Absolutely City&East : North by North West April 2018 by ABSOLUTELY Magazines

ABSOLUTELY North by Northwest City & East APRIL 2018 / £3.95

OPTICAL ILLUSION

GLASSES NEVER LOOKED SO STYLISH

Drink

STROKE of GENIUS Women’s art at Victoria Miro

GIN MASTERCLASSES IN THE CAPITAL

RED HOT G O B O L D LY I N T O S P R I N G

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The heart wants what the heart wants. Discover countryside homes with south facing gardens using keyword search.

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JAMAICA

Stylish casual loafer with tassel for women

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Discover the beauty of

Mexico

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ABSOLUTELY

Contents APRIL 2018

72 10

C U LT U R E ABSOLUTELY LOVES

10 things we’re coveting this month

Spring fragrances to love

AGENDA

STROKE OF GENIUS

50 DRINK UP

FA S H I O N FASHION CONFIDENTIAL

INTERIORS 58 INTERIOR INSPIRATIONS

Surface Works at Victoria Miro Gallery

45 NEW SCENTS FOOD & DRINK 48 KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL

Diary dates for April

30 47

This month’s hottest trend updates and brands to know

24 PURPLE REIGN

News from the industry

Gin masterclasses in the capital

News and views

OPTICAL ILLUSION

ON THE COVER

T R AV E L BEST OF BOTH

ERIC BOMPARD PINK JUMPER, £200 RED PONCHO, £245 SS18 eric-bompard.com

The latest in stylish glassware

Embrace Pantone's Colour of the Year

26 ALEXANDER GIRARD

H E A LT H & B E AU T Y 40 BEAUTY CONFIDENTIAL

PROPERTY 84 LIVING THE DREAM

Inspiration from the SS18 catwalk

The month’s best beauty buys

A B S O L U T E LY. L O N D O N The online guide to inspirational London living that helps you stay one step ahead of the crowd and gives you the chance to win exclusive prizes.

Enjoy city and sun in Morocco

The most luxurious London properties A B S O L U T E LY. L O N D O N

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Replacing beautiful timber windows and doors, beautifully

EDITOR IN CHIEF PENDLE HARTE DIGITAL EDITOR HELEN BROWN FASHION & BEAUTY WRITER JOY MONTGOMERY LIFESTYLE WRITER MIRIAM CAREY EDUCATION EDITOR AMANDA CONSTANCE GROUP SALES DIRECTOR CRAIG DAVIES MAGAZINE MANAGER SYLVESTER AMARA ACCOUNT MANAGER ANABELA KOLECI ART DIRECTOR PHIL COUZENS SENIOR DESIGNER PAWEL KUBA MID-WEIGHT DESIGNER REBECCA NOONAN DESIGNER CATHERINE PERKINS PRODUCTION MANAGER CHRIS COUCHMAN MARKETING MANAGER ANGIE KOLECI FINANCIAL DIRECTOR JERRIE KOLECI

Window shopping

CREDIT CONTROL MANAGER ALEXANDRA HVID DIRECTOR JAMES FUSCHILLO DIRECTOR ALEXANDRA HUNTER MANAGING DIRECTOR SHERIF SHALTOUT PA TO DIRECTORS EVA LEHOCZKY For editorial enquiries please email: pendle@zest-media.com For advertising enquiries please call 020 7704 0588 or email: advertising@zest-media.com

First Floor, 197 City Road, London EC1V 1JN T: 020 7704 0588 F: 020 7900 3020 zest.london

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020 8877 8920 enquiries@ayrtonbespoke.com

Zest Media Publications Ltd. cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited submissions, manuscripts and photographs. While every care is taken, prices and details are subject to change and Zest Media Publications Ltd. take no responsibility for omissions or errors. We reserve the right to publish and edit any letters. All rights reserved.

Fo l l ow Us O n Fa c e b o o k @ABSOLUTELYMAGAZINES T wi t t e r & In s t a g ra m @ABSOLUTELY_MAGS We b si t e

a b s o l u t e l y. l o n d o n

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Editor’s

LETTER ABSOLUTELY’S favourite outdoor escapes in London...

o amount of April showers can dampen our optimism for this issue, which is brimming with colourful fashion, local characters and nothing but blue skies and white sands in our travel section. We’re looking at the new season palette and discovering that it’s goodbye millennial pink and hello to the lilac hour. An update on last year’s blush tones, lilac is the colour of spring. In our shopping edit on page 35, we’ve given the hue a much-needed modern update - you’ll want to be clad head to toe before you know. In our culture section we take a stroll around the Victoria Miro gallery, with a focus on the Surface Works exhibition starting in April. This is a celebration of the pioneering female painters shaping abstract art, from the eye-popping shapes of Mary Heilmann to the airy and ethereal works of Jackie Saccoccio. As the sun begins to appear from behind the clouds, our travel section will certainly have you wishing for summer with not one, but two exotic features. You’ll discover there is more to Morocco than Marrakesh on page 106, and on page 112 we show you why Jamaica’s luxury Half Moon Resort is one to have on your radar. All this, plus local food reviews, kids content and a round up of what’s on in London this month. I hope you enjoy the issue.

KEW GARDENS

Whether you fancy walking along the amazing tree top balcony, sunbathing on the grass or just sitting under a tree with a cheeky glass of Pimms, you can’t beat Kew Gardens for a lovely day out in London.

MIRIAM CAREY EDITOR

GEORGIE RUTHERFORD EDITORIAL INTERN

ST JAMES’ PARK

Nothing beats an early morning run around St James’ Park when no-one is around, apart from the park’s famous residents, the pelicans. Although it may not have Hyde Park’s Kensington Palace or Regent Park's Zoo, St. James’ offers snappable views of Buckingham Palace, relaxing walks and wildlife. HELEN BROWN ARTS & CULTURE WRITER

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HAMPSTEAD HEATH

Hampstead Heath is my ultimate city escape. Moments from the high street’s pretty cafes and historic facades you discover gorgeous grassy fields, open air swimming ponds and dense forests. What more could you possibly want? JOY MONTGOMERY FASHION & BEAUTY WRITER

HOLLAND PARK

My favourite outdoor space is Holland Park. The North Lawn, the forest area and the Japanese garden are all so different yet they’re each so Holland Park. I love the peacocks, bronzes and exhibitions at the Ice House. PENDLE HARTE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

REGENT’S CANAL

Regent’s Canal, although bustling with people, is one of my favourite place to see nature in London. There is something about seeing ducks dipping, trees rustling and dragonflies buzzing that instantly calms the mind. MIRIAM CAREY LIFESTYLE WRITER

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Wish LIST 10 things we Absolutely love COMPILED BY

H E L E N B R OW N

SUMMER STATEMENTS High street hero, Warehouse has hit the nail on the head for summer with a collection of clean lines, creative silhouettes and colour pops to suit the sunnier months. warehouse.co.uk

Master of Malt

The Cotswolds Single Malt Whisky is the fi rst whisky ever to hail from the area and uses 100% locally grown, floor-malted barley for a fi nish that is rich and fruity. £44.95; cotswoldsdistillery.com

BRIGHT THING

We’re obsessed with the embroidered design of this Anthropologie lamp for its ability to add effortless cool to any room. £118; anthropologie.com

K E E P E R OF K EYS Crafted from dreamily soft calf leather, this Aspinal of London keyring ticks all the boxes for an accessory that is both subtle and stylish. Here’s to never losing your keys again. £35; selfridges.com

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ABSOLUTELY • LOVES

Creature Comforts

Give your scheme a playful twist with this stylised, screen-printed Cheetah cushion; perfect for adding a vibrant splash in a room of neutrals. £15; habitat.co.uk

COLOUR CLASH FRAME WOR K Taylor Morris, London's go-to eyewear brand for sophisticated sunnies, has hit the nail on the head with this design inspired by the pink sunsets of the British countryside. £180; taylormorriseyewear.com

Mixing clashing orange chevrons and stripes against navy and monochrome, Jigsaw has created a modernist’s dream with longline knits, trousers, maxis and a diagonal cut stripe dress. jigsaw-online.com

WH AT ’S COOK IN G? From individual starters to mini puddings, Le Creuset’s stoneware ramekins allow for perfect preparation and presentation. Dinner parties have never been easier. £10 each; selfridges.com

TI M E TO SL I DE Diane von Furstenberg is at the top of our wishlist this summer with the addition of beachwear. We love these striped sandals, which will look chic paired with white denim. £175; net-a-porter.com

Compact Carries

Sophie Hulme has made a name for herself with her clean-lines and hardy structures. We’re taken with this clementine number for a pop of spring colour. £562; farfetch.com A B S O L U T E LY. L O N D O N

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KeVIN KAReN presents

AND

DA NCe LIVE TOUR 2018

Saturday 9 June Royal Festival Hall Saturday 16 June New Wimbledon Theatre

book at

kevinandkarenlive.com in association with Raymond Gubbay

10 July

11 July

the

GIPSY KINGS

ft. NICOLAS REYES & TONNINO BALIARDO

13 July

14 July

10 – 15 July 2018

kewthemusic.org Royal Botanic Gardens Raymond Gubbay

15 July

Jools Holland & His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra featuring Gilson Lavis

Special guest Marc Almond

“London’s hottest picnic concerts” Metro

and guest vocalists Ruby Turner, Louise Marshall and Rosie Mae.

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CULTURE

The Dog Beneath the Skin, Visual Things; CircusFest 2018; roundhouse.org.uk

What’s On 14 • Pioneering Female Abstract Painters at Victoria Miro Gallery 16 A B S O L U T E LY. L O N D O N

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The Agenda LOVEBIRD WITH GRENADE, 2012

LO N D O N ’S H OT T E ST H A P P E N I N G S

EXHIBITION

Down the Rabbit Hole From 12 April FLOWERS GALL ERY

American artist Nancy Founts is best known for her distinctive sculptural works which reconﬁgure commonplace objects with a provocative humour. This latest exhibition addresses recurring themes throughout her work: time, nature and religious iconography. 21 Cork Street, W1S; ﬂowersgallery.com

EXHIBITION

MIGRATIONS MA R L B O RO U GH F I NE A RT • FROM 18 APRIL

South African expatriate artist Peter Sacks is renowned for employing materials and things from real life to evoke the past and sustain the present. Migrations is the most geographically wide-ranging exhibition to date, featuring materials gathered by Sacks from the USA, India, Spain Normandy and Africa. 6 Albemarle Street, W1S; marlboroughlondon.com

EXHIBITION

The London Coffee Festival 12 - 15 Apr il

OLD TRUMAN BREWERY

Celebrate the city’s bustling and vibrant coffee scene as the London Coffee Festival returns. This year’s offering features over 250 artisan coffee stalls, tastings and demonstrations from world-class baristas, as well as live performances and DJs. 15 Hanbury Street, E1; londoncoffeefestival.com

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CULTURE • TALKING TOPICS

EXPERIENCE

CIRCUSFEST

Around Town SPORT

LONDON MARATHON

3-27 April

22 April

ROUN DHOUSE

VARIOUS LOCAT IONS

In the 250th anniversary of the invention of modern circus, the Roundhouse’s CircusFest 2018 returns. Expect a jam-packed schedule of shows and ﬁlm projects, from the daring to the diverse, the punky to the poetic, and the subversive to the socially aware. Chalk Farm Road, NW1; roundhouse.org

The London Marathon is the biggest single day fundraiser in the world and sees around 38,000 serious competitors, charity fun-runners and celebrities tackle the gruelling 26.2 mile route around the capital. Whether you’ve secured your spot or cheering from the sidelines, it’s set to take the city by storm. Various locations; virginmoneylondonmarathon.com

EXHIBITION

CENTURY OF THE CHILD From 30 March V& A M US EUM O F C HI L D H O O D

This Month’s Must See

From BRIO to LEGO, Marimekko and the Moomins, Nordic design can be found in every corner of the home. Century of the Child: Nordic Design for Children 1900 to Today gathers the best and most progressive of Nordic childhood products. Cambridge Heath Road, E2; vam.ac.uk/moc

EXHIBITION

MONET & ARCHITECTURE From 9 April THE N ATI ONAL GALLERY

PRESSURE U NTI L 28 APRIL • PARK THEATRE

72 hours prior to the D-Day landings, the Allied forces led by General Eisenhower are poised to launch. 350,000 lives at stake and the decision of whether or not to attack comes down to the most important weather forecast of all time. Olivier Award-winner David Haig plays Scottish meteorologist, Group Captain James Stagg, in this critical smash hit from Chichester Festival Theatre and Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh. Clifton Terrace, N4;

There’s never been a single exhibition looking at Monet’s career through buildings; until now. This is a new way of looking at his work and shows how he used architecture in both his most famous paintings and lesserknown works. Trafalgar Square, WC2N; nationalgallery.org.uk

EXHIBITION

SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN Ongoing WELLCOM E COLLEC T ION

Art, science and somewhere in between. The Wellcome Collection’s latest exhibition brings together the installations from four contemporary artists and the scientists they worked with to explore how artists can give shape to the human experience. 183 Euston Road, NW1; wellcomecollection.org

parktheatre.co.uk

A B S O L U T E LY. L O N D O N

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STROKE of GENIUS Surface Works at Victoria Miro gallery celebrates the pioneering female painters shaping abstract art by M I R I A M C A R E Y

W LIUBOV POPOVA NON-OBJECTIVE COMPOSITION, C.1920 GOUACHE, OIL AND INDIA INK ON CARDBOARD COURTESY ANNELY JUDA FINE ART

omen’s contribution to abstract art has in the past gained little recognition. People’s minds tend to look to the poster boys of the movement - William de Kooning, Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko. Surface Works at Victoria Miro shines the spotlight on the female painters involved. Featuring the work of over 50 women artists from north and south America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, from every decade between 1918 to 2018, the exhibition illustrates how abstract art has evolved over the past century and celebrates the pioneering women painters who helped shape it. Here we take a look at some of the females at the forefront of the exhibition.

HELEN FRANKENTHALER

PAULE VEZELAY SILHOUETTES, 1938 © THE ESTATE OF PAULE VEZELAY PHOTOGRAPH © ENGLAND & CO GALLERY, LONDON

merican artist Helen (1928-2011), A Frankenthaler was the pioneer of the “stain” painting technique - pouring thinned paint directly onto a raw canvas laid on the floor, working from all sides to create floating fields of translucent color. The technique was immediately influential and the artists who followed her formed the Colour Field school of painting. However Frankenthaler didn’t stop there and throughout her long career she experimented tirelessly. In addition she experimented with ceramics, sculpture, tapestry and printmaking.

JACKIE SACCOCCIO ackie Saccoccio was born Rhode Island in 1963 J in and lives and works in New York and Connecticut. Saccoccio’s Portrait series combines numerous painting techniques from drips and blurs to spills and smudges. Her works create a maze of overlapping colour and paint marks, making it difficult to know where one layer ends and the next begins. Her final works can contain up to 50 layers of paint, yet they blend together in a way that creates an almost ethereal, celestial or spiritual airiness, which Saccoccio hopes elicits ideas about impermanence.

MARY HEILMANN orn in San Francisco in 1940, Mary Heilmann B grew up surfing, however a pottery apprenticeship after college pushed her into art school. In the sculpture department at the University of California, Heilmann was the only woman in her class, learning to weld steel and cast bronze. However, the experience didn’t make much of an impression on Heilmann. Nowadays she is known for her eye-popping abstract paintings, full of colour and pattern, a reflection of the surreal beach life of Los Angeles, 1960s counter culture, pop songs and friendships with New York artists, poets and musicians.

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CULTURE • ABSTRACT PAINTERS

HELEN FRANKENTHALER WINTER FIGURE WITH BLACK OVERHEAD, 1959 OIL ON SIZED PRIMED CANVAS © HELEN FRANKENTHALER FOUNDATION, INC. PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROB MCKEEVER. COURTESY GAGOSIAN

A B S O L U T E LY. L O N D O N

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CULTURE • ABSTRACT PAINTERS LIUBOV POPOVA iubov Popova was born near the daughter of a L Moscow, wealthy textile merchant and patron of the arts. Popova travelled widely and attended the studios of the Cubist painters Henri Le Fauconnier and Jean Metzinger. However, from 1920 Popova became entirely involved in Constructivist projects with the belief all creative work was to be done for the people and the making of the new society. She declared easel painting was to be abandoned, and from then on her works were exclusively designs for theatre, textiles and typography for books and posters.

RITA ACKERMANN ita Ackermann, born in 1968 Budapest, studied at the Hungarian University of Fine Arts and the New York Studio School. Ackermann addresses issues of anthropomorphism and femininity in her work, and is best known for her fairy tale abstract works, featuring nymph-like women. Her paintings also explore adolescent apathy through the language of the marks she makes on canvas. Artists such as Ackermann embrace the abstract art form to articulate their feelings and experiences. The gestures she uses reflect internal visions and create illusive art work.

ADRIANA VAREJÃO driana Varejão, born in 1964 Rio de Janeiro, is one of the most A original voices in contemporary Brazilian art. She has a diverse practice of work comprising painting, sculpture, drawing, installation and photography. Varejao’s work addresses themes of colonialism and race - her contemporary style uses complex surfaces to engage with complex histories and narratives. The cracks in her new work ‘Cracked Tile’ evoke the traditions of minimalism and monochrome painting. The ruptured surface reflect the anxiety inducing feelings evoked by the colonial legacy.

MARY HEILMAN IDRISS, 2012 OIL ON WOOD PANEL © MARY HEILMANN COURTESY THE ARTIST, HAUSER & WIRTH, ZURICH AND 303 GALLERY, NEW YORK

ADRIANA VAR EJÃO AZULEJÃO (MOON), 2018 OIL AND PLASTER ON CANVAS © ADRIANA VAREJÃO COURTESY THE ARTIST AND VICTORIA MIRO, LONDON / VENICE. PHOTO: JAIME ACIOLI

PAULE VEZELAY

“Artists embrace the abstract art form to articulate internalised feelings and experiences”

aule Vézelay (1892–1984) was in Bristol, the daughter of a P born surgeon. Vézelay trained for a short period at the Slade and London School of Art, before moving to Paris and changing her name to Paule Vézelay. She met and fell in love with Andrew Masson and worked side by side painting dreamlike Surrealist works, becoming well respected in modernist Parisian art circles. The Tate Gallery gave Vézelay a retrospective exhibition in 1983, to recognise her significant place in art history as one of the first British artists to embark on a lifetime exploring abstract art.

S U R FAC E WO R K S is on between 11 April - 19 May. Victoria Miro; 16 Wharf Road, N1; victoria-miro.com

JACKIE SACCOCCIO PORTRAIT (CAPTIVE), 2015 OIL AND MICA ON LINEN © JACKIE SACCOCCIO COURTESY VAN DOREN WAXTER, NEW YORK

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CONCEPT KITCHENS

DESIGN & FUNCTION

40 Offord Road, Islington, London N1 020 7700 1555 www.conceptkitchensislington.co.uk

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spice london

SUMMER // 1 8 162 REGENTS PARK RD LONDON NW1 8XN T: 02077222478 WWW.SPICESHU.CO.UK

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FASHION

PARIS JE T’AIME TARA JARMON

If you’re looking for timeless, well-crafted pieces with a Parisian twist, then Tara Jarmon is your label. Founded in 1986, the brand’s designs are shaped by a modern femininity. This is style that will carry you season after season. tarajarmon.com

Fashion Notes: Tortoiseshell & Do-Good Design 22 · Trend Edit: Purple Reign 24 A B S O L U T E LY. L O N D O N

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FASHION NOTES

Ethical fashion reigns, saddle bags shape up and bridesmaid style gets a makeover for April By J OY M O N TG O M E RY

EDITOR’S PICK

HUNTER ORIGINAL

Country meets city for Hunter Original’s SS18 Refined collection. Playing on the current trend for luxe sportswear, the new season brings a number of iconic outwear pieces, including an oversized bomber and utilitarian drawstring coat, all made in innovative, water-resistant neon fabrics. Guaranteed to carry you through April showers in style. hunterboots.com

5 OF THE BEST

TO RTO I S E S H E L L AC C E S S O R I E S

3 5

1. Aspinal of London, The Mini Trunk Clutch, £450; aspinaloﬂondon.com 2. Linda Farrow, Tortoiseshell D-Frame Acetate Glasses, £389; matchesfashion.com 3. Cult Gaia, Kennedy Tortoiseshell Resin Hoop Earrings, £85; net-aporter.com 4. Simon Miller, Medium Hammered Earrings, £575; net-a-porter.com 5. Stella McCartney, Faux Leather Ankle Boots, £630; mytheresa.com

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FASHION • NOTES

Modern

B R A N D T O WAT C H

MAIDS

EPONINE LONDON

LES HÉROÏNES

Goodbye matchy-matchy gowns and unflattering fits. Bridesmaid style is having a makeover moment thanks to Les Héroïnes, the Parisbased occasion-wear label. Celebrating the diversity of your right hand women, Les Héroïnes is all about elegant pieces that are individual yet harmonise as a whole. lesheroines.com

Couture fabrics and artisanal charm rule this season

WHO? Eponine London was founded by designer Jet Shenkman in 2014 as a bespoke womenswear brand inspired by the elegant silhouettes of the 50’s and 60’s. Raised in the Netherlands, Jet came to London at the age of 21 to work in the Dutch Embassy before being transferred to Tokyo where she later worked as a personal stylist. After meeting her British husband Greg, the two lived together in Hong Kong, before ﬁnally settling back in London in 2012.

Dress

SAD D LE UP LO E W E

Hit the open road this April with Loewe’s Gate Bag. Inspired by the classic saddle silhouette, it ticks both the form and function boxes with its roomy interior and distinctive bow-tie design. Coming in two sizes and three types of calfskin, we’ll be pairing ours with a seventies shirt, straight leg jeans and an oversized trench. loewe.com

PARADE SELF-PORTRAIT

A-list frock favourite, Self-Portrait, has announced the launch of its ﬁrst store. Located on Mayfair’s Albemarle Street, the shop will stock Han Chong's signature feminine, fashionforward looks, including both main-line collections and store exclusives. self-portrait-studio.com

WHAT ? EDITOR’S PICK

NINETY PERCENT

Do-Good

DESIGN

Style needn’t compromise ethics with Ninety Percent. This innovative brand pioneers a business model where 90% of profits are shared between a range of charitable causes. Customers can have a say in where the money goes and each purchase comes with the option to vote for a cause. ninetypercent.com

Dressing countless stars, including Helen Mirren and Kate Middleton, every Eponine garment is crafted at their atelier in South Kensington. This season, the brand looks to Russia and the Ukraine for inspiration. The result? Intricate designs, bold colours and elaborate embroidery. Wear with a sporty bomber and biker boots now, and come summer, elevate its girly charm with a straw tote and leather gladiator sandals.

eponinelondon.com

A B S O L U T E LY. L O N D O N

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FASHION • TREND GÜL HÜRGEL Broderie Anglaise-Trimmed Striped Linen Dress, £710; net-a-porter.com

MANGO High-Waist Palazzo Trousers, £35.99; shop.mango.com

ACNE STUDIOS Mock Leather Jacket, £1,200; mytheresa.com

DORATEYMUR VICTORIA BECKHAM SS18

Open-Toe Buckled Mules, £330; dorateymur.com

TOPSHOP Hibiscus Ankle Boots, £85; topshop.com

BAIA Lavender Suede, £260; baiabags.co.uk

Purple Reign

CHLOÉ

Silk-Blend Blouse, £740; mytheresa.com

Spiritual, thoughtful, provocative; Pantone’s Colour of the Year is here to shake up your style

TIBI SS18

B y J OY M O N T G O M E R Y

EDITOR’S PICK

ROLAND MOURET Arreton Wool-Crepe Pencil Skirt, £450; rolandmouret.com

BALENCIAGA Silk-Satin & Crepe de Chine Dress, £2,335; net-a-porter.com

HILLIER BARTLEY Double-Breasted Linen Blazer, £1,495; net-a-porter.com

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38 Oï¬&#x20AC;ord Road, Islington, London N1 020 7700 1333 www.bathsorts.co.uk BATH SORTS NOV.indd 1

17/10/2016 12:21

AKRIS SS18

DOLLS

L I V I N G

Work by Alexander Girard, one of the leading ďŹ gures in post-war American design, has inspired a fashion collection for SS18. Absolutely takes a look Wo r d s P E N D L E H A R T E

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AKRIS SS18

FASHION â&#x20AC;¢ DESIGN

A B S O L U T E LY. L O N D O N

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esigner Alexander Girard (1907-1993) is having a moment. A quarter of a century after his death, the Italian architect, furniture, textile and interior designer is the subject of a touring exhibition – and now an extensive fashion collection is dedicated to his aesthetic, transferring his signature bold colours and patterns onto clothes for the first time. ‘When you practise in all fields of design, each field benefits from your experience in the others. And all design is related, whether houses, gardens, furniture or women’s clothes,’ said Girard. One of the most influential textile artists and interior designers of the 20th century, Girard is associated with bright colours, quirky shapes and humorous details. He’s perhaps best known for his collection of painted wooden dolls, a staple of stylish mantelpieces all over the world, which are still handmade for Vitra and which he designed for himself in 1953. It’s a large family of animals and humans, all individually made and therefore unique, and these design icons are characterful and fun as well as stylish and iconic. ALEXANDER GIRARD POUCH

AKRIS SS18

Together with his close friends Charles and Ray Eames and George Nelson, Girard was a leading figure of post-war American design. The primary focus of his wide-ranging oeuvre was textile design; as head of the textile division at the Herman Miller Company, Girard created numerous fabric patterns and products reflecting his love of festive colours, motifs and textures. He favoured abstract and geometric forms in a predominantly cheerful palette of colours. He was also a passionate collector. On his extensive travels, he avidly accumulated textiles and objects from all over the world, which provided him with a rich source of inspiration and ideas. When he died, his wife Susan bequeathed holdings from this collection to the Vitra Design Museum along with the contents of Girard’s studio (hundreds of drawings, prototypes and textile samples). This creative estate formed the basis of the major retrospective, Alexander Girard. A Designer’s Universe that ran at the Vitra Design Museum in Germany recently and which is currently touring the world. This exhibition made a lasting impression on Albert Kriemler, creative director od Swiss fashion house Akris. He said: ‘I visited the Girard exhibition in the Vitra Design Museum three times because I was so excited about his creative genius. He saw things differently. He had a way of changing our view of the world.’ Akris’s Spring/Summer 2018 collection is a tribute to the designer. It features well-known prints such as the Double Heart reinterpreted in woven leather and a jacquard knit.

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ALEXANDER GIRARD WOODEN DOLL

AKRIS SS18

FASHION • DESIGN

“He saw things differently. He had a way of changing our view of the world”

ALEXANDER GIRARD MATCHBOXES

Kriemler also drew inspiration from a number of lesser known objects, designs and sketches from Alexander Girard’s oeuvre, providing a new perspective on the elegance and esprit of Girard’s creations. He adapted the designs in close collaboration with Alexander Girard’s descendants, his grandchildren Kori and Aleishall Girard, who jointly run the Girard Studio today. They said: “We were pleasantly surprised to see the selection of our grandfather’s works that Albert Kriemler chose for this collaboration. He found inspiration from many aspects of our grandfather’s career: wooden sculpture, architectural renderings, oil paintings and collage, to name a few. Seeing how Albert has interpreted these designs and adapted them for clothing is exciting for us, as we have always seen the potential for this work to translate very well to fashion. We feel that the final outcome is a beautiful and unique tribute to the work of our Alexander Girard.”

THE VITRA DESIGN MUSEUM exhibition ‘Alexander Girard. A Designer’s Universe’ is now touring internationally and continues at Hangaram Design Museum, Seoul, South Korea until 4 March 2018, reopening at the Berkeley Art Museum, USA, from 20 June until 9 September 2018

A B S O L U T E LY. L O N D O N

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FOLK TALE Take a journey through Hungarian folklore this spring with Lena Hoschekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s elaborate embroidery and romantic silhouettes

Lena Hoschek SS18 available from S H O P. L E N A H O S C H E K . C O M

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INSPIRATION & DESIGN

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FASHION • JEWELLERY

A Bug’s Life The animal kingdom provides inspiration for these insectile styles

GUCCI

DANIELA VILLEGAS

BIBI VAN DER VELDEN

Gold-Tone, Faux Pearl & Enamel Earrings, £470 net-a-porter.com

Sapphire & Tourmaline Beetle Ring, £1,445 brownsfashion.com

Scarab Beetle & Black Pearl Bangle, £2,190 Available at Dover Street Market

ANNOUSHKA

MAJE

BALENCIAGA

18ct Gold & Calcite Scarab Beetle Pendant, £3,800 annoushka.com

Beetle Necklace, £59 selfridges.com

Silver-Tone Ring, £175 net-a-porter.com

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN

AURELIE BIDERMANN

ETRO

Gold-Plated, Crystal, Faux Pearl & Resin Cuff, £675 net-a-porter.com

Beetle Pendant, £3,506 farfetch.com

Enameled Gold-Tone Multi-Stone Earrings, £400 net-a-porter.com

A B S O L U T E LY. L O N D O N

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

FIELDS OF GOLD JO MALONE

Hearty oat, fluffy barley, earthy rye and the freshness of flowers make up Jo Malone’s English Fields collection. Capturing the essence of the English countryside, these five limited edition scents focus on the wholesome warmth of cereals and grains, each with a floral pairing. jomalone.co.uk

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BEAUTY NOTES

A new season calls for a fresh approach to your beauty routine. Here's where to start... By J OY M O N TG O M E RY

SPRING Fling D O LC E & GA B B A N A B E AU T Y

Experience the beauty of Sicilian spring with the Dolce Garden makeup collection. Inspired by the natural blush of roses, the edit is made up of lipsticks, eyeshadows, blushers and nail varnish, all in vivid corals, fuchsias and pinks. A guaranteed winner for all complexions. dolcegabbana.com LUMITY

Day and Night Nutritional Supplement, £90; lumitylife.co.uk

BEAUTY BENEATH

VITABIOTICS

Original Formula, £39.99; boots.com

Perfectil Plus Skin, £18.49; boots.com

5 OF THE BEST SKIN SUPPLEMENTS

FOUNTAIN

The Glow Molecule, £38; fountain.co

THE NUE

Plant Protein + Gut Food, 200g, £50; thenueco.com

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HEALTH & BEAUTY • NOTES

ACROSS THE POND

T R E AT M E N T R E V I E W

DRUNK ELEPHANT

Drunk Elephant is the US export and the beauty expert's skincare secret, which is winging its away across the pond for 2018. Due to launch in Space NK in September, hero products include the C-Firma Day Serum, containing 15 percent L-ascorbic acid, and the Lala Retro™ Whipped Cream. Credit cards at the ready. drunkelephant.com

WATERHOUSE YOUNG

EDITOR’S PICK

BRIGHT START OMOROVICZA

AU NATURALE

PERRICONE MD

Inspired by this year's bare-faced beauty trend, Perricone MD’s No Makeup Collection is designed to imitate the look and feel of natural skin. We love the No Makeup Lipgloss, with its non-sticky consistency and flattering pink shade, and the No Makeup Blush, which looks just as good on the lips as it does on cheeks. perriconemd.co.uk

Exfoliate, brighten and prep the skin for the season ahead with Omorovicza’s Acid Fix. Combining a potent blend of AHAs and BHAs, this hardworking serum helps to reverse damage caused by sunlight, pollution and acne. Apply in the evening two to three times a week for dreamy derma. £85; omorovicza.com

Balancing Act AESOP

This April, plant-based beauty brand Aesop has released a new skincare range: In Two Minds. Designed to address the multifaceted nature of combination skin, the products work to gently cleanse, soothe irritation and normalise sebum production. Finally, balance has been restored. aesop.com

B y J OY M O N T G O M E R Y

t’s a chilly spring evening and I’m visiting the Waterhouse Young clinic to try their signature HydraFacial. A firm favourite with celebrities and skin care professionals, it is described as a noninvasive resurfacing treatment, and can be used for treating everything from fine lines to acne-prone skin, as well as general skin rejuvenation. For me, it’s a serious case of winter and insomnia-induced dullness. Prior to the treatment, I undergo a thorough skin analysis to determine my particular needs. After a quick cleanse to remove makeup, our practitioner uses a hand-piece with a series of HydroPeel tips, which work together to remove dead skin cells and impurities in the skin whilst infusing it with cleansing, hydrating and moisturising serums. This is followed by a light glycolic and salicylic acid peel, which is applied to give a deeper exfoliation and rejuvenation. The sensation is a light tingling, but by no means painful. Already feeling throughly refreshed, the final part of the treatment involves placing red LED light onto the skin to boost circulation, reduce redness and irritation, and to stimulate collagen and elastin production. Blue LED light is also used in particular areas of congestion to combat bacteria. Luckily, there is zero downtime, so I can leave the clinic straight away - just bear in mind that there might be a small amount of redness, however this fades after about 30 minutes. For optimum results, I'm advised a six-week course, however I can certainly see a difference after one treatment. My complexion looks smoother and brighter and pigmentation has faded considerably. It’s like I’ve had a week’s worth of restful sleep in the space of 45 minutes. Prices start from £230 for a single treatment WATERHOUSE YOUNG

21 Devonshire Street, W1G waterhouseyoung.com

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HEALTH & BEAUTY • SCENT

PERFUME

Into The Deep From roaring torrents to the gentlest ripples; April is the perfect time to embrace liquescent fragrances

fter marvelling at the ethereal, aqueous tones of mesmerising fantasy The Shape Of Water, my mind turned to the olfactory realisation of liquescent fragrances, those soft, mellifluous perfumes that speak of a luscious fluidity and are the perfect choice for April, with its spring sunshine and showers. From roaring torrents to the gentlest ripples, these are scents to lift the spirits and cleanse the soul. 'Aquamarine Waves', from British perfumer Sarah McCartney's 'Our Modern Lives' collection, is the colour of the Mediterranean sea with the sharp, sunlight sparkle of citrus flowing across notes of damp seaweed absolute. The hypnotic waves of sambac jasmine and blue hemlock essential oil add a gentle, lapping rhythm to this sublime scent, while English lavender and rosemary

“The sharp, sunlight sparkle of citrus ﬂowing across notes of damp seaweed absolute” are as crystal clear as spring water. Blood Concept's 'Oxygen Vert' also uses notes of seaweed, this time 'red seaweed', which is teamed with lemon and ginger to add an element of foaming surf, before the fragrance crashes over sun-bleached driftwood adorned with ripples of violet leaf. 'Quince, Mint & Moss' is one of the only fragrances in the world made from entirely English ingredients, using quince from Somerset and conjuring dew drops with fresh mint over a base of damp moss. Uplifting and arcadian, this is spring in a

B y M I C H A E L D O N OVA N

bottle. 'Scilly Neroli' from Atkinsons takes us to the Scilly Isles in the North Atlantic, a lush, misty archipelago warmed by the currents and breezes of the Gulf Stream. Optimistic and bracing, this citrus fragrance is tempered by the mineral mists and sea-spray of Albion. 'Behind the Rain' by artist and perfumer Paul Schutze describes the aroma released from blasted conifers lining a beach in Greece, as the rain subsides, the air is thick with notes of resin, sap, wet bark, moss and lichen. For me, the sweet fennel and linden blossom are exquisite, perfectly conjuring the sweetness in the air. 'Acqua Santa' by Linari is a breathtakingly bright and clean composition that emphasises beautiful aqueous accords alongside fresh green notes, with a scent that recalls the vibrancy of the Mediterranean sun. A subtle, complex opening of bergamot and tangy cassis plays host to a soft patchouli, deftly handled so its creamy warmth serves to give body to the bracing green notes while not overpowering them. A rich floral heart of rose, ylang ylang, and jasmine is shot through with clean, transparent cyclamen for lightness, before a sumptuous base of tonka bean and rich caramel warms the scent in its final moments for an addictive, final effect. 'Sel Marin' by James Heeley is one of my favourite marine scents due to its incredibly naturalistic realisation of a sea breeze. A refreshing and striking note of lemon fades to reveal aquatic green, algae, while vetiver and drift woods of cedar and birch dry slowly in the sand and salty, sea air. Bracing and beguiling in equal measure. Scents to herald the arrival of spring and celebrate a world washed clean - just dive in! roullierwhite.com A B S O L U T E LY. L O N D O N

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CHANEL Coco Mademoiselle Eau De Parfum Intense

HEALTH & BEAUTY • TREND

ELIE SAAB Feuilles D’or Eau de Parfum 50ml, £60 harrods.com

MALIN+GOETZ Cannabis Eau de Parfum 100ml, £125 malinandgoetz.co.uk

PENHALIGON'S Elisabethan Rose Eau de Parfum 100ml, £137 penhaligons.com

BULGARI Magnolia Sensuel 100ml, £97 selfridges.com

FRESH SCENTS

D.S. & DURGA Vio Volta Eau de Parfum 50ml, £139 libertylondon.com

Update your olfactory wardrobe this spring with the latest fragrance releases

L’ARTISAN PARFUMEUR Champs de Fleurs Eau de Cologne 100ml, £105 artisanparfumeur.com

ANDREA MAACK Birch Eau de Parfum 100ml, £90 roullierwhite.com

B y J OY M O N T G O M E R Y

VAN CLEEF & ARPELS Néroli Amara Eau de Parfum 75ml, £130 selfridges.com

CHANEL FOREO Coco Mademoiselle

TOM FORD Fucking Fabulous Eau de Parfum 50ml, £210 selfridges.com

VIKTOR&ROLF Flower Bomb Jasmine Twist 20ml, £50 viktor-rolf.com

UFO, £249 Eau de Parfum Intense foreo.com 100ml, £82 chanel.com

A B S O L U T E LY. L O N D O N

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AVAILABLE NATIONWIDE IN WAITROSE, MAJESTIC, 31DOVER.COM AND UK DUTY FREE

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FOOD & DRINK

SWEET LIKE CHOCOLATE LEONIDAS CHOCOLATES The delicious Belgian pralines at Leonidas are made from only the finest ingredients. With shops in St John’s Wood, Highgate and The City, there is no excuse not to sample some for yourself. Multiple locations in London leonidas.com

The best boozy brunches 49 • Gin Experiences in London 50 • Food Review: Gul & Sepoy 54 A B S O L U T E LY. L O N D O N

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TASTING NOTES

London’s food news and delicious things to see you through April By MIRIAM CAREY

Latte

art

A F I N I S H I N G F LO U R I S H

atte art is huge. At the annual international championship congress, the level of detail in these foamy fancies is improbable, with perfectly symmetrical swirl designs leading on to elaborate striped zebras, faces, florals and even the inevitable unicorns. At Origin in Shoreditch, they offer beginners classes (though you’re unlikely to come away with a unicorn). To begin with, we are aiming to create a heart, and the prep is important. ‘Hold the jug at 12 o’clock, and the wand at 3 o’clock. Remember to purge it first,’ she says. Frothing the milk properly is the first step – we’re aiming for foam, not froth, tiny bubbles, not dry airy volume. The type of jug is important – a larger one for foaming, a smaller one for pouring, and you need to swirl and tap it quite a lot. Then it’s the pour, which is where the real skill lies. ‘First you pour it high and slow, and then tilt the cup and touch it with the rim of the jug,’ she says, effortlessly pouring a perfect heart. My first attempt is rubbish, but an alarming amount of waste later and I have the semblance of a heart. Since then I have invented my own method, which I call accidental latte art. 65 Charlotte Road EC2A origincoffee.co.uk

Venezuela on a Plate A R E PA & C O

Venezuelan restaurant Arepa & Co has just opened on Bethnal Green’s Paradise Row, following the success of their Haggerston outpost, which took east London by storm. They’ll be serving up their signature arepas and cachapas, small sweet corn pancakes and cornbread parcels stuffed with beef and cheese. 254 Paradise Row, E2 arepaandco.com

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FOOD & DRINK• NOTES Our pick of the best

B OT TO M L E S S B RU N C H E S

CAMDEN TOWN BREWERY

The home of Camden Hells, Camden Town Brewery can throw one hell of a brunch. At the monthly bottomless event, guests tuck into endless buttermilk pancakes, skillet-baked eggs, croissants, sourdough toast and beer before embarking on a tour of the famous brewhouse. Unit 1 Navigation Park, EN3 camdentownbrewery.com

EVENING GRAZE LY L E ’ S

Lyle’s has launched an evening snacks menu, with small plates such as smoked eel with seaweed and grilled mussels with cider butter. While guests previously visited for the set supper, they have now set up the perfect conditions for a speedy dinner or an evening of grazing. Tea Building, 56 Shoreditch High Street, E1 lyleslondon.com

BUNGA BUNGA

L E O N I DA S

For four generations the master chocolatiers at Leonidas have been crafting Belgian pralines of the highest quality and freshness. Hazelnuts are sourced from Turkey, Morello cherries from the Périgord, almonds from Italy and oranges from Valencia. Worth cheating on your diet for. locations around London leonidas.com

BRAT

Tomos Parry’s, previously of Kitty Fischer, has opened his debut restaurant. Brat draws inspiration from Parry's Welsh heritage and the Basque region of northern Spain. On the menu are lots of dishes with barbecued ﬁsh - cedar wood sea trout with Jersey cream and river herbs sounds delicious. Redchurch Street, Shoreditch, E1 bratrestaurant.com

DOKKE

Dokke is your answer to the most beautiful brunch in London. Asianfusion dishes, from crispy potato with kimchi and black pudding to cloud egg with crispy kale, avocado and chorizo, come finely decorated in foraged flowers and served with a side of unlimited prosecco. Ivory House, East Smithfield, E1W dokke.co.uk

SUGAR RUSH

FISH AND FIRE

Every Saturday Bunga Bunga hosts a brunch to rival all brunches. Unlimited bellinis and prosecco are the order of the day, and guests can help themselves to carafes of prosecco or get involved mixing their own bellini cocktails. Be sure to try the red berry-based Rossini. 167 Drury Lane, WC2B Bungabunga-london.com

BENITO’S HAT

What better way to spend your weekend than getting merry on bloody Marias and Margaritas with your amigos at the quirky mexican joint Benito’s Hat? There will be an abundance of breakfast tacos on hand to soak up the alcohol - filled with chorizo and scrambled eggs. 12-14 St John Street, EC1M Benitos-hat.com

PRETTY POP-UP POON’S

Renowned restaurant Poon’s has returned to London under the ownership of Amy, the daughter of seventh generation masterchef Bill Poon. The pop-up will run for three months and is a celebration of modern Chinese cooking. 131 - 133 Central Street, EC1V

poonslondon.com A B S O L U T E LY. L O N D O N

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GIN COCKTAIL AT THE GINSTITUTE

Drink UP

Absolutely has travelled near and far in search of the best gin experiences, from the west London home of the Sipsmith Distillery, all the way to The Cotswolds Distillery in the heart of England By M I R I A M C A R E Y A N D H E L E N B R O W N

A B S O L U T E LY m a g a z i n e s

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FOOD & DRINK • GIN EXPERIENCES

HOTEL ROOM AT THE GINSTITUTE

The Ginstitute

tanding proud in the heart of Notting Hill, on the corner of Portobello and just a stone’s throw from Hugh Grant’s famous bookshop, The Distillery is a four-floor mecca for the discerning drinker in west London’s most vibrant neighbourhood. The first of its kind in the UK, the working distillery features two bars, a private dining room and three guest lodgings, as well as being home to the internationallyrenowned Portobello Road gin and the critically acclaimed gin-blending experience, The

Ginstitute. On entering through the Talbot Road door, guests of The Experience are welcomed with a Tom Collins cocktail and greeted by the evening’s gin instructor. The first hour is a lesson in the long and disruptive history of the drink, hailed Mother’s Ruin and banned in Britain at one time. From the drink’s medicinal origins to the gin craze which gripped the country for 200 years and into the renaissance the tipple is enjoying today, the engaging instructor leaves no stone unturned in this education, which is delivered as the audience enjoys a G&T. From there, it’s into The Still Room where guests get a tutored tasting and nosing of botanicals, before trying their hand at creating their own bespoke blend. The Gin Instructor assists in blending the various distilled botanicals together to create a completely unique recipe for each guest, a full bottle of which will be taken away to enjoy at home. Once each guest has created and received their blend of gin, they are invited back downstairs for one last drink, where they’ll also receive a bottle of Portobello Road Gin. • The Ginstitute Experience, £120 per person 186 Portobello Road, W11; the-distillery.london

GIN TASTING AT THE GINSTITUTE

“In pairs, you will create your own bespoke gin, using ingredients you’ve brought in yourself”

Half Hitch Distillery

teeped in a history that harks back to 1869, Camden Lock once stood at the heart of London’s gin scene. Once upon a time, you couldn’t move for the distilleries and warehouses that were packed in amongst the Lock’s cobbled streets. A gin train was even employed to ship produce over to global buyers. Today, gin is back in its north London home by way of Half Hitch, who set up shop in Camden Lock 50 years after the last of the original distilling warehouses could be found. They are breathing life back into the industry, not least with their award-winning gin, but also with fun, bespoke gin-making classes every weekday evening at their micro-distillery in Camden Market. Over the course of an hour, Half Hitch distiller Chris will teach you all about the gin-making process using a modern still - make sure to take notes, because it will then be your turn to try your hand. In pairs, you’ll create your own bespoke gin, using ingredients you’ve brought in yourself. Anything from fruit to botanicals works wonderfully to flavour the gin, or if you’re feeling adventurous, give something more daring a try. It’s totally up to you - the only rule is no chilli - and you’ll leave with 100ml of your bespoke blend, along with 100ml of Half Hitch. • £60 per person, tickets available via designmynight.com Half Hitch Microdistillery | Unit 53 Camden Lock Place, NW1; halfhitch.london A B S O L U T E LY. L O N D O N

THE GINSTITUTE ON PORTOBELLO ROAD

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www.leonidas.com The photos are not contractual. Contest without obligation to purchase. See conditions and rules in store. LEONIDAS.indd 1

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FOOD & DRINK • GIN EXPERIENCES THE BAR AT THE SIPSMITH DISTILLERY

The Cotswold Distillery

he Cotswolds Distillery has been proudly making Outstanding Natural Spirits since 2014 and is rated one of the top visitor attractions in the Cotswolds. Visitors can see their award-winning spirits and liqueurs being made at the small but perfectly formed distillery. Each tour finishes up in the cosy tasting room where you can sample their whole range: from the Cotswolds Single Malt Whisky to the Cotswolds Dry Gin, a richly aromatic twist on a classic London Dry gin made with lavender from the beautiful farm at nearby Snowshill.

Sipsmith Distillery

he Sipsmith Distillery tour is the perfect mix of informative and fun. Four hours in total, the tour comprises a brief history and tour, generous tasting time and a three course meal at Charlotte’s Bistro. The Chiswick distillery is so small and compact (and situated on a residential road) it would be easy to miss. Looking around, the distillery is not much more than a glorified, albeit stylish, shed containing a bar, laboratory and four copper stills named Prudence, Patience, Constance and Cygnet. The former is named after Gordon Brown’s favourite word during the recession. During an incredibly informed and wellpresented whirlwind tour, we cover the country and brand’s rich gin history. When Sipsmith first launched in 2007, fewer than 300 litres of gin production was classed as moonshine, but two years of lobbying resulted in a change in the law. The resounding highlight was the opportunity to sample limited edition varieties of Sipsmith, including lemon drizzle, maple syrup and sloe gin, usually reserved for members of the Sipsmith Sipping Society. The cherry on top of the gin and tonic was the take home gift, a bottle of Sipsmith Gin, a lime and a tonic - “for the road”.

- Add all of the ingredients to a shaker - Add ice and shake - Pour into a Collins or highball glass - Top with tonic water - Garnish with a lemon wheel

• Sipsmith Distillery Tour, £85 per person 83 Cranbrook Road, W4; sipsmith.com

Silent Pool Gin, £37; available from silentpooldistillers.com

• Visit their website to book a tour cotswoldsdistillery.com GIN MASTERCLASS AT THE COTSWOLD DISTILLERY

Silent Pool Gin Aperitif INGREDIENTS 40ml Silent Pool Gin 20ml Tio Pepe ﬁno 25ml lemon juice 20ml 1:1 sugar syrup 2 dashes orange bitters

•

METHOD

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FOOD & DRINK • REVIEW

ABSOLUTELY eats out…

“The masoor dal khichdi with pickled pineapple should come with a ﬁre warning”

GUL & SEPOY Small plates and speedy service at this modern Indian eatery

FOOD Modern Indian, tapas-style, small plates

B y MIRIAM CAREY

efore visiting Gul & Sepoy, the third opening from restaurateurs Harneet and Devina, all I knew was their impressive track record, with Madame D on Commercial Street, and Gunpowder in Spitalfields. The restaurant's concept is partly inspired by the royal courts of north India and partly inspired by the food eaten by soldiers in rural fishing villages along the south west coastline - reflected in the name, Gul & Sepoy.

DECOR Every dish on the menu was fit for royalty. The Malvani oyster with shamphire pakora was a deep-fried delicacy, topped with crisp pieces of samphire. The potted pig head with blood masala onions was a refreshing take on the rich pâté dish, and after the crackers ran out, we continued to scoop the remaining into our mouths. The yam and paneer kofta chaat was made up of small yam koftas in a creamy paneer white sauce, topped with pomegranate jewels. The masoor dal khichdi with pickled pineapple should come with a fire warning - it was a lovely balance of

Wooden furnishings, marble table tops, and dimly-lit

PRICE Small plates from £2.90 - £16.50, cocktails from £10

VERDICT Perfect for beers and bar snacks or a postwork supper

sweet and sour, yet extremely spicy. The whole duck breast with aloo bukhara sauce was the dish of the day. It was tender and melt in the mouth like butter. The soft-shell crab, served with a side of roast tomato and aubergine, was a great bar snack, perfect with lager. The Gul & Sepoy dessert options also impressed. The kheer with dark chocolate and salted caramel had an extravagent edge over the traditional rice pudding. The blood orange and saffron polenta cake with cardamom rose cream was light and aromatic. Overall, I would highly recommend Gul & Sepoy. The small eatery is ideally located in The City and perfect for a quick post-work meal, as you can order as little or as many small dishes as you like. Tip: the waiters recommend five or six dishes, but I could have happily gobbled through more. However, the service is so speedy there is no damage in starting small and going back for more. ● GUL & SEPOY 65 Commercial Street, E1 gulandsepoy.com

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INTERIORS

JOIE DE VIVRE

YVES DELORME The Yves Delorme style, a blend of tradition and invention, embodies a facet of the French “art de vivre” and offers the experience of an everyday luxury. uk.yvesdelorme.com

Interiors Notes 58 • Stylish glassware 61 • Spring Trend: Colour!

A B S O L U T E LY. L O N D O N

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INTERIORS NOTES

Ideas, designs and styles for your home By PENDLE HARTE

African Rhythm EVA SONAIKE

Eva Sonaike's new Aburi Rise collection has a bohemian colour scheme, capturing the calm and tropical feel of Ghana with a colourful palette of lush greens, warm pinks, deep purples and rich blues. evasonaike.com

SPRING FEVER FARROW & BALL

Spring is particularly spring-like at Farrow & Ball this year, with a palette of dusky greens and ďŹ&#x201A;oral wallpapers. Pictured is the maximalist Helleborus paper, which celebrates growth and rejuvenation. farrow-ball.com

A B S O L U T E LY m a g a z i n e s

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INTERIORS • NOTES O

F AV UR

ITE

O EBO

OHH DEER Palm Springs notebook, £4.95 ohhdeer.com

LIGHT FANTASTIC URBAN COTTAGE INDUSTRIES

EDITOR’S PICK

PAPIER TIGRE A5 carnet, £11 papersmiths.co.uk

BASE COLOUR MINIFORMS

Made in Italy, the Shiko Magnum king size bed is designed by studio E-ggs for Italian brand Miniforms. The frame and legs are solid wood with a minimal, chic style, whilst the gently rounded headboad is deep and luxuriously comfortable. gomodern.co.uk

Design your own pendant light by choosing cable, fitting, bulb and switch, all from a huge variety of options. Customise it to suit your taste and your home. We like the green flex and the bronze lamp holder. urbancottageindustries.com

PAPIER Personalised notebooks, £12.99 papier.com

MINI MODERNS Set of two notebooks, £10 minimoderns.com

TRUE BLUE LE CREUSET

THE SCHOOL OF LIFE Writing as therapy journals, £15 theschooloflife.com

New to the Le Creuset palette are these springlike blues and greens, worth starting an entirely new collection for. lecreuset.co.uk A B S O L U T E LY. L O N D O N

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INTERIORS • PRODUCTS MARIMEKKO Sukat wine glass, £32 marimekko.com

LASVIT Otto glassware collection lasvit.com

DARTINGTON Celebrate wine glass pair, £50 dartington.co.uk

GURASU Coloured crystal wine goblets, £185 for six gurasu.co.uk

WATERFORD Lismore balloon wine glass, £60 waterford.co.uk

JOHN LEWIS Leckford floral wine glass, £8 johnlewis.com

EDITOR’S PICK

CRYSTAL MAZE Absolutely’s favourite wine glasses By P E N D L E H A R T E

IITTALA Lempi stacking wine glasses, £21 for two iittala.com

LSA Wine goblets, £100 for eight lsa-international.com

DARTINGTON Harris crystal wine glass, £48 dartington.co.uk

LSA Polka champagne saucer, £34 for four lsa-international.com

DARTINGTON Stemless wine glass pack of six, £48 dartington.co.uk

A B S O L U T E LY. L O N D O N

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CURIOUSA & CURIOUSA

INTERIORS • SHOPPING

Snowdrop pendant, £POA curiousa.co.uk

YVES DELORME Cyclope cushion in menthe, £65; uk.yvesdelorme.com

KAHLER Omaggio vase medium, £39.90 skandium.com

JO MALONE Green tomato leaf candle, £45 jomalone.co.uk

HOUSE OF HACKNEY Paradisa cushion, £165 houseofhackney.com

EDITOR’S PICK

JONATHAN ADLER Large stacked acrylic egg, £298; jonathanadler.com

HABITAT Euan floor lamp in yellow, £225 habitat.co.uk

CLARINS Eau des Jardins, £36 clarins.co.uk

HABITAT

SPRING FORWARD HAY

Lamino easy chair, £1,630 skandium.com

Jambi gardne chair, £195 habitat.co.uk

All you need for a fresh start By PENDLE HARTE

SEEDBALL Mum's Meadow Mix, £5.99 seedball.co.uk

ATRAFLOOR

LIBERTY

Hawaii vinyl flooring, £59 per metre atrafloor.com

Rajasthani Quilted Iris Throw, £50; libertylondon.com

A B S O L U T E LY. L O N D O N

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The IB at Southbank International School is more than an education. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a grounding for the increasingly complex and demanding world we live in. A commitment to academic excellence and a uniquely liberal ethos. An inner belief and confidence carried for the rest of life. Through university. Through a career. Into a lasting impact on the world. Places for 2018 entry are understandably strictly limited. Apply today at southbank.org/applynow

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KIDS & EDUCATION

STREETS AHEAD

MARC JACOBS Daring designs with cool credentials defines Marc Jacobs’ SS18 for tots. Think skater chic with an 80s vibe. childrensalon.com

The importance of a school building 67 • Education: Hampstead’s Fine Arts College 69 A B S O L U T E LY. L O N D O N

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EDUCATION • FOCUS

GRAND designs

The Executive Principal of Southbank International School on its exciting new campus

ood teachers amaze and inspire their students. In my opinion, school buildings should do the same. I’m not alone in that view. Findings by the Royal Institute of British Architects in 2016 suggest that high quality school design, achieved through engagement with students and teachers, has a positive impact on both academic achievement and wellbeing. For the best part of a year now staff at Southbank International School, one of London’s leading International Baccalaureate schools, have been involved not only in ensuring students receive an excellent education, but also in plans to open a dynamic and exciting additional school campus

for the new academic year. We started this project to help with the growing demand for places at our Ofsted ‘outstanding’ school, but it is also an opportunity to consider how a building can help deliver the type of curriculum needed by today’s students. We’ve been fortunate that our parent company Cognita – who have 68 schools across Europe, Latin America and South-East Asia – have already worked on similarly ambitious projects across the world. In Singapore, for example, the Early Learning Village is a brand new school that will host up to 2,000 children aged 18 months to 6 years. That campus was designed by award-winning Bogle Architects with input from Gary Moore, Professor of Environmental Behavioural studies at Sydney University. It includes specific architectural and design elements

We are creating a calm, cool and creative space

B y S I O B H A N M C G R AT H

that elevate the early learning experience; its facilities make it a model school for the future. Back in London we have been fortunate to find a former BBC office and recording studio near Regent’s Park and our existing site. We have had to work hard and think creatively to ensure it provides what our students – many of whom go on to study at universities including Oxford, Cambridge, Yale and Harvard – want and need. Surveys and workshops investigated what design elements would be required in an immersive campus. We challenged teams of architects, interior designers and even the innovation consultancy !What If? to turn all the creative ideas into a practical form. The result is amazing. We are creating a calm and creative space that students will enjoy learning in. When we open the campus in August, the new building will fuse Scandinavian design ethos with intuitive learning technology. Natural colours and materials will enhance a sense of space and calm. Moss walls and wood panelling will channel a sense of the natural world. But this is not going to be a nature school with a W1 postcode. When it comes to tech innovation, our classrooms will allow students to work with classmates from other global cities. Being able to have video links with schools in Hong Kong, Sao Paolo, Barcelona and Santiago will promote cultural understanding. The building will comprise flexible, multi-use areas ranging from spacious classrooms to large communal areas. These will accompany quiet areas for small group and individual work, including study pods and semiprivate breakout areas.The top floor will house a common room with soft seating. In this way we continue to demonstrate our liberal ethos, academic excellence and the values of the International Baccalaureate.

S I O B H A N M C G R AT H is Executive Principal, Southbank International School, part of the Cognita Group of schools

A B S O L U T E LY. L O N D O N

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‘ Enjoying childhood and realising our imagination.’ 2018. What a year! Our 40th Birthday, an MBE and an Outstanding Ofsted. Celebrate with us… Dallington is a family-run co-educational independent school, with a nursery, in the heart of London. Personal tours each day of the week, except Wednesday. Next Open Evening: Thursday 3rd May 2018 from 6 to 8 pm

Headteacher, Proprietor and Founder: Mogg Hercules MBE Email: hercules@dallingtonschool.co.uk Phone: 020 7251 2284 www.dallingtonschool.co.uk USE.indd 2

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QUEEN of ARTS

Hampstead’s Fine Arts College has grown into a college for 13 to 19 year olds. Absolutely meets its founder, Candida Cave B y A M A N DA C O N S TA N C E

hen Candida Cave’s old flatmate from her days at the Ruskin School of Art in Oxford asked if she would take on two boys she was tutoring, Cave discovered that she loved teaching. A year later, she established her own sixth-form art college with fellow artist Nicholas Cochrane. That was in 1978. Forty years on, the Fine Arts College in Belsize Park is a north London institution – for those in the know, of course.

A collection of small buildings set around a cobbled courtyard behind iron gates on England’s Lane, it feels more like an artists’ collective than a school. Cave says they consciously created a happy environment for students. “Condition, consciousness, calm – all these things help students learn,” she says. Places at FAC are hugely in demand and that’s without any advertising, ever. Most students come for sixth form to take advantage of the art-based A-Levels on offer: Fine Art, Photography, Textiles and Graphics. Entry is non-selective:

The way education has gone in the past few years, arts subjects are being really squeezed

EDUCATION • FOCUS applicants need at least five GCSEs and all Year 12 and 13 students are expected to take four A-Levels. FAC started offering GCSEs in 1994. “We realized a number of students weren’t happy at their schools so we started GCSEs,” says Cave. Since then there have been small Year 10 and Year 11 groups at the college. And from this September, it will be expanding to take Year 9 students for the first time. This is a “natural development”, says Cave, who hopes that many will join “straight from prep school to give themselves a good sweep at GCSEs”. The demand is definitely there. “I genuinely believe there are a great number of 13 year olds who are very good at art, music, drama and the way education has gone in the past few years those subjects are being squeezed,” says Cave. Looking at the list of 2017 leavers, it’s hard not to notice a certain Brooklyn Beckham. If the college has become known for anything in recent years, it’s the children of celebrities who have attended, from the Beckhams’ eldest to Rocco Ritchie and Anais Gallagher. But Cave will, quite rightly, not be drawn on her starry charges. “It’s a sensitive matter because I want the students to feel they have a normal education,” she says. Cave sold the college to Duke’s Education two years ago. She has taken a step back from day-to-day teaching but still has a great appetite for leading the college. Will the college take the logical step and become a full school, opening to children from Year 7? Cave says: “I don’t know, let’s just wait and see.” But with the college going from strength to strength, nobody would be surprised.

FINE ARTS COLLEGE hampsteadfinearts.com

A B S O L U T E LY. L O N D O N

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TRAVEL

CITY STYLE MOROCCO

Grand architecture, rich culture, vibrant cuisine and stunning beaches; modernity meets the traditional in a trip of a lifetime to Moroccoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Atlantic coast

A Moroccan Adventure 72 â&#x20AC;˘ Beachside Bliss in Jamaica 76 A B S O L U T E LY. L O N D O N

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THE MAZAGAN BEACH RESORT BOASTS IMPRESSIVE VIEWS OVER THE ATLANTIC SEA

“With sandy dunes, ocean views and a private beach, the resort already ticks all the boxes ” 72

A B S O L U T E LY m a g a z i n e s

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TRAVEL • WANDERLUST

KID Here’s looking at you

Modernity meets the traditional in a trip to Morocco’s Atlantic coast By H E L E N B R O W N

ll expectations I had of this trip to Morocco pivoted on the frazzling sights and sounds prevalent in film representations; labyrinthic streets, chaotic medinas, the air thick with heady spices and a rogue chicken picking it’s way between throngs of dusty, sandalled feet. Of course, not all parts of Morocco present themselves in this way; not least of all, El Jahida. Though not always top of the agenda on a trip to Morocco, this laid-back coastal town has a few gems to be discovered. Located just a little over 100km from Casablanca - more on this later - El Jahida transforms into a heaving holiday resort in the summer months, popular with Moroccan families. Blissfully, we explore the town in late September when the sun beats down on near-empty streets. Things to tick off include the El Jahida Port and the Unesco-listed 16th-century Cité Portugaise, an atmospheric chamber that was once used to store weaponry before becoming the setting for Orson Welles’ Othello. Of course the beach is also a pretty strong pull here and there is no where better situated to make the most of it than at the Mazagan Beach Resort. Built in 2009, this award-winning, all-encompassing 5 star stay offers an authentic taste of Morocco with all the convenience and splendour expected of a luxury

hotel. With sandy dunes, ocean views and a private beach, the resort already ticks all the boxes. Marry this with 15 different restaurants and bars, a seemingly endless list of activities - from quad biking to camel riding - a casino and a renowned spa, the Mazagan really is a destination in itself. It’s the sort of place you won’t leave for the entirety of your trip. Do not go without booking a night in the resort’s beautiful outdoor restaurant, Al Firma. A shuttle bus will take you just five minutes from the main hotel to a clearing in the trees. Illuminated by the light of an open fire and decked out with traditional Moroccan dining furniture - floor poufs et al - here you’ll get a true taste of the country's cuisine. Imagine sitting cross-legged on the floor, sipping mint tea as belly dancers weave and writhe amongst you and your dinner companions; you couldn’t paint a more definitive image of traditional Morocco if you tried. But if it’s the new you’re after, an hour’s drive up the coast will land you in Casablanca. What this coastal city lacks in architectural history, it makes up for in modern conveniences: restaurants, shopping and nightlife. The former French colony has a distinct charm, with its old walled Medina set like a pearl within a European-style city of wide boulevards and elegant Art Deco villas. To a romantic, Casablanca is a mythical place that exists in the 1942 film starring Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart. The reality is that the movie Casablanca was actually filmed on a soundstage in Hollywood and the real Casablanca A B S O L U T E LY. L O N D O N

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TRAVEL • WANDERLUST MAZAGAN OCEAN VIEW ROOMS OFFER SPLENDID VIEWS OF THE GOLF COURSE AND THE SEA

has long been overshadowed as a destination by the enchanting souks and exotic hippyness of Marrakech, the medieval splendours of Fez and the literary bohemianism of Tangier. In contrast, Casablanca is a heady mix of architectural treasures that glisten with gold in the sunshine and dusty, old buildings. A sprawling city with a cosmopolitan flair, Casablanca is Morocco's largest city and most hectic port. As the country’s foremost business hub, the vibe is decidedly more urban, yet it sits on the country's Atlantic coast affording it the ocean views and open skies you expect of a holiday destination. The enormity of Casablanca, Morocco's most populous city, means visitors have to make an effort to discover its hidden details. One of the richest historical aspects of Casablanca is the Art Deco architecture left by French colonialists throughout downtown Casablanca. The city is home to the second biggest Art Deco movement and boasts an eclectic mix of Moroccan architecture, French Art Deco and blend of the two, known as Mauresque. An absolute must-see for Art Deco enthusiasts is the Cinema Rialto on rue Mohammed Qorri. This particular neighborhood is rich with examples of Art Deco and is worth an afternoon stroll.

BASK IN THE SUN AT MAZAGAN WHICH OFFERS A STUNNING BEACH AS WELL AS POOLS

TAKE A BREAK FROM THE BUSY CITY CENTRE AT THE FOUR SEASON'S OUTDOOR POOL

the Islamic calendar can see Hassan II Mosque packed out with around 25,000 worshippers, with 80,000 more filling the courtyard. A short car ride away, you'll find the elegant "new medina," Quartier Habous - a layout of Provençal-style squares and arches built by the French as a place for Muslims to live and trade. In this clean and inviting souk you’ll find anything from oil paintings to Art Deco statuettes. Unlike the overflowing mazes in Fez and Marrakech, Casablanca’s central market is small and manageable. White-walled stalls with green clay roofs dotted with foliage make for Instagrammable backgrounds and a wealth of sequined slippers, rugs, brassware and leatherwork stalls jostle for position beneath the limestone arches. When you're ready for a break - walking around in 30 degrees is thirsty work - head over to the Four Seasons Casablanca to for an afternoon tea that blows any other you’ve ever tried right out of the water. This is the country that does tea time like no other, so it’d be sacrilege to forgo this pastime favoured by the locals. Come three o’clock, the Four Seasons’

“These Moroccan delicacies are so irresistible you’ll want to swipe a tray for your plane ride home” Wander they alleyways west and you’ll fall upon the unmissable Hassan II Mosque at Sour Jdid. Completed in 1993, it took more than seven years and as many as 10,000 artisans to complete the intricate masterpiece. It’s among Africa's largest mosques and features one of the world's tallest minarets. Thanks to its imposing location on the waterfront and its resplendent exterior that blends Islamic architecture with Moroccan and Moorish elements, it’s one of the country's most striking buildings. Approaching on a sizzling Sunday afternoon proved, as with so many things in Casablanca, a pleasing contrast of sensory stimulations: a mild sea breeze sweeps over the mosque’s vast concourse, tourists shelter from the scorching sun under its arches and the saccharine scent of popcorn wafts over from the beach promenade. To get a sense of the size of this thing, significant dates in

lobby dining area, The Mint Lounge offers every kind of sweet and savoury treat you could ever want; from scones and gourmet sandwiches, to macarons, tarts, cakes, a chocolate fountain and an enticing selection of traditional Moroccan pastries. Using local ingredients, like orange blossom water, rose water, almonds and dates, these Moroccan delicacies are so irresistible you’ll want to swipe a tray of them for your plane ride home. Wash this down with a something from the extensive tea menu and you’ll be ready to go for a sunset dinner here. The atmosphere is anything but ordinary; a Moroccaninfused menu is served by a fire pit overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Divine. To think Casablanca is just three hours away from London is mind-blowing. It's probably one of the biggest culture-hops you could make in that time - and what a wonderful one it is. It’s a city for travelers who like to feel like a local and who want to experience the present as well as learn about the past. A B S O L U T E LY. L O N D O N

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A ROYAL WELCOME We take a trip to the Half Moon Resort in Jamaica, the royal familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favourite Caribbean hotel Wo r d s E L I Z A B E T H H U T T O N

A B S O L U T E LY m a g a z i n e s

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TRAVEL • WANDERLUST

o worries, no problem” is a saying you’ll hear a lot in Jamaica. It’s a motto. A way of life. A calming notion that if you have no worries - and at the Half Moon in Montego Bay they make sure you don’t - you have no problems and vice versa. A firm favourite with the British Royal family, who have been coming to stay here for the past 50 years, the Half Moon has also been home to the American Royal family, the Kennedys, who stayed for a month prior to JFK’s inauguration. More recently, modern day pop royalty, including Rihanna and Lil Wayne, have also chosen to relax and unwind at this resort. So, what’s the secret to the

Half Moon’s long-lasting appeal? The truth is, it’s heaven. I stayed in the Imperial Suite which, rather than a simple hotel room, was a sea-view villa with its own living space, bedroom, bathroom, walk-in wardrobe and, most impressively, pool. Classically designed, the elegant rooms aren’t modern or glitzy, but rather a nostalgic nod back to the Half Moon’s '50s, '60s roots. It’s this timeless approach to design that allows you to take yourself away from modern stresses and therefore adds to the calming effect of the resort. The Half Moon beaches surpass those I’ve seen in any cheesy rom-com. With over two miles of seafront, the crescent-shaped Sunset Beach actually inspired the name of the resort back in 1954. Here, we spent hours kayaking, paddle boarding and, of course, drinking Red Stripe. As night fell, fire torches were lit all along the front so we could stop to watch the sky turn from blue to pink before the stars and moon took over. A B S O L U T E LY. L O N D O N

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ABBEY ROAD

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20/03/2018 15:11

TRAVEL • WANDERLUST

“As night fell, fire torches were lit so we could stop to watch the sky turn from blue to pink”

There is, however, more to the Half Moon than mere beauty. With their very own equestrian centre, 18 hole golf course and Jamaica’s largest spa, activities here reign supreme. The ‘Turf and Surf’ horseback ride is an experience no one could ever forget, with the horses actually taking you off into the Caribbean sea. While the horses swim, you hold onto their tails and glide behind them. Admittedly, it’s not for the faint-hearted, but perfectly safe for even beginner riders and is bizarrely soothing once you get going. Following this with an Instagram-worthy photo shoot (where you can stand on the horse's back and pose) it will be hard to find an experience that will be as majestical, or as insane, ever again. If you’re not up for the adrenaline rush of the ride and swim, The Fern Tree Spa is a beautiful alternative. With its own herb garden, the spa uses what it grows, so ingredients include fresh lemongrass, aloe and ginger. Combining modern techniques with Jamaican traditional healing therapies, the treatments here are decompressing, invigorating and realigning - if you felt any jet lag, you won’t after leaving the treatment room. To make the most of the spa, visit the hydrotherapy

swimming pool before your treatment. I found it completely empty so I could get into the right state of mind for my massage. Food found in the resort grounds is also delicious, with six different restaurants offering up an array of international cuisines. While breakfast is served buffet-style and consists of both European and Caribbean foods, such as ackee and salt fish, lunch and dinner were a more formal affair. My personal favourite was dinner at the Seagrape Terrace where we ate ahi tuna with guacamole and cucumber followed by grilled lobster tail with mashed potato and melted butter. Locally caught, both types of meat were incredibly tender and flavoursome. For those wanting to try something even more spectacular, the hotel owned restaurant Sugar Mill is worth a visit. Located on the old Rose Hall Sugar Plantation, the mill and its water wheel still stand and create a magical backdrop to dinner. Known for its modern take on traditional Jamaican cuisine, this awardwinning fine dining restaurant uses a charcoal grill to add a smokey flavour to dishes, such as wagyu striploin and veal chop with jerk-herb butter. We finished off our feast with a thimble of 50 year old Appleton Estate rum - the oldest available to buy. Having stayed at the Half Moon, it’s obvious why the resort remains so popular. It’s a homely, private and luxurious Caribbean escape. Whether you choose to spend all your time by the pool, on the beach or adrenaline seeking, you will leave feeling revived. Come here for a proper break away and you will be ready to face whatever you have waiting for you back home.

HALF MOON RESORT An Ocean Deluxe Room at Half Moon starts from US$593 (approx £430), based on double occupancy. Price includes airport transfers, breakfast, lunch and dinner, and a daily drinks credit of US$120 (approx £90). halfmoon.com

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20/03/2018 15:11

PROPERTY Living the dream

HIGHGATE HILL N19

£1,050,000

Famous Places

Nigel: Buy to Let

spectacular detached cottage comprising of three bedrooms with access to a private garden and off street parking. The property is located in the grounds of an old Victorian school, situated close to Highgate Village and Waterlow Park, with excellent tube and road links and fantastic schools only a walk away.

KFH Highgate 020 3199 9625 kfh.co.uk

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407-409 Holloway Road, London, N7 6HP

020 7607 5001 drivers.co.uk

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SALES

BEAUX ARTS BUILDING, N7 | OIEO £700,000 Situated in one of the most sought after locations in North London is this luxury two double bedroom duplex apartment designed with renowned French Architectural inﬂuence. Residents of the Beaux Arts Building have the beneﬁt of being in one of the most vibrant locations in North London with easy access to a number of local amenities including supermarkets, eateries and coffee shops. The ever popular Upper Street is within easy reach and offers further boutiques, restaurants and entertainment facilities.

Ringcroft Street, N7 | £1,175,000 3 Bedroom Victorian Terraced House, Quiet Tree-Lined Street, 2 Reception Rooms, Fitted Kitchen plus Utility Room, Fantastic Built-in Storage, Large Rear Garden * Chain Free, Cellar and Attic with Skylight, Freehold. (***Please note that the front bay to the property was underpinned in 2010 for which there is a 10 year warranty***)

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LIVING THE

DREAM The most luxuriously appointed properties on the market

BLOOMFIELD COURT W 9, £72 5,00 0

his fabulous ground floor flat combines stylish décor with generous living space. A stylish reception room, high ceilings and a fireplace make this a stylish one bedroom flat and ideal for a young couple or single professional.The property is situated in the heart of Maida Vale, close to the picturesque surroundings of Little Venice and the boutiques, shops and cafes of Clifton Road.

FOXTONS

Maida Vale, 020 3841 4150 foxtons.co.uk

PORT EAST APARTMENTS E 1 4 , £1, 32 5,000

his exceptional two bedroom penthouse apartment is situated on the top floor within a Grade I listed warehouse conversion. This stunning apartment effortlessly combines a wealth of character with contemporary décor. The private south facing terrace has superb views over West India Quay dock and towards Canary Wharf. The development offers a 24-hour concierge and a choice of shops. KNIGHT FRANK City and East, 020 7512 9966 knightfrank.co.uk 1

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PROPERTY • NEW TO THE MARKET

ONSLOW GARDENS

N 1 0 , O I E O £ 1 ,0 0 0,0 0 0

ROPEMAKERS FIELDS

COMMERCIAL STREET E 1 , £ 1 ,1 0 0,0 0 0

stunning threebedroom two reception room split level apartment with a large private garden in a period property. A short walk from Highgate Tube, Muswell Hill Broadway, Crouch End and Highgate. The property features fantastic high ceilings, and views from the garden and upstairs bedroom across the tree-tops to Alexandra Palace.

two bedroom, two bathroom apartment in the heart of Shoreditch within one of the most sought-after developments in the Spitalfields area. The property comprises a master bedroom with a walk-in wardrobe which leads through an ensuite bathroom. The building benefits from a 24-hour concierge, secure underground parking and a communal outside area.

MARTYN GERRARD

WINKWORTH

Muswell Hill, 02084443388 martyngerrard.co.uk

Shoreditch, 020 7749 7650 winkworth.co.uk

E 1 4 , £ 2 ,9 5 0,0 0 0

beautifully renovated three to four bedroom Georgian house which has recently been rebuilt and extended to an exceptionally high standard. The grand reception hall is laid with European oak ﬂooring and the striking steel and oak staircase rises up as an architectural sculpture through the house. It also adjoins a pretty park, providing a level of seclusion and closeness to nature.

THE PROPERTY ADJOINS TO A PRETTY PARK PROVIDING A LEVEL OF SECLUSION AND CLOSENESS TO NATURE

KNIGHT FRANK

City and East, 020 7512 9966 knightfrank.co.uk

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The Coquina Plot 40

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£599,000

Buyer’s 5% deposit

£29,950

Government 40% loan

£239,600

12/03/2018 16:38

FA M O U S P L AC E S by N I G E L L E W I S

London hides a plethora of celebrity homes. These are the most recent to come on the market

MAYORAL MANOR

WOULD IT SUIT YOU?

he Celebrity stitcher Ozwald Boateng’s signature style has reeled in a wide range of stars including Mick Jagger Jimmy Page, Graham Norton and Spike Lee as well as the costume designers of many TV shows and films including Oceans 13, Tomorrow Never Dies, Sex and the City, Ugly Betty and The Matrix. But his biggest coup came when, during the 1990s, he helped define Cool Britannia and often popped into No.10 for meetings with Tony Blair.

Politics may have moved on, but Boateng remains popular. Anyone hankering after a bespoke suit makes his shop at No.30 Savile Row a musthave appointment even if, for the average man in the street, a suit can cost a month’s wages. Which is a good thing – he’s got expensive tastes himself including this house in London’s Mayfair, which is now available to rent. It is a six-bedroom, eight-bathroom, three-reception-room terraced house on Chandos Street off Oxford Street and is available to rent through Knight Frank (020 3435 6440) at £5,000 a week.

oreign Secretary Boris Johnson and his siblings were encouraged as children to discuss high-brow subjects, and his father Stanley says the earliest ambition of the young mayor-to-be was to be ‘world king’. His parents took the family all over the world and while Boris was born in New York he also called Exmoor, London, Washington DC, Oxford and Brussels home. But the best-known of these, where his father settled after he split from Boris’ mother, is in Primrose Hill. The house, which is for sale, found international fame when Boris used it as the base for his London mayoral campaign, and is well known in the area for its pink façade. The house was also nicknamed the 'Rocking Horse House', as despite having been passed through a number of owners, a rocking horse has always featured in the front bay window. 60 Regent’s Park Road is a fivestorey Victorian house with several reception rooms, a cinema, wine cellar and four bedrooms. “Following the most recent sale in 2010, the house underwent a comprehensive transformation and extensive refurbishment,” says Orly Lehman from joint agent Knight Frank. “The current owners have increased the size to around 5,226 sq ft to provide an incredible family home that retains the original charm.” It’s for sale at £11.25 million through both Knight Frank (020 3815 3350) and Aston Chase (020 7724 4724).

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PROPERTY • STAR HOMES

GOOD MEWS

cMafia, the BBC1 TV drama about the murky world of global organised crime, based on a book written by journalist Misha Glenny, has wowed viewers and critics. Starring Happy Valley actor James Norton, fans will remember the many shots of him strolling down a cobbled street to the London home of his character, a City investment banker. In real life the road is Cranley Mews, a back street in west London off the Fulham Road. But in reality, in order to live here even City bankers might baulk; the luxe property is currently available to rent for £1,095 a week. “Cranley Mews is a great spot, we love the pretty mews houses, and it’s in a wonderful location near Gloucester Road - its use as a filming location for McMafia has certainly added an extra frisson,” says Gabriella Gyngell from letting agent Strutt & Parker (020 3504 6823).

"Its design is so unusual that Channel 4 presented it in their TV programme Amazing Spaces"

NARROW APPEAL

his seven foot by seven foot ‘gap house’ built in a passageway between two shops is deceptively large, given its tiny front elevation. Known officially as The Slim House, the property has threestoreys and a steep sloping roof that swoops down from the front to the 48 ft garden at the back. Its design is so unusual that TV presenter George Clarke featured it on his Channel 4 programme Amazing Spaces. The property is in Clapham and was originally developed by a young first-time buyer couple who bought it for £430,000 before it was then sold to an advertising executive in 2014, who has now put it on the market for £1 million. “Having been extended by its former owners, the property has been cleverly designed with well-placed storage and bespoke fittings to maximise the 1,058 square feet of living accommodation,” says selling agent Jasper Colliver of Savills (0208 8774 811).

A B S O L U T E LY. L O N D O N

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16/03/2018 10:34

IS LONDON’S BUYTO-LET MARKET BUST? Nigel Lewis takes the pulse of London’s prime buy-to-let market and asks the experts what’s in store for its luxe rentals.

ondon has been the beating heart of the UK’s buy-to-let boom for several decades and its 200,000plus landlords now house over four million private renters. Landlords love London, particularly – if they can afford to – its prime areas, where rents are high and property values, apart from occasional hiccups, have continued rising since the early noughties. The average rent in London is £1,532 a month per property, while within the prime market £4,000 a month is not unusual, or five times the UK average. But over the past two years the wheels have come off the prime market.

The capital has been flooded with rental properties as many developers and landlords have bet heavily on the lettings market, particularly overseas investors from places such as Singapore, China and Hong Kong. Also, the over-supply of properties was given a boost by the additional 3% Stamp Duty charged on investment properties in April 2016, the deadline for which prompted a Serengeti-like stampede to purchase properties and avoid the extra tax. These upmarket buy-to-let addresses are now causing a problem for the market. Supply and demand are out of kilter and agent Knight Frank says that rents have

Weaker middle prime market? A £1,095-a-week mews house near Gloucester Road available to rent via Strutt & Parker

been going down for over a year - being a landlord in London’s prime markets has been a rollercoaster experience of recent. As well as the 3% increase in Stamp Duty, landlords have seen the tax relief they once enjoyed on their mortgage interest payments being cut back each year, while the automatic tax deductions for wear and tear have also been reduced. A reasonable person might conclude, therefore, that investing in London’s prime neighbourhoods is not an opportunity worth the risk. Knight Frank disagrees. It says in recent months the tax hikes have persuaded landlords to begin exiting the market and last year the number of properties available to rent reduced by 6.4% while demand increased – by 17.6%. This, it says, will begin to drive rents back up again, most likely in the lower and upper ends of this rarefied market, which Knight Frank defines as properties with rents under £1,000 a week and over £5,000 a week. The mid-market for prime London addresses renting at between £1,000 and £1,500 a week has been, and will remain, the weakest. Rents have been falling in this price bracket by nearly 5% over the past 12 months, Knight Frank says, more so than any other prime sector. Savills paints a similar picture. It says the lower end of the prime London rental market is where the most tenants are looking for properties, and that the rent reductions are beginning to slow down. Landlords must be careful about where and what they buy, Savills’ research suggests. Its figures point to one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments being

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PROPERTY • NEW TO THE MARKET

the most popular among tenants, while larger family-size properties are the least sought-after. And the area where the rental price reductions have been the smallest over the past year is north west London, taking in famous-name areas such as Highgate, Hampstead, Primrose Hill and St John’s Wood. This is followed by north east London including areas considered to be hipster enclaves including Shoreditch and Islington – although parts of central London are still thought to offer an opportunity. “In prime central London, markets which provide better value for money, such as Earl’s Court, Pimlico and Marylebone, have fared better than the more expensive areas,” says Savills' Yolande Barnes.

“Rents have been falling in this price bracket by nearly 5% over the past 12 months, Knight Frank says, more so than any other prime sector”

“Some of the markets are those with a large new build supply pipeline – a situation that has brought them to the attention of a wider range of tenants. This is especially true for Marylebone, with half of Savills renters relocating here for the lifestyle.” Savills is also upbeat about the market in the future, predicting that prime London rents will be rising by 4% a year by 2021. One unusual aspect of the market is that there has been a surge in the number of tenants created by vendors who can’t sell their homes at the moment but who must move, opting to rent instead, says Richard Davies, at Chestertons. It would appear that London’s beating heart continues, although perhaps not at the blood-pumping pace it used to. A B S O L U T E LY. L O N D O N

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16/03/2018 11:55

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19/03/2018 19/03/2018 09:28 09:11

DULWICH £ 1 ,7 9 5 ,0 0 0

Style and Substance

How much for a four-bedroom Victorian semi-detached house in London?

ictorian homes will never go out of fashion. They are beautiful in design with their bay and sash windows, intricate high ceilings, ornate fireplaces, patterned tiles and stained glass windows. They are also very good at standing the test of time, making them ideal family homes and investments for the future. You should always seek a full building survey before buying any new home, but to start find out the rough guide price for the area, before putting in an offer. In the sought out location of Dulwich, the guide is between £825,000 and £1.8 million, the family home featured comes in at £1,795,000 and benefits from a private garden and nearby schools. Further east in Blackheath, the guide price is slightly lower, between £600,000 and £1.5 million.

S O U T H WA R K

his is a rare opportunity to acquire a four bedroom, semi-detatched family home in one of the most sought after locations in Dulwich Village. Set on the corner of Court Lane and Desenfans Road and benefitting from a private garage, this elegant house offers excellent entertaining and family space with a two reception rooms, an eat-in kitchen and landscaped garden. Upstairs features four bedrooms and two bathrooms (one ensuite). The loft has already been converted in to a spacious bedroom. This home is wonderfully situated in the heart of the Village, perfect for all of the amentities and school catchments. Court Lane is one of the most prestigious addresses in Dulwich Village due to its proximity to both Dulwich Village and Dulwich Park. Sought-after state schools are on the doorstep, as are world-renowned independent options such as James Allen's Girls School, Alleyn's School and Dulwich College. More information from Knight Frank on 020 3757 6230 or knightfrank.com

2 In Bromley, the price falls to between £700,000 and £950,000. The Victorian semidetached featured comes in at £850,000 and has excellent transport links. Finally, to buy a Victorian property in Newham, you will need to drum up between £550,000 and £975,000. For the lower end of the spectrum, you can buy the Purple Bricks property, benefitting from spacious rooms.

“You should always seek a full building survey before buying any home, but to start find out the guide price for the area”

BLACKHEATH £ 1 , 5 0 0,0 0 0 F R E E H O L D

GREENWICH

his property is in excellent decorative order with period features, high ceilings, feature marble fireplaces, cornicing, sash windows, feature radiators, solid oak Herringbone flooring and gas fired central heating. The accommodation comprises a large reception, a stunning kitchen with luxury applicances, an island, breakfast bar, skylights, bi-folding doors to the garden and a quaint reading corner ideal for small children. To the rear is a 60ft south facing garden. This home is perfect for a new family and immediate viewings are highly recommended. For more information, go to winkworth.co.uk or call 020 8852 0999

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PROPERTY • FEATURE

BECKENHAM

WEST HAM

£ 8 5 0,0 0 0

£ 5 5 0,0 0 0 G U I D E P R I C E

~ FH are pleased to offer this

BROMLEY

four-bedroom, Victorian semidetached house, which is ideally located for both Clock House and Kent House Stations. The property comprises an open-plan lounge, an extended kitchen and breakfast room. On the first floor there is a family bathroom and an en-suite to the master bedroom on the second level. Additional benefits include off-street parking and a garden. Currently for sale with KFH, go to kfh.co.uk

NEWHAM

his period property offers an abundance of space and light throughout and comprises of a large entrance hall, two reception rooms with double doors, a large modern fitted kitchen with bay windows, a further utility area and guest cloakroom on the ground floor. On the first floor there are four spacious bedrooms and a modern fitted family bathroom. For more information from Purple Bricks, book a viewing today on 0800 810 8008 or visit purplebricks.co.uk

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AYLMER ROAD, EAST FINCHLEY, N2 A two double bedroom apartment set on the first floor of a modern gated development.

OIEO £1,100,000 LEASEHOLD

THE OWNERS LOVE “We love the location! Based just off the Bishops Avenue, we are very close to Hampstead, Highgate and within walking distance of East Finchley station.” “We love the space of the flat, with approximately 1350 sq ft, the flat offers room to live spaciously.” “We love the security of being on the first floor. The windows are triple glazed making for a very peaceful flat. There is a video phone entry system for you to see who is at the door and alarm system” WE’VE NOTICED There is CCTV surrounding the building which you can access from your phone. This property is being sold with no onward chain. • 2 Bedrooms • 2 Bathrooms (1 en-suite) • 4 Balconies (1 terrace overlooking communal gardens) • Separate Kitchen with integrated Miele appliances

• • • •

Separate utility room Lift Underfloor heating throughout EPC Rating: B

Contact Chris Fairclough at our East Finchley ofﬁce on 020 8883 0077 martyngerrard.co.uk MG_NXNW_DPS_USE.indd 1

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FALKLAND HOUSE MEWS, FALKLAND ROAD, NW5 A three bedroom modern mews house situated in Kentish Town.

OIEO £995,000 FREEHOLD

THE OWNERS LOVE “The location is fantastic with Kentish Town and its bustling bars and restaurants on our doorstep” “The privacy and security of the mews is great” “The mews is very quiet yet being situated within the very heart of Kentish Town” WE’VE NOTICED Planning permission has been granted for the garage to be converted into the house to increase the living space. Another application has been submitted for approximately a 450 sqft basement which would consist of three rooms. The gated mews consists of just two houses. • 3 Bedrooms • 2 Bathrooms (including en-suite to master bedroom) • Modern Kitchen with integrated appliances

• • • •

Guest WC Open plan living space Garage EPC Rating: C

Contact Martin Collins at our Kentish Town ofﬁce on 020 7267 3737 martyngerrard.co.uk MG_NXNW_DPS_USE.indd 2

16/03/2018 18:07

No more six weeks rent upfront! Paying a dilapidations deposit is an essential part of renting a home, as any landlord rightly wants security against damage to their property caused by a tenant either deliberately or accidentally. Finding the dilapidation deposit when you are moving into a new home can be tough when you are paying the first month’s rent and other costs associated with moving home, especially if your previous deposit is yet to be returned. The ‘Nil Deposit’ scheme gives tenants a choice of paying the dilapidation deposit up front (normally six weeks rent) or to opt for the ‘Nil Deposit’ scheme. Terms and conditions apply

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T I S PO

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