1997. He was promoted to partner in 2002, where he was also named head of the agency’s television packaging department.
Muirhead has been with the company for 18 years and has served as Endeavor’s chief communications officer since 2014. He first joined the William Morris Agency in 2004 and was named its communications lead in 2008. Following its merger with the Endeavor talent agency in 2009, Muirhead became WME’s head of communications and was instrumental in the integration of the two agencies. Muirhead was shortly thereafter named a WME partner.
Mark Shapiro, president of Endeavor, said, “I’ve seen firsthand their innate ability to lead, to build meaningful relationships, and to leverage the broader Endeavor network in service to our clients’ aspirations. Coupled with their deep understanding of the entertainment landscape, I can say with certainty that there are no better or more complementary individuals to now lead the agency.”
Shapiro added, “I would like to thank Lloyd for his leadership over these past three years, navigating WME through the pandemic and setting the agency on course for its best financial year on record. Lloyd has left an indelible mark on WME and laid a strong foundation for the future.”
WME is one of the world’s preeminent talent agencies. Recently, Endeavor formed a new WME fashion division, bringing together the company’s fashion representation and management firms, along with its events business, under one roof to optimize client offerings. Its clients span film, TV, music, sports, fashion, theater, books, digital media, speakers and culinary. — L.L.