La Petite Maison

So happy, no, delighted that I won't have to go all the way to Nice for my favourite dish. La Petite Maison is now in London and I am in danger of begging for a table every time I need their Oeufs de poule au plat, râpée de truffes, or roughly translated... scrambled eggs with truffles.

Arjun Waney, owner of Zuma and Roka is behind this happy occasion and if its anything like Nice, expect to see a flow of A-listers through their doors. Sublime Mediterranean food comes from head chef Raphael Duntoye and the decor is modern european, in a relaxed, big family kind of way.

La Petite Maison
54 Brooks Mews
London W1K 4EG
+44 20 7495 4774

Interview with Ayesha Vardag, Divorce Lawyer

Ayesha Vardag is one of the top divorce lawyers in the UK, handling high profile, high net worth cases. She graduated with honours in law from Cambridge University in 1990, and as a scholar in European law from the Université Libre, Brussels in 1991. She then worked at the International Court of Justice in the Hague and at the UN in Vienna. She qualified and worked initially as a finance solicitor at Linklaters in London and Moscow, and then at Weil, Gotshal & Manges in London. Ayesha also trained as an advocate at the Inner Temple and was called to the Bar.

Ayesha moved across to Matrimonial and Family law in 1999 at Sears Tooth. She left to lecture in family law at Queen Mary’s, London, and to establish Ayesha Vardag Solicitors as an independent practice. She works primarily with high net worth / high achieving clients, drawing on her City based deal orientated negotiating skills against a background of hard hitting litigation experience, and a strategic intellectual grasp of the law. Recent work has included the major reported case of FS v JS, one of the first multi million cases since the notorious House of Lords decision last year in Miller v Miller. And this year a celebrity £30 million international divorce involving offshore trusts and a £40 million international divorce involving foreign assets.

We met at the Milestone Hotel in Kensington over delicious champagne and I asked Ayesha what ©The Power of Image meant to her. She said that “it is the immediate impression that one gets of another”, and when it comes to Personal Branding, she believes that it is a “recognisable personal statement of who you are”. She went on to say that “as people come to know your work it becomes less important, but initially, first impressions really count”. When I asked her about the Image Culture within her company, she said that she has created “a city, professional, glamorous culture… a departure from some of the dingier matrimonial lawyers of the old era when family law was seen as low rent and hadn’t become a high stakes financial field".

She seems to be naturally aware, and her offices and team are living proof. Ayesha employed a design consultant to create, in her offices overlooking the High Court, an environment that will be comfortable and familiar for her clients… “quietly opulent, with the feeling of a private home”. She wants her clients to feel that the service that she provides is “personal… bespoke” and that her office environment is “somewhere that they will feel at ease”.

When it comes to her clients’ Image, Ayesha advises them what is appropriate in the courtroom. “Men should be smart, sober, respectable, demure… not too sharp or snappy… Women should be quietly expensive, not flashy or too sexy, with no vulgar displays of wealth”.

Ayesha’s parents were the first to instil an awareness of creating a positive first impression. Her father was a politician and her mother elegant and conscious of Image. She laughingly remembers wearing a smart grey suit for her interview at Cambridge University.

Ayesha’s clients are international high net worth individuals, many of whom enjoy resident non domiciled status in the UK in its capacity as an on-shore tax haven. She describes a “feeding frenzy” in her market due to the UK’s generous rulings on divorce and says that there are a “vast number of people profiting from the conditions”. She competes with what she terms “the magic circle of long established firms” and her business has grown exponentially as her clients feel that she delivers “a more personal, proactive, thinking service with lower costs” due to the leaner organisational structure and personal service… “my clients don’t get relegated down the ranks”.

When it comes to high net worth divorce cases, “people want someone to fight on their behalf, to win… someone who is strong and confident and may look slightly intimidating to the other side”. And Ayesha plays the part. She is not only a solicitor, but originally qualified as a barrister and dresses accordingly. “Chanel suits day-to-day, and pinstripes when in court so that others take you seriously”.

God forbid I ever need her services, but if I do, this is the person who I would want to fight my corner.

Summer showers and sales

Its now official... the wettest June on record. Really disappointing and causing havoc across the UK. One comes to expect that Wimbledon will be rained off, that Glastonbury will be awash with mud, but to hear of people in dire life-threatening situations is really disturbing. And over on the Med there is an equally life-threatening heatwave. Its all very extreme.

And even though its hard to think of summery beach gear, we must - the sales are on. Most of the super brands have had their previews and are in full swing. The department stores are not far behind - here are my favourites:


NET-A-PORTER
Wednesday 27 June 2007
Harvey Nichols
Wednesday 27 June 2007
Selfridges
Thursday 28 June 2007
Harrods
Monday 2 July 2007

Mid-Life?

The sales are on... wonderful! Just happened to be on Bond Street in-between meetings and somehow managed to do incredible wallet damage in about two seconds flat. Not difficult at all. Eezy peezy... a little disconcerting seeing the autumn / winter collections creeping into the stores and we haven't even had a full taste of summer. Couldn't bring myself to look at next seasons apparel, not even out of curiosity.

Then a Personal Branding session with a magazine editor - I had to check my bags in at reception so as not to appear to be a shopaholic. One of the things that we explored was the physiology of men in their 40's. For many, the fight to get ahead, the drive, the passion to reach for the next thing, that was so strong in their 20's and 30's, is often replaced by the fight to stay where they are. Probably as much to do with circumstances... more responsibility - mortgages, school fees, university fees, lifestyle. And then the realisation that one is really at a mid point, mid life.

I take my hat off to those who stop, take a good look, work out where they are and what they want to do next.

Perception is reality...

Perception, really, truly, is reality. First impressions really, truly, are lasting impressions. I met with a rather extraordinary bunch of people this morning to discuss their organisations' Image Culture. On the one hand, we had the passion, power, commitment of a truly inspiring individual - on the other, we had feedback from the broader community who don't 'get' the value. The two are worlds apart.

Sometimes, passion, content and commitment are not sufficient. If the market that you are attempting to appeal to is not buying, then it is cause for a broad rethink, a re-alignment, an adjustment. And the way to get there is through understanding what your markets want to buy, where they perceive the value. No matter how passionate we are about things, no matter how good and worthy they truly are... unless the value is perceived, we will always be battling, rather than achieving a flow.

Whole Foods Market

Ranked this year at No. 5 in FORTUNE® "100 Best Companies to Work For", Whole Foods Market has opened in High Street Kensington, London. There has been a rather interesting response from the press, with praise and criticism closely interwoven.

I am probably at least a little biased as this three floor emporium to natural and organic food is on my doorstep. My first foray left me down £70 with not much to show for it. One needs a strict shopping list or the delight in finding the unique and unusual can leave you staggering out with heavy bags and a much lighter wallet. A wonderful assortment of dried figs, strange shaped vegetables and unpronounceable fruit - and when you get home and unpack it all, you realise that there is not a meal in sight.

Oh, one decent find... Veuve Clicquot at £24.99 a bottle. That's about 10% less than Tesco.

Men's Style...

I was chatting to a journalist last night who is writing an article about men's style and it got me thinking. The trends at the moment are so very subtle. Large pin-stripes, bright green/red/pink lining, braces, red socks are almost an anathema. Instead, the half lining, the coloured piping, the texture, the cut are just the thing.

Talking of half linings and coloured piping, which Kilgour in Savile Row do so very well, I recently went Personal Shopping with a client and we settled on a Paul Smith blazer. Apart from the very smart lining and piping, the beautiful thing was the quirky flower print on the inside pocket. My client had both of us falling about the place with laughter as he tried to find ways of casually throwing the blazer down to reveal its secrets. Over the shoulder, thrown onto a chair... he finally decided that he should wear it and keep his glasses in the pocket. That way, he could open the blazer with a flourish, revealing all, delve inside and swap glasses every now and again. If it works for him, it works for me...

The most expensive perfume in the world

Every now and again I am blown away by something so very unique and unusual that it makes me do a double-take. I am talking about a £64,000 double-take. And that's the starting price. Meet V1, the most expensive perfume in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

V1 contains 1400 of the most refined essences and rare flowers from all over the world. It took the designer Arfaq seven years to create it with renowned parfumeur Arthur Burnham. The bottle was designed by Arfaq and assembled by Pierre Dinand of the famous Ateliers Dinand, Paris. Each bottle is made of pure platinum with 18 carat gold and ruby crystal and bears the recipient’s name, individual number and hallmarks.

Rolls Royce were commissioned to make the case of precious wood which is lined in the finest Connolly hide. Each case is a result of thirty hours of craftsmanship. Graff were commissioned to produce the 18 carat yellow gold key, set with brilliant cut diamonds and rubies, which opens the box. Each key is numbered.

Only one hundred and seventy-three bottles were made. Only twenty-two remain.

If you are intrigued, inspired, interested, email baronessva@v1onenightonly.com to arrange a viewing. Oh, I almost forgot... it smells simply divine.

Personal Branding

What is it about the march of time that can send us off on a wild goose chase and cloud our very essence? Stuff I guess, so much of it. A case in point with a client this morning who has just recently been 'let go' by her company. Amazingly talented, however in danger of making another knee-jerk career decision. Sometimes its worth stepping out of the fray and and taking a long hard look at what we really enjoy doing, what comes naturally, what brings the joy. For once we find the joy, the markets seem to find us.

We focused on the markets that she is looking at working in and what these markets want to 'buy' - the days of selling rather than encouraging people to buy are long gone. When we understand that we are the brand, the very essence (Me / I), then we understand that the attributes of the brand, integrity, honesty, high work ethics, creativity, 15 years in banking... are the things that can be tweaked and better balanced for our markets. The error, if one can consider any experience an error, is pushing the attributes onto a market that has differing buying criterion. We may be able to win the deal, get the role... but not necessarily live with the consequences...

Does the shoe fit?

Had a great Image Consultation and Personal Shopping session with a client today... she is in the process of losing the 2 dress sizes that have crept up on her so I limited the shopping element... no point in spending vast sums on what will be too big in a few short months. We did hike around the shoe department and eventually settled on a pair of Fendi's. Then promptly left them behind as she informed me that she can get any shoe made for £100 in Portugal. Any shoe... way too good to ignore! Got me going on the design front and if its true, I may have to pop over and get a last made. Then a simple question of sending the design and voila! I really like this idea.

Eurotrash and all that...

The South of France... its a beautiful thing. I really must do it more often. My head finally hit the London pillow at 2:30 this morning after attempting the last delayed flight out of Nice on Easy Jet, or sleezyjet as its known. Thank you Monaco for a great weekend... all that anyone should ever need in small doses. Sun, fun, and fabulous people watching.

The Beach Club must be the best spot for fab, ever so slightly voyeuristic observation of one’s fellow man, woman and everything in-between. Having grown up in Africa, the concept of stiletto’s and bikini around the pool is a little hard to relate to...

One can almost guess where people come from by what they wear, how they wear it, the body language, how they hold their knife and fork... The eurotrash in Vilebrequin; the French with perfectly groomed hair, large brims in kitten heels; the eastern Euro’s in impossible heels and gold bikini’s - older or less travelled versions in too tight off-white lycra shorts; the English... either eurotrash or rather pale and slightly uncomfortable; the southern Euro’s in their headscarves, loads of children, tanned and comfortable; the South Americans even more so sans children and headgear, avec grand booty; the American contingent purposefully pale, gripping their cutlery, baseball caps firmly planted. And the most intriguing variety, the world travellers in their kaftans from St Trop/St Barths, the jewels a mix of Cartier and something picked up in Sardinia/Brazil, the flip-flops Italian, the hat hippy, the sunscreen La Mer or Sisley, beach bag picked up in the Billionaires Club... blackberry in hand.

Horribly broad generalisations I know. Ohmy, what the hell... hours of rather compulsive entertainment.

Cross-Culture...

Its been a week of family, lovely family. Getting any work done has been a challenge of note. I should have declared the week a holiday... hard to do when you have no one to declare it to. Not that I miss having someone to declare it to... fill out the leave form, submit it for approval, hold your breath, wait for the questions, watch the signature finally scrawl its way across the page and leave. Free. Now its just the opposite... wrestle with my conscience, do some work, debate the issue with myself, do some more work, steal a few hours, think of the balls I’ve dropped, do some more work. Realise that I’m free. Just a different way of getting there... I much prefer the latter.

Saying that, still managed to squeeze a few consultations in-between Billy Elliot (brilliant) and the London Eye. Working with a client on cross-cultural issues as he is now responsible for Europe and the Middle East - a long way from the cut and thrust of his home town, New York. And he is very NY. First impressions are so powerful and he knows that the little non-verbal things will go a long way in smoothing his path. Fortunately he’s big on EQ... I guess that’s why he’s the CEO.

The Alchemist

What a fabulous find! The Alchemist is an exclusive London based spa service providing beauty therapists, masseurs, personal trainers, make-up artists and other specialists - in the comfort of your own home.

Whether you are looking for a massage – from deep tissue to prenatal, a facial – from dermobrasion to anti-ageing, pilates, reiki, threading, a mani-pedi or a make-up artist for special occasions, this couldn’t be a better way of doing it.

To find out more or to book a pampering session of note, please call +44 20 7349 0093 or click on this link.

LJW Recruitment

Do you need a butler, chauffeur, housekeeper or nanny? Lynda Weatherhead of LJW is renowned for her expertise in bringing you the high calibre staff that you need.

Formerly of The AgenC, which was founded in 1995, Lynda specialises in Domestic and Commercial appointments. She provides key quality staff to the top echelons of society, blue chip corporations and royal households, and is affiliated to international agencies and concierge groups around the world, making her reach truly international.

Contact Lynda on +44 20 7801 0643, email: lynda@ljwrecruitment.com or click on this link.

Are you consistent?

Its June, already. Where has this year gone? Its almost summer and so much to do before we settle into what the Italians so aptly term Ferragosta. Which is great if you are not ordering Italian kitchens and bathrooms. Everything shuts down, stops working, grinds to a halt. By the time we get there, I may be doing just the same.

Had the lovely accountant around yesterday afternoon to take away vast quantities of my troubles. So love the idea of just putting all the bits into an envelope, labelling it by month and handing it all over. Wonderful stuff. And then a personal branding session with a client who, when I asked her to describe herself as brand, came up with one lovely word ‘Hermès’. What is it about this iconic brand that inspires so many? I recently helped a friend to find a branding consultancy to establish a brand for her business and when I asked her what she aspired to, she said the same thing.

The brand was founded in 1837 as a saddlery company... now Hermès is best known for leather goods, hand printed silks, jewellery, and assorted glamorous accoutrements and elite status symbols. This is a rare family run business - descendants of founder Thierry Hermès still possess 75% of the company.

So how do we capture the essence of the brand in ourselves? As with all brands, consistency is the key and a good place to start. Thereafter, integrity, quality... throw in a little mystery, exclusivity and you are on your way.

Art Watch...

If you happen to be in Europe this summer, there are four world art events that are taking place. Here's the lowdown...

Art 39 Basel
4 June - 8 June 2007
The international art show features about 300 leading art galleries from 30 countries on all continents. Art Basel is the world's premier modern and contemporary art fair.

52nd Venice Biennale
10 June - 21 November 2007
52nd International Art Exhibition, entitled Think with the Senses – Feel with the Mind. Art in the Present Tense. The international exhibition, set up in the Arsenale and in the Italian Pavilion at the Giardini presents about a hundred artists from all over the world.

Documenta
16 June – 23 September 2007
Founded in 1955, Documenta is regarded as one of the most important exhibitions of contemporary art, drawing attention from all over the world.

Istanbul Biennial
8 September - 4 November 2007
Founded in 1987, the Istanbul Biennial aims to create a meeting point in İstanbul in the field of visual arts between artists from diverse cultures and the audience. It is considered as one of the most prestigious biennials alongside Venice, Sao Paolo and Sydney.