20.10.17 skilled labour ‘get me an alligator!’
24 hours in the Claridge’s kitchen
future perfect
The woman changing the face of fashion
Inside the Corbyn machine
anthony joshua private islands and negroni wars
Solange
Family, body politics and her move into art
Plus:
CONTENTS 7 Philip Pullman? That’s pretty cool man in CAPITAL GAINS 8 Progressive pop and puppies in UPFRONT 11 Our MOST WANTED is Burberry’s tartan tote
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16 A non-stop 24 hours in CLARIDGE’S 22 Fash-tech revolutionary HOLLI ROGERS is flying 26 Hashtag goals, it’s SOLANGE KNOWLES 32 Extreme makeover, the JEREMY CORBYN edition
JUNE SARPONG on how to diversify and conquer 39 Kiss and gel in BEAUTY 41 GRACE & FLAVOUR eats at Core 43 An autumnal plum cake in TART 45 Negroni ninjas and booze for grouse in DRINKS 47 Join the Arts Club in HOMEWORK 49 ESCAPE to the Isle of Eriska 50 Anthony Joshua’s MY LONDON
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EDITOR Laura Weir
Here are the ES team’s top five places for Sunday roast
Cover: Solange photographed by Daria Kobayashi Ritch. Styled by Mindy Le Brock. SHEATH CLOTHING dress, £1,934, made to order (sheathclothing.com). Y/PROJECT earrings, £301, at tessabit.com
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LANDSEER ARMS, N19 ‘This pub in Holloway has just reopened under new owners and the roasts are to die for: whole stuffed spring chicken anyone?’ Helen Gibson, picture editor
THE DUKE OF SUSSEX, W4 ‘There is a beautiful garden at this Chiswick pub. It also serves the best roast in town.’ Anna van Praagh, deputy editor
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THE MALL TAVERN, W8 ‘Customers return here for the best pork belly roast — and delicious Oreo cheesecake is a perfect bonus to the meal.’ Eniola Dare, fashion assistant
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ROAST, SE1 ‘This place does exactly what is says on the tin — a fantastic roast — but I go there for its “Roast” burgers. A whole roast dinner in a burger, this meal is decadent, delicious and the perfect Sunday hangover cure. Time to throw away your skinny jeans.’ Natalie Salmon, social media editor
MINNOW, SW4 ‘Sundays don’t get much better than Bloody Marys and roast rib-eye from Minnow. If you feel inclined, Clapham Common is perfectly located right outside to walk off some of the damage.’ Clara Dorrington, picture desk assistant
Visit us online: standard.co.uk/esmagazine • Follow us:
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@ESmagofficial
@ESmagofficial
Editor Laura Weir Deputy editor Anna van Praagh Features director Alice-Azania Jarvis Acting art director Emma Woodroofe Fashion features director Katrina Israel Commissioning editor Dipal Acharya Associate features editor Hamish MacBain Features writer Frankie McCoy
Acting art editor Andy Taylor Art editor Jessica Landon Picture editor Helen Gibson Picture desk assistant Clara Dorrington
Beauty editor Katie Service Deputy beauty and lifestyle editor Lily Worcester
Social media editor Natalie Salmon Office administrator/editor’s PA Niamh O’Keeffe
Merchandise editor Sophie Paxton Fashion editor Jenny Kennedy Fashion assistant Eniola Dare Chief sub editor Matt Hryciw Deputy chief sub editor Nick Howells
Contributing editors Lucy Carr-Ellison, Tony Chambers, James Corden, Hermione Eyre, Richard Godwin, Daisy Hoppen, Jemima Jones, Anthony Kendal, David Lane, Mandi Lennard, Annabel Rivkin, Teo van den Broeke, Nicky Yates (style editor at large), Hikari Yokoyama Group client strategy director Deborah Rosenegk Head of magazines Christina Irvine
ES Magazine is published weekly and is available only with the London Evening Standard. ES Magazine is published by Evening Standard Ltd, Northcliffe House, 2 Derry Street, Kensington, London W8 5TT. ES is printed web offset by Wyndeham Bicester. Paper supplied by Perlen Paper AG. Colour transparencies or any other material submitted to ES Magazine are sent at owner’s risk. Neither Evening Standard Ltd nor their agents accept any liability for loss or damage. © Evening Standard Ltd 2016. Reproduction in whole or part of any contents of ES Magazine without prior permission of the editor is strictly prohibited
20.10.17 ES MAGAZINE 3
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capital gains What to do in London by FRANKIE M c COY
Vintage Vogue
Rex; Alamy; Thomas Ruff/Whirechapel Gallery
Love retro fashion illustrations? Then Abbott and Holder’s show of Brian Stonehouse’s stunning work in the Fifties for US Vogue — before which he survived four German concentration camps as a captured special ops agent during the Second World War— is a must-visit. 19 Oct to 22 Dec (abbottandholder-thelist.co.uk)
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Get woke
Soak up some seriously spiritual vibes at Art Awakening Humanity — a series of meditations and talks that connects the art world with the spiritual, and which aims to expand consciousness through paintings and more. 25 Oct (awakenedartists.com) L’Empereur 06 by Thomas Ruff
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Plié practice
Want to be ballerina fit but struggling to remember first position — or quite what your core actually is? Book into Blok’s oneoff, two-hour barre workshop, which focuses on technique, greater physical awareness and just a generally better you. 22 Oct (bloklondon.com)
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Arcade fire
Northern lit
Prepare to be paralysed by dining choices as Bloomberg Arcade opens in the City, with Homeslice pizza, Ahi Poké fish (above) and an Indian barbecue from the infallible JKS group all within spitting distance of each other. Opens 24 Oct (bloomberg.com)
Night at the museum Galleries at night are wickedly fun — especially when there’s wine tasting involved. At the Whitechapel’s After Hours, once you’ve perused Thomas Ruff’s photography exhibition, the bar stays open and every other Friday there’s booze sampling from the likes of Lea & Sandeman and Redchurch Brewery. 20 Oct and every other Friday (whitechapelgallery.org)
last chance: As if you needed more temptation to visit
glorious Chatsworth House, it’s the final days of House Style: Five Centuries of Fashion at Chatsworth. Closes 22 Oct (chatsworth.org)
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Indulge your inner childish bookworm as the brilliant Philip Pullman comes to the Southbank Centre to talk about Lyra, daemons and his latest book, La Belle Sauvage: The Book of Dust. 20 Oct (southbankcentre.co.uk)
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Bard with heart
Do your bit for charity while sipping champagne and watching an all-star cast — Martin Freeman, James Norton (left), Olivia Williams — perform scenes from Shakespeare in Whither Would You Go? at the Harold Pinter Theatre. Funds go to the UN Refugee Agency. Tickets from £50. 22 Oct (whitherwouldyougo.com)
look ahead: Skull face paint, tequila and tacos at the ready — Wahaca’s epic Day of the Dead celebrations take place at The Vaults from 2-4 Nov (wahaca.com)
20.10.17 es magazine
upfront Laura Craik on why the times are a‑changin’ and how to be quids in
MONEY EXCHANGE Here’s an idea for a great new game all Londoners can get behind: Pound Coin Ping-Pong. It’s a bit like Sudoku, increasing mental alertness and keeping you on your toes, but with the added bonus of random arguments with shopkeepers. The rules are simple: try to spend as many old pound coins as you can before the cut-off date (said date being last week/this week/tomorrow, depending on who’s making them), before receiving them all back again in change some five minutes later. The perfect activity for those who feel life isn’t complicated enough already, Pound Coin PingPong can be played in coffee shops, parking meters, lockers, supermarket
es magazine 20.10.17
Game-changers: clockwise from left, Harvey Weinstein, Bob Dylan and Cara Delevingne
“Cara spoke out. It took guts to speak out, but she did, and hopefully she inspired others to do the same” trolley parks and many more outlets across the land. Enjoy. I know I am. *slopes off to the bank with a bag of obsolete money* DOGGONE FLUMMOXED We’re getting a puppy. I’m trying to stay nonchalant, but WE’RE GETTING A PUPPY and I’m bricking myself. Also it — sorry, she — still doesn’t have a name. I like Céline Diog, but it was met with derision. Whitney, Audrey, Dolly, Mariah and other divas dead and alive were also overruled. So were all my Game of Thrones names: nobody wanted to shout Arya, Sansa or Daenerys in the park. My younger daughter likes Sandy, after the dog in Annie. My mother likes Phaedra, because that’s how she rolls. ‘What about something old school, like Fido?’ was my husband’s contribution, probably because he knows the chances of him getting to choose are zilch. By the time you’ve rejected all the names of people you hate/know but might be offended if you called your dog after them, there really aren’t many options left. Any suggestions, tweet me. I’m stuck.
HOT The Center Will not Hold The new Joan Didion doc — the first ever documentary on the writer — directed by her nephew. On Netflix, 27 October.
NOT
The new Ikea bags Redesigned by Hay in tasteful shades of moss and mulberry. Soz, but I prefer the old blue ones. Josh Shinner; Rex, Getty; Alamy
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e’ve hit upon a novel way to get the kids to bed: playing Bob Dylan songs. They hate them. If they fart about too long in their bedroom, the iPhone gets held aloft. ‘Your old road is rapidly agein’ / Please get outta the new one if you can’t lend your hand / For the times they are a-changin’,’ sings Bob. ‘What is he even on about?’ the kids will moan. ‘What he’s on about is this,’ I’ll say. ‘In the olden days, when granny was a girl, there were lots of male film stars in what were called “lavender marriages” — sham ones designed to disguise the fact that the film star was gay. These men and women had to live a lie their whole lives, which isn’t nice. You know Cara Delevingne? Very recently, a man called Harvey Weinstein — a powerful man — allegedly said to her that if she was gay, or decided to be with a woman in public, she would never get the role of a straight woman or make it as an actress in Hollywood. But unlike those people in the olden days, Cara spoke out. It took guts to speak out, but she did, and hopefully she inspired others to do the same. ‘Then there’s Gucci, which is a powerful fashion label. Gucci has just announced it will no longer work with fur. This is important, because in the olden days, all luxury brands worked with fur. It was the most popular way for wealthy people to show their status. But now…’ By this point, the kids will have nodded off. ‘It’s like sandwiches,’ I’ll whisper. ‘In the olden days, coronation chicken was a favourite. Now it’s an avocado wrap. Or maybe a poké pot; I can’t keep up. But the point is, Bob was right. The times they are a-changin’. And if you can’t lend a hand, the least you can do is not stand in the way of progress. Night-night. I love you.’
THE most WANTED Check mate: picking up where the picnic blanket left off, this forest green shopper is totes on trend for winter
Burberry The Medium Giant Reversible Tote, ÂŁ795 (uk.burberry.com)
PHOTOGRAPH BY Natasha pszenicki STYLED BY sophie paxton
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Round the clock at
Claridge’s One hotel. Five stars. 196 rooms and 24 hours in the kitchen. As London’s oldest hotel publishes its first cookbook, Frankie McCoy puts on her chef’s whites
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PhotographS BY alastair levy
ore than any hotel in London — and perhaps even the world — Claridge’s exists as a fantasy land of top hat and tailed, old-world opulence. The wi-fi has improved since it politely held open its doors more than two centuries ago, but otherwise, outwardly, little has changed. It is a place where one imagines you might hear words like ‘delightful’ uttered on a bi-minutely basis. To check in to Claridge’s is to expect to be treated like royalty: and royalty from a time when kings and queens could simply click their fingers and have anything they desired within seconds. In 2017, just as in 1817, there is no wish that cannot be granted: and nowhere is this more apparent than in the food service. From 3am caviar to a well-done alligator steak, Claridge’s will turn itself inside out in the name of customer service. Ask, and it will be done. How the Charles Dickens is this possible? It’s a secret — but one that I, over the course of 24 consecutive hours spent in the kitchen, am about to be privy to.
6am
Brook Street glows the sleek grey of a Savile Row suit, discreetly expensive even in predawn gloom. At the corner of Davies Street, the Claridge’s entrance beckons like an art deco Christmas tree, festively radiant. I am not radiant. My hair straggles damply, my mouth acrid with sleep. Forget afternoon tea: I need coffee. Inside the hallowed revolving doors, the Foyer restaurant bustles as white-jacketed waiters straighten perfect white tablecloths and adjust perfect white hydrangeas. In
16 es magazine 20.10.17
strides twinkly eyed executive chef Martyn Nail. He looks radiant. Having worked here since 1986 (then a third commis chef, earning £92 a fortnight), he basically is Claridge’s. In the vast basement kitchen below, I don chef’s whites and drink three cups of coffee. I’m ready for my shift. And there are worse places to start than the cool pastry kitchen, surfaces gleaming under mattresses of dough. François Grange has been a tourier (someone who creates pastry from leavened dough) for 30 years, has fashioned Claridge’s pastries for eight years and has been here today since midnight. Right now he’s stamping out hundreds of scones, plain and raisin. Each little circle will be baked fresh for afternoon tea — or, indeed, at any time of the day or night according to guests’ whims.
9am
Out in the Foyer breakfast is in full, manic swing — it’s Frieze week and art dealers talk loudly over lobster brioche. Downstairs, the main kitchen till gurns as it churns out 300 breakfast orders. It’s 32C in here. There’s the odd fishy request — a neatly laid Japanese breakfast of miso soup, rice and pan-fried salmon — but mostly, the order of the day is eggs, orange-yolked Clarence Courts cracked by the dozens for scrambling.
10am
Ten o’clock wine tasting? Well, I’ve been up for six hours. It’s basically lunchtime. In his cookbook-lined office, Nail and head sommelier Thomas Roger discuss the 800 wines in the Claridge’s cellar. Roger’s job is ‘to never say no’. When one guest wanted a rare champagne from his birth year, Roger knew exactly where to find it in the cellar; when
another couple mentioned an unusual Oregon Pinot Noir they adored on holiday, he instantly produced another from the same region.
12.30pm
Besides lunch for the Foyer, the kitchen team has two banqueting lunches — 33 in the Drawing Room and 88 in the Ballroom. Plating is a military operation. The pass is
Early doors: one of the chefs arrives at Claridge’s
2pm
covered in plates, chefs line both sides. Everyone, including me, is responsible for one individual element of each dish. There’s a tense pause — then we’re off. Suddenly I’m spooning wild mushrooms on to swirls of potatoes piped seconds before at high speed, shrivelled shrooms flying. 121 plates are prepared and whisked away in minutes. Once it’s over, there’s a slight sense of anticlimax.
All white in the night: Frankie McCoy delivers room service
Still, that adrenaline lull can be filled with thousands of crustless sandwiches, soon to be devoured by the 180 guests booked in to Claridge’s famous afternoon tea. Step forward Vlad Tokaryk from Poland, who used to work in a sausage factory until it burned down. He’s obsessed with sharp knives and spends seven hours a day making sandwiches: mixing egg mayo at 7.30am, slivering smoked salmon at 12pm and slicing crusts now. I’m cautiously allowed to cut the ham sandwiches. Despite cries from Tokaryk as crusts snag, I receive the compliment, ‘Not bad’. I’ve peaked. Then, a ripple of tension as an order comes in for a ‘very special steak sandwich’ for a ‘very special man’: triple-decker fillet on brioche, with mustard and butter specifically spread the thinness of lettuce. Executive sous chef Adam Peirson has a photo on his phone to remind him of whether this VIP snack should be laid flat or propped upright. Custom orders give the tiniest glimpse into a personality; they also scream of a desire to have things their own way, as if Nail were their personal chef, the Claridge’s kitchen their own. Creating this sense of home from home is something Claridge’s obsesses over: an amenities team is dedicated to discovering guest preferences in advance of arrival to ensure an appropriate welcoming present, whether that’s champagne for celebrations or the custom-made bed built by the Claridge’s in-house carpenter for a fiveyear-old girl who needed somewhere for Grace, her doll, to sleep.
“One chef has a photo on his phone to remind him whether a VIP guest’s sandwich should be flat or upright”
6pm
The final afternoon tea cakes disappear to the Foyer and all focus is on next-day prep.
20.10.17 es magazine 17
Prep is nine tenths of the kitchen law, especially given those huge banqueting feasts. Jude Rosario, drafted in from The Berkeley, preps chicken Chettinadu for a 350-guest Diwali dinner while we clean 14kg of girolles and trim 35kg of venison (wholesale price: £2,135) for 210 at tomorrow’s dinner.
7pm
I quietly down my knife and drift out into the real world of the Foyer. Although obviously, it’s not really the real world. Princess Beatrice and the Duchess of York sip champagne while Derek Blasberg squeals hello to Marc Jacobs and Lauren Santo Domingo knocks back peanuts under the Dale Chihuly chandelier. A piano tinkles lullaby jazz. I want to stay in my corner eating crab salad for ever…
9pm
Sadly, room service beckons. Officially, nine pages of food choices are available; in reality, guests rarely confine themselves to these offerings. Roast chickens are ordered for dogs while an extremely nice bottle of 2003 Château Latour Pauillac rattles off to a distant room. I learn that ‘Caviar Lady is with us tonight’. Of the 24.6kg of caviar Claridge’s serves each year, several kilograms are consumed by a regular guest who has a predilection for 250g tins of oscietra.
10pm
Nail clocks off for the day and Paul Smith (not the designer) the night chef arrives. He is the sole chef in the kitchen until breakfast, cooking cheeseburgers for the Fumoir bar boozers, burritos for night cleaners and anything under the sun for room service. A trolley disappears bearing a single sliced lemon. After a desolate hour, Grange is back in the pastry kitchen. The croissants he folded this morning have risen as my eyelids have fallen. At 1am the front doors to Claridge’s are locked. A doorbell must be pressed and ID shown before you can enter. A deep, dense quiet descends.
Order! Frankie at the pass with executive sous chef, Adam Peirson; below, helping plate up for a banquet
2am
Four hours to go, although in the windowless kitchen it could be midday. It’s time to pick up room service breakfast orders from the doors of slumbering guests. The seven floors of hotel corridors are surreally quiet. Orders err on the side of angelical; green juices and a handwritten request for two ‘whole lemons. We squeeze ourselves.’ Back in the room service kitchen, I’m on my seventh coffee of the day (night?). There have been few challenging orders, and sadly no requests for alligator, as received several years ago from some guests — one of the few wishes the kitchen wasn’t able to grant on the spot (by the following evening, however, a ready supply of croc meat was on standby).
4.30am
Trolleys of coffee and orange juice clank up to the lobby for early departing guests en route to first class flights. Checking corridors again for last-minute breakfast orders, the quiet roars and the corridors rock. I feel like I’m underwater. Maybe I am. As my watch finally flicks round to 6am, it occurs to me that since I last saw daylight, a Second Flood could have occurred. If so, I can’t think of many places I’d rather ride out the storm than Claridge’s. ‘Claridge’s: The Cookbook’ is out now (£30, octopusbooks.co.uk)
20.10.17 es magazine 19
She’s the woman responsible for injecting Browns with a heavy dose of cool and one of fashion’s original disruptors. So what’s next for Holli Rogers? Katrina Israel meets the CEO who’s starting her own fashion-tech revolution
radical chic 22 es magazine 20.10.17
PhotographS BY holly whittaker
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here aren’t too many CEOs who can rock a Gucci hoodie and sequined Halpern flares in the workplace. But then Holli Rogers of famed fashion boutique, Browns, isn’t your average exec. And neither is Browns East — the 48-year-old’s new two-storey, 4,000 sq ft boutique that’s heating up Shoreditch — your average store. What may look like a highly curated destination store, complete with café and concept spaces, is, in fact, the first phase of an augmented retail ‘Store of the Future’ concept being pioneered by parent company Farfetch (the billon-dollar platform that unites the world’s designer boutiques online). In essence, this means integrating the instore experience with how Browns’ customers already shop online. Get ready for a Browns app that allows you to share your purchase history and wish lists with store staff (or, as Rogers puts it, ‘tap in and let us know that you are here’), as well as mobile points of sale
Holli Rogers wears Gucci hoodie, £1,260; Halpern trousers, £1,390, both at brownsfashion.com
and smart mirrors (allowing you to request another size with a swipe of the reflective screen). Throw in an edit that includes Calvin Klein’s plastic covered check coat and Gucci’s Coco Capitán bumbag, and Browns’ West End girl is headed east. Stat. There will also be radio frequency stock Farfetch tracking (so a sales associate will remain by founder, José Neves your side while your request goes direct to the stock team) — and, should you like to try on anything from brownsfashion. com that isn’t in store, it can be delivered within 60 minutes. Oh, and for those who prefer to be left alone, the app will also feature a ‘do not disturb’ function. ‘Everybody wants something different,’ smiles Rogers. ‘It’s not technology for Styling it her way: Holli Rogers technology’s sake,’ she adds of the absence of robotic arms or staff posing as holograms. ‘We can give customers a more personalised experience; find out what you want to wear now, and even in three months’ time.’
Rex; Getty
Imagine being able to alert your supermarket that you’re en route, and when you arrive your basket is already filled with your favourite goodies, plus the latest coconut product you didn’t know existed, but will definitely buy. That’s already happening within Browns’ VIP styling pods. When we visit a sales associate is prepping for an incoming client. ‘We need to display the Balenciagas higher so it’s the first thing she sees,’ he critiques, repositioning a pair of Jerry Seinfeld-issue, triple sole sneakers. His client has already buzzed in from a side entrance. You need one of these when your client list includes Rihanna and Mick Jagger. ‘The sales associate’s role is also an inspirer,’ Rogers adds of her team, kitted out in the latest Off-White and Jacquemus. Even the security guards blend in courtesy of sporty bomber jackets. ‘We had to get rid of that black suit situation,’ she laughs. It has been two years since Rogers joined Browns, injecting a new vibrancy into the 47year-old brand via a full reboot: logo, packaging, buying strategy and e-commerce site included. Under her tenure the growth of the business has quadrupled, and the 30 per cent online versus 70 per cent bricks and mortar sales figures have been reversed. This is no doubt thanks to Rogers’ e-com expertise as a formative member of that small disruptor known as Net-A-Porter. So why the expansion of bricks and mortar, and why now? It turns out Rogers has been looking for a new retail site for Browns since day one in the role. ‘A new store gives us a new identity and east for me has the vibrancy and energy.’ As well as its forward-thinking features, the boutique will be the first incarnation of the brand’s ‘Nomad’ project, so named because it has been designed to undergo a full transformation every two to three weeks. ‘We all have short attention spans,’ Rogers says matter-of-factly. ‘That is the reality of where life is going, so we have to cater to that.’ At Browns East, flexibility has been built into the store’s foundations, conceived by Brinkworth as a series of moveable modules. Even the café and the Immersive Experience Room will be short-term residencies. Fatties Bakery will pop up until the end of the year serving salted caramel brownies, while the Immersive room will host free light and sound therapy sessions. Trust us, you’ll want Chris Connors’ ‘BeBox’ meditation room in your own home. The Gallery, which is currently selling affordable artwork, with drawings by Polly Morgan and neons by Lauren Baker, and the Focus lab, which will showcase the team’s latest obsessions, will be an evolving visual feast. ‘I don’t want it to just be a store selling clothes,’ Rogers reinforces. ‘We hope we are able to make people happy.’
What isn’t changing is the space’s wooden flooring, reclaimed from the BBC’s former sound studios and once trodden by Winston Churchill. ‘Those aren’t going anywhere!’ laughs Rogers. And in keeping with Browns’ legacy of championing innovation — former owner/fashion icon Joan Burstein ruled the London fashion scene for some 40 years, dressing everyone from Linda McCartney to Diana Ross at her original South Molton Street store before selling to Farfetch in 2015 — the overall offering remains an eclectic mix of megabrands like Saint Laurent and up-and-comers such as the Ukraine’s Navro and Australia’s Ex Infinitas. Browns East is also embracing fashion’s gender fluidity movement. Men’s and womenswear will represent a 40/60 split in store, and will be sprinkled throughout the racks rather than separated into sexes. The MO here is inclusive. After all, Rogers’ b a ck g rou nd wa s c ent re d a rou nd democratising designer fashion, ‘because I always found luxury a bit scary,’ she smiles.
“I could either sink or swim, or fly — and I think I am going to fly” Rogers studied for a degree in fashion merchandising from the University of North Texas, before going into the Neiman Marcus buying programme then moving to Chanel USA. In 2003, she joined Natalie Massenet in London, where she now lives in Notting Hill, at her start-up that would ignite the luxury e-com revolution. After years of relentless travel and long hours she scheduled a year-long sabbatical in 2014. ‘I slept and finally got to exercise with some kind of regularity,’ she laughs. She was approached by Farfetch CEO José Neves during her year off. ‘I didn’t want to go back into retail because I thought, “Can you top that?” Then José called for lunch.’ The attraction was two-fold: ‘One, because Browns is an amazing company and it had lost some direction, and secondly, the technology aspect of what Farfetch could bring to the table,’ she
Floor show: the Browns East interior
explains. ‘I was like, “I could either sink or swim, or fly — and I think I am going to fly”.’ What’s it like to be reunited with Massenet, who joined Farfetch as non-executive cochairman in February after resigning from Net-A-Porter in September 2015? ‘It’s great, I adore her,’ she smiles. ‘She has been brought in to do some higher level things, but just knowing she is around makes me happy.’ Rogers has just arrived back from the style triathlon that is the succession of London, Milan and Paris fashion weeks, where, despite her title, she still likes to get up close to the product. ‘I never wanted to be a CEO,’ she reflects. ‘What has been really amazing about being in this role is how the preconceived notions of what a CEO means, particularly as a woman, are very different from the way that I am approaching it.’ She pauses, adding, ‘I’m not going to lie, it’s difficult at times because I fall back, even in my head, and I’m like, “Should I be doing this, shouldn’t I dress like that?” But the reality is that there is no reason why a CEO can’t be different to what we have seen previously. It should evolve because everything else is evolving around you.’ South Molton Street will be the next Browns store to undergo the Nomad transformation (slated for the end of next year), but she adds that the roaming retail concept could pop up anywhere. To that end, 2019 will see Browns set up shop in São Paulo within the luxury Cidade Matarazzo development that includes a Rosewood hotel. ‘It is going to be a must-see in South America,’ she enthuses. But for right now, Rogers’ focus is making sure that Browns East is just that for Shoreditch. Browns East, 21 Club Row, Shoreditch, E2
the best of Browns: Holli Rogers’ faves Spinelli Kilcollin Nexus ring, £6,790 ‘This ring speaks for itself — gorgeous.’ Balenciaga triple sole trainer, £535 ‘The must-have shoe of the season and luckily we saved a few pairs for Browns East.’
Ksubi x Travis Scott denim jacket, £380 ‘We have the UK exclusive on this collaboration. There are so many cool pieces, but I love this jacket as a nod to our Texan roots.’
Boyy bag, £725 ‘We have this in an exclusive shade of red as a prerelease of SS18. I love its vibrancy and the structured silhouette.’
Alyx T-shirt, £170 ‘With a cult following, Alyx is the hottest name in menswear.’
Sacai fringed skirt, £1,115 ‘To fringe or not to fringe — there is no question this Sacai skirt must be yours!’
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VIVIENNE WESTWOOD skirt suit, £410 (viviennewestwood.com). MM6 boots, £545, at farfetch.com. Y/PROJECT earrings, £301, at tessabit.com
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stylED BY Mindy Le Brock
Owning my body is really important to me Her brilliant third album was both a critical and commercial success, but Solange is still as focused on art as she is on music. Here, she talks about the influence of her mother, retaining control and where she’s going next
Daria Kobayashi Ritch; Getty Images
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olange Knowles is a hard woman to pin down. This is true of the 31-year-old Houston native’s work as a musician and songwriter, and in particular of last year’s magnum opus, A Seat at the Table: a third album that was both political and resolutely personal. But the same quality that means her work evades simple definition makes the more basic aspects of her day tricky to pull off — like meeting someone who is supposed to interview her, for example. I have flown to Los Angeles to meet her in the same location as today’s ES photoshoot. But, by the time I arrive, she is nowhere to be found. I try in vain to reschedule our conversation to later in the afternoon — we were originally supposed to be talking at 11am — to no avail. From midday until 8pm, I sit in a Solange Knowles with café in Silverlake, trying to make things her husband, work. They do not. In the end, I manage Alan Ferguson to get hold of her on the phone, as we are both in taxis heading for our evening
flights out of LAX. She jokingly puts her failure to make our meeting down to the intricate, time-consuming braiding work she has had done for her most recent look — visible in our shoot — adapted for her brief Orion’s Rise tour that closes at the Greek Theater in Berkeley, California, on Sunday. ‘Girl, blame the braids,’ she says between light laughter. ‘Blame the braids!’ This summer, I saw Knowles headline the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago with a set largely made up of the songs from her latest album — ‘a project on identity, empowerment, independence, grief and healing,’ she says. Her performance was astounding, acting as both a celebration of black joy and a soulful depiction of black political identity. A fierce dedication to speak to her audience was apparent during ‘Don’t Touch My Hair’: specifically dedicated to the black women in the audience who — myself included — blissfully sang along. Braiding is important to Knowles. It is an ‘act of beauty, an act of convenience and an act of tradition’ — it is ‘its own art form’, she adds. Every black woman
20.10.17 es magazine 27
“Southern storytelling has a slower rhythm… as a writer I think that has really kind of influenced my pace”
Pointer sister: Knowles on stage at Lovebox
has a personal journey with her own hair, and for Knowles it began in her mother’s salon, which was a refuge — ‘a spare bedroom so to speak’ — for her as a young girl. Growing up there was pivotal. ‘I got to experience women arriving in one state of mind and leaving in a completely transformed way. It wasn’t just about the hair. It was about the sisterhood and the storytelling. Being a young girl who was really active in dance, theatre and on the swim team, the salon was a kind of safe haven.’ By five or six, Knowles’ five-years-older sister Beyoncé was already well on her way to becoming a global superstar: their father, Matthew, quit his job as a Xerox sales manager to manage her group, Destiny’s Child. Solange, who had already shown a passion for singing, was not far behind her. At 15, she filled in for a backing dancer on one of the tours for her sister’s group, sang on their 2001 Christmas album and straight after that began working on her own music: her career also On the front row at Chloé AW17
Knowles’ parents, Matthew and Tina
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overseen, initially, by her father. Her debut album, Solo Star, came in 2002, two years later she got married and had a son, and by the time she released her second album, Sol-Angel and the Hadley St Dreams, in 2008, much had changed — not least her marital status: she got divorced in 2007 (Knowles married her current husband, video director Alan Ferguson, in 2014). Questions about Knowles’ older sister are, I am told, off limits. The elevator incident from 2014, too — when leaked security footage showed Solange in an altercation with her sister’s husband, Jay-Z — has been discussed as much as it ever will be (‘We had one disagreement ever. Before and after, we’ve been cool,’ Jay-Z said in an interview with Rap Radar in August). But the rest of her family is another matter. Our conversation is peppered with mentions of her mother, Tina, who — along with her father — provided interlude tracks on A Seat at the Table (on ‘Tina Taught Me’ and ‘Dad was Mad’ respectively). In fact, the name of her current tour is taken from a recent discovery about their relationship. ‘I had some revelations, in terms of my parents finding out they conceived me in Egypt after visiting the Giza pyramids, and connecting to that and the constellation of Orion that aligns with Giza,’ she says. The Orion constellation now has a permanent standing in her life, with recent Instagram posts showing it tattooed in delicate line work on her inner right arm. Knowles’ mother was born Célestine Ann Beyincé in 1954, in Galveston, Texas. Yet it’s specifically her Creole heritage that has had a profound effect on her youngest daughter. Knowles recorded parts of the album in New Iberia, Louisiana, which was the former home of her maternal grandparents who were chased out by the Ku Klux Klan. Now a resident of New Orleans, she credits the region with her creative process. ‘It can be colourful. It can be vivid. But one of the things I immediately think of when I think of Southern storytelling is its slower rhythm and slower pace. I think of times growing up when I would hear an aunt, an uncle or great aunt tell a story, taking you through all of the different twists and turns and valleys and rivers of it. And as a writer I think that has really kind of influenced my pace. I really kind of take my time through the process.’ Visual art is as much of an outlet for Knowles as music, and she has recently exhibited at Tate Modern and the Guggenheim in New York. As part of her performance art at the Guggenheim, she made calls to tear ‘the f***ing walls down’ and that due to what she perceives as a lack of diversity in the arts, ‘inclusion is not enough’. Body politics is also something that she has been contemplating. ‘To be honest, owning my body this year was really important to me,’ she says. ‘That can mean a lot of things. That can be in the physical form — wanting to have control over my physical body — and also wanting to have control in the way it is presented to the world. And it isn’t always easy. I often lose opportunities based on my will to want to navigate through that ownership of my body in the most authentic way. And I really kind of attained a lot of that from my mother.’ Reporting by Angelica Bastien
Elliot Jerome Brown Jr; Getty; Rex
Family matters: Solange Knowles with older sibling Beyoncé
SHEATH CLOTHING dress, £1,934, made to order (sheathclothing.com). MM6 boots, as before. Y/PROJECT earrings, as before
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SOLACE LONDON dress, £470 (solacelondon.com). Y/PROJECT earrings, as before Hair by Joanne Petit-Frere (braids) and Vernon François. Make-up by Dana Delaney
Elliot Jerome Brown Jr
“braiding is an act of beauty… and an act of tradition — it is its own art form”
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People person: from left; Corbyn on Good Morning Britain with Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid; at the Labour Party conference last month; with Sadiq Khan
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woah jeremy corbyn A
Gone are the scruffy suits, rambling public statements and grumpy interviews. Instead, Jeremy Corbyn appears poised, confident — and a credible contender for power. Charlotte Edwardes gets the inside story of the Labour leader’s remarkable transformation
s Jeremy Corbyn took to the stage at last month’s Labour Party conference to make the leader’s closing speech, he was like a rock god soaking up the exhilarating hysteria. He was smiling, chucking out well-timed gags about Theresa May, ever-so-humbly accepting the cries of ‘We love you Jeremy’ and outbreaks of ‘Oh Jer-e-my Corrrrr-byn’. The crowd’s elation, this devotion, this emotional unloading was underscored by his shifts of gear in 90 minutes of oration — one moment he was mocking the Tories (to sonorous panto boos), the next addressing the grave issues of housing shortages and the fire at Grenfell. Here was the slickest and most confident Jeremy Corbyn anyone had seen — a winner, without actually having won. He stood sharp in his dark suit, ironed shirt and red tie, proud in the face of multiple standing ovations. This Jeremy Corbyn was no longer the joke in the oversized beige jacket; no longer the Leninist in his Vlad cap, boot on spade, turning the soil of his Finchley allotment; no longer even ‘Corbyn’, but ‘Jeremy’, bold, brave and authentic, a politician who could speak to real people about real issues. Even his detractors concluded it wasn’t a bad speech. So how did this transformation of Jeremy Corbyn from much-mocked and shambolic no-hoper to possible Prime Minister-inwaiting, take place?
Rewind to 2015 and the perception of Labour was a party in utter chaos. Among most Labour MPs, Corbyn’s election to leader was greeted with the sort of deflated shock that football fans experience watching their team fall out of the Premier League. Immediately the stories seeped out. Behind closed doors, it was reported, there was infighting and ineptitude. MPs claimed they were unable to secure meetings — or even responses to their calls and emails. There were accusations of paranoia and intolerance to any dissent, perceived or real. This attitude spilled over to journalists. Corbyn was chippy to camera, he seemed to find reporters’ questions impertinent. The media had a field day. First with the clothes: the grey Wilson shell-suit (RRP £69.99), the blue-collar shirts and those terrible, terrible shorts (right). In the Commons, David Cameron scolded Corbyn during Prime Minister’s question time, ‘Put on a proper suit, do up your tie.’ They attacked his rambling speeches, his idolisation of despots like Fidel Castro, his rent-a-mob rallies; and of course his manic jam-making. All this was set against the reminder that he himself had a middle-class background and a private education. Under Corbyn’s leadership Labour had fractured. So bad was the acrimony between the leadership office in the House
Jeremy Corbyn with his adviser, Andrew Murray
of Commons and the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) in Labour’s Southside headquarters in Victoria Street that 44 MPs resigned their positions and a vote of no confidence was tabled (dubbed the ‘chicken coup’). ‘The fact that the people in the leader’s office used to refer to Southside as “the Darkside” gives you an idea of the hostility,’ says a senior member of Corbyn’s team. Angela Eagle trembled to her feet to stand against him, and sat down again. Owen Smith took up the challenge but suffered a humiliating defeat when Corbyn was re-elected. Moderates despaired. In addition those in Corbyn’s office say they felt ‘handicapped’ by the Labour Party’s control of announcements. ‘People in the press office reacted negatively to everything we did,’ says a source. ‘They’d say, “We can’ t make this policy
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announcement; the wording is wrong.” And you’d get bottlenecks.’ The net result was that Seumas Milne — Corbyn’s director of communications and strategy — could not get ‘cut through’ on serious issues or policy. ‘One problem was that journalists weren’t writing about the subject matter; they were writing about the noise around the subject matter,’ says the source.
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Crowd-puller: Corbyn at a rally in Birmingham; below, with Seumas Milne
“How did jeremy corbyn turn from man of no confidence into man of no limits?” organic social media presence, which we’d already developed.’ Suddenly Corbyn was on television all the time, and this exposure offset the derision of the national press. ‘People thought, “He’s not that bad. Actually he’s quite good.”’ ‘His appeal is his alleged authenticity and stubborn refusal over 40 years to change his views,’ says a journalist who knows him well, pointing out that when Paxman interviewed him and he seemed to be going against his own party, people thought that was good because he was true to himself. The lack of ‘cut through’ in the early part of the year meant little was known about how advanced Labour’s policy was, and so the manifesto, when it did launch, costed and thick with detail, was in contrast with the Jazzing up Jezza: Michael Eavis and Corbyn at Glastonbury
Conservatives’ effort (which one of their own MPs called ‘a s*** in a folder’). ‘For the people on the inside [the manifesto] didn’t come out of the blue. It was very well advanced,’ says an insider. The broader Corbyn’s appeal, the more relaxed he was. ‘It didn’t matter what situation you put Theresa May in, she looked uncomfortable. Jeremy didn’t. He could be talking about the Queen and have a joke about it. Or be in a fur coat next to a Maserati and he carries it off.’ Now his detractors looked like the bullies. As Corbyn said in his own speech, a 14-page diatribe against him in the Daily Mail saw his popularity rating jump 10 per cent. His wardrobe changed too, something his team describe as both ‘deliberate’ and ‘organic’. ‘From a media point of view, darker suits tend to look better on camera and a bit of that fed into it,’ explains an adviser. And the shell-suit and shorts? ‘None of these items were banished from his wardrobe.’ On a grander scale, Labour’s infrastructure was being overhauled. Officials had been hard at work on strategy, partly in preparation for a possible snap election. A concerted effort was underway to beef up Corbyn’s team. Key figures already included Karie Murphy, his office manager, Sian Jones, responsible for
Getty; Rex; Eyevine
n December 2016, arguably Corbyn’s lowest point, the party had dropped 17 points behind the Conservatives and a leaked copy of Corbyn’s diary was found ‘almost empty’ of appointments. His reputation as Westminster’s class clown was so entrenched he barely appeared in the papers. Tristram Hunt stepped down, as did Jamie Reed. The perception was not just that he was unelectable, but unbearable. Accusations of anti-Semitism and sexism dogged his milieu. Ken Livingstone’s comments on Hitler supporting Zionism were followed by Jackie Walker, vice-chair of Momentum, the activist movement that threw its weight behind Corbyn, being suspended from the party after criticising Holocaust Memorial Day for only commemorating Jewish victims. So what changed? How did Corbyn go from these depths to the glittering heights of September’s conference? How did he turn from man of no confidence into man of no limits? Those closest to Corbyn — and some journalists who have grown to know him in the past two years — say the man himself is little changed in any fundamental way. What has changed is the landscape in which he was able to operate. ‘Corbyn’s greatest strength is his ability to campaign,’ says a senior Labour source. ‘He loves campaigning. Jeremy is very much about real people and real experiences.’ By calling a snap election, May handed him a gift. Even his office admits that at times his readiness to speak to everyone he met on the road was ‘a pain’. Meanwhile, Milne had devised a new press strategy using specialist journalists; so an NHS announcement, say, would go to a medical correspondent. Once the election was called, new opportunities opened up: Ofcom rules ensured balanced television coverage for the main parties. ‘This was something Seumas was keen to prioritise,’ says the team source. ‘Very quickly we realised we had been underestimated and we had five big factors going for us: our policy was well developed, we now had broadcast balance, Jeremy’s campaigning abilities were one of his strengths — he did 48 of the key seats — and we had hundreds of thousands of “boots on the ground” to campaign. We also had an
‘the grid’, Katy Clark, his political secretary, Laura Parker, his private secretary, Andrew Murray, his adviser, and Andrew Fisher, his policy lead and author of the manifesto. James Schneider came on board from Momentum to help with comms and Milne — on secondment from The Guardian — announced in January that he was staying permanently. In February the team hired a secret weapon in the form of communications specialist and ex-BBC journalist Steve Howell, who tackled party organisation with a professionalism borrowed from business (insiders say he ‘categorised’ strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats). In March two academic consultants came aboard to help with ‘language’ so Corbyn’s message could ‘reach more people’. Over in Southside, two documents had long been prepared: the first, called ‘Snap General Election Guide’, the second a chart detailing a campaign hour-by-hour, day-byday, week-by-week. Nick Brown, the chief whip, took senior staff through potential election dates: around 4 May to chime with local and mayoral elections; late June; early October. (Actually 8 June had been rejected on the grounds that ‘nobody expected May to call a general election in the middle of local elections.’) Another floor of the Southside building had been secured and staff numbers jumped from 450 to nearly 600 when Parliament was
dissolved, moving into the Leader’s Office with a smooth operation. Meanwhile a digital team built programmes for promoting the party among the young and for mobilising activists. One tool married up Facebook with the electoral register so that Labour could place adverts directly on people’s pages. There were memes and apps, such as Find My Polling Station, and Labour Corb blimey: with Karie Murphy after the election result; right, with Sian Jones gathered 7.5m views on Snapchat. ‘Our digital campaign appealed to a generation who may never have voted otherwise,’ says the Corbyn needed his source. ‘And it made it easy.’ ‘Philadelphia moment’ One team member says, ‘Basically we (a reference to Obama’s speech in were on a permanent campaign footing; we Philadelphia about racism in April 2008) were already campaigning for the local and an email went round to that effect. elections. From an operational point of view Following the Manchester Arena bomb, we could move quickly and easily.’ The Corbyn made an even riskier comment campaign was off to a ‘flying start’. ‘We attacking police cuts implemented by May were making progress [in the polls] from during her time in the Home Office. the first week,’ says an aide. ‘You couldn’t resume campaigning without None of this was being taken into account Jeremy addressing what had happened in in May’s No10, who thought they were Manchester. And if he is going to address it, fighting the old Corbyn. In fact their greatest does he talk frankly about why these situations fear when they called the election was that arise — about foreign wars and so on — and Labour would find a way to replace him. what’s to be done? It was decided he should While May’s terrible campaign is often say what he really thought.’ cited as the reason for Corbyn’s gains (an They were warned to expect ‘heavy duty interpretation that makes Labour strategists stick’. ‘But we’d taken the decision that we’d ‘cross’) the flip side is rarely expressed: one of deal with issues head-on.’ Arguably this was the biggest flaws in the Tory campaign was his Philadelphia coup. that they underestimated Corbyn’s ability to Back at Labour HQ the snap election had turn himself into a professional politician. another unintended consequence. Once together in Southside, a shared goal of lthough Labour was getting winning helped ease tensions between its act together invisibly, no Corbyn’s team and the Labour Party team. one knew whether this ‘It happened virtually overnight,’ says one would translate into votes. official. ‘Because you work in such an intense The loss of Copeland, a way during a general election. We bonded Labour seat since the 1930s, and supported each other.’ in the February by-election suggested it On 26 May, Corbyn’s 68th birthday, that wouldn’t. ‘After that, some people thought bonding was in evidence. ‘Jeremy was away there was no way of the party doing well and campaigning and a number of the Southside that after the election there would be another team suggested we make a birthday video attempt to get rid of Jeremy. But we began to message to send him.’ do better and better in the polls, and as the There is one other outside factor that money kept flooding in to support the helped boost support for Jeremy, and that is campaigning, people [in the office] began to that the electorate had shifted leftward. get a sense of confidence.’ Corbyn’s team say that in recognition of that, There were bold campaigning moves. For the lobby is more respectful towards them. instance, they suggested making his planned The June intake of MPs are generally speech on 29 April — his first after May had supportive of Corbyn — not least because called the election — about leadership. The they rode in on the crest of his success. ‘There advice was, ‘Don’t take on Theresa May on are a lot more people who want to be part of leadership, you’ll lose.’ Jeremy’s Labour,’ says a Southside veteran. But Corbyn’s team disagreed. ‘Our positive The bigger question is whether all these take was, yes, he may not be that kind of changes can take Corbyn all the way to leader — like May — but he is this kind of Downing Street. As one party official points leader: the kind of leader you can trust, who out, ‘That part of the story is still to be tested. sticks to his guns… he has integrity.’ We had a s*** opposition against us last time Certainly the campaign team knew and we still fell short.’
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diverse city
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or those of us fortunate enough to call ourselves Londoners and still be able to afford (even if barely) to live in one of the most diverse cities on the planet, it presents both opportunities and challenges. The failures to meet the challenges of our diversity came crashing to the foreground through the horrors of the Grenfell Tower tragedy. During the past year I have been researching inequality in the UK for my book, Diversify: Six Degrees of Integration, and examining what we can do as a society to level the playing field so that everyone can contribute to the best of their ability. To help build a picture of diversity in London today I enlisted the help of inequality researchers Professor John Hills and Professor Lucinda Platt at the London School of Economics. Their findings do not bode well for our proud claim to be a fair and equal society. It seems that if you are not a white man in the UK then your income is likely to be much lower. Using data from big national surveys they researched how much the incomes of all women and men differed from those of white men — looking at those who were in work or looking for work. Adding up all those shortfalls means the rest of the population loses out by a whopping £127 billion per year compared with
their white male counterparts. Some of that is due to personal choices and some is the cost to all of us from people who don’t end up in the places where they could contribute most. The good news is we can all do our part to address the divisions in society that cause inequality. With more than 300 languages spoken here and with one in three Londoners having been born outside of the UK, the tolerance and acceptance of people from all walks of life is one of our city’s greatest strengths. It provides the thriving metropolis with great opportunities to experiment with implementing effective equality and diversity models. For far too long, however, Londoners of different socio-economic groups have lived side by side while remaining unconnected in a meaningful way. When we are relaxed about the lack of diversity and equal pay in various career sectors we are all poorer as the talent that might have provided the ‘against the grain’ solution is wasted. But where do we start? I believe the change starts with all of us individually. We all have to face our uncomfortable truths — our isms, our fears, our prejudices — and stop doing the uncomfortable splutter when the subject of difference comes up. Let’s be honest: we like what we know and what feels
familiar and therefore we will all feel challenged by people and situations that are unfamiliar to us. Once we admit that then we can commit to doing something about it, widen our social circles and explore communities and cultures we might otherwise avoid. That may mean being the odd one out and entering an environment with which we are unfamiliar. And before you baulk at the idea, remember: for anyone who is a minority, by which I mean anyone who is not an able bodied straight male, being the odd one out or the ‘other’ (as I refer in my book to anyone excluded) is a regular occurrence. So be bold and demand more of yourself and of the institutions you interact with. Ultimately London’s growth, like that of all big cities, will depend on the quality of the places it creates and its ability to foster economic opportunities that help all of its residents prosper for the benefit of society. Only through creating social and cultural institutions that encourage us to mix with others and place social integration at the forefront can we reap the gains of truly inclusive cities and make our great metropolis the fairest in the world. ‘Diversify: Six Degrees of Integration’, published by HQ HarperCollins, is out now (diversify.org)
step-by-step guide: the six degrees of integration Degree 1
Challenge
Look inwards and ask yourself some challenging questions. Are you reinforcing existing barriers and divisions or are you involved in dissolving them? Are you reflective and inclusive of the diversity around us?
Degree 2 Check
Without diversity in your own circle, your views and understanding of your society and the people you share it with will be limited. Through workplace interaction and social activities you have a chance to expand your circle to include those of different backgrounds.
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If you already have a diverse circle, then you have an excellent platform to encourage diversity.
Degree 3 Connect
Try to meet new types of people at work or at social functions. Leave a positive impression that will encourage future interaction. Humans are diverse but incredibly similar so there will be common points of reference.
Degree 4 Change
Read material you wouldn’t otherwise read and listen to the opinions of people who have had different experiences from your own. This can be useful to those
from all walks of life by allowing us to challenge the established wisdom and change how we approach different situations.
Degree 5 Celebrate
Routinely put yourself in a different environment outside your comfort zone for part of a day, week or month. This could be mentoring at a school where students are of a different background than your own. You might consider volunteering at a charity that supports vulnerable groups such as refugees, disabled people or the LGBTQ community. These options can help challenge your comfort levels and provide
an opportunity to engage with those with different lifestyles than your own, and who might hold views on topics you hadn’t considered.
Degree 6 Champion
Take responsibility to impart change. If you are a decisionmaker or influencer in the workplace or in your social group, advocate for inclusion of people from different belief systems, abilities and backgrounds. Your experience and awareness through the previous steps will put you in a position to champion change confidently or challenge excluding practices.
The figures are based on analysis by the International Inequalities Institute and Department of Social Policy at the London School of Economics. See also http://sticerd.lse.ac.uk/dps/case/cp/casepaper192.pdf
We live in one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world, but our failure to wholly embrace diversity is costing us billions each year. Time for change, says June Sarpong
The Progress 1000, in partnership with Citi, and supported by Invisalign, is the Evening Standard’s celebration of the people who make a difference to London life. #progress1000
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beauty by katie service
well Gel
Set design by Elena Horn
A new generation of gel cleansers to wash away the day
From left, B CLEAN sparkling water cleanser, £6.99 (superdrug.com). La Roche-PosayToleraine dermocleanser, £12.50 (laroche-posay.co.uk). CLINIQUE 2-in-1 cleansing micellar gel + light make-up remover, £17 (clinique.co.uk). EVE LOM gel balm cleanser, £45 (evelom.com). GLOSSIER milky jelly cleanser, £15 (glossier.com)
PHOTOGRAPH BY aleksandra kingo STYLED BY lily worcester
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feast
grace & flavour Grace Dent finds Clare Smyth’s all-frills finery worth the schlep to Notting Hill
“I never quite bought the notion of Smyth cooking in a Ramones T‑shirt, swigging natural wine”
Ambience food
Jonny Cochrane; illustration by Jonathan Calugi @ Machas
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’m not a Notting Hill person. Never, not once in 20 years, has a visit to Ladbroke Grove ended without me ascending the Tube steps beaded in tepid sweat, hurling money at TfL to take me east. I acquiesce nowadays that this fish-out-of-waterness may never shift. Notting Hill is a party that began too long ago for me to kiss the hosts with real warmth. It is a posh series of Love Island where I missed the first 345 episodes. I’d like to whisk Richard Curtis from W11 to Magnus Reid’s restaurant, Legs, on Morning Lane, E9, and see if within 50 minutes he loses all natural colour and goes floppy like an overwatered spider plant, like I do when I pass the Westway. Still, I cannot fault the much-plaudited chef Clare Smyth for opening her new place over west. Smyth operated for some time at three-Michelinstar level at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, and I sense this is where she is comfortable. I’ve watched people chase Michelin stars in, say, South Woodford and you can’t please the locals longterm with teensy portions of chef’s whimsy and no burgers. Notting Hill gets it. And while there was talk of Core scaling down fine dining to relaxed groovy levels in this new spot, I never quite bought the notion of Smyth cooking, like Reid and his ilk, in a Ramones T-shirt while swigging natural wine and blasting out Butthole Surfers’ back catalogue. Yes, Core plays a bit of U2 and the kitchen is so very ‘open’ it’s like the staff have signed up for a BBC Two reality show with a name like Kitchens Uncut. But, menu-wise, this is still full bells and whistles faff and finery. That’s not criticism — I rather bloody loved it. Incidentally, if you know someone who gets their rocks off from kitchen
Core 92 Kensington Park Road, Notting Hill, W11 (020 3937 5086; corebyclaresmyth.com)
1
Bottle Glenlivet still water
£5.50
2
Three course set lunches
£130
2
Glasses of Chablis Vocoret
£25
1
Glass of Riesling Spätlese
£15
1
Glass of Lousas Envínate
£10
2
Coffees
£10
Total
£195.50
over-cleanliness, bring that filthy niche bleachbuying pervert here because the Core kitchen is an ongoing paean to the beauty of gleaming surfaces. Alternatively, you could enjoy the food, which I did too. I arrived feeling like Core was merely a box to tick, so as not to have to bluff through end-of-year lists, yet it opened into something more. Tiny, sumptuous amuse-bouches began with a small scone-like tomato and basil ball of joy — sorry, ‘gougère’ — a sliver of jellied eel on toasted seaweed and a chunk of crispy smoked duck wing with burnt orange skin. Fine British produce served surprisingly. I won’t lie, Core’s lunchtime clientele are older couples with retirement funds and spare time to squander, so I’d suggest a glass of Chablis and a will to create your own party. The staff are adorable in that manner I’ve only felt at The Ledbury, where the line between Michelin-type primness and being a best friend you want to take drinking is ever-so-finely danced. One of the nicest things I’ve eaten this year was the Charlotte potato topped with herring and trout roe on a heavenly white butter sauce. Yes, it’s a fishy spud; yes, it’s gone in three bites. A plate of ‘lamb braised carrot’ on sheep’s milk yoghurt, frankly, sounds like a wet weekend in Dudley on paper, but transpired to hold all the lamby sweetness of that mouthful of Sunday roast you enjoy most in the kitchen away from the hoi polloi you foolishly said you’d cook for. I was impressed similarly with an oxtail-stuffed Roscoff onion served with an abstemious but satisfying serving of short rib. A piece of skate festooned with Morecambe Bay shrimp and Swiss chard in a puddle of brown butter was delightful. By this point I’d drunk two glasses of Chablis and had been in west London two hours and was not remotely homesick for the sight of a Hackney Wick berk collecting a spelt loaf on a pennyfarthing. I didn’t have time for pudding as I was late to eat another mid-afternoon meal somewhere just as fancy. Yes, I hate me too. But they packed me up some fabulous chocolate tart petits fours, which I ate in bed later watching telly. I enjoyed west London. What the hell has Smyth started?
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feast
tart london Jemima Jones and Lucy Carr-Ellison bake a
crumble cake with perfectly ripe autumn plums Last of the summer wine: Jemima and Lucy make the most of eating (and drinking) al fresco
Jemima Jones (left) and Lucy Carr-Ellison
Josh Shinner
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he plum is a juicy, sweet, crimson jewel that you have to make the most of come autumn. There is no point in bothering with the hard round rocks you find in the supermarket the rest of the year. We had our first one straight from the tree a few weeks back. The taste stops you in your tracks, transporting you back to childhood memories of harvesting baskets of the fruit. Only half would ever make it back to the kitchen! The plums we are talking about here are Victoria plums, as opposed to greengages, Marjorie’s Seedlings or damsons. Victoria plums are more oval in shape, with crimson to yellow skins and a soft golden flesh compared with the dark-skinned, round imported plums. Make sure you pick up the right ones. When plums are so fresh and delicious, they are wonderful simply on their own — perhaps chopped up in a bowl of granola with a dollop of yoghurt, or lightly poached and spooned over a steaming bowl of porridge on a cooler morning. They’re so sweet they can easily replace your midafternoon chocolate biscuit. And, of course, they’re magnificent in puddings. Pies, cakes, crumbles, compotes — take your pick. One easy, quick dessert is to simply roast a punnet of halved, de-stoned plums with some soft brown sugar, Marsala wine, a drizzle of olive oil and a few sprigs of thyme. But if you’ve got more time, try this superb cake, which we’ve been making for years and start excitedly thinking about at the beginning of autumn. It’s heavenly, either as a teatime treat or, even better, still warm from the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Serves 8-10
plum crumble cake
For the crumble topping 25g ground almonds 25g unsalted butter, chopped into chunks 25g soft brown sugar 25g chopped, roasted hazelnuts
Preheat the oven to 180C and line an 8-inch springform tin with baking paper. Place all the crumble topping ingredients into a food processor and blitz until crumbly, then put to one side. To make the cake, beat the butter and sugar together in a bowl until smooth, then gradually beat in the ground almonds, flour and baking powder, followed by the eggs, yoghurt and vanilla. Pour the mixture into the tin, then cover with a layer of plums — squish in as many as you can. Sprinkle over the crumble topping and place in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes. Leave to cool and serve with ice cream or crème fraiche.
For the cake 125g unsalted butter, softened 180g soft brown sugar 150g ground almonds 150g self-raising flour 1 tsp baking powder 4 eggs 150g natural yoghurt 1 tsp vanilla extract 10 Victoria plums, halved, stones removed Vanilla ice cream or crème fraiche to serve
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In the MIX
FEAST New mixes on the block: a Seedlip NOgroni; below, Coupette’s white truffle negroni
‘W Holy negroni
As bartenders prepare to compete in a mix-off, Frankie McCoy gets to the essence of this sacred cocktail
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bright-red beacon of hope in the darker months, glowing enticingly with the punchy promise of strong, unapologetic booze, the negroni is a proper autumnal drink. It’s also a proper drink, full stop — like a Martini or neat Scotch. It’s the kind of drink you could never be embarrassed ordering. Indeed, ordering one marks you out as quite the sophisticated flâneur, rather like Jeremy Lee, head chef of the restaurant Quo Vadis, who describes its negroni as ‘a peerless quaff of gin, vermouth and Campari enlightened by ice and the zest of an orange — a magnificent exercise in elegant simplicity’.
Jonny Cochrane; Rex; glassware available at waterford.co.uk
“Twisted negronis are doing the rounds, adding flavours, spirits and garnishes” Such is his respect for the drink that Quo Vadis hosts an annual Soho negroni championship, this year on 23 October, where London’s top bartenders compete. Last year the winning concoction came from the legendary connoisseur Fergus Henderson for his ‘negroni as it should be’ (50 per cent Tanqueray gin, 30 per cent Punt E Mes vermouth, 20 per cent Campari and a strip of lemon zest); this year Smokestak, Polpo and Smoking Goat are among the 14 bars and restaurants competing for the title of negroni ninja.
But how far should you mess with a classic? Twisted negronis are doing the rounds of London bars, adding flavours, spirits and garnishes that purists would blanch at. Some flavour combinations work — note the single-origin coffee negroni at Caravan, where the fruity, roasted tang of your caffeine fix blends seamlessly with the bittersweet Campari. Others make sense only to the already boozed-up, such as the white truffle negroni at Coupette made with seasonal truffles perhaps better saved for tossing through pasta. How about when gin is swapped with whisky, as in the chamomile and bourbon rilassato negroni at Il Pampero, giving it an intense butterscotch richness; or with prosecco, as in its fizzily fun sbagliato? Or removing alcohol from the equation altogether, as with the Seedlip ‘NOgroni’, just launched at Selfridges’ new roof-top Italian-inspired garden bar, Il Tetto? Ultimately, as Lee says, nothing can better the original: ‘Anything else is a pretender to the throne. While few remember a concoction, everyone remembers their first negroni.’ Red stripes: a Quo Vadis negroni; left, 2016’s victorious mixologist, Fergus Henderson
Douglas Blyde celebrates grouse season with both barrels
e’re probably the UK’s oldest shooting school, offering a feast of shooting on London’s outskirts, including a vermin stand with a semi-automatic shotgun,’ boasted droll instructor, Richard Weller. Joining a double-decker bus load of the UK’s top chefs, including crack shots Claude Bosi of Bibendum, Robin Gill (The Dairy) and Steve Drake (Sorrel), I came to the ivy-clad West London Shooting School in Northolt to shatter clays simulating running rabbits, fluttering pigeons and warbling grouse. Our aim, under cerulean skies: to celebrate the red grouse’s brief season, from the Glorious Twelfth of August to 10 December, before eating one that afternoon in tartan comfort. In the name of dinner, I recall landing one portly bird years ago on a Highland moor. Urgently plucked, then barbecued, the specimen was served pink in a remote bothy with a delicate Dalwhinnie single malt. Combining sweet wildflower scents with understated peatiness, the dram dreamily captured the filmic scenery. Having pulled triggers manically at the final game flyer flush, albeit hitting more foliage than clays as gunpowder clouds formed, our team headed for Boisdale, Belgravia. With jazz, a fine Scotch selection and some of the capital’s best game dishes, the restaurant, along with its three siblings, serves up to 150 birds a week. Here, savoury grouse with cobnuts, corrupting goose-fat potatoes and poached bittersweet crab apples were served with Piper Heidsieck’s ‘Rare’ 2002 flagship, a formidable, layered, rested champagne that cuddled the bilberry and blood sauce-stroked flesh. Defining single malts from The Balvenie followed, comprising the fulsome 12-year-old, depthful 17, and the honeyed, spicy, single-barrel 25-year-old. Late lunch over, departing guests were offered West London Shooting School caps, ‘which you’re welcome to show friends and lovers as proof you won today’s shooting competition’, joked Weller.
20.10.17 es magazine 45
HOMEWORK
Wallpaper* editor-in-chief Tony Chambers celebrates the arrival of the Italian design darling, Dimore Studio, and makes a Pilgrimage to Paddington’s best new hotel
Chris Floyd; Laurie Fletcher
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nyone with a fondness for contemporary Italian design will know of Dimore Studio. The Milanbased duo of Britt Moran and Emiliano Salci started out a decade and a half ago creating private residences for a well-heeled clientele, graduating to retail spaces for high-end brands including Hermès, Boglioli and Aesop. But it was their hospitality projects that propelled them to fame — their invitation-only apartment at Palazzo Fendi became the hottest place to stay in Rome, Casa Fayette brought a welcome dash of global eclecticism to Guadalajara, while the retro-chic Hôtel Saint-Marc made Parisians look at vintage floral prints with fresh eyes. Among their admirers, the name Dimore has become synonymous with opulent glamour and timeless elegance. Finally they have arrived in London, through a number of recent exhibitions and more importantly in the form of Leo’s (below), a new supper club and nightclub in the basement of the Arts Club on Dover Street. Entering through a corridor clad in strips of rose gold mirrors and emerald carpeting, there is a bar on one side, fronted with illuminated rhombuses and topped with green Guatemala marble. On the other is a dining area with sculptural banquettes and a long, serpentine sofa running along a corrugated pink wall. Intimate spaces that transport you to another world. At the heart of Leo’s is a dance floor (wood parquet with brass inlays — and a stage) delineated by a pale blue curtain hand-painted with lotus flowers. The material palette is dazzling, too: marble, brass, velvet, leather and lacquered enamel. It all makes for a charmed, decadent space, which the designers say was inspired by the Wong Kar-wai film, In the Mood for Love. As with many other Dimore projects, almost all of the furniture was custom-made, including painted silk, Orientalinflected lanterns that are a scaled-down version of what Moran and Salci created for this year’s Milan Design Week. Such abundant use of decoration could easily veer towards the kitsch, but in the hands of Dimore, with their meticulous attention to detail, it looks just right. The duo’s knack for interiors translates easily into furniture design, as seen here and at their recent, inaugural showing at PAD London. Leo’s is a members-only space, but the uninitiated will soon have other opportunities to experience Dimore’s work as well. More London projects are in the works, including a showroom for a watchmaking client in the Royal Arcade — and rumours abound of a new store for a major fashion house in Sloane Square. In the coming months, Dimore’s star will shine ever brighter, and our city will reap the benefits.
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Dimore is more
The Experience
Beazley Designs of the Year, the Design Museum’s annual roundup of the world’s most innovative projects, has entered its 10th year. The 60 shortlisted projects are on view, with the winners decided by a mix of public vote and a jury of experts. Watch out for a self-balancing motorcycle, a new textile made from marine waste and an ink made from air pollution. For the exhibition set, architectural studio Carmody Groarke has covered the gallery’s walls in spray insulation. To 28 Jan (designmuseum.org) Xp ny
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Shipshape: the shortlisted Port House by Zaha Hadid Architects, in Antwerp
The Tech
The Sony Xperia Touch promises to turn any flat surface into an interactive screen. This short-throw projector makes use of infrared sensors and a built-in camera to detect movement. Users can project a 23-inch image on to any tabletop or wall and then click, pinch and swipe as though it were a tablet. It includes an inbuilt battery and stereo speakers, making it a truly portable device, and with its metal case and sleek black control panel, it’s a fitting addition to any well-designed home. (sony.co.uk)
The Building
In Paddington, a neighbourhood that has traditionally lacked good hotel options, the new Pilgrm may be the long-awaited harbinger of change. Its 73 rooms run across four Victorian townhouses, with interiors by Sheffield design studio 93ft. Original parquet flooring and period lighting contrasts with contemporary furnishings that draw attention to the elegant material palette. The restaurant, Lounge, offers a range of hearty delicacies such as ramen with crisp pork belly as well as a cocktail list that borrows from cult-favourite drinking dens from Dallas to Athens. (thepilgrm.com)
The Product
Danish bicycle purveyor Biomega has collaborated with the likes of Marc Newson and Bjarke Ingels, transforming commutes two wheels at a time. Its new electric bike, the AMS E-Low (left), pairs a low centre of gravity with the power of a moped, allowing efficient travel over longer distances. The bike boasts a carbon belt drive and a lightweight aluminium frame that’s as easy on the eyes as it is for the thighs. (biomega.com)
20.10.17 es magazine 47
escape
Scotch scape: the view from the Isle of Eriska
EDITED by dipal acharya
WHAT TO DO
You could easily pass a weekend lounging around your hilltop reserve or tasting some of the 45 whiskies on offer in the hotel’s cosy sitting room, where wood fires burn year-round. But that would mean missing out on the ruggedly gorgeous scenery and the chance to spot seals, roe deer and a partly submerged crannog dating from the Bronze Age. Eriska is a walker’s paradise, so grab a pair of wellies and hit the trails. For the very energetic, golf, clay pigeon shooting and archery are also on offer.
WHY GO?
Just a few hours from the capital, the Isle of Eriska Hotel, Spa & Island may as well be another planet. For those in need of a quick hit of relaxation, it’s perfect. Part of the Relais & Châteaux collection of boutique hotels, its warm hospitality will put you at ease while views of surrounding lochs and Morvern mountains keep your eyes firmly trained on the horizon instead of your phone. An abundance of locally sourced produce means you return revived and well-nourished (if perhaps a pound or two heavier).
UP THE ISLE A private, 300-acre island at the mouth of Loch Creran on Scotland’s wild west coast, Eriska provides the ultimate escape for frazzled urbanites, discovers Alice-Azania Jarvis Right, the Eriska Hotel drawing room. Below, Alice on an island walk
INDULGE
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Unwind at Eriska’s Stables Spa. Below, Loch Creran
After a morning tramping through windswept greenery, swapping waterproofs for a towelling robe at the Stables Spa feels delightfully decadent. The massage using seaweed-derived Ishga products is heavenly. Afterwards, sip water and admire the view from the loch-side ‘relaxation room’ or pop upstairs for a glass of wine at the Deck restaurant.
WHERE TO STAY
WHAT TO EAT
Isle of Harris mussels with cullen skink, sea vegetables and tarragon, or sirloin with brown butter mousseline, alliums and bone marrow are among the dishes served in the hotel’s ultra-trad dining room, which also features a terrific (and enormous) cheese trolley. But the real place to get your culinary kicks is at the on-site smokehouse, where salmon and halibut are cured over whisky-drenched woodchips, producing fish so moreish that you’ll wonder why it’s not sold in London.
Built in the late 19th century, the Scottish baronial Eriska House (above) forms the main part of Isle of Eriska Hotel. A short walk away are six hilltop reserves, offering the independence — and extra space — of a selfcatering cottage with the best parts of a luxury hotel. Don’t feel like using the (excellently equipped) kitchen? No bother — hotel staff will bring your breakfast/lunch/ dinner up to you in a neatly packed hamper. Each reserve comes with a sitting room and deck complete with a hot tub (yes, really).
GETTING THERE
Mussel in: a tempting local dish at Eriska House
A short flight up to Glasgow followed by a scenic two-hour drive taking in Loch Lomond National Park makes Eriska ideal for Friday escapes — though romantics may prefer the Caledonian Sleeper from Euston to Fort William followed by a 90-minute journey to Connel Ferry station. B&B rooms from £295 (eriska-hotel.co.uk)
20.10.17 es magazine 49
my london
anthony joshua as told to lily worcester
Home is… A two-bedroom flat in Golders Green; I grew up in Watford. First thing you do when you come back to London? Go to church to wash away my sins.
Earliest London memory? Going to Finchley and District Amateur Boxing Club (above). That’s where I started boxing when I moved to London.
Most memorable meal you have had in the capital? Smith & Wollensky (above) off the Strand. About 15 of us went there to eat after the Wladimir Klitschko fight. It’s private and chilled, with good steak as well. What would you do if you were Mayor for the day? I’m not really into politics; I’m more of a conspiracist. Let’s say a crash happened — I would think that someone had probably put the car there. If you could buy any building, which would it be? Buckingham Palace. There’s enough palace for myself and all the homeless to live in as well. It’s a big old place. You could look after a lot of people. Favourite shops? My barber (below). His name is Mark but his nickname is Slider Cuts. He’s based on Hornsey Road; it’s called D&L’s Barbers. I was actually his second client today at 6.30am — Reggie Yates was there before me.
50 es magazine
The world heavyweight champion enjoys steak at Smith & Wollensky, parties at Tape and goes to the zoo in Golders Green Where do you go to let your hair down? Mayfair club, Tape, or Libertine, a club in Fitzrovia. I’m always up for it. What’s the best thing a cabbie has ever said to you? This guy had me calling up his whole family. I was so tired and I missed my appointment. He called up five or six people but they didn’t wanna talk. They weren’t as excited as he was.
Favourite London discoveries? Golders Hill Park (left). It’s got its own little zoo — you don’t expect to see that in parks. Best piece of advice you have been given? I saw the musician, Rick Ross the boss, being interviewed. He’s always like, ‘I’m a boss, I’m a boss’. Then, when he’s like, ‘Oh, I had to ask for help’, I was like, ‘Huh?’ I thought this guy was untouchable. So, ask for help, ask for support, let people know what you’re going through.
Last play you saw? One Night in Miami (above) at the Donmar Warehouse. It’s based around Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X and Sam Cooke (the singer). It brought back to life how they were in different industries but were all friends. It was really good, really interesting. Who’s your hero? Your hero should be yourself, but the version in, like, 10 years, because you’re always striving to be better. Anthony Joshua is the face of Westfield’s AW17 fashion campaign (uk. westfield.com)
The Progress 1000, in partnership with Citi and supported by Invisalign, is the Evening Standard’s celebration of the people who make a difference to London life. #progress1000; Blair Getz Mezibov; Alamy
What do you collect? I’m going to start collecting paperwork and documents to leave a trail of what I was about, the stuff I’d achieved. We all have pictures, but they don’t explain the time and what that person was like.