This cool, light and airy style is and underlying component of Façonnable’s 2012 range of rugby shirts. These elegant rugby shirts have been crafted with painstaking attention to detail, sporting our signature colourful flags and graphic lettering, creating an identifiable Façonnable look.

After making its debut onto the Olympic programme in 1900 at the Paris Olympic Games, rugby union was played in every Olympics until 1924. Shortly after the 1924 Games, which were also held in Paris, the International Olympic Committee dropped rugby union from the Olympic programme.

Whilst rugby union was absent from this year’s London Olympics, rugby fans can rejoice somewhat as wheelchair rugby is being played at the 2012 Paralympic Games.

From 5 – 9 September, eight highly motivated teams will battle it out for gold in what promises to be a thrilling tournament.

Wheelchair rugby was invented in 1977 by several quadriplegic athletes from Canada, who were seeking an alternative to wheelchair basketball.

Rugby fans will also be pleased to learn that rugby, along with golf which has also not been played in the Olympics since 1924, have been approved by the International Olympic Committee and are to make a comeback in the 2016 Olympic Games.

Façonnable’s collection of rugby shirts – Rugby Union and the Olympics is a post from: Façonnable Blog

With the Euro football championships being held in Poland and the Olympic Games taking place in London, being the hosts to two of the world’s biggest sporting events, all eyes have been on Europe during summer 2012.

With such a vibrant and important sports scene taking place this summer in Europe, Façonnable’s summer sports collection has certainly excelled itself in the desirability stakes.

One particularly stylish and popular item of the Façonnable summer sports collection is its stretch cotton polo shirt. Combining a muscular athleticism with a classic ‘public school boy’ look, this classic polo shirt reveals a subtle glimmer of Façonnable’s French heritage with an French flag emblem and red and blue thin stripes on the sleeves and collar, set against dazzling white.

This breathable, comfortable and highly stylish polo shirt is proving to be popular amongst polo players and haute couture fashion enthusiasts alike –

But why was only water polo and not ‘conventional’ polo played in the 2012 Olympics?

Whereas water polo is one of the longest running team Olympic sports, having been played in every Olympics since 1900, ‘conventional’ polo is not an Olympic sport.

Polo was in actual fact an Olympic sport up from 1900 until 1936, when for reasons only known to the Olympic Committee of the era it was abandoned from the Olympic programme.

When Team USA first donned its 2012 Olympic uniform, featuring some decidedly ‘un-American’ accents, including a crowned heraldic lion on the buttons and neck ties and a French-inspired blue berets, and a “Polo Pony” logo, the uniform was widely criticised with mocking shouts that ‘Polo isn’t even an Olympic event!’

As polo enthusiasts across the world cry for the game to be reinstated as an Olympic sport, perhaps the designers of Team USA’s 2012 Olympic uniform should have been more influenced by Façonnable’s summer sports collection.

Façonnable’s Summer Sports Collection Stretch Cotton Polo Shirts – Why was only water polo and not ‘conventional’ polo being played in the 2012 Olympics? is a post from: Façonnable Blog

Whilst the British aristocracy were the first to sought solitude and pleasure by holidaying on the Cote d’Azur in the first half of the 19^th century, the penchant to travel to this glamorous stretch of French coastline was quickly followed by Russians, a habit that was predominantly popularised by Tsar Alexander II, Emperor of the Russian Empire until he was assassinated in 1881, who reached Nice by train in 1864 – Henceforth the seemingly inexorable love-affair between Russia and the Cote d’Azur was born.

In fact Tsar Alexander II fell so head over heels in love with the Cote d’Azur and Nice that the Russian Tsar funded the construction work for the St Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral in Nice.

This unusual looking cathedral, comprising of several proud onion domes, which even today is still the largest Orthodox cathedral in Western Europe, was opened in 1912. The church was intended to serve as a place of worship for the increasingly growing Russian community that had settled in the city of Nice towards the end of the 19^th century.

In 2005 a six-year legal dispute about who owned the Russian Orthodox Cathedral began between the Russian federal government and the French authorities.

In 2011 it was announced that a decision had been made to turn the cathedral over to the Moscow Patriarchate. Although the battle of who rightly owns this iconic building in Nice is not entirely over as an appeal is ongoing before the highest civil court in France to overturn the decision for the Russian state to own the cathedral.

St Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral, Nice – Proof of Russia’s unremitting love-affair with the Cote d’Azur is a post from: Façonnable Blog

In fact gardens are big business on the French Riviera and, similar to a house itself, are a symbol of taste, prosperity and wealth. Although it’s not just the many private gardens brimming with colour, exoticness, fertility and grandeur that line this exclusive region of southern France from east to west, as the Cote d’zur is also home to many stunningly beautiful public gardens of which a visit is a must.

Take a look at three of the most sensational public gardens on the Cote d’Azur.

The Parc Floral Phoenix

Being situated opposite Nice International Airport, there could not be a more tranquil, relaxing and picturesque place to unwind after a flight and begin your holiday on the Cote d’Azur.

With duck ponds, an aviary with a ‘musical’ fountain, many picnic tables positioned under the shade of a tree’s boughs, and an exhibition centre that is home to seven different climate zones and an exotic aquarium, the Parc Floral Phoenix provides a fantastic family day out

Le Jardin Exotique de Monaco

For those yearning to experience a truly exotic garden on the Cote d’Azur then look no further than the Jardin Exotique de Monaco.

Opened in 1933 this spectacular garden is home to thousands of species of plants, many of which are cactuses. The garden also comprises of a large natural underground cave with a plethora of tunnels and caverns displaying impressive columns and draperies.

This breathtakingly beautiful exotic garden never fails to spellbind and inspire its visitors to put on the gardening gloves when they return home! 

Chateau de Gourdon

This grand and stately castle perched mightily on top of a hill overlooking spectacular scenery is much more than just a castle. Being surrounded by extensive gardens of sheer beauty and magnitude, visitors often spend hours just meandering around Chateau de Gourdon’s grounds taking in many of the pastoral treasures and delights.

The gardens of Chateau de Gourdon are open for guided group excursions from April until October.

Three of the Cote d’Azur’s most sensational public gardens is a post from: Façonnable Blog

Several prominent annual golf tournaments are also taking place at various spots along this exquisite stretch of coastline each year, it is safe to say that if you are a fan of golf and polo than the Cote d’Azur will do more than quench any aspirations for an annual golf or polo fix.

Although satiating both polo and golf yearnings at once is the France India Business Cup, which takes place at the Gassin Golf & Country Club and the Polo Club of Saint Tropez.

This prominent annual event is now in its fourth year and is being held on 17^th and 18^th October, 2012.

Players at the 4^th France India Business Cup have to be of either French or Indian nationality and a CEO,VP,manager or director of a French or Indian company.

Both players and non-playing guests are invited to welcome cocktails at the ultra-glamorous Villa Belrose that overlooks the Bay of St. Tropez. Cocktails are then followed by drinks at the Pan Dei Palais, a boutique hotel, where guests ‘slip into the luxury of an Indian princess’.

The following day commences with breakfast at the Gassin Golf and Country Club followed by a morning of golf competitions.

Players and guests will then be wined and dined at the exclusive Polo Club of Saint Tropez. The remainder of the day will be dedicated to various polo competitions, including the highly anticipated “France India Business Cup”.

Prizes will be awarded at the Polo Club Saint Tropez followed by a cocktail reception at the private residence of the prominent French author Henri Prevostallard.

4th France India Business Cup – A supreme fusion of polo and golf is a post from: Façonnable Blog

It is however in the late summer/early autumn when more than 300 of the most desirable sailing yachts from around the globe ascend on Saint Tropez, when one of the most glamorous town’s in the world opens its doors to a week of yachting rapture.

We are of course referring to Les Voiles de St. Tropez Regatta, a week-long event that marks the end of St. Tropez’s summer season in typical St. Tropez style of creating a sensational celebratory atmosphere.

Guy Ernest Debord, a French Marxist, theorist, writer and filmmaker, famously said in ‘The Society of the Spectacle’:

“The spectacle is not a collection of images, but a social relation among people, mediated by images.”

Debord’s poignant description of what constitutes a spectacle can be applied to Les Voiles de St. Tropez Regatta, which never fails to fill the entire St. Tropez port with sailing enthusiasts seemingly from every inch of the globe, seeking social acquaintances and meeting with other like-minded yacht lovers but at the same time being mediated by the images, gawking at the sheer splendour of these marvellous vessels.

Throughout the seven days of sailing rapture several classes of races take place, including the Modern, Traditional, “Espirit de Tradition”, and Wally and 12 Meter America’s Cup Yachts.

Held towards the event of the week, on the Thursday, is La Grande Classe Trophy, which could be described as being the ‘piste de resistance’ of the St. Tropez Regatta. This invitation-only event was launched in 2004 and unites the most distinguished and beautiful of the classic yachts present at this extremely high-profile sailing event.

To experience this phenomenal yachting rendezvous and sailing event, which is now in its 26^th year, and be involved in a ‘social relation among people, mediated by images’, this year’s  Les Voiles de St. Tropez Regatta will be taking place from Monday 1 October until Sunday 7 October.

Les Voiles de St. Tropez Regatta 2012 – A sailing event in a class of its own is a post from: Façonnable Blog

Perched in the fresh air on the hills between Nice and Antibes, the flower-lined town of Vence has also been cited as being a ‘City of Art’.

Bursting with sweet-smelling orange trees, aromatic flowers and olive trees in all directions and with a walled old town that is a sphere of medieval buildings with five ancient gateways known as “portes”, that looks virtually the same now as it did hundreds of years ago, it is not difficult to engage why Vence has attracted artists, writers and poets for centuries.

In the 12th century, Pierre Vidal, a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry  referred to Vence as “Le doux repaire” – “The sweet nest”. In the 13^th century, Italian poet and moral philosopher, Dante Alighieri, included the Lord of Vence, Romeo de Villenueve in his Paradise. Matisse, Soutine, Dubuffet and Dufy all spent time in Vence, working on artistic creations during some point of their careers.

The English novelist, poet, painter and playwright, D.H. Lawrence, spent the last days of his life on the Cote d’Azur in the town of Vence and died here in 1930. The legendary writer was actually buried in Vence for a short while, before his body was exhumed and taken to New Mexico.

The 16^th century the French medical professional and writer, Michel de Nostredame, described Vence as being a “Garden of Vence, marvel of Provence”.

Having lured and attracted some of the greatest thinkers, writers and artists throughout the last five centuries, and being a town that today is still a hub for painters, sculptors and writers from around the world, it is only natural that Vence is brimming with art galleries, is decorated with quirky and unusual sculptures and is home to regular art exhibitions all year round.

Vence – A true ‘City of Art’ is a post from: Façonnable Blog

Being the ‘art capital of Spain’, Barcelona also rightly houses a ‘Museu Picasso’ that is home to one of the most extensive collections of artworks by the 20^th century Spanish painter and reveals the artist’s relationship with the Catalan capital, which was shaped by adolescence and youth.

Being the ‘art capital of France’ is it equally as justifiable why Paris boasts the ‘Musee National Picasso Paris’, which has been labelled as being ‘one of the world’s finest museums consecrated to the work and life of Cubist artist Pablo Picasso.’

There is another Picasso Museum situated in the less major but utterly exquisite town of Antibes on the Cote D’Azur, proof of just how much the French Riviera meant to the painter and vice-versa.

Picasso and the Cote d’Azur have enjoyed a reciprocal fascination ever since the famous Spanish painter moved to Vallauris in 1947. Almost 40 years following Picasso’s death, exhibitions in celebration and honour of the artist are held regularly in the place that Picasso fondly admitted, inspired him to most.

Located in the Grimaldi Chateau, the Picasso Museum Antibes opened in 1966 and houses an impressive collection of Picasso’s works from the 20^th century, including much of what the artist donated to Antibes in the 1940s as a means of saying thank you to Antibes for enabling him to be so artistically inspired.

Since it was opened this fascinating Picasso museum has been extended and modified and is now home to the works of other major artists, including Miro, De Stael, Cesar, Dezeuze and Atlan

Picasso fans travelling to the Cote d’Azur can enjoy visiting this leading Picasso museum, which has undergone a number of renovations over the years.

If you are visiting Cannes this summer why not take a look at the latest Picasso exhibition to be taking place on the Cote d’Azur, the ‘Les Chemins du Sud’, which is being held until September 30, 2012, at the Centre d’Art La Mal Maison in Cannes.

This unique exhibition is featuring some of Picasso’s most celebrated works from the painter’s post Blue period that are normally housed in the Musee National Picasso in Paris.

Picasso and the Cote d’Azur – A reciprocated attraction as seen through the Picasso Museum, Antibes is a post from: Façonnable Blog

With its romantic sunsets setting upon the Mediterranean gently bobbing multi-million pounds yachts in the many world-class marines, with first-rate restaurants providing truly exquisite cuisine in the most amorous of settings, and kilometre after kilometre of delicately soft sand, inviting couples to sink in to and spend the day relaxing, yes it’s safe to announce that the Cote d’Azur is a honeymooner’s paradise.

Whilst there is plenty of first-rate accommodation for newly weds to stay in on the Cote d’Azur, one place stands out particularly in providing the bride and groom with the luxury, passion and exclusivity they are yearning on their honeymoon.

Located perfectly between two of the Cote d’Azur’s most glamorous and exclusive cities Cannes and Monaco, is the Michelin star luxury hotel known as Le Mas Candille, five-star accommodation that is a favourite retreat of many a celebrity.

Being a member of the Relais and Chateaux group, a collection of some of the best restaurants and hotels throughout the world, creating world-class cuisine from some of the most highly-acclaimed and sought-after chefs, one would expect the food, service and ambience of Le Mas Candille is nothing short of perfection.

Le Mas Candille’s design was inspired by Jean-Honore Fragonard, a French 18^th century painters, who was one of the most prolific artists of the Ancien Regime, an aristocratic, political and social system established in the 15^th century. Fragonard’s paintings were said to convey an atmosphere of ‘intimacy’ and ‘unveiled eroticism’, being distinguished be a remarkable, ‘facility, exuberance and hedonism’.

It is within these realms that you can begin to draw a better picture of Le Mas Candille, with its ceilings dedicated to the Jean-Honore Fragonard-inspired ‘nuances of the sky’.

If perfection and artistic-inspiration is what you desire on your honeymoon, then you are certainly looking in the right place. With its ten acres of stunning gardens and grounds, its award winning restaurant and its luxury spa, spending your first few days as a married couple at this luxury hotel, will go a long way in setting you in great stead to having the perfect marriage!

Honeymoon in style on the Cote d’Azur! is a post from: Façonnable Blog

If we’ve managed to persuade you do exchange your bikini and towel for the hiking boots and helmet and head to the Cote d’Azur’s most tranquil, beautiful and natural of regions, then you may want to take a look at three great ‘white knuckle’ activities available in the Cote d’Azur ‘quieter side’, which certainly aren’t for the faint hearted.

Potholing

Being lowered into a deep hole amongst the cliffs may not be everybody’s vision of what constitutes a relaxing break on the Cote d’Azur, but for those who dare, potholing in the French Riviera Mountains would be a truly exhilarating and unforgettable experience.

This underground adventure playground, made from mud, water and rock is there to be explored.

Via Ferrata                               

Now here’s one that will make you hold your breath! For those wanting a real adventure in the mountainous regions of the Cote d’Azur you may feel compelled to try our Via Ferrata. Walking across man-made rungs, footbridges and ramps across some breathtaking circuits.

As your quest to experience the Cote d’Azur from an entirely different prospective is accompanied with professionals, this activity is completely safe, but nonetheless is not for the faint hearted! 

Rock climbing and mountaineering

Reaching the top of some tremendously elevated peaks in the Cote d’Azur’s mountainous backdrop and witnessing the panoramic beauty of this stunning region of the south of France, would have to be one of the most invigorating experiences known to man.

If you’re bold enough, just sign up with one of the many mountaineering and rock climbing organisations on the Cote d’Azur, where you will be in very safe hands!

Not for the faint hearted! – Three ‘white knuckle’ activities in the Cote d’Azur mountains is a post from: Façonnable Blog