Modern Woman - Launch Issue by Modern Woman

Modern

WOMAN ISSUE 001: MAY/JUNE £3.95

BE FEARLESS

MICHELLE

MONE

High Notes DJ Xanthe Fuller on making waves at online radio, Mixcloud

Ultimo success to full support for next gen entrepreneurs

AROUND THE CLOCK 72 hours in Tel Aviv

WOMAN OF STEEL

MOTHERS’ MEETINGS

Nadia Al-Dossary: Avon Lady to steel magnate P R I N T

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P O D C A S T S

Regaining business confidence after babies •

E V E N T S

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O N L I N E

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CONTENTS 12

Michelle Mone: Ultimo and beyond

The duo behind maternity brand, Clary & Peg

Our pick of hard-working beauty products

Success story: Susie Ma’s Tropic Skincare

Top table: the best new openings in London

Dress to impress in our range of office attire

The working parent juggling act

Xanthe Fuller, head of community at Mixcloud Nadia Al Dossary, Avon lady to steel magnate

Nicole Bremner’s property tips

Interior life: going for gold

Tel Aviv, Manhattan on the Med

PUBLISHER: RC PUBLISHING LTD 13-17 HIGH BEECH ROAD, LOUGHTON, ESSEX, IG10 4BN 020 3011 1194 HELLO@MODERNWOMAN.CO EDITOR: ROSIE COXSHAW

SUB-EDITOR: NANCY LARMAN PR & EDITORIAL ASSISTANT: SARAH EUESDEN

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR: NICOLA EUESDEN DESIGN: STEWART HYDE BUSINESS WRITER: ERIC WOOLLARD-WHITE WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT: TOTALDESIGNWORKS.COM CONTRIBUTORS: MAUDE HIRST, NANCY LARMAN, MEGAN DAVIES, POPPY CROSS, GEORGIE FULLER, TONI JONES, SAMANTHA BAINES, HARLEY CASSIDY, NICOLE BREMNER, THANYIA MOORE

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CONTRIBUTORS

MAUDE HIRST

POPPY CROSS

GEORGINA FULLER

Maude is a born-and-bred east Londoner. An actor, writer and yoga teacher, she is best-known for her role as Helga in the hit TV show, Vikings. In her work both on- and offscreen, she is dedicated to creating roles that showcase women’s talents and address gender inequalities in the industry. As a yoga teacher, she focuses her practice on reconnecting breath, body and balance to promote well-being in our busy modern world. @maudehirst

Poppy started her career in journalism at Harper’s Bazaar, which launched her straight into an editor role for three luxury London lifestyle magazines. Concurrently, her passion for health and fitness saw Poppy specialise in these areas for The Mail on Sunday, The Evening Standard, Psychologies and Tatler Spa Guide. Poppy has a health blog and when it comes to what’s hot in wellbeing, Poppy is the gal in-the-know. @poppycross

Georgina Fuller is an award-winning freelance journalist, editor and mother-of-three. She writes about parenting, women, work and travel for The Telegraph, The Guardian, The Daily Mail, Little London, Red and Smallish magazine. She also blogs for Selfish Mother and has written for The Mother Book, published in 2016. Georgina has appeared on BBC Radio 2, BBC3 and various stations to talk about parenting and women at work. @georgie_writer

May/June 2018

TONI JONES

ERIC WOOLLARD-WHITE

Toni Jones is a London-based travel and wellness journalist whose work has appeared in The Telegraph, The Daily Mail, The MailOnline, The Huffington Post, Grazia, Women’s Health and The Evening Standard. She recently launched a self-help book club called Shelf Help and runs author events across London (shelfhelp. club). Next on her travel ‘to-go’ list is a shamanic retreat in Portugal. @shelfhelpclub

In addition to freelance writing, Eric Woollard-White is the founder of Thirty7 Productions specialising in business development, marketing and PR consulting. He has also worked in the film industry, both as a writer and a producer. For ten years, he worked with entrepreneur and Dragons’ Den panellist Peter Jones in a variety of communications and senior management roles. @ewoollardwhite

EDITOR’S Letter Welcome to the very first edition of Modern Woman Two years ago, the idea of Modern Woman was conceived. Today, our launch could not be any more timely. There is no denying that being a woman in business is still beset with challenges; the sheer number of male-dominated industries where women continue to come up against glass ceilings frankly astonishes and frustrates me. But whilst it may often feel like it’s a man’s world, it’s absolutely crucial that we women continue to carve out strong leadership roles for ourselves. Modern Woman exists to empower, to influence and to support women in business. We provide news-worthy content that affects women in the workplace, as well as telling the stories of inspiring women from all walks of life who are making their mark in the business world and beyond. Accessible via our digital and print magazines, podcasts and online experience, Modern Woman serves to highlight both how far the UK has come in terms of women’s rights over the past century and the barriers that we’re yet to overcome. Now, more than ever, is a time when women from all cultures and all countries need to stand together, to support one another and, in doing so, realise the ultimate dream: to live in a world without gender-based obstacles and to pave foundations for a better future for all women globally. I could not be prouder of Modern Woman and I am incredibly thankful for the amazing team that has been on this journey so far and worked tirelessly to bring it to life.

This is just the beginning. With love, Rosie

IMAGE CREDITS: STYLIST: STEVE VYSE MAKE-UP: JO SUGAR HAIR: TIKADI HAIR STYLING: AKUA AMANKONA PHOTOGRAPHY: GARRY CASTLE STUDIO: MOTION STUDIO

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WOMEN OF THE WORLD All the must-know news from women in work across the globe

SAUDI ARABIA Future Vision Saudi Arabia often comes under fire for its traditionally regressive attitude to women, who have, until recently, been forbidden from driving and actively discouraged from the workplace. That is set to change, thanks to the implementation of Saudi Vision 2030, a plan to redirect its economy from its reliance on oil towards a hitherto untapped resource: the female workforce. The plan aims to increase female employment from 22 per cent to 30 per cent by 2030 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a modest increase, but a starting point nonetheless. Hitherto, Saudi women have only been permitted to work in certain sectors; the rolling out of these plans will see women obtaining roles in pharmacies and herbal medicine stores, amongst others. Perhaps more significant is the scaling back of guardianship laws that dictate that male family members must make all legal decisions for women. Additionally, maternity leave has increased from four weeks to ten weeks, and some areas of study have too been expanded; women in Saudi Arabia are now able to study the law and architecture. Small steps, but significant steps nonetheless.

May/June 2018

NEWS: GLOBAL ROUND UP

AMERICA Just Do It Nike’s famously inspirational slogan may centre on empowerment, but it was a memo that, apparently, many of its male staff failed to get in recent times. The atmosphere for many women at the sportswear brand had, by many accounts, taken a seriously obnoxious turn. Reports abounded of male sexual boasting and harassment until a group of women inside Nike’s Beaverton, Ore., headquarters started a small but ultimately powerful revolt. Conducting questionnaires as to whether fellow females had suffered discrimination, their findings were later placed on the desk of chief exec, Mike Parker and have lead to a number of casualties, from the president of the Nike brand to – ironically – the head of diversity. You just did it, ladies.

ENGLAND Votes For Women Parliament Square’s famous collection of statues commemorating great political lives have, at long last, welcomed a woman amongst their venerated company. Millicent Fawcett was a suffragist, as opposed to the more radical suffragette, and presided over the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies, relying only on peaceful persuasion. It worked, and her tireless campaigning won women first limited voting rights in 1918, and then total rights a decade later (read more about this courageous woman’s work in our full feature on Fawcett in this issue). Do also note that the statue’s creator, Gillian Wearing, is the first female artist to have a work unveiled in Parliament Square.

INDIA Taxi Driver Revathi Roy’s world was turned upside down when her husband first fell into a coma, and then racked up extensive medical bills over the three years before it finally claimed his life. With three children to take care of, Roy barely permitted herself a minute to grieve before building a business from nothing. Ruminating one day on the staggering rate of sexual assault in taxis in Mumbai, she had an epiphany: to create an all-female taxi service. Inspired and motivated, she founded Forsche – ‘for she’ – Asia’s first taxi service for women, run by women, complete with training academy for impoverished females from remote villages. That’s one inspiring way to drive the change.

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ART: MAUDE HIRST

Grammar

CHECK

MAUDE HIRST has just finished four years in the hit-series Vikings. But, she says, success is more than defining yourself as the job you do. The secret? Be a verb, not a noun acting, it meant failure. What if, instead of being that noun, I allowed myself to be a verb? What if we can empower ourselves and find greater fulfilment by developing different parts of ourselves personally and professionally? We would become creative agents who bring their individual talents to all kinds of outlets. I took this idea and ran with it. I am not just Maude, the actor. There are many things that make me who I am, whether they be acting, writing, reading or travelling. The possibilities feel endless (I have recently trained as a yoga teacher, for example). Taking the pressure off having to define myself as one thing has been the key to it all. Be a verb!

e are not nouns, we are verbs. I am not a thing – an actor, a writer – I am a person who does things – I write, I act – and I never know what I am going to do next. I think you can be imprisoned if you think of yourself as a noun.” That’s according to the inimitible Stephen Fry, highly active verb extraordinaire. Does this wisdom chime with you? As an actor, it certainly does with me. When I left drama school ten years ago, I was determined that I had to make it as an actor to feel successful. Now I know that giving myself that definition limited me. I have recently finished filming four years on the Amazon TV series Vikings. Playing Helga was my biggest career achievement to-date. But although working on a hit TV show was proof of success, somehow I didn’t want to be defined by it alone. It was one part of me that I was proud of but I felt there was more. I had a misconceived idea from the years of training and auditioning, that if I wasn’t putting all of my focus into

MAUDE’S MUST SEE’S Theatre: The Writer, Almeida Theatre 14 April – 26 May. A wonderfully provocative play about gender in today’s society Comedy: Bosh & Babbs female comedy duo present *This is Very Funny, Beyond Retro at the Brighton Fringe. 31 May ‑ 2 June. Comedy that will make you belly laugh Art: Under Cover: A Secret History of Cross-Dressing, The

Photographers’ Gallery. Until 3 June. An interesting collection of photographs of those who defy gender convention Event: Three-day foundations Yoga training with Dylan Ayaloo, dylanayaloo.com. This yoga training transformed my life – try it yourself Class: Ring making workshops throughout May and June, theworkbenchlondon.com. Fancy carving your own ring while having a drink with mates?

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INSPIRATION: QUOTES

Inspirational

QUOTES “Your vision of who and where you want to be is the greatest asset you have” PAUL ARDEN

∑

“Imagination is everything, it is the preview of life’s coming attractions” ALBERT EINSTEIN

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“The most courageous act, is still to think for yourself aloud” COCO CHANEL

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“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm” WINSTON CHURCHILL

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“In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders.” SHERYL SANDBERG, COO FACEBOOK

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“The most successful entrepreneurs I know are optimistic. It’s part of the job description.” CATERINA FAKE, FOUNDER OF FLICKR

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“Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve” NAPOLEON HILL

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to the Listen st at Po d c a n.co/ woma n r e d mo sts podca

May/June 2018

BUSINESS: MADE IT

Tomorrow’s

WORLD LADY MICHELLE MONE, dubbed ‘Baroness Bra’, grew up on the mean streets of Glasgow’s East End, and made her millions through Ultimo lingerie. Now she’s back with a new venture: to support the next generation of entrepreneurs. Words Eric Woollard-White Podcast: Rosie Coxshaw

er official title may be Lady Michelle Mone, Baroness of Mayfair OBE, but the Glasgow-born entrepreneur, who left school at 15 before going on to invent the world’s first gel-filled Ultimo bra, can never forget her roots. “My parents keep me grounded,” she says. “If I let everything go to my head, they would never forgive me.” Despite having sold her Ultimo business in 2015, Mone has embraced an even busier schedule since which, as per a recent announcement, includes a brand new venture called EQUI. Despite having carved out such a schedule that would be dizzying to most, she remains her own harshest critic, protesting: “I don’t think I have made it yet, there’s a lot more in me and I feel I am still ready to take off.” Happily, thanks to a varied portfolio of business activities – from mentoring, speaking engagements and politics to supporting the business start-up community, especially young women – she channels her innate drive and ambition into a myriad of outlets. As such, Mone’s services to business in the UK have been duly acknowledged and rewarded; in 2015, former Prime Minister David Cameron made her a life peer in the House of Lords, and prior to that in 2010 she was awarded an OBE by Her Majesty the Queen. Following her elevation to life peer, Mone was tasked as business tsar to lead a government review into business start-ups. The objective of the ‘The Mone Review’ was to provide insight into the obstacles faced by people in the most deprived areas of the UK when it comes to setting up a business. But while success has opened doors at the highest levels of society – including becoming an internationally renowned speaker sharing global stages with former US President Bill Clinton, former leader of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev and motivational guru Tony Robbins – her early

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“Rachel Hunter said to me: ‘You are your brand. You’ve got to treat your body like your own brand.’ Then it just clicked that I was Ultimo as well.” THIS PAGE, LEFT: Michelle Mone looks every inch the first lady of Mayfair

years were shaped by hard graft. She explains: “I am from the East End of Glasgow and always had the ambition to start my own business. My first job was when I was 10 years old, doing a paper round. I left school at 15, because my dad became ill at 38, resulting in him becoming wheelchairbound. I needed to help my parents, and I also needed to contribute financially. “At the age of 19 I got a job with Labatt, the beer company, as an admin girl, and I got promoted all the way up, but at 24 I was made redundant. That’s when I invented Ultimo, the first gel-filled bra in

May/June 2018

the world. I put my house up and everything; it took three-and-a-half years and I was £480,000 in debt. I remember working so hard I had to go back to work 48 hours after having my third baby, which was difficult.” Over the following 21 years, Michelle built Ultimo into a global business and, as well as the brand itself, she remains enduringly proud of the company’s focus on innovation, with 17 worldwide inventions and 103 design registrations. Her personal story has been widely reported; her website eulogises her as one of the world’s highest profile entrepreneurs, having generated £1 billion worth of

media coverage in 20 years. In her autobiography, My Fight to the Top, Mone charts her rise through the business world and reveals the personal challenges she faced along the way in uncompromisingly frank detail. Recalling a watershed moment in her life, she says: “A conversation with the model Rachel Hunter on a beach in Miami was the moment when things clicked for me. She gave me a telling off. I was the same age as her and I was ginormous with my tent on the beach. Rachel said to me: ‘You are your brand. You’ve got to mirror your brand and treat your body like your own brand.’ Then it just clicked that I was Ultimo as well. “I had to pull up my socks and I did. I went and lost eight-and-a-half stone in weight. I went from a size 22 to a 12, and I then started to think, ‘I am this walking advert for my brand.” She adds: “I have learnt how to control my abusive behaviour when it comes to food. I would say I have

BUSINESS: MADE IT

ABOVE AND LEFT Mone designs a range of jewellery titled Michelle Mone for Diamonique (above); Michelle Mone Interiors is another business in her portfolio (left)

LEFT Mone leads the way for young female entrepreneurs by demonstrating that dull is no prerequisute for the business world

been a food addict, but I am not anymore, because I can control it. I haven’t been for the best part of eight years.” Mone’s latest business venture is a significant leap from the world of fashion and lingerie into the technology sector. She has just announced the launch of a crypto-currency powered venture capital investment platform called EQUI. She explains: “EQUI will find the next generation of successful entrepreneurs and help to build the business success stories of tomorrow, primarily in the areas of technology and blockchain. “EQUI will source the very best investment opportunities in real-world assets and champion innovators. We will support them by providing Listen extensive business to the Po d c a knowledge, st at mode rnwom enabling businesses an.co/ podca sts to reach their full potential.” EQUI is just one of several companies in her portfolio, which includes UTan, an award-winning range of tanning products, Michelle Mone Interiors and her eponymously named jewellery range, Michelle Mone for Diamonique, which is sold exclusively on the QVC TV channel. Given her track record, we are unlikely to wait long to see Mone’s results in the technology sector with EQUI – even she admits that she likes to keep things interesting: “I suppose I have always been a bit different from other women entrepreneurs in that I have never been afraid to show young women that you don’t have to be boring to be a woman in business.” michellemone.com

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PSYCHOLOGY: EMOTIONS IN BUSINESS

Vote of

CONFIDENCE

TANYA PATERSON is a strong, confident woman in business. But, as she recounts, self-assurance can soon give way to self-doubt if we let it – it’s all a question of attitude

ou’re part of an important meeting, and you’re wellprepared. You’re excited to present both the material and yourself, so you stride into the room. You bestow firm hand shakes. You reach your boss, make eye contact and nod, silently sending a message: I’ve got this. Your boss narrows his eyes ever so slightly and holds your gaze a bit too long. Is it a challenge? A threat (don’t you dare upstage me)? You break eye contact and turn to the task of organising your materials. You hope others don’t see your flushed cheeks or trembling hands. Self-assured moments ago, you’re now plagued with self-doubt. No matter how positive we are, self-doubt is often hovering nearby. Professional women tend to experience the full duality, the yin and yang, of confidence keenly, even painfully. Self-assurance is the knowledge that we can do our job, excel in our career, and fulfill the many roles we have as women. Self-doubt, the flip side, is that nagging voice that wants its share of our emotions. It can undermine confidence, or it can stand beside it, taking away our joy in our successes. There’s a little-known fact about selfconfidence and self-doubt that can help put

uncertainties into perspective: self-doubt isn’t necessarily the lack of self-confidence. Let’s return for a moment to that important meeting. In the moment you broke eye contact, what was happening? Your boss sent you a silent challenge. He wasn’t questioning your competence; he was warning you of your place. Therein lies the biggest obstacle to a woman’s

confidence. She has the abilities, but can she fully assert them? Do her skills and roles threaten those above her or around her? Modern women are carving new places for themselves in the business world and beyond. No matter how confident you are, self-doubt will often be there too, causing you to question not your abilities but whether it’s acceptable to assert them.

TAKE-AWAYS: HOW TO DEAL WITH SELF-DOUBT • What’s your job description? If you’re fulfilling your responsibilities, know that it’s okay to assert confidence. • Choose your focus. In that fictitious meeting, you could focus on your thoughts about your boss and his feelings about you. Or you could choose to focus on yourself, your belief in your upcoming presentation, and your own feelings of self-confidence. • Connect with others, particularly women. Become each others’ support group. You’ll have a safe place to share thoughts and receive feedback. • Every time self-doubt surfaces, replace it with thoughts of what you can do and why you can confidently do it.

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HUMOUR: SAMANTHA BAINES

“SORRY our women quota is full”

When it comes to female representation, tokenism is alarmingly prevalent, from boardroom settings to comedy panels. It’s time to resist, says comedian SAMANTHA BAINES

hy is having a woman – one single, solitary female – in a boardroom still a box to tick? I mean, this is women we’re talking about, not the lesser-spotted snow leopard. We make up over 50 per cent of the world’s population, so why do some companies believe a lone woman in a business setting – or any setting – is enough? There are fewer woman leading FTSE 100 companies than men called John. And those leading women aren’t being paid as well as the Johns either. This April, all UK companies with more than 250 employees had to report the difference in pay between their male and female staff. Ryanair reported a pay gap of a whopping 72 per cent, with only three per cent of their top earners being female. Are we talking the kind of face-palming logic that goes: “Ryan is a man’s name, better stay on brand by only paying the blokes the big bucks?!” JP Morgan, another company named after a fella, pays men on average 54 per cent more; while Telegraph Media Group, named after, er, a

May/June 2018

wooden pole, pays the chaps on average an extra 35 per cent. At least this gender pay gap transparency has raised awareness and is forcing companies to address this issue (RihannaAir, anyone?). It seems facile to even have to make the point, and yet: guys, this is 2018. A woman should – obviously – be paid just as much as a man for doing the same job (duh). “We already have one woman on our board, sorry our woman quota is full,” is a conversation that should never happen and yet apparently does. Unless it’s a queue for the ladies loo, we should always vote to add more women. (Seriously though, how are we always queuing for toilets? Imagine how many all-male boardrooms we could be wrecking if we didn’t spend so much time queuing for the loo. Silver lining for those token women: you get the lav all to yourself.) This one-woman tokenism is as alarmingly prevalent in comedy as it is in boardrooms. Take the panel show; in 2014 BBC boss Danny Cohen said; “We are not going to have

panel shows anymore with no women on them”. Cue a surfeit of this well-worn format with, you guessed it, one solo-flying woman making an appearance. One funny woman amongst six men is, apparently, quite enough. And no pressure on that one woman, then. If your work place is resistant to the elevation

JP Morgan, another company named after a fella, pays men on average 54 per cent more of women, your company is effectively saying “our woman quota is full.” So go ahead and ask your male stakeholders how many women live on earth, and if one more would be too many. If, as polite society dictate, they say “no, one more woman would be great”, then simply adhere to a sexist man’s number one fear and say: “Phew, you passed. We will remember you when we take over and you become our slaves.”

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BUSINESS: MAKING IT

Grandmother’s

FOOTSTEPS JOHANNA KOCIEJOWSKI and EDWINA GIEVE are the founders of vintageinspired maternity-friendly label Clary and Peg. They talk juggling business with motherhood, and their plans for world domination Words: Nancy Larman Podcast: Rosie Coxshaw

all it fate, kismet or just plain old good luck, but when Johanna Kociejowski and Edwina Gieve met seven years ago at an antenatal class in Hackney, something felt serendipitous. That both were expecting their first babies was, of course, a given considering the setting (weekly assemblies at a doula named Bridget’s home, something of a ‘Hackney institution’). Rather, it was the curious parallels that ran through their lives that felt so providential, analogous experiences which spilled out in those exhilarating first chats one only has with those we’re destined to be proper friends with. “There was one time, wasn’t there, when everyone else left and we walked across Hackney Fields,” reminisces Gieve. “I admired your coat and it led to this whole conversation.” As Kociejowski adds: “We had lots in common and mutual friends, so it seemed like a natural fit.”

Listen to the Po d c a st at mode rnwom an.co/ podca sts

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BUSINESS: MAKING IT

Both had grown up in west London but defected to the east, and both had spent a year in New York – Gieve as a drama student at NYU and Kociejowski as an intern at the Guggenheim Museum. But what emerged and re-emerged as a recurrent theme in their conversations was a shared disappointment with the dismal sartorial offering in typical high street maternity sections (“usually found right at the back of the shop in a dark corner, as an after-thought”). Both women, having been accustomed to mixing vintage finds with interesting contemporary pieces, were disheartened to find that as their bumps grew, the only clothes available to them were an unappealing array of figure-hugging horrors, and wholly alien to either’s sense of self, let alone sense of style. Together, they opined the dearth of the sort of clothes that their expectant mothers had worn in the early 1980s: the fulllength dresses, the dungarees

May/June 2018

OPENING PAGE Edwina, left, and Johanna, right, head-to-toe in Clary and Peg

THIS PAGE, LEFT The Flora Buttondown dress

THIS PAGE, MIDDLE AND RIGHT The Martha jumpsuit in striped cotton jersey; and Doris dungarees in navy linen

and the sweetly billowing frocks that were pretty and understated. Frustrated and inspired in equal measure, it dawned on the duo that they’d hit upon a niche in the market. But with two brand new babies to minister to, they ruminated a while. “We talked about it for a long time!” laughs Kociejowski. “I think it was two years,” concurs Gieve. “Then I came out with the fact that I was pregnant again – nine weeks – and Johanna told me she was six weeks pregnant. So we were like: ‘Well, we’ve had all these ideas, we’re about to have four children under three. But it’s now or never!’” Cambridge graduate Kociejowski had, hitherto, worked in the art world, while Gieve was an actress before this leap of faith into the unknown. Neither came armed with any experience, but both were full of conviction in their concept: comfortable, flattering vintage-inspired clothes with a contemporary edge made ethically and in good fabrics that they would choose to wear, pregnant or not. After a nascent spell when their business was named In Pig (an homage to the Mitfordian parlance for being pregnant), the women later exchanged it for Clary and Peg, another tribute, but this time to two

of the strongest female role models in their lives. Clary refers to the childhood nickname of Gieve’s mother Caroline, and Peg is for Kociejowski’s beloved Canadian grandmother. Kociejowski explains: “Our clothes are designed to work with a bump and without – we have things like elastic inserts at the shoulders and at the back to make them versatile and flexible. We actually have a really good customer-base of non-pregnant women.” That the pair had identified at once a sartorial problem; their metier; and a solution was clear almost immediately upon launch: their clothes – and particularly their nearcult status dungarees – soon garnered coverage in the highest echelons of the fashion press, from Sunday Times Style to that holy grail for any fashion designer, Vogue. In tandem with the high praise in the press came celebrity validation: Rosamund Pike, Sophie Hunter, Courtney Adamo and Cara Delevingne have all sported Clary and Peg numbers. As Gieve explains: “The dungarees are part of the vintage element because our mums wore dungarees. Now there are a lot of jumpsuits out there but when we were pregnant there was nothing. We were looking

BUSINESS: MAKING IT

“Our clothes are designed to work with a bump and without – we have things like elastic inserts at the shoulders and at the back to make them versatile and flexible” at pictures of our mums and thinking, “why can’t we wear things like that?” There were no small labels doing anything interesting. In the end I just bought lots of vintage, empire-line stuff. I thought maybe this would be something other people would like to wear too.” From the outset, the duo has been adamant that their products are scrupulously ethical. Kociejowski says: “All our clothes are made in a small factory in Barking. Ethical production has always been paramount. The workers are treated well and paid properly, and it’s somewhere we can go and keep an eye on things easily. We source our fabrics locally and all of our buttons and trimmings come from the UK.” With the galloping success of their online business, might the founders of Clary and Peg be persuaded to open a bricks and mortar shop in the

future? “We’re actually doing a pop-up in May,” enthuses Gieve. “But the issue is time and also overheads. Now that pop-ups are so big, that gives you an opportunity to meet customers and see how the clothes work. And I sell quite a lot locally because I wear our clothes constantly on the school run. People are like “Where did you get that jumpsuit? Oh, can I try one on?!” Ideally we’ll get our own studio soon and people can try things on.” How then, do these dizzyingly busy women manage to juggle the now five children they have between them with a burgeoning business? “Because we’re both in the same position, we often work around the time frame of the school day so that we’re there for pick up and drop off. It is a constant juggle. And we speak when the children are in bed too.”

BELOW LEFT Alice palazzo overalls in light blue linen

BELOW MIDDLE Flora button-down dress in coral cotton

BELOW RIGHT Martha jumpsuit in chambray

Listen to the Po d c a st at mode rnwom an.co/ podca sts

Together, Kociejowski and Gieve – thanks to their graft and the support shown by the “hugely supportive network of women” around them – are a formidable force. “RIght now, we’re on the lookout for someone to mentor us. Suddenly, five years down the line, we’re doing this and it’s actually going ok, so it feels like the right moment. Ultimately we want Clary and Peg to be everywhere.” If anyone can do it, these marvellous mothers can. claryandpeg.co.uk

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FASHION

“What you wear is how you present yourself to the world, especially today, when human contacts are so quick. Fashion is instant language.”

FASHION www.claudiasebire.com

Beautiful fashion jewellery for every occasion buckleylondon.com

FASHION: MARINA GASK

DRESS for success The right work wear makes you feel like you can conquer the world. But it’s got nothing to do with fashion, says MARINA GASK

ver noticed how much better you perform in the business world when you wear a certain outfit? This is not a fluke. Your clothes really can affect your mental and physical performance. Says executive image consultant Lizzie Edwards, author of Look Like The Leader You Are: A 7 Step Style Strategy For Ambitious Women: “Studies have shown that psychological changes occur when we wear certain clothes, proving there’s a reason why wearing formal office wear and smart, structured clothes puts you in a professional frame of mind.” Of course, clothes don’t magically bring about this shift; rather it is what they

represent that influences our behaviour. “When you put on clothing you associate with power, you feel powerful,” says Edwards. “This in turn enables you to be powerful”. Dressing to feel your most confident becomes a feedback loop: you feel good, so you’ll wear the clothes that make you look good and on it goes. A study that looked at clothing and mood undertaken by the University of Hertfordshire found that 96 per cent of women believe that what you wear affects how confident you feel, and that how you feel affects what you wear. The research found that the clothes that make women feel good are typically well-cut, figure-enhancing and made in bright and beautiful

LIZZIE EDWARDS’ POWER DRESSING TIPS • If you’re ambitious and wish to convey credibility and authority, it’s important that you give your work wardrobe some thought, as opposed to taking a hit-and-miss approach • Wearing quality clothes with structure helps everything, from how you stand to making you feel physically supported • Having a consistent look helps. It shows a self-possession and that you are not blown about by fashion’s whims • Plan ahead. Know what you have in your wardrobe and what works with what so you are not panicked into throwing an outfit together and simply hoping for the best For more information, visit lizzieedwards.com Look Like The Leader You Are: A 7 Step Style Strategy For Ambitious Women will be published on 21 June

fabrics. “When a woman goes into a boardroom wearing a dress that gives her structure and that she feels good in, she walks in a whole different person,” says Edwards. So attired, you’ll stand assertively, commanding attention; wear something too casual and you’re less likely to ‘own’ the room, which in turn affects your confidence, hampering your delivery and creating a downward spiral. Achieving that worldconquering feeling involves some self-knowledge. “Decide what you want to achieve and which of your qualities you’d like to project before researching your ideal look and hitting the shops,” says Edwards. So the next time you’re ready to take on the universe, you’ll be ready with a killer work outfit.

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METAL Head

ADI TOCH is an acclaimed metalsmith whose practice centres on making engaging vessels and containers that investigate colour, movement, sound and tactility. Her work is exhibited internationally and included in major public collections such as the Victoria & Albert Museum, The Crafts Council UK and The Jewish Museum, New York

May/June 2018

MW Can you tell is a little about your work? AT There are many different facets to the title of maker - including researcher, designer, curator and, in many cases, tutor. There is the creative side, the business aspect and the academic side, which is a big part of my work.

a jeweller when I was 14 and fell in love with the material, captivated by the alchemy of turning solid into liquid and the hot work of metal versus the very fine finishing process. I was fascinated by the fact that metal, which is often perceived as a very hard material, was actually so malleable.

MW When did you decide that you wanted to be a silversmith? AT I did an internship with

MW How did you go about learning your craft? AT After completing my BA with First Class Honours

in Metalwork from Bezalel Art Academy in Jerusalem, I then did a masters by project at The Cass, London, graduating in 2009. I was lucky to be taught by Simone ten Hompel, who one of the most influential makers in our field. MW How is the route into jewellery making and silversmithing changing? AT The world is changing, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to be adaptable and flexible â&#x20AC;&#x201C;

EDUCATION: MET UNIVERSITY including in the creative industries. I find new technologies very interesting – they open up a whole new world of possibilities. I don’t necessarily use them so much in my current work but I still find them very interesting. There is a concern when it comes to new technologies replacing jobs, but I don’t think that you can ever really replace creative thinking or stop people from wanting to create. MW What is the most rewarding thing about your work? AT Teaching and passing knowledge on to others is hugely rewarding. I am also very grateful that people make room in their lives for the things that I make. And I never take the fact that I get to do what I love for granted. MW Tell us about the courses that you teach... AT I have a history with The Cass, having done my MA there and I currently teach the BA Jewellery as well as a 10-week evening short course called From Metal Sheet to Hollow Form - Making Vessels and Containers, which I have been doing for a few years now. My teaching takes me far and wide, from Edinburgh right through to Jerusalem.

know people whose career ended up being in animation. Making in metal is very much about problem solving and this skill is valuable and can take you far.

ABOVE, OPPOSITE AND BELOW

Examples of Adi Toch’s beautiful and highly sculptural metal work

MW How do the short courses differ from the degree course? AT What is so interesting about the short courses is the mix of students. People come from all sorts of backgrounds, of all ages and varying degrees of experience and expectations of what they want to get out of the course. I’ve taught doctors who have gone on to make brilliant work. From accountants to an ex-Concorde engineer, from makers in different disciplines to museum curators, we see so many different people sign up. The diversity is changing on the degree courses now too, which is great. MW What kinds of careers

are open to students of jewellery making and silversmithing? AT Graduates go on to do all sorts of different things. My advice would be to carve your own path. The skills you learn through jewellery and silversmithing are a good base for other creative careers – for example, I

MW Does the environmental factor inform the choices you make when designing? And do you think that the art world is sufficiently engaged with green issues? AT The environmental aspect is very relevant at the moment and we see inventive approaches, from the development of new vegan materials to the use of perishable materials rather than plastics that contaminate the oceans. As a silversmith it is important to learn where the silver and the stones come from. In teaching, more and more people will discuss the environmental impact and the ethical sourcing of materials and often work will be critiqued on these aspects. It is something that concerns me both as a maker and a tutor and I try to impart this when I am teaching, for example looking at environmentally friendly patination of metal.

Find out more about Adi’s work at aditoch.com. The Cass, London Metropolitan University runs a programme of creative short courses including Jewellery and Silversmithing. londonmet.ac.uk

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HEALTH & BEAUTY: PRODUCTS

BENEFIT Benefit BADgal BANG! Mascara, 8.5g, ÂŁ21.99 Say goodbye to mascara transferring on to your under eyes and hello to voluminous smudge-proof lashes. Finish your glowy look with Benefitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new innovative mascara for a natural fanned look. Its unique Slimpact! brush separates lashes and the gravity-defying formula gives you fuller-looking lashes with a long-lasting finish. Apply from root-to-tip until you reach your desired length, and then go another layer for a thicker, bolder look paired with a smoky eye. Ideal for: Anyone who wants a sultry eye without smudges. benefitcosmetics.com

May/June 2018

HEALTH & BEAUTY: PRODUCTS

MAC MAC Face And Body, 50ml, £24.50 This water-based foundation glides on seamlessly while moisturising the skin, including any stubborn dry patches, and leaving you with a radiant satin finish. The lightweight liquid formula, which has a unique blend of antioxidants and emollients, leaves a natural skin-like light coverage, perfect to smooth out any uneven skin tones. It’s super easy to blend and is buildable – just add another layer to take your dainty daywear to a mediumto-full coverage night look. Its eight-hour wear ensures your glowing complexion will go the distance. For an instant refreshing boost, just add a few sprays of the MAC Prep and Prime Fix +. Ideal for: All skin types, especially those with dry or dehydrated skin. We recommend: Apply with your fingers to warm up the product, or use a slightly damp beauty blender. maccosmetics.co.uk

ITCOSMETICS IT Cosmetics Confidence In Your Glow, £25 If you’re on-the-go and convenience is your thing, then this three-in-one blush, bronzer and highlighter will shortly become your holy grail. In one quick swipe, this palette brightens lacklustre visages with its Drops of Light Technology and promotes visibly younger looking skin with its anti-ageing ingredients. Developed with plastic surgeons, this product allows you to customise your glow; if you’re in a rush, just swipe on to your cheekbones, but if you’re heading for date night, add more of the highlighter on the heights of your face, including under the arch of your eyebrow, for a natural ‘lit-from-within’ glow.

FACE The Day Give your skin some glow this summer with our go-to no make-up look make-up

YSL YSL ‘Baby Doll’ Lip And Cheek Stain, 10ml, £29 Eliminate the need to buy twice and get yourself a two-in-one lip and cheek stain. Its easy-to-use pearl applicator hugs the lips perfectly and its airwhipped texture glides on beautifully. This innovative product is easy to blend and, with 12 summery shades, you’ll quickly find a colour that complements your skin tone. The soft matte finish nourishes the lips and is longlasting, ensuring you always look on your A-game. For day-to-day sophistication, just dot a small amount on to your lips and blend the remainder on the apples of your cheeks with your fingertips. Or take up the vibrancy by adding another layer for a more dramatic night look. Ideal for: All skin types. We recommend: Mixing and matching two shades for a more playful look. yslbeauty.co.uk

Ideal for: All skin types We recommend: Adding the product where the sun would naturally catch your face: cheekbones, forehead and nose. itCosmetics.co.uk

AMAZING COSMETICS Amazing Cosmetics AmazingConcealer®, 15ml, £31.99 Known as the ‘magic eraser’, AmazingConcealer smoothes uneven skin tones and covers imperfections instantly. Its creamy formula ensures blending is effortless and hassle-free without any creasing. Its waterresistant technology will not budge during the day, and although it is full coverage, it doesn’t cake or settle into any fine lines and feels lightweight on your skin. With three-and-ahalf times the amount of pigment compared to more traditional concealers, you can be sure that this revolutionary tube of magic will cover absolutely everything – including tattoos. Ideal for: Those with dark circles, acne, scarring or redness. We recommend: A little goes a long way; use a pin dot on a concealer brush to erase imperfections before applying your foundation. amazingcosmetics.co.uk

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Natural

WOMAN

May/June 2018

HEALTH & BEAUTY: SUSIE MA

SUSIE MA is the CEO and founder of natural skincare company Tropic, which she started aged 15 on a stall at Greenwich Market. Since then, she’s secured investment from Lord Sugar and been named one of Forbes 30 under 30. All this and she’s still only 29. Next stop? The world, as she tells Rosie Coxshaw MW Tell us a little about Tropic Skincare’s ethos... SM My mission for Tropic has evolved over the years, but the one constant has always been to create products that are truly good for you. No toxic chemicals, no marketing gimmicks – just natural, nutritious ingredients that always fall in line with our core ‘pure, honest and effective’ ethics. Tropic products are formulated with pampering in mind, and each freshly made product is created using the richest, most nutritious premium natural ingredients to ensure they are effective on all skin types. In March, I released Tropic’s new infinite purpose, which is to help create a healthier, greener, more empowered world. I passionately believe that you have to be the change you want to see in the world, so I want Tropic to set an example in the beauty industry when it comes to corporate responsibility. MW How did you get into the beauty industry? SM My grandmother was a medicinal chemist, which gave her an in-depth knowledge of the effect chemicals have on our bodies when ingested and applied topically. The mantra of my upbringing was ‘natural is always best’, so I spent much of my childhood creating botanical skincare and

natural remedies at home in my kitchen in Tropical North Queensland. One such family recipe was Tropic’s founding product, Body Smooth Refreshing Polish, a nourishing scrub made with a blend of sea salt, macadamia oil, and eucalyptus and lemon myrtle essential oils, ingredients which were local to me in Australia. After moving to the UK, I decided I wanted to start a business and this led me to start selling our body scrubs in jam jars at Greenwich Market when I was 15 years old.

“I remember my first day at the market – I sold out of all my body scrubs and could pay our bills for a month. It was amazing.” MW Did you always believe that Tropic Skincare would be the success story it has been? SM Tropic’s growth has been doubling year-on-year since our official launch – it’s been the most phenomenal journey. I started the business as a teenager to help my mum pay the bills when

we first moved to the UK; even back then, the success exceeded my expectations! I remember my first day at the market – I sold out of all my body scrubs and could pay our bills for a month. It was amazing. By the time I reached university, I had achieved my goal of helping my mum buy a house. I absolutely love what I do, and wouldn’t want to be doing anything else. MW You use ‘social selling’ as one of your main routes to market. Can you describe how that works? SM For Tropic, the social selling model lets us champion a more human way of selling skincare, which has proven to be very effective. Skincare is such a personal thing, and our ambassador opportunity is the perfect way to sell our products with a personal touch, based on genuine recommendations and testimonials. It was a natural step; our customers were already sharing their love for our products via social media, and we wanted to find a way to reward them. So instead of investing in advertising, we put the money we would spend on it into incentivising our ambassadors; in this way, we have created a support network that rewards ambassadors based on success, and when they help others to succeed too.

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HEALTH & BEAUTY: SUSIE MA

MW Is social selling the future,

do you think? SM I could only ever speak for Tropic, but for us, social selling was definitely the right avenue. Success to us is to create a healthier, greener, more empowered world: social selling allows us to spread our message more quickly through human interaction and conversation. Our ambassadors help to grow a customer network built on trust and recommendation, which is invaluable. Their hard work has also helped us to go from strength-to-strength: for two years running, Tropic has been listed as the fastestgrowing beauty company in the Virgin Fast Track 100 league table featured in The Sunday Times. We were also named The Sunday Times’ Emerging Brand in 2017, which is an accolade previously awarded to the likes of Jimmy Choo and Cath Kidston – it shows that great things are to come for Tropic. We couldn’t do any of it without our ambassadors. MW What sets the Tropic Skincare products apart?

May/June 2018

ABOVE The ever radiant Susie Ma is a walking advert for the efficacy of her natural skincare products

QUICKFIRE QUESTIONS If you could have dinner with one person, dead or alive, who would it be? Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop Describe yourself in one word? Optimistic What’s your favourite word? Boom What’s your desert island food? Sushi

RIGHT Tropic Skincare products are 100 per cent natural without compromising on quality

SM Doing everything inhouse definitely sets us apart. It means that we take charge of all our formulations, stay ahead of the curve with our product development, and keep a direct line of communication open with our ambassadors and customers. We’re able to innovate and update our formulations quickly, so we’re always ahead in bringing our customers new and improved products and cutting edge ingredients. We offer beauty without compromise, challenging misconceptions around natural products; the industry awards and recognition we’ve received just go to show that natural doesn’t mean you have to compromise on the environment, on animals, or on effectiveness.

to Mauritius, Morocco, Finland and Paris with our ambassadors; and every time we win an industry award for our products. One that really stands out to me is helping to raise money for the Winnie Mabaso Foundation, which supports orphans, the elderly, and those who’ve lost loved ones on whom they were dependent to AIDS. It warmed my heart seeing the wonderful children they help enjoying the bus they bought with the money we raised. I can’t wait to meet them when we visit South Africa for one of our wonderful Glambassadors Abroad trips in January next year.

MW What were you doing prior to Tropic Skincare? SM I started Tropic when I was 15 years old, so I was studying for my GCSEs!

MW What does the future look like for Tropic? SM In one single word? Bright. We’re moving our Beauty Kitchen to new premises later this year as we’ve been expanding so quickly. This will mean that we can increase the amount of products we make, which is very exciting. We’re also busy exploring expanding Tropic into overseas markets in the next five years, which I can’t wait for!

MW What has been your

career highlight so far? SM It’s so hard to choose just one! When I look back on the last five years, the highlights are every Glambassadors event, where we launch our new season products and welcome ambassadors on stage to celebrate their achievements; jetting off

MW What’s your one golden rule in business? SM Be resourceful. There is always a way!

tropicskincare.com

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FITNESS: POPPY CROSS

A marathon, not a

SPRINT Training SMART means constantly adapting your goals to meet life’s often unexpected demands, says London Health & Fitness Girl, POPPY CROSS

n January this year my place in the London Marathon was confirmed. I was elated. The chance to run my first marathon alongside Sir Mo Farrah – and with The Queen starting all 40,000 runners off – was thrilling. Training was tough and time-consuming but the fitter I became, the more I enjoyed it. It felt incredibly freeing running miles and miles without fatiguing, almost effortlessly at times. Speed work was challenging but I relished it. Running always left me energised and high on life and personal bests motivated me to aim higher. The morning of the marathon my Instagram was awash with excited participants, all sharing the action minute-by-minute. But

I wasn’t one of them. Instead, I was at home watching live coverage on my laptop. I’d now been injured for six-and-a-half weeks. Despite regular physio and rest, my right leg was still hurting. I’d gone from training like a fiend to one day feeling pain and hobbling down the street ever since. I’d done too much, too soon and underestimated the cost of the miles on my body. Running gave me so much; mental clarity, energy, peace, freedom, emotional resilience, perspective and so much joy. Such a sudden and complete withdrawal made me feel like an addict going cold turkey. I felt anxious, lethargic and miserable. I looked at anyone running in the park with envy. But I also developed a new appreciation for my body. I

POPPY’S TOP NATURE GYMS • Terra Hale, terrahale.com • Farm Fitness, farmfitness.co.uk • The Great Outdoor Gym Company, tgogc.com • Outdoor Fitness Collective, outdoorfitnesscollective.co.uk

was healthy, I knew, and I’d heal in time. If I could tell you just one thing when it comes to exercise it is this: appreciate and respect your body. Set yourself SMART S)pecific M) easurable A)chievable R) ealistic T)ime-specific goals. Maybe you’re struggling to achieve your fitness goals. Perhaps you’ve started a new job, you’ve had a baby, you’ve moved house or you travel constantly. What matters is how you adapt.

“I developed a new appreciation for my body. I was healthy, I knew, and I’d heal in time” Count your blessings if you have a healthy body. Remember too that it is your body. Don’t compare or try to over-achieve. Progress slowly. If you, like me, have experienced a set-back then use it as motivation to come back stronger. Practice gratitude and be humble. Modern women, you got this!

• Marine Phys, marinephys.com

poppycross.co.uk

May/June 2018

2017 2017 2017

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PARENTING: GEORGIE FULLER

BACK to the boardroom

There are almost five million working mums in England – most of whom have likely battled with recovering confidence post having kids. The key to overcoming self-assurance dip? Make lists, recognise what you’ve learnt as a mother, and know you’re not alone, says GEORGINA FULLER

he number of working mothers in England has risen by over a million in the last 20 years, according to recent government figures. The Office for National Statistics found that there were 4.9 million mums with dependent children in work in 2017 – that’s up from 3.7 million in 1996. What the reports don’t say, however, is that each and every one of these mums may well have faced hurdles when it comes to getting their confidence back after

May/June 2018

having children. Whether you’ve just returned from maternity leave or taken a career break, becoming a mother has probably made you feel differently about yourself and, if you’re anything like me, may have made you lose your mojo. So how can you get your confidence back and begin to feel like yourself again? Jo Emerson, a career coach and author of Flying For Beginners: A Proven System for Lasting Self-Confidence, says the first thing to remember is that you are not alone. “Most women lose

confidence after taking a break from work, in the same way that people lose their confidence with anything they’ve taken a substantial break from,” she notes. “So, accept that it’s normal and know that you are not alone in feeling that way.” We all want to be the perfect mum and brilliant at work but sometimes something, other than your sanity, has to give. Be kind to yourself and remember that you can’t do everything. Emerson says: “I often think the hardest thing about being a working mum is

PARENTING: GEORGIE FULLER letting go of perfectionism.” Returning to work is also a time when you need to be honest with others and yourself. Authenticity is everything and you won’t be able to get the right support if you’re not open about how you’re feeling. Whether it’s speaking to your HR manager, your best friend or your partner, a problem shared is, as they say, a problem halved. Don’t, whatever you do, feel remotely ashamed for feeling somewhat overwhelmed. Also, think of all the transferable skills you’ve learned since becoming a mum, from being a ninjaworthy multi-tasking nappy changer to getting your child to nursery on time, doing an immediate risk assessment of any new place, to thinking on your feet at all times. Don’t overlook what you have learned along the way, whether it’s helping out at playgroup (networking), fundraising for a new school project (sales) and sitting on the PTA (negotiation). All of these things count. If you’re still struggling you could, says Dr Caroline Udall, founder of Leadership of Mums consultancy, write down a list of everything you’re good at, what you love to do, what you bring to a job role and how and who will help you make this happen. You could also write down the reasons why you

MAIN IMAGE AND RIGHT Huckletree in White CIty is a co-working space with a crèche for working parents

are going back to work. “Stick this list where you will see it and read through it regularly,” Dr Udall advises. “These ‘affirmations’ should quickly shift your brain into a positive mode and you will find yourself getting excited and more confident about going back to work.” If you are a freelancer or self-employed, you might want to think about joining one of the fantastic new co-working spaces with a crèche for working parents. Huckletree in White City, for

LEFT AND RIGHT The new proliferation of co-working spaces makes taking your toddlers to work a newly feasible option for freelancers

example, has an in-house kids’ studio and a yoga yurt. Cuckooz Nest in Farringdon has a pay-as-you-go onsite nursery for children under two. As well as having some precious child-free time to work, you will also meet likeminded parents in the same position as you. Finally, don’t forget that becoming a mum is arguably one of the most important jobs in the world but that is also one of the hardest. You’re already doing better than your think.

HOW TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT GETTING BACK TO WORK • Write down a list of everything you’re good at, what you enjoy and what you bring to a job role • Think of all the transferrable skills you’ve learned since becoming a parent – negotiation, patience, multitasking. The list is endless • Remember that you’re not alone and everyone feels overwhelmed at times. Be open and honest about how you feel • You can’t be perfect at everything so let something (whether it’s washing your hair every day or tidying the playroom) go

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DATING: THANYIA MOORE

DATE Night THANYIA MOORE on why lunch dates are the best dates – and why never to treat her like an avatar

consider myself a relationship person. But in between relationships, I’m a dating hobbyist. I don’t really mind what you look like – within reason – so long as you can hold a good conversation, I’m always open to meeting new people. At the start of this millennium, I met people in bars, but I’m not convinced that that was any more reliably successful an approach than online dating. People will always conceal bits of themselves, whether you’re faceto-face with them or you’ve met online, until they are fully at ease. As long as I can steer clear of that off-putting first-date I-want-to-impress-you-Are-youimpressed-yet? vibe, my potential paramour stands a significantly higher chance of it going somewhere. My current partner sent me an inbox on Facebook. And that’s how we met. He wrote: Hi. You’re my WCW (translation: “Woman Crush Wednesday”) So, immediately, I clicked on his profile to see if he was, at the very least, datable. I mean, no point in engaging in a conversation with someone you wouldn’t even be seen in a McDonald’s with. From his profile picture alone, I saw that he was datable. So, I went back with a reply. I wrote: Only on Wednesday? What happened to the other six days? That was me flirting. Anyway, we went back and forth for a few weeks until eventually I accepted a date. I felt like a lunch was appropriate. That way, if the date went well there wasn’t going to be that awkward ‘what are we doing next’ moment that I always dread. Also, you can have/pretend to have plans later that day, should the date be a complete disaster. Not that I’m a connoisseur, but from my dating experience, people are less likely to go in for the kiss during the day than when they’re somehow emboldened by the night.

We met at Vapiano’s in London Bridge. Nice and central. I feel safer on dates in central London, it’s harder to hide the body, much less commit the crime! But seriously, I do feel safer there (all those visible police, CCTV and an Uber App, perhaps?). I pulled up outside and I saw him standing there. I remember being impressed with his sense of style. Tick. When he realised it was me, he hurried over to the car and opened my door. Tick. As I got out, he complimented me and gave me a hug. Tick. He had on Joop aftershave. Mmmmm Joop; it will never not remind me of the 1990s, summer holidays and night buses. Tick, tick, tick! We sat down. He stared at me. And stared at me. And then he stared at me some more.

I said “Are you ok? You’re just sitting there staring at me.” He said “I just can’t believe you’re here.” Not to sound like a witch, but, this line irritates me. I’m not an avatar, I do exist. It made me realise that lying about who you are when you’re online is so common that when someone actually presents themselves, it confuses people.

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FACE Time

With budgets tightening, many companies are sacrificing traditional face-to-face meetings in favour of cheaper ways of communicating. Despite technology enabling this development, there’s no substitute for eye contact and a firm handshake

May/June 2018

THE IVY TOWER BRIDGE One Tower Bridge, Tower Bridge Road, London, SE1 2AA theivytowerbridge.com 020 3146 7722 Perfectly positioned on the banks of the river Thames, The Ivy Tower Bridge offers friendlyyet-sophisticated all-day dining. One of the newly rolled-out Ivy Collection, its interiors and simple yet classical menu is every bit as seductive as its original incarnation in Covent Garden, famously the exclusive haunt of the starry great and good for many a decade. Its riverside location and views of Tower Bridge and the Tower of London place this new eaterie firmly in the context of traditional London and its rich – and at times bloody (those poor princes in the tower you can see) – history. Repair here after a walk down the river, or for the business-minded, More London Riverside and City Hall are just next door, making it perfectly placed for out-of-office lunch meetings. Floor-to-ceiling windows look out across unparalleled views of London’s life blood, the River Thames, while the terrace is a sublime spot for al fresco drinking and dining. Breakfast, elevenses, lunch, light snacks, afternoon tea, weekend brunch, dinner and cocktails; there is no meal served up here that isn’t made all the better for the beautiful views.

FOOD & DRINK: 3 TOP PLACES

LA VIE EN ROSÉ THE OLD SHIP 25 Upper Mall, Hammersmith, London W6 9TD oldshiphammersmith.co.uk 020 8748 2593 Recently reopened after a refurbishment, this superbly situated riverside pub is back with a fresh seasonal menu, an excellent selection of wine and the full complement of interesting keg and cask ales. If a pub wouldn’t naturally marry with your idea of a business meeting venue, this local subverts any such expectation with its specially designated meeting rooms, that are fully equipped with free Wi-Fi, laptop connectivity, TV, flipchart and even your own private bar. If you’re opting for a breakfast or lunch meeting, head to the drawing room where the team can reserve one of their spaces for you – all this with an inspiring a view that would have had Turner reaching for his brushes.

Anne Krebieh gets a taste of summer in a glass with three of the best English sparkling rosés Hattingley Valley Rosé 2014 Both the winemaker and the wine itself are prize-winning. Made by the dynamo that is Emma Rice, winemaker and director at this Hampshire estate, Hattingley Valley Rosé is full of tart berry notions with a lovely, clean citrus streak. The fizz is as effervescent as Rice herself – I have never seen her not smile. She’s a genius (do note, she also has a sparkling red Pinot Noir up her sleeve). £34.50, greatwesternwine.co.uk

Hush Heath Estate 2013 Balfour Brut Rosé Sparkling This lovely pink sparkler was the firstever English sparkling wine to be served in BA’s first class cabins. Today you can also sip it on the Venice Simplon Orient Express. Balanced, creamy and with a touch of honey dancing on its red apple fruit, it comes from home-grown talent: Victoria Ash who loves Kent life and Kent wine. £35.99, waitrosecellar.com

THE FOLLY 41 Gracechurch Street, London EC3V 0BT drakeandmorgan.co.uk/the-folly 0845 468 0102

Nyetimber NV Rosé Sparkling

Its fresh and bang-on-trend botanical-inspired interior makes The Folly a natural fit for a creative meeting spot. Think a plethora of natural notes, from scattered plant-pot lampshades to botanical graffiti and perennial plants in the open-plan area. We love the carefully crafted seasonal menus (sea bass with wilted greens is particularly good), exciting cocktails and fine wines – but we especially enjoy breakfast meetings here, at which we can wolf down the likes of avocado hummus toast to set us up for the day. When we feeling particularly studious, we’ll make for the snug library on the first floor; it’s the perfect place to grab a coffee while you wait and get some literary inspiration. Running out of meeting chat? The eight metre-high Norwegian Spruce that grows from the basement through the floor above is always a good talking point.

Cherie Spriggs is the Canadian genius behind this creamy, elegant and very grown-up rosé. Spriggs brings nothing but exactitude and dedication to her work, crafting sparkling wine cuvées of exceptional finesse. In her pink sparkler, a masterly blend from multiple vintages, it is the red apple fruit and shortbread notes that get you. £37.50, leaandsandeman.co.uk

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FOOD & DRINK: 3 TOP PLACES

JAPANESE Akira at Japan House London Japan House London is busy revitalising an Art Deco building on Kensington High Street soon set to house contemporary eponymous Japanese restaurant, AKIRA, from esteemed chef, Akira Shimizu. The restaurant will offer an authentic Japanese dining experience based on Akira’s ‘trinity of cooking’ principles: food, tableware and presentation. No stranger to the London gastronomic circuit, having opened some of the UK’s most highly regarded Japanese restaurants, this is a chef with big ambitions. His mission? Only to create “an innovative Japanese restaurant like no other ever-before-seen in London”. Highlights will include chargrilled kushiyaki skewers made from umami-rich wagyu beef, pork, chicken, seafood and vegetables. The dining experience will be complemented by dishes Akira has sourced from artisans across Japan and drinks in fine Japanese glassware. Guests will also enjoy original cocktails made using sake, yuzu and shiso. Japan House London, 101-111 Kensington High Street, London, W8 5SA japanhouselondon.com Opening: June 2018

The

HOT List

We gobble our way around all the hottest openings in the capital for your delectation (it’s a hard job, sigh)

BRITISH Bluebird Café Opening out onto a piazza overlooked by the Television Centre’s famous circular core, Bluebird Café White City is at the heart of the £8 billion regeneration that will open this iconic location to residents, diners and revellers for the first time in its history. Taking the familiar charm the original Bluebird – a Chelsea landmark on – this new sister will bring chic, all-day drinking and dining to west London. The cavernous space is relaxed and stylish and ideal for power breakfasts and working lunches. In the evening, Bluebird Café evolves into a restaurant and bar – a place for guests to let their hair down over wine and cocktails. Television Centre, Wood Lane, White City, London, W12 7FR; bluebirdcafe.co.uk. Open now

May/June 2018

ITALIAN The Petersham

Far from the city’s madding crowd, The Petersham is an elegant à la carte restaurant. A second offering from the Boglione family behind the legendary and bucolic Petersham Nurseries in Richmond, this new incarnation similarly respects the slow food philosophy and the traditions on which Petersham Nurseries Richmond was founded. The Petersham focuses on seasonal produce and Italian flavours, serving lunch and dinner in a secluded area of bustling Covent Garden. Petersham Nurseries, Floral Court, London, WC2E 9FB; petershamnurseries.com. Open now

Spitalfields

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Intensely good foodâ&#x20AC;?, Grace Dent on Canto Corvino Canto Corvino, 21 Artillery Lane, Spitalfields, London E1 7HA 020 7655 0390 www.cantocorvino.co.uk

e: info@cantocorvino.co.uk

@cantocorvino

MUSIC: XANTHE FULLER

to the Listen st at Po d c a an.co/ rnwom e d o m sts podca

DAYS Radio

XANTHE FULLER got her big break in radio when she entered a competition on the Christian O’Connell show. Since then she’s produced shows on the gamut, from Classic FM to XFM, and now presents her own show on Soho Radio. As well as making waves as Head of Community at Mixcloud, a platform in radio that’s poised to go from big to bigger. Words Harley Cassidy Podcast: Rosie Coxshaw MW Growing up, was music

always a keen interest? XF Definitely. My Dad is massively into jazz and my Mum’s really into classical music. On Saturday mornings, if she was doing stuff around the house, she’d put on Mozart’s Requiem so I had that seeping into my head. I played some instruments, so that fed in to my technical knowledge, and then I had older sisters; the eldest was surrounded by a lot of DJs and that piqued my interest in modern music. MW When did you know that

this was your career path? XF When I was 13, I started

May/June 2018

going clubbing with my friends – ridiculously young, I know. We used to sneak off to jungle raves when they first started. I’ll never forget the energy at those nights. We were really innocent, we didn’t drink or anything; all we did was dance for hours on end. Then when I was 16, I started going to more hiphop clubs around London and it grew from there. MW How has club culture

changed since those days? XF Of course trends have changed, but I suppose when I was first clubbing it wasn’t such a druggy culture as it is now. Back then it was more

about people just going for the music. That’s obviously still the case in loads of clubs, but sometimes I get sad when I’m at festivals and people have gone there just to get wasted rather than to actually hear the music. MW Your experience is really

diverse, spanning XFM to Classic FM… how did you work your way up? XF I became aware of this game that they were playing on the Christian O’Connell show which, at the time, was the breakfast show on XFM. You had to answer this questionnaire, then the winner would be Christian

MUSIC: XANTHE FULLER O’Connell’s assistant for the week. So I thought: “This could be a step into radio!” I was in a really stupid mood so I wrote ridiculous answers and had a laugh with it. Then I got a call the next day from the producer and he was like, “You missed the deadline but you really made us laugh, so are you up for coming on air and just chatting to Christian?” They got me in for a week’s work experience and I managed to get asked back to do more.

RIGHT Xanthe Fuller and the Mixcloud team on top of the world

MW How has radio changed over the years? XF Pirate radio is less prevalent as it’s been replaced with online radio, which is a very, very exciting new movement. There’s a whole new type of talent that’s coming through and there’s a lot more freedom, LEFT Fuller broadcasting live on air at Soho Radio

without the restrictions you have on air – there are no Ofcom regulations. I don’t know if that will change but right now, you don’t have all those problems or have to worry about songs with bad language. With that comes some downfalls because sometimes it’s good to have rules in place – it can be like the Wild West slightly if you’re not careful. MW You’re head of

community at Mixcloud. Tell us what that involves... XF It involves working with the people in our community who have a lot of potential and reaching out to encourage people to start using the platform – anyone from artists to managers to agents, radio stations, record labels and so on.

and brand partnerships. However we’ve just raised investment for the first time of £11.5million. MW The music industry is known for being maledominated. Why do you think this is and how do you think it could change? XF That’s a tricky one. I think it has become a catch 22; men developed it and then they start hiring people just like them. Lack of gender and ethnic diversity happens when people aren’t conscious about hiring people who aren’t exactly like them. It’s the responsibility of the people hiring to widen who they’re reaching out to and where they’re advertising their jobs. The less you see female DJs, the less females will think it’s possible to break into the role.

MW Mixcloud was founded in

LEFT Goofing around with fellow DJs at her Soho Radio show

2008. How has the business developed since then? XF It’s a really exciting time. When I joined, there were 12 of us; since then, we’ve doubled in size and by the end of the year we’re going to double again. Until now, we haven’t raised investment as a company; we’ve always been completely self-sufficient and made our money through visual adverts on the site

MW What advice would you give to a woman coming up into the industry? XF I’d give them exactly the same advice that I’d give to men doing the same thing, since both the sexes should be treated with absolute parity. Just be focused, be hard-working and make sure you make the most of any opportunity you’re given.

mixcloud.com

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TECH/DIGITAL: PRODUCTS

B&O EARPHONES

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B&O PLAY presents Earset, the evolution of a Bang & Olufsen design icon. It perfectly balances state-of-theart wireless audio technology with world-class Bang & Olufsen signature sound and a fresh look, alongside preserving the flexible design aspects that led to the success of the first incarnation. The original lines for the design were drawn by Anders Hermansen in the 1990s, with a strong focus on making a set of earphones flexible enough to adapt to any ear. The adjustment system on the earphones lets you modify the angle of the earbud, the height of the piston, and the curve of the earhook individually to ensure a perfect fit. It goes to show how engineering and design can create an object that is as beautiful as it is useful. £269; beoplay.com

LIVE SMART Tech hacks to make life go like clockwork

QUIETCOMFORT 35 II

FITBIT VERSA

BOSE SOUNDLINK REVOLVE+

QuietComfort wireless headphones II now have Google Assistant built-in, so you can play music and receive texts without glancing at your phone. £329.95; bose.co.uk

Live your best life with Fitbit Versa, a fitness smartwatch that lasts four-plus days and features 24/7 heart rate, phone-free music, apps and coaching. £199.99; fitbit.com/UK

Delivering 360° sound for consistent, uniform coverage, place the Soundlink Revolve in the centre of the room and everyone gets the same experience. £279.95; bose.co.uk

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CONSTRUCTION: NADIA ALDOSERI

STEELY Determination

May/June 2018

CONSTRUCTION: NADIA ALDOSERI

NADIA AL DOSSARY started as an Avon lady in Saudi Arabia, despite societal disapproval, becoming one its most successful global reps. That was until fate intervened to see her step into her husband’s role as CEO of the Al-Sale Eastern steel company. As her employees soon learned: underestimate her at your peril. Words Eric Woollard-White Podcast: Rosie Coxshaw

T Listen to the Po d c a st at mode rnwom an.co/ podca sts

urning a family company into a global success story worth hundreds of millions is an incredible feat by any measure. When you add to that the political and religious obstacles faced by women in business in the Middle East, Nadia Al Dossary’s trajectory from selling Avon cosmetics to CEO of the Al-Sale Eastern steel company is little short of inspirational. Now a recognised international trailblazer for women in business everywhere, the Saudi Arabian entrepreneur has lunched with US Presidents and boasts a stellar profile on the global stage. But her nascent days at the helm were a far cry from all this. When Al Dossary first stepped into her role as CEO of the Al-Sale company after her husband – the then-CEO – was involved in a life-threatening accident, she regularly had runins, both with employees and with the ‘religious police’. She explains: “It was not allowed for a woman to work in an industrial company in Saudi Arabia. My husband had a very bad accident and the only other partner was me. The only one who could sign things was me. I never asked people’s permission. I just went to the company and I sat in his chair. “In the beginning, the employees wouldn’t listen to me, so I made sure to understand the business. It’s industrial, which is something I didn’t have experience with, but I made sure I got to grips with the business for a whole year. After that, I took over, literally.” While, by her own admission, she was hardly well-received within the company at first, Nadia persevered by remaining true to her personal values and beliefs while also seeking out ways to make the business more successful, including developing international expansion ambitions. “I have something in my brain that says you gain respect by acting respectfully,” she says. “Fairness is number one. You have to be clear, and you have to make sure people understand the big idea, and then you deliver.” She adds: “People were taking advantage, and I was an aggressive person. I would never leave a small detail without understanding it. At the end of the day, they did not like me, but they respected me. I worked as a partner, then I became CEO because I advanced the business, trying to export outside out of Saudi Arabia, although it was difficult.” Al Dossary feels encouraged by the fact that the times appear to be changing for women in Saudi Arabia. She is enthusiastic about the Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salmen, and believes he is making swift changes for the better, including reforms allowing women to drive and regulations restricting religious

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CONSTRUCTION: NADIA ALDOSERI

“At the end of the day, they did not like me, but they respected me. I worked as a partner, then I became CEO” powers. She points out: “He’s young and he wants to change things and to do it fast. To me, that is a good thing because time is ticking.” Al Dossary’s big break with the Al-Sale steel company came after a visit by the company auditors, Ernst & Young. “They thought I was just a ‘face’ but they discovered that I really ran the company, and from then on all the newspapers were writing about me,” she enthuses. “I never look at this from an ego point of view, I look at it as an opportunity. Every time there was media interest I saw it from the perspective of how it gives you power to move forward.” The increased business profile led to Al Dossary receiving invitations from around the world to network at global events. On one occasion, she found herself sitting next to the CEO of the Avon cosmetics company at a lunch hosted by thenPresident, Bill Clinton. It represented a big personal moment: her career come full circle in spectacular fashion. She had married at 19 and after having two children, Al Dossary was determined to make her own way financially. That’s when she started selling Avon cosmetics,

May/June 2018

her dedication apparent even then as she swiftly rose to become one of the company’s most successful sales people globally – despite the challenges in her home country. She explains: “It was a big no-no. It was looked down on for a woman to knock on doors and sell things, especially at that time. But I wanted to make money and I wanted to make my own money. I decided to visit women in the villages; most Bedouin women have a hundred people in their family, so they could order for 100 every month and have a discount. Avon gave me a promotion, as well as training – all my life experience came from this. I was telling these Saudi women that they e could have this £500 h t o t Listen t a t s a Po d c an.co/ rnwom d mo e sts podca

ABOVE Nadia Al Dossary with Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia

RIGHT Nadia with the late King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz AlSaud

in their pocket every month and see how powerful they were.” Having resigned as CEO of Al-Sale two years ago (she remains a partner), Al Dossary is now CEO of NDA Global, which helps entrepreneurs around the world with private equity investment. She remains a keen advocate for supporting women in business, a big focus in her new role. “My biggest influence has been the struggle you feel when you go to school and see that things are not normal for you as a woman. When I was a teenager, I was angry; I felt that women were as capable of doing all the things the men around us were doing, yet it wasn’t like that.” Unequivocally, she has proved the doubters wrong.

New Beginnings is a short pre-entry course designed to prepare people without formal qualifications, or who have been out of education for some time, for university study. Enrol onto one of our upcoming accelerated (5 week) or intensive (1 week) courses and we’ll get you ready to start an undergraduate degree course this September* We’ll support you all the way from your application through to your time on the course and deciding what to do next. You’ll meet lots of like-minded people with the same ambitions as you so why not give it a go? I didn’t have A-levels, and New Beginnings was an opportunity for me to kind of step up and do something different. I’m looking forward to my future profession and working towards something. UEL has given me an opportunity I didn’t have before Milan Alexis-Cann New Beginnings & BSc (Hons) Psychology

Enrolments are now open. Call 020 8223 4354 to speak to a friendly advisor, or drop in to find out more: 1 Salway Road, London, E15 1NF. Mon-Fri 9:30-4.30pm; Wed 1-4.30pm *Upon successful completion of the New Beginnings programme

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PROPERTY: NICOLE BREMNER

Building

BLOCKS Is now a good time to invest in property? Does the capital’s price drop spell the moment to start a property portfolio? That all depends on your objectives, advises developer NICOLE BREMNER

he value of our houses is a perennial dinner party staple. But given that current headlines on house prices are more than a little confounding, especially if you live in the south of England, chances are those chats over crème brulée are equally clouded in confusion. Overall the price of the average home has increased over the past year, but in some parts of London they have slumped by over 15 per cent, the steepest decline since 2009. It’s no wonder that the market is skittish and buyers are holding out. Does this drop in prices in the capital present an ideal time to pick up a bargain? Or should you look north of London, where prices are now increasing? The answer to that depends on whether you want to profit from rental income or from capital growth. Previously, investing in London has been all about the growth. We all know of areas where prices have increased by a gazillion per cent over the last decade. But the rise in prices means that yields, or the rental income, have been modest, at three to four per cent a year. Investors in the north whose focus is on income sometimes achieve returns of low double digits each year with very little growth in the value of their property. For those in the south, some areas still haven’t recovered to pre2008 financial crisis levels. But all this is changing. Investors have realised that while London is stagnating, there’s a whole area of the UK where you can still buy houses for less than £100,000 and make a 10 per cent return a year in rental income. This, however, is driving up prices in these areas, which also lowers the yields. Does that mean now is the time to become a property mogul? Perhaps. Property is one of those industries that has typically been male-dominated.

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PROPERTY: NICOLE BREMNER

“As a woman in a male-dominated industry I have experienced a little negativity along the way, but on the whole find that I stand out and can be more memorable than the sea of suits at event” ABOVE Nicole Bremner developed her first property in Hackney in 2010 armed with bags of enthusiasm but no experience

TOP TIPS TO GET STARTED IN PROPERTY AS A CAREER: • Speak to a good accountant, preferably a property specialist – tax changes could make a huge impact on the returns you make on your investment • It is best to buy where you know – the areas you live and work will be most familiar, meaning you’re not starting from scratch • Start a spreadsheet tracking asking and sold prices on a price-persquare-foot basis for your set area. This will mean that you can quickly assess its value on this metric • There are still areas on the outskirts of London where you can buy for less than £300,000 but be mindful of transport links in the area you want to buy in. This deciding factor will make it easy for your renters or buyers to commute to city centres, keeping the demand high

May/June 2018

LEFT One of the chic properties Bremner’s company, East Eight, has developed, as part of its ever-burgeoning portfolio

This is changing. Women now represent around 20 per cent of property developers and that number is growing every year. As a woman in a malemonopolised industry, I have experienced some negativity, but on the whole I find I stand out and can be more memorable than the sea of suits at events. That being a woman is not a disadvantage in this sector is something I can attest to from first-hand experience. Still convinced property is for you? Knowing where to invest is the next step. If history is anything to go by, property will continue to increase in value over the long term with many blips along the way. Your skill as an investor is to learn how to ride out these short-term corrections while steadily building up your portfolio.

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www.londonsquare.co.uk Computer generated images depict the exteriors of London Square Canada Water, London Square Caledonian Road and London Square Spitalfields and are indicative only. Travel times sourced from www.tfl.gov.uk. *On selected properties only, please ask your Sales Executive for details. Details are correct at time of going to press. May 2018.

HEALTH & BEAUTY: PRODUCTS

GOLDEN SLUMBERS Bobble knit throw, £25 Bronze desk lamp, £25 Large pineapple objet, £15 Bronze Ombre Tealight Holder, £4 Small bird objet, £9 Geo glass lantern, £18 Bronze mirror, £18 All sainsburys.co.uk

May/June 2018

INTERIORS: PRODUCTS

SEQUINNED DOOR STOP Monsoon £22; uk.monsoon.co.uk

PINK PLANT POT H&M Home, £12.99; 2.hm.com

AURA TABLE LAMP

GLASS TERRARIUM ASDA, £12; asda.com

Swoon Editions, £69.00; swooneditions.com

Gold

DUST Pick up some of your favourite treasures from our chosen high street home brands

PINEAPPLE ICE BUCKET Oliver Bonas, £40; oliverbonas.com

SEAGRASS BELLY BASKET NEXT, £18; next.co.uk

SEQUINNED FLOOR CUSHION Monsoon, £110; uk.monsoon.co.uk

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TRAVEL: TEL AVIV

MANHATTAN On The Med

Bustling Tel Aviv bills itself as the second city that never sleeps. Go for a mini-break and soak up its hot new restaurants, hip old flea markets and one long party vibe in the sunshine...TONI JONES shares her insider guide

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OPENING PAGE Tel Aviv’s busy beaches, where the Med laps the skyscrapers on the shore

LEFT Sleep off the night before in luxury at Brown Beach Hotel

BELOW ‘Last man standing’ is the standard closing time for many bars in Tel Aviv

THURSDAY* *The Jewish Weekend: Jewish ‘Shabbat’ is from sunset on Friday to the fall of full darkness on Saturday and as a result the weekend in Israel is observed on Friday through to Saturday. DAY Check in to Brown Beach Hotel, one of the city’s best boutique hotels and an Instagramer’s dream (think statement walls and floors, neon flamingos and sea views, if you’re in the right room). It’s also brilliantly situated between the historic White City area and the marginally less cultural Gordon beach, so you’ll never be too far away from the action. Finding your feet in Tel Aviv is as easy as following the coastline. Walk, jog or jump on a rental bike (these are plentiful and the most fun and affordable way to see the city) and follow the beaches south to explore the historic Arab town of Jaffa and its flea markets and outdoor cafés. A Segway tour is a hi-tech way to see the old town

May/June 2018

WORTH KNOWING: • Airport queues leaving the country can be long, so leave PLENTY of time • Secret Tel Aviv is the place the locals go for information on the best events: secrettelaviv.com • Most bars/clubs don’t get busy until 12am, and many parties go all night • Uber has arrived in Tel Aviv, praise be • In summer, the sun sets between 7pm and 8pm and once night falls, it gets pretty chilly so be prepared and take layers

and Fisherman’s port before heading to the fun Neve Tzedek area for a hummusbased lunch at one of the street food stalls. After lunch, it’s time to hit Gordon beach for a spot of people-watching and ‘matkot’, or paddle ball, the unofficial national sport of Israel. Do note, the beaches here are not built for chilling. Instead they’re a hive of activity from dusk to dawn, stuffed with body-obsessed locals – there are a LOT of good-looking people in Tel Aviv – and selfie-obsessed tourists. Fashion bloggers especially love the beaches’ skyscraper-heavy skyline. If you are after a bit of peace on the sand, head north to the more glamorous Hilton or well-dressed gay beach. NIGHT It’s back to the hotel for a shower and a spritz at the chic in-house bar and then out for drinks and late night eats at local hotspot The Imperial Hotel, handily just next door. This place looks entirely naff from the outside, but houses two beyond brilliant drinking dens behind its reception; the award-winning Craft Cocktail Bar and, my favourite, La Otra, a heady combination of Caribbean and Mexican tastes where the opening hours cite ‘last customer’ as the closing time (last man standing is a fairly common ‘closing time’ in Tel Aviv, and no matter how valiantly you try you really probably won’t be that man).

FRIDAY

DAY A quick jog/walk to the dog-friendly Hilton beach to the north is a brilliant morning boost, after which, head back to

TRAVEL: TEL AVIV Brown Beach for its hearty hotel breakfast, featuring shakshuka, mezze and the freshest orange juice, which will set you up for a busy day of sightseeing. Guests get free entry to the nearby Museum of Art. The Museum of the Jewish People (complete with Seinfeld room) in the middle of the city’s university campus is also worth a visit. For lunch, try the brilliant Be Tel Aviv vegan food tour, which takes in three of the city’s most interesting restaurants and ends with an epic (dairy-free) cheesecake in the trendy Levinsky district. It’s worth noting that Tel Aviv is currently the world’s number one vegan dining destination and our tour host and company founder, Eviatar, was a font of knowledge on the plantbased food and drink scene as well as general Tel Aviv. Levinsky is a good starting point for a wander through the White City, so-called because of the 4,000-plus bright, white 1930s Bauhaus buildings that make up the UNESCO World Heritage site and which have recently been beautifully renovated. NIGHT Now’s your chance to get caffeinated at one of the area’s cute coffee shops and quickly explore the side streets and alleys before walking/cycling back to the beach for sunset drinks and some show-stopping views and seafood at celebrity haunt, Manta Ray. This city really comes to life once the sun has set, and the lively Rothschild Boulevard is THE place to soak up the Tel Aviv nightlife vibes. If you’re up for dancing, then Sputnik Bar is worth the queue, and if you’re up for anything head to Nanuchka, a vegan

restaurant by day and crazy dancing-on-the-tables kind of bar by night.

SATURDAY

DAY Saturday is recovery day in Tel Aviv and a revisit to Levinsky is the perfect chance to swap ‘night before’ stories (and maybe a shot of Arak?) with the locals. Get lost in the heady spice market and seek out the flower-covered kombucha cart outside Levinski Bar, where beautiful girls will serve you magical, ‘fix anything’ fermented teas next to the more traditional halva and tahini stores. After lunch choose between a bracing dip in the Mediterranean or a massage and dip in the super cute hot tub back at the hotel’s spa courtyard. NIGHT Next it’s time to toast your last night in style, starting with an elegant drink at Hotel Montefiore, before moving onto the stunning seven-course tasting menu (with no menu) at the city’s famous OCD restaurant in Jaffa (booking essential) and finishing with a novelty cocktail at Motel (we love ‘The American Dream’ starring Woodford Reserve bourbon and Donald Trump, no less).

ADDRESS BOOK brownhotels.com/beach ocdtlv.com/en/ laotratlv.com/ nanuchka.co.il/en/ hotelmontefiore.co.il/ mantaray.co.il/ facebook.com/sputnikTLV/ betelavivtours.com/eng/ TLVEG_Tours tamuseum.org.il/ bh.org.il/ easyjet.com/en/cheap-flights/ israel/tel-aviv

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LAST WORD: HISTORICAL HEROINES

“COURAGE I

cannot say I became a suffragist”, wrote Millicent Fawcett, union leader, intellectual and campaigner for women’s right to the vote. “I always was one, from the time I was old enough to think at all about the principles of Representative Government.” A statue of Fawcett by the Turner Prize-winning artist Gillian Wearing recently became – incredulously – the very first representation of a woman in Parliament Square. The newly unveiled sculpture sees Fawcett holding a placard which bears the legend: “Courage calls to courage everywhere,” based on a photograph of the suffragist carrying the identical banner; the inscription was originally in homage to Emily Davison, who died fighting for women’s right to vote, and whom Fawcett honoured not only in words, but in deeds, by continuing that struggle. . Bravery was something that Fawcett, born in 1847, was well-versed in. At 19, she began collecting signatures on a petition she was still too young to sign herself. By 1967, she went on to found the first suffrage society in London, using the organisation as a platform from which to tirelessly lobby and to embark on gruelling speaking tours via which she spread the feminist word. By 1897, the myriad of suffrage societies united as National Union of Women’s

May/June 2018

calls to courage”

MILLICENT FAWCETT fought for women’s right to vote and won. As a new statue commemorates her seismic achievements in Parliament Square, we consider a truly heroic life

Suffrage Societies; a decade later, Fawcett became its president, and a more egalitarian one could scarcely be imagined, actively seeking to engage women from working class backgrounds in positions of responsibility. Though an early supporter of the suffragettes, Fawcett preferred a peaceful means of protest. She said: “I can never feel that setting fire to houses and churches and litter boxes and destroying valuable pictures really helps

ABOVE Millicent Fawcett, the suffragist whose life spent courageously and tirelessly campaigning eventually won women full equal voting rights in 1928

to convince that women ought to be enfranchised.” Her tireless yet more measured approach bore fruit. The suffragettes disbanded once the First World War was underway, but the tenacious Fawcett was undeterred. In 1917 she led a delegation to see Prime Minister Lloyd George to negotiate the amendment to the Representation of the People Act. While some may have rejoiced in a partial victory which won the vote for women over 30 and with property, Fawcett was resolute until 1928, when full equal voting rights were finally achieved. If this ground-breaking legislation were not enough, Fawcett also founded Newnham College, Cambridge at a time when women had no access to higher education; campaigned against child labour; and for women to have equal rights to divorce. Millicent Fawcett was, at her core, a great liberal humanitarian, in whose peaceful protests we should all take courage. In her own words: “What draws men and women together is stronger than the brutality and tyranny which drive them apart.” Amen to that.

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