VICTORIA - Fashion Issue Autumn 2014

The Fashion Issue / Autumn 2014

Fashion Quarter

With global labels moving their HQs, designers showing their collections and style mags shooting their covers here, Victoria is at the cutting edge PLUS: DINING, BARS, ART, CULTURE AND FITNESS: WHAT ’S ON IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD, AND MEE T THE ARTISANS OF SW1 @createvictoria

facebook.com/CreateVictoria

WHAT ’ S HAPPENING IN VIC TORIA

THE NEWS OF LONDON T H E L AT E S T O N T H E T R A N S F O R M AT I O N O F T H E N E I G H B O U R H O O D , N E W O P E N I N G S , E V E N T S A N D S O C I A L- M E D I A T R E N D S – P L U S T H E C H A N C E T O W I N G R E AT S T Y L E P R I Z E S

WIN COMPETITION

A £1,000 shopping experience with Belstaff One of Victoria’s most fashionable residents, Belstaff, is celebrating the fashion issue of the Victoria newspaper with a competition to win a once-in-a-lifetime £1,000 shopping experience at one of its stores.

Known for its cutting-edge take on British heritage style, Belstaff is synonymous with elegant, luxurious womenswear; sharp, contemporary menswear; and rugged, handsome outerwear – as personified by its current brand ambassador, David Beckham.

The winner will have the chance to browse the latest Belstaff collections in store before selecting the perfect new outfit, selecting those key items for autumn/winter that will set them apart from the crowd so as to start the new season in consummate style.

Visit createvictoria.com/belstaff between 14 and 30 September and enter your details for the chance to win a £1,000 shopping experience at one of Belstaff’s standalone stores in London, Manchester or Glasgow.

You’ll find full terms and conditions there too.

SOC IAL MEDIA

HOTEL

WHAT ’ S TRE NDING

HE RE TO S TAY

ON T WIT TER AND FACEBOOK, WE ASKED YOU TO NAME YOUR FAVOURITE VICTORIA-BASED FASHION ICON. HERE ARE SOME OF YOUR RESPONSES

Bienvenido!

You may well have noticed that a host of the fashion industry’s biggest names have relocated their headquarters to Victoria recently, and it’s a trend that shows no sign of slowing down. Spanish brand Mango – the latest addition to the area’s stylish portfolio – will open a f lagship store in The Zig Zag Building in spring 2015 and present its women’s and childrens’ collections within a 9,000sq ft two-storey space. Mango already has 23 stores worldwide, but with so many other chic retailers down the street, Victoria will make a great new home.

‘Philip Treacy – he's a truly iconic designer and you'd recognise his pieces anywhere’

‘I love Burberry.

The trench coat really embodies timeless British style’

@ natashadaniels

@ TomCauvain

“

Ever since Carrie Bradshaw ‘lost her Choo’ in Sex and the City, Jimmy Choo’s fashion-icon status has been untouchable, as far as I’m concerned HANNAH JENKINS

”

On the Create V ictoria Facebook wall

@createvictoria

facebook.com/CreateVictoria

Stop press! The InterContinental Hotel is no more! But don’t worry – it’s only been renamed.

Known henceforth as the Conrad London St. James, it will continue to offer its unique brand of luxury, serve some of the finest food in the area and act as a home from home for discerning guests looking to base themselves in the heart of the capital.

“

Our fashion shoot on location in Victoria was inspired by Sixties pictures by the likes of David Bailey and William Klein, where the city streets are the backdrop

”

CY N T H I A L AW R E N C E-J O H N Fashion director Volt magazine

VICTORIA’S BEST…

COFFEE SHOPS A REGULAR RUNDOWN OF THE BEST THAT SW1 HAS TO OFFER

IRIS & JUNE A recently opened New Zealand-run cof fee shop in Howick Place with a f resh daily selection of delicious breakfast , lunch and snack options.

1 Howick Place; irisandjune.com

TOMTOM COFFEE

FLAT CAP This mobile st and is run by Fabio Fer reira, who, having come f rom a family of cof fee-g rowers in Brazil, has a passion that really shines through.

Corner of Victoria Street and Strutton Ground @ FlatCapVictoria

ROYAL QUARTER CAFÉ At this char ming Victoria café, the f reshly g round cof fee is ever y bit as good as the wholesome lunches and indulgent af ter noon tea.

Wellington House, Buckingham Gate royalquartercafe.com

GREAT VICTORIA BAKE-OFF

UPCYCLING WORKSHOP

Here’s a traditional baking competition with a twist!

The judges will be looking for the best Victoria sponge cake – in Victoria .

Local offices will be invited to take par t and entries will be showcased at the weekly Thursday Cardinal Place food market run by Shepherds Markets. Local professionals will also be challenged to submit their contemporar y take on the cake, with a top baker and an exper t from the WI naming the best.

Exper ts from Chelsea College of Ar ts share their tips on upcycling, proving that one person’s trash really is another person’s treasure. Par ticipants will be shown how to revamp an unloved item from their own wardrobe during this interactive workshop.

COOKERY DEMONSTRATION & ESCOFFIER DINNER

DJ WORKSHOP A chance to get behind the decks at Victoria’s new superclub, The Qube Project (formerly Pacha). Inside Out Victoria will be taking over a room at the club in the early evening and hosting a DJ workshop for anyone with an interest in dropping some beats.

‘THE BUSINESS OF FASHION’ Q&A Victoria is fast emerging as one of London’s most fashion-for ward neighbourhoods, so this event will give style mavens the oppor tunity to go behind the scenes at Donna Ida – one of the labels that’s making SW1 so on-trend – and pose questions to the Jean Queen herself.

SW1 WORKOUT VICTORIA’S HISTORY

AtoZ

PHYLLIS PEARSALL CONCEIVED THE IDEA FOR THE LONDON A-Z WHEN SHE GOT LOST BETWEEN HER BEDSIT ON HORSEFERRY ROAD AND A PARTY IN BELGRAVIA. SHE WENT ON TO WALK 3,000 MILES AND WORKED 18 HOURS A DAY TO COMPLETE IT

An early-morning workout with personal trainer Adam White to get the hear t pumping while making the most of Victoria’s stunning green spaces.

VICTORIA ART TRAIL In conjunction with the Delfina Foundation, on Catherine Place, Inside Out Victoria is creating an interactive ar t experience, with par ticipants having the chance to meet ar tists-in-residence and share their work online.

Foodies have the chance to enjoy not only dinner at The Vincent Rooms, where the first-class fare is prepared by students at Westminster Kingsway College, but also to join in with a scientific cookery demonstration in the School of Catering’s lecture theatre.

ART CLASS IN VICTORIA With a little help from a local tutor, budding ar tists will be able to put their skills to the test in one of Victoria’s most unusual locations.

MUSICAL-THEATRE WORKSHOP Fans of musical theatre will have the chance to take par t in a not-to-be-missed workshop with West End star David Bedella, before he takes to the St. James Theatre stage himself to per form.

FASHION FILM AND Q&A There will be a special screening of Bill Cunningham New York , the highly acclaimed 2010 documentar y about the fashion scene in the Big Apple at the new Curzon Victoria, alongside a Q&A between two of London's leading fashion exper ts.

INSIDE OUT VICTORIA TAKES PLACE 2 TO 5 OCTOBER VISIT CREATEVICTORIA.COM/INSIDEOUT TO FIND OUT MORE

U P D AT E

Styling CYNTHIA LAWRENCE-JOHN Photography WENDELIN SPIESS Max wears ARMANI COLLEZIONE at 123 Victoria Street

Welcome to the VICTORIA newspaper, your regular update on the transformation of Victoria. The district is fast emerging as one of London’s most vibrant and desirable places to live, work and socialise, and this autumn, the company behind this regeneration, Land Securities, will be hosting a series of events to showcase the vast array of things to do in the area. It’s called Inside Out Victoria.

From 2 to 5 October, a range of venues, including the new Curzon cinema, St. James Theatre and The Vincent Rooms, will host one-off talks, demonstrations and workshops and we’re looking forward to the whole community getting involved. The opening event sees the Cardinal Place Food Market playing host to a Great Victoria Bake-Off, with both local businesses and restaurants displaying their unique take on the Victoria sponge cake. Land Securities continues to invest in Victoria, creating a place for the future and providing spectacular residential space, great contemporary office locations, an amazing retail hub and London’s freshest new restaurant quarter, Nova, Victoria, launching in 2016.

Sign up to the Victoria newsletter at createvictoria.com for the latest news and events

T H E FA S H I O N I S S U E

Take a seat out side this elegant cor ner premises and enjoy a cof fee prepared by ex per t barist as on a L a Mar zocco machine.

114 Ebur y Street; tomtom.co.uk

WITH EVERY NEW OPENING, VICTORIA BECOMES EVER MORE DYNAMIC – AND THERE ARE PLANS TO KEEP THOSE EXCITING CHANGES COMING. FROM 2 TO 5 OCTOBER, LAND SECURITIES IS HOSTING A CELEBRATION OF THIS TRANSFORMATION. INSIDE OUT VICTORIA IS A SERIES OF EVENTS SHOWCASING THE RANGE OF THINGS TO DO IN THE AREA. VENUES INCLUDING THE VINCENT ROOMS, ST. JAMES THEATRE AND THE NEW CURZON, WILL HOST TALKS, DEMONSTRATIONS AND WORKSHOPS.

C OV E R S TO RY

FA S H I O N FO RWA R D WORDS ELISA ANNISS

WIT H G LOBAL S T YL E BR ANDS MAK ING T HEIR HE ADQUART ER S IN T HE DIS TR ICT A N D R I S I N G S TA R S O F L O N D O N D E S I G N S H O W I N G T H E I R C O L L E C T I O N S H E R E , V I C T O R I A H A S S E C U R E D I T S P L A C E O N FA S H I O N ’ S F R O N T R O W

Top Mary Katrantzou’s A/W14 collection, shown at Phillips auctioneers, Howick Place, in February 2014 Above Burberry HQ on Horseferry Road

P

Jimmy Choo offices have so many balconies and terraces across all the floors. It’s a stunning space with views.’

All of this certainly helps Jimmy Choo’s Creative Director Sandra Choi to feel inspired to design shoes here. ‘I love working in Victoria,’ she enthuses. ‘Personally, the location is perfect for me as it is close to my home in Battersea. But also I have such an incredible view from my office: on the one side, I look out across Pimlico and the park beyond, and on the other, I have the juxtaposition of old and new with Westminster Abbey alongside the Shard.’

Undoubtedly, Howick Place is where fashion’s luxury heart throbs. The HQ for Tom Ford is at number 7, where the label hosted its spring/summer presentation during London Collections: Men in June this year. In March, Giorgio Armani moved into number 5, a 17,706sq ft space designed by awardwinning architects Rolfe Judd. ‘We are delighted to be making the move to this dynamic central location, which is undergoing such dramatic redevelopment and regeneration,’ said Gabriella Piccinni, Giorgio Armani’s UK CEO, adding that the move enables the company to work more effectively and efficiently.

Folli Follie’s Marketing Director Mark Owens concurs: ‘From a staff and “doing business” point of view, it’s a great spot – easy to get to other key locations in London, including our stores, thanks to being central and having great transport links.’ Folli Follie, which owns Links of London and manages the wholesale and distribution rights for Juicy Couture across Europe, has been one of the occupants of Francis House on Francis Street, along from Howick Place, since 2010. ‘From a brand point of view, it’s a prestigious location – and becoming even more so, thanks to developments in the area.’

Elizabeth Street was the first to put SW1 on the fashion map. At one point in its history, Isabella Blow, Alexander McQueen and Philip Treacy all lived here at 67 Elizabeth Street and the famous milliner still has his eponymous shop here. Like Treacy, Detroit-born Vicki Sarge has been an Elizabeth Street stalwart since the early Nineties. She works here, lives nearby and sent her daughter to school locally. Known as a purveyor of stunning fashion jewellery, worn by everyone from Lady Gaga to Helen Mirren, the designer first established Erickson Beamon at Number 38.

In 2013, the name changed to Vicki Sarge, but the aesthetic remains the same. On the Elizabeth Street mix, which now includes the gowns of Jenny Packham and Donna Ida’s denim, Sarge says: ‘It’s a central location with hidden secrets – other parts of London have become totally homogenised.’

She believes that big labels have moved to SW1 because ‘they all got smart and thought let’s not move north, south, east or west but be central. Rents are reasonable, the anonymity of the place is a plus and it’s conducive to focusing on wholesale and retail business.’

Elizabeth Street aside, it was really Burberry that was the area’s real pioneer, lending SW1 its fashion credentials in a 21st-century sense. In 2009, the British company moved to Horseferry House, transforming a former government admin block into a cutting-edge, eight-floor, 160,000sq ft office space. In early 2014, Burberry expanded into a further space on Page Street.

‘The area, which is so central, was in desperate need of a facelift, and it’s not surprising that so many fashion and design companies have moved in,’ concludes Richard Cook, Editorial Director of Wallpaper* and himself an SW1 resident. ‘The lateral spaces are enormous, the views from the upper levels of the buildings on Victoria Street are far-reaching, and the transport links – to the south coast and to Gatwick – are well known. I think back to the very different reactions to two events we’ve done here – a party with Reebok in 2011 where most of the RSVPs asked where on earth we were taking them, and the Office of the Future exhibition last year in Howick Place, where literally no one asked the same question. The transformation has been rapid and is becoming increasingly obvious. While passers-by won’t immediately notice that Labelux has moved its brands onto Howick Place or that Marc Newson’s headquarters are right across the street, everyone will notice that the whole neighbourhood has shifted up a gear. The scale of the works going on around Victoria Station, and across from it, is unbelievable. Land Securities has a clear vision and so far it’s been serious about executing it.’

In fact, Victoria has become so popular so rapidly, it really is anyone’s guess which prestigious international label might decide to decamp here next.

To discover more about the fashion houses based in Victoria, visit createvictoria.com/discover-victoria

T H E FA S H I O N I S S U E

icture the scene: S-Class Mercedes, Jaguars, Range Rovers, together with the hum of London black cabs, their meters ticking. This is Howick Place in Victoria on a Sunday afternoon in February 2014.

With a swarm of people and a series of gridlocked streets breaking any semblance of peace, women, from the eccentric to the seriously well groomed, step out of these shiny black cars and head into number 7: the Modern-art auction house Phillips. As it gets closer to 5pm, the crowd’s pace quickens and, as the clock ticks past the hour, some, in elegant stilettos, start to run.

They’re not rushing into Phillips to place a bid on a Warhol or Hirst, however. It is London Fashion Week, and editors, buyers, bloggers and fashion directors are here to see what one of London’s leading contemporary designers, Mary Katrantzou, has dreamed up for autumn/winter 2014/15.

No sooner has it started than it’s over. Katrantzou takes her bow. The crowd streams into the street, into their cars and they’re off, racing to Matthew Williamson at 6pm at another SW1 location.

Behind this frenzy of London Fashion Week, in the corporate offices of Burberry, Belstaff, Bally, Tom Ford, Armani, Jimmy Choo and Links of London, it’s less public and the pace is tempered. Yet these international fashion and jewellery brands are arguably playing a more active role in shaping Victoria and SW1 as London’s new fashion central than the capital’s emerging designers.

Rather like Silicon Roundabout, a moniker given to the East London area around Old Street that houses some of Europe’s most dynamic tech start-ups, Victoria displays little of its style credentials to the casual passer-by. After all, luxury businesses and, in particular, fashion and accessories brands are notoriously private, so operate discreetly behind closed doors.

On the other hand, the recent property developments that house some of them are bold and impossible to ignore. Kaela Fenn-Smith, Land Securities’ Head of Commercial, says she has noted an elegant shift in the appearance of people populating the pavement. ‘Employees from these fashion brands look absolutely stunning – very different in appearance to the civil servants who were here for decades.’

Historically, Land Securities owned everything along Victoria Street, which until recently centred on long-term leases to government agencies, resulting in a series of drab office buildings. But this has been changing since 2006. Most of the Sixties buildings have been pulled down and, as the civil servants moved away, the new buildings went up, with two exciting projects – Nova, Victoria and The Zig Zag Building – yet to be completed.

‘This is an area that specialises in the business of fashion,’ Fenn-Smith continues. ‘Starting in 2012, we recognised an opportunity to attract fashion businesses when we saw that there was already a small collection of them here with Burberry, Tom Ford and Marc Newson. When Jimmy Choo and Bally started to consider Victoria, a critical mass began to form. LVMH came here after that with their Moët offices, and Richemont already had a small office in the area, so we saw this opportunity starting to take shape.’

Nowhere is this truer than at 10 Howick Place/123 Victoria Street. Here, the sixth floor belongs to Bally, floors seven to 10 to Jimmy Choo and the 11th floor to Belstaff. All three of these Labelux-owned brands use their premises to unveil the latest collections to international buyers and fashion editors in a calmer environment than a fashion show. And while retailers might have flown in from New York or Asia to talk business with the CEOs of these brands, a lot of British journalists haven’t had so far to travel. For instance, those who work on the style pages of Stella or The Daily Telegraph – at 111 Buckingham Palace Road – have only to walk down the street.

In the past, luxury brands would occupy the floors above their flagship – Bally’s corporate offices were above its New Bond Street flagship store before it moved to SW1. But, with the headcount growing in these companies, and Mayfair rents high and continuing to grow, Land Securities seized upon an opportunity. ‘Victoria offers a chance to relocate within the proximity of luxury retail areas such as Sloane Street and Bond Street and the department stores of Knightsbridge and Oxford Street – but here there is better office space at lower rents,’ Fenn-Smith explains.

‘You can’t underestimate how attractive the architecture was to these luxury brands,’ she continues. ‘With Jimmy Choo and Bally, it was the Morey Smith interiors and our transformation of a Seventies building that made them think they could make their business work here. The

REVIEWS

WHAT ’ S ON THIS AUTU MN

SCULPTURE

MIM SCALA: IN MOTION

Eleven Galler y, Eccleston Square

ARTS IN VICTORIA

FASHIONING THE FUTURE

With his studio based at a stables that is home to 14 horses, it makes sense that many of Mim Scala’s works are equine-inspired.

His use of bronze captures their raw, muscular power and gives a strong sense of kinetic energy. His show In Motion opens on 10 October and runs until mid-November.

It’s a great opportunity to catch a series of very special works in an intimate setting. elevenfineart.com

INTERVIE W JANE FULCHER

V I C T O R I A’ S I N T H E VA N G U A R D W H E N I T C O M E S T O S U S TA I N A B L E S T Y L E – A P R O F E S S O R AT C H E L S E A C O L L E G E O F A R T S P R O V E S T H AT, IF WE'RE ECO - CONSCIOUS, CLOTHES NEED NOT COST THE E ARTH

M I S C H A H A L ER

F

fascinating not only in its sucashion in the 21st cencess in providing a useable tury can no longer afford creative framework, but also in to concern itself simply how extensively its application with seasonal variations in cut was tested by TED. As Earley and colour. Sustainability is explains, ‘We have the materithe new watchword, and its als, processes and garments impact on how clothes are that demonstrate The Ten, designed, consumed and diswhich means we’re able to go posed of is the subject of study into a company or institution at institutions across the globe. and offer our advice in a Led by Rebecca Earley, uniquely practical way.’

Chelsea College of Arts, on Upcycling – that is, adding John Islip Street, is in the foreA bove and top Repur posing unloved clot hing for an value to an item by adapting it front of this research. A upcycling wor k shop at Chelsea College of Ar t s – is something Earley also professor in sustainable textile explored via another project, Top 100. Launched in 1999, it iniand fashion design and the director of the Textile Futures Research tially looked at ways to adapt 100 shirts, dividing them into Centre, Earley is also a lead researcher at Textile Environment collections that each explored a different concept in eco design.

Design (TED). During the 18 years she has taught at the college, Since then, workshops have seen everyone from professional she has been committed to exploring the environmental and social designers to school kids and office workers upcycle an item of old responsibilities of fashion production – not least because it encourclothing and, in the process, re-form a valuable connection with it. ages students to consider design from every angle.

‘People bring along something they wear a lot and something ‘As a designer, it’s important to look at the bigger picture. That they don’t wear at all, and we start the workshop by asking, “Why?”’ is, to think less about the thing you’re making and more about the says Earley. ‘To build their ability to reflect on their own buying system you’re making it in, and to start to use your design skills to habits, we then look as a group at the worn things and the unworn imagine new business models,’ Earley explains. ‘TED is collabothings and consider the importance of both emotional attachment rating with scientists, consumer-behaviour experts and political and functionality. Finally, we take the unworn garments and work scientists, and using our design approach in other fields – and that’s with them to try to turn them into a better product.’ where you sense important change could really happen.’

While many consumers in the UK are concerned about the ‘It’s all very well looking at sustainability from a theoretical sustainability of what they eat and the way they travel, clothing has perspective but, at TED, we explore the making of a new product yet to attract the same kind of widespread analysis. An upcycling from start to finish,’ she continues. It was a desire to explore the project like Top 100 and the workshops that Earley runs could practicalities of sustainable design that led, in 2010, to a list of help change all that, however. And it seems there’s no better supstrategies for positive change called TED’s Ten. Those 10 tenets port for her work than at Chelsea College of Arts. ‘Because of the are as follows: design to minimise waste; recycling/upcycling; culture at the college, collaboration – be that with industry, reducing chemical impacts; reducing energy and water use; research, NGOs or even governments – is seen as having merit,’ exploring clean/better technologies; looking at models from she explains. ‘I’ve worked in many different places over the years, nature and history; ethical production; replacing the need to conbut Chelsea is really special’. sume; dematerialising and developing systems and services; and, lastly, design activism. tedresearch.net; upcyclingtextiles.net. For and tickets for ‘The Ten is a series of completely holistic design decisions,’ the Chelsea College of Arts Upcycling Workshop during Inside Out Earley says. ‘We’ve built up quite a body of knowledge and are now Victoria (2–5 October), see createvictoria.com/insideout able to articulate what the eco-conscious designer needs to do.’ It’s

DR AMA

ONE STAGE SEASON St. James Theatre, Palace Street

This season of new productions is now in full flow. Breeders, a new comedy by BAFTA-nominated writer Ben Ockrent, runs until 4 October, when Anya Reiss’s reworking of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya begins.

The contemporary take on the classic is followed by Accolade, a critically acclaimed production that won director Blanche McIntyre the best newcomer prize at the Critics’ Choice awards in 2011. stjamestheatre.co.uk

ART

TURNER PRIZE Tate Britain

The always-influential Turner Prize exhibition returns to Tate Britain on 30 September – appropriately, since it is celebrating its 30th anniversary. This year’s nominees are Tris Vonna-Michell, James Richards, Ciara Phillips and Duncan Campbell – a group of young artists who are as diverse in method and medium as they are talented.

The winner of this year’s hotly contended prize will be announced on 1 December. tate.org.uk

FINE DINING FROM THE VINCENT ROOMS

FILLET OF BEEF, BRAISED SHIN BONBON AND TRUFFLE MASH I L L U S T R AT I O N I S A A C B O N A N

WINES

AND TO ACCOMPANY…

MASTER OF WINE PE TER MITCHELL FROM JEROBOAMS VINTNERS ON E L I Z A B E T H S T R E E T, R E C O M M E N D S :

MARQUÉS DE CACARES EXCELLENS CRIANZA RIOJA, 2011 £10.95

A new wave of Spanish producers is using French oak, leading to more robust, fruitier wines that go well with beef. Deep ruby-coloured, the nose shows dark cherry, plum and hints of oak spice. The palate is compact and concentrated, with fine silky tannins.

SERVES 4 FOR THE FILLET 4 x 180g centre-cut Black Angus Beef fillets 30g butter 1 clove garlic, chopped 1 tbsp each chopped rosemary and thyme FOR THE BR AISED SHIN BONBON 20ml vegetable oil, plus extra for deep-frying 80g mirepoix of vegetables ( finely chopped celery, onion and carrot) A sprig each of rosemary and thyme Half a tsp tomato purée 500ml red wine 500ml chicken stock 500ml veal or beef stock 200g Black Angus shin of beef 1 very large potato, peeled and julienned into strings

FOR THE TRUFFLE MASH 600g Maris Piper potatoes, peeled 50ml milk 50ml double cream 250g unsalted butter, softened 1 Perigord truffle, cleaned and finely chopped (or, if out of season, dried wild mushrooms rehydrated and chopped) 4ml white truffle oil Salt and white pepper FOR THE VEGETABLES 8 baby carrots 4 baby leeks 4 baby turnips 250g spinach, picked and washed 4 bunches of watercress, puréed until smooth METHOD Heat the oil, add the mirepoix and sear with the rosemary and thyme till golden brown. Add the tomato purée and cook out, then add the red wine and stocks and simmer. Sear the shin of beef, then slowly braise for 4-5 hours.

Reduce the stock to a gelatinous sauce, flake the meat and form it into four balls, wrap each in the potato string and deepfry until golden brown. Keep warm.

Bake the potatoes for the truffle mash at 180°C until soft, then pass though a fine sieve into a bowl. Add the milk, cream and half the butter and beat in vigorously. Season with the truffle (or mushroom), truffle oil, salt and white pepper.

Blanch the vegetables, then refresh. Just before serving, reheat the carrots, leeks and turnips in a little butter and seasoning and keep warm, wilt the spinach in a little butter, and warm the watercress purée.

Heat the remaining butter until foaming, then sear the steaks, along with the rosemary and thyme, basting gently.

When cooked, slice in half and place on a pool of the watercress. Place the glazed vegetables on top of the wilted spinach, the braised shin bonbon and truffle mash alongside.

Adapted from In A Class of its Own by Gary Hunter with Adam Kay (£24), into which the illustrated history of the School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts and its dining rooms is also folded, then topped with contributions from famous former students; westking.ac.uk/about-us/alumni/recipebook

DOMAINE LE CAZAL CAZAL TRADITION, MINERVOIS, 2012 £8.95

From an estate situated in one of the wildest parts of Minervois, in the Languedoc. Made from old Syrah and truly ancient Carignan and Grenache vines, this wine has aromas of olives and wild thyme that would complement the dish’s herbs, and a fruity, fresh palate, with a long soft finish.

ANTONELLI MONTEFALCO ROSSO, UMBRIA, 2010 £13.95

From an estate founded in the 13th century and been in the Antoneli family since 1881. Like many acidic Italian reds with solid structure, this wine is better drunk with strongly flavoured food (such as truffle mash) than on its own. Deep ruby, the nose is full of fruits of the forest, with toasty notes.

All available at Jeroboams, 50-52 Elizabeth Street; 020 7730 8108

T H E FA S H I O N I S S U E

‘This is an incredibly comforting dish,’ says Gary Hunter of the Vincent Rooms. ‘It’s often on the menu in the autumn months.’ The dining rooms, in Victoria’s Vincent Square, are remarkable: part of the Westminster Kingsway College, they are staffed – front of house and in the kitchen – by students of the School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts, overseen by the experienced chefs and maître d’s on Hunter’s team. Firstand second-year students staff the Brasserie, while the Escoffier Room serves a seven-course tasting menu, for £28 a head, prepared by those about to take their places in top kitchens (alumni include Jamie Oliver, Ainsley Harriott and Paul Gayler, who was chef at the Lanesborough for 22 years).

The connection with Auguste Escoffier is that the giant of French cuisine was one of the founders of the college over a century ago. Hunter says, ‘This dish is typical of what we teach: it has the underpinning values of classical cuisine, but it also introduces a modern technique with the bonbon.

Auguste would have approved – he was always innovative.’

The dish itself was developed by Hunter and Escoffier Room head chef Jonathon Warner, with input from the students. ‘It centres on the quality of Black Angus beef – it has a robust flavour and smooth texture, that is in contrast to the crispy bonbon but brought together with a velvety sauce and similarly rich truffle mash. It’s delicious.’

High Voltage FA S H I O N

S T Y L IN G CY N TH I A L AWR E N C E-J O H N PHOTOGR APHY WENDELIN SPIESS WOR DS PE TE R H OWARTH

I

t's a sunny afternoon in Regency Street, Victoria, and a glamorous couple sit astride a Triumph café racer. He wears a zip-up parka in black technical fabric, while she – hair up in a contemporary beehive – sits behind him in a black bomber jacket and the highest of high-heeled boots. Behind them is the Regency Cafe, its distinctive period signage – classic white on black – and red-andwhite checked curtains lending the scene the look of a Sixties movie. The dramatic effect is highlighted by the gang of people looking on, who hold battery packs, reflectors and other bits of photographic paraphernalia, hair and make-up kit or bags of clothing, while a photographer sprawls on the pavement, trying to get the right angle for a shot.

Volt magazine, the bi-annual photography and style publication has come to SW1 to report on the influx of fashion brands that have chosen to make Victoria the home of their UK headquarters. To illustrate the feature, Volt's co-editor-in-chief and fashion director, Cynthia Lawrence-John, has decided to do a shoot on the streets of Victoria featuring the autumn/winter 2014 collections of the Houses that now make this neck of the woods their base.

‘It’s amazing that so many labels – the likes of Burberry, Tom Ford, Armani, Philip Treacy and Jimmy Choo – are all now based in this area of London,’ she says. ‘So I had the idea to do a story inspired by the kind of pictures you’d see in the Fifties and Sixties by great photographers, such

as David Bailey and William Klein, where the streets of a living city become the backdrop.’

Working with German photographer Wendelin Spiess, Lawrence-John has planned a route to match outfits by Victoria’s resident fashion brands to locations that complement them. So far, Westminster Cathedral has been the setting for Armani, Tom Ford has been pictured in Vincent Square and Burberry has featured in a beautiful residential street, with the instantly recognisable Palace of Westminster in the background.

Which brings us to the Regency Cafe and Belstaff – the British luxury brand with roots in motorcycling is part of the Labelux group, now based at 123 Victoria Street. Max Cocking and Eve Delf, Volt’s models, keep up the good work, posing as a beautiful couple-about-town. After the final shot – Jimmy Choo on the Cardinal Place Roof Garden – Eve says how much fun it has been shooting on the streets, instead of in a studio. ‘My favourite shot is the one we did with the Philip Treacy hat in front of 62 Buckingham Gate,’ she says, referring to the image that will make the Volt cover. Max remarks on the variety of locations: ‘It’s fantastic shooting in Victoria,’ he says. ‘You’ve got everything – old architecture, great new buildings, beautiful parks – all within one area.’

Volt is on sale now. To watch a behind-the-scenes film of the shoot, visit createvictoria.com

T H E FA S H I O N I S S U E

W H E N C U LT FA S H I O N M A G A Z I N E V O LT WA S L O O K I N G T O S H O O T A S T O RY T O R E F L E C T L O N D O N ’ S C H A R A C T E R A S T H E I N T E R N AT I O N A L C A P I TA L O F S T Y L E , I T C A M E T O V I C T O R I A

PREVIOUS PAGES: Max wears TOM FORD and Eve wears BALLY and EMPORIO ARMANI, both with shoes by JIMMY CHOO, on the Cardinal Place Roof Garden THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Max wears TOM FORD in Vincent Square; Max and Eve both wear ARMANI COLLEZIONE in Westminster Cathedral Piazza; Max and Eve both wear BELSTAFF astride a Triumph Thruxton outside the Regency Cafe on Regency Street

THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FOM LEFT: Eve wears hat

by PHILIP TREACY, jumper by BALLY, skirt by ARMANI COLLEZIONE outside 62 Buckingham Gate on Victoria Street; Eve wears BALLY on Thirleby Road; Eve wears BURBERRY, with shoes by JIMMY CHOO, and Max wears BURBERRY, with shoes by JIMMY CHOO and sunglasses by TOM FORD, on Maunsel Street

Photographer's assistant MAXYME G DELISLE Stylist’s assistants DANIELLE WESTWOOD SHANNON MCMULLIN Digital operator VICTORIA ZSCHOMMLER Hair ROKU ROPPONGI Make-up LYZ MARSDEN Casting ANGELICA MANDY Models EVE DELF, MAX COCKING

T H E FA S H I O N I S S U E

SHOPPING IN VICTORIA

T R E N D S P OT T E R W O R D S TA M S I N C R I M M E N S

S TAY A H E A D O F A / W 1 4 T R E N D S W I T H T H E S E KE Y PIECES FROM AROUND VICTORIA

TRUE TO TYPE

HIDE TO SEEK

WRAP STAR

Aiko Giacomo Tokyo sweatshirt, £180, Donna Ida

Cheap Monday glasses, £99, Specsavers

M&S Collection wrap, £45, Marks & Spencer

This jersey sweatshirt by New York label Aiko with its on-trend playful typographic message is already a supermodel favourite. Available from denim queen Donna Ida’s Elizabeth Street boutique, it’s just made to be paired with boyfriend jeans and heels.

This season, designers have reworked camouflage print in overblown, abstract forms and innovative colour combinations. Give a salute to A/W14’s army style by sporting a pair of these glasses by Specsavers.

The sky-blue detailing is a mark of blue-sky thinking.

As soon as Cara Delevingne led a line of models down the Burberry catwalk, each of them swathed in a monogrammed blanket, the shawl became a seasonal essential. Marks & Spencer’s multicoloured wool version is perfect for throwing on over a leather jacket.

BEYOND THE PALE Felt cushion, £40, House of Fraser

Trousers, £39.99, Zara

ZIP IT

BRIGHT IDEA

Think pastels are just for spring? Think again. As the days grow cooler, so too does the palette of powder pinks and baby blues. Create an ambience of calm with homewares in barely-there shades and contrasting textures.

Zips have gone from practical to purely decorative, as seen on the Givenchy, Chloé and Stella McCartney runways in Paris in March. These khaki trousers offer two key trends zipped up in one cool military style.

Neons are staging a comeback and they’re doing it from the feet up. Runners love Nike Free 5.0’s for their flexibility and barefoot feel, but these acid-brights will also inject a little much-needed colour into your winter wardrobe.

BLUE NOTES

Nike Free 5.0, £90, Runners Need

Eye palette, £12, Topshop

M&S Collection waistcoat, £59, Marks & Spencer

SUITS YOU

HAND IN GLOVE

Relive your teenage years with a pop of blue eyeshadow as seen at the Temperley and Giles A/W14 shows.

From navy flicks to a wash of aqua powder, recreate the look with this palette of four highly pigmented shadows.

Menswear is currently all about mixing prints and textures, and features a strong focus on tailoring.

Wear this classic tweed waistcoat with a striped or checked shirt for a sharp, individual look.

Take a walk on the wild side with a pair of statement leather gloves in leopard print – designers can’t get enough of it. Hands down, this winter’s hardest-working accessory and great when you’re hailing a cab.

Gloves, £75, Hobbs

NEIGHBOURHOOD

CREATIVE JUICES WORDS CHARLIE TEASDALE

H O N E Y C O L L EC TO R S , C O F F E E B R E W E R S A N D B E E R P U RV E YO R S – V I C TO R I A’ S C O M M U N I T Y O F C R A F T S P EO P L E I S G ROW I N G , B U T T H E A R E A H A S LO N G B E E N A H U B O F A RT I S A N P RO D U C T I O N

T

From top B eekeeper C amilla G oddard in spect s t he St Er min’s Hotel ’s roof top hive s; cof fee f rom t he Flat C ap st all; Poilâne B aker y's Eli zabet h St reet store f ront

beautiful and timeless – the fundamental doctrine of artisanal production. Recently, it became an approved City & Guilds centre, and now has a programme of workshops teaching the craft. If you complete a course, you might be at a loss as to how to fill your empty book, but fear not: Shepherds teaches calligraphy, too.

The aforementioned craft beer movement has taken London by storm as young, quality-minded upstarts look to challenge the giants of the brewing industry. Drinkers’ tastes are changing, with depth, complexity and flavour making in-roads into the dominance of ‘refreshment’. Sadly, as yet, there hasn’t been a brewery in Victoria since the Orange pub on Pimlico Road ceased its brewing operation, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get a great pint in the area.

Cask Pub & Kitchen opened on Charlwood Street five years ago with the honourable intention of supplying locals with an everchanging range of amazing beers, and so far, it has done a very good job. Bottled, cask and keg varietals from the likes of Beavertown, Kernel, Weird Beard and Omnipollo make up the drinks list, so there’s something for everyone from the real-ale purist to the hopconscious hipster – albeit nothing for the mass-produced-lager lad.

Victoria is in a state of flux. Every day, new and exciting businesses move in, further shaping the area into a hive of creative activity. Now all we need is for a blacksmith to set up shop on Buckingham Gate and Victoria’s artisan ideal will be complete.

For further details, visit poilane.com, sterminshotel.co.uk, bookbinding.co.uk and caskpubandkitchen.com

T H E FA S H I O N I S S U E

he word ‘artisan’ tends to be viewed as an anachronism; a description of a culture that used to be and is perhaps no more. Hear it and grainy visions of a grubby blacksmith toiling away at the anvil appear in one’s mind. But the truth is, there’s a multitude of artisans working today, and they’re making much more than you think. The craft beer movement, the street food revolution, the London coffee industry – all established by impassioned, underappreciated craftsmen, and all creating thoroughly modern products. As you may have noticed, Victoria is changing.

But it’s not only industry-leading, commercial ventures that have taken up residence: craftspeople and artists are setting up studios, opening independent shops and hosting unique events. In fact, there’s been a creative community here for quite some time.

Take Poilâne Bakery, for example, which has been on Elizabeth Street for almost 15 years. The story began in Paris in 1932, when Pierre Poilâne, a young baker from Normandy, came to the capital to try to measure up to the best boulangères. The sourdough loaf, the signature bread at Poilâne, was not as popular as the baguette at the time, but Pierre was adamant its virtues should be appreciated. More than 80 years later, he has been vindicated: sourdough is a mainstay of any restaurant or sandwich shop that understands the importance of good bread. For modern Victorians, a certain doughy smugness comes from knowing that London’s best sourdough is freshly baked every day, just around the corner.

Good comestibles are something of a speciality in Victoria. On Strutton Ground, off Victoria Street, you’ll find the Flat Cap coffee stall, one of the best vendors (and now roasters) in the city. ‘Every one of our staff has to understand coffee,’ says Fabio Ferreira, who co-founded the company with Robert Robinson. ‘They have to be passionate about it, otherwise it doesn’t make sense.’ Try a coffee from a chain shop, then try one from Flat Cap; the difference in flavour is vast. It comes down to a series of factors – the beans, espresso machine, water temperature and so on – but each element is corralled into harmony by the expertise of the barista.

As bread and coffee show us, turning a simple ingredient into something wonderful is a great thing, a luxury even. It makes sense then that the St Ermin’s Hotel on Caxton Street has recently built a rooftop residence for 300,000 Buckfast honey bees, kept by apiarist Camilla Goddard. With access to the nearby Royal Parks, they have a glut of exotic pollen to feed on, which makes for very good honey. Restaurants across the city boast of their propensity for locally sourced food, but few can say that one of their best ingredients is created just a few floors above the kitchen. September is the hotel’s Honey Month, during which visitors can enjoy one of Goddard’s beekeeping workshops, or the honey-themed cocktail and restaurant menus.

Foodstuffs aren’t Victoria’s only artisan products. A few hundred yards from St Ermin’s as the bee flies is Rochester Row, home of Shepherds. Founded 25 years ago, it’s one of London’s leading bookbinders and, over the years has incorporated several of the industry’s major binderies, including Zaehnsdorf and Sangorski & Sutcliffe. An art of meticulous design and intricate execution, bookbinding takes basic parts and fuses them into something

FOOD & DRINK

I CAN ’ T LIV E WITHOUT. . .

ADAM WHITE’S TOP THREE R E C O M M E N D AT I O N S O F T H E B E S T P L A C E S T O E AT AND DRINK IN VICTORIA

MY FAVOURITE CAFF

REGENCY CAFE Regency Street

BEHIND THE SCENES

ADAM WHITE

A firm favourite of Victoria residents and fry-up aficionados alike, the Regency Cafe has been serving traditional British fare for almost 60 years. Seemingly unchanged since then, the wonderful Art Deco decor alone makes the caff worth a visit.

INTERVIE W CHARLIE TE ASDALE PHOTOGR APHY TRENT MCMINN

THANKS TO HIS UNIQUE APPROACH TO FITNES S, NUTRITION AND TR AINING, A D A M W H I T E I S O N E O F L O N D O N ’ S L E A D I N G P E R S O N A L T R A I N E R S . H E M A I N TA I N S T H AT S W 1 I S T H E P E R F E C T P L A C E F O R H I S B U S I N E S S T O T H R I V E

How did you first get into fitness and subsequently go on to establish a career in personal training?

Growing up, I played a lot of football, cricket and rugby, but my background is actually in martial arts, and I even represented the UK in karate. In my early twenties, I was in advertising and property, but a car accident made me realise what I really wanted to do. I started reading Arnold Schwarzenegger’s New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding and thought that some of the training might relieve the pain in my back.

My chiropractor soon said to me, ‘Whatever you’re doing, it’s working well.’ After that, I decided to get into personal training. Initially, I worked at gyms, then spent five years teaching yoga, Pilates, spin and kickboxing and offering personal training on board cruise ships, travelling around the world. When I got back, I opened my studio here on Romney Street.

And how does your way of working differ from that of other personal trainers?

When I look at a client, I’m looking at how they hold themselves – their posture, their body language. Physiologically speaking, if people don’t hold themselves with their sternum lifted, strong back muscles pulled together and chest lifted, you’ll notice they have less confidence than those who breathe fully and hold themselves well. So, when I look at a client, I look at their spine, their posture and their movements and incorporate that into a fitness regime, while also considering their lifestyle and nutrition.

What do you like most about where your studio is located?

It’s an incredible location – there are government departments, major corporations and amazing residential premises, so I have the opportunity to work with some really fascinating clients.

I often take them to Smith Square or down to the river, so it tends to be as much a cultural tour of London as it is a physical workout.

And what do you like most about working in the area?

I actually live just across the road – in fact, if there was a slide, I could go straight into the sauna at the studio from my house! What I like most is that we’re really close to the West End, so it’s buzzing during the week, but chilled out at the weekends. There are plenty of pubs and restaurants nearby – a great Lebanese on Victoria Street, for instance – and loads of cafés where you can pick up a healthy lunch or snack.

That said, I do like bacon and eggs, so I’ll sometimes pay a visit to the famous Regency Cafe to indulge.

MY FAVOURITE RESTAUR ANT

NOURA

Hobart Place

Following success in Paris, brothers Nader and Jean Paul Bou Antoun opened a restaurant in London in the Nineties. Since then, its Lebanese menu has become a dependable option for anyone looking for authentic Middle Eastern food in the area; noura.co.uk

How have you seen Victoria change over recent times?

It looked a bit bland before; everything is much sharper now. There’s a really positive vibe on account of so many new things happening and businesses coming into the area. There are new residential areas and services the neighbourhood has lacked for so long, too, such as a cinema and a Little Waitrose, which I happen to love.

What words of advice would you offer anyone looking to hire a personal trainer to help them get fit?

It might sound obvious, but the best thing is to just do it. People are often really fearful about doing exercise because they haven’t worked out for a long time, but it’s simply about signing up to a gym, booking a session with one of its trainers and feeling good about yourself – perhaps for the first time in ages.

To find out more about how Adam White can help you achieve your fitness goals, visit awpts.com

MY FAVOURITE PUB

THE THOMAS CUBITT Elizabeth Street

Victoria is renowned for its pub culture and has lots of traditional watering holes to choose from. The Thomas Cubitt serves fantastic food in its elegant dining rooms and a good range of British beers and cocktails at the bar; thethomascubitt.co.uk

2 TO 5 OCTOBER 2014 CHELSEA COLLEGE OF ARTS | ADAM WHITE PERSONAL TR AINING CONR AD LONDON ST. JAMES | CURZON VICTORIA | DELFINA FOUNDATION DONNA IDA | THE VINCENT ROOMS | ST. JAMES THEATRE THE QUBE PROJECT | CARDINAL PL ACE FOOD MARKET TO CELEBRATE THE ONGOING TRANSFORMATION OF VICTORIA, INSIDE OUT VICTORIA IS BRINGING YOU FOUR DAYS OF EVENTS SHOWCASING VICTORIA’S FABULOUS ART, FASHION, MUSIC, THEATRE AND FOOD SCENE. TRY YOUR HAND AT 'UPCYCLING', TRANSFORMING UNWANTED CLOTHES INTO ON-TREND OUTFITS; TAKE OVER THE DECKS AT THE QUBE PROJECT FOR A DJ WORKSHOP; TASTE THE GASTRONOMIC DELIGHTS AT THE VINCENT ROOMS, AND MUCH, MUCH MORE.

TO FIND OUT MORE VISIT

CREATEVICTORIA.COM/INSIDEOUT #INSIDEOUTVICTORIA