Page 1 show of 200 dancers, models, deejays and bartenders that

FEATURE
By Yasmine Shihata
The glamorous Arabian Nights theme at the Billionaire gala event.
Angelo Galasso at the new
Billionaire Store in Sardinia
Flavio Briatore and his
girlfriend on the red carpet
show of 200 dancers, models, deejays and bartenders that for a
night or two in the winter months take over nightclubs in
England, France, Italy and Spain.
The
BILLIONAIRE
BILLIONAIRE COUTURE
COMES HOME TO SARDINIA
LIFE
T
There are some
places in the world
that instantly evoke
images of stunning
beauty, glamour, unlimited wealth and a history
shared by the rich and famous.
Sardinia is definitely one of those
places, and Porto Cervo is its
crown jewel. In this picture-perfect port town lies an amazing
collection of ultra stylish boutiques, luxurious hotels and
world class restaurants. Venture
a bit outside the port and you get
to feel the pulse of Sardinia’s jet
set glitterati: the one and only
Billionaire nightclub.
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The facade of Billionaire Couture in Sardina
he Billionaire nightclub is of
course the creation of the Renault
Formula 1 Supremo, Flavio Briatore.
Like Sardinia itself, Billionaire and its
owner also evoke images of stunning
beauties, glamour, unlimited wealth and a
history shared by the rich and famous. Perched high on
a hill on the Mediterranean island of
Sardinia, this 25,000-square-foot discotheque is the summer magnet for
such celebrities as Bruce Willis and
Denzel Washington, as well as
wealthy businessmen like media
mogul Silvio Berlusconi and
steel conglomerator Lakshmi
Mittal. But Briatore has also
turned the Sardinia nightclub into a travelling road
Valentino and
Flavio Braitore on
the red carpet
In fact, the Billionaire club has become so internationally famous
that it inspired Briatore to create a high end couture line in the
same name, catering to jet set men who are as stylish as they are
wealthy. Created in 2005, the Billionaire Couture line for men
was established when Briatore partnered with his favourite
designer and friend, the Italian Angelo Galasso. Using Briatore as
his muse, Galasso created a totally unique and ultra luxurious
haute couture line for men, which oozes glamour and opulence.
As Galasso explains, “I want people to be able to recognise a
Billionaire Couture item immediately.” And it’s hard not to recognize Billionaire Couture items, such as their stingray belts
($1,000) and crocodile jackets ($45,000), sold in London,
Moscow, Tokyo and Vienna. Galasso has also designed three types
of jeans: ‘classic’, ‘sportswear’ and ‘elegant’, with precious details
such as buttons in real gold, packed in boxes made of briar-root
with a humidification unit (like those for cigars), so that, once
washed, they can be stored in the box to regain their softness, or
the box can be used as a humidor.
“
I never had anybody at Billionaire complain
about the prices. Everybody just complains because
it’s impossible to get in! Flavio Briatore
”
Over the next two years the Billionaire brand will go global, as the
dynamic duo plan to open 25 more stores, in places like Dubai
and Shanghai. For Briatore the concept is actually quite simple,
“The Billionaire brand is very arrogant and people love it. Maybe
the jacket here is more expensive, but I guarantee the quality is
the best in the market. It is a dream, like the Billionaire Club. A
lot of people ask me why a bottle in Billionaire costs €1,000,
when two hundred metres down at another club, the same brand
costs €350. Where is the difference? The difference is the
dream. It is the quality of the service, the environment, the
music, everything. I never had anybody at Billionaire complain
about the prices. Everybody just complains because it’s impossible
to get in!”
And Briatore has created this ‘dream’ brand largely by becoming
a lifestyle icon for the superrich— he’s got the glamorous job,
dazzling women, celebrity friends and expensive toys, all while
retaining a certain air of mystery. Even those close to him reportedly know little about the details of his personal life, his hopes
and his own dreams. Instead his fans and contemporaries look to
him with a mixture of awe and envy. With little formal education
Flavio's girlfriend talks to
the press at Billionaire
Couture's Sardina launch
and no particular experience in fashion, racing or the
restaurant and nightclub industry, he has climbed
toward the top of each with what friends and colleagues
say is a combination of organisational skills and
an uncanny charm. “Flavio,” says friend and restaurateur Giuseppe Cipriani, “is a man of taste.”
Thus it was a natural homecoming for the ‘man of taste’
to bring his unique brand back to Sardinia, in the heart
of Porto Cervo. And in line with the ‘Billionaire dream’
the store launch was quite an event. The endless crowds
outside the new shop, made it abundantly clear that in
Italy, Briatore has almost a cult like following. As
onlookers whistled and took photos, an endless stream
of European media stood in line to get a few words with
the man himself. And in true Briatore tradition, ‘Flavio’
lights up before the cameras and is charm personified.
After all, nobody quite knows how to endear the media
without really giving anything away, like Briatore.
Flavio Braitore and
Angelo Galasso at
the new Billionaire
Store in Sardinia
Yet having a whirlwind launch for an uber stylish boutique would never be
enough for Billionaire. Instead the dream continued a few hours later at a
dazzling gala event at Briatore’s Billionaire nightclub. And no expense was
spared as the venue was transformed with a modern, ultra glam Arab
Nights theme. Of course outside the club there was a red carpet worthy of
the Oscars, where hoards of media watched as a stream of immaculately
stylish and stunning guests arrived.
“Flavio,” says friend and restaurateur
Giuseppe Cipriani, “is a man of taste”
Inside the gala encompassed the three
levels of the Billionaire nightclub,
perched high on the Sardinian hills,
offering a view of the distant yacht
lights in the sea. Upon entering the
club, guests were ushered down to the
ground floor areas, where they enjoyed
cocktails, mingled or lounged in the
stylish Arabian tents, as dazzling live
singers and dancers mixed with the
crowd. An hour or so later guests were
invited to the top floor of the club,
where the world famous Cipriani
restaurant has its most enchanting
branch. And for the gala dinner, the
best of the Cipriani menu was on offer,
with tantalising dishes and a selection
of their heavenly deserts. Yet even
throughout the dinner, the party mood
continued, as another live trio swept
around the tables as they sang, danced
and flirted with the crowd. As the
music got more intense, guests found
it hard to keep still and soon many
diners found themselves dancing
around their tables. This was dinner
Billionaire style…
Yet this was just the beginning, as after
dinner, guests were invited to the middle level of the club, where the nightclub rocks in all its glory. With endless
champagne, high octane music and a
crowd who knows how to party in style, the night got into full swing. In
fact the Billionaire dream was taking over, as all thoughts of reality drifted
away on this magical evening…Briatore style.
And if this is the Billionaire life, men everywhere should be saving up to
buy into this dream in all its forms. After all, Billionaire represents a new
development in branding. More than merely appending a name to a product, it represents an entire lifestyle which is created, personified and actually lived by Briatore himself.
54
The glamorous Arabian Nights theme at the Billionaire gala event
Yasmine Shihata & Mr. Ramez Naimeh
Billionaire gala event