Vantage Magazine March 2016 by Runwild Media Group

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Self portrait, 2011 © David Bailey

96 Issue 68

Contents 

10 | Tear Away Forthright photographer David Bailey leaves his fashion days behind him with a new book

14 | Project Runway As LFW arrives, we take a look beyond the clothes to fashion’s most photo-worthy sets

19 | Sole Man

Manolo Blahnik puts his best foot forward at the launch of his first London boutique in 44 years

44 | Spring to Life From graphic stripes to bodacious blooms, embrace the hottest S/S16 trends

71 | Close Knit Bella Freud talks shop – and cushions – at her flagship Chiltern Street boutique

86 | The Holy Kale

Queen of clean-eating Deliciously Ella is back with a new cookbook and a deli in Marylebone

96 | Under the Terracotta Sun Explore the rustic charms of western Sicily, complete with hot-tempered drivers and exquisite cuisine

regulars - 23 -

collection

- 33 -

spotlight

- 41 -

fashion & beauty

- 67 -

HOME & interiors

- 75 -

health & family

- 83 -

food & drink

- 91-

the art of travel

- 101 -

property

editor's letter

MARCH 2016 / ISSUE 68 acting Editor Lauren Romano Collection EditorS Richard Brown Olivia Sharpe editorial assistant Ellen Millard Editorial intern Amelia Mayes Senior Designer Daniel Poole Production Hugo Wheatley Jamie Steele Danny Lesar Alice Ford Client Relationship Director Friday Dalrymple Executive Director Sophie Roberts General Manager Fiona Fenwick Managing Director Eren Ellwood Proudly published and printed in the UK by

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From the editor “For me it was all about the girl. I was photographing a girl in a dress, rather than a model in a dress. And I always figured that if the girl looked good, you didn’t need a flying saucer in the background,” says David Bailey. One of the most celebrated fashion photographers of his generation, Bailey’s black and white images of models such as Jean Shrimpton and Twiggy define the swinging sixties for many. But as Jack Watkins discovers, it’s a time he’s keen to leave in the past. The forthright photographer refuses to talk fashion, but he does reveal some of his other career highlights, from capturing headhunting tribes in India to shooting The Rolling Stones and the Kray twins, who feature among other famous faces in his latest book Tears and Tears (p.10). From one man at the pinnacle of his career to another. At the age of 73, retirement seems a long way off for Manolo Blahnik too. The legendary shoe designer has opened a new boutique in Burlington Arcade, 44 years after his first on Old Church Street. The in-demand cobbler tells me how he went from designing shoes for lizards out of sweet wrappers to stilettos for Sarah Jessica Parker and why he refuses to stop doing things his way (p.19). Over in Marylebone, Ellen Millard speaks to two of the area’s newest residents. She goes in search of interiors inspiration and that 1970 jumper at Bella Freud’s new Chiltern Street store (p.71), before stopping off at the Mae Deli on Seymour Place where she spies owner Ella Woodward – aka Deliciously Ella – behind the counter. The author of the fastest selling debut cookbook of all time shares her clean-eating mantra and talks about starring in a modelling campaign for Amanda Wakeley (p.86). Elsewhere as London Fashion Week dawns I discuss backstage dramas and experimental style with designer Holly Fulton (p.53), while Amelia Mayes rounds up the catwalk trends we’ll be wearing this spring (p.58). As well as graphic lines, ruffles and silver slips, exaggerated shoulders are making a comeback. You heard it here first.

Lauren Lauren Romano Acting Editor

On the cover The Splendour of Life S/S16 collection by Salvatore Ferragamo p.41, photography © Craig McDean

Other titles by RWMG

Above: Self portrait, 2011 ÂŠ David Bailey

INTERVIEW

Tear Away

Jack Watkins talks to forthright photographer David Bailey about leaving his sixties fashion snaps behind him and his new book Tears and Tears 

s a film-loving East End boy David Bailey idolised Fred Astaire. These days the latter is often seen as an icon of 1930s elegance, even though he went on making quality musicals until the 1950s, and was still looking stylish in the 1980s. In the same way, Bailey is now persistently pigeonholed as a totem of the 1960s classbreaking new wave, the greatest fashion photographer of an era looked backed on with rose-tinted nostalgia. But after nearly 60 years in freelance photography, Bailey is as busy and productive as ever, and still, like Astaire, cutting a snappy dash if GQ is anything to go by. The magazine named him as one of the top 50 best dressed British men of 2015. His new book Tears and Tears is comprised of pictures of darkroom test tears for Bailey’s characteristically informal portrait photos of celebrities, friends and family, including Ringo Starr, John Lydon, The Rolling Stones and Reggie and Ronnie Kray, alongside several of his wife Catherine, the recipient of the book’s dedication. Most poignantly of all, given the timing of publication in January, there is also one of David Bowie, beautiful as ever, from 1983.

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Bailey’s public image as the cheeky, charming working class lad made good owes as much to myth as reality. This has too often been allowed to obscure how compelling his images actually are. Ahead of my chat with him, I bury myself in the British Library for several hours looking at a few of what he later told me were “some forty-odd books of photos,” that he has published since the 1960s. What a treasure trove it amounts to. Obvious eye-catchers are David Bailey’s Box of Pin-Ups (1965), his convention-busting collection of “popocracy” portraits of the great and not-so-great of the day, including that definitive image of the Kray brothers, and later collections like the relaxed photos of a melee of musicians in David Bailey’s Rock & Roll Heroes (1997). But Bailey was also the leading member of a group of British photographers who helped fashion photography cut loose from its hitherto ornate, studio-bound straightjacket at the beginning of the 1960s. He shot models outdoors, in urban locations, the wind tousling their hair; statuesque poses were replaced by strikingly angular ones, oozing vitality and movement. The models,

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perhaps most importantly Jean Shrimpton, were still beautiful, but gone was the old school look of hauteur and unattainability. “I had my own attitude to fashion photography,” reflects Bailey. “I haven’t really done any of it since the 1980s, but for me it was all about the girl. I was photographing a girl in a dress, rather than a model in a dress. I didn’t care who the latest model was. And I always figured that if the girl looked good, you didn’t need a flying saucer in the background. But that sense of movement, that was coming in anyway, with the increasing mobility of the cameras after Nikon introduced the motor drive, meaning you didn’t have to keep lowering the camera after each shot to wind the film on. That made it easier for everyone.” Bailey, one of his biographers has implied, is said to comment harshly when questioned about these early sixties fashion pictures, but I wonder whether that truly reflects his feelings about them. “Well, I don’t really talk about things like that a lot,” he admits. “I’ll just say ‘Yeah, they’re alright’, like that, or ‘they’re fine, that’s enough’.” Is it because, as a creative artist, he is too busy thinking about the next assignment to spend time looking back? “No, definitely not. I never cared about those photos anyway,” he replies, outlining

INTERVIEW

“I did a book called NW1 in 1982, all architecture and landscapes within that postcode, and 50 per cent of that had gone within ten years”

his belief that while a fashion shoot gave him plenty of imaginative leeway, doing advertising stills tended to be more narrowly focused on a particular goal. “I only ever accepted something if it meant I had freedom to do it how I wanted. So I never did advertising photography. The only advertising stuff I did was making commercial films, because for those you could do your own storyboard and have much more creative freedom.” In France, Bailey is revered, but while it’s clear he’s no seeker of accolades, he agrees that this country has been slow to appreciate its finest photographers. “It’s just the same as it used to be with watercolour paintings, with the likes of William Blake. People would be of the opinion: ‘Oh, it’s something rich ladies do at the weekend.’ For a lot of people taking pictures has just been something done by eccentrics. The French, the Germans and the Americans were much quicker to understand photography than the English.” Sadly, he doesn’t think the situation is getting any better. “I had an exhibition in the National Portrait Gallery in about 1969 with David Hockney and Gerald Scarfe, and another one there recently, so that’s more than 40 years between shows. I think I’ve had one picture in the Tate and not much more in the Royal Academy. It doesn’t really matter, but then you get a thing like the Turner Prize for art, which gets everyone overenthusiastic for something with not much thought behind it, while photographers like Don McCullin and David Montgomery haven’t received enough attention.” Another string to Bailey’s bow is his landscape, street and architectural photographs. There’s a great one in Tears and Tears – a view down Brushfield Street towards Christ Church, Spitalfields – a snapshot of the East End as it was in 1963. For anyone who can recall the area back then, it drips with nostalgia. “I’ve been taking pictures of the East End ever since I can remember,” Bailey says, adding that when he first started doing it, he was already half-conscious that he was recording a vanishing world. “In the back of your mind I suppose you are thinking this won’t be here much longer, and then as you get older you realise it isn’t. I did a book called

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NW1 in 1982, all architecture and landscapes within that postcode, and 50 per cent of that had gone within ten years.” In fact, NW1 is a little classic, well worth seeking out by anyone interested in this other facet of Bailey’s work, or simply keen on nostalgic glimpses of places that have since disappeared. The pictures, all shot in black and white, often using a large format camera, are dark and atmospheric, including shadowy doorways, the sides of old Victorian buildings and the lines of their chimney stacks, as well as the goods yards at the back of St Pancras and King’s Cross, and a pre-glammedup Camden Lock. “No, I’m not mad about ‘nice’ views,” he says, dissolving into what seems like a characteristic chuckle. “I’m as far removed from Ansel Adams as you can get.” Bailey says he’s been “vaguely” working on the idea of putting on an exhibition of these photos for about 20 years. I wish he’d get a move on because they are fascinating. For now, he’s got yet another new book imminent, on the people of the Naga Hills, north east India, who were one of the last of the headhunting tribes. “No one ever goes there, or at least you weren’t allowed to, and now they’ve blocked it again. I wanted to meet them as much as photograph them.” It’s great to know that, while some people might still think of Bailey as the man who photographed “all those goodlooking models in the 1960s”, he’s long since moved on to new horizons.

Tears and Tears by David Bailey, published by Steidl steidl.de

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Runway Project

As the sartorial crowd flocks to the capital for London Fashion Week, Ellen Millard looks beyond the clothes to fashion’s most photo-worthy sets 

eathrow must have thought all its Christmasses had come at once when last September, Paris Fashion Week revealed that airports are, officially, on trend. For Chanel’s S/S16 presentation, Paris’s Grand Palais was transformed into a departure lounge, complete with check-in desks, flight attendants and the best dressed baggage handlers a carousel has ever seen. Models dressed head-to-toe in tweed, aeroplane-embroidered paraphernalia and pastel suits wheeled Chanel

Dior’s S/S16 show, photography by Hiroaki Fukuda

suitcases around the pristine white departure lounge. For the finale, Mr Lagerfeld ditched his trademark black suit and donned a captain’s uniform to lead the parade of jaunty jetsetters to boarding gate No.5. When it comes to Fashion Week, the designer doesn’t do half measures, and he’s certainly not alone. Whether it’s in London, Paris, Milan or New York, Fashion Week is a medley of theatrics and OTT set designs that often draw more attention than the clothes themselves. S/S16 saw Marc Jacob stage his

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own film premiere at New York’s Ziegfeld Theatre, with a cinema screen and a red carpet catwalk, while the setting for Moschino’s presentation rivalled a Shell garage with a pavement runway decorated with road signs and traffic cones, at the head of which stood two giant rotating carwash brushes. In Paris, Dior set up shop in the Cour Carrée outside the Louvre, where it built a 59 foot mound from 400,000 purple flowers. Inside, models emerged from a dome of delphiniums to walk down a brilliant white runway. The set

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reportedly took three weeks to build, and involved 100 people, four kilometres of lawn turf and enough scaffolding to fill 15 trucks. At the other end of the scale, Hussein Chalayan kept his catwalk bare bar two showers suspended above a plinth. Models wearing soluble coats were sprinkled with water, transforming their lab-like jackets into delicate dresses before the audience’s very eyes. Similar theatrics were seen at Iris van Herpen’s show, for which Game of Thrones star Gwendoline

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Coach created a meadow setting for its first ever New York show, with kneelength grass reeds and prairie prints

Christie lay on a marble platform while robotic arms wove her a 3D printed dress. Such elaborate scenes are a far cry from the original fashion shows, first introduced by couturier Lucile – aka Lady Duff-Gordon – in the early 1900s. Dubbed ‘mannequin parades’, these presentations were often held at the designer’s Hanover Square boutique, Maison Lucile, where models paraded down a simple stage to a string quartet. Nowadays, there’s a little more to it. “When designing a show, you have to think about people experiencing something in the flesh and all the design practicalities that go with that,” says Robert Storey, fashion producer and founder of StoreyStudio, which has designed sets for for Nicholas Kirkwood, Victoria Beckham and Christopher Kane. “You have to think about the Tommy Hilfiger recreated the sandy lighting, the seating, beaches of Mustique, complete with back of house and the hammocks and a tiki bar photographers’ view, and that’s before even designing the runway.” Live fashion events can take up to a month to plan and several weeks to construct, and require the brain power of a whole team of creatives. Back when catwalk shows were a new phenomenon, designers would showcase their new collections purely for sales purposes. The aim of such shows, Lucile said, was to “lure women into buying more dresses than they could afford”. The events were strictly buyers only, so much so that security was enforced to keep members of the public out for fear of piracy. The notion of higher demand to create spaces that are very keeping fashion shows top secret ‘Instagrammable’, promoting the need to create is almost laughable in the 21st unique and exciting environments.” Indeed, century when, even if you’re not the British Fashion Council found that 78 gifted with a ticket, you’ll still be per cent of guests looking to attend London granted a front row seat thanks Models appeared from a dome Fashion Week last September were planning to to social media. of delphiniums at Dior’s S/S16 show in Paris tweet for the occasion and in September 2015 While of course clothes will there were 503,404 mentions of #LFW on always take centre stage at Fashion Twitter over the course of the five-day event, Week, the backdrop is becoming just and over 100,000 images shared on Instagram as important, and a photo-op worthy with the same hashtag. show is essential. “The digital age More recently, when London Collections is certainly changing the way we Men A/W16 rolled around, it seemed work, and the way we experience that no presentation was treated to an fashion visual communication,” Storey emoticon and a Clarendon filter more says. “Brands are becoming more than Paul Smith’s, who (quite literally) set attracted to set designers for their ability to up shop in London’s Pace Gallery. Taking attract attention from the press, particularly over a three-metre by three-metre space, Smith on social media. I’m finding that there is a

“You have to think about the lighting, the seating, back of house and the photographers’ view, and that’s before even designing the runway”

Photography by Olivier Saillant

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Photography by Hiroaki Fukuda

Paul Smith admires his LCM A/W16 show, a recreation of his first ever store from 1970

“The digital age is certainly changing the way we work, and the way we experience fashion visual communication”

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stood out from the crowd by recreating his first ever store, decorating it with memorabilia and objects that inspire him, such as cycling jerseys, accordions and an Afghan hound called Homer. In some cases, designers are going so far as to boycott traditional shows altogether in favour of social media strategies. For S/S16, Misha Nonoo debuted her latest line through a series of snapshots posted by Lena Dunham, Olivia Palermo, New York City Print maestro Orla Kiely scored a hole-in-one with a fashionable ballet dancer Sara Mearns take on crazy golf and the designer herself on a specially created account (@mishanonoo_show, if you’re interested). “When you have most of your front row built out of people with huge social media followings and what you really want is for them to go to your show, take a picture, and share it with their followers, why don’t you just get to that point first?” Nonoo explained. In spite of this, the majority of designers will still be presenting their A/W16 womenswear collections in the traditional method over the next few weeks. As the event draws closer, a deluge of set designers, stylists and lighting teams will be hastily making the final touches. This year, London Fashion Week will once again be based at Brewer Street Car Park in Soho. More than 80 brands will present their latest collections and 35 million people will see the spectacle on outdoor screens across the country. Highlights will include Alexander McQueen’s return to the catwalk and Mulberry’s first show under new creative director Johnny Coca. Over in Paris, Chanel is expected to present its A/W16 collection at the Grand Palais again in March, but other than that the production notes have been kept under wraps. Still, when its previous presentations have seen the likes of Kendall Jenner and Cara Delevingne prop up the bar at makeshift restaurant Brasserie Gabrielle’s (A/W15); a feminist protest on a Parisian boulevard (S/S15); a supermarket sweep complete Chanel gave the traditional departure lounge a new lease with egg box clutch bags and cobalt blue of life with stylish check-in desks shopping trolleys (A/W13); and a barn dance to music by Lily Allen (S/S10), expectations are high. One thing’s for sure: there’ll be no filter necessary.

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Kentisbury Grange, Kentisbury, Barnstaple, North Devon EX31 4NL weddings@kentisburygrange.co.uk | 01271 882 295 www.kentisburygrange.co.uk

MAN

SOLE

interview

Photography © Piers Calvert

Manolo Blahnik puts his best magenta slippered foot forward to celebrate the opening of his new Burlington Arcade store – his first London boutique in 44 years. He tells Lauren Romano why he won’t be retiring anytime soon 

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anolo Blahnik knows how to make an entrance. He emerges from his new Burlington Arcade store dressed in a double breasted suit, the Pantone shade of which might best be described as Parma Violet purple, accessorised with round tortoiseshell glasses, polka dot bow tie, light lilac socks and loafers in shocking pink. He flicks a cashmere scarf over his shoulder with a toss of the head (Mr Blahnik has been under the weather, his PR team tells me) and begins to embrace those assembled outside. Rather than a roll-call of young, leggy models recruited for the occasion, the Blahnik entourage includes Vogue’s Suzy Menkes, a radiant Yasmin Le Bon in neon yellow trimmed stilettos and the eminent classicist Mary Beard. The designer and Ms Beard (Mr Blahnik has a habit of referring to people by their titles) have spent many a happy hour together collating all the Greek words for shoe (there are more than 82 apparently). Beard even contributed to Manolo Blahnik: Fleeting Gestures and Obsessions, an illustrated tome documenting his life’s work – so far – that was released last summer. I say so far. At the age of 73 the Burlington Arcade store is Blahnik’s first London standalone in 44 years. He’s in a jovial mood as he saunters past the plinths that have been temporarily installed in the arcade itself, topped with large bell jars, under which sit shoes for examination. But despite his flamboyant attire, Blahnik is not the septuagenarian showman you might expect. His eccentricity is lightly worn, and while far from being taciturn – on the contrary he is delightfully blunt and meanders off topic regularly – he is also humble, even a little bashful at all the attention. Blahnik opened his first boutique in Old Church Street, Chelsea, in 1973 when the likes of Marianne Faithfull, Bianca Jagger, Charlotte Rampling, Lauren Bacall and David Bowie would buzz for admittance. “I have been looking for the right place for a while,” he admits with a slight shrug when quizzed about why it took him so long to find a location for his second premises in the capital. “Besides, I have always loved this magical place, all these shops with their beautiful cashmere. I love the tradition and history. I remember falling completely for the arcade the very first time I visited London.” Designed by Jino Murad, a former interior designer for Harrods, the double-fronted premises is accessorised with silk lamps, ottomans in aquamarine, violet and mustard yellow and Corinthian-style pillars.

Monochrome-striped stilettos, tangerine-toned cut out heels and rainbow-hued sandals from the S/S16 collection share the brass plinths with classic pieces, while upstairs sits a private room where orders for customised items can be taken. Despite being in the business for more than four decades, Blahnik still does things the way he always has. He visits the factories in Italy regularly to make the prototypes – “it’s probably my favourite time of the year” – and always keeps a notebook at arm’s reach to sketch his bright freehand drawings at a moment’s notice. Blahnik’s obsession with shoes (his Bath townhouse is reportedly home to 30,000 pairs, since he keeps every single one of his designs) began during childhood. He grew up in Santa Cruz de la Palma in the Canary Islands where his mother’s family owned a banana plantation. “I remember being obsessed with my nanny’s espadrilles when I was a small child.

interview

I used to play with my dogs and little lizards that we had in the garden and I’d make shoes for them out of candy wrappers,” he chuckles. He reminisces that his bedtime stories consisted of Enid Blyton and Charles Dickens and his Czech father was a Winston Churchill-loving Anglophile, so it was only a matter of time before he ended up in the British capital. Once here, a chance encounter with fashion editor Diana Vreeland persuaded him to focus on footwear instead of costume and set design, which he had studied at the École du Louvre in Paris. “I will always be grateful for Mrs Vreeland’s advice and support,” he adds, humbly. “She has done great things for this industry and changed the way fashion was perceived. She was a visionary.” Blahnik is dismissive of trends – surprising given that the industry holds him in such esteem. “I like to have the freedom to do what really inspires me. That is the beauty of my job.” His inspiration is more likely to come from a book, his extensive film archive, or women such as (Karl Lagerfeld’s muse) Amanda Harlech and actresses Uma Thurman and Ángela Molina. “They all have something unique. They are elegant and they carry themselves in an exceptional way.” As talk turns to the past it’s hard to ignore the brand’s most obvious moment in the spotlight. ‘Manolos’ were cemented in the public consciousness by a certain Carrie Bradshaw who was rarely seen out of Blahnik’s stilettos in Sex and the City – something he flits away with a smile and an “of course, I’m very grateful” response. His longevity in the industry, he believes, is down to his universal appeal. “I am very lucky because I can still say the Manolo Blahnik woman is every woman. We have new customers that save up to buy their first pair for their wedding, or young girls that have seen their mothers wearing the shoes. And of course we still have the beautiful women who have been buying from us every season for 40 years. I like to think, no matter their age, they will find something they like.” The seventies will always be rosetinted for Blahnik. His big break came in 1972 when fashion designer Ossie Clark asked him to design the footwear for his catwalk. He made the shoes with rubber heels without using steel to reinforce them, which meant they were precarious to walk in. Thankfully the fashion editors took the teetering models to be a deliberate move and he got away with it – just – and

soon the likes of Jean Muir, Zandra Rhodes and John Galliano were banging on his door. Near twisted ankles aren’t part of the equation now. “Perfect balance, perfect proportion” is essential for Blahnik. Such is his fastidiousness that I can well imagine him trying on the designs in the factory. He insists that it’s actually the comfort factor that sets his heels apart from towering stilettos nobody can walk in, or, heaven forbid, “detestable platforms.” (These are only OK if you’re wearing a long dress so you can’t see them.) “Feeling comfortable” is his personal mission too. You won’t catch Blahnik eyeing up the crab doughnuts at Chiltern Firehouse – or “that Fire place” as he refers to it (and its supposedly infernal temperatures). His haunts include Anderson & Sheppard for suits, The Wolseley for tea, or Bibendum or Wiltons for lunch (not dinner, he might fall asleep). Speaking of sleep, he rarely gets more than five hours a night. “I never relax!” he exclaims. “I’m always working, even on the weekend. I can’t switch off. I am inspired by so many different things or situations that I will need to stop what I’m doing and sketch my ideas. Without hard work you see no results. You must believe in what you do, put all your passion into it. If you don’t believe in it, no-one else will. “Who knows what the year ahead will bring. I don’t even know myself. I am always surprised how many things happen in one year without even planning it,” he concludes, matter-of-factly. Retirement, for now at least, is clearly a dirty word, so I don’t dare broach the subject. Mr Blahnik is still the life and sole (sorry) of his empire and no doubt he’ll be striding ahead, one shocking pink loafer in front of the other, for some time to come.

“I’m very lucky because I can still say the Manolo Blahnik woman is every woman”

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Burlington Arcade, 51 Piccadilly, W1J manoloblahnik.com

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COLLECTION

True colours Stroll down New Bond Street and you will not fail to spot the latest addition to this luxury watch and jewellery hub: De Grisogono’s newly opened store. Its colourful windows stand out from its competitors and will no doubt entice shoppers inside, mesmerised by the stunning display of pieces (some of which are exclusive to the London store). Unlike the Swiss brand’s previous boutiques, the new David Collins Studio-designed flagship has been divided into three rooms, mirroring the traditional aesthetic of an Italian house to tie in with founder Fawaz Gruosi’s Florentine heritage. Along with a dedicated watch area, there is a Grand Sala (or drawing room) that is reached via a vestibule and has been decorated with mid-century Italian furniture. 15a New Bond Street, W1S, degrisogono.com Photography by Adrien Dirand

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collection

Jewellery news By Olivia Sharpe

Romancing the stone The story of Tiffany & Co.’s now world-famous diamond engagement ring, the Tiffany Setting, begins with the American jeweller’s founder, Charles Lewis Tiffany, who set out in 1886 to create a ring that highlighted the beauty of brilliant-cut diamonds. 130 years and countless proposals and film appearances later, he certainly succeeded in his mission. Fittingly, Tiffany & Co. has chosen to mark this impressive milestone with a year-long celebration. This will involve a brand new campaign which, rather than relying on models or celebrities as endorsements, will instead feature the jeweller’s skilled artisans who are responsible for the rings’ creation. tiffany.co.uk

New hue So fast-paced is the jewellery industry today that if you stand still for a second, you will almost certainly get left behind. This is something Pomellato understands only too well, as the Milanese jeweller never appears to rest in its constant pursuit to innovate its pieces. And nothing illustrates this better than the brand’s signature Nudo pendant collection, which has been reinvented once again for 2016 with a new rose gold chain to be worn with one of any six coloured gemstones. Nudo pendant with rose gold chain £1,320, pomellato.com

Top of the game I promise to love you “She [Tracey Emin] has been my friend for 30 years and she made me the ‘I promise to love you’ neon sign for my store in Beverly Hills. One day I said to her, ‘Let me have a go at seeing what I can come up with out of your work and our relationship’.” When Vantage interviewed Stephen Webster last year, we were fortunate enough to be one of the first publications to see the designer’s collaborative collection with artist Tracey Emin, which has only now been released. Capturing the artist’s iconic neon works with the jeweller’s expert craftsmanship, Webster has created a range of pieces that use gold and diamonds to spell out Emin’s trademark handwriting, with declarations including ‘With You I Breathe’, ‘Love’ and ‘More Passion’. Figurative woodland creatures inspired by Emin’s hand-drawn animal sketches have also been brought to life as charms. I Promise to Love You, from £400-19,000 stephenwebster.com 24 | Vantage

Before becoming the founder of one of the pinnacle French fashion houses, a young Christian Dior spent his childhood playing games in the gardens of his hometown of Granville. Jewellery designer Victoire de Castellane has once again chosen to capture this idyllic part of Christian Dior’s history in her latest collection, christened Granville. Made up of 12 unique pieces, each one tells the story of childish outdoor games with a vivid rainbow of coloured stones: green beryl, peridot, aquamarine, tanzanite, chrysoberyl, pink tourmaline and rubellite all play lead roles. Granville collection, POA dior.com

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S hake

it Off

From her movable bangles to her Glam’Azone pieces, Valérie Messika has spent the past decade shaking up the diamond business with her brand’s edgy, rock ‘n’ roll aesthetic. As jewellery historian Vivienne Becker explores the company’s achievements in her new book, Olivia Sharpe speaks to the founder about her diamond legacy 

This page: Ballerina of National Theatre in Belgrade, Dina Johnsen, dinajohnsen.com Opposite page, from top: Swan cuff, Diamond Feathers collection; Diamond Wave necklace

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alérie Messika has broken new ground in the diamond industry with her eponymous jewellery brand. At a time when diamonds were perceived as “unattainable and untouchable” (says Becker in her book), it was she who set about changing the industry’s perception and forging a new language for the stone as something that is light, wearable, youthful and stylish. Eleven years later and Messika Joaillerie has done just that – renowned for its revolutionary and cutting-edge take on diamond design, it has successfully bridged the gap between the worlds of high jewellery and fashion. To say that diamonds are in Valérie’s DNA is an understatement. Her father, Andre Messika, is a wellknown diamond dealer and Valérie spent her childhood playing with the rare stones that he brought home. This is what led her to view diamonds in a different light: not as precious objects, but as something to enjoy and take pleasure in every day. However, she admits to having always been more interested in fashion – “My example was never jewellery, always fashion” – and has always greatly admired couturiers Yves Saint Laurent and Alaïa for their ability to blur the lines between masculine and feminine clothing, and create pieces that “sculpt the body”. It was while working at Chanel that the then 23-year-old first began unconsciously realising her vision for her brand. “It is one of the most powerful brands in the world and it was very interesting for me to see it from the inside. It was 1999 and I remember how I could sense Coco Chanel’s presence in the building. People referring to her and her heritage, and it was this that made me realise how

important the DNA of a brand is. So when I launched my company, that was my first consideration.” Following this, Valérie went to work for her father, but soon discovered that she was not interested in the dealing side of things and knew her heart lay in design. “I realised fairly soon that the job was not really for me because it had quite an old-fashioned mentality,” she comments. “So after a few years I said to him, ‘Dad, if I stay with the business I have to do my own work because I feel that there are no in-between brands in jewellery and I would like this to change.” Valérie was determined to find some middle ground between the high jewellery houses on the Place Vendôme and inexpensive brands, and while initially dubious about her concept, Andre accepted his daughter’s proposal with the condition that diamonds remained at the heart of her company. To this day, Valérie has never gone against her word and this has undoubtedly paid off. “I think he was right for many reasons,” she explains. “I was born into a world of diamonds so they are my area of expertise. I think it’s very important for the consumer to understand that we are specialists in this subject because this is what makes us stand apart from other jewellers. It’s the same as fashion brands that are specialists in cashmere or knitwear. I think if I were to work with coloured gemstones, it would deviate from my DNA.” Typically, size is one of the most important factors when it comes to a diamond’s value. However, Valérie has never personally been drawn to massive rocks, having always preferred the tiny gems she was allowed to play with as a child. “Strangely, I found myself much more emotionally attached to the very

It was while working at Chanel that 23-year-old Valérie first began realising her vision for her brand

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small stones I would find buried in an envelope than a massive 15-carat rock,” she says, smiling. “To have something so small, precious and shiny in your hand is very special.” This is why the jeweller began experimenting with micro-pavé, creating her first ever piece which has now become signature to the brand: the Move bangle. The playful, daring design – a simple bracelet featuring three diamonds that slide effortlessly from side to side on a hidden rail – pushed boundaries in the way that it highlighted the potential versatility and transformability of diamond jewellery. “At the time I launched my brand, the state of mind among women in Paris was that you could only wear diamonds for special occasions or if it was your engagement ring. But I wanted to show them that diamond jewellery could be something cool, casual and modern that you could wear every day.” Although Valérie modestly says how she has never considered herself a designer, she believes she has an innate ability to sense what women today want to wear and judging from her own modern sense of style, you can well believe it. One of the jeweller’s prized possessions in her wardrobe is a Ralph Lauren leather jacket which can be dressed up or down depending on her mood – “I can pair it with something more relaxed or I can dress it up to make it look more sophisticated” – along with her abundant collection of shoes (how many pairs this includes she refuses to tell me for fear of her husband’s reaction). Valérie’s impeccable taste is further illustrated in her Paris atelier, which truly stands apart from traditional jewellery workshops with its beautifully light, airy and contemporary design. And yet, she insists that she would never try to impart her own style onto other women as what she loves most about Messika is that it has such universal appeal. “When I visit my shop, I see a lot of women walking in with their mums and walking out with different pieces because at Messika there are so many different styles and price brackets. And each piece reveals something about your own personal style.” Current fans of the brand include Beyoncé, Rihanna and Cara Delevingne, highlighting that the

Valérie isn’t opposed to branching out into other product categories and hints that a watch collection might be on the horizon

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Opposite page, from top: Maya necklace; Rihanna, Daily Front Row Awards, 2015, photography: Steve Granitz/Getty Images; Move rings; Amazone ring; This page, from top: Inside the Messika atelier, 37.5-carat diamond; Move bangle

women who covet Messika share a confident and individual sense of style. The inspiration for another of the house’s best-selling designs, Skinny, came from Valérie having envisaged a “diamond tattoo” bracelet, whereby gems look as though they have been traced onto the skin. The malleable design was inspired by the red Kabbalah bracelet that was all the rage in the ‘90s largely thanks to Madonna. “It’s almost like an elastic of diamonds. It looks very comfortable because it fits every width of wrist.” With its flexibility, fashionforwardness and fragility, Skinny, like Move, perfectly captures the spirit of Messika. In the Paris atelier, you will find moodboards with cut-out pictures of runway shows, architecture, accessories and ballerinas, as Valérie has often found inspiration in dance and movement for her bodyconscious pieces. For the tenth-anniversary high jewellery collection unveiled at last year’s Baselworld, pieces drew reference to the natural grace of a swan. The jeweller isn’t opposed to branching out into other product categories and hints that a watch collection might be on the horizon, but for the moment she feels that the brand is still very young and needs time to mature. She hopes one day to pass on her company to her two daughters, one of whom, as fate would have it, was born on the same day as the opening of her first store. For the time being, however, the most important thing for Valérie is to remain true to herself and to her roots: “I am very lucky because I have invested my

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heart and soul into my brand and I think even if my clients don’t know that, they can sense it. We don’t lie. The big lesson I’ve learnt is to follow my instincts because I’m not a very self-confident person, but the more I work in the business, the more confident I am becoming. Sometimes you just have a feeling which you can’t explain, but you just have to go with it.” Whichever direction Messika moves in, I am certain that it will only be forward. Messika Joaillerie by Vivienne Becker, £16, available from the end of February, assouline.com

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Watch news By Richard Brown

Inside SIHH 2016 In the rarefied world of luxury watches, few brands are independently owned. Rolex, Patek Philippe and Breitling remain autonomous. The rest of the big boys are owned by huge parent companies. The manufacturers held by Kering, LVMH and Swatch Group choose to exhibit at the annual Baselworld show. The brands that are owned by Richemont have a fair all of their own. The Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, or SIHH, takes place in Geneva every January. Amid the abrasive and the kitsch, the haughty and the heinous, these were the timepieces that most stood out in 2016. And yes, these prices are real. We checked.

Black Velvet, £44,600, Roger Dubuis

Lady Arpels Ronde des Papillons, £89,500, Van Cleef & Arpels

Dragon Mystérieux, POA, Cartier

Panthères et Colibri, POA, Cartier

Secret Heart, £64,000, Roger Dubuis

Limelight Stella, £24,500, Piaget

Ladies’ high jewellery watches When it came to ladies’ watches, the majority of efforts at SIHH 2016 were geared towards women of a considerable spending power. Roger Dubuis welcomed guests with a red carpet reception and models dressed by Alexander McQueen and Maison Margiela. Its Velvet Diva collection was designed to turn heads, but it was the more understated creations within the range, particularly the Black Velvet (£44,600) and Secret Heart (£64,000), that shone the brightest. High jewellery timepieces stole the show at Cartier. The diamond-scaled dragon on the brand’s Dragon Mystérieux (POA) wraps itself around an hour and minute hand seemingly suspended in mid-air, while the Panthères et Colibri (POA) possesses a crown that, when pushed, ushers out a young panther from beneath its mother. Continuing its movement, the panther progresses to chase away a hummingbird, which flutters to the top of the dial where it acts as a power reserve indicator. Very smart indeed.

Piaget’s timepieces were a more pared-back affair. The elegant, quartz-powered Limelight Gala (from £27,700) is set with 62 brilliant-cut diamonds and is available with either a white gold or pink gold Milanese strap. If mechanical means more to you, then the Limelight Stella (from £24,500) is equipped with Piaget’s in-house, automatic Caliber 584P movement. The watch’s moon phase indicator requires just one correction every 122 years. Choose the watch with or without diamonds. No one could deny the intrinsic beauty of Van Cleef & Arpels’ Lady Arpels Ronde des Papillons (£89,500). From under a collection of layered, motherof-pearl clouds, three butterflies emerge to display the minutes of the hour. At the bottom of the dial, a white gold swallow indicates the hours of the day. Delicate, delightful and, at 38mm in diameter, not too extravagant for delicate wrists, the watch offered wow factor in spades.

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Best in show

Time travellers Whether it was GMTs, world-timers or pilot’s watches, time travel was the overriding theme of SIHH 2016. Perhaps most significant of all was IWC’s Timezoner Chronograph – the first watch to allow its wearer to set the time zone, as well as the date, simply by rotating its bezel. Purists may not appreciate its cluttered dial, but by offering clear legibility and a flyback chronograph function, the Timezoner, unlike most worldtimers, could actually be used for the purpose it was intended. Other noteworthy world-timers included Montblanc’s 4810 Orbis Terrarum and Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Geophysic Universal Time. The former features a coloured dial below a transparent map that rotates so that you can distinguish night from day. JLC’s is the only world-timer to sport a deadbeat seconds hand, meaning that it ‘jumps’, rather than glides, between seconds. The result is a ‘truer’ representation of time.

Pilot Watch Mark XVIII, £3,190, IWC

Geophysic Universal Time, £18,300, Jaeger-LeCoultre

Among the hordes of celebrity ambassadors patrolling the show, the following stars proved to be the real showstoppers Parmigiani Fleurier’s Tonda Chronor Anniversaire, £103,000

Timezoner Chronograph, £9,450, IWC

Possibly the best-looking watch of SIHH 2016, Parmigiani Fleurier’s Tonda Chronor Anniversaire celebrates the brand’s 20th anniversary by including the company’s first in-house integrated chronograph – a hugely impressive feat for such a small, albeit brilliant, manufacturer.

Audemars Piguet’s Supersonnerie, CHF520,000 4810 Orbis Terrarum, £4,500, Montblanc

Pilot’s Watch Mark XVIII Edition ‘Le Petit Prince’, £3,190, IWC

Thanks to three patents, eight years of research and 478 parts, AP has created the most clear-sounding minute repeater of all time. Not only does it chime with absolute purity, but it also houses a tourbillon chronograph. Ding ding.

MB&F’s HM6 SV, £300,000

Chronométrie Collection Twincounter Date, £2,155, Montblanc

Drive de Cartier, £4,550, Cartier

Value for money For watches that won’t require remortgaging your house for, look towards Montblanc, Cartier and IWC. Cartier’s Drive was something of a sensation. Bolstering what is already Richemont’s biggest brand, the completely new timepiece was a lesson in masculine watch design. Slim, elegant and perfectly proportioned, the vintage-inspired pieces feature a cushion-shaped case and come equipped with an in-house movement. Expect the Drive to fly off jewellers’ shelves when it’s released in June. Equally buzzworthy was IWC’s Pilot’s Watch Mark XVIII, the latest in a long line of legendary pilot’s watches. A return to its roots, with its uncluttered dial and ergonomic design, the watch will find favour among IWC purists. The Mark XVIII is 40mm in size and you can opt for either a black or silver dial. Pilot or not, at £3,190, it’s a handsome investment for any wrist. Continuing to evolve under the stewardship of CEO Jérôme Lambert – previously Jaeger-LeCoultre and A. Lange & Söhne – Montblanc presented the Chronométrie Collection Twincounter Date. Powered by a brand new Montblanc movement, the 40mm piece has a 38-hour power reserve and is water-resistant to 30 metres. Smart, sharp and sporting a self-winding, inhouse calibre, the watch is a snip at £2,155. lu x u r y l o n d o n .c o.u k

When you’d actually wear it, we don’t know, but when the HM6 SV comprises a flying tourbillon and 11 pieces of sapphire crystal – one of the most difficult materials to work with – there’s no denying MB&F is the ultimate master of the avant-garde.

Van Cleef & Arpels’s Midnight Nuit Lumineuse, POA Spread across the handpainted, diamond-set dial of the Midnight Nuit Lumineuse is the Monoceros constellation, more commonly known as the Unicorn. Activate the pusher at 8 o’clock and six of the stars light up. Powered by an electro-mechanical movement, rather than a battery, it’s something that has never been seen before in watchmaking.

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NICO ROSBERG Global citizen

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Rule Britannia Best known for his expressive portraits of post-war America, Alain Bertrand takes a leap across the Atlantic Ocean with his new collection. Big Ben, red double deckers and Hackney carriages are among the London icons daubed by Bertrand, on show at Hampstead’s Catto Gallery this month. Subtle hints woven into his paintings remind us of Bertrand’s French heritage – his quintessential English scenes are entitled things like French Tourists and Concours d’Elegance. Bertrand was commissioned to illustrate campaigns for Pirelli, Renault and Peugeot and his wellhoned photo-realistic style is visible across the collection, leaving viewers immersed in pulsing, vibrant settings both here and further afield. Until 15 March, 100 Heath Street, NW3 cattogallery.co.uk Big Ben by Alain Bertrand, courtesy of Catto Gallery

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EDITOR'S PICK

Going solo Following a successful debut at Darren Baker Gallery’s winter exhibition, artist Richard Gower is back with his first solo show at the Fitzrovia space. First Impressions will showcase a collection of Gower’s unique oil paintings created exclusively for the display. Pop in to see colourful urban scenes and seaside portraits painted in the artist’s familiar expressive style.

Local news

17-28 March, 81 Charlotte Street, W1T darrenbakergallery.com

By Amelia Mayes

Stay tuned The annual Jacqueline du Pré Charity Concert is returning to Wigmore Hall this spring. Two talented groups will come together to raise funds for Britain’s oldest musical charity, The Royal Society of Musicians, which supports performers suffering from accidents, old age and illness. Featuring classic pieces from Bach, Polish composer Lutoslawski, Japanese composer Miki and many more, the concert will see London Brass and percussionists O Duo take to the stage for a two-hour special. From £15, 9 March, 36 Wigmore Street, W1U wigmore-hall.org.uk

Who runs the world? From Wonderwoman to Harley Quinn, it’s hard to resist the bold, dramatic flair of comic books L-R: Sarah Lightman, The Book of Sarah and their characters. This spring, © Sarah Lightman; Laura Callaghan, Comix Creatrix at the House of Illustration 100 female comic creators will © Laura Callaghan showcase their work together for House of Illustration’s Comix Creatrix: 100 Women Making Comics, featuring work from the 1800s up to the present day. With original material from graphic novels and magazines, enjoy the UK’s largest exhibition of leading female comic artists including Marie Duval, Tove Jansson and Posy Simmonds and their striking designs. £7, until 15 May, 2 Granary Square, King’s Cross, N1C houseofillustration.org.uk

spotlight From top: Quentin Blake, cover illustration from James and the Giant Peach, 2002 © Quentin Blake; Stref, from JM Barrie’s Peter Pan: The Graphic Novel, 2015, published by BC Books

Draw the line Take a trip down memory lane with The Foundling Museum’s spring exhibition, Drawing on Childhood. Featuring illustrations by Quentin Blake, David Hockney and Nick Sharratt, the exhibition celebrates the life of fictional children who were fostered, adopted, abandoned or found, and explores how the characters overcame their setbacks. Look out for famous fictional faces like James from James and the Giant Peach, and the eponymous Rapunzel and Cinderella. Clockwise from left: Follow my Lead!; Red Hat; Day Out, all by Richard Gower

Until 1 May, 40 Brunswick Square WC1N, foundlingmuseum.org.uk

“Inspiration is some mysterious blessing which happens when the wheels are turning smoothly.” – Quentin Blake Right: Michele Mathison, Chapungu, Shiri yedenga, (sky bird), cast iron and wood, courtesy of the artist and Tyburn Gallery

Hung up

Get a taste of southern Africa with Michele Mathison’s new exhibition Uprooted, presented by the Tyburn Gallery. Keen to represent the personal and political identity within Zimbabwe and South Africa, the exhibition brings together objects and symbols that reflect the social identity in parts of the continent today. Look out for cast iron models of birds typically seen in Zimbabwe and towering structures of spades and pickets that represent the tools used in Mathison’s home country.

If you’re after some quirky artwork, Lumas Gallery’s new Art Now collection may be able to help. Discover a range of bold images in postcard sizes that will inject some humour into your living room. Pick up Angela Rossi’s amusing animal portraits, or take your Star Wars obsession to a whole new level with David Edgar’s Cloned Photos, a series of iconic images amusingly recreated using Stormtroopers. Each print comes with built-in hooks and magnets, making it easy to transform your wall into a modern masterpiece.

Until 19 March, 26 Barrett Street W1U, tyburngallery.com

57 South Molton Street W1K, lumas.com

Grass roots

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This image: Bulldog 1 © Catherine Ledner; Above: Yellow Submarine © Ceslovas Cesnakevicius, lumas.com

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A Meeting of Minds Jack Watkins considers the works of Alfred Hitchcock through the eyes of the late French film director François Truffaut 

striking black and white photo presents the inimitably poker-faced Alfred Hitchcock posing as if preaching the gospel of making movies to François Truffaut, who appears to be kneeling in rapt devotion at his feet. In 1962, the boyish French director had arranged to meet his idol in Hollywood to conduct a series of interviews for a book. Truffaut was one of the young guns of French New Wave cinema at this time, while Hitchcock, then 62, was working

on the final edit of The Birds, the last truly great thriller from the master of suspense. It took four years for the tapes from the interviews to be properly transcribed, and when Truffaut’s book on Hitchcock finally came out in 1967, the latter’s health was in marked decline. He’d make three more movies up to his death in 1980, none of which matched his lofty earlier standards. Tragically, the much younger Truffaut was not to outlast him by that long, dying at the premature age of 52 in 1984.

SPOTLIGHT

Opposite page: The Birds; This page: The Birds and Rear Window, all images courtesy of BFI

Truffaut had felt compelled to seek out Hitchcock because he feared one of his favourite directors was being victimised by stuffy intellectual critics who had long sneered at his films for what they regarded as their shallowness. Hitchcock also had a reputation as a difficult interviewee, with a tendency to treat questions frivolously. Truffaut, who had started out as a critic himself, writing for the influential French film journal Cahiers du Cinéma, believed that if Hitchcock could be persuaded to submit to more rigorously formal, “intelligent” questioning, it would at last give him a voice to answer his critics. Apparently, one earnest American film professor warned Truffaut that such a book would “do more harm to your reputation than your worst film”, but Truffaut’s boldness was handsomely vindicated. More than 30 years on, both men remain unquestioned giants of the movies, and, as a new documentary Hitchcock/Truffaut by Kent Jones (on an extended run at the BFI Southbank in March) reveals, Truffaut’s book so lifted the lid on the magic of Hitchcock that it influenced many directors who read it. When Truffaut wrote a preface to a revised edition of Hitchcock in 1983, he was able to apply Jean Cocteau’s description of Marcel Proust to his subject: “His works kept on living, like the watches on the wrists of dead soldiers.” Hitchcock’s legacy is everywhere in cinema. He has influenced or inspired films by the likes of Brian De Palma, Martin Scorsese, Claude Chabrol, Wes Anderson and David Fincher, as well as those of Truffaut himself. You can even detect elements of the way he built atmosphere, suspense and thrills in early James Bond films like Dr. No and From Russia with Love. For Truffaut, Hitchcock’s screen signature was identifiable from the moment the film began. And he was right. His style can be recognised in a single scene involving two people speaking to one another, with

It’s true he was never “an actor’s director”, since he had a very tight, story-boarded concept of how a film should look

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characteristic pauses and simplified gestures. It’s even noticeable in the way he uses sound and, sometimes, long periods of silence. Occasionally he just blanks out the sound of the onscreen action and simply allows the score – invariably by Bernard Herrmann – to set the mood (Vertigo has one of the finest examples of this). In this way he forces you to register what the pictures, not the dialogue, are telling you; a legacy perhaps of his training in silent cinema. It’s true he was never “an actor’s director”, since he had a very tight, storyboarded concept of how a film should look and how

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SPOTLIGHT

the action should unfold, leaving little room for an actor’s individual creative input. Yet even though that means the performances can sometimes seem almost stilted, without much great acting in the theatrical sense, it’s surprising how many great stars we naturally associate with his work. In support of the new documentary, the BFI is also screening Vertigo. Since the 1980s the reputation of this film, starring James Stewart and Kim Novak, has risen so that it is considered by many to be Hitchcock’s master work. It’s a surprise to recall that it was not a great success at the time of its release in 1958. Perhaps it was because the storyline, as Hitchcock told Truffaut, was of less importance to him that the overall visual impact. But since then the complexities of the central character in the midst of an emotional crisis, alongside its heavy symbolism, have made it the most discussed and revered film in the Hitchcock canon, though probably Psycho remains the one most non-cinephiles regularly quote. For sheer entertainment value though, North by Northwest has to be near the top. To Truffaut it was the film that most epitomised Hitchcock’s work after he’d left England for Hollywood in 1939. It stars Cary Grant, still in incredible shape aged 54. But playing an innocent catapulted into a series of quickly unfolding events left the actor baffled. During filming he walked up to Hitchcock and said: “It’s a terrible script. We’ve already done a third of the picture and I still can’t make head or tail of it.” Grant had an endearing way

From top: Vertigo; Dial M for Murder; To Catch a Thief; Psycho, all images courtesy of BFI

of looking permanently confused on screen, but in this film, clearly he wasn’t pretending. Grant also starred in Notorious opposite Ingrid Bergman and the matchless Claude Rains. Truffaut said this was his favourite Hitchcock film, along with Rear Window, which starred James Stewart and Grace Kelly, one of Hitchcock’s classic ice cool blondes, who also appeared in Dial M for Murder with Ray Milland and To Catch A Thief with Cary Grant. Hitchcock, on the other hand, had a fond regard for The Trouble with Harry, a relatively overlooked black comedy built around a very slight story about trying to dispose of a dead body. It didn’t do especially well at the box office at the time of release (1955) but, featuring a great old English actor Edmund Gwenn, John Forsythe (later of Dynasty fame) and a mercifully restrained Shirley MacLaine in her screen debut, it’s well worth looking out for. Although the photography was colourful and lyrical, the film was subdued in tone. As Hitchcock told Truffaut: “Nothing amuses me so much as understatement.” And that was another thing about Hitchcock. He never overplayed his hand. Hitchcock/Truffaut screens at the BFI Southbank from 4-16 March. Director Kent Jones will be in conversation at BFI Southbank on 4 March at 6.10pm Vertigo screens at the BFI from 2-15 March and Psycho from 2-13 March

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Tides of change Esteemed fashion house Salvatore Ferragamo has recently celebrated the 100year anniversary of its arrival in Hollywood; however, the brand shows no signs of falling behind the times with its new campaign The Splendour of Life. The seaside meets the city in Massimiliano Giornetti’s latest collection; a brilliant jumble of bright, blocky beach-hut stripes in shades of bubblegum and banana – contrasted with elegant arrangements of layered frills that give the brand’s ensembles a whimsical streak. 24 Old Bond Street, W1S, ferragamo.com

Photography by Craig McDean

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Fashion news By Ellen Millard

Surf ’s up After seeing snapshots of holiday life à la celebrity at the beginning of the year (Nick Grimshaw, Rita Ora and co in Miami, Simon Cowell in Barbados and just about everybody else in St Barths) we’re keen to put the rain clouds behind us and jet off to somewhere where the vitamin D is more abundant. Those who’ve already booked a spring getaway should head to Heidi Klein for sun-lounge-appropriate attire. The label’s latest collection comprises lemon yellow bikinis, ikat print cover-ups and white broderie anglaise dresses perfect for a week in the sun. From a selection, heidiklein.com

Jumping ship Master the tricky trans-seasonal wardrobe with Barrie’s S/S16 collection – a range of nauticalinspired knits in a navy, white and pastel palette. Slouchy sweatshirts are decorated with white button designs, Breton jumpers have been revamped with a white leaf border and lace cardigans look set to become a firm wardrobe staple – but our top pick has to be this white lattice mini dress that makes for the perfect beach outfit. From a selection, 47 Burlington Arcade, W1J, barrie.com

True colours Colour is high on the agenda at Aspinal of London this season. The label has redesigned its Mini Marylebone tote in bright shades of orange and green. Quirkier styles are available in leopard print and metallic stripes, while silver, navy and monochrome versions will fit seamlessly into any wardrobe. All designs are also available in the Midi Marylebone Tech bag, which comes with a built-in charger. £595, 46 Marylebone High Street, W1U aspinaloflondon.com

fashion

Cat nap Shoe designer Charlotte Olympia originally studied lingerie design at university before she found her calling in quirky pumps, so her latest collaboration with Agent Provocateur is a match made in design heaven. The limited edition capsule collection takes inspiration from Olympia’s own label, with kitten slippers, briefs and eye masks, leopard print teddies and spider web-inspired sets.

Modern family

From £95 agentprovocateur.com

Kite runner EDITOR'S PICK

First there was the Bayswater, then the Alexa, and, more recently, the Cara. Mulberry has a reputation for creating ‘It’ bags that shoot to the top of many a wishlist, and its latest design will no doubt have the same effect. The bucket-shaped Kite Tote comes in a range of smooth and textured leathers, including midnight calf, black and buttercream, while the complementary clutch in burgundy, taupe and black will take you from day to night.

Last year ESCADA pledged to modernise its brand ahead of its 40th anniversary in 2018, and the latest collection is certainly a step in the right direction. Cropped palazzo trousers in turquoise and red, floral co-ords and black cut-out tops make for the ultimate eveningwear, while long-line denim skirts, sleek vests and boho maxi dresses are the perfect trans-seasonal wardrobe staples. escada.com

From a selection mulberry.com

Head over heels ‘Two heads are better than one’ is a saying that L.K.Bennett has taken rather literally of late, having produced collaborative collections with Caroline Issa in 2013 and Laura Bailey last year. This season it has drafted in footwear label Bionda Castana for a 20-strong collection. With each design named after inspiring women, the line comprises cornflower blue heels (Alexa), light pink sandals (Jackie) and checked pumps (January) with a dainty scalloped trim. From a selection, lkbennett.com

Tiger feet French Sole has collaborated with blogger and Harper’s Bazaar contributing editor Alice Naylor-Leyland for its latest range of whimsical pumps. The result is plush velvet slippers in nude and navy tones embroidered with flamingos and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland motifs, and the label’s Hefner shoes in red, black and leopard print suede with a tiger design. From £175, 61 Marylebone Lane, W1U frenchsole.com

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Sprito nLifeg From graphic stripes and plentiful florals to delicate frills and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;90s-inspired slip dresses, embrace the hottest S/S16 trends ď&#x192;ľ Photography Rachael Louise May

stylist Elizabeth Hoadly

Dress, ÂŁ4,280, Roberto Cavalli, robertocavalli.com

Above Dress, ÂŁ17,500, Giorgio Armani, armani.com Right Dress, POA. Erdem, 70 South Audley Street, W1K; Shoes, POA, Stuart Weitzman, stuartweitzman.com

Above Dress, ÂŁ450, Rag & Bone, rag-bone.com Left Dress, POA, Dolce & Gabbana, 6-8 Old Bond Street, W1S; Shoes, POA, Stuart Weitzman, as before; Ring, POA, Chaumet, 174 New Bond Street, W1S

Above Top, £320; Trousers, £245, both Max Mara, 19-21 Old Bond Street, W1S Right Coat, £2,800, Dior, 16 Conduit Street, W1S

MAKE-UP Maria Vittoria Bortolussi at Frank Agency using MAC Cosmetics HAIR Davide Barbieri at Caren using Aveda PHOTOGRAPHERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ASSISTANT Benny J Johnson MODEL Vick @ Profile Model Management Shot on location at St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel stpancraslondon.com

INTERVIEW

Fashion Friendly Lauren Romano is charmed by Scottish designer Holly Fulton – advocate of surrealist prints, second-hand shopping and sartorial experiments that verge on “bad taste” 

Top image courtesy of Holly Fulton

ondon Fashion Week: T minus five minutes until show time. The fashion editors, muses and offspring of the rich and famous have assembled, iPhones poised, ready to snap. Backstage, it’s panic stations: a maelstrom of make-up artists, stylists and clipboard touting assistants putting their Stan Smith trainers through their paces are barking frantic ‘over and outs’ into mouthpieces. Fashion designer Holly Fulton admittedly likes her backstage a little less manic, although even her inner (very reluctant) diva struggles to resist the authority that comes from donning a headset. “They’re quite seductive, once you try one on,” she confesses, a faint smile forming at the corner of her mouth. “You need to look the part. It doesn’t take long before you’re all: ‘I want a personalised one, no – a crystallised one’.” Irony-laced reveries of diamonté-encrusted headsets aside, Fulton’s backstage demeanour is, I imagine, much like her offduty approach: unfazed and softly spoken, with moments of sardonic humour and wit. “It’s all still to unfold,” she says when we sit down before Christmas to talk about her forthcoming A/W16 collection. “Fashion Week is quite a seductive thing for a designer. For me it’s the most exciting bit because it’s the only time you get to see the collection fully styled as your original vision. In those ten minutes before it goes out on the runway, you think:

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‘did I get it all right? Maybe I should have had more of that, or more of this’.” Regulars to Fulton’s shows and fans of her graphic designs will know these last minute moments of doubt are unfounded. For S/S16, which was shown back in September, her geometric shapes are still prominent, but in a less-is-more arrangement. Embellishment and embroidery feature alongside prints inspired by the surrealist artist Eileen Agar. These manifest themselves in pinwheels and floral patterns on crepe and silk organza, with sleek, seventies silhouettes, colourfully embroidered denim and floaty dresses. “We wanted to build on creating that cohesion in our silhouette. If anything, I’m guilty of having too many ideas, so the collection was about me learning to pull back and realise it’s OK to roll things over and create continuity. I have to remind myself that I don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time.” I wonder if Fulton’s prodigious output is partly her attempt at playing catch-up. She graduated from Edinburgh College of Art in 1999 (an MA from the Royal College of Art followed some years later when she turned 27) but it wasn’t until 2009 that she made her catwalk debut at London Fashion Week. Fulton’s decade skirting the outer periphery of the fashion world doesn’t sound as though it’s done her any harm.

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She’s been an antique jewellery designer, worked in the knitwear industry on the Scottish Borders, run an art gallery and even represented Great Britain in the International Women’s Summit in Canberra. “I don’t even know how I got involved with that,” comes her nonplussed response to that particular chapter in her unlikely sounding employment history. Eventually, armed with her MA, she got a job straight after graduating from the RCA working in Paris on jewellery and accessories collections for Lanvin. It might have been a “circuitous” path, as Fulton likes to call it, but it’s still not bad for a girl who at one stage had her heart set on wearing a white coat for a living, rather than designing the flamboyant, embellished creations that hang in her East London workshop. “In French class we were learning to say what we wanted to be when we grew up and I said: ‘I want to be a fashion designer. I want to be like Vivienne Westwood.’ Then I kind of segued towards being a vet,” she deadpans. She hung up her stethoscope before she got anywhere near giving the kiss of life to Barry the gerbil, and did a complete U-turn at the age of sixteen when she realised she’d changed her mind. “I was a snappy dresser when I was younger. I would always be the one looking a bit different at the school disco,” she reflects. “Mum was a big influence. She collected issues of Vogue and kept all her clothes from the sixties. She used to make enamelled

jewellery. My parents never put any pressure on us to go a certain route or into a lucrative career, just to do what we loved. Hence why they ended up with a fashion designer and an actor,” she quips. “I bet they’re regretting that now.” Fulton’s catwalk debut dawned after she was introduced to Lulu Kennedy, the fashion consultant and founder of Fashion East, an incubator for upand-coming design talent. This was in mid-December 2008, so when Kennedy asked her to be part of Fashion East in the February, Fulton was up against the clock to pull everything together in time. “Lulu was amazing, she told me to do as much as I could, even if it was only eight outfits. I somehow managed about 16 in the end. Once that happened the ball started rolling and that was it.” She did two seasons with Fashion East, five with NEWGEN (the British Fashion Council’s scheme to support young designers) and a further two with Fashion Forward. “That’s the one thing that’s been pleasantly surprising about the whole experience – the amount of help available. There’s this misnomer that fashion is an unfriendly industry. My experience has been quite contrary to that.” The same can’t be said of the gender bias though. While Fulton notes that there are lots of women holding important roles in the industry, in terms of breakthrough designers, not as many make it all the way to the top. “It could be that a male perspective

“There’s this misnomer that fashion is an unfriendly industry. My experience has been quite contrary to that”

INTERVIEW

Catwalk image

s courtesy of cat walking.com

sees a woman differently, so their nuances in design are different. My designs don’t tend to be sexy. To me, a woman would want to look confident and strong. But ultimately success in the industry is down to the individual; so much in fashion is luck, or who you meet, or how charming you are…” Fulton’s charm offensive is subtle, but there’s something about the combination of her down-toearthness, her comic timing and her ironic retorts delivered with just a smidgeon of a smile that make her instantly likeable. Her style, she sighs, is “extensive”. She blames this on old French couture houses specialising in top-to-toe dressing. “I’ve always wanted to do it all. The creation of a total look is something I’m really fixated with.” Fulton spends hours hand drawing the graphic prints that form the skeleton of her designs. “I work in the most backwards way!” she confesses. “I love things that are incredibly detailed, super labour intensive – that’s what really excites me. I never want to lose that connection to what I’m doing. I still want to see where every bit of the pattern is going to sit, so I know what’s going where.” As you might expect, she’s a fan of powerful women and is fascinated by the likes of Anjelica Huston for “her own incredibly strong kind of beauty and distinctive look”. Laughter erupts after she deems her own wardrobe could once have been described as “borderline bad taste”. Fulton loves a distinctive garment and believes it’s important to have some sort of presence to what you’re wearing, with lots of jewellery thrown on – the more Scandiinspired and industrial looking the better.

Fulton’s magpie tendencies mean she’s often successful on the vintage sourcing front. Her most treasured finds include a pair of original sixties platforms (“they’re quite low key, actually. I like thinking about where they’ve been when they were in Edinburgh”); an Issey Miyake poncho (“it’s essentially a giant rectangle, which is my dream garment”) and a Chanel suit that once belonged to a politician’s wife. “It’s glitter tweed. When I wear it people treat me differently. There’s definitely 100 per cent more respect. That’s what I love about clothing, that it has that power.” If there were ever a destination to debut some experimental looks, then London’s the place to do it. By comparison Paris, Fulton says, is steeped in rich traditions, but isn’t so good at supporting and fostering contemporary creativity, not in the way that the capital is at least. “I don’t think you can make any fashion mistakes here. I would never say that something was wrong. Sometimes combinations that sound the most grotesque can be the best. ‘Is this amazing or is this hideous? What side of the line am I on?’ I love asking questions like that. Fashion should be challenging after all.” Talking of challenges, the next few weeks will no doubt be full of them. The S/S16 collection hits the shelves and A/W16 the runway this month, but Fulton is taking it all in her stride with characteristic good humour. And as for what she’ll be doing once London Fashion Week is over? “Getting into the recovery position.” hollyfulton.com

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Iron Maiden  Photography Ian Walsh

Left to right: Club bag, £1,530, Miu Miu, 150 New Bond Street, W1S; Silver earrings, £365, Sophie Buhai, net-a-porter.com; Scubabootie, £950, Christian Louboutin + Jonathan Saunders, net-a-porter.com; Boots, £1,395, Miu Miu, as before; Diorama bag in black Paradise calfskin, £2,600, Dior, 16 Conduit Street, W1S

stylist Vanissa Antonious

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Embrace spring and all its natural glory with the return of florals. From delicate embroidery to graphic patterns, expect to see blooms everywhere this season in bold colours and clashing textures. Find trippy, cosmic styles at Calvin Klein and ditsy botanical motifs at Erdem.

TR END R EPORT By Amelia Mayes

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Throw some shapes away from the dance floor with this daring, structural trend. They might have last been acceptable in the eighties, but exaggerated shoulders are back. 3.1 Phillip Lim embraced the trend with subtle sleeve decorations, while Christian Dior and CĂŠline went all out with structured volume.

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RUFFLE UP

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Valentine’s Day may be over but romance is still lingering in the fashion world. Structured tiers, frills and layers in bold hues and soft nudes were seen across the catwalk. Michael Kors embraced its inner Latino with layered ruffles, while Gucci opted for floating frills.

From left: Christian Dior,

Sonia Rykiel, Dolce & ders, Blugirl, Max Mara,

Jonathan Saun

GET IN LINE

From left: Cha ne

Thick, thin, horizontal and vertical; you’ll find every variation of stripe on this season’s catwalk. Monochrome lines and bold primary colours inject a youthful edge to the graphic trend. Stand-out styles include Max Mara's candy-cane stripes and multi-coloured designs by Jonathan Saunders and Salvatore Ferragamo.

l, Amanda Wak eley, Marc Jaco

Shine bright this season, with glittering evening gowns, cropped jackets and midi skirts in sparkling silver. Sheer fabric, cut outs and mirrored designs in the metallic shade made their way onto the catwalk, with Temperley and Saint Laurent standing out with their take on high shine.

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Tux Shop L

ike all brands that have been in the collective fashion consciousness for generations, old habits die hard. And Hugo Boss is no exception. Sleek suits, crisp shirts and wellheeled brogues have formed the main, inherently masculine components of the Boss uniform since its inception. But that is changing. Tasked with taking the brand’s female offering in a new direction, artistic director for womenswear Jason Wu has been putting the power in (understated) power dressing since his appointment in June 2013. Sartorially speaking, Boss and Wu are polar opposites on paper. A classic German tailoring brand founded in 1924 in a small town south of Stuttgart, wouldn’t ordinarily have much in common with a Taiwanese-Canadian fashion designer with a love of theatrical frocks and gowns fit for the White House (see the chiffon number that Michelle Obama wore to her husband’s inauguration). Suits and boots weren’t really in Wu’s repertoire. But opposites, it seems, do attract. Wu has pared down his innately feminine style to create a look that is both modern but in keeping with the Boss heritage. Among the well-cut cropped jackets and tailored trousers, the S/S16 collection teems with graphic details and floral prints.

Its pinstripes and slick tailoring might get the city boys hot under the collar, but Hugo Boss isn’t just for men. The brand’s womenswear collection, revived under the artistic direction of Jason Wu, means business too, as Lauren Romano discovers on a visit to the recently opened Regent Street flagship 

Determined not to toe the formulaic officewear line, Wu has recruited an army of strong, sophisticated women to embody his vision along the way, with ambassadors including Diane Kruger, Kate Bosworth and Julianne Moore. Meanwhile, in a bid to bring cohesion and consistency to every element of the brand, a global concept has been rolled out across its stores, including the new Regent Street flagship, which opened quietly at number 180 in December. As well as housing the full Boss womenswear and menswear collections, including ready-to-wear, shoes and accessories, there’s a made to measure room where shoppers can be fitted for bespoke items. Arranged over two floors, the bright, open space with a light installation as its centrepiece is a modern, minimal representation of the brand’s overaching design tenets. Within the dedicated womenswear area sits Boss Fundamentals – ‘the building blocks of the

FASHION The Bespoke Bag S/S16, all images courtesy of Hugo Boss

“The Boss Bespoke is the new house icon – we reimagined it for spring in a patchwork of leathers”

urbane woman’s wardrobe’ – and the cornerstone of Wu’s aesthetic. Femininity and masculinity collide in the streamlined, sleek silhouettes that form a capsule collection of versatile business staples. The perfect shift dress, blouse or jacket is available in tuxedo black, anthracite grey and midnight navy, all of which work as the ideal canvas for some bright accessories. This is where another of Wu’s creations, the bespoke handbag, comes in. The collection includes a limitededition Intarsia version (pictured, left) available exclusively at the flagship. Presented in soft lemon, cornflower blue, azure and dove grey, it is inspired by the colourful creations of artists Josef Albers and Wassily Kandinsky. “The Boss Bespoke is the new house icon – we reimagined it for spring in a patchwork of leathers. It’s

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another contrast of opposing elements: here of softness and strength, the way we contrast man and nature,” explains Wu, adding that the customisable bag is the first step in building Boss’s accessories repertoire. “The fastening is a great detail – it’s based on a cufflink, a strong but incredibly subtle link to the DNA of Hugo Boss and an emblem of the fusion of masculine and feminine that I feel is so important to the brand.” By addressing these contrasts and turning them to his advantage, Wu has created a collection that reconciles Boss’s core ethos with the modern woman. He might have started out designing for the ballroom but it’s the boardroom that suits his creative vision best. After all, that’s where he’s wooing us all.

180 Regent Street, W1B, hugoboss.com

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Beauty news By Ellen Millard

The secret garden Perfumier, candle-maker and botanist to boot – when Jo Malone London’s Regent Street store launched its own indoor garden last year, it was only a matter of time before it released a range of scents in keeping with its dedication to horticulture. The Herb Garden collection comprises five new fragrances inspired by different corners of an English nursery. Our pick is the fresh citrus scent of Sorrel & Lemon Thyme, a tangy concoction blended with rosemary, geranium leaves and moss. £44 each, 101 Regent Street, W1B jomalone.co.uk

Pretty in pink We’ve been lusting after one of Olympia Le-Tan’s quirky book clutch bags ever since we set eyes on them, but until we find enough spare change behind the sofa to buy one, we’ll be EDITOR'S happy to make do with one of Le-Tan PICK and Diptyque’s collaborative candles instead. The latest wick, Rosaviola, from the Paris fragrance house has notes of rose, violet and leather, and comes in a dressing table-worthy pink vessel with a red lipstick print and fabric oval label, all designed by Le-Tan herself. From £28 for 70g, 68 Marylebone High Street, W1U, diptyqueparis.co.uk

Sweet life Nails Inc has revised the traditional nude colour palette for its latest line, the Sweet Almonds collection. Warm shades of pink, rose gold, linen bluegrey and porcelain grey make up the range, made from a moisturising sweet almond oil base and enriched with strengthening matcha powder. For an extra boost, treat your nails to the label’s Overnight Detox Mask, enriched with green tea, acai and spirulina. £14, nailsinc.com

In bloom Christian Dior’s childhood home in Granville is the inspiration behind the label’s latest beauty collection, Glowing Gardens. Mimicking the vibrant colours of the foliage and blue sea that surrounds the fashion maestro’s hometown, the new range comprises pastel nail varnishes, pink lip glosses, metallic eyeshadows and a light pink blusher embossed with a floral design. From a selection, dior.com

bag

beauty

In the Our pick of the latest must-have handbag essentials

1. Following her innovative Gel Lab Pro nail varnishes

– a gentle alternative to gel manicures – Deborah Lippmann has applied the same technology to colour. The Afternoon Delight Spring 2016 collection comprises ten ingredients that, when combined, produce manicureperfect results. Choose from taupe, peach, lilac and dusty blue shades. £18 each, available at Selfridges

2. With the onset of spring, the locals of Helston in Cornwall gather for Flora Day, an annual festival dedicated to the changing season. In honour of the occasion, Molton Brown has blended the festival’s floral emblem, lily of the valley, with star anise and magnolia to create a fresh scent. From £10 moltonbrown.co.uk

3. The latest edition to Chanel’s 14-year-old Chance line, Chance Eau Vive, blends zesty notes with jasmine, white musk, vetiver and cedar-iris to create a fresh scent. If you’re a fan, pick up the complementing hair mist, which boosts the fragrance without drying out your mane. £46 for Chance Eau Vive Eau De Toilette, boots.com 4. Eliminate those pesky dark spots with ELEMIS’s White Brightening Dark Spot Corrector. Designed with precision application in mind, this handy pen lightens discoloured areas and minimises the chance of new spots forming. £35, elemis.com 5. Hundreds and Thousands spring to mind when looking at Guerlain’s new Météorites Voyage compact, a refillable colour corrector made of micro pearls in five pastel shades. Apply the rainbow powder to brighten shadows and boost radiance. £108, guerlain.com 6. In a stand against unsustainable harvesting, Chantecaille has created Le Magnolia Eye and Cheek compact, named after the threatened flower. Shades of sage, coral, white and brown make up the refillable palette, of which five per cent of proceeds will go to TRAFFIC International’s FairWild Standard scheme for ecological harvesting. £74, available at Harrods 7. Nothing says spring like cherry blossom, which is why Marylebone’s Shay & Blue has dedicated its latest fragrance to the pink flower. The sweet scent comprises notes of bergamot, black cherries and cherry wood, and is packaged in the brand’s signature light-blue bottle. £55 for 100ml, shayandblue.com 8. MAC’s new Flamingo Collection looks as though

it’s been pulled out of a swirling vat of candyfloss, with its signature products redesigned in pretty much every shade of pink imaginable. Take your pick from rose-coloured pigments, fuchsia lipsticks and powders in dusty pink and coral shades. From a selection maccosmetics.co.uk

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beauty

Letting off Steam Facial newbie Amelia Mayes visits ESPA Life for a smooth awakening

’ve never really known how to describe my skin. Plagued by an oily T-zone coupled with ferocious dry and red patches, I’ve always gone with the standard ‘combination’ label. Being a facial virgin, as I approach the ESPA Life spa at the Corinthia Hotel just off the Embankment, I’m not really sure what to expect. Although, one thing’s for certain – this place is impressive. The spa is all monochrome marble, glossy wood and futuristic mood lighting that casts serene shadows over everything. I take advantage of the vitality pool, steam room, sauna and massage pool, but tactfully avoid the well-equipped, high-tech gymnasium. After drying off in the tepidarium, reclining on a heated lounger in front of a fire, I’m ushered upstairs where I slip into a fleecy robe and wait to be summoned in the relaxation area. I make myself comfortable in the softly lit treatment room, and my attentive therapist asks me to close my eyes as she whafts various fragrant oils under my nose to see which ones appeal to my senses before explaining their benefits. I’m given a choice of three different music settings, and I go for the soothing one that’s already playing in the spa. After examining my skin thoroughly it’s concluded that, to my surprise, my complexion is only becoming oily because it’s overly dry, and in dire need of some moisture. As a result my face is prepped with ESPA’s Optimal Skin ProCleanser and gently exfoliated before being thoroughly massaged with the Optimal Skin ProSerum. The fluid formula is enriched with natural extracts and vitamins

A sense of calm washes over me as my therapist massages the toxins out of my body

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that help soften and brighten my face. The therapist then turns her attention to the stiff knots in my neck and a sense of calm washes over me as she massages the toxins out of my body, while my skin absorbs the serum’s essential nutrients. A soft pink hair clay made of a sweet, mineralrich formula, is delicately applied to my scalp to help stimulate circulation and growth. Finally, my treatment is completed with a layer of the Optimal Skin ProMoisturiser, giving my parched complexion some essential hydration. Examining my face afterwards, my skin looks brighter, feels softer and has a plumped-up glow to it. I am impressed. Even after confronting the windy streets outside on my return back to reality, the lustrous glow remains and the dry patches are kept at bay for several days. Although new to the facial scene, I am already desperate to have another one. And as for ESPA Life, well, when can I come back? Optimal Skin ProFacial, £125, ESPA Life at Corinthia, Whitehall Place, SW1A espalifeatcorinthia.com

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The right stripes Missoni is known for its psychedelic prints in rainbow hues, so it’s little surprise that the brand’s colourful archive was the first port of call when designing its latest line of homeware. The fashion house has pulled six new fabric collections out of the bag for 2016, each as vibrant and audacious as the next. Take your pick from designs like Oriental Garden, a chromatic explosion of blossoming florals inspired by a 1970s silk Missoni dress; Firework, the label’s signature stripes revisited in neon shades; and Floral Galaxy, which is a fresh take on an English garden. From a selection, amara.com

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Interiors news By Amelia Mayes & Natasha Levy

Room mates As a tribute to her late friend Oscar de la Renta, OKA co-founder Lady Astor has created a range of pieces modelled on the fashion designer’s home in the Dominican Republic. The collection takes inspiration from De la Renta’s talent for pulling together a room from an assortment of eclectic items. Standout pieces include the Caldora – a French-inspired cotton upholstered sofa – and the Fauntleroy: a contemporary stool in stonewashed indigo with brass stud detailing. Caldora sofa, £1,485; Fauntleroy stool, £425, okadirect.com Photography by Nick Pope

History in the making Venetian textile company Rubelli has a gift for combining its 150-year old heritage with modern innovations as its latest collection, In Wonderland, proves. Drawing on its weaving expertise, the Italian design studio has incorporated threads of silk, metallic yarn and technical fibres to create fabrics that resemble works of art, many featuring 3D effects inspired by nature. Highlights include Giotto – a monochrome print that has a hand-crafted sketch appearance – and Backgammon, which arrives in jacquard velvet and features a simple geometric pattern. From a selection, rubelli.com Klismos chair by Donghia; suit by Gentucca Bini, all Giotto

interiors

Au naturel For previous homeware collections, Jean Paul Gaultier has invariably remained in his comfort zone and drawn reference to his haute couture fashion shows. However, for his latest range, the designer has instead looked to the outdoors for inspiration. Along with bold romantic florals and rolling wave patterns, the range also references more unusual elements of the natural world, such as the brilliant earthy tones created by metal oxidisation and the vibrant colours associated with the rural landscape of the Basque Country. Choose from a selection of cushions or purchase one of the unique prints in fabric form to transform curtains and upholstery.

Eau so lovely Those pining for the scents of spring should get a whiff of Acqua di Parma’s new Lavender candle. Blended together with notes of patchouli, vanilla, sandalwood and aniseed, the fresh and delicate fragrance brings the outside in. Handcrafted from the finest wax, the candle burns for up to 60 hours, and the outer shell comes decorated with hand-picked lavender leaves, meaning the floral scent will linger even as the wick dies down.

From £95 per metre, lelievre.eu

£90, acquadiparma.com

Dressed to impress

EDITOR'S PICK

Turn your bathroom into the perfect place for getting ready with the Sinuous dressing table from Maison Valentina. Handcrafted in smooth mahogany, the table has a high gloss black lacquer finish and is top-coated in gold and polished brass plates. Its drawers – three large, four small – are ideal for storing make-up and other skincare essentials and it can be matched with a bathroom stool from the same range to complete the look. £6,100, maisonvalentina.net

Take a seat Hand-crafted furniture specialists John Sankey has just launched its latest armchair collection. The spring line features two new styles – the Crawford and Ferdinand chairs (pictured) that are both inspired by classic heritage shapes. The elegant crushed velvet designs with brass studwork details aren’t just easy on the eye, but the back too; the Ferdinand chair in particular gives good support for those looking to improve their posture.

Ivy league London-based lighting company J. Adams & Co has introduced a new collection for 2016, called Ivy. Inspired by traditional silhouettes, the barrel-shaped light is easily mounted onto walls, softly turned in bronze and finished by hand. Designed to last a lifetime, these stylish lamps come in a range of finishes, from dark to sandblasted or polished bronze. The weatherresistant LED bulbs also make them ideal for outside use, handy for when the summer eventually arrives. £198, jadamsandco.com

From £1,379 johnsankey.co.uk lu x u r y l o n d o n .c o.u k

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interview

Close Knit Following the launch of her first store on Chiltern Street, designer Bella Freud talks shop – and cushions – with Ellen Millard 

desk-side poll has decreed that, along with an Erdem dress, a Burberry scarf and a pair of Chloé Susanna boots, a red 1970 jumper by Bella Freud is high on the office wishlist. Since launching her eponymous label in 1990, Freud has made her name dressing some of fashion’s most notorious It girls, all the while quietly spearheading a number of British brands. Freud’s first collection, a line of knitted dresses and tailored suits, won her the accolade of Most Innovative Designer at the London Fashion Awards in 1991. In the years to come, when the likes of Jaeger and Biba needed a helping hand, they called Freud. Collaborative collections followed – with Susie Bick, John Malkovich and Fred Perry – and in 2014 she launched the Bella Freud Parfum collection. But, you’re most likely to recognise her range of quirky knits emblazoned with 1970, Ginsberg is God and Je t’aime Jane (a nod to Jane Birkin, who mistook the Ginsberg motif as a tribute to her late partner Serge Gainsbourg). Now, the designer is making her mark in the interiors world with a range of cushions inspired by her signature jumpers, available exclusively at her first store on Chiltern Street. Here she discusses her flagship boutique, her brand and her style icons.

Bella Freud , photograph by Mary McCartney

All store photography by Tom Fallon

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Opening the shop has been a real joy. Hearing people’s comments and reactions to it is fun. My friend Maria Lemos has a shop called Mouki Mou on Chiltern Street – she was the one who persuaded me to look around here. I found the most beautiful space that I fell in love with.

The shop’s interior designer Maria Speake also worked on my home. We both liked the idea of it resembling my flat and tried to evoke an intimate feeling. Maria suggested having little slices of the flat included in the shop, like the sections of green and red carpet and the grey walls.

“I’ve always been interested in how clothes can change the way you feel, more than fashion itself ”

A friend of mine made me a cushion years ago with my dog logo on it. I had

been circling around the idea of making my own for a while. When I launched my last perfume I made cushions as a press gift, and then I wanted to have them ready to sell in the shop when it launched. My word cushions make good presents for the man who has everything. I would love to develop more home products, like sheets and blankets in beautiful colours.

When decorating my own home, I mostly look on vintage websites for furniture or visit the Retrouvius warehouse in Kensal Green. I love modern designers such as Jasper Morrison, and Vitra in Clerkenwell has amazing, albeit very expensive, things. I like wandering through Golborne Road market best, and picking up a bargain.

My 1970 jumper seems to be a universal favourite. Mine is my first born, Ginsberg is God. My other favourite design is my The Last Poets one, because I admire the band and am proud to work with them.

interview

My style icons are people like [political activist] Angela Davis, Bianca Jagger, Kim Gordon and Alison Mosshart. They are women with good minds and great style. I’ve always been interested in how clothes can change the way you feel, more than fashion itself. It’s incredibly exciting when someone comes along and changes the direction of what is in fashion.

I love Céline, and creative director Phoebe Philo is a dear friend. When I find something I like I feel she has done me a great favour, and that makes it even more precious. I like Sonia Rykiel too and Hillier Bartley [a collaboration between Luella Bartley and Katie Hillier] is a new favourite.

My father [Lucian Freud] drew the dog design. I asked him if he would write my name so I could use his handwriting as part of my logo. He did a little drawing with the dog in the middle, and my name on either side. It is so perfect.

Chiltern Street is a magical street, full of small, interesting shops and lovely cafés, with the Chiltern Firehouse acting as home to the beautiful people. I love the restaurant on the corner of Chiltern Street and Dorset Street called Hardy’s Brasserie, too. It’s very Parisian in appearance and the food is excellent.

In my spare time I like mooching around with my son, while he will still entertain being in my company. We went to Rough Trade record shop last week and looked through new music. I would have liked to be a musician; being in a band must be the best feeling on earth. 49 Chiltern Street, W1U, bellafreud.com

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Quick off the Marc Kids can step out in style this spring with the new collection from Little Marc Jacobs. Inspired by the urban landscape, the range encompasses everyday T-shirts, shorts, denim jackets, swimming costumes and other seasonal staples designed for action packed holidays and weekend adventures. Look out for robot and gaming motifs for the boys and bright pops of neon, rainforest prints and sequin details for the girls. From ÂŁ26, childrensalon.com

Photography ÂŠ Phillip Patton

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HEALTH

Health & fitness news By Ellen Millard

Life’s a beach Make your first bikini moment of 2016 a little less daunting with Nikki De Marchi’s new line of swimwear. Inspired by ballet dancers and the Marc Chagall-painted ceiling in Paris’s Palais Garnier, the Showgirl collection mimics a traditional ballet uniform in shape, while Chagall’s influence can be found in the vibrant colours and embellishments. To make life easier, many of the designs are reversible, and bikini tops and bottoms are sold separately so you can mix and match.

Body shop

From £75, nikkidemarchi.com

Made in Chel-ski If you missed out on ski season, then why not head over to London’s largest and newest indoor ski centre in Chelsea? The punnily named Chel-Ski caters to skiers and snow boarders of all levels, from beginners to masters of the slopes. The centre uses revolving AstroTurf mats and water to provide a suitable surface for the winter sports, adjusting the speed and angle to suit your ability.

Personal trainer to the stars Matt Roberts is offering customers at his Hampstead club a chance to achieve a celebrity figure with a new Body Blitz programme. The gruelling two-week course that the likes of Amanda Holden and James Corden have endured includes ten personal training sessions, a fitness assessment, two 30minute body assessments, daily communication with your trainer and a dietary plan, all of which promises to get you fit in just a fortnight. £750, Jack Straw’s Castle North End Way, NW3 mattroberts.co.uk

£39.95 for a single session, 4 Sotheron Place, SW6 chel-ski.uk

A Stella performance For their latest collaborative collection, Stella McCartney and Adidas have called on the modelling skills of American track and field athlete Tori Bowie, who sports the new range in the campaign shot by photographer Willy Vanderperre. As with the pair’s previous collections, smart fabrics play a key role in each design. Snap up the marathon suit – a light-weight, cooling kit best for running long distances, or the Techfit tank and tights for optimum muscle energy and long-term endurance. From a selection, adidas.co.uk

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A Healthy Forecast A basic wellbeing screening can give an overview of health issues and help you make informed decisions about your wellbeing. We talk to two private GPs based at The Wellington Hospital, Dr Tim Lebens and Dr Ruth Whitby, about this important health service

health promotion

Who would benefit most from a general health-screening? Dr Lebens: A general health screen can be beneficial in picking up early or latent conditions. This is particularly important in those with a strong family history of common conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, cancer and autoimmune conditions (i.e. thyroid). It is also useful as a benchmark and indicator of your current general health, giving you the chance to map out personal health goals with your doctor. If you already have a regular GP, this can be extremely useful information for them too. Despite it being a ‘general’ health screen, it will be tailored to the individual and certain investigations may be more appropriate than others depending on your age, sex, family history and symptoms.

Are there particular tests for women?

Dr Whitby: Yes, and depending on your age these tests can be very specific. Every health screen will look at your general health, but it is beneficial for women to be offered a breast examination, cervical smear and test for markers of many gynaecological cancers, including ovarian and breast; particularly if a patient has a family history of these diseases. Screening provides the opportunity to discuss any gynaecological issues, including contraceptives and sexual health screens. From the onset of menopause, we also include a bone scan to assess the risk of osteoporosis, and advise women on urinary problems, incontinence or prolapse. Fertility tests and hormonal analysis are also available and can help with issues such as premenstrual syndrome and polycystic ovaries. Results from a health screening help us to provide tailored advice on diet and lifestyle, too.

What tests are available for men?

Dr Lebens: Low testosterone can lead to the ‘male menopause’ also dubbed the ‘man-o-pause’. If you have noticed low mood, irritability, fatigue and loss of libido, it may be worth having your testosterone levels checked. In men, testosterone levels wane over time, especially in their late 40s / early 50s, and in some circumstances may require supplementation. It is also useful to check for testicular and prostatic disease. Depending on the presentation and symptoms, examination and specific blood tests such as a PSA may be necessary. Male health screens often pick up health issues which have been overlooked, due to the very nature of men’s reluctance to visit their doctor; especially given our time-poor, overstretched lifestyles.

Is there anything I should consider before booking a health screen?

Dr Whitby: There are different packages available, from basic to more specific testing (including audiology, Vitamin D and allergies), which we at The Wellington Hospital will tailor to your personal requirements. Talking to your GP first will give you a clearer idea of which tests are best for you. It is also worth approaching your employer, as many companies offer employees access to wellness screenings, as every job holds different pressures affecting physical and particularly mental health issues. A health screen provides a non-judgemental, discrete environment where you should feel free to discuss any issues, as all are handled confidentially, particularly when dealing with employment related concerns.

The Wellington Hospital have a team of experienced private GPs available daily, if you would like to make an appointment or have any questions about health screening, you can call the Enquiry Helpline team on 020 7483 5000

Family news By Amelia Mayes

Stand out from the crowd Those pining for the summer should turn to Dolce & Gabbana’s latest collection. With its bodacious blooms, daisy chains, and colourful bohemian prints, the girl’s range of floaty smocks, headscarves and sandals is worthy of the Amalfi coast. Things are more formal over in the boy’s camp, where the metallic tuxedo has been resuscitated for the season. Ensuring little gentlemen are just as fashion forward as their fathers, the Italian designers have created miniature versions of the suit, in hues of silver and gold. From a selection, dolcegabbana.com

Stitched up Wouldn’t it be nice if someone else could take on the time-consuming task of dressing picky children? Thankfully the creative geniuses at ShortStitch have got it covered with their Box of YAY! innovation. After filling the team in on your child’s hobbies, favourite styles and colours, you’ll be sent a box of clothes to try from a range of beautiful European brands such as Little Remix, Hucklebones and Emile et Ida. The best part is you can return any clothes that don’t take your fancy for free, so you just pay for the items you really want. From a selection, shortstitch.com

FAMILY

Jump for joy Animal lovers can become their own Easter bunny this year with the adorable new collection from Oeuf NYC. The label is well-loved for its animal-inspired collections as well as its rather amusing and adorable vegetable clothing range, and the new grey rabbit-eared collection will give an added cute factor to any outfit. Bunny hoodies, hats and blankets come in light grey, with a cherry rabbit eared bonnet designed specifically for babies and toddlers. From £32.50 cissywears.com

A cracking Easter Pierre Marcolini slides down the rabbit hole this month with its Easter in Wonderland collection. The wonderfully whimsical array of chocolate figurines decorated with larger-than-life playing cards draw reference to Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Take your pick from the rabbit, complete with pocket watch and 30 miniature eggs, or this mischievous Cheshire cat. From £31, 37 Marylebone High Street W1U, marcolini.com

EDITOR'S PICK

Sticky business Italian fashion house Marni is adding to its clothing line with a new S/S16 collection for girls. Graphic prints and delicate designs run throughout the easy-to-wear range of light cotton tracksuits, denim dungarees and colourful knitwear. The quirky collection comes to life in the label’s lookbook, which sees simple stickmen wearing the animated prints. What’s more, Marni has introduced a new baby range as part of its spring line, featuring dresses, T-shirts and teeny bathing suits, which come packaged in a keep-safe box decorated with children’s artwork.

Easy as 1, 2, 3

From a selection, 26 Sloane Street, SW1X

Mini me Little fashionistas in the making are well catered for at Harrods, which has launched a Mini Superbrands concept. The initial stage of the program sees boutiques from Dior, Gucci and Loro Piana set up shop in the first room to be unveiled in the revamped childrenswear department. A further three Mini Superbrands rooms will be opened later in the year, which will please fashionforward tots and their parents. In the meantime the department has also just launched some new ranges for the spring season, including Blossom by Roksanda Ilincic (left). Shop for clashing colours, bold, graphic prints and pompom adorned pumps.

It’s hard to take your first steps without the perfect shoes. French footwear designer Easy Peasy has the solution with its range of comfortable pumps. White, silver and adorable metallic rose-gold shades are available, with each shoe featuring a decorative cut-out floral design on the front. With a useful Velcro fastening, shoes can be easily whipped off before any muddy footprints ruin your favourite rug. £31, for 0-24 months, fancykids.com

From £165, available at Harrods

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INTERIORS promotion

A Fresh Start As we look forward to spring, thoughts inevitably turn to exciting new projects and long-overdue home renovations. If you’re thinking of updating your kitchen this year, Wren Kitchens has everything you need to make your dream scheme a reality With 54 state-of-the-art showrooms across the country, Wren Kitchens prides itself on being the largest kitchen retailer and manufacturer in the UK. Each one of its units is made in Yorkshire, ensuring that quality design, sustainable manufacturing and British heritage are at the heart of its values. With three unique ranges, Wren Kitchens has designs to suit every budget. The Extra Value kitchens are perfect for first-time buyers and property developers, while the Designer range offers stunning kitchens for any home. If you’re searching for a bespoke-style kitchen without the matching price tag, look no further than the extensive Linda Barker collection. Keep to classic country with tongue-and-groove panelling and a neutral palette, or go for a modern update with glossy handleless units. No matter what your home’s aesthetic, the range of styles and colours means there’s something for you.

By controlling the supply chain from manufacturing to delivery, Wren Kitchens provides a comprehensive service for great value. Thanks to extensive choice and careful craftsmanship, you can enjoy a stylish new kitchen that’s beautifully built and designed for you. As market leaders in high-quality British manufacturing, Wren also upholds a high level of environmental responsibility. In Wren’s Scunthorpe factory, specialist machinery works to cut and shape the worktops, producing a lot of surplus sawdust. Giant suction pipes collect all of the spare cuttings, filling one or two trailers a week. Local farmers and landscapers then take advantage of this and reuse it on nearby rural projects. To see the full collection, visit wrenkitchens.com, or visit your local showroom today at Staples Corner Retail Park Geron Way, NW2 6LW

Linda Barker Contour kitchen in Autumn Leaf and Linen

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Linda Barker Shaker kitchen in English Honey and Oak

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A comprehensive kitchen design. Sleek and stylish, perfect for any aspiring interior designer. Gloss units, from £128 for a hi-line one door 600mm base unit

The perfect tonic Know your Old Tom from your Malacca, or your Elephant from your Rangpur? If the answer is no, head to the Green Bar, Botanicals & Tonics at Café Royal and prepare to be enlightened on all things gin. Inspired by the 1937 Café Royal Cocktail Book, the bar has unveiled a Gin Journey menu that matches tipples (choose from Tanqueray, Dodd’s, Portobello Road and Half Hitch gins among others) with unusual accompaniments like blood orange and rosemary, kumquat liqueur, grapefruit and mint or cinnamon-laced tonic. Ice and a slice are so yesterday. 68 Regent Street, W1B, hotelcaferoyal.com

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Wild house Nose to tail eating, stem to root dining – there’s a waste-not-want-not policy in operation at Native, in Neal’s Yard. As well as pillaging nature’s larder for an unusual array of ingredients (pennywort or wood ear speltotto anyone?), the restaurant specialises in game and rare breeds meats. Founders Imogen Davis and chef-patron Ivan Tisdall-Downes, who trained at River Cottage, are out to challenge the public’s perception of game, taking inspiration from street food for some of their dishes. They’ll be wood pigeon kebab with beetroot hummus and harissa, Southern fried rabbit and venison mince with herb and chestnut dumplings on the menu. 3 Neal’s Yard, WC2H, eatnative.co.uk

Food & drink news By Lauren Romano

DIY lunch Candied beetroot, raw kohlrabi and daikon aren’t your average lunchtime staples, but these flavour combinations are part of the Build Your Own menu at new fast food joint Farmstand. The menu offers “18,432 potential combinations” to add to grilled chicken with harissa, pulled beef and salmon with fennel and star anise. If the modest selection of (wheat, gluten and dairy free) sides leaves you indecisive there are thankfully plenty of ready-to-go options too.

Dinner dance If the walls at 100 Wardour St could speak they’d have some stories to tell. The Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, Jimi Hendrix and David Bowie all performed here, back in the day when it was the Marquee Club and flares and platforms were in fashion (the first time around, for men as well as women). Music is still high on the agenda in its new incarnation as an all-day bar and restaurant. There’s a relaxed lounge and club space, with a cocktail bar and restaurant serving Mediterranean sharing plates and robata grills until 2am. Live performances and DJ sets take place five nights a week, although you might find it hard to bust your moves after polishing off the seafood platter or shoulder of suckling pig. 100 Wardour Street, W1F 100wardourst.com

42 Drury Lane, WC2B, farmstand.co.uk

French exchange As nicknames go Frenchie – the moniker chef Greg Marchand earned at Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen – isn’t going to win any prizes for originality. It did however become the name for Marchand’s first restaurant, opened in Paris in 2009, as well as his latest venture in Covent Garden. Contrary to its name, Frenchie will use mainly British ingredients, with one key exception: the cheese. Over at the Parisian outpost the reverse is true. We don’t mind – roquefort for cheddar seems like a fair trade to us. 16 Henrietta Street, WC2E frenchiecoventgarden.com

EDITOR'S PICK

food&drink

Restaurant review

Eat Like a King Lauren Romano gets her fill of Franco-German cuisine at Bellanger, the latest grand café from Corbin & King 

hose of the opinion that nothing beats bangers and mash for tea, especially when said saucisses (of the wild boar, cranberry and venison variety), come with celeriac remoulade and a crisp glass of Riesling on the side, will like Bellanger and its Alsatian-style dining very much. A culinary mix of German and French fodder, Alsatian is fusion food for those who can’t get their heads around Japanese-Brazilian, Polish-Indian or any other unlikely melting pots bubbling away in kitchens across the capital. Alsatian is more straightforward. Alongside the sausages, steaks and schnitzel, you can test your rusty French by ordering choucroute (a stew of salted and smoked pork belly, ham hock, sausages and pickled cabbage) or baeckeoffe (another meaty, boozy concoction) as the friendly waiters nod with encouragement. They’ll try to tempt you by the house signature dish, tarte flambée, and you should listen. Wafer-thin and wood-fired, the moreish, brittle ‘pizzas’ come topped with crème fraîche, lardons and slivers of onion, or tangy goat’s cheese, sweetened with honey and thyme. Taking design cues from its Corbin & King siblings (The Wolseley, Colbert, The Delaunay and co), Bellanger’s dining room is set on a grand scale, with a bar towards the back where you can sample traditional dark or blonde Alsace beers and ask the sommelier to guide you through the extensive wine list, mainly comprised of wines from northeast France, several of which are served by the glass. The Belle Époque brasserie charm is laid on thick with glossy wood panelling, antique lamps and bevelled mirror detailing at every turn, creating an elegant, livedin atmosphere. It’s the sort of place where you’ll want to linger over one glass of Riesling too many. And it’s just as well you can linger, because after

It’s the sort of place where you’ll want to linger over one glass of Riesling too many

comforting stodge in the form of succulent Strasbourg sausages and a one pot coq au Riesling, the prospect of prising yourself free from the comfortable banquettes is unthinkable. The braised Landaise chicken with mushrooms and pearl onions, doused in wine, is rich and silky, packed with generous cuts of meat that fall off the bone. It tastes even better mopped up with pommes aligot – the sort of velvety mash where the potato to butter ratio is probably weighted towards the latter, but the taste is all the better for it. The extent of our overindulgence eventually hits us full force with the arrival of a caramelised banana and chocolate tart – a smoky and bitter sweet note, which we pair unnecessarily with pistachio, hazelnut and almond nougat ice creams, whipped cream and butterscotch sauce. And a scoop of sorbet Gewürz – a Gewürztraminer infused sorbet – for belated palate cleansing purposes, naturally. I can’t remember the last time I left a restaurant feeling so content; as Arnie would say – ‘I’ll be back.’ 9 Islington Green, N1 bellanger.co.uk

Photography © David Loftus

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Holy

The

Kale

Ella Woodward, aka Deliciously Ella, is the proud author of the fastest selling debut cookbook ever. Ellen Millard talks to the food blogger about juggling her new deli in Marylebone with her second book and a modelling campaign for Amanda Wakeley 

s far as culinary stakes go, food bloggers are fast becoming the dish of the day. Supermarket deals, cookery shows and a winning smile have nothing on a knack for making clean-eating sound appetising and recruiting an army of willing taste-testers in the form of 80,000 subscribers. I’m talking, of course, about Ella Woodward, better known as Deliciously Ella, the 24-year-old food blogger whose debut cookbook was the fastest selling of its kind ever. It was reprinted six times before it had even been published, sold 32,144 copies in its first week alone and went on to become Amazon’s best-selling book of 2015. Health fanatics are hardly few and far between – it’s almost impossible to avoid serial detoxers and Fitbit-clad gym buffs these days – but what sets Woodward’s diet apart from the rest is that it stems from necessity. Diagnosed with Postural Tachycardia

Photography by Emma Tempest Courtesy of Amanda Wakeley

Syndrome (a relatively unknown illness that causes a breakdown of your autonomic nervous system), Woodward found herself bed-ridden with headaches, stomach pains and heart palpitations. Medication did little to improve symptoms, but after reading about cancer survivor Kris Carr’s plant-based diet, Woodward cut all meat, dairy, sugar, wheat and processed foods from her regime. “It was a mad transition, but I wouldn’t change it,” she tells me. “I genuinely love the way I eat. There’s an assumption that eating healthily is just going to be salads but it’s so not about that. You can have stews, curries and desserts, just a healthier version of them.” After two weeks of avocado on buckwheat toast and banana porridge (she hid the fruit at the bottom to trick herself into eating it) she began to experiment, and set up her blog simply as a way of recording new recipes. After a few months her condition had vastly

INTERVIEW

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improved, and eventually she came off her medication completely. “It was definitely a challenge,” she admits. “It was a real adventure learning to cook, but it helped me to be more open-minded towards new foods, because I did have a set way in my mind.” Now her blog receives 2.5 million views a month, she has 86,000 followers on Twitter and 728,000 on Instagram. She has an app, teaches cooking classes and is currently training at the College of Naturopathic Medicine. As if that’s not enough, she’s just published a second book, Deliciously Ella Every Day, a guide to healthy meals in a hurry. “We had such an amazing response to the first book and I really wanted to share my quick and easy dinners, the things that I make when I’m tired or when I don’t have much time,” she explains. “I also wanted to dispel some of the stereotypes around healthy eating, and show people that eating this way can be really accessible, really simple and really easy.” She’s referring, I’m guessing, to the

“I wanted to dispel some of the stereotypes around healthy eating”

From L-R: Photography by Emma Tempest, courtesy of Amanda Wakeley; Photograph © Clare Winfield from Deliciously Ella Every Day by Ella Woodward, Hodder & Stroughton 2016; Photography by Ella Woodward, The Mae Deli

grumbles about ingredients with hefty price tags, but Woodward claims that she actually spends less on food now than she did before her plant-based diet, and is quick to dismiss any doubts. “You really don’t need to worry about healthy eating just based on superfoods like spirulina and things like that,” she says. “It’s about eating whole ingredients and not buying refined foods, which by and large are much more expensive than things like carrots and lentils anyway.” The photographs on her blog and in her books – all taken by Woodward herself – are certainly tempting, but I’m speaking from experience when I say that she makes it look easy. My own attempt at her famous sweet potato brownies looked like soil (I wish I could say I’m exaggerating) and I managed to ruin a pan in an attempt to cook the potatoes without a steamer, but this is almost certainly down to my own ineptitude rather than the (ridiculously simple) recipe. In the meantime, a trip to Woodward’s latest venture in Marylebone should fill the Medjool datevoid. Late last year, the food blogger and her fiancé Matthew opened the Mae Deli – the name is an

INTERVIEW

amalgamation of their initials – on Seymour Place, where Woodward’s recipes are put to the test. Salads come in delicious combinations of miso and sesame glazed aubergine; roasted turmeric cauliflower and lentils; and quinoa, squash and kale, while those with a sweet tooth can enjoy peanut fudge slices, mango flapjacks and orange sesame truffles. “We wanted something that focused on healthy ingredients but in a way that was accessible to everyone,” she explains. “I think people have become a lot more conscious of how they eat and the effects of their diet on how they feel. There’s definitely a changing attitude towards healthy eating.” Unlike some of her peers, Woodward isn’t one for guilt-tripping. She accepts the fact that a plant-based diet isn’t for everyone, simply suggesting that we can improve our own by adding a few additional veggies here and there. “I think it’s about having a balance; putting an extra portion of fruit and veg with every meal isn’t hard but makes a huge difference,” she explains. “It doesn’t have to be kale, celery or spinach either, it could be guacamole or sweet potatoes.” Her readers, she says, are the reason she loves what

“People have become a lot more conscious of how they eat”

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she does, and hearing their stories inspires her. Most importantly, she just wants people to enjoy what they eat. “I don’t really believe in the concept of guilty pleasures,” she replies when I ask what hers is. “I think you should enjoy all food and never be made to feel bad about what you eat.” In between working on her blog, her books and her deli, Woodward has found the time to model for the first in Amanda Wakeley’s Wakeley Women series – a portfolio of images capturing inspiring, entrepreneurial women. Although modelling isn’t something she’d like to do full-time, Woodward was keen to be part of the campaign. “She asked me and I just saw it as a fun opportunity,” she says matter-of-factly. “I really liked her concept about inspiring and empowering women, and I felt that we had a good connection.” She laughs when I ask her what she does in her spare time (“I don’t have any!”) and bats off a question about future plans (“I’ve got so much going on at the moment, I’m just enjoying what I’m doing and focusing on that”) but she’s hinted on her blog that she’s already begun working on book number three, which she’ll be fitting in between planning for her upcoming nuptials in April. Will the wedding breakfast be vegan? “No,” she says firmly, but with a smile. “My philosophy is very much not trying to impose things on other people. There’ll be a mix, so everyone’s happy.” Still, a multi-tiered sweet potato brownie would certainly be the cherry on the (gluten, dairy and refined sugar-free) wedding cake. The Mae Deli, 21 Seymour Place, W1H deliciouslyella.com

Deliciously Ella Every Day by Ella Woodward is out now Published by Yellow Kite, £20 amazon.co.uk

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the art of TRAVEL Midas touch Donatella Versace has taken a break from haute couture to work her magic on a new hotel project. The Palazzo Versace Dubai, which opens this month overlooking Dubai Creek, is testament to the fashion label’s opulent signature style. Expect ornate design flourishes and marble mosaic floors across the 215 rooms, 169 residences, three outdoor pools and eight restaurants, including Enigma, which will change its theme and head chef four times a year and promises a multisensory experience. Elsewhere the fashion house’s iconic Medusa head and Greek key motifs adorn fabrics and a special edition of the Jungle print from the Versace Wallpaper collection adds a tropical vibe to a setting where there’s no such thing as looking too OTT. Deluxe rooms from £575 a night palazzoversace.ae

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Travel news By Amelia Mayes

Marrakech

HOTSPOT

Shop for exotic spices in the souks, be entranced by snake charmers and tarot card readers in Jemaa el-Fna square, or get lost in the mazelike medina of this colourful city Famous for its bustling markets and lively culture, Marrakech promises an abundance of exotic sights, sounds and smells. Whether you head off the beaten path to go trekking in the Atlas Mountains, or end up bartering with street vendors inside the ancient medina walls, Marrakech’s diversity will keep you on your toes. Before the ferocious desert heat of the summer sends thermometers soaring, the sunny but temperate spring climate is perfect for those looking to explore without having to the run for shade in the covered souks. Make sure you pay a visit to Jardin Majorelle, the beautiful oasis once owned by Yves Saint Laurent, to relax under its vibrant primary coloured archways filled with exotic species of plants.

Why

Situated at the foothills of the Atlas Mountains, the Kasbah Tamadot hotel sits in a lush valley, surrounded by stunning views towards Jebel Toubkal, North Africa’s highest peak. Inside you’ll find just 27 rooms and suites, including nine luxury Berber tents, each adorned with an exquisite range of Indian, Arabian and Far Eastern artefacts. Tense tourists can take a trip to the Asounfou Spa and Hammam to indulge in holistic treatments, while foodies can discover new delicacies at the hotel’s restaurant, Kanoun. There are also peaceful gardens for strolling in, a roof terrace and two beautiful pools from which to admire the breathtaking scenery, with a fresh mint tea in hand.

stay

From £445 a night, kasbahtamadot.virgin.com

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Spring into action

Bay watch Enjoy the views of Vicomté bay, Solidor bay and the ramparts of Saint-Malo from the Aquarium Terrace at Brittany’s latest opening, Castelbrac. The hotel’s 25 rooms and suites are peppered with vibrant, retro prints, and are all pointed towards the sea, which supplies much of the produce for the in-house restaurant. Le Pourquois Pas has swiftly become a foodie destination since the hotel opened quietly to the local market last summer. Chef Julien Hennote works with the best producers in the region, to offer simple, exquisitely presented dishes, served in a beautiful light-filled dining room overlooking the harbour. Rooms from £215 a night, castelbrac.com

 SHORT HAUL 

Alive and kicking

Baroque and roll With its ancient whitewashed hill towns, stone trulli huts and miles of coastline along the heel of Italy, rustic Puglia has plenty to offer those looking to escape from it all. Masseria Trapanà, a beautiful 16th century house just outside the town of Lecce, is set in 60 hectares of olive groves. The nine-suite bolthole, made from Tufo and Pietra Leccese stone, has been restored to its former glory with vaulted ceilings, frescoes and tranquil gardens filled with orange, lemon and pomegranate trees. Just a ten minute drive from the Adriatic coast, Masseria Trapanà has partnered with a number of exclusive beach clubs; while back on site, cooking classes will be introduced later in the year, as well as Hatha yoga, inroom massages and reflexology. From £284 for a Garden Room trapana.com

Perfect blend Oenophiles have long sought out the vineyards of Bordeaux, Napa and Cape Town on pilgrimages to satisfy their palates. Now those who prefer their tipples of the oolong, lapsang souchong or jasmine variety can take their taste buds on a journey of discovery too. LUX* Tea Horse Road Benzilan is located in a mountainous valley on an ancient trade route through the provinces of Yunnan, Sichuan and Tibet. For teatotallers it’s also the ideal location for exploring the sacred glaciers of the Meili Snow Mountain found nearby. Relaxation is high on the agenda at the traditional Tibetanstyle retreat: meditate with the in-house master, join local monks for their daily chant, or try your hand at traditional handicrafts.

In a country of luxurious hotels Panacea has held its own. The resort in Koh Samui is known for its enormous villas that each come with ten staff, tropical gardens and a private swimming pool. Panacea takes its name from the Greek goddess of healing, and it has just launched a Retreat of Champions. The five-day fitness package is dedicated to Muay Thai and kickboxing; guests can train on a hilltop overlooking the Gulf of Samui, or in the two main stadiums designed for the ancient martial art. Package from £751 panaceasamui.com

 long HAUL 

Fitness on demand Villa specialist and concierge service Dynamic Lives is giving clients the opportunity to create their own health retreat in Ibiza. Dubbed the ‘DIY detox’, guests can choose to stay in modern apartments or 100-acre vineyard estates and request personal trainers, swimming instructors and yoga teachers. On the relaxation front, meditation gurus are available while beauty buffs aren’t neglected either, with the offer of collagen-boosting facials and anti-ageing skin peels. On the dietary side, chefs are on hand to whip up clean-eating and vegan regimes. Villas from £7,000 a week dynamiclives.com

From £95 a night, luxresorts.com lu x u r y l o n d o n .c o.u k

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Piggy in the Middle Kari Colmans spends a refreshing weekend at The Pig on the Beach where the food and service is second-to-none, but resort-style decadence is a dirty word 

nce upon a time there was just one little Pig – more of a restaurant with rooms than a hotel – situated in the New Forest. A shabby-chic, 29-bedroom getaway that revolved around enjoying the homegrown produce of its gardens. The Pig, with its unique brand of scuffedat-the-edges luxury seemed to go down pretty well with weekend welly-wearers, and three more brick, straw and log-strewn outposts promptly cropped up in Hampshire, Somerset and Dorset, with another planned to open in Honiton, Devon this year. While there’s been no disagreement from critics or guests that the impeccable service, outstanding food and enchanting creature comforts offered are in keeping with a plush, upscale experience, The Pig – namely The Pig on the Beach in Studland Bay, Dorset, where I’m spending a sunny weekend in September – represents the very antithesis of what many of the international jet-set have come to demand, and thus the big hotels have had to provide. Indeed, if you arrive expecting the gloss of the Mandarin Oriental, the formality of the Four Seasons, or the kowtows of your One & Onlys, you will leave disappointed (and no doubt, very promptly); your

Louis Vuitton Cotteville trundling in your wake. Because The Pig prides itself on rebelling against this relatively new, and altogether ‘un-British’ brand of luxury, preferring the alluring whiff of a pork pie browning to the smell of grandiose hedonism. Located on Dorset’s World Heritage coastline, Studland Bay is to Sandbanks what Ravello is to Capri – all of the beauty and none of the posing. While it would be criminal to come and not explore the four miles of unspoilt beaches, taking in the views of the Isle of Wight, Old Harry Rocks and the breathtaking chalky headlands, you’ll still be able to soak up the atmosphere from your Adirondack chair in the hotel garden, a glass of wine or homemade ice cream in hand. The sprawling

The Pig prides itself on rebelling against this relatively new, and altogether ‘un-British’ brand of luxury

All photography by Max Milligan

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landscape is ideal for those with young children, and in every direction cherub-faced toddlers are rolling down hills and playing tag without a care in the world for their Petit Bateau breton vests; and the staff are more than happy to cater to them. Eating here is a destination-worthy experience as long as you don’t get too attached to the cute, snorting ginger porkers you see around the place. But there’s a lot of fish and seafood to be had too; everything that isn’t grown in the idyllic kitchen garden is sourced within a 25 mile radius. The dinner menu in the main restaurant changes all the time, but small bite highlights include pork filled arancini balls; crackling with apple sauce; homemade fish fingers in house ketchup; sticky and unctuous pork belly morsels; and meaty scotch eggs oozing with comforting yolk. A starter of mixed beetroot and blue cheese is far more exciting than it sounds, as is the potted crab from the

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‘literally picked this morning’ section. But a whole chargrilled lobster and chips is the star of the show, and leaves us feeling very piggy indeed. Lunch can either be taken here or at the outside wood-fired oven, where locals and hotel guests sit together on reclaimed wooden benches and choose between a very select handful of stunning yet simple flatbreads with tasty toppings while looking out to sea. This minimal mileage commitment even extends to the breakfast buffet, where I can’t get any banana in my porridge, but enjoy boiling my freshly laid egg around a shared water bath among the other guests. The bedrooms in the main room aren’t huge, but they’re charming, homely, and just how I like them. Graded snug, comfy and generous, they’re all French Grey with whitewashed panelling and vintage tiles, with stunning views over the sea or countryside. For something quirkier, there are two ‘shepherd huts’ and two ‘dovecotes’ separate from the main building, complete with four poster beds, freestanding baths and social media envy. Take a walk around the fields and you’ll also stumble upon the spa treatment ‘caravans’, filled with blankets and rustic knick-knacks. However, I can take or leave the full-body massage, and resent the average 60 minutes spent facedown on this table and not the one in the restaurant. Ruddy-cheeked staff look as if they’ve been handpicked from a Boden catalogue, but they’re all superfriendly, extremely knowledgeable about what it is they’re doing, and above all, are down to earth. Those who aren’t in their own jeans and cashmere V-necks are sporting uniform cream cable-knits and big checked scarves, from the waitresses to the masseuse. While the top tier hotel brands bend over backwards to the huffs and puffs of the marketchanging supers, a growing breed of independent operators is doing something wholly different; shunning imagination-stretching opulence for the luxuries of fresh air, open spaces, and comforting – but impeccable – grub. And with rooms booked more than a year in advance, the middle-ground five-star market is obviously there for the taking. Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf? Not this little pig, that’s for sure. Snug rooms from £149 midweek, thepighotel.com

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Under the Terracotta Sun Lauren Romano explores the rustic charms of western Sicily, complete with hot-tempered drivers, rugged coastline and exquisite cuisine

t’s the night before my first ever sojourn to Sicily and instead of reaching for the guidebook for some last-minute bedtime reading, I get distracted by the stream of images unearthed by Google. Snapshots of pretty hilltop villages with names such as Savoca and Forza d’Agrò are thrown into the mix. With their winding cobbled streets and ancient churches, they look like the kind of places where the local way of life has altered little over the centuries, plodding along in bucolic bliss. I’ve been to Italy countless times to visit relatives near Naples and stay with my sister at university in Siena, but I’ve never ventured further from the mainland than Capri. I imagine Sicily to have all the grit, crumbling beauty and rough-and-ready excitement of southern Italy, rather than the gloss and glamour of the fashion capital Milan or the lolloping green fields

 of Tuscany. Sicily’s 2,500 year history as the strategic crossroads of Europe has seen the island invaded by Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, French, Germans, Spanish and Italians over the centuries and the resulting mix of architecture, cuisine and language is a fascinating melting pot of all these influences. Romanticism aside, another reason for my uncharacteristically relaxed approach to itinerary planning probably has something to do with the hefty welcome pack that has been sent to me by villa specialists The Thinking Traveller. Founded by Sicilian-born Rossella and her British husband Huw Beaugie, the pair are a font of local knowledge. It took a while to narrow my accommodation shortlist down from remote modern abodes that look as though they would be Kevin McCloud’s cup of tea and refurbished lavastone farmhouses. I finally fall for

TRAVEL

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an ancient castle, Al Jafar, set off the beaten track in the sleepy village of Paceco, on Sicily’s west coast. Al Jafar comes with a tower, walled garden and views out over dusty, sun-parched fields dotted with gnarled olive groves. There’s even a chapel. It’s pitch black when we pull up outside, after veering off road and turning up a dust track. Thankfully the trusty guide (which we will henceforth refer to as The Book), has step-by-step directions from the airport, complete with photos, since the road signs leave a lot to be desired. The Italian Highway Code in general is, as its reputation affirms, ever so slightly problematic. It’s every motorist for themselves, The Book decrees: “You won’t change the way the locals drive during your short stay, so the best strategy is to try to adapt.” Forewarned is forearmed but even so, some of the manoeuvres we witness (a Vespa overtaking an ambulance as it rounded a corner) leave us wondering how there aren’t more collisions. It’s a muggy night, and a storm feels like it’s brewing when we finally spot the sketchy outline of the tower, tacked on the inky black horizon. A faint glow emerges from the gatehouse as the wooden door creaks back on its hinges and Al Jafar’s caretaker Nino greets us. His wife, Antonella, is inside preparing us supper from the ‘modest’ welcome pack (bread, milk, fruit, olives, biscuits, pasta, cheese and fruit, which lasts us many lunches). The smell of aubergines bubbling away in a dish of parmigiano floats from the kitchen as Nino gives us the grand tour of the medieval establishment, gesturing emphatically as we attempt to communicate in sign language and phrase book vernacular. As well as a huge entrance hall and reception room with a table that seats eight, there are three bedrooms, an upstairs sitting room, a well-stocked library and a roof terrace. It’s all very rustic, with roughly hewn stone steps, Arabic patterned tiles in the kitchen and bathrooms, terracotta washed walls, arches, candelabras and exposed beams. I’ve never been on a villa holiday before. I’d always imagined that I’d get cabin fever from being so far from civilisation. Relative isolation is, I now realise, the best part of the experience. On our first morning I’m roused from a lie-in to find Antonella has brewed coffee and left a pile of croissants, along with bread, jams, Nutella and melon boats for us to enjoy

out on the terrace, where we are disturbed by no one except the family of little lizards that scoot around the place, inhabiting the nooks and crannies. Our local contact Barbara (a mix of concierge and troubleshooter) has already emailed to make sure we’ve settled in. When I ask her for advice as to what to do, she plans an entire itinerary for us, including weather forecast updates about the impending storm. For any other recommendations, we consult the area guide in The Book. You can curate specific cultural excursions and sports activities before you head off

TRAVEL

by liaising with the friendly pre-departures team too. Minus the stress of planning, it doesn’t take long to fall into a lazy holiday routine: mornings spent by the pool, al fresco lunches on the terrace consisting of bulbous, bitter olives, slivers of local ham and fragrant tomatoes that taste and smell like they have only just been plucked from the vine. This is usually followed by an afternoon drive to a nearby village or an aperitif in the local town, Trapani. Trapani underwent a major restoration project a decade ago in preparation for hosting the Louis Vuitton Sailing Cup in 2005. Come early evening its cobbled streets are lined with locals taking their evening passeggiata, ambling aimlessly along past restaurants that spill out onto the street. A visit to Tenute Adragna wine bar is a must. Here locals perch on doorsteps setting the world to rights over €2 glasses of wine drawn straight from the barrel. We follow this with dinner at the Tavernetta Ai Lumi opposite, where we enjoy a faultless meal of squid, caponata (a rich aubergine stew) and linguine with clams and the local pesto. Trapani’s fishing port is also the gateway to the beautiful Egadi Islands. The largest of the three main islands, Favignana, lies 10 miles off the coast. The air is thick with a syrupy heat when we step off the hydrofoil and follow the confusing signs past a harbour bobbing with sailing boats moored haphazardly to the sleepy centre, where people shade from the afternoon sun under canopies with zingy lemon granita from Bar Europa. There are a number of remote bays to explore, but if you’re after deckchairs and good food then Lido Burrone is your best option, just learn from our mistake and hire a bike to get there – it is a very long walk. After what feels like forever we see the tangerinetoned umbrellas standing to attention and almost launch ourselves fully clothed into the sea before collapsing in a sun-induced stupor. I remain horizontal until it’s time for swordfish, courgette and almond spaghetti from the lido’s small beach restaurant, La Playa.

Here locals perch on doorsteps setting the world to rights over €2 glasses of wine drawn straight from the barrel

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That evening, the storm that has been brewing for days, wrapping its muggy embrace and muffling everything in a blanket of heat, finally breaks. When the rain clears the following morning the fog descends: the weather here is as unpredictable as the Italian temperament. Climbing steadily in a cable car to Erice – a Medieval town 751 metres above sea level with seemingly more churches per head than the Vatican – we are swallowed in a halo of mist. The view is barely discernible through the translucent filter so we admit defeat and go in search of cannoli instead (traditional tube-shaped pastries stuffed with sweet ricotta cheese) at Maria Grammatico’s famous bakery on Via Vittorio Emanuele. We enjoy more local delicacies in the nearby Baroque old town of Marsala, where we prop up a barrel at a local bar to sample the town’s famous sugar-laced nectar by the glass as plates of antipasti arrive: bruschetta smeared with tuna and orange, pistachio and whitebait and red pepper and Trapanese pesto. This keeps us going until dusk when we drive out to the nearby magnificent saltpans to watch the terracotta-toned landscape descend into darkness. The sun finally decides to shine again on our last day, so we head for the white sands of San Vito Lo Capo, leaving Antonella back at the castle to cook us a traditional Sicilian feast (there’s a whole octopus bubbling away on the stove when we leave). We return to a spread of octopus salad, salami, parmesan cheese and dense bread, spaghetti drenched in homemade pesto, a whole baked fish and lemon sorbet. As part of the pre-arranged cooking service Antonella will do all the shopping, prepare the meal and clean up – you can even arrange a wine order so you can enjoy a glass of something Sicilian to match. Our final evening ends much like our first, out on the terrace with a crisp bottle of Grillo and only the scuttling lizards for company. La Dolce Vita doesn’t get much better than that.

 Need to know  Al Jafar, available exclusively through The Thinking Traveller, from £2,438 per week based on 4 people sharing or £2,895 per week based on 8 people sharing. For more information and bookings please contact 0207 377 8518, or visit thethinkingtraveller.com/thinksicily Price includes all sales taxes, electricity and gas, linen, bath towels, pool and beach towels, a comprehensive written guide to the villa and the local area, The Thinking Traveller’s award-winning service and specialist knowledge pre and postbooking, 24/7 local support and the opportunity to book unique Think Experiences

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property

Property Listings See below for estate agents in your area

Arlington Residential 8 Wellington Road NW8 9SP 020 7722 3322 arlingtonresidential.co.uk

Aston Chase 69 / 71 Park Road NW1 6XU 020 7724 4724 astonchase.com

Hanover 102 St John’s Wood Terrace NW8 6PL 020 7722 2223 49 Welbeck Street W1G 9XN 020 8128 0675 hanover-residential.com

ian green residential 28 De Walden House Allitsen Road NW8 020 7586 1000 iangreenresidential.com

Laurence Leigh 60 Queens Grove NW8 6ER 020 7483 0101 laurenceleigh.com

Marsh & Parsons 35 Maida Vale W9 1TP 020 7368 4458 27 Parkway NW1 7PN 020 7244 2200

PHILLIPS HARROD 85-87 Bayham Street NW1 OAG 0207 1234 152 phillipsharrod.com

Property Divas 34a Rosslyn Hill NW3 1NH 020 7431 8000 propertydivas.com

91 Salusbury Road NW6 6NH 020 7624 4513 marshandparsons.co.uk Globe Apartments 45 Chiltern Street W1U 6LU 020 7034 3430 globeapt.com

Knight Frank 5-7 Wellington Place NW8 7PB 020 7586 2777 79-81 Heath Street NW3 6UG 020 7431 8686

Hamptons International 99 St John’s Wood Terrace NW8 6PL 020 7717 5319 21 Heath Street NW3 6TR 020 7717 5301 hamptons.co.uk

RUNWILD MEDIA GROUP

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55 Baker Street W1U 8EW 020 3435 6440 60 Salusbury Road NW6 6NP 020 3815 3020 2c England’s Lane NW3 4TG 020 3815 3350 knightfrank.co.uk

Parkheath 208 Haverstock Hill NW3 2AG 020 7431 1234 8a Canfield Gardens NW6 3BS 020 7625 4567

Savills 7 Perrin’s Court NW3 1QS 020 7472 5000 15 St John’s Wood High Street NW8 7NG 020 3043 3600 savills.co.uk

savills.co.uk 192 West End Lane NW6 1SG 020 7794 7111 148 Kentish Town Road NW1 9QB 020 7485 0400 parkheath.com

TK International 16-20 Heath Street NW3 6TE 020 7794 8700 t-k.co.uk

If you would like to appear within the property pages of VANTAGE, contact Friday Dalrymple, property manager, on 020 7987 4320 or f.dalrymple@runwildgroup.co.uk

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P R O P E RT Y Showcasing the finest HOMES & PROPERTY from the best estate agents

Image courtesy of Hanover

ST PANCRAS

CHAMBERS KINGS CROSS

NW1

UNIQUE TRIPLEX PENTHOUSE IN ST PANCRAS CHAMBERS

An impressive triplex penthouse apartment spanning approximately 3,077 sq ft in this magnificent Grade I Listed development, forming part of the beautiful restoration of St Pancras Chambers. One of only 67 apartments, it is serviced by the five star Marriott Renaissance Hotel. The development is ideally located for transport links from Kings Cross St Pancras and Eurostar services to Europe.

Master bedroom with en suite bathroom and dressing room v 2 further bedrooms with en suite bathrooms and dressing rooms v living room v games room v cinema room v dining area v kitchen v guest WC v leisure facilities v concierge v private parking v Approximately 285.9 sq m / 3,077 sq ft

LEASEHOLD v SOLE AGENT

020 7586 2777 5-7 Wellington Place London NW8 7PB stjohnswood@knightfrank.com KnightFrank.co.uk

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SPRINGFIELD ROAD ST. JOHN’S WOOD NW8

A SEVEN BEDROOM LOW BUILT FAMILY HOME IN ST. JOHN'S WOOD A substantial detached, double fronted family home measuring 3,980 sq ft, with a south-west facing garden and carriage driveway, located on one of St John’s Wood’s most popular tree lined roads. Master bedroom with en suite bathroom, walk-in wardrobe and dressing room • 6 further bedrooms (2 with en suite bathrooms) • dining room • drawing room • study • kitchen with breakfast room • utility room • 4/5 bathrooms • garden • patio • balcony • garage for 2 cars • EPC: E • Approximately 369 sq m (3,980 sq ft).

FREEHOLD • £7,950,000 Please contact Declan Selbo

020 7586 2777 5-7 Wellington Place London NW8 7PB stjohnswood@knightfrank.com KnightFrank.co.uk

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Albert Terrace, Primrose Hill NW1 Imposing house with Park views

Knightfrank.co.uk/belsizepark belsizepark@knightfrank.com 020 8022 5461

Situated behind a perimeter wall with off street parking for 3 cars and a rear garden. The property is a wide Victorian house presented in good condition with an abundance of volume and light. 6 bedrooms (3 with en suite bathrooms), 3 further bathrooms, 2 dressing rooms, 2 reception rooms, 2 study rooms, studio/games room, family room, lift. EPC: C. Approximately 548.8 sq m (5,907 sq ft). Freehold

@KnightFrank KnightFrank.co.uk

KnightFrank.co.uk/SJW140195

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property

PROPERTY SHOWCASE

Back to the Future The Linton Group gives a 19th century Kentish Town factory a new lease of life with a luxury development

ot many apartment buildings can boast a former life as a World War One supplies factory, but the latest development from The Linton Group has an impressive history that sets it apart from the rest. The Maple Building, a 19th-century six-storey property, was once home to Maple & Co, a furniture factory that produced bespoke furnishings for the Royal Family. During World War One, parts of the Kentish Town branch became an underground manufacturer for allied troops on the front line, churning out fighter plane components and canvas tents for the war effort. Now, the impressive building has been given a new lease of life with an extensive refurbishment and restoration programme courtesy of The Linton Group. An array of 57 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and penthouses are available in the historic development, which boasts an elegant blend of modern furnishings and fittings with stunning period features. Thanks to its productive past, each apartment benefits from exceptionally high ceilings, and has been designed with open-plan kitchen, dining and living areas as well as generous storage space. “This is one of our largest projects to date, but one where we have retained our strenuous attention to detail in all of the final works and finishings,” The Linton Group’s Managing

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Director, Gary Linton, says. “Each apartment will feel unique and have a character of its own.” Downstairs, a privately managed gym will be open to the public, a 24-hour concierge service will be on hand to assist residents and the three-bedroom apartments and penthouses will have access to residents’ parking. Located near Hampstead Heath and Parliament Hill to the north west, and Primrose Hill and Regent’s Park to the south, The Maple Building boasts excellent transport links with Kentish Town station just minutes away. It’s certainly a far cry from its former days as a furniture factory, but The Maple Building looks set to carry Kentish Town into the future. “The local area is undergoing extensive regeneration, with a number of new developments and restaurants creating one of the most exciting places to live in London,” Linton adds. “The refurbishment of The Maple Building will help attract an exciting wave of new residents, playing a big role in the transformation of the area.” Watch this space. Prices at The Maple Building will start from £525,000. For more information please contact The Maple Building sales team on 020 3811 1315 or visit themaplebuilding.com

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OUR NEW WEBSITE Any time, any place....our property experts are always on hand to assist. The new Aston Chase website provides mobile, tablet and desktop friendly advice on all your property needs, wherever you are, and whenever you need it. Connect with us at www.astonchase.com

GET CONNECTED

SALES | LETTINGS | NEW HOMES

69 – 71 PARK ROAD | LONDON | NW1 6XU | T +44 (0)20 7724 4724 | ASTONCHASE.COM

ARKWRIGHT ROAD HAMPSTEAD NW3 SHARE OF FREEHOLD ÂŁ2,500,000 PRINCIPAL AGENT

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A truly spectacular three double bedroom, three bathroom apartment, which has been the subject of a stylish refurbishment programme boasting many unique and period features throughout. The apartment benefits from a magnificent reception room with original cornicing, working feature fireplace, high ceilings, luxurious principal bedroom with excellent built-in storage and en-suite bathroom, two further bedrooms, two bathrooms, modern fully fitted kitchen/breakfast room, utility room, walk-in dressing room, air conditioning and off street parking for one car.

ACCOMMODATION AND AMENITIES Principal bedroom with en-suite bathroom, 2 further bedrooms, reception room, kitchen, dressing room, study, family bathroom, guest cloakroom & off street parking for 1 car. EPC=E.

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LYNDHURST TERRACE HAMPSTEAD NW3 SHARE OF FREEHOLD GUIDE PRICE £5,500,000 JOINT SOLE AGENT

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6 9 – 7 1 PA R K R O A D LO N D O N N W 1 6XU 020 7 7 24 47 24

A truly exceptional opportunity to acquire one of Hampstead’s finest homes (341sq m/ 3,679sq ft) within a restored Gothic Grade II Listed building built in 1864-1865. Occupying the central part of this imposing conversion, the property benefits from four spectacular reception rooms with high ceilings, secure private courtyard with gates, off street parking for three cars, a large west-facing terrace and access to an 80' rear communal garden. The current owner has architects plans to create a new garden room with an underground audio-visual entertainment and media room leading to a swimming pool.

ACCOMMODATION AND AMENITIES Principal bedroom with en-suite bathroom & dressing room, 5 further bedrooms, 4 shower/bathrooms, study/sixth bedroom, 4 reception rooms, kitchen, guest cloakroom, front courtyard behind secure gates and high walls, west-facing terrace with direct access to communal gardens, secure off street parking for 3 cars & sophisticated camera security alarm system. EPC=E.

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WORONZOW ROAD ST JOHN'S WOOD NW8 FREEHOLD GUIDE PRICE ÂŁ4,250,000 JOINT SOLE AGENT

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A semi-detached period house (253sq m/ 2,724sq ft), which has recently undergone a complete programme of refurbishment and now offers a striking contemporary interior with a newly created lower ground floor. Benefits include a feature staircase running through the centre of the house, and bright open plan ground floor reception rooms leading onto a courtyard garden.

ACCOMMODATION AND AMENITIES Principal bedroom with en-suite bathroom, 3 further bedrooms, family bathroom, guest/staff bedroom with en-suite shower room, 2 reception rooms, kitchen/breakfast room, guest cloakroom, utility room, Sonos sound system, Lutron lighting, underfloor heating, courtyard garden & front garden. EPC=E.

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astonchase.com

RANDOLPH AVENUE MAIDA VALE W9 FREEHOLD £4,350,000 JOINT SOLE AGENT

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6 9 – 7 1 PA R K R O A D LO N D O N N W 1 6XU 020 7 7 24 47 24

Randolph Avenue is a short walk to the Everyman Cinema (Sutherland Avenue), Paddington Recreation Ground, the local shops and amenities of Elgin Avenue and Clifton Road, and the cafés and bars of Lauderdale Road. Maida Vale tube station (Bakerloo Line) is close by, as are a number of bus routes which provide easy access to Central London and the West End. Behind the period façade, this family home offers a surprisingly different feel, in contrast to most homes in the area. The property has been meticulously designed and refurbished (2002/3) to create a cutting-edge modern design to a high quality standard and level of finish, which has lasted extremely well.

ACCOMMODATION AND AMENITIES Principal bedroom with en-suite bathroom and his & hers dressing rooms, 3 further bedrooms, family bathroom, dining room, family room, drawing room, kitchen, breakfast room, study, guest cloakroom, wine store, conservatory, front & rear landscaped gardens. EPC=D.

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Brocas Close NW3 ÂŁ1,650,000

An airy and bright three storey town house a short walk from Primrose Hill and the amenities of Belsize Park and Swiss Cottage.

1720 sq ft/160 sq m 2 reception rooms 4 double bedrooms 3 bathrooms Off street parking Contact Belsize Park Office 020 7431 1234

South Hampstead 020 7625 4567 nw6@parkheath.com

Belsize Park 020 7431 1234 nw3@parkheath.com

West Hampstead 020 7794 7111 192@parkheath.com

Kentish Town 020 7485 0400 kt@parkheath.com

Property Management 020 7722 6777 pm@parkheath.com

Kensal Rise 020 8960 4845 kensal@parkheath.com

www.parkheath.com

Belsize Park Gardens NW3 ÂŁ2,495,000

An elegant upper maisonette offering flexible family accommodation within a stucco Belsize villa on one of the areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s prime residential roads.

2388 sq ft/222 sq m 29ft reception 5/6 bedrooms 3 bathrooms Terrace Contact Belsize Park Office 020 7431 1234

South Hampstead 020 7625 4567 nw6@parkheath.com

Belsize Park 020 7431 1234 nw3@parkheath.com

West Hampstead 020 7794 7111 192@parkheath.com

Kentish Town 020 7485 0400 kt@parkheath.com

Property Management 020 7722 6777 pm@parkheath.com

Kensal Rise 020 8960 4845 kensal@parkheath.com

www.parkheath.com

Pavilion Apartments St John’s Wood, NW8 £2,395,000 Leasehold

St Edmunds Terrace St John’s Wood, NW8 £1,295,000 Leasehold

A stunning two bedroom, two bathroom ground floor apartment (1512 sq ft / 150 sq m) situated in a very desirable purpose built block opposite Lords Cricket Ground, St John’s Wood Road. Possibly the largest two bedroom apartment in the building, this property benefits from direct access onto a large private terrace, 24 hour concierge, a reserved underground parking space as well as communal gardens.

A beautifully presented and newly refurbished two bedroom apartment (1,047 sq ft / 97 sq m) situated on the first floor of this exclusive purpose built block. The apartment features a stunning reception room with open plan kitchen, good sized balcony, incredibly spacious master bedroom suite, Lutron lighting and ‘Nest’ thermostatic controls. Additional benefits include passenger lift and one secure underground parking space.

Queensmead St John’s Wood, NW8 £3,295,000 Freehold

South Lodge St John’s Wood, NW8 £3,695,000 Share of Freehold

A delightfully bright and spacious five bedroom family home (2007 sq ft / 186 sq m) set on this prestigious portered modern development. This three storey, end of terraced house is offered in good decorative condition throughout and comprises two reception rooms, good sized kitchen, three bathrooms, guest WC, private patio garden and single garage. The house is well located for both Swiss Cottage and St John’s Wood underground stations.

An elegant three double bedroom apartment comprising 1975 sq ft / 183 sq m, located on the third floor of this much sought after 24 hour portered building in St John’s Wood with passenger lift. The triple aspect reception room provides an abundance of natural light and overlooks the attractive and well maintained communal gardens. The apartment benefits from leasehold 994 years plus a share of freehold.

020 7722 2223 | www.hanover-residential.com

Greville Place London, NW6 ÂŁ6,995,000 Freehold

An elegant six bedroom Grade II listed house (5,286 sq ft / 491 sq m) built in 1819 offering flexible accommodation over three floors with an expansive and mature south facing private garden. Benefits include a separate two bedroom guest annex, double garage and off street parking. The guest/staff annex comprises of a kitchen breakfast room, reception room, two bedrooms both of which have en suite bathrooms and separate entrance.

020 7722 2223 | www.hanover-residential.com

Thinking of moving out of London? Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re bringing the best properties to you.

THE

Roadshow

SATURDAY 12TH MARCH | 11AM - 3PM Join us for a comprehensive insight into where to move outside the capital. Regional experts offering one to one advice | A wealth of locations and properties to peruse Entertainment for the children | Refreshments Battersea & Wandsworth 98-100 Northcote Road, SW11 6QW | Blackheath 46 Tranquil Vale, Blackheath, SE3 0BD Chiswick 48 Turnham Green Terrace, W4 1QP | Earlsfield & Southfields 350 Garratt Lane, SW18 4ES Muswell Hill 256 Muswell Hill Broadway, N10 3SH For more details about the event or for a free market appraisal, please contact your local Hamptons branch or call 020 7265 6595

www.hamptons.co.uk Please dial in full. If you have already appointed another agent, you may be subject to a restrictive contract.

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE PLACE The steps beside the Regent’s Canal with Granary Square and the University of the Arts beyond.

LIVE IN AMAZING KING’S CROSS You have restaurants, cafés, parks and fountains; you have shops, squares and the joys of a canal; you have the best national and international rail connections in London and an extraordinary choice of some of the Capital’s most extraordinary homes. Move in now and experience living at King’s Cross.

You have 6 tube lines, 3 mainline stations and a Eurostar. Live just 5 minutes from Oxford Circus and Covent Garden and a mere 8 minutes from Victoria and Piccadilly Circus.

Please contact us at: enquiries@livingatkingscross.co.uk or call +44 (0)20 7205 4349 kingscross.co.uk/homes

www.kingscross.co.uk

Galliard_Stage_CityMag_FPC_29.2.16 15/02/2016 12:05 Page 1

COMPLETION 2019 SAFE AS HOUSES

Buy into the rock solid trend that has consistantly outperformed the market.

THE STAGE IS SET FOR DECADES TO COME. Suites, apartments and penthouses with a proven track record for long term growth NEW AMAZON HQ

AND 6 YEARS GUARANTEED INCOME FROM EXCHANGE UP TO 2022!* PRICES FROM £695,000

LONDON HOUSE PRICES

ASSET CLASS COMPARISON

200.00

150.00

100.00 S&P DOW FTSE

50.00 Feb 02

APR 03

JUN 04

AUG 05

OCT 06

DEC 07

FEB 09

APR 10

JUN 11

AUG 12

OCT 13

DEC 14

SOURCE: THE OFFICE FOR NATIONAL STATISTICS

* Terms & conditions apply. Image computer generated. Price correct at time of going to press.

RESIDENTIAL AGENT

RELEASING 5PM THURS 17TH MARCH THE STAGE MARKETING SUITE, FAIRCHILD PLACE, SHOREDITCH, EC2A 3EN

THESTAGESHOREDITCH.COM/CITY APPOINTED LETTING AGENT

020 3621 0517 sales@thestageshoreditch.com

Coming Soon A SLICE OF KENTISH TOWN

A collection of warehouse apartments in a transformed furniture factory One, two and three bedroom apartments Prices starting from ÂŁ525,000* Scheme completing in Summer 2016

W W W.T H E M A P L E B U I L D I N G .C O M R EG I S T E R YO U R I N T E R E S T N O W +44 (0) 203 8 1 1 1 304 O R E M A I L N E W H O M E S @ S AV I L L S.C O M * p r i c e c o r re ct at time of prin t

Quintessentially British An exquisite collection of Grade II listed Lateral Apartments and Townhouses with concierge, set on a private garden square

Computer generated image

7-12 Leinster Square, Westbourne Grove W2 Lateral Apartments from ÂŁ4,450,000 Townhouses from ÂŁ6,250,000 Hamptons International | londondi@hamptons-int.com +44 (0)20 7758 8441 Carter Jonas | newhomes@carterjonas.co.uk +44 (0)20 7518 3240 leinstersquarew2.com

Surf

Putt

Dive

Dine

Here in Barbados, every day is just waiting for you to design it. From diving our wrecks and working up an appetite for the day’s catch. To sporting action on land and sea – or total inaction involving a lounger, a book and a glass. We’ve also taken the magic inside. Our architect-designed two to five bedroom residences are exquisitely finished, and located right on the shoreline.

UNNA Luxury Resorts & Residences

For holidays and home ownership visit portferdinand.com and stpetersbaybarbados.com. Then call 0800 097 0847.

Beautiful places to press pause

St Edmunds Terrace NW8 ÂŁ6,700,000 A luxurious three-bedroom lateral apartment within this exclusive gated development. Freehold. EPC=E Primes Sales: 020 7993 3050 sales.lve@marshandparsons.co.uk

Tarrant Place W1H ÂŁ2,600,000 An immaculate three-bedroom property set in a secure gated mews in prime Marylebone. EPC=D Marylebone Sales: 020 7935 1775 sales.mar@marshandparsons.co.uk

A perfect example of a late 70s build with original features throughout Matching people and property in London for 160 years.

42, Conduit Street - London

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