Fine Writing - Stylus Magazine

Left: Danny Simmons (Russell’s brother and Rush cofounder), Marion Davidson (senior VP marketing, Montblanc North America),
Jason Binn (publisher of Gotham/Hamptons magazines) and Rush Kids
Right: This year’s North American Arts Patronage Award winner, Russell Simmons, hip-hop impresario and founder of the Rush
Philanthropic Arts Foundation
56 oCToBeR/NoveMBeR 2003 s t y lu s
b
Actor Alan
Cumming chats
with a Rush Kid
From right,
Russell Simmons,
Marion Davidson,
Judith Jamison
(head choreographer
for the Alvin
Ailey American
Dance Theater
and a 2003
Montblanc
Arts Patronage
Award Juror) and
Rush Kids
.
tures nine precious metal rings
encircling the dark barrel, and the
signature star on the cap crown
is mother-of-pearl. The Nicolaus
Copernicus Limited-edition 888
series features white gold embellishments
rather than the sterling
silver found on its counterpart,
and each concentric ring is
adorned with a gemstone.
Heinrichsdorff acknowledges
the role pens play in the ever-
expanding array of products offered
by Montblanc. “Pens will
continue to be the heartbeat of
Montblanc. our soul is in writing.”
He further states that while
pens may be used primarily to
communicate the written word,
they are mistakenly thought of
only as implements of that ilk.
Pens are “power tools, and the
Montblanc 149 is exactly that,”
he says. Witness the number of
snow-white stars peaking out of
breast pockets and purses at any
gathering of sophisticates. Yet the
full and diverse range of Mont-
blanc products, from fragrance
to watches to pens carry the same
“DNA,” says Heinrichsdorff. “All
of our products are a pleasure to
use, and our customers feel familiar
with them immediately.
They reflect their personality,” he
says. “That’s the reason they want
Montblanc.”
Montblanc “air” is becoming
rarer with each passing year. Women’s
Wear Daily recently ranked it
ninth in a list of fifteen “stores de
force,” trailing Cartier, Louis vuitton
and Polo Ralph Lauren and
ahead of such fashion brands as
Gucci, Prada and Bulgari. No longer
simply a pen brand, one can
only speculate about what products
may be in the future. But it
is the pen upon which the company
was founded so many years
ago, and, it seems, pens continue
to serve as both ballast and inspiration
for the boundless journey
ahead. ✍