The Gloss November 2016

MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2016

with THE IR

ISH TIMES

10 YEARS OF PEOPLE, PARTIES, FASHION AND FEATURES | LUNCH WITH KEVIN THORNTON GLOSSIP AT LTB16 | CECELIA AHERN’S BEDSIDE TABLE | VINTAGE THIS GLOSSY LIFE RARE BIRD: POLLY DEVLIN RETURNS | EXQUISITE JEWELLERY | 10 BRILLIANT BOOKS

CHANEL BROWN THOMAS, GRAFTON STREET, DUBLIN 2

www.chanel.com

CHANEL BROWN THOMAS, GRAFTON STREET, DUBLIN 2

www.chanel.com

THE GLOSS NOVEMBER ����

NEXT ISSUE

THURSDAY DECEMBER 1

BLACK MAGIC

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

54 RARE BIRD

6 LOWDOWN

60 FASHION

Our pick of the month’s most intriguing cultural happenings

10 GLOSS-IP Inside our exclusive and glamorous Look The Business event

Polly Devlin writes again Elevate your winter basics with some of the season’s coolest jewels

67 BEAUTY

22 HUNTING & GATHERING

The latest launches, new products and treatments worth splurging on

The corset is back, but not as you know it ...

71 THIS WONDERFUL LITTLE PLACE

28 MOODBOARD

Revisiting former subjects Lulu Guinness and Hilary Duff

A curious Susan Zelouf is questioning everything

32 LET'S DO LUNCH Anne Harris meets chef Kevin Thornton

34 WINE Mary Dowey’s inside track on champagnes

38 THE FRENCH CONNECTION Meet the glitterati of the 1930s French Riviera set

44 CELEBRATING A GLOSSY DECADE THE GLOSS is ten years old: we reminisce ...

72 BOOKS Anna Carey on her favourite reads of the past decade

76 TRAVEL What has ten years of globe trotting taught Tim Magee?

78 THIS GLOSSY LIFE Some of our favourite glossy portraits ever

Above left: Hoop earrings, AVOCA. Leather and metal necklace, NEWBRIDGE SILVERWARE. Lacquer bangles, ELSA PERETTI, at Tiffany & Co. Gold Day-Date watch with green alligator strap, ROLEX, at Weir & Sons, 96-99 Grafton Street, Dublin 2. Black felt hat, CHANEL. Sheer poloneck, SIMONE ROCHA, at Havana, Donnybrook, Dublin 4. Black top, CAROLYN DONNELLY THE EDIT, at Dunnes Stores.

YELLOW FEVER Centre: Diamond and rose gold earrings; blue

diamond and white gold ring; diamond and white gold ring; all LINKS OF LONDON. Rose gold and diamond Clé de Cartier watch, CARTIER, at Weir & Sons, as before. Diamond and silver triangle ring; diamond and gold plated triangle ring; narrow gold metal Love cuff; wide gold metal Love cuff; all THOMAS SABO. Grey sweater, GANNI, at Arnotts.

Chartreuse pussy-bow blouse, CATRIONA HANLY, at Kalu, 33 North Main Street, Naas, Co Kildare.

PEARLY GREY Right: Silver Shard rings; both MARIA DORAIRAJ; silver Balance ring; all at Stonechat, 19 Westbury Mall, Dublin 2. Brown diamond and rose gold star earrings, LINKS OF LONDON. Cashmere cardigan dress; glass pearl necklace; both CHANEL. Photographs by Veronika Faustmann.

See more jewels on page 60.

STAY IN TOUCH Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @theglossmag for around-the-clock glossy updates, or like THE GLOSS Magazine on Facebook. Find daily updates on our website, www.thegloss. ie, and visit www.lookthebusiness.ie for our latest business events, career and style advice.

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

PU B L IS H E R

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

SA RA H M C D O N N E L L STY L E E DITO R

AISLINN COFFEY B E AU TY E DITO R

SA RA H H A L L I W E L L ART E DITO R

L AU RA K E N N Y ASS ISTANT E DITO R – FE ATU RE S

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

H A N NA H P O P H A M ASS ISTANT E DITO R

SA RA H G E RAG H T Y 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, Noreen Hall, Antonia Hart, Catherine Heaney, Penny McCormick, Aoife O’Brien, Peter O’Brien, Therese Quinn, Luis Rodriguez, Natasha Sherling CO N TRIB UTIN G PH OTO G RA PH ERS

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.

12 issues delivered directly to your address: Ireland: t49.50.

UK and EU: t80. Rest of world: t115. Printed by Boylan Print. Colour origination by Typeform. Copyright 2016 Gloss Publications Ltd. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited.

This magazine can be recycled either in your Green Bin kerbside collection or at a local recycling point.

UPDATE WE’RE ORDERING FROM: STABLE ART SERIES 2, the second collection of limited-edition luxury scarves created to celebrate inf luential Irish artists. This month, Stable of Ireland founders Sonia Reynolds and Francie Duff unveil this exquisite, never-beforeseen design (right) by Dublin-born artist Louis le Brocquy exclusively in THE GLOSS. Entitled FLIGHT, the print was originally commissioned in the early 1950s by businessman John Maguire.

With the encouragement of the Maguire family and the assistance of le Brocquy’s widow, artist Anne Madden, a limited number of crêpe de chine scarves featuring the artist’s yellow and black pattern will be available at the Stable of Ireland Pop-up, 2 Westbury Mall, Balfe Street, Dublin 2, d250; d400 framed. www.stable.ie.

The Lowdown

WHAT’S TRENDING ARTFULLY IN NOVEMBER?

WE’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO: DUBLIN GALLERY WEEKEND. Unite with other art fiends for tours of MONTO art spaces, print fairs and exhibition openings, such as Duncan Campbell at IMMA. Other must-see exhibitions in November: the 50 Lucian Freud works newly landed at IMMA and street artist Maser’s exuberant new solo exhibition at Graphic Studio Dublin. Finally, pick your own favourite portrait at the Hennessy Portrait Prize at the National Gallery, the winner of which will be announced later this month.

November 25–27; www.dublingallerymap.ie

WE’RE OFF TO LONDON FOR: THE VULGAR: FASHION REDEFINED at Barbican Art Gallery, which tackles the compelling and divisive territory of taste in fashion. The exhibition invites visitors to question their notions of what defines vulgarity and why it is such a hotly contested term, diving into the designs of Manolo Blahnik, Christian Dior, Marc Jacobs, Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood and our very own Philip Treacy.

The remarkable collection draws from a variety of private and public collections worldwide and spans more than 500 years. Until February 5; www.barbican.org.uk

combine natural raw ingredients and package them – talk about superior homemade gifts. We’ll be stocking up on fresh coffee beans from the lovely Overends restaurant while we’re there. Book on 01 969 6666; www.airfield.ie ... CROCHET JEWELLERY with a www.crafted.ie kit. Choose from very smart earrings, cuffs and neckpieces, which come with pattern and crochet hook. www.crafted.ie. CREATOR of crafted.ie YVONNE BEALE, also designs smart leather jewellery pieces, below, in a range of colours, with sterling silver attachments by fellow Irish designer, Inga Reed. Orders on 086 881 8921; yvonnebeale@eircom.net. ^

WE’RE BEING DECADENT AT: THE SHELBOURNE, where six of Michael Flatley’s paintings have inspired a f lamboyant and delicious afternoon tea served on linen-covered tables – sit back and marvel at the procession of cakes and pâtisseries, works of art in themselves. d49 per person; book on 01 663 4500; www.theshelbourne.ie

WE’RE WEARING...

A hat. Partridge and pheasant season is open – we’re not hunting, just sticking a feather in our cap

Clockwise from left: Yvonne Beale crochet leather and silver necklace.

To Space at Smock Alley.

“Tom, Bath, Towel” by Paul James Kearney at the National Gallery of Ireland.

Fashion Redefined at the Barbican, London.

Made to measure grey hat with feather, Shevlin Millinery, ¤85, at Cow’s Lane Designer Studio, 2 Pudding Row, Essex Street West, Dublin 8.

WE’RE FEELING INSPIRED BY:

WE’RE MAKING OUR OWN: NATURAL COSMETICS at Airfield Estate on November 5 (d45). In a few hours you’ll learn how to

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

Blue Dusko hat with feather, ¤250, Anthony Peto, 14 Anne Street South, Dublin 2.

Charcoal cloche, Isobel Marinot-Wood, ¤140, at Millars, Main Street, Clifden, Co Galway

COMPILED BY HANNAH POPHAM

TO SPACE, the extraordinary true story of engineer, scientist and performer Dr Niamh Shaw, whose determination to pursue her dream of space travel inspired her to interview astronauts, astrophysicists, space industry experts and potential colonists of Mars. With these interviews, Shaw created this fascinating play, at Smock Alley for one night only, as part of Science Week 2016. Thursday November 17; www.smockalley.com

the new N°5 CHANEL.COM

# YOU KNOW ME AND YOU DONT

~

R E B M NOVE

At Look The Business 2016: celebrating our TENTH BIRTHDAY, investing in a WORKING WARDROBE, how TECHNOLOGY is shaping fashion, and the ELEGANT AUDIENCE who enjoyed an evening of STYLE AND INSPIRATION ...

T

The Look The Business fashion show LK Bennett

Making an entrance: LTB16

Lucy Kellaway The fashion show finale

Anne O'Leary

the women Kellaway admires are Christine Lagarde, MD of the International Monetary Fund, known for her smart tailoring and great accessories, and the very polished Angela Ahrendts of Apple. Although, she added wryly, “These women have stylists, that’s why they look amazing. “She also declared a fondness for Hillary Clinton’s pantsuits and Theresa May’s neat, elegant style and covets vice-president EMEA of Facebook Nicola Mendelsohn’s incredible, glossy hair. “What we wear really matters: if you look great you do better,” she declared, adding that dressing up,

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

Tables set for supper

PHOTOGRAPHS BY CONOR HEALY

his issue marks the tenth birthday of THE GLOSS which launched in 2006.

Soon after, Look The Business was born. This year Look The Business, in association with Vodafone, was our biggest event yet, with more than 1,000 businesswomen from Ireland's top tech, telecoms, law, recruitment, finance, public relations, marketing and media companies gathering post-work to entertain clients and colleagues, to network over cocktails and champagne and supper and to watch a fashion show on the longest catwalk ever created in Ireland. Forging – and strengthening – business relationships was the order of the evening and trouser suits, technology, mentors and management were all on the agenda. Here’s what happened when 1,000 women got down to business at LTB16.    As guests unwound after a busy day, a specially created Tanqueray No TEN cocktail – The Perfect TEN – had the room gently buzzing. MC AOIBHINN NÍ SHÚILLEABHÁIN welcomed guests on behalf of JANE and SARAH MCDONNELL of THE GLOSS and introduced Financial Times associate editor LUCY KELLAWAY. One of the most original and insightful voices at the Financial Times, Kellaway’s popular weekly column on the ups and downs of modern management and the quirks of corporate culture, is syndicated in The Irish Times. She spoke eloquently about authenticity and how it's just not possible to “be yourself ” at work. Work is is a performance and clothes are part of your act, she maintains. When she began her career at the Financial Times in the early 1980s, she said, her main concern was trying to “look clever”.

When she worked on Wall Street some years later, wearing her first investment trouser suit daily, she was told by one American executive, “women here don’t wear pants”, which left her dumbfounded until she realised her colleague was referring to trousers. Now, 31 years later, Kellaway understands absolutely the significance of what you wear to work, even if she's less worried about what other people think. “There’s something amazing at work about being over 50 – you go post-fear,” she said. “I don't really care if people think I don't look the part – but at the same time, I try harder now than ever.” Among

as a tool of the job, should also be fun – which of course is the principle of LTB – and you should not feel shallow or trivial about investing in your working wardrobe.    After supper, Vodafone’s specially commissioned “Gigabit Dress” highlighted how the relationship between fashion and technology continues to strengthen, which was the theme of Vodafone Ireland CEO Anne O’Leary’s speech on ubiquitous connectivity. “This kind of ‘smart couture’ is not just the preserve of the rich and famous, it is increasingly influencing ordinary, everyday life too,” O’Leary explained, displaying her IRIS APFEL WiseWear bracelet, which tracks her messages, calories burned and sets fitness goals. She also revealed how her handbag now charges her phone and illuminates to alert her to incoming calls and messages. O’Leary, who wore a green ALICE TEMPERLEY dress, went on to illustrate how technology is disrupting and enabling the fashion industry and how Vodafone’s aspiration to make Ireland a country where everyone has access to one gigabit per second, will benefit each of us. “The ‘gigabit society’ can improve our health and the health service itself,” she said. “Imagine the impact of being able to contact a GP 24/7 to have a face-to-face consultation online about a sick child or loved one. We want to create a digitally enabled, gigabit society where everyone can create opportunities, share their ideas and expand their imagination.”    This year’s Look The Business event was fully booked many months in advance (and is already booking up fast for 2017). Companies in the room included PWC, DELOITTE, KPMG, SMURFIT KAPPA, MERC PARTNERS, INVESTEC, A&L GOODBODY, ERICSSON, LK SHIELDS, EVERSHEDS, WILLIAM FRY, CUNNINGHAM LINDSAY and MASON, HAYES & CURRAN. Also out in force were representatives from AMROP, TESCO, THE REPUTATIONS AGENCY, VERVE, NORTHERN TRUST, HOLMES, O'MALLEY SEXTON, DILLON EUSTACE and CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD.

Tanqueray No TEN The Perfect TEN cocktail

Flowers from The Garden Powerscourt and after-dinner truffles from Lindt

Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin wearing Louise Kennedy

Lorraine Sheils and Carol O’Rourke, Grant Thornton Aisling Dodgson and Sarah Doyle, Investec

Vodafone and guests

Sarah McDonnell and Jane McDonnell, THE GLOSS

Lucy Gaffney, Communicorp and Louise Kennedy

Carolanne Henry, Anne Sheehan and Claire Reynolds, Vodafone

Julia Wilks, Kildare Village

Lucy Nagle and Tamso Doyle

Mogi Nadia PrasetyoBrowne, Tiffany & Co

Merc Partners

Shelah McMahon, Elaine Sheridan and Jean Harmon, Vodafone

12 8 | November 2015 2016 || T TH HE E G GLLO OSSSS M MA AG GA AZZIIN NE E

Sarah Gallagher and Úna Ní Mhúrchú, Tesco

Lorraine Heffernan, Helen Brophy, Smurfit Executive Development and Linda O’Mahony, Irish Farmers Journal

Tracy O’Rourke, Vivid Edge and Jennifer Dalton, Servier Pharmaceuticals

Where your gifts of today become the heirlooms of tomorrow

www.weir.ie

GLOSSIP Ericsson

Marna Harmey, The Reputations Agency

Carmel Murphy, Arnotts, Lisa Lowry, World Rugby and Joanne Hyde, Eversheds

Keira and Dairine Kennedy, KDK

Alison Grainger and Carmel Breheny, Marks and Spencer

Catherine Walsh, The Reputations Agency

Loretta Lee, Microsoft and Louise Condren, PwC

Soha Gendi, Egyptian Ambassador to Ireland and Marie-Claude Meylan, Swiss Ambassador to Ireland

The Diageo Reserve team with THE GLOSS 10th Birthday Cocktail, a Ketel One French Martini

The Panel

KPMG

Maoliosa Connell and Rosalind Walshe, Avoca

Tara Farrell, RTÉ, Ann Corcoran, Limetree and Debbie O’Donnell, TV3

Jackie Buckley, Breda O’Malley, and Mary Hough, Hayes Solicitors

Triona McCarthy and Sandra Walsh, Canopi

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

Another highlight of Look The Business is the Designer Handbag Draw with gorgeous prizes awarded throughout the evening. At each table there was a recipient of a fragrance from LANCÔME, GIORGIO ARMANI, YSL, MAISON MARGIELA, VIKTOR & ROLF, L'OCCITANE or ELIZABETH ARDEN and earrings by jewellery designer CHRISTINA GOLDSTON of CHRISTINABELLE while one winner went home with a jewelled Christinabelle collar. Five lucky attendees received state-of-the-art devices from VODAFONE, as well as an Iris Apfel WISEWEAR 18ct gold bangle.

A smart LK BENNETT Nicole handbag and a private shopping spree for 30 friends or clients went to another thrilled guest while an entire table of women won chic leather LK Bennett purses and another took away ten elegant KDK silk scarves. A KitchenAid coffee machine from NESPRESSO made another guest very happy.

Another table of guests received vintage-style letter openers from NEWBRIDGE SILVERWARE, another a trio of scented gifts from MAX BENJAMIN, yet another surprise gifts from SELECTED FEMME, while a ¤500 shopping spree at KILDARE VILLAGE elicited a cheer from its winner, as did the ¤600 voucher for IRELAND'S BLUE BOOK. Avid social networkers were rewarded for activity on Instagram and Twitter with prizes of a framed original Peter O'Brien illustration from STONEY ROAD PRESS and luxurious hampers from AVOCA and TANQUERAY NO TEN going to three winners. A further table of ten won silk scarves from SUSANNAGH GROGAN and one delighted guest went home in anticipation of an overnight stay for two at five-star BALLYFIN. Two pairs of CITYJET flights to London City went to two well-travelled guests while another table of ten took away vouchers for dinner to the value of ¤100 at SABA, also celebrating its 10th birthday this year, The final two prizes of the night – a sterling silver Tiffany T bracelet, designed by Francesca Amfitheatrof, from TIFFANY & CO, and the handbag of the season – the Kennedy 32 – presented by designer LOUISE KENNEDY herself, were delivered to the tables of the thrilled winners.

Dee Waldron, Fuzion and Caroline O'Driscoll, KPMG

Kathi Ó Riain, Eugene F Collins and Michele Jackson, TWM Property Solutions

Cynthia O’Mahony, Christina Goldston, ChristinaBelle Jewellery, Carrie Richmond and Julie Locke

Niamh Townsend, Dell and Grace Cunningham, Deloitte

C I RC U S

B O O D LES. CO M

GLOSSIP This year's catwalk show, beautifully styled by

LK Bennett

CATHERINE CONDELL, with make-up and hair by BROWN SUGAR – led by DEARBHLA KEENAN and ROY LEIGH – featured smart working wardrobe staples, as well as desk-to-dinner and evening looks.

First on the runway was a selection of sophisticated designer pieces from Clodagh Shorten's fashion forward Cork boutique, SAMUI, with standout pieces from DRIES VAN NOTEN, ALEXANDER WANG, DOROTHEE SCHUMACHER, MARNI, 3.1 PHILIP LIM and PAULE KA. Next, the always-feminine LK BENNETT opened with a divine blush coat and continued with on-trend Prince of Wales check, pops of pink and chic leather dresses. No store does modern classic pairings quite like MARKS AND SPENCER: 20 versatile and wearable looks included hero pieces in tweed, navy and camel, as well as on-trend shoes and accessories. SELECTED FEMME, which opened a store in Dundrum Town Centre earlier this year, is known for its cool Nordic glamour. Sleek silhouettes, a simple palette and luxurious fabrics were the order of the day – for the office and after work.

KILDARE VILLAGE revealed itself as an incredibly useful one-stop shopping destination, when buying for a business wardrobe. Designer brands such as MULBERRY, JAEGER, REISS, GERARD DAREL, THE KOOPLES, VERSACE and PAURIC SWEENEY reflected the exciting variety of boutiques at KV. Closing the show, LOUISE KENNEDY's collection proved just why a visit to the designer's Merrion Square boutique is always on our shopping itinerary: think cashmere separates, luxurious, embellished sweaters and elegant coats. As the lights went down, the final look of the evening, a divine Swarovski-encrusted dress, was met with a burst of applause. After the 20 models left the catwalk after the finale, Louise Kennedy was invited on stage and told the audience how she is as excited by fashion today as she was when she was a student: “There are no better mentors than women,” she said, before wishing THE GLOSS Happy Birthday. The 10th Birthday Cocktail was a delicious Ketel One French Martini.    Those guests who did not win a prize did not leave empty-handed: two gift bags, one from THE GLOSS, the other from BROWN SUGAR, were stuffed with goodies, including The Irish At Home by Gloss Publications, pretty scented soap by AVOCA, gifts from FLYING TIGER, discount cards and vouchers from sponsors MARKS AND SPENCER, KILDARE VILLAGE, LK BENNETT and SELECTED FEMME and a voucher for an AVEDA facial. A generous L’Oréal Professionel gift from our hair and beauty partner BROWN SUGAR means every guest can achieve the legendary glossy hair of which Lucy Kellaway spoke. ^

Marks and Spencer

Samui

Samui Marks and Spencer

LK Bennett

Selected Femme

Louise Kennedy

Selected Femme

Kildare Village

Kildare Village

Louise Kennedy

Louise Kennedy

Louise Kennedy and Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin

20 | November 2016 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

KATHERYN WINNICK RAYMOND WEIL’s brand ambassador Katheryn Winnick introduces the new dazzling shine collection. Feminine, elegant and sensual, this exclusive collection features a unique patented system of interchangeable bracelets. It is a pure jewel for independent women who want their watch to be a part of every occasion.

Join the discussion #RWKatherynWinnick

shine collection

PRADA

HUNTING

S U P P O R T SYST E M

Phone? Bag? Keys? Sorry we’re late, but it’s just impossible to locate the blessed trifecta when you’re rushing out the door, one eye on the clock, the other on the weather forecast.

Enter Mrs Prada, who knows a thing or two about the modern woman – and her thoroughly modern needs. For AW16, the corset is the thing – not for seduction, but rather support.

In crisp white cotton, practical denim or luxurious tweed (our personal favourite), this is more than a nod to underwear-asoutwear, it’s about holding things together, which is what we’re all trying to do to the best of our abilities. Add the utilitarian keyring – a modern chatelaine – and you’ll never have to go searching for the keys to the Corsa again.

If it’s unlikely you’ll take to wearing a corset, be inspired to accessorise, overleaf.

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

JASON LLOYD-EVANS

PRACTICAL MAGIC

THE FESTIVE SEASON ALL WRAPPED UP More than 80 boutiques with savings of up to 60%* Aquascutum - Belstaff - Coach - Links of London - L.K.Bennett - N.Peal - Só Collective ´

*on the recommended retail price

London

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Paris

Frankfurt

Munich

Brussels

Milan

Barcelona

Madrid

© Kildare Village 2016

Suzhou

10/16

Shanghai

GATHERING

Channel the Trend

1

2

3

4 5

6

7

JASON LLOYD-EVANS

8

9

LAYE R UP

10

WAIST-WHITTLINGLY GOOD 1. Dusty pink satin shoes, d79.99, at H&M. 2. Lip foil in Spanish Flame, TOM FORD, d49, 49, at Brown Thomas.

3. White denim corset, PRADA, d650; www.mytheresa.com. 4. Vintage pattern for set of belts no 6210, BUTTERICK, from d7.36; www.etsy.com. 5. Rust velvet platform sandals, d650; WWW.PRADA.COM. 6. Black Fleming leather purse key ring, d120; WWW.TORYBURCH.EU. 7. Gold flora and fauna brooches, d59 each; WWW.UTERQUE.COM. 8. Blue stripe cotton shirt with corset, d399; WWW.JOSEPH-FASHION.COM. 9 Nail polish in Hyperrose Glass, CHANEL, d25, limited edition, at counters nationwide. 10. Tan suede and leather handbag, d225, WWW.UTERQUE.COM. 11. Black and grey argyle tights, d11, at M&S. For stockists, www.thegloss.ie 11

24 | November 2016 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

MOODBOARD

3 2

“I HAVE NO SPECIAL TALENT. I AM ONLY PASSIONATELY CURIOUS.” ALBERT EINSTEIN

1

“GREAT PERSONAL STYLE IS AN EXTREME CURIOSITY ABOUT YOURSELF.” IRIS APFEL

THIS M O N T H T H E M O OD IS:

CURIOUS

4

I’m feeling curiouser and curiouser, like Alice in political cartoonist and illustrator John Tenniel’s 92 darkly fantastic drawings for Lewis Carroll’s Victorian era Alice in Wonderland books.

SUSAN ZELOUF questions everything The US presidential election has made me wonder whether we have lost the ability to think, to ask the right questions, to do in-depth research and reach reasonable, logically certain conclusions based on deductive process, rather than mindlessly googling every query until we find an answer that suits us and our personal set of beliefs and prejudices. It’s as if we’ve drunk the Kool-Aid, swallowed the clickbait and lost our collective way, despite our sat navs. Drop a pin and we know exactly where we are and where we’re headed, yet we seem to have forgotten how to read a map and interpret the signs. Search engines may have body-snatched an entire nation; considering Brexiters, birthers, 9/11 conspiracy theorists, climate change/evolution and Holocaust deniers, the rest of the world had better turn off the reality television and put on its thinking cap.

My first crush was the local librarian. Public spending had been severely curtailed and our library was a crammed Portakabin I could ride my bike to, whiling away Saturdays thumbing through the card catalogue within eyeshot of Ray, a quiet young Mexican-American.

I’d hoped to impress him with the books I borrowed: Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar, The Complete Works of Shakespeare and anything by Ray Bradbury. At home, I browsed the World Book Encyclopedia my parents had forked out $400 for, a 24-volume set of essential reference books in cream and green hardcover embossed with gold.

Bought from a door-to-door salesman, it was a big investment back then. Our family may have been falling apart during the 1970s, but thanks to the encyclopedia, I figured out what was what.

Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia, its knowledge base collaboratively built and edited in real time by anyone, resulting in f luid entries filled with shifting “facts”, like Mohave dunes in a sandstorm. Go online, hit refresh and what is true magically changes.

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

“Truthiness”, a word first heard on The Colbert Report in 2005, is defined as “the quality of seeming to be true according to one’s intuition, opinion, or perception without regard to logic or factual evidence”. Truthiness happens when we can’t handle the truth; magical thinking replaces critical thinking.

Like Game of Thrones heartthrob Jon Snow, I know nothing, unapologetically cultivating a child’s mind. Channelling Alice, I prefer to go down the rabbit hole rather than live life as a knowit-all; ignorance is bliss when spiked with curiosity, shored up by a willingness to raise stupid questions, to be taken by surprise, to ask why. Better yet, ask who, what, where, when, how, and you may eventually figure out the why. Curiosity didn’t kill the cat, it made her stronger. When I asked Pierre-Emmanuel, the passionate French curator of Objet de Curiosité’s online catalogue of marvels what wakes him up in the morning, he explained “Every day I discover a new detail in a wonderful, natural object: a fish jawbone, a butterf ly in a globe, a crocodile skull, a chunk of pyrite, something I may have seen one hundred times before, yet it still fills me with awe. ” After the ever-useful semicolon (because there’s always a little more to add to a sentence) my favourite punctuation is the question mark – so polite! It invites a response, leads to conversation and embraces possibility, whereas, according to ancient scholars, to assume makes an ass out of u and me. While a knowing look is more compelling than a blank stare, thinking deep thoughts may result in a furrowed brow, thankfully easily erased by a shot of Botox or filler. So now the threat of frown lines needn’t stop you posing hard questions, like, “Who did your work? You look so refreshed!” Ask away. I’ll give you the name of my builder. ^

@SusanZelouf

THIS MONTH’S MOODBOARD I’M CHECKING OUT the Long Room (1) in the Old Library of Trinity College Dublin, home to the Book of Kells. Open to the public. Shhhhh!

I’M COLLECTING witty bone china like this Question Mark Birdcage plate (2). Before your next dinner party, browse a selection of exquisitely illustrated porcelain homeware at www.rorydobner.com.

I’M CURATING a cabinet with wondrous things from www.objetdecuriosite.com (3), a catalogue of one-off curiosities that may be a cure for Minimalism.

I’M ROLLING the dice on a limited edition Goddesses backgammon board by Alexandra Llewelyn (4), featuring some of the incredible women photographed by Terry O’Neill during the Swinging Sixties. Grab a partner and play! See more gorgeous games tables and boards at www. alexandralldesign.com.

THOMASSABO.COM

IRELAND@THOMASSABO.COM

INTERVIEW

LET’S DO LUNCH

by Anne Harris

S

ILLUSTRATION BY LAUREN O’NEILL

Over Ethiopian injura bread in a silent dining room, Kevin Thornton contemplates the future

ad tidings I bring for vegans, vegetarians and caring foodies of the world. Even the carrots are weeping. This is not a valedictory metaphor for master chef Kevin Thornton, whose legendary restaurant closed its door last week on the spookily chosen weekend of Hallowe’en. The weeping carrot is a literal part of Thornton’s world view, formed – as all who know him or who read his columns in THE GLOSS where he wrote from 2006 to 2008 – at a tender age when, while working at an abattoir, he had an extraordinary insight: all animals knew they were about to be slaughtered especially the pigs, who cried. Over the years his insight has embraced all of nature.

“Anything that’s living has to be taken from the ground with respect,” he says. “If the soil is dry and you put down water, and then a microphone, you hear crackling – the carrot crying as it comes back to life again.” It’s not as daft as it seems: “Some Indian cultures won’t eat the apple until it drops.” He is not advocating a society for the prevention of cruelty to vegetables,

but he is stern. “Vegetarians should understand that vegetables have to be respected, not pulled from the ground and let rot in the fridge.”

And he walks the walk: his account of the killing of his own cattle is more like an assisted death than slaughter.

The restaurant is not yet closed when we meet, but I am having a Winterfell moment. In the empty room the tables are impeccable – all silver and white – but there is no bustle, no smell. True, there’s no food, but something more fundamental is missing. I mention photographer Mike Bunn, who loves to snap the remains of the dinner party – wine-stained cloth, ends of cheese and fruit, dropping flower petals – curiously conveying the spirit of the vanished guests.

“Perhaps we’ll get him to photograph our last evening,” exclaims Muriel, Thornton’s wife and business partner.

“Have you seen his portrait of Kevin?” It turns out Bunn is an old pal. She brings me to a diptych, which covers a whole wall – one panel showing Thornton in Fellini-esque fallen angel profile, the other an exploding star – bearing the legend “You are not a star – you are Supernova.”

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There it is. Upfront.

The vexed question of that Michelin star, controversially taken away after 20 years, leading those ignorant of the indomitability of the Thorntons to conclude it was the catalyst for the closure. The Michelin loss is emblazoned and confronted, like much in their lives, through art, friendship, and music reference. It has no power to hurt now.

And Supernova? That’s the star which exploded from having too much matter. Thornton has matter a-plenty – chef, artist (his blue tuna sculpture is acclaimed), voyager, photographer, teacher – but the combustibility, one suspects, is deliberately nurtured. It fires all he does, from the mundane to the sublime: from teaching the children in Crumlin national school (from whence he has come) about collecting and growing herbs for cooking ribbon pasta, to proclaiming his great passion for Muriel.

“I always dreamt of Muriel before I met her, dreamt of meeting someone who understood me. We are soulmates.”

She agrees. Clearly at Thorntons the plat du jour is a plat d’amour. Their first date was at a Lou Reed concert. He told her he had a spare ticket – it cost him a fortune. One can only imagine the dynamic of that meeting – the blonde ingenue and the young man with the elfin Bob Dylan aura. He was livid because the organisers wouldn’t turn the lights down.

Their long walk on the wild side has its traditional side too.

“I told her I would always take care of her.”

Who takes care of whom might be a moot point in this relationship: their separate roles work seamlessly. For all his talk of the earth, she comes across as the earthed one; he the dreamer. “When you’re creative you have to push your boundaries and go to the unknown,” he says. “We have a mortgage of course,” she says. “But we have a lot of equity in the house.”

Between them, they have decided the bread we shall break will be Ethiopian injura bread. His description of the fermentation process involved is stomach churning; the reality is ambrosial. “It’s like pancakes. The French took it from them.” Injura bread will be Kevin’s staple diet for the next month, as he heads off to Ethiopia. “It’s the best way to organise the comedown from twenty six years of this,” he says.

She frets and is “keeping an eye on the situation.” He is phlegmatic, having gone twice a year since 2011. “The Ethiopians are quite like the Irish. They sent us aid during the Famine. Some people wanted them to do western food. But for me it was to teach the value of their own food. I thought it would make me a better teacher if I could understand more.”

They acknowledge they agonised over the last few months. That’s over. “I’m so happy. If I stayed I wouldn’t be able to breathe,” he says.

“We’re packing it up, but we’re taking it with us. The creativity, the sense of theatre, born from respect for nature,” she says. The first project is Kevin Thornton Kooks. “With a K for Kevin, because he cooks and because of the Bowie song.” It’s an umbrella for many things, but especially Thornton’s masterclasses in their home, which are fully booked for March.

“We are going to have a long Christmas – for the first time in 26 years,” they say. “And spend time with the family.”

So why Hallowe’en? “It is supposed to be the closure.

The beauty of going into hibernation.” Can anybody see that happening? ^ Kevin Thornton:

Former THE GLOSS columnist and one of Ireland’s best known chefs, Kevin Thornton has closed the doors of Thornton’s Restaurant after 21 years in business.

Off the shelf?

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WINE

RAISE YOUR GLASS Family-owned houses are producing great champagnes, writes MARY DOWEY

Fine BUBBLES, like fine CASHMERE, are never out of FASHION. encompassing champagnes like Krug, Veuve Cliquot and Moët. The job came with the proviso that he should refrain from pushing his own family brand.

But now Champagne Henriot is beginning to attract the attention it deserves. Cellarmaster Laurent Fresnet was named Sparkling Winemaker of the Year in the prestigious International Wine Challenge in both 2015 and 2016. “It also meant a lot to be voted Champagne Maker of the Year 2015 by all the other cellarmasters in Champagne – my rivals!” he told me.

Relying on a high proportion of Chardonnay grapes, the Henriot style is fine-textured, fresh and wonderfully elegant. While the 100 per cent Chardonnay Blanc de Blancs is my favourite, the standard-bearer Brut Souverain – less expensive and more widely available – is also worth seeking out. “Perfect as an apéritif,” says Fresnet, “or with lunch.”

Next stop: Champagne Drappier, so far south of Champagne’s main production areas that it’s almost in Burgundy – and in fact its terroir is kimmeridgian

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limestone, just like Chablis. “So you might imagine that Chardonnay would do well here,” suggests Michel Drappier, the seventh generation of this family to run a house whose remarkable twelfth-century cellars were built by the Cistercian monk Bernard of Clairvaux. “But Pinot Noir was important historically so my grandfather began to replant it.”

That focus on Pinot Noir and the use of oak vats for ageing result in full-bodied champagnes – the kind that should never be served without nibbles, and which could accompany an entire meal. But although the Drappier style is weighty, it is also terrifically lively with a purity of f lavour no doubt enhanced by the mainly organic approach adopted over the past 15 years.

Although the Brut Nature is to me the dazzler, mainstream Carte d’Or (easy to spot with its bright yellow label and well priced at under ¤45) is excellent too. General De Gaulle, who lived at nearby ColombeyLes-Deux-Églises, can’t have become a staunch Drappier fan out of mere convenience. Striking attention to detail here forges impressive quality.

Another family-owned house I’ve admired for quite a while is JM Gobillard near Hautvillers, the spot where monk Dom Pérignon was supposedly among the first to conjure up champagne. Although just 80 years old – a youngster in a region with four centuries of fizzy expertise – Gobillard has mastered the art of making beautifully harmonious champagnes.

Stylistically they stand midway between subtle Henriot and supercharged Drappier, offering fabulous finesse at a very decent price. ^ @MaryDowey

CHAMPAGNE HENRIOT BLANC DE BLANCS NV. Delicately floral and citrussy, here is a ballet dancer of a champagne, light-footed and extraordinarily elegant.

Superb with sushi or other light fish dishes. From Searsons, Monkstown, Co Dublin; 64 Wine, Glasthule, Co Dublin; Blackrock Cellar; Blackrock, Co Dublin; Gibneys, Malahide, Co Dublin; Cashel Wine Cellar, Cashel, Co Tipperary; Vanilla Grape, Kenmare, Co Kerry, d68-72.

CHAMPAGNE DRAPPIER PINOT NOIR BRUT NATURE ZERO DOSAGE NV. As the trend towards Brut Nature picks up pace (bringing us brut fizz with no added sugar), here is one of the very best – rich, biscuity and slightly honeyed but with real energy and reviving freshness. Serve it with cheese biscuits at the very least.

From www.thecorkscrew.ie, d54.95.

CHAMPAGNE J M GOBILLARD GRANDE RÉSERVE PREMIER CRU NV. A lovely, soft, creamy style with gentle peach and lemon notes and a long, refreshing finish. Wide appeal guaranteed.

From www.lecaveau.ie; Fallon & Byrne, Dublin 2; Green Man, Dublin 6; Listons, Dublin 8; World Wide Wines, Waterford, usually d39.95.

PHOTOGRAPH BY AL HIGGINS

My next glass of champagne will toast ten years of THE GLOSS. Where has that decade gone? Into thousands of glasses of wine, all annotated – usually in a little black notebook that sits on my kitchen counter. Into journeys around vine-clad hillsides. Into discussions with hundreds of producers. Into pure delight that one drink can exist is so many delicious, continuously evolving forms.

The past ten years have been tough for the Irish wine trade, catapulted from boom to almost bust and now struggling to cope with savagely high taxes. But, thanks to savvy wine importers and retailers, the range of wines on the most exciting shelves has more breadth and depth than ever. Slovenia, Armenia, Macedonia, Georgia … these are just a few newish hotspots that I’ll be keeping an eye on.

And perhaps visiting. I still love to get vineyard mud on my boots because the fascination of wine extends so far beyond the liquid in a glass. It ref lects a place, a culture and, above all, people – old, young, traditional, innovative but all fired up with the same zeal.

Most memorable trips of past ten years? Argentina and Cahors for the two faces of Malbec. Bandol and Cassis on the Med, too pretty to leave. Champagne, for a private tasting with Olivier Krug. Australia’s Hunter Valley where Bruce Tyrrell brought top vintages of his legendary Vat 1 Semillon to dinner. Priorat in north-east Spain during harvest, with Sara Perez of Clos Martinet sporting a spectacularly wine-sodden T-shirt.

Of course inspiring winemakers keep visiting Dublin too. Peter Gago of Penfolds in the Barossa, Kevin Judd of Greywacke in New Zealand, Burgundy star Jean-Claude Ramonet, Madeira wizard Ricardo Diego V Freitas of Barbeito and Marcelo Papa of Chilean winery De Martino are just a few of those who’ve had worthwhile wines to show and particularly interesting things to say.

The upshot of all this is an endless stream of new discoveries – brilliant bottles which I’m delighted to share with you in this column, on www.thegloss. ie and at our gorgeous Wine Dinner Series at The Merrion, a programme of ambitious, finely tuned and elegant gastronomic evenings. Our gloriously glossy winter event on November 30, by the way, is a perfectly timed pre-Christmas feast of brilliantly creative dishes matched with sophisticated champagne and wine.

Fine bubbles, like fine cashmere, are never out of fashion – yet never more so than over the next few months. To most people, good champagne is an unbeatable treat – invigorating, appetite-whetting, festive and glam. Besides adding sparkle to Christmas and New Year entertaining, it makes an opulent present.

Choosing wisely can be tricky. Some of the big brands seem to be more interested in flashy marketing than in the quality of the stuff in the bottle, and supermarket bubbly is a minefield. But there’s territory well worth exploring in between. Recently, I returned to the Champagne region to visit family-owned houses where a lowish profile and high standards go hand in hand.

First stop: Champagne Henriot in Reims. One reason why this long-established company is less well known than it should be is that Joseph Henriot, its charismatic figurehead until his recent death, was for a period president of LVMH, the luxury goods group

T H E J OY O F G I V I N G Hand-finished jewellery crafted from sterling silver and given with love.

Explore the new Christmas collection at pandora.net

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SOCIAL LIFE

THE FRENCH CONNECTION

Glamour unlimited – that was the order of the day in the 1930s when Maxine Elliott reigned over her vast villa on the French Riviera. One frequent guest, Doris Delevingne, the would-be Countess of Kenmare, fascinated MARY S LOVELL

I

I first heard of Maxine Elliott and her villa in the French Riviera when I was researching a previous book, The Churchills. It was obvious how Winston Churchill’s visits there often recharged him in the 1930s at times when the outlook for him was bleak. It occurred to me then that it was worth writing about for Elliott’s friendship with Winston, her sybaritic spoiling of him and her uncritical admiration and belief in him quite possibly played a more important role in history than it might initially seem, for it bolstered his confidence during a period he always referred to as “the wilderness years,” and his holidays at the Château de l’Horizon were highlights of his year.

In the years leading up to WWI, actress Maxine Elliott had been a notable society hostess. Her fiancé was killed in action and she spent most of the war in Europe providing aid to displaced civilians, for which she was decorated. During the 1920s she made a few silent movies and travelled aimlessly between France, the US and England. An extremely shrewd investor, advised by JP Morgan, she was hardly affected by the Wall Street crash which heralded the Great Depression, and in 1930 she was well placed to build her dream home in France to an exacting design by American architect Barry Dierks, regardless of cost.

Until the 1920s, the French Riviera had been regarded by the rich merely as a place to winter. It was the society couple Gerald and Sara Murphy who discovered the Riviera’s potential for summer holidays.

In 1923, they even convinced the Hotel du Cap to stay open year round so they might entertain their steady influx of visitors from New York, London and Paris.

The alluring, often decadent lifestyle of the Murphys on the Riviera provided first-hand inspiration to a number of best-selling writers who inhabited their exclusive set, among them Scott Fitzgerald who

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Killarney House, built in 1872, was the seat of the Earls of Kenmare.

used them as models for Dick and Nicole Diver in Tender is the Night, and Ernest Hemingway who wrote about a similar couple in The Garden of Eden.

Maxine Elliott was introduced to this set by Elsa Maxwell, the American gossip columnist and international party planner.

Elliott’s sprawling white art deco villa, perched on rocks on the edge of the Mediterranean between Cannes and Antibes, was intended as her final home, and to provide a luxurious base for her many friends who included royalty, aristocracy, word leaders, stars of the stage and burgeoning cinema and the cream of society in Europe. An invitation from Elliott was tantamount to a royal command and the villa’s sunny terrace overlooking a vast pool, far larger than was normal at the time, welcomed a cavalcade of famous personalities over the years.

The house, named Château de l’Horizon for its remarkable views from almost every room, rarely hosted more than ten or twelve house guests at a time, but as most travelled with maids, chauffeurs, valets or

secretaries, there was often a large household to cater for. Breakfast was served to guests in their rooms, invariably eaten on their private balconies. Afterwards, they would drift downstairs for coffee and drinks by the pool. By 1pm the non-resident guests began arriving for lunch and five days out of seven they were likely to number 30 or 40. One visitor recalled that, “the whole of the Riviera wandered onto that terrace at some time or other during the season.” Sometimes these guests would be ferried in by a yacht; friends with villas further along the coast or up in the hills of Provence would call bringing their entire house party along. A few old friends such Elsa Maxwell and interior designer Elsie de Wolfe, were always personae grata, and could arrive almost without invitation, trailing their own considerable entourages.

Dinner was at 9pm, for house guests only, always in full evening dress, and eaten Maxine by candlelight beneath the great umbrella Elliott pines which had been carefully preserved on the terrace during the build. The dark hump of Cap d’Antibes lay silhouetted against the sky at the eastern end of the huge bay delineated by a curve of twinkling lights that eventually blended into the illuminations of the resort of Juan les Pins some three miles away.

Having witnessed the effect of moonlight dining on her guests, Elliott conceived a solution for those evenings when the real moon refused to oblige her; she designed and installed a large electric substitute set in the top of the highest tree which could be switched on whenever she wished for the full romance of a thymescented Mediterranean night.

One of the frequent visitors to Château de l’Horizon, and probably my favourite, was the notorious courtesan, Doris Delevingne, an English blonde of

WITH ROB KEARNEY

FOR WHEN YOU’RE FEELING BLUE

W W W. N E W B R I D G E S I LV E R W A R E . C O M

SOCIAL LIFE no significant background. A great-aunt of the model Cara Delevingne, Doris evidently had similar genes and was renowned for her fabulous legs. She made the most of her assets in miniscule white shorts and bikinis, years ahead of their time. She had a small pointed face, cool appraising blue eyes, porcelain skin and shapely hands tipped with shiny red lacquered nails. Her slender androgynous frame perfectly suited beautifully bias-cut silken dresses worn over a simple tubular slip with no underclothes. Her favourite couturier of the time, Victor Steibel, called her “an enchantress with a jester’s cap of pure gold hair.”

At 19, Delevingne landed a job as a model for a London fashion house and shared a flat with up-and-coming actress Gertrude Lawrence. When the two first met, Lawrence announced that she intended to be the most famous actress in London and Delevingne responded that she intended to marry a Lord. Each achieved their goal. In Delevingne’s case, she had a series of rich lovers who provided her with Mayfair flats and generous allowances. Her face was soon recognisable in society pages and she became popular because she was warmhearted, impulsive, clever and witty. Conversation often stopped when she entered a restaurant and arriving at a party she would perform her little talismanic “sign of the cross” routine, touching her forehead, breast and shoulders reciting: “tiara, brooch, clip, clip.”

Few men could resist Delevingne, and one who was instantly smitten was Lord Valentine Castlerosse, the overweight, eccentric playboy who was heir to the Earl of Kenmare and who wrote for the Express newspaper group. His column, Londoner’s Log, provided a weekly diet of amusing personal philosophy and entertaining gossip about the glamorous set that swirled between London, Cannes, Deauville and Monte Carlo. Castlerosse and Delevingne were soon married, to the consternation of Castlerosse’s friends who forecast his annihilation by Delevingne, chiefly because, although he spent like a rich man, he was not one. His employer and mentor Lord Beaverbrook vainly attempted to prevent the marriage and Castlerosse’s mother refused ever to acknowledge Delevingne, clinging to the belief that since she was Protestant and because the marriage was performed in a registry office, it was not a real marriage in the eyes of the Catholic church. Nevertheless, Delevingne had obtained her goal of a title, albeit a courtesy one. Now Viscountess Castlerosse, her writing paper bore the appropriate coronet over the interlinked initials DC and, given time,

THE GUEST BOOK

Lord Valentine Castlerosse, the 6th Earl of Kenmare, and Doris Delevingne.

Valentine drank only the best CHAMPAGNES in magnums – never bottles – and smoked Cuban cigars. barring accidents, she could hardly avoid becoming Countess of Kenmare.

Delevingne was undoubtedly romantically attracted to Valentine Castlerosse but neither of these larger-thanlife characters was cut out for a conventional marriage.

Their extravagance, eye-watering. Valentine once told a friend that Doris’s idea of economising on a short visit to Paris was to restrict her purchase of new couture gowns to just a dozen. Valentine was as bad; he drank only the best champagnes – in magnums, never bottles – smoked the largest, most expensive Cuban cigars, employed the best tailors to make his colourful bespoke suits and distinctive beaver-collared cashmere overcoats (minklined in the winter months), commissioned dozens of pairs of handmade shoes at a time in the belief that he got a discount for quantity, and gambled away small fortunes in the firm conviction that his luck was about to change.

His annual salary of £3,000 (about £180,000 today), together with his family’s allowance of about half that sum, would have been perfectly adequate to most men in his situation, but it hardly paid his drinks bill. His idea of economising was to charge everything, and never spend any cash. Not surprisingly, he was always in debt but

when his creditors became a nuisance he sent his excess bills to Beaverbrook as expenses, and after a little bluster at seeing bills for multiple sets of expensive golf clubs, bouquets of red roses, and dozens of cases of champagne, they were invariably paid.

The couple quarrelled constantly. Their house at Culross Street, off Park Lane, shuddered nightly as they fought and made up, and their rows in restaurants – they were oblivious to other diners – became celebrated.

Doris knew all the chinks in his armour and could always produce a volley of witty jibes about the things that most concerned him; his obesity, his virility, his massive debts.

Having delivered her poisonous darts she would depart with a triumphant laugh. However, her devastating ripostes were often self-defence against his fearsome temper, and there is plenty of evidence from her closest friends to indicate that Doris smarted quite as much from these encounters as did her husband.

Noël Coward based his character Amanda, the insouciant and sophisticated leading character of Private Lives, on Doris Delevingne. To those who knew her, some of Amanda’s lines made famous by one of Doris’s oldest friends, Gertrude Lawrence – the first actress to play the part of Amanda – are poignant; “I think very few people are completely normal, really, deep down in their private lives”’ and “I believe in being kind to everyone ... and being as gay as possible”. Another line is, “Heaven preserve me from ‘nice’ women.” Coward’s hugely successful play, packed theatres for years and is still one of his most frequently reprised. When after the first night a friend told him it was enjoyable but that certain parts of it – “all the quarrels and rolling around on the floor” – seemed quite unreal, the playwright snorted in reply, “You obviously don’t know the Castlerosses”.

By the summer of 1933, when Doris Castlerosse was invited to stay at Château de l’Horizon, her husband (who was himself involved with several women at the time) had already petitioned for divorce citing adultery. He had a list of men to choose from, including Churchill’s son Randolph, who on one occasion telephoned Valentine from Doris’s bed to taunt him. In fact, it seems that Randolph was not the only Churchill to be captivated by Doris for there is a body of evidence that Winston was also so charmed by her that on one notable occasion at the Château de l’Horizon he succumbed. But that – as they say – is another story. ^ The Riviera Set by Mary S Lovell (¤14.99, Little, Brown) is out today.

Valentine Castlerosse No party was complete without the eccentric Earl and his wife, Doris Delevingne.

Cecil Beaton The noted photographer, with his camera, was a regular visitor.

The Château de l’Horizon was a magnet for the glitterati of the era

Winston Churchill Churchill was a close friend of Maxine Elliott.

Elsa Maxwell Maxwell was always persona grata and often turned up with an entourage.

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

Daisy Fellowes Fellowes, heiress to the Singer sewing machine fortune, brought glamour to the Riviera.

Noël Coward Coward based some of his well-known characters on regulars at the Château.

STRAP

Handcrafted Cabinetry

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BY APPOINTMENT ONLY

Cream broderie anglaise blouse, Jaeger. Nude silk-crepe tapered trousers, Tibi. Nude Elastic Cage Booties, givenchy. Pearl Endless necklace, KenneTh Jay Lane.

Glasses and watch, stylist’s own.

CELEBRATING

Fashion.indd 21

23/05/2012 15:29

A GLOSSY DECADE

Ten years, over a hundred issues, thousands of pages – a decade at THE GLOSS has been shaped by you, the reader ...

MICHAEL DWORNIK

L

Letters – and inspiration – come from all quarters. From a delightful and beautifully dressed gentleman guest at one of our wine dinners: “I would like to thank you for the kind invitation to join your table in The Merrion. I enjoyed it hugely – you were taking a bit of a risk with a total stranger! Apropos of the story of my overcoat, I note that Nicky Wallace is now based in St Malo, and has an interesting website. Amongst his customers were David Bowie, George Michael and Van Morrison. Presumably, he designed my coat before he left Ireland. Somebody told me that he returns to Ireland frequently, and your contacts may know of him. He might be worth a story in THE GLOSS.” You’re not all happy, of course. An irritated reader chided us for writing that Turnbull & Asser was on Savile Row when plainly it was on Jermyn Street. He had a few other criticisms, including this: “Can’t really believe you are serious when you say you welcome letters from readers when the type you have chosen to print this message is the smallest in the magazine.” Others took issue with a typeface: this time it was not too small, but too curly. “Love the July edition of THE GLOSS and the whole presentation is excellent. However just one tiny suggestion. In some of your articles there is both typed text and handwriting.

I found some of the handwriting reminded me of my own when I’m in a hurry – a little difficult to decipher at first glance! Apart from that keep up the good work.”

Another made a helpful suggestion: “Maybe you might

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

consider using a different font style, an Italic Script or something similar? And, in case you are wondering, I am not some ancient old crank.” A piece on holiday home decor prompted this: “Therese Quinn ponders the LOWER HALF of the compass only. This is a very Dublin mindset, dare I say. What about the Northeast (Louth), the entire North Coast (Antrim/Derry) and the Northwest (Donegal/Sligo). Please ask Therese to go again in the interest of fairness and equality.”

In response to “Forty, Single and Childless” by Eileen O’Reilly (which sparked a national conversation on the airwaves, and a new acronym) several readers wrote to us. “Just as the lines are appearing and heels getting f latter, I finally realise how beautiful I am and that just because I don’t have an ‘other half’ this doesn’t take away any of my beauty. This independence, actually, it just adds to it, because I’m not trapped, unhappy and hanging on for the sake of it.” Another wrote: “What a relief to read your article and to know that I am not alone in the world of FSC! I am four zero next month and have been struggling to figure out what it’s exactly all about if I’ve reached this age and am alone with no partner or children? You are right about the grief, about the sense of failure. No one does talk about it. No one wants to bring it up. Your article could not have hit home better than had you come up and slapped me across the face.”

Keep them coming. SMcD. letters@thegloss.ie; @theglossmag

Above: The very first cover, October 2006.

In 2009, THE GLOSS morphed into a large format to be published with The Irish Times.

MARIE-LOUISE HALPENNY

FIORENZO BORGHI

À LA MODE THE GLOSS fashion pages, so much a part of its identity since its beginnings, reflect both the exuberance and fun of our New York team, left, and the quiet elegance of our Irish talent. The fashion shoot and cover for our first issue, far right, was shot at the former Goulding estate in Wicklow with its glass box garden house designed by Scott Tallon Walker. As dusk fell, bats swooped down over the river, startling the model.

AMELIA STEIN

THE GLOSS

CRAZY WAYNE

I SPENT TOO MUCH ON THIS BUT I LOVE IT ...

ART IMITATES LIFE Dark clouds may have been gathering unbeknownst to us all but when THE GLOSS launched in late 2006, there was plenty of shopping going on.

But far from mindless consumerism, our so-called Folly page featured beloved objects on which the purchaser had splurged – with great consideration usually, and no regrets. In the first issue, an Andy Warhol print of Grace Kelly was doctor Robin O’Reilly’s choice. She got a thrill from owning work “by one of the great American artists of the 20th century.” The cherished items featured in I Spent Too Much on This But I Love It varied from a saddle to a dress, a handbag to a table but art was a frequent choice. Daniel Ryan of The Thrills (who now manages Little Green Cars) chose a Charlie Brady painting, “Farm Building,” which hangs in his bedroom, explaining, “When I wake up, it’s the first thing I see.” Post-recession, this series evolved into the more modestly named This Means A Lot To Me Because … An elegant statue of a curlew by Fiona Smith-Darragh was the choice of Judith Woodworth, former director of the National Concert Hall: “The curlew is quite a shy bird, and you never really get close to it, you always see it at a distance,” Woodworth explained. Portraits were by THE GLOSS contributing photographer Amelia Stein RHA.

“It’s WONDERFUL to own WORK by one of the great artists of the 20th CENTURY.”

A NEW YORK MINUTE Our fashion team in New York shot a Great Gatsbyinspired story in Central Park, left, with Olivia Graham. A jewellery shoot with Elliston Lutz, right, meant taking over an Italian eatery for the day.

Jamaican-born professional party guest George Wayne wrote his outrageous column Wayne’s World for THE GLOSS while simultaneously contributing to Vanity Fair, in which publication he conducted a provocative telephone conversation with a celebrity each month. For THE GLOSS he reported on the most exclusive New York and Hollywood events and parties, providing no-holds-barred access to the biggest names in society, showbiz and fashion, especially seeking out celebrities with Irish connections. From discussing “well-hung” actors with Jackie Collins (Liam Neeson’s name was mentioned, in case you’re interested) to nonchalantly rubbing shoulders with Madonna, Gwyneth, Beyoncé and co, Wayne was always up for a party. But he was a high-maintenance contributor: while usually carefully administered to by a patient assistant editor Caroline Scott, he often sent incendiary emails to the editor, angrily demanding payment of an invoice which he had not yet sent.

THE URBAN FARMER With his finger on the pulse of a woman who could see that sustainability was the Next Big Thing, Mick Kelly – now spearheading the GIY movement – poked fun at this new urban farmer. “So committed is Elaine to the urban farming cause,” he wrote in 2006, “she recently convinced her husband they should get rid of the ¤25,000 stainless steel construction erected in their garden by a celebrity landscape gardener, just so she could put in a vegetable patch. Well, so her gardener could put in a vegetable patch. Elaine doesn’t do dirt, but she is the proud owner of a compost tumbler, and has an Eglu in her garden with two laying hens. Her high net worth means she need not have thought twice about the expense of getting a wind turbine for the garden, but that idea was shot down at a local residents’ committee meeting. She makes do with some solar panels, which get the water lukewarm on hot sunny days.”

T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E | November 2016 | 45

THE GLOSS

ON ART Patsy and Gemma took off to the art capitals of the world.

ON LIFE Polly Devlin entertained with her unique perspective.

ON FILM Julie le Brocquy met rising stars.

THE EARLY DAYS POLLY DEVLIN was a founding contributor, exploring the world with her exceptional curiosity and reporting in an endlessly entertaining and clever monthly column which continued until 2013. We still receive the occasional letter, urging her return. For vintage Polly, turn to page 54.

PATSY TSOUROS and GEMMA TIPTON took on the challenge of explaining the contemporary art scene in Travels with Art while JULIE LE BROCQUY moved through the international film scene, highlighting the successes of Irish talent. ROBERT O’BYRNE, now of The Irish Aesthete blog, wrote a column about his country life: “I have my suspicions Mr Marvell was a city dweller because, here in the countryside, Time’s chariot doesn’t so much hurry as dawdle.”

IN THE COUNTRY Robert O’Byrne became a country gent.

THE SPIRIT OF THE AGE Writers captured the ups and down of the past ten years, highlighting the economic changes we all encountered. “As recession looms,” wrote Antonia Hart in a piece called “Face the Music in 2008,” “for many of us, buying prosciutto at Lidl, growing our own lettuce or holidaying at home is just another lifestyle choice. Are we ready to really change our ways and do without? After years of thoughtless spending, can we learn to appreciate treats again?” Kathy Gilfillan wrote, in a piece called “How To Lose Everything Except a Sense of Humour,” at the end of 2009, “we got greedy and lost the run of ourselves entirely. We lived way beyond our means, encouraged by the feckless bean counters. Suddenly there weren’t enough beans to go round.” In “How Was Your Day Dear?” published in 2010, Suzi Godson examined the pressures that affect a relationship when one partner becomes unemployed. “With no reason to get up in the morning, he was going to bed at 2am, but I still had to get the kids to school and meet my newspaper deadlines,” she wrote. “Our conf licting routines left me resentful and brought on a severe case of cabin fever in my husband.”

SPENDING TIME WITH A MAN Someone’s gotta do it ... Sarah Owens went on memorable dates with interesting men for her monthly column EN GARDE Fearless Owens got to know Ryan Tubridy at a fencing lesson. “He’s genuine, interesting and dead smart,” she quickly discovered.

OFF THE RAILS A birthday spent shopping with Jonathan Rhys Meyers? Tough assignment. “I have to look after myself if I want longevity,” he admitted.

46 | November 2016 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

SHOE BUSINESS Discussing his perfect day on a visit to Dublin, Manolo Blahnik professed his love for Bath, his four rescue dogs and the importance of “toe cleavage”.

HOT STEPPER Salsa dancing with notorious grump Eamon Dunphy was a highlight. “Only for you, Sarah,” he told her, before leading her to the dancefloor.

PLAIN SAILING Cruising up the Liffey, Louis Walsh revealed his personal philosophy: “Enjoy each day as if it’s your last.”

THE GLOSS

This Glossy Life, as well as featuring Irish people with an enviable aspect to their lives – a beautiful house or garden, a whopping wardrobe, or an interesting and photogenic pastime – features those from abroad who have made a life here. Australian Pippa Holt, former accessories editor at Vogue and now designer of a line of breezy kaftans stocked at www. net-a-porter.com, was living in Dublin and had a fresh perspective on the city. Meanwhile visitors like Marco Pierre White blew in for a day to mark the opening of his Dawson Street outpost in 2009. He smouldered moodily while we photographed him in a too-small suit.

NEIL GAVIN

THIS GLOSSY LIFE

TURN TO PAGE 78 FOR VINTAGE THIS GLOSSY LIFE.

TALKING POINTS GUIDING LIGHT

AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT

In December 2010, Mary O’Donnell exalted the value finding a mentor: “Their every instinct is to restore and rehabilitate ... a mentor is able to recognise someone else’s inwardness.”

In this cover story from February 2008, seven women, from teenager Roisin Kiberd to septuagenarian Mavis Arnold, examined the milestones and markers of their lives.

The common thread?

Regardless of your age, life should be full of discoveries. And death?

“I might be run over by a bus, hopefully when I’ve just had my hair done,” wrote 60-something Penny Perrick.

il lu stratio n by ste ve d o o g an

LIFE LESSONS

KEEPING UP APPEARANCES In Stealing Beauty, from February 2010, poet and novelist Mary O’Donnell examined the connection between self-esteem, outward appearances and cosmetic surgery. She concluded that balance was key. “You can achieve more of this by elevating the spirit which inhabits your unique and customised body, or by opting for the still somewhat secretive (in Ireland) and courageous route of the scalpel.”

Wise WOMeN

Intuitive, encouraging, accepting and inspiring, a trusted mentor can play a life-changing role – dispensing wisdom, giving that extra push and helping you to realise your full potential. MARY o’DoNNELL celebrates a unique relationship, and the woman who showed her how to live life to the full …

42 | December 2010 | T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e

MEN

MALE POLISH As a mother of three boys, Aoife O’Brien vowed not to let them become alpha males in How To Raise a Beta Boy from September 2009.

And as much as she thought she wanted a daughter, in the end she decided that she would take a “scatological joke before a ballet class any day.”

For more archived content, visit www.thegloss.ie.

HOW TO RAISE A

BETA BOY ... as opposed to an alpha male

Bringing up boys - to be less alpha and more, well, beta - with a gentle, courteous side to their hardwired manly natures, seems to defy tradition in this country.

AOIFE O’BRIEN, mother of three, is determined to make more evolved men of her sons - they’ll be tough but considerate, strong but sensitive, serious and great fun.

The effort might just kill her, though, it’s so hard to get the balance right 38 | September 2009 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

Feature_BetaBoy2.indd 38

20/08/2009 17:40:54

T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E | November 2016 | 47

DAYMION MARDEL

SNAPPED! From far left: A shoot in Venice, a study in teal, and the apartment of artist Hunt Slonem, whose mad rabbit paintings seemed to proliferate as we snapped.

A VIEW FROM THE JEEP

A

Therese Quinn reveals herself as its writer

view from The Jeep was conceived to poke fun at the absurd Gold Rush lifestyle that became the norm for some during our Celtic Tiger era.

Connie was the anti-heroine, a frenetic SoDuCo operator who worshipped at the altars of Image and Status. She would have sold her mother (whose simple country ways embarrassed Connie) into white slavery if it helped her ascend another slippery rung on the social ladder. Her deepest sorrow, as recession bit hard, was her diminishing whom she referred to as “the Ruinator” ability to regularly replace her Range for having the effrontery not to be filthy Rover; despite this ongoing heinous rich. Children Molly and Fionn were humiliation she did a fine job of keeping always pawns in Connie’s game of social up appearances. chess – she was never slow to push them In the good times, she made it down towards the dining car of the gravy the slopes of Lech on her diamantétrain. Other memorable characters encrusted skis and swanned around included poor Dora “my Filipina” and Puerto Banus on somebody’s yacht, Cyril her monstrous bank manager never furrowing her paralysed brow who joined her in FAMA, the doubleabout the bills, presuming, like so dealing Fee Accrual Management many, that her husband’s property Agency, which specialised in Vulture empire had limitless funds. Always Fund tactics regarding private school resilient and totally without shame Therese Quinn fees. While some of her adventures when times turned bad, she bounced might have been considered a trif le farback with a few plans of her own. Who fetched, post-Pilates chatter regularly reverberated with can forget her company PAIN – Project An Image of groans, as certain SoDuCo matrons prayed there wouldn’t Normality – established to help other fiscal victims at be anything too recognisable on the inside back page! least appear to be carrying on as if it was still 2006.

For personal security, it was decided I should adopt Conspicuous deliveries of Bolly and Net-a-Porter boxes a nom de plume. “Honora” was born, a melange of my were a speciality; the neighbours never needed to know mother’s name Hannah and my beloved Aunt Nora, a little they were empty. Yet, to be fair, she was not without her private giggle with my dearly departed. own peculiar kindness, and her benevolent nature was A word of warning; there is a rumour circulating that clearly evident when she set up her very own charity someone looking alarmingly similar to Connie has been E!E!E! – Elocution and Etiquette for Everyone! As long seen behind the wheel of ... a jeep. Could this ghastly as you didn’t look too closely at where the funds went. woman be on the way back?

Spare a thought for her long-suffering husband, Ruairi,

“For personal SECURITY, it was decided I should adopt a NOM DE PLUME.” 48 | November 2016 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

PORTRAIT OF A FAMILY Intriguing and engaging people are the backbone of THE GLOSS and nowhere was that more evident than in Robert O’Byrne’s Portrait of a Family, in which he profiled some of Ireland’s most fascinating dynasties. A favourite was “Capturing The Castle,” which shone a spotlight on Co Monaghan’s eccentric Leslie clan: “Being boring or narrow-minded were the cardinal sins,” Antonia Leslie confided. Several other Leslie family members also went on the record to explain their unconventional roots and reveal what keeps them close. The Ross family, led by patriarch Edmund Ross, of the Dublin photography studio, was the focus of “Life Through A Lens,” which provided a compelling insight into the challenges of growing up Jewish in Ireland. “You can’t fast for 25 hours and stay away from work or school on Yom Kippur,” Jonathan Ross lamented. “Avoiding pork sausages is a feat in itself!”

LET’S DO LUNCH

ILLUSTRATIONS BY LAUREN O’NEILL

CATHRINE WESSEL

LISA LOFTUS

THE GLOSS

The intimacy of sharing a meal encourages the subjects in Anne Harris’s Let’s Do Lunch series to let their guard down and really open up. The result is a smart and perceptive collection of interviews. Since its inception in 2015, Harris has broken bread with myriad intriguing Irish and international personalities, among them state pathologist Marie Cassidy; politician Maurice Saatchi, who admitted he still sets a place at the table for his late wife, the Irish writer Josephine Hart; chatelaine of Lissadell, Constance Cassidy, and artist Pauline Bewick, who confessed to having had a mini stroke two years previously.

FOR THE SMALL BUT PERFECT

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2 Avoca faux fur pompom hat (c (c14.95), scarf (c26.95) and mittens (c14.95) ( 14.95) in raspberry.

FOR THE HOSTESS WITH THE MOSTEST

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2 Men’s soft leather gloves with contrast detail stitching, c79.95. 3 Men’s reversible cashmere-blend scarf in a range of colours, c29.95. 4 Donegal tweed woven ties from The Mill at Avoca, c19.95.

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FOR THE FRAGRANT FRIEND

1 New from Avoca: gorgeous gift sets include a candle, hand cream and liquid soap, in a selection of scents, c26.95.

2 Avoca boxed candles, c19.95.

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1 Rome cashmere blend throw in two sizes, from c79.95-c129.95. 2 Women’s camel cashmere-blend sweater, c79.95. 3 Avoca sparkly alphabet socks, c12.95. 4 Striped Jester gloves, c19.95. 5 Avoca women’s scarves, from c39.95-c49.95. 6 Women’s fuchsia sheepskin gloves, c99.95.

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H A N D W E AV E R S

THE GLOSS ROSETINTED Among the May roses at Chanel’s perfume factory in Grasse.

INNER LIFE, OUTERWEAR Interesting people are our inspiration; and lives well lived. But everyone loves a great coat.

HAT TRICK With Irish milliner Philip Treacy in his studio.

MEMORABLE MOMENTS FROM THE

rom tea with Kate Moss to dinner with Tom Ford, the chance to meet fascinating people for exclusive interviews is certainly a perk of the job. Perfumers are especially fascinating, passionate people – interviewing the legendary Jean-Claude Ellena of Hermès was fragrantly memorable. It’s always a thrill to SCENT OF A MAN get backstage access at London Fashion Week With actor/perfumer Richard E Grant. shows, see trends being born and spot Vivienne Westwood checking hair and beauty looks.

Breathing in the roses used in Chanel No5 in Grasse, and stepping inside Coco’s apartment on rue Cambon, Paris, were both unforgettable. My absolute highlight?

Meeting the warm and hilarious Philip Treacy when he launched a make-up collection with MAC in December 2014: I balanced precariously in his hanging egg chair, dictaphone on lap, as he regaled me with stories about Elizabeth Taylor LIPSTICK, POWDER & PAINT and Isabella Blow, and it was thrilling – Artist Donald Robertson creates sometimes you should meet your heroes. exclusive work for THE GLOSS.

A GOOD

GLOSS~IP

When we were planning the magazine, we were sure about one thing: we all love a good gossip – and so Gloss-ip was born. A team of contributors with excellent hearing from all over the place feed us stories which, along with our own intelligence gathering, keeps readers’ ears burning. As well as stories of a local nature, we have scoops from our London, Paris and New York-based contributing editors. Of course, we can’t print everything we hear – that would be telling. We love when we hear our Gloss-ip back from another source ... “Really?”, we say. “Where on earth did you hear that?”

IN YOUR OWN WORDS A TALE OF

TWO LIVES first person FIRST PERSON

SOBER

first person

AT CHRISTMAS which

I L LU ST R AT I ON BY ANN E O’ H AR A

one for a recovering alcoholic to deal

with. From chocolate liqueurs to rum

punch, Santa’s sherry and brandy butter – the entire period is macerated in booze.

Wish me a Merry Christmas and I wince. When I was

a girl, “merry” was a euphemism for drunk. There were others: squiffy, pie-eyed, pickled, plastered, smashed, banjaxed – dozens of them, each one a badge of honour in the eyes of a teenager determined to push the boundaries of her middle-class upbringing. Not surprisingly perhaps – given the festive packs of beer that towered outside our fridge like green aliens – it was at Christmas that I first got drunk. I was eleven years old.

with. From chocolate liqueurs to rum

Wish me a Merry Christmas and I wince. When I was

others: squiffy, pie-eyed, pickled, plastered, smashed, banjaxed – dozens of them, each one a badge of honour in the eyes of a teenager determined to push the boundaries

Now when I listen to people talk about getting pissed

of her middle-class upbringing. Not surprisingly perhaps – given the festive packs of beer that towered outside our

At the age of 61, HELEN ROCHFORD BRENNAN had plans. Big plans. A stylish, smart businesswoman, brimful of new ideas and ventures, she exuded energy and Until, that she paid a visit to her doctor. In an instant everything changed.

Ienthusiasm. had my last drink over 15 years ago whenis, I was living inFor California.

I’d spent weekend in New York and her only son. Nothing could have prepared her for the her.

Fora her husband trying to reach the state of oblivion that I craved. For challenge challenge of dealing with a devastating diagnosis: early onset dementia three days I’d hit the ahead. bottle as hardThe as I knew how. Friday

back door and bottles of Champagne that took over the

state, because as anyone at an AA meeting knows, there’s

fridge like green aliens – it was at Christmas that I first got

nothing funny about being an alcoholic, and the first step

drunk. I was eleven years old.

to sobriety is being honest, reconciling yourself with your

Now when I listen to people talk about getting pissed

past and making amends for it.

– which I do at least once a week – they’re unlikely to use amusing or inventive language to describe their inebriated state, because as anyone at an AA meeting knows, there’s nothing funny about being an alcoholic, and the first step to sobriety is being honest, reconciling yourself with your

night: cocktails, dinner and a club. Saturday: brunch,

past and making amends for it.

I had my last drink over 15 years ago when I was living in California. I’d spent a weekend in New York p hoto g r a ph by g e tt y

Maybe I had simply taken on too much? Maybe a bit of breathing space would help clear the mind, help connect the dots again. So I cut back a little, shed a few committees, just to see. To no avail. I’d find myself in a meeting, struggling for words, my mind going blank.

Faces watching, waiting expectantly. I’d stop mid-flow, trying desperately to remember how to construct a sentence. The words seemed wrong, odd, out of place. I was mortified; an old hand at public speaking stuck for words. Colleagues said nothing, though I imagine they wondered was everything okay. I began to box clever; find ways to avoid putting myself in the limelight, or prepare

trying to reach the state of oblivion that I craved. For three days I’d hit the bottle as hard as I knew how. Friday night: cocktails, dinner and a club. Saturday: brunch, chain-smoking at the bar, spent avoiding the wimps who opted to eat rather than drink, then vodka straight from my host’s freezer. Sunday found me back on the plane to Los Angeles, working my way through a dozen or more miniatures. And as I stared at the empties, I thought, this is it. I never tasted alcohol again.

Of course, I knew about AA. I’d even called them

20 | March 2014 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E Feature_AA_Xmas.indd 30

appears

a girl, “merry” was a euphemism for drunk. There were

amusing or inventive language to describe their inebriated

chain-smoking at the bar, spent avoiding wimps who more. Why couldn’t I think straight? My brain felt muggy, t is difficult to pinpoint whenthe it all began. opted to eat rather than drink, vodkaI knew straight from slow, and my ability to think through a problem seemed I knew something wasthen wrong.

I was my host’shaving freezer. difficulty Sunday found me back onnames. the plane to be impaired. But maybe I was just overextending remembering Orto Los Angeles, working my way through a dozen or more myself ? At 61, I had a life-long career of senior executive forgetting where I had parked the car.

But miniatures. as I stared the empties, I thought, roles in the US and UK behind me, years of working in so And did lots of my at friends.

We joked about this it, community development and disability under my belt. blamed hormones, is it. I never tastedthe alcohol again. the advancing years.

I had contributed at board meetings, county council We laughed our latest follies. inside I Of course, I knewatabout AA. I’d evenBut called them meetings, chamber of commerce meetings. I campaigned was beginning to worry. For me, it wasn’t so much a loss during a booze-fuelled weekend in Hong Kong, but ofon for women’s rights, refugee rights, all human rights. I was memory, comebetter later, of butit.rather a general locatingthough the minithat bardid thought My problem was chairwoman of the West on Track, set up to campaign slowing down. A diminishing sense of capability. The Infor the re-opening of the Western Rail Corridor and I tray never emptying. The to-do list getting longer. What to be on that train, come hell or high water. used me a few2010 minutes maybe 30to |take December | T was h e taking G l oan s shour, MA G A Z I N planned e

which

is macerated in booze.

– which I do at least once a week – they’re unlikely to use

I

M

hile Christmas is not the only celebration

to revolve around drink, I can

honestly say that it’s the hardest

one for a recovering alcoholic to deal

punch, Santa’s sherry and brandy butter – the entire period

Between

TWO MINDS

back door and bottles of Champagne that took over the

W

Christmas is a season fraught with difficulties for many people, including single parents, the recently bereaved and the elderly. But for a recovering alcoholic it’s the most dangerous time of all. liz BRODY (not her real name) looks back to the early days of her addiction, and shares her experiences of party season drunk – and sober

appears

to revolve around drink, I can

honestly say that it’s the hardest

during a booze-fuelled weekend in Hong Kong, but on 18/11/2010 13:59:07

locating the mini bar thought better of it. My problem was

30 | December 2010 | T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e

50 | November 2016 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

p hoto g r a p h by g e t ty

W

AT CHRISTMAS

hile Christmas is not the only celebration

She was born a boy but knows her true gender is female.

One woman shares the heartwrenching story of her double life. Her family and work colleagues know her only as a man, but as far as she’s concerned, she’s all woman

SOBER

Christmas is a season fraught with difficulties for many people, including single parents, the recently bereaved and the elderly. But for a recovering alcoholic it’s the most dangerous time of all. liz BRODY (not her real name) looks back to the early days of her addiction, and shares her experiences of party season drunk – and sober

JASON LLOYD-EVANS

F

BEAUTY DESK

y earliest memory is playing at the feet of my aunt. I was about two at the time, and I distinctly remember her shoes – they were red pumps. Gorgeous. I’m from deepest rural Ireland. My parents were so religious I always joke that in our family we rebelled by going to mass only once a week. There’s just eleven months between my younger sister and I so we’ve always been close. My other sister is three years older, and I have a very vivid memory of being jealous of her Communion dress. I wanted to wear it. I suppose I would have been about four then. As far as my family are concerned, I’m a man. They have no idea I live most of my life as a woman.

Even as a young child, I was acutely aware that wanting to be one of the girls was wrong. I remember being taken away from my sisters and sent to work outside with my dad. They wanted to make a man of me. In school, I excelled academically and was always top of the class.

That isolated me from my peers. But my background is poor and my mother was adamant that we would all get a good education so we could leave and go to college. She always nurtured my more refined side – she loved that I liked books and reading, drawing and art, over more

O

ur often revelatory First Person pieces remain popular for their diverse subjects. In “Between Two Minds,” 61-year-old Helen Rochford Brennan explains how it felt to be diagnosed with early onset dementia: “How do you tell your loved ones that in time you won’t remember them?” In “Sober At Christmas”, a recovering alcoholic detailed the stresses of coping during party season: “Christmas takes us back to our families – sometimes miles away from the support of our home groups and our sponsors with whom we feel safe.” And more recently, in “A Tale of Two Lives”, an Irish transgender woman explained how she had been born a boy but yearned to live her authentic life.

“Sometimes I feel like a prepubescent girl waiting for a proper burst of hormones to kick in, but of course that’s not going to happen. They say you have to love yourself before someone else can love you and I don’t think I’m there yet.”

Photo Michel Gibert, used as a reference only. www.gudea.fr / TASCHEN.

French Art de Vivre

Episode corner composition in 2 mm thick solid leather, designed by Roberto Tapinassi and Maurizio Manzoni.

Tiss bookcase, designed by Bina Baitel.

Ovni cocktail tables, designed by Vincenzo Maiolino.

European manufacture

UNIT D1 - Beacon South Quarter, Dublin 18. Tel: 01-653-1650

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NEIL HURLEY

THE GLOSS THE IRISH AT HOME We delight in finding lived-in Irish homes which are truly original. The home of the late interior designer Peter Johnson, photographed by Luke White, became the cover of our 2011 book, The Irish at Home.

AN IRISH REVIVAL Everything in this shoot from 2015 is Irishdesigned or made. We love to support the many small businesses who bravely started or expanded during the recession.

DESIGNER LINES Peter O’Brien, a contributing editor to the magazine, was photographed pinning plates to a model’s dress for a story on china.

ON SET This house was stripped bare and restyled for a shopping shoot.

THE GLOSSY HOME

BARRY MC CALL

NEIL HURLEY

THE GLOSS Interiors, first published in October 2010, appears bi-annually in spring and autumn. As well as pages devoted to interesting Irish houses, photographed by Irish photographers, sets are built and locations borrowed for “still life” and styled shoots, mostly shot by contributing photographer Neil Hurley, which involve artfully arranging a collection of new furniture and accessories in an emptied-out space. Occasionally our preparation for shoots strays into family life, with rooms in our own homes given over as locations, or “props” disappearing from kitchens, bedrooms and halls. Often this goes unnoticed for a bit but the enquiry eventually comes: “Where is the chessboard/coffee pot/painting which normally hangs over the fireplace? Oh sorry honey, it’s on location this week …”

A DECADE OF COVERS Which did you like best?

A LAST MINUTE decision to add a sprinkling of snow to the cover of the January issue in 2010, right, coincided with the snowiest January in decades, resulting in much underserved congratulation for our clever meteorological foresight – and a surge in sales of furry trapper hats. Snow was chic!

A happy coincidence with a major weather event doesn’t always occur but all covers of THE GLOSS are very carefully selected. We’d love to hear which cover of the last decade you liked best. GO ONLINE to WWW.THEGLOSS.IE to vote for your favourite. Every voter is in with a chance to win a gorgeous champagne prize. ^

THE GLOSS MOOD NEWS / SPRUCED-UP INTERIORS / MEN’S WARDROBE / BEAUTY’S ROSY GLOW

UNUSUAL SCENTS / FEELING ITALIAN / POOLSIDE GLAMOUR / LAZY BRONZING / THIS WONDERFUL LITTLE PLACE

now every

MAGAZINE

MAGAZINE E

JANUARY 2010 / t4.50

THE IRIS

with THE

S

IRISH TIME

now every

THE iris

RED WHITE & BLUE

PAULINE BEWICK'S SECRETS / GLOSSY TRAVEL / STAYING VISIBLE IN MIDDLE AGE / THE LOW-TECH SUMMER

MAGAZINE

march 2013 / t4.50

JUNE 2015

month with

H TIMES

wine: bordeaux is back / beauty: bases & blushers / travel: delicious danish / interiors: spring clean

JULY/AUGUST 2015

month with

H TimEs

the f word what feminism really means to us

another airing

with THE

THE EASIEST WARDROBE

A Bright Midwinter

I LEAD A DOUBLE LIFE

VILLA RULES

AN IRISH TRANSGENDER STORY

BE THE BEST HOUSEGUEST EVER!

A GOOD OUTDOOR LOOK

THINGS TO TAKE UP AND GIVE UP LONG EVENINGS WELL SPENT

new looks

a man’s world

BAD BLOOD

IN THIS ISSUE “My most memorable encounters have all been in January: it augurs well for the rest of the year – adventure, excitement, possibility.”

S

IRISH TIME

say hello to your old clothes

CAREERISTA DECORISTA GARDENISTA ...

7

AGES OF WOMAN

modern florals classics revisited leather revival

offbeat careers

A HEPATITIS NIGHTMARE

WORKING IN A WORKOUT

BUSINESSWOMEN WHO TRAIN LIKE ATHLETES

POLLY DEVLIN, PAGE 28

“We have to make beautiful things, enjoy the process and support people who enable us … It is a universal truth that communities can pull together to pull through.”

grEat dames the female brains behind fashion

HOLIDAY HOMES Decorating Dilemmas!

Long dresses look SO right now

18/12/2009 14:36:25

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22/05/2015 17:31

MAGAZINE

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RUBY WAX'S GOOD MENTAL HEALTH / THE DETOX HOLIDAY / A YEAR OF GUILT-FREE LIVING / THE NEW NOMADS

with THE

with

how paid companionship pays off

benefits

EVENING

KATHY GILFILLAN, PAGE 30

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friends

A Stretch In The

LAINEY KEOGH, PAGE 44

“I believe out of bad comes some good.

Step away from the carnage and enter the New Year with a few resolutions.”

SPLASH OUT ON A SWIMSUIT / A ROSY FUTURE / BOOKS, FOOD, WINE & TRAVEL / EXOTIC JEWELLERY / INTRIGUING SCENTS

MAGAZINE

MAGAZINE

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IRISH TIME

MAGAZINE

JUNE 2016

JANUARY 2016

with THE IRISH

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AUTUMN ARTS BASHES / FRENCH FANCIES / FEELING EXPOSED / LIP SERVICE / HOW TO DRESS NOW / FOOD, WINE & BOOKS

TIMES

with THE IRISH

SEPTEMBER 2016

TIMES

with THE IRISH

BALLET FOR BEGINNERS Bending it like (Victoria) Beckham

TIMES

EXCLUSIVE FASHION INTERVIEWS

THE GLOSSY GUIDE TO

ELLE MACPHERSON VICTORIA BECKHAM CHRISTINE NAGEL

SUMMER PARTIES

HOLLYWOOD to KILDARE THE MAKING OF A WORLD-CLASS MUSEUM

THE BIG

FASHION

FASHION

ISSUE

GREAT SPRING LOOKS

A GOOD

NEW SEASON TREND REPORT + STYLE AT EVERY AGE WHAT BUYERS ARE BUYING

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NEW TRENDS MAKE YOUR WARDROBE COME ALIVE

+ GET OUT THERE AND ACE YOUR SUMMER FASHION LOOK

FASHION’S NEW IDEAS FOR 2016

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52 | November 2016 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

20/02/2015 15:22

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20/05/2016 09:49

19/08/2016 18:14

Hand Cooked.

Time Honoured.

Carefully Crafted.

RAVAGED TASTE ABOVE ALL ELSE

POLLY DEVLIN

RARE BIRD For eight years, Polly Devlin wrote a monthly column for THE GLOSS, about the extraordinary, the unusual and the everyday. To mark the ten-year anniversary of THE GLOSS, we persuaded her to write once more

Happy Birthday, THE GLOSS! I wonder what age you really are?

There’s a wonderful line in Under The Greenwood Tree by Thomas Hardy – one of the funniest books I’ve ever read. (I bet you didn’t know he was funny, especially not after reading tragic Tess or dark sorrowful Jude, but it’s true). In it, Dick, our well-named dark Poldarkian hero shouts up to Fancy, his new wife (if have another child I am going to call her Fancy … or even Fancy That given what people would be saying if I had another child), anyway, get back on course Polly, anyway Dick shouts upstairs to Fancy …

“How long will you be putting on your bonnet, Fancy?”

“Only a minute.”

“How long is that?”

“Well, dear, five.”

“Ah, sonnies,” says his father, “tis a talent of the female race that low numbers should stand for high, more especially in matters of waiting, matters of age and matters of money.” So Madame Gloss, I know your low public age but your real age? For I have a feeling, in terms of the tumultuous change and pace and stretch of modern life that magazines are the same as dogs, and have multiple years for every year. News and fashion from ten years ago are already antiquity. So really this magazine is just into the prime of life, like all of us, whatever age we are. So felicitations to us all.

When I think of how much has happened in those ten years when I wrote for THE GLOSS I stumble back amazed. I am gobsmacked by the ground I covered, and was allowed – nay encouraged – to cover by my editors; and grateful too for their patience. They never knew until the day after deadline what I would be writing about or how long it would be; and the simple truth of why that was is that I hadn’t a clue either. Never. It’s like getting blood out of a stone making me write, though once I get down to it I do it in minutes. The day before deadline I would start fossicking and pawing the ground and would f ling around the kitchen lashing the tail and tidying napkins and whining to Una about the evilness of editors, and she would as often as not say peacably, “Is there an article due for THE GLOSS by any chance? “and I would stamp out mortified that my cover had been blown.

And then what I sent to the now blessed editors was absolutely unpredictable. And again they, God bless ‘em, never questioned one month I’d talk about giving a ghastly dinner with Princess Margaret, the

54 | November 2016 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

WHATEVER FLOATS YOUR BOAT Peggy Guggenheim, pictured in Venice in 1968, embodied all that is fabulous about eccentrics for Polly.

next about what happened when I fell in love with beautiful clothes; then a paean of sadness about losing my wonderful Nuala O’Faolain; or how to lie; or self-esteem and the lack of it ... and the name-dropping that went on! Jean Shrimpton (“I’m secure enough not to worry about whether men think I’m sexy or not as long as the man I’m with thinks I am) Peggy Guggenheim, Diana Vreeland, (“I always looked rich … I’ve spent so much money in my life that it’s almost taken the place of the real thing”) John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Catherine Deneuve, (“I read that that I am the most beautiful girl in the world but I do not believe it.” Oh, la la la Catherine.) I also got aperçus. Lennon said “I’m never conscious of being a Beatle. I’m just me” and modest George Harrison: “I’m beginning to know that all I know is that I know nothing.” A soi-disant friend of Mia Farrow confided “She was born cynical and thinks she was born wise.” But they were all people I knew. So what’s a girl to do but tell stories? And I was born a seanachaí. In Molière’s Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme M Jourdain cries, “Good heavens! For more than 40 years I have been speaking prose without knowing it.” And looking back I see I have coined aphorisms without knowing it. “Money can’t buy happiness,” I wrote sagely, “but it can go a long way towards leasing the premises.”

All the same, it’s difficult to write a column over and over again. The trick of it is that when you, my lovely reader, think you hear my voice, think it was an easy thing to do, think the subject was inevitable, then the column has justified its very existence. Looking back through my life and times for THE GLOSS I can only be delighted that The Boss of THE GLOSS, Jane McDonnell invited me. I knew I would have a wonderful audience. Which I had. SO Happy Birthday to us all. See page 56 for vintage Polly.

POLLY DEVLIN DID I REALLY SAY THAT?

RARE BIRDS

There are few things more embarrassng than realising you’ve made a huge faux pas

In a world of conformists, Polly decided to applaud the true eccentrics

N

ew research has been going on into why we make blunders and apparently the dinner party guest who puts his foot in his mouth could lack a crucial mental ability that stops the rest of us from inadvertently expressing our true reactions. According to a new research report in a journal of the American Psychological Society, some of us are naturally better at holding our tongues than others, but even the most tactful among us should be extra wary of making social blunders when we are under strain or fatigued since apparently we may well blurt out the truth when we’re stressed or distracted.

I have to watch my husband like a hawk in some situations as he has a terrible innocence when it comes to conversations and cherished being kind to people and putting them at their ease when it’s the last thing they want. Years ago we were going to a dinner party (even writing those words make me feel happy that those days are gone – who ever gives a dinner party now?) and my husband’s flight was delayed so we were already sitting down when he arrived. I saw who he was placed next to, but it was too late to tell him who it was. I wasn’t strictly eavesdropping you understand, but I could hear that he was being solicitude itself to his dazzlingly pretty little Swedish blonde neighbour. He warned her not to let herself be taken advantage of by her employer (especially the husband, he said darkly) and no matter how nice the family was she should only work five hours a day

I wasn’t STRICTLY eavesdropping but I could hear he was being SOLICITUDE itself ... maximum, and she must of course have her own room. He warmed to his theme of what an au pair girl’s rights were and I could see she was looking more and more puzzled at the odd turn this conversation was taking. Finally she put an end to it. “I’m Britt Ekland,” she said.

Did he learn? Ha! Not long after, we were having lunch with a well-known gardener, Alvilde Lees-Milne, at her house near Badminton and some guests who were staying at the local Downton Abbey came in for pre-lunch drinks.

I saw my husband talking to one of these new visitors and, remembering Britt, tried surreptitiously to sidle over to him to tell him – nay warn him – about who he was talking to, but I was thwarted at every turn and had to leave them to it. Every time I glanced over they seemed to be talking animatedly and with mutual interest and I was astonished.

What could they have in common? When the temporary guests departed and we were going into luncheon I drew alongside him and said, “What were you talking to that man about?” “Oh,” he said, “He’s a gardener and we had a wonderful time exchanging the names of roses.”

“His name,” I said carefully, “is Mick Jagger.” Not that I had anything to be smug about. At the same luncheon I was introduced to Bignton-Duff and Hanbury-Tenison and Carter–Smythe; on and on went the double-barrelled names until finally I whispered to James Lees-Milne, “Spare me from all these people who need their awful hyphenated names to prove to themselves who they are.”

56 | November 2016 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

E

ccentrics are the bright sparks in the everyday routine of our lives, valuable mavericks. John Stuart Mill wrote in “On Liberty” that “The amount of eccentricity in a society has generally been proportional to the amount of genius, mental vigour and moral courage it contains”.

We can be protected from a tyrant, but it’s much harder to be protected against the tyranny of the prevailing opinion and feeling. People are subject to what society thinks is suitable and are fashioned by it. The prevailing opinion within society is the basis for rules of conduct and there is no safeguard in law against the tyranny of the majority; the safeguards are the eccentrics who break the rules without doing harm. Authentic eccentrics have no idea that they are breaking rules. They make them up as they troll along.

The eccentric beauty I just missed meeting was the extravagant Luisa Casati, Marchesa di Roma. She began life fabulously wealthy – reputedly the richest woman in Italy – and died penniless in London foraging in dustbins. She paraded the streets of Venice with a pair of cheetahs on jewelled leashes and wore live snakes as jewellery. Born before her time (eccentrics often are) now she would be acclaimed as a performance artist and indeed once said: “I want to be a living work of art”. Oddly enough she lived in the palace where afterwards Peggy Guggenheim lived and where I spent my honeymoon and holidays – and it was from Peggy that I learned that there was no point to not being selfconfident. Her face was dominated by an extraordinary

STARTING OVER A January encounter was the catalyst that changed Polly Devlin’s life forever

T

he New Year is always a hinge on which my life swings. So many of my most memorable encounters have been in January and it always augurs well for the rest of the year – adventure, excitement, possibility. If I open the calendar of my years and flip it to the January pages, a series of images and memories spring up.

Here we are. The sun is shining and the domes of Isfahan are the craziest turquoise I’ve ever seen. I’m with the photographer Norman Parkinson and he’s ten foot tall and blond with a white moustache and a golden skull cap, the most farouche person I’ve ever met, and I’m not far behind in the eccentric-looking stakes, at five foot eight in a skirt 20 inches long. The pair of us are in the souk and the people swarming in on us are small and dark and for a while I know frighteningly what it must be like to be ET or a Beatle, to be mobbed by people wanting to touch you or maybe kill you.

I am filled with astonishment and excitement to find myself in this exotic place, Persia, as I thought of it then, a fabulous country:

squashy-tipped nose, done in the very early days of plastic surgery, but she was merry about it.

“My nose was ugly before, but after the operation it was worse. I always knew when it was going to rain because my nose became a sort of barometer and would swell up in bad weather.” (When we sat on the terrace to watch a festival Peggy would unscrew the remarkable penis from Marino Marini’s sculpture of a man on a horse, so as not to offend the sensibilities of the gondoliers who couldn’t have cared tuppence.) The other great eccentrics in my life included Lesley Blanch who tried to turn me into a modern version of Lady Hester Stanhope (truly eccentric) but that’s a story for another day; and the fabulous Diana Vreeland who taught me such a valuable lesson that I didn’t know its worth until much later in life; that to be unashamed of who and how you are, to reach out for the unreachable, is essential. She once said “I think I have an absolutely solid, ordinary point of view.”

But of course one of the things that makes eccentricity extraordinary, is that eccentrics never try to be fantastical, to be larger than life. If they think about their behaviour at all, which is unlikely, they think they behave perfectly normally. (Big Rule: if someone says they are eccentric they are not; they are tiresome.) Eccentricity is generally a sign of strength of character and eccentrics’ deviation from the norm is instinctive and natural, if the word natural can ever be used within their aura.

vibrant, open, cosmopolitan and on another planet to what it is now – and though I know now that all kinds of dark things were festering there, I experienced it as a magic carpet. I was there to interview the Empress Farah Dibah, the wife of the Shah of Iran, and I drove with her and her large entourage in a cavalcade of cars to her house in the snowy mountains where she was mad keen to ski. There was a lot of excitable kerfuffle one way or another as her luggage was being loaded but eventually everything was packed in and we set off. I wasn’t getting anywhere much since the protocol was fierce and she was, as one might expect, formal, evasive and discreet.

It was a perfect day for skiing and when we arrived she wanted to set out for the slopes immediately. I prepared to plod along, not expecting any revelations or insight when – eureka! – the shit hit the fan. The servants or the courtiers, of whom there were many, had forgotten the most essential items – the Queen’s skiing boots.

I got an insight into a fed-up and angry human being instead of a cool grand lady. As a result of that January expedition and the resultant article I was offered a job on a French magazine. And because of that, I met in Paris the man who became my husband, and my life changed for ever. ^

Co u nt y Wick l ow + 3 5 3 ( 0 ) 4 0 4 6 4 548 w w w.noel dem psey.com

CHRISTMAS MARVELS

JUST FOR YOU ...

Step into The Marvel Room at Brown Thomas and discover extraordinary gifts and bespoke luxuries from the finest international and Irish brands. You’ll be bowled over by the eclectic mix of the most exciting and covetable fashion and beauty, technology and toys, all brought together in one dazzling space …

FOR THE LADY Glittering jewels and extraordinary luxuries from Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Chanel, Tom Ford, Céline, Chloé, Proenza Schouler, Jimmy Choo, Loewe and many others – think exquisite handbags and wallets, shoes and cutting-edge jewellery, and even a pair of glittering sequined slippers.

FOR THE GENTLEMAN Exclusive accessories and dapper gifts include cufflinks by Tateossian, monogrammable Smythson notebooks, briefcases, wallets, and Tom Ford leather accessories.

FOR MINI MARVELS Enchant their imagination with delightful toys, books and novelties, from the coolest Penny skateboards to magic sets and vintage pedal cars – even a child-size Vespa.

STYLISH STOCKING FILLERS The littlest gifts that offer maximum joy, from fun stationery by Kate Spade to Happy Plugs earphones and, of course, delicious sweet treats.

FOR THE ELEGANT HOME The most luxurious items to feather the chicest nests. Choose from limited-edition candles by Fornasetti and Diptyque, exclusive collectable Zaha Hadid designs and a stylish selection of impressive coffee table books ...

OTHERWORDLY GIFTS Stylish and unique design gifts to last a lifetime, including the finest cashmere by Lucy Nagle and Madigan Whisker, handmade one-off pieces by The Tweed Project; J Hill’s Standard contemporary Irish glasses and scarves by Une Écharpe Une Vie ...

NOW OPEN, LEVEL 1, BROWN THOMAS, DUBLIN AND ONLINE AT WWW.BROWNTHOMAS.COM

1 Punk earring, €315, by Charlotte Chesnais.

2 A Christmas Story 3D pop-up book by Robert Sabuda, €30. 3 Retro Chandelier frame bag, €3,350, by Dolce & Gabbana. 4 Golden Burlesque candle, €260, by Fornasetti Profumi. 5 Baies 1500g hand-painted scented candle, €270, by Diptyque.

6 Black Braid vase, Zaha Hadid, €450. 7 Red vintage children’s fire truck, €110, by Baghera. 8 Portrait of a Lady eau de parfum, €250, by Frederic Malle.

9 Men’s leather accessories, from €240, by Tom Ford. 10 Silver sequined slipper shoes, €590, by Loewe. 11 Alexander McQueen Unseen by Robert Fairer, €65, Thames & Hudson. 12 Emerald green crocodile handbag, €9,800, by Gucci. 13 Virtual Reality One Plus headset, €150, by Zeiss.

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EXTRAORDINARY GIFTS

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PEAKY BLINDER Peach crystal drop earrings, d16.95, at AVOCA. Crystal pin, DOLCE & GABBANA, d295, at Brown Thomas.

Moss green wool hat, d150, ANTHONY PETO, 14 South Anne Street, Dublin 2. Moss green Bear Run shearling coat, d2,225; khaki polo-neck sweater with orange cuffs, d335; both WWW. ZOE-JORDAN.COM. Silver lace blouse, JILL DE BURCA, d280, at Made, Powerscourt Townhouse, Dublin 2.

BEAUTY NOTE: Keep nail length short when going darker: try Chanel's plum berry Mythique 512 over a base coat.

PRECIOUS, MOI? Irreverently layer clothes and jewellery for a look that is all your own Photographed by VERONIKA FAUSTMANN / Styled by CORINA GAFFEY

VELVET GOLDMINE Garnet and 18ct rose gold ring, d635; topaz and 18ct rose gold ring, d635; both Moi Collection at WEIR & SONS, 96-99 Grafton Street, Dublin 2. Citrine and 15ct gold Victorian necklace, d5,995 at COURTVILLE ANTIQUES, Powerscourt Townhouse, Dublin 2.

Rust silk-velvet top, HAIDER ACKERMANN, d1,140, at Havana, 2 Anglesea Road, Donnybrook, Dublin 4.

Blue gingham cotton shirt, d51; WWW.ASOS.COM.

BEAUTY NOTE: Choose a moisturising lipstick when wearing a darker tone – it’s easier to carry off than matte.

This Chanel Rouge Allure Lipstick in 247 Ultra Berry is a rich, flattering winter shade.

VICTORIAN SECRETS Citrine, diamond and 18ct yellow gold earrings with a detachable drop, d5,000-d8,000, ADAM’S (December 7 auction), 26 St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2. Sapphire, diamond and platinum ring, POA, BOODLES, 71 Grafton Street, Dublin 2.

Jade and 18ct yellow gold ring, d3,400, TIFFANY & CO. 18ct yellow gold ring set with rubies, d4,950, NATASHA SHERLING FINE JEWELLERY. 18ct yellow gold Wave bangle, ELSA PERETTI, d1,100, Tiffany & Co. Gold and diamond Complication watch with beige leather strap, PATEK PHILIPPE, d31,750, at Boodles, as before. White enamel and diamond Art Nouveau pansy pin, d895, at COURTVILLE ANTIQUES, as before. White skull with gold top hat pin, d480, LAFFORD FINE JEWELLERY. Gold tweed jacket, d1,665, SIMONE ROCHA at Havana, as before. Ivory embellished sheer blouse, SEE BY CHLOÉ, d265, at Brown Thomas.

BEAUTY NOTE: For a bright, flawless complexion, Chanel Sublimage Le Teint Foundation is both hydrating and longlasting. Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Powder helps add a soft contour and warms the skin.

FRESH CREAM Gold vermeil Saturn hoop earrings, CHARLOTTE CHESNAIS, at Brown Thomas. On model's left hand: 9ct rose gold Mini Shard ring; 9ct yellow gold Mini Shard ring; silver Mini Shard ring; all MARIA DORAI-RAJ, at Stonechat, 19, The Westbury Mall, Balfe Street, Dublin 2.

Stainless Steel Oyster Perpetual 26mm watch, ROLEX, d4,550, at Weir & Sons, as before. On model's right hand: silver bangle, d69; 14ct gold bangles, d799 each; silver stacking rings, from d39 each; all PANDORA. Cream

cable-knit sweater, d40, MARKS & SPENCER. Fox fur collar, d300; WWW. ZOE-JORDAN.COM.

BEAUTY NOTE: Add definition to the eyes with Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long Lasting Eyeliner along the waterline, and a few coats of Le Volume de Chanel Mascara.

BLUE BLOOD Crystal pins, DOLCE & GABBANA, d295 each, at The Marvel Room, Brown Thomas. Stainless steel East-West 24-7 watch with navy double leather strap, d3,500, TIFFANY & CO. Marble and wire earrings, d14; WWW.DONTKILLMYVIBE. IE. Collarless indigo denim jacket, MARQUES ALMEIDA, d460; navy metallic polo neck, CARVEN, d270; both at Brown Thomas.

BEAUTY NOTE: “Applying Chanel Joues Contraste Powder Blush in 360 Hyperfresh using a domed powder brush helps to create an ‘Irish rose’ complexion,” notes Christine Lucignano.

LADY LUXE Moonshine ring, d16; Kryptonite ring, d14; both WWW.DONTKILL MYVIBE.IE. Gold-plated North Star ring, CHUPI, d289, at Arnotts.

Chandelier earrings, BRILLIANT INC, d215, at Brown Thomas. Brocade coat with crystal detail, d6,900; denim shirt, d450; silk and leather belt, d390; all MIU MIU. Cream cable knit sweater, d40, MARKS & SPENCER. Cream highneck blouse, d49.95, ZARA. Purple Celeste suede clutch with crystal jewel buttons, JIMMY CHOO, d1,150, at Brown Thomas.

BEAUTY NOTE: For an effortlessly groomed look, keep nails pale and understated in Chanel's pale creamy beige Organdi 504.

Photographed by Veronika Faustmann.

Styled by Corina Gaffey.

Assisted by Brian Lyng.

Jewellery styled by Natasha Sherling.

Make-up by celebrity make-up artist Christine Lucignano using CHANEL. Hair by Sarah Ethel.

Nails by Pamela Laird using CHANEL. For stockists, www.thegloss.ie

- EXCLUSIVE CHRISTMAS SHOPPING EVENT Treat yourself to an evening of pampering, 15% off purchases* and a luxury goody bag worth €40* to begin your Christmas shopping in style.

L’OCCITANE is delighted to invite readers of THE GLOSS to an exclusive shopping evening to celebrate the start of the festive season. Join us at boutiques across Ireland and indulge in a relaxing hand and arm massage, discover skincare and fragrances perfect for you, take home a complimentary beauty bag worth over €40* and enjoy an exclusive 15% discount* on the night.

During the event, you’ll be introduced to L’OCCITANE’s irresistible new Christmas Gift Collection while you enjoy a glass of bubbly. There will even be complimentary gift-wrapping whilst you indulge in your well-deserved pamper!

YOUR GIFT Tuesday 6th December 2016 6.30pm - 8.30pm at L’OCCITANE Ireland boutiques* Reserve your place now to avoid disappointment. Call 0818-333231 (quoting L’OCCITANE THE GLOSS) or book online at www.tickets.ie/THEGLOSS. Tickets cost €10 and are non-refundable. Terms and conditions apply.

*Terms & Conditions: 1. Special discount offers only valid in store on the night of the event 2. Discount excludes gift sets and special value items 3. Goody bag contents may vary 4. Event excludes Kildare Village Boutique.

BEAUTY NEWS THE NEW ARRIVAL H&M’s interesting sister & OTHER STORIES arrives in Dublin this month, at long last, and apart from the clothes and accessories, we’re excited about the beauty on offer: we’ve always liked how accessible make-up and skincare is, with its instore basins to try handwashes. Their new PARIS ATELIER beauty range includes intriguing natural ingredients such as saffron, plum oil, white truff le extract, algae and even oyster shells for exfoliating. We’ll be stocking up on MAYWEED CUTICLE BALM (¤15) with chamomile extract, and the rather gorgeous CALIPER BODY OIL with walnut, hazelnut and plum oils. Bring in your empties and get ten per cent off your next beauty buy.

Beauty News THE REVIVAL We thought it went out with the 1980s, but hair mousse is making a comeback, not just for volumising (we love Ouai Soft Mousse, at www.panachecosmetics.com) but also for styling that lasts, without crispiness: try L’Oréal Paris Elnett Satin Crème de Mousse, d8.99.

STOP PRESS

THE NEW ARRIVAL When did the humble candle become so upmarket? This is the season to create a fragrant atmosphere at the strike of a match: head to Arnotts, where Irishmade RATHBORNES candles have just arrived (from ¤36), and find CANDELLA’s attractive copper jars at Kildare Village (¤65). NEOM’s Christmas Candle is always a treat, too (from ¤36). ARMANI/PRIVÉ and TOM FORD are venturing into scented “couture” candles: make this the year your home smells of Giorgio’s Rose d’Arabie (¤85) or Tom’s Neroli Portofino (¤210), rather than damp dog.

THE COLLABORATION

True Story Cheek and Lip Palette, d45.

Mind Game Mini Velvet Lip Glide Coffret, d39, at SpaceNK.

Nars’ collaborations are always eminently collectable, with striking yet wearable colours, and the latest, with French photographer Sarah Moon, is one of the best. “I wanted it to feel almost as if the woman is transparent,” says François Nars, who looks to create a “delicate, strong and very modern” make-up look that’s never a mask. Nars has admired Moon’s work since the early 1970s when she was doing editorial shoots for Elle and Vogue: “Creating the collection was the easiest thing because Sarah is a photographer of beauty ... you

are inspired by the colours in her photographs.” The limited edition Moon Matte Lipsticks in a high-pigment formula are jumping out at us, and there are some beautiful Christmas gifts: we long for the Velvet Lip Glides in six shades (left), at Brown Thomas.

“I WANTED IT TO BE VERY MODERN AND FEEL ALMOST AS IF THE WOMAN IS TRANSPARENT.” FRANÇOIS NARS

We’ve just heard that DOLCE & GABBANA beauty is on the way to Ireland in 2017. So far, the collection has only been available in the UK, but next year we’ll get to try the classy lipsticks and skincare for ourselves.

Watch this space ... ◆

Moon Matte Lipstick, d26, limited edition.

THE GIFTS We always want our Christmas to smell like JO MALONE LONDON – previous years have brought us Blue Spruce, and Pine & Eucalyptus, not to mention the ever-relevant and popular Pomegranate Noir (worn by as many men as women). This year’s collection celebrates Orange Bitters, an elegant bright citrus blended with warm sandalwood and amber – and this time you can wear the Cologne (¤114) as well as scent rooms with the Scented Candle (¤155).

The Synthetic de CHANEL collection lands tomorrow, with dazzling nail colours including Liquid Mirror, a reflective silver that looks super-chic with black velvet. ◆ BROOKE & SHOALS’ eau de toilette in Lemon Leaves, Grapefruit & Green Tea smells clean and bright – and it’s Irish. ¤65.

T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E | November 2016 | 67

BEAUTY

Buffet

BY SARAH HALLIWELL

This neat Sparkle Clash Collector Palette by YSL, the size of a phone, is a winter highlight. ¤75, at Brown Thomas.

MISSONI

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WE’RE USING ...

These days, we need an eye cream that goes everywhere with us, from car to pocket, so we can smooth it on regularly. The neatest and most trusty is CLINIQUE’s pop-up Pep-Start Eye Cream (1) ¤28: it’s bright orange so we can spot it at the bottom of a bag.

ROYAL FLUSH Why blusher should be on your radar for AW16

B

lush has never been a key part of our make-up bags, to be honest. If you wear bright lipstick, or lots of eyeliner, blusher can feel a step too far and take you into overly made-up territory; we’re also wary of looking perpetually embarrassed. But at the AW16 shows, we saw the idea of a wintry f lush being used to great effect: at Teatum Jones, Andrew Gallimore heightened cheekbones with MAC blush shades of aubergine and plum to create “medieval, windswept, wind-chilled cheeks,” while at Mary Katrantzou, Lynsey Alexander talked about “a continuous tone of burgundy, looking a bit cold in the cheeks”: try MAC’s Sketch for a hint of burgundy. Talking to Lisa Eldridge, creative director for Lancôme, at the launch of the brand’s Cushion Blush Subtil, made us keen to experiment with blusher again for the first time in years, from powders to liquids and creams.

Eldridge notes that your blush should complement your lip colour, and Lancôme’s Cushion Blush shades (¤38.50) have been designed to tone in with the new L’Absolu Rouge lipsticks. Tap a tiny bit onto the apples of your cheeks if you’re nervous of overdoing it. Chanel’s Powder Blush in Hyperfresh (below, limited edition, ¤40) is tempting us, too – it’s such a fresh shade, and the lightest dust of it makes you look instantly more healthy and awake.

Inika’s organic Lip & Cheek Cream (¤21.90; www. inikaorganic.com) is a versatile natural version, and Lipstick Queen’s Frog Prince Cream Blush (¤28, at SpaceNK) is just brilliant – it’s an alarming green that adjusts to your skin tone in the most f lattering way, so that every time you wear it, people tell you how well you look. Because it’s almost a gloss, you don’t get that f lat, pore-filling powdery finish that can look a bit old-fashioned.

In general, keep blush minimal, place it high up on your cheekbones to give your face a lift, and dial down the rest of your make-up.

The original beauty classic that’s brilliant for winter, ELIZABETH ARDEN Eight Hour Cream Lip Protectant comes in this Palette (2) for winter, with plum, blush and berry shades for lips and cheeks to see you through to spring and beyond. ¤34.

Perfume lovers who like something a bit different should gravitate to the new quartet of MAISON MARGIELA Replica eau de parfums, the brainchild of creative director John Galliano, including Dancing on the Moon, an ethereal, sparkling blend of bright white flowers and aldehydes (3), ¤130, at Brown Thomas.

We’re heading back to THE BODY SHOP this season: their Oils of Life and face masks are top-notch, and a new focus on make-up includes matte lipsticks and cushion foundation. The unexpectedly sleek new perfume collection includes Nigritella, an expensive-smelling peachy, warm oriental (¤59.50).

Stop in for brow threading (¤16) or a make-over (¤25), both redeemable against purchase.

HOT STUFF In Dublin this month, Jo Robertson of GHD (the tools used to create sleek ponytails at Victoria Beckham’s spring catwalk) showed us how easily a few twists with the Platinum Styler (¤215) can turn a scruffy blowdry into a tousled, natural wave in minutes. We love its copper look, too. The new foldable flight travel hairdryer (¤59) makes the perfect Christmas gift: it’s brilliantly light but powerful. The focus now is hair health: GHD’s 60-strong team, based in their Cambridge lab, work to ensure that the heat tools are the optimum temperature for styling hair without damaging it. At Peter Mark salons and www.ghdhair.com.

68 | November 2016 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

TRIED & TESTED Treatment on trial WHAT Dr Hauschka signature facial WHO Tara O’Rourke is a holistic therapist, homeopath and yoga teacher.

WHERE Saol Beo, 43 Fitzwilliam Square, Dublin 2, 087 414 0718; www.saolbeo. ie. At the top of an elegant townhouse on Fitzwilliam Square, this stylish eyrie is surprisingly peaceful for somewhere so central, with a soundtrack of seagulls. All treatments use organic skincare.

THE LOWDOWN This is so much more than a facial – it’s more of a healing treatment that does as much for your mind as your skin. Starting with a sage foot bath, every part of your body is carefully and sensitively stretched and soothed, while your face is gently cleansed, exfoliated, massaged with oils and hydrated with masks. O’Rourke has a wonderfully gentle and intuitive manner, and healing hands that smooth away tension – you’ll leave feeling uniquely de-stressed; your newly plumped, deeply hydrated skin is a bonus. If you’re feeling fragile or exhausted, we can’t recommend this treatment highly enough.

TAKE HOME Once you’ve breathed in the natural aromas of lemon, thyme and rose, you’ll feel like binning all your hightech skincare in favour of organic Hauschka creams and tonics. The classic Rose Day Cream (d25) has few equals for making skin look and feel peachy with a lasting glow. COST d110, 120 minutes. Facials start from d55.

FLY DUBLIN TO LONDON, WHERE GREAT SERVICE IS ALWAYS IN FASHION

Book at cityjet.com

BUSINESS BUSINESS WISDOM WISDOM THE ACCOMPLISHMENT YOU ARE MOST PROUD OF? I am the third generation of my family to work in the Irish food industry and I am incredibly proud of that. I am also proud that my husband and I have raised two hardworking children and we now have two gorgeous granddaughters.

HOW YOU APPROACH DIFFICULT SITUATIONS? I am usually calm in conflict. I try to find a sensitive way to get my point across so things can move forward. I don’t play the blame game – my attitude is that we are all in this together.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE YOU TO GET READY IN THE MORNING? Not long – my thought process is all about how quickly I can get out the door and beat traffic.

WHAT KEEPS YOU AWAKE AT NIGHT? Very little! I have a very busy social life. My husband and I are involved in the yacht club and we like to go to restaurants with friends. I enjoy travelling too – but I always check my work emails, even at the weekend. Staying connected keeps me sane. I enjoy my work so much I don’t feel I need to get away from it.

FROM THE DESK OF ...

PHOTOGRAPH BY AL HIGGINS

Triona Byrne

THE CV Triona Byrne qualified as a chartered accountant with KPMG before founding her own small accounting practice. She then joined Cuisine de France at its very beginnings and remained there until it was sold in 1997. A career change followed, which involved buying into a shop fitting company which she sold profitably. She then worked with Gem Pack Foods Ltd as financial controller, after which she joined The Jelly Bean Factory, which was acquired by Swedish company Cloetta.

THE COMPANY? Cloetta is a Swedish confectionery and nuts company, founded in 1862, with 13 factories in six countries and products sold in 50 markets worldwide. In June 2014, it acquired Dublin-based Aran Candy Ltd, which includes The Jelly Bean Factory brand.

DESCRIBE YOUR ROLE: I am responsible for the day-to-day operation of the company’s finance function and the preparation and presentation of accurate and timely management accounts. My role at The Jelly Bean Factory was slightly different to what it is now. Being a plc there is much more internal control in the financial management of the company.

HIGHLIGHTS AND CHALLENGES DURING YOUR TENURE? In the early days of working at The Jelly Bean Factory we struggled with securing finance. And while the sale of the company was a challenge in itself, it was also a huge professional highlight. A highlight during my tenure at Cloetta has been learning how to operate within a much larger international organisation.

DID ANYTHING IN YOUR FAMILY BACKGROUND INFLUENCE YOUR JOURNEY TO YOUR CURRENT ROLE? Both my grandfather and father worked at Batchelors. Then my father Pat Loughrey and Ronan McNamee set up Cuisine de France where I was financial controller, so the business of food was a constant topic in our family.

FINANCE MANAGER, CLOETTA

A CHARACTERISTIC YOU BELIEVE A BUSINESS LEADER SHOULD POSSESS? A good leader should lead by example. I admire people who are prepared to start new businesses and take on all the associated risks.

WHAT IS THE MOST USEFUL WAY TO ENGAGE CLIENTS? In the context of a global food business, I believe exhibitions are best. They provide a valuable platform to engage potential customers and discuss new products and ideas with existing customers. We exhibit at events worldwide under Bord Bia’s Origin Green initiative, where we showcase the sustainable high standards of Irish products. Making valuable connections is about quality not quantity, so I will email selected people beforehand to arrange meetings.

ADVICE TO WOMEN WHO ASPIRE TO BE IN LEADERSHIP ROLES? Work hard and never hide your ambition. I have learned that it is important to develop not only myself, but also the women I work with. If I was giving advice to my younger self, I would say don’t worry, and enjoy all the experiences work throws at you. There can be good times and bad times but if you keep looking you will find the right role for you. ^

MY WORKING LIFE:

THE WAY I DO BUSINESS 1. WORK/LIFE BALANCE I like to take small breaks often. I’m lucky that at this stage in our lives my husband and I can take off – we had our family young so we are enjoying our freedom now. 2.

STRENGTHS? I’m tough

but fair. I’m currently using my management skills to ensure integration into the Cloetta way of working happens smoothly.

3. WEAKNESSES?

Reaching out to all aspects of the business rather than just finance is a weakness which I am working on. 4. LOOKING THE BUSINESS My style is what Americans would call “business casual”. I usually wear trousers and jackets or a dress maybe once a week. I like Irish designers such as Louise Kennedy and Helen McAlinden.

5. PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE

said to keep in mind that the next generation are most likely going to live to be 100, so we need to focus on our own long lives and plan accordingly. I manage my funds for retirement myself so the fees are minimal.

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I

plan to keep working for a long time. At my BComm reunion, John Teeling

FOOD

THIS WONDERFUL LITTLE PLACE . . . R E V I S I TE D

Lulu Guinness finds romance in Notting Hill, August 2007

I

’ve been eating at Julie’s nigh on 30 years but, recently, it’s taken on a whole meaning; I went there on a blind date three years ago and we are still together. The restaurant has two bars and is a rabbit warren of interconnecting dining rooms, each decorated in contrasting styles and covered in ethnic ‘bits’ and mad-looking antiques. It is the ultimate ‘date’ restaurant – there are dark, velvety alcoves and it appeals to couples of a certain age – it was massively popular in the 1960s and 1970s. Countless friends of mine enjoyed their first-ever dinner at this famously characterful spot. Julie’s is also a refreshing antidote to London’s sleek, modern restaurants which really aren’t for me. I’m no gourmet foodie either and I love their traditional British fare.

They serve a proper Sunday roast that tastes exactly like one your mother might cook at home; bizarrely something few other restaurants seem to be able to master. What’s really wonderful though is that, on Sundays, they offer a crêche so parents can enjoy a long, lazy lunch while someone else looks after their toddlers. As a working mother of two children, one of whom is just ten, my ‘going out’ time is so precious. I don’t eat at Julie’s to be seen, I go there to have a good time! IN CONVERSATION WITH CAROLINE SCOTT. Julie’s Restaurant & Bar, 135 Portland Road, London W11, 0044 207 229 8331; www.juliesrestaurant.com.

J004080 Thomas Henry Ad The Gloss 243x153mm JM1 PRINT.indd 1

Hilary Duff chows down in Knightsbridge, June 2007

I

have a few favourite foods: Thai, Italian and Chinese. When I’m in London, maybe once or twice a year, I always make time for a meal at Mr Chow, where they serve the most delicious, authentic Beijing cuisine. Pesto shrimp, spicy chicken, pork dumplings and spring rolls would be my recommendations.

Throughout his life, owner Michael Chow has turned his hand to many projects; he’s not solely a restaurateur but also a designer, painter and actor, with restaurants in New York and Beverly Hills (and one opening next year in South Beach, Miami) but London is where it all started when he opened his first restaurant in 1968. I usually take a big group – my band and the crew who travel with us overseas. On our last visit, we celebrated my album making it into the top ten. Simon Cowell was hosting a big table across from us, which was cool. He was very sweet and came over to say ‘hi’, and his friends were lovely too. Eating out when I’m travelling is great but I do love traditional American food. When I’m away, I miss something we eat in Texas called a three-baked potato, which is potato with sour cream, bacon and cheese. Most of all, I miss my favourite dining companions, my mom and my best friend Taylor. IN CONVERSATION WITH CAROLINE SCOTT. MR CHOW, 151 Knightsbridge, London SWIX, 0044 207 589 7347; www.mrchow.com

28/09/2016 15:38

T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E | November 2016 | 71

BOOKS H IS FOR HAWK by Helen Macdonald Helen Macdonald’s beautiful, heartbreaking, life-enhancing book is a memoir like no other. After the sudden death of her father, Macdonald, an academic based in Cambridge, withdraws from the world. But then she acquires a wildly beautiful young goshawk called Mabel. Macdonald mixes her own story with that of the troubled writer TH White, who also sought solace in training a goshawk; the result is a unique book about nature, grief and what makes us human.

10 BOOKS IN TEN YEARS Former assistant editor ANNA CAREY looks back on the last decade through the pages of her favourite books

W

hen I started working on the first edition of THE GLOSS in the summer of 2006, I was particularly excited about our books pages. Over the years we covered everything from forgotten classics to groundbreaking graphic novels, and asked everyone from John Banville to Kate Mosse what books were currently on their bedside table. The last decade has seen the publication of countless exciting books (so many, in fact, that I still haven’t got round to reading lots of them – sorry, Wolf Hall). Here are ten of the most memorable and enjoyable.

WHERE’D YOU GO, BERNADETTE

by Maria Semple

It’s relatively rare for a novel to be both as entertaining and as utterly original as this one. Bernadette Fox, a volatile, funny former architect, has vanished just a few days before a scheduled family holiday. Now her teenage daughter Bee is determined to find out what happened. Told through emails, notes, letters and reports by everyone from Bernadette’s husband and former colleagues to her sworn enemies, the other mothers at Bee’s school, this novel made Semple’s name and remains a funny, moving must-read.

What is CECELIA AHERN reading?

ROOM by Emma Donoghue Donoghue was best known for her imaginative historical fiction when she published Room, a brilliant tale of terror and recovery as seen through the eyes of a small boy. Writing in the voice of a child could easily become twee, but Donoghue never falters as she tells the chilling, moving and ultimately hopeful story of Jack and Ma, a young woman kept in captivity for years who manages to protect her son from the horrors of their situation.

THE SIGNATURE OF ALL THINGS

by Elizabeth Gilbert

Elizabeth Gilbert has always been a fine fiction writer, demonstrated in the story of Alma, a young woman in 19thcentury Philadelphia who finds her true calling in the field of botany. It's packed full of complicated ideas about sexuality and desire, about spiritual and intellectual hunger, about the need to both learn and be understood. I loved it.

THE GATHERING by Anne Enright A large Irish family gather in Dublin to mourn Liam, their alcoholic son and brother, who has killed himself in Brighton. It sounds like the stuff of Irish mistery cliché, but there’s nothing clichéd about Enright’s luminous Booker-winning novel, as Liam’s sister Veronica relives old family memories, both real and recreated, as if looking for clues to the mystery of her brother’s fate.

FUN HOME by Alison Bechdel You’ve probably heard of the Bechdel test. It’s a simple way to judge a film’s approach to women: does it feature (a) at least two women who (b) talk to each other (c) about something besides a man? The test comes from Alison Bechdel's graphic-memoir Fun Home. Through tender images and elegant prose, Bechdel told the true story of how she grew up with a distant father whom, she discovered after she herself had come out, was secretly gay.

AMERICANAH by Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche

LIFE AFTER LIFE by Kate Atkinson

Adiche won the Orange (now Bailey’s Women’s) Prize for her 2007 novel Half of a Yellow Sun, but Americanah might be her greatest work. This hugely enjoyable novel moves across several decades and three continents to tell the story of writer and academic Ifemelu and her teenage sweetheart Obinze. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie effortlessly tackles issues of race, class and belonging with compassion and wit.

Kate Atkinson won the Whitbread/Costa award in 1995 for her first novel, Behind the Scenes at the Museum. After concentrating on crime fiction for a few years, she wrote Life After Life, in which she returned to the strange, slightly magical tone with which she’d made her name. Ursula Todd is born in 1910, dies almost immediately, but then is born again. And again, and again, reliving her own past. It’s an ambitious idea, brilliantly realised.

FAR FROM THE TREE by Andrew Solomon

THE SHINING GIRLS by Lauren Beukes

What happens when a person’s identity is vastly different from that of their parents? That’s the question explored by Andrew Solomon in this very long but utterly compelling and incredibly powerful book, which won the Wellcome Book Prize. Solomon talks to hundreds of families in very different circumstances, and the reader may be forgiven for thinking that families in which the children are autistic or deaf or violent or unusually gifted may not have anything in common. But they all face the same issue: a society that fears difference.

Lauren Beukes’s third novel is simply one of the most original – and totally gripping – thrillers I’ve ever read. It’s the story of a serial killer with a difference: a drifter in Depression-era Chicago who stumbles into an old house that enables him to travel through time.

He moves throughout the 20th century, killing young women who show promise and potential. But one of his victims, Kirby, survives – and is determined to find the man who attacked her. ^ Anna Carey’s new book, The Making of Mollie (O’Brien Press, V6.99), is out now.

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BEDSIDE TABLE

Prolific novelist Cecelia Ahern has sold nearly 25 million books worldwide. Her latest, Lyrebird, is the story of Laura, a woman living in solitude and Solomon, the man who encourages her to leave her comfort zone. HarperCollins, 012.99 THE KEPT WOMAN

by Karin Slaughter Despite her novels being graphic and gruesome, Karin Slaughter manages to balance this with characters with complicated and real connections. In the midst of a horrendous murder mystery she also writes the most beautiful love stories. With The Kept Woman she has returned to the Will Trent series. It is the story of Sara Linton and Will Trent that I am addicted to most in her work. The Kept Woman has fed my yearning. HarperCollins, 018.99 THE TRESPASSER

by Tana French I have read all of Tana French’s novels, she is undoubtedly my favourite Irish author. While her stories are crime novels, she has in previous books introduced a mysterious element that hints at otherworldliness. For me, it’s this element that makes her stand out. The Trespasser focuses on Conway, who is partnered with Stephen Doran, the duo from The Secret Place. I love that French returns to characters that we know and love. She sucks me into her world time and time again. Viking, 017.99 FATES AND FURIES

by Lauren Groff I picked this up while on my travels in America.

Despite not having enough room in my bag, it leaped out from every bookstore, and that was before I was aware of Barack Obama choosing it as one of his favourite novels of the year. It’s a story about a marriage; it gives an honest look at a relationship that appears flawless from the outside, encompassing comedy, tragedy and stunning writing. Riverhead Books, 09.99

“We offer Ireland’s only range of burglar-proof windows and doors with eco glass as standard – keeping you safe, and saving you money.”

Jim Toal, Managing Director

www.fairco.ie

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KITCHEN COMFORT

Winter suppers shouldn’t be complicated or time-consuming, says TRISH DESEINE

I

LIVING LA VIDA Official Partner Arsenal FC

www.santarita.com

74 | November 2016 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

am a chronically impractical person obsessed with practicalities.

In my hugely overequipped French kitchens, I would dream of routines and functioning recipe file systems, of stacking Tupperware boxes which leap into my hand from their special Tupperware shelf alongside the little sticker and the pen with the ink that doesn’t come off in the freezer.

I devoured images of casually tidy kitchens with labelled Kilner jars and always-to-hand small kitchen implements promising professional skills in only minutes. But somehow none of this ever materialised in my own home.

I spent hours and fortunes in Ikea, Habitat, online, at car boot sales. I owned the kit, the books, the magazines, ogled other kitchens and drank in the words of perfectly coiffed and organised cooks.

Nothing changed.

So from time to time, I would have a Great Big Tidy Up. I took out everything in the kitchen and put it all back again, convinced this would instantly change my life for the better.

(The best bit was the cutlery drawer, where my pleasure at sorting out knives and forks could reach almost erotic levels. I was delighted to discover I am not alone in this affliction, and with a friend christened our febrile state the “Kitchen Tidy Hots.”)

At the moment, I am once again living in someone else’s house, cooking in their lovely, higgledy-piggledy kitchen, and there is certainly no room for any of my invading pots, pans or cutlery. This time my kitchen contents are (tidily) stored away in boxes and bags and, preparing for my upcoming Christmas television shows, I have been cooking with what I can find here in my temporary digs.

It has been an interesting time,

getting to grips with an old range, a temperamental oven, minimal kit and choosing what should be cooked on camera. And once again, I realise how much you can do in a kitchen with so little.

I believe that in most recipe books, magazines and television shows, for the average home cook, and certainly for someone beginning to learn and lacking motivation and confidence (to whom they are supposedly aimed), there are still too many steps, too many fancy ingredients, too much kit and too much technique.

From the sublime to teatime, the gap is still too wide. It all looks lovely, yet still, not enough of the people who would benefit from cooking are tempted to try it.

Recently I read a chef’s fried chicken “tips”, shared with an audience of amateur cooks which read, “soak meat in 5% brine, heat oil to 165˚C, cook breast to 63/64˚C, leg to 67˚/68˚C.” It’s enough to make anyone head to KFC in despair.

So before the Christmas onslaught, forget striving for perfection and give yourself a break. Forget the presentation, the gadgets and the fancy knives – put some good bread, a green salad, some homemade chutney and cooked ham on the table. Or some Dunmanus cheese with a tomato and a sprinkle of salt. Make some rice with butter, peas and parsley.

Or some pasta with squished olives or lemon and basil. None of these would get a look in on any cooking show, but they are good, and each of them is a meal. And that, about five nights out of seven, is all I’m bothered about.

And in that spirit, here is an easy recipe, requiring ingredients you will probably already have. ^ @TrishDeseine

ROAST PARSNIP WITH PEPPER AND ORANGES A dash of orange or lemon on anything is always a good way to bump up flavours when they don’t seem to want to come together. Parsnip and orange are particularly good together, but you can of course use carrots, pumpkin and potatoes or a mix of all.

FOR 4 (5 minutes preparation; 25/30 minutes cooking) 4 to 6 parsnips, peeled and sliced lengthways • 1 eating orange • Olive oil • Salt and pepper 1. Pre heat the oven to 180C. 2. Arrange the parsnips on a baking sheet, drizzle some olive oil over them and rub it over all the surface with your hands. Then squeeze the orange juice over them, season with salt and pepper and roast for 25 to 30 minutes until the parsnips are golden and tender.

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COOKING AND BAKING COOKING AND BAKING

VACUUM CLEANERS VACUUM CLEANERS

LAUNDRY LAUNDRY

DISHWASHERS COFFEE MACHINES REFRIGERATION DISHWASHERS COFFEE MACHINES REFRIGERATION

TRAVEL

MAN A SUITCASE in

The William Vale, Brooklyn, where you can combine a sun holiday with city living.

Below: A pool with a view.

The last decade has been a trip for TIM MAGEE. What has he learned in ten years of globe trotting?

A jar of capers. I was drumming my fingers waiting for my carry-on to clear the X-ray when it got the beep and was sidelined. I was sure it was a mistake but yes, these things only happen when you’re under pressure.

I was in London desperately trying to make a tootight connection to New York. I’ve yet to miss a f light and have been getting bolder over the years but a bead of nervous sweat was forced out, not from the 15-minute sprint, or the 90-minute delay from Dublin, but because I was about to be undone by a jar of capers.

The dude ahead of me in the naughty queue was as cool as a breezy cucumber as they presented exhibit A, then B, C and so on, each bottle of liquid larger than next, right back to him from his leather toilet bag. Leather! In 32 minutes my BA to JFK was due to be in the wind and I didn’t even know the gate number. This fellow obviously hadn’t travelled since 2001, or possibly never. And here he is blithely running the clock down on me.

Twenty-nine minutes. Eventually he f lippantly said, “Look, just throw it all away,” and sauntered on, oblivious that security was following him. Twenty-four minutes.

Frozen, I stared at the lady waiting for her to pull out something entirely legal – my toothbrush, a cable, an odd shadow on the scan, until she removed a glass jar of cheap capers from my bag. No big deal to most souls but I’m a professional packer so this was epic failure.

I like to think of myself as invisible in airports, gliding through unseen, life in the fast track. Utter tosh of course but an illusion that allows me to travel better. It’s an obsession now. An inane one-upmanship with myself.

Travellers Anonymous beckons.

A tenet of that obsession is avoiding plane food. I have a routine that involves picking up smoked salmon, some lemon slices from the bar and black pepper sachets at Dublin airport before f lying, with a couple of extra lemons for smugly cleaning my hands while every else on board eats food that you can get from a vending machine. This trip I had gone one further when I spied the capers in Wrights, my travel-scrabbled brain forgetting that I had to tackle security again in London. This time I had gone too far.

Carry-on with Capers, my near tragic Ealing comedy, was set in Terminal 5. Terminal 5 didn’t exist in 2006 when this magazine first hit the shelves. Terminal 2 where I bought the pickled f lower buds didn’t either. It’s funny how quickly you get used to things.

2006 is not that along ago but what a difference a decade makes. At the start of that year Facebook was just moving out of American unis, there was no Twitter, no Netf lix.

76 | November 2016 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

I like to think of myself as INVISIBLE in airports, gliding though UNSEEN, LIFE in the fast track.

Almost incomprehensibly there were no such thing as iPhones. Cameras were for the most part something that came in cameras. Bush and Blair were the mar dhea leaders of the free world, Bertie ours. Heath Ledger and Phillip Seymour Hoffman were competing for an Oscar.

While juggling too many balls Tiger Woods was playing God with a sport he’d turned into a one-man show. Lance Armstrong was starting retirement after winning his seventh Tour the previous year. Prince released another album. Bowie performed live for what would be the last time. Kim Kardashian’s sex tape leak and all that would follow was yet to happen. The final episode of The West Wing aired.

Hillary Clinton won an election. A just-remarried Trump was thankfully only on US reality television.

In travel, Venezuela was one of the top destinations.

Baghdad is safer now. Winter sun meant Egypt or Tunisia. We were still f locking to Turkey. It was a near Blackberry age that seems a very long way away.

Then the crash, once in a generation events coming thick and fast – world recession, the Arab Spring.

Syria. Countries showing their true colours to

refugees. Brexit. More visas, more borders, more currencies. Kim Kardashian. A world viewed through Instagram and Snapchat.

And to trump it all, next week if enough red and blue states turn orange it will be a blacker day than any in the last decade.

After all of that we need a holiday.

In the last decade a lot has changed for the better too.

In-f light entertainment is free and getting better. Food is better everywhere. Fine dining took a near fatal stab in its foie and truff le-stuffed sous-vide heart, and is all the better for it. Drinks are better everywhere. We certainly drink better wine than we did in 2006. People now go out for cocktails in this country. There are more, better, hotels. Even Ryanair is nicer. That iPhone now allows me to book my travel, is my boarding card or my room key, and records the whole trip. So to help in a tiny way to navigate our shapeshifting world of travel here are ten little tips for ten big years. And happy birthday to THE GLOSS. 1. TRY COLOMBIA NOW, a fragile good news story.

A world away from 2006 or Narcos, its beauty and culture is the talk of travel town. Now with a peace accord in place it comes armed only with a welcome, lead by Cartagena’s beauty and hotels like the Charleston Santa Teresa or the colonial stunner the Passion Hotel.

2. NEW YORK. SUN. NEW YORK OR SUN? Do both. Ignore the locals, the hotter the better. I’m writing this from the city poolside at brand new The William

TRAVEL

Hotel Maison Souquet, Paris.

Cartagena, on Columbia’s unspoiled Caribbean coast.

The luxurious Lapa Palace Hotel, Lisbon, was built in the 19th century.

Vale in Brooklyn. A day or two here ogling the world’s most delicious skyline before crossing the East River to the next safety net of the pool by the brilliantly run Gansevoort. Sitting poolside in Manhattan overlooking the lifeline that is the Highline, watch those locals come out and play like it’s Rear Window but with rooftop fresh air and a dip at your feet. Being able to walk five minutes to the Spotted Pig is just the icing on this big city cake.

3. BRING YOUR OWN FOOD. Unless you are flying business class or higher with one of the carriers that gets it right, pack a picnic to take on board. The aforementioned smoked salmon, fresh lemon and brown bread (skip the capers) works well but most airports have some take on cheese and charcuterie that’s better than anything you’ll get on a tray. Nab a couple of packets of mustard for a toastie (technically more steamie) if all else fails.

4. ANTI BACTERIAL WIPES. Go OCD Airlines.

Tray tables, security luggage bins, the sinks, door handles – anything you touch on a plane is like touching

a loo seat. Jack Nicholson’s character in As Good As It Gets is your travel hero.

Wipe everything.

5. GET FAST PASS AT DUBLIN AIRPORT. It doesn’t happen all the time but when you are in a hurry, skip the queues for security looping back through the terminal. Pay the price of a glass of wine to briefly live in the fast lane or watch the world not go by.

6. PRIORITY PASS. This would have been on a list in 2006 yet I don’t how many times I have seen huddled masses sweating or sleeping in airports because of delays, strikes, weather and the rest. Staring at the golden arches from a plastic seat or bench that has been specifically designed so you can’t get comfortable is not the way to travel. Lounges vary dramatically but Priority Pass has saved me dozens of times, allowing me eat, sleep and rest when the rest of the airport wasn’t.

Sardinia, a “dream island,” is just a few hours away.

7. GO TO GREECE – they need all the all the help they can get, the food is fantastic and it’s beautiful. And go back to Paris. It’s not nice to see a proud if sometimes arrogant lady frightened.

Paris and the country she reigns over had the roughest year in many but this is still the most handsome and engaging city on earth.

8. GO TO LISBON BEFORE IT CHANGES. My first ever travel and food piece was about ten years ago when I spoke about a secret haunt that was Lisbon. Lisbon is Europe’s coolest city, and the next food destination. Stay in the lap of luxury at the Lapa Palace and don’t miss out on your resort holiday despite being in downtown Lisbon.

9. VISIT SARDINIA. It looks like it should be in the Indian ocean, the kind of dream island that takes a whole day to reach, but it’s just a few hours away. It has the beach, a cracking food and wine tradition, and that magical mix of mountains and seafood, with vineyards in between.

10. ALWAYS HAVE SOME CASH in the local currency and a phone charger. And never pack a glass jar of cheap capers. ^ @manandasuitcase

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THE GLOSS

HELEN LAMBERT, founder Lambert & Co As the owner and managing director of one of the most important luxury trend-detecting agencies in the world, wrote Deirdre McQuillan in June 2012, Helen Lambert, originally from Tipperary, has offices in Paris, Milan, Florence, London and New York with another opening in Asia shortly ... “We research lines for high-end department stores all over the world, covering all categories: home, clothes, accessories, jewellery, even food. We look after about 120 buyers each season. ”

SHARON HORGAN, Comedian, writer Horgan, profiled in March 2012, is 42, wrote Suzi Godson, but she could easily pass for 35. “Her jeans are a size eight, max; she has fabulous teeth; her long dark hair swishes enviably; and her forehead actually moves …”

Arabella Annesley and Sue Dreyer were photographed wearing LAINEY KEOGH at Lainey Keogh’s house in January 2010, before a buffet party created by Ros Walshe. The elusive hostess did not want to be photographed.

JESSICA COSTELLOE, Opera singer; daughter of designer Paul Costelloe As a teen she often felt more of an affinity with her teachers than her classmates, she told Catherine Heaney in November 2012: “I was the annoying one who would sing too loud in choir – I had this big booming voice – and I was listening to classical music and not Britney Spears, so people didn’t really understand me. I think that’s why I felt more of a connection with the older generation.”

THE TRINITY CREW These enterprising undergraduates banded together in April 2009 to provide waiter services to a then still lively round of parties. The crew included the daughter of the then British Ambassador to Ireland, David Reddaway.

78 | November 2016 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

This Glossy Life Espresso and a ladder. You mighn’t think these were requirements for a successful portrait shoot but they are more useful than you might surmise. The espresso was for Renato Ghiazza, the fine artist-turned-photographer from Turin who arrived unannounced at the door of THE GLOSS office before we launched and who became the chief contributing photographer for our This Glossy Life pages; the ladder to allow us to shoot from a height, to create a tableau viewed from above – at THE GLOSS, we were always looking to change the perspective. Arriving in his tiny sky-blue Fiat Cinquecento, Ghiazza, slightly nervous that Customs would locate the unregistered vehicle, always as beautifully dressed as his subjects, was a wonderful co-conspirator in our plan, worked out in advance, to capture something essential to the subject, who was selected because he or she was on the cusp of something new – a project, a film, a gallery opening, a collaboration, a performance or a new phase in a career. The settings were chosen – or sometimes painstakingly built – to suit the subject and to create a context. That our subjects look happy or confident, or relaxed, was because, with a very few exceptions, we had great fun on the shoots, even if our sitters were tense or even terrified to begin. Our locations, from the open countryside to hotel rooms to restaurants, homes, offices and even a tepee – in the case of actress Maria Doyle Kennedy – meant we had to speed around from location to location with remarkable efficiency and fuelled by strong coffee. In these pages are just some of the interesting people we photographed.

JADE YOURELL, actor We photographed the actress (above) in February 2010. So where would she like to be in five years? “Oh, you know, happy, healthy, successful, independent and respected,” she laughs. “Fingers crossed!”

CLODAGH MCKENNA, Chef Clodagh McKenna (right) was photographed in June 2010 just before she became our food writer – from 2010 to 2012.

AISLING LAW, owner rossnaree Law was born a Stuart, the daughter of renowned sculptors Imogen and Ian Stuart, the latter the son of writer Francis Stuart and Iseult Gonne; Iseult, also a lover of Ezra Pound, was the daughter of Maud Gonne, revolutionary and muse to WB Yeats. She was photographed (below) by her sister, Suki Stuart in August 2008.

this glossy life

JOHN ROCHA, fashion designer In September 2007, Suki Stuart photographed Rocha in his Dublin garden. “I made the mistake, in my previous house, of having a tropical garden.

There was nowhere to put down a blanket,” he said.

My Mac – the centre of my universe and my portable office.

Everyone should be a Mac user – there’s just no comparison with PCs.

MARIAN CODY was photographed at her desk in April 2009.

The graphic designer’s workspace needed no props – it was picture perfect when we arrived, her Louboutins providing a jolly flash of red sole.

My Cup of Nespresso.

What a brilliant invention – my morning is never complete without at least two cups. I change flavours with my mood.

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SAOIRSE RONAN, Actor We photographed Ronan (left) in 2009, when she was just 15. “I like how Kristen Stewart looks – jeans, a T-shirt, messy hair. It’s a ‘whatever’ style! And Susan Sarandon [who plays her grandmother in The Lovely Bones] is amazing: in the film she is so glamorous but then other times she doesn’t care, like when we had dinner she just wore her sneakers.”

P hotog ra P h BY r e n at o g h i a z z a

Daughter of designer Mariad and painter Charlie, was photographed in March 2009 for a story on young eccentric dressers.

THE LATE DESMOND FITZGERALD,

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ICed QueeNs – We ha invested lots of energy delivering a fun brand with beautiful packagin – our intention is to be Malones of the cupcak .

DOMINO WHISKER,

CECELIA AHERN, writer We photographed the delightful Cecelia Ahern (right) in 2008, for a story about breakfast in bed. She was a good sport as we bundled her into an over-the-top dressing gown and reduced and reduced an enormous bouffant hairstyle to something she could live with.

SEBASTIAN GUINNESS, (left) whose Dublin gallery was about to open, was photographed for the same story. We used the ladder for this one.

LU THORNELY, caterer to the rich and famous, told Katy McGuinness in June 2007 about her secrets for a successful party: “Jasmine Guinness’ nuptials at Leixlip Castle earned her her Hello! stripes. Lu cooked for 330 guests – asparagus, wild salmon, potatoes grown on the estate, salad and a huge tiered chocolate biscuit cake.”

m a ke-u p by Da n iel l e mu r p h y at th e Zo e Cl a r k ma keu p ag en Cy

I’m addicted to flowers. I can’t live without them at home or in my office – the team at Appassionata are by far the best in the city.

The Knight of Glin Books are heaped enticingly on every available surface, wrote Robert O’Byrne in May 2007, paintings are hung three – or four- deep on walls, rugs are laid over carpets and chairs and sofas are covered in wildly differing fabrics.

Asked to summarise his style, Desmond FitzGerald glances around the drawing room before answering,“I suppose controlled clutter, really.”

“I us c edu fo un ver w sa the with clie –w br res bef re c stu eve new by cit and It’s

THE GLOSS

this glossy life

Hot Desks Five creative types show us where they do their best work Independent consultant Marion Cody’s desk is a shrine to design

sed to have my own design company – now I’m an independent consultant, with retail, hospitality, bloodstock sales, property, ucation and finance clients. It has taken time, but I have finally found the perfect balance. I work from a simple, elegant and ncluttered studio space in the city centre, which I share with a ry talented designer, Jason Delahunty. I mix commercial work with not-for-profit and personal projects in a very creatively atisfying way. Just now I’m working on a fundraising drive for e development of a new UCD Science Centre and I’m involved th Brown Thomas on a number of campaigns – they have been ents for almost 14 years. My passion is food and I adore baking with my friend Deirdre Kelly, we just launched the Iced Queens rand, making hand-decorated cupcakes. We spent six months searching and developing, and launched in Brown Thomas just efore Valentine’s Day. Working with a tiny budget, we used the esources of young friends and family: my niece Marika Porry created the identity, and Matthew Donnelly, a transition year udent, is doing our website development. Our kids helped with erything – it was so good for them to see what it takes to get a w project off the ground. Being in a creative space, surrounded source materials and like-minded people is so important. The ty now has a brilliant network of independent creative people d our studio is often the hub when an interesting project is on. s also great to escape to Carluccio’s or Town Bar and Grill for lunch and not lose half the day.”

ave y

ng the Jo ke world.

I adore MagazINes. With four children – from 21 to nine – my desk is often the only place I get to indulge in them.

Actor and musician Maria Doyle Kennedy wore John Rocha for her portrait shoot, just before she performed at the Flat Lake Festival in 2010.

She announced she was “going to spend her 40s being terrified” for fear of getting into a rut.

When Ghiazza announced, as we prepared for a shoot in a borrowed tennis club location – with a ballet dancer en pointe and holding a cake, by the way – that he was returning to Italy to pursue his art photography, we were disappointed. But there were other photographers who also contributed to This Glossy Life: Suki Stuart, whose rich painterly compositions and her affinity for the countryside suited romantic subjects wonderfully well; Barry McCall who always delivered glamour and verve in equal measure; Conor Horgan whose curiosity often uncovered something new; Abigail Zoe Martin in London, whose portraits hang in the National Portrait Gallery and has a genius for finding a stunning backdrop and making a subject relax. Stylists and make-up artists were sometimes called upon but mostly Style Editor Aislinn Coffey and I propped, preened, positioned and primed our subjects. The ladder is still in my garden shed, along with a 40-metre cable, incredibly useful when we needed to plug into a power source far away from the set, both still regularly pressed into use.

This Glossy Life? Well, sort of. ^ SMcD

DARINA ALLEN, chef, food activist, writer The indefatigable Darina Allen was photographed for the January 2012 issue by Barry McCall at her house in East Cork.

She talked about childhood obesity. “If I could, I would get the agriculture, health and education ministers around a table.

There needs to be a change of heart at grass-roots level.” McCall was fixated on getting her to remove her signature specs.

STRAP

The Things We Do

for love

LOUISE KENNEDY, designer “I have my dream home,” she said in April 2013.

“The history of the houses on Merrion Square fascinates me ... how city living has changed since the 18th century. I love to daydream about the city and its history. A view of the elegant houses overlooking Dublin’s finest park is a privilege I never take for granted.”

JASMINE GUINNESS, Model Guinness was photographed by Abigail Zoe Martin in June 2010 with her two sons Elwood and Otis; she was pregnant with her third child. “I think all mums worry about how they will cope with such a huge change to their lives. Will I have the patience? How will I manage? My parents were great fun and very loving but also quite strict about manners and things: I think you have to find a good balance.”

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