2 FEBRUARY 2020

THE LUXURY
SPA SPECIAL
WHERE TO GO TO
NOURISH YOUR MIND,
BODY AND SPIRIT

LUNA BIJL WEARING

BOTTEGA VENETA
PHOTOGRAPHED BY
DAVID FERRUA
 Couture’s powerful Editor-in-chief

INFLUENCE

W elcome to our annual luxury

Spa Special, the one where we
send friends of Style across the
globe to test those trips you’ve
been dreaming of and to perhaps find their own
personal nirvana along the way. The line-up of
writers in this issue reads like the guest list of
IRIS VAN
HERPEN
That aside, what couture does is speak to the
place we are in today, a reflection of what is
going on creatively and culturally around the
world. It makes a powerful visual statement
we all remember.
For her couture collection last month, Maria
Grazia Chiuri, creative director of Dior, revived
the best dinner party ever, hosted by Stanley the career of the American feminist artist Judy
Tucci! The issue also includes an interview Chicago, now 80. I had not heard of Chicago
with our cover star, model of the moment Luna and fell into a delightful rabbit hole of googling
Bijl, aged 21. She is a motocross and gym her pioneering work, which took up most of
enthusiast, whose healthy approach to life will my afternoon. Dior’s deep pockets brought her
no doubt ensure longevity in her career. work to life, ensuring a new generation benefits
Today’s issue is firmly dedicated to beauty from it. The show was held in a metaphorical
and wellness, but as I write, the fashion world womb in Paris, where a huge banner hung
is caught up in the creative whirlwind of the asking “What if women ruled the world?” The
couture shows. The catwalks of the big-name clothes were magnificent and all the shoes
designers are a dream to watch for anyone were flat. It was a joy to watch, as was the
interested in the art of making clothes. I have catwalk collection of the futurist designer Iris
enjoyed many couture spectacles over the van Herpen, who explained she had been
years as a fashion journalist, witnessing inspired by the work of neuroscientist Santiago
master craftsmen at work in an age-old Ramon y Cajal. The patterns of van Herpen’s
industry that survives to serve a healthy designs are so striking, they bear looking at
customer base and to flood the red carpet several times to take them all in.
with memorable dresses. This type of fashion is as collectable as art;
I’ve noticed that the couture shows often it’s the sort of creativity you would want
prompt people to feel threatened by fashion, as your children to aspire to and it is such an
if these magical looks aren’t real or for normal important part of the world we live in today.
DIOR

people. The question “But who wears them?” For sure, there is plenty that needs fixing in
is daft, as the market is there to fill a need. the fashion industry (as there is in many
VICTORIA ADAMSON, GETTY

Couture is not a vanity project, and, indeed, if industries undergoing seismic change), but it
you compare it with the luxury car market or is still a breeding ground for new thinking,
the tech industry, which ask similar prices for extraordinary craftsmanship and people who
one-offs, then you can only conclude this fear have a totally different outlook on life. Long
of uber-expensive fashion has sexist roots. may it remain that way. ▪

@SundayTimesLC @theststyle
ON THE COVER Luna Bijl wears cashmere bodysuit, POA, Bottega Veneta Photograph David Ferrua Styling Verity Parker

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF LORRAINE CANDY CREATIVE DIRECTOR SUZANNE SYKES DEPUTY EDITOR LAURA ATKINSON ACTING DEPUTY EDITOR HANNAH SWERLING FASHION DIRECTOR JANE McFARLAND
BEAUTY DIRECTOR SARAH JOSSEL FEATURES EDITOR LOUISA McGILLICUDDY ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR SCARLETT RUSSELL DIGITAL EDITORIAL DIRECTOR TOM MILLER
DIGITAL DIRECTOR ANNA SBUTTONI DIGITAL ASSISTANT ALICE KEMP-HABIB ART DIRECTOR ANDREW BARLOW DESIGNER ABIGAIL ROGERS PICTURE EDITOR CATHERINE PYKETT-COMBES
ASSISTANT EDITOR FLEUR BRITTEN ASSOCIATE FASHION DIRECTOR VERITY PARKER FASHION AND MERCHANDISE EDITOR FLOSSIE SAUNDERS
ACTING FASHION AND MERCHANDISE EDITOR BEATRIZ DE COSSIO BOOKINGS DIRECTOR AND CREATIVE PRODUCER LEILA HARTLEY FASHION FEATURES ASSISTANT HENRIK LISCHKE
FASHION ASSISTANT PHOEBE SCHURINGS DEPUTY BEAUTY EDITOR AVA WELSING-KITCHER BEAUTY ASSISTANT SHEILLA MAMONA CONTRIBUTING BEAUTY EDITOR LAURA KENNEDY
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT ROISIN KELLY PRODUCTION EDITOR MATTHEW DAVIS CHIEF SUB-EDITOR SOPHIE FAVELL SENIOR SUB-EDITOR JANE McDONALD

© Times Newspapers Ltd, 2020. Published and licensed by Times Newspapers Ltd, 1 London Bridge Street, London SE1 9GF (020 7782 5000).
Printed by Prinovis UK Ltd, Liverpool. Not to be sold separately

The Sunday Times Style 3

 CHARLOTTE EDWARDES
On... the self-help CULTURAL DIVIDE
H eathrow Terminal 4 and I am
in WHSmith minutes before
take-off, scanning the racks to
find a book in which to immerse
myself in the dead hours ahead. The one I
want is lying, spine cracked, face down, beside
my bed, forgotten in my haste. And so I’m
here, faced mostly by a sea of self-help, because
this is the self-help time of year. But hold on,
what hell is this? Top shelf: The Subtle Art of
Not Giving a F***; Everything Is F*****; I Used to
Be a Miserable F***; The Four Thoughts That F***
You Up; Surrounded by Idiots.
Middle shelf: The Life-Changing Magic of Not
Giving a F***; Calm the F*** Down; F*** No!.
Below, whoever organised this display
reflecting our national mood (a comedian?)
has added the title Everything Isn’t Terrible.
Are you sure? Because now my sense is that we
are engulfed by collective British despair.
Three days later I am in departures at LAX.
It too has a wall of self-help, and it’s instruc-
tive, providing a clear distillation of the stereo-
types of the two cities. Top shelf: The Power
of a Positive Team; The Power of Positive Leader-
ship; This Book Will Change Your Life; The
Gift of Struggle; Everyone Deserves a Great
Manager; Negotiating with Giants; Selling
Boldly: Applying the New Science of Positive
Psychology to Dramatically Increase Your Confi-
dence, Happiness and Sales (a personal favourite
because of the shameless link between well-
ness and capitalism). Conclusion: we’re f *****,
they’re air-punching.
Los Angeles is arguably the home of self-
improvement. At least 10% of my interaction
there was “checking in” — on how I’m feeling,
on how my day has been, on how my green
juice tastes, on whether I am enjoying my stay.
It’s also a world where cheery, white-toothed
smiles are flashed between, one assumes, the
cutting of deals and throats. I’ve never known
a place where I am more conscious of the
tightrope of success over the abyss of failure.
Thinking about it, wasn’t Boris Johnson’s
VICTORIA ADAMSON
election campaign underscored by the asser-
tion that we need to be more like this? Wasn’t
the bold goal of Brexit to turn Britain from
a dependency culture — where we rely on
others to make the decisions — into a culture
of self-help? Didn’t half the country vote to run
itself along the lines of, say, The Gift of Struggle
and The Power of Positive Thinking?
By happy coincidence I find, when I return
home, that I’ve been sent a review copy of How
to Get on with Your Colleagues: Psychological
Strategies for the Workplace from the School of
Life. Aside from Allen Carr’s, I’ve never
applied myself to a self-help book. So this is
not a bad place to start in the new world order.
After all, there might be no “I” in team, but
there certainly is one in columnist.
Flicking through, I am horrified to discover
not one of the outlined office personality
I’VE NEVER
types fit. In fact, among Defensiveness,
KNOWN A Paranoia, Procrastination, Cynicism, People
PLACE WHERE Pleasing, Immaturity — with analysis on the
childhood traumas that may have spawned
I AM MORE
these flaws — I feel as if I am in a hall of mirrors.
CONSCIOUS OF (Also, where is Neediness?) The only category
THE TIGHTROPE I can’t identify with is Over-Optimism.
OF SUCCESS So I enlist Guy, my former deputy, for input.
What kind of a boss was I? A suspicious silence
OVER THE ABYSS follows, before he recalls me returning from
OF FAILURE interviewing a cabinet minister and asking
him: “Does this blouse look too slutty?” I tick
Paranoia in the book. We had plenty of serious
conversations, he adds, about politics and the
Middle East, but they were often rounded
off with a game of Older or Younger?, which
involved us flicking through newspapers and
me pointing at pictures of women and him
saying whether I looked older or younger. (Kate
Moss? “Younger”; Gwyneth? “Younger”. Prin-
cess Charlotte? “Younger”. A foetal ultrasound?
“Younger”.) I tick Immaturity. Also, he wrote
his column in 45 minutes, and mine took all
day. Procrastination: tick, tick, circle.
Anyway, the book is not a waste of time. It
provides me with an excellent tip for procrasti-
nation: always keep a skull on your desk.
Medieval philosophers and theologians did
this to remind them of death. That’s right, the
certainty of approaching oblivion “should
both scare us and liberate us somewhat not to
mind too much if we do hit obstacles in more
ambitious ventures”. Do or die. The epigram
for our times. ▪
@CHEDWARDES
The Sunday Times Style 5
 MRS MILLS
Barometer Answers your questions
By Louisa McGillicuddy ● Prestige TOOTH TRUTH
podcasts My grandmother says that if you brush
Golden era of TV your teeth using hot water, you’ll loosen
● The carbon-neutral carpet spreads to pods. them and eventually they’ll fall out. Is
Vegan dinners, recycled Bridesmaid’s Paul this true?
gowns and Joaquin Phoenix Feig and Get Out’s DS, Lincoln
repeat-wearing his tux all Jordan Peele both Grandmothers say lots of things. Some
seen this awards season. producing their of them are true and some of them are just
Time to offset the private own originals. scaremongering. This is because grandmothers
jet to the Baftas/Oscars/ Listen to Cut and have a weird sense of humour. Your teeth won’t
Brits this month Run featuring fall out if you use hot water when brushing
Meg Ryan now
them, but dentists do say that it can make the
bristles on the brush less effective — to which
I can only say, would anyone really notice
a difference?
● Soupfluencers
First there was HULKING HUSBAND
#thestew, now My husband has given up on diets and
there’s Helen embraced those ghastly jogging bottoms,
Rosner’s #roberto or else he shuns belts, preferring instead
(look it up) to allow his ample stomach to loll over his
● The frat pack ● ’Beg’ trousers, which he now wears low under
New clique of famous fashion As in, don’t be a… his belly. Worse, his tops now stop short of
sons/nephews: Bobby Brazier (son New descriptor his waistband, so there is a vast strip of
of Jade Goody), Christian Combs that’s insulting and fleshy gut on display. How can I show him
(son of Diddy) and James Turlington empowering all in one how dire this looks?
(nephew ofChristy) all spotted on men’s EW, by email
fashion week catwalks HEATING UP Take several photos of him at his most
unprepossessing on your mobile, then print
them out and attach one to the fridge. (You
will need several because his first reaction
COOLING DOWN ● Flickbait
will be to tear it up and bin it, so you’ll need
New Love
Island mode replacements.) This daily reminder of his
of flirtation: declining physical condition should prompt
dramatic him both to smarten himself up and to do
● Tequila something about his burgeoning gut, which
hair flicking.
Its smokier,
They say is a potential danger to his long-term health.
spicier cousin
romance, we You can call it tough love.
mezcal is
say whiplash
much more
SPORTSMAN
civilised in a
margarita. Add My boyfriend has started
● Long-distance
EMOJIPEDIA, GETTY, @LEANDRAMCOHEN, @KATIEAHOWARD, @THECLM, ITV2, ROSNER ROBERTO

Papadiablo watching sport on

ILLUSTRATION: FI GREW. NO CORRESPONDENCE CAN BE ENTERED INTO. ALAMY, @MILLAS.MAT,

romance television late into the

Espadin to Gen Z couples
the drinks night, leaving me to
now having
trolley, stat go to bed alone. I say
‘virtual
he is avoiding me,
sleepovers’
but he says I just don’t
— leaving Skype
on while you understand men. Who
sleep. Whatever is right?
happened to WD, by email
tying up the You both are. You
phone line? could test the strength
of your relationship by
cancelling your TV
● #oneleggedselfie
Crotch-first
Just checking in... subscription to see what
Instagram pose happens, but if you do,
started by ● ‘Just checking in…’ I fear you might as well
Man Repeller hits Drop the pass-agg follow-up and have his bags packed.
peak copycat pivot to new executive power move:
ridiculousness the <no subject> email mrs.mills@sunday-times.co.uk

The Sunday Times Style 7

 WHAT TO WEAR WITH

BLAZERS
Edit and words Henrik Lischke

●UTILITY
Good tailoring never gets old, but what if you paired it with
nylon accessories and rubber boots from the ubiquitous utility
trend? Then the blazer gets a new lease of life.

Oversized blazer, £135, and cap, £45; arket.com. Drawstring

pouch, £270, Prada; mytheresa.com. Wide-leg trousers, £455,
Issey Miyake; selfridges.com. Boots, £112; camper.com
BRANDON MAXWELL

●LEATHER TROUSERS
Call it the Bottega Veneta effect, but leather trousers are now an
LANVIN

It-crowd staple. Flats are fine for daytime, but add heels to take
the look past sundown. Chunky earrings are non-negotiable.

Oversized blazer, £135; arket.com. Earrings, £180, Misho;

matchesfashion.com. Denim shirt, £115; ralphlauren.co.uk.
Leather jeans, £129; zara.com. Tote, £150; cosstores.com.
Sandals, £69; topshop.com

8 The Sunday Times Style

 Style Equation

●CHECK
A statement check blazer can solve all your workwear woes.
Opt for tailored trousers and a plain button-down for a
pared-back look, or go all out with a clashing patterned shirt.

Check blazer, £140; everlane.com. Patchwork shirt,

£385, Bode; matchesfashion.com. Trousers, £95; stories.com.
Scarf bag, £220; nst-studio.com. Sneakers, £75;
stepneyworkersclub.com
BALENCIAGA

NOBI TALAI

●BOYFRIEND
When it comes to borrowing from your boyfriend, it’s all about
his bigger blazer now. Wear with straight-leg jeans or trousers and
an oversized shirt. Layer with a cardigan for extra warmth.

Boyfriend blazer, £127; thefrankieshop.com. Cardigan,

£79; arket.com. Men’s shirt, £65; hugoboss.com. Jeans, £40;
GETTY

weekday.com. Mules, £65; topshop.com

The Sunday Times Style 9

 It’s the app that’s changing
the way we shop, bringing
preloved fashion to the
masses. Now one of the
industry’s rising stars, London
designer Richard Quinn,
is collaborating. Welcome
to the Depop generation
Words Victoria Moss
Portrait Lily Bertrand-Webb

FRESH
PRINTS
IF YOU’RE OVER A CERTAIN AGE, it’s unlikely you’ve
encountered the community-driven marketplace Depop
— it has become a byword for a certain type of gen Z thrift
style, as about 90% of its active users are under 26.
Among that generation its reach is vast: it has 17 million
registered users in more than 147 countries, and in the
UK, its home base, a third of 15- to 24-year-olds are on
the platform. Sellers range from those flogging the odd
piece of bedroom-floor detritus to serious entrepreneurs.
Its top sellers make six figures annually from their hauls
— often up-selling charity shop or car boot finds.
It operates in much the same user-friendly way as Insta-
gram: scroll through square images liking, following and
ultimately buying the items shown. It’s far easier to use
than the sprawling behemoth that is eBay and undoubt-
edly cooler than the chintzy mom merch of Etsy. Perhaps,
for anyone over the age of 35, the issue might be that you
have already owned a lot of the pieces on sale. One of its
biggest categories is “Y2K”. (Not an acronym I’ve consid-
ered since worrying about my AOL account imploding
when the century turned.) Flicking through Depop is a
similar experience to leafing through a long-discarded
@RICHARDQUINN

packet of old photographs. Less red eye, same bootcut

trousers, plastic dummy necklaces, square-toed mules
and Alanis Morrisette-level-ironic cartoon-motif T-shirts.

10 The Sunday Times Style

 Style Trend
Its influence among the upcoming generation of
fashion lovers is immense and plays well to a crowd reso-
lute about embracing a circular fashion economy: buy,
wear, sell, repeat. Depop chimes with that Greta/gen Z Opposite Richard Quinn
mindset and the inclination to put two fingers up to a in his studio. This page
homogeneous, failing high street mired in questionable Beyoncé, Kendall Jenner
practices and sourcing. Although, as Britain is currently and Jennifer Lopez in
Richard Quinn; the Queen
binning an estimated 300,000 tons of clothes a year, the
and Anna Wintour at his
app’s buoyancy is also drawn from the infinite well of fast-
AW18 show
fashion pieces that are bought and quickly bored of.
Depop is making more mainstream moves. Last year it
had a pop-up at Selfridges in London, skewed towards
sustainability and showcasing sellers who rework and
upcycle pieces, alongside those with a distinctive eye for
unique finds. And now it is launching its first designer-
fronted store. Fittingly it will be with Richard Quinn, one
of the rising stars of London fashion, who has strong
sustainability credentials, as well as being searingly hot.
Quinn is the wunderkind Central Saint Martins MA
graduate who, as the recipient of the inaugural Queen
Elizabeth II Award for British Design, can boast that at
his first London fashion week solo show, he had a giggling
Anna Wintour and the actual Queen on his front row —
quite the career christening. It garnered him immediate
status within the industry and (crucially) a burgeoning
customer base, including a lucrative stream of private
clients from the Middle East. His work — characterised
by exuberant, oversized floral prints — is far from mere
hype. From the off, this 30-year-old from Eltham, south-
east London, has had a shrewd business mind. “It’s not a
vanity project,” he says of his label, which has been worn metal water bottles “to encourage not drinking out of
by the likes of Amal Clooney (she visited his studio in a plastic bottles” (2 £55). There is a tempting midi-length
Peckham railway arch for fittings for her Met Gala outfit sequined slip dress (1 £230) and jumper (4 £240) made
— “She came with her mum, she’s very nice”), Kendall from leftover fabric from past seasons. So you are not just
Jenner, Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga and Beyoncé. On getting something at a lower price point, it’s all limited in
graduating, he won an H&M award worth about £40,000 quantity. Quinn makes everything in the UK, mostly in
that allowed him to set up a print studio as well as a design and around London, which is not without its own issues,
space. The print studio was clever — he saw a gap in the but helps to minimise emissions. His print studio, which
market and understood that this could fund his womens- works with other brands including JW Anderson and
wear while the label was still getting off the ground. Burberry (and in the production off-season hosts corpo-
His signature opera coats sell for upwards of £2,000, rate away days and workshops), uses a two-step technique
but his Depop store will feature a new venture into printed with minimal water waste. He only produces to order, so
sweatshirts (£120) and caps (£45), plus small-item he doesn’t get bogged down in unsold stock.
merch such as beanies (£45), umbrellas (3 £220) and His strategy for longevity is to appeal to “many points
within the market” — an informed approach, especially
for a designer only three years into his career. Quinn is
mindful of the countless failed dreams and disastrous,
3 ego-laden business plans, the aborted trajectory of young
design talent that often ends in financial defeat. Last year
he launched a range of print cushions and other lower-
1 priced ephemera on Matchesfashion.com aimed at the
grown-up aspirational luxury customer, and now there is
2 4
the Depop range for “someone from Saint Martins who’ll
like the slip dresses or a phone case that’s cool. Then you
have that 1% who buy the gowns off the runway or some-
thing bespoke,” Quinn says. “You get people saying,
‘You’re making all these showpieces, but no one buys
them.’ But they do. It’s very much a business and there’s
always a reason why we’ve done something.”
Download that Depop app now for a piece of the
fashion future — or, indeed, the past. ▪ @missVmoss

The Richard Quinn/Depop capsule collection launches on

Wednesday at his Depop shop, @richardquinn

The Sunday Times Style 11

 HOT GIRL

WINTER
1

The latest looks on the slopes will

work for a cold snap in the city too
Edit Beatriz de Cossio Words Jane McFarland

3 4

THE DESIGNER FIX

Cult Milanese brand La

Double J is bringing its
maximalist prints to the
pistes: go head to toe for
snow chic, or mix with
LA DOUBLE J

navy and black.

5 7
6

1 Shell jacket, £550;

hellyhansen.com. 2 Goggles,
£435; moncler.com. 3 Ski
suit, £1,040; fusalp.com.
4 Coat, £1,540, 2 Moncler
1952 + Valextra;
moncler.com. 5 Mittens,
£135; thenorthface.co.uk.
6 Boots, £260;
diemme.com. 7 Jumper,
£310; perfectmoment.com

12 The Sunday Times Style

 Style Shopping

THE CONSCIOUS COVER-UP

Canada Goose is 9 10
working with Polar Bears
International, which is
dedicated to conserving
the wild bears and their
habitat. The result is a
collection of parkas,
jackets and accessories in
a signature PBI Blue —
and for each jacket sold,
Canada Goose will
donate $50.

11 12
10 8

14
8 Ski jacket, £430, and
trousers, £380; perfect
moment.com. 9 Headband,
£14; thenorthface.co.uk.
10 Beanie, £9; columbia
sportswear.co.uk. 11 Gilet,
£420; canadagoose.com.
13 12 Boots, £135; sorel
footwear.co.uk. 13 Boots,
£80; moonboot.com.
14 Jacket, £455, Herno;
farfetch.com. 15 Jacket,
£350; pyrenex.com. 16 Waist
pack, £50; patagonia.com

16

THE FOOTWEAR FAVOURITE

Moon Boot has released

an urban range alongside
its iconic snow boots: the
shearling and suede pair
is fit for après-ski.
15

The Sunday Times Style 13


It was the high-profile arrest that sparked
a media storm (and trial by Twitter),
but is the Love Island presenter the victim
of a sexist double standard? With
the new series of the hit show under
way without its famous host, Louis Wise
asks, where does she go from here?
T
he first time Caroline Flack was arrested, she was in her late
teens. The future Love Island presenter was on a girls’ night
out in Cambridge and, having glugged a series of Blue
Lagoons (vodka, curaçao and lemonade), clad in a catsuit
and a pair of Buffalo boots, she climbed on top of a builder’s
van and started tap dancing on the roof. Unfortunately for her, its
owner reported her to the police, who promptly took her to the cells, as
she recalls in her 2015 autobiography, Storm in a C Cup.
A few years down the line, however, and it all looks a bit less lolz for
Flack, now 40. On the morning of December 12 last year, Flack — best
known for presenting the wildly successful Love Island, winning Strictly
Come Dancing back in 2014, and for “friendships” with the likes of
Prince Harry and Harry Styles — gained a whole new notoriety when
police were called to her flat at about 5am. They had been contacted by
her boyfriend, 27-year-old tennis coach Lewis Burton, who alleged
that she was attacking him. Police testimony made in court a few days
later stated that Burton, whose head was covered in blood, told officers
on the scene that Flack, having seen texts from one of his clients (a
60-year-old woman, according to one source), decided that Burton was
cheating and hit him over the head with a lamp while he slept. Burton
— whose relationship with Flack began last summer — soon retracted
the accusations, calling her “f ****** harmless”, as photographs of the
14 The Sunday Times Style
WHAT’S NEXT FOR...
Caro
supposed (very bloody) crime scene were
leaked to the press. Flack was charged with
assault by beating, to which she has pleaded
not guilty. She looks set to stand trial in March.
It’s vital to say that at the time of writing
pretty much everything in these accounts
remains contested — not least the suggestion
that this is the end of Flack’s career. There is no
denying, though, that it has seized the public
imagination and that the unofficial trial by
social media is in full swing. Indeed, within
hours, the “Flack attack” had been turned into
a series of furious comment pieces and relent-
less memes. “The Caroline Flack lighting
collection at Dunelm is so f ****** lush,” joked the
Instagram meme account @HunsNet.
Add to that the grim irony of a host of a
dating show being accused of domestic abuse.
And not just any dating show: since it exploded
in popularity three summers ago, Love Island
has summed up the zeitgeist, with Flack as its
guide and face. However, with a brand-new
winter edition about to air, she pulled out of
presenting it “in order to not detract atten-
tion”. Her statement was also careful to add
that “matters were not as have been reported”.
The Irish TV presenter Laura Whitmore was
parachuted in to take over, and Flack notice-
ably wished her “good luck” on Instagram.
But there is a whole host of other questions,
too. Would we view the case differently if Flack
were a man? Is the reporting of her love life —
turbulent and stocked with characters — part
of the prejudice against her, or a key part of
her appeal?
ITV is hedging its bets: “We are in constant
contact and the door is open,” said the Love
Island showrunner. The broadcaster is already
being heavily monitored since it allowed Ant
McPartlin back on its screens pretty quickly
after he was caught drink-driving in early
2018. Are the (alleged) misdemeanours
REX, ZEJA/BACKGRID, GETTY, @CAROLINEFLACK
comparable? Does gender play a part? One
surprising celebrity Flack champion was, um,
Kerry Katona. “I think it is different for a man
than it is for a woman,” she said. “When we
mess up, we have a hard time with it.”
In a post #MeToo world, few cases have
come up with the woman the apparent perpe-
trator. The only comparable one is, perhaps,
the Italian actress Asia Argento, whose own
accusations against Harvey Weinstein were

line
Flack?
overshadowed by the claim that she had groomed her male teenage
co-star Jimmy Bennett. But Argento, an arthouse movie star long
known for her outrageous behaviour, doesn’t compare with a woman
whose bread-and-butter is Saturday-night family TV. Since the allega-
tions came out, Andrew Brady, Flack’s former fiancé and a contestant
on The Apprentice in 2017, posted a screen grab of an inordinately
long, terrifyingly constrictive NDA agreement — all names blacked
out — with the hashtag #abusehasnogender. Another Instagram post,
a collage of sunsets, koalas and influencer bungee jumps, included
information about where survivors of domestic abuse could get help.
It seemed both feebly cryptic and not at all coincidental. The posts
have since been deleted.
As Storm in a C Cup suggests, it has been a weird ride to get here.
Flack grew up in rural Norfolk, one of four siblings, the daughter of a
Coca-Cola sales rep and a stay-at-home mum. Flack writes in the book
about how her twin sister, Jody, was seen from the off as the sensible
one, prettier, cleverer, more together, while Caroline was “all the
emotions, all the worries... the wild child”. After her GCSEs, Flack
went to dance school, until an agent told her: “I like the way you talk
to camera. I like the way you interact.”
What followed is an odyssey through the annals of early-21st-
century British entertainment. She falls into telly at a boom time,
From top left Flack on Strictly; with Matt
Richardson presenting The Xtra Factor;
with Olly Murs; with former boyfriends
Jack Street and Andrew Brady; on the red
carpet in 2018; arriving at court in 2019
Style Opinion
when a proliferation of satellite and cable
channels meant there were more jobs to be
had. She starts hanging out in Camden, in
notorious celeb spots such as the Lock Tavern
and the Hawley Arms. She goes on a date with
Russell Brand, has a cameo in celebrity satire
Bo’ Selecta! and even makes a brief topless
appearance in a lads’ movie set in Ibiza star-
ring Danny Dyer. Eventually she gets her
“dream” job co-presenting The Xtra Factor with
Olly Murs, before going on to host Love Island
from its first season in 2015. Her loyalty to
the show has been amply rewarded — she
reportedly bagged a £1.2m contract with ITV
last year, plus lucrative endorsement deals
with the likes of River Island and Uber Eats.
Despite all this, it’s her Harrys who have
lodged her in the public mind. The first thing
to say is that she has possibly been indicted for
them in a way that a man in her position
wouldn’t be. Then again, as her own autobiog-
raphy makes clear, it is unavoidably part of
her story. She is forever “in love”, she admits.
The Prince Harry episode was, she says coyly,
just “a friendship”; the Styles thing has been a
lot more marking, mostly for the scurrilous
fact that she dated him when she was 31
and he was 17. Even today, it acts as a bit of a
Rorschach test: when you read that, what do
you see? Was Chris Evans judged in the same
way, for instance, when he got together with
an 18-year-old Billie Piper? Flack spends a
large chunk of her book justifying the relation-
ship (which, to be clear, was legal) and
detailing the paparazzi harassment, the abuse
in the street (“pervert”, “paedo”).
So what’s next for Flack? The inevitable first
signs of redemption are appearing, with “a
source” telling one magazine that she is
subsisting on a diet of yoga, dog walking and
reading self-help books. A PR expert, Hayley
Smith, has said she could rebuild her reputa-
tion: “The best decision she could have made
is to step down, and out of the spotlight, which
will hopefully show her fans she is willing to
address her issues.”
In fact, the comeback is now a signature part
of any self-respecting celebrity arc. Just think
of Mel Gibson, nominated for an Oscar even
after reports of his screeching anti-semitic
abuse at police when arrested for drink-driving.
Just think of McPartlin, of Casey Affleck, of
John Galliano. But none of them is a woman,
and certainly none a woman over 40. Just a
few weeks after that landmark birthday, Flack’s
career has crashed in pieces. Will we forgive
her? Is there a way for her to grow up in the
public imagination? Since the ratings for Love
Island are already much lower than they were
last year, the answers may come quicker than
you think. And the forgiveness we show her
may function, oddly, as a strange barometer of
progress. ▪ @louisquinze
The Sunday Times Style 15
 For the author
and film-maker
Hannah Rothschild,
it is her female
friends who have
seen her through the
changing chapters of
her life. So why, she
asks, are the nuances
of the sisterhoods
we create so often
misunderstood?
Photograph We Are the Rhoads

She was
kith not kin
IN EARLY 2015 I rediscovered a cache of
letters and diaries written 30 years earlier
Our relationship has outlasted every partner, hobby or
job I’ve had; to say I treasure it is an understatement.
while travelling around India with my “Now that we’re post-children, what about returning
friend Sylvie. We had been post-educa- to India?” I suggested during a telephone call, before
WE ARE THE RHOADS/TRUNK ARCHIVE, DAVID TITLOW

tion, pre-employment and looking for adventure: we
found it. Sylvie was the ideal travelling companion —
excellent at making friends, seeing the funny side of
dire situations and remaining calm in the face of adver-
sity. In the intervening years, our lives had diverged;
she got married, moved to the country, trained as
a bus driver and prison visitor. I stayed in London,
married, divorced and became a film-maker and author.
While the logistics had changed, we shared similar
challenges — with children, anxiety, weight and work.
adding: “Maybe not with backpacks.”
There was a long pause on the other end.
“I can’t,” she said.
“Why not?” I was disappointed.
There was another long hesitation. “I’ve got some
bad news.”
Her tone of voice was chilling: I sat down.
“They’ve found a lump in my groin and want to take
it out as soon as possible. It’ll be a couple of weeks
before we hear the prognosis.”

16 The Sunday Times Style


“Prognosis?” I repeated, trying to understand what
she was saying.
“The Big C — curtains and all that.” It was typical of
Sylvie to make light of something so serious. “I thought
it was overeating.” She laughed. “I couldn’t do up any
of my clothes.”
“Did you have symptoms?”
“Perhaps more tired than usual, but then we’re not
as young as we used to be.”
Her (perpetual) stoicism reduced me to tears.
“You mustn’t cry. I need you to be strong for Rob and
the children’s sake,” Sylvie chided. “And I don’t want
anyone to know.”
Replacing the telephone, I spent a long time trying
to manage my feeling of devastation. Sylvie was kith
not kin, we lived in different places, but I didn’t want
to imagine life without her — or indeed any of my
other close girlfriends.
Writing in the 1930s, Vera Brittain lamented: “From
the days of Homer the friendships of men have enjoyed
glory and acclamation, but the friendships of women…
have usually been not merely unsung but mocked,
belittled and falsely interpreted.” Novels, films and
television series about sisters are plentiful; those based
on friends are often frustratingly formulaic. In many,
the friendships are the warm-up act before a man
appears to sweep the plot and heroine in a different
direction. They are women waiting for a man so that
their life can start (Pride and Prejudice, Sex and the
City). They are a bubbling cauldron of cattiness (Big
Little Lies, Mean Girls) or are noticeably absent (much
of Hemingway or Amis). Some of the more interesting
portrayals of girls with girls have even had a sapphic
subplot (Heavenly Creatures, The Favourite).
These depictions are often unrealistic and two-
dimensional. Traditional ties between families and
communities are loosening — many of us are seeking
solace and support from friends rather than relations.
One friend, Erica, is forthright about this. “I am over
blood! I have far more in common and far greater
empathy with my girlfriends than my family. I wouldn’t
bother to see my relations if it weren’t for a sense
of duty.” She intends to leave her worldly possessions
to those who have been kind and supportive, irrespec-
tive of any blood ties. Belle, happily married for 30
years, admits that she enjoys “far more passion and
controversy” with women than with her husband:
“They know my intimate secrets and my dreams.”
Sian, another member of our group, goes further:
“I rely totally on the strength gained from women:
I noticed Carey’s hat before
her – a velvet mobcap
crowned with feathers.
‘I need a drink,’ she said
by way of an introduction.
‘Coming?’ It was 10am
Style Essay
only they can understand the nuances and challenges
we face.”
It took time to find my A-team. At school I made few
friends. I wanted to be Becca, wafting across the central
hall in a ballgown with her hair tied up in a shooting
sock. Or Perdita, the lead in every play, who was met at
the school gates by a much older boyfriend in his sports
car. I had my first introduction to mean girls: the class
bully magnified others’ shortcomings to bolster her
own ego. Occasionally we run into each other and,
although her life hasn’t evolved happily, to this day the
mere sight of her makes me uncomfortable.
My first three proper friends were made at univer-
sity. Fran and I dated two men who shared a house;
she taught me how to cook bolognese and wolf whistle.
I noticed Carey’s hat before her — a velvet mobcap
crowned with feathers. “I need a drink,” she said by
way of an introduction. “Coming?” It was 10am.
Marcy and I loved Van Morrison and Bob Dylan, and
would travel great distances to see them in concert.
These were some of the inexplicable sparks igniting
the fires of long-lasting friendship.
Now in my fifties, my friendship group has expanded
and contracted in sync with my interests and experi-
ences. With the waning of hormones, there has been a
waxing of friendship — I don’t want to party, but I still
want to have fun, and this often includes hanging out
with the girls. A map of my friendships would look like
a Venn diagram of connecting circles: best friends, old
friends, good friends, BFF’s university mates, neigh-
bours and workplace confidantes. There is still space
for “fromances”, the thrill of meeting someone new.
Of course, good friendships are not uncomplicated;
experiences of female betrayal are, I suspect, common
to many of us. Nine years after discovering that her
husband and best friend were having an affair, Alison
is struggling to trust anyone. Divorced and living
alone, she has forgiven the father of her children,
but not her former confidante. “Her betrayal, not his,
seems worse,” she tells me. “Perhaps we expect more
from the same sex.” One of my most painful life expe-
riences was being “ghosted” by a close and cherished
friend: to this day I have no idea what happened.
Ten days after Sylvie’s biopsy, the results came
through. The oncologist was serious and thoughtful.
He chose his words carefully. “The good news is that
the tumour is benign.”
“What’s the bad news?” Sylvie asked, reaching for
her husband’s hand.
“You’ll have a scar on your stomach,” he said. “We
tried to make it as small as possible.”
Sylvie’s husband and I sobbed with relief.
“I should have asked for a tummy tuck at the same
time,” she smiled.
No one else laughed.
“What would you have said if the result had been
different?” I asked her later.
“I have no idea,” she said. “That’s why you and I get
on — you make plans, I make jokes.” ▪
House of Trelawney by Hannah Rothschild is published
on Thursday (Bloomsbury £16.99)
The Sunday Times Style 17
 He shot to fame with So Solid
Crew – now Ashley Walters
is one of Britain’s most
in-demand actors, thanks to
Top Boy and the patronage
of Drake. Louis Wise meets
a man on a mission
Photograph Mitch Jenkins

ASHLEY WALTERS HAS SPENT MUCH of his

career — indeed, his life — upending precon-
ceptions about him. But there are a few things
that stick: husky tones, solid physique, occa-
sional twinkle in the eye, the general air of a
lone wolf you tell yourself could be tamed. It’s
what makes the actor-rapper such a hit in
shows such as Netflix’s Top Boy or Sky’s Bullet-
proof. No wonder he is already on his 10th
wedding ring — although it’s not what you
think. He has been married to his wife, Danielle,
since 2013, but he takes the band off for
filming, he explains when we meet, and always
loses it. “Obviously,” he chuckles with typical
gravelly understatement, “a lot of the charac-
ters I play aren’t married.”
Walters, 37, long ago lost the “bad-boy rapper”
label he had in the early 2000s, when he had a
short stint in the chart-topping So Solid Crew,
and then an even shorter stint in prison. He
then broke convention and evolved into an
interesting and legitimately respected actor, a
permanent presence on British TV. In fact, he
now has a near-saintly CV: he co-founded the
London-based drama school Kingdom, with
another due to open in Birmingham later this
year, mentors a whole load of youngsters in his
spare time and is an attentive father to eight —
yes, eight — kids of his own. Despite all this
virtue, he (phew) retains an air of aloof glamour.
Now, I ask, do you consider yourself a sex
symbol? “No, no,” he says, embarrassed. “I
mean, I try to empower myself.” Mmm, yes —
don’t we all. Let’s try it another way. Are you
cool? “You’ll have to ask my kids that,” he says
drily. “Judging by how they act, I don’t think so.
I think I’m a cool bank.”
When we meet at a central London hotel,
Walters has the same calm charisma he exudes
on screen: hair cut extra-sharp, biceps bulging
out of a black T-shirt, sporting various rings
and chains. He admits that, recently, things
have really changed. Top Boy’s first two series
aired on Channel 4 in 2011 and 2013, a gritty
drama about a group of young drug dealers and
those around them on a Hackney council
estate. It returned on Netflix last September,
after a six-year hiatus, thanks to the efforts of

18 The Sunday Times Style

 Style Interview
superstar superfan Drake, who shared his love for the show on
Instagram and messaged Walters privately to say so.
It was “surreal, just surreal”, he says, adding that Drake is
“just A1, a brilliant individual”. The Canadian rapper came ‘She looked at me and she
on board as an executive producer, reviving the show for its
2019 series, which helped Walters reach a whole new global
was, like, “Who do you think
audience. His riveting turn as Dushane, the conflicted kid you are? You think you’re
from the estates, seized the popular imagination. “Up until
last year, I was able to walk down the street, and people were, some kind of sex symbol?”’
like, ‘Ashley, Ashley!’ But now I’m Dushane,” he sighs.
You also wonder whether people don’t still occasionally
shout “Asher D”, his stage name with So Solid, the mega-
successful garage crew who summed up a whole movement
and mood with their hit 21 Seconds, back in 2001. Walters, an
only child, was brought up in pre-gentrification Peckham by
his mother (his father was not around), who made sure he
wanted for nothing. She sent him to a “good” school in
Pimlico, and then to the prestigious Sylvia Young performing
arts school. At 14, he was already appearing in Grange Hill.
He joined So Solid Crew at 17. “I’m not one of those kids
that can sit there and go, ‘I had to sell drugs to make money,’”
he says. “My mum made sure I had the latest Nikes, the latest
everything. But she taught me that I had to work hard for
anything I wanted.” That Pimlico school was actually quite
diverse, he smiles. “I had a reunion last night with some
friends from school and ... they were really posh!” he says,
amused but not at all embarrassed.
Those memories seem to be a lot happier than those of So
Solid. The reasons aren’t hard to find: he hurtled into fame
and then it all came crashing down in 2002, when, at the Clockwise from top left Walters with co-star Kano in
peak of their success, he was convicted of gun possession and Top Boy; with his wife, Danielle; with Noel Clarke in
jailed for 18 months. (He says he had the gun to protect Bulletproof; with Drake at the Top Boy premiere last year
himself from various threats.) “A lot of my memories of So
Solid were quite negative ones,” he says, “but I am really
thankful for the opportunity I had, and I made some lifelong the comedy series Chewing Gum — and they had
friends.” Walters still makes music, and the Crew are plan- known each other for years before reconnecting
ning some festival dates this summer. “We’ve got a place in when they were both single again. Walters,
UK music history, and I feel really proud of that.” rather cheekily, got her to come over to his house
After prison, he redirected his energy back into acting and to audition for a project that, unbeknown to her,
over the following few years landed roles in MTV’s Top Buzzer he had already filmed. “I made her a bacon
and the BBC’s Hustle, Five Days and Small Island. His latest sandwich and the rest is history,” he smiles.
show, Bulletproof, a much larkier buddy-cop crime caper Danielle, he says, is always willing to have a
co-starring his mate Noel Clarke — the actor and writer best laugh, to take him down a peg or two. For
known for the cult movie Kidulthood — started airing in 2018. instance, he says that has he booked himself a
Walters and Clarke created the series (along with producer photoshoot to celebrate his currently pretty
Nick Love) and will be filming a three-part special in South hench physique. I had thought Walters had
Africa after we meet. always looked good, but it turns out that, a few
Walters has three children with an earlier long-term partner years back, he didn’t like his body. He duly got
(his eldest boy is 20), two daughters from another relation- to training, quite seriously: he says he does it
ship and two more children with his wife, Danielle, plus a every morning from 5am to 6am, and feels it if
stepson from her. The last three live with them in London. he misses a session.
How is that? “People are always quite astonished,” he shrugs, His wife was only averagely impressed by the
“but actually it just gets done. It doesn’t feel that hard to me at idea. “She looked at me and she was, like, ‘Who
all.” It’s clear he takes fatherhood seriously. His own dad, he do you think you are? You think you’re some
says, was rarely in the picture. He is emphatic that you can kind of sex symbol?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, actu-
buy children all the stuff you want — and he does, he groans ally. Yeah!’”
— “but what they actually value is the conversations that you He cackles as he says it, as though he knows
have with them, and how interested you are in what they do. he shouldn’t. Mind you, it’s surely one label he
So, any up-and-coming dads, don’t spend your money, just can happily live with. ▪
GETTY, ALAMY

talk to your children.”

He readily credits Danielle with helping him stay on the Series 2 of Bulletproof starts on Sky 1 and Now TV
straight and narrow. She is an actress herself — she starred in on March 20

The Sunday Times Style 19

 ALL THE

RIGHT
MOVES
FITTER, STRONGER,
HEALTHIER – EXERCISE FEELS
GOOD AND YOUR WORKOUT
GEAR SHOULD TOO. LOOK
THE PART WITH STYLISH
BASICS IN LUXE FABRICS
Photographs David Ferrua
Styling Verity Parker

20 The Sunday Times Style

THIS PAGE BODYSUIT,
£85, PRISM SQUARED.
EMBROIDERED SLIDES,
£380, LOUIS VUITTON
OPPOSITE THIN STRAP
BRA, £135, AND THICK
STRAP BRA, £135, WONE.
CASHMERE HOODED
CARDIGAN, £2,470,
AND MATCHING
TROUSERS, £1,960,
BRUNELLO CUCINELLI

The Sunday Times Style 21

22 The Sunday Times Style
ABOVE VEST TOP, £65,
PRISM SQUARED. JUMPER,
£495, ROKSANDA
LEFT CASHMERE
CREWNECK JUMPER,
£195, EXTREME
CASHMERE. SHORTS,
£54, FRANKIE SHOP

The Sunday Times Style 23

 THIS PAGE CASHMERE
HOODIE, £555,
EXTREME CASHMERE.
BIKINI BOTTOMS,
£75, CASA RAKI
OPPOSITE KNIT RACER-
BACK TOP, £850, AND
MATCHING SHORTS,
£1,150, HERMES

24 The Sunday Times Style

The Sunday Times Style 25
26 The Sunday Times Style
THIS PAGE BRA TOP, £73,
CASHMERE WRAP TOP,
£143, AND LEGGINGS,
£143, LIVE THE PROCESS
OPPOSITE VEST TOP,
£65, PRISM SQUARED

The Sunday Times Style 27

 Words Ava Welsing-Kitcher
L
una Bijl is a motocross fanatic. The 21-year-old
model grew up in a small village outside
Rotterdam, with the great outdoors and a little boat
on a lake for entertainment. Her father, who owns
an insulation company, has been a motocross
(off-road motorcycle racing) rider since childhood,
and took his children along to tournaments. Aged
eight, Luna decided to ditch horse riding and take up
hobby quad (four wheels instead of two) competitions,
almost always the only girl. “It shaped me a lot,” she says
over the phone from Holland. “It’s a solo sport. If you mess
up, you have nobody else to blame, so I got used to full
responsibility from an early age.” Although she no longer
races, quad and motocross still play a part in her life; she
met her boyfriend, a Dutch former model-turned-
motocross racer, through the sport, and the pair have been
together since, embarking on trips to hilly Portugal with
her dad for some road-riding.
After friends urged her to try modelling, Bijl — known
for her piercing blue eyes, trademark pout and sharp
cheekbones — signed to a London agency during her final
year of school, lived in a cramped hostel-like apartment
and suffered endless rejections — the newbie model rite of
passage. Despite being told she had “too much boob”, she
landed an Emporio Armani campaign in 2015 at the age
of 17. After that, she became the brand’s go-to girl, from
campaigns to Cruise collections, before gracing the cover
of Vogue Paris in August 2016, then again in October —
28 The Sunday Times Style
the first model to appear on the cover twice in the same
year. “Achieving that at 18 was monumental. It opened so
many doors. I haven’t stopped working since,” she says.
Now, Bijl has walked in all the fashion capitals for the
likes of Chanel, Isabel Marant and Stella McCartney and
fronted ad campaigns for brands including Chloé and
Fendi, but for her, the house in her native village that she
shares with her father is home. “I was trying to build a life
over in New York, when I had the ideal one right here,” she
says. “Yes, the people are amazing in New York and there
are endless food options — it’s an incredible city — but I’m
happy to be surrounded by friends, family, boyfriend and
the dog. I have my gym, a spa and a facial lady who lives
two minutes from me. Everything I need is right here
— except an airport!”
BIJL ON SPAS, FITNESS AND WELLBEING
YOU HAVE TWO HOURS TO YOURSELF, COMPLETELY ALONE.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
No surprise here: I’m going to either work out or lie in bed
and watch vlogs or sports documentaries. If I’ve come back
from a shoot, I’ll dedicate myself to cleaning out my closet
— if it’s a mess, I can’t focus on anything else.
WHAT IS YOUR GO-TO SPA TREATMENT?
My designated spa is the one at my local gym — honestly.
I go with my mum, otherwise I can’t switch off my brain.
We sit in the sauna and relax, and I can fully let go with
her there. Sports massages are a must — no soft stroking!
And every so often I visit the woman in my village who
does facials — she’s amazing.
WHAT SELF-CARE PRACTICE COULD YOU NEVER SACRIFICE?
Working out. It’s so important to me mentally. My work
schedule means I have no rhythm or routine at all, so
exercise anchors me and ensures I’m taking care of myself.
I used to suffer from insomnia — not even sleeping pills
would work — but having personal trainers and working
out daily makes me sleep perfectly. I’ve just been talking to
my dad about opening a fitness studio one day or starting
my own brand — after all of this, of course.
ARE YOU CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT YOU PUT INTO YOUR BODY?
Yes and no. I don’t smoke or drink, and I’ll eat healthily in
the lead-up to fashion month, but I do love cheeseburgers
and fries, and Mexican food. I have the biggest appetite
I’ve ever seen — I eat more than my dad and boyfriend.
I have just discovered avocado toast (I know!) and acai
bowls. I don’t like any sweets either, which helps.
WHAT DOES YOUR BEAUTY ROUTINE LOOK LIKE?
Moisturiser every night, a good clean if I’ve worn make-up,
and I’ve recently been doing random masks here and
there. I like playing around with make-up; I’ll create a
smoky eye for a night out, but I’m not a red lipstick girl.
WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR 2020?
Well, I recently reread an interview I did two years ago, and
my goals were to shoot with the late Peter Lindbergh and
do a fragrance campaign. I’ve been fortunate enough to
achieve both, so now I’m focused on working towards a
beauty campaign. I’m going to keep striving. ▪ @mxlunaa
THIS PAGE BIKINI TOP,
£75, CASA RAKI. BATH
TOWEL, £47, TEKLA
OPPOSITE CORSET
BODYSUIT, £75,
ERNEST LEOTY

HAIR ALEXANDRY
COSTA AT ARTLIST PARIS
MAKE-UP LUCY BURT
AT LGA MANAGEMENT
USING SUSANNE
KAUFMANN AND SURRATT
NAILS SAFFRON
GODDARD AT SAINT LUKE
ARTISTS USING SISLEY
MODEL LUNA BIJL
AT PREMIER MODEL
MANAGEMENT

The Sunday Times Style 29

 THE LUXURY
SPA GUIDE

Make family time in the Maldives, enjoy couples’ treatments

in Como, find peace in the South African wilderness or
have a spa day at home – welcome to the Style team’s pick
of the best places to relax, reconnect and recharge
R Y S PA
XU GU
LU I
E

D
TH

E
- -- -- - -- -- -

-- - -
- - -- -- -- -- -
STANLEY TUCCI escapes with the

-- --
family to do nothing. All the time M
AL

-- -

- --
S
DIVE

--

--
-- --
- --
- --
JOALI IS THE SORT OF PLACE that your - -- - -- -- -- -
-- - -
stressed imagination might conjure up
when you think about paradise. A resort
on Muravandhoo, a tiny Indian Ocean
haven in the remote Raa Atoll, Joali sits
peacefully surrounded by uninhabited
islands. To get there, you’ll need to go by
seaplane from Malé, about 45 minutes
away. The only aspect of Joali that isn’t
relaxing is getting there. The 11-hour flight from
London to the Maldives with my wife, the literary
agent Felicity Blunt, and family — my two eldest
children and our younger son, Matteo, 5, while
our baby stayed at home with a carer — left us all
desperate to arrive, but as the seaplane descended
over the topaz water, we were so affected by the
utter beauty and serenity of the place that the
long-haul weariness seemed to filter away.
I was exhausted from a heavy work schedule.
After spending the late autumn and early winter
filming Supernova with Colin Firth in the Lake
District, I went straight into another project, and
I have been travelling for work a lot over the past
year. Even though I was very much looking
forward to a break with my family and two
friends, I struggled a little with the idea of justi-
fying a vacation like this. Seven nights in an
exquisite beach residence with a private pool on a
Maldivian island? It might just be my Italian
Catholic heritage — I grew up believing that
doing nothing wasn’t an option — but I had
to battle the guilt a bit. Especially as Joali is

30 The Sunday Times Style


designed, quite literally, to indulge you, to put you
at ease and remove the pressure to do anything
unless you want to.
The resort is so beautifully and sensitively
constructed that it complements the natural land-
scape rather than dominating it. The Espa spa is
pushed out over the ocean, so that you almost feel
you’re floating, cradled by the water. You can have
massages every day if you choose to, and some of us
did. I feel less guilty about massages than I did
when I was younger, when they felt like an unneces-
sary extravagance — I exercise a lot and it’s really
helpful when you’re tired and your body is stressed.
The older I get, the more I can forgive myself some
pampering, and, at 59, a massage feels more like
resetting your body than it used to.
To keep things from becoming one endless
party, we made sure we got to the gym every
morning (before starting on the rosé at one in the
afternoon), but fun seems to find you at Joali. You
can do as much or as little as you like, though there
are countless activities on offer: everything from a
turtle quest snorkelling expedition to a private
cooking demo with world-class chefs.
Matteo found himself a best friend — another
London kid, because the world really is that small
— almost instantly. They were inseparable for the
week, walking together hand in hand down the
beach, so the little boy’s family sort of merged
with ours. We watched him while his parents had
dinner, and our son would hang out with them
some of the time. It is a wonderful environment for
children, and whether they were hunting for
shells or fishing as the sun set, everything was
oriented around the water and the natural beauty
of the island.
Style Spa Special
While you’ll leave the spa feeling
that every knot has melted away,
what really excited me about Joali
was the food. There are four
restaurants on site, and wherever
I go I tend to insinuate myself into
the kitchen — it’s where I feel
happiest. I’ve had a passionate love
for Italian food all my life and
written two cookbooks. People of
Italian heritage associate food with
family and love, and a lifelong
interest in the diversity and freshness of the country’s food will allow
you to recognise the real thing when you taste it, and Joali’s Italian
restaurant didn’t disappoint. A highlight was visiting Her Kitchen,
where Joali sets you up with a chef to have a personalised lesson or
demo. There I watched the executive sous chef Taylor Shearman make
tagliatelle with squid ink sepia. Then he showed me how he makes his
fresh tomato sauce — it was one of the most beautiful, simple dishes
I’ve ever tasted. A tour through the kitchen garden finished the experi-
ence, and I couldn’t have been happier, with the fragrance of three
kinds of basil and countless other herbs blending with squash, lettuce
and the hushed motion of the water beyond. The Japanese restaurant
was another highlight. Suspended over the water, it has the freshest
fish you can imagine. It’s exquisite.
Another fantastic aspect of Joali is the desert-island experience. One
day, all seven of us — kids and adults — were taken to a neighbouring
deserted island and left to relax and explore for the day before being
picked up at six o’clock that evening. Before you leave, the resort packs
you a sumptuous picnic, and you eat it on deck chairs on a completely
empty beach. My friend and publicist, who came with us, and who had
been feeling a bit overworked and tired, cried that day. When I asked
why, she said it was because she was overwhelmed. It was so beautiful,
so peaceful. You could live your whole life and never experience
anything like it. We spent that day exploring with the kids and enjoying
the uninterrupted peace; it felt as though we were the only people in
the world.
The next day the weather turned and the itinerary went out the
window, but the joy of Joali is that it wasn’t really a disappointment. If
anything, it was an even better excuse to relax. Imagine that beautiful
feeling you have when you’re snug at home with the rain beating
against the window, only in a tropical paradise with possibly the best
food you’ve ever eaten and staff so warm and well trained that they are
always there to help but never overly attentive. This was a holiday
unlike any other I have ever experienced, and I went home feeling
genuinely refreshed. It’s not a matter of whether we’ll go back, but
when. As told to Laura Kennedy
Stanley Tucci was a guest of Joali Maldives. Double rooms from £1,520
a night, B&B, based on two people sharing; joali.com
THREE MORE TO LOVE
From left Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort, North Malé Atoll
(marriott.co.uk); Emerald Maldives Resort & Spa, Raa Atoll
(emerald-maldives.com); Kudadoo, Lhaviyani Atoll (mrandmrssmith.com)
The Sunday Times Style 31

R Y S PA
XU GU
LU I
E
D
H
E
-T
-- - -
- -- - -- --
- - -- -- -- -- -
- -- - -
AU
---
STRIA
- --
-
--
--
-- --
- --
- -- -- - -
- -- - -- -- -- -
CLAUDIA WINKLEMAN learns
how to chew. It works wonders
I’M 48 AND CREAKY. I like a buttered roll
and an early night. I can bore you rigid
about bridge conventions and my perfect
duvet tog. I can make your ears fall off
when I explain which magnesium seems
to work best in regards to sleep. I know.
I want to move to Eastbourne and get
a lazy puppy, I’ve started considering
wearing thermals under my clothes, and
I’d like to have a long, in-depth conversation about
knees and why they click 430 times a day. I should
say I love doctors now more than ever. If you are a
nurse or a surgeon or a doctor and I’m seated next
to you at a dinner, you should move round the
placement cards, you should say you’re on call and
leave, you should pretend you’ve dislocated your
shoulder. I will ask you questions until you rip up
your medical licence. You’ve been warned.
So, did I want to go somewhere where the views
knock you off your feet, somewhere where the
focus is just on you? Well, weird but sure. The
Vivamayr Clinic promises that, with them, my
health would be in good hands: they would
analyse my diet, restructuring it with personalised
meal plans, and administer many a complicated-
sounding medical treatment (homotoxicology,
anyone?). I loved the idea of feeling super-healthy,
but obviously I couldn’t go alone (seriously, swim-
ming in Lake Me would be too dull without a
bystander; I can barely get through a pedicure and
I’ve had one facial in my life), so I took my 13-year-
old daughter. Atop of all the healthiness, I was
excited at the thought of spending an entire six
days with my daughter, just us. I explained to the
Vivamayr people that she should eat pizza, choco-
late and as much schnitzel as possible, and
thought it would be a serious problem. “But of
course,” they said, “you two will have fun.”
32 The Sunday Times Style
That was it, we were off. We were told that we would be swimming an
awful lot and to bring comfortable clothes and possibly walking boots.
I knew almost nothing about the place. Someone said, “Ah, you’re going
to the poo hotel”, but I didn’t give it a second thought. We cuddled the
boys and went to the airport (via Five Guys for a burger, you understand
— it’s important to bulk up before any health spa visit, I think you’ll
agree). We flew into Salzburg and a lovely human met us with cold
towels and some water. I explained slowly that I didn’t believe in
water and only drank diet drinks and decaf coffee with about 18 sugars.
He giggled and shook his head. Interesting, I thought to myself, as we
whizzed past vending machines that sold exactly the kind of stuff I like
to buy for a car journey.
Arriving in Altaussee is like being dropped off on a film set, it’s like
you’re in a dream landscape that just might be the cover of a chocolate
box. We were greeted by about the friendliest people on earth and were
shown our room. “Today is fun and for settling in, please go swimming
and enjoy the lake. The treatment starts tomorrow,” they said. We threw
on our robes and flopped about in the majestic saltwater pool, we chatted
and giggled in one of the many extraordinary saunas, then headed to
our room for a game of cards and some snacks.
What do we all love about hotels? Big towels, a comfy bed and a
minibar. There’s nothing that says holiday like a miniature Toblerone.
Am I right? I can feel you nodding. No minibar, no sachet of peanuts, no
tiny Mars bar. Just a jug of water. Ah, maybe they forgot, I ventured. We
popped back to the lobby and asked quite innocently where the Pringles
could be found. I have to hand it to the receptionist, she hid her shock
and laughter extremely well and instead said there was tea. Oh well, a
nice mug of English breakfast with milk and sugar would keep us going
for a bit, I agreed. The tea selection makes the Harrods infusions depart-
ment look like it hasn’t restocked in a while. Tea for liver health, tea for
sleep, tea for the heart, tea for an unsettled mind, tea for a settled mind,
tea for mornings, tea for mid-mornings… The list went on. We drank a
TAN FRANCE gets naked and loses track of time
LET ME SET THE SCENE FOR YOU. Lake Como — do
you know it? Located in the Italian Alps, it’s all
snow-capped mountains, green hills and crystal
waters. One of the most charming things about the
lake is that it’s surrounded by some stunning villages
and luxurious hotels. My gruelling work schedule
means that my husband, Rob, and I spend a lot of
time apart (I spent only 32 days in my own home
last year), so having the chance to switch off, discon-
nect and recharge was just what my soul, and my body, needed.
The T Spa Suite at the Grand Hotel Tremezzo is more than just a spa.
It’s a private spa in a cottage, separate from the hotel’s regular spa facili-
ties. Yes, it’s your own spa, just for you. Rob and I were booked in for a
couple’s treatment. After a morning of relaxing in our room, taking in
the view, sipping coffee and eating pastries, we wandered lazily out of
the hotel and up to the cottage, wearing plush robes and slippers. Obvi-
ously, I seized this style opportunity, cinching the belt high and pushing
R Y S PA
XU GU
LU I
E
D
TH
E
- -- -- - -- -- -
-- - -
- - -- -- -- -- -
-- --
-- -
- --
I TA LY
--
--
-- --
- -- -- - -
- --
- -- - -- -- -- -

particularly good brew and it was time for supper.
We could have everything and anything on the
menu, and it was delicious. We ate the most
wonderful fish with unbelievable potatoes. We
had soups, we had rice crackers and bread and
every vegetable under the sun. “Baby, this is not a
spa, this is glorious,” I said, and we slept like small
bears all snuggled up.
The next day I met Dr Dieter Resch, who is
charming and clever and explained that, basically,
what we’ve all got wrong is the way we chew our
food. I put his mind at ease and said, “Don’t worry,
I don’t chew at all — I inhale whatever is put in
front of me,” and expected to get my first gold star
up those sleeves for the most flattering shape.
Though modest on the outside, the spa suite is
modern and luxurious on the inside, all warm
wood, low lighting, subtle music — everything
you’d expect from a top-notch spa. There is a
cascade shower, a whirlpool tub, a massage bed,
tea and sweets, a sauna and steam bath… and,
like I said, it’s all yours. It really is the ultimate
experience of private pampering.
After a piping hot shower, we were escorted to
the treatment room. The process began with a
full-body salt scrub, followed by a facial and then
hand, foot and body massage. I’ve had my fair
share of massages, but this was on another level.
Usually the best thing about a massage is that it
makes me so relaxed, I fall asleep. This time,
although I didn’t fall asleep, I may have actually
ceased to exist for a moment. I think I saw stars. At
one point I’m pretty sure I observed the full loop of
space and time in its entirety. We had deep-tissue
massages using Santa Maria Novella products
(from £130), lying side by side — exactly what our
sore muscles needed after a workout earlier in the
day. By the sounds of Rob’s moans, his masseuse
was as great as mine. We both felt as light as air.
After what I can only assume was about an hour
and a half (as I said, I left our current timeline for
a while), our hosts whispered that they were
finished and we had the cottage to ourselves.
Style Spa Special
of the week. This, I could tell, was not the right answer. Over the following
five days, they taught me (please don’t laugh) to chew. The bread at
breakfast was like a rock, like an actual boulder. We’ve all had to deal
with stale bread when we’re rushed and haven’t been to the shops, but it
can be saved with a toaster and peanut butter. No. This was bread that
you had to chew slowly. The first day I fought and fought and swallowed
down enormous gulps, but by the end I couldn’t finish a whole piece. In
between the healthy eating (they kept their promise and my daughter
could eat whatever she wanted, at any time), I had massages and we
walked round Lake Altaussee. I like a walk and I like a lake, but this was
something else. Even the photos don’t do it justice. You’ll think, “Ah,
pleasant”, but you need to see it to believe it.
Every day I had an abdominal massage (sounds horrific but was
strangely soothing), and I tried drip infusions (I napped) and the most
extraordinary underwater massage. There is the issue of cleansing your
system. They’ll offer salts, and apparently you can lose half a stone, but
have to sit on the loo the whole time. I had a lake and my daughter and
potatoes to eat! So I passed on the salts, but felt unbelievably healthy all
the same. The spa has now opened the most majestic family apart-
ments, featuring vast balconies, bonkers views, ridiculously comfy
sink-in sofas and a huge kitchen. So I say a huge yes to the Vivamayr.
I left feeling freakishly calm — a bit like the lake we walked round every
day — and well rested and more knowledgeable about eating slower.
And my daughter? She loved the countryside, the extraordinary pool,
the potatoes and all the chocolate we sneaked into our room. It’s an
amazing place — special, clever, delicious, with the best treatments on
the planet. But go with family or friends, say no thanks to the salts, and
make friends with the fish in the lake. It’s heaven.
Claudia Winkleman was a guest of Vivamayr Altaussee. Doubles from
£305 a night, all-inclusive, based on two people sharing and excluding
medical treatments; vivamayr.com
So we spent the next hour walking around the place fully nude, eating
chocolate and biscotti, before lying like starfish on a bed, then napping
for 10 minutes and doing it all over again. The only way this other-
worldly experience could be replicated is if you were married to a
masseuse who was also a pastry chef and chocolatier, who owned a
stately villa in the Italian Alps, liked to give you long massages and
didn’t mind if you wandered around the house without any clothes on.
That’s the only way.
The whole day was exactly what we’d hoped for. It just got better
with each hour, and was so calm compared with my hectic everyday
life. I love my job, but I wasn’t ready to give up the splendour of this
special place. We left knowing we will return very, very soon.
Tan France was a guest of Grand Hotel Tremezzo. Doubles from £435
a night, B&B; the hotel reopens on March 13; grandhoteltremezzo.com
THREE MORE TO LOVE
From left Borgo Santo Pietro, Palazzetto, Tuscany
(borgosantopietro.com); Masseria Torre Maizza, Fasano, Puglia
(roccofortehotels.com); Capri Palace, Capri (capripalace.com)
The Sunday Times Style 33
 Over the decades, Golden Door has gone from
hosting talent shows and strict diet-and-exercise
regimens to predawn hikes and an indulgent
(barring sugar, alcohol, butter or salt) menu.
When we received our itinerary, we knew we were
in for a pleasure-packed experience. My mum
runs a children’s mental health charity and I’ve
been busy acting and writing, so we welcomed
the chance to get away from it all. If you’d told us
we would ever do a tap class together on a rainy
Tuesday afternoon, we definitely wouldn’t have
believed you. But there we were! During our three
R Y S PA days, we did almost every form of physical and
XU GU
LU I
mental exercise known to woman: dance, yoga,
E
hiking, aquarobics, archery, fencing, meditation.

D
TH

E
Each class was more exhilarating than the last.
- -- -- - -- -- -

-- - -
Neither of us is a big hiker, but we were on one of

- - -- -- -- -- -
the trails within an hour of arrival.
We enjoyed every second, from the 6am coffee
-- --

and gluten-free muffins (we pocketed them for a

-- -

- --
USA bedtime snack) to our delicious dinner at which it
--

--
--
BEANIE FELDSTEIN takes her
-- - --
- --
- -- - -- -- -- -
-- - -
is customary for guests to wear matching robes.
mum dancing on the West Coast Each night one of us (Sharon!) could be caught
jokingly saying “I love your outfit!” to our fellow
FROM THE MOMENT MY MUM, SHARON, AND I entered the diners. In fact we fell in love with the other guests,
Japanese inn-themed Golden Door, we knew this was going to whom we called our Golden Girls. The camara-
be a special experience. Before wellness became such a thing, derie created is the spa’s truest magic. Our week
there was Golden Door. More than 60 years old, the health was all female (they do all-male and co-ed weeks
retreat in San Marcos, California, earned its stripes as the too), but, surprisingly, we were the only mother/
ultimate destination for mindfulness, with an approach that daughter duo. There were several groups of sisters,
might have seemed a little woo-woo when it first opened, but best friends and women flying solo and making
not any more. It remains the go-to for Hollywood-dwellers friends along the way. The best friend we made
seeking inner balance and connection with others, hosting the was a 77-year-old woman who had been to the spa
likes of Elizabeth Taylor and Judy Garland and, more recently, Oprah more than 20 times. We did archery and hip-hop
Winfrey and Julia Roberts. And now us! dance and ate every meal together.
There are 600 acres of land, with more than 30 miles of hiking trails, It is a remarkable time for anyone looking to
gorgeous Japanese gardens, an olive grove and organic farm and green- try new things, meet new people and feel utterly
house. We were greeted at — you guessed it — a magnificent golden door renewed when they return home. We can’t wait to
and then crossed a long wooden bridge. It’s tradition to think about your go back with the rest of the ladies in our family.
intentions for your stay as you cross, and when you arrive at the other
side, you are within the experience you have set for yourself. This Beanie Feldstein was a guest of Golden Door.
perfectly symbolises the Golden Door: a place looking to give you the An all-inclusive seven-night stay starts at
exact meaning and transformation you seek. £7,500pp, plus taxes; goldendoor.com

LAURA ATKINSON goes in search of the garden is the centrepiece, designed by co-owner
perfect pregnancy massage Karen Roos, a former magazine editor — it is such
a looker that it’s even open to the public (again,
SPAS ARE MY HAPPY PLACE. It is the most basic don’t let that put you off). But for me it’s the spa
thing about me, and I will not apologise for this: I that really shines: a simple yet super-luxe affair
am at my most relaxed, contented and, indeed, best located where the cow barns once stood. The
when I am lying on a lounger by a pool, having just Hadspen stone and marble, glass and oak building
had a ridiculously overpriced treatment. (I cannot is quietly impressive, with loads of natural light
understand or even be friends with anyone who and an outdoor hydro pool that, on a sunny yet
feels differently.) I have been pummelled in Turkey, chilly October day, is the nicest spot I can think of
scrubbed in Italy, de-stressed in Scotland; I have to spend a couple of hours. There are no gimmicks,
tried wellness “packages”, yoga retreats and been
hooked up to strange machines that claim to do all sorts of things. And
R Y S PA
my conclusion? My ultimate destination is a simple spa overlooking a XU GU
LU I
private garden somewhere near Glastonbury. E
D
H

E
-T

The Newt, if you haven’t heard of it yet, was one of the most hyped
-- - -
- -- - -- --

hotel openings of last year — although don’t let that put you off. A
- - -- -- -- -- -

gorgeous-looking old country house on a working estate near Bruton,

- -- - -

Somerset, it ticks all the boxes of the moment: focus on local and sustain-
able; garden-to-table menus, and so on and so forth, blah de blah. The S
OM
---

E
- --

ERS
-
--

--

-- --
- --
- -- -- - -
- -- - -- -- -- -
34 The Sunday Times Style
 R Y S PA
XU GU
LU I
E
Style Spa Special

D
TH

E
- -- -- - -- -- -

-- - -
- - -- -- -- -- -
A
-- --
SO
U

IC
SARAH JOSSEL practises ‘wild

-- -

- --
TH AFR

--

--
--
wellness’ to help with a family crisis --
- --
- -- - -- -- -- -
-- - -
- --

LET ME START BY SAYING there was no chance I was

going to relax. The promise that I would unwind, find
calm and “inhale the peace, quiet and tranquillity” was
off the cards. You see, my December holiday plans
crumbled in the first few days, when my mum ended
up in hospital for more than a week. What was Each room comes with a painting set, which
supposed to be a much-needed break by the beach in I decided to use over my three-day stay, and
Cape Town with my boyfriend and family turned into found myself painting flowers in the afternoons.
a horror story spent sitting by a hospital bed, with the Fine, I may be more make-up than Michelangelo,
dreaded “beep, beep, beep” that you’re only supposed to hear in movies. but I now understand why some people turn to a
New Year’s Eve came and flopped, all activities were cancelled, my craft when they are going through a tough time.
mood was low, my skin broke out and I convinced myself I should cancel The highlight was an al fresco treatment in a
the retreat. It was wasted on me. I was anxious, stressed, and the thought gazebo perched on a riverbank. They opened the
of forced relaxation made me even more uneasy. doors wide so the heat flooded in, and I was
Once we got the all clear from the doctor, my mum did what mums pummelled, kneaded and tickled to the tranquil
do and banished me from the hospital, so we set off to Bushmans sounds of nature — and I’m not talking cheesy
Kloof, a wilderness reserve set across 7,000 hectares in the foothills spa playlist. It was the real deal: crickets chirping,
of South Africa’s Cederberg Mountains. The promise: “Wild wellness grass rustling and birds tweeting.
for those suffering burnout and city-dwellers who need to wind down No two meals were the same: one morning you
and reconnect with the outdoors.” It’s a three-hour drive from Cape may be whisked away for what they call a “bush
Town, and I spent the journey in turmoil, convinced I shouldn’t be breakfast” (cooked in the middle of the wilder-
going at all. ness), then dinner might be under the stars of the
As I arrived, it felt as though I was entering the Garden of Eden or, Milky Way in a sandstone amphitheatre or in a
perhaps, like I’d stepped into Pride Lands with Simba and co. Fairy derelict shepherd’s cottage with only candlelight,
flycatchers and sunbirds were whizzing above me, a kaleidoscope of nature sounds and stars for company. The food
butterflies adorned the sky and rows of blue hydrangeas lined was simple, fresh and delicious. (They even grow
the gardens. It went on: skipping zebras, cheeky baboons swinging in vegetables in their own organic gardens.)
the trees. Mummy and baby Bambis (grown-up term for anyone over Other activities include archery, fly-fishing,
the age of eight: springbok) zipped past us. This, I thought, is magical. swimming in rock pools and hiking for the more
We were shown to our room, which was called Cedar Falls. The adventurous, or bird-watching, star-gazing and
whole reserve can take a maximum of 34 guests, so it never feels wine-tasting. (And don’t be silly and skip the wine
crowded. I slumped on my four-poster bed and burst into tears when at dinnertime, it is the best there is.) I didn’t feel
I realised it was my first deep breath in a long time. My shoulders were like doing much, but on day two we mountain-
taut, my jawline was tight. I was nervous to look at my itinerary in case biked and canoed to lunch. We rode through the
there was too much “forced fun”, but actually it was the perfect balance desert, paddled across the still lake, tied up our
of alone time and out-of-this-world experiences. canoes and had a picnic for two in the wild.
I am confident in saying this might just be one
of the only places in the world that could have
made me feel better. Bushmans Kloof kept its
promise: as we drove away I felt ready for
no fads here; just a perfectly relaxing and luxurious space in which to everything the new decade has in store for me.
take some time to yourself: surely what a spa should be all about.
As for the treatments: they are similarly simple but lovely: an Apothe- Sarah Jossel was a guest of Bushmans Kloof.
cary Blend facial (£90) created with ingredients from the gardens; a Doubles from £410 a night, full-board with selected
Hammam “experience” (£160) during which you are scrubbed down activities, based on two people sharing
and massaged. The spa even catered for six-months pregnant me — no
mean feat, as once you have been fertilised and are growing a baby,
suddenly the spa options are thin on the ground and everyone is terrified
of touching you. One facialist cancelled my appointment after she found THREE MORE TO LOVE
out I was pregnant in case the oils “caused me harm”. At a time when all
you really want is a good massage, there are not many to be found; and
I once went for a “pregnancy massage” that involved lying on a bed with
a huge hole cut out for your stomach, which was, quite frankly, weird.
The Newt, however, offers a near-perfect pregnancy massage — its New
Life Prenatal Massage — which was administered by a very nice woman
who had a small child of her own, so clearly knows what it feels like to be
pregnant and heavy and tired. Like I say: simple pleasures. I’ll be back. From left Elsa’s Kopje, Meru, Kenya (elewana
collection.com); Sossusvlei Desert Lodge, Namibia
Laura Atkinson was a guest of the Newt. Doubles from £385 a night; (audleytravel.com); the Twelve Apostles, Cape Town,
thenewtinsomerset.com South Africa (12apostleshotel.com)

The Sunday Times Style 35


INDIA KNIGHT finds her dream spa at home
I KNOW PEOPLE LOVE SPAS, and the ones on these pages are
doubtless fabulous if you do too. But I just don’t like spas.
I don’t like their vibe. I don’t like the ones that are faux-clinical,
and I like the ones that are naffly “pampering” even less, as
though it were the world’s most tremendous treat to shuffle
about in slippers and a robe, like an elderly invalid, with the
faint smell of chlorine hovering in the background. I find these
places intensely boring. It’s usually too dark to read, thanks to
the weirdly sexy lighting. (What’s that about? I don’t want sexi-
ness sitting all by myself in a robe in a spa.) The treatment rooms are
often windowless and claustrophobic, plus I don’t like being spoken to
in an annoying half-whisper about my chakras (or whatever) by
someone who clearly finds me both ignorant and credulous. I dislike
the generic spa aesthetic, too, with its whiteness and candles and the
kind of sepulchral atmosphere that makes me want to burp the alphabet.
Wake me up when spas give you massages by open fires in interesting
rooms with paintings and books, and have cheese toasties on the menu
— when they’re about pleasure, rather than virtue.
But I do like treatments. I love treatments. And so it makes perfect
sense to have treatments at home, in an environment in which I am
completely comfortable, and with my own kitchen at my disposal for
emergency snackage of Not Raw Veg and proper cups of tea. The last
time I tried mobile beauty services was years ago, and I was not
impressed: nice idea, unremarkable execution. The whole thing was a
lottery — occasionally you got someone amazing, mostly you did not,
and that raised the problem of feeling annoyed at the crapness of the
treatment, while also feeling hospitable and thus like it would be
particularly rude to complain even a tiny bit.
Man, have things changed. I tried services from Ruuby — “five star
beauty services direct to your door”. The company mostly (but check,
just in case) operates in London, which I know is annoying, except —
get on the train, book yourself a lovely hotel room or Airbnb, and you
too can have a fabulous spa experience for, by my calculation, less than
a full day at a top-rated London spa and dramatically less, obviously,
than any residential stay at a spa anywhere in the UK, let alone abroad.
Take a partner! Take a friend! Do it in a group! Or don’t, and revel in
the solitude. This is what I’m going to do in future.
In this instance, it kindly sent heavenly Asta to Suffolk, where I live,
so I could try the service. I was booked in for a manicure, a pedicure, a
facial and a massage. There’s a vast menu of possibilities, including
make-up and (I am reliably told by friends who have tried it) very good
hairdressing, so you could have your face done and a blow-dry and go
out for dinner on this hypothetical London visit, if you wanted. Or you
could roll into bed straight after your massage. Again, this is some-
thing that annoys me about day spas: what’s the point of feeling all
woozy and relaxed if you have to put on your clothes again and navi-
gate hellish traffic afterwards? Or shuffle down to the dining room to
eat bland food with the other inmates. No thanks.
Ruuby does everything else, too, from spray tans to threading, from
waxing to lash extensions to Botox, and does it whenever you like. It
can accommodate you at the drop of a hat if needs be, but my advice is
THREE PRODUCTS TO TRY AT HOME
Aromatherapy Associates
Revive Body Oil, £46.
Manicurist Paris Green Natural
Nail Colour in Poppy Red, £12.
Natura Bissé Diamond Cocoon
Ultra Rich Cream, £280
36 The Sunday Times Style
R Y S PA
XU GU
LU I
E
D
H
E
-T
-- - -
- -- - -- --
- - -- -- -- -- -
- -- - -
to book well in advance — AT
---
E
- --
HOM
-
I mean days rather than weeks
--
--
-- --
- --
— and scroll through the list of - --
- -- - -- -- -- -
-- - -
therapists on the Ruuby app. Some
do some things, others do others, some do more
or less everything, unless it’s super-specialised,
such as injectables. Some are extremely experi-
enced, some are newer (but all are trained, obvi-
ously). You can see customer ratings and read
customer reviews from within the app.
Asta was amazing. She gave me a perfect
pedicure — she gave me new feet, really. I try to be
vigilant in the summer when my extremities are
on display, but in winter it all goes a bit hoofy. By
the time Asta had finished, I had newborn feet, as
soft as cashmere, nails impeccably varnished in,
interestingly, a non-toxic, organic, vegan polish by
a French brand called Manicurist Paris. I was
sceptical — the polish is made of things like
potatoes and cane sugar — but Asta, who I had
established was no-nonsense and wholly inter-
ested in results, said it was impressive. Which it
was, with not a chip in sight a week later; there
was an excellent range of colours, too. That’s
another thing: spas tend to use a specific brand of
products, and only that brand. Ruuby therapists
are free to use whatever brands they themselves
like and rate. Again, you can consult the app to see
which brands a particular therapist favours.
The gel manicure: impeccable. I used to fear
the gel manicure, but I’ve got over it. (Any harm
to your nails occurs with incorrect removal — for
God’s sake, don’t pick.) It dries in seconds, lasts
for weeks. I’m sold, plus Asta, who also carries
literally hundreds of non-gel nail polish colours
in her kit, produced a perfect poppy red.
I had a properly wonderful massage that did
things, namely unknotted my chronically tense
shoulders; my work chair isn’t as ergonomic as it
might be and I’m currently at my desk all day.
Again, I find that so many massages are perfectly
nice, but too vague and inefficient. This one
worked. And then, as if that wasn’t enough, I had
the best facial I’ve had in years. Years! And I have
had a lot of facials. This one, using super-
effective Natura Bissé products (not a brand I’ve
paid special attention to before, but which is now
bang on my radar), included a peel. If you had
told me I would have an amazing peel and a
superlative facial from a mobile therapist a month
ago, I would not have believed you. I wouldn’t
have trusted them to deliver the goods, and if
I wanted a peel, I’d have gone to a dedicated
facialist. In the event, there was no need.
Listen, I’ve grumped my way through a consid-
erable number of spas in the past. I have never,
even in the famous ones, been really impressed
by every single treatment I’ve booked. And all
this at home! Pure heaven.
Pedicure from £40, gel manicure from £40,
massage from £65, and Natura Bissé facials
from £120; ruuby.com

FOUR TO LOVE
IN THE UK
Beaverbrook, Surrey The spa’s colourful
stained glass ceilings create a soothing
paradise. Spa days from £175, doubles
from £385; beaverbrook.co.uk
The Langley, Buckinghamshire Try the
Himalayan salt sauna for a zero-effort
detox at the Duke of Marlborough’s opulent
former residence. Spa days from £210,
doubles from £350; marriott.com
South Lodge Spa, West Sussex Take
a dip in one of UK’s largest heated wild
swimming pools, and try the spa’s mud
room and steam rooms. Spa days from
£145, doubles from £265; exclusive.co.uk
Sopwell House, Hertfordshire With a
‘Deep Relaxation Room’ and vitality pools,
expect real downtime. Try the Dornbracht
Sensory Sky shower. Spa day from £120,
doubles from £154; sopwellhouse.co.uk
Style Spa Special
MOT
THE MIDLIFE
Could a comprehensive medical spa day
offer answers to the many symptoms of the
menopause? Lorraine Candy finds out
HAVING WORKED in the beauty industry for more than
25 years, I’m a luxury spa aficionado. I’ve been lucky
enough to try some of the world’s best. I’ve been pummelled
by delightful Sri Lankan masseurs, had hot oil poured over
my forehead on the Caribbean island of Nevis and enjoyed
a glorious healing bath malarkey in Budapest. But for this
Spa Special, because I am now 51, I wanted to try some-
thing different, something that would have a marked effect
on the rest of my life, and perhaps be helpful to women at
the same stage of adulting.
So imagine a spa where you can discuss your best and worst of times
with a group of friendly, professional, medically qualified women who
totally get what you are going through in midlife. A medical spa where
you can also talk about your skin and hair, and have a relaxing yoga
session at the end of a day of body problem solving. Well, I have found
this nirvana, in the market town of Stratford-upon-Avon. Which is not
where I expected it to be at all, but there you have it.
Newson Heath is a menopause and wellbeing clinic. There’s no over-
nighting, but women travel from all over the country to visit. I would call
my experience a “well woman day”, a day that has undoubtedly increased
my “health span”, a new term in the wellness dictionary. After person-
ally experiencing several years of misinformation and misdiagnosis at
my GP practice, the Newson Health clinic proved to be turning point for
me. What I learnt in my seven hours there blew my mind.
There are at least 36 symptoms of the perimenopause (which is the
time when periods change and symptoms start, a few years before
periods finally stop), and over the past four years I have had about
15 of them, including out-of-character panic attacks, intense head-
aches, chronic exhaustion, night sweats, insomnia and aching joints.
It has been like wading through treacle, and sometimes I’ve been
extremely sad, despite the lucky life I lead. I’ve managed these symp-
toms with a new-found love of cold-water swimming, exercise and
recently a more mindful diet, but you can only grapple with these
demons on your own for so long.
I am not alone in feeling quietly desperate for change, or at least to
be the energetic, positive woman I was before I hit 45.
One in four women going through this
stage considers resigning from their jobs,
and it is no surprise that peak suicide risk
for women is between the ages of 45 and 49,
the eye of the storm for perimenopausal
problems, a fact about which little is written.
It took two visits to my GP to get a prescrip-
tion for the gel version of body identical
HRT, applied once daily, to replace my
depleting oestrogen. Oestrogen is like the oil
The Sunday Times Style 37
 IF YOU’RE
CONSIDERING
SPLASHING OUT
ON A SPA,
MAYBE USE THE
INVESTMENT
TO CHANGE THE
WAY YOU LIVE
that ensures the smooth running of a female
system. Using HRT also reduces your future risk
of developing osteoporosis, dementia, cardiovas-
cular disease, osteoarthritis and type 2 diabetes.
Despite the scare stories, the risk of a woman
over 50 developing breast cancer as a result of
taking body identical combined HRT is small —
less than drinking two glasses of wine a day and
less than being obese or overweight. So the bene-
fits of taking HRT usually outweigh any risks, but
you need to take the right amount and monitor
your response to it.
I have also had low iron count for the past
few months, making me unusually tired. A third
trip to my GP left me feeling as if I hadn’t been
listened to and the symptoms didn’t improve, so I
visited Dr Louise Newson at the clinic she set up
after working as a GP specialising in menopause
in the NHS. Newson is one of the country’s
leading experts, a campaigner for women’s voices
on the subject and driving research into the symp-
toms and treatment options.
My day includes a consultation with Newson, a
review of my diet with nutritionist Emma Ellice-
Flint, author of the The Happy Hormone Cook-
book, a DEXA bone scan to check my risk of osteo-
porosis and a follow-up meeting with Dr Rebecca
Lewis to discuss the results, a chat with a pelvic-
floor physiotherapist, a blood test to check iron
and hormone levels, and a consultation with the
dermatologist Dr Sajjad Rajpar.
It was a thorough physical going-over, and I am
also grateful for the hour-long, one-to-one yoga
session at the end with Lucy Holtom, who
specialises in bespoke sessions for each stage of
GETTY, CAMILLA ARMBRUST, VICTORIA ADAMSON, ROBERT HARPER, NATURAL WORLD SAFARIS
women’s lives.
The good news for me is that the scan shows
I have above-average bone density for a woman
of my age. (This may be genetic, and also because
I have been a regular gym-goer for many years
and ensured weightlifting is a part of my routine.)
But the bad news is that my current prescription
for HRT is wrong for me. Newson explains that
it is very important for each woman to have
the right dose and type of HRT for her own needs.
She prescribes a different dose of oestrogen and
progesterone, as well as testosterone, which works
to improve concentration, stamina and libido.
You can get female testosterone cream only
privately for perimenopausal and menopausal
symptoms, although male testosterone gel is
licensed for men and can be prescribed in lower
doses for women on the NHS. The reasons for this
Style Spa Special
anomaly are ridiculously complicated, but
Newson says it is common for women to have
depleted amounts as they age, and she is lobbying
for it to be licensed for women by the NHS.
My blood test reveals low levels of testosterone,
but as Newson points out, blood tests for
hormones are not the way to prescribe treatments.
She explains that our hormone levels vary daily
and we have no context for a woman’s normal
levels, so the decision to start HRT is based on
symptoms, rather than blood test results. She also
warns against taking compounded bioidentical
HRT, which is unregulated and not subject to any
quality control. They are also expensive.
But this is a spa feature, so let’s turn to nutrition.
During perimenopause, it’s common for iron
THE RIGHT HELP levels to drop, Ellice-Flint explains, and recom-
mends I go for “all the green leafy somethings” and
Menopause care a little red meat. She creates a bespoke plan, but
is available on the emphasises food is to be enjoyed. When I complain
NHS and some about my inability now to drink alcohol, she
GP practices have advises that I do, indeed, need to cut back, because
doctors or nurses female hormone deficiency affects how the liver
with a special processes toxins and it takes longer to remove
interest in the alcohol from the system at this age. Darn it.
subject, so it is She also advises taking vitamin D — again,
worth inquiring. levels lower at this age — and fish oils for my joint
It is essential that pain, but concludes most of my symptoms will
women are given improve as oestrogen gets back into my system.
evidence-based I don’t have any personal skin worries, but have
information and noticed thinning hair and Dr Rajpar tells me that
treatment to Regaine, which you can buy in most chemists, will
improve their help, alongside the HRT treatment and boosting
symptoms and my iron levels back to normal. This will also help
also their future stall the thinning of my skin as I age. I have learnt
health. For more so much in one day, it’s a lot to take in. As I write,
information, it’s four days after I began the new prescription,
visit Newson’s and already I feel much more energetic and have
website; had two great nights’ sleep.
menopause As women we tend to put up with symptoms of
doctor.co.uk discomfort and emotional unease, don’t we? We
rush on sorting out our day, pushing on through
until we realise feeling less than ourselves is the
norm. But we don’t have to feel like that. If you’re
considering splashing out on a spa, then maybe
think about it differently and use the investment
to change the way you live, and find out what your
body really needs for this magnificent new stage
of your life. ▪
Consultation with Dr Louise Newson £250,
bone scan £275, nutrition consultation £90,
dermatology consultation £250; all other services
cost extra; newsonhealth.co.uk
How to handle midlife: a new podcast
from Lorraine Candy and Trish Halpin,
postcardsfrommidlife.com/listen
The Sunday Times Style 39
 ...is the #BeautyBOSS

W ant to wear lipstick, but your lips are too chapped?

Style’s Wardrobe Mistress was up in arms
for most of January. Her beloved Carmex
had sold out everywhere, and she has been
out cracked skin everywhere from cuticles to
elbows, and is a bit of a lifesaver. Well, this
does just that for lips — it even has the same
2

miserable without her emergency lipcare.
Am I surprised she can’t get hold of lip balm?
Not one bit. Come January, I stockpile in
every coat pocket and handbag, so I am
ready for a flakiness crisis.
Normally, dry lips mean it’s not worth
going there with bold lipsticks. One second
you’re Marilyn Monroe sporting a Holly-
wood mouth, the next you look like you’ve
come down with a rare skin-shedding
disease. And gloss isn’t much better, as it
tends to accentuate the flakes and add a
gloopiness that only makes things worse.
A happy middle ground is a lip oil. Dior Lip
Glow Oil (1 £28) delivers glossy colour that
hydrates without the dreaded stick. I find that
with some high-maintenance lipsticks, espe-
cially matte, layering every few hours isn’t an
option. Each time you apply, you need to start
with a clean slate, otherwise it looks like that
shedding disease is back. But this oil can be
topped up throughout the day for a soft, perky
sheen, and there’s an array of lovely colours to
choose from.
Another in-betweener is Elizabeth Arden
Eight Hour x Olimpia Zagnoli Lipstick Eight
Hour Cream Lip Protectant in Coral (2 £21).
We know the cult Eight Hour Cream sorts
scent — but with a poppy coral tint for an
1
extra pick-me-up. FYI, any make-up artist
will tell you that coral is a fail-safe colour for
giving life to a dull complexion.
Nars Afterglow Lip Balm in Torrid (3 £23)
is in a similar vein. Consider this blush for
your lips. Richer than a standard lip balm, it
adds a flattering peachy sheen that brightens
with a few quick swipes. There’s no risk of
drying or pilling, and it’s easy to top up.
Trinny London Lip Glow pots (5 £16) are
fantastic for a weightless finish with some
colour payoff. Designed to be applied with
your fingers, they’re the antithesis of 1990s
gloopy gloss. The newest shade is a suits-all
3
berry called Honor, but there are also pinks,
corals, reds and nudes that deliver a subtle
yet long-lasting stain — no brush required.
And finally, YSL Rouge Volupté Rock’n
Shine (4 £30) is the most lipstick-like of
the lot. The embossed star is actually made
of plant-sourced glitter, but not the festive
kind — this is more of a soft-sparkle sheen. 4
The wrong nude on dry lips can turn things
corpse-like in seconds — never a good
look. Nude Solo in this collection is warm
and universally flattering. Take your pick,
Wardrobe Mistress. 5

SARAH’S SECRETS
The other area that doesn’t do well at this time of year?
Cuticles. It doesn’t matter how good your polish job is, if your
cuticles aren’t intact, your mani will suffer the consequences.
ROBERT HARPER, AMBRA VERNUCCIO

Nails Inc Vitamin E Oil Pen, £14.50

Pop this in your handbag and swipe over the cracks throughout the day.

Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream, £6

A bedside-table necessity. Massage in every evening to nourish and soften.

Tweet or Instagram your beauty questions @SARAHJOSSEL

The Sunday Times Style 41


What SHE SAID
NOELLA GABRIEL
The president and
co-founder of Elemis
sold the British beauty
brand last year for $900m,
but has remained in the
company. The 62-year-
old lives in New York and
has an adult daughter
Do you need a career question answered? Ask @TheSTStyle
using the hashtag #STYLELeadingWomen
Style Leading Women
YOUR WORK DILEMMA ANSWERED
BY A SUCCESSFUL FEMALE LEADER
I’ve been in the same role for 17 years.
How do I stay inspired? Rachel, 51
I STARTED ELEMIS BACK IN 1989, together with two co-founders.
For me, it’s a lifetime journey that is all about learning and opportunities
to meet new people and new cultures. If you’re not taking yourself out
of your comfort zone, then it just becomes a job and a means to live.
A lot of people think, “I’m good at this, so this is what I’ll do,” but for me,
it’s about doing the thing I’m not good at so I can learn. I am not afraid
to say that I don’t get it yet. A few years ago I asked a very savvy
digital employee to mentor me an hour a day and teach me about
the digital world. I like things to make me feel uncomfortable — if an
idea only speaks to me, we have a problem. There are a lot of people
who are scared of that, but you’ve got to take risks because they’re
energising. If that terrifies you, go one step back and think of it as
improving, not as a risk. It’s the learning that keeps the fire in the belly.
I’ve never felt bored here because I’ve always steered to where I’ve
wanted to go. I’m interested in innovation; I like to be disruptive and
push the boundaries. I feel privileged to be someone that can’t ever
stand still. I am a performer — I love a new stage, and I love people,
I have to be bouncing off people. But it’s also important to nurture that
energy outside the office. I am an avid walker, I’m a passionate singer
(I’m classically trained) and I love meeting up with friends. I don’t even
know what retirement would look like. I have no plans or time frame for
that; I certainly can’t see myself in the garden planting plants.
There’s a shift that happens in your career when it becomes less
about you and more about other people. My job today is to be an
enabler. It’s about recognising talent and empowering it, but you have
to have a great inner confidence to be able to do that. So my next lesson
was not to be challenged by the phenomenal new talent around me, but
to harness that millennial energy and creative flow that, in my time,
I was never allowed. That shift is important for leaders, because other-
wise you are controlling something and limiting its growth. If you can
recognise and mentor that, it’s a force to be reckoned with. I am the
mother of a millennial myself, so it’s a constant mirroring back of ideas.
I love the freshness of that.
If, however, you feel your job is not ticking all your boxes, then it may
be that you need to move on. But don’t do so without giving the
company a chance. Remember, it’s a partnership; it’s not just one way.
It’s not up to the employer to keep its employees motivated, you also
have to put in the groundwork. Go and talk to them — maybe you need
a different role that offers more learning. You’ve got to take the leap,
because if you’re not learning, what’s the point? For me, if that was the
case, I might as well pack it all in. ▪ @noellagabriel
As told to Fleur Britten
The Sunday Times Style 43
 A careful curation of
old, new and minimal
sets the tone in this
Alpine retreat for a
fashion power couple,
says Fleur Britten

CHALET
CHIC
The midcentury suite was sourced
from a vintage dealer (‘It’s a bit of a
secret!’ says Federico Ferrari).
Above Ferrari and Carolina Castiglioni
in the living room of their Swiss chalet

HELENIO BARBETTA/LIVING INSIDE

46 The Sunday Times Style

 Style Interiors

H
ow do you design a Swiss chalet to be cosy
but not clichéd? The answer is to bring in a
“Milanese” aesthetic, says the Italian archi-
tect Federico Ferrari, who shares this four-
bedroom mountain retreat near St Moritz
with his wife, the Marni scion Carolina
Castiglioni, and their children, aged six and eight.
“It’s contemporary, but the colours and fabrics make
it more warm,” he says. “It’s elegant but not over the top.
The detail makes the difference, and the difference
makes it special.” Castiglioni says the vibe is similar to
that of Plan C, the fashion label she launched with her
brother, Giovanni, and father, Gianni, after the family
exited Marni in 2016 (Consuelo, Carolina’s mother
and the founder of the brand, is enjoying retirement).
After turning the whole property “upside down” —
the only original features are the windows and roof
— the walls and floors were covered with reclaimed oak.
“Its imperfections give a more natural, authentic feel,”
Ferrari says. The rest of the walls are painted white,
“a colour you don’t tire of ”. Dotted around are a few
choice family antiques — the baroque lamp in the living
area, a vintage chair in the children’s bedroom. “Mixing
it up works well,” says Ferrari, “and gives more impor-
tance to the few antiques that are there.”
The chalet is “really calm”, Castiglioni adds. “It’s not
too full of things, and when you look out of the windows,
you can see the mountains and the woods.”
During the ski season, the family visit every weekend
from Milan. Who could blame them? ▪

Clockwise from top left The

triangular children’s bedroom
is ‘one of the most weird rooms’,
Ferrari says, but fun for a child. ‘They
can jump from one bed to the other.’
The kitchen cabinets, like the wall
cladding, are made from reclaimed
oak. The Antonio Lupi bath sits on a
floor of serpentine stone. Mustard
curtains, used throughout, lend
warmth. The midcentury Venetian
mirrors in the bathroom complement
the Alape basins. In the living space,
a 1960s dining table by Osvaldo
Borsani for Tecno is teamed with Eero
Saarinen’s Executive chairs for Knoll

The Sunday Times Style 47

 Discover the new podcast

Postcards
from Midlife
with Lorraine Candy and Trish Halpin

Tackling everything from hormones, sex, relationships,

fashion, beauty, the menopause and mental health
through to the conundrum of parenting teenagers

SUBSCRIBE and LISTEN at

postcardsfrommidlife.com/listen
48 The Sunday Times Style
 PISCES
February 19 – March 19
Ordinarily, decisions based on good intentions
mixed with a dose of practicality will always
work perfectly. However, with so much around
you in disarray, what makes sense one day
probably won’t the next. While usually
you’d rely on your superb intuition, you’re
better off getting others involved. For now,
teamwork is the name of the game.
For more details from Shelley: 09066 500421*
ARIES
March 20 – April 18
Obviously, you’re eager to turn thrilling ideas
into solid plans, and to put them into action.
However, with your ruler, Mars, accenting
exploration until mid-month, there’s lots more
to discover and exciting people to meet. If
those plans are pressing, ensure they’re
flexible, because you’ll go through many
versions before anything is finalised.
For more details from Shelley: 09066 500410*
TAURUS
April 19 – May 19
If you’re still hoping certain recent unsettling
changes will somehow undo themselves, you’re
in for frustration. While getting involved may
seem a compromise, do so and your perspective
will change instantly. Better yet, this
enables you to discuss complex issues, ask
questions and, importantly, get the answers you
need — now and regarding the future.
For more details from Shelley: 09066 500411*
GEMINI
May 20 – June 19
January’s twists and turns were unexpectedly
beneficial. While their promise remains, the
coming two weeks will be tricky. Those recent
changes need to be turned into plans, but it’s
far too early. The problem? Others’ impatience
and the resulting complaints. Simply detail
your intentions. Then regularly issue updates
on changes — of which there’ll be many.
For more details from Shelley: 09066 500412*
CANCER
June 20 – July 21
Ordinarily you’ll happily listen to others’
complaints and, where possible, suggest
remedies. At the moment, however, you’re still
reflecting on the dramatic events and insights
triggered by the recent Cancer eclipsed Full
JASON LLOYD-EVANS
Moon. It may have been a month ago, but it
triggered breakthroughs you’ve been longing
for and dreading in nearly equal parts.
For more details from Shelley: 09066 500413*
*Calls cost 65p per minute, plus your telephone company’s network access charge. Maximum call duration: 6 minutes. Over-18s only. You must have the bill payer’s permission. These services are
for entertainment only. Service provider: Spoke, 0333 202 3390. Have a personal consultation with an astrologer! Call 0906 400 1003 now or text SHELLEY (space) followed by your burning
question to 82229. Calls cost £1.50 per minute, plus your telephone company’s network access charge. Calls are recorded for your protection. You must be over 18. Maximum call duration:
19 minutes. Each text message received costs £1.50. You will receive two response messages per question. Total cost: £3. Standard operator rates apply for all messages you send. Service available
8am-10pm, seven days a week. Available only in the UK. Service provider: Spoke, 0333 202 3392 (9am-5pm, Mon-Fri). This service is regulated by Phone-paid Services Authority
To learn more about astrology and order your personal chart, visit shelleyvonstrunckel.com
What’s happening this
week? Our astrologer
Shelley von Strunckel
reveals what the stars
desire to organise arrangements now — and
have in store for you
plans. The time could, in fact, have been spent
week will be the same. The solution? Simply
CUSHNIE
early January’s electrifying events, you’re still
Don’t rush this. Savour the process. After all,
AQUARIUS
January 20 – February 18
You’d never have regarded yourself as a
control freak until you faced the events,
and clashes with others, triggered by early
January’s powerful planetary activity. It
exposed issues, forced frank discussion
and made you consider changes you’ve
always rejected. And it’s not over. Expect
chapter two in the middle of the year.
Knowing that, use this period to explore,
instead of ignore, your options.
For more details from Shelley:
09066 500420*
LEO
July 22 – August 21
Urgent as certain matters seem, not only
can they wait — they should wait until next
Sunday’s Leo Full Moon. By then, the issues
in question will have moved on considerably,
and your own feelings about those
matters will be clear enough that, instead
of conducting a rant, you’ll manage
to have a genuine discussion.
For more details from Shelley: 09066 500414*
VIRGO
August 22 – September 21
Appealing as the phrase “final plan” may
be, the coming month or two is about
transition — often unsettling but always
worthwhile. Knowing that, exchange that
fully — for a more philosophical approach
to planning, in which the process is as
valuable as the ultimate outcome.
For more details from Shelley: 09066 500415*
LIBRA
September 22 – October 21
Consider this. Over the past month, you’ve
been grappling either with others’ puzzling
behaviour or figuring out ways to organise
in more productive, and pleasurable, ways.
Yet if you don’t rein in your thoughts, this
recognising this is the first step.
For more details from Shelley: 09066 500416*
SCORPIO
October 22 – November 20
While you dealt immediately with some of
mulling over the meaning of, and how to
handle, many others. These are serious
breakthroughs, so that’s as it should be.
the resulting insights will change your
perspective — if not your life.
For more details from Shelley: 09066 500417*
SAGITTARIUS
November 21 – December 20
Since the year began, you’ve been
encountering all sorts of intriguing ideas
and people. There’s a lot yet to learn and
discover. Do exactly that, and little
else, until February 16, when the focus
shifts from quantity to quality. The
resulting process may not be nearly as
exciting, but it will be a huge relief.
For more details from Shelley: 09066 500418*
CAPRICORN
December 21 – January 19
Life would be easy if you could simply
make decisions as they arise, then
move on. But, alas, most involve others,
and they’re either short of facts or
dithering. Actually, you’ve all sorts of
intriguing options to explore, but simply
haven’t had the time. Now you do. What
you learn will blow your mind.
For more details from Shelley: 09066 500419*
@vonStrunckel
The Sunday Times Style 49
Style Voice

THE LIFE OF RAVEN

DEPRESSED BY THE CURRENT STATE OF THE
NATION, OUR COLUMNIST NOMINATES HIS
CANDIDATES TO LEAD US. VOTE RAVEN FOR CHANGE!

I
don’t want to sound like a toddler who needs a nap, but we’re barely a month
into the decade and I’m crabby and exhausted already. January was a hideous
hangover from 2019, like waking up from a work event that had free drinks
but no canapés. In 2020 we’re already dealing with ecological catastrophe,
the threat of a third world war and senior royals unsubscribing from duties
like unwanted emails. We’re too tired even to joke about Brexit — it’s just a
never-ending metaphysical space, like the stairs in an Escher picture.
The aim right now is to find a little peace, to fence off a patch of organic growth
in the garden of politics, avoiding the genetically modified field of online hot takes.
I want a quiet life that mirrors a rustic scene from a low-budget, critically acclaimed
Film4 production, and I want a future that doesn’t involve wincing at a prime
minister who is “characterful” in the same way estate agents describe fire-ravaged
bedsits miles from a Tube stop. But who? My nominations to get the good ship of
2020 back on course are not necessarily the most sensible, but they would elevate
proceedings like baking powder in a sponge cake.
●MONICA ALDAMA AND THE PYRAMID FROM CHEER
Cheerleading is propaganda for homosexuality (short shorts, muscly thighs), but the
pyramid from the Netflix doc Cheer is a more complex matrix of sinew and emotions.
Coach Aldama and her troupe of hormonal teens would cheerlead the way to a new,
more active Britain. Imagine the confused applause when foreign dignitaries visited.
●COUSIN GREG FROM HBO’S SUCCESSION
Greg is the lanky pantomime villain of the modern-day Jacobean melodrama, and
like any good cousin he is always lurking in the background, ready to pass comment.
Sure, Shiv may be the most sensible choice for a ministerial role, but is she the
tallest? What happens when we need something from the top shelf in the Palace of
Westminster? A platform shoe won’t get us to Brussels. Expect zany world-stage
results, like a sinister episode of Miranda.
●GWYNETH PALTROW
The gentle scent of vagina candle fills the House of Commons as the Iron Supple-
ment Lady traipses the halls barefoot between gong baths. She’s bringing back
rationing, limiting us to an alkaline risotto a day (and whatever we can forage from
Whole Foods). She’s enforcing mandatory soft-belly breathing on the Tube. Perhaps
we get a Coldplay song as the national anthem and free Tracy Anderson workouts.
‘I want a future ●JENNIFER LOPEZ
Maybe we can hustle our way through Brexit, getting it steaming drunk and covertly
that doesn’t involve trade-dealing with Europe while giving it lap dances. Rather than a campaign
wincing at a prime anthem, Lopez offers a pole dance in transparent heels. She’s never been a back-
bencher and, contrary to the old adage, it’s actually in front of every great man that
minister who is you find a great woman. Imagine her smearing Fenty Body Lava down her legs in
Boris and Carrie’s ensuite. Golden. I for one would watch a British remake of Hustlers.
“characterful” in ●RAVEN SMITH
the same way estate Perhaps it’s pertinent to announce my own candidacy for prime minister? Why
have policy when you can have a pun? Picture me in a Cummings trackie and
agents describe Theresa May’s chain necklace. After bailing out Pizza Express, I’d smelt down all
fire-ravaged bedsits our unused plastic straws and mint a new euro with a doughball on the back. Brexit
still means Brexit, but we can all decamp to Love Island and couple up in muscular
miles from the Tube’ trade deals, Caroline Flack roaming free as Free Willy. Hiring a deputy will be a bit
like Tinder, but I’m open to applications. Please send your CV and optional dick pic.
If all else fails we could have a Frankenstein coalition: the Patron Saints of
Gayness. Gillian Anderson showed quick-thinking dexterity with a courgette in Sex
Education. Pre-weight-loss Adele could set fire to the rain every bank holiday. We
EKUA KING

need a health secretary, so we’ll get Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s cigarette from the
Emmys to tell you not to smoke it. ▪

@RAVEN__SMITH

50 The Sunday Times Style