<strong>Franck</strong> <strong>Muller</strong> Long Island Crazy Hours Tourbillon Immediately, I recognized many friends. <strong>The</strong> first person I saw was Marcus Margulies, who was my distributor in London and someone I love. He presented me to many <strong>of</strong> his friends and I immediately felt at home amid so much warmth and kindness.” Unfortunately, <strong>Muller</strong>’s reverie would not last long. He exclaims, “Suddenly, I was pulled out <strong>of</strong> this state <strong>of</strong> comfort by the hotel director. He explained that the Royal Palm was an icon and that its restaurant was the most prestigious dining establishment and had strict rules. One <strong>of</strong> these rules is that at dinner, black tie is strictly required for the men. I didn’t know what to do. I had not packed a tuxedo as this was a beach vacation. I went upstairs to my room and I found a black jacket. But I didn’t have a black bow-tie.” Ever the creative genius, <strong>Muller</strong> soon hatched an audacious plan that hinged around his capacity to pass <strong>of</strong>f total absurdity with total conviction. He says, “As it happened, I looked around and saw that there was a white bathrobe and hanging from it was a cloth belt. So I quickly looped this around my neck, tied it into a bow and went back downstairs. <strong>The</strong> “Here we were in a tropical paradise and yet, we were clinging to as many rules as we could because somehow it made us feel better, more superior to others” director saw me and looked shocked. He immediately exclaimed, ‘Mr <strong>Muller</strong>, what kind <strong>of</strong> bow-tie is that?’ “I replied to him, ‘Pardon me, but do you know Gianni Versace?’ He said, ‘Well, I do not know Monsieur Versace personally, but <strong>of</strong> course I know OF him.’ “I stated emphatically, ‘Well, Gianni Versace is one <strong>of</strong> my best friends and this is his bow-tie from next year’s collection, which has not even been shown to the public yet! In three months’ time, it will be shown on the runways <strong>of</strong> Milan and Paris. It will be the biggest trend <strong>of</strong> the year, but it is a secret so you must not tell anyone.’ “He replied, ‘Of course, Monsieur <strong>Muller</strong>,’ winking conspiratorially at me. <strong>The</strong> director looked immediately appeased and brought us to our table. Inside, I was thinking that my friend Gianni would have particularly appreciated this joke, as he actually wrote an autobiography called Men Without Ties. You see, he never wore a tie and didn’t like them at all. I thought if he were here with me, he would be laughing. I was thinking how surreal this environment was. Here we were in a tropical paradise and yet, we were clinging to as many rules as we could because somehow it made us feel better, more superior to others.” But <strong>Muller</strong> pushed aside any negative thoughts in order to spend time with his family. Sadly, these thoughts would soon come flooding back. He remembers, “When we were seated, I asked for some water and the director clicked his tongue disapprovingly. He explained, ‘Monsieur <strong>Muller</strong>, here at the Royal Palm, we do not serve water, we serve only Perrier.’ “At this point, I was becoming a bit irritated. So I pointed to the wine menu and
<strong>Franck</strong> <strong>Muller</strong> Cintrée Curvex Crazy Hours