Essential Madeira Islands magazine is celebrating its 20th anniversary. The first issue was published in December 2005 and, since then, it has never ceased circulation, initially on a quarterly basis and later as a bimonthly publication.
To mark two decades of highlighting Madeira’s lifestyle and quality, the bilingual publication by Open Media Atlantic has launched a special edition with more pages, more content and a special glossy cover, designed to celebrate not only the anniversary but also the festive Christmas and New Year season.
Cover production was led by Antonela Carsta of 4Affection Agency, with photography by Roberto Ribeiro, who has been shooting Essential Madeira covers since 2007. Model Yana Shcherbyna, represented by Best Models, wore a dress by Madeiran fashion designer André Pereira. Hair and make-up were once again by Cláudia Sousa.
When designing the cover, the aim of the Essential editorial team was to recreate a festive atmosphere, possibly overlooking the Funchal amphitheatre, always set at night, evoking the glamour associated with New Year’s Eve celebrations. The chosen location for the photoshoot was Desarma restaurant, which holds a Michelin star, at The Views Baía hotel, offering one of the finest views over the city.
The shoot took place at dusk, allowing the editor to choose between cover options with daylight and others fully at night. Once the photos were taken, the choice proved difficult, but a night-time image ultimately prevailed, featuring deliberate motion blur to convey dynamism and movement.
As this is a special edition, we are reproducing here the other cover options that were considered for this commemorative issue of Essential.
Beyond the cover, this is an edition rich in content. We celebrate Christmas on several fronts and also highlight one of Madeira’s most iconic products: wine. How to recommend a Madeira wine was the challenge we set to the three sommeliers from the island’s Michelin-starred restaurants. We also introduce a bar in Japan that serves as a true embassy for Madeira wines.
We further suggest a range of leisure activities, including two very special museums: the renowned Electricity Museum and the new museum centre at Forte de São Filipe. The former tells the story of electricity in Madeira, while the latter was built on the ruins of an old fortress and invites visitors on a journey back to the origins of the city of Funchal.
In these pages, we also invite readers to discover Madeira’s north coast, starting from Aqua Natura Bay, a hotel built overlooking the iconic natural pools of Porto Moniz. We also explore the growing demand for Madeira among foreigners, many of them famous, who choose to buy homes here. We set out to find out why.
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