Country & Town House - Sep/Oct 2026

SEP ⁄ OCT 2026 — £5.99

A LIFE IN BALANCE

CHELSEA ON SHOW

London’s hottest arts festival is back

FIERCE FABLES

Katherine Rundell’s fantasy fiction

Raw Power Gugu Mbatha-Raw is on a roll

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COLLECTION N°5 CHANEL High Jewellery has created the 55.55 necklace, a creative gesture that combines the audacity of a technical feat and the freedom of an unparalleled approach. A necklace whose design recaptures all the codes of the N°5 perfume bottle, composed of more than 700 diamonds arranged around a centre diamond specially cut to weigh 55.55 carats. This is an unprecedented method: starting with a rough diamond, aiming not for the greatest weight, but for the perfection of the stone, cut to the precise dimensions of an idea. This exceptional piece will now remain within the House’s patrimony, reaffirming that for CHANEL, creation is eternal.

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Job No: 67384-4

Publication: Country & Townhouse

Size: 450x298 Ins Date: Sept/October

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Tel: 020 7291 4700

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THE 55.55 NECKLACE IN WHITE GOLD, DIAMONDS AND A 55.55-CARAT EMERALD-CUT DFL TYPE IIA DIAMOND.

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CONTENTS SEP — OCT 2026

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Up Front Alice B-B is targeting brain gains as she hits the gym which trains your cognition (p22), and beauty guru Charlotte Tilbury rallies against the idea that a woman can ever be ‘too much’ (p25).

— 33

Style In the age of AI, creativity truly is king – Tiffanie Darke dresses down the Luddites (p34). Prepare your wardrobes for autumn with Irene Forte (p42) and Juliet Herd’s (p38) hand-picked favourites; Shane C Kurup shows the ultimate symbol of conformity, the tie, is having a rebellious renaissance (p48) and Margaret Hussey meets Nadja Swarovski (p52).

— 55

Culture

— 82

Features

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Gugu Mbatha-Raw is our cover star, but don’t expect a tell-all. Vassi Chamberlain finds her ‘carefully considered and fastidiously opaque’ (p82) as she meets a British actress busy casting Hollywood under her spell; actor Jim Murray pens an account of flyfishing Montana’s troubled waterways, where he’s experimenting with a unique way of painting (p100); Nicole Smallwood masterminds eight pages of country-style inspo (p106); Charlotte Sinclair is window-shopping the new Hermès store and its humorous equinethemed display (p93); and Tessa Dunthorne meets Rivals-inspired new-wave polo players and their fans (p96).

PHOTO: FASHION DIRECTION BY NICOLE SMALLWOOD; PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID REISS

Chelsea Arts Festival is back for its second year and we preview the star-studded programme with interviews with Susie Cave (p56), Katherine Rundell (p66) and Nish Kumar (p60); Dylan Jones recalls his run-in with Sid Vicious as part of our punk celebration (p70); and renowned British photographer Alison Jackson shares her unusual process (p74). Plus, Ed Vaizey spotlights Project Ambition, which asks British talent to step up and get over their reserve (p76); Charlotte Metcalf meets the former royal aide bringing African fashion to the fore (p80); and Lisa Grainger discovers the Dutch design gurus putting sustainable ’shrooms in the room (p78).

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CONTENTS

— 117

Beauty & Wellbeing

SEP — OCT 2026

Nathalie Eleni spotlights the best beauty launches (p118), Dr Federica Amati gives the lowdown on eliminating plastic from our diet (p126), and Olivia Falcon is biohacking burnout (p120). If this is all too much, Camilla Hewitt predicts the end of wellness optimisation (p122).

— 131

On Design The hottest picks from London Design Week. Hatta Byng provides an essential guide to starting a decorating project (p178) and Mark C O’Flaherty showcases the interior designers launching their own furniture collections (p172). Lucinda Baring checks into The Hedges, the new David Netto-designed inn in East Hampton (p182), plus uncover imagined schemes from top design studios (p161), and party people from the interiors world (p196).

— 199

Property Buyers are coveting homes on London’s communal garden squares (p200).

— 205

A host of writers fall under Africa’s spell (from p223). Plus, lesser-travelled Sardinia (p206), a train ride to remember (p206), the tour operators to trust (p208) and Carole Bamford’s postcards from Provence (p218).

— 240

A Life in Balance Mishal Husain on life after the Beeb (p240).

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ON THE COVER Gugu Mbatha-Raw wears dress by Jenny Packham, sunglasses by Stella McCartney and earrings by Pragnell. Make up by Kenneth Soh using CAIA Cosmetics and Aestura. Hair by Bjorn Krischker using Oribe. Directed by Nicole Smallwood and photographed by David Reiss

PHOTO: FASHION DIRECTION BY NICOLE SMALLWOOD; PHOTOGRAPHY BY LOUISE SAMUELSEN

Travel & Food

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EDITOR’S LETTER

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EDITOR’S PICKS 1. Our second ever Chelsea Arts Festival is back this September – grab your tickets now and I’ll see you there

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2. I’m happy to wear my horse on my sleeve if it’s Stella McCartney 3. A new scent for autumn. I’ll be spritzing Creed’s Iris Debonair – with hints of lavender

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4. Barbara Kingsolver’s Partita is going to be my next reading obsession (out 6 October)

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f the demise of reading among children (and indeed adults) makes your blood run cold, then introduce your offspring to Katherine Rundell quick smart. She is currently quite possibly our most brilliant children’s author and her fierce and fabulous fables might just supercharge their imaginations. With a new book out, her ‘in conversation’ at Chelsea Arts Festival is a diary date not to miss. Read our interview with her on page 66, and while there, immerse yourself in all the other highlights of the festival, from punk nights to poetry, with appearances from Celia Imrie and Mishal Husain to Susie Cave and Rambert Dance (from p55). Speaking of fierce, our cover girl Gugu Mbatha-Raw talks to Vassi Chamberlain about choosing roles that speak to her both personally and intellectually. Her latest is in Possession as Claudia, an ambitious biracial lawyer who travels to Jamaica for a case and undergoes a deep cultural reckoning. One for your watchlist (p82). I once lived in Montana and it’s the skies that are etched in my memory. It’s also where actor, artist and activist Jim Murray was lucky enough to go this summer both to catch fish and learn how to cast-paint (p100). It’s the skies too that so often impress in Africa, stretched taut over the horizon and ever-changing in a kaleidoscope of colours. In our Africa special, from page 223, our writers bring tales of everything from the rise of the female ranger to those who are taking on the fracking industry, as well as some rather splendid animals, of course, occasionally spied from the saddle. There’s no brand quite like Hermès. Not only is it one of the world’s most successful – and valuable – it very much dances to its own tune. Earlier this year, it opened its new Bond Street maison, encompassing six Grade II-listed houses. Charlotte Sinclair reports on retail at its finest (p93). Finally, Carole Annett casts her eye on this season’s interior design spoils (p146). Looks like we’re in for some wet weather, so feeling cosy at home is high up on my agenda. Happy autumn.

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CONTRIBUTORS Vassi Chamberlain

A quarter Greek, a quarter Lebanese and half English, Chamberlain is a confusing mix of all three, depending on her mood. Starting out in investment banking, she pivoted to journalism 30 years ago. Cultural hot ticket this autumn? Jay-Z

Meeting Gugu Mbatha-Raw, p82

at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. He’s the emperor of hip-hop, plus he pokes fun at himself. Who could forget him walking onto the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury singing Wonderwall in 2008? Dream dinner date? Dave Grohl: lead singer of the Foo Fighters, former drummer of Nirvana, general badass. I think we’d get on.

An epic Ugandan odyssey, p228

Olivia Palamountain The travel journalist is plotting a move to Southeast Asia, a new centre of gravity for her writing.

Cultural hot ticket this autumn? Andy Goldsworthy’s Hanging Stones, a six-mile ramble in the North York Moors. Dream dinner date? Brooklyn Beckham. Not for the goss on his family drama, but because I reckon he’s a genuine sweetheart, and I could use some tips on how to survive a career pivot.

Jim Murray

Part storyteller, part conservationist and part incurable optimist, the actor, artist and fly fisherman channels his restless creative energy into saving our rivers. Cultural hot ticket this autumn?

Hockney at the Serpentine.

The book everyone should read before they die? Hemingway’s The Old Man and

the Sea, but then I would say that.

Dream dinner date? King Cnut. I’d then

take him straight to a water company and ask him to remind them of the lesson he taught a thousand years ago: you can’t command nature, and you certainly can’t own it.

The art of fishing, p100

Charlotte Sinclair

Writing on travel, design and the arts, Sinclair is also the author of two fashion histories and the recipient of the Aurora Prize for short fiction. She is currently working on a collection of short stories.

PHOTOS: RUTH HOGBEN

Cultural hot ticket this autumn? It’s a tie between Tim Walker’s Fairyland at the NPG and the Bayeux Tapestry. The book everyone should read before they die? Anything that connects us to

Looking through Hermès’ shiny new windows, p93

a more humanistic understanding of ourselves, our purpose and the reality of living on this planet. Dream dinner date? Mary Wollstonecraft, the best kind of broad.

Interior designers creating their own collections, p172

Mark C O’Flaherty

The London-based design journalist and photographer – for the FT, The Sunday Times and NYT – publishes Sanctum: At Home with the Uncanny this September. Cultural hot ticket this autumn?

Sophie Calle’s retrospective at Turner Contemporary in Margate.

The book everyone should read before they die? It took me three attempts to

get into it, and four months to finish, but Ulysses is life-changing.

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Lucy Cleland Editorial Director

Deputy Editor Lucinda Baring Editor-At-Large Alice B-B Associate Editor Charlotte Metcalf Junior Sub Editor & Production Assistant Evie Calver Fashion Director Nicole Smallwood Beauty Director Nathalie Eleni Interiors Director Carole Annett Travel Editor-at-Large Kerry Smith Culture Editor Ed Vaizey Wellbeing Editor Camilla Hewitt Executive Retail Editor Juliet Herd Men’s Style Editor Shane C. Kurup Food & Drink Editor / Features Writer Tessa Dunthorne Sustainability Editor Lisa Grainger Property Editor Anna Tyzack Motoring Editor Jeremy Taylor Digital Director Rebecca Cox Digital Editor Ellie Smith Digital Culture Editor Olivia Emily Digital Style Editor Charlie Colville Digital Writer Isabel Dempsey Social Media Marketing Executive Chloe Robinson

Publisher Ellie Rix Head of Fashion Emma Marsh Head of Beauty Bandi Manzini Head of Interiors Emma Redmayne Senior Account Director, Homes & Interiors Olivia McHugh Account Director Serena Knight Junior Account Director, Hotels & F&B Cosima Woodard Digital Business Development Director Joey Goldsmith Project Management & Sales Support Executive Charlotte Ryan Managing Director, C&TH Events Louise Close Events Director, C&TH Events Josie Williamson Senior Marketing Executive Katey Ng Technical Director Mark Pearson Chief Financial Officer Gareth Morris Finance Controller Lauren Delgado Finance Administrators Ria Harrison & Klodi Sade Human Resources Consultant Zoe Jones Chief Commercial Officer Tia Graham Chief Operating Officer James Thrower Managing Director Jeremy Isaac

Creative & Production Director Parm Bhamra Design & Production Manager Mia Biagioni

Contributing Editors Belinda Bamber, Hatta Byng, Tiffanie Darke, Simon de Burton, Fiona Duncan, Olivia Falcon, Daisy Finer, Avril Groom, Lauren Ho, Annabel Jones, Dylan Jones, Francisca Kellett, Juliet Kinsman, Emma Love, Mary Lussiana

The Editor editorial@countryandtownhouse.co.uk Advertising advertising@countryandtownhouse.co.uk

Accounts accounts@countryandtownhouse.co.uk Subscriptions subscribe@countryandtownhouse.co.uk

Country & Town House is a bi-monthly magazine distributed to AB homes in Barnes, Battersea, Bayswater, Belgravia, Brook Green, Chelsea, Chiswick, Clapham, Coombe, Fulham, Hampstead, Holland Park, Kensington, Knightsbridge, Marylebone, Mayfair, Notting Hill, Pimlico, South Kensington, Wandsworth and Wimbledon, as well as being available from leading country and London estate agents. It is also on sale at selected WHSmith, Waitrose, Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury’s stores and independent newsagents nationwide. It has an estimated readership of 150,000. It is available on subscription in the UK for £39 per annum. To subscribe online, iPad, iPhone and Android all for only £9.99/month, visit: exacteditions.com/read/countrytownhouse. For subscription enquiries, please call 020 7384 9011 or email subscribe@countryandtownhouse.co.uk. It is published by Country & Town House Ltd, Studio 2, Chelsea Gate Studios, 115 Harwood Road, London SW6 4QL (tel: 020 7384 9011). Registered number 576850 England and Wales. Printed in the UK by William Gibbons and Sons Ltd, West Midlands. Paper supplied by Gerald Judd. Distribution by Letterbox. Copyright © 2026 Country & Town House Ltd. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. Materials are accepted on the understanding that no liability is incurred for safe custody. The publisher cannot be responsible for unsolicited material. All prices are correct at the time of going to press but are subject to change. While every care is taken to ensure information is correct at time of going to press, it is subject to change, and C&TH Ltd. takes no responsibility for omissions or errors.

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From: September 22

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UP FRONT

THE GOOD LIFE Alice B-B is on edge

Alice B-B takes her brain to the gym at the Mandarin Oriental Mayfair

A week later, I go through my results with Ramsden. I don’t have the chronic hypervigilance she usually sees in high-achieving clients. ‘But it seems it takes a lot of your energy to switch from an inward, contemplative state to an aroused, focused, “doing” state.’ I agree. Among other things, she suggests ways to structure my days, including cues to shift into deep focus: star jumps and brisk movement, cold water on my face, dancing to 90s house music. And at the end of the working day, I should be fully unplugging – no screens, no stimulation – to settle into a deeply restorative state. I’m into it. I’d like to do more of the training, because even though I’m not sharp-elbowing up a corporate ladder, who doesn’t want edge? I'm also excited to see a super-luxe hotel like Mandarin Oriental Mayfair offering wellness outside the box, delivering something appropriately original for their outlier guests (sofosassociates.com). ■

THIS MONTH I’LL BE... FEELING

The qi flow with acupuncturist extraordinaire Renata Nunes (rkntherapist.com).

← WATCHING

Live footage of my tooth-brushing with the ingenious new Dyson toothbrush (dyson.co.uk) .

← SPRITZING

Liberally, my favourite Woodland Moss scent by Bamford (bamford.com).

ILLUSTRATION BY ROSAMUND DE SYBEL @RDSILLUSTRATIONS

THE ‘EDGE’… Have you got it? Mine comes and goes. I’d like it to be more consistent, because having it can mean the difference between winning and losing. Someone who understands edge is performance psychologist and cognitive specialist Natalia Ramsden, founder of Sofos, a neuroscience-based performance consultancy. Which is how I find myself sitting in the Mandarin Oriental Mayfair’s vast penthouse wearing what looks like a hideous 1920s swim cap but is, in fact, a qEEG brainmapping cap with 24 electrode channels. Ramsden’s clients are mostly entrepreneurs, tech whizzes and CEOs. For most of us, the brain is a mystery – and beyond doing a crossword, the idea of training it seems unfathomable. But with tools, tech and psychology, Ramsden has created a ‘brain gym’. ‘You take your body to the gym,’ she says. ‘Why not your brain?’ I feel like a teen slacker gripping a gaming console and working through standardised tests that feel more like 1980s Amstrad games, while the swim cap measures my brainwave frequencies (alpha, beta etc.; each represents different types of brain activity). While collecting data – measuring my attention, processing speed, inhibiting control and executive function – Ramsden also uses her psychologist skills and years of experience to gather personal information about me and my hopes, dreams and challenges. Then comes neurofeedback training. On the screen is a cross-legged Buddhist monk; when my brainwaves are in the ideal state – alert but relaxed – he floats, and there’s nice music. When I get distracted or anxious, he drops to the floor with an ugly honking noise.

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Oatfield tweed hacking jacket in Heath | Shanley Aran sweater in Cream Kildare calf-height GORE-TEX® boots in Walnut | Marino corduroy baseball cap in Walnut

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UP FRONT

THE RURBANIST Charlotte Tilbury OBE on passion, palomas and the power of positive thinking

What’s bringing you joy at the moment?

Nothing brings me joy like sunshine.

Advice you’d give your 15-year-old self?

Dare to dream it, dare to believe it, dare to do it. It’s the advice I give everyone. When you believe in yourself, you have the power to think limitlessly.

What is your greatest treasure? My two sons and my family. My beauty treasure is my Magic cream, which was the very fi rst product I launched in 2013 and it changed my life. I’ve since spent ten years developing its new formula with worldWhen I launched fi rst Recoverstem™ peptide. my brand, I was Now that Magic cream glow told it was a is clinically proven to target the appearance of ten visible saturated market signs of skin ageing.

and not to bother, but I used being underestimated to my advantage

There’s a lot more headwind for female entrepreneurs – there are prejudices and preconceptions. When I launched my brand, I was told it was a saturated market and not to bother, but I had unwavering belief in my vision and used being underestimated to my advantage. Challenge is opportunity: it sharpens your thinking, clarifies your standpoint and forces you to think differently.

What keeps you awake at night? My brain. It’s like I

work right through the night. What book inspires you most? The Secret by Rhonda

Byrne, about creative visualisation, manifesting and positive thinking. I’ve read many books on these subjects, but hers explains the life-changing concept of manifestation in a very understandable way. Your greatest triumph? Building Britain’s biggest beauty brand. Your greatest failure? There have

been setbacks, but the biggest difference between success and failure is giving up or not trying in the fi rst place.

You wouldn’t know it but…

I speak fluent Spanish. FROM TOP: Charlotte Tilbury has built Britain’s biggest beauty brand; her award-winning Magic cream; The Secret by Rhonda Byrne taught her about life-changing manifestation

What do you love best about Britain? Our sense

of humour.

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UP FRONT

What drink do you order repeatedly?

I start every day with a green juice, one of my secrets to glowing skin from within. If I have a night off, my go-to is a margarita or a paloma made with Casamigos tequila – fun, crowd-pleasing cocktails I’ll order for everyone when there’s something to celebrate.

Comfort dish? I love a classic Sunday

roast, but sometimes there’s nothing more soothing than a cup of tea and marmalade on toast.

A conversation that changed everything? At the start of my career,

a beauty editor once gave me a note saying: ‘Knock it to them, Charlotte, I know you’ll be a star.’ The tiny hand-drawn star on all my packaging is a reminder of the power of selfbelief. When you look and feel like the most confident, beautiful version of yourself, you can achieve anything you set your mind to.

If you could change one thing? I’d stop women from toning themselves down or feeling afraid of being ‘too much’. I’ve never been anything other than myself – what you see is what you get – and I encourage everyone else to do the same. As Steve Jobs once said: ‘The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.’ Best life hack? Find what you love and pursue it with passion. That passion becomes your superpower. ■

What does sustainability mean to you? Investing in the next generation.

I’m incredibly proud to be global ambassador for The King’s Trust and co-chair of its Global Gala, championing young people and helping give them the tools, belief and opportunity to transform their lives. What do you keep by your bed?

A notebook and pen to capture ideas when inspiration strikes, and Calm Bliss from my fragrance collection. We all need a bit of calm in our lives. which has a special place in my heart. Growing up there, I was surrounded by inspiring creatives, a melting pot of ideas, and ways of thinking that nurtured my entrepreneurial mindset. I love the atmosphere, beautiful beaches and magical sunsets – and it’s also a place where you can dial up the glamour and dance all night long.

FROM TOP LEFT: Tilbury grew up in Ibiza; her go-to cocktail on a night off is a paloma made with Casamigos tequila; marmalade on toast is one of her favourite comfort foods

PHOTOS: ISTOCK; UNSPLASH

Where do you go to escape? Ibiza,

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STYLE GROUNDING RITUALS Toast’s AW26 collection, Marking the Turn, celebrates the changing seasons – the softening of light, the return to familiar rhythms – with pieces defined by utility, simplicity and texture. toa.st

A-line linen-cotton top, £125, and Carys linen-cotton wide leg trousers, £145, both in soft charcoal

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STYLE

THE STYLIST A silver lining in this age of AI? Creativity is king, says Tiffanie Darke

FROM TOP: Iris van Herpen’s 3D printed dress from her Crystallisation collection; the Rootfull x Phoebe English dress was on display at V&A Dundee earlier this year; Vollebak’s sashiko jacket

Zena Holloway’s Rootfull, where biology meets design. Textiles are grown by guiding wheatgrass roots onto templates carved from beeswax. In a collaboration with Phoebe English, the two crafted a completely stitch-free dress, where the structure comes from the wax-grown template and the root-grown lace hangs off a bodice, held together with knots rather than stitches. Menswear brand Vollebak loves extreme materials (and has a loyal tech-bro fanbase). As well as using graphene, solar-charging and fire resistant materials, they have also produced a sashiko range of jackets, that marry the Japanese art of sashiko embroidery (‘little stabs’) using 5.5 kilometres of high-strength meta-aramid thread. Which should keep our hands busy till the digital apocalypse comes. ■

MODERN BRITISH ARTISANS HERD Modernising artisanal plant dye techniques to create colourfast recipes in knitwear (herdwear.co). DR MARTENS The Made in England collection is still created in the original Northamptonshire factory (drmartens.com. BARBOUR The waxed cotton craft is updated in the Beadnell jacket (barbour.com)

PHOTO: ROOTFUL DRESS BY GRANT ANDERSON FOR V&A DUNDEE

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ne of the great things about AI (bear with me) is that the more our brains are sucked dry by the bots, the more our hands need to find useful work. The more screen time lobotomises our processes and functions, the more creative our left brain becomes. In fashion the roots of this resurgence are beginning to grow. Louis Elton is the founder of Britain’s Cræft prize, which rewards innovation in artisanal-technology. For Elton, Belgian couturier Iris van Herpen is ‘the playbook’ for her boundary-pushing creations. ‘The 3D-printed dress from her Crystallisation collection is pure artisanal intelligence,’ he says. ‘A blend of craft and thoughtful interaction with materials, except the application isn’t textiles, needlework or dressmaking – it’s the 3D printer.’ There’s also her Labyrinthine gown, crafted from 3D laser-cut metallic dendrites bonded to translucent organza, and her Airo dress, which used microprocessors and pneumatic systems to choreograph the release of floating helium-filled bubbles. Britain’s Petit Pli is another boundary-pushing brand, using advanced materials from the aeronautic industry, pleating and origami to allow the garment to grow (great for kids). Even more extraordinary is

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57–58 SOUTH AUDLEY STREET, LONDON W1K 2ED | PURDEY.COM

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THE BEST OF SCOTLAND DISCOVER THE HOME OF COUNTRY CLOTHING

Explore our Autumn/Winter Collection Request our new Spring/Summer catalogue by calling 01796 483236 or visit

www.HOUSEOFBRUAR.com WWW.HOUSEOFBRUAR.COM

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STYLE ← CASHMERE DREAMS

Featuring Scottish cashmere, super soft knitwear and Fair Isle, Brora’s new collection is an ode to transitional pieces, luxurious layers and traditional craftsmanship. Cashmere tank in paprika, £325; dagger collar check shirt in lake and claret, £145; and pleated check skirt, £175. broraonline.com

THE EDIT

↑ HERITAGE HERO

Autumnal knitwear is timeless, but this year’s trend is homespun, says Juliet Herd

Scottish knitwear treasure Begg x Co celebrates 160 years with a collegiate anniversary drop that includes coordinated crews, rugby rollnecks and archival checks. Adrien cashmere and silk polo, £650; Hepburn cashmere cardigan, £625; and Heriot cashmere crew, £595. beggxco.com

STRIDING OUT

ARIAT Leather and cow hair country mule, £100. ariat.com

PENELOPE CHILVERS Elgin leather slide in Bordeaux, £199. penelopechilvers.com

NOMASEI Lightmyfire leather boot (available early October), £750. nomasei.com

INUIKII Wool and leather mule, £205. inuikii.com

SANS MATIN Hera cherry leather and calf hair low-top trainer, £170. sansmatin.co.uk

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STYLE HOLA TO SPANISH STYLE → Slow-fashion Spanish brand Byan opens its London flagship on the King’s Road this October. Working with local artisans, Byan’s small-batch collections champion quality and longevity. Corwin wool coat, £375. byan.es

ON THE RADAR Cosying up

← CHOCOLATE NOTES

A blend of warm tobacco and dark chocolate, this amber gourmand fragrance will keep you snug as the nights draw in. Tobacco Chocolat, 50ml, £230. tomfordbeauty.co.uk harrods.com

BAKER MILLER PINK Cashmere boyfriend cardigan in blush pink, £310. bakermillerpink.co.uk

DELTA ROAM Drift parka in forest green, £210. deltaroam.com

PLUMO Derry worsted wool kilt with black leather buckle, £269. plumo.com

↑ GIDDY UP

Get The Gallop x Callie Coles Iggywick Hay bag in green canvas, £240. getthegallop.com

← SPINNING A YARN

Italian fashion house Brunello Cucinelli turns to the British countryside in an AW26 collection focused on soft tailoring, elevated knitwear and rich textural contrasts. Donegal wool trousers, £1,800; striped shirt, £1,550; cardigan, £2,800; Duo mini bag, £1,700; and Nappa gloves, £1,150. shop.brunellocucinelli.com

HOWLIN’ Magic Waves cardigan with Fair Isle yoke, £325. howlinknitwear.com

LONGCHAMP Cotton trench coat in burgundy, £1,020. longchamp.com

ELDON Green With Envy cashmere scarf, £95. eldonlondon.com

TOM DAVIES Tortoiseshell cat-eye 705 glasses, £405. tdtomdavies.com

CAMBRIDGE SATCHEL The Traveller bag, £275. cambridgesatchel.com

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B RU T O N S T R E ET • S L OA N E S Q UA R E

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STYLE 1 British entrepreneur Irene Forte’s eponymous B Corp skincare brand uses organic ingredients grown on her family’s farm in Sicily

mustard yellow, and a beige Blaze jacket, worn with Tod’s suede high-heeled boots with a rubber sole. If it’s not from Luisa Beccaria or the Blaze, it’s from Knatchbull. I also love my Wandler Penelope tote – it is big enough to house my laptop everywhere I go.

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Your country look? Tweed, corduroy, and knitwear, all in earthy tones. These work just as well in Surrey, where my parents have a house, as it does in Sicily at our organic farm at Verdura Resort. Favourite accessories? A statement necklace, the chunkier and more playful the better. So-Le Studios is one of my favourite jewellery brands, an Italian label crafting sculptural pieces from leather off-cuts. And my Dehanche belts, which never 3 leave my side. Night out? Flares, platform heels, a simple top and a great jacket. The piece that gives instant wow? Good skin. No amount of jewellery does what great skin does for confidence. After that, a brooch pinned to a lapel, a bold necklace, or a pair of fun earrings. And the one that makes you stand taller? My heels are non-negotiable.

MY STYLE

Under-the-radar labels? Nour

Hammour for coats, Leset for the best t-shirts and basics, and Jeanerica for flared trousers.

4

Style hacks? A good tailor is everything. The simplest piece looks luxurious with the right fit. ■

Daily uniform? A suit with flared trousers, and always with heels. I never skip great skin, either. Before anything else goes on I take a few minutes with my own products – usually our almond cleansing milk followed by the phytomelatonin eye cream – which leaves my skin plump and dewy.

1. So-Le Studios Dafne necklace, £345. so-le-studio.com 2. Jeanerica Fuji light classic vintage jeans, £220. jeanerica.com 3. Dehanche Hollyhock stone terre belt, £375. dehanche.com 4. Nour Hammour Perrin leather jacket, €1,700. nour-hammour.com

Style crush? My friends Evie

5

Henderson and Petra Palumbo – one pared-back and minimal, the other gloriously maximalist. I want to steal a little from both.

Go-to pieces for autumn? A Luisa

Beccaria corduroy suit in olive green or

5. Knatchbull Sage green jacket, £1,595, and trousers, £895. knatchbull.com

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6. Luisa Beccaria Jacket, €2,100, blouse, €750. luisabeccaria.com 7. Irene Forte Almond cleansing milk, £85. ireneforteskincare.com

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PHOTOS: GENEVIEVE LUTKIN

Irene Forte has skin in the style game

I love Acquazzura platforms, and Gianvito Rossi makes comfy rubber-soled boots.

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STYLE ← ALL A FLUTTER

Fixed on a fine jabot pin – a traditional 17th-century fastening – a single butterfly is poised to flutter with every movement of the wearer. Each of the 12 unisex, high jewellery butterfly brooches can also be worn as a pendant. graff.com

Sandstone and unakite Halo disc earrings with 18k white gold and diamond clasps, £10,200.

Harumi Fig trinket bowl in gold-toned brass, £1,285, with a selection of cabochons, from £245

↑ JOYFUL GEMS

A new interpretation of the iconic cabochons collection introduces ocean blue alongside rich autumnal tones of dark cherry and deep green. goossens-paris.com

↑ MODULAR DESIGN

Create multiple looks within a single gemstone with these removable hardstone discs. Choose from Dalmatian stone, unakite, bumblebee jasper and aventurine. lilygabriella.com Marina transformable

THE MAGPIE

en tremblant diamond butterfly brooch, £POA

← DESERT DELIGHT

Autumn brings earthy tones, natural stones and bold shapes, says Juliet Herd

KNOCK ON WOOD →

This Wings of Wisdom talisman represents grounding, protection and luck. Touch Wood ebony pendant with 14k gold detail and champagne diamond, £1,345, and Twists and Knots 14k gold chain, £1,350. wow-uk.com

The Assembly No. 04 necklace composition, £5,245

By Pariah’s new The Assembly collection’s warm, earthy tones of smoky quartz and cool aquamarine – set in 100 percent recycled gold – will have you dreaming of Moroccan desert sands and clear open skies. bypariah.com

SCULPT IT 1. THE SUNDERLAND COLLECTION x GRIMA Portolan brooch in 18k yellow gold and diamonds, £POA. grimajewellery.com 2. TASAKI Niccolò Pasqualetti Ambivalent ring in 18k yellow gold and akoya pearls, £3,630. tasaki-global.com; 40 Duke at Selfridges London

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3. ME+EM Atelier 2-in-1 drop earrings in 24k gold plating and resin, £295. meandem.com

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4. LUCY DELIUS Sciura bangle in 14k gold with Victorian-set pavé diamonds, £13,500. lucydelius.com

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L O N DO N OVER 60 YEARS OF BRITISH CRAFTSMANSHIP

5 WEST HALKIN STREET, LONDON SWIX 8JA +44 (0)20 7823 0100 • SALES@ELIZABETH-GAGE.COM • ELIZABETH-GAGE.COM

Country & Townhousey.indd 1 Elizabeth Gage.indd 1

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STYLE

MIDAS TOUCH

1

Tessa Dunthorne takes a shine to the Goldsmiths’ Fair, an annual celebration of Britain’s top jewellery makers 2

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ritain’s history of goldsmithing is, well, gilded. Craftspeople have been working with silver and gold for a thousand years on these shores. For much of that time, the Goldsmiths’ Company has been its guardian. And for 43 years, the company has gathered the best jewellers in Britain for an annual fair. The Goldsmiths’ Fair provides a rare opportunity to peek inside the guild’s grand livery hall, but rarer still is the chance to meet the top jewellers and silversmiths working today in person (and pick up a few choice trinket box pieces). You can expect to meet the maker responsible for every engraving, enamelling, carving, and casting, and discover the story behind every single item. The 138 exhibitors are meticulously curated – it’s notoriously competitive to win a place at the fair, with only a clutch of new names joining the roster each year – and each maker will only be present for either one of two weeks, making it imperative you visit at least twice. Headline jewellers include artists Ruth Tomlinson and Ute Decker, but there’s a line-up of emerging artists, too, like Sam Ham, one of three new exhibitors, who creates bold divorce jewellery from existing pieces.

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1. Sam Ham Reassignment ring in 14k gold with round brilliant-cut diamond, princess-cut tanzanite, and Montana sapphire 2. Makila Nsika Spirit 2 ring in silver, with palm nuts’ kernel and citrine 3. Alice Cicolini Shared Faith 14k yellow gold necklace with detachable charms 4. Cameron Ellis Mhairi Armach Mixed Diamond Drop Earrings I, 14ct gold with mixed cut icy white diamonds 5. Lo Lois medical grade stainless steel Frame brooch, with oxidised silver, white topaz, and smoky quartz 6. Emefa Cole Dream ring in oxidised silver

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Or Makila Nsika, a recipient of a Goldsmiths’ Company emerging business bursary, whose jewellery is created with reclaimed palm materials gathered in Congo. Since its inception in 1983, the fair has asked the most pertinent questions about craft in the current age – be it diversity, sustainability or technology. This year, it responds to the AI question, which, says director Harriet Scott, ‘is the biggest existential question for jewellery makers since 3D printing’. Artist Silvia Weidenbach and digital image maker Jon Emmony have created a digital collection and film which is continuously generated by an algorithm fed on pictures of the Goldsmiths’ Company’s collection, and described by AI. The installation will question the value of human context – whether that lies in understanding the medium and what’s actually possible to create, or how to properly communicate object collections. ‘What makes the fair exciting,’ says Scott, ‘is the mix of established voices, emerging businesses, and genuinely new ideas.’ And where else can you find such a perfect comingtogether as the one gathered at the Goldsmiths’ Fair this September? ■ The Goldsmiths’ Fair 2026 takes place between 22 September and 4 October. For tickets, visit goldsmithsfair.co.uk

PHOTOS: RICHARD VALENCIA

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Explore our bespoke sporting arms, artisanal leather goods and outdoor collections.

westleyrichards.com

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STYLE ← FIELD DAY

Clothing for the great outdoors doesn’t need to be all tweeds and breeches, as Dutch brand Pockies proves this season. The Amsterdam-based label that started out designing ‘couch couture’ is getting off the sofa for AW26 with its collection of tongue-incheek separates and practical gorpcore kit, which captures the spirit of country style with none of the stuffiness. Pockies AW26 ‘Here for the Rainy Days’, from £49.99. uk.pockies.com

← STEP TO IT

Illustrating the practical nous of one of Europe’s most refined outdoor brands, Moncler’s new CityTrek sneakers have been designed to move between asphalt and gravel paths with ease. Taking their cues from archival trail shoes, the brushed-suede upper, springy Vibram® sole and cushioned leather collar make them ideal for long days on your feet. Moncler CityTrek sneakers, £465, moncler.com

ALL CHANGE As the seasons shift, hit the pavement or rural path in the right garb, says Shane C. Kurup

AGOLDE BREITLING Premier B01 Chronograph, £7,650. breitling.com

BARBOUR

Luka jeans in Kismet,

FINLAY Finlay x Noel Gallagher Chiltern sunglasses, £175. finlayandco.com

£300. agolde.com

Barbour x Paul Smith Bedale Jacket, £419. barbour.com

POOCH AMBLER Upgrade your walks with your four-legged friend

JOHN LEWIS Waterproof dog puffer coat £22. johnlewis.com

MR P. Linen and cottonblend polo shirt, £245. mrporter.com

CROCKETT & JONES Coniston tan Scotch grain boots, £650. crockettandjones.com

RODD & GUNN Signature dog cap, £35. roddandgunn.com

FARLOW’S Dog whistle stag keyring, £26. farlows.co.uk

48 —— SEP OCT 2026 —— countryandtownhouse.com

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PROMOTION Mini Daisy in Honeysuckle, £200

Mini Satchel in Honeysuckle, £255

Mini Satchel in Honeysuckle and Pimpernel, £255

GENTLE GARDEN

Soft Satchel in Strawberry Thief, £495

Cambridge Satchel breathes new life into historic Morris & Co. patterns with a bucolic autumn collection

C

ambridge Satchel and Morris & Co. join forces this October in a limited edition collection which celebrates a shared British heritage and a love of enduring design. Bringing together Cambridge Satchel’s signature leather craftsmanship with the distinctive botanical patterns of Morris & Co., the collection reimagines some of William Morris’s most iconic designs through a contemporary fashion lens. Inspired by the beauty of the English countryside and romantic gardens, the collection features three iconic Morris & Co. patterns: Strawberry Thief, Pimpernel and Honeysuckle. Each botanical print has been adapted and recoloured exclusively for Cambridge Satchel and brought to life across its leather silhouettes, creating a fresh interpretation of celebrated British design. From the delicate Honeysuckle to the more intricate Strawberry Thief,

Poppy in Honeysuckle, £265

each piece combines characterful pattern with timeless craftsmanship. At the heart of the collection is the meeting of two distinct forms of British design heritage. The historic Morris & Co. patterns, rooted in the Arts and Crafts movement, are given a new setting on Cambridge Satchel’s handcrafted leather, transforming familiar floral motifs into contemporary accessories. Every piece is made in England by Cambridge Satchel’s skilled artisans, combining traditional leatherwork with the artistry of Morris & Co. The result is a collection rooted in the past yet designed for today – where nature meets fashion, heritage meets modernity, and two iconic British names create something entirely new. Shop the limited-edition collection online and in Cambridge Satchel stores from 1 October, cambridgesatchel.com

Small Traveller in Honeysuckle and Pimpernel, £350

Mini Sophie in Strawberry Thief, £525

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STYLE

KNOW YOUR KNOTS A new generation of men are embracing the tie in ironic fashion, says Shane C. Kurup 1

F

Harry Styles wears a custom Celine tie in Amsterdam Ties were on the runway at Dries Van Noten

Musicians and designers tend to get the balance right,’ says Spencer, citing Pharrell Williams and K-pop figures as benchmarks. Scacheri agrees that figures like Harry Styles are a catalyst for wearing ties in unorthodox fashion. When digging out your own ties, there are some styling principles to consider. Balance and ease are key: don’t pair too narrow a tie with wide lapels and be more nonchalant with your knotting technique. ‘Wearing a tie today is about contrast. I like it paired with softer tailoring or even workwear. The knot shouldn’t feel too rigid – a slightly imperfect four-in-hand works well, rather than a chunky Windsor knot,’ says Spencer. If you’ve cleared out all your ties in favour of gorp-athleisure, there are plenty of great options on the market. Spencer advises focusing on proportion, cloth and construction. ‘Texture is key: knitted and washed silks, or lightweight wool – something with character and tactility – and a proper interlining so it knots cleanly and holds its shape.’ However you decide to re-fashion your tie, this is no longer Gordon Gekko’s world of pinstripes and taut tailoring – so remember to loosen that knot a little. ■ 2

1. Favourbrook silk Overton tie, £95, favour brook.com 2. Adam Jones woodpecker tie, £95, shopadamjones.studio 3. Charvet silk-jacquard tie, £260, mrporter.com 4. Paul Smith silk Field Flowers tie, £130, paulsmith.com

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PHOTOS: DRIES VAN NOTEN; HARRY STYLES PHOTO COURTESY OF CELINE

or many men, donning a tie was once a coming-of-age ritual; your father teaching you to knot your house colours to pass muster at the school gates, the final flourish to a borrowed two-piece for your first job interview. The tie was a sartorial beacon of conformism, of respect for yourself and the wider world. It seems ironic then, in our postpandemic world of muftis, that the young and restless are refashioning the tie as a symbol of rebellion. ‘The tie never really disappeared, it just shirked its obligation,’ explains Favourbrook founder Oliver Spencer. ‘What we’re seeing now is a younger generation rediscovering it on their own terms. It’s a styling tool rather than a uniform, and that shift from necessity to choice is driving its resurgence.’ The blurring of the lines between casual and formalwear has something to do with it, too. Joshua Roberto Scacheri, design director at Gieves & Hawkes, certainly thinks so: ‘People have grown tired of the joggers and hoodies which have dominated recently. There’s been a natural desire to dress with more intention.’ Part of the tie’s renaissance is the unexpected ways it’s being styled: regimental stripes, natty foulards and 80s abstract-print silks are being worn excessively long, a touch short, layered up, undone, tucked in or backwards. Ties have also become ubiquitous on the runways and were seen at the recent shows at Dries Van Noten, Celine, Paul Smith, Ferragamo and Auralee. ‘Younger creatives are mixing tailoring with casual pieces instinctively.

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LONDON — 75 JERMYN STREET PARIS — 199 BIS BD.ST-GERMAIN EDWARDGREEN.COM

LO N D O N — 75 J E R M Y N S T RE E T PA R I S — 1 9 9 BI S B D . ST- GE R MA I N E DWA R D G R EE N . CO M

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STYLE

CRYSTAL CLEAR

Nadja Swarovski is on a mission to make British clothes with craftsmanship and meaning, says Margaret Hussey

NEAR RIGHT: Nadja Swarovski champions craft and heritage in her clothing brand Really Wild FAR RIGHT: Catwalk looks from the Really Wild AW26 fashion show at Gleneagles

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‘W

e really see Catherine, Princess of Wales, as our ultimate role model,’ says Nadja Swarovski. ‘She truly does personify the elegance, femininity and timelessness we try to convey in our brand.’ That brand is Really Wild, where Swarovski is chair and chief creative officer. The royal connections come thick and fast. Swarovski’s great-greatgrandfather Daniel founded the Swarovski crystal company, which supplied and embellished crystals for Queen Victoria’s dresses. Today, Nadja Swarovski works closely with King Charles as a King’s Trust ambassador. And before she became the Princess of Wales, for a time the then Kate Middleton worked at Really Wild. (Her mother, Carole Middleton, is a friend of founder Natalie Lake.) Swarovski and I talk just before the Really Wild AW26 fashion show at Gleneagles in Scotland, a fundraising event in collaboration with The King’s Trust. Swarovski says it was a huge honour to be chosen as the trust’s charity partner; like King Charles, she has a passion for sustainability, craftsmanship and improving the lives of others. ‘The King’s Trust thought we should be the fashion brand of choice simply because of our common denominator and shared values,’ says Swarovski. ‘The show was in Scotland because what we do is all about craftspeople and celebrating that cultural heritage. A lot of the mills we work with have done patterns and tweeds for the King, his mother and his family.’ Swarovski and her husband, Rupert Adams, bought a majority stake in Really Wild in 2024. Putting a spotlight back on British producers of tweed, linen and wool and making her mark on collections is her driving passion. That is abundantly clear at Gleneagles, where her AW26 showcase is a triumph of style and modernity. There are beautiful capes, stunning dresses in plums and reds, exquisite tailoring and, excitingly, the brand’s first menswear launch. It is all showcased to an Outlander/Braveheartinspired soundtrack, played by DJ Cuppy, an international ambassador for The King’s Trust (which celebrates its 50th birthday this year). The star-studded event, hosted by actor Ewan McGregor and with performances by Sir Rod Stewart and Jools Holland, raised £750,000 for the charity. Swarovski was the first female executive on the Swarovski board and helped transform the brand, raising its profile globally and creatively. She left in 2021 after 26 years and sees many similarities between them and Really Wild. ‘At Swarovski, it’s the craft of cutting. People have been doing that for five generations. I used to go to all the machine tool fairs with my father. I learned so much; I understood the manufacturing process. ‘My husband and I were looking at

companies that were sustainable and really craft-led. When Really Wild was brought to our attention, we thought it was such a great opportunity to celebrate that cultural heritage. The knowledge of weaving is passed from generation to generation, and the people there are proud of what they are doing. ‘As the world becomes more digital, there will be a yearning for things that are made by hand with craft that really has a connection to the past. I am for modernisation, but it’s really important to have that anchor.’ Swarovski firmly believes in the mantra ‘shop less, shop better’. ‘That’s what we are trying to do with Really Wild. You will have this piece forever; it’s something timeless, not trend-driven. It’s a good investment.’ At Swarovski, she worked with people like Alexander McQueen and Philip Treacy, whose hats appeared in her Gleneagles show. ‘I remembered the stories my grandfather told me about working directly with Coco Chanel and Christian Dior, so I thought that was what I wanted to do. Swarovski’s heritage was in fashion, but most people didn’t know that. I thought: “Let’s bring it back to the heritage.” ‘Isabella Blow came into my life and I told her about my vision. She said: “I’ve got the right person for you. His name is Lee [Alexander] McQueen.” The minute we worked with McQueen, who demonstrated the beautiful use of crystal in fashion, other designers just wanted to copy him.’ Today, Swarovski wants to place countrywear for women centre stage. ‘These materials are so fantastic. These sheep have given their wool; these workers have converted that wool into threads and put them into a pattern. They should end up in a very celebratory way on somebody’s body. ‘So often, the women’s version of these types of clothes are like the men’s, but smaller. We are trying to make it a little more feminine: give it a waist, maybe add a little bit more cashmere to make it softer,’ she explains. Swarovski is hugely aware of her position, and giving back is a value of the company. As well as The King’s Trust, Really Wild supports many causes including Women for Women International, the Pacific Whale Foundation and the Countryside Alliance. ‘How nice is it to take advantage of our positions and give back?’ says Swarovski. ‘We are so fortunate to be where we are and to have a positive impact.’ ■ reallywildclothing.com; kingstrust.org.uk countryandtownhouse.com —— SEP OCT 2026 —— 53

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17/08/2026 16:24

CULTURE TO THE BEAT Chelsea Arts Festival is back with a bang and the second edition is jam-packed with starry names. Beyond sell-out events at Cadogan Hall and Saatchi Gallery, the five-day cultural celebration spills onto the streets of SW3, with live music, dance, special in-store events and open-air theatre free for all to enjoy. For our highlights, see pages 56-62. Chelsea Arts Festival, in partnership with Cadogan, 16-20 September, chelseaartsfestival.com

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CULTURE

PAGE TURNER Top literary spots at Chelsea Arts Festival

PECK & PECK by Bonnie Garmus

The photographs of Susie Cave with her children and husband Nick are among her greatest treasures

CHELSEA ARTS FESTIVAL

PICTURE THE VAMPIRE’S WIFE Susie Cave takes Olivia Emily through her family photo albums disappeared into time, yet somehow remain completely alive.

have a book bearing my name. But really it isn’t just about me; it is about the love that has existed between Nick and I over so many years, and mostly the fragility and beauty of life. My name may be on the cover, but the heart of the book belongs to all of us.

Nick has written deeply personal texts to accompany these images. What was it like to experience his perspective on your shared life rendered so explicitly on the page? Nick has an

Dominique Issermann has photographed you across decades as a close friend of your family. Was it challenging to be documented so intimately by someone who knows you rather than sees you from the outside? Dominique is

What inspired you to open your world in this way? I think we just realised we had this

wonderfully stealthy and has the sharpest eye. That side of me is only ever really seen by Nick, our children, Dominique, and the people closest to me. I don’t enjoy having my photograph taken, but somehow Dominique makes you forget the camera is there.

The pictures span such a long period of your life – mother, wife, designer, collaborator. Is there a photograph where you saw yourself in a way you hadn’t before? The photos I love

most are the ones of Nick and me with our children. They hold moments that have quietly

A CREATIVE COMPASS by Emma Gannon

Dubbed the voice of the internet generation, Gannon’s latest tome (out now) is an empowering guide for anyone seeking to live more creatively. Gannon is in conversation with Professor Daisy Fancourt on 18 Sept

extraordinary ability to put into words what so many of us can only feel.

extraordinary archive. Hundreds and hundreds of photographs, collected over decades. Choosing them was almost impossible, because every photograph carried its own life and Dominique’s photographs have always been among our greatest treasures.

What do you hope readers will take away from Susie? I don’t know how people will relate to it.

Once something leaves your hands it no longer belongs to you.

Susie Cave is in conversation with Bella Freud on 16 September at Cadogan Hall. Susie by Nick Cave and Dominique Issermann is published 16 September (Thames & Hudson, £35)

THE MERCY STEP by Marcia Hutchinson

This debut – about a Jamaican immigrant family in 1960s Bradford – was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2026. See Hutchinson in conversation with BookBar founder Chrissy Ryan on 19 Sept

PHOTOS: DOMINIQUE ISSERMANN

Your husband Nick’s new book is simply titled Susie. How does it feel to present something centred on you alone? It is a great honour to

The author of Lessons in Chemistry is finally back. Peck & Peck (out 27 Oct) whisks us to 1982 New York and the dizzying world of poetry publishing. Catch Garmus at An Evening with Bernardine Evaristo and Friends on 17 Sept

56 —— SEP OCT 2026 —— countryandtownhouse.com

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®

Chapters of discovery Every great holiday unfolds like a story: a pull you cannot explain, a turn you never saw coming. Feel it quicken into adventure across the Masai Mara, deepen into mystery in Egypt, gather into legacy in Italy, or drift into odyssey, where distance was never measured in miles. Forty years at Scott Dunn, and one thing has never moved: every holiday starts with you. Which chapter will you explore next? Speak to a Travel Specialist: Call 020 3130 6908 or visit scottdunn.com

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20/08/2026 11:23

CULTURE

R

ambert is Britain’s first dance company to turn 100, but its artistic director Benoit Swan Pouffer is more interested in what comes next. ‘Change is part of Rambert’s history,’ says Pouffer, who has steered the ship since 2018. ‘The company has reinvented itself many times over the last century, moving with the world around it while holding onto a spirit of artistic ambition, curiosity and excellence.’ That restlessness roots back to Rambert’s founder, Marie Rambert, who in 1966 turned her classical ballet company contemporary to save it from financial stagnation, installing an ethos of experimentation that has trickled through every generation since. Born and trained in Paris and based for most of his career in New York, Pouffer might be best known for Rambert’s adaptation of Peaky Blinders, which brought 250,000 people through the doors (60 percent new to Rambert) – proving ‘you can reach a very broad audience without compromising on quality or ambition’, he says. ‘You do not need to understand contemporary dance before you can experience it. If something is powerful, physical and emotionally truthful, it can reach you. Part of our responsibility is to make the extraordinary work, but also to keep finding ways for people who might never otherwise come to Rambert to encounter it.’ The weighty follow-up, premiering in 2027, filters Russell T Davies’ hit HIV/ AIDS drama It’s a Sin through Rambert’s language. ‘You are not only looking for ways to translate a brilliant piece of storytelling into movement. You are also asking how to honour what sits underneath it: the joy, the friendships, the freedom, but also the loss and the impact that period had on so many people.’ Pouffer says. ‘That feels especially close to Rambert. It is a story that touches communities who are part of the company, and there is a real sense of responsibility around how we tell it.’ At Chelsea Arts Festival, that responsibility sits alongside something more exuberant: This is Rambert, a programme spanning the company’s different artistic voices across the century. ‘For me, looking forward is not about leaving the past behind,’ Pouffer says. ‘It is about recognising that innovation and reinvention are part of Rambert’s DNA. We honour what came before us by continuing to take risks, explore new possibilities and make work that speaks to audiences now.’

CHELSEA ARTS FESTIVAL

DANCING THROUGH LIFE Benoit Swan Pouffer on 100 years of Rambert and putting Peaky Blinders on its feet. By Olivia Emily

FROM TOP: Rambert’s adaptation of Peaky Blinders brought 250,000 people through its doors; the dance company’s artistic director, Benoit Swan Pouffer

Rambert brings works from its centenary programme, This Is Rambert, to Cadogan Hall on 19 September

The National Youth Jazz Orchestra is treating Chelsea to a toe-tapping Saturday night of big band jazz, celebrating two all-time greats. Conceived and musically directed by trumpeter Olivia Cuttill, Fodder on my Wings will celebrate Nina Simone’s 1982 album and will feature vocalist and master improviser Cleveland Watkiss MBE, renowned saxophonist Tony Kofi, jazz pianist and composer Nikki Yeoh, and acclaimed singer Thanda Gumede. Honouring the 100th anniversary of Miles Davis’ birth, a special nine-piece NYJO band will also take to the stage to breathe fresh life into Birth of the Cool (1957), mirroring Davis’ original nonet configuration. NYJO presents Timeless Icons at Cadogan Hall on 19 September

PHOTOS: BEATRICE LIVET

NINA SIMONE REBORN IN SW3

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CHELSEA ARTS FESTIVAL

RIFF ON THIS

THE BEST LIVE MUSIC IN CHELSEA

Nish Kumar is a world expert on all things Jimi Hendrix, finds Olivia Emily

FROM TOP: Jimi Hendrix picked up a guitar aged 15 and never looked back; Nish Kumar will illuminate Hendrix’s tumultuous London life at Chelsea Arts Festival

UNCOVER BLUE PLAQUES TALK BACK

after being discovered by The Animals bassist Chas Chandler, who encouraged him to come and experience the city’s cultural crucible. ‘He always felt sore he hadn’t been able to make it in the States. But he loved the music scene in London.’ He was very welcome here, too: The Beatles and The Rolling Stones became his earliest champions. He performed at The Scotch of St James and the Marquee Club, recorded Axis: Bold as Love at Olympic Studios in Barnes, and lived in Ringo Starr’s old flat in Marylebone. ‘Then this great cosmic coincidence: he ends up living on Brook Street next to where George Frideric Handel had lived over 200 years before,’ Kumar says. The two houses are now a museum dedicated to the Baroque composer and the rock legend. Though London is where Hendrix made it, it is also where he died aged 27 (from an overdose at the Samarkand Hotel in Notting Hill). It followed a rocky adolescence – but the guitar, which he was never formally taught how to play, was always his escape. ‘His story is what I think is great about London as a city,’ Kumar says. ‘We accept anyone. Anybody can come here and make it their home.’ Nish Kumar speaks on Jimi Hendrix at Blue Plaques Talk Back, produced by Storystock Sounds and in partnership with Banham, on 18 September at Cadogan Hall

One of the greatest hits from last year’s Chelsea Arts Festival returns to Cadogan Hall. Alongside Nish Kumar, Mishal Husain will bring to life Jawaharlal Nehru, one of the 20th century’s defining political figures, who lived in Notting Hill before leading India’s nationalist movement and serving as the country’s first prime minister. And the Royal Ballet’s principal dancer Lauren Cuthbertson reflects on Russian ballerina and teacher Princess Seraphine Astafieva, who taught Margot Fonteyn, Anton Dolin, Marie Rambert and more from her studio on the King’s Road.

New Forms brings east London’s listening bar scene to SW3. Experimental cocktails are shaken behind the bar, which is lined with records you can pluck off and purchase. Vinyl-only DJs take over the decks from 7pm Thursday to Saturday. newforms.uk

PIZZA EXPRESS LIVE CHELSEA

Grade II-listed music venue The Pheasantry earned a rep in the 70s for hosting early gigs from Lou Reed to Queen, Thin Lizzy and Eric Clapton. Now it’s one of three jazz bars run by Pizza Express, and is a hub for up-and-coming live performers. pizzaexpresslive.com

MOGA

Endo Kazutoshi – one of London’s greatest sushi chefs – is setting up shop in a Chelsea townhouse. Downstairs, locally caught fish will be served up in interiors inspired by Tokyo’s 1920s and 30s sushi counters. Upstairs, listening bar Moga will present a cocktail menu built around tea and set to vinyl. Opens October. @kazutoshi.endo

THE TRAFALGAR

Every Saturday night from 7pm, the Havannah Room in this King’s Road pub welcomes a new vocalist to take on new, old and beloved tracks. Stay until 10pm to enjoy £5 drinks. thetrafalgarchelsea.com

PHOTOS: MATT STRONGE

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hen comedian Nish Kumar took his turn in Celebrity Mastermind’s black chair, the world’s most influential guitarist was his subject. ‘I have a weird sideline in my career as a Jimi Hendrix pundit,’ he tells me from his flat, a Hendrix poster right behind him. It’s an obsession Kumar can trace exactly: 14 years old on a school trip to Sheffield’s short-lived National Centre of Popular Music, where he discovered the ‘just amazing’ Electric Ladyland. Born and raised in Seattle, James Marshall Hendrix’s most successful years were in London

NEW FORMS

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← SENSING AUSTEN

Peak behind the scenes of the new Sense & Sensibility adaptation in a fireside chat with film critic Anna Smith, screenwriter Diana Reid, costume designer Grace Snell and cast members Fiona Shaw and Bodhi Rae Breathnach. They’ll dissect Jane Austen’s much-loved debut novel and there will be exclusive clips to tide us over until the film’s 25 September release. Sense and Sensibility Cast and Creators in Conversation, 17 September, Cadogan Hall

Tessa Dunthorne spotlights more must-see festival highlights

GLOBETROTTERS Luxury tour operator Scott Dunn has gathered the best-travelled people in the biz to swap suitcase stories. Francisca Kellett is joined by journalists and authors Afua Hirsch (pictured) and Monisha Rajesh as they examine a travel industry that’s moving towards more considered global wanderlust. One to catch ahead of planning your 2027 trips. The Art of Travel, 18 September, The Sloane Club

WELL VERSED →

It’s been ten years since Allie Esiri published her bestselling anthology, A Poem for Every Night of the Year, inspiring a new generation of poetry lovers. Actors Asa Butterfield, Tamsin Greig, Giles Terera MBE and Samantha Spiro will perform iconic verse in a gala celebration. 18 September, Cadogan Hall

← DEAR DIARY

Anya Hindmarch’s neighbourhood guide

Best cocktail spot? The Berkeley Bar, for the Anya Sgroppino.

CHELSEA ARTS FESTIVAL

LINE IT UP

TAKE A BITE

Casual pint? Fox & Hounds on Passmore Street. One of the smallest pubs in London and one of the best – no food, no fuss, just a welcoming, characterful British pub. You might spot one of my sons there pulling a pint. Deli treats? Granger & Co. on Pavilion Road is a great spot to watch the world go by. And the Pimlico Road Farmers’ Market on Saturday mornings. Beeline the wonderful brown shrimp stand – delicious with good bread and butter. Tastiest brunch? Anya Cafe, my favourite place ever. My go-to is the smoked salmon tartine. Martino’s on Sloane Square is also a great new spot with a terrace.

Delve into the personal annals of history’s most extraordinary figures. Celia Imrie CBE, Denise Gough and poet Lucas Jones will voice the most heightened moments and personal feelings from figures including Nelson Mandela, Frida Kahlo, Seamus Heaney and Elton John – as well as everyday heroes – as recorded in their private journals. Diaries of Note: Live, 20 September, Cadogan Hall

Family dinner? Oliveto on Elizabeth Street. Go for the best and thinnest pizza or the vitello tonnato. It’s run by Mauro, a local legend. The kids often joke that they have eaten his food more than mine.

For the full festival lineup visit chelseaartsfestival.com

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C&TH CHARITY PARTNERSHIP Giving marginalised groups opportunities to express themselves is the cornerstone of Create’s mission as a charity

CENTRE STAGE Create gives young carers a platform to perform – and now they’re bringing the beats to Chelsea Arts Festival

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inging, drawing, drama: for most of us, creative hobbies such as these can be slotted into our lives with ease. But for young people who have taken on the responsibility of caring for a friend or family member, it’s a more complicated story. Access is limited due to barriers like financial strain and time poverty, leading 68 percent of carers struggling to regularly take part in activities they enjoy. Award-winning charity Create provides free creative arts experiences to marginalised groups – including the UK’s one million carers aged 11 to 16. The team’s life-changing workshops ensure young carers have an outlet for self-expression at one of the most crucial times in their lives, while building confidence and meeting other young people who understand. On 19 September, SW3 will be alive with the sound of music by young carers from Lambeth and Wandsworth, as three days of Create music workshops culminate in outdoor performances. Part of the secondever Chelsea Arts Festival, the free events will take place at the Sloane Square bandstand (12.45pm and 2.30pm) and Duke of York square (1.20pm). Expect a chorus of up to 20 young people, with songs based on protest chants and complete with spirited percussion. The performances are an exciting addition to

Chelsea Arts Festival’s vibrant weekend programme and are also a chance to raise awareness of young carers. ‘A high-profile performance can act as a catalyst for self-identification, prompting audience members to recognise these dynamics in their own communities, schools or workplaces,’ explains Krishtina Amatya, young carers’ team leader at Carers Hub Lambeth. What will the participants gain from a musical performance specifically? ‘For many of our young carers, this will be the first time they are able to pursue a passion or dream they don’t have the time or resources for in their everyday lives,’ says Tabitha Farley, service manager at Wandsworth Carers Centre. It’s a chance for them to feel seen and celebrated beyond their caring responsibilities, helping them recognise their potential as they move into adulthood. In 2025/26, Create worked with 575 young carers; every single one reported they enjoyed their project and gained something positive from the experience. If that’s anything to go by, their performances in the heart of Chelsea on 19 September are set to be an unforgettable highlight of this year’s festival. Discover Create ahead of its young carers’ performances at Chelsea Arts Festival at createarts.org.uk

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Bernardine Evaristo Celia Imrie Asa Butterfield Rambert Joelle Taylor Susie Cave John Pawson CBE Tamsin Greig Mishal Husain Joelle Taylor Bella Freud Katherine Rundell Michelle De Swarte Diaries of Note Nish Kumar Jacqueline Crooks Lucas Jones Johno Verity Bonnie Garmus National Youth Jazz Orchestra CAF.indd 1

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16-20 Sept 2026

DISCOVER NOW

Five Days of Illuminating Talks, Performances & Outdoor Entertainment WITH THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS

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CHELSEA ARTS FESTIVAL

BATTLE LINES Katherine Rundell talks to Belinda Bamber about using fantasy in her fiction as a mirror to the world

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he author of the Impossible Creatures series seems an impossible creature herself, a woman so alive to the beauty of the world, so outraged by humanity’s desecration of it and so determined to empower children through the alchemy of storytelling that I half expect her to materialise on my screen like a mythical warrior goddess on a mission to save Earth. Her children’s stories typically feature courageous young women fighting injustice with the help of mythical beasts and magical flying coats, and it turns out that Rundell has her own We need to strategy for fighting the use children’s love misuse of power, and her magical weapons of stories to make are already within arm’s them into readers reach on my desk. and thinkers, so They’re books. ‘We need to use they will be tough children’s love of enough, bold stories to make them enough, joyful in into readers and thinkers, so they will ideas enough to be tough enough, bold resist the hard enough, joyful in ideas times we all have enough to resist the hard times coming coming for us for us,’ she tells me. ‘We need to fight those with extraordinary financial wealth with extraordinary intellectual wealth.’ It’s uplifting to meet someone with such a clear vision of how to counter the daily headlines of gloom, and Rundell’s remarkable intelligence, beauty and enthusiasm make her persuasive to children and adults alike. There’s a definite glow of ‘glimourie’

Katherine Rundell’s power is on the page

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about her – the magical essence of her fictional Archipelago kingdom in Impossible Creatures – and by any standard she has a superhuman range of skills. She’s a Renaissance scholar, a Fellow of St Catherine’s College, Oxford, a regular BBC Radio 4 broadcaster, a literary festival headliner, including C&TH’s own Chelsea Arts Festival, and an award-winning author of adult books including a biography of metaphysical poet John Donne (Super-Infinite), to whom she attributes her guiding belief in the importance of life-long learning. She brings this intellectual rigour to the writing of her delightful Impossible Creatures series, which features Shakespearian plotlines and a glorious bestiary of centaurs, griffins, hippocamps and other mythical animals documented by classical writers such as Pliny the Elder and discovered by Rundell in library manuscripts. She’s horrified that for many children access to a library is a diminishing resource: ‘a cataclysmic failing’ by our society, she says. Rundell’s serious preoccupations are ingeniously transmuted in her children’s stories, operating on different levels according to the reader. The librarian in her latest book, The Neverfear, for example, is a half-human, half-bird ‘harpy’, a typically Rundell-esque conceit. The harpy is slightly shrewish, as you’d expect, but harpies in ancient myth, Rundell explains, were also ‘ferocious protectors of what matters most’. And through the character of Anya she wants to teach girls that sometimes it’s permissible to be fierce, that ‘your anger is valuable, and you are allowed it... Anger is necessary to end horror, cruelty and the systematic political forms of oppression.’ Rundell trusts children to handle moral quandaries without patronising them. How does she engage their trust in return? ‘I assert from the very first sentence that I believe you, my child-reader, are capable of understanding big adventures, big jokes, big ideas, irony, a sardonic twist. The same things adults want.’ She’s a descendant of an outstanding dynasty of fantasy writers, from CS Lewis to Ursula K Le Guin, and like them she believes fantasy isn’t just a

much-needed refuge from the tough realities of life, but also, on a deeper level, a mirror to our world, offering us a moral compass for navigating its difficulties. If that makes her sound earnest then her wildly funny stories speak for themselves. She has sold four million books globally and is the first UK children’s author since JK Rowling to reach the number one position simultaneously on the charts in both the UK and US. One of the reasons she reaches children’s hearts might be that she writes for her ten-year-old self, at the time her beloved foster sister died. Both human and animal characters sometimes die in her books, but are her readers too young to deal with loss? They’re exposed to far worse on the internet, she counters. Rundell fears the real threat to young minds is AI. ‘We have underestimated the harm AI will do to developing minds that have not yet learned the pleasures of intellectual engagement.’ She estimates it’s now possible to complete a humanities degree without reading a single book. ‘AI is an iron curtain coming between children and their capacity for thought, for rigour, for imaginative freedom.’ It’s tantalising that Rundell has shelved her long-awaited novel for adults (‘until at least the 2030s’) while she adapts the first two Impossible Creatures books into Disney feature film screenplays using the production company Impossible Films she created with her partner Charles Collier in 2023. But despite that and two more books to complete in the series, she’s not completely tied to her desk: she’s just been skydiving as preparation for the next novel, where Christopher will fly on the wind. ‘We were at 14,000 feet, so you freefall for a full minute. Then you drift down above the clouds and you see your feet go into them until you’re actually in the clouds yourself. Extraordinary.’ Her exhilaration is a reminder that Rundell was famous as a student for cartwheeling out of bed first thing in the morning and clambering the spires of Oxford beneath the stars at night. Her enthusiasm leaves me feeling like one of her characters, a reminder that no matter what horrors confront us, ‘greater than the world’s chaos are its miracles’. ■ The Neverfear is out now (£16.99, Bloomsbury). See Katherine Rundell in conversation at Chelsea Arts Festival on 19 September

CHOICE WORDS Books on Katherine Rundell’s bedside table Children’s books by Frank Cottrell Boyce, Malorie Blackman and Sharna Jackson. Adult books by Bella Mackie, Andrew Solomon’s Far From the Tree, and previously unread classics, The Woman in White, Moby Dick and WG Sebald’s The Rings of Saturn. An addict of ‘truly great thrillers’, she also enjoys Dorothy Sayers and Tana French.

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PROTECT WHAT YOU CHERISH

Keith and Sue have collected 8,500 teapots. Keith and Sue have collected 8,500 teapots.

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CHELSEA ARTS FESTIVAL

PUNK & DISORDERLY

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hese days, the past is so much closer than it used to be. I remember back in 1986, it felt oddly transgressive to be celebrating the tenth anniversary of punk. I was editing i-D magazine at the time, a streetwise bible which was obsessed with notions of new. Why would we be interested in celebrating a movement that was so transgressive in the first place, and that placed an emphasis on disruption? It somehow felt acceptable to celebrate other anniversaries in the narrative arc of popular culture, but not punk. And yet there we were, celebrating ten years of radical reverberation. That summer I spent a drunken afternoon with John Lydon – better known as Johnny Rotten – who ten years earlier had been the singer with the Sex Pistols, and who would soon become Public Enemy No 1. When I met him, he was still enjoying his reputation, and seemed to be a weird mixture of the incendiary force he had once been, and the cartoonish British eccentric he would later become. Back in the day I used to see Lydon all over London – down at the Roxy, the Marquee and the Nashville, or walking sullenly along the King’s Road, trying to avoid curious policemen and the attentions of the teddy boys. And in 1986, ten years after doing my punk National Service, I met Lydon, in a rented house in west

London, and spent an afternoon with him, belching Red Stripe, listening to him swear, and watching him recite passages from Winston Churchill’s memoirs. When we met, far from being a miserable guttersnipe, Lydon adopted the wisecracking lush stance, jumping around the room in his oversized tartan suit shouting abuse at anyone or anything that occurred to him – journalists, tabloid warmongering, critical pomposity. We both felt it was ridiculous to be marking punk’s tenth anniversary, and yet there we both were, him celebrating a new Public Image Ltd album, and me needing him to fill six pages of my magazine. It was a weird Faustian pact, and I don’t think either of us would have imagined doing the same thing 40 years on. And yet here we are again, acknowledging the 50th anniversary of punk – with Lydon currently on a speaking tour of the UK, and me writing this piece. In that time, punk has become a part of the very fabric of the country, as important to the cultural history of the UK as the National Theatre or The Beatles. During the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics, counterculture merged with traditional culture in a way that few could have foreseen. A twominute film, Journey along the Thames, directed by Danny Boyle and produced by the BBC,

PHOTOS: URBAN IMAGE

From frequenting anarchic clubs in faux leather to a run-in with Sid Vicious, Dylan Jones did his Punk National Service. Here he salutes 50 years of a counterculture that has become part of the very fabric of Britain

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PHOTOS: URBAN IMAGE

The great Sid Vicious, whose punk legacy lives on, photographed in London in 1977

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One of the things I remember most about punk was the fights: being barricaded by skinheads in the back of a church hall in Beaconsfield after a concert by a band called Deathwish; pint glasses being thrown at the Nashville; fist fights in the doorway of the Marquee. There is one evening I recall more than most. I was in the upstairs toilets of the Rainbow, Finsbury Park, in late 1977, as the Ramones thundered furiously through their blitzkrieg bop downstairs. And up here, in the relatively tranquil surroundings of the Gents, Sid Vicious was exchanging punches and the occasional kick with one of the Slits. They had tumbled in as I was standing at a urinal, and, after a few choice exchanges in vintage Anglo-Saxon, had set about each other with a ferocity reserved only for the very passionate or the very drunk. I couldn’t tell which, and had no intention of finding out. There Sid was, in all his feisty glory – the trademark bog-brush hairdo, the sneer, the lovingly distressed biker’s jacket, the drainpipe jeans, the intricately torn Vivienne Westwood T-shirt, the bloody big boots. And sooner or later, I thought, he is going to notice me at the urinal. Suddenly it was all over, and Sid’s eyes turned in my direction. Surely, he would suss me now. Surely, he would see I was nothing but a poseur, an art school plastic punk who’d only recently thrown away his Tonto’s Expanding Head Band albums (which I would have to buy again – at great expense – years later), and his flares (which I wouldn’t). Would he pick me up by the lapels of my black ‘leather’ jacket, spit in my eye and throw me against the wall, snorting in disgust whilst condemning me for once owning a Jackson Browne LP? Having extricated himself from his opponent’s clutches the great Sid Vicious simply marched past me, and went to see the Ramones finish their set. He didn’t even look at me, let alone pass judgement. Sid Vicious would soon be gone, dead at the age of 21 from a heroin overdose. But his legacy, and the legacies of many from that period, live on, in more ways than we could ever have imagined.

Punk now is as British as a black taxi or a red phone box, as orthodox as a Union Jack or a cup of tea opened the ceremony, showing a Pink Floyd pig flying between the towers at Battersea Power Station; clips from the theme tune to The South Bank Show; and of course the Sex Pistols’ God Save The Queen, as the film followed the route of the band’s cruise down the River Thames during the Silver Jubilee. Punk now is as British as a black taxi or a red phone box, as orthodox as a Union Jack or cup of tea. Jamie Reid, the man responsible for the Sex Pistols’ iconography, is now considered as important to London as Big Ben or Guy Fawkes. As influential as Martin Amis or John Betjeman. His work was as iconic as any London portrait by Monet, Pissarro or Canaletto. This Croydonborn boy was a colossal London figure, whose brief period of notoriety helped define the reverberating explosion of post-war pop culture. And he isn’t alone. The Clash, for instance, were once seen as spiky ragamuffins, intent on the downfall of society, while dressed as urban cowboys. Their first album, The Clash, released in April 1977, was the definitive punk album, not just a statement of intent, but the punk rock experience in essence. These days they are treated like the Rolling Stones, and there are few groups who embody the communally energising spirit of rock’n’roll. Take Dame Vivienne Westwood. In 1977, when you’d see her careering down the King’s Road, you might have been tempted to get out of her way. But a few years ago, Sky Arts ranked her the fourth most influential artist in Britain of the past 50 years. So many people from that period are now treated as icons, cultural bellwethers who are considered to be as important as Vera Lynn, Ian Fleming or JMW Turner.

A Night of T/Reason: Celebrating 50 Years of Punk, 18 September at Saatchi Gallery as part of Chelsea Arts Festival ■

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PROMOTION What do your glasses say about you?

A VIEWPOINT If your glasses say volumes about you, Tom Davies bespoke eyewear gives them the voice you want

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size of our nose. At his flagship Sloane Square store, yewear rarely gets the attention it deserves. Davies weaves all this together to create something We coordinate other accessories but seem that projects who we are, is comfortable and, just as to expect our eyewear to fit all occasions, importantly, has all optical requirements taken care moods and colours. How do we want to project of at the same time. ourselves? What does eyewear say about us? Consultations start in the clinic where a bespoke Step forward Tom Davies, who creates bespoke prescription is created. Then a selection of frames eyewear and asks the questions each time that no one is chosen, all achieving different goals: not just else considers. What’s the occasion? What else do you by changing colours but by altering the shape to have in your eyewear wardrobe? And how do complement our brow line and the shape of our you want these glasses to make you feel? hair, two of the most important features on our Having spent 25 years designing glasses face. Colours are often the last piece of the for Hollywood’s biggest stars, including jigsaw, matching the eyewear to the looks we Angelina Jolie, Keanu Reeves and Dame regularly wear in our wardrobes. Emma Thompson, Davies is very much It’s a careful and deliberate process – a character driven designer. No matter as befits the most powerful and noticeable who we are, we all need our eyewear accessory we wear. to tell our own personal story. This starts with the ability to offer Davies with celeb Your glasses are your most important something without compromise. client Ed Sheeran accessory. Don’t accept compromise. Compromise happens every day in Book an appointment with Tom Davies most opticians: colours, materials, Bespoke Opticians. tdtomdavies.com prescription requirements, even the

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CULTURE Alison Jackson with a lookalike of President Trump

CHELSEA ARTS FESTIVAL

ARTIST’S STUDIO

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lison Jackson’s work has been stopping people in their tracks for decades. Yet her startling reminders of the manipulations of our hypervisual culture have never seemed more potent than today. ‘We now live our lives through photography and imagery,’ she says. ‘We’re bombarded with social media images. Everything is images…’ Her distinctive photographs, seemingly catching famous faces in eyebrow-raising situations, are edited from around 40,000 frames to choose the perfect confusing shot. That might be President Trump, hapless PMs, members of the Royal Family or the Beckhams, off-duty at home. It’s an irony that her practice is founded in her dislike of the artifice of photography. ‘I considered it to be a deceitful medium,’ she says stridently of her student days. ‘But then I was slightly dumped into the photography department at the Royal College of Art.’ She’d wanted to stick with sculpture, but because her photography was so strong, the college insisted she switch mediums. ‘I was disgruntled, so I made this whole body of work about how much I hate photography. You’re drawn into believing you’re looking at something real, but actually there’s no way you can ever tell whether it’s real or not. And I ended up saying, “Well, I’ll prove it. Look: this looks real, but it’s not real.”’ Jackson has remained passionately energised by this idea. Her HQ is split between her studio in Notting Hill, a larger space to get messier in Wembley (where she works on hyperrealistic

sculptures too), and a lot of time out on location. ‘We’re always working on two or three projects at a time.’ A large part of this is the pre-production, which sees Jackson typically spend around two weeks perfecting the set, building her own version of the House of Commons or Oval Office. The lookalikes have to be extensively coached, too, in walking and talking to create the kind of magic we see in her images. She still uses skills honed before art school as a young production assistant to big-shot directors; she worked for Adrian Lyne, Alan Parker and Ridley Scott when it was almost unheard of for a feisty female director to get behind the camera. That influence is there in the exacting production values in her work, including weeks of painstaking post-production. Her casting director eye is always on, running after people in the street or stopping them in a restaurant. That can be a high-risk commitment to her art: ‘Sometimes I go up to them and they turn out to be the real person,’ she laughs. Jackson once approached George Clooney in Capri to persuade him to model as a lookalike for himself in her work. ‘He saw the funny side in the end.’ Meanwhile, if anyone knows someone with long eyelashes and a look of Andy Burnham, let her know… ■ Alison Jackson is hosting an artists’ panel at Chelsea Arts Festival on 19 September at Saatchi Gallery, and showing at W1 Curates in Spring 2027

PHOTO: ALISON JACKSON STUDIOS

Olivia Cole meets British photographer and filmmaker Alison Jackson, whose lookalike portraits probe the cult of celebrity

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A Life Well Written

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THE EXHIBITIONIST Project Ambition is calling creative Brits to ditch their reserve and reach for the stars, says Ed Vaizey

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P Snow famously identified two cultures that existed side by side – the arts and science – but were separated by a gulf of incomprehension. Snow saw scientists as focused on the future and progress. By contrast the literary world was one of tradition and nostalgia. As a minister, I straddled these worlds. I was appointed minister of culture, and became by accident minister of technology. This was because the big issue at the time (2010) was search engines like Google allowing consumers to find ripped-off content from sites like Napster. During my tenure, I came to the same view as CP Snow. It was a great irony to me that the lefty, Tory-hating, trendy creative industries were actually very conservative. Whereas the world of technology was innovative, and constantly questioning how to do things differently as smartphones became ubiquitous. So I wasn’t surprised when I saw new initiative Project Ambition was fronted by an entrepreneur – the founder of HelloFresh, Hamish Shephard – and a venture capitalist focused on technology, Pippa Lamb, whose fund Sweet Capital is anchored by the founders of Candy Crush. The duo aim to ignite a campaign to encourage Britons to be less reserved and humble, and more assertive about their ambition, like their US cousins. No more ‘don’t get too big for your boots’ and more ‘go and get it’. Both founders are steeped in the creative industries. Because the irony is that technology only succeeds if it is creative. After all, the vast majority of our internet usage is for creative content, at least outside the office – and it is no surprise to see half of the ambassadors for this project are creative entrepreneurs.

FROM TOP: Project Ambition co-founder Pippa Lamb; two of the campaign’s ambassadors, TJ Sawyerr, who has worked with Bukayo Saka and Skepta, and Dev Sharma of Bite Back 2030

And remarkable people they are. Dev Sharma is only 21, but already a veteran. Aged just 14, he co-founded Bite Back 2030 with Jamie Oliver (himself no slouch at being a creative entrepreneur). Bite Back led the movement to ban junk food from our schools, and became a multimillionpound organisation. TJ Sawyerr, 23, used his early career as a model to break into fashion and become a creative director, working with big names like Bukayo Saka and Skepta. Shani Moran-Simmonds is a ballet dancer, already part of the Royal Ballet at just 19. So the additional irony here is that the arts, while paradoxically traditional, foster many entrepreneurs with almost limitless ambition. That is why we are so successful all over the world, with our films, TV shows, music and video games. In fact, it is probably what we are best known for. Where Project Ambition can make a difference is to highlight the success stories that exist in Britain. In the US, business leaders and entrepreneurs are well-known and seen as heroic. In Britain, we focus on those who are not doing so well. We need to spend more time focusing on our successes and showing that outstanding success stories happen every day in Britain. That’s a campaign worth getting behind. ■

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CULTURE

GREEN HERO

MAGIC MUSHROOMS Lisa Grainger meets the founders of Aifunghi, which creates captivating furniture from all-natural materials

FROM TOP: Aifunghi Eryngi floor lamp and table lamp by Elisa Uberti; the four founders of Aifunghi

PHOTOS: ROBIN NOORDAM

B

art Schilder worked at Moooi as a product designer and developer for 14 years, assisting the brand’s founders, Marcel Wanders and Casper Vissers, with some of their most iconic pieces (remember the horse with a lampshade on its head?). What the avant-garde Dutch company was creating, he admits, was extraordinary. The problem was what happened when the pieces were eventually thrown away. Most furniture is moulded from plastics, held together with chemical-coated metal screws and staples, and stitched with polyester thread. Most When it’s discarded, none of it biodegrades. And once you’ve furniture realised that, Schilder says from is moulded his studio in the Netherlands, from plastics. ‘you can’t unsee it’. Leaving the company to work When it’s on his own projects, he came discarded, across the 3D-printed mycelium none of it chair by Eric Klarenbeek, which was held together by mushroom biodegrades fibres. ‘You couldn’t sit on it, but it got me thinking.’ Schilder’s wife, Marije, left her decade-long teaching career to work together on new business ventures. She discovered that if you grow mycelium – the root-like network of fungi – on hemp fibres in a mould in a warm place, within a week or so you have a natural composite that can be heat-dried to stop it growing, then treated to protect it. In 2024, the couple founded Aifunghi (Italian for ‘with mushrooms’), with two collaborators, Michiel Geluk and Mo Aouraghé, to create a luxury interiors range that was sustainable. ‘I hate that word,’ Schilder grimaces, as he tries to describe making luxury items using materials ‘that return to the earth as cleanly as they came from it’. Some of Aifunghi’s pieces are made with materials like wool and cotton from brands such as Kvadrat and Dedar. Others use new fabrics like Agoprene, a foam alternative made from Norwegian kelp. Sewing is done with cotton thread, and metal screws or nails are made from stainless steel or brass, which are valuable and can be recycled. Aifunghi’s first acclaimed range, launched last year, included curvaceous chairs and a table with a recycled glass top. This year the brand has added seven pieces, including the Morchella chandelier by Belgian designer Vito Boox, which looks like a cone-shaped melted marshmallow, and a series of white, sculptural Eryngi lamps by French designer Elisa Uberti. What the Schilders hope is that more people will think about how they furnish their homes and will switch to less polluting options. And the items are gloriously tactile; I’d never thought of stroking a lamp before, but Aifungi’s little Porcini table lamp – which looks like something a fairy might live in – is so cute and fluffy, it’s irresistible. aifunghi.com

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CULTURE

A trusted aide to King Charles who went on to advise Idris Elba, Eva Omaghomi now has African fashion in her focus, says Charlotte Metcalf PHOTOGRAPHY —— ALEXANDRA DAO

W

hen she arrives, Eva Omaghomi is keen to tell me about Brand63Africa, her ‘passion project’ and social enterprise. With a pop-up at Harrods this September, its aim is to connect designers from Africa and the diaspora with global markets, and reshape perceptions of luxury. First, though, we focus on Omaghomi’s 17 years in the Royal Household. ‘I’d been working as a press officer for Mayor of London Ken Livingstone,’ she explains. ‘I was there when we won the 2012 Olympic Bid in 2005 and were hit by the 7/7 bombings. Then, in 2007, I spotted a job in The Guardian to work at Clarence House for the then Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, and Princes William and Harry.’ She landed it. Omaghomi’s lips are firmly sealed when it comes to the princes, but she has nothing but praise for King Charles: ‘It was such a privilege to work for him as Prince and then King, and I learnt so much about public service. He and Queen Camilla are so energetic and enthusiastic when engaging with the public. I consider the King to be the greatest leader I’ve ever worked with. He always finds a way to address an unmet need.’ She cites the Coronation Food Project, launched on his 75th birthday. The fund helps food banks, community kitchens and charities acquire commercial-grade fridges and freezers to store surplus food from supermarkets, so they don’t need to rely only on canned and dry food. Omaghomi also met Nelson Mandela when working with the then Prince Charles, and later was part of the team that accompanied the Prince to Mandela’s funeral in his hometown, Qunu. ‘When the funeral cortège arrived, local people were singing and dancing, both mourning and celebrating his achievements. It was really special.’ It was the King’s coronation that turned Omaghomi into a fashion icon. ‘I’d been in Ghana beforehand and told a designer friend – Nelly Hagan, who founded Duaba Serwa – I needed

something to wear. She made me a stunning pink outfit with origami triangles, and I had a Nigerian gele headdress. A photographer snapped me going into Westminster Abbey and by evening I was getting texts from my nephews and nieces saying, “Auntie, you’ve gone viral”. That moment was the kernel of Brand63Africa. People felt such pride seeing African fashion on the global stage.’ While remaining an adviser to the King on community engagement, she eventually left the Royal Household to set up Forster Jones & Associates, a strategic advisory named after her Sierra Leonean grandfather. Clients included Apple Music, which she’d worked with in 2025 on The King’s Music Room, and the IE7 and Akuna Groups, Idris Elba’s media companies. Omaghomi had already worked with Elba, a friend, on stemming knife crime, having orchestrated the 2024 Youth Opportunity Summit at St James’s Palace with The King’s Trust, which was hosted by the King and attended by the then Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. The summit took place again this year at Buckingham Palace, with Sir Gareth Southgate joining the King. With Elba, Omaghomi is also executive producing a Netflix documentary celebrating the 50th anniversary of the King’s Trust, previously the Prince’s Trust. When it comes to Brand63Africa, Omaghomi’s enthusiasm is palpable. At its London Fashion Week debut in February, the King visited the stand. ‘Our designers were so thrilled by the exceptional endorsement his presence gave us,’ she says. She is fiercely proud of her designers’ talents and Brand63Africa’s autumn pop-up in Harrods. ‘I’ve been so driven by work, but I’m trying to slow the pace now,’ she says, admitting with a grin to having a partner – though no family yet. ‘I’m learning every day from the fi rst five designers we’ve selected for Brand63Africa, so for now that’s my priority. I’m determined Brand63Africa will bring them the recognition they richly deserve and change the way we view luxury forever.’ ■

IN BRIEF DESIGNER FOR A BIG OCCASION

Tiffany Amber, a Nigerian designer who combines extreme glamour with comfort. I wore one of her pieces to the King’s Trust anniversary garden party this year

BEST READ

Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. It triggers wonderful memories of my time in Nigeria

LAST MEAL

Eba and okra soup. I rarely make it, but my late mother used to

DESERT ISLAND DISC

Anything from The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, the soundtrack to many moments in my life

FAVOURITE ARTWORK

Tutu, sometimes dubbed the Nigerian Mona Lisa, which is one of a series of portraits by Nigerian artist Ben Enwonwu

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‘A photographer snapped me going into Westminster Abbey and by evening I was getting texts from my nephews and nieces saying, “Auntie, you’ve gone viral”. That moment was the kernel of Brand63Africa. People felt such pride seeing African fashion on the global stage’ Eva Omaghomi

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Bodysuit and skirt Chorus My Dior cuff in white gold and diamonds; Gem Dior earrings in white gold and diamonds Dior Joaillerie Shoes Manolo Blahnik

From The Morning Show to knotty new drama Possession, there’s no messing with Gugu MbathaRaw, says Vassi Chamberlain FASHION DIRECTION —— NICOLE SMALLWOOD PHOTOGRAPHY —— DAVID REISS

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ugu Mbatha-Raw is describing what it’s like getting back to normal life after weeks, sometimes months, working on a film set. ‘You know that scene in every space movie,’ she says, ‘when astronauts re-enter the earth’s atmosphere? They’re sweating and everything’s shaking and they’re thinking to themselves, “Are we going to make it?” and then they come through. That’s how it feels.’ The delicately beautiful 43-year-old, casually dressed in a pink shirt with her hair tied up, is telling me about her new supernatural thriller Possession, which has just dropped on Sky. She stars as an ambitious but brittle Bristol-based, biracial lawyer despatched to Jamaica to resolve an inheritance claim over an old plantation estate, which has historical links to colonial slavery. ‘It’s a thrilling show,’ she says. ‘Quite confronting but also entertaining, and hopefully done in a way that’s not hitting you over the head. For some people, there will be deeper conversations to be had afterwards. For others, it might be like: “Oh my gosh, that was cool. I want to go to Jamaica.”’ The five-part series, also starring Bel Powley and Jonny Lee Miller, perfectly aligns with Mbatha-Raw’s growing reputation for choosing roles that speak to her on both a personal and an intellectual level. Previous examples include her breakout role in the 2013 period drama film Belle, playing the illegitimate mixed-race daughter of a British naval officer, and the first series of The Morning Show, in which her character Hannah is sexually assaulted and later dies of a drug overdose. (It is perhaps no coincidence that just two years later, in 2021, she was awarded an MBE for services to drama.) Those choices reflect, along with her work as a global goodwill ambassador for UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), how Mbatha-Raw defines herself.

Throughout our interview she comes across as carefully considered and fastidiously opaque – someone who quickly sidesteps any question not directly related to her craft. The result, if at times frustrating, is also impressively restrained. When Belle was released, Oprah Winfrey was quick to praise the show and, notably, her performance. ‘Is that when Oprah became your best friend?’ I ask, tempting my luck. ‘That is a vast overstatement,’ she immediately fires back, with a loud laugh. ‘She was very supportive of Belle when it came out. She and Gayle King became champions of it.’ Mbatha-Raw grew up in Witney, Oxfordshire, the only child of her South African doctor father (a former student campaigner against apartheid until he fled to the UK) and English nurse mother; her parents separated when she was one. She knew from an early age she wanted to perform, but also dedicated herself to her studies at her local comprehensive. ‘I was academic and always excelled at school,’ she says. ‘I enjoyed it for the social scene – there was always something going on – but I was also very busy with dance, drama and theatre. I feel like I did my A levels in my spare time.’ After leaving school she first attended the National Youth Music Theatre, then enrolled at RADA. In 2005 she was offered the role of Juliet opposite Andrew Garfield as Romeo at Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre, followed by Ophelia in the 2009 West End and later Broadway productions of Hamlet, with Jude Law in the title role. ‘People sometimes ask: “What did you watch that made you want to become an actor?” It was really simple. I loved the feeling of performing. And my theatre friends were just more fun than my school ones in some ways. There was mischief and energy there.’ I wonder if being an only child informed that need to perform – how the inherent conviviality of being in an acting community might have been attractive. ‘I haven’t dwelt on it because I don’t know any different.

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Dress Victoria Beckham

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s d n u o s d l i h c y ‘Onl . y t p m e f l a h s s a l ” g e o u s q i n u e l l fi “ s a e r Whe t s u j m a I , l l e w – ’ e u q uni

LEFT: Dress Chorus Manhattan aquamarine and diamond ring in platinum; Manhattan diamond ring in platinum; Lukusuzi aquamarine and diamond cocktail ring; diamond earrings in platinum all Pragnell RIGHT: Suit and blouse Stella McCartney Gem Dior earrings in white gold and diamonds Dior Joaillerie

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THIS PAGE: Dress Jenny Packham Sunglasses Stella McCartney Manhattan earrings in white gold Pragnell

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RIGHT: Skirt and top Edeline Lee Shoes Christian Louboutin

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‘I do what appro I do n val or ot for but b a gold ecaus s t e I lov ar, e it’

You don’t learn how to be competitive in the same way because you’ve already won, and I love that.’ She tells me she prefers the French translation of ‘only child’. ‘Only child sounds so negative, so glass half-empty. Whereas fille unique – well, I am just unique.’ It was during Mbatha-Raw’s 2009 Broadway stint in Hamlet that she decided to decamp to LA, where she then lived on and off for ten years. Several Hollywood roles followed, including in the Tom Hanks-written romantic comedy Larry Crowne; in the Fox television series Touch opposite Kiefer Sutherland; and a starring role in the acclaimed ‘San Junipero’ episode of Black Mirror, which won two Emmy awards. She’s since appeared as a senior judge in the Marvel series Loki (in 2021 and 2023) alongside Tom Hiddleston and is currently in Apple TV series Surface, which she also executive produced. She refers to her time in LA as an ‘adventure’. ‘When I arrived, I couldn’t drive and I didn’t know anyone. It was quite a challenging place to be. I was working all the time. I learned how to adapt to the environment.’ She says it also took her a while to trust Americans. ‘Everyone was so smiley and positive; I’d be waiting for that British cutting edge. I was like, “I can’t quite gauge if you’re being genuine or not.” I think that’s just a cultural thing. Then you find your people; I had a lot of British friends in LA and other actor friends, too.’ Who might those actors be, I ask. ‘Well,’ she says, ‘all different people at different times.’ How about Jennifer Aniston? ‘No, but she did invite us all round to hers when we were doing The Morning Show, which was lovely.’ And what about her other co-star, Reese Witherspoon? ‘There are people I’ve worked with that I would say I’m friendly with but, you know, they’re colleagues.’ I’ve clearly hit a brick wall. When I ask her instead what she does for fun, she similarly reveals little. ‘I’m a foodie,’ she says. ‘I like good food and conversation.

I love a long meal somewhere delicious.’ Name a favourite restaurant, I say. ‘Gosh, I don’t know. I don’t have one.’ What about parties, dancing, music? ‘All of the above,’ she replies – but then, perhaps sensing my frustration, offers that she ‘glamped’ at Glastonbury in 2023 (her first time at the festival) as a guest of Land Rover. However, she quickly underscores her statement. ‘I’m very aware that it was a very exclusive and privileged experience for us.’ Great, but the identity of the ‘us’ she’s referring to hangs unspoken. Mbatha-Raw has never revealed if she is in a relationship or not, so I decide not to pry. But the quote she gave Vogue in 2014 about her role playing a famous R&B star in Beyond the Lights is both didactic and revelatory. ‘When you become a slave to a public persona and don’t feel comfortable without it, it becomes a shield and it shouldn’t come at the expense of your self-worth.’ It strikes me that she was perhaps reflecting her own concerns about how being famous can skew the brain. When she gets stopped for a selfie, is she more David Beckham acquiescent, or Greta Garbo silent? ‘I’m more than happy if somebody wants to say something about something I’ve done. But I don’t love taking pictures.’ The one thing it must be harder to protect herself from are the critics. Does she ever read reviews? ‘Never. I think I’m too sensitive. I do what I do not for approval or a gold star, but because I love it. You have to make peace with the fact that it’s out of your hands.’ ■ Possession is available now on Sky Atlantic and NOW TV

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Dress Huishan Zhang Shoes Roger Vivier Diamond necklace and earrings in white gold Graff TEAM Fashion assistant: Alice Dench Photographer’s assistant: Stefania Carli Make up: Kenneth Soh @ A-Frame Agency using CAIA Cosmetics and Aestura Hair: Bjorn Krischker at The Wall Group using Oribe Hair assistant: Danielle van Cuyck Video: Tracer Ital @ Adrenalin Photographic

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Horse Play

The brilliantly bonkers brief called for a horse salon, complete with carrot

PHOTOS: VALÉRIE SADOUN

chandelier

The windows at Hermès’ new Bond Street home pay homage to its original client: the horse. Chic, yes, but delightfully witty too, says Charlotte Sinclair countryandtownhouse.com —— SEP OCT 2026 —— 93

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PHOTOS: CATHERINE SCRIVENER

he opening of the new Hermès maison at 166 When Jenkins, who is based in Brighton, received the New Bond Street earlier this year heralded a new call from Hermès, her excitement turned to panic. ‘I was dimension in luxury retail. ‘Dimensions’ would be thinking, “Will I be able to do it?”’ She took a literal approach more accurate. The reimagined store – the result to figuring out the brief. ‘If I go and have my hair done as a horse, what would the hair salon look like? Originally, I of a five-and-a-half-year renovation – brought six Grade II-listed houses, most dating back had ideas of horses sitting under big hairdryers with rollers, to the 1700s, into a cohesive entity. Parisian wearing Hermès scarves as robes.’ architecture studio RDAI, alongside Norman Finally, she opted for a high-end stable where horses Foster’s practice, was tasked with bringing contemporary go to finesse their features. It’s a place where Birkins are rigour to these antique buildings. A tessellated glass and stuffed with knitted carrots; horse tails are plaited with steel roof, reminiscent of the one Foster wrapped over the Hermès silks; knitted apples and sugar lumps scatter the British Museum, floats over the store’s inner courtyard, straw stable floor; and a ‘hoof-icure’ area offers Hermès nail where a sleek spiral staircase curls up from the atrium polish colours in specially designed, hoof-shaped bottles. floor. Its calfskin leather handrail was handstitched by Beauty products include Hot to Trot hoof oil, Shampony artisans recruited from Hermès’ own ateliers. mane shine and High Horse tail spritz. A portrait of a horse The store is a whopper, comprising 21,527 sq/ft of retail is called Jane, after Jane Birkin. space, housed in 55 rooms across five floors, reached via The effect is unquestionably chic, but also witty in a way four staircases. Each elegant nook and cranny is distinct, that feels inimitably British, evoking the gentle, knowing and distinctly British-inflected, with chairs by Soane humour of, say, Wallace & Gromit. The preponderance of Britain and elaborate botanical wallpapers by Katie Scott, woolly novelties calls to mind the ambitious output of a plus art and artefacts borrowed from the collection of local WI group. Who wouldn’t imagine themselves toting one of the label’s early presidents, Émile Hermès. Moving the brand’s Evelyne bag stuffed with crocheted roses? room to room, wall colours bleed from mustard yellow All is to charm and amuse. to straw, indigo to ice blue. Whimsical items The making, however, was a serious create a dialogue between British and French undertaking. ‘For eight weeks I was getting up culture: an Hermès pocket watch features the at five and finishing at eight in the evening,’ Mad Hatter riding a bicycle and the White says Jenkins. Questions as to how many carrots ‘Originally, I had Rabbit scrambling from a teapot lid. Naturally should hang from the chandelier began to haunt ideas of horses for a brand that sees beauty and value in her dreams. ‘I live in Brighton, so I was working sitting under big longevity, there’s a restoration workshop on in London during the week, then getting the the third floor. Original features, including a train back on a Friday and working on it over hairdryers with 19th-century mosaic floor and a Victorian lift, the weekends,’ she says, ‘and then crocheting rollers, wearing flowers again on the 06.39 train up to London have been meticulously preserved. Hermès scarves How best, then, to communicate all on Monday mornings. I think whenever a this tasteful splendour and irreproachable project is this big, every hour counts. You just as robes’ luxury to the world? More specifically, to put everything into it, heart and soul, to get that Kate Jenkins, the wealthy shoppers and idle gawpers that finished result and make it look amazing.’ textile designer cruise this particularly salubrious stretch Jenkins, who has worked on projects for of pavement? Even in our digital-first age, brands from Anthropologie to Royal Mail and shop windows remain a thing. Social media, has held exhibitions across the globe, admits after all, is a visual medium, and one that requires this is her most prestigious commission to date. ‘It’s like feeding with content – the more aspirational, the better. a dream. I just wanted to make a really beautiful piece of art that engaged the public, to have people looking at the Occupying a strange space between entertainment and advertisement, enchantment and commerce, shop window thinking, “Oh, what’s going on in there? What’s the windows are a direct expression of how a brand sees itself story with all this?”’ and, more importantly, how it wishes to be seen. In this It’s a neat trick, creating a visual connection to the part of town, that expression is usually big with a capital importance of craftsmanship in the Hermès story, while ‘B’, with set designs as large and elaborate as any from at the same time extending an invitation to feel welcome a Hollywood movie. While impressive, these displays at what might be, to most, a fairly overwhelming square seem to affirm the idea of luxury fashion as an airless footage of prestige luxury shopping. It’s a feeling that’s and fairly impenetrable business for the enjoyment of echoed inside the store in smart sitting rooms where the chosen few. customers are encouraged to relax and feel at home. While Perhaps aware of this, Hermès took the opposite clients wait for appointments in the handbag salon, tea is direction for the maison’s opening. Playing with the served in Hermès fine china. brand’s beginnings as a supplier of saddles and riding Brits can be a curmudgeonly bunch, suspicious of shiny equipment, Hermès commissioned British textiles artist things and reflexively satirical of anything that’s perceived Kate Jenkins, known for her playful knitted objects, to to take itself too seriously. Yet with a neat side trot and create a horse-dressing salon for Hermès’ original equine shake of mane, Jenkins’ display seems to repel cynicism. And if Hermès has a sense of humour, then perhaps, the client. This brilliantly bonkers brief tasked Jenkins with windows suggest, it might be a luxury brand that speaks imagining a cosy, small-scale scenario using knitted shampoo bottles, crocheted bridles and a chandelier of to people of a similar sensibility. ‘It’s nice to put a smile knitted carrots to create a stable beauty salon – dubbed on somebody’s face,’ Jenkins says of watching passersby The Rocabarn after Hermès’ signature scent – fit for the engage with the windows. ‘I think fashion and art should showiest of show ponies. be fun. Life should be about having a laugh.’ ■

The new five-floor Hermès maison features elegantly British sitting rooms where customers can relax; details in the windows include the Evelyne bag brimful with roses, knitted sugar lumps

PHOTOS: CATHERINE SCRIVENER

and Shampony bottles

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Playing the Field Gen Z are entering the arena and, hooked by Rivals, sparking a polo revival, says Tessa Dunthorne

PHOTOS: ROBERT VIGLASKY PHOTOGRAPHY

hundred years old, Ham Polo Club did something this summer that might make your teen cringe: it joined TikTok. London’s last remaining polo club is seeing a surge of interest from a younger generation – and it’s not alone. This is in no small part due to social media, some serious hard work and, of course, Rivals. In 2011, the FT reported that the number of UK polo players had hit a peak in 2008 at 3,325 but that by 2009 this was already shrinking. In 2019, the Hurlingham Polo Association (HPA) found that the decline had finally levelled but membership and patrons had declined by 20 percent in a decade. It created a five-year vision document in which the suggested solution involved engaging younger people to join. How? Through pony clubs and subsidising the sport at university level. It probably did not account for the wildly popular Jilly Cooper adaptation on its way; a boom of younger polo enthusiasts were about to charge the horizon, mallets in hand. Today, 35 percent of the HPA’s playing membership is under 30 years old, reports its CEO Anna Hall. Younger spectator numbers are growing too. ‘We’ve seen attendance at games almost double this year,’ says Lily Paterson-Neil, events and marketing executive at Ham Polo Club. Its recent Independence Cup – which pits Brits against Yanks in an age-old revolutionary tale – attracted 750 attendees to this sleepy pocket of west London, up from 400 just one year ago. So, what is attracting a Gen Z audience – a generation well-known for snubbing pretension and frothing for authentic experiences – to a sport so closely tied to the Royal Family?

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Bas Baddingham (played by Luke Pasqualino) is part of the Jones Jets polo team in

PHOTOS: ROBERT VIGLASKY PHOTOGRAPHY

the TV adaptation of Rivals

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‘We have half a million followers on TikTok, and we use it to challenge narratives about traditional sports,’ says Dominic Matcham, founder and director of Invades. Conceived as a sports event company in 2019, its bread and butter is taking Gen Z students to the kinds of races you need a milliner for. But in the past four years it has brought a sizeable cohort of young people to Chestertons Polo In The Park, too: 2,000 people this year, Matcham says, with an estimated 70 percent having gone for the first time. The appeal for his audience is that today’s polo represents a neat intersection of the kind of parties younger people enjoy. ‘Our whole thing tends to combine dance music and live sport,’ he says. The polo clubs succeeding with young people are doing so by also adding late-night events to their programming, festival-style. There’s Ibiza Night at Cowdray Park Polo Club, for example, which takes place on the eve of the Gold Cup final and is 65 percent Gen Z, or the DJ-and-drinks Friday nights at Ham Polo Club. ‘When we started advertising our Friday night polo parties, we noticed an uptick in general attendance,’ says Paterson-Neil, ‘especially among younger demographics.’ Combined with a strong social media presence, the result is that young people are seeing a new side to polo: one that subverts their expectations. And it’s cheeky, too. Invades’ TikTok page features Tinder sponsorship and lippy presenters voxpopping guests. At Polo in the Park, one Gen Z asks: ‘What’s the biggest green flag at the polo?’ The response? ‘MILFs!’ In turn, an unusually urban cohort is entering the sport as players. It is easy to imagine a Durham or St Andrews student taking on the pony clubs – but it was at Goldsmiths, studying history of art, that 24-yearold Alex Priest first got into the sport. Now a coach at Salisbury’s Druids Lodge, she Zoom calls me from her bedroom, where mallets in a range of funky colours hang on the wall behind her. ‘Polo at university is surprisingly accessible,’ she says. ‘You can borrow equipment and horses, and it’s easier than dressage or cross-country.’ Investment over the past five years in university clubs, including subsidies from membership bodies, has successfully made it cost-effective to join as a young player. ‘For students, it’s pay-and-play,’ says Hall at HPA, Fleur Turner, Cowdray Park Polo Club ‘which negates the need to own horses; you receive coaching and can rock up to play a mini chukka.’ A University of Exeter student, for example, would pay £60 for an annual training membership and £95 for a full playing membership (this covers entry to the national championships), with subsidised lessons at Druids Lodge around £60 per hour. For a new player after university, Priest says a private, two-hour introductory lesson costs around £130. Compared to, say, a private Pilates lesson in London, which can sting you for £60-£90 per hour, it’s not completely out of reach. ‘It’s only if you want to play high goal that it becomes a completely different financial bracket and you need to pay for a whole team,’ explains Priest. For young spectators looking for a Friday night out, it’s not a financial stretch either. ‘People are coming round to the fact that other equine sports – those that have been traditionally part of the summer social scene – are getting too expensive, while polo has remained competitively priced,’ says Fleur Turner, marketing manager at Cowdray Park Polo Club. ‘Younger people are realising they can see the best players in the world for £40. And it’s BYOB.’ Gen Z is also more likely than other age groups to enjoy extreme sports, according to a 2019 Nielsen global sports report. ‘[Polo] is a full-contact extreme sport,’ says Turner. ‘It’s fast, quick, high-adrenaline and interesting to watch. And over the years, it’s changed; you now have a generation of polo players who can hit the ball seven times in the air, which is amazing to watch. Young people are really taken by how fast and furious it is.’ The HPA has FROM TOP: Ibiza Night at separately engaged third party consultants to assess if the sport might alter formats to better Cowdray Park Polo Club; attract young people, like The Hundred did for cricket. It was told that the sport was already 24-year-old Alex Priest at its most effective in terms of snappiness. discovered polo while studying history of art Of course, not a single conversation goes by without mention of Rivals. Universally lauded at Goldsmiths in London as the single best thing to happen to polo, it has ‘caused people to talk about the sport, and driven awareness’, explains Hall. The late Dame Jilly’s legacy may now stretch beyond her beloved bibliography and include the essential revival of a sport that, until recently, was headed perhaps towards equine exit. ■

‘Younger people can see the best players in the world for £40. And it’s BYOB’

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Perfecting the art of shooting since 1835. w w w. h o l l a n d a n d h o l l a n d . c o m

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Through his art, Jim Murray draws attention to the state of our rivers

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Montana Casting Call Actor Jim Murray is passionate about highlighting the peril our rivers are in through his art. He heads to Montana to learn that giving a river a voice means trusting what you can’t yet see countryandtownhouse.com —— SEP OCT 2026 —— 101

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t started with an Instagram post – one of the few things Meta’s increasingly puerile algorithm has managed to get right. A reel showed a crowd of onlookers gathered on the concrete banks of the sludge-green Chicago River, watching an artist paint his subject on a giant plexiglass ‘canvas’… with a f ly rod. Gentle, rhythmic thuds marked each cast as his paint-drenched ‘fly brush’ struck the reverse of the painting, building layer upon layer of colour and depth to capture the river’s spirit. I’d reconciled that my recent Creatures of Light exhibition – where I sank canvases in key salmon rivers during spawning season, then retrieved and painted them – was about as far as my artistic endeavours could go in lending my voice to rivers. Fly-cast artist Ben Miller showed me otherwise. Four weeks later I touched down in Bozeman, greeted by Miller’s genial manager Gary Snyder and a film crew keen to document the fanatical odyssey I’d talked myself into. The collision of fly fishing and action painting for river advocacy had lit a fire under me. I’d sheepishly asked whether Miller would take me on as an apprentice, and luckily for me Snyder and Miller saw the value a good story could bring to the cause. First stop was Whitehall (population 3,000), an old railroad town in the shadow of the Tobacco Root Mountains, home to Miller’s studio: a converted gymnasium. The town also sits close to the Jefferson River, where settlers introduced brown and rainbow trout a century ago – and, gosh darn it, as luck would have it, I’d accidentally packed my rod, along with a couple of canvases to sink. I finally met the master. Miller is a deeply original, enigmatic artist – and the kind of character who wouldn’t look out of place in a Mark Twain novel. He seems so rooted in the natural world that the considered pauses before he answered my barrage of questions felt less like hesitation and more like he was waiting for the river to channel an answer through him. Still waters personified. Then the work began. Miller first took me to the Jefferson and asked how I looked at the water. As a fly fisherman, I thought I already had a read on rivers – flow, currents, eddies, boils, the channels where fish might lie. But now I had to learn how an artist sees them: where and why the light lands hardest and least, its gradient plane, how water refracts colour, how ‘grey’ stones are in fact quietly purple, how sand, submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) and algae each hold a rainbow of primary colours if you just focus on them individually

PHOTOS: KRISTIN KREMERS)

FROM LEFT: Murray practices casting his fly brush under Ben Miller’s tutelage; Murray’s first ‘fly-cast’ painting of the Itchen, 4ft x 3ft

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‘My father was very sure about certain matters pertaining to the universe. To him, all good things – trout as well as eternal salvation – come by grace; and grace comes by art; and art does not come easy’

PHOTOS: KRISTIN KREMERS)

Norman Maclean, A River Runs Through It

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@thejimmurray

PHOTOS: BRIAN WHEELER

BELOW: Up to their knees in it; Ben Miller and Jim Murray take to the river

rather than taking the river in as one collective whole. A genuinely psychedelic experience (minus the retching and chanting). My adventure was bookended by a few days at the Big Hole Lodge in the Pioneer Mountains – snow-capped peaks, deep canyons, bear spray at every gas station: the halcyon Montana every fly angler imagines when reading Norman Maclean’s A River Runs Through It. Wade Fellin runs it now, son of Craig, a Vietnam veteran who built the place 50 years ago to escape the echoes of war – a Sam Elliott cut-out whose dry humour is perhaps best summed up by the name he gave his son. Elk heads and trout mounts line the wood-panelled cabin, shared that week with the ‘Quality Chicks’, a group of octogenarian women who’ve fished there the same week for 40 years running. It’s the kind of endorsement no other lodge can claim. But heritage wasn’t the only reason we’d chosen this lodge. Its head guide, Brian Wheeler, backed by both Fellins, had set up the NGO Save Wild Trout to protect these fish from the usual suspects: pollution and over-abstraction. (It was as useful as it was deflating to compare notes on how Montana’s catchments take the same abuse ours do back in the UK.) Miller and I weren’t just there to fish – I was there to sink a canvas in the river for a full year before painting it, and he to gather reference photos for a fly-cast painting of the Big Hole. Our work would stand behind their conservation effort. The difference between casting a size 12 dressed fly at a rising trout and a paint-sodden ‘Slop Pig’ (Miller has created and aptly named over 50 ‘fly brushes’ in various shapes and sizes) at a 4ft x 3ft plexiglass sheet is more challenging than I’d first assumed. Trying to land that swinging ball of fluff, dripping in acrylic paint, exactly where it needs to be takes great practice and dexterity. Like the eponymous Jedi himself, Miller had made it look easy, but once he handed me the Winston rod I became as clumsy as Skywalker was against that floating training remote on the Millennium Falcon. No room for angling ego in this studio. The painting is made by marking the back of the plexiglass, first with opaque paint and small marks to create the water’s surface, and then working back from that, building the deeper layers of the river’s water columns, before finishing with the riverbed. This technique gives the front of the painting a glossy, transparent water-like surface, but means the artist has to trust what they’ve laid down, as there’s no other way of checking until the end reveal (spinning the plexi around and peeling off the protective tape). It demands that you work instinctively and impulsively, fully trusting your gut on what lies beneath your latest mark. No direct line of sight, so no choice but to surrender completely to the situation. Not so very different from casting for fish after all. The Big Hole was up and cold – a much-needed mountain spate that wouldn’t drop until the day after we left. Badly timed weather is every fly fisherman’s bugbear, so you learn to roll with what you get. Three days drifting through granite canyons and John Ford prairie, casting dries at margin-hogging trout in hope of a Pale Morning Dun dinner, then a final morning wading the nearby Wise River, pine-scented air and riffles full of pink and gold treasure, wasn’t too hard a compromise. These waters were indeed haunting. Before returning to a scorched Britain, I finally completed my first fly-cast painting. It was of my home chalk-stream river, the Itchen. Miller and I stared at it a good while before he gently nudged me to say: ‘… It’s good, Jim. Full of hope and promise. Keep at it.’ Both the Big Hole and the Jefferson canvases are still down there, drinking up a year of spring runoff and summer drought – the same year Wheeler, Fellin, Snyder and Miller will spend fighting to keep water in those rivers at all. None of us will know what’s taken shape until I go back for the reveal. But that, as much as anything Miller taught me with a paint-soaked fly rod, is the real lesson from Montana: you can’t paint a river’s spirit, or protect it, without first trusting what you can’t yet see. That’s how you give a river a voice – not by capturing it in a single cast, but by staying with it long enough to let it show you what it needs. ■

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Seasonal layering with a tactile trace of surprise FASHION DIRECTION —— NICOLE SMALLWOOD PHOTOGRAPHY —— LOUISE SAMUELSEN

LEFT: Headscarf and jumper Cordings Skirt Ulla Johnson Boots Burberry

THIS PAGE: Jacket and skirt Zimmermann Jumper N.Peal Boots Crockett & Jones Bag Chapman

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THIS PAGE: Coat Holland Cooper Waistcoat House of Bruar Playsuit Alessandra Rich Boots Purdey Bag Swaine Earrings Tilly Sveaas

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RIGHT: Coat BARBOUR x ERDEM Bra ERDEM Briefs Commando Earrings Completedworks Shoes ERDEM Socks Falke Hat Lock & Co.

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LEFT: Blazer Fairfax & Favor Scarf and dress Etro Jumper N.Peal Boots Fairfax & Favor

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THIS PAGE: Jacket, shirt, knit waistcoat, skirt and earrings all Chanel

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THIS PAGE: Dress Akris Blazer Really Wild Pocket squares Oliver Brown Earrings Completedworks Boots Edward Green Socks Falke

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RIGHT: Swimsuit Burberry x Hunza G Jacket Dubarry Wellington boots Le Chameau Bag Westley Richards Earrings Tilly Sveaas

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TEAM Fashion assistant: Lacie Gittins Photographer’s assistant: Aaron Minto Make up: Alexis Day using Dr.Reju-All Hair: Alexis Day using Living Proof Model: Jena Goldsack @ Select LOCATION Fanhams Hall, Ware, Hertfordshire

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The 18th century Fanhams Hall in Ware, Hertfordshire

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On Location The C&TH fashion team take a day-trip to Fanhams Hall in Hertfordshire

ollowing a scorching summer, the C&TH fashion team found Fanhams Hall a little less green and luscious than usual but much of the beauty of this bucolic spot (aside from its close proximity to London) lies in its fountains, Japanese tea house, gardens and reflecting pools. These, contrasted with the crispier-thannormal meadows and russet-coloured grasses, set a superlative scene for our annual country clothing shoot, this season focused on texture and always designed to add an element of quirk and surprise. The 18th-century Jacobean-style hall near the historic market town of Ware has 77 bedrooms and 27 acres to explore, all in under an hour from London Liverpool Street Station. Families might enjoy the ‘Roar & Snore’ partnership with the neighbouring Hertfordshire Zoo, while groups beeline the hotel’s Karaoke Klub, which has 8,000 songs and its own bar. Fanhams Hall is also a popular wedding venue, with vows exchanged in the grounds or beside the lakeside pavilion. For C&TH fashion director Nicole Smallwood, the estate was a playful canvas for her assembled array of rich woollen tweeds, knits and carefully selected silks and scanties. There was serendipity when shooting the Chanel look. ‘Jena, our model, was standing in front of this fabulous magnolia bush and the fragrance was unreal,’ she says. ‘It was as if someone was spritzing us with Chanel’s Cristalle Eau Verte,’ which, for the unfamiliar, is a mix of magnolia and citrus. ‘The moment felt pre-ordained by Coco Chanel herself.’ ■ Doubles from £126 per night. exclusive.co.uk

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IT’S WHAT YO U CARRY

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BEAUTY&

WELLBEING

PHOTOS: INNERSENSE ORGANIC BEAUTY

LOCK ALIVE What’s the secret to great hair? Clue: it goes beyond the surface (p124).

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BEAUTY & WELLBEING

↘ NECTAR SWEET

Nectarium by Officina ProfumoFarmaceutica Santa Maria Novella celebrates the beauty of nature in bloom. Created by the world’s oldest apothecary, founded in Florence in 1221, it opens with sparkling orange and fresh lemon before revealing an elegant heart of lavender, honey accord and tobacco leaf. A warm base of patchouli, tonka bean and labdanum lingers beautifully on the skin. The perfect way to sweeten September. £155 for 100ml, exclusively at Harrods, harrods.com

THE BEAUTY BRIEFING Nathalie Eleni’s autumn update ↑ BRITISH BEAUTY SPOTLIGHT

THE POLISHED MINIMALIST

Kat Burki VitaBiome active skin optimiser This microbiome-friendly mist calms redness, boosts skin barrier and hydrates. £99, libertylondon.com

Philip Kingsley Elasti-Styler Extreme curl cream A lightweight leave-in styling cream that keeps curls defined and frizz-free. £32, philipkingsley.co.uk

NARS Insatiable liquid blush in Fast Ride Pigment-packed colour, blending into a seamless second-skin finish. £35.50, spacenk.com

NIOD Copper Amino Isolate lipid 1% Works while you sleep to improve firmness, using intelligent copper peptide tech. £75, spacenk.com

The multitasking Killabrush is the world’s first active antimicrobial hairbrush, designed to support scalp hygiene by helping to reduce bacteria build-up on your brush between washes for cleaner, healthier hair. £29, killabrush.com

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SEA CLEANSE →

PUT TO THE TEST

Set against the dramatic cliffs of Fife, Fairmont St Andrews is the perfect coastal escape for beauty, wellness and complete relaxation. Now, the luxury resort has partnered with Caroline Hirons’ Skin Rocks to introduce the exclusive Skin Rocks signature facial, available only at the hotel’s award-winning spa. The tailored, 50-minute treatment restores radiance, targets pigmentation and deeply cleanses the complexion, while incorporating the signature Skin Rocks lifting massage to boost luminosity and encourage lymphatic drainage. £115, fairmont.com

We’ve tried them, and we love them Valmont Time Master intensive programme A luxurious, 28-day intensive anti-ageing programme containing an exceptional concentration of active ingredients to visibly smooth wrinkles, improve firmness and restore radiance for youngerlooking skin. £1,329, johnbellcroyden.co.uk

CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT →

Enhance rather than hide your complexion with the et al. Intelligent Skin radiant foundation. It has a luminous texture with buildable, breathable coverage that contains skincare actives and SPF 15 for a poreless, flawless autumn. £45, harveynichols.com Good Day by Patchology Nine-to-Five gel cream An air-whipped gel cream powered by the brand’s molecular sunshine complex to energise and hydrate sleepy skin. £32, patchology.co.uk

← READY. SET. TECH.

The new Celluma Mystique is the first LED mask to be FDA-cleared for wrinkles, acne and hair loss in one device. Using clinically backed red and near-infrared light therapy, it works at a cellular level to stimulate mitochondrial function, supporting the skin’s natural repair and regeneration processes. £1,200, cellumauk.co.uk

Jurlique peeling jelly mask Gentle enzymes exfoliate to lift away dullness and reveal smoother, brighter and beautifully balanced skin with every use. £42, jurlique.co.uk

Medik8 Total Moisture daily cleansing gel Morphing from gel to foam, this nourishing cleanser is powered by Moisture Magnets and prebiotics that strengthen the skin. £29, medik8.com

Medicube Booster Pro X2 This 7-in-1 medical-grade tool maximises absorption of skincare and is clinically proven to boost radiance, firmness and texture. £226, medicube.us

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BEAUTY & WELLBEING

SYSTEM REBOOT Olivia Falcon biohacks burnout to feel superhuman at London’s latest wellbeing clinics

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Olivia Falcon has

a reset after a fter a rough few weeks gruelling few weeks (a heavy workload and two viruses in a row), my nerves were jangled when I checked into the new Ila RegenX townhouse on Welbeck Street (regen-x.co). Here the focus is on soothing the symptoms of burnout. After an AI-powered body scan that pinpointed that my oxidative stress markers were high (they can check everything from hormones to gut malfunctions here), I was set on a personalised Renewal Circuit (from £395 an hour). Usually, talk of circuits leaves me cold, but this concept is different. I begin with the Human Regenerator, a quantum frequency bed that uses cold atmospheric plasma that surrounds the body with electrons, negative ions and plasma-generated particles to reboot flagging energy levels. It feels a bit tingly but very calming. Next, I wore a red-light helmet to reduce neuroinflammation in my brain while tucked up under a warm I felt like I’d gone from photobiomodulation mat that emits nearcircling the drain of infrared rays to reboot circulation. burnout to a complete For the finale I rolled onto another treatment bed for a sculpting Rexonage facial, system reboot in which the therapist massages the face

with vibrating gloves that reduce inflammation deep in the tissues. The whole experience was extraordinary – I felt like I’d gone from circling the drain of burnout to a complete system reboot. Not far away on Mortimer Street is Dr Richard Porter, a brilliant consultant restorative surgeon and co-founder of Aspire (theaspireclinic.com), one of London’s newest longevity destinations. Having used Mounjaro, I am acutely aware of the challenge of preserving muscle while losing weight. Dr Porter’s solution combines strength training with regular sessions in Aspire’s Brass Monkey ice baths. Three minutes of extreme cold exposure stimulates circulation, boosts resilience and delivers a surprisingly powerful surge in energy. The real trick, however, is resisting the temptation to warm up immediately afterwards. By allowing the body to generate its own heat, metabolic demand increases, activating brown fat and encouraging a 600-calorie burn. Practised consistently, it may offer a powerful tool for improving body composition while preserving lean muscle – and I, for one, am prepared to take the plunge. ■

BEAUTY BIOHACKS TROUT POUT Anua PDRN Lip Balm Everyone has been going crazy for polynucleotide injections but PDRN contains a similar substance derived from fish DNA fragments that works to regenerate dry, flaky lips quick time. Throw it in your handbag, slick it on at bedtime and expect more kissable lips in hours. £10, selfridges.com

SKIN DRINK Meder Beauty Vita Long 2.0 Dr Tiina Meder is way ahead of other cosmetic formulators; she is less about retinoids and vitamin C – which can be irritating to skin – and all about protecting with peptides and probiotics. This serum features both to extend the longevity of dewy plump skin and it really, really works. £145, uk.mederbeauty.com

SCENTSATION Joonbyrd Bliss Mood Jelly Studies show that up to 75 percent of our emotions are shaped by scent. These mood-supporting and active-packed fragrances are delivered in jelly sticks that can be dabbed onto pulse points to bring a little lift. £28, joonbyrd.com

NIGHT CAP Dreem Distillery Night Drops The key to longevity is quality sleep and this tincture taken before bed works a treat. A blend of CBD with compounds to calm the nervous system, the aim isn’t sedation, more relaxation. £120, dreemdistillery.co.uk

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CRAFTED BY THE TIDE

In London’s Creative Quarter, Ransome’s Wharf is shaping a new chapter on Battersea’s riverside. Overlooking the River Thames and moments from the elegance of Chelsea, this landmark destination is anchored by a Dockside Plaza, where cafés, restaurants and alfresco moments unfold beside the water.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL 03301 625 253 Sales Suite & Show Home, Ransome’s Dock, 35-37 Parkgate Road, SW11 4NP *Price correct at time of print. CGI is indicative.

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DISCOVER AN EXCLUSIVE COLLECTION OF 1 TO 4-BEDROOM APARTMENTS AND DUPLEX PENTHOUSES. PRICES FROM £1,100,000*

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BEAUTY & WELLBEING Begone, always-on health trackers – instead, we’re seeking our wellness kicks from connective, social experiences

1

CREATIVE RETREATS

Creative expression can act as a powerful tool to process emotions, lower cortisol levels, and connect with others. This October, Mèlisses on the Greek island of Andros will host two immersive retreats, inviting guests to explore natural dyeing, painting, cooking and writing. Designed as a meeting place for creative minds, the retreats offer space to dream, absorb inspiration from the surroundings and spend time with like-minded people. melissesandros.com

2 ISN’T IT IRONIC Over-optimisation backlash has been identified as one of the top ten wellness trends for 2026, says Camilla Hewitt

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ellness fatigue: two words that shouldn’t really belong together, but here we are. Wellness has been commoditised and in the process its original purpose – helping us feel healthier and happier – has been lost. Much of this stems from the industry’s growing obsession with optimisation: the idea that every aspect of our lives can be upgraded, measured and fine-tuned to help us operate at the greatest level. Somewhere along the way, we’ve confused optimisation with wellbeing. In our pursuit of constant improvement, we’ve drifted further away from the simple habits that actually make us feel good. The backlash against over-optimisation has now been identified as one of the top ten wellness trends for 2026 by the Global Wellness Summit. As trends researcher and strategist Jessica Smith writes: ‘What’s emerging now is not a rejection of science, but a recalibration: a shift toward regulation over results, sensation over scores, and wellbeing measured by how fully alive we feel.’ Perhaps that’s precisely what wellness needs – a shift from control to connection. While I strive to follow a healthy lifestyle, I’ve realised that healing happens through our relationships: with the natural world, the people who surround us, and ourselves. Here are four retreats and rituals that tap into a growing desire for joy, presence and belonging.

SAUNA SOCIALS

For centuries, shared sauna rituals have supported mental, physical and social wellbeing across cultures, from Finland to Japan. At Babington House, the newly launched Lazy Forest reimagines this tradition with a communal wellness experience where groups of four can alternate between sauna sessions and cold plunges before gathering around the fire. The emphasis is not only on recovery but also on the restorative power of doing it together. sohohouse.com

3

COMMUNAL MOVEMENT

Whether it’s run clubs, padel, HYROX, charity challenges or the festivalisation of fitness, people are increasingly seeking movement that offers a sense of community alongside physical benefits. The success of Peligoni’s PACE wellness weeks (in October 2026 and May 2027) reflects this shift away from solitary selfimprovement. Here guests can move between group cycling, tennis, openwater swimming, yoga, breathwork, creative workshops, and long-table feasts. peligoni.com

4

SOCIAL RITUALS

Emotional stillness is difficult to find in our hustle culture. Perhaps that’s why ancient practices are finding new relevance within modern wellness. Cacao ceremonies, group meditation, sound healing and collective rituals are all growing in popularity, offering moments of reflection and connection. This October, The Collective will bring together a group of women in Menorca for four days of shared experiences and ceremonies designed to nurture mind, body and community. welcometothecollective.co.uk

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PROMOTION Enjoy Marylebone Village’s first ever Wellness Weekender from 23 to 27 September

WELLNESS WEEKENDER As a new wellbeing programme lands in Marylebone Village, discover ways to reset in London’s most inviting neighbourhood

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ust a short stroll from the crowds of Oxford Street, Marylebone Village offers a different pace of London life. With its elegant Georgian streets, independent spirit and strong sense of community, the neighbourhood has long been a destination for those seeking a more considered way to spend a day in the capital. An afternoon might begin with browsing the shelves at Daunt Books, followed by lunch at Ottolenghi, a facial at Fresh, and then a stop at John Bell & Croyden, the historic pharmacy, before a dusky sauna session (or cryotherapy and infrared treatment in its specialist suites) at pioneering recovery centre REBASE. While Marylebone has earned a reputation as a retail and dining destination, it has also quietly become one of London’s most concentrated wellness hubs. Pilates studios, specialist clinics and alternative therapies sit side-by-side; in this neighbourhood, wellbeing is woven into everyday life. This September, that wellness focus takes centre-stage with the launch of Marylebone Village’s inaugural Wellness Weekender. Running from 23-27 September, the five-day programme brings together practitioners, experts and local businesses for a series of events exploring physical and mental wellbeing. At the heart of the programme are two ticketed panel discussions examining some of today’s most talked-about health topics, from understanding metabolism to finding practical ways to regulate an overstimulated nervous system. Proceeds from ticket sales will support local mental health charity, All Kind, adding a philanthropic dimension.

Visitors can discover a varied programme of complimentary experiences and workshops across the neighbourhood, too. The line-up reflects Marylebone Village’s broad wellness community, from brands that span nutrition, movement, fertility, fragrance, and more.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE WELLNESS WEEKENDER • • • •

• • •

Run clubs hosted by Sealskinz and Lululemon Treatments from Fresh exclusive to the weekend Wellbeing assessments, including nutritional advice at John Bell & Croyden Expert talks and in-store sessions exploring topics ranging from gait and foot health at PODO at Tracey Neuls to emerging wellness trends at Margaret Dabbs Yoga and breathwork classes led by Third Space, alongside introductory sessions at AMP Marylebone Fragrance consultations at Jorum Studio and moments of calm with tea tastings and sensory experiences at MUD Australia Special wellness-focused menus, seasonal dishes and cooking demos from local restaurants and cafés, including Fischers, Festok, Caldesi and Delamina

The Wellness Weekender is a chance to experience a neighbourhood where health, culture and community naturally intersect. 23-27 Sept, marylebonevillage.com

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BEAUTY & WELLBEING

HAIR RAISER

Healthy hair is not a quick fix, says Alexander Johnston. It’s a game of patience and choosing the right products

Innersense Organic Beauty has a range of non-toxic hair products for every type of lock

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LOCKS GOOD The same respect for fundamentals is reflected in the products we choose. Consumers are increasingly drawn to brands whose authority has been earned through expertise rather than marketing. Gielly Green Haircare translates decades of professional knowledge from its Marylebone salon into formulations designed to strengthen, protect he beauty industry has spent decades and support the long-term condition of the persuading us that healthy-looking hair hair. The objective is not to create the illusion is the same as healthy hair. They are of healthy hair for a day, but to improve its not. We have become remarkably good condition for years through its The One System, at disguising damage. Shine can be sprayed on; a trio of shampoo, conditioner and a mask. texture can be engineered; volume can be created, This reflects a wider change in our beauty and colour can be refreshed in an afternoon. Yet routines. Bathroom shelves – once crowded with none of these alter the condition of the hair itself. products promising a solution – are becoming Healthy hair possesses qualities that cannot more considered, built around products that convincingly be replicated for long – it reflects justify their place through performance. light with greater clarity, retains colour more Innersense Organic Beauty, a US haircare beautifully and responds to styling with an ease range formulated with certified organic and that comes only from real strength. sustainably sourced ingredients, embodies this It is a distinction that is gently reshaping philosophy. Its bestselling Hydrating Cream our understanding of luxury. For years, beauty Hairbath combines certified organic shea butter encouraged us to seek transformation. Every and tamanu oil with avocado oil to restore new launch promised repair, renewal or hydration and softness to dry or damaged hair, reinvention, inviting us to judge products by demonstrating how a carefully considered what they could achieve in a single application. formulation can earn its place in Increasingly, however, a more edited routine. we are beginning to value The same principle extends something altogether more beyond the products themselves. enduring. Across beauty, A hairbrush is one of the few wellness and fashion, the Looking after the beauty objects we use almost conversation is shifting away scalp is not another every day for many years, yet it from enhancement and towards is often chosen with surprisingly preservation. We are becoming step in a routine. little consideration. Altesse less interested in appearances It is the foundation Studio continues a tradition that can be created overnight upon which of French brushmaking and more interested in quality that values craftsmanship that reveals itself over time. every successful above convenience, creating The finest luxuries have routine is built brushes that respect the hair always required patience – fibre, stimulate the scalp consider the most admired and distribute natural oils gardens, cultivated over decades throughout the hair. They rather than seasons. Their value are designed to contribute to the long-term lies not in novelty, but in permanence. Hair condition of the hair with every use. deserves to be viewed through the same lens. Taken together, these ideas point towards The healthiest, most beautiful hair is rarely a different understanding of beauty. The the consequence of a single treatment or an beauty industry will continue to evolve – exceptional styling session. It is the cumulative new ingredients will emerge, technology effect of informed decisions, repeated will advance and trends will inevitably come consistently over time. The greatest investment and go. Yet the principles that underpin we make in our hair is not financial, but the exceptional hair remain remarkably constant. decision to stop searching for shortcuts and Healthy hair cannot be hurried, nor can begin protecting its long-term health. it be convincingly imitated. It benefits from That investment begins with the foundations. formulations developed through genuine Long before scalp health entered the beauty expertise, routines built on consistency, and lexicon, Philip Kingsley established a philosophy tools crafted to perform their task well over rooted in trichology. His approach recognised many years. Each of these brands approach hair a simple truth: every strand depends upon the from a different perspective, yet together they health of the environment from which it grows. reflect the same philosophy: exceptional hair Looking after the scalp is not another step in a begins with healthy foundations. It is cultivated; routine. It is the foundation upon which every it cannot be created. ■ successful routine is built.

Invest in quality over quantity

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GIELLY GREEN The One Shampoo, £42.

INNERSENSE ORGANIC BEAUTY Clarity Hairbath, £28.

PHILIP KINGSLEY Preserving Scalp Drops, £55.

ALTESSE STUDIO Repair Shine Brush, £395.

All available at johnbellcroyden.co.uk

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BEAUTY & WELLBEING Fighting our way out of plastic

THE NUTRITIONIST Dr Federica Amati shares simple ways we can reduce our exposure to plastics

Dr Federica Amati

Dr Federica Amati’s The Appetite Reset: How to Eat, Drink and Thrive Before, During and After GLP-1s out now (£25, Michael Joseph)

PHOTO: FASHION DIRECTOR NICOLE SMALLWOOD, PHOTOGRAPHER VIVIENNE BALLA

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he invention of plastic transformed society – but this extraordinary success comes at a cost. Since large-scale production began in the 1950s, plastic manufacturing has grown exponentially. Once you’ve manufactured it, there is no getting rid of it and its impact on human health is only growing clearer. Much of today’s research focuses on micro- and nanoplastics, tiny fragments produced as plastic breaks down. Scientists have detected these particles throughout the human body. That’s certainly unsettling, but the long-term health effects of microplastic accumulation remain uncertain. Emerging studies suggest they may interfere with the gut microbiome by disrupting the protective mucin layer lining the intestine. So far, the best evidence we have for the links between plastics and health does not relate to the plastic particles themselves, but from the chemicals added to them during manufacturing. These include plasticisers such as bisphenol A (BPA) and bisphenol S (BPS), plus a group of endocrinedisrupting phthalates. These substances can leach from packaging, food containers, cosmetics and household products, entering our bodies through food, water, air and skin contact. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are particularly concerning because they can interfere with hormone signalling. The evidence for this is strongest during the first a thousand days of life – from conception to a child’s second birthday – when we are especially sensitive to environmental exposures. Scientists have linked higher prenatal exposure to EDCs with adverse reproductive outcomes, including effects on male sexual development. This is one of the reasons I support the Plastic Free Babies campaign. The most meaningful change will come from reducing plastic production at source and strengthening regulation. That said, there are practical steps we can take too. Firstly, avoid heating food or drinks in plastic containers, as heat increases the chance chemicals will migrate into the product. Choose fresh, frozen and dried goods where possible, and reduce consumption of products packaged or stored in plastic. Whenever possible, opt for glass, stainless steel or ceramic food storage containers and reusable water bottles. It can feel overwhelming so start small and replace one thing at a time. The good news is that studies show reduced microplastic and EDC levels in the blood of people who eat mostly whole plant foods. The responsibility should not rest entirely with consumers – but while we push for stronger regulation and systemic change, reducing our personal exposure where we can is a sensible precautionary approach. ■

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D E S I G N E D F O R E V E R Y D AY

Guaranteed for life Hardware | Switches & sockets | Lighting Pimlico Road, London | Design Centre Chelsea Harbour corston.com

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Exceptionally engineered wood and leather flooring Unequalled leather, parquet and wide-plank hardwood floors delivered for discerning clients worldwide for over 30 years. Discover ‘The Benchmark’. +44 (0)20 7736 2366 • element7.co.uk LONDON • NEW YORK

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Creative Direction Formafantasma – Ph. Claudia Zalla

rubelli.com

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STEP RIGHT UP

A smorgasbord of new season design

FINDERS SEEKERS

Where designers go for inspiration

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Edited by Carole Annett

Alize hand-knotted carpet in Sea/Silke by Jennifer Manners, £1,170 per sq/m

27/08/2026 20:22

PRESENTS

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LIGHTING & FURNITURE

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ON DESIGN

EDITOR’S LETTER

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love this time of year – a busy season of launches, events and fresh thinking about how we live. In our On Design special, we’ve pulled together an edit of what to look out for, whether to buy, ponder or simply swoon over. We welcome Mark C O’Flaherty who meets the interior designers creating their own product lines (p172), a growing trend born out of the need to find something specific for a project. As Karen Howes of Howes & Landino explains, ‘Time and again we’d find ourselves searching for something that simply didn’t exist, so we’d design it ourselves’. Columnist Hatta Byng asks how interior designers find the perfect starting point for imagining each project when faced with the monumental choice now available (p178). And I’ve been sniffing out the home fragrance market, where candles and diffusers are becoming much more than an afterthought (p188). I talk to Anna Gilchrist of Floris, bespoke candlemaker Rachel Vosper and entrepreneur Reena Simon, whose collaboration with Beauty Pie is launching as we go to press. Reena was fascinated by the process behind creating a home fragrance and drew parallels between the building of layers in both architecture and perfumery, and exploring the emotional responses different aromas can evoke. Among the season’s events, please join me at Chelsea Arts Festival where I’ll be hosting a panel discussion for Cole & Son (17 September) and/or at Focus/26 at Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, which always attracts the big guns of design, including Paolo and Philip from Paolo Moschino who are part of a trio of talent Lucinda Baring caught up with for our fabric and wallpaper feature (p161). And don’t miss the new series of our House Guest podcast (out now). Enjoy and see you out there!

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EDITOR’S PICKS 1. Morris & Co. Voysey House Vol I Papyrus River panel wallpaper in Tapestry, £439/roll. wmorrisandco.com

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2. Tectona bamboo Fauteuil chair with salmon cushion, £760. tectona.co.uk 3. Willow Crossley Calendula ‘Sherbet Fizz’ seed packet, £3.20 for 150 seeds. willowcrossley.com 4. Joro Home’s Sujani sofa featuring a running stitch in a scallop pattern, £155. jorohome.co.uk

DESIGN DIARY FOCUS/26 ON DESIGN

When: 14-18 Sept. dcch.co.uk

DECOREX

When: 11-14 Oct. decorex.com

DECORATIVE FAIR

When: 29 Sept-4 Oct. decorativefair.com

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PIMPER NEL , DE SIGNED B Y W IL L I A M MOR R IS IN 18 76 . M A DE IN E NGL A ND

wmorrisandco.com @wmorrisandco

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PARK AVENUE COLLECTION

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A NEW DAWN FOR HANDCRAFTED RUGS

Introducing /sea/SILKE™ Performance silk born from reclaimed marine materials Beautifully Unexpected

LONDON | NEW YORK

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ON DESIGN

↓ COOL, CALM, COLLECTABLE

Sanderson’s signature aesthetic translated onto beautiful porcelain tiles in a new collaboration with Ca’Pietra. Tapestry Trees, berry, £216 per sq/m, Pinetum Stripe, ochre, £120 per sq/m and Rye Pink clay, £10.50 per tile. capietra.com OLD AND NEW Waterworks reimagines its Easton collection with finishes by Royal Delft. From £1,368, waterworks.com

DESIGN NOTES

↓ MODERN TAKE

Nancy and Jules of Parker and Jules designed Chintz 21 after a visit to the V&A. Fabric, £185/m, wallpaper, £225/roll. parkerandjules.com

Autumn is looking rosy, says Carole Annett ↓ TAKE A THRONE

Before Lord Herbert created David Seyfried, he had an antiques shop. His upholstered furniture sold so well it became his whole business: traditionally made sofas inspired by heritage. Rochester sofa, from £5,195. davidseyfried.com

↑ FIELD OF DREAMS

Linen, jute and space-dyed bamboo silk Prairie rug, £1,000 per sq/m. peterpage.com

RAW FEELING A new collection from de Le Cuona draws inspiration from the faded grandeur of classic European design. Rugged Revival features eight fabrics spanning virgin wool sheers, lightweight linens, velvet and textured linen jacquards. delecuona.co.uk

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E L I Z A B E T H H A R R O D & ST E V E N M C R A E , S O L O I ST & P R I N C I PA L , T H E R OYA L B A L L E T

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“LIGHTMAKERS OF DISTINCTION” 67 Farringdon Road, London EC1M 3JB, UK bertfrank.co.uk | info@bertfrank.co.uk

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Crafted in England. Defined by time. Arbor by Bert Frank

LAUNCHING NOVEMBER 2026

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ON DESIGN SHOW TIME Soft peach, terracotta and hints of brass... Discover Autumn’s motifs at Focus/26 with exhibiting brands like Casamance and Armac Martin. 14-18 Sept, dcch.co.uk

LIGHT FANTASTIC →

Sablier pendant in brushed brass, £1,560. bertfrank.co.uk

↑ CLASSIC GOOD LOOKS

Bourton damask wallpaper in rose, £125/ roll by Nina Campbell at Osborne & Little. osborneandlittle.com

FULL THROTTLE American designer Kelly Wearstler’s new collection with H&M spans fashion and home. Noxen chair, £229.99.

↓ RIDE THE WAVE

Wavelet from Cole & Son’s new Formation collection, £275/roll, in colourways sierra, olive and marigold inside the joinery, and seafoam, ginger and oat. cole-and-son.com

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↑ DREAMY

OKA joins forces with Cotswolds-based print and fabric manufacturer Lewis & Wood for a pattern-full upholstered bedroom collection, from £195. oka.com

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FOR THOSE who know

Framing Perfect Symmetry. Introducing the Gaggenau Expressive series. The difference is Gaggenau Experience it

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carpets

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COLLECTION

Obeetee Showroom | Third Floor, South Dome | Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour | London SW10 0XE +44 (0)20 3535 6253 | london@obeetee.com | obeetee.uk | @obeetee_london

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JULIAN CHICHESTER

JULIANCHICHESTER.COM london | new york | high poinT CHAGAL CHAIR Distressed Walnut AGOSTINO MIRROR Aged Brass

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ON DESIGN

HIT REFRESH For a library, Paolo Moschino and Philip Vergeylen would commission bespoke bookshelves inspired by Cole

Design luminaries share three imagined new schemes featuring fabric and wallpaper favourites and go-to hero pieces

Porter’s New York library, which was designed by Billy Baldwin in the 1950s This image was generated by AI

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ON DESIGN ← WALLPAPER

There’s a tactility and glamour to this textured wallcovering. It’s neutral in colour but the patina of the leather and detail of the stitching adds that layered feel – plus it’s brilliant for the acoustics of a room. Arte Paladin wallcovering in aged cedar, £569/m. arte-international.com

← PAINT

The softness of the blue across the ceiling lifts and freshens the space. Argile Celeste paint, from £30.40/0.75l. argile-peinture.com

→ CURTAINS The curtains would be a strong focal point: the palette of this brand new fabric is relatively muted, but it brings drama and that punch of pattern. I love that it takes influence from traditional Indonesian weaving techniques. Casamance Tali fabric in kaki and lie de vin, £121/m. casamance.com

SMALL WONDER Alex Dauley draws on earthy colours for a layered and luxurious snug ← OTTOMAN

If Casamance injects the glamour, Mark Alexander grounds the space and stops it feeling too Las Vegas. I would use this striped pattern on an ottoman, and have some small pouffes and throws made in a plain fabric with a fringe. These fabrics are versatile and feel natural. Mark Alexander Peruvian Stripe fabric in desert palm, £208/m, and Pallay fabric in parchment, £216/m. markalexander.com

↑ CABINET

Mexican artist Héctor Esrawe's cabinet is a piece of art: sophisticated, glamorous, textured, timeless. Héctor Esrawe limited edition Gear cabinet, €122,000. objectswithnarratives.com

↓ SOFA

Architectural but with soft edges, this is a great alternative to the curved sofas that have been popular in recent years. British creativity at its finest. Sedilia Pylon sofa, £POA. sedilia.com

PHOTOS: TOM ST AUBYN

→ WALL LIGHTS Porta Romana has the most amazing wall lights. These steel plates were a huge inspiration for the WOW!house floor lamp I designed with the Porta Romana team. Brutalist design coupled with handprinted precision – a perfect combination. Porta Romana wall light in mayan gold, £2,514. portaromana.com

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ON DESIGN ← WALLPAPER

This adds an architectural quality and depth to a room. It is part of our new Mongiardino Boiserie collection with San Patrignano, designed to appear like wood panelling and inspired by Renzo Mongiardino. Paolo Moschino Rovere wallpaper, £130/roll. paolomoschino.com

← PAINT

We love Not Totally White by Papers and Paints (£POA, papersandpaints. co.uk), which is the perfect off-white. For something warmer, Bath Stone by Little Greene (from £31/litre, littlegreene.com) would also work beautifully in this room.

→ CURTAINS For full-length curtains we’d use our Brussels fabric in oyster (£117/m) layered with Roman blinds in James Hare’s Lismore sheer linen in natural (£74/m, james-hare.com) to add softness and texture.

↑ ARTWORKS

We work with the Tristan Hoare, Adrian Sassoon and David Aron galleries in London, as well as visiting Paul Bert Serpette and Galerie Chenel in Paris. Crouching Venus statue from late first to early second century, £385,000. davidaaron.com

Paolo Moschino (left) and Philip Vergeylen

BOOK SMART ↑ RUG

We would create a bespoke design inspired by, say, the cover of an antique book, but if we were buying one, we would look at Luke Irwin or Woven – both also have excellent selections of antique pieces. Ikat 10 handknotted Persian wool rug, £POA. lukeirwin.com

Paolo Moschino’s library is warmed with tobacco, camel and natural linen tones

← LIGHTING Jamb (jamb.co.uk) has a wide range of chandeliers; we’d also add our Philip table lamp (£2,425) and wall lights (from £460) for evening glow.

← CUSHIONS

For scatter cushions, we’d go for this Schumacher fabric with a trim, adding a strong graphic and some small black accents to sharpen the scheme. Schumacher Bristol épinglé fabric in noir, £248/m. schumacher.co.uk

↑ COFFEE TABLE

Pimlico Road’s 88 Gallery always has a great selection of (mostly) 20th-century design. Ado Chale Goutte d’Eau cast bronze and black metal coffee table, £37,000. 88-gallery.com

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ON DESIGN ← HEADBOARD

This fabric is the heart of the scheme. I love Décors Barbares because the patterns are beautifully timeless, full of character, and the vibrant palette gives them a freshness that feels very current. Décors Barbares Elsa cotton fabric, £535/m. tissusdhelene.co.uk

← WOODWORK COLOUR

I love this earthy mid-blue – it balances the warmth of the raffia wall covering. Atelier Ellis Stilling natural paint, from £32/ litre. atelierellis.co.uk

→ FOUR POSTER

CURTAINS This small-scale print picks up the ruby tones in the larger-scale floral, creating a layered look that still feels restful. Studio Supple Kasuri Kei cotton-hemp fabric in pomegranate, £156/m. studiosupple.com

↑ ANTIQUE BOOKCASE Books are an essential part of any bedroom for me. They immediately bring character and make a room feel collected rather than decorated. This painted bookcase adds another lovely layer of craftsmanship. 19th-century bookcase, £3,450. deanantiques.co.uk

SLEEPING BEAUTY ↑ FOUR POSTER BED A beautifully made piece and the focal point of the room that will stand the test of time. Max Rollitt Bespoke New Gloucester bed, from £13,791. maxrollitt.com

Lonika Chande conjures a calming bedroom with pops of character

CURTAIN FABRIC → This Rose Uniacke wool has a lovely drape, and I would layer it with a sheer linen to gently filter the light, giving the room a soft atmospheric quality. Rose Uniacke wool in charbon, £200/m, and sheer linen fabric in parchment, £167/m. roseuniacke.com

THOMAS CHAIR → A comfortable chair is one of the most useful pieces of furniture in a bedroom. I love this vibrant ochre colour as well as the chair’s beautifully painted legs and handwrapped Dorset buttons – details like these bring me so much joy. Max Rollitt Bespoke Thomas chair, from £8,950. maxrollitt.com

↑ WALLS I’d choose a raffia wall covering here because it brings warmth and texture in an understated way, creating a calm and enveloping feel. Phillip Jeffries Island Raffia wallcovering in San Marino beige, £POA. phillipjeffries.com

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T H E D E C O R AT I V E F A I R B AT T E R S E A P A R K , L O N D O N

AU T U M N 29 September to 4 October 2026

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ON DESIGN

Sam Buckley x CC-Tapis DiscoRectangle Maxi rug, £9,650; and DiscoRunner (right), £4,500

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GO YOUR OWN WAY Savvy interior designers are launching their own beautifully crafted collections, says Mark C. O’Flaherty

PHOTOS: STUDIO SAM BUCKLEY

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ften, it’s a simple rug that’s the gateway drug. Designers spend years forging a business with bespoke product for one-off projects – then they prototype something for retail, it sells, and the business grows. Sam Buckley, known for his brilliantly colourful post-modern projects, discovered this recently with his DiscoRectangle collection with CC-Tapis. Similarly, Christian Bense worked with 16Ten three years ago for the Henge rug – with graphic stone formations in the weave – ahead of a standalone product collection currently in the pipeline. Tim Gosling’s first foray into his own range was an Art Deco-inspired collection, created with the Rug Company way back in 2013. He went on to expand with the Regency-style furniture of his Gosling collection, including the Bibliotek chair, inspired by Danish open-framed armchairs. There’s also his Restoration Chateau paint range for Graphenstone, developed for Gosling’s own ongoing 50-room château project in Normandy. His horizons carry on expanding but remain firmly rooted in his established style, reinforcing his signature with his clients and safeguarding his business. ‘I’ve always created bespoke furniture,’ he says, ‘but creating “demibespoke” pieces allows us to weather the ups and downs of the global markets.’ Across the Atlantic, powerhouse designers George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg began with their Grid collection of rugs, made with Warp & Weft and inspired by urban topography. Fastforward to this year and the duo launched a new range of products at Salone – including the vast, stage-like Lanai bed with Poliform, which is ‘intended’, they say, ‘to reinvent the bedroom as an environment rather than a single-purpose space’. It certainly does, in showy, retro-glam,

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ON DESIGN

Launching a full collection conjures an incredible room set to bring a designer’s vision to life. A rug is one thing, but what you put on and around it tells the story

Halston-like fashion. It’s an example of the ambition of many designers, essentially moving from couture into ready-to-wear. Launching a full collection in one go conjures an incredible room set to bring a designer’s vision to life. A rug is one thing, but what you put on and around it tells the story. In 2023 Bryan O’Sullivan, best known for his work with Claridge’s, unveiled 42 products, including the Jellyfish mirror – reminiscent of Ettore Sottsass at his most Hollywood – and the tubby soft folds of the Croissant sofa. Today there are 75 pieces; the bubble-like Barbican pendant in a range of colours is the latest. O’Sullivan lives in one of the towers of London’s iconic brutalist estate with his husband, the studio’s commercial director, James O’Neill. ‘Lighting is our bestselling category,’ says James. ‘But the Spring chair is our most popular piece.’ Martin Kemp launched the first products from his new furniture range, From the Avenue, at WOW!house earlier this year. The Parlour featured 30 pieces, and Kemp plans to create a catalogue of over 500 in the future. ‘The ambition is to establish a standalone brand,’ he says. The Arizona armchair, with ingeniously shaped elements inspired by desert rock formations and upholstered in lush purple jacquard with floral and bird motifs, is a manifesto of sorts. ‘This is a retail brand operating at couture-like levels,’ says Kemp, who also wants to invite guest designers to work with From the Avenue in future, positioning himself as a master manufacturer as well as designer. New releases from Sister by Studio Ashby – launched by Sophie Ashby in 2020 as a sibling entity to the practice she founded in 2014 – include The Felix lamp, comprising a sculpted,

solid brass column with a weathered patina and a Dupion silk shade that gives a soft glow. Howes & Landino is another sibling brand, launched in 2024 by Taylor Howes founders Karen Howes and Jane Landino. ‘Time and again we’d find ourselves searching for something that simply didn’t exist,’ says Howes. ‘So we’d design it ourselves. This year, we’re expanding with bespoke mirrors in collaboration with Patrick Ireland, sculptural artworks with Locker & Riley, and a new range of in-house accessories.’ Fabrics represent key areas for designers to grow into – after all, it’s easier to distil your DNA into a graphic than a suite of furniture. Mary Graham and Nicole Salvesen first brought their classic and ornate future heritage aesthetic to a broader market in 2016, with a David Seyfried chair they upholstered. There’s now a full range of brightly coloured, checked furniture, often Georgian in silhouette and proportions. The duo’s latest release, The Collection by Salvesen Graham, is a range of fabrics and wallpapers inspired by 18th-century European archive designs. ‘We think of it as a designer’s toolkit: an edit of patterns, plains and textures that are designed to layer effortlessly together.’ Guy Goodfellow also looked back to the 18th century for his new Fresco Flower fabrics and wallpapers, inspired by the dappled and worn imagery from an archival French document. These are florals with nuance that will age beautifully. Tiling is another strong area for interior designers to put their stamp on. Sims Hilditch has been working with Marlborough Tiles for years and recently added new colourways to the White Hart collection – a series of handpainted Delft ceramics with tulip, strawberry, oak leaf and mistletoe motifs – which first appeared last year. While a full interiors commission can take months or years to complete, once designed and manufactured, product can provide a solid income for designers. On the flip side,

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FROM TOP: The Collection by Salvesen Graham includes the Constance fabric, £160 per metre, and wallpaper, £210 per roll; Beata Heuman’s bestselling Dodo Egg lantern, £1,860; the Croissant sofa, £26,400, features in Bryan O’Sullivan’s growing inventory

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ON DESIGN

For some designers, their own-brand collections have eclipsed the rest of their business

FROM TOP: The Felix floor lamp, £6,650, with Ivo armchairs and sofa, Gem rug, Cowrie coffee table and Potto footstool, from £2,550, all Sister by Studio Ashby; Tim Gosling’s Regency-style Bibliotek chair, £6,494

PHOTOS: MILO HUTCHINGS

a Katharine Pooley interior could cost a king’s ransom, but the picture frames, trays, tissue boxes and backgammon sets from her new British Isles collection represent entry level designs. This isn’t ‘merch’ though; you’re paying over £2,000 to roll the dice on that backgammon board – it’s a future heirloom. For some designers, their own-brand collections have eclipsed the rest of their business. Around 80 percent of Beata Heuman’s turnover is now product, which continues to grow, allowing her to pick and choose her interiors clients. ‘Beata’s book, Every Room Should Sing, came out in 2021 and our furniture sales rocketed overnight’, says John Finlay, managing director and Heuman’s husband. ‘That year, product made up over half of our revenue.’ Yes, there’s a rug in Heuman’s inventory – the Gurli floral design, named after the couple’s eldest daughter and inspired by a rug hanging on the wall of Heuman’s childhood home – but her bestselling item is the £1,860 Dodo Egg lantern, a clear glass pendant with a brass plumage flourish. It’s off the peg but looks one of a kind. It shows the hand of a brilliant interior designer, both in terms of talent and business nous. ■

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ON DESIGN

LOOK SMART Faced with a million choices of paint, pattern and texture, where do we begin a decorating project, asks Hatta Byng

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friend called me a few weeks ago panicking about redecorating a spare bedroom. ‘I can’t even work out what paint colour to go with’ was her worry – something I suspect many of us identify with. We have a wealth of imagery to draw upon, along with endless paint charts, wallpaper samples and fabric options, but the abundance only serves to complicate things. How do designers find and use inspiration to create rooms in which people genuinely want to linger? Tom Bartlett, founder and director of Waldo Works, tells me that setting a narrative for a project – particularly a new build with a blank-ish canvas – creates a logic for the design process. ‘That narrative governs every decision going forward. The four million choices you could have made are now narrowed down to more like four.’ For a recent apartment overlooking the harbour in Hong Kong, it was the junk boats and their rusty-coloured sails that became the starting point. At the Kilchoan Estate, a group of five cottages to rent in Knoydart in western Scotland, it was the idea of seeing the glowing welcome of a pub at night from across the heather that was the guiding story. This led Bartlett to use yellow-tinted glass for the screen behind the bar, following Sir John Soane’s technique of using glass to manipulate light. The choice of yellow also nods to the colours of whisky, peaty water and Highland cattle. ‘I ask clients to tell me about one object they particularly love,’ says designer Tolu Adè. kÓ. . ‘It could be a family photo or a piece of jewellery. If you can begin from something that is already loved, it provides a starting point from which to build. If it’s a piece of art we can draw from the colours, but it could also be the period of art or the life of the artist that provides the cue from which we work.’ When Remy Renzullo is stuck, he makes himself put down his pencil and close his laptop. ‘Even just walking down the street can result in spotting an arch that provides the solution to a shower opening.’ Travel is vital to him; when he lived in New York, he made sure he got to the Met once a week.

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‘I ask clients to tell me about one object they particularly love. It could be a family photo or a piece of jewellery. If you can begin from something that is already loved, it provides a starting point from which to build’ Tolu Adè.kó.

FROM LEFT: Tom Bartlett’s use of yellow glass at the Kilchoan Estate was based on a technique by Sir John Soane; Remy Renzullo takes inspiration from all over, including – for this bathroom – the Ca’ d’Oro in Venice

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ON DESIGN

Joanna Plant looks to history’s great interior designers to inform her furniture layouts, ensuring the rooms she creates are comfortable and inviting

‘I can be flicking through photos taken five years earlier and find a corbel or a wall treatment perfect for a project I’m working on,’ Renzullo says. When he first set out as a decorator, a visit to Nymphenburg Palace became the basis of a trompe l’oeil scheme in a New York dining room; it wasn’t the grand state rooms that inspired, but a thin green line painted on ageing panelling in a small antechamber. ‘Physically visiting a place lets you notice the smaller moments you wouldn’t find in a book.’ Renzullo never agonises about copying, as any inspiration will always be filtered through his eye. Joanna Plant doesn’t worry too much about borrowing from past designers, either. Her library of reference books – particularly the Colefax titles – is a constant resource. ‘Roger Banks Pye’s Inspirational Interiors is full of heavenly ideas,’ she says. Geoffrey Bennison:

Master Decorator by Gillian Newberry is also a constant source. ‘But it is not the obvious things I’m looking at. Often it’s the furniture layouts I learn from.’ These great decorators were adept at creating wonderfully inviting rooms. ‘I’m looking at the different seating areas, the amount of chairs and tables, the depth of a sofa, the height of a side table.’ Plant remembers being struck by how much furniture Mark Birley had in his drawing room and how brilliant it felt, with chairs in all the places you need. More than anything, she is trying to capture the feeling of a room she has seen. On her laptop is a folder entitled ‘Good Houses’. ‘We are endlessly bombarded by images, but a single picture doesn’t tell the full story. I want to make cohesive houses, to look at the whole place and see the entire idea.’ When decorating my own Regency home in Yorkshire, it was two books – Mlinaric on Decorating and The Interiors of Chester Jones – that I returned to often and, like Plant, for a feeling rather than individual detail. In particular, I admire the restraint of David Mlinaric’s own houses, which brings a subtle modernity to an old house and the softness of his colour palette. By contrast, Philip Hooper, managing director at Sibyl Colefax and John Fowler, cites the daringness of Pauline de Rothschild’s renowned Albany set in Piccadilly as an early revelation. Its painted floors, cut-edge silk curtains and meticulous detailing showed him that decoration was about far more than assembling a scheme. For him, the intellectual stimulation of what makes a room exciting – understanding the ‘science’ of how it is put together – is the thrill. His constant reference is Mario Praz’s An Illustrated History of Interior Decoration, alongside 1930s issues of Country Life. ‘The scholarship that comes from a lifetime of looking ensures every decision makes sense,’ he says. He still travels with a sketchbook. ‘Drawing makes you analyse what you’re looking at.’ All of this may sound rather highminded for someone choosing paint and curtains for a spare bedroom. But these designers show that visual confidence comes from paying attention: noticing why a friend’s sitting room works, looking closely at a Venetian palazzo, or simply asking, as Adè. kÓ. suggests, why it is you love a particular object. The more you look, the easier it becomes to edit the endless choices before you and to create rooms that are comfortable, inviting and subtly original. ■

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FROM LEFT: One of 12 East Hampton; interior designer David Netto and owner Sarah Wetenhall; a scene from the handpainted de Gournay wallpaper in the sitting room

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bedrooms at The Hedges in

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ON DESIGN

LOWERING THE HEDGES Lucinda Baring takes a first look at The Hedges, an East Hampton inn with a singularly British sensibility

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PHOTOS: GLEN ALLSOP

alking into The Hedges – the 12-bedroom, white-clapboard inn in East Hampton village – is like arriving at a beloved aunt’s beautiful home, or a glamorous godparent’s, who has invited you to stay for the summer. It’s the kind of place you rigorously brush the sand off your feet before being handed a glass of rosé and sinking into a fabulously deep sofa. ‘I wanted it to feel like it belonged to a wonderful, well-connected old East Hampton family,’ says The Hedges owner Sarah Wetenhall. ‘Not straight Americana, but layered with things collected from their world travels.’ An outsider simply wouldn’t do. ‘I was looking for East Hampton’s son or daughter. David [Netto] is a New York City kid but he grew up coming out here. He got it from day one.’ Netto’s characteristic irreverence also worked for Wetenhall: ‘He’s cheeky and that’s perfect for us. We wanted joy to come through in the design.’ For Netto, the goal was to conjure something different from the typical

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ON DESIGN

‘I said to Sarah, “I want to give you 5 Hertford Street at the beach”’ David Netto

– lazy even – Hamptons look. ‘The trend here is to create an upscale West Elm aesthetic: all white, sometimes Spartan.’ He wanted something more opulent and eclectic, to invent the patina of history. ‘London is so good at combining humility with being fancy. An English country house can be Adamsian and Georgian in scale, yet it shows what comfort really looks and feels like. I said to Sarah: “I want to give you 5 Hertford Street at the beach.”’ Netto, a self-confessed design nerd, cites his influences as Mark Birley, Ralph Lauren, Jed Johnson (Andy Warhol’s lover; ‘the guy who, in the 1970s, made Americana hip’), and Billy Baldwin, who decorated the JFK White House as well as the homes of Babe Paley, Greta Garbo, Jackie Onassis and many others. ‘Johnson designed Twin Farms in Vermont, which is like Blake’s in London in that it blew up everyone’s perception of what a hotel could be.’ It inspired the wingback chair in the library at The Hedges – one of Wetenhall’s favourite pieces, upholstered in quilts. ‘It’s Americana but in an unexpected way.’ The intimacy of the entrance sitting room (‘we’re not calling it a lobby,’ says Netto) with its marquetry wallpaper and tiled fireplace is a nod to Renzo Mongiardino’s gallery room at The Carlyle. ‘The Gallery is one of the great

public rooms in New York, despite its small size. I wanted there to be something here for everybody, from the fancy European to my mother’s old tennis buddies who come to the inn for dinner. They too need to feel seen, and not find The Hedges alien and flashy.’ So personal is this project that Netto has lent The Hedges a painting by his godfather, the renowned textile artist Alan Campbell, who made geometric batik fabrics in his bathtub. ‘He was my mother and father’s oldest friend and made that painting in 1970 as a gift for their new house in East Hampton. It hung in our kitchen for 40 years.’ When Wetenhall and Netto began readying The Hedges for photos, he offered the painting. ‘Decorating is all about giving, not taking,’ he says, ‘just like real love. I could stash beautiful things in my apartment but it’s a lot more fun for everybody to look at them together.’ The sitting room is covered wall to wall in handpainted de Gournay wallpaper that is Wetenhall’s personal canvas, featuring her beloved King Charles spaniels, her husband’s East Hampton family home, the ultra-exclusive Maidstone Club, and The Hedges’ pink parasols at the beach. ‘The happiest outcome of this inn is that all our dare-devilly things have worked,’ says Netto, who admits it’s harder taking risks with a commercial project.

The library, with a painting by Netto’s godfather Alan Campbell and Wetenhall’s favourite quilt-covered wingback chair

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ON DESIGN FROM TOP: The entrance area is inspired by Renzo Mongiardino’s gallery room at The Carlyle hotel; the bespoke de Gournay wallpaper depicts personal East Hampton scenes

‘David’s design happy place is in the friction – between old and new, or colours you don’t expect to go together. That’s one of the key things that makes him so successful’ Sarah Wetenhall

On Wetenhall’s part, Netto pushed her out of her comfort zone. ‘David’s design happy place is in the friction – between old and new, or colours you don’t expect to go together. That’s the beauty of David’s designs and one of the key things that makes him so successful. But I’m a Virgo. I crave consistency and a sense of order. Going forwards, I’m going to respect the friction and try to embrace it, instead of following my natural inclination of like, “every throw pillow needs to look the same”.’ Netto sees this as a key string to any interior designer’s bow. ‘You throw down unfamiliar ideas. Sarah was very quick to say yes.’ He started building a cache of art and curios for the inn, assembling a humble nautical Maine aesthetic, starting with a big painting of a fish and vintage $5 lobster receipts. His biggest trawls came from Downeast Art and Antique Show in Maine, Brimfield Antique Flea Market in Massachusetts and The Decorative Antiques and Textiles Fair in Battersea, where he bought maps, a beautiful shark painted on tiles, and lots of anonymous 1950s-style paintings in the style of Léger and Picasso. He also found a trove of newspaper clippings and old photos at the East Hampton Historical Society, inspired by pictures he’d seen at Mark’s Club. For all the character and adventure at The Hedges, its bedrooms have the clean, airy quality you want in a seaside hotel. There are two styles of bathroom: traditional ones with vibrant tiles and Victorian-style washstands, and ones with white tiles and wooden panelling. ‘The bathrooms here before were so depressing. I thought, “What’s the smallest room you don’t mind being in?” To me, that’s a sauna. So I made them like a Swiss spa.’ Like Palm Beach – where Wetenhall and her husband bought The Colony, the iconic pink hotel that had once belonged to her husband’s father – East Hampton can be difficult to penetrate if you’re not local. ‘So we lower the hedges and translate some of the language that may be difficult for someone who’s never been here before.’ Both hotels offer a Wednesday afternoon event series; for me, a firsttimer to the Hamptons, this was a painting class in the garden (with wine) led by de Gournay. Here I met two local women who invited me to lunch at The Maidstone, where I heard Katie Couric and Christy Turlington in conversation. ‘My favourite Instagram comment when we launched was from a designer I respect, who said: “Love it! Just pretentious enough.” For me, that was the 5 Hertford thing delivered,’ says Netto. I counter that The Hedges to me (a Brit) feels characterful and cosseting but not in the slightest pretentious. He clarifies: ‘I think I mean it’s like an Italian palazzo in terms of service and how it’s appointed, but within a little wooden house in East Hampton.’ ■ Doubles from $474, thehedgeseasthampton.com

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THE INVISIBLE LAYER Memorable homes engage every sense, not just the eye. Carole Annett finds fragrance has become an essential component of a designer’s toolkit

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ON DESIGN

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beautifully designed home is never defined just by what we see. The glow of candlelight, the faint aroma of timber and linen, fresh flowers, a trail of perfume – these all contribute to creating atmosphere. Fragrance has an extraordinary ability to alter how a room feels. Perfuming interiors is nothing new. In the Victorian era, Floris London sold scented powder for putting into drawers and a vaporiser sprinkled with concentrated essence, designed to sit on electric lightbulbs; scented candles were first introduced in the 1950s. ‘There’s a reason candles became such a successful gift,’ says Anna Gilchrist, a perfumer at Floris London. ‘You don’t have to know someone intimately because the ‘Perfumers constantly describe fragrance is not worn on the skin.’ fragrance using visual or tactile Much of the work of interior designers language: we might say a perfume feels is about creating layers rather than a single bold statement, and fragrance flat, sharp or soft. Interior designers works in much the same way. ‘It’s only instinctively do exactly the same thing’ relatively recently that we’ve embraced the idea that scenting a space can Anna Gilchrist, Floris London

FROM TOP LEFT: Anna Gilchrist, perfumer at Floris London, feels fragrance should not dominate a room; the brand’s Hyacinth & Bluebell room spray delivers understated freshness; interior designer Laura Stephens has collaborated on a collection with Connock

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ON DESIGN

genuinely change our mood and the way we experience a room,’ says Gilchrist. She draws parallels with synaesthesia, the harmless neurological condition in which one sense involuntarily triggers another. ‘Musicians often have it,’ she says. ‘It makes it easier to compose as they see shapes along with sound. Perfumers constantly describe fragrance using visual or tactile language: we might say a perfume feels flat, sharp or soft. Interior designers instinctively do exactly the same thing.’ For the home, restraint is everything. ‘You don’t want a complicated fragrance dominating a room,’ she suggests. ‘It should be like background music.’ At Floris London’s Jermyn Street HQ, Hyacinth and Bluebell scents the upstairs bathroom. Gilchrist likes its understated freshness. ‘It’s a recognisable spring scent,’ she says, ‘but crucially, particularly if you’ve grown up in England, it avoids that overpowering lily-of-the-valley, which was quite often appallingly done and seemed to dominate hotel bathrooms for decades. I think it’s lovely to have a fresh white floral that isn’t over-sickly.’ Interior designer Laura Stephens agrees. ‘We spend so much time thinking about colour, texture and lighting, but the way a home smells has just as much impact on how it feels.’ Stephens has collaborated with Connock on

a candle, its notes inspired by the English countryside. ‘I almost always light a candle before a client walks into a finished project. There’s something lovely about that first impression, before they’ve really taken in the furniture or the decorating: they’re greeted by a soft fragrance that makes the space feel calm and inviting. It’s those details that elevate a house into a home.’ For Reena Simon, founder of lifestyle brand The Intentional Home, fragrance sits at the heart of how we experience daily life. Her philosophy is built around creating homes that support rituals rather than simply storing possessions, a thinking that informed her recent candle collaboration with Beauty Pie. ‘Scent is powerful because it makes you feel something physically,’ she says. Rather than designing fragrances around decorating styles, Simon begins with emotion. ‘We might all like different interiors, from cottagecore to Scandinavian, but we all share similar feelings at different moments in the day.’ Her morning fragrance is designed to energise and uplift, while the evening candle encourages calm and slow-down. Another, Time Well Spent, captures what she describes as ‘that golden-hour feeling’, blending plum, nutmeg oil and edible notes that evoke comfort and familiarity. ‘Even seeing the candle makes me feel calmer,’ she laughs. ‘My children might be running around and the house in chaos, but it’s about creating a backdrop for how you want to ‘Perfume is feel.’ Working with perfumers architectural. revealed unexpected similarities Perfumers build to renovating her home. ‘I realised perfume is in layers, and start incredibly architectural,’ she with the essential explains. ‘Perfumers build building blocks in layers, and start with the essential building blocks before adding before adding decoration. decoration’ With fragrance, there’s the Reena Simon top notes, heart notes and base notes. The top disappears quickly, so it’s really what sits in the middle and underneath that gives a fragrance its character.’ That idea of invisible architecture resonates with candle-maker Rachel Vosper, whose eponymous brand – based in Belgravia – began with an unexpected encounter on a beach in Barbados in 1994. ‘I met a candle-maker by chance and visited her studio the following

PHOTOS: HAUS OF HYDE

Reena Simon, founder of The Intentional Home, has launched a candle collection with Beauty Pie; her Time Well Spent candle, £65

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ON DESIGN

MAKING SCENTS

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day,’ she says. ‘I fell in love with the process from that very first pour.’ Today, Rachel Vosper candles are handcrafted using that same artisanal philosophy, creating layers designed to complement a room. Every candle begins with a story – a memory, place or conversation. ‘Creating is never rushed. We work closely with perfumers, editing and refining until it tells the right story and evokes genuine emotion.’ Understanding how fragrance behaves within a room is important. ‘I always like to think diffusers are your foundation, they work quietly 24/7 in background spaces like hallways, cloakrooms and bathrooms, creating that welcoming first impression,’ Vosper continues. London-based interior designer Alice Leigh also loves a diffuser – ‘it’s a lovely way to set the tone and create a welcome’ – citing Dr Vranjes Green Flowers as a favourite, and for a budget option, ‘Zara Home’s Basilicum is unbeatable’. But for Vosper, candles are the main event. ‘Lighting one is a ritual: you get the fragrance, but also the dynamic light, warmth and atmosphere.’ Just as colour can visually alter the proportions of a room, fragrance can subtly reshape how a space is perceived. ‘Woody and spicy notes make large rooms feel more

intimate,’ Vosper explains. ‘Citrus and green florals create a sense of openness and freshness. Amber, soft spices or leather give you that instant, comforting, “I’m home” feeling.’ At Vosper’s Kinnerton Street atelier, fragrance reaches couture level through a refill service launched three decades ago. Clients return empty vessels, from the brand’s own glassware to treasured porcelain heirlooms and antique containers, to be refilled with fresh wax. ‘We breathe new life into them. It balances heritage with innovation, keeping our products timeless with low impact environmentally.’ When it comes to choosing a candle, Vosper believes instinct matters more than trend. ‘Often the first thing that attracts a client is their eyes, as they are initially drawn to the beauty and craftsmanship of a vessel. Then its their nose, as they explore our scent library, letting olfactory instinct take over. But ultimately I think people buy candles with their heart, choosing a scent that triggers a cherished memory or feels deeply personal.’ Perhaps that’s why we all love a scented candle, for its ability to stir emotions and create an ambience. It’s that final invisible layer, the ultimate finishing touch. ■

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ON DESIGN

HOUSE GUEST Pauline Dellemotte and Églantine Sicat of Franco-British Uncanny Studio on dividing and conquering the design world

How did you meet?

ES: At a friend’s dinner. At the time I was starting to put a foot in the hospitality world with my company Maison Auguste, working for Locke Hotels. Pauline’s East London architecture practice was featured on its website and I realised we were working for the same client at different ends of the business. I called our mutual friend and she put us in touch. It made sense to blend our two companies to become Uncanny Studio.

How do you design together?

ES: We are complementary. We take the brief and create a narrative. Pauline holds the project together from beginning to end. I come in to try and define who the client is and their personality. Pauline does the layout, the flow, and then I come back and say, ‘What do we do about materiality? How do we feel? Do we have that wow effect?’ We keep layering the story until we deliver.

Why is art so integral to Uncanny?

PD: We both studied in Paris. I studied architecture in a school which partners with Fine Arts so I’ve always had an artistic and conceptual approach, and Églantine studied art at the Art Decorative. We are both very curious and love going to galleries, and Églantine likes giving unknown artists the opportunity to work in our projects.

How does working from two cities shape a project’s identity?

ES: Our heritage is French – a love for beauty, craftsmanship, savoir faire – and we try to bring that to the UK. On the other side, the UK offers an amazing platform for upcoming artists and creativity. Client-wise, the French can be challenging and stressful. English clients are more adventurous: most of the time they say, ‘Go for it’.

FROM TOP: A bedroom at the Ember Locke hotel in Kensington; Uncanny Studio co-founders Pauline Dellemotte and Églantine Sicat; their Primrose Penthouse project in an art deco buidling overlooking Regent’s Park

ES: There are things that I like that Pauline doesn’t. For example: stripes. PD: And I have a lot of difficulty with lilac or purple. If we disagree strongly, then we pause because we need to find out why. So far, we have always found a solution we are happy to present to the client. We are both strong characters, a Virgo and a Scorpio; fire and water. But we always go back to the story we want to tell. And we trust each other. It’s good to change your mind; taste evolves, we evolve. It’s normal to grow and not to be stuck in a certain mindset. I’ll get there with the stripes. ■ For the full interview, listen to C&TH’s interiors podcast House Guest, hosted by Carole Annett and on all major platforms

PHOTOS: KENSINGTON LEVERNE

Do you ever disagree?

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ON DESIGN

Nick Wiltshire Amelia Brooks

Nicky

and Katie Glaister

Mudie

Philippa Thorp, Tim Gosling and Eloise Evans Lucy Cleland, Michal Silver and

Kit

Emma Redmayne

Kemp Carole Annett and Brigitta Spinocchia Freund

FULL MARK’S

Henry Prideaux

Nicola and

and Jonathan Abbott

Christopher Cox

C&TH salutes standout British interior design Amber Meyer, Katy Law and Andrew Cotgrove

Tatiana Kharchylava Jeremy Isaac and Emma Finch

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uminaries of the interior design world gathered at Mark’s Club in Mayfair one sultry evening in July for the launch of our annual Country & Town House Interiors book. Over 100 guests rubbed shoulders in the drawing room and on the conservatory terrace, the jubilant conversation fuelled by flutes of ice-cold Nyetimber English sparkling wine. We toasted our award winners – Claire German (for community), Martin Kemp (innovation) and Obeetee (responsibility), who were presented with bespoke Lladro lamps – alongside our 50 Finest Interior Designers and Ten Titans of Design 2026. It was in every sense a fitting and convivial celebration of the incredible talent shaping British interiors. ■

Bunny Pip Holmes, Cindy Leveson

Turner

and John Leveson

Jessica Lalu Christiana Kehrer, Romanos Brihi and Caroline Andrew

Iain Niven, Katie White and Sarah Stagg

Guy Goodfellow

Paolo Moschino and Philip Vergeylen

Henriette von Stockhausen, Christophe Carpente,

Lucinda

Randle Siddeley, Brian Woulfe, Alidad and Joanna Wood

Baring

PHOTOS:JAMES MASON

Carole Annett and Claire German

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Bringing bespoke rugs to life | avalonbyloomah.com | 592 Kings Road, London SW6 2DX

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PROPERTY SQUARE UP Mimicking the Italian piazza, homes with access to London’s garden squares are supremely sought after, says Anna Tyzack

The highest recorded sale on a London garden square was a penthouse on Mayfair’s Grosvenor Square, which sold for £110.9m in 2020

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PROPERTY

FROM TOP LEFT: Grosvenor Square recently reopened after a £25m investment to make it more climate resilient; a drawing of Leicester Square from 1731, featured in Todd Longstaffe-Gowan’s book The London Square; Norland Square in Notting Hill has a playground and a tennis court

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t’s not the impressive ceiling heights or enormous sash windows that draw buyers to properties on Norland Square in Notting Hill. It’s the key fob access to a private garden with a playground and a tennis court. Garden squares are more desirable than ever, according to Martyn Green, co-founder of Landstones estate agency in west London, even in the current market. ‘There is a finite number of homes on them and access to communal green space gives them an X factor,’ he says. ‘If you want a property on a certain square, you have to join the queue. Some are small with just a few paths and benches, but Ladbroke Square in Notting Hill has a running track, for example, while Edwardes Square in Kensington has a tennis court and croquet lawn.’ The London garden square, where properties surround a shared residents’ garden, is a unique urban form that Todd Longstaffe-Gowan, president of the London Parks and Gardens Trust, believes is London’s most significant contribution to urban planning. The city has around 350 garden squares in total, the earliest of which – Bloomsbury Square in Camden and St James’s Square in Westminster – were laid out around patches of farmland in the 17th century by developers mimicking the Italian piazza. ‘It was a clever device because they created instant communities centred around gardens,’ LongstaffeGowan explains. ‘They started off as bald, open spaces; it was only in the 18th century, when formal gardens became fashionable, that they gained gates and railings.’ The exclusivity of garden squares has earned them criticism over the centuries. During the Second World War many

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had their railings removed to be melted down for the war effort, while some were opened to the public to boost morale. Yet today three quarters of garden squares remain private; key holders have included Sir Winston Churchill, who lived on Hyde Park Gate, a 19th-century square south of Kensington Gardens, and author AA Milne, who spent his early 20s in a flat on Wellington Square in Chelsea, where Ian Fleming also lived. Residents must pay a service charge, of course – either to a residents’ association or trust, or to one of the great London estates, such as Grosvenor in Belgravia and Mayfair or Cadogan in Chelsea, which manages many of the capital’s private gardens. On smaller squares the annual charge may amount to a few hundred pounds, while on Eaton Square in Belgravia it exceeds £900 per month. ‘It sounds a lot but it’s nothing compared to owning a private garden of that size in the area,’ Green explains. The collective model gives access not only to a manicured green space but a ready-made community. ‘There are WhatsApp groups and annual fêtes and gatherings, giving residents a reason to meet each other and form lifelong friendships,’ Green says. Squares were historically designed around families, according to Longstaffe-Gowan, who researched the topic at length for his coffee table book, The London Square. ‘In Victorian times they were like nurseries – children were frogmarched around them. Schools were set up on the square.’ Among the most sought-after squares for families today is Ladbroke Square, where properties directly border the gardens. ‘Children don’t have to cross a road to see their friends. They can simply walk out of the door,’ Green says. In west London, Green estimates that homes on a private garden square command a premium of around £400 per square metre over comparable properties on neighbouring streets. The highest recorded sale on a London garden square was a penthouse overlooking Grosvenor Square in Mayfair, which sold for £110.9m in October 2020. This square reopened to the public in July this year following a £25m transformation (the most significant private investment in a London public green space in a generation, according to Grosvenor), and has been redesigned to tackle biodiversity loss, urban flooding and rising temperatures. Houses on Eaton Square in Belgravia, Montpelier Square in Knightsbridge, Chester Square in Belgravia and Ladbroke Square in Notting Hill

regularly change hands for more than £15m. The premium extends beyond prime central London, though: in Regent’s Park, a six-bedroom, Nashdesigned house on Hanover Terrace is currently on the market with a guide price of £12.95m, while the highest recorded sale on Canonbury Square in Islington – where George Orwell once lived – is £5.5m. South of the Thames there are fewer garden squares, but addresses such as Grafton Square in Clapham Old Town and Sutherland Square in Kennington consistently command some of the highest prices in their respective neighbourhoods. Among Longstaffe-Gowan’s favourites is Edwardes Square, which he says is a beautifully preserved example of an early 19th-century garden surrounded by mostly original houses. For Green it’s St James’s Gardens in Notting Hill; it is away from the main ring of concentric circles that form the layout of the area’s primary garden squares, which means it gets forgotten. ‘As such, the properties are often undervalued,’ he says, suggesting buyers searching in west London also look out for properties on smaller communal gardens such as Norland Square, Royal Crescent and Blenheim Crescent. ‘These gardens have all the benefits of the larger, better-known gardens,’ he says. You don’t need a multi-millionpound budget to buy into a prestigious garden square, however. Many townhouses have been divided into apartments, which also provide a handy pied-à-terre for those based out of London. A one-bedroom apartment on Kensington Gardens Square in Bayswater generally costs less than £700,000, with access to a spacious 19thcentury garden that can be reserved by key holders for parties and barbecues. A new generation of garden squares is also springing up in London: the recently redeveloped Chelsea Barracks near the Royal Hospital and Lillie Square in Earls Court both have private gardens. Longstaffe-Gowan, however, is not convinced these modern incarnations can be compared to the original garden squares, which remain ‘a lively, complex social organism’. You only have to look at the codes of behaviour demanded by garden square committees to see that it takes centuries of negotiation to reach social harmony. Green agrees the capital’s garden squares are irreplaceable: ‘They provide a very particular combination of community and open space that, for Londoners, has never been more valuable.’ ■

FOR SALE

↑ NORLAND SQUARE

A four-bed triplex apartment on one of Notting Hill’s most prestigious garden squares, with an open-plan kitchen and living room spanning the second floor. £2.425m, landstones.co.uk

↑ LANDSDOWNE CRESCENT

This beautiful, light-filled apartment with three bedrooms in Notting Hill occupies the top floors of a quintessential period building. £1.5m, knightfrank.co.uk

↑ COLLINGHAM GARDENS

This Grade II-listed five-bedroom house in South Kensington, originally designed by Sir Ernest George, has multiple patio areas and a substantial roof terrace. £8.45m, knightfrank.co.uk

LONDON’S HIGHEST-PERFORMING GARDEN SQUARES Grosvenor Square, Mayfair, £110.9m The Boltons, Chelsea, £54.959m Carlton House Terrace Gardens, St James’s, £52.44m Onslow Square, South Kensington, £40m Wilton Crescent, Belgravia, £34m Cadogan Square, Knightsbridge, £33m Bryanston Square, Marylebone, £32.87m Kensington Square, Kensington, £30m Eaton Square, Belgravia, £29m

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IN GRAND STYLE Isabel Dempsey singles out standout country piles

CHESHIRE

A contemporary interpretation of a Palladian country house, this five-bedroom estate sits within 94 acres of historic Cheshire parkland. Centred around a striking circular atrium, Withington Hall boasts drawing, dining and billiard rooms, plus an indoor pool, gym, sauna and steam room. An additional heated pool sits outside, while a sunken tennis court, equestrian facilities, woodland, five-acre lake, liveable pool house and guest cottages complete this mammoth offering. Withington Hall, £25m. jackson-stops.co.uk

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PERIOD DRAMA The best of Bath

NORTH YORKSHIRE

Near the village of Womersley, 24 acres of parkland include a 10-bedroom home, five more properties and a coffee shop. Inside this historic property – Lord Snowdon's childhood home – discover 17th-century stained glass and Robert Adam bookcases. Womersley Park Estate, £4m. struttandparker.com THE CIRCUS

Spanning five floors, this Grade I-listed townhouse on one of Bath’s most iconic streets was designed by John Wood the Elder and features a cantilevered stone staircase, open fireplaces and vaulted ceilings. £2.75m. carterjonas.co.uk

SURREY

Set behind a medieval moat, this 14-bedroom Grade I home dates back to the 15th century. Highlights include its tripleheight Great Hall and ballroom, croquet lawn, kitchen garden, lake and pool. Old Surrey Hall, £13.995m. sothebysrealty.co.uk

HEREFORDSHIRE

This seven-bedroom, Grade II-listed manor house is in the quiet village of Wellington Heath, close to the market town of Ledbury. The four-acres of landscaped grounds include a three-bedroom cottage. Uplands, £1.95m. morganaps.co.uk

DUNSFORD PLACE

Renovated in 2022, this Grade II-listed Georgian townhouse on Bathwick Hill is arranged over four floors. Original period features include arched openings, ornate cornicing and open fireplaces. £2m. knightfrank.co.uk

ROYAL CRESCENT

Of the 30 properties on this world famous crescent – which appears in many Regency period dramas – only ten survive as full-size townhouses, including this Grade I-listed home. £4.25m. search.savills.com

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New show home now open to view For more details, please visit alfredhomes.co.uk or call 01962 676370

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TRAVEL & FOOD ITALY UNTAMED Away from the superyachts of Costa Smeralda, you can find Sardinia’s wilder side – where nature is left tumbling and unruly, says Lucy Cleland

Sardinia has the reputation of being the West Indies of the Mediterranean for its crystalline sea and powder white beaches

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TRAVEL & FOOD

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or an island surrounded by some of the most exquisitely clear waters in the Mediterranean, you might think it odd that Sardinia is not a fish-loving nation. No, it’s animal flesh that gets their juices flowing. This is demonstrated handsomely at Li Ciusoni, a wildly romantic open-air restaurant, and one of seven at Valle dell’Erica Thalasso Spa & Resort, a sprawling estate in Gallura, the northeastern Sardinian region famed for its wind-sculpted granite rocks and dense forests of cork-oak trees. It is where head chef Chicca Ortu makes culurgiones by hand in front of guests, pleating the little parcels of Sardinian pasta closed like ears of wheat. But it’s the suckling pig spit-roasted on an open fire that steals the show, alongside hunks of bacon as thick as my tongue and salty sausages bursting from their skins. As we tuck in we keep half an eye on a wild boar as he snuffles around on the grass just metres away, oblivious to the fact that we are dining on his cousin, the glistening crackling hard enough to crack teeth. Fish come second here – and the reason is down to defence. From its southern coast, the Mediterranean’s second largest island (after Sicily) is closer to Africa than to mainland Italy (which is an overnight ferry ride away). The Phoenicians came, the Arabs came, the Catalans came and stayed for four centuries, Napoleon’s French came. ‘The enemy came from the sea,’ a taxi driver explains as we head to Capo Testa, around a 25-minute drive away, to catch a brilliant sunset from the huge granite boulders, which glow orange and yellow as the sun slips below the sea. Sardinians, therefore, turned inland, up into the hills in the middle of the island with their sheep and pigs, and left the shoreline – and its catch – to their intruders. There’s no sign of any swashbucklers as I later walk the mile-long coast that forms part of Valle dell’Erica, past secret nooks set up for dining à deux under fringed canopies, an outside exercise trail, small coves for sunbathing in privacy and beach bars for a sundowner. The view is peerless, a few sail boats bob on the water, Corsica is far in the distance if you squint, and the seven main islands of La Maddalena Archipelago – much closer – are worth an exploration by sea. Valle dell’Erica belongs to Delphina Hotels & Resorts, owned and run by two Sardinian families who began as builders before deciding in 1992 to keep the hotels they were once building for others. There are eight properties now, Valle dell’Erica is the largest: 70 acres,

1,700 metres of private coast, two hotels – Erica, the original, built 20 years ago, and La Licciola, where we’re staying, set slightly higher with better views and a more modern design. In fact, design is key to this resort which feels more like a village; it can take a day to orient yourself between all the bougainvillea-shaded paths, village square and swimming pools. It sits harmoniously in the landscape – mostly because nature is allowed to shine in all her glory, not shaped and cut back to conform, but tumbling and unruly. Buildings – made from local granite, with pitched terracotta tile roofs and cork insulation – never rise above the first floor; and, inside, handwoven rugs come from nearby medieval village Aggius, along with handmade baskets from Castelsardo, ceramics and copper from local workshops, and bath oils scented with myrtle. They know exactly who made everything, I’m told. Most of the food is grown in a 12-acre kitchen garden at the group’s Le Dune Resort & SPA in Badesi. There is enough to do to keep you contained for days: a thalasso spa with four sea water pools, one set with underwater gym equipment like bicycles and steps for aqua aerobics with a difference; padel; a playground (zipwire included); kayaks, and paddleboards. If you have children, you can even dispatch them on their very own Robinson Crusoe escapade. Staff will take them off by kayak to a deserted island to camp overnight, returning the next day full of the swagger that only comes from a real adventure. This is at no extra cost either. An hour’s drive away to the west is another in the Delphina group, Hotel Marinedda Thalasso & Spa, which offers something distinct. Where Valle dell’Erica is somewhere to linger and reset, Marinedda is the perfect base from which to explore nearby beaches, visit local villages and walk in cool forests. Surfers too come for the swell the Maestrale kicks up. A perfect evening’s entertainment is spent watching them from the

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white-washed beach bar over a glass of Vermentino di Gallura. The enemy may have come from the sea but it’s that same sea that draws around five million visitors to the island each year. ‘A stranger arriving is an honour,’ my taxi driver had told me on our way to Capo Testa, ‘and a Sardinian will show you the best of what he has – the nature, the eating, the drinking – on one condition: “Respect for the nature. Respect for the life.”’■ BOOK IT: Doubles at Valle dell’Erica Resort

Thalasso & SPA from £294 half-board (hotelvalledellerica.com). Doubles at Hotel Marinedda Thalasso & SPA 5*, from £222 half-board (hotelmarinedda.com)

Lucy’s return flights from London Heathrow to Olbia had a carbon footprint of 353kg of CO2e (ecollectivecarbon.com)

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Valle dell’Erica is a 70-acre resort on Sardinia’s northeastern coast which puts nature at the heart of its design; the sea is some of the cleanest and clearest in the Mediterranean; children can have a wild time at Hotel Marinedda; it’s a great base for exploring local beaches

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TRAVEL LIGHT We increasingly want to know that our holidays are doing less harm and more good. But how do you know who to trust, asks Kerry Smith

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PHOTOS: NOMAD GREENLAND

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t one of the loneliest corners of the world’s largest island, Greenlandic Inuit Anika Krogh crouches over a driftwood fire on a shingle beach, boiling cod caught that morning. It’s a place where ancient granite mountains meet glassstill fjords and floating ice drifts silently past. Minutes later, she tips it onto the tide-washed rocks accompanied by seaweed, where her guests eat it with their fingers in what must be one of the purest, most unforgettable meals they will ever experience. ‘If I’m going to fly For Krogh, whose family halfway across the has hunted this land and fished world, I want to these waters for generations, her company, Nomad Greenland, know that I can is about living, however briefly, bring income to on the Arctic’s terms. Its simple places that may canvas camps — bell tents on wooden platforms — are seasonal, have few other the food is clean and sustainable. industries’ It was exactly the sort of Rochelle Turner, operation Geordie Mackay-Lewis head of impact, Intrepid spends his life searching for. Together with Jimmy Carroll, whom he first met while serving as a British Army officer in Afghanistan, he founded B Corp luxury expedition specialist Pelorus, creating bespoke journeys everywhere from Angola to Zambia. But when deciding who makes the cut, sustainability credentials are only part of the picture. ‘Is a company actually doing what it says it does?’ he asks. ‘When no one’s watching, are they still doing it?’ For many travellers, the question is no longer where to go, but what impact their trip will have. Unless you have someone like Mackay-Lewis doing the vetting for you, how are you supposed to tell the difference? Rochelle Turner, head of impact for EMEA at small group tour operator Intrepid, believes verifications are a useful place to start, whether through certifications such as B Corp or by looking for membership of selective organisations like The Long Run, a global network of nature-based tourism businesses. B Corp certification recognises companies that meet high standards across a wide range of social, environmental and governance measures, from climate action and human rights to diversity, transparency and ethical business practices. Achieving it can take years and cost thousands of pounds, and B Corps remain a minority within travel. More importantly, says Turner, certification is only part of the picture. ‘B Corp is a fantastic framework,’ she says, ‘but some of the most responsible businesses I know are small local operators that employ local people, buy local produce and support their communities. They simply don’t have the resources to become B Corp certified.’

TRAVEL & FOOD

So if a certification logo isn’t the full picture, what else should travellers be looking for? ‘It’s all about asking questions,’ says Turner. ‘We need to check under the bonnet. Is a hotel locally owned, so the income stays in the community? If it says it’s supporting local people, can it show you how? Does it pay living wages? Doing good should be joyful.’ Back at Pelorus, Mackay-Lewis has his own shortcut. Whenever he’s assessing a new partner, he asks: ‘What has changed in the last year? Are you improving?’ A genuinely responsible business, he says, should never have to think about the answer. For him, one of the best examples is &Beyond’s Suyian Lodge in Kenya. ‘They’ve nailed the balance between people, place and environment,’ he says. ‘More than 80 percent of the staff come from communities within 20 or 30 miles of the lodge.’ But even the best certification can’t answer the biggest question: how do you justify the carbon cost of travelling in the first place? ‘If I’m going to fly halfway across the world,’ Turner says, ‘I want to know that I can support women, young people and local communities and bring income to places that may have few other industries. If the company I’m travelling with is creating genuine benefits, then my journey’s impact goes beyond the carbon it produces.’ Perhaps one of the most sustainable decisions we can make is not to stop

travelling, but to question whether we always need to travel quite so far. ‘We’ve confused distance with value and have somehow convinced ourselves that the further we travel, the more worthwhile the trip,’ says Turner. ‘But a week in Scotland can be every bit as extraordinary as a week in New Zealand.’ The opportunities to leave a place better than you found it aren’t limited to remote corners of the world either. In Rome, for example, Intrepid’s guests visit an urban farm rescued from developers. In London, Unseen Tours employs guides with experience of homelessness. And in Barcelona, neighbourhood itineraries steer visitors away from overcrowded landmarks and towards independent businesses. Of course, asking difficult questions doesn’t always lead to simple answers. Intrepid may be one of the world’s leading B Corp travel companies, yet it takes guests to the Faroe Islands,

where whales are hunted. It offers camel treks in Morocco. And while many environmentalists argue that Antarctica should be left to scientists and penguins, it continues to sell expeditions there. ‘There are no perfect answers,’ says Turner. ‘We don’t believe in imposing our values on communities that have lived in these places for centuries. Instead, we ask whether tourism can improve standards, support livelihoods and leave a place better than we found it.’ Mackay-Lewis agrees: ‘People travel to understand places, not recreate home.’ Antarctica is different. There, Intrepid retired its own expedition ship. ‘We were working with scientists and giving travellers a deeper understanding of the region. But we couldn’t reconcile the ship with our decarbonisation targets. So instead we now work only with a small number of the lowest-emitting ships. Sometimes the answer is yes,’ Turner says. ‘Sometimes it isn’t.’ ■

PHOTOS: NOMAD GREENLAND

FROM FAR LEFT: Nomad Greenland is just the sort of operation that B Corp travel company Pelorus likes to work with; Intrepid experiences in Morocco; &Beyond’s Suyian Lodge has nailed the balance between people, place and environment

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The Ringling estate is a star of Sarasota County’s cultural offering; the stunning eight-mile Siesta Key Beach; waterfront living is a big draw for both visitors and investors

SARASOTA I SO GOOD Discover one of the world’s best beaches and a flourishing cultural scene at this little known Florida gem

f you’re opting for a beach holiday it makes sense to make that beach a belter. In April, the organisation behind the World’s 50 Best awards turned its focus to beaches. A thousand expert judges considered qualities such as beauty, nature, soundscapes, the ease of entering the sea and visitor numbers before they named ‘the best of the best’ across the globe. The only destination on the North American mainland to make the cut was Siesta Key Beach in Florida’s Sarasota. Ranked on a list of 50 best beaches covering North and Central America and the Caribbean (the only other US names were Hawaiian), Siesta – on a barrier island, one of several in Sarasota County – is a checklist of beach perfection. Eight miles of white sand like icing sugar and gentle shelving into bath-warm water the pale turquoise of sea-glass? Check. Sand that’s cool on the hottest days thanks to high quartz content? Check again. What the judges didn’t mention might be filled in by any Sarasota resident: Siesta Key Beach has courts for tennis and beach volleyball plus shaded playgrounds, all-day cabana rentals, beach chairs, umbrellas and beds you can hire from $20. Importantly, there are public

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PROMOTION

restrooms. Visit at 8.30am on most weekdays and there will be a free beach yoga class. Conveniently, there’s easy transport available: no need for a car when the Breeze 77 Islander Trolley connects Siesta beach with other dunes. Just hop the short distance to Siesta Key Village, the downtown hub, or explore the quieter, shell-filled shores of Turtle Beach. Mention the Florida coast and most likely it’s the steamy chaos of Miami or glitzy Palm Beach that comes to mind. Sarasota, midway along the western Gulf Coast and with its own international airport, is the best Floridian beach destination no one knows: stylish, authentic, laidback, offering year-round sunshine, yet with a cultural cachet celebrated throughout the US. Amid an arts scene that punches well above its weight, The Ringling estate, which marks its centenary in 2027, is the shining star. Works from Rubens and

Velázquez to Veronese and Poussin hang in the 21 galleries of a Venetian neo-Gothic palace, which wraps around a courtyard garden; the museum tells how the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey combined to become the world’s biggest circus; and the opulent Ringling family mansion, Ca’ d’Zan, is a testament to the swagger of the Roaring Twenties, set across 66 acres of bayfront gardens. If The Ringling is the city’s showpiece, a creative current runs through Sarasota. Modern art is covered by the Sarasota Art Museum while the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens hosts big-name exhibitions among 15 acres of tropical greenery, one reason why TIME magazine included it in a compilation of the world’s greatest places in 2024. Sarasota Ballet, led by former London Royal Ballet dancer Iain Webb, wins rave international reviews. Then there’s the folk-art: shop in smart St Armands Circle or Downtown and you’ll stumble upon striking murals. Or head south to Historic Downtown Venice, where palm-lined avenues, Italian-inspired architecture and independent shops create a charming sense of place. Head south to Manasota Beach for a laid-back stretch of sand, or stop in Venice to hunt for fossilised shark teeth. Back in Sarasota, paddle through the mangrove tunnels at Ted Sperling Park for a different kind of coastal adventure. No longer a beach backwater, Sarasota’s dynamic food culture boasts international restaurants such as Michael’s on East, while Lucky 8 is chef Mark Majorie’s Michelin Bib Gourmand-awarded love letter to the Cajun comfort food of his native New Orleans. The many mom-and-pop fish shacks are hard to beat for atmosphere: locals rate downtown Owen’s Fish Camp and Tripletail Seafood and Spirits, known for fresh sustainable seafood. Or visit Phillippi Creek Oyster Bar’s for a cocoon of old wood beside a creek. A similar high-low ethos applies to Sarasota bar culture. Serious mixologists will fastidiously craft cocktails in a central venue such as Pangea Academy, but I’ll bet it’s sundowners at tiki bars like O’Leary’s or Sharky’s on Venice Beach you’ll remember – a palmthatch roof, a band jamming Jimmy Buffett tunes, the beach just there. It’s this authentic Gulf Coast charm that cements Sarasota as Florida’s have-it-all beach city, a destination where coastal metropolitan sass and luxury beach stays like the Ritz-Carlton or Marriot’s St Regis Longboat Key Resort melds with laidback Gulf Coast manners. It’s in the amiable pace and easy friendliness as much as the fish ’n’ grits on menus. Because though modern, Sarasota is rooted in Old Florida – an underrated gem worth any journey. ■ For more information, see visitsarasota.com

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TRAVEL & FOOD

FULL STEAM AHEAD

Margaret Hussey steps aboard the UK’s first privately-owned heritage train

The Chairman’s Train can be chartered exclusively, as well as running curated trips

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’m snuggled in bed looking at the beautiful scenery of Scotland. Nothing unusual in that, you might think – but my bed and view are moving. I’m one of the earliest lucky riders of The Chairman’s Train, the UK’s first privately-owned heritage train. Its nine original carriages have been painstakingly restored, taking you back to a time when travel was slow and glamorous, and where the journey was just as important as the destination. For now, I’m enjoying my very cosy duvet in my aptly named Piglet’s House suite. (I have eaten so much incredible food.) Piglet’s is one of three suites themed around classic children’s books; the others are The Rabbit Hole and Toad Hall. (There are also five other double bedrooms and a very, very impressive Emperor Suite.) It has lots of whimsical touches, with figures like Winnie the Pooh and Eeyore in marquetry, to a map of the Hundred Acre Wood on a pillow. This is echoed by the most incredible detail elsewhere. How they managed to fit in a bathroom with a large shower, a seating area and desk is testament to the ingenuity of the design team. There’s L’Occitane products, a heated towel rail, safe, wardrobe, bathrobes and slippers. The very snazzy window tint lets you blur the glass if you stop at a station and forget you are in your bathrobe, like I did. The restoration is the brainchild of rail enthusiast and Chairman’s Train owner Jeremy Hosking. This is his train set – and from 2027 you can hire it for exclusive use for two to 16 people, departing from historic London and other UK stations and travelling as far as the Highlands. Hosking joins us on our journey, and his excitement is infectious. As we move from Euston to Crewe, to Kilmarnock, and back The very to London, we are hauled by three engines – electric, diesel and the beautiful Blue Peter snazzy window steam locomotive. We draw many delighted tint lets you gasps from train enthusiasts along the blur the glass route. We travel over the picturesque Ribblehead Viaduct, stopping at Dent – if you stop at the highest rail station in England – and a station and Hellifield. People gather to shake Hosking’s forget you hand, thanking him for keeping these beautiful engines going. It’s lovely to see so are in your many children engaging, too. bathrobe, like The Chairman’s Train interior was I did designed by Sara Oliver with plush velvet armchairs, pouffes, vintage books, and drinks trolleys – plus modern touches like magnetic strips on your champagne glass to stop it spilling. The dining room has a 16-seater table, and you can take a postprandial in the cosy drawing rooms or Hippocrene bar. There’s a private chef, the friendliest staff (which include engineers), and top-notch food. I had the most delicious afternoon tea, and dinner was a sumptuous feast of lamb and scallops with a humongous cheese board. Beats soggy trolley sandwiches any day. ■

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TRAVEL & FOOD

THE INSIDER LIST Lauren Ho asks some of the besttravelled people in the world for places that live longest in the mind

LESSER KNOWN MOROCCO

Tom Marchant, Black Tomato For Tom Marchant, the most memorable journeys are those that leave something behind. He loves the remote dunes of Erg Chigaga, reached via the High Atlas in Morocco. Aghzane has become his particular reason to visit; working with womenled charity Afoulki pour les Femmes, Black Tomato helped create a traveller’s cottage that supports the local community. ‘My daughters have grown up with this project,’ he says. ‘Now there’s a reason to go back, and that changes the shape of a trip entirely.’

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ENDLESS ICE IN ANTARCTICA

Jules Maury, Scott Dunn Private Antarctica is one of the few places that can still make even the world’s most seasoned travellers feel small. For Jules Maury, it remains the ultimate adventure. Her defining journey was flying into White Desert’s Wolf’s Fang before crossing a vast landscape of endless ice. ‘There is nowhere else on earth that completely rearranges your sense of scale. It’s an experience for which there is no word strong enough,’ she says.

‘If I had to name a single life-defining moment from a career built entirely on extraordinary travel, it would be landing on the Wolf’s Fang runway with nothing but ice in every direction. It was the truest feeling I have ever had of being at the end of the earth’ Jules Maury

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NEW NARRATIVES IN NEW YORK

Evita Turquoise Robinson, Nomadness Travel Tribe The Emmy Award-winning writer (and founder of a pioneering travel community for people of colour) has built a career around stories of people and place. Her most transformative moments have come through human connection, but if she had to choose one destination it would be New York City. ‘As a storyteller, I find inspiration in the random,’ she says. Despite living just two train stops away, she credits the city with changing her life more than anywhere else in the world.

PHOTOS: MARTIN DADY; WHITE DESERT ANTARCTICA; BEN PEARSE; SAMEER FAQIRZADA/UNSPLASH

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PERU FOR ALL THE SENSES

SEE DIFFERENTLY IN AFGHANISTAN

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Amar Latif, Traveleyes After going blind at 18, Amar Latif has gone on to champion a more inclusive way to experience the world. For him, Peru remains memorable. From meeting Lake Titicaca’s indigenous people – who crafted a model of their island, allowing him to explore through touch – to museums in Lima that opened Inca artefacts for him to handle, every encounter centred on inclusion. ‘The most life-changing adventures aren’t defined by what you see but through all your senses, and the perspectives you bring home.’

PHOTOS: MARTIN DADY; WHITE DESERT ANTARCTICA; BEN PEARSE; SAMEER FAQIRZADA/UNSPLASH

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Justin Wateridge, Steppes Brought up in Zambia, Steppes’ managing director Justin Wateridge champions travel as a force for cultural understanding and conservation. His latest journey took him to Afghanistan, a destination he believes should be approached with curiosity. ‘Travelling to countries such as Afghanistan is not an endorsement of their governments,’ he says. ‘It is an attempt to understand places beyond the headlines, encountering people as they live their daily lives.’ For Wateridge, the greatest adventures challenge assumptions as much as they broaden horizons. ■

EAST AFRICA’S WILD LANDSCAPES

Geoffrey Kent, Abercrombie & Kent Born on safari in Zambia, Geoffrey Kent helped pioneer the modern luxury safari and has spent decades introducing travellers to Africa’s wild landscapes. Yet after a lifetime exploring the world, East Africa is still the journey that means the most. ‘I send people again and again on safari in Africa,’ he says. ‘The place that still moves me the most is the one from which I started.’ It’s why despite travelling everywhere, he always comes back.

‘There is a moment, usually before dawn, when you hear a lion call across the plains and feel it in your chest. A safari does not entertain you – it returns you to something older’ Geoffrey Kent

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Experience a colourful maritime festival in the Basque Country this autumn

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PHOTOS: PAUL MICHAEL; SPANISH TOURISM OFFICE; SAN SEBÁSTIAN TOURISM

FIND YOUR CREW

here the British have Henley, the Spanish have their own prestigious boating race that’s nearly as old, and comparably popular. Since 1879, thousands of spectators – sometimes over a hundred thousand – gather at the shores of San Sebastián for the Bandera de La Concha, a thrilling chase along open oceans by competing rowing teams, and the perfect excuse to explore Basque Country’s quirkier regional traditions. Set in La Concha Bay and taking place on the first two Sundays in September, the Bandera is more than just a sporting event – it is also a vibrant retelling of maritime history. In the past, fishermen of the region would compete to sell the first of the day’s catch – usually whiting and anchovies – racing from sea to port in long, slender boats known as traineras. Today this is reenacted with competitive edge and this kind of race – a trainera race – is unique to

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PROMOTION

PHOTOS: PAUL MICHAEL; SPANISH TOURISM OFFICE; SAN SEBÁSTIAN TOURISM

Each year, thousands gather to watch oarsmen and women compete in a centuriesold tradition

northern Spain. Teams from local villages and towns are asked to compete in a physically punishing three nautical mile race out from the coast, through the Bay of La Concha and into the rough waters of the Bay of Biscay. In turn, you can expect to run your voice ragged cheering for your favourite boat, all the while soaking up music, food and typical Basque fanfare. Around the racing, you are invited to sample speciality dishes presented by local bars and restaurants, while street bands called txarangas soundtrack the day. Don’t let this be your final port – there are more unique traditions to see, taste and experience. From coast to mountain to rolling pastures, the terroir of northern Spain is especially diverse and rich in nature. Hike 180km along the Basque Coast via the Greenways – abandoned railtracks converted into safe walking routes – taking in sites of the frothing Cantabrian sea, and stopping at quaint towns where you can enjoy local ciders, fresh seafood, and cheeses. The fare of the region cleaves from your expected tapas dishes – pinxtos culture is lively here, so do try a gilda (anchovy, olive and pepper) or an authentic Basque cheesecake in its original setting. The wines, too, reflect the undulations of the land. Its Txakoli sparkling wine is a distinct style that reflects the salty, damp air of the Atlantic ocean – visit one of the vineyards to try it at the source, or seek a bodega that still ages grapes using the traditional methods. The Bandera is As to where to stay, options more than just a are similarly rich in heritage. sporting event – it The region’s Paradores – a state-run network of hotels in is also a vibrant restored historic buildings – are retelling of particularly well known. Parador maritime history de Hondarribia is set, for example, in a tenth-century fortress built by King Sancho Abarca close to the French border, while Parador de Argómaniz is a renaissance palace perched by the Gorbea mountain range. For those seeking a truly restful experience, there are spa-centred hotels aplenty, too. Perhaps check into the Arima Hotel, a verdant bolthole set on the edge of the Miramón forest and boasting a sprawling complex of saunas, treatment rooms and plunge pools, with a halotherapy room perfectly placed to reset jangling nerves following the Bandera. Though the race may be the start of your journey, let it inspire a deeper immersion into the history and traditions of a most unique Spanish region. Take a slower journey around Green Spain – and discover its originality. Find out more at spain.info and sansebastianturismoa.eus

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TICKLED PINK Carole Bamford shares her postcards from Provence

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Lady Bamford at Léoube, the family estate in Provence that produces organic Château Léoube wines and olive oil

longstanding commitment to sustainable viticulture: nurturing the soil, preserving artisan traditions, protecting our terroir and, above all, working in harmony with nature. Peter Mayle wrote: ‘Provence unlocks the poetry within our souls and inspires us to see the world with new eyes.’ For me, that perfectly encapsulates the magic of the area. Countless writers and artists have been drawn to its mysticism and captivated by its beauty before me; it’s a place that nourishes and inspires those who embrace it.

PHOTOS: ISTOCK

rovence has always had a special draw for me: the drama and variety of the changing landscapes, the light, the scent of the lavender, its proximity to the sea, and the wonderful markets full of local produce. The search for Léoube – our estate on the Cap Bénat peninsula beneath the hilltop Bormes-les-Mimosas – took Anthony and I about ten years. In reality, it feels like the estate chose us. We didn’t want to be close to Nice, Saint-Tropez or Cannes – they felt too busy. Much like Daylesford, we liked the countryside. So when we came across a secluded house, set back from a quiet bay along what I still consider one of the region’s most breathtaking stretches of coastline, I just knew. We had found our sleeping beauty. We visit several times a year, and Léoube has become an important place for our family – a home away from home. It’s been the backdrop to many wonderful celebrations, from birthdays and parties to long weekends simply When we came slowing down to the Provençal across a secluded pace of life and enjoying each other’s company. I published a house set back book last year, Château Léoube: from a quiet bay, Provence Living, and the dedication I just knew. We in the front was written to my grandchildren: ‘In memory of all had found our the meals around our Provençal sleeping beauty table.’ A full house is a happy house. Having turned our family farm over to organic principles in the UK, we wanted to bring the same sustainable, natural approach to Léoube, working with the rhythm of the seasons to preserve and protect the land, and produce wines and olive oils in harmony with nature’s cycles. We owe a great deal to Romain Ott, who joined us from the next-door domaine to be our winemaker. We met his father, Jean-Jacques, when we arrived in 1997. His family has been producing exemplary Provençal wines for generations – we’d been drinking Ott wines long before we bought Léoube – and he helped guide us through the process of converting the vineyard and olive grove to become organic. Later, Romain joined us when he was 26. Our recent B Corp certification is a proud milestone for us, reflecting the hard work and dedication of the entire Château Léoube team. It recognises the integrity of our organic practices and reinforces our

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↑ THE SWIM

I may be biased, but I truly believe no beach in Europe rivals the unspoilt, wild beauty of Plage du Pellegrin on the edge of the estate. As part of a protected area, its golden sands, crystal-clear waters and ancient pines have been beautifully preserved. Tucked inside a quiet cove, it’s blissfully calm and secluded for a swim before or after a walk along the coastal path.

RIVIERA FAVOURITES

THE PILGRIMAGE

One of my favourite refuges on the estate is Chapelle Saint-Georges de Léoube, perched on one of the highest points along the region’s pilgrim way. There’s a sense of purity and simplicity to the tiny white chapel that I find peaceful and profoundly moving.

THE BAGUETTE

We’ll always visit the Sunday market at La Londe-les-Maures. Alongside bread and cheese, we’ll pick up lots of local, seasonal produce – especially berries in summer and chanterelle mushrooms in autumn.

← THE BEACH LUNCH

PHOTOS: ISTOCK

If you eat at Café Léoube on Plage du Pellegrin, go for the Léoube pizza, topped with fresh courgettes, aubergines and peppers from the garden, or the fish of the day, which is always caught fresh, grilled very simply and served whole.

↑ COCKTAIL HOUR

We love La Petite Maison in Nice. We’ll often sit outside and enjoy a cocktail or a glass of wine alongside its famous roasted bone marrow, served with Dijon mustard, pickles and fresh baguette. Or at sunset, the view from The Maybourne Riviera, perched on the hilltop above Monte Carlo, is hard to beat.

CAFFEINE HIT

Always on the terrace at Le Crystal in Juan-les-Pins.

CAP D’ANTIBES

We’ve been visiting Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc for over 50 years and for me it remains the epitome of understated elegance. Everything is exquisite without ever feeling ostentatious and the setting is nothing short of breathtaking.

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STRAIT TALKING Can a five-star hotel in central London really be sustainable? As Pan Pacific London turns five, Rebecca Cox checks in

Clockwise from top: Straits Kitchen; senior sous chef Giorgio Virgilio; and a tuna tartare with fish sourced traceably from Oman

ive years ago, Pan Pacific London opened in the Square Mile, promising a slice of Singaporean hospitality amid the trading floors. This September, the hotel marks the anniversary with a new fivesenses themed package for guests – but it’s the work the management team are doing behind the scenes that signals real progress. Take the restaurant, Straits Kitchen. Under chef Giorgio Virgilio, the menu is being rebuilt around an important question: where do these ingredients actually come from? ‘Our new à la carte menu places stronger emphasis on sustainable sources,’ he explains. But not at the loss of the Thai and Filipino flavours that have defined it to date, and which draw from his travels. So: fish farms are off the agenda – instead coming via trusted suppliers Upper Scale and Chamberlain & Thelwell – with ‘wild’ and ‘traceable’ the key words. Wild monkfish has replaced farmed seabass, paired with curry sauce and aubergine; the tuna is wild-caught, sourced specifically from Oman, its tartare cut with horseradish for a nod to wasabi. British produce and Asian influences are intermingled. ‘Our heritage carrots showcase that harmony,’ says Virgilio. ‘They are dressed with sambal and toasted sesame oil, delivering a balance of nutty depth, gentle heat, and a touch of acidity.’ Elsewhere British crab meets Korean kimchi, while a laksa pappardelle sits alongside British lamb. A satay cauliflower swaps peanuts for pumpkin seeds. Ninety-five percent of the restaurant’s ingredients are now sourced within the UK. Suppliers Estate Dairy and Foodspeed are certified B Corps, and butcher Aubrey Allen publishes its own sustainability report. Pan Pacific London holds Forbes Travel Guide’s Responsible Hospitality Verified status as well as ECOsmart Platinum, and is working towards full Global Sustainable Tourism Council certification. This attention to detail extends beyond the kitchen: heat recovery built into the air conditioning, motion-sensor lighting, bamboo toothbrushes and Cheeky Panda loo roll in every room, plus water served in recycled glass (over plastic). The hotel also partners with the Business Education Partnership to give local school students work experience, supports Thames river clean-ups, and backs the Eastern City Business Improvement District’s community safety scheme. Five years since launch, the global enthusiasm for ‘going green’ might have somewhat slowed – but Pan Pacific London knows what’s good for the planet is good for guests. The proof is in the pudding (and the starter, and the main…). ■ panpacific.com

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TRAVEL & FOOD

AFRICA SPECIAL

Spirit of the Wild

PHOTOS: ROELOF WIESNER

From communities banding together to fight the threat of fracking to the rise of the female ranger, Africa’s story is ever evolving

An elephant bull surveys the landscape at Samara Karoo in South Africa

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AFRICA SPECIAL

THE LAND OF THIRST Groups are uniting to battle the threat of fracking in one of South Africa’s last great wildernesses, says Annabel Heseltine SOUTH AFRICA

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here’s a bent wild olive tree, crooked and gnarled, on a hill in South Africa where yellow grasses drift towards far-off mountains rising like pyramids. There, a lion roars, spooking a black wildebeest who, swinging his bushy white tail, runs with his herd, a black and white ribbon streaming through a vast landscape where the air sings with ancient tales and vast plains bathe in a big blue sky. I can almost hear John Barry’s theme music but this isn’t Karen Blixen’s Out of Africa. It is Samara Karoo Reserve, comprising three lodges and 67,000 acres of wilderness in the Great Karoo, a huge belt of desert-like brush known for its harsh climate stretching across a third of South Africa and named ‘Land of Thirst’ by the Khoisan. Rain is scarce and life depends on fragile underground aquifers. Hidden silently beneath ancient rocks are rich shale gas reserves whose vulnerability to fracking has united Khoisan communities, conservationists and landowners in protest. When Sarah Tompkins and her husband Mark arrived in 1997, ‘it was dry and dusty with nothing but tumbleweed and the odd sheep,’ she recalls over dinner at the first lodge she built to introduce guests to Samara’s remarkable story. Decades of overgrazing had exhausted the soil. But where others saw a failed sheep farm, the Tompkins saw possibility. Buying the farm and ten others, they removed fences and livestock, rested the land and embarked on one of South Africa’s most ambitious rewilding projects in one of only 36 global biodiversity hotspots. Working with leading conservation scientists, Samara reintroduced first antelope, then, in 2003, cheetahs, which had been absent for 125 years. They were followed by elephants and the arid-tolerant sub-species of the endangered black rhino, and then in 2019, 200 years after the extinction of the black-maned Cape lions, Samara shuddered again to a king’s roar. With the return of the apex predator, Samara’s ecosystem could breathe naturally – but its greatest achievement isn’t just in reintroducing iconic species but in the messaging of how, when given a chance, nature returns. Sleeping under canvas at Samara’s remote Plains Camp, I woke to birdsong drifting through mist and

baboons barking from distant kopjes. After shooing away opportunistic vervet monkeys waiting to steal my breakfast, I joined my guides Christiaan and Michael for a walk on the veld. Michael carried a telemetry receiver but I was so focused on avoiding thorny bushes that I almost missed its urgent beeps. The next moment the world fell away. I looked up. Five pairs of amber eyes with tufted spotted ears were observing me calmly. Only when their mother stretched and stood up did they move. As one, her grown cubs followed weaving a path towards, through and past us, finally melting away into a trembling haze. I did a double take. Had I really just stood among five wild cheetahs? The mother cheetah, named Naledi, is the granddaughter of one of Samara’s greatest conservation successes, Sibella. Badly injured, Sibella had escaped the hunter’s gun to become South Africa’s most important contribution to the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s metapopulation management programme and star of a National Geographic documentary. Raising 19 cubs to adulthood, she has given birth to nearly two and a half percent of its cheetah population. Every sighting tells a story, even the medicine cupboard at my feet. The Karoo’s remarkable biodiversity and Samara’s unique location, which straddles five of South Africa’s nine biomes, includes plants used for generations by the Khoisan. Recognised now as South Africa’s First Nation, their intimate knowledge of this harsh landscape stretches back millennia. Spekboom plants stabilise fragile soils, and herbs treating stress, diabetes and even cancer are shown to me by Karel ‘Pokkie’ Benadie, Samara’s legendary tracker and one of South Africa’s 21 Icons, a project inspired by Nelson Mandela that celebrates the exceptional individuals who have shaped modern

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Hidden silently beneath ancient rocks are rich shale gas reserves whose vulnerability to fracking has united Khoisan communities, conservationists and landowners in protest

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The dry harsh lands of Karoo now sing to the lion’s roar after a huge rewilding project; Samara’s legendary tracker Karel ‘Pokkie’ Benadie; a wildebeest on the run

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TRAVEL & FOOD Sarah Tompkins built an alliance with Daantjie Japhta, the local mayor and voice of the Khoisan community

BOOK IT: Annabel travelled to the Samara Karoo Reserve

with Journeys With Purpose. JWP will return to Samara with a small group in the near future. Privately hosted journeys from £12,000 per person, including full board, game drives and all activities but excluding flights, for seven days. journeyswithpurpose.org Annabel’s one-way flight from London Heathrow to Cape Town had a carbon footprint of 1,133kg of CO2e (ecollectivecarbon.com)

PHOTOS: MAIKE-MCNEILL

South Africa. But I am distracted. Pokkie’s eyes never stop flickering, watching for a broken stem, a footprint, the shifting breeze. I wonder what he can see which I cannot; the great springbok migrations of yesteryear, or the quagga, gone forever. Or maybe through the bush, an eland, the largest antelope now also returned, its clicking knees echoing Khoisan click language, his body recorded in ancient San rock cave paintings. ‘The eland is not just food to the San but symbolises a sacred embodiment of the divine, representing ancestral journeys and reminding us of our role as custodians of the land,’ wrote Dr Willa Boezak, author of Struggle of an Ancient Faith: the Khoi-san of South Africa. ‘Conservation begins and ends with people,’ said Mandela, and works best at scale. To this end, the Tompkins and their daughter Isabelle have partnered with SANParks, regenerative farmers and landowners to create a Mega Living Landscape, committing a million hectares of land to conservation, and connecting with the people calling the Karoo their ancestral home. Shortly after their arrival, Sarah Tompkins sought out Daantjie Japhta, school principal, local mayor and a voice for the local Khoikhoi community. She wanted Samara to be integrated into the local community – but following the fracking threat, it evolved into an unexpected alliance. As well as supporting Vuyani Safe Haven – a home for vulnerable children and young people in the Karoo – they are teaching schoolchildren about biodiversity restoration, wildlife tracking and conservation careers. Most of Samara’s employees come from Graaff-Reinet, where youth unemployment is 60 percent with associated problems of teenage pregnancies and substance abuse.

Twenty years ago, lodge and community project manager Anneley Swemmer took a bus to work at Samara in the scullery. ‘I never forgot my roots,’ she says. ‘If we can create opportunities for young people, that’s where hope begins.’ And hope is what the Karoo needs. Beneath these ancient plains, vast shale gas deposits have attracted repeated interest from energy companies intent on hydraulic fracturing threatening the Karoo’s fragile ecology where annual rainfall may only be 50 centimetres. ‘The impact of drought can be irreversible,’ Sarah tells me. ‘Our groundwater recharges very slowly. Once it’s damaged, there’s no quick fix.’ Historic evidence suggests contamination is inevitable. In 2009, she appointed local lawyer Derek Light to oppose fracking proposals and commissioned scientific research while supporting a growing movement led by Khoisan leaders. ‘They’ve been marginalised,’ says Light. ‘They were the original people of this area but they don’t get the recognition they should at any level, national or otherwise.’ For Japhta, the issue goes beyond conservation. ‘Water is sacred and an ancient right. Animals die because of development. Fracking breaks rocks, contaminates water sources. Without water, nobody can survive. These people are money-mongering.’ The Karoo is his people’s identity, a living cultural landscape braiding ancient rock art, sacred places and wildlife. Increasingly, Khoisan communities are using internationally recognised indigenous rights to insist on proper consultation before developments can proceed. ‘This is rape of Mother Earth,’ said Khoisan leader Princess Joan Burgess who chairs the Khoisan committee set up in 2012. ‘But they don’t listen to us. They should consult us, but they don’t because they know we will say no,’ says Japhta, who once a month leads his people barefoot through the Kasoi nature reserve. ‘Walking barefoot releases stress. Our women lie on the bare earth when they want to speak to the ancestors.’ That evening, sitting overlooking the veld and watching the mountains vanish into a lilac haze in a silence so profound it melted my senses, I felt the tug of the wildness. It’s a raw feeling of vulnerability, a connection, perhaps with all our ancestors. A lion roared. Two centuries ago, that sound vanished from the Karoo. Today it echoes again across plains where cheetahs hunt, rhino browse, and the eland clicks. Communities are rediscovering their connection with the land and uniting to protect one of South Africa’s last great wildernesses. In the ‘Land of Thirst’, conservation isn’t just about protecting what the eye can see, but what lies between us and our soul, and in the earth beneath us. ■

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: A tent at Honey Bear Bush Camp on the banks of the Kazinga Channel; Olivia Palamountain, Fergus Wright and Olivia’s friend Nicole; following the zebra line

AFRICA SPECIAL

SHOES OFF, FEET UP With Rutland armchairs and handed-down recipes, this Ugandan odyssey is a welcoming family affair, says Olivia Palamountain UGANDA

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he armchairs at Papa’s Camp on the banks of the Nile once belonged to Jonathan Wright’s mother – shipped to Uganda from Rutland when the family sold up in the UK, they now invite guests to sink into them over a gin and tonic. They are an introduction to the WildPlaces Africa experience: personal, considered and a long way from home. Jonathan and his wife Pamela co-founded one of the few truly family-owned safari companies in East Africa – and after nearly 30 years, are as hands-on as ever. Today they are joined by their daughter Annabelle (a trained chef), her husband James and their son Fergus. The family connection to Uganda stretches back four generations, to 1949, when Colonel Frank Wright left India for Ethiopia. Jonathan was born in Jinja, and when President Museveni personally invited him back in 1993 to help rebuild the country’s tourism industry, he came. He and Pamela opened Semliki Safari Lodge in 1997, driven by love rather than strategy. In the last two years alone the collection has grown from three lodges to seven, spanning the elephant plains of Kidepo Valley to the gorilla forests of Bwindi. ‘We do thrust our home ethos on all of our properties,’ Pamela admits – and thankfully so. After two weeks spent in the Wrights’ Ugandan world, I felt less like a guest and more like someone who had been warmly welcomed into the fold. The philosophy, as Pamela puts it, is ‘shoes-off, feetup’. Jonathan has what she diplomatically describes as ‘a visceral dislike of rinky-dink furniture’. If a sofa isn’t deep enough to sink into, it doesn’t make the cut. Beds on the verandas at River Station are queen-sized Lamu four-posters. The floor cushions gathered around the fire at Clouds are there because that’s how the Wrights like to end an evening at home in Kampala. A corner cabinet from the Rutland kitchen now stands in a tent at Honey Bear. ‘A bit of a book-hoarder’ by her own admission, Pamela’s library is scattered across every lodge’s shelves. For Kulu Ora she tracked down Daniel Atenyi, a young self-taught Ugandan artist, and gave him the loosest possible brief: go to Murchison, feel the landscape, tell a story. When Atenyi unrolled the finished pieces months later, she burst into tears. The abstract, earth-toned art now hangs in the splendid living and dining room. Pride in what the Wrights have created is shared by everyone who works here. James Basaba helped build Semliki in 1996 and is still with the company, now joined by his sons. His first pieces were two long communal tables, polished now by decades of shared dinners, and his craftsmanship runs through every lodge. George Nyanga has been known as Mzee – beloved elder – since 2003. Julius Oryem started in anti-poaching and is now head guide. Christine has been the head of housekeeping at Clouds since 2008. People don’t tend to leave. The food, too, is personal (and consistently excellent) with many dishes straight out of the family recipe book,

from Annabelle’s butternut and sage ravioli – on the Clouds’ menu since 2018 – to Fergus’ favourite at Papa’s: tomato-poached tilapia in a sweet, salty, tangy broth, finished with crispy fried garlic and shallots. A constant is Jonathan’s signature chilli sauce, each property producing its own fiery interpretation. Warning: the Wrights like it hot. Embark on a trip with WildPlaces and it’s likely you’ll encounter at least some of the family: Jonathan at Papa’s Camp or Kulu Ora; Pamela at River Station or Semliki; James moving between Clouds and River Station; Annabelle dropping in across the portfolio to tweak a menu or refine a recipe; and Fergus roaming the bush. We ran into Jonathan at Kulu Ora – opened after he personally macheted through kilometres of Murchison wilderness to find the site. That same indomitable energy was on full display over sundowners, when word came through of a lioness lounging in a nearby fig tree. My whisky sour was still being poured when Jonathan packed me into a vehicle – I grabbed it and we romped across the park as the sky turned violet, racing to reach the sighting before the show moved on. Uganda lends itself to the unscripted: it remains strikingly undertouristed – you can watch cats from a single vehicle, no convoy, no time limit. The unexpected feels inevitable here, and in the hands of WildPlaces Africa, a safari feels like a jaunt around Uganda with your best-connected friends. There’s a magic to staying in places shaped by people who genuinely call them home – a sense that anything can happen, and that you’re exactly where you should be when it does. Fergus travelled with our group: fiercely knowledgeable, boyishly enthusiastic, the kind of host who pivots effortlessly from bird calls to chimp behaviour to the history of a particular kopje without ever making you feel lectured. He has known these landscapes since before he could name them – and guests can request him to join their trip. If you can, you should. ■ BOOK IT: Steppes Travel offers a 10-day itinerary

in Uganda with WildPlaces Africa, including stays at Kidepo, Murchison Falls, Kyambura and Bwindi, from £15,745 per person full board with flights. steppestravel.com Olivia’s return flights from London Gatwick to Entebbe had a carbon footprint of 1,512kg of CO2e (ecollectivecarbon.com)

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AFRICA SPECIAL

t takes a couple of nights to adjust to the nocturnal soundtrack at Paradise Plains – the trumpet of distant elephants, the heavy-footed shuffling of a hippo just outside – but once you do, it’s thrilling. A wild kind of ASMR with only canvas walls between you and the majestic creatures of the Masai Mara. The animals, I’m told, perceive the tent as a large rock, and so have no interest in what’s inside, and that is more or less true for the trucks as well. Still, that logic doesn’t stop my heart from racing when a lion brushes the side of the car on our first game drive, inches from my leg. Encounters like this are a daily occurrence in the quiet Musiara region that Paradise Plains calls home. Opened late last year, the camp is the seventh outpost of the Wilder Group, pioneers of socially-conscious safari. The land here is leased from ten local Masai families, who benefit from annual ground rent and a portion of each room rate, as well as the opportunity for employment and training. The Masai people, a nomadic tribe native to the Mara, make up 75 percent of the staff, and that makes all the difference – their knowledge and experience bring a depth to the landscape that only generations of ancestral stewardship can provide. On a nature walk through the bush, our guide Halifax tells us stories of his upbringing here, including how he once climbed a tree to escape a horde of buffaloes who circled below for the next two hours. He knows most of the animals here by name and can recognise the subtle differences in pattern from one zebra to the next. ‘Growing up in the Mara,’ he says, ‘is like watching a city be built brick-by-brick, but instead of buildings, the infrastructure is the animals.’ Conservation as practiced by Paradise Plains starts with the land. Once you save that, the animals will follow. To that end, the camp is barely visible from a distance, with each of its nine suites constructed in neutral, earthy tones that blend seamlessly into the bush so as not to disturb the locals – the Marsh Pride lions, say, or the family of elephants who often graze right in front of the camp’s infinity pool. Over the week, we witness power plays of Shakespearean drama between rival packs, and the big themes of life unfolding right in front of us: sex, birth, death. I’m forced to confront two of my greatest fears: hippos (justified, it turns out) and heights (less so) as we take to the sky in a hot air balloon, where the sheer scale of the wilderness puts my urban neurosis into perspective as gazelles skip past below while the Mara River snakes through the grassy plains like a silver ribbon. Nature is brutal, beautiful, and entirely indifferent to us, exactly as it should be. ■

WELCOME TO PARADISE Staffed mostly by Masai, Stephanie Gavan discovers both human and animal stories behind Kenya’s new Paradise Plains lodge KENYA

FROM TOP: The Acacia tree, so redolent of the Masai Plains; only canvas separates guests from the wildlife beyond

BOOK IT: Suites at Paradise Plains start from $850 per night,

including all meals, selected drinks, a daily game drive and community conservation fees. wilder-group.com

Stephanie’s return flights from London Heathrow to Nairobi had a carbon footprint of 1,737kg of CO2e (ecollectivecarbon.com)

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TRAVEL & FOOD

FROM TOP: Chimp numbers in Africa have fallen to between 180,000 and 256,000; Virunga Lodge helps protect Rwanda’s threatened ape population

AFRICA SPECIAL

MONKEY BUSINESS Ecotourism has protected the great apes of Rwanda. Annabel Heseltine prepares for her first gorilla encounter RWANDA

M

y first attempt to see Rwanda’s endangered mountain gorillas in 1994 was scuppered by the outbreak of the civil war; my second by rain. But my third attempt to see them last year in the Volcanoes National Park couldn’t have been more different. After filing through a forest of dripping bamboo, wearing masks to protect the apes from disease, the guides’ challenge proved not to be in finding them but in keeping humans and apes apart. They came from all directions. Huge silverbacks and tumbling teenagers. I felt a warning hand on my arm as a baby bundled past almost knocking me out of the way. Watched benignly by the adults, she puddled water curiously, ignoring me. Then, suddenly, looking up, her stare caught mine, stripping me raw, offering for a microsecond a portal into a wild world where all else was irrelevant. If only that could be true. Aside from war, bushmeat trade and disease, the biggest threat to gorillas today is habitat loss. Mountain gorilla numbers have successfully recovered from their low of circa 620 in 1994 to the highest number recorded this year of 1,100. Human population in Africa, however, is set to double in the next 35 years bringing escalating human-wildlife conflict. Chimp numbers have fallen from one to two million a hundred years ago to approximately 180,000 to 256,000 today. Ape survival depends upon the vision of people like Asian-Ugandan Praveen Moman. He has been pioneering great ape tourism along the Albertine Rift Valley since 1997, using it as a vehicle for post-conflict healing, reconciliation and community empowerment. In 2005, Volcanoes Safaris was the only safari company to become a charter signatory to the UN Kinshasha Declaration on Saving the Great Apes, acknowledging the direct link between conservation and poverty alleviation. In 2009, he founded the Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust providing a village for Rwanda’s displaced Batwa community, forest dwellers who became conservation refugees, introducing solar energy so children could see their homework and micro-financing projects like Goats for Gorillas. The gift of a goat is a hedge against hunger and an opportunity for cash revenue. Only when locals are economically invested could Moman hope to protect the gorillas, or for that matter, the chimpanzees of Kibale National Park over the border in Uganda, where two days later I slipped and slid in the huge, veined footsteps of forest elephants following a troop, and worried about a female in oestrus high in a canopy. Were she to get pregnant she could drop her baby. Her fingers, bulging with blood choked by a poacher’s blue snare were a grim reminder of the vigilance required of conservationists, park rangers and the renowned Gorilla Doctors who later removed it under anaesthesia, and of the vital importance of conservation-motivated tourism. ■ BOOK IT: Volcanoes Safaris offers a seven-night Great

Apes Safari from £11,500, including meals and excursions. volcanoessafaris.com. Catch Praveen Moman on Annabel’s podcast Hope Springs Annabel’s one-way flight from Ethiopia to Rwanda had a carbon footprint of 347kg of CO2e (ecollectivecarbon.com) countryandtownhouse.com —— SEP OCT 2026 —— 231

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On horseback, safari sheds its usual structure. There are no set routes or buffers between you and the bush. You’re closer to creatures than you would ever be on four wheels – in places vehicles dare not enter

PHOTOS: SINÉAD THORPE

In the saddle, Chloe gets an extraordinary vantage point in which to get up close and personal to the animals on the plains of Laikipia in Kenya

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AFRICA SPECIAL

UNBRIDLED PATH A riding safari allows access to places no vehicle can reach. Chloe Frost-Smith saddles up to ride the plains of Laikipia KENYA

A

PHOTOS: SINÉAD THORPE

dmittedly, riding by moonlight isn’t part of the plan. We should have reached our tents by sunset – gin and tonics in hand, boots and chaps peeled off – but the terrain has other ideas. I’m part of the recce crew navigating a newly opened week-long route – the Borana Northern Ride – a collaboration between Borana Lodge and African Horse Safaris, widely regarded as experts in the field with the widest selection of in-saddle safaris on the continent. The descent into one of the Samangua Valley’s creases proves more technical than expected, the ground loose enough that Pippin, my sure-footed Thoroughbred, slows to pick his way through rock and scrub. Giraffes cause welcome distraction – yet further delay – their long necks silhouetted against a blush-pink sky, ossicone-crowned heads turned towards the molten horizon as if to say, ‘the light is fading’. Our pace quickens, and my heart rate with it, racing dusk knowing that predators are preparing to hunt. A spotted hyena pops up on a mound above us, sniffing the air, before a sparkle of fireflies flickers through the darkness down to our fly camp on the Ngare Ndare’s riverbanks. At last, the glow of a campfire comes into view – lanterns strung against sand-coloured canvas. We tether the horses beside us, our tents pitched within earshot of the river and the soft, conversational nickers of the herd. A hot water bottle tucked into crisp sheets is enough to send me straight to sleep. Rising with the sun, we pack our saddle bags with homemade sandwiches and fresh fruit to eat on the hoof. We are in the remote reaches of northern Kenya, on the Laikipia Plateau, riding from Borana Conservancy in the luscious foothills of Mount Kenya. Recent rains have shifted the palette to a vivid green, springing with new life – from wobbly-legged zebra foals and fluffy cheetah cubs to elephant calves wrestling under the watchful eye of grazing mothers. Borana – once a working cattle ranch run by the Dyer family – has always been shaped by horses. They were the only way to cover the vast territory, and remain central to it today. Around 2,000 head of cattle still roam the conservancy, managed through a rotational grazing

system that now works to regenerate the land. The horses themselves reflect that heritage. Homebred, many with polo lineage, they are forward-going, responsive and remarkably composed. Having grown up among wildlife, they carry us alongside zebra and giraffe, cantering flank-to-flank as if part of the herd. There is no engine noise or sense of intrusion – just the rhythm of hooves and a momentary sense of belonging. We ride north towards Il Ngwesi, guided by Llewellyn Dyer, Borana’s fourth-generation custodian, who leads the team behind one of Kenya’s most successful conservation stories. The 32,000-acre conservancy, a member of The Long Run, reinvests all retained earnings into protecting the land, including its resident rhino populations. As we drop in altitude, the air dries, the heat intensifies, and we spot lion tracks in the dust. After six-ish hours, we reach the Mararoi hills crested by Il Ngwesi, built entirely from local materials and blending into its surrounding canopy. It is owned and operated by the Maasai community and we are welcomed with traditional dancing and a steady rotation of wildlife around a watering hole below my thatched room. With no doors or windows, there’s nothing to separate me from the elements except a mosquito net that’s draped over my four-poster bed, as the stars twinkle overhead and lightning flashes in the distance. Warmed by cups of honey and ginger tea as the dawn chorus bursts into song, my feet find their way back into stirrups and we climb along elephant-forged paths. We ride upwards through dense thicket, thorns scratching at my shirt, and in steeper sections we’re forced to dismount and lead the horses. Reaching the ridgeline, we sprawl out on the ground for a picnic breakfast. The land falls away in every direction – a patchwork of riverbeds we’d splashed through, over scrubland and savannah on a stretch nobody has ridden before. After the cooling embrace of the Mukogodo Forest, the horses recognise when they’re back on home turf, lengthening into an exhilarating gallop over hills blooming with white hibiscus and prowled by tawnymaned lions. Dyer pulls us up short: a crash of white rhino stands between us and the stables, horn to horn. Rhinos and big cats cleared in peace, horses hugged in gratitude and returned to their hay, I recline on a heated bed in the lodge’s spa for an arnica muscle melt massage that miraculously soothes my saddle soreness. On horseback, safari sheds its usual structure. There are no set routes or buffers between you and the bush. The horse softens your presence and impact on nature, and you’re closer to creatures than you would ever be on four wheels – in places vehicles dare not venture. ■ BOOK IT: African Horse Safaris offers a seven-night

Borana Northern Ride from £5,225 per person full board with transfers. africanhorsesafaris.com Chloe’s return flights from Edinburgh to Nairobi had a carbon footprint of 1,716kg of CO2e (ecollectivecarbon.com) countryandtownhouse.com —— SEP OCT 2026 —— 233

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AFRICA SPECIAL

want to showcase the capability of women,’ says Bae Siethuka, the first female guide at the African Bush Camps Foundation, ‘guiding has always been male dominated.’ Until now. Siethuka enrolled on the Foundation’s two-year trainee guide programme in 2021, completed it in a year, and is now the first in the field. Botswana itself is her driving force: ‘I have always wanted to interact with people across the world, by sharing the beauty that is my country.’ And beauty is something Botswana has in abundance, particularly viewed from Atzaró Okavango in the Delta. The camp, which runs on 100 percent solar power, is headed up by a woman, too, general manager Kele ModiaganeMuzhuzha, who takes the protection of all this beauty seriously. ‘The camp is built in an area that is away from game movement routes,’ she says. ‘The lodge is also carefully designed so that it is not a permanent structure, so the environment remains in the same condition it was in before it was built.’ Tented suites are elevated on stilts, blending canvas with natural wood and handcrafted basketry – the latter made by artisans from Ditshiping, the village five kilometres away that supplies almost half of the camp’s staff. The village’s residents also lead the traditional mokoro rides along the Delta’s waterways, gliding silently through papyrus channels so you can immerse yourself in the landscape completely, while supporting the local community. A patrol team from Ditshiping works to deter poaching in the area; a tutoring centre in Maun supports the village’s children attending school in the city. Atzaró Okavango’s presence funds the community while the community shapes the camp – here, we could insert a clip of a cartoon baboon holding up a baby lion to the soundtrack of The Circle of Life. The lions, though, are not the main attraction here, nor the leopards. The endangered African wild dogs are at the heart of the conservation efforts in Botswana, the last stronghold of the predator on the continent, and a sighting of a pack of wild dogs tearing across sun-dappled water on a hunt is top of most visitors’ wish lists. Our most reliable animal encounter came at 2am each night – a grunting hippo stomping across the camp attempting to dismantle the walkways. But as Modiagane-Muzhuzha flagged, the camp is built non-permanently for exactly this reason: the animals were here first. And though Modiagane-Muzhuzha and Siethuka are among the guardians of all this for now, hopefully the animals will be here long after the humans leave. ■

FEMALE OF THE SPECIES Rebecca Cox visits Botswana’s Okavango Delta, where two impressive women are leaders – but Mother Nature is the boss BOTSWANA

FROM TOP: Once the preserve of men, now female rangers, such as Bae Siethuka, are forging a path; the endangered wild dog is often at the top of a guest’s wish list

paired with Atzaró Cape Town. The nine-day African Ultimate Experience combining both properties starts at £8,100 per couple full board, including helicopter transfers. atzaro-okavango.com Rebecca’s return flights from London Heathrow to Botswana had a carbon footprint of 2,069kg of CO2e (ecollectivecarbon.com)

PHOTOS: REBECCA COX

BOOK IT: Atzaró Okavango works as a standalone trip or

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PROMOTION

FOLLOW YOUR COMPASS True Travel crafts unforgettable African safari experiences – but should you head east or south?

T

here’s no life-altering experience quite like a safari. Unfathomably vast plains, starblanketed night skies and a front-row seat to the wildest parts of our world are enough to shift even the most seasoned traveller’s perspective. For True Travel founder Henry Morley, a transformative road trip to Cape Town 13 years ago was the catalyst for building his B Corp brand, which crafts bespoke, unforgettable journeys to Africa and beyond. With prime safari booking time upon us for next year’s dry season (June to September), one of the first questions is: East or southern Africa? While both offer magical safaris, there are some differences to consider when creating your dream journey with True Travel.

PHOTOS: ISTOCK

WILDLIFE

If catching a glimpse of the Big Five – elephants, lions, leopards, rhinos and buffalo – is the goal, ‘you can’t go wrong with either’, says True Travel’s Africa programme manager, Peter Felix. East Africa – that is, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda – is home to the Great Migration and the Serengeti, ideal for the classic, vehicle-based safari. Here, says Felix, ‘you have a front-row seat to nature’s greatest performances’. Southern Africa offers The Kruger National Park immersion. Across Botswana, is home to more than Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, 30,000 elephants Mozambique and South Africa, game-viewing is combined with activities like canoeing, horse-riding and hiking. Botswana’s Okavango Delta and the Zambezi River are hotspots for elephants, crocodiles and hippos. For gorilla trekking, you’ll need to head east to Rwanda or Uganda.

With so many choices, it can be difficult to get everything you want out of your safari. As well as an in-depth itinerary planning process, True Travel’s 24/7 contact line and on-the-ground representatives ensure you don’t miss a thing.

LANDSCAPES & CULTURE

In East Africa, your time will be spent almost entirely on safari, with a possible beach add-on. Interactions with indigenous groups are more common here, though; the Maasai and Samburu people are strongly involved in tourism, sharing their unparalleled lived expertise on the area. In southern Africa, safari is just the start. For the most authentic, memorable journey through the region’s vast array of landscapes, insider knowledge by True Travel’s experts is key. ‘[An itinerary] could begin in Cape Town with world-class cuisine and breathtaking coastal scenery before moving to the wilderness, where vast herds roam the Okavango Delta,’ suggests Felix. ‘It might end with a scenic helicopter ride over Victoria Falls or touring Namibia’s endless deserts.’ Instead of flocking to social media’s must-visit destinations, you’ll be having deeply personal and meaningful experiences you never would’ve imagined, creating memories to last a lifetime. Speak to a specialist at True Travel about your dream journey at info@true.travel, or +44 (0)20 3925 6592. true.travel

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TRAVEL & FOOD

EAT YOUR WORDS A three-course feast for your autumn table from upcoming cookbooks, plus culinary-inspired reads. Edited by Tessa Dunthorne STARTER

PHOTOS: OTTOLENGHI: JONATHAN LOVEKIN. SIMMER: YUKI SUGIURA. TRINITY: JOHN CAREY

BLACKBERRY & BORAGE SOUP WITH CARAWAY CUSTARD METHOD

1. Rinse the borage and place most of it in a bowl. Reserve some for garnish. 2. Add teabags to the bowl alongside 500ml water. Leave for ten mins, then strain the tea into another bowl. Discard the solids. 3. Add blackberries, sugar and juniper berries into a pan and pour the tea on top. Bring to boil, then simmer until blackberries begin to break down. Remove from heat. 4. Cut 3-4 slices of cucumber to reserve. Combine the rest, in chunks, in a blender, with the blackberry mix. Cover and chill for an hour or so. 5. To make the custard, add the milk, rose cordial, sugar, caraway and vanilla into a pan. Macerate for 30 mins and then bring to a gentle boil. Thicken slowly with cornflour, then cool in the fridge. Serve on top of soup with the reserve cucumber, shredded, plus borage flowers. Simmer by Sally Bucher and Jamshid Golshan Ebrahimi is published on 22 October (Pavilion, £22)

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4) 15g dried borage 3 Earl Grey teabags 600g blackberries 50g sugar 5-6 dried juniper berries 1/2 cucumber 300ml vegan milk 2 tsp rose cordial 75g sugar 2 tsp ground caraway seeds 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 3 tbsp cornflour

MAIN

CHICKEN MEATBALLS WITH PISTACHIOS & SPINACH METHOD

1. Roughly chop the spring onions, coriander, dill, garlic cloves, spinach and cherries. 2. Combine the first seven ingredients in the list (far right) in a food processor, and blitz. Transfer 175g of this mix into a small bowl and set aside. Keep the remainder in the food processor and add the breadcrumbs, egg, mince, 3/4 tsp salt, and pepper. Blitz and shape into 14 meatballs. 3. Put 2 tbsp of olive oil into a large sauté pan on a mediumhigh heat. Add the meatballs and brown on all sides (about five mins). Remove to a plate.

4. Add the remaining oil to the pan with the reserved blitz mix and the spinach. Cook for about three minutes, stirring, and then add the stock, orzo, sour cherries, molasses and 3/4 tsp salt. Bring to a simmer, add to the meatballs, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for ten mins, covered until the meatballs and orzo are cooked through. Leave to stand covered for five to ten mins until orzo has plumped up and thickened the sauce. Serve with a squeeze of lemon. Simple Too by Ottolenghi is out now (Ebury Press, £30)

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INGREDIENTS (Makes 10) 250g good quality dark chocolate (80 percent cocoa solids), roughly chopped 250g unsalted butter 4 medium eggs 4 medium egg yolks 125g caster sugar Mint ice cream, to serve

DESSERT

← CHOC HOT POTS

PHOTOS: OTTOLENGHI: JONATHAN LOVEKIN. SIMMER: YUKI SUGIURA. TRINITY: JOHN CAREY

METHOD

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4-6) 100g pistachio kernels 8-10 spring onions 50g coriander 20g dill 3 garlic cloves 1 tsp ground turmeric 2 1/2 tsp ground cumin 25g panko breadcrumbs 1 egg 400g chicken mince 105ml olive oil 200g baby spinach leaves 650ml chicken stock 100g orzo 75g dried sour cherries 2 tsp cherry molasses

1. Melt the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Remove the bowl from the heat and, with a spatula, stir the chocolate and butter until well incorporated. Leave to cool to blood temperature. 2. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolks with a hand whisk on low speed. Add the sugar a few spoonfuls at a time (this will help to aerate the eggs), and continue whisking until the mixture turns pale yellow and holds a ribbon trail when the whisk is lifted. 3. Using the spatula, gently fold the cooled chocolate mixture into the egg mixture – do this gently so that the aerated eggs don’t collapse. Transfer to a covered container and leave to rest for at least one hour. 4. When ready to bake the pots, preheat the oven to 190°C fan. Bake for eight to ten minutes until the centres are gooey and molten. Serve with mint ice cream. Trinity: The Cookbook by Adam Byatt is published on 15 October (Quadrille, £55)

DINNER PARTY

A taste of five books. By Belinda Bamber ACCIDENTS IN THE HOME

by Tessa Hadley Clare’s perfect domestic family life is fl ipped like a pancake when an old flame unexpectedly turns up for lunch at her country cottage, as the boyfriend of her childhood best friend. Vintage, £9.99

LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE

by Laura Esquivel Tita is a cook so heartbroken at being forbidden to marry her beloved Pedro that her yearning magically infuses her food, prompting scenes of wild lust, grief and mayhem in those who eat it. Black Swan, £9.99

KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL

by Anthony Bourdain A mouthwatering memoir of sex, drugs and saucepans by the original irresistible, rock’n’roll restaurant chef. Bloomsbury, £12.99

MIDNIGHT’S CHILDREN

by Salman Rushdie A wild ride into postcolonial India that narrator Saleem examines through the metaphor of cooking, mixing a different jar of pickles for each chapter of his autobiography in what Rushdie drolly dubs ‘the chutnification of history’. Vintage Classics, £10.99

IN SEARCH OF LOST TIME

by Marcel Proust Famous for its ‘madeleine moment’, when the taste of a tea-soaked sponge cake triggers a delicious memory of childhood innocence. Penguin Classics, £12.99

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TRAVEL & FOOD

GASTRO GOSSIP The latest in lunches, with Tessa Dunthorne In Season

Olives STAYING IN

Celeb gin is officially over. Instead, it’s all about A-lister olive oil. Gordon Ramsay has teamed up with the couple behind Lady A wine for Krude, a cold-pressed, early harvest oil just brimming with antioxidants. krudeoliveoil.com

GOING OUT

Olive oil is the star of the show at Osteria Vibrato, the Soho dining spot from opera singer turned restaurateur Charlie Mellors. With a revolving cast of up to ten, each is paired with a different dish and introduced with the reverence of a sommelier.

SKY HIGH

↑ ROMY’S MOMENT

What great shoes were left to fill after Sally Abé’s departure from The Pem at Conrad London St James. But stepping into them is Romy Gill MBE of Romy’s Kitchen, which saw her become the first Indian female chef in Britain to own her own restaurant. Expect a menu that tours regional India, from the curries of Rajasthan to the coastal tastes of Kerala. Opens 17 September.

A spate of new openings are shooting for the stars – literally. There’s the redevelopment at Olympia, where restaurants like Wolves of Tokyo are situated on a ‘rooftop street’. And now, atop a Grade II-listed working electricity substation in Mayfair, Pearl – a restaurant, terrace and public garden – will open its doors this September.

↓ CHAMPAGNE SUPERNOVA

What’s the latest on the hotly anticipated Bollinger hotel? Announced in 2023, we’re over halfway to the 2028 finish line, when it will open ahead of the winemaker’s bicentenary. Set in the former home of the legendary Lily Bollinger, Maison Dueil, it will comprise 20 bedrooms and a spectacular wellness area. Naturally, there’ll be a tasting room and culinary experiences that explore the identity of the estate – presumably with plenty of fizz.

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The Conversation Starter

EVENTS, WEDDINGS, PRIVATE CLIENTS COMMISSIONS OPEN

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LAST WORD

A LIFE IN BALANCE Mishal Husain shares how she stays grounded

First thing in the morning I… make myself a Turkish

My relationship with my phone is... extremely unhealthy.

coffee. It’s very strong, probably the equivalent of ten normal coffees. I’ll open the door to the garden and get a bit of fresh air. It has become a ritual now that I have more breathing space in the morning.

I am grateful for… three healthy children who I hope look at life in a grounded way, and for having found a thoughtful, compassionate, lifelong companion in my husband. I really can’t stand… people

taking selfies in places of immense solemnity and sorrow.

I feel unhinged when…

I look at my inbox and realise how many unread emails I have – or worse, ones I’ve read but not yet replied to. Also when I hear people say naan bread, when naan is a form of bread, or chai tea, when ‘chai’ means ‘tea’.

I wish I could… draw or paint.

I grew up watching my mother sew; both my father, who was a surgeon, and one of my grandparents painted; one of my ancestors in Uzbekistan was a potter as well as a scholar. Much of the work we do today is cerebral or white collar, and it’s easy to lose touch with doing things with our hands.

I feel grounded when…

I hear from my mother. She has a very intuitive sense of what’s happening in my life and always reaches out at precisely the right moment.

Last thing at night I… feel

grateful for the comforts of home and my own bed. I’m conscious before I close my eyes of people whose homes are very different.

I treat myself by… binge-

I let my hair down by… decompressing on a Friday. I have worked shifts for 30 years and for the first time I now have a Mondayto-Friday routine. I finally understand that Friday afternoon feeling. My greatest vice is… my sweet tooth, which

is reserved for Iranian nougat, Pakistani mangoes, stuffed dates and a Turkish fruit leather known as ‘pestil’.

My greatest virtue is… being able to function on very little sleep if I really need to.

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I had an aha moment when…

I had an aha moment when I left the BBC and people were so generous about what I had contributed. It gave me courage

I left the BBC and people were so generous about what I had contributed. It gave me courage as I started a new phase and a big new professional journey. I will pay it forward by… looking out for where

I might make a positive difference.

A wise person once told me… ‘kya yaad karain

gay’. My grandmother, Tahirah, was often writing letters or preparing gifts for people who were acquaintances rather than friends or family. I asked her why and her reply in Urdu means, ‘what will they remember?’ Small kindnesses and gestures matter. ■ Mishal Husain is at Chelsea Arts Festival on 18 September. chelseaartsfestival.com

PHOTOS: JOSÉ SARMENTO MATOS

watching television: Slow Horses, Shōgun, Ozark. In the early weeks of the Iran war, I interviewed Adjoa Andoh from Bridgerton and then watched three seasons as my guilty pleasure. And eating chocolate Grisbi biscuits. I’m coeliac, and most gluten-free food is awful.

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