There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age.
Sophia Loren
Fountain of youth
Sophia Loren
The Begum and the Cannes Film Festival, 1966
Today, 50 years ago, Sophia Loren and the President of the Cannes Film Festival Jury (right), visits Her Highness The Begum Om Habibeh Aga Khan III and her father Adrian Labrousse (left) at the Begum‘s villa Yakymour, Le Cannet, on May 18, 1966.
Her Higness La Bégum used to assemble every year the members of the Cannes film festival jury, and many national and international movie stars.
Mata Salamat’s Deep Friendship
After being elected Miss Lyon in 1929, then Miss France in Paris in 1930, beauty queen and a representatieve of France, Yvette Labrousse traveled to many countries around the world. She found herself particulary taken by Egypt and, in the late thirdies she moved to Egypt. There Yvette Labrousse met her future husband, the Sultan Aga Khan III, 48th Imam of the Nizari Shia Ismaili community, and they fell in love at first sight and married on 9 October 1944 in Switzerland. Then she took the name of Om Habibeh (Little Mother of the Beloved) and became Begum, fully Begum Om Habibeh Aga Khan.
They settled in the Avenue Victoria villa ‘Yakymour‘ at Le Cannet, in the hills above Cannes. Her Higness La Bégum, who was nterested in the arts including classical music, opera and ballet, used to assemble the members of the Cannes film festival jury, and many national and international artists and movie stars. Some of them became friends for live. Like Kees van Dongen, Jean Cocteau, Sophia Loren, Maurice Chevalier, Gina Lollobrigida and Marlene Dietrich
Begum Om Habibeh Aga Khan and painter Kees van Dongen. She wasn’t only Kees van Dongen’s muse, but with her husband’s encouragement, she also developed an active interest in painting and sculpture. Kees van Dongen made several portraits of Begum Om Habibeh and her husband.
Begum Om Habibeh Aga Khan had a big heart for everybody. Also for people outside the Shia Ismaili community. She was dearly loved by her people because of her generosity to the poor, childern, women and the elderly, and, by her own husband as well. No matter what kind of religion, man or women, or even sexual oriantation, she was véry openminded and loyal. Yakymour and Nour el-Salam her home in Egypt, were both an open house.
Her Highness The Begum Om Habibeh Aga Khan and Jean Cocteau take part in la Bataille des Fleurs at la Promenade de la Croisette in Cannes on May 3, 1954. Her Highness The Begum Om Habibeh had a special relation with Jean Cocteau and his partner Jean Marais. They visit eachother often, and had a special and deep frienship.
Her Highness The Begum Om Habibeh Aga Khan and Jean Cocteau take part in la Bataille des Fleurs at la Promenade de la Croisette in Cannes on May 3, 1954.
Marlene Dietrich, Jean Cocteau and Her Highness The Begum Aga Khan III attend the dress rehearsal of Gilbert Bécaud’s ‘L’Opéra d’Aran’ at le Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris on October 26, 1962 (Click photo to enlarge).
Dolce Rosa Excelsa, the movie
Sicily, Bagheria. A mother and her five handsome sons return to their ancient family home, a beautiful yet visibly eroded Sicilian Villa, which they restore to its former glory….
Dolce & Gabbana has united 3 of the most eminent figures in Italian cinema in a film which recounts the inspiration behind the Dolce Rosa Excelsa scent, and celebrates the launch of Dolce Rosa Excelsa with a short film that brings together three of the biggest stars in Italian cinema: director Giuseppe Tornatore, composer Ennio Morricone and actress Sophia Loren.
It was an honour to work with these three masters of Italian cinema who bring our creative vision to life. Sophia Loren embodies Italian beauty across the world. We love Giuseppe’s sensibility, his perception of Sicily is the same as ours, so working with him feels very natural. Ennio Morricone’s music has always been a part of our culture, so it gives the story a celebratory, Italian feel.
Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana
Following the first act, entitled ‘Rinascita’ (‘rebirth’) are acts II and III, called ‘Festa’ (‘party’) and ‘Meravigliosa’ (‘wonderful’) respectively
Rich in symbolism, suggestion and emotions, the new film sees three Oscar winners bring the story of the new female fragrance to life. The Dolce Rosa Excelsa film opens with a determined Sophia Loren, a mother of five sons advancing towards the screen.
Sophia Loren takes the role of the strong female matriarch, leading the restoration of a large Sicilian estate, Villa Valguarnera di Bagheria near Palermo. She is the driving force behind the family and the restoration of their ancestral home, and typically of Loren’s film persona, she proves not to be averse to getting her hands dirty.
Her character is juxtaposed to that of Rosa, played by Dolce & Gabbana testimonial Kate King, who comes into view in the second part of the film, once the restoration is completed. Rosa’s beauty strikes one of Loren’s sons who in a bid to capture her heart, picks the most beautiful rose from the garden and offers it to her.
What comes next is at the base of the inspiration of the fragrance: Rosa being gifted with a rose by the young man is secondary, it is her offering the rose to Loren which bares the most significance. It is a meeting between two women from two different generations. A meeting filled with symbolism, beauty and tradition. A highly-charged cascade of spirit and elegance, the encounter is as timeless as the Rose itself.
Sophia Loren, the 81 year old muse and an icon of womanhood and timelessness, recently had already lent her unforgettable features to Dolce & Gabbana for the campaign of Sophia Loren No.1 Lipstick and continues to inspire the designers and cements her rapport with them with her performance in this film.
The Dolce Rosa Excelsa film opens with a determined Sophia Loren advancing towards the screen. As the mother of five sons she takes the role of the strong female matriarch, leading the restoration of a large Sicilian estate.
The house is restored to its former splendour and the whole town is invited to a party to celebrate. The striking Rosa, played by Kate King, catches the eye of Sophia’s youngest son. Stricken by her beauty. Sophia Loren then joins the others in the garden for the party. Kate approaches and offers her the rose.
It is an encounter between two women from two different generations. A meeting filled with symbolism, beauty and tradition as timeless as the rose itself.
The Dolce Rosa Excelsa film features creative themes and symbolism synonymous with Dolce & Gabbana’s creative vision. This begins with the most fascinating and unique of all flowers, the Rose; a recurrent motif seen throughout Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana’s runway collections and the inspiration for this new scent. Finally, there is the inescapable fusion of tradition and modernity that has always characterised Dolce & Gabbana. The innocence of youth and the wisdom of everlasting values are echoed in the meeting between Kate and Sophia, which brings the film to a close.
Rich in symbolism, suggestion and emotions, the new film sees three Academy Award winners bring the story of the new female fragrance to life: director Giuseppe Tornatore, composer Ennio Morricone, actress Sophia Loren.
Dolce Rosa Excelsa marks the fifth collaboration and on-going relationship between the Designers and Giuseppe Tornatore. While the Oscar winner and 2016 Oscar nominated Ennio Morricone soundtrack ties together the direction, protagonists and inspiration of the film with his signature notes.
Dolce&Gabbana honors the rose
For being based in Italy and because I love Dolce & Gabbana very much I would like to share with you these new beauty treats that are available in stores from this very moment.
One look, four posts! It is all about…roses, roses, and roses. A new fragrance, a happy looking Spring make-up collection and 11 shades of pink matte lipstick…That will do it all!
In a continued celebration of the rose, a flower of great significance and timeless beauty, Dolce & Gabbana has launched a selection of rose themed products. From the Dolce Rosa Excelsa fragrance, a stunning fresh rose scent, which is accompanied by a beautiful film by Giuseppe Tornatore starring Sophia Loren and with a score by the legendary Ennio Morricone (one to watch, even though it is short but so full of romance, happiness and strength), to a new selection of Dolce Matte Lipsticks: 11 rigorously pink shades, and a complimentary make up collection Rosa Look 2016 for a total pink Spring.
Dolce Rosa Excelsa captures the essence of fresh petals in bloom with two precious rose notes. Used for the first time in perfumery, the rare African Dog Rose comes from a charming coastal flowering tree that grows in the rich and fertile flora of South Africa. It is combined with the deep pink flowers of Turkish Rose Absolute, highly prized in perfumery for its olfactive intensity. Together, these sensual rose notes enrich the opulent, full-bodied scent of White Amaryllis, the signature of Dolce.
African Dog Rose and White Amaryllis were both captured using ‘Headspace Technology’, a revolutionary and sustainable process that captures the precise scent of the flower when it is in full bloom without needing to cut and grind the petals to extract the essential oil.
- Top: The fragrance opens with a sweet-smelling explosion of lively Neroli leaves and Papaya flowers, dissipating into a floral bouquet of White Water Lily and White Daffodil.
- Heart: Precious notes of Turkish Rose Absolute and rare African Dog Rose add charming richness to Dolce’s signature blend.
- Base: The feminine floral heart is counterbalanced by a background of warm Musky notes, Cashmeran and Sandalwood, leaving a sensual trail of light woods, earthy tones and piquant spices.
Dolce & Gabbana’s Dolce Rosa Excelsa has an aquatic kind of edge that I find really appealing. I always think that it’s a rather masculine note, but perhaps that’s because every single boy wore Davidoff’s Cool Water! This is fresh, juicy and smells very summery and uplifting – a hint of rose, but very much scattered through the other notes rather than dominating. This is a new successor in the collection Dolce, which features a flower-shaped cap, but colored in red this time.
Dolce Rosa Excelsa Eau de Parfum, is availble as 75ml, 50ml and 30ml.
Rich in symbolism, suggestion and emotions, the new film sees three Academy Award winners bring the story of the new female fragrance to life: director Giuseppe Tornatore, composer Ennio Morricone and actress Sophia Loren.
Dolce & Gabbana Sophia Loren No.1 Red Lipstick
The legendary designer duo, Dolce & Gabbana, have created a very special new lipstick dedicated to one of Italy’s most famous beauty icons, the film actress Sophia Loren. The unique and new shade of red, named Sophie Loren No.1 is announced as a loving tribute from Dolce & Gabbana to all women of the world. The lipstick is described as a true collector’s item, and it is branded with a bold slogan ‘Her red, her lipstick’. On social media, the lipstick is introduced with the hashtag #ItsMyRed. For the first time ever, the Italian icon will also star in a Dolce & Gabbana advertising campaign.
Dolce & Gabbana Sophia Loren No.1 Red Lipstick
This unusual shade of red is universally flattering, and it fits somewhere in the middle of red and pink. The Sophia’s red is said to be created for lips so unique they became the object of desire for an entire era. In the words of Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana:
Sophia Loren No.1 is our way of saying, ‘Thank you, Sophia!’. Thank you for her beauty, thank you for being a world favorite, thank you for being an icon of the big screen and of Italian beauty. She has been a constant source of inspiration for us and today we celebrate her with the gift of her very own lipstick.
Sophia Loren
The lipstick is very creamy and lightweight, and it has a subtle shiny finish, but without any glossiness. The bright cherry red shade, as Dolce & Gabbana describes it, is packaged in Dolce & Gabbana’s regular gold tube, decorated with Sophia Loren’s signature. It also captures and conveys her style, and was specifically designed to enhance the deep pigmentation of her lips.
Dolce & Gabbana Sophia Loren No.1 Red Lipstick
To honor the diva in the most glamorous way, the brand will host the exclusive launch event, on September 21st at the Dolce & Gabbana Beauty Boutique in Corso Venezia 7, Milan. Currently, you can be among the first to register and get on a pre-order list. The Dolce & Gabbana Sophia Loren No.1 Red Lipstick will hit the shelves by the end of September 2015. Since Sophia Loren’s lipstick is a numbered lipstick, it may be safe to assume that the designers are planning to launch some additional shades…
Yakymour 