Part II - Fiamma Breschi Talks About Enzo Ferrari, The Man, The Myth, The Marque And The Machine - Think Design Magazine Special Feature and Exclusive Interview

Words and Interview: Stephen Hadden

Continued from Part 1: 

Fiamma continues; Enzo, for whatever his reasons, took a shine to me, and pursued me relentlessly. He could never stop apologizing about Musso and would send me letters everyday written with his signature in violet ink professing his undying love. He invited me everywhere and I was soon to become a permanent fixture within the Ferrari inner circle.

Enzo was very intrigued with Fiamma, not only was she beautiful and incredibly knowledgeable, she also added another angle to the sport. She could see things from a women’s perspective, something Enzo believed would be necessary in making his road cars (Gran Turismo’s) more widely acceptable and sexier. Up until this time, the cars were seen as wealthy playboy toys and not something the wife quite liked or for that matter, a respectable addition to the garage. They were essentially fast engines wrapped inside an aluminum chassis, totally designed for speed alone.

Ever the strong willed and determined woman, Fiamma was to constantly give her truthful opinions when Enzo asked her what she thought of everything, from designs to ride quality and performance.
Maybe it was from my love of engines as a young girl, or perhaps because of being constantly involved in the sport with Luigi, I could understand the concept and design of cars better than most. Unlike men, who were only after speed, I wanted more. I wanted, speed, comfort and good looks. Enzo would listen, then argue and then finally agree.

I remember we were in his office in Modena one day discussing colors of all things. You see, Enzo was never a fan of the color red, but it stuck because of red being the racing colors of the Italian teams. Since the 1920s, Italian race cars have all been painted in ‘racing red’ or ‘Rosso Corsa’. This was the national racing color of Italy, as recommended between the organizations that later would eventually become the FIA. It is a reference to the nationality of the competing teams, not that of the car manufacturer or driver. Enzo always drove a pastel blue car. Even his personal Ferrari cars were always pastel blue, never red.

I was horrified when at the Paris Motor Show in 1962 Enzo debuted the 250 Berlina Lusso in a white wine yellow! It was insipid I thought. As we discussed this, outside waiting was none other than Ferrucio Lamborghini who had made an appointment about getting himself a sports car. His wealth was born from manufacturing tractors and agricultural equipment from abandoned and used war time tanks and vehicles. Three hours later, he was still waiting. You can imagine, he was not pleased at what seemed a deliberate snub and stormed out yelling, “No one, not even The Drake (Enzo’s nick name) keeps me waiting, Forget it, I will build my own!”

And in 1963, the Lamborghini Sports Car Division was born in direct competition to Ferrari in the road car market. Interestingly the meeting that kept him waiting was also when the idea for a striking yellow Ferrari was conceived and also in 1963, the first bright yellow Ferrari rolled off the production line, the original GTB 275 fondly called “Fiamma Giallo” (fiamma means flame in Italian) later to be renamed “Giallo FLY”, as Fly was easier for marketing and denoted ‘airborne’. Enzo only chose the name because he wanted to keep the “F”.

During this time, Fiamma took to testing every new model that came out of the Maranello stable and is widely known as the first female test driver of sports cars and during her time in Modena clocked up an astonishing 67,000 kilometers of test driving per year right across Italy. An incredible feat. It is no wonder Enzo was so endeared.

In 1964 Ferrari debuted the 275 GTB. As with most Ferraris, the design was outsourced to Pininfarina who basically refined and modified the bodywork and Scaglietti constructed them based on the final designs produced by the Ferrari engineers. Fiamma once again was not impressed and after some heated exchange with Enzo got him to agree to a design rethink.

Fiamma elaborates…

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Fiamma Breschi, The First Lady of Formula One Talks About Enzo Ferrari

Part One of a two part article:
Words and Interview by Stephen Hadden.

It’s a hot summer’s day in Forte Dei Marmi, Italyand sitting down for lunch at the Hotel Ritz with Enzo Ferrari’s favorite woman and confidante, Fiamma Breschi, promises to make it a rather compelling and interesting encounter.

As a young girl, Fiamma was well accustomed to machines and speed. Growing up in the city of Florence, she was introduced to the world of motorcycles by her father who was incredibly passionate, and together they would spend time on any number of these machines. Fiamma got to be a deft hand at the mechanics of these motorcycles and displayed an acute ability in form, function and design, preferring engine grease and metal to pretty dolls and tea sets. Something that would one day endear her to motoring legend,Enzo Ferrari, so much so, that once their friendship and collaboration began, they hardly spent a day apart, right up until the day he died in 1988 at age 90.

In the 1954, Fiamma Breschi was a glamorous young Italian actress and also the girlfriend of the legendary race car driver, Luigi Musso. It was her association with Musso, and the unfortunate tragedy that followed, that would catapult her into the very inner circle of the greatest automobile marquee ever made, and then make her the only person that its creator, Enzo Ferrari, truly loved and trusted. Now in her 70s and still the striking woman that once mesmerized Enzo Ferrari, Fiamma Breschi talks exclusively to Think Design Magazine.

To fully understand the man that was Enzo Ferrari, Fiamma decided it was best to first go back to the beginning and talk about his early years. She leans back, lights a cigarette, takes a sip of white wine and then pauses, and says… “senti…” (Italian for  ‘listen’).

Enzo was born in 1898 in Modena Italy to a poor but hard working family. His father, Alfredo, owned a local metalwork business providing parts for the railways. When Enzo was only ten years old his father took him and his brother Alfredo Jr. (known affectionately as Dino) to an automobile race in Bologna. There he saw Vincenzo Lancia race against Felice Nazarro in the 1908 Circuit di Bologna. It was this event that instilled in Enzo a desire to be a racing driver. Enzo would make every effort possible to attend all race meetings and the fire and passion of motorsport burned brightly in his eyes. It was never to leave and constantly consumed him.

The onset of World War I was a very difficult time for the Ferrari family as it was for everyone in Italy, and a double tragedy struck in 1916 when his father passed away and his brother was killed on the frontline. Enzo was so devastated that the loss would haunt him for the rest of his life; unfortunately, there were many more tragedies that would befall him throughout it. It was this that made him very tough and unaffectionate, but at the same time, extremely determined and focused.

However, the Enzo I knew was very different, he was very friendly, generous and playful, but that was only to me, he never dropped the cold, almost callous tough exterior when out in public or with his employees and drivers. I sometimes wondered how he could so easily live within these dual roles.

Enzo was drafted shortly after the loss of his father and brother, but never made a very good soldier, ‘luckily’ for him he contracted an illness and was discharged and sent home, although the illness was somewhat serious, he recovered and set about defining himself in the world of automobiles. Enzo was fortunate in that he also got a reference from a senior army officer who recognized his passion for automobiles to take to FIAT. During the interview with FIAT, he was politely told that it was ridiculous that the army expected FIAT to just hand out jobs to war veterans and was shown the door.

Enzo also applied for work at Alfa Romeo and too was turned down, but eventually he got employment at CMN which made cars using wartime vehicles. Enzo so desperately wanted to be a race car driver that he volunteered as a test driver, very dangerous occupation at the time. He was quite good, and thankfully that led to him being offered a position at Alfa Romeo in 1919. Not many people know that Enzo was a racing driver, but he was. Enzo was only 20 years old but displayed the passion and ingenuity that would go on to make Ferrari what it is today.

Enzo was so fanatical about cars. He thought his only way of being respected in the automobile circuit was to have one of his own. So without much hesitation he sold the family home to buy a sports car for himself. His mother was not pleased, as you can imagine. You must understand that to have a sports car and to race made you the chariot racer of the day. They were a gladiator of sorts. It was very glamorous and well respected. Something Enzo really wanted, considering his humble upbringing.

Everyone called him “That Crazy Ferrari”. Enzo was not fazed in the slightest. He was going to build the greatest cars the world has ever seen. His determination bordered on psychotic.

In 1920 Enzo continued to race modified production cars for Alfa Romeo and demonstrated great ability and knowledge of the vehicles. Enzo raced in the Targa Florio driving one of these modified cars and he managed to finish second. It was a triumph. Then in 1923 he raced and won at the Circuit of Sivocci at Ravenna which is where he met the father of the legendary Italian World War 1 Ace Fighter Pilot, Count Francesco Baracca. Baracca’s father and mother were so impressed with the courage and the sheer audacity of the young Enzo Ferrari that they presented Enzo with their son’s squadron badge, which was the famous Prancing Horse on a yellow shield telling him; “Put this on your cars, it will bring you more than luck”.  In 1924 he scored his greatest victory ever, winning the Coppa Acerbo. The Prancing Horse or ‘Cavallino Rampante’ was then to remain Enzo’s charm and the symbol that every Ferrari bears to this day.

The Ferrari emblem appeared for the first time as we know it on Alfa Romeo’s Scuderia racing team at the Grand Prix in Belgium in 1932”. ‘Scuderia’ is an Italian word for ‘Stable’. A name Enzo used when Alfa temporarily removed themselves from the sport but allowed Enzo to race their cars. Enzo relied heavily on various manufacturers hence his team was then known as Scuderia Ferrari or “Ferrari’s Stable”. The SF initials can still be seen on all Ferrari road cars and Formula 1 vehicles.

Fiamma is clearly extremely knowledgeable. Then, before I get to ask a question….Fiamma lights another cigarette and says “did you get that?”  I nodded, pleased that I understood the origins of such an iconic symbol, but before I could muster a word….“Bene, Bene” she replies and without hesitation, continues…

Continue reading this article at:  http://www.thinkdesignmagazine.com/People-Places/fiammabreschi/Page-3

Rodarte Sisters - Think Design Magazine Fashion Feature, May 2012

So how do two sisters new to fashion, having designed all of ten pieces in their parent’s home, at the kitchen table, get a meeting with Anna Wintour, the style making editor of Vogue and a cover of Women’s Wear? Sheer talent, luck or very good contacts?…We have no idea but it sure got their career started.

Since starting their label in 2005, they have drawn a lot of attention by creating collections that continued to defy the laws of cultural gravity, they have remained fresh and interesting. Natalie Portman an early fan and current friend of the sisters, feels that wearing their clothes is like wearing art.

Laura and Kate Mulleavy, aged 26 and 28 respectively, have had unfathomable success since appearing on the fashion scene in 2005 with their label Rodarte (their mother’s maiden name). Days before their debut in New York during the spring 2006 shows they landed the cover of Women’s Wear Daily, an event almost unheard of for new designers in the run-up to Fashion Week. But editors fell in love with the look-book the girls sent, lovingly crafted hand-made paper dolls in Rodarte’s collection of seven dresses and three coats.

Kate and Laura Mulleavy are young and ambitious sisters from central California, near Santa Cruz who attended UC Berkeley. One sister studied literature and the other art history and somehow their clothes seem to reflect this juxtaposition. When they returned home, no clue what to do with themselves, they spent a year reading art books and coming to terms with themselves. They are descended from an interesting mix of an artist mother of Mexican-Italian descent and a botanist father of Irish descent. Quite a flammable combination. The name Rodarte comes from their mother’s maiden name as a way of preserving it and preserved it is. Their parents started out as California hippies living in a cabin in the woods, with no heat or electricity. Living in the town of Aptos provided them with a window into the world of surfers, Punks, skateboarders, hippies and Hare Krishnas among many other native species of strange humanity, all in ample supply in their town and in nearby Santa Cruz.

From our neck of the woods in South East Asia, we look for references that are closer to home in things like fashion and artistic influences. The sisters have just come out with their Fall 2012 collection and it takes its main inspiration from the Australian outback.

Referring to the Fall 2012 Collection, Robin Givhan from the Daily Beast, reported, “Wool lace blouses with dolman sleeves topped slim matching skirts in shades of pea green and mauve. Urban shearing coats were worn with silk dresses printed with patterns inspired by aboriginal art. Slim cargo pants were matched with cropped fisherman’s sweaters that were thick and almost masculine in cut. Cocktail dresses were suspended from a jeweled strap. Evening gowns were constructed from tiers of ruffles and called to mind carved totem poles. Patterns referenced aboriginal art; hand prints were inspired by ancient cave paintings. And instead of putting models in daunting and fragile stilettos, the designers had them wear chunky shoes with heels that looked like cantilevered, mechanical sculptures, and boots that were embroidered with beads in the manner of an Indian medallion. The inspiration “came out of nowhere,” explained Laura Mulleavy in the crush of well-wishers after the show. “We’d done so much research and looked at photo books of different eras.” But they kept coming back to the idea of Australia, along with the Victorian era, which inspired the hairstyles and some of the simple and reserved silhouettes.” Her sister Kate added, “The show was based on the rugged outback.””

The Mulleavy sisters are still somehow considered to be and happy about being fashion’s outsider nerds. They both have an inner intensity but are also content not to be particularly noticeable. They have taken their education and knowledge of historical context into new arenas including painting, books, opera and film. It seemed to have started with the movie Black Swan where their designs brought a fresh aspect to the movie and their work was widely praised. Soon thereafter the MOCA museum picked up the costumes and created an exhibit for them, which also received rave reviews. Then they introduced their first book project titled Rodarte, Catherine Opie, Alec Soth. The book features Rodarte pieces and the subject matter that has inspired their work.
Now comes the really fun part,

To continue reading this article go to: http://www.thinkdesignmagazine.com/Fashion/rodartesisters

Think Design Magazine: Interview with Gomez Bueno - Artist, Critic and Social Provocateur

The Spanish artist Gomez Bueno has created a diverse and amazing collection of work in the last 20 years which places him far from the stereotype of the surf artist, which he seems to embrace. His paintings, which feature cartoon like drawings at times presented in vibrant colors, are a mix of political messages and social commentary in a fast paced pop culture style. His subjects cover the range from current events to movie memorabilia and beyond. They also include a large selection of Los Angeles surfing culture criticism as well. We had the great pleasure at Think Design Magazine to be the first publication in Asia to interview him. Originally from Santander, Spain, he has lived in Los Angeles for many years and continues to be inspired by the crazy nature of the city which can drive some people mad. Before reaching L.A., he lived in Madrid while attending university there and earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts from Madrid Computense University. He then headed west and I was extremely curious as to how he would compare the two polar opposite cities.

Gomez Bueno is a smallish man with the obvious looks of an artist, the un-kept hair and the intense and disorienting gaze that belie his laid back Spanish nature. The city of L.A. is his canvas so he can usually be found with paint splotches on him as he paints billboards, vans, sails, on canvas (how boring) and on anything else he can get his hands on. His critical eye is always looking for a new opinion to express with his brush, no matter the location. He is fond of a patch of beard on his chin, which makes his face appear to stretch downward. For me however, invariably, the Spanish warmth inside always comes out of a Spaniard even when entrenched in an Anglo-Saxon enclave and it does with Gomez.

To describe his work concisely is very difficult if not impossible in a few paragraphs. His long and varied series of paintings about the movie industry are a good example. His critical premise is that because advertising, marketing and promotion dictate the content and concept of the production that follows, fictionally it is he who decides the direction of the film. He places the movie poster at the center of the film and the poster that you see is described as having had more to do with what developed on-screen than the producer, director, or even the story-boarder. Gomez Bueno in his role as artist-auteur all but determines beforehand his film’s eventual success or failure with the movie-going public. But they will tell you where the credit is due when the credits do roll-- and that is likely to be somewhere in the lobby, not on the screen. So what are we to make of this entirely fictional exercise? What is he trying to say beyond commenting on the sad state of the Hollywood movie industry?

Continue reading this article at:   http://www.thinkdesignmagazine.com/Art/Artists/gomezbueno

Think Design Magazine Fashion Feature February 2012 - Daphne Guinness

Imagine you go to a party and come upon a fashion trendsetter lying in a coffin with a diamond encrusted golden glove she has designed propped up on her hand for all to see while she plays dead. You might wonder how someone who is a beer heiress can hate parties or you might be impressed with the interesting way that Daphne Guinness found to show off her glove design without having to engage in small talk. The glove is currently being sold for $1.76 million dollars so she must be doing something right. To top it off, while she lay in the coffin, she wore an Alexander McQueen cat-suit and meditated for 3 hours. This is just a small part of the life of the fashion influencer of the moment. She has reached that consciousness point, that celebrity situation where we begin to hear a name, quietly and scarcely at first and ignore it, like we did with Lady Gaga in the beginning, then the voices get louder until they are shouting in your ears and you have to listen. Once you do, you find a complex and interesting person behind all the celebrity ruckus. Then we begin to realize she has something to say about fashion.

Guinness is the daughter of Jonathan Guinness and his second wife, Suzanne Lisney, and part heir to the Guinness Beer fortune. During the 80s, she lived in New York City with her sister Catherine Guinness, who was then a friend and companion of Andy Warhol, which surely had a strong influence in both of them. She married Spyros Niarchos, the son of a Greek shipping billionaire at the age of 19, but divorced in 1999 with a reported settlement of about $40 million dollars. She splits her time between London and Manhattan. Her relationship with married French intellectual Bernard-Henri Lévi has been acknowledged by most American society writers and confirmed by Guinness herself.

How has Guinness come to be such an influencer? She has designed for Dover Street Market and released a fragrance with Comme Des Garçons. She has collected fashion, specifically haute couture, for a number of years, and in 2010 bought the entire wardrobe of the late Isabella Blow. Guinness is also prominent in the fashion world as a journalist and in September 2010, NARS Cosmetics launched a new collection dedicated to her. Valentino and Tom Ford clamor to have her wearing their clothes. Steven Klein shot her in couture for a spread in Italian Vogue that is among the magazine’s most buzzed-about photo shoots in recent years. The pop star Lady Gaga, with her sky-high platform shoes and mop of blond hair with a thick streak of black running through it, seems to be virtually pillaging Guinness’s closet for ideas. According to the Times of London Newspaper the aforementioned Bernard-Henri Lévi once told her, “You are no longer a person; you are a concept!”

Fantastic stuff! Continue reading article at:  http://www.thinkdesignmagazine.com/Fashion/daphneguinness

Think Design Magazine January 2012 feature

IN A STORY THAT COMBINES GIVING WITH CLEVER BUILDING METHODS, THE KARUNA-SHECHEN CHARITY ORGANIZATION IN NEPAL HAS PARTNERED WITH THE LOCAL ORGANIZATION, SAMATA SHIKSHA NIKETAN, TO BUILD SEVEN BAMBOO SCHOOLS, PROVIDING QUALITY EDUCATION TO A LARGE NUMBER OF STUDENTS, WITH HALF OF THEM BEING GIRLS, SOMETHING QUITE UNUSUAL IN THAT PART OF THE WORLD. WHAT MAKES THIS UNIQUE IS THAT THROUGH THE INNOVATIVE USE OF BAMBOO AS A BUILDING MATERIAL, COSTS HAVE BEEN REDUCED AND CONSTRUCTION TIMES HAVE BEEN CUT IN HALF. For those unfamiliar with the advantages of bamboo construction, bamboo as a building material is strong, earthquake resistant, abundant, and inexpensive. Using bamboo lowers construction costs by a staggering 60%. One school can be completed in just four to six months for a total cost of $110,000. So far, Karuna-Shechen has funded Bamboo Schools in various regions of Nepal and the long-term goal is to build a Bamboo School in each of Nepal’s 75 districts. Karuna-Shechen plans on building three schools a year in order to meet this goal and it is fantastic to note that the results obtained by their students are consistently above the national average. These children, who would not otherwise be able to attend any school due to poverty or location, are given the opportunity to thrive in an atmosphere that teaches benevolence, cooperation, dedication, truthfulness and commitment to peace. There is currently a need to hire additional teachers for schools in remote areas where there are as many as 40 students in a classroom. Karuna-Shechen is raising funds to be able to provide these teacher’s salaries. Nepal’s extreme poverty and the lack of a government infrastructure deprive many Nepali children of an education. These children, especially girls who are rarely allowed to attend school, have little hope for a better future. The first Bamboo School opened in Jorpati in 2001 and now has 4,000 pupils and 100 teachers. It was soon followed by more schools providing an education to over 30,000 children (over half of whom are girls) and in 2011 Karuna-Shechen supported the construction of the first Bamboo College. As mentioned bamboo’s use as the main construction material, along with corrugated iron roofs, lowers the construction budget significantly.

Article continued at: http://www.thinkdesignmagazine.com/Architecture/bambooschools

Donations can be given at www.karuna-shechen.org