一大早踏進杜拜醫療城（Healthcare City），所有行政人員正忙裡忙出，準備迎接杜拜邦長穆罕默德（Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum）在兩天後大駕光臨。行政樓內散落一地的裱框圖片，也正等待釘上新牆。「這裡變化實在太快了，牆上照片一下子就跟不上醫療城的最新樣貌。」杜拜醫療城資深行銷經理Rasna Al Khamis一方面對行政樓的凌亂表達歉意，一方面也說：「邦長每次來都要看看最新進度，所有事情都會在他來以前打點好。」杜拜醫療城 最新造鎮計畫杜拜醫療城是杜拜最新的造鎮計畫之一，在哈佛大學醫學院協助規劃下，2010年時，這裡將齊聚各類型的醫療院所和研究單位，滿足顧客「一站購足」服務。由中華工程承包的一處只提供40個床位的貴族醫院也在其中，並正如火如荼地趕工中。Rasana指出，近來國際掀起醫療旅遊風，杜拜也看到這個商機，並打算做最好的，「你知道的，這裡是杜拜，所有東西都得做到世界級。」為了吸引全球最頂尖的醫療資源進駐醫療城，杜拜允許外商100%獨資設立醫院，還可免繳所得稅。目前杜拜醫療城一期工程已經結束，而比一期大上四倍的二期工程已經加緊施工中。有趣的是，醫療城內不只有醫院，還設有五星級飯店、購物中心和住宅區，一些嗅覺靈敏的科威特商人似乎早早發現商機，紛紛搶進置產。杜拜人口不過140萬人，85%是外籍人士；土地面積3,385平方公里，不過是台灣的九分之一大。但這座蕞爾小邦，卻靠著遠見、想像力和企圖心，創造出一股最活躍、奔放及深富多元色彩的經濟能量，在全球市場嶄露頭角。杜拜國際金融中心（Dubai International Financial Centre，DIFC）財富管理部門執行董事RE（Sandy）Shipton 表示，多數的中東國家都是靠石油發家致富，杜拜的油量不多，老早也意識到石油有一天終將枯竭，「在那一天來臨前，杜拜開始發展其他替代性產業，讓經濟更加多元化」。杜拜發展多元經濟的策略主要有二：一是仿效台灣、大陸，成立自由貿易區；其次是大力發展觀光業。目前杜拜已經擁有24個可供外人100%獨資、資本利得免稅的自貿區。2006 年，這些自貿區創造的再出口貿易總值超過280億美元。Shipton說，以前大家都覺得沙漠沒有賣點，但在杜拜成功靠著帆船飯店、棕櫚島和杜拜塔（明年底完工後將是全世界第一高樓）等知名建築打出名號後，每年都有超過200萬人次的觀光客慕名而來，「杜拜的信念就是卯起來做，別告訴我不可能！」根據杜拜官方統計數據顯示，過去五年，杜拜經濟成長率均維持兩位數成長。2006年經濟成長率高達20.4%，一共創造出近490.96億美元的國內生產總值。更叫人吃驚的是，過去五年，來自非石油產業的經濟成長貢獻度高達95%。也就是說，杜拜每創造100元財富，只有5元仰賴石油所得，其餘的95元都是靠再出口、觀光旅遊及其他服務業所賜。杜拜的企圖心不僅如此，目前杜拜正嘗試的第三條路，就是看齊紐約、香港和新加坡，爭取成為橫跨中東、北非和次大陸的區域金融中心。從小小的杜拜探頭出去，這片腹地涵括42個國家、近2.2億的人口，及超過2.3兆美元的GDP。非石油產業 95%經濟來源Shipton表示，過去有不少人認為伊斯蘭的金融世界難以進入，但杜拜就像是在伊斯蘭律法的浩瀚大海中，一座實行普通法的小島。這裡比照國際標準制定金融法規，產品以美元計價，資金也可自由進出，完全不需繳交所得稅。Shipton過去曾多次到台灣考察，認為台灣基金行業相當成熟、發達，「我們歡迎來自台灣的基金到杜拜註冊。」他說。1971年，杜拜剛剛脫離英屬殖民地，和沙漠中的六個遊牧民族，組成阿拉伯聯合大公國（UAE）。當時的杜拜，就靠著一條由波斯灣海水延伸進入的天然運河為生，船民搖著一葦又一葦的木船，把貨物轉運到其他國家。當時，沒人知道杜拜。37年後的今天，杜拜靠著清晰的自我定位、發展策略和成功的行銷術，讓世人一看到帆船飯店，就想到杜拜，甚至還誤認杜拜就是一個獨立的國家。夜幕低垂，杜拜還有事忙。日夜兼程趕工的捷運、杜拜塔，還在加緊延伸、拉高。杜拜，一個在短時間內拉拔長大的美少年，在推出帆船飯店和杜拜塔後，也將端出一張亮麗的經濟成績單，讓世人眼睛為之一亮。@Source: 2008/02/04 經濟日報 ╱林安妮 http://udn.com/
冬陽從三十米高的大跨距天藍色圓拱鋼骨玻璃頂棚灑進來，歐洲之星(EuroStar)高速火車的車身披上了一身金黃。穿著呢毛大衣的女子斜靠在月台旁的香檳吧啜飲著暖暖的咖啡。已有一百四十年歲月的古典紅磚，正享受著人們欽慕的眼神。十二月的倫敦，滿城爭說這個英國最美的車站 ── 聖潘克斯車站(St Pancras Station)她是連接英格蘭與歐洲大陸的歐洲之星新起點，經過七年整修、花費八億英鎊(約五百億元台幣)，自去年十一月中旬正式重新啟用。穿過英吉利海峽，倫敦到巴黎的行車時間一舉縮短為兩小時十五分鐘，到布魯塞爾，更僅需一小時五十分。不過，速度與美麗，只是聖潘克斯車站更新案最表面的意義。這座維多利亞哥德式建築的車站，於一八六八年興建完成之際，正呼應了英國在工業革命時期的意氣風發。然而，歷史的驕傲也可能是一種負擔，上百年的鐵道系統，等於埋下了錯綜複雜的重重弊病。用計劃與配套向前進步過去歐洲之星高速鐵路英國段自開通以來，一直是以泰晤士河南岸的滑鐵盧車站(Waterloo Station)為起點，然而因為英國的鐵路建設一直沒有更新，所謂的高速列車進入英國後，就要被迫使用國內慢速鐵路網，到了倫敦周圍，車速更是大打折扣。但隨著聖潘克斯車站的整修完工、搭配耗資六十八億英鎊(近四千三百億元台幣)橫貫倫敦地底的高速鐵路隧道開通，這個百年來最重大的交通建設，不但讓英國正式加入歐洲高鐵的版圖，也直接帶動了同一區域由英國當代最富盛名的建築師諾曼．佛斯特(Norman Forster)所規劃的國王十字區更新案(King`s Cross Regeneration)。這個事關六十七英畝(相當於三十八個足球場大小)、原本是鐵道工業廢棄區的地段，可望在未來二十年內，藉由一連串的更新，為倫敦市中心，提供大量的商業、住宅與公共空間用地。「我們要確保所做的每一件事，都以大眾交通運輸為基礎，」「設計倫敦」(Design for London)總監畢夏(Peter Bishop)指出，倫敦將從現有的七百多萬人，在二十年之間再成長一百萬人。迫切要解決的，就是交通、居住、生活品質和就業議題。「設計倫敦」是倫敦市長李文斯頓(KenLivingstone)一年前特別設立的單位，目的就是要集中倫敦所有都市設計的資源，廣納意見、運籌協調。而「設計倫敦」機構的成立，一方面暗示著面對城市競爭的大局面，即使強壯如倫敦，也不敢不加緊腳步。另一方面，也見證了英國人注重計劃、強調全盤配套，與整體美觀的前瞻做法。如火如荼地更新與翻轉倫敦未來二十年的都市更新正如火如荼地推行，往內，倫敦的心臟有國王十字區的再次翻轉；往外，倫敦的指尖正藉由「泰晤士河口計劃」(Thames Gateway Project)展開歐洲最大規模、綿延四十英哩(約六十四公里)的更新擴展。為了從過去的工業之城、貿易之都，回應新世紀的知識經濟、創意服務需求，倫敦這個千年古城，再一次正在變身。站在泰晤士河南岸、最受觀光客喜愛的泰德當代美術館(Tate Modern Museum)前往北眺，最惹眼的不是聖保羅大教堂的圓頂，而是一台又一台與天爭高的高架起重機。兩千年的歷史、五百年未受戰火蹂躪，使倫敦深深刻印著珍貴的文化痕跡。過去，倫敦建築的總體格局以保持原有街區風貌為核心，很少允許在市區興建高樓，潛意識裡甚至是有著反對高樓建築的強烈色彩。作為世界級的金融中心，僅管紐約與東京的建築早已爭相往上竄，但倫敦始終有所保留。然而，是否能為金融業提供足夠的辦公大樓，畢竟攸關倫敦的領先地位，再加上看到近年來上海、杜拜一整片、一整片建築拔地而起的強悍氣勢，倫敦不免也開始心急了起來。二○○○年上任的市長李文斯頓就一反過往，轉而支持倫敦的高樓建築計劃，對過去為了保護聖保羅大教堂到國會大廈一帶乾淨天際線的做法，也開始有了討論。為了舒緩辦公大樓的需求，倫敦公、私單位已有默契地放鬆市中心的開發控制標準，允許更多的高樓建築出現。綠色環境將是城市的夢想除了變高，倫敦也要變綠。倫敦的大公園，向來是繁忙都會裡最令人流連的一道風景。若以市中心最熱鬧的皮卡迪里廣場(PiccadillyCircus)為中心，方圓三英哩之內，就有大小公園八十處，整個綠地覆蓋市區的面積約四分之一。「未來我們還將花上二、 三十年時間，把市中心零碎的溼地、綠地綴連起來，再加上市中心外圍的環城綠帶(green belt)，」為了精密計算人均公共綠地、人均公園面積等自然地景分布，畢夏遞出一本專門探討東倫敦綠地網絡的手冊，上面滿是該如何補救某些地區綠地缺乏的方法。而這本手冊裡，當然也包括了自行車的行徑路線規劃。 入冬的聖詹姆士公園(St James Park)依然有著翠嫩的青草地，只不過，在白楊樹旁跑上跑下的松鼠們，這幾年變得愈來愈靈巧，全都是因為得隨時閃躲日漸增多的自行車騎士。「騎自行車上班」的風潮彷彿像春風般吹過了倫敦的大街小巷，就這麼流行了起來。即使是在接近零下的溫度，也還是會有一身勁裝的自行車騎士，飛快騎過，在街頭引起觀光客的側目。另一方面，為了解決交通和空氣污染問題，從二○○三年起，倫敦市中心的部份區域開始在周一至周五徵收「塞車稅」 (congestion fee)。凡是在規定時間內開車入城的，每天得交八英鎊(約五百元台幣)。去年二月，倫敦交通署進一步擴大收費範圍，並且著手改革原有的收費政策，打算將費用與汽車廢氣排放量掛?，進而把塞車稅變成一種環境稅或污染稅。今年二月，倫敦甚至還規劃了新的「低排放區」計劃，要透過高收費的方式限制排氣量超高的汽車駛入倫敦。平時搭地鐵上班的市長李文斯頓對媒體表示，如果計劃得以成功實施，到了二○一二年，整個倫敦地區的汽車廢氣排放量，將可減少一六％。更值得注意的是，根據民調顯示，有七五％的民眾支持這項首創的劃定「低排放區」做法。倫敦人正用不同的方式回應「永續城市」這個當紅概念。倫敦金融市的永續發展部總監米爾斯(Simon Mills)，最近剛談成了一項「倫敦協定」(London Accord)，「我們說服像JP Morgan、Credit Swiss等二十二個國際大金融機構，請他們根據普林斯頓大學所選出的十六個能夠節能、減低二氧化碳排放量的科技領域，分別去研究該領域應如何投資。」讓環保議題與投資利益相符合，是米爾斯的部門所想出來的點子。倫敦金融市除了引領世界碳交易的進行，最終還不忘導引市場力量來研究抗暖化議題。金絲雀碼頭的翻身傳奇不過，在迎向新轉變的挑戰中，倫敦當然不是沒有跌過跤。搭地鐵來到朱比力線(Jubilee Line)的金絲雀碼頭站(Canary Wharf Station)，售票大廳懸掛的巨幅彩色廣告與周圍未加裝飾的水泥柱面形成鮮明對比。走過光亮的花崗岩地面、登上三層樓高的手扶梯，迎面而來的是充滿現代感的車站出口。一出站，路透社的玻璃帷幕大樓倒映著泰晤士河水的波光，廣場上的遊客手中提滿了大包小包的聖誕節禮物。很難想像，十幾年前這裡不過是個有著高聳大廈與稀少人煙的空城。金絲雀碼頭是人們津津樂道的倫敦都市更新案例，從失敗到再起，成了世界各城市競相研究的話題。位於倫敦東南的金絲雀碼頭更新開發計劃，從一九八○年代展開，期間曾因歐洲經濟不景氣、大眾運輸系統不足、地方勞動力未能同步升級等因素，成了英國都更的失敗象徵。直到倫敦不動產市場回溫、朱比力線地鐵延伸、政府持續支持開發並引進國際人才，才終於讓金絲雀碼頭急起直追，在國際級金融集團紛紛進駐後，成為倫敦都更代表作。經此一役，倫敦在城市發展的更新計劃上，有了更明確的行動方針。「過去的經驗讓我們認知，人、經濟、基礎建設和國際行銷，是倫敦城市發展與更新的四大主軸，」倫敦發展署(London Development Agency)策略與政策總監麥德沃(Tony Medawar)指出。貧富差距暗藏隱憂為了明確了解倫敦的優劣勢，倫敦發展署每六個月會發表一份報告，裡面詳細追?各種經濟數字。「事實證明，倫敦要面對的最大挑戰，是『就業率』。」麥德沃單刀直入，迅速切進倫敦成長翻轉的要害。坐在大片落地玻璃窗引進天光的敞亮辦公室裡，麥德沃毫不避諱地說，「別看倫敦如此光鮮亮麗，國際人才滿街都是，但就業率卻比英格蘭任何地區都低，有些社區甚至是令人想像不到的低，永遠都是紅字。」或許是移民社會的語言障礙，或許是托育機制的不夠完備，但就業率問題的背後，隨之而來的是貧富差距。ＢＢＣ記者曾經形容，從倫敦西邊的Ｗ５(郵遞區號)走到Ｗ７，大約半個多小時就足夠，但其間的貧富差距，恐怕奮鬥大半生也難以彌補。「所以我們現在對每個更新區的想像，一定會先考量勞動力是否能夠同步升級，以人力技能的訓練為優先，」倫敦發展署都市更新資深經理侯考芙 (Rosie Holcroft)認為，城市轉型不單是公共空間、交通建設等硬體規劃，本地勞動力是否能夠跟上產業結構的變化，是另一個根本的挑戰。前國際都市發展協會主席、英國社區暨地方政府部地區建設業務總司長蒙哥莫利(Joe Montgomery)則拿著剛出爐的「泰晤士河口計劃書」(The Delivery Plan for Thames Gateway)指出，在這項包含二○一二倫敦奧運村開發方案的歐洲最大都更計劃中，有三大要素貫穿其中：一是經濟競爭力、一是生活品質、另一個就是回應氣候變遷的環境議題。「我們從來不覺得倫敦是一個『大城市』，但競爭者很多，都在準備擊敗我們，」蒙哥莫利謹慎地說。談到倫敦該如何更上一層樓，所有的人都務實到巴不得拿出幾本書來佐證自己的論述。原來，不用等到二○一二奧運年，倫敦早已把自己放在世界的天秤上，秤了一遍又一遍。@Source: 天下雜誌389期 新世界之都 倫敦 文／馬岳琳；攝影／邱劍英
BVLGARI銀座旗艦店，是全球最大的據點，更特別設有餐廳、酒吧及頂樓大廳。圖／BVLGARI名牌精品的心機好重！推出包山包海的商品，要妳吃、穿、住、行全都脫離不了它！頂尖服裝名牌開飯店、做傢俱、開餐廳，甚至還有名牌直昇機！不必感到詫異，這是當前精品業一個頗為有趣的現象，頂尖大牌紛紛將觸角延伸至其他的領域，擴大其品牌旗下的經營品項了。名牌，愛你愛到吃了你！妳說自己愛名牌愛到骨子裡？那乾脆把它吃進肚子裡吧！當然不是要妳把名牌包吃掉，而是親自體驗名牌集團所提供的美食，光是在時尚勝地米蘭就有 DOLCE&GABANNA的Gold Resturant、BVLGARI位於度假飯店中的義大利餐廳、ARMANI的EMPORIO ARMANI CAFFÉ、GUCCI Café。亞洲區也能享受名牌餐飲的服務，2007年BVLGARI就在日本東京表參道的旗艦店設立了「Il Café」和販售香甜濃郁義大利巧克力的「Il Cioccolato」；CHAENL也在日本銀座大樓和Alain Ducasse合作開設Beige法式餐廳，服務生穿著Karl Lagerfeld設計的制服為妳上菜；韓國首爾HERMÈS旗艦店地下一樓也設立了閱讀咖啡座。這些餐飲服務，可以讓顧客在購物之餘到此品嚐、稍作休息，並繼續沉浸在精品的氛圍當中。精品飯店最熱門！預計將於2008年開幕，由ARMANI與跨國飯店EMAAR Hotels & Resorts LLC集團合作發展，在杜拜建立的「ARMANI酒店渡假村」，時尚迷無不引頸期盼它的落成！其實，近2年來精品業興起一陣「飯店熱」，包括 BVLGARI位於米蘭的渡假飯店和峇里島的頂級Villa、BOTTEGA VENETA位於紐約和羅馬的品牌套房、LOEWE在西班牙的頂級套房、VERSACE在黃金海岸的豪華旅館等，不論是裝潢、使用的餐具或寢具，都具備名牌的高貴價值和手工品質，對於喜愛時尚的人們來說，享受名牌假期的奢華行程，不只是追求名牌的炫耀，更成為旅行的意義。乘著名牌上天下地！除了吃名牌、穿名牌、住名牌，連交通工具也很名牌，2007年HERMÈS就和與全球最大的民用直昇機製造公司Eurocopter合作建造愛馬仕直昇機（Helicopter by HERMÈS），這也是繼VERSACE為私人直昇機、GIORGIO ARMANI為汽車設計內裝案例之後，時尚大牌又一大作。如果想要健康一點呼應環保時尚潮、想騎騎腳踏車運動一下，GUCCI的Guccissima自行車、CHANEL價值48萬的腳踏車和HERMÈS價值12萬的高貴鐵馬可以選擇，名符其實帶著名牌到處跑！@Source: BRAND名牌誌 2008年2月號
Volte Face Bag邂逅包CELINE一系列春夏形象廣告，都緊扣著「愛情」的主題，將兩人世界內的點點滴滴，融入包款設計，甜蜜也好、酸澀也罷，無不讓女人更成長獨立，肩上背著自己買來的名牌包，似乎就有了勇氣追求幸福。CELINE的Volte Face Bag打破了描述愛情一定得琴瑟和鳴的粉飾，Volte Face原意是「變卦、翻轉」，表現在包款上，可以從蓋口獨特的設計品嚐出翻轉的意涵。它不像一般包款打開蓋口便是內裡，翻開後還要把兩片式蓋口打開，才會看到內容量；闔上後自然地折下，便恢復成包款原貌。一個反轉，就是一個心念的改變，擁有忠於自我意念的勇氣，正是Volte Face所象徵的現代女人愛情觀。在眾多精品品牌中，哪個品牌最積極經營成為現代女人衣櫃裡不可或缺的一員？自然非CELINE莫屬。不論是秀場上的話題包、店上陳列的實用款，都緊扣著OL生活，從內在思考女性的需求，而不是一味的譁眾取寵。這樣的意念，從品牌創辦人Celine Vipiana開始便清楚的定位，Ivana Omazic接手後更是徹底實踐。每季服裝秀上，CELINE也許不是最花俏的，但肯定是每個現代女人都願意放到自己衣櫃的。Volte Face也承襲了這樣的實用主義，例如在材質部份，特地選用既堅韌又柔軟的皮革，如鹿皮、水牛皮或特殊鞣製的小羊皮，提供肩背時的舒適感和極佳承重力。此外，現代女人最在意的便是「實用性」，Volte Face全系列都是OL最愛用的肩背包，主打41cm和33cm兩個尺寸，大的可裝A4文件、小的可帶足女人必備隨身物，囊括各種女人的需求。Volte Face反轉的不只包款創意，更是女人對待自己的看法、擁有精品的方式，妳可以買一個令人眼紅、但不好用的包，也可以買一個也許不是最耀眼、但體貼自己的包，活在風格社會的好處就是：妳不怕沒有選擇！妳自己的面貌，自己決定。@Source:BRAND名牌誌 2008年2月號
LV新電視及電影形象廣告，利用動畫傳遞品牌的旅行精神。照片／LV提供
路易威登（Louis Vuitton）又有新創舉，在一系列由戈巴契夫、凱薩琳丹妮芙、阿格西與葛拉芙等旅行平面廣告之後，昨宣布將製作史上首支電視及電影廣告「Where Will Life Take You？」，長達90秒的影像魅力傳遞出LV對旅行與人本特質概念。
路易威登指出，雖然廣告內沒有名人、也沒有著名地景，甚至連商品都一閃即逝，但藉由數個不同地點旅程中的吉光片羽，以及不斷出現的字幕，如「What is a journey？」等，透過鏡頭氣氛營造，表達出旅行者的反思，以及旅行之後心靈的轉變。
台灣民眾最快今年可在電影院與電視上看到這支廣告，並且以中文版呈現。最近一系列的旅行平面廣告，未來將搭配上這支形象廣告，展現出LV打造除了時尚以外，另一種強調心靈與關懷的企業形象。
這支廣告片導演找來曾與王家衛執導Orange廣告系列的Bruno Aveillan，他曾經拍攝超過200齣廣告片。原創音樂則找來以斷背山、火線危機連續兩年奪下奧斯卡金像獎的Gustavo Santaolalla，為LV首支電影與電視廣告創作吉他旋律，貫穿全片。
@Source:2008/01/29 聯合報 ╱記者顏甫珉 http://udn.com/
六大名模為LV拍攝春夏新品，她們手上拎的是LV新款的Monogram Jokes系列包款，價格未定。照片／LV提供
克勞蒂亞雪佛、娜歐蜜坎貝兒、伊娃赫茲可娃、納塔莉亞芙迪諾娃、史蒂芬妮西摩、安琪拉琳芙兒，6大國際名模為LV擔任春夏新品代言人，6位美女搔首弄姿，爭奇鬥妍，其中俄羅斯名模納塔莉亞芙迪諾娃最神奇。
納塔莉亞 有娃娃特質
今年25歲的納塔莉亞芙迪諾娃，在17歲那一年，離開白俄羅斯，到巴黎為YSL走秀，她長得並不算很美，但有股獨特的可愛娃娃特質，那一場秀讓她一步登天，她的特質，在名模界帶動流行的娃娃風。納塔莉亞雖然生了3胎，但她每周固定運動、控制飲食，讓她看起來一點也不像媽媽。
伊娃 精通4國語言
捷克名模伊娃赫茲可娃精通捷克語、英語、法語、俄語，今年35歲的伊娃，從小嚮往伸展台生活，16歲參加Model選美比賽脫穎而出，就此開始她的圓夢之路。雖然剛開始Eva並非相當順利，但在她認真學習與熟悉在鎂光燈前表演後，她喜歡鏡頭前的感覺甚於走時裝秀，1992年，Eva在媒體炒作下，以及繼克勞蒂亞雪佛成為Guess代言人後，從此知名度水漲船高。
雪佛 世界最美的女人
享有「真人芭比」美譽的德國名模克勞蒂亞雪佛，1970年8月25日出生於德國杜塞爾多夫，父親是律師，從小接受很好的家教，她的愛好包括網球、繪畫和騎馬，曾與魔術師大衛訂婚，但6年後解除婚約；2002年5月與英國導演馬修弗恩結婚後，目前育有一對兒女。
克勞蒂亞雪佛曾於1995年被法國雜誌評為「世界上最美麗的女人」，且曾連續3年入選美國PEOPLE雜誌「50位最美的人」之一。雪佛的收入除位居全球超級名模前3名外，也是德國最富有的女性之一，富比世雜誌曾估計，其淨資產超過5千萬美元。
日前雪佛現身巴黎一場為 AIDS舉行的年度募款晚會SIDACTION Dinner，同時身為路易威登2008年春夏廣告代言之一的她，想當然耳又被LV給「包」了；全身穿戴路易威登「特別訂製」版本的晚宴造，風情萬種的克勞蒂亞雪佛魅力不減，為慈善晚會站台，預計募到750,000歐元（約台幣3,580萬元）。
娜歐蜜 掀時尚黑旋風
娜歐蜜坎貝兒於1970年出生在英國倫敦，15歲被人偶然發現，經過多年的奮鬥，現在不僅是全世界拍照最多的一位女明星，也是第一位出現在美國「時代週刊」、法文版及英文版「VOGUE」雜誌封面的黑人模特兒。
娜歐蜜打破了白人一統世界超級名模舞臺的局面，為時尚界帶來了一場「黑色風暴」。雙子座的娜歐蜜有著神秘莫測的個性和迷人的笑容，自信、熱情又充滿活力。
安琪拉 素食維持身材
1979年出生在美國奧克拉荷馬州的安琪拉琳芙兒，目前有兩個兒子，她跟俄羅斯的納塔莉亞一樣，擁有產後迅速瘦身的功力，安琪拉曾經跟「航越地平線」、「鐵達尼號」男星比利贊恩交往過，後來嫁給潛水家威廉艾德華，素食主義的她，吃得非常清淡，這也是她保持身材的招數之一。
史蒂芬妮 成熟嫵媚迷人
史蒂芬妮西摩曾為「維多莉亞的祕密」內衣代言而大紅，她曾經與「槍與玫瑰」的主唱艾克斯有過一段婚姻，今年40歲的史蒂芬妮西摩，有一股嫵媚的成熟韻味，相當迷人。
@Source: 2008/01/31 聯合報 ╱記者李韶明、袁青 http://udn.com/
Tang Wei (L) and Tony Leung (R) star in Ang Lee's Lust, Caution.
Chan Kam Chuen / Focus Features By REBECCA WINTERS KEEGAN
Ang Lee has made a habit of teaching Hollywood how little it knows about audiences, proving broad crowds would embrace a gay Western (Brokeback Mountain) and show up for a subtitled martial arts flick (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon). With his new film, the NC-17-rated, Mandarin-language spy thriller Lust, Caution, the Oscar-winning director is once again ignoring the rules of commercial filmmaking.
TIME: You've said the three sex scenes in the film were harder to shoot than the martial arts scenes in Crouching Tiger. Why?
Lee: I'm a shy human being. I don't make pornos so I'd never done that before. To verbalize the feelings and lead the actors through those acts and witness how much they devote to it, it's very painful. Usually we don't go there. I don't intend to go there again. After half a day's shooting we had to stop, it was so exhausting. You're so hyper... emotionally, sexually, everything is so charged up.
Porn is plentiful, so why are scenes depicting sexuality with emotion so rare in films?
Most sex scenes are about covering things up, rather than exposing. It's very technical. It's a function you have to get over with so you can get on with the story. We give our best shot in digging into what the characters are going through. The sex scenes are pivotal parts of the story.
Did you ever consider altering your film to avoid the NC-17 rating?
When I was making it, I didn't really care. After the film was done, [Focus Features CEO] James Schamus explained to me what NC-17 means, the distribution, the advertisement, what you're gonna lose. He explained it and that was that. He never said anything else. Everybody at Focus got kind of excited about taking on the battle. They kept saying this year we have other films that will make money.
Is it possible people will go see this film because they're titillated by the rating?
There are people who know about me who will be curious. That's a plus, but the plus is 10 points and the minus is 80 points.
The film takes place in Shanghai during World War II. It's based on a short story by Eileen Chang which is much more subtle in describing the relationships between the characters. Why did you choose to be so explicit?
I'm not a translator of the author. I took a hint from her. To me the boldness of the story was unprecedented, particularly against the backdrop of the most macho, glorious, patriotic war against the Japanese. It was very daring.
This was your lead actress Tang Wei's first film. Were you concerned by the demands of the role?
Yes and no. The thrill actors get, the liberation, to reach the other side of themselves, it's very exciting, very liberating. They learn a lot about themselves. So often Tang Wei said to me when I asked her is she was OK, "What are you talking about?"
If making this movie was so emotionally taxing, why did you do it?
Because you're not supposed to. Truth can be painful and frightening. Lots of people, whether you're making a movie or doing a painting, you feel compelled to be honest. It's uncomfortable, but I feel compelled to communicate with other people.
@Source: http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1667513,00.html?iid=sphere-inline-bottom
By HEIDI KLUM
Everyone knows Tyra as supermodel, as host and producer of America's Next Top Model and her own talk show, and as whip-smart business mogul. She is all those things. But I also know her as a close friend. When I started as an "Angel" for Victoria's Secret, Tyra was already an established pro there. During lunch, I'd grill her about the business: whom she would recommend as an accountant, an attorney, a business manager. Not everyone was, let's say, superfriendly, but Tyra was always nice. She shared her experience and knowledge with me. In this industry there are a lot of people who don't want to help each other, but I guess Tyra was and is secure because she was always willing to share what she had learned—and, trust me, I asked a lot of questions.
That open, warm side of her was more apparent as we became friends and spent a lot of time together at shoots. Tyra and I could always be goofy together and remind each other that, hey, this is fashion, not life or death. On the flip side, when situations got too crazy, we could always turn to each other for a reality check.
I'm not surprised that Tyra, 32, has achieved such phenomenal success. She's one of the most hardworking people I know—I've seen her go straight from a late night of press to an early-morning shoot with no complaints. Even more important, she is passionate about her projects and compassionate toward the people involved in them. Her appeal is obvious to anyone who knows her, whether personally or professionally or just from her shows. She is dynamic, positive and real, and we are only at the beginning of her special brand of global domination.
Klum is a supermodel, businesswoman and host of the reality show Project Runway
@Source: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1187401,00.html
By RICHARD ROGERS
Renzo Piano is an absolute master of light and lightness. He has a fantastic understanding of construction and the scale of pieces. I don't think there is anybody like him. He's the son of a builder who was very close to his father and very proud that he was a builder; it gives him tremendous roots. The unusual thing about Piano, 68, is that he works from small to big. I had never met an architect like that before.
He doesn't approach a building from the point of an idea; it grows out of the ground. He's also one of the most elegant architects I know. He's elegant in person, but also his structures are very elegant, very humanistic. They aren't pieces of abstract sculpture. They grow out of understanding how buildings go together and how light comes through them; he designs roofs that pull light in. Piano has moved on from the massive machine—like the Pompidou Center in Paris, which we designed together and which is full of people, like a big climbing frame—to very beautiful museums and libraries. Each one is a bit more elegant. Piano has terrific range. I love the San Nicola football stadium in Bari, Italy, which is a massive statement—big petals of concrete that come out of the ground. Then there is the Beyeler building in Switzerland that is as light as anything. I won't say which of his buildings is my favorite. I will say he's my favorite architect. He's one of the supreme modern architects of his generation. He's also a fanatical sailor. He designs his own boats. When we were first friends, almost 40 years ago, he designed a concrete sailing boat. And actually it worked very well.
Rogers designed London's Lloyd's Building and the Millennium Dome
@Source: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1187238,00.html
By ZIYI ZHANG
Because of Ang Lee, so many more people know about Chinese filmmaking and about Chinese films. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, a Chinese-language movie, mesmerized Western audiences in 2000. And last year, with Brokeback Mountain, yet another unimaginable success, both with critics and audiences, he captivated the entire world and reached the pinnacle of moviemaking.
Lee's ability to be such a huge cross-cultural influence is, I think, unique. His Taiwanese upbringing, which kept him deeply rooted in the Chinese way of being and living, combined with his well-informed understanding of Western mores and filmmaking techniques have allowed him to speak to those two worlds in a way no other director has.
It's as if when Lee, 51, makes a film, he is able to erase the cultural lines and have its profundity understood at a universal level. He creates characters that draw in an audience no matter what language they speak. His insight into the human heart crosses all boundaries.
I know he is also making a huge influence in the lives of younger filmmakers and actors. I, for one, will be forever indebted to him for casting me in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. When I went to audition for him, I had made just one film (The Road Home) and had never done any martial arts. I was 20 and didn't feel up to any of it. He still gave me that chance. Why? He saw what I could be capable of and was willing to let me have a go at it. How great is he?
I love that he never limits himself either. He's a good role model for all of us. Director Ang Lee lives in the future.
The Beijing-born Zhang starred most recently in Memoirs of a Geisha
@Source: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1187225,00.html
「框景」是中國園林建築中常運用的設計，猶如以門窗為風景畫框，把山水美景或人文景觀包含其中。Liuli Living借用「框景」的概念，把牡丹妝點入畫，將裝飾與功能融為一體，金屬方框是一層抽屜，由切割的金屬把手構成。琉璃工房
當色彩全部抽去，琉璃會剩下什麼顏色？當繁華完全落盡，人生還留下什麼相貌？正在台北展出的「澄明之悟—楊惠姍現代琉璃藝術展」，呈現楊惠姍與琉璃工房團隊20年來不同階段的成果，透過創作不斷挑戰自我，充滿對生命的感悟。
走進SOGO百貨公司「澄明之悟」的展場，一朵朵盛開的透明無色巨型花卉，有的是牡丹，有的是荷花，栩栩如生的綻放花瓣以易碎的玻璃材質做成，透露出一種顏色盡落後的透明澄澈，巨大的尺寸與細膩的造型，不只吸引目光，更震撼人心。
楊惠姍藝術展，朵朵盛開無色花卉，透露出顏色盡落後的感悟，吸引目光震撼人心。
楊惠姍曾經是知名的女明星，1987年起投身琉璃藝術創作，苦心學習研究琉璃脫蠟鑄造法，20年來楊惠姍帶領琉璃工房創作團隊建立技術，藝術家與品牌的結合，使琉璃工房成為華人文化創意產業的知名品牌之一。
走過20年的琉璃工房，不只持續從事藝術品的創作，也將琉璃藝術產業化，例如成立透明思考（TMSK）餐廳及Liuli Living居家品牌，推動琉璃藝術與生活美學的結合。
為了展現琉璃工房20年來具階段性意義的創作，這次展覽有許多前所未見的作品，除了楊惠姍最新創作「澄明之悟」系列外，還展出「花好月圓」系列、「無相無無相」系列、千手千眼觀音及Liuli Living系列家具及飲食器皿。
「花的創作，其實是我展現生命的方式。」楊惠珊表示，她選擇以易碎的琉璃材質來表現生命，正是呼應生命的無常。佛法所說的人生七苦，包括生、老、病、死、怨憎會、愛別離及求不得，都在提醒人們生命的多變化與無法掌握。而一切的苦都是因為無常的存在，所以更應該去體會「空」與「無」的概念，並且對生命的苦產生更慈悲深切的觀照。
楊惠姍不同階段的花創作，展現的是她對生命的體悟歷程。例如她在第一階段創作的「花好月圓」系列中，賦予每一件作品明媚色彩，洋溢豐富的生命力，表現出世人喜愛與追求的美滿幸福。
到了第二階段的「澄明之悟」系列，她則把所有的色彩全部抽出，從繁花似錦到剎那透明，留給每一件作品澄澈透明的原本樣貌。對楊惠姍來說，「澄明之悟」系列巨大的花朵以透明澄澈的型態展現，正是她思考生命及創作歷程的另一個階段。
「無相無無相」系列作品，也不容錯過。楊惠姍在此系列作品中，以各式技法在靜定的佛像周圍空間，形成流態或氣泡，讓原本靜止的作品，展現了呼吸般的生命力與流動感，也揭示了「諸法無常」的變幻莫測。讓人對金剛經所言：「一切有為法，如夢幻泡影。如露亦如電，應作如是觀」有著更深層體會。
蘊含禪意與對生命體會的作品，彰顯出個人創作語言，也看見東方文化的深刻影響。
琉璃工房指出，楊惠姍蘊含禪意與對生命體會的作品，已在歐美獲得矚目。2007年「澄明之悟」在紐約Leo Kaplan藝廊第一次展出時，這個造型為一朵盛開的透明無色巨型牡丹的作品，吸引了美國康寧玻璃博物館館長歐諾（Tina Oldknow），立刻以美國康寧玻璃博物館的名義收藏。西方琉璃藝術界人士並認為，楊惠姍的作品建立了屬於她的創作語言，也看見東方文化在她身上的深刻影響。
琉璃工房今年起並推出「Liuli Living」這個新 系列，為東方文化創意與產業的結合更跨一步。
琉璃工房指出，Liuli Living有些商品原本就在「透明思考」餐廳使用，因為琉璃工房對生活美學的整體思考，從2001 年起就開始將酒杯、陶瓷等材質的飲食器皿與琉璃結合，今年起飲食器皿及家具等全部納入Liuli Living這個新品牌。
琉璃工房指出，相較於「澄明之悟」把色彩抽出，首度在台灣亮相的Liuli Living的產品則充滿綠、紅、金等鮮活明亮色彩，並以中國園林建築中常用的「框景」設計手法，將一朵朵盛開的金色富貴牡丹，框在如鏡的鋼琴烤漆般的原木料上，成為兼具觀賞與實用功能的現代家具。
@Source: 2008/01/12 經濟日報 文／鄭秋霜 http://udn.com/
Dyson吸塵器與三宅一生跨界合作，以風打造時裝秀元素。記者陳俊吉／攝影
時裝與吸塵器的結合，聽起來匪夷所思，但三宅一生和Dyson以「風」做為主題，為兩個不相干的商品打造完美組合，並成功延伸三宅一生上個月在巴黎時尚周伸展台的創意概念。
三宅一生創意總監藤原太以「風」做為春夏新裝設計主題，並根據Dyson吸塵器的構圖線條設計服裝，藤原太和他的設計團隊拆解並分析Dyson吸塵器的內部構造，從中獲得靈感，設計出Dyson A-POC系列新裝，將吸塵管變成了袖子，圓錐筒變成了裙子，集塵筒則變身成外套。
Dyson吸塵器創辦人James Dyson則是利用「風」的力量，發明了不用集塵袋等耗材的吸塵器，用獨有的氣旋科技（cyclone technology）創造出強大吸力，吸力不會因集塵袋阻塞而衰退，這款吸塵器去年剛來台上市就造成熱銷。
在去年巴黎時尚周春夏新裝發表的伸展台上，James Dyson設計了一個巨大的通風管，做為模特兒走秀出入的通道，另外在空中高懸五支管子，將氣流導向伸展台，利用「風」結合吸塵器與時裝的創新概念設計舞台，別具巧思。為了紀念這場跨界邂逅，Dyson推出一款三宅一生限量版吸塵器，僅在歐美日本上市，結果被搶購一空，為吸塵器與時尚華服的相遇寫下完美的註腳。
@Source 2008/01/16 聯合報 ╱記者古鎮榮 http://udn.com/
Photo © Richard Pare
Drawing
Virtual Tour
Floor plan
Deatil of main bottle wall
Left to right: Ando associate Masataka Yano, architect Tadao Ando, Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, project creative director Stephanie Goto.
Photo © Sarah Amelar
Tadao Ando New York City
Tadao Ando Architects and Associates
Tadao Ando serves up rich visual fare with silky concrete and glowing water bottles at New York’s Morimoto restaurant
By Sarah Amelar Flaps of persimmon-red cloth over the entrance of Manhattan’s Morimoto restaurant flicker wildly in the breeze, animating the industrial brick-and-blackened-steel facade. A curiosity to passersby, the flame-bright scrims turn out to be a playful twist on a traditional noren, the curtain that hangs outside shops in Japan, signifying “open for business.” Unlike a typical noren, this one is not of cotton, but of woven PVC weighted at the bottom, and it spans not a modest commercial doorway, but an almost theatrical 50-foot-wide arch. This supersize gesture offers a first taste of the space’s inventive and, in many cases, oblique allusions to Japanese culture. Just as chef Masaharu Morimoto—a star of TV’s Iron Chef—fuses Japanese sushi with such flourishes as fois gras and crème fraîche, the restaurant design borrows seasonings from eclectic sources.
Right behind the noren, automatic doors glide open, revealing that this is not your classically sober, ultraserene Tadao Ando project. Certainly, concrete, his signature material, is present—notably in the stair descending from the 160-seat dining area, at grade, to the bar and lounge below. But beyond that cool, quiet gray, the 13,000-square-foot interior conveys a sense of spectacle in its dynamic convergence of angles, multiple contrasting surfaces, and overhead ripples coursing across a luminous, tentlike ceiling.
A nearly two-story-high water wall, angled off of the plan’s orthogonal lines, plunges down the center of the space alongside the stair. Not the gently trickling waterfall of Japanese gardens nor the country’s almost glacially still fountains, this freestanding wall is composed of 17,400 half-liter plastic bottles, filled with mineral water and screwed into electric-socketlike couplers. While vertical stainless-steel rods hold the couplers, horizontal bracing carries LED point lighting, producing a backlit shimmery effect.
But is this whimsical (though literally splashless) exuberance really the work of the typically rather subdued Ando? “Restaurants are different from more ‘serious,’ architecture,” he explains. “I recognize them as places for entertainment.” His client, Stephen Starr, a self-described “longtime fan of Ando’s” and “design-driven restaurateur,” who had commissioned Karim Rashid for his Morimoto restaurant in Philadelphia [record, November 2002, page 164], convinced the Japanese architect to take on this $6.5 million project in what was once the Nabisco Baking Company’s gritty loading dock and basement. The space now borders Manhattan’s Chelsea Market, a hip, quasi-industrial food arcade. Starr was initially concerned, he confesses, that the project might turn out “museumlike and all concrete,” so he “respectfully let Ando know early on that the restaurant would need warmth.” And, it seems, a lively spark.
informationOwner: Starr Restaurant OrganizationArchitect: Tadao Ando Architects and Associates5-23 Toyosaki 2 ChomeKita KuOsaka 5310072T +81 6 6375 1148F +81 6 6374 6240www.tadaoando.comTadao Ando, Masataka Yano
Project Architect New York: Stephanie Goto, Stephanie Goto Design Group
Architect of recordGuggenheimer Architects www.g-arch.comFurniture Design: Ross Lovegrove@Source: By Sarah Amelar http://archrecord.construction.com/projects/interiors/archives/0609_1morimoto-1.asp
安藤忠雄介紹自己設計的亞洲大學藝術館，是一棟三角型的建築。記者周文郁／攝影
安藤忠雄。記者周文郁／攝影
日本建築師安藤忠雄設計、一棟擁有不規則三角形、如積木般錯落堆積而成的藝術館，可望於兩年後在台中縣霧峰的亞洲大學揭幕。
這是安藤繼為交大設計美術館後，再度為台灣的大學設計建築。經由亞洲大學創辦人蔡長海邀請、亞洲大學副校長劉育東居中牽線，安藤將為該校設計藝術館，並由國家文藝獎得主、姚仁喜擔任在地執行建築師，總工程造價約二點一億台幣，預計二○一○年一月底完工。
劉育東說，安藤平均每三天接獲一個國際建築案邀約，但其中只有百分之三獲安藤青睞、設計建造。
安藤說，亞洲大學藝術館的基地擁有很大的廣場，他決定採舉世少見的三角形設計，他認為三角形較正方形更有發揮空間，但他坦承這樣「工程執行單位會很辛苦」。
亞大藝術館分三層樓、共一○三○坪，依安藤的設計，將正三角形的平面分割成三層，再錯落堆疊成不規則的無數個三角形。藉由平面分割而成的立體戶外平台，將變身為露天咖啡座、雕刻台、展望台等。顛覆一般直立式的柱子，館內的柱子全是「歪」的，由Ｖ形鋼架構造而成的空間及玻璃窗也都呈現三角形。Ｖ形鋼架支撐突出的懸臂下部空間，則形成如騎樓般可庇蔭的空間，此處並是入口通道及面臨廣場前的休憩園地。
螺旋狀重疊的三角形迴廊，或隱密或開放，讓人、藝術與大自然在此相遇、對話。
將與安藤合作打造藝術館的姚仁喜昨天笑說，這回他的角色如同「副導演」。他說此一建築最大的挑戰就是「它很簡單」，而看似簡單的建築其實最困難。
@Source: 2008/01/10 聯合報 ╱記者周美惠 http://udn.com/
Wonderland for the sushi set: Morimoto spreads high-concept design over 12,000 square feet.
By FRANK BRUNI Published: March 22, 2006 AT the sushi bar, not far from our table, a handsome man takes a seat beside two attractive women, who expertly pivot in his direction, as if practiced at this kind of maneuver. He talks a lot. They laugh a lot. As the night moves along, both women hand him their cards. Their friendship had better be strong. It may soon face an awkward test.
One of the cast members of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" arrives, a pretty and chattering posse around him, and claims a prime piece of real estate in the main dining room. The designer David Rockwell passes the group as he leaves. He didn't contrive the cool, clean, white-on-white look of Morimoto (an architect named Tadao Ando did), but he probably feels compelled to check it out.
It's a stunning piece of work: a sparkly wonderland for glittery people, who always get the word and always hop onboard. They drink their bright cocktails, fiddle with their chopsticks, survey their compatriots and tap-tap into their cellphones and other devices, presumably checking on the whereabouts of less fortunate friends, perhaps informing them that the place to be is right here, right now. It's Morimoto's moment.
Stephen Starr's, too. He's a Philadelphia restaurateur in the midst of an ambitious Manhattan transfer. In late January he opened this 12,000-square-foot restaurant, which is named for, and modeled after, a sibling in the City of Brotherly Love. It was followed this month by Buddakan, another Philadelphia import, another visually bedazzling behemoth, just a few hundred feet away.
Both restaurants bet on a proven formula of Asian-inflected food, thoroughly tricked-out digs, theatrical presentations and pure buzz, although Morimoto has an additional ace up its sleeve. Masaharu Morimoto, a Nobu alumnus familiar to viewers of "Iron Chef," put together the menu, supervises the cooking and, at least for now, can be seen caroming around the open kitchen and into the dining rooms to greet guests.
He never stands still, and neither does his menu, which zooms across national and continental borders. It presents the culinary equivalent of a round-the-world ticket. It also sets up the possibility of gastronomic jet lag.
A vast selection of very fine sushi and sashimi roots the restaurant in Japan, which also asserts itself in preparations of Kobe-style beef, in tofu and noodle dishes, and in the recurrence of shiso, miso, wasabi and sudachi.
But other dishes and ingredients branch out to other parts of Asia, and even to Europe and Latin America. Among the best appetizers I tried was a "tuna pizza" with raw bluefin tuna, jalapeño, red onion, olives and an anchovy aioli atop a crisp, thin tortilla. I also liked silky slices of "lamb carpaccio," dressed with Japanese green onions, grated ginger and garlic oil. But I was confounded by a vegetable tempura that was clobbered by a Gorgonzola dip.
From Italy it was off to China and France, mingled in an entree called "duck, duck, duck." Why, why, why? Because it was a multifaceted fowl, roasted Peking style. The crisp-skinned, moist leg was served whole, while carved breast meat went into an unpleasantly soggy sandwich made with slices of cucumber and a foie gras-infused croissant. A gooey duck egg, placed between a patch of red miso sauce and a pool of port wine-flavored duck jus, completed the excessively busy composition.
The appeal of the dishes at Morimoto, like their ethnic associations, was all over the place, due in part to their frantic nature and in part to the kitchen's uneven performance.
Rock shrimp tempura, half of the shrimp bathed in a wasabi aioli, half in a Korean red pepper sauce, were light and sweet. Black cod with a ginger and soy reduction and a spicy half chicken with roasted red and green finger peppers had tender flesh, and a delicate touch had been applied to the poached lobster in a wonderful salad with yellow beets, cauliflower and a soy beurre blanc.
But a roasted lobster was overcooked, as was just about all of the shellfish, including shrimp and crab, in a Japanese bouillabaisse with a red miso broth that turned out, by default, to be the highlight of the dish. And limp ribbons of beef in a soy and mirin broth tasted as if they had been adrift in hot water three times longer than they should have been.
Even more troubling than the unevenness was the way high concept repeatedly supplanted sound judgment, resulting in dishes more amusing to behold than to ingest. The utensils provided for appetizers of toro and hamachi tartare were wood sticks not unlike tongue depressors in their feel and lingering taste. The tartare was accompanied by a beautiful but exasperating spectrum of colorful condiments and herbs (an avocado purée, crème fraîche, micro radish sprouts, wasabi and so on) arranged in contiguous bands so slender that it was nearly impossible to isolate any one from another.
The "Morimoto sashimi," terrine-like cubes made from layers of hamachi, smoked salmon, barbecued eel and seared toro, was luscious and hugely flavorful, but which of five colorful liquids in five gimmicky pipettes should be used to anoint it? There wasn't enough fish to make it possible to try all of the sauces and then circle back to a favorite one.
Although plenty expensive, Morimoto is an often undisciplined restaurant, prone to silliness and crammed with servers whose extraordinary friendliness didn't mask their mistakes.
One night I arrived just a few minutes after three companions. When I checked in with the host station, I wasn't told they had been seated, and I went to wait in the spare, sleek lounge downstairs. I kept asking servers if they had arrived, and my companions kept asking about me. For 35 minutes Morimoto never managed to connect us.
But it has its luxe pleasures, including a serious array of not only sake but also shochu. It has its courtesies, like tables with ample space between them and a noise level kept somewhat in check by translucent partitions and by wavy white sheets of canvas and fiberglass on the ceiling and along the walls.
And it has its amusements, some of them related to the paces apparently required of large-scale Japanese restaurants making a run at a fickle downtown crowd.
There must be a signature design element. Morimoto's is a two-story internal wall, which is made from water bottles and resembles a gargantuan sheet of illuminated Bubble Wrap. There should be arresting restrooms, and Morimoto's take automation beyond the function of mere flushing. Step into a stall and the lid on the toilet rises to greet you.
A sense of humor, a sense of style and definite sex appeal: Morimoto has all of these, along with the crowd they bring. If only more of the food lived up to the frisson.
Morimoto
*
88 10th Avenue (15th Street), Chelsea; (212) 989-8883. @Source: http://events.nytimes.com/2006/03/22/dining/reviews/22rest.html
日本壽司師傅訓練嚴格，專業師傅對食材品質乃至於裝盤都有很高的要求，壽司師傅在出菜前再次檢查壽司。
82歲的小野次郎（左）是全球最年長的三星主廚，展示他軟得出名的雙手，柔軟的手加上50年以上的功力，是他捏出美味壽司的秘訣。
