OperasingerMariaCallas’s
famous love afair with Aristotle
Onassis began on 99 metre
Christinaduring a three-week
cruise along the Greek and
Turkishcoastsinthesummer
of1959.Bytheendofthetrip
theirrespectivemarriages–hers
to Italian music impresario
Giovanni Battista Meneghini
andhistoTinaLivanos–were
oicially over. The couple became
inseparableuntilOnassisleft
Callas for Jackie Kennedy in 1964.
Oneofthemostfamous
andmostphotographedboats
ofthepastcentury(much
likeherownersandguests),
Christinawaslaunchedin1943
asaCanadiananti-submarine
frigate named HMCSStormont.
In1947,theGreekshipping
magnatepurchasedherforamere
$34,000andinvested$4million
totransformherintoaluxury
superyacht,whichhenamedafter
hisonlydaughter.
Followinghisdeathin1975,
Christinaserved as Greece’s
presidential yacht,Argo,
untilfamilyfriendJohnPaul
Papanicolaou bought and
retro-fitted her in 1998. Now
featuringamastersuiteand
18 cabins (with several original
features including Baccarat light
fittings, Renoir paintings and the
mosaic-floored swimming pool),
Christina Ocan host 36 guests and
35crewandisavailableforcharter
with Morley Yachts.The story behind the picture
N
icolasBos,CEOandpresidentofVan
Cleef&Arpels,issomethingofalifer
at the Richemont group, the world’s
second largest luxury goods company. He began
his career there 25 years ago, at the Cartier
Foundation for Contemporary Art, before
joiningVanCleef&Arpelsin2000and
taking up his current post in 2013.
Softly spoken and articulate, he talks
about keeping this 122-year-old
brandrelevanttoday,aswellasthe
importance of nature – specifically
theocean–inbothitscollectionsand
his own life.
Although born in
landlocked Paris, Bos spent
his childhood summers with
hisgrandparentsonFrance’s
Atlantic coast near Bordeaux.
Now 46 and married with
twochildren,he’sahugefan
of St Barths and has takenfamilyholidaysthereeveryyearforthepast
twodecades.Thehappiestmomentsofsuch
holidaysareafloat,hetellsme.Alas,hiswifeis
pronetoseasicknessbuttheystillmanageto
takedaysailingtrips,whichhedescribesas
“oneofthegreatpleasuresoflife”.
During his career, in both Paris and
New York, Bos has always been involved
with the creative direction of the
house. Today, the design studio is
nearhisoiceinParis,thedesigners
report to him directly and he sees
all the drawings at the start of each
collection.Heisquiteclearonthekey
tohissuccess:“Thecompany
does well only if creation is
central to the process.”
When asked about his
balancingactbetweenthe
creative and business sides of
VanCleef–hehasservedas
creativedirector,too–BossaysNicolasBoscombinesbusinessandcreativepleasureat
VanCleef&Arpels,asheexplainstoHarriet Mays PowellMeet the Bos
“The company
does well only if
creation is central
Words – Lucia Ferigutti to the process”Paris-born Nicolas
Bos became CEO
of Van Cleef &
Arpels in 2013,
at the age of 42