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Women / The Edit
2 | Style Birmingham | Autumn 2015
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Style / Editor’s Letter
Editors Letter
I
always find myself looking forward to this time of year when the autumn TV schedule is released (the last ever season of Downton Abbey is not to be missed under any circumstances) and the new autumn/winter collections hit the shops. This season we’ll be wrapping ourselves in capes and adorning our legs in luxurious suede over the knee boots. Like the sound of that? Then you’ll have to read our carefully edited A-Z of the best trends and new season pieces — hello new wardrobe! Speaking of newness, in this issue we’ve introduced some more exciting elements to Style. We’ve increased the size of the Insider section and we’ll now have book reviews, TV and film going into every issue. Ed James from Heart FM is our newest contributor; he’ll be road testing the best experiences on the market. Over on page 31 we’ve invited some of the city’s best creatives to put their own personal stamp on the new fashion from Harvey Nichols. As we all know, this season is going to be a very exciting time for Birmingham. I know I can’t wait to check out Jo Malone’s new boutique store in Grand Central. We’ve got the latest on all the new developments happening this autumn in our Insiders guide (pg 89). This month’s Style woman is a true inspiration. The lovely and endearing Laura Mercier gives us a glimpse into her world and how she worked her way to the top on page 35. Don’t forget to check out our shoot with Armani Exchange – I’ve already started my lust-list. Happy reading!
Elle, Editor
Live the city
@ElleSixsmith
My picks this month From left to right: Pandora gold bracelet, £1,100, T. H. Baker, Cluse watch, £72, clusewatches.com, Dorothy Perkins coat, £75 The Blacklist season 1, £14.95, Amazon, H&M brogues, £29.99
Autumn 2015 | Style Birmingham | 5
Style / Contents
BIRMINGHAM
Unit 606B, The Big Peg, 120 Vyse Street, B18 6NF 0121 769 2808 • contact@stylebham.com
Publisher Andrew Riley andrew@stylebham.com
Creative Director Mike Raven
Editor Elle Sixsmith
mike@stylebham.com
elle@stylebham.com
Special thanks to
Daisy Holden, Bethany Lee, The Big Peg, Tara Tomes, Sarah Morris, Ayla Yoncaci, Rose Gallagher, Priti Modi, Emma Walsh, Maisy Moran, Ruth Emmerson, Rabia Raza, Maurice Flynn, Lizzy Gardner, Tom Bird, Alan Sharman Agency, Bookings Models, Established Models, Diana Stoencheva, Rebecca Suree, Pamela Cooney, Yannis Setakis, Jak Baker, Roopa Pandit, Ed James, Sarah Poulsom, Cassie Smyth, Holly Kerrigan, Debra Hepburn, Claire Lishman, Sinead O’Herlihy, Lisa Piddington, Elisha Willis, Pete Medlicott, Sam Newman, Josh Hurley, Georgina O, Georgia-May Dayton, PJ Ellis, Paige Goddard
Style Birmingham is created by RileyRaven • www.rileyraven.co.uk • hello@rileyraven.co.uk
The Edit
Beauty
The Insider
On The Cover
009 Style Chart The hottest products right now 010 Lady in Red Your guide to the colour of the season 011 The A-Z of Autumn 26 of the best items you’ll buy this year 022 Me and My Style Debra Hepburn shares her success with Young British Designers 025 Leading Lady Taking your workwear into the next season 027 The Golden Era We sit down with vintage jewellery guru Susan Caplan 029 Couples Shopping in Birmingham Birmingham’s menswear is rivaling the women’s and we love it! 031 The Art of Style The City’s creatives talk style and success 035 Life as Laura Mercier Legendary Laura Mercier on building the brand 040 It’s a Concrete Jungle hard lines in a minimal colour palette for Autumn 2015 051 Styling Refresh How to flawlessly transition into autumn
054 Beauty Bulletin New make-up lines, miracle potions and skin-perfectors 056 Staying power The secret to invincible make-up 057 For Your Eyes Only Emeralds, plums and fushias shine bright in our beauty shoot 065 Hair Update 60’s Ponytails and ultra healthy locks 066 Can’t Sleep? Helping to cure your insomnia 068 The Last Word In Luxury Esther Fieldgrass on bringing EF MEDISPA to Birmingham
089 Autumn in Birmingham An exciting time for the city 092 Out and About What’s on where this autumn 094 She Wolf Ellie of Wolf Alice on fans and Glastonbury 095 Autumns Reading List Books to lose yourself in 096 TV Magic You won’t want to leave the house
To see our Autumn fashion shoot with, turn to page 35
Men 072 Style Chart The hottest products right now 074 Men’s Autumn Edit Update your wardrobe with chunky knits and leather pouches 076 Fall For Denim it’s time to rekindle your love for the hard-working fabric 086 The Ed Test Ed puts fine tailoring to the test
Life 098 8 hotspots for... Date Nights 102 Food Recipe Caramel Apple Roses from Totally Sacha 104 Gastro 101 Expand your culinary knowledge 106 The New Harvey Nichols A tour around the newest luxury shopping and dining experience 109 Back to Basics Simplify your interior with earthy tones 110 Rediscover the Joy of the Kitchen Bring style to the kitchen 112 To Infiniti and Beyond A look at the Infiniti Q50 2.0T 114 Win with Harvey Nichols
Photographer: Mike Raven, Photographic Assistant: Tom Bird, Model: Gina at Bookings Models, Make-up: Diana Stoencheva, Stylist: Lizzy Gardner, Hair: Jak Baker at Francesco Group, Special thanks to: The Big Peg Gina wears: Grey shirt, £110, Variegated Stripe Jacquard Moto jacket, £250, Variegated Stripe Structured short, £110, All available from Armani Exchange
A DIGITAL EVOLUTION! Download our digital issue for iPad for extended content and interactive features!
All information is correct at the time of going to press. Please note that prices for items are subject to change so may vary from those mentioned, contact individual stores for definitive pricing information. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, without prior permission. We make every effort to ensure that firms and organisations mentioned are reputable, however, we can give no guarantee that they will fulfil their obligations in all circumstances. Contributors’ opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the editor or of Style Birmingham Ltd. Any material submitted is done so at the owner’s risk, and the company can take no responsibility for the safe storage or return of such material.
6 | Style Birmingham | Autumn 2015
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BEAUTY & TREND PRESENTATIONS, INSIDE STYLE ADVICE AND CATWALKS
Women / The Edit
The Style Chart
From de-stressers to make-up queens, this is what we’ll be buying this season
Beauty Bohemia
Go Green
De-stress
Creative Solutions
New from Jo Malone, this ethereal cologne combines light notes of mimosa contrasted against spicy tones of cardamom. £42, Jo Malone
Be inspired to eat healthily with this new Everyday Super Food cookery book by Jamie Oliver. £13, Amazon
Say goodbye to stress with this handheld portable device. The Pip detects stress and how to overcome it. £145, thepip.com
Organise your time and your desk with this weekly planner, also handily doubling up as a mousepad! £5.99, Waterstones at Pavilions
EDITOR’S PICK
Make A Splash
Gold Rush
Beauty Buffer
Prestat Perfection
Pick up an iconic Norman Parkinson print in this collaboration with make-up queen Charlotte Tilbury. £55, Charlotte Tilbury
This stylish candleholder is mathematically designed with tiny etched holes to create intricate shadow patterns. £40,Tom Dixon
Make waves in your make-up bag with this cult classic. This sponge eliminates streaks, perfecting foundation. £16.00, Selfridges
Prestat have merged boundaries between confectionary and cupcakes, creating these delicious Red Velvet truffles. £12.95, Selfridges
Get Shirty
Laugh Out Loud
Childhood Classic
Golden Glow
Update your wardrobe with this on-trend orange silk shirt dress, perfect to go from office to bar.£405, Sportmax, Harvey Nichols
Prepare for a heart-warming and hilarious tale of Frank Derrick’s Holiday of a Lifetime by J. B Morrison. £5.99, Waterstones
Mickeys grown-up makeover is transformed into a luxurious merino wool jumper. £275, Markus Lupfer, Harvey Nichols
St Tropez have created a foolproof gradual tanning shower lotion for a quick and easy application. £9.50, Boots
Autumn 2015 | Style Birmingham | 9
Women / The Edit
Christopher Kane AW15
Lady in Red
It’s a small minority of us who will ever become a Lady-in-Waiting, however there is one type of lady that we can all aspire to this season: the lady in red Words: Sarah Morris
fashion houses Gucci, House of Holland, Jonathan Saunders and Just Cavalli featured the colour throughout their collections with individual pieces and a whole mish mash of prints and florals.
FIND YOUR SHADE
Tome
A DASH OF COLOUR
Bella Potemkina
Even the colour-shy can pull off red this season – and should. If you’re a little nervous, take a lead from Daks and Christopher Kane add colour in the form of a belt, or a flash of a red top or skirt under a dark suit or neutral coat.
If you’re feeling a little braver, red was featured largely in print and detailing. For a more feminine look take inspiration from Dolce & Gabbana and their pretty range of rose print dresses, or Diane Von Furstenburg’s red and black polka dot and lace slips. If you prefer a slightly bolder, abstract print, look for red stripes and checks, as seen at House of Holland, Just Cavalli and Jonathan Saunders.
RED ALERT
If you want to go all out, however, then the stage is all yours. If you’re going to any evening events, nothing screams glamour louder than the very polished lady in the sweeping red dress. But if it’s a daytime look you’re after, go for casual shapes, such as a loose shirtdress, or a simple two-piece suit as seen at Dior. When it comes to accessorising keep it chic by opting for blacks and nudes and remember, with any bold colour worn all over, simplicity is key.
DAKS
Tome
There’s no doubting that red is a strong colour which can help the wearer to exude confidence, strength, sensuality and fire. And the great thing is, you don’t necessarily have to feel any of those things to be able to project this allusion. But you do have to make sure that you are wearing the colour and not the other way around. Very much like with a lipstick, there is a shade of red to suit everyone. And once you’ve found the right shade, it generally comes down to finding it in a style that suits you. Those are the two key rules to remember when choosing any outfit, and red very much so.
GO PRINT
Erdem
10 | Style Birmingham | Autumn 2015
Images: Dan Sims, British Fashion Council / Shuttershock
T
he subject of crooner Chris de Burgh’s classic song is experiencing a big moment in fashion thanks to a plethora of designers featuring red on their Autumn/Winter catwalk shows. From dresses and trousers to coats and bold colour detailing, red could be spotted nearly everywhere. At Emilio Pucci and Valentino, red floated down the runway in the shape of bold, flowing maxi dresses, whilst at Versace and Paul & Joe the look was slightly more structured, with the silhouette halting at the knee. Moncler Gamme Rouge featured red strongly in its equestrian style coats, slightly reminiscent of attire worn by the Queen’s guards. Offering a more casual, albeit still striking take on red, was Kenzo with a loose two piece and Loewe with their draped ‘power’ trousers. Coats were oversized and masculine, with DKNY and Fendi leading the way and
AZ Women / The Edit
the
A
is for Ankle Interest Lace ups aren’t going anywhere. This time around they come in the form of ultra-flattering court shoes – unapologetically sexy and you’ll instantly look and feel more polished.
of Autumn
New season? We say 26 new reasons to hit the shops. Here’s your new season guide to autumn’s best buys
Autumn 2015 | Style Birmingham | 11
Women / The Edit
Dorothy Perkins jacket,£52
Zara dress, £39.99
C
Topshop boots, £72
New Look cape, £44.99
Hobbs cape, £299
Mango cape, £89
is for DISCO
is for CAPE TOWN
The perfect transitional piece – go for cover-ups in checks, reds and deep autumnal shades.
Wallis cape, £30
Christoper Kane
ress, £90
More haute boho than summer’s 70s rock hippie, this look is all about rich prints, floaty sleeves and long dresses.
Connection d
is for BOHEMIA
ch Fren
Accessorize tote, £55
Shiny fabrics, power shoulders and metallic blazers: prepare yourself for the return of disco fever. Look out for blazers with shoulder padding for an updated evening look.
Links Of London 18ct charm bracelet, estimate £700-900, Fellows
B
Anna Sui
River Island skirt, £32
E
is for ELEGANCE
Jaeger cape, £175
12 | Style Birmingham | Autumn 2015
Ladylike is the buzzword of the season. Think draped coats, pencil skirts and flowing dresses in simple neutral tones. All strictly below the knee.
Mango coat, £139.99
CONTACT: +44 (0) 20 77 20 97 25 UK@THOMASSABO.COM
Make memories last – with your complimentary engraving.
Birmingham 3 Madrid 3 (that’s flights per week). You can now fly direct from Birmingham city to the real Madrid with Norwegian. It’s a great destination for stag/hen weekends, retail therapy trips or simply a romantic city break. In fact, few other capital cities can offer what Madrid does. A triangle of art that’s made up of three world-class museums including Museo del Prado, Centro de Arte Reina Sofía and Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza. A rich culinary scene with food from every Spanish region on offer, and you could also dine at the world’s oldest restaurant. When it comes to nightlife, Madrid is in a totally different league as there are more bars here than any other city on earth. And if there is extra time, a trip to the legendary Santiago Bernabéu Stadium (home to Real Madrid) is a must.
F
Women / The Edit
Possibly one of our favourite trends, swap your stilettos for a pair of these show stoppers and you’ll be parting all night long.
is for HOT FLUFF
No longer confined to just coats and jackets, fuzz featured on shoes, bags and scarves. Time to get touchy feely.
is for FANCY FLATS
Dune scarf, £35
H
Debenhams flats, £39
Marks & Spencer bag, £29.50
House of Fraser bag, £55
Dorothy Perkins shoes, £35
The catwalk wants you to match your dress to your curtains. Clash brocades, jacquards and rich tapestry like prints. Pattern is officially back. Dune flats, £85
is for INTERIORS
H&M skirt, £39.99
Russell & Bromley flats, £375 H&M earrings, £5.99
Peter Pilotto jumper, £565, Harvey Nichols
Oasis flats, £25 Catwalk imagery: Dan Sims, Shaun James Cox, British Fashion Council
Topshop dress, £95
Topshop jumper, £39 Roksanda AW15
G
is for GRAPHIC ART Big and bold is where it’s at. Vivid colour clashes and psychedelic sixties patterns have got us in a daze.
Kurt Geiger sandals, £99 Joanne Stoker pump, £225, youngbritishdesigners.com
Autumn 2015 | Style Birmingham | 15
JL
Women / The Edit
Less girlie and more sleek and polished — think sugary shades, leather gloves and elegant tailoring.
Marks & Sp
encer, skirt,
£39.50
Karen Millen camo bag, £145
K
o is f
is for LEADING LADY
Dorothy Perkins n eoprene j acke
Dune boots, £129
Fellows South Sea cultured pearl and sapphire flower ring, estimate £1,500-2,000
38
t
,£
Pandora freshwater pearl ring, £85, TH Baker
Rick Owens gloves, £1,075, Selfridges
Jigsaw coat, £350
Matthew Williamson
From pilled on pearls at Givenchy to darling debutantes in hand-me downs at Stella McCartney, forget subtly, this season’s treasures demand your attention.
r JEWEL OVE RL OA
D
Thomas Sabo silver pendant earrings £179
Clarks shoes, £60
River Island tan bag, £30
Next pussybow blouse, £28
is for KHAKI
16 | Style Birmingham | Autumn 2015
Roland Mouret
The military trend isn’t going anywhere this season, but this time around, things are much more refined and polished. Key pieces include leather separates and camo bags.
Marks & Spencer jewel bag, £29.50
Reiss gold bag, £160
Reiss dress, £225
M is for MINI BOX BAGS
Just remember all good things come in small packages. Update your arm candy with some of these chests.
Women / The Edit
Karen Millen plaited jumper, £115
Marks & Spencer jumper, £129
River Island knit dress, £50
Whistles knit tunic, £110
N
is for NEW LAYERING Knits have upsized this season. Opt for heavily textured knits and layer up for a modern update. Autumn 2015 | Style Birmingham | 17
Lo
is f o r
T VER HE K O Topshop limited edition boo
2
£2
ts, £115
s,
ot
Saint Laurent python leather bag, £1,095, Net-a-Porter
bo
P
Victoria Beckham dress, £375, House of Fraser
k ar
om Br
Fellows coral and enamel floral brooch, estimate £500-700
Topshop snake-effect bag, £28
is for PYTHON PRINTS
Move over leopard print, snakeskin is our new arm charm. Wakeley
Mango snakeskin effect bag, £39.99
18 | Style Birmingham | Autumn 2015
Time to raid your granny’s attic. Pussy bows, costume jewels and retro colour clashes are the key to achieving the modern vintage look.
im Pr
is f o r
99 4.
Ru
&
bo
u rs
bo
Q
e
eg
Ja
E NE
£4
s
l se
95
£5
e
ed
E NE
s, ot
bo
The catwalk has gone all Pretty Woman on us all over again. The only boots you need to know about are super tall and super slim. Wear over jeans or pair with pencil skirts and folksy dresses.
s, ot
s,
ot
R THE VE K O
ok ley
5
2 £4
is for QUIRKY CHIC
Henry Holland
w Ne
Karen Millen suede boot s, £350
Women / The Edit
R
is for RED ALERT
Introduce scarlet accents into your workwear wardrobe and team a red blazer with a crisp white shirt for a flash of colour. Or wear it head-to-toe for a confident yet entirely grown-up look.
Office Mary Jane flats, £50
Sportmax coat £805, Harvey Nichols
Givenchy bag £425, Selfridges L.K Bennett suede boots, £325
Sara Hill, Some Like it Hot lipstick, £17 Dune heels, £79
I R R E S I S T I B LY B E AU T I F U L S K I N
HARVEY NICHOLS
M O R O CC A N O I L .CO.U K
P R E M I U M S PA S
Women / The Edit
is for TAILOR-MADE
If only our workwear looked this sleek. Take tips from master tailor Jason Wu for Boss and add a touch of femininity to structured dresses.
Ashley Williams
Karen Millen pencil dress, £190
Mango double breasted jacket, £79.99
Whistles coat, £795
is for ULTRA SHINE If you’re a magnet to all things black and shiny, you’re in for a treat this autumn. Patent accessories are an easy way into the trend.
is for VICTORIANA
More of a romantic take on goth glam. If you don’t want to go all out on a floor-sweeping dress, a highneck frill blouse works perfectly with a tailored black trouser.
Reiss jacket, £895
S
French Connection shirt, £125 Asos coat, £95
is for STRIKING SHEARLING
A statement shearling will be your new favourite item. No longer in just the classic tan and cream combo, it’s been re-imagined with coloured dyes, patchwork effects and more fluff than ever before.
20 | Style Birmingham | Autumn 2015
Dorothy Perkins Dress, £35
New Look boots, £99
Topshop Unique
U Zara patent boots, £69.99
Backstageand catwalk images: Eeva Rinne & Sam Wilson, British Fashion Council
Ashley Williams
T
Jigsaw dress, £249
Topshop Boutique stripe trousers, £95
Women / The Edit
Warehouse navy crop trousers, £40
@ELLE fashion
Karen Millen crop leg trousers, £110
W is for WIDE LEG
is for BALMAIN
Prepare to bare those shins. Trouser legs are wide and hems are cropped.
H&M
It’s the high-street collaboration everyone’s been waiting for. But whilst we have to wait until November for the big launch, French Elle have given us a sneaky peek of what’s to come.
Topsshop Unique
is for YETI
Give a warm welcome to the big fuzzy coat, it’s here to stay.
River Island premium coat, £90
H&M Studio coat, £149
Z
Marks & Spencer Twiggy coat, £99
is for ZOE JORDAN
River Island have tapped up and coming fashion week designer, Zoe Jordan for it’s Design Forum Initiative. The 11 piece collection lands later this month and subtle sophistication is the name of the game. Autumn 2015 | Style Birmingham | 21
Women / The Edit
What led you to create Young British Designers?
‘At the time, nobody was focusing on or showcasing young British design talent and we felt quite strongly that it’s the best fashion design talent in the world. There’s a reason why so many students come to this country to study fashion. The thing with our homegrown talent is that we take a risk, break the rules and we do so with a British twinkle in our eye. It’s more exciting than other countries. I might be biasd, but I think that only happens here because we have that ethos in our country. How has YBD progressed since you started?
We’ve been going for five years and we’ve now got a track record for discovering some of the best names out there. We’ve been doing it quietly and a lot of people thought we were part of the British Fashion Council but we aren’t. Our new website which launched in July took that in to account and we’re now much more YBD. 22 | Style Birmingham | Autumn 2015
&
Debra Hepburn, founder of Young British Designers and co-founder of RBH Creative Communications Agency, talks start-ups, British talent and her own fashion following
When we started, people thought we were mad. They said ‘you can’t rely on young designers, their collections will be late, the sizes will all be wrong and they’ll let you down.’ We started off with pretty much the world against us, apart from young designers who thought this was an amazing idea and how great it was to have so much support and guidance “We’ve been given to them. We started off quite small going for five years and bought with our hearts and what really made us feel and we’ve now got excited. Then we grew and a track record for we took on more designers, and then the designers that discovering some we first had, started to get really well known within of the best names the fashion world. People out there” started to trust in us more because we were finding
Women / The Edit
the next big thing, as opposed to only taking them on after they were big. What is it that you look for when finding new designers?
You get a real eye for it and it’s usually when something makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end and you see that they’ve got something special. It might be the way they’ve spoken about the brand, but then it’s seeing a signature look or a look that is unique for the designer. We’ll look for something that either makes us fall in love or even feel a bit sort of “Ooh I don’t know how I feel about this”. What sort of success have designers gone on to have after coming to YBD?
We took J.W. Anderson’s first collection and now he’s part of the Louis Vuitton stable and he’s just designed a coke bottle, so I mean how much more famous do you get! Eudon Choi is a real fashion darling at London Fashion Week and he’s done a collaboration with River Island and Sophie Hulme’s bags are so iconic now. Lily Kamper is a fantastic jewellery designer who sent me a tweet whilst I was in London. We met in a coffee bar and she pulled out these beautiful architectural pieces and she was shaking. We were the first people she’d shown this collection to and it was sculpted, hand-turned and dip-dyed. It was just sensational and we took her on. I put a tweet out and then Liberty got in touch with her and took her on as well. That’s what we want, to find great people and have them make their way with lots of retailers not just us. How would you describe your own personal style and what do you think has influenced it?
I like baggy tops, little skirts and dresses
OUR TOP YBD PICKS
Clockwise from top: Debra’s YBD wardrobe, Debra wearing one of her signature office looks, jewellery from Lily Kamper
with trainers. I wear low heels most of the time so when I do wear high heels, I know that they’re a bit special and there’s a taxi waiting! I might wear a lot of print one week and then the next week I might be wearing all black. I love jewellery. I worked in the Jewellery Quarter and used I to make chains and solder earrings and then in-between that, I used to paint murals on the walls during my education at Moseley Art School. I do throw stuff out. I have the charity bag and I have the sell-it-on-to-other-people bag because, this is a bit embarrassing to admit, but there’s a following for my clothes where I live. I take them to this dress shop
and they have people who flood in to get them because they never know what they’re going to find.’ RBH Creative Communications Agency celebrates 20 years this October.
Danielle Foster bag, £255
Lily Kamper bracelet, £335
Bionda Castana pumps, £585
Rejina Pyo dress, £620
Autumn 2015 | Style Birmingham | 23
NO WONDER GRAND CENTRAL IS OPENING AROUND HERE LOOK AT THE NEIGHBOURS Feel free to use our 3060 parking spaces, 18 restaurants and 30 cafés
H&M faux pearl earrings, £2.99
River Island
Women / Trends
H ut
Reiss mini box bag, £130
M
su
ng
la
u
Models Own nail polish in Tans Beach Bag, £4.99
ss
es
Mi iu
Su
Leading n gl
a s s e s, £ 2 0 5 ,
Lady
River Island pink tote bag, £35
at Bullring
Subtly take your workwear into autumn/winter with Bullring and use accessories in sugary pastel shades to accent grey, camel and navy
Catwalk images: Dan Sims, British Fashion Council, Hugo Boss
Next metallic mar y janes, £32
Styling Tip!
Topshop pointed shoes, £62
Mary Janes are having a bit of a moment this season. This Next pair in metallic pink will add a pop of shine to any look.
Thomas Sabo stearling silver ear studs, £105 River Island
Ryan Lo AW15
Zara tonal bag, £39.99
Valentino leather bag, £1,310, Selfridges Autumn 2015 | Style Birmingham | 25
1970s Vintage Monet Tassel Lariat
Women / The Edit
Susan Caplan
Golden Era
1970s Vintage Monet Filigree Charm Bracelet
Jewellery collector and vintage guru Susan Caplan, travels the world in search of the rarest and most treasured designers gems. With her latest collection hitting Harvey Nichols Birmingham, meet the woman giving vintage some serious cool factor Words: Emma Walsh
“I
think the reason people are so interested in vintage jewellery is because of the rarity of each piece. Customers want items with a history, sentimental value and a social background” says luxury jewellery collector, Susan Caplan. “We’ve really tried to create a collection that will suit everyone; one that is both varied and inimitable.” With her already strong relationship with Harvey Nichols, a new line in the Birmingham branch was inevitable. Caplan’s latest collection brings together a versatile assortment of modern classics from a range of exquisite designers. Dating back to 1960s up until the 1990s, her main aim in choosing jewellery for the store is that the style is always current. “Vintage is fashion. Vintage is always on trend- I tend to avoid the kind of items you’d find in treasure chests with diamantes on, our style is more traditional” says Caplan. From a Monet filigree charm bracelet to a delicate Chanel pearl earring set, the timeless designs vary in price making the line accessible to a range of customers. As an antique collector, her mother instilled a love of all things vintage from a young age, but it wasn’t until she began exploring the auctions herself that she realised the growing market and potential business opportunities in department stores. “We were 1990s Vintage always so busy at antique fares; people would Christian Dior Heart zoom to our exhibition stand and buy all Pendant the costume jewellery because of how amazing it looked.” Her passion for collecting unique designer pieces soon turned into an entrepreneurial venture, with Caplan searching the world for the rarest, most 1980s exclusive jewellery. After working on Vintage Chanel the QE2 she came across an array Pearl Logo of markets and found inspiration Earrings digging through old antiques in order to find hidden gems.
When asked about career highlights she takes us back to when she discovered an elaborate Versace body harness that went on to sell in Selfridges, and a small box of hidden porcelain pieces that she ended up restoring. For this collector, no mission is too great as her dedication to curating the ultimate design means she will stop at nothing to produce an excellent range. But what it is about the Caplan name that makes the items so sought-after? Countless celebrities from Claudia Schiffer to Rihanna have supported the brand, and Harvey Nichols, John Lewis and ASOS are all stockists. As one of the leading luxury jewellery collectors Caplan sets herself apart from other vintage lines with her keen eye for detail and extraordinary condition. “Quality is of paramount importance- I won’t buy anything that looks like it’s been worn a lot”. Her meticulous examination of each piece means that every item in the collection is completely unique with a contemporary aesthetic and is extremely wearable. It is because of this that she has built such an impressive reputation among media personas, with From top: Rita Ora several of her pieces being used in films and television. A and Kelly Brook, both firm believer that style shouldn’t be limited to cost, she wear Susan Caplan reminisces on the work of Chanel and her faux pearls, adding that jewels do not necessarily have to be real to look good. Varying in style and price, Caplan hopes that her collection will speak to a multitude of people, giving everyone the chance to experience luxury. Susan Caplan for Harvey Nichols is available in store now with prices from £85-£1275
Autumn 2015 | Style Birmingham | 27
P U R E T R E AT M E N T O I L | T H E U LT I M AT E H A I R R E STO R I N G E L I X I R
FA B U LO U S LY D E CA D E N T H A I R CA R E WWW. S H OW B E AU T Y. C O M
Women / The Edit
Couples shopping in Birmingham Gone are the days when we had to drag our boyfriends and husbands around the shops
Wood Wood
Words: Tara Tomes
I
t only takes a Saturday afternoon on the high street to realise that female fashion no longer dominates; menswear is taking over and one can only assume it’s a response to the demand. From Primark and River Island to Harvey Nichols and Selfridges, men are no longer banished to a corner with a choice of three t-shirts and two pairs of jeans to choose from. Before I met him, I’m sure he won’t mind me saying but my boyfriend wasn’t exactly known for his love of fashion. I changed that quite quickly – chinos, boat shoes and pocket squares became his friend – and triumph finally came the other day when, after a year together, he complimented a stranger’s suede pumps as he walked past our car. The revolution has arrived! One of Birmingham’s very own independents is embracing this new world, by introducing ‘couples’ shopping. Famed for its forward-thinking menswear brands, Liquor Store has been a huge hit since first opening its doors in Great Western Arcade in 2012. Stocking brands like A.P.C., Filson, Carhartt Heritage, Folk, J Lindenberg, Levi’s, Man Not Ape, Red Wing and Wood Wood, to name a
his new AW15 wardrobe, I’m just opposite him in the shiny new womenswear store. Situated directly opposite the original Liquor Store, the womenswear boutique is a stunning haven for us girls and is the perfect replica of its brother. Stylish brands like A.P.C, Levi’s, Lee, Folk Clothing, Levi’s Made & Crafted, Palace, YMC, WoodWood, Filson, Edwin, Nudie Jeans, and Red Wing are featured. The store boasts Liquor Store’s signature love of denim and unrivalled service… these guys and girls really do know their brands. I decided to have a little chat with Phil and his excitement for the new few, its ethos is “great quality fashion without store is clear for anyone designer price tags”. Phil Hazel, founder of to see. “Womenswear is the store, wanted to offer men an eclectic something that we’ve mix of heritage and next generation always wanted to offer brands, handpicked to bring the finest – there’s a huge need denim, clothing collections, footwear and for mid-range original accessories from around the globe. fashion in the city and we’re hoping to Over the past three years, Phil and the fill that void. The success of Liquor Store team have made Liquor Store one of the Menswear has shown us the desire for our UK’s best-known fashion independents, brand partnerships and apparel collections, winning plenty of awards for their service and we think that it’s time women share that. and styling. If you haven’t yet been, the store “I want to continue building on the Liquor sits in the centre of the arcade and boasts Store brand and I’m delighted that we’ve plenty of distressed wood. The staff, as you’d committed to Great Western Arcade; it really imagine, all look like they’ve just stepped is one of the region’s hidden gems. Arcade out of some cool Kings Heath pub, where has been a really successful location for us they’ve been comparing their perfect-fitting over the years and they truly champion jeans. Every time I go into Liquor Store, pioneers of retail.” I’m instantly jealous that I’m just happy that shopping trips no longer there’s not an equivalent have to include a pitstop via a man crèche store for girls. Well, I (aka pub); now that there’s a Liquor Store needn’t shed another tear for ladies, one trip to Great Western Arcade because Liquor Store can keep both of us happy. Womenswear is here and, what’s more, whilst To find out more about the Liquor Store visit my other half is buying their website liquorstoreclothing.com Autumn 2015 | Style Birmingham | 29
DISCOVER THE AUTUMN COLLECTION
PANDORA Opens September 2015 Grand Central Birmingham
PANDORA SU311 Lower Mall Bullring Shopping Centre Birmingham B5 4BU
PANDORA 73 High Street Birmingham B4 7SH
Women / The Edit
Model: Jemma Saare at Alan Sharman Agency Make-up: Ryan Bembridge, Beauty Personal Shopper at Harvey Nichols
THE ART of STYLE
Three Birmingham creatives curate fashion Elisha Willis, Principal Dancer at Birmingham Royal Ballet - brb.org.uk
‘I just fell into ballet I never chose it. I think it chose me. I was six and playing in the yard, when my mother’s friend looked out the window and told my mum, ‘You have to take her to ballet she looks like a fairy out there’. So my mum did and I’ve never looked back. I joined The Australian Ballet Company at 18, and I stayed for five years and then I joined Birmingham Royal Ballet in 2003, so I’m a veteran now. My sense of style has always been a bit different. I like to wear things that don’t necessarily go together and I’ve always been a bit rebellious. I went through a bit of a punk goth stage so I’m really drawn to all things leather and I love black. I’m from Melbourne and we have a reputation for always wearing black. But I do like pink; I guess it’s the ballet girl in me.
from the new Harvey Nichols
I love this outfit because I think in a way it represents ballet life. As dancers we work so hard, but it needs to look effortless. People think the end product looks like it’s taken five seconds but actually, it’s taken a lot of hard work and choices to create something so beautiful. When you first look at these pieces they seem quite simple, but when you look at them in detail, the amount of work that’s gone into them is incredible. I’m training in costume making at the moment. I first started making tutus and I’ve recently been working with leather, so I can actually understand how much work has gone into these pieces. I think the heels are reminiscent of the first designer shoes I ever bought. They were a pair of kangaroo skin YSL shoes that I bought with my first pay check when I joined The Australian Ballet Company.’ Catch Elisha in the Variations Triple Bill from October 8th -10th at the Birmingham Hippodrome as BRB celebrate 25 years.
Elisha dancing the role of Swanilda in Coppélia
DKNY top, £185
Autumn 2015 | Style Birmingham | 31
THE ART of STYLE
Women / The Edit
Three Birmingham creatives curate fashion
from the new Harvey Nichols
Sam Newman, Development and Events Co-ordinator at Ikon Gallery - ikon-gallery.org
32 | Style Birmingham | Autumn 2015
Bottom left: Fiona Banner, Untitled 1997, Inkjet, aluminium, 190 x 95 cm, Courtesy the artist and Ikon. Clockwise Left: At Home With Vanley Burke, 2015, Installation photograph, courtesy Vanley Burke and Ikon. Photo by Stuart Whipps. Vanley Burke, Young girls sitting on wall, 1991, Photograph, Courtesy the artist and Ikon
T by Alex an de r Wan g ja cke t, £ 391
‘My job is about creating excitement around Ikon. We’re a registered charity so it’s all about bringing extra income into the gallery. We have an amazing exhibition in autumn from Turner prize nominee, Fiona Banner. It will be a large exhibit and the most comprehensive of her work to date. There will be painting and sculpture across both floors with recent and unseen work. Our current exhibition slot At Home with Vanley Burke has been really popular. Vanley has been referred to as ‘The Godfather of Black British Photography’ and he’s been a Birmingham local since 1965. It’s a really unique project in which the entire contents of his flat in North-East Birmingham has been transported to Ikon. He’s hosting a photography master class on Saturday 12th and 19th where you can actually work along side him and learn about darkroom developing techniques. It finishes on September 27th so if you haven’t yet seen it, you really need to get down there! I’m a minimalist. If you looked in my wardrobe you’d see a lot of black. I like a clean aesthetic; I’m always looking at navy, grey, black and white. I used to work in a great shop in town called A2, which is no longer there, but they had a great look, very cool and urban. The outfit is something that I’d wear if I were female. I had to get a bomber jacket in there because I’ve got a bit of a collection of bomber jackets; I’m a little obsessed with them. And of course, you can’t go far wrong with a crisp white shirt and the shoes are a standout colour.’
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Women / The Edit
THE ART of STYLE
Three Birmingham creatives curate fashion Peter Medlicott, Photographer and Light Artist known as ‘Sola’ petermedlicott.com ‘When I moved to Birmingham eight years ago, I was inspired by the urban environment to start a personal project making images of urban spaces at night. Whilst illuminating a building with a torch, the light itself accidentally made an appearance in the picture. I instantly understood the potential for these streaks of light and from that moment on, I began painting with light. How do I create the image? It’s no big secret. In a nut-shell, all you need is a camera capable of taking a long exposure, a tripod, a light source and a bag of ideas. While the camera shutter is open, I move through the scene with a light source and create the light sculptures and patterns. Wherever the light goes in the scene I’m photographing, it leaves a trace. All of my images are made in the camera and there’s no computer trickery or manipulation involved. It’s always great to see my public art piece in the centre of Birmingham on Hill Street. It was supposed to be there for six months - but three years later, it’s still being enjoyed by people passing through the area. I love making images, whether it’s the wide range of briefs I receive as a commercial photographer or, working as my artist alter-ego Sola and having complete artistic freedom of light graffiti. My most high profile piece of brand work was a campaign for Nike where they gave me creative control to create a series of fashion / style images to advertise their high-tech running garments. My work was recently featured on CNN International and 34 | Style Birmingham | Autumn 2015
from the new Harvey Nichols
I’m now currently negotiating some really interesting projects around the world. I come from a background of skate and street culture which is reflected in my style. Although I’m normally seen in Nike’s and a pair of Levi’s, I do like to smarten up occasionally! I picked the jumpsuit because it had a really strong graphical almost sculptural aesthetic. I knew that when combined with the flowing energy of the light painting it would come into it’s own and both would compliment each other. The shoes and bag add an extra touch of femininity and a really bold accent of colour which I echoed with the lights. Overall, the light painting adds a real drama to the image and brings the outfit to life in a unique way.’
Victoria, Victoria Beckham jumpsuit £795, Loeffler Randall clutch, £305
Sola’s work exhibited on Hill street
Women / The Edit
Life As
LAURA MERCIER
Autumn 2015 | Style Birmingham | 35
Women / The Edit
She’s created some of the most iconic looks of the past 30 years and her name is synonymous with make-up, the flawless skin-perfecting kind. In a rare interview, legendary make-up artist Laura Mercier talks building the brand,working with Madonna and the struggles of her early career
I
n 1985 Laura Mercier moved from put ‘in the cooker’ to test them out. I also see my family in the summer’. France to New York to help launch American ELLE. Since ‘On a daily basis when in France, I’m usually based in my then, she’s shot from studio make-up artist to head of a global beauty empire, all forged by her signature “flawless face”. ‘I house in Provence so I really don’t wear much make-up. was always cooking up something and mixing textures and When I go to Paris I usually do a light make-up. As I grow older I do less of a smokey eye but I always go for a red lip; colours. I dreamt about a concept that I had put together it’s become quite my signature.’ in my mind since the beginning of my career in terms of techniques and types of products. The ancestor to my Secret One would assume that with her line now stocked in 1,122 Camouflage was not customer friendly; stores globally, this had always been it was only good for professionals but her grand plan. In fact, it was quite the you could hide absolutely anything on contrary, but she never lacked ambition. ‘I was always cooking up the face. My technique was about hiding ‘I never had the idea of being a make-up the flaws rather than covering the skin. artist but I wanted to be an artist. But something and mixing So that concept and technique made most of all, I wanted to be independent. me think I could have a brand based textures and colours. I dreamt It was very important for me to have a on that philosophy, which is how it all and be able to support myself. I was about a concept that I had put job came together.’ interested in the artistry of beauty so I learnt how to be an aesthetician.’ Her For someone who was personal maketogether in my mind’ up artist to the likes of Sarah Jessica route to beauty came after two years Parker, Julia Roberts and Madonna, it’s at art school. Mercier enrolled at the reassuring to find that she is still very Carita School, ‘the perfect association between art and beauty’ and it’s where she credits the start much grounded – not just that, but also warm and compelling of her love affair with make-up. Whilst at Carita, she met with an infectious energy and enthusiasm. She splits her time between France and New York, so to say that Mercier is a celebrity make-up artist Thibault Vabre who took her on busy woman would be an under statement. ‘There is no real after graduation as an assistant for studio shoots. average day for me, there is no routine,’ she tells me. ‘When I It was in 1985 when Mercier made the tough decision go to New York, it’s concentrated time that I use for creativity. to move from France, where she had already made a name for herself, to New York, where she was unknown. I’m at the office every day from morning to evening, working ‘It was a culture shock. I had never really left France and with the creative team to put together new collections and products. When I’m in France, I do a tour of Europe to see everything was different. On a personal level, just living there the creative teams, work on trends and receive products we’ve was brutal because it’s a jungle. It wasn’t like France where> 36 | Style Birmingham | Autumn 2015
Women / The Edit
‘I never had the idea of being a make-up artist but I wanted to be an artist. But most of all, I wanted to be independent’
Autumn 2015 | Style Birmingham | 37
Women / The Edit
Eye Art Palette, £45
Candleglow Lip Glace, £19.50
I had my friends and family and I was never doing any celebrities at all. I thought I would lost. Over there, I was by myself and it was just remain a make-up artist for models. But just work work work. It was very difficult as you become more in demand, celebrities to establish a personal life because I had to usually want to use your services. I was very shy to work with Madonna, she seemed very work so much to get to where I wanted to be. The pace was very different but there was out of reach for me, but it was kind of life no way I could have stayed without a job.’ changing for my career. I worked with her With her persistent attitude and admirable for many, many years doing fantastic creative work ethic, she began to make a name for things and I have to say, I adore her.’ In 1996, herself. Those who remember Laura Mercier Cosmetics was born. There were a lot the 80s or have seen it re-emerge on the catwalk of firsts; you can thank her recently, will know that the for creating the first primer ‘I was very shy to look was the antithesis of and for bringing tinted Mercier’s signature natural work with Madonna, moisturiser to the masses. aesthetic – ‘very pale with first products were her she seemed very out Her iconic Secret Camouflage heavy foundation and a frosty pink lip’. But times of reach for me, but it and foundation, created in were changing and as more a broad palette of shades was life changing photoshoots were moving and formulas to benefit from studio to outdoors, there women of different skin for my career’ was a need for a much fresher tones. Busy developing her and more youthful look, one make-up line, she found it which Mercier helped to increasingly difficult to keep invent. And so, Secret Camouflage was balancing her product development with her born and to this day it is still her favourite celebrity clientele. Something had to give. product. ‘It’s still really my baby’, she confesses. ‘Those first years were the most terrible years ‘It’s the type of thing that’s so useful and so of my life’, she confesses. ‘I had to do the right to the point. It goes against the super products in the lab, the promotion and the high technology that we have today; it press all over the world and then still do the shoots. I was not able to continue and I had is really almost an old fashioned heavy type a nervous break-down. It was impossible for of concealer, but one that’s used in a very me to move on this way so I had to sacrifice special way. It’s the old professional aspect of make-up artistry so that’s why I cherish that aspect of my career.’From the desperately it very much.’As the natural look gained busy workload and loneliness of her early momentum, so did Mercier’s career and she career years, today she finds everything a joy. ‘I love everything from training the team to found herself increasingly in demand. At the meeting the staff, but if I had to choose, my top of her game, she was being booked for favourite aspect would be the creativity and big magazine shoots with supermodels and developing the products.’ renowned photographers. She began working with Steven Meisel, famed for finding the next it girl, and he persuaded her to work with Madonna on her video ‘Take a Bow’. What sounded like every make-up artist’s Laura Mercier dream was actually a nightmare for Mercier, Kajal d’Orient who was almost cripplingly shy when it came £22.00 to celebrities. ‘I never had the ambition of
.50 ing Mascara - £19
Extra Lash Sculpt
38 | Style Birmingham | Autumn 2015
Limited Edition, Eye Chromes Palette, £32.00
From top: Madonna, Sarah Jessica Parker, Julia Roberts, Susan Sarandon. All of the above are fans of Laura’s signature “flawless face”
Faces by Mercier
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Women / Fashion Grey shirt, £110, Variegated Stripe Jacquard Moto jacket, £250, Variegated Stripe Structured short, £110
40 | Style Birmingham | Autumn 2015
Women / Fashion
IT’s A Concrete Jungle Cool and effortlessly confident – soft fabrics meet hard lines in a minimal colour palette for Armani Exchange Autumn 2015
Photographer: Mike Raven, Photographic Assistant: Tom Bird, Model: Gina at Bookings Models, Make-up: Diana Stoencheva, Stylist: Lizzy Gardner, Hair: Jak Baker at Francesco Group, Special thanks to: The Big Peg
Autumn 2015 | Style Birmingham | 41
Women / Fashion
Blue Tee, £99.50 Envelope Pocket Trouser, £140
42 | Style Birmingham | Autumn 2015
Women / Fashion
Denim Tee, £89.50 Denim Pleat Front Pant, £160
Autumn 2015 | Style Birmingham | 43
Women / Fashion
Shrunken Leather Blazer, £520, PU Pant, £150, Leather Backpack, £295 44 | Style Birmingham | Autumn 2015
Women / Fashion
Moon Twin Stripe Culotte, £150, Washed Leather Moto Jacket, £580, Grey Camisole, £85.50
Autumn 2015 | Style Birmingham | 45
Women / Fashion
46 | Style Birmingham | Autumn 2015
Women / Fashion Tweed Moto Jacket, £210 Envelope Pocket Trouser, £140
Autumn 2015 | Style Birmingham | 47
Women / Fashion
Wide-Leg Trouser, £160, Marled Pullover, £110, Metallic Leather Crossbody, £150 48 | Style Birmingham | Autumn 2015
Women / Fashion
Ribbed Tunic, £99.50, Pleated Metallic Skirt, £120
Autumn 2015 | Style Birmingham | 49
Women / Fashion Sleeveless Wool Coat, £295, Shrunken Leather Blazer, £520
50 | Style Birmingham | Autumn 2015
Women / The Edit
Styling Refresh New season doesn’t have to mean a completely new wardrobe – here’s how to effortlessly transition into the next season and save a few pennies along the way, says fashion writer Ruth Emmerson
W
hen you live in the UK you need a rather versatile wardrobe to keep up with the, how shall we say, unpredictable weather. But just because we are changing seasons and yes there are new trends out and about, it doesn’t mean that we need to completely forget about our S/S wardrobe and spend more than we should on an A/W wardrobe instead. A transitional wardrobe allows you to mix clothes from seasons, enabling you to have more of a capsule wardrobe and in general, making as much out of your current clothing therefore saving a few pennies. You’re welcome bank balance... Over summer, co-ords, maxi dresses, playsuits and sleeveless blazers were popular choices as they are great for when we are enjoying a heatwave, but also for when (as with every British summer) things get a little chilly. When heading into autumn, look back at your summer wardrobe and perhaps new purchases you have recently made; then look at if, and how, you could incorporate some of those items into an A/W wardrobe. Sleeveless blazers are an obvious choice and one of my favourites; wear in the summer with camisoles and shorts, then when cooler weather hits, layer up with shirts, jumpers, jumpsuits and trousers. Add a chunky scarf and hat for even more of a layered look. A great look with your sleeveless blazer would be flared jeans, a shirt and an oversized hat. Topshop have a great choice of sleeveless blazers in a range of colours so definitely worth checking out on your next shopping spree. For those of you with an Oval body Shape (bigger around your middle) then a sleeveless blazer worn open and loose is a great choice. If you have an hourglass figure, show off that enviable waist by adding a belt or tie to emphasise. Playsuits have been huge this summer; so
H&M stripe dress, £49.99
RUTH’s KEY PIECES simple, comfortable but still effortlessly chic. Personally I am a huge fan of both playsuits and jumpsuits, and intend on wearing them all year round! Playsuits are great in the summer with sandals and shades, but when it comes to autumn again layer up with tights, ankle boots and a leather jacket. This Ted Baker playsuit has a nod to the khaki trend (without going over the top), which is still huge this autumn. The floaty dress works well in the heat as the last thing you want is fabric clinging to your body; but don’t put it away when the weather turns cooler, instead rework it. Pair up with knee high, heeled boots and a suede jacket for a warm, but modern look. Again add an oversized hat and shades; accessories can really bring an outfit together. Co-ords have dominated summer fashion this year with lots of print, floral, colours and patterns. Most co-ords are made up of a top and shorts, or a top and a skirt; they are a nice alternative for the summer months and instantly more glamorous than your usual short/top combo. Why not use as separates instead of going for the co-ord look? Mix and match a little more; adding a bolder top to formal black trousers, or perhaps culottes. Or go for the shorts mixed with tights and a jumper? If you have a Pear body shape (bigger on your bottom half ) try
Ted Baker playsuit, £149
to draw attention to your top half. If you have a Strawberry/ Upside down triangle body shape (bigger on top, smaller on the bottom) then do the opposite; add Topshop sleevless prints or patterns to your jacket, £42 smallest area as that will detract from the areas you want to disguise. Always remember to have a little fun and see what works, but don’t automatically assume that none of your gorgeous summer purchases are not fit for autumn! Make your wardrobe versatile and try different looks out so that you really get your money’s worth from every item purchased. Dress for your body shape, don’t try to follow every trend; you’ll be surprised at how much you can work your wardrobe into a transitional one! Autumn 2015 | Style Birmingham | 51
Image: Topshop unique A/W 15
Beauty / Shopping
Beauty CAN’T SLEEP?
The secret reason you can’t sleep and how to reclaim your eight hours
HAIR UPDATE
Whether you’re a wannabe rich girl or a sixties chick, we’ve got the styling tips to get you there
THE LAST WORD IN LUXURY Discover EF MEDISPA’s transformative treatments
Autumn 2015 | Style Birmingham | 53
Topshop Unique A/W15
Beauty / Shopping
A Hint of Tint Rodial Skin Tint +, £45, at Selfridges, offers medium coverage perfect to achieve that ‘barely-there’ look. It not only hides imperfections, it targets signs of ageing and protects against UVA/UVB damage. The hydra-fluid texture leaves skin feeling youthful with a long lasting radiant finish.
Exotic Luxury
The Body Shop has created a new luxurious ‘Spa of the World’ collection harnessing ingredients from across the world. The range includes creams, exfoliants and massage oils, bringing the relaxing and revitalising ambience of the spa to your home. We love the Egyptian Milk and Honey Bath inspired by Cleopatra – it leaves skin feeling silky smooth.
Beauty
Bulletin
Bold and Beautiful
This season it is all about feeling good and looking good - from home spa products to miracle skin solutions
International make-up artist Sara Hill has launched her own makeup collection after five years in the making. She’s made up the faces of Rosie HuntingtonWhiteley and Grace Jones, so it’s safe to say she knows a thing or two about make-up. Born from the notion to “free the freckle”, the line takes inspiration from fashion, club kids, pop culture, and chain-smoking aunties. Our favourite lipstick Marilyn, £17, at sarahill.com, is sure to brighten up your complexion. 54 | Style Birmingham | Autumn 2015
Morning Miracle Potion
MORNING MIRACLE POTION
Sister to best-selling Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Oil, Kiehl’s Daily Reviving Concentrate £36, at Harvey Nichols will be your daytime wonder potion. The lightweight facial oil removes traces of tiredness in the morning, giving you that ideal eight-hour sleep glow. It has a non-greasy smooth texture and helps to keep your skin energised from morning to night.
Jo Malone Moves
Jo Malone fans rejoice! Opening this September, Grand Central will be home to a new free standing Jo Malone boutique. And just in time for the launch, is the new Mimosa & Cardamom cologne 30ml, £42. Unlike any cologne before, this ethereal scent evokes an exotic warmth with mimosa gently contrasting against the spicy cardamom.
Boss
Beauty / Expert Tips Ole henriksen Invigorating Night gel, £42, Harvey Nichols
Boss
O
ne of the things that women ask me about most often is how to make their make-up last all day. Contrary to popular opinion, the answer isn’t in a full coverage foundation or a hearty sweep of Zelens powder. The key, instead, is taking care with Absolute Facial Oil, £65, your skin and ensuring that you keep your skin Harvey Nichols hydrated as the winter months approach. RMK Cleansing Balm, Cleansing is the single most important step £29, Selfridges in my beauty regime and an essential for long lasting make-up. A balm like the RMK Again, keeping this area Cleansing Balm (my ultimate product) will well hydrated is key to melt away all grime, even eye make up, in one fresh make-up, so be fell swoop. Comprising of a blend of plant sure to indulge in Bobbi oils, this will nourish the skin as it works to Brown’s Hydrating Eye dissolve the day. Swap your cream or foam for Cream at night time. It costs Bobbi Brown’s Hydrating Eye Cream, this and within days you’ll notice that a fraction of the price of lots of £32, House of Fraser your skin is softer to the touch. It is eye creams but delivers the most the only product in my bathroom that instant and comforting results. Beauty Update: I repurchase before it runs out! So now that your make-up is lasting Speaking of oil, this is also something the day, we want it to glow. Anyone who has spent five you may wish to work into your skincare minutes with me will know regime if you find that your make-up patches throughout the day. Everything that I am obsessed with glowing skin. I mix illuminator into my from cold, bitter wind to stuffy central heating can cause your skin to dry out. foundation, I smother myself Massaging in a couple of drops of oil in powder highlighters (MAC before your moisturiser at bed time will Cosmetics pigment in Vanilla is quench your skin’s thirst and keep your This autumn, Rose Gallagher a complete dream) and I love to complexion fresh and plump. Work a sport a fresh, dewy skin look. But discovers the secret to long few drops of a plant based oil like the where the glow really begins is in my skincare. Stemming back Zelens Z-22 into your regime and you’ll lasting make-up find that you no longer see clumps in to my fixation on plants, I swear your base by lunch time. by Ole Henriksen’s Invigorating Topshop Unique As for an uneven base, perhaps one of Night Treatment. This blend the most challenging beauty quests is to find of fruit acids gently resurfaces the skin, giving an an eye product that doesn’t sit in laughter lines. exfoliated finish without any harsh scrubbing. Charlotte Tilbury’s upcoming Mini Miracle Between you and me, it’s my total must-have Eye Wand is exceptional. for disguising the appearance of the hangover Finally, an under eye concealer that doesn’t from hell… dry, look cakey or gather in any fine lines. A double ended wand, use the eye cream to Following even one of these steps will help your base plump and hydrate the eyes and follow up with to last the day. the light textured but full coverage concealer. If you’ve always struggled to find the perfect antidote to bags then rest Any Questions? Tweet me at @MixedGemsBeauty and assured that this is it. I’ll happily try to answer any you have! Charlotte Tilbury, £29, Selfridges
Staying Power
Debenhams Mac Pigment, £16
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Beauty / Jewel Tones
GREEN WITH ENVY
Photography: Mike Raven, Assistant: Elle Sixsmith, Make-up: Diana Stoencheva, Make-up Assistant: Rebecca Suree, Model: Rebecca Pearson at Bookings Models
Charlotte Tilbury Rebel Palette, ÂŁ38, Nars Pro-Prime Smudge Proof eye shadow Base, ÂŁ19.50
For Your Eyes Only Tired of nudes and beiges? This season bright peepers in eye-popping metallic jewel tones take centre stage. Think deep smoky emeralds, plums, and fuchsias Autumn 2015 | Style Birmingham | 57
Beauty / Jewel Tones
COOL CANDY
Mac Cranberry eye shadow, £13 , Urban Decay Vice 3, £42, Charlotte Tilbury The Glamour Muse palette, £38, Mac Da Bling eye shadow, £13
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Beauty / Jewel Tones
GOLDEN EYES
EYES: Nars Pro Prime Smudge Proof eye shadow Base, £19.50, Mac Amber Light eye shadow, £13, Charlotte Tilbury The Vintage Vamp palette, £38, Mac feline kohl power eye pencil, £14, Mac blacktrack fluidline, £16, LIPS: Mac Redd lip pencil £12.50, Mac Paramount lipstick, £15.50, Mac Amplified m’orange lipstick, £15.50
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Beauty / Jewel Tones
VIVID MAGENTA
Urban Decay Electric, £38, Charlotte Tilbury The Glamour Muse palette, £38, Mac Fig 1 eye shadow, £13, Mac cardon eye shawdow, 313, Mac feline kohl eye liner, £14
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Beauty / Jewel Tones
Autumn 2015 | Style Birmingham | 61
Beauty / Jewel Tones
PURPLE REIGN
EYES: Mac Spiced Metal eye shadow, £13, Mac feline kohl eye pencil, £14, Urban Decay Electric, £38 Mac Fig 1 eye shadow, £13, Urban Decay Bondage, £10, Charlotte Tilbury (gold) The Vintage Vamp Palette, £38, LIPS: Mac Rebel, £15.50, Mac Vino lip pencil, £12.50, Bourjois Fuchsia Graffiti Rouge, £7.99
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Beauty / Jewel Tones
Autumn 2015 | Style Birmingham | 63
Enhanced & Interactive
Available now for iPad on the AppStore BIRMINGHAM
stylebham.com
DAKS A/W15, Images: Kensington Leverne & Sam Wilson, British Fashion Council
Beauty / Tresses
RICH GIRL HAIR This season has seen the return of super swingy, ultra glossy and beautifully healthy hair, dubbed ‘Rich Girl Hair’. Not too wavy, not too curly but that effortlessly done, clean and glossy hairstyle that combines a polished finish with no-fuss styling. The long beach waves of last season have visited finishing school and the result is luxuriously silky, un-uniformed hair with a natural wave. Create the look with a curling iron, a clamp and freshly cut well nourished hair. ‘Rich Girl Hair’ requires loose, natural styling so in order to prevent precision curls, leave the ends of your hair uncurled and wrap your locks around the iron for seconds not minutes. You should alternate the size of your sections and curl one way then another to maintain the unstructured effect. Finalise your style with Kérastase Gloss Appeal to make sure your end result is smooth and super shiny.
Hair Update Erdem
This month Royston Blythe talk AW15 trends and restoring our parched summer hair
GET THE LOOK 60’s
Pony
STYLE ICONS Think T wiggy meets Hitchc ock!
1. Make sure your hair is blow dried smooth and apply Kérastase V.I.P. Volume Powder all over the roots to give it some guts and make sure it isn’t too fly away. 2. Leaving out the fringe, back comb your hair and gently smooth back using a soft hair brush. Make sure the sides are flatter to your head and you are still maintaining the height from your back combing. 3. Continue to smooth your hair back using your hands into the nape of your neck and secure into a ponytail using a thin bobble. 4. Take a small piece of hair (1cm thick) from the ponytail and wrap around the bobble. Secure this with a hair grip making sure the grip is well hidden underneath the pony tail (This is why we use a thin bobble because it’s easier to hide) 5. Smooth out your fringe using the soft hair brush again and keep everything in place using Kérastase Lacque Noire hairspray.
We Love!
Kérastase Masquintense is undoubtedly a hair mask worth investing in, especially after the pressure that your hair is under during summer months. Whether your hair has endured over exposure to sunshine, frequent laps of the pool or dips in the ocean, the chances are it will be frazzled and in need of repair and restructuring. This tried and tested, must have hair mask is particularly suited to hair that is dehydrated and highly sensitive, at the salon we always recommend our clients use this home hair care treatment to rejuvenate, moisturise and restore their hair without making it feel heavy. It is inspired by the iris flower and will completely protect hair against the relentless return of dryness. Autumn 2015 | Style Birmingham | 65
Beauty / Sleep
Can’t Sleep?
It Could Be Your Personality I
Picture this:
You’re organised, switched on and highly motivated. So surely you’d be good at sleep? Wrong. Elle Sixsmith reveals how to reclaim your sleep and tame your inner perfectionist
t’s night time and I’m in bed getting nice and comfortable. It’s pitch black and blissfully silent. My head hits the pillow, my eyes are starting to close ready to fall into a deep sleep then suddenly, ‘Oh, I must remember to send that email tomorrow. Hmm what else do I have to do tomorrow? And what else do I need to get done this week?’. I then start to replay the day in my head, painstakingly evaluating what I could have done differently and every possible outcome for every different situation. And so begins the nightly scenario. It’s no wonder that one in five of us complain of feeling drained all the time.
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The number one cause of insomnia and what many of us are suffering with is ‘cognitive over-arousal’, aka the inability to switch off at night. ‘Sleep problems come as an end-product of everything we have done during the day,’ explains Dr Nerina Ramlakhan, Sleep, Stress and Energy Expert at Nightingale Hospital. ‘Food we have eaten, hours spent at the computer, thoughts and conversations we have had and how they have made us feel. If we go to bed over-stimulated as a result of not building adequate down time into our day, then our bodies – awash with adrenaline, struggle to wind down ’, she explains.
WOMEN HAVE IT WORSE
It’s only when you really start to look into the facts that you realise how badly women score when it comes to sleep. According to a poll by the National Sleep Federation, 63 percent of women experience symptoms of insomnia a few times a week, compared to 54 percent of men. 75 percent of women in the poll got two hours less than the recommended eight hours of sleep per night. Whilst hormonal changes and increasing work demands can be partly attributed to our lack of shut-eye, it seems that certain personality traits can also impair sleep. ‘I am definitely seeing more perfectionism among women – they find it hard to delegate, ask for help, say ‘no’, and are more inclined to think ‘it’s up to me to sort this out’, says Dr Nerina Ramlakhan.
GHT’S SL NI
AB
Time to take control of your sleep with these helpful tips
GE T
People with perfectionist tendencies tend to be more prone to overstimulation at night – our heads are full of mental to-do lists, we’re constantly juggling lots of different things at once and the stress of trying to reach our demandingly high standards, is a real struggle. Striving to be your best isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but when it comes to sleep, you’re your own worst enemy. Whilst we don’t actually know whether perfectionism is the cause of insomnia, according to Dr. Nicole Tang, Associate Professor in Clinical and Health and Psychology Director of Warwick Sleep and Pain Lab at the University of Warwick, research has suggested a link between perfectionism and insomnia. ‘We know that many people with insomnia also show perfectionist characteristics. Perfectionism is not necessarily bad for us; however, when it is excessive, it could be maladaptive,’ she explains. ‘Excessive perfectionism may manifest into cognitive arousal (e.g., worrying, planning and reviewing in bed), physical tension (e.g., feeling tense, a racing heart and sweaty palms), and emotional distress (e.g., anxiety, low mood and feeling guilt and shame while you try to sleep), all of which are factors known to be sleep-interfering.’ Having had a rough night and feeling worn
out, we look for a quick fix, caffeine. But whilst caffeine can help perk us up for a short time, becoming reliant on it to keep us going puts excessive stress on our mind and body, altering our body clock and making it even harder for us to sleep. Lack of sleep isn’t just making us feel exhausted, it could also lead to more serious health problems. Dr Paul Reading, who is President of the British Sleep Society warns that stress-induced insomnia could lead to rising blood pressure and sleep deprivation predisposes us to diabetes, even after relatively short periods of time. You may also find yourself worrying about how much sleep you’ve had, or more to the point, haven’t had, explains Dr Janet K. Kennedy, PhD, Clinical Psychologist, founder of NYC Sleep Doctor, and author of The Good Sleeper: The Essential Guide to Sleep for Your Baby (and You). ‘One might focus on needing a certain amount of sleep and trying to reach that goal’, she says. ‘They might believe that they need to make up for lost sleep and nap or go to bed early the next night.’ Then comes the snowball effect. ‘For perfectionists, sleep that doesn’t meet expectations feels like a failure and that increases the pressure. Unfortunately, sleep doesn’t respond to that sort of pressure and often becomes more elusive the more we try to get it right. Worrying about sleep just makes insomnia worse’, she adds.
P EE
PERFECTIONISM IS KEEPING YOU UP
E T TE R
Beauty / Sleep
RELAX
‘Do something to clear your mind (read fiction, draw, do crossword puzzles). Stop focusing on getting a specific amount of sleep every night. Remember that sleep varies. Remember that a rough night or few nights does not constitute sleep deprivation. The body will rebound and get the sleep it needs if you remain calm and focus on good sleep habits.Watch out for all-or-nothing thinking and challenge it. Remember that you don’t have to be perfect to be satisfied or successful’, says Dr Janet K. Kennedy.
RECOGNISE WHEN YOU’RE BEING A PERFECTIONIST ‘Manage perfectionist tendencies – recognise your limits and know when you are going over them. Set yourself realistic targets, know when to ask for help and learn how to say no when the pressure starts to reach unhealthy levels. Avoid being a perfectionist in every area of your life and ask yourself if you can delegate more at home – are you trying too hard to do it all?,’ advises Dr Nerina Ramlakhan.
SEEK HELP If relaxation techniques have failed, Dr Simon Wharton, Head of Sleep at Heartlands Hospital, Birmingham, recommends Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia. ‘This is a set of behavioural rules designed to stop some of the unproductive behaviours that people adopt in an effort to help themselves such as going to bed increasingly early to give themselves chance to get ‘enough’ sleep. And restricts the amount of time they spend in bed awake at night. The latter tends to break the association between the bedroom and anxiety about sleep, plus generates sleepiness.’
SWITCH OFF Recent studies have found that technology is ruining our sleep. The blue light emitted from our phones stops the production of the sleep hormone, tricking the body into thinking it’s daytime and keeping you awake. Dr Janet K. Kennedy suggests that you should unplug all technology at least an hour before bed to ensure enough time to unwind.
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Beauty / Pamper
The Last Word In Luxury She opened her first venture at 20, A-listers love her and now she’s coming to the West Midlands. Esther Fieldgrass, founder of award-winning EF MEDIASPA gives us the latest on her exciting new venture, at Resorts World Birmingham
S
ANTAI BY EF MEDISPA will offer services from the £150m Resorts World Birmingham complex where designers have created the ultimate in luxury spa concepts. The medi-spa chain already has three multi-award winning clinics in Chelsea, Kensington and St John’s Wood, but according to Esther Fieldgrass, this concept is very different. “Yes, we will of course have intelligent skincare, and cutting edge face and body treatments” explains Esther, “but SANTAI BY EF MEDISPA also enjoys luxurious spa facilities: a swimming pool and a salt cave; the latter is very healing for anybody with asthma, bronchial conditions or people who have skin problems. We’ll also have the sauna, an outdoor hot tub and the gym, and a juice bar. It will be a luxurious haven for visitors to Resorts World Birmingham and those staying at the Genting Hotel, or people who just want to visit us for the day to experience the very best and most effective treatments.” What distinguishes EF MEDISPA from other clinics, and the reason it’s chosen by discerning clients, is their focus on results. “The other thing that differentiates us is our team; my clinics are nothing without the team. They are fabulous because they are trained to a very high standard and the service they offer is second to none. It’s not about selling a treatment or course of treatments, it’s all about the diagnosis and preparation of bespoke treatments for that individual person to get the results they need.” Esther founded EF MEDIASPA in 2006, but has had a long career in beauty and hairdressing. Having lived in Hong Kong for 13 years, she also very experienced about 68 | Style Birmingham | Autumn 2015
alternative medicine and energy healing. She’s a Reiki master herself and has made sure that her ‘inner wellness for outer beauty’ philosophy informs the offer at Resorts World Birmingham.
Men-focused treatments
According to Esther, the new SANTAI BY EF MEDISPA has a lot planned for clients. “We offer everything from painfree laser hair removal, which is becoming very popular to treatments for hyperhidrosis (sweating) as well as a range of treatments for skin conditions. if clients are losing their hair; we can work with PRP, which is all about putting stem cells back into the hair to help them regenerate. So there is an awful lot we can offer in male treatments many of which remain unknown to the majority of men.” We are also planning to invite a wide range of experts to host talks and seminars about the latest in nutrition and cutting edge treatments such as bioidentical hormones.”
Top Treatment
SANTAI BY EF MEDISPA will be home to the latest Drip and Chill™ bar, offering fully personalised, bespoke intravenous saline drips containing vitamins, minerals and micronutrients. Designed specifically to your needs, these drips focus on specific areas; rejuvenation, hydration, sports performance, immune support, diet/detox, aches and pains. To find out more ahead of the SANTAI BY EF MEDISPA opening, visit resortsworldbirmingham.co.uk and to find out more about some of the treatments on offer, visit santaiefmedispa.com
Above: Founder of EF MEDIASPA, Esther Fieldgrass. The pool, reception and lounge areas at Santai Spa, Resorts World
Auctioneers & Valuers Antiques | Jewellery | Watches
The Watch Sale Tuesday 29th September at 11am Tuesday 27th October at 11am Tuesday 1st December at 11am For more information about free valuations and consigning your items for entry in an auction at Fellows, call 0121 212 2131 or email info@fellows.co.uk. VIEW THE FULL AUCTION CALENDAR AT WWW.FELLOWS.CO.UK Jewellery Quarter Saleroom | 19 Augusta Street, Birmingham, B18 6JA Mayfair Office | 2nd Floor, 3 Queen Street, London W1J 5PA
fellowsauctions
Pringle of Scotland
Mens Style
Women / The Edit
STYLE CHART Everything you need or want this autumn AUTUMN STYLE UPDATE The trends and pieces you’ll want to buy into
Photography: Dan Sims, British Fashion Council
THE ED TEST Heart FM Breakfast Presenter, Ed James road tests the best experiences
Autumn 2015 | Style Birmingham | 71
Men / Style
The Style Chart
From time-keepers to smart outerwear updates — this is what we’re loving this autumn
Get Booted
Cuff Details
Look Sharp
Skull Shots
The classic Chelsea boot finishes off any Autumn/Winter look. They are smart and practical made from full-grain leather. £170, UGG
Made from sterling silver, these cufflinks will brighten up any plain shirt - giving it a quirky twist. £155, Thomas Sabo
This best selling moisturiser is back, this time around containing SPF 15 to help protect your skin from the winter sun. £33, Kiehl’s
The Crystal Head Vodka has been downsized into a 50ml miniature, making fun shot glasses when empty! £62.50, Harvey Nichols
Ultimate Con
Undercover Edit
Pack Up
Tick Tock
This slick comedy starring Margot Robbie, will provide plenty of laughs while trying to pull off the ultimate con. £10, Amazon
Put a funky spin on your essentials and step away from boring black with these socks! £8.50, Ted Baker
Travel in style with this classic backpack. Good looking and practical, it’s made from durable fabric with leather straps. £85, John Lewis
The contrast between the silver and blue on this Accurst watch, makes for a sleek and sophisticated design. £85, TH Baker
EDITOR’S PICK
Sound Clash
Page Turner
Buckle Up
Summer Blues
The Libratone Loop combines style and technology - with a changeable Italian wool covers and FullRoom audio. £349.95, Libratone
The latest book in the Harry Bosch series reveals Bosch crossing over to the dark side of defence. £14.99, Waterstones
Get ready for the unpredictable autumn weather and cover up with this elegant khaki trench coat. £69.99, River Island
This staple crew-neck jumper has been given a luxurious twist, woven with rich blend of wool and cashmere. £90, Reiss
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Men / Style
Fifty Shades of…
McQueen A/W15
This trend encompasses the layering of different hues and shades of one key colour. Both grey and burgundy sprung up in many collections this season, featuring different tones layered over one another. Layer a t-shirt, jumper and coat of a similar colour, for an easy way into this trend! Take inspiration from designers such as Alexander McQueen, Hardy Amies and Lanvin.
Mens Autumn Style Update From smart leather pouches to chunky knits – our autumn edit has everything to help you update your wardrobe Words: Daisy Holden
Aquatic Notes
Time Out
The Timex Weekender range, as suggested, is perfect for that relaxed weekend style. The design is casual yet classic with rugged elegance, less smart and structured than a workwear design. We love the contrast between the cream face and navy leather strap. Timex weekender chrono oversized, £79.99, Selfridges
Modern Utility
Inspired by the fresh sea air of Pantelleria, this fragrance symbolises the connection between the sea and rocks. The invigorating scents of aquatic accord and bergamot contrast against the earthy notes of sage and rosemary. This fragrance has that perfect autumnal feel with a freshness and warmth. Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio Profumo, £50, Boots
Right Foot Forward
Backpacks are the accessory of the season, and a definate winter staple. This matte grey leather version from Whistles gives a sleek sharp finish to modern utility trend. Whistles grey leather backpack, £295, whistles.com
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Vans two-tone wool slip-on sneakers, £55, Mr Porter
This smarter version of the classic slip-on sneaker style is ideal for a smart-casual look. They are still kitted with the traditional features such as the white rubber sole and padded collars, but the two-tone wool panels give the shoe a grownup air. A great autumn investment.
160
Men / Style
t, £
TREND ALERT: Seventies Shearling
Be n Sherma n x Alpha
In dus
tries
Jac
ke
Another classic fabric with a Seventies vibe. This trend was shown by many designers including JW Anderson, APC, Coach and Hackett London at the Autumn/Winter catwalks. You can either opt for the traditional natural brown shearling jacket, or choose a more modern dyed design! JW Anderson A/W15
Flight Club Ben Sherman and Alpha Industries have come togetherto create the ultimate bomber jacket. Alpha Industries were one of the biggest manufactures for the U.S Air Force and Navy, creating the iconic MA-1 flight jacket. This collaboration with Ben Sherman recreates the iconic jacket in three new styles but keeping the original nylon outer material and orange interiors. This is our favourite of the three, perfect for nailing the khaki military trend this season.
The Knit
Catwalk/backstage imagery: Dan Sims, British Fahion Council
Baggy Trousers
EDITORS CHOICE H&M
Skinny slim-leg trousers are out, and loosely tailored trousers are in. Across the runway, trouser styles were more high waisted with a looser cut, giving the air of effortless tailoring. Typically they were cut from wool, with ankle turn-ups.
Take inspiration from the catwalk this season, and pair a chunky knit with loosely tailored trousers and brogues. Composed with a mohairwool blend, this moss green jumper is perfect for that sartorial style on cooler days.
Armani Jeans jumper, £165, Harvey Nichols
Three of the best: Leather Pouches The pouch is fast becoming one of the most sought-after accessories in mens fashion. A sleek and sophisticated way to carry your laptop, wallet or documents to work or out in the evening. Here are our top three: Boss by Hugo Boss leather organiser, £300, Hugo Boss, the Mailbox
Ted Baker leather document bag, £149, tedbaker.com
Mullberry camo-print Leather pouch, £275, mulberry.com
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Men / Denim
From modern looks to raw and distressed cuts – it’s time to rekindle your love for the hard-working fabric
FALL FOR DENIM
Photographer: Mike Raven Make-up: Diana Stoencheva Hair: Yannis Setakis and Pamela Cooney from Toni & Guy Stylist: Georgina O Models: Ben Westland, George Tarrant and Scott Magrath from Established Models and Luke Grimley from Alan Sharman Agency 76 | Style Birmingham | Autumn 2015
Men / Denim
From left to right: George wears: Label Lab Senator Tapered Leg Light Denim Jean, £60, House of Fraser, Luke wears: Levi’s Vintage Clothing Levi’s Vintage 1954 501 New Rinse, £170, Liquor Store, Ben wears: Hiut Denim Hiut Organic Slim, £130, Liquor Store, Scott wears: A.P.C. Petit New Standard Indigo, £125, Liquor Store, Dom wears: Jack Jones regular boxy fit jeans, £65, House of Fraser Autumn 2015 | Style Birmingham | 77
Men / Denim Dom wears: Jack Jones plain classic fit shirt, ÂŁ35, Jack Jones regular boxy fit jeans, ÂŁ65 all from House of Fraser
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Men / Denim
Ben wears: Nudie Jeans shirt, £72.50, Liquor Store
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Men / Denim Scott wears: Label Lab light wash shirt, £60, House of Fraser, A.P.C. Petit New Standard Indigo, £125, Liquor Store, Luke wears: Diesel Sonora shirt, £95, House of Fraser, Tommy Hilfiger leather belt, £35, House of Fraser, Levi’s Vintage Clothing Levi’s Vintage 1954 501 New Rinse, £170, Liquor Store
Men / Denim
Men / Denim
George wears: Lee 101 rider shirt, £55, Liquor Store, Label Lab Senator Tapered Leg Light Blast Denim Jean, £60, House of Fraser
Men / Denim
Scott wears: Label Lab light wash shirt, ÂŁ60, House of Fraser
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Men / Denim Ben wears: Nudie Jeans shirt, £72.50, The Unbranded Brand Unbranded UB201 Tapered Fit Raw Indigo, £75 all from Liquor Store
Men / Denim
George wears: Lee 101 rider shirt, £55, Liquor Store
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Life / Ed James
The Ed Test Heart FM Breakfast Show presenter Ed James, trials the best experiences on the market. This month, Ed puts Clements & Church’s bespoke tailoring service to the test
A
s the purveyors of quintessential British style, Clements & Church are at the cutting edge of modern men’s tailoring with a reputation for elegant yet eye-catching looks with a contemporary spin. The benefit of their bespoke tailoring service is flexibility and impeccable quality when it comes to choosing a suit. Having a bespoke service gives you the ultimate in choice and a finished look that is completely individual to you.
THE EXPERT
‘Ed’s personality is bold and vibrant, so we needed to go with a look that would
accentuate his persona without defining it’, said Birmingham Tailor Aaron Foster. ‘The blue is both standout and versatile at the same time, with it being a key look to have in the wardrobe. Here at Clements & Church we tailor for the individual’s needs and then advise on style, fabric and cut accordingly. In Ed’s case he was looking to re-vamp his personal style. A three-piece suit in a staple colour is the perfect starting point for this. He can easily accessorize this in a variety of ways to match each occasion. For me the finished look is perfect. Balancing the vibrant blue tones with pops of contrasting colour allow Ed to use this as a blank canvas and really imprint his personality onto the outfit. He looks over the moon and the key to any successful outfit is confidence.’
BEFORE
THE VERDICT
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‘The guys were brilliant, they really put me at my ease and talked me through the whole process as I’d never done anything like this before’, said Ed. ‘It was really good to have an ‘expert opinion’ on things like the correct length of the sleeve and the special ‘Clements & Church’ way to tie a tie! We chose an outfit that looks smart and sophisticated but also really stands out from the crowd. ‘My normal look? Jeans, a shirt and a jacket – this is the first three-piece suit I think I’ve ever owned but it feels amazing, it makes you feel really special. I’m hosting quite a few events over the next few weeks like The Brain Game for Marie Curie, the Steve Bull Charity ball and the Midlands Media Awards so it’ll be getting quite an airing. I love the finished look and I can’t wait to wear it for the first time in public.’
Head Tailor Matt Roden picks his key pieces for the new season
ED UPDAT N M AUTU S C I CLASS
Double breasted orange rain mac, £799.95 and Two piece blue mohair suit, £799.95
Leather strap shoes, £499.95
Orange & blue polka dot umbrella, £299.95
Orange & white checked shirt, £169.95
Orange & white checked shirt, £169.95
Life / Ed James
Autumn 2015 | Style Birmingham | 87
22 Church Street Birmingham B3 2NP
www.clementsandchurch.co.uk
Insider / Autumn
The Insider ISSUE 45
RETAIL | MUSIC | CULTURE | LITERATURE
Autumn in Birmingham Illustrations by Josh Hurley - joshhurley.co.uk
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Insider / Autumn
Resorts World BIRMINGHAM Michael Kors rose gold-plated bangle, £89, Ernest Jones
MAILBOX
WHERE: Same location WHEN: End of September
WHAT’S ON OFFER: WHEN: Autumn WHERE: On the NEC Campus
WHAT’S ON OFFER: Resorts World Birmingham will be the first outlet shopping centre in the West Midlands with brands including Next, GAP and Nike. However, this is no ordinary outlet mall, with a four-star boutique hotel next door, and an Asian-themed EF MediSpa – this complex has plenty on offer. The entertainment aspect comes into play with an 11-screen IMAX cinema, casino and a multitude of bars and restaurants. Resorts World Birmingham focuses on exciting and diverse leisure activities for all.
WHAT’S DIFFERENT: In the city centre, you have to travel between A to B, at Resorts World Birmingham, everything is housed together. You can shop, relax, eat, drink, and sleep all in one building. There’s a huge choice of restaurants on offer, from Pizza Express and TGI Fridays, to new restaurants that have been created especially for Resorts World Birmingham – Michelin
RUGBY WORLD CUP
starred chef Andy Waters will open a new restaurant on the second floor.
The Highline New York Bar and Lounge will be bringing the Big Apple to Birmingham with a selection of cocktails, champagne and premium beers. Opposite this is the Late Lounge Trax, which will feature top DJ’s from around the region. The World Bar focuses on a vast array of drinks from around the world, including artisan beers. The Sky Bar, located on the top floor of the building, gives a fantastic view across the city and has a strong Asian influence reflecting the Genting’s Malaysian culture. The bar includes a unique Teriyaki and Yakitori grill, where your food is prepared in front of you!
WHAT’S DIFFERENT: Jaeger coat £425
The Mailbox has been given a complete makeover with a brand new interior, roof and shops, including Clements & Church, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein Underwear, aswell as Hugo Jaeger bag £295 Boss, L.K. Bennett, Jaeger and Gieves & Hawkes.
WHERE: Villa Park • WHEN: September 26th & 27th The Rugby World Cup showcases twenty different teams from across the world, battling it out for the trophy. The iconic football stadium, Villa Park, will transform into a rugby pitch following the opening matches at Twickenham Stadium. Villa Park Stadium will host two of the matches – South Africa vs Samoa on Saturday 26th September and Australia vs Uruguay Sunday 27th September. The teams are based at
90 | Style Birmingham | Autumn 2015
It’s already been an exciting year for the Mailbox since revealing the revamped Harvey Nichols in July, but there’s more to come as the countdown continues. The revamped store, not only has been given a cosmetic makeover by design specialists Virgile and Partners, but also features more than 200 contemporary designer labels. Michelin-starred chef Glynn Purnell has curated the all-day dining menu in the new restaurant, and there is a sleek new cocktail bar featuring Birmingham-inspired drinks. Also new this year, Aluna brings its own unique drop of magic to the Mailbox. Specialising in expertly created cocktails pushing the boundaries of cocktail making, Aluna is a feast for all your senses.
various different sites around the city; with South Africa based at the University of Birmingham and Samoa based at Sutton Coldfield RFC. For those who cannot make it to the matches, Fanzone in Eastside Park is a great place to watch them with friends and family. The games will be shown on a big screen, with plenty of food, drink and entertainment!
Insider / Autumn
Grand Central
WHEN: 24th September WHERE: Above Birmingham New Street train station
WHATS ON OFFER:
high street with services including a personal shopping style experience. Another much loved British brand moving in is Jones Bootmaker, who will also be opening a flagship store.
This September will be the opening of the hugely anticipated John Lewis.Grand Central will be home to the regional flagship store, and will host four floors of the latest fashion, furniture, homewares, beauty and technology. However, there is far more on offer in Grand Central than just the opening of John Lewis! Centrally located in the heart of Birmingham above New Street train station, Grand Central will be home to over sixty new shops and restaurants – many of which are new to Birmingham! Beauty heroes Kiehl’s and Jo Malone will be welcomed in, along side a larger stand-alone MAC store. British menswear designer Steel & Jelly are set to open a flagship store, bringing a sophisticated touch to the
WHAT’S DIFFERENT: Grand Central will put Birmingham on the map for one of the best shopping destinations outside of London. Birmingham will now have five top department stores within walking distance. However, this is more than just another shopping centre – brand new cafes and restaurants will be moving to the city centre. Café Concerto is an elegant Italian restaurant, which has a musical twist; the London branch regularly hosts live music. Cocomacs will be the UK’s first mini macaroon bakery, filled full of sweet treats! Renown French boulangerie Paul will be opening a bakery café, perfect for handmade sandwiches and desserts. Brining Spanish dining to our tables is Tapas Revolution. Immerses yourself in the Spanish culture with tapas sharing plates, wines and locally-crafted beers.
Five minutes with... Omar Allibhoy
He’s a favourite on Masterchef, a pal of Jamie Oliver’s and Gordan Ramsey has dubbed him ‘the Antonio Banderas of cooking’. Now heading up Tapas Revolution at Grand Central (his first tapas bar outside of London), he gives us the latest on his newest venture Why did you want to open in Birmingham and why Grand Central? Birmingham has a great food scene and is increasingly becoming a destination city for tourists and for businesses – and it’s gaining a really positive reputation. I wanted to get involved in the buzz happening here and bring a real taste of Spain to the city centre. Grand Central is a perfect location, right in the bustle of Birmingham where commuters and shoppers can drop into our tapas bar for a drink and some good food with friends, and then move on with whatever they’re doing. What makes your tapas better from other tapas restaurants? we deal directly with artisans and producers back in Spain so we use authentic, high quality ingredients that make all the difference. The menu is inspired by various regions in Spain and includes classics like Calamares fritos (deep fried squid with aioli) and Croquetas de jamón (deep-fried Iberico ham and bechamel croquettes) that everyone will want to try. There are also some dishes that I’ve put my own touch on, for example my take on the traditional ‘bocadillo’ (Spanish version of the Great British sandwich). I replace the crusty bread with a soft brioche bun to create the ‘buncadillo’ – the Spanish burger. There are different fillings to choose from including ‘Chorizo’ – grilled chorizo sausage, rocket and honey sauce and ‘Morcilla’ – black pudding, roasted peppers and fried egg.
READ ALL ABOUT IT 1
The first full-line John Lewis opening in four years represents a £35m investment in Birmingham.
2
The newly installed sky-lit roof covering the new Mailbox interior weighs around a whopping 22 tonnes!
3
Resorts World Birmingham is built over seven floors and it’s overall size equates to over ½ million sq. ft.
4
Birmingham’s Grand Central Shopping Centre and New Street Station have cost £750m in total.
5
The concourse at the revamped New Street station is five times the size of the concourse at London Euston.
Autumn 2015 | Style Birmingham | 91
Insider / What’s on
&
Out About Words: Ayla Yoncaci
A WELCH GIG
Florence & The Machine Genting Arena | 19 September | £40.08+ gentingarena.co.uk
Feeling the post-festival blues? Indie-chick Florence will be back in Birmingham this September so you can relive your favourite festival moments. Best to snap your tickets up fast though; judging by her firecracker Glasto performance, we reckon this will be the hottest ticket in town.
TAKING THE MICHAEL
Michael McIntyre: Happy & Glorious Barclaycard Arena | 18 - 19 September £39.90+ barclaycardarena.co.uk Prepare to laugh yourself silly: The hilarious Michael McIntyre is back in town and he has promised to parody everything in his life from holidays, motorway services, to yes, even his children. That has us wondering, is that with or without his children’s permission? We’re guessing without!
STAR CROSSED LOVERS
The Royal Ballet - Romeo & Juliet Live Mac Birmingham | 22 September £17.50 macbirmingham.co.uk Opening the 2015/6 Royal Opera House Live Cinema Season is Kenneth MacMillan’s renowned Romeo & Juliet which you can watch more locally at the Mac Birmingham. Lose yourself in the Verona streets, feel Juliet’s delirious happiness at first love but remember to prepare yourself for the impending tragedy at the end. Tissues are essential! 92 | Style Birmingham | Autumn 2015
A LAUGHING STOCK
MID-AUTUMN FEST
Mid-Autumn Festival Arcadian Piazza | 25 September Free thearcadian.com Who said you need to travel to China to experience a traditional Chinese festival? Luckily, we Brummies have Chinatown which is bringing a sample of the East right to our doorstep. Expect glorious food, live dance and performance as well as a spectacular fireworks finale!
CULTURAL EXCHANGE
Birmingham Weekender Throughout the city | 25 - 27 September Free birminghamweekender.com There’ll be a whole host of music, arts and performance shows taking place throughout the Birmingham Weekender, from acrobatics and theatre at Grand Central to a world class orchestra residency at the Mailbox - and that’s only naming a few! Where else can you shop to the backdrop of Requiem?
Birmingham Comedy Festival City-wide | 2 - 11 October Various bhamcomfest.co.uk Comedy fans, brace yourselves. The laughout-loud Birmingham Comedy Festival has an incredible 50 shows planned at various venues throughout Birmingham as well as some seriously impressive headliners. Headliner number one is comedic royalty ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic, and we’re really hoping he’ll do his Pharell “Happy” impersonation. If you aren’t sure what we mean, get yourself onto Youtube. Immediately.
OKTOBERFEST
Digbeth Oktoberfest Old Crown Beer Garden | 2 - 10 October £15 plus booking fee + digbethoktoberfest.co.uk Fancy a Bavarian experience? The first of its kind in Digbeth, Oktoberfest will see the Old Crown transformed into a German beer hall complete with German street food, German games and of course, authentic lager. With live entertainment thrown into the mix, you’ll have a Bavarian old time!
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Insider / Music
They’re one of the standout bands of 2015, and their genre-defying debut album is among the bookies’ favourites to win the Mercury Prize. Ellie Rowsell of Wolf Alice talks Glastonbury, Birmingham fans and touring America
She Wolf T
he response to our album has been quite overwhelming, everything has been very go go go. It’s had some really positive feedback and the week around the album release was so fun. We keep trying to find excuses to celebrate. We celebrated the release at our local pub and invited all our friends and family, which was really nice. Our album was always going to be quite eclectic but we didn’t force it. All the songs were written at different times, we didn’t go away and write the album and we didn’t have a concept or a theme. We just put together our favourite songs that we’d written over the course of two years so it was always going to be diverse. There have been plenty of times over the past few years where we have wanted to
release an album but kept setting it back and back so we had to be really patient. But on reflection it was the best time to release the album and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. We were much more more confident at Glastonbury. Having been on the road for so long, we had a lot more experience under our belts. I’ve been to Glastonbury a few times now and every time I go it’s a completely different experience. I really enjoyed Kayne’s set, it was just banger after banger, he’s got so many good hits. The lights show was really cool and inventive. My favourite moment from this year? On the week of our album release, we went to LA and we were all really excited and it finally
ended with Glastonbury. That was probably the most exciting week of our lives. Going to America has always been something that I’ve really wanted to do, especially to travel around it not just visit. To be able to play shows there, I feel so lucky and the crowds have been so great. I think we were a bit nervous having never released anything over there we thought we might be playing to no-one, but theres been decent sized crowds and it feels very buzzy and exciting over there. Our Brummie fans are always the most rowdy, crazy and excitable audience. We know we are always in for a party when we go there. Wolf Alice play The Institute on 17 September.
Katy Poulsom’s
TOP MUSIC NIGHTS
Capital’s Breakfast presenter Katy Poulsom on the nights you won’t want to miss 94 | Style Birmingham | Autumn 2015
Soul Master
house party
over the rainbow
If you’re looking for something a little different, ‘The Night Owl’ on Lower Trinity Street is Birmingham’s first Northern Soul and Motown bar. For £5 on a Wednesday evening, you can learn the moves and groves of Northern Soul, then once mastered, why not put them to the test at ‘Mostly Motown Saturdays’.
If like me, you love the great outdoors, then get yourself down to ‘The Lord Clifden’ on Great Hampton St. It has one of the best beer gardens in Birmingham and every second and third Friday of the month, the ‘UAB Collective’ sees resident DJ’s warming up the crowds with a mix of funk, classic house and anything in-between.
The Rainbow Venues have raised their game this year with the introduction of their roof top terrace. They will be hosting another party on September 13th with Loco Dive, Djebali, Adam Shelton and Jemmy. If you’re clinging to summer vibes, check out their ’02:31 4th Birthday party’ on October 3rd headlined by no other than Katy B.
Autumn’s Reading List Need some new reading inspiration? Maisy Moran picks the latest thrillers to get your heart pounding PRETTY GIRLS Century, £20
‘Pretty Girls’ from internationally best-selling author, Karin Slaughter, who has contributed some of the most chilling novels to date, is already being regarded as one of the best books of the year. Claire Scott’s older sister, Julia, went missing over twenty years ago. The family has fallen apart, and each surviving member is taunted by the fact that they don’t know exactly what happened to her. Over the subsequent years, Claire finds herself following news stories of other missing girls yet the most recent case of Anna Kilpatrick happens to coincide with another tragedy in Claire’s life, one that will lead her not only to the truth about Anna and Julia but will unearth further secrets. ‘Pretty Girls’ is engaging from the very start. It throws its punches swiftly and expertly, shocking and appalling you in all of the right ways. Slaughter is very clever in not announcing outright who the mystery speaker is, and this can be perceived as a bit of a risky move as it can confuse the reader. However, she does it in a way so that it doesn’t leave you bewildered or confused. The isolation of the two women is effective in highlighting just how alone they are. We make the same mistakes they do, we follow them down each rabbit hole, hating who they hate until they are proven wrong, blaming this person like they do until they learn who was truly at fault, and this is one of the best aspects of ‘Pretty Girls’. This book is one of those reads that will have you up late at night, telling yourself ‘one more chapter, one more chapter’.
THE SISTERS HarperCollins, £7.99
‘The Sisters’ is the debut novel of Claire Douglas, winner of the Marie Claire Debut Novel Award (2013). It’s told predominantly from the perspective of Abi, a young woman who is struggling to resume her life and regain normality after the devastating death of her twin sister, Lucy, who continues to haunt her through her own identical reflection. One rainy day, Abi meets Beatrice, who is beautiful, talented, charming, and bears an uncanny likeness to Lucy. However, the closer Beatrice and Abi get, the uglier and more disturbing their relationship becomes, especially once Beatrice’s twin brother, Ben, is involved. As the story progresses, there is one question that will continuously stalk you: Who do we believe? Douglas constructs a world that is almost too pristine to be believable, populating it with characters who are nauseatingly perfect in both appearance and personality, until suddenly, she creates cracks that allow the reality to ooze through. This is a novel that is teeming with questions: Who do we trust? Who is manipulating who? What’s their motive? Is there a motive? Trust me when I say that these questions will continue to jostle about in your mind long after you’ve completed the book and set it down on your shelf–or maybe after you’ve thrust it into the hands of a friend so you can discuss it and see if your thoughts are correct. A twisted read with a pervading sense of unease and mistrust, ‘The Sisters’ is a debut novel, which serves as a fine appetiser as to what this author has yet to offer, and a perfect autumn read.
Insider / Culture
PJ’S HIT LIST Our man about town PJ Ellis takes us through his autumn cultural calendar Without a doubt, I shall be rocking out to the Monkees at the amazing Moseley Folk Festival at the start of September, and then being all arty-and-stuff by taking in Romeo and Juliet via Mac Birmingham’s Royal Opera House Live Cinema Season. Whilst I’m ‘at’ the Mac, I might take in the ridiculous, but brilliant comedy of Alex Horne. And then returning to my more cultural side, hop over to the Hippodrome and sit by the moonlit lake to the backdrop of Tchaikovsky’s legendary score and take in the lavish Swan Lake.
I can’t forget to mention the obvious (and fondly anticipated) opening of Grand Central Station. The chubby-checker in me is already drooling at the prospect of sampling the delights of Ed’s Diner and Tapas Revolution. To wash that indulgence down, you’ll most likely find me in Cannon Hill Park dancing on the tables at Oktoberfest, and then a little Happy & Glorious with Michael McIntyre at the Barclaycard Arena. Oh, and I’m not afraid to admit it, but I’ll be checking out Brick 2o15 as it lands at the Genting Casino. Lego for adults = LOVE. PJ Ellis is a director at Brum-based marketing agency Bareface Media and CEO of local charity LoveBrum, a movement for a Better Birmingham. Lovebrum.org.uk
Autumn 2015 | Style Birmingham | 95
Insider / Culture
TV Magic
Words: Bethany Lee
It’s going to be a long, cold winter. We can’t wait! This autumn’s TV schedule is so jam-packed with brand new shows and returning series that we weren’t planning on leaving the house anyway THE WALKING DEAD
AMERICAN HORROR STORY - HOTEL
Looking for a getaway? Why not check into Hotel in November for season five of US horror-drama American Horror Story. The new series boasts an impressive cast; Lady Gaga, Naomi Campbell and Chloe Sevigny just to name a few. Franchise favourite, Lily Rabe returns playing real life American serial killer Aileen Wuornos. Lady Gaga plays the villain Elizabeth, a wealthy countess and owner of Hotel Cortez. The shows co-creator Ryan Murphy says Elizabeth is “consumed with art, fashion and people.” We can’t wait to see what devilishly stylish outfits she’ll be wearing! Going head-to-head with Gaga, Naomi Campbell stars as a fashion editor who has little praise for Elizabeth’s fashion choices; predictably, a bloodbath ensues. Murphy describes this season as “a little bloodier and grislier I think than anything that we’ve done before. It’s straight horror this year.”
’S TOR K PIC
EDI
LADY CHATTERLEY’S LOVER
Things are about to get steamy over on the BBC! The raunchy D.H. Lawrence novel Lady Chatterley’s Lover that was banned in the UK until 1960 has been adapted into a 90-minute drama. As usual, the BBC are treating us to a talented cast: Game of Thrones star Richard Madden plays game-keeper Oliver Mellows, Holliday Grainger (Cinderella,) plays Lady Chatterley alongside James Norton (Happy Valley) her war-wounded husband. Watch out for more BBC adaptations including: L.P. Hartley’s “The Go-Between,” Laurie Lee’s “Cider with Rosie,” and J.B. Priestley’s “An Inspector Calls.”
The wait is finally over as season six of FOX’s The Walking Dead makes a bloodthirsty return this October. Based on Robert Kirkman’s comics, this American horror-drama follows the constant fight to stay alive for the survivors of a zombie apocalypse. As expected, it’s zombies galore and producer Scott M. Gimple reveals that, “there are more walkers than we’ve ever faced before! Season six encompasses 18 principal storylines” and a group of hostile survivors ‘The Wolves’ are set to cause more trouble. Watch out for ‘Fear the Walking Dead’, the shows upcoming companion series!
Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde
Who doesn’t love a good ITV drama? This autumn they are adapting the Robert Louis Stevenson series The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde into a ten-part drama starring Tom Bateman and Richard E Grant. 1930s London is home to the handsome doctor, Robert Jekyll, grandson of the original doctor. However, Jekyll harbors a dark secret – during angry moments and in life-threating situations, Jekyll becomes superhero Hyde whose powers are growing day by day! The action-adventure drama follows Jekyll’s journey to discover his family history and the origin of his powers. But who’s waiting in the shadows to discover Jekyll’s secret?
Must See Movies!
Life
The Intern
Macbeth
The Suffragette
Released 25 September
Released 2 October
Released 2 October
Released 23 October
Actor Dane DeHaan plays cultural icon, James Dean, who is being profiled by photographer Dennis Stock (Robert Pattison) for Life magazine, before his rise to fame with East of Eden. The drama charts their personal journey and developing friendship whilst traveling from L.A. to New York to Indiana.
In a role reversal to her character in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’, this comedy sees Anne Hathaway playing online fashion site founder, Jules Ostin. She’s just taken on a new intern - 70-year-old retiree, Robert De Niro, who’s looking to inject some excitement into his life. How will it turn out now the roles have been reversed?
In this retelling of the Shakespeare classic, Michael Fassbender plays the eponymous Duke of Scotland. After three witches prophesize that one day he will become King, Macbeth is fueled with ambition and encouraged by Lady Macbeth, Marion Cotillard, to murder his king and claim the throne.
An Early feminist and young mother, Carey Mulligan, takes us into the world of the nineteenth and early twentieth century women’s suffrage movement. Also starring Meryl Streep as Emmeline Pankhurst and Helena Bonham Carter, this fiery female cast is certain to pack the punch this drama needs!
96 | Style Birmingham | Autumn 2015
Life / Trend
Life
AUTUMN DATE NIGHTS
Beat the chill and head to these date night hotspots
HOME TREND There’s no place like home - neutrals and textures that’ll make sure your place is fashion forward
GASTRO 101 Birmingham’s best dining experiences and cooking schools will have your mouth watering
Texture, photography by Niki Brantmark, published by Ryland Peters & Small, £9.99 Autumn 2015 | Style Birmingham | 97
Life / Dining
8 hotspots for...
1
The Botanist, Temple Street
A favourite amongst locals, The Botanist is a hub of escapism and is always busy with a happy individualistic vibe. Serving up some of the best cocktails in the city from puree bases, fresh juices and flower based infusions; amaranth is used in their signature creation (a must-try simply for the Instagram factor). Just watching the skilled tenders is something to marvel at on a date night. Picnic benches, an open kitchen and colourful tableware set the mood for casual fun dining. A dynamic service team offer scrumptious food including the ‘love it or hate it’ hanging kebab. We love it as it purely consists of marshmallows, strawberries and chocolate. Chic sharing platters and watering can cocktail pitchers are perfect for two. thebotanist.uk.com
As the vibrancy of summer fades into dark nights and shortened days, make time for that special someone and explore the best date night spots in Birmingham this autumn. Whether you want an intimate and quiet drink or an elaborately seductive meal here are our top picks.
98 | Style Birmingham | Autumn 2015
Words: Priti Modi
Image: The Botanist
Autumn Date Nights
2
Purecraft Bar & Kitchen, Waterloo Street
At the heart of the city centre, Purecraft bar boasts pioneering nipples to share, including unisex ‘flouts’ (a selection of varied ales, most locally sourced but most definitely specialty) accompanied by modern British cuisine. If you are looking for a comforting and unusual feast, try the soft baked scotch egg with beer ketchup or the stylish cheese board served with walnut crisps. The desserts here are beautifully presented and oh so indulgent. Pretty pink plant pots and locally procured artwork soften Purecraft’s industrial feel. Take your date around the world with their beverage collection – fruit beer, French wine and German ales. Surplus selections are on offer for those who wish to revive chivalry and make the romantic choice for their partner. purecraftbars.com
Life / Dining
Marmalade, Broad Street
Far from what you’d expect from a theatre restaurant, Marmalade’s autumnal burnt orange interior, retro kitsch furnishings and blasts of foliage, is both spacious and inviting with happy staff. The highlight here is the choice of drinks. As part of the Bitters N Twisted group, you can expect cosmos, daiquiris, peanut butter martinis and popcorn tea with a flirty edge – the Marilyn Monroe cocktail is a must-taste. There’s an ample vegetarian offering, a pre theatre menu and seasonal and monthly changes to food. To warm the cockles, finish the night with a sultry maple and gingerbread pudding. Your date will simply melt… we take no responsibility for the aftermath! marmaladebirmingham.co.uk
3 Itihaas, Fleet Street
With its’ Moghul-esque themed interior, Ithiaas (meaning history), is a high-end staple of the Midlands food scene, famed for its’ tandoori lobster and authentic chilli paneer. The aroma, lighting and opulent décor make this place ooze ‘date night’ appeal. Rich seasonal ingredients are used to create mouth-watering dishes and traditional clay oven naans set the tone for an interesting icebreaker. Ideal for sharing, try the pomegranate doused pani puri (a crispy tiny snack stuffed with potatoes and spices), warming chai’s and artisan beer. If you’re feeling adventurous, there’s the option of aruyvedic health drinks to sample. A perfect spot for an authentically cultured rendezvous, just don’t forget the mints. Itihaas.co.uk Autumn 2015 | Style Birmingham | 99
Life / Dining
El Borracho de Oro, Harborne Road
5
What could be more enchanting than a spot of tapas in the leafy suburbs of Edgbaston? This new addition ranks high in the food stakes and is an absolute hidden gem. Classical continental food with a taverna feel, El Borracho has a relaxed intimate vibe. Recommendations include the garlic prawns, which are rather meaty, and flavoursome (perhaps second date territory!). The leche frita (coated fried custard) is a naughty desert option, which will leave you feeling satisfied. The menu has plenty of choice and there is often live music to enjoy on an evening. Soon, typical Spanish breakfasts will add to the offering, perfect for those early birds. elborracho.co.uk
Pasta Di Piazza, St Pauls Square
The epitome of romance, this 20-year-old Italian cuisine is sister to Cusina Rusica, offers time honoured Italian dishes that are cooked with love and served with pride. Elegant décor, mahogany seating, mood lighting and artistic murals make this venue the classy choice. Feast on gnocchi, fresh seafood specials or linguini. Pasta served here hail from all corners of Italy. A cute special here is the cuore di prosciutto pizza, meaning the heart of the dish. This place caters for all dietary requirements and is rather innovative with its’ use of pistachio crusts, imported meat selection and rustic breads. Indulgence without the extortion. pastadipiazza.com
Gas Street Social, Mailbox
7
Marco Pierre White, The Cube
Synonymous with modern cookery, precision and a strong brand name, this option is not for those with a depleted bank account. Based at the peak of the Cube, the views are unparalleled (think 360°, twenty five floors up!) Birmingham’s skyline is now equipped with Marco’s pink champagne bar area and an extensive open bar. Diners can enjoy a premium champagne afternoon tea offering, set menus, evening meals or social drinks. Recommendations include the steak (of course!) cooked to perfection and the trio of ice creams with complimentary flavours like honeycomb, white chocolate and salted caramel. Like the food, the venue (and perhaps your date…) is rich, well presented and a tad extravagant. wmpwsteakhousebirmingham.co.uk
Located within the luxurious Mailbox and with canal side views, is the contemporary and inviting Gas Street Social. This modern European eatery is an ideal place for a relaxed meal and after work drinks. Its’ chilled vibe welcomes diners with offers like free cocktails upon sign up to their mailing list, happy hour from 4-7pm Monday to Friday and the bottomless brunch offering remains popular on weekends from 9am – 1pm. From delicate tapas style social plates, like seared scallops, crispy arancini balls with wild mushroom and truffle oil, to delectable deserts such as popping berry parfait. This place welcomes the Independent and Gourmet dining card, if it’s date night on a budget you seek, look no further. If you do want to splurge on your beloved, feel free to sample the high end offerings like the 28 day dry aged prime beef or the boundless fish board (assuming the other half proves worthy!) gasstreetsocial.co.uk
8
100 | Style Birmingham | Autumn 2015
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Life / Dining
INGREDIENTS:
This recipe will fill a 9 inch flan dish, enough for 8 people. For the crumb base: 225g Digestive Biscuits 55g Butter 1 Tbsp Golden Syrup For the Caramel layer: 150g Butter 150g Soft Brown Sugar 1 tin/397g Condensed Milk Butter a 9”/23cm Flan dish For the Rose topping: 3 Red Apples 120g Apricot Jam 320g Puff Pastry (A ready roll sheet is ideal) 1 Tbsp sugar Some water
Thirsty Work
RECIPE:
Caramel Apple Roses The grand finale of any special meal should be a knockout dessert and they don’t get much more impressive than these blooming beautiful baked blooms. 1. Starting with the crumb crust: Melt the butter (55g) on a hob, or in your microwave, and stir in the golden syrup. Crush your biscuits to form crumbs and fold them into the buttery syrup. Using a metal spoon, press the mixture into the flan dish. Pop this in the fridge while you make the caramel filling. 2. In a wide bottomed saucepan, melt the butter (150g) and brown sugar on the hob, stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved. Add the condensed milk and bring it up to the boil for 2 minutes, stirring all the while. Once it’s smooth and glossy it’s ready to pour over the crumb crust. 3. For the apple roses, cut the puff pastry sheet into strips - 1.5cm wide by varying lengths (between 12cm to 24cm/whole length of sheet). Core and slice your apples while you gently dissolve the sugar (1 Tbsp) in the water in a frying pan on a low heat – you’ll want enough water to half fill the frying pan. Once it’s bubbling,
slip in your apples slices – a batch at a time – and caramalise them for around 2 minutes. You’re just softening them so you can bend them without them snapping. Get each batch out and let the apples cool enough to handle. At this point, heat your apricot jam so it turns nice and runny. 4. Brush the jam over each of the pastry strips. Then lay apple slices so the sliced side is level with one edge of the pastry strip – this will be your rose’s bottom. The part with the peel should be peaking over the pastry’s edge – these will form your petals. Lay each apple slices so they slightly overlap each other until the strip is covered. Now roll this to form a tight rose. 5. Pop each finished rose onto the caramel layer. Different lengths of pastry will make different sized buds – so you can fill gaps and tightly pack the roses across the dish. While you’re making these preheat your oven to 200c. Once the dish is full of apple roses, pop it in the oven for around 15 minutes. Just before you take it to the table to serve dust it with icing sugar, which will nicely disguise any apples that dared to over brown!
Update your dining table with these stylish jugs, perfect for any occasion from family meals to dinner parties…
Leonardo Fiorita clear jug, Debenhams £30 102 | Style Birmingham | Autumn 2015
Stainless steel jug, Marks & Spencer £15
Lonsam clear glass carafe, IKEA £1.50
Royal Doulton 200th Anniversary jug, House of Fraser £35
Sophie Conran large jug, John Lewis £36
Check out and subscribe to Totally Sacha’s channel: youtube.com/totallysacha • You’ll also find some of his recipe videos on our website: stylebham.com
Introducing Totally Sacha, a self-taught Midlands, based chef gathering an international following on Youtube, where he posts two fresh recipes each week with the help of his mystery helper known only as ‘Minion’!
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THE INSIDER
Life / Dining
Gastro
101 Words: Rabia Raza
Basic food consumption is no longer enough, and more than ever before we’re craving unique, heightened eating experiences – ones where we can learn, cook, eat and share our new-found knowledge, all at the same time!
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Birmingham is a paradise for the foodobsessed with its enriched independent food scene and over 30 types of cuisine from across the world. If like me, you want to become a bit more savvy in the world of local gastronomy, or (like me) just love the sound of a fun food-based day out, the following ideas are sure to help you reach a state of foodie enlightenment here in the city.
1. Opus SOURCE dinner series
Through a menu that changes daily, Opus at Cornwall Street champions market fresh British produce. Core to the phenomenal success of Opus is not only its passionate in-house team, but also the hard work and dedication of the artisanal farmers and producers who work behind the scenes of this award winning restaurant. Through Opus at Cornwall Street’s monthly SOURCE dinner series, diners can
104 | Style Birmingham | Autumn 2015
enjoy a themed, exquisite fourcourse menu whilst meeting the farmers, fisherman, and winemakers behind all the ingredients. Try it: On Monday 5th October from 7.00pm, Opus will be hosting a Rhone Wine Dinner with Marc Perrin Dom de Beaucastel. £75 per person includes four courses, an aperitif, wine with each course and service.
2. An introduction to the Balti Triangle by Alternative Tours
Birmingham is the place where the balti phenomenon started all those many years ago. So, it’s only right that when in Birmingham you try this signature dish and discover how it became one of the most lo ved dishes in the country too. Alternative Tours specialise in bespoke, guided tours around the city and provide a particularly illuminating journey in and around Birmingham’s infamous
Balti Triangle. Leading the way is born and bred Brummie, Andy Munro. You can expect a passionate, comprehensive insight into the origins of the balti dish - well known in the area; Andy can also introduce you to some of the local businesses that make the Balti Triangle the distinguished, vibrant area that it is. You will receive plenty of hints and tips about the best ingredients and equipment to use before sampling the delicious food yourself – it doesn’t really get better than that!
Life / Dining
Try it: Alternative Tours offer a range of Balti Triangle tours with prices ranging f rom £12.99 to £21.50 per person. Tour packages are flexible and can be arranged for parties of between 15 and 60 people - enquiries and bookings can be made through the Alternative Tours website.
3. The Simpsons Cookery School
As one of the city’s four Michelin star restaurants, Simpsons offer one of the most exclusive dining experiences in Birmingham – and now, thanks to the Simpsons Cookery School, you can bring the luxury Simpsons experience home! Led by the restaurant’s head chefs, this one-day cookery course provides food mavens with a look behind the scenes of the restaurant, whilst expert cookery demonstrations are accompanied by a three-course meal and a glass of wine. Try it: To coincide with the opening of the new refurbished restaurant, Simpsons Cookery School is now taking bookings for the new year. The day-course spans between 9.30am and 4.00pm and is available for £135.00 per person.
4. Cheese and wine matching at the Birmingham Wine School
This class takes an in-depth look at the tastes, aromas and flavours of a range of wines from around the world. You’ll also get to make your way through a rich variety of cheeses as you learn all about which cheese enhances the taste of your favourite wine – you don’t have to be a fully fledged wine connoisseur either; novices can also enjoy the friendly, fun and informative atmosphere. The wide selection of cheeses include Cheddar, Camembert, Brie, Manchego, Stilton, Roquefort, Reblochon, Wenslaydale, and Chevre. Try it: Join the Birmingham Wine School
on Saturday 24th October between 7.00pm and 9.00pm for their next cheese and wine matching session. Taking place at The Old Joint Stock, this session is only £30 per person - you’ll have to book fast as places are limited.
5. The Chaophraya Cooking School
The unique Chaophraya Cooking School; located in the heart of the Bullring, offers a wonderful introduction to the exciting world of South East Asian cuisine. Through these private sessions you will discover the fine art of Thai
cooking and gain insights into the rich culture from which it derives. Led by expert chefs at Chaophraya, classes feature a range of dishes that change every month. You will learn how to cook everything from starters, to mains and even desserts. Dishes range from authentic traditional starters, to hearty stir-fries and curries. Chaophraya also offer corporate cooking classes, whilst vouchers for the cookery school can also be purchased as a gift. Try it: With one cookery class each month, Chaophraya’s next session takes place on Tuesday October 6th between 6.00pm – 9.00pm. Classes are available for £60 per person, and are taught at Chaophraya within the Bullring. Be quick! Limited spaces are available. Autumn 2015 | Style Birmingham | 105
Life / Retail
The New
Harvey Nichols Harvey Nichols at the Mailbox redefines the shopping and dining experience
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Technology
et those shopping woes become a distant memory as you’re transported to a haven of indulgence, comfort and play. With more than 200 luxury brands across fashion, beauty, food and wine, you’ll truly be spoilt for choice.
Interior
The store’s design concept is “controlled disruption”. You won’t find rigid walkways here, instead, the open-plan layout allows you to move in all directions, giving you the freedom to explore, discovering beautiful pieces on your unique shopping journey. 106 | Style Birmingham | Autumn 2015
The custom made shop fittings make Harvey Nichols stand out from the crowd
Often we complain about malfunctioning technology ruining our shopping experiences, mainly self-checkouts that are certain there’s something unexpected in that bagging area – but, thankfully, that’s not the case at Harvey Nichols. Forget queuing at the till, all transactions are done on iPads, so you can have paid and had your purchases wrapped and bagged whilst you’re still in the changing room. Finally, life’s biggest question ‘does my bum
Life / Retail
Join the Rewards app and get the VIP treatment with invitations to exclusive, members-only sales and events, as well as complimentary samples. Enjoy a choice of indulgent experiences every three months including an express pedicure and dinner for two, or, you can simply choose vouchers to spend instead. As you know, points mean prizes, and points unlock higher levels and even better rewards. Top-level members can enjoy: express alterations, express returns, secret sales and a stylist at home.
Dining
Relax after a hard days shopping in the luxurious bar area
look big in this?’ is answered, as 360-degree mirrors in the Style Concierge area video what your outfit looks like from all angles. You’ll know exactly what your outfit looks like and all without straining your neck in the process - result! Make use of the Style Concierge team who can arrange valet parking, in-store hair and make-up appointments and look after your bags too. All customers can get the VIP experience for free thanks to expert Stylists who can make sure your wardrobe is up-todate with this seasons trends. They’ll do the hard work for you, bringing you a selection of pieces and will even do the gift-wrapping and arrange home delivery!.
If you’re some what overwhelmed by the sheer fabulousness of the store, take a break at Harvey Nichols Bar and Restaurant. Slide into a leather banquet booth and enjoy a mouth-watering menu curated by Michelin-starred local chef Glynn Purnell. As with the store, the dining experience is personal too with hospitality director Marion Carpentier saying “It’s all-day dining. There are no rules. We are about premium, casual dining and if you want eggs or porridge at 3pm you can have it.” We love their fillet steak served on a salt-block that’s heated to 400 degrees, infusing flavour and cooking the meat to perfection. Of course, the bar offers delicious mocktails, pressed juices and wine, but the real gem here is the imaginative cocktails. New innovations like The Spice Trail and The Ikonic reflect Birmingham’s varied culture. We love ‘Frangance No. 2’ with Absolut Elyx vodka, Dolin Blanc vermouth, Choya Umeshu plum liqueur. Served with a drinkable perfume of Damask rose, orange blossom and jasmine. These fantastical potions are sure to revitalize you for yet another round of luxurious shopping. It sounds seriously heavenly you will never want to leave – and you don’t have to; the intimate bar is even open until 12:30am at weekends.
Beauty
Hit the Beauty Services area to enjoy facials, massages and makeovers from experts at Crème de la Mer, YSL and Lancôme. Treat yourself to a choice of polish, acrylic extension, gel treatments or nail art at Shavata Nail Bar. We don’t know where we want to start! Enter the privacy and tranquility of Beyond Medispa and choose from a range of medical aesthetic procedures for face and body, in the safe hands of a full-time doctor. Your complimentary consultation begins with a Visia Skincare Analysis that uses UV light to create 3D images of your face, measuring skin conditions, revealing wrinkles, UV spots and red areas. Whilst this might sound daunting, the Visia Skincare Analysis helps to decide where to target treatment and, most importantly, map the incredible results over time. We recommend the CoolSculpting®, otherwise known as ‘fat freezing’, is a non-surgical treatment that gets rid of those stubborn wobbly bits forever. Cryolipolysis® technology cools tissue to naturally kill fat cells which are then digested by the body, so the fat layer becomes thinner. These permanent results reach their peak around ninety days after the treatment, once the body has had time to eliminate those pesky dead fat cells. Shhh…don’t tell anyone, but there’s a secret door that VIPs use after visiting the spa. Tame that mane in just 30 minutes. Hershesons Blow Dry Bar offer a choice of twelve current hair looks, just sink into their pristine white chairs, and let your professional stylist work their magic.
The blow dry, nail bar and medispa make for the perfect treat
Autumn 2015 | Style Birmingham | 107
Infiniti Q50
LUXURY WITH A LOW PRICE TAG Standard Features • Stop Start System • Cruise Control with Speed Limiter • Bluetooth Technology
• Twin Exhaust Tailpipes with Chrome Finisher • Dual Touch Screens
• Voice Recognition System • Front and Rear Parking Sensors with Display
• Dual Zone Adaptive Climate Control with Auto Recirculation
Available from only
£265
.75
per month*
Infiniti Q70
Infiniti QX70
The pulse racing luxury saloon
The formidable crossover force
Starting from only
Starting from only
£359
Standard Features • Stop Start System • Cruise Control with Speed Limiter • Bluetooth Technology • LED Auto Level Headlights & Daytime Running Lights • I-Key with Smart Access, Boot release, Smart Ignition and Enhanced Memory
per month*
• Heated and Ventilated Front Seats • Rear View Camera with Front and Rear Parking Sensors • Dual Zone Adaptive Climate Control with Auto Recirculation
£649
Standard Features • Cruise Control with Speed Limiter • Aluminium Roof Rails • Bi Xenon Lights with Adaptive Front Lighting System • Full Colour Central Display with Infiniti Controller • Bluetooth Technology
per month*
• Rear View Camera with Front and Rear Parking Sensors • I-Key with Smart Access, Boot release, Smart Ignition and Enhanced Memory • Dual Zone Adaptive Climate Control with Auto Recirculation
BOOK YOUR 48 HOUR TEST DRIVE ON LINE ENTER ‘STYLEQ50’ IN THE PROMOTIONAL CODE BOX TO QUALIFY
Infiniti Birmingham 110 Small Heath Highway, Birmingham B10 0BW 0121 766 1470 host@infiniti-birmingham.co.uk
Infinitiretailgroup @InfinitiRG www.infiniti-retail.co.uk/style
Official fuel economy figures for the Infiniti Q50 range in mpg (l/100 km): urban 29.4 to 50.4 (5.6 to 9.6), extra urban 53.3 to 76.3 (3.7 to 5.3), combined 41.5 to 64.2 (4.4 to 6.8). CO2 emission: 159 to 114 g/km. Model shown Infiniti Q50 Sport 2.2d 6MT with optional metallic paint at OTR price £34,080 * For Business users only. Advance payment required. You will not own the vehicle at the end of the contract. All payments subject to VAT: Example based on 36 months contract, 6,000 miles per annum for the model selected. Rentals shown are for a non-maintenance Contract Hire. Excess mileage and unfair wear and tear charges may apply. Orders/credit approvals on selected models between July 1st and September 30th 2015, registered by 31st December 2015. Subject to availability, offers cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Credit provided subject to status and in UK only (excluding the Channel Islands and Isle of Man). Individuals must be 18 or over and indemnities may be required. Contract hire finance to be provided by Infiniti Financial Services Limited, PO Box 149, Watford WD17 1FJ. Offer may be withdrawn at any time. Specification and prices correct at time of publication and do not take account any variation of government taxes or charges arising after date of publication (July 2015) and are subject to change without notice. Terms and Conditions apply.
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Zara Home wooden table, £139.99 MA
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John Lewis sheepskin rug, £175
a B s o i t Laura Ashley knit blanket, £75, Pavilions
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Marks & Spencer wood textured wallpaper, £15, Pavilions
, £49
Life / Interiors
Be tempted by texture this season and refresh your home with natural and earthy tones
Marks & Spencer weave cushion, £12
Habitat.com faux fur cushion, £35
H&M stone candle, £7.99
ing rock Ikea ir, £40 cha
READER OFFER!
Laura Ashley lamp, £50, Pavilions
Texture will be available to Style Birmingham readers for the special price of £7.99 including postage & packaging (RRP £9.99 by telephoning Macmillan Direct on 01256 302 699 and quoting the reference GLR EA3)
Texture, photography by Catherine Gratwicke, Anna Williams, Rachel Whiting and Niki Brantmark, published by Ryland Peters & Small, RRP £9.99. Autumn 2015 | Style Birmingham | 109
Rediscover the Joy of the Kitchen Life / Interiors
Whether you’re cooking, eating or dining, IKEA has all the ingredients to help you rediscover the joy of the kitchen this autumn
Sittning candlestick, £6
A
kitchen is many Sittning plates, £25 things; heart of the home, food factory or chill out zone. But it can also be a place to express yourself when whipping up a culinary masterpiece, with creative storage solutions, or just with beautiful design.
DINING IN STYLE When it comes to setting the table, there are no rules. And by doing exactly what you want, you’ll have the recipe for making the moment feel as good as the food tastes.
110 | Style Birmingham | Autumn 2015
Sittning cutlery, £6
Sittning glasses, £9
Life / Interiors
COOKING TO PERFECTION Some people have a knack for cooking, the rest of us need a little help. With clever tools to make it easier to master a new recipe – even if it does take a few tries. Cooking a meal you love should be as fun as it is to eat it. And since a lot of that has to do with your cookware, IKEA offer durable pots and pans that make it a treat to sauté, steam and boil your way through your favourite recipe.
Ikea 365+ pans, £65
Aptitlig chopping board, £15 Smarta oven dish, £10.50
EAT SMART With a smart divider, matching cutlery and a dressing holder, the leak-proof BLANDNING lunch box designed for eating straight out of wherever you are.
Hemsmak jars, £2.75
INNOVATIVE STORAGE
Blanding lunch box, £3.50
Meals get much faster when you can quickly find the ingredients that you need. Kitchen storage isn’t just a practical necessity; it can be a design feature. Glass doors, open shelves and attractive food storage means you can create a kitchen that holds all your equipment easily, and expresses your personal style.
Skogsta crate, £11
Autumn 2015 | Style Birmingham | 111
To Infiniti and Beyond Life / Motors
Words: Mike Raven
Standing up against rivals like the Audi A4 and BMW 3 series, we asked does the Infiniti Q50 2.0T pack the punch it needs to plug the gap in the executive sport saloon marketplace?
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ou might not yet be familiar with the Infiniti brand, but with production in the UK to start this year, you’ll soon get to know who they are. The Infiniti brand was launched in 1989 in Hong Kong and now has sales operations in over 50 countries. However since its inception in 2013 and after its launch in the UK last year, the Infinti Q50 started making ripples with its original two models; a £40,000 hybrid and an entrylevel 2.2-litre turbo-diesel. But what about those after the refinement of a sporty saloon rivalling the BMW 3 series with a punchy petrol engine? Infiniti has the answer with its Q50 2.0T. 112 | Style Birmingham | Autumn 2015
What it’s like to drive
Boasting an impressive turbocharged fourcylinder 2.0-litre petrol engine, the Q50 certainly pulls its weight when driving at higher speeds, flying once it’s automatic seven speed gearbox kicks in at the top of the rev range. For motorway driving you can really get a feel of what the car is capable of – it sticks to the floor accelerating from 0 - 62 in 7.2 seconds; enough to leave you with a serious grin on your face. The Infiniti has a top speed of 152mph with a torque of 258lb ft. Cruising is swift, quiet and responsive. Gear changes are almost unnoticeable; revs rise and fall without any fuss and the body sticks to the road. Cornering is agile and
slipping into sport mode ensures you feel grounded and in control at higher speeds, even on the tightest of corners. An interesting fact about Infiniti’s Q50 is that unlike any other rival in the luxury saloon marketplace, the steering wheel has no direct mechanical link to the wheels and tyres. Instead, Infiniti has developed what they call ‘Direct Adaptive Steering’. The
Life / Motors
driver’s input at the wheel is digitally relayed to a motor that takes care of turning the wheels. The results mean no nasty kickbacks when driving over potholes and bumps. It’s also three times safer than conventional power steering as it reverts to a physical link if all the backup computers fail, in contrast to regular power steering where if one thing fails, you lose steering. Having this technology enables the Q50 to make subtle yet hugely beneficial changes to the cars handling. In sport mode the steering is made quicker meaning a smaller turn on the wheel will engage a sharper change in direction enabling you to make the most out of driving and really enjoy it – let the car do the work for you.
What it’s like inside
The 2.0T comes fully sports-trimmed with black and grey leather interior, custom dash and incredible Bose sound system. For me, comfort is always key, and after a six hour trip, the Q50 made it feel like I hadn’t even been driving. The seats are extremely comfortable with electronic adjustments and fast acting seat heaters. The deep seats support you from every angle making you feel as if you’re driving a track car. The dual display of the entertainment and navigation system is slick, resembling something from a science-fiction movie, the large upper screen is used for the sat-nav, whilst the lower is used for climate controls and other interior options. When using the navigation the small info screen on the dash also doubles and a ‘next-turn’ display for driving with minimal distraction. Another pro is the birds-eye-view parking sensors
that enables even the most inept driver to park with ease. Parallel parking is now a thing of the past.
The audio system is impressive, custom fourteen speaker ‘studio on wheels’ by Bose delivers phenomenal clarity and does the perfect job rivalling most high-end home audio systems. Complete with Bluetooth connectivity and steering wheel controls, Infiniti have done their best to deliver the highest quality finishes alongside simplistic ease of use, all contributing to perfect driving conditions.
The Verdict
Whilst the Infinti Q50 is not cheap, with prices starting at £28,650, you get a lot of standard kit for the money, which makes it better value for money than its slightly cheaper German rivals. The turbocharged engine ensures it has the kick to deliver the sporty side craved by executive saloon drivers. For city driving and with the useful Eco mode the Q50 2.0T achieves 44.8mpg combined, means that even though you may have less pocket change compared to rival models, you won’t be stopping every 5 minutes for fuel and a weekend trip from Birmingham to Cornwall resulted in just one full top up of fuel! The Q50 has plenty to offer as do Infiniti with outstanding customer service as well as reasonable leasing prices. Consider the gap in the executive saloon marketplace officially filled. And remember the name Infiniti - they’re here to stay. To find out more about the Q50 and book a test drive visit infiniti.co.uk
Autumn 2015 | Style Birmingham | 113
Life / Win
WIN £250 TO SPEND AND DINNER FOR TWO AT HARVEY NICHOLS! We’ve teamed up with Harvey Nichols to offer one lucky reader a £250 shopping spree, an appointment with the Style Concierge team along with dinner for two and cocktails in the new restaurant curated by Michelin-starred “Yummy Brummie” Glynn Purnell
T
he lucky winner will get the chance to spend time with a trained stylist from the Style Concierge team and learn about the A/W15 trends before shopping from the latest designer collections. They can enjoy dinner for two with cocktails (up to the value of £100) and to round off their day, they’ll receive ‘His and Hers’ goodie bags filled with a host of the latest must-have beauty treats. To enter and for your chance to win, simply answer the following question:
Where will you find the new Harvey Nichols in Birmingham? A: The post box B: The Mailbox TO ENTER JUST VISIT STYLEBHAM.COM/WIN Terms and Conditions: One winner will be drawn at random from all valid entries received to win. The prize must be taken between November 1 2015 and January 1 2016 (subject to availability) and the winner booking directly with Harvey Nichols. Prize includes a meal for two at the Harvey Nichols restaurant in Birmingham with cocktails up to the value of £100, £250 vouchers to spend in store and a “his” and “hers” goodie bags. There is no cash alternative. Full terms: harveynichols.com/ information/policies/competition-terms. Competition closes: Monday 23 October at 23.59pm. 114 | Style Birmingham | Autumn 2015
© Inter IKEA Systems B.V. 2015
Rediscover the joy of the kitchen
THE WONDERFUL EVERYDAY
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