GOOD LIFE Alice B-B gets to know her body better with NEKO, democratising preventative health
RURBANIST Radio presenter Lauren Laverne
WORD Michael Hayman meets one-time
candidate Natalie Campbell
A match made in style
hit the
DREAMING Kim Parker dives into Lugano, a brand where jewellery and philanthropy go hand in hand
MEN’S STYLE SPECIAL
Dial up your watches, gentlemen, Shane C. Kurup brings you pages and pages of style and substance; from an examination of the Tech Bro aesthetic and the season’s most shapely timepieces, to the fuss around Korean skincare and the evolution of the suit
HEALTH & WELLBEING
COULEUR Chanel’s spring collection
SCENTS Lucia Ferrari on how to build a fragrance wardrobe
SCOOP Turning up the heat
& SOUL How asking the right questions can help you feel more in control
LANGUAGE New-season power products
TO THE FUTURE Tricks for youthful skin
THE NUTRITIONIST Our new column by Zoe’s Dr Frederica Amati. First in focus: co ee
CULTURE
POOL Into the blue at the Design Museum
CALENDAR Spring’s must-sees
Belinda Bamber meets David Szalay
STUDIO Sculptor Robyn Neild
EXHIBITIONIST All hail Bradford, the UK’s City of Culture 2025, says Ed Vaizey
GREEN LANE A rst spin in a Porsche 911 ‘electri ed’ model
CARFES BAR Charlotte Metcalf meets Yusra Mardini, the Syrian swimmer using her voice for good
GOOD NEWS
AWAY Feel-good stories
SOLUTIONISTS Stylish sustainable homes
THE CONSERVATIONIST Can ChatGPT save the world, asks James Wallace
LITTLE GREEN BOOK As CEO of Bags of Ethics, Smruti Sriram is a sustainable fashion trailblazer, says Lisa Grainger
PHOTO: DAVID REISS; STYLING NICOLE SMALLWOOD
Contents
FEATURES
106 LAWLESS Ra erty Law is a chip o the old block, and more, discovers Felicity Carter
114 COMIC TIMING Katherine Ryan is letting audiences into her bedroom in her new TV show
117 SEW BE IT Pinky Laing conceived Remnant Revolution to address both a climate and community crisis, says Sarah Langford
120 SLAY WITH WORDS e ever lyrical George the Poet is training his lens on the climate crisis, says Lucinda Baring
ON DESIGN
123 Should you put carpet in a bathroom? Is the kitchen island dead? In our dedicated design special, Carole Annett o ers smart home solutions
TRAVEL
141 DELTA DAWN Nothing compares to a safari in Botswana, a most thrilling immersion into the wild, says Lucy Cleland
144 OVER THE MOON Jemima Sissons on the new wave honeymoons worth saying yes for
148 BERLIN STORIES Don McCullin made his name as a war photographer here. He returns with his wife, the journalist Catherine Fairweather
150 THE ESCAPIST Travel news
154 SPRING AND THE CITY Don’t overlook a stay as superlative as the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London – just because it’s on your doorstep
157 READY, OFFSET, GO? Carbon o setting is no silver bullet for guilt-free ying
158 COMPORTA COOL A local’s guide to Portugal’s best beach spot
160 AT HOME IN THE ANDES Harriet Compston meets the Ecuadorian communities opening their doors to travellers
162 THE WILDIST Fee Drummond ’s learnings from the Arabian desert
FOOD & DRINK
165 FOR CATE’S SAK É Raising a glass (of saké) with Cate Blanchett
168 SUPPER CLUB Aubergine and sardine stew
OF
REGULARS
Iup the internal light. And if you’re reading this, it means you aren’t on your phone either – so that makes me very happy too. What do we have for you this issue? As ever, a smorgasboard of nourishing treats, starting with the cover star for our men’s style special: Ra erty Law certainly couldn’t be mistaken for anyone other than his handsome and talented father’s son. And just as Jude found fame in lm, so too is Ra erty exploring what it is to be an actor, as well as producing and writing. A chip o the old block indeed, as Felicity Carter found out on page 106. Finding your own style is part of what it is to grow into yourself, but it’s always good to have a sartorial guiding hand to help. Shane C. Kurup, our new men’s style editor, has been charged to do just that, with his brilliant style special, starting on page 45. Before reading it, I thought I wasn’t that interested in the evolution of the suit, but I’ll admit he’s got me intrigued (p52); and as for Chris Cotonou’s column on the ‘tech bro’ aesthetic, well, don’t miss it (p51).
And while we leave men to sort their wardrobes, Lucia Ferrari helps us organise our perfumes. It’s no good just having one signature smell, she argues, we should have a scent for all seasons. Who knew (p65)?
Editor’s LETTER
nearly came a cropper twice today; once on a step in the Barbican; secondly, when I almost walked down on the up escalator. Why? Because I was on my ruddy phone, multitasking by working and walking. Or so I thought. Instead, the reality was that I wasn’t looking and therefore wasn’t seeing. A little metaphor for life, I was walking blind through the only thing that really matters: the here and now. So, just as spring is shaking o its winter torpor and ooding more light into our lives, so I’m determined to shake o my digital straitjacket and turn
We welcome too Dr Frederica Amati as a new columnist. Best known as ZOE’s Head Nutritionist, Dr Amati is bringing her very extensive know-how to C&TH – dispelling myths and helping guide us through an area of life that is so critical to our health and wellbeing, yet so easily made di cult and confusing. And when you hear that as much money is spent on diabetes in the UK as on the whole of the justice system each year, you think we’d manage our food a little better. She kicks o with co ee on page 78. And if you’re not feeling well, then laughter (not pills) could be just the tonic. Katherine Ryan is the no-holds-barred Canadian comedian who’s unafraid to tackle any taboo subject – even having sex therapy with her husband on TV. Rather her than me. Read Graeme Green’s interview on page 114.
So put down the phone and dive into these pages that aim to provoke, pique interest, inform, inspire, entertain and connect. Just what the doctor ordered.
CONTRIBUTORS
CHRIS COTONOU
This spring, I will be jumping through hoops to get my Greek passport and hiking the Himalayas. The best thing about living in Somerset is the pitch-black night skies and murmurations of the starlings over the Levels. Right now, I am reading Passage to Juneau by Jonathan Raban. What starts as a mission to explore the meaning of the sea in a solo journey from Seattle to the Alaskan Panhandle ends up as an exploration of the unfathomable complexities of the human heart. My greatest discovery in the last year has been that, in my own ‘third act’, I am no longer intimidated by the idea of achieving a handstand, podcasting with my former teenage hero Bill Wyman or visiting the gynaecologist for a check up. It has taken many years to get here.
This spring, I will be complaining about train delays. They’ve become such a peeve, I’m thinking of running for local mayor. I’ll also be covering the film festival in Cannes and writing a new book. The best thing about living in Kent is snatching a sunny day to explore one of the many secluded country pub, especially The Bricklayers Arms in Chipstead. Right now, I am reading William Dalrymple’s City of Djinns ahead of a trip to India. I love 90s travel books and their analogue approach to uncovering a place of obsessions.
World’s greatest ever designer? Issey Miyake, Ralph Lauren, Azzedine Alaia. After watching The Brutalist and interviewing director Brady Corbet, also now Marcel Breuer. My friends would say I amnowhere to be found.
KIM PARKER
This spring, I will be grateful that winter is over, and that the blossoms and goslings are back in Hyde Park. The best thing about living in London is its people, green spaces, and the food. Right now, I am reading The Penguin Lessons by Tom Michell, about an English teacher who rescues a penguin from an oil spill in Uruguay. It’s a sweet little antidote to the world right now. My greatest discovery in the last year has been Haidilao Hot Pot in Piccadilly. Comfort food at its absolute finest (and potentially spiciest).
World’s greatest ever designer? The Cartier Brothers, Jean Schlumberger, Elsa Peretti, Chanel, Dior, Yves Saint Laurent… They all had exceptional vision, which means their legacies have endured.
My friends would say I talk about horses far too much.
DR FEDERICA AMATI
This spring, I will be celebrating another year around the sun. The best thing about living in London is amazing restaurants, access to beautiful art and theatre, a growing health and wellness scene, and gorgeous parks and woods. Right now, I am reading Open When… by clinical psychologist Dr Julie Smith. It is brilliant. My greatest discoveryin the last year is scheduling time for healthy behaviours, from making time for a lunch break to strength training, reformer Pilates classes and dog walks. Making time for these little investments in my wellbeing is a priority.
World’s greatest ever designer? Tamara Ralph, whose designs are elegant, ethereal and regal; her shows are like a fairytale. And I love how Me+Em dresses the modern woman. My friends would say I am wise, fun, loyal, a chic geek.
Fashioning the Tech Bro, p51
Berlin Stories, p148
California Dreaming, p40
The Nutritionist, p78
LUCY CLELAND
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
DEPUTY EDITOR LUCINDA BARING
EDITOR-AT-LARGE ALICE B-B
ASSOCIATE EDITOR CHARLOTTE METCALF
ASSISTANT EDITOR & SUB EDITOR TESSA DUNTHORNE
SUB EDITORS KATIE BAMBER, ANDREW BRASSLEAY
FASHION DIRECTOR NICOLE SMALLWOOD
BEAUTY DIRECTOR NATHALIE ELENI
INTERIORS DIRECTOR CAROLE ANNETT
CULTURE EDITOR ED VAIZEY
EXECUTIVE RETAIL EDITOR JULIET HERD
MEN’S STYLE EDITOR SHANE C. KURUP
TRAVEL EDITOR-AT-LARGE FRANCISCA KELLETT
EDITOR-AT-WILD FEE DRUMMOND
SUSTAINABILITY EDITOR LISA GRAINGER
PROPERTY EDITOR ANNA TYZACK
MOTORING EDITOR JEREMY TAYLOR
ONLINE CONTENT DIRECTOR REBECCA COX
DEPUTY ONLINE EDITOR ELLIE SMITH
ONLINE WRITERS CHARLIE COLVILLE, OLIVIA EMILY, MARTHA DAVIES
INTERIM SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER MCKENZIE MULLANY
CREATIVE & PRODUCTION DIRECTOR PARM BHAMRA DESIGN & PRODUCTION MIA BIAGIONI
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER ELLIE RIX
HEAD OF FASHION EMMA MARSH
SENIOR ACCOUNT DIRECTOR PANDORA LEWIS
ACCOUNT DIRECTOR SERENA KNIGHT
DIGITAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR JOEY GOLDSMITH
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER JAMES THROWER MANAGING DIRECTOR JEREMY ISAAC
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS AND WRITERS
BELINDA BAMBER, STEPHEN BAYLEY, OLIVIA COLE, TIFFANIE DARKE, FIONA DUNCAN, OLIVIA FALCON, DAISY FINER, AVRIL GROOM, MICHAEL HAYMAN, CAMILLA HEWITT, LAUREN HO, EMMA LOVE, MARY LUSSIANA, CAROLINE PHILLIPS, JAMES WALLACE
THE EDITOR editorial@countryandtownhouse.co.uk FASHION fashion@countryandtownhouse.co.uk
Ideally, we’d love you to pass it on to a friend or a community place which might enjoy it (doctor or dentist surgery, community centre etc), but you can also rest assured that your issue (including cover) can be disposed of in your paper waste recycling bin.
4
The latest in a long line of successful and recognisable Chukka boots from Crockett & Jones. Made using three pieces of outer leather, Chukka boots are traditionally unlined and are often regarded as one of the most comfortable boots – especially in suede and rubber sole combination. To be named ‘Chukka’, the style must be full of character. Chukka 4 does not disappoint, produced on the new 394 last. A playful last, 394 features asymmetric fitting characteristics with a deep forepart and an excellent fitting heel for added comfort during wear. Featuring the new wedge rubber sole.
CHUKKA
The GOOD LIFE
A health check and a vet’s visit prove surprisingly positive for Alice B-B
FI NALLY, IT’S HERE. A ordable, preventative health checks on the high street thanks to NEKO Health Scan. Down a cobbled lane in Marylebone and the rst hint I’ve arrived is ‘Ahead of Your Health’ etched onto the window. Inside, it’s like stepping into a spaceship designed by David Lynch. Rooms washed in curious blue or pink or yellow with futuristic lighting. Even the slippers are a shape I’ve never seen before – somehow both rounded and angular. is place feels exciting. My name’s called and I head into the suite where a beam of light – could it teleport me to the moon? – is where I stand naked to have my moles mapped. A raft of other tests follow: bloods, high res cameras, lasers and radar to gather millions of data points. It’s damn slick. en I’m ushered to a circular room where thousands of dots rearrange themselves on a screen to create my very own avatar. Here the enthusiastic Dr Lana takes me through my results, analyses the data and together we co-create a plan for the next steps towards my health goals. Turns out my heart health is in good nick (showing four years younger than my actual age) and my cholesterol data is optimal, but my grip strength is lower than it should be. Dr Lana suggests I up the weight training. e mole mapping takes a week for results; the imagery of my 2,000 freckles and lesions need to be scrutinised by a dermatologist. But in under an hour and for £299, I emerge blinking into bustling London, with a better understanding of my strengths and weaknesses and productive ideas on how to prevent disease. Knowing your body better is no longer prohibitively expensive; NEKO is democratising preventative wellness.
P.S. I’ve just had a follow up call from Dr Lana; the dermatologist doesn’t like the look of a mole on my chest. So I’m o to see a specialist. ank you, NEKO (nekohealth.com).
T HEN TO THE VET… ere’s no cartoon-style digging in of claws or owners trying to drag pooches through the door at Bruce Fogle’s 50-year old practice in Marylebone. Enchantingly, it’s quite the opposite. My goldendoodle Betty can’t wait to race in and overzealously lick ‘Hello’ to the receptionists, stick her snout in the toy basket (ooh – a squeaky lamb, yes please), then wait her turn. Bruce Fogle (who happens to be TV adventurer Ben’s dad) is my hero. Firstly, his team saved Betty’s life (an incident that involved swallowing a small bouncy ball). Secondly, Fogle has consistently turned down o ers of big bucks to join multi-chain veterinary clinics. Instead, he remains one of the few independent vet practices left in London. As Ben Fogle says, ‘He has always believed it is animals ahead of pro t’ And it shows, in both the service and the loyal patients. Lucky Betty (londonvetclinic.co.uk). n
The RURBANIST
Radio
presenter Lauren Laverne
on the joy of music and speaking up for what you love
What’s bringing you joy at the moment? Music, which has always been a huge part of my life. Last year I had a period of illness and for a while couldn’t listen to it – it was just too much emotionally. When I found the joy in it again I knew I was getting better. Now I’m back on 6 Music every weekday 10am-1pm and discovering new music all the time. I love it more than ever. What’s annoying you most right now? at the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.
Advice you’d give to your 15-year-old self? Keep going, you’re doing great. You’re capable of more than you know. Learn to sit with your feelings. What keeps you awake at night? Waiting for my 17-year-old son to get home.
Best life hack you can share with us? If you’ve got something good to say, say it. Speak up for what you love, praise people when they deserve it, give compliments. It makes other people happy and it makes your own life better.
A moment that changed everything? Meeting my husband. We worked together on a TV show. at day it was his job to throw a bread roll at my face (don’t ask) but for budgetary reasons the roll was stale. It cut my nose and we had to lm the rest of the day in pro le, but it did mean I noticed him. Where do you go to escape? Alexandra Park. Seven acres with the most beautiful views overlooking London. Having grown up with easy access to the beach I always loved the perspective sea views give you. is is my city equivalent.
What’s the best way to put a smile on your face? Stick on some frightful oompty-boompty.
You wouldn’t know it but… My private joy is HGTV. Give me Jasmine Roth remediating someone’s DIY plumbing disaster and I’m a happy woman. What does sustainability mean to you? In my own life it’s about keeping things simple, enjoying what I already have and understanding what ‘enough’ looks like.
How can we save the world? By choosing to. When I interviewed the climate scientist Corinne Le Quéré for her episode of Desert Island Discs she told me that we already have the scienti c innovations and means, what we lack is the will to implement them.
Your greatest failure? I didn’t go to university. I was supposed to take up a place at Durham University to read Medieval Studies but signed a record deal instead. I still daydream about going back sometimes.
Your greatest triumph? My children. ey bring me more joy than I could ever have dared to imagine.
What does a life in balance mean to you? Embracing imperfection, enjoying what I can, being where my feet are.
Lauren Laverne presents on BBC Radio 6 Music and will broadcast from the 6 Music Festival in Greater Manchester, 26-29 March n
QUICK FIRE FAVOURITES...
SCENT Frederic Malle Portrait of a Lady. BOX SET Mad Men. CHOCOLATE Green & Black’s 70%. SONG Fela Kuti Let’s Start. DISH My husband’s Sunday roast. GADGET Lakeland heated airer. RESTAURANT J Sheekey. HOLIDAY Puglia with my best friend’s family.
PHOTOS: GETTY, RAY BURMISTON / BBC
Lauren Laverne loves living near Alexandra Park (below) for the perspective the views offer
COMMANDING THE SCREEN FROM THE FIRST FRAME. CHARLIZE THERON WEARS THE NAVITIMER.
BATTERSEA POWER STATION GROUND FLOOR
STYLE Double VISION
LA-based denim brand MOTHER’s new Ciao Mamma! capsule collection with Milanese label La DoubleJ speaks to women of all ages. Marrying California cool with Italian ebullience, the 30-piece collaboration features flowy dresses, skirts and shirts adorned with La DoubleJ’s whimsical 70s-inspired prints and MOTHER’s iconic denim embroidered with elaborate artwork. Exclusively at Net-a-Porter and Harrods. ladoublej.com; motherdenim.com
The STYLIST
Time to dismiss trends and dial up the joy for spring, says Tiffanie Darke
There’s a vibe shift going on in fashion, and it is calling time on trends. For the last few years Tiktok’s infernal dominance of fashion has allowed the passage of information to move faster and faster, fuelling an ever increasing trend cycle. Tomato Girl, Cottage Core, East Coast Grandma – these trends came and went in a ash, leaving just enough time for us to pour money into acquiring them, before we consigned them to the ‘irrelevant’ bin a few weeks later. Ugh. Only now, fashion has eaten itself. e trends are moving too fast for any of us to keep up, resulting in a wholesale rejection. Instead, it’s all about the vibe: less about a speci c product and more about your attitude to life. (See the Charli XCX BRAT movement, which red the starting gun on this).
For spring, the vibe shift is for joy –and couldn’t we all do with a bit of that? As a counterpoint to ‘stealth luxe’, ‘foundational essentials’ or ‘evergreen dressing’, joy signals colour, print, frivolity and femininity. I am going all in for this. Our cues? Chemena Kamali’s modern bohemian nymphs at Chloé, (those knickerbockers!) and the wildness of Phoebe Philo’s new Stephen Sprouse inspired print. Out of the price league for most of us, so also look to Hayley Menzies, a designer who loves to celebrate life, as well as A Perfect Nomad, Hill House Vintage and LoveShackFancy for unashamed frippery.
If you’re looking for eveningwear, you must check out Annie’s Ibiza. Annie is a vintage dealer who also partners with independent designers and champions craftsmanship and ecological fashion. Oh, and her dresses are unbelievably sexy (a word that may yet trigger a whole new vibe shift).
Me, I’m in the mood for a day dress. e sobriety of the last few years has begun to depress me, so pass me something that turns heads. I have long admired the sculptural shapes of Anna Mason, (shoulders and sleeves, shoulders and sleeves), and I can con rm her back catalogue is thriving on eBay. Or check out O Pioneers, whose prairie chic, patchworking and knitwear is made in London from vintage Liberty fabrics, and knitted by the designers’ mums and friends. Alternatively, of course, have a rummage through your own wardrobe. If you can locate an old dress you love the look of but feel the design is out of date, why not have it upcycled? Rework the sleeves; reimagine the skirt; turn it into a top and bottom? A jumpsuit even? New platform Loom (theloomapp.com) will connect you with a designer to realise your dreams. And there’s so much joy in that. n
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Anna Mason Davina dress, £850; O Pioneers Shelley dress, £545; Hayley Menzies Dylan jacquard duster, £400; Chloé washed silk knickerbockers, £990.
PHOTOS: DAVID SIMS
The EDIT
Your seasonal style fix,
by Juliet Herd
PORTRAIT POWER
Steven Meisel’s photographic studies of K-pop artist Lisa for Louis Vuitton SS25 wouldn’t look out of place at the National Portrait Gallery. Set within the otherworldly landscapes of French conceptual artist Laurent Grasso, she wears statement pieces, embodying what artistic director Nicolas Ghesquière is calling ‘soft power’. We’re all in favour of this eye-catching striped jacket (£6,700) teamed with lavaliere shirt (£2,230) and new ‘It’ accessory, the LV Biker bag (£3,500). louisvuitton.com
ACTION WOMAN
Bahamas-based India Hicks knows ‘a thing or two’ about swimwear. So, when she teamed up with sustainable Aussie brand Sea Level Australia, she was clear about her objectives: ‘I wanted more than just a swimsuit or bikini that could hold me in place, I wanted swimwear that was designed for life and could make me feel like I was part of a James Bond story.’ Like Bond goddess Ursula Andress, the former model smoulders in sleek one pieces and form- attering bikinis. Boasting Sea Level’s signature body sculpting technology, together with India’s timeless aesthetic, this line-up represents beach chic at its best. Piper short sleeve one-piece, £210. sealevelaustralia.com
ALL ABROAD
Travel in style with Anya Hindmarch’s vintageinspired Bespoke Walton in-flight bag, £1,550. anyahindmarch.com
Designer Marina Raphael debuts her first ready-towear handbag collection ‘The Wave’ for Elie Saab. Iris bag, €1,450. eliesaab.com
MAKING WAVES
ANYONE FOR TENNIS?
Get ready to serve up some winners in this cute technical jersey dress (£3,100) emblazoned with the brand’s iconic ‘star’ pattern and these sneakers in white nylon and calfskin (£840). dior.com
BIRTH RIGHT
Symbolising loyalty and hope, this exquisite Kiki McDonough aquamarine and diamond March birthstone pendant is on our Mother’s Day gift radar. £1,800, kiki.co.uk
ON YOUR MARKS
Official timekeeper Omega is already counting down to next year’s Winter Olympics with the unveiling of this Seamaster 37mm Milano Cortina 2026 crafted in 18k Moonshine gold, £18,200. omegawatches.com
ON PEAK FORM
We’re hooked on Peak Performance’s new Trailblazer collection, designed for women who want to ‘stand out when they step out.’ Super cool yet supremely wearable, it’s the hiking gear you’ll want when you’re climbing that next peak or hitting rugged trails. From £180; released 25 March. peak performance.com
A SUITABLE GIRL
An Anna James blazer is one you will want to ash discreetly at your friends: the lining is embroidered with quotes such as ‘we believe in you’ and ‘know your value’. Part of the Courtauld textile dynasty, designer Anna Watson focuses on designing feelgood statement suiting. Small quantities of each piece are produced to minimise waste and the nest fabrics sourced, which are all woven in the UK and Europe. Blazer, £345; waistcoat, £175; trousers, £225. annajames thelabel.com
CONSCIOUS COLLAB
Seasalt Cornwall and Beyond Retro have teamed up to reduce textile waste. Expect three Seasalt classics –cropped jeans, a pinafore dress and workwearstyle jacket – reimagined in patchwork using pre-loved denim sorted in Beyond Retro’s factory in India. We’ve got our eye on this statement boxy number (£145), a version of Seasalt’s bestselling Reading Rocks jacket. seasaltcornwall.com
What makes a design last generations? Is it exceptional craftsmanship? Is it honest materials? Is it timeless design? For us, it’s all of these. at’s what makes a Neptune home. Over 30 stores across the UK and Europe neptune.com Explore kitchen
UNTAMED NATURE
Inspired by the maison’s archives, Boucheron’s new Histoire de Style collection, Untamed Nature, is a joyous ode to nature’s most humble yet resilient plants and insects, with ivy, thistles, weeds, bumblebees, moths and beetles given star billing. Wild thistle is elevated to high jewellery status in the Chardon necklace, crafted in diamonds and white gold using computer-aided design to replicate this notoriously prickly plant while ensuring comfort for the wearer. Team with transformable Rhinoceros Beetle ring set with rock crystal and mother-of-pearl. £POA, boucheron.com
The Magpie
Jewellery comes from on high, fresh from Paris Couture Week, says Juliet Herd
ROOTED IN NATURE
De Beers pays tribute to the magni cence of trees and their roots in Chapter One of its Essence of Nature collection. e intricacy of tree roots is captured in this delicate Interlace bracelet, featuring meandering strands of white gold set with pavé diamonds. Nestled o -centre is a 2.15 carat oval-shaped Fancy Intense Yellow diamond, emphasising the organic asymmetry of the design, which is nished with six dangling rough yellow diamonds, symbolising the earth’s raw treasures. £POA, debeers.co.uk
FLOATING ON AIR
Piaget dips into its golden years of the 1960s and 70s with its Essence of Extraleganza 150th anniversary collection, characterised by jewels that are bold, extravagant and sophisticated. is ultra-light titanium ‘scarf’ bracelet is no exception. Set with coloured sapphires, garnets and tourmalines, it appears to be cut from a cloud of multicoloured silk. £POA, piaget.com
BLOWING IN THE WIND
Chaumet’s new capsule collection Bamboo reinforces the French house’s reputation as a ‘naturalist jeweller’, having championed the natural world through its creations for more than 240 years. A standout piece is this bib necklace composed of engraved gold leaves – angled as if blowing in the wind – and diamond stems, reflecting the strength and majesty of bamboo. At its heart is a whopping 13.19 carat black Australian opal. £POA, chaumet.com
ENCHANTED GARDEN
Dior Joaillerie’s creative director Victoire de Castellane takes us on an enchanted garden tour, weaving together a profusion of owers and foliage set with precious stones, diamonds and micro-pearls in the 76-piece Milly Dentelle collection. Paying homage to founder Christian Dior’s country retreat Milly-la-Forêt and his love of ne lace, each piece is constructed from lace-like threads of white, yellow and pink gold. A highlight is this dazzling necklace featuring a 16.79 carat cabochon oval-cut white opal from Australia and festooned with delicate diamond petals and white cultured pearls. £POA, dior.com
COOL CAT
e emblematic Cartier panther takes pride of place in Chapter III of the brand’s Nature Sauvage collection. Camou aged in a jungle canopy, the emerald-eyed feline keeps watch over a commanding 26.53 carat Ceylon sapphire at the centre of this hero diamond and white gold showstopper. £POA, cartier.com
THE GIFT OF LOVE
In a gesture as poised as it is romantic, a diamond bird presents its mid- ight partner with a 13.51 carat Fancy Intense Yellow diamond, held delicately in its tiny, black onyx beak. ree years in the making, Gra ’s new masterpiece celebrates love, hope and togetherness, and takes inspiration from the Goddess of Love Aphrodite herself, and her loyal sparrow companions. Crafted from an eye-watering 125 carats of custom-cut diamonds set in an articulated white gold framework, the necklace is astonishingly uid and exible. £POA, gra .com
‘It came completely out of the blue,’ recalls Lugano co-founder Moti Ferder, of the moment inspiration struck for the high jewellery house’s arresting new campaign. Entitled ‘Simply One of a Kind’, the campaign was released just ahead of the California-based brand’s 20th anniversary and features a host of real-life clients photographed by the British-born portrait photographer Platon.
It was while attending a conference last year in Arizona, hosted by Platon –whose soulful portraits of world leaders, Hollywood stars and activists have featured on more than 30 covers of Time and on the pages of e New Yorker, where he is a sta photographer – that Ferder felt the penny drop. ‘ ere was something about the emotional impact of Platon’s pictures. I realised here was an opportunity to tell our story with real people instead of anonymous models,’ explains Ferder, who co-founded Lugano with his wife Idit 20 years ago. ‘It took a few months for us to connect, but when Platon and I nally spoke, we discovered we had plenty of shared values and chemistry, so he came on board.’
California DREAMING
Lugano has collaborated with world-renowned portrait photographer Platon on a striking new campaign championing philanthropy and community, says Kim Parker
Initially, Ferder and the Lugano team considered photographing well-known gures and celebrities linked to the world of philanthropy, which is a key part of Lugano’s business model. Since its inception, the brand has supported cultural institutions such as the Aspen Art Museum and the Orange County Museum of Art, as well as non-pro t organisations like the Meridian International Centre (which champions diplomacy among the next generation of international leadership) and the Illumination Foundation (a charity working to break the cycle of homelessness in southern California). ‘As time
FROM ABOVE: Champion
showjumper Georgina Bloomberg; emerald and diamond necklace; vivid blue cushion ring; U-set emerald cut eternity ring and ruby emerald cut eternity ring.
went by, we realised our clients were the ones who should feature in our campaign. ey are leaders in their communities and in the world of philanthropy. ey perfectly embody the ideology that excellence and success brings responsibility, and that’s a big part of Lugano’s message.’
ese chosen changemakers driving positive change include the arts advocate Jane Holzer (a one-time muse of Andy Warhol), co-founder of Black Entertainment Television Sheila Johnson, champion showjumper and animal welfare advocate Georgina Bloomberg (Lugano is heavily involved in equestrianism and sponsors elite competitions worldwide, including the Royal Windsor Horse Show), entrepreneurs and social benefactors Ling and Charlie Zhang, and the high-pro le arts patron Nancy Magoon. Each one has been photographed wearing one-of-a-kind Lugano jewels.
‘Part of the campaign involved choosing pieces with interesting details, such as the touches of blue titanium on Georgina’s ring, which showcase the level of detail we strive for at Lugano,’ says Ferder. ‘ ere’s always a hidden surprise, a thoughtful detail that makes each piece unique,’ agrees Georgina Bloomberg. ‘Lugano’s commitment to excellence, philanthropy and supporting causes close to my heart, like the equestrian community, resonates deeply with me and I’m proud to represent a brand that merges elegance with meaningful change.’
Admirers of Lugano’s vibrant jewellery may be surprised by the company’s decision to shoot the campaign entirely in black and white. Ferder developed an eye for exceptional coloured gemstones –including diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds – while training at his family’s rough diamond business in Antwerp, and now combines these stones with rare and unexpected materials, including 18k gold, wood, rubber, enamel and carbonium (an innovative carbon bre derived from the aerospace industry) in Lugano’s signature statement pieces. ‘Just as we like to think we’re not a traditional jewellery company, we didn’t want the sole focus of each image to be just on the jewels,’ he explains. ‘Your jewellery is only a part of your story and I think having black and white portraits helps us show that, by keeping the focus on the whole person. I think each portrait conveys a sense of warmth too.’
A client recently approached Ferder in Aspen and asked to be in Lugano’s next campaign, which he took as a great compliment. ‘But Lugano is a story of evolution. It’s all about continuously being curious and creative and interesting. I think this could be an ongoing story for us but if you stand in one place, the world passes you by. Watch this space.’
luganodiamonds.com n
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Co-founder of Black Entertainment Television Sheila Johnson; arts patron Nancy Magoon; arts advocate and Warhol muse Jane Holzer; social benefactors Ling and Charlie Zhang
Flexible yellow and white diamond bangle
Emerald & carbonium Snake cuff
10 YEARS YOUNG
TGreat British Brands celebrated a milestone birthday this year
alk about making an entrance... When your guest of honour rocks up to your party in a Yellow Submarine... All hail artist Philip Colbert, aka ‘ e Lobster Man’, who created this year’s most eye-catching cover. Drinking Nyetimber English sparkling wine, Glenturret whisky cocktails or Sipsmith G&Ts, Philip partied along with 300 brand leaders and friends of C&TH at Rosewood London at our annual event to honour some of our most wonderful homegrown businesses. omas Lyte silver gongs were awarded by our sponsor Rathbones’ CEO Paul Stockton to six outstanding brands, including Neal’s Yard Remedies for the Judges’ Brand of the Decade. Here’s to the next ten years.
Isabella Ross
Kyle Ho and Maya Croft
Charlotte Metcalf and Paul Stockton
Anabel Kindersley and Thomasina Miers
Sabina Savage (and Ginger)
Ateh Jewel and Jamila Brown
Rosie Shepherd, Gabby Wickham and Kate Boothman Meier
Talia Cassel
Godfrey Deeny
Diana Verde Nieto
Lisa Franklin
Marie Karlsson
Shane C. Kurup
Max Convery
PJ Singh
Lucy Cleland
Philip Colbert aka The Lobster Man
Emma Bulmer
Fergus Lawlor
Lainey Sheridan-Young
Piers Adam
Alasdair Nicholls
Alice Gregory
Location: Gleneagles Hotel, Perthshire, Scotland.
STYLE & SUBSTANCE
With the creativity of the menswear designers bubbling over, there’s never been a better time to dress up your style prospects
Edited by Shane C. Kurup
CURVE Ahead of the
With such rich pickings across menswear, it can be hard to sort style from substance. Shane C. Kurup selects spring pieces that offer the best of both
ALL THAT GLITTERS
e rules about boys in bijouterie have loosened up recently, thanks largely to a brave new generation of men who aren’t shy about expressing their style persona. It’s the reason wunderkind musician-cumdesigner Pharrell has been tapped by Ti any to design a men’s collection that somehow manages to hit the perfect sweet spot between blingy and brilliant. e glossy hoard includes Tahitian pearl pendants, bracelets and rings, and ‘Titan’-set diamond pieces with stones that appear to magically oat above their clawless setting. Bling it on. From £3,300. ti any.co.uk
BUCOLIC BUSHMAN
If the arid Australian outback and Britain’s green and pleasant lands seem worlds apart, the apparel made for an Antipodean backdrop works equally well in both. It’s why RM Williams –the Adelaide-based brand famed for its hardhitting Chelsea boots – has planted a Blue Ensign banner in the UK countryside, with new stores in Cambridge and Marlowe, Berkshire. Each of these new ventures features custom interiors designed by British craftspeople to showcase the brand’s comprehensive range of apparel and footwear. rmwilliams.com
LIVING LA DOLCE VITA
Savile Row style maven Sir Hardy Amies waxed lyrical in his 1964 seminal tome e ABC of Men’s Fashion about the virtues of Italian style. For SS25, another standardbearer of British sartorialism, Oliver Brown, has taken a leaf from this libro with a collection that taps Gregory Peck’s sprezzatura in 1953 ick, Roman Holiday. Swapping the starchier shapes of English tailoring for the sort of soft, deconstructed jackets you’d more often nd in an atelier near the Piazza di Spagna than Sloane Square, you’ll nd lightweight and breathable fresco wools and linens in earthy and pastel hues. You’ll feel like you’re a leading man in a Fellini ick. Molto bene. Roman Holiday collection, from £49. oliverbrownlondon.com
GOING UNDER COVER
rough its elevated workmanship, Swaine – Britain’s oldest luxury brand –has made the humble brolly more than just a tool to tackle downpours. In fact, it’s given it star status, having made the umbrellas you’ll have seen in a slew of iconic icks, from Gene Kelly’s in Singing in the Rain, to Mary Poppins’ sassy parrothead brolly and Colin Firth’s portable bullet shield in the Kingsman franchise. Swaine still makes its umbrellas by hand in Cambridgeshire, where handles, shafts, spokes and silk canopies are all fashioned and tted. Its latest masterpiece is its Snakewood edition, made from the rare ed South American wood with a textured pattern resembling reptilian scales. A true gent wouldn’t be caught toting anything less. Just don’t leave this one on the bus. £3,200. swaine.london
EASTERN PROMISE
Kyoto, the chocolate-box cultural capital of Japan, might be heavily rooted in tradition, but that doesn’t mean its contemporary clothing labels are old hat. Rainmaker Kyoto, founded in 2012 by designer Kohichi Watanabe, reworks distinctly Japanese design codes in a futurefacing fashion. For SS25, its menswear drew on the sculptural forms found in ceramics and the natural landscapes of the Land of the Rising Sun, to shape the silhouettes and texturerich nishes of the kimonolike denim jackets, uid shirting and three-dimensional knitwear. From 38,500 yen (£202). rainmaker-kyoto.com
BAGGAGE RECLAIM
Globe-Trotter knows that travelling light is in fashion these days, which is why it’s just added a new design to its catalogue. e aptly named Metropolis range retains all the signature details that make Globe-Trotters the most handsome cases to circuit the carousel, including a vulcanised breboard shell, English leather handles and aerospace-grade rivets, but with a new durable aluminium frame that makes it almost 20 percent lighter than its traditional woodframed cases. From £1,895. globe-trotter.com
CHELSEA | CITY OF LONDON | ST JAMES’S | CHESTER
Rich
SUCCESS SLIP ON
Shoemakers are refashioning the classic slip-on – and they’re good for more than just loafing about, says Shane C. Kurup
Forget no brown in town – a glance downwards on any city street or in a swanky Mayfair restaurant will reveal that the sneaker has left the con nes of track and eld and conquered all walks of life.
But if you’re a traditionalist who feels wearing a pair of New Balance or AirMax to dinner at Corrigan’s is a step too far, the good news is that established shoemakers have introduced a raft of intelligent design details to give their shoes a cloud-soft step, without de ling any style standards – and it’s the loafer that’s striding ahead. ‘We de nitely see increasing demand for suppleness and comfort,’ says Euan Denholm, head of brand and business development at Northampton maker Edward Green, which has seen a 50 percent spike in sales for its softer, unlined loafers since 2024. ‘Our wardrobes have changed hugely in recent years. Just as our clothes have become more relaxed, and our tailoring softer and less structured, we’ve also seen this shift with shoes.’
CROCKETT & JONES
Finchley burnished leather loafers
Fancy unlacing those sti Oxfords and slipping into something more comfortable? Here’s the pick of the best new-gen loafers that will have you skipping down the Piccadilly Line escalators.
1906L ‘Snoafers’
Proof that even the sneaker gods can learn from tradition, these hybrid sneaker-cum-loafers that went viral on release might be polarising, but with a beefed-up shock-absorbing sole and look of a loafer, you’d be hard pushed to find another slip-on to top these ‘Snoafers’ for comfort. Even Claridge’s will let you cross the threshold. £120, newbalance.co.uk
Still retaining the sturdiness that made Crockett & Jones the first choice of King Charles III and other men of taste who appreciate the craft of Northampton cordwaining, these Finchleys are much more forgiving after a long day on your feet thanks to an in-house-developed supple SUPERFLEX sole. £570, crockettandjones.com
Oliver suede loafers
Polperro suede loafers
In summer-appropriate sage calf suede, these British-made Polperro loafers take their design cues from slipper-like Neapolitan construction methods. With a featherlight sole, they make for easy packing, which is good news as they just shout ‘I’m off to the piazza for aperitivo’. £520, edwardgreen.com
These two-tone Oliver loafers have a deep, cushioned sole and a soft Italian suede upper that will make it feel like you’re walking on clouds. Manolo Blahnik took inspiration from contemporary urban mode for this natty design – and it shows. £650, manoloblahnik.com
WALK THE LONG WALK
James Fox, Brand Director of Crockett & Jones, shares his top care tips to help your loafers go the distance
1 As loafers are slip-ons, it’s important to use a shoehorn so you don’t break down the back of the shoe.
2 Wood shoe trees not only help loafers hold their shape, but also help absorb perspiration.
3 Avoid wearing the same pair of loafers every day; rotate to give them a rest so they can dry out and recover.
NEW BALANCE
EDWARD GREEN
MANOLO BLAHNIK
Paul Mescal takes it easy in a pair of Gucci Horsebit loafers. gucci.com
TECH BRO Fashioning the
Chris Cotonou asks whether the outlandish personal style of the Tech Bros is the new power dressing, or just sartorial incompetence?
In the past, when writing about the style of Wall Street workers, I would’ve had fun icking through 90s Armani catalogues and Gordon Gekko lm stills. But it’s 2025, and instead, I’m watching YouTube clips of Mark Zuckerberg explaining why he only wears the same grey T-shirts and hoodies daily. ‘I want to clear my life to make as few decisions as possible,’ the Meta founder says, deadpan. ese days, it’s the Tech Bros de ning workwear. Trudging through Canary Wharf, their signatures become apparent: straight-leg jeans, basic tees and monotone jumpers. A gilet – the coder’s chestplate armour – and the mandatory smart watch. Simple. But in that casual simplicity is a sense of rebellion, a middle nger to the suited jocks these once-timid nerds festered in the shadows of. It’s been that way since Steve Jobs surprised audiences by arriving on stage in his trademark turtleneck, or when Zuckerberg wore hoodies to meetings with Wall Street nanciers in 2012. is is the essence of Tech Bro style: sticking it to Gordon Gekko’s suspenders.
But aspects of the Tech Bro uniform have now become so de rigueur in corporate circles (see: the gilet) and, like any subcultural uniform, it no longer has the renegade status it did. As the tech class gets more powerful, public and populist, its billionaire overlords, the Broligarchy, are refashioning themselves with a new kind of power dressing aimed at tting in. e result? A group of mid-life Peter Pans with uncanny-valley faces, wearing what they think are ‘normal people’ clothes. e new ‘masculine energy’ Zuck (Google that Joe Rogan episode) has forgone his all-grey wardrobe and transformed into the kind of chain-wearing, curly-haired man who doesn’t pay for a woman’s dinner. Twitter founder Jack Dorsey went from suits to nose rings and trucker caps seemingly overnight. Amazon’s Je Bezos, now a Hollywood man, is doing his utmost to make us forget he once looked like George from Seinfeld, by chowing down spinach and wearing Secret Service aviators. Elon Musk – the richest man on earth, and by far the most desperate to be perceived as cool – is often snapped in a poorly tted
This is the ESSENCE of Tech Bro style: sticking it to GORDON GEKKO’S suspenders
suit while engaging in political theatre. In fact, the entire line-up of suited Tech Bros at Trump’s inauguration didn’t fare well. Why is it so hard for exceedingly rich people to get a two-piece that doesn’t t like a hand-me-down? How can you send a rocket to the moon but not realise that your trouser length is the focus of mirth? ere are some things we can take from the Tech Bro. Quiet luxury, the kind seen in HBO’s Succession, is a facet of their more tasteful members – think the unproblematic Tim Cook or Google’s Sundar Pichai. Elevated basics from Loro Piana and Brunello Cucinelli are the aspirational play. Studio Nicholson, Stò a and Zegna are alternatives, especially if you’re investing in a variation of Pichai’s bomber jackets, a smart cashmere jumper or loose- tting trousers. ese pieces signify importance and appreciation for the ner things. After all, few would have known Steve Jobs’s turtleneck was by Issey Miyake. Some of them are now lm-star famous, and with that comes the same vanity, the same urge to trade rebellion for a chance to t in (it could also be a PR move). e nerds have won. But like the Wall Street jocks they replaced, they’re now exactly what they set out to destroy – only in worse tailoring and with a passion for Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Chris Cotonou is the deputy editor of A Rabbit’s Foot n
FROM ABOVE: The Broligarchy are refashioning themselves: Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos
THE CUT OF YOUR JIB
Despite the dressing down of traditional codes, tailoring hasn’t taken its final turn. Shane C. Kurup examines the designers refashioning the suit for modern life
In March 2022, when the world was stirring from its pandemic slumber, it was announced that the O ce for National Statistics was removing men’s suits – and doughnuts – from the basket of daily goods used to compute the national in ation rate, to be replaced with sports bras and meatfree sausages. A urry of newspaper and online columns soon emerged lamenting the death of the two-piece.
W hile there has no doubt been a shift in formal dress codes to the more casual side of the spectrum in recent years –thanks to the 24/7 nature of modern life and the invasion of sportswear (you can now wear sneakers to e Savoy without putting the doorman’s nose out of joint) – we of course know that the suit’s extinction has been greatly exaggerated. After all, tuning into Zoom meetings wearing sweatpants concealed by your kitchen table is one thing, but unless you’re in a liberal arts eld, a boardroom meeting with the boss in your muftis isn’t going to improve your prospects of promotion.
Instead, the suit is evolving, adapting to our less traditionbound, comfort- rst age and both established haute houses and young, dynamic designers are showing their skill for refashioning the established tailoring template.
Of course, the altering of the suit isn’t a new phenomenon. Giorgio Armani pulled apart the starchy suit at the seams, with his so-called ‘sincere’ look of the 80s and early 90s that saw tailoring take on a softer, uid form of capacious proportions, absent of the padding and close cuts of the preceding Disco age. Armani’s suiting today retains a sense of louche nonchalance, which, in the typically cyclical nature of fashion, many younger brands are adopting, too.
‘Armani’s uid tailoring introduced a new sense of relaxed elegance,’ says Soshi Otsuki, founder of Tokyo-based Soshiotsuki. ‘ e resurgence of this aesthetic is closely tied to the post-pandemic lifestyle shift. Designers are reintroducing less structured, more uid tailoring that has a polished, yet e ortless feel. It strikes a balance between sophistication and comfort, making it particularly relevant now,’ he adds. e Soshiotsuki SS25 collection ri s heavily on this vibe, which fashion journalist Ashley Ogawa Clarke said makes you ‘feel like a Showa-era playboy sur ng the wave of Japan’s bubble economy’, in his review for Vogue Runway
Anyone familiar with Armani’s work the rst time around will look at Soshiotsuki’s capacious cuts and draping (that speak of the era of excess) and see a striking resemblance to the original blueprint – which is little wonder, as Otsuki studied vintage Armani jackets and trousers from the 80s and 90s to
inform the framework of the collection. It’s like American Gigolo has been recast in Ginza, with awless Japanese fabrics and cleverly concealed details, such as openings in jacket linings that emulate the original function of Kimono sleeves as pockets for stowing personal e ects. ‘I think the future of tailoring will be de ned by its ability to tell a story. e narrative and identity that a suit conveys will become just as important as the garment itself,’ says Otsuki. ‘Suits will continue to evolve as a medium for personal expression, rather than simply a uniform for formal occasions.’ is idea of men wearing tailoring out of choice rather than obligation, is shared by Dag Granath, co-founder of Saman Amel, who’s seen an uptick in tailoring sales from edging suitwearers since the pandemic. ‘Fewer occasions require tailoring and this means people now approach it because they want to, not because they need to,’ says Granath. Stockholmbased Saman Amel’s suiting architecturally leans into soft, southern Italian construction, but also nods to its Scandinavian roots with muted, neutral linens and wools, and better jacket coverage, which at Italian ateliers can come up short – a recipe that Granath feels has wide-reaching appeal. ‘It’s very cheesy, but I like for us to be a brand that can dress the artist and the owner of the gallery – in the morning we can have a client who’s a young art director and in the afternoon a senior lawyer, and this re ects the state of tailoring,’ says Granath.
A nd of course, softer, deconstructed tailoring is better suited to the world’s warming climate. P. Johnson, which originally hails from Sydney and now has ateliers in Melbourne, New York and London, places emphasis on the more carefree approach to bespoke tailoring that embodies the laidback Australian spirit,
‘Suits will continue to evolve as a medium for PERSONAL EXPRESSION , rather than simply a uniform for FORMAL OCCASIONS’
Soshiotsuki’s SS25 tailoring is a Japanese reimagining of Armani’s 80s and 90s louche nonchalance
Armani’s tailoring from the 80s and 90s (this picture and bottom right) introduced softer, fluid forms
suiting embodies the brand’s carefree Australian spirit
P. Johnson’s
Heron’s Ghyll’s relaxed Avalon suit
A suit by Saman Amel blends Italian and Scandinavian details
The suit is EVOLVING , adapting to our less tradition-bound, comfort-first age and both established HAUTE HOUSES and young, dynamic designers are showing their skill for REFASHIONING the established tailoring template
prizing easy ts, breezy linens and wools, and pairing custommade jackets with classic blue jeans. is fusion of global ideas is also what informs Heron’s Ghyll, named after the bucolic East Sussex village and helmed by Malaysian-born Mark Francis. His designs combine Francis’s selftaught know-how of English tailoring with elements of traditional Eastern dress and cultural touchstones, such as Nehru collars and easy- tting 80s shapes and soft colour palettes, inspired by muses such as Hong Kong leading man Leslie Cheung, who’s still regarded as a beacon of men’s style over 20 years after his death. London, perhaps, is quite rightly considered a progenitor of traditional men’s dress standards and many seminal designers ocked to Savile Row to cut their teeth, including Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen, who both had spells in its cutting rooms. at tradition continues today. Kyle Ho –one of the most promising new-gen designers lauded by the British Fashion Council – came from Hong Kong to learn the tailoring trade on the Row at Scabal before establishing his own eponymous label, where he employs the precision British cutting techniques he’s learned to fashion modern, sculptural tailoring that also has a compelling cultural narrative. ‘After the pandemic, we wanted to look sharp without feeling restricted – re ned but e ortless. I design tailoring with a strong and con dent shape, but there’s an ease to how it moves and ts –and unexpected details add character without feeling overdone,’ says Ho. ‘It’s about wearing something that feels natural and expressing yourself without being boxed into the old norms.’
Savile Row now isn’t just a place for the old guard. Yuri Yuri, which set up shop on the thoroughfare in 2019, has a retro-inspired vibe which, alongside Edward Sexton, feels altogether more rock ’n’ roll than what’s o ered elsewhere on the street. But the trophy for the biggest disruptor on the Row goes to clothsurgeon, founded in 2012 by Rav Matharu, a former pro-footballer turned creative director, who recently bagged the Walpole British Luxury Game-Changer Award. Matharu takes the idea of tailoring as an ‘establishment’ uniform and turns it on its head by reworking it as bespoke streetwear – a genre that has drastically changed the way we dress in both town and country (down pu er, anyone?). ‘ e brand is heavily rooted in street and sportswear culture, and my approach has always been to merge that with a high-level of craftsmanship and British tailoring standards,’ he says. ‘For me, bespoke is the ultimate form of expression.’
Also blending street cred with tailoring prowess is US
label Fear of God, headed by Jerry Lorenzo. Lorenzo could have just stuck to denim and sweats, but his penchant for king-size, strong-shouldered blazers styled with light-wash denim echo the ‘big t’ suits worn by Michael Jordan in the 90s, which feel all the more current now with the slackening in ts and breaking up of suit components.
Wooyoungmi, based in Paris but founded by Seoul-born Youngmi Woo, takes a distinctly o -kilter approach on the cutting table, bringing tailoring kicking and screaming into the Gen-Z realm for SS25 with futuristic oversized, glossy double-breasted suits and reinterpretations of Korean bojagi shirts with fastenings that reference Joseon knottying traditions.
Of course, these looks might not be to your taste if you’re a mere mortal or not sub-21 in years, but the e ect has ltered down to the high street in a more palatable fashion. COS o ers accessible, quality tailoring that interprets these more relaxed blocks in an everyday context.
Elsewhere, Hermès, which sits at the zenith of the luxury landscape with its grail bags that have a waitlist as long as the Seine, has garnered a loyal following for its menswear –designed by Véronique Nichanian since 1988 – and champions a low-key re ning of the suit. Her tailoring displays a nessing of materials coupled with discreet, technical details that gracefully whispers ‘luxury’ rather than shouts it. It’s the kind of tailoring that will inspire compliments but not solicit stares.
I f simplicity with character is more your vibe, Lemaire – a young French brand founded by Sarah Linh Tran and Christophe Lemaire – and British label Studio Nicholson champion the kind of crisp minimalism born in the brain of German designer Jil Sander, but with a more malleable quality that better suits the pace of modern life. Tailored jackets and trousers are cut with volume from either crisp poplins or silky viscose and summer-weight wools, and include practical details, such as internal straps to turn your jacket into a bag – or just sling it over your shoulder when you’re in the sweltering con nes of the Central Line in mid-summer.
is across-the-board trend for refashioning – or revisiting the suit – isn’t going anywhere, along with a more liberal approach to how you wear it that’s changing the very subtexts of tailoring. How you choose to wear it – and where you wear it – is your own story to sew. n
Wooyoungmi’s off-kilter approach features futuristic, oversized suits
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Kyle Ho employs precision British cutting techniques; Hermès suiting whispers luxury rather than shouts it; Cos’s SS25 campaign features Adrien Brody; Lemaire’s signature is simplicity with character; Savile Row disruptor clothsurgeon is turning tailoring on its head; today, Armani’s fluid tailoring has influenced young designers
BENDING
TIME
Watch maisons are thinking outside the circle, with ever more curious case shapes to let you wear character on your cuff, says Alex Doak
‘What goes around, comes around,’ goes the old adage. But do the things keeping time on what’s going ‘a-round’ actually need to be, well, round? at tends to be the ‘case’ in the watch world, with timepieces taking their form from the traditional shape of the analogue clock and the 360-degree sweep of its hands.
But in 2025, there’s a de nite feeling that it’s hip to be square again. Patek Philippe, whose sporty, octagonal Nautilus has been a holy grail watch sought by a cionados and novices alike since its release in 1976, launched its squared-up Cubitus late last year, which sent watch nerds into a frenzy. It ies in formation with young, irreverent, Gallic watchmaker Bell & Ross, which has been leading the quadrangle revolution with its BR03 and BR05 models, shaped like ghter jet cockpit dials. And in 2024, jeweller and watchmaker extraordinaire, Cartier, reissued its archive ‘Tortue’ tank – a lozenge-shaped watch that resembles the shell of the slowmoving reptile – in a trio of fresh forms.
It’s not just established players throwing shapes. Two newcomers to luxury watchmaking, Anoma and Berneron, are so tuned-in to this appetite for shapely watches that they’ve released two of the most untrue-to-form tickers in the past few years. Berneron with its Mirage – a Salvador Dalí-esque melt of metal; Anoma’s A1, a Battlestar Galactica-worthy pebble-shaped model, inspired by a 1950s free-form table designed by French architect Charlotte Perriand. In fact, this modernist ‘thinking out of the circle’ is rooted in the mid-century period, which saw a sonic boom in watch forms accelerated by the jet age. It was an era that inspired US collector Mitch Greenblatt to launch his own futurist watch brand, Xeric. ‘Postwar watch design turned the wristwatch into more than just a timekeeper. It became a statement of innovation,’ says Greenblatt. It was during this time that the Hamilton Ventura rst came to market – a triangularshaped ‘electric’ watch released in 1957, which became a favourite of Elvis Presley and is still in production today in a host of di erent designs.
AWAKEN THE SENSES
Lalique’s Encre Indigo is the energising new scent you need for spring
Anew season calls for bold new beginnings. This vibrant fragrance embodies energy and movement, capturing the essence of renewal and inviting colour back into our lives this spring.
Created by acclaimed French master perfumer Annick Menardo, Encre Indigo is the sequel to Encre Noire, the iconic men’s fragrance launched in 2007. Expect zesty and light top notes of bergamot, juniper berry and pink pepper, followed by an intense fusion of saffron and black tea at the heart and warm masculine base notes of vetiver, patchouli and ambergris.
This artfully avant-garde scent is designed for a new generation of free spirits and reflects the character of glassmaker René Lalique, whose agenda-setting work with light, colour and shape crowned him an icon of Art Nouveau and Art Deco. Just as the 20th century artist infused his creations with fluidity and radiance, incorporating elements from fashion and the arts, so Encre Indigo is an enticing celebration of colour in vivid layers of blue, brightness cascading to dark inky depths.
The flacon too takes inspiration from the master glassmaker, its cuboid shape echoing his 1913 inkwell, the coloured glass like a droplet of ink diffused in water, the gradient of blues evoking Monsieur Lalique’s signature technique of using bold colour to elevate everyday items to objets d’art.
This is a luminous yet intense fragrance for a man who thrives on living life in motion. Indigo is the new black –dive on in.
Eau de Parfum, 50ml, £75; 100 ml, £89. uk.lalique.com
And despite an original run of just seven watches back in 1960, Audemars Piguet has recently reissued its [RE]Master02 – a linear, blocky masterpiece designed on Brutalist architecture principles, in all its glass faceted and streamlined glory. Rado, too, which launched its egg-shaped DiaStar in 1962, has now reworked the model with a fresh face and modern mechanics as the taste for mid-century design holds rm. e fashion world is getting in on the trend for novel case shapes, too. Parisian powerhouse Saint Laurent and GirardPerregaux – another Swiss blue blood manufacturer – recently joined forces to resurrect the red LED-display Casquette from the archives. It’s just released a new iteration in tough titanium and precious gold, and is a wrist-sized equivalent of a Lamborghini Miura with Knight Rider headlamps. en of course, there’s Hermès, with its sculptural ‘Cut’, which like a Magic Eye illusion appears to be not quite a circle and not quite an oval at rst glance.
W hile Urwerk and MB&F have designed ‘spaceships for the wrist’, these avant-garde makers wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the vision of Richard Mille, who launched his eponymous brand in 2001. His early concept of a ‘racing machine for the wrist’ has seen the futurefacing brand create the thinnest mechanical watch in the world – and its RM 16-02 Automatic Extra at continues its catalogue of lithe masterworks of engineering. If you liked playing Snake on your Nokia in the early 00s, then you’ll love the tessellated openwork mechanics inside this model.
All these designs morphing out of manufacturers may seem more directional than ever, but what remains as in nite as time itself is you’ll always be buying into a legacy ticking to its own beat, regardless of the packaging – circular or otherwise. n
SHIFTING HANDS OF TIME
ART DECO ICON
Jaeger-LeCoultre’s
1974 MODERN-ART
1931 2023
TO INFINITY, AND BEYOND MB&F’s outrageous, biomorphic time travels reach warp factor 9 with its Horological
UPSTART
French giant Lip brings some Mondrian to montres with the asymmetrically D-shaped Mach 2000
flippable, rectangular Reverso, designed for polo players of the colonial Raj
10 Girard-Perregaux Casquette 2.0, titanium and gold, £4,200
11 Rado DiaStar Original X Tej Chauhan, £2,100
Ease into the new season with The Longs, our perfect chinos. Versatile, sophisticated and colourful – available in 28 colours. Made in Portugal from organic cotton twill with a hint of stretch. Complete your look with one of our many stylish T-shirts, polos, shirts and pullovers. Discover MR MARVIS’ full collection now on mrmarvis.co.uk
GET YOUR K-FACE ON
Korea may have had you at Squid Game, but now it’s coming for your bathroom cabinets, says Shane C. Kurup
Anyone familiar with sugary sweet K-pop or sageuk dramas, will know there’s a certain aesthetic that comes with its male protagonists – a awless, glassy visage without a whisker of facial shrubbery and jet-black, glossy bangs that hang like a set of silk curtains. It’s a look traditionally typecast as ‘e ete’ in western eyes.
But the Korean Wave, or ‘Hallyu’, that has engulfed all aspects of modern culture, is shifting western perceptions of masculinity and this newfound taste for ‘softer’, clean-cut East Asian men has spread beyond those shores –if the deafening screams of Koreaboos when a member of BTS or Cha Eun-woo shows face are anything to go by. And it’s also changing male grooming habits. ‘Korean beauty standards for men are helping reshape traditional western concepts of masculinity by normalising male skincare and grooming routines,’ says David Yi, K-beauty in uencer and founder of good light, which formulates its products using K-beauty principles. ‘Korean brands have successfully marketed skincare as a form of self-care rather than vanity, resonating with changing attitudes about masculinity,’ he adds. is concept of self-care for all is ingrained in the Korean psyche, which places emphasis on the importance of good presentation rooted in ancient Confucian teachings that still hold sway in modern Korea. It’s why many Korean brands don’t have overtly girlish packaging, or target a speci c gender – gender neutrality doesn’t need to be stressed. ‘ e branding is really simple. It’s not feminine, it’s not masculine. It sits really nicely in that middle zone,’ says Gracie Tullio, co-founder of pureseoul, the UK’s largest K-beauty retailer with stores in London, Manchester, Birmingham and Brighton, with eight further sites on the cards for 2025. ‘ e emphasis is di erent. Western beauty emphasises attaining femininity but it’s more about personal care in Korea.’
e K-beauty market is huge – projected to be worth $12.5bn in 2025 – which explains why Korean products seem to o er much more bang for your buck and are so hyped
on social media for their e cacy compared to western equivalents. Boots – the UK’s go-to chemist – reported it now sells a Korean beauty product every 30 seconds. ‘It’s so competitive that brands can’t a ord to be seen to have an ine ective product,’ says Tullio. Organic, natural ingredients play a huge role in Korean skincare, with ingredients distilled from native plants such as Centella asiatica, or ‘Cica’; black rice, bamboo and green tea extracts are all key ingredients – as are next-level SPF formulas to slow the march of Father Time. ere’s also a big emphasis on hydrated, dewy-looking skin, which has given rise to the ‘glass skin’ and ‘aqua skin’ trends.
Korean oppas in the limelight don’t shy away from powdering their nose, either. While western attitudes to male makeup are slowly shifting, it is mainstream in Korea, with regular chaps keeping a BB cream or concealer in their bathroom cabinet – even if they don’t use it daily like a K-popper, there’s something at hand to combat a rogue pimple the night before a big boardroom meeting.
You might not have the brass to go full-on Jungkook with your routine, but there’s many takeaways from Korean grooming that men can use to achieve peak handsome, wherever they hail from. Is it time you got your K-face on?
Make-up artist and influencer
Aiden Park favours DASHU and B.Ready products @aiden_parkk
Laka is a bestselling Korean cosmetics line exclusive to pureseoul in the UK
Glow was co-founded by Korean rapper and influencer Serine Lee
CREAM OF THE K-CROP
Up your K-game with our pick of the best Korean skincare
SKIN 1004
Madagascar Centella Ampoule
Skin 1004’s ampoule bottles the benefits of Centella – or Asiatic pennywort – which has been tapped since the Joseon era for its calming, antioxidant properties to help eliminate redness and keep sebum levels on an even keel. 100ml, £25.20, pureseoul.co.uk
INNISFREE Green Tea Seed
Hyaluronic Cream
This moisturiser utilises extract from green tea seeds grown in the nutrient-rich volcanic soil of Korea’s largest island, Jeju, to help dry skin stay hydrated without any of the stickiness of heavier creams. It might just be your cuppa. 50ml, £29. spacenk.com
GOOD LIGHT
Taste of Space
Lip Milk
Kiss goodbye to crusty lips with this clever stick, which blends antioxidant raspberry extract, skinbolstering vitamin B5 and hydrating mango butter to bring even the most weathered lips back from the brink. 4.5ml, £13. cultbeauty.co.uk
BEAUTY OF JOSEON
Revive Ginseng + Snail Mucin serum
Don’t let the slightly feminine name or mention of snail mucus put you off – this stuff has been all the rage in cosmetology for the past few years. The ethically harvested ‘snail juice’ has compounds that help repair damaged skin while Korean Ginseng locks in moisture. 30ml, £15, boots.com
THANK YOU FARMER
Safe Sun Age 0880 Body + Face SPF 50+ PA++++
Containing hydrating and calming lotus water, soy lipids, purslane extract, this radical SPF harnesses skin-cooling technology to lower your skin’s surface temperature by up to 4°C, to keep you from breaking a sweat in even the balmiest conditions. 100ml, £28, boots.com
B.READY True Tone Lotion
If the thought of going to Boots to pick up some Charlotte Tilbury concealer fills you with dread, this low-key, discreet True Tone Lotion will mask imperfections on days when you need to face the world with confidence – and no-one will be the wiser. 33ml, £49 helloseoul.co.uk
HARUHARU WONDER
Black Rice 5.5 Soft Cleansing Gel Rice might be a food staple in East Asia, but it also has benefits for your mug. Combining fermented black rice and bamboo shoots, this PH-balanced cleanser will wash off the day and leave you with a cleaner, brighter face. 100ml, £15.90, pureseoul.co.uk
LANEIGE
Cica Sleeping Mask
Applying a mask often feels like a faff, but this one does the heavy lifting while you catch 40 winks. Its hydrating Forest Yeast complex is sourced from the woodlands of Jeju Island and works with shea butter and squalane to bolster your skin’s moisture barrier. Sleeping beauty indeed. 60ml, £29. sephora.co.uk
ABOUT FACE
David Yi, K-beauty wunderkind and good light founder, on how to get your K-face on
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Start off with a gentle cleanser and moisturiser before more specialist products, such as ampoules. The core of K-beauty is building a consistent routine that your skin can adapt to gradually.
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Go easy, they’re potent: use small, pea-size amounts for most products, and pat them gently into the skin rather than rubbing aggressively. This helps with absorption and prevents irritation.
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Follow the thin-to-thick rule: start with the most watery products and end with thicker creams. It helps each one penetrate effectively and provides maximum benefit. @seoulcialite goodlight.world
Maison de parfums d’intérieur eu.baobabcollection.com
QUELLE COULEUR
Showcase your skin in the very best light with Chanel’s luminous new make-up collection for spring. With kaleidoscopic colour palettes and daring shades it offers a playful language with which to express yourselves. chanel.com
Fragrance |HEALTH & WELLBEING
Making SCENTS
One signature scent? Pah! Lucia Ferrari shares how to build a fragrance wardrobe
Perfume sales and collagen boosting injectables are the two areas of the British beauty market that have been rising since Covid and aren’t showing signs of slowing down. John Lewis last year reported a whopping 200 percent increase in sales of perfume, many of which are from lesser-known niche brands as well as the classics. It seems many of us are branching out and the days of being faithful to one scent seems dated. And though the term ‘fragrance wardrobe’ might sound a little na and could appear on Nicky Haslam’s bestselling tea towel of things he nds 'common', my own perfume shelf is a lot more tightly packed than it was a couple of years ago. TikTok is full of teenagers with fragrance wardrobes.
Like fashion, I love the concept of di erent scents for di erent occasions – a splashy citrusy cologne for waking up a Monday morning commute while something more alluring, like Chanel’s new Comète with its lingering trail of je ne sais quoi, would be my choice for dinner or drinks. And while it’s obviously not practical to buy an entire new array of perfumes, occasionally adding one to our dressing table and building a great collection over time is a lovely way to do it.
Liberty’s new perfume hall is a great place for browsing. Stocking both luxury and niche brands, the sta are really knowledgeable. Online, Nose Paris (noseparis.com) o ers an olfactory diagnosis, stocks a similar wide range of brands and is well priced. And if you’re a Jo Malone fan, there’s a great consultation service with something for everyone.
so feel free to experiment; and then categorise perfumes by styles, ideally investing in one from each.’
Inspired by Alice, here are ve perfume styles, with examples of new and classic scents in each category, which I think make a great fragrance wardrobe.
When choosing a new scent, fragrance expert Alice du Parcq advises you rst establish the sort of fragrance family you like best, ‘whether it’s green, oral, earthy, spicy; something more masculine or gender uid – historically fragrance is neither
1. THE MORNING SPRITZ
A fresh botanical or citrusy blast for morning energy and focus.
Acqua di Parma
Colonia Il Profumo:
A cool and clean contemporary interpretation of its rst ever fragrance, Colonia, from 1916. 50ml, £143. acquadiparma.com
Maison Francis Kurkdjian Aqua Media Cologne Forte: Francis Kurkdjian is famous for his heady Baccarat Rouge, which makes the wearer smell expensive and outsells all perfumes in Harrods. is lighter, more elegant cologne is a polite, meet-and-greet perfume you could wear anywhere. 35ml, £115. johnlewis.com Granado Citrus Brasilis:
Launching in May, but worth the wait, the top notes of pomelo make your mouth water, but the soft, powdery way it settles on the skin means you can spritz throughout the day when moments of clarity are needed. 100ml, £75. granado.com
2. THE STEALTH WEALTH SCENT
A barely-there fragrance that smells like warm bare skin. e Loro Piana grey marl cashmere crew neck of the perfume world.
Juliette has a Gun Not a Perfume: It’s the 15 year anniversary of this clean, subtle classic, which smells di erent on everyone. Its single
HEALTH & WELLBEING | Fragrance
ingredient is Ambroxan, which is addictive on its own or boosts the performance of other perfumes so can be layered. 50ml, £100. spacenk.com Diptyque L’Eau Papier: Makes you go ‘mmm’. Captures the moment ink soaks into a blank white sheet of paper. 50ml, £98. diptyqueparis.com Celine La Peau Nue: Expensive oris root butter is at the heart of this grown up yet powdery, elegant fragrance. 100ml, £230. celine.com
3. THE CONFIDENCE BOOSTER
A velvety amber to make you feel empowered. e Spanx version of perfume when you need to feel pulled together.
Floris Golden Amber: Opens with crisp bergamot but turns into a warmer, sandalwood. 50ml, £120, orislondon.com Olfactive O Amber: An elegant amber that gives you the same quiet con dence after
you’ve had a glass of champagne. 30ml £65, olfactiveo.com Jo Malone Taif Rose Cologne Intense: is new limited-edition cologne is a blend of Arabian rose laced with golden amber and co ee. 50ml, £112. jomalone.co.uk
4. THE ‘OUT-OUT’ ROOM ROCKER
e one you wear to your best friend’s big birthday or a glamorous gala. Sexy, sophisticated and a little bit more daring than your usual.
Flower: Perfumer Aurélien Guichard’s family-owned elds of tuberose are bottled for this modern white oral. 50ml, £165 libertylondon.com
5. THE WEEKENDER
e Ralph Lauren blazer of the fragrance world. A polite classic to take you anywhere. If you only have one fragrance, this is it.
Sisley Eau de Campagne: A herby, unisex scent that whisks you to a rural weekend break even if you’re on the Central line. 50ml, £90, selfridges.com Chanel No19 Poudré: A softer, more powdery version of the classic No 19. Like fabulous silk underwear. 100ml, £145. chanel.com Penhaligon's English Fern To celebrate 155 years, Penhaligon's has brought back a few classics, and this is a favourite. Imagine a woody, mossy walk with a whi of geraniums. 100ml, £100. penhaligons.com :
Hermès Barénia: e famous Hermès dog collar which became a belt, then a bracelet, is now a fragrance. Its latest is addictive and a modern take on a classic, chypre woody fragrance 60ml, £102 hermes.com Van Cleef & Arpels Néroli Amara: A bottled version of a fabulous dinner with friends on an exotic holiday. Very White Lotus. 75ml, £153. johnlewis.com Matiere Premiere French
The SCOOP
Charlotte Cole on souped-up supplements and mastering makeup
LESSONS IN MAKEUP
My makeup regime hasn’t changed in 30 years – a kohl pencil scrawled along the lower lash, a sweep of dark shadow over the top lid, a ick of mascara... But whenever I’ve been lucky enough to put myself in the hands of makeup artists, the results are completely di erent (and a million times better). So, welcome to BEAM, London’s new favourite makeup bar. e concept comes from entrepreneurs Ana Klein and Eleanor Wright, who say they want BEAM to be to makeup what DryBar is to hair. Nestled on a buzzy high street in Belgravia, here you’ll nd professional-grade glow-ups (some executed in just 30 minutes), in-depth bespoke sessions and educational masterclasses led by industry experts. It’s less wash and go, more glow and go –and it’s brilliant. From £54, bemorebeam.com
JAGGED LITTLE PILL
LYMA has a cult-like following. Now, they’re claiming to combat the e ects of our sedentary lifestyles with the addition of a new patented adaptogen. What to expect?
By unlocking metabolic pathways, ActivAMP® helps muscles absorb glucose more e ciently, transforming it into energy for longer, stronger workouts and faster recovery. Given that metabolism plays a crucial role in overall health, this innovation isn’t just about tness, it’s about long-term wellbeing and could be a handy addition to your regime –though not an excuse to ditch exercise.
£199 for a month’s supply, lyma.life
IT’S GETTING HOT IN HERE
Saunas are popping up in London faster than Donald Trump is signing executive orders. e latest is ARC, a new subterranean contrast therapy haven beneath towering Canary Wharf. It’s the UK’s very rst space dedicated to the hot-cold trend, and boasts the country’s largest sauna alongside eight custom-made ice baths kept between a chilly two and ve degrees centigrade. e brainchild of hospitality juggernaut Chris Miller and neuroscience PhD sauna master Alanna Kit, ARC joins London’s zeitgeisty community sauna scene, but ups the ante with soothing terracotta interiors, aromatic ice bombs, guided breathwork and rain showers equipped with fragrant Malin+Goetz products. arc-community.com
BODY& SOUL
Camilla Hewitt on the transformative power of self-reflection
Last year, I attended a retreat led by Dr Deepak Chopra, where his insights on self-re ection became my most valuable wellness takeaway of 2024. Chopra’s teachings revolve around consciousness – how awareness can positively shape our interpretation of the world and in uence what we attract. ‘We can upgrade the illusion,’ he says. But how do we do this? During meditations, Chopra guided us to ask four questions: Who am I? What do I want? What is my purpose? What am I grateful for? It may be enough to simply notice and observe what comes up, but I instinctively made notes, combining a short meditation with journaling.
Journaling has emerged, alongside other mindful activities, as a valuable tool. Regularly putting pen to paper has been shown to improve decision-making and communication skills, reduce emotional stress, strengthen relationships, and even lead to better sleep and more self-con dence. Dr Rangan Chatterjee, author of Make Change at Lasts, explains why this practice is so powerful: ‘ e reason people struggle in life is that they’re reactive,’ he tell us. ‘ ey’re not living intentionally or choosing how they want to show up in the world. Instead, they allow the external circumstances and the people around them to dictate the way they are going to be. Journaling transforms the way you experience life by putting you in the driver’s seat, rather than being a passenger.’ He also highlights how self-awareness often comes from conversations with others. While this is bene cial, we don’t always have access to close friends or a con dant. Journaling, he says, becomes a way to engage in a dialogue with yourself.
For a beginner staring at a blank page and wondering, ‘What should I write?’ questions can serve as helpful prompts. In his ree Question Journal, Dr Chatterjee recommends asking three questions in the morning to set the tone for your day and three more in the evening to re ect and learn from your experiences. e rst question is: what is the most important thing I need to do today? Dr Chatterjee explains, ‘Not everything in life holds equal importance; by thinking it does, we fall into a trap. ere is only really ever one answer to this question. In our busy, chaotic world, we often postpone the truly important things – like health and relationships – until everything else is done. But
there’s always something else to do, and the important things can end up neglected. is question shifts the focus in your brain.’
e next question is: what is one thing I deeply appreciate about my life? ‘Our mood, actions, and emotions are downstream from that boost of positivity. In contrast, starting each morning looking at social media or the news can fuel negativity for the rest of the day.’ Gratitude has been shown to improve sleep, boost energy, and enhance relationships and self-worth. Finally, ask yourself: what quality do I want to show the world today? We’re often reactive or repeating past behaviours; by writing down your intention, it brings it into your awareness. Dr Chatterjee likens this to visualisation in sports, where mentally rehearsing desired outcomes programs the mind for success. In the evening, the focus is on re ection. Much like an athlete reviewing their performance with a coach, journaling can improve our performance. Ask yourself: what went well today? What can I do di erently tomorrow? What did I do for someone else today?
Whether you meditate, journal, or both, incorporating self-re ection into your routine can help you to tap into your own spiritual guide. is brings to mind a remark made by Chopra: ‘You can live your entire life in this waking dream, or you can ask yourself questions. Consciousness has in nite organising power.’ n
PHOTOS: PEXELS
Learning to self-reflect can put you back in the driving seat of your life
HEALTHCARE LIKE NO OTHER
Introducing Buff Medical Resort – a new state-of-the-art holistic health resort on the stunning shores of Lake Constance
THE VISION
Buff Medical Resort was created by Swiss entrepreneur and hotelier Hans Jürg Buff to offer medical excellence and exclusive health programmes in combination with a first-class, luxurious 5-star experience – an innovative, holistic health concept as a new path for the body, mind and soul.
World-leading doctors and specialists of preventative and regenerative medicine come together to provide cross-discipline, personalised medical and holistic treatment programmes for every guest. Bringing experts from a spectrum of medical fields, including cardiology, orthopaedics, osteopathy and physiotherapy, Buff Medical Resort offers a broad range of diagnostics and treatments under one roof. This is coupled with highly qualified yoga, pilates and meditation instructors, leading sports scientists and nutritionists, and advanced spa practitioners working together on an individualised treatment plan.
Buff Medical Resort is a place of transformation, where guests lay the foundation for a healthier, longer and self-determined life.
Buff Medical Resort is beautifully positioned on the shores of Lake Constance on the border of Switzerland and Germany
FOUR PILLARS OF HEALING
Buff Medical Resort focuses on improving gut and metabolic health, stress management and sleep quality through its unique interdisciplinary exchange of complex diagnostics, holistic wellbeing and the expertise of a mindful lifestyle. It offers ten programmes lasting between three and 21 days, which vary in intensity and content, with each one designed to strengthen, heal and restore. The resort’s commitment to every guest’s care does not end with their stay: guests can expect regular follow-ups to ensure long-term positive outcomes.
Guests are invited to follow a modern take on the Mayr cure, combining cutting-edge nutritional science with Dr Mayr’s original principles to create tailor-made, gourmet fasting and detoxifying menus that cleanse and regenerate the intestines, harnessing the healing powers of nutrition. Guests not keen to fast can follow instead a GourMED programme of star-level meals.
‘Our changing world places drastic demands on our health, which calls for a PIONEERING APPROACH to our healthcare’
Hans Jürg Buff, founder of Buff Medical Resort
LOCATION AND ACCOMMODATION
Each of Hans Jürg Buff’s six hotels in St Moritz, Switzerland, has been chosen for its position and Buff Medical Resort is no exception, situated in a leafy park on the shores of Lake Constance, the snow-capped Alps beyond.
Each of the especially spacious and beautifully designed rooms and suites is south facing, with large balconies overlooking the water, electrical radiation shielding and the option of recreating an alpine highaltitude climate to further boost metabolism and restful sleep.
Positioned within the town of Constance, Buff Medical Resort is 40 minutes from Zurich International Airport and a 20-minute stroll from the train station, served by Deutsche Bahn and Swiss Federal Railways.
Buff Medical Resort opens in April. Enjoy the special 50 percent Family & Friends introductory offer between 1-31 March. A new chapter of your health begins here. Healthcare Like No Other at buff-medical-resort.com.
BODY Language
Skin sluggish and energy flagging?
Olivia Falcon shares herpower products
Let’s talk rst about the state of our skin. After months of winter’s thin grey light, it may have a mauve tinge right now. If you’re after a good brightening solution, check out Icelandic biotech beauty brand ChitoCare Beauty, whose capsule collection of rich face creams and lightweight serums contain chitosan, a powerful antioxidant extracted from shrimp shells shed from pristine Arctic waters.
Used for decades in the medical community for treating everything from burns to caesarean scars, chitosan is an anti-in ammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-aging powerhouse ingredient. I have been experimenting in my bathroom with the ChitoCare Anti-age Repair Serum (£72, chitocarebeauty.com), which has put a light bulb under my skin and miraculously reduced the rosacea on my Rudolph-like nose.
I have also been impressed with Element Eight (elementeight.com), a Californian brand which uses OATH technology, a therapy originally used in spinal surgery to accelerate blood microcirculation. It has been encapsulated into skincare and works to restore oxygen, deliver intense hydration and repair skin damage. e buttery textures are sensational. I suggest starting with the Niacinamide Eight Active Serum (£285, harrods.com).
Mushroom supplements have been gaining traction in recent years and I love brands like DIRTEA – but if you really want to feel the buzz (and have deep pockets), Hifas da Terra have been growing mushrooms in bioreactors for over 25 years in Spain. A box of Mico Blue Solution (£1,100, w-wellness.co.uk) contains a month’s worth of syringes that you squeeze into your mouth rst thing in the morning,
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CLEAN SHEET
Put down the cotton pads: these innovative multitasking and ultrasoft cotton facial sheets are ideal for removing make up, applying toner or a mask for deeper product penetration, or drying skin. The material is fully compostable and soil and marine biodegradable too. Skinsheet, £20 for 12. theskinsheet.com
ChitoCare Beauty contains a powerful antioxidant used by the medical community to treat scars
preferably on an empty stomach. What happens next is akin to the Bradley Cooper upgrade in the movie Limitless. e ‘microemulsion’, a liquid that has a caramel-like taste, contains the most potent cordycep and reishi mushroom extracts money can buy and it releases energy to the cells to improve fertility and libido for both men and women. Increasing oxygen levels in the blood by 30 percent and ATP (the energy molecule) by 40 percent, it also helps the body build more muscle, which is excellent news for middle-aged people like me who are agging at the gym.
For those who are fans of NAD supplements (a powerful form of vitamin B that supercharges the mitochondria cells and boosts energy, immunity and sleep), here is a new more comfortable way to get your x without the nasty side e ects ( ushing, nausea, rapid heart rate, chest tightness, tummy cramps) some people experience with the traditional NAD IV drips. e NAD+ 4u pen (£395, nadplus4u.com) was inspired by the Ozempic® pen and features a painless hair-sized needle that administers 50mg doses, which should be injected every other day. Start now on a four-week course and you’ll be skipping into spring. n
SPRING CLEAN
2 DOWNSIZE
These generous travel-sized minis from Natura Bissé will easily cover a two-week holiday and each one is packed with prebiotics and a special peony root extract that energises sluggish skin and adds glow. Natura Bissé The Diamond Discovery Set, £175. harrods.com
3 DEPUFF
Potent plant extracts, AKA polyphenols, are set to be a skincare must for 2025 and here they are responsibly packaged (Daisyface has a coveted Red Dot award for sustainability), with a powerful formula to reduce puffiness and fade pigmentation. Daisyface The Eye Cream, £55 (refill £45). daisyface.co
4 PLUMP
The new N°1 De Chanel plumping cream is deliciously enriched with skin longevity-booster, red camellia extract. Chanel Red Camellia Cream, 50g, £98, chanel.com
Where luxury comes naturally
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Own an exclusive home in a premium village, where the prestigious 5-star Viceroy at Ombria Hotel sets the stage for world-class hospitality and exceptional dining experiences. Nestled amidst the rolling hills of the Algarve, with breathtaking panoramic views of our award-winning 18-hole golf course, we invite you to embrace an exceptional lifestyle in perfect harmony with nature.
Discover our selection of properties, from bespoke villas to fully furnished townhouses and apartments designed by renowned architects and set amongst beautiful natural surroundings.
Hack to the FUTURE
Biohacking is the latest beauty buzzword. Its aim? To trick your skin into thinking it’s younger, says Nathalie Eleni
WHERE TO START? Skincare is always a good place to start. Cosmeceutical and advanced skincare can work wonders to optimise your glow. Amp up your antioxidants to combat external aggressors. A stable form of Vitamin C, such as Revision C+ Correcting Complex 30% (£206, revisionskincare.co.uk), will help to neutralise free radicals. Keep your skin hydrated to maintain a plump, youthful appearance; a treatment mask, like Tata Harper Hydrating Floral Mask (£85, tataharperskincare.com), applied a couple of times a week can restore parched skin. Before bed, use a clinically proven product to treat sun damage, which accounts for 80 percent of ageing. e Skin Diary Night Repair erapy (£135, theskindiary.com) is 20 times more e ective than retinols without irritation, scienti cally proven to repair sun-damaged skin at a cellular level. Redness and irritation can lead to stress and broken capillaries that age your skin, so consider a specialised product like Soin Apax (£85, mederbeauty. com) to calm in ammation and treat rosacea.
LIGHT THERAPY With so many options to plump for, keep it simple by choosing gadgets that not only work but are easy to use – and not time consuming. Red light therapy, infrared, and non-fractional lasers improve skin appearance. Try the Nira Precision Non-Fractional Laser (£429, niraskin.com) to tighten, smooth, and lift the eye area. For soothing red light combined with micro-vibrations to enhance circulation, consider the BeautyPro LED Wand Device (£79, beautypro.com). For muscle recovery, immune system boosting, and cellular repair, try the Sunlighten Red Light erapy Panel (£1,849, sunlighten.com).
BEAUTY SLEEP Lack of sleep accelerates stress and aging by a ecting cellular repair and hormonal balance. is is a crucial step in your biohacking journey. Dr Sohère Roked, GP and functional medicine and hormone doctor, recommends supplements like ashwagandha, magnesium, or melatonin for better sleep and relaxation. Another option is the Sensate device (from £299, getsensate.com), which rests on your sternum and uses calming vibrations to soothe your vagus nerve, improving heart rate and lowering cortisol levels.
YOUTH INJECTIONS To promote skin regeneration at the cellular level, collagen-stimulating injections yield incredible results, with Plinest polynucleotide leading the way. Dr Saleena Zimri, from Skin Doctor Clinics, explains, ‘Plinest is a polynucleotide using HPT, which consists of long chains of DNA from trout sperm. When injected, it stimulates broblasts to produce collagen and signals melanocytes to improve skin tone, leading to enhanced elasticity, reduced wrinkles, and better hydration.’ She recommends three sessions (three to six weeks apart) initially, followed by touch-ups every few months. (From £495, skindoctorclinics.co.uk)
TOPPING UP NATURE’S RESERVES As we age, our natural vitamin reserves deplete. Topping them up with clinically proven methods can help trick the body into looking and feeling younger. Dr Michael at NADclinic in Marylebone, London states, ‘NAD+ is a vital coenzyme found in every cell. It acts as a catalyst for energy production and cellular repair, fuelling essential processes like DNA repair, metabolism, and maintaining healthy mitochondria. Boosting NAD+ levels enhances cellular resilience, combats aging e ects, and supports overall wellness.’
is can be administered by an IV drip in clinic, or at home via a product like NADSQ (1000mg), which contains 20 subcutaneous shots of 50mg NAD+ (from £349, nadclinic.com).
BeautyPRO’s LED device can improve the skin’s appearance
NADSQ contains an extremely high dose of NAD+ for clinic results at home
PHOTOS: PEXELS
Nira’s Precision non-fractional laser tightens, smooths and lifts the eye area
Good sleep is essential for your biohacking journey
The Nutritionist
Our new columnist, Dr Federica Amati, head nutritionist at ZOE, unpacks the latest science on coffee
Co ee’s shared history with humans stretches back many centuries, and it remains one of the world’s most popular drinks with 80 percent of the population drinking it daily.
A s scientists study how co ee might a ect health, the media eagerly reports their studies – journalists know most of us have skin in the game and want to know whether co ee is killing us. Over the years, the pendulum has swung between headlines like ‘Co ee Is Bad for Your Heart!’ and ‘Co ee Is Actually Great for You!’. But what’s the truth?
To understand the full picture, we rst need to separate co ee from ca eine, the most well-known of co ee’s many fascinating plant compounds. It’s an important part of the plant’s defence system, protecting it from being snacked upon or infected. We call these kinds of plant chemicals bioactive because they have speci c e ects, but what about its e ects on humans?
Ca eine acts on the central nervous system, making it the most commonly consumed psychostimulant drug in the world. Famously, it can make you feel more awake and alert, but studies also show it can improve athletic performance and thinking. Interestingly, despite past headlines to the contrary, moderate ca eine consumption isn’t bad for your heart. Now that scientists have run larger and longer studies, it’s clear that, for generally healthy people, co ee reduces your risk of heart disease. ere’s also some evidence that ca eine may protect against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Ca eine is, of course, addictive, and withdrawal can be generally unpleasant, bringing headaches, fatigue and low mood. Some people respond poorly to ca eine, too – it can make them jittery and anxious and interrupt their sleep even many hours later. If you’re sensitive to ca eine, decaf co ee still has health bene ts, thanks to the cocktail of plant chemicals it contains.
stronger with each study published. For instance, a recent study by ZOE scientists found they could identify who drank co ee just by analysing their gut microbiome. We also identi ed a species of bacteria called Lawsonibacter asaccharolyticus that thrive in the presence of co ee, which may help explain some of co ee’s health bene ts.
Co ee’s in uence on the gut microbiome is partly thanks to plant compounds called polyphenols. ey feed your ‘good’ gut bacteria, helping them thrive and multiply, displacing ‘bad’ species. Polyphenols also support antioxidant processes in your cells that mop up toxic byproducts of metabolism and may reduce your risk of heart disease and in ammation, and even help protect against type 2 diabetes.
Aside from the bene ts of polyphenols, co ee supports gut health as it contains a fair dose of bre. In the UK, guidelines suggest we eat 30g of bre a day, but we only manage 20g on average. Fibre helps protect against heart disease, metabolic conditions and cancer; it also supports healthy blood sugar control, immune function, digestion and even weight management. Co ee contains around 1.5g of bre per cup, which is more than a glass of orange juice. Although it won’t be enough bre to ful l your dietary requirements, it’s a good start.
‘It’s CLEAR that, for generally HEALTHY people, coffee reduces your risk of HEART DISEASE’
Raw co ee beans contain hundreds of plant chemicals. As part of the co ee-making process, beans are fermented – legions of bacteria process the raw ingredients, converting the cocktail of natural plant compounds into a dizzying array of new ones. ese plant compounds and their fermentation likely impart many of the health bene ts associated with co ee. is links to a topic close to my heart: the gut microbiome. Although the term ‘gut health’ has become a marketing buzzword, the science linking gut bacteria to overall health grows
Beyond the gut, evidence suggests that drinking moderate amounts of co ee may also be associated with a lower risk of some cancers, including breast, liver, prostate and colorectal cancer. Although experts are unclear on the precise mechanisms involved, it seems likely that co ee’s incredible suite of plant compounds play an outsized role.
As always, there are caveats to be aware of – not all co ees are created equal. Many co ee products contain high levels of sugar, and co ee’s powerful plant compounds can’t counteract that. Many also contain a range of additives, including emulsi ers, which are likely to impact the health of your gut microbiome.
Overall, the latest science shows that moderate co ee consumption can support your health. And while ca eine has certain bene ts – if the buzz is unpleasant, decaf and its powerful polyphenols will still provide bene ts.
COFFEE TAKEAWAYS
1
Check the ingredients
If a product has lots of added sugars or a long list of hardto-pronounce ingredients, don’t buy it.
2
Black is best for maximum benefits, but a splash of milk, whether it’s dairy, oat, or any other plant milk, will do no harm.
3
Don’t frown on instant
The evidence suggests that, healthwise, it is just as beneficial. If that’s your cost-effective, simple-to-make coffee, you’re not missing out.
Remember the facekini fad? This shot for Carine Roitfeld’s CR Fashion Book in 2014 is among 200 items in the Design Museum’s spring exhibition exploring our love affair with swimming. From the sublime (a detailed model of Zaha Hadid’s London 2012 Aquatic Centre) to the riotous (Pamela Anderson’s red swimsuit from Baywatch, arguably the most famous swimsuit in the world), dive on in... Splash! A Century of Swimming and Style, 28 March to 17 August. design museum.org
THE CULTURAL CALENDAR
From prints to posies, Tessa Dunthorne suggests some top dates for your diary
PUT A RING ON IT
Serious jewellery-box envy comes from the V&A South Kensington’s landmark Cartier exhibition. More than 350 jewels, watches and clocks take visitors through the Maison’s glittering history, timetravelling to the turn of the 20th century to discover how Cartier became, well, Cartier. From 12 April, vam.ac.uk
GOOD GRAYSON
Set to be the largest contemporary exhibition the Wallace Collection has ever staged, Grayson Perry: Delusions of Grandeur presents over 40 new works by the artist, interrogating how (and why) we make and collect art, particularly in the wake of developing technologies. Expect ‘outsider art’ from the likes of Aloïse Corbaz and Madge Gill, too. From 28 March, wallacecollection.org
COMING UP ROSES
You might expect the Saatchi Gallery's latest opening, Flowers – Flora in Contemporary Art & Culture, to deliver near enough what it says on the tin. But it will beguile you: think large scale immersive installations, hyperrealist bejewelled brooches by Buccellati, and big names from Pedro Almodóvar and Gillian Ayres to Takashi Murakami, Marc Quinn and the late, great Vivienne Westwood. Until 5 May, saatchigallery.com
CHECK THE FINE PRINT
Should all these exhibitions have you evaluating your own walls, the London Original Print Fair returns to Somerset House for its 40th edition. Europe’s largest works-on-paper fair, it champions printmakers from emerging talent to legends like Tracey Emin, Tom Hammick and David Shrigley. 20-23 March, londonoriginalprintfair.com
LAST CHANCE
HORSE PLAY
Missed the Cheltenham Gold Cup (14 March)?
Trot down to the racecourse's April meeting instead for a slightly more relaxed atmosphere but with top-class racing and hospitality. 16-17 April, thejockeyclub.co.uk
BIRDS OF A FEATHER
Cate Blanchett – better known for her saké, really (p165) – makes a return to the stage alongside Tom Burke and Emma Corrin in an all-star production of Chekhov’s The Seagull. Until 5 April, barbican.org.uk
IN FOCUS: LONDON FILM FESTIVALS
Popcorn at the ready, says Tessa Dunthorne
Can’t make it to Cannes or Toronto this year? Never mind: here are three lm festivals closer to home, giving silver screen lovers access to icks and their stars a few months before the masses this spring and summer.
BFI FLARE
When and where? 19-30 March, Southbank Highlights? Now in its 39th year, the LGBTQIA+ festival opens with Andrew Ahn’s e Wedding Banquet, which premiered at Sundance and follows two couples – one gay, the other lesbian – setting up a lavender marriage to appease their traditional grandparents. e programme also includes Hot Milk, adaptated from Deborah Levy’s Booker Prize-nominated novel, starring Emma Mackey, Fiona Shaw and Vicky Krieps, and If I Die, It'll Be Of Joy by director Alexis Taillant, a touching rebuttal of our preconceptions about old age. Of the selection of fantastic documentaries, don’t miss Sally!, a powerful homage to Sally Gearhart, one of the most iconic lesbian activists of the 70s.
SXSW LONDON
When and where? 2-7 June, Shoreditch Highlights? What started as a major music festival in 1987 in Austin, Texas, South by Southwest (SXSW) added a concurrent lm and television festival in 1994 which has become one of the biggest in the US, held annually and hosting every A-lister imaginable. is inaugural European edition takes place in East London, with con rmed speakers including Idris Elba, Katherine Ryan and Grammy award-winning
artist and lmmaker Jenn Nkiru, who has directed for the likes of Beyoncé.
RAINDANCE
When and where? 18-27 June, West End Highlights? Still to be announced; at the time of writing, submissions have only just closed. e UK’s largest independent lm festival – now in its 33rd year and spanning the heart of London’s lm district – was established to celebrate maverick lmmaking with the best in certain categories eligible for Oscar nominations. Previous award winners and attendees have included Andrew Scott, Michael Winterbottom, Rory Kinear and Chiwetel Ejiofor
Discover more UK based lm festivals at countryandtownhouse.com/culture
Ryan Calais-Cameron’s Retrograde transfers to the West End in which Sidney Poitier (Ivanno Jeremiah) is forced to reckon with his integrity.
8 March to 14 June, Apollo Theatre. nimaxtheatres.com
Based on Raynor Winn’s bestselling 2018 memoir, Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs face health crises and legal troubles in The Salt Path Their solution? To turn to nature and a long walk. In cinemas 25 April
Following her run as Sally Bowles in Cabaret and three years after her Brit and Mercury nominated sophomore album, Lucy Taylor – better known as Self Esteem – is back with A Complicated Woman 25 April
Americanah author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie returns with her first novel in more than a decade. Dream Count weaves the stories of four women into a poignant tale of love and regret, questioning the nature of happiness. 4th Estate, out now
If I Die, It'll Be Of Joy examines how old age can be filled with enormous wells of feeling
Sally! takes us into the private life – and public politics – of lesbian activist Sally Gearhart
PREVIEW
After huge acclaim and 13 Tony nods on Broadway, the don’t-miss Stereophonic is coming to London
Sausalito, California. 1976. An up-and-coming rock band is on the cusp of stardom after the success of its debut album. As the ve members (Simon, Reg, Holly, Peter and Diana) set to work on the follow-up with the help of two sound engineers (Grover and Charlie), the stakes are sky high. We meet them in the stage-sized studio, ies on the wall as marital strife, egos and creative clashes pull Jenga-like at the band’s fragile foundations. is is the premise of Stereophonic –which, in 2024, attracted the most Tony nominations for any play ever. Written by David Adjmi with original songs penned by Arcade Fire’s Will Butler, the Fleetwood Mac comparisons were almost instant (even earning a lawsuit from the writers of 2012 Fleetwood Mac memoir Making Rumours).
It’s a salaciousness audiences evidently love; just look at the whopping success of Prime Video’s Daisy Jones & the Six (based on Taylor Jenkins Reid’s 2019 novel of the same name), which launched seven months prior to Stereophonic and similarly
hurls us into the centre of a volatile rock band in 1970s California.
Like Reid, Adjmi and Butler were striving to emulate a documentary. In Stereophonic, real musical equipment is scattered across the space and used throughout. e characters feel no less real than if this were, in fact, a Fleetwood Mac documentary – just with a larger audience and the added bene t of an interval.
A fter premiering in October 2023 and extending its run twice, Stereophonic wrapped up on Broadway in January, making space for a London appearance before it hops back across the Atlantic for a US tour in October.
Broadway stars Andrew R Butler, Eli Gelb and Chris Stack return for this limited London debut, which kicks o in May. For a taste of what’s in store, an original cast recording of Stereophonic’s music can be streamed or purchased on CD now.
Stereophonic runs from 24 May to 20 September, o ciallondontheatre.com
MY Cultural Life
Sam Nivola keeps being cast as awkward teens. But he’s a charmer IRL
I’m currently starring in The White Lotus... is third season is de nitely wilder and wackier than the previous two. e way Mike White creates similar stories but uses the location and the cast to make a completely new show every season is amazing to me.
It was filmed over seven months in Thailand… and the lines between reality and the show de nitely got blurred. It felt like we were a family on holiday, and I became best friends with everyone in my big family.
Lochlan is similar to characters I've played my whole life... In e Perfect Couple (Net ix), I was a similar awkward teen: probably a virgin, a bit of a loser, but with a naive curiosity about the world. It's basically a version of myself in high school. My most formative role… was in White Noise with Noah Baumbach. I was still in high school, it was my rst ever audition, and the rst job I ever got. At the time he was – and still is –my favourite director on the planet.
Comedy and drama are my favourite genres… but I'd love to be in a war movie at some point, so that when I'm 60 I can look back at photographs of myself in the best shape of my life.
Leos Carax is a director I've always wanted to work with... after seeing Mauvais Sang (1986). He is a total badass, a genius and a weirdo; I met him once at Venice Film Festival. I go through reading phases in my life… and I’m currently about halfway through Foundation by Isaac Asimov. I’ve never been into sci- , because I usually see the movie adaptations rst. But this is awesome.
I recently saw The Brutalist I look forward to whatever Brady Corbett does next. Everything he has done so far has been amazing.
I’m always listening to… e Beatles, which is so basic but I listen to them religiously.
e White Lotus Season 3 airs weekly on Mondays on Sky Atlantic until 6 April. Catch up on Now TV.
BIBLIOFILE
Belinda Bamber talks to David Szalay about desire, male bodies and saving a fellatio scene
Why the provocative title, Flesh? It is perhaps a little vulgar, but with a literary pedigree –the Bible, Shakespeare. It combines the tawdry with the profound, the sleazy with the serious. It’s about the inescapably physical nature of our existence.
We meet István as a shy teen in Hungary and follow his rise from soldier to strip club bouncer, to chauffeur to rich English property developer, in part via the beds of older women. How did the story begin? I wanted to express the way we change dramatically over the course of our lives while also staying the same. I was also exploring the dynamics of desire, as something that changes and develops in unpredictable ways. How does Flesh relate to your Bookershortlisted novel All That Man Is (2016)? Each is a series of narratives about progressively older men, but Flesh focuses on the same man at di erent ages, giving scope to explore how he’s shaped by historical events over decades. István is a sensitive portrait of a man whose physicality seems to drive his life. Is the novel a defence of masculinity? It’s a description –un inching, but also basically sympathetic – of what it’s like to inhabit a male body, to actually be a male body. I wanted to move away from a sort of Cartesian distinction between mind and body, away from picturing existence as a mind somehow ‘trapped’ inside a body. I wanted to look at humans more as bodies that think. Your unreconstructed male characters can provoke disquiet among female readers. Are you seeking a reaction? I don’t think I’m trying to provoke female readers in particular. And I’ve never aimed my books speci cally at men. It’s more about delity to experience, which is central to my writing and can lead to uncomfortable places. Interestingly, we had an
editorial discussion about axing a blow job scene in Flesh, which was defended and saved by the women in the room.
Flesh has hilarious moments. Which writers make you laugh at the dark side of life? Early Martin Amis, Michel Houellebecq. To be properly, deeply funny, comedy has to take risks and tap into painful, horrible things. I regard Kafka as rst and foremost a comic writer. Why are the key scenes in István’s life referenced only after the event? I’m more interested in the consequences of violent drama than the moments themselves. Film and TV have immediacy and impact in showing drama, while novels have more scope to recreate subjective
experience. However, a black-out takes place in violent moments of extreme anger or fear, when words evaporate and the experience becomes entirely non-linguistic. at’s partly why there are gaps in the story at those points. Even blank pages.
You have a gift for authentically banal dialogue that is somehow revelatory. Why is István so monosyllabic? I wanted characters who weren’t unrealistically articulate. Flesh is partly about the frustrating indeterminacy of feelings and their slippery relationship with the words we use to express them.
Is it fair to say the vanities of human life are your chief subject matter? In a way, yes, in that I tend to see life’s pleasures in the context of mortality, transience and death. Flesh is partly modelled on classical tragedy. Your characters are empathic, despite their actions. Does it matter if István is a ‘nice’ person? I’m bored by stories in which the morality is easy to grasp. I’m only interested in those where the moral questions are di cult or indeed impossible to fully resolve.
How did your peripatetic childhood influence your writing? My experience of moving countries several times, of never being fully at home anywhere, means I’m drawn to stories about people on the move, in alien environments. My own life for the last decade has existed between Hungary and Britain, and in Flesh I wanted to draw on that.
Flesh is your sixth book. Is writing a pleasure or a battle? Writing can be joyful, but it takes honesty and self-belief to identify the ideas that truly engage me, rather than those that ‘ought’ to, or that I think might engage the reader. My con dence was shaken after abandoning a nearcomplete novel in 2020 and the start of Flesh reworks that.
Flesh by David Szalay (Vintage, £18.99). Read the full interview at countryand townhouse.com/culture/cth-book-club
WHAT MAKETH A MAN
Dazed by illness, his wife’s infidelity and their empty nest, middle-aged Tom takes a road trip in THE REST OF OUR LIVES, by Ben Markovits (Faber, £16.99); a deep-sea mission exposes a secret heart of darkness for Fennell and Conway in TWIST by Colum McCann (Bloomsbury £18.99); Sayaka Murata conjures a no-sex future – with pregnant men – in VANISHING WORLD (Granta, £16.99); Katie Kitamura deconstructs the mother-son dynamic in AUDITION (Vintage, £18.99); a father’s new girlfriend detonates sibling relations in THE HOMEMADE GOD, by Rachel Joyce (Transworld, £20); Abdulrazak Gurnah tells an East African coming-of-age story in THEFT (Bloomsbury £18.99). n
GO FIGURE
Olivia Cole meets Robyn Neild, the fashion illustrator turned sculptor whose figurines are a study in destruction and renewal
just kept thinking, I’d love to be able to capture this in 3D,’ says the sculptor Robyn Neild of her rst career in fashion illustration. Her striking bronze botanical creations and gurines with their intricate surfaces use her love of fabrics in a totally di erent way, with an energy that couldn’t be contained on the page. Today, Neild is showing all over the UK, most recently at the prestigious Collect Art Fair at Somerset House.
Liv ing and working in Folkestone on the Kent coast marks a new chapter, but also a reconnection with her rst love: ‘As a kid, it was papier mâché, plastiscene and those pipe cleaners. I was obsessed with them,’ she says. ‘Gluing and sticking things together, that was my happy place. It’s almost like I’ve returned to that. at sort of childlike play.’
Alongside the elegant gurines clothed in foraged botanicals that mimic catwalk couture, Neild now sculpts the most delicate natural forms. ese include cow parsley stems, poppy seed heads, sea holly, lowly but beautiful coastal weeds and – personal favourites – spiky tiny thistles growing amid the shingle. ‘It’s almost like they’re really ghting, coming out of the ground. ere’s this sharpness and beauty to them. ey’ve evolved to protect themselves.’
Her unusual open wax technique makes each piece a one-o . e found forms she works with don’t survive the process of being red – just their shape is left in plaster, into which she then pours liquid bronze. ere’s an element of destruction. ‘After a few hours, whatever I’ve created is completely gone, it’s just a void.’ ere’s a brutality to the process that she admits took some getting used to.
As well as these botanical forms that she’s freezing in time, there’s endless detritus from the sea at her ngertips in her adopted home. Shelves and shelves of found materials line her studio. ‘I love rusty bits of metal and things I’ve found in Dungeness. Bullet shrapnel, industrial pieces, bits of boats, stones, marble, decaying rotting bits of wood which are all bleached by the sun – I love those.’ It’s a cabinet of wonders even before she sets to work.
Just along the shoreline from Folkestone, Dungeness is both a physical place to mine and an enduring imaginative presence in her work. Before moving to the coast full time, Neild would often spend time here at Derek Jarman’s Prospect Cottage. (As well as exploring the lmmaker’s world renowned garden – a living museum – artists can stay at his former home.) Ten years on, she is proud some of her pieces now belong in Jarman’s Garden Museum’s permanent collection.
Today the story of the garden has an almost mythical power. Jarman, who died in 1994, created it in the tough inhospitable stony ground while living with an AIDS diagnosis. at symbolism of renewal, endurance and unexpected stark beauty is there in Neild’s practice too, and in the emotional power people nd in her work. ‘My sculptures are about resilience, and things not holding you back,’ she says. Here’s to that.
robynneildsculpture.com n
Robyn Neild casts her figurines in liquid bronze and clothes them in foraged materials
The EXHIBITIONIST
It’s all eyes on Bradford, says Ed Vaizey, with local hero David Hockney leading the charge
Bradford is this year’s UK City of Culture, an accolade that comes around once every four years. Since 2013, Derry, Coventry and Hull have all enjoyed the attention it brings.
As culture minister in 2010, I was intimately involved in the creation and roll out of this award – though it wasn’t my idea. Liverpool was a great success as the European Capital of Culture (remember Europe?) in 2008. One of Liverpool’s main cheerleaders was Phil Redmond, the veteran television producer who helped create Grange Hill, Brookside and Hollyoaks. Phil thought the European Capital of Culture had been so good for Liverpool that he wanted more cities to bene t. Unfortunately, each European country only receives the award every 20 years (the last Capital of Culture in the UK before Liverpool had been Glasgow in 1990), so he came up with the idea of a UK award every four years. Which, considering Brexit, was rather prescient.
So it came to be that I stood on a hotel roof in Liverpool to announce – live on e One Show – that Derry in Northern Ireland would be the rst recipient of this new designation. And, in 2013, I found myself on Derry’s ancient battlements, accompanied by special branch detectives, shaking the hand of Martin McGuinness, the former IRA man turned Sinn Féin politician.
A surprising amount of cities bid to be the UK Capital of Culture in every four-year cycle, and that is a very good thing. It means that every four years, a few local councils sit down and think hard about their cultural o ering, how they can make it better and more attractive, and how it can be co-ordinated and presented. It is both a useful stock take and a stimulus for new ideas. e winner gets absolutely no money (Britain is skint), but it does bring some investment and some national cultural events move out of London to be held in the winning city.
How has Bradford decided to use its new status in 2025? For starters,
Bradford is a UNESCO City of Film. e National Film Media Museum was built here in the 1990s and has now reopened after a multi-million pound refurbishment. e Railway Children is being reenacted on the very railway line where both the 1968 BBC series and the 1970 lm were shot, with a purpose-built auditorium in the engine shed.
Bradford is a young city, with a quarter of its population under 20. It has tapped up local boys Zayn Malik (an ambassador) and Steven Frayne, Britain’s greatest magician formerly known as Dynamo. Akram Khan, whose live retelling of e Jungle Book in January reimagined Mowgli as a refugee caught in a world devastated by climate change, has been commissioned to create a new contemporary dance piece for July.
As to the visual arts, there is a nationwide drawing project inspired by Bradford-born David Hockney, who also has an exhibition at Bradford’s National Science and Media Museum. e Turner Prize, Britain’s oldest and most prestigious award for contemporary art, will be in Bradford from September, coinciding with the 250th anniversary of Turner’s birth, with the winner announced in December. Four new site-speci c artworks will be created for Pensitone Hill Country Park, on the moors that inspired local writer Emily Brontë. e artist Jeremy Deller and conductor Charles Hazelwood have curated with the Paraorchestra a musical experience with local musicians, and Opera North is taking up a residence.
What this boils down to is a year-long festival of creativity, much of it inspired by Bradford’s literary and artistic heritage. For at least a year, Bradford’s civic leaders will be focused on what their city has to o er in terms of culture, and they will have an opportunity to showcase it to the world. It can only be a good thing. e trick will be if they can involve as many people in the city as possible, and leave a lasting legacy on which to build. Fingers crossed.
bradford2025.co.uk n
BRADFORD’S BEST: from David Hockney (top left) to Zayn Malik (top right), Bradford is spinning out its new status
Thursday 20 March to Sunday 23 March
Tom Hammick, Red Carpet,
by Jamiroquai
PThe GREEN LANE
The Porsche 911 has been a design icon for six decades. Jeremy Taylor takes an exclusive first spin in the new ‘electrified’ version
orsche a cionados have been dreading this – the moment the brand’s de nitive sports car nally goes electric. e 911 boasts near mythical status among motoring enthusiasts but now there’s a hybrid model too and I’m one of the rst to drive it.
Blessed with astonishing handling, devastatingly quick and yet so easy to live with on an everyday basis, the 911 has been the benchmark coupé for over 60 years. And despite what we think about some of the people who drive t hem, Porsche do make exceptionally good cars.
For those expecting a w atered-down Porsche experience, fear not. is hybridised 911 is still very much a petrol-powered car. I n fact, there’s probably a larger battery in my w ristwatch than the one l inked to the GTS’s new, 3.6-litre six-cylinder engine.
e compact T-Hybrid system is essentially an e-motor and electric turbo, with a tiny 1.9kW battery mounted over the 911’s front axle. (By comparison, the hybrid McLaren Artura supercar features a battery almost four times the size.)
is isn’t a plug-in electric car and, unlike the McLaren, the Porsche won’t run silently in electric ‘stealth’ mode. Instead, the new electric systems ensure the latest 911 is faster than ever, with instant acceleration and no momentary wait for the turbo to kick in.
e fun factor is huge, thanks to standard four-wheel steering and a system called Dynamic Chassis Control. It’s more composed through a tight corner than Darcy Bussell whizzing through a pirouette.
Even at low revs the 911 accelerates quickly; ick the eight-speed automatic gearbox to manual and the GTS actually sounds like a Porsche of old. My Cabriolet model features four-wheel drive for extra grip but a rear-wheel drive version is also available.
Visually, the 2025 911 looks almost identical to the previous model, which is no bad thing. With a rearmounted engine, there’s space under the front bonnet for a decent amount of luggage, although most people will throw bags on a miniscule back seat designed more for Dachshunds than humans.
Up front, the dashboard is an ingenious blend of retro chic and modern tech wrapped in top quality hide. e ergonomics are rst class, only let down by the small buttons on the infotainment screen that operate some of the controls.
ere’s been a bit of brouhaha about the hybrid 911 but Porsche has simply added electric assistance, rather than a full battery system. While the GTS is now more fuel e cient and emission-friendly, it should also reassure enthusiasts that this is still the sports car to beat.
RATING: ★★★★★
IN THE BOOT
1 CLEAN MACHINE
Buffing up a classic car for the summer? Reach those difficult nooks and crannies with this automotive twist on an electric toothbrush. SonicScrubber, £22.95. sonicscrubber.com
2 BARKING GLAD
A pooch pod for dogs who insist on travelling in comfort. Attaches to the car seat, with optional ‘pram’ for pavement walks. TAVO Dog Car Seat, £350. halfords.com
3 RACEY READ
The story of Jackie Stewart, Bruce McLaren, Graham Hill and others – motor racing champs who launched careers in Formula 2. Formula 2 The Glory Years, £95. evropublishing.com
DOOR TO DOOR
The dilemma: you’re in desperate need of a weekend getaway – preferably the Cotswolds, perhaps Cornwall – but you are, of course, extremely cosmopolitan, and have long since traded the car for the Circle Line. Enter THE OUT, the luxury answer to car hire.
How does it work? THE OUT’s app or website is set up to allow you a choice of its high-end fleet of Range Rovers, Defenders, Discoverys and Jaguars – think the Range Rover Sport, Defender 130, and 7-seater Discovery – and it’s as simple as uploading your driver’s licence. You can rent a car with only three hours of advance notice* and can expect it to be couriered straight to your door – those living in London (zones 1-5), Manchester or receiving a car to the airport can expect free delivery and collection of the vehicle.
It’s a far cry from check-in desks and paperwork; in addition to a quick as a jiffy booking process, you can expect unlimited mileage, car seats and a dog rack to include the whole family, and a bike rack should you need. You can also plump for the option to drive to Europe with no hidden fees, whether downhill pursuits like skiing are on the agenda or a beach retreat in sunnier climes.
Car rentals begin at £266 per day – exceptional pricing considering the whole fleet is kitted with cutting-edge technology and under 18 months old. For long weekends that call for the comfort of a four-wheel drive, there’s genuinely no option better than THE OUT. *Eligible areas only
Stop the boats? Yusra Mardini and her sister famously swam to safety. She talks to Charlotte Metcalf about fleeing Syria, her collaboration with Oris and how she’s giving back
Anyone who watched the 2022 lm e Swimmers will know Yusra Mardini’s story. She and her sister, Sara, ed war-torn Syria and made the treacherous journey across the Aegean from Turkey to Lesbos. As their overladen dinghy started sinking, the sisters jumped into the sea, swimming alongside it to lighten the load and save their fellow refugees’ lives. Mardini went on to swim in the 2016 Rio Olympics as a member of the Refugee Team. I saw the lm three times and was so inspired by the sisters’ story that when I heard Mardini had become brand ambassador for Oris, I jumped at the chance to talk to her.
Now 26, Mardini lives in Los Angeles, where she’s studying media and arts at the University of Southern California. ‘I love it here. It’s so cool and I love the sunshine!’ she enthuses, like a carefree teenager, belying her extraordinary reserves of resilience and courage.
‘I come from a big, loving, supportive family, and e Swimmers depicted that happy part of my life in a good, mainly true way – fairly incredible for Hollywood. en Dad left for Jordan as a swimming coach. It was incredibly tough for my mum, sisters and me being alone in a war zone. Everything had tripled in price, so we all had to earn – at 15, I worked as a lifeguard. ere were so many bombs, you never knew if you were going to survive when you stepped outside. It was terrifying saying goodbye to your family each day and not knowing if you were going to see them again. We couldn’t really meet any of our friends or ful l our dreams and Sara and I felt our lives had already been stolen from us. So, being young, naïve and a little bit crazy, we thought, “Okay, we’re risking our lives here anyway so why don’t we make a break for it? We can do this!”’
e sisters chose Germany for its open-door asylum policy. Her mother and younger sister later followed, also by small boat, and settled in Berlin. ‘While home is very in uenced by where my family is, I’m not in Germany so I guess home is anywhere I feel comfortable and I’m doing what I like doing,’ says Mardini. ‘And I have survivor’s guilt, so daily I think how lucky I am to have clothes, food, a room.’
She shows me her favourite pink Oris watch and continues, ‘It’s incredible for me to collaborate with such a beautiful, luxury brand that shares my values, that understands what an impact it can make by giving back, whether it’s using shing nets or recycled plastics in its watches.’
Last summer Mardini also collaborated with Welcome 66, an NGO facilitating social inclusion and professional integration of refugees and asylum seekers. She worked on a swim programme in France teaching refugees to swim. ‘ ough I’m an Olympic swimmer, I’m also terri ed of the ocean, making it easy for me to understand what it’s like for refugees who can’t even swim. People nearly died, and know others who did, so they are naturally traumatised by the sea. But you have to add up to more than what happened to you and go back to those bad places that hurt. at’s how you heal and get brave and strong enough to give back.
‘I don’t think it’s all going to be rainbows and sunshine with everyone opening their doors to refugees, but I do think we’re nearer to understanding how anyone can have to ee, from war, famine, climate change, earthquakes. Becoming a refugee doesn’t change anything about who people are, or their values – it only added to my qualities, giving me tolerance and empathy and determination to work harder for what I want in life. And there are other exceptional women, like Malala and Greta, dedicating their lives to bring change. People in refugee camps or con icted areas don’t have a voice and I see it as a duty to talk on their behalf and tell their stories.’
Working with Oris and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is giving Mardini the platform she needs: ‘I’d say I’m pretty privileged with the opportunities I have, and I’d like to use my degree to create lms that tell real life stories and drive change. It could be refreshing for a Syrian woman to be in Hollywood.
‘But I’m only human so small things still scare me and I get overwhelmed when people expect me to know exactly what to say at the right time.’ It’s no surprise she turns to sport for solace: ‘Swimming, running, lifting weights – they all help release emotions. But then some days I just want to curl up, eat ice cream and watch Net ix.’
Looking way ahead, she says she’s motivated by the Nobel Peace Prize. ‘I recognise that’s an insane goal, so right now I’m just trying to gure out what my next steps are.’
Meanwhile, she’s nally allowing herself to believe that Assad has gone and Syria is free. ‘So many Syrians are still traumatised, grieving and homeless so we need a government that respects our desire for freedom, peace and dignity. And that’s what I’ll go on ghting for and for everyone who’s without those basic human rights.’ n
Sara and I thought, ‘Okay, we’re RISKING our LIVES here anyway so why don’t we make a break for it? WE CAN DO THIS! ’
This groundbreaking exhibition unites visionary artists and thinkers from around the world to explore the remarkable power and potential of soil. Through a range of artworks, artefacts and innovative approaches, visitors are invited to reconsider the crucial role soil plays in our planet’s health. The show delivers a message of hope and urgency, encouraging a more sustainable, harmonious relationship with the Earth—if we choose to act
Microsoft has revealed the world’s rst quantum chip, the Majorana 1 – meaning we could see quantum computers in ‘years, not decades’. How does this x the world’s woes? It solves problems much, much faster – a quantum computer could be the key to solutions for ‘breaking down microplastics into harmless byproducts’ or ‘inventing self-healing materials for construction, manufacturing or healthcare’. T
BEST IN CLASS
Purdey has announced awardwinners for its for 2024/25 awards, celebrating the best habitat conservation projects in the British game industry. Macaroni Farm in Gloucestershire was awarded the highest honour, for total integration of farming and shooting in a comprehensive conservation plan.
WATCH LATER
Food for ought, a new documentary by Dan Richardson and Giles Alderson explores how plantbased diets have gone turbo in the past decade, and how this has rebounding e ect on the planet. And as the UK Climate Change Committee declares we need to cut out meat consumption by ‘two kebabs a week’, this documentary – which the Guardian called ‘bright and proselytising’ – might provoke ideas (out now, free on YouTube).
TASTE IT
e Taste Of Tomorrow exhibition – free at Mills Fabrica in King’s Cross until July – showcases technologies that are already here and might in uence how we farm in the future. ink growing cotton in vivid colour (no need for dyes) or feeding cows seagrass from Australia so they emit less methane.
NATURE BITES
oTwo years ago, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation – alongside the Sustainable Food Trust – challenged food brands to rethink their products and design them on the principles of regeneration and the circular economy. e results are in: everything from granola made from upcycled apple pulp to burgers created with a blend of seaweed are coming to a supermarket shelf near you. ellenmacarthurfoundation.org
CHIMP CHAMPS
West African chimpanzees were once declared extinct in GuineaBassau thanks to lack of information about their population status. But a new project from the University of Derby might be the key to protecting these chimps. rough novel DNA analysis of air, soil and water samples, the researchers are able to non-invasively identify the movements of the chimps, allocating conservation actions accordingly.
THE SOLUTIONISTS
You don’t need to compromise when it comes to your home, says Matilda Cox. Sustainability and style are not mutually exclusive
THE PROBLEM
Mass urbanisation has led to rapid growth of our built environment, now responsible for almost 40 percent of global emissions. A lot goes into a building’s environmental footprint, whether embodied emissions (the design process; the construction materials) or operational carbon, (the day-to-day running of a house). Many homeowners wish to prioritise things like style, functionality and cost, but being green doesn’t need to compromise on any of these things. These innovators are proving that it’s possible to design a stylish home that still has sustainability at its heart.
THE ANSWERS
QUICK SERVE
A community kitchen and drop-in in Earl’s Court is providing home cooked lunch meals for vulnerable people in the local area. Refettorio Felix is a charity which works with e Felix Project to repurpose rescued surplus food in restaurantquality meals. With the ultimate goal of reducing food poverty, it regularly features star-studded guest chef programming. Support the charity through donation or by volunteering, refettoriofelix.com
ACCESS GRANTED
Visually impaired women have historically relied on others to tell them when their period is starting. Flowsense, the world’s rst patented period detection device, accurately detects (on test strips) the pH levels of vaginal uids, distinguishing between menses and regular discharge –helping visually impaired women reclaim their autonomy.
Smart and stylish home heat pumps
Whether it’s rooftop solar panels or hefty heat pumps, many homeowners can be put off making the switch to renewable energy due to the unsightliness of the technologies. To make green heating more appealing, US-based Quilt has created easy-to-use and stylish heat pumps, designed to blend in with existing home décor. The indoor units can either be painted or covered in wallpaper, and also feature an accent light underneath. Once installed, Quilt’s technology will automatically adjust cooling and heating depending on whether a room is empty, helping users save money, effort, and energy. quilt.com
Waterproof wood for modern bathrooms
Ceramic materials are staples in our kitchens and bathrooms, offering essential durability, moisture resistance, and cleanliness. But did you know that, in the EU alone, manufacturing ceramics emits 19 megatonnes of CO2 every year? As an eco-friendly alternative, Finnish interior design company Woodio decided to use aspen wood chips and other forestry waste streams. Woodio turns this waste into 100 percent waterproof wood composite products – including sinks, baths, toilets, and tiles – that perform just as well as ceramic ones, but have a carbon footprint that’s up to 80 percent lower. woodio.fi
Air-cleaning indoor ‘super plants’
When we think of air pollution, the first thing that comes to mind is probably the smog of busy cities, but concentrations of indoor pollutants can be up to five times higher than outside. Filters can be powerful tools against these toxins, but these are often made using chemicals and unrecyclable plastics. Instead, French biotech startup Neoplants bioengineered a Golden Pothos plant – the Neo Px. The Neo Px removes up to 30 times as many pollutants as an average houseplant, cleaning your home of harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and transforming them into food. neoplants.com
Matilda Cox is content editor at Springwise, a leading global innovation platform. springwise.com
The POSITIVE DISRUPTOR
Can AI save the planet? Let’s ask ChatGPT, says James Wallace
Activism in the 21st century often feels like a race against time – but instead of saving the planet, we’re drowning in emails, reports and social media updates. Before you’ve even thought about planting trees or lobbying your MP, you’ve lost hours to admin. Enter AI: the shiny new tool that promises to take the busywork o our hands. But can AI help save the planet or will it just make us more e cient at complaining about it?
THE PROMISE: SMARTER ACTIVISM
AI has the potential to revolutionise environmental activism by handling time-consuming tasks. Imagine an algorithm summarising lengthy government reports or drafting social media posts about the latest climate emergency. Suddenly, activists are freed from their screens and back in the eld – cleaning rivers, rallying communities and lobbying for real change.
Take Microsoft’s AI for Earth, which supports projects using machine learning to track deforestation or predict ooding. DeepMind’s AI, meanwhile, has reduced energy consumption in data centres by 30 percent. ese tools show what’s possible when AI is applied smartly. With machine learning, we can predict biodiversity loss, monitor pollution in real time and focus resources where they’ll have the most impact.
Closer to home, the Woodland Trust in the UK has explored AI to map tree cover and identify areas in need of reforestation more e ciently. is technology enables it to allocate resources better and focus e orts where they’ll have the greatest impact. If AI helps prevent just one day of unnecessary screen time for 1,000 people, that’s 8,000 hours saved – enough to plant tens of thousands of trees. And speaking of time spent on screens, new data reveals that Brits are projected to spend 25 years of their lifetime working on a screen. Imagine redirecting even a fraction of that time to environmental action.
THE RISKS: LOSING THE HUMAN TOUCH
But here’s the catch: AI is no silver bullet. Sure, it can save time, but activism is about more than e ciency. It’s about connection. No algorithm can replicate the passion of a protest speech or the shared urgency of a community rallying around a dried-up river. Human stories inspire action in ways data alone cannot. Over-reliance on AI risks turning activism into a soulless, calculated exercise. Worse, it might let governments and corporations o the hook. ey’ll point to shiny tech solutions while sidestepping the systemic changes we desperately need. And let’s not ignore AI’s environmental cost: cooling data centres requires vast amounts of water. In 2021, Google’s data centres alone consumed around 4.3 billion gallons of water – enough to sustain a small city for months. By 2030, AI could account for 11.7 percent of total power demand in the US alone, a signi cant dent in our carbon budgets.
THINK DIFFERENTLY, ACT NOW
ChatGPT recommends ways to get involved
READ Artificial Intelligence and the Environmental Crisis by Keith R Skene. £28.99. routledge.com
EXPLORE
Global Witness’s work using AI to track deforestation. globalwitness.org
WATCH Earth Day film on AI’s environmental impact. earthday.org
VISIT
The Woodland Trust to support AI-driven reforestation. woodlandtrust.org.uk
ATTEND
Climate & AI Summit, London, June. london climateactionweek.org/event/ climate-ai-summit
STRIKING THE BALANCE
So, what’s the answer? AI should be a tool – not the whole toolbox. Let it handle the drudgery: summarising reports, analysing data and automating repetitive tasks. But keep the heart of activism rmly human. Saving the planet requires not just e ciency but empathy, storytelling and boots-on-the-ground action.
Used wisely, AI can free up time to plant more trees, clean more rivers and push for stronger climate policies. But let’s not lose sight of the goal: preserving the natural world and the humanity that drives us to protect it. And, speaking of AI – in the spirit of transparency – this article was written by ChatGPT. Proof, perhaps, that AI can write like a human but it’ll never march for a cause or feel the urgency of a planet in peril. at part’s still up to us.
Human postscript: I have never used AI until this article. It was an experiment giving basic instructions to a computer. Not a single word or phrase is mine, however our fact checkers did get out their red pen. I won’t be using AI again for C&TH but I de nitely enjoyed the bike ride in the spare two hours. n
PHOTO: CHATGPT
Would AI sweep the soul out of activism?
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LITTLE GREEN BOOK
Lisa Grainger meets Smruti Sriram OBE, the dynamo now at the helm the world’s largest manufacturer of ethical packaging, with Dior and the Royal Palaces among its clients
When 38-year-old Smruti Sriram thinks back to why she became involved in her father’s business, she giggles with embarrassment. After Oxford – and work experience at the European Parliament, in the US shadowing an American senator, and in London at Deutsche Bank, PWC and Saatchi & Saatchi – she’d assumed she would be snapped up by the City. en suddenly the nancial crisis of 2008 hit. ‘So I thought: “Why not go into the family business for a few months?”’ she says, clearly cringing at the size of her youthful ego. ‘It can’t do any harm.’ Today, as the CEO of her father’s company, Supreme Creations, and its sub-brand Bags of Ethics, the north Londoner is not only in awe of the empire her father, Dr R Sri Ram, has built – but just how much she had to learn from him. Today, their company is the world’s largest ethical manufacturer of reusable bags and eco-packaging – ranging from fashionable totes for Selfridges and Dior to gardening mats for the Royal Palaces’ shops – and is regularly cited as an example of a business that’s good for both planet and people. e business began, Sriram explains, when her father realised that if the supermarkets were going to start charging for plastic bags, customers might prefer to use reusable totes. As a young man, he’d been one of the largest traders in jute and cotton in Europe, and so knew the suppliers. He’d met the CEOs of Tesco and M&S, and they wanted to work with him. So, at the age of 40, he went to Pondicherry in India, where the jute was grown, and built a factory. Six months later, he had a multinational business employing 1,500. Today, under the leadership of Sriram, they make packaging for more than 60,000 brands internationally and during Covid became the largest supplier of recyclable masks in the UK. at they’re commercially successful is obviously pleasing to the 38-year-old – not least because that allows her family to support various charities involved in education, sustainability, tree-planting, design and art (including the mentoring charity they started, Wings of Hope). But what she is clearly really proud of is the way they do business, from their ethical supply chain to the conditions in their Pondicherry factory, whose workforce is 80 percent female. When clients visit, she says, they often say they can’t believe what a lovely place it is to work. Surrounded by established gardens, the sprawling, low, pink French-style building – ‘which looks more like a palace in Jaipur than a factory in South India,’ she says – has music wafting through it for the sta . And inside, it is a buzzing, clean, bright modern area with lots of air ow, to keep workers cool. e former high commissioner to India, Sir Richard Stagg, called it ‘a beacon of hope’.
Since she took over as CEO in 2013, she has grown her father’s three pillars of Professional, Ethical and Green, and carved out a role as a smart leader in the sustainable business world, giving lectures, appearing on panels and interviewing specialists on topics from cotton to plastic. is year, to her surprise, she was honoured with an OBE, in recognition of her role as an ethical leader. Although she can’t imagine leading in any other way, she says. ‘Service was instilled in me from a very young age. My family are very generous people. If someone is hungry, they will feed them. If a sta -member’s family is sick, they will help them. I remember my grandmother would break o a little roti, or rice, to feed the birds before she had a mouthful. ey are over owing with kindness. So I know nothing else.’
bagsofethics.org n
Working with a beautiful ethical factory that her father built in Pondicherry and where 80 percent of the staff are female, Sriram (right) is a real trailblazer in the sustainable space
crazy
That’s what they called us when we started making mattresses and championing natural, organic, and sustainable materials in 1999. 25 years on, who’s crazy now?
Today, people demand the best of both. What’s good for us should also be good for our planet. And what we choose to sleep on should be no different.
Thankfully, there’s never been a choice at Naturalmat; and our uncompromising pursuit of better, healthier, and more natural sleep will never rest.
organic. local. sustainable.
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As the son of Jude Law and Sadie Frost, is Rafferty Law a chip off the old block? asks FELICITY
cheeky charmer with an artistic spirit and an uplifting nature – not to mention a strong work ethic – Ra erty Law is a rising screen talent making a name for himself beyond the shadow of his famous parents, Jude Law and Sadie Frost. He’s dipped his toe into the worlds of fashion and music, but he’s dived right into acting – and with a charismatic screen presence, why not?
He’s known for his roles in Apple TV+’s Masters of the Air, alongside Callum Turner and Austin Butler (produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, no less), and Twist, playing the title role in the 2021 lm adaptation opposite Michael Caine as Fagin and Rita Ora as the Artful Dodger – and has some big hitters on the slate this year.
To understand Law, we must skip a generation to his grandparents, also thespians, and where it all began. ‘I do always get that comparison, obviously, my dad being such a big, successful actor,’ he says, ‘but I’ve delved
into the roots of my family history and speaking with my grandparents, I’ve learned about their backgrounds. ey had a theatre company and travelled around Europe putting on these really cool productions.’ is creativity, as well as a drive to carve his own path within the family trade, made its way to Law. ‘I’ve learned as a family we really love storytelling, performing, and connecting with audiences and people.’
Growing up in an artistic household, he recalls watching his father bring stories and characters to life through acting. ‘I think, naturally, when you see your parents or loved ones passionate about something from a young age, you kind of buy into that passion,’ he says. ‘I was lucky enough to go to the theatre and, growing up in London, it all fed into my love for acting.’ Naturally, he pursued drama and became a lm bu in his teens: ‘I just loved watching classic lms, modern lms, every kind of genre, and I went on my own cinematic journey in that respect.’ He cites Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid as a favourite since he was little. ‘It was such a big part of my childhood, as well as the Star Wars lms – they’ve been a kind of big, big thing for me.’
Of course, Law was also the perfect age for Harry Potter and later watched his dad play Dumbledore in Fantastic Beasts
‘ e Harry Potter books were a big connection between me and my dad. He used to read them to me and then seeing him play Dumbledore was like a crazy full circle – I remember crying when the sixth book came out and Dumbledore was killed, and we just couldn’t believe it. Sorry… spoiler alert!’
Honing his craft led Law to writing and producing, culminating in the acclaimed short e Hat, a project born from lockdown, starring Jude Law and directed by Darren Strowger, with proceeds going to Teenage Cancer Trust and Teen Cancer America. ‘It started as just fun, really,’ he says, while on morning runs in the countryside with his dad. ‘It evolved naturally. We didn’t have a set story or lm festival ambitions.’ And how was it working with his dad? Was he given notes? He tells me he welcomes a bit of criticism, ‘You can’t take yourself too seriously and believe that your way is always the right way. I have to be able to take feedback, especially in a performing aspect with my dad.’ A testament to their strong father-son bond, Law says: ‘Shooting
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‘Once I finish a role, I find it easy to SHAKE IT OFF, and I’m someone who likes RITUALS , so I like to let it go… I mean, you can’t be a PSYCHO the whole time!’
something like that on a phone was literally the same as when I was ve years old and we’d be playing Lord of the Rings, and I’d be like, “you’re Gandalf and I’m Frodo”, and we’d run o into the elds. It genuinely is such a part of our friendship and our relationship, it didn’t feel like we were working – we were just playing around having fun.’
Only in his 20s, Law’s still nding his feet as an actor and enjoys grafting. ‘I am someone who really likes to delve into the script and build the character –everything from the back story that you don’t see, to their thoughts,’ he says. To do this, he taps into his musical side: ‘Putting together playlists – and sometimes it’s not just music, but also sound tones. I nd I bring out a lot of emotion through music.’
For Triton, a lm he shot over a year ago, Law made his baddy debut and the playlist was suitably dark with distorted violins designed to unnerve. As a method actor, he found elements creeping IRL. ‘Although I wasn’t walking around being psychopathic and evil, my humour became very dry and sarcastic,’ he says. ‘But once I nish a role, I nd it easy to shake it o , and I’m someone who likes rituals, so I like to let it go… I mean, you can’t be a psycho the whole time!’
Another upcoming lm is Huntington . Directed by John Patton Ford it has a stellar cast, including Glen Powell, Margaret Qualley and Ed Harris, and centres on a man who hatches a murderous plot to inherit his family’s wealth. Law plays an audacious family member. ‘He’s an absolute nut job – like a Wolf of Wall Street or Succession dude,’ he says. A character Law could craft, he had the freedom to add his own lines and quirks, throwing himself into the role. ‘It was really wild – I was jet skiing, jumping into pools of cash. A riot of a few weeks.’
With the release set for this year, the wait won’t be long. And what’s next? Law has spent the past few years in the US, marking a rite of passage as an actor – but as a London boy at heart, he thrives on the city’s energy and plans to stay. ‘I’m very open to the future,’ he says, ‘and grateful to be auditioning and working. You have to be – learning from great writers and big productions is a privilege.’ n
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Comic Timing
Known for her blunt honesty, Katherine Ryan talks to GRAEME GREEN about intimacy coaching, parenting and whether a happy marriage has impacted her stand-up
Ryan reunited with her childhood sweetheart Bobby Kootstra, and now the couple are raising three children, including Violet (far left) from Ryan’s previous relationship
hen Katherine Ryan fell in love and got married a few years ago, no one was more surprised than the comedian herself. As one of the UK’s most successful stand-ups and TV stars, she’d always celebrated female empowerment and independence, dismissing the idea that a woman needs to be married or in a long-term relationship to be happy and successful.
Ryan originally moved to London aged 23, and made it as a comedian, presenter, writer and actor while raising her daughter as a single mother. But in 2018, while filming an episode of the TV show Who Do You Think You Are? in her Canadian hometown Sarnia, Ryan got back together with her high school boyfriend Bobby Kootstra. Two decades after their first break, the couple reunited and were married within nine months, in what Ryan describes as ‘a one night stand gone terribly wrong’.
As seen in the new reality TV series At Home With Katherine Ryan, the pair are now raising three children – Violet (15), from Ryan’s previous relationship, and two toddlers, Fred (four) and Fenna (two) – in London, while juggling the demands of Ryan’s career.
What’s the family dynamic in your new reality TV show At Home with Katherine Ryan? Are you more Osbournes or Kardashians? Ooh, I’d have to say we are more Osbournes, on account of the dogs and foul language. I loved both shows. I loved the British sensibility of it in the US. I would hope that, even though we’re Canadian, we’ve been here long enough to have some British caustic sense of humour in our show.
Do you feel exposed when you’re being followed around by a film crew in daily life with your family? I don’t. I’ve been active on social media for years. I’m very transparent, honest and revealing in my stand-up and on my podcast Telling Everybody Everything. This just feels like the eventual next step. I felt very safe that it would be representative of our family, and I like being known publicly – it reminds me of growing up in a small town, where everywhere you went, people would say hello and they knew your backstory, your sisters and your mom. In London, if I wasn’t on television, I don’t think people would be so friendly.
Your act has always been based on you being strong and independent, and not ‘needing’ a man. Did your audience feel betrayed when you got married and did you worry how that would impact your act? Luckily, I’ve doubled down on that idea since getting married. Before, it used to be, ‘You don’t need to get married, it’s enough to just be who you are.’ And now it’s, ‘You really shouldn’t get married, and here’s why.’ I’ve kept the same energy. I just very playfully slag off my husband a lot.
Has marriage and family life changed your comedy and what you talk about? I don’t think it’s changed what I can talk about. I’ve always been a mother and I’ve always been very mindful about Violet’s privacy. There are things I will talk about onstage concerning Violet and areas I think should be very private that I don’t talk about at all. I do run things past Bobby, as I don’t want to ambush him or talk about him onstage in a way I wouldn’t talk to him to his face, but, luckily, we have a very similar sense of humour.
You’ve spoken openly about having plastic surgery. Were you always happy to be upfront about that? I’m open about everything. What some people find refreshing and some people find confusing is that I’m open about my fallibility as well. I don’t think that the best thing you can do with your life is to care about your appearance or to get Botox but I’m really honest about the fact that I like those things.
‘I felt really uncomfortable with a KAMA SUTRA expert standing in my bedroom. But her work is so IMPORTANT.
You often present yourself as very thick-skinned. Does anything upset you? I care a lot about people. When I watch the news, I feel very upset about the economic plight of people in this country. Social issues upset me. Wars upset me. The fires in LA upset me. I hate to think about anyone who feels neglected or unloved or lonely. But I’ve always had a really crystal clear idea of what matters and what doesn’t. That’s why I love being a comedian: I’m a clown, I give my opinions, and people’s criticism of my opinions really doesn’t matter. Because I really care about the very few things in life that actually matter, it can appear I am someone who doesn’t care about anything at all.
English people do need to be enjoying SEX’
When you and Bobby are doing intimacy coaching with a Kama Sutra expert, you say: ‘No wonder we’re so comfortable in Britain. Who knew we were so repressed?’ How did you feel about doing marriage therapy and intimacy coaching on camera? Because Bobby and I have such a solid relationship and because I’m such a curious person, I was really excited about marriage coaching. I thought it would be fascinating. I was worried how amenable Bobby would be to the whole process, and that’s why we used the word ‘coach’, rather than ‘therapy’, because it sounds sporty. That’s the way to get a traditional man into therapy – just call it ‘coaching’. He was super-unfiltered, to my surprise. He was very happy to talk about sex and, later, to talk about being a dad and his childhood. Being a North American, I find therapy so fascinating. I don’t have any skeletons in the closet. I was more trepidatious about the intimacy coach because, even though there are explicit themes in my stand-up and I’m happy to talk about intimacy and sex, I can hide behind a punchline. But that’s pretty different from a Kama Sutra expert standing in your bedroom. I felt really uncomfortable. I started to panic. But her work is so important. English people do need to be having sex and enjoying sex.
Is it true that you want to be a judge on Britain’s Got Talent? Yes. I’m a judge on Canada’s Got Talent. It was kind of an experiment and I didn’t know how it would go. I just thought it might be nice to go home for a while, but I absolutely loved it. What I saw was that audiences, even on those talent shows, are hungry for stand-up and edgy jokes. It’s an exciting time for comedy, and if Canada, the most polite nation on Earth, was really excited for my roasting, my edgy jokes and my judging, then I’d love to do it here.
You’ve done acting, writing, stand-up and panel shows. Is there anything you haven’t done yet that you’d like to? I really love touring. That’s the bread and butter of what we do. It’s what makes comedians comedians. But I love loads of things to do with comedy. I have a small role in a movie later this year. I love appearing on panel shows and my friends’ projects. First and foremost, I would love to write a rom-com. Just as the world is ready for edgy stand-up, I think the world is ready for those funny, female-led rom-coms to come back. I haven’t seen any that I’ve loved in a long while. n
At Home With Katherine Ryan can be streamed free on U (u.co.uk)
SEW BE IT
Inspired by the women she met on her hospital ward during cancer treatment, Pinky Laing conceived Remnant Revolution, a brand that addresses both the climate crisis and community, says SARAH LANGFORD
riting a business proposal from a hospital bed is not the way most people start a new life venture. For Pinky Laing, however, founder of homeware brand Remnant Revolution, this was exactly how her business began.
Treatment for cancer, from which she has now recovered, had forced a three-month period of, as Laing puts it, ‘recalibration and re ection’. She had founded a successful fashion brand making militarystyle velvet jackets before moving to Germany for a decade of working and raising three children. is was not the homecoming Laing had imagined, but while lying in hospital feeling ‘frustrated and disempowered’ she struck up conversation with the other women on the ward. ‘ ey were from di erent backgrounds, some unable to speak English very well,’ Laing says, ‘but a common denominator was that we could all sew.’ Laing had been taught the craft by her grandmother, leading to her lifetime love of fabrics. For some of the other women on the ward, however, sewing represented more than a skill: it was a link to their homelands and heritage.
e way this shared skill gave a ‘sense of community’ among the women got Laing thinking. She was already increasingly concerned about the climate crisis, and a background in fashion meant she knew rst-hand the part the industry had played. ‘One hundred billion garments are produced globally every year,’ Laing says. ‘Ninety-two million tonnes are sent to land ll annually; 35,000 tonnes in the UK alone.’ If the scale seems too large to comprehend, here is another: a rubbish truck of clothing is dumped or burned globally every second.
Recycling has become something of a brand-building exercise within the industry, with many high street names boasting lines using recycled bres. What is less hyped is the reality that recycling often requires various stages of processing to allow bres from one garment to be reused in another. Now another word has found its way into the fashion vernacular. ‘Deadstock’ may sound like something on its way to the knackers’ yard, but in the world of fabrics it means what is left unused or wasted on the end of a roll. Laing knew from her previous business how much waste the creation of a garment created. ere are, she says, 8,000 fabric warehouses in the UK full of deadstock and ‘seconds’ – usable fabric that is slightly the wrong weave or colour and has been rejected.
She set herself a challenge: build a company which could tackle endemic waste within fashion while upskilling and empowering disenfranchised women, creating the kind of community she had on her ward that came from a love of sewing. From her hospital bed, Remnant Revolution was born.
e business now stocks a range of aprons using patterned and plain fabrics with a signature frill. Leftover scraps become smaller items such as bunting, door stops and make up bags. Each is sewn by a growing army of women found through word of mouth and local notice boards. ey come from countries such as Afghanistan, Ukraine, Brazil and South America, bringing their sewing skills with them. Many are refugees whose stories Laing platforms on her website.
In building a company ethos around circular economy, Laing nds herself in good company. A growing number of fashion insiders are also disillusioned enough with the waste endemic in fashion to do something about it. Scottish fashion designer Patrick Grant founded Community Clothing upon similar principles. Formerly a judge on the BBC’s e Great British Sewing Bee, Grant’s love of timeless craft and frustration with waste informs his clothing line. Pencil cases and pouches are made from the ends of fabric rolls, while deadstock is used for shirts, trousers, outerwear, yarns to make socks. His relationships with UK cloth producers reach as far as the Royal Navy.
Another industry insider, Alex Adamson, describes the accidental creativity that comes from designing around a fabric not a pattern. Her previous company, e Vampire’s Wife, put her on the fashion map. Her new business, Planet Loving Company, was founded with sustainable activist
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Pinky Laing, founder of Remnant Revolution; Community Clothing accessories made from deadstock; the velvet suit is one of Planet Loving Company’s cult buys; E.L.V. is the only denim deadstock company in the world; at the sewing machine creating Remnant Revolution products like aprons
Laing set herself a CHALLENGE: build
a
company
that
could TACKLE endemic waste while upskilling DISENFRANCHISED women
Tabby Taylor. ey regularly come across amazing fabric that just ‘demands you make something with it’, such as the surplus material that became the inspiration behind the brand’s bestselling velvet suits. Half of PLC’s collection is now made from deadstock.
Other brands create only from surplus fabric. E.L.V. jeans are the only denim deadstock brand in the world. Its founder, Anna Foster, explains why: ‘Around 20 percent of vintage wholesalers’ denim isn’t sold because of its poor condition.’ E.L.V. ‘jigsaw’ this denim, sewing contrasting colours into new pairs, alongside turning sheets from luxury hotels like London’s e Ned into a range of white shirts. Most of us know by now that jeans are thirsty, but it is stark to see how much water can be saved by doing it di erently. ‘Jeans use 10,000 litres of water,’ Foster says, ‘the amount one person drinks in 13 years. Our denim washing process uses just seven.’
Jeans were the choice to lead ‘ e Fashion ReModel’ by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, whose work focuses on incorporating the principles of circular economy into product design. Reniera O’Donnell, the Executive Lead, is clear that in fashion ‘circular business models … allow companies to make revenue without making new clothes’.
Many who are part of this ‘remnant revolution’ would agree with Lavinia Santovetti, whose company, e Materialist, sells more than 40,000 di erent fabric types in a ‘one-stop-shop to buy, sell and donate deadstock fabrics’, when she says ‘deadstock is rapidly gaining traction across the industry’. Last year alone, Santovetti says, e Materialist rescued and repurposed over one million metres of waste fabric. Nona Source, Last Yarn and Fabric Godmother are other companies all now dedicated to selling deadstock.
But others warn against complacency. Adamson is clear that ‘using surplus materials should not be seen as an excuse for large companies to continue overproduction’. is reality was starkly shown in the ‘What Fuels Fashion?’ 2024 report produced by Fashion Revolution, which concluded that nothing was likely to change until brands disclosed their production volumes and targets. Patricia Barroso, Head of Global Communications and Partnerships, urges us not to think that the battle against overconsumption has been won: ‘We still have evidence of land lls in places like Ghana and Chile lled with unused clothes. e solutions are not big, bold, fast and scalable enough to reduce the environmental degradation we are causing as an industry.’
While there is still much more to do, O’Donnell is hopeful that ‘the transition to a circular economy for fashion is underway’. And with a social mission as strong as their ecological one, brands like Remnant Revolution are proving deadstock has the power to do more than help the planet. rough the upskilling and valuing of the craft of sewing and items created through a strong ethical prism, these types of companies can help transform lives too.
Sarah Langford is the author of Rooted: How Regenerative Farming Can Change e World, published by Penguin n
SLAY WITH WORDS
George the Poet has hit pause on his multi-award-winning podcast to train his lens on the climate, finds LUCINDA BARING
Iam talking to George the Poet on Zoom. His 19-month-old son is with him, while his wife and two-week-old daughter rest. ‘Suddenly life’s a lot busier,’ he says, and like for many of us, it’s a juggle. On 25 April he will perform with the Chineke! Orchestra at Multitudes – a new 10-day mixed-arts festival at the Southbank Centre –where he’ll re ect on the challenges of creating meaningful work as an artist in the face of the climate crisis. Has his young family made him more conscious of that crisis? ‘I do think about it more, but I’ve always felt we as artists should take initiative in discussing it. Not only is it pertinent and urgent, but it’s the conversation that includes all of us, a ects all of us.’ e son of Ugandan immigrants, George Mpanga grew up the second eldest of six children on a council estate in Neasden in northwest London. Tutored by his mother, he won a place at a selective grammar school in Barnet before going to King’s College Cambridge to study politics, psychology and sociology. He started his artistic career as a rapper and signed to Island Records aged 22, but quickly became disillusioned with the music industry. ‘I was packaged and presented to the world as a rapper,’ he says. ‘I moved to poetry because I didn’t like the restrictions that entailed. I wanted a more broadchurch engagement but my label preferred I meet the existing expectations of what someone with my background would do with a lyrical ability.’
George’s debut poetry collection, Search Party, was published in 2015, the same year he was nominated for the Critic’s Choice Award at the Brits. In 2018 he was asked to write and perform a poem at Harry and Meghan’s wedding, and launched his podcast – Have you Heard George’s Podcast? – to nd new ways of engaging audiences. ‘Growing up, I was taught to communicate across di erent walks of life. en I was fortunate that my secondary school was very diverse, so I was used to having conversations about anything and with anyone. I moved into long-form poetic podcasting because it gave me a blank slate, which was fun.’
e podcast – the rst ‘chapter’ published independently, the subsequent three picked up by the BBC and recorded at Abbey Road – layers storytelling and verse with a cinematic score, latterly from the BBC Concert Orchestra. It’s a poignant and eloquent lens on life from London to Uganda, and has won a string of awards, including a Peabody (the rst podcast outside the US to win the award). ‘As a result, my audience really changed. I was prominent on BBC Radio 4, which brought a lot of middle England listeners, which I loved.’
Now his focus has switched to climate action, addressing it with his hallmark lyricism and academic rigour. ‘I’m not native to that conversation but I’m lucky to have been contacted by organisations over the years who have commissioned me to articulate di erent elements of the crisis, whether that’s climate justice, deforestation, deserti cation. I’ve built a broader understanding and how di erent players approach it.’ He hopes his message at Multitudes will o er hope – something he’s trying to discipline himself to include more in his writing. ‘I tend to get overanalytical.’ roughout our conversation, I’m struck by how charming, courteous and considered George is. He’s been asked many times if George the Politician might be his next move – following in the footsteps of his grandmother Joyce
Mpanga, who was minister for women’s a airs in Uganda – but he has always maintained culture is a better space to make a meaningful contribution. ‘When I listen to how older politicians conceived of their role versus the current crop, I feel there’s been a bastardisation of the job, a drive to trivialise the work of politicians from within. e institution seems to reward dishonesty and hubris.’ It’s the hubris, he says, that really gets to him, and part of the reason I suspect he turned down an MBE in 2019. ‘Historically people would have attached that kind of arrogance and bluster to one party, but today I see it across mainstream politics. is complete refusal to acknowledge any wrongdoing and total contempt for the electorate. If the situation changes, or if I’m able to connect with people who can show me a di erent way, then I’m open to that. I want to serve this country as best as I can.’
Since 2021, he has been studying for a PhD at University College London. e thrust of his enquiry is to show the value of black music – ‘the psychological bene ts, the cultural healing, and the enterprise of doing something constructive as a young person’ – goes beyond the commercial and stylistic aspects of the genre. ‘I have lived that experience and I’m excited to make the case. It’s big legacy stu . I want to take what I’ve started in my own journey – that unique long-form approach to live performance, connecting with other voices and talents – and use the music to create an alternative space to mainstream politics, to try and achieve discourse, and generate solutions.’
It’s no surprise George’s heroes growing up weren’t public gures. ‘I don’t want people to think inspiration is something out there in the world you gotta go nd. I’ve learned the most from paying attention to who’s in front of me. ey’re going to be awed, they’re gonna have ugly moments. I used to have a basketball coach who was a real toughie and sometimes he was overbearing. If one person in the group had their hands in their pockets, we were all doing push-ups. Looking back, he’s the reason I expect hard work to produce results.’ His parents, ‘uncles and aunties’ always set an example. ‘And I also learned from the older guys in my neighbourhood who were rapping. ey showed me how to generate your own work ethic. To create energy among the audience, establish your perspective in the world.’
His willingness to listen and study how people communicate has always informed his verse. ‘If you can understand where people are coming from, then you can learn how to tune into their frequency a little, which is why I always knew orchestral music, even as a rapper, would be a great thing to tap into.’
Our time is up and George the Poet thanks me for engaging with his work. ‘ at’s not an everyday thing,’ he says. ‘It’s going to be the highlight of my day. Creatively, I’ve thrown the kitchen sink at what I do, and accolades and awards ceremonies are supposed to represent the value you put into people’s lives. But when you hear it from the horse’s mouth, when I hear people re ecting on the subject matter or when someone comes up to me in the street and says they had never heard this experience articulated until I did, that every single time is my proudest achievement.’
George the Poet is performing with the Chineke! Orchestra at 7.45pm on 25 April at Multitudes (southbankcentre.co.uk) n
PHOTOS: BENNY J JOHNSON
‘I was packaged and presented to the world as a RAPPER . I wanted a more BROAD-CHURCH ENGAGEMENT but my label preferred I meet the expectations of what someone with my background would do with a LYRICAL ABILITY’
Edited by CAROLE ANNETT
ON DESIGN
Our in-depth dive into all-things interiors, with kitchens and bathrooms in the spotlight
Interior designer Matthew Williamson’s kitchen in his former home in Deià
FAIRY TALES
Yves Delorme celebrates 180 years of French artistry with a new collection reimagining landscapes as places of wonder. Luciole bed linen collection, from £99. yvesdelorme.com
TEXTURES
MASTERCLASS
Ceramic Bounce lamp by Sarah Vanrenen, £285, shade £245. sarahvanrenen.com
DESIGN NOTES
What’s caught Carole Annett’s interiors eye this season
BLOSSOM SEASON
West One made a plum blossom decal bespoke for a client, so it wraps the room perfectly. £POA, westonebathrooms.com
SINK IN Layers of antique washes add depth and a tarnished patina to De Gournay’s silk wallcovering, which pays homage to art deco designer Jean Dunand. From £1,693 per panel, degournay.com
BOOK NOW
The Decorative Spring Fair returns for its 40th year. With over 130 exhibitors, and the largest exhibition of its kind for antiques, it’s not one to miss. 6-11 May, decorativefair.com
GREEN AS THE HILLS
Damask wallpaper in dark green, printed in England. £250 per roll, paolomoschino.com
SOFTLY DOES IT
Crinkle cotton throw in bay leaf, £95. naturalmat.co.uk
AND BREATHE
Kaldewei has launched its Nuio Duo Zen edition, featuring precisely adjustable infrared radiant heat and an interactive LCD display, to change the heat of the bath with a simple swipe. £POA, kaldewei.co.uk
FRINGE BENEFITS
Corsica ra a rosettes hand-dip dyed in three colours (leaf, coral and sea) can be appliquéd to a cushion, headboard or trim, £32 each. samuelandsons.com
STEM SELLS
Flower power rules inside the house
STATEMENT PIECE
Featuring Susani motifs in a charcoal and brickwork colourway, Timour is a striking tapestry fabric for curtains and soft furnishings, £195 a metre. osborneandlittle.com
Botanic sunflower jug, £61.50. portmeirion.co.uk
DESIGNS
Multicolour Otomi, £1,150. loomdesigns.co.uk
LAETITIA ROUGET Indigo tulip fruit platter, £160. laetitiarouget.com
COX AND COX Faux dahlia stems, £50 for three. coxandcox.co.uk
HUG AT HOME
Vintage rose hug rug door mat, £45.99. hugathome.co.uk
PORT MEIRION
LOOM
FEELING BLUE
omas Crapper tiles from £65, Horton Cloakroom basin, £559 with Fontley three-hole mix tap in polished brass, £675. thomascrapper.com
HOME-SPUN IDEA
Ooty, a Suffolkbased upholstery and fabric company, has collaborated with a Delhi fabric house.
Suzani Bloom, £60 p/m. ootydesigns.com
KEEP IT LOW Ressac table by Constance Frapolli for Ligne Roset, £2,346. ligne-roset.com/uk
MIDLANDS BEST
Made in a Birmingham foundry, One Hundred Collection’s modern basin ller comes in anthracite nish, £2,477 by Samuel Heath. samuel-heath.com
HEAD INDOORS
Meon is the rst home collection by Gaze Burvill, renowned for its beautifully made outdoor furniture.
From £870, gazeburvill.com
MAKING MEMORIES
Bokja, named after a bride’s dowry bundle, was founded by Hoda Baroudi and Maria Hibri, combining their passion for Silk Road fabrics and antique furniture. Cynzia poof, made to order, £865 (large). bokja.com
EYE SPY Zigzag wallpaper in Ruggine colourway, £174 per roll. Neptunia Chair by Arflex upholstered in Martora, £161 p/m. rubelli.com
PHOTO: CLAUDIA ZALLA
TO THE MANOR BORN
This listed Georgian manor blossomed into an idyllic family home, finds Carole Annett
ver y time I’d visit the house, Annoushka would say… “What are we going to do here?” Or, “What do you think about this?”’ laughs Juliette, founder of Juliette Byrne Architectural Interior Design, of her get-togethers with jewellery designer Annoushka Ducas. Introduced via mutual friends at the previous owners’ drinks party to ‘hand over’ the house, they immediately hit it o . ‘She’d have all these swatches everywhere, and I’d give her my opinion, and it evolved from a friendship into me being her interior designer.’ Ducas and her husband John Ayton found the property, a listed Georgian manor in a bucolic country setting, when they opted to move the family out of London. ‘ ey were doing a lot of international travel at the time, having recently founded Links of London,’ Byrne explains, ‘so wanted somewhere with possibility and that could become their forever home. e house was huge – ten bedrooms – and was always planned as a long-term project.’
Having had only two previous owners over the last 150 years, the house, as Byrne describes it, ‘had a lot of potential downstairs which needed sympathetic restoration, while the attic space, previously used as student accommodation, warranted more attention’. Part of the challenge was to
bring it back to its original architecture. Phase one involved creating a liveable home by renovating the ground and rst oors, which allowed for a hallway and reception areas, a dining room, study and formal drawing room. A new extension provided a spacious breakfast room and family kitchen. On the rst oor, Byrne and her team created a master bedroom and children’s rooms. It was a conscious decision to leave the attic until the children were older. ‘We worked in phases as the family expanded.’
e couple love entertaining and the drawing room is a perfect space for gathering. An elegant, sun- lled room with bay windows and decorated in deep blush-pinks and lilac, it is unrecognisable from when they rst moved in, having been badly water damaged. ‘We restored the cornicing and replace, and then decided on a rich colour palette including raspberry-red velvet curtains. We wanted a beautiful backdrop for John’s collection of modern English art and the pieces Annoushka inherited from her Russian mother,’ Byrne explains. ‘We didn’t want it to look like an antique shop –something more eclectic and fun with modern elements mixed in.’
e starting point was a Diane Von Furstenberg rug from e Rug Company, which Byrne showed Ducas early on and she loved. Its regal ligree motif and deep red hues inspired a playful combination of patterns on cushions and furniture around the room. Byrne then commissioned the co ee table cum ottoman, and the sofas and armchairs – sourced from antique shops – were renovated and upholstered with loose linen covers to look and feel lived-in. e room also boasts a small grand piano. e couple commissioned two Sarah Chapman paintings after the room was nished. ‘ ey always said, we want to have art on either side of the replace. I think they very much re ect Annoushka’s vision for her eponymous jewellery brand with beetles and dragon ies and very strong jewel-like colors, which is very indicative of her style.’
A specially commissioned artwork depicting the couple’s four children also takes pride of place in the oak-panelled snug. Byrne’s team had to remove all the panelling to install new lighting, which confused the couple’s children as they wondered why it looked exactly the same after the builders had left. ‘It’s a kind of reverse compliment really,’ Byrne laughs, ‘but goes to show our commitment to maintaining the house’s original architecture.’ e nal phase, the attic rooms, is now complete with a suite of beautiful guest rooms overlooking the now mature garden. Again, these evolved through friendship and discussion, with many items arriving via the couple’s travels. ‘ ey’d suddenly call me up and say, “We’re in Spain. What do you think of this rug?”’ After many years of work, the house feels like it has evolved rather than been designed. ‘We’ve created a house that looks like it’s always been there,’ smiles Byrne.
juliettebyrne.com n
Sarah Chapman paintings frame the fireplace; rooms are decorated in deep blush-pinks; guest rooms overlook the mature garden
STOWAWAY
ISLAND CHARM
SINS OR WINS?
Is the avocado bath back and are bookshelves a bad call? Tessa Dunthorne asks the experts
IS FITTED BATHROOM CARPET A BAD CALL?
MEET THE EXPERTS
The interior designers weighing in ANOUSKA TAMONY
Creative director, anouska tamony.com
TOLU ADEKO
Creative director, adeko.co
HENRIETTE VON STOCKHAUSEN
Designer, vspinteriors.com
AT: Since Lily Allen installed carpet in her Wes-Andersonesque NYC bathroom, there has been a resurgence of interest – or at least debate – on carpeted bathrooms. I for one am rmly against them. e idea of all the trapped dirt and damp odours induces the ick.
HVS: I generally avoid tted carpets in bathrooms, favouring wooden oors with under oor heating for warmth and practicality. Antique rugs can be an alternative, adding character without the concerns that come with fully tted carpets. Some clients do prefer wall-to-wall carpeting, in which case we select materials speci cally suited for the space.
TA: at’s a crime against interior design, isn’t it? ere’s simply no excuse. Carpet and water don’t mix – it’s that simple.
COLOURED BATHS AND SINKS: A FAD?
TA: It depends on the colour. Bathrooms are one place where cleanliness should never be in question, and there’s something about a classic white tub that just reassures you that it’s spotless. White never goes out of style. But if you love colour, you should absolutely bring it in through tiles, walls, and accessories.
AT: I think they’ll have enduring fringe appeal but will never be timeless in the same way white and ivory baths are.
HVS: I do quite like a bateau bath that you can paint on the outside, as you can always refresh it with a new colour whenever you fancy. But I think coloured baths and sinks are more of a trend, and, as you know, trends tend to pass quickly. I still prefer classic white baths, whether undermounted or in traditional shapes.
CAN I HAVE BOOKS IN MY BATHROOM?
HVS: Absolutely! A welldesigned bathroom should feel like a personal retreat, and reading is a key part of that. We sometimes incorporate bookcases near the bath to enhance that sense of escapism and relaxation.
TA: I think it’s a great idea – within reason. I once had a friend who kept stacks of design magazines in their bathroom, and it was a brilliant way to nd inspiration while relaxing in the bath. My only concern? Moisture. If it’s a book you love, be prepared for the risk of water damage.
AT: I’m pro books in bathrooms but not in WCs or placed near the toilet. Reading a book in the bath is quiet pleasure but I’ve never quite understood reading on the loo. One might instead consider a high bre diet.
A Santa Barbara bathroom by Henriette von Stockhausen
Enchanted Blue Edwardian Basin by Burlington, from £954
TECHY BATHROOMS: A WIN OR A SIN? IS THE NAUTICAL BATHROOM OVER?
AT: As much as I’m a candle loving luddite, I love certain techy bathroom additions like under oor heating, great lighting and a good sound system. When I’m staying in a hotel I also quite enjoy adjustable privacy glass and a waterproof TV – but I’m not sure I’d want or need either in my home.
HVS: No tech in bathrooms. Bathrooms should be a place to retreat from the daily grind, rather than a space lled with gadgets. Instead, I focus on creating a sense of sanctuary with rugs, wooden oors, replaces, antique furniture, artwork, and ambient lighting.
TA: I think the best bathrooms are quite simple. We’re already surrounded by technology all day – our phones, laptops, smart devices – why bring it into a space designed for relaxation?
TA: Nautical? No, no, no. Unless your bathroom actually belongs on a yacht or sits by the sea, there’s no need for a nautical theme. Let’s focus on creating bathrooms that feel rich, warm, and grounding. Earthy tones, deep colours, beautiful natural materials, and even greenery –these elements create a truly relaxing retreat, especially in a city like London.
AT: Tough one. I feel anything highly themed can easily look overdone, and trends riding the coattails of the zeitgeist can be doomed to date quickly. at said, many bathrooms throughout the ages have taken inspiration from the sea and the maritime world because of the room’s innate connection to water, so if done subtly and thoughtfully I feel it could have a timeless appeal.
CURTAINS: GOOD OR BAD IDEA?
HVS: Good idea! Where possible, I love incorporating curtains to soften the space and add a sense of comfort. Bathrooms often have a lot of hard surfaces, so fabric elements can cut through and create softness, absorb sound and also cultivate a cosier, more inviting atmosphere – much like a living room or bedroom.
TA: I get why people do it –curtains can add a dramatic, theatrical e ect. But practically speaking, they’re not always the best choice. If you have kids splashing around, or even just regular humidity (which you can expect from a bathroom), those curtains are going to get damp and messy. Instead, I prefer beautifully designed blinds or sleek window treatments that o er both style and function.
AT: Soft and classic. I’m a fan.
SHOULD I GO FOR A BATH OR A SHOWER?
AT: In almost every instance a shower over a tub is chosen because of utility and the need to incorporate both a shower and bath into a tight space –so while a freestanding tub and separate shower may be the ideal, sometimes the reality is compromise and there is no shame it that.
HVS: If there’s room, I always prefer to keep the shower and bathtub separate. However, in more compact layouts –especially guest en-suites –a hybrid can be a practical and elegant, exible solution.
TA: In London, space is a luxury – just having a bathtub can feel like an indulgence. A hybrid shower-tub is a practical solution – the best of both. But a dedicated bathtub, separate from the shower, is always the dream. It allows for a true, uninterrupted bathing experience.
Undermounted bath by Waterworks, from The Ultimate Bath by Barbara Sallick
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT:1 Wendy Morrison Design a Mughal Painting rug and wallpaper, from £450. 2 Furniture Village Stockholm sideboard, £899. 3 And So To Bed’s Louis XV Caned Bed, £4,745. 4
1 THE JOY DRENCHER
You’re almost totally indi erent to interior design until Christmas arrives, at which point you descend upon Liberty and buy every bauble and embroidered cushion you can nd. ese are the core tenets of your design: wacky, sentimental, maximalist – held together by a passion for pattern clash and a love of kitsch accessories. Who says that fairy lights can’t stay up all year round?
ON THE SAME HOMEPAGE
TikTok interior trends are taking over our feeds (and homes). Which tribe is yours? asks Martha Davies
2 THE CLUTTER CHAMPION
You’re certain that minimalism is reserved only for celebrities and the multi-landed (it’s easy to spread stu across multiples homes). In other words, your home is and always will be full of stu . So, thank goodness for the ‘curated clutter’ trend, which turns a Bridget Jones-style mess into a whimsical (and very British) aesthetic. You’re an expert.
3 THE STORY BOOK LOVER
Cottagecore will not su ce: it may be just a little pied à terre, but every inch must be su used with the magic of an elven dwelling from a fairytale. ink tealights, lanterns, twisting vines and patchwork quilts. Let me guess: your ultimate fantasy involves moving to a halfabandoned farmhouse in remote Scotland?
4 THE MOCHA MANIAC
Over a at white at your favourite independent co ee shop in Dalston, you reprimand your friends for not being keyed into the latest interior design trends – at least as far as Pantone’s Colour of the Year goes. Of course ‘mocha mousse’ isn’t just brown; it’s obviously representative of the richness of nature. Good luck – only nine months until they announce next year’s.
5 THE BOY APARTMENT ADVOCATE
A bachelor pad gives o sad, lonely vibes. Your home isn't that. After all, you're clued into what’s hot in interior design – you just spent an eye-watering sum on a state-of-the-art soundbar to sit below your huge TV, and you dedicated a full day to styling your bookshelves. (Even if this was only to show o your three copies of e Old Man and the Sea.)
The Otto door, by Neatsmith, £2,800 per linear meter.
YES, CHEF
Slick pro kitchens at home are the plat du jour, says Tessa Dunthorne
Picture the scene: you enter a foodie friend’s kitchen in 2025. How can you tell? e rst hint was the dough cutter they use to neatly scrape onions from chopping board to pan. Your next was the growing knife collection, with a sharpening stone holding pride of place. And then there’s the kaleidoscope of home-made avoured oils all housed in clear, squeezy sauce bottles. ey might as well don chef whites.
Gone are the days of quaint, homey or cluttered kitchens. e plat du jour instead resembles e Bear. ‘I’ve de nitely noticed che y kitchens becoming more popular at home,’ says Jason Atherton of Pollen Street Social. ‘It’s interesting to see how people are adopting elements from pro kitchens, like deli tubs –for ingredients – and squeeze sauce bottles, for precise application.’
Woongchul Park, chef-owner of Sollip, says he’s noticed the same – but thinks it’s a natural extension of enjoying anything. ‘People like to get the gear for the things they enjoy,’ he says, ‘my hobby is boxing and thus my equipment’s basically pro-level.’
Should you be looking to up your own kitchen game, Atherton recommends starting with the skeleton of the design. ‘ e best professional kitchens include spacious countertops and smart layouts that allow for smooth work ow,’ he says. ‘Everything should be easily accessible to avoid unnecessary movement.’
His personal choice of kitchen designer is Smallbone – he has since become an ambassador for the brand – which features in both his home and new Savile Row restaurant Row on 5. ‘ e Row on 5 kitchen works because we were able to customise every aspect, tailoring it to professional demands but also creating something aesthetically beautiful.’
He warns not to get too caught up in what professional chefs might require. ‘You don’t need every piece of equipment you’d nd in a commercial kitchen, but there are essentials that elevate the cooking experience: a good knife for e ciency, a reliable oven and stove, and a good prep area to make cooking enjoyable and less stressful.’ Park’s advice? If you were to borrow any idea from his kitchen, it should be getting a proper grill: ‘Especially if you have a outside space or very good extraction.’ Something for a spring wishlist then? n
The Chartwell Kitchen by Smallbone, for whom Jason Atherton (below) is an ambassador
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Microplane Truffle grater, £44; Charlotte Manser ceramic oil bottle from £26; Allday Goods forged Santoku knife, £220
Consciously Crafted British Kitchens
MY INTERIOR LIFE
Joseph Altuzarra’s chance encounter with the Kravet family in the Hamptons has led to an original new collaboration
Brought up in France by an American mother and French father, Joseph Altuzarra see-sawed between the two countries, working for Givenchy and Marc Jacobs. Seventeen years ago he made the US his home and launched Altuzarra.
What ignited your love of fashion? I love the ritual of getting dressed. I remember my mum getting dressed and being fascinated. I was also a very introverted, nerdy kid. As a teenager, I felt that if I had the right jeans or the right out t, then I’d t in. I gave clothing a lot of power – and if you think how James Bond or presidents dress, that’s really true. I also love imagining walking into someone’s closet. In a showroom, the clothes are all merchandised – but in a home you can have a dress hanging next to a red coat that’s a couple of years old, sitting alongside a great Barbour jacket that your grandfather had and a cable-knit sweater your grandmother made for you. ere is so much history and emotion tied to what you have in your closet. How did the collaboration with Kravet come about? We were quarantining in the Hamptons and took a walk with our third child – a couple stopped to say congratulations. ey were from the Kravet family and it sparked a conversation. I knew the brand as we owned some Kravet furniture. I was working on our New York house at the time and I think it went handin-hand with developing this collection.
Tell us about the collection... I didn’t want to create an interior collection just to do say we’ve done one; I wanted it to feel there was a point of view. We delved into things that were really signature to Altuzarra, like Shabori dyeing. I loved the idea of taking that kind of language, which is unique and very tactile, and reinterpreting it in a way that was unexpected for interiors. I’ve always been interested in folklore, particularly how people over time have communed with the divine. For instance, the feathering that we did in this collection was inspired by the rites and rituals in Greco-Roman times used to predict the future. e Askania range is inspired by the Rorschach inkblot test (a projective psychological test widely used in the 60s to examine emotional function). We created patches of ink on paper, folding the sheet in half to smudge the ink and unfolding it to see what pattern emerged. We made hundreds, mixing them together to create something that felt really layered. e result looks like a tapestry when transferred onto velvet. We also developed it as a print using a technique where warp and weft yarns are printed before being woven. I loved taking old techniques and interpreting the results in totally di erent ways.
Do you have a favourite wallpaper design? e Storm colourscape panel inspired by Japanese ceramics. We’ve used it in our home. I love the idea that you could be in a room and feel like you are sitting inside a glazed pot. I also really love that there is something very landscape about it – if you’re squinting it looks like a sunset or a sunrise. It’s absolutely beautiful. Final word Kravet doesn’t often collaborate as it’s a long process. When it does, the brand gets it right. I feel lucky the family was excited by Altuzarra and saw potential. ey are a wonderful team and allowed me to learn a lot about the interiors world, which I really didn’t know anything about.
Kravet Couture x Altuzarra Collection, kravet.com/altuzarra-collection n
FROM TOP: Joseph Altuzarra; the SS23 catwalk that inspired it all; some of the signature patterns from the Kravet Couture x Altuzarra Collection
Anyone
HOTELS & TRAVEL
Delta Dawn
Botswana offers one of the most extraordinary travel experiences it’s possible to have. For a family, it’s a journey of learning and a thrilling immersion into the wild, says Lucy Cleland
As we clutch hot water bottles and mugs of co ee and hot chocolate, with the rosy- ngered dawn ooding the horizon, the Toyota Land Cruiser submerges onto its watery track, cutting across the African delta on the hunt for the elusive leopard. Bucking its way along the muddy bottom of the aquatic channel, the vehicle –driven expertly by our guide, Gee – shows o its brutish muscle and my children and I can only wonder whether we’re in a jeep, a submarine or a boat... Our adrenaline is pumping, senses alive.
Welcome to Vumbura Plains in the northwest section of the Okavango Delta, the safari heartland of Botswana – which o ers some of the most pristine, rich wildlife in the world. We’ve been whisked to this otherworldly land thanks to Yellow Zebra, whose expertise lies in designing trips from the ground up with experienced sta who are either former professional safari guides or camp managers. It means a souped-up, insider-level approach to safari planning, which starts before you even reach Africa. ey say Botswana’s fortunes turned with a termite nest. ey can burrow up to 70m below ground; their visible mounds (some vast) punctuating an otherwise at horizon like trig points. ese industrious beasts, so the legend goes, rst unearthed the diamonds in the 1950s that would assure Botswana’s future prosperity. Before that, the country languished as the third poorest in the world.
Botswana is not without its challenges though. A prolonged drought lingers. While we bask in the luxury of three Wilderness camps (and very much bask we do) on our nine-night safari – complete with smoothie stations, bush picnics and private plunge pools – many Batswana go without water for days on end. Unemployment remains high too.
But here, in the wild sage-scented brush, the animals reign. At Vumbura, we watch as the Hippo pride of lions (they all have names) attempts to take down a gira e, resting, belly low, between their strikes. e normally water-shy big cats are well adapted to the delta, using it to cool o in. is allows them to hunt in the heat of the day – unique to Botswana. But now is not our time to witness a kill, and we leave them to slink o and sleep in the sun.
I’m struck by the children’s ease and maturity in which they interact with this experience, so unlike anything they’ve had before. ere’s no grouching when the alarm goes o at 5:30 am, no complaining about sitting in a vehicle for ve hours; they listen to Gee, and imbibe what he has to say with a thirst I’ve not seen before. By the end of our trip, they’ve played who can spit the impala poo furthest; they’ve been on morning walks with
a ri e for company and late-night drives where the eyes of crocodiles light up on the riverside, porcupines scuttle in front of the headlights and civet cats prowl through the long grass. ey know every collective noun, and have seen pretty much all of the animals we’d been promised, including the rare African painted dog (and their pups).
In our second Wilderness camp, DumaTau – meaning roar of the lion –the experience shifts. More modern and chic with a big pool, shop and even a spa and gym, it sits in elephant country, nestled along the papyrus-lined Linyanti River which separates us from Namibia. e area is full of the elephants’ favoured mopane trees – too thick, green and bushy come summer to penetrate, but now, in winter, the skeletal trunks and branches o er the last bits of sustenance for them until the rains come. Here, conservation and tourism intertwine. Botswana has dedicated 40 percent of its land to conservation, with Wilderness, which has operated since 1983, at the vanguard of sustainable tourism. e camp is fully solar-powered and each detail is designed to leave the lightest possible footprint.
Yet, contradictions exist. Botswana has reinstated controlled hunting in areas where animal populations can sustain it, a decision driven by both conservation and economics. It’s a delicate balance: ensuring that wildlife thrives while also addressing the realities of rural livelihoods.
e country’s top exports – diamonds, beef and tourism – each play a role in this complex equation.
Tracking the animals is an art, and our guide, Niq, is a master. He reads the land like a book, noting the warning calls of baboons, the squawk of a red-billed spurfowl and the circling of vultures. He spots a leopard’s kill – a gutted impala draped in a tree – before we catch sight of the cat itself, asleep, hidden in a camou aged den.
FROM ABOVE: Romilly and Hector at Vumbura Plains; Qorokwe camp; dinner at Vumbura
The morning DRIVES have become like a MEDITATION , until we happen upon a full-bellied LION licking his blood-stained lips
DumaTau is the camp to take to the water. e children try their hand at shing for tilapia and tiger sh, and we see huge pods of hippo – 40 heads or so – and strings of elephants swimming across the channel before sloping back to camp dazzled by yet another kaleidoscopic sunset.
As we sip Amarula by the re, Niq recounts how Botswana has transformed in his lifetime. Born in 1984, he remembers when tourism was still in its infancy, when safaris were primarily about hunting. Now, the industry has evolved, with photography safaris leading the way. At night, we fall asleep to the sloshing of hippos in the water outside our tent.
Qorokwe, our nal stop reached by another tiny plane, reveals a di erent side of the delta. Here, the impact of drought is more stark. e waterhole has dried up. And poaching, which surged during the pandemic, has wiped out the area’s rhino population. But the bush is resilient. e morning drives have become like a meditation in the bristling heat, until we happen upon a full-bellied male lion licking his blood-stained lips. His fresh prey – a bu alo – lies close by in a bush with his innards hollowed out. We must have only just missed the kill.
e intimacy of Botswana’s safari experience is unlike any other. With strict limits on vehicles – only two per sighting – animals remain relaxed, unperturbed by hordes of tourists. is sense of exclusivity is part of what makes a trip here so eye-wateringly expensive, but it’s also what makes it extraordinary. e feeling of being alone in the wilderness, of really coexisting with nature, is priceless – and leaves us, occasionally, speechless.
BOOK IT: Yellow Zebra o ers nine nights in Botswana, including all ights and transfers, with two nights at each camp and all F&B and scheduled safari activities, from £8,599 (low season) to £25,045 (high season) per person based on two adults adults and two children (12 and under). yellowzebrasafaris.com/botswana
Lucy's return ights from London Heathrow to Maun via Johannesburg had a carbon footprint of 2,933.5kg of CO2e per person n
FROM ABOVE: DumaTau lies along the Linyanti River; Lucy and Romilly; a lion leaps from a tree; Romilly and Hector out on patrol with Gee
OVER THE MOON
From cowboying in Utah to dusk dives with whale sharks, these are new wave honeymoons worth saying yes to, says Jemima Sissons
The Athena poster honeymoons of long ago conjured up starry eyed couples on icing sugar beaches, free owing cocktails in hands, doing… as little as possible. e sands have shifted and the newly betrothed are just as likely to be donning their Salomons and ditching their phones as seeking out under-the-radar palm-fringed islands. ‘Couples are increasingly looking for activities and experiences that make their honeymoon feel completely di erent to a normal holiday, whether it’s through adventure or exclusive access,’ says Charlotte Wells, director of global tailor-made product at A&K. is, with a side order of sustainability and wellness.
‘Now couples are seeking deeper, more immersive diversions that o er both adventure and luxury, and – importantly –a chance to reconnect with nature,’ adds Tamara Lohan, co-founder and CEO of Mr & Mrs Smith. ‘ e self-care honeymoon is still very much an evolving trend. Couples are looking to unwind and fully reconnect, not just with each other, but with themselves too.’ Alongside adventure, more and more couples are taking an increasingly ethical stance in their honeymoon choices, according to Original Travel’s founder Tom Barber: ‘Many are choosing to ditch air travel, and go by train or seek out a lesser-known region of a popular country to alleviate the issue of overtourism.’ With this in mind, where in the world should honeymooners set their sights?
ABOVE: Cookson Adventures offers a light-imact pop-up camp on Bolivia’s salt flats THIS PICTURE: 62 Nord’s properties are immersed in majestic settings
ADVENTURE
For a trip rooted in sustainability, Norway’s 62° Nord embraces the ideal of friluftsliv, the ‘free air’ life, which centres on enjoying nature without leaving a footprint. Spanning three properties immersed in majestic settings, rugged adventure encompasses everything from hiking remote mountain passes and ord swimming to sunrise kayaking and, for the intrepid, seeking out polar bears in loftiest Svalbard. Cosy up in the remote Nordic chalet-style Stor ord Hotel or the storied Hotel Union Øye overlooking the ords, where evenings are spent alongside log burning res. From £347 a night (62.no/en).
Heading to the salt ats of Bolivia, bed down in a bespoke light-impact camp, which will disappear without a trace after your departure, overseen by pioneers of the most stylish derring-do escapes, Cookson Adventures. Experiencing the world’s largest salt at in total privacy, the trip combines private-chef picnic setups with visits to giant cactus islands, before exploring the rich cultural heritage of the country’s capital La Paz. ‘We’ve de nitely seen more honeymooners going for away longer, almost treating it like a mini sabbatical,’ says Nick Davies, managing director of Cookson Adventures. ‘ ey see it as a great opportunity to start married life positively by doing an epic adventure together, building new memories through experiences.’ From £150,000 for two weeks (cooksonadventures.com).
For superior mountain dwelling, playing cowboy by summer or ski touring in winter, escape to the spectacular e Lodge at Blue Sky, Auberge, nestled under the gaze of the Wasatch mountains in Utah. Learn to horse whisper or axe throw before a private Macallan-led dinner at the hilltop Speyside Yurt. From £1,200 (aubergeresorts.com/bluesky).
NEW WAVE BEACH
With its easy-on-the-eye villas and ip-and- op ease, the Maldives has its place, but there are some enviable new sand and sea escapes in far- ung locations. An hour-and-a-half’s ight from Mauritius is the (for now) untouched Creole island of Rodrigues, o ering nature at its rawest, limestone caves, volcanic peaks and swathes of lagoons that are home to rare birds and marine life, such as the noddy seabird. Bed down in the sparkling-new Constance Tekoma with just 32 Creole-style beachfront rooms. From £2,169 for seven nights per person, including return ights and transfers (turquoiseholidays.co.uk).
Also less on the beaten track, Oman’s Musandam Peninsula is one of the least visited but most beautiful areas of the country. Combine a four-night stay at Six Senses Zighy Bay with excursions on a dhow cruise around the coast and snorkelling in the crystal-clear water. is is o ered by Audley Travel, which found that 19 percent of their clients last year were travelling on a honeymoon. Alex Bentley, head of product at Audley Travel, says: ‘We are seeing a rise in bookings for hybrid trips, such as pairing a Kenyan safari with time relaxing on the beaches of the Seychelles.’ From £10,595 a person (audleytravel.com).
While ai beaches remain well-trodden, and Bali’s Eat, Pray, Love-style spiritual retreats well ticked, the Philippines remains blissfully under the radar on the South East Asia circuit. Putting the emerald northern archipelago on the map, private-island resort Lagen Island in El Nido, Palawan, re-emerges after an extensive renovation. Framed by lush forest and a sparkling lagoon, it o ers a two-level spa, a vastly expanded beach area, a new dive centre and a biodiversity discovery centre where guests can learn about the island ecosystem before seeking out reef sharks and sea turtles in secluded bays. From £1,000 a night (elnidoresorts.com).
FROM ABOVE: Lagen Island in the Philippines; Constance Tekoma on the Indian Ocean island of Rodrigues; a dhow off the Musandam Peninsula in Oman
WATER & RAIL
Recalling a golden age of Agatha Christie-style travel, water or rail o ers slow, sustainable voyaging. In far- ung Raja Ampat in Indonesia, marine citadels teeming with aquatic life greet snorkellers and experienced scuba divers. Aqua Expeditions’ luxury vessel Aqua Blu is the rst long-range ocean explorer yacht permanently based in Indonesia. Days are spent swimming with whale sharks, snorkelling with manta rays or spotting iguanas on land before sundowners at an ancient fort and then on-board feasting on spice-route inspired catch of the day with sambal. From £8,231 a person for seven nights (aquaexpeditions.com).
Rail travel is getting a glossy makeover this year too with some spectacular new routes curated around gastronomy. From this spring, La Dolce Vita Orient Express launches in Italy, the country’s rst luxury train with 12 deluxe cabins, 18 suites and one La Dolce Vita Suite designed by Dimorestudio and furnished with Gio Ponti pieces recalling the glamour of the 1960s and 70s. Expect less-travelled locations such as Matera in Basilicata and regionally inspired cuisine overseen by three-Michelin-starred Heinz Beck. From £3,000 a night per person (orient-express.com).
Closer to home, soak in the majesty of the British Isles on e Britannic Explorer, a Belmond train, which will o er the rstever sleeper train touring England and Wales, with three-night journeys departing from London. e three routes will traverse Cornwall, the Lake District and Wales, with interiors dressed by Albion Nord, and zero waste food in the limed oak-lined dining carriage by L’Enclume’s chef, Simon Rogan. From £5,800 a person (belmond.com).
ABOVE: Explorer yacht Aqua Blu plies the waters of Indonesia BELOW: The Britannic Explorer brings rail glamour back to Cornwall, Wales and the lakes
LUXE WILDERNESS
Set in a secluded, sacred valley accessed by a private monorail, Japanese heritage informs every corner of the newly opened Espacio e Hakone Geihinkan Rin-Poh-Ki-Ryu With only nine private villas, walls are cloaked in traditional Kawakami depicting gods alongside kumiko woodwork and washi paper detailing. After a piping hot onsen fed by its own spring, dine on delicate morsels overseen by Michelin-starred chef Yamagishi Takahiro. From £1,500 a night (lhw.com). Journeying west to the lush hills of Madhya Pradesh in central India, seek out majestic tigers at the new Oberoi Vindhyavilas Wildlife Resort in Bandhavgarh. Wildlife tours will be directed by Ratna Singh who quali ed as the region’s rst female naturalist 18 years ago. Situated in the heart of the 400 sq/km Bandhavgarh National Park, which has the highest density of tigers in the country, the 19 air-conditioned luxury tents and two villas o er private decks, swimming pools, and re cooked dinners under starlit skies. From £800 a night (oberoihotels.com).
Seeking the big ve safari in South Africa remains Scott Dunn’s most booked honeymoon destination, but it’s easy to stay away from the hoards. After decompressing with a few nights by the ocean at onga Beach Lodge on KwaZulu Natal’s Elephant Coast, y to Marakele National Park where an air-conditioned vehicle will whisk you to Marataba Mountain Lodge for immersion into safari surrounded by nature. With ve Scandi-style rooms, wood-burning replaces, and private decks overlooking the 67,000hectare park, there is game spotting by day; by night, turn the phones o (there is no signal) as you slumber in treetops in their abametsi treehouse, serenaded by the sounds of rare birds and the rustlings of antelope and leopards. From £6,745 a person, including international ights (scottdunn.com). n
ABOVE: Oberoi Vindhyavilas Wildlife Resort is in Bandhavgarh, which boasts the highest density of tigers in India BELOW: A Thabametsi treehouse in South Africa’s Marakele National Park
BERLIN STORIES
Catherine Fairweather and her husband, Don McCullin, return to the city where he made his name as a war photographer and find it pulsing with creative energy
‘Well of course, this is a whole di erent story from the Pariser Platz I remember in the sixties – the blowing tumbleweed and pockmarked masonry from bullets,’ reminisces Don as we share a cold beer at the Brasserie Quarré. e restaurant has alfresco ringside seats on the iconic city square and the Brandenburg Gate, whose pre-millennium resurrection – following the reuni cation of the nation – we are admiring, alongside a Hotel Adlon special: liver with mash and apple purée. Don made his name here, taking some searing images of Berlin as the Wall went up, when Pariser Platz was a no-go zone, a wasteland, stuck in a state of war-torn ruination. e Brandenburg Gate, the grand classical ceremonial arch of the Prussian Empire, became a forgotten relic of a lost era, cordoned o in the Soviet sector of the city and then, a symbol of division, the most heavily armed and guarded extension of the Berlin Wall.
Today the beautiful 18th-century mansions of the square and the iconic Hotel Adlon (now the Hotel Adlon Kempinski, kempinski.com), rebuilt as an elegant replica of the original, are at the heart of a reunited Berlin. Our brasserie is on the Unter den Linden, the capital’s main artery, which feeds joggers and cycling exhibitionists into the Pariser Platz. ey ash by, executing high kicks, press ups and wheelies. Meanwhile, within the hotel itself, there is a permanent buzz around the fantastical elephant (and frog) fountain, a replica of the original gifted by a generous maharajah at the birth of the hotel over a hundred years ago. is is where Michael Jackson was staying when he scandalously dangled a baby over the balcony, presenting it to his adoring fans. Built with groundbreaking mod-cons in 1907 – electricity, hot and cold running water – Hotel Adlon miraculously survived two world wars, only to burn down a few days after the fall of Berlin when incoming Soviet soldiers, nding the famous wine cellar, went on a drunken rampage, accidentally sending the place up in ames.
After lunch, we work o the calories walking through the treasure trove of Etruscan, Roman and Greek collections found at the Altes Museum. is is one of the most outstanding cultural and historical complexes in Europe, where most of the ancient spoils stolen by the Soviets and buried around Russia after the fall of Berlin are collected. ere are some intimate surprises: a rare bust of Cleopatra, who looks more like a serious student than a queen, beside her lover Caesar. ere are jaw-dropping hordes of embossed silverware commissioned as a dinner service for some ancient Roman bigwig who was obviously trying to make an impression, and a unique and intriguing room of classical erotica that should be x-rated.
I leave Don to pore over and shoot more statues of Venus and Antinous for his book e Roman Conceit. On the grittier boundary of Mitte is the Prenzlauer Berg district and the leafy streets and peaceful public parks like Mauer, which used to be the death strip beneath the Berlin Wall, patrolled by dogs and raked by searchlights. I visit the atmospheric, emptied Jewish cemeteries with headstones askew, like broken teeth, keen to get a sense of this neighbourhood’s layered and tumultuous history.
‘This is a CITY in a continual state of REINVENTION , its previously abandoned ARCHITECTURAL jewels newly spotlit and REPURPOSED’
You can check in just for the day, for one of the most memorable spa experiences in the city (clothing-less, as is the German way), but the Adlon also has the best bu et breakfast in town, which includes a dozen types of German sausage. ‘If people are ever sni y about German food,’ says Don, who is very partial to sausage and apple in all guises, ‘write them about the Adlon bu et breakfast and about the Wiener schnitzel at Borchardt.’ is legendary restaurant is a 170-year-old institution with a beautiful walled garden and art nouveau interiors in Gendarmenmarkt, a ten-minute stroll from Pariser Platz. e fried bread-crumbed slice of veal, bashed thin and served with cold potato salad, doesn’t sound like manna from heaven – but it covers the entire plate like a golden hat, and with the salad alongside that adds lubrication to the juicy crumb, is it one of those simple combinations of avour and texture that stirs nostalgia and longing. Chancellor Bismarck was a regular and the dining rooms here catered to the noble families of Prussia, who would provide the restaurant with ostrich eggs, fresh game and fruit produce from their estates. Following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, its renovated Art Nouveau stucco and columned brasserie-style interiors were an instant success with a mixed crowd of blue bloods, fashionistas, artists, tourists and blue-suited nanciers.
From here, it is a short stroll to Oderberger Strasse, which I visit for its turn-of-the-century bathhouse and tiled splendour, the interiors restored in 2016 as a lovely hotel. is is a city in a continual state of reinvention, its previously abandoned architectural jewels newly spotlit and repurposed. Between the imposing, forbidding exteriors of Berlin’s political and diplomatic heartland around the Hotel Adlon, and the creative innovative energy pulsing through the sometimes shabby outskirts, it is a capital that never feels static or stale. e geopolitical dynamic of a capital that lies between the East and West makes you feel like you have your nger on the pulse of Europe – even if it is a fragile, failing Europe, that bright optimism of the millennium years now tarnished.
Berlin Hauptbahnhof station remains the hub of this Europe, with 1,200 trains per day across its ve levels. Despite its incredible footfall, with crowds self-marshalling as they do at the iconic Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo, the space works. Sleeper trains arrive here from across Europe, a revival powered by weekly commuters seeking environmentally responsible transit and journeymakers rediscovering the romantic pleasures of slow travel. e new European Sleeper – also known as e Good Night Train (europeansleeper.eu) – whisks you across Schengen borders to Holland, Belgium and the Czech Republic without the need to show passports or endure security checks. Don, vowing never to endure another airport security check that mistakes old-fashioned camera lm for explosives, had suggested we travelled to Berlin by train. From London to Amsterdam and then overnight to Berlin, we woke up to tea in a polystyrene cup and breakfast sandwich in a box. It is hardly the Orient Express, but the departure boards that ag onward routes to Dresden, the famous Saxon spa town of Bad Schandau, Prague and beyond is the stu of fantasy – of endless works of ction and the box set thriller. An inducement, in short, to dream on. n
e Roman Conceit by Don McCullin, published by GOST, is out now.
ABOVE AND BELOW RIGHT: Don McCullin’s American Troops Looking across the Wall, Berlin (1961); Don McCullin’s Cupid and Psyche Altes Museum, Berlin
FROM TOP RIGHT: Schönhauser
Allee Jewish cemetery; The Brandenberg Gate; the Hotel Adlon Kempinski and its Lorenz Adlon Esszimmer restaurant
ROOM WITH A GLACIER VIEW
New in December and perched 3,000m above the Tortin glacier in Verbier, this wow-factor bolthole is in pole position for rst-powder hunters. e cabin – designed with sustainability at the forefront by award-winning Norwegian practice Snorre Stinessen – sleeps eight in ultra comfort and comes with a sauna, private chef, ski and mountain guides – and plenty of isolation. cabanetortin.com
The ESCAPIST
Lauren Ho looks out at the latest travel news
SHOW FLOATING PADEL
It’s no secret that padel is a must-have o ering at luxury hotels these days, with everyone from Estelle Manor to multiple Maldives hotels installing courts. A hybrid between tennis and squash that was invented in Mexico in the 1960s, the racquet sport is growing rapidly, with e International Padel Federation noting that the number of people playing padel has increased by 40 percent in the last two years. So it follows that hotels worldwide are seeking sustainable options. With that in mind, hospitality rm Yntegra Group has developed a transportable Floating Padel Court that is fashioned from recycled steel from old shipyard materials, and is engine-and-battery free. Currently oating in Miami Harbor until May 2025, the court will then be transported to Rosewood Exuma – part of a new ultra-luxury resort set across two private islands in the Bahamas – which is due to open in 2028.
48HRS IN... NAGATO CITY
The lesser known area of Japan you should seek out in 2025
Discover tranquil Nagato City, a coastal haven on Japan’s Honshu Island. Nestled in the northwest of the Yamaguchi Prefecture – and bordered by the Chugoku Mountains – Nagato offers stunning coastal views and mountainous landscapes. Its unique blend of natural wonders, historic hot springs, and authentic Japanese experiences makes it perfect for adventurous travellers seeking regenerative travel that nourishes both body and soul. Nagato City awaits.
STAY
Check into Michelin Key-awarded Bettei Otozure, a luxury, modern ryokan which enjoys a truly special Kaiseki dinner. Think local ingredients like Fugu puffer fish – a delicacy of Yamaguchi Prefecture – while you drink Otozure original saké brewed locally and served in potteryware utensils all crafted by local Hagiware artisans. Or, to locate closer to the key attraction of the Motonosumi Shrine, the Yokikan at Yuyawan Onsen is a traditional Japanese ryokan with glorious hilltop scenery.
EAT
The area is renowned for its yakitori – grilled skewers of juicy meat – and Kamaboko, a kind of cured fish cake. Try the latter at Fujimitsu Kaifu-do, where you can buy this and other local delicacies and tour its fish factory. Local favourite Komori Yakitori is among the oldest shops in Nagato, with the best grilled chicken yakitori and a small counter service.
DO
For views, head to the Motonosumi Shrine – you reach this spot by heading uphill through a path framed by 123 traditional red torii gates. You’d be remiss to skip the Yuya Terraced Rice Fields, too, which enjoys panoramic views over Yuya Bay.
For wellness kicks, make sure you check out an Onsen, traditional
Japanese hot spring baths that have been beloved by locals for centuries. Nagato City is home to three of these hot spring towns – Nagato Yumoto Onsen, Tawarayama Onsen, Yuyawan Onsen. The Tawarayama Onsen is particularly storied, said to have been discovered by the Buddha disguised as a white monkey. It is one of a handful of authentic hot springs – almost like a jaunt into the past. The water here will soothe joints, and contains minerals like lithium, sulfur, sodium chloride and iron.
BOOK IT: Discover the hidden treasures of Nagato City and embark on a journey of wellness, exploration, and cultural immersion. visit-nagato.com
From top: 123 red torii gates line the pathway up to the Motonosumi Shrine; a suite’s living room at Bettei Otozure; the Tawarayama Onsen; yakitori on the grill
WILDLAND: SCOTLAND’S MOST AMBITIOUS REWILDING PROJECT
WildLand is rede ning conservation in Scotland, spanning 220,000 acres across 13 estates in a pioneering e ort to restore the Highlands. Led by Danish entrepreneur Anders Holch Povlsen and his wife Anne, the project envisions a 200-year transformation, rewilding ecosystems, reviving native woodlands and restoring peatlands. From the Cairngorms to the rugged Sutherland coastline, rare species like beavers and capercaillie are returning, and historic estates have been sensitively restored. Next year, WildLand will unveil Hope, a landmark regenerative retreat in partnership with interior designers Cecil & Boyd. wildland.scot
THE FUTURE OF CRUISING
While cruising remains as popular as ever, it’s common knowledge that this is a carbonintensive way to travel, producing more emissions than many other types of holidays. Of course, multiple cruise lines are starting to develop eco-friendly ships, with the latest unveiled by Explora Journeys with the launch of Explora III next year. Powered by lique ed natural gas (LNG), which burns much cleaner than traditional fuels and therefore achieves a notable decrease in CO2 emissions, the new ship re ects the brand’s commitment to decarbonise marine operations and minimise its impact on air quality. is alongside other innovative eco-friendly creds, including being RINA Dolphincerti ed, ensuring low underwater noise emissions; state of the art recycling and solid waste management; and smart heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. With its understated and modern design, Explora Journeys continues to pave the way for crafting the vessels of tomorrow. explorajourneys.com
FOUR HOT NEW OPENINGS
ROMEO ROMA, Italy
Steps from Piazza del Popolo, the 74-room hotel in a 16th-century palazzo has been transformed by Zaha Hadid Architects and, like its sister hotel in Naples, will feature a restaurant by chef Alain Ducasse, a Neapolitan-inspired bistro, indoor and outdoor pools, a spa by Sisley Paris and a rooftop lounge and bar. theromeocollection.com
THE WELBECK, London
Part of Marylebone’s landscape since Edwardian times and welcoming guests for over 200 years, the hotel has just emerged from a makeover by local firm Studio Moren. In homage to the street’s medical history, it will offer in-room wellness services such as IV drips and beauty treatments. ihg.com
THE CLEMENTS, Cambridge, New Zealand
Opening this May and occupying an original beaux-arts property, re-built in 1911 following a fire, this heritage building has now been transformed into a 29-room hotel inspired by Claridge’s. The hotel’s original 150-year-old basement has been transformed into an underground speakeasy bar. clements.co.nz
PARK LANE COPENHAGEN, Denmark
With typical Danish sensibilities, this unfolds with demure elegance within a former 1920s cinema. Located in the city’s northern quarter, central Copenhagen is a 20-minute drive away. After a day exploring the city’s sites, the chic dining room and cosy wine bar are the perfect spots to wind down and relax. parklanecph.com n
SPRING AND THE CITY
Tessa Dunthorne argues you shouldn’t overlook a city stay as superlative as this one
The capital is full of grand hotels, but few can boast the views of Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London. Perched on the edge of central London’s largest park, this ve-star sanctuary has an impressive history – opening rst as a gentleman’s club in 1902 and later becoming the destination choice of the world’s elite, it has even served as a home to soldiers on leave during the First World War –and today it feels as fresh and re ned as ever. It helps that it has recently undergone an impeccable restoration; with the interiors elevated to new heights, it’s impossible not to feel at least a little dizzied entering the all-marble, all-chandelier lobby.
Beyond its grand entrance, there’s an unmistakable sense of occasion about a stay here. Every detail – from the immaculate service to artfully arranged oral displays – signals that this is a hotel designed for those who appreciate the ner things. e kind of place where a concierge remembers your name, where the scent of fresh owers lingers in the air, and where the very walls seem to hum with the stories of the illustrious guests who have passed through. It’s luxurious, but never completely ostentatious – the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London, has mastered the art of understated elegance, ensuring that every guest, whether a rst-timer or a seasoned regular, feels at home.
To boot, the bespoke packages the concierge can arrange here are nothing short of world-class. From private shopping on the recently refurbished Sloane Street, to horse riding in its backyard (by which we mean Hyde Park), the stay extends far beyond its lovely walls. And with a strong commitment to sustainability – from pioneering solar technology to plastic-free initiatives – Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park , London, proves that luxury and responsibility can go hand in hand.
Whether you’re visiting from abroad, looking for a serious staycation with all the bells and whistles or need somewhere to stay for a jaunt into town, here are a few reasons why you should check into Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London.
Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London, can arrange private horse riding in the park; the hotel’s Hyde Park Garden opens from spring for lunch and dinner
STAY You might assume you know Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park well – given it’s been open for 123 years – but the hotel went under the knife a few years ago, enjoying an extensive facelift from interior designer Joyce Wang. (It still gives a nod to its history, though – the whole scheme is an homage to the golden age of travel.)
As such, the rooms weave the story of the building’s heritage with smart out tting that plants the decor rmly in the 21st century. ink jewellery-like bedside sconces – all soft LED –and rich leather headboards, contrasted against palatial, marbled bathrooms. If you check into any of the (seriously swanky) suites, you can expect even more.
e Royal Terrace suite, for example, enjoys a balcony that runs its entire length and overlooks Hyde Park – an enviable position from which to spy the Household Cavalry trot past. Its three en-suite bedrooms sleep eight, perfect for any intergenerational family trips, and the private bar means the grown-ups can have a negroni in hand at all times (once again, perfect for an intergenerational family trip...). It has its own steam room, too.
Of course, just downstairs there’s a world-class spa. Its expert therapists pamper with any of a range of indulgent treatments, whether the order is for a head-to-toe scrub or a relaxing facial. Its Essence of London and Urban Ritual treatments draw inspiration from the surrounds. Don’t miss the English Rose Poultice Massage (£340 for two hours) – which does exactly what it says on the tin – but oh so well.
Staycation | HOTELS
EAT Not to confuse you, but go for lunch at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal – the accoladed chef’s luncheon menu is one of the most well-valued Michelin meals in London at £65. e three courses take you on a journey through British history – each dish has a date alongside it – and with Heston’s signature quirky gastronomical experimentation, you can expect to try a (delicious) ri on pig’s ear ragù followed by a 12th-century compost tart. Each dish on the menu highlights a way we can think about and reduce food waste.
DO See Hyde Park from another view – on horseback. Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London, backs onto the capital’s most iconic green space, and enjoys a special relationship with the stables there, meaning it’s the only hotel in London that can facilitate a ride like this. From £115 (per person, per hour), you can explore the trails of Hyde Park, from the Rotten Row – once known as e King’s Old Road – to the banks of the Serpentine. Whether you’re a novice or an old hand in the saddle, you can enjoy a private ride, riding or arena lessons, before retreating to the spa to ease any aching muscles.
Rooms start at £900, mandarinoriental.com
THE RIGHT STUFF
What is this hotel doing for the planet?
1
Credentials: Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London, holds certification from the The Global Sustainable Tourism Council – with the group’s sustainability efforts led by general manager and area vice present, Torsten van Dullemen.
2
Material stuff: 99 percent of the Mandarin Oriental Group’s hotels are plastic-free (since 2022). The hotel aims not to use paper in the first instance; unavoidable paper use is 100 percent sustainable-certified.
3
Good energy: Aided by world-leading solar heat technology on its rooftop, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London’s goal is for 62 percent of its energy usage to come from renewable sources.
4
In the community: The team at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London, are encouraged to take a (paid) day off to volunteer for a charity of their choice. In 2024, this equated to 4,800 hours of work.
5
Future look: The hotel is part of a pilot for Winnow food waste management, which is exploring how AI can be used to reduce food waste. n
The view from the Royal Terrace Suite; the hotel’s Mandarin bar
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could y guilt-free? Once upon a time, we thought we could, and the answer was carbon o setting. We could tick a little box on an airline’s website, add a cursory few quid, and o we’d jet, safe in the knowledge that our do-gooding would x those pesky carbon emissions.
Except that they don’t. O setting might present a neat carbon-neutral ‘solution’ to ying but it can actually do more harm than good. ‘Carbon o sets may help you feel like you’re doing your bit for the planet,’ says Justin Francis, co-founder of tour operator Responsible Travel, ‘but it’s very di cult to know whether they are e ective and there have been many exposés about their failures.’
Put simply, carbon o setting schemes mean investing in environmental projects which aim to balance out our carbon footprints. You go on a ight, you pay for some trees to be planted or for a remote community to not cut down its forest, and hey presto – those emissions are balanced out and we can all skip merrily into the sunset. And all that for less than you’ll spend on a sandwich in the airport.
Too good to be true? Yep, for various reasons, including that the idea of o setting might actually make us y more. ‘With o sets, I worry it may lead to people believing they can y more or further which would result in more CO2e going into the air,’ says Charlie Cotton, founder of ecollective, which helps companies measure and reduce their carbon footprints. en there’s the issue that carbon claims often aren’t backed up by evidence. ose tree saplings might take 20 years to reach a stage where they can absorb enough carbon to make up for your ight, while the carbon saved by that remote community’s forest is almost impossible to measure. ‘Avoidance methods often lack additionality, as they fund projects that would likely have happened regardless of the credits being sold,’ says Prue Stone,
director of sustainability at Hotelplan, parent company of Inghams, Explore Worldwide and Inntravel. ere is, in other words, an awful lot of guesswork and assumptions involved.
e new buzzword is ‘removal’. Hotelplan, for example, which conducts an annual carbon audit across its businesses, has removed 20,000 tonnes of CO2e from the atmosphere through its investment in carbon removal. ese, explains Stone, include a range of technologies, from bio-oil production in the US, to soil sequestration in the UK.
Too GOOD to be TRUE? Yep, for various reasons, including that the idea of OFFSETTING might actually make us fly MORE
So perhaps this is our silver bullet? Not quite, says Justin. ‘Carbon capture is currently tiny and very expensive. With the right funding and incentives, it may become an a ordable and scalable solution.’
Stone agrees that carbon capture is only part of the picture, and Hotelplan’s main focus is on reducing emissions and encouraging clients to take alternative methods of transport. ‘Our priority remains lowering our own emissions, which is critical if we are to move towards a net zero world.’
So there’s the rub. ere is no quick x. As Cotton puts it: ‘Spending £20 on buying o sets does not lower the carbon footprint of your holiday. Choosing to take the train, y shorter distances, stay in solar powered hotels: these things lower your carbon footprint. is is what we need, to take ownership of the emissions that our activities create and make changes to reduce them.’
My advice? Do all those things. Strive to be a more sustainable traveller and make more thoughtful choices – and then measure your footprint. Using carbon calculators through websites such as Ecologi (ecologi.com) should give you a good idea, and you can then donate the equivalent to an environmental cause that you know is doing good work. It’s not a silver bullet. It’s not guiltfree ying – that doesn’t exist. But it’s better than nothing. n
COMPORTA COOL
Portugal resident Mariella Tandy shares her insider’s guide to this wild and alluring Alentejo hotspot
Comporta, an area nestled on Portugal’s Alentejo coast, encompassing several villages including Melides and Carvalhal, has been creeping onto the lips of discerning travellers. Unlike its bustling cousins in the Algarve, the area managed to stay under the radar thanks to strict codes of development – but visitors are increasingly being seduced by its unique blend of laid-back luxury and raw natural beauty, with undulating umbrella pines, thousand-year-old cork trees and over 60km of pristine beaches. Here it is not about being ‘seen’ and more about being anonymous. Plenty of royals and VIPs are known to have houses or frequent the area, but you would never know it; ip ops, sunglasses, sun hats and a straw bag is the uniform. is is where you come to unwind, reconnect with nature and embrace a slower pace of life. From hidden gems to must-try experiences, discover the charm of one of Europe’s last untouched coastlines.
STAY
1
Sublime Comporta
This eco-chic retreat offers luxurious villas with private pools, surrounded by lush pine forests. Indulge in the spa, savour farm-to-table cuisine and explore the sprawling estate. Perfect for families and those seeking ultimate privacy. sublimecomporta.pt
Vermelho Melides
2
This boutique hotel, owned by Christian Louboutin, is a must see. Each room is a unique masterpiece, blending vintage finds with contemporary flair. Relax in the vibrant gardens, take a dip in the pool and enjoy exquisite dining at the hotel’s restaurant. Ideal for couples and design aficionados. vermelhohotel.com
3
Spatia Comporta
These ginormous minimalist-chic villas offer a tranquil escape with private pools and masses of privacy, due to their large plots and stunning views of the surrounding landscape. There is also an exquisite clubhouse with a fabulous restaurant, two pools and tennis and padel courts. spatiacomporta.com
4
Quinta da Comporta
Situated in the beach village of Carvalhal, this wellness-focused resort offers a range of accommodations, from suites to private villas with pools. Rejuvenate at the spa, practise yoga and savour organic food while enjoying the serene views over rice fields. quintadacomporta.com
Casa Dos Pescadores
5
With a dream location metres away from Praia do Carvalhal, this newly renovated fisherman’s cottage features four bedrooms, a plunge pool and many outside areas from which to enjoy its unique position. Perfect for a stay with family or friends. carvalhalbeachhouse.com
Cá na Serra
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Situated in the hills of Melides, this house is a nature lover’s paradise. It has three bedrooms and far reaching views. mui.pt
Love horses? You’ll have acres of beach to ride along
EAT
7 Cavalariça
Located in old horse stables, this charming restaurant serves innovative dishes with a focus on local ingredients. cavalarica.com
8 Mesa
A relative newcomer, Mesa has quickly made a name for itself thanks to the incredible food and service. The ceviche is a fan favourite. mesacomporta.pt
Dona Bia
9
For a more traditional experience, this restaurant is beloved for its seafood. +351 265 497 557
SNACK SPOTS
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Gulato
Innovative ice cream. Make sure to try the Gulatissimo flavour. gulato.pt
Jacaré
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Vibey pizza spot with DJs for latenight drinks.
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JNcQuoi Deli
Open all day serving great coffee; worth a trip just for the interiors by JP Demeyer. jncquoi.com
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Simone Bakery
A typical French bakery serving baked goods and coffee.
BEACH CLUBS & CAFÉS
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Sublime Comporta Beach Club
Enjoy fresh seafood and refreshing cocktails at this chic beach club overlooking the Atlantic. sublimecomporta.pt
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JNcQuoi Beach Club
Make a stop for lunch or rent one of the sun loungers at the region’s most luxe beach club, located at Pego beach, the favoured VIP spot. jncquoi.com
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Galé Beach Bar
Part of the CostaTerra development, this bar appears like a mirage on the beach. Come here for cocktails at dusk. costaterraclub.com
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Comporta Cafe
Book a lunch spot for great atmosphere, or the sunset DJ set. comportacafe.pt
SHOP
The Life Juice
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A boutique store in Comporta’s centre selling clothing, jewellery and other unique pieces.
19 Caju
Situated in Carvalhal, owner Helena has a super eye for detail and new emerging or hard-tosource brands.
20 Vida Dura
Known for its oneoff homewares. Pottery lovers make a pilgrimage here.
21
Le Shed Will open its doors in Comporta this summer with a selection of home goods and juices.
22 Rice
This lifestyle store in Comporta and newer outpost in Grândola offers a curated selection of clothing, accessories and home decor with a bohemian vibe.
23 Lavanda
Discover a treasure trove of vintage furniture, art and home accessories at this charming shop in Comporta.
Mercearia Gomes
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A gourmet grocery store in Comporta and haven for food lovers, offering local delicacies, artisanal cheeses and wines.
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Lusa Market
A pop-up within the Atlantic Club, this has a selection of small stores and is also a great pit stop for breakfast on the go.
THINGS TO DO
26
Riding on the beach
Explore the stunning coastline on horseback with Cavalos na Areia. cavalosnaareia.com
27
Surfing at Praia do Carvalhal Catch some waves at this popular surf spot. surfincomporta.com
28 Dolphin watching in the Sado Estuary
Get up close to these gorgeous marine animals.
29 Explore the surrounding nature
Hike or bike through the dunes, rice fields and vineyards.
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Picnic na Comporta Known for their luxury picnic service on any beach of your choosing.
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The best beaches to beeline Praia do Carvalhal, Praia do Pego, Lagoa de Santo André, Praia da Aberta Nova and Galé.
LOCAL’S TIPS
32
Hire
A car – essential to discover myriad beaches. As well as the main ones, you can also find deserted beaches, even in summer. Very few houses or hotels are walkable from the beach.
33 Rent A bike to explore the region or go from your accommodation to the beach. ebikes comporta.com
34 Visit The local market in Grândola for an authentic Alentejo experience. The largest market takes place at the end of August – a must if you love unique artisanal pieces.
35 Book Restaurants for July and August in advance.
36 Pack Mosquito repellant: the pesky insects come out in summer around sunset.
At Home in the Andes
Deep in the mountains, Harriet Compston finds Ecuadorian communities opening their doors to travellers and sharing their traditional ways of life
‘Welcome to the Banana Republic, my friend,’ says my guide, Ivan. We are crammed in a small hut in the Ecuadorian Andes, watching husband and wife Milton and Normita prepare lunch. e couple are cooking using a traditional technique, with clay pots and steam. I watch a slab of chicken accompanied by potatoes, fava beans, corn on the cob, pineapple and, of course, banana (all from the garden) being carefully placed in the pot. Joyously earthy, with a sauce made of pumpkin seeds, it’s enough to feed a small family.
I started out in Ecuador’s exuberant capital Quito, a UNESCO World Heritage city, encircled by volcanoes and mountains. Sundays are when over owing market stalls mix with curanderas (healers) and fourth-generation hat makers hawk their wares. Shoe shiners bu and polish outside the Basilica and Convent of San Francisco while white-and-blue clad poncheras, ‘punch bowlers’ – men selling a fruity foam drink – wait on the cobbles. ere’s a lively culinary and nightlife scene. But I wasn’t staying, instead heading o in search of a more ancient way of life.
Cotopaxi, an active volcano, smoked ahead of us as we drove through mountain pastures. We passed Tabacundo, ‘the capital of roses’. According to Ivan, Beauty & the Beast’s rose was Ecuadorian. At rst I was not convinced, but, admittedly, the roses here are blood-red and
the largest blooms I have ever seen. Traditional adobe houses made of clay, sand and straw dot the road to the hut, lined by cypress, pine and polylepis trees. Fields shimmer purple with potato owers. Potatoes are a major crop here, with Ecuador home to between 350 and 450 varieties. It’s no surprise then that Milton and Normita start our ancestral feast with a thick potato soup.
After lunch, we visit potter Transita and her son, Johnny. She talks me through the ring process. Kilns aren’t used here. Instead, the creations – sold in the market or swapped for food – are covered in ash and red over an open ame. I pick up sticks for the re with Transita before she leads me to a shed of pots and plates
FROM TOP: The active volcano Cotopaxi is surrounded by mountain pastures; a lagoon in its crater fields; Quito is a UNESCO World Heritage city; Inca ruins at Ingapirca
Ecuador |HOTELS & TRAVEL
ready for the market. Each one is beautifully crafted, made with care and consideration.
Hacienda Pinsaqui, at the foot of the Imbabura volcano, is our base for the night. Built in 1790, the estate not only housed a textile workshop but was a regular haunt of General Simón Bolívar, remembered for leading revolutions against Spanish colonial rule in South America. Today, this white-washed mansion in well-kept gardens has been cleverly restored as a 16-bedroom hotel. However, it’s a time warp with sweeping arches, long corridors decorated with chandeliers and roaring res in stone replaces. ere’s even a neo-Gothic chapel.
As dawn breaks we wind our way to San Isidro Lodge, a charming family-run property in the cloud forest in Quijos Valley. Immersed in the jungle, the owners, the Bustamante family, have spent the last 40 years spearheading a large-scale conservation project. e result is a startling array of wildlife. ere are 138 species of hummingbirds in Ecuador and this small lodge attracts the best of them: the Collared Inca, the Long-tailed Sylph and the Fawn-breasted Brilliant. ey buzz around the feeders. I watch the wings utter, in awe to be so close. Spectacled bears, night monkeys, pumas, jaguarundis and even giant anteaters also amble in harmony.
Nature continues to shine at our next stop, Papallacta. e town is known for its hot springs, celebrated for their therapeutic properties (helping blood circulation, reducing stress, relieving aches and pains, healing skin conditions and aiding sleep). e resort sits in a 250-hectare protected area called Canyon Ranch, with 35 rooms in thatched wooden cabins set around thermal pools. My room leads out to three di erent pools of increasing temperatures. It is exquisitely serene, bobbing around, my face cooled by the mountain air.
e following morning, we head south to Cuenca, a laidback colonial city with an old-world charm, vibrant markets and cobblestone streets. We make our way down tree-lined boulevards
along rivers to Warmikuna Kitchen Workshop, a café which celebrates (and teaches) indigenous cooking. ‘Roots are important,’ says founder Catalina Abad Rodas as I help her deep-fry plantain to accompany my excellent lunch of dorado with quimbolato (achira leaves) and coconut salsa.
We walk o our meal, wandering around Cuenca’s fascinating panama hat museum. It’s one of the world’s greatest misunderstandings, says Ivan, assuring me that the panama hat comes from Ecuador, not Panama. Rows of them are lined up, colourful and elegant like the houses here, including our hotel, Mansión Alcázar. Once belonging to the president’s son, this 19th century mansion has 19 regal rooms with lush gardens and an ornate courtyard. It also houses one of the city’s best restaurants where I enjoy refreshing, tangy ceviche.
e next day we return to the hills. A hornado de chancho – a whole pig on a spit – twists on the roadside. It’s a typical dish, and a popular one, judging by the number we pass. We end up at Ingapirca, Ecuador’s best-preserved Inca ruins, developed by the Incas during the 15th century as a military stronghold. Now llamas have set up shop, but it’s still an impressive sprawling sight, particularly the imposing, semi-intact Temple of the Sun.
e expansive corn ower blue sky grins above as we continue to Parque Nacional Cajas, ‘the Switzerland of Ecuador’. e golden-grass moorland is breathtaking, glacial lakes sparkle, and there are giant hummingbirds, alpacas and swooping Andean condors. It’s a spectacular end to my trip. A thought-provoking journey, I found an expected lesson in the power of community and that, despite the draw of modern-day trappings, there’s strength in holding tight to your own culture.
The Wildist
Fee Drummond attends the Kayan Wellness Festival and finds mindful conversation and winter warmth amid Abu Dhabi’s desert culture
Having grown up in the wilds of Jordan as a child, any Arabian desert feels like home to me. With nostalgic memories of camping every weekend between the rugged landscapes of Wadi Rum and Wadi al Walla in a gang of 4x4s – pitching tents in sand storms, digging out our stuck wheels with shovels and riding Arab horses in the sandy outskirts of Amman –I was eager to accept an invitation to revisit. Landing in Abu Dhabi at the tail end of January to capture some ‘Wild Conversations’ for my new podcast series with an incredible line up of speakers at Kayan Wellness Festival – Kayan meaning ‘essence’ in Arabic – was pure joy. Taking place on Fahid Island in the sandy epicentre of the UAE capital, this new three-day festival, created to celebrate holistic wellbeing, encompassed a star-studded, sciencebased line up of speakers o ering workshops and immersive experiences comprising wellness, science, music and food.
While there, I talked to Marisa Peer, creator of the globally successful ‘Rapid Transformational erapy’, which draws on her work as a therapist to determine the fastest way to alleviate pain and stay pain free. Be it body or mind, Peer assures us that we can cure ourselves, we simply need to nd the pattern, understand the pattern, and change the pattern. I know from experience that it is possible to shift a stuck mindset; nding and unlocking that shift is the most powerful work I have done in order to free myself from repetitive trauma traps. I asked her what is the one thing we need to ‘unlearn’ in today’s world. ‘Not enough-ness,’ she said, ‘Whether that applies to compulsive hoarding, shopping, eating or drinking, the simple and honest words “I am enough” are where selflove and acceptance starts.’
selves when we are lost in today’s levels of comfort and convenience. With mental illness heading towards pandemic levels, if we don’t understand the fundamentals of how our minds work, we will all continue to blunder our way through life. ‘Our experience of life is determined by how we conduct this life. Becoming aware of what is you, what is your body, and what is the world around you enables us to be the inner engineer of our own lives.’ is really resonated: I have learnt to recognise the power of consciousness in every turn of my own journey, doing the work of unravelling the numbed subconscious, identifying negative patterns and mechanisms in my mind, in order to live from an accepting place of peace.
Meeting later with Sadhguru, the Indian visionary, yogi and thought leader, was an incredible and surreal experience. Surrounded by volunteers from his homeland, his humorous delivery on the simplicity of life was striking. We discussed how we can return to our authentic
Coach and mentor Rima Zanoun (pictured left) and I clicked over our conversation covering the masculine and the feminine, a return to the tribe, divinity, and how we can all drop into the heart to heal. ‘Women are waking up,’ she explained, ‘and so are men – maybe not in the same way or at the same speed, but we all want to nd a di erent way forward now. I agree. Losing the competition between each other and replacing it with honour and grace to repair where fury and fear have ruled is a responsibility we all have in order to nd a new future.’ Other conversations included Dr Zach Bush (pictured left), Dr Espen Wold-Jensen, Mo Gawdat, Gary Brecka and so many more – all among the wilds of the sand dunes that felt like home.
Fee’s new podcast – Wild Conversations – will be available at wildingtribe.com from May
DUNE RIDING AND HORSE WHISPERING
Heading out to the desert at dawn or dusk to ride the dunes is an absolute must. I visited Rahal Ranch (rahalranch.com), home of horse whispering bedouin and real character Mr Ali, who more than kept me on my toes. Desert adventures are a-plenty in Abu Dhabi and easily organised through every hotel, be it on horses, quad bikes, kiteboards or camels.
ARABIC COFFEE AND CULTURE
Dates, dates and more dates – a delicious accompaniment to the strong Arabic co ee stationed everywhere you go. We stayed at the Park Hyatt (hyatt.com) on Saadiyat Island, where the fresh fruit dripping with raw honey and rose petals hit my morning high for breakfast. e beach here is the best in Abu Dhabi, with natural dune grasses and owers, a surf shack and great food.
FOOD &DRINK For Cate’s
Saké
Cate Blanchett (yes, that one) is on a mission to make you fall in love with saké, says Tessa Dunthorne
FOOD & DRINK|
Iam on the phone to Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett, but not to talk about her latest lm role. Instead, we’re chatting about an alcoholic drink made from fermented rice, which – until recently – has mostly been relegated to the back aisles of the supermarket. Blanchett, it turns out, is truly, madly, deeply passionate about saké.
‘It’s been a long journey for me,’ she says. ‘I grew up living in the Asia-Paci c region, so I’d always had saké with a variety of cuisines – fusion foods – and when I then worked with a Japanese skincare company a few years ago, I was able to visit all these breweries. I found myself obsessed with the brewing process.’
And it is fascinating; it’s not a spirit, as is commonly assumed, but ferments in a way more akin to beer-making. e process of converting rice, yeast and koji into saké has also been around since 500 BCE, and it’s this heritage that Blanchett fell in love with.
Originally, she was planning to launch her own brand, but then, ‘serendipitously’, she was introduced to Anthony Newman, co-founder of Toku Saké, a British-owned brand, by a mutual friend in 2023. ‘And when I tried Toku, I had to down my tools,’ she says, ‘It was the most delicious cold saké I’d ever tasted.’ Ever since, she’s been the brand’s creative director.
Historically, saké has struggled to gain popularity in the West. ‘ ere are a lot of perceived barriers to it here – not least, linguistic ones,’ explains Blanchett. Many imported sakés are still labelled in Japanese. ‘Even translating these is enough to unlock saké for a western consumer.’ But translation doesn’t end at the words on the bottles. ‘ ere’s a story missing,’ says Blanchett, ‘about Hokkaido, that cold Siberian air, and a really dynamic part of Japan with volcanoes and hot springs and extreme cold… I want to invite drinkers into this experience.’
A nd has it worked? ‘ ere’s certainly a growing desire for saké,’ Blanchett says, and the gures prove it. While wine sales continue to diminish, Waitrose’s Food and Drink Report 2025 says there was a 241 percent increase in searches for saké last year, to the point where it has expanded its range to include sparkling and plum options.
For Blanchett, her role with Toku is decidedly not a mutually bene cial licensing agreement.
‘Opportunities to be the “face of a brand” don’t appeal to me.’ she says, ‘I’m quite restless and always thinking about things I can do other than acting. Also when you come from outside a given sector, it a ords you the opportunity to ask the “ignorant” questions, or ones that you sometimes forget to ask when you’ve been in an industry for too long.’ She is an investor in Toku, and involved in the running of the business day-to-day.
She’s also clearly enamoured by the whole ritual around drinking saké. ‘Maybe it’s just that I’m so visual – I’ve been collecting cups for a long time – but it’s about giving a gift to somebody. You bring your mother’s best china down, you get out a special glass for a special moment, you fetch the hand-embroidered napkins. ere’s generosity in the experience. And in the wake of what’s going on in the world, it’s really important to be present.’
So, how then to best drink saké? ‘In the place of wine,’ quips Blanchett. ‘I’ve enjoyed many glasses of delicious wine, but the older I get, the more I nd them too heavy to have with food. Saké has a lightness of spirit and nish that keeps any meal buoyant.’
And this is how it turns out that Oscarwinning Cate Blanchett tells me how she will enjoy tonight’s pasta supper – ‘chillis, capers, a melt-in-the-mouth creamy a air’ – not with a bold red, but a crisp, cold saké.
tokusake.com
ARE YOU BEING SERVED?
Toku’s PERFECT SERVE is in a chablis glass and enjoyed at 5C or ‘YUKIHIE’, which means ‘snow chilled’. Anthony says Toku PAIRS well with most foods, compared to wine, due to its lower acidity, iron and sulphites.
Blanchett is passionate about saké and wants to introduce it to the western consumer
ALL THAT GLITTERS
Indulge in decadence in the beating heart of London at MISTRESS OF MAYFAIR
Mistress of Mayfair is a luxury Parisian-inspired dining destination and after-hours lounge located in the midst of Mayfair, discreetly tucked below street level on the corner of St James’s and Piccadilly.
Inspired by London’s clandestine tunnels – created, history whispers, for King Charles II to secret away from St James’s Palace and visit his mistresses, and for ladies of the night to be smuggled to members of White’s private gentleman’s club – this is a glittering jewel box where seductive velvet and dusky lighting set the stage for excellent cocktails, delicious food and vibrant entertainment. The refined yet playful venue blends exceptional cuisine with curated events, making it a goto spot for intimate dinners, celebratory gatherings and unique cocktail and dining experiences.
New events for spring include Moi et Toi, a Saturday brunch, available from 12pm to 3pm. With a changing menu, you can expect anything from oysters to wagyu beef, followed by profiteroles or a sumptuous cheeseboard. Priced at £45 per person, you can choose to upgrade to bottomless Ruinart Champagne (£55) or bottomless Prosecco (£30).
Every Wednesday, Mistress of Mayfair invites you to join its Live Music Dinner Experience, an intimate evening of delectable food served with a side of upbeat pop and house music; while Thursday Nights feature internationally renowned house music DJs, bringing an elevated nightlife experience to Mistress of Mayfair.
Mistress of Mayfair
48-49 St James’s St, London SW1 mistressofmayfair.com
Mistress of Mayfair combines exquisite cuisine with curated events and music
SUPPER CLUB
Sugen Gopal, the brain behind beloved Malaysian-Singaporean street food restaurant Roti King, shares a spicy weeknight stew
– 15g coriander, leaves picked and roughly chopped
AUBERGINE AND SARDINE STEW
Aubergine and sardines are an unusual combination in Malaysian cooking, and I’ve only come across it once, at a roadside stall in Buntong, Ipoh. is delicious stew is created from my memory of eating there. It’s quickto-prep one-pan dish, which relies mostly on store-cupboard ingredients – perfect for a weeknight dinner. I use canned sardines in tomato sauce, which you can nd in most supermarkets, though it would also work well with canned mackerel. Serve it with rice or warmed roti.
METHOD
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Heat the oil in a large, lidded saucepan over a medium–high heat. Add the onion and fry for ve minutes, stirring often, before adding the dried chillies and the ginger paste. Fry for one minute, stirring continuously, then add the garlic, aubergine, tomatoes and 150ml (5 oz) of just-boiled water.
2
Turn the heat down to medium and leave to cook with the lid on for 20 minutes, stirring from time to time. Add the sambal and tamarind, place the lid back on and cook for another 15 minutes.
3
Check the stew – the aubergine should be soft and starting to lose its shape – and add a splash more water if it’s sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add the sardines and their sauce into the pan, mix to combine and cook for a further ve minutes. Serve with the coriander stirred through, alongside roti or rice.
FOODIE TALES
Everything I know about food comes from my family, and more specifically my mother. One of the earliest dishes I learned to make was a humble chicken curry. Easy to learn, but not to master; I’ve been working on the Roti King chicken curry for 15 years. Coming to the UK and discovering high-quality, fresh ingredients has elevated it so much.
My favourite ingredient is lemongrass , by far. I think it is under-appreciated. Used well, it’s incredibly powerful and it also possesses natural anti-inflammatory, antioxidant properties. My go-to throw-it-together dinner is a quick, flavourful steamed fish and coconut rice. Whole white fish, with its head on, stuffed with sambal oelek, lime, lemongrass, galangal, spring onions, wrapped in a banana leaf.
If you opened my fridge right now you’d find lots of fresh fruit and veg, a jar of Dollee Pandan Kaya and a big tub of homemade chilli oil – I put it on everything. This weekend I am going to make Asam Pedas,a sweet and sour fish curry from Sumatra. I really like Abby Lee’s cooking style. Her East modern Malaysian flavours are very unique. If you haven’t visited her Hackney restaurant Mambow, you should.
The Roti King cookbook, £18.99. bookshop.org n
SUGEN GOPAL, FOUNDER OF ROTI KING IN BATTERSEA
Enabling children from underserved communities to experience the adventure of working together on our farms in the heart of the British countryside
Superbly located on the edge of the Cotswolds, in the quaint village of Ashton Keynes, this remarkable gated development is set amidst two private lakes and o ers an exclusive collection of freehold 2, 3, 4, and 5-bedroom homes, combining timeless countryside charm with modern luxury. Surrounded by stunning natural beauty, this exceptional location provides the perfect escape for those seeking tranquillity, elegance, and a re ned way of living all year round.
HOUSE OF THE MONTH
113 E 26th Street, Sea Island, Georgia, US
7 bedrooms, 9 bathrooms, 12,586 sq/ft, $40m
Sell it to us in a sentence... Nestled along the coastline of Sea Island, this exceptional home by eminent architect and developer John Portman, whose global portfolio includes hotels, museums and skyscrapers, is a fabulous example of modernist design.
How would you describe its design? Expansive glass façades seamlessly blend indoor and outdoor spaces. The design emphasises a harmonious relationship between the built environment and the natural coastal surroundings, inviting a tranquil and immersive living experience.
What’s unique about it? The home embodies John Portman’s ‘Entelechy’ concept, a philosophical idea that describes a space where potential is fully realised. The meticulous orchestration of space, light, and materials invites views of the Atlantic Ocean into every room.
What is its history? Completed in 1986, this residence – known as Entelechy II – was designed by Atlanta-born Portman as his personal holiday home.
Best room in the house? With its towering glass walls, the living room offers unobstructed views of the Atlantic. This space reflects its coastal location, where the ebb and flow of the ocean is mirrored in the fluid forms and calm within.
Perks of the location? Its setting provides direct access to unspoiled beaches, allowing residents to embrace Sea Island’s natural splendour while providing privacy and tranquility.
sothebysrealty.com
Coast with the Mostest
Anna Tyzack investigates how Folkestone became the hipster capital of Kent
Of all Britain’s rejuvenated seaside towns, Folkestone has arguably come the furthest. Two decades ago the Kent port, a favourite of Edward VII and Winston Churchill, was a crumbling and jaded relic of its Edwardian splendour. Shops were closed and decaying, hotels boarded up, and the seafront haunted by an abandoned amusement park. Meanwhile the historic harbour, once the terminal for the Folkestone-Boulogne ferry and departure point for soldiers on their way to the Western Front, had become a no-go zone. ‘It needed millions spent on it just to make it safe,’ says Dan Johannsen, who grew up in Folkestone and now manages the Harbour Arm. en in 2017 the Leas Lift, the funicular that connected the seafront to the Leas – a majestic mile-long cli top promenade lined with hotels such as the Metropole – closed down too, deepening Folkestone’s woes. ‘It was a dying town – all my friends moved away as soon as they’d left school,’ Johannsen says.
He was tempted to leave too –London is just an hour away – but then he was o ered a job by the Folkestone Harbour & Seafront Development Company, set up by Sir Roger De Haan, a wealthy local benefactor intent on regenerating his hometown. In 2004, De Haan bought the harbour and three years later acquired the amusement park on the front; he began buying up the vacant shops on the Old High Street and Tontine Street while devising a masterplan to put Folkestone back on the map.
Today the town feels refreshed, Dan says. e regenerated Harbour Arm, reached by landscaped viaduct reminiscent of New York’s High Line, is a destination for food, drink, live music and cinema, while the Old High Street, which winds uphill away from the seafront, has been transformed into the Creative Quarter, lined with independent retailers and restaurants. ‘We started with a handful of seasonal businesses, mostly street food stands and bars, and now we have 72 retailers including restaurants and shops,’ Johannsen says. ‘All the development has been beautifully done and carefully considered, and Folkestone is once again a year-round destination.’
Among the most recent openings is Shoreline, a crescent of sustainable beach houses and apartments designed by award-winning architect Acme (residences cost from £395,000, shorelinefolkestone.co.uk). Positioned directly on the new boardwalk that runs across the town’s main beach, the residences suit both locals and weekenders with underground parking, 24-hour concierge and cleaning services as well as access to an outdoor cinema and the beach.
Marion and David Raymont traded their four-bedroom house in a local village for a two-bedroom apartment in the development, wowed by the openplan living spaces, the uninterrupted sunsets across the English Channel and proximity to Folkestone’s buzzing shops and restaurants. ‘We sit out on our balcony and feel like we’re on holiday; before we had to drive or take
a taxi when we went out but now we just walk along the boardwalk,’ Marion says.
eir apartment cost £600,000, which is almost twice as much as the average property price in the town, but they felt Shoreline’s location and state-of-the-art construction, which includes marine-grade glazing, climate-controlled ventilation and storage pods for beach equipment, warranted the extra investment. ‘It’s so rare to nd a house on the beachfront like this – we can hear the sea at night,’ David says.
e Raymonts, who have watched Folkestone blossom over the past 15 years, appreciate living in a seaside town with interesting events going on – even in the depths of winter. ere’s a vibrant art scene – the sixth Folkestone Triennial art festival will take place this summer and Antony Gormley, Gilbert & George, Tracey Emin and Yoko Ono have permanent pieces in institutions around town – and a waiting list for shops in the Creative Quarter. Meanwhile, restaurants such as Rocksalt, overlooking Folkestone Harbour, as well as the cafés and shops in the Creative Quarter have a hipster vibe, which is rubbing o on the rest of Folkestone. ere’s even a two-storey indoor skatepark, the rst of its kind in Britain.
Not all the locals appreciate Folkestone’s newfound trendiness, though. Some complain that it has become a place for Londoners paying London prices. While Johannsen understands why locals might feel anxious about Folkestone’s changing persona, he insists that the regeneration has been positive both for those living and working there and those looking to invest. e new businesses and developments have created jobs and brought more visitors to the town, which it badly needed. Meanwhile the Roger De Haan Charitable Trust
has pledged more than £100m for education, the arts and sport for the people of Folkestone.
De Haan’s masterplan is still ongoing. ere are several further residential projects and a community square proposed for the seafront, which are currently at planning stage, while restoration work has recently started at the Grade II-listed Leas Lift funicular. According to a spokesperson for the Folkestone Harbour & Seafront Development Company, it will reopen at the end of the year, enabling locals and visitors to explore the coastal path and town.
Johannsen says his friends now consider Folkestone an aspirational place to live, which shows just how far the town has come. ‘It’s easy to forget now what a poor place Folkestone was in the early 2000s,’ he says. ‘I grew up in a dying seaside town and now its fortunes are transformed. To have been part of the process is a badge of honour.’ n
ON THE MARKET
Shoreline offers state-ofthe-art apartments with beachfront locations
Lyme Regis, Dorset, £1.95m
The Jurassic Coast harbour of Lyme Regis used to be all fossil shops and dowdy tearooms but now the town’s sandy beach is fronted by trendy ice cream shops and brunch spots. Overton House is a modern five-bedroom beach house with stunning sea views. struttandparker.com
Bude, Cornwall, £2.5m
The surfing town of Bude in north Cornwall has moved up a gear in the past few years, according to local estate agent Jonathan Cunliffe – so much so that it’s nicknamed Britain’s Santa Monica. Venn Farm is a sustainable four-bedroom farmhouse with two holiday lets and more than 2.5 acres. jonathancunliffe.co.uk
Margate, Kent, £3m
Rejuvenated Margate is home to Turner Contemporary, as well as Dreamland vintage theme park and a host of hip boutiques. This seven-bedroom house in neighbouring Broadstairs has far reaching views over the Channel plus an indoor pool, tennis court and sauna. raffertyandpickard.co.uk
WOW FACTOR
Martha Davies singles out houses with jaw-dropping design features
Powis Mews, Notting Hill, £POA
is isn’t your typical Notting Hill townhouse: amassing more than 5,000 sq/ft of space across four oors, it features bespoke furniture and earthy, mid-century modern design. hamptons.co.uk
Colston Basset Hall, Nottingham, £3.6m
Sitting within more than 10 acres of parkland, this Grade II listed home boasts a ballroom, a swimming pool and a breathtaking orangery. savills.com
Villefranche-sur-Mer, France, €8.9m is loft-style home on the French Riviera was once a Victorian factory – and the living space was expertly designed around the period machinery used to purify the town’s water supply. riviera.savills.fr
Arragon Mooar, Isle of Man, £20m
Designed by inventor and entrepreneur Dr John C Taylor OBE, this Palladian mansion is complete with elliptical rooms, a dazzling roof terrace and even its own exhibition space. sothebysrealty.co.uk
Copse House, Dorking, Surrey, £2.95m
Built into a sloping garden plot in the Surrey Hills, this striking home features open plan rooms arranged around a central atrium with an incredible spiral staircase. knightfrank.com
CARE REDEFINED
Luxury senior living by
Loveday
Those twilight years can be some of the most exciting in your life, given the right setting and support. So we’re enamoured by Loveday – the luxury senior living Members’ Club –which offers a blend of world-class hospitality and highly tailored care. Whether you’re seeking luxurious residential living, specialised nursing care, engaging day club activities, short-term respite care, or compassionate dementia support, Loveday provides a haven of comfort, refinement, and purpose. And with exclusive locations like Chelsea, St John’s Wood and Kensington joined this year by Esher and Belgravia, you’ve now got a whole host of residencies to plump for.
FIVE-STAR LIVING, EVERY DAY
Imagine a place where every detail is thoughtfully curated for your comfort and wellbeing. Loveday residences are a testament to refined living, where unparalleled care, Michelin-style dining, and enriching experiences come together to create truly exceptional days.
AT LOVEDAY, RESIDENTS ENJOY...
Elegant living spaces: Meticulously designed private suites and sophisticated communal areas that foster both relaxation and connection.
Unparalleled levels of care: A highly trained team anticipates every need, delivering care with the utmost attention to detail.
Bespoke wellness programmes: Stay active and vibrant with personalised fitness and wellbeing plans tailored to individual preferences.
Curated events and experiences: Whether you want to pursue a passion or try something new, every day is enriching and meaningful.
Michelin-inspired dining: Expert chefs craft each meal to be both nourishing and delicious, transforming dining into an exquisite experience.
EXPANDING HORIZONS: NEW RESIDENCES FOR 2025
Loveday Belgravia: Opulent surrounds and unmatched levels of service create an overall environment that is both welcoming and extraordinary.
Loveday Esher: Nestled within 13 acres of landscaped gardens, this residence offers a sanctuary of natural beauty, seamlessly blending style and sophistication with the tranquility of the countryside. Its unique setting combines natural splendour with a vibrant community spirit.
FAMILY TESTIMONIALS
‘Once we found Loveday, our search was over. The quality of facilities and care is simply unmatched.’
‘Think of Loveday as a five-star, allinclusive hotel.’
DISCOVER A NEW STANDARD OF LUXURY CARE
To learn more about Loveday and experience their exceptional offerings firsthand, arrange your personal tour today.
020 7315 4390; lovedayandco.com
Loveday offers luxury residential, nursing, memory and rehabilitation care
Last year she took the GAMBLE to stand for LONDON MAYOR . It was a mission that had little chance of electoral victory and involved gruelling months on the political trail. The EXPOSURE , the PRESSURE , the SCRUTINY: why go through it?
Tales of our Time
Indecision? That leaves us exposed. Natalie Campbell shares life lessons with Michael Hayman
Irst worked with Natalie Campbell on a government project with Sir Richard Branson. As the project was given the go ahead, I remember her invoking his life motto: ‘screw it, let’s do it’. It was a glimpse into the mindset of someone I would quickly learn didn’t just talk about decisiveness, but has lived her whole life by it.
From stints working for the then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to her role today as co-CEO of Belu, an ethical water company that channels all its net pro ts to support WaterAid’s mission of providing clean water and sanitation globally, Campbell has proved herself a successful business leader with an incredible track record.
She sees life as a ‘squiggly line’ of decisions, and not all of them easily explainable or seemingly successful. Last year provided a very good example of this when she took the gamble to stand as an independent candidate for London Mayor. It was a mission that had little chance of electoral victory and would involve gruelling months on the political campaign trail. Talk about stepping out of your comfort zone. e exposure, the pressure, the scrutiny – why put yourself through it?
‘If you care about making a di erence, sometimes you have to stand up and be counted,’ she tells me. For those willing to take the leap, the experience – win or lose – can be transformative.
Today, I’m working with Campbell again at Belu on another bold mission: ‘Served with Purpose’. is campaign will unite top chefs, leaders in hospitality
SMART MOVES
Three tips from Natalie Campbell
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and senior business gures to become a committed collective at the heart of the culinary world who want to do business the right way. Apricity, Limewood Hotel and Kricket have already joined the campaign, launched to spotlight businesses making a di erence – there is a huge opportunity to show the world that conscious choices can lead to lasting impact. It is an invitation to organisations who care deeply and act boldly to kickstart a movement and use their voice. It goes beyond water to look at the sustainable practices that create better and fairer outcomes in hospitality.
The power of relationships Stay connected to people who share your goals, dreams and ambitions. At some point you will end up making a difference together.
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Keep reading
In a podcast-first era, don’t underestimate the power of a good book. Biographies of entrepreneurs hold invaluable lessons.
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Fear is actually courage disguised Sometimes, taking a leap is the only way to realise just how tough you are.
In an era of collapsing overseas aid budgets it will require more people in business to step up and make the di erence. at’s easier said than done, when you are focused on the day job. How you catalyse action, take chances and make unexpected turns are questions Campbell has faced head on. ‘Fear,’ she says, ‘is actually courage disguised.’
Campbell tells me we get more risk averse with age. Her advice? ‘ ere is something special in remembering all those moments you took risks, and how those risks got you to where you are today.’ For her, that was chasing her childhood ambition to be a CEO, working Saturdays at Morgan clothing store and going on to run a franchise of the store while at university. While other students dreamed of their future, she was busily taking hers by the horns.
Hesitation, in contrast, is the real danger, she says – the opportunity lost, the idea left unrealised. It is why the boldest moves are often the safest because indecision leaves us exposed. Standing still, according to this entrepreneur, is the greatest gamble of all. n
