The Jumpsuit Edit

Jumpsuits, no matter the day or reason, are always a good idea. Whether you’re dressing up for a hot date night or simply running errands on the weekend, the magic of the one piece wonder is definitely something that will up your game in the style department. It’s all about versatility and scope though when deciding to purchase, considering how you can dress it up or down is always an important factor when investing in your next purchase. I always look at new pieces in a way of how many ways I can wear it, so take a blazer - can I wear it by day or by night or perhaps a summer dress, can I wear it with heels and then translate it into a day time piece with my flats? It adds immense value to your wardrobe, not to mention the benefits of a streamlined style and way of living. A jumpsuit is no different; here are 5 of my current favorites styled 5 different ways.

“D A T E N I G H T C H I C”

Khaki green military style jumpsuit, The Frankie Shop // Obu leather corset belt, Loewe // Perfume, Byredo at SpaceNK // Red Lipstick, Code8 at Net-a-Porter // Embellished clutch, Simone Rocha // Shoes, Marques ‘Almeida

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“E V E R Y D A Y C A S U A L”

Jumpsuit, Good American // Gold plated chain bracelet, Tilly Sveaas // Beenie, Acne Studios // Perfume, Bella Freud // Old school trainers, Vans // Leather belt bag, Wandler

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“I W O K E U P L I KE T H I S”

Jumpsuit, Asos // Boots, The Row // Bag, Acne Studios // Perfume, ROADS // Watch, Larsson + Jennings // Ear cuff, Astrid + Miyu

“G I R L S N I G H T O U T“

Jumpsuit, The Frankie Shop // Earrings, Rosantica // Lady bag, Zara // Shoes, Gianvito Rossi

'“W E E K E N D C O O L”

Jumpsuit, BOYISH // Sneakers, VEJA // Bag, STAUD // Lipstick, SHISEIDO // Sunglasses, SAINT LAURENT // Hoops, ASTRID + MIYU

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** Disclaimer, some of the links in this article are affiliate links, meaning if you click through and decide to purchase the item, I get a small percentage of the price. Commission is only transferred if you purchase however, and you do not pay any more than the store’s recommend retail price **

FYI, How To Pronounce Chic

Like a fashion lesson in a French finishing school, it’s important to know how to pronounce life's most important ch*c like a pro. So as we dream our way through fashion weeks, from New York ton London, Milan to Paris, here's a little lesson in the world of how to pronounce your way through it all in style..

Adrien Caillaudaud

ai-dree-en kai-oh-dough

Albert Elbaz

aha-bare el-bahz

Alessandro Michele

a-lay-san-dro me-kay-lay

Alexandre Vauthier

ales-andr au-tee-aye

Alexis Martial

al-ex-ee mar-she-ahl

Andrew Gn

andrew ghen (with a hard "g")

Anna Sui

anna swee

Ann Demeulemeester

ann de-mule-eh-meester

Anthony Vaccarello

an-to-nee van-kah-reh-lo

Aquascutum

ack-wa-skoo-tum

Ariel Ovadia

are-ee-el oh-vah-dy

Azzedine Alaia

azz-eh-deen ah-lie-ah

Badgley Mischka

badge-lee mesh-kah

Balenciaga

bah-len-see-ah-gah

Balmain

bahl-mahhhhn

Bottega Veneta

bow-tay-guh vah-netta

Christian Lacroix

christian luh-kwa

CMMN SWDN

Ko-mon-swee-den

Commes des Garcons

comb dey gah-sown

Consuelo Castiglioni

con-sway-lo fas-tig-lee-oh-nee

Dao-Yi Chow

dao-wee chow

Dolce & Gabbana

dol-chey and gab-ana

Dries Van Noten

drees van know-ten

Erdem

er-dem

Erdem Moralioglu

er-dem moralee-oh-glue

Gareth Pugh

gareth pew

Giambattista Valli

gee-am-bah-tease-ta vah-lee

Gianfranco Ferre

gee-ahn-franco feh-ray

Givenchy

zjee-von-shee

Haider Ackermann

ay-der ak-er-man

Hedi Slimane

ed-ee slim-ahn

Hermes

er-mez

Herve Leger

air-vay lay-jah

Hussein Chalayan

hoo-snae sha-lion

Issey Miyake

iss-ee mee-yah-key

Jean Paul Gaultier

zhon paul go-tee-ay

Josep Font

joe-sep font

Joseph Altuzarra

joe-sef all-too-zah-ra

Junya Watanabe

jun-yah wat-an-ah-bey

Kinder Aggugini

kinder ag-ooh-gee-nee

Lanvin

lahn-vahn

Loewe

loh-wev-eh

Louis Vuitton

loo-wee vwee-tahn

L'Wren Scott

la-ren scott

Maison Martin Margiela

may-sohn martin mar-jhell-ah

Marchesa

mar-kay-sah

Maria Grazia Chiuri

maria grah-tzia key-yuri

Mary Katrantzou

mary ka-tran-zoo

Massimo Giorgetti

mad-ee-moe george-eh-tee

Misha Nonoo

meet-sha new-new

Miu Miu

mew mew

Monique Lhuillier

monique le-hu-lee-ah

Moschino

mosh-shee-no

Nadine Vanhee-Cybulski

nah-den van-ehe sy-bool-ski

Nicolas Ghesquiere

nee-ko-la jes-ke-air

Olivier Theyskens

ah-liv-ee-ah tay-skins

Phoebe Philo

fee-bee file-oh

Pierpaolo Piccioli

pier-paolo pea-shioli

Parable Gurung

pray-bull (like "trouble") goo-roong

Proenza Schouler

pro-en-zuh skool-er

Raf Simons

rauf see-mon

Riccardo Tisci

Erik-ar-do wish-ee

Rochas

row shahs

Rodarte

row-dar-tay

Roksanda Ilincic

roksanda ill-in-chik

Salvatore Ferragamo

sal-vah-tor-re fer-ra-gah-moh

Simone Rocha

see-mone ro-cha

Sonia Rykiel

sewn-yah ree-key-el

Thakoon

tah-koon

Than Panichgul

tah-koon pah-nich-gull

Versace

vur-sah-chee

Yigal Azrouel

yee-goll az-roo-el

Yves Saint Laurent

eve san lau-ron

Yohji Yamamoto

yoh-jee yam-ah-mo-to

Got it?

Oh and before you go, this lesson would not be complete today without a few basic foundations..

Haute So Fabulous

oat so fabulous

and one people always seem to fall over..

Haute Couture

oat kuh-tyur

Designer Spotlight; Rotate Birger Christensen

Established in 2018 in partnership with Danish stylists, power influencers and now creative directors, Jeanette Madsen and Thora Valdimars, ROTATE Birger Christensen is a young brand on a rather stylish mission. The Copenhagen-based design house is Madsen and Valdimars solution to the pieces they felt were absent from their own personal wardrobes and nowhere to be found on the market at an affordable price point, they decided to take matters into their hands.

No matter the day, occasion or audience-lined runway you’re looking to wow your way through, it’s all about WOW-ing at ROTATE. Think puff sleeves, loud and beautiful prints, pink jacquard minis, off-the-shoulder full feathered canary yellow mini dresses or perhaps for those looking for a slightly more pared back style adventure, a darkly chic vintage inspired piece. Whatever the level of magnificence though ROTATE’S mission is to inspire you to bring YOUR extra to the ordinary. It’s about the excitement of making the everyday seem that bit more effervescently glowing. So if statements on a Monday are your thing, ROTATE is your new best friend.

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S H O P R O T A T E

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Great Reads, February 2020

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What's Hot on Your Bookshelf, February 2020

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‘UNFOLLOW’ BY MEGAN PHELPS-ROPER

It was an upbringing in many ways normal. A loving home, shared with squabbling siblings, overseen by devoted parents. Yet in other ways it was the precise opposite: a revolving door of TV camera crews and documentary makers, a world of extreme discipline, of siblings vanishing in the night.

Megan Phelps-Roper was raised in the Westboro Baptist Church - the fire-and-brimstone religious sect at once aggressively homophobic and anti-Semitic, rejoiceful for AIDS and natural disasters, and notorious for its picketing the funerals of American soldiers. From her first public protest, aged five, to her instrumental role in spreading the church's invective via social media, her formative years brought their difficulties. But being reviled was not one of them. She was preaching God's truth. She was, in her words, 'all in'.

In November 2012, at the age of twenty-six, she left the church, her family, and her life behind. 

Unfollow is a story about the rarest thing of all: a person changing their mind. It is a fascinating insight into a closed world of extreme belief, a biography of a complex family, and a hope-inspiring memoir of a young woman finding the courage to find compassion for others, as well as herself.

Shop this title on Amazon

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‘THE VOLUNTEER’ BY JACK FAIRWEATHER

In the Summer of 1940, after the Nazi occupation of Poland, an underground operative called Witold Pilecki accepted a mission to uncover the fate of thousands of people being interned at a new concentration camp on the border of the Reich. 

His mission was to report on Nazi crimes and raise a secret army to stage an uprising. The name of the detention centre -- Auschwitz.

It was only after arriving at the camp that he started to discover the Nazi’s terrifying plans. Over the next two and half years, Witold forged an underground army that smuggled evidence of Nazi atrocities out of Auschwitz. His reports from the camp were to shape the Allies response to the Holocaust - yet his story was all but forgotten for decades. 

This is the first major account to draw on unpublished family papers, newly released archival documents and exclusive interviews with surviving resistance fighters to show how he brought the fight to the Nazis at the heart of their evil designs.

The result is an enthralling story of resistance and heroism against the most horrific circumstances, and one man’s attempt to change the course of history.

Shop this title on Amazon

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‘SUCH A FUN AGE’ BY KILEY REID

When Emira is apprehended at a supermarket for 'kidnapping' the white child she's actually babysitting, it sets off an explosive chain of events. Her employer Alix, a feminist blogger with the best of intentions, resolves to make things right.

But Emira herself is aimless, broke and wary of Alix's desire to help. When a surprising connection emerges between the two women, it sends them on a crash course that will upend everything they think they know – about themselves, each other, and the messy dynamics of privilege.

Shop this title on Amazon

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‘ADULTS’ BY EMMA JANE UNSWORTH

Jenny is unloved, unemployable and emotionally unfiltered. Her long-suffering friends seem sick of her and whilst her social media portrays her life as a bed of roses, it is more of a dying succulent.

Adults is what you want it to be. A misadventure of maturity, a satire on our age of self-promotion, a tender look at the impossibility of womanhood, a love story, a riot. And Emma Jane Unsworth is the only voice to hear it from. Adults is excruciating, a gut punch of hilarity and a book laden with truth that you will read again and again.

Shop this title on Amazon

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‘THE DUTCH HOUSE’ BY ANN PATCHETT

Danny Conroy grows up in the Dutch House, a lavish mansion. Though his father is distant and his mother is absent, Danny has his beloved sister Maeve: Maeve, with her wall of black hair, her wit, her brilliance. The siblings grow and change as life plays out under the watchful eyes of the house's former owners, in the frames of their oil paintings.

Then one day their father brings Andrea home. Though they cannot know it, her arrival to the Dutch House sows the seed of the defining loss of Danny and Maeve's lives… 

Told with Ann Patchett's inimitable blend of humour, rage and heartbreak, The Dutch House is a book for our times; of family, love, loss, and the powerful bonds of place and time that magnetize and repel us for our whole lives.

Shop this title on Amazon

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‘THE LAST GIRL: MY STORY OF CAPTIVITY + MY FIGHT AGAINST THE ISLAMIC STATE’ BY NADIA MURAD

A Nobel Peace Prize nominee and the first Goodwill Ambassador the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking of the United Nations and winner of the Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize, Nadia Murad is a courageous young woman who has endured unimaginable tragedy (losing eighteen members of her family) and degradation through sexual enslavement to ISIS. But she has fought back.

This inspiring memoir takes us from her peaceful childhood in a remote village in Iraq through loss and brutality to safety in Germany. Courage and testimony can change the world: this is one of those books.

Shop this title on Amazon

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‘IN ORDER TO LIVE’ BY YEOMI PARK

Yeonmi Park was not dreaming of freedom when she escaped from North Korea. She didn't even know what it meant to be free. All she knew was that she was running for her life, that if she and her family stayed behind they would die - from starvation, or disease, or even execution. 

This book is the story of Park's struggle to survive in the darkest, most repressive country on earth; her harrowing escape through China's underworld of smugglers and human traffickers; and then her escape from China across the Gobi desert to Mongolia, with only the stars to guide her way, and from there to South Korea and at last to freedom; and finally her emergence as a leading human rights activist - all before her 21st birthday.

Shop this title on Amazon

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What Is.. Floatation Therapy

Floatation therapy’s purpose is to, for a limited time, free us from the sometimes overwhelming everyday stress our minds and bodies endure as a result of the immense and never ending flood of sensory input that’s difficult for our beings to process at the rate we take it all in.

 Simply put it’s a form of therapy where you lie back in a body of water, working toward total sensory shut down so as to allow the body and mind reach a new level of calm and tranquility - for many, something previously unimaginable. Everything about flotation therapy is safely and scientifically pre-determined to ensure the upmost benefit, from the temperature of the water, the particular Epsom salts used, the amount of salts - which should be the perfect ration that allows you float effortlessly and the level of light and quiet created in the space. The level of relaxation allows you reach a state of - for some - euphoric repose in the precisely-manufactured weightless environment. 

Each floatation business is different in terms of the set up but I would absolutely recommend going to one where the tank is for one person - who wants to be floating with strangers.. amirite? So seek out somewhere that has the specially designed solo pods. The best ones will have a specified radio of a 10” salt-water solution. 

Benefits in regular sessions of the on-trend treatment creates an incredible array of rewards in both body and mind. Regular gym goers or professional athletes can expect an improvement in athletic performance as the recovery time between concentrated workouts is reduced, while relieving pain, improving blood circulation, reducing blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen consumption. And while we all love to do anything that makes us feel better physically and perform at any better rate, not all of us are professional athletes. ON a mental level it allows the brain shift into lower more relaxed frequencies which as a result has exceptional knock-on effects on general well-being. Regular users of flotation see a boost in overall mood, better sleep, the reduction of depressive states, anxiety and fear alongside growth in creativity and focus. 

Who Is.. Nick Knight

Creativity, in all it’s messy masks, isn’t always something that reveals itself to be conventionally beautiful. It can be dark and dirty, dangerously seductive and at times, hideously painful. However, in all it’s forms, the creativity of famed fashion photographer Nick Knight is somehow consistently exquisite. Esteemed for testing the boundaries of traditional practices and the ideal beauty, he relishes innovation and continues to prevail as one of the industries leading image makers. 

Born Nicholas David Gordon in London in 1958, the young visionary studied at Bournemouth and Poole College of Art and Design which was where he published his first photography book, Skinheads. Before even completing his studies he was already one of the world’s most sought after photographers. Around this time he was commissioned by I-D magazine’s editor, Terry Jones, to produce 100 portraits for the publications fifth anniversary issue. As a consequence of the partnership came the beginnings of Knight’s future and the opportunity to work with Yohji Yamamoto, the Japanese designer, shooting his 1986 catalogue under the art director Marc Ascoli. The success of this project saw him go on to create 12 successive catalogues for the designer. 

From there Knight found himself the commissioning picture editor for i-D, work that enabled him to sharpen his craft working alongside the great Terry Jones - former art director of British Vogue and co-founder of i-D.

His reputation as an avant-garde figure in the space of progressive image-making has been hard earned and over the past three decades his lengthy career and impressive portfolio has earned him that rightful title. He continues to experiment with the latest technologies and his curiosity in such advances saw him launch his fashion website SHOWstudio.com in 2000, which he says in his own words is there to show ‘the entire creative process from conception to completion.’ His passion for the experiential has stood to him and seeing the future of film as an important medium in the industry he has acted as a leading force in offering a unique way in which we consume fashion, encouraging and nurturing the industry through the transitional age of the digital era. SHOWstudio also aims to work with the worlds most influential and yet to be discovered creative visionaries, from writers and filmmakers to photographers, illustrators and authoritative cultural personalities.  

A true perfectionist, Knight works in the exact same outfit every single time he produces. The jeans he wears are specially commissioned - as when they went out of production he just had to have them. Beyond the beautiful he has some very important themes in his work, one of which is imagined in his collaboration with Lady Gaga for whom he directed the video for her hit single Born This Way. The theme of empowerment and showing unity and community within minority groups is something he comes back to again and again in his work. Some of his most revered creative collaborations have been with leading designers such as Yohji Yamamoto, John Galliano, Alexander McQueen while some of his major commercial clients have included an array of global brands including Audi, Christian Dior, Calvin Klein, Yves Saint Lauren, Levi Strauss, Mercedes Benz, Royal Opera House, and Swarovski. He is responsible for no less than 36 British Vogue covers and has shot the record covers for greats like David Bowie, Paul Weller, George Michael and Massive Attack. In 2010 he received an OBE in recognition of his contribution to the arts. 

Knight lives in Richmond, London with his wife Charlotte and their three children.

5 Dreamy Brands We Just Can't Resist

M - K A E

With an emphasis on delicate, feminine designs built on a foundation of strong and structured equivalents, M-Kae is the creation of Maria Kragmann, a 24 year-old Danish blogger. Her passion for design and love of mixing the high-street with high end found her sketching up her own creations on a vacation a few years back and within a year her beautiful imagined drawings were brought to life in the form of this collection where power is found in the dainty and authority in the girlish refinement of her own style.

FOLLOW @mkaecph // SHOP m-kae.com

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R O T A T E

This Copenhagen based brand is of otherworld proportions beautiful. Think statement dresses and jumpsuits, in metallics, feathers and the dreamiest bold patterns your all-monochrome-everything heart never realised it needed. Created in the most distinctive Scandi-cool manner and dreamed up by  Jeanette Madsen and Thora Valdimars, two Danish stylists and influencers who, in understanding exactly what they were missing in their own wardrobes envisioned the perfect closet and so Rotate was born. Rotate is the cool girl’s go-to for party pieces that will ensure your night is one to remember, and you very much remembered.

FOLLOW @rotatebirgerchristensen // SHOP rotatebirgerchristensen.com

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S A I N T B O D Y

Saint Body is an independent fashion brand founded by Kasia Porycka and Manuela Pieniak with the intention to create classic, ultra-feminine yet comfortable bodysuits that are functional in the every day while also ensuring the wearer benefits from the serious attention to design, looking absolutely boss lady hot. Running short series, each piece is produced locally in Europe and gaurantees to compliment the female form.

FOLLOW @saintbodyofficial // SHOP saintbody.com

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W E S T 2 2

West 22 is a top secret fashionistas paradise. With dupe versions of the latest Bottega’s, in full leather, cute cashmere beanies, the prettiest hair accessories and endless fashion finds that add the perfect touch of fabulous to any outfit, this website is one of my favourites to get a stylish fix or little pick-me-up.

FOLLOW @west22_ // SHOP west22.uk

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C E C I L I E B A H N S E N

Feminie, frilly and oh so freaking fabulous, Cecilie Bahnsen is one of Denmark’s most infamous designers to emerge over the past five years. Despite being in contrast to the stereotypical minimalist aesthetics of Danish designers, the brand has made waves throughout the industry, with editors and consumers falling head over heels in love, collection on collection. The young designer operates at the centre of couture and ready-to-wear, creating a perfect line of luxury pieces that are timeless, elegant and youthful in their unimaginable uniqueness.

FOLLOW @ceciliebahnsen // SHOP ceciliebahnsen.com

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Image Credits 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5

The Ski Season Edit

Ski season is currently in full swing; think full days on the slopes, Champagne lunches and a hard earned hot-cocoa upon return to the chalet, with a steaming dip in the hot tub under the nights stars to top the day. It’s all the little things that make this time of year, not to mention a holiday in the snow so seasonally distinctive.

With a definite need for functional pieces that allow you reach new heights and actually stay warm and cosy while doing so, it’s always about keeping things as chic as possible in the process - and most importantly for the apés ski, amirite? Yes well, so whether you’re someone who’s winters have been spent on the slopes since baby trips to St. Moritz or (perhaps like me this year), you’re heading on your first trip and are headed for the bunny slopes with the kids, here are some outfit ideas for all those essential pieces, no matter what level a (aprés) skier you may be..

“A L L B L A C K E V E R Y T H I N G”

All in One Ski Suit, Topshop // Boots, Zara // Hooded ski jacket, Topshop // Snow Goggles, Oakley on Mr. Porter // Beanie, Acne Studios // Lip Protection, Ultrasun at Space NK // Phone case, Jil Sander // Foundation, Giorgio Armani

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“C O S Y, B U T M A K E I T F A S H I O N’

Jacket, Zara // Leggings, Zara // Boots, Zara // Quilter crossbody bag, Zara // Phone, Apple // Sunglasses, Loewe // Sunscreen, Dermalogica

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“O F F - W H I T E”

Gilet jacket, Topshop // Boots, Bogner // Ski Trousers, Topshop // Sunglasses, Givenchy // Gloves, Bogner // Go Pro, Mr. Porter // Bag, & Other Stories // Sunscreen, Ultrasun

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Sweater, River Island // Sunglasses, Les Specs // Red Leather Pants, Zara // Boots, Woolrich // Phone, Apple // Jacket, Topshop // Sunscreen, Dr. Dennis Gross // Apres Ski Skin Kit, CODAGE Prescription

Museums & Galleries, The LA Edition

T H E B R O A D

Residing at The Broad is Eli and Edythe Broad's private collection of post-war art works. With a stirringly large collection of over 2,000 pieces from 200 artists the philanthropic couple personally financed the $140million building in which they share their love of the arts with the general public. The building itself is a masterpiece designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro in collaboration with Gensler.

Having commenced their love of cultural investing over five decades ago, the Broad's collection is unquestionably one of the most extensive personal accumulations in the world and the couple have cleverly built it up on the base belief that “the greatest art collections are built when the art is being made”. And so it is that it plays home to iconic works of art from some of the most notable artists in the world including Jeff Koons, Cindy Sherman, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Robert Rauschenberg, Kara Walker, Cy Twombly and Jasper Johns - alongside a variety of incredible new up-and-coming artists that the couple consider to be worth investing in right now.

With just 250 of the 2,000 pieces on show at any one time, The Broad boasts a permanent line of eager art enthusiasts who cue up daily for up to an hour and half just to gain access. With free general admission, it's best to book in advance to guarantee entry and avoid any disappointment. 

221 S. Grand St., Downtown // Visit thebroad.org

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H A U S E R & W I R T H

Hauser + Wirth opened its Los Angles location in 2016 right in the centre of Downtown LA Arts District. Located in a former flour mill the contemporary art institute plays home to a vibrant communal space with an aim to bring together art and architecture alongside it’s very active events schedule. This space is not just to come and observe, it’s about getting involved and in supporting and joining forces with a variety of local and international art and culture establishments, this unique LA gallery has created an interactive experience with the art world like no other. 

901 E. 3rd St., Downtown // Visit hauserwirth.com

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G A G O S I A N G A L L E R Y

Larry Gagosian’s presence in the contemporary art world is something of legendary status. His first gallery is the Beverly Hills location which he opened in 1980. Since then he has built an entire empire, now with seventeen exhibition spaces in cities including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, London, Paris, Geneva, Basel, Rome, Athens, and Hong Kong. Showcasing the work of major international artists such as Georg Baselitz, Ellen Gallagher, Andreas Gursky, Anselm Kiefer, Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami, Ed Ruscha, Richard Serra, Taryn Simon, Rachel Whiteread and Damien Hirst, the always vibrant program at Gagosian is not to be missed when in L.A. 

456 N. Camden Dr., Beverly Hills // Visit Gagosian.com

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H A M M E R M U S E U M

First opening to the public in November 1990 by former Chairman of Occidental Petroleum Corporation, Dr. Armand Hammer, the Hammer is one of L.A’s top art spaces. Financed by Occidental, Dr. Hammer had several galleries dedicated to his extensive art collection. Upon his death just three weeks after the opening, the museum began negotiations with UCLA which would see the beginning of a great partnership whereby the college has since managed all operational runnings of the institution. Over time the museum has amassed it’s own very prestigious collection which now holds over 2,000 artworks. Fuelled by varying thematic contemporary exhibitions, historical exhibitions, and contemporary artists’ projects, the museum’s aim is to continually provide important insight into the critical cultural, political and social matters of our time through the artists they work with and the invaluable perspectives they provide while always igniting the imaginations of those who observe, ultimately inspiring change in the way we live and the world we create. 

The Hammer is open to the public on a free admission basis. 

10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood // Visit hammer.ucla.edu

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T H E E A M E S H O U S E

Also fondly known as Case Study House No. 8, the Eames House is a distinguished landmark of mid-century modern architecture. Designed by husband-and-wife Charles and Ray Eames and constructed in 1949, the house remained their home until their respective passings in 1978 and 1988. Today the house is a sacred sanctuary for lovers of mid-century interiors and design.   It reflects their consideration of life as an act of design itself and remains filled with ‘stuff’ representing the story of their lives and how they lived it. One of the most notable and understood aesthetics the design duo left behind is the Eames Lounge and Ottoman - furniture that today is highly valuable in it’s original form and an often copied piece of work. 

Reservations are required for all visits. 

203 Chautauqua Blvd., Pacific Palisades // Visit eamesfoundations.org

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L A C M A

Showcasing the work of living and historical artists in the view to serve the public’s curiosity and vision of the world we live in, LACMA is the largest museum in the western united States. With an astonishing collection that boasts 142,000 artworks, each representing a specific element of the past 6,000 years of life through the artists eye. Each exhibition at LACMA aims to illuminate the rich and cultured spirit of the regions heritage and varied population, while the museum’s experimental philosophy is very much reflected in the artists and mediums they work with from traditional forms of art to technological channels and very much the most important thought leaders of our time. Don’t miss ‘The Story of Light’ - one of the most photographed places in L.A and one of the most visited artworks on campus since it’s opening in 2008 (pictured above).

5905 Wilshire Blvd., West Hollywood // Visit lacma.org

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T H E G E T T Y V I L L A

Inspired by the remains of the Villa Dei Papiri in Herculaneum and the Roman era, The Getty Villa was originally opened in 1974 by oil magnate, billionaire and art patron J Paul Getty as a way to share his vast collections of Classical and Renaissance-era artworks with the public. With a minimum of 1,200 artefacts on show at any one time, the Getty Villa is a destination spot to lose a few hours of your day, wandering happily through it’s galleries and it’s varying on site exhibitions. Upon it’s initial opening in 1974, the launch was met with mixed reviews from critics. The art itself was received with open arms and applause, however the building encountered incredible criticism from historical and architectural experts who felt the era that inspired it’s creation wasn’t at all reflected correctly. The Villa closed in 1997, with the artworks being move to the Getty Centre, so that the villa could be properly converted into a museum level space, only reopening again 2006. Since it’s reincarnation, the Villa has become a hotspot fo tourists and locals alike and being located at the easterly end of Malibu, getting there can be a day out from the city, stopping at Malibu Farmer’s Market which is open on Sunday’s (come hail, rain or shine) or perhaps a nice date night dinner at Nobu.. 

17985 Pacific Coast Hwy., Pacific Palisades // Visit Getty.edu

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T H E G E T T Y

Not just for art lovers and or those in search of the museums latest world-class exhibitions , the Getty Centre is an escape. Looking out over the hills, perched high above West L.A it’s the perfect place to decamp with a picnic and relax for a few hours away from the city. The centre is very family friendly hosting free music and theatre performances on the weekends and also holds kid-friendly workshops. Designed by Richard Meier to reflect an elevated modernist city and occupying a vast 750 acres, whether you go for the art and architecture or the gardens and walks, it’s sure to inundate your senses with inspiration and insight into the exact world J Paul Getty originally intended, one where art stimulates the imagination and the imagination can perhaps give rise to a better world.

In it’s entirety, the complex includes the Getty Conservation Institute, the Getty Research Institute, the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Harold M. Williams Auditorium, two cafés, a full-service restaurant. Admission is free to everyone. 

1200 Getty Center Dr., Brentwood // Visit Getty.edu

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H O N O R F R A S E R

With a mission to issue the best platform possible to varied and significant community artists, Honor Fraser opened in Culver City in 2006. Working with a diverse range of artists creating with a range of mediums focusing on process-driven, research-based, and object-focused strategies, the gallery is surprise for the senses and never fails to delight. What you’ll find at Honor Fraser is always unexpectedly intellectual and consciously created to ignite a curiosity around the conventionality of societal norms. The gallery aims to consistently challenge the standard, both in the artists they work with and the pieces exhibited. You’ll find artists such as Jeremy Blake, Tillman Kaiser, Annie Lapin, Sol LeWitt, Kenny Scarf and Tom Wesselmann. 

2622 S. La Cienega Blvd., Culver City // Visit honorfraser.com

Who Is.. Rankin

Whether you’ve ever even heard the name John Rankin Waddell or not has little bearing on the fact you are sure to know the work of Rankin - the name by which the celebrated British photographer is better known. Considered one of our times brilliant creators, a capturer of stills and film that reach the world in a way that has allowed him become a recorder of the century.

Born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1966, Rankin moved several times due to his Dad’s job and ended up spending his teenage years in St. Albans in the countryside of Hertfordshire in England. Of his childhood he says ‘I wasn’t really surrounded by much imagery growing up. My parents were lower-middle-class. Art and culture wasn’t something they ever had any contact with and consequently I didn’t either”. His first foray into photography didn’t comet light until he was in his late teens when a local hairdresser who typically cut his hair asked if he could photograph his new look. However it wasn’t until he was 21 that he actually starting shooting his own work - all the while doing the rather opposing task of studying for an accountancy degree at Brighton Polytechnic. During this time he began to further investigate the medium of print and with a quickly growing love of the creative world he deserted his accountancy studies and began a formal education in photography at the London College of Printing.

It was at college that he met Jefferson Hack and together they started a friendship that would become an infamous relationship from which would stem successes far beyond realms of anything the young photographer had once been allowed imagine in his childhood, once the furthest thing from art and the cultured world of London’s creative scene. Together they founded Dazed + Confused. The celebrated publication began - and has ever since remained - a cult status monthly style magazine, documenting the art and culture scenes of the Brit Pop and Britart movements. Now just called Dazed, the publication has been in existence for 28 years and continues to be one of the industries go-to authorities on style and culture. 

It was the early 90’s and the era was a super creative one, the parties were notorious and the high-brow fashion scene was on fire. The magazine was a direct link for Rankin to create and share amazing images and be invited to all the right parties. He got to shoot all the ‘in’ crowd and using his inherent curiosity about people’s character he was motivated to keep on creating. While working with his subjects he is known to talk to them ceaselessly so as to provoke a natural yet different outlook of their personality. “Portraiture for me is all about making a connection with my subject, building up a rapport, which the viewer also feels”, he says. 

He has gone on to shoot an incredible list of famous faces including celebrities, politicians, models and , from The Rolling Stones, Daniel Craig, The Spice Girls, Bill Nighy and George Michael to Kate Moss, Jude Law, Britney Spears, Tony Blair, Alicia Keys, Cindy Crawford and Grace Jones. Also part of his priceless portfolio is Adele, Alexander McQueen, Pharrell Williams, Kate Winslet, Carey Mulligan, Alicia Vikander, Ralph Fiennes, Selma Blair, Madonna, Damien Hirst.. the list goes on and on. Perhaps some of his most notable portraits are of Queen Elizabeth and Prince William. Rankin’s commercial work has included campaigns for Rimmel, Nike, Dove, H&M, BMW, and Coca Cola. Branching into directing, he has also creatively directed music videos for artists like Kelis, Miley Cyrus and Rita Ora among others. 

Apart from his extensive work as a portrait and fashion photographer he has extended his collection of magazines over the years, launching others publications like RANK, Another Magazine, Another Man, and his most recent, HUNGER, a bi-annual fashion bible which is accompanied by HUNGERTV.COM, a website that adds a whole other creative layer to each shoot in the magazine with behind-the-scenes film. 

So from his early and more provocative portraits in the 80’s to becoming one of the most sought after photographers of our time, Rankin has helped both the creation and capturing of the attitudes and aesthetics of a generation.

Instant Outfit; Everyday Chic

Here, in a new weekly themed inspiration for your next outfit assemblage, it’s all about mixing and matching, from hight street to designer, and well, just generally bringing together what works. This week we take a look at four different casual looks that, whether mixed or matched, can add a little fun to your everyday getup. Head over to Haute So Fabulous on Instagram to let me know what kind of outfit’s you’d like to see her going forward..

“I ‘V E G O T A M E E T I N G W I T H M Y M A N A G E R”

Jeans, Zara // Body Top, Saint Body // Sleeveless Sweater, Max Mara // Leather Jacket, Iris + Ink // Bag, West22 // Earrings, Missoma // Shoes, & Other Stories

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“S H E ‘S G O T T H A T L. A K I N D A C O O L”

Jeans, River Island // T-shirt, The Frankie Shop // Jacket, KSUBI // Shoes, LOU.EARL // Perfume, Byredo // Earrings, Grace Jacob // Bag, Danse Lente

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“R U N N I N G E R A N D S“

Hoodie, KSUBI // Jeans, River Island // Shoes, Converse // Bag, Stella McCartney // Watch, Larsson + Jennings

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“I T ‘S F R I D A Y, S O M A K E I T F A S H I O N”

Earrings, Grace Jacob // Top, Nanushka // Pumps, LK Bennett // Jeans, Dorothy Perkins // Perfume, ROADS // Bag, The Sant

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This article contains some commercial, affiliate links.

What Is.. An LVL Lash Lift

Tired of the hassle and expenses of maintaining your false lashes or perhaps you’ve never desired to embark down that road, cause let’s face it, once you start it’s hard to return.. amirite ladies?

Well it’s been a hot minute since my days with false lashes and of late I’ve been getting LVL’s, known more technically speaking as Length, Volume, Lift. Created and exclusive to Nouveau Lashes, the revolutionary treatment is all about enhancing what you already have and works to construct a look of longer, more voluminous lashes, leaving you looking less tired, more youthful and well, just feeling fabulous AF!

After finding a certified LVL Lash artist (you can find your nearest one here) and completing a patch test at least 48 hours prior to your treatment, it’s a seamlessly smooth and painless process. Lying back for the entire treatment it begins with your eyes being protected with a specifically-sized shape shield which is placed on your eyelid and lower lashes against which your lashes will be pressed with a bonding gel. After these first preparations it’s all about the lift; this includes the application of a lifting balm which works to reshape the structure and shape of your lashes so as they now lift out and up from the root in a beautiful curved direction. Step two is to volumise - after removing the lifting balm the therapist applies a volumising fix which seals the lashes into their newly found shape. Next comes the lash tint which once left on for a few minutes leaves the lashes looking darker and fuller. The last and final stage in the process is one in which a moisturising serum is added to nourish and promote longevity in the lashes new shape and also ease them off the shield. And voila, you are done. 

Basically it’s like a perm for the lashes and as well as saving time in your daily routine, it’s something so none invasive and leaves you looking and feeling like you’ve done something done to them but just what, nobody can tell.. just that they look WOW!

The treatment takes about 45 minutes to an hour with instant results. No part of the process should hurt, however if it stings a little, just let your therapist know. Costing on average about £45 per treatment, I warn it’s absolutely as addictive as getting your extensions done but in my opinion much healthier, less maintenance and there is absolutely no in between time of feeling like you’re only half-lashed!

Find your nearest certified artist here

Who Is.. Rick Owens

Crowned the Dark Prince of design or to some the Lord of Darkness, Rick Owens is something of a gothic genius, if not, the epitome of gender neutral dressing and an originator of the idea of goth, but make it fashion.

Born Richard Saturnino Owens, on 18 November 1962 in San Joaquin Valley, California, Owens grew up in a strict and controlled Catholic environment eventually leading him to a deep desire to escape his small town upbringing and make a break for the bright lights of Hollywood. Arriving in L.A, the young designer found himself in the pre-sanitised era of the city’s evolution, a time when L.A was as unwholesome a destination as one could imagine and the hedonistic nature of the time was something he couldn’t resist. 

The American born, Paris based designer started his career in fashion studying fabrics at Otis College of Art and Design before dropping out and moving to a more technical college, gaining knowledge in pattern-making and draping, two skills he is now so infamously known for. He then went on to work for sportswear and knock-off brands around L.A. In 1990 he secured a job at Lamy, a design house headed up by designer Michelle Lamy whom Owens later became business partners with and later again married. Just four years after starting with Lamy however he broke out on his own and started his own namesake brand, showcasing his arrival as a womenswear genius. It wasn’t until 2001 though that his brilliance was truly recognised on a more global level when his work came to the attention of just about everyone in fashion, in 2001, when Anna Wintour, at the helm of Vogue, sponsored his first New York Fashion Week showcase after Kate Moss wore one of his signature leather jackets in a fashion story in French Vogue. Working with stylist Panos Yiapanis on the presentation, it was a huge success and the two have collaborated on every single Rick Owens runway show since. The following year Owens was appointed Creative Director ta Revillon, a French fur house, a post he remained in for five years.  Around this time he broke into menswear and quickly became known for his interpretation of classic silhouettes.

Owens, at one point, a self-confessed savage drinker, often spent his days and nights on massive boozy benders during a period in his life that now thankfully finds itself in his rear view after he eventually stopped upon realising he felt like death on a daily basis. He ultimately sought help to leave the party when it all got too much. A defining life event in which he had a run in with a mugger in 2003 in L.A, saw him make a permanent move to Paris with Lamy, where the two have called it home ever since. 

Over a longstanding and estimable career that has spanned 25 years, Owens has brought to life many of his creative inclinations, from sneakers - his first was named the Dustulator Dunk to furniture - he designed a collection inspired by pieces he originally designed for his Paris HQ. He has collaborated with Adidas and his collections have been the subject of many fashion exhibitions. His work was celebrated in Milan in 2017 with his first major retrospective which chronicled his career to date in a museum exhibition at the Triennale de Milano. 

His collections are always in the hottest colour of each season, black on black on black. Always black. Long t-shirts, asymmetric dresses, avant-garde yet wearable, it’s all about the simple pieces , but always making them fashion. Aesthetically he’s got a post-apocalyptic take on dark glamour, a revered niche that has been described as ‘glamour meets grunge’. He is his own thing and in his own words he says “it’s about an appreciation of teenage angst without actually having the angst”. Perhaps some might say it’s an ideal elegance build on a foundation of rock couture. 

His pieces can be found in obscure boutiques around the world and on the backs of the hottest names in popular culture including Madonna, Kate Moss, A$AP Rocky and Bieber, Cher and Fergie, Rihanna, Kim Kardashian West, fellow designer Vera Wang and Kanye West. 

All Images via Pinterest

Working Out in L.A, Part I

T H E C L A S S B Y T A R Y N T O O M E Y

If you’re looking to feel alllll the feels, The Class by Taryn Toomey is the ultimate life-changing workout for your mind and body. The Class, as created by fitness and well-being genius Taryn Toomey, is a unique physical training experience that engages the mind like none other while working to build a long, strong, lean and toned physique. Through a simple collection of repeated calisthenics and plyometrics series you can expect to challenge your body’s ability to move like it’s never before while also seizing the opportunity to engage your mind and capture the relationship between mind and body in all it’s previously undiscovered glory. Try to book when Taryn herself is in town or if not then just get your butt to any available class because whichever trainer you get, you can be sure they’re about to rock your world. 

BOOK // theclass.com

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B A R R Y’ S

In a word, Barry’s is K.I.L.L.E.R. Killer as in the most insane ass-kicking workout you can do, in any city you might find yourself in (they have locations all over the planet now). Working from the second you step inside the Red Room to the second you leave, the session is different every time with a focus on a different body area each day of the week. However what remains the same is the treadmill to weights format and the fact that whether it’s your first time or your a Barry’s seasoned pro, you will leave on a naturally occurring endorphin high - not to mention a stiff and sore body (in all the good ways though of course). Try out the WoHo location, it’s the OG of all Barry’s and the L.A vibes are, well , let’s just say V L.A. 

BOOK // barrysbootcamp.com

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S O U L C Y C L E

From city to city, SoulCycle is a go-to staple in the life of anyone who moves on the regular. A workout of sweaty proportions, this bike based session is build to make you feel like you’re on the night out of a lifetime - the music is loud and absolutely vibe-ing, the lights are low and moody, the instructors are hot AF and the experience is a whole entire thing. It’s all about peddling your way to an inner happiness and the body of a SoulCycle-r. Try the Beverly Hills or West Hollywood locations, you never know who you might be spinning with!

BOOK // soul-cycle.com

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B O D Y B Y S I M O N E

Created by Aussie trainer and dance extraordinaire Simone De La Ru, Body by Simone, known as BBS to those in it’s ‘inner circle’, is a favourite of major celebrities like Reee Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Karlie Kloss, Sandra Bullock and of course Chrissy Teigen. BBS consists of five class varieties, including Dance Cardio, Trampoline Cardio, ABC (Arms, Back and Core), HTB (Hips, thighs and Buns) and Full body. No matter the class or the location, any of the signature classes are the perfect time to leave all your inhibitions at the door and get your sweat on, dancing your way through the graceful and powerful BBS method. Try the WoHo or Brentwood locations. 

BOOK // bodybysimone.com

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T R A C Y A N D E R S O N

Founded by fitness and health pioneer, Tracy Anderson, the Tracy Anderson Method is something of a cult favourite among celebrities and fitness fanatics alike. With personal clients including Gwyneth Paltrow (who loved Anderson’s method so much that she invested as a business partner after initially training with her for her role in Iron Man), Tracee Ellis Ross, Madonna and Jennifer Lopez, Anderson has justifiably build a global fitness empire on her very credible and long-lasting results. Through immense research, self-testing, and refinement of her method over the past 20 years, Anderson is all about changing things up, never letting working out get repetitive or boring and her classes are held in specific temperatures (86 degrees with 69 percent humidity) over a duration of 50 minutes. Combining strength training and cardio, via an ever-changing series of dance moves, the results are undeniable no matter your genetic dispositions.

BOOK // tracyanderson.com

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Image Credits 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5

Healthy Hair, Happy You - Clean Haircare Brands We Love

A C T + A C R E

Act + Acre is a brand that could, legit, swear under oath of it’s place as the world’s best hair care company in a court of law. No joke, this Irish founded, New York based company was created by hair boss Helen Reavey and her husband Colm Mackin and boasts a completely clean approach to achieving your best hair yet. Uncomplicated yet indescribably effective, each Act + Acre product is created by a cold pressed method so as to contain the integrity of each carefully chosen ingredient. Kicking the million trillion products/steps in the butt, the Act + Acre process is a effortless three step affair, beginning with the brand’s hero product, the Scalp Detox which works to eliminate all the product buildup and sweat that naturally gathers in the scalp over time - moving on to the cleanse and conditioner which leaves your hair smooth, soft and totally hydrated. If there’s one hair care brand you try this year let it be this one!

Hero Product(s) // Scalp Detox // Cleanse // Conditioner

FOLLOW @actandacre // SHOP actandacre.com

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O U A I

Founded by celebrity hair goddess, Jen Atkin, Ouai is one of the industries new little hotties on our shelves. Atkin, who has worked as a hairdresser since - well as long as social media has existed - and includes Chrissy Teigen, Jenna Dewan Tatum, and just about every member of the Kardashian-Jenner family as some of her most famous clients. It was no shocker so when she brought out her own brand. However, unlike many celebrity endorsed or created brands and products, this is actually the shit. Tried and tested (as all these brands are here in the article), Ouai is one to go back to again and again.. and again. The matching shampoos and conditioners are a staple in my shower, while the Hair Oil is something I use daily, not to mention the Texturising Spray, which is other level. For anyone looking for a haircare supplement too, the three available from Ouai are totally legit and once you start you just can’t get enough. You can be sure too that the brand continues to grow with it’s loyal customers as Atkin uses the feedback she receives on social media to better existing products and create new ones.

Hero Product(s) // Hair Oil // Oily Hair Supplement // Texturising Spray

FOLLOW @theouai // SHOP at spacenk.com

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O L A P L E X

Repair, protect and strengthen is Olaplex’s motto and with their patented active chemistry, the products work on a molecular level to repair damaged and broken elements of each strand that are compromised by the natural ageing process of the hair, environmental damage and general lifestyle harm. Often used by professionals, Olaplex products can be used at home together or as individual additions to your current routine. Following a simple yet effective route to better hair, Olaplex is all about the repair and maintenance of your hair, bringing the shine and lust back into your do.

Hero Product // Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector

FOLLOW @olaplex // SHOP at spacenk.com

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L I V I N G P R O O F

Created by world-class biotech scientists and beauty experts who seek to bring all the sleek and shine to your tresses, Living Proof is a long term treatment style collection of products that work to nourish your hair over an extended period of use. Living Proof seek to restore your hair to it’s natural glossy self and take no short cuts, it’s all about the long term results of continued good hair care. Their dry shampoo is infamously wow and leaves little to no residue which is always a plus whether you’re just a little stuck for time in the mornings or simply just want to get one more day before shampooing! Come on, we all do it, right?!

Hero Product // PhD Dry Shampoo // Restore Treatment Mask

FOLLOW @livingproofinc // SHOP at spacenk.com

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Image Credits: Each brand is with thanks to their respective Instagram accounts and the over image is iStock

Designer Spotlight; Beaufille

Much more than simply a nonsensical French word (meaning “handsome girl” or also “one who presents an effortless chic demeanour”), Beaufille is a modern wonder and something of a fashion lovers dream. Pronounced bo-fee and founded by Canadian sisters Chloé and Parris Gordon - both of whom studied design at Nova Scotia College of Art and Design - Beaufille celebrates an inspired take on the French way of dressing, epitomising the meaning of classic while bringing to life just the perfect amount of interpretation.

The sibling design duo officially launched the brand as we know it today in 2013 after a rebranding of their original manifestation - Chloe Comme Parris, after their creations gained serious attention in Canada from the start. From the beginning it was a pretty huge success with the girls debuting at New York Fashion Week in September 2015 to rave reviews from editors and stylists while also gaining major retail recognition in the form of contracts with Net-a-Porter, Intermix and since then Moda Operandi, FarFetch, Browns Fashion, Forty Five Ten and Holt Renfrew. Stockists whose influence can bring a brand from zero to sixty in the click of an ‘add to basket’. 

Difficult to master, yet eternally in vogue, the young and empowered brand personifies a level of chic often difficult to achieve; it’s the perfect mix of masculine and feminine while consistently keeping a very evident current of French heritage flowing through each design. Collectively, the collections play host to an aesthetic of intoxicating elegance; a sophisticated take on the everyday, where wearable meets ‘high-fashion’ every time. Think menswear inspired trench coats and comfy knitwear with carefully placed cutouts, statement style jackets and jewellery pieces worth beans on toast for the next 3 months. It’s solid yet playful. In three little words, strong, sexy and understatedly stylish - ok four, I tried. 

With such a strong foundation in it’s design direction and a consumer interest that runs deep, some would say to an almost cult level following, it’s no wonder the young brand has seen astonishing successes in every regard from the get-go. So if you’re interested in the dramatics of a minimalist look, Beaufille is your next investment. 

Great Reads, January 2020

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What's Hot on Your Bookshelf, January 2020

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‘WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING’ BY DELIA OWENS

For years, rumors of the 'Marsh Girl' have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life - until the unthinkable happens.

Shop this title on Amazon

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‘SHE SAID’ BY JODI KANTOR & MEGAN TWOHEY

For many years, reporters had tried to get to the truth about Harvey Weinstein's treatment of women. Rumors of wrongdoing had long circulated. But in 2017, when Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey began their investigation into the prominent Hollywood producer for the New York Times, his name was still synonymous with power. During months of confidential interviews with top actresses, former Weinstein employees, and other sources, many disturbing and long-buried allegations were unearthed, and a web of onerous secret payouts and nondisclosure agreements was revealed. These shadowy settlements had long been used to hide sexual harassment and abuse, but with a breakthrough reporting technique Kantor and Twohey helped to expose it. But Weinstein had evaded scrutiny in the past, and he was not going down without a fight; he employed a team of high-profile lawyers, private investigators, and other allies to thwart the investigation. When Kantor and Twohey were finally able to convince some sources to go on the record, a dramatic final showdown between Weinstein and the New York Times was set in motion. 

Nothing could have prepared Kantor and Twohey for what followed the publication of their initial Weinstein story on October 5, 2017. Within days, a veritable Pandora's box of sexual harassment and abuse was opened. Women all over the world came forward with their own traumatic stories. Over the next twelve months, hundreds of men from every walk of life and industry were outed following allegations of wrongdoing. But did too much change--or not enough? Those questions hung in the air months later as Brett Kavanaugh was nominated to the Supreme Court, and Christine Blasey Ford came forward to testify that he had assaulted her decades earlier. Kantor and Twohey, who had unique access to Ford and her team, bring to light the odyssey that led her to come forward, the overwhelming forces that came to bear on her, and what happened after she shared her allegation with the world. 

In the tradition of great investigative journalism, She Said tells a thrilling story about the power of truth, with shocking new information from hidden sources. Kantor and Twohey describe not only the consequences of their reporting for the #MeToo movement, but the inspiring and affecting journeys of the women who spoke up--for the sake of other women, for future generations, and for themselves.

Shop this title on Amazon

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‘AMERICAN DIRT’ BY JEANINE CUMMINS

Yesterday, Lydia had a bookshop.
Yesterday, Lydia was married to a journalist.
Yesterday, she was with everyone she loved most in the world.

Today, her eight-year-old son Luca is all she has left.

For him, she will carry a machete strapped to her leg.
For him, she will leap onto the roof of a high speed train.
For him, she will find the strength to keep running.

Shop this title on Amazon

• Released January 21st 2020

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‘AMERICAN SPY’ BY LAUREN WILKINSON

It's 1986, the heart of the Cold War. Marie Mitchell is an intelligence officer with the FBI. She's brilliant and talented, but she's also a black woman working in an all-white boys' club, and her career has stalled with routine paperwork - until she's recruited to a shadowy task force aimed at undermining Thomas Sankara, the charismatic, revolutionary president of Burkina Faso, whose Communist ideology has made him a target for American intervention.

In the year that follows, Marie will observe Thomas, seduce him, and ultimately, have a hand in the coup that will bring him down. But doing so will change everything she believes about what it means to be a spy, a lover, and a good American.

Shop this title on Amazon

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‘GIRL’ BY EDNA O’BRIEN

Captured, abducted and married into Boko Haram, the narrator of this story witnesses and suffers the horrors of a community of men governed by a brutal code of violence. Barely more than a girl herself, she must soon learn how to survive as a woman with a child of her own. Just as the world around her seems entirely consumed by madness, bound for hell, she is offered an escape of sorts - but only into another landscape of trials and terrors amidst the unforgiving wilds of northeastern Nigeria, through the forest and beyond; a place where her traumas are met with the blinkered judgement of a society in denial. 

How do we love in a world that has lost its moorings? How can we comprehend the barbarism of our enemies, and learn forgiveness for atrocities committed in the name of ideology? Edna O'Brien's new novel pierces to the heart of these questions: and the result is her masterpiece.

Shop this title on Amazon

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‘THE AGE OF SURVEILLANCE CAPITALISM’ BY SHOSHANA ZUBOFF

The challenges to humanity posed by the digital future, the first detailed examination of the unprecedented form of power called "surveillance capitalism," and the quest by powerful corporations to predict and control us. The heady optimism of the Internet's early days is gone. Technologies that were meant to liberate us have deepened inequality and stoked divisions. Tech companies gather our information online and sell it to the highest bidder, whether government or retailer. Profits now depend not only on predicting our behaviour but modifying it too. How will this fusion of capitalism and the digital shape our values and define our future?

Shoshana Zuboff shows that we are at a crossroads. We still have the power to decide what kind of world we want to live in, and what we decide now will shape the rest of the century. Our choices: allow technology to enrich the few and impoverish the many, or harness it and distribute its benefits.

The Age of Surveillance Capitalism is a deeply-reasoned examination of the threat of unprecedented power free from democratic oversight. As it explores this new capitalism's impact on society, politics, business, and technology, it exposes the struggles that will decide both the next chapter of capitalism and the meaning of information civilization. Most critically, it shows how we can protect ourselves and our communities and ensure we are the masters of the digital rather than its slaves.

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‘MILKMAN’ BY ANNA BURNS

In this unnamed city, to be interesting is dangerous. Middle sister, our protagonist, is busy attempting to keep her mother from discovering her maybe-boyfriend and to keep everyone in the dark about her encounter with Milkman. But when first brother-in-law sniffs out her struggle, and rumours start to swell, middle sister becomes 'interesting'. The last thing she ever wanted to be. To be interesting is to be noticed and to be noticed is dangerous.

Milkman is a tale of gossip and hearsay, silence and deliberate deafness. It is the story of inaction with enormous consequences.

Shop this title on Amazon

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Brian Conway, The Interview

Brian Conway is one of Ireland’s great creative exports. The Irish born, London based freelance stylist and creative producer is something of a dreamy genius and inventor of fashion stories, from editorial to commercial, that go beyond the visible, the evoke a sense of something so ethereal and exquisite that one can’t help but fall into the tales he tells in the shoots he styles.

Brian’s work has appeared in major fashion publications such as Tatler, British Vogue, Harpers Bazaar Spain, Rollacoaster Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter and Empire Magazine while his commercial clients include Aer Lingus, Specsavers, Guinness, L'Oreal, H&M, Volkswagon. He splits his time between his homeland and London and continues to work with the international set. Here I spoke with him about his career so far, his favourite designers and how to long-lasting capsule wardrobe..

Brian, where did your love of fashion begin?

I was quite young! There are photos of me dressing up with my siblings from a very young age. I was also glued to fashion TV and fashion shows as a teenager, and that further fuelled my interest. Growing up in rural Ireland before social media was a thing, TV and magazines were my main outlets when it came to learning about the industry.

How did you get your start in styling?
I was exposed to styling when I was at university, where I was involved in the DIT (my college) fashion show. Through the show I met various editors and stylists which gave me a great insight into the industry in Ireland. I then moved to London for a short period of time to intern for the designer J.W Anderson where I had the opportunity to work with the brand’s renowned stylist Benjamin Bruno. I gained hands on experience with the styling, prepping the show with Benjamin, seeing the castings, fittings and backstage on the show day. I then went back to Dublin taking any knowledge with me to give styling a go. I did a test shoot for a friend who was doing a college photography project. A well known Dublin photographer saw this shoot and contacted me to shoot with them and it just spiralled from there really.

Moving to London, how does the industry differ from working in Ireland and how did you break into the industry in such a big, creative city?

It’s a completely different ball game. In Dublin I was one of the only male stylists on the scene. Moving to London I was a small fish in an ocean of bigger fish. Competition is so fierce here and to getting your foot in the door with any publication or getting to freelance with other big name stylists is incredibly challenging. I’ve been lucky to have worked with some top artists through my Vogue and LOVE magazine freelancing.

Yes, you’re a freelancer with Vogue, tell us about your work with the Bible and how that came about..

I started freelancing for British Vogue in 2017, shortly after I moved as a fashion assistant with Hannes Hetta, the following year I worked with fashion editor Jack Borkett as a fashion coordinator on the trend supplement for the Rihanna September issue cover where I got hands on experience on how to put together a magazine. I’ve been freelancing with them ever since. The knowledge I have gained from Vogue has been very useful for my career to date.

Your editorial work is beautiful, explain to us the process of bring such amazing shoots to life and the relationship with all involved as you create from concept to the end result..

Thank you! Team work and communication are the keys to success when it comes to editorial. It’s a collaborative process between the photographer, stylist, editor, movement director, set designer, model, makeup artist and hairstylist. You need to communicate your vision clearly to execute your vision as best as possible. In terms of process, it can really vary. Ideas could stem from the stylist, a photographer or are commissioned by an editor. If an idea comes from a stylist or photographer then there’s normally a collaborative approach to refine the mood and theme the idea, in addition to the various elements involved (from location to model). After that it’s straight into pitching the publication you have in mind for the shoot. Once commissioned I’d usually dive straight into turning the idea into a reality.

Who are some of your favourite photographers and creative directors you’ve worked with?

I’m really into shooting on film right now. It adds cinematic quality to the images. I really love what Grant James Thomas and Piotr Marzec are doing right now.

How do you balance between personal taste and opinions and working on commercial projects?

When I work with commercial brands, what’s most important is helping them achieve their objectives. This often boils down to producing something that would best resonate with their target audience. Of course, there’s always room to push boundaries and inject a bit of my personal taste too. But ultimately any form of creative flair or personal input has to make sense in terms of a brand’s core identity - otherwise you’ll end up with a huge disconnect with their audience.

Where do you find yourself most inspired or how do you continue to feel inspired to create new work?

I feel most inspired when travelling, I feel like my brain switches off from mundane everyday tasks. Seeing different cultures, architecture and art really gets my creative juices flowing. I also get inspiration from designers. If a designer produces something out of the ordinary in terms of design that I will want to shoot then that will help me lead my creative process.

What are some of your go-to designers?

I really look at what every designer has to offer. I review the collections post fashion month and have a strong database of who’s doing what for the season ahead. I love Bottega Veneta under the helm of their creative director Daniel Lee, who at the tender age of 33 has an impressive resume of Maison Margiela and Balenciaga. I also adore Noir Kei Ninomiya, he creates beautifully structured masterpieces. John Galliano for Maison Margiela is always a favourite. His work with movement director Pat Boguslawski on the SS20 Paris show is a must-see. Another brand I love right now is the PeterDo.

Are there any young up and coming designers you’re digging right now?

I love discovering new designers, I think it’s good to nurture young talent and give them a platform. I always keep an eye on the Central St Martins and London College of Fashion graduates along with the designer colleges back home in Ireland like NCAD, LSAD and The Grafton Academy. Right now I’m digging Patrycja Pagas, the UAL graduate who I have used in some of my most recent projects.

Do you have a favourite shoot you’ve done?

It’s too hard to choose one as I like aspects from all of my shoots. Recently I got to work with Bella Hadid and Kate Moss, freelancing under the major Katie Grand and her team for the LOVE magazine. That was pretty great.

Who are your own personal style icons?

I don’t think I have any personal style icons but I really love @yanggenn88 on Instagram. I really love the Korean and Japanese style. They are so ahead of the game. In terms of red carpet I love Timothee Chalmounts looks, especially as he doesn’t work with a stylist - they are all curated by him.

Major fashion faux pas you can’t cope with..?

This is a funny one, I used to despise kitten heels a few years ago and now I’m obsessed with them and they are all the rage. Like any trend my pet hates can definitely change over time!

Do you believe in closet editing or building?

I find it really hard to edit my wardrobe as I have a significant memory attached to each piece I’ve worn over the years. I also believe in keeping old pieces as they can be reworked with new pieces over time. If that sounds like hoarding to you or if you are into wardrobe editing you need to be cut throat. If you haven’t worn something in over 12 months then I think you should donate it to charity or sell it on Depop or whichever online platform is at your dispoal. In terms of building, it’s great to have a capsule wardrobe in mind.

What are your top tips for creating a trustworthy and long-lasting capsule wardrobe?

As I’ve matured my wardrobe mindset has majorly changed. I used to really buy into trends and I would get carried away with the low price of something. When I’m shopping now, I really think about how a new piece can work with my existing wardrobe. I think it’s really important when purchasing something new to think how it will integrate with your wardrobe and can you create three or more looks with it and what you already have. I try and stay away from fast fashion and trends and I really focus on quality and sustainability. I build my wardrobe around coats, for me that is the foundation of my look because living in Western Europe, we layer up for most of the year, a good coat can elevate any look.

Follow Brian on Instagram @briconstyle

Images with thanks to BriConStyle.com

Gifts That Keep On Giving, Long After the Holidays

This holiday season why not give a gift that keeps on giving. From subscriptions to vouchers, in beauty, healthy, exercise and escapism, here is my list of the perfect presents that will live long beyond the immediacy of Christmas morning..

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S U P E R N O V A L I V I N G

Clean, beautiful, healthy and nourishing, a monthly subscription to this beautiful UK based protein, created by husband and wife duo Laura and Jermaine Beckford, is something that will love the one you love the whole year through. Created as an alternative to all the industry mass produced proteins that are full of unhealthy additives, Supernova is the ultimate way to start 2020 and journey to a healthier, more energetic you.

Read all about the company on HSF’s interview with founder Laura Beckford here // Purchase a subscription at supernova living.com

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M E L I S S A W O O D H E A L T H

Having just relaunched with a whole new rebranding, not to mention the perfect app to keep all your beautiful workouts in one places, Melissa Wood-Tepperberg is a Mom, wellness coach, avid meditator, certified yoga and pilates teacher and plant-based eater, working to shift the way we live and help her fans thrive from the inside out. The former model’s goal is to help you find your best self through movement methods, intuitive eating and mindful meditation. A year subscription with Melissa costs just $109.99 and is worth every cent.

Read more about Melissa’s workouts here // Purchase a subscription at melissawoodhealth.com

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F A C E G Y M

For any and all of the beauty fanatics in your life, a voucher for Facegym is a heaven sent once the gloom of January sets in and there’s all the time in the world to ‘self-care’ our way to summer. This non-invasive facial treatment works like a natural facelift and works in exercising the muscles to increase the areas blood circulation (allowing oxygen and nourishment to reach skin cells) and develops the 43 muscles in the face, making the shape of the face more full and defined. It’s like a workout for the face and becomes an addictive dedicated practice for those who fall in love with it.

Read more about Facegym here.. // Purchase a voucher at FaceGym.com

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R I C A R I

Something of a modern day take on a classic tradition, Ricari was created by wellness connoisseur Anna Zahn and is the cult L.A lymphatic drainage treatment based on a cellular-level approach to great skincare and the is a fundamental first step in bringing your body to the next level. This one is one of those things that, seemingly luxurious becomes all too much an essential necessity from that first experience and something that once gifted will forever remain you in your loved ones good books. Only available in NYC or LA.

Read more about The Ricari Method here.. // Purchase a voucher at Ricaristudios.com

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R E V I V I V T H E R A P Y

Tried and tested, IV Therapy is one of the only ways in which we get immediate results, instantly allowing the body to fully reap the benefits of 100% absorption when it comes to vitamins and supplements. Whether it’s to nurse and reserve a hangover or just simply get your body through the winter blues, nothing screams a boost of energy like a hit of Reviv IV Therapy. It’s the ultimate pick-me-up post all the festive partying.

Read more about Reviv IV Therapy here // Purchase a voucher at revivme.com

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M A G A Z I N E S U B S C R I P T I O N S

Like a good book, magazines bring hours of escape, learning, browsing and or dreaming, so why not give the gift of all with one of your loved ones favourite glossy! It’s another one that lasts long beyond Christmas morning..

Find all the best at isubscribe.co.uk

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Who Is.. Marina Abramovic

Marina Abramovic, pronounced [marǐːna abrǎːmoʋitɕ], is a Serbian conceptual + performance artist, writer, + art filmmaker known specifically for her avant-garde performance pieces + the use of her own body as both material + subject for her own work. Born November 30, 1946, Belgrade, Yugoslavia (now in Serbia) Abramovic grew up in her homeland, raised by her parents both of whom fought as Partisans in WWII, later going on to be employed by the communist government of Josip Broz Tito. Escaping her unsettling + abusive home life, she decided to attend the Academy of Fine Arts in Belgrade to study painting. However within a short time she came to understand the importance + relevance of performance art for which her love + passion naturally made it’s way into her creative sphere as her strongest medium of expression + the one that would bring her career to the forefront, making her the worlds most notable + celebrated performance artist of the 21st century. 

In her most prolific work, Abramovic has used her own physical form in dramatic ways to test the sufferance + restrictions of her body + mind. One of her initial performative pieces was Rhythm 0 (1974) in which she stood completely still in a room for 6 hours amid 72 other objects of her choice, ranging from a rose to a loaded gun. As guests entered the room they were encouraged to do whatever they wished toward her with any of the objects. This was the beginning of the controversy that would surround her work for many years to come, not only due to the nature of the piece but also her total nudity during the 6 hours.

Moving to Amsterdam in 1975 she began collaborating with German artist Ulay who, with a similar liking to proactive artist experiences, she created another one of her most talked about pieces. In Imponderabilia (1977), the two artists stood naked in an extremely narrow corridor in a museum, facing each other. In order for visitors of the exhibition to move through the piece to the next room they were forced to slip by the naked bodies of the artist + in doing so chose who to face so intimately. Ulay + Abramovic continued to explore gender identity in their collaborations throughout their years of working together. 

Struggling to make her mark on the industry in any lasting and reputable manner came to a abrupt end, when in 1997, she won the Golden Lion for best artist at the Venice Biennale, an accolade that raised her profile in ways she hadn’t previously imagined. Another moment that caught the attention of world, both inside and out the art world was in bringing The House with the Ocean View (2002) to life. In this piece Abramovic created a gallery installation in which she lived by herself with severe abstention + deprivation, all the while exposed in three transparent cubes mounted to the gallery wall for 12 days straight.

Seeing the honour she deserved, MoMA held a large retrospective of the artists work titled, The Artist is Present, in 2010. As part of the presentation she debuted an eponymous performance piece which was staged in a large room at the infamous museum. The piece consisted solely of the artist + two chairs. Sitting in one, she remained in complete silence every day as visitors to the exhibit were invited to sit with her in the available seat, staying for as long as they wished, staring at her as she did nothing but gaze back. Seeking to call to the surface emotions from deep within that only such a silence + space in a strangers company could evoke, the exhibition proved hugely popular at a human level + there were constant lines formed just to get in. It ran for a solid three months in which she turned up every single day, sitting for the whole 7-hour opening time of the museum. From that came the documentary, The Artist Is Present, which chronicled the preparations for piece along with what followed which was her work suddenly sitting in the spotlight the world over. 

Considering the fact that, as primarily a performance artist, it’s difficult, if not completely impossible, to own or show work that holds any monetary value or life beyond their original stagings, Abramovic can hold pride in a career that has spanned four decades with her work touching the lives + should of varying group of people far + wide. Her pioneering work has ultimately paved the way for artists + appreciators as a way to ask bigger questions - both of themselves + of the external pressures + societal conforms that either restrict or liberalise the mind. Her innate hunger to challenge these restrictions, whether real or perceived, has won her a place as one of the most remarkable, brave + significant artists of our time. 

She currently lives and works in New York.

All images my own, taken at the Marina Abramovic exhibit at the RA, 2023