Twenty-eight years later, that question has led to something extraordinary: a watch adorned with 1,182 hand-set gemstones, sold alongside the original painting that inspired it. This is the Imperial Mosaic, where three masters of their crafts have created something truly unique.

The Imperial Mosaic Watch represents an unprecedented collaboration between Antonio Natale, known since 1997 for painting on banknotes, Backes & Strauss, the world’s oldest diamond house (founded in 1789), and the Swiss watchmakers at Franck Muller Watchland. It’s the first time an artist, jeweller, and horologist have combined their talents into a single piece.

“I’m not interested in challenge,” Natale tells Monaco Life. “I’m interested in curiosity. Curiosity is what drives every artist forward. It’s what stops us from standing still.”

That curiosity has taken him far from his roots in southern Italy, where he began drawing before he could write. At 18, he left for Rome’s Academy of Fine Arts, then travelled Europe, absorbing influences from Greek mythology to Nordic expressionism.

The Man Made of Cents

The watch’s design stems from Natale’s 2020 painting, Homo Decent N.7, a provocative work created from 408 original euro cents. The title is a clever play on words: we evolved from Homo sapiens, Natale argues, but we’ve become “Homo of Cents”: humans defined by our obsession with money.

“Every single person wakes up each day thinking about money,” he explains. “We can’t escape this whirlwind. We were once great conquerors, architects, cultural giants. Now? We sacrifice authenticity, quality, and creativity for wealth.”

The painting, inspired by Byzantine mosaics, features a haunting three-dimensional face. As you move past it, the nose appears to extend from the canvas. From a distance, the mouth looks open, revealing teeth…but step closer and you’ll see it’s actually closed. Even the artwork is full of illusions.

A Trilogy of Art

Translating this vision onto a 44×52mm watch dial required painstaking precision. Working with Backes & Strauss CEO Vartkess Knadjian, Natale selected 584 stones for the dial alone: 95 rubies, 108 orange sapphires, blue and yellow sapphires, and black and white diamonds, each just 1.1 or 1.2 millimetres in size. The 18-karat rose gold case holds another 508 diamonds.

“When Vartkess and I met to discuss the concept, the synergy was transformative,” Natale recalls. “It felt truly magical.”

But what makes this truly unique is that the buyer doesn’t just get a watch. They receive the original Homo Decent N.7 painting, plus a custom art-watch box hand-painted by Natale himself, topped with another of his coin artworks. Three interconnected pieces of art, all stemming from the same vision.

“When you wear the watch, the original artwork waits for you at home,” Natale says, his enthusiasm transferable. “Like a parent waiting for you to return. It’s your guardian angel that follows you.”

For Natale, his work isn’t just mere decoration. In 2019, he collaborated with the European Parliament and UNESCO on an exhibition titled ‘Stories of Roses, Butterflies and Silence’, giving voice to victims of violence against women.

“I don’t create decoration,” he insists. “There’s always something important behind the work. I try to show people what we’ve really become. To make them reflect.”

This philosophy extends to his artistic evolution, which he summarises as “the four Ms”: Mythology (his early academic studies), Metropolis (confronting his fears in 1980s Rome), Maps (drawing on geographical charts instead of keeping diaries), and finally Money—the medium that has defined his career since that pivotal lira note in 1997.

When asked what happens when cash disappears in our increasingly digital age, he’s adamant: “I don’t believe we’ll go completely digital. We were born with cash. It can never die.” But if it does? “I’ll paint on credit cards. Visa, American Express, whatever exists. Everything that represents money is now part of my philosophy.”

The Artist as Witness

Natale grows reflective about what it means to create art in turbulent times. He recalls artists in Zürich during the First World War, and the expressionists during the Second, all creative voices bearing witness when the world burned.

“Being an artist in certain periods of history has never been easy,” he says. “Right now, I feel responsible for the moment we’re living through. The artist becomes the witness to our existence. History can lie, but a true artist always tells the truth…even if it means going against themselves.”

Beyond the gemstones and craftsmanship, the Imperial Mosaic carries something more valuable: a message about what we’ve become, and what we’ve lost in our relentless pursuit of wealth. Natale has already painted on banknotes, cars, and bonds. Major exhibitions are also planned for 2026 in Guangzhou, China, and Santa Cruz, Bolivia. There may be eyewear collaborations, more watches, other brands seeking his distinctive vision.

But at its heart, his art poses a simple question: if we’re all Homo Decents now – humans made of cents – what would it take to become human again

Stay updated with Monaco Life: sign up for our free newsletter, catch our podcast on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook,  Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.

Main photo provided by Antonio Natale 

At the centre of it all is John Caudwell, a Monaco resident and one of Britain’s most successful entrepreneurs, who made his fortune founding and selling mobile phone giant Phones4U. But what he’s built in philanthropy is, in some ways, just as ambitious — and deliberately so. “We’re very businesslike,” he says. “We make every pound deliver the maximum value.”

This is charity, run like a company — and that’s precisely why it works.

The business of giving

From the outside, the Butterfly Ball sparkles like any other society event. Inside, however, it operates with the precision of a finely tuned business — a reflection of how John Caudwell approaches all his current ventures, from philanthropy to property, real estate finance, nautical technology, and luxury yachting.

The idea was born at one of his earliest galas, when a young girl with muscular atrophy painted an image that came to define the charity. Below a dividing line were small, fragile butterflies with crumpled wings; above it, bright butterflies soaring freely. It was a picture of transformation — a child’s interpretation of the power of Caudwell Children.

Guests were prepared to pay thousands for the painting — money that would go towards a £25,000 motorised wheelchair for the little girl’s sister. But instead of selling it to the highest bidder, John Caudwell saw an opportunity to think bigger. He reframed the moment, inviting guests to fund “half a wheelchair”, “a full wheelchair”, then multiples. The momentum built — five, ten, eventually 17 wheelchairs were funded. What began as a child’s drawing became the spark for a new kind of philanthropy — one powered by strategy, scale, and measurable impact.

That same approach drives the gala today. Each year, Caudwell donates a week aboard his yacht, worth €700,000 in peak season. He has it underwritten in advance through brokers, guaranteeing a minimum return before the event even begins. Then, on the night, the bidding can soar to €350,000 or more — often multiple times over, as he deftly turns one lot into several.

He also personally contributes an additional third of all the funds raised, effectively covering his charities’ administration costs and ensuring every donation goes directly to the children. It’s not just generosity; it’s design — philanthropy built with a business plan.

A circle of givers

One of the most innovative structures within Caudwell’s philanthropic model is the Life-Changers Circle — a group of high-net-worth individuals who pledge £1 million over ten years.

“It started during Covid,” Caudwell says. “I wanted to find people who were genuinely philanthropic, who wanted to make a long-term difference.”

The circle isn’t just a financial mechanism. It’s a core community of trusted supporters who join Caudwell for dinner at his home, and attend the charity’s major events — including the Monaco and London Butterfly Balls — bringing their own networks into the fold. “They come, they support, and they’re generous,” he says.

The loyalty is strong. “Most of those people turn up every year,” Caudwell explains. “They’re proud of being part of it, and they genuinely care about what we’re doing.”

The stories that stay with him

After more than two decades of running Caudwell Children, John Caudwell has seen thousands of lives transformed. But some truly standout.

There’s the boy with cerebral palsy who used to drag himself across the kitchen floor, wearing through his jeans until his parents stitched on leather patches. “We sent him to the States for an SDR operation,” Caudwell recalls. “Then two years of physiotherapy. At the London Ball, he ran across the stage and jumped into my arms. That’s an unbelievable transformation. He was destined to have no legs for life — and suddenly he could run.”

Then there was the mother of a girl with severe autism, who attended one of the foundation’s five-day training courses. “She practiced what we taught every night,” he says. “On the Friday, she said, ‘My daughter sat on my knee last night and said, Mummy, I love you.’ Can you imagine what that meant to a mother who had never felt any affection from her child?”

For Caudwell, moments like that cut through everything. “That level of transformation shows that it is possible. And we see it, time and time again.”

Scaling up: the launch of Caudwell Youth

While Caudwell Children supports young people with disabilities and autism, Caudwell’s newest initiative — Caudwell Youth — tackles an entirely different crisis: the lives of young people at risk.

“We’re looking after young people with histories of criminality, abuse, neglect, drug use, mental health problems,” he explains. “Some have been sexually trafficked. Others are facing serious trauma. And in many cases, we’re the first people they’ve ever trusted.”

The model is simple but effective: trained volunteer mentors are paired one-on-one with vulnerable youths, providing guidance, stability, and emotional connection. And the results are startling.

“In just three years, we’ve reduced repeat criminality by 93%,” Caudwell says. “That’s not just a number. That’s lives changed, crimes prevented, victims protected — and millions saved in public costs.”

Why he does it

It’s not for headlines or legacy. It’s because, as he puts it, “What better cause is there than a child who hasn’t had much of a life — and giving that child a future?”

Caudwell’s motivation is also rooted in frustration — not only with inefficiency in the charity sector, but with what he sees as a lack of long‑term vision from government. “The government is always at the wrong end of the stick,” he says. “They’re constantly fixing the consequences of problems they ignored. Nine times out of ten, it costs them a hundred times more than it would have if they’d acted early.”

He believes that the answers are already clear — they just need the will to implement them. “They agree with me entirely,” he says, referring to conversations he’s had with senior UK politicians. “But agreeing is one thing — doing something is another. They’re too focused on the next election, not the next generation.”

For Caudwell, philanthropy fills the void left by short‑term politics. “If everyone’s always thinking about the next election,” he adds, “nothing actually gets done.”

Looking ahead

For Caudwell Children, autism support is now a central focus — and with good reason. The condition is rising sharply, and for many families, navigating the diagnosis and care system can be overwhelming.

“Autism is growing dramatically,” says Caudwell. “We don’t know exactly why, but I don’t believe it’s just better diagnosis. There’s something bigger happening biologically — in pregnancy or early infancy — we just need to figure out what it is.”

Against a backdrop of long public health delays and diagnostic age thresholds that often stretch to seven or eight-years-old, Caudwell Children offers assessments in just two days — a turnaround that, for many families, is life-changing. But diagnosis is only the beginning.

The foundation provides intensive support to parents, helping them understand how to communicate with their children. One-on-one training sessions, behavioural strategies, and group workshops offer parents practical tools — while children receive targeted therapy to support emotional regulation, social connection and development.

Crucially, the charity extends its focus to the entire family unit. “We don’t just help the child,” says Caudwell. “We support their siblings and parents too. Because when the parents collapse, the whole family unit can fall apart.”

The need is vast, and the ambition is growing to meet it. “What we’re doing now is probably only 10% of what needs to be done,” he says. “But we’re building. We’re growing.”

A night with purpose

On Wednesday night, the Butterfly Ball Monaco marked its 10th anniversary with €1,015,600 raised, thanks to the generosity of a community Caudwell describes as “extraordinarily loyal”. The gala, co-hosted by racing driver and disability advocate Nicolas Hamilton and award-winning DJ and presenter Neev Spencer, brought together philanthropists, celebrities, and longtime supporters for a spectacular evening of fundraising and celebration.

Caudwell’s wife Modesta Vžesniauskaitė, who founded the Monaco edition of the Butterfly Ball and remains instrumental to its success, reflected on its evolution: “When I created the Butterfly Ball Monaco 10 years ago, I dreamed of something magical — an evening that reflected the beauty of Monaco but raised essential funds for the children who need us most.”

Now, a decade later, it’s a high-profile, highly-anticipated philanthropic event in the Principality, with support from partners like Burgess Yachts and creative direction by Billy Folchetti, known for his immersive event experiences. Guests enjoyed a three-course dinner, performances from Anastasian, The Troubadours, and DJ Filippo, and an auction led by renowned auctioneer Charlie Ross, featuring once-in-a-lifetime experiences, including a Formula E VIP experience with Sébastien Buemi.

As dinner turned to dancing beneath the chandeliers of the Hôtel de Paris, the evening stood as a celebration of what purposeful giving can achieve. The Butterfly Ball Monaco was elegance and generosity in equal measure — a testament to how philanthropy, when driven by strategy and heart, can deliver lasting change.

“I’m immensely proud of what we’ve achieved,” said Caudwell. “The event has grown in scale and ambition, but most importantly, it’s transformed the lives of children across the UK. Together, we’re helping to build a world where every disabled or autistic child has the chance to thrive.”

See also:

Interview: Billionaire John Caudwell on reviving Le Provençal

Stay updated with Monaco Life: sign up for our free newsletter, catch our podcast on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook,  Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.

Main photo of John Caudwell, credit: Cassandra Tanti. All other photos courtesy of Caudwell Group

]]> https://monacolife.net/ubs-brings-its-women-investment-circle-to-monaco/ Wed, 22 Oct 2025 23:41:37 +0000 https://monacolife.net/?p=114926 Emma Wheeler, Executive Director and Head of Women’s Wealth and UBS Global Wealth Management, visited Monaco this week to launch the first local edition of the programme, which aims to boost women’s financial confidence and participation in investment decisions. 

“We could see that women were largely dissatisfied with the advice that they were receiving from their wealth managers. They felt misunderstood,” Wheeler told Monaco Life. “We always wanted to be part of the solution to that.”

The paradox is quite striking. While women are increasingly earning and inheriting wealth, they often step back when it comes to major investment decisions. Research shows that 51% of millennial women defer large investment decisions to their spouse after marriage, despite 88% being comfortable with long-term finance while single.

“In the average household, women are typically the CFO (the Chief Financial Officer),” Wheeler explained. “They set up the monthly budget, pay the bills. But male partners tend to be the CIO (the Chief Investment Officer) taking the lead on retirement planning and longer-term investments.”

However, this division extends beyond individual households. Only 4% of family office principals globally are women, and just 18% of portfolio managers in the US are female.

The seven-step programme

The Women’s Investment Circle, which has been running globally since January 2017, seeks to address this imbalance through education and confidence building. The dedicated financial education programme consists of seven-hour-long sessions designed specifically to speak to women’s need and concerns.

“What we’ve seen as we talk to our female clients around the world is that many of them lack financial knowledge,” Wheeler said. “That’s because women haven’t been part of the financial decision-making processes in their families over time.”

The programme covers topics ranging from an introduction to financial markets to more nuanced subjects such as “financial EQ” – what Wheeler describes as “the more emotional quotient of wealth”, and financial parenting, helping parents instil good money habits in their children from an early age.

Breaking down barriers

Mariana Mamou, UBS’s CIO, Head Advice Beyond Investing, explained that women’s hesitation around investing isn’t about risk aversion but rather about risk perception.

“We think that they are more risk-cautious,” Mamou explained. “Risk perception has to do a lot with experience and knowledge. If something is new, and you haven’t tried it before, it looks a bit scarier. The financial services speak in jargon, they’re not accessible and understood, make it intimidating.”

The approach though seems to be working. Once women do engage with investing, research shows they often outperform their male counterparts. “Women make more calculated risk decisions,” said Mamou. “They are more disciplined. They perform better. They become better investors.”

Wheeler agreed: “There’s less gut instinct involved in women’s decision-making when it comes to investing. So, you could say that they’re less emotional than men as investors.”

The timing of the programme’s Monaco launch couldn’t be more crucial. Wheeler highlighted what she calls “the great wealth transfer” – a historic demographic shift from the baby boomer generation to millennials and Gen Z.

“This wealth transfer over the next 20 to 25 years is going to be worth about $83 trillion, and the lion’s share of that will go to women,” Wheeler said. Recent research from Capgemini suggests that 57% of this transfer will end up in women’s hands.

“For the first time in history, we really are a serious economic force and owning and controlling more wealth than men,” Wheeler said. “But that’s why we need to get women investing right? Because otherwise, we’re going to face an economic hole.”

Different investment preferences

Both Wheeler and Mamou noted that women do have distinct investment preferences, though these often stem from education and experience rather than inherent traits.

“Women are more inclined to invest in themselves when they see that the investment risk also benefits from a social perspective,” Mamou explained. “There is more sustainability impact that blends in their interest.”

However, once women gain financial knowledge and confidence, their portfolios become more diversified and perform well. “The actual portfolio may not look different than men’s,” Mamou said. “We make great investors.”

Wheeler also noted a generational shift in women’s relationship with wealth. During a recent summit in Panama, a young female entrepreneur told her: “What’s different between my generation and yours is that I see female leaders all around me every day, because it’s in my social media algorithm.”

“I thought that was a fascinating point,” Wheeler said. “In my lifetime, for example, I’ve known of the Queen and maybe Sheryl Sandberg, but they were very distant from my actual world. But on your phone, they’re actually there. And that really is empowering.”

Getting started

For women looking to become more involved in investment decisions, Wheeler’s advice is to start small and build confidence gradually through trusted environments where they can ask question without judgement.

“That’s what we found is the biggest challenge…where do I get started?” she said, noting that UBS has developed tools specifically designed to help women overcome that first hurdle.

The Women’s Investment Circle in Monaco will offer local women the opportunity to develop their financial knowledge and confidence alongside other women facing similar challenges.

“Women make great investors,” Wheeler concluded. “We just need to get them over than first hurdle and build their confidence. The time for women to step up is now.”

Stay updated with Monaco Life: sign up for our free newsletter, catch our podcast on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook,  Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.

Main photo of Emma Wheeler provided. 

Four years ago, she came to Monaco as an athlete receiving a prize for the Refugee Olympic Team. Now, she returns as a juror tasked with deciding which sports documentaries and reports deserve recognition at the prestigious event.

“For me, it’s really special,” Ali Zada told Monaco Life. “I never imagined I would return to Monaco in this position.”

From Iran to Afghanistan: Discovering a passion

Ali Zada’s relationship with cycling began in Iran, where her family fled when Taliban took control of Afghanistan. She was just two-years-old. It was there, in relative freedom, that she discovered her passion for the sport.

But when she returned to Afghanistan in 2007, everything changed. Even though the Taliban had been driven out of Kabul, their influence remained deeply embedded in Afghan society. Women were not expected to ride bikes, go to school, or participate in sports.

“It was then that I realised that the social situation of women in Afghanistan is totally different from Iran,” she recalled. “I couldn’t ride a bike anymore.”

That changed in 2011 when the Afghan Cycling Federation organised a race for women. Ali Zada not only participated but won first place in her category. In that moment, she found her calling.

“I said, ‘This is my sport. I will do this seriously,'” she said.

Training under threat

What followed was years of training under extraordinary circumstances. Unlike other sports she had tried in the safety of a gym, cycling meant being visible on the streets in sports clothing. The reactions were quite hostile.

“People looked at me strangely. They didn’t like me,” she explained. “It was the first time they saw a girl with sportive clothing on a bike. Some were shocked and didn’t want to accept this in Afghan culture.”

The team had to cover their faces during training to avoid recognition. They couldn’t train alone or whenever they wanted. A coach’s car and male riders accompanied them for protection. Ali Zada couldn’t even keep her bike at home; it always stayed at the federation office for safety.

“It was really dangerous for a woman to ride a bike alone,” she said simply.

Despite the difficulties, she kept riding. The feeling she experienced on those first trips outside Kabul—a mixture of fear and something else entirely—became her fuel.

“I felt the fear, but at the same time, I had a feeling of freedom,” she said. “Through cycling, I broke all the barriers that were around me. Even though it was difficult, even though it was dangerous, this feeling gave me the energy to continue.”

As security in Afghanistan deteriorated, Ali Zada was forced to flee her country for a second time in 2017, this time to France. There, she continued training with one goal in mind: the Olympic Games.

In 2020, she achieved them, competing in the time trial event for the Refugee Olympic Team in Tokio.

“I represented Afghan women and defended their right to ride a bike, and also represented refugees around the world,” she says. “I was really important and powerful to be in the Olympic Games as an Afghan refugee.”

Her impact extended beyond competition. In 2022, she became a member of the IOC Athletes’ Commission and in 2024, she was appointed Chef de Mission for the Refugee Olympic Team. She is also an ambassador for Peace and Sport.

From athlete to judge

Today, sitting on the Sportel Awards jury alongside tennis legend Henri Leconte and handball star Allison Pineau, Ali Zada continues to receive messages from young Afghan girls who see her as an inspiration.

“They say, ‘You are like a mother for us. We want to do the same,'” she said. “But unfortunately, even though they have big dreams and a lot of talent, they don’t have this right.”

Her message to them is one of persistence and hope, that their situation will one day change, and they too will be able to pursue their passions.

To young women everywhere, her advice is simpler. “If you think you are passionate about something, if you have any objective, you should just start. Maybe your dream looks big or impossible, but nothing is impossible in the world.”

Now, as she was preparing to evaluate the year’s best sports content at the ceremony, Ali Zada reflected on how far she has come from those dangerous streets in Kabul.

“I remember the difficulty I had in Afghanistan, where people didn’t respect me as a cyclist and didn’t believe in me,” she said. “But I continued to do what I wanted to do. Even though there was no opportunity, no facility, and there were dangers.”

“Now here I am in Monaco as a jury member for Sportel Awards. When you start, you start from zero. You have nothing. People don’t believe in you. But if you continue with months and years of hard work, you will finally find your position and find what you want.”

Stay updated with Monaco Life: sign up for our free newsletter, catch our podcast on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook,  Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.

Main photo credit of Masomah Ali Zada: Monaco Life.

For one of these rare residences, the design brief was entrusted to Charu Gandhi and her studio, Elicyon. Their mission was to transform a vast base build into something with soul – a contemporary Riviera retreat tailored to the lifestyle and tastes of an international client with whom they had already completed two previous homes.

Reflecting on her early architectural career, Gandhi tells me, “The thing I loved about architecture was the rigour, precision, and speciality of it, and I like to think I still carry those with me today.”

That background gives her interiors a distinctive clarity. But it was only when she entered the world of interior design, while working at Candy & Candy, that she found the freedom to fully explore aesthetics for their own sake. “I felt there was a need in architecture to always post-rationalise through a lens of practicality. There wasn’t the ability to do something just because it was beautiful.

“I found the world of interior design refreshingly frivolous. You could pick up something and say, ‘Isn’t this pretty? Isn’t this beautiful?’—and you could just put it in. You didn’t have to have an intellectual rationalisation for it.”

It was the combination of these two modes – architecture’s rigour and interior design’s emotional response – that led her to found Elicyon, a London studio that operates comfortably at the intersection of structure and decoration.

Curves, craft and calm in one of Monaco’s largest apartments

This Bay House residence spans more than 885 square metres (9,500 square feet) across a single floor. With no stairs or architectural breaks, Gandhi faced the challenge of sequencing the space – creating clear zones without losing fluidity.

“While is is amazing in many ways – to have that lateral space – creating a sense of moments and sequencing, and identifying what is a primary focus and what is secondary, can be harder when you don’t have that sequence of moving up through a stairwell and arriving at floors that speak for themselves.”

The solution was to introduce what Gandhi calls “moments of arrival” – areas that establish their own visual identity without disrupting the overall flow. These are created through curved joinery, carefully layered textures, and shifts in palette.

“We love a curve. Behind this joinery is a very hard space. I wanted the curve to flow in through the corridor and embrace you into the space, and soft tones here were important.”

The sculptural joinery is not simply furniture or cabinetry. It becomes a defining architectural language throughout the apartment. 

“The client very much wanted this to feel like a home on the sea, but very apartment-like. You’ll see there is a nauticality to the joinery. And that’s because the apartment has this incredible view of the water. Bay House itself has these beautiful curves in its exterior architecture, so there was a sense of bringing that into play in the space.” 

A Riviera retreat, not a showroom

Gandhi describes the apartment as a “contemporary Riviera retreat”. The client’s vision was central from the start: to create a home that felt connected to the water, with restraint and openness as guiding principles.

The colour palette is quiet – soft azures and aquas, pale woods, gentle neutrals – supported by light, custom furniture. “There are some clichéd manoeuvres – we bring in soft azures, aquas, soft curtains. Then the joinery has these very yacht-like curves.”

The intention was always to avoid excessive decoration. “I think our designs tend to stay within the curated and measured. We are not afraid of empty spaces and empty surfaces, and that is because we are very privileged to work in a space where every surface has a finish to it, a texture to it, something of interest.”

And with time, she has grown more confident in that approach. “It’s something I’ve become more comfortable with as my capabilities have matured. I’m less scared to leave things out and leave gaps, because I feel that only when you leave enough space around things do you allow the piece itself – or the collection of pieces – to sing.”

Texture, tone and the art of leaving space

There is a constant dialogue in Elicyon’s work between the macro and micro – overall layout and atmosphere balanced against material and tactile detail. This is where Gandhi’s background in textiles and architecture come together.

“I think it’s about constantly zooming in and zooming out – you’re looking at the detail, then stepping back and seeing how it all comes together.”

In one part of the apartment, a corridor opens into a space defined by the curve of a joinery piece. Gandhi described the effect of the texture: Materiality is key. “We wanted an applied textured finish because we didn’t want to have the same finish that lacked depth and movement — so it’s about finding that balance.”

This balance extends to the restraint she builds into every design. “I always feel that what you leave out is sometimes as important, if not more important, than what you put in.”

From global clients to crafted spaces

Gandhi’s clients are often international, and many are increasingly looking to Monaco as a long-term base. “We personally have had many clients move to Monaco, and I think they’re bringing their global expectations with them, which is very exciting,” she said.

That discerning, worldly perspective is something she actively channels into her work—not just in terms of aesthetic ambition, but through the way homes are conceived and experienced. At the heart of her studio’s philosophy is a deep respect for craft, which she believes is too often overshadowed by art in the design conversation.

“I am really passionate about craft. I think art gets a lot of airtime—and craft is the poor cousin,” said Gandhi. For her, design is more than form and function; it’s a bridge between the client and the artisan. “People don’t know how to engage with craft; they don’t know where to begin… So we have a real opportunity, and I think a responsibility, to a) showcase that to clients and give craft a platform through our work, b) show clients how craft can be incorporated, and then c) actually do the work for them so that we make the accessibility less of a hurdle.”

The result at Bay House is not just a finished apartment. It is a reflection of how contemporary luxury is shifting, towards homes that are tactile, sculptural, and deeply personal.

Stay updated with Monaco Life: sign up for our free newsletter, catch our podcast on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook,  Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.

Photos credit: Nick Rochowski

Captain Paul Watson doesn’t wear a cape, but he’s been called a hero. He’s also been labelled a pirate, a terrorist, a troublemaker. Sitting across from him in Monaco, however, you meet a man who is remarkably calm, reflective, and poetic. The 73-year-old has spent his life in service of the sea — chasing whalers, confronting navies, ramming illegal ships, getting arrested, and, more recently, writing poetry.

“I’ve been doing this since I was 10,” he tells me ahead of a talk at the Monaco Press Club. “That summer, I spent every day swimming with a family of beavers in New Brunswick. But the next year, they were gone. Trapped. Killed. That made me angry, so I started walking traplines, freeing animals and destroying traps. I guess I’ve been doing the same thing ever since.”

Watson’s unwavering sense of justice has been his compass. As a co-founder of Greenpeace and the founder of Sea Shepherd, his legacy is filled with controversy, conviction, and results. Now, through the Captain Paul Watson Foundation, he’s continuing the fight — more focused than ever.

Aggressive Non-Violence

Watson’s split from Greenpeace in the 1970s came down to philosophy. Greenpeace, guided in part by Quaker principles, encouraged “bearing witness” but not taking action. That didn’t sit well with Watson.

“One day, during the seal campaign, a sealer was about to kill a pup. I grabbed his club, threw it in the ocean, and rescued the seal. Greenpeace said they couldn’t support what I had done. I said, ‘Well, I’d do it again.’” And so I left.

That break led to the formation of Sea Shepherd and a new strategy: “aggressive non-violence”.

“We intervene directly, but we’ve never injured anyone, never lost a lawsuit, and never been convicted of a crime. It gets confusing, though, because many of these criminal operations are supported by governments, which means there are confrontations with navies and policing agencies. But we’ve always been consistent: what we oppose is illegal. I’ve been arrested and jailed many times, but there’s nobody else who does quite what we do.”

Over the course of eight years, Captain Paul Watson and his Sea Shepherds saved over 6,500 whales and eventually drove the whalers out of the southern ocean.

“There are international regulations, but no enforcement. That’s the biggest issue. We need a global marine enforcement agency, a kind of ocean police.”

“If the oceans die, we die”

Watson’s mantra is simple, terrifying, and true: “If the oceans die, we die.” The oceans, he explains, are our life support system, and it’s failing.

“Since 1950, phytoplankton — which provides 70% of our oxygen — has declined by 40%. If we lose that, we don’t survive. The ocean is the life support system of the planet. It needs to be protected and we all have an obligation to do everything we can to protect life and diversity in the sea.”

A Whale’s Eye and a Turning Point

One of the most powerful stories Watson shares is the moment that changed him forever.

“It was my first direct confrontation with whalers. We positioned ourselves between them and the whales — that standoff lasted about 20 minutes. Then they fired a harpoon over our heads. The harpoon struck one of the whales in the back, and she screamed — I never knew whales could scream like that. She rolled over in a fountain of blood, and for a moment, I thought she was going to launch herself onto our boat.

“In her final throws, I caught her eye… and what I saw there changed my life. That whale had the power to kill us — but she didn’t. She chose not to. I believe she understood what we were trying to do.”

That’s when aggressive intervention became a moral imperative.

Since then, Watson and his crew have shut down 90% of the world’s whaling operations. “Australia went from being a whaling nation to the whales’ greatest defender. That’s real change.”

A Prince, A Protest, and A Walkout in Monaco

Watson’s connection with Monaco dates back to 1997, when the International Whaling Commission held a meeting here.

“Prince Rainier invited us, and our ship docked right outside the meeting. I wasn’t allowed inside — I was banned. But then Prince Albert came aboard and gave me a personal invitation to the reception for the delegates.”

The result? The entire Japanese and Norwegian delegations walked out in protest.

The poet behind the pirate

Watson has been arrested multiple times — in Newfoundland, the Netherlands, and most recently in Greenland in 2024, on a 14-year-old Interpol Red Notice initiated by Japan. The charge? “Conspiracy to trespass and obstruct business,” he says, “over actions where no one was hurt and nothing was stolen.” The Red Notice system, typically reserved for war criminals and drug lords, had been weaponised against an ocean activist. “They were furious about our Southern Ocean campaigns,” he adds.

He spent five months in detention, during which France, Brazil, and French Polynesia came to his defence. Even President Emmanuel Macron reached out personally. “He said I would always be safe in France”. Interpol eventually ruled the charges politically motivated, and Watson’s freedom was restored.

“Every situation can be used as an opportunity,” he reflects. “My arrest in Greenland brought global attention back to Japanese whaling and the killing of dolphins in the Faroe Islands.” During his time in custody, he received more than 7,000 letters and tried to answer as many as he could. He smiles, quoting Gandhi: “Going to jail is a good time to catch up on your reading and writing.” He used that time to write — not only books, but poetry. “Writing keeps me centred,” he says. “Poetry — that’s what keeps me safe.”

And as for the pirate label? “A U.S. federal judge officially called me one. I’ll take it. Pirates, after all, challenge empires.”

When Fame Becomes a Liability

In 2022, Watson was ousted from Sea Shepherd — the organisation he founded — due to growing corporate discomfort with his confrontational methods.

“Because of the success of the TV shows Whale Wars, we attracted major funding, including from insurance companies and lotteries. And suddenly, I became a liability. Too controversial. Too confrontational.”

A court later ruled his dismissal illegal, and Sea Shepherd France, Brazil, and the UK remained loyal to the philosophy of aggressive non-violence. So, Watson set up the Captain Paul Watson Foundation to continue the original mission.

The Foundation’s New Frontlines

With two ships now under his command, Paul Watson’s foundation continues its direct-action campaigns in hotspots around the globe — from protecting sea turtle hatchlings in Central America to confronting dolphin and whale hunts in Japan and the Faroe Islands.

But his most urgent fight now lies in the Southern Ocean.

“We saved the whales in the Southern Ocean, but now they’re being threatened by these krill harvesters,” he says. “They’re pulling out 650,000 tonnes a year — the base of the food chain for whales, penguins, seals — and turning it into a cheap protein paste for salmon farms and chicken feed. It’s just another case of exploitation of all living things in the ocean for the purpose of making money.”

Watson plans to bring the issue to COP30 in Brazil, backed by President Lula, as his Foundation pushes to make krill trawling a defining battleground in ocean conservation.

Legacy and imagination

When asked what he hopes his legacy will be, he hesitates. “I’ve never really thought about it. It’s not for me to define.”

But he smiles as he recalls some of the people who’ve crewed for him — over 5,000 volunteers in total. “One of my crew, Alex Pacheco, was 18 when he joined us. After our campaign against the pirate whaler Sierra, he told me he wanted to do something about the way chimpanzees were treated in labs. I told him, ‘Then do it.’ He went home, infiltrated a lab, exposed the cruelty, shut it down, and founded PETA. That’s the point — to inspire people to act.”

He pauses before adding quietly:

“The strength of an ecosystem is in diversity. The strength of a movement is, too. Real change comes from individuals who are inspired by passion, courage, and imagination. That’s what changes things, not governments.

“So if you see something that you really love – an ecosystem or a species – in danger, then do something about it. You really can make a difference.”

Stay updated with Monaco Life: sign up for our free newsletter, catch our podcast on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook,  Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.

Photo source: Monaco Press Club

The Lancet Countdown on Health and Plastics, unveiled on 5th August to coincide with the opening of the resumed fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5.2), is the first long-term global monitoring effort dedicated to tracking the human health impacts of plastics across their entire life cycle.

For Professor Philip Landrigan of Boston College — one of the initiative’s architects, and a long-time collaborator with the Centre Scientifique de Monaco and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation — the timing is deliberate. “This will be an accountability mechanism — parallel to the treaty but separate from it — that tracks progress, or lack thereof, in addressing the plastic crisis,” he told Monaco Life’s Cassandra Tanti. “Even if negotiations stall, the world will still know the truth.”

A treaty in the balance

INC-5.2, which concludes on 14th August, is widely seen as the decisive round in a process launched by the United Nations Environment Assembly in 2022. The goal: to create a legally binding international instrument to end plastic pollution in all environments, with protection of human health embedded in its mandate.

The stakes are high. Negotiators are grappling with whether the treaty will regulate plastics across their entire life cycle — from fossil fuel extraction and manufacturing to chemical composition, use, and disposal — or take a narrower approach focused on waste management. One of the most contentious issues is whether to impose a global cap on plastic production, backed by over 100 countries but opposed by major oil-producing and plastics-exporting nations.

For Landrigan, the breadth of the treaty is critical. “Plastic production has increased 250-fold since plastics came on the market in the 1950s. It is projected to double again by around 2040 and triple by 2060. If you think we have a lot of plastic in the world today, you haven’t begun to see what’s coming. That’s why a cap is essential.”

He believes the treaty also needs robust chemical regulation, full transparency on what goes into plastics, adequate financing for low-income countries, and legally binding enforcement mechanisms. Without those, he warns, “then the treaty is just empty paper”.

A proven model for accountability

The Lancet Countdown on Health and Plastics draws inspiration from the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change, launched nearly a decade ago. That earlier initiative shifted the global climate conversation by documenting the health consequences of climate change and making them impossible to ignore in UN negotiations.

“In climate, the health frame helped move the discussion from abstract molecules and greenhouse gases to the real impacts on human health,” Landrigan explained. “We intend to follow these models in launching the Lancet Countdown on Health and Plastics.”

The new Lancet Countdown on Health and Plastics will monitor four interconnected domains, beginning with emissions, tracking hazardous releases across every stage of the plastic life cycle, from production through to disposal. It will also examine exposures, measuring environmental and biological concentrations of plastics, including micro- and nanoplastics, as well as the chemical additives associated with them.

Alongside this, it will assess the health impacts, documenting disease and death linked to plastics and their chemical components. Finally, it will follow interventions and engagement, from laws and policies aimed at reducing exposure to public awareness and societal action on the issue. Indicators within each domain will be chosen through a rigorous, multidisciplinary process, combining existing evidence with new data collection and analysis. Working groups will be led by global experts in each area.

“This will be an independent mechanism — parallel to the treaty but separate from it — that tracks progress, or lack thereof, in addressing the plastic crisis,” said Landrigan. “It’s about equipping the world with the facts.”

Following plastics from cradle to grave

One of the Countdown’s defining features is its full life cycle approach.

“Ninety-nine percent of plastics are made from fossil fuels — gas, oil, or coal. The plastic life cycle begins with fracking, drilling, or mining. Then fossil carbon is turned into raw plastic, fabricated into products, used — where people are exposed to plastic and its chemicals — and finally disposed of, burned, landfilled, recycled, or shipped to low-income countries, where it accumulates in beaches or massive dumps,” Landrigan said. “When considering the hazards plastics cause to human health and the environment, you have to look at the entire life cycle — not just one stage in isolation.”

See also: Study reveals alarming link between synthetic chemicals and rising childhood diseases

The chemical dimension is especially alarming. Of more than 16,000 known chemicals used in plastics today, many are toxic — linked to cancer, brain damage in infants, hormone disruption, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and reduced fertility. Yet 75% have no publicly available toxicity data.

“In my view, putting chemicals into plastics without testing — or without publicly disclosing the results — is irresponsible,” he said. “The treaty must close this loophole.”

Funded but fiercely independent

The Countdown’s independence is a point of pride. It is principally funded by the Australian philanthropic Minderoo Foundation, with additional support from Boston College, the Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Heidelberg University, and The March Foundation in conjunction with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. None of these funders will have influence over its findings or their publication.

The governance structure includes a steering committee, working group co-leads, an advisory board, and dedicated staff for project management and outreach. Over time, its membership is expected to expand, with careful attention to expertise, geographical representation, and gender balance.

Beyond statistics: the human toll

Landrigan, a paediatrician and epidemiologist, is clear that numbers alone will not win the argument. “We’ll track production statistics, levels of plastic chemicals and microplastics in the environment, and levels in human blood and urine. We’ll monitor the health effects of plastics, estimate how much disease and death they cause each year, and calculate the related economic costs,” he said.

See also: World-first report into life cycle of plastics delivers shocking results

“But data have to be connected to human stories. Plastics are not just an environmental issue; they’re a public health crisis. We see plastics in people’s blood and breast milk. We see microplastics crossing the placenta. These exposures are happening to all of us, every day, often without our knowledge.”

A long view in a short-term world

The Countdown will publish its first major report in September 2026, about 14 months after launch. This will establish baseline data and the first set of indicators. Updates will follow every one to two years.

“This is a decades-long commitment,” Landrigan said. “We’re not here for one news cycle or one conference.”

Geneva’s moment — and the road ahead

Back in Geneva, the negotiations remain fraught. Bracketed text — the sign of unresolved disputes — still fills key sections of the draft treaty. Some delegations fear that without compromise on production caps, chemical controls, and financing, the agreement will be too weak to stem the rising tide of plastic pollution.

Yet for Landrigan, the very existence of the talks — and the Countdown’s launch alongside them — marks a turning point. “It’s encouraging. More than 100 nations are calling for a plastics treaty, and many want it to include global production caps and science-based chemical regulation. Yes, opposition is fierce — especially from the fossil fuel and plastics industries — but as Martin Luther King Jr. said, ‘The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.’ We’ve seen this with climate change. Industry denial turned to reluctant acknowledgment, then to international agreements like the Paris Accord. Progress is slow, but we’re moving in the right direction. I think plastics are following the same trajectory, just a few years behind.”

See also: Plastic Treaty talks in Geneva face tense final hours as nations remain split on production caps

Whether INC-5.2 delivers an ambitious text or defers the hardest decisions, the Lancet Countdown on Health and Plastics will begin its work. Its reports will serve as both mirror and measure, reflecting the scale of the problem and the adequacy of the world’s response.

“You can’t manage what you don’t measure,” Landrigan said. “And now, we’re going to measure plastics, their chemicals, and their health impacts — relentlessly. No one will be able to say they didn’t know.”

See also: 

Podcast interview: Prof. Philip Landrigan on childhood cancer and the “chemical crisis”

Stay updated with Monaco Life: sign up for our free newsletter, catch our podcast on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook,  Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.

Main photo credit: Jack Lee, Unsplash

]]> https://monacolife.net/interview-musical-theater-writer-composer-and-princess-grace-award-winner-julia-riew/ Tue, 05 Aug 2025 09:20:14 +0000 https://monacolife.net/?p=112223 In partnership with the Princess Grace Foundation-USA, Monaco Life is proud to present a monthly series spotlighting the lives and artistic work of the Foundation’s remarkable Award winners. This month, Kelli Acciardo speaks with 2023 Princess Grace Honoraria recipient Julia Riew, a visionary musical theater composer and lyricist redefining who gets to take center stage.

Best known for her breakout musical Dive—inspired by the Korean folktale of Shimcheong—Julia Riew first captured hearts on TikTok before her work evolved into a fully staged production now in development at the American Repertory Theater (ART) in Cambridge, MA. But behind the viral success is a much deeper story—one rooted in family, identity, and a lifelong search for belonging.

Reclaiming Identity Through Art

That sense of togetherness extends into Riew’s creative work. Dive, her breakout musical, began as a way to bridge the gap between her Korean heritage and her American upbringing. “I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and I didn’t have a strong connection to Korean culture as a kid,” she explains. “But after my grandfather passed away in 2020, my grandmother came to live with us, and I started hearing stories about life in Korea. That changed everything.”

Originally planning to write a different thesis, Riew pivoted. “I thought: If there’s no Korean Disney princess, then maybe I should create one.” Inspired by childhood memories of Disney musicals and a desire to tell stories rooted in her culture, she turned to Korean folklore—and discovered Shimcheong, a tale about a girl separated from her family who embarks on a journey home.

“It was perfect. The character’s arc mirrored my own feelings of searching for belonging,” she says. “I wrote the first song one night and couldn’t sleep. I even wrote a note in my phone that said, ‘TikTok idea: Hi, I’m Julia and there’s no Korean Disney princess, so I decided to create one.’ Then I deleted it the next morning because I thought it was silly!”

A year and a half later, after completing the first draft of the musical, Riew posted that very concept—and the internet responded. “It was kind of miraculous. People really resonated with it.”

A Dream Team of Women

Now Dive is being developed with her “dream team” at the American Repertory Theater, including Diane Borger and Diana Son. “To be fresh out of college and have these women take me seriously and champion my vision—it’s rare,” Riew reflects. “I’ve been in creative rooms where the youngest person’s ideas aren’t taken seriously. But Diane and Diana truly value what I bring. They’ve supported me before the virality and stuck with me because they believe in the project.”

She credits those relationships with giving her the confidence to push boundaries. “To be guided by women I admire—and who look like me—is incredibly powerful.”

Why She Writes for Young People

While Riew works across genres—from stage to screen to books—one common thread connects them all: she writes with young people in mind.

“I love writing for young people because that’s the age when I fell in love with storytelling,” she says. “I think young people are particularly impacted by stories in a way that’s often overlooked.”

Growing up in the Midwest as a Korean American, Riew recalls how media shaped her view of what was possible. “Representation is so important because it builds our understanding of what we can become. Whether that’s showing women doing things we haven’t traditionally seen them do, or featuring Asian American characters in roles that break the mold—it matters.”

For her, writing is a way to give voice to the characters she needed when she was younger. “It’s an honor and a responsibility. I think a lot about what we’re sharing with young audiences, and for me, it’s a way of sharing the ideas, the characters, the voices, and the potential I wish I had seen as a kid.”

On Contributing to a Changing Landscape

Representation is changing—fast. “We just saw Maybe Happy Ending win six Tony Awards! Things are moving in such an exciting direction,” Riew says. “We’re finally at a point where people are truly valuing stories of all kinds. And I’m honored to be a part of that.”

One of the spaces she’s especially passionate about is what she calls ‘Midwestern Asian representation’. “There are fewer of us, but there are so many of us. It’s scary to be the first, or the only one doing something, but this is the first time we’re really being given a platform to raise our voices.”

That’s why she loves theater: it’s about building community. “You start with nothing but a story, and then you build a whole world around it with artists who’ve been waiting for this moment. That’s the most exciting part—uplifting each other.”

Her Legacy, and What’s Next

Given Princess Grace’s remarkable legacy, what kind of impact does Riew hope to leave behind?

“I think it’s impossible to know what your legacy will be. You can’t control how people will respond or interpret your work. So I try not to focus on that. Instead, I think about very specific people in my life. Every time I write something, I write it with one person in mind. If that person sees it and is moved by it, then I’ve done my job.”

Her hope? “That people remember me as a kind collaborator. Someone who made great art, sure—but mostly, someone who supported the people around her.”

As for what’s next: “I’m working on my next draft of Dive and a couple of musicals in development with a company in Korea. We’re searching for theaters there to potentially workshop those later this year,” she says. “But the big thing is the book—The Last Tiger—which comes out July 29. Then Shim Cheong Takes a Dive releases the following year, and my brother and I are already writing our next book after that.”

The Last Tiger: A Cinematic Tale Rooted in Family Legacy 

The upcoming novel, The Last Tiger, is Riew’s debut work of fiction, co-written with her brother Brad and published by Penguin. Inspired by their grandparents’ real-life forbidden love story during the Japanese occupation of Korea, the book began during the pandemic, shortly after Riew read Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi.

“She talked about the power of fantasy rooted in real life—and it clicked for me,” Riew says. “Brad and I grew up hearing these incredible, cinematic stories from our grandparents. One night, we just said: what if we turned their story into a YA fantasy novel?”

They mapped out the plot and magic system that same night, writing the book over the next year and a half without agents or expectations—just a desire to honor their family. “To now be working with Penguin—it still feels surreal.”

Blending Korean history, folklore, and fantasy, the book tells a sweeping story of love, resistance, and magic. “There’s longing, action, heartbreak, joy,” she says. “And each section begins with a real quote from our grandparents’ stories. It’s our way of keeping their voices alive—and sharing the legacy they left behind.”

A Dream Afternoon in Monaco

Since this story appears in Monaco Life, it seemed only fair to ask: If she could spend a creative afternoon in Monaco with anyone, who would it be?

Riew doesn’t hesitate. “Honestly, any time I’m somewhere beautiful, I always think of my fiancé first. I just wish he were there to enjoy it too. So I’d bring him. He’s not an artist in the traditional sense, but he’s incredibly creative—and I’d love to share that with him.”

Stay updated with Monaco Life: sign up for our free newsletter, catch our podcast on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook,  Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.

The French pilot was forced to abandon his sinking RaceBird after a high-speed collision with Team Brazil during the qualifying at Port Hercule on 20th July — the first time in E1 history that qualifying had to be abandoned due to a crash.

“Everything happened in a fraction of a second”

Recounting those terrifying final moments, Chiappe described how quickly events unfolded:“I remember hearing a few words from my radio operator in my headset — ‘Watch out, watch out’ — and then, boom. Despite the warning, everything happened in a fraction of a second. The crash was inevitable.”

The impact was so violent that water immediately began flooding the boat. “In less than a minute, the water was coming in,” Chiappe recalled. “So, I untied myself and executed the exit procedure I had been trained for at the E1 Pilot Academy.”

The dramatic footage shows Chiappe leaping clear of his damaged RaceBird as it began taking on water, while team owner Rafael Nadal watched in horror from the sidelines.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Monaco Life | News from Monaco (@monacolife_)

No regrets over racing incident

“Looking back, I do not believe we would have done anything differently,” Chiappe told Monaco Life. “My sporting director and team members provide me with all the information I need to attempt overtakes as safely as possible. None of us could have predicted that the Team Brazil driver would choose to change course at that moment and find himself perpendicular to me at full speed.”

The collision proved costly for Team Rafa’s championship ambitions. Having entered the Monaco weekend as championship leaders, they were forced to start Saturday’s race from eighth position on the grid—a mountain to climb that ultimately saw Team Blue Rising claim their first-ever E1 victory whilst Team Brady reclaimed the championship lead.

The unique challenge of Monaco

Chiappe also provided insight into what makes the Monaco E1 race so special — and so treacherous. “The E1 Monaco race is unlike any other. Every pilot dreams of winning this race once in their career,” he explained. “The pressure and the stakes are felt like nowhere else, with several team owners in attendance to watch the race.”

This year’s conditions were particularly brutal, with Chiappe describing “waves, very choppy waters, wind” that made the already complex RaceBirds even more challenging to handle.

“The E1 RaceBird literally flies above the water, and you have to keep it afloat for as long as you can, to go as fast as possible,” he explained. “If you add tricky weather conditions to that and choppy waters, the difficulty of piloting it increases.”

Mental reset after championship blow

The phycological challenge of bouncing back from such a setback while leading the championship is unfathomable, but Chiappe demonstrated the mindset that has made him one of E1’s top pilots.

“We know very well that in motorsport competitions, these things happen,” he reflected. “However, the team and all its members are leaving Monaco stronger and closer together. We all had a challenging weekend, but everyone supported each other.”

Perhaps most significantly, Chiappe revealed how tennis legend Rafael Nadal’s presence during the weekend proved to be a source of strength rather than additional pressure.

“Rafa’s presence during the E1 championship race in Monaco was a blessing and a wonderful moment,” Chiappe explained. “Unfortunately, we would have liked to celebrate a victory together, but the accident deprived us of that opportunity. However, I think the moment we shared together was even more powerful.”

The pilot described how Nadal’s reaction to the crash brought the entire team closer: “Rafa and my team members were all shocked, frustrated, and disappointed by the accident. But we were all able to count on Rafa’s support and encouragement to keep going and move forward. The incident brought us together and we are now so much more than a team: we are a family.”

Eyes on Lagos revenge

With the championship very much still alive—Team Brady leads with 135 points to Team Rafa’s 134—Chiappe is already looking ahead to the next round in Lagos, Portugal.

“The team and I have one goal: to become Champions of the Water this year,” he declared. “We’re working hard to prepare for the upcoming races, and I have full confidence in our abilities for the end of the season.”

When asked whether the Monaco setback would change their approach, Chiappe was emphatic: “I do not think the Monaco result has affected our competitiveness or determination in any way. The team cohesion we have within E1 Team Rafa has grown stronger now, and each member, including myself, is looking forward to one thing: getting our revenge in Lagos!”.

As the E1 World Championship heads towards its conclusion, Tom Chiappe and Team Rafa have shown that sometimes the greatest victories come not from crossing the finish line first, but from how you respond when everything goes wrong.

Stay updated with Monaco Life: sign up for our free newsletter, catch our podcast on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook,  Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.

Main photo credit: Francois Asal / Spacesuit Media

In a society that glorifies hustle, bestselling author and Monaco-based communication coach Alicia Sedgwick is encouraging readers to hit pause.

“We are not human doings—we are human beings,” says Sedgwick, speaking to Monaco Life Editor-in-Chief Cassandra Tanti in our latest podcast episode. It’s more than a catchphrase; it’s the driving force behind her new book Being, which has already topped charts on Amazon since its May release.

Following her first book, Communicating Through Change, which was widely embraced during the pandemic, Beingoffers something quieter but just as transformative: “It helps everyone get back to calm,” she explains, “and really brings connection back into their lives.”

The idea for the book began with a single question from a friend: “What is your word for the year?” Sedgwick’s answer—being—soon became a mantra and eventually the structure of her second book. “I wrote in the front page of my diary all the ‘beings’ I wanted for the year—being grateful, being restful, being kind to myself and others. And I realised if I’m reminding myself, I can help remind others too.”

With short, accessible chapters focused on themes like being patient, being forgiving, being still, and being playful, the book delivers practical tools in bite-sized form. “People don’t always have time or the capacity to absorb another heavy thing,” Sedgwick notes. “If it’s practical and easy to dip in and out of, it’s more effective.”

The message has hit home especially with young people. Sedgwick, who teaches at both the International School of Monaco and the International University of Monaco, has seen first-hand how overwhelmed students are. “They’re under immense pressure,” she says. “Giving them the tools to switch off, put their phones down, and sit in stillness—even for one minute—is so important.”

One of her favourite techniques? A moment of mindful breathing. “In that one minute, you can come back refreshed. And if you build on that—five minutes a day, then 10—it will really help you move forward.”

The book doesn’t shy away from vulnerability either. Sedgwick shares deeply personal stories, including childhood trauma and professional betrayal, to show the strength that comes from honesty. “I think it’s important to show vulnerability—so others feel okay sharing theirs,” she says.

And yes, Monaco itself played a part in shaping Being. “The view of the sea and mountains has deeply influenced me,” Sedgwick shares. “It allows me to be. It’s been healing.”

For anyone feeling burned out or caught in the loop of doing, Being offers a much-needed breath of fresh air—simple, powerful reminders of what it means to live with intention and grace.

Being is available now on Amazon worldwide. Listen to the full conversation with Alicia Sedgwick on our podcast, and subscribe to our free newsletter for more inspiring stories.

Stay updated with Monaco Life: sign up for our free newsletter, catch our podcast on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook,  Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.