Winter Issue 2022

Olivia Dean, Michaela Yearwood-Dan, Sophie Ashby

As a new year begins, we look ahead not backwards, celebrating the capital’s boundary-breaking creatives who are taking a fresh and fearless approach to 2023 and beyond. Like our trailblazing cover star Emma Corrin, who is currently playing the titular role in a critically-acclaimed West End production of Virginia Woolf’s seminal novel Orlando. Here, we celebrate an actor who isn’t afraid to forge their own path, from opening up on gender fluidity to embracing female empowerment.

Also in the issue, artist Michaela Yearwood-Dan tells us why she’ll always focus on the life she’s building rather than being overshadowed by the past; while interior designer Sophie Ashby - who so adroitly brings a modern-meets-vintage slant to the spaces she curates - shares the inspiration behind her bold eclecticism and reveals why art plays a vital role in her aesthetic.

Fashion and beauty are forward-facing too. With 2023 marking 30 years since the launch of NEWGEN, an initiative spearheaded by the British Fashion Council to support emerging talent, Flora Macdonald Johnston celebrates the rising designers who are shaping the future of style; and Beauty Director Alessandra Steinherr predicts the ingredients that we’ll all be incorporating into our skin-care routines in the months ahead. Plus, we bring you all the latest beauty openings across the capital, from the cutting-edge clinics to the hair salon at the vanguard of sustainability. Elsewhere, Michelin-starred chef Angela Hartnett shares her favourite foodie hotspots in the capital and Hilary Armstrong samples this winter’s most exciting restaurant launches. And, singer-of-the-moment Olivia Dean opens up her little black book to London, revealing her go-to bars and the finest music venues in town.

Enjoy the issue - it’s everything you need to keep you ahead of the curve.

Charlotte Adsett, Editorial Director

TWINKLE TWINKLE

Dazzle into the New Year with crystal jewellery that seriously sparkles. swarovski.com

Edit The

IT’S A DATE

Bella Freud Limited Edition Print, £570 Bring Bella’s punk aesthetic into your home with exclusive new prints from her design archive. kingandmcgaw.com

ALL THAT GLITTERS

Marina Raphael x Venyx, from €1,050

An iridescent mini handbag resembling a space-age jewellery box… what’s not to love? marinaraphael.com

YEE-HA!

Isamaya Ffrench

Wild Star Collection, from £22

The make-up artist’s latest beauty capsule is an ode to rodeo decadence. isamaya.co.uk

OBJET D’ART

D’Otto 1 + 7 Extrait de Parfum, 100ml, £225

At the intersection of art and fragrance, this bold design is Jackson Pollockinspired with a vibrant, citrusy scent.

selfridges.com

BOLD GOLD

Clash de Cartier Ring, £10,500

Rose gold and a double row of diamonds with a twist of attitude.

JEWEL APPEAL

FDL Editions Sunglasses, $750

The eyes have it with these limitededition, gold-plated titanium and bejewelled Aviators from Francis de Lara’s new di usion line.

@fdleditions

CHAIN REACTION

Paco Rabanne Resort 23

Metallic paillettes-meet-vintage glamour in a collection that references the insouciant allure of the 1960s. pacorabanne.com

TAKE A BOW

Loewe Bow Sandal, £725 Supersized metallic bows, sky-high stiletto heels… party on in the shoe of the season. loewe.com

Tyler Mitchell, Untitled (Hijab Couture) New York, 2019, from The New Black Vanguard (Aperture, 2019). © Tyler Mitchell

WHAT ’ S ON & WHERE

By HARRIET COOPE R

Book Now

LYNETTE YIADOM-BOAKYE

TATE BRITAIN

Until 26 February

The most extensive exhibition of Lynette Yiadom-Boakye’s oeuvre to date, Fly in League with the Night is not to be missed. The British artist is widely considered to be one of the most important figurative painters of our time, celebrated for her large-scale oil paintings of imaginary human subjects. This show brings together over 70 of these works, spanning from 2003 to the present day. tate.org.uk

MAGDALENA ABAKANOWICZ

TATE MODERN

Until 21 May

Polish artist Magdalena Abakanowicz (1930-2017) changed people’s perceptions of sculpture, creating radical works from woven fibre. Her Abakans, as they are known, are complex three-dimensional forms made of organic materials, including horsehair, sisal and hemp rope, she created in the 1960s and 70s. This is a rare opportunity to see 26 of these sculptures, brought together for the first time in the UK. tate.org.uk

HARLAND MILLER

WHITE CUBE BERMONDSEY

Until 22 January

Harland Miller is both an artist and writer whose career has seen him spend time in both Europe and America. This solo exhibition is a chance to see Miller’s new abstract letter paintings, alongside the latest works from his renowned book cover series in which he reimagines vintage covers with fictitious titles. whitecube.com

LUCIAN FREUD PLANT PORTRAITS

GARDEN MUSEUM

Until 5 March

He’s known the world over for being at the forefront of figurative painting, but this fascinating exhibition delves into Lucian Freud as a prolific painter of plants. Though no gardener himself, Freud regularly painted and etched potted plants and gardens and these works have been collated to show how the artist gave his horticultural studies the same life as his human subjects. gardenmuseum.org.uk

KAMALA IBRAHIM ISHAG

SERPENTINE GALLERIES

Until 29 January

The Sudanese artist Kamala Ibrahim Ishag comes to Serpentine South with her solo exhibition, States of Oneness. A leading figure of the Crystalist movement - a conceptual art group founded in Khartoum - this is a study into Ishag’s work from the 1960s onwards, with her expressive largescale canvases and works on paper displayed alongside calabashes, screens and leather drums, on which she also paints. serpentinegalleries.org

MAKING MODERNISM

ROYAL ACADEMY

Until 12 February

In what is a first, this exhibition is devoted entirely to the pioneering female artists working in Germany in the early 1900s. Paintings by Paula Modersohn-Becker, Käthe Kollwitz, Gabriele Münter and Marianne Werefkin highlight how these ground-breaking women were no less central in radical new approaches to art in Europe as their male counterparts. royalacademy.org.uk

THE NEW BLACK VA NGUAR D PHOTOGRAPHY BETWEEN ART AND FASHION SAATCHI GALLERY

Until 22 January

Curated by American writer and critic Antwaun Sargent, Saatchi Gallery’s new show is a celebration of Black creativity in front of and behind the lens. It features the work of 15 international Black photographers - Campbell Addy, Tyler Mitchell, Renell Medrano and Nadine Ijewere among them - whose vibrant portraits and conceptual images have broken down boundaries, contributing to a new vision of the Black figure and reframing representation in art and fashion. saatchigallery.com

Hallyu! The Korean Wave

V&A MUSEUM

Until 25 June

The V&A explores the impact of South Korean popular culture and the phenomenon of ‘hallyu’ aka the ‘Korean Wave’, which rose to prominence in the 1990s and has since touched every corner of the world. Expect K-Pop costumes, K-drama props and posters, photography, sculpture, fashion and more. vam.ac.uk

BEYOND

THE STREETS LONDON

SAATCHI GALLERY

17 February – 9 May

Beyond The Streets London arrives in February, with the entire Saatchi Gallery given over to the art of creative rebellion, paying homage to monumental moments from the worlds of graffiti, street art, hip hop and punk rock. Original artwork, photography, immersive installations and archival fashion from the world’s most iconic artists and rule-breakers will show how cultural narratives have, over the years, shifted the public’s perception of underground art and culture. saatchigallery.com

IN PLAIN SIGHT

WELLCOME COLLECTION

Until 12 February

A wonderfully original exhibition that explores the different ways we see and are seen. 140 objects and artworks have been thoughtfully curated to invite the visitor to encounter experiences of sighted, partially sighted and blind people over the years. These include eyewear from the 1600s to the present day, as well as historical and scientific material investigating visual perception, contemporary artworks and new commissions. wellcomecollection.org

ALICE NEEL : HOT OFF THE GRIDDLE

BARBICAN ART GALLERY

16 February – 21 May

and

“One of the reasons I painted was to catch life as it goes by, right hot off the griddle… the vitality is taken out of real living,” the American artist Alice Neel (1900-1984) once said. This retrospective is a wonderful display of Neel’s vibrant portraits and archival material, which not only underscores the depth and breadth of her 60-year career but also sets her work in the shifting cultural context. barbican.org.uk

BARBARA CHASE-RIBOUD

Infinite Folds

SERPENTINE GALLERIES

Until 29 January

Over her seven-decade career, Barbara Chase-Riboud’s innovative sculptural technique has seen her produce pieces that beautifully interplay folds of cast bronze and aluminium and coils of wool and silk, all of the materials working to juxtapose hard versus soft, light against heavy, and tactile versus rigid. This exhibition brings together 50 pieces by the multi-hyphenate (she is also a novelist and poet), from large-scale sculptures to works on paper from the 1960s to the present day. serpentinegalleries.org

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Helen, The Venus Bushfires 2011, Hassan Hajjaj, courtesy of Helen Epega and the artist; Spectacles for ears, nose and throat doctor, 19th century, unknown maker.

© Deutsches Optisches Museum; A fortune-teller reading the palm of a soldier, c. 17th century, Pietro Della Vecchia.

© Wellcome Collection; The eye, as seen through a microscope: three figures. Plate I, c. 1861, Richard Liebreich.

© Wellcome Collection; Carved sandalwood spectacles depicting an Indian goddess and elephants, late 1600s, unknown maker.

© Deutsches Optisches Museum

DAVID HOCKNEY: BIGGER & CLOSER

(NOT SMALLER & FURTHER AWAY) LIGHTROOM

25 January - 23 April

He’s the artist forever pushing boundaries, fascinated by the intersection of new media and art. So it seems only right that David Hockney’s Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away) should be the inaugural exhibition at Lightroom, a brand-new creative space in King’s Cross which opens its doors in January. Hockney uses the venue and its cutting-edge digital technology to invite the audience into his creative world, taking them on a personal journey through his oeuvre. Expect his iconic paintings, yes, but also rarely seen work and newly created pieces, all presented in a totally unique, unexpected way. lightroom.uk

Installation of David Hockney’s A Bigger Grand Canyon, 1998. © David Hockney Collection, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra

Installation of David Hockney’s Gregory Swimming , Los Angeles March 31st 1982. © David Hockney

KATE CORBETT WINDER: COLOUR FIELD

LONG

& RYLE

22 February - 5 April

Artist Kate Corbett Winder will show around 35 new works in Colour Field at Westminster gallery Long & Ryle. An accomplished painter as well as creative gardener, for this exhibition she draws on the changing rhythms and colours of the landscape over the seasons as inspiration, depicting the contours and horizons of hills and trees and the grid-like pattern of fields. Her latest canvases take on a more abstract, bolder approach than previous work, presenting an almost geometric depiction of nature. longandryle.com

PETER DOIG

at The Courtauld Gallery

DENISE COATES EXHIBITION GALLERIES

10 February – 29 May

Not only is this the first exhibition of works by Peter Doig since his return to London, it’s also the first by a contemporary artist since The Courtauld reopened. A renowned and revered figurative painter, this is a chance to see Doig’s latest paintings, many of which he started during his peripatetic career and finished in his new studio in the capital. A display of recent prints and drawings further cements Doig as one of the most exciting creatives of our generation. courtauld.ac.uk

The Rise and Rise of

EMMA CORRIN

Britain’s most exciting young actor on female empowerment, gender fluidity and bringing Virginia Woolf to the West End

Words LUCIANA BELLINI Photography DAMIAN FROST

When a fresh-faced, 24-year-old Emma Corrin first burst onto the scene in 2020 playing the wide-eyed young Princess Diana in Netflix’s royal drama The Crown, the show’s creator Peter Morgan was quoted as saying Corrin was “born to play [the] part”. But if there’s one role the beguiling actor feels truly destined to step into, it is surely that of Orlando, the gender-fluid, era-hopping hero of Virginia Woolf’s seminal 1928 novel of the same name. Corrin - who has identified as nonbinary since 2021 and prefers to go by the pronouns “they/them” - is currently doing just that in a critically-acclaimed West End adaptation of the tale directed by Michael Grandage, which is playing to packed-out audiences at the Garrick Theatre. “[The show] is a passionate ode to love and freedom, and discovering who you are,” says Corrin. “And all the questions we wake up in the morning asking ourselves, like ‘Who am I?’ and ‘Who do I love?’”

Despite being written almost 100 years ago, the story feels refreshingly modern and more relevant than ever today. Woolf wrote the novel as an ode to her lover Vita Sackville-West, who liked to dress as a man, and the story reveals an idealised version of the kind of life they might have had together, had they not found themselves living almost 40 years before homosexuality was legalised in England and Wales. Neil Bartlett’s pacy adaptation has received rave reviews, none more so than for the show’s lead actor, who is being hailed for their “coltish charisma” and “pure star quality”, as well as their impressive number of costume changes as they flit between genders and decades. “I think it’s the most costume changes anyone’s ever had on stage,” says Corrin.

Famously described as “the longest and most charming love letter in literature” by Sackville-West’s son Nigel Nicolson, the novel spans three centuries and opens as Orlando, a young nobleman in Elizabeth I’s England, awaits a visit from the Queen. Charting the poetic hero’s adventures as he flits between centuries and meets the key figures of English literary history, halfway

through the story Orlando awakes to find that he is now a woman, with the book going on to satirically explore the role of women in the 18th and 19th centuries. As the novel ends in 1928, Orlando is a wife and mother, standing at the brink of a future filled with new hope and promise. The book has long been hailed as a feminist masterpiece, and has gone on to become one of Woolf’s most celebrated and popular novels.

This is not the first time Corrin has worked with Grandage - he recently directed them opposite Harry Styles in his film My Policeman, where Corrin plays the young wife to Styles’s closeted gay copper. Grandage said that he never considered casting anyone other than Corrin in the

role of Orlando, both due to their undeniable acting talent and the fact that their nonbinary status brought “a certain experience” to the performance that would otherwise have been lacking. Though Corrin is still at the start of their gender journey, they are more than happy to speak openly about it, despite admitting that it felt “scary and revealing” at first. “I think that we’re so used to defining ourselves, and sadly that’s the way society works, within these binaries - it’s taken me a long time to realise that I exist somewhere in between,” says Corrin. “I’m not sure where that is yet.”

At a time when gender fluidity and LGBTQ+ rights are at the forefront of conversations like never before, Orlando is likely to appeal to the younger generation in a way that many West End productions simply can’t. The show has over 10,000 tickets available for just £10, in a bid to make it more accessible - something that Grandage has made a key mission of his production company ever since he first set it up in 2011. Corrin and Grandage seem to have a natural affinity when working together.

“He has a very clear vision, and you always feel safe and comfortable knowing that he knows exactly what he wants,” says Corrin.

“But he also creates this very generous collaborative space, where we’re all floating around ideas. I think as an actor, when you feel safe in a rehearsal space and able to play - because play is at the centre of it all - you can just explore what feels right, and how you say things.”

Corrin returned to the 1920s for their other most-talked-about role of the year, that of Connie in Netflix’s film adaptation of D.H. Lawrence’s transgressive novel Lady Chatterley’s Lover, which was coincidentally

“I think that we’re so used to defining ourselves, and sadly that’s the way society works, within these binaries - it’s taken me a long time to realise that I exist somewhere in between. I’m not sure where that is yet ”

Emma Corrin in Orlando by Marc Brenner

published the same year as Orlando. Corrin stars as the unhappily married Constance Chatterley, while Jack O’Connell takes on the role of Mellors, the estate gamekeeper who awakens her emotional and physical passion. Much has been made of the film’s sensual love scenes, as well as a particularly memorable moment where Constance and Mellors are seen leaping around a meadow in the middle of a downpour, completely naked. Like Orlando, it’s another tale that was ahead of its time, and Corrin has said they were particularly drawn to the project because of what it had to say about female empowerment, a thread that runs through the majority of their performances to date –including, of course, their breakout role as the young Princess Diana in The Crown.

Corrin was an unknown when they stepped into the shoes of one of the world’s most famous women - and one of the most notoriously difficult to portray on the silver screen. It was a role they landed almost by accident, after being asked to help out with a chemistry reading in 2018 during the search for an actor to play Camilla Parker Bowles. Corrin’s knowing performance as the vulnerable Princess went on to steal the show - no mean feat when you’re acting opposite Olivia Colman - later landing them a Golden Globe and catapulting Corrin into the spotlight overnight. Despite describing the experience as “intense”, Corrin took it all in their stride, never seeming phased by the exposure or media attention. As for whether embodying such inherently feminine roles as Diana and Connie feels at odds with their current gender journey, Corrin has always denied seeing that as an issue, stating that their gender identity is not a rejection of femininity but rather “an embrace of it”.

Corrin was raised in the Kent countryside, born the eldest of three to a business executive father and a speech therapist mother (who, handily, helped them perfect Diana’s unique lilting drawl). They fell for acting when they were a child, happily spending their days creating imaginary worlds involving fairies and elves. Corrin chose their Catholic girls’ school largely on the basis that it had a huge theatre, and a degree in English, education and drama at Cambridge University followed. Corrin’s parents have always been supportive of their decision to identify as nonbinary, something they admit to feeling “very lucky” about. “I’m still figuring it all out, and I think everyone is, and that’s kind of the point,” says Corrin. “There’s no fixed identity, especially for people in the queer community. It’s going to be an ongoing journey.”

When not filming, home is in north London, where Corrin lives with four university friends, none of whom work in the acting profession. Off-duty, Corrin is refreshingly low-key, loving nothing more than gathering their pals for a night of games. But they’re no stranger to a glamorous turn on the red carpet, where their daring take on fashion - “the weirder the better!” - has been seen as a key part of their gender journey.

Corrin works with super-stylist Harry Lambert (who also dresses Harry Styles) to create their statement-making looks, which have ranged from a Loewe balloon-print dress and balloon bra at this year’s Olivier Awards to the JW Anderson fish bag dress they wore to the European premiere of My and a head-turning Miu Miu black dress and cape combo for the TIFF premiere (Corrin also happens to be a face for the Italian brand).

premiere

Next up, Corrin is taking the lead in a new eightpart series, Retreat, helmed by Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij, the duo behind runaway hit series The . In it, Corrin plays an amateur sleuth who attempts to solve a murder at a secluded retreat, and stars alongside Clive Owen. But for now, all of their focus is on Orlando and its jam-packed, eight-show-a-week schedule. When Corrin, a self-professed huge Woolf fan, first revealed the poster for the show on their Instagram page, they captioned the snapshot “someone please pinch me”. The actor is a natural on stage, with their West End debut last year playing the title role in Anna X at the Harold Pinter Theatre landing them an Olivier nomination. We have a feeling their turn as Orlando might just clinch them that gongand be the first of many more to come.

is

is playing at The Garrick Theatre until 25 February

Orlando

Policeman

OA

Emma Corrin in Orlando by Marc Brenner

GAVIN BOND BEING THERE

Idea, £75

He’s always been behind the lens, but now it’s Gavin Bond’s turn in the spotlight. Being There is packed with images taken by the British photographer during the 1990s, when he was granted backstage access to all the prestigious fashion shows. There are behind-thescenes shots of designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier, McQueen and Lagerfeld making last-minute outfit adjustments and photographs of all the supermodels wearing them. A fascinating observation of one of fashion’s most glamorous decades.

IN THE FRAME

MOSCHINO

Assouline, £195

He was the enfant terrible of the fashion world, who in 2013 took the helm at one of Italy’s most famous fashion houses. As creative director at Moschino, Jeremy Scott has since sent some of fashion’s most playful, unpredictable collections down the runway, inspired by everything from Barbie to Picasso. This volume - designed in close collaboration with Scott and with an introduction by fashion writer Alexander Fury - brings the Moschino world to life, with page after glossy page charting the campaigns, editorials, fashion shows, backstage photos, front rows, red carpets and parties.

Fashion’s recent crop of coffee table books are glossier and more gorgeous than ever

DIOR

BY SARAH MOON

Delpire & Co, £130

This box set of three volumes contains 120 black-and-white and colour photographs taken by Sarah Moon for the House of Dior. Famous for her blurred, ethereal photographic style, Moon is a long-time collaborator of Maria Grazia Chiuri, the creative director of Dior women’s collections, and for this she was commissioned to capture the many facets of Dior and its creations. With text by Moon, fashion historian Olivier Saillard and Chiuri, interweaved with quotes from Dior himself, this boxed set is surely the pinnacle of chic.

LOUIS VUITTON: VIRGIL ABLOH Assouline, £95

This is the first book about visionary designer Virgil Ablohwho was men’s artistic director at Louis Vuitton - following his untimely passing in 2021. It is written by his close collaborator, fashion writer Anders Christian Madsen, who gives readers a real insight into the designer’s world and his tenure at the Maison. With over 320 images and personal reflections from Abloh’s inner circle, it’s a fitting tribute to a man whose creativity knew no limits. The book has been released with two di erent covers, while the Ultimate edition features a separate insert cataloguing every single sneaker that Abloh designed for Louis Vuitton.

ANNIE LEIBOVITZ: PORTRAITS 2005-2016

Phaidon, £74.95

The follow-up to her two previous compilations (Annie Leibovitz: Photographs, 1970-1990 and A Photographer's Life, 1990-2005), for this reissue Leibovitz has selected the best and most representative portraits she’s taken between 2005 and 2016. Over 150 images grace the pages, including Venus and Serena Williams, Joan Didion, Barack Obama, Sheryl Sandberg, and Queen Elizabeth II. All are testament to Leibovitz’s unique ability to personalise even the most distinguished figures, each photograph representing her characteristic wit and signature style. An essay by Alexandra Fuller and an afterword by Leibovitz complete this co ee table must-have.

reclaiming beauty. For myself and for

women everywhere”

Michaela Yearwood-Dan’s abstract canvases are rich in colour and texture, depicting joy and positivity on a grand, sumptuous scale. The London-based artist talks to us about stereotyping, reconnecting and looking to the future not the past

Words ELOISE HENDY

About five minutes into our interview, Michaela Yearwood-Dan’s phone rings. “Can I just pause for one second? My dad, I told him I was busy, but he’s ringing me.”

It turns out this is a business call, of sorts. Yearwood-Dan’s solo show Let Me Hold You, which was the inaugural exhibition at Queercirclea new LGBTQ+ gallery based in Greenwich’s Design District - has just come to an end. An expansive curved mural had greeted visitors, gathering them into a lush and vibrant embrace; all sweeping brush strokes, botanical imagery and enticing pink drips. Along the wall’s base curled the phrase, ‘I believe that there’s a big future out there full of beautiful things’.

“The wall, obviously, wasn’t actually curved,” Yearwood-Dan explains, as soon as she hangs up. “We built that curved wall, and it was all built in panels.” Now it is being dismantled and Yearwood-Dan is keen to recover the most beautiful parts of the painting. This is where her dad comes in. “My dad was a teacher, but he’s a professionally trained carpenter,” Yearwood-Dan tells me. “So I was like, ‘Can you come over today?’”

There is something remarkably endearing about an artist calling in favours from their family, but I quickly realise this encapsulates part of who Yearwood-Dan is and how she approaches her work. Like her paintings, she is lively and bright and fun. It is also abundantly clear that, for her, art is not only about the end visual result, but creating spaces for community, connection and love.

“I didn’t want it to be canvases on walls,” she says of Let Me Hold You. “I really wanted to create a restful, queer environment.” She means ‘queer’ like a verb - “taking cultural settings and institutional settings and turning what’s normal on its head”. She wanted to make a sanctuary of sorts - a safe, nourishing space that allowed for comfort and joy. “It’s like, so you can’t touch the work? Okay, you’re gonna be able to touch the work. There’s never anywhere to sit? Yeah, you’re gonna be able to sit.”

When she was little, Yearwood-Dan didn’t consider becoming an artist, despite always being creative. She thought she would be a teacher, like her dad - “because obviously I’m a millennial child with trauma, so you have to identify with one of your parents,” she says with a delightfully warm and spontaneous laugh. “He would always warn me against it,” she says. “He was just like, ‘Michaela, do you see how stressed I am?’”

“I’m

all

Photography: Courtesy of the artist and Tiwani Contemporary

school financial was

Instead, she went to Brighton to study for a fine art painting degree and after university she got a job as a nanny. Starting in time for the 3pm school run gave her a combination of financial security and freedom that, for a young artist living in London, was a sweet spot. “That’s how I started developing a practice,” Yearwood-Dan explains.

A major moment in her burgeoning art career came in 2017, when she was accepted into Bloomberg New Contemporaries, an organisation which gives visibility, recognition and support to early career practitioners. A year later, Yearwood-Dan became the second recipient of the studio bursary with Sarabande - a foundation set up by Lee Alexander McQueen, which provides

support for artists and designers through funding and subsidised studios in Haggerston. Having just turned 24, she moved into the studios alongside a multitude of creatives, most of whom were almost a decade older than her.

For many, this could have been an intimidating environment, but Yearwood-Dan found the experience invigorating. It was the creative push she needed to take her career to the next level. “Where I started when I was there versus where I ended were two completely different stages,” she says. “And two completely different mindsets.”

One of the most striking things about Yearwood-Dan’s approach now is her deep appreciation for nuance, and her rejection of reductive categorisation. “My queer identity isn’t something which I wear on my sleeve in terms of being an artist,” she says. Indeed, she thinks this of all her “minority personas” - despite stressing that her work is “deeply

“Everything is feminine; the world exists because of the feminine. Stop insulting women for being who they are. We deal with enough. Globally and biologically, we deal with enough”

Photography: Kristy Noble

personal”, Yearwood-Dan is keen to resist stereotypical identity markers.

“I felt like, as a Black female artist, that was always the thing that people would say‘yeah, you’re a Black female artist, you’re a Black abstract artist.’” For her, this attitude will always be simplistic and tokenistic. “I don’t have the brazen audacity to speak on behalf of all Black women, or Black or queer people,” she says. “I have the audacity to speak on behalf of myself.”

This stance, she makes clear, “is political resistance in itself” - “it is truly a political act to choose to not engage in the sort of clickbait that is wanted of lots of Black people, and especially Black women.” All too often, this ‘clickbait’ revolves around Black pain. “As a Black woman, in an industry which is thirsty and hungry for Black people to talk on their trauma, [I am making] an active choice to not make my work trauma-focused and heavy,” YearwoodDan proclaims. “And, when I do touch upon trauma, it will be related around the kind of overarching ideal of love and human connection.”

Again, Yearwood-Dan’s attitude and personality seems intimately entwined with her paintings. In the same way they are densely layered with colour, rippling with different textures and often incorporating quotations and poetic snippets, it feels like what Yearwood-Dan is expressing is a desire for inclusivity

- for going beyond the surface. Sometimes her work will have pieces of paper integrated onto them; sometimes they shimmer with embellished beads. “Texture’s really important to me,” she says, “and being able to incorporate different materials or make the paint look like different materials.”

“If you actually choose to engage with an artist and the artwork beyond what you tangibly see,” she says, “you realise that there is a multitude of depths within them.” Suddenly, her tone shifts slightly and becomes lighter. “Do you know who put it really well? I don’t know if you’ve seen the music video for Stormzy’s Mel Made Me Do It?”

Immediately, I know the part she must mean. At one stage of the seven-minute epic, Michaela Coel - creator of critically acclaimed drama series I May Destroy You and one of the other people Yearwood-Dan mentions as an inspirational figurenarrates a monologue, which includes the line ‘I love my future more than I hate parts of my history’. “That’s exactly how I feel about my creative practice. I am more interested in the life I’m building for myself than engaging, always, with the parts of my history that I hate,” Yearwood-Dan says. “There are beautiful possibilities for me that don’t have to always be shadowed by how badly Black people and queer people have been treated.”

In the art world, beauty can sometimes get a bad rep, I suggest. “That’s because men decided that it was lame to have beauty in your work,” she exclaims. “If women made beautiful work it was kind of uncouth, not very intellectual.” Thinking “very intensely” about this gender divide led her, again, to make work from a place of resistance, from feminine defiance. “I was just like, you know what, I’m gonna make these canvases even bigger than they were before,” she says. “I’m going to make them prettier, and they’re going to be pink. They’re going to be fleshy and feminine, and sumptuous, and if anyone wants to say anything about that they can fuck off!” When she says this, she is grinning from ear to ear, but I can tell she is also, in some ways, deadly serious. “It’s fine when Cy Twombly does it, but if a woman does it, it’s like ‘Oh, your work’s very feminine, isn’t it?’ Well, you know what else is feminine? Your mum.”

I’ve never encountered such a perfect use of a playground put down, and for a minute or two I’m incapacitated by laughter. But this is perhaps what YearwoodDan does best - she effortlessly merges joy and lightness into thoughtful and wholeheartedly earnest considerations. “Everything is feminine,” she says when I’ve recovered. “The world exists because of the feminine. Stop insulting women for being who they are. We deal with enough. Globally and biologically, we deal with enough.”

So, would she say she is reclaiming beauty? “Yes! I’m reclaiming beauty!” She seems gleeful at the thought. “I’m reclaiming beauty. For myself and for all women everywhere. And all non-binary people and all queer people. I’m reclaiming beauty and all the cis het predominantly white men making the laws across the world can go suck it!” Her face breaks into a grin again. “I’m very serious with my pink paintings.” tiwani.co.uk; michaelayearwood-dan.com

STYLE

CYBER GIRL

KNWLS, the South London-based fashion-forward brand designed by Charlotte Knowles and her partner Alexandre Arsenault, looks to the future this season with its Precious collection. A blend of cybergoth-meetsclub kid, the capsule features Y2K classics - leather jackets, bodysuits, corset bodices, denim miniskirts - brought sharply up to date. With actress Julia Fox as the house muse and an otherworldly campaign shot by Elizaveta Porodina, this is fashion with a fierce, futuristic edge. knwls.com

Fashion Notes

Tailor Made

IN THE PINK

Harris Reed’s SS23 collection is a(nother) fantastical affair with eye-popping jewel tones, theatrical silhouettes and hats the size of satellite dishes. This was the designer’s first catwalk show, but not for Harris the ordinary runway; instead, models walked in an opulent gothic setting to a soundtrack performed by Queen frontman Adam Lambert. harrisreed.com

ON POINT

The balletcore trend gathers apace, with delicate tulle skirts, tutu minidresses and wraparound knits pirouetting down the SS23 runways. Dance into winter with Miu Miu’s pretty satin ballet flats; undoubtedly the shoe of the momentthey’re currently the most searched for footwear on global shopping app Lyst. miumiu.com

ART & CRAFT

To celebrate both their extraordinary craftsmanship and ongoing commitment to sustainable and responsible growth, Bottega Veneta has launched its ‘Certificate of Craft’. This means every purchase is eligible for unlimited repair and refresh under a new lifetime warranty programme. Small Turn Pouch, £1, 6 2 0 bottegaveneta.com

Spring Forward

These spiral-heeled sandals from JW Anderson’s new collection will – quite literally – put a spring in your step this season. £755; jwanderson.com

The season-defining ballet pump, disco daywear and t-shirts get deconstructed

Compiled by CHARLOTTE ADSETT

HEAVY METAL

Metallics continue to shine bright this season with shimmering new takes on gold, silver and bronze. Opt for more muted or brushed tones or pair a splash of sparkle with neutral colours for a fresh, modern take on disco. armani.com

MIX & MATCH

At the age of just 21, Conner Ives was chosen by Rihanna to work at her label Fenty Maison; just the year before he had dressed Adwoa Aboah for the Met Gala. Both continue to champion the London-based designer and are regularly spotted in his deconstructed creations made from recycled and deadstock t-shirts, which he sources from vintage wholesale warehouses.

His spliced-up patchwork midi dresses are currently a must-have for fashion editors, who can’t get enough of his unique take on the classic tee. connerives.com

JOIN THE DOTS

In a tribute to Jean Paul Gaultier’s iconic 9os ‘Les Amazones’ and ‘Cyber Baba’ collections, in which he sent models down the catwalk in illusional op-art prints inspired by Victor Vasarely, the maison’s new creative director Florence Tétier has reworked these archive pieces for its latest ready-to-wear collection, ‘Cyber’. Second-skin dresses and jumpsuits come in vivid neon dot patterns, tops are given geometric slashes and laser cuts, and even accessories have been given a sci-fi spin with maximalist colours and avant-garde designs. jeanpaulgaultier.com

reworked and

FEBEN

Meet fashion’s badass ‘fairy godmother’, who draws inspiration from “colours, strangers, friends - anything with a good story”. Born in North Korea, brought up in Sweden, and moving to London aged 18 has meant that Feben’s childhood notions of displacement have heavily influenced her work, and her community-driven mindset. It’s easy to spot a Feben piece, look for bulbous bobbles, bright colours and printed stretch-mesh fabric. Her surreal creations challenge notions of the ideal fashion body - so often white, thin - and so her suits flare at the hips, trouser legs are widened and busts accentuated - mirroring black body types. Mesh tops, too, are printed with new body silhouettes, distorting that of the wearer. In a short space of two years her designs have been worn by the likes of Erykah Badu, Janelle Monáe and Michaela Cole, and she’s created costumes for Beyoncé. Despite this success, Feben continues to put community at the fore, running workshops and supporting rural communities and artisans who help create her woven accessories. feben.co

Meet London’s RISING STAR DESIGNERS

STANDING GROUND

There’s something almost medieval about the floor-length dresses of Fashion East’s Michael Stewart, founder of Standing Ground. Stewart’s work prioritises craftsmanship above all else, fusing the worlds of past and future. For his SS23 presentation (titled Úr – an old Irish word for soil), evening gowns looked statuesque and armour-like with attached hoods, and all came in earthy tones - dark and lime green, grey, brown, butter yellow - with organicshaped cut-outs or vine-like coils. The interesting use of line which snaked around the models’ bodies reflects Stewart’s obsession with ancient Irish migration routes, his dresses becoming moving maps. A designer with a new approach to classic eveningwear (you will find no sequins, ruffles or glitter here), expect to see Stewart’s designs on red carpets shortly. standing-ground.com

craftsmanship above all else, fusing the worlds of past and future. For his SS23 (titled all

new

Flora Macdonald Johnston on the new-gen visionaries shaking up the fashion world

MASHA POPOVA

Growing up in urban Ukraine has heavily influenced the unique way Central Saint Martin graduate Masha Popova handles her now signature - and Instagram viral - denim (you’ve probably seen her butterfly tops worn by Dua Lipa and Bella Hadid). An alumnus of Maison Margiela with John Galliano, and Céline with Phoebe Philo, you can see Popova’s acute attention to detail but all with a f**k you attitude. Her denimwear is scrunched, shaped, slashed, printed and dyed to form fantastical bustiers, low-slung trousers or pannier-like structures attached to the hips of minidresses. Using traditional Ukrainian craftsmanship with new sustainable washing techniques, Popova is able to form her unusual acid-like prints and patterns. This juxtaposition of heritage and contemporary is also shown within her leatherwear, where Popova cleverly combines classic screenprinting techniques with laser technology. masha-popova.com

SUSAN FANG

With layer upon layer of pastel-hued tulle and chiffon, Central Saint Martin graduate and LVMH prize finalist Susan Fang is creating garments which celebrate femininity through the female gaze. Her airy creations have recently broadened from fairy-like dresses to include cute quilted, padded jackets and wrap skirts, but all paired with her classic sheer tops or ruffled tube skirts. A lover of nature, and with a disdain for waste, Fang makes sure to use all and any fabric (this comes as no surprise as she is an alumnus of the environmentally charged label Stella McCartney). Never compromising on her dream-like aesthetic, Fang developed her own fabric technique of ‘air-weaving’. Cutting strips of off-cut and unused fabric, Fang is able to fold and layer to create organic blossoms-like structures. susanfangofficial.com

KAROLINE VITTO

Brazilian-born Karoline Vitto has had enough of punishing bigger body sizes - instead, she crafts beautiful, slinky barely-there dresses, tops and pencil skirts that embrace and celebrate parts of the body women so often wish to hide - back rolls, excesses of flesh, tummies and all. It’s a loud and unapologetic call out to an industry that often includes larger sizes as a tokenistic box-ticking exercise. Her debut show under Fashion East last September, and her first fully realised collection, was something of a revelation as her casting consisted entirely of curvy models up to a size 22. Her stretch dresses came with hoods or were spliced with metal structures which hugged the body’s natural curves. Vitto is forcing the industry - and us fashion editors - to pause and reflect on how women should continually strive to lift and celebrate one another through the clothing it presents. To echo the words of journalist Elizabeth Davidson, “protect Vitto at all costs”. karolinevitto.com

YUHAN WANG

often 22.

Browns in London, Beams in Tokyo, Dover Street Market in New York… Chinese-born, London-based designer Yuhan Wang has become something of a global cult favourite among stockists - and fashion editorssince her first standalone show in 2020. Blending cultural influences of east and west, Wang’s likeability is due to her wickedly fun approach to design. A show based on Victorian mourning dress? Sure. A collection deconstructing traditional Chinese paintings? Why not? Her hyper-feminine clothing is her unabashed signature, dresses consist of patterned florals ruched around the hips, waist or bust, knitwear is patterned with kitsch animals and you can always expect a ruffle or two (Wang also has a penchant for ruffled bonnets). Her multi-cultural background, having lived in China, England, Europe and the US, has also deeply influenced her brand’s inclusivity; with her diverse casting in shows, clothing which can fit and form around multiple body types and an ability to tell narratives that can tour de force.

New in England, Europe and the US, has also deeply be understood globally, she is a yuhanwang.com

JAWARA ALLEYNE

Growing up as a queer Black man in Jamaica, and subsequently the Cayman Islands, has led the work of Jawara Alleyne to subvert classic notions of masculinity - or indeed any set notion of what fashion should be. “What even is masculinity really?” said Alleyne when asked at his Paris showroom. Now also offering womenswear, Alleyne has garnered much attention for his cool take on draping, deconstructed tailoring and fringing. For SS23 many garments were simply held together by hundreds of safety pins creating intricate yet punky sailboat patterns across the body (one of his references behind the collection). Alleyne is just as meticulous about his use of materials; nothing is ever wasted. All of his garments are made using deadstock fabrics from his own archives, which he then safety pins or manipulates into new unique pieces. jawaraalleyne.com

CHET LO

Three-dimensional spikes and cosmos technicolour… New Yorkborn, London-based Chet Lo eschews the more traditional take on knitwear, instead interweaving his Asian-American heritage and a nu-rave Y2K nostalgia into his futuristic-feminine designs. Emerging in 2020 (when Lo graduated from Central Saint Martins), his love for Japanese films, anime and visuals such as Godzilla and Ultraman is writ throughout his outlandish collections which distort the body’s outline. A master of fabric manipulation, Lo’s signifying figure-hugging, spiky knitted corsets, tops, dresses and legwarmers are made from monofilament yarn - a form of fishing wire which Lo manipulates to push outward from the body in 3D shapes. While he and his brand may be young, his career accolades are impressive; few designers can claim to make bespoke clothing for Lizzo, Willow Smith and Lava La Rue, create viral music video looks - just watch Doja Cat and SZA’s Kiss me More videoand have CGI influencers like Lil Miquela posting their designs. chetlo.com

Watch & Jewellery Notes

The latest launches & most covetable new pieces to have on your radar

Compiled by KIM PARKER

Making History

PEARLY QUEEN

Coco Chanel’s favourite jeweller, Goossens Paris, has unveiled bold new collections as a shimmering ode to the ancient adornments of Carthage and Byzantium. Cra ed with pleasingly weighty 24k gold-dipped brass, natural rock crystal and baroque freshwater pearls, these eyecatching pieces are destined to make a statement. goossens-paris.com

RING THE CHANGES

Swiss jeweller Adler is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its iconic Caméléon collection with a set of tactile transformable rings. Each sleek new white or rose gold piece can be worn alone or nestled within a striking diamond-set outer jacket, taking the whole look from ‘every day’ to ‘extra’ in seconds. POA; adler.ch

BACK TO THE FUTURE

Inspired by the boxy charm of the original Première watch from 1987, Chanel has unveiled the Première Édition Originale. With a golden case shaped like the stopper of a No.5 perfume bottle and a bracelet recalling Chanel’s signature handbag straps, the timepiece honours the house’s traditional design codes, but with a thoroughly modern twist. £4,850; chanel.com

LOCKED IN

Ti any & Co. has once again collaborated with contemporary New York artist Daniel Arsham to reinterpret one of its most iconic designs. This time, Arsham has imagined the company’s famous lock motif as 99 limited-edition diamond and tsavorite bangles, each with its own sculptural Lock-shaped box in elegantly weathered copper.

£POA, ti any.co.uk

FULL OF BEANS

Jeanne Toussaint, Cartier’s creative director between 1933 and 1970, could elevate anything from prowling beasts to palm trees into covetable, stylish accessories. She even translated the humble coffee bean into diamond-studded jewels worn by Princess Grace of Monaco. Now, Cartier has revived Toussaint’s beloved beans for a modern audience with its new Grain de Café fine jewellery collection.

“[It] plays with light, finishes and volume to create an acoustic collection brimming with soul,” says Marie-Laure Cérède, Cartier’s current jewellery and watchmaking creative director. We can’t wait to get our fix.

From £6,150 cartier.com

EMERALD CITY

Growing up in Zambia, the gemmologist Gargi Rathi recalls being drawn to the glittering wares of emerald miners she met whilst shopping with her mother at their local market.

Today Rathi’s House of Meraki is the first jewellery brand dedicated to the green gemstone and she has just collaborated with Gemfields on ‘J’aime’, a series of dynamic earrings, rings, bracelets and necklaces featuring their responsibly sourced emeralds in 18k yellow gold.

Prices from £920; houseofmeraki.com

New Opening TUDOR TIMES

The Watches of Switzerland group has debuted inside the longawaited launch of Battersea Power Station. Along with its own lavish space, it has opened a standalone Tudor boutique, bringing the power of Swiss time to the banks of the Thames. It’s here you’ll find the new Ranger model, a robust-yet-refined 39mm automatic tool watch that nods to the maker’s Oyster Prince design, worn and tested to its limit by intrepid members of the historic British North Greenland expedition in the early 1950s.

From £2,170; Unit G022B, Battersea Power Station, SW11 tudorwatch.com; watches-of-switzerland.co.uk

Blue Sky THINKING

The new Stephen Webster x Skydiamond collaboration combines a rockstar aesthetic with cutting-edge sustainability for a collection that looks to the skies

Words HARRIET COOPER

He’s the boundary-pushing, London-based designer who - for more than three decades - has given fine jewellery his own flamboyant spin. So it should come as no surprise that Stephen Webster MBE is blazing a trail once again, this time by collaborating with Skydiamond, the world’s only carbon-negative diamond, on the dazzling new Collision capsule collection.

Stephen Webster is the first jewellery brand to launch a range using Skydiamonds - and it’s a match made in heaven. Literally. The gemstones are the creation of environmentalist Dale Vince OBE. Vince and his team use unique technology to mine the sky for atmospheric carbon, turning it into real diamonds at their Cotswolds-based “sky mining facility” and exhausting cleaner air back into the atmosphere.

to earth-mined diamonds. They’re even graded in the same way using the standard 4Cs (carat weight, colour, cut and clarity). But what sets them apart is that they’re completely ethical. “It’s 21st-century alchemy,” says Vince. “We turn something we have too much of (carbon dioxide) into something we quite like to have (diamonds).”

To Webster - who has built up a loyal following (Kate Moss, Elton John and Madonna, to name a few, are fans of his punkinspired, unisex pieces) for combining a fearless creativity with traditional craftsmanship and a deep commitment to sustainability - it marks an exciting new era for the jewellery industry.

To the naked eye, and indeed in their chemical composition, these zero-impact, carbon-negative gemstones are identical

ethical. “It’s 21st-century alchemy,” says Vince. “We turn something inspired, unisex pieces) for combining a fearless creativity and sustainability - it marks an exciting new era for the remember come from the sky by a carbon-neutral process exceptional - it’s an innovation and product we are market.”

“I cannot remember a time in my life where a gem has not been dug out of the ground,” he says. “This already is extraordinary. But when you add into the mix that a gem has come from the sky by a carbon-neutral process that transmutes atmospheric carbon, it is truly exceptional - it’s an innovation and product we are excited to collaborate with and launch to market.” chemical composition, these zero-impact,

Stephen Webster x Skydiamond

a collection of rings, earrings and pendants, with a nod to alternative bridal. Every piece is also made of single mine origin gold that has been produced by a legitimate mining operation which holds no ties to conflict.

While all dazzle with their modern, edgy aesthetic, the collection’s pièce de résistance has to be the Orbital Piercer Earrings. Inspired by orbiting space debris, they are crafted in titanium - an homage to the innovativeness of the Skydiamond process - their futuristic design set with exclusive Skydiamond gemstones to create the illusion of the aftermath of a meteoric shower. For fine jewellery that is both ethical and sustainable, this new offering is a breath of fresh air.

skydiamond.com; stephenwebster.com

PIAGET

Rose Gold, Rubellite, Sapphire, Spinel, Spessartite, Citrine, & Diamond High Jewellery Ring, £POA piaget.com

GUCCI

GARRARD

Blue Sapphire, Tanzanite, Aquamarine, Topaz & Turquoise Ring, £21,500 garrard.com

CHAUMET

White & Yellow Gold, Yellow Sapphires, Tourmaline, Chrysoprase & Diamonds High Jewellery Ring, £POA chaumet.com

BOGHOSSIAN Yellow Gold, Diamond & Green Tourmaline Ring, £POA boghossianjewels.com

MAREI NEW YORK

Yellow Gold, Green Tourmaline & Tsavorite Ring, £POA mareinewyork.com

GEMFIELDS

CHANEL

POMELLATO

Rose Gold, Mandarin Garnet, Orange Sapphire & Brown Diamond High Jewellery Ring, £POA pomellato.com

COCK TAIL HOUR

H

K OUR

of the

The statement accessory of Roaring Twenties is back and bolder than ever

KIM PARKER

CARTIER White Gold, Tourmaline, Ruby & Diamond High Jewelllery Ring, £POA cartier.com

ADLER

BUCCELLATI White Gold, Sapphire, Diamond Vintage Collection Ring, £POA buccellati.com

SHAUN LEANE

Interlocking White Gold, Amethyst, Pink Tourmaline & Rhodolite Ring Set, £18,250 shaunleane.com

Solitaire with Tourmaline & Diamonds High Jewellery Ring, £POA gucci.com

X DIACOLOR Ruby & Diamond High Jewellery Ring, £POA gemfields.com

Beige Gold, Platinum, Diamonds & Pink Sapphires Transformable High Jewellery Ring, £POA chanel.com

DE BEERS

Rose Gold, Aluminium, Pink & White Diamond High Jewellery Ring, £POA debeers.co.uk

White Gold, Rubellite, Diamonds, Peridots & Tsavorites High Jewellery Ring, £POA adler.ch.

ROLEX

Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master 40

In a colourful nod to Rolex’s seafaring expertise, this new watch is inspired by the hues of a glowing oceanic sunrise. Trapeze-cut diamonds and a pattern of pink, purple and blue sapphires shine out from its rotating white gold bezel, reflecting the rippling pastel hues of a dawn sky.

POA rolex.com

GLITZ PUTTING ON THE

Words KIM PARKER

JAEGER-LECOULTRE

Reverso One Precious Flowers

Viewed from the front, Jaeger- LeCoultre’s latest limited-edition Reverso seems like an elegantly pared-back jewellery watch. However, fl ipping its reversible case over reveals an extraordinary bouquet of hand-enamelled, blue arum lilies, the floral symbols of admiration and appreciation, complete with grain-set white diamond foliage.

POA jaeger-lecoultre.com

DIOR Grand Bal Dentelle Frivole

Taking its cue from Monsieur Dior’s fascination with costume balls, Dior’s Grand Bal watches are the house’s ultimate expression of the links between haute horlogerie and haute couture. This model boasts a lattice-like oscillating weight embellished with brilliants, an homage to the lace used in the designer’s legendary atelier.

dior.com

GUCCI G-Timeless Planetarium

Created to mark 50 years of Swiss-made watches at Gucci, this mesmeric timepiece features an exclusive diamond-set caliber at the centre of its dial. At the touch of a button, the new Dancing Hours Flying Tourbillon sends 12 princess-set gemstones spinning around the inner wheel in a truly dazzling display.

POA gucci.com

Adorned with shimmering jewels, this season’s standout watches celebrate the preciousness of time

PATEK PHILIPPE

Aquanaut Luce Rainbow Chronograph

Patek Philippe’s eye-catching Aquanaut Luce manages to balance precision and playfulness like no other. Its 18k rose gold case, set with a kaleidoscopic array of baguette-cut sapphires and diamonds, houses the maker’s first self-winding ladies’ chronograph movement, with a power reserve of up to 55 hours.

POA patek.com

BREGUET

Reine de Naples 8918

Breguet’s iconic Reine de Naples takes its inspiration and its name from one of the world’s first wristwatches, crafted for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples in 1810. The latest iteration has been given a suitably royal makeover, with 136 rubies, a mother-of-pearl and guilloché dial and regal red numerals. £36,400 breguet.com

CARTIER

Coussin de Cartier

Cartier’s simultaneously smooth and spiky watch is a pleasing contradiction. Its curvy 18K white gold case may echo the look of a soft cushion, yet its spiny rows of black spinels, pointed crown, sword-shaped hands and black strap deliver a welcome touch of edginess.

From £37,600 cartier.com

TIFFANY

Eternity Round Watch 32mm

Inspired by a series of vintage Tiffany & Co. adverts from the 60s and 70s, this sleek little rose gold cocktail watch features a different diamond cut at each of its hour markers, plus a crown with a six-prong diamond setting, just like the marque’s most famous engagement rings.

£34,400 ti any.co.uk

BREITLING

Super Chronomat Automatic 38

Origins

In a move towards greater sustainability, Breitling’s Origins watch features a case created with rose gold of certified single mine origin (SMO) and lab-grown diamonds, where the supply chain is fully traceable (indeed, its new owner can check proof of origin via an NFT and an online sourcing map).

From £16,400 breitling.com

PIAGET

Limelight Gala

It may be a Swiss house, but Piaget will forever be inspired by the sunny shores of the Mediterranean. Its Limelight Gala dress watch features a warm, rose gold case with 42 white diamonds set in a ‘serti descendu’ formation, to magnify their shine, plus a marine-coloured leather strap.

POA piaget.com

drsebagh.com

Flawless.

Experience the rejuvenating, radiance-restoring power of Dr Sebagh’s highly concentrated super-serum. Used on its own or mixed with any serum, this deeply nourishing and repairing hero delivers a potent dose of three anti-ageing peptides, hyaluronic acid and the ‘youth molecule’ Resveratrol. Mineral boosters turn up the glow, and an anti-pollution film protects your skin. Available in-store and at drsebagh.com

BEAUTY

THE LONDON LOOK

British luxury clean makeup brand Code8 Beauty has teamed up with their global ambassador Alexa Chung for their latest campaign. Entitled ‘The London Edit’, the range taps into Alexa’s signature fresh-faced look, focusing on dewy skin teamed with a bold lip. The result?

Effortless yet polished.

4 Burlington Arcade, Mayfair, W1 codeeight.com

Beauty Notes

The ultimate hairbrush,

masterclass in makeup & the feel-good fragrance

Compiled by CHARLOTTE ADSETT

Colour Play

TRUE BLUE

Paperwork, O -White’s inclusive beauty line, gives a whole new meaning to ‘winter blues’. The capsule - the brainchild of the fashion house’s late creative director Virgil Abloh - is based around the idea of a blank canvas. Add a dash of the ‘Imprint’ solid pigment crayon in Maze for maximum cobalt impact. o ---white.com

ALL FIRED UP

Hermès has updated the classic red lipstick with three limited-edition shades. Inspired by the glow of molten metal and scented with the Rouge Hermès’ signature fragrance, the trio of intensely saturated lip colours comes in a range of fiery hues, each one bolder than the last. £62; hermes.com

Combining the age-old artisanal techniques of French brushmakers with innovative, sustainable materials, Parisienne brand La Bonne Brosse’s state-of-the-art hair brushes are now available exclusively at Harrods. They come in four different models, depending on hair type, and are designed to revitalise the scalp while naturally enhancing rootto-tip nourishment and shine. £102; harrods.com

WATER OF LIFE

Innovative wellness brand e Nue Co. launches the fourth of its ‘functional fragrances’ - Water erapy. Using olfactory technology to harness volatile organic compounds found in oceans, it replicates the soothing sense of being surrounded by water with notes of seaweed, cardamom, vetiver, sandalwood, salt and rose adding to the calm. £85; thenueco.com

a

TOGETHER FOREVER

Dior Forever welcomes in the new year with a series of product launches. The range’s iconic primer has been reinvented and is available in two finishes, matte and glow, for an even, foundationready complexion; while the new Skin Correct Concealer is a high-coverage, no-transfer creamy concealer that comes in 30 shades for all-day-long wear. dior.com

FIRST CLASS

She’s the go-to makeup artist for everyone from Bella Hadid and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley to Salma Hayek, and now Nikki Wolff is sharing the secrets to creating her signature looks on her new tutorial platform. The digital Nikki Makeup Masterclasses see the London-based beauty expert reveal her tips, trusted techniques and product recommendationsfrom how to achieve the perfect smoked out liner to the brushes and tools she can’t live without - in a series of easy-to-follow, step-by-step short films that are as equally aimed at beginners as they are makeup pros. nikkimakeup.com

FUTURE FUNGHI

We’ve seen mushrooms infiltrate our wardrobes, now they’re cropping up in our beauty routines too, thanks to indie Berlin-based brand Herbar. They’re harnessing the power of adaptogenic mushrooms for their skinenhancing products, which include their hero offering, The Face Oil. Packed with mushroom extracts to protect and strengthen skin against everyday stresses, it promises to soothe inflammation, enhance elasticity and restore radiance. Applywith their cleverly-designed Gua-Shroom applicator, derived from traditional Chinese medicine, to boost lymphatic drainage. Face Oil, €75; Gua-Shroom €32 herbarofficial.com

e super skincare ingredients you’ll be using in 2023

mushrooms to

indigo,

While we may be familiar with the more traditional skincare ingredients - retinol, niacinamide, squalane, ceramidesbeauty brands are upping the ante for 2023 with a fresh wave of game-changing actives. Though they each target different skincare issues and concerns, as a whole there’s a noticeable shift towards a more gentle approach, with a focus on soothing, softening and replenishing the skin.

From anti-inflammatory hero tranexamic acid and the barrier strengthening Japanese indigo to adaptogen-rich reiki mushrooms and arbutin, a plant-derived extract which works wonders on brightening dull, tired complexions, all offer incredible skin-boosting benefits. These are the hardworking ingredients set to buzz in the coming months and my favourite newly-launched, high-performance products to switch up your beauty regimen for the year ahead. Welcome to the future of skincare…

VEGAN LACTIC ACID

EVENS SKIN TEXTURE

Lactic acid is a water-soluble AHA that exfoliates skin and promotes skin renewal. As we all know, it comes from milk, but there is a vegan alternative. Mutha Power Exfoliating Serum ($95) is an exfoliator that’s formulated with the brand’s proprietary blend of bio-fermented actives and vegan lactic acid to smooth the complexion. Use it as a serum or, if you have sensitive skin, rinse off after ten minutes.

TRANEXAMIC ACID

REDUCES DARK SPOTS & SCARRING

What’s exciting about tranexamic acid, a derivative of an amino acid called lysine, is that it reduces the appearance of dark spots and acne scars without the risk of irritation - and it plays well with other ingredients. Royal Fern Purifying Solution (£120) is a new serum that gives brilliant results for oily skin, blending white willow bark, retinol and tranexamic acid to help fade post-inflammatory breakouts and refine pores.

From reishi

Japanese

Beauty Director ALESSANDRA STEINHERR reveals the powerhouse actives you need to know now

MULTI-PEPTIDES

PLUMPS SKIN

Peptides are a fantastic anti-ageing ingredient and different ones address different issues, which is why having a multi-peptide approach is optimal. Medik8 Liquid Peptides (£49) is a 30% peptide complex, containing a copper peptide which boosts collagen and elastin production, Matrixyl 3000 to soften lines and wrinkles, and carnosine, a peptide which blocks the natural ageing process. If you find retinoids too harsh then this could be ideal.

JAPANESE INDIGO

SOOTHES IRRITATION

The distinctively coloured Japanese indigo is a botanical that was used as far back as the Edo period to help heal injuries. It is now harnessed in skincare for its power to regulate red, irritated skin and support the skin's natural barrier function. Tatcha Indigo Overnight Repair (£80) is a serumin-moisturiser, meaning it is very lightweight, with calming Japanese indigo and ceramides for firmness and suppleness.

FERMENTED BLENDS

BOOSTS EFFICACY

Fermentation is a process that breaks down natural ingredients into smaller molecules; when it comes to skincare this means that it unlocks their potential, amplifying potency and improving their ability to penetrate deeper into the dermis. Dior Capture Totale Le Serum (£72) is a new iteration of its hero product, containing fermented longoza flower and Tuscan iris extract to boost cellular renewal for firmer, plumper skin.

ARBUTIN

BRIGHTENS DULLNESS

This is a plant-derived extract which works to visibly brighten the skin, making it great for dull, tired complexions or if you’ve got sun-induced hyperpigmentation, plus it also protects against free radicals. Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum (£90) is a blend of arbutin, tranexamic acid, niacinamide and a mushroom complex which work together to even out skin tone for radiance and luminosity.

REISHI MUSHROOMS

CALMS STRESSED SKIN

Inflamed skin is ageing skin and reishi mushrooms are a powerhouse when it comes to reducing redness and irritation, thanks to their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, as well as their ability to restore moisture loss. Youth to the People Adaptogen Soothe + Hydrate Activated Mist (£27), available at Cult Beauty, is an ultra-fine mist that contains adaptogen-rich reishi and ashwagandha to soothe, calm and address stress.

POLYSACCHARIDES

IMPROVES HYDRATION

Polysaccharides are a replenishing ingredient, responsible for the skin’s ability to retain water. The newly launched Augustinus Bader The Face Cream Mask (£165) is made up of a polysaccharide complex which, along with Swiss grape, helps to regenerate and plump the skin, while ginseng smoothes and Vitamin C aids production of collagen. Leave on as a mask for ten minutes or overnight for a more intense hydration hit.

SPA of WONDER

Claridge’s has unveiled its first ever spa and as you’d expect from the Mayfair hotel, it’s the pinnacle of luxury

CLARIDGE’S SPA

Brook Street, Mayfair, W1

claridges.co.uk

If you’ve visited Claridge’s in the past few years, it’s likely you’ll have had no idea of the monumental work going on beneath your feet. Since 2015, a building project of gargantuan proportions has taken place below the gleaming Art Deco hotel. The aim? To excavate five floors beneath Mayfair’s pavements to create a subterranean space that accommodates the hotel’s first ever spa. And what a spa it is, all 7,000 sq ft of it. There’s a swimming pool, male and female steam rooms, a wet room complete with a hand-carved pink onyx stone bed, sauna, state-of-the-art gym and six treatment rooms.

Tasked with the interior design, the award-winning André Fu has drawn inspiration from the East, in particular traditional Japanese temples and the Zen gardens in Kyoto. Through the interplay of natural elements of limestone, wood and water, he has created a sense of harmony and serenity that feels a million miles away from the bustle of W1 above. Flickering candles by Martha Freud and soft rose lighting add to the effect.

The flow of the space is equally considered. The heated pool takes centre stage, framed by a multi-vaulted ceiling and stone columns. Water laps at guests’ feet as they sit in the private cabanas that line it, clad in kimonostyle robes. The oak-panelled treatment rooms offer a soothing environment for an extensive menu that draws on both ancient Japanese healing rituals and future-forward innovation. Signature treatments include the Bamboo & Silk Ritual (£295 for 90 minutes) - an invigorating-nurturing combination of massage and facial - and sculpting treatment Body Detox & Sculpt (£280 for 75 minutes). Or guests can go bespoke, inspired by the concept of omakase (‘leaving another to decide what’s best’).

This is Claridge’s and so it should come as no surprise that only the best wellness and beauty names are on board. Purposedesigned treatments by FaceGym include the signature Cryo Contour, Radio Frequency and Clean + Lift; you can throw in a vitamin shot, cryo oxygen shot and hyaluronic acid roller application for extra measure.

Luxury skincare brand Augustinus Bader brings The Method by Augustinus Bader to

the spa, a series of professional treatments designed to amplify its proprietary TFC8®powered technology. There are also body treatments by La-Eva, Louise Canham’s organic brand, which blends skincare with a holistic approach to lift body and soul, as well as an ever evolving roster of visiting wellness masters currently featuring famed acupuncturist Ross J. Barr, who specialises in women’s health.

Beauty aficionados are well catered for too, with the much-in-demand nail artist Harriet Westmoreland – renowned for her modern take on the classic French manicure. Guests can book in for a spa exclusive to get their tips painted in the hotel’s signature shade of jade green. But perhaps most exciting of all is the arrival of ‘Josh Wood at Claridge’s’. The supercolourist and his dream team of stylists have taken up residency to offer appointment-only treatments in the intimate salon, offering a tailored menu of best-in-class hair services.

This is a spa that’s been sprinkled with Claridge’s magic, a haven of wellness and tranquillity in the heart of the capital that well and truly sets the standard for hotel spas of the future. “Claridge’s has long been a temple of good living with a philosophy of enjoying life to the full,” says Maybourne Hotel Group’s Creative Director of Spa and Wellness Inge Theron. “Now, as well as pouring guests the perfect martini, we can also rejuvenate and restore with the perfect treatment, to strike that all important balance.”

claridges.co.uk

e New LONDON BEAUTY SPOTS

From future-facing clinics to sustainable salons, the capital’s beauty openings combine cutting-edge treatments with stand-outcutting-edge stand-out design

DR SEBAGH

Chandos House, Queen Anne Street, Marylebone, W1 drsebagh.com

He’s the aesthetic doctor and anti-ageing expert who all the supermodels turn to, whose best-selling skincare brand is based around science-forward formulas and high-performance results. So Dr Sebagh fans will be delighted to know that he and his team have a stunning new home in the capital - Chandos House in Marylebone. The Grade I-listed porticoed townhouse has been meticulously restored and refurbished during a two-and-a-half-year project overseen by CEO Melissa John and, as of early 2023, it will be home to the Dr Sebagh flagship London clinic, as well as the award-winning company’s HQ.

There’ll be nine state-of-the-art treatment rooms where you can book in for a Dr Sebagh treatment, from cosmetic medical procedures to non-surgical ageing-maintenance and holistic beauty treatments. The four-storey building will also include a suite of spaces for hosting events focusing on the science behind the skincare ingredients. Plus, there’ll be the opportunity to shop the brand’s extensive skincare range, including all the cult favourites. While you’re waiting for this spa haven to open its doors in late January, book in for a Dr Sebagh signature facial or hydrafacial at either Liberty or Selfridges for deeply rejuvenated, visibly brighter skin.

OH MY CREAM

243 Westbourne Grove, Notting Hill, W11 194 King’s Road, Chelsea, SW3

ohmycream.co.uk

Juliette Levy brings her French beauty concept store Oh My Cream to London with not one, but two openings in the capital. The brand was founded in Paris in 2013 by Levy, who wanted to bring cutting-edge clean beauty brands together in one place, with in-house experts offering unbiased, holistic advice on products and tailored treatments. The idea was a hit and a decade on, there are 22 stores across France and now two this side of the Channel.

The stores - both a lesson in minimal chic thanks to architect Camille Chasseriau - stock an expertly curated selection of beauty brands. You’ll find all the big hitters including Sunday Riley and Augustinus Bader alongside the more cult (Herbivore, Combeau, Patyka, Agent Nateur), the exclusive (Rudolph Care, Atelier Nubio, Sentara, Solaris NY) and the company’s own Oh My Cream skincare line. Book in for a free in-store skin diagnostics consultation or one of the Tata Harper, Dermalogica and Oh My Cream facials and bespoke treatments, or indulge in a session in the infrared sauna at the Westbourne Grove branch for a soothing burst of wellness.

BULLER & RICE

6 Station Parade, Wanstead, E11

bullerandrice.com using foils capes.

Buller & Rice, London’s first design-led sustainable hair salon, has added to its locations in Newington Green and Walthamstow with a new opening in Wanstead. The concept is the brainchild of Anita Rice and Stephen Buller, who have a shared passion for both haircare and the environment. Combining the two, they have created a trio of salons that focus on using forward-thinking eco brands and significantly lowering waste.

The aesthetic at the new E11 address is light and bright, with houseplants adding a fresh, green vibe. Sustainability runs through every aspect of the design from the spelt husk walls to the mushroom leather and algae foam adorning the waiting area. As with the other two salons, haircare comes courtesy of Italian biodynamic brand Oway (there is a refill service), with reusable foils made from recycled paper and biodegradable protective capes. The difference in Wanstead is that this is Buller Rice’s first multi-purpose space, so you’ll also find a considerately-curated selection of homeware and lifestyle pieces by independent artists, as well as seaweed-based skincare by Haeckels, vegan dog accessories and an everchanging offering of natural and biodynamic wines.

& Rice’s first multi-purpose space, so you’ll also find a considerately-curated seaweed-based skincare by Haeckels, vegan dog accessories and an everoffering of

DR VALI at Selfridges

400 Oxford Street, Westminster, W1 bydrvali.com; selfridges.com

The world-leading dermatologist Dr Vali has opened a pioneering new space in Selfridges - the ‘By Dr. Vali 360 Experiential Centre’ - which bills itself as the world’s first cosmetic dermatology and medical wellness destination. With its sleek design, it feels more like a members’ club than a clinic, but instead this is a place for future-facing treatments using incredibly hi-tech equipment.

Book a 360-degree assessment to discover your bespoke treatment plan across five key areas: skin, face, hair, body and wellness. On offer are all the latest new-generation treatments, including laser, IV drips (Dr Vali is a huge fan of NAD), body-contouring and oxygen therapies in a state-of-the-art hyperbaric chamber; a herbal bar with prescription-grade supplements and teas, and you can even embark on a personalised biohacking programme devised by one of the expert team. You’ll also be able to buy

By Dr Vali medical-grade skincare products, as well as the Cutis By Dr Vali, a futuristic micro-contouring tool that’s the most powerful currently available. Designed to deliver highpowered sonic waves deep beneath the skin’s surface to stimulate the nerve endings, it offers five settings and different intensity levels for the ultimate in contouring, tightening and lifting.

By Dr. Vali, Cutis Micro-Contouring Tool, £525

TOWNHOUSE

12 Market Street, Spitalfields, E1

4 Ladbroke Grove, Notting Hill, W11

6 Slingsby Place, Covent Garden, WC2

townhouse.co.uk

When Juanita Huber-Millet launched Townhouse in Fitzrovia in 2018, her aim was to elevate the nail-bar experience and offer manicures for the modern age. And so she set about creating a salon that offered flawless treatments and impeccable service in an elegant environment. It’s a formula that worked.

The brand now has multiple salons across London, including a newly opened space in Spitalfields Market, just off Liverpool Street, and one in Covent Garden. In addition to this, the brand has just launched Petit Townhouse, a more bijoux version of the salon that will be located in local residential neighbourhoods, with the first on Ladbroke Grove. All offer an extensive manicure and pedicure menu with every nail shade under the sun, pampering treatments and seasonal nail art.

SALON C STELLAR

196 Beak Street, Soho, W1

saloncstellar.com

When Andrea Pfeffer opened her groundbreaking facial salon, Pfeffer Sal, in 2015 it quickly became the go-to spot for Londoners looking to achieve the perfect glow. Now she’s hoping to emulate that same success with her latest opening, Salon C. Stellar, a holistic space that offers advanced treatments for skin, body and mind. Here, self-care is seen as both a personal and collective practice, with modern science juxtaposed with ancient wisdom to create signature treatments designed to nourish both the inner and outer self.

All of the treatments are completely personalised, from ‘The Best Facial’, which focuses on skin transformation and combines traditional deep cleansing with facial reflexology, acupuncture and sculpting micro-current technology, to ‘The Best Massage’, which brings together sports, lymphatic, relaxing and gliding cupping massage techniques to address specific concerns. As for the mind, that’s well catered to with breathwork, sound healing and astrology sessions, all designed to help you feel – and therefore look – your very best.

NOTE PERFECT

Warm, spicy, sensual, uplifting… this season’s new fragrances are perfect for winter

Compiled by CHARLOTTE ADSETT

LALIQUE

Range Rider & Purple Sage

Lalique has unveiled a thrilling collaboration with James Turrell, which sees the celebrated light artist create his first-ever, limited-edition fragrances. While his perfume bottle designs look to Egypt and the stupa shapes of Asia in their geometric aesthetic, both fragrances pay homage to the American West and Turrell’s homeland of Arizona.

Range Rider evokes sun-drenched ranches with a blend of sage-scratched leather chaps, pepper, amber and citrus; Purple Sage is a fruity, musky scent that captures the delicateness of the desert bloom, enhanced by notes of pink basil, grapefruit and rhubarb. lalique.com

VERONIQUE GABAI OUD Elixir

Eau de Parfum, 85ml, £290

A rich, sensual fragrance that has saff ron at its heart. Veronique Gabai-Pinsky, the nose behind some of the world’s most famous perfumes, combines its dark, leathery, spicy notes with myrrh, while other natural, ethicallysourced ingredients include a combination of oud, patchouli and amber, with top notes of rose and mate absolute. This creates a woody, ambery scent that’s at once sensual and mysterious. harrods.com

MATIERE PREMIERE Crystal Saffron

Eau de Parfum, 100ml, £195

As its name suggests, the key ingredient is Greek saff ron oil, harvested from crocus flowers grown in the Kozani region. Being careful not to overpower this precious ingredient, master perfumer Aurélien Guichard has balanced it with notes of musk, velvety ambroxan and incense oil from Somalia. The result is a bright, crystalline perfume for both women and men that has a crisp, citrusy fi nish. matiere-premiere.com

LES SOEURS DE NOE

Citrus Poetry

Eau de Parfum, 100ml, £165

The contemporary fragrance line created by Nadia Benaisa adds to its repertoire with the delightfully citrusy-ambery Eau de Parfum. Inspired by her Moroccan heritage, the perfumer takes sparkling top notes of lemon, ginger and black pepper which she tempers with a creamy heart of jasmine, orange and apple and underscores with a gentle base of earthy moss for a spritz of radiant brightness. libertylondon.com

HERMES

Violette Volynka

Eau de Toile e, 100ml, £197

Perfumer Christine Nagel makes an unexpected pairing for the fashion house’s new fragrance, mixing the delicate powdery notes of violet with top notes of Volynka, in reference to the Hermès bag collection of the same name, made from the historic cross-hatch-grained leather. The result is a warm, sensual scent that blurs the line between masculine and feminine, perfectly balancing strength and intensity with delicacy and sweetness. hermes.com

VYRAO The Sixth

Eau de Parfum, 50ml, £165

This is the latest fragrance from London wellbeing brand Vyrao, which connects master perfumery with energetic healing. As well containing a supercharged, ethically-sourced diamond crystal for purifying and boosting vitality, it is also diff used with sacred herbs to amplify positivity. A heart of fennel, apple and rosemary is met with top notes of juniper berry, angelica and wormwood and rounded off by patchouli, fi r balsam and cedarwood, resulting in a light, bright mood-lifter. selfridges.com

BYREDO

Eyes Closed

Eau de Parfum, 50ml, £130

The Swedish fragrance house adds another intriguing scent to its collection. Eyes Closed is designed to meld the ancient world with the contemporary one. The ingredients reflect this contradiction: top notes of cinnamon and cardamom are comforting in their warmth and familiarity; carrot, ginger and orris butter are an unexpected addition, bringing the fragrance bang up-to-date, while papyrus and patchouli round it off and anchor this woody musky fragrance. byredo.com

FREDERIC MALLE Uncut Gem

Eau de Parfum, 100ml, £270

Drawing inspiration from the maison’s master perfumer Maurice Roucel’s personal cologne, this complex fragrance is unapologetically masculine, but brings with it a refreshing unisex spin. Bright botanical notes of ginger, bergamot, mandarin orange, nutmeg and angelica give a bold, spicy accent, while a warming heart of vetiver, frankincense, leather and amber, and a base of musk, rounds off this alluringly rich and sensual scent. fredericmalle.co.uk

D.S. & DURGA Leatherize

Eau de Parfum, 100ml, £220

The cult New York-based fragrance brand turns to leather for its latest scent, adding a modern twist. With notes of butterscotch leather, cistus and cubeb, a heart of pale orris, cypriol and saff ron, and a base of myrrh and cade, this is a perfume specifically designed to augment another. Wear it over rose or orange blossom to give florals a punchy twist, or with patchouli and amber for an added dimension. e-scents.co.uk

L’ARTISAN

PARFUMEUR

Soleil de Provence

Eau de Parfum, 100ml, €165

Inspired by the warm Provençal landscape, this joyous fragrance created by Daphné Bugey brings a welcome burst of sunshine to a cold, grey day. The scent pays homage to the vibrant mimosa flower which blossoms in winter in the south of France, combining its delicate, powdery scent with the ylang-ylang flower and balmy benjoin and vanilla, while notes of lemon and bergamot bring a sparkling freshness.

artisanparfumeur.com

GUERLAIN

Imagine

Eau de Parfum, 145ml, £540

The French beauty brand looks to the bee as inspiration for its limited-edition 2022 Millesime. The house’s chief nose Thierry Wasser has created a scent to evoke the holiday season and beyond, blending orange blossom with the warmth of sandalwood and benzoin resin.

Embellishing the bottle is a bee-shaped, gold-plated adornment created by jeweller Francesco Truscelli that is handset with 150 sparkling crystals. guerlain.com

VILHELM To My Father

Eau de Parfum, 100ml, £220

Playing on the nostalgia of the father fi gure, Bertrand Duchaufour chooses notes that exude warmth, comfort and strength. A balanced blend of whiskey and the refi ned woodsy scents of cabreuva and cade are underscored by oakwood and leather, while top notes of ambrette seed, bitter orange and davana, with its hints of liquorice, work together to create a sense of warmth, just like a father’s embrace. libertylondon.com

GUCCI

A Reason To Love

Eau de Parfum, 100ml, £240

Gucci’s haute perfumery line

The Alchemist’s Garden - the creation of former creative director Alessandro Michele and master perfumer Alberto Morillas - continues to blossom with A Reason To Love. The eau de parfum fuses a warm, sensual vanillic base of tolu balsam with middle notes of rich, ambery oud accord, while top notes of Damascena rose, peony and cardamom give it a light floralmeets-spice flourish. gucci.com

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can triyoga

at triyoga london triyoga.co.uk

GREAT SCOTT’S

It may seem impossible to improve on Scott’s on Mount Street, but Caprice Holdings is giving it its best shot with the opening of a second Scott’s, this time in Richmond. The new arrival has all the hallmarks of the original - the glamorous crowd, sublime service and glittering crustacean bar - only with a ravishing riverside setting. DJ nights and fine art add to the allure. See you on the terrace for Champagne and fruits de mer.

4 Whittaker Avenue, Richmond, TW9 scotts-richmond.com

Tasting Notes

The new openings & places to know across the capital this season

Compiled by HILARY ARMSTRONG

New Heights

SOUND BITES

Once exclusively for ticket holders, Piazza, the restaurant and terrace on the fi h floor of the Royal Opera House, has opened its doors to the public for the first time. Come for the views over Covent Garden; stay for the inventive cocktails and sustainable small plates by former Tom Aikens chef Richard Robinson.

Bow Street, Covent Garden, WC2 roh.org.uk

Making a Splash

Chef Luke Farrell’s high-energy Speedboat Bar takes its name from the boats that race on Bangkok’s canals, and its culinary inspiration from the Thai-Chinese food served in the city’s Chinatown. Expect drunken noodles, braised meats, frosted glasses of Singha and even a game or two of pool. One of a kind.

30 Rupert Street, Soho, W1 speedboatbar.co.uk

VIVAT BACCHUS

Society restaurateur Richard Caring set the bar high with Sexy Fish and Brasserie of Light; now he’s raised it again with Bacchanalia, his GrecoRoman-style pleasuredome on Berkeley Square. Not only does Bacchanalia have London’s first dedicated grape-feeder, it also boasts shimmering Martin Brudnizki interiors, hand-painted frescos and four Damien Hirst statues. In honour of Bacchus, the god of wine, libations are poured from a cellar stocked with 650 references, including some 25 ‘100–point’ Italian wines.

1 Mount Street, Mayfair, W1 bacchanalia.co.uk

SEA FARE

There is a gap in the market the size of Nantucket for New England seafood in London. So we warmly welcome Saltie Girl, fresh from Boston’s Back Bay and newly landed in Mayfair. Classics of clam chowder and lobster rolls star alongside sustainable seafood from the British Isles and some 65 different types of tinned fishvery on trend - served with baguette, butter, potato crisps and all the condiments.

15 North Audley Street, Mayfair, W1 saltiegirllondon.com

A WINTER WARMER

Have you heard the one about the Bishop at The Berkeley? That’s not the first line of a joke, it’s the The Berkeley Hotel’s new winter pop-up, a dreamy rus in urbe fantasy that reimagines a country pub in Belgravia. Cosy up over fish pie, chicken Kiev, sticky toffee pudding, Sunday roasts and scotch eggs with a pint of real ale. Cheers! Wilton Place, Belgravia, SW1 the-berkeley.co.uk

Table Talk

From a royal-approved menu in Mayfair to a unique concept in sushi, restaurant editor Hilary Armstrong samples the capital’s tempting new openings

Mount St. Restaurant

My first thought on entering Mount St. Restaurant is that it is quite simply the most beautiful restaurant I’ve ever seen. I want the floor (Rashid Johnson’s 2022 palladiana mosaic ‘Broken Floor’); I want the chairs (Matthew Day Jackson’s serpentine-of-leg Kolho dining chairs); I even want the conical silver cruets that look like a luxury collaboration with a high-end sex shop. Works by artists including Andy Warhol and Lucian Freud line the walls of the restaurant and the four private rooms on the three floors above, while The Audley Public House at street level has a collaged mosaic by Phyllida Barlow on its ceiling.

That Mount St. Restaurant has such an enhanced aesthetic (credit to Paris-based design and architecture studio Laplace, lead architect behind the restoration of The Audley) should come as no surprise given that it is the creation of Artfarm, the hospitality company founded by gallerists Iwan and Manuela Wirth, known for the Fife Arms and Roth Bar & Grill. This is their first London opening, launched in tandem with The Audley Public House at the same address. They’ve also just acquired The Groucho and signed Mark Hix as chef director. It’s safe to say that Mount St. Restaurant will soon be a celebrity favourite; King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla have already been sighted.

Such chic surrounds, the gorgeous terrazzo in particular, put me in mind of luxurious Italian food - tagliolini and white tru le, carpaccio, red prawn crudo, the kind of expensive protein one can

admittedly find anywhere in Mayfair.

Mount St. Restaurant has taken a di erent tack, prompted no doubt by the site’s 19th-century architecture, to explore a sort of culinary Victoriana.

To start, mock turtle croquette, a roundel of tender, braised veal, anointed with lip-smacking oyster mayonnaise for a saline kick. ‘Pigeons in Pimlico’ to follow is very refined, a tranche of pigeon, duck liver and bacon farce inside glossy pastry. Both fascinating dishes, but a little fusty; I rather feel I should be sitting in a creaky old dining room, possibly haunted, hung with velvet curtains and ancient portraits. This is the peril of reviewing restaurants; one reaches for the quirky over the quotidian, the ‘story’ over the ‘same old’.

Next time, and there will be a next time very soon, I’ll indulge in the simpler luxuries like plates of Mylor prawns, Stepney smoked salmon, oysters, beef tartare, and rib-eye and chips. Mount St. Restaurant’s success most likely lies somewhere between the two camps, exemplified by its much-talked-about lobster pie for two and our elegant first course of smoked eel and potato salad dotted with caviar (plates were licked). Pudding, a retro moulded blancmange, combines pop art good looks with vintage appeal - quite lovely!

Do note that Mount St. Restaurant opens for breakfast too. The caviar omelette is a dish simply made for the most beautiful room in London.

MEAL FOR TWO (with wine): £200 SIGNATURE DISHES: Lobster pie for two WHAT TO DRINK: Mount St. Martini

Outside, Redchurch Street is cold and forbidding. Inside, we’re warm, our hands enveloping clay beakers of hot beef broth. This is the first course served at Cycene, the new restaurant within James and Christie Brown’s Blue Mountain School, a retail and cultural space in Shoreditch. With one sip of broth, we leave everything else outside and surrender to the feeling of calm that comes over us.

Cycene, from the old English word for kitchen, is a collaboration between the Browns and chef Theo Clench (previously of Akoko and Portland). It takes over from what was Mãos, which won a Michelin star for Nuno Mendes, though the space has been remodelled into an entirely new, though still immersive, you could say site-specific, restaurant experience. Guests start with drinks, bread and broth at a soothingly minimalist counter in the bar, a liminal space between the outside world and the move upstairs to the dining room.

Another shift. Now we’re in a solid oak-panelled dining room, hung with a single

CYCENE

9 Chance Street, Bethnal Green, E2 bluemountain.school/cycene

Frank Auerbach charcoal; the white clothed tables illuminated by candlelight. For me, it feels like being in a serene and particularly stylish mountain retreat, a further remove from the graffiti and streetlights of Redchurch Street just visible outside. I shall not mourn the removal of Mãos’s communal dining table (“So, what do you do?” is not my idea of a relaxed evening out). The 16-cover dining room now seats diners at individual tables, cleverly managing lighting and timings so everyone’s experience is theirs alone.

Now come the snacks. A dainty Comté, walnut and onion gougère fashioned in

extraordinary, elongated form; a Devon crab and genmaicha tartlet; and a jewel-like cube of chicken liver wrapped and dusted in ruby red pepper. We’re then invited to the kitchen, double the size it was previously, for an oyster (poached for an hour) with caviar and a sip of a cucumber and fermented blackcurrant wood drink.

Clench is an affable presence at the pass; clearly in his element in his dream kitchen, complete with hand-painted tiles, ageing chamber (hung with quite the largest brill I’ve ever seen) and bespoke stove tops (raised a few inches for his brigade’s physical well-being).

The menu is £175 for ten courses, with the option of low-intervention wine or soft drink pairings. We dip in and out and love the sip of rosé that accompanies raw mackerel and black radish; the honeyed cold milk paired with chocolate sabayon tart. To single out just a few other dishes – the menu is in a constant process of evolution – one can’t not mention turbot with two sauces, one lettuce, one bone caramel. It has a hint of the 1980s nouvelle cuisine aesthetic but tastes very much of the now; also, prized Maison Burgaud duck (as seen chez Alex Dilling) with pickled chicory and smoked beetroot.

Dinner ends with a flurry of desserts and sweet miniatures, including raw pear sorbet and possibly perfect canelés with brown butter custard. Further evidence that the Cycene kitchen is already on song. A riveting and ambitious new addition to London’s restaurant scene.

MEAL FOR TWO (with wine): £450

SIGNATURE DISHES: Turbot, lettuce, bone caramel, sake

WHAT TO DRINK: Housemade kombuchas and drinking vinegars

ELIS

Town Hall Hotel, Patriot Square, Bethnal Green, E2 townhallhotel.com

Earlier this year, a course or two into the sublime, worth-everypenny, £215-a-head menu at two-Michelin-star Da Terra at Bethnal Green’s Town Hall Hotel, I asked my dinner date, “Why on earth don’t they get Rafael Cagali to take over The Corner Room?” The gods of Brazilian-Italian cuisine were listening, for Da Terra’s Cagali has now taken over what was, under Nuno Mendes, The Corner Room and is now, under Cagali, Elis.

The petite corner room, tucked away at the back of the handsomely preserved Edwardian building, has had a glow up. A few pops of colour from some old record sleeves, pastel-hued paintings and a single-patterned banquette are all it’s taken to bring warmth to the room. There’s personality there. I hope, as at Da Terra, that it reveals even more of itself over time.

We begin with the signature Elis cocktail, equal parts cachaça, Punt e Mes and Fernet Branca over ice,

a simple recipe that’s going straight into my repertoire. The menu of snacks, small plates and pasta reads familiar but for the Brazilian ingredients amongst the Italian. Tucupi, farofa, palm hearts, black beans, dende oil… This is Cagali on a plate: the Italian ingredients of his family, the Brazilian ones of his homeland and the culinary techniques learned at such stellar names as The Fat Duck, Quique Dacosta, Aulis. Why not have pao de queijo and focaccia with milky stracciatella cheese? Why not dart from PortugueseBrazilian salt cod fritters to Tuscan panzanella, and blistered, barbecued mackerel with a fennel salad? Our palates are held in a state of keen anticipation. Pink peppercorn and shavings of sweet, fresh chestnut over arctic char crudo are unexpected and quite delightful. Likewise, the pu ed rice over beef picanha with palm hearts. We’re less taken with the bully-beef-pink short rib ragu, though the pasta is excellent. Our waiter wisely nudges us towards doce de leite doughnuts for dessert.

Add an edit of wines by Noble Rot’s Keeling Andrew & Co, with many by the glass, and you have a very characterful new addition to the east London scene.

MEAL FOR TWO (with wine): £120

SIGNATURE DISHES: Pecorino churros; crab linguine

WHAT TO DRINK: Cachaça cocktails

Hotel Café Royal

68 Regent Street, Westminster, W1 alexdilling.com

Chef Alex Dilling’s fealty to fine dining and, worse, French fine dining, marks him out as something of a dinosaur in some circles. Certainly, one would hesitate to describe the £155 tasting menu served at his first solo restaurant Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal as in tune with the times, but it’s still a rare treat to experience haute cuisine at this level (I can’t remember the last time I used a silver napkin ring in a restaurant). It comes as absolutely no surprise to find the tastefully appointed dining room busy with famous foodies at lunch, among them several writers and a Michelin-star chef (none of whom appears to be partaking of the eminently a ordable £65 lunch menu).

Dilling, previously of Hélène Darroze and The Greenhouse, both awarded two stars by Michelin, has a loyal following among a certain class of diner willing to cross the globe in pursuit of the very best. His cuisine is a celebration of ingredients - foie gras, Scottish lobster, white tru les, caviar

- precisely and perfectly executed. The wine list runs from £40 to the lofty heights of £9,500. The first wave of amuse-bouches is a trio of miniatures as shiny and desirable as anything in the window at Cartier. I adore the tiny sphere of layered piperade, burrata and anchovy, and mackerel pâté in layers of potato tuile so meticulously rendered one might imagine them 3D-printed. While the level is rarefied, the tastes are rooted in traditional French flavours. Clouds of laminated brioche come enriched with Comté; pâté de campagne, a Dilling signature, sees a golddusted foie gras bon bon set o by boudin noir and crisp filigree bread, lacquered with lardo. The main course of costly ‘canard au sang’, not for the squeamish, has a meatball alongside; rustic enough you might think, until you get to the foie gras nugget at its heart. Leave it to Dilling to come up with as delicate a palate cleanser of lemon balm sorbet and Baux de Provence olive oil. It’s outrageously extravagant; no one would argue otherwise. But for the devoted foodie looking to celebrate a big birthday or a special anniversary, Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal is the place to do so.

MEAL FOR TWO (with wine): £450

SIGNATURE DISHES: Clam chowder, Dorset clams, confit potato, Sarawak pepper

WHAT TO DRINK: French wine, probably Burgundy

Alex Dilling at

KOYN

Arriving at Koyn five minutes after my friend, I arrived too late to hear the spiel. You must be familiar with the spiel. It’s the lengthy exposition of a highfalutin concept to which one must nod politely along before they’ll finally let you at a drink. I missed nothing, my friend assures me, sipping happily on a sparkling sake cocktail. “Something about Mount Fuji.”

Koyn’s founder Samyukta Nair is known for her storytelling. In collaboration with Fabled Studio, she creates entire universes, perfectly and precisely realised, like some kind of restaurant-world Wes Anderson. Jamavar, her Michelin-starred restaurant in Mayfair, draws on details from the Viceroy’s House in New Delhi; Bombay Bustle on Maddox Street evokes first-class rail travel; MiMi Mei Fair, her most cinematic piece to date, is the opulent private restaurant of mysterious empress MiMi. Koyn draws on the duality of Fuji-san - I did read the press releasethough all you really need to know is that there are two separate spaces: Midori, the chic, airy sushi restaurant at street level and Magma, the moody, clubby robata bar on the lower-ground floor. Like Zuma and Roka, you can love them both. The story can, in my opinion, stay on the storyboard; for Koyn is that old-fashioned thing - a beautiful space serving beautiful food and beautiful drinks to a beautiful crowd.

Executive chef Rhys Cattermoul, previously head chef at Nobu London and Nobu Hong Kong, is a new name to me. Impressively, he proposes

Restaurant REVIEWS

something other than the usual A-list diet of black cod and miso and tuna tataki familiar from Nobu and facsimiles. Buttery Chilean sea bass gets a zippy shiso salsa verde to attack the richness, while Alaskan king crab goes the other way, its sweet flesh enrobed in hot honey aioli, an absolutely wicked creation. At £60 for, I think, no more than four bites of king crab, it’s perhaps the single-most expensive dish, bite for bite, I’ve eaten this year and I’d go back in one hot (honey aioli) minute to have it again. At the other extreme, pricewise, it’s an ingenious idea to coil hispi cabbage into tightly packed maki-size rolls, to be swished through a pool of glistening koji dressing. From the tempura section, we choose delicate red mullet, a special, almost sculptural dish. Sashimi - ama

ebi, hamachi, otoro - is excellent. Lest you think we don’t listen to the waiter, we heed his wise counsel to add some rice cracker tacos to our order. They’re a fun snack and delicious vehicle for yuzu sesame tuna, sweetcorn with miso, and A5 wagyu beef.

Connoisseurs of fine sake and Japanese whisky, in Mayfair there are many, will find a list that speaks to their discerning tastes. A flight of 2022 limited edition Yamazaki Cask Series whiskies and decades-old drops from Nikka and Hakashu are among the collection. Small wonder Koyn is already proving so popular with the Mayfair set, across the generations. It’s a great concept.

MEAL FOR TWO (with wine): £300

SIGNATURE DISHES: A5 wagyu ‘hot stone’ ishiyaki

WHAT TO DRINK: Japanese Penicillin

in New Delhi; Bombay

rail travel; MiMi Mei Fair, Fuji-san - I did read the press release -

miso and tuna tataki

38 Grosvenor Street, Mayfair, W1 koynrestaurants.com

MY FAVOURITE LONDON RESTAU NTS

Angela Hartnett

The trailblazing Michelin-starred chef shares her must-visit foodie spots in the capital, from a modern Mexican to where to go for a really good glass of wine

Angela Hartnett is one of the most revered chefs and restaurateurs in the world. After working with many of the greats in the kitchen (Gordon Ramsay, Marcus Wareing), she went on to run her eponymous restaurant at The Connaught, earning her first Michelin star. An MBE for services to the hospitality industry followed and, in 2008, Hartnett opened the doors to Murano in Mayfair, which has seen her garner yet more accolades for her down-to-earth, Italian-style cooking and, to this day, remains as popular as ever for its fresh, seasonal and authentic menu.

She has since opened further restaurants across London, authored a number of cookbooks, been awarded an OBE and, most recently, launched the second series of Dish, a podcast she hosts with Nick Grimshaw. But when it comes to dining out in the capital, where does Hartnett recommend? From whole-roasted turbot in Hackney to her go-to spot for handmade pasta, these are Angela Hartnett’s favourite places to eat in town.

Dish, hosted by Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett is available on all podcast providers now

NOBLE ROT

This is a great place for simple, delicious cooking, no messing around. Founded by Mark Andrew and Dan Keeling, I've been going to their place on Lamb’s Conduit Street in Bloomsbury ever since it opened in 2015. There’s another Noble Rot on Greek Street in Soho, which Mark and Dan launched in 2020, where they do a dish of roast chicken with morels and Vin Jaune served with riz au pilaf, which is a particular standout for me. I also like the fact that Noble Rot focuses on wine as well as food. If I want a good glass of wine, it’s where I gothey probably have some of the best wines in London at the moment.

51 Lamb’s Conduit Street, Bloomsbury, W1 2 Greek Street, Soho, W1 noblerot.co.uk

BRAT

Tomos Parry’s Brat x Climpson’s Arch is set under these railway arches in London Fields and is a big, noisy restaurant - I really enjoy it there. You can take the dog, sit outside in the covered courtyard, have drinks and order great food. Parry has a big wood-fired oven, and the cooking is very much along the lines of the San Sebastian way. It’s not Spanish food necessarily, but it has this influence from Spain of cooking on grills and open fire. It’s all delicious, but I particularly like the cod’s roe, the whole roasted turbot with smoked potatoes, followed by the Basque burnt cheesecake. Again, it’s not trying to be too clever or complicated - it’s just good seasonal produce. That’s the way to do it. I like Brat very much.

374 Helmsley Place, Hackney, E8 bratrestaurant.co.uk

As told to HARRIET COOPER

NOBLE ROT SOHO

NOBLE ROT SOHO

LEGARE

Jay Patel and Matt Beardmore, who have worked across Barrafina, Koya and Trullo, have set up this small restaurant in a converted Victorian warehouse on Shad Thames. They do simple Italian food, which is consistently delicious, including seasonal antipasti and handmade pasta. They make the most perfect meatballs and a sausage ragout with broccoli rabe. I enjoy going solothey are a cool team who understand how to look after guests. I have never had a bad meal there.

Cardamom Building, 31G Shad Thames, Bermondsey, SE1 legarelondon.com

BRAWN

Ed Wilson is a great restaurateur serving simple seasonal cooking at his place on Columbia Road in east London. I love the pasta Ed makes and he always serves delicious fish. He made a dish last summer consisting of melon, tomato and bottarga [a delicacy of salted, cured fish roe pouch] with wonderful olive oil. It was so, so good. Mind you, every time I visit, I always really like it. It’s my go-to when I want to show people a fantastic local.

49 Columbia Road, Shoreditch, E2 brawn.co

KOL

I haven’t been for a while, but Santiago Lastra’s restaurant is beautifully done - great flavours, great food. His way of creating Mexican food with good British produce is incredible. A couple of years ago Santiago did a pop-up in his back garden and I went to eat there, and it was delicious. And now he’s got his own restaurant, which is equally good. When he first opened, he did a pig stew with tacos, which was just so full of flavour - it was amazing. There’s a mezcaleria downstairs which is fun for drinks.

9 Seymour Street, Marylebone, W1 kolrestaurant.com

BRAWN

Memories create a journey you can always return to.

BLUE SKY THINKING

Set between the ocean, rice paddies and lush jungle on Sri Lanka’s southern coast, Palm has positioned itself as a laidback-meets-luxe retreat, where you can equally surf the empty waves or sip Arrack Sours poolside. It has recently added to its offering with two treetop suites that seemingly float among the coconut palms, as well as a four-bedroom private villa Palm Haus. The latter is a lesson in sleek modernist design: polished concrete floors, soft pendant lighting, rattan furnishings, huge terrazzo bathtub, floor-to-ceiling-glass… This is tropical living with style. palmhotelsrilanka.com

Travel

Notes

Drift away in the Maldives, go palatial in Mallorca and revel in Rome

Compiled by HARRIET COOPER

Spa Struck

BLUE LAGOON

It may be relatively new on the scene, but The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands sets the bar in the Indian Ocean, not least when it comes to its striking circular spa. Perched above a glittering lagoon, there are nine treatment rooms, a salon and boutique. It’s the only spa in the Maldives to use Bamford, which shares the resort’s approach to conscious living, with 2023 set to bring evermore exclusive treatments from the skincare brand. ritzcarlton.com/maldives

PLEASURE PALACE

Son Net is a spring 2023 opening that should be top of your Mediterranean hideaway radar. Nestled in the sundrenched foothills of the Tramuntana Mountains, just 15 minutes from Palma, the private Marjorcan estate has been exquisitely transformed by the team behind the equally palatial Finca Cortesin in Andalusia. The result is a super-stylish, 31-suite hotel that sits amongst citrus orchards, olive groves and perfectly manicured gardens that seem to roll on forever. There’s also a farm, a private vineyard producing Malvasia white wine and even an ancient olive press where guests can sample the freshest olive oil. sonnet.es

Bon Viveur

When a space gets the Philippe Starck touch, you know it’s going to be special. The über-designer has transformed the exclusive Villa W - set within the grounds of the five-star Lily of the Valley - into surely the most stylish and discreet place to stay in the French Riviera. A 17-metre lap pool running the length of the terrace adds to the chic. lilyofthevalley.com

ROMAN HOLIDAY

SUITE DREAMS

Antigua favourite Jumby Bay Island is upping the ante again, this time with a dozen new suites, some with one bedroom, others with a family-friendly two. Ocean-facing, they all have wide verandas and open-air bathrooms, while the larger suites come with private pools and the beach is on the doorstep. Everything here is inclusive, so all you need is your swimsuit. oetkercollection.com

Luxury hotel group Six Senses arrives in Italy with a 95-key hotel in the heart of ancient Rome, opening early spring. The palazzo building retains its grandeur with designer Patricia Urquiola bringing her experienced eye to the interiors - think travertine marble, oak and bronze with a contemporary twist. A spa, restaurant, courtyard garden and rooftop terrace with 360° views create the ultimate dolce vita vibe.

Wanderlust

SNOW PATROL

Words HARRIET COOPER

FOR LA DOLCE VITA Rosapetra Spa Resort Cortina, Italy

Antonio Onorato, owner of luxury Italian hotel group Relegance Collection, has added to his portfolio with a 33-room hotel in the mountain resort of Cortina, opening this December. Set in the Ampezzo Valley, overlooking the Tofane massif, Rosapetra Spa Resort has that classic fairytale chalet vibe, all twinkling lights and dark wood balconies. Inside, a warm blend of local timber and stonework gives a sense of cosy-luxe, very welcome after a day on the slopes. Striking leather furnishings, plush fabrics and ambient lighting complete the effect. The five new Dolomites Suites are decked out in Swiss pine, chosen for its natural calming properties and each has a spacious living area with a lounge and dining room, and a terrace looking out over snowcapped peaks. The restaurant serves up a menu that pays homage to the hotel's high altitude - black truffle, chestnuts, wild berries all feature - while the indooroutdoor bar Terrazza26 (named after the forthcoming Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Games) is for après-ski cocktails and aperitivos. But it’s the spa that steals the show with a 12-metre swimming pool, indoor Finnish and outdoor sauna, Turkish bath and plunge pool, with spa assistants on hand to see to your every pampering need.

rosapetracortina.it

FOR TOTAL PRIVACY

Suite Idéal Megève, France

Four Seasons Hotel Megève and its sister hotel, Les Chalets du Mont D'Arbois, bring a new private ski-in, ski-out chalet apartment to the slopes this season - Suite Idéal. Guests staying at either property will have exclusive access to this three-bedroom chalet for one night - and it’ll be memorable, we promise. The suite sits at the very top of the mountain, in the sumptuous setting of Idéal 1850 restaurant, and is only accessible by cable car. You’ll have your own dedicated butler who will ensure your evening starts as it means to go on, with a deliciously traditional Savoyard menu with an emphasis on local cheeses and French wine. The master bedroom has an ensuite with views across to Mont Blanc, plus there’s a sprawling living room, dining area and a huge stone fireplace that’s perfect as night falls. The outdoor terrace

is a magical place for stargazing and soaking up that rare-to-find silence. A concierge is on hand to organise sunrise hot-air balloon rides, dog sledding or snowmobiling, should you wish, but the USP here has to be waking up and realising that it’s just you amongst all that freshly fallen snow. After breakfast you can be the first on the slopes before the ski area has even opened. It doesn’t get swishier than that.

fourseasons.com

FOR HIGH-LEVEL LUXE

überHaus, Mandarin Oriental Exclusive Homes Oberlech, Austria

Imagine a chalet so perfectly Alpine with wooden balconies, gently sloping roof and crackling fires at every turn, and you have überHaus. Nestled in the heart of Oberlech in the Ski Arlberg resort, überHaus is a Mandarin Oriental Exclusive Home (a not-long-agolaunched collection of ultra-luxurious private homes with the bonus of MO service and standards) so expect a gold-

standard stay. We’re talking state-of-theart facilities and seductive interiors: open-plan living area, bar, home cinema, billiards room, five ensuite bedrooms (two with adjacent bunk rooms) and a terrace complete with a glass-bottomed hot tub that offers front-row views of the skiers whooshing past - best enjoyed with a chilled glass of Champagne in hand. But that’s not all. This chalet comes with a full-time chalet manager, daily housekeeping, private chef and a ski butler service to guide guests on the pistes during their stay (it goes without saying that this place is ski-in, ski-out). If you can drag yourself away, there’s a winter wonderland on your doorstep from off-piste and backcountry tours, heli-excursions, snowshoeing, winter paragliding and, of course, all that fabulous Austrian après ski.

mandarinoriental.com

FOR PEAK CHIC Les Chalets des Airelles Courchevel, France

Luxury hotel collection

Airelles marks the arrival of another ski season in the French Alps with two new private chalets. Just moments from its Airelles Courchevel hotel and connected by discreet underground passageways, they’ve been built in the traditional Savoyard style. Exquisitely designed by Christophe Tollemer, interiors get the luxuriant touch with cherrywood furnishings and rich Loro Piana fabrics in cashmere and wool. Each chalet can accommodate between 12 and 15 guests and there’s ample space for post-slope downtime: a huge sitting room and dining room, cinema room, games room with bar and pool table, a dedicated wellness area with pool, gym, sauna, hammam, Iyashi Dôme and treatment room; not to mention, of course, a fully equipped Bernard Orcel ski room. A fleet of staff includes a ski valet, private chef and sommelier, and guests will also have full access to all the facilities at Airelles Courchevel. For the ultimate in peak chic, book the hotel’s newlook Penthouse Apartment. Located on the fourth floor, with views across Courchevel 1850’s Jardin Alpin district, this takes opulence to new heights. There are four bedrooms each with their own balcony, dressing room, ensuite and hammam; a private spa and fitness instructor; a huge terrace with a Norwegian-style hot tub; a chauffeur-driven Rolls Royce; a butler… you get the (snow) drift.

airelles.com

FOR FIVE-STAR SERVICE

Ultima Courchevel Belvédère Courchevel, France

The brainchild of luxury hospitality brand Ultima, this resort comprises a cluster of 13 ski-in, ski-out private residences on the sundappled Belvédère slopes in the heart of the Les Trois Vallées, just a short ski from Courchevel 1850 and La Rosière forest. Each chalet offers four or five ensuite bedrooms, expansive living spaces and as-far-as-the-eye-can-see mountains vistas. Decor is luxuriant, from the Baccarat chandeliers and contemporary artwork to the marble bathrooms and huge rain showers. But the USP here is that while you may have this chalet all to yourself, should you require even the smallest thing, a fleet of concierges, butlers, chauffeurs and

personal chefs is on hand to help; here you’re guaranteed nothing-is-too-muchtrouble five-star service. There’s a shared guest-only bar and fine-dining restaurant, though you can equally feast in-chalet. Two spas offer sauna, hammam, fitness room, heated pools and an outdoor jacuzzi, with masseuses on hand to soothe aching post-ski

muscles and therapists providing more unusual treatments such as yogafocused cold therapy. Next day, after a hearty breakfast, the private lift will whizz you from your chalet straight into the boot room, from where you can ski straight out onto the slopes.

ultimacollection.com

FOR POST-PISTE PAMPERING

Six Senses

Crans-Montana, Switzerland

Six Senses arrives in Switzerland this February in CransMontana. It may only be two hours from Geneva but the resort’s setting - on a sunny plateau high above the Rhône Valleyis hard to beat. There are more than 87 miles of ski runs and plenty of opportunities for post-slope cocktail drinking and shopping (Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Hermès…). Little wonder the hotel group chose to make its Swiss debut here with a ski-in, ski-out hotel

that has been sympathetically built to blend into the surroundings. Rooms and suites have views from Mont Blanc to the Matterhorn and the only sounds you’ll hear from your balcony are gurgling streams and the swish of skis. Inside is all solid woods and natural fabrics, immaculately furnished with squishy sofas, thick rugs and statement lighting. At the end of the day, sip gluhwein on the sweeping terrace or cosy up by the crackling log fire in the Ora Bar & Lounge before dining at one of the two restaurants - all-day

brasserie Wild Cabin or Byakko, where sushi and sake make a welcome change from fondue. In true Six Senses style, the spa is standout with nine treatment rooms, a Stretch Pod and a menu that combines biohacking with high-touch therapies; while the indoor swimming pool with its floor-to-ceiling glass windows (there’s a rooftop outdoor pool too) is the perfect place for easing end-of-the-day sore muscles.

sixsenses.com

HOME INTERIORS &

GREAT DANES

Created by

a leading figure in the Danish

for his own home in 1961, the newly relaunched Asserbo furniture range is now crafted from solid, sustainably grown eucalyptus. Finished in striking dark oil, it’s both classic and calming with touch-me smooth rounded edges and exposed brushed brass screws. Table from £1,657, bench from £701; carlhansen.com

designer Børge Mogensen,

Modern Movement,

Design Notes

Feel-good Fungi, scene-stealing lights and ratatan gets a sculptural spin

Compiled by AMY MOOREA WONG

LIGHT SHOW

Curiousa’s Wave Collection embodies the organic nature of free-blown glass, each undulating light composed of pieces skilfully crafted by eye before being hand assembled into sculptural table lights and pendants. Mix and match from the 22 glass colours to create a bespoke chandelier. From £995; curiousa.co.uk

PITCHER PERFECT

Designed in the mid-1950s, the iconic calligraphic curves of the Koppel Pitcher by Henning Koppel for Georg Jensen have been given a new lease of life. Doused in colour for the rst time, the famously sleek stainless-steel silhouette is now tinted in rich cobalt, pale blue, pastel green and so lavender. £199; georgjensen.com

AT YOUR SERVICE

Featuring the �lair of Spanish designer Jaime Hayon, Fritz Hansen’s smooth Oregon pine JH Tray is elevated with a sleek slash of brass, the could-besimple tray practically saying ‘touch me’ with its playful rounded details. Snacks or drinks? Doesn’t matter. £283; fritzhansen.com

LOOK TWICE

Re�lecting the avant-garde spirit of the Bauhaus, Arteriors’ modernist Massimo Mirror is a story of two halves. Each mirror is framed in iron with a different �inish - antiqued brass and bronze - coming together to create a lozenge shape that’s uniform yet unusual. £1,332; arteriorshome.com

DREAM WEAVER

A child of the 1960s, the Basket Collection by Joe Colombo is back, reissued and updated for the modern day with a strong steel frame and more sustainable design. Honouring traditional hand-weaving techniques, its exaggerated curves push rattan basketry to its limits, melding the artisanal with the industrial.

From £2,299; Gubi at chaplins.co.uk

MAGIC MUSHROOMS

Stella McCartney brings her innovative take on sustainability to wallpaper brand Cole & Son

Explore the depths of the forest with Cole & Son’s magical print Fungi Forest by Stella McCartney. The Toile de Jouy wallcovering has an eco-base made from 79% renewable fibres and uses 30% fewer greenhouse gases than its counterparts, making it the brand’s most earth-conscious wallpaper to date. Portobellos, toadstools and chanterelles dance among the ferns, fronds and flowers, bringing life to the walls. There are matching sofas and chairs too, courtesy of Italian brand B& B Italia.

Fungi Forest wallpaper, £ 500 per roll cole-and-son.com

SOPHIE’S WORLD

Words LUCIANA BELLINI

Hailed as the poster girl for millennial interiors, Sophie Ashby launched her eponymous design studio as a onewoman band when she was just 25. She now employs more than a dozen people and has garnered a huge following - and multiple awards - running projects that range from multi-million-pound private homes in Belgravia and luxury Cotswolds country retreats to international hotels and top London restaurants. She’s also set up a charity to address the lack of diversity in her industry, launched her own homewares label Sister by Studio Ashby, opened a showroom and shop and, most recently, conceptualised the design of One Crown Place, a residential development in Shoreditch and her first foray into interior architecture. All by her mid-30s.

Softly spoken, warm and boyishly elegant - with a sleekly cropped blonde bob and wearing a tailored monochrome top and trousers combination - she is refreshingly understated for someone who has achieved so much. We meet at her studio-showroom-shop in Westminster, which opened last May in the former Blewcoat School. A striking 18th-century, Grade I-listed building, it was once a school for underprivileged

and, since then, a bridalwear showroom and later a National Trust gift shop. “We still get quite a lot of old ladies wandering in here looking for that,” Ashby tells me with a laugh. While the building itself might be grand, inside natural light floods the space, which is artfully decorated with vibrant velvet sofas, tropical-print ottomans and patterned rugs.

children

Interior designer Sophie Ashby reveals the inspiration behind her eclectic aesthetic, what it’s like being one half of London’s coolest creative power couple and why art will always be her first love

There are pops of colour everywhere, most notably in the contemporary artworks that line the walls, which are part of Blewcoat’s latest ‘Artist in Residence’ exhibition. Set to change every six months, the collection I’m currently admiring was hand-picked by South African curator Amy Ellenbogen. The art brings the space to life in a unique way and offers an insight into Ashby’s magic, and perhaps the key to her meteoric rise to success. “When I start a project, I look at whatever art the client has and build from there - it’s become my USP,” she says. Indeed, Ashby’s everevolving fascination with art, as well as antiques, craftsmanship and modernist furniture, was central to the Sophie Ashby Collection at One Crown Place in east London - eleven newly launched residences that are a masterclass in her signature fresh-eclectic style, with their rich palette and tactile finishes.

“Art is central to our inspiration, and so is placethe way we respond to and are in turn shaped by it,” she has said of the collection. “We believe the items we surround ourselves with should make us feel alive and connect us to the spaces we inhabit; this is ultimately what I hope for the residents who will live in these unique homes.”

Ashby traces this focus on art back to her peripatetic roots, growing up between London, Devon and Cape Town, where her mother is from. “I moved around a lot as a kid, and I’ve found that to be a common thread with interior designers,”

she says. “It’s that ritual of unpacking and figuring out what needs to come out of the boxes to make this new space feel familiar and like home again. Sofas don’t last forever and dining tables don’t fit in every property - those things felt transient and changeable, but there were a few artworks, which are of no major value to anyone but my parents and our family, that would be important to go up. They would set the tone for the space.”

As well as adopting this approach for her clients, it’s a practice she now preaches in her own home with one artwork in particular, a striking photograph by the Nigerian artist Lakin Ogunbanwo. The image has followed Ashby and her menswear designer husband Charlie CaselyHayford from their one-bed flat in the former BBC Television Centre in White City to their current rental house just off Brick Lane, which used to be the home of the British interior designer Jocasta Innes. “There’s a yellow hat in that picture, so now we have a yellow sofa,” she says. “I’ve had that photograph for years - wherever it goes, I just draw off that for inspiration.”

Art was Ashby’s first love - inherited from her mother, a “very creative person” who retrained as a sculptor in her

fifties - and she studied history of art at Leeds University before doing a short interior design course at Parsons in New York. “For a minute, I thought maybe I wanted to be an actual artist, but then I was put off by the uncertainty. I quickly realised interior design was the path for me.” After graduating she spent a couple of years working as an assistant to the interior designer Victoria Fairfax before heading up the interiors at start-up Spring and Mercer. Two years later she went freelance, which quickly morphed into setting up her own business.

Unsurprisingly, she cites her biggest creative influences as artists rather than fellow designers. “Nothing makes me feel more inspired than going to an art show,” she says. “When I went to the Milton Avery exhibition at the Royal Academy, I could feel my heart starting to beat faster. The colour combinations and the shapes - they make me start thinking not only of ideas for fabrics and rugs and furniture, but also for an entire interior mood.”

Weekends are spent browsing galleries with her husband, his daughter Rainbow and the couple’s 18-month-old daughter Gaia – “luckily Charlie loves it too, so that helps” –and building up her own collection of contemporary African art. She lists South African artists Amy Rusch, who’s known

“I’ve wanted to have a shop my whole life - finding a gem of a little independent boutique is one of life’s great pleasures for me, wherever I am”

for using discarded plastic bags as her canvases, and Michael Taylor as particular favourites - and their work can often be spotted on the walls at her studio-showroom-shop in SW1.

While some may have thought her mad for wanting to open a retail space post-Covid, Ashby said it made sense when she was looking to find somewhere for the brand to set down permanent roots. “I’ve wanted to have a shop my whole life - finding a gem of a little independent boutique is one of life’s great pleasures for me, wherever I am. When we were looking for a new space, it became obvious that a really good way of doing that was to combine our two worlds, the studio with the retail space.”

Described as “part playground, part shop”, the Blewcoat showroom is the living embodiment of Sister by Studio Ashby, the brand’s homewares line which launched online in 2020. It’s designed to appeal to a younger demographic, who may not be able to afford the full Studio Ashby experience but still want to emulate its bold look in their own homes. Named in honour of Ashby’s younger sister Rose - who Ashby tells me is the “goofiest, funniest person” she knows, in spite of having a rather serious job as the executive chef at Skye Gyngell’s Spring restaurant in Somerset House – it has become a go-to for style-savvy Londoners looking to pick up a beautiful bowl or a quirky lamp.

This is perfectly epitomised in the collaborative retail projects you might find there, including the recent partnership between Sister by Studio Ashby and Fine Cell Work, a social enterprise that makes beautiful handmade gifts in British prisons. The limitededition collection of homewares combines Sister’s playful designs with high-quality needlework carried out by prisoners across the country. “As soon as I learnt about Fine Cell Work, I realised what an amazing cause it was,” says Ashby. “The more we can work with suppliers who are ethical - not just in terms of sustainability, but also helping people in the communitythe better.”

In 2020 Ashby co-founded United in Design with fellow interior designer Alexandria Dauley, a charity to tackle the lack of diversity in the interior design industry. “It started after the murder of George Floyd, out of a need to do something as a company,” says Ashby. Businesses sign up by ticking at least three of their seven pledges, which range from offering mentoring schemes and career open days to internships and apprenticeships. Over 170 companies are now involved, including big names like Farrow & Ball, Colefax and Fowler, and David Collins Studio. “They all came on board instantly - it’s a no-brainer. It’s baby steps, but we’re definitely seeing progress.”

Despite running her own design studio, shop and charitable organisation, as well as having a young family, I get the sense that nothing fazes Sophie Ashby. When I ask how she manages to juggle everything, she admits, “You probably never feel like you’re doing anything quite right, but I wouldn’t change it.” Her husband, she says, is a huge support. “There are a lot of similarities between our two worlds, so we can really be there for each other, to chat things through and plan our future together.” As for her biggest achievements, she doesn’t mention her numerous awards or accolades - House & Garden’s Interior Designer of the Year 2021, ELLE Decoration’s Interior Designer of the Year 2021, for example. “For me, it’s the day-today stuff with my team - the moments where it feels like it’s all good, you’re in control and everyone’s working well together. That feels pretty grown-up and special.”

Studio Ashby, Blewcoat School, 23 Caxton Street, Westminster, SW1 studioashby.com

billed

designed to elevate any space with scent. The Piro by Moooi is billed by its creator - Dutch design consultancy IDEO - as a ‘dancing scent diff user’. The curved robotlike machines work by integrating light, scent and sound into their movements, diff using the fragrance in little ‘puffs’ of mist. Byredo’s limited edition Olfactive Stereophonique, meanwhile, uses speaker design theory to diff use an exclusive scent from the Swedish perfume house, without the need for heat or light.

VISUAL SCENTS

From design-forward diffusers to colourful candles, home fragrance

INCENSE RENAISSANCE

Incense may date back to the ancient world but it is enjoying a revival as we crave the ritual of creating a sacred space, with incense holders given a modern twist. While Earl of East has collaborated with Batch on a stained-glass Flower Power design, Soho Home pares it back with luminescent alabaster marble, and Ginori 1735 brings Italian finesse into the home with its Il Frate burners that come in five bold designs. Wellbeing brand Vyrao uses organic plant and flower essences across its new mood-boosting incense varieties; Byredo reimagines a trio of its iconic fragrances as incense sticks, presented in a handmade ceramic holder for reflection and calm; and Perfumer H’s solid bronze holder created by artist Henry Wilson is a statement piece for any room.

has never looked so good

MOOOI

OFFICINE UNIVERSELLE BULY

HENRY WILSON FOR PERFUMER H

BYREDO

VYRAO

EARL OF EAST

SOHO HOME

GINORI 1735

A NEW FLAME

The latest scented candles don’t just smell divine, they look like works of art. Paul Smith’s inaugural home fragrance collection comes in punchy primary colours, and fellow designer Luke Edward Hall has collaborated with Ginori 1735 for a second time on a capsule of five scents, each inspired by a destination. Some of this season’s most stand-out launches come in striking glass containers, including Eym’s refillable candles presented in a Laguna B-designed Murano glass pot, Sun.day’s cosmicinspired opalescent Ad Astra candle, and The Glass Studio Betty Scented Candle whose marbled vessel is hand-blown, meaning no two are the same. The bloom-adorned Gucci Flora metal candle though, must surely be one of the most eye-catching centrepieces around.

BOY SMELLS X GRACE JONES

GINORI 1735 X LUKE EDWARD HALL

EYM X LAGUNA B

THE GLASS STUDIO

PAUL SMITH

CASACARTA

M Y GLO SS A RY L O ND O N

I live in southeast London, near Peckham, so I spend a lot of time there. I love the sense of culture and community. My other favourite neighbourhood is Soho - I know I’m guaranteed to have a good time. I go dancing at an underground club called St Moritz that plays 80s music. Everyone is just completely letting loose - there’s nothing pretentious about it.

I recently stayed at Claridge’s and I felt like a princess. It was like being in a hotel from a movie: the service was amazing and the rooms were gorgeous. I was there to sing at an event with Jimmy Choo, so it was the perfect way to end the night.

I don’t belong to any members’ clubs, but I spend a lot of time at Koko.

I feel like I practically live there at the moment. They’ve got a really cool penthouse where they host a lot of after-parties, and the restaurants are lovely too. I also spend quite a lot of time at Soho House, as so many of my industry friends are members. It’s always a fun night out.

to let loose

record by Jackie Mittoo called The Keyboard King at Studio One. I find it super relaxing to listen to.

When it comes to art, I’m usually drawn to shows at the Barbican. I recently went to see the Carolee Schneemann: Body Politics exhibition, which was brilliant but quite intense.

I haven’t bought any art for my home yet, but I’m working up the courage to buy one of Alfie Kungu’s paintings. His pieces are so colourful and playful. I also spend a lot of time at the Royal Festival Hall. They have really interesting talks there.

I just love the atmosphere, the huge high ceilings and the live music. I pop myself at the end of the bar and spend the evening peoplewatching and drinking Porn Star Martinis. Their cabaret club Crazy Coqs is next on my to-do list.

For a celebratory meal out, I’ll go to Marcella in Deptford. It’s a chichi Italian where the menu constantly changes, but they usually have some sort of delicious bolognese. If I’m in the mood for something livelier, I’ll head to Escudo de Cuba in Dalston. It’s a really fun Cuban restaurant. I couldn’t tell you what any of the dishes on the menu are called, but the food is great and downstairs they have Cuban dancing.

Brixton Academy is my favourite London venue to perform at. I supported Jordan Rakei there last April and it was amazing - the atmosphere was electric. I would love to headline at Brixton one day and I’d also like to perform at EartH in Dalston; the auditorium is so beautiful. I spend a lot of time going to gigs. I recently went to Shepherd’s Bush Empire to see Kokoroko, a Londonbased, African-inspired jazz collective. Their music is really upbeat – I was straight out of my chair dancing.

I’ve been wearing a lot of new London-based labels lately. I wore an incredible custom dress by Parnell Mooney, who’s just graduated from Central Saint Martins, to the British Fashion Awards. It was lilac, which is my favourite colour, and had elbow-length gloves and was covered in bows. I also love Feben, all her stu is so cool.

chair dancing.

When I want to pick up a new record, I’ll usually go to east London. Rough Trade on Brick Lane is a classic. I also browse Phonica Records near Oxford Circus; they’ve got these great stations where you can listen to the music before you buy. The last album I bought was this Jamaican keyboard

When I want to pick up a new go also browse to the music bought was this

- especially anything

floor. When I’m on stage

have really

If I’m looking to pick up something special, I’ll head to Serotonin on Brick Lane for vintage designer pieces. I often find things that I just have to buy immediately - especially anything by Missoni, which I’m obsessed with. I also love Liberty, where I’ll make a beeline for the second floor. When I’m on stage I love wearing outfits by Paula Canovas del Vas. Her hoof shoes are her signature, and all her pieces have really interesting shapes and bright patterns.

Dean’s UK and Europe headline tour starts on 7 March 2023. oliviadeano.com

Europe headline tour starts on 7 March 2023.

Singer Olivia Dean opens her little black book to the capital, from browsing vintage in Brick Lane to the Soho club where she likes

Olivia

Brasserie Zédel in Piccadilly Circus is my favourite spot for cocktails.

BRASSERIE ZÉDEL

CLARIDGE’S

EARTH, DALSTON

As

told to LUCIANA BELLINI

PARNELL MOONEY

ROUGH TRADE EAST

CAROLEE SCHNEEMANN

KOKO, CAMDEN

PAULA CANOVAS

PAULA CANOVAS DEL VAS

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