The Gloss April 2016

MODERN MENSWEAR / THIS GLOSSY LIFE / FOOD, WINE AND TRAVEL / A SCARF REVIVAL / CUSTOM-BLEND BEAUTY

MAGAZINE APRIL 2016

with THE IR

ISH TIMES

MY GLOSSY WEEKEND With fashion designer Savannah Miller

LET'S DO LUNCH With The FT ’s Mrs Moneypenny

plus

MODELS RE-MODEL THEIR CAREERS

Fabulous buyers with an eye for the unusual

CHANEL BROWN THOMAS, GRAFTON STREET, DUBLIN 2

www.chanel.com

CHANEL www.chanel.com

BROWN THOMAS, GRAFTON STREET, DUBLIN 2

APRIL 2016

�

46

NEXT ISSUE

THURSDAY MAY 5

9 INSIDE THIS ISSUE 9 HUNTING & GATHERING This month we’re embracing navy and red

16 MY GLOSSY WEEKEND At home in the Cotswolds with designer Savannah Miller

38 BEAUTY The latest innovations, cool Irish brands and insider news

THE GLOSS

THE MALE PERSPECTIVE

PU B L IS H E R

JA N E M C D O N N E L L

42 TRAVEL

E DITO R

Tim Magee is in the market for

SA RA H M C D O N N E L L

good food, at home and abroad

STY L E E DITO R

AISLINN COFFEY B E AU TY E DITO R

44 FOOD

SA RA H H A L L I W E L L

Asparagus is back in season and

18 WHY DON’T YOU?

ART E DITO R

Trish Deseine couldn’t be happier

L AU RA K E N N Y

45 WINE

FAY E K E E GA N

Nifty notions and beauty inspiration for April and beyond

20 FROM MODEL TO MOGUL Meet five models who have pivoted

DE S IG NE R

for those stuck in a wine rut

into alternative careers

46 THIS GLOSSY LIFE

26 NECK’S BIG THING

At home with the women whose

We celebrate the revival of the scarf

impeccable taste determines what

28 LET’S DO LUNCH

30 GUT INSTINCT Is thriving flora in the gut the key to weight control?

32 MENSWEAR What to buy, where to shop and the latest trends

36 FICTION

��

we buy and how we dress ON THE COVER

Anne Harris talks financial independence with Mrs Moneypenny

ASS ISTANT E DITO R – FE ATU RE S

Mary Dowey’s clever advice

WIN A KITCHEN To celebrate 25 years in business, NOEL DEMPSEY DESIGN is giving away a luxury fitted kitchen worth 025,000. See THE GLOSS INTERIORS, out April 9, to find out how to enter.

An exclusive extract by Lisa Owens

4 | April 2016 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

Photographed by Pamela Hanson in New York City.

Source: TRUNK ARCHIVE.

SA RA H B R E E N ASS ISTANT E DITO R

H A N NA H P O P H A M ADVE RTIS ING SAL E S DIRE CTO R

T RAC Y O R M I STO N CO N TRIB UTIN G EDITO RS

Polly Devlin, Antonia Hart, Catherine Heaney, Penny McCormick, Katy McGuinness, Aoife O’Brien, Peter O’Brien, Therese Quinn, Luis Rodriguez, Natasha Sherling CO N TRIB UTIN G PH OTO G RA PH ERS

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Michael Dwornik, Neil Gavin, Renato Ghiazza, Olivia Graham, Neil Hurley, Lisa Loftus, Barry McCall, Joanne Murphy, Liam Murphy, Amelia Stein, Suki Stuart THE GLOSS welcomes letters from readers, emailed to letters@thegloss.ie. THE GLOSS is published by Gloss Publications Ltd, The Courtyard, 40 Main Street, Blackrock, Co Dublin, 01 275 5130. Subscriptions Hotline: 01 275 5130.

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GLOSS ~IP APRIL

Auctions, artists and A-LIST PROTESTERS ... ski accidents and CELEBRITIES ON CRUTCHES ... and interesting fairs and festivals in MILAN, LONDON & PARIS ...

A

t the recent auction of the personal belongings of DEBORAH,

DUCHESS

hats and jewels which shone in the sun … Maharanis and Indian ladies in saris of every hue, all making a great glittering melée in the wonderful old buildings.” The heat of India made a change from Wingfield’s chilly upbringing in a draughty wing of Powerscourt House in Enniskerry in Co Wicklow. JESSICA DOUGLAS-HOME’s 2012 book, A Glimpse of Empire recounts how “Lilah’s parents were remote figures who lived and entertained, surrounded by servants, in a different part of the house from the place where the children were kept. Lilah slept with the nanny in the night nursery, with no heating, no open fire, no eiderdowns and not even hot water bottles. Lilah remembers: “We always had the same supper – a glass of milk, a slice of bread and butter. No fruit, no biscuits and no sweets.”   

OF

DEVONSHIRE (the last of the

Mitford sisters), Lot 194 caught our eye. It was nine Shanagarry glazed jugs and dishes in signature browns and blues. With a starting bid of £100, it later sold for £350. Nice to know there was a touch of Cork at Chatsworth.    Staying with auction houses ... while the slick, sexy art heist novel Maestra, by LS HILTON, is gaining traction and set to be a best-seller, we’re making diary notes of the Bonham’s lecture series this month to celebrate their fifth anniversary. JAMES HANLEY RHA discusses “Portraits and Stories” (April 12), DR RIANN COULTER sheds light on “FE McWilliam; The Reluctant Surrealist” (April 19) and Bruce Arnold shares his advice on “The Discriminating Collector” (April 26). Free of charge, these are held at Bonham’s showrooms on Molesworth Street.    Up north, BIANCA JAGGER and actor MARK RUFFALO are just two of the celebrity protesters in the Woodburn Forest exploratory oil drilling row in Carrickfergus in Co Antrim, with Ms Jagger sending a pointed twitter note to drilling company InfraStrata. A permanent protest site has been set up at Woodburn Forest. We’ll watch the picket line for further A-list intervention. We liked the nutty outfit Jagger wore to JERRY HALL’s wedding to RUPERT MURDOCH last month: she certainly trumped daughter JADE JAGGER for originality and style.    The ski season is in full swing; always irresistible for showoffs. Have you packed your Spyder salopettes, Alpina goggles, and mukluks for the dance floor at the Farm Club in Verbier? Don’t worry about missing out. The light is unforgiving, the air wreaks havoc on the skin and skiing is a high-risk activity, as demonstrated by KATE MOSS – currently on crutches. Spotted recently at Innsbruck airport were a not inconsequential number of passengers in slings and plaster casts.    A scan of recent trends uncovers a few interesting developments. First there was “slow food”, now there’s slow love. That means a long “pre-commitment stage” apparently; also known as keeping your options open.

Meanwhile DIY is also on the decline; “knowing” has taken over from “doing’”. And it’s the season of surveys.

Officially the most miserable age is 50 – 54, according to the Office for National Statistics, while 65 – 75 is the happiest. Something to look forward to ...

6 | April 2016 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

AISLE STYLE Jade and Bianca Jagger make their way to the Hall/Murdoch wedding.

Milan Furniture Fair beckons this month (April 12 – 17).

Do wear your JW ANDERSON square-toed boots. Our advice; avoid the throng and head to Zona Tortona or Brera where all the design houses host the best vernissages.

Do drop in to Ceserio 7 – where you might spot the incomparable twins DEAN AND DAN CATEN Of fashion label DSquared2: They own the rooftop terrace – the hippest in Milan.    If Milan’s too far, a short hop over to Battersea for The Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair (April 19-24) is recommended. You’ll find it hard to concentrate on the antiques as so many celebrities attend – hotelier KIT KEMP, CLAUDIA SCHIFFER and LOUISE KENNEDY are regulars. Do pass by Katheleys stand – where you’ll find CATHERINE LECOMTE, an expert on vintage Chanel and Hermès items.    Call us lightweight, but we’re looking forward to Mount

by JILLY COOPER featuring rogue Rupert Campbell Black who has aged into something of a Silver Fox. Also on our bedside table this month is Women I’ve Undressed

by ORRY KELLY, filled with Hollywood gossip from the Oscar-winning costume designer who worked with stars such as BETTE DAVIS and MARILYN MONROE.    The show notes for Lebanese designer ELIE SAAB’s recent couture collection were a revelation, as were the fine lace, embroidery and beading on his gowns. “This journey and contrast of worlds draws inspiration from the journals of LILAH WINGFIELD. They recount her travels to India to witness the ceremonial splendour of the 1911 Delhi Durbar.”

Wingfield described a garden party held for the occasion at the Red Fort, near Delhi: “English ladies in exquisite

France’s long-awaited SAMUEL BECKETT Festival, “Commencez! Paris Beckett 2016”, was launched at the Irish Embassy in Paris last month. Of course, Beckett is long held in high esteem by the Parisian literati, particularly as much of his work was written in French. Its “One Writer, Two Languages, Three Nations” theme, “speaks to the heart of a diplomat,” Ambassador GERALDINE BYRNE NASON said in her address. Sixteen Irish artists including JOHN BANVILLE, NEIL JORDAN, EDNA O’BRIEN, CARLO GEBLER and ADRIAN DUNBAR are participating in events at the Irish Cultural Centre and other venues.

Said programmer SEAN DORAN, “Long-term, our goal is that the festival will run as a biennial event. In alternate years, we’ll celebrate JOYCE or WILDE every March.”    Hollywood actress JESSICA BIEL has opened the cutest kid-friendly restaurant in West Hollywood. Called Au Fudge, it has several different areas, including a treehouse eyrie for tots and two playrooms, overseen by dedicated caregivers called, yes, you guessed it, au pairs. There’s even a photo booth and arcade games for teens – and the menu includes birthday cake, whether it’s your birthday or not.

It’s a model that would do well in Dublin, you would think.    Our recent Wedding Salon at The Merrion was presided over by wedding planner TARA FAY and featured a fashion presentation by MICHELLE CURTIN and makeup by NICOLE LYNCH; both of Brown Thomas; flowers

by RUTH MONAGHAN of Appassionata Flowers; hair

by MARK O’KEEFFE and ROY LEIGH of Brown Sugar and advice on photography by BARRY MC CALL. After a delicious three-course lunch, The Merrion’s pastry chef PAUL KELLY talked cakes. “There is nothing I don’t know about planning a wedding,” said one mother-of-the bride as she departed, Waterford Crystal gift bag and goodies from THE GLOSS under her arm. ^

B O O D L E S . C O M / R A I N DA N C E

CHLOE

HUNTING

NAVY & RED

French label Chloé has a thing for navy and red this season. Is it an evocation of the tricolore - a call to patriotism in the light of terrorist attacks and an exhausted economy?

Perhaps we read too much into it but if you’re French, you wear your national colours with pride, with a sexy neckline and coquettish bow, of course. Trust them to choose such wearable colours in the first place proud as we are of our flag, it’s much harder to work green, white and gold into a contemporary wardrobe.

If we had a euro for every word that has been written on gallic flair, several hundred of them by us, we’d be millionaires. ‘Nuf said. But navy is a smart stalwart in the wardrobe of any woman, and red has its place for adding a charge to any gathering. Accessorise the two colours with care or risk looking like you’re wearing a uniform. Avoid court shoes, neckerchiefs, small, prim handbags and pillbox hats with tiny veils (as if!). Instead think oversize shoppers, flat sandals and sexy hair...

JASON LLOYD-EVANS

FLAG -WAVING FASHION

T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E | April 2016 | 9

GATHERING

CHLOÉ

Channel the Trend 1

2

3

4 5

JASON LLOYD-EVANS

6

7

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9

NAVY & RED

FLY THE FLAG 1. Red cotton top, TSUMORI CHISATO, d420, at Samui, 17 Drawbridge Street, Cork. 2. Silver hoop earrings,

10

d39, at Pandora, 35 Grafton Street, Dublin 2. 3. Rebel At Heart skull bracelet, THOMAS SABO, d98; at Arnotts. 4. Navy Kori culottes, PETER PILOTTO, d770, at Brown Thomas. 5. Blue jacquard top, 3.1 PHILLIP LIM, d530, at Samui, as before. 6. Red basket shopper, HERMÈS, d970, at Brown Thomas. 7. Red tailored taffeta trousers, ANTONIO BERARDI, d642, at Style Ikon, 18a The Crescent, Monkstown, Co Dublin. 8. Don’t Blow It (H)Air Styler, BUMBLE AND BUMBLE, d30, at salons and Boots. 9. Silver Narrative cuff, d190, at LINKS OF LONDON, 19 South Anne Street, Dublin 2. 10. Oud and Sapphire Candle, PRISMOLOGIE, d79, at SpaceNK. 11. Red flat sandals, d89.95; MASSIMO DUTTI. For stockists, www.thegloss.ie

10 | April 2016 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

11

H A P P I N E S S AT YOU R F E E T â„¢

WHAT’S TRENDING IN APRIL?

HUFI, smooth, crisp low-calorie gluten-free beer. At Dunnes, Spar and other outlets.

WE’RE READING: The Privileged Privileged, Emily Hourican’s debut novel, set in an exclusive girls’ school. It’s a tale of first love, smoke-filled nights, long lectures and collective memories from three friends who are haunted by a night during university that forever altered their futures.

Hachette, €17.99

1

WE’RE PERUSING:

WE’RE SHOPPING AT:

Eye-catching prints by street artist WILL ST LEGER in the DAMN FINE PRINT GALLERY, whose commemorative tongue-in-cheek portrait of Michael Collins is sure to turn heads. His featured print, “Collins Rising”, (pictured right) pokes fun at the lack of leisure time the men of the Rising had during our battle for independence. In Will’s own words, “Michael Collins, you deserve one free night off.” Damn Fine Print Gallery, 32 North Brunswick Street, Stoneybatter, Dublin 7; www.damnfineprint. com. Until April 10.

COBBLER’S WARDROBE, the new vintage boutique owned by Hollie Creedon (right). After falling in love with an inherited 1970s Ferragamo Gancini leather handbag, Creedon was inspired to open her boutique for pre-loved luxury accessories – handbags and shoes

by CHANEL, PRADA, JIMMY CHOO and more. Creedon’s favourite finds so far? A gold-plated DOLCE & GABBANA belt and a sterling silver HERMÈS bracelet in its original box and bag, both recently sold.

For those who have pieces they can’t bear to part with, the boutique also offers repairs by Creedon’s uncle, Isaac Jackman (many decades in the high-end repair business). To retain the value of your beloved accessories, Creedon recommends avoiding damage before it occurs: “Buy the protectors, polishes, shoe trees and conditioners, especially for your precious red soles.” 4A Sandymount Green, Dublin 4; www.cobblerswardrobe.com

WE’RE DINING AT: 1

2

3

WE’RE VISITING:

PILGRIM’S, tucked away in Rosscarbery, Cork, which re-opened late last month for the season, serving a wonderfully unexpected combination of the freshest local produce. Think scallops in puff pastry, cured venison and Crozier blue cheese with Ardfield mountain honey, enjoyed between bare walls hung with fresh lavender.

THE DYLAN HOTEL’s innovative Library Dining Series in an intimate 16-seater restaurant created especially in the library. The series will feature a menu dedicated to truffles on April 22, with perfectly paired wines by sommelier Oscar Navarro. We’re also looking forward to sampling morsels of Alaskan king crab and Wagyu beef from their 10 Things To Eat Before You Die menu on May 13.

12 | April 2016 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

TRIBETON Galway, where we’re ordering local oysters and mussels from the chic seafood counter while seated at handcrafted oak tables reclaimed from an Amish barn in Pennsylvania. It’s worth travelling to.

The Newbridge Silverware Museum of Style Icons for an incredibly impressive collection of iconic dresses once loved by Audrey Heburn by Givenchy and Yves Saint Laurent. www.newbridgesilverware.com WE’RE GETTING LOST IN ... the surrealist paintings of exRHA Gallery resident artist Patrick Hennessy’s De Profundis at IMMA. Stark portraits of lone figures in the Irish landscape make reference to the social and legal persecution that gay men were subjected to during the 1970s. Irish Museum Of Modern Art, Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, Dublin 8; www.imma. ie. Until July 24.

COMPILED BY HANNAH POPHAM

The Lowdown

WE’RE SIPPING:

IRELAND@THOMASSABO.COM

Make memories last – with your complimentary engraving.

WWW.THOMASSABO.COM

MOODBOARD 2 3

“IN A WORLD FULL OF TRENDS, I WANT TO REMAIN A CLASSIC.”

4

“TRUE TIMELESS STYLE IS ABOUT LOOKING OF TODAY, TOMORROW AND YESTERDAY, ALL AT ONCE.”

IMAN

1

5

CAMERON SILVER, DECADES

7

6

TH IS M ONT H T H E M O O D I S :

TIMELESS

“YOUR TIMELESS SELF DOES NOT AGE AND HAS NO FEAR OF THE FUTURE.” WAYNE DYER

SUSAN ZELOUF believes classics never die My mother recently turned 85, and operates under the belief she’ll live forever. Sure, she’s written a will, chosen a plot in a Pittsburgh cemetery next to her beloved parents and agonises over how much it’ll cost her to live five, ten, 20 more years: her younger brother helpfully calculated she can afford another eight. Not particularly spry or ageless, she struggles with the inevitability of death, unable to grasp the concept of the end of time as she knows it, when day won’t follow night, taking it quite personally, as if she is the only one who will have to wake up dead some day.

Many of us took David Bowie’s death quite personally, when, to our chagrin, it appeared he hadn’t received the memo demanding his eternal life. As his final opus Blackstar evidenced, Bowie watched the clock, experiencing life on Mars as both finite and infinite. We think of him as timeless as stardust, while he grappled with feeling mortal as Major Tom: “As you get older, the questions come down to about two or three. How long? And what do I do with the time I’ve got left?” Celebrated for his chameleonic ch-ch-ch-changes, Bowie’s canon is considered a barometer of timelessness, as fresh and viable now as the era in which it was created, a paradox which can hardly have been lost on him.

Visiting Brancusi’s reconstructed studio at le Centre Pompidou in Paris, it’s not just the sculptor’s sensual, primitive forms that resonate as deeply today as they must have 100 years ago, but the conscious placement of each piece in relation to the others and to the studio itself, light-filled, white-washed rooms populated by marble gods, hand tools, a guitar and record player. What rang true for Brancusi still reverberates with contemporary visitors: abiding, eternal, timeless works in a sacred space in which the artist worked and played, a deathless world.

14 | April 2016 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

Fashion operates not unlike Alice in Wonderland’s White Rabbit, terrified of being late, impelling us, like Alice, to follow it down the rabbit

THIS MONTH’S MOODBOARD

hole. Who hasn’t thrown buckets of money down that same sinkhole in the

I’M FOLLOWING

name of fashion, forgetting Coco Chanel’s axiom that “Fashion changes but style endures.” It’s high time to make timelessness our dictum. What would you choose as part of your time(less) capsule wardrobe? Is that Chanel worsted wool jacket worth the sticker price? Will you wear your DVF silk slip dress cradle to grave, or, unlike the Wrap, is it an “of the moment” piece you’ll consign to a daughter with toned triceps when you hit 60? Louboutin’s manifesto “When designing my shoes, I’m thinking timeless, not trendy” is a worthy one, but are his prized pumps perennial favourites? Is the red lip a look we can carry off until we’re carried off, or does the palette we played with as girls need softening as time takes its toll? What are timeless classics we can turn to, time and again?

I covet a breathtakingly beautiful watch with a rose gold case and tactile black stingray band, except it turns out, it isn’t a watch at all, but designer Levi Maestro’s Infinity Piece, containing no movement. Look ma, no hands! This is a timepiece for those of us who believe that when

Iman Abdulmajid @The_Real_IMAN. (1)

I’M CHANNELLING Brancusi at work and play. Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris. (2)

I’M LOSING TRACK of time in an Infinity Piece from www. becomb.com. (3) I’M PUTTING my money where my mouth is. Velvet Rope

by Lipstick Queen.

(4) 045 at SpaceNK, Grafton Street, Dublin 2 I’M BECOMING the woman I wanted to be in my Wrap dress from DVF (5) at Brown Thomas. .

we’re in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing, time

I’M CELEBRATING

becomes irrelevant.

the genius of De La Renta via André Leon Talley’s sumptuous retrospective. (6) To order from www.kennys.ie.

I’M LEASING a Warhol (7) from a selection at www. belcourtartleasing.com

Relaxing into our authentic selves, we experience a sense of being grounded, and the need to be on trend or fashion forward falls away. Age cannot wither us, even if a bold red lip and black leather are borderline calls on older, mature women. Feeling comfortable in our own skin is this month’s wardrobe essential, a staple of the Timeless collection, available wherever we happen to find ourselves. ^

@SusanZelouf

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SOCIAL LIFE “We live in an 18th-century COTTAGE with lots of old FEATURES and low beams.”

Right: Savannah Miller. Below: Hobbs House Bakery, Chipping Sodbury.

The market town of Nailsworth.

Winstones Ice Cream, Stroud.

Flowers from Ascott Gardens.

T

My GLOSSY

he weekend begins when my fouryear-old daughter Bali and I pick up Moses, 10, and Lyra, 7, from school on Friday afternoon.

We go somewhere local for a little treat, either to WINSTONES ICE CREAM (www.winstonesicecream.co.uk) for a cone or HOBBS HOUSE BAKERY (w w w. h o b b s h o u s e b a k e r y. c o . u k) , owned by Tom Herbert from the television show The Fabulous Baker Boys. The hot chocolate with marshmallows and cream there is divine and we hang out in the cool café. Friday night is always movie night, so we go home, change into our pyjamas, make popcorn and invariably end up watching something animated from Disney.

WEEKEND

Designer SAVANNAH MILLER spends her family-centric weekends in the Cotswolds

SATURDAY We live in the countryside just outside a little old market town called Nailsworth so I dress down, usually in jeans and a sweater, with a little camisole from my Nine lingerie collection underneath. I go to the farmers’ market in Stroud to buy beautiful hand-gathered f lowers from Anne of ASCOTT GARDENS (www.ascottgardens.co.uk) and we stop at PIPPIN DOUGHNUTS (www.pippindoughnuts) for the most delicious fresh doughnuts you will ever taste.

16 | April 2016 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

Lots of my friends, including Plum Sykes, live nearby. We get together and take Florence, our big black French Briard, for a walk in the afternoon, or I might steal away and have a quick power nap. About once a month, we leave the children at home and meet up at the local curry house for dinner, where I always order the chicken tikka masala. I usually dress up a bit more, in jeans and a silk blouse, if I’m going out. But all my more glamorous socialising happens during the week in London; I’m usually there for a night or two.

SUNDAY Our weekday mornings are so manic that I really enjoy getting up early on Sunday and making a big breakfast of pancakes or French toast. I’m just not a lying-in person anymore.

We live in an 18th-century cottage with lots of

Cream star print chemise, ¤42, Nine

by Savannah Miller, at Debenhams.

old features and low beams. It’s not big but it’s cosy, and heaven in the winter when it looks like a little chocolate box scene. It’s decorated with a mishmash of things I’ve collected on my travels and quirky pieces from our lovely local antiques emporium, GRIFFIN MILL (www. antiquesgriffinmill.co.uk). I’m starting to think about art, but for now the house needs to be bombproof.

Sunday lunch is a big ritual so I make a roast chicken with roast potatoes, caulif lower cheese and peas. And if any of those four things is missing, I get hell from the children. My husband Nick is vegetarian, so I’ll make a nut roast for him.

I have some beautiful tablecloths and my sister [actress Sienna Miller] has just given me lovely multi-coloured tumblers, so I lay the table with those and light candles because I think it makes the meal a bit more special. And the children notice too – they’ll sit still for longer. We go for a cycle in the afternoon, and when we come home I start getting uniforms ready, making sandwiches and gearing up for the madness of the week ahead. ^ In conversation with Sarah Breen. Nine by Savannah Miller lingerie and sleepwear is now at Debenhams.

AUDREY F E AT UR I N G ONE O F TH E G R E AT E ST P R I VAT E C O L L E C T I O N S O F O R I G I NA L AU D R E Y H E PB UR N C O U T U R E I N E X I ST E N C E

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Why Don’t You...?

INSPIRATION

NIFTY NOTIONS FOR APRIL DOINGS

… WEAR SHERBETCOLOURED BALLERINAS Like swallows, they’re one of the first signs of summer Aerin ballet pumps, 0220 at LK Bennett, Dundrum Town Centre, Dublin 16.

... TAKE A LEAF

... FIGHT YOUR FEAR of blue eyeliner and shadow. Take inspiration from the Marc Jacobs spring show, where Nars Solomon Islands Eye Paint added a touch of bright colour. Chanel’s Stylo Eyeshadow in Bleu Nuit (limited edition, 028.50) is a moody blue to try instead of your usual black, and Tom Ford’s iridescent Siren Blue Cream Colour for Eyes (037) is pretty and brightening.

... MAKE LIKE BABE and order a gazebo, to shelter you from the Irish summer. Visit www. dancovershop.com, where a smart, pop-up fabric gazebo is about €500.

... TRY A NEW NAIL COLOUR

… SCATTER POPPY SEEDS Papaver somniferum “Ooh La La” to be exact.

Sow outdoors now in finely tilled soil to which you have added some organic fertiliser. Sow thinly, at a depth of 1cm in drills spaced 15cm apart and cover seed with soil. Water regularly, especially during dry periods. Expect them to appear in 21 days, depending on the weather. 02.99 at www.horkans.ie.

... USE CHUNKY CRAYONS to make skin-perfecting as easy as colouring.

Elizabeth Arden Sunset Bronze Prismatic Highlighter (limited edition, 032) and Clinique Chubby in the Nude Foundation sticks (030) are super-easy to use.

Chanel has reformulated its entire collection, with a new six-day hold promise. The new Le Vernis definitely outstays the original – hard-wearing even in the face of endless washing-up. Find favourites like Rouge Noir and Ballerina (below), plus 13 new shades, including soft grey Monochrome, which we’ll be wearing all spring. 023; from April 22.

ZAC POSEN

out of Babe Paley’s book. Paley, a chic and celebrated New York beauty of the 1950s and 1960s, used to arrive for lunch with her best girlfriends at Manhattan restaurant La Côte Basque, and tie her Hermès scarf around the handles of her handbag for safekeeping, sparking a trend. Paley’s friendship with and ultimate betrayal by writer Truman Capote is fictionalised in a new novel, The Swans of Fifth Avenue, by Melanie Benjamin. For more ways to wear your scarf, read The Neck’s Big Thing, on page 26.

... BIG UP YOUR BROWS The brushed-up, natural-looking brow is the way to go now – forget harsh lines or flat colour. We’re taken with Pixi’s Brow Brightener (at Marks & Spencer) and Smashbox Brow Tech Gloss Stick (€21, at Arnotts).

... REUPHOLSTER A TIRED CHAIR in fresh pink linen. Try brand new Foss, by Colefax & Fowler, ¤95 a metre at Kevin Kelly Interiors, Morehampton Road, Donnybrook, Dublin 4.

18 | April 2016 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

... MASTER THE MATTE LIP with MAC Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolour, which goes on glossy and dries to a softas-suede matte finish that lasts and lasts.

Go for the red shades, such as Dance With Me, and the rich plum High Drama.

Brilliant beyond words. 028. A neat alternative trick is Smashbox Insta-Matte Lipstick Transformer (023) – pat it on over any cream lipstick to turn it matte.

FOR EVERY UNIQUE WOMAN Jewellery that celebrates the uniqueness of women

Discover the new collection

DUBLIN · CORK · LIMERICK · WATERFORD · KILKENNY · GALWAY

Once a model...

Not always a model. Having graced the Irish modelling scene for years, five women have segued into new careers. SARAH BREEN reports Photographed by DOREEN KILFEATHER / Styled by CATHERINE CONDELL

T

here is more to excelling in the competitive but close-knit modelling industry than being a perfect ten (although that is a prerequisite too). Models today must not only look like ideal genetic specimens, they also need to be reliable, resourceful, determined and hard-working, not to mention, affable. It also helps if their social media numbers are in the thousands. And unlike more traditional careers, modelling comes with an expiration date. So how are modern models ensuring they have a safety net when their agency inevitably stops calling? They’re using their considerable fame and business prowess to branch out, often into industries they’ve touched on during their catwalk careers.

Take Yomiko Chen, for example. One of Ireland’s most recognisable faces, she and her husband Iain Conway are behind Dublin’s highly successful Kokoro Sushi Bento franchise, currently expanding (as is their family, with baby Lilisue due any day now). Then there’s Roz Purcell, the former Miss Universe whose Natural Born Feeder blog and cookbook have taken the food world by storm. Karen Fitzpatrick, the Kilkenny woman with razor sharp cheekbones, is now just as likely to be applying make-up on set as wearing it for the camera, while Dee Buckley’s love of yoga and health food inspired her to open Urban Health in Ranelagh with her husband, Darragh. Meanwhile, Alison Canavan, the mother of reinvention, has become a wellness expert whose first book, Minding Mum, is out now.

Simultaneously juggling several different careers might sound stressful to some, but we discovered that for these women, being versatile and adaptable is second nature ...

FASHION Black and ivory double pleated silk top, ¤590; matching skirt, ¤965; both MARIAD WHISKER, at Brown Thomas.

Lobster pendant, ¤240; black bowdetail slip-on leather sneakers, ¤265, CEDRIC CHARLIER; both at Costume, 10 Castle Market, Dublin 2.

MO DE L TO R E STAU RAT E U R

A

YOMIKO CHEN

fter first visiting Ireland eleven years ago, Chen, who is half Japanese and half Chinese, became one of the country’s most in-demand models, and has since put down roots with her husband and business partner, Iain.

“As a model you’re always concerned with eating low calorie food. Sushi was my go-to until I got pregnant. Since I can no longer eat raw fish, we’ve added The Ramen Bar to the South William Street branch of Kokoro Sushi Bento. The reaction has been positive – Irish people are adventurous eaters.

I’m very much a people person so I look after the front of house. Iain is usually in the kitchen.

In the past two years, we’ve opened two new city centre locations. We are always very busy but it works since I’ve scaled back on modelling. I’m a perfectionist so I never switch off. It is very much a family business – when you are passionate about something, it takes over your life. There really is no balance. We are ready for our daughter to arrive, but I know being a mother won’t slow me down.” www.kokorosushibento.com

T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E | April 2016 | 21

FASHION Pink Kerstin wool sweater, ¤140, ISABEL MARANT ÉTOILE; pink, lemon and silver metallic jacquard silk skirt, ¤1,950, ROCHAS; both at Costume, as before.

Silver metallic flat shoes, ¤179, MARC CAIN, 2-3 Strand Street, Malahide, Co Dublin.

“When I started ADAPTING RECIPES to make them HEALTHIER I realised I could have my CAKE and EAT it too.”

MO DEL TO FOOD WR I TER

A

ROZ PURCELL

n encounter with longtime blogger Imen McDonnell (Modern Farmette) spurred Purcell to start her own cookery blog, which has since spawned a cookbook and a pop-up restaurant that raised ¤11,000 for charity.

“Food is always a favourite topic among models – you either can’t have it, or you’re blessed and you can eat whatever you like.

About six years ago, I decided to stop crash dieting. When I started adapting recipes to make them healthier, I realised I could have my cake and eat it too.

22 | April 2016 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

I’m a creative person so the instability of being selfemployed doesn’t bother me.

My sister has come on board to help me stay organised because I’ve discovered that delegation is really the only way I can get everything done.

My second book will have a Natural Born Feeder ethos, but the theme will be different. Doing the pop-up restaurant was fun, but a permanent eatery? It would need to be my only priority. There a re too many things to tick off my list first.” www.naturalbornfeeder.com

Oatmeal doublelayer wool coat, ¤169, CAROLYN DONNELLY THE EDIT, at Dunnes Stores. Pink floral sleeveless top, ¤360, MSGM; black Compact Bing cropped cotton trousers, ¤225, JOSEPH; black Amina suede sandals, ¤520, ISABEL MARANT; all at Costume, as before. Burgundy Speedy Amazon calfskin handbag, ¤2,600, LOUIS VUITTON, at Brown Thomas.

MO DE L TO MA K E-U P ART IST

W

KAREN FITZPATRICK

orking regularly with top Irish and international make-up artists, Fitzpatrick rekindled her teenage love of all things beauty.

She now splits her time between both sides of the camera.

“There are many misconceptions about working in the fashion and beauty industries but I knew exactly what I was getting into before I started making the transition into make-up artistry. There is rarely anything glamorous about being on set – it can be back-breaking, and the hours are long.

My husband is also self-employed so we are never off the clock. My phone is always by my side. When you’re in this industry, everyone is a potential client and word-ofmouth is an incredibly powerful marketing tool for me.

Women are very knowledgeable about beauty. I’m constantly buying new products and replenishing my kit, which can be expensive, but clients expect it and it is vital to maintain my reputation. You need to invest in yourself to ensure longevity.” karenfitzpatrick.wordpress.com

MO DE L TO HE ALT H FO O D RE TAILE R

F

DEE BUCKLEY

itness fanatic Buckley started practicing yoga while modelling, primarily as a way to stay fit, but it sparked a change in her thought process, her philosophy on life, her eating habits and her career.

“Living in Australia for several years, I was influenced by how seriously people there take their health and nutrition. That’s where my husband Darragh and I conceived the plan for Urban Health, our café and store in Ranelagh.

We wanted to offer food and treats that are healthy and freshly made, with no additives or preservatives. Even the coffee we serve is organic.

We have had an amazing first year in business, but it was challenging. We are constantly working – on social media and answering emails. The hours are long but it’s incredibly rewarding when your vision comes alive. And the support and feedback have been great. Our future plans include using the space upstairs for yoga and other events, and expanding into a second location. We’re running corporate wellness workshops now too.

Employers are realising that investing in their staff means less stress and more productivity, and we’re more than happy to help them.” www.urbanhealth.ie

“The HOURS are long but it’s incredibly REWARDING when your VISION comes alive.”

Beige fringed suede coat, ¤215; graphic stripe cropped sweater, ¤45; both RIVER ISLAND. Black gabardine stretch leggings, ¤215, JOSEPH, at Costume, as before. Animal print leather flat shoes, ¤119, CAROLYN DONNELLY THE EDIT, at Dunnes Stores.

FASHION Blue Englefield bouclé wool-mix coat, ¤200; blue Mayfield split-front shirt dress, ¤75; both FINERY LONDON, at BT2. Red leather shoes, ¤85, Office.

Printed canvas and leather wheelie case, ¤4,500; oversized overnight tweed bag, ¤3,700; both CHANEL. Photographed by Doreen Kilfeather.

Assisted by Podge Kelly. Styled by Catherine Condell.

Assisted by Grace Browne. Make-up by Karen Fitzpatrick; karenfitzpatrick makeup@gmail.com.

Hair by Ian Davey at Davey Davey, 23 Drury Street, Dublin 2. Our thanks to The Westbury Hotel and Balfes restaurant; www. doylecollection.com.

MO D EL TO WE L L NE SS COAC H

ALISON CANAVAN

H

aving modelled for 23 years, including a stint while living in New York, Canavan has become resourceful and resilient. Rejection is, after all, part of the job.

“My son James is five now but I suffered from post-natal depression after his birth. Wellness is something I’m passionate about and the more I write about it, the more I realise that we treat people with nutrition or medication or exercise but we’re not joining the dots.

Before my book, Minding Mum, was published I decided that I needed to reinvent myself. The challenge was try and get people to see me as more than “just a model,” that I have a voice too.

I went back to college to study nutrition and I knew that I wanted to refocus and rebrand.

I’m moving into areas I haven’t touched before. My live shows, The Full 360, are going to educate women on everything from natural beauty to meditation. I’m a wellness coach now so I want to share what I’ve learned.” www.alisoncanavan.com ^

T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E | April 2016 | 25

Spotted: At various international Fashion Weeks, industry insiders such as Pandora Sykes, Elina Halimi and Olivia Palermo sporting scarves in cool and interesting ways.

CHLOÉ AW16

MARY KATRANTZOU AW16

FASHION

NECK’S BIG THING

It transcends seasons, trends, even generations.

This season, it’s having a major moment. What makes a silk scarf so seductive, asks SARAH BREEN

B

ackstage at London Fashion Week in February, THE GLOSS beauty editor Sarah Halliwell, who was a guest of MAC, noticed an emerging trend: the silk scarf was back. Of course many would argue that it never really went away. When Lou Doillon, the cool French model, actress and musician, signed her record contract, she celebrated with the purchase of her first silk scarf. Being the daughter of Jane Birkin, whose innate chic inspired the eponymous handbag, it’s no surprise that she went straight to the hallowed halls of Hermès, ready to cement her status as a Woman Who Has Made It. “I had never had a Hermès scarf,” she said. “I ran to buy one thinking, ‘Now, this is a symbol, I need an Hermès scarf ’.”

From Queen Nefertiti in ancient Egypt to Grace Kelly touring the French Riviera to present day streetstylers

26 | April 2016 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

peacocking for paparazzi, the scarf has remained a constant signifier of style. With humble beginnings in Rome, when people carried squares of material in order to stay clean on the move, it has since evolved into a symbol of style and wealth. In 1960s Ireland, silk squares emblazoned with scenes from St Tropez silently screamed, “I’ve been abroad, can you tell?” Taking the biscuit, the Henri Matisse-designed Ascher scarf sold in 2011 to an unclosed bidder for £3m.

Think of silk scarves and naturally Hermès springs to mind. The legendary Parisian house was a century old, and had evolved from a saddle and harness-making operation to producing luxuriously simple leather goods when its first 90cm X 90cm silk square, or carré, was produced and sold in 1937. The initial design took its theme from a French board game depicting two rival Parisian transport companies with a group of welldressed ladies and gentlemen at its centre. It was a hit,

with French magazines applauding the luxurious fabric, fine feel and witty details, a social artefact that provided a vivid snapshot of its time. Today Hermès works with a small coterie of designers to produce about 20 new and exquisite scarves every year. They are still painstakingly designed and handmade in France, with one sold every 25 seconds, all over the world.

With the invention of rayon in the 1930s, glamorous and fashionable scarves were mass-produced and became available to the style-conscious dame on the street.

Their popularity was short lived though, and during the Second World War they were typically replaced by linen or cotton varieties in more practical, sedate colours; their role, to prevent a working woman’s hair being caught in the machinery in munitions factories, rather than as an accessory to jolly up a plain or conservative outfit.

By the 1950s, scarves were reflecting the optimistic

FASHION post-war mood. Silk was in again, as were pretty patterns, lively prints and elegant florals. Women became more experimental, using their scarves not just over their hair or knotted around their necks, but also to tie up high ponytails and twisted into quirky belts. As well as Hermès, popular labels at the time were Jacqmar, whose designs often featured wartime propaganda, Vera, for their Japanese motifs, and Christian Dior, the king of classic prints. New York’s famous 21 Club, with regulars including Elizabeth Taylor, Ernest Hemingway, Judy Garland and Marilyn Monroe, even produced an annual (now highly-collectable) silk scarf to gift to their loyal clientele, such was their universal appeal.

Through the 1960s, wearing a scarf with panache became synonymous with grace and sophistication and, paired with large sunglasses, it was deemed the ultimate Hollywood accessory. “When I wear a silk scarf, I never feel so definitely like a woman, a beautiful woman,”

In 1960s Ireland, SILK squares emblazoned with scenes from ST TROPEZ screamed “I’ve been ABROAD, can you tell?”

Audrey Hepburn said. Along with stars of the era like Bridgette Bardot and Jacqueline Onassis, she championed the look, going so far as to don a headscarf (in wool) with her short pink Hubert de Givenchy wedding dress when she married Andrew Dotti in 1969.

The big, groovy patterns of the 1970s gave way to more distinguished prints and logos in the 1980s, when the silk scarf, often Hermès, occasionally Jaeger, Dior, YSL or Liberty, was an integral part of the Sloane Ranger’s uniform. In The Official Sloane Ranger’s Handbook, published in 1982, Anne Burr notes, “The scarf may be tied around the strap of Caroline’s bag or loosely knotted at her neck, if not on her head.”

With this snooty association, the scarf ’s popularity began to wane with non-Sloaney types, although the designer varieties never lost their charm to certain collectors. Generally though, throughout the 1990s, they were no longer seen as a must-have – until 2003 when

THE SILK ROAD Notable moments in the undisputed rise of the scarf

2016 Dolce & Gabbana releases the Abaya collection.

2015 Miroslava Duma’s modern take on the babushka.

Alexander McQueen’s skull print scarf first appeared, and the It Scarf was born (spawning innumerable copycats on the high street in the process). This singular black and white swathe of fabric sparked a frenzy among trendwatchers and brought the scarf to a new generation.

Since then, it has been a signature accessory of the house, reproduced in different colours every season.

Throughout the following years, the scarf began to pop up in designer collections more frequently, notably in 2007 when Stephen Strauss and Marc Jacobs collaborated on the Leo leopard-print version for Louis Vuitton, and later on the Roses collection, both huge hits with celebrities like Kate Moss and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. Scarves continued to gain ground as an affordable entryway into luxury brands, a definite milestone being in 2012 when a blue geometric kerchief with black trim (in – surprise! – wafer-thin calf leather) by Phoebe Philo for Céline caused fashion insiders to visibly swoon. When Hedi Slimane sent multiple models down the runway in skinny scarves for SS15, it emerged the traditional square scarf had some competition ...

But while the scarf is simply a fun accessory for many women, adding that all important extra layer, it serves as an important way to cover up for others. A recent report revealed Muslims spent a tremendous £185bn on clothing and footwear in 2013 – that’s more than Japan and Italy combined. With that kind of spending power, and a well-known appetite for high-end fashion, it was only a matter of time for international designers to take notice: in January of this year Dolce & Gabbana launched a range of luxury hijabs and abayas made from the same fabric as the rest of its collection, while last month Marks and Spencer released its first ever “burkinis” (burka swimwear) to much excitement.

Today, an elegant scarf is one of the few accessories that transcends trends, seasons and even generations, and you’re just as likely to spot Miroslava Duma wearing hers babushka-style in Paris as IMF chief Christine Lagarde, whose own signature silk knot is touted as a new female power symbol. Whether yours is a beloved heirloom, handed down from a stylish great-granny, a recent high street find or a hard-earned trophy of your independent success, there are no more rules on how to wear it. There are, however, 98 ways to tie a silk square, according to Hermès. ^

1956 Grace Kelly uses a Hermès scarf as a sling after she breaks her arm.

1969 Audrey Hepburn wears a Givenchy headscarf at her wedding to Andrew Dotti.

2012 The Céline geometric calfskin kerchief makes its debut.

2011 A Henri Matissedesigned Ascher scarf sells for £3m at Christies.

FIT TO BE TIED The season’s coolest scarves, from Irish designers

1

Dublin Bay silk scarf, ¤345; www. brendan joseph.com.

2

3

Ribbon classic silk square, ¤135; www. susannaghgrogan.com.

Circus-print silk scarf, ¤170; www.kdk.ie.

4

Red Bubble Blossom silk scarf, ¤180; www.ciarasilke.com.

5

Multi-coloured Brambles silk scarf, ¤125; www. lisaryderdesigns.ie.

SCARF ACE: Exercise caution when having your silk scarf dry cleaned. Instruct cleaners not to iron the rolled hems.

1991 Princess Diana covers up on a tour of Egypt.

2003 The Alexander McQueen skull print heralds a new era for the scarf.

2006 The Stephen Sprouse graffitied scarf for Louis Vuitton is an instant sellout.

T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E | April 2016 | 27

INTERVIEW

LET’S DO LUNCH

by Anne Harris

ILLUSTRATION BY LAUREN O’NEILL

Heather McGregor, aka Mrs Moneypenny, dispenses financial advice over soda water & lime at The Marylebone Hotel, London

D

oes money make the world go around or the earth move? Is it power or sex? For Heather McGregor it’s all this and more. “Money is the last taboo.

People would rather tell you intimate details of their sex life than talk about their bank,” she says. Breaking that taboo is the over-arching ambition of the woman best known as Mrs Moneypenny, author and aviatrix, financial expert and entrepreneur, whose latest book aims to make all women, financially free of men. But as I went to meet her, I had more mundane reasons for reflecting on the seismic power of money matters.

As keynote speaker at THE GLOSS Magazine’s Look The Business event back in 2013, Mrs Moneypenny prescribed carrying an Anya Hindmarch Ebury bag (half briefcase, half handbag) with the Financial Times protruding. In tribute to her, I adopted the dress code. And found myself feeling such inordinate confidence, I began to worry. But I should have worried less about the ego trip and more

28 | April 2016 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

about the wire trip – a loose airport cable. In a split second I hit the ground, face first. Which is how I turned up to meet the mythic Mrs Moneypenny, looking like a boxer.

I don’t know if that’s the reason she ruled out the tearoom at The Marylebone Hotel and headed decisively for the bar. But I do know that if you want the benefit of her wisdom, you don’t waste time arguing. It’s the critical distinction between a guru and a life coach, about which she’s emphatic. “A life coach spends time discussing options to allow for decision making. I am prescriptive.

I tell people what to do.”

I came armed with questions from friends and colleagues. Who knew that mortgages and investments so exercised the minds of young women? Or that a pension was a cross-generational anxiety? She addressed each meticulously, but first there’s some celebrity spotting over soda and lime in the humming bar. A prominent magazine editor – “Shouldn’t she be at the international fashion collections? Hmm.” This social sharpness is hardly surprising in one whose business is identifying executives for communications organisations. But McGregor is

equally sharp about her own life. “I spend more time talking money than I do having sex,” she announces. “After 27 years of marriage you don’t have a lot of sex.”

It would be a mistake to see this as a confessional moment – after all she took him to Chicago for Valentine’s Day – it’s just one of the dramatic metaphors she uses to illustrate the proportionality of money in our lives. Their three sons – whom she calls Cost Centres 1, 2 and 3 – are all held up to similar scrutiny in her work. A therapist might have a field day, but she has little time for it (expensive and uncertain return). The one time she attended, at a spa, the “therapy space” yielded a eureka moment: she needed to change her mortgage. “Everybody should, every few years.”

Her prescriptions come quick and fast. “Everybody should spend one hour a week on their money.” If that one hour is informed by her lists of tips from saving on utility bills (hang clothes up to dry) to getting ahead in your career (nothing wrong with a little flirting) it will be entertaining too. And get the pension fast: “Every euro spent before 40 is worth two after. Set up a standing order for ¤10 a week, because a pension is like sex, you can’t get it back if you let it slide.”

She recently invested in a shop in her village as part her pension fund. “Cost Centre 1 asked if he could turn it into a bar. I thought about all the education he’d got, but he was serious. He is now working hard and already has planning permission.”

Though she has only just turned 50, she exudes the spirit of the “Mustn’t grumble” generation of World War II women. It’s the spirit that made their empire great and fittingly she was awarded a Commander of the British Empire honour last year for services to business and for her charity, which works to equip ethnic minority graduates for jobs in communications.

“In the early days the charity took all the profit. Had I kept that up I would have had no business. Now I have covenanted a fixed amount of money into it. I pay myself a salary, I pay a dividend and I have given away 20 per cent of my company to my staff. ” She did this “because I wish someone had done that for me.” She pauses. “Because I want to change the world. My dream is that every child would have an education.”

Childhood is clearly where the fire under McGregor was lit. “I started life as the child of a single mum.” Her father, “an absolute shit,” abandoned them when she was two and died when she was 13. “For my own 40th birthday I decided to erect a headstone for him. I did not know what to say so I put the word “Entrepreneur.” It’s what I want on my own headstone. I intend to have little left to leave to the children – they’ve had a first class education. I do not want a headstone with “She was mortgage free.”

No. “All that she gave” would be more apposite.

If she is a revolutionary, it is with a manifesto that success should be built on generosity. Including re-gifting. It colours her life and is reciprocal. “Shortly after Sarah Brown left Number 10, a package arrived with six lovely pieces of costume jewellery she had worn as the prime minister’s wife. “Will I come across as a terrible namedropper?” The law of attraction is sufficient explanation. Her friends, Jeanette Winterson, Anya Hindmarch, Miriam Gonzalez Durantez, Amanda Wakeley, are equally inspirational.

Surely her glory is she has such friends.

As I walked down Oxford Street, head buzzing with ideas, I felt a rustling. A hand picking my Ebury bag. All it got was the FT! Method in the Moneypenny. ^ Mrs Moneypenny is a guest speaker at THE GLOSS Investment Dinner in association with Investec and Goodbody on April 21.

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HEALTH

GUT INSTINCT

Is thriving flora in the gut the key to weight control? KATE O’BRIEN is convinced by new research into the subject

W

e live in a complex symbiotic relationship with over 100 trillion bacterial cells, the highest concentration of which is located in the gut. The formula is simple: we provide them with indigestible carbohydrates and a space to flourish and we, in turn, benefit enormously. These essential probiotic bacteria derive energy from the fermentation of our otherwise indigestible waste. In return they produce certain key nutrients while also acting as a physical barrier and secrete anti-microbial proteins that prevent the harmful, or pathogenic, bacteria from gaining the upper hand.

“The potential for probiotic food products is enormous,” explains dietitian Paula Mee. “Research into their use in food and tablet form is growing. While it’s unclear whether the presence of specific bacteria is a contributor to obesity, or a consequence of obesity, but compelling evidence suggests a strong association. Researchers have also known that the brain sends signals to the gut, which is why stress and other emotions can cause symptoms there. Now research is showing that signals travel the opposite way as well. In all, the potential for probiotic foods to impact mental health is quite persuasive.”

Probiotics are live micro-organisms which are naturally present in some live yogurts, fermented milk drinks and other dairy produce, with different products containing different species, each with unique benefits (hence the importance of variety in our diet). The key to a healthy

30 | April 2016 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

THE GUT MAKE-OVER FOUR-WEEK PLAN WEEKS 1 & 2: REPAIR Eat three meals a day. ◆ No snacking. ◆ Include plants and well-cooked/ well-chewed protein at each meal. ◆ Include a total of 7 large servings of plants (5 as vegetables, 2 as fruit) daily. ◆ Aim for 30 different varieties of vegetables, herbs, and fruit over a week. ◆ Have an overnight 12-hour fast each night. ◆ Avoid sugar, wheat and grains, alcohol, coffee and dairy.

WEEKS 3 & 4: REINOCULATION All as above and start to reintroduce selected dairy with high bacterial counts eg smelly, runny cheeses and fermented milk such as kefir. ◆ Step up intake of prebiotic plant goods (superboosters of good bacteria) like leeks, Jerusalem artichokes, cold potatoes (for their resistant starch), asparagus, bananas, apples. ◆ Include fermented probiotic foods such as sauerkraut and miso.

THE ESSENCE OF FERMENTING Invest in well-sealed jars, Kilner is best. ◆ Cleanliness is key, always sterilise jars by rinsing and putting in the oven at 160˚c for ten minutes, or put them through the dishwasher (without a tablet). ◆ Use local vegetables grown with minimum spraying. These have more active enzymes and will ferment better. ◆ Aim to ferment one afternoon per month to build up your store. For example, sauerkraut is simple to make and contains far more vitamin C than a serving of fresh cabbage. ◆ For the first week, be sure to open the jar once a day to let the gas out.

Keep the jars on a tray or cloth as the contents can be a little effervescent.

TRUNK ARCHIVE

system lies in keeping the good bacteria thriving and outnumbering those not-so-great varieties.

Since the characterisation of the body’s intestinal flora was made official via the National Institute of Health (NIH) Human Microbiome Project in 2008, there has been an explosion in gut research. “This is really powerful stuff,” says London-based nutritional therapist Jeannette Hyde. “It is now widely considered that the health of bacteria is crucial to all areas of our health – the list is endless.” In her book The Gut Makeover, Hyde has come up with a precise plan to balance our gut bacteria, lose up to 13 pounds and improve mood, skin and immunity, all at same time.

But how do we achieve this internal bacteria bliss? Hyde is adamant that our “beige, processed western diet” is detrimental to our microbiome – the community of micro-organisms that share our bodies. Nourish your gut with a varied diet, is her mantra. “By improving the diversity of gut bacteria, hunger hormones start to work more efficiently and metabolism improves, with an endless list of benefits.”

Her practical guide has completely parked the “calorie in = calorie out” notion for managing weight. “Counting calories doesn’t help,” she says. The Gut Makeover tells you in four weeks what you need to do to get your digestive system in peak running order. Those who are really serious about this are advised to press pause on alcohol for a month, as Hyde says it’s akin to “pouring weed-killer on intestinal flora”.

Hand-in-hand with this explosion in gut research is the upsurge in fermented foods and with every good reason, according to cookery writer Valerie O’Connor. “During our years of eating chemically sprayed and processed foods, our guts have been depleted of vital flora, leaving us more susceptible to everyday illness and, some would say, depression and anxiety disorders too. This is where fermentation comes into its own.”

Fermenting food was the method of preservation used for thousands of years before refrigeration and canning. Fresh foods, primarily vegetables, were packed into large wooden containers, salted and left for months (even years) to ferment.

This process enhanced the vitamin content, while the millions of probiotic bacteria enhanced digestive health, boosted the immune system and improved mental health in the process.

While this new style of eating may seem alien, it makes sense and may explain why many of the diseases of the modern world were not known in our ancestors’ time. O’Connor assures us that introducing fermented foods into our daily diet is easy. Many of us eat them already, often without even knowing – think yogurt, sourdough bread, salami, chorizo and sauerkraut. “A spoon of a good, natural yogurt contains many strains of live bacteria.

Sauerkraut is another (see www.valskitchen.com for recipe) that is so easy to prepare and store.

Within a short time of eating more fermented foods, experts maintain you should feel a reduction in digestive issues like bloating or constipation, along with increased energy, improved sleep and mental clarity. ^

Photo Michel Gibert. Photograph used for reference only. Special thanks: Architect Stanislav Fiala / TASCHEN.

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European manufacture

Connexe modular corner leather sofa, designed by Studio Roche Bobois.

Connexe cocktail table, designed by Studio Roche Bobois.

Geom end tables, designed by Piks Design.

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MEN’S FASHION

Wardrobe

SCANDI COOL: Danish brand SELECTED HOMME has now opened a store in Dundrum Town Centre, Dublin 16, offering cool, pared-back separates, with swim shorts in unexpected prints landing soon. Look out for their collaborations with Antonio Banderas, who has two collections in the works for later in the year. www. selected. com

TAKE FIVE Summer classics that won’t go out of style Pair a denim jacket with grey trousers and a plain white tee. Levis slim-fit denim jacket, 0100, at Levi’s, 38 Grafton Street, Dublin 2.

1 This light blue David Beckham X H&M neatcollared cotton shirt is cut for a regular-to-slim fit 019.99, at H&M.

2

3 As competition for the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup heats up, it’s time to update your waterproof holdall – practical offshore and on. Regatta Damier-print holdall, Louis Vuitton, 01,560, at Brown Thomas Dublin.

PARTNERS IN STYLE SOURCE: @DAVIDBECKHAM INSTAGRAM

Dubliner DANIEL KEARNS is the man behind David Beckham’s menswear label Kent & Curwen, the natty British sportswear company founded in 1926, has appointed Dubliner Daniel Kearns as creative director to partner David Beckham in all aspects of the business, including product development (including a collection inspired by Beckham), market expansion, advertising, store design and overseeing new store openings in London, New York, Miami, and Milan. Hiring NCAD graduate Kearns and Beckham is part of an overall strategy to bring Kent & Curwen to a bigger, younger audience, adding a more relaxed, component to the company’s suits and luxe sportswear.

SPOTTED AT LONDON FASHION WEEK

A well-cut blazer in linen or cottonblend jersey is a smart choice for weekend wear.

0409, at Louis Copeland, Wicklow Street, Dublin 2.

5

These Rubinacci suede loafers are an elegant choice for the slick dresser, 0390; www.mrporter.com.

Dusky, pastel, unstructured linen jackets ruled the streets on the last day of the LCM. Ditch last year’s brightly-coloured chinos and opt for top-notch neutral pants that are smart enough to take you from day meetings to dinner.

TRY BOSS HUGO BOSS at 67-68 Grafton Street, Dublin 2, for linen mix, slim-fit jackets.

+

White Chinolino cotton chinos, Incotex, ¤235; www.mrporter.com.

TRY This raspberry tweed two-button jacket is ¤229 from www. remusuomo.com.

32 | April 2016 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

Blue cotton chinos, ¤39.95, at Zara Man.

4

ON YOUR BIKE Designer Paul Galvin cites Olympic cyclist Michael Walker as inspiration for his new PUSH collection at Dunnes Stores. “The colour/stripe combination represents Walker’s past.

The three colours – black, white and grey – anchor the collection and are rooted in traditional early1900s menswear,” he says.

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BOOKS

SISTER ACT

This month marks the bicentenary of Charlotte Brontë’s birth. Along with her two sisters, Emily and Anne, she inspired CATHERINE LOWELL’s first novel, The Madwoman Upstairs

W

hen I first read Jane Eyre, I was ten, and it was the fanciest book I had ever seen. It was an old, engraved edition, so each time I picked it up, I was worried I’d ruin it. I’d sit on the floor, lean against the same old couch, and crack open the spine just barely enough to read. I loved Jane Eyre because I could understand it – despite its fancy cover—and as a ten-year-old, that was unusual and exciting. What I didn’t realise at the time was that it was the beginning of a long, unexpected love affair.

The Brontë family’s output is a very special endowment to English literature. Very few authors – let alone a family trio – have been as famous, or as loved, and their allure today is as strong as it ever was. Part of the reason, I believe, is because Charlotte, Emily, and Anne left us with some fascinating questions, which are relevant to any time period. How could three isolated 20-somethings write fiction so true and universal that it’s still read across the world? How did women who, for the most part, never knew lasting romantic relationships write about love as if they had experienced it all? How, in a world that shunned and despised women writers, did three young ladies defy the odds and succeed when so many others did not? Where, exactly, does genius come from?

When I started writing The Madwoman Upstairs, my research on the Brontës was an attempt to explore some of these questions. Like many readers, I couldn’t help but wonder how much of their novels was fact and how much was fiction – and whether the clues to understanding the Brontës might be hiding within the pages of their own novels. Fiction is a flawed tool for piecing together an author’s biography, but if the Brontë books could ring true to so many millions of readers, it seemed that the books’ essential messages could also ring true to the Brontë’s own lives.

One telling commonality in the early Brontë novels was the strange marriage of vulnerability and confidence in each protagonist. The stories explore the process by which someone uncomfortable in her own skin becomes someone who learns to embrace who she really is. The Brontës, in my mind, had a similar journey. We often see Charlotte, Emily and Anne as indomitable pillars of strength and forget that they were real people with their own set of endearing insecurities. Charlotte, like a normal human being, worried about the quality of her writing, and worried that the man she fancied didn’t love her back. It’s a relief to find self-doubt in someone like Charlotte Brontë: her success seems less like the mythic work of a larger-than-life literary hero, and more like

34 | April 2016 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

BEDSIDE TABLE

What is CLAUDIA CARROLL reading?

Claudia Carroll is a bestselling author who wrote her first book in the dressing rooms of RTÉ while filming Fair City. Her latest novel, All She Ever Wished For, centres on Tess Taylor, whose wedding plans are interrupted by jury duty in a socialite's divorce case. April 14, HarperCollins, ¤19.50

The Brontë Sisters, painted by their brother Patrick Bramwell Brontë. Left: an illustrated manuscript by Charlotte Brontë; both at the Celebrating Charlotte Brontë exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, London, until August 24.

How did THREE young LADIES defy the odds and SUCCEED when so many others did not? the well-earned success of someone who worked hard and stayed true to herself against all the odds. Just like her Jane Eyre, she succeeded through the painful and rewarding journey to find herself.

What endears me to the Brontës today – unlike what attracted me as a ten-year-old – is that we can still learn so much from them. The world today is unrecognisable from what it was in 1840, yet there are plenty of recurring motifs, particularly the pressure on women to look or act a certain way. In a society dominated by social media, we care more than ever about what other people think of us. The Brontës still offer a great lesson in authenticity. “I need not sell my soul to buy bliss,” wrote Charlotte Brontë in Jane Eyre. “I have an inward treasure born with me, which can keep me alive if all extraneous delights should be withheld, or offered at a price I cannot afford to give.” ^ The Madwoman Upstairs (¤20.99, Quercus) is out now.

THE TROUBLE WITH GOATS AND SHEEP

by Joanna Cannon Set during the heatwave of 1976, this is a hysterically funny, poignant and joyously well told story about two children bored on their summer holidays, who decide to investigate the disappearance of a neighbour.

Dark secrets come to light and it seems that just about everyone has something to hide. A book that deserves to win awards by the trolley load. For those of you old enough to remember, you’ll almost feel the heat of 1976 coming back to you.

The Burrough Press, ¤17.99

THE DAY I LOST YOU

by Fionnuala Kearney It’s every parent’s worse nightmare, losing a child in tragic circumstances, and Jess can barely admit to herself that her beloved daughter Anna isn’t coming back.

But Anna’s disappearance leaves a mystery behind . A beautifully constructed novel about loss, grief, family, forgiveness but especially about love in all its guises – maternal, sibling, lovers’, unconditional love and the love of friends – from an author who just keeps getting better and better.

HarperCollins, ¤11.99 THE WIDOW

by Fiona Barton It’s been hailed as this year’s Girl on the Train, but for me, this book is even better. A twist-filled psychological thriller about poor, downtrodden Jean, a woman whose husband has not only been accused of pedophilia, but also of murdering a twoyear-old girl. Jean is innocent, as far as we know, yet somehow tarred by association as press intrusion and constant public vilification make her life unbearable. Inspired by the Harold Shipman murder case (Shipman's wife claimed she knew absolutely nothing about his crimes) this really is a stay-upall-night-to-finish-it book, and a chilling one at that.

Bantam Press, ¤19.50

THIS WONDERFUL LITTLE PLACE

ERS V O L R E BE !

REJOICE

. . . W HITSTA B L E , E NGLAND

Luke Matthews is the chef behind the awardwinning Mews restaurant in Baltimore, Co Cork, which just opened for its second season

I

was living in London and working at L’Autre Pied in Marylebone when I first heard about The Sportsman. As a chef, you need to be curious about what’s happening in other kitchens and I’m always keen to try out new or interesting restaurants. This particular spot kept coming up in conversation, so eventually one of the other chefs and I decided to take the 90-minute train journey to Whitstable to see if the buzz was warranted. It felt almost like a pilgrimage and I’ve been back several times since, most recently for a stage [an unpaid internship] so needless to say I was not disappointed.

The Sportsman is essentially a gastropub in the middle of nowhere, perched on the edge of a long, isolated beach. It’s highly regarded in the UK but it’s relatively inexpensive so their customer is an interesting mix of locals and foodies who have travelled to get there, because it’s now considered a destination in itself. It has everything I look for in a restaurant: an inviting dining room and unpretentious food.

They only offer one sitting so the pace is

relaxing and the portions are generous.

The ever-evolving, seasonal menu reflects what’s available locally, lots of fresh oysters and seafood, and the overall approach is so simple that I just couldn’t fault it. Six years later, when we started discussing the concept for Mews, we agreed that letting the ingredients do the talking was definitely the way forward.

My most recent visit to The Sportsman was in October when I had a busy season of running my own kitchen under my belt. I got to see its inner workings, both in the kitchen and from a business perspective. They started off in a small space and gradually grew it to what it is today – it’s a testament to the vision, patience and reputation of the owner and chef, Stephen Harris. He’s very inspiring, particularly in how he treats his staff, many of whom have been there for five, ten, even 15 years. The reception to Mews last summer was somewhat unexpected, a baptism of fire for me. And although our location in Baltimore is remote, the phenomenal success of The Sportsman just proves that if you build it, they will come. ^ SARAH BREEN Faversham Road, Seasalter, Whitstable, UK; www.thesportsmanseasalter.co.uk

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Clockwise from left: The Sportsman.

Hake fillet with bouillabaisse and olive tapenade.

The inviting, slightly rustic dining room.

ENJOY HÜFI RESPONSIBLY Terms & Conditions apply. The Promoter is Comans Wholesale, Belgard Road, Tallaght, Dublin 24.Competition opens 07.04.16 and closes 04.05.16. Prizes offered as stated, no alternatives offered. Winner selected randomly from entries received on Facebook. The decision of the judges is final. Winners notified by phone within 5 working days. Entrants must be over 18 living in Ireland. Entry excludes anyone professionally connected with this Promotion. Please allow 28 days for delivery of prize. Promoter reserves the right to cancel or amend the Promotion or its conditions. Personal information will only be used to contact prizewinner.

T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E | April 2016 | 35

FICTION THE GLOSS

WORKING IT OUT

What happens when you quit your job to seek out your purpose in life, only to realise it’s not quite as easy to find as you expected? LISA OWENS explores the idea in her debut novel

M

y cousin Stuart asks me what I am doing these days.

“I’m working that out,” I say. I’ve had a lot of wine: it keeps coming and I keep drinking it. “I quit my job two weeks ago so I could try to figure out why I’m here. Not in a religious way, but I believe everyone has a purpose. Like, how you were made to be in computers. That makes total, perfect sense.” I stop, worried suddenly that he’s a normal engineer and not a software engineer, but he nods.

“Marketing wasn’t your calling, then?”

“Creative communications,” I correct him.

“Won’t lie: I never really knew what that meant.”

“It ...” I prepare to launch into an explanation, then realise I may never need to again, “... doesn’t matter anymore.”

36 | April 2016 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

BUS I take the bus to the gym I can’t really afford anymore.

I choose a seat by the window and try to make progress with my book. (I have been reading Ulysses for nearly nine months.) When I’ve read the same paragraph five or six times, I look up, desperate for some relief from the words.

An old guy in a powder-blue jacket with long, sparse hair is coming slowly down the aisle. He looks around for a seat, but they’re all taken and no one gets up, so like a stoic he sets his mouth and grips the handrail next to him. I think about offering mine, but I’d have to ask the woman next to me to move. She looks important, smartly dressed, as if she’s going to a meeting. She’s reading through some notes and I don’t want to disturb her, or make her feel bad that she didn’t offer up her seat. I go back to Ulysses and, burning with the effort of pretending I haven’t noticed the old guy, I finally make it onto the next page. When the

woman next to me gets off, the old man stays where he is. I watch him sway and shuffle with the movement of the bus, dancing in his orthopaedic shoes.

GYM At the gym, I try to get out of my contract.

“You’ll need to wait until the thirtieth of the month to hand in your notice, and then your contract will end two months after that,” the woman whose name badge says “Frankie” tells me. It’s Halloween and she is dressed as a witch, with a hat, a cape and her nails painted black.

Underneath the cape, she’s in a shiny black unitard.

“But the thirtieth is a full month away,” I say. “Can’t we just pretend it’s yesterday?”

“If only!” she says, rustling a tin of retro sweets at me sympathetically. I take a packet of Parma violets and crunch them two at a time.

TRUNK ARCHIVE

EXCLUSIVE

FICTION She looks at her records. “I see you still haven’t had your Full-body MOT. Shall we do that now, as you’re here?” I had been putting it off until I got fitter because I wanted to get a better score than my boyfriend Luke, but it’s been two years and if I’m leaving, I might as well get it done. She comes round from the reception desk and ushers me to a table, taking her plastic broom with her.

In response to the questionnaire, I tell Frankie that I don’t drink any alcohol or coffee, and that I sleep for nine hours every night. My blood pressure is good and so are my resting levels, but when she tests my aerobic fitness on the treadmill, I’m so eager to impress that I nearly slide off, and my vision goes dark while I gasp for breath.

“How often did you say you come here?” Frankie asks, looking at her clipboard. “Have you thought about a personal trainer?” By the time I leave, I’ve signed up to three one-on-one sessions with a PT named Gavin, at a specially reduced introductory rate of £99.99.

SUCCESS I’m not sure if my mother has been storing up material for our conversations, or if it’s part of the process of grieving for her father, but these days when she phones, she seems to have an awful lot of awful news to relate. “Pippa from church, in the choir – you do know her. The husband, an atheist – you wouldn’t have met him. Slipped and fell in the shower: it’s touch-and-go whether he’ll walk again. I’ve sent Dad to John Lewis to buy one of those mats. You can’t be too careful.’”

And: “Gordon two doors up from us, well, his son-in-law, the policeman – I told you, remember? Depressed. Several attempts, over the years, but they thought he was over all that.

Anyway,” she sighs, “it would seem this time he did succeed.”

MY NEXT MOVE I go to a café to get out of the house, and bring my laptop so I can do some career research. There is a table of about eight women, all with babies, and a couple of them are breastfeeding.

They’re talking about how hands-on their husbands are, and while their one-upmanship makes me slightly suspicious, I can’t deny that the women look great. Their skin is fantastic, and the babies are all so sweet – tiny, quiet and content.

I’m surfing arts websites for jobs, but don’t know what I’m looking for and all my searches keep returning sales roles, or executive positions way above my earning bracket.

A woman comes in who looks about my age, balancing a toddler on her hip, a little girl. The two of them are in matching Breton-striped tops and jeans, and when she orders a coffee, she actually has a French accent. She sits at the table next to me and the child is off: behind the counter, under the table, climbing up the stairs marked “No entry”.

She is delightful; the baristas don’t mind at all. The toddler is at my table, holding out her arms and waving both hands from the wrists, beaming. I do the same and she laughs, runs away, buries her face in her mother’s lap saying, “Maman, Maman!” and the mother, who might in fact be younger than me, bends over to murmur a stream of French into her daughter’s bright bobbed hair.

“Maybe I should have a baby.” I’m loading the dishwasher after dinner, and Luke laughs.

“With who?”

“Right, I meant we should. But I’ll be the one having it, won’t I? I could be a stay-at-home mum.”

“I thought you were finding your purpose,” says Luke. “I thought that’s what this was all about.” He makes an expansive gesture at “this’, as though the kitchen is somehow part of my plan, as though “this” is where I spend all my time now.

“Maybe my purpose is to be a mother?”

Luke nods, wide-eyed, pushing out his bottom lip, thoughtful but ultimately unconvinced. He beckons me over and I sit on his knee, loop my arms round his neck, rest my chin on his shoulder.

“I think I’m going to take French classes,” I say. “Build on what I learned at school. It’s a shame to let all that knowledge go to waste.”

“Mais oui,” says Luke, shrugging my face round to his.

COMPETITION 6pm on a Thursday, and while I may not have applied for any jobs, I have made myself eligible to win a Mini Cooper, two nights in Paris and seven in Miami, £500 of vouchers for a Scandinavian clothing brand, an enormous television (which I plan to sell on), an espresso machine (which I’ll definitely keep), tickets to three exhibitions, a case of Prosecco, a juicer, a designer handbag, a designer coat, a meal for two at a corporate-looking restaurant in the City including a cocktail on arrival but no wine, membership to an independent cinema franchise and a VIP package for two at a female-only spa, so no one could argue it’s been a completely wasted day.

“I take the bus to the GYM I can’t AFFORD anymore I try to make progress on my book. I’ve been reading Ulysses for NINE months.”

WORK Paul, my friend from university, is back from a stint abroad that took in Berlin, Tokyo, Vienna, Johannesburg. He’s a conceptual artist of growing repute: I’ve started seeing his work mentioned in blogs (even if I always find them via links on his own). We arrange to meet at a dive bar we frequented in the old days after we’d graduated. I’d traipse into London from my parents’ house in the suburbs to interview for positions whose criteria my patchy employment history – waitressing, child-minding – fell some way short of fulfilling.

Afterwards we’d sink bottles of wine and bemoan our lost youth (we were 21) and rail about how life wasn’t fair: what more could we do? Why wouldn’t someone give us a break?

But while I was spamming every arts, advertising and media organisation I could think of with my CV, Paul was secretly receiving scholarship offers from prestigious art schools all over the world. When I found out, two weeks before he left for New York, I felt deeply aggrieved. How dare he harbour such dreams? Who had given him permission to aim so high? Who did he think he was?

“Congrats on dropping out of the rat race, little one,” he says. He also pats me on the head, a paternalistic bit he always does – it’s ironic, but still, he does it every single time. “After all those years of empty threats! What made you go through with it?”

I tell him about the day I was seized by a powerful impulse to start swallowing things on my desk: drawing pins, lumps of Blu Tack, whatever would fit in my mouth.

“I got as far as putting a paper clip on my tongue before realising there was another way. So I spat it out and went to my boss’s office to quit. She was on holiday, so I had to wait another two weeks. But as soon as I’d made the decision, it was as if . . . I’d been holding my breath for years without knowing, and finally I could let it out.”

BOWLING My ex-colleagues invite me to a bowling night to celebrate three birthdays that all fall in the same week. There are drinks at the office beforehand. It’s the first time I’ve been back since I left, and the place is different, though I can’t work out what’s changed. I go and look at my old desk, which is now immaculately kept by my successor: a young (but balding) gun named Jonathan. His default expression is one of sulky surprise, which I put down to the premature departure of his hair, because he’s certainly not at all curious to meet me.

“I’m Claire. I used to be you,” I say, holding a hand out to him, “or you’re the new me, depending how you look at it.”

“You didn’t do digital, though,” he says, hooking a small plastic bag onto the wrist of my extended hand, before taking my fingers in a limp, damp shake. “Did you?”

“No.” I’d spent much of my last year dodging digital, insisting that it wasn’t in my skillset. “What’s this?”

“You somehow managed to miss all that stuff when you cleared out my desk,” says Jonathan, typing so fast he looks like he’s faking, though I can see on his monitor he’s not. His WPM rate must be insane. I look in the bag, which is weighed down with coppers and small denominations of foreign currency. There are also some kirby grips, a bunch of receipts and some payslips with my name on. I notice a few of the latter have been opened, something I never bothered to do.

“You really didn’t need to keep this, but thanks anyway,” I say. “You could have chucked it.” I have so many similar plastic bags at home, full of not-quite-rubbish I can’t bear to throw away.

“Do what you need to do. Wait.” He reaches over to his corkboard and unpins a sheaf of paper. “Also yours.”

I flick through it and my face burns. They’re all the personal emails sent in error to my work account since I left: weeks and weeks’ worth of invitations to brunch and dinner parties, and a thread entitled “Tuesday Drinkies”, ten-odd pages of my school friends’ plans to meet up for a drink. A glimpse of the final page reveals the discussion has devolved into farmyard-animal puns.

“Wow,’ I say, “don’t you have my new email address? You can just forward this stuff to me.”

“Somewhere,” he says, resuming his virtuosic typing. “I thought it would be easier this way. Do it all in one go, post them on to you with that other stuff. None of them seemed like they were that urgent.”

“Well . . . delete anything else that comes in, will you?” I say, dropping the emails in his recycling box.

At the bowling alley, there’s a company tab. I feel bad availing myself of it and end up buying a round for eight people that makes my heart race when I hand over my card.

“How’s the job hunt?” my old boss, Geri, asks, frowning at her bowling shoes while we await our turn. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen her in flats.

“Slow, but it’s going, just about. I don’t want to rush into anything, end up somewhere I don’t want to be.”

“We must have been paying you too much,” she says, “if you can afford that luxury!”

When I leave, everyone is dancing. Nine to Five has come on the jukebox and I slip away as they all join in with the chorus, feeling like a fraud. On the Tube home, I pull out the payslips from my little plastic bag, and see one of Jonathan’s has got in by mistake. I’m pleased until I open it and discover he’s on only a grand less per annum than I had been, even though he’s 22 and I was in the job for over six years. ^ Not Working by Lisa Owens (Picador, ¤19.50) is published on April 21.

T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E | April 2016 | 37

BEAUTY

XXXXXXXXX

Buffet

BY SARAH HALLIWELL

CATCH UP WITH THE LATEST BEAUTY NEWS & LAUNCHES ON INSTAGRAM @THEGLOSSMAG

FLASH LASHES

IN SCENT

Two new mascaras muscled straight onto our “best” list this month: MAC In Extreme Dimension Waterproof Lash (¤25), for maximum volume, like a big blowdry for lashes; and CLARINS’ transparent Double Fix, to define lashes and make any mascara waterproof; use to groom brows, too. ¤22, from April 17.

We’re always excited to smell a new scent

by Galway’s CLOON KEEN ATELIER, and Grande Dame, created specially for The Shelbourne Salon, is no exception. Notes of summer geranium, rose and saffron, on a sandalwood and spice base, make for a rich and evocative juice. ¤80; www.shelbournespa.ie and www.cloonkeenatelier.com.

THIS MONTH

W E’R E WE AR ING ...

ELIZABETH ARDEN Illuminating Retexturising Pads (¤55) are a new passion: brightness. MAC’s Big Brow Pencil (¤21, in five shades) adds as much sheen as it does colour, for a quick, super-natural brow. VICHY Ideal Body Oil (¤23) has a seductive satiny texture and light clean scent.

C USTOM-BLEN D

BEAUTY Mix it up to make your own couture cosmetics

W

e’re seeing a focus on “mix your own” in beauty at the moment, giving us the option to bring the lab home. The idea of custom-blending skincare and make-up is infinitely appealing, tapping into our childlike instinct to play with colours and textures. And it’s how make-up artists work behind the scenes: backstage at the Antonio Berardi AW16 show, for example, we watched legendary make-up artist Val Garland blend three different MAC lipsticks together (Film Noir, Rebel and High Drama, topped with Lipglass) to create a madly beautiful shiny maraschino cherry; colours like this will be all over beauty counters come autumn, but it’s more fun to make it yourself. So we love the idea Clinique of a palette that encourages custom-colour creation: see Clinique’s Pretty Easy Lip Palette, left, ¤42, at www.clinique.co.uk. And we long for the Smashbox lipgloss-making station, in the Studio Store in London, to make its way to Arnotts. On the skincare front, Clarins has extended its Booster range (the Golden Glow tanning version is a must): adding drops from the mini serums (¤39 each) into your regular face cream, tailoring it to what your skin needs at that moment, makes you feel a little like a mad scientist. While experimenting, we urge you to try mixing the wondrous Armani Maestro Glow SPF30 (¤46) with your moisturiser or foundation: it adds a certain magic to the most utilitarian of bases.

38 | April 2016 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

SPRING SKIN Daily sunscreen might not be madly exciting, but it’s necessary. At a recent international dermatology conference, new scientific data showed that women who stay out of the sun and protect against UV exposure “could have skin that looks up to 20 years younger than UV-damaged skin”. Invest in SISLEY Tinted Facial Sun Care Youth Protector SPF30 (¤120.50): it smells amazing and boosts skin with plant extracts and actives.

IT WORKS When we find an eye cream that works, we lash it on with gusto. YONKA Excellence Code Contours can be used around the eyes and lips to smooth out lines, with a de-puffing cooling tip and fruit seed and flower oils (avocado, olive, grapeseed and coconut). ¤75, salons nationwide.

For a finishing touch, we find it hard to better BAREMINERALS’ light but robust BareSkin Serum Concealer, ¤26.

LIQUID LIPS CLARINS’ delicious Lip Oil now comes in Red Berry (¤21), an instantly flattering and comfortable gloss. There are also some gems in the pretty STILA spring collection: we’re hankering after the wearable Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Carmello, ¤22.

TAKE 3: HAIR NEEDS

RALPH LAUREN

ROKSANDA AW16

one swipe eliminates a layer of dull skin. Use once or twice a week for noticeable

1 FOR LOW-MAINTENANCE Selling furiously over at BeautyMart.com is Isle of Roses Hair Oil, a supernatural, multipurpose treatment that gives you longer between washes and leaves hair divinely fragrant.

Created by ex-Bumble and bumble hair expert James Gordon, it’s silicone-free so there’s no build-up. £42stg.

2 FOR GREYS Alfaparf Grey Pride Shampoo fills a bit of a gap – silver and white ’dos continue to be highly popular but there’s been a dearth of helpful care ranges. Use this to nourish and hydrate. €12.95.

3 FOR COLOUR CARE Brassy tones are the bane of every blonde’s life, so we’re giving a warm welcome to Joico Colour Balance Shampoo, which helps to keep dull yellow at bay while bringing out shine in your hair. d23.50.

MEN

QUICK DRAW

BOY’S OWN

YSL constantly play with their enduring classic Touche Éclat, and we love the latest incarnation, the Slogan Edition, ¤35.

Style upgrades for the guys

SIGN UP... ... FOR A BEAUTY BOX: BIRCHBOX is now delivering to Ireland, bringing five A great gift for a beauty lover. ¤13.30 plus ¤4 P+P. www.Birchbox.ie

HOW TO DO... Pink

DIOR

Pink might not be an obvious colour for eyes – we’re wary of the myxomatosis look – but Dior have made us want to give it a go. The trick is to keep similar subtle tones across the eyes, lips and cheeks, and to use an elegant long-stay formula such as BYTERRY Ombre Blackstar in Bubble Glow (¤30.50, at SpaceNK) and CHANEL Stylo Eyeshadow in Rose Petale (¤28.50). Set it off with black lashes.

Add to Contacts...

Izabela Niedwiecka’s devotees have tracked her down since her days at Nuala Woulfe in Glasthule; she now works her nail magic at Esthetique Nails in Monkstown, Co Dublin (086 253 6651), with late opening Thursday and Friday until 8pm.

S

uch was the interest in men’s hair from female clients of Drury Street salon Davey Davey, owned by Paul and Ian Davey, that the brothers resolved to open a dedicated male salon. Commissioning a dedicated shoot to reflect the scope of the salon was the next step.

“We wanted to capture a wide variety of stylish guys, and illustrate trends for different generations, as we cater for everybody,” says Paul Davey of this shoot. “Guys played it very safe for many years, in both fashion and hair: now they are much more open to trends and willing to look individual.” THE TREND: “In general, a more groomed look is in – beards are more tailored and less wild and full-on, while haircuts are more overgrown. Sides are getting longer, beards are getting shorter. The key thing is that your cut complements your head and face shape.” WHAT TO TRY: Treat your dad to a manly but luxurious traditional wet shave for Father’s Day: “It’s such an experience,” says Davey. “It’s as much a facial as a shave, with a 20-minute face massage.”

And the “lads and dads” service is a popular bonding ritual for guys. WHILE YOU’RE THERE: Davey Davey offer more than a sharp cut: snap up their cufflinks, scarves by Peckham Rye, and socks. SILVER FOXES: “We come from a hairdressing background, so we are able to offer a more diverse range of treatments than a barber’s, such as camouflage colour, a fast treatment to tone down grey.” HIDDEN GEM: Stock up on Gentlemen’s Tonic Exfoliating Facial Scrub to freshen skin and prevent ingrowing hairs. Davey Davey Men’s, 24 Stephen Street Lower, Dublin 2, 01 607 8999; www.daveydaveymens.com

BEYOND THE HAIR My other half sticks resolutely to trusted favourites: Head & Shoulders, a bit of Clarins and good old bars of soap. Guys tend to be discerning, cutting through distracting elements – the bottles, the scents – and using only things that really work. These upgrades will stand up to their demands: 1. FREDERIC MALLE’s newest cologne, Monsieur, is sophisticated and unexpected. It’s the biggest hit of patchouli we’ve come across, with distinct hints of rum, tangerine and suede. ¤135 at Parfumarija.

2. CLARINS Men Anti-Fatigue Eye Serum is light and soothing enough to encourage guys into a serum habit. ¤37. 3. NUXE Nuxellence Youth & Energy Anti-Ageing Fluid is rich in hyaluronic acid to recharge the skin’s batteries. ¤38.

2.

3.

1.

HOMEGROWN BEAUTY Two new Irish skincare brands worth supporting 1 HIGH-TECH Reform Skincare is an Irish cosmeceuticals range – think a home-grown SkinCeuticals. We’re especially interested in the Advanced Formula Sunscreen SPF30 ¤24.99, and range of high-impact antioxidant serums, ¤20 at Adare Clinic, Dublin 2; www.reformskincare.ie

were inspired by twelve years’ experience in a holistic clinic where I saw how essential oils made people feel a little better. All our blends are chosen for both how they make you feel and benefit the skin.”

The vitamin E-rich Facial Oil (¤22.20) smells great: “We’re getting great feedback from rosacea sufferers that it helps with dryness and redness.” Blossoms Body Oil, a blend of jasmine, orange blossom

2 PURE & SIMPLE Aromatherapist Niamh Hogan of Holos Skincare champions knowing everything about what you’re putting on your face, resulting in skin that’s good enough to forgo make-up. “What sets Holos apart is that the products

and ylang ylang, helps balance hormones during menopause or PMS, advises Hogan. Holos recently won Enterprise Ireland investment. New skincare launches soon. www.holos.ie

T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E | April 2016 | 39

PHOTOGRAPHED BY KIP CARROLL. STYLED BY DAVID BRITTAIN. MAKE-UP BY KEN BOYLAN.

bits of beauty to your door each month.

BUSINESS BUSINESS WISDOM WISDOM

DID ANYTHING IN YOUR EARLY LIFE EXPERIENCE OR FAMILY BACKGROUND INFLUENCE YOUR JOURNEY TO YOUR CURRENT ROLE? My parents were both primary school teachers who instilled a passion for learning and selfbelief in me. They were huge advocates of studying hard, which definitely played a part in my career path, and I’ve always had an interest in economics and financial markets.

AN ACCOMPLISHMENT YOU ARE PROUD OF? I’m very proud of the overall performance of our pension funds, and my own development and progression at Zurich. Outside work, I am very involved in an Irish-based charity, Cara Projects (www.caraprojects.com), which has built and operates a girl’s rescue centre in Kenya.

The remarkable work that has been achieved and the difference it makes to the lives of these amazing children makes the work so worthwhile.

HOW DO YOU APPROACH DIFFICULT SITUATIONS? Stock markets can go through phases of being highly volatile so it is very important that I am level-headed, pragmatic and decisive in my role, as these are traits that help counteract the uncertainty. Having a great team of colleagues around me to listen, engage and support me in the decision-making process definitely helps.

FROM THE DESK OF ...

Eimear Moloney

PHOTOGRAPHED BY NEIL HURLEY

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF EQUITIES, ZURICH LIFE ASSURANCE PLC

THE CV Having qualified as a Chartered Accountant, Eimear Moloney did the almost obligatory backpacking trip around Australia for a year. Upon her return, she joined Zurich as an Investment Accountant in 1997 before moving to a position in the Investment Dealing Department in 2001.

She initially started as an equity analyst and progressed over the years to her current role as Senior Fund Manager.

DESCRIBE YOUR ROLE: I have two roles, the first being the management of our Irish equities portfolio. I am also a senior member of the asset allocation team, which determines what we invest in, whether bonds, cash or alternatives, and in which region. We start early, at about 7.15am, and work until the US market closes at about 6.30pm Irish time.

YOUR COMPANY’S BUSINESS PRIORITIES FOR 2016?

We want to engage with our clients more and meet the needs of the market. It’s our priority to be a provider of choice for both customers and distributors in Ireland.

HIGHLIGHTS AND CHALLENGES DURING YOUR TENURE? Having to constantly deal with new information often requires decisive action, particularly when markets are volatile. While this can cause pressure, it has also made my career so far remarkably interesting and challenging.

WHICH IS THE MOST USEFUL WAY TO ENGAGE CLIENTS OR SUPPLIERS? Conference calls, monthly briefings and webinars are all tools we use to relay information to a wide audience. I am often addressing up to 400 people at a time.

WHAT KEEPS YOU AWAKE AT NIGHT? Not much, unless I find a very good series on Netflix. When I feel stressed, I find art classes and long walks very therapeutic as they help me switch off.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE YOU TO GET READY IN THE MORNING? Being organised the night before ensures that I can be out the door in 20 minutes.

WHAT IS ONE CHARACTERISTIC A BUSINESS LEADER SHOULD POSSESS? The ability to communicate effectively, in order to bring people along with their vision.

THREE PIECES OF ADVICE YOU MIGHT GIVE TO WOMEN WHO ASPIRE TO BE IN LEADERSHIP ROLES? Believe in yourself and your ability to succeed. Listen, be open and learn from others who inspire you. Value people and the relationships you hold with them. ^

MY WORKING LIFE:

THE WAY I DO BUSINESS 1. STRONG POINTS: I am decisive and a good communicator. Both are vital traits when working in stock markets. 2. WEAKNESSES: I always strive for excellence, sometimes expecting too much of myself and my peers.

3. WORK/LIFE BALANCE: For me, a good balance is when I can split my professional, social and personal commitments and feel fulfilled in each.

4. LOOKING THE BUSINESS: I typically wear a dress with a jacket or a trouser suit in the office. If you don’t feel your best, you won’t perform at your best. Shoes are my weakness. 5.

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE:

Working in finance, I’ve had a pension from an early age, and I am aware of all the financial products, which allows me to make an informed choice.

40 | April 2016 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

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TRAVEL This picture and left: Hotel URSO. Below: Mercado de San Miguel, Madrid.

Left: Crosstown Doughnuts.

Below: Batty Langley’s, London.

MAN in A SUITCASE Somewhere between London and Madrid, TIM MAGEE is in the market for good food

I

’m in BATTY LANGLEY’s on the edge of the City in London, speculating on the markets, and a doughnut.

The brilliantly named hotel is a labour of love and the bonkers crown jewel from the quirky clever clogs that created Hazlitt’s and The Rookery. It’s like the Mad Hatter and Jacques Garcia got married and set up house. Unlike most restoration jobs though, this isn’t a museum, nor a creaky style-over-substance stiff, as the stuff behind the walls is as considered as what’s on them. Everything works beautifully and has the level of polish that is only possible when people really care.

I’ve just come from Madrid but the markets I’ve been studying there and here in London aren’t the financial kind, they’re the edible kind. The doughnut is from CROSSTOWN DOUGHNUTS in nearby Spitalfields.

It’s a concoction of sourdough, sea salt caramel and banana cream, and sounds like something dreamt up by a couple of drunken pastry chefs figuring out their death row dessert. The OLD SPITALFIELDS MARKET where I found it has been around forever but is now a polished and pasteurised gem, the kind that should be coming to a capital near you soon. Indoor food markets are instant tourist magnets and native treasures like the magnificent Mathallen in Oslo, the Time Out market in Lisbon, and the upcoming Bourdain Market in New York: 150,000 square feet of Pier 57 will attract visitors in their droves.

A market like any of these should be coming to our own capital but it’s not here yet. Although it could do with some more on-the-spot dining, Cork is blessed with the English Market and the Farmgate Café but that is our only full-time indoor market. There are cracking part-timers like the Milk Market in Limerick and St George’s in Belfast, and the various farmers’ markets sprinkled through the country on any given Saturday or Sunday, but what about Dublin? If the country’s biggest tourist draw is a slightly out of the way beer storehouse

42 | April 2016 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

A MARKET like any of these should be coming to our own CAPITAL but it’s not HERE yet. what could we do with a sparkling home for our best food and drink, say somewhere like one of the left-behind beauties on O’Connell Street?

My imaginary market will be controlled in the same way as a national theatre, with the equivalent of a commercial director and a programming director.

Artisan is indefinable, so we would need someone who knew what best presented our authenticity and, in this case, someone who would programme what says the most about us, including having chefs from restaurants from around the island coming to Dublin for a few months at a time in the off-season. How nice it would be to have the lovely people and food from Inis Meáin Suites, The Idle Wall in Westport or Mews in Baltimore set up shop and prosper while promoting their food.

The market in my head is a national meeting place to replace Clerys Clock. An Irish Eataly. Alongside the stalls selling produce could be locals and tourists milling around with Craigie’s Dalliance cider in champagne flutes, with oysters, cheese and some lamb croquettes, listening to experts talk about the things they love, have grown or made. What would separate it from other markets would be pop-up spaces for the regional residencies and on the top floor, a year-round R&D test kitchen-cum-restaurant that would categorise our food and develop the food-think we don’t have – a consistent edible national identity, a national cuisine. It was nearly home and dry at one stage but it became cheaper for investors to buy and flip apartments. Anyway, whoever does pick it up should spend some time in the Spanish capital, Europe’s food market capital before setting up at home.

In Madrid my market watch base was the HOTEL URSO. The complete opposite of Batty’s but equally lovely, perfectly polished and thought through.

Where Old Spitalfields Market was a short backstreet amble from Batty Langley’s, the market by the Urso in Madrid was a doughnut’s throw across the road.

A stage set, as such, for storeys and stories of dreamy ham, winking fish and decorative vegetables, its four pristine floors of impeccable displays are not for show though – this is a real, working market where the aisles are full of Madrileños with baskets and a purpose: to scour and score the best deals of the day of the freshest fish, fowl, fruit and more.

It would be good enough to be the main market for any capital in the world. But the Mercado Municipal de Barceló is just another in a long list of remarkable markets dotted through the green spaces, back streets and the grandest of buildings in Spain’s classy but gutsy capital. The queen of these is the magesterial Mercado de San Miguel, a stunning cast-iron vaulted, glass-ceilinged cathedral to ingredients.

I ate my way around the best parts of the Spanish coastline and interior – sea urchins, clams, jamón, cheeses, cava, croquettes – a grown up’s pick’n’mix.

Along with the Mercado de San Miguel, Mercado de Antón Martín, Mercado San Antón, Mercado de la Paz and all the others, every part of Madrid is animated by one of these little temples of produce and the tributaries of streets and businesses that feed them in a way that our own capital can only dream of. Hopefully soon we will set out our own permanent stall for the world to see and taste. ^ @manandasuitcase

READER EVENT

THE GLOSS

HOLIDAY FASHION EVENT MAY 5-7

Guests can shop a fantastic range of designer boutiques: Gucci, Jaeger, Armani, Anya Hindmarch, Mulberry, Kate Spade, Aquascutum, Belstaff and the latest arrival, Versace … AND receive exclusive brand offers along with your 10% VIP Day Card.

Anya Hindmarch

SHOP TRAVEL ESSENTIALS WITH US AT

KILDARE VILLAGE

Belstaff

The Holiday Fashion Event at Kildare Village, hosted by THE GLOSS takes place on May 5-7. Sign up now to receive your exclusive VIP Holiday Event Pass with lots of gorgeous glossy extras …

PERSONAL SHOPPING Find your perfect summer wardrobe with the help of our personal shopping consultant. Make sure you pre-book in advance to secure an appointment. Sorted!

HANDS-FREE SHOPPING Just sign up on arrival and shop with ease while your purchases are wrapped and ready for collection on your departure. So easy!

Dior @ David Clulow

Samsonite

PERKS & PARKING If you choose to drive, why not avail of the Kildare Village valet parking and car valeting service: bookable in advance when you receive your VIP Holiday Event Pass.

A GLOSSY HOLIDAY WISHLIST Shop a special holiday collection chosen by THE GLOSS fashion team.

We’ll have a preselected capsule holiday wardrobe to inspire you.

Sign up now for your VIP Holiday Event Pass and all will be revealed!

Gucci

SWEET TREATS Guests can pop into the sumptuous surroundings of The Lounge for a reviving glass of bubbly, a relaxing cup of tea or a coffee boost – all complimentary!

EXCLUSIVE TO READERS OF THE GLOSS Special offers and exclusive discounts ON TOP of the VIP DAY CARD will be available to guests. Sign up by emailing thegloss@kildarevillage.com or by calling 045 520 501. These fabulous offers are subject to availability.

HOW TO SIGN UP Email us now at thegloss@kildarevillage.com or call us on 045 520 501. Guests will be treated to special offers in addition to 10% of all purchases which are already discounted. Certain special offers will be limited and are subject to availability so be sure to SIGN UP now. Group travel bookings and packages are available by request, for more details or to arrange your group trip, please contact Lisa Lane on llane@valueretail.com or call 045 520 501.

FOOD

LITTLE GREEN BUNDLES OF JOY A fresh crop of new-season asparagus means summer is not far away, and no one is happier than TRISH DESEINE

CREAM OF ASPARAGUS SOUP WITH CRISPY TIPS, CHERVIL AND CHIVES FOR 4/6 (25 minutes preparation) • 500g green asparagus • 2 shallots • 50g butter • 200ml cream • salt and pepper • olive oil • chervil and chives 1. Trim the asparagus, chop into pieces, cutting off the tips at about 2cm from the top.

2. Heat the butter in a pan, sweat the shallots and add the asparagus pieces (apart from the tips).

3. When everything begins to soften nicely after a couple of minutes, cover with water, season very lightly, bring to a boil and leave to simmer for about 15 minutes.

4. Slice and fry the asparagus tips in a little olive oil until they are crispy. Season and keep warm.

5. Blitz the soup until smooth, add some more water if it is very thick, season, add the cream and stir. Top with the tips and the fresh chopped herbs.

ASPARAGUS TART FOR 8 (1 hour preparation; 40 minutes cooking) PASTRY • 175g plain flour • 100g butter, very cold, diced • 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten • 1 tbsp icy cold water FILLING

These were much cheaper and way more robust. You could just chop or break off the too-woody stems and best of all, roast them! Drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with a tiny touch of fleur de sel, the ends would crisp up beautifully after only 15 minutes or so in the oven while the stems softened and their flavour intensified. This was the beginning of the balsamic vinegar craze and boy, was it good on green asparagus with proper parmesan.

Wrapped in thinly sliced pancetta and grilled, or cold with smoked salmon, they were equally heavenly. Sometimes they could be very posh, made into a creamy soup with foie gras and morels, or beautifully simple, just steamed and served as soldiers with a soft boiled egg.

There is very little not to like about green asparagus, apart, of course, from its price and rarity when you need them most. So until the Irish ones arrive and/or the prices drop, ease yourself slowly into cooking with them. Slice them very thinly – use a mandolin or a vegetable peeler – and scatter them raw in a big green salad with rocket, avocado, basil and lime.

Or fry them quickly in the pan in olive oil and use them to garnish a risotto, a pizza with mozzarella, garlic and artichokes, or on a mixed green vegetable soup a little like the one below. Here, I also leave them whole and bake them into a large, oblong tart to make them go even further.

In a few more weeks, I’m telling myself, I’ll be serving this up outside at the lunch table set for friends as optimistic as I am. ^ @TrishDeseine

“There is LITTLE not to like about asparagus, apart from its PRICE and RARITY.”

44 | April 2016 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

1. Put the flour and butter into a large baking bowl and lightly rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

2. Make a well in the centre, pour in the egg and a little water. Draw the mixture into the centre and knead it quickly to form a ball, adding more water if needed.

Wrap in cling film and leave to chill in the fridge for an hour or so.

3. Steam, boil or roast the asparagus, being careful not to overcook it.

4. Preheat the oven to 190˚c.

1. Roll out the pastry and line a loose bottomed tin with it. Put some greaseproof paper on it and fill with baking beans. Bake for 15 minutes.

5. While the pastry is baking, make the filling.

6. Fry the lardons and set them on some kitchen paper to drain off the fat.

7. Beat the cream with the eggs and the egg yolk, add 2/3 of the grated cheese.

Season lightly with salt and pepper.

8. Pour in the cream and egg batter, dot the lardons around then set the asparagus lengthways into the batter.

Scatter with the remaining cheese and bake for about 25 minutes, until the top is puffed and golden. Serve warm with fresh green leaves.

PHOTOGRAPH BY DEIRDRE ROONEY

S

ome vegetables you simply long for out of season. You will usually find them if you look hard enough, popping up somewhere near the Kenyan green beans and passion fruit. Now that M&S stocks two kinds of fresh, whole coconut and the gorgeous low sugar, sweet and tangy achacha fruit, Peruvian or Brazilian asparagus is as humdrum and banal as a Cadbury’s Creme Egg in January. After many years of “eat local and seasonal” conditioning (and the price!) you would think they’d be easy enough to leave alone.

But for me, alongside early strawberries and spring lamb, they announce the end of winter’s long, green brassica reign, and I want them, now.

I want them firm, green and grassy-tasting. Not their peelywally white cousins, grown in the dark and inevitably, watery on the plate, requiring a Debretts for themselves as asparagus eating is such an etiquette minefield. Fingers or no fingers? Do you scrape or do you trim the ends?

When I arrived in France, I tried to follow my very correctly brought-up mother-in-law’s lead. Leaving fibrous bits of white asparagus on your plate was considered bad form as it suggested your host (or your host’s cook, more likely) had not prepared them correctly, she explained. Yet picking them up with your fingers to dip the heads in the accompanying hollandaise or melted butter was just fine.

I made a few attempts at serving thick, white, steamed asparagus, “just” four or five per person, but soon relegated them to Conran’s stuffed mushroom status.

Then, bunches of their Spanish green relatives started arriving on shop shelves and things changed radically.

• 200g lardons • 75g good cheddar or gruyère cheese, grated • 400ml double cream (or a mixture of double and crème fraiche) • 3 eggs • 1 egg yolk • salt and pepper

WINE

A SPRING AWAKENING

THE GLOSS

Stuck in a wine rut? It’s time to skip the usual bottle and try something new, writes MARY DOWEY

Wine Dinner Series at

ot another black dress, surely?” The husband’s raised eyebrow put an end to my parading of a new spring purchase the other day. How easy it can be to keep buying the same old thing – easy, safe, blinkered, dull. And clothes aren’t the only victim of a purchasing pattern with as much inbuilt repetition as an Orla Kiely mug. Plenty of wine drinkers succumb to the same few styles, year in year out.

Spring out of the rut. Why? Because there are thousands of brilliant bottles to try – bottles which may excite you more than the ones you know too well already. Here are five productive ways to widen your wine horizons:

1. MAKE A PLAN Once a week, buy a bottle associated with a region or grape variety that you’ve never tried before. Or focus on one area for a month. Austria, Portugal, north-east Italy, north-west Spain, Tasmania and New Zealand’s south island are all brimming with excitement …

2. ADOPT A LOCAL WINE SHOP

THE ESSENCE OF SUMMER A WINE DINNER TO CELEBRATE THIS SEASON’S MOST EXQUISITE FLAVOURS ON MAY 25

Supermarkets can’t match specialist retailers for knowledge, advice and the personal touch. Since the recession, independent retailers compete well on value, too; and, because the best buy from the new crop of dynamic small importers, their ranges are studded with more gems than the multiples can muster. So in you go for a chat, explaining your likes, dislikes and budget. After a few visits you’ll fine-tune your choices and come home with winners.

3. EXPLORE ONLINE On Wednesday May 25, wine editor MARY DOWEY and the gifted chefs of The Cellar Restaurant at the Merrion Hotel invite you to salute bright days and long evenings with our wine dinner THE ESSENCE OF SUMMER. Come and discover a line-up of exciting wines encapsulating irresistible freshness and zest. These will be matched with deliciously light, vibrant dishes, each working a particular magic with this season’s most alluring flavours. You’ll go home with all the inspiration you need to stage your own perfect summer dinner party.

Buying the occasional mixed case can be a great way to expand your wine experience. Why not have it delivered?

Online specialists include www.winesdirect.ie, www.jnwine. com, www.lecaveau.ie, www.quintessentialwines.ie and www.cases.ie. Some well-known wine shops also have a strong online presence, such as www.obrienswine.com, www.thecorkscrew.ie, www.terroirs.ie, www.mitchellandson. com, www.karwigwines.ie, www.bubblebrothers.com.

4. ABANDON DONE-TO-DEATH STYLES THE GLOSS Wine Dinner Series at THE MERRION is a programme of ambitious, finely tuned and elegant gastronomic evenings. Some of our guests find our wine dinners a perfect way to entertain business associates or friends while others welcome them as a special treat for a special person - or for themselves.

◆ INSTEAD OF PROSECCO: Cava, a crémant (Loire, Burgundy, Jura, Alsace) or a good New World fizz. ◆ INSTEAD OF SAUVIGNON BLANC: Picpoul, Riesling, Verdejo, Vermentino. ◆ INSTEAD OF CHARDONNAY: Grüner Veltliner,

Semillon, Chenin Blanc, Lugana.

As tickets usually sell quickly, please book your place for our wine dinner The Essence of Summer on May 25 right away.

 Glamorous pre-dinner drink 7.30pm  Dinner at 8pm  Six courses with matching wines: tickets d90 each  Wines can be ordered at special prices  Gift vouchers available – a superb present for any wine lover TO BOOK, please call 01 275 5130

◆ INSTEAD OF MERLOT: Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Blaufränkisch, Tempranillo, NZ Pinot Noir. ◆ INSTEAD OF RIPASSO: Malbec, Douro, Jumilla, South African Shiraz.

5. ENTERTAIN FREESTYLE Don’t try to choose the perfect match for every course.

Sampling a variety of wines is more intriguing, with the bonus that everybody finds something they enjoy. Put a couple of whites to suit your starter on the table first; then a few different reds for the main … And see which bottles empty first. ^ @MaryDowey

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3.

1. VALE DA CAPUCHA VINHO BRANCO, LISBOA 2012.

Organic producer Pedro Marques shows just how impressive Portuguese whites can be with this finely balanced, peachy beauty. Delicious with all sorts of light first courses. From Corkscrew, Dublin 2; Redmonds, Dublin 6; Gibney’s, Malahide; 64 Wine, Glasthule, Co Dublin; www.mitchellandson. com, d16.95-18.95.

2. BAROSSA VALLEY PETIT VERDOT 2014.

Since we all buy supermarket wines sometimes, here’s an unusual Australian red that’s well worth trying.

The Petit Verdot grape, a minor player in Bordeaux, delivers succulent dark fruit flavours in a silky body. Great with spicy food - slightly chilled, preferably. And great value. From Marks & Spencer, d12.49.

3. JURTSCHITSCH LITTLE J ZWEIGELT, NIEDERÖSTERREICH 2012.

A smash hit at our Gloss wine dinners, Little J proves that there’s more to the red Austrian grape Zweigelt than juicy summer berry notes.

I love the underlying firmness. Enjoy this middleweight with poultry or pork. From www.quintessential wines.ie, d15.95.

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THE COOL HUNTER Formerly of Net-a-Porter and Selfridges, Ciara Flood is Retail Director at Makers & Brothers My parents travelled extensively when I was a child – I grew up in Baghdad and spent summers in Asia – so I’ve always thought of the world as accessible. I love watching how people dress in different cities, and find the cultural influences which drive that really fascinating.

I learned a lot from Natalie Massenet at Neta-Porter: she’s a passionate leader with a global mindset. Although Makers & Brothers is currently based in Ireland, we’re not exclusively targeting an Irish market. Some of our biggest orders come from New York, LA, London and Berlin so I buy with a global perspective.

I follow fashion editors and influencers on Instagram to see inside their homes and find out where they’re holidaying. It’s the new peoplewatching. Leandra Medine from Man Repeller stayed at Posada Margherita in Mexico recently so my sister and I went there to check it out.

It’s very cool.

Irish craft is integral to our business but we want to layer that with more international design.

Quality is paramount – the first thing my mum always asks is, “What is it made from?” If a piece is chosen well, and the material is great, it will never go out of style.

We do an experiential retail event at The Standard in New York every summer so my husband Jonathan [Legge, co-founder, Makers & Brothers with his brother, Mark] and I are going to move out there for a year in July. What happened online for fashion ten years ago is now happening for homewares, so my eye is definitely on the US. It makes sense for us to focus on this sizeable market.

Where I shop really depends on the calibre of the buyers. I’m currently lusting after a Rosie Assoulin off-the-shoulder top – expensive but worth it. SB www.makersandbrothers.com

THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER

L

ast month, Dover Street Market, formerly of Dover Street, London W1, reopened in a new location at Haymarket. The brainchild of Rei Kawakubo of hip Japanese fashion label Comme des Garçons, DSM, as it is known, was founded in

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2004, and houses a exciting edit of fashion and accessories in a groundbreaking retail space. Think Molly Goddard, Simone Rocha and Vetements. If it’s here, it’s hip.

“We just do what we think is good, exciting and new, says CEO of Comme des Garçons, Adrian Joffe. “We don’t try and tap into things; we try to lead. It’s risky, but leading is not something that we’ve ever been afraid of. We just have to be ahead. We’re not a company that makes fiveyear plans. Things happen as they come about – it’s very synergistic and accidental.”

Who chooses what we buy and how do they do it? The concept store Colette opened almost 20 years ago on the

rue St Honoré in Paris. The founders and custodians of Colette are Sarah Lerfel and her mother, Colette Roussaux, for whom the store is named. The policy is simple, Sarah Lerfel told Suzy Menkes of The New York Times. “It is always about advancing, moving ahead. Thanks to the designers and the choices we make, it has become an address to visit.

But it is hard to analyse.”

It’s partly about the unexpected. Colette thrives on the unexpected. Its famous water bar, a case in point, about 101 types of bottled water and little else. But the water bar draws a hip (and well-hydrated) crowd. “Like everything we do, it is done very, very quickly,” she says,

This Glossy Life The ritual of choosing pieces to populate our homes and wardrobes is as complex as it is satisfying. Meet three women whose own impeccable taste influences what we buy and how we dress, whether we realise it or not Photographed by DOREEN KILFEATHER

Ciara Flood, photographed at Makers & Brothers HQ. Make-up by Searon McGratton.

of decisions to create a space for iPod music listening, a library of independent and start-up magazines, a collaboration with a mega-brand or a Fashion Weekspecific installation, with say, Chanel’s Karl Lagerfeld.

Even if there are famous brands stocked at Colette, the way that these venerated collections are bought makes them seem distinct. They might be juxtaposed with oneoff objets, clothes from independent labels, inexpensive but hot little items. So it’s about the eye too.

“The eye must travel,” said Diana Vreeland, famous editor of US Vogue. In other words, inspiration comes from elsewhere. Department stores of the 1990s despatched

cool hunters all over the world to find the new and the next. Joan Burstein of Browns in London discovered fresh fashion talent. Anthropologie opened with one store in New York’s Soho. I still have an embroidered skirt I bought there, and can distinctly remember my visit to this unusual, exciting store, a cat slumbering on an artfully dressed bed; a lifestyle come to life. It was new, it was different, it was miles away from the scented candle and drawer-pulls-in-a-bowl-joint (just who exactly buys those?) it has become, with branches in every major city.

Now the model is adopted by several high street stores, with varying degrees of success – and by some

with none at all – the idea of the “curated” store is mainstream. Even department stores emulate the idea with their seasonal shop-in-shops. Many sins have been committed, usually because commercial voices drown out a single, or singular, creative one. That’s not to say a creative concept can’t be commercial; but it just needs time and breathing space to establish.

What equips anyone to seek clothing, furniture, art, and display it in a way that is special or surprising? Is it a response to a visual cue, a sixth sense for a trend coming down the tracks, or plain old great taste? We ask three seekers what they look for and how they find it ... SMcD

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THIS GLOSSY LIFE

THE TASTEMAKER Sarah Gill owns Seagreen, the chic boutique with locations in Ranelagh and Monkstown

Sarah Gill, photographed at home. Make-up

by Anna O’Callaghan; annaocallaghan@ gmail.com.

I used to work in the telecommunications industry which involved a lot of travel. As a bonafide shopaholic, the choice of concept stores in Miami and New York really excited me. I love that feeling of a “find,” so I took a chance and opened Seagreen in 2006.

J Brand was one of the first labels I bought, just before the denim explosion.

Did I anticipate that happening? Definitely not, but I knew I just had to have those jeans. It’s not the most commercial model in the world but there’s genuine love behind every item I buy.

We are celebrating ten years in business this year and the store has certainly evolved. We stock beautiful stationery and candles too – something at every price point. No boutique can be all things to all people and the recession taught us all the value of multiple wears. There are no more one hit wonders.

I personally like shopping in independent stores that have a good mix of fashion, beauty and interiors. Matches in London, 10 Corso Como in Milan and Montaigne Market in Paris are all favourites, although I’m almost as happy in a Spanish pharmacy. I’m always looking for new things.

Constant research and bringing in new lines is vital to Seagreen’s success.

Our customers want things fast. If I like something I don’t wait until next season – I get it immediately. And I don’t believe in saving things for a special occasion, whether clothes or china or fragrance. Life is just too short. SB Seagreen, 45 Ranelagh Village, Ranelagh, Dublin 6 and 6a The Crescent, Monkstown, Co Dublin.

THE VISIONARY After 28 years at Avoca, overseeing Restoration Yard in Scotland is Amanda Pratt’s latest project

Amanda Pratt, photographed at home. Make-up by Anna O’Callaghan.

Shortly after I left Avoca I was approached by Richard and Damian Scott [the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensbury and one of the largest landowners in Europe] to transform the stableyard at Dalkeith Country Park in Edinburgh into a retail space, holistic wellness centre, café and playground. I initially declined – I felt it was too soon to tie myself to anything – but they very kindly convinced me. I began to create a brand for them, designing product of all sorts and finding more to sell as well.

Having unbridled access to their vast family archive has been inspiring, as is creating the wellness centre – the concept is so new and exciting. Restoration Yard will be a place to restore yourself, and it’s restored my faith in myself. When I asked my dad for advice he told me that my obligation was to create jobs if I could, just like he did with Avoca in 1974. So even though the space is in Scotland, my team and office are here in Dublin.

I challenge myself to find beautiful and interesting things everywhere I go; they bring me little bursts of joy. The environment we create definitely has an effect on our spirit and I’ve always said that I’d rather sit in a beautiful room than a comfortable one. I’m visually obsessive; maybe that’s why I fall in love with one sweater and then buy six more?

Chain stores start to feel like machines, particularly when you work in the fashion industry. I love going to vintage shops and buying slightly nutty things, and Merci in Paris is always cool.

My wardrobe is almost exclusively black, and yet my home is very colourful; my shoe collection is a mixed oddity.

I feel inspired going to trade shows. They’re tiring, but you meet the people behind the products, and hear their stories.

Stories are what matter to us, and they’re what we hold on to and feast on in our quiet moments. I’ve learned that I’m definitely happiest when I’m working and when Restoration Yard opens this July, I hope that people love it. ^

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