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"To be honest, my idea for this show came to me during my first fitting session for a Chanel haute couture dress. Many people don't understand why a custom-made dress is so expensive or appreciate the intricate process involved. Given this opportunity, I conceived the idea for 'Fashion Workshop'."
"So, are you planning to start the first episode with Chanel?"
"Yes, and Karl himself will make an appearance during production. It's a rare opportunity. But, Simon, if you insist on starting with Gucci, I can adjust the schedule. The first three episodes are already completed, and the second one features Gucci."
"Listening to you, it sounds like you think I'm a petty man."
"If I really thought that, I wouldn't have dared to choose Chanel from the start."
"Nice save."
"Tsk, you really do sound a bit old-fashioned. Janet, don't you think so?"
"Indeed, sometimes he can be like an old man."
"Heh."
At the party, Simon and Janet were discussing the show Jerry Hall had planned and was set to host.
The show, "Fashion Workshop," as the name suggests, primarily takes viewers on tours of various fashion brands' ateliers.
In the fashion industry, there are countless ateliers that produce everything from buttons and feather decorations to wedding dresses, all handcrafted. Since these are small-batch, purely handmade creations, they are naturally expensive and typically classified as luxury items.
For example, a custom wedding dress might require months of work from numerous skilled artisans across different ateliers, from design to completion. Hence, it's not surprising for the most exquisite wedding dresses to cost hundreds of thousands to even millions of dollars.
Over the past few years, Sophia has focused heavily on expanding Gucci by acquiring various traditional European ateliers to enhance the brand's prestige.
With the establishment of Fashion TV, it's essential not to create programs in isolation in a conference room but to seek diverse creative ideas from the broader fashion television community, much like fashion magazines do with article commissions.
During this process, Jerry Hall proposed a program idea that involves visiting and exploring various artisanal workshops.
The fashion industry is brimming with ateliers under luxury brands, some with centuries-old heritage, producing detailed items like buttons, feathers, hats, and shoes. These workshops are steeped in rich cultural history, making them highly worthy of exploration. Therefore, Jerry Hall's idea quickly gained approval from the Fashion TV production team, and they commissioned a first season consisting of 13 episodes. Jerry Hall would also serve as the producer and host.
In the original timeline, Jerry Hall was primarily known for two things: being the wife of Mick Jagger, lead singer of The Rolling Stones, and later, the wife of media mogul Rupert Murdoch.
These two associations alone were enough to establish her as an impressive woman in many people's eyes.
Indeed, it takes a formidable woman to marry Mick Jagger, a notorious playboy, and later engage in a high-profile relationship with Rupert Murdoch.
An intelligent and formidable woman like Hall is far from being just a pretty face beside powerful men.
At 36 years old, the former supermodel's runway career was essentially over. Successfully transitioning to behind-the-scenes work with Fashion TV, leveraging the opportunity of its launch by Daenerys Entertainment, further demonstrated her capability.
As for "Fashion Workshop," both the Fashion TV team and Simon himself were very optimistic about it.
If executed well, this series of documentaries on fashion ateliers could become a flagship program for Fashion TV, potentially running for years and achieving classic status. When Fashion TV expands globally, this series would be suitable for any regional network.
Additionally, showcasing fashion ateliers helps the audience understand the value and craftsmanship behind luxury brands, serving as an effective promotional tool.
After chatting for a while, knowing that Simon had other people to mingle with, Jerry Hall excused herself.
However, as she left, she didn't miss the chance to throw a playful wink at Simon, signaling him to call her privately later.
Janet seemed oblivious to this, holding Simon's arm and commenting, "She's really tall, even taller than you."
With high heels, Jerry Hall's height reaches about 6'3" (190 cm), making her appear taller than Simon. Such stature can indeed be intimidating for most men and women. Despite being 36, her exceptional physique still exudes an irresistible charm, often stirring a man's desire to conquer.
The couple continued mingling for another half hour until Janet began to show signs of fatigue, prompting Simon to leave the party early with her.
Back at their Fifth Avenue apartment, Janet leaned her head on Simon's shoulder in the elevator, closing her eyes. Simon, concerned, held her closer and checked her forehead for any sign of fever. "Not feeling well?" he asked.
Janet wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled into him, rubbing her cheek against his chin. "Just a lot going on lately."
It's not just Cersei Capital; Janet's responsibilities now extend across all of Daenerys Entertainment.
Especially at the start of the year, when various Westeros system companies are compiling their annual financial reports, she spends her days reviewing numerous financial documents to ensure accuracy, on top of managing their private life, making her days exceptionally busy and somewhat at odds with her normally laid-back nature.
Simon gently kissed her lips as the elevator doors opened. He then carried her princess-style into the apartment, saying, "You don't have to do it if you don't want to. You're much better at delegating these things than I am."
Janet, now cradled in Simon's arms, kicked off her heels and softly swung her bare feet, "It's not that. Maybe I'm just a bit tired lately."
Allison, their assistant, opened the door. Simon walked into the living room and intended to place Janet on the sofa, but she clung to his neck, so he sat down with her on his lap instead. "You should get a check-up," he suggested.
"I don't like hospitals."
"Then we'll have a doctor come to the house," Simon said, looking up at another assistant, B. "B, arrange for a doctor to come over tomorrow to check on Janet."
"Ugh, never mind. I'd rather go to the hospital. Our hospital in L.A."
Janet preferred the hospital over having a doctor come to their home.
Simon knew Janet's aversion to hospitals and doctors stemmed from deep-rooted anxieties dating back to a very early age.
Their private hospital in Los Angeles, initially set up when Janet was pregnant with Melbourne, was now almost complete, staffed with around twenty top-notch specialists and only serving the upper echelons of the Westeros system.
Simon scrutinized Janet's slightly flushed face from the alcohol she had consumed earlier. Seeing her playful expression, he didn't press further.
After witnessing Steve Ross's struggle with cancer, Simon became highly vigilant about his and his loved ones' health. They underwent comprehensive check-ups every six months. Their last check-up was in early January, and Janet's health was excellent. It seemed improbable that any issues had arisen in just a month.
After overseeing Fashion TV's launch on Monday and staying in New York for another day, Simon planned to fly to Europe on February 10, Wednesday, for the Berlin Film Festival opening ceremony on February 11.
Following the reunification of East and West Germany, the shifting international political landscape and the end of the Cold War, Germany began focusing more on cultural development.
In recent years, the Berlin Film Festival has become increasingly significant to the German government as a cultural project.
Simon's attendance at the 43rd Berlin Film Festival's opening ceremony was the result of multiple invitations.
While he had attended Cannes and Venice multiple times, Simon had never appeared at the Berlin Film Festival. Considering his necessary European trip to handle the Westeros Group's business affairs at the beginning of the year, Simon agreed to attend this time.
Although the Berlin Film Festival historically has shown less enthusiasm for Hollywood films in terms of awards, Hollywood movies are a major component of the festival's lineup each year.
In recent years, notable Hollywood films such as "Dances with Wolves," "Moonstruck," "Born on the Fourth of July," and "Driving Miss Daisy" have all been featured in the Berlin Film Festival's main competition.
Currently, the Berlin Film Festival is still eager to attract content and doesn't limit entries to previously unreleased films.
This year's main competition includes a strong contingent from Hollywood, with six out of 26 films hailing from the US: Ang Lee's "The Wedding Banquet," Michelle Pfeiffer's "Love Field," last year's "Toys" starring Robin Williams, Spike Lee's "Malcolm X," Jack Nicholson's crime drama "Hoffa," and Johnny Depp's "Arizona Dream."
Among these six, "The Wedding Banquet" is produced by Gaomen Pictures.
Following the success of Jackie Chan's "Twin Dragons," Daenerys Entertainment has increasingly invested in Mandarin-language films over the past two years. "The Wedding Banquet" was personally recommended by Kathryn Bigelow to Simon.
Because of her time studying at Columbia University's film program, Kathryn has maintained close ties with New York's film scene. Given her well-known relationship with Simon and Daenerys Entertainment's support for independent and artistic films, many filmmakers seek to pitch their scripts to Simon through her.
As Simon never hesitated to approve investments, very few scripts actually made it to him through Kathryn. "The Wedding Banquet" was one of those rare few.
Even though it came through Kathryn, "The Wedding Banquet" had a modest budget of only $1 million.
Additionally, Gaomen Pictures signed a three-film deal with Ang Lee.
This agreement was specifically instructed by Simon.
Lee is one of the few Asian directors who successfully broke into Hollywood and achieved success. Given the opportunity, Simon didn't want to miss out.
On the afternoon of February 10, after departing from
New York and flying for over seven hours, Simon arrived in Berlin on the morning of February 11.
The opening ceremony red carpet began at 5 PM. Simon headed to his Berlin residence first.
For many, Berlin often doesn't stand out as much as cities like London or Paris. Even when ranked among major European cities, Berlin tends to blend in without grabbing much attention, reflecting Germany's overall subtlety.
After World War II, even during the Cold War, Germany maintained a low profile on the international stage. Silently growing under the influence or control of Eastern and Western powers, Germany evolved into the third-largest economy after the USA and Japan.
When Simon initially started purchasing properties in Europe, East and West Germany were still separate, so he didn't buy any property in Berlin.
In recent years, Simon's wealth has grown significantly, allowing him to realize his idea of owning properties in major cities worldwide. Berlin naturally made the list.
Compared to a country estate outside Paris, a mansion in Kensington, or a hillside villa in Cannes, Simon's Berlin residence is relatively "ordinary." It's a five-story, pure white European-style apartment building located in the heart of Berlin. The building backs onto the Spree River, which runs through the city, and is less than two kilometers from landmarks like the German Chancellery and Brandenburg Gate.
Moreover, this building is part of a closed community formed by a series of similarly styled buildings, creating a U-shape with walls on one side. This layout offers scenic views of Berlin's cityscape from windows facing the Spree River while ensuring the privacy of its residents. This privacy was a key reason Simon decided to purchase the entire five-story building.
Considering the location alone, the property's original price wasn't low. To buy the entire building and renovate over 60 rooms, the total cost reached $25 million. The renovation took all of last year.
In the early 90s, a $25 million mansion was akin to a multimillion-dollar property in later years.
Few, if any, wealthy individuals would invest $25 million in cash for a property they might only use once or twice a year. For Simon, all the money invested was in actual cash.
Not many top billionaires with net worths in the tens of billions could easily come up with $25 million in cash just for a residence.
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