The Gloss January 2011

A FRESH FASHION START / CONNIE’S ELECTION BID / SPRING BREAKS / ROSE-TINTED INTERIORS

onth with m y r e v e now Es risH Tim

MAGAZINE

THE i

JANUARY 2011 / t4.50

Just do it

Putting the sex back into sex life

The Glossy Office Set up HQ at home

Living in

Arabia

War and peace, boom and bust

s t n a P s e r a e she w Th You ’ L L

s k o o l s e i t n sevteu A L L Y W A N t t o W E A r Ac

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JANUARY 2011

THE GLOSS and MOËT & CHANDON

CINEMA CLUB The next Cinema Club screening:

Valentino The Last Emperor

Don’t miss a copy of

THE GLOSS!

You can now sign-up to receive a reminder every month by email or text (you decide) when THE GLOSS is out so that you never miss another copy! Simply register your details on www.irishtimes.com/thegloss and you’ll also be in

To reinforce Moët & Chandon’s love affair with film, THE GLOSS and Moët & Chandon Cinema Club continues in 2011 with a series of iconic movies throughout the year, focusing on fashion, art and music. We begin this month with a screening of the widely acclaimed fashion film, VALENTINO THE LAST EMPEROR, directed by Matt Tyrnauer.

Valentino the Last Emperor follows the legendary designer, along with his business partner, Giancarlo Giammetti, for the last two years of their careers, as they confront the final act of a 50-year reign at the top of the world’s most glamorous and competitive industry. If YOU AND A GUEST would like to join us at 6pm on Thursday, January 27, at Denzille Lane Cinema, Dublin 2, for a Moët & Chandon reception before the film, email letters@thegloss.ie. Places are limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Over-18s only.

with a chance to win a fabulous new €500 wardrobe from Coast! Now there’s an offer you can’t refuse …

PUBL ISH E R

OBSERVER 6 Gloss-ip PARTYING BELOW ZERO AND COMFORT SHOPPING 8 20 Questions LIZ MC MANUS LOOKS BACK ON HER POLITICAL LIFE PUT A SMILE ON YOUR FACE A PRIORITY

10 Hunting BRIGHT IDEAS 12 Gathering

FEATURES 14 January Joy POLLY DEVLIN MAKES HAPPINESS

16 My Little Meanness PINCHING PENNIES – EVERYONE’S AT IT! 20 The Incredible

Vanishing Sex Life WHY COUPLES IN LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIPS GET BORED IN THE BEDROOM 22 The Good News Is ... AUTHOR MARK STEVENSON’S REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL SHOPPING 23 Wardrobe Update NEW LABELS TO LOOK OUT FOR 24 Draught Dodgers COSY GETS CUTE 25 Layer Up WEATHERING THE COLD SNAP IN STYLE FASHION 26 She Wears the Pants STRIDE INTO THE NEW YEAR IN 1970S-INSPIRED LOOKS WINE 34 Eastern Promise WHAT GOES WELL WITH CHINESE HOME 35 Desk Job GET ORGANISED WITH A GORGEOUS HOME OFFICE 38 This Glossy Lifestyle A NEW INTERIORS SHOP WORTH A VISIT BEAUTY 39 Long-Term Plan DEFEND YOUR SKIN AGAINST THE ELEMENTS 40 Beauty Buffet COMPLEXION PERFECTION ART 42 A Room of Her Own WE VISIT PAINTER MARY ROSE BINCHY’S STUDIO TRAVEL 43 Man In A Suitcase HOT SPOTS FROM MIAMI TO THE MARAIS THIS GLOSSY LIFE 44 At Home in Arabia THE IRISH GO EAST 48 A View From The Jeep CONNIE’S QUEST FOR POWER She Does, She Doesn’t NATALIE PORTMAN ON ACTING AND ACTIVISM 4 | January 2011 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

JAN E MC DON N ELL E DITOR

SARAH MC DON N ELL BE AUTY E DITOR

CAROLI N E SCOT T STY L E E DITOR

AI SLI N N COFFEY A R T E DITOR

JAMES KEL LEHER DE SIGN E R

L AURA MERRI GAN A DVE R TISIN G SA L E S DIR E CTOR

TRACY ORMI STON CON TR IBUTIN G E DITOR S

P OLLY DEV LI N, LYN N EN RI GHT, AN TON I A HART, CATHERI N E HEAN EY, MARY MI LLER, AOI FE O’B RI EN, P ETER O’B RI EN, SARAH OWEN S, THERESE QUI N N, ROSE MARY ROCHE, LUI S RODRI GUEZ, NATASHA SHERLI N G CON TR IBUTIN G PH OTOGR A PH E R S

JUAN AL GARI N, SARAH DOYLE, N EI L GAV I N, RENATO GHI AZZA, OLI V I A GRAHAM, N EI L HURLEY, LI SA L OF TUS, BARRY MC CALL, JOAN N E MURP HY, LI AM MURP HY, AMEL I A STEI N, 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 Polestar, Chantry, UK. Colour origination by Typeform. Copyright 2010 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.

~ GLOSS IP

Y R A U N JA

Despite inclement conditions, we ventured out on a MUSICAL MYSTERY TOUR, sought out the FEELGOOD FACTOR and stepped out of our COMFORT ZONES ...

P

“

op Now … It’s Going to be Wow!”

extremes outside, singing along to the chorus: “I hope you

zone, that’s how, where many of us have found ourselves

read the invitation. Who wouldn’t

find friends with whom you belong”. It made us feel all warm

recently, especially those starting their careers all over

be tempted to burrow their way

and fuzzy inside …

again. More time for self-improvement; and we’re not

through the snow for such a party?

talking mumbo-jumbo, spiritual me-time nonsense, but

  

We packed our bags and headed for,

Happy, dynamic, loved up, adventurous, mysterious,

acquiring actual skills or forcibly challenging ourselves

um, more snow! The destination was

stressed out, sexy or rebellious? Feeling any of the above?

to do something we’d never have considered before. Look

Soho House Berlin to enter the weird,

As global brands seek to connect with customers on

out for a new column on this theme starting soon.

wonderful and very colourful world of jeweller THOMAS

‘an emotional level’ – the holy grail of marketing teams

SABO, to preview the spring/summer collection. The

everywhere – Spanish fashion label Mango invites

   Of course, tapping into emotion makes sense when we

cavernous basement of Berlin’s newest private

hear, apparently, the places we will want to shop in 2011

members’ club had been transformed, for one night

are the ones that make us feel “happy”, like Avoca and

only, into a fluoro fantasy land, packed to the gills

Cath Kidston. It’s true, those shops that cynical types

with the world’s press and a glamorous sprinkling of

may have previously considered overly homely or twee,

Sabo’s celebrity fans including OLIVIA PALERMO, her

are drawing us back in our droves.

seriously handsome boyfriend JOHANNES HUEBL

  

and super-cute German F1 driver NICO ROSBERG.

Other things that make us happy: MAX IRONS, the son

Without a velvet rope in sight – though lots of dapper

of Irish actress Sinead Cusack and British star Jeremy

velvet-clad men – the celebs hit the dance floor with

Irons and star of Dorian Gray, has just been revealed as

Sabo, his petite wife LUZ-ENITH and creative director

the handsome new face of the men’s line for a global

SUSANNE KÖLBLI. We rocked out to Parisian band

fashion brand – you guessed it – Mango. Good news for

I am un Chien and danced like crazy to the cheesy

our emotional ranking.

tunes played by Berlin DJ trio White Label. The mood

  

of the evening – from the music, to the out-and-out

I’m a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here! and Gillian

fun – summed up the new collection, which features

McKeith’s behaviour is happily only a distant memory

heavy metal style lightning bolts, Pop Art hearts, frogs

now. We thought McKeith, of You Are What You

and dogs! As we crawled back to the cool Weinmeister

Eat (sort-of ) fame looked particularly haggard for

Hotel, where the press gang were staying, it seemed that despite flying from one freezing extreme to another, and slipping through the snow in our party dresses and heels, we weren’t as hardy as we thought:

a 51 year old. She’s a rotten ad for her healthy diet.

LOST IN MUSIC Clockwise from above: German newsreader Annika Kipp; Mr and Mrs Thomas Sabo; Olivia Palermo with Johannes Huebl.

Look at Nigella Lawson – same age, totally gorgeous.

Butter, cheese, great big portions? What’s her secret?

Happiness, possibly.

a shivering bunch of journalists had gone for a dip in the rooftop pool … Brrrr.

   its Facebook fans to select the state of mind that best

There was a lovely atmosphere as we gathered at the

describes them. They say users will be able to discover

Lighthouse Cinema to watch It’s A Wonderful Life,

We hot-footed it from Berlin to London to see Fistful of

the state of mind of women in their own country and in

the final screening of the THE GLOSS and Moët

   Mercy, a new super-group consisting of musicians BEN

the rest of the world. ‘Emotion Ranking’ is the term given

& Chandon Cinema Club for 2010 (don’t worry, it

HARPER, JOSEPH ARTHUR and DHANI HARRISON

to this mesmerising way to spend a few minutes of your

continues this year with a new programme of fashion,

(gorgeous son of Beatle George), whose fans include

day. If you do take part, you will be helping to build a

art and music-themed films). A spontaneous round of

EDDIE VEDDER, of Pearl Jam. The audience were treated

‘global state of mind barometer’ that will inform us how

applause at the end was either a mark of appreciation of

to a gloriously folksy set, culminating in an acoustic

women all over the world are feeling every day.

our excellent choice in movies or a positive response to

finale, with the crowd, by this point warmed up from the

We’ll tell you how we’re feeling: out of our comfort

yet more heartwarming schmaltz.

THE GLOSS and MOËT & CHANDON

CINEMA CLUB IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE

1

2

3

4

1. Katie Power and Eimear Hickey.

2. Delicious canapés.

3. Nathalie Butler and Catherine Lee. 4. Susan Cahill and MeiLing Ng.

4 | July 2010 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E 6 | January 2011 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

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20 QUESTIONS What was your mother’s name, and are you like her?

swimming in the sea and I ran in to save

Her name was Elizabeth McKay, from a

very proud of myself!

Northern Unitarian family. She was incredibly

What gets your goat?

him. He was absolutely mortified but I was

good-looking and a really gifted visual artist.

Fianna Fáil. The economic hole they have

I don’t think I am like her at all.

dug for us. The fact that our young people

What’s on your desk now that has no place there?

have to emigrate makes me incredibly angry.

Nail hardener. It doesn’t work.

Do you think we can work our way out of our current economic problems?

How does your Irishness reveal itself to others?

I hope through my sense of humour. Growing up,

Yes. It’s going to be very difficult, and the

I felt that having a mother who wasn’t a Catholic

new government will be spanceled by

made me less Irish, but later I read what Denis

commitments that have been made, but it

Donoghue said: that it was quintessentially

will happen. A new government will provide

Irish to have a mixed background.

a dynamic we don’t have at the moment.

At school, were you a pleasure to teach?

Especially if it’s a Labour-led government.

Well, I think so. I was certainly a good student,

When were your halcyon days?

but I was very reserved, which may have been

When I was at home with my children when

difficult for teachers.

they were small.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

What is your guilty pleasure?

An air hostess.

Desperate Housewives!

Becoming deputy leader of the Labour Party. I was elected by a vote of the ordinary members.

What swearwords do you use?

Too many! Unprintable.

What turn of events could have knocked you down with a feather?

Mary Robinson being elected President. I was so thrilled, I couldn’t believe it.

Is home a place or a state of mind?

A place. When I was growing up we led a peripatetic existence. My father was a civil servant and we moved continually, living here, abroad, in different houses. Having a permanent home is a great solace to me now, and I’ve been there for nearly 30 years.

What is your oldest piece of clothing?

A black quilted jacket that I’ve worn forever, and I intend to be buried in it.

What has been the bravest act of your life?

One of my children got into difficulties

LIZ

McManus TD for Wicklow, LIZ MC MANUS is the Labour party spokesperson on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. She’s also a writer, and her novel was nominated for the Aer Lingus/ Irish Times Literature Prize. She has contributed to The Big Book of Hope (proceeds to the Hope Foundation), launched this month. She has recently announced that she will not stand for election again.

What sight would never bore you?

The sun rising over Bray seafront.

What is your favourite street?

The street that leads to home.

What would you like played at your funeral?

There’s a Unitarian hymn which was played at my mother’s funeral, it’s an obscure but very beautiful hymn sung to the music of Finlandia. I’d like to have that one.

Do you think we’ll have more women TDs in the next government?

I would hope so but realistically I think it’s very hard for women with family commitments to take this job on. It’s long hours, difficult work, it’s very public, you take a lot of flak. It’s a wonderful job, but I can see how to an outsider it seems offputting. I hope I’m wrong.

What will you miss most about political life?

The friends I’ve made, and the people I’ve worked with. ANTONIA HART

Samantha Browne, created for THE GLOSS by Annie West

8 | January 2011 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

PH OTOGRAPH BY PH OTOCALL IRE LAND

What achievement did you think you might not pull off?

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10 | January 2011 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

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by Gail Bryson, £150stg, at PEDLARS. 4. Peony earrings, t10, at ACCESSORIZE. 5. Leather bag, t29.99, at NEW LOOK. 6. Denim skirt, t47.50, at MARKS & SPENCER. 7. Glass lanterns, t11.99 for three, at IKEA 8. Yellow and white gold cupcake charm, with blue and pink sapphires and tsavorites, TIFFANY & CO, price on request, at Brown Thomas. 9. Nile blue calfskin iPad sleeve, £160stg, at SMYTHSON.

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12 | January 2011 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

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POlly Devlin

S

ometimes I set myself thwarting tasks. Take happiness for example.

Not achieving it. Not experiencing it. Writing about it. Who knows anything about happiness other than the rare joy of being blessed by it – and yet I tell my editor that I want to write about it, for you,

my friends, living in what appears, looking from across the sea, as a place of unhappiness and desolation. You’d think my name was Pollyanna and that the Ed’s name was Dubious. And after all, where I am living is not exactly the Delectable Mountain, although the Prime Minister David Cameron has started a Happiness Index (it’s true, I swear it) to gauge the state of the nation’s spirit. The best of luck to him, though if I were him I wouldn’t be holding my breath.

But lookee, it’s the New Year. A chance to start over, a chance to find The Answer, a chance to make the rest of our lives worth living. The path ahead lies so inviting, so sweet, so new, so untrodden; how lucky we are to have this path through the woods rising fornenst us, the old one closed behind. Don’t look back – look towards happiness and for the ways to know it. There is no secret, no elixir, no constant but there are well-proven ways to become happy or happier. “Happiness is self-contentedness,” said Aristotle but we all want it to be more than that; we want shafts of sunlight illuminating our life, bliss, ecstasy, moments of out-of-body joy. These things happen too but they do not constitute happiness.

Two years ago our beautiful little grandson Pip died and for all of us the world was a dark and shadowy place where grief lived. And then Rose Isabella was born and not only did our Pip have a place in the world as her elder brother, we were wholly alive again with the sun on our faces and when we held her we knew unmistakably what happiness is. But with that joy we recognised that when we are given such happiness, we walk on ice.

Happiness is by its nature tender, fragile and friable and haunted by superstition. We speak of it obliquely as

Joy

We wouldn’t think drawing up a budget to better manage our finances was odd, so why not a blueprint for happiness? Polly Devlin thinks it’s a good way to start the year.

14 | January 2011 | T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e

the word happiness spoken will withhold their gift. And of course the heart seems to know the routes towards unhappiness. An unalienable right to the pursuit of happiness is one of the objectives of life enshrined in the American Declaration of Independence and I sometimes think a similar Irish declaration would have had an unalienable right to unhappiness coded in.

So how do you set about being happy since we know there’s not a moment’s happiness to be had for the asking? To my mind certain basics have to be in place.

Always underlying my times of happiness – which I must say have greatly increased since I’ve grown older – is the fact that my children are alive and well and my husband is still with me and that I have enough money to live on.

I find it odd that so many pieces of advice about happiness emphasise that money can’t buy happiness.

Well, it can go a long way to leasing the premises for it. The shifting assurances of Buddhism – that reality is illusory that we shed one life for another – may well work, but money has a reality, and not having enough for one’s needs goes a long way towards causing unhappiness. Jane Austen

photog raph by juan algarin

January

though the jealous gods ladle it out and if they even hear

polly devlin wrote with that lack of sentimentality that makes one love

Remember that relationships are vital growing

her … “ A large income is the best recipe for happiness I

things and we should never be fearful of letting

ever heard of. It certainly may secure all the myrtle and

go of people we have outgrown; because they

turkey part of it.” And James Boswell, a great sage

exist does not mean they have to remain in

in his own feckless way, had the same advice:

our life.

“Resolve not to be poor. Whatever you have

Don’t depend on your job to give you

spend less. Poverty is a great enemy to human

happiness but if you’re in a job you hate, try

happiness. It certainly destroys liberty and

to have a positive outlook. You’re alive and you

it makes some virtues impracticable and

have a job and it pays money … make the best of

others extremely difficult.”

it and of the people you work with. Look for a job

Well it’s easy enough to say spend less

that promises more but remember that work is only a

when you suddenly have less to spend, and

part of your life. Burnish the rest of it and fill it with

I think of Kipling’s verse: The toad beneath the

the three kinds of happiness: pleasure, engagement

harrow knows / Exactly where each tooth point goes;

and meaning.

/The butterfly upon the road / Preaches contentment to

Start something new. Begin to learn a new

that toad. But if you take stock of what you spend –

language, actually listen to music rather than having it

and for many of us spending is a way to get a quick

as background, stop watching television for two nights a

fix, to lift us out of depression – and, at the risk of

week, read more, read the last paragraph of Joyce’s ‘The

sounding like Marie Antoinette, you will find that if

Dead’ to let you know what a great writer can make out

you spend money on experiences you will feel better

of unhappiness. Dance. Exercise increases one’s level of

and happier than if you spend it on things. You will

wellbeing significantly. Clever chatter and rakish behaviour

also spend less – it doesn’t take much dosh to get to the

often conceal pain and anguish so allow yourself to be

Wexford hills and walk there; to go to a concert; to learn

quiet and to hear what you yourself are saying to yourself.

to dance, not on a dress to dance in. There’s something

Remember wise old WH Auden’s injunction to his senses:

called hedonic adaptation; researchers followed people

“Be happy, precious five, so long as I’m alive. Nor try to ask

who’d won the lottery and found that a year after they’d

me what You should be happy for.” If, instead of skimming

hit the jackpot, they were no happier than people who

past that quote, you read it again and analyse it you might

didn’t. We think increases in salary will make us happier,

get comfort. You can smell? You can touch? You can see?

but the fact is that our relationships with our friends and family have a far greater impact on our happiness than our jobs do. If you are thinking of moving in order to find a better job, factor in that you will need a huge increase in salary to compensate for the loss of moving away from your friends and family. People feel happier when they’re on more or less the same financial footing as those around them, regardless of what that footing is.

Unhappiness comes from being caught in a fraught

People feel happier when they’re on more or less the same financial footing as those around them, regardless of what that footing is.

situation. Don’t be afraid to institute change – however

You can taste? You can hear? If you can also read and write then start counting your blessings and rise above it all.

And remember happiness never decreases by being shared and that you yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.

I’ll leave the last word on the subject to Lady Dorothy, the wife of the then British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan. She was sitting beside the wife of General de Gaulle at a banquet given to honour the man whom many regarded as the greatest of all living Frenchmen,

small. Many women fear to institute change because they

your priorities right, especially if you are young. Young

and asked her: “Now that your husband has achieved so

have been taught and have taught themselves to shrink

adults suffer more anger, anxiety, depression, money

much is there any particular wish you have for him?”

from conflict; productive conflict can and should include

worries, troubled relationships and career stress than

To which Madame de Gaulle replied “Yes, a penis.”

feelings of change, expansion and joy.

older people, so think why that should be so? It’s because

Whereupon General de Gaulle leaned over and said “No,

older people stop worrying about things that are beyond

my dear, in English it is pronounced happiness.”

Cultivate a sense of direction and purpose in life –

the power of our will.

’Appy New Year.

*Exclusions apply, see instore for details.

aimlessness is a great enemy of happiness. And try to get

T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e | January 2011 | 15

THRIFT

MY little MEANNESS So mean, so now! Penny-pinching has become positively smart.

There is something refreshing about being able to indulge in a little private miserliness and know you’re in tune with the zeitgeist.

Austerity measures: everyone has their own version ...

Laois-born

For some, like the FT’s Irish-born style editor DAMIAN FOXE, economising is all about eking out every last

heartthrob actor

drop from the products on his bathroom shelves (or

ROBERT SHEEHAN,

fridge). “I add water to the shampoo bottle when it’s

of Love/Hate and

almost empty to get more out if it. And apparently I

Misfits fame, is learning

scrape the bottom of yoghurt pots so loudly to get that

the ways of fiscal

last little bit, that my partner has to tell me to stop

responsibility at the

because I embarrass him!”

tender age of 23. “Over the past year I’ve started to keep every receipt under the sun, even the not-veryuseful ones,” he tells us. “I think this new Scrooge-like quirk coincides with my emergence from the dark cloud of ignorance concerning my tax life! I will keep receipts for everything from a train ticket to a cup of tea at the airport – all in the hope it will reduce my annual tax bill.”

▲ Designer PETER O’BRIEN says he is “possibly the worst person to ask about being frugal, as even in my most financially straitened moments I have always behaved like Nubar Gulbenkian.

Fur coats and no knickers all the way! Hence I live my life in genteel poverty while those who wisely stashed away their Holy Communion money live in grand houses on hills overlooking the sea. I have always wrapped my presents in inexpensive brown paper and string or in even cheaper newspaper and ribbon. I can’t pretend these were choices related to being thrifty, as it’s more than likely, being as disorganised as I am, they were the nearest materials to hand and I

Novelist SARAH WEBB also reuses wrapping paper and gift boxes. “Net A Porter sends clothes in lovely black boxes

“I prefer the term thrifty. And in January it comes into its own: I insist on peeling the zest from the children’s oranges before they eat them so I can freeze it and use in stews and for ice-creams. Mean? No, just a bit tyrannical perhaps ...” Food writer HUGO ARNOLD

with tissue, so I recycle the whole lot. And Brown Thomas is very generous with their black ribbon,

Walkalk the W

so that gets added to birthday presents, and I’m a big fan of homemade cards, which I get the kids to make.”

love how they looked.”

“I’m looking for new ways to drop old habits – drive less, cook some medieval ‘potage’ on the kitchen stove, candlelit early winter evenings … all so cosy!”

Designer LAINEY KEOGH

16 | January 2011 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

Photographer AMELIA STEIN has been piecing together her mother’s old cashmere sweaters and has started darning again.

“If things are good quality, you should keep them

Darn it!

forever,” she says, and “NEVER throw out cashmere.”

“When I’m in London I get off a tube stop early and walk the difference to avoid going into a different zone and being charged extra!”

Merlin star KATIE MC GRATH

THRIFT Paris-based Irish interior designer MARY SHAW can’t bear to throw out Bonne Maman jam jars: “I have hundreds of them, waiting for the day when I

Bowls Not Tolls !

have enough time to make my own jam.”

“I only get public transport into town now,” laments actress RACHEL KAVANAGH. “I used to spend a fortune on car parking but I get the guilts if I do it

y Austeritrs !

Powe

now as I live right beside the Luas: no excuse!”

“These days I definitely retrieve my a1 from the trolley at the supermarket, whereas before if I was really pressed for time I would leave it as a tip for the trolley boy!” THE GLOSS Columnist HONORA QUINN

“I’ll drive any route to avoid the toll on the way to the airport. I always forget to pay within the 24 hours and then end up with huge fines. In fact, I just avoid all tolls because I think they’re a rip-off ...” Artist GUGGI “My little meanness is cutting open my moisturiser, hand cream and make-up tubes to get the very last out of the containers. And I keep cutting into smaller sections until no cream remains at all!”

Interior Designer PHILIPPA BUCKLEY

“I gave our hens stale doughnuts instead of corn meal this morning, and I’m cutting my own hair – but it shows ...”

On Tap !

London-based comedian and IT Crowd actor CHRIS O’DOWD is taking to the bed until things get better: “These are tough times indeed,” he writes. “Jack ‘Osborne’ Frost is biting at my pretty, painted toes. It’s time to turn off the gas and use kinky kinetic energy. Our duvet must act decisively as our sweaty recession blanket.

That’s right – my little meanness is to take early to my bed and turn off the heating. I like to think of myself as the Austin Powers of Austerity. I am Austerity Powers.”

Avoca’s Creative Director AMANDA PRATT

“I’ve joined a Working Man’s Club in my local village in England so I can get a pint for £2.45! And I’ve downgraded from the a7 shoe-shine to the a5 option in Dublin Airport.” Arnotts CEO NIGEL BLOW “I’m a voracious newspaper reader but now I won’t buy a Sunday paper after 3pm,” says journalist RORY EGAN. “By then garages are cutting the banners off and stacking them for collection. I fill the tank and when paying, innocently ask, ‘Are you throwing those out?’ and get them for free.”

“I’m a Dublin Bike scheme addict, but I can’t bear to keep them for a second over the allotted time,” confesses

“I have to confess I’m a regifter,” says novelist SINEAD MORIARTY. “I actually don’t

“I can’t bear a running tap!” says Off The Rails presenter and stylist SONYA LENNON. “Also an inability to throw out food. Everything has to find

feel that bad about it. If your Great Aunt Nora gives you Lily of the Valley soap, is it really so

another purpose. Risotto cakes anyone?”

Kindle present to the colleague who snitched on you to the boss?”

another home economiser. “I am definitely mean around mobile phones from over-charging, and ignoring use-by dates. My husband adheres to them religiously, but at home, I ignore them on things like jam, bread or cheese.

A bit of mould won’t kill you!”

“I always keep a bundle of plastic bags in the boot of my car for when I go to the shops – this means I never have to pay 22c for a shopping bag!”

Chairman of Aurora Fashions Ireland, IAN GALVIN

One-time rock-star wife MEG MATTHEWS proudly announces.

“My little meanness is using tap water! There is absolutely nothing wrong with it – it tastes the same as the bottled stuff, so I refill my Evian bottles and take them out with me during the day. And if I have friends round, I put tap water in a jug on the table with slivers of cucumber and lemon.

I’ve saved a small fortune and smiled a lot!”

Water Works !

FOR MORE LITTLE MEANNESSES, VISIT WWW.THEGLOSS.IE 18 | January 2011 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

to the nearest parking spot and walk to my destination rather than pay overtime. The first half hour is free, the next hour is 50c, two hours is a1.50 ... so why am I so mean? Just am. And then I buy an overpriced cup of coffee without a second thought!”

mean to pass it on to as a Kris

Chef and writer DOMINI KEMP of Itsa Bagel is the house. I’m always switching off lights, unplugging

EVELEEN COYLE of Fabulous Food Trails. “I’ll cycle

“When the wicks have burnt down on my large scented candles so I can no longer light them, I put them on hot radiators so the wax melts and the scent Hot Tip ! still fills the room.”

Socialite-turned-novelist TARA PALMER-TOMKINSON

28 th DECEMBER 2010 TILL THE 31st JANUARY 2011

DUBLIN Unit D1 Beacon South Quarter Sandyford – Dublin 18 Ireland

Opening hours: Monday – Saturday: 10.00 am – 6.00 pm Sunday & Bank Holidays: 12.00 am – 6.00 pm Tel.: 00 353 1 653 1650 dublin@rochebobois.ie

relationships

�

IncredIble Vanishing Sex Life It’s sad but true: say “I do”, and soon you won’t – have regular sex, that is.

SUZI GODSON lifts the lid on sex in long-term relationships and explains why, if you want to stay happily together, you really should be bothered ...

I

f love is the drug, as the song goes, then long-term

be no identifiable cause, it is difficult for the partner who

divorce. So too was the man who wrote: “My wife of

commitment is surely the twelve-step programme,

wants sex to feel anything other than rejection. The woman

ten years has lost her desire for sex. She’ll put up with it

because the longer a couple has been together, the

who wrote in to say, “Since our wedding three years ago,

occasionally, but obviously that is no fun. We have a son

less often they have sex. Interestingly, the greatest

we have had sex only six times. I’ve done everything to try

and I don’t want to wreck his life by leaving her, but I’m not

change seems to occur within the first year of

to make him have sex with me but he does not respond and

ready to give up a normal sex life.” From the outside, these

marriage: a US analysis of diaries kept by newlywed

refuses to go to marriage guidance,” was contemplating

couples look completely functional, yet their relationships

couples over the course of their first year of marriage found that during the first month of married life they had sex on 17 or more occasions. By the end of the year that figure was down to eight. The definition of a “sexless” relationship is one in which sex occurs ten or fewer times per year, but many couples aren’t even achieving that. Research by Denise A Donnelly, Associate Professor of Sociology at Georgia State University, suggests that about 15 per cent of married couples have not had sex with their spouse in the last six months to one year. And figures from the 2006

Irish Study of Sexual Health and Relationships show that 50 per cent of married people are not having weekly sex and 14 per cent of men and 17 per cent of women have sex less than twice a year. It wouldn’t matter if the couples in question didn’t care, but they do. Over 60 per cent of Irish couples seeking help from the Catholic marriage care service Accord (www.accord.ie) list difficulties with sex and intimacy as a major issue in their relationship.

Though men and women can survive without sex, studies repeatedly show that across all age groups, couples who report higher levels of marital satisfaction also report higher frequencies of sex. And the same is true in reverse.

Not having sex makes people unhappy. In my role as sex and relationship columnist at The Times in London, I receive a steady stream of letters from men and women who are miserable about the fact that they are living in a sexless relationship. In many cases there are underlying medical or psychological issues, but where there seems to

20 | January 2011 | T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e

“How would you feel about incorporating sex into our sex life?”

relationships are perilously compromised. It’s difficult to assess how

of Health’s ‘Irish Study of Sexual Health and Relationships’

had “gone off sex” in the last ten years. The men who call

widespread the problem is because there is enormous

(2006) suggest that not only does sexual frequency decline

the Relate helpline about diminished libido are generally

reluctance to acknowledge, let alone address, the issue.

with age, after the age of 44, sexual pleasure deteriorates

married and aged between 30 and 50, and it is probably

That’s why, throughout 2011, I will be running a research

too. The study reported that pleasure from sex was

no coincidence that research into mental illness carried

project from my website (www.moresexdaily.com) to try

highest among men and women aged 25-34, but 38 per

out by Professor Michael King, of the Royal Free and

and establish what exactly is going on and whether there

cent of women above that age reported sex as being only

University College Medical School in London found that

might be more effective ways of encouraging couples in

‘moderately’ or ‘slightly’ pleasurable. This fall-off in both

men in this exact age group are also the most likely to

long-term relationships to continue to invest in intimacy.

quality and quantity is dangerous because if a couple aren’t

suffer from depression. According to the Royal College

As well as hosting a survey, the site will provide a free

having sex with each other, they increase the risk of one

of Psychiatrists, “trouble in a marriage or important

resource of information, research and advice from experts

or both partners eventually having sex with someone else.

relationship is the single thing most likely to make a

in the fields of sex and relationships and people will also be

And that matters, because divorce is now Ireland’s fastest

man depressed”, however in this climate, work stress is

able to tell their own stories or offer suggestions.

growing marital status and, in the UK, for the first time

obviously a contributing factor too. Approximately 40 per

It is obviously a highly complex issue and there are a

since records began, married couples are in a minority and

cent of men in the UK say they are depressed about jobs,

gazillion good reasons why two people, either consciously

almost half of all children are born out of wedlock. What

work and money and a 2008 survey by Bayer Schering

or unconsciously, decide to take a rain check on sex. Illness,

seems very clear from existing research is that couples, and

Pharma found that one in five men suffers loss of libido

depression and certain medications all interfere with sexual

by extension, parents, who are going to survive long-haul

as a direct result of pressure at work. The tendency to use

function. Often there is underlying anger, hostility and

need to be able to sustain some form of physical intimacy

booze as a speed-unwind at the end of the day doesn’t

disappointment, but sometimes it’s a case of couples simply

and affection when the dopamine has disappeared.

help, and antidepressants, the other favourite prop for

failing to prioritise the physical side of their relationship.

Couples don’t need to go at it like rabbits. As Liam

They love each other, but life is exhausting and they’ve had

Lally, Clinical Specialist in the Counselling Department of

Three years ago Bob Berkowitz and his wife Susan Yager-

quite a lot of sex with each other already, so after a tough

Accord says, “People of all ages have different levels of sexual

Berkowitz surveyed more than 4,000 men and women in

day, it’s easier to opt for an activity that requires the gentle

desire and performance and what seems to be important is

sexless marriages across the US to try to understand more

stimulation of an index finger on a remote control over one

that a couple’s needs, expectations and performance are

about male attitudes to sex in long term relationships. In the

that involves the exertion of all the muscles in two tired

compatible and mutually acceptable.” However it can be

resulting book, He’s Just Not Up for It Anymore, they point

bodies. The apathy is a mutual conspiracy at first. The

difficult to continue investing in a partner who rejects sex.

out that in many cases male sexual performance is impaired

couple feel safe enough with each other to let it all hang out

In these more enlightened times, it is always the partner

by erectile dysfunction (30 per cent), and of course some

– it’s a different, shabbier kind of intimacy, and it’s fine for a time, but little by little, the lack of investment begins to undermine the relationship.

Economics theorists explain this devaluation with “the law of diminishing marginal utility” – the premise upon which all-you-can-eat buffets operate. Basically, the initial undertaking of an activity (in this case sex) offers the greatest pleasure and benefit. And because subsequent participation in the same activity cannot compare to the experience of the first time, sex – or a third plate of food – loses its utility, and the activity eventually decreases or

Often there is underlying anger, hostility and disappointment, but sometimes it’s a case of couples simply failing to prioritise.

illustration © Bruce eric Kaplan / the new YorKer collection

stops altogether. It’s a natural decline, which most people

overworked, overstressed males, have the same effect.

men are simply in doubt about their marriage. However 68 per cent of men they spoke to blamed their disinterest on their partner’s lack of sexual adventurousness; 48 per cent said that they would enjoy sex with other women, just not their wives; 25 per cent said they preferred to use internet porn because it was less hassle, and 44 per cent were angry with their wives, feeling that they were nagged and criticised. Interestingly, the two most frequently used excuses – not having time and being too tired – amounted to just 9 and 14 per cent respectively. The Berkowitz survey revealed that nearly 70 per cent of women whose husbands were no longer interested in sex had no idea why it had

accept as part and parcel of long-term commitment. After

with the lower sex drive who determines the levels of sexual

happened and were bewildered and hurt by their partner’s

all, it’s not the quantity, but the quality, of intimacy that

frequency in the relationship. If he or she doesn’t want it,

indifference. These feelings of confusion and rejection are

is important. When Princeton psychologist and Nobel

it doesn’t happen, but as Dr David Goldmeier of the Jane

mirrored by men whose wives refuse to have sex with them

Laureate Daniel Kahneman studied the lives of 909

Wadsworth Sexual Function Clinic in London says, “Once

and they are aggravated by the false perception that ‘normal’

working women to try and determine the activity that

a couple stop having sex, even for a few months, they slip

couples have sex all the time. Couples who barely manage

produced the single largest amount of happiness, sex

into ‘non-sexual relationship mode’ where it becomes very

monthly sex are understandably intimidated by distorted

came first on the list. Work which took up 6.9 hours a day

difficult to initiate sex. They, in effect, become platonic

populist surveys such as the Durex Global Survey which

was in 21st place on the ‘Happiness in Different Activities

partners in a conspiracy of silence.” It’s usually women

recently announced that the majority of Irish men and

Index’ whereas sex, which amounted to a paltry 0.2 hours

who get the blame for this problem, and indeed, when

women aged between 25-34 have sex an average of three or

per day, took the top spot. In 2003, economics professors

Aussie sex therapist Bettina Arndt got 98 couples to keep

four times a week and that the over-55s in Ireland are having

Andrew J Oswald and David G Blanchflower produced a

intimate diaries of their sex lives for a year, it was, without

sex at least once a week. If only.

paper entitled ‘Money, Sex and Happiness: An Empirical

exception, the men who were begging and the women who

Study’ based on data from 16,000 Americans. Oswald and

lay in bed dreading the creeping hand.

A more realistic perception of what constitutes a normal, age-appropriate level of sexual activity might help to diffuse

Blanchflower calculated that the average American over

However, although biological arguments support

some of the anxiety surrounding the subject. And raising

the age of 40 has sexual intercourse two to three times a

a higher male sex drive, recent studies have begun to

awareness through the website will, I hope, encourage

month; that the ‘happiness-maximising’ number of sexual

reveal that sexual disinterest is a problem that affects men

couples to pay more attention to their sex lives. Relationships

partners in the previous year is one, and that sex “enters so

too. Last year, a poll by an independent UK charity The

suffer from day-to-day wear and tear, and every so often

strongly and positively in happiness equations” that they

Men’s Health Forum found that 15 per cent of men aged

they need a metaphorical lick of paint. I’ll have a better idea

estimate that increasing intercourse from once a month

between 18 and 59 admitted to a “lack of interest in sex”.

of how to apply this at the end of my research but I have a

to once a week is equivalent to the amount of happiness

Michele Weiner-Davis, US relationship therapist and

hunch that it’s probably the small things. More time alone

generated by getting an additional $50,000 in income.

author of The Sex Starved Marriage estimates that the true

together. Spontaneous acts of emotional kindness. Holding

If Oswald and Blanchflower are right, then the best

figure is closer to 25 per cent and certainly, in the UK,

hands. That unexpected kiss. Paying attention. These things

way for Irish couples to get through the economic crisis

the relationship counselling service Relate has reported

are free, and they are fun. And if we want to protect our

would be to stay in bed, but figures from the Department

a 40 per cent increase in the number of men saying they

relationships, we really should be bothered.

T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e | January 2011 | 21

OPTIMISM

The GOOD news is ...

There was a faintly apocalyptic air to the end of 2010 so, at the start of a new year, does the future look any brighter?

Author of a new book on the subject, MARK STEVENSON set out to discover what’s in store … anywhere there’s sunshine that pulls fuel out of the sky. The

about the End of the World As We Know It. Game

technology exists today and a brace of companies funded by

Over. What some academics cheerily call Global

green-tech investments are racing to commercialise it. This is

Catastrophic Risks. Twelve months spent meeting

just one example. Hundreds of people are not just thinking

some of the world’s smartest brains has shown me at

about improving our lot, but doing something about it. They

least five versions of a nanotech apocalypse, a whole

clearly aren’t listening to the doomsayers. Their mantra?

host of ‘machines take over’/ ‘machines stop’ disasters, countless

Cheer up, it might just happen.

possible biotech risks that make the 1918 flu pandemic (body

My book didn’t start off with the word optimist in the title.

count estimate: 50 million) look like a light sniffle, and let’s not

I just set out to find out what was coming next. I couldn’t find

forget the ominous uncertainties of climate change. Our future,

a guidebook to the future I could understand, so I decided to

like Kylie Minogue, could end up being exciting, but short.

write one. But then I found out about incredible innovations,

And even if we don’t wipe ourselves out, there are new

and perhaps more importantly, ways of thinking about the

forms of terrorism to worry about, water wars, decreasing social

future that we don’t really hear enough about. I even managed

cohesion and the possibility that Andrew Lloyd Webber will

to cheer up my agent. In fact it was he who suggested we put

write a new musical. Let’s face it, it’s all bad. You might as well

the word ‘optimist’ in the title.

just get your head down, do the best for yourself and those you

In our public discourse, we need to shift ourselves from a

care about, try to buck the prevailing negative trend and snatch

tired old game of ‘End of the World’ that is being forced on us,

your comforts where you can.

to a new game of ‘Possible Futures’ – the game it always was

It’s very easy to do this – to regurgitate the terrible story of our future that, as far as I can tell, I’ve been hearing since

until the pessimists nicked all the good cards and hid them under the carpet.

I popped out of the womb. You know, the one that says,

That said, I do find pessimists and cynics useful although

“Life happens to you, the future is not going to be very good

I prefer to reframe them as ‘critical friends’. They’re certainly

(especially if you vote for that guy), it was better in the old

more constructive to have around than the wishful thinkers –

days, you’ve got to look after yourself, the world is violent and

the “it’ll all be alright in the end so I don’t have to do anything”

unsafe, your job is at risk, the generation below you are feral

crowd – a dangerous cocktail of denial and hope, called

and dangerous, things are changing too fast and you can’t trust

apathy. Let’s be clear, we do face some big challenges. Stuff

those scientists / New Agers / left-wingers / right-wingers /

needs to be done. And there will be mistakes and outrages.

geeks / religious people / atheists / football fans / the rich / the

But we’ve got to realise that we’re no longer the tenants on

poor / what you eat / your neighbour. You are alone. Make the

the planet, but the landlord – and we’d better get responsible

best of it. Vote for me. Buy my paper. I understand.”

about it. French writer Romain Rolland summed it up when

Hardly inspiring is it?

he said he loved the “intimate alliance … of pessimism of the

So it’s odd to find out that things could get a lot better.

intelligence, which penetrates every illusion, and optimism of

Not just a little bit better, but off-the-scale better. For

the will”. I call it ‘pragmatic idealism’. Championing optimism

every water war, there’s a cheap nano-membrane that can

without also embracing critical thinking and diplomacy is

revolutionise desalination. For every echo chamber of hate

about as sensible as accepting a lift from Lindsay Lohan.

on the Internet, there’s a collaboration that’ll make your

Of course, it could all still go horribly wrong. I’m not

heart sing. For every engineered pathogen there’s a new front

saying the future will be better, but I do know that if you’re not

opened up on the war on cancer through genomics; for every

even aware that it could be, the chances of making it happen

worry about scarcity you’ll find an example of innovation

are immediately reduced. If we’re not brave enough to see the

that’s bypassing the problem. At the same time, organisations

opportunity of a vastly improved world, how on earth will we

with new shapes are struggling to emerge – institutional

achieve it? And it does exist. This isn’t some crazy dream. The

innovations that will help us grasp the challenges our current

tools to fix so many of our problems – from climate change to

systems aren’t designed to.

poverty – are waiting to be put to use. We don’t need to wait

I know, I’ve spent a year researching those as well. One

for permission.

favourite is the petrol station that takes CO2 out of the air

Mark Stevenson’s first book, An Optimist’s Tour of the

before feeding it to photosynthesising bacteria that excrete

Future (Profile Books, £12.99stg), is published today; www.

petrol. In effect, a carbon neutral gas station you can put

anoptimiststourofthefuture.com.

22 | January 2011 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

PH OTOG RAPH BY CORBIS

I

’ve spent a large part of the last year thinking

FASHION WARDROBE

“ This Month I’ll Wear

to work ...”

As Head of Sales and Marketing at the Aviva

Stadium, it’s CAILIN KEANEY‘s job to fill the stadium at times when rugby matches are not being played, marketing the stadium as a venue for corporate events, and liaising with P HOTOGRA P H BY S I OBHA N BY RN E

clients who book the venue to ensure their event runs like clockwork. “For conferences, events and parties at the stadium I need to be on hand at all stages – from set-up to ‘kick- off ’.” On a normal office day, Keaney deploys a good dress and jacket combination – often Tory Burch – for client meetings and always keeps earrings, clutch bag and hair accessories in her desk to change her look for the evening. “No matter what the outfit my Christian Louboutins usually feature.” (A Christian Louboutin boutique will open in Brown Thomas next month.) Although many of the events happen in the stadium’s corporate suite area, inevitably there will be some time spent on the pitch. “So I need a good coat – always an important investment, and never more so than this

Style at work: What do you wear? Send us a photo, along with a brief description of your job and your work wardrobe, to letters@thegloss. ie and you could feature on this page ...

BY AISLINN COFFEY

FASHION DILEMMA

CAN I STAY FIT AND LOOK FAB? Just because you’re headed to the gym doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice style. With NEW SPRING SPORTSWEAR lines hitting the stores this month, there really is no excuse for looking slovenly, even when you’re working up a sweat. The Adidas by Stella McCartney collection sets the tone, seamlessly combining cuttingedge, high-tech Adidas fabrics with her own signature fashion sensibilities – lots of draping, transparent fabrics (for the brave), and a beautifully soft colour palette. Also, look out for her Running collection featuring animal-print pieces – fierce! Over at Nike HQ, they’re launching NikeFree, a range of shoes for every level of runner, from occasional to advanced, based on research into barefoot running in Africa and its benefits for the body. Finally, keep cool in the Sweaty Betty 2011 collection; available online, this cult activewear brand mixes prim, sporty shapes with an unexpected sexiness – bet you never thought you’d say that about your gym kit!

season.” Her slate-blue wool and cashmere mix from Zara is accessorised with a Jaeger belt and black leather gloves from Seagreen in Monkstown.

Keaney has a weakness for gorgeous handbags. “I

Right, from top: Protector jacket, £65stg; www.sweatybetty.com.

NikeFree XT Quickfit+, Nike Women, d75; www.nikestore.com.

Energy Clima top, Adidas, d28, at Lifestyle Sports. CU t-shirt, Adidas by Stella McCartney, d36; www.net-a-porter.com.

have my eye on a raspberry Miu Miu.”

COMING THIS MONTH

SOCK IT TO ME

Amanda Pratt has produced one of her best AVOCA ORIGIN collections yet: pieces are simply cut, leaving glorious colour to make a statement (right). At Avoca stores and Avoca Origin stockists this month. LEE KLABINS’ spring 2011 collection lands this week at The Design Centre. New to Irish shores, this young English designer is known for her love of corsetry and her form-fitting dresses and skirts. THE LUXURY EMPORIUM (www. theluxuryemporium.ie), an Irish, one-to-watch online store also has a bevy of new labels for spring 2011, like PROENZA SCHOULER, BARBARA BUI, BALMAIN and DVF accessories, as well as exclusive lines like (swoon-worthy) VIONNET shoes.

Editors’ favourite, the super-chic French staple MAJE comes to BT2 in January while New York label OPENING CEREMONY’s arrival at Brown Thomas is also causing a stir.

“It is directional and cutting edge, particularly the Chloe Sevigny spring 2011 collection,” says Fashion Director Shelly Corkery. Finally, check out the much anticipated Vivienne Westwood and Lee Jeans collaboration at ARNOTTS; the classic skinny is a sure bet (from t115).

Once a fashion no-no, showing off your socks is now considered positively chic.

Clever designers at new luxury brand

ARCHIE FOAL have tapped into the trend with their angora and extra fine merino wool mix knee-grazers. e79; at Khan, Blackrock and Mullingar; www.khan.ie.

PUT A RING ON IT Searching for a little something to brighten up these dark days? We’ve fallen in love with this Tahitian PEARL AND ROSE GOLD RING,t490, designed by Helena Malone; www.helenamalone.ie.

T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E | January 2011 | 23

SHOPPING

Grey wool snood, d20, at MARKS & SPENCER.

D&G

Black quilted shearling aviator jacket, BURBERRY PRORSUM, d2,795, at Brown Thomas.

Reversible knit jacket, £45stg; WWW.ASOS.COM.

Grey cashmere gloves, COS, d29, at BT2.

Black patent leather snow boots, DIOR, d453, at Brown Thomas.

JASON LLOYD- EVANS

Draught Dodgers

Don’t let ‘dry clean only’ labels on cashmere sweaters pull the wool over your eyes. Knitwear designer Sian Jacobs advises careful hand or machine washing. “Machine wash in a laundry bag on a cold wool cycle.

Or, using Woolite, handwash in tepid water for a couple of minutes,” she says. For more cashmere care advice, visit www.thegloss.ie.

Snuggle up and keep the chill out with some old-school winter styling. Fair Isle and chunky cable knits are perennial classics. Throw some leather into the mix to keep the look on just the right side of cute.

Grey mohair sweater, Alexander McQueen, d590, WWW.MATCHESFASHION.COM.

24 | January 2011 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

Grey leather Paloma bag, MIU MIU, d1,500, at Brown Thomas.

Fair Isle sweater, d16, at PENNEYS. For stockists, www.thegloss.ie.

SHOPPING Tundra Fair Isle cardigan, d90, at FRENCH CONNECTION.

Black leather gloves, £275stg, PRADA, at Cruise, Belfast.

Denim shirt, Balmain, d435, at WWW.MATCHESFASHION.COM.

D& G

Red quilted bowling bag, d29.95, at ZARA.

Cotton Tallon T-shirt, d45, at REISS.

Layer Up Red wool bobble hat, Moncler, £90stg; WWW.START-LONDON.COM.

When the cold weather bites, the temptation is to throw everything on. But, to avoid the scarecrow look, think carefully about each layer. Take your cue from the boys at D&G: a cool T-shirt, a skinny cardigan, heavy shirt and some sturdy boots. Add an outsize scarf for the finishing touch.

Silver Martini sunglasses, Very Vintage, d219.96, WWW.MATCHESFASHION.COM.

Navy Quincy padded jacket, d140, at REISS.

Charcoal alpaca sweater, d165, at FRENCH CONNECTION.

Black leather biker boots, d89.95, at ZARA.

T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E | January 2011 | 25

The new fashion year looks to the 1970s – the decade that enshrined trousers in the fashion canon – for inspiration.

High-waisted, cigaretteslim, wide-legged, capri-style: choose a silhouette to suit you and work the look with platforms, sleek tops and a crazy mix of bangles. Exactly 30 years after the series ended, Charlie’s Angels are back … and we can play Chris, Kelly and Sabrina all over again …

She Wear� P h oto g raPhed by vik i fo rs h ee Sty led by luis ro d riguez

U PantsW

Opposite Beige cotton trench jacket, Emporio ArmAni. Silk twill print shirt; brown capri pants with patch pockets; both Gucci. Leather strap sandals, Louis Vuitton. Resin and wood bangles, from a selection, at DinosAur DEsiGns; KEnnEth JAy LAnE; BEn-Amun. Fashion Note9 Emporio Armani is at www.emporioarmani.com. This page Jessica wears navy cotton top;

blue denim jeans; both prADA. Resin and metal bangles, from a selection, at prADA; DinosAur DEsiGns; KEnnEth JAy LAnE; BEn-Amun. Blue resin hoop earrings, prADA. Irina wears black and ivory stripe sweater; green and ivory trousers; both JAson Wu. Resin and metal bangles, from a selection at KEnnEth JAy LAnE; BEn-Amun. Straw boater hat, EuGEniA Kim. Fashion Note9 Jason Wu is at www.net-a-porter.com. Kenneth Jay Lane is at Harvey Nichols. Ben-Amun is at www.shopstyle.com. For stockists, www.thegloss.ie.

This page Irina wears silver silk short-sleeve jacket; grey wide-leg trousers; both Emporio ArmAni. Black patent leather belt, JAEgEr. Black suede platform sandals, prAdA. Resin, wood and

metal bangles, from a selection, at dinosAur dEsigns; KEnnEth JAy LAnE; BEn-Amun. Jessica wears black lace cigarette pants; black lace blouse; both tEmpErLEy London.

Black and silver wedge T-bar platforms, mArni. Ivory silk beret, EugEniA Kim. Resin and crystal bangles, BEn-Amun. Fashion Note9 Prada is at Brown Thomas. Jaeger is at Seagreen.

Opposite Navy blue hooded trench coat, mAxmArA. White wide-leg trousers with gold piping, ALBErtA FErrEtti. Sable leather sandals, gucci. Resin and metal bangles, from a selection at dinosAur dEsigns. Necklaces; mArni, dinosAur dEsigns. Fashion Note9 Alberta Ferretti is at Brown Thomas. Dinosaur Designs is at www.dinosaurdesigns.com.

Photographed b Viki Forshee; styled b Luis Rodriguez; both at Utopia. Hair b Marcelino at L’Atelier NYC, using Moroccanoil.

Make-up b Cynthia Sobek at See Management, using MAC PRO cosmetics & Lierac Skincare.

Irina wears multicolour crepe top; matching tie-leg silk trousers; black and silver wedge T-bar platforms; all Marni. Resin and metal bangles, from a selection at Kenneth Jay Lane; Ben-aMun. Jessica wears black and pink silk Antonia blouse; black Chaio trousers; both teMperLey London. Resin and crystal bangles, Ben-aMun. Black suede platform sandals, prada. Fashion Note9 Eugenia Kim is at www.eugeniakim.com. Marni and Temperley London are at Brown Thomas.

IN CINEMAS JANUARY 21

WINE

EASTERN PROMISE SUFFERING FROM CULINARY BURNOUT POST-FESTIVE SEASON? A CHINESE TAKEAWAY COULD BE THE TREAT YOU NEED. MARY DOWEY SUGGESTS SOME WINNING WINE MATCHES

J

oyless January … or is it really? My view is that a few modest treats can cheer

Reds for those richer, meatier flavours include Beaujolais, New World Pinot Noir,

up the glummest of months far more effectively than the fleeting smugness

Zinfandel, simple Côtes du Rhône and many offerings from Spain, provided they aren’t

engendered by a list of resolutions which you know you’ll never keep. As cooks

too oaky. Moderately oaked red wines may be fine with Chinese food if they have had a few

may still be in recovery after the Christmas marathon, why not start with a

years in bottle to soften up. And – strange though it may sound in the depths of winter –

Chinese takeaway and a tasty bottle for around a tenner? Although Chinese food

rosés can be brilliant, suiting a remarkably wide spectrum of flavours.

isn’t that difficult to match with wine, a couple of guiding principles are worth bearing

Returning to our modest treat theme, the last news may be the best. Sparkling wines

in mind for the happiest results. (I wish I could patent and flog them to all those Chinese

are terrific with mild-to-medium Chinese dishes, their bubbles cutting through tongue-

restaurants whose wine lists are still studded with wildly inappropriate offerings.)

clinging sauces to refresh the palate. No need to splash out on champagne whose subtle

First, because many Chinese dishes are slightly sweet, it’s important to choose gentle

flavours may be swamped: Spanish cava or affordable New World fizz work just as well.

wines with generous fruit flavours – nothing too crisp, austere or tannic, otherwise the food will make the drink taste bitter as can be. Although there are exceptions, this general requirement knocks out most Chablis, most Loire Sauvignon Blanc (like Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé), a good deal of Bordeaux (both white and red), a swathe of the Northern Rhône and countless Italian reds with their bitter-cherry aftertaste.

Another consideration is that, unless you are sitting at home by yourself with a single takeaway and the bottle of your choice, you’ll need to pick wines which are flexible enough in style to suit several different dishes. Again, soft, fruity styles tend to be the most versatile.

Across the board, more Chinese dishes taste their best with white wines than with red.

Starters, vegetable-based combinations, fish, seafood, chicken, duck, pork … these are all white candidates except when the last two, in their richest, spiciest form, join beef in the red camp. Among many possibilities, my favourite Chinese whites include Alsace Pinot Blanc, Riesling (from Germany, Alsace or Australia), Vouvray and Viognier. What they have in common is a slight hint of sweetness so cleverly disguised by balancing acidity that it’s barely noticeable – but spot-on for Chinese food.

CHINESE CRACKERS OKHRE CAVA BRUT NATURE NV. This super-fruity organic cava comes at a superb price, beating most sparklers for sheer value. Although it will suit heaps of dishes, its appley flavours make it a particular winner with pork.

From Marks & Spencer, d9.29.

LAURENT MIQUEL NORD-SUD VIOGNIER, VIN DE PAYS D’OC 2009. Star Languedoc winemaker Laurent Miquel (whose wife is a Dubliner) crafts an elegant, versatile Viognier – delicately peachy but fresh. From Dunnes Stores, usually d10.99; on special offer until 23 January, d8.99 or two for d14.

ZUAZO GASTON RIOJA 2008. This simple but attractive young Rioja has soft berry flavours to suit the spiciest, meatiest dishes. From Carry Outs nationwide; Wine Boutique, Dublin 4; D6 Wines, Dublin 6; Adare Beverages, Galway; Paddy Blues, Gorey, Co Wexford; Mannings, Ballylickey, Co Cork and other outlets, usually d10.99.

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T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e | January 2011 | 35

HOME

T

he essential components of a home office are a desk, telephone line, internet access and good storage – after that, you can let your imagination run wild. Even if you don’t have an entire room to spare, out-of-the-way or underutilised spaces – under the stairs, for instance – can be easily and stylishly transformed, particularly with the countless clever storage solutions now on offer. If space really is at a premium, modify something like a beautiful armoire – commission a joiner to fit shelves and a hingedfront desktop spacious enough to hold a laptop computer. Then the whole lot can be

shut away when you’re not using it – out of sight, out of mind. Build your storage upwards instead of outwards If you don’t have space in your home for a dedicated office, commandeer the corner of a room you use less frequently, such as the dining room. The key is to create a stylish scheme that will work for two purposes – opt for flexible pieces that work with the rest of the furniture to blend in with the overall look. And remember to tailor

© Living Etc/iPc+Synd icatiOn

your desk size to the scale of the room – a bureau is perfect as it can be closed away neatly at the end of the day. ■

©Li vi n gEtc /i Pc + Sy n di c ati On

to ensure the best possible use of space.

of documents and Post-its spread over your desk are unsightly. File, recycle or shred papers and mail every day, and be sure you have enough storage for those you keep – floor-to-ceiling cupboards (above) provide great clutter camouflage.

Make a stateMent. use a blank wall as a oversize calendar (top right): simply paint with blackboard paint and chalk in your details. or plan your travels on an oversized map of the world, used as wallpaper (right; see www.stanfords.co.uk or www.imaginewallpaper. com for similar).

36 | January 2011 | T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e

©LivingEtc/iPc+SyndicatiOn

control the clutter. Paper is usually the main culprit: piles

ALL IN THE DETAIL. Using accessories you love, you can blur the boundaries between home and office to give your workspace a more personal feel. Oversize attic windows (right) can let in too much light – a patterned blind cuts down on glare and adds a dash of individual style.

DUAL PURPOSE. Make clever use of seemingly dead space: under the stairs is the perfect area for a tucked-away desk (top right). A room divider or screen can be added if you need privacy or to keep it hidden when you’re not working. In a multi-functional area, such as an office-cum-living room (above), use task lamps fitted with a halogen bulb as well as decorative overhead lights to create functional mood lighting.

©LIVINGETC/IPC+SYNDICATION

© LIVING ETC/ IPC+SYND ICATI ON

©LI VI N GE TC / I P C + SY N DI C ATI ON

HOME

HOME OFFICE ESSENTIALS Penguin Classic notebook, d12, at THE PEN CORNER. Ludvig wall-mounted laptop workstation, d109, at IKEA.

Red 6631 Lexus desk light, KAISER IDELL, d695, at Lost Weekend.

Kant desk, NILS HOLGER MOORMANN, from d1400, at Lost Weekend.

Carbon chair, MOOOI, to order, at Inreda.

For stockists, www.thegloss.ie.

T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E | January 2011 | 37

INTELLIGENT DESIGN

This Glossy

lifestyle e 2011 ls with th actor wal -f w the best: o f w o e k pic Creat ; rice ulux. Our D m o 73 fr YR /022 colours e pink 50 u 0YR q 6 ti k an in ) p k (from top /120; min k 70RR 52 in p t, er n w ai flo ion p att emuls s.

54/028 m r five litre fo 9 1.4 4 Dulux, ¤

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ROSE TINTED

This spring,

we’re tickled pink by all the, well ... pink! From the chalky tones of the National Concert Hall’s mezzanine to the vivid pink of Fauchon’s iconic packaging, we’re getting inspiration everywhere. But Moooi’s Lolita frilly lights (above; a877, at www. dlight.ie), de Gournay’s hand-painted chinoiserie wallpaper panels (left; from a613; www.degournay.com) and the pop of candy pink in Hay’s clever storage system (from a295, at Inreda), had us blushing with excitement.

Buy GEORGIAN Everybody seems to have watched

At Home With The Georgians on BBC2 – a must-see for anyone with any

interest in interior design and history. With their love of precise proportions, symmetry and clean lines, contemporary designers are still borrowing from the Georgians, and many believe that the ideal interior mixes the antique with the modern. Antiques are still seen as proven performers and whether you’re rummaging in a charity shop, antique store or fine-art auction rooms, the fun is in the finding. A stroll down Dublin’s Francis Street will rekindle your love for the era, from Martin Fennelly’s rosewood card tables to Chantal O’Sullivan’s peat buckets and dining tables. And remember, local antique dealers are mines

ot often does an interiors shop come along that really impresses us – but then, Lost Weekend is not just any shop. Declan and Emily Moloney opened their second store in Blackrock, Co Dublin in November (the first, in Wexford, has long been a favourite with design buffs around the country), with three floors of inspirational contemporary and vintage furniture, home accessories and lighting. The setting is paredback: white walls, huge windows and timber floors, and the furniture and accessories, most of them design classics you may previously have only seen in magazines or on websites, are brilliantly edited and showcased in an unpretentious way.

Moloney instinctively understands and appreciates good design from all eras – but he’s passionate about Mid-Century Modern and Scandinavian. Drawn to furniture and objects that are beautiful yet functional and, above all, comfortable, his mantra is “no fashion, no trends, no gimmicks: if it’s not comfortable, it’s not good design”. Store policy is to explain why each piece is so special, how it’s made, and you’re encouraged to sit on or touch each piece. Moloney attributes his love of quality to his father and grandfather before him: “My grandfather would search out the one perfect thing, say, a pipe. He’d rather have one really good one than four or five mediocre ones.”

Moloney’s favourite designs of all time? Hans J Wegner’s Ox chair – “it’s so masculine; the hide, the horns, the metal” – and Danish designer Poul Kjærholm’s PK80 buttoned daybed (above). Lost Weekend is unlike any other store on these shores, check it out. AC. www.lostweekend.ie.

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Beauty Strap

Face Savers, Bootcamps

LONG-TERM PLAN Many of us are concerned about the effect our actions have on the environment, but when was the last time you considered what it’s doing to you, and your skin? If we were to hit the ski slopes, facing extremes of sun, wind and cold, we’d worry about how to protect our face all day long. Back home, we don’t think much beyond a quick slather of cream in the morning, but it’s just as important to consider aggressors in our own environment, especially in towns or cities. By constantly moving from heated buildings out into the cold, we subject our skin to extreme fluctuations.

“This puts a strain on your skin at cellular level,” explains Dr Dari Parizadeh, Associate Director in Research & Development for Scientific Affairs at Johnson & Johnson. Parizadeh helped develop Neutrogena’s new Multi-Defense moisturisers, multi-tasking skincare that hydrates and defends against environmental aggressors (d9.49, from February). And then there’s the grit and grime that comes with city living; we all know that UV is a big scary wrinkle-causing animal but even I am taken aback by the additional effects of soot, pollution and smoke. A recent study found that women living in industrialised areas develop more age spots and more pronounced nasolabial folds than their rural counterparts. Counteract the effects with advanced skincare containing a clever cocktail of antioxidants which, in the case of Estée Lauder’s reformulated Daywear Advanced Multi-Protection moisturisers (d48), supplements the skin’s natural antioxidant resources, keeping skin protected throughout the day. So, don’t be tempted to reach for the cream that just gives an instant moisture fix – choose one that’s going to work 24/7. CAROLINE SCOTT

T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e | January 2011 | 39

BEAUTY

..

elf . s r u o y e Gorg

Y T U BEA ET F F U B OLI

BY CAR

There was great excitement last year when the findings from research into sirtuins, known as “longevity genes”, were used to create skincare that supports them, thereby increasing the life span of skin cells. This technology has trickled down to formulas like GoodSkin Labs EXTEN-10

Tom Pecheux had a ‘sultry sophistication’ in mind when he created his newest colour collection for Estée Lauder, Wild Violet. Finding the right shade of brown can be challenging but those inside his latest FIVE COLOUR EYESHADOW PALETTE are simply magnificent and look rich and velvety when applied. a45, at Brown Thomas.

the appearance of the skin, while a potent anti-oxidant blend and SPF15 protect it for the future. A ‘does-it-all’ cream, at a refreshing price. At Boots, from January 26.

Come January, we all look and feel depressed. Buck up your spirit and tackle sagging, dreary skin with Olay’s most concentrated serum so far, REGENERIST 3 POINT SUPER SERUM (a41.99). Use it for firming the face, neck and décolletage.

INSTANT YOUTH BOOSTING MOISTURIZER SPF15 (a34). Intensely hydrating, it instantly improves

TT NE SCO

Sending an out an SOS! Dry, scaly skin alert, all over the body! Help is at hand: treat the skin with Neutrogena

NORWEGIAN FORMULA DEEP MOISTURE COMFORT BALM (a6.57).

During January we feel WHITE, WHITE,

Benefit BELLA BAMBA delivers an intense, supercute punch of watermelon. This true hue, combined with a shimmering gold undertone, defines and highlights cheekbones, sculpting the face and perking you up in the process. Pretty! a33.50, from February.

WHITE, but our dissatisfaction with our skin is actually due to a colour imbalance: patches of unsightly red or, if we’re under the weather, an unhealthy sallowness. Like many unpleasant

Lancôme GÉNIFIQUE NOURISHING YOUTH ACTIVATING CREAM had been designed to answer our cries regarding dryness – some 7.5 million women in Europe purchase creams for this very problem. This is a pot of sumptuous wonder, which melts into the skin but isn’t overly rich (though it is heavily fragranced). Unlike similar creams I’ve tried, it hydrated without causing shine. a35.

things in life – bills, age, weight – redness creeps up, taking us by surprise, despite the fact that, like bad weather, it comes every year! “Seasonal redness is a huge issue,” says THE GLOSS Creative Artist Christine Lucignano. “Preparation is key.

Twice a year, as the weather’s on the turn, have a thorough facial and switch your skincare, moving up one level, from a lotion to a Nourishing Youth Activating Cream

cream or from regular cream to rich cream.” Rich creams tickling our fancy this month include Chanel Ultra Correction Line Repair in a

Comfort Balm

new comfort texture (d96.50, from January 14) and Eau Thermale Avène Anti-Redness Rich Cream (d22.50), recently arrived in Irish pharmacies. But how to tackle redness once it’s set in? “Resist the temptation to cover your face with a foundation that has the consistency of a concealer,” says Christine. “Right now I’m loving the

Five Colour Eyeshadow Palette

hydrating texture of Laura Mercier’s new Crème Smooth Foundation

Super Serum

(d60).” For dull yellowness, try correcting the skin tone with a veil of lavender coloured powder, which you’ll find in Lancôme’s La Rose Butterfly compact (d39) or before you apply your foundation, with Gel Eyeliner

Smashbox Photo Finish Color Correcting Primer, in Balance (d37).

Powder Room THE DAYS OF HEAVY, AGEING FACE POWDERS ARE LONG GONE; NOW THERE’S NO END TO THE MAGICAL POWER OF POWDER.

1. Flattering SPECIAL RESERVE HIGHLIGHT POWDER, in Chez Chez Lamé, is part of the MAC Cham Pale collection. This petal-soft powder looks alluring dusted across the cheekbones and bridge of the nose. A non-brassy gold, with subtle shimmer. t28.

2. Charming LA ROSE BUTTERFLY is the newest creation from the weird and wonderful mind of Aaron de Mey, Artistic Make-up Director at Lancôme. This intriguing combination of pastel tones is essentially a blusher but you can isolate the shades to achieve interesting looks. t39.

3. Hard-working I am a recent convert to bareMinerals ‘Veils’ – new this month is HYDRATING MINERAL VEIL, which boosts hydration and bathes the skin in a dewy, twinkling apricot glow. Apply over foundation for complexion perfection. t23.

40 | January 2011 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

Bella Bamba

Instant Youth Boosting Moisturizer

LEARN TO GIVE A FIG

A Choo-In ...

C

oming face to face with Tamara Mellon is a daunting experience, especially when you’re surrounded by gigantic images of her in a state of semi-undress (right). We were meeting to discuss the first ever Jimmy Choo fragrance, which debuts at Brown Thomas on January 31. I was convinced it would be like her (or, how we imagine her to be): strong, punchy and slightly spiky. And sexy. Inde ed, when I asked her which fragrances she adm ired, she said she loved Fracas and Joy, two of the strongest, statement-making fragrances ever created. Imagine my surprise, then, to smel l a sweet, placid scent. However, like Mellon, there’s more to it than first meets the eye (or nose). As she explains, “it’s sparkling on top but it has a sensual bottom note”. The initia l sparkle of green top notes gives way to an exotic heart of tiger orchid – not a familiar fragrance

note – but it’s the base notes of sweet toffee and patchouli that linger on the skin in a warm manner. And as I was to discover, underneath the uber groomed exterior there’s a softer side to Mellon: she’s comforted by the smell of lavender, has a soft spot for Co Tyrone and has an in-depth interest in the psyche and self-discovery: “If I wasn’t involved in fashion I would’ve liked to have studied psychiatry.” Jimmy Choo is pleas ant and non-confrontational; a cynic might say it’s an accessible fragrance that can be marketed to all but I would suggest it’s ideal for the wom an looking for a slightly sexy scent, who’s turn ed off by strident oriental smells. Plus, the antiq ue inspired bottle makes a beautiful addition to your dressing table. Eau de parfum, 40ml, d45.

BEAUTY According to Lisa Eldridge, make-up artist and creative director for Nº7, anyone can achieve Brigitte Bardot sex kitten style with a flick of limited edition GEL EYELINER (a16). The entire Nº7 spring collection is inspired by the flirty, playful vibe of 1960s Saint-Tropez; it’s worth checking out when it arrives, in Boots, at the end of the month.

Clarifying Lotion

The jury is out on toner but if you’ve suffered with oily skin or you wear a lot of make-up, it is a valuable and soothing part of your cleansing routine; I cannot be separated from my Clinique CLARIFYING LOTION. This fantastic product, recently reformulated, contains salicylic acid and is also a marvellous exfoliator. a23.

Exfoliating Facial Scrub

I am a fusspot when it comes to cleansers but I really like Voya’s

TOTALLY BALMY cleansing balm, for its subtle scent, un-

gunky formula and how it leaves my skin feeling clean and super soft. It’s organic and it’s made here in Ireland. a40.

Make-Up Removal Gel

Bronzer

Dish of the Day Chanel’s new VITALUMIÈRE AQUA Ultra-light Skin Perfecting Make-Up SPF15 delivers a natural-looking, matte coverage that lasts the day. Suitable for all ages, it will appeal to 50+ customers as it is moisturising, plumping and undetectable on the skin.

From Jan 14, a38.

Totally Balmy

Eyeliner

Night Serum

“ This Month I’ll Use ...”

Marketing Manager for Mr Porter, rings up her monthly spend …

ORLA SCANLAN

WORKING IN A FASHION ENVIRONMENT,

where I’m meeting with designers, how I look counts for a lot. I’m quite pale and suffer a little redness and sensitivity at this time of year. I use a cleanser from La Roche-Posay’s Rosaliac range to combat this, along with their Physiological Ultra-Fine SKIP THE GYM : EA Sports Exfoliating Facial Scrub, which is really gentle. Many Active 2 Personal Trainer for the Wii, big-name moisturisers irritate my eyes so I stick PlayStation3 or Kinect for Xbox 360, with Dermalogica Active Moist, which is odourless d59.99. BIG DEAL : Within the and not too rich. Before bed, I use Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair. Because it’s a serum it gaming world this launch was hotly doesn’t clog my pores and it gives me peace of mind anticipated as previous versions have before I nod off – prevention is better than cure, after been well received. The technology is mind-boggling and many say this all! I’m a long-term fan of Giorgio Armani Luminous is the most advanced personal training programme available for your Silk Foundation and I use Chanel Soleil Tan bronzer Moisturiser computer. If you’ve tried Wii Fit, you’ll find this more strenuous – it’s less instead of blusher. Other make-up must-haves are yoga and pilates, more cardio and endurance. These are proper workouts.

MAC Technakohl, an incredibly longwearing eyeliner IN MOTION : The major plus point of this system is the heart-rate Mascara and L’Oréal Paris Volume Million Lashes. On my monitor, worn on your forearm, which allows for an accurate evaluation lips I use Laura Mercier Lip Stain, in Mulberry, worn of how hard you are working. However, getting this, plus another sensor with Lip Glacé, in Rose. My perfume is Pucci Vivara, worn on your leg, to work properly is a major exercise in itself. It would a fragrance from the 1960s, re-issued a help to have someone with techy know-how around to help you with few years ago. Every five weeks I have the initial set-up. Once these issues are ironed out it’s an easy-to-use my eyebrows threaded and tinted, that L IL B EAUTY oval Gel e-up Rem ORLA’S B icellar Mak M system. If losing motivation is a concern, you’ll be encouraged by the c lia way I can forget about them. It’s been sa Posay Ro La Rocheal ci Fa a busy time building up to the launch, rigorous structure – choose a three- or nine-week programme – and g Exfoliatin t15.50 l Ultra-fine ysiologica Posay Ph next month, of Mr Porter (an online your personal trainer (male or female). And, if you’re the type of person La Rocheb t14 ru men’s retailer, from the same people as Sc 0 .8 who feels motivated by the people around you at the gym, you’ll like the very Moist t34 ized Reco ica Active Dermalog ir Synchron pa Re net-a-porter) so I’ve been trying to fit t ed Nigh online element, in which you can track your progress and compete with er Advanc Estée Laud in yoga, to relax and de-stress. When others within the EA Sports community. I found it a little slow switching t50 Complex dation t42 Silk Foun I want to get my heart rate going, I Luminous i an m Ar Giorgio between sections but I loved the exercises themselves, especially the t42 g Powder Tan Bronzin il le head to the park and work out with a So el Chan ck, t18 mountain biking and boxing. There are more than 70 exercises to choose Graphbla nakohl, in 9 .9 group called SuperChick. Their ethos 14 MAC Tech shes t e Million La from. RESULTS : I defy anyone who says you can’t get fit from a ris Volum 24 L’Oréal Pa t , is along the lines of “cocktails and berry ain, in Mul cier Lip St computer game; depending on the level you choose to work at, this Laura Mer 27 cardio”, that is, striking a healthy in Rose t é, ac Gl p cier Li Laura Mer can be genuinely challenging. It’s also easy to track your progress and balance between the two and still watching the calorie counter in the corner of the screen can be addictive! making time to enjoy yourself.

2.29 Total: t28

T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E | January 2011 | 41

PH OTOGRAPH BY HU GH O’MALLEY; MAKE-UP BY G IG I H AMMOND

TRIED&TESTED

ART

A room of her own Artist Mary Rose Binchy starts the year with a solo show

accepted at The National College of Art and Design. She would cycle into Thomas Street after she had dropped her little boy to his crèche. “It was a very happy time, even if as a mature student you are plagued by self-doubt. Am I any good? Am I too old to start? That worry, the dread of opprobrium, never goes away.” Binchy laughs, saying, “I always thought it would be pretentious to call myself an artist. But now I feel I am a painter, that it is real.” Binchy’s paintings have been acquired by, among others, UCD, the OPW and several corporate firms, like Goodbodys and McCanns. Architect Ronnie Tallon is also a collector.

The creative process begins long before she takes up a paintbrush. It begins with time spent drawing, thinking, looking, concentrating, reading poetry, “what the painter, Cy Twombly, called ‘the condensed phrase’. I read poetry all the time.”

For years Binchy painted in a Victorian outbuilding next to her house, and Binchy continued to work at home, snatching time when they were at school and working around their schedules. “The luxury was that I could be here but I could work.” At the end of 2008, Binchy asked architect Mary Rose binchy in her studio. Above: Snow Mountain 1. Top: Spring Descended 2; both from the new exhibition.

Joe Lawrence from Dublin practice Lawrence and Long to convert the structure into a purpose-built studio, with a gallery ceiling and mezzanine study. The new studio is a spanking white, light-filled box with double-height doors and floor-to-ceiling windows. Paper is arranged in drawers, paints ranged on shelves, a deep sink stacked

On January 13, New Paintings – ‘An Elsewhere World’,

of green is followed by the tip of a blue grape hyacinth, then

with clean jam jars – upstairs, a small desk, littered with

Mary Rose Binchy’s first solo show in seven years, will open

the emergence of a deep pink camellia. The Inis Meain

books and sketchbooks. You can imagine Binchy, hanging

at the Cross Gallery on Francis Street. The title is borrowed

paintings are big abstract landscapes suffused with the

paper on the wall, painting directly on to it, letting the

from a poem by Seamus Heaney, ‘A Herbal’, where he

intense blue of sea and sky and deep ribbons of bleached

layers of paint dry, Italian mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli

recollects a series of sensory experiences, which intensified

sand, inspired by the heatwave of last May. “It was like

on the CD player. When the painting is finished, she

his sense of being, and how he seeks to find those sensations

being on a Greek island,” she says, “the heat, the stillness.”

repaints the wall. While the studio is not out of bounds

again, “in an elsewhere world, beyond maps and atlases”.

Objects and landscapes are simply expressed in bold colour.

for the children (her eldest has his eye on it as a party

“These paintings are a reflection of those moments when

Painting in layers, wet paint on wet, creates texture.

venue) she has laid claim absolutely to the space. “It’s

I suppose I responded to the landscape in a certain way,”

Binchy didn’t set out to be an artist – she was a

mine,” she says unequivocally. “This is my office.” SMcD

says Binchy, “and reflect a year in nature.” In the ‘Spring

practising solicitor and expecting her first child when she

New Paintings - ‘An Elsewhere World’ opens January 14 at

Descended’ series, the head of a white snowdrop on a base

decided to do a foundation course at night before being

the Cross Gallery, 59 Francis Street, Dublin 8.

42 | January 2011 | T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e

PO RT RA I T by g O Rd On g O Odw I n/ M A K E - u P by AI l E E n d u f fy fO R zOE c l AR K M AK E - u P s ch O Ol

a damp, unheated place. Three more children followed

TRAVEL

MAN in A SUITCASE From the coolest destination for winter sun to an unforgettable Parisian dining experience, TIM MAGEE shares insider tips for great escapes

W

hen longing for the

Croatia, and a diner breakfast with endless diner coffee

places I miss, I don’t

in a sea of newspapers is my Manhattan. The holidays in

recall images of hotels,

my head are single details that become hardwired into my

beaches or landmarks – it’s usually

THE KNOWLEDGE

psyche and re-emerge to tease me from time to time.

a very specific detail, maybe real,

For the past couple of weeks my personal viral is of

occasionally imaginary, but always

being sand-caked and sun-baked with Heineken and

involving food.

ceviche dripping down either arm at the hatch of a chuck

If I’m away and yearning for

wagon on a glowing Miami Beach. It’s very specific and

home then it’s like a 1980s Bord

won’t go away. Most of the Irish airlift into Florida is to

Fáilte ad: a mini-movie of myself in an Aran jumper

Orlando but the world’s conference centre is only a treat

with turf smoke wafting around a handsome pint and

if you’re in sales or primary school. With its year-round

some oysters in a pub that doesn’t exist. Paris might be

sunshine, white beaches, orange skies and turquoise

my favourite place on earth but I don’t daydream of its

ocean during the day and big city treats at night, Miami

highlights in postcards – instead it’s an image of a cold,

is the king of spring breaks. The food is diverse, cheap

crisp night where I’m gazing at a menu outside a brasserie

and often sensational and you rarely run into the accents

in Place des Vosges, or I’m stepping in from the cold to

or attitudes from these isles. Miami is an inexpensive

a cosy candlelit bistro for simple roast chicken. Salty

low-rise Latin town with painfully cool hotels, the most

sardines and icy Vinho Verde on a bockety beachfront

eclectic dining and endless beaches which comes into its

table is my Lisbon, eating shellfish off sunburnt knees,

own this month and next.

DON’T BE TEMPTED BY LOW RATES from monster hotels like the Fontainebleau. I would have loved to stay there in its heyday, but now it’s more mall than hotel. Scour the travel sites to try and stay as close to the roll-call of design hotels with beach access on Collins Avenue and Ocean Drive. If your timing is good you might get lucky with a rate for the impossibly perfect Raleigh (above) or The Tides. The area is touristy, but alternating between a private, peaceful poolside and periodically nipping out the gate into the full-on Miami experience is what South Beach is all about. The only time you’ll need a taxi is to whisk you across to the Design District for dinner at Michael’s Genuine (right). I’m a sad trophy restaurant hunter, with most holidays having a pilgrimage to the stars in the red book, but now and then a restaurant experience completely alters how I look at food – Michael Schwartz’s does just that. Waiting in the sunshine for my table with a perfect heirloom tomato Bloody Mary and his chips and oniony dip is a daydreaming detail that will stay with me for a while yet.

Miami



A GREAT PLACE ...

to Eat

THE WALLS ARE COLOURED by the exhalations of generations of Parisian lungs, there’s a blackened grill brimming with French butchery and charcuterie hovering over a very open fire fuelled by wooden debris including some planks with menacing nails. I’m a non-smoker but the smell of illegal cigarette smoke and the open fire is a welcome change from the chemical and body odour cocktail that we’re now accustomed to. The staff drink like customers while the cook trims my majestic côte de boeuf by the uncovered cheeses and tosses the leftovers to a small dog before slapping the steak on to the piece of carbonised history that’s the grill in Chez Robert et Louise in the Marais. This bistro is as beautiful as it is illegal.

Chez Robert et Louise, 64 rue Vieille-du-Temple,

THERE’S A HANDSOME WALKABLE CITY with a real service culture that’s only 90 minutes’ drive from Dublin. It’s falling down with shops, has some serious restaurants and everything is much cheaper than home, yet I’m still amazed at THE how few people appreciate the buzziest city on the island. New motorways GETAWAY mean that Galway, Limerick, Waterford, Cork and Dublin are now a lot closer to Belfast and its treats. If you need to briefly escape from the onslaught of negativity that can be Irish radio and television, head up on a Friday night for late night shopping in the Victoria Centre and dinner in James Street South. Skip breakfast on Saturday to brunch your way around the Victorian St George’s Market before launching an assault on the biggest concentration of second-hand shops in the British Isles before catching the Enterprise back to our reality.

Belfast

75003 Paris; 0033 1 42 78 55 89.

T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E | January 2011 | 43

A STUDY IN STYLE McCormick feels style evolves through location and age. “I’ve ‘done’ shabby chic, safari style and am into my eclectic, colourful stage.” She sprayed all her old furniture a glossy white and then added colour through accessories and art, picking up pieces from local designers. “My Love table by Noel Duigan [opposite] is a favourite as is an embellished table by Michelle Roberts and my Elvis painting, which I commissioned.”

VIEW OF THE WORLD Mc Cormick’s duplex is on one of the top floors of the Sky Gardens building in the ‘new Dubai’ – a stone’s throw from the Burj Khalifa, the Armani hotel and the Dubai Mall, near the financial hub of the city.

“There is great view of the sea from my balcony. On a clear day I can see ‘The World’ development.”

One was born in Belfast, the other in Beirut, one settled in the East, the other in the West. One, in Dubai, saw boom, then bust; the other, in Beirut, brutal war, followed by a boom. And both are linked by a love of interiors and by a certain fashionable couturier … It’s a small world, even when you set up home in Arabia …

“

Y

es, yes, I’ve met Elie Saab,” says Penny McCormick, when we speak on the telephone, “just don’t call him Elie though – it’s Mr Saab, please! I learned the hard way when I met him in his wonderful house in Beirut.” For the Belfast-born launch editor of Harper’s Bazaar Interiors (Arabia), meeting fashion luminaries like Lebanese couturier Saab is all in a day’s work.

Just last week (at the opening of the new Hermès store in rue

de Sèvres in Paris) she met Alice Temperley, Giorgio Armani, Reem Acra … “After my faux pas with Mister Saab, I was thrilled to receive a dress from him in the post [greyblue chiffon and bugle-beaded]. I felt like Carrie Bradshaw when she received the Oscar de la Renta gown from The Russian! Should I need it for the Oscars, I’m ready.”

Belfast-born McCormick went to university at St Andrews in Scotland, and then to Cambridge. After six years in Mozambique, followed by time teaching English literature in the US, the UK and France, and even a stint working as Girl Friday for Joan Collins, she decided she wanted a couple of years of sun, sea, sand and shopping.

“I came to the emirates for a taste of the good life. I had no plan to stay more than a couple of years: I’m still here after a decade.” She has worked as an editor for the last eight years – at Society Dubai, at Hello! Middle East and at Emirates Home. Since 2006 she has been a contributing editor to THE GLOSS. When McCormick arrived in Dubai, it was a luxury outpost hardly anyone in the west had heard of. Then came the boom. And as chronicler of the lives and lifestyles of Dubai’s rich and famous, she saw the expansion, and its effects, firsthand. “The loss of jobs aside, I am glad, like many other long-term residents, that the crash happened.

Four years ago, Dubai was a very overcrowded and aggressive place to be.”

McCormick says her role at times feels like that of a private investigator, as she sleuths for interesting homes to photograph and residents to profile. She has cultivated the gentle art of persuasion with certain proprietors and “an intuitive sense of how to deal with certain ‘egos’.” At a recce for a photo shoot at the home of a high-profile Bollywood couple, nine (resident) staff showed her around – the owners were at Mumbai Film Week. “Huge Buddhas in the driveway, water walls inside the house, a massive fake tree in the lobby, swings and a bar and nightclub in the garden; all made of stone. I couldn’t stop thinking of The Flintstones. Let’s just say, in my copy, I focused

44 | January 2011 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

FASHIONABLE LIFE Left: When McCormick arrived in Dubai, every ex-pat was buying a starter kit from IKEA. Now every smart interiors line has a store in Dubai.

This Glossy Life At home in Arabia ...

INTeRIoR lIFe The population of Dubai is so diverse: several styles exist: Nordic, French, Lebanese, quintessentially English and Asian. “The ‘local’ emirati style is baroque – think Versace Home with more gilt.”

on the ‘uniqueness’ of the project!”

While building has slowed, there remain some international architects on the scene,

Wearstler rugs and tableware. Bigger, better, higher was for so long the order of the day but there was some restoration of ancient buildings. In Bastikya, the creek area of Dubai, many

with Zaha Hadid, Norman Foster, James Clar and Marco Piva responsible for some of the

of the old wind towers have been restored and it is a beautiful part of town, with interesting

highest-profile buildings. Branches of Sotheby’s, Bonhams and Christie’s all remain open.

art galleries and boutique hotels.

“Some of the collections I’ve seen in private houses are staggering,” says McCormick. The

So what of the mood in Dubai now? “There does seem to be a slight upward trend in

influence of Beirut design companies like Bokja is strong and Nada Debs is a designer whose

business and people are quietly optimistic about the future,” says McCormick. “I think most

work is found in all the best houses – beautiful pebble tables and Perspex mirrors inlaid with

people here feel very protective of Dubai’s image: it has taken such a battering in the press,

mother-of-pearl. Some Dubai residents own several homes around the world and in their

especially the British press. In the US they are much more supportive of self-made business

(more cosmopolitan) houses, Jonathan Adler furniture from LA sits side by side with Kelly

people. I keep reading that Dubai isn’t real, but then, what is, nowadays?”

T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e | January 2011 | 45

OLD MEETS NEW Cochrane liberated some of his own AlFrank furniture from storage to furnish his own house. “The rooms are so large, they can never be anything but sparsely furnished.” His own house, more accurately called a ‘palace’ featured in a book, The Palaces of Lebanon, photographed by Hani Samaha.

P HOTOGRA P H BY HA N I SA M A HA

THIS GLOSSY LIFE

B

orn in Beirut, Alfred Cochrane left the city in the early 1970s to study architecture in Rome when the civil war began. When one of the first car bombs of the conflict exploded outside Cochrane’s study, he felt it was time to go. That was 1978. By the 1980s much of “Old Beirut” lay in ruins but even in the middle of war, the Cochrane family, who owned a three-acre city square in the Gemmayzeh district, made up of warehouses and small factories, Ottoman merchant palaces and French

art deco apartments, were striving to maintain and restore the buildings. War raged on until 1991, during which time Cochrane set up home in Ireland, working for various architecture practices, mainly in restoration, and establishing up AlFrank, a furniture design company. He didn’t return to Beirut until long after the war, in 2006. “My younger brother [who lives on the square] insisted it was time for me to come back and finish the project so, 30 years later, that’s what I’m doing.” The perk was the house he got, “a dream house, very large, not really rentable, with a central hall and a flying staircase.”

Slowly the square is returning to its former glory, its gardens restored, the houses renovated by a skilled workforce of Syrians: “They had never gilded before, or cut marble –now they are as good as any in Italy,” says Cochrane. “It’s been a sort of building site for years but happily, our tenants [among them, by coincidence, couturier Elie Saab, who lives in the largest house] are an accommodating lot – there is a sense of this being a shared effort.”

Beirut became very fashionable after the war ended and urban renewal began – almost instantly, smart bars and restaurants proliferated. Now, the oldest buildings are the most sought-after. The new rich want to live on the ground and first floors – a reversal of the traditional living arrangement of the 1900s, when the uppermost and grandest rooms were occupied by rich merchant families, the lower floors by their servants (who presumably wore an exhausting daily path up and down the eight flights of stairs). “There is a long waiting list of people who want to live in this area. The younger couples decorate with modern furniture,

PH OTOG RAPH BY LORNA FITZSIMONS

which looks stunning in the grand, high-ceilinged rooms.” The square has become a tourist attraction, a showpiece of Beirut. “Everyone leaves their lights on at night, so, through an open window, passers-by can catch a glimpse of a gilded ceiling, or a magnificent staircase.”

Although Cochrane has officially retired from architecture, he has been involved in a couple of residential projects in Ireland. “I’m old school,” he says, “I have a pencil, a rubber, some felt tip pens.” He paints too, and the day we visit there are several canvases hung around the house. Corke Lodge, his home in Bray, is a contrast to his life in Lebanon: the silence, the view (on the day we visited) over snowy fields, his magnificent garden blanketed in white. “This is simple, quiet life, it’s magic. The noise in Beirut is deafening – it’s a stressful place to work.”

Social life in Beirut is famously high-octane with lavish parties that continue loudly into the small hours. “Saab has huge parties once a week: the best of everything, including fine PLEASURE GARDENS The gardens of Gemmayzeh are being restored at the same time as the houses.

“They were originally designed to be overlooked by neighbouring houses – they were created for the pleasure of all.”

A freehand sketch by Cochrane shows the scale of the restoration. “Some buildings had to be gutted, others needed less work.”

oriental music. The following day he hops on a plane to Paris. Two days later, his servants throw a huge party, with all the leftover food.” Excess is normal in Beirut. “One famous hostess invited ten international chefs to cook one turkey each, at a sort of crazy Roman feast.

It’s a liberal, hedonistic society.” This is something about which Cochrane has always had misgivings. “The evening of the day on which the car bomb exploded outside my mother’s house, there were parties on the same street. I found it difficult to comprehend.”

The project is self-financing, the rents from the tenants pay for the work. At this relatively slow pace of work – “there are a lot of religious holidays in Lebanon, 20 days a year” – Cochrane reckons it will take seven or eight years to complete. By that time, his youngest niece, Ariana, a poised young lady of eight, who speaks three languages – English, French and Arabic – will be coming of age. “The work will be done for the next generation, but with this many buildings there will always be something to do.” SARAH MCDONNELL ■

46 | January 2011 | T H E G L O S S M A G A Z I N E

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over and out

C

onnie is in a better position than

alarms and a necessity against the wholesale burglaries

most to greet the New Year and is

taking place throughout the reservation. Though she is

indeed invigorated by her recent

not entirely certain her plan to separate the chaff from

Stateside vacation. Apart from some

the chavs would keep the riff-raff out or imprison the

fabulous shopping and decadent

debtors inside ... emmm, perhaps that issue needs more

dining, she really enjoyed meeting

scrutiny. Another vote puller will be the reintroduction

Tea Party members. Regrettably Sarah Palin was off

of Brehon Law – with all the assets in the gals’ names, it

harpooning a humpback whale or some other God-

is high time to put the law into their hands too. Connie

awful macho and politically incorrect activity, so Connie

will also champion a vitally important Yummy Mummy

had to make do with other tiny pond fish. Generally she

payment: now that the children’s allowance wouldn’t

wouldn’t be caught dead with these smug, narrow-

cover one session of Botox, local grooming levels are

minded creatures but she has been on a mission to pick

dropping off at an alarming rate. Connie will insist on

their brains in order to glean some electioneering and

subsidised highlights and blow-dries, just imagine the

canvassing tips. Connie is still not sure whether she will

feelgood factor and the employment opportunities! She

behind another carefully selected contender. However, she knows time is tight with a spring election looming.

On the one perfectly manicured hand it would be such

immediately thinks of mandatory Elocution and Etiquette

A VIEW FROM THE JEEP

for Everyone (E!E!E!) and her mind races feverishly from personal appearance to pleasant vistas, for she has a very irritating bee in her bonnet about house exteriors, especially

Yummy Mummy payments and a fine for dodgy décor – they’re all part of Connie’s four-year plan. Honora Quinn takes a peek at her manifesto …

after the gallant efforts of cheer displayed over the festive

think no more parking tickets for abandoning the car on

Boston and introduce a manifesto that is entirely concerned

that perhaps these life-enhancing measures are better

Grafton Street when one needed emergency supplies from

with local issues. Quite frankly after that unmentionable

introduced after election victory. She will have to

BTs. Food, or even Ladurées, for thought ...

fun to swan around the Taoiseach’s palaces, and the perks are nice – but really, could she be bothered? Her success as FAMA enforcer has made her plenty of enemies and quite frankly she is not sure that even she could handle any more aggressive attention. Yet, if she were to become Minister for Affairs or somesuch, she would have a driver – and to

(ha ha) period. She intends to impose a severe fine on any person who continues to display that homage to council estates, the nefarious plastic buxus sempervirens.

Connie feels a violent need to launch many, many new rules and regulations but then suddenly comprehends

Budget she intends to steer far away from actual politics

concentrate on sweet little lies to get a candidate elected

One way or another she is most determined that the

and concentrate on the little stuff that really counts. Of

and then effect changes once in power. Why maybe she has

viewpoints of her lobby group SOUTH (Shed Our Useless

immediate concern is establishing a Pale within the Pale:

more political traits than she had previously thought? But

Thick Husbands) are effectively represented in the 2011

Connie would like to see a chainlink fence thrown around

shall she run herself or for once eschew the limelight and

Dáil. She intends to follow the advice of her NBFs in

the bubble of SoCoDu, more effective than any intruder

find some puppet to control?

IllustratIon by nata lI e C ass Idy

actually stand herself or throw her meagre but perfect weight

The New York Times Magazine called actress Natalie PortmaN, the politically engaged Harvard grad, someone who “defined cinema in 2010”. This month she stars as an obsessive ballerina in Black Swan, the new film by director Darren Aronofsky. She is also the new face of Miss Dior Chérie fragrance.

She Does

“Get pissed off that I go to a première to talk about my

She Doesn’t

movie, and the first thing they ask me is what dress

in your work regardless of the reaction to it. The day I

Have awards in her sights: “You have to maintain belief

I’m wearing” l compare herself to Aronofsky: “We

start working in order to get attention is the day I stop

are similarly disciplined. He works his ass off, and

being an artist” l eat meat and has designed a range

so do I” l have a psychology degree from Harvard

of vegan shoes l get recognised much, outside of Los

suffer for her art: in preparation for Black Swan

Angeles; “I feel pretty anonymous” l make friends

she studied ballet for a year, training eight hours a

easily: “[being famous] sort of eliminates the level of

day and breaking a rib in the process. She also lost

the middle friend – people either are acquaintances

20lb; “ballet is an incredible discipline – you have to

or they’re my best friend. The middle people are

be willing to work hard, to experience great pain” l

usually the ones who just want to rub shoulders”

speak Hebrew l confess to being “pretty casual in my

l

beauty routine ... some might say sloppy” l use a stage

been the lucky one, getting to borrow something

name: her real name is Hershlag l believe that being

awesome” l enjoy being the subject of gossip: “You

a psychologist is “pretty much the same job as being an

can’t win. You don’t say anything and everyone’s, like, ‘it’s

actor: trying to imagine how other people think” l admit to

true’. You say something, and you’re keeping the story alive”

being a “boring goody-two-shoes at college” l consider the recession to be “kind of an exciting time. Everyone is cutting back.”

48 | January 2011 | T H e G L o s s M A G A Z I N e

have cringe-making fashion memories: “I’ve always

l

this month: Natalie PortmaN

have a wild-child history: “I didn’t touch pot until I was in my

twenties. I didn’t get flat-out drunk until I went to college. But I think that’s a good thing in many ways.”

photog raph by James devaney/ WIreImage.Com

l

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